《City of Desire [Kingdom Building]》 Prologue Prologue Age of Emperor Argon 30th June, Year 161 ¡®I hope you enjoy Greltheaven, little brother,¡¯ "Master Silver, we have arrived at Greltheaven," Hendriks said as he shook me awake. Even after waking up, the words of my brother echoed in my mind, reminding me that it was not a dream but a harsh reality. ¡®I will have my revenge, you bastards,¡¯ I thought before turning to the small city by the river. The place where I will live, all thanks to my dearest siblings, who will pay for what they have done to me. I pushed my thoughts aside and took a closer look at the city, which was truly a sight to behold. Despite being a newly built settlement, it had not yet been officially inaugurated. The city was a masterpiece of architecture and engineering, and it was a marvel to behold. This was Greltheaven, named after the fourth prince of the empire. He had constructed this city in just two short years, at a staggering cost. The city was a testament to the prince''s vision and ambition, and it was a symbol of his power and wealth. Building such a city was a huge gamble, as there was always a risk of it being destroyed. However, if it managed to stand even for just ten years, it would generate a wealth of resources that would support the prince''s aspirations and ambitions. In short, the city was a high-risk, high-reward proposition for the prince, and its success or failure would have a significant impact on his future. "Grandmaster Raldin deserves all the praise in the world," Hendricks said, awe-struck. "The city he designed is truly magnificent." The city had an expansive inland port, which had room for further development. Surrounding the port were the thick white walls that looked like they were carved out of marble. They looked beautiful and delicate, but looks could be deceiving. They were enchanted with powerful wards that could even stop multiple meteor spells cast by level 30 mages. I had heard they did the trial a few months ago, and the walls held on without a scratch A fitting end for the bastard, they said. They had gotten everything while I got the scraps. I wouldn¡¯t have even minded the scraps, but they interfered with my class, my base class. Once again, I calmed myself and focused on the city. The carriage had passed through the huge gates of the port. It rolled comfortably down this cobblestone road, wide enough to comfortably fit several carriages at the same time. As the carriage rolled through the city, I saw beautiful buildings in various architectural styles. Every building was uniquely designed, from smallest to biggest. Looking at things, it is very clear that the prince had grand ambitions for the city, which is good because now it is my city. I want it to flourish, as it is good for business. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I think about my business. Those bastards have thrown something at me that I had no interest in. A business some may not look favorably on. None of that matters anymore, I¡¯m forced to it, as it''s now connected to my base class. I take solace in that one day, I''ll take revenge against those who have wronged me. Soon, the carriage had reached the entertainment district, which was known for hotels, casinos, and much more. Many business houses had made investments in the city, not because they believed in its future, as most of them thought it would be destroyed within a decade, but because of the fourth prince, who was a strong contender for the throne, and nobody wanted to be his enemy. So they made a token investment, like my father, to benefit both sides. The prince got the investments he needed for his new city, while the business houses got some time before they needed to choose sides in the inevitable war of succession. Soon, the carriage slowed down and stopped at the gate of a beautiful mansion. There is a poll to vote on Royalroad: Chapter 01: The Brothel Chapter 01: The Brothel Edited by Waylon Altizer. 14. Feb. 17th Feb, the Year 2705 "They have appeared," I said with a quivering voice. I attempted to conceal the fear in my tone, but I couldn''t, as the massive swarm of the undead approached the city like a tidal wave. I had fought against the undead, but never at this scale; it seemed unending. I knew this day would come. I knew the army of the dead did not lack bodies, but I could not have imagined this. I fear my army won''t stand much of a chance against it. It consisted of seasoned soldiers, mercenaries, adventurers, and individuals with little to no combat experience, some of whom had never even held a sword before. I look down the lines of men and women, seeing the fear in the eyes of veterans and amateurs alike. What choice do we have but to fight in these circumstances? If we do not fight and repel the undead, every man, woman, and child will be turned by morning. "Be truthful with me, Stone. What are our chances of making it through this?" I asked my general. "Less than 20%, Lord Governor." replied the towering man. More than I''d have given us. Still bad, though. I turn towards the docks. It was the first time I''d ever seen it empty. It was thriving till yesterday, and now it is empty. Count Darrow has escaped. He abandoned the city that had brought him huge wealth and influence. Instead of standing with his city, he ran away in the name of seeking aid and took with him the people and resources that could have been used in defence of the city. Had given us a real chance of victory. It''s been two years since I arrived in Greltheaven. In those two years, it has grown more than I had ever imagined. I''ve found my own success in the city. My business has brought me more wealth than my father had earned in his whole life. I had single-handily transformed my industry. I am the standard others hold themselves to. Now, this horde will take it all from me, and the only one I can blame is that coward, Darrow. If I survive this somehow, I will kill him, no matter the consequence. ........ "We have reached our destination, Master Remus," Hendricks said as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the massive iron gates. "I presume you won''t be joining inside?" I asked, looking towards the elderly man from the carriage window. He shook his head in response. "I apologize, Master Remus, but I have urgent business to attend to in Redfawn and need to return as soon as possible," he replied regretfully. "Thank you for your company. The journey would have been tedious without you." I said courteously. "It was my honor to accompany you, Master Remus. Please accept my sincerest apologies for not being of greater assistance." the old man said with regret. "What occurred was beyond our control, Hendricks," I said with a sigh as I stepped out of the carriage. The door shut with a thud behind me as my feet hit the gravel path, and the carriage quickly pulled away, not pausing for a moment. Seeing that, I couldn''t help but shake my head with a smile. I gazed at the carriage for a moment before turning my attention to the magnificent mansion in the heart of the garden. This was what my brothers had so graciously given me. The mansion was a beautiful three-story structure, built in a classic imperial design that bore close similarity to the Baroque style of Earth. It is a visual feast with a sensuous richness that makes one want to gaze upon it simply. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 1) Charisma: 5 Intelligence: 8 Vitality: 5 Skills: ? Trusty Presence ? Worthy Goods Attribute Points: 1 The class interface appeared in front of me as I willed it. One could have many classes; however, only one base class that one cannot reject. The base class is the only class that provides attribute points when levelled. I may not have gotten lucky with my class, but I got good skills. They are as good as one hopes to get and are practical. One skill is passive, while the other is active; I am already using worthy goods on these women, and I am getting a good response. "Master Silver, do you want me to introduce the girls to you?" she asked, to which I shook my head. "No, I will take a look at the establishment first," I replied. I could see surprise appearing on the women¡¯s faces before they controlled their emotions. "As you wish," she said, bringing back her professional smile that had faint seductiveness. "The whole establishment is made just as the old master had ordered, and the Nielson guild had done a very good job actualizing his vision," she said as she began showing me the mansion. I already knew the plans, I was there when he had a meeting with the people of the construction guild and offered many suggestions, but he did not listen. "All the rooms are soundproof and have the most comfortable setting so clients can have the best time. There is..." Carla is detailed in her explanations, which gives me little need to ask questions; I have read the reports she had sent to Redfawn, and they were very precise. The workers of the architecture guild were still working, and whenever we passed them, I could see them stealing glances at Carla. she really is an eye turner. She is not the most beautiful of women here, but she is the most seductive. Despite having known her for less than an hour, I could tell she is apt at using every advantage she has. The old man had made many mistakes, but he couldn''t have picked a better choice as the person responsible for the establishment. Soon, we appeared in the back garden and walked toward the middle-aged man in a black suit, who was speaking to a few people. When he saw us coming, he quickly dismissed them and turned to us with a smile. I could see him throwing glances at Carla, not always at her eyes. "Master Silver, this is architect Lloyd. He is responsible for the construction of the establishment." Carla said. "Mister Silver, nice to meet you. I hope you liked the work of our guild," he said as he forcefully diverted his eyes toward me. "It exactly as my late father had envisioned," I replied, and the smile on his face widened. "I am glad to hear that," he said and looked toward the mansion. "As you can see, we are nearly done; we will be finished within three days, which will give you ample time to open by the end of the week," he said, and to that, I just smiled. "Mr. Lloyd, I would like to meet your boss tomorrow morning, if possible," I said to him, which surprised him and Carla. "May I know what for Mister Silver?" he asked, eyes focused on me. "Yes, it is about some modifications I want to make to the establishment," I answered, and the worry in his eyes eased away. "I will inform head architect Davidson as soon as possible," he said with a smile. I talked to him for a few minutes before walking back inside the mansion, ready to start with my plans. Do click on Favorite before flipping the page. Chapter 02: Choice Chapter 02: Choice Edited by Waylon Altizer. 14th Feb. Click Carla opened the office door, and we walked inside. The office was located in the tower of the left wing of the mansion and was quite spacious, comparable in size to my uncle''s corner office in the firm. The best feature of the office was its view. The window offered a clear view of the garden and gate, and from my seat, I could easily observe who was entering and exiting the mansion. I took my seat behind the desk while Carla sat opposite me. The table was neatly organized, with all the necessary files in place. I took the first file and began to read. Even after my father passed away, Carla continued to send me reports, and I had read them all in advance of my arrival. The information in the files was consistent and without any discrepancies. It took me just an hour to review the files, thanks to their clear and organized presentation. "Carla, bring the girls to my office; there is something I need to talk to them about," I said, putting down the files. She clearly had questions and wanted to ask me but refrained as she eased her expressions. "Yes, Master Silver." She replied. As she turned toward the door, I could not help myself but steal a glance at her, her black dress hugging her tightly, accentuating her hourglass figure and drawing the eye to her round bottom. After she left, I retrieved the proposal I had made for the girls from my bag. When I first received this class one month ago, I was angry and felt as if my world had crumbled. It wasn''t even the first time that month I felt powerless. Weeks before, I witnessed my father murdered in front of me, decapitated. I doubt the image of his head falling and the blood showering me will ever fade. It took me over a week to soothe myself and rationally consider the future, and I realized that things were not as bleak as they had initially appeared. There are a few issues with my condition, the primary one being the base class. It is a permanent fixture in my life, and I cannot choose another or decline it. Though modifications can be made, they can combine with other classes or evolve into a more advanced version. The second issue is equally, if not more, challenging as my permanent class, as my survival depends on it. It is this city, Greltheaven, named after the prince who built it. It was built in the last two years by the fourth prince in the new region of Renwall conquered from the kingdom of Tabes. Those bastards are hell-bent on recapturing their territory. The territory is massive, equivalent in size to a small kingdom, but it is a barren wasteland where nothing grows except for small pockets of green. Despite its inhospitable environment, it is immensely valuable due to the presence of low-level magic crystals, which are the region''s primary export. This recently acquired region is located near merchant city-states. Until recently, the Empire has been in conflict with these city-states ranging from military war to trade war. The worst part is that with this territory, the Empire has acquired a new and formidable neighbor, Navr, a necromantic kingdom ruled by three supreme liches. Their undead tides are horrifying. The dead know no mercy. During their assaults, they spare no sympathy for women or children. The Renwall region was devastated by an undead horde from Navr three years ago, which is the reason why the Empire was able to capture it in one fell swoop from Tabes. There is another problem, which is not only a problem of this city or me but every person in the empire. The Emperor''s days were numbered; he was already over one hundred fifty years old, and if rumors were to be believed, he would pass away within five years. The crown prince was incapable of suppressing his siblings, who were also competing for the throne, including the fourth prince who had constructed this city. Should a conflict erupt within the Empire between its own people and princes, there are many opportunistic factions that would not hesitate to take advantage. Despite the concerns of the city and the Empire, there is a reason that the fourth prince built this city at great risk. The city is situated in a prime location along the banks of the Trollmouth river, which flows through several merchant city-states. These city-states were where the Emperor had sent his ambassadors to improve relations and resolve the trade war. The trade war will not be resolved overnight, even merchants have limits, but there will be some easing of tensions. This is beneficial for both parties; merchants always want to trade, and the Emperor wants to have one less enemy, especially in the upcoming period. Nevertheless, the slight improvement in relations will greatly benefit this city because there are two ways into the Empire; one by sea and the other by a river. If my assumption is correct, then the first city-state to normalize relations will be Meldhorn, a city-state also along the Trollmouth river. The city-states are incredibly wealthy, and even if trade from one city-state flowed into Greltheaven, it would change the city dramatically. The fourth prince is counting on this, and so am I. .... "Oh, look, she has finally descended, and she looks tirrred," hollered a woman in her early thirties as Carla came down the stairs to the basement floor where the girls live. Nearly all of them were seated in the small common room, half of them sitting on the laps of others, talking and laughing. It is the only place they could do such things. "Oh shush, Ina, be polite to Madam Carla, or she will not tell you all the juicy things she has done with master Silver." said another woman in a totally serious voice, but everyone could sense the teasing, and even Carla rolled her eyes. Carla came down and sat on the only empty chair there was. It was kept for her. It is a chair for the Madam, and as was the custom, nobody sits on the Madam''s chair. "My dear friends, I was working, not wrestling under the sheets," she said as she laid back in her chair. "Whole afternoon and evening?" asked Ina. "Yes, the whole afternoon and evening." She replied, but nobody seemed to believe it. "He had thousands of questions. Now I know how Madam Charline had felt when he asked her all those questions," she added and massaged her head. Madam Charline was her old boss back in Redfawn. About a year ago, he invited her and asked many of these questions. She still remembers how annoyed she had been when she returned. She said she would rather fuck a hundred men in a day than answer more of the boss''s son''s stupid questions. "What sort of questions did he ask?" asked one of the younger girls named Lyra. "All sorts, from embarrassing to serious; he even gave me the list of questions that you all have will have to answer, at least those who choose to stay," she said and pulled out a stack of papers, but nobody looked at them. She had said the words that had been hanging on everyone''s mind since the morning. The important choice they have to make. "Were you able to find out anything, Carla?" asked Margaux, to which she shook her head. "No, he had been very tight-lipped about it," she said, and silence descended for a few seconds. "What do you think about his offer? Do you think it is the truth or some cruel joke?" asked the woman, Rena. She did not answer the question immediately, as she was also unsure about it, but in the end, she decided to listen to her heart as it was the only thing that gave her the right counsel. "I think it is true. There is no deception hidden in his offer as far as I could tell," she replied and could see many women relieved at her words. "Though, I would suggest not taking the offer," she said, and the whole room quieted down. "It is freedom, Carla. You might not value it, but we do, and we are even getting a thousand crowns, which will be enough for us to last a year if we are frugal in spending," said Lola angrily, voicing the thoughts of many other women. "Exactly," she affirmed, and the women''s gazes became confused at her answer. "You will get a thousand crowns when you leave, and with a little bit of savings that you have, you all will be able to live one year, two at most.¡± "But then what?" she asked as she looked at all the girls. "Nearly all of us have a base class related to prostitution, which easily blocks us from working at any other place; even the skanky bars will not take us.¡± "As for returning to families, most of us know how that will end," she said, and a mirthless smile appeared on the faces of a few girls. Half of them don''t have families, and those who do have them did not have a good experience. Many of them were sold into prostitution by their own families or sold themselves into prostitution for their families. Many of them had gained freedom and returned to their families, but they did not receive the welcome they hoped to get. Forget an opened-armed embrace. They did not even get to step into the boundary of their homes before being thrown out. It is said that once one becomes a prostitute, they are a prostitute for life; there is no escaping that fate. It is not far from the truth. Those who left the business always came back to it. Carla herself had done that a few years ago when she served her contract but returned to life shortly after. Her condition was not bad at all, but she found how hard it was for a whore to live outside, and compared to life, the whore house, the den of exploitation, felt easy, familiar, and comfortable. "I will be taking the offer. With the savings I have, I will be able to live a few years without worry,¡± said Lola. ¡°I am sure, in that time, I will be able to find something useful for myself to do.¡± "Then I will wish you good luck and offer you a suggestion if you are willing to listen," said Carla. She had known Lola for more than a decade, and someone she was proud to call a friend. "I hope you will read the new contract before you make a decision to leave," she advised. "Do you know something about the new contract?" asked Lola, whose eyes lit up hearing the suggestion. "No, I do not, but I feel like all you should make a decision after reading the contract," she said and could see disappointment clouding the eyes of many women. "You''re asking us to walk away from a thousand crowns, Carla," said Lola softly. "Yes," Carla said. Carla did not say anything further; she had told them what she knew and felt. The decision is now theirs to make. Chapter 03: Decision Chapter 03: Decision Edited by Cabtain. 17th Feb. I climbed the stairway and entered my office from the room where I had slept the previous night. Although I had already rented a house in the city, I was too tired to return there. I had taken a shower and eaten the breakfast that Carla had brought earlier, and now I was ready for work. Today was going to be even busier than yesterday, but I was excited and a little nervous, as for the first time since arriving in this world, I had complete independence to do as I pleased. I just hoped I knew what I was doing. "Architect Davidson, the head architect from the Nielson guild, will meet with you at ten," informed Carla. I nodded and gazed out the window at the establishment''s gate, where two guards stood. The girls would soon be making their decision and giving me their answer. I hoped that enough of them would choose to stay to review the new contract. I was confident that once they read it, they would accept my offer. My father would no doubt ridicule me. My style of business he would call sentimental foolishness, and he would be right. My conscience did not leave me when I came into this world. Those values still mean something to me. If I am forced into this industry, I will impose my standards upon it. The conversation with Carla had provided me with the context that I desperately needed. While I had cursory knowledge from my father, it was not enough if I was to make drastic changes. She is not the first person I asked these questions. I have asked them to the Madam and other prostitutes from the brothel the family owns in Redfawn city. I had done that a year ago when my father informed me that he was planning a brothel in fourth Prince''s new city. I spent the next few hours reviewing the answers Carla had provided, and soon it was time. I placed the contract and coin purse back to my left and right. Carla opened the door and led the women in, who filed in neatly behind her. "Have you all made your decisions?" I asked the girls. Several nodded, and I looked at each of them directly. "When you''re ready, tell me your decision." No one spoke for a moment, and I thought that no one would leave. Finally, Lola spoke up. "I want to go," she said. My heart ached at her words; she was one of our top earners and had been so close to achieving Level 20. "Me too." "Me also." "I also want to leave." One by one, four other people spoke up, including two sixteen-year-old girls, a twenty-one-year-old, and a forty-year-old. "Just to be clear, Miss Lola, Miss Sapphire, Miss Jordana, Miss Menar, and Miss Rupa, have you all made your final decision?" I asked, hoping that they understood the gravity of the situation. "If you leave, you will not be able to return. Is this really what you want?" "I''m certain of my decision, Master Silver," said Lola firmly, and the others nodded in agreement. It was clear they had made their decision. I nodded understanding and retrieved their contracts from the pile, holding them up for the girls to inspect. Once they were satisfied, I reached for the small, fiery stone that lay nearby. Wordlessly, I took each girl''s contract and held it briefly against the fiery stone, watching as the paper disintegrated into ash within seconds. After reducing the contracts to ashes, I retrieved my purse and withdrew fifty gleaming violet coins from inside. They glinted in the light, a stark contrast to the burnt scraps of paper that lay on the table. I counted out ten imperials, knowing that each one was equivalent to roughly one hundred crowns. After dividing the coins into five equal groups, I placed them all into small leather pouches. I handed over the five small leather pouches containing their severance pay. "This should help you get started on the next phase of your lives," I said, hoping the coins would ease their transition. Sapphire''s voice trembled as she expressed her gratitude. "I can''t thank you enough, Master Silver." I shook my head. "There''s no need to thank me. You all deserve this." I gestured to the pouches. "Make sure to use your severance pay wisely," I reminded the group, as they nodded in agreement. With that, they bowed and left the office. I watched them go, feeling a mixture of sadness and relief that they were moving on. "Well, it seems like the rest of you will make a choice after seeing your new contracts," I said, bringing some laughter to the girls'' faces. "This is the new contract. I hope you like the terms," I said, forwarding several copies of the three-page contract to them. They quickly picked them up. The contract has been crafted by me, a fully-fledged lawyer. Over the past three years, I have become well-acquainted with the empire''s laws, and crafting a contract is no big deal for me. As they read the contracts, I could see them shocked at the terms, and I could hear them whispering to themselves. I said, "You will not work until you turn eighteen, and if you do not want to work in the trade after you turn eighteen, you will be given a choice to serve your contract term in other capacities." "You all also have a choice to leave. I will release you from your contract, as I did with others," I added. If they decided to leave, I would release them from the contract and even provide them with severance. ''"W-we will sign; the contract is more than fair," said Ruby. Just like the others, a clear surprise appeared on the teen''s face. Unlike the others, it took her a while to gain control over her emotions and finish signing the contract. After her, the other three teens quickly signed the contract. "Now you have officially become employees of the establishment." "I hope you all will help me take this business to the heights it deserves to be," I said to them. "We will do our best, Master Silver," they said unison. "Thank you all," I said before my expression turned serious. "And don''t forget to write all the answers to the questions I sent with Carla. I will need them by tomorrow morning," I said strictly. "You will have them by tomorrow, Master Silver," said Margaux, and she left with the girls. Soon there was only Carla and me left in the office. "You know, Master Silver, if you had offered even 1% of what they make, without all the other benefits, they would have still signed it with beaming smiles on their faces," said Carla as she sat across me, "I know," I replied somberly. Even in the most upscale brothels, the workers typically receive mere pennies while their employers make a fortune. "So, why did you offer so much?" she asked, and I could sense her genuine curiosity. "They deserve that much and more," I replied, but it was evident that she didn''t believe me. "It is an exploitative business, Miss Carla. It exploits them physically, mentally, and financially. It turns them nothing more than dispensers of men''s lust," I said, and I could see raw emotions flicker in her eyes for a moment before she regained control. Carla is different from other girls. They have been sold or forced into the trade, but she was born into it and has experienced every aspect of it. "I will not say the establishment will not have that, but it will be much more, and sex will be only an aspect of it, but not the whole part, and for it, I want them to be happy, safe, and satisfied." "You might not believe me, but happier employees generally work better and bring in more profits," I said. My words brought a small, genuine smile to her face. "So, where is my contract?" she asked after regaining control over her emotions. "Here it is. I hope you will like it," I said as I slid a contract out of the drawer. "It is a little bigger than what you have offered the other girls," she said, her voice becoming mellower, like honey, and filled with sensuousness. "Your responsibilities are greater, so you deserve a bigger contract," I replied with a straight face without falling into her trap. It took her a while, but she finished reading and put the contract down. "I am only getting a 1% commission, which is much less than what you are offering the other girls," she said while seductively arching her brow. "It is 1% of all that the girls will make," I replied with a smile. "Which is kind of low compared to my previous salary, Master Silver," she stated. While my father had planned on giving pennies to the girls, he had provided Carla with a very good salary, which, as she said, would be higher than 1% of what the other girls will make. However, that was before I took over. "No, it is not low. I think you will make at least three to four times more than your current salary," I said. Surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face, and it took her a little while longer to regain her composure. "You''re planning on earning four hundred thousand to five hundred thousand crowns a month, Master Silver, and I must say that''s a gross overestimation for this small city," she remarked. "The establishment will not earn you that much, even if all the girls worked to death," she said seriously. "No, it will earn more," I replied simply, with confidence brimming in every word. She looked up from the contract and stared directly into my eyes for several seconds before turning back to the contract. "Since you''re so confident, I''ll believe you and sign this contract," she said, and I once again activated my contract skill. She sensed it but was not surprised; she had likely already guessed from the reaction of the girls earlier. The moment she signed on to the last page, my mind buzzed, and surprise couldn''t help but appear on my face; my base skill had finally levelled up after a month. [Souteneur Merchant Lv. 2] Chapter 04: The Changes Chapter 04: The Changes Sin Lord O4 "Fuck, the pain!" I said as I massaged my head; it is not easy to utilize the contract skills on so many people, nearly all of whom are level 10+. I had not shown it in front of the girls, but now that Carla had left the office, I could finally massage my head. The pain would have been greater if not for the advancement of my base class, which relieved some of the pain. I had messaged my head for a minute before I finally opened the class window. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 2) - Basic Lawyer (Lv. 2) Charisma: 5 Intelligence: 8 Vitality: 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods 3. Contract Attribute Points: 2 Since I got my base class a month ago, I have never used the attribute point I had. Though I have wanted to many times, especially spent it on vitality after seeing my father murdered so cruelly, I did not. That incident has created an unnatural fear of assassins in my mind, but I have to think rationally. The attribute points play a huge role, from powering up skills to strengthening one physically and mentally. Charisma increases charm and charm-related skills, and intelligence increases thought speed and vitality, which is considered the most important attribute of healing power and also slows down aging. There are also attributes like strength and mana; the strength attribute could be gained after getting any type of fighter class or the classes that physical in nature, like the girl''s classes, while the mana attribute is related to the spellcasters, but getting it is hard, near impossible for someone like me, who do not have any mage talent. There are two attribute points I have, and now I plan to spend them. The wise choice is intelligence and charisma, as all three skills require both. I have enough intelligence, and after thinking for a moment, I decided to spend my attribute points on charisma, taking it to the seven. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 2) - Basic Lawyer (Lv. 2) Charisma: 7 Intelligence: 8 Vitality: 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods 3. Contract Attribute Points: 0 "Of course, Remus," she said, and we began to try different colour schemes; I have many written down in my diary. Some of them look quite bad, and some quite good, better than I had imagined. If I had a big budget and time, I would have done more than change the colour of the mansion. Though the mansion is currently beautiful, there are still many other changes that could be made to it, and I will make them in the future. "It looked beautiful, beyond beautiful," Carla breathed out in shock as we finalized the details, while I could only sigh. I have not only changed the colour but ended up making several small outer changes to the mansion. I did not want to make them, but I couldn''t hold myself back, and there were also the nudges from Mage Valentina. ''These damned bastards, they were going to loot me blind,'' I cursed at them, but I was not angry at them as the mansion looked really beautiful, more beautiful than I had imagined it in my dreams. "Now, let''s move toward the interior," I said before I made any more changes to the exterior, and I wanted to. I had already done more than I had initially planned to and they were going cost me a lot. A second later, the interior appeared, and it was just like reality, down to the furniture, which is not surprising considering everything is from their guild. "I want to completely overhaul the first floor, Mage Valentina; erase everything on the first floor," I said to her, which made everyone surprised. "Even rooms?" she asked, "Yes, rooms, too," I said, and a few seconds later, the whole floor became black. I nodded, and I opened the folder, took out my sketches, and placed them neatly on the table. Seeing them, a shock couldn''t help but appear on Carla¡¯s face; the change in the exterior was nothing compared to the change I wanted to make in the interior. The changes I wanted to make will not only be in the building but also in the whole business model of the establishment. "I hope you will be able to materialize them into reality," I said to chief Valentina. She smiled at that, and for the next one and half hours we spent on the interior, we have made so many changes that even my father came alive; he would recognize it from inside. Most of the changes were to the first floor, but I have made a few changes to the second and third floors and to the basement where the ladies live. Honestly, I wanted to make greater changes to the basement and provide more amenities to the ladies, but the budget did not allow me to do that. Still, I did what I could; it would make their life a little more comfortable. "Remus, do you have any other changes you want to make?" asked chief Valentina, "No, I am done," I replied. There are many more I wanted to make, but I did not have a budget for them. "I hope you will be a little gentle with the cost," I said to her, to which she smiled. "We always charge fairly, Remus," she replied with a smile, and I wanted to snort at that, but I controlled my emotions and kept a smile on my face as I waited for her to butcher me with a cost. "It would be five hundred and forty-three thousand crowns, but I will give you the discount of three thousand. So you only need to pay us five hundred and forty thousand crowns, " she said with a beautiful smile. I knew the cost would be high but did not expect; it would go this high. "It is too much, Mage Valentina; please state the fair price," I said, "Five hundred and forty thousand crowns is the right price, Remus," she said, and the smile on her became even more beautiful. This time she has activated her bargaining skills, and it is powerful. The compulsion to agree with her price was so strong that I even opened my mouth to agree with it before closing it forcefully. "How about five hundred thousand crowns? It is a fair price," I said with gritted teeth and a fake smile. "You must be joking, Remus; if we agree to it, we will suffer a loss," She said, "How about five hundred and twenty-five thousand crowns," she offered, and the power of her skill increased further. "Five hundred and five thousand crowns," I said with gritted teeth; the fake smile had already disappeared from my face under the pressure of her skill. "Five hundred and twenty thousand crowns," she said and increased the power of her skill even further that I began to sweat from all over my body. I have done many negotiations on the earth; it was a part of the occupation, and I had done them here too, but that was training my father gave me, where he would bombard me with his skills. What I am doing now is a real thing, and it is fucking hard; harder than any bargaining I have ever done. "Five hundred and fifteen thousand, this is my final offer, or I will find someone else to make the changes," I said, and by the time my tongue let out the last word, my voice was barely audible. "Five hundred and fifteen it is; it is nice doing business with you, Remus." She said with a bright smile and shook my sweaty hand, while all I could do was put a straining smile on my face. The price we agreed on is fair; I have done the research, and if I had done it with the other guild, it would have cost the same or even more. "I hope you will be finished with the adjustment before the city''s inauguration," I said, and I could see head architect Davidson opening his mouth but stopping himself after seeing the look on Mage Valentina''s face. "It will be tough with nearly all the projects having the same deadline, but since it is you, Remus, we will finish it before the inauguration," she said, and heard that a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. I had feared that her firm might not be able to accomplish it and would have to cancel some changes, but it seemed like we didn''t have to. "Thank you," I said, feeling genuinely grateful. I know how many projects are going on around the city; all of them want to be finished in a month when the city will be formally inaugurated by the fourth prince. In the next few minutes, we finalized the small details, such as the payment plan. "Now that we have finalized all the details let''s sign the contract," she said and took out the paper and the small wand. A moment later, a couple of thin red lights came out of the wand and began to carve the letters across the paper. Quite a skillful use of the heat beam spell; not everybody could use this spell with her precision, where one of the heat lines needs to be thin enough and move fast enough with such precise control that they will not burn the paper and form a clear text. The most amazing thing is that she is handling the seven heat likes at once; not any common mage could achieve such a feat. My father had said she is at least a level 25 Mage, which is quite a high level, as the spellcaster classes are notoriously hard to level up, which is not surprising considering they are one of the most powerful classes in the world. Soon, she had finished printing the contract and slid it toward me; as I touched the contract, I knew she had activated her contract skill, and I added mine to that. I read the contract carefully, assessing every line for loopholes, and there are many, but they are common that both sides could exploit if things go wrong. So, after seeing everything was fine, I signed the contract and slid it toward her. The moment she touched the contract, she arched her brow at me before signing the contract. "It¡¯s nice doing business with you, Remus," she said as she raised her hands for a shake, "Likewise, Mage Valentina," I said as I shook her hand. Do Rate and Write a Review. Chapter 05: Lessons Chapter 05: Lessons "Chief, why did you accept the priority on this small project? We have many big projects here and are pressed hard to finish them before the inauguration," asked the head architect Davidson as the carriage began to roll. "We should take care of our big client, Davidson," Valentina replied without turning from the window. "House of Silver is a big client, but he is just a bastard of the house, who had been plotted against and thrown here to the outskirt of the empire," said the old man. "I am not talking about the house of silver," she said as she finally turned, her words clearly surprising the two old man sitting in front of her. "You can''t be meaning him? I don''t want to badmouth him, but I don''t see any big client potential in him," said the old man. Valentina did not say anything; she just smiled and looked back at the window while remembering the first time she had seen him. ... Click! A few minutes later, the door opened, and Carla walked in after dropping them off at the door. "What do you think about the changes?" I asked as she sat across me. "They are good," she replied. "Your real thoughts," I said and gave her a look, "They are risky," she said. "You have removed all the business rooms from the first floor and expanded and merged a few rooms on the second and third floor; now we only have only twenty-six rooms for business," "The conventions said we should have at least as much as rooms as women we have in the house, which means we are short on eleven rooms," she said, and there was a hint of anger on her beautiful face. It is clear she was angry; I should have consulted with her before finalizing the changes. "We will not be selling just sex, Carla; the rooms we have is sufficient," I said. "Master Remus, we will be running a brothel. It means selling sex; it does not mix well with the other things," "You have also postponed the day of opening to the inauguration, which is a month away; it will make us lose us, wealthy, powerful clients, who have already started to trickle in for the inauguration," she said, and her voice was a little pointed, but I did not mind it. "What do you think about my plans on the first floor?" I asked, ignoring what she had said. "Unwise, you shouldn¡¯t have taken out all the business rooms on the first floor," she said, and there was a hint of admonishment in her melodious voice. "About that, miss Carla you are very wrong," I said and looked directly into her beautiful green eyes. "Sex is the greatest of desires, and it can mix with everything," I said. Ask any advertiser on earth, and they will bet their soul on it. It is common knowledge on earth that sex sells, and advertisers use it to sell everything. I am running a brothel, so selling sex is natural, but it will be only part of what I will sell through my establishment. What I am trying to sell is obvious desires. The whole day passed, and by the evening, more people from the Nielson guild came. They emptied the whole room of furniture and already started breaking rooms on the first floor; I could hear the sound of it from here. The removal of the rooms will be finished by tomorrow morning, not just on the first floor, but on the second and third floors, where I expanded a few rooms by combining them. The overall rooms may have lessened, but it will aid the business, not constrain it as Carla is thinking. Though more rooms are always a good thing, we do not have the space to create them. An hour later, I ate dinner and made the round of the establishment as I had done in the afternoon and was again got surprised by the progress these people had made. It would have been quite hard to make such progress back on earth, even with all the advanced tools and machines. When I returned, I resumed my work and only stopped when I finished at late midnight, before sleeping. The next morning, I walked into my office, and aside from the newspapers, there was nothing else on my desk. "Good morning, Master Remus," she said, "Good morning, Carla," I replied as I sat down before taking out a page from the drawer and sliding it toward her. "I need people in these fields who are specialized in teaching," I said She took the paper, but soon a shock couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. "A..are these for girls?" she asked hesitantly. "Yes," I replied. The new business model I have in my mind does not only require changes in the building but also in the women. I am going to bring in the teachers who will teach them the required skills, it will be expensive, but I am willing to pay the price. The level 20 and above teachers should be able to impart to them with basics of skills they need to work under my new business model. "Do you have any suggestions or want to add anything?" I asked Carla, who was still staring at the paper. "No, you seemed to have thought of everything," she said as she placed down the paper. "With your requirement of them being level 20 and above, these teachers are going to cost us a lot; many of them wouldn¡¯t be available in the city,¡± she added. "I have already mentioned the budget there; it should be enough for a month," I replied. I have already written what I am willing to pay for each teacher, and I am not holding back on it. I did not get anything other than the establishment as inheritance, but I did get half a million crowns from the head of the house of Silver; every direct descendent gets this amount after getting their class. Every direct member of the house of Silver gets this amount after getting their class. I have got another three hundred thousand crowns from selling everything I have owned. There are also a hundred thousand crowns my father had left to the establishment name as operating expenses. So, in total, I have nine hundred thousand crowns. I have already spent half a million crowns on renovation, and teachers would also cost me around fifty thousand crowns. With this, I have three hundred and fifty thousand crowns on me; I hope it will be enough for the things I want to do. "The girls would be grateful for this opportunity; many of them had the desire to learn but never did get a chance in their lives," she said. "I hope they learn with a complete heart," I said, and I really hoped they would learn the skills they needed because their, mine, and the establishment''s future depends on it. "They will," she replied with confidence. Do Rate, Comment, and Review. Chapter 06: Party Chapter 06: Party "I looked really good," I sighed as I looked at the mirror; as much as it pains me to admit it, I had average looks on the earth, but now I am handsome. I am not handsome enough to turn heads on the street, but still handsome, and it is a big thing for me, considering I was someone who had been described as average. I have raven black hair and silvery grey eyes that will captivate a soul if looked at my eyes long enough and well-defined features, especially the jawline, which is to die for, and now that I have donned the black suit, it has made me even more handsome. After satiating my vanity for a few more minutes, I walked out of my room into the living room, where two middle-aged men were sitting. "Gentlemen, let''s go," I said to the two mercenaries and walked out of the house. This is the first time I have come to this house I have rented; it is not a small house, but when one looks at the sprawling mansions around the house, it does feel small. This is the most expensive part of the city; renting the house here had cost me a lot, which I would not have done if not for keeping the appearance. "Thank you, Rogers," I said as the middle-aged man opened the carriage door and went inside. Soon, the carriage begins to roll with both mercenaries on horses on both sides. They are not only for a show but are also quite powerful; they will protect me if there is danger. Though, if an assassin at the level that killed my father had attacked, they would be children with clay sticks. Forget defending me; they would not be able to defend themselves even for a second before they find their heads flying in the air. If I had money, I would have hired better mercenaries, but currently, I will have to make do with them and hope I do not make the enemy powerful enough to send assassins after me. The carriage only drove for a few minutes before it slowed down in front of a sprawling mansion that was even bigger than my establishment. The carriage stopped, and the door opened; I nodded my thanks to rogers and walked toward the entrance. There were twelve guards at the entrance, and they were powerful, with two Arryn lions at both sides of the gates, which were big as horses. These beasts are dangerous and hard to tame, only a high-level tamer could tame them, and they had to start since they were cubs. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but remember my father; he was a trainer, a competitive dog trainer. As long as I can remember, our house has always been filled with dogs. I shook my head from melancholic thoughts and turned to the guards. I smoothly took out the invitation from my jacket and flashed it to the guard, and walked through the gates without stopping; the guards looked but did not stop me. Soon, I reached the door of the mansion where a slightly plump man in his late fifties was standing with a violet-haired woman in her early forties, who was quite hot, especially with a light pink gown that highlighted every part of her body. "Guild master Hardt, madam Hardt, thank you for inviting me to this wonderful levee," I greeted as I appeared in front of the hosts, "Master Silver, please enjoy the party," said Damon Hardt with a voice that was sweet as honey and soothing to the mind. It is clear that he is using the skills. "I will," I said and was led by staff to the ballroom, which was already filled with quite a few guests. I looked around and saw a few familiar faces. I recognized most of them from the information docket I had from the grey guild; it had information on nearly all the merchants along with their sketches. There are also a few familiar faces that I knew personally. I walked inside the banquet hall and, on the way, took a glass of champagne from the waiter who stopped in front of me. "Remus, my dear brother, I didn''t think guild master Hardt would invite you here," said the voice behind me; it had stiffened me for a moment, and a blazing anger appeared in my eyes for a moment before I quickly controlled my emotions and turned back slowly toward the man whom I hate the most. "Edwin, why did you think that?" I asked as to the person who devised the plan to use the witch to bond my blood with the establishment, the wretched bastard who stole my future and inheritance. He is about a decade older than me and has a stocky build like our father''s in comparison to my lean; he has average height and face. The only noticeable thing he has is a silvery-grey eye like mine, the hereditary feature of the house of silver. "Your business, of course, dear brother; inviting a whoremaster would dim this grand levee of its glow," He said with a smile and did not lower his voice, making few people close to us hear. I did not get angry at all; I have gotten quite used to his instigations that no words coming from his mouth bother me; it was already a surprise that he had not used the word ''bastard'' yet. "Yes, conditions there are rapidly changing; I heard that my house is also rapidly pulling back all the investments they have made there," I said. Mayhurst island is one of the biggest islands in the world; it is southwest of the Zenid continent, placed in a strategic location. It had six kingdoms, five now. "The forces of the lich are much greater than anyone had anticipated," I said and sighed, and the old man couldn''t help but nod soberly. "Vris''alud had already swallowed kingdom Edulia and had captured half a territory of Brarod Kingdom, and now the undead horde is attacking Kalgha Dominion and Dekas," said the old man and paused for a second. "Till now, only orcs of Kalgha Dominion seemed to be the only ones putting successful defense against them," said the old man. I have read the papers, and the condition is very bad there. The undead horde is not keen on taking any prisoners; they are turning everyone into the undead, increasing their forces by the day. The undead horde is dangerous; our neighbor Navr is one of the most powerful necromantic kingdoms in the world, and it kept releasing horde on neighbors every few years, pillaging and ravaging cities of its people and wealth. It is the sole reason why, despite being at a prime location and a great future, very few people want to come here. When Navr releases its undead horde, it is very hard to defend against them; Empire is going to have big problems against them as, unlike other neighbors, we do not have much experience in fighting against the undead on a large scale. I talked with Harwood a few minutes before mingling with other familiar guests I know, and it is the thing I am very good at; it is a necessary skill I had to learn when I joined the law firm. Time passed when I saw another familiar person coming, Mage Valentina; she was wearing a beautiful blue halter gown, and she was not alone; beside her was a tall woman with radiant sun-kissed skin; she had a pretty face and firm body that even the black gown she is wearing could not hide. She is defiantly a warrior and one with great confidence in her abilities; it is clear by the way she is walking in the room. They immediately attracted the attention of many people; the Nielson guild had a big presence in Greltheaven, workings on hundreds of projects, not to mention mage Valentina is a powerful mage herself that would want to have a good relations in this dangerous place. Another half an hour later, the ballroom had been filled with guests, and our host had taken the stage. ¡°Thank you all for coming to my humble home,¡± he said, there was no microphone or artifact, but his voice had reached us all. He started his speech with some boasting and hints, with a few words about prosperity and growth. I have to say, he is a very bad speaker, even with all the skills he has. I am sure his hot wife would have done better than he is doing right now, making everybody utterly bored, but everyone had smiled and clapped when they needed to. This man is undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in of city, and his position would become permanent after the princes arrive for the inauguration. ¡°To the growth and glory of the Greltheaven,¡± he toasted as he finished his speech, and everyone raised their glasses in return. The mingling began again, and I moved from one person to another, talking, laughing, making connections, and letting my presence known. It is not a thing that I enjoy, but I am good at it, and it is a necessity, especially considering the business I am in. These are the clientele I will be targeting. ¡°Remus, it is nice to see you again,¡± said Mage Valentina as she stopped beside me, ¡°Likewise, Mage Valentina,¡± I replied with a smile and turned woman beside her, ¡°And this is?¡± I said, motioning toward the women, ¡°Lena glass, Valentina, and I were roommates in the academy,¡± she introduced herself as she shook my hand in a firm handshake. ¡°A mage then,¡± I said, and she just smiled; she did not look like a Mage, but looks can be deceiving, not to mention there are hundreds of archetypes of spellcaster class, and some require considerable physical power. ¡°I hope you are satisfied with the speed of renovations, Remus?¡± asked Valentina, ¡°More than satisfied, with such speed, I am confident your guild will finish it on time or even a few days before,¡± I said, too, that she smiled. I talked with them for a few minutes before they went to mingle with other people while I watched them from behind. ¡®They are good,¡¯ I said internally; the way they are acting, nobody would doubt they are good friends, but they are more than that. They are in a relationship. I hope they will be able to keep the secret because once it is revealed, there will be hell to pay. The Church and the Empire had very strict laws against it. The banquet lasted till midnight; I stayed until the end and talked to nearly everyone who had been invited and also the host before leaving with a satisfied smile. Do Rate and write a Review. Chapter 07: Necessary Skills Chapter 07: Necessary Skills Two days have passed since the party, and everything seemed to be going well; the Nielson guild especially is doing a wonderful job, and they are fast. Yesterday, they had spread a cloth over the building, with it blocking the view; those from outside wouldn''t be able to see the changes. Thankfully, they had created a small hole in the cloth through which I could see out of the window. I was watching through the window when one of the gates opened, and the man who looked to be in his early forties walked inside hesitantly, guided by one of the mercenaries standing at the gate. I looked out for a few seconds before returning to work, which gave me a slight headache. There is a pressing issue of finances; I thought nearly a million crowns would be enough to implement the plans I had, but as I looked at the list in front of me, it did not seem to be the case. Only after coming here did I realize I needed to expand the list of things I needed to do, and the money I had was not enough. These things are important; I need them before the establishment open. Click! I was working on the list when the door opened, and Carla walked inside, sporting her usual faint seductive smile that promised a thousand nights. "They have arrived," she said; I nodded and followed her out of my office. As I walked out of the tower, I saw workers everywhere, working on the changes I had asked their guild to make. There were not simple workers but also artisans doing the delicate work; it was mesmerizing to watch them work, and if I had time, I would have watched them for hours. Soon, we reached the first floor, which had completely transformed; nearly all the rooms had been destroyed, and a huge hall was created. Currently, no people are working in the hall, but eight people are sitting there; some looked fine, while others looked visibly uncomfortable, which is understandable considering this is not the place where they usually come to work. "Please sit, all of you," I said to them as they stood up as I appeared.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com There are six women and three men; they are all of the various ages, from the early thirties to late seventies. They are all teachers; I had hired for the girls. They all belong to different fields and teach different things that girls will need to work in the establishment. We had a requirement for thirteen teachers; nine have come. We have found the other four too, but they are not present in Greltheaven; they will come tomorrow from Deerpond. Remus has asked me to ask the question to girls; if they have problems with any of the teachers or do not like their teaching method, they could still be changed. "Mistress elme had hit me?" said Delia courageously, a sixteen years old girl, "Then you shouldn''t have called her old hag Delia," replied Margaux, which shut up the girl and put a smile on the face of the girls. "Though that old woman is really scary, even I was hit a couple of times by her," said Margaux and squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. The bottom is the favorite part of an old woman, leaving one with stinging pain without leaving a mark. "Some of the lessons are great, but some seemed pretty useless," said Mina, the brunette in her mid-twenties. "I mean etiquette, and seductions seemed pretty useless, especially seduction, which is our forte," Hearing her words, a big smile couldn''t help but appear on Carla''s face; if it had been two days ago, she would have had the same questions, but yesterday she saw the plan. Remus had finally shown her the complete plan, which is audaciously grand; it also made her understand how desperately the girls need to learn those things. "Those two skills you all will need the most, and I hope you all learn with the utmost diligence," she said seriously before turning to mina. "The seduction is different from the sex, and I tell you all, it will be extremly important," "Most of you already have skills related to that, try to finesse them with the teacher''s help," she added and truly hoped the girls would listen. "I enjoyed today''s lessons very much; there are many things I wanted to learn but never got a chance to until now," said Margaux emotionally. "Me too," replied Carla with a sigh. She is quite jealous of the girls; due to her busy schedule, she cannot take many lessons like the girls. So, she is only attending a few that will be necessary for her; Remus has already given the list of things she will need to learn. She chatted with the girls for a while, and soon, the loud voices became lower and obvious tiredness began to show on their faces; even the tiredness wasn¡¯t able to wipe away the brimming happiness in their eyes. The girls did not need to say it, but she could see how happy they were about the lessons they had received; many of them wanted to learn these things, but they had never got the chance, and now they have got it, she knew each and every one of them will give their all in learning. "All right, girls, into your bunks now; from tomorrow, your lessons will begin in the early morning and will end at midnight, so get as much rest as you can," she said loudly, and the girls got up from their spot one by one and went toward their room. Within a minute, everyone left; except for Margaux and her. "Carla, thank Master Silver for this wonderful opportunity," said Margaux softly. "You can tell him that yourself when you meet him," I said, which brought a small smile to her friend''s face. "I will," said Margaux and walked out of the common room; she watched her friend leave before walking toward her own room. There is a Patreon for advance chapters. Chapter 08: Eudo Angestel Chapter 08: Eudo Angestel "What do you think, Master Silver?" asked Lenore with hopeful eyes as she put the powder brush down from Ina''s face, who was sitting in front of the big mirror. Ina is truly beautiful; she has long, wavy golden-blond hair and deep brown eyes. She had the face and body of a supermodel, and now looking at her with make-up, anyone on earth was to sees her; they would directly assume she was one. "Beautiful, but not enough; she needs more." I shook my head before turning to Carla, who also nodded. "It looks like we will need a beautician, a high-level one; Lenore''s skills are not enough," I said, but I immediately knew my words were too harsh, especially to Lenore, who obviously tried her best. "I am inadequate, Master Silver," said Lenore apologetically, with her eyes watering. "No, you are good, Lenore, but we need someone better whose base class is in beauty and is at a sufficiently high level," I said in a consoling tone; it worked as her face brightened up a little. "I will send a request to the employment guild immediately," said Carla reading my thoughts, and left the room. I was already planning to hire a beautician, but before that, I wanted to test Lenore''s skills; she had a second class related to that, but as I had expected, her skills were insufficient.Visitt for the latest updates I did not stay in the dressing hall for long and went back to my office; on the way, I could hear lessons being taught to girls in the different rooms. It had already been nine days since these teachers had come, and the changes they had brough to the girls were amazing; even Carla, who could attend only a few classes a day, had begun showing some noticeable change. If they continue to improve at such a pace, they will be able to leave the skills I need them to have at the time of opening. Hun! A day passed, and it was the afternoon the next day when I noticed some commotion by the gate from my window. Someone seemed to be trying to get inside while the mercenaries at the gates were stopping him; it continued for a few minutes before Carla herself had to go there to resolve it. She returned a minute later with the person who was trying to try come inside. Guessing who it was, I walked out of my office and met Carla halfway, who was coming up."What was the commotion?" I asked as we walked down the stairs. "It was Mr. Angestel; the guard doubted his identity given his.. condition," she said hesitatingly, to that I arched my brow in question, but she did not answer, and I did not ask; the guild had assured me all three people who came from the interview could do their job. Soon, we reached the dressing hall and went inside and found, aside from twelve girls, there were three unfamiliar people sitting, who sat up as I walked in. One was a middle-aged woman petite, the second one was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties with impeccable make up, and the third one was a man about similar age as the second woman; he was handsome enough to make even a woman jealous. Though no one would feel jealous of him after taking a look at his condition, no wonder the guards have stopped him, but I only glance at them. The peculiarities did not matter; what mattered is he capable of doing the job. "Please sit down, all of you," I said before turning to three people who had come for an interview, "Misses Cooper, Misses Rand, and Mister Angestel, thank you all for coming to my humble establishment," "We will begin the interview immediately if the three of you do not have any objection?" I asked. "It is no problem," the middle-aged miss cooper replied, and the other two nodded in affirmation. "Good," I said and turned to the ladies. "Here are twelve ladies; each of you will have three of them to work on. You can use everything present in the room, from makeup boxes to clothes; the only thing you have to do is make them as beautiful as possible," "Is there a time limit?" asked Misses Rand, "No, not for the interview, but if any of you were hired, you all have to work on thirty-five girls repeatedly throughout the night," I answered. I have informed the complete details of the job on offer, and only three decided to come for the interview. It will be a demanding job that would need several people back on earth, but here in this world, one person could do it with classes, levels, and skills. The twelve girls moved to the different stands at my command in three groups. The interviewees did not have the liberty to choose which girls they would work on; I had done that for them. In each group, there are four girls of four age groups, the girls in their teens, the girls in their twenties, the girls in their thirties, and the girls in their forties. All three of them walked toward the girls, choosing the group they liked before observing them carefully from all the angels. "Sit," said Misses Rand to Gloria, the raven-haired teenager; she said in front of the lighted mirror and started with her; a few seconds later, it was Misses Cooper who chose Danielle, the tall woman in her mid-twenties, at the same time mister Angestel chose Margaux, who is one of oldest in here. All three begin, and all three have started with hair, and they obviously have great skills given their seamless and smooth movements. Most of the people here are looking at Angestel, including me; the reason is hands or lack of them. He does not have hands; it is not a natural condition; someone had cut his hands from his wrist, but despite that, he is performing his job without any problem. Skills. He had a skill that let him pick any tool without touching them and could manipulate it any way he wanted. His name is Eudo Angestel, and he is thirty-four years old, but he does not look a day older than thirty and is very handsome; the correct word would be beautiful. "In your resume, you did not specify the salary you want. If I want to hire you, I want to know it first," I asked as I put down his resume. "Can I know the duration of the contract first?" he asked. "Of course," I replied with a smile. "It is initially three months, but if the business does well, it will be extended further," I answered. To that, he nodded. "Then, I will need ten fifteen thousand crowns per month." He said, and I got so shocked that I had barely been able to keep the expression on my face from breaking up; his demand could only be said to be absurd, outrageous. He had not shown the skills that demand such a price. The price I am offering is already premium, and now he is demanding more. "You should know that you are asking nearly three times the price I am willing to pay," I said to him, but soon a small smile appeared on my face, ¡°But I am not abhorred to paying the absurd salary; I just hope you have the skill to take that salary and not just overestimating your worth,¡± I added. I could see the faint surprise on his face before it disappeared. He might have expected an outrage or mock, but he got a smile instead. My father would have thrown him out the moment he spoke about the absurd money he wants, but I am entertaining him. There is confidence on his face which is telling me to give him a chance. If he does not have the skills for the salary he is demanding, there is always an option to throw him out. "I am not inflating my worth, Master Silver; I am only asking for what I deserve with the skills I have," he replied, with that unflinching confidence. The employment guild has provided me with his info; he has been in the Empire for more than a year, moving cities where his job takes him. Until now, he has never been accepted into any long-term employment due to his demands, and the only jobs he has done are short-term. He had come to Greltheaven with his employers, who had fired him two days ago. I don''t think he would have even come for the interview if not for me offering a generous payment for just coming for the interview. "Let me see your skills then,¡± I said, and I got up; a minute later, we were in the dressing hall where eudo angestel began to show me his real skills. Click! ''Level 30, he is definitely a level 30 or above,'' I said in my mind as I came back into my office; this time, Carla was with us, and she was still not able to get her emotions in control after what had happened in the past half an hour in the dressing hall. I sat silently in my seat and took out the contracts before making some changes to them with the quill. I have crafted them in a way that I could make the required changes to them. "I am willing to pay you the salary you have asked for, but you have to sign this contract, and there will be no change in it," I said with a smile and forwarded the two copies of the contract to him. The salary he is asking for is far more than I am willing to pay, but seeing his work, I decided to hire him. He is gold, with a level 30. So, even if the high salary squeezes me dry, I am willing because I know how important he will be to the business. Gasp! He lifted the paper and began to read the contract; Carla also took a peak at one on the table and couldn''t help but gasp before closing her mouth forcefully, but the shock was very much present in her eyes. As he read it, I saw no change in his expression. In my short observation, I have found that this man is very good at guarding his emotion; it is very hard to read his expressions. "Can we negotiate the condition in point three and section b of the seventh point?" he asked, "As I have said, there will be no change; either you sign it or not," I said, keeping a smile on my face. I have accepted the demand for his outrageous salary, which he very much deserves, and now he will have to accept my conditions, which are not harsh and could be even said to be softer compared to the standard contract of this type. "I will sign it," he said after a minute of silence and picked up the quill, just like he picked up the tools with telekinetic force and signed on both of the contracts before sliding them toward me. I looked at his sign which was clear with beautiful handwriting; I also read the contract, word by word. There are many skills out there that could make changes without me noticing, and my contract skill is not powerful enough to notice those changes. So, I have to be very careful with every contract I sign. After seeing everything was perfect, I signed the contract and felt my contract skill locking up, binding us both to this contract. "Welcome aboard, Mister Angestel." I said, "It will be my pleasure to serve this fine establishment, Master Silver," he replied. [Lawyer Lv. 2] Do Rate and write a Review if you could. Chapter 09 Shopping Chapter 09 Shopping "My apologies, Master Silver, but we will not be able to serve your fine establishment," said the bald, middle-aged man with a fake apologetic voice. I could even sense a faint hint of mockery flickering in his eyes. "It is fine," I said with a smile and walked out boutique with Carla and Eudo following behind me. "It was the sixth and last high-end boutique on river street that refused to sell us," said Carla with a sigh of regret. River Street offers the best boutiques in the city, each belonging to a powerful merchant house, and that is why they are so direct in rejecting our business. We were out shopping, while the dresses my father had brought were good, but Eudo had changed things. The dresses looked pale compared to his skills, and while he could enhance the effect of dresses by skills; I want to buy the better dresses "Now we either will have to go into the boutiques of orville market or go the Deerpond if the boutiques of the city had refused to sell us,¡± ¡°I am sure the boutiques there wouldn''t have any problem taking the business from a brothel," said Carla. Deerpond is the closest city and the capital of the Renwell region; we should not have any problem getting things from there, but it will waste time and cost more. "Master silver, if you are willing to listen, I know a place that has good designs," said Eudo with hesitation. "You don''t sound confident, Mister Angestel?" I asked, sensing the hesitation, "It is not boutique; it is not even at Orville market," he said. "It does not matter where it is; as long as it has goods we need, I will even buy from the dump," I said, waving his concerns away. "It has good dresses, no worse than the boutiques we have visited," he said, and this time, he sounded quite confident, which couldn''t help but bring a smile to my face. I have seen his skills, and they are great, and since he is telling me there is a shop that has dresses to match his skill, then, as I had said, I will buy them even from the dump. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage rolled into the hawthorn market; it is one of three markets in the city and developed to be the biggest one. It already got the unofficial name, the commoners market. The whole market is bustling; huge beasts of different kinds are pulling the big carts loaded with goods of all kinds. The city will be officially inaugurated in little more two weeks, so people have an urgency to set up a shop to profit from the tide of people that is coming here. The prince had bet a fortune on this city; he had built it from scratch instead of taking one of the old cities like his siblings did when the Empire captured the region. It is a great gambit, but if it succeeds, it will bring him a huge fortune. All of it will depend upon the success of ambassadors sent by the Emperor to the merchant cities; it would be great if the trade war stopped, or at least both sides took some concrete steps to end it. If that happens, Greltheaven will be the first to benefit from it. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a small two-story building; it was obvious the first floor was a shop while the second floor was to live. The shop had wooden doors and glass windows, but one could not see through them as blinds were in the place. The place is new, like all the buildings here, but there are boxes lying around outside with a boy of fifteen-sixteen keeping eyes on goods. "Is this the place?" I asked, "Yes," Angestel replied before opening the carrying door and walking out inside; Carla and I entered behind him. Roger, like a good bodyguard, appeared in front and opened the door of the shop before entering inside. We followed behind a second later, and the scene I saw couldn''t help but surprise me; no wonder the windows had blinds on. The place is a mess; boxes of clothes are lying around, and the racks are placed confusingly; one would even be hard-pressed to walk around this place. "Customers wel," We were looking around the shop when a red-haired woman came out from the back but stopped midway in her greeting when she looked at us. "Eudo!" she said in surprise, "Weren''t you going to leave Greltheaven yesterday?" she asked before her gaze shifted toward us, and immediately, her dust-laden clothes became clean, and all the wrinkles on them straightened up. The scene once again amazed me; the skills are really magical. The woman was medium height with strawberry red hair and looked to be in her early thirties. She has a pretty face in the girl next door way that anybody would find pleasant. "I was, but I had accepted a job at Master Silver," he replied, and the woman''s eyes became immediately serious. We got out of the store and walked inside the carriage, which took us back toward the establishment. "If Leonard Sands arrive before five, ask him to wait. Though, I should be able to return before that," I said to Carla as the carriage stopped in front of the mansion. "I will make him wait till you arrive," she said and walked out of the carriage behind Eudo, "James, to the Repose and Bulwarks office," I said to the carriage driver, and second later, the carriage began to roll again. While the carriage ran, I reviewed some of the documents, mainly of the expenses, which ballooned with new requirements, but there was nothing I could do about it; cutting a single expense would create a domino effect, and I couldn''t allow that. "We have arrived, mister silver," said James as he stopped the carriage, "Thank you, James," I said and walked out of the carriage. In front of me is a five-story building with a big board reading Repose and Bulwark bank. It is a huge bank, one of the biggest on the continent. I walked inside the huge luxurious lobby and stepped into the elevator for the third floor. The elevators of this world are different than earth; they are magical in nature rather than mechanical and are expensive to install; it being here shows how wealthy the bank is. The black disk I was standing on stopped on the third floor, and the energy screen covering it disappeared, and I walked out of the magical elevator toward the long desk behind which a woman in a black dress was sitting. The secretary turned toward me as I appeared in front of her; she was a beautiful woman with blue eyes and dark brown hair cut into a clean bob, which suited her well. "Mister Silver, vice branch manager Shaw, will see you in ten minutes," she informed without me saying anything; I nodded and sat down in the waiting room, which is quite luxurious. There were a few people sitting in the room, but none I knew, so I picked up the newspaper. Most of the news is related to the huge war that is going on the strategic Mayhurst island, where the Lich is waging the war. All the kingdoms on the island are involved in the war, and they are even receiving aid from others, but despite that, the Lich seems unstoppable. There is also news that the Emperor might send the imperial armada against Lich''s navy, but not many think that would happen. He might have done that a decade ago, but not now; with his health, he will need all the empire forces in the Empire. The newspaper did not have only bad news; there is one good news. The ambassadors that the Emperor had sent to the free cities were making progress, especially with the city-state of Meldhorn, against which the Renwell region shared the boundary. I truly hope they succeed in their negotiations; the city''s future depends on it. I was busy reading the newspaper when the secretary appeared in front of me. "Mister Silver, the vice branch manager Shaw, will see you now," she said and led me toward the office with thick wooden doors with beautiful engraving done on it; it is clearly an elvish work. She opened the door and led me inside, where a middle-aged man was sitting; he had broad shoulders and big hands that would make anyone mistake him for a warrior. He is sitting behind a huge desk and a big office with a great view of the financial district. "Mister Silver, it¡¯s good to see you again," he said business smile, "I hope everything went well with my application, Mister Shaw?" I asked as I sat in the seat in front of him. "You are a Silver; the waiting period was just a formality," he said with a loud laugh that seemed pleasant to ears. I could feel one passive skill of his that makes everything he does natural and pleasant; it is a skill to make people drop their guard around them. "Please check the loan form and see if everything is right," he said and forwarded me the form. I took the form in my hand and began to read each word and line carefully. Many people, even in this world, barely read what they sign or do not read carefully enough, which is a grave mistake. They should read it; it had a hundred ways to screw you over if things went wrong. Within a few minutes, I finished reading up the contract, and it was good, a few ways they could screw with me, and I could deal with them if they tried to do that, but they won''t. I am only borrowing half a million crowns from them, which is not a big amount for their bank. The interest they are charging is more than what banks do on earth, and the period is also lower, 20% for one year, which is not surprising considering this is a volatile world, where the client could die at any time and countries are always at war. "Thank you, Mister Shaw," I said as I shook his big hands, which are as soft as women. "It is my pleasure, Mister Silver; I hope you will always choose our organization for your business," He said. "Of course," I said replied before walking out of his office. Do Rate and write a Review.ViiSiit for latest novels Chapter 10: The Inauguration Chapter 10: The Inauguration "Ok, once more!" I said loudly as I clapped my hands, the girls changed their places, and the actors I had hired walked out the doors before coming inside one by one, with an interval of seconds to minutes. "I am speechless. I did not think the practice would bring such a change," said Carla in awe; we had been doing this for five days. She was quite opposed to it, saying it would be a waste of money, but now she is impressed. I couldn''t help but feel grateful for the mage Valentina and her guild; she had finished the work five days before the agreed time, which gave me enough time to make the girls practice in my way of business. All of whom, including Carla, got quite offended when I suggested it, but as they practiced, they understood the reason behind it. What they are doing now is different from what they have done before; this practice, the teachers, the clothes, and everything else for a reason. My establishment will not sell just sex; it will sell desires, and the sex will be just part of it. "Has my suit arrived?" I asked as Carla appeared beside me, "Yes, a few minutes ago," she replied. Today is the day of the inauguration, which will be held in the evening, and many important people in the Empire and even people from other kingdoms have arrived. For more than a week, every inn, hotel, and house in the city had been filled with guests, and the businesses, like the brothels, were booming. Seeing how much my competitors were earning, my heart bled, as I would have too earned a lot if I had opened the establishment a month ago. While I feel the pain of losing such a massive business, I am not sad. I am perfectly aware that if my business worked as I expected, I would earn what everything I could have in a month within a matter of days. I sat on the chair and watched the girls practice, and unlike the first three days, I did not have to correct the girls. It is not surprising, with their experience and the help from teachers, they have all the necessary skills; the only thing I did was teach them a different way to use them. I am glad I have listened to Eudo''s suggestion; initially, I was planning on hiring different actors, low-level ones in higher numbers, but Eudo suggested that I should hire the high-level ones. The company of actors I had hired had an actor as their base class and each of them being level 15, with seven actors being above level 20. They have done a wonderful job, far better than I had thought they would. Three hours passed, and I finally got up from my seat with a smile on my face; "Everyone, stop," I said, and all of them stopped and turned to me. "The practice is over," I declared, bringing a smile to the actors and girls'' faces. "Mr. Keys, your company had done a really good job; if I had any job in the future and money in my pocket, I would definitely hire you and your people again," I said to the impeccably dressed man in his early fifties. "Thank you, Mister Silver." He said with a faint bow. "It is one of the best jobs I have ever received; the girls have been wonderful company," He added and made a slight bow toward the girls, who returned it with grace. A few minutes later, he and his people left, leaving me alone with the girls. "All of you have done a wonderful job; even with a strict schedule, you have learned everything I have asked you and more," I said to the girls. "Thank you, Master Silver," They replied in unison. "The gates of the establishment will open today in the evening, so rest, as you all won''t be getting any till the morning," I said, and all their faces cracked in a smile. I nodded at them and walked toward my office when I suddenly stopped at the stairs and turned to the girls. "Sex is your choice; if you do not feel like it, you can refuse it," I said and walked toward the office, leaving them shell-shocked. What I have said to be self-suicide of this business, but that thing had been eating me for days, and I finally said it. I have come from a place where one had a right to choose, and I wanted to give them that, or my conscience would not let me sleep in peace. Soon, I reached the office, but I did not work; my nerves were too antsy to let me do anything, so I read. I have made a big list of books I have to read this year and was quite ahead of schedule till the last month, but now, I have fallen behind. This month I had barely had any time to read the books. Two hours passed, and I was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the suit for one last time before walking out of my room. "Remove the covers at five and open the gates at six," I said to Carla, even now I have kept every change hidden, from trees to fountain to even the whole mansion covered in clothes; I did not want anybody to get a glimpse of it, before the opening day. "Yes," Carla replied. I looked at cloth covered mansion with expectations; I had worked really hard and taken a huge risk for it, and I hoped it would succeed before is not an option. To be honest, I really did not want to go to the inauguration and miss the opening of business, but this inauguration is extremely important, not only to make the connections but also because not going there would have consequences. It will seem like a disrespect to the prince, especially after I have got the invitation, and I want to avoid that in any way possible. "I hope everything goes well," I said with a sigh, "It will," Carla replied with the confidence that I was not feeling in my heart. ¡°Good luck,¡± I said to her and walked inside the carriage with George closing the door behind me. A minute later, the carriage was out of the manors gates toward the grand plaza, where the fourth prince of the Empire, Magnus Grelt Alnwick Mediaen of House Solndam, would inaugurate the city he had built. Throughout the month, especially the past week, many important people came; their numbers were so huge that all the hotels, inns, and guesthouses had been filled. Even I had to give my house to someone I used to know in the Redfawn city Aside from my elder brother, House of Silver had also sent someone officially; it of one of my uncles and the one with whom my father did not have a good relationship. Thankfully, I would not need to meet him; he had not replied to me, even after I had sent him a letter as a courtesy. I will have to remain here till this damn function is over. Ruu Ruu Ruu I was busy in my thoughts when I heard a sharp bird call and saw dots in the sky, which rapidly started growing bigger and bigger, till I seee them as birds. Five flaming red huge birds pulled on the golden-violet carriage in the sky; the birds looked dangerous, and the carriage was magnificent. The carriage is called Visma''s Gale, one of the imperial artifacts given to the prince after his first victory in the battle. This artifact had been in the House of Solndaem for over a thousand years. Thud! The carriage circled elegantly in the sky before coming down and landing on the ground with smooth motion, barely making any sound. A few seconds later, the door opened, and the man in his late thirties walked out of the carriage; the moment he did, all the people got up in unison and bowed. Even the powerful dukes bowed their heads as he appeared. The herald called out his name, along with the different titles he had been bestowed from the Emperor; aside from the first prince, he had the most titles, and they showed his power. "At ease," he said, and we sat down. It is my first time seeing the fourth prince; I have only seen only one prince before, the first prince. He had come to Redfawn two years ago, and my father had taken me to the banquet that had been thrown in his honor. Fourth prince Grelt as he likes to be called is a handsome man in his late thirties with fiery blue-red hair that only members of the imperial family have. "I, Magnus Grelt Alnwick Mediaen of Imperiance House Solndaem, welcome you all to this wonderful city of Greltheaven," He said in his smooth, cultured voice. He did not speak loudly or use any artifact, but everyone heard him clearly, like he was speaking in front of them, which was, of course, due to his skills. "I have built this city to make our Empire even more prosperous; its close proximity to merchant cities will bring immense trade and wealth, and the lion''s share would belong to this great city of Greltheaven and its citizens," he said, and crowds cheered loudly. I have to say, he is a great orator and has amazing skills that seemed to imprint every word of his into people''s minds and sway their hearts. It took quite a lot of effort to understand the things he expertly omitted in his speech, while everything he said was the truth, but not a complete truth. He is right about prosperity, but he smoothly omitted the danger of Navr, whose undead armies could lay waste to the city. Not to mention Tabes, against which we are constantly fighting; thankfully, the Emperor had placed a huge force here in the Dustorn Fortress under Marquess Gats, who was instrumental in winning this region for the Empire three years ago. The prince''s speech continued for more than half an hour before it ended; it was then Marquess Gats'' turn, who read out the Emperor''s words and give a little speech of his own before the Dukes took a turn after another. Some took a long time, while others finished early. The sun had completely gone down, and now there was only moonlight from the three moons lighting the sky, while the ground was lighted up by the lights as the words of powerful people rang out. It was halfway into the duke of Valeshire''s speech when I looked down at my watch. It is already seven five; Carla would have opened the door by now. I wonder whether any clients have come; there are still a lot of many people city, friends and family of these people who are not attending the inauguration. My heart is beating wildly in anticipation and nervousness about how the establishment would do. On many nights, I thought the changes I made would be too different and that people would reject them; I even had nightmares about the failures. I shook my head of those thoughts and focused back on speeches; I have done everything, and now everything is beyond my control, and I should not think about it too much. The Duke of Valeshire had finished his speed before his brother took over. Count Darrow will be the Lord of Greltheaven; I heard he is quite unhappy about it, given he is a count and controls a much bigger territory than a single city, but Prince Grelt had able to convince his uncle somehow. This is great news for the city; while count Darrow might be greedy, he is a man with great experience in administration, and under his stable hands, the city will flourish. Cheer Cheer Cheer The crowd cheered as Lord Darrow finally finished his speech, which lasted longer than Prince Grelt¡¯s. Now, there are cultural programs, but I do not have to stay for them, nor will many important people. They will be attending the party that the prince is hosting. I was not invited to it; only important and powerful people were invited, like my uncle, who came as a representative of the House of Silver. I was hoping he would take me with him but seeing how he had not even answered my letter, there was no chance. He would likely take my brother, who would be bequeathed the title and the deed tomorrow. The people sitting begin to leave one after another; not all are leaving; some are staying to watch the performances. The city had spent a lot of money on it, having brought artists from not only the Empire but also from other countries, all humans, of course. I would have stayed, too, if not for this being the first day of the establishment. "It was nice to meet your Mister Santos," I said to an old man as I stood up and turned to the couple, "A pleasure, sir Jacques, madam Serina," I said and walked out. The people in charge of security kept everything in order, so there was not much of the crown when I walked out, and soon, I was in my carriage. "To the establishment, James, and a little faster," I said as I sat down in the carriage, "Yes, Mister Silver," he said, and the carriage began to roll through the streets. The traffic was still there with the people leaving, but it was much less than before, so we were able to reach the establishment within thirty-five minutes. "James, to the back entrance," I said after taking a look at the establishment; from what I saw, it is better I enter through the back. For advanced chapters, visit Patreon. Chapter 11: Open Chapter 11: Open Sin Lord 11 Open "Fuck, I am bored; I hate my father bringing me to this shit where there is no decent entertainment," cursed a blond man in his early twenties as the carriage rolled on the streets of Greltheaven. "Careful, Vans, it would be bad if these words fall on the wrong ears," cautioned Meryn sitting across him. Vans glared at his friend irritatingly but did not say anything. "Vans is right; this city did not have anything. In these four days, we have gone to its two casinos, five whorehouses, and a river ferry, which was the only thing that somehow entertained me," said Rand with a sigh as he turned to his friends. They are from the Warsteel, the capital of the Empire. The city is tens of times bigger than this; it has every kind of entertainment and pleasure one would seek, even the forbidden type. "So, where should we go?" asked Rand, and there was silence among the five for a moment. "Let''s go to the whorehouse; I have heard the new one had opened today," Jarvis suggested, but nobody seemed much interested in his suggestion. "Come on, it will at least be better than driving the carriage around the city for hours," he said and finally got the response. They did that yesterday when they couldn''t decide where they wanted to go; like idiots, they made the round across the city for more than two hours. "Driver, take us to the new brothel," said Jarvis, and a minute later, the carriage took the turn toward the entertainment district. "Sirs, we have arrived," the driver said twelve minutes later, and the five people who were busy in discussions looked out, and surprise couldn''t help but be on their faces. "Interesting colors," said Meryn; Vans and others couldn''t help but nod at that. They saw the big iron gates and wide walkway, which is lighted by the silvery light of Elyren Moonflower trees. At the end of the walkway is a beautiful mermaid fountain; in front of it is an entrance to the manor, painted in a beautiful shade of pink and violet. "Driver, take us inside," said Javier, and immediately carriage walked inside, bathing in a silvery light of Elyren Moonflower trees, some of which went inside the carriage, giving it a soft silver glow against the magical silvery light that the carriage has. "The parking space is nearly full," Vans said, sounding a little surprised as he got out of the carriage; he had not expected to see such a crowd on the opening day of the new brothel. "Let''s go inside," said Rand, and they walked by the mermaid fountain toward the lightly glowing steps of the manor before they reached the door, where they could see the huge hall, and what they saw inside the hall couldn¡¯t help but surprise them. They had not expected to see this in the brothel. "Have we come to the right place?" asked Lenin because what they saw did not seem like a whorehouse; the surprising scene had only stopped them for a few seconds before they stepped inside, feeling curious. "Welcome to Velvet Garden, patrons," said a melodic voice as they entered inside; when they turned, they saw a beautiful woman with flaming red hair wearing a shimmering black backless gown. "Is this really a whorehouse?" asked Vans, and the luscious lips of the women curved a little in a smile hearing the question. "It is, and I hope you all enjoy your time here," she replied without taking any offense from his crass language. Vans nodded absentmindedly and turned, There he saw a big, beautifully decorated hall filled with tables on which men and women in expensive clothes were chatting and laughing while a band played soft music in the background. It does not feel like a whorehouse at all, but a restaurant that they would often visit, where everyone is dressed finely in expensive clothes and eating with immaculate manners. The only difference is that there are no ugly women here. Every woman is beautiful, dressed in clothes that seem to be tailored specifically for them. There is not a slight uncomfortableness in them; they wore clothes like a second skin and looked enchanting in them. "It may not feel like a brothel, but it is," said Lenin, as he looked at men and women disappearing into the staircase and some returning from another. "My friends, as you can see, there are very few whores have remained, and I would like to have one before others take them," said Rand and walked toward a young woman in her early twenties, sitting by a long bar wearing a low neck red dress, with a glass of golden brown whisky in her hand. "You look ravishing if you don¡¯t mind me saying," said Rand as he appeared beside the beautiful young woman wearing a silvery dress. The young woman gracefully placed her drink on the counter and turned to Rand with a faint seductive smile on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t mind; I like the praises,¡± she replied. These types of psychological tricks are common on earth; established businesses on earth employ hundreds of them to sell their services and products. I looked for a few more minutes before getting from the window and taking the secret staircase; I did not walk back to my office or my room but instead into the changing room. "Continue," I said when they turned toward me. There were two girls wearing pink robes sitting in front of the mirror while six different kinds of combs, brushes and other makeup instruments worked on them at a speed that was hard to follow. This is a real ability of Eudo; from what he told me, he could control six things at once with the telekinesis skill, which let him work on six people at once; it is a sight to behold. Every second there is a change appearing on the girls, their hair turning different from before, and new makeup replacing old; it is not just for the makeup, but also the clothes they are wearing. Every time they change clients, they will come here for new makeup and a change of clothes, which might seem like a hassle and waste of resources and time, but it is not. From what I have observed in the past few hours, it is one of the best ideas I had. It instantly attracts the attention of the patrons because even if they don''t completely remember all the details, they can tell something has changed about them, and that creates curiosity and, with it, the attraction which we need. "Girls bring the dress on the hanger number five and black lingerie from the number seventeen stand," said Eudo, and three teenage girls quickly followed his orders. These three are also the girls who signed the contract, but since they are not eighteen, I am not going to use them, but I couldn''t just let them freeload. So, they work; three of them have become assistants to Eudo while the others are doing different jobs. The girls brought the clothes, and Lana got out of her chair and disrobed, completely naked; Eudo looked at every part of her and moved the brushes where the pleasure marks were; even the love bites had disappeared as the brushes moved over them, and her body became flawless. As he finished with it, he quickly took control of the clothes the girls brought; they floated and flowed on Lana''s body. She is used to it, as without Eudo saying anything, she raised her hands and feet in a practiced manner, and within seconds, the lingerie and the dress appeared on her, which he topped off with some jewelry before applying some skill which tightened the dress, among other things. At the end of the minute, she became radiant again, that I couldn''t help but feel attracted to her. "Thanks, Eudo," she said, "Master Silver," she said respectfully before walking out of the room. I stayed in the changing room for an hour, and by the time I walked out, I was beyond sure that I had made the right decision in hiring him. What I am paying him is much higher than what most makeup artists make, but given his level and skill, he is beyond worth it. I did stay there for a long and walked out after half an hour. I once again sat by the window and watched and was quite surprised when I saw even after midnight, the clients were not dwindling, usually, after midnight, the clients begin to lessen, but it is not happening. I could tell many skills being active in the hall, but these skills are not powerful enough, which is one of the reasons I have spent so much on enhancing the other aspects of the girls, from teaching them different things to getting the best dresses and makeup. Though I would have done that either way, they enhanced the features they already have, and they would have needed those skills for the kind of business I plan on running. The level and skills are important, and I truly hope the girls level up after today; I need them to have high levels if I want to make the establishment a true High-class brothel. While the establishment could be said to be a high-class brothel, it is on the scale of a small city. The true high-class brothel in the big cities is on a completely different scale, with most girls in them being above level 25 in their classes, which is a pretty high qualification. Most people achieve level 18 on average in their lifetime; it could be a little higher or a little lower. Getting to level 20 is considered a milestone, and those who achieve it are called exceptional. Carla said four girls are at level 19; she did not mention who nor I had asked as the level, and the classes are one deepest secret, which is considered rude and intrusive. Time passed as I watched every aspect of the establishment, taking notes on everything; with so much writing, I began to feel the pain in my fingers, but I ignored it and continued writing. Soon, it was dawn, and the last remaining patrons began to leave. Watching the last patron leaving, I also got up from the window. I did not go to the hall; the girls had worked hard the whole night and needed rest. So am I. Though I am excited to see the numbers tomorrow, I am sure they will be good with the huge number of patrons the establishment served through the night. Visit for advanced Chapters. Chapter 12: Shocking Profit Chapter 12: Shocking Profit Souteneur Merchant Lv. 3 Souteneur Merchant Lv. 4 Souteneur Merchant Lv. 5 Skill Gained: Shop Open This was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, and immediately, my eyes went wide. The level-up wasn''t surprising; I had expected it. What is surprising is the two other level-ups that came after it and the skill. Getting three levels at the same time is very rare; one had to achieve quite a feat to gain three levels at once. I have not only gained the level but also an amazing skill that any merchant would be jealous of; it is fucking billboard skill. Shop Open Skill will make the business more noticeable; it will be like having a big sign which attracts everyone''s attention; how much attention it will attract depend on my level. Currently, it will be weak, but as I level up higher, its power will also increase, and the benefits it will be able to provide me will be immense. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 5) - Basic Lawyer (Lv. 2) Charisma: 8 Intelligence: 8 Vitality: 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods 3. Contract 4. Shop Open Attribute Points: 3 I opened my attribute page and looked at three attribute points; I thought for a while before dumping two points into the charm and immediately felt its effects. The effect was more due to the charm reaching the ten points than me dumping the two points at once. Any attribute point, once it reaches ten increases, its power takes a dramatic increase, which is more than added attribute points would have added. The last attribute point I added to the vitality finally and immediately felt a refreshing feeling washing over me, it had only lasted for a moment, but it had made me crave it more. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 5) - Basic Lawyer (Lv. 2) I did not say anything for a few seconds, just looked at the file in front of me before gently picking it up, but I did not open the file and instead turned to Carla. "So, what is the number?" I asked, and her amethyst eyes turned serious. "You might not believe it if I told you," she said softly. Seeing the clients yesterday, I know we have earned quite well and even had a number in my mind, and seeing her expression, I became even more confident about estimation. Taking a deep breath, I opened the file in my hand. At first, everything was as I expected, but after a few lines of numbers, my expressions began to change, and it completely turned to shock on the second page. I read page after page, and each word was meticulous, and the numbers were clear; by the time I had put down the file around fifteen minutes later, there was a clear shock in my eyes. I did not dare to believe what I had read; the number was nearly double what I had estimated. "Hundred and thirty-seven thousand crowns," I said softly as I put down the file after a few minutes, "I was shocked when I tallied the numbers and recalculated three times before daring to believe it," said Carla. "The number is truly hard to believe," I said softly, with my voice barely louder than a whisper. I watched the establishment the whole night and thought my estimate was around seventy thousand; that itself is quite a shocking number, but now looking at the number, which is nearly double, I am having quite a problem believing it, but the numbers don¡¯t lie. We have earned one hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred and thirty-seven crowns, seventy-six thousand of which had been earned by the ladies themselves while the other six-one thousand were earned through the food and liquor. Carla hadn''t added the gifts and tokens the ladies had received in addition; otherwise, the number would have reached even higher. We charge two hundred crowns per hour, the highest among all six high-class brothels in the city; only one other brothel charges as much as us. It might seem high considering common people could comfortably live for a month for such an amount, but it is still quite low compared to the real high-class brothel of the big city; their prices start from the thousand crowns. Though, the women in them are also high leveled, every one of them being Level 25 and above. The city maintains strict standards as only high-class brothels are allowed in the entertainment district, while the others set their shops in the pleasure district or the red-light district, but it comes with a price; the taxes are higher than that of the red-light district. With taxes, ladies taking 10%, salaries of staff, and other expenses, I would still end up with around 50% profit, which is great as I had not expected; I would have more than 25% in profit. "The business is good, but maintaining such earnings beyond a few days would be hard; it would be a huge deal if we could get half numbers after a week," Carla said with a hint of disappointment. "Not likely," I replied with a light smile. I know why she is thinking that; we had so many patrons because of guests that had come to the city for the inauguration, but after the Prince left, the guest will also be left with him, and those are the clients that the establishment had served yesterday. "Are you talking about the clients of merchant cities?" she asked, and I smiled. "I don''t think they will give us much business, at least initially," she said with a shake of her head. "You are quite wrong about it," I said with a big smile; Carla is a very smart woman, wise, and knows a lot more than what women of her station should know, and it is the reason why my father had chosen her to run the brothel. Still, she was restricted with her knowledge; she did not know how hungry the Empire was for trade, to fill the coffers that had been draining due to the constant wars. Merchants around the Empire, even in Rimwell province, had big orders ready, knowing the resumption of trade, and now that one merchant city-state agreed, those orders will float in, and the biggest beneficiary of all would be Greltheaven. "You will see it soon," I said, seeing her not believing me; the first ships from the Meldhorn were going to arrive in the late afternoon, and I planned to go to the port and take Carla with me to watch them. "I really hope what you said is true," she said with hopeful eyes, "Don¡¯t worry, I am not wrong about this," I said, and I was pretty confident in my words. We did not speak for a minute before I focused back on the work. "Yesterday, our patrons drank a lot; we will need to replenish them and also order the wine from the second list," "Ask the chef the list of ingredients and let him choose the dishes he had, wanted," I said, writing down a few things. "The wines on the second list are quite expensive; it will take everything we earned yesterday," said Carla. "It is fine; we will earn more because of it," I said. There is a common phrase I have heard from a lot of my clients that you need to spend more to earn more. The wine is pure profit; we are selling it at a huge margin and seeing how much our guests drank yesterday and the type of wines they chose, I am buying even more expensive liquor today. Carla left a few minutes later with tasks in her hand while I focused on the letter I had to write to the head of the House of Silver, my Grandfather. has advance chapters. Chapter 13: Distribution Chapter 13: Distribution Carla climbed down the stairs with a heavy box in her hand, staring at the things that lay there; she couldn''t help but feel happy about it. When she took the last step, she found all the ladies sitting in the now slightly expanded common hall, with better furniture than before. They looked comfortable, with everyone having a seat, unlike before when they needed to sit on each other''s lap; not to mention, the new furniture was more comforting. Everyone is sitting in a common room, including the teens, who will not work, till they reach eighteen. "Is that?" asked Ina with clear hesitation and hope, "Yes, your earnings from the last night," Carla replied and put the wooden box on the table before sitting in the chair behind it.Visitt for the latest updates Everyone quieted down with their eyes focused on the wooden box, especially the pouches, wanting to drill their gazes inside them. "I will now distribute the money," she said as she looked at all the women who were looking at the box eagerly. "Though I will not share how much you have earned with everyone, that will be at your discretion," she added before taking out the first brown leather pouch from the box; she did not even look at the pouch she took to know who belongs to; she did not have the moment she touched it, she knew it belongs to Margaux. It is due to her new skill which she has got today from her new class that had changed. Her ''Harlot'' class had changed to ''Madam,'' and now she had a new skill, True Salary, which let her instantly calculate how much money every girl had made and who it belonged to. The change of class was quite surprising, she had thought it would take at least a month, but it had happened in a single day. Maybe it was because of how deeply she was involved in the establishment; she had been here even before the first brick was laid and had been involved in nearly every process. There is also Remus, who she thinks is the most responsible for such a quick change in her class. "Margaux, this is yours," she said; Margaux, who was sitting not far away from her, got up from her spot and took the pouch and pink envelope attached to it with slightly shaking hands under the gazes of every woman. "Open it," asked Brenna in anticipation. "Brenna!" admonished Carla instantly, "What? Everybody here wants to know how much we have made," she replied defensively while looking at the girls, all of whom nodded, seeing that she couldn''t help but sigh. Even if she stops them now, they will ask each other later. "You don''t have to," said Carla, "It is fine; I am sure today everyone will show how much they have earned?" said Margaux before she opened the pouch with shaking hands. She inserted a fair hand inside and took out the coin, and it was not the blue crown that came out, but violet imperial, which is equal to hundred crowns. Sigh! She sighed her depressing thoughts away and focused on the girls in front of her. Everyone had made good money; the lowest was three hundred and thirty-five crowns, while the highest was thirteen hundred and eighty. The girls who earned less are a little sad seeing some of their peers earning more than double them, but they are still happy with the huge amount, and I am sure they will now focus more on their lessons and serving the clients; money is a great motivator. "B.. the big sister, can''t we work?" asked Gloria hesitantly. Carla turned to the young girl, who was sitting with the other girls of her age. "No, you all will not work till you turn eighteen," she said and could see the disappointment clouding the young girl''s faces; seeing that, she and a few other girls couldn''t help but sigh. The withering circumstances and enough money could make one do anything and could even make this profession seem alluring. "You are the most fortunate girls; learn everything from the teachers, and we are teaching you; it will help you a lot in the future, not only in advancing your class and getting better skills but also in leveling up faster," said Carla. "I do not tell you the importance of that, will I?" she asked, to that, the young girls shook their heads in better moods. "Good, learn with all everything you can, and you all will earn more money than you have ever dreamed," she said, which put smiles on girls'' faces. She talked with the girls for a few minutes before she got up to leave when a question came to her. "This is temporary, isn''t it, till the prince is in the city?" asked Margaux, and immediately eyes of every woman in the room focused on her on her again. She could understand the question as she herself asked not long ago. So, she turned to the girls with a bright smile on her face. "Not necessarily," she replied. "Master Remus said that with the trade starting with merchant cities; it will bring out a huge influx of wealth to the city, which will prosper the business, including ours," "I am leaving for the port with Master Remus right now to watch the first ships from merchant cities," she said and walked out of the basement a few minutes later. She did not know if what she said would come true, but she wished it would. These girls suffered a lot in their life, and they deserved some happiness. Do Rate and Review. Chapter 14: The Information Chapter 14: The Information ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± I said to Carla, who was looking at more than fifty ships coming at the port, with Count Darrow waiting to welcome them in a large procession. We have been here for more than one and a half hours, and the wait is worth it. The ships not only contain the goods but also rich merchants who will be my clients. I am very excited, as these ships are just the beginning, as thousands more will come. Renwell region is the only region of the Empire that shares the boundary of the city-stage of Meldhorn. So any trade flowing through it toward the Empire will go through the Greltheaven city; it is its gateway to the Empire. It is the same for any trade going for Meldhorn from the Empire. There is a sea route, but both need Belnin, and it will be the last city-state to normalize its relationship with the Empire. The Emperor had used quite colorful words against the city-state and its lord; they were nasty and were widely reported. So, Greltheaven is pretty important for trade, and it will be even when all the merchant city-states normalize their relationship. An hour later, the first ship docked, and a couple of important people came out. From what I read in the papers, some important people are coming. The most important being the representative of the Lord of Meldhorn and leader of the Meldhorn city merchant guild. Aside from them, there are representatives and leaders of guilds in Melhorn and other cities that are part of the Meldhorn city-state. It was quite a crowd that came, but they were not only for Greltheaven but all the other cities of Renwall region, and some will even go to the Empire. Lord Darrow is greeting them; with him are representatives of many business houses and political powerhouses. ViiSiit for latest novels My uncle and brother were also there, representing the House of Silver. The bequeathment ceremony for the title and deeds was in the morning, many important people had attended, including the Dukes and other important guests. As usual, I did not receive the invitation to attend; they could have invited me, but they did not. I really wanted to curse these bastards; I really wanted to be there; the connections I would have had been invaluable. I would have forgiven them if they had brought me here to greet these merchants, but they did not do that too. Sigh! I shook my head as I calmed myself down. It did not matter if they did not help me; I will make succeed on my own. Yesterday, I have already taken the first step toward that, and now, I just need to keep climbing without a stop. ¡°James, let¡¯s go back,¡± I said, and a minute later, the carriage walked toward the city gates. I would have liked to stay more, but there is no time; the establishment will open in a few hours, and I need to prepare. There are some things I noticed yesterday that I have to change. Nothing big, I don¡¯t want to do anything that will take the girls off their game; yesterday¡¯s success has built confidence in them, and in the next few days, that confidence will fortify if the establishment keeps pulling the same crowd as yesterday. Soon we reached the establishment; I went to my office while Carla went to do the things she needed before it opened in the evening. There are many things she needs to do, but given her abilities, it won¡¯t be a problem finishing them before the establishment open. As he is not the one who died that day, a girl from the brothel also died that day. It was made like an accident, but I did not think it was. The information is a dangerous business, and now reading the information; I am dipping my feet into it despite knowing I might get myself killed by it, but the knowledge is too enticing to simply throw it away. In a stack of pages, most of the information is useless, but in a rabble, there is some important which I have written down in my diary in english. Not all information here is right and correct; it is influenced by people''s perspectives, not to mention people like to lie when they are impressing women. It is to me to find out the truth among the information, which is a great task, but I have some experience in it. Still, I will remain careful, never crossing the line unless it is absolutely necessary. I have already learned some interesting things by reading the pages, and while they are not immediately useful, they will be when I collect more. Knowledge is power when used correctly, and I plan to use it, despite the danger it poses. I finished reading everything before burning it all to ashes, wiping out every proof of it. The proof that remains is in my diary, but it is very hard to understand it as it is written in english, which has a different syntax than all the languages of this world. One would need to be a very high-level cipher to break through it. I did not say anything about the information, and Carla also remained quiet in a silent understanding of what had just happened. She left not long after making preparations to open the establishment; I also stayed rooted in my place; yesterday, I did not get to watch the opening; today, I will be watching from my window. Soon, it was six, and in less than five minutes, the first carriage rolled in, and when I saw who it was, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. It is a group of five young men in their early twenties; they came yesterday, and now they have come again. Repeat clients are the most important; I have asked Carla to build relations with them; it does not matter whether they remain in the city or not; as long as they come back to the city, I want them to return to the establishment. I want to create such an effect on them. It took less than two hours after the opening before we had closed the door of the establishment temporarily; I thought it would happen around nine, like yesterday, but it had happened more than an hour early. It took forty minutes to open to open the gates again and remained open for about fifteen minutes before being forced to close. It had happened even when I had asked Carla to let more people in today than yesterday. I watched the clients, not from my office but also sat by a small secret window of the hall on the first floor, watching and noting down things. Though, today, there are a lot fewer things to note down, as I already took notes on the majority of things yesterday. Soon, it was midnight; I had just returned from another trip changing room and sat by the small window, watching the hall, which had not been empty since eight. Patrons changed, but the hall remained filled with people. Since the establishment opened, the gates have been closed more than ten times; even now the gates are closed, many carriages are coming and leaving, seeing the gate closed. I felt quite bad seeing that; those people would not be able to enjoy the great pleasures that the establishment offered. I am also feeling bad; they represent the walking money purses; it would have been great if the establishment had been big enough to accompany them, but unfortunately, it is not. Though I will in the future, and if the establishment keeps earning at the pace of today and yesterday, I will be able to make those big changes much sooner than I had planned. Chapter 15: Merchant Guild Chapter 15: Merchant Guild I woke up a little earlier than yesterday; I did not stay up until six and instead slept at 4 am before the establishment closed the gate for the day. By the time I reached my office after showering and breakfast, it was around nine-thirty. Carla was there, as usual, looking fresh and beautiful like she had taken the beauty sleep of ten hours, not barely two hours. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said as I walked into the office, ¡°Morning,¡± I replied and sat down before taking the file and place in front of me. I opened it without wasting any time and began to read it, and the more I read, the bigger the smile on my face would become. There was even a small surprise, as the money we earned was more than I had imagined; it had happened a second time in a day. It is a hundred and seventy-nine thousand crowns, forty thousand more than yesterday. The girls have earned eighty-two thousand through their services, six thousand more than yesterday, while it is food and drinks that took an obvious jump. It is food and drinks that made an obvious jump of over thirty-six thousand crowns, from sixty-one yesterday, earning me ninety-seven thousand crowns today. The money earned by girls has limitations; it depends upon the rates and hours they put it. The only way that could increase is increasing the hourly rate of the girls, which I will do soon, but not now. The food and drinks, on the other hand, had no limitations. The patrons were rich; as long as I brought expensive liquor and food, they would buy it, and I would earn money. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you,¡± I said to Carla while pointing at the numbers; she had said it would be girls who would always earn more money, and I disagreed with her. Though I did not think I would be able to prove my point this early, I had thought it would take me a few weeks, even a month or more, but I have done that on the second day. ¡°It is quite hard to believe it, especially when we are charging so much by hourly rate,¡± she said, with amazement dripping through her voice. ¡°I have told you before the sex will be just part of the establishment; it is other accompanying services that will earn us more,¡± I said, and she could nod after seeing the proof. I closed the file after reading it carefully and took the newspaper and report from the grey guild, which has things that newspapers don¡¯t. Yesterday hundreds of ships came; not all were for Greltheaven, many would go to Greltheaven and other cities to unload and load the stuff, but still, Greltheaven is the first city of the Empire they would enter, which would make it the place, where the things will be cheapest. As further they went, the greater the taxes they would have to pay; each city and each territory had their own taxes, small as they might. With all the trade flowing through the Greltheaven, it will be the biggest beneficiary of all and will be developed rapidly. Just yesterday, over hundreds of ships have come, and more are coming today. The papers are saying that the prince is going to Meldhorn in a few days to sign the trade deals. If it worked as the paper had said, the trade would increase even further. I read the papers before reading a report from the grey guild, which had information about all the important merchants that came from Meldhorn, including some sketches. ¡°These four had come to the establishment yesterday,¡± Carla said, pointing at sketches of four people as she read the report. ¡°Take a note on merchants from Meldhorn,¡± I said, to which she nodded. She did not stay for long; after reading the report and taking a few orders from me, she had left. I focused on three letters that came for me today, not a single one from my uncle. All three are about the party; the most important is merchant guilt; Damon Hardt had formally begun as head of the merchant guild yesterday, and today, they are throwing the part in honor of the prince. It will be a huge party that will not only have Prince Grelt in attendance but also important nobles, especially merchants from Meldhorn, for which the guild and I are very excited about. They are the people who will bring us the biggest profit. It is today, and I am going to be attending it; I will also attend the other two parties, which are tomorrow and the day after that. It is the best time to make the connection, as after the prince and all the guests leave; the parties will slow down, and there will be less chance to make the connection. ... Click! Hours passed, and soon it was afternoon; I was working when Carla came inside the office, holding an envelope. ¡°This came for you; the messenger is waiting for your reply down below,¡± she said as she placed the blue envelope in front of me. It had a sigil of Nielson Guild, and beside it was a personal vigil of Mage Valentina; I opened the letter and looked inside. A surprise couldn¡¯t help but flash on my face as I read the small content before a smile appeared on my face. This is not the first thing it has happened to me, I had done this before, but it is for a good friend. Mage Valentina is not my friend, a friendly acquaintance at most, and I wouldn¡¯t accept her offer. If I did not need this as much as she. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she was interested in you,¡± said Carla as I wrote my reply; her voice was different than usual; I am sensing a hint of something I had not sensed before. ¡°She is not,¡± I replied; it surprised her before she arched her brow in question, but I did not answer her question and instead gave her the letter. ... Before I knew it, the evening had arrived, and the gates of the establishment opened within an hour; the guest filled the hall, and by seven fifteen, we had to close the door of the establishment temporarily. Today, there was a change in clientele; for two days, most patrons were from the Empire, but now a third of them are from merchant cities. They were quite surprised as they entered the establishment but adjusted very quickly, which is not surprising. There is a saying that even if you throw a merchant to hell, he will survive and thrive. I wish I could stay more, but I have a party to attend, and before that, I have to go home. So, I looked hall one last time and walked toward the back entrance, where the carriage was waiting for me. It did not take long for me to reach the place I had rented, and the first thing I did was shower and wear a suit. Seeing there was still time, I sat in the small library I had and began to read the book from the shelf; these books came with the house. Some of them were on my list to read. Knock Knock I was engrossed in reading when the knock sounded on my door, ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and George walked in. ¡°Mister Silver, your guest, has arrived,¡± he informed. ¡°Thank you, George,¡± I said and got up before walking out of the library. When I walked down into the living room, I saw a beautiful woman sitting on the sofa; she was wearing a green cocktail gown that showed off her radiant shoulders and gave hints of her tempting cleavage. ¡°Remus, thank you for being my date for today¡¯s party,¡± she said as she saw me. ¡°How can I reject the offer of a beautiful woman, Mage Valentina,¡± I said, ¡°You can call me Valentina, Remus,¡± she said to that; I nodded as we walked out of the house. We are going to party in her carriage; it is much better than my own and enchanted. I opened the door for her, and she walked in before walking inside and sitting on a very comfortable leathery cushion opposite her. ¡°I heard your establishment is doing good,¡± she said, ¡°Yes, but it is not surprising seeing the number of guests that city is hosting,¡± I replied. ¡°True, but with the praises I have heard about your services, I don¡¯t think you will face any problems, especially with merchants from Empire and merchant cities pouring in,¡± she said. ¡°I hope so,¡± I said to that, and she smiled. ¡°How is the business?¡± I asked, ¡°Good, very good; we received a lot of projects yesterday, and today, that I am asking headquarters for more personal and resources,¡± she said and seemed quite happy about it. Nielson is a big guild, and its presence is counted in the top three in the city; if the city prospered, her guild would be one of the businesses that would prosper the most. We conversed about general topics as the carriage moved toward the financial district, where the merchant guild is, and twenty minutes later, we reached it. Do Rate, Review and Share. Chapter 16: Merchant Guild II Chapter 16: Merchant Guild II I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Do Rate and write a Review. Chapter 17: Price Chapter 17: Price The next morning, I woke up a little late; after coming from the party, I did not sleep immediately and instead came to the establishment after Valentina dropped me off at my place and stayed awake till two and a half am before sleeping. After showering and eating breakfast, I came back to the office, with Carla being there as usual, and the first thing I did was looked at the file. The numbers were good for the first two days, and after doing quick math, I laid out the things I had to do, and there were many. I had to finish them before going to the party at night. I don¡¯t think, in this whole week, there will be a night where I will be in the establishment. There were a lot of parties I had to attend. ¡°These have come for you,¡± said Carla, handing me the envelopes. I took them, and the first one immediately caught my eye. It had a sigil of the house of silver, besides it a personal sigil of my uncle. It is coming from my uncle; he had finally called me; I knew he would after I sent the letter to Grandfather. It is not the only letter from the family; there is another one and reading it, a mirthless smile appeared on my face. Nothing comes for free in the family, especially with Grandfather. If you ask him for something, you must be prepared to pay for it. What he asked is a little inconvenient, but I will have to do it, considering he has given me what I asked. The other letters are invitations to the parties; unfortunately, I am going to attend then, other than the one that is today, as I am going away tomorrow. I hate to leave the establishment just a few days after it opened, but I have no choice. After reading all the letters, I began to work, especially now that I will be gone for several days There are many things I have to do now than I am leaving tomorrow. As for when I would return, I do not know exactly, but it should be within five to ten days. My uncle cannot spend all his time in the Renwell region. Soon, two hours passed, and I have left my office for my room below, where I changed my clothes before walking down to the ground floor. A few minutes later, I was in the carriage going to the meeting with my uncle. Fifteen minutes later, my carriage turned to a familiar road; both sides had beautiful mansions; the sky borough. It is the most expensive residential area of Greltheaven, I rented my home here, and my uncle is also here. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a huge blue-white mansion, which was no smaller than the Damon Hardt¡¯s. It is the mansion of the house of silver; every city the house of silver has influenced has these mansions. As the carriage stopped, I got out and walked toward the door, where two muscly men were standing guard. As I appeared, they took a step to block the door for me, seeing that I couldn¡¯t help but smile. They are personal guards of my uncle; I have seen them many times, and they, too, have seen me, but they still decided to block the way. It seemed like my uncle didn¡¯t like what I had done. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the one with the bald head and heavy scimitar. ¡°Jost, Dan, step aside; I have to meet my uncle,¡± I said to them with a smile. ¡°We do not know you; do you have any business with mister Raymond?¡± asked curly-haired Dan. ¡°If you do not step away, I will return and write a letter to my Grandfather about what just happened; I am sure he would like to hear how you treated the member of the house,¡± I threatened, and immediately I saw the result. They might be guards of my uncle, but it is a house that pays their salary. They stepped aside, and I walked in; I had just taken steps inside when I saw a man in his forties coming toward me, there was a faint surprise on his face seeing me walking inside, but he quickly hid it. He is tony, my uncle''s assistant. ¡°Master Remus, I was coming to get you,¡± he said. ¡°No need; it is my home too; I come and leave whenever I want,¡± I replied. The smile on his stiffened for a moment before returning to normal. If I wanted to, I could have stayed here since it belongs to the house and those who stay in the city usually occupy it, but I did not. I wanted my own space without any shackles. Tony led me, and soon, we appeared in front of the door, where there were two more people standing guard. ¡°Sir Raymond, Master Remus has arrived,¡± said Tony, ¡°Send him in,¡± said the voice from the room. Hearing that, tony opened the door. I walked into what seemed to be an office, which was bigger than I have in the establishment and more opulent, which is understandable. The house had money to spend, but I did not. In the office, a man who seemed to be in his early fifties sitting behind a huge desk. His thin and short frame looked even smaller with the desk. ¡°Uncle Raymond,¡± I greeted as I appeared in front of him. ¡°Sit,¡± he said as he looked up from whatever he was reading. I took a seat in front of him. He did not speak, and neither did I have; we just stared at each other. For a few seconds, there was no change in our expressions before irritation flashed in his eyes, and a moment later, I felt a sudden strong urge to speak up. ¡®Bastard!¡¯ I cursed him. He had used his skill on me; it gave me a very strong urge to speak. I have experienced this skill before, my father had it, and honestly, his was stronger. So, I had quite an experience in dealing with this skill, as my father was to use it a lot on me. I remained quite despite the strong urge and could see the irritation in his eyes flaring up, and there was not an irritation but also a spark of anger. ¡°You want a letter of recommendation from the house?¡± he asked, ¡°Yes,¡± I replied without change in any expression. ¡°You want to be a legal adviser of the Merchant Guild. Do you have any experience in the law or even a class?¡± he asked, his voice getting louder with every second. The position I want is the legal adviser of the merchant guild; there is a legal department in the guild, but legal advisers are special positions only for the merchant guild members. It is unpaid, and most people did not have an interest in it, but it is the only position I could vie for. It will bring me a lot of benefits and will also help me in advancing my class. It is not easy to get, as powerful merchants place their own people on it, which is why one needs serious backing to get it. ¡°You will make our house a laughingstock messing it up,¡± he said, nearly shouting, without giving even a chance to say the words. ¡®This useless man!¡¯ I cursed in my mouth; of all siblings of my father, this bastard is the most useless one. He had got business as he came to age, while all his siblings grew their business and found more, this one burned it to ashes. Not once, twice, but four times. Now, it had become the errand boy for the Grandfather, going to places to represent him. That job he is doing quite well, and my father said he even gained a class related to that. ¡°I am sure Grandfather knows better; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given me his permission,¡± I said finally, making him glare at me in a fury. I had a law certificate; I had gotten that from the imperial academy three months ago. My father was quite proud when he came to know. It is very hard to pass, especially without class, and in less than three years; it usually takes six years, and it is for those who attend regularly, while I did not. He continued glaring at me for a couple of seconds before he closed his eyes; when he opened them again, they were a lot calmer than before. ¡°This is the letter of recommendation that father had asked me to give you,¡± he said and passed it to me. I took the paper in my hand, and it was what I wanted, certified by the messenger guild as authentic as my grandfather could not send a real copy in such a vast distance, within a day, without paying a very high price. ¡°Thank you, uncle,¡± I said and got up. ¡°Be here by eight tomorrow; we will not wait for you if you are late,¡± he said as I stepped toward the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, uncle, I won''t be late,¡± I said back without turning back. I am going to Blain tomorrow; it is a Barony my brother got. It is wild; the new nobles would be the first people from the Empire to settle there. Do Write a Review and Follow. Chapter 18: Journey Chapter 18: Journey ¡°Take care; if something happens that is beyond your control, simply close the establishment,¡± I said to Carla, the tenth time in the past hour. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Remus; everything will go well. You just need to take care of things on your side,¡± she said with the confidence I wish I had. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± I reassured myself and stood up, picking up the rapier by my side with familiar ease. The rapier had a red blade and silver handle and a black twirling guard; it was an elvish rapier and not a normal weapon, but an enchanted one. The blade''s name is rose; it was my mother''s and the only thing I did not sell before coming here. I would have gotten quite a lot of money if I had sold it. It felt familiar, even after picking it up after quite a long time; old Remus had used this blade for years. It was like a limb to him. Killing many monsters with it till he was killed by it; he had this blade in his hand when he stuck a blow that shattered his soul, and I entered his body, merging with all the broken pieces of his soul, becoming him. Soon, I appeared by my carriage and looked at the establishment, which I was not going to see for the next few days. ¡°It will be fine; I will take care of everything,¡± she said; I nodded before finally stepping into the carriage with a sigh. The carriage began to move, and I watched it till it disappeared from my view; I hope everything goes well; I have worked too hard for it to fall down. I got control over my emotions and let the rational thoughts let in, which told me, everything was going to be alright. Carla is very capable; she will be able to handle everything that came in her way. My father had chosen her for that. Soon, my carriage walked into the gates of the silver mansion. As I gate out, I found there were already a few people there, some I found familiar. They are all guards, and they are from the house. The House of Silver is a big mercantile house, and we have our own force; I heard, Grandfather had sent very capable people to form Edwin¡¯s army. They were veterans with good levels and experience. I am quite curious about the person leading them; grandfather wouldn¡¯t send someone ordinary. He had invested too much for this title to do that. ¡°Master Remus, they are waiting for you upstairs,¡± said the guard and led me inside soon; they led me to the place where everyone was. In one of the meeting rooms, there are several people are sitting; aside from uncle, there is also Edwin and Madam. The one I focused on is the man who looked to be in his mid-sixties, Lester Woods, one of nine captains of the house of silver¡¯s forces. He is one of the most powerful ones with great experience in everything from fighting undead, orcs, and elves, not to mention humans. Seeing him, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved; the territory was not without danger. I did not recognize her, its not like I recognized all people employed by the house. She is defiantly a mage; there are five mages in Edwin¡¯s army; the four are offensive types, while the fifth is a water mage who is proficient in healing. Their services are quite expensive, but it is not a problem for the house to hire them. Soon, we reached the place where our forces were, and I was quite surprised by their numbers. There are nearly a hundred people, with lines of over ten carriages loaded with goods. Seventy-two among them are part of the army, while others are servants of cleaners to drivers. There are also a few expert miners and farmers who will look around the territory for the most fertile land and things to mine. In the month, the prince is going to provide people to the territories, and they will have to make a preparation for them as noble is nothing without a people to rule over. ¡°Remus, you will sit on this carriage,¡± said Uncle Raymond; it is the carriage that is nearly behind; there are only two carriages behind it. It is not what disappointed me; what disappointed me is the cargo over it; he is placing me in a cargo carriage. ¡°Thank you, uncle,¡± I said with a sweet smile and took a bag from Jonah before opening the carriage door and walking inside. I had expected nothing less, and while I could have argued, I know he would have made some excuses with my brother, who is watching from a distance. So, it is better I comply with a smile on my face, as the day will come when I will have my revenge. I am not open-minded enough to forgive these petty offenses. As I entered the carriage, I found out I was not sitting alone; another person was sitting there already. He is a thin man with raven hair and deep brown eyes, who looked to be in his mid-twenties and was reading through the papers before seeing me. He seemed quite surprised seeing me entering the carriage. ¡°Hello,¡± I said as I sat across him in a seat that already had a box bound, barely enough space for me sits squeezing; the man opposite of me was in no better condition. There is not only stuff bound on the roof and back of the carriage but also inside, including beneath our feet. It is going to be one uncomfortable journey. ¡°Master Remus,¡± greeted the other man as I put my rapier inside a gap behind the wooden box while I put the bag in my lap. ¡°You are?¡± I asked, ¡°Brian Dusk, accountant for the Barony of Blain,¡± he said in a familiar accent. ¡°You are from Redfawn?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. I used to work for Lord Edwin before he brought me here,¡± he replied nervously, ¡°Quite courageous of you,¡± I said back, and to that, he let out a nervous smile. ¡°Well, Brian, brace for a rough journey; the next one and the half day won¡¯t be easy, or the days after that,¡± I said as I set myself comfortable in my seat. Do Rate and Write a Review. Chapter 19: Orc Bandits Chapter 19: Orc Bandits ¡®I will fucking kill them!¡¯ I cursed loudly as I adjusted myself once more; it had been just an hour, and it had already felt like hell. My shoulder was already sore by continued hitting the wooden box latched beside me, not to mention the Constand rocking of the gravel road, which made it even harder to read from the book in my lap. The driver had activated his skills, but they were useless due to his low level, and this carriage wasn¡¯t much better either. They had done this intentionally; they had not only given me the worse carriage to sit, but its driver was also low-level. There is not the slightest comfort I could feel through it. If I had known they would stoop this low, I would have brought my own carriage. ¡°Master Remus, take this; it might help,¡± said Brian as he took out a small thin pillow from his back and gave it to me. ¡°Thank you, but please keep it; I don¡¯t want to take your comfort for mine,¡± I declined, despite very much wanting to take that small pillow from him. ¡°It is no bother, Master Remus,¡± he insisted, and this I took it without hesitation. ¡°Thank you, then,¡± I said and took the small pillow from him and placed it between my shoulder and the wooden box; it felt good when the solid surface no longer hit my shoulder. A few hours passed, and the journey was uncomfortable; the small pillow provided quite a relief, more than the skills of our low-level driver. I passed the time by reading and talking to Brian and also massaging my head, which hit the wooden box quite hard when the carriage wheel went over the rock. The scenery also did not help my mood either; it is a dry wasteland. The green patches came now and then; they were as small as a few meters and big as a few miles, but when compared to the whole wasteland, they were akin to drops of paint thrown on the canvas. It felt good when the carriage stopped for a break; they had been moving for four hours, and many people needed to relieve themselves, including me. I also used the opportunity to stretch, which helped me a lot with cramped muscles, which came back again after we had resumed riding again. Two hours after the first break, we took another break; it was a lunch break. The bastards didn¡¯t even invite me for lunch; they just sent it, and it was just cheese and bread with a small pickle, the same lunch the guard ate. I ate with my guards and Brian and had a smile on my face; one could not even see the slightest bit of anger in me. After lunch, the carriages began to move again, and I was once again stuck in a tiny space. I wish I could ride, but there were no extra horses. Soon, it was evening, and we continued before stopping at a mile-long green patch called sard; it was with grass and trees, and one did not look at the wasteland around; one would not feel like they were in a wasteland at all. ¡°Master Remus, this is your test,¡± said the guard, handing me a worn-out tent, which is clearly torn in many places and patches attached to it. Even bullies have limits, but my uncle and brother did not seem to have any, giving me a tent that was even worse than the tent of guards ¡°There is no need; I have brought my own tent,¡± I said. I still remember the day when Edwin and my siblings took me to camp when I was seven; that night was one of the worst that I did not want to experience again. The guard was a little surprised but nodded and went back, and I could see from the corner of my eyes that he went directly to my brother. A few minutes later, my camp was ready, and the dinner was handed down; I got the same dinner as the guards, while it was clear for the three of them, who were sitting at a table laid out for three of them, in which they did not invite me. They sat at the table while I sat in front of a small bonfire with Brian and a few other people. I could see them looking at me and even heard the word ¡®bastard¡¯ spoken by many people. I am quite used to this, but that does not mean it did not bother me. I have noted down everything in my mind; there will come a time when I will take revenge for every little insult. For now, I will bear it without saying a single word. I did not stay by the bone fire for long; after finishing dinner and a few minutes of talking, I went to my tent and slept. The journey had been tiring, and there was pain all over my body with me sitting in a constrained space. It would have been wonderful if I had a skill related to that, but I did not; I would have to bear it like a normal person. I slept within a minute and woke up before dawn by Jonah; I had readied myself quickly and even had some comfortable read before we resumed our journey again. Half an hour after dawn, we began to move again; the target was to reach the territory by afternoon; achieving that wouldn¡¯t be a problem if we moved unhindered by anything like yesterday. The journey is slow, even by this world''s standard; the cargo carriages move too slowly, but nothing can be done other than bear it. About two and a half hours passed when the abrupt change began to occur in the scenery. The wasteland begins to disappear, and greenery begins to appear; it is not green spots that appear now and then on the wasteland, but actual greenery. Nakar forest is one of the few fertile places in the Renwell Region, and there are thirty-two baronies here. I have to say, the prince is quite smart; he created thirty-two baronies from a small region; these baronies'' sizes are of kingdom standards and not an imperial standard that was followed in the empire mainland. Even by the Kingdom standard, they are quite small; the people will have to work quite hard to gain the class of Baron with such small land; some might not even be able to get it. These baronies had not only provided him with immense wealth and rewards to his loyalists, but these will also act as a defensive barrier against the orcs of Oksall, especially the bandit orcs that would help Mirador Hold. As will be able to focus solely on the threat from Navr, the undead kingdom. Not to mention the food they will provide to the city. It is why the prince is providing people to the baronies and had explicitly ordered them to farm. I heard it was one of his conditions before granting the title. Nearly all of Renwell region is a wasteland, and most foods need to be imported. If the baronies farm, they will supply the city''s increasing population with food; even if the imports cuts for some reason, we will be able to manage without starving ourselves. After just twenty minutes of carriage rides, we have come across the boundaries of two baronies. We did not have to travel through the baronies, as the road was common, and anybody could use it. The prince had planned well; he had made a public road that could reach all baronies. Carriages moved through the rough road in the forest; looking at the tracks, we were not the only ones who had come here; a couple of Barons had already come yesterday and today, while half of them had come together in a few days. A few hours passed, and we took another break; we had come quite close to the barony; Lester had said it would take about two to reach, which was on time. Phweeee! I had relieved myself and was stretching myself when suddenly a sharp whistle rang through the camp, and immediately, the relaxing atmosphere disappeared; everybody became alert instantly. The guards who were already in position became alert, with their weapons out and skills ready to activate any moment. I also took out the rapier from my waist and strode toward the group of guards that already surrounded my uncle, Edwin, and Madam. ¡°Move away,¡± said a middle-aged mage as I reached the group; it couldn¡¯t help but surprise me. I looked at my uncle, Edwin, and Madam, who was in the center of the group protected, but to my utter shock, I saw uncle and Edwin looking at me expressionlessly while Madam simply looked away without saying any word. I¡¯ve got my answer, and it truly shocked me; even saying that would be an understanding. As with all their behavior, I did not expect this. I know they do not like me and even schemed to get my share of the inheritance, but still, I held hope that there was a limit to their dislike. That when there are lives in danger, we will help each other, forgetting our petty differences, but it seemed like I was naively wrong. At this moment, I truly understood that they had never really considered me as their own; to them, I am even worse than a stranger. My father was a million times better than them; when the assassin attacked, he leaped at me to protect me. Letting me in the circle is not going to cost them anything other than the space which they already have. I stayed frozen there for a couple of seconds before a smile appeared on my face. I nodded at them and turned, acutely aware of how many people were looking at me and their pitying gazes. ¡°I hope you guys will protect me,¡± I said to my guards following behind me. ¡°We will not sacrifice our lives for you, but we will protect you to the best of our abilities,¡± replied Jonah. ¡°That is more than enough,¡± I said with a smile. A few seconds later, I stood with my back against the wall, with two of my guards in front of me, waiting for a threat, which I was desperately hoping was a false alarm. ¡°Stay alert; orcs are coming,¡± said Lester as he walked out of the tree with his horse, dashing all hopes of it being a false threat.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com Add it to favorites, rate, and write a review. Chapter 20: Fighting Bandits Chapter 20: Fighting Bandits Hearing Lester¡¯s warning, I gripped the rapier even more tightly. For half a minute, nothing happened before we finally began to hear the heavy steps, and with each second, they became louder and louder, till a minute later when a big orc rode out of the forest and stopped in front of us. I saw the orc, the first real orc since I came to this world. It was big, over two meters tall, with grey skin and a muscly body that would put even the biggest bodybuilder on the earth to shame; with a big head to match the body with sharp teeth, especially those long fangs that threatened to burst out of its mouth. It came riding on irvar, the green rhino monster with a very sharp horn. It had not come alone; one by one, many orcs came behind it, riding on the irvar¡¯s. Soon their number reached twenty-six before they stopped. They have a third of our numbers, but it might not be their real numbers; some may be hiding in the forest, and we will have to be very careful in dealing with them. Nobody spokes, neither humans nor the orcs; we both looked at each other. ¡°Humans, hand over all your goods, and we will leave peacefully; resist, and there will be bodies,¡± said the first orc finally in a booming, heavily accented voice. Lester opened his mouth to speak, but before he could let out even a word, Edwin spoke up from the protective circle. ¡°I am the noble of the great Harsoth Empire, and I will not give you filthy orcs even a single penny,¡± shouted Edwin to the shock of all people. ¡°Idiot!¡± I cursed him as I looked at the Orc leader, whose face now had a smile, as without saying anything, more orcs began to come out of the forest. Seeing that, confidence finally disappeared from Edwin¡¯s face, and fear appeared. ¡°Since you have declined my peaceful offer, now there will only be blood,¡± it said and looked directly into Lester¡¯s eyes. ¡°Attack!¡± It shouted loudly, and over fifty orcs charged toward us, shouting and roaring, with heavy weapons in their hands. My whole body shook seeing their charge, and I cursed that idiot; how could he be so dumb? He asked for everything, but that does not mean we have to give him everything. We can negotiate, and most bandits accept it and leave after they get sufficient good. My father had told me this hundreds of times; I don¡¯t know, maybe he missed teaching Edwin that otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have acted such idiotically. Sup Sup Sup The orcs had run over a few meters when the mages hiding revealed themselves, and spells began to rain down on the orcs. From fireballs to acid spray, there is even lightning bolt and stone shot, and it is not just mages that attacked, but the eight archers also begin to lose the arrows rapidly. The orcs looked surprised by the barrage but did not stop; their skills roared, and they came charging with even greater fury while the spells and arrows rained down on them. The orcs, to my surprise, were quite good, they moved their weapons and defended, but still, many hit them and their monsters. Monsters collapsed; those whose monsters had collapsed jumped and came running, while those monsters whose rider had collapsed also came charging in a fury. Seven seconds later, they clashed; Lester clashed against the leader of the Orcs, and others joined in, with archers and spellcasters reinforcing them from behind. I have many times imagined the magical battles, but what is happening in front of me is a hundred times greater than my imagination and horrifying. In just a few seconds, a couple of orcs got injured and died. Humans did not remain unscathed either; many of them had gotten injured. The house''s forces are good, very good; they are working in perfect synch, attacking the orcs with spells and sniping them with arrows. Seeing the humans holding the orcs back, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, Mister Silver; the orcs are not easy to handle,¡± said Jonah as if sensing me relaxing. A moment after he sensed it, I felt the sudden change in the orcs; the redness appeared in their eyes, and they became more aggressive. ¡°Shaman,¡± said Jonah; immediately, I understood what was happening. There is a shaman in the orcs who uses this rage skill. Hun! I began to hear the loud steps, and my expression couldn¡¯t help but change further; the shaman was already bad, and now more orcs were coming, making things even worse. A few seconds later, a group of nine orcs came out of the forest and joined the group of fifty; it immediately increased their power, and it didn¡¯t take some of them long to break the lines of humans and come inside. A horror couldn¡¯t help but dawn on my face seeing a group of orcs coming inside and running toward whoever was holding the weapons. The biggest group went toward the protective circle, while a few went toward lone guards, and the two came toward us. I unconsciously took a step, pushing my back against the carriages while my guards moved toward the two approaching orcs. ¡°Die, humans!¡± said the orc with one eye and went for Jonah, while the other one had gone for dan. They swung their huge axes, and Johan and Dan attacked with their sabers. Looking at the way they have moved, they seemed to have plenty of experience in fighting against the orcs, which is what their resume had said. I am truly glad I did not believe a word of those bastards and hired my own guards for my safety. It is the wisest decision I¡¯ve ever made. I watched their battles, which were very fast, but I am not having too much of a problem understanding them. It is likely because of the old Remus; he was gifted with the sword, been practicing since he could hold it. At ten, he killed his first monster, and by the time of his death at fifteen, he had killed over fifty monsters, a record very few could achieve, in the whole empire. Since I took over my body, I rarely practiced the sword and done only as an exercise, but his experiences and memories always help me understand the fights, despite never holding a sword before coming to this world. Their fight had gotten intense within a minute. They begin to use one skill after another; it is a brutal fight where a single mistake could make them lose their life. Watching it, I did not fail to notice there were no spells and arrows coming toward orcs fighting against my guards. They were going everywhere, even toward the guards protecting the servants, but not at my guards. It dawned on me how bad my decision was to come here, and I promised myself that I would never let my guard down when I was in the company of the family. A minute passed when four more orcs broke through the line, and to my horror, I saw two orcs coming toward me; one was big, while the other one is small. A deep horror couldn¡¯t help but fill my heart, and I felt frozen in panic; I wanted to move my body but couldn¡¯t; it had frozen up. It did not take long for the orcs to come near me and were coming at me when Dan suddenly moved; he left Jonah to handle both orcs while moving toward the new orcs, seeing that a toothy laugh appeared on the big orc''s face. It begins to fight against Dan, and within a few seconds, it has become clear that the new orc is much better than the two orcs fighting against Jonah, seeing how Dan¡¯s fighting style changed to the defensive from the offensive. He is quite good at it, defending well despite Orc using one powerful skill after another, some of them so fast that I could not see them properly. Not to mention the little Orc, who is acting as a nuisance, but Dan is handling it well. Nearly a minute passed when the big orc barked something at the little orc, and he stopped and, to my horror, turned and began to walk toward me. It didn¡¯t take it long to reach me. ¡°Nice sword; it will fetch a good price,¡± he said in a heavily accented voice and swung his black saber toward me, intending to hack me into two. I watched in horror as I felt my end coming closer and closer while I remained frozen in fear. Even in this panicked state, I have become acutely aware of how there are no arrows and spells coming toward me. If they wanted to help me, they could have, at least now, shot a few arrows and spells when the orc had launched his killing attack. Every notion I had that someone might help me had disappeared; it was absolutely clear that they had been ordered not to help me, even when I was about to be killed. As I realized it, clarity formed in my mind, and I found myself moving, not just moving, but swinging the rapier with the familiarity and intent, that only existed in my memories. Clang! My rapier clashed against his saber, and I received a shock so high that I nearly threw away my sword, but I bore it as I unconsciously did a subtle movement that helped me divert the force of the attack. ¡°So, the little human could defend,¡± he said mockingly while I also took a good look at the orc with eyes that hadn¡¯t been clouded in fear and panic. The orc is one of the smaller orcs that attacked, but it is still bigger than me; it is slightly taller and has double muscles. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you survive,¡± it said. ¡°[Rapid Slashes],¡± he said, and saber came at me again, but this time at a much faster speed. He had used his skill, scaring the hell out of me, but this time, I did not panic; instead leaned into the memories and let my instinct guide me. I moved left and avoided its saber by mere inches, surprising both him and myself before attacking it swiftly with my rapier. My attack was quick, but it was faster as it quickly moved its saber to defend before attacking me again with his skill. Clang! I used the force it pushed me back and defended against the attack; this time, the shock was even greater, but I diverted it without being shaken. ¡°You are good,¡± said the orc and came at me again. I am also surprised by how I am defending against it; this is an orc, who already possesses greater physical strength than us, not to mention, he had the class and skills. I am sure a few attribute points in strength and vitality, which increase not only physical strength but dexterity. Still, despite all the advantages, I have not got killed yet or even injured. It seemed like I had underestimated old Remus''s skills too much; he was called combat genius by all the instructors and even had readied to take the test for the imperial knight, which he would have passed, according to his instructor. But all that praise had gone over his head and fought a monster above his level, which ended him. Clang! Once again, my sword clashed against the orc''s saber; my body was moving on its own to deal with the orc''s every attack if they had memories of their own, and they had. The muscle memories that had imprinted with more than a decade of training. Clang Clang Clang My rapier continued to clash against its saber, and the more we clashed, the easier it seemed to have become for me. Though I clearly understood that given my disadvantages, it would be hard for me to do anything to the orc, much less kill it. The only reason I even fought was because of the immense training of old Remus and his mind, which seemed to be made for fighting. ¡°[Haze Strike]¡± It shouted suddenly, and its saber became hazy; it became very hard to track its movements as it came at me This skill is really good, one only receives such skills after level 10 or above, but it had received before that. As for it being level 10 or above, I did not even think about that, as I would be lying dead if it had been at that level. I calmed the panic in my heart and focused hard while letting my instinct guide me; old Remus had an amazing fighting instinct, which is the reason why he was able to kill so many monsters before even reaching level five. Rip! I moved to dodge but felt a rippling sensation and pain in my shoulder; it was a saber that cut through my sleeve, but it was not the only thing the saber had cut. It had cut across my shoulder, leaving a gash that was a few inches long and a centimeter deep, giving me quite a pain, but I did not even look at it as all my focus was on the orc. I took a step forward, and now, my rapier was moving toward me fast, with its eyes wide in surprise. Orc moved fast, and I had changed the direction of the Rapier with a flick of my wrist, which lessened its speed, but it was still able to reach it. Slash! It touched the armor covering the orc''s stomach, and the moment it did, the runes appeared on the blade, and it cut through the armor and its stomach, leaving behind a gash across its gray skin that was at least five inches long and a centimeter deep. ¡°Enchanted Weapon,¡± it said as it retreated out of range of my sword; I could see the fear in its eyes, but there was also greed that was blazing brighter. Earlier it might be guessed it is a special weapon, but now it knows it is enchanted and would fetch quite a price. ¡°That blade will be mine,¡± it said and came at me, and I also believed in instinct that had saved my life a moment ago. Clang Clang Clang Our weapons clashed, but that did not stop us for even a moment as we attacked each other again; this time, I dodged the attack, too, before attacking again, making our weapons clash again. As I had fought against it, I felt like I was dancing with death; while I might have been able to give it a cut, but that only becomes it had underestimated me, now it is not. It is extremely careful, not giving me even the slightest chance to cut him. I am also feeling quite a pain in my left hand, which is bleeding; while the bleeding is not much, it will create trouble if we fight for a long. Slash! Another minute had passed when its saber cut me again, this time on my waist, and the cut was long but not deep. Though, it hurt like hell and going to make the battle even harder for me. Clang! ¡°You will not live long, human,¡± it said and attacked, and a second later, our weapons clashed, giving me sharp pain across my waist as the force reached the wound. Phewwwwww! The pain did not stop me, and I attacked it but stopped when a sharp whistle rang through the forest, which stopped all those fighting. ¡°Retreat!¡± Shouted the leading Orc, who had his whole-body bleeding; a moment later, the orcs began to retreat, and we did not stop them. The spells stopped, and so did the arrows as the Orcs began to retreat; nobody stopped them; this time, my brother also stayed silent as he watched them leave, with fear written all over his face. ¡°Pray to your gods, human, that we never meet again because the next time we meet, I will kill you,¡± he said with a laugh and retreated with big Orc, who was fighting against Dan. I watched as the last orcs disappeared through the trees and took a step back till my back touched the carriage and closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened my eyes a second later, I heard the sound, which made my eyes go wide instantly. [Class Obtained: Warrior] [Skill Gained: Quick Steps] [Skill Gained: Consecutive Strikes]NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Rate, write a Review and add it to the Favorite. Chapter Barony of Blain Chapter Barony of Blain HAPPY NEW YEAR. [Class Obtained: Warrior] [Skill Gained: Quick Steps] [Skill Gained: Consecutive Strikes] I couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a moment before looking at the new class; seeing it, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. It did not surprise me I got the class; old Remus had trained over decades, and if I had not entered his body and was still alive, he would have, without a doubt, gotten the combat class. Now that I had gotten the class, I felt relieved inside. I felt like I have merged better with the old Remus¡¯s soul; everything felt better than before. Old Remus wanted the combat class from the bottom of his heart; it was his wish after finding his mother, and now that I succeeded in achieving it, the parts of his soul that had merged with me had also become satisfied. I have received a Warrior Class, and not a common fighter; it is level above it, and with it, I got two good skills. The skills were nothing special, seeing they are skills of Warrior Class; some get even better, but these skills worked well together, which makes them very valuable. Every fighter wants to make their skills work together, it increases their power, and the two I received naturally worked well together. The Quick Step, as it said, quickened my steps, while Consecutive Strikes helped me launch many strikes at a fast speed. As for the power of these skills, it depends on the level of class and attribute of vitality and strength. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 5) Lawyer (Lv. 2) Warrior (Lv.1) Charisma: 10 3. Contract 4. Shop Open 5. Quick Steps 6. Consecutive Strikes Attribute Points: 0 I looked at my class window, there was my new class, and the skills it gave me had also appeared, but it is not all. There is also a strength attribute, which only appears when one gets combat class or other specific classes. I wanted to get a combat class, but it was part of my future plan; I had no interest in fighting, but I wanted it for the strength attribute. I have got it earlier than I had imagined, and after what I have experienced today, I am not going to use it only to balance my attribute. Thanks to the old Remus, I have a talent, and I am not going to let it waste. Now, I have one more class; usually, people don¡¯t keep more than three classes, even three are a lot, but I have a plan, and if everything works out in a few years, then everything will become one. It will be extremely hard to do that, but I will strive for it with everything I have. Click! I did not waste more than a few seconds looking at my class and the window before taking out the healing potion from my pocket and drinking a sip of it. I felt the refreshing cool feeling that entered down my throat into my stomach before spreading into my whole, before concentrating on the wounds on my shoulder and waist. I enjoyed the cool feeling for a few seconds before walking Jonah and Dan, who were nursing their injuries. ¡°Here, take this; it will heal your injuries faster,¡± I said and gave the potion to Dan, who was getting bandaged by Jonah. Jonah is fine with few minor injuries, but Dan got heavy; the orc he had fought was quite powerful. They looked quite surprised seeing me offering a nearly full bottle of potions, it cost as much as their services, but I did not care about the price of the potion. I want them in perfect condition, as they are the only ones who will save my life. I did not forget how everyone had ignored us conveniently in the battle; only these fought for me. He kept looking at me for a second before finally accepting the bottle with a hint of gratefulness. ¡°Thank you, mister Silver,¡± he said, ¡°I hope both of you will heal your injuries quickly,¡± I said and walked back toward the carriage. I noticed the gazes of many people as I walked toward the carriage; there was surprise, shock, and even understanding in their eyes as they looked at me. The most prominent of those gazes belonged to my family; I kept a smile on my face as I looked at them and even nodded at my uncle and brother. They have done a very bad thing, and for it, they will pay dearly one day. Click! I opened the door of my carriage and went inside; there, I took out a small first aid kit. I sanitized my wounds with spirit before wrapping the bandages around them. I did not have to do this, as the potion would heal the injuries within a few minutes, but I did not like the discomfort the open wounds gave me. After bandaging myself, I looked out through the windows; nearly everyone was nursing their injuries. The healer casts her spells on important individuals while the guards are getting bandaged by the staff. Nobody came to me or asked me about my condition, not that I expected them to after what had happened. A lot of people died in this battle that did not last more than fifteen minutes; most of them were the orcs who died, but two humans died too, and many suffered injuries, and it was all because of that idiot. I did not know what made my father buy a title for this idiot. I know it, even when my father did not explicitly say it. It was madam; she wanted her eldest child to be noble, so she forced him till he accepted. He did not put much resistance since he wanted the same thing but had a different candidate in his mind. Click! A few minutes passed when the door opened, and Brian walked in; he still looked quite shaken, as he nearly stumbled as he came inside. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked as he sat across me. ¡°Not good; I knew there would be danger but did not expect we would attack our way,¡± he replied with his voice shaking. ¡°The danger is only for a few days; it will lessen a lot after we reach the barony, and after all the nobles come to their territory, there will be an effective defense against them,¡± I said, to which he gave me a small smile. ¡°If you do find it dangerous, come to Grelheaven. I will give you a job,¡± I said, and it couldn¡¯t help but surprise him. ¡°While working for me will not be prestigious as working for the baron, I will at least be able to match the salary, and it will be a lot safer,¡± I added to his stumped face. In my conversation with him, I was able to find he is quite good at his job; it will be good for my business to have an employee like him. I do not need an accountant now, but if the establishment keeps earning me money at this pace and I follow up with my future plans, I will need an accountant. ¡°I will think about it,¡± he replied after a few seconds of silence. I did not say anything and just watched; half an hour passed quickly when the carriages began to move again. Time passed in silence; I watched the forest and got amazed at how quickly my injuries were healed by the potion. It did not take even an hour for my injuries to heal, and they have not left behind even a mark. This is simply amazing; such a thing is not possible on earth, even with all the advancements modern medicine has made. After little more than two hours later, after we resumed our journey, we stopped as we have reached our destination, the barony of Blain. There is nothing here except for a small grey castle with square walls. The castle is new, not even a month old; the prince has made a castle in each of the thirty-two baronies. It is expensive to construct so many castles, but seeing how much the prince had charged for the noble title and deed, the expense became minute. This move is also strategically important; the castle is big enough to house the forces and is defensive in nature. It would easily be able to defend, even when four times the number of orcs attacked it. ¡°My castle!¡± shouted Edwin unceremoniously as he walked out of the carriage with my uncle and Madam behind him. They walked toward the castle; as they reached close to it, the huge gate of the castle began to open till it was completely open, and the five people walked out of it, with a middle-aged man leading them. ¡°Welcome to Castle Blain, Lord Silver,¡± said the middle-aged man as he bowed faintly. ¡°Captain Markus, thank you for taking care of my castle,¡± said Edwin as she shook his hand with the middle-aged man before walking inside with them. These are the prince¡¯s people; after they hand over the castle, they will leave for the Mirador Hold. It took a few minutes for carriages to be ordered in; I watched as the carriage entered through the huge-metallic gates and entered the bailey of the castle, which was wide enough that easily a thousand people could stand in it comfortably. I opened the door and got out of the carriage, and couldn¡¯t help but watch in awe. It is not the first castle I have seen; I have seen bigger, but still, it couldn¡¯t help but fill me with awe. It is not a fancy castle but one that is made with defense in mind; every part of it had a reason to be there, and there was no single vanity piece here. Though it is open enough that the owner could add them, I have no doubt that Edwin would do that. I looked at the keep where my family disappeared with Captain Markus and others; nobody invited me, and nor had I expected them to. I picked up the diary and began to walk around the castle with my guards behind me; I would stop and take notes on everything I noticed. I have been doing it since the moment we left the silver manor. Grandfather had not sent me to watch the scenery; there is also some work, which I will do with complete honesty. A little more than an hour passed when a short old man, with scorn in his eyes, appeared in front of me. ¡°Master Remus, you have been assigned room three on the second floor of the keep,¡± he said without a hint of any politeness. He is Sigmond Ross, the butler; he is one most trusted men of madam and used to be the majordomo of her estates. ¡°Thank you, mister Ross,¡± I said with a smile. The keep is three floors tall; the top should be for Baron and family members, while the second floor should be for an important member of the staff like him and Lester woods. They have put me with them. I wish I were surprised by it, but I am not. He nodded haughtily and, to my surprise, snatched the diary from my hand before I could even react; seeing that, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but harden immediately; it only made him smile at me mockingly. ¡°Lord Baron had ordered that no information about the castle should be spread outside; if you noted any information about the castle again, you would be punished according to laws of barony,¡± it said with scorn dripping through his voice. ¡°Old bastard, remember your place,¡± I thundered, stopping everyone around me in their tracks. It surprised the old man, but soon the surprise was replaced by blazing anger at my disrespect. ¡°I am not taking notes, but writing the report that Grandfather had asked me; I will be sure to remember to write down my brother¡¯s inability to control his dogs, that they will dare to talk to family this way,¡± I added, shutting his opened mouth close. All the anger in the old man¡¯s eyes disappeared, and he shuddered visibly in fear. While my brother may be a Baron, it is a house that controls everything; if the house wants, it could easily replace Edwin and place someone else in his place, and grandfather is a house; everything he says, the members follow. ¡°My apologies, master Remus for the foul words I may have spoken,¡± said the old man and bowed deeply before handling the diary back with shaking hands and running away with his tail tucked between his legs. I continued for around fifteen more minutes before I walked inside the keep; I had just entered the second floor when I found the madam in front of me, with the old man behind her with his head down. ¡°Madam,¡± I greeted her with the same polite tone as I usually greet her; there was no hint of anger or any other emotions that she would have expected, seeing how I suffered due to them and nearly died. She seemed quite surprised by it but quickly schooled her expressions. ¡°Remus, my apologies for Ross¡¯s behavior. He had too many things to worry about with us moving into dangerous territory and ended up speaking the way he shouldn¡¯t,¡± she said, with a small smile on her face. Her smile couldn¡¯t help but surprise me. She always kept her expressions neutral whenever she talked to me. ¡°My apologies, master Remus,¡± said the old man from behind; I did not even look at him and stared directly at the eyes of Madam. ¡°I may be a bastard, but I am still a Silver.¡± I said, ¡°A servant has shown scorn without a cause, broken one of the most important rules of the house; grandfather will hear about it,¡± I said without backing down. Do Rate and Add to the Favorites. Chapter 23: Tour Chapter 23: Tour Mark Ramsy, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Marco, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Dont forget to Tap on FOLLOW AND FAVORITE. Chapter 24: Mirador Hold Chapter 24: Mirador Hold John Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Marco, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com If you like the chapter, then HIT the FOLLOW and FAVORITE. Chapter 25: Scheme Chapter 25: Scheme Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Do Click on FOLLOW.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 26: Returning to Greltheaven Chapter 26: Returning to Greltheaven [Lawyer Level 3] The fork stopped near my mouth as the words flashed in front of me; it stayed there for more than a second before I took the bite. A knowing look flashed between my guards as they saw me suddenly stopping, but I did not care. I am happy. The contract must be signed for me to level up two hours later. I am not surprised; it is one of the reasons why I have chosen to apply for the post of legal adviser. I have brough my guards to the restaurant, treating them for what they did me. Though it is their job to protect me and what they did, but still, I am grateful to them; without their help, I would have died. Soon, we finished our dinner, and I went back to my room; I would have liked to see the fortress more, but at night, they had limited access further, and I had already seen what I could earlier. Even if restricted areas were open, I wouldn''t have gone there. I have to leave the fort soon, and I wanted to be in my room when the vice-guild head sent someone to call. Which is also the reason why I am not practicing today. Knock Knock I was reading the book when a knock rang out on my door; I closed the book and walked toward the door before opening it. "Mister Remus, vice-guild head Arryn is ready to leave," said the blond-haired man in his late twenties. "Ok," I said, without me saying anything, my guards, who were standing by the door, came inside and picked up my bags, and we began to follow the man, Arryn had sent. Hun! I had thought he would take me to the suit of vice guild head, but I was wrong; we were going down. Soon, we walked out of the lodge and reached the place where a long luxury carriage was waiting with around twenty guards. "Mister Remus," said the man before opening the gate of the carriage. I nodded and stepped inside the carriage and was immediately felt glad seeing there was no sign of my uncle. I thought he would weasel his way in here to make the journey hell for me. He would have, if not for the business he had here been important, which he did not tell me anything about. "Vice guild-head, Arryn," I greeted as I entered inside and took a seat opposite him, and second after that, the carriage began to move. "Young Remus, with you, are joining; the journey wouldn''t be much boring," he said. To that, I smiled. We are not alone in the carriage, there are three other people, including the middle-aged man, which is likely his lawyer, a man in his mid-thirties, who is his assistant, and the maid I had seen earlier. "You have helped me a lot there, Remus; now, with that loophole closed, I can be sure the contract will run through its period," he said, sounding quite happy. He should be, as the big arms contract signed by the house; he will not get much money from it. This one is an independent contract between him and Mirador Hold, and while the house acted as a guarantee, most of the profit from it would be his. "I am glad I could help, vice-guild head," I said; he nodded before his expression turned serious. "With the letter of recommendation from the head of your house and my backing, it is near guaranteed you have the job,¡± ¡°But I must say, Remus, it is a difficult job; usually, lawyers with the favor of leadership get this job," he said. "It will be hard to manage the job and your business," he added. Indirectly asking me to think carefully about asking "I know, but I am young and feel like I could do it. If I get a feeling that I am letting down the guild, I will resign on my own," I said politely. "If you were able to do what you have done today, there is no way you will be letting down the guild," he said. "Though I have to warn you, there will be quite a lot of work for you; the guilds are establishing a contract with many cities of Meldhorn and the Empire, and with hundreds or even thousands of intraguild, contracts going to be signed," he added. "I expect nothing less," I replied with a smile. It is the reason why I applied for the position immediately. I could have waited, and it could have taken me a while to get the position. I would have got it eventually with a recommendation, but by that time, I would have already lost the golden opportunity to make the biggest difference and level up faster. The work will be huge, especially with my business, but the benefits it will bring me will also be immense. I will be in the inner circle of the guild, able to make the connections quickly and also able to get valuable information through my work there; not to mention, I will be able to level my class up if I do a good enough job. The carriage stopped at the gates, but only for a few seconds, before passing through it, and after that, it picked up the pace. It is an enchanted carriage; every enchantment laid out in it is for the maximum comfort of the people inside. The carriage felt smooth with the enchantment and the aid of driver skills, who is without a doubt a level 20 or above. It is not just comfort that is great but also speed, it is going fast, and its speed is only increasing. If everything had gone well, then we would be able to reach Greltheaven by afternoon or even before that. I talked with the old man for a while before we stopped; he began to read through the document and discussed something with his people, which I could not hear due to privacy skills. I also picked up the book and began reading an hour and a half later; I closed it and reclined my seat as the old man had done, and closed my eyes to sleep. The carriage was very comfortable that I fell asleep within a minute. [Sautner Merchant Level 6] I woke up when the first rays of dawn began piercing through the clouds, but my gaze was focused on something else. The text had appeared in front of me, informing me that I had leveled up in my base class, and it couldn''t help but surprise me. Something good must have happened in the establishment, for it happens. Now, I am more excited to reach the establishment to know what happened that had me level up. I calmed my excited mind and opened the interface. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 6) Lawyer (Lv. 3) Warrior (Lv.1) Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 8 Vitality: 6 Strength 5 Skills: 9 Vitality: 6 Strength 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods 3. Contract 4. Shop Open 5. Quick Steps 6. Consecutive Strikes Attribute Points: 0 The intelligence attribute reached nine; I will need one more to take it to ten. I could already feel the effect of a single point. The world had begun to look much clearer to me; I perceived things with greater clarity than before. I closed the window and looked around; Arryn was still sleeping, and so were his lawyer and the maid. His assistant, however, had woken up. I gave him a nod and looked outside the window, watching the sky, which had brightened up a little more. Half an hour later, everyone had woken up, and we took a break. We traveled non-stop without stopping and needed a break to relieve ourselves and stretch our legs. The horses, too, needed to rest while they could continue, but it would be straining, so it is better they rest a little. We have relieved ourselves, stretched, and freshened up before eating breakfast. It was much better than my family had handed to me; even the breakfast of the guards was much better. "We will be able to reach Greltheaven by early afternoon," I said, sitting on the tree-stump, "Sooner," said Arryn with a smile. We crossed a huge distance through the night; I was quite surprised when I looked at the map. Now the old man is saying we might reach it sooner. Soon the breakfast was finished, and we entered the carriage again; it began to move, and within a few minutes, the carriage had picked up a speed that was greater than the night. ''No wonder the old man said we might be able to reach the Greltheaven sooner,'' I said as I looked at the passing wasteland before turning back to my book. "Vice guild-head, if you don''t mind me asking, what is the response of the empire in this thawing of ties with merchant city-states?" I asked the old man up from the papers he was reading. It is a simple question; I am not asking about the opinion of common people but about elites, whose opinion is what really matters. Once upon a time, they were quite opposed to it, especially the nobles and church, while the merchants were always in favor of it. "The nobles are in favor now, especially those powerful ones of frontier regions, so are the common people, and us merchants are always in favor of trade," he said, and his expressions have become little become little hesitant. "Some princes and nobles are opposed to it, especially those who are close to the church of war god," he added, "It is not surprising," I said, and he caught my meaning as he smiled. The church of war god had always opposed anyone that did not let them proselyte and imposed taxes, and merchant city-states did. While they do not forbid religion, they seldom encourage its spread and impose taxes on them. Their taxes on churches are greater than the taxes on business, which I think is the main reason, the churches hate them most, especially the church of war god. Though, it is also true that churches in merchant city-states are one of the riches in the whole continent, which is why despite all the disadvantages, every religion wants to spread there. Hours passed, and finally, I could see the silhouette of the city and soon the Trollmouth river, which we reached half an hour later. I thought we would have to exit the carriage and enter the boat across the river as we did a few days ago, but to my surprise, we did not have to. The carriage had directly entered the big boat that was already waiting for it. Soon, the boat began to cross the river, and I couldn''t help but sigh. The money and power could make things quite comforting, and one day, I will have it; I will travel, even greater luxury than this old man doing right now. Soon, the boat crossed the river and began to move through the port seemed more crowded than before; it made both of us happy. "If the city hadn''t been destroyed in a decade, then nobody would be able to stop it from becoming a powerhouse," I said softly, and the smile on the old man''s face brightened up. "You have read my mind Remus; it is risky here, but if we survived here for a decade, then we will earn a fortune that would not have been possible anywhere in the whole empire," said the old man. ¡°Let it become true,¡± I said, ¡°It will, young Remus, it will,¡± said the old man and sat comfortably as the carriage walked out of the port. Twenty minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the gates of my house. ¡°Thank you, vice guild head; without you, it would have been a long, uncomfortable journey for me,¡± I said to him as I moved to walked out of the carriage. ¡°It is at least I could do after the help you have provided me,¡± said the old man. ¡°Still, thank you,¡± I said and walked out of the carriage. I am grateful to the old man; the journey to the Blain had been hell, and I never wish to experience something like that again. Thank You My Patrons: FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 27: Liquor Chapter 27: Liquor ¡°Thank you again, Jonah, Dan; without you both, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to return to the Greltheaven in one piece,¡± I said to them as they dropped me at the establishment. ¡°You have said that to us ten times already, Mister Remus; if you are really grateful, then hire us when you have a need of guards next time,¡± said Jonah. ¡°You can count on that,¡± I said to them and walked through the gates of the establishment. As I walked toward the mansion, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I have been away for five days, and I truly missed it; I hope everything went well. It should have, considering I have leveled up in the morning. I had reached the fountain when the door opened, and Carla walked outside radiantly in a purple spaghetti dress. ¡°You have come early?¡± she asked as she stopped in front of me, ¡°Well, I got a ride,¡± I replied. To which she arched her brow in question, and I began to tell her about the ride I had with Soren Arryn as I walked inside the manor. Soon we reached my office, and I sat on my seat, which was slightly warm; Carla was likely sitting on it before I arrived. ¡°So, how was everything?¡± I asked the question, ¡°Good, very good,¡± she said and forwarded the file toward me. I took it without question, and in a minute, my eyes widened before I even finished reading the first page. I flipped the page, and with the page, I flipped, the greater and greater shock would spread through my heart, even after placing the file down twenty minutes later. I wasn¡¯t able to calm myself fully. The first night at opening, the establishment had earned one hundred and thirty-seven thousand crowns. On the second night, it was one thousand and seventy-nine thousand crowns; on the third night, it was one hundred and ninety-one thousand crowns; and on the fourth night, it was ninety thousand crowns. Seeing nearly the same earnings on the third and fourth night, I thought the earnings had been stabilized, but I had been wrong. On the fifth night, on which I was on my way to the barony, the establishment had earned two hundred and two thousand crowns. On the sixth night, it was two hundred and four thousand crowns; on the seventh night, it was two hundred and four thousand crowns, the same as the previous day. Things have changed on the eighth night; several things happened. The first was an increase in rates; we have increased the rates by hundred crowns, making them three hundred per hour. It happened after all the high-class brothel decided to increase the rate; I had asked Carla to follow the suit if they did it. Increasing our rates to be comparable to the brothel charging the highest. Still, it wouldn¡¯t have made such a huge increase; at most, it would have made us around thirty to fourth thousand crowns extra. The increase is more than that; we have earned a total of two-hundred and eighty-eight thousand crowns last night, a shocking amount. Taking the four nights'' earnings over nine hundred thousand crowns, even after paying bills and everything, we had six hundred thousand remaining four days of earnings, not to mention little over two hundred thousand we had from the first four days after taxes and all expenses. So, now we have eight hundred and fifty thousand crowns in our coffers, which is enough for me to do some things, but before I begin to discuss them, I want to ask one thing. ¡°So, what happened?¡± I asked directly; she understood the question and even expected it, as she immediately opened that tantalizing mouth of hers. ¡°A little before mid-night, a large group of people came; they were from Meldhorn and felt quite a high level. ¡°They stayed till morning before leaving,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you able to find who they were?¡± I asked; she had access to information I subscribe to from the grey guild and our information. ¡°Some,¡± she said and took out the page from a file in front of her and gave it to me. I read the names, some of whom have the information below their names; reading the information, a smile couldn¡¯t help but tug my lips. No wonder we were able to earn so much, and I was even able to level up; these people were quite powerful and rich. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take the plans we made forward,¡± I said as I took out the file from the drawer before opening it. ¡°We are renewing the teachers'' contract, and this time for three months,¡± I said and wrote down something at the end of the page that I took out. ¡°We will also be hiring new teachers in these fields,¡± I said and slid the page toward her. The list is made using input from the girls, Carla, and my own opinions. The teachers we hired are only teaching them basic things like etiquette and speech, and these new teachers will teach them different things, mostly art. Music, painting, dancing, and a few other things like mathematics and language. Most girls know only know common; I want them to have fluency in one more language. I am teaching them these things not only because I want them to have knowledge of it but, most importantly, their class. Learning these things will take their class in the direction I want it to go. ¡°The girls will be happy,¡± said Carla, her eyes becoming a little emotional. ¡°I am glad,¡± I replied before turning to other things. ¡°I want you to contact Ms. Rand and ask her whether she is willing to work for the establishment; if she is not interested, then ask Ms. Cooper,¡± I said ¡°Though, tell them that they will be working under, Eudo,¡± I added, and it couldn¡¯t help but surprise her. This is not the thing I had discussed with her. ¡°Eudo is doing fine,¡± she said after a moment of silence. ¡°We are making a fine artist do a mass job; his skill lies in finesse; we should let him do what he is good at,¡± I said with a smile; she seemed to understand what I meant as she nodded. ¡°Also, renew the staff''s contract and hire a better band; while this one is good, I think it is time to hire a higher level one; we could afford that now,¡± I said, and she noted down. In the next few minutes, we discussed the minor things before I walked out of my office Marla. Now that I have finally got the budget, it is time to do the things I want. It will immediately increase the earnings of the establishment. I could hear the lessons in the different rooms as I walked down. Very soon, probably from tomorrow, there will be more noise from the rooms. ¡°It is a good thing you have brought more guards,¡± I said to Carla; nearly every room where the lessons are being held has guards, and most of these guards are women; if there is any problem, they will act immediately. Thankfully, till now, no problem has occurred. I looked at Carla as if she had read my mind; she shook her head. ¡°It would have been great if we had dedicated space for learning,¡± I said softly; while I could rent a building, it is not an efficient approach. It needed to be close, at walking distance from the establishment. ¡°We will have it. If the business kept going such a way,¡± she said. To that, I couldn¡¯t help but nod. Soon, we reach the first floor, where Ms. Elme is conducting her lessons. The old woman is directing ten girls to walk gracefully while keeping a glass that is filled with water to brim on their heads; spilling even a single drop, would make the old woman hit the girl''s bottoms with the cane. I still remember, with their skills and suppose grace, they used to drop the empty glass, and now, a month later, they are dropping a single drop from the brimmed glass. Ms. Elme nor the ladies glanced at us as we walked by the hall. The old woman because did not focus on anything other than her lessons when teaching, while the ladies did for fear of punishment. The old women did not hold back when it came to punishing. Soon, we walked out of the manor, and a minute later; the carriage walked out of the gates of the establishment toward River Street. Around fifteen minutes later, the carriage rolled through the river street. The street house the most expensive shops; one could find everything here. From boutiques to shops that sell enchanted weapons, the only thing one needs here is money in the pocket. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the three-story building, which had large glass doors. Carla and I walked out of the carriage and into the building through the glass doors. As we entered, we saw the hanging sign of ¡®Harwood Wines¡¯ like a chandelier in the air, with tall wooden racks by the wall filled with different kinds of wine bottles, with people buying them. ¡°It seemed like their collection had increased the last time we were here,¡± I said to Carla as we walked toward the big counter. We were just halfway there when a familiar young man came toward us with a big smile on his face. ¡°Remus, you came; miss Carla did say you would come here the day you returned from the barony,¡± said Aydin as he came in front of us and shook my hand before turning to Carla with enamored eyes. ¡°Miss Carla,¡± he said and shook her hand for a little too long before letting go unwillingly. ¡°Mister Silver, welcome to the Harwood wines,¡± said the old man, who looked to be in his early seventies, as he appeared in front of us silently. ¡°Mr. Taylor,¡± I said to the old man, while Aydin might be an owner in the name of its old man who runs everything. When Harwood left, he left this man in charge of this huge shop and his son. ¡°Since you have come personally, then there must be an order,¡± he said with the eyes of the old man shining softly in anticipation. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Then we should discuss it in private,¡± he said as he led us to the private room, which also had twenty-some wine bottles placed decorative. They are not decorative pieces but expensive wines, more than half of which I couldn¡¯t afford with the money I have, but one day I will. ¡°So, what kind of wines do you want? Do you like a catalog?¡± asked the old man. ¡°There is no need,¡± I said with a shake of my hand and turned to Carla, who out the folder from her bag and slid a few pages toward the old man. ¡°Do you want all of them in an exact quantity?¡± he asked, ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, and the old man nodded and felt the feeling covering me as he activated his skills. ¡°Then, it would be nine-hundred, forty-three thousand crowns,¡± he said, and I wanted to agree immediately. ¡°The price is too high, Mr. Taylor; how about nine hundred thousand crowns,¡± I countered with a smile. ¡°You must be joking, Master Silver; if we sell you at that price, then forget earning the profit, we will suffer a loss,¡± ¡°How about nine hundred and forty thousand crowns,¡± said the old man, and the power of his skills increased further, and the smile on my face became straining as I made the counteroffer. We negotiated while Carla and Aydin watched in silence. ¡°Fine, we will not earn a profit on this order and take nine hundred and twenty thousand crowns,¡± said the old man with a fake sad sigh. In the next few minutes, I have signed a few bills and paid them half of the amount, nearly half a million. Half of the wines will be delivered today by five, while the other half will be by the end of the week; that is when I will pay the rest of the money. Usually, I did not buy wine worth more than a hundred thousand at once, but seeing the guests and how much our guests drank. I decided to buy the wines from the third list a little sooner than I had planned. It should last about a month or more, but I would be very happy if we could sell it all before that. Wine is one of the things from which we earned the most; each wine provides at least double margins, and some even give us a margin of five to six times when used through the cocktails. ¡°Master Remus, new stock of wines has come from the Meldhorn, ones we seldom find in the empire.¡± ¡°Do you want to see them?¡± asked the old man, ¡°Sure,¡± I said, and half an hour, I had fifty thousand crowns more added to our bill. ¡°That old bastard!¡± I cursed as I sat inside the carriage. ¡°We have gotten them at quite a rate. If we had brought them outside, we would need to pay fifty to a hundred thousand crowns extra,¡± said Carla. ¡°I know,¡± I said with a smile. Mr. Harwood is building a relationship; smart ones always focus on that, and if my business continues to grow at such speed, then it wouldn¡¯t be long before he started reaping huge profits from me. We stayed out for two more hours, and in two hours, I had spent all the money I had, even signed the bills I would pay in the coming days. The establishment better keeps earning as it is right now, or I will be in huge trouble with the merchants. Thank You My Patrons: John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 28: Big Order Chapter 28: Big Order When I walked through the hall again, Elme was still teaching in the hall, but this was a different batch of girls, with her teaching different things than the morning. The hall is not as silent as before, with tens of small crates going inside the rooms behind the hall to the kitchen and wine storage. The bartenders have come early today to arrange the new wines we have brought and change the list of wines we are offering. The chef is doing the same. I watched them for a few minutes before walking toward my office. Closing the door behind me, I sat on my chair and looked at the three letters in my hand. They have come in when we were out. The guards handed them to Carla, and she to me as she began directing the people that brought the new stuff, including wines and food and other things. We could not just sell good services and liquor, other things needed to be at the same standard as them, like food and music. There were a few hours before the establishment opened today, and I am very excited. It will be different from the past night, as the musicians will be at a higher level, and so is the food, and there is no question about the girls'' ability to entertain. The first letter I opened was from the merchant guild. I opened it and began to read; immediately, my eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on my face. I have got the job; I knew I would get it, especially after I had helped Soren Arryn. Still, the confirmation made me very happy and ecstatic. They did it fast, I thought they would take at least tomorrow, but it happened in just a few hours. It will be hard managing my business and working at the guild together, but I will do it. It is for my future and something I truly enjoy. They have asked to appear in the guild tomorrow; if they had asked me to come today, I would have done that too. I opened the other two letters and wrote a reply before taking out a stack of papers. Looking at them like they might burn me, and they will if not handled carefully. This stack of papers contains the information; I should quickly read through them. I did not waste time; I read paper after paper, writing down what I feel is important in my diary in english; by the time it was five, I had finished reading through them and burned them to ashes. The information was good; I found some interesting things about a few important people. Click! I had just finished reading when the door opened, and Carla walked inside, ¡°Is everything good?¡± I asked, ¡°Yes, bottles have been loaded into the bar, the chef already begin his preparations, and the new band is adjusting themselves,¡± she replied. I had not heard the band, but if Carla had let them set up, then they must be good. She stayed a few minutes, informing me of a few things, before walking out of the room; the establishment would open soon, and she needed to be prepared. Soon, it was six, and the gates of the establishment opened, and within a few minutes, the carriages began to roll inside the gates. A few hours pass, and at ten, the whole establishment is filled with people who are laughing, eating, and drinking the expensive liquor I have brough. It is clear, looking at their faces, that they are having a good time, and the girls are happy too. They are earning quite a lot; in these eight nights, they have earned more than they would have in years at their past brothel. I am not exaggerating; it is not just the cut they get from the hours they put in but also the gifts their patrons give them. I did not take a single penny out of it; it¡¯s all theirs. It has made them richer than they had ever thought they would be, and every day, their wealth is growing as a business is increasing. I watched all through the small window before walking back to my office; I stayed there till eleven before going to my room and sleeping. I am not tired, but I need to sleep early if I want to wake up early. I woke up at six and freshened up before eating the hot breakfast, which was by my table. After I finished eating, I did not walk to the office as I usually do, instead walked out manor into the back garden. I spread the mat on the circle of blue tile and started doing yoga. Since I have come to this world, I have been doing it; it is the only type of exercise I have done, but since the will reading, I have nearly stopped. Since I came here, I did not do it for even ten minutes, but it is all going to change today. I have learned my lesson in the blain; I need to be in my perfect condition to deal with any threat that came in my way. So, I begin. I had started doing yoga after having a bad accident; my physical therapist had suggested it. I continued doing it for a decade before coming to this world. It is much better than the gym, and I could do it in a small space; I used to do it in my office when I worked till morning, but mostly in my apartment. Time passed as I continued; when I heard the footsteps, I glanced at the person but continued for ten more minutes before stopping and turning to the middle-aged man who had appeared. The man is tall with short black curly hair and brown eyes; he is fit but not muscled, with a really long sword and practices sword at the waist ¡°Mr. David?¡± I asked, ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°You have asked for Sparring Partner, Mister Silver?¡± he asked, to that, I nodded. Yesterday, I asked Jonah and Dan whether they knew an effective trainer; they referred me to him. They praised him and said sometimes, even their mercenary company hired him to train their people. He is a little expensive, but I can afford him with the money I am earning. ¡°Shall we begin then?¡± I asked as I picked up the practice rapier; old Remus was good at all sorts of swords, but like his mother, he liked the Rapier and was more proficient in it. ¡°Ok,¡± said David, as he placed his sword on the stone tool and picked up and took out the practice sword. ¡°I am sure Jonah and Dan had told you, but don¡¯t hold back from hitting me if you think it will help me,¡± I said, and I could see a faint spark of emotions appearing in his impassive for a moment before disappearing. ¡°I will remember it,¡± he said and leaped toward me suddenly; I reacted instantly as my moved my rapier to defend. Clang! Our swords clashed, and I felt like I had been hit by a shock as the sword released from my hand. He had used his skill at strike, though the power of it had been toned down a lot, but still forced me to throw down my sword. ¡°Nice,¡± I said as I picked up my rapier, and a moment later, he attacked once again, forcing me to throw my sword away. Thap! It had happened six times, one after another, before I finally was able to bear the shock when he used another of the skills; his sword moved fast and stuck to my shoulder, making me feel like he had touched my shoulder with a hot iron. This again made me throw away my sword unconsciously. As time passed, he used a plethora of skills, each one forcing me to throw away my sword. He seemed to be teaching me to always hold on to my weapons, no matter what, just like some instructors had taught old Remus. Many of these skills were painful; some made me disoriented and even made me vomit, but despite suffering, I did not stop. I kept going till it was time to stop two hours later. ¡°Jonah and Dan were right, your base is extremely strong, and you are also quite talented in the sword; the only thing you need is experience with it,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, instructor David,¡± I said, and he nodded. ¡°We will meet at the same time tomorrow,¡± he said and left through the back entrance while I sat on the bench for a few minutes, resting before I took my tired body upstairs. I saw Carla watching me through the door, but she did not say anything, nor I. The first thing I wanted to do was numb these screaming muscles; while he had used the skill, he had also hit me hundreds of times, leaving marks all over my body, which made taking every step quite painful. Soon, I reached my room, and the first thing I did was to use the numbing cream; unlike the healing potion, it did not heal the strained fiber but just numbed the pain. While the healing potion did give me relief, it was not wise to use it regularly, not only economically but also in view of training. It healed the muscles quickly, which is not the purpose; the muscles need to heal slowly to strengthen. I lay naked for five minutes; by then, all the pain had vanished, and I slowly walked into the bathroom and showered before coming and wearing a new set of clothes. A minute later, I reached my office; Carla was waiting there as usual. ¡°Has something happened in the barony?¡± she asked with worry flashing in her eyes. ¡°Yes, one should never be depended on anyone for their safety,¡± I replied, to which she arched her brow in question, but I did not explain. Instead, I took a file from her and began to read it, and the more I read, the bigger the smile on my face became. The establishment had made three hundred and twelve thousand crowns, the majority of it made by the food and drinks. Sometimes, I feel like I am running a restaurant instead of a brothel. ¡°Its good,¡± I said as I put the file down, ¡°Yes, these merchants do not hesitate to spend big,¡± she replied. Our clientele had shifted drastically; in the first three days, our clients were a majorly from the empire, but after the prince left, that began to change rapidly, that now over 60% of our clients are from the merchant cities of Meldhorn. Knock Knock I was talking to Carla when a knock rang out on my door. ¡°Mister Remus, miss Cain, had come for her appointment,¡± said George from the other side. ¡°Let her in,¡± I said, and a second later, the door opened, and petite woman walked inside holding a big bag. ¡°Please take a seat, miss Cain,¡± I offered, ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly and sat down before turning to me with anticipation. ¡°You have called for me, Mister Silver?¡± she asked, calming her emotions. ¡°I have a business for you, miss Cain; I hope you will be able to do it,¡± I said to her and could see her anticipation turning into excitement. ¡°You can count on me, Mister Silver; no matter how big the order is, I am confident I will be able to complete it,¡± said the small woman with excitement burning in her eyes. Seeing her, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on Carla¡¯s face. ¡°We will discuss it later, but first, let¡¯s see your designs, the best ones,¡± I said, and her expression turned serious as she stared at me for a moment longer before she began to take out the folders from her big bag. Of all over twenty folders she had brought, she placed four in front of us. ¡°These four folders have my best designs, and I am capable of making them,¡± she said; I nodded and picked up the folder while Carla picked another. I open the folder and begin to look at her designs, and I have to say, they are good, very good; better than what she had sold us a month ago I put the folder down and picked up another, one by one; Carla and I looked through all the folders, and after she did, she gave me a subtle nod, meaning she, too, had been impressed by the designs of miss Cain. ¡°So, you can make them?¡± I asked though she said it; I wanted to be sure, as this order is big and also important. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, putting more emphasis on the answer. ¡°We have a big order, miss Cain, of about one hundred and twenty dresses, and each one needed to be custom-made for every girl,¡± I said, and the look this short woman gave made me miss my phone so much. If I had it in my hand, I would click her picture; the meme made from it would have definitely gone viral. ¡°How much time will I have to complete it if I take this order?¡± she asked; a small on my face couldn¡¯t help but brighten up a little. Most people would have asked how much I would pay them for it; she asked how much time she would have. ¡°Two months, but sooner will be preferable without compromising on quality,¡± I replied, and she nodded. ¡°I will need to hire people, but I can do it,¡± she said softly, likely to herself, before turning to me. ¡°These designs are not cheap, mister Silver; they will cost you a lot,¡± she said. ¡°Roughly, over five thousand crowns per dress,¡± she added and looked at me. ¡°I am sure we can agree to the five thousand crowns, miss Can,¡± I said with a smile; she opened her but closed it. I know the value of the dresses; my father had made sure I know the value of the things I see. The price I quoted would benefit us both. ¡°Five thousand per dress it is,¡± she said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°You can start today, and before we move to the final contract, I would like to see at least three samples.¡± ¡°If they are to my satisfaction, we will sign the full contract,¡± I said, to which she nodded. I will be paying more than double for the dresses than the last time, but seeing the design, it is very much worth it, and I will require it as my business grows. I am taking a big risk here by giving the contract to an unknown woman without any reputation in the business, but I am also getting benefits from it. I am getting dresses much more cheaply, such as a job making dresses by the requirement of each girl is expensive, outside, I would easily need to pay six to eight thousand crowns for it. It is a big investment, and, with it, each girl will have three dresses, and Carla around ten, that are tailored solely for them. While most dresses could be worn by most girls with the power of skills, the custom dresses, which are only made for them, will create a completely different effect. Eudo had given me the idea a few days before opening; he said I should try it a few months later, but after researching it. I decided to do it as soon as I got the money. If I had the money, I would have ordered at least ten dresses for each girl, but I did not. Though I am not worried, if my business keeps growing at such a speed, then I will extend the order further. Thank You My Patrons: John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 29 Legal Adviser Chapter 29 Legal Adviser Miss Cain left after finalizing a few details; she will start for the order immediately and tailer three dresses for three girls, including Carla, by the end of the week. We have already chosen the designs, and she made a few changes to them according to our suggestions. She said she would have three dresses ready in the week, and she would also hire people to make this massive order within two months. Carla had left with her to take the measurements and discuss the design adjustment with two other girls. As they left, I walked to my room and changed into the better cloth before walking out of the manor. Twenty minutes later, the carriage pulled into the large compound of the merchant guild. As it parked, I got out of it and walked into the huge building of the merchant guild. It is filled with people; hundreds of them could be seen getting in and out of the large lobby. There are offices of many guilds inside the merchant guild; from cobblers to blacksmiths, one will find the office representing nearly every trade. I looked around and turned before walking toward the magical elevator; there was a guard there, but I flashed him my merchant badge, which stopped him in his tracks. The badge is different from the normal merchant id badge. It is purple in color and is only given to members of powerful mercantile houses. There is a sigil house of silver in the center, and below it is a unique id number that belongs to me. This badge is rare, even in powerful mercantile houses, as each mercantile house allocated only hundreds of special badges. Edwin¡¯s badge had been taken away by the house, which he was quite angry about, but it was the condition of the deal father had made with grandfather to let Edwin get the title noble. I stepped into the elevator, and it rose quickly, and a couple of seconds later, it reached the top, and the energy cover surrounding it had disappeared. I stepped inside and walked toward the office of Damon Hardt. ¡°Remus Silver, I have an appointment with the Guildmaster at eleven,¡± I said; there were only four minutes to eleven. ¡°The Guildmaster will see you soon,¡± said the dark blue-haired receptionist. I nodded and sat down in a comfortable chair. ¡°Mister Silver, the Guildmaster will see you now,¡± she said, right at eleven. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and walked to the office of Damon Hardt, whose door had opened on its own. Soon, I walked into an opulent office with a great view and saw Damon Hardt sitting behind the huge table. He is not the only one; there is a man in his early fifties sitting on the couch by the glass window. ¡°Guildmaster Hardt, vice-guild master Ramos,¡± I greeted two of them. ¡°Young silver, take a seat,¡± said Damon Hardt. ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster,¡± I said as I took a seat in front of him. ¡°Remus, you applied for the position of the legal adviser of the guild, and we intend to give it to you as respect to your grandfather,¡± he said, clearly telling me why he gave me the job while making no mention of Soren Arryn and the thing I did for him. ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster,¡± I said with a smile. I knew the letter from my Grandfather would work; we might be merchants, but deep politics run in business. If they had not given me this harmless position, Grandfather would have taken a note, and they did not want that. Especially for a harmless position as a legal adviser. ¡°The position is yours, and john will take you to your office; he is responsible for the legal department,¡± he said, turning to John Ramon, who is also a leader of the wool guild, which contains the businesses of weavers, dyers, and fullers. The trade might not be powerful, but like Silver and Hardt, the merchant house Ramos is powerful; they deal in clothing, mundane and magical. ¡°Come, Mister Remus,¡± he said as he got up. I, once again, thanked Damon Hardt and walked out of his office with John Ramos. ¡°The legal office is on the third floor,¡± he said as we walked toward the stairs in silence. ¡°Soren Arryn said quite a thing about you, that you helped him quite a lot with his contract,¡± he said as we walked down the stairs. ¡°I was just lucky,¡± I replied humbly, to which he smiled. ¡°We are going to sign thousands of contracts in the coming weeks, and there will be a lot of work,¡± ¡°If you are capable of doing what Arryn had said you are, then you will be a great asset to our guild,¡± he said. To that, I smiled. He did not say anything further, and soon we reached the third floor and walked through the hallway till we reached the door, which had ¡®legal¡¯ written on it, before entering inside. What is inside is a huge hall, with people sitting at desks working on the papers in front of them; there are fifty people working on different things. ¡°We have fifty-two lawyers in the legal department; they handle crafting contracts, finding loopholes, solving disputes, among other things,¡± ¡°You will be responsible for the contracts,¡± he said, and I nodded without a word. As we walked, an old man in his late sixties came toward us, ¡°Vice-guild master,¡± greeted the old man as he appeared. ¡°Remus, this is Philip Oakley, responsible for the legal department of the guild,¡± he introduced. ¡°Philip, this is Remus Silver; he will be the legal adviser,¡± he said. ¡°Mr. Silver, it will be great to have a member of a distinguished mercantile house,¡± said the old man and shook my hand. ¡°It will be a pleasure to work with you, mister Oakley,¡± I shook his hand back. Looking at the expression of the old man, it is clear he did not want me here, a young upstart from a powerful house who would make a mess of things. ¡°You are the final and fifth adviser; I hope you will have a pleasant time working here,¡± he said as she took to my office. It is a small square space with a table and three chairs, but I have privacy, which is the thing that matter to me the most. ¡°Thank you for the tour, vice-guild master,¡± I said, ¡°It is the least I could do,¡± he said and left after giving a pat on my shoulder. ¡°When will you start working, Mister Silver; tomorrow or the next week?¡± asked the old man after the vice-guild master left. ¡°Today seemed to be good as any,¡± I said and walked inside the tiny office; the old man seemed a little surprised by it but quickly controlled his expression. ¡°I will send you the contracts then,¡± he said and left while I sat down and closed my eyes for a moment. The legal adviser is a useless job; the position is created to oversee the staff of the legal department but is filled with loyalists of powerful, mostly guild heads, vice guild-heads, and even the lord of the city, who would less after the interest of guild, most after the interest of their bosses. The vice guild leader is the overseer of the department, while Mr. Oakley is the head, who is an employee, like the rest of the lawyers working. The advisers are independent and work directly under the overseer; the legal head has no authority over them. It could be said we have indirect authority over him, as supposed bosses run this place. The job of a legal adviser is to advise if we find any problem with anything Mr. Oakley and the lawyers have worked on and give advice, which could make their job difficult. Most advisers don¡¯t do anything, they just look through the contract, and if they do not find anything that harms their boss¡¯s interests, they will ok it; some won¡¯t even read it if it does not relate to their bosses. So, it could be said it is a useless position, and the merchant should send his people to do it but never do it by themselves. Though, for me, it is very useful First and most important, it will help me in advance in my class; second, I will be able to gain the knowledge of the information I would usually not in my position; and third, most important, it is a great opportunity to build the connection. Not to mention, I will not work here forever, just till I achieve my goals. I opened my eyes and looked at the box in front of me; there was a stamp with my name, some stationary, and a typewriter. Knock Knock I was looking through the things in the box when the knock rang out at the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and the door opened, and a young man in a ponytail, in his early twenties, came up with a pile of papers, the contracts. ¡°Mr. Silver, mister Oakley had asked me to give them to you,¡± he said and put the pile on my table. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said; he seemed surprised by that. ¡°It is my job. If you need anything, call me; I am Kevin,¡± said the young man, a little hesitantly. ¡°I will,¡± I replied, ¡°Ok,¡± he replied nervously and left. I watched the door close and look at the contracts; I quickly glanced through their front pages, and a small couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. The contract they gave me minor; there is barely anything important here. It had not surprised me, but I did not expect they would let me see those important contracts on the first day. There are ten contracts here, each being ten to twenty-five pages long. I picked up the first contract from the pile and began to read it. The contract does not have any skills attached to them, though I could still feel the effects of skills used when creating it. There is nothing in the contracts which disrupts my reading and understanding of them. Those skills will be attached at the final stage. It makes things very easy for me, as I do not have to struggle through the effect of the skills. Five minutes later, I took the page on the stationary and wrote something; before I started resuming the reading, every few minutes, I would write something down on the papers. The first contract took twenty minutes, the second one took half an hour, the third one took only fifteen minutes, and the fourth one took twenty-five. I read one contract after another while taking notes side by side, and three and three hours later, I was finished reading. Back on earth, I could never work this fast, or even a few months ago, but now I could. The mental attributes and skills, combined with my knowledge, help me work fast. I looked at my notes before putting a piece of paper inside the typewriter; the typewriters of this world are magical in nature. The one in front of me looked like a thick black square slate with letters and numbers carved on it, like a touchscreen keyboard. As I touched the eyes, the letter would be printed on paper through the heat. I fixed the paper in the long seam of the typewriter and began to type, looking through my notes; sometimes, I would open the contract to check double. Half an hour later, I was finished; I took out the papers on which I typed and attached them to each contract and stamped them with my stamp. Click! ¡°Kevin,¡± I said, and a few seconds later, the door opened. ¡°Have you called me Mister Silver?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, take these to mister Oakley,¡± I said, motioning toward the contracts; he seemed a little surprised but quickly took the contracts and walked out. Seeing there was still little time, I decided to read the book; it is a good thing I have brough it with me. Even with me reading quite much on my journey to Blain and return trip, I was still quite behind my target. Knock Knock I was reading my book when a knock sounded on my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said as I put the book down. The door opened, and mister Oakley with an expression of amazement lingering in his eyes, walked inside. ¡°Mister Silver, are you really the one to find these flaws?¡± he asked as he put down the contracts in his hand. ¡°Do you see anyone other than me, Mr. Oakley?¡± I asked back, which startled the old man. ¡°It is not, I mean, Mister Silver,¡± replied the quickly, apologetically, with a faint hint of fear appearing in his eyes. ¡°I am joking, Mr. Oakley,¡± I said with a smile and could see him visibly relaxed. ¡°The contracts were good; there is only a single flaw in a small severance contract, while the rest were fixing the lines, with weaker meaning to be more precise,¡± I added. ¡°The weaker lines create the loopholes if interpreted loosely,¡± he said, and to that, I smiled. I have written how they could be interpreted and made suggestions. ¡°You have done a wonderful job, Mr. Silver; there are few more contracts that I want you to look at,¡± said the old man, to which I shook my head. ¡°Not today, mister Oakley; it is nearly time for me to leave,¡± I said as I looked at my pocket watch; there were only five minutes to four. ¡°Will you be coming back tomorrow?¡± he asked expectantly, ¡°Yes, I will come daily unless I am busy and stay for four to five hours,¡± I said as I picked up my book and put it into my bag, and turned toward the door. ¡°See you tomorrow, Mr. Oakley,¡± I said and walked out of my office. A few minutes later, I was in the carriage riding toward the establishment; when I heard the buzz in my mind; a text appeared in front of me. [Lawyer level 4] [Skill Gained: Fast Reading] Thank You My Patrons: John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 30: Mold Chapter 30: Mold "How was he?¡± asked Damon Hardt as Phillip Oakley walked into his office; he was not the only one in the office; two more vice-guild masters were sitting inside. ¡°Very good, the praise of vice-guild leader Arryn was not empty,¡± said the Oakley, which made Damon Hardt a little surprised. To be honest, he did not believe the words of Soren Arryn; he thought he was asked by the silvers to say those things. ¡°It is really hard to believe,¡± he said, as those contracts were crafted by the Level 20+ Lawyers, and Remus Silver does not have that level. He knew for sure he had gained the Class a few months ago, and his base class was not a lawyer. Even if he has a lawyer class, it shouldn¡¯t be this high, which means he is truly good. ¡°I was keeping an eye on him all the way; I did not see anyone coming to his office or him leaving it,¡± said Oakley seeing the doubts on Damon Hardt¡¯s face. ¡°Here, these are the suggestion he made,¡± he said and put a pile of contracts in front of the Damon Hardt; each of them had pages attached to them with a seal and sign of Remus silver. He took the contracts and began to look through them, and the more he looked, the more change would occur in his expressions. Seeing that, the other two vice-guild masters also took the contracts into their hands, and soon, their expressions have changed too. ¡°He is good,¡± said John Ramos, the person beside him had also nodded. ¡°Well, it seemed like he is talented. Give him the level 3 contracts; it will be good for us if we were able to strengthen them as he made those contracts,¡± said Damon Hardt; it surprised the old man, but he quickly controlled his expression. The merchant guild classifies its contract from level 1 to level 5. Level 1 and level 2 were general levels and did not possess much importance, but level 3 and above contracts are important, and mistakes in them could have consequences for the guild. ¡°Yes, Guild master,¡± said the old man and left the office. ... [Lawyer level 4] [Skill Gained: Fast Reading] I looked at the text in front of me, and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear as the surprise wore away. It hadn¡¯t been even two days since I had leveled up before leveling up again, and this time, I had even got the skill, a good skill that would help me a lot. I was very excited seeing the skill and immediately took out the book and activated the skills, and started to read it, and immediately, I felt the resistance from it. It did not surprise me even a bit. The skill came from a Lawyer Class, which means it is for legal documents such as contracts or legal books and other legal stuff, but I am using it to read the general book and thus the resistance. I did not deactivate the skill; instead, I pushed through the resistance. The skills are not rigid things; with enough practice and effort, one can mold them to work the way one wants. It is hard, but for a skill like this, which has an array of uses and could save me a lot of time, it is worth it. So, I pushed and began reading; immediately, I noticed even with resistance, my reading speed had become nearly twice as faster, and I was not only reading fast but also understanding it as well. Though the resistance is distracting, I will have to bear it till I can mold it to my needs. Soon, the carriage walked through the gates of the establishment, and a minute later, I walked inside. As I walked through the hall, I saw preparations had already begun; the establishment would open in less than two hours, and before that happened, many preparations needed to be made. ¡°How was the fitting,¡± I asked as Carla walked into the office, ¡°It went great,¡± he replied evenly, but I could see the sparks of happiness appearing in her eyes. ¡°Mrs. Rand also arrived an hour after you had; she had already started working,¡± she informed. ¡°Did she say anything about working under Eudo?¡± I asked. They have applied for the same job, and now, he will be her boss. ¡°She did not seem to have a problem after she saw the difference in their level, but we will know for sure when they truly started working together,¡± she said. She stayed a few minutes before she walked out while I wrote the replies to letters that came from me, including the one from Valentina. I finished with them in a few minutes before taking out the information and beginning to read it. ... ¡°Are we truly getting the tailored dresses?¡± asked Mina the moment she entered the basement; the brunette''s eyes were burning with excitement as she looked at me. The teachers have left, and now, there is a break for half an hour before the ladies go to Eudo to get ready. ¡°Nothing remains hidden here, did it?¡± she asked as she looked at all the girls who were looking at her hopefully. ¡°Yes, everyone will have tailored dresses, but the order had not been finalized; miss Cain first had to show us she could do it before we placed the final order,¡± she said and looked accusingly at Margaux and Ina. They should have kept their mouth shut; now, these women would not let sleep in calmly till they got their dresses. ¡°Does that mean the new dresses would be better than the first,¡± asked Andrea, always the smart one, catching the words I did not say. ¡°Yes, these dresses will be more than twice expensive as what you have now,¡± I said with a sigh, and I could see a couple of girls gasping in shock. ¡°How many?¡± asked Andrea; this time, she was a little angry. ¡°Enough with a question; you will know how many when you get them,¡± she said sharply, and all the girls were silent. ¡°Since it is Mrs. Rand''s first day, you all will report early to make-up room,¡± she added, and without her saying anything further, the girls began to walk out of the basement till only Ina and Margaux had remained. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told them?¡± she said accusingly at Ina; she knew her friend enough that its Ina who made the mischief; Margaux does not do such things. ¡°Come on, it was hilarious,¡± said Ina with a smile. To that, she glared at her even more intensely. ¡°For you, it was funny; it will be a headache for me; they will not let me sleep in peace,¡± she said as she messaged her head. ¡°Have you read the letter from Lola?¡± asked Margaux, and suddenly she felt her headache intensifying. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± she replied while massaging her head tighter. Remus did not stop them from communicating; the only condition he had was that we did not say anything about the establishment. She made sure that happened; all the letters go through her before being posted out. ¡°She is really daring,¡± said Ina, ¡°Rash may be the right word,¡± I said, which made both of them smile mirthlessly. She had asked that girl to at least listen to the proposal before leaving, but she did not do that. She regrated it later, pleading with me to ask Remus to take her back, but as Remus had said, once you leave, there is no coming back. She blames herself for her latest actions; it was something she wrote in a letter. It unexpectedly gave her hope, and she took that drastic action. ¡°Still, I am quite impressed by what she did; if I had been in her place, I don¡¯t think I would dare to take such a step,¡± said Ina. Carla did not say anything to that; there was nothing for her to say to that. ¡°Have you told mister silver about what she is doing?¡± asked Margaux worriedly, ¡°No, he does not need to do that. Her actions do not affect the establishment,¡± she said and walked toward the stairs out of the basement, with Margaux and Ina following behind her. ... It was ten, and embellishment was filled with people, so much that we had close our gates again. Seeing how much business we were missing, I wanted to bring more girls and expand the size of the establishment, but it was not time. It is not just a question of money, which I would need for both things, but many other things, most importantly, the brand and reputation. They are the two most important things; I want to take some time to make the brand without diluting the quality. Still, the expansion is inevitable and seeing the rush, I have already started to make the preparations for it, as it won''t be long before I act. I watched through the window, for a while, before walking toward the make-up; when I walked there, there were a couple of women mid-changing; nobody reacted as I entered inside; they had gotten used to it. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± said Rand as she stopped working and turned to me. ¡°Continue working, misses Rand; act like I am not here,¡± I said. It surprised the woman, but seeing everybody doing the same, she nodded and focused back on the work. As I watched, I could see Misses Rand doing heavy work while Eudo was focused on a delicate one. It saves them a lot of time and effort while making the girls look even more radiant. I stayed for around ten minutes before going to my room and lying on the bed after changing into comfortable clothes. It is not even ten-thirty yet, but I want to sleep early; I have to do many things tomorrow, and being well-rested will make the day more productive. Thank You My Patrons: Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 31: Offer Chapter 31: Offer Thud! I fell down in the most awkward position; my whole body was stunned by instructor David¡¯s skill before he tapped on my chest gently, and I fell to the ground like a log. ¡°Just how many skills do you have?¡± I asked in exasperation. He did not answer; instead, he smiled and walked toward the stone stool where he had placed his read sword. ¡°Same time tomorrow, Mister Silver,¡± he said as he picked up his sword and walked out toward the exit while I stayed on my spot for a few more minutes before slowly getting up and walking toward the mansion. I went directly to my room, applied the numbing cream, and stayed on the floor as the ointment take the effect. The training session had been brutal, more brutal than yesterday, and since I had asked, he is not holding anything back. Five minutes later, I showered and changed into new clothes before walking to my office. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said as I entered the office and sat down on my chair before taking the file; in a few minutes, I put down the file with a smile on my face. Three hundred and seventeen thousand crowns. The number has been good and has been a little greater yesterday; I hope to make it reach four hundred thousand crowns in the next ten days and half a million by the end of the month; it is an ambitious target, but one I will try my all to achieve. It was my target all along, but the time limit was long; I had planned to achieve it by the end of the year, not the end of the month. Carla left, and I continued to work till it was time to leave for the merchant guild. Soon, I was in the carriage, and it was moving toward the merchant guild; while I read the book with my skill, despite the resistance I was feeling. Now and then, I would look outside and marvel at the changes the city was going through. Before the inauguration, there were constructions around the city, but now, they are seen everywhere; the trade with Meldhorn had turbocharged everything. Trade is increasing by the day, and more and more ships are coming, and they are going to increase even more now that the prince has gone to the Meldhorn. The papers have said that negotiations are going well, and we should be able to see the result soon. I would also need to move with my plans as the city developed. If I fall behind, I will lose, and I could not afford that, especially now, as it is prime time. I shook my head of those thoughts and focused on the book; it is about incursion, the events that change the world every time they appear. Around twenty minutes later, the carriage pulled into the Merchant Guild, and I got out and walked inside. This time, I did not have to flash even my badge; my name had appeared in the large silver stele in the lobby, which notes all the positions, from guild masters to advisers. Click! Soon, I reached the third floor and walked to the legal department; before walking into my office and about to call Kevin when the knock rang out. ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and the door opened, and mister Oakley walked inside. ¡°Mister Oakley,¡± I said as I saw old coming in, ¡°You did a wonderful job yesterday, Mister Silver,¡± he said and put the pile of contracts down. ¡°These are for today, and they are pretty important; I hope you will be able to find the flaws and any other discrepancies in them,¡± he said, looking at the contracts. ¡°I am sure there will not be many,¡± I replied humbly. ¡°I am sure you will be able to find some,¡± he said smile and walked out of the office with Kevin while I focused on the contracts in front of me I pulled them closer and, before taking a first out, began to read it and immediately couldn¡¯t help but become surprised. It is no simple contract but an intraguild contract for Deerpond, the capital of the renewal region. It is also pretty important. I thought they would still with the basic contract, but it seemed like I had impressed them enough that they had given me the important contract; I checked others, and to my surprise, all of them were important. Though I noticed one thing, all these intra-guild contracts are with the guilds of the Renwell region. They did not give me the contract of guilds of Empire mainland or Meldhorn, but I am not worried. Its only my second day, and I already have got these important contracts; with some time, I will get others too. Not to mention these contracts are also important, enriching me with the knowledge that I would usually not know. I chose the first contract and began to read it; I could read it at thrice normal speed and understood them just as fast. As I read and studied them, I would take notes now and then. These contracts are way above what I had looked at yesterday, crafted even more meticulously, that I had to look very carefully through them. I soon finished with the first contract and started on the second and then the third; by the time I finished with all twelve contracts, it was a little over three. Yesterday too, I was finished by the same time, but I had started late and did not have Fast Reading Skills them. The difference between the two contracts is huge; they are not only bigger but also more complicated, thus requiring the most effort and time. Still, it is good there are no distraction skills attached to them, or I might not have even been finished with two contracts by now. With that done, I brought the typewriter in front of me, fixed the contract inside, and then started typing; twenty minutes later, I finished. ¡°Kevin,¡± I called out, and a few seconds later, the door opened, and the young man walked inside. ¡°Take this to mister Oakley and bring me Marmot¡¯s laws of Harsoth number thirty-seven,¡± I said, ¡°Yes, mister Silver,¡± he said and picked up the contracts and left. A few minutes later, he returned, bringing a thick book to me. I have thought of some things when reading the contract and want to check them. The laws of the Empire are excessively complicated, and one could interpret them in numerous ways. It should be easily simplified for the good of the people and the Empire, but there is always resistance. It is not surprising that even on the earth, few countries have their laws together; politics makes everything more complicated than it should be. Knock Knock I was reading the book when a knock sounded on my door, ¡°Come in,¡± I said as I put the book down. The door opened, and a person walked in, but not the one I had expected. I had thought it was Oakley, but a younger man had come in. ¡°Mr. Remus, I hope you don¡¯t mind me coming unannounced to meet you,¡± said the man in his early forties. He is a short man with thick black hair and a genial smile on his face that will make anyone feel comfortable. Off course, the skill involved; without it, I wouldn¡¯t feel such comfortable with anyone, especially with this man. ¡°Of course not, mister Lucas; you must have something important for you to come to meet me unannounced here,¡± I said with a pleasant smile on my face. He is Norman Lucas, owner of scarlet pleasure, one of the high-class brothels. He is a member of the Lucas family, who runs thousands of brothels around the Empire. ¡°Yes, I have something important to discuss,¡± he said, and I arched my brow a little in question. ¡°The house of Lucas is interested in buying your establishment,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised; I had truly not expected he would say that. Still, there was no change in my expression; I kept a small smile on my face without any change in it. ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, mister Lucas, but I am not interested,¡± I said; he seemed to have expected that as his smile had become a little brighter. ¡°We are willing to offer twenty million crowns for it; it is more than double what you have invested,¡± he said, and I could feel the power of his skill, so intense that I felt like a smile on my face was slipping away. ¡°Not interested, mister Lucas,¡± I replied and could see a faint surprise forming in his eyes. ¡°Twenty-five million,¡± ¡°Think about it, Mister Remus; it is enough to open a big brothel in any city of the Empire,¡± he said and intensified the power of his further that I stopped trying to maintain my fake emotion and showed what I was feeling on my face. A pure irritation. ¡°Even if your house offers me fifty million, I would still not be interested in selling my establishment,¡± I said, and his expression stiffened for a moment, and I could see a hint of anger appearing on his face before he controlled it. ¡°Still, think about it, Mister Remus, and contact me if you feel interested,¡± he said. ¡°You will be the first I will contact if I feel like I need to sell my business,¡± I replied as I smoothed up my expression. ¡°It¡¯s great talking to you, Mister Remus, have a nice day,¡± he said and got up before leaving my office. As he left, my expression became serious; the people from Lucas''s family are dangerous, have a relationship with gangs and assassins, and deal with information. If I had been any powerless business owner, he would not have been this civil. He would have threatened me with consequences if I did not sell my business. They have done that many times; it is the style they do business. Fortunately, I am not a normal businessman but a member of the house of silver. Still, I have to be careful. If the establishment became too successful, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use underhanded tactics. Currently, they have one high-class brothel and a couple of mid-class and low-class, but I heard they are opening another high-class brothel in a month and a few more middle and low-class. It is not just brothels; there are a couple of new casinos, hotels, and inns that are opening, and other businesses too, especially from the big business houses of the Empire. I hope nothing bad happens to jeopardize that. A minute after Normal Lucas left, mister Oakley came; he wanted me to stay to review more contracts, but as I had said, I would not stay more than five hours. I could not spend all my time working in a place that pays me no money; I have to work on things that actually make me money. Thank You My Patrons: Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 32: Taken Chapter 32: Taken I watched as prince Grelt''s ship sailed away toward the Deerpond, and a few minutes later, Lord Darrow entered his carriage and rode away toward the city. Carla and I also sat down in our carriage, but the carriage did not move. There is huge traffic; thousands of people have come to bid farewell to the prince; it will take some before the rush of people and carriages clears away. "I truly did not think the prince would be able to achieve it," said Carla softly, and even using her new privacy, such words could bring huge trouble if heard by the wrong people. "He is an ambitious man and would do anything to achieve his goals," I replied. The prince''s trip to the Meldhorn had been successful since he returned four days ago; even more, ships are coming from it, and there are whispers that Oksall might also begin to open up in the coming months. It would be a great news as, like Meldhorn, the merchant city-state of Oksall also share a river and large land border with the Oksall. "I think the traffic has now cleared enough," said Carla as the carriage began to move finally; still, it made us wait for nearly forty minutes. We talked about the business and other things before the carriage reached our destination, and we walked out. "I thought it would take me at least four months to achieve a thing, but I did it in less than a month," I said softly as I looked huge store; it is one of the largest stores in the city, and with the things they sell, they would require the big size. "It is all because of your hard work," said Carla. To that, I smiled and walked toward the blue metallic gates of Norton''s carriages. It had been twenty days since the establishment had opened, twelve days since I came back from the harrowing trip of blain. Since then, I have focused on all my work and the guild, which I visited daily; today is the first day I have taken a leave. The establishment is doing very well, so I have finally decided to buy the carriage. It is not just for convenience but also a symbol. We entered through the gate, and inside, it was a huge space with different types of carriages placed around with people browsing through them. "Remus, welcome," said the voice as we had just entered. I looked toward the voice and saw a man in his late twenties walking toward us. He is a tall man with blue eyes and brown hair and with thin physique but has a handsome face. "Ralph," I greeted as the young man finally appeared in front of me. "So, are you finally ready to buy a carriage from me?" he asked. "That''s why I came here, isn''t it?" I asked back with a smile. "It''s an enchanted one, right? Or I will just hand you to one of the salespeople and leave," he said, joking, "Of course, the enchanted one," I said with a smile. "This way, then," he said joyfully, and we followed. He is Ralph Norton, a friend of Valentina, that''s how I know him, we met at party a little more than ago and another one at four days ago. He is the type of person who will quickly become friends with anyone, a precious skill that is very valuable in his business. Soon, we entered another large hall; while the main hall also had the enchanted carriages, here there were more, nearly all the collection of enchanted carriages they have. "We will start with this red beauty; it is Wright red rose; it has all the standard enchantments for your comfort; you will not feel even the slightest wobble, even if it walked through the potholes," he said, motioning toward the red carriage. It took looked like a normal carriage, but if one looked closely, one would see the enchanted script. "How much is it?" I asked with a look, "Not much, just nine hundred and twenty thousand crowns," he said with a smile, money that regular people could never earn even in their lifetime, and the thing is, it is just a basic model. The enchanted carriages are expensive; their prices start at around a million and reach very high. "Its scrips wore off too early," I said, "No, that''s just rumor spread by idiots," he refuted, but I just rolled my eyes. "If you don''t like the wright, then how about this Santos pearl? It only cost nine hundred and forty thousand and has the stable enchantments," he said as he walked toward the white carriage. I have used the carriages made by House Santos; I had one in Redfawn though it was a normal one, but reliable; you can always trust their reliability. "Show me something good," I said, to which he smiled brightly. "If you want good, I will show you good," he said and walked toward the violet carriage. "This is Rain mirage, came straight from meldhorn; it had a very good reputation in merchant-stage, is built quite solidly..." he explained in flowery words before moving toward another. He showed six more before moving to another blue one when I stopped him as it was above my limit. "A million is my limit," I said, and he turned to me bright smile on his face, "So, which one do you choose?" he asked; the bastard is very smart, and he picked up that I had already liked one. "I will take Santos Black," I said; the carriage cost nine hundred and eighty thousand crowns, which is within my budget. "A very good choice; it is most reliable among Santos''s basic models and with scripts that don''t require servicing for years," he said, and it is true, it is a good carriage. "Do you take the made or will require some modification?" he asked, "Some," I said, and next half an hour, we discussed the modification I needed from the catalogs he had shown me, and I ended up spending one million and twenty thousand, despite him giving me, 5% discount. After paying and signing the contract, I walked out of the store. I will get the delivery in a week, which is earlier than I had thought. The carriage is an expense I could have avoided, but one needs to keep the appearance, and the enchanted carriage is a must, not to mention I wanted the enchanted carriage. It makes travel quite comfortable. We sat in our normal carriage, and fifteen minutes later, the carriage passed through the gate to the establishment. We walked out of the carriage and into the establishment, which now had more mix of voices and notes of music. In these past twelve days, all the teachers we needed have begun teaching, and now, the establishment had nineteen teachers teaching the thirty-nine girls, including Carla and the teens. These new teachers are teaching them many things, music, dance, painting, mathematics, and other things, and the results have already begun to show. It seemed to have increased their confidence; one could clearly see this when they interacted with the clients. It is when they barely know anything about the subjects they are teaching; when they truly learn them and get a basic grasp on them, their confidence in themselves will skyrocket. Hun! We walked the stairs of the office, and to my surprise, there were people waiting by my office three of them. One was Margaux, who did not look to be in a good mood. The other was Frank, the driver I hired for the ladies; he would take them whenever they wanted to on their leave day. The last one was an unfamiliar middle-aged in a suit sitting with a professional smile on his face while Margaux stared daggers at him. ¡°Margaux, what happened?¡± I asked, "They kidnapped Lesli and Donna," she said, pointing the finger at the man in a suit. "You are completely wrong, miss; they have come to us with their own will," he said without a change in my expression. My expression became serious; I don''t know the whole thing, but I could guess what had happened, and to be honest, it had happened much earlier than I had imagined. "Margaux, Frank, in my office," I said and walked into the office with Carla while the other two followed behind. "What happened?" I asked as I took my seat. "I...I was taking the girls to the shopping, but suddenly a couple of gentlemen stopped the carriage, and the girls came out and went with them," he said, a little stutteringly. "Do they tell you who they are?" I asked the old man, "Yes, they said they work for scarlet pleasure," he replied, and I could hear Carla take a sharp breath, hearing that, as all the pieces clicked. "Did they get out of the carriage in their own will?" I asked to be sure. "Yes, the moment carriage stopped, both of them got out, I tried to stop them, but those men, come between," he replied, feeling a little scared. "It is not fault, Frank," I said to the old man and could see him taking a sigh of relief. "And that man is?" I asked Margaux. "He said his name was Clark Chase, and he was sent by Norman Lucas," she replied. To that, I nodded and turned to Frank. "Frank and Margaux, take a rest." I said to them with a smile and turned to Carla, "Ask mister chase to come inside," Three of them left the office, and a couple of seconds later, Carla brought in a middle-aged who still had a professional smile on his face. "Your boss had taken my girls, mister Chase," I said to the middle-aged sternly. "We did no such thing, Mister Silver; they have come in their own violation," he defended as he sat on the seat I had offered. To that, I smiled. "And they have sent me to ask you to relieve them of their contracts," he said and took out the copies of their contracts; it is original, and I could feel the effect of my skills on them. "I am sure you have read the terms of that carefully," I said, "Yes, and we are willing to pay the price as stipulated in the contract," he said and placed two checks in front of me, each with two million value. "Well, since everything is according to the contract, I will release them from the service of my establishment," I said and activated the skills and released them; at the same, I burned those copies and the copies I have, releasing the two girls from my service. "Tell the girls I wish them good luck for their future," I said to the stumped face of middle-aged. He might have expected me to rave and rage and shout threats at his boss, but there was no need. As the girls did nothing wrong, they left my service by paying the price stipulated in the contracts; there is no hard feeling in my heart. "Is there anything, mister chase?" I asked. "No, nothing, mister Silver," he said and got up as he tried to school his emotions as he walked out of my office. "Those ungrateful bitches," said Carla with gritted teeth after the lift, "They did nothing wrong, Carla," I said to her surprise. "You have given them so much, taught them, given them the opportunity to earn that could have never dreamed in their life, but they betrayed you, the first chance they have got," she said, seething in a fury. To be honest, she kind of looked hot in anger; I felt my little brother rise before I controlled my emotions. "Calm down, Carla; they have done nothing wrong. They saw the better opportunity and took it by following the contract," I said, and I truly did not blame them. Such things are common on earth, and I completely agree with the decision to leave when they did it lawfully. Carla opened her mouth to say something but closed it, and a moment later, she began to calm down. "Still, I did not expect them to leave. If they had any brains and eyes for the future, they would have stayed," she said finally. I did not say anything. I had already expected it would happen with the success of the establishment. It just happened earlier than I had thought. Thank You My Patrons: Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 33: Vases Breaking Chapter 33: Vases Breaking ¡°We need to put our plans of expansion forward,¡± I said finally, looking up from the ashes of the contract that I had burned not long ago. I was going to wait till this month was over and I had a little more capital, but with this thing happening, I could not wait anymore. ¡°We do. We have the least girls among all the high-class brothels; we need to increase the numbers,¡± said Carla. All the high-class brothels have at least a hundred girls, and that was when they started; they now have even more with the business booming. I have big expansion plans, and it would require money while the four million would help, but not much; I need far more than it. ¡°Contact Valentina and get an appointment for tomorrow,¡± I said, ¡°What about the girls? Are you contacting your brother?¡± she asked. ¡°No, there is someone coming tomorrow who will contact him,¡± I replied. If I contact my brother, he will try to squeeze me or might not seven sell the contracts. I am taking the girls from Carla¡¯s old brothel; while it would be easier to get girls from here or Deerpond or even merchant cities, I like to get them from the old brothel, as these girls know each other and will work better. Not to mention those girls are good; my father had been meticulous about each woman when he decided to open a brothel a few years ago. ¡°Do I ask for the appointment from Repose and Bulwark?¡± she asked, ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. The plans of expansion require huge money; I have a few million and four I have got from the two girls, but it is far from enough. So, I am going to hit the bank for the loan. Carla left after taking orders, and a few minutes later, I saw the messenger leaving the establishment. I turned back to my work, and now that I have started with the plans of expansion, there are too many things to do. I have already made a plan of what kind of expansion I need, but some changes are needed to it with the new ideas I have. Click! A few hours passed as I worked and did some reading when the door opened, and Carla walked inside. ¡°You have an appointment with the bank at five,¡± Carla said as she came in, ¡°Good,¡± I said. I have worked on the proposal, and I hope the bank will accept it, and I am asking for a lot more money than the last time, but unlike the last time, I have a business that is booming. So, even if they did not give me the amount I wanted, a little less would also be fine. During the expansion, the establishment would continue to make me money. I worked till it was time for the appointment and left the establishment. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped, and I entered the bank. ¡°Remus Silver, I have an appoint with Mr. Shaw,¡± I said to reception on the third floor, ¡°Mr. Shaw will see you in ten minutes,¡± she replied with her usual professional smile. I nodded and sat down while reading the magazine to pass the time. ¡°Mr. Shaw will see you now,¡± she said and opened the door for me; I thanked her and walked inside the office, where a big man was sitting. ¡°Mr. Silver, welcome,¡± he said as I came inside and offered me a seat. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shaw,¡± I said as I took a seat in front of him. ¡°How can I help you?¡± he asked, leaning a little forward, ¡°I need a loan,¡± I said directly. ¡°That¡¯s what we are here for.¡± ¡°So, how much do you need?¡± he asked, ¡°Twenty-five million crowns,¡± I said with a smile, and I could see the faint spark of surprise appearing in its eyes before it disappeared. ¡°It is quite a large amount,¡± he said a moment later. I felt a little relieved that he did not decline my request directly. ¡°It is,¡± I said back. ¡°Well, your record is good; you paid our last loan in less than two months, but the amount you are asking is huge; we will need to look at all aspects before we sanction such a large amount to you,¡± he said. ¡°It is fine,¡± I said, and in the next few minutes, I had signed forms and submitted the proofs, all the things that I needed to do to apply for a load. ¡°It all looked very good; it shouldn¡¯t take long for back to study your profile,¡± he said, looking at the papers in front of him before turning to me. ¡°The bank will inform you of its decision in a few days,¡± he added. ¡°Ok,¡± I said, and a minute later, I walked out of his office. When I reached the establishment, it had already been opened; I entered through the back entrance and watched through my usual place while taking notes. I feel quite relieved seeing the business is going as usual; there is nothing that seems out of place in the girls'' performance. They are doing excellent, as usual. I watched for an hour and checked other things before going back to my office, where I worked till ten, before going to my bedroom to sleep. I have made a habit of sleeping at ten; it is a good habit and gives me enough to rest to not get tired, with all the things I need to do throughout the day. The next day, I woke up early, as I had been doing for nearly two weeks. I freshened up before going back to the mansion and doing yoga for an hour before starting to practice with instructor David. ¡°You are doing good, Master Silver. If you impress me today, then I will increase the difficulty of your training from tomorrow,¡± he said as he pressed at me, using multiple skills one after another. Clang Thap Clang I am also using my skills, the Quick Steps to move around and Consecutive Slashes, to attack rapidly when I get the chance. After training hard with instructor David for more than ten days, I have gotten a pretty good grasp of my skills. I have even started manipulating Consecutive Strikes to defend, there is great resistance, but I am pushing through it. As I was practicing with the instructor, I heard the steps and saw four people coming toward me; one was Carla, and of three, two were familiar, while the third was unknown to me. I did not dare to get distracted; instructor David gets quite angry when I get distracted and hit on places where it hurt the most; I don¡¯t want to experience that, at least not today. Thap! Finally, the two hours were over, and instructor David had ended the training with a hit on my kneed that made me fall to the ground. He does that every day, and I was not able to stop him, despite trying hard. ¡°Rest well today, Mister Silver, tomorrow, I will increase the difficulty,¡± said instructor David and walked to pick up his real sword. After he placed it on his waist, he nodded at four before walking toward the exit. ¡°Uncle Thompson, Captain Stephen,¡± I greeted and nodded to one who I didn¡¯t recognize as I got up slowly. After practicing constantly, my stamina increased, so now I didn¡¯t have to lie on the ground for minutes to recover. ¡°Your Grandfather would be proud to see you picking up the sword again.¡± Said the old man. ¡°Thank you for the kind words, uncle,¡± I replied. He is Roe Thompson, the uncle; my father had also called him, and so has every member of the house. He is a childhood friend of Grandfather, the person he trusts the most and one he sends to fix any problems that come up. I was quite surprised when I got to know he was coming; as in my report, I didn¡¯t say anything that would warrant his arrival, but I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. I am sure I am not the only one which he asked to report the things that are happening in the barony. ¡°You should clean yourself; we will talk comfortably in your office,¡± he said, looking at my state. ¡°Carla, take uncle and gentlemen to my office,¡± I said, ¡°Yes,¡± she replied and took them toward my office. I walked with them till the stairs diverged; they moved toward me while I walked toward my room. In my room, I did not apply the muscle numbing cream; I received much fewer sword slaps than on the first days of training, and now the pain is manageable. So, I quickly showered, changed, and walked out of my room. When I walked into my office, I saw Uncle Thompson browsing through the accounting book while asking Carla questions now and then. I am not angry at him for looking at the files; I am happy instead. Whatever he sees and reads will be reported back to the grandfather, and I want that old man to know how I am doing. ¡°You are doing much better than the best scenario your father had imagined for this establishment,¡± he said as he put down the binder. ¡°Thank you, uncle,¡± I said to that, and he smiled. ¡°I am going to the barony, as you might have guessed. Are you interested in coming?¡± he asked. To that, I shook my head. ¡°I wish to, but I could not; there is too much work to do here,¡± I replied. ¡°It is fine. You focus on your work; it is the most important thing,¡± he said. For half an hour, we talked about general topics, mostly about my business and the city. I did not ask him about his trip barony and why grandfather had sent him; I am sure I will know when he returns. Though, one thing is sure; my brother is not going to be happy. People seldom are when he visits. This is why I need to be as independent as possible the from the house while still being its member. My father had gone the same way and was able to enjoy great freedom in his business that many others didn¡¯t. ¡°Uncle, I have one thing to ask you; I hope you will be able to help me with it?¡± I asked, ¡°If it is in my power, I will help you,¡± he said. ¡°It is nothing big; I hope you will be able to facilitate sell between Reed and me,¡± I said, ¡°He is selling the brothel, and I want to buy a contract of girls in it,¡± ¡°Sure, as long as you are willing to pay a fair price, I don¡¯t see he will have any problem selling it to you,¡± he said. Off course, he will have, but with this old man in between, he will not dare to reject the sale. They have already stretched the limit of the house¡¯s anger; after what they did to me, they will not want to do anything more, or they will have to bear the wrath of their grandfather. I think it is the reason why grandfather had sent the uncle, Edwin had crossed the limit. ¡°I am willing to pay fifty thousand crowns per girl,¡± I said, which lit up a faint spark of surprise in his before it disappeared. ¡°It is more than a fair price; I will write to your brother immediately after I leave,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Thank you, uncle,¡± I said happily. He stayed a few more minutes before he left; I dropped him at the gate and walked back toward the manor with a smile on my face. ¡°I assume the deal is good as done?¡± asked Carla, ¡°Yes, the deal is nearly done,¡± I said with a smile. Carla looked like she wanted to say something but did not ultimately. I did not care for it, as I am happy. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine the face my brother would have when he received the letter from the old man. I am sure he will break a few more vases today; he does that when he is angry. He says that the sound of them breaking helps him calm down. Thank You My Patrons: Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 34: Starting Chapter 34: Starting The carriage stopped in front of the huge four-story building with huge glass windows, which seemed transparent, but was not. Carla and I walked out of the carriage and walked inside the building. The office of Nielson Guild. We walked through the lobby and entered the elevator, which went to the top floor, and got out. ¡°Remus Silver, I have a meeting with Mage Valentina,¡± I said to the assistant, who looked to be in her early thirties. ¡°Yes, Mage Valentina has asked you to bring you in as soon as you have arrived,¡± she said with a professional smile and walked toward the door while Carla arched her brow at me as we followed behind. There were still ten minutes to my appointment, but the personal relationship had its benefits. Click! The receptionist opened the door to the office, and we walked in; inside was Valentina, sitting behind a largely white, delicately carved table. It is not a normal table, the one which is heavily enchanted. She is not the only one present in the office; there is also chief architect Davidson. ¡°Remus, Carla, take a seat,¡± she said, and we sat in front of her, ¡°Thank you,¡± said Carla as she sat beside me. ¡°So, you want to expand the mansion?¡± she asked. I told her what I wanted when I asked her about the appointment. ¡°Yes, if you do the job,¡± I said with a smile. The construction guilds across the city are swamped with work, calling more people from the Empire. Even then, it had become hard to quickly start new work; as people are one thing, the material is another. A few days ago, when we went to attend the party, Valentina said she was diversifying her suppliers. Focusing more on suppliers from the cities of Meldhorn as they are capable of providing what she needs much sooner and bigger with better prices with quality. ¡°For you, we will,¡± she said and tapped on the runes of the table a few times, and a moment later, the emblem of her guild appeared; she tapped a few more times, and a huge projection of my establishment had appeared. Seeing that, I smiled, and Carla handed me a file, and I took out a couple of pages with rough drawings from it. ¡°I want to expand the mansion to the left, right, and back. The basement also needed to expand greatly,¡± I said directly, making them both quite surprised as I slid the drawings toward her. If I am doing an expansion, I might as well do it big, which is why I applied for a big loan, but it will not be enough. I will need to pour everything I have and earn in the next few weeks. As after the expansion is complete, I will earn huge money. A million crowns day, at least. ¡°You had said you were coming to discuss the expansion but did not expect they would be this big,¡± she said with a smile before her eyes turned serious, ¡°It will be quite an expensive Remus, more if you want it quick,¡± she added. ¡°I have money,¡± I said. I don¡¯t have it right now, and if the bank rejects me, I will have to move to another source, which I hope, I don¡¯t have to. It came with strings attached. ¡°Let¡¯s begin then,¡± she said and began rapidly clicking across the runes so fast that I could not see her fingers as they moved. A little more than two minutes later, the huge projection of the mansion disappeared, and in its place, forty-eight small mansions appeared. Each one of them has a resemblance to the establishment but are bigger and looks more beautiful. All of them had the current building of the establishment in the middle, with them expanded left, right, and back, in a different variation of the harsoth style of architecture. There are some which will require a minimum change to my establishment, while some will require a huge overhaul. I looked at each of them carefully, even asking Valentina to provide me with the view from all angles. ¡°Leave numbers 2, 9, 27, and 46, and make everything disappear,¡± I said, and she did. Soon, there was a projection of only four mansions have remained, which now have become even more bigger. I began to analyze them further, discussing some things with Carla before turning to Valentina. ¡°Number 9, but I want changes to it,¡± I said. I want many ideas, and I want them to implement them. ¡°Of course,¡± she said with a smile, and for the next twelve minutes, we worked on the changes. These are big outer changes; we will work on the delicate ones with the other meetings. A single meeting is not enough for such a big project; we will need to have multiple meetings till it has been finished. ¡°Do you want to change the garden and other things?¡± she asked, ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. The gate, road, fountain, and garden need to change according to the mansion. It took around twenty-five minutes to finalize all those details. ¡°Now that we have finished with external changes, let¡¯s move to internal,¡± she said, and soon, the internal space appeared. ¡°What do you want to do with the hall; do you want to divide it or leave it open?¡± she asked, ¡°Leave it open,¡± I replied, with the establishment expanding, the size of the hall also increased. I want it to the size of a standard ballroom, which is neither big nor small, a perfect size. After we decided on the hall size, we started with the rooms on the first floor; the makeup room needs to be much bigger right now, and so is the kitchen. The bar is going to expand further, and Valentina showed me a few designs; I chose and made a few changes. The bar is really important; more than a third of earnings come from the liquor sold through it. After we finished with the hall, we started on rooms; there, I wanted to make some big changes. Currently, all the rooms have the same price, but it is going to change. There will free rooms; there will be premium rooms of a different category, with amenities that will take the whole experience to a different level. It is what I am selling in my establishment, the experience, something they have only found in my establishment. It had been twenty days since the establishment had opened, and it only took a few days for others to start copying things from me. Despite that, they were not able to achieve the kind of sale I have with my limited number of girls and a small establishment. Carla had been very worried since the two girls had left, thinking they had spilled all the trade secrets, but I was not worried. They run the business through exploitation, and even though they want to make a profit as I do, they do not copy me in everything. I would give it writing that they will not give 10% commission to girls; they will hire teachers, might even poach some of mine, but will not have a vision in which I am making them teach them. There are many things such as this, and every little thing affects the picture greatly. So, copying my ideas and even business models will benefit them without a doubt, but if they want to make a huge profit like me, then they will have to forgo everything they learned about this business. Which they will not do; I am confident about that. It took more than one and a half hours to make the internal changes; most of it took deciding the enchantment. Some of them needed to be laid during construction, so deciding on them is imperative. ¡°Now, only underground has remained,¡± she said and looked at me. ¡°I want to expand it at least three times and have another floor below,¡± I said. To that, she nodded. ¡°It is not a problem; we will be able to do it with our geomancers,¡± replied. ¡°The underground will be the living quarters of girls, right?¡± she asked, ¡°Yes, I want the new room, a few recreational places like a common room, library....¡± I continued, and she wrote it all down. They got surprised to hear some of my requirements. Last time, I was not able to do much, except for making the hall a little bigger and bringing some new furniture, but now, I have some budget. Enough to make their living condition better than the simple bland. Soon, we finished with underground, and Valentina finally started on things I had missed; she was successful in selling me many things, further increasing the budget. ¡°How soon do you want it?¡± she asked the main question, ¡°As soon as possible,¡± I replied. ¡°And you want it silent and hidden?¡± she asked, to that I nodded. I want to run the establishment while it happens; such a big change is not easy to hide, but they could do it. ¡°It will take one and half months, Remus,¡± she said, and I had expected that, but still, I hoped it would have been soon. ¡°Can¡¯t it be sooner?¡± I asked with hope. ¡°I could do it in a month, but you will have to close down your establishment for that period,¡± she said, and a mirthless smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. The original mansion took around nine-month to finish, compared to it; this project is bigger. I know I am lucky to be Valentina¡¯s friend, which is the only reason why she is willing to do it so quickly. If I had been a normal client, she would have taken at least a month more and would have charged me more than whatever she was going to charge now. ¡°So, how much is it all going to cost me?¡± I asked, hoping it would not be over my budget. She did not answer immediately and kept looking at me, likely using her skills to calculate the cost. ¡°It is going to cost you twenty million, six hundred thousand crowns,¡± she said finally, and for a moment, I felt relieved, as it had not gone above my budget, but it was still a big amount. ¡°Let¡¯s agree to twenty million,¡± I said, to which she rolled her eyes, ¡°Twenty million and five hundred thousand,¡± she said with her eyes twinkling. ¡°Twenty million and fifty thousand crowns,¡± I said, and immediately, she countered with her price. We started negotiating, and this time, there were no skills involved, and despite that, it felt harder than the last time, where she drowned me with the power of her skill. ¡°Twenty million and two hundred crowns, you drove a hard bargain, Remus,¡± she said, and I could only smile. ¡°When will you begin?¡± I asked. ¡°I will send my people for survey immediately, and the work will begin tomorrow after your clients leave,¡± she replied. Fifteen minutes later, we left Valentina¡¯s office. I have signed a few papers and paid a quarter of the price. It had emptied more than what I had, but there was a smile on my face as I was finally expanding. A plan that I thought might take at least six months to begin had started in less than a month. It made me very happy. ... ¡°See, didn¡¯t I tell you he had potential,¡± said Valentina to the old man beside her. ¡°The project is not big; we should focus more on big clients,¡± said the old man, hearing that a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°He is a big client; we are only doing some small work for him,¡± she replied, and an old man just looked at her for a moment before sighing. ¡°He did have potential, and really I hope he will not do something to lose your favor and friendship,¡± said the old man, with deep meaning in his eyes, seeing that Valentina had looked away. ¡°I hope so too; it had been a while since I had found someone who I felt like I could trust,¡± she said so softly that it was barely audible to herself. Thank You My Patrons: Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 35: Level Up Chapter 35: Level Up ¡°The four categories of rooms should work well,¡± I said while writing in my diary as the carriage moved toward our new destination from Valentina¡¯s office. ¡°If it had been a month ago, I would have said it would not work; people would not pay such money to eat and drink in a brothel, but the reality in front of us,¡± ¡°So, there is a high chance that rooms will work,¡± she said as she looked through the window. I know they will work; people always pay if they find the services desirable, especially to impress women and feel special. This is not a new idea in this world, many brothels use it, but with the changes I am planning, mine would be the biggest hit. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the two-story building, which had a sign ¡®Elese Cain,¡¯ but that sign now is little dusty, as if its proprietor wasn¡¯t taking good care of it. With how big the order was, Elese had closed down her shop temporarily; she had no other choice. As every bit of time and energy she had, she was spending on completing the order. She is doing quite a good job; in the past twelve days, she has finished up ten dresses, and her pace is increasing further. Click! ¡°The shop is clo¡± said a young man working on the cloth, but stopped midway, seeing us. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± he said, leaving the cloth he was cutting. ¡°Good afternoon, Jesse. Could you tell Miss Cain that we have arrived,¡± I said to a young man; he is Jesse, Miss Cain¡¯s nephew. ¡°I will tell aunt right away,¡± he said and left. I looked around and saw a lot more people than the last time, fourteen people working on the different parts of the dress. ¡°Mister Silver, you should have informed me of your coming; I would have been more prepared,¡± said Elese as she appeared. ¡°There is no need,¡± I said before looking around, ¡°Is there somewhere we could talk more privately,¡± I added; she was startled but nodded. ¡°This way,¡± she said and took us to the upper floor, into what seemed like a messy living room. ¡°Sorry for the mess,¡± she said as she cleared the pieces of cloth, ¡°It is fine, Elese,¡± I said as we sat down. ¡°Since you have personally come here, mister Silver, there must be something important?¡± she asked. I smiled at that, and instead of answering, I took out the check and slid toward her. Seeing the number on the check, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen. It is a check for half a million crowns, and with it, I am paying her the full amount of the contract, despite her completing less than 10% of the order. ¡°I am increasing the order, doubling it,¡± I said, and I could see her faintly shake before she was able to calm herself down. ¡°The time?¡± she asked softly, ¡°The same, but the order might increase even more,¡± I said, and her eyes became a little unfocused hearing that. The new girls are coming soon, and I will not have them wear old dresses; they will also get their custom dresses. This order is just the beginning; it is going to get quite big, and she will have to do it in a limited time without sacrificing quality. ¡°I will need to hire a lot more people and a bigger space,¡± she muttered softly. She had a habit of doing that when she was a thing. ¡°So, will you be able to do it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes, I can; I will need to hire a lot of people, but I will be able to do it,¡± she said a little loudly and turned to me. ¡°For such quick order, the old price will not do,¡± she said, with her becoming very focused. If I decline, she will not do it, but I have no intention of doing it. ¡°Of course, how about five thousand and five hundred crowns per dress? It is sufficient, right?¡± I asked with a smile. I could have chosen the other boutique; with such a big order, even those snobby boutiques wouldn¡¯t have been able to turn me away, but Elise¡¯s designs are great, and most importantly, she captures my vision. Whether it is skill or instinct, I don¡¯t know, but she is doing a great job; those ten dresses she designed are amazing, capturing the natural qualities of the girls perfectly. Fifteen minutes later, we had signed a new deal. We got out of the shop, with Elese sending us off to our carriage; we did not have anywhere else to go other than return to the establishment and wait. Wait for banks and my brother''s response; even if the response comes negative, I have other options. Soon, the carriage walked through the gates of the establishment, and a few seconds later, we walked out of it. The guards at the door gave the letters to Carla as we entered the hall, where there were already a few unknown people looking around with convection and unconventional things in their hands. They were from the Nielson Guild, doing their surveys and taking the measurements; I talked to them for a few moments before going to my office. There are four letters have come, but two of them are the most important. The first one is from the bank and the second one is from my brother Reed. Rip! With my heart beating fast, I opened the first letter; it was from my brother Reed. If he rejects my offer, I will likely have to go to one of the cities of Meldhorn for the girls. I began to read the letter, and the more I read, the bigger my smile became. He agreed to transfer all the contracts of the girls, a total of sixty-two girls, with the contract of each costing me fifty thousand crowns. A total of three million and a hundred thousand crowns; will empty nearly all I have, leaving less than ten thousand in my account. I immediately begin to write the reply; I want to finalize the deal today. After writing, my brother and I wrote to my man in Redfawn, asking him to handle everything, including giving freedom to those who want to leave, with severance pay, which I had hiked to five thousand. It might seem too much, but it is not; I need the girls, who are all in, and it has benefited me a lot till now. Those two who left were not the only ones who the poachers have approached; more than twenty have asked been approached, but only two have left, despite the promise of huge money, and I count that as a big win. After I finished that, I moved to the letter sent by the bank, which brought an even bigger smile to my face. The bank had agreed to give me the loan, and they have not even halved the amount as I thought they might. It is such big news. Click! I was smiling ear to ear when Carla walked and arched her brow in question when she saw me smiling brightly. I did not say anything and just handed the letters to her and read them; her eyes had also gone wide. ¡°These are the best news we hoped to get,¡± she said as she read the letters, but suddenly expressions changed for a moment before returning to normal. Making me feel like I had imagined it, but I knew I hadn¡¯t. ¡°I am going to the bank,¡± I said and got up. It hadn¡¯t been half an hour since I had returned, and I was going out again, but it was important; I needed to have the money in my hand. It took me one and a half hours to return to the establishment; it felt good to have money again, and with it, the expansion will begin smoothly. ... I returned a few minutes before the gates of the establishment opened; I went inside through the back entrance before going back to my office. Soon, the gates of the establishment opened, and I watched from the windows as usual. I made my rounds through the establishment before going to my room to sleep. [Souteneur Merchant Level 7] The text appeared in front of me as I woke up, bringing a huge smile to my face. It had been a while since I had leveled up in my base class. I immediately opened my class window without wasting a moment. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 7) Lawyer (Lv. 5) Warrior (Lv.2) Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 9 Vitality: 6 Strength: 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods Vitality: 6 Strength 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods 3. Contract 4. Shop Open 5. Quick Steps 6. Consecutive Strikes 7. Fast Reading Attribute Points: 0 I felt my thoughts were getting faster; thinking had never felt so effortless as it is right now. I took the book beside my nightstand and began to read it, and despite the resistance, I was reading it at three times faster speed than normal, the same speed I read the legal documents. I am sure now I will be able to read legal documents even faster; not only that, but my other skills would also benefit from it. All of them, even combat skills, faster thoughts help in reacting faster; it is common knowledge. I stared at the screen for another minute before getting up and going to the bathroom. I have yoga to do and, after that, the training with instructor David. It is going to be painful today, seeing he is taking it a notch higher today. THUD! I hit the ground hard, with every part of my body screaming hard in pain. I had not felt such pain, even on the first day of training, as I am now. Unlike the first day, today, there were not only hits but also cuts, hundreds of them across my body. It looks quite bad, but it isn¡¯t. Instructor David had said that they would heal on their own quickly; it is one of his skills that heals the injuries he caused to his student heal fast. ¡°You know, you could have been a little merciful,¡± I said to instructor David as I lay on the grass without having any energy to move; even talking is quite a struggle. ¡°I told you what you will suffer, and you accepted,¡± he said, ¡°Do you want me to take it down a notch?¡± he asked with mirth in his eyes. ¡°No,¡± I declined. The pain was temporary; I could bear it, given the benefits I am having; not only am I regaining ease with the sword fast, but I am quickly mastering and stretching my skills beyond their limit. The progress made me happy, as I would have to depend less on others to protect me. As my business grows, things will get dangerous; my father was assassinated. My Grandfather had been attacked by an assassin more than ten times; it is a hazard of doing business in this world. The more your business grows, the more enemies you will make. It took fifteen minutes for all the cuts to heal, and only after that I got up, nearly collapsing due to jelly legs. As I stood up, I limped toward my room, with pain coming from every movement I made. It will be hell to climb the stairs. Thank You My Patrons: Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 36: Favor Chapter 36: Favor "You seemed uncomfortable?" asked Carla as I slowly sat down on my chair. The muscle-numbing cream had helped with the pain but not the damage. It will take a few hours to heal through all the damage. "The training had got a little hard today," I replied and opened the file; a minute later, a smile appeared on my face. Yesterday, there was no increase; I was just happy there was no decrease due to the loss of two girls. Today, there was an increase, finally crossing the mark of four hundred and fifty thousand crowns. If it keeps increasing in such a way, then there is a sure chance that the earnings will reach half a million a night by the end of the month. After reading the report, I turned to the letters in front of me. The first one, I opened from my man in Redfawn, whom I had handed all the responsibility of the girls. He had offered them freedom from their contract with severance pay, as I had told him to, and nine decided to leave while fifty-one were coming. They have already started the journey and will reach here in three or four days. There is a list of names that are coming, along with their information; I begin to read it but am soon stopped by a familiar name. I stared at it for a couple of seconds before resuming the reading and finishing it a minute late. "Care to explain how Lola Monet ended up back in Redfawn?" I asked with an arched brow like she did when to want to ask about something silently. Her expression became serious before a sigh came out of her mouth. "I did not say or imply anything intentionally to give her the way to come back, but I accidentally wrote something that made her join the old brothel in the hopes of coming back," said Carla. I did not say anything to that, as the thing is quite complex. I had said that I would not take back any girl who left and would not, but now, I have brought this girl, which created a loophole. It was a frustrating choice to make, especially given the risk or daring the girl had shown, going back to the old brothel in those horrendous conditions, at least compared to the establishment. Most importantly, she had needed to sacrifice her freedom; as one could not enter the brothel without a long contract. Not to mention ways, the ingenuity she would have needed to make my brother take her in, as he would have definitely thought she was a spy I sent to keep an eye on him. "I hope you will be careful what you write in the future, Carla," I warned as I looked at her. "It was a mistake; it wouldn''t happen again," she replied. I nodded and turned back to the other letters. After finishing the letters, I read the papers, which as always filled with news of conflicts. Empire had few skirmishes going on its border, nothing major like Mayhurst Island, where lich was causing the destruction; it had already swallowed one kingdom and moving to swallow all. Looking at the progress it is making, the lich might be able to swallow the whole of Mayhurst Island, and that would be a bad thing. It is in a strategic place; Empire, Merchant City-States, or any other coastal nation wouldn''t want to see that and the papers said that they are preparing the big aids. The Renwell region is much safer currently; the merchant city-states never expand beyond their borders, and Navr had been silent; there had been few skirmishes with Tabes forces, but Dustorn fortress had handled it. After reading all the papers, I focused on the work; with expansion, there were many things to do and new ideas to search for before it was late. I worked for some time before I got up to go to the guild; I had not gone to the Merchant Guild for two days, so there must be a lot of work for me waiting. When I reached the hall, I began to hear all the sounds, not the sounds of music as I usually do, but other sounds. As I got out of the hall, I saw many unknown people around the mansion. The people from the Nielson Guild are setting off their instruments, and some have already started doing the work. Soon, I spotted the familiar old man and walked toward him. "Mister Silver," he said as I appeared beside him. "Mr. Davidson, how is the progress?" I asked. "By evening, everything will be clouded, people wouldn''t be see anything, and we will be able to do our job in peace," he replied. "I have no doubt you will," I said and talked to the old man for a couple of minutes before walking into my carriage. Knock Knock Fifteen minutes later, my carriage pulled into the Merchant Guild, and I walked out. Soon, I entered the legal department on the first floor and walked into my office, and was about to call Kevin when the knock rang out. "Come in," I said, and then opened, and mister Oakley walked in. "Mister Silver, the Guildmaster wants to see you at two," he informed. "Did he tell you what it is about?" I asked, "No, but he sent a note asking me to tell you about the appointment if you arrive today," he replied. "Thank you, mister Oakley," I said and the old man. "It''s no bother," he said, "I will send you the contracts for you to review; there are quite a lot," he said and left before I could say anything, and a minute later, Kevin came, bringing twenty contracts. I activated my skill and began, and immediately I got impressed by the shocking speed, not only of reading but also understanding what was written. Intelligence increase the thought speed, which is acting fuel to power up the Contract and Fast Reading Skills, which also aid me in quickly understanding the things I read. I begin to flip one page after another while taking notes on the note-pad. I quickly read through the second contract and began on the third before starting on the third and the fourth. By the time it was ten minutes to two, I was able to finish with more than ten contracts. I locked the contracts and notes in my desk before getting up and walking out of my office. I have an appointment with the Guildmaster, I don''t know what it is about, but it must be important if he is calling me into his office instead of sending me a note. "Remus Silver, I have an appointment with the guild master at two," I said to the assistant. "I will inform Guildmaster about your arrival," she said and tapped on the runes of the plate in front of her. "He is waiting for you," she said as she looked up, and the door of the Guildmaster''s office began to open up. I walked toward the office, and soon, I entered inside, and for the first time, I saw Damon Hardt alone. "Guildmaster, you have called for me?" I asked as I stopped. "Yes, take a seat, Remus." He said. "Thank you," I said as I sat. "I have called you here because I want you to go with the delegation leaving for Namdar in six days," he said, surprising me. Namdar is an island and also the name of the city; it is a very strategic place for the Empire and one of the most prosperous cities of the Empire. Making connections to it will help the Greltheaven tremendously, considering there is a waterway route to it from Greltheaven. "My apologies, guild master, but it is not possible for me." "I have just begun the expansion of my business, and I want to be present," I said, declining the offer directly; he seemed a little surprised by that but quickly controlled his expression. "It won''t take much; you will be able to return in less than ten days," he said, but I shook my head. If it is reviewing the contracts, I will do it, even if I have to stay an hour more, but I will not leave the city. My business is most important, this job I took because it will benefit my business. "Consider this as a favor to me," he said, and I immediately stopped my open mouth from uttering the word. "Namdar is too important; I want every contract we sign with them to be perfect. There will be some negotiations; I want you to be part of them, too," he added, and I wanted to decline it, but the words stopped in my mouth. Favor. This word made me hesitate. One does not use this word carelessly, and if he says he will owe me a favor, then he will, and a favor from the guild-master of the merchant guild is very valuable. "Since you asked it, Guild-master, I will do it; I just hope it will not take more than ten days," I said finally with a sigh. "Good, start making the preparations; you will leave in six days," he said; I nodded and walked out of the office. Soon, I was back in my office and closed my eyes. I really didn''t want to go, but there was no choice; the favor would help me a lot, and I could not let it go. I should be able to return within ten days, and Carla is more than capable of handling everything in my absence. I opened my eyes and took out the contract, and began reviewing them; by the time I finished, it was already four. It took me another half an hour to arrange my notes and type them and stamp them. I called Kevin and handed over the contract, and got out. I have stayed more than I usually do but was able to do a work of two days; the skills make everything easy and efficient. Soon, my carriage was out of the merchant guild and, fifteen minutes late, reached the establishment, which had changed thoroughly in the few hours, I had been out. Aside from the walkway and the mansion, everything is covered in a silvery pink mist. The garden, the back of the mansion, everything is covered in mist. It gave the establishment quite a mysterious look; I had worried about the looks of the establishment, as it was what attracted the patrons first, but now looking at it, I am no longer worried. Without special visual skills, nobody would be able to see what is inside the mist. As I entered inside and walked through the mist, I saw lots of people and cargo carriages coming from the back entrance and unloading the stuff. They have started working; I could see a lot of workers have already begun digging, with the geomancers handling the delicate stuff. They will create an underground and build the building covering, and the two will become one in the last days. I will need to close the establishment for the last part, but it won''t be for more than a week. "How you liking the progress, Mister Silver?¡± asked Architect Lloyd as he approached me. ¡°It is happening quite fast,¡± I said as I looked around. ¡°Your work is a priority.¡± ¡°The head wants to finish it within one and a half months, so we need to work fast,¡± he said and began to tour me the progress they had made in a few hours. Looking at it, I don¡¯t have a doubt about them finishing the work on time.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Thank You My Patrons: Chapter 37: New Girls Chapter 37: New Girls ¡°You have become quite nervous since you have seen the port,¡± said Della as she saw the small port getting closer and closer. ¡°It is just excitement,¡± Lola replied, but she could tell it was a lie, but she did not peruse it and looked at the small city in the wasteland. It is their destination, her ninth brothel. She hoped Carla is right; she had decided to believe in that little girl and chose this over her freedom. The severance they have offered, and her own measly savings would have been enough to live without any worries for years. Finally, the ship reached the port and began to dock on the pier; all the girls began to come out of their bunks, including Estelle and Mera, who were seasick. Even they did not know this little fact about themselves, having never been on the ship before this. ¡°You broads, line up,¡± said the rough voice, the Captain of the ship. A pot-bellied, bearded man with a foul mouth, looking at all the women like meat. She thought he might force himself on them, given what they were, and he even came close to doing it but stopped every time at the last moment for some unknown reason. They lined up on the deck, and he began to count them. ¡°All fifty-two, not a single one of you jumped off the ship secretly,¡± he said and walked out of the ship. As he did, one of the carriages parked by the pier opened its door, and beautiful women in enchanting blue gowns walked out with the grace that only rich ladies have. She is immaculate; everything about her is perfect, especially her walk, which feels more like a glide than a walk. Even the rough Captain stumped on his spot as he saw her coming toward him. ¡°Is that sister Carla?¡± asked Selma beside her, shocked, and only then did she focus on the girl she had known since she was born, but despite that, she was unable to recognize her. It wasn¡¯t even a year since she saw her, and she had changed so much. ¡°There is no way; this could be sister Carla!¡± said Henna, like her others also having a problem recognizing Carla. She looked at Lola, who had seen Carla less than two months ago, only to see her hand gripping tightly to the railings with her eyes flashing in deep regret. What is happening here is a complete mystery to her, but reading the letters of Carla and the other girls, she knew they were happy, ecstatically. She had asked them many times, but they always avoided talking about it, even Carla. She sometimes even doubted the validity of the letters. Carla reached the stumped Captain and began talking with him; she could not hear what she was saying, but a minute later, he turned toward the ship. ¡°Bring them down,¡± shouted the Captain. ¡°Walk down nice and slow; we don¡¯t want you to fall and get injured right before the delivery; it would tarnish the image of the captain,¡± said the shipman, and she felt the feeling covering her as she walked down the ramp. Soon she was on the ground, walking toward Captain and Carla, and the closer she got, the more shocked she became. Carla had completely transformed since the last time she had seen her. ¡°Aunty Della, welcome to Greltheaven,¡± she said in a voice that seemed like a chime of bells and hugged her, and she sensed the perfume, which was better than even her most riches clients had. Carla let go of the hug and turned to Lola. ¡°You have given me quite a trouble, you know that,¡± she said with a little hard voice before hugging her friend. ¡°I am sorry,¡± said Lola as tears dripped from her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay; just don¡¯t make any rash decisions anymore,¡± said Carla, with all the hardness in her voice disappearing, and turned to the girls coming off the ship. ¡°Girls, step into the carriage with your name on it,¡± instructed Carla. She turned to the carriages lined up and saw that other than the first carriage, all the carriages had paper sticking to them, with each paper having four names. The girls had many questions, but they still followed the instruction of Carla, who had become unrecognizable within a short time. Soon, everyone sat in their respective carriages, and the drivers pocketed the papers and sat in their seats, waiting. ¡°Thank you for bringing the girls to Greltheaven safely, Captain Hanks,¡± thanked Carla. ¡°It is my job, miss Carla,¡± he replied, completely enamored by her charm, with eyes filled with lust. If he did not sense the guards standing by the carriage, he might have acted on his emotions. Giving him a final nod, she walked toward the carriage, where the driver opened the door for her without saying anything, and she gracefully entered inside. She and Lola entered inside and sat down, and a second later, the carriage began to move. ¡°You have changed, Carla, so much that I didn¡¯t recognize you at first,¡± she said, and Lola, besides, nodded in affirmation with regret in her eyes becoming deeper. A chimelike laughter rang out from her throat, and she moved her head gracefully toward the window. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°So, much has changed in these past two months; even I sometimes don¡¯t recognize myself in the mirror,¡± she replied. Her smile became smaller but genuine as she looked at the passing scenery of the port. ¡°It seemed to be a good change; you seem happy,¡± she said; she had never seen this girl happy as she is as right now. ¡°I am,¡± she replied and turned to her. The ride passed pleasantly as she talked with Carla; they talked about past and present, those who came and those who didn¡¯t. Carla talked about many things, but she was always deflective when she asked about their new brothel, only saying she would know soon enough. ¡°We have arrived,¡± said Carla with a smile as the carriage turned toward the beautiful mansion, which was clouded in silvery-pink mist, giving quite a mysterious feeling to the building. She also noticed quite a lot of people coming and going through the mist. ¡°We are expanding,¡± explained Carla when she turned to ask the questions. Soon, the carriage stopped, and they came out and waited for other girls to come out of the carriages that were coming from behind. Soon, the girls came out of the carriage and gathered in front of the fountain, with Carla in front of them. ¡°It will take some time for Master Silver to come back and sign your contracts, so I will be giving you all the tour of the establishment,¡± said Carla with a smile before her expression became serious. ¡°Follow me silently as you can, and if you have a question, don¡¯t ask them too loudly,¡± added Carla, and she felt a feeling covering her. ¡°Why?¡± asked Revina. To that, Carla smiled again. ¡°You will know soon,¡± she said mysteriously as she walked toward the mansions, while the girls followed behind silently as they could as they have asked too. Soon, they reached the door and walked inside, and a couple of things happened; first, a different kind of faint music reached their ears, and then they saw a huge hall. In it, an old woman seemed to be instructing twelve familiar girls on walking; it seemed strange to her until she noticed them wearing strange shoes. Those shoes had metallic balls attached to them, and to her shock, these girls were walking gracefully, wearing these shoes without falling, but that did not seem to satisfy the old woman. ¡°Straight back, Andrea,¡± said the old woman, and the next second, a thin cane in her bony hand, hit the girl''s bottom, making a sharp sound. She thought Andrea would definitely fall, some girls beside her even gasped and closed their eyes, but to their shock, Andrea bore the cane, with only a slight change in her expression, before she straightened her back as an old woman asked and continued to walk. The girls practicing spotted them but barely glanced at them as they focused on what the old woman was teaching. ¡°This is mistress Elme; she teaches etiquette, and if you girls sign a contract, be sure to remember never to talk back to her and do as she said with maximum effort,¡± warned Carla as she resumed walking. Teaching? These words shook her, and she wanted to ash more, but she decided to let Carla show what she wanted before asking any questions. ¡°In the velvet garden, you will be taught lessons on etiquette, speech, language, mathematics, musical arts, litr...¡± Carla began naming things as they reached upstairs, where she saw girls taking lessons in different things Carla noted. She saw Lenore painting and, in the next room, saw Ina reading beautifully; in a few rooms after that, Margaux was holding a big string instrument, a cell, as she listened to the instructions. In every room she passed, she would see the girls doing something she would never in her wildest dreams thought they would ever be able to do in their lives. It had shocked her and everyone who watched; tears even started to drip through eyes of Lola before she wiped them out. ¡°C...can we also learn these things?¡± asked Lydia, the question every girl was thinking, including her ¡°Yes, it is a prerequisite; without learning them, you will not be allowed to do the business,¡± replied Carla, using the world she had only seen her learned client use. ¡°Who would want to do business after learning these amazing things,¡± said Henna; this young girl has a habit of opening her mouth when she shouldn¡¯t. She also seemed to understand she had spoken her wrong words under the glare of all the girls when Carla turned, and there was no anger on her face as she had expected but a bright smile. ¡°You will want to do the business so much that you will beg for it,¡± said a familiar voice, sounding far more cultured than it was a few months ago. She turned and saw Danielle walking toward them; she had seen her a few minutes ago, learning something she wasn¡¯t properly able to guess. ¡°Why?¡± asked Henna; this time, it was not only her; every girl is really curious, and so is she. ¡°Money darling, you will earn so much that you have never dreamed in your life,¡± she said, with a voice sweet like honey. It immediately attracted the attention of every girl; they turned everything toward Danielle, looking at her carefully. At first, she looked like she was wearing a normal dress, but as she looked carefully, she saw her dress was finely cut, fitting her perfectly. Her hair is bound in a perfect bun, her nails are expertly clipped and polished, and her skin is visibly glowing. She is smiling, with a genuine smile on her face, which is quite rare in their business. ¡°How much you earn?¡± asked Lola; Danielle smiled and turned to Carla, who nodded gently permission. ¡°I will not say how much I earn, but I will tell you that every girl here earns at least a thousand,¡± she said, and once again, visible gasps rang out from the girls; even she was shocked. The amount is truly huge. ¡°A thousand crowns a month, it is such a huge amount of money,¡± said Payton, and for a second, Danielle¡¯s expression became weird before an even bigger smile appeared on her face. ¡°No, darling, it is thousands of crowns a day,¡± she said, and a couple of girls literally fainted, she even felt like her head was spinning hearing those words, but she calmed herself and turned to Carla, who nodded before her expression turned serious. ¡°Yes, the girls are earning a lot of a lot of money, but they are working extremely hard for it,¡± said Carla to the girls before resuming the tour. Soon, they climbed another floor, and she heard a sound that made her pause; she saw a middle-aged man playing the flute in front of a group of girls. Memories are so old that she buried them deep in her heart, pulled out by the beautiful sound played by the man. An image of her father playing the flute and teaching her couldn¡¯t surface in her mind. Unlike most girls here, she does not prostitute type base class; her main class is a flutist, the most cherished legacy she had received from her dearest father. Carla seemed to have noticed a change in her as she turned toward her and smiled; she wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes unconsciously and smiled back. If there is a chance, she would very much like to learn the flute. They reached the top floor before finally coming down and stopping at a room that widened the eyes of all the girls. ¡°This make-up, such beautiful dresses,¡± shouted a couple of girls, making a large room crowded instantly. The dresses were really too beautiful; even she was feeling an intense urge to get off the rack and wear it. ¡°Are these dresses you all use for the business?¡± asked Henna. ¡°These dresses, those shoes, and everything,¡± replied Carla. ¡°If you are shocked by these, then you will faint if you see the new custom dresses; they are amazing.¡± ¡°It is quite a regret; we would not be able to wear them before the expansion is finished,¡± she said, and the girls went mad. For nearly ten minutes, they have not left Danielle and Carla alone, making Carla glare at the petite girl. It took some quite an effort for those two to bring the girls out of the make-up room, and they once again came back to the hall, where the old woman was still teaching, walking on strange ball shoes. Carla then took us to their living quarters in the basement, and they were far more nicer than what she had expected. Though it did not surprise her after what she had seen in the past hour. ¡°Sister Carla, when will Mister Silver return? I want to sign the contract,¡± said Lydia, and once again eyes of all the girls got focused on Carla. ¡°In a few hours, but before that, I want you to fill these papers.¡± She said as she distributed the papers and pens to the girls. ¡°It is not necessary to answer all the questions in the papers, but it is better if you do and be truthful, as many things you will and things the teachers will teach you will depend on your answers,¡± she advised. Carla handed her the papers, and she looked at the question; the first few were normal, like name and where they were originally from, but soon, they have become strange. Like what type of men they usually serve and what type of sexual positions they like, and what things their clients like to talk about before and after the sex. Even she, with most experience here, felt her cheeks burning at these questions, but she had answered them all in her honesty. It took more than an hour to write down all the answers, and she was talking to the girls when an unfamiliar young woman entered the basement. ¡°Madam Carla, the lunch has been set,¡± she informed, ¡°Thank you, Lucia,¡± she said to the young women before she turned to the girls. ¡°Girls, it is time for lunch, I am sure; you must all be feeling very hungry,¡± said Carla and got up. She is right; they are feeling hungry; they had a light breakfast in the morning, but that had been digested long ago. They went for lunch at tables set in the hall and had the most delicious meal of her life and, once again, marveled how graceful Carla looked while eating; it is not only her but all the girls working in the establishment, as they referred to it to this brothel. It turned out they have been taught how to eat too.T/his chapter is updated by Thank You My Patrons: Chapter 38: Excited Chapter 38: Excited [Souteneur Merchant Level 8] [Skill Gained: Price Is Right] I was riding from the guild toward the establishment when a text appeared in front of me. I had leveled up in my base class and even gained the skill. It couldn¡¯t help but surprise me, but soon that surprise morphed into a smile. I have finally got it; Price Is Right. It is a staple skill of merchants. Every merchant above level 10 has this skill; more than 50% of people gained it when they gained the mercantile class. With this advancement comes an attribute point. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 8) Lawyer (Lv. 5) Warrior (Lv.2) Charisma: 10Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Intelligence: 10 Vitality: 6 Strength: 6 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods Vitality: 6 Strength: 5 Skills: 1. Trusty Presence 2. Worthy Goods 3. Contract 4. Shop Open 5. Quick Steps 6. Consecutive Strikes 7. Fast Reading 8. Price Is Right Attribute Points: 01 The moment I did, I felt the change. I felt the power coursing through my veins. I knew I had gotten a little stronger. It is not just strength that has increased, but nearly all physical attributes; strength and vitality increase one''s constitution, agility, and defense. People allot points in combination to focus on any of these things; old Remus had focused on agility built, but I find balance more suitable for me. So, I need both my vitality and strength near the same. Soon, I reached the establishment and got out of the carriage; when I reached the door, Carla was there. ¡°Everything is ready,¡± she said, and I nodded in thanks. A minute later, I walked into room 11, which was filled with girls, one of them I recognized from the last time. She looked away as I glanced at her. My office is not big enough to accommodate all the girls and seeing I did not want to talk to them in batches, I put a small table in room eleven to finish it all once. ¡°Hello, I hope you all have a pleasant journey to the Greltheaven,¡± I said, and they smiled nervously. ¡°I will come straight to the point then,¡± I said and looked at two piles of contracts; one was the old contracts, and the others were the new ones they would have to sign. ¡°Today, you will sign the contracts and become an employee of the Velvet Garden,¡± ¡°I am sure Carla had explained every point in the contract to you and told you, you still have a choice if you want to leave with severance,¡± I said and looked at them. In return, I got a look like I was mad for asking these questions. ¡°This is the last chance; anyone wants to leave?¡± I asked in direct terms to be sure, but no one had opened their mouth. ¡°Since all of you agree, we will begin signing the contracts,¡± I said and turned to look at Carla, who nodded and took the first contract. ¡°Della Sharp,¡± she said, and woman late fifties walked forward. She was a little nervous, but after her name was called out, she quickly came forward and began to sign the contract. She likely feared I might not accept her, and her fear is valid, as most brothels did not use women who looked over fifty, and some high class did not use those who looked over forty, but I have no qualms. I wanted women of her age; there are certain people who like them and seeing I want to serve to every taste, I will use her. There are two more women other than her, who looked over fifty; one seemed to be in the early fifties, while the other. ¡°Esther Reese,¡± Carla called as Della finished signing the contract, and the second woman came and began to sign the contract; as she finished, the third woman was called and then forth. One by one, they begin to come to the table as their names are called and begin to sign the contract, and soon, fifty-one women have signed the contract. ¡°From today, you are the employees of the velvet garden; you will follow the rules in the contract and will receive all the benefits according to it.¡± ¡°I hope we will have a pleasant working relationship,¡± I said. To that, they smiled nervously and began to walk out of the room till only Lola remained in the room and me. She is looking at me with nervous eyes; I have never seen anyone as nervous as her. She is so nervous that she is shaking it; I fear that if I simply so much touch her, she might fall down. ¡°Miss Lola, you have put me in quite a dilemma,¡± I said as I looked at her. ¡°It was not my intention, Mister Silver,¡± she said. Her words were clear, despite all the nervousness. ¡°I have told you before I will not take those who will leave, but now I have brought your contract; it had put me in quite a dilemma, you understand it, right?¡± I asked as I looked at her. ¡°I will accept your decision,¡± she said, and I continued looking for a couple of seconds before finally sighing. ¡°Fine, I will give you one more chance, but I truly hope you will not disappoint me,¡± I said and pushed the contract forward. I could see joy lighting up in her eyes, and at the same time, tears started to stream from them ¡°You will not regret giving me a second chance, Mister Silver,¡± she said as she wiped her tears. ¡°I hope not,¡± I said with a small smile, and I truly hope I do not. The one reason I had accepted her is Carla; she had asked me that personally yesterday, and while I could have easily said no, I decided to agree to her request. As any mistake made on her part would be her responsivity, I had made it clear to her, and she accepted. She quickly signed the contract, and I felt it click, with the headache increasing slightly, but it was minor, not like last time; it was quite bad. The levels in my class and the mental attributes have really helped me a lot; without them, it would have been impossible to sign so many contracts. [Lawyer Level 6] I had just gotten up from my seat when the text appeared in front of me, and immediately I felt the headache lessen. Seeing the level up, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I have leveled twice today, once in my base class and now in my Lawyer class. This day just keeps getting better. Though the smile would have been brighter if I had received the skill, still, I am happy with the level; it will help me a lot in Namdar. Things will be hard there, as it is a tiny city like Grelthheaven but one of the most prosperous cities of the Empire. A place in which those monsters of the S class reside. .... ¡°Anty Della, big sisters, you all need to be quiet when we enter the manor,¡± said Gloria as she led their group of five toward the building. There is huge construction going on around the mansion; while Carla had informed her of it, it still surprised her. There are nearly a hundred workers working on different things; she had even spotted mages laying the enchantments into the ground. Carla had said they were building around the mansion, making it bigger. When the construction is finished, the mansion will be big enough that a hundred girls will easily be able to do the business. She even said there would be a big underground residential area for them, for which she is feeling very grateful. Currently, their living arrangement is tents, which by the way, is the most comfortable arrangement she has ever lived in her life, with the softest bed she has ever slept in. It even has a temp disc to adjust the temperature according to their needs. Still, she would like to live within the solid walls; it will not matter if they are underground or above ground. Soon, Gloria led their group of five through the small entrance, and they have made the steps as silent as possible. It had been an hour since the establishment had opened; she wanted to watch from the start, but Carla declined as Mister Silver started his round in the first hour. Since every girl was excited to see how the establishment worked, Carla had divided them into groups, and each group would get a tour of the establishment and see how it worked. They only have half an hour, but I think it would be more than enough to see how the establishment work. Soon, they reached the tiny room, which had a small window and a chair. Seeing the window, every girl ran toward it, ignoring Gloria, who was asking them to take turns looking through the window. Soon, all five of them squeezed themselves and looked through the window, and what they saw shocked them to their core. She was a huge hall that was mostly empty a few hours ago, now lit with the most beautiful lights and filled with tables. Where the girls were sitting wearing beautiful dresses, which now looked more enchanting on the girl''s bodies than the racks they had seen them on earlier She is not shocked by the clothes they are wearing, but by how they are behaving and how the clients, patrons as they called them, are behaving with them. They do not look like whores, but women from rich families; the way they are talking, they are moving. Every movement of theirs is graceful; every word coming from their mouth would be captivating, and the men in rich clothes would talk to them with smiles and praise them with flowery words. She could see the lust in the eyes of men, but it was not desperate or forceful. There is restraint in them, which she had seen very few times. Every table was filled, and every girl was occupied with patrons; she even saw a few men sitting alone drinking in the bar as no girl was available to accompany them. It is so different from the brothels she had been in, where she needed to use everything she had to attract clients, but here, they would come to girls. It had been ten minutes since she was looking, and since then, only one pair had gone to pleasure rooms. ¡°It is so different,¡± Lola whispered, and she couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°If I had not seen with my eyes, I would have believed what Carla had said,¡± she said softly, and the girls nodded. They watched for another five minutes before Gloria took them to the makeup room, and it was a sight to behold, just like the hall. Two beauticians, one woman in her mid-thirties and the most beautiful man she had ever seen, working on a Lenore together. She is standing naked as two brushes slide across her skin while the women work on her face. She was so engrossed in watching that she did not notice the man had no hands. She did not react to it and gave the looks to two girls, who were staring at his stumped hands. ¡°Dress from the thirteenth hanger, lingerie from the 24th hanger, shoe...¡± he gave the order, and two young girls brough them quickly. As they had brought it, they began to float, just like the brushes did. Lenore seemed to know what to do as she raised her hands forwards, and the blue bra slid through them; at the same time, she lifted one leg, and another, and panties slid through them. In a few seconds, she is in blue lingerie before the indigo dress comes floating toward her and slides across her skin, and a second later, the bright red shoes come floating and fix themselves on her feet. They watched with gaping mouths as Lauren got readied in a few seconds in what was supposed to have taken her minutes. She smiled, looking at their wide mouth, and gave them a nod before walking out of the room. ¡°Madams,¡± said the man, and within a minute, they found out how easy he was to talk to. It is quite a regret that they needed to leave soon, as their half an hour was coming to an end. She did not remain sad for long when she remembered she was going to be working here. Experience everything these girls are experiencing, and for the first time in decades, she is feeling excited. Thank You My Patrons: Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 39: Leaving For Namdar Chapter 39: Leaving For Namdar "It would have been nice if I had more than a day with this beauty," I said with a sigh as the massaged brown leathery seat gently. I got the delivery of my enchanted carriage yesterday, and it is perfect; it is not the best one, but currently, it is great for me, especially with the level 20 driver I had hired paying good money. It is comfortable, and I could even make a long journey with it; as long as we are not attacked direct, the carriage will not suffer any problems. "You can use it as much as you can after you return from Namdar," said Carla, ¡°I will,¡± I replied. I have handled everything I could in the past few days, and now everything is on Carla''s shoulders. I am confident she will be able to handle everything perfectly with the directions I have left behind. "Use guards if any problem occurs and if it is something you cannot handle, then send a message to Damon Hardt; he owes me a favor for this," I said. To that, she nodded. Since the girls came, I have increased the number of guards to twenty-five, but there was a small incident two days ago when an inebriated construction worker sneaked inside the tent. The guards stopped him the moment the girl screamed, but I hated that something like this had happened, despite the precaution. I hired ten more guards, and now the area around the tents is better protected. It still didn¡¯t stop me from worrying. "Don''t worry, everything will be fine," said Carla as she pressed her hand to mine and froze, but seeing I did not pull away, she relaxed and kept it there. Soon, the carriage rode the inside the gates of the merchant guild and stopped. "Take care, Carla," I said as I slowly pulled my hand from her and was about to leave the carriage when I found her beautiful face in front of mine, and before I knew it, I found her soft lips on mine. Her lips stayed on my mine for a second before she pulled away, leaving behind the most wonderful feeling on my lips. "Return safely, Remus," she said, and all I could is nod as I got out of the carriage while trying to process what had happened. Soon, I reached the office of Damon Hardt and cleared my thoughts; I will think about it in my free time, it is a time for business. "Mister Silver, the Guildmaster had asked me to let you as soon as you have appeared," said the assistant and tapped on the few runes, and soon, the door began to open. I walked inside and saw there were a lot of people inside; aside from Damon Hardt, there was John Ramos, the vice Guildmaster, and four guild masters of various sub-guilds. Aside from them, there is mister Oakley and the people from the legal department. "Remus, have you made all the preparations?" asked Damon Hardt. "Yes, Guildmaster," I replied. "Good. As I had told you before, vice-Guildmaster Ramos will lead the delegation; there will be four heads of sub-guilds and seven people from the legal department," he said, motioning toward the people. "The legal team will be led by Rip Daniels, and you will advise him on the matters you think is important," he added, motioning toward the tall raven-haired man in his early forties. I nodded at Rip; I know the man, and he is quite good. If old man Oakley leaves the job, he will be the next person to get it. "Namdar is a hub in continental trade; it is important we form good relations with it," he said with his expression turning serious. "We will try our best," said John Santos. The next hour, we discussed the specifics; I largely remained silent, speaking only when asked while observing everything. This is the reason why I have taken this post; the things that are being discussed here are confidential and important. This is a type of information that will give me an edge and help me shape my business. "Best of luck to all of you; I hope, when you return, you will bring the good news with you," he said; we nodded with a smile and walked out of the office. Soon, we stepped into the carriages, which began to ride toward the port. "Things will be tough; the people from the Merchant Guild of Namdar will eat us up and not even spit out the bones," said Locke Hercule, the leader of the paper guild. His words made everyone smile; we obviously knew they would have an edge, which is fine; it is a huge city with big bucks and powerful people. They have their advantage, but we also have ours, and ours are bigger than theirs; we have direct trade with a merchant city-state of Meldhorn, and they did not. They used to have huge trade with the coastal merchant state of Belnin and Nereim, but that stopped with the trade blockade. So, we are the only ones with access to merchant city-state. They need us more than we need them. "It will be a success, even if we are able to sign the lowest priority agreements," said John Santos. There are a huge number of contracts we had to sign, and agreeing to all of them in a limited time would be hard, but as John Santos had said, even if we are able to sign, a third of priority agreements will be a great success for us. Soon the carriage had passed through the gates and entered the port. Soon, we reached the pier where our ship was waiting. The ship is named Constance; it is neither big nor small. It is around a hundred feet long with the blue enchanted scrip painted across its hull and masts. This ship is city property, given to the merchant guild for this trip. The crew of the ship used to be part of the imperial navy, and the security was provided by the city''s guards. Still, learning a lesson from last time, I had brought my guard; Damon Hardt declined it, saying it is a city that would be providing the security for the trip, but I directly said I would not leave without the personal guard. He finally accepted, but only a single guard. I had asked for four but had accepted one. Dan was already waiting by the ship, and as I walked out of the carriage, he walked behind me as I climbed the ship''s ramp to the deck, where a man in his mid-sixties and a man in his early thirties was standing side by side. ¡°Welcome to Constance, gentlemen; I am Angus Perry, the captain of the ship,¡± said the slightly plump man in his sixties and turned toward the lean man in his early thirties. ¡°I am Captain Julian Pierce; I will be responsible for your security,¡± said the man in the city''s brown uniform with the captain''s insignia on it. He is quite handsome with blue eyes and light brown hair. He had a sword at his waist and a shield on his back. ¡°All your things have been sent to your cabins, and the staff will take you there,¡± said the old man, and just as he said, the staff took us to our suits. Click! As I walked into the suit, I found it small, but it had all amenities that I would need, including the attached bathroom. I will be here for two days. The ship will travel through the river route till we reach Inam, which will be by tomorrow afternoon, and after that, the ship will enter the sea, where it will take little more than a day to reach Namdar. If everything goes well, then we will return to the Greltheaven within a week. I had just sat down on the bed when I felt the ship moving, and it was moving as I looked out the window. I lay comfortably on the bed as I watched the ship sail out of the port. I looked at the small watch in my cabin, which showed exactly five; by eleven, we should be able to reach Deerpond, the capital of Renwell Region, and its bigger city; from there, it will be Riverbell and then Iman by the afternoon. I watched till the city left the view before picking up the book; there will be a lot of work later, so I should read at whatever time I have. Soon, an hour passed, and I walked out of my cabin into the deck, which was mostly empty, aside from sailors and security at their position, including Captain Pierce. He nodded at me, and I nodded back as we turned to watch the beautiful sunset; there was nothing except for the wasteland around us and the disappearing sun. Soon, the sun had completely disappeared, and a beautiful moon appeared through the clouds, lighting the world in its silver light. I looked at the peaceful wasteland and sighed; the Renwell region is really a wasteland. Nothing grows here except for the green patches, which is why it was not fiercely contested as other parts of the continent. Even resources-wise, it is not great; there are no big metal deposits or precious ores though it did have something. Magic crystals are everywhere, it is resources that power every enchanted thing, but they are not exactly rare resources, especially lower-grade magical crystals. They could be found in every corner of the world. There are few middle-grade and high-grade mines, but it is completely in control of the state. There is also a thing about processing them; like the rare earth metals on the earth, processing them is a lengthy and experience process. It becomes harder as the grade increases, which is why most places only mine them and ship them somewhere else to process. The merchant city-states and the Empire had a few cities which are famed for their crystal purification industry. Inam is one of them. The city of Inam used to be part of the Renwell Region three hundred years ago before the Empire conquered it, and now more than 50% of crystals mined in the Renwell region are processed there. I heard Lord Darrow had signed a contract with Owlspring to send the middle-grade crystal there for processing; the city is also opening the crystal processing facility in Greltheaven. Though, it will only process the low-leveled crystals, which is, I think, very good news. The city should have the capability to process the only thing it had in abundance. I stayed on the deck in silence for an hour before returning to my cabin and, this time, picking up the contracts. I have already studied them and found the loopholes, and corrected the language, but still, I had decided to study it further. The negotiations are going to be tough, with powerful people and frustrating skills. The better prepared I am, the greater benefits I will have during the negotiations. Thank You My Patrons: Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 40: Night Raid Chapter 40: Night Raid ¡°To the safe journey!¡± we said and clinked our glasses as we drank before turning to a sumptuous meal. We have been invited to the dinner by Captain Perry. It is a tradition and also a chance for the captain to make friends with the rich merchants from the powerful mercantile houses. The dinner was good; it had some dishes that had not been tested before. The captain had shown with much great flair. I mingled with them, laughed when I needed to, spoke when I had to, and even told a few accolades and jokes from the earth, which made them laugh hard. It was important I make good connections; just now, I made a deal with Locke Hercule about the books I need for my collection and the small library I want to make for the girls. I have even got a good discount, but it is not important as the connection I made, which made him invite me to his birthday party, which he is throwing at the end of next week. As for how it will benefit me, there are numerous ways, but the most obvious is if he needs anything, which I sell, then he will come to me, as I will go to him first; if needed to make any large order of books again. Most importantly, for the business I am in, I need to have more friends. It is not the most respectful business, and the pressure comes from all sides; these people help a lot in bearing it. Back on earth, mingling was part of the job. I had to mingle to get clients, and I was good at it and had even learned to enjoy it. ¡°We will reach Deerpond soon,¡± said the captain as he looked at the watch as I got up the leave, the rest staying to enjoy more drinks and smoke cigars. While I drink, I can¡¯t bear the smoke. I bade goodnight to the captain and others and walked toward my cabin, wanting to finish studying the few more contracts before turning off the lights for today. Hun! I was about to reach my cabin when suddenly the warning bells rang out through the ship. Dan, behind me, immediately became alert as he quickly removed his sword, and I did the same. I have gotten the looks when I took the sword to the dinner, but I am glad I did, as I might need to use it now. ¡°Rogue!¡± Dan shouted and leaped forward with a speed that I could see barely catch and clashed against a figure that came out of the shadow, revealing a man completely covered in a black cloth, holding a long dagger in his hand. Who disappeared after the first clash and appeared behind dan, who reacted immediately and swung back his sword. I was watching the battle when I noticed a shadow moving through the wall toward me; I stepped forward and swung my sword without wasting the moment. Clang! My rapier clashed against a short sword that came out of the shadow of a short woman. As I clashed, I nearly threw my sword as I got the shock through my body, but I did not. All the hellish training with instructor David had gotten me used to these kinds of attacks. Though I needed to take a step back, the power behind the blow was nothing to scoff at, and now, she was coming at me. I used the quick steps to dodge the attack, but my opponent seemed quite skilled as she changed the direction of the attack as I dodged it, but this time, I was ready. Clang! My rapier clashed against her sword, again taking a step back while dodging the coming strike, before ducking again to dodge another attack, before moving my rapier to defend. The rogue is not giving me any chance to relax, attacking me without wasting any time, using different skills. I am quite used to such strikes; the instructor used many fighting styles, and his quick ones landed hundreds of strikes on my body within minutes, but it had also forced me to do better. Hun! Suddenly, her figure became blurry, and the daggers multiplied as she came at me. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I curse; I hate this kind of attack; it makes dodging hard, but dealing with it is not impossible. This is one of the trickiest skills the rogues have, and I have the practice to deal with it. So, instead of taking a step back, I moved forward with Quick Steps and attacked with Consecutive Strikes. Clang Clang Clang My rapier begins to clash against her short sword fast; each strike of hers would have a numbing shock attached to it. It made it very hard to counter her, not to mention her strikes are also powerful. I needed to move continuously to divert the power of the strike through my body, or I won¡¯t be able to move my hand. Even now, it is started to get numb. Rip Rip Suddenly she increased the speed of her attacks, and I defended, but two still touched me. One had ripped suit from the stomach and the other my shoulder; the second strike touched my flesh, drawing an out long cut, but not deep enough. ¡°You are very good, but your level is too low to do anything to me,¡± she said in a hoarse voice, which was obviously not her real voice. As she finished, she came at me again, and I pushed the consecutive strikes to go even faster and stronger than they were. I am disadvantaged in this fight; not only is her level greater than mine, but she also has more skills, and most importantly, this space is perfect for her. Rogues thrive in these kinds of small places. I am just glad that Dan is keeping that powerful Rogue at bay, not letting it forward, no matter how much it has tried. He had the experience of fighting on the ships, which is why I had chosen him instead of Jonah. Rip! Another of her strikes hit me, which I was barely able to avoid, though her sword had torn my jacket and shirt vertically, sending buttons flying everywhere. ¡°You have ruined my suit,¡± I said as I pushed forward, ¡°I am sure you will have money to buy another,¡± she said in a hoarse voice, which had a hint of smugness that was not there before. Reeeee! She once again moved to strike me and jumped back suddenly when a sharp whistle rang out. ¡°See you again, rich boy,¡± she said and began retreating toward the exit with the powerful rogue, who also stopped and now retreating with the girl. We did not follow them; it is already a great fortune that we are in one piece. ¡°You have improved tremendously since last time, Mister Silver.¡± ¡°If you had fought that rogue at the time of fighting orc, she would have carved you into pieces,¡± he praised. ¡°It is all thanks to instructor David; he is training me hard,¡± I said before my expression turned serious. ¡°She was holding back; I did not feel her intent to kill, which the orc had when I had fought him,¡± I added, to which he nodded. ¡°This is likely a loot raid; they just wanted to loot and escape,¡± he said. To that, I couldn¡¯t help but nod. These rogues were thieves; killing would have made things complicated for them. We are no simple merchants; half of us belong to powerful mercantile houses; a single kill would have a witch hunt for them. Suddenly his expression has changed, ¡°Mister silver, check the money pouch,¡± he said, and I looked into my pocket and found the pouch gone. ¡°That bitch!¡± I cursed; I did not even know when she took it. No wonder that bitch had sounded smug. ¡°Let''s go,¡± I said and walked toward the direction of the deck. ¡°It would be much safer to stay in your room, mister Silver,¡± said Dan, but I did not listen. There were a couple of imperials and a few crowns in the pouch, a total value of five thousand crowns. I am not angry because of then stole the money but because she was able to do it without me noticing. When I reached the deck, I saw spells flying and rogues jumping in the river, with one fighting against Captain Julian. It was a battle to watch. They are both fighting so fast that I can only see the blur; even mages and archers are having a problem targeting the last rogue. At first glance, it is obvious that Captain Julian has the edge, but the Rogue is too agile, dodging most of the attacks that Captain Julian throws at it. The battle had only lasted for a couple of seconds after I arrived before the last Rogue jumped into the river, dodging the spells and arrows thrown at him. There are no injuries on Captain Julian like some of his men, but he is in a bad mood, and I would, too, if I had been in his place. And I am angry. ¡°Mister Silver, my apologies that you had to suffer the attack,¡± he said, looking at my state and Dan. ¡°It would have been great if the passageways had some guards, Captain,¡± I said with obvious anger and walked back toward my cabin with Dan following behind me. I have made the best decision in not backing down when it comes to guards. If I had listened to the assurances of Damon Hardt about the security, then I would have been completely defenseless against the rogues. Who knows, they might have even kidnapped me; it is common knowledge that the house of Silver pays ramson for their kidnapped members. It is also common knowledge that after the ransom is paid, the house pays many times more money to mercenaries and hunters to hunt down and kill the people who did the deed. The house had put a colossal bounty just to find leads on people who killed my father, and once they do, Grandfather is going to increase that many times to kill those bastards. [Warrior Level 4] [Skill Gained: Weighted Strike] I had closed the door behind me when the text appeared in front of me. Unsurprisingly, I had leveled up; I would have been surprised if I did not level up after the incident. What is surprising is that I have got the skill; Weighted Strike, a skill that increases the power of the attack. It is a great skill; if I had it when I was fighting against the rogue, I wouldn¡¯t have been at such a disadvantage. I looked at class and skill for a few seconds before removing my clothes and applying a healing potion on the cut across my shoulder before laying down on the bed to rest. Such attacks are not good for my health, but they are the hazard of this world; I am just happy that at least I have got a level and skill out of it. Thank You My Patrons: Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 41: Namdar Chapter 41: Namdar Nothing had been stolen. Though it turned out the thieves had come for something expensive, John Santos had, something he shouldn''t have brought into the ship. The thieves have got to know about it somehow and come to steal it. They had failed to get it, for which John Santos had thanked Captain Julian many times. The man still seemed quite angry, even if he tried to hide it. He is not the only one who is angry; I am too quiet angry, and so is everyone. This is an official trip; he is not authorized to bring such expensive things without prior permission, but he did not get it. It not only put his safety at threat but also the rest of us. I shouldn''t be on the deck after what had happened, but I wanted to clear my mind after I learned the reason for the attack. So, I am on the deck. I am not the only one; others are present too, and like me, they too are silent. Nobody seemed to be in the mood to talk after what had happened. Unlike me, those people were safe; they were surrounded by guards in captains'' quarters the moment the horn had rung out, not to mention the rogues had not gone for them. By the time they have walked out of the captain''s quarters, all the rogues are gone, but they are still shaking in fear. The only reason they are on deck is that many guards are on it, and we are near Deerpond; we could see it from the deck. I looked at the biggest city in Renwell Region; it is over a thousand years old and has been destroyed many times and rebuilt again, the latest three years ago. First, the undead had at it before the Empire attacked and conquered it in one go. It is a city surrounded by huge walls, bigger and thicker than those of the Greltheaven. It is not only big but also has a huge population, four hundred thousand, more than ten times of Greltheaven. Still much less than the capital of such a large region, Renwall region is bigger than any two regions of the Empire combined. It is the size of the standard Kingdom but does not even have a fifth of the population compared to the smallest region of the Empire. Every regional capital of the Empire has at least one and a half million people, but here, the whole region has that many people. It is all because of the wasteland; it does not have the resources to sustain the large population. Still, the region at a very important place, and if managed wisely politically, it could thrive. Trade could transform everything. Finally, the ship appeared in front of the Deerpond, and it is beautiful. Even at this time, the port is busy with ships coming and going out of it. As I was watching the city, I saw two boats coming toward us while us showing down, but not stopping entirely. Soon, the ship named ''Deerpond Patrol 27'' came beside us, and a middle-aged man jumped out of it and landed on the deck without much shaking. On earth, it is impossible to take such a high jump, but here with high levels and skills, it is very much possible. "I am patrol leader Carlson; your message said that your ship had been attacked half an hour ago?" asked the middle-aged Captain Angus and Julian. "Yes, Captain Julian had fought with them, and he can explain to you in more detail," said Captain Perry, and patrol leader Carlson turned to Captain Julian. He began to state the details while the middle-aged man noted them down. At the same time, the second ship had appeared on the other side, and people on it began to climb on it through the ladder. With how things have changed, Captain Julian had asked for more guards since John Santos had been unwilling to drop that expensive thing here. So, more security. These people are from the Greltheaven''s office in Deerpond. "My apologies that you had to suffer such an attack; I have noted down all the details, which I will send to the city, and they will start an investigation about it immediately," said the patrol leader Carlson. He may be saying those words, but it will be hard to find those people unless they have put in the effort. The Rogues are slippery; they are careful and have skills that help them remain undetected. "I hope the great city Deerpond finds those damned thieves," said Captain Perry angrily. "Don''t worry, captain, we will find them," said the patrol leader Carlson and jumped out of the deck into his small boat. After he left, the ship began to speed up again. I stayed out till we passed the Deerpond before going back to the cabin, which now had two guards guarding it. Aside from Dan, there is one extra guard posted at my door; it couldn''t help but make me feel relieved. I went inside my cabin and studied it for an hour more before sleeping. By the time I woke up in the morning, we had passed the Riverbell and now moving toward the Inam. I freshened up and had my breakfast with everyone, which had been silent; the only thing we had talked about was work, and after we finished, each of us went back to our cabins. After I returned from the awkward breakfast, I read a little before again starting to study the contracts. I only stopped when we reached the Inam, and the city, without a doubt, was huge. It had two walls; the central wall held about two hundred people who were rich too well off, while the other wall held millions of people from middle-class to poor. It is the last city wasteland but is part of the Halsad region. "It is really a wonderful city," said Locke Hercule as he saw the city. "You have stayed here for a long time, right?" I asked. It seemed to surprise him, but a moment later smoothened his expressions and nodded. "Yes, for a decade." He replied, looking at the city with reminiscent eyes. "If you don''t mind me asking, why do you shift to a small and dangerous place like Greltheaven from huge and prosperous Iman?" I asked. He did not answer me immediately; I thought he might not, and I opened my mouth to apologize for the intrusive question when he opened his mouth. "You know how things are in our big mercantile houses," he said softly, still looking at the city. "Here, everything belongs to house; while I had control over a great wealth, I do not have the independence I need." "I could do nothing to leave my mark here," "So, when I saw the opportunity, I packed my bags and moved to the Greltheaven, investing every penny I had in my name there," he said with a smile. "The house gives great power, but it also constrains us; Greltheaven is a place where we can have the best of both worlds with a small dose of risk," I said, and that brightened the smile on his face. "Well, said Remus Silver, well said," he said and patted my back. Soon, the ship passed through the small canal and entered the sea; as it did, the sails opened up further, and half of the runic enchantments which had been silent till now had lighted up. A few seconds later, I felt the ship picking up speed, and within a few minutes, the speed of the ship had near doubled than what it had been on the river. Which was already greater considering we were moving with river and had activated enchantments for speed. "Have you been to Namdar, Remus?" asked Locke, to which I shook my head. "Then you are for a great treat; it is unlike any city of Empire," he said. "I heard," I said with a smile. I have heard a lot of things, and one of the greatest things about it that some of the laws of the Empire are not strictly followed there. It is a lot more independent and open compared to the other cities of the Empire; one can see things there that are not allowed in the Empire. I am quite excited to see it, as it will give me an idea of how far I could stretch things when I moved to the grey zone. Currently, I am doing everything by the book, but I do not plan to; in a year or two, I plan to move into the grey zone, but before I do that, I need to see the limits of the Empire. In these things, one needs to be very careful; one wrong step, and I would end up in jail, and even all the power of the house would not be able to help me. Sigh! I sighed and looked at the endless Atal sea; it immediately made me feel serene. I stayed on the deck till it was time for lunch; I had lunch with others, which was less awkward than the morning. After lunch, we had a meeting with lawyers and John Santos, where we discussed the business. The Namdar city is very important; our success will increase the trade to the city, which will benefit every merchant here directly and indirectly. We have our everything for the success of this trip. Soon, the day passed, and the night came, which looked even more beautiful. In the night, I stayed on the deck reading for more than two hours before I went inside my cabin. The morning came, and we started the work right after breakfast; we will reach the city of Namdar today and begin our work tomorrow. Our plan is to stay for three days, where we will the general contracts and then negotiate on important ones; signing even a third of those would be great for the merchant guild and the city. Hours passed when we finally began to see the islands. There were thousands of tiny islands; some were small as a few hundred meters, while others were miles long. The merchant houses of people on the ship owned at least one island here, including the house of Silver; we owned two islands here, and one was grandfather''s private island. He comes there every year and spends at least one week; being invited there is considered a great honor in the family. One and a half hours passed when a huge island came into view. Through it, thousands of ships could be seen coming and going to the Empire and many kingdoms and continents. Gasp! A few more minutes have passed, and the island became clear. I could finally see the city, and as I saw it, I couldn''t stop myself from gasping in wonder. All the praise I have heard about it pales compared to what I am seeing right now.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Hey guys, sorry for telling you all so suddenly, but I am taking a break for three days. Something suddenly came up, but if everything goes well, I will return Saturday with a new chapter. Chapter 42: Gerald Silver Chapter 42: Gerald Silver The city of Namdar came into view, and what a city it is; the first thing I noticed about its sheer size. It is huge, really huge, huge as the cities on the earth, with more than ten million population. There are a couple of things that take one attention when one looks at this city. The first is the huge port that stretched for miles; it had thousands of ships coming and going every hour. Every type of ship stops here, even a few flying ones which could be seen in the skies. The second that attracts attention is the city itself; it is vast, spread across every angle, but not messily; one can see there is detailed planning in it, and it attracts the eyes of everyone who see it. Still, both of these pale in comparison in front of the grey mage tower on a cliff that pierces through the sky. It is the sole reason why in the past fifty years, everything that attacked the city had been sunk into the sea. It is the seat of the warden of Namdar, the Lady of storms, the only person in the whole Empire who does not kneel to the Emperor. Helen Salazar, or if you want to be formal, then Grand Mage Salazar. A storm mage, one of few people in the Empire above Level 50. She is so powerful that those monsters of S class shudder in the name of fighting her. She is technically an S class, but she is a storm mage, one most offensive types of spellcaster; one could not measure her strength only through the level alone. ¡°You know I had seen Grand Mage Salazar; that woman is really something else,¡± said Locke and shuddered visibly. I heard the same words from my father. There is no need for me to be worried about her; I am too far below to be in contact with her. Only reaching the level of my grandfather do I need to think about her. The ship moved closer and closer to the port, giving a better look at this majestic city, till it docked at the port. ¡°Best of luck, Gentlemen,¡± said Captain Perry as we walked out of the ship into the huge port. We did not have to walk further, as carriages were already waiting for us, including one for me. ¡°Gentlemen, rest today and make preparation; from tomorrow, things will be tough,¡± he said and walked toward the carriage with the house of Santos sigil on it. Others also went to carriages that were waiting for them, while Lawyers were going to the hotel. Merchant guild had booked a very nice hotel for them. As for me, I am going to one of the properties owned by the house of Silver. ¡°Master Remus,¡± the guard waiting by carriage greeted me and opened the door for me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and entered inside while Dan walked in after me, sitting in the opposite chair. A second later, the carriage begins to move. I sat comfortably, watching the scenery as the carriage drove through the port. This time, the family did not try to fuck me up. They have sent an enchanted carriage, which cost thrice as much as mine, and also the guards with it for my security, as I had asked them. ¡°Dan, have you been to the Namdar before?¡± I asked Dan while looking through the window. ¡°Yes, a few times; it is a wonderful city,¡± he replied, looking out. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I said. The more I look at it, the more impressed I become; it is really beautiful, but the thing that impressed me is its planning. It is an old city, thousands of years old, but it has wide roads, signs at every corner, and discipline. I could not feel any chaoticness that I usually feel when I am in a crowded port. It took half an hour to get out of the port and enter the city proper, as I had expected; it was amazing. I could see people of all colors and clothes walking by the shops selling all kinds of things. Hun! As I was watching, I saw a freaking elf and wanted to shout at the driver to stop so that I could take a careful look at him, but I did not. It would be unsophisticated and would not take even a day to spread to the rest of the family. The family lives for such stories so that they can embarrass them at the right time. It hadn¡¯t been a minute; I saw the elf when I saw an orc walking openly without any problem; such a thing is impossible to do anywhere in the Empire. Power is everything in the world; as long as you have the power, you can bend or even break the rules, and nobody will do anything about it. In the next half an hour, I saw many orcs, elves, dwarfs, beastmen, and even a half-giant. It is not a complete giant; they are taller and seldom travel out of their holds. It is a half-giant, as humans and elves aren¡¯t that tall and have such big muscles. It took about little more than an hour before the carriage pulled into the sprawling mansion, and even Dan seemed impressed by it. It is impressive. The five-story sprawling mansion is beautiful with a big garden; in the whole of Greltheaven, there is not a single building of this level. It is one of the few properties house of silver has in the city. It is not the most impressive one; I had chosen this one because no one is living in it and if possible, I want to stay as far away from my relatives as possible. They are hazardous to my health. ¡°Welcome to Namdar city, Master Remus; I hope you will have a pleasant stay here,¡± greeted the old man as I walked out of the carriage. He is a bald man who looks to be in his early seventies, wearing the butler''s uniform. ¡°Mr. Roth,¡± I said. ¡°Your suit had been ready, according to your instructions,¡± he said and let me inside the mansion. As I had expected, it is as beautiful inside as it is outside. The paintings and various other art pieces adorned the hall, they were amazing, and if I had been used to it, I would have gawked at them. My father loved art, and he collected pieces; our house was littered with it. I still remember how I gawked at each piece when I took over this body; my father even mistakenly thought I had developed a taste for art. ¡°Master Remus, Master Gerald had invited you to his house for dinner and stay,¡± informed the butler as the elevator took us toward the top floor. ¡°Tell him not today; I am tired, and I have a lot of work to do,¡± I said. I will have to meet them and even have dinner before leaving, but not today. I am not ready for the family; even though my cousin Gerald is not bad, and his wife is hot, I do not have any intention to meet with him, at least not today, but given his habit, it really does not matter. Soon, we reached the top floor, and I entered my suite; it was big and had all the modern and magical amenities. The first thing I had was to freshen up before bringing out all the contracts and studying them. Locke is right about people of the merchant guild of Namdar chewing us up and not spitting out the bones. The merchant guild of this city is really powerful, and their people high-leveled. We will need to use every advantage we have to get maximum contracts signed in our favor. Which I think is not a big ask, considering the benefits our city will provide them. Time passed, and soon it was evening, and I was still working in my suit. Though I took a short break now and then and did not walk out of my suit, I have to finish going through the contracts today, and it will take a few more hours. To be honest, I very much rather roam this beautiful city than work, but work is important. I am sure I will get some time to roam the city in the next few days; I have a huge shopping to do, to buy things which only places like this have. Knock Knock I was working when a knock rang out on my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and the door opened, and Roth walked in. ¡°Master Remus, Master Gerald had come to meet you,¡± said the old man. Sigh! I sighed and put down the paper in my hand down, and got up. As I said before, my declining to meet him wouldn¡¯t stop him from meeting me. ¡°Where is he?¡± I asked as I got up, ¡°In the parlor,¡± replied the old man and took me to it. A minute later, I walked into the parlor, where I saw a man in his mid-thirties sitting. He is tall with a handsome face and fit physique, and like me, he also has those silvery grey eyes, the mark of the house of silver. ¡°Remus, my cousin, you wound my heart; you should have come to my home directly instead of here,¡± said the man dramatically, as always. ¡°Hello, Gerald,¡± I said and moved to shake his hands, but he took me in for a hug, which was a little uncomfortable, but as always, he did not care. Thankfully, the hug ended soon, and we sat across each other. ¡°You have made Selina quite sad not coming to our house; she had personally invited you, Remus,¡± he said, looking accusingly. Yes, I received the letter from his wife the day I left for Namdar. ¡°There is too much work for me to do,¡± I said, which only turned his expression even deeper. ¡°We could have given you privacy and even kept little rose away from your room,¡± he said, looking at me like I had given the biggest betrayal of his life. I know him, and unless I gave him something, he would not leave me alone. ¡°I will visit before leaving,¡± I said, but he kept looking at me, ¡°and spend a night in your house,¡± I added, and only a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Good, Selina will be very happy to hear that,¡± he said happily before his expression turned serious. ¡°You know, I did not think your brothers would stoop so low to do something like that; I have even written to grandfather about it,¡± he said. To that, I smiled. ¡°It is fine, Gerald; I am happy in the Greltheaven,¡± I said, and genuinely am, more than I thought and more than I would have been if I had gotten what my father had left me for. ¡°Good. I am happy to hear that,¡± he said with a smile before his expression turned serious again. ¡°There is another reason I have come here,¡± he said, and to that, I arched her brow. ¡°Your negotiations tomorrow will likely be handled by Carter Adams; he handles the small cities,¡± ¡°Be careful of him; his skills tend toward beguiling suggestions. He is very good at what he does,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll remember it,¡± I said. He stayed for another ten minutes before he left with that happy-go smile on his face. That smile and altitude fool most people for the first time; it is one of his natural strengths, which he learned to use like a sharp sword. He is one most successful merchants of the house, which is the reason why he got the Namdar, and he got that nearly a decade ago when he was barely thirty. I watched him leave before I went back to my suit to make even further preparations. I already expected things were going to be harder, and now I have become sure of it. Thank You My Patrons: Andar, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 43: Negotiations Chapter 43: Negotiations ¡°Your Deathless,¡± said the man and kneeled in front of the huge bone throne in a giant silent hall cloaked in twilight. ¡°Hezar,¡± said the pale man on the bone throne languidly, but his words held a power that no one could resist. ¡°How is the progress in Dekas?¡± asked the pale man sitting on the bone throne; he is unmoving, like a dead person; the only part of his moving is his mouth. ¡°We are moving steadily, faster than we had thought we would,¡± ¡°We will have Dekas in your death domain within six months, as you had desired,¡± he replied, and the pale man nodded slightly. There was a deathly silence for more than a minute before a faint smile appeared on the pale man''s face. ¡°Our small surprise had reached the boundary of the Namdar,¡± said the pale man on the throne before looking at the kneeling man below. ¡°You still do not approve of this little surprise of mine?¡± asked the man on the throne with a smile. ¡°I think it is too risky, your deathless. We shouldn¡¯t antagonize empire and Helen Salazar yet, at least till the Emperor of Harsoth is dead,¡± replied Hezar. The emperor may be in his last years, but he is still a very powerful man; the power of the whole empire lies in his hand, against even they couldn¡¯t compete. At least not yet. ¡°The empire is not strong as it was a few decades ago, and besides, what can Helen Salazar do? We are not Yressor, where she will bring down her storms,¡± he said with a smile; Hezar, too, couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You are right, your deathless,¡± agreed Hezar, knowing too well that if she dared to come to Mayhurst Island, then not even her body would leave its shores. ¡°The Emperor of Harsoth is dying; he is now more concerned about preserving his legacy than fending off enemies,¡± ¡°He will not do anything, and whatever he does, it will be purely symbolic, which will be easily able to handle,¡± said the pale with a grinning smile. ¡°Your deathless is wise,¡± said Hezar and bowed deeper. ... ¡°I hope everything goes well,¡± said Santos with a slightly nervous smile as he got out of the carriage. Locke, I, and others followed behind him. The lawyers have already gotten out of their carriage and now staring at the merchant guild with awe; it is really awe-worthy. A twenty-five-story building, which is quite rare in this world, and not became they can¡¯t build it. They could do it easily, but it is even easier to shoot it down with a single spell. This is why most sky-scrappers in these worlds are built in well-protected cities, and true skyscrapers, which could go a hundred stories tall, are usually the mage towers. Storm watch, the mage tower of Grand Mage Salazar, is over a hundred stories tall. ¡°Let''s go,¡± said John Santos, and we entered inside the building; while Lawyers may be awed, merchants are not. They are from the big mercantile houses; they have seen these kinds of buildings since before they could walk, and their families owned even taller buildings than this. We walked through the huge door and entered the grand lobby; thousands of people could be seen going around their business. It is huge, and there is a freaking flying waterfall here; the water does not touch the ground at all. Instead, it flew around the lobby, giving the whole lobby a calming presence and showing off the power of merchants. Creating something like that is not easy; one needs at least level 35 or even Level 40 Mage or enchanter to do it. ¡°John Santos from Greltheaven Merchant Guild,¡± he said to the receptionist while flashing a golden merchant badge. In our delegation, only three people have this badge, John Santos, Locke, and me, only important people of mercantile houses have this, and they are taken away if we do perform by the standards. ¡°Yes, sir, your meeting will be held in the seventeenth-floor conference room,¡± she said, and a man in his thirties sitting behind got up and appeared in front of us. ¡°Please,¡± he said politely and took us toward the elevator, whose magical screen disappeared as we appeared in front of it, and we stepped inside on the disk. The disk is big enough to bear us all without feeling congested. Ting! As all of us stepped inside, the energy screen surrounded us and began to float up. It was quite fast; in less than ten seconds, the disk stopped, and the door of the elevators opened with the ting. We all stepped inside, and the man chauffeured us to the big conference room, which was empty. ¡°The sub-Guildmaster, Carter Adams, will see you soon,¡± he said and left us alone in the conference room. Nobody is surprised; the powerful Guild behaves as such. If we had been a powerful city, they would have been waiting for us. It is the reason why the negotiations on their side were led by a sub-Guildmaster, not even a Vice-Guildmaster. ¡°Well, it takes me back,¡± said John Santos; from what I know, before coming to Greltheaven, he was in Mirstone, the capital of Randav region. In the merchant guild there, he held the position of Guildmaster of the wool guild. It is a very good position, but he left it, and the reason is the same as Locke, to make something of himself. Nearly all the people from the big mercantile houses have come to the Greltheaven for a similar reason. We took our seats and waited. It is going to be a challenging day, even more than I had thought; the letter yesterday had messed up all the timing. We have to sign all the contracts today, the general ones and also the important ones, because if not, then we will have to wait for six days. I don¡¯t know whether something important has really come up and is a strategy on their part; the big guilds are not above that. It doesn¡¯t matter; what matter is everything is going to finish today, and it might take a lot of time. Click! We had to wait for four minutes before the door opened, and a group of people walked inside. The one leading them is a handsome man in his early forties with silvery blond hair and pale blue eyes. ¡°Gentlemen, my apologies; we were held up with something,¡± he said charmingly, and immediately, I felt all the irritation and the faint anger I had toward him dissipating. It had alarmed me, and I immediately became cautious. This man is very dangerous; what he used were just his passive skills, but they were controlled and powerful enough to work without alerting my senses. I watched him cautiously as he took a seat directly opposite John Santos, and after him sat the six people he had brought. ¡°It is fine; we weren¡¯t waiting for long,¡± said Santos with a relaxed smile. ¡°Most of you have already known me, but let me introduce myself to rest; I am Carter Adams; I will be responsible for the negotiation between our guilds,¡± he said, looking at us before turning to Santos. ¡°It has been a while, John,¡± said Carter Adams, ¡°Yes, about one and a half years,¡± replied Santos, keeping a light smile on his face. ¡°Since we have only one day, let¡¯s move quickly,¡± he said without changing that charming smile off his face. ¡°These are the general contracts,¡± said John Santos and moved the pile forward; Carter took the pile and divided the contracts between six people and himself and began to read it. Fourteen minutes later, the last one of them had put down the contract and given the nod to Carter. ¡°Everything is well and good,¡± he said and began to stamp the contracts and sign them. A few seconds later, I felt the contract click, and a few seconds after then, another contract had been clicked, few seconds after that. I have attached my skills to every contract here, it had given me quite a headache due to the scale they represent, but I bore it; even now, I am bearing it as it touched the contract. This is a great opportunity to level up my lawyer skills, and I am not going to waste them for a little headache. Finally, the last general contract clicked. ¡°Now that we have done with the general contract, let''s move to the important ones,¡¯ he said and took the first contract from the second pile, which had quite a lot of contracts. ¡°We will start with the consumer goods taxes,¡± said Carter Adams. John Santos nodded and took the copy consumer goods contract; Rip and I also took ours. Three of us will lead the negotiations, while others will aid us if they can think of something, but most in skill, especially reinforcing us. We began a second later, and within a few seconds, I saw the power of Carter''s skills, and it was so great that it slowed down my thoughts and compelled me to agree with everything he had said. John Santos had good skills and high leveled, and Lawyers, including Rip, had piled up their skills to resist it, but it was still hard. This is his forte, and while Rip and John Santos are good, the man in front of us is better, which is not surprising considering how powerful the guild is and how influence works much little here than in Greltheaven. Namdar is a powerful city, and its warden is even more powerful, who could easily ward off the pressure from the empire and powerful mercantile houses. This helps her in choosing the best people for the merchant guilds; the connections and backings are important here, but more important is the ability. Without it, she would not give you a position in the merchant guild, even if you were the son top merchant house of the empire. It had actually happened; she had rejected the son of the head of the house of Bale a few years ago. It was quite a shame for the most powerful mercantile house of the empire, but they did it with a smile on their faces. Even with all their wealth and connections, they could do nothing. In the first minute of the negotiations, my back got drenched with the sheer pressure of skills I was resisting. He made offers, and we countered; his words were held such a compulsion that we wanted to agree with everything but resisted as much as we could. This is the hardest negotiation I have done in my life, and I am very grateful that I studied the contracts such vigorously that I nearly memorized them, which helped me tremendously when his skills tried to confuse me. ¡°You all lead tough negotiations, especially your young silver; you do not leave an inch,¡± he said as we agreed on taxes on consumer goods. He signed the changed contract before sending it to us; all three of us studied it, and only then did John Santos sign, and the contract clicked. ¡°The seconds are taxes on th...¡± he said as he took out another contract, and we resumed the negotiations. Hours passed as we negotiated one contract after another; jugs of water ahead of us emptied and filled again, but I did not feel my bladder getting filled. As all the water was released through my head and back. It is not just me but also John Santos and Rip; they are, too, under extreme pressure, but we are moving ahead. ¡°Next one i....¡± ¡°I think we should take a break; we have been negotiating for more than five hours, and all of us are feeling a little tired and hungry,¡± said John Santos, cutting him off. ¡°Very well, we will take a break of an hour before resuming again,¡± he said with a never changing, charming smile and got up and left with his people, leaving us alone in the conference room. ¡°Bastard, he is tougher than we had thought,¡± cursed John Santos, though not really angry. ¡°Yes, he is tough, but we were able to sign a good number of important contracts, and it is just an afternoon,¡± I said with a smile. All the contracts we have signed are satisfactory; if they had not, we wouldn¡¯t have signed them. Just like those two contracts, we were not able to agree on. The terms are good, a little better than we had expected, which had put a smile on our faces. ¡°Remus, you are good; I truly did not think you would be this good. I am really happy you have come with us,¡± he said with a big smile while Rip and the others nodded. ¡°It is all thanks to you, vice-Guildmaster; you have given me ample time to study them,¡± I said humbly, and as I expected, his smile got even bigger. ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat something; I don¡¯t think Carter Adams will let us have dinner on time tonight.¡± He said, and all of us got up and walked out of the conference room. Thank You My Patrons: Andar, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 44: Extreme Magic Region Chapter 44: Extreme Magic Region ¡°With this agreement of prohibitive goods, the negotiations are over,¡± said Carter with that charming smile and signed the last contract before sliding toward John Santos. I don¡¯t know how he could keep that smile on his face for more than twelve hours, but he is doing it. After long negotiations, I could barely muster to smile; my mouth was already hurting with all the talking I¡¯d done today. ¡°All done,¡± said John Santos as he signed, and I felt the contract clicked in my mind. ¡°It was tough negotiating with you, gentlemen; I hope both of our cities benefit tremendously from it,¡± he said, and we shook hands, and a few minutes later, we walked out of the conference room with bright smiles on our tired faces. ¡°It is really unexpected; we have signed more contracts than we had even dreamed of,¡± said John Santos as the elevator began to take us down. ¡°Total one hundred and three agreements,¡± I said with a grin, and others grinned with me. What we have achieved today is really great, more than we had thought. Signing 93% of agreements, we would have been more than happy if we had been able to even sign 30%, but we ended up over 90%. It is quite surprising, even when one thinks about easy access to the merchant city-state through us. There must be some reason for them to sign so many agreements because, usually, things are not this easy. Others also seemed to realize it, but nobody discussed it; the agreements are beneficial to them and us, and there is no need to think anything further other than increasing the trade of our city and making our businesses thrive. Soon, we got off the elevator into the lobby, which was far emptier than morning, which was not surprising, as it was midnight. Nearly one am. ¡°For today¡¯s success, I am going to throw a party tomorrow at my family''s private island, and I will not accept no,¡± said John Santos as he looked at all of us. I wanted to reject his invitation, but seeing his expression, I nodded. I have built a great rapport with him, especially after the negotiations. There are some permissions I want, and I am sure he will help me; I might not even need to spend the favor I had from Damon Hardt for this. ¡°All of you be ready by the afternoon, we will go to the island by yacht, and I will even invite a few of my friends from the city,¡± he said with a big smile. The party was going to be big, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about it. I have never been to the private, in here or on earth. Though I always wanted to go, and tomorrow will be my chance. Soon, we walked out and moved toward individual carriages that were already waiting for us. I waved the last goodbye and sat inside, and soon; the carriage began to ride away toward the manor while I sat comfortably, feeling a little sleepy. [Lawyer Level 6] [Lawyer Level 7] [Class Gained: Lawful Suggestions] The text appeared in front of me, and immediately, all the sleepiness wiped away from my eyes, and a radiant smile appeared on my face. I have leveled up in my class, not once, but twice and most importantly, gained a skill. It is not a normal skill, but one considered very good. It is the first skill that will help me offensively in negotiations. If I had this skill in the morning, it would have helped me tremendously, but it does not matter, as I have the skill now. I closed the window a few minutes before looking at the city through the window, and like a true metropolis, it is bustling with activities, even at this time. Some areas are more active than others, especially the market areas. Soon, I reached the manor, and as I had got out, I went directly for my suit. I had dinner in the merchant guild with Carter and his team, which was good because of the way the negotiation was going; I don¡¯t think we would have lasted till midnight on an empty stomach. I changed and lay on the bed, and within a minute, I fell asleep. Clang Thap Clang Our weapons clashed intensely; I was using all my skills, sometimes together, sometimes alone, as I pressed against Dan. I did not stop, even when Dan hit me; I have gotten used to the pain with instructor David that now I simply discard it. For the first time, Dan is also using his skills, and they are dangerous, every dangerous that in the first hour of the spar, I got hit by him repeatedly. ¡°Good, it seemed like instructor David had been teaching you well. Your movements have become more precise; you don¡¯t dance around like a monkey anymore,¡± he said, and the blade turned misty and hit me across the shoulder. I did not react much and pressed ahead, moving with Quick Steps and attacking with Consecutive Strikes. Now and then, I would use Heavy Strike, but not as much as those two skills, Heavy Strike, takes more stamina and thus need to be used sparingly, but it is a great skill, instantly doubling the power of the attack. Dan had been impressed with the skill, saying the skill is a powerful killing tool, and it is. Thud! We sparred for three hours before I fell down and motioned through my hand for the spar to be over. Clap Clap Clap ¡°Master Remus, I had heard about your great talent in fighting, and now I have seen it; it is truly amazing,¡± said Roth as he came clapping. The old man was kissing ass, but it felt good to be praised, and I took it with a smile, which was painful considering Dan had hit on my face; not hard to break any teeth, but still hard enough that I could not move my muscle of my face, without feeling acute pain. I lay on the grass for fifteen minutes before I got up and slowly walked toward my suit, with my muscles screaming up in pain. Roth had offered to put a muscle-numbing cream on me, but I declined. I am not comfortable with the old guy touching me. Soon, I reached my suit and began to apply muscle-numbing cream; I had even mixed a drop of healing potion inside it. Dan is not an instructor; in the flow of spar, some of this moves hit a little too hard. While they may heal on their own, it will take time and will cause a lot of discomforts, which I don¡¯t want. At least not today. So, after I applied the cream all over my body, I rested for fifteen minutes till the pain and discomfort were gone before showering. By the time I had brunch, it was time to leave; I had woken up a little late, and add to that three hours of sparring, an hour it took for my shower and brunch, it was already an afternoon. I sat in the carriage, and it drove out of the mansion. I wanted to use this day for shopping, but John Santos had disturbed those plans by inviting me to his family¡¯s private island. Tomorrow, I am going to use the whole day for shopping; I have already made a list and even added a few things, and I only hope that the money I have will be enough because those things are not cheap. Soon, the carriage entered the port and, in about twenty minutes, stopped in front of the beautiful yacht docked in the port. The yacht is beautiful, a piece of the art covered in lacquered white coat and long masts on which the enchanted script is shining in the afternoon sun. I got out of the carriage and walked toward the yacht with my guards following behind me. ¡°Remus Silver,¡± I said to guards who were guarding the entrance and moved ahead without stopping. They looked at me but did not stop me, and I climbed into the yacht, where John Santos was already waiting. ¡°Remus, you have taken quite a time,¡± he said as I appeared on the deck. ¡°I think there are still around ten minutes before we leave, vice-Guild master,¡± I replied with a smile. I have come right before time. ¡°Yes, we will leave him fifteen minutes,¡± he said and turned toward my guards. ¡°Only one guard Remus, the yacht, and the island have enough security,¡± ¡°Vice-Guildmaster, the attack of two days ago had filled my heart with quite a fear; please let me have my guards,¡± I said pitifully while touching my chest. He looked at me for a second before sighing. ¡°Fine, you can keep two guards, but no more,¡± he said, and a smile appeared on my face. ¡°Thank you, vice-guild master,¡± I thanked and turned to the guards. There are seven of them; I have intentionally brought more, so I will have more ground. ¡°Dan, Leena stays; rest of you go back to the mansion,¡± I said; the five guards nodded and walked out of the yacht. Leena is a short hair woman in her early forties; she is tall and lean like me used a rapier. According to Roth, she is also the most powerful among the guards and was an adventurer before retiring and taking a job as a manor guard. I walked onto the deck and met others who had already started drinking. ¡°Come, Remus, drink it; we deserve it after such a successful stressful,¡± said Locke as he handed me the glass of golden wine. ¡°Cheers then,¡± I said and clinked the glasses with him, and took a sip. The wine was smooth and went down my throat like a turn before turning to warn my stomach, giving me an amazing feeling. We are not the only ones; there are quite a lot of people on the yacht that John Santos had invited. I mingled with them, talking and laughing, and soon, the yacht began to move out of the dock. ¡°Remus, come here,¡± I was talking with the woman Locke knew when john Santos called me. I walked toward him, where he was talking to a bald, middle-aged man wearing diamond studs. ¡°Waris, this young man is Remus Silver; he is sharp in business as well as in law,¡± introduces John Santos, and bald looked at me; I could feel him using skills before he stopped, and his eyes lit up. ¡°A silver,¡± he said as he looked at me carefully, ¡°Remus, this is my good friend Waris Scent; he is a seller of indentured workers,¡± ¡°You can every type of person, from blacksmith to chef, even the kind your business needs,¡± he said, and the smile on my face had brightened up further. Slavery is forbidden in the empire, but the lesser form of it still exists. Indenture; many people in need or some other circumstances indentured themselves, and those contracts could be bought and sold. Like I had done with my brother, who sold me the girls'' contracts. ¡°A pleasure, mister Scent,¡± I said as I shook the middle-aged man¡¯s hand. ¡°A pleasure is all mine, young Silver,¡± he said, and we began to talk while John Santos moved to talk to someone else. As John Santos had said, many sell everything, including prostitutes. ¡°You should visit my store, young silver; just yesterday, a new batch of prostitutes arrived from the herald.¡± ¡°There is even one group, who are above level 20,¡± he said. ¡°If I have time, I will surely visit your store before leaving Namdar,¡± I said with a smile. I talked to the man for a few minutes before moving to the other people on the yacht and such; an hour passed by when suddenly the conversation of the yacht died down as faint pressure enveloped the yacht. Everyone looked at the distant island in silence. In the Namdar islands, people consider the island of Namdar to be the biggest one, but it is not. The delirium island is. This distance is three times bigger than Namdar island; inside, it is even bigger, tens of times bigger. That distant island is one of the most dangerous places in the world, an extreme magic region. As the name implies, the magic is extremely concentrated there and creates wonders. That place is where the powerful monsters lie, powerful enough to contend or even kill Helena Salazar. The high magic there also expanded the region within, that it is many times bigger than it looks from the outside. Courageous or idiot adventurers flock there, and those who return alive not only come with levels but also great fortune. Everything there is precious, from the blade of grass to common soil. It is so dense with magic that alchemists and mages buy everything that comes out of there. There are seven such regions across the empire, and hundreds exist worldwide. Thank You My Patrons: Andar, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 45: Undead Invasion I Chapter 45: Undead Invasion I "Maedas," said John Santos as the small island came into view; it grew bigger and bigger till it was just a few hundred meters away. According to Santos, it is eight miles long and five miles wide; it is not the biggest among the Namdar Islands, but also not the smallest. There are many hills on the island, and on the biggest is a huge manor; even from far, it looked amazing. Fifteen minutes later, the yacht was docked at the small pier, and we walked out of it, gathering in a crowd of nearly a hundred people, including the security of forty-six guards. "Welcome to Maedas, ladies, and gentlemen," said Santos as he led us toward the manor with a finely crafted road. There are carriages, but we are walking while Captain Julian and his men spread around, looking for any threat that might come, despite John Santos''s assurance that all animals here have been culled and there is a force of fifty people, always guarding the island. I do not mind walking; nobody here does; everyone is busy enjoying the natural beauty of the island. ¡°This island is very well developed,¡± I said as I looked around. ¡°It is not surprising the house of Santos owned this island for nearly two centuries, which is more than enough for them to develop the way they wanted,¡± replied Locke. With enough money, a year is more than enough, and these people have centuries, and it shows. The whole island is one big garden, and every tree is chosen; every blade of grass has a purpose. There is not a single thing here that is not planned, and it looks wonderful. I am all for natural beauty, but you have to recognize art and what they have done with it is truly art. I truly wished I had my phone right now; I would have definitely loved to click a few pictures. ¡°You see that bearwood tree there; that big tree was planted by my grand uncle in the year we had brought this island,¡± said Santos motioning toward a huge shade tree. He is showing off, but nobody seems to mind it; when you have such a beautiful thing, you show off. I looked at everything, wanting to capture them in my mind; some of them even gave me an idea about, what I wanted to do with the garden, and I am going to do it when I return. It took nearly an hour to reach the hill, but we did not climb it, instead moved around for two hours, enjoying the different gardens that are around the island. I also noticed the manor is on the hill is not the only building; there few more others around the island, built by the many members of the house of Santos. We roamed around for two more hours before finally climbing the hill when the sun started to go down. At that time, the new boats begin to dock at the pier; there are a few more people that Santos has invited who will join the party. ¡°My dear friends, welcome to lux manor,¡± he said and opened its huge glass doors, and the first thing we saw was a huge hall covered in glass walls, giving the view of the whole island. As we entered the hall, the staff was already waiting for us, with the drinks and refreshments. We took them and followed Santos, who showed off the manor before taking us to the roof, where the original party was to be held. ¡°Wow!¡± It is the only word that came out of my mouth as I scenery around me from the highest place on the island. ¡°Its really something isn¡¯t it,¡± said Locke beside me, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. It is truly impressive. By the time people from newly arrived ships arrived on the roof, it was completely dark, and now the island looked even more beautiful. Light crystals lit across the islands, and also light trees of a different kind, including the ones I had in my establishment. It looked mesmerizing, and seeing such beautiful scenery; I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to open the establishment in a place like this. On a private island. A place like this with complete freedom, especially where a big city like Namdar is close. I am sure I would not have any problem getting clients. ¡®The dream is too big.¡¯ I thought and shook my head. Even the smallest island costs millions of imperials, and I trade in crowns; I would need decades at least to get the kind of money to buy an island and create the establishment of extravagance I am dreaming of. I moved out of those thoughts and went back to people to mingle. There are quite a lot of interesting people here, not just merchants but others too, including a Knight from the order of black star, a knight order based in Namdar. Once upon a time, they used to be the warden of Namdar. Time passed, and with it, the party got merrier, and people began to get drunk; I even spotted middle-aged men and women kissing each like horny teenagers. I flirted with some women but never let go too far, even when they were ready; such actions have consequences, especially with married women. I had suffered once, and I am not powerful enough to bear the consequences; I wouldn¡¯t take such a risk. ¡°Care to dance, young silver,¡± asked a beautiful woman who looked to be in her early fifties. ¡°When beautiful women like you ask Eva, how I can I refuse,¡± I said with and took her hands. This is Eva Charles, one of the few people I knew from before; I had met her once in Redfawn. ¡°My, you dance quite well, even better than your father,¡± the women said as we danced under the night sky. ¡°You are not bad yourself, Eva,¡± I said, and the older woman smiled, and her smile was beautiful. John Santos really knows how to throw a party; he chose the best location and brought unlimited booze and great music. Time passed so quickly that before I knew it, it was twelve, and I started to feel sleepy. ¡°Vice-guild master, I am going to turn in,¡± I said to John Santos, ¡°The night is still young, Remus; stay a little,¡± he said, a little drunkenly. ¡°I like to, but I don¡¯t think I will be able to hold the sleep,¡± I said with a smile, ¡°Fine them, the staff will take you to your room,¡± he said; I nodded and walked toward, while saying good night, Locke, Eva, and other people. As I walked out of the exit, Dan and Leena came behind me, and the staff took me to my room. Which is quiet, with huge glass walls that provide a great view of the island and the ocean. ... Bang, Bang, Thud! I was woken up by a loud banging sound before my door crashed open, and Dan and Leena walked inside. I was about to bark at them irritatingly when seeing the expressions on their faces made me close my mouth. ¡®What happened?¡¯ I asked, looking at my pocket watch on the table beside me, which told me there was not even an hour since I had slept. They better have a good reason to wake me up. ¡°Look,¡± said Dan with obvious fear in his eyes as he motioned toward the glass wall, and I turned toward it. For a moment, my tired eyes weren¡¯t able to see anything, but a second later, I saw what he was trying me to see, and my eyes widened in the sheer horror that my mind had frozen up for a moment. I saw zombies and skeletons walking toward the mansion, in large numbers, in hundreds. Everywhere I look, I see them; there is not a single place where I cannot see those things. The bad things do not just stop there; the pier, which had been packed with ships, now had none. I could see the small white form, which seemed to be half submerged in water. ¡°They have cut off all the escapes from the island,¡± said Dan, as if knowing what I was thinking. This is obviously pre-planned; this is not the effect of an artifact or relic, but someone intentionally sent an undead here and also cut off all the escape routes. They obviously want to kill everyone on the island. ¡°When had they appeared?¡± I asked as I calmed myself from the panic. ¡°Just a few minutes ago, all of a sudden, they began to pop out of the ground and come out of the sea,¡± said Dan, shaking. I had never seen him like this; even when the orcs attacked, his voice was even, and his gait confident. Leena seemed much better off than him. We fell silent, but it was not completely silent; I could hear the loud screams and sounds of fighting. I did not have to be intelligent to know that the undead had already entered the manor. ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked because I had no freaking idea about the undead, and the tidbits I knew had been jumbled in panic. Dan seemed to have no idea either as he looked at Leena. ¡°We obviously can¡¯t stay here; the undead will come here sooner or later,¡± she said. ¡°If possible, we need a fortified space to hide, something that could isolate life aura; the undead attracted to it.¡± ¡°And master silver, pick up your blade; whether you want or not, you will need to fight, at least till the rescue arrive from Namdar,¡± she said. I nodded and immediately got out of bed and picked up the blade, and my bag, which I had opened fumblingly, and took out potion bottles. ¡°Here are the stamina and health potion bottles,¡± I said and handed them two healing potions and two stamina potion bottles; they looked a little surprised, especially Leena, but they took it without hesitation. These people are going to protect me, and I have to give them everything that will give them a chance to survive. These potions are expensive, but I don¡¯t fucking care; I will buy more later, and if I survive, I will give them a fat bonus. Like I did to Dan and Johan after returning from the Blain, I paid double what we had agreed. I had just given them the potion when I heard the steps and desperately wished it would be a human, but to my shock, it was a grotesque zombie holding a rusted blade. The moment it saw us, it moved toward us, and its speed was not slow at all; it moved quite quickly while I was frozen in fear. Thankfully, Leena had not; she crossed the distance between the zombie and herself in a second and swung her rapier at speed, I could see. Pachac! A clean sound rang out, and a moment later, I saw the head of the zombie falling on the ground. Thank You My Patrons: Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 46: Undead Invasion II Chapter 46: Undead Invasion II ¡°You need to cut off the head of the zombie to kill them; the same with skeletons, though you will need to crush its head afterward as our blades are not covered in holy element,¡± Leena said. I nodded dumbly before walking toward her and looked at Zombie; she had decapitated. ¡°I think we should get out of this manor; it is what they are targeting,¡± said Leena, ¡°What about finding a safe place?¡± I asked. There are so many zombies outside it would be hard to get out without them attacking. ¡°It would be hard to find a safe place in chaos, but we will keep an eye; if we do not find one, then getting out of the mansion would be the right choice,¡± she said pragmatically, and I so much wanted to decline. Focusing on finding a safe place sounded much better. ¡°Ok, we will do what you say,¡± I said; there was no other option; she is one who has experience with the undead. ¡°Let¡¯s go; the more we stay here, the more dangerous it will be,¡± she said, and we stepped out of my room, and the moment we did, I saw the utter horror. The things that will give me nightmares for months to come. Everywhere I look, I see the undead; zombies and skeletons are everywhere, fighting humans and killing them. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed as I saw a man in his sixties gutted into his stomach by a skeleton. He is Germain White, was a jovial old man, and now he is gutted in front of me before the skeleton is decapitated by a guard and its skull crushed under his foot. ¡°Let''s go,¡± said Leena a little loudly to get my focus, and we moved; our focus was to reach the ground. It is a five-floor building, and we are on the fourth floor; taking the elevator is out of the question, so the only choice we have is to go down the stairs, killing many zombies and skeletons. Thankfully, it seemed like we were not the only people thinking that; some other people are too thinking the same, wanting to get out before more zombies swarmed into the manor. Leena is ahead of me, and Dan is behind, while I am in the middle, protected by both sides but not truly safe given the numbers of undead roaming on the floor. A few seconds later, one Zombie and skeleton walked out of the room, and Leena moved quickly. She decapitated the skeleton instantly, dodged the Zombie''s attack, and decapitated it a moment later before crushing the skeleton''s head with her food as it fell down on the ground. I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised by the practiced ease she had finished the two undead before moving forward. A few steps later, we come across the body of a man; I don¡¯t know who it is, as it is face down, and they have done quite a work on him. Another zombie came out, and immediately, Leena killed it, and at the same time, two skeletons burst out of the room behind and directly went for Dan. I froze before moving to help him, but it seemed like I was worried for nothing. The moment they attacked him, all the fear and hesitation had disappeared from his eyes, and he attacked them. He decapitated them in a single strike before crushing their skulls with his feet, though with much less grace than Leena had. ¡°Try to avoid using the skills; these undead are swarming type enemies, and we are going to face a lot more when we come down,¡± she said to Dan without stopping. It took a few minutes for us to reach the stairs, and by then, we had finished nineteen undead. Soon we reached the stairs, and to my horror, it was blocked by a large number of undead. Some people are fighting them already, but it is clear that they are having a hard time fighting them. Seeing the sheer number of them froze me on my spot. ¡°We will need to clear them; it is the only way out,¡± she said, looking at me especially. ¡°Ok,¡± I said after a moment of silence. As I had said, Leena moved forward and began to hack the undead with four other guards, two of them were part of our entourage that came from the Greltheaven. They begin to hack the zombies and cut the skeletons, but there are too many of them; nearly a hundred and more and more are piling up every second, even from behind; the few are coming, which are being handled by the Dan. Hun! For nearly a minute, I watched a massacre before suddenly, one Zombie slipped and came toward me. Leena and others ahead could not help me; they were swarmed by the undead, same for Dan. He is busy with a group of skeletons, and by the time he comes, it will be too late. I will have to deal with it myself. I knew I would have to fight the undead, but still seeing one coming toward me couldn¡¯t help but shake me, given its grotesque appearance. There is no other choice than to fight it, or I could choose to die in a very horrible way, as I have seen few people do in the past few minutes. I gulped down my fear and stepped toward the zombie, appearing directly in front of it. ¡°Die!¡± I shouted louder than I needed to and swung my rapier at it, with enchantment runes lighting up across the rapier''s blade. Pachak! The blade of my rapier touched the neck of a zombie before cutting through it like butter till its head flew in the air. I watched it with open mouth, and even the embarrassment of unnecessary shouting vanished from my eyes as I looked at the zombie''s head rolling across the stairs. I had not used any skills, just my strength and enchantment of rapier, which is mainly the reason why I was able to cut through the neck of the zombie. The neck is the hardest part of the zombie and, thus, the hardest to cut; one needs a sharp blade and sufficient power behind the attack to cut or just needs a sword like mine, which had been enchanted with sharpness enchantment. I am really glad that I have not sold this blade, it would have solved many of my problems, but I did not. I wish I could enjoy my victory properly, but I could not as a few seconds after I cut down the zombie, another one came, and it did not come alone; it had brought a skeleton. Brimming with more confidence, I readied myself, and just when the undead appeared, I moved. I appeared to the left of the skeleton and slashed at it, avoiding its sword, which was coming at me at about the same speed as mine but with the skill of a child. Khak I avoided its sword and cut through it before taking a step right and hacking toward the zombie. Pachac! I decapitated it while avoiding its rusted sword by an inch. Hun! I had just finished that when I saw a skull coming toward my legs, it scared me, but I reacted immediately, crushing the skull with a satisfied crunch, and was quite surprised that it had been crushed. If it had been a human skull, it wouldn¡¯t have broken up so easily, but I did not think about it further and looked ahead and was quite relieved when I saw no zombies or skeletons coming toward me. I did not use any skills; the first time, I did not do that intentionally, but the second time I did that intentionally. I heard the warning from Leena and know I have to preserve my skills and use them at the right time, and there will be the time I need to use them, so much so that I won¡¯t have the energy to use them further. I have seen the number of zombies and flashes I got from windows of other rooms; I saw more of them coming from the seas. So, there is no doubt I will need to fight a lot of them to survive, and like now, my guards would not always be available. Little more than five minutes passed when we were finally able to clear the hallway. I have finished nine of them alone. I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of myself for that. As we cleared the stairs, we stepped into the second floor, which was filled with undead, with some humans fighting against them, but it seemed like a losing battle seeing the sheer number of the undead coming at them. What was even more horrifying was the scene on the first-floor hall, where the largest group of humans was fighting. I could not see what was happening properly, but the scenes I saw chilled my heart, and we were going there. ¡°Undead are coming,¡± warned Leena to those who were watching the battle below with horrified eyes. I immediately focused on the coming undead, and they were more than what we had faced on the stairs. I could see the sigh of relief coming on the faces of a few humans as the undead came toward us, lessening the pressure on them while some among us cursed, seeing numbers, but nobody hesitated and attacked the undead as they appeared. I also moved; there was far too many undead; they could not protect me against all. I will need to kill those coming toward me. Fighting the nine undead have given me confidence and a pretty good idea about their abilities, and the best thing I learned is that they are dumb bastard; they may have speed and strength, but they don¡¯t have any skills. They are just dumbly swinging their weapons without any skills. Pachac! So, as I appeared in front of them, I moved by dodging their attack before swinging my sword, cutting the zombie''s head and skeleton through the chest, before avoiding the attack of the last skeleton and moving forward with a slash. Crunch Crunch! I cut the head of the third skeleton and crushed its head first in two stumps of my feet; the head of the first skeleton, which had part of the chest attached to it, had resisted a little before getting crushed. I had read somewhere that it is harder to crush a skeleton which had more parts of the body attached to it. So, it seemed to be true; the part of the chest being attached created a greater resistance. As I finished with them, we moved forward, and more undead came toward us; we faced them as we moved toward the stairs, which were getting closer with every step we took. Soon, we had reached halfway, destroying hundreds of hundred; I myself had finished over thirty of them. As we reached halfway, we have met a group of four; just a few minutes ago, there were six people, and now, they''re aware of only four. All four of them are guards; their employees seemed already been dead, and not that I could blame them for that. In this place, in front of such a large number of undead, it is very hard to defend their employer. Even their safety is not guaranteed, much less of their employers. If I did not know how to fight, then I would have died too. It is a simple harsh truth. Rip! Five undead came at me this time and, for the first time, were able to land an attack on me. Giving me a cut across my stomach. I shuddered when I thought about the infection; I would have, but I bit down those thoughts and fought the undead without using Skills, despite wanting to use them very badly. I am getting a glimpse of the downstairs now and then, and seeing that; I know I cannot use them, not yet, not unless I reach downstairs, where I will need to use every Skill I have. Everybody seemed to understand that, as nobody was using their skills; they were killing them through the sheer power of their attributes and combat skills, which they learned through practice and experience. We moved forward, and two other teams joined us, taking our numbers to seventeen, which increased our power, and we began to move swiftly. Finally, we have reached the stairs, where another big group of eleven was fighting, and strangely middle of them, three non-combat personnel. All three of them huddle together, with their shaking hands holding the swords; of the three people, one of them, I know and am quite surprised, seeing him being alive. Though I shouldn¡¯t be, of the eleven of those who are fighting, two of them are mages. They were our mages, part of our security team, and seemed to be casting shields to protect the non-combat whenever the undead attacked them. Their eyes lit up as our big group joined, they were swamped, and if we had not arrived, it would have been quite bad on them. Some of the people from their group seemed to have died, on whose bodies we stepped foot; I even saw the familiar face of mason guild Guildmaster¡¯s face among the dead. ¡°Remus,¡± said Locke with a shaking voice as our group joined theirs. Pachac! ¡°Locke,¡± I said as I decapitated two zombies coming toward me at once before moving to the skeletons. ¡°I had not quite believed when you had said you fought against the rogue, but it seemed it like, it had been true,¡± he said mirthlessly from behind. I did not reply more than hmm, as I killed one undead after another, as they kept coming at me. Rip Rip Rip As time passed, more came, and some of them were able to cut me, but these were just minor cuts. I have learned quite a lot from instructor David. One of the skills he used me to use to turn his blade ethereal when it touched me, and the deeper it went, the greater pain it would give me. The pain was so bad that I collapsed if his blade went deeper than an inch. It had trained me to avoid the deeper cuts, which are now helping. Pachac Crunch Pachac We killed one undead after another while slowly climbing down the stairs. I think I had crossed a number hundred by the time we had reached halfway in stairs, where things became even more intense. The mages, who began to rest after we joined, began to cast the spell now and then. With everyone fighting other than three, we cut through the undead and finally reached the first floor, where we saw the scenes which chilled our hearts and filled us with horror. A man beside Locke had pissed himself, and I wish I could blame him as I am moment doing it myself, seeing the sheer number of undead in the huge hall on the first floor. Thank You My Patrons: Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.T/his chapter is updated by Chapter 47: Fighting in the Hall Chapter 47: Fighting in the Hall I looked at the halls and saw it was swarmed by hundreds of undead and more coming from broken glass walls on every side. In the center of the hall were people fighting, there were forty to fifty of them, and they have formed a circle, and inside that circle, they were protecting the people, about twenty of them. Many people had died, and their bodies had littered across the floor. ¡°What are you waiting for? Come here,¡± came a shout at us; it was from the Knight of a black star. He is one of the leaders defending the circle; the other is captain Julian and a woman in early forties with a small pet on her shoulder. Hearing the shout, we moved toward them, but after taking a single step, we had to stop as a swarm of undead came at us. Their numbers are far greater than we had faced, and we are not facing them from the narrow space of hallways and stairs, but in an open hall; it is going to be far more dangerous than before. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back; if you feel the need to use the skill, use it,¡± said Leena as she decapitated three zombies and one skeleton in a single strike without using any skill. I wish I could marvel at her ability, but undead came at me too and seeing them, Locke and two behind me shook even more. One of them seemed to have gotten scared enough that they had pissed in their pants. Whether it is the same person as earlier or someone else, I don¡¯t know; I did not have time to look. There was more than seven undead coming at me, and I took a step forward and swung my sword, and this time, I used my skill. Pachac Khak Pachak I decapitated three with a single attack of Consecutive Strikes before taking two left to avoid the attack. As I had avoided it, I used the Quick Steps and appeared directly in four of them and cut four of them in the second slash of Consecutive Strikes. I am pretty proud of this attack, not because I had killed seven of them with two strikes, but because I was able to maintain the Consecutive Strike in a break of a second. Which is quite hard considering Consecutive Strikes needed to be consecutive. It took some ingenuity, but I did it, and now I have another something in my arsenal. I wish I had even a moment to enjoy the victory, but I did not, as another zombie came at me as I finished crushing the skulls of skeletons. I immediately stepped back and swung my sword, decapitating the two without using the skills, before moving forward to meet the group of eight undead coming toward me. To deal with them, I had to use my skills. It is intense; every second, I am dealing with the undead, and this time, being in the open hall, I barely have any protection. It had improved my killing count, and now I am not worse in my group. While others may have higher attributes, skills, and even experience, I have practice. I have been practicing with a sword since I could hold it; even after my mother disappeared, my father had got me the best instructor money could get. Even though he did not like me to be a warrior, he supported me in my choice. It is also true that old Remus was a natural fighter, born with instincts that others gained through years of experience. I had inherited it all. I am doing better than any person with my attribute and skills would be doing, but it still did not give me the confidence to survive. A couple of times, I have nearly died from the blades, not to mention the injuries piling on my body, which have become heavy enough that I started to feel slow from them, but I am not getting a chance to drink the healing potion. I could only have that when we reach the circle of humans in the center; we are already halfway to it; we just need to continue until we reach the circle. There others and I will get a chance to heal our injuries. Time passed as I killed one undead after another; I don¡¯t know many I had killed, but there were a lot of them that now we were fighting while stepping on their bodies and bones; it was quiet, especially when I stepped on the bodies of people. Many humans have died in an endless tide of undead; I think not even half of them have survived. There were nearly two hundred guests and over a hundred guards; now, barely a hundred people could be in the hall, and both guests and guards combined, and seeing the endless tide, more would die. All of us might die, as our strength has a limit; we cannot fight perpetually, and we will get tired eventually. To survive, we either have to kill all the undead or kill the one who is controlling or hope that rescue arrives soon as possible. Though the chances of that seemed quite low, considering they had isolated the island. One of the mages has told us that the message spells he is sending are bouncing back; the undead bastards have created the isolation field. Hun! I was fighting the undead when my eyes fell on the undead moving toward Leena. It looked like common undead, but when it moved, one could see the difference, especially when it swung that sword; it had some skill, and the sword was also much better than the rest of the zombies. ¡®The uncommon,¡¯ I thought. Most zombies attacking us are made of common people, but there are zombies who are made from the bodies of fighters. Those are valuable and used in important wars; these zombies are not much powerful, especially those low-level warriors, but they are stronger and possess some instincts of their former selves, which makes them more dangerous than these common zombies. Leena decapitated it like the rest of the zombies; there was no difference. If the tide of such zombies had come, it might have made it difficult for Leena, but one or two of them did not make killing them difficult. We have reached closer to the circle, and now there are around fifty undead have remained between them and us, and they are being cut like grass by lawnmower. Pachack Khak Pachac I cut through the zombies and skeleton, getting another cut on the collarbone; if it had been a little up, it would have been a real danger. Though, it hurts like hell, like many of my injuries. In a few seconds, we had cut through all the undead and reached the circle, and one of the people I saw couldn¡¯t help but surprise me, especially seeing what she was doing. ¡°Quickly get into a circle,¡± shouted the Knight, and the people of the circle began to move, making it bigger, forming a space for us. There are even a few skills involved, trying to make the process faster and smoother as possible. As there are still hundreds of undead, and they are coming nonstop through the door and broken glass walls. The first ones who went to the circle were Locke and two other people. They went inside and huddled together with twenty other people while we merged with a circle and closed the gaps before turning undead. ¡°Remus, I heard you had left the way of the sword,¡± said the woman, who manipulated the golden thread and cut the heads of two zombies and three skeletons; the heads of skeletons were divided into pieces by the string by the time they fell on the floor. ¡°Gulp!¡± ¡°You have surprised me too, Eva; I did not know you could fight,¡± I said to the beautiful woman beside me as I took a huge gulp of bitter healing potion. Too that she smiled. ¡°It is something I had picked up in my younger days; it had been decades since I had used it to fight,¡± she replied as she cut another group of groups of the undead with her golden thread or, should I say, a gold thread. She is using a gold thread mixed with some other metals, manipulating it the way she wants, and even using a couple of skills and spells to turn it into the weapon that it had become. She is an accomplished jeweler, I had never expected she could fight, and she is not fighting like an inexperienced person, but someone who had quite an experience in fighting. She is also looking quite hot, and even while fighting, I couldn¡¯t help but sneak a glance at her. It did not take long for me to pay the price for it, as I had nearly been decapitated by the rusted sword of the skeleton. They were coming like the tide, but the pressure was much less than before, and now, I had nearly stopped using my skills. The circle is a great battle formation, and, despite the huge number of undead attacking every minute, we are handling them. ¡°Are we going to keep fighting? They will tire us out if they keep coming like this,¡± I said as I decapitated the two zombies. I am getting tired and already thinking of using the stamina potion. ¡°No, the mages are trying to open the bunker,¡± she replied with a shake of her hand. ¡°Did they have a key?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. ¡°No, only the majordomo of the estate and only the members of the Santos family have the keys, and both of them are dead,¡± she replied as she killed a group of skeletons, turning their heads into pieces in the air. John Santos is dead, and I can¡¯t make myself feel sad about it; I am even a little angry. This is the second time I am in danger because of him; the first time, the rogues, and now the undead, and unlike the rogues, these undead have every intention to kill us. The key could be conventional or unconventional; it seemed like our luck was bad as the key to the bunker was unconventional. It could be a form of blood, which is unlikely as the majordomo could open it. It is likely the runic code, which makes things quite complicated. Normal mages would be incapable of opening it, and using force would be useless since it is a bunker and there are people around. ¡°Will they be able to open it?¡± I asked, killing another zombie, ¡°High Mage Blackstone is quite an accomplished enchanter; there is a chance he might be able to do it,¡± she replied, not giving a definite answer. I was thinking about the old man I had met earlier when suddenly there was a commotion inside the circle.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Thank You My Patrons: Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 48: To the Enemy Chapter 48: To the Enemy ¡°The bunker had opened,¡± shouted someone jubilantly, and it immediately caused chaos inside the circle. Even those fighting lost their focus, and one ended up losing his life as the skeleton had directly pierced its rusted sword inside his throat. They moved him into the circle, trying to heal him, but I don¡¯t think he would survive. The wound is too big, and we don¡¯t have a high-level healing mage or priest who could heal him from that kind of damage. ¡°Quiet, be disciplined,¡± came a shout from the Knight and along with a power of the skill. It immediately lessened the chaos inside the circle. I could hear the sound of steps behind me; they were moving into the bunker one by one. Though there is chaos, it is being managed. Soon, a minute passed, and nearly all the people inside the circle disappeared inside the circle, that only a few mages had remained, and now guards were looking with yearning and hope. ¡°Everybody,¡± said the Knight in a loud voice, which instantly made us focus on him while still fighting the coming undead. ¡°There are two choices in front of you, first move into the bunker and second fight,¡± ¡°Moving to bunker would be safe as you will wait for the rescue there; if it came within an hour, you would be safe, or if it did not, then undead will blast through it and kill everyone that is within,¡± ¡°The bunker might be strong, but there are thousands of undead, and the being leading them is at least Level 30,¡± he said while cutting down a ground of undead with a swift strike of his long sword. ¡°The second choice you have is to fight, not here; fighting here is just waiting for death. We are going to take a fight to the one who is controlling it all, and killing it will end everything,¡± ¡°I am taking a second choice, even if I am alone; I like my fate in my hand, not some people from Namdar, who might not arrive in time or not arrive at all,¡± he said and looked at all the people in the circle. ¡°So, make your choice; no matter what choice you make, I will not blame you,¡± he added at last. For a second, nobody moved before some guards began to take a step back; within a few seconds, over twenty guards moved back, and many were thinking about it. ¡°Are you not entering the bunker, Remus?¡± asked Eva, to which I shook my head. ¡°Like the Knight of the black star said, it is better to fight for our fate than depend on others,¡± I replied, and a small smile appeared on her face. ¡°Well said,¡± she said and her golden string to cut a few more zombies. I did not ask her whether she is entering the bunker; it is clear from her body language and words that she intended to fight, and that made the women look even hotter. ¡°Mister Silver, you should enter the bunker,¡± said Leena, who was not far from me. ¡°I am fine outside, Leena,¡± I replied with a smile. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it a moment later. She is not entering the bunker, and neither is Dan; it is clear by their body language. It will be dangerous, without a doubt, and many people will die. There is a high chance I might die too, and it would have been wise if I had entered the bunker. I will not. I would not wait for a savior in fear; rather, I would fight as at least I would die knowing I had given my all. Another minute passed, and now only thirty-nine people remained, including the seven mages; the rest had entered the bunker. ¡°I do not have flowery words for your courage, but I will say that I commend your bravery,¡± said the Knight after the bunker had closed. ¡°Fanya here could sense the leader of the undead, and we will go for it; it will be dangerous, and many of us might die, including me, but there is no choice, as we could not stay here and wait for a rescue or die defending,¡± he said, and there was a moment of silence. It is clear by his words that we will be going for the leader, the one who is controlling all the undead. ¡°Arrow formation,¡± said the Knight, and the power of skills flowed through the circle; some were weak, while others were the strongest I had ever felt. I moved with people, and soon, we were in the arrow formation; the one at the tip was Knight of Black Star, who was wearing jumbled armor made from pieces of equipment, he had gotten from the guards who went inside the bunker. Armor is necessary for him; it is part of his class. Behind him was a woman, Fanya, with a pet on her shoulder, which turned out to be not a cute animal but a magical beast. In the middle are the mages, led by High Mage Blackstone; I am quite surprised he stayed, considering he is not a battle mage but a scholar mage. Still, he would be very useful, the spells of High Mage are very powerful, and I am sure he would have few offensive defensive spells; every mage has them. In the rear is captain Julian; he is far more impressive than I had thought, and if I survive long enough, I will be able to see the full range of his abilities. Gulp! Seeing we could charge out any second, I immediately drank the stamina potion, like many around me. It is likely the last chance I will get to drink any potion, and seeing I am feeling a little weak, I decided to drink the potion. The moment it entered my stomach, it had turned into energy and spread around my body, taking my weakness away rapidly and filling my body with energy. It made me a little disoriented, but I controlled myself with deep breathing, which helped a lot. ¡°Charge!¡± Shouted the Knight, and another layer of skills envelope the people, this is even bigger, and it is not just skilled, but also buff spells, like Haste, Magic Skin, and Minor Healing. The buffs have a little overwhelmed me, but I did not have time to properly get used to it as we moved, and speed that was even greater than what I could get from the quick steps. Despite that, I felt no imbalance; everything is much smoother than before; I am beginning to have more ease in cutting the undead. It took just a few seconds for us to get out manor through the broken glass wall, and we moved down the hill. Whoever leading the undead is also seems to understand we are moving to target it, as the undead, who were spread across the hill before, gather toward us. At first, things were easy, as the skills and spells have not only increased the speed but also increased the power of my attacks and also balance, which is vital considering, we are moving downhill. Things began to get slightly difficult when we reached halfway into the hill. Lots of undead had gathered together, and at every second, more of them were gathering. Like an arrow, we are piercing through them, killing every undead coming our way. The Knight of the black star is amazing; despite facing the greatest pressure and most powerful undead, he is cutting them like grass, and he is not even using his skills for it. The pressure is increasing, but I am managing with all buffs, killing one undead after undead. Still, the one that impressed me most is Eva, her strings have become killing machines; mages have cast spells on her strings. One spell made the strigs red hot, and it simply slid through the undead without any resistance, killing tens of them in a single attack. Which has lessened the pressure on people around her, including me. ¡°Your strings are amazing,¡± I praised, to which she smiled. ¡°This is my life¡¯s work Remus, my craft,¡± she said with a hint of pride. People with combat classes are not the only people who can fight; the holder of craft classes could also fight with sufficient mastery over their craft, like how Eva is doing. There are many examples of them achieving the impossible feat, but the most recent is from the city in herald about a century ago. It was a small city hundred thousand, close to an extreme magic region from where a beast tide had come out. Nearly ten thousand magical beasts attacked the city and, within an hour, overwhelmed its defenses and broke through them. It was obvious that the city was going to fall when a large cloth appeared above the city before it enveloped it, before biding the beasts in the cloth, and then came the needles. These tiny needles pierced through the thick skin of magical beasts, destroying their hearts and brains and killing them. That day, the seamstress of Melsar was born. There are many such examples across history. It is not just craft classes; people with other classes, too, have performed the impossible. It is this world there is saying, ¡®Masters conquer,¡¯ and after seeing Eva, I couldn¡¯t help but agree more with it. We climbed down the hill, killing with steps, but more were gathering. I could already see a large number of undead gatherings at the base of the hill to meet us; their number had already reached over five hundred, and more were gathering fast. Their numbers would increase by a few hundred more by the time we meet it at the base. My heart begins to beat loudly in fear and strangely in excitement, seeing them gathering in huge numbers, and more than a third of those are uncommon undead. It is clear as day, even at such a distance. Hun! Another minute passed, and we had reached quite close to the base of the hill when a change occurred. Sup Sup Sup Twelve huge fireballs the size of my whole hand materialized in the sky before shooting toward the large gathering of undead at the base. Seeing that, a big smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. High-Mage Blackstone had been silent, but now he had cast the spell; what a spell it is. In a single spell, he had shown the power of the High Mage.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Thank You My Patrons: Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 49: Lich Savais Chapter 49: Lich Savais A smile couldn''t help from Savais''s face seeing the group of humans charging toward him. He thought he would have needed to go to them, but instead, they were coming to him. It is the best news he could hope for as it will save him a lot of time and effort. He looked at all the preparation to welcome his guests, they were not finished, but they would be soon, and it couldn¡¯t help but make him excited. This was a very dangerous mission, but he had to do it, as it was the only way the death lord would help him with his degradation. Now, not only will he deal with the degradation that will give him a decade or two if he is lucky and even more if was able to level up, but it will also give him great bodies. Especially of the Knights and two warriors, he will kill that Grand Mage. While he is not interested in the bodies of mages, nor is it his expertise, he will focus on it the most. There are high merits on the Grand Mage¡¯s body, and if he is able to get it, then he won¡¯t have to worry about the next anti-degradation ritual. He will be worry-free for the next three decades. Just thinking about it had filled him with glee, and he just hoped he would be able to finish within half an hour, as every second after that would be dangerous. With his preparations, fifteen minutes would be more than enough. ..... Boom Boom Boom The fireballs fell on the undead, creating destruction that shook me to my core, instantly obliterating half of the undead. It shook me to see how a man wields such power, even though I know a few people in this world possess power even greater than the arsenal of nukes on earth. Still, seeing a small glimpse of it had left me shaken. If the skills weren¡¯t carrying me forward and calming my mind, I would have frozen, seeing the destruction caused by the spells. A few seconds later, we were on a huge group of undead, and even though half of them had been destroyed, it did not seem to affect them as nearly five hundred of them attacked us as we tore through them. Pachak Khat Pachack My rapier is moving fast; at every strike, it would decapitate at least one zombie or destroy a skeleton. There was no wasteful moment; every strike went for the kill. It is also true that there are too many undead; even if I swing my rapier wildly, at least one undead will be cut. I think I am improving and improving fast; I have already regained everything old Remus combat skills by the time I reach the hall, and now I am surpassing him. Which is happening quite sooner than I thought it would. What they say is really right; there is no better teacher for a warrior than war. We cut through the group of undead, but more are gathering as we do. We know that and moving forward without lessening our momentum, which is the key to winning this battle. It is quite hard to do that when we are dealing with so much undead under this heat. The spell of Grand Mage had not just killed the undead but also made everything very hot. If not for magical defense protecting me, I would have blisters across my skin rather than just feeling uncomfortable. It felt like hours, but it did not take more than three minutes for us to tear through the huge group of undead, killing more than half of them. There were more undead waiting for us as we got out, but their numbers were much less compared to the ones from we had got out. ¡°Careful, we are approaching the leader,¡± said the women as we reached close to the grove of reilfruet trees. These big trees have fruits like mangoes, the favorite of Santos¡¯ uncle; just a few hours earlier, I had walked through this grove, and now I am going enter inside again, and this time, I might not be able to come back. The grove covered nearly five acres of area, and with their wide branches, they let very little sunlight fall on the ground, not to mention it is midnight right now. My heartbeat couldn¡¯t help but beat loudly as I stared at those big trees getting closer and closer with every step. It is clear that the leader is hiding there and seeing us coming, it definitely would have made the preparations. Till now, there was barely any casualty; even I, who is one of the weakest in here, was barely scratched a few times. It is all going to change the moment we walk into the trees. Hun! We were approaching the trees fast when suddenly, tens of huge wind blades appeared in the sky and shot toward the trees. Seeing that, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up; if the wind blades of Grand Mage cut these trees, it would make things a little easier for us. I had just thought that when my expression suddenly changed. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed seeing that. The wind blades were powerful that they cut through the first line of trees without any problem, but as they moved to cut other trees, they were barely able to scratch the trees and disappeared. The spells were powerful enough to cut all the trees in a five-acre area but stopped after cutting fifty-some, which is barely 10% of it. My expressions couldn¡¯t help but become worse seeing that, not only mine but of others. Everyone understood there was a leader in trees who was as powerful or more powerful than the Grand Mage Blackstone. That did not stop us; we continued moving without slowing down even a bit. It is explicitly clear from the beginning that either it will die or we. So, no matter what happens, we will walk into the tree where the leader is, and even if all weapons in our hands turn into nothing, we will move into the tree and kill the leader; it is the only way we can survive. Soon, there were barely a few meters of distance between us and the trees when the mages acted. At first, it is Grand Mage Blackstone, his staff lit up, and the blue magic armor appeared on the bodies of Knight of a black star, captain Julian, Fanya, and all the mages. Arcane Armor From what I heard, it is quite a complicated spell, but it is highly defensive. Those mages who cast it have great value. He had not just cast that spell on the nine but also on others, including himself and us. The one he casts on himself is even more elaborate than on the nine, which is not surprising. The one he cast on the rest of us is simple, but it still offers great protection compared to the simple mana defense we had before. He had not only cast a spell on our bodies but also on our weapons. If I am right, then it is a sharpness type of spell, making weapons our weapons even sharper than before. The spells of other mages appeared after him; they gave different buffs. Some covered us with faint healing; some increased strength, speed, and other things. Most importantly, the mages made the area around us bright as day as we finally entered the grove. There are hundreds of mage lights above our heads. It is one of the most common spells of mages and also the initial spell; nearly every mage learns them before they move to fireball or another type of spell. Hun! My happiness was short-lived as the second after we entered the grove, the lights began to dim on their own till the light became asking to twilight. I did not focus on it as in front of me, more important things were happening. ¡°Line!¡± shouted the knight as he stopped, and we moved, moving into the line formation from the arrow formation. It is a triple-layer line; both sides had warriors, while in the middle were mages. In front of us, the undead came out, and these were not normal undead; the zombies are uncommon, all of them, and they are wearing armor, and their necks had a layer of bone covering them. There are also skeletons that are covered in so many bones that they looked tanks, and there are also bone beasts and bone horrors. Seeing them, a sheer horror couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face; in front of these things, what we have faced till now, nothing. Those nothings are also gathering outside the trees in large numbers. I am sure by the time, they have gathered enough numbers, they will pour into the grove, trapping us in a killing circle. ¡°Calm your heart; the odds may seem overwhelming, but they are not.¡± ¡°We only have one target, and it is the leader; kill it, and everything will be over,¡± said the Knight, he did not use the skills, but his words calmed my heart and gave me the courage. ¡°Well spoke, Sir Knight,¡± said the strange, hollowed voice through the trees. The voice had sent a chill down my heart, and all the hair from my body stood as I looked around for the source of the voice, which seemed to be coming from everywhere. ¡°But can you do it? I am a High-Lich that lived for over three hundred years and fought countless Knights and killed them,¡± ¡°You and the people you have brought far from sufficient to kill me; it is I who will kill you and take you into my undead army, especially you, Sir Knight,¡± said the chilling voice that made nearly everyone shudder. ¡°You will die, lich,¡± said the Knight of a black star, and the aura came out of him. Seeing that, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen, not only mine but nearly everyone''s. Though, Eva beside me did not look surprised. Aura is rare in all classes, and getting it is hard, but those who have it are powerful without a doubt, especially the Knights. As those without sufficient power and will couldn¡¯t awaken it. ¡°Attack!¡± He shouted thunderously, and we moved; charged toward the wall of powerful zombies and skeletons, with our hands gripping our blades tightly and purpose in our hearts to kill the lich. We will achieve it, as only through it will we survive. Thank You My Patrons: m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 50: Killing The Lich I Chapter 50: Killing The Lich I Hun! The Knight was the first to move against the tide and was about to strike them when the coming tide parted, and six big zombies had stepped out. Seeing them, my eyes couldn''t help but widen. Abominable zombies. The six zombies that had come were huge; each one was at least six-five with mishappen bodies that were covered in a thick layer of bone that barely any flesh could be seen through it. If I had not seen their undead eyes, I would have thought they were armored skeletons. These are abominable zombies; they are strong zombies, which are further strengthened by necromancy magic. It is very hard to make them, with a high failure rate, but once successful, they become a great tool for any lich and necromancer. They are real terror. As the Knights reached them, they attacked and attacked with a speed that I could not see them move. Clang Clang Clang The only thing I heard was the sound of blades clashing and six of them surrounding the Knight and attacking him from all angles. It is horrifying to watch when considering every single of those abominable zombies is enough to wipe me and most others out, and the Knight is facing six of them. Hun! If that wasn''t bad, the tide parted again, revealing six more abominable zombies. It filled everyone''s heart with dread; many shook seeing them. They may have fought many battles, but seeing these zombies, a will to fight seemed to have left their hearts. "There is no escape other than death," "Kneel to it, and it will be swift, resist, and you will feel the greatest pain of your life," said the lich in its hallowed voice, which nearly made a quarter of them kneel before they got control over their emotions. At the same time, captain Julian and the woman named Fanya jumped and moved toward the abominable zombies and began fighting them. "There is no need to fear; we have everything in control," said Grand Mage Blackstone in his booming voice; hearing it, our dreading hearts were filled with confidence. "Hehe, you will soon see who kills who," said the Lich, and a moment later, the undead were upon us. Two undead came at me; both were uncommon zombies. I have been dreading them since the moment I saw them, but there is no choice but to fight them. Stilling my heart, I took a step forward and attacked; I used the Consecutive Strike and the Weighted Strike, making the attack faster and strongest I had ever made, with all the buffs supporting me. The two zombies also reacted, and to my surprise, their speed and power were even stronger than mine, but I did let the surprise affect me. Their attack was powerful, without a doubt, and it had even had some skills, but it was not enough to kill me. I crouched down when the weapons of zombies were less than a hand distance away and moved my sword up toward the neck of the zombie holding a saber. Puch! My rapier was fast, and it pierced through the neck of the zombie, even when it took a step back before it slashed left, tearing away half of its neck. As I did not, I arched back, avoiding the sword of other zombies that cut some of my hair, and moved my sword back with everything I had. Pachack! The remaining head of the zombie cut down, but I did not have time to worry about my victory as its saber was still coming at me, as also the sword of the other zombie. I moved left with Quick Steps, which resisted the way I used it while crouching down but still gave me enough speed to dodge the attack. Rip! I dodged the sword, but the saber hit me, piercing through the defense and tearing my clothes, but there was no disappointment in my eyes; instead, there was relief. The Quick Steps and the armor covering me had saved me; otherwise, I would have lost my whole hand from the shoulder rather than a few threads of my shirt. I had just got up when the zombie attacked me again, and I immediately took a step back with the Quick Steps before moving forward. I appeared to the left of it, missing its sword by less than an inch, and slashed my sword at its neck. It moved to dodge and, at the same time, brought its sword to defend, but I moved my wrist a little and easily avoided the sword before my rapier touched its neck and began to cut through it. Pachac! Its neck is thick, with hard skin and solid bone; a normal sword could forget about killing through it without the aid of powerful skills. I have no such problem; my sword is buffed by spells, while at the same time, its enchantment is giving it a sharp edge that could cut through any bone and skin, even the one being reinforced with magic. The head flew in the air as the sword came out from the other side. For a moment, I felt quite proud of my skills, but when I looked at Eva and others, a smile on my face turned mirthless. I am doing good with the level I have, especially compared to half of the people who have not finished even a single uncommon zombie but compared to Eva and others, it is nothing. Eva had finished off six uncommon zombies, and now her strings were cutting through the neck of seventh and eighth. While Leena seemed to have become a storm, each of her strikes would kill an undead. Still, there are hundreds of them, and thousands are gathering behind us, not to mention the biggest danger, for whom we have come to kill, had yet to cast a single spell. Hun! I had just thought that when I heard a faint sound and, a second later, saw the thing causing it, a thick white mist. Chill Mist. A wide area spell of necromancy domain, quite a powerful spell for a people like me. Even with all the protection, it would freeze my soul with that wave if it hit me; not only me, except for a bare few, everyone would be frozen by it. The wave was fast, and soon, it was only a few meters ahead of us; with speed, it was coming, and it would not take more than three seconds for it to reach us. Thud! I was worrying about it while looking at the undead coming toward me when I heard the faint thud, and warm golden light covered me and moved toward the chill mist. The source of it is obviously the staff of High Mage Blackstone. "Focus on killing the undead; leave the lich and its spells to me," said the Grand Mage, and I felt the load on my shoulder lessen. I have been worrying about the Lich a lot, but now, I don''t have to. It feels to know that someone is responsible for that, as if something squishes me like an ant, and I don''t want to die. At least not yet; I have died young before; I want to live now and see this wonderful, dangerous world. Hun! I was in my thousands when suddenly, I swung my sword with all my strength and also used the Weighted Strike, as the danger coming required it. Clang! My rapier clashed again with the bone bolt released by the skeletal beast, crushing it to pieces while giving a huge shock to my arm that I had nearly let go of it. The skeletons coming toward me had been destroyed by spells of mages a few moments ago, and I thought I would get a rest of a few seconds, but I was an idiot to think that and an even bigger idiot to lose focus. I was very lucky this time that I was able to sense the attack, and to my great luck, I was able to defend myself against the attack. It was so cool that, if I were not fighting a battle of life and death, I would have danced in joy for doing something that I had only heard of. The bone beast had reached closest to me and leaped with its sharp claws and mouth, which was opened enough to fit my head inside and crush it. It bears similarity to the wolf but is not; it is made from different bones belonging to many races and beasts, optimal for killing. This design is quite common due to its efficiency and the fear induced by those burning eyes. I calmly looked at the bone beast before I moved, or should I say, ducked down with my sword above and remained there. I only needed to stay in the position for a second before it reached close to me, and I acted. I swung my sword toward the beast with all my strength and the power of Weighted Strike. Khaa... It only took a fraction of a second for my sword to hit its face, and the enchanted runes across my rapier lighted up and began to cut through it. A second later, my rapier came out from the other side while the pieces of bones fell around me. The moment I did, I got up and moved forward five steps to the right before swinging my sword to the left. Three undead come at me, two zombies and one skeleton, all of them uncommon. Pachac I decapitated the zombie in a single strike and immediately moved back to dodge the attack of the skeleton and zombie. Rip! I was able to dodge the attack of the zombie, but the bone spear of the skeleton had torn through the protection and pierced an inch into my stomach. If not for the armor, it would have gone to the other, tearing a hole through my body. Still, the wound was nothing to scoff at, and pain made my eyes go read, but I did not focus on it and moved toward the enemy while hoping the mass healing spell covering me would at least stop the bleeding. Sup Sup Sup As I moved toward the two undead, I felt all the hair on my body stand up, only to see hundreds of grey bolts appearing in the air before coming down at us at speed faster than the bullet. It was the attack I couldn''t dodge, so I did not even focus on it and moved toward the enemies against which I could do something. Dub Dub Dub It is a good thing I did not focus on the bolts, as the shields appeared above us and bore the shower of deathly bolts. It took me seven seconds to finish two of them before moving toward another group of undead coming toward me, and this time, it was bigger, with three zombies and two skeletons, all uncommon. While moving toward them, I was able to glance at something and couldn''t help but close my eyes for a second. A human died, there was a big wound across her chest, and she was not moving. Seeing how no mage moved to heal her, it is clear she is dead. She is the first, as more would die. I began to fight against the five undead, never going too far from the line and always returning to it when I was finished, but it started to get harder as more undead began to attack us. The injuries across my body also began to pile up; the five undead gave me two injuries, one big as the spear wound from the skeleton. I was glad that there was a healing aura; it was not powerful enough to heal the wounds, but it was powerful enough to stop the bleeding and become worse as I moved, but as like defensive armor, it was getting weaker the more it was used. I hoped the mages would recharge them, or I would be in big trouble. Not only me but others too; Eva, who fights from a distance with her strings, also has a couple of injuries across her, one that is quite close to her chest. If it had been slightly above, her life would have been threatened. A minute passed, and things became bad; I saw two more humans dying, and these are the ones I could; there may more that I might, but I truly hope not. Things are bad now, but they will become worse soon; a large number of skeletons have gathered outside the grove, over a thousand from what I could see, and they will pour in soon. Seeing that, I couldn''t help but feel there was no surviving it, but even these thoughts did not stop me from fighting. Hun! I was fighting when a sudden change occurred on the battlefield. The Knight, the woman Fanya and Captain Julian, all three fighting abominable zombies, had suddenly cut them. The Knight cut the three zombies he was fighting in a single motion, the same done by Captain Julien and the women. It is clear the attack had been coordinated. As they killed the zombies, a powerful fiery blast came out from behind and killed tens of zombies and skeletons in a single strike. It made the way, which was likely the attack''s real purpose, seeing how three of them moved into the way that was just made by the attack. High Mage Blackstone is also moving with them as he disappears and appears beside them and casts a spell that increases their speed so much that all I am able to see is blue as they move through the zombies. I had been worried that they had forgotten our real target, but I guessed they had not. Now, I just wish they would kill the lich, as it is the only way we would survive. Thank You My Patrons: Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Killing the Lich II Killing the Lich II ¡®These fucking vermin¡¯s, I will kill them all,¡¯ I cursed when that monkey bastard killed his precious death guard. He had twelve of them, but now, two are dead. He had spent countless resources, many attempts, and most importantly, expensive bodies to create them, and now two are lying dead. He wanted to curse his luck to get this island. A Knight Commander is here, and on top of that, a High Mage, which intel had said is a scholar mage. Fuck the bastard who said Blackstone is Scholar Mage, he might not be a full fledge battle mage, but the bastard had enough experience to provide support and take a shot at him whenever he showed even the slightest weakness. These two are targeting him insistently while that fucking Warrior and the Ranger are taking out his death guards. He wanted to kill them all but couldn¡¯t do it despite trying hard, as the bastards were working together efficiently and had high levels. Now, there was only one option that had remained, calling back his special zombies and skeletons while leaving the clutter of humans to the general undead. He really doesn¡¯t want to do that; he has a limited number of specials, and seeing the power of these four, he will need to sacrifice nearly all of them, but there is no other choice. If he did not do that, then they would kill his precious death guards, but he had no other choice, as the bastards were coming close to threatening his life. ¡®So be it,¡¯ it said and ordered the special undead toward him. Now, he had to kill these bastards; only through this would he be able to recoup his losses and make some fortune. A few seconds passed, and he realized he had made a great mistake; they were waiting for it, baiting him to do that. ¡°I will kill you!¡± He shouted in rage and attacked the Knight with the withering lance as he came at him. The wretched old Mage seemed to be waiting for him to pull his forces toward him; the moment his special move away from human and general zombies, the old bastard made his move. Boom Boom Boom He sent tens of huge fireballs crashing toward his special undead and sent an even bigger barrage toward the common undead, right in the center of the group as they moved to the humans. .... The hell broke loose the moment undead poured into the grove; they are over thousands of them, and they only took a few seconds to break through our line formation. I, along with Eva, a mage, and two others, separated from the rest of the group and am now fighting against the zombies, which are coming to us in all directions. It is a nightmare. The only good thing I could talk about it was that all-powerful zombies and skeletons had left, leaving us with the tide of common zombies, which had been attacked by the High-Mage Blackstone''s powerful spell. Despite him destroying half of their numbers, the huge tide came and enveloped us. Their numbers are high enough that we could not kill them all, even if we drink all potions we have. Pachac Khac Pachac My rapier cut through the two zombies and the skeletons before moving back to cut another zombie and skeleton and move again without stopping to kill another undead while taking the step forward with the rest. The Consecutive Strikes skill had finally shown its power. Before, I could only maintain it for six strikes at most, but now I had just finished the nineteenth and swung the twentieth. At each strike, the power and speed would faintly increase; it is not much increase if I was only able to achieve four to five strikes, but going further, the power increases by a lot. After twelve strikes, the speed had doubled from around a 2%-3% increase; it became 5% with every strike. It might not seem much, but it is huge, especially with the enemies I am fighting. My rapier is constantly moving, without stopping, even when my hand is tired and hurts like hell with all the injuries. I have to continue, I am the weakest in my group, and if I do not do my part, I will die. So, no matter the tiredness I am feeling or the injuries I am accumulating, I have to continue to fight and kill with every strike till we cut our way through this undead. It is what we are trying to do; we are trying to cut through it because remaining in it is good as dying. We can not kill these numbers; escaping is the only choice, and I am sure the other people are doing the same. We are ordered to do it by the High-Mage right after that powerful attack. It will stretch the undead as they try to chase us around, thinning their numbers. With it, lich won¡¯t be able to use them to overwhelm, and it won¡¯t pull them out of us, for risk of us joining the fight against it. While we might not be as strong as the four, we could create a nuisance with enough support. There have been many incidents of the weak killing the strong with numbers and teamwork. Rip! Another rusted sword of a skeleton slashed through my stomach, widening the gruesome wound that was already there. There was no interference; the armor and healing aura I had long been disappeared, and the mage in our group did not have healing or armor spells. It was quite a surprise that I was still standing and fighting through the sheer number of injuries I have in my body. If I had been on earth, half of them would have sent me to the emergency room. My condition is precarious, and I am only fighting through the force of will alone. Soon, the twenty-fourth strike was over, and my sword moved for the twenty-fifth; as it did, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen up, feeling the 10% increase; it made my sword so fast that even I couldn¡¯t see it properly. Faster than it was when I had all those buffs earlier, that I felt the muscles of my hand strain to their limit, but I did not care. Pachac Khac Pachac This speed and power are helping me kill more undead, giving them fewer chances to overwhelm me. This will have consequences, but I will worry about them after I survive. Thank You My Patrons: PortlandPhil, Andrew Murray, Weirwood, Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 52: Killing the Lich III Chapter 52: Killing the Lich III Bamm Bamm Bamm The barrage of thunder lances came at me, while at the same time, Knight and two others attacked me from three sides. The bastards have killed all my death guards and special zombies and now attacking me insistently, not giving me even a single chance to attack. The only thing I could do was cast multiple bone shields to defend and chill domain to slow them down, but both of them were barely working. The old bastard Blackstone was attacking me in a mad, mad flurry of powerful spells and had cast protection on the two warriors, which warded off the most adverse effect of my chill domain. As for the Knight, the bastard does not need any protection; his aura is more than capable of doing that. If I hate anyone here most after Blackstone, then it is the Knight, but I would also love to get my hands on his body. If I get it, I will be able to make a very powerful Zombie Knight, if lucky, then a Death Knight. It will make me very powerful. I had four Zombie Knights once upon a time; those were my golden years. If not for the incident in the grim valley, I would have still had them, and these bastards wouldn¡¯t have been able to force me to this degree. Bam! Another thunder lance crashed against his bone, and to my shock; the lance, with its 30% power intact, pierced through the bone and stuck me before I could act to defend against it. Zimmm! A buzzing sound rang out as the defensive layer covering my body nearly collapsed. It would have completly collapsed if the power of the thunder lance had even been slightly stronger. I looked at the grinning face of the old bastard and then at myself and came to a realization. I need to run away. I couldn¡¯t stay here anymore; they would get me eventually, and the price of that would be huge if I ended up losing this body on which I had spent a fortune. I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford another one of this level. I cast more bone shields and filled them with greater power than before. Earlier, I had been careful about conserving mana, but now there is no need to worry about it, as I am going to escape. There will be some punishment, but it will be much less painful than losing this body. The old bastard seemed to have caught what I was planning to do as the grin on his face vanished, and his expression turned serious. ¡°It is trying to run away!¡± shouted Blackstone and shot even more powerful thunder lances at him. As the Knight heard it, the aura around him thickened that even he began to feel a slight suppression, while the other two burst out with their full power and came at him, but my shields moved, stopping them in their tracks. Still, I was quite surprised to see their power; they were hiding quite a lot and would have gotten me if I had continued fighting. Thankfully, I am escaping. I did not waste any time, and immediately, a scroll appeared in my hand, and the eyes of Blackstone widened in shock. Scroll of Teleportation. My life-saving measure; had cost me a lot, but it was worth it. Nothing is more important than surviving. ¡°Next time we meet, I will fucking kill you all,¡± I swore vengeance and unfurled the scroll, ready to teleport out of this wretched island. Hun! But to my utter shock, nothing happened. The shining scroll suddenly frizzled and furled itself back; seeing that shock couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face before I turned to the bastard Blackstone. I could sense what that bastard had done. Disruption. He cast the disruption and successfully disrupted the teleportation spell. The spell scrolls are easier to disrupt than the spell cast by the person. ¡°You wretched bastard!¡± I cursed loudly at Blackstone with all the rage in my heart and unfurled the scroll again. It lit again, but a second later, it fizzled out like the last time. ¡°Since you have come here, you better stay lich,¡± said Blackstone with a grin. ¡°I am a lich; you can¡¯t kill me,¡± I said back. ¡°I could not kill you, but I could destroy this precious body of yours. I am sure it will give you quite a backlash,¡± replied Blackstone with mirthful eyes. ¡°You can only dream,¡± I said and activated the ring of greater haste and moved at a speed that surprised even Blackstone. ¡°Follow it,¡± shouted Blackstone and cast haste on himself and others to chase after him. ¡®Greedy bastard!¡¯ I cursed. He might have tried to hide it, but he could see the greed in the old man¡¯s eyes. Given how the old bastard fought and the arsenal of spells he had, he could have run away easily. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to him, but he stayed, and the reason is me. The bastard is after my wealth; while I am not carrying all his wealth since I am a lich, I am still carrying a fortune, including my body. Blackstone wants it all, but he will not have it; as soon as I create enough distance between them and me, I will activate the teleportation scroll. Boom Boom Boom Blackstone is throwing spell after spell at me, but with greater haste, I am dodging the most, while those I could not dodge, I am defending with my bone shields. With each step, the distance between them widened, and in a minute, I would be able to activate the scroll without any problem. Soon, I was out of the grove, and to my surprise, I saw a group of humans in front of me, fighting a small group of undead. I did not change my course to avoid humans; I did not want to do something that would make them catch up to me. So, I directly moved toward humans; they froze seeing me coming toward them, especially the young human, who was in my direct way. To my surprise, he took less than a moment to come out of shock and swung his sword toward me; seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I love it when weakling shows the spirit; it is always fun to crush with absolute force. Especially now, when I had failed to kill any one of those bastards, crushing him will make me feel good. Bone Scythe! I cast, and a long bone scythe appeared in front of me and shot toward the young human, whose eyes widened in horror again, but his sword did not stop. ... The lich was coming toward me, and now he cast a scythe of bone; he could feel the sharpness of the scythe and knew it would cut him into two. ¡®Remus!¡¯ I heard Eva screaming my name; it should have been louder, but I could only faintly hear it for some reason. Likely because I am watching the scythe of death coming to reap my life. It filled me with horror, but I did not stop my attack, and instead pushed my rapier with every bit of the strength and skill I had and also activated the enchantment of the rapier at its full power, which I hadn¡¯t done till now. There was no need to; it was able to cut everything with low power, and I also didn¡¯t want to spend all power of the enchantment, as they are very expensive to service. Now, I did not care about that. It did not take even a second for the scythe to reach me and move past my rapier. I wanted my rapier to clash against it, but it easily avoided it and came toward me, while the leach appeared directly in front of me, while my sword moved toward its heart. It did not seem to be worried about that, and I wouldn¡¯t have been if I had been in its place, given the difference of power between us. Even if my sword hit it, I don¡¯t think it would be able to do anything to it, but I have to try. If I am dying, then I want to die, giving my all against the enemy. Finally, the scythe reached me; I felt it touch the button of my bloody shirt. Time seemed to slow down for me that moment as I saw the scythe cleanly cutting through the button before touching my skin. Crack! I braced for the pain and death that would come, but instead, I heard a cracking sound, and the blue layer of energy covered me; as it did, the bone scythe turned to powder. It shocked me, but it also shocked the lich who had appeared very in front of me, and my sword, which was now covered in blue energy like my body is less than an inch away from its heart. Its eyes widened in shock, and it tried to stop itself, but its speed was too fast to stop immediately. The tip of my sword touched its pale skin, which I found covered in a thin layer of grey energy, which my sword pierced without any problem before burrowing in its heart. Puch! A sound rang as the sword pierced through its heart. It was more like it was skewing itself into my rapier with sheer momentum. ¡°Bastard!¡± It cursed at me with rageful eyes, and I saw a huge black bolt coming from its staff and hitting me, but like a scythe, it also turned into dust, the moment it hit the blue layer of energy covering me. The layer became immediately paler as it happened. Khatch! I could see the light in its eyes, and its staff began to glow again, and I thought I would truly die when an arrow pierced through the skull of the lich from behind. At the same time, I saw a great sword piercing through its chest, sliding across my sword, and a silvery flash coming and cutting its head cleanly. Bannng! As it happened, the body of the lich crashed into me hard, giving me a glimpse of three people behind, who dealt the final blow to the lich. Thank You My Patrons: PortlandPhil, Andrew Murray, Weirwood, Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 53: Over Chapter 53: Over ¡®Thank you, father,¡¯ I thanked my father as I crashed toward the ground; it was because of him I had survived. The talisman artifact I had taken out from his dead body had saved me. The talisman had not activated when the assassin had decapitated him, but it did when the lich¡¯s attack hit me, which also gave me the opportunity to bury my sword inside him. I have survived, I did not think I would, but I did, and it made me very happy as there are still many things I have to do before embracing death. Hun! I fell on the ground, but to my surprise, I had not felt the hard ground I was expecting; instead got a very soft cushion made of aura. ¡°We have finished the lich, and who would have thought it would be because of the young man,¡± said the Knight, whose aura gently laid me on the ground. I wanted to open my mouth to thank him, but it wouldn¡¯t open despite my tries. ¡°Easy there, young silver; you are very injured. It will be better if you do not make any movement,¡± said High Mage Blackstone, and he looked at me for a moment before turning to Fanya and captain Julian. ¡°Bring out the healers; young silver and others needed them as soon as possible,¡± he ordered. They nodded and immediately disappeared; Fanya went back to the grove while Captain Julian went toward the manor. There are two healers came with us to face the undead while others remained in a bunker; as for the undead, they fell down like their strings had been cut. They could not operate without a lich controlling them, and once we took out the lich; they fell dead. High Mage Blackstone turned to me, not toward me, but to the body of the lich beside me; he looked, and soon, the staff and other things from the lich flew toward him before disappearing. The lich must have some good things. ¡°Adson, handle everything while I remove the blockers from the island,¡± said the High Mage and disappeared while Knight walked a few steps and sat on the boulder while I fell unconscious, unable to hold against overpowering tiredness. I woke up with a feeling of coolness all over my body; when my eyes fluttered open, I saw a faint green light covering me; there were also a lot of people lying beside me, including Leena and others. I felt quite relieved when I saw both Leena and Dan breathing; they had not died. Though they are unconscious, and like me, a healing spell is covering them. ¡°Remus, how are you feeling?¡± asked Eva, who was sitting not far away from me. ¡°Better than before,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; in a few days, you will be good as new,¡± she replied, to that, I could only smile. My injuries are not healed, but they have stabilized enough that I won¡¯t die. Though, I will need a more powerful healing spell to heal them quickly and also a few days of rest before I can think about lifting a weapon. I was watching everything in silence when suddenly, the gazes shifted, and the High Mage Blackstone had appeared. ¡°I was able to establish contact with Namdar; they were on their way to rescue, but I had told them we had already dealt with the undead,¡± he said with a hint of mockery and anger. He is not the only one feeling these emotions but everyone. It is the city¡¯s responsibility to protect us; the island comes under its protection. Over a hundred people have died, including eight that came to fight with against Lich, and some are in very critical condition that without the healing spell of mages, they wouldn¡¯t survive. Nobody spoke, and I once again fell into sleep, watching the bright moon above me. I don¡¯t know how long I had slept, but I was woken up by a warm feeling around my body. When I opened my eyes, I saw there were a lot more people around me, many of them unknown, with my whole body covered in a holy white glow. Looking at the priest in front of me casting the spell, true relief couldn¡¯t flood my heart. Now, I am sure nothing will happen to me, not only because the people from Namdar have arrived but also because I could feel the power of priests'' healing spells, which had finally given me some energy. While mages cast healing spells, it is truly the domain of priests; the divine spells are much better at healing than those powered by mana. As the spell healed me, I looked around, and immediately, my eyes targeted on handsome man in his early thirties with grey hair. He is talking to High Mage Blackstone and Knight. Artur Salazar, son of Helena Salazar, a powerful High Mage in his own right; all three children of Grand Mage Salazar are High Mages. The middle one is said to be very close to becoming Great Mage. He talked to them for a few minutes before turning to us. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen; I couldn¡¯t tell you how proud I am to be seeing sons and daughters of Namdar repelling the lich and killing all the undead,¡± ¡°Namdar is proud of you,¡± he said with a smile. ¡®Fucking bastard,¡¯ I cursed at him, and I am sure everyone. Forget him apologizing for not rescuing us; he recused himself of the responsibility and took the credit in the name of Namdar. I wish I could curse at him openly, but it is not wise; even High-Mage Blackstone didn¡¯t dare to do that. It could be clearly seen in his forced smile as he talked to Artur Salazar. ¡°Your critical injuries have become non-lethal, but potion burn had damaged you internally,¡± ¡°You will need to rest for a few weeks to recover from that,¡± said the priest as he put down his staff, but suddenly a surprise appeared in his eyes when he looked at my eyes but did not see anything. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, to which he smiled, ¡°It is my duty, mister Silver,¡± he said and walked away toward other patients while I slowly got up and sat by a small rock. I was looking around when I saw a man coming toward me with a worried expression on his face. ¡°Remus, thank god you are fine; I was worried sick when you joined them to kill the lich,¡± said Locke worriedly. ¡°I have survived, didn¡¯t I,¡± I said back, to which he nodded, and his expression turned a little strange as he leaned closer. ¡°I hear that you are the one who killed the lich. Is it true?¡± he asked softly, to which I shook my head. ¡°No, I had just aided a little; most of the work had been done by the four,¡± I replied, and Locke¡¯s expression turned normal as he nodded. If it had been a live being, then I might kill it with my attack, but it is a lich, an undead; destroying the heart is not enough. If it weren¡¯t for the Knight and others, then lich would have definitely killed me with its third spell. ¡°Everyone, since your condition has been stabilized, it is time to leave,¡± said Artus Salazar a few minutes later, and people came and started putting us on the stretcher. I might be able to get up, but I am in no condition to walk, so I let the medics lift me into a stretcher and to the ship. The undead had destroyed our ship; the yacht may be saved if the house Santos acts fast. There was a new ship on the pier, and even from a distance, I could tell it was big. The medics were fast, and we reached the ship within a few minutes, and as I had expected, it was big. They walked into the ramp and took me directly into the infirmary, and placed me into the bed. Not the general bed, but the one that is covered in privacy curtains from all sides. ¡°If you need anything, call us by the bell,¡± said the medic, motioning toward the small bell and leaving before I could even say thank you. Even on the ship, where the space is limited, there is always extra space for the privileged. I was not able to stay awake for long; the sleep I was fighting took me into its embrace again. [Warrior Level 5] [Warrior Level 6] [Warrior Level 7] [Skill Gained: Sure foot] These are words I saw in front of me as I became conscious again; I have gained three levels and the skill. It is not a bit surprising to me; I have fought a battle of life and death. I would have been surprised if I did not level up this much. Though the Skill had surprised me, not because it was bad, it was very good. Most importantly, it is a passive skill, which is a huge boon considering the kind of skill it is. The skill will keep my feet in balance all the time, and with it, stumbling would become very hard. It will help me tremendously in battle, where footwork is extremely important. If I had this skill earlier, I would have gotten injured much less in fighting against the undead. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 8) Lawyer (Lv. 7) Warrior (Lv.7) Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 10 ¡¤ Quick Steps ¡¤ Fast Reading ¡¤ Price Is Right ¡¤ Weighted Strike ¡¤ Lawful Suggestions ¡¤ Sure Foot Attribute Points: 0 Now, my warrior class had reached the same level as the Lawyer class, and I had more skills in it than in the lawyer class. My skills are quite good; some are common, but some are uncommon and rare. Sure, the foot is a rare skill, and usually, acrobats and dancers get this, but warriors also get it, and I am really happy to get it. It will help me a lot, especially with it being a passive skill. Now, I just want to heal and begin to practice again. I have learned a lot in the battle, but I understood there is huge space for improvement. I planned to improve as much as I could, squeezing every drop of benefit I could from the natural fighting talent that I had inherited from old Remus. Da Shoe, PortlandPhil, Andrew Murray, Weirwood, Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 54: New Morning Chapter 54: New Morning Thud! I collapsed on the cracked deck, not having the energy to even stand, while the people around me cheered. The battle had taken everything I had and more, but I survived; three sinking ships of undead is proof of that. ¡°We will live stone, not just fight,¡± said Jon while sitting beside him, with bandages covering every part of his body. For more than a year since the lich king started his invasion, I had been fighting since then. I had fought hundreds of battles, so much that he lost count. I looked at the island where he was born and fought and lost everything till there was nothing more left to give, and still, he felt sad about leaving. ¡°There was no choice, either escape or turn into undead,¡± Jon said, reading what I was thinking. He did not say anything, as his friend was right. .... It was morning as I walked onto the deck of the ship and saw the majestic city of Namdar getting closer to me with every breath. I am feeling weak, but I want the morning light to fall on my body, as I had not thought I would be alive to see this day a few hours ago. There were a couple of people on the deck looking at the city coming closer. I did not disturb them and picked my spot to enjoy the beautiful morning. A few minutes passed in silence when I heard the steps behind me, only to see Eva appearing beside me. Like me, she is also pale and weak, but the signs of injuries are much less on her than mine. Most of her injuries had been healed by the spells; the ones that remained would heal on their own in a few days. Even in such a state, she looked beautiful that I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her for a moment longer than it is polite. ¡°I did not think I would survive to see this morning,¡± she said, softly looking ahead into the sea. ¡°Me too,¡± I replied, and for a minute, there was silence. ¡°How long will you be in Namdar?¡± she asked. ¡°Till I recover,¡± I replied. To be honest, I want to go back to Greltheaven as soon as possible, but I will not till I am back in fighting condition again. This world is dangerous, and I don¡¯t want to move anywhere till I am completely recovered. Until then, Carla will handle everything. ¡°Do visit me before you leave,¡± she said. ¡°I will; I have a few things to buy and will be visiting your store.¡± ¡°I hope you will give me a discount,¡± I said, to which she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will give you a discount,¡± she said with a smile. I wanted to ask her about her level; I am very sure she has got a level up and even skill, but it is not polite, even rude. The battle was dangerous enough that everyone, without a doubt, had leveled up. Even the Knight and High Mage might have leveled up. Hun! We were watching the city getting closer in comfortable silence when the sudden change occurred. The skies around Namdar began to turn dark rapidly in a few seconds; all the clouds turned dark, making it look like it was evening rather than the morning. I was just looking at the darkened clouds when the lightning began to flash in them, and strong winds appeared around me, so strong that I had to grip the railing tightly with my weak hands. It felt very dangerous that; I wanted to burrow back into the infirmary. ¡°She is angry,¡± said Eva beside me. I did not have to ask who she was talking about. I had heard that once mages reached the level of Grand Mage, their emotions begin to affect the element they control, and since Helena Salazar is a storm mage, she controls water, wind, and lightning, and all of them are acting dangerously. I watched the lightning in the clouds getting stronger and stronger; all it moved toward the tower before bathing it fully. Gasp! A gasp of shock couldn¡¯t help but come out of my mouth when I saw the lightning covering the whole tower. I was watching it when suddenly, the lightning covering the tower began to move up till it disappeared above clouds, where the tip of the tower is. Crackle! I was just wondering what happened to all that lightning when I heard a crackle and saw a massive bolt of lightning tearing through the sky toward the west. ¡°Where do you think it went?¡± I asked, ¡°I think you could guess,¡± she replied, and I smiled. It is really a no-brainer. As the bolt shot out, the clouds began to clear again, and by the time we appeared in front of the port, the sky had become blue again, with sunny light bathing our bodies. ¡°The port seemed to have a lot more security than before,¡± I said, more to myself than her. There seemed to be a lot more security boats; not only that, but I also even saw a lot more beasts with riders patrolling the skies, not to mention a lot more boats in the port than before that it is neatly packed. ¡°The captains are scared; it will take a few days before the traffic returns to normal,¡± she said, and I nodded at that. I did not ask about the undead; I understand enough politics and war that I know that the undead attack was just testing. Vris¡¯alud had no intention to attack Empire, at least not yet. It will first try to conquer the whole of Mayhurst island before it turns its eyes toward the Empire. The real question is what Empire will do; will it send more aid or attack with the imperial navy, or will it do nothing other than make a token gesture to sate the people''s anger? Though one thing is clear, with all her anger and power, Helena Salazar would not go and attack Vris¡¯alud as she did to Ralenport. The most she could do was send a bolt of lightning, which she had done a few minutes ago. The lich king is extremely powerful; the whispers even said that it is very close to the realm of Archmage, which makes it a dangerous enemy that even Helena Salazar wouldn¡¯t take alone. As the ship moved the port, people began to come out; Dan and Leena had also come out, and before walking to the deck, I had gone to meet them. Their condition is better than me; they will be able to recover in a week without any further help from the healing spell. Soon, the ship docked at the port, and to my surprise, I saw thousands of people waiting there. ¡°Politics,¡± muttered Eva softly as Artur Salazar flew out of the ship and stood in the air, facing the thousands of people who had gathered in front of the ship as if aware it was where the ship would stop. They probably are. ¡°The undead had attacked us, but the sons and daughters of Namdar had fought them bravely.¡± ¡°We have killed, leaving not a single undead alive, including the lich,¡± said Artur Salazar to the crowd. ¡®He is really a bastard,¡¯ I cursed at him again; all the work done by us, but he is saying like he was part of it, and this thing is, he never explicitly said it but implied it heavily, as look at him with the forced smile on my face. Even Knight and High Mage are smiling as they stand on the deck of the ships. ¡°....in a few days, the warden will personally commemorate every soul fought against the abominable undead,¡± he said, and the cheers rang out from the crow. He smiled widely and waved before landing gently on the ship and turning to us. ¡°Once again, I thank you for your bravery against the undead; Namdar will not forget it,¡± he said, and Eva beside me secretly rolled her eyes at that. Soon, they put up a ramp, and people began to walk out of the ship. The first ones were on stretchers; there were some injured to such a degree that even clerics'' spells weren¡¯t able to heal them enough to walk. Soon, it was my turn; I walked with Eva with my guards behind me; their condition was better than mine, but they were still in no state to do a protection duty. ¡°Mom,¡± ¡°Remus,¡± As we reached down, people called; my cousin Gerald had come to me, and with him was his hot wife. She looked even more beautiful than the last time I had seen her, but I was more focused on two people who had come for Eva. It is a man and a woman; the man is in his early thirties and quite good-looking, while the woman is in her late twenties, beautiful as her mother. ¡°Thank god, Remus, you are fine; when I got the news of the undead attack, I thought something bad had happened to you,¡± said Gerald and came to hug me but stopped mid-way, seeing my condition. ¡°Gerald, I am fine,¡± I said to him before turning to his wife, ¡°Selina, nice to see you again; you are radiant as ever,¡± I greeted. ¡°I am glad to see you alive, Remus, but I am still angry at you for coming to our house,¡± she said glaringly. To that, I just smiled and walked with them, though not before waving goodbye to Eva; she waved back before turning to her children. ¡°Stephan, go to the church and tell them Remus is injured,¡± said Gerald to one of his guards. He nodded and rode away on his horse while I sat in the carriage with them. ¡°You can drop to the manor; I will be fine there,¡± I said, but immediately Selin glared. ¡°You are coming to our house, and I will not hear, no,¡± she said, and I opened my mouth to refuse, but seeing the expression on her face, I closed my mouth. That brought a smile to her face. The rest of the went smoothly, and soon the carriage pulled into a huge palatial manor, which was even bigger and more magnificent than the one I had been living. We got out of the carriage and walked toward the building. ¡°Do you need a wheelchair, Remus?¡± I asked Gerald, ¡°There is no need,¡± I said with a smile. Soon, we reached the door of the mansion, and I looked at two blue golems guarding both sides; they bowed to Gerald and Selina. These are very expensive; even if I sold everything I have, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford one, even the lowest level golems, and these ones are now low level. ¡°Have you ever used them?¡± I asked, looking at golems, ¡°Once, three years ago, when the thieves came,¡± replied Selina as we entered. As much as security, they also act as a status symbol, as very few can afford them. ¡°Mommy, daddy,¡± We had just entered inside when a young child of four came running with two maids following behind her but soon stopped. ¡°Rose, meet Uncle Remus; he is going to live with us for a few days,¡± said Gerald, and I gave him a look before turning to the child. I had met her several times before, but she was too little to remember me. ¡°Hello, Rose, it¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± I said; I would have crouched to shake her little hand, but I could not with my current condition. ¡°Hello, Uncle Remus,¡± she said nervously before moving close to her mother. ¡°Come, Rose, let us show uncle Remus his suit, so he can rest,¡± said Gerald, and we took the elevator to the top floor, and soon we were in the suit, which is far better than in the silver manor. ¡°Remus, you rest; soon, the cleric will come for your treatment,¡± said Selina, ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to which she smiled. ¡°We are family,¡± she replied and left with Gerald and her daughter while I lay on the bed, falling asleep in a couple of seconds. Knock Knock A knock woke me up; when I looked at the clock, I saw it hadn¡¯t been an hour since I had slept. ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and a moment later, the door opened with Selina and Gerald coming inside and, with them, a tall raven-haired woman wearing a priestly robe. I couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised, but I shouldn¡¯t be, given tons of money the house of Silver donated to these people. ¡°Your grace,¡± I greeted the Bishop of Sea Gold Church; it is very clear to tell her rank with her robe and brooch she is wearing. She is not a common priest but a bishop, a level 30+ cleric, and in her hand is a blue staff, wholly made of crystals. I could feel the divinity emanating from it. ¡°Mister Remus, don¡¯t strain yourself; it is not good for your current state,¡± she said; I nodded and relaxed, and a moment later, an aqua-blue light shone from her staff on my body, and immediately a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°It seemed like you had fought quite a lot of undead, Mister Silver,¡± she said, surprising Gerald and Selin. To them, I had received injuries running away from the undead, and I had not corrected their assumption. Though, they would have come to know about it by the evening. ¡°There was no choice,¡± I replied, to which she nodded. ¡°Please lay down, so I can cast Lord''s blessing on you,¡± she said, and I laid down on the bed. For a few seconds, there was only silence before her staff lit up, and a thick beam of energy came at me. As it touched me, it expanded around me, and soon, I found myself in a blue sphere of energy or, rather, a pearl. ¡°This would be enough to heal all your injuries Mister Remus but do take a rest for a day or two before doing anything heavy,¡± she said as she put her stuff down. A common priest couldn¡¯t be compared to Bishops, they are powerful, and they do not make the home visits within an hour of asking unless you donate an insane amount of money to their churches. House of silver does, and so do the other big houses; these are obvious benefits to it, such as this. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, feeling myself healing rapidly, which was also making me extremely sleepy. ¡°It is my duty, Mister Remus,¡± she said and left the room with Gerald and Selin while I closed my eyes and swept into a deep sleep.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Waylon Altizer, Daniel Steel, DaShoe, PortlandPhil, Andrew Murray, Weirwood, Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 55: Spending Chapter 55: Spending ¡°Bastard! You had a much bigger hand in killing the lich; you deserve far more than the four hundred thousand imperials,¡± cursed Gerald as he watched the carriage of Mage Raul leaving the compound. The man was a student of High Mage Blackstone; he had come to give me the share of the loot from the necromancer. Four hundred thousand imperial, which is equal to forty-million crowns; a huge amount for me, but far too less than I deserve, especially considering what I had lost in killing the lich. The toll and body of lich are worth a huge amount of money, at least two to three million imperials, but they have handed me the pesky forty million crowns. Still, it is much better than I had expected; to be honest, I had not thought I would get anything. They have not only given me but also to everyone who fought at the last charge and also to the guards who have died in the undead attack. There was also a different fund that surviving merchants had created; house silver had also contributed. It will go to all the guards, especially to those who died. Money will not bring back those who died, but it will set their families for life if they use the money wisely. For this reason, the mercenaries love to work for merchants, especially for the big houses. As long as you protect them with everything you have, you will always be rewarded. These forty million may be less than what I deserve, but it will help me tremendously at this stage. I could add things in the establishment which I have shelved for later, and now, I might be able to buy the jewelry and accessories I want with this huge budget. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast,¡± I said to Gerald; this is what I am preparing before Raul arrived with the money. Soon an hour passed, and it was time to leave. ¡°You could stay a few more days, you know,¡± said Selina, to that, I smiled. I have stayed more than I had wanted, this is my fourth day in their house, and while it was fun, I would like to return to the other manor. I have to do things and bring people that I could not bring here. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Gerald and Selina,¡± I said to them and walked out of the manor, and soon, I was in the carriage with Dan, who could not seem to stop smiling. ¡°You seemed quite happy today,¡± I said, to which he grinned. ¡°I have finally got the money to buy a thing for which I have been saving for years,¡± he said, with a smile, that he is barely controlling. ¡°If you are planning to buy it here, you can take tomorrow off,¡± I said to him; he seemed a little surprised by that before the smile on his face became bigger. ¡°I will be grateful, Master Silver,¡± he said; I smiled. It took about an hour before we stopped at a place that had Charles written in the huge golden letter. It is a big opulent building with wares showing through the glass that only a few could afford. This is Eva¡¯s boutique; it is more like a mall, given how big it is. I walked while Dan and the other guard followed behind me while the rest remained with the carriage. Seeing what I faced on Santos¡¯s private island; made Gerald feel guilty. Feeling it has been his responsibility to protect me since I have come to his city, and now, I have eight guards protecting me. And I am not complaining. Soon, I walked through the silver glass doors and entered the store; what an amazing store is; everything is premium and expensive. I was inside when a woman dressed in staff uniform appeared in front of me; I was a little surprised seeing her because she was clearly a half-elf; there was no hiding, one could tell by a single look. Those radiant hair, slightly pointed ears, and angular face all signs led to her being a half-elf. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± she said as she stopped before me. ¡°Yes?¡± I said questioningly. ¡°Miss Eva had asked me to take you to her when you come,¡± she said. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said. She turned and led me toward wherever Eva was. She was close by, talking to women and the man I surprisingly knew. ¡°Remus, you have come,¡± said Eva as she saw me coming. ¡°Eva,¡± I said before turning to a middle-aged man. ¡°Mister Denis, it¡¯s been a while,¡± I greeted the middle-aged and nodded to the woman, Eva¡¯s daughter. She looked like a copy of her mother with those same sapphire eyes, golden blond hair, and diamond shape face. ¡°Yes, since that day,¡± he said, referring to my father¡¯s funeral. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to introduce you to that day; Remus, this is my daughter, Cara,¡± Eva introduced. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you; Eva had said many things about you,¡± I said as I shook her hand. ¡°Same,¡± she said with a reserved smile. We talked for a few minutes before Eva turned to Cara. ¡°Dear, take Denis to the office and sign those documents,¡± Eva said. ¡°Yes, mother,¡± she said and took Denis away while Eva turned to me. ¡°So, what do you want to buy, a suit, shoes; we have very excellent designs. I suggest the one by our designer; it will look very good on you at the warden¡¯s ball,¡± she said, but I smiled. ¡°I will need that, but I need other things first,¡± I said to which she arched her brow, ¡°We will first start with jewelry,¡± I said, ¡°We do have some excellent studs and even rings of varamian¡¯s style,¡± she said. This time she is joking; it is clear even when she tries to keep her expressions straight. ¡°Women¡¯s jewelry Eva,¡± I said flatly, ¡°For your girlfriend?¡± she asked with a faint tease, ¡°No, for my business,¡± I replied, and a faint surprise appeared on her face before the radiant smile replaced it. ¡°Jewelry is what we are famous for,¡± she said, and we began to walk. ¡°What type of jeweler do you need, for how many people, and what is your budget?¡± she asked as she led me. ¡°I need jewelry that could be worn by the hundred girls through changeable sets,¡± I informed. ¡°And your budget?¡± she asked. ¡°Hundred and fifty thousand imperials,¡± I replied. ¡°It is enough budget,¡± she said with a smile, and we stepped into the elevator before getting out at the third floor, which was glittering jewelry. The whole second, third, and fourth floor is dedicated to jewelry; every type of jewelry can be found here, gold, gemmed, and even magical metals. Jewelry is what Charles is most famous for, and I could see why. ¡°You will need every type of jewelry, from chokers to anklets, and all of them need to work with each other, every way you pair them,¡± she said softly. Yes, this is what I want; I want each piece of jewelry to work with others; while fifteen million crowns may seem much, it is barely enough. Soon we appeared in front of the huge counter, which had thousands of pieces of jewelry around it. ¡°We will start with this ronas necklace, cynthar earrings, and aldan bands,¡± she said, and the women behind the counter immediately placed them in front, and another woman in her mid-twenties appeared and stood respectfully at a distance. The jewelry is made of agan metal, a purple color malleable metal which has finely cut sapphires and ures gems are placed. They definitely have an elvish hint in them, especially the earrings. ¡°Jenny, be a dear and try this,¡± she said, and immediately Eva put jewelry on the woman; she was so fast that she did not take even a minute. The way she put it, there is obviously skill involved. ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Eva as I began to look at the girl, who was obviously a model. The way she is standing and changing her positions gracefully lets me give a look at every angle. I looked at carefully, seeing how finely cut gems shone with every movement she made. It highlighted her, accented the beauty she already has. ¡°They looked very good on her,¡± I said to which Eva smiled. ¡°Yes, they do, and we are going to change the bands and necklace,¡± she said and called for the other jewelry, which immediately appeared on the counter, and she tried it on the model. ¡°Now?¡¯ she asked, ¡°Just as good,¡± I said. The two pieces she called out were made of gold and nothing else, and looked very good with the gemmed necklace. In the next few minutes, she took out more than twenty pieces of jewelry and tried on models of different color and complexions, giving me a complete look. ¡°So, which one do you like?¡± she asked, motioning toward the jewelry that had piled up on the counter. ¡°All of them,¡± I said after a moment of contemplation, and she did not seem a one bit surprised. For the next three hours, she showed me all kinds of jewelry, and nearly everything she showed, I brought it, except for eleven pieces that I did not think would suit the girls of the establishment. I have every kind of jewelry, from necklaces and earrings to uncommon diadems and cameos; I even brought some whose names I could not remember. I could already imagine the huge effect it would bring on the girls. ¡°I think we are finished with jewelry,¡± said Eva. To that, I nodded with a little forced smile. I think I have gone quite over budget; even if she gave me a good discount, it would still be above the budget. When the time comes, I might need to shelf some of my purchases, which I don¡¯t want to do, but will be forced to. ¡°I hope you have a good collection of accessories,¡± I said to Eva, to which she smiled. ¡°That you do not need to worry about,¡± she said and walked toward the elevator. The elevator stopped, and we walked out of the fifth floor, which was filled with dresses of all kinds, wonderful dresses. Some are even crafted from magical material; those are real expensive things that only a high-level person could create. ¡°As you can see, we have a huge collection of dresses,¡± she said, motioning toward the small dresses to long gowns. ¡°Dresses I have; I only need accessories,¡± I replied; even on the stage of the big city, Elese''s designs did not pale at all, and that couldn¡¯t help me with a smile. ¡°We will start with shoes then,¡± she said, and we went to the huge shoe section. Where I found those Cinderella shoes, made of glasses and gems, I couldn¡¯t resist and brought a few pairs of them. I love to see how Carla looks in them; I had made Eva wear those, and she looked ravishing in those red ruby shoes. There are all kinds of shoes, from stilettos to flat heels to boots; I had only focused on a few types of them, and despite that, I had needed nearly two hours to buy two hundred and twenty pairs of shoes. After that, we went to belts and then perfume and other sections till I found everything I needed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be able to afford all that I had brought,¡± I said to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will give you a big discount,¡± she said and led me to the men¡¯s section. I have also done some shopping for myself, which took longer than I had thought as I had to give the measurements for the tailored suits. I had also brought a few pairs of shoes and accessories like cufflinks, brooches, and perfume. Appearance is important, it is how people look at you, and it helps a lot in making a first impression. I did not hesitate on it and brought what I liked. Click! Eva opened the door, and we walked inside the hall, where everything I had brought had already been assembled. ¡°So, how much is it going to cost me?¡± I asked, looking at a small store worth of stuff, very expensive stuff. ¡°Two hundred thousand imperials,¡± she said, that is twenty thousand crowns, as much as I needed to make the changes in the establishment, but hearing the number, a relief appeared on my face instead of surprise. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her, to which she smiled. According to my calculations, she had given me a discount of five million, which is far bigger than I had thought she would give me. ¡°You are a friend Remus,¡± she said simply. To that, I nodded and paid the bill before walking out of the room with her. ¡°Once again, thank you, not only for the discount but also for your time; I am really grateful you personally helping me,¡± I said; this time, she did not say anything, only smiled. After one last hug, I walked out of the store. I have shopped a lot today, but the shopping has yet to be finished; there are many more things that I have to buy. Richard Brown, Waylon Altizer, Daniel Steel, DaShoe, PortlandPhil, Andrew Murray, Weirwood, Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 56: Women Chapter 56: Women Soon, the carriage rolled into the indentured market; I was not planning to come here, but since I had come across the huge money, I might as well check things out. The market is huge but clean, and I did not see people in chains; they were in good condition, talking, smiling, or silently sitting. It is not a slave market; slavery is forbidden in the empire. The emperor had even greater hate for it than people of other races. Helena Salazar is also very strict with such matters, and due to it, the city of Namdar had a vibrant indentured market. Here you can get any type of person, from a fighter to a cook to whore. Many people intentionally sell themselves to indenture and get the hefty money they need to pay their debts; some were forced into it as they couldn¡¯t pay their debts. There is also a third way, which is bad, a kind of a grey area where they capture people, especially in war, and force them to sign an indenture contract. It is bad business, but it is common. Thankfully, with all its flaws, Empire does not do it, they will kill you, but they will sell you to slavery or force you to sign indenture contracts. Soon the carriage stopped in front of a huge square building with a huge board of ¡®Scents Indentures¡¯ sticking on it. I stepped out of the carriage and walked inside through the open wooden doors. ¡°Welcome, customer.¡± ¡°What kind of people do you need? The scent indentures have them all,¡± said the beautiful woman by the door. She is very practiced in it; it will happen if you speak the same line thousands of times throughout the day. ¡°Can you call Waris Scent, please,¡± I said to the woman. The smile on her face slipped for a second before it came back on. ¡°You are?¡± she asked, ¡°Remus Silver,¡± I replied, and her eyes immediately went to my eyes. ¡°I will inform mister Waris of your presence; please wait here,¡± she said and led me toward the waiting area before walking out, while her place immediately took by another beautiful woman. I looked around and saw men and women talking to the people standing in the shop uniform; beside each of them had the name of their class and a broad range of their levels. Here the name does not matter; what matters are your class, levels, and skills. On these three factors, the price of the contract is calculated. Most people here are humans with different colors and complexions, but I have spotted a few orc blood and half-elf and even a few that looked like giant blood and dwarf blood. It is sometimes hard to tell in their cases as humans sometimes could be tall and short. Though, if one studies them carefully, one could still verify them with racial features, especially in giant-blooded humans. The elder races, like the giant, have distinct features and could be in those humans who possess their blood. I was looking around when the beautiful woman returned, and with her came a smiling, bald, middle-aged man. ¡°Remus, do you have any idea how happy you have made me coming to my shop,¡± he said and took me in a bear hug before I could say anything. It was uncomfortable, but I reciprocated and turned him with a smile. ¡°I hope this happiness will show in a discount,¡± I said shamelessly. ¡°My friend, you don¡¯t have to worry about the discount,¡± ¡°If you asked me to give you the goods for free, I would do it.¡± ¡°There is nothing more important than my life,¡± he replied as he patted my shoulder, surprising those who heard it. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said. ¡°So, what kind of people do you need?¡± he asked. ¡°The one I deal in,¡± I replied. To that nodded. ¡°Third floor then,¡± he said, and we walked toward the stairs; there was an elevator, but we took the stairs. ¡°As you can see, we sell the kind of indenture contract, you name it, and we will have it,¡± he said. ¡°Currently, I only need whores, but I need something more; I will definitely come to you,¡± I replied. ¡°Good, you will not be disappointed with our goods,¡± he said. A few seconds later, we walked inside the third floor, and it too filled with people, with many people looking at them, talking to them. Soon, we have walked into a huge hall which had which had been guarded by four people. Walking inside, I saw a little different scenery; here, all the indentured people were all women, and those who were looking at them were nearly all men; only two women were among them. The women are human, with different colors and complexions; I could even spot those from aeris island, the ones with faint pink skin. On earth, we did not have humans of this complexion. I looked at hundreds of women, standing or sitting on the stool, wearing sheer black dresses, which gave a glimpse of what was inside but did not show it all. As I read the notes beside them, all of them had notes bedside them, which had their class and level range. They have common prostitute classes, like prostitute, whore, harlot, and others. ¡°Here are indentured prostitutes between level 10 - level 19; we have higher-level ones in the next hall,¡± he said and looked at me. ¡°Here is fine,¡± I said. Those who are level 20 and above cost at least four times what the contract these women would cost, but this is not the only reason me choosing the lower-level ones when it seemed to choose higher-level ones to benefit me. It will not, as I wouldn¡¯t be able to meld them according to my needs. The classes changed and advanced according to their host¡¯s condition; the lower the level they had, the better chance I would have. With this theory, I should be taking the contract of those below level 10, but that is a different condition, as I will need girls to run my business, and since it is a high-class brothel, I am running, they need to be at least level 15. Though, I am planning to buy some contracts of lower-level ones, level 5 below, to train them the way I needed from the beginning. So, when they enter the business, they will have an advanced prostitute class and uncommon and rare skills. As I had said, I have big plans, and the only thing I need is time and money. We walked toward the woman close to the door; she was from continental Zenid like us, a northern to specific with her features. ¡°This is Sadue, level 13, Class Whore; she had fifteen years in the business,¡± he informed while using a privacy skill. He specified her level, while information reads she is between level 11 to level 14. It is always good when people think they owe you a big favor, they go the mile to be nice to you, and he did owe me a favor. I had played a big part in killing the lich while he and others hid in the bunker. ¡°Where are you from?¡± I asked. ¡°Ner, Kingdom of Sandar,¡± she replied in a faintly accented voice. As I asked her question, I used my Worthy Goods; this skill is used to select the girls, but I never had a chance to use it on the girls. As a first time, I had got the girls with the establishment, and the second time, I had brought them remotely when they arrived; I saw no need to use it on them. Though that does not mean I have not used this skill. This skill may be used only for the girls, but I am using it on everything I buy for the establishment, from the liquor to make-up instruments. I had even used it when I went to Valentina to discuss the construction of the mansion. At first, there was not any response other than a headache, but now there is a faint feeling. Earlier, it had helped me a lot in selecting the dress accessories for the girls. Now, its response is not faint at all; it gives the result that I do not need to focus completely to read. The feeling I am getting from her is on the positive side, but I am not going to make a decision on the response of the skill alone; I still believe in my judgment more than the power of the skill. ¡°Do you have any other classes beside whore?¡± I asked, and she looked at Waris, who nodded. ¡°Yes, Patcher,¡± she replied in a faintly accented voice, sounding slightly embarrassed. ¡°In a clothing type, right?¡± I asked to which she nodded. ¡°Do you have any hobbies, play any instrument, know any language other than common?¡± I asked. The questions seemed to have surprised her but also surprised Waris. He might have thought I would ask the common questions, like what type of skills she has and the sexual positions she knows. ¡°I do not have a hobby and never played any instrument,¡± she said with a shake of her head, ¡°But I know Sanda languages; it is my mother tongue,¡± she added. ¡°Thank you for your answers,¡± I said to her and walked away before turning to Waris, ¡°Do you have a list of her skills?¡± I asked softly, he nodded, and a page appeared in his hand magically. I took the page from his hand, which contained all information about the woman, including four skills she had, three from Whore Class and one from Patcher Class. Skills ¡¤ Whore Class: Sometimes I Fake It, Night Long, Erect Again ¡¤ Patcher Class: Fix Patches All three of her skills in Whore Class are common; nearly every whore has one or two of those skills. I read all the information front and back of the page; it not only contains information about her class skills and age, but also background information like where they are born, and which brothels they have served before. Even the reason for their indenture. These people keep thorough information which helps, as problematic people can create reputational damage, which transforms into economic damage. It took me a few seconds to read through all before handing him back the page, which disappeared; he took it. I stopped in front of the second, younger than the last woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties with shoulder-length brown hair. She was standing with bored eyes; even when we appeared in front of her, her expression had not changed. ¡°This is Georgia, Level 15, Class Broad, with nine years of experience, and like us, is the citizen of the empire,¡± he informed. ¡°Do you have any hobby, know any language, play any instrument?¡± I asked and could see faint interest lighting up in her bored eyes ¡°I do not know any language other than the one we speak in the empire, same with the instrument,¡± ¡°Though, I have a hobby, carving. I have got the class about it,¡± she said while looking at Waris, who nodded, and once again, a page appeared in his hand, which he handed to me. Skills: ¡¤ Broad: All Nighter, touch of erection, pleasure scratches ¡¤ Carver: Sharp Nails, Became Soft ¡°So, you can carve both wood and stone?¡± I asked, to which she nodded without change in expression. ¡°Thank you for your answers, Georgia,¡± I said and walked ahead; one by one, II asked the girls questions while reading their information from the pages. Soon I finished thirty-two girls, all of them native of Zenid, mostly from the empire, before finally different came. ¡°Caena, Level 15, secondary Class Strumpet, twenty-six years of experience and is from Herald continent,¡± said Rona and handed me the page. Something had come up, so Waris had to leave; he left Rona in his place. She is the same beautiful woman who greeted me by the door. I looked at the woman in front of me; she was a plain-looking woman in her late thirties; she had medium height and brown skin, common to the herald continent, with black eyes and black hair. Those black eyes of hers had quite a pull; that would attract anyone who looked at them. Those eyes reminded me of my grandmother; that woman was something else, and I miss her. Remembering her, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face with sadness. The woman looked at me, and for a moment, I felt like she could see through me what I was feeling, and it felt intrusive that I looked away for a moment and cleared my emotions. ¡°Where are you from in Herald?¡± I asked, ¡°City of Iesma,¡± she replied, and a small smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°Maires mons,¡± I said, and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. ¡°Maires sans,¡± she replied, the greeting after a moment of silence. It is akari, the language spoken in Herald. My mother was Herald continent and taught me the language, among other things. ¡°Do you have any hobby, play any instrument?¡± I asked while reading her information, which surprised me. ¡°No,¡± replied with clear words. ¡°Mind telling me, your primary class?¡± I asked; Strumpet is not her base class, something else that is not mentioned here. There were six more girls who did not have prostitution-type classes, but they were written. People like waris had skills that see through your classes and the skills of people whose contracts they sell. Only in some cases, they could not see through. Like the person being higher level than them, the class being more advanced than theirs, artifacts, there are many others for that. ¡°No,¡± she replied simply. My skills are also proving no answers as it is completely blank, which I had the first time, as there are always some answers. ¡°Thank you for your answers, Caena,¡± I said with a smile and moved toward the girl next to her, who was also from Herald. One by one, I went through all the girls, asking repeated questions and reading their information. Soon, I finished with all the women in the hall, including the three from aeris island. They were boring, and unless I wanted them for my own novelty, I wouldn¡¯t be buying their contracts. ¡°Has anyone caught your interest, mister Remus?¡± asked Rona, coming a little closer to me than it is normal. ¡°A few, but I want to check out a few more women before I give you the final list,¡± I said. ¡°You want to check level 20 and above?¡± she asked, to which I shook my head. ¡°Level 5 below,¡± I replied, it surprised her, but she led me toward it. One and a half hours later, we returned to the first floor and went to waris¡¯s office. ¡°Have you selected the women?¡± he asked, ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, and Rona beside me gave him the list of twenty-one; he seemed faintly surprised by my choice. ¡°Since you are my dear friend, with whom I had experienced life and death moment, I will give you a good discount,¡± he said. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I said with a smile. Though, unlike me, he had not fought against the undead. He hid behind the guards, and when the bunker opened, one of the first people to enter was inside. ¡°I will charge three hundred imperials for women of Level 5 and below, five hundred imperials for women level 10 to level 14, and six hundred imperials for women level 15 to level 19,¡± he said. ¡°Yes,¡± I said. It is a good discount; I have gotten a discount of around 10%-15%. It may not be as big as what Eva had given me, but still big; the money I have saved here will help me buy different things. I have brought a total of twenty-one indentured contracts, seven women below level 5, eight below level 15, and six below level 20. All of them cost me nine thousand and seven hundred imperials, about a million crowns. ¡°Visit my store if you need any people in the future, Remus,¡± he said as he walked me out of the store. ¡°Of course,¡± I replied before walking toward my carriage.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Richard Brown, Waylon Altizer, Daniel Steel, DaShoe, PortlandPhil, Andrew Murray, Weirwood, Bence, m2wester, Kristaps Ruluks, Neric, Stephan, Elen Zhang, Jerad Stephans, Christian Petterson, Daniel Hernandez, Vincent Emil, Zip, Thomas Borseth, Zachary Thomas Potter, Landen Sweeney, Jon, Whalehunter, Matthew Sidewell, Thomas B Wilkes, Scott Turner, Josh W, Jeffrey Iverson, A disgruntled nondescript Squirrel, NobleBoy24, Colin Love, Jose Miguel Labao Lopez, Deane L Uptegrove, Matt M, William Holcomb, Alon David, Antab, Mattias Klason, Constantin II, Wega, Anonymous, Shoelace, Book_Ascendent, Constantin, John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George. Chapter 57: Storm Tower Chapter 57: Storm Tower ¡°Welcome to the velvet garden, ladies,¡± I said as the sixteen women came out of the carriages. Remus had brought a contract of twenty-one women, but only sixteen had stayed, while five had chosen freedom. It is the greatest mistake that the women who have left have made. Here, they could have earned beyond their imagination; for freedom, they would have gotten it in five years, with enough money to live the rest of their lives with relative luxury. I turned to the women line in front of me, of which eleven would work after their training while five would only learn. The five girls are young, and even the oldest of them would require one and a half years to join the business. A huge time to learn that I couldn¡¯t feel faintly jealous of the opportunity they would have. ¡°Follow me, and if possible, don¡¯t make any sounds. If you have any questions, speak slowly,¡± I said to them and walked toward the door. Soon she reached it and nodded at Benton and Nena guarding the door before leading the girls inside. ¡°The velvet garden is different from the other brothels; here, we do not sell just sex, but desires, and for it, you all need to lea....¡± I suddenly stopped when I noticed a heraldan woman stopping at the doorway, with shock on her face. ¡°Miss Caena, are you fine?¡± I asked the plain-looking woman. The woman did not seem to have heard me, and I opened my mouth to ask her again when her expression turned normal. ¡°I am fine, just surprised how different it is from the other brothels,¡± she said and joined the group quickly. Carla did not believe it completely, but she could not ask her either. So, she will keep an eye on her, as nothing should jeopardize what she and others have. They have finally got something meaningful people in their wretched lives, and I will not lose it. ¡°As I was saying, the velvet garden is different from others....¡± ¡®Legacy¡¯ is definitely the beginning of the legacy consolidation I am sensing. Saying I was shocked would be an understatement; she had not expected this from her new brothel, one that is barely two months old. Something drastic had happened for it to begin. She could clearly feel how every brick of it was absorbing emotion and desires. She had never felt such dense emotions and desires from any brothel or thing she had ever been to and never expected she would come across it. Such things are extremely rare; she had only heard about them. I could see the signature of the kind in it, but her kind did not start the process; it is all owners and women of this place whose spirit lit up the spark and began the process. If her kind could create something like this, then they wouldn¡¯t be the outcasts. Their class would have been the strongest in the world. Though it is without a doubt that her kind had helped, and this wouldn¡¯t have happened without that initial push. One cannot get a legacy by trying it, they just happen with some luck and favor, but the most important factor is still the person¡ªthe owner of this place, whose thoughts and work made it happen work. She did not expect a low merchant could create it, as usually those who have the legacies are at level 30 or level 40 above. It is likely because the process had begun much earlier, and by the time legacy was created, they are a high level. The people who spark the legacy are no ordinary people; they always reach high levels. The process had just begun, and the place was only absorbing about 1% of the emotions and desires emanating from the people, but with passing time, it would increase till emotions and desire drenched every particle of it. When that happens, the legacy will be formed. I don¡¯t think he had even noticed what was happening to his place; such things are very hard to sense, and she had only sensed it because of her class. She is shocked by what she has found; more than that, she is ecstatic. This is a source of her power. If she could harness the emotions and desires it is absorbing, then she would be able to achieve the feats above her level and not mention the levels she would gain through it. The only regret is that she could not touch this power, not without permission, she tried it, but as the elders had said, without the formal permission of the owner, she wouldn¡¯t be able to touch it. Still, it did not dim her spirit; after decades of darkness, hope had finally lit up in her heart. They would pay for what they have done to her people. She had to be careful, she would watch and listen before making her move, and no mistake would be allowed. Now, she can¡¯t wait for him to return. .... [Souteneur Merchant Lv. 9] I stopped midway, adjusting my suit in front of the mirror as the text appeared. It surprised me so much that I froze for a few seconds. I did not think I would level up in my base class here; something must happen in the establishment. The only thing that happened was the girls reached the Greltheaven; I had received Carla¡¯s message an hour ago. The girls had reached the establishment, and she had given them the tour and forms to fill out. She will have the data sorted, and when I go back, I will assign them the teachers; I might even need to bring a few. I can afford it; I still have ten million for the forty million and also the ten million I had brought from Greltheaven for shopping. These twenty million will go back to add a few more things to the establishment. I have already written to Valentina and will have a meeting with her the day I return to Greltheaven, which would be two and a half days later, as we are leaving tomorrow morning. As for the attribute point I got with this level-up, I added it to the vitality; the undead attack has told me I need to invest some good points in strength and vitality. Class: Souteneur Merchant (Lv. 9) Lawyer (Lv. 7) Warrior (Lv.7) Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 10 Vitality: ¡¤ Fast Reading ¡¤ Price Is Right ¡¤ Weighted Strike ¡¤ Lawful Suggestions ¡¤ Sure Foot Attribute Points: 0 The moment I added the attribute points to vitality, I felt warm all over my body, and a moan couldn¡¯t help but escape from my mouth. The feeling had only lasted for a few seconds before it disappeared, but the change it had brought in a matter of seconds is noticeable. I checked for a few more seconds before turning to the mirror and adjusting my suit till it was perfect. It is simply black and white, with impeccable cuts, and sewed with venas spider threads. That is a magical material. It had cost me a lot, but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw money well spent. Seeing everything was perfect, I walked out, only to see Roth coming toward me. ¡°Master Silver, Master Gerald, and Madam Selina had arrived,¡± he informed. ¡°Thank you, Roth,¡± I said and walked toward the elevator with him. Today is my last day in the Namdar and also the day of the ball that the warden is throwing at her tower. It is a rare opportunity; I couldn¡¯t help but be excited about it. One could not easily be invited into the tower, much less see her; she usually stays in the tower, and people do not see her in public for months or even a year. Most of the things are handled by her children and officials. Soon, I reached the ground floor and found Gerald and Selina sitting there; both of them looked good. Especially Selina: with that shimmering purple dress, she looked even more beautiful than she usually looked. ¡°Wow, you looked really handsome in this suit; if I had not been married to your cousin, I would definitely hit on you,¡± she said, stumping me on my spot. ¡°Don¡¯t joke, Selina; you will give a poor guy a heart attack,¡± said Gerald looking at my stumped face. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, putting her hands in the air. ¡°Let¡¯s go; we don¡¯t want to be late to the party,¡± I said, and the three of us walked out of the mansion. I was stumped by the words, but vivid images appeared in my mind by those words. Those are bad thoughts, and I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about those thoughts, especially about relatives. It seemed like sexual frustration was getting into my head, and I needed to do something about it. Soon, we reached the carriage; it was black, with small flags of house silver attached to it, on both sides. Its carriage is great, one of best I had ever sat in; nearly it is enchanted, and I could not feel even the slightest bump. It feels more like I am flying rather than riding; that¡¯s how good this carriage is. ¡°The coming years will be challenging with Vris¡¯alud¡¯s ambition,¡± said Gerald, and it immediately made my expression serious. ¡°Everything will depend on succession; the smoother it goes, the greater it will be for the empire,¡± replied Selina. The Mayhurst island is as close to the Namdar as it is close to Zenid; once the emperor is dead, it will definitely move its slimy claws toward the island, as the attacking continent is a lot more complicated. It is under the aegis of archmage; the lich will think hundred times before attacking any part of the continent with the purpose of conquering. The Namdar is different; it is an island, despite it being technically part of Zenid. Before, there was hope that it would keep its slimy claws to Mayhurst, but this attack showed otherwise. ¡°I hope the island resists it,¡± I said. The Lich king had launched a war on the whole island and had already swallowed one Kingdom and a second Kingdom by half. The others are resisting, especially the orcs, and I think the empire should provide them with more resources than it is already providing. ¡°Have you heard what Emperor had planned to do about this attack?¡± I asked. ¡°Other than him saying the insult will be paid three-fold, there was no other response,¡± he replied. ¡°I feared he might just make a token gesture and let it go,¡± said Selina worriedly, and she had the right to be worried. Namdar is their home; if lich kind conquers the whole of Mayhurst island, then one of the first places he would look to conquer would be Namdar. Namdar is strong, but Vris¡¯alud is stronger, and every day, its army is getting stronger as it got more and more bodies. Necromances and Liches love the war as they gain bodies in it. While they lose bodies, they gain even stronger back, as war makes them and their enemies level up, and then they kill those enemies, getting hands on their strong bodies. Vris¡¯alud had swallowed Brarod, captured their general, and turned him into undead, and now that undead general was fighting the war against Dekas. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t think about these things and make ourselves worried further, especially not today,¡± said Gerald. ¡°Today is the day of joy, and we should enjoy it; we will worry about the nasty things tomorrow,¡± he added a moment later. It put a smile on both of our faces, and we changed to lighter topics; before we knew it, we reached the storm tower, and the carriage stopped. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 58: Medal of Rain Chapter 58: Medal of Rain Chapter 58: Medal of Rain ¡°I knew it was amazing seeing from afar, but only seeing it close could I really understand,¡± I said as I looked at the storm tower. ¡°It is beyond words; no matter how many times I see it, I can¡¯t help but get impressed by it,¡± said Selina in wonder. It is huge, bigger than even the tallest building on the earth. I could feel its might and sheer power coming from it. I did not forget how the tower had called the lightning from the surroundings, bathing in it before sending a giant bolt of lightning toward Vris¡¯alud. It was the first time I had seen such mighty magic. The magic tower not only shows the might of the mage but also projects their power. It is a magical tool from which mages can cast spells they could not cast with their power. Not to mention the force of powerful mages, as it also acts as an academy. Thousands of mages work and study here. It is a place where any mage desire to practice, as it provides all the tools and resources they need for their advancements. I looked at the tower for more than a minute before we went toward the gates of the tower, the biggest gates I had ever seen, even bigger than those of the castles. ¡°Welcome to Storm Tower, Mister Silver, Madam Silver, Master Silver,¡± greeted Artur Salazar at the door of the hall. He was not alone; beside him was a woman about the same age and with similar facial features. She is Sonya Salazar, the oldest of Helena Salazar, and like her brother, she is also a High Mage. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, High Mage Artur, High Mage Sonya,¡± we greeted and stepped inside the huge hall, which was the biggest I had ever seen. It is not just big, but well decorated, with pieces of art, that I could not afford even a single with all my wealth. Still, the biggest attraction of all is a huge chandelier, which is crafted from the element of air, water, and lightning. It looked amazing as it was dangerous, and many people seemed to have avoided going below it, considering it was floating in the air; nothing was tethering it, and that crackling purple lightning looked quite dangerous. It is a sign of Helena Salazar¡¯s power and a very dangerous object; if it fell down, it would kill 90% of people, as barely a few had the power to resist it. ¡°Such a dense mana. This is really heaven for the Mages,¡± said Selina as she stepped inside. I did not feel much other than a faint current, which seemed to be in very air and made all the hair on my body stand up. I could not sense mana, but Selina could, as she is a Mage. It might be hard to believe, but she had adventured for a few years before marrying Gerald. According to my father, she is above level 10 and below Level 20. House provide her special grand to presume her mage studies as they want to foster a mage talent. There were barely any mages in the family; the silvers did not have much magical talent and always tried to foster those who had it, no matter how small it was. We have a lot of mages on our service, but it is always great to have some in the family; for this same reason, old Remus had been provided the best teachers when he showed a talent for a warrior. The family does foster just mages but anything that provides them with an offensive edge. Father didn¡¯t like it, but he still provided every resource needed, as he knew how important to have powerhouses in the family. The hall is, without a doubt, huge, but the crowd is also great, and it did not look crowded at all, given its sheer size. Every type of person can be seen here; I have already spotted a few, like High Mage Blackstone, Count Morris, Thomas Bale, and many others. ¡°Gerald, it had been quite a while,¡± said a man in his mid-thirties as he came toward us pretty-looking women, who seemed quite angry for some, but as she turned to us, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Since Hanson¡¯s hunt,¡± Gerald replied as he shook the man¡¯s hand before he turned to me. ¡°You must be Remus; I heard you have killed the lich,¡± he said, looking me seriously, to which I shook my hand. ¡°I only aided a little; the ones who killed were High Mage Blackstone, Knight Anders, and others,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°You silvers, always humble,¡± he said, and I felt anger from him, despite him smiling. He talked for a few minutes before leaving with his wife, ¡°That man is a bastard, ready to stab you in the back if he sees enough profit in doing that,¡± said Gerald under a cloud of privacy skill. We met a couple more people, from nobles to merchants to powerhouses; Gerald seemed to know many people. It is not surprising, considering he handles all the business of the house of silver in Namdar and is one of the people who might take over the house of silver one day. ¡°Knight Marshal Tant, Commander Adson, Knight Commander Yara,¡± greeted Gerald as we appeared in front of a trio of knights, wearing their shiny armor with the emblem of the black sun in the center. Of the three, one is an older man who looks to be in his sixties with grey hair and grey eyes, and the other is a blue woman in her forties; she is petite and looks quite delicate, but I have no doubt she could split me into without me knowing how. She is Knight Commander, the same as Adson beside her. ¡°Silver,¡± the old man said in a heavy voice before turning to Adson, ¡°Is he the one?¡± asked the old man, glancing toward me. ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± he said, and the old man turned to look at me carefully. His gaze felt heavy; I felt like there was a huge weight on my body. He might be using skills or not; I could not tell, given the difference in level between us. He is a Knight Marshal, second to the Grand Marshal. A level 40+ powerhouse, much stronger than warriors of the same level. In pure combat class, nobody is more powerful than the Knights. ¡°Young man, you are good. It is quite a regret that you have chosen to be a merchant,¡± said the old man. ¡°Thank you for the praise, Knight Marshal,¡± I said politely; he just nodded and remained quiet for the rest of the conversation. A few minutes later, we moved to different people that Gerald knew; I saw a few familiar people like Locke and Eva, who had brought her son and daughter with her. We were just talking with one of a friend of Gerald''s when I felt a small shock running through me, and all the hair on my body stood up. The hall quieted in an instant; at the same time, the elements in the chandelier began to merge and formed a storm which came to the ground spinning wildly, terrifying yellow lightning crackling in it. It scared me and scared a lot of people; some even took a step back. While it is dangerous enough to kill people, it would not. If she couldn¡¯t control this small storm, then she wouldn¡¯t be a Grand Mage of her name. The storm spun on the ground, faster and faster; the clothes on our bodies began to flap, and soon we began to feel the pull till some people took a step toward it. Boom! Suddenly the storm exploded, sending wind, water, and lightning around, which pushed nearly all the people back but did not hurt anyone. ¡°Thank you all for gracing me with your presence,¡± said the voice before the person revealed itself. I saw a woman in her mid-fifties with medium height and plain face standing wearing a plane grey gown standing in the center of the hall. There is nothing remarkable about her; she looked like a common person that one would forget after a single look till they looked into her eyes. Those eyes held the power of a storm, and just one look at them would make their knees go weak. ¡°The undead had attacked, tainted our island with their filthy presence.¡± ¡°They thought we would quail in, and they will harvest our bodies for their foul purpose without any resistance,¡± she said, in a voice faint as drizzle, but everyone heard it. ¡°But we did not; we fought like raging storm we are and killed them till not a single one of them had remained,¡± she raged, and a wave came out from her voice that spread, forcing quite a lot of people to take a step back. ¡°We have shown them and will show them again if they dare to cast their filthy eyes toward our islands and the empire,¡± she said, and people to clap. She is even better than her son; things are far worse than she is saying. Even now, they have not released a complete detail, but what Gerald found out that more than fifteen islands had been attacked, and only three were able to fight back. We and the other two islands were able to defend against it, but only we were the only ones who defeated the lich, while the other two had simply made it retreat. ¡°Today, we will mourn those who have lost and commend those, who had shown exceptional bravery against the enemy,¡± she said, and the list appeared of hundred names in the air. As I read it, a frown couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face; the list was not complete. It shows prominent names like Santos and not of the guards and other staff. I couldn¡¯t help but get a little angry at what I saw; even on Maedas island, over a hundred died, and in the whole attack, probably thousands have died, but she is only showing only hundred. The same is happening with the newspaper; she is controlling the news, not for the general masses, but for prominent people too, and no one can do anything; she is too powerful. ¡°High Mage Blackstone, Knight Commander Adson,¡± called Artur, and both of them stepped forward and appeared in front of her. ¡°For your commendable bravery against the undead, I award you with the medal of Lightning.¡± She said two medals floated in front of her, which she pinned them their chest as they kneeled in front of her. ¡°Fanya Sand, Julian Pierce, Remus Silver, Winston Black...¡± he begins to call out the names. I am quite surprised; my name is being called. Like Dan and others, I have already received the letter of commendation two days ago. Eleven names called out, and eleven of us walked toward the Helena Salazar. All ten of them were pure warriors or mages; only I alone was a merchant, and I got quiet looks about, but I had remained calm and stood as I was required to. ¡°For your courage against our enemies, I award you with the medal of Rain,¡± she said, and eleven medals materialled in the air, and she began to pin them on our chest, and soon, it was my turn. She really looked normal, but one look at her eyes, and people will see the terrifying monster she is. She finished and turned to the person next to me; they were from the other two islands. From what I had heard, they had lost a lot more people than us; on one island, only those who fought had survived, while the rest had been killed by the undead. ¡°Rise,¡± she said, and all of us stood up and walked back to our place. There were no more commendations, which couldn¡¯t help but make me a little guilty, considering Eva and others had done a lot more than me, but all they got was a letter of commendation, which had been sent to them, not given publicly like this. ¡°It looked nice on you,¡± said Eva as we danced, ¡°I do not deserve it; you all did much more than me but did not get any recognition,¡± I replied. ¡°Stop it,¡± she said with a glare, ¡°You deserve it more than most; without you, the lich would have escaped,¡± she said. I wanted to open my mouth to refute, but seeing her expressions, I decided not to say anything about it and change the subject to a lighter topic. The party had lasted past midnight before the guests started leaving; I left with Gerald and Selina, and with their insistence, I spent my last night in their home. Tomorrow, I will leave for Greltheaven. Chapter 59: ReturnYo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 59: Return Chapter 59: Return The ship began to move off the port; I waved at Gerald and Selina, who had come to drop me off before they disappeared from the view. ¡°Namdar,¡± I said as I looked at the city, which was getting away every second. The trip was supposed to be uneventful, and the only exciting thing about it was supposed to be negotiations turned out to be much more. We have lost a lot of people; from a team of thirteen, we have reduced to eight; three lawyers and two merchants have died, not to mention the seven guards. Too many losses, but I am grateful that I have survived; I have fought for my survival and lost something precious, but I also gained something. I looked at the sword at my waist; I had given it for servicing and just got back in the morning from the storm tower. The enchanters there serviced in two days; outside, it would have taken a week or more; anywhere else. The letter of commendation provided me with a discount on the services offered by the storm tower, not to mention the medal offered an even bigger discount, but I did not get a chance to use it. Though I am happy I serviced my sword, it was running at 50% efficiency with the wear and tear of its ruins, and after using it in battle, its efficiency reduced even more. Now, it is at 98% efficiency, and I would be able to use it in a lot of battles before needing to service it again. I hope I do not need to do that even, but given my luck and the nature of this world, I would need to service it again sooner rather than later. I was looking ahead when I heard footsteps behind me, only to see Locke coming toward me with a glare in his eyes and scratches on his face, and the one responsible cute black kitty with silvery eyes. ¡°You have got yourself quite a pet,¡± I commented, looking at the small cute monster in his hand. The cub of the silver eyes panther looks cute, but when it becomes big, it is quite deadly. Despite being small, it is hard to control; it has scratched Locke¡¯s face and hands and left him glaring. ¡°Our anniversary is in two weeks, and I wanted to give my wife the gift.¡± He said, glaring at the cub but not really angry. ¡°It is not an easy beast to control,¡± I commented, motioning my hands toward it. ¡°I will hire a trainer,¡± he replied and looked at me, and when I did not move my hands away, he gave the monster to me. Rawr! It growled cutely and wanted to scratch me, but I had avoided its claw expertly and picked up the monster before I started scratching it while being surprised by the strength this small cub had. It is not an animal but a monster. It struggled for a few seconds before calming down and started to enjoy the scratches with a contented smile on its face. It couldn¡¯t help but surprise Locke. ¡°You are a man of many talents, Remus,¡± he said, but I just smiled. I grew up among the animals, with my dad being a trainer, and while he mostly trained dogs, we had a cat. They are untrainable; the one we had was quite beast, other than my sister, it would scratch anyone. So, I had quite years of practice, and this one, despite being a monster, is quite gentle, seeing how quickly it had calmed. I have wanted a pet here; I have always had one since I was a child, but here I did not have time. Since I took over the body, I have always been busy, but one day, when it would become less busy, I would take a pet; there are wonderful monsters in this world, and I have a mental list of which I want. This cute little thing in my hand is also on the list. ¡°You got lucky, Locke; this little kitty is very calm,¡± I said as I handed him back the sleeping kitty. He nodded and gently took it from my hand, and walked back inside the ship while I remained watching as the morning turned to the afternoon. We have left late in the morning, and it would take us nearly two days to reach home, and I am quite excited. I have hundreds of things to do, meeting Valentina, working on the plans, and hiring, among many things. I hope the journey goes smoothly, and it will, and this time, the thieves won''t raid. There is nothing insanely expensive on the ship like the thing Santos had brought; the captain had explicitly forbidden it this time. Thankfully, I have sent all things I had brought to the Greltheaven already. The things of the first-day shopping, like jewelry, accessories, and girls, have already reached the city; the rest will be there by evening. I stayed on the deck for some more time before I went back to my cabin with Dan following behind me. Ever since he brought that enchanted sword, the smile did not seem to leave his face; he was very happy getting it, and he was not the only one. Many guards who survived the last charge had received a huge bounty share; many brought things like enchanted weapons and other things. Soon, I was back in the cabin and picked up the book that I had finished reading. It is about incursion, the greatest threat to this world; they appear every few thousand years, and they destroy the world; more than 50% of people die, and kingdoms and empires turn to dust. It had been two thousand and three hundred years since the last incursion, and people say this would be the century that incursion will occur; they always said this every century, but still, I really hope it did not. I read for a few hours before beginning to work; with extra money, I could add a few more things, and I am selecting which one to add; it is quite a struggle since there are a lot of things. There are literally thousands; I would need an unending amount of money to add all and one; I will do it. Soon a day had passed, and night came, and in a few hours, we reached Inam. A wonderful city, the pearl of wasteland, but it pales in comparison to Namdar; even its mage towers are small. Inam does not have a Grand Mage, though it did have Great Mages, a couple of them, some independent and some in the service of its governor. We have only one Great Mage, the bodyguard of Count Darrow; he is Prince¡¯s man and left him here with his uncle to protect his precious city, and I am glad. After the incident with Maedas, I knew how important the mages are, especially powerful mages. When I earn enough money, I will keep at least one as my bodyguard. The morning came, and it was Locke¡¯s birthday; he was going to throw a big party today, but we got delayed. Captain had offered to stop the ship so that we could celebrate in any city on the way, but Locke had declined, wanting to get back into the city as soon as possible. If I had been in his place, I would have done the same; after experiencing everything, the place I want to go to first is home. In just a few months, the Greltheaven has become home. Soon, the night came, and we celebrated Locke¡¯s birthday; thankfully, there was enough booze for that, and I had even given him my present, which I had brought in Namdar. By the time the first rays of dawn appeared in the sky, we finally saw the Greltheaven; it is a tiny dot which is getting bigger by the minute. In a few minutes, the whole city appeared in front of us, and while it was small compared to all the cities I had seen, its sight had filled my heart with joy. ¡°Finally, home,¡± said Locke, ¡°Home,¡± I replied, and in a few minutes, the ship docked at the port, and to my surprise I saw, I saw Damon Hardt there, along with Soren Arryn, and a few others from merchant guild waiting. ¡°It is a pleasure to be traveling with you, gentlemen,¡± said Captain Angus. ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± I said and walked down the ramp with Locke and others. Once again, it stuck how many people we have lost, and also question arose in my heart about the positions that will open with the death of Vice-Guildmasnter Santos and two sub-guild heads. I will not be considered for the Santos position, and I am intelligent enough to not even think about that. I only hope it is someone good or someone I have a good relationship with, like Soren Arryn. It will help me a lot if that happens. ¡°Welcome back, you all; I am very happy to see you all returning safe and sound,¡± said Damon Hardt with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster,¡± we said, and he nodded with a smile before his expression turned a little sadder. ¡°It is quite regretful that we had lost John and two sub-guild heads; their presence would be missed,¡± he said with a shake of his hand. ¡°It is fortunate you all have survived, and you, Remus, I heard you have killed the lich,¡± he said as he turned to me, and this time, it was my turn to shake my head. ¡°I only aided a little; it is captain Julian and others who killed the lich,¡± I said, turning toward Captain Julian, not far away from me, who had changed his whole gear. ¡°It is the city''s great fortune that we have people like Captain Pierce,¡± he said before he turned to us. ¡°Tomorrow, the merchant guild is throwing a party for the success of this trip and to commemorate you all for your bravery,¡± he said; he seemed so happy when he spoke the first sentence. It is to be happy about; we have signed far more contracts, we had thoughts, and they are on favorable terms. ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster,¡± said Locke. ¡°You all must be tired now; go rest; we will talk about business tomorrow,¡± he said, looking at Locke, me, and others.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 60: Strange Behavio Chapter 60: Strange Behaviour Chapter 60: Strange Behaviour The carriage walked through the gates of the mansion and stopped. I walked out and saw there were no carriages in the parking aside from ours. All the patrons had left; usually, the establishment gets emptied within half an hour of dawn. I looked around, and the mansion looked the same as before I left eleven days ago. The pink fog is still covering the large area where the construction is happening. I walked through the fog and saw people still working; as Carla had said, they were working day and night to finish the job on time, and now it will be going to be even harder with added requirements within the same deadline. I am quite surprised by the sheer progress they have made; it gives me confidence that they will be able to finish it in time. I watched for a while before I stepped out of the mist and walked toward the door when I found Carla coming out of it. ¡°You said you are coming in the afternoon,¡± said Carla angrily. ¡°I did not want to trouble you since you were working,¡± I said with a smile and could see her anger melting a little, but not all. ¡°Still, you have should have informed me,¡± she said, still angry. I know I would not get out of it unless I apologized. ¡°I am sorry,¡± I apologized and saw all the anger in her eyes melting away. ¡°The papers had said you fought and killed the lich,¡± she asked., ¡°No, I only aided a little; it was others, who killed it,¡± I replied, more than a hundredth time. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have taken the risk,¡± she said in a low, worried tone, ¡°There was no other choice,¡± I said with a shake of my head. We stayed standing in silence for a few seconds before we walked in when I stopped, seeing her following me. ¡°Go and sleep, Carla; the work will be there after you wake up,¡± I said to her. ¡°I am fine,¡± she said. ¡°Go take a rest, Carla,¡± I said forcefully. She had been awake the whole night; usually, this is when she sleeps for two hours and two hours in the afternoon, which is enough for her to operate at 100% with the aid of her skills. ¡°Fine,¡± she said after a moment of silence and walked toward the basement to sleep while I looked around the hall, which I had seen empty in a long time. Usually, there is always someone occupying it for lessons or business. It looked the same but felt slightly different; something seemed to have changed about it, but I couldn¡¯t put my thought into it. I shook my head and walked upstairs; I did not directly go to my office, instead went to my room, where I had freshened up and showered. When I came out of it, there was breakfast waiting for me; seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I quickly ate breakfast and walked back into my office. ¡°It feels good to be back,¡± I said as I sat down on the chair before picking up the first file, which had the earnings report for all eleven nights. Every line I read put a smile on my face; I was literally grinning by the time I had read the last page. The earning is good, very good; every day, we are earning half a million crowns. It made me extremely happy. Once the construction is finished, and we open again with new changes and more girls, it will double. I am quite confident about it, especially now with the forty million crowns. After I finished with the file, I opened another one; this one was about the new girls. It seemed like Carla not only collected the data but also compiled it, giving me a clear view of their information. I also filled in the empty spots about their levels and skills from the information I have got from the bill. It took me some time to read it; when I did, I was very happy with the new girls, even more than before. This group of girls is the most diverse, not only from the place they have come from but also in talents, which is the most important thing. Though among them, one is odd; she does not seem to have any talents or interests, given how she had left those places blank. Click! I was reading the different files when the door clicked open, and Carla walked inside. She is wearing a low-cut red dress that gives a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage, but more tantalizing are those juicy red lips. I still haven¡¯t forgotten the kiss; it might have lasted for a second, but it had left a deep impression on me. ¡°You are looking beautiful,¡± I said before I could stop myself, and it also seemed to stump her for a moment before a small genuine smile appeared on her face. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with flushed cheeks before she sat down in front of me. For more than a minute, nobody spoke, I opened my mouth a couple of times to speak up, but words did not seem to come out of my mouth. ¡°How are the new girls?¡± I asked finally. ¡°Good, some of them are very talented,¡± she replied, but in the end, her expression turned a little weird. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, and after a few seconds, she did not speak. ¡°Caena, she is a little strange,¡± she said finally. ¡°She did not seem to have filled the interest and hobby block,¡± I said, ¡°I am not talking about that,¡± she replied, shaking her head. ¡°Then what?¡± I asked, and she took a breath. ¡°She sometimes stared at one place too long and would roam around the property, caressing the walls strangely; it all feels quite weird,¡± she replied, clearly confused. ¡°Maybe it is her thing,¡± I said. People behave strangely; sometimes, there is a reason behind it, and sometimes there is not. It might even be related to her primary class, which she isn¡¯t willing to disclose. ¡°What should we do?¡± asked Carla, to which I shook my head. ¡°Nothing, she is not doing anything bad or dangerous,¡± I replied, and Carla opened her mouth to say something but closed it a moment later. She also seemed to understand that it is unfair to do something to people just because they are acting strange. Still, we need to keep an eye on her, and Carla seemed to be doing that job well. ¡°Though she needs to select the interest section or learn something other basic skills if she wants to work in the establishment,¡± I added. ¡°Should I call her?¡± Carla asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. All the girls have chosen their interests; we have hired teachers for them. If miss Caena wishes to work for the establishment, she will need to learn more besides basic skills; if she already has the skill, then she needs to tell us. I have a vision for the establishment, and if they don¡¯t wish to work according to it, then they will have to leave. Click! Carla got up from the seat and opened the door, but she did not walk out. ¡°Jill, dear, go and tell Caena that Master Silver is asking for her,¡± she said and closed the door. ¡°You have got yourself an assistant,¡± I said, to which she smiled a little guiltily. ¡°I had needed the help; the work had become too much,¡± she said and looked at me hesitantly. ¡°I was going to suggest it and also wanted to talk about something related to that,¡± I said. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked with her expression becoming serious, feeling it might be something serious, and it was. ¡°The work had become too much for you, being my assistant and madam at the same time; you are barely getting any sleep or even having time to attend the classes you desired to,¡± I said, and she did not say anything, wanting to finish what I am saying. ¡°I want you to become my assistant full-time and hand over the responsibility of being madam to someone else,¡± I finished and looked at her. It is quite a decision, and others might even think of demotion, but it is not. I could see how stressful it had become for Carla; with all the responsibilities with the changes that would appear a month later, the stress would be even greater. With her focusing on one responsibility, she will have time to do her job better and also be able to focus on herself. She will be superior to the madam, with the only authority above being me. For a couple of seconds, her expression remained unreadable before a sigh came out of her mouth, and a small smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Thank you, it had really become too much for me,¡± she said, and hearing that, a smile appeared on my face too; for a moment, I thought she might get angry. This is the reason why I like Carla so much; she is quite open about her abilities. If I had not said it to her, she would have come to me within a few days or weeks, when it would have become unbearable for me. ¡°Suggest a few names; I will interview them, and they needed to be from the original girls,¡± I said. I trust them more; I have watched every aspect of their growth and am more familiar with them and know there are some capable women among them who will be able to handle the responsibility, exemplarily as Carla. Knock Knock ¡°I have two girls in mind; they are M,¡± she was about to say the name when the knock rang out on the door. Carla got up and opened the door, and Caena walked in, looking completely different than she had been when I saw her first time in Namdar. Now she is wearing a black dress that suits her and wearing expertly done make-up that accentuates her eyes, her greatest feature. She does not look plain anymore. ¡°You have called for me, Mister Silver,¡± ¡°Caena, take a seat,¡± I said, offering her the seat. She sat on her while never taking her eyes off which me, which seemed to have held strange joy in them which was not there before, and seeing me, it seemed to have intensified. It felt a little strange, but I shook off the feeling and turned my expression serious. ¡°Caena, you have left the ¡®interest¡¯ block empty; you are required to fill it,¡± I said to her. ¡°I do not have any interests, Mister Silver,¡± she replied simply, without changing her expression. ¡°Not even a hobby?¡± I asked to which she shook her head, and I sighed disappointedly. ¡°Then we have a problem, Caena; you need to select one field of interest; if you not, then you will have to serve your contract another way, or I might even release you of it,¡± I said, and for the first time, I saw a spark of fear in her eyes. It was intense, but it disappeared just as it had appeared, making me doubt myself whether I had imagined it myself. ¡°Herbology, I have an interest in herbology; I had learned it little when I was young before going into the current profession,¡± she said finally. ¡®So, she did have an interest,¡¯ I thought. ¡°I will see if I can arrange a teacher for you to learn that,¡± I said with a smile. Herbology is a field of medicine, and it takes years to study, even if she has basic knowledge. I do not mind; I am playing a long game, and as long as any woman of the establishment had an interest, I was willing to pay to foster it, even if it takes years for them to gain the expertise.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 61: Responsibility. Chapter 61: Responsibility Chapter 61: Responsibility I watched through the window as the familiar carriage of Valentina entered the establishment before she came out of it with the chief architect Davidson. She did not walk toward the door and instead went to see the progress of construction. Knowing it might take some time, I focused on the work; the list of new requirements I have. Most of them are not major but complicated and time-consuming; I hope she will be able to do it within a time. Click! It was about fifteen minutes when the door of my office opened, and Carla walked inside, bringing Valentina and Davidson. ¡°I heard you had quite an adventure in Namdar,¡± said Valentina as she entered inside. ¡°Yes, it was quite an episode,¡± I replied as I offered her and Davidson the seat. ¡°You even killed a lich,¡± she said to which I just rolled my eyes. ¡°No, I did not. I only aided; it was others who killed it,¡± I said. I had read the papers, and for the past few days, the same news had been running; printing that Captain Julian and I had killed the Lich, it had wonderfully omitted the mention of the other three. It is all politics; Count Darrow wanted to make the citizen of the new city feel proud and increase his popularity. It wouldn¡¯t take him long to send us to the gallows for a small mistake if it benefitted him. ¡°So, you want to make further changes,¡± she said with all the smiles on her face disappearing and her expression becoming all serious. ¡°Yes,¡± I said. She did not say anything and just spread the sheet on the table, and soon, the projection of the mansion appeared. Not of the current mansion but what it will become few weeks. ¡°What are the changes?¡± she asked. ¡°Most of them are small, better enchantment and higher quality aesthetics in the rooms,¡± ¡°Some require a little more work, like expanding the make-room further and turning it into a studio. A couple of small buildings in back, a slight expansion, and a few other things,¡± I said with a smile despite her serious expression. ¡°And you want me to do it all by the existing deadline?¡± she asked slowly; the way she asked had kind of scared me, but I nodded. ¡°It is going to cost you a lot, Remus; if you don¡¯t want that, given me another month, and you will only need to pay less than half,¡± she said to which I shook my head; it would cost me more if I extend the deadline by the month. ¡°No, I want it all within the existing deadline,¡± I said, and she sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go over them, then,¡± she said, and we started. The biggest expense of the changes is enchantment; they are expensive. I am adding more of them and replacing earlier ones with advanced ones; these enchantments will turn the establishment even more amazing. After that, we moved to small changes like the expansion of the make-up room; it needs to be big, with space for hundreds of dresses, jewelry, accessories, and other things and also sufficient room for makeup and change. I have a vision, and I am describing it to Valentina, and she is making it appear in front of me. ¡°Perfect,¡± I said as I watched the studio''s projection; it looked really amazing, and seeing Valentina¡¯s work, would be even more amazing with the reality. With it done, we moved toward the different things; it took nearly two hours to state all the changes and a few more minutes to sign the agreement and make the payment. I watched Valentina¡¯s carriage leave through the window and the payment slip in front of me. I had more than twenty million in my pocket, and now, I have less than one. I would have saved a few if I could wait, but I did not want to. It would have been a loss instead of a saving; I want it to be finished by the deadline. Soon, the carriage disappeared, and I focused back on my work. .... The girls left one by one for the make-up room till only two have remained, Margot and Ina. ¡°What do you want to talk to us about, Carla?¡± asked Ina as she sat down beside Margot. ¡°Opportunity,¡± I replied, and I could see their eyes lighting up brighter than the light above. ¡°What opportunity?¡± they asked in unison before looking at each other, smiling. They won''t be smiling at each other after hearing my words; just thinking about it makes me smile brighter. ¡°Handling everything is too much for me, and so I decided to fully focus on being an assistant to Master Silver, while the responsibilities of madam will be handled by a different person,¡± I said and could see their eyes becoming sound in surprise before blazing like the sun. ¡°I have referred both of your names to Master Silver, and you both have an interview tomorrow,¡± I informed and immediately saw cogs in their mind spinning as they looked at each other. In a matter of seconds, they turned competitors from friends. ¡°Both of you want to apply it, right?¡± I asked, ¡°The money won¡¯t be good as you earn now or what you will earn in the future after the changes, as it will be a fixed salary, not the percentage,¡± she added. Money is a big factor, especially for Margot. ¡°Yes, I want to apply,¡± said Margot, while Ina, beside her, nodded. ¡°As for money, I am sure, you are earning more than us right now, without even counting percentage; I have seen how patrons fawn at you and shower you with gifts,¡± said Ina with narrowed eyes. She is right; even without the percentage, I get from the establishment, I earn more from the gifts. I truly did not think I would get them, as I am not sleeping with them as these girls are, but those people did not seem to mind it. Remus said it was a chase they were after, and the more they thought they couldn¡¯t get you, the more they would try for it. Well, I am not sleeping with any of the patrons; as for the gifts, I will take them. Which whore would refuse the gifts? .... The next morning, I woke up early and freshened up before walking out of the mansion. The workers are still working, and there seemed to be more of them; a few days ago, another batch of people came from the mainland branches, and she is diverting some of them here. I only spent a few minutes looking around before I went to my usual spot and began the yoga as I was doing before leaving for Namdar. It was my first time doing physical activity since the battle; while I had healed fully within three days, I decided to take the rest, not just physically but also mentally. The battle was tiring. It had been barely a few minutes since I finished when I heard the familiar footsteps and saw instructor David coming toward me. ¡°Killing a lich, you made this instructor proud, Remus,¡± he said as he put down his real sword and took out the practice sword. ¡°Instructor David, please, you know better than to believe the bullshit in the paper,¡± I said, and I picked up my new practice rapier. This one looked the same as my enchanted sword and was exactly of the same side and weight, but it was a practice sword. I ordered it in Namdar. ¡°I met Dan yesterday; he told me what happened, and while you may not have killed it, you have aided greatly in killing it,¡± ¡°Not to mention the fight you had put up against the undead; even experienced fighters cower in those conditions,¡± he said as he stood in front of him. ¡°There was no choice,¡± I replied with the same answer I have given so many times. ¡°It¡¯s good you understand it, and do not let the glory of the single get in your head,¡± he said with a smile before suddenly coming at me like a viper, with speed faster than he had used against me before. I reacted far faster than I would have before I fought against the undead. I moved with the greatest speed my Quick Steps could provide me, and balance was given by Sure Foot and swung my rapier with the combination of Consecutive Strikes and Weighted Strikes. I am meeting offense with the offense, with the most powerful attack I had ever made. Clang! His sword clashed against my mine hard that even with increased strength and hard grip, I had nearly thrown it away; it was not the only thing he did; he had sent a powerful shock that numbed me. If that was all not enough, he attacked again without giving me even a second of rest. I had to push through the numbness and move my sword to defend myself. I defended it, albeit barely, before getting numbing shock again, and this time, when the attack came, I dodged. If it had been only a Quick Steps, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge it with all numbness, but Sure Foot had helped me keep the perfect balance. The victory was short-lived, as the next moment, his sword hit me hard at my back, with blinding pain that I just wanted to collapse, but another attack came, and I knew I have to defend myself. Given instructor David¡¯s habit, this one would give me even greater pain if I did not dodge or defend. Time passed, and I continued fighting him without stopping as the instructor pushed me with every attack. He did not hold back against me; whenever his sword hit me, I would get a nasty surprise. Finally, three hours passed, and he finished with the last attack, which always made me collapse to the ground; this time, I did not. ¡°Battle is the best teacher, especially the one that fought with life on the line; in less than three hours, it had taught you so much I wasn¡¯t able to in weeks,¡± he said, and all I could do was smile. Though he is right, it has taught me so much; without it, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight against the instructor as I did today. ¡°The amplifier and balance are good skills; train them till they become your second nature,¡± ¡°They will be a tremendous asset if you are able to do that,¡± he advised. ¡°I will,¡± I replied. He gave me a few more tips before leaving while I rested for a few minutes before slowly making my way toward my room. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 62: Letter Chapter 62: Letter ¡°Margaux, take a seat,¡± I said to her as she came inside for the interview. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she replied nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous; I will only ask you a few simple questions, and it will be over within an hour,¡± I said with a smile. Hearing that, she relaxed a little. ¡°So, can you tell me a little about yourself?¡± I started with a classic question. It is a very important and frustrating question, but it also gives a lot of insight into the person and the question every interviewer asks. I have taken hundreds of interviews, both for my firm and the clients, and I would always start with this question. She seemed a little surprised by the question but soon smoothened her expressions. Though, she did not immediately answer. ¡°I had entered the business when I was sixteen and have nearly thirty years of experience. In my life, I have been in seven brothels, including this, and above level 20 in my base class,¡± she replied measuredly. ¡°Why do you want the job?¡± I asked another classic question. This time she did not wait to answer, she seemed very clear about why she wanted the job, and her answer was satisfactory. I then asked her about her strength and weaknesses before starting on a targeted question about the job she was being interviewed for while taking notes of her answers. Forty-five minutes later, I finished with all my questions. ¡°Thank you for your time, Margaux; Carla will inform you of my decision,¡± I said. ¡°It is my pleasure, Master Silver,¡± she said as she got up before walking out of the office, and a few seconds later, Ina walked inside. ¡°Take a seat, Ina,¡± I said to the confident woman; unlike Margaux, she did not seem nervous; there was even a small, confident smile on her face. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she said and sat down. A few seconds later, I began the interview, and I have to say, she is one heck of a confident woman and also quite charming. They are great qualities for any kind of leader. I asked her the same question I had asked Margaux and received answers for all of them. Her answers are quite different than Margaux, but right. Both of them are different, might even say the opposite in some views, but are perfect for the job I am interviewing them for. ¡°Thank you for your time, Ina; Carla will let you know of my decision soon,¡± I said; she nodded and walked out of the office. ¡°So?¡± asked Carla. She had been present, but as I had asked her, she did not speak any words and only observed. ¡°Both of them are very good; if we had two positions, I would have hired both of them,¡± I said, ¡°But there is only one position, and you can only choose one,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Margaux,¡± I said, and I could see a surprise appearing on her face. ¡°I thought you would choose Ina,¡± she said. ¡°Ina is very good, and I might even say more capable, but I would need someone grounded; for that, Margaux is the best choice,¡± I replied. ¡°I will inform her,¡± she said and got up. A few minutes later, Margaux signed the new contract. She will start today; first, she will learn from Carla before taking over the responsibilities of the madam. After Margaux left, I had worked for some time before walking out of my office, as it was time for me to leave for the merchant guild. There is a meeting, and I am also excited, especially about the work, as now I will definitely be able to read those truly desirable contracts. Soon, I reached the merchant guild and directly went to the office of Damon Hardt. ¡°Mister Silver, Guildmaster is waiting for you inside,¡± the receptionist said before I could say anything. I nodded and walked toward the door, which began to open, and when I went inside, I found it was filled with people. ¡°Guildmaster Hardt, vice-guild masters,¡± I greeted. Aside from them, I saw a few familiar people like Rip, Locke, and others. ¡°Remus, you have come at the right time,¡± he said and asked me to take the seat. ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster,¡± I said down. ¡°We have received the missive from Count Darrow a few minutes ago; he selected the successor of john Santos,¡± he said smilingly, but I could see the smile was not reaching his eyes. ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked while casting a glance at the sub-guildmasters in the room; since they were here, it must be someone from the room. ¡°It is Locke Hercule; he will also head the legal department,¡± he said, and a surprise appeared on my face before I stopped myself from smiling too widely; it was the best outcome I could hope for. I may only know Locke for a few minutes, but with an incident in Namdar, we share a good rapport. Locke becoming a Vice-Guildmaster would help me tremendously, especially compared to John Santos; god rest his soul. ¡°Congratulation, vice-guild master Hercule,¡± I said to which he smiled and seemed very happy that he could barely contain it in his eyes. If I had been in his place, I would have smiled too. ¡°The trip to the Namdar had been an immense success; in less than ten days, the goods coming and going for Namdar had increased by 100%, and it is increasing daily.¡± ¡°We had estimated that by the end of the month, it will definitely increase by 300%,¡± said Damon Smidt, sounding quite happy. I am too happy as it not only affects the city and him but also me; my business is dependent on rich merchants. ¡°Namdar is huge, but we need to sign the contracts with all the cities, whether it is big or small; we need to increase the trade,¡± he said, and we all nodded. Everybody here understood that, given the city''s position, we might not be here for a decade. So, we need to make as much profit as we can so when the time comes to run away, we will have our bags filled with money. I hope that day never happens; I have come to love the city, but me hoping does not change the facts. Things are going to get dangerous in the future, and I need to prepare and become ready to face any kind of danger that will appear. ¡°Our first plan is signing more comprehensive bilateral contracts with the cities, as we did with Namdar,¡± ¡°We will first begin to cities around us like Deerpond and others before moving to the cities of Meldhorn,¡± he said, and we begin devising the best way to approach that. As Namdar had been easy because the one controlling it was powerful and did not have a conflicting interest. It is different when it comes to cities of Renwell Region and the Empire. Every city in Renwell Region, aside from Deerpond and Dustorn Fortress, is controlled by a loyalist of different princes; even the lord Deerpond and Commander of Dustorn Fortress have views and ambitions that do not align with Greltheaven. We will have to navigate through all this, it will be fun and exciting, and I am happy to be involved. In the past, I did not get a chance to be invited to such meetings, but now I do, and getting to know many things that I did not before about the leaders of the different surrounding cities. It was four when the meeting ended; it would have lasted longer if not for the party that the guild was hosting today. ¡°Vice-Guildmaster Locke, it sounds nice,¡± I said as I walked out with Locke, ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it,¡± he said, grinningly before his expression turned serious. ¡°It is a great position, but keeping it won''t be easy,¡± he said and looked at me. If the hints I caught were right, then I could understand what he was implying. ¡°You survived undead; sailing through this wouldn¡¯t be any problem,¡± I said neutrally. ¡°I hope you will help me, Remus; I barely have any legal knowledge, and now I am handling the whole legal department,¡± he said with his eyes becoming desperate for a moment. ¡°I will do my best,¡± I said. I want to stay away from guild politics, but that wouldn¡¯t be possible. So, I will help him as much as I can without angering others and compromising my interests. ¡°I will count on you,¡± he said, and I just smiled. Soon, we were out and went to our own carriages; sitting in my carriage, I picked up the bundle of contracts and began to read through them. First time since I have become a legal adviser, I have gotten permission to take the confidential contracts home. While they are not important as others we have discussed, it is a step. ... ¡°I knew you would be here,¡± I said as I looked at Ina sitting under a tree; seeing me, she had wiped her tears away, but it was clear by her face that she was crying. It is her spot in the huge garden; it is well hidden, and unless one is by the tree, one will not see who is sitting under it. ¡°Carla, I really wanted that job,¡± she said as I sat beside her. ¡°Since coming here, I dared to dream, and when you told me about it yesterday, I had really dreamed about it and thought I would get it,¡± she said with tears filling her eyes. ¡°I know, honey, but we all have to face disappointments sometime, even in a place like this,¡± I consoled and hugged my friend. She might seem confident and strong, and she is, but she is also fragile. ¡°I am happy for Margaux; I know she will do a great job,¡± said Ina after some time. ¡°She will, and you will also get the opportunity in the future,¡± I said, and she turned toward me from my chest. ¡°What, do you think this is the end?¡± I asked with a laugh. ¡°This is just the beginning; I could not tell you much, but I will advise you to gain as many skills as possible.¡± ¡°As the opportunity will come, and it will come sooner than you might expect,¡± she said. They stayed under the tree for a few more minutes before walking inside; Ina needed to prepare for opening, and so was she, as Remus could return anytime. .... ¡°This had come for you,¡± said Carla as I sat in my chair and handed me a package, which had two letters in it. I looked at them, and my eyes immediately lighted up when I saw the seal of the house of silver and not of the common member but of the leader of the house. I immediately tore apart the envelope and took the letter, and immediately a smile appeared on my face. A handwritten letter, not typed; Grandfather only does it when it is important or shows he is pleased. Reading the letter, I know he is pleased. He congratulated me for aiding in killing the lich, unlike many people who would say I killed the lich, even when they truly do not believe it. The old man is wise; he would rarely make any decision without getting all the facts first. I finished the letter before opening another letter, which contained the gift he had sent. I am quite curious about that, and when I took it out of the envelope and saw what it was, a smile on my face couldn¡¯t help but brighten up. ¡®I would have been great if I had this before taking the loan,¡¯ I thought, but soon shook my head. This is too precious but also very risky; this thing should be used wisely, and no matter how much I want to use it right now, when I am making the changes, I will not. I am sure there will come a time when I will need to use it, and I will wait until then.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 63: Ten Days till Deadline Chapter 63: Ten Days till Deadline I watched the carriages leave one after another, leaving behind only me and Carla in front of the manor, which was slowly being engulfed in a pink mist. I watched till the whole manor got covered in the pink mist before walking inside. The first thing I saw was a huge manor; in little more than a month, the manor¡¯s size had increased by three times. Only ten days had remained till the deadline, and I closed the establishment. Earlier, the closing was supposed to be for the week, but with the new requirement, it had turned to ten days. It will make me lose around six million crowns, but I will manage. From today, the people from the Nielson Guild will break walls and connect the old and new mansion while making changes inside and outside. ¡°It will look amazing when it is finished,¡± said Carla beside me. ¡°Yes, it will,¡± I said, looking at it proudly. Earlier, it was too small; now, with its size increasing, it has become capable of serving four times more clients than before. Before we had only twenty-eight rooms for the business, now there are one hundred and two, and from the data I have collected, I know every ten rooms are enough for sixteen clients. As not all go for sex, around 30% to 35% never use the rooms; they just talk to girls, eat, drink, and leave with happy smiles on their faces. So, with this, the establishment could easily have around one hundred fifty girls working. I have one hundred and nineteen girls, but only ninety-one will work, as the rest are underage. I could have brought more girls, and I had enough money to buy the contracts, but I did not, not till these new girls got familiar with the business. I don¡¯t want to flood the establishment with girls who are unfamiliar with my way of business. It will affect the experience I want to sell, which I will not let happen. So, I will let the new girls get familiar with the business before bringing new girls, which wouldn¡¯t take long after the establishment opened. I was watching people working when the gates opened, and the carriage came inside. A minute later, two men and one woman came out of the carriage. ¡°Have all your people left?¡± asked Valentina, ¡°Yes, just a few minutes ago,¡± I replied. To that, she nodded and turned to three people who looked to be in their late thirties to fifties. ¡°You three can begin,¡± she said; they nodded and walked inside. ¡°Enchanters?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, these three specialize in illusionary enchantment,¡± she said. ¡°Do you want any more changes? It would be easier now than later,¡± she asked, ¡°No, I do not need any big changes,¡± ¡°Your people were good enough to adjust a few things when I asked them,¡± I replied. Not all things I decided looked good, so I would look around every day and ask to change or modify the things I did not like. I will continue to do it till it is finished. We talked for a few minutes before going inside, where hundreds of people were working. More people have come in the morning, and more will come by evening; they only have ten days, and they have to finish a lot of work, especially inside the original manor, which has been unchanged till now. ¡°How was your trip to the Riverbell?¡± asked Valentina about the trip, from which I had returned yesterday. ¡°Great, we have signed a lot of agreements,¡± I replied with a smile. Ever since Locke had taken over, I have made two trips, both of which were not longer than two days considering I had gone to Deerpond and Riverbell, both cities on the banks of Trollmouth river. ¡°Good, I feared it would be a disaster like Deerpond,¡± she said with an obvious hint of mirth while my expressions stiffened for a moment. As she said, it was a disaster, as we had not signed even a single comprehensive trade document. Those bastards want to plow us, asking for things that are beyond reasonable. Like barely any tax on their goods and services while not even reducing even a quarter of the tax they placed on our goods and services. So, we decided not to sign any agreement; the Deerpond may be a big city, but we held a greater advantage due to being a getaway to merchant cities; they will come around eventually. Still, the failure of his first big task since taking the mantle of the vice-guild master had made Locke nearly cry. If not for the success of the Riverbell, Locke would have literally cried. These Riverbell trip agreements were crafted by me with the old man and Rip, which is why I had leveled up in my lawyer class; I am now a Level 8 lawyer, just two more levels away from level 10. If I reach it, then I will have an attribute point through them. Usually, only a base class gives you the attribute point, but there is an exception. At each milestone, which is at level 10, Level 20, and Level 30, the secondary classes give the attribute points. Though, getting the secondary classes for attribute points is a very bad decision; it will harm instead of help. Both of my secondary classes had a purpose; they were not taken randomly for the purpose of extra attribute points at a milestone. We stopped and watched people breaking another wall connecting old manor and new. It was the last wall of the hall; now, I could clearly see how big the new hall was going to be. ¡°It will be quite big,¡± said Valentina, ¡°Yes, it will be,¡± I said with a smile. I wanted this big; with it, I would be able to do many things which I couldn¡¯t do before. Just thinking about it made my whole face light up. Valentina stayed for about an hour and looked at all the progress before she left, while I stayed around for an hour before leaving for the guild. Since Locke took over, the pressure on me has increased a lot; I am working more than I had planned to, but it is also rewarding. The connections I am making with important people are simply amazing. As we are not the only ones going around the cities signing agreement, others are also coming. I am present in every one of these negotiations; even those with Guildmaster and Vice-Guildmasters are allowed. It is even helping me advertise my business to soirees after meetings. Currently, my establishment is running full, but ten days later, it will suddenly expand, and I will need those clients. I hope it will run full as it has been doing since the first day. I am trying my all for that, which is why I had spent one and a half million crowns for the beauty treatments that girls are going to have for the seven days. ... Margaux ¡°I am glad all of you slept well,¡± I said to the girls lined up in front of me; it was not just girls, but Carla and I had also slept for more than fourteen hours. I can¡¯t remember the last time; I had slept for so long. It was the requirement; manager Havel had said all of them needed twelve hours of sleep. He had his people use their skills and spells to make us sleep, and the effect was visible. Every face looked rested, and while Master Silver strictly asked the girls to sleep for at least five hours, they did, but in the past few weeks, they have become little tens. It is the new girls; they have made some girls feel little pressure, thinking their earnings might be affected due to them. Silly girls. The new girls will not affect their earnings at all; with all the new changes, their earnings will increase further. ¡°From today, you all need to relax and listen to every instruction that Havel and his people told you.¡± ¡°If you face any difficulty, you come to me, Carla, or Eudo here,¡± I said. The girls nodded, and I turned to the middle-aged man, who was impeccably groomed with glowing skin, that I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous about it. ¡°Master Havel, you can begin,¡± I said to the middled aged man. ¡°Thank you, Margaux,¡± he said and turned to his people who were standing around the hall. ¡°All right, everyone, take the girls to stations and start working on them. They are our first clients; I do not want to hear any complaints about their experience in our place,¡± he said, and his people moved, ushering the girls to the different rooms. He and his people looked at the girls yesterday and decided on the treatments they would need for the next seven days. ¡°Clove, take Madam Margaux and Madam Carla for their treatments,¡± he said, and a woman who looked to be in her early thirties led us toward the hallway. We are in the new spa that hasn¡¯t been officially opened; its opening day is in two weeks, but everything is ready. Master Silver had booked for a whole week. It was very expensive, Carla had told me that the establishment had paid one and a half million crowns for the whole week of treatment, and she said the owner had given them a big discount. It will give these people a chance to familiarize themselves with new places. To me, it was extremely expensive and unnecessary, but what I knew; I had never been to the spa in my whole life. My clients mentioned it many times with stress and happiness; stress because it is expensive and happy because of how their wives would look after its treatment, and they wish they would look the same a month later. Despite my reservation, I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited and nervous about it at the same time. I looked at Carla and wished I could be like her; she was walking confidently like she owned the place. ¡°Ladies, we will start with the sauna. The sauna room is special; it is made of Sangal wood from magic reason and has oil of vera and hymn roses,¡± said Clove and took us into the changing room. Where we took off all our clothes and wrapped the towels around our bodies before walking into the sauna. ¡°It is hot,¡± said Carla as she removed the towel and sat down; I did the same, albeit with a little embarrassment. Getting naked every day in front of other people does not make the embarrassment go away. ¡°Relax, Margaux, you are acting too tense,¡± said Carla seeing expressions. ¡°It all feels a little overwhelming,¡± I said with a voice barely audible. ¡°Yes, it is too much, but you should embrace it instead of resisting it.¡± She spoke as she comfortably rested her back. I nodded and took a deep breath to relax myself, taking the aromatic steamy air inside, which began to relax me. I sat more comfortably on a wooden bench, which was only slightly warm, and looked at a large glass window with a view of a huge garden. This spa is huge and capable of serving over three hundred people at the same time. It also had a huge garden. Seeing it, I couldn¡¯t help but think about my daughter. Ellie loved the park when she was little; I used to plead and beg madams for small breaks to take my daughter to the park; the smile on her face was worth all the pain I had to go through for that little time with my daughter. ¡°Thinking of Ellie,¡± asked Carla. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied as I wiped my eyes. ¡°You should go meet her; I don¡¯t think Master Remus will decline your leave,¡± she said. ¡°I will, but not now,¡± I replied. I missed my daughter very much, but I couldn¡¯t go to meet her yet. I had so much to do here, prove my worth, before going to meet my daughter. Most of my worries had already disappeared. I was extremely worried about the academy fees; I was only able to pay half of the fees because everyone had helped, and now I had paid the other half and fees for the next year just a few days ago. I am nearly empty now, but I am not worried; the money will soon come. Half an hour had passed, and they were staying for another half an hour. Clove said they should come out within half an hour if their vitality were below ten. If it is above ten, then they could stay for an hour or more. I had thirteen points in vitality and similar charm but a little less in strength and intelligence. Charm is very important to me, and vitality slows aging, which had become very important, as those who looked above mortal fifty couldn¡¯t get more clients. It makes me a little worried about Della and others. When I came here, I planned to use all my points of future level in vitality, but after hearing master silver, I only used one attribute point from my three level-ups to vitality. While the other two went to charm and intelligence each, which had been a wise choice, given my new responsibility. The rest forty-five passed quickly in comfortable silence before they got up and wiped themselves towels before getting out. A few minutes later, they were ushered into the most unconformable bath in my entire life. The day passed before I knew it as I went through one treatment after another; while all were comfortable, the result was visible. I looked good and felt so relaxed mentally and physically I had never felt before, and this was just the first day; there were six more days where I would get many more of these wonderful treatments. Experiencing the spa, I had already decided that one day, I would bring my daughter to a place like this. She deserves it. Keep reading as a patron on .The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 64: Count Darrow Chapter 64: Count Darrow ¡°Keep calm, be rational as you always are,¡± said Locke as the carriage moved out of the merchant guild. Usually, I say these words to Locke, but this time he is saying that to me. Today is a big day, and I am nervous; for the first time, I am going to the briefing at the city lord''s mansion. Usually, it is Damon Hardt, Locke, and the old man Oakley goes there, but Damon Hardt is out of the city, so Locke is taking me with him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Remus; as long as you answered all the queries of Count Darrow, you will be fine,¡± said the old man, who was also sweating in fear. From what I had heard, Count Darrow is not an easy man. I had met him two days after I returned from the Namdar, where he awarded us medals. It was quite an event that stayed in the papers for a few days. Finally, the carriage walked inside the huge city lord''s mansion, and a minute later, we walked out of it. As I stepped out of the carriage, all the nervousness and hesitation had vanished from my face; it was not the first time I was meeting important people. While I am nervous, I am perfectly capable of hiding it well. Even Lock and the old man Oakley seemed surprised by it, but they did not say anything. The city lord''s mansion is the biggest in the whole city; it is grand, with guards everywhere. As we walked toward the door, I felt a couple of powerful gazes looking at me. As we reached the door, I found there was already someone waiting for us. ¡°Vice Guild Master Hercule, Mister Silver, Mister Oakley, follow me please,¡± said the man in butler suit and led us inside. He is not the main butler, that is an old man; this one is his early forties, likely the assistant butler. The mansion is huge but decorated a little gaudily. I heard Count Darrow like these types of showy pieces; not all of them are bad. Some are actually good, but most of them are just shining pieces that look good to the eyes. ¡°Please wait; Lord Count will grace you with his presence soon,¡± he said, showing us our seats on a white stone table. He did not leave, just stayed by the side with his back straight; quite an unconformable position, if you ask me, but I am sure he has skills like Perfect Poise or something like it, which helps him. We had to wait for over ten minutes in silence before Count Darrow made an entrance. He is a man of medium height and a mousy face that would have had some handsomeness in his youth. He is not alone; beside him is a young man in his mid-twenties and a man in his early fifties. The young man is his younger son Lancel, and unlike his father, he is tall with deep blue eyes and long grey hair, which makes him look even more handsome. If the rumors were right, then Count Darrow would hand over the city to his younger son and return to his territory, but there are years for that to happen, a decade or more even. ¡°My Lords,¡± We greeted the father and son with a bow. ¡°At ease,¡± he said and took the head seat while his son and advisor sat on his left and right, while we sat opposite him. ¡°You have done great, Hercule; I have looked through all the contracts you have signed with Riverbell, and they are great,¡± he praised. ¡°Thank you, Lord Count,¡± said Locke; he smiled, but soon Count¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Though I would have preferred if we had not lowered the taxes on the crystals so much, we, too, mine them,¡± he said and looked at Locke pointedly, instantly making him sweat. ¡°Y..yes, we do, but Riverbell does it in much higher quantity, and since the refinery opens in a month, it would be wise if we have a bigger source of it,¡± he replied with a little stumble. Locke is a great businessman but a little weak in policy, and while I am advising him, it will take some time before he becomes good enough for his current post. ¡°Yes, but we produce more than four times than we would be able to refine, so there are no questions of getting more crystals from other cities,¡± he said, and Locke opened his mouth, but no answer seemed to come out. So, he looked at me, like he did every time when he faced a problem during the negotiations. ¡°You are right Lord Count; we produce more than we would be able to refine, but refined crystals are strategic resources.¡± ¡°So, even if there is an abundance of them, we should at least have the capacity to fulfill our need and the need of surrounding cities in case of disruptions of supply lines,¡± I said, while using Lawful Suggestions. ¡°I had read your letter, Silver; you were saying we should increase the capacity of the crystal refinery we are building,¡± he said, talking about the letter I had sent him two weeks ago. ¡°Building a refinery is a waste of money; we could not break even with it,¡± added Lancel, his son, before I could even reply. ¡°Yes, it is a loss-making business, my lord, but a strategic one in which the city should invest, as coming years won¡¯t be easy,¡± I said, and silence descended. The refined crystals are the lifeblood of this magical civilization; they are used everywhere, from magic lamps to enchantments to cannon balls. If the supply of them had stopped, it would make the whole city stop. ¡°Your proposal does say some fair points; I will think about it,¡± said Count Darrow, and I could see Locke taking a sigh of relief, but it was only for a few seconds. At the next second, Count turned to him and began asking questions, and Locke answered. I would only open my mouth when Locke asked for it; otherwise, I would remain silent, even when I think I could explain much better than him. People have an ego, and I don¡¯t want to undermine that, so I will only speak when he asks. I had done this from our first negotiations since Locke took over the position of vice-Guildmaster. The meeting had lasted over one and a half an hour, and it was stressful, not only for Locke but also me and old man Oakley. ¡°These meetings are the reason why I want to resign sometimes,¡± said Locke as we sat back into the carriage. ¡°You loved it too much to resign from it,¡± I said back, to which he grinned. ¡°Yes, I really liked the responsibility and the things I am learning,¡± he said. Soon we reached the merchant guild and got out of the carriage; Oakley went inside the guild while Locke turned to me. ¡°Thank you, once again, Remus; without you, the meeting would have been very difficult,¡± he thanked. ¡°You are doing good; in a few months, you won''t even need my help,¡± I said, to which he smiled. I talked to him for a few minutes before sitting in the carriage, and fifteen minutes later, carriages had walked into the gates of the establishment. Now, the mist is not covering the building, but the whole plot, hiding everything that is happening inside. This is the fourth day of me closing the establishment, and they have made enormous progress. Normal workers have almost disappeared, and now only artisans, enchanters, and people of other specialized classes have remained. The big work had been completed, and now only delicate ones had remained; I saw people working in complete focus, and I did not disturb them. Though I had asked to change some things I didn¡¯t like, those were very minute, and they did that immediately. I stayed there for two hours before leaving for my house. I am not staying in my house all day, as most of my time passed between the guild and the establishment, which I would visit three times a day. I already visited morning and afternoon just now and will come again at night. Soon, the carriage stepped inside the gates of my small house, and I went inside. ¡°Jill, had anything come for me,¡± I asked the young girl, who was sitting on the desk outside of my office. ¡°Yes, these three letters have come for you, Master Silver,¡± she said and handed me the letters. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and took the letters before walking inside. Since Carla is in the spa, Jill is my assistant and receptionist, and a young girl is good. Carla had wanted to stay, but I had asked her to stay in the spa not only to get treatments but also to keep an eye on everything. While Margaux is good, there are a lot of girls, and poaching always happens. No other than two girls have left, but many have been approached, including Carla and Margaux, and their offer is becoming irresistible by the day. They have copied my way of business and saw some success in it, and now they want my girls. It is not just brothels of the city that are poaching them, but also from outside, as far as Namdar and Meldhorn of merchant cities. It won''t be long before their offers become irresistible to some. There is not much I could do about it, poaching is common, and it won¡¯t be stopped. The only thing I could do about it did not suffer loss, and I have taken the measure against it. Click! I was working when the door opened, and Jill walked, ¡°Master Silver, Eudo had arrived,¡± she informed me. ¡°Send him in,¡± I said with a smile. Three months are over, and I have to renegotiate his employment contract. I have prepared a sweet deal for him; I have to, as I did not want to lose him. The girls are not the only ones who have been approached; he has also been approached. ¡°Eudo, take a seat,¡± I said to the beautiful man as he entered my office. ¡°Thank you, Remus,¡± he said and sat down. ¡°How are the girls doing?¡± I asked. ¡°Great, rejuvenating treatments of spa making them beautiful every day,¡± he replied with a smile. I had not gone to meet them; I had given that responsibility to him and Carla. ¡°So, your contract,¡± I said, coming directly to the point when I saw he didn¡¯t have anything to add about the spa. ¡°I want you to triple my salary; I deserve it,¡± he said directly and looking into his eyes, I know he would not take a crown less. My expression did not change upon hearing that, and I slowly slid the contract toward him. ¡°Then you will not have any problem with this,¡± I said He took the contract in his hand and began to read it, and within second seconds, a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on his face. He was asking for three times of his current salary, but I have quadrupled it. He is important, and I don¡¯t want to lose him, and as for the salary I am giving him, he totally deserves it. He is high-level, a Level 30+; such people are extremely hard to find. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said a little emotionally, and to that, I smiled. ¡°I guess you are satisfied with your contract?¡± I asked, to which he nodded. ¡°Yes, except for one small thing, everything is perfect,¡± he said. That one small thing is for which we negotiated for over ten minutes; it is the duration of his contract. I wanted it one year long, and he wasn¡¯t willing to go over three months; it took a while before we finally decided on the six months. I have to say; he is very intelligent, knows the business will keep growing, and shorter contracts give him a better chance of getting a higher salary. I do not mind it; I know as long as I keep paying him, what he deserves, he will not leave. Keep reading as a patron on .Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 65: Mana Unlocked Chapter 65: Mana Unlocked Caena ¡°Good, just like that,¡± I said with a moan as a skilled oily hand massaged across my body. I had never thought the massage would feel so heavenly, a hundred times better than the orgasm I sometimes get if I am lucky enough. I was kind of angry when I was brought here with the rest, it had disturbed my plans, but now I have no regret. I am feeling the joy I had not felt in years. I continued to enjoy the massage as I planned for the future; there are several things I need to do, but one is most important. It is to tap into emotions and desires absorbed by the building, but I am unsuccessful in that, not even able to harness even a speck. So, I am doing the next best thing, leaving my marks in the building, which will make it very easy for me to harness the power when I finally get permission. It is her great fortune that she has come to the place where the legacy is forming, and on top of that, construction is going on, which allowed her to place her marks inside the building itself. She knows she is being watched, but she is used to it; with her spells, most of what she does is cloaked. Still, she needed to be careful, extremely, especially about not creating any animosity with the owner. She needs to win him over, and she will. She is in no rush; given his ambitions, he will need her help sooner or later. Till then, she needs to do what she is doing, leave her marks, and aid in the consolidation of her legacy. She could do very little about it, but sometimes, a little is more than enough. ¡°Yes, there, apply a little more force there,¡± I said when those wonderful hands reached my lower back. The good woman followed her instructions, and audible moans released from her mouth. If this continues, she will have an orgasm again; she had few in the past few days and would like it a lot if she could have another. Not because it will give her pleasure, it will also charge her spell, which is her bag on the shelf. My way is of lust and pleasure derived from it; as long as lust is directed at me or from me, I will be able to harness it; it is the same with pleasure. Thanks to the old woman who is teaching her. She was able to get her hands on a few things wanted and created the spell, which is charging through the power she is harnessing through her emotions. It will take a lot of lust and pleasure from my clients and me to charge it, but when it does, I will have a spell that will increase my attraction. I need the spell. I have seen how much money those girls make, and she needs that. Only that way she will be able to afford the material for the new spells. They are not cheap, especially when that old woman also keeps her commission. I had created a lot of little spells this past month, spending all my savings of years. It was not much when compared to what these girls are earning, but it took me years to save that much. The spell I am charging will help me with my weakness, which is my plain face. With it, I will be able to attract clients, and once they sit at my table, I will be confident enough in my abilities to keep them there. It will not be easy to charge it; it is quite a big spell and requires a lot of lust and pleasure. If I am lucky, it will be finished charging in a few weeks, but if not, then it might take a month or more. Till then, I will be on my own. .... Margaux I did not know how many times had body had been scrubbed with the different oils and salts. It had happened more than ten times in the past five days that the wonderful fragrances of those things had seeped so deep in me that I would be smelling them for months. These five days are really amazing; they would go through one treatment after another. Most of them would be amazing, while some would be unconformable and painful, but the result of them is visible. It has been visible since day one, and every day, the effects are getting better and better. Two and a half hours passed, and my body was washed of salt and essential oils. The next treatment is two hours later, till then I am free. Wearing the comfortable clothes of the spa, I walked through the huge building, looking at the beautiful garden, which couldn¡¯t help but make me feel serene. The garden is huge and more beautiful than we have around the establishment. Havel had me that the garden was designed by a high-leveled landscape architect and that many of the plants there were magical and required special care. I was walking through the building when I saw Havel coming toward her, ¡°Madam, Margaux, I hope you and your girls are enjoying your stay in our spa,¡± said Havel, to which I smiled. ¡°It had been the most relaxing time of my life Havel,¡± I replied. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to disappoint the most beautiful clients, I have ever served,¡± he said, placing his hands on his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t joke, Havel; I am sure you would have served women more beautiful than us,¡± I said. It did feel good to hear a compliment, especially from the man who was so snotty at our first meeting before he mellowed in. I talked to him for a few minutes; it was mostly business, as he told me the kind of treatment the girls and I would be going through in the past two days. Five days had passed too quickly; tomorrow would be the last day, and after that, we will leave the spa. I am going to enjoy these two days. With that, though, I walked ahead, and soon, I began to hear the gaggle of voices, from laughs to screams. As she walked out of the tall bushes, she saw the girls where she had expected them. Twenty-some girls play in the water; they are swimming, jumping, and throwing at each other like little girls. Even an old woman like Della is playing with young girls of eighteen and nineteen, catching them and throwing them in water, with childlike joy on her face. Seeing the joy on their faces, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. In their line of work, it is hard to find joy, much less such pure joy, and for it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful. These girls deserve this and more. I did not join them; I couldn¡¯t; it is important that I maintain a distance between us. A few months ago, I was a little angry is Carla for keeping an intentional distance between us despite us being old friends, and now I understand the reason. I am their superior, and while I am a friend and always will be, it is important for me to keep my distance, or I will not be able to do the job to the best of my abilities. I watched them for a few minutes and was happy to see the girls of all three batches bonding well. There was not much friction between the girls of the first batch and the second, as we had come from the same place and had known each other for years, but it was not the same with the new girls Master Silver had brought from the Namdar. They look different and talk differently; some girls were cold at them at first, especially those of the first batch, thinking their earnings might be affected by them. A lot of it had changed right now, though there are some reservations in their heart, not as before. They need to be together; they do not need to be friendly, but they need to be civil and treat each other with the respect that they would like others to have for them. Master silver is very clear about that. Two hours passed, and it was time for another treatment. I was walking toward the place of treatment when I saw Andrea coming toward it from the other direction. ¡°Mud bath?¡± she asked, and I nodded, and we both walked toward hall seventeen. ¡°Ladies, welcome to varadian hall ladies,¡± greeted Rona; she was a sakarian woman with smooth black skin. Looking at her smooth skin without any embellishment and facial features, I think she might have some elf blood in her. ¡°It will be a mud bath and will be more effective if you get completely naked for it,¡± she instructed. I nodded and removed my dress, which was easy to remove. They are made for this purpose, as more than half of the spa treatments require you to get naked. Soon, both of us were naked. ¡°Now, step into the mud tubs gently,¡± she asked, and we walked toward two mud tubs side by side. The mud, to my surprise, was white and felt slightly warm as my leg had touched it. ¡°This is varadian mud; it is made from soil coming from varad extreme magic region along with dust of magical crystals and few other things.¡± ¡°The energies of mud will suck the deepest toxins in your body and release the suppressed vibrancy,¡± informed Rona in a gentle voice. ¡°It will be warm and might turn a little unconformable as energies seep inside you, but don¡¯t get alarmed by it,¡± she added. With both of my feet inside, I slowly sat down while the mud-covered me. Rona, on her part, covered my ears with soft buds as I sat and attached a pipe-like instrument to my nose, which made me shudder a little, but I bore it. ¡°As you have guessed, you will have to completely immerse yourself in the mud for the greatest benefits.¡± ¡°If you felt it unbearable, you can take your face out of it,¡± she advised. To be honest, I do not like my face in the mud, but I will not let my fear get a way into obtaining the greatest benefits from this treatment that Master Silver had paid so much money for. So, I bit down my fear and completely submerged my face inside the warm mud; within a second, everything became dark, and she panicked but quickly began to take a deep breath from her nose, and within a minute, the panic receded. It did not disappear; it just receded. To stop her thoughts from straying away toward panic, she focused on the process like she usually does She felt warm in the tub, and as the second passed, this warm feeling became hot, and that began to make her unconformable, but it was bearable. The temperature stabilized at the end of the minute and seeing that it couldn¡¯t make her feel relieved. If it had continued to get hotter, she might have needed to get out of it before it became uncomfortable. I focused on heat and how it affects my body, it might seem boring, but it is not. As I focused enough, I could feel that the heat, which seemed to be spread same every part of my body, was not. It is faintly hotter toward my chest and crotch while less toward my breasts and ass. Hun! Time passed as I continued to feel heat interacting with my body when suddenly, that invisible head changed colors. It surprised me, and I felt I begin to imagine a thing, but even after taking a deep breath, it did not change. ¡®Am I hallucinating?¡¯ I asked myself. There were some treatments that made some girls hallucinate, but they were warned about it before. Rona did not, and since I was inside the mud, I could not ask. I could move my head out of the mud to ask that, but I did want that, as I did not think I could control my panic again, which was threatening to burst out. So, I did what I was doing; I focused on what I was feeling, seeing to be correct. For the first few minutes, the misty colors remained blurry, but soon they began to clear slowly till I was able to see their misty forms. It became clear, and I began to see mists of every color, but the most common was a mist of red color. This red mist gathered all the multicolored mist in the tub and pushed into the body. There, they would clash against a pudgy dry grey wall, burning it little by little at every try. I don¡¯t know whether it was a hallucination or something else, but I kept watching, and as time passed, things became clear and clear that I could even begin to feel elements of the multicolor mist. [Attribute Unlocked: Mana] I was focused on the multicolor mist when my mind buzzed, and text appeared in front of me that nearly made me open my eyes and mouth in shock. Saying I am shocked would be a gross understatement; I had never truly thought I had it, even when my daughter informed me about her mage talent gleefully about a year ago. I was born to peasants; my family had no magic talent; hell, not even a single person in my village had it. So, when my daughter informed me about a year ago, I automatically assumed it was from her father, whoever that may be. Magic talent is rare; only one in a thousand people have it, she has it, but she does not dare to believe it. So, she did the only thing she could verify that this was reality and not some dream. Class: Harlot 21 Painter Lv. 4a: 13 Intelligence: 7 ¡¤ Charmed Walk ¡¤ Cloths Open ¡¤ He Liked Them Aged ¡¤ Sultry Tongue ¡¤ Attention To Colours ¡¤ Deft Hands Attribute Points: 0 ¡®It is not a dream,¡¯ I thought and felt extremely happy, not because I had unlocked the mage talent, but because I was the one who gave my daughter her most cherished gift. ¡®I gave her that.¡¯ I repeated as tears flowed out of my closed eyes. My daughter sounded very happy in her letters when she informed me of her mage talent. She was even happier when I sent her the extra money along with second-year fees for magic-related classes. Those classes are expensive, and it is the reason why I desperately wanted the job of madam. I did not want my daughter to just attend a few mage classes but enroll in the whole program, but it is very expensive, not to mention the tools and resources that require to study it, which cost even more than the course. I want to save enough for my daughter to afford the mage course and all the other costs that come with it. I did not know whether I could do it, but I would try my all to save every penny I earned. Once she becomes a mage, even of the lowest level, she will never go hungry in her life and will always have the respect of the people. I want my daughter to have the best life, and becoming a mage will give her that. As for the talent I unlocked, it will remain there gathering dust, as I would need a spellcaster class to use it or learn at least one spell that will give me class. Learning a spell is not easy, even if I somehow get it. My daughter had said there are whole theories behind it that one needs to understand before learning to cast a spell. I understood my situation, and it did not make me too sad. Knowing I would not be able to cast a spell, despite having a talent for it. It will be enough for me if I can make her daughter achieve that. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 66: New Changes Chapter 66: New Changes The first rays of dawn had barely started piercing through the clouds when the carriage reached the establishment. The guards immediately opened the gates seeing the carriage, and the carriage walked inside, through the pink mist, and stopped immediately as we crossed the mist, as I had told the driver minute ago. I stepped out of the carriage and saw the mansion in all its glory, and it looked beautiful and big. It had become three times bigger and wider, with pastel pink and white painting which made looked so enchanting that I got enamored by it. It looked much better than the old color. I love it and would continue with the color scheme, even after future changes; it might even be a signature of the establishment. Many things have changed; the first one would notice that there is no fountain anymore; instead, there is a statue of a beautiful woman with classic imperial features gazing ahead with longing eyes. I had to remove the fountain because it did not suit the new mansion and looked pale in front of it. I wanted to replace it with another fountain, but when Valentina showed me the statue on a tour of her warehouses, I had instantly changed my mind and asked for it. I looked at it for a moment before walking toward it with the paved road, which had been widened twice its original size. More carriages could now come in and park without creating traffic. Soon, I reached the statue, more than three times taller than me, with its stand; I admired it for a few seconds before walking ahead, reaching the white and pink steps of the mansion, before stopping in front of its white door with beautiful spirit carvings. It is elvish and completely custom-made by the level 30+ artisan; it cost me a lot, but seeing beautiful carvings of spirits dancing, was worth it. I admired it before pushing it open, and the view of the hall had appeared in front of me; seeing it, a big smile lit up on my face. I saw a huge hall, bathing in the beautiful lights with a huge crystalline chandelier. A light from which would fall on pink and white walls with a lining of gold, making them look more beautiful. The aesthetic is different from this world, but it looks amazing. On the right side of the hall, there is a dedicated white stage, which is big enough for large and small performances. Directly in front of me was a bar, which had become even longer and bigger, with thousands of wine bottles; the centerpieces cost hundreds of thousands of crowns per bottle. This is the price at which I had brought them from Namdar, and here; I will sell them at a much greater price. The hall is big, but it is filled with beautiful tables and chairs, like all things in the hall; the furniture, too, is new, and they adjust beautifully with the hall, increasing its beauty of it. ¡°When you chose the colors, I had felt they would be bad, but they looked surprisingly beautiful, unlike I have seen before,¡± said Valentina as she walked toward me. She had been here since the last night; there were a few things that needed her help. ¡°Do you think it will be liked?¡± I asked her, ¡°Definitely,¡± she said with confidence, and that brought a smile to my face. I walked through the hall with Valentina, feeling that strange feeling I had been getting from the mansion since the day I had returned from the Namdar. It is slowly getting stronger. I don¡¯t know what it is, nor have I discussed it with anyone, not even with Carla. I feel like it is imagination from my mind; if not, then others might also have sensed it. I did not think about it further and continued to admire the hall, looking for any flaws, as I could still be able to fix them since I had today and tomorrow before the establishment opened, but I did not see any. I was looking at the hall when I saw Eudo and Elese entering the hall from the other side and behind Dan and two guards. ¡°Has the studio been set up?¡± I asked Eudo, ¡°Yes, the studio is ready,¡± he replied, and I smiled. He, along with Elese, had been here since last night, setting up the studio. It was huge work since there were over a hundred dresses and a large number of accessories like shoes, not to mention expensive jewelry. It is why I had hired the guards. In the next two hours, I looked through every part of the mansion, and the more I looked, the more impressed I became. This time, I had spent a lot, fifty-two million on building alone, eight of which I had yet to pay to Valentina; I will have two weeks to pay for that. If I calculate everything, then everything had cost me eighty-one million, and some change, which is double what I had planned to spend one and a half months ago. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do all that if not for that forty million crowns from a share of lich¡¯s loot. It is far less than I deserve, but I am happy; it helped me at the right time. The manor had changed fully; it had an extra floor, expanded from all sides, but the biggest expansion had happened underground. I had not only expanded further but created another floor below. Last time, I was not able to provide many amenities to girls and felt like I was caging them in the basement with little freedom, but now the basement has transformed fully with many amenities. Finally, after looking through everything, I reached a new office which is now on a floor higher. This new office is bigger than my old office, and everything is new and amazing. The table is like the door, carved from a level 30+ artisan from the empire, grand but with a simple design. The chairs, like the table, are also white and very comfortable to sit on. The tables and chairs in Carla¡¯s office are made by the same artisan, but it is a different design that she chose. Her office is beside mine; only a glass wall separates us, but there is a glass door connecting both offices. The best thing about the new office is the window, it is big and gives the full look of the entrance. I had moved and removed some trees, and now, I got a complete view from the entrance to the statue. Unfortunately couldn¡¯t be opened for fear of the rogue; I wanted it that way. If they want to come inside, they will have to break the window, which is stronger than the wall itself. ¡°Jill sent a message to Carla to bring girls directly here,¡± I said to the young girl. She is good, quiet as a mouse, without any presence that one might forget she is there. She is also quite good at her job. ¡°Yes, master silver,¡± she said and walked out of the office while I sat comfortably on my chair, thinking about the reactions; the girls will have a changed mansion. .... Margaux ¡°I am glad we are going back directly to the establishment rather than the temporary resident,¡± said Ina as the carriage rolled out of the crystal spa¡¯s estate. I did not say anything and just looked out of the window; so much had changed in these seven and half days they had been in the spa; the change that had occurred in them was shocking. Looking at my skin, which was glowing with a vibrancy like never before, that I get enchanted every time I look at myself in the mirror. Everyone had changed in this past week, especially me, not only physically but also magically, with the unlocking of the mana attribute. I had not told anyone about it, and I don¡¯t know if I would. Time passed in silence before the carriage had reached the establishment, and its gates opened, which were bigger with a more elaborate design than the old ones. The carriage entered through the gate and passed through the mist before stopping a few seconds later. Ina was first to get out before Carla, Lola, and Della stepped out of the carriage. When I got out at last, I saw all three of them looking at the manor with their eyes wide, even Carla, who had already known about it. When I looked at it, I also froze away for a couple of seconds. The beauty of it had shocked me as I stared at it, but I controlled my emotions and turned back toward the carriages coming from behind and girls stepping out of them and having the same expression that I had a second ago. I looked at each girl carefully, checked their names with the diary in my hand, and was relieved that everyone was present. The girls are getting approached by the poachers left and right; some of them have even sneaked inside the spa. ¡°Let''s go inside,¡± I said and led them toward the mansion. Gasp Gasp Gasp She stepped through the doors, and a second later, she began to hear multiple gasps behind; in their shock, they stopped, blocking the way for the girls behind them. If I did not have the responsibility, I would have also let myself be swept into the shock. ¡°Girls don¡¯t block each other¡¯s way,¡± I said and brought the girls inside. ¡°Careful, don¡¯t damage anything,¡± she warned as everything looked so delicate, she feared, they might break it. She is not the only one; the girls, too, are feeling the same as they carefully look at things inside the hall. ¡°It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,¡± said Della, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. It is really beautiful. ¡°Let¡¯s check out the studio first,¡± said Carla a minute later, and she seemed strangely excited about it. Seeing that, she followed Carla with a few other girls. Soon she reached there and stopped before entering as Eudo was standing in front of the loosely closed door. ¡°No touching,¡± he said, simply pressing his hand''s back, opened the door, and immediately stepped inside before stopping too suddenly, making the girls behind a crash on her lightly. She quickly moved ahead and let the girls, who too stopped and had loud gasps coming out of their mouths. The makeup room they had before now seemed like a clay hut compared to the studio right now. Carla had told her Master Silver had brought amazing things from Namdar, and she imagined those things, but even in her wildest imagination, she had not expected what she was seeing right now. The racks were filled with custom dresses with their names, and hundreds of shining shoes were placed on the revolving racks, along with belts, scarves, and other accessories of every size and design. The one that attracted the most was in the center; it is a cylindrical rack made of crystal, and inside it is shining jewelry. From necklaces to bands to chokers and earrings, there are some she couldn¡¯t even name. ¡°Are these things for us?¡± asked Doll in shock. ¡°Technically, it all belongs to the establishment, but yes, you will be wearing these things,¡± said Eudo from behind, and I didn¡¯t even glare at him this time for his stickler ways. I stayed in the studio for more than ten minutes before I walked out of it; I wouldn¡¯t have done it if Carla hadn¡¯t pulled me out. After looking at the studio, I walked the stairs with Carla to check out the rooms where the girls would do the business. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the common rooms are too little?¡± she asked Carla; like most things, they, too, have shocked me. Even the common rooms are much better than rooms from before, and there are three types of room above it. The establishment has four types of rooms, Common, Crystal, Ruby, and Diamond. The common and crystals are the same size rooms, but crystal rooms have much better interiors. The Ruby rooms are bigger than the crystal rooms, with an even better interior and outside view. The final diamond rooms looked like they belonged to some nobles; she nearly fainted looking at them. There are only nine of them. ¡°Remus is always right about these things,¡± said Carla as they began to climb down. Only 20% of all rooms are common rooms, 30% are crystal rooms, a little over 40% are Ruby, and nine are diamond rooms. It all seemed the opposite to me; the cheapest should be the most in number, and since the common rooms are free, they should be the most as people wouldn¡¯t want to pay for a room when they are having it free. As for what master silver is charging for the other three types of rooms, she did not know, and Carla said master silver hadn¡¯t decided on that yet. ... They had just reached the first floor when a young blue-haired girl came running toward them excitedly. ¡°Sister Carla, Sister Margaux, you should see our residence; it is like a dream,¡± said Vana, nearly shouting in excitement. ¡°Calm down, Vana, you might break something in your excitement,¡± I said; it seemed to affect the young girl as she took a deep breath to calm herself. She is Vana, a girl who turned eighteen a few days before she came here with Della and others. Master silver had offered her time to decide whether she wanted to join the business, but she refused. She wanted to work, and not that I could blame given the allure of huge earnings. They left the girl to check out other things and walked inside through the door of the basement, and a few seconds later, what she saw had widened my eyes yet again. Before, there used to be a common hall at the base of the steps, but now there is not; instead, there is an open space and stairs that lead to the floor below. In front of me were two hallways, both of which had a beautiful plate with residence written on it, and in the center of both hallways was a big hall with ¡®Common Hall¡¯ written on the big place in beautiful letters. They walked toward the common hall before pushing open its door and saw a hall filled with chairs and couches of different styles; all of them looked comfortable that could sit and chat for a long time. It is big enough that more than fifty people could easily sit there, but no one is sitting there. They did not stay there for more than a minute before walking toward the left hallway, where both sides had rooms, and each room with have a small plate with names beautifully written on it. The first room had Lola and Della written on it; in her old brothel, she had shared a room with both of them, especially Della, who she will always be grateful for helping out with Ellie in those difficult times. The room was not big, but it was not small either; it had beds on both sides, tables by them to work on, and cupboards to keep their clothes and things. Both beds and cupboards are bigger than their last rooms had and looked more comfortable and species. There is also a separation curtain in between for privacy. They looked for a few seconds before walking away, looking at nameplates in each room till they reached the end, where there was a single door against the wall that had my name on it and madam written below it. Click! ¡°Open it,¡± said Carla seeing me nervously staring at the door. I took a deep breath and opened the door, and walked inside what was supposed to be a living room. It was slightly bigger than girls'' rooms which beautiful sofas and tables in the middle. Eight to ten people could easily sit in it. The living room had two doors, one was at the end of the room, and one was at the left. I walked toward the one that was at the end and opened the door, and it turned out of the bedroom, with a bathroom attached to it. I looked at the room carefully, taking every detail without saying a word; after taking a look at it, I returned to the living room and opened the door at the left, and what I saw made tears drip from her eyes. ¡°You deserve it,¡± said Carla as she placed her hands on my shoulder. It is an office, a small one with a beautiful blue desk and four chairs, one for her and three for the guests. ¡°Try sitting on the chair, Madam Margaux,¡± said Carla. I hesitated for a moment before walking toward the chair behind the table and sitting on it slowly. The comfortable chair pressed against me as I sat; it was comfortable without a doubt, but I liked the feeling of the responsibility that this office was giving me. In my life, I had never thought I would reach such a position of responsibility and get my own office. They stayed in the office for nearly ten minutes before walking out; I didn¡¯t want to, but there were things to look at. I will have time to enjoy the office; it is mine, after all. Soon, they were in front of the common hall and went to the right hallway; the right hallway also seemed to have fifty rooms, capable of housing hundred people, just like the left hallway. ¡°It seemed like we won¡¯t have to worry about space, even if another hundred girls come,¡± I said to which Carla nodded. ¡°Remus planned to do that after the new girls get acquainted with the work,¡± she replied. I could see how she took his name directly; I don¡¯t know if the deed happened yet, she had asked Carla many times indirectly, but she remained mum. ¡°It is a wise decision; the system of Master Remus is a little hard to get one¡¯s head around it,¡± I said and really hoped master silver would wait before bringing the new girls. Not only because it is wise but also because the pressure on me will increase, and I want to learn to handle these girls first before the new ones appear. I pushed those and walked walk ahead before stopping as I looked at the door with only a single nameplate. ¡°Those above level 20+ will have a personal room,¡± said Carla seeing my surprise. The first one belongs to Ina; that girl, despite being more than a decade younger than her, is on the same level as her. Including her and Carla, there are six people above level 20, and all of them have their rooms. It will make one or two who are hiding their level reveal it. Personal space is a luxury these girls never had and want zealously, and it will happen in a few hours. I am quite excited, as I have my guesses about who has reached level 20, but it has not been revealed yet. ¡°In a few months, a lot of these rooms are going to get filled,¡± I said, to which Carla smiled brightly. It did not need to be said how fast they were leveling up since coming here. I myself had leveled up three times in these past three months. It is not just her but all the girls, and few months we will level up further. Many girls close to level 20 will reach it, and if they reveal their level, they will get a private room. At the end of the hallway, there is a suit; when they open it, they find it is exactly the same as hers, but with different furniture. ¡°The girls are going to fight to nails for this place,¡± said Carla, and she couldn¡¯t help smiling. It is true, but she does not know what one will have to achieve to get it, and even Carla isn¡¯t willing to explain. They went back toward the common hall and began to climb down; that is the place where they heard the most sounds, and it was loud. The floor is nearly empty despite having amazing new rooms, so there must be something down below to keep them there and hear such excited sounds. ¡°My god!¡± I said as I came down, it was not just me, but even Carla looked shocked by what she saw. ¡°Sister Carla, Sister Margaux, there is a freaking pool in there,¡± shouted Gloria as she ran while removing the buttons of her shirt. They followed the teen and soon reached the pool, where she saw it was filled with girls and that there was barely any space in it; despite that, Gloria threw away her shirt and pants and jumped into the pool. She did even take a shower first. ¡°Your days are not going to be easy,¡± said Carla with a big smile on her face while she just massaged her head for the headache that came. It will be hard to control all these girls, as it is not teens playing in the pool, but women like Della are here too. They walked closer to the pool, and some girls quieted down, but they still kept playing. I looked around the pool, which was big enough that fifty people could easily fit in it; there were chairs around it where one could lie, changing room, and a shower stall for a shower before and after the pool; the rule that nobody seemed to be following. She looked around for a few minutes before walking out of the pool area without saying anything. ¡®Let them enjoy today; from tomorrow, there will be discipline,¡¯ I said. I will need to create a system where they will be able to use the pool and other things without getting crowded. After walking out of the pool area, they were to a library, where there were over three thousand books and enough chairs for more than fifty people to sit and read. There are already people there, and unlike those in the people area, they are following the rules. It is completely silent; aside from the sound of flipping pages, there is no other sound. I nodded at Ina and Lola reading the books and looked around it before going to the game room and then the art hall, which is divided into different rooms, like the music room, painting, and a few other parts. There is also a residential area of thirty rooms; it is for young girls below eighteen. They will be living separately from the working girls, which I think is wise. It will reduce the influence of working girls on them and give them greater freedom to make their own decision. ¡°It really feels like a dream,¡± I said after they looked through everything. ¡°It is a reality, my dear friend,¡± said Carla and hugged her gently. She could feel that the coming days wouldn¡¯t be easy, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about it. Keep reading as a patron on .Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 67: Preparations Chapter 67: Preparations Clap! "Ok, for the last time," I said as I clapped; the men left their places and walked out of the hall while the girls adjusted their positions from tables to bar. Five minutes later, they returned and began to mingle with the girls during great music played in the background. We have been doing this for two days; from the afternoon of the day, the girls came back from the spa. We practiced with the actors before they went to the spa, but I wanted them to have practice at the new establishment and was quite glad that Valentina had finished two days before the deadline, giving me a chance to perform the practice. I sell experience and not sex, and this experience is a choreographed performance to give the patrons the best experience. So, the more they practice, the better experience they will be able to provide to the patrons. I want them to practice until no flaw can be seen in their performance and they have reached there. Especially the old girls, who are absolutely perfect, and watching them, the new girls are learning fast. The same had happened with lessons; those teachers having experience with the old girls, were able to teach them better. The new girls were also more fortunate than the old girls, as they had more time to learn than the old girls. They could be said to be more ready than the old girls had been when the establishment had opened for the first time. The practice continued as the hour passed, and everything was going great. They are practicing every scenario, from interactions to conflict, and excelling at everything. I looked at each girl and turned to Margaux, who is the most important; for the past month, she had been learning from Carla, and today, she will take the full reins in her hands, and there will be no Carla to help her. Today, Carla had officially resigned from the responsibilities of the madam. "What do you think?" I asked Carla beside me, "They are doing great; I don''t think there will be any problem," she said. "I really hope so," I said. A few minutes passed, and the practice continued before it was time to end it. Clap! "Finished!" I said as I clapped loudly, and a few seconds later, a man in his fifties dressed impeccably walked toward me. "I hope you are satisfied with our performance, Mister Silver," said the man. "You and your company are best, as always, Keys," I said, Jor Keys, the same man I had hired for the girls'' practice the first time. I talked to him for a few minutes before he and his company left, and I turned to the girls who had gathered in the neat lines before me. ¡°Today is most of your all¡¯s first day in the establishment, and I wish I could tell you all to enjoy,¡± That brought a laugh from more than half of the girls. ¡°Though try to find a little joy; the conversations can be fun, meaningful and if you don¡¯t want to go above that, it is fine,¡± ¡°As remember, there is a choice, and that choice is yours and yours only,¡± I said, emphasizing the last line, and to my surprise, some of them had begun to tear up after that. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver, your words mean a lot to the girls,¡± said Margaux emotionally. ¡°Go rest; you all have a big day today,¡± I said, and they began to leave one by one till only Carla, and I remained. ¡°You have become quite good in speeches,¡± she said; I did not say anything to that and walked toward my office with her. It is not a big day for the girls, but for me too; a lot of riding on how the establishment would perform today. I hope to earn at least a million crowns daily, which will help me pay my dues and depts and plan for the future. There are a lot of plans, and they need money lots and lots of money. ... ¡°Alright, first nine get up,¡± I said and stood up, and with me, the nine girls. I looked at them before walking out of the common room with them following behind me. Only two hours have remained till the opening, and it is time for us to start the preparations. Soon, we reached the studio, and once again, it couldn¡¯t help but enamor me. I have seen it tens of times, but it still shakes me whenever I see it. ¡°You have come on time,¡± said Eudo as we entered inside and turned to the girls. ¡°Girls, get naked,¡± he said directly, and the three old girls, who were used to him, quickly removed all their clothes one after another. The teen girls, who were present to help, quickly picked up the clothes and stored them neatly, while to three naked girls, robes came flying and wore themselves on the girls'' bodies with sashes knotted. It all happened in less than twenty seconds. The six new girls took time despite the practice; the moment they did, the robes came flying and wore themselves on them after some struggle. ¡°Good, now sit,¡± he said, and the girls walked toward the nine seats, which were better than the old three seats, with confidence and hesitation on their faces. ¡°Relax, everything is going to be fine,¡± I said as I sat down on a chair in the corner while five beauticians and Eudo moved to work on the girls. At first, when the establishment opened, there was only Eudo, but then we hired Misses Rand, Elsa, as she asked me to call her, and two weeks ago, we hired three others; they are about the same level as Elsa and are good, especially when Eudo is guiding them. Like everything in the rooms, the make-up, the instruments, and everything else are also new and of better quality, and their effects are evident as layers of make-up appear on them. ¡°Walk to the platform,¡± said Elsa said to Lydia, and she got up from the chair and walked to the small tile platform that had a mirror at every corner and disrobed without saying anything. Elsa appeared beside her and sprayed her body with the delicate instrument, darkening Lydia¡¯s pale skin. With her skills and experience, Elsa took seconds to tan Lydia¡¯s whole body before Eudo acted and made a minor adjustment with a little brush, but those instantly lighted up her skin with faint glitter, which made her look mesmerizing. ¡°Now for the dress and accessories,¡± he said, and I could see Lydia¡¯s eyes lighting up; everybody was excited to wear beautiful things, even me. As Eudo said it, the things came flying; the first came the black lingerie; Lydia familiarly moved her hand and feet as they flowed through her before it was time for a dress, a maroon color satin gown. This gown is special, as it is made for her, and I could see the sheer joy on her face as it flowed through her body before fixing itself on her. I nearly gasped seeing the gown; some girls even did. She looked that beautiful in a gown that was crafted for her. No skill or spell compared to the fitting given by the custom dress, the way the gown hugged, and every curve and sloped around her body is amazing. She looked beautiful like she had never looked before, and she was not even completely ready as the jewelry flew toward her. A beautiful amethyst earing fixed on her ears and an amethyst necklace on her neck completed her before a few puffs of perfume sprayed on her. She looked amazing beyond amazing, and when she looked in the mirror, tears began to flow out of her eyes. ¡°Your make-up may be waterproof, but I would prefer if you did not cry,¡± said Eudo, ¡°Since it is waterproof, then it would be fine if I cried a river,¡± Lydia shot back; in a few months, some girls have become good friends with Eudo, Lydia is one of them. After Lydia got off the stage, another girl quickly took her place and, within a few seconds, transformed fully. One by one, girls took the stage, and Eudo dressed them, using his telekinetic skill. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the range he could move things; it was longer than before. Whether he leveled up or hid the true strength of his abilities or both, I don¡¯t know, but it had made things quite fast. In nine minutes and twenty seconds, all the girls had been readied; it would have been even faster if not for the hesitation from the new girls. In a few days, they would get used to it along with new beauticians, making the processes even faster. Exactly after nine minutes and forty seconds, another batch of girls came as she had asked them, and Eudo asked them in. One by one, the girls got ready, and by the time five twenty, every girl was ready except for me. ¡°It is your turn, madam,¡± said Eudo, and she gave him a look before she activated Cloths Open. Immediately her clothes fell down at her feet, and she became completely naked, but she did not remain naked for more than a second as the velvet robe flew over and slid her body. The robe is different; while the robes of the girls were red, hers is black, with ¡®madam¡¯ monogrammed on it. ¡°I wish everybody had that skill of yours; it would have made things faster,¡± said Eudo. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sooner or later, you will get such skill,¡± I shot back, and he glared before working on me. The other beautician did not touch me, only Eudo, another privilege of being a madam. ¡°We do not want you to shine like stars the girls are doing; we want you to radiate the authority,¡± said Eudo as he worked on her hair and face at the same time. Six minutes later, he finished, and I got up and walked on the platform once again, activating my skill; as I did, the robe fell, and I was completely naked, and this time, it was not going to be for just a second. A brush with a shimmering solution went over my body, faintly adding a shimmer to my skin; it was the same over my body, except for my legs, where it was denser. ¡°Now it is time for you to get ready,¡± He said, and purple lingerie flew over her. She moved her hands and feet; lingerie appeared on her before a royal purple dress came flying in; it froze me for a moment. The dress is beautiful, and the work on it is amazing; it also has a slit which is why Eudo focused more on the legs. It is one of her favorites of nine dresses she had, all of them custom-made, more than any girl except for Carla. Master Silver had said that each girl should have at least nine custom dresses and, madam, a fourteen. Currently, old girls have only four custom dresses each and new ones three; poor Elese had been working day and night to complete orders, and she will have to do it for a few months more, even with the new employees she is bringing every week. From what I heard in the past two days, Master Silver had some great ambitions, and he will bring more girls in a month or two, which means more work for Elese. Which she is more than happy to do; that girl loves her work too much. The royal purple dress slid over her body, and a moment later, the jewelry came. A beautiful diamond necklace, which had a huge diamond twice her thumbnail and hundreds of small diamonds around it. It looks beautiful, but it is not the end, as diamond earrings came next, and then the bracelet that looked made of vines, but it was not. It is some precious green metal on which diamonds are embedded beautifully. She was just looking at the diamonds on her when the shoes came, and they were different from the ones worn by the girls. They are high-heeled shoes made of purple crystals, and when she wore them, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. As they were comfortable, totally opposite of what she thought they would be. ¡°Now, a few sprinkles of perfume, and you will be ready,¡± said Eudo, and a white crystal bottle came in and sprinkled her with the most beautiful fragrance she had ever smelled in her life. ¡°I have reserved this for you; it suits you well,¡± informed Eudo, and I nodded my thanks as I loved the fragrance. I took a deep breath of the wonderful fragrance and turned toward the mirror; what I saw couldn¡¯t help but bring tears to my eyes. She had promised she would not cry as many girls did, but tears came out as I saw myself in the mirror. In all the things I had dreamed and imagined, I had never, ever expected I would look like this. I stayed there looking at the mirror for more than a minute, and for once, Eudo did not open his mouth to quip. It took a while for me to control myself before I turned from the mirrors to Eudo. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and got off the platform, and walked out of the room under the envious gazes of the women. I never in her life thought I would be the receiver of those emotions, but I felt happy feeling their envy, as I felt like I had achieved something. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 68: Incident Chapter 68: Incident "Open the gates," said Margaux right and six pm while I walked upstairs to my office; by the time I had reached it, the gates finally opened. Carla was already by the window, and I joined her, watching the open gates, but no carriage had come. Usually, there are one or two always waiting and entering inside immediately the moment the door opens. I didn''t like the empty gates and felt my thoughts spinning, but I controlled myself and watched the gates. A minute passed, and no carriage came, and I was really getting worried, which I shouldn''t be since only a minute had passed. A little more than three minutes passed when the first carriage came, and unlike the few before that passed by a road, this one came right inside. It had just parked when two more carriages turned and entered the gates of the establishment one after another. "See, you were worried for nothing," said Carla as she turned toward me, with her face right in front of mine and barely an inch of difference between us that we could feel each other''s breath. The tension was palpable, but nobody took a step, and we turned back to the window to see four more carriages coming. In the next half an hour, more than fifty carriages came inside, the fastest they had ever been. "It seemed like my advertisement campaign had worked," I said with a smile, looking at all the carriages coming inside. Off course, I had advertised. What sort of businessman would I be if I didn''t advertise my business? Though the advertisement is slightly different from common ads, I could not just post pamphlets on the walls. I have done the advertisement in the places like gentlemen''s clubs, the places preferred by men exclusively, as currently, I am only targeting them. I have not only targeted the Greltheaven but also neighboring cities of Deerpond and Riverbell and even the merchant cities like Owlspring and a few others, and looking at the response, the huge money I had spent on it is worth it. "I have never seen so many people in such a short time," she said. We had closed gates within half an hour of opening, but those were for forty-five-fifty patrons; now, the number of girls has more than doubled, and as such, patrons will also increase. Less than an hour had passed, and the establishment already had more patrons than it had ever before, and they will only increase. "Do you think Margaux will handle everything well?" I asked; there are few girls who had experience in management, but I chose her on Carla''s words, and in the past month, she had performed exemplarily. But she had the help of Carla, from today she will be alone and will have to handle everything on her own. "Don''t worry, Margaux is extremely capable; she will not give you any chance to complain," said Carla. "I hope so," I said while looking out through the window. It was a fifty-eighth minute when the gate closed, and seeing a big bright smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. Closing the gate means only one thing, the establishment is full and can''t accept any more patrons. "Let''s go down," I said to Carla, and both of us walked out of the office to the ground floor. Click! I opened the door of the tiny room and walked inside before locking the door, sitting on chairs, and looking at the whole view of the hall. There is no small window anymore, but a hundred-inch painting for which I had to pay quite a lot of money, but seeing its effects, it is worth it. To others in the hall, it is a beautiful painting made by a level 30+ painter, but for us, it is the one-way mirror through which we can see into the hall; it is in the left corner of the hall, which gives near perfect view of the whole hall. "One hundred and thirty-four patrons, nearly three times as much as before," said Carla looking at the clients. "And only twelve are without the girls," I added. They are sitting in the bar alone, some of them looking at the girls yearningly, while others seem to be content in watching and drinking expensive liquor. I have noticed some clients come just to drink. They barely talk to girls or any patron; they come, drink, pay a good tip, and leave. "Margaux should have let some more in people closing the gates," I said after some time. "Give her some time to get used to responsibility. It is her first day, and she is playing safe," said Carla. To that, I smiled. I did not give too many instructions to Margaux; she had quite a lot of freedom to operate, and she was doing quite a good job. She is not just standing by the door but moving around the hall, mingling and flirting with patrons and instructing the staff. I took out my diary from the pocket of my suit and opened the latch on the modular pad, which became a small table, on which I placed the diary and began to take notes. I spent a lot of time in this place, so I decided to make it comfortable, and it was worth it. I am feeling very happy seeing the huge number of clients; they will bring a lot of money to me, especially since I have hiked the rates. Now, the rates are five-hundred crowns per hour, not to mention the money I will get from rooms. "Yes, there is a problem; this whore refused to come with me," he said, nearly shouting, spit flying. I feared my expression cracking as I faced the man, and for a moment, I thought about what the madam at my last brothel had done; she would have slapped Vana and apologized to the man. "It is her choice, sir; you cannot force her to come with you if she does not want to," I said, failing hard to be polite, and this shocked the man. This is not her old brothel, and she will not hit her girls ever. The man''s face reddened, and he got angrier, gripping Vana''s hand even more tightly; the teen girl began whimpering. "She is a whore, and since I paid, I could do whatever the hell I can," he said and tried to pull her to him, but she stopped him by picking Vana''s hand, but it was hard, the stronger than he looked. "Yes, she is whore, but she has a choice here, and she clearly does not want to go with you," I said, and the pudgy man got angrier as he finally released Vana''s hand and raised it to hit me. I nearly closed my eyes and waited for the stinging pain, but it did not come. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, Gates," said the familiar cultured voice; I opened my eyes and saw Master Silver beside me, wearing his impeccable suit and a small smile on his face. Though when I looked at his eyes, I did not see any mirth, instead raging anger as he looked at the pudgy hand stopped midway. "What kind of business are you running, Silver; your whore had refused to come with me," said the pudgy man angrily. "A business for respectable people, but you obviously do not fit into that category," he said directly that making the pudgy man shake in rage. "I had not believed it when your cousin had said you had the manners of a gorilla despite looking like a human, but now, I could see she was telling the truth," If the earlier insult was bad enough, this one seemed to have hit the nerve. "You bastard!" shouted the pudgy man and punched Master Silver with all his strength, while Master Silver kept looking at him with that unchanging smile on his face. I opened my mouth to shout the warning when the hand came in between and stopped the punch effortlessly. "Dan, Gina, mister Gates is obviously heavily intoxicated; please take him to his carriage," said Master Silver, and two guards quickly picked up the pudgy man and began to carry him away, despite his obvious resistance. "You bastard, I will remember it," he screamed, but Master Silver even looked at him and turned to me "You did good, and do add him add to the banned list," he said, saying the last sentence a little loudly and before turning to people watching. "My apologies for the disturbance, gentlemen. I hope the glass Argon 16 from the house would be enough to erase this unsavory incident from your memories," he said and turned to me. "Margaux, a glass of Argon 16 for everyone," he said to me before taking Vana with him. ... Caena Hun! A surprise couldn''t help but appear on my face, not because of the incident but because the speed of absorption of desires had increased instantly, almost doubled. It clearly happened due to the incident. The night had been full of surprises; the first was the rapid charging of my spell, that instead of months and weeks that, I had imagined, it would be fully charged within four to five days. It surprised me, and now I am surprised again, twice in a matter of seconds. The charging of my spell had increased again, and now I am completely sure that this place was helping me. The spell is not harnessing the desire and lust this place is absorbing but harnessing the one which had been directed at me more efficiently than before, which couldn''t help but make her extremely happy. "What happened, Caena? What made you all freeze up?" asked the young man in the middle. "Don''t worry, we wouldn''t force you like that bull," said the one beside him with the mirth. Hearing their words brought me back to myself, and my eyes turned seductive and my expressions suggestive. "It would please me to no end if you did that," I said throatily in my most seductive voice, and it seemed to work, seeing how their expressions changed. I had been entertaining these three friends for half an hour, and I planned to bed each of them; the emotions I would harness from them would help me charge the spell faster. Seeing how easily I am getting clients, I might not even need the spell, but I know having more spells ready is always better, not to mention she will get a commission from the rooms on top of her hours. She needs that money; there are a lot of things she needs to buy to create the spells she needs, and taking more patrons to the rooms will help her with that. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 69: Goddess (18+) Chapter 69: Goddess (18+) ¡°I am sorry,¡± said Vana softly as we walked out of the hall. ¡°Why? You did nothing wrong,¡± I said to the teen girl, who had tears dripping from her eyes. ¡°It is the fault of that pig, who did not understand the rejection,¡± I added, and that brought a smile to her face. Click! I opened the door of the small restroom beside the studio and was about to close it when Carla entered inside, and it was clear by her eyes how angry she was. There have been some incidents before but never like this one. People would accept after some complaining, but this one did not. ¡°Sit,¡± I sat the teen down and took out the healing gel from the small cupboard before applying it to her hand. That pig had gripped her hand too hard that now, there was swelling. Thankfully, the swelling is not big; the healing cream will fix it within a few minutes. While physical damage will take a few minutes to heal, psychological will take time. ¡°Rest here, or you could rest in your room,¡± I said, to which the teen girl had remained silent, thinking, before she looked at me. ¡°I want to go back to the hall after this healed,¡± she said, and I opened my mouth to advise against it when I felt a hand on my shoulder and closed my mouth. ¡°It is fine if you want to go back; just rest a little before that and even get some touch-up in the studio,¡± said Carla, to which the young girl nodded. ¡°There is no pressure on you to go back; if you don¡¯t want to go back there ever, it is fine too. I am sure we can find other ways for you to serve the contract,¡± I said, but the young woman shook her head. ¡°No, I want to work,¡± said Vana. To that, I sighed. ¡°It is your choice,¡± I said and patted her shoulder before walking out of the room. ¡°It is so sad that a young woman had to face such a thing, especially on her first day,¡± I said and sighed as we walked toward the secret rooms. ¡°It might be surprising to you, but we prostitutes face this every day,¡± ¡°Vana had to face this many times in the old brothel. Only here she gets the courage to say no,¡± she said, and I nodded. I sometimes forget that the girls have been working since they are fifteen; some I have got from Namdar have worked from fourteen and one thirteen. This is the reality of this world; the earth was no better; powerful people get away from being pedophiles, from priests to billionaires. Soon we reached the hidden room, I opened the door, and Carla went inside; I followed and closed the door behind me. I had just turned when I saw Carla face to face, looking at me intensely with those smoldering eyes, and had opened my mouth to speak when I found her lips on mine filled with such passion and hunger that I had never sensed from anyone. It surprised me for a moment, but soon, I let go of it with every inhibition I had. I had been holding back against her provocations for weeks; I wanted to take her thousands of times, but I resisted every time, but no more. We begin to kiss with enough passion to burn the damn city; without caring that people might see us through the painting. Even with the skills, it is quite hard to see through it. The painting is made by a Level 30 painter, and on top of that, the small room had anti-snooping enchantments, making it even harder. Those with Level 35+ or those with powerful classes and skills at level 30 might be able to do it, but the chances of that happening are very low. I have yet to begin attracting a clientele with such levels and skills in big numbers. So, if one or two were here, they wouldn¡¯t be looking here; people come to the establishment to relax, not to snoop. I have often imagined what it would be like to kiss Carla, and whatever I had imagined was a thousand times paler than what I was experiencing. It was unlike anything I had experienced before. ¡°Let¡¯s go to a more comfortable place,¡± I said and opened the door of the small room and walked out with her. Even as we climbed the stairs, we were not able to control ourselves and kissed many times before finally reaching the place. Click! I opened the door of my room and went inside, and looked at her. I only needed to look at her for a second and got all the permission I wanted, and kissed her as I pushed her against the wall. We begin to kiss as if our lives depend on it, not moving our lips away from each other. It was not just lips that moved, but also our hands that moved across each other body; my hands roamed her across her body before they went inside her dress, and I felt her soft yet firm ass, which I could help but squeeze hard. ¡°Ahhhh,¡± A moan couldn¡¯t escape from her mouth as I did that, and she looked at me with passion, hunger, and something else which I did not want to think about it right now. ¡°Take me; I could not wait for it anymore,¡± she said hurriedly and moved her hands toward my pants, but I stopped her. ¡°This is our first time, and let''s savor it,¡± I said and kissed her while my hands moved to release the strings of her dress. As I released all the strings, her dress fell down, and I looked at her with nothing but black lingerie. Seeing me looking at her, her cheeks reddened a little, and she became a little self-conscious. ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I said breathlessly and took her toward the bed before gently pushing her onto it. I quickly removed my clothes till I was only in briefs and moved on top of her before taking those juicy lips and continued kissing her, before finally moving away from her lips. Ahhhh I kissed her delicate nose first, before her cheeks and then her ear, which I had bit gently, drawing out another moan from her sweet mouth. ¡°Please,¡± she said pleadingly. ¡°All in good time, dear,¡± I said and kissed her throat, drawing out another moan, which became even louder as I bit her neck gently. I continued to shower her with kisses from her neck before reaching her collarbone, making her shiver all over before reaching the valley of her breasts. ¡°I have dreamed about them thousands of times,¡± I said, releasing the hook and removing her bra, releasing the most perfect pair of breasts I had ever seen. I looked at them as saliva gathered in my mouth before kissing them and taking them in my mouth as I did, a moan couldn¡¯t escape from her mouth, and she kept moaning as my tongue played with it while my hand played with another. Her breasts feel amazing, and they taste even better that I can¡¯t seem to let go, especially when I continue hearing her sweet moans, which are going higher and higher. ¡°Yessss!¡± Shouted Carla, and I felt her shuddering; seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face as I played with her breasts even more intensely, biting, kissing, licking. ¡°How was the orgasm?¡± I asked. I felt her body calm down, ¡°Best,¡± she replied, with her cheeks flushing. ¡°But I want more,¡± she added. ¡°Soon, you will get more,¡± I said and once again took her breast in my mouth for a last time before descending down, showering kisses across her navel, making her moan and quiver. She is beautiful and deserves to worship, and that is what I am doing; I am worshipping every part of her. Soon, I reached for her panties and breathed on them and could feel her whole body quivering under them. I kissed her panties before taking them out and looking at her wet pussy. It was glisteningly wet and smelling so delicious that I barely stopped my spit from leaking out my mouth. ¡°You are so wet,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, please don¡¯t make me wait,¡± she said pleadingly, but I did not listen. I started at those glistering folds for a moment before kissing down; I did kiss her pussy, but above it, while breathing on it as I kissed down, making her squirm, building the anticipation, Soon, I reached close to her pussy, but instead of kissing, I kissed her thighs, making her squirm even more. ¡°Please,¡± she begged, and I continued to tease her, building more and more anticipation till it was time. ¡°Since you want it so badly, I will give it to you,¡± I said, bringing my tongue down and licking across her glistering folds, and immediatly felt her shudder wildly. ¡°Yessss....¡± She shouted in pleasure. She orgasmed instantly while I tasted the most wonderful pussy in my life; it tasted like nectar. Hearing her wild moan, I began to eat her pussy. I started gently before slowly increasing my momentum. I would kiss, lick and even bite gently while sensing her response. She is like a beautiful instrument, and I want to play her at her best; give her the best pleasure of her life. Yeesss Yesss Yesssssss She kept moaning as I licked her, enjoying the waves of unending waves pleasure that I was giving her. In a few minutes, she got up and pressed my head against her pussy while her thighs gripped it from both sides, making me focus on nothing else other than her pleasures. I did not mind it; I was fully focused on her pleasure as I listened to her voice and body as I gave it to her. ¡°Yesssssss...¡± More than ten minutes passed when she let out the loudest moan and slumped back into bed, and only then I moved my mouth from her pussy. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked as I appeared beside her, ¡°Blissed,¡± she said as she opened her eyes. ¡°I hope you are not tired, but there is a lot of that yet to come,¡± I said, and she smiled. ¡°You will have to do much more than that if you want to tire me out with pleasure,¡± she challenged. ¡°By the time, I finish, you won¡¯t even be able to walk,¡± I said back and took her lips in mine; she did not seem to mind tasting herself on my lips and even loved it, seeing how she was kissing me. We kissed for more than a minute before I pulled back and removed my briefs with one hand, revealing my rock-hard cock. It had become very hard; I had never felt it hard as it is right now. Though, it is also true that I never had sex with a woman like Carla. She is an absolute treasure. I positioned my cock at the entrance of her pussy and turned to her, ¡°Ready?¡± I asked her, and she nodded. Seeing that, I gently drove my cock into her pussy, while taking her lips and felt pleasure; I had never experienced it in my life; I could never even describe how I felt. Soon, it went fully inside, and I left it there for a second before I started making love to her gently. Though the gentle movement did not last for long as a minute later, her lips began to demand more, and my movements became faster; without breaking our lips and eye contact, we held against it each other. It was beautiful, and I had never felt like this with anyone, and I wanted it forever; I don¡¯t think I will be able to stay from her, even if she wants me to. Time passed as my movements, and her hips came in perfect synch. It felt so perfect that it felt like our bodies are made for each other. ¡°I am close,¡± I said after some time, ¡°Me too,¡± she whispered back; I nodded and took her lips into mine and increased my movements faster, and without saying anything, she also adjusted her movements to mine. ¡°I am coming,¡± I said a minute later, ¡°Me too,¡± she said, and I released the load inside her as I felt the greatest pleasure of my life. The pleasure lasted for more than a minute before it stopped, and only then I stopped moving and laid beside her. ¡°It was amazing,¡± I said when I finally got my breath under control. ¡°Yes, it was, and I want more of it,¡± she said directly as she turned to me. ¡°And you will have it,¡± I said and looked at my cock, which became tighter again. ¡°Good, you have recovered quickly; I thought I might need to use my skill to do it,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°Not yet,¡± I said and brought her top of me. A minute later, she was riding me like a goddess while moaning in pleasure. We continued through a whole night, beyond a human limit, thanks to her skills, which she needed to use after a few rounds, for which I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful as I did not want to stop at all. I don¡¯t know how many times we did it through the night, but when we finally stopped, it was well past dawn, and I was so tired that I did not have the energy to even twitch. Though there was a satisfied smile, and not only on my face. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 70: Maquerelle Chapter 70: Maquerelle Carla When I woke up, there was a notification in front of me. I had leveled up, which genuinely surprised me, as I did not think I had done something that would warrant a level-up. Gaining the levels is hard, especially after level 20. It made me happy, but when I noticed when I was, I became even happier, a hundred times happier. I pushed the notification and turned to the man beside me and knew what happened last night wasn¡¯t a dream at all. I had waited for months for it to happen. At first, I seduced him to secure my job, but within a few days, those thoughts have changed into something I did not dare to think about. I turned to Remus, whose hand was still around my waist, and if I didn¡¯t have to work, I would have stayed, enjoying his presence. I gently removed his hand from my waist and got out of bed. Immediately felt the effect of last night, which couldn¡¯t help but bring a smile to my face and make me wet again. Last night''s intense, Remus has a far better love than I had imagined. He worshipped my body like no one ever did, kissing every part of me. Just thinking about it sent shivers down my vagina. I collected my clothes and began to wear them one by one while remembering how he had removed them; I wanted to experience that worship again. I had never felt that in my life. All my life, I had been a dispenser for men¡¯s lust. They would come to fuck and leave; even one of those gentle lovers was the same, caring only about their pleasure. From the moment we begin, Remus had cared more about my pleasure than his own, the way he did, like a prayer, worshiping the goddess he desired so much. I soon finished wearing my clothes and crouched down, kissing his lips gently, before walking out of the room with my shoes in hand, and I am not feeling any shame at all. I deserve it, and I will have more. ...................... Margaux I returned to my office after taking notes of everything, from the kitchen to the bar, before entering my office. What a night it was, at first, everything went smoothly, but soon that incident came up. It was bad, but with Master Silvers''s help, we were able to throw that pig out, and now, he is banned. Though I am still worried about Master Silver, while he said I did a good job, I will not be able to calm my nerves till he reassures me again. I pushed those thoughts away far as possible and turned to important things in front of her; I needed to make the expense report, and I had two hours before I had to present it to Master Silver. I had been doing that alone for more than two weeks without any help for Carla, but today is different. Unlike before, there were more girls now, more rooms, and more patrons who ate and drank more and went to more rooms; it all translated to more work. I did not waste any time and began; thankfully, I had taken the notes; those lessons on administration were great, and so were the tips from Carla. I wouldn¡¯t be to do this if not for those lessons. It hadn¡¯t been a minute since I started when the notification buzzed in my head. [Conditions Met: Class Harlot - Class Maquerelle] [Conditions Met: Night Long- Night Work] [Conditions Met: Breath of Erection- Kiss of Vigor] [Conditions Met: Sometimes I Fake It- Fake Face] [Conditions Met: Cloths Open- Get Naked] [Conditions Met: Charmed Walk+ He Liked Them Aged+ Sultry Tongue- Madam¡¯s Charm] [Class Maquerelle Lv. 22] [Skill Gained- Numeracy] For a few seconds, she froze; she thought it was a level-up notification, but it turned into something else entirely. As she looked at it, she knew all her skills in the Harlot Class had changed; even the class itself had changed. Her class had advanced. She could feel its weight and know it was a whole grade above the Harlot class she had. As she understood what had happened, a big ecstatic smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. My skills have become better than before, and three have even merged into becoming my most powerful skill. I could feel its power and knew how useful it would be, especially in dealing with incidents like last night. Not only that, she had even gained a skill, Numeracy; Carla had such a skill, and I knew how useful it was. Looking at huge advancement, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh; I knew my class would change with new responsibilities, and so do the skills, but I did not expect the change would be this big. Even Carla had said not all her skills had changed when she advanced her class, but mine did. I pushed away the notification and opened my interface, where everything was on the neat table. Class: Maquerelle Lv.22 Painter Lv. 4 Charisma: 13 Intelligence: 7 Vitality:Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com ¡¤ Fake Face ¡¤ Get Naked ¡¤ Attention To Colours ¡¤ Deft Hands ¡¤ Numeracy Attribute Points: 1 Every skill of mine will help me do the job better, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel ecstatic getting them. I looked at it all over and over till I knew it was not a dream and only them; my eyes moved to the attribute point. If it had been a week before, I knew where I wanted to use that point, but now I am not sure. My mind is telling me to put it in one place while my heart is telling me to put it in another. I should listen to my mind, and I tried, but I just couldn¡¯t, so I left the point there; I will use it when my mind and heart come to a decision. I looked at the window for a minute more before I turned to my work, and within a few seconds, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. Numeracy is making things quite easy for me; it is not as taxing as before as numbers became friends. Twenty-five minutes passed, and a shock couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. The establishment had earned more than I had estimated, more than Carla and Master Silver had estimated. I had made calculations three times to believe the number was true, and it was not just the establishment that had earned a lot but also the girls. It is just from their commission of hours and rooms; I haven¡¯t counted the gifts yet, which is the biggest source of their income. Knock Knock! She was looking at the numbers when the knock rang out on her door, and she closed the ledger and turned toward the door. Click! ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and the door opened, and Lola entered inside, and she was not the only one; behind her were five girls; seeing them, my mood had become even better, as I could guess why they all were here. ¡°Congratulations, you all,¡± I said to them. ¡°Thank you, Madam Margaux,¡± they said while Lola turned to me with focus before a small smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. ¡°It seemed like, we are not the only ones, who had leveled up today,¡± said Lola, and I smiled. The girl is intelligent and observant; the only flaw she has is her rashness; I hope the lesson she has learned will help her control that rashness of her. ¡°You''re all here to tell me you have reached the second capstone, right?¡± I asked as I looked at each of them, and they nodded. Of the six that came, three were part of the first batch, two are the second batch, and the last one was from the third batch and the only one that surprised me the most; she was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, youngest of them all. She will be the youngest to reach twenty in the establishment, but won¡¯t be for much longer; Andrea and other young girls are rapidly leveling; it won¡¯t take long for them to reach level 20. ¡°Good, show me,¡± I said to them, and all six of them released their class; I used my class to feel their level, and quite a surprise, how clearly, I could feel the weight of their classes. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised; my class had advanced, and in the hierarchy of the prostitute class, it is above theirs, which makes sense, the weight of their classes each. I focused on each of them, and soon, I finished the last one with a smile on my face. ¡°Very good,¡± I said and opened the drawer and took out six keys belonging to the six rooms. ¡°These are keys to your rooms,¡± I said, and they snatched the keys; the moment I noted down their numbers and names. As I said before, the girls love private space, which is why three girls hiding their levels revealed and got their rooms. Now, we have a total of thirteen girls who are at Level 20, fifteen, if we count Carla and me. It is just beginning; in the coming weeks and months, their numbers will take a huge leap. ¡°Thank you, Madam Margaux,¡± they said, ¡°You deserved it, girls,¡± I replied with a smile before something came to my mind, and I turned the girls. ¡°I have the skill to try. Will any of you mind being a test subject?¡± I asked them. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, me too,¡± they replied one after another. ¡°It might remove all your clothes,¡± I said, to which they shook their head. ¡°It did not matter,¡± said Lola. ¡°Then I am activating it,¡± I said and activated Get Naked, and immediately, all clothes on Lola¡¯s body slid off. Seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face; Cloths Open used to work on me alone but Get Naked worked on me as well as others. I tested it on all of them, and it worked without any problem. ¡°Thank you, girls,¡± I said to them as they wore back their clothes. ¡°Happy to help,¡± replied Gena. They left soon after while I continued to work, and an hour later, I was finished with it. I once again checked everything, and after confirming everything was perfect, I picked up the files and walked out of my office. Master Silver is going to be very happy with the numbers. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 71: Agent of Experience Chapter 71: Agent of Experience [Conditions Met: Souteneur Merchant- Agent of Experience] [Conditions Met: Trusty Presence- Trustful Presence] [Conditions Met: Worthy Goods- Goods Sense] [Conditions Met: Shop Open- Torch for Seeker] [Agent of Experience Lv. 10] [Agent of Experience Lv. 11] [Skill Gained: Sight Through Veil] The moment I opened my eyes, I saw loads of notifications in bold blue color in front of me. For a second, I could not react at all, before a smile appeared on my face. My class had advanced and so were my skills. Seeing some of them, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but turn red with joy. Especially Torch for Seeker and Sight Through Veil; these two are skill simply amazing. I had also levelled up and not once, but twice, giving me two attribute points. It took me a while to calm myself, but when I did, I look it all rationally. Agent of Experience. This is ¡®of¡¯ grade class, formally known as the specialized grade class; my old class, Souteneur Merchant, was a merged class and specialized class, but it was at the lower end, but the Agent of Experience is at least a grade above that. I could feel its weight and know it is more powerful than my old class, which automatically increases the power of my skills and attributes. The power of skills depends as much on class as on the levels and attributes. It is the same for the attributes. The better your class is, the more power they will give to you. Two people with the same attribute points do not project the same power unless they have the same class. It is the reason people desire better classes so much, especially the ruling classes, which held the greatest weight. My new class will increase the weight of my attributes; the ones that will benefit the most are charm and intelligence. Strength and vitality will also benefit, but not as much as the other two. It is not a combat class. Three of my skills had advanced. Trusty Presence had turned to Trustful Presence, a more powerful passive skill. It helps a lot when dealing with girls and those related to the business. The same happened with Worthy Goods. It had advanced to Goods Sense. I can already see how much they will benefit me. The advancement of two classes is good, but it is the third one for which I am most excited. Shop Open had turned into Torch of Seeker, an extremely powerful skill, which is at least two grades above the common Shop Open. It will attract people who are searching for experience. I could already see how much it will benefit my business. If a Shop Open was the billboard, then Torch of Seeker is a bright red torch, that will anyone who is searching for experience to the establishment. The last one is a new skill I got, Sight Through Veil; it is an invasive skill, but one I am very much happy to get and couldn¡¯t wait to use it. I wanted to get out of my room to use my skill, but I controlled myself and turned to the next thing. I have leveled up twice, and with it; I have gotten two attribute points. I already know where I am going to use them, but I did not use them immediately, instead opened my class interface first. Class: Agent of Experience (Lv. 11) Lawyer (Lv. 8) Warrior (Lv.7) Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 10 Vitality: 7 Strength: 6 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Sense ¡¤ Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Consecutive Strikes I pushed those thoughts and walked out of the bed. Quickly freshening up and showered before eating breakfast. As I finished that, I walked out of my room. From tomorrow, I will resume the practice; I had taken four days off, and that is more than enough. I will need to keep my skills sharp, especially now with the attribute and change of class. While the warrior class had not changed. The power of attributes had changed because of the advancement of the base class, and that will affect the Warrior Class and Lawyer Class. Click! I opened the door of the office and walked inside; immediately, two sets of eyes fell on me, and a surprise appeared on their face. ¡°Congratulation, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux. She could feel I had leveled up with my passive skill; I am just learning to control them. I do not have the experience and time like Margaux, one of the best in controlling her passive skills. ¡°You too, Margaux,¡± I said with a smile and a faint surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face, which quickly disappeared. So, quickly, that I am not sure whether I had seen the surprise or just imagined it. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she replied. She had her passive skills in control, along with her charisma, but with my new class, I could still pick up the obvious hints, which are telling me, Margaux is not the only one. Carla, too, had leveled up. ¡°Before we start, I want to say one thing to you, Margaux,¡± I said, and could feel her being nervous before she quickly controlled her expressions. ¡°You did an amazing job last night. Your handling of disturbance was perfect.¡± I praised. ¡°Remember, the choice of girls is most important. If incidents occur again. You have my fill my permission to throw the troublemakers out,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, master Silver,¡± she said emotionally, without hiding her expressions. There was a silence for a few seconds. Though I looked at Carla and my cock couldn¡¯t help but harden. She seemed to understand what I was feeling as a small, seductive smile flashed across her face before it disappeared. ¡°Have you made all the calculations?¡± I asked Margaux, ¡°Yes, it is all in here,¡± she replied, and pushed the file toward me. I took the white file in my hand and opened it, before starting reading and in just a few seconds my eyes lit up and a smile appeared on my face, which became bigger and bigger with every line I read. Like Carla, she is clear and concise, more than before; if I am not wrong, then she had gotten some skills, that made her more efficient and accurate in it. ¡®Two million, sixty-two hundred and fifty-six crowns,¡¯ I read as I stared at the big bold numbers written beautifully in black ink. It was double what I had expected. I had estimated, we will earn between one million to one and a half million, but we have ended up earning double. Like always, we have earned more through the food and drinks; I had hired new chefs and bartenders. The new head chef is above level 25 and could work on some magical material. I did not change the head bartender, as he is good, and only got him a few assistants. We have sold quite a lot of drinks and food and if we continued selling in such a way, then it wouldn¡¯t take long for it to empty our inventory, especially of our liquor. Which is great, because now, I could buy more of those expensive liquors, especially the ones that costs a million crowns and more a bottle. Those are really amazing and looking at choices of people, they are clearly willing to pay. I will start buying them and begin using them, after at least twenty girls reach Level 20. I do not want to sell the liquor without providing a quality of experience. While the liquor might sell, people will not get the experience that I wanted them to get in the establishment. The higher-level girls will provide that experience and I don¡¯t think I will have to wait too long for that. As of today, thirteen girls have reached Level 20 and more will soon. In two to three months, I will have at least twenty girls above level 20. If I wanted to, I could have brought Level 20 girls. I had money, but that would have made things worse. The level is not everything. One needs to have the skills, not to mention the knowledge. The reason I take girls below level 20 is that I could teach them. Through that knowledge, their classes and skills change, not to mention the knowledge they gain in the field they have chosen. Every one of my girls could have an intelligent conversation in the fields they are learning, which is what makes the establishment differ from other brothels. ¡°The earnings are very good,¡± I said Margaux, before turning to Carla. ¡°Put the notice for the teachers we want.¡± I said to Carla. ¡°It will be done,¡± she said. We had the teachers, but now I want the better ones; the new ones needed to be level 25 or even Level 30, if they are in budget, with a specialization in the field we need. The higher-level teachers are better, their pupils learn quickly, and I want that. The level of establishment increasing and so are our earnings, and I want the girls to advance with it. I want them to gain enough knowledge in their respective fields that they could converse intelligently about it. ¡°You two can choose your own private teachers.¡± I said to them. These two represent the establishment, and I need them to be best. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux, with tears welling up in her eyes. I smile at her and turn to both. ¡°I have got a new skill. Do you mind, If use them on you both?¡± I asked them. ¡°No, I do not mind,¡± said Margaux, while Carla just shook her. With their permission, I activated the Sight Through Veil. Immediately, I felt the weight of their classes and even could tell how many classes they have. Carla has three, while Margaux has four. ¡°Try resisting,¡± I said, and a moment later, it became fuzzy. The only thing I could tell is that they are above level 20. I could not even tell how many classes they have. ¡°How does it feel?¡± I said, as I deactivated the skill. ¡°A bit intrusive,¡± replied Carla, while Margaux just nodded. ¡°Thank you for letting me test my skill,¡± I said to them. I am thrilled with result and now, I want to test on someone lower, those below level 20% and level 10. I am sure, the result, I will get will be something amazing. ¡°It is my pleasure,¡± said Margaux and got up to leave, while I turned my eyes to Carla, whose beautiful amethyst eyes are burning with lust. Click! I must be feeling the same. The moment the door clicked close, we both get out of our chairs at the same time and moved toward each other. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 72: In Office (18+) Chapter 72: In Office (18+) Click! The moment the door closed, we both sprang up from our chairs at the same time and a second later, our lips met for a passionate kiss. The kiss is like fire. It made every part of my body feel hot, that I wanted to throw away all my clothes. ¡°I want you,¡± I said as our lips separated. ¡°Take me now,¡± she replied, and that is all the affirmation I needed, as I threw away the files on the desk. With no care for them, and lifted her onto it. I raised her dress and looked at the red lacy underwear. As I touched it and felt it wet. ¡°You are drenched,¡± I said as I tasted my finger before removing her underwear; nearly tearing it apart. Yessss... I crouched down and licked her drenched pussy, tasting those wonderful juices that I had felt thirsty for since morning. Drawing out a moan from her lips. I wanted to fuck her directly, but the moment I tasted her juices off my fingers, I couldn¡¯t control myself. Yesss Yess Yesssss I begin to eat her pussy, drawing out bigger and louder moans from her lips. Those moans were music to my ears and the greatest encouragement I needed. She pressed my head into her pussy with her hand. I did not resist and instead increased the tempo of my tongue while biting her gently, making her louder every second. Yeesssssss! It did not take long for her to let out the loudest moan and I felt her body shudder and juices begin to come out; I licked them all while taking her higher and higher into her orgasm. I only got up when the last waves of her organism receded, but she still has her eyes close as she takes ragged breaths. ¡°That was amazing,¡± she said as she opened her eyes. ¡°I aim to please,¡± I replied. After doing that whole night, I understood quite a few things about her, the things she liked, the things that take her higher. If we continued for a few days, I would know her body so thoroughly that I could play her like an instrument. ¡°It is my turn now,¡± she said and got off the table and went onto her knees, before smoothly removing the buttons of my hand. As she pulled them down, my rock-hard cock sprang forth. She moved her tantalizing tongue toward it before licking the white drop of pre-cum from my cock. ¡°Tasty,¡± she said and moved her tongue on my cock again, whole her hands begin to play with my hands. ¡°Yes,¡± I said, and gripped the table tightly. She had amazing skills, especially with her tongue. The things she could do with it will make her feel life worthwhile with just a single experience. She played with my cock with her tongue before moving it across the ball; she kept doing that for a minute before she took my cock in her mouth and took it whole down and kept it there for a few seconds before bringing it out. ¡°You are so good,¡± I praised, to which she smiled and suck my cock. Her mouth is feeling so amazing that I wanted to grip her head and fuck her throat and I will do that, but not today. Today, I will let myself enjoy her skills thoroughly. She continued to suck my cock and balls, using her tongue masterfully, that it did not take her long to bring me close. I tried resisting to enjoy the feeling longer, but she was so good that my resistance felt futile. ¡°I am close,¡± I said and instead of removing her mouth, her mouth became intense as that climax begin to approach rapidly till it came. ¡°I am coming,¡± I said and unloaded all the load in her mouth, and she drank it all, without spilling out even a single drop. Soon, I unloaded it all in her throat before taking my cock out. While doing that, a thick drop fell on her lips. Which she licked clean erotically with her pink tongue. ¡°Delicious,¡± she said. Her action was so hot that I raised her by her shoulder and kissed her passionately, mixing both tastes together, which made the kiss even hotter that within seconds, my cock had become hard as a rock again. She could feel it pressing against her as she turned to me. ¡°Take me,¡± she said breathlessly, and I did waste any time. I raised her up on the table again and pressed her cock to my entrance, before pushing it all inside in a single stroke. ¡°Yes!¡± she screamed and pulled back my cock before ramming it inside again while taking her lips. This time, there was no gentleness. I fucked her hard. This is what she wants, this is what I want. I kept pistolling inside her while our lips kissed passionately, filling the entire office with wet sounds and moans from our lips. It is a good thing that I had made the office completely soundproof with enchantment. One will need powerful listening skills to hear any sound from my office. ¡°Turn,¡± I said to her as I took out my cock from inside her; she turned immediately with her hands on the table and amazingly beautiful ass in front of me; on which the faint bite marks of yesterday are still showing. Yessss! I did not waste any time and pushed it inside her, deeper than before, drawing out even louder moans from her lips. It felt amazing to do it from behind, the spots I could hit with all the freedom, drawing out louder and louder loans from her. I pushed harder and harder inside her while bending to kiss her sensitive neck. Which, if I kiss and lick, heighten the pleasure she is feeling, in turn, she would manipulate the muscles of her pussy to give the greatest of pleasure. I had a few partners who were able to do this, but not to this degree; it is on a completely different level, that makes everything otherworldly. ¡°I am close,¡± I said as I reached the climax, ¡°We will come together,¡± she said, and I kissed her neck while increasing momentum further. A few seconds passed; I could not hold back any longer. I released all my load inside her pussy and felt her shudder as she came. I emptied all my loads but did not remove my dick. It stayed in her pussy for more than a minute, before I had finally removed it. ¡°It was amazing,¡± I said, as I finally got off her. ¡°Yes, it was, and it seemed like you have to be added some points to strength and vitality.¡± ¡°You were more vigorous than last night,¡± she said as she turned to me. I did not answer just smile as I pull my pants up and button them, before straightening up my cloth After adjusting my clothes, we picked the stuff from the ground and put it back on the table before sitting down on our chairs, basking in the wonderful after-sex glow. The spark had lit up so fast that we could not control ourselves and started fucking each other like animals and even now; I want to do it more, but there is too much work to do. ¡°They are opening the brothel right in front of us,¡± she said after a minute of comfortable silence. I looked at the big building opposite ours, where a lot of carriages and people coming and going. Two days ago, Norman Lucas has brought the building. That was supposed to be a casino. Now it will be a brothel. It is nearly a finished building; it won¡¯t take more than a month to change it into a brothel. ¡°There is nothing you could do about the competition, other than to beat them,¡± I said with a sigh. She smiled and there was a seductiveness in it, seeing that I wanted to get up and take her to the table again, but I did not. I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, before turning to file. I note down all the expenditures, from girls¡¯ commissions to salaries of staff, taxes, and others. After counting everything, I have left with one million and seven hundred thousand pure profits. Though I will need to pay the loan, I owe to the bank and the dues I owe to Marina. I am not worried, will be finished paying it all in a week or two and then I will save. I am going to need a lot of money for what I am going to do next. While I have that gift from my grandfather; I would like to have my saving, when I start the next phase of my plan. Soon, I finished and close the file, before picking up the papers, and immediately, I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised. ¡°Gorlag Bandits,¡± I muttered; they are one of the dangerous groups of orc bandits from the Nakar forest. They are the strongest and, while few groups are stronger than them, these are the most audacious. They raid, raped, and ravaged; even dared to attack the forces of the empire and merchants'' cities. They have kidnapped many merchants and the officers of Mirador Hold. Those were not ransomed, killed by them. There is a huge bounty on their heads, but those bastards do the deed and hide in the magic region. Where finding them before is impossible. Still, the Mirador Hold had sent its forces there to hunt them down, and the city had issued a big bounty. Given its size, I am sure, many mercenaries would flock to the white forest soon. I wonder how my brother had reacted to it and other nobles of Nakar baronies; the bandit group is their problem now. There are some capable people who could deal with them, but there are also the idiots like my brother. In a few minutes, I finished reading all the papers and now there is, even more, worry in my heart than before. The world was becoming dangerous by the day, and compared to some threats, the bandits of the Nakar forest did not seem too important. Tabes and Edruin are recruiting the soldiers in large numbers; the same is happening down south with Geim and Yressor. Not to mention Vris¡¯alud is continuing its rampage on Mayhurst island, making gains every day. All of them are preparing. The moment the emperor is dead, these bastards will attack at full strength. I really hope the first prince suppresses his siblings and consolidates his support from all factions, or it is going to be terrible. Even we wouldn¡¯t be safe in this corner of the empire; the Navr and its undead hordes are always in the shadows. Not to mention Tabes, which is still hell-bent on getting back its territory. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 73: To Crush Chapter 73: To Crush The door of the establishment opened, and a carriage walked through it. There is a smile on my face, even when I looked at hundreds of people rapidly working in a new brothel in front of me. I could already see many familiar people there because this time Norman had hired Valentina¡¯s firm to do the job. The man might be distasteful, but he is smart, and he knows he will need all advantages to compete with me, and hiring my architect is the advantage he is gunning for. Well, he will need a lot more than to beat me. It had been ten nights since the establishment opened after the fresh changes. After the first night, my earning had broken through the three million mark and never came lower. The word spread, and also my skill; it is working much better than I had imagined. Torch of Seeker attracts anyone looking for experience. Seeing the response, I am planning to make other changes even sooner. Soon the carriage reached the merchant guild, I walked out of the carriage, with Jill silently following behind me. I had started to bring the young girl to the guild regularly with me. I need an excellent assistant and while Carla is great, it would be not wise to use her talents for this. I am training her to be an administrator; she will need to learn fast because soon there will be an enormous responsibility for her. Jill, on the other, is perfect for assistant, she is natural at it, and I only need to teach her a few things before she became great. I entered the guild and took the elevator, before coming out and walking toward the conference room. Soon, I reached a conference room where a few people sitting in the backseat, including old man Oakley, Rip, and people from other departments. I sat down at the main conference table and read the agenda of today¡¯s meeting. This meeting happens every week. It is different from other meetings because the representative of Count Darrow also takes a part in it. There are quite some points are being discussed today. Some were very urgent, and some were about the long-term plans of the merchant guild. I was reading it when the first person walked inside. ¡°Remus, you have arrived early as always.¡± Said a man in his late forties with a thick mane of blond hair. ¡°You know me, guild master Bow,¡± I said to the man. He is Ivan Bow, the Guild-master of the potter¡¯s guild, and also one of the secretaries of the merchant guild. This meeting is attended by all the secretaries, vice-Guild-masters, and Guild-master. I am the only adviser invited to sit at the main table. There is staff from every department from legal to accounting, but all of them are sitting in the back chairs, not at the main table. One by one, people came in, most of them sub-guild masters like Bow, but when there were five minutes, vice-guild masters begin to appear. First was Soren Arryn. The old man came and sat in his seat, nodding at all people. Right after him came two more vice-guild masters, including the one who did not like me, and then Locke. The last one to come is Damon Hardt, and with him is a representative of Count Darrow. As both of them walked it, we all sat up and only sat down, when they sat down. ¡°Thank you all of you for your attendance in the weekly meetings,¡± said Damon Hardt. ¡°We will begin today¡¯s meeting with the most urgent point,¡± he added and turned to Soren Arryn. ¡°The problem of bandits is increasing. In the past week, two trade caravans had been looted in Nakar Baronies by Gorlag Bandits with twelve deaths. The eight ships have also been robbed with nine deaths,¡± he said and looked at the representative of Count Darrow. I am a little surprised as not the whole news had been reported in papers; I thought only one trade caravan had been attacked and four ships had been looted. ¡°Count Darrow had been in contact with Mirador Hold and they have promised to send more forces to Nakar forest.¡± ¡°He also talked to the Lord of Meldhorn and the city lord of Owlspring, for more patrols; the city will also have four more new patrol ships to patrol the waterway by the end of the month,¡± he informed in a practice voice. ¡°We thank Lord Darrow for his efforts and hope, he will get rid of those vermin soon for smoother trade. It is the lifeblood of our great city,¡± said Damon Hardt. ¡°I will pass your words to Count Darrow,¡± he replied. Count Darrow may be powerful, but he needs to listen to the merchants. As Damon Hardt pointed out, it is the lifeblood of the city. Without it, the city has nothing. ¡°We will move to the next point, which is good news,¡± said Damon Hardt with a smile on his face. ¡°More goods are coming from the Belnin and Oksall and our goods are also moving toward them; in just one week, the import had seen the rise by 110% and export by 130%.¡± He informed and joy is apparent in his voice. We do not have an official relationship with the merchant states of Belnin and Oksall, but goods are flowing despite that. Which is great news, as this could be said to be the first step toward normalizing the relationship with them, especially with Oksall. Not to mention, all the goods that flow through the city pay taxes, making it richer by the day. I know Count Darrow, who had been angry coming here, is now happy. The city is performing better than anyone¡¯s imagination. The trade is increasing by the day and with it; the population had been steadily increasing. The city''s population had already doubled in three months, turning to fifty-thousand and it is increasing. The prices of real estate are also steadily increasing, that I had to hold off on some of the investments, I was planning on making. One point after another being discussed; I mostly stayed quiet, and only give my opinion when asked. That happened only twice till now, which is greater considering, some secretaries, did not even get a chance to talk. ¡°There are some signs Deerpond mellowing. Should we send another delegation?¡± asked Damon Hardt and Locke turned to me. ¡°I think we should wait. The concessions they are willing to make are too low. It will not be wise for us to sign any advance agreements with those concessions they are offering,¡± I advised while using the Lawful Suggestions. I am using it at every chance I have got. ¡°Lord Darrow had the same views; he said we said we should wait till a more favorable response comes from them,¡± said the adviser. ¡°We will wait for directions of Count Darrow,¡± said Damon Hardt, before turning to Locke again. ¡°How is the preparation for the Gailhorn?¡± he asked. Gailhorn is one of three port cities in the Renwell region and the one closest to us; though not much trade flows through it, because of its being connected to the land rather than the river. Which I think is not a wise decision; we cannot always remain to depend on river trade. We need to have all avenues of trade open or when the hard times come, it will be difficult for us to survive. ¡°Going smoothly, we should be prepared by the end of this week,¡± replied Locke. ¡°Good, keep me posted on it,¡± he said and turned to Soren Arryn. One by one, all the points on the agenda were discussed till there was nothing remained. ¡°It is enough for today; thank you, adviser, Collins for attending the meeting,¡± he said and ended the meeting. Damon Hardt was the first to leave with Collins before the rest of us begin to leave. ¡°How are preparations for the Gailhorn?¡± asked Locke, to me, old Oakley, and Rip, as we are the ones who are preparing the proposals. ¡°As you had said, everything going well. It will be ready by the end of the week,¡± I replied, and could see him taking a sigh of relief. ¡°I hope so; a successful trip to Gailhorn will really help me strengthen my position here,¡± said Lock. The first sentence was heard by everyone, while the last was only heard by me. Locke had a skill that help him talk to a specific person while excluding others; it is a nifty skill. It will be great if I get a skill like this. Soon, we reached where Jill had been waiting with other assistants; as we appeared, she silently followed behind. I looked at her and felt quite relieved when I saw her with her usual expression. The first few days she had come with me were hard on the young girl; because of her background, she suffered from other assistants'' bullying. They were hard on her. Carla had said, the young girl had cried through the whole night the first day. I had asked her to stay in an establishment the second day, but she insisted on coming with me. Soon, I reached my office and, along with Oakley and Rip, worked on a proposal for two hours before reviewing other contracts for mistakes. I loved working here, especially when I am making steady progress, not on levels, but socially. I am making connections with people from nearly every city and even though negotiations did not always work, I make a point of being polite. Even in Deerpond where we had the worse negotiating experience; I had smiled and laughed with negotiators after we finished. These all will be very helpful soon. I stayed in the guild till four, before sitting in my carriage and going back to the establishment. Where two hours later, the gates opened, and the carriage begin to be rolled inside within a few seconds. While I may be confident with Carla, I am a little worried about the new brothel opening opposite mine. It is bigger, with higher-level girls and they had established it to crush me. As I had declined his many offers to buy the establishment; the latest offer was very tantalizing. He seemed to have lost patience with me, as now instead of buying, he is trying to crush me. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 74: Competition Chapter 74: Competition I felt good after coming out of the shower, but some aches remained. I would have been able to relieve it if I had used a little more cream, but it is fine. This ache helps give me a sense that I am really training to get better. I need to be better; I have taken a lot of beating today, and tomorrow, it will be even more. Click! After having breakfast, I walked out of my room, and a few seconds later; I opened the door of my office and walked inside, where Margaux and Carla were waiting as always. Though, today, their mood seemed different, more serious as they stared out of the window. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said to their serious, worried faces. ¡°Good morning, Master Silver,¡± replied Margaux, while Carla kept looking at the widow. ¡°They are opening today,¡± said Carla a few seconds later. ¡°Yes, they are, and there is nothing to be worried about. I am confident we will be fine,¡¯ I said with the confidence that I am not feeling inside me. I am also worried. That bastard Norman had spent money like water; spending over two hundred million on renovations, and I have to say, it looked quite amazing. I am feeling quite threatened by it. ¡°I truly hope so,¡± said Carla as she turned to me. I smiled at her and picked up the file, reading it, a genuine smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. Not because the establishment is earning over three and a half million crowns last night, but because there is another girl who had leveled up, reaching Level 20. Now, I am extremely close to my goal. When I will get twenty Level 20 girls. I can make some small changes, which will make the establishment shine further. ¡°Are you doing that today?¡± asked Carla as I put down the file. Immediately, Margaux turned serious, as she also understood what we were talking about. ¡°Yes, it is necessary,¡± I replied, with my face turning just as serious. ¡°It will crush the girls,¡± said Carla, and my expression hardened. ¡°It is business, Carla, and sometimes, you will need to take the hard decisions to make the business grow,¡± I replied and took out the page with the names of girls on it. I am not liking what I am doing, but I have no other choice. I have to do it; it is best for the business. It might reduce my earning and crush some girls, but as I had said, it is necessary. Without such decisions, I cannot take my business to the heights I want to take. ¡°These are the girls. Bring them to me after they woke up,¡± I said. Margaux nodded and took the page. We discussed other things and made some plans, before she left, leaving me and Carla in the office. The spark lit up in our eyes, but we controlled it. For a month, we have been fucking like bunnies, and only in the past few days, we have gained some semblance of control over our emotions. ¡°When are we going to bring the new girls?¡± asked Carla. ¡°Soon,¡± I replied. A month had passed, and all the girls got familiar with the established system. It would be the right time to bring the new girls. It will take me at least a month to train them, which will make the current girls even better. I would have left today to bring the new girls, but the new brothel that is opening today had made me wait. I want to see how it affects my establishment before I bring the new girls. I looked at my competition for a minute more before focusing on the work. Knock Knock Two and a half hours passed when a knock rang out on my door; I stopped what I was doing and closed the file before turning to the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and Margaux walked in, and behind her were six girls, from their late teens to mid-forties. ¡°Please take a seat girls,¡± I said to them and six of them sat on the couch, with nervous emotions. Looking at their faces, they already have an idea of what I have called them here for. I had already told all the girls about it, on the first day after the new changes. They will have to improve every aspect of the job, or they will not have the job. ¡°Do you know why I had called you here?¡± I asked and a moment later, some of them nodded with some hesitation. ¡°From today, you will be off the hall. You will have to serve your contract in a different capacity,¡± I said finally. Yes, I am firing them from the job, but they will still have to serve the contract in another capacity. ¡°Why? Master Silver: we are not the worst earning ones.¡± Asked Wanda in great shock. Even if she had expected it, hearing me say it had still left shock in their heart. They might not like the job, but they like the money it brought them. Till last night, they were earning a fortune, now they will not. ¡°I am one of the top ten earners. Why fire me?¡± asked the blond-haired Marba. She is the one I wanted to fire the most. I had quite a lot of complaints about her and even gave her warnings, but she did not listen. This woman would rush the patrons to the rooms, exhort them to take diamond runes, and even ask for the gifts openly, but the worse thing she had done was not to keep her mouth shut. She did not keep the things one patron had told her. She had told them to another. While the secret was harmless, and the patron was not angry, it was totally unacceptable. She had broken the core rules, and she had to go. I would have fired her, even if she had been a top earner. ¡°The money you earn is the last thing I look at. I had told you all before. It is not sex that we sell, but the experience; We fulfill the desires of patrons and you girls are most lacking in it.¡± I said to them. ¡°Is there nothing we can do to get our job back?¡± asked, middle-aged Hilda, to which I shook my head. ¡°You all received warnings about what you were lacking and still did not improve.¡± ¡°That gate is now forever close to you,¡± I said, and tears begin to drip from their eyes. I felt bad, but my decision is final. I am running a business and I want to succeed in it; if they could not work by my standard, they will have to be fired. ¡°What will we do now?¡± asked Marba. ¡°You will serve the contracts in other ways; you all have ten days to decide what way you like to serve. If you haven¡¯t decided in ten days, I will decide it for you.¡± I said to them. Some wanted to say something, but seeing my expressions, they closed their mouth and got up to leave. With them off the job, their living arrangement would also be changed. They will now live on the floor below. They had reached the door when Lenore stopped suddenly and turned to me. ¡°Master Silver, will it be fine, if I joined the studio?¡± said Lenore hesitantly, hearing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°Sure, you can join as an assistant, and once you gain enough skills. You will be elevated to the full staff member,¡± I replied, and could see the genuine smile appearing on her face, while tears dripped from her eyes. ¡°Thank you, master silver,¡± she said in a barely audible voice and walked out of the door. It went better than I had imagined. One time, I remember it. I was firing the people for my client and the person went violet. I had been hit so hard in my stomach that I had needed the trip to the hospital. Lenore will be a great help to the studio; Eudo, who had been teaching Lenore and the other girls, had high praise for her. I am sure he will have no problem taking her. ¡°Inform Eudo about Lenore¡¯s decision,¡± I said to Margaux. ¡°Ok,¡± she said and left. I worked for a few more minutes before walking out of my office and going to the guild. While I had said I might not come today, going there would be a wise choice. If I stayed here, there is will be less work and more staring out of the window at other buildings. I worked in the guild till four, before coming back. When I reached the establishment; I looked at the brothel opposite mine and it was ready, like a bride on her wedding day, looking amazingly beautiful. Now, I am feeling even more worried, but the worry is not going to help me. I have to trust my establishment and observe the business and make a change according to it. Soon, the carriage entered the establishment, and I entered inside with Jill. ¡°It is going to open in less than an hour,¡± said Carla beside us as we stared at the window. I did not work as I know, it will be fruitless, with my focus everywhere. So, I just did what my heart and mind asked me to do, stare at my competition. ¡°In forty-one minutes,¡± I said. It is going to open at five and like all brothels of Norman in the city, the Red Fragrance will be a twenty-four by seven brothel; it will not close for a day or a night. Time passed, and soon it was five. Right in time, the gates of the Red Fragrance had opened, and within a minute, two carriages enter inside and that was just the starting.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 75: Whore of Flute Chapter 75: Whore of Flute Fifty minutes passed, and over forty carriages had entered Red Fragrance; it is still daylight. If this continued, then by the time sky darkens, the whole brothel will be filled with people. The brothel is huge; there are over three hundred girls in it, with hundred girls over level 20. I did not even have to use my sources to know about it; he had advertised it so much that even a small child of Greltheaven knew about it by now. For me, it is a huge thing that will require years of work, but for Norman Lucas; it is a not big deal. House of Lucas deals in brothels. There are over a thousand brothels, they run into the empire. He even had access to the Level 30+ girls. Though his family will not send those girls here, the Greltheaven is too small for that. Hun! A few minutes passed, and when my expressions change suddenly, even a frown appeared on Carla¡¯s face. ¡°Bastard!¡± I cursed. Norman is really a bastard. He had used some sort of skill that nearly nullified the power of my Torch of Seeker that I had activated in the establishment. Though, I am a little surprised that it was not able to nullify the skill whole. I know Norman is level 25+. He might be able to do it, but it is not the only skill he is using, and thus less power to nullify my skill fully. It is more than enough to affect my business. ¡°He had done something to your skill, right?¡± she asked, to which I nodded, without saying any words. Finally, it is six, and right on time, the door of the establishment opened. I watched with the same nervousness I had a month ago. I could say I am even more nervous now. As of now, it is the future of my business on the line; the brothel opposite mine has the power to crush me. The competition is not only bigger, shinier, and higher-level girls, but also had a far greater reach than me. I don¡¯t know how my establishment will do against it, but all I could do now is watch. A few seconds passed and two carriages came and stopped middle of the road for a few seconds, before turning toward the Red Fragrance. My expression couldn¡¯t help but change seeing that. If that was not enough, another carriage came and entered through the gates of the opposite brothel. As such, more than ten minutes have passed and all the carriages that came had gone to the red fragrance. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t, but grab my table hard. I would have been satisfied. If a few had come toward me, but no, not a single carriage of over thirty had come to my establishment. Each one of them had gone to the Red Fragrance; even on the worst day in these past four months. Something like this didn¡¯t happen. I was cursing the bastard Norman when the carriage came out of Red Fragrance and did something surprising. Instead of turning in either direction, it entered straight through the gates of the establishment. It couldn¡¯t help but surprise me; not only me, but even Carla had been surprised. The carriage parked, and two young men came out and walked toward the door of the manor. We were watching the two when another carriage walked out of the Red Fragrance and rolled straight into the establishment. The first time was a surprise, the second time, a shock. A few seconds later, another carriage entered the establishment, but it was not from the Red Fragrance. It came from the street and directly entered the establishment, but the latter three that came after it has come from the Red Fragrance. ¡°What is happening?¡± asked Carla with a strange expression on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t have a fucking idea,¡± I replied. It is really strange that more carriages are coming into the establishment from Red Fragrance than the street. Though, I did not fail to notice that far more carriages were entering the Red Fragrance than the establishment. An hour passed, and more carriages entered the establishment. 65% of them came from Red Fragrance. I was seeing what I had not expected to see, but it is giving me a sadistic joy seeing the patrons coming to my establishment from my enemies. I also noticed they were not leaving fast as they left Red Fragrance. Till now, only one carriage had left, and it had gone directly into the Red Fragrance. It is a likely person sent by Norman to see what is happening. I am sure seeing what is happening made him frustrated, even angry. I would pay huge money to see his face. It was at seven fifty-six; we had to close our gates. An hour later, than we usually do, even so, it is much better than what I had thought would happen, with this big competition right in front of me. The door had remained closed for thirty-five minutes before they were opened again and the thing after that seriously shocked me. A minute after the gate opened, the carriages from the Red Fragrance begin to come inside one after another. In that entire minute, nine carriages came before we had to close the gates. ¡°My god,¡± said Carla, and I turned to her and took her lips in a passionate kiss, to which she responded just as passionately. I wanted to take it further, but there are some things to do. Though I will have her in a few hours. I have been having sex with her daily, and I want more. She is like a nectar from the gods, the more you drink, the more you want. I am feeling like I had got addicted to her and I like it. ¡°Let¡¯s go, down,¡± I said, and we walked out of the office and walked toward the hall. Soon, we were in a small room looking at the hall, where we stayed for two hours, using half of the time to make out like horny teenagers before we couldn¡¯t control ourselves and went up. We returned below an hour later, a lot more relaxed with our lust vented, and observe everything in earnest. What I saw couldn¡¯t make me happy and I am sure, despite six fewer girls and competition, I have no doubt there won¡¯t be any reduction in my earning. Instead, there will be an increase of one or two thousand crowns. ... Della ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room,¡± said Hans; we have been talking for more than an hour and as girls had said, he is a charming, handsome man, who knows how to make a woman laugh genuinely. A skill that makes him desirable to any woman. ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a smile and got up from my chair and we walked out of the hall before stopping and looking at the board. ¡°Diamond,¡± said Hans, before I could ask him which room he wants to choose. ¡°We are lucky," I said and picked the silver metal card with a diamond in the center before walking up toward the stairs. When Margaux had told me about the diamond rooms; I had a hard time believing anyone would choose them. The truth is that the Diamond Rooms are the most chosen, while the common rooms are the least. Barely anyone chose them. It had shocked a lot of girls and made them happy, as the paid rooms helps them earn more money. I walked up the stairs with Hans. He is a handsome man who looked to be in his early thirties, with thick raven hair and piercing blue eyes. He is from Owlspring, and, like most of our patrons, is a merchant. He had been coming to our establishment for more than two months, and girls have rated him eight out of ten, a very high rating that less than thirty people have. He is a funny and good conversationalist. Leaves good gifts and has good sexual prowess. It is my first time with him. Unlike most people who had few favorite girls. He moves around and has been with over fifteen girls in the establishment. Click! Soon, we reached the diamond room. I inserted the card inside the small hole and a moment later; the door clicked open, and we entered inside. ¡°The Normans did good, but he could not match Silver,¡± he said, as we walked inside. He had said he went to a new brothel opposite ours and stayed there for half an hour before coming here, as he felt bored there. ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± I said as I looked around. I had done it in all the diamond rooms except for this one. It was always unavailable. The room is big as other diamond rooms, with a big room and large window giving a beautiful view of the entertainment district. Like all the diamond rooms, it is big with a wide, beautifully carved bed and silk sheets. The room had a bookshelf, which is filled with books, and a grand piano, with violin and flute hanging on both sides of it. A light green wall and a delicate chandelier above accent everything perfectly. I looked at the room and turned to Hans and walked toward him slowly, activating a Seductive Movement, before appearing next to him. I said nothing, just locked my eyes with him, and took his lips into a kiss with Tantalizing Lips. As the girls said, he is really a good kisser, and I had let myself sink into it. I had been in the business for five decades and the one thing I learned was to enjoy when I can. This life is not the best, but it still gives you some moments, if you allow it. It is these moments that kept me sane, till I arrived at this wonderful place, where I am happy and felt safe. The only place I felt those emotions was my childhood home. They were kissing when, suddenly, Hans pulled away and looked at me with a faint apology. ¡°As much as I really want to do it, I am exhausted today.¡± He said, and I did not doubt his words, as tiredness had been apparent in his eyes. From what he told me, he is negotiating a big deal, but it is not going well. ¡°It is all right,¡± I said, hiding the disappointment I was feeling. I really wanted to see whether he is as good as the girls had said him to be. Though I quickly controlled my emotions and put a smile on my face. ¡°You can rest, we can leave before the hour end,¡± I said, to which he shook his head. ¡°There is no need to leave,¡± he said and lay on the bed comfortably. ¡°Do you want me to dim the lights or massage you? Though let me tell you, I am not good at it,¡± I said, and that brought a smile to his face. Who said only he can make another laugh? ¡°No, there is no need for anything. Your company is more than enough,¡± he said, with a smile. I nodded and sat down on the beautifully carved chair with a soft cushion. Nobody spoke for a minute, but the silence was not uncomfortable. ¡°Do you play any instruments? I heard many of you can play it?¡± he asked. His question couldn¡¯t help but surprise me, even though it shouldn¡¯t. Many girls are learning music, including Carla and Margaux, though she stopped it after knowing it wasn¡¯t for her. Master Silver had encouraged us to play for the clients, which is why in all rooms, including the common, had at least one musical instrument. I cleared my emotions and opened my mouth to lie, but ended up telling the truth. ¡°Yes, I play an instrument,¡± I replied before I could stop myself. ¡°Which one?¡± he asked. ¡°Flute,¡± I answered. Since I had told the truth already, there is no reason to lie further. His eyes immediately went to the beautiful blue flute hanging on the wall. ¡°Can you play it for me?¡± he asked, and I so much wanted to reject his request. ¡°It is a personal hobby, it had been decades since I had played it for anyone,¡± I said and felt my cheeks heating up, for no reason. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not judge,¡± he said, and I looked at him for a moment, feeling his interest genuine. ¡°I will only play for a few minutes,¡± I said, with my cheeks heating further. I got up while doing that, I added one attribute point I have in my reserve to charisma. Taking it to thirteen. Class:Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Flutist 14 Whore 19 Charisma: 13 Intelligence: 9 Vitality: 14 Strength: 7 Skills: ¡¤ Breath Control ¡¤ Dexterous Fingers 14 Strength: 7 Skills: ¡¤ Deft Hands ¡¤ Endurance of Trade ¡¤ Sphere of Silence ¡¤ Seductive Movement ¡¤ Aged Beauty ¡¤ Chime Laugh ¡¤ Tune Awareness ¡¤ Skillful Mouth ¡¤ Emotion Infusion Attribute Points: 01 Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 76: Personal Delivery Chapter 76: Personal Delivery I slept after a little past midnight, later than usual. I had to watch the competition, and it is a good thing I did, as I slept like a baby without a worry, I woke up early in the morning, freshened up, exercised, and trained with an instructor, David, and others. After three hours of grueling training that left every part of my body in pain, I applied the numbing cream and showered. Click! When I had entered my office, Carla and Margaux were waiting for me and, unlike yesterday, they had smiles on their faces, unusually brighter smiles. ¡°Good morning,¡± they greeted in unison, ¡°Morning,¡± I greeted back as I sat down on the chair and without a word, took the file in front of me. ¡°Very good,¡± I said as I looked at the black numerals. Last night, the establishment had earned three million, six hundred and twenty-four thousand, two hundred crowns. Thirty thousand crowns more than yesterday. It is the biggest raise in the past twelve days. It was great, but the happiness of money had been dwarfed by the news on the last page. For the past five days, there were only nineteen names on it, but now there are twenty. The last one is Della. ¡°Make the changes,¡± I said to Margaux. ¡°I have already begun,¡± replied Margaux, bringing an even bigger smile to my face. I have got twenty, Level 20 girls and with them will come several changes. The first one being, the prime tables in the halls will be only available to them and so is access to the diamond rooms. It is more for the girls than the clients; it is to motivate them to work harder. I am sure many would have learned by now how the lessons are helping them to level up and consolidate their classes. With it, I will also bring out that liquor that I wanted to sell. Even if no one buys them, with their huge price. Their presence alone will enhance the prestige of the bar. It will also make me compete with the competition ahead. Which is spending money like water to crush me. ¡°There is one small thing I want you to change about the gate,¡± I said to them. I noticed one thing last night; I am sure it will help me bring more patrons and make Norman even more angry. I finished my work and stepped out of my office to go to the guild. I like to take leave today to watch the changes, but I have an important meeting with Damon Hardt. Twenty minutes later, the carriage rolled inside the guild and parked in the spot that was reserved for me. I walked out of it and enter the guild, before taking the elevator to the guild master''s office. ¡°Mister Silver, guild-master busy in a meeting. He will meet you after he has done with it,¡± informed Nora, his secretory. ¡°Thanks, Nora,¡± I said and sat down on the waiting chair and begin to read the paper to pass the time. I have already read it, but I am doing it again and with the skill, it took little time for me to do it. Speaking of skill, I could now read much faster with Reading, with the advancement of level and attributes. The resistance I face is also much lesser when reading the non-legal document. ¡®They are taking too damn long to kill those bastards,¡¯ I thought. As I read the news of Nakar baronies, where Gorlag bandits are having the time of their lives. Even the forces of Mirador Hold, couldn¡¯t do anything to them. They will have to find them first, before doing anything to them. Click! I was reading it when the door clicked open, and Rip walked out. I had opened my mouth to speak to him when I stopped, seeing his expressions. He seemed stressed, nearly crying. I had never seen him like this, even during the time of an undead attack. I had not seen him with such expressions as right now. ¡°Mister Silver, the Guildmaster will see you now,¡± said Nora. I nodded at her absently and walked into the office while still thinking about Rip. The meeting had lasted for fifteen minutes. It is less about guilds'' business, and more about Damon Hardt¡¯s, which is not new. It is not just him; I help others too, the vice-guild masters and secretaries. I don¡¯t mind it; it is helping me learn and they also owe me a favor. Some of which I had already cashed in. Soon, I entered the legal department and was about to open the door of my office when I stopped, before walking ahead and stopping in front of Rips'' office. Knock I knocked on it and for several seconds, there was no response and about to do it again, when a sound came out. ¡°Come in,¡± he said from inside. I opened the door and walked inside and looked at Rip, who was masking his emotions but failing miserably. It must be really serious for a lawyer experience as Rip, not able to maintain his expressions, it is one of our greatest strengths. ¡°What can I do for you, mister Silver?¡± he asked. Usually, when we are alone, he calls me by my name, only using the surname in public. ¡°I saw you coming out of the Guild master¡¯s office, looking all stressed. Just came in to check, if you are all right,¡± I said. He opened his mouth to reply, but no words seem to come out of it. He closed it, and for a few seconds, did not speak at all, before opening his mouth again. ¡°It is bad,¡± he said, pressing his hands to his temple. I said nothing and waited for him to continue. ¡°I, along with my sister, took a huge loan to open a small spa at Deerpond. For two months, the business ran great, but then catastrophe happened,¡± he said, and his expression became hesitant and then angry. ¡°In one party in the merchant guild of Deerpond. A man had made advances on my sister, which she rejected publicly. The next day, a closure order came for our business. They had even confiscated all the tools and arrested my sister and staff for a day.¡± Wow, I had expected something bad but did not expect this bad. This sort of thing happened. It is not common, but not uncommon either. Power lets you do a lot of things, and unless you are strong or have strong backing, the people of this cruel world will eat you alive. I feel grateful every day that I had entered the body of someone from the house of Silver. If I had been nobody and running this business. I would have been merged into the earth by now. Norman wouldn¡¯t have been so well-behaved as he is right now. ¡°Who was he?¡± I asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Javier Ronda, son of Hamon Ronda,¡± he said, and my expression turned serious after hearing the names. ¡°Son of lieutenant general of Deerpond,¡± I said, and he nodded with a grave expression. The army of Deerpond, led by the general and below him, are three lieutenant generals. Hamon Ronda is one of the lieutenant generals and quite a powerful man in Deerpond. ¡°What did Guild master say?¡± I asked, and his expression turned to that of frustration and disappointment. ¡°He said he couldn¡¯t help me with it,¡± replied Rip. I wanted to laugh at hearing that. He could easily do something, but he will not. Unless, of course, it has something for him, which is not. ¡°We should have opened the business in the Greltheaven, but I had said it was too small.¡± ¡°Now, not only have they closed our business and taken our things, but banks are also at our throat and demanding to be paid fully by the end of the month,¡± he said, with tears nearly welling up in his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t shift to Greltheaven, can you?¡± I asked, to which he shook his head. There are several problems with this. First, all their stuff is sealed and taken. The second, the Greltheaven, will not give them permission to open here, with a criminal record in Deerpond. It usually does not matter, but their business is too small and the one who did the thing is powerful. Merchant guild will think twice, before getting their businesses the license to operate here. ¡°Tell you what, I have a proposal for you. Come to me with your sister and we will discuss,¡± I said and a look of shock appeared on his face. ¡°You are not joking, right?¡± he asked after he calmed his emotions. ¡°Do I look like I am joking to you, Rip?¡± I asked back, to which he shook his head. ¡°My sister is in Greltheaven,¡± he said. ¡°Good, come to my place at seven,¡± I said and got up. ¡°Your place means?¡± he asked hesitantly. ¡°My business Rip, that is where I live and work,¡± I said to him and walked out of his office. I had accumulated quite a lot of money in this and had different plans for it, but when I heard what Rip said, I changed those plans. Now, I want an in-house spa. I had seen what the effects of a spa could do and wanted the girls to have that effect all the time. Even if the deal the deal with Rip did not work, I will find some other people and have an in-house spa. I worked for an hour before I walked out of the merchant guild. When I reached the establishment, I saw people from the Nielson Guild working around the gate. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I walked toward the manor, when I had stopped and turned. The gates opened again, and a carriage walked inside. Through them, two people came out, while the driver brought out the crates from behind. ¡°Aydin, Taylor. You two did not have to come personally to deliver this,¡± I said to the young man and the old man beside him. The young man is Aydin Harwood, and the old man is Taylor, the manager, and caretaker of Harwood wines. ¡°Nonsense. You are one of our best customers, Mister Remus. It is only right that we personally deliver the goods to you,¡± said the old man. To that, I smiled. I might not yet be one of their best customers, but I am steadily climbing there. As each month, I am buying more and more wines. This month I had brought so much that they had personally come to deliver the goods. Those crates they brought had cost me little over ten million crowns. ¡°Miss Carla, it is nice to see you again,¡± said Aydin to Carla, who came from behind. He is still quite infatuated with her. ¡°Master Harwood,¡± she greeted curtly. I smiled seeing that and turned to crates. ¡°These five crates have the fourteen bottles of wines you have ordered,¡± said the old man, motioning toward the five of six crates. ¡°I have been waiting for them,¡± said Jamel as he ran toward the crates. He is our chief bartender and loves the liquor a little too much. ¡°And this is?¡± I pointed toward the biggest crate. ¡°This one is a sample. It is from a new independent brewery that is opened in the city. It is quite good,¡± said Taylor. Usually, those he praises turn out well. It was not the first time he had given the sample pieces. While the size of the sample is bigger this time. We will taste it and only if it is good will we serve it to our patrons. ¡°Come inside and have a drink with me,¡± I invited them, but the old man shook his head before Aydin could let out a single word from his open mouth. ¡°My apologies, Master Silver, but there are prior commitments,¡± ¡°Though we will take you for your offer some other day,¡± said the old man, and Aydin glared at him as they walked toward their carriage. A few seconds later, their carriage rolled out of the gate, and I turned toward the manor. ¡°Three left,¡± said Carla, stopping me in my tracks. ¡°Well, they did not wait for too long,¡± I said with a smile, which she did not reciprocate seeing her glaring at me. Keep reading as a patron on .Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 77: Offer Chapter 77: Offer ¡°Your boss had once again taken my girls to Chase,¡± I said to the middle-aged man sitting in front of me. ¡°We did not take your girl''s mister Silver. They have come to us with their own will.¡± He said and Carla snorted. ¡°You know I had fired them from the job yesterday, right?¡± I asked him, and not a single expression on his face changed. ¡°We are aware of that. You have unbiasedly fired them, despite them working hard to earn the money for your business.¡± said the man with no hesitation or fear. I smiled at hearing those words. All they care about is money, never trying to understand the grand plan I had in my mind. I do not mind them taking the girls, since they want the subpar girls, I will give them to him. ¡°I will release them after they sign this contract, and I became assure they have gone to you through their own will,¡± I said. He did not say anything and looked at the contract. I forwarded. ¡°The conditions here are too difficult,¡± he said, looking at me. ¡°There will be no change, Chase. Either you will have to accept, or we will have litigation,¡± I said with a smile. Last time, I had no choice but to release them. This time, I could make it difficult and even impossible. I had learned from my mistakes and fixed them. My girls pay taxes, whore do not pay taxes, but mine does with me as their employer. This means, they could not directly take my girls without my permission and not even break the contract through the breaker, as I can sue them. It is such fun to play with the law. ¡°I will have to discuss this with my employer,¡± He said finally. ¡°Please do that, Chase, and take Carla with you.¡± ¡°She will look at the girls and if your boss agrees with the conditions. She could sign a contract on my stead and release them from my employment.¡± I spoke. He nodded gently, but I could see the spark of excitement that had lit up in his eyes. ¡°As you say, Mister Silver,¡± he said and got up, ¡°Please, miss Carla.¡± Carla gave me a look and followed him while I turned to work. Click! Twenty minutes later, I saw Carla walk out of Red Fragrance. A few minutes later, she walked into my office. ¡°Here are nine million,¡± she said and placed a check on my table. I will not let them take my girls free. With those conditions and this money, I am more than happy to let them have those subpar girls. I would have liked to increase the price further, but I could not. At least not for some time. Still, these nine million are going to help me a lot. ¡°How much did he offer you?¡± I asked and a surprise couldn¡¯t, but appear on her face. There is no way Norman wouldn¡¯t try to poach the most important person in my business. ¡°Fifty million,¡± she replied a moment later. ¡°It is quite a lot of money,¡± I said. ¡°I would earn more here,¡± she said, and there is confidence in her voice. Hearing that, I immediately got out of my chair, and for the next hour, only moans rang in the office. Sigh! I sat down in my chair, feeling a little tired. It had happened so suddenly that I wasn¡¯t able to control myself at all. Hearing the confidence in her voice had exploded the volcano of desire that I couldn¡¯t control. For the next one and a half hours, I worked before the establishment opened. Unlike yesterday, I had carriages in my establishment within a minute and nearly all of them were from the red fragrance. Knock Knock I watched for a while before working, and before I know it, an hour passed, and a knock rang out on my door. ¡°Master Silver, Mr. Rip, and Maeve Hanson had arrived,¡± said Jill, as she opened the door. ¡°Bring them in,¡± she nodded and went back. ¡®It seemed like I will need to bring the magical intercom thing,¡¯ I thought before the door opened, and Rip and his sister walked inside. I was barely able to stop a surprise from appearing on my face. She is beautiful, as beautiful as Carla, a little younger with straight raven hair, dark brown eyes, and a symmetrical face, which might seem elvish at first glance, but is pure human. To be honest, I have a hard time believing she is Rips''s sister. He is average at best. Though, the similarities between them are apparent. ¡°Rip, miss Hanson, please take a seat,¡± I invited them, while Carla also came out of my office and sat to the left of me. They sat down and glanced at Carla for a moment before turning to me. ¡°Thank you, mister Silver,¡± said Rip. ¡°You can call me Remus, Rip,¡± I said, and he nodded. He is clearly uncomfortable here, and so is his sister. Which is not surprising, as they are in the brothel. Nobody wants to come to the brothel with their sister. ¡°Mister Silver, my brother had said, you had an offer for us,¡± said Maeve, with her face all serious. ¡°Yes, I want to buy your business,¡± I said directly, and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on their faces. They might have expected it, but it had still surprised them greatly. ¡°You know they sealed our business, and its license is suspended,¡± she said. ¡°It won''t be a problem,¡± I said simply. The lieutenant general may be powerful, but I want to buy the business, he won¡¯t be able to do anything. The merchant guild there will help me, the merchant guild here will put their weight behind me. I am no common merchant, but someone from a house of silver. You do not mess with big merchant houses. Even people Count Darrow and Lord Greltheven need to think before doing anything to us. They might deal with one merchant house, but not all. We might compete and kill secretly, but if there is interference in our businesses, we support each other. ¡°And what do you plan to do after buying the business?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°Set it up here. I have been planning to have an in-house spa in my establishment.¡± I said, and the expressions appearing on their faces were truly priceless. Even Carla¡¯s impassive face cracked a little. ¡°For the people who came here?¡± asked Rip slowly, to which I shook my head. ¡°No Rip. It is for the girls,¡± I replied, and their expression had changed even further. For a minute, nobody spoke anything. ¡°Few people like to work for a brothel, mister Silver,¡± said Maeve, and Rip¡¯s eyes went wide as he glared at his sister and turn to me in alarm, was quite relieved to see there was still a smile on my face. Those words were not exactly polite, they were not impolite either. She spoke the truth. ¡°Yes, not many like to work in a brother, miss Hanson, but if I pay them enough money, they will not have any problems,¡± I said, without changing my expression, and she nodded. ¡°You have to give us a lot to think about,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Can we have some before we get back to you, Remus?¡± asked Rip. ¡°Sure,¡± I said and soon, they left, while I turned to Carla. ¡°Find out all the details you can about their business,¡± I said to her. I will try my own connections. This is the preliminary phase of the deal. They will evaluate, I will evaluate. I need to know their abilities and whether they are suitable for my girls. Not to mention the price, which both need to agree on. Carla had gone to her office and while I stared ahead. I will need a week or two. Once I became sure that the competition is no threat to me. I will bring the new girls. The establishment still has a great capacity and I want to use it all. To earn huge money. While I want the city to be safe and stable, and I have already come to love it. I am well aware of its precarious state. I have a few years, or at least till the Emperor dies. After that, I will need to get the hell out of here. Till then, I will have to amass enough money, that I could move to any city and run my business without a problem. Though, it would be such a regret to leave this beautiful city. I shook my head and pushed away those thoughts and focused back on the work. Now and then, I would look out, especially when the gates open, before focusing back on the work. It is mostly planning for the coming spa. It did not matter if the deal goes through or not. As I had said, I will bring someone else. As long as I offer enough money, people will line to work here. I will need to go to Valentina. While I have space, a few buildings I have created in the back, are now being used for the lessons. The changes will need to be made to them. I also need to make a few changes underground. It will not cost me much, and I could afford it, even if it turns costly. I am making good money. Keep reading as a patron on .Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 78: Interview Chapter 78: Interview ¡°Cousin is really forcing us,¡± said Lancel, as he looked at the letter sent by Prince Grelt. ¡°Can you blame him? The emperor is going to die in a few years, and he did not have support to wrest the throne from the hands of the crown prince,¡± said Count Darrow, with obvious frustration. ¡°What are we going to do with it?¡± he said, looking at the letter. Count Darrow didn¡¯t answer his son for a few seconds. ¡°Such things couldn¡¯t be done hastily. We need to wait for a chance,¡± said Count Darrow, slowly, as if wanting his son to reflect on those words. ¡°Cousin might not want to wait for long,¡± said Lancel, to which Count Darrow looked up into the sky. ¡°He might not wait that long,¡± he replied and sighed. For a few minutes, nobody spoke, lost in their thoughts. ¡°I have decided on Benz¡¯s replacement,¡± Lancel spoke. Count Darrow just looked at him. ¡°It is Sam Walters,¡± he replied, to which the Count shook his head. ¡°He is worse than Benz.¡± The Count disagreed. ¡°He is a yes man, not fit for a position,¡± ¡°He is not,¡± said Lancel defensively. ¡°Chose someone else,¡± said Count Darrow and Lancel wanted to argue, but his father¡¯s tone did not book any arguments. ¡°Who do you want me to choose?¡± he asked finally, controlling his anger. ¡°There are few people, any one of them would be better than Sam Walters,¡± he said, much to his son''s anger. .... The door of the establishment opened, and the carriage came inside. A few seconds later, Carla and Maeve walked out of it. ¡°She had taken longer to return than she had said before leaving,¡± said Margaux. It was supposed to be a single-day trip to Deerpond, but it took three days. I am just glad she had returned with everything sorted. ¡°There were some small problems, she had to deal with,¡± I said. Margaux did not ask. I am sure she will ask Carla later. Click! The door opened, and Carla and Maeve walked inside. ¡°Has everything gone well?¡± I asked them as they took the seats opposite of me. ¡°Yes. The things and the staff will arrive in a Greltheven by afternoon,¡± Carla replied. I nodded and turned to Joana. ¡°I have made changes according to specifications. You can check them now and if you need something more, you can ask Margaux,¡± I speak. ¡°Ok,¡± she said and walked out of my office with Margaux. As the door closed, my expression became serious. ¡°There was not much trouble, was there?¡± I asked. She had been short in our correspondence. I am sure there had been more than she had told me. ¡°There was a little, but your friends had helped a lot. The delay was because of excessive paperwork,¡± she replied. As I had said, even if Lieutenant General is blocking the path, he won¡¯t be able to do much, especially when we are doing everything by law. They had created some hurdles, but those were passed. ¡°From tomorrow, we will have an in-house spa,¡± I said. I don¡¯t think any brothel in the world had them. ¡°The girls are very excited about it,¡± she said with a smile before her expression turned serious. ¡°It is going to be very expensive to run it,¡± she added. ¡°Yes, it will, but the benefits it will provide would also be great,¡± I replied. The cost of operating the spa would be three to four million crowns. As the treatments I want the girls to have been not cheap, many of them require magical materials. If I wanted to, I could have finished the expense within a million, but I want the best. Only through it, I will be able to provide the best experience to my patrons. So, they will not leave, even if the entire street is filled with competition. ¡°How¡¯s everything here?¡± she asked. ¡°All good,¡± I said with a smile. In these two, the profits of the establishment rose greatly. From three and a half million a night, it went to four and a half million and increasing every day. I have to thank two things for it, one is the expensive wine, and the other is Norman. The patrons are using his place like a rest stop. The moment my gates opened, the patrons from there would rush in. I heard he was hopping mad about it and tried to poach even more of my girls. He shouldn¡¯t be angry, given the money is making. He is making good money, and I heard; he is planning on opening another brothel. Well, this one will need to be a red-light area. He had already stretched the limit of the city, having five brothels in the entertainment district. No matter how powerful his family is, the city will not permit him to open another brothel here. The entertainment district needs to be much bigger with many other businesses before he will be able to open another brothel here. Click! I was discussing things with Carla when the door opened, and Margaux and Maeve walked inside. ¡°Is everything good?¡± I asked Maeve, ¡°Yes, everything is perfect.¡± She replied with a smile. ¡°Good, make preparations today. I need the spa to be opened tomorrow,¡± I said to her. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± she replied. The deal had cost me eight million crowns: a pretty good deal. Both of the siblings have ended up making a profit. I had needed to be spent seven million extra on new equipment and material. Some of which have arrived yesterday and some will today from Namdar and Meldhorn. It was quite a hard deal. Maeve and Rip were quite opposed to her working in the brothel. I had directly told them there would be no deal if Maeve did not sign at least a one-year-long employment contract. Maeve is quite good. She used to work in a famous spa chain in Namdar, even headed one for a few years, before branching out to start her own. She had signed a one-year contract and, I am sure, I will be able to retain her after. Even if she left, it is enough time for me to find someone capable. ¡°How is the recruitment going?¡± I asked her. ¡°Two have accepted. More will respond soon,¡± she replied. I had asked to her hire more people. She had a staff of twelve, which is barely enough to handle the eighty girls, but I need more, at least double. As I will bring new girls in a few days. I am leaving for the Owlspring in two days. While the Namdar is big, Owlspring is not small either. Most importantly, it is a city of merchant state, and I will get more variety there. Not only in humans but also in non-humans. Sadly, I could not bring the non-humans here. The laws of empire might be a little loose here, but they are not that loose to bring non-human or the one with obvious non-human blood. Maeve stayed for a few minutes and left, with Carla and Margaux, to prepare for the things that will come. I worked till it is time to leave for the guild. There are a few things I have to do at the guild, I should be finished in two hours. Twenty minutes later, the carriage stopped inside the guild, and I walked inside the guild. For forty minutes, I moved around the guild, before stepping into my office, with thick papers in my hand. Knock Knock I was working when a knock rang out and Jill stepped in with the envelope in her hand. ¡°This had come for you, Mister Silver,¡± she said and gave me the envelope. I took the envelope and couldn¡¯t help but became surprised when I saw the seal on the envelope. It is the personal seal of Count Darrow and not the seal of the city, which he uses. I looked at it for a second and tear open the envelope, taking out a letter, which only had a single line. ¡®Well, it seemed like I will have to stay here longer than I had thought.¡¯ I thought as I put away the letter. Lord Darrow had invited me to his mansion at four. I don¡¯t want to go back to the establishment before going to Count Darrow. It is better that I stay here and finish the work. Hours passed, and soon, it is time for me to leave. I walked out of the guild. A few minutes later, the carriage reached Count Darrow¡¯s mansion. ¡°Remus Silver,¡± I said and gave the letter. ¡°You are clear to go, Mr. Silver,¡± said the guard after looking at the letter. The carriage entered the compound, and I walked out and to the door. One of the assistant butlers was waiting. ¡°Mr. Silver, please,¡± he said and let me inside, to be precise, at the back, where there is a huge garden. Count Darrow and his son were standing there, looking at the beautiful red rose, which was glowing gently, while letting out a wonderful fragrance. ¡°Count Darrow, Lord Lancel,¡± I said and bowed. He turned to me slowly. ¡°Come, young silver, walk with us,¡± he said and begin to walk, while I followed, with one step behind as etiquette requires. I did not speak, just followed them. They have called me here and they will reveal it, eventually. ¡°What do you think of the city¡¯s taxes, young Silver?¡± asked Count Darrow after more than five minutes. The questions stumped me, and I had opened my mouth to answer with polite words but closed it upon seeing him looking at me from the corner of his eyes. ¡°What taxes are you referring to, my lord? Personal or business?¡± I asked, and a faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°Both,¡± he answered. I did not speak for a second, as those words are not light, but seeing the expressions, I decided to speak what I have in my mind. ¡°From my view, both of them are too high,¡± I said finally. ¡°You merchants always want lower taxes,¡± said Lancel angrily. I did not reply to that. ¡°Why do you think that young silver?¡± asked Count Darrow. ¡°We are a trade city, my lord. The lower taxes mean more trade, more trade will bring more revenue.¡± I said simply. ¡°We control the route into the empire. So, the taxes should be higher, instead of being lower,¡± said Lancel. ¡°While we do control the route, raising taxes higher will stagnate the trade,¡± I replied. Lancel opened his mouth to say something, but the words did not seem to come out of it. Which made him glare at me and look at his father, who still has an unchanging smile on his face. ¡°You are right in one way, but lower taxes bring their own problems, like overpopulation, dumping of low-grade goods and other things,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, it does, which is why we shouldn¡¯t depend on the taxes alone.¡± ¡°The city should diversify, from offering financial services to manufacturing to tourism. We could try many of these avenues to increase the revenue of the city,¡± I said, and for the first time, I saw the mask on Lord Darrow¡¯s face slip for a fraction of a second. ¡°What will happen whe...¡± Lord Darrow asked another question, and then another, and not just about taxes, but also about policy and other things. Sometimes, Lancel would chip in, but it is mostly Count Darrow asking and I am answering. I may seem like answering all the questions calmly, but my back is drenched. I know the gravity of my words and some of them could get me in huge trouble, but it is better to put them out in the open. ¡°You have some opinions, young silver,¡± said Count Darrow with that unchanging smile on his face. ¡°More like extreme views,¡± quipped Lancel. ¡°To me, they feel right, my lord,¡± I said. To which he smiles. ¡°I will contact you when I have more things to ask, young silver,¡± he said. Knowing I had been dismissed; I bowed once again and walked away. At the entrance of the Garden, the butler was waiting for me and sent me to the door. ¡°What the fuck was that!¡± I cursed as the carriage walked out of the gates of the mansion. I could tell it was an interview, but for what I don¡¯t know, nor do I care, as right now, my mind was flooded with repercussions, my words might cause me. I should have been careful, but I threw that all into the winds, and now, I might face punishment for that. Keep reading as a patron on .Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 79: Velvet Spa Chapter 79: Velvet Spa Caena ¡°...and Caena, all of you have been selected for the spa treatment today,¡± said Margaux as she called out twenty-eight names. Some were sad, while some, like me, were ecstatic to be included to be one of the first people who will enjoy the spa. It wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement to say that I love the spa. I had a special fund set up for the spa on my very tight budget. Now that the spa is here, I will be able to use those funds to create more spells and research. The past one and a half months have been beyond what I had imagined. I had created so many spells in such a short time that would have made my mother proud. It is not easy for us to create spells, mages have mana and so do we, but we also need something more, to harness the power. That makes everything slow. Since the first day of the business, it had seemed like the tap had opened for me. I had been able to harness so much lust and desire that I had never in my life. Thanks to class consolidation, I could now harness them, with even greater efficiency. ¡°Here is your schedule,¡± she said and gave all the twenty-eight girls their schedule. When I looked at my schedule and Marge beside me. I couldn¡¯t help but become impressed by Margaux. It is impeccable; their lessons and spa treatment are perfectly aligned. They will be able to attend their regular lessons and also take the spa treatments. I have two lessons, consecutively. They will start in fifteen minutes. Then, for three hours, she will be in a spa, and after that, it will be her free time, before she will need to prepare for the evening. ¡°Girls, there is more thing. Master Silver is leaving tomorrow with Carla for Owlspring, and he is offering one of you to take with him.¡± ¡°Is anyone interested?¡± asked Margaux and immediately, seven hands shot up, including mine. She looked at the girls, who raised their hands immediately, and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. All the smart ones raise their hands immediately, and this too had been a sort of test given how Margaux looked at all seven of them. She did not even glance at the few who raised their hands hesitantly after them. These smart ones are thinking beyond money. Dreams and ambitions had risen in their heart. I don¡¯t know what they want, but I know what I want. I want to get closer to Remus Silver, gain his trust and, if preferable, became his lover. I need access to the desires that the establishment is absorbing, and gaining his trust is paramount for that. He is not the person who will let me touch his most precious thing without having full trust in me. ¡°All of you need to write the reason why you would be the best company for this trip,¡± said Margaux and I could clearly see this is yet another test. ¡°You have till evening to submit the reason,¡± added Margaux and many girls heaved a sigh of relief, including me. This is very important to her. More time would help me a lot to write about the best reason. Soon, ten minutes passed, and she walked toward the hall, where I will have the etiquette class with eleven other girls. Like the rest of the girls in my class, I am also going early. Mistress Elme did not like the girls to be late. She punishes them with that stick of hers. Though, she was a little light on me since I know the woman''s weakness. After etiquette, it will be communication. I used to think that class was a waste, but Carla had asked me to give it a try. I am glad I did because it was tremendously useful. It is one of the biggest reasons I could entertain more clients at a single time. It was always my specialty. I could keep multiple people engaged at a time, but now I had become even better at it, learning those little tricks. It is the reason why she is one of the top earners. While most girls have one or two clients at their table, I always have three to five. Even those who do not know each other sit at my table together, talking and laughing. Let me harvest the lust and desires they are feeling for me. I had created twelve spells and not all of them are like attractions, some are really dangerous. I would have been able to create more if not for me spending a lot of resources on the establishment. It is better for me and the establishment that nobody sees what is happening to it. It is extremely, even for those in my class, but I still could not take a chance. I had reduced that chance, cloaking it so that only those who are extremely powerful would be able to sense it. The establishment hadn¡¯t reached the height to attract that sort of people yet. ¡°Mistress Elme, I hope you are feeling fine today,¡± I asked the old woman. She sat in a chair as girls gathered in front of her, standing gracefully in line. ¡°Yes, the herbal brew you have given me had made the pain in my knees completely disappear,¡± replied the old woman with a smile, which is quite rare to see. ¡°I am glad,¡± I said. It was no simple brew. It had a minor spell attached to it, which increased the effect of the medicine. A few minutes passed, and it was time. The old woman brought her expression to usual, and the class begin. It had lasted for an hour. Before I went to attend my communication class with a few other girls. An hour later, that class had too ended, and I nearly ran out of it. As it is, time for the spa. Soon, I stepped out of the establishment toward the back and walked toward the three-story building in the middle of the right. The building looked like it was made of pure white marble and in front of it was a small pond with lotuses floating inside it. It all seemed very peaceful and likely designed for that effect. Soon, she reached the building and entered inside through its beautiful white doors, and there was a reception. A table made of blue marble and behind it is a young girl, Laura. She is wearing a fitting dress with the tag of her name on her chest. She also changed her hairstyle from long hair to a bob. Which is making her look professional. From what I have heard, four girls would work here through different shifts. There was fierce competition for this job. These young girls receive a small stipend every week, but they are pennies compared to what we earn. So, they always looking for jobs to make more money. ¡°Miss Caena. Welcome to the velvet spa. This is your itinerary of treatments,¡± said Laura, and handed me the paper. ¡°Thank you, Laura,¡± I said as I took rose-colored itinerary paper, which felt good to touch. I looked at the rose-colored paper, which was smelling wonderful. It had the heading in beautiful flowy letters, spelling ¡®Velvet Spa¡¯. Below is the name of two treatments. The first treatment is Herian Massage with short information about it below. The second treatment is Hesla Flower Bath, a bath with petals of magical flowers to invigorate the skin. The paper is expensive and so is the ink, but they did instead tell them to go to the place. It seemed like they were providing the whole experience that master Silver talked about. I have to say; I am feeling better already. ¡°Miss Caena, changing room is on the left,¡± Laura informed me when I moved to leave. I nodded and walked toward the changing room and entered inside and was quite surprised when she saw the robe was waiting for her, with a note with her name on top. When she wore the soft white robe. She saw the slits on both sides, and the most amazing thing about it is that it is monogrammed with my name. I am loving it. I picked up my small purse and put it into the pocket of the robe before walking toward Room 07, where I will have Herian Message. Click! The door clicked open as I pushed it. Where there is a Heraldan woman waiting. She seemed looked to be in her early thirties and have shining brown eyes, which made her look especially pretty. She is wearing a green spa suit which had pleated lines and had a blue name tag, below the monogrammed velvet spa text. ¡°Welcome Caena,¡± she said as I entered inside. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied. ¡°The message you will go through is called herian message.¡± ¡°It originated in the herian kingdom thousands of years ago and uses the combination of nine magical and mundane oi...¡± she explains. I had expected her to ask me to remove my clothes to start with a message but unexpectedly she is explaining it to me. Even in the crystal spa, very few people had done that. Likely because they were whores. She found the information helpful, and it made her feel further relaxed. ¡°Caena, if you feel relaxed now. You can hang your robe there and we can begin.¡± She said gently. I nodded and opened the sash of my robe and took it off; I did not feel as much as self-conscious as I had felt in the crystal spa. Maybe because I am getting more confident of my body or maybe because she had made me feel comfortable or both. In the minute, the massage begins. I felt the warmth of oil being poured out on my skin before experienced hands begin to move across my body. Within seconds, low moans begin to come out of my mouth. There was a small doubt in my mind that these treatments wouldn¡¯t be as good as the crystal spa, but it had vanished. Seeing that, I burned the spell in my purse. It would have hurt quite a lot if I had burned this expensive spell for subpar treatment. Immediately, I felt the change. I am not the only one. Kaasa had also felt the change, as her hands stopped for a moment, before resuming with the same expertise. The spell is the imprinting type; I am imprinting this very massage into the establishment. It will increase the effects of the massage. A similar kind of spell was used to imprint master silver with the establishment. The chances of succeeding were extremely low, considering they have targeted a being, but it somehow succeeded. I and every girl here are glad it did because, without it, we wouldn¡¯t be here and have this life. I could already feel the imprint sticking into the establishment and the desires it had absorbed filling it. The spell imprint is shaky, but it will slowly reinforce itself, before growing in power as they perform more massages on girls. If it had been any other place, it would take a lot of time to have any substantial effects, but here, it will be fast. If it transformed into a legacy, then the effect would be astronomical. These imprints are meta-physical bricks that I am laying in the establishment. I wish I could imprint myself on it, but it is near impossible. Unless, of course, I get permission. If I get it, then I wouldn¡¯t need days to charge the spells. I would be able to do that in minutes. The message ended in an hour, and she stayed there for another hour more, relaxing and letting oils seep into her, while Kaasa massaged the Della beside me. When the time was over, I gently got up, feeling light. That I had not felt in weeks. Though before walking out of the room, I place a few coins in the crystal bowl. Who says the whores can¡¯t tip? When we have money, we can be generous. I want to be generous, like my mom used to be, and Kaasa deserved it. She had been great. I am feeling wonderful. Every little knot in my body disappeared, giving me free movement. I had not felt such free, even after massages in a crystal spa. Click! ¡°You have come at the right time, Caena. I had just finished drawing the bath,¡± said a short zenidan woman as I entered another room. It is nearly twice as big as the massage room. The zenidan is a woman of about Margaux''s age and short, with soft facial features and kind eyes. The most striking quality of her is her homely smile. ¡°Should I just step into it?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, dear. Remove your robe and get into it,¡± said the woman with a smile. I nodded and removed the robe, before walking toward the round white pool, which is big enough for ten people to sit. It is filled with warm water and covered in small blue petals. They are hesla flowers, magical flowers and they are smelling amazing. I stepped into the pool and felt the warm water, which is at the edge of being comfortable. She went inside completely and sat down, drowning her whole body inside except for her head. ¡°What do you want me to do now?¡± I asked. ¡°Just lay there dear, when it is time, I will inform you,¡± said the woman in her homely voice. Hearing that, I lay more comfortably and breathed in the calming fragrance, while burning another spell from my purse. I felt calm in the water that, before I know it, I fell asleep, only to be woken up by the gentle shake of the woman''s hand. ¡°It is time, dear,¡± said Rosa with a homely smile and I smiled back, but the next minute, I struggle not to scream. As she begins to scrub the petals on every part of my body. The petals are wonderful to smell, but they are just as painful when their essence seeps into the skin. I felt tears burning through my eyes as the women scrub, but I did not make any sound. I let her do her thing, while silently bearing the pain. ¡°There, all finished.¡± ¡°Look how beautifully your skin is glowing,¡± said the woman as she stopped scrubbing. It took me a while to focus my blurry eyes through the pain, but when I did, I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised. Truly, my skin is glowing. Seeing the beautifully glowing skin, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I even forgot the pain I am feeling, after seeing it. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°There is no need to thank me, dear. You deserve it,¡± she said. I smiled and closed my eyes again. I stayed there till the pain receded, before slowly getting up and wearing my robe, and walking out, but not before adding the tip to the bowl. Soon, I changed back into my own clothes and walked out of the spa, with a content smile on my face. Click! Soon, I reached my room and closed the door behind me. I had thought for a few days before revealing my level, and it was the best decision. Thankfully, they did not ask about my class and they did seem to care. As long as you are level 20, you can get a private room. Including her, twenty-four girls are now above Level 20. In my life, I had never seen people leveling so fast. They are not just leveling, but also consolidating their classes, which are far harder, but it is happening. My both classes had merged, creating a specialized class that I had been waiting for decades to happen. Specialization is extremely important for people in my class, more than any other class. It is one of the reasons why I am crafting so many spells, so quickly. I closed my eyes as I reached the center of the room, before opening them a second later. I know, nobody intruded in my room. Though it is forbidden, I still fear it. I don¡¯t want people to know about my class yet. Feeling relieved, I sat on the chair and removed multiple things from the different drawers. I had asked for a few tables the day I got the room, as it was too small for my work as an herbalist. They brought it the very next day. It is an herbalist''s table, with many drawers and jars inside it. I took out all the stuff and begin working on crafting a spell. I am nearly finished working on it. In half an hour, I will be done and then will work on the reason to go with Master Silver. I really want to go with him. The sooner I earn his truth, the sooner I will get his permission. Soon, it was five; it is time for me to go to the studio. Thankfully, I am finished with the spell and also the reason.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 80: Owlspring Chapter 80: Owlspring ¡°His majesties want me to send a small welcome party to our new neighbors,¡± said the handsome young man with pale skin. ¡°I will begin the preparations immediately,¡± said the man, in a grey robe, and the young man turned from the city he was watching through the balcony to a man in a grey robe. ¡°You sound disappointed,¡± asked the pale, handsome young man. ¡°I am not worthy to question the tri majesties decision,¡± said the man in grey robes, shaking his head. ¡°Have a little patience, Mahgar. In a few more years, we won¡¯t have to hold back. Till then, prepare the welcome party,¡± said the young pale man, while the man''s grey robes nodded, with excitement burning in his eyes. ... ¡°Welcome to the rose wind. Mister Silver, I hope you will enjoy your travel with us.¡± said the woman as she welcomed me to the ship. She is a petite woman, wearing a blue uniform with the logo of her company on her chest and a nameplate on her chest. ¡°I am sure you will not give us any chance to complain, Lorna,¡± I replied. ¡°You will find our service impeccable, mister silver,¡± she said, with a hint of flirting. ¡°I hope so,¡± I replied and walked past her. Concierge took my bags to my cabin while I remain on the deck with Carla and Caena. The guards have also remained, standing in various positions, without making it seem too obvious. I am leaving for the Owlspring, and the guards are necessary for security. There are twelve of them, and I will hire more when returning. With the girls I am planning on bringing, I will need more guards than now to deal with every problem that I might come. A few minutes passed, and enchantments on the sails and the rest of the ship had lit up, and the ship begin to move. It is afternoon, we should be able to reach the Owlspring by eight. It takes seven to eight hours to go to Owlspring from the Greltheaven, but five to six return from it. Due river flowing from north to south. I watched till the ship sailed from the Greltheaven, before going back to the cabin, which was being guarded by the four guards, including Jonah. Inside the cabin, I took out various files and the binder. Some contained my plans, while others contained the information I have brought. I am planning on getting a lot of girls. I need to. Norman is earning a lot, even when I pull a lot of customers from him. It is because of the sheer scale and operating time of red fragrance, and I want some of that. It will take me a while to reach such a scale, as I don¡¯t have capital, and even with the capital, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it fast. For the quality of the experience, I need to go slow. I could not just bring a lot of girls and expect them to work as experienced girls. No, they needed to learn the ways, and it takes time. Click! A few minutes later, Carla appeared in my cabin, and time passed too quickly. Soon it was evening. The sun had completely disappeared, and two moons are glowing in the skies. Seeing them, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if anyone had tried to reach them. I have read, some tried and even succeeded, but there is no concrete information about those incidents. The information is not so open in this world. At seven, I walked out of my cabin onto the deck. It is a beautiful night, and it feels even more beautiful. Caena walked beside me but did not speak. She just stayed in silence, enjoying the beautiful night. ¡°The night is beautiful today,¡± said Caena after more than fifteen minutes. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I replied, staring at the water, which is bathing in the silvery glow. A few more minutes passed, and we reached the confluence point. The place where northhare and vale rivers meet and create the Trollmouth river, which flows through the Renwell region. Owlspring, which is between those two rivers and their confluence, had also become visible. It is shining in the night with a glow that seemed no less bright than the moons above. The closer we got to it, the bigger it will become and soon I could see the huge port. Where ships coming from both rivers are stopping. Seeing them, I couldn¡¯t help but feel envious and hopeful. The Owlspring is the border city of the meldhorn, but hugely prosperous. It is a southern center of merchant city-states, where ships from the east and west of merchant states and kingdoms come. Now, the empire had also been added to the list. The ship got closer and closer to the city until it was right in front of us. A few minutes later, the ship docked at the pier, from which I could see the bustling port. It is not as big as Namdar, but not much smaller either. ¡°I hope you had a pleasant journey, Mister Silver. Do travel with us again.¡± said the woman. I nodded and walked out of the ship with Carla and Caena. The carriage was already waiting for us. The driver opened the door as we arrived by it, and we stepped inside. A few seconds later, the carriage begin to move through the bustling port. ¡°It is really beautiful,¡± said Carla, and it is. Thousands of ships floating in a confluence create a scenic view. It seemed more chaotic than the Namdar, but it is not surprising given the sheer number of ships. This is a main trade point. The goods from many cities in the state of Meldhorn, and Oksall came and go to Belnin and Nova Alyra. Not to mention many kingdoms. It is a filthy rich city, and one day; I want to have a tiny piece of it. If my business kept growing, it won¡¯t take long for that to happen. Till then, I will have to be satisfied with the girls from here. As I watched through the window, I was shocked by the people in the city. I have not seen such a scene even in Namdar. Every other person here is non-human. I saw orcs, dwarfs, elves, and people from many other races. They are everywhere. I have hard believed that these people are just a few hours away from Greltheaven. I want to curse at empire and emperor who brought his discriminating ways. No one dared to say it openly, but every merchant and noble knows that the discriminatory policies of the empire had made it lose many economic opportunities. If not for that, the empire would have been even more prosperous. Soon, the carriage passed through the gates and entered the proper city. Owlspring is one of the oldest cities in the whole merchant states. Much older than the city of Meldhorn, which it is part of. It was over ten thousand years old and had been destroyed many times in the incursions and built back again. One could feel the history of this place in the air itself. The city is huge and with various districts. The carriage is moving toward the ainsworth district. It is one of the market districts of the city. The things I came here are found in that district. Soon, the carriage reached the ainsworth district, and it was bustling. There are shops of all kinds here. I have even spotted a couple of indentured stores. Some were small, but some were big, bigger than the one I had gone to Namdar. Namdar also had big stores, but I had gone to one where I know the owner. I have gotten a pretty good discount. Here, I will not get the savior discount, but I am fine with it. The only thing I want is the best girls. As long as I get them, I am even willing to pay even double for them. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the mansion. I had rented it for three days. It had cost me quite a lot, but it is necessary, given the number of contracts I am planning to buy. The cream color mansion was beautiful, made in Geim architecture, which bore similarities with Victorian architecture. ¡°Welcome to hain mansion, Mister Silver.¡± said the handsome man in his mid-thirties, with radiant green hair and slightly pointed ears. He is clearly a half-elf, and he is looking at Carla. ¡°Is everything prepared according to our needs?¡± I asked, forcing him to focus on me. ¡°Yes. I have made the preparations according to your needs.¡± ¡°I have also booked the table at the best restaurant in the ainsworth district,¡± he said. ¡°Good,¡± I said, and he led us into the mansion while informing us about the things I had asked him to prepare. Tonight, I plan to eat an amazing meal and explore the city. Tomorrow will be all business. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 81: Caskheart Indentured Chapter 81: Caskheart Indentured I woke up a little later in the morning than I usually do. We have come back late, as we explored the city after having dinner at a restaurant. The city is impressive and if the time allows it; I like to explore it further before I leave. I stayed on the bed for a minute before walking toward the bathroom. I quickly freshened up and showered, before walking out of my suite. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± greeted half-elf as he met in the hallway, ¡°Vikdyr,¡± I said and continued walking toward the kitchen. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± I asked Carla and Caena when I saw them sitting at the dining table. ¡°No, we were waiting for you,¡± Carla replied. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have,¡± I said and took the seat beside them, and a few minutes later, the fresh breakfast is served. In half an hour, we finished breakfast and walked out of the mansion. ¡°Take us caskheart indentures,¡± I said to the driver as I sat in the carriage with Carla and Caena. I have done my research and made the list of stores; I will have to visit for the girls. Most of the stores I had chosen only sell prostitutes. Such stores are not allowed in Namdar, but in merchant states, there are no restrictions. It is one of the reasons why I had come to Owlspring, instead of Namdar. Where it would have been cheaper for me. Fifteen minutes later; the carriage stopped in front of a five-story building, which looked like it is made of stones with huge glass windows fitted in them. Silhouettes of the women could be seen through those windows. I stepped out of the carriage with Carla and Caena and walked toward the open big stone doors. We walked through the gates into a beautifully decorated, vast lobby, which had doors leading everywhere. There are a lot of people here, but not all brothel owners like me. Many come for mistresses. It is quite common in empires and even merchant cities. I was looking around when I saw a woman coming toward us. She is short and stocky, with shoulder-length blond hair. Which made her pretty face look even prettier. ¡°Mister Silver, welcome to Caskheart Indentured,¡± said the dwarf woman as she stopped beside us. Carla and Caena were surprised she knew my name, but I am not. It is their job to know their prospective clients. ¡°We are one of the biggest suppliers of indentured pleasure women in the city. You will find everything you need here,¡± she added with confidence. ¡°I hope I do, miss...¡± I asked. ¡°Nas Caskheart,¡± she replied. I nodded before my expression turned serious. ¡°I need girls from level 13 to 17. There are no restrictions on their age or nationality,¡± I said. When I had brought the contracts to Namdar. My requirement was Level 10 to 19, but after observation and research, I had changed to the current 13 to 17. ¡°But there is on the race?¡± she asked with a smile, knowing the empire''s hate for non-humans. ¡°Yes, they need to be human, to be clear humanish,¡± I said. Hearing that, the smile on her face got bigger, and a dimple appeared on her cheeks. ¡°There won''t be any problem,¡± she replied, and led me toward the elevator. We walked into the elevator before stepping onto the third floor. The architecture is the same, with glass and stones. The dwarfish hints are clear, which is not surprising since it is a dwarf-owned business. She took us to stone door number two, which leads to a huge hall. Where there are lines of women, belonging to nearly all races. Most seemed to be humans, but I saw a couple of elves and dwarves, even giant bloods and mixed race. ¡°There is a place being prepared according to your requirement, but it will take some time. Till then you can look at the girls here,¡± said Nas. ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± I said and walked ahead. The first woman was an elf, and the second was a half-dwarf. I only glanced at them, before moving fast them. If the empire did not have restrictions, I would have checked them, but since there are. Checking them will lead to a waste of time and satisfaction. Though there will be one day when I will have them in my establishment. I passed a half-dwarf and stopped in front of a human woman. She seemed tall but is not, she looks tall because standing between half-dwarf and dwarf. She had sleek raven hair and a small nose with light brown skin. She is a human, but of the mixed heritage of Zenidin and Heraldan. She is also wearing a sheer dress, like all women, giving a glimpse of their features. It is a business of pleasure, and if one wanted, one could even ask them to take it off. Like the few people are doing. ¡°This is a Lelsa. A pure-blooded human of mixed heritage. Have two classes, Whore and Weaver, at Level 17 and Level 6 respectively,¡± ¡°She is in business for fourteen years,¡± informed Nas and handed me the page with her detailed information. The woman is in her mid-thirties but looks to be in her early thirties. Three of her skills are noted here. Two from Whore Class and one from Weaver Class. They were common skills, over 90% of my girls have these skills or something similar to them. The skill of her weaving class is also a common one. I looked at the page before looking at her, and this time, I was looking at her through my skills. Goods Sense and Sight Through Veil. It is the first time I am using the two skills together and the result; I got is quite surprising. She is level 17, Whore, as Nas said, but her Weaver Class is at level 7. She had five skills in whore class and three Weaver. One of them is more powerful than the other two, given the greater haze around it. ¡°Where are you from?¡± I asked Lelsa. ¡°Here. I am born and raised here,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you have any hobby aside from weaving, know any language aside from common and local?¡± I asked. It surprised her and also Nas. ¡°No, I do not have any hobby aside from weaning. I understand belninian, but couldn¡¯t speak,¡± she replied. ¡°Thank you for your answers,¡± I said and walked away while making short notes in my diary. Carla did the same, while Caena just looked at her strangely. Caena is normal till she became strange; the change is instant. A second later, the change disappeared, and she became normal again. I passed by the dwarf and stopped in front of a human or humanish woman. She looked human but is not when one looked clearly at her. She is a big woman who looked to be in her late twenties. Tall as me, with broad shoulders and thick hands. She had light brown hair and an above-average face; I could even say pretty. ¡°This is Senar. A human with one-sixth of orc blood. Class Trollop, Level 13. She had twelve years of experience in the business,¡± said Nas as she looked at the women. ¡°There is a 20% discount on her,¡± she added, and I could see the faint spark of hurt appearing on her face before it disappeared. In the pleasure business, orcs are not popular. People dislike even orc-blooded people. Thinking them violent and dirty. Which is an obvious stereotype, especially for orc bloods. I activated my skills, and immediately, her interface appeared in front of me. Seeing Through Veil is not a normal skill.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Class: Trollop Lv. 13 Charisma: 13 Intelligence: ¡¤ I Fake It ¡¤ Night Long ¡¤ More Human Attribute Points: 0 What I saw in her interface couldn¡¯t help but surprise me. Her class is below average, and so are her skills, except for one. ¡°Where are you from?¡± I asked. ¡°Oksall city,¡± she said, after a moment of silence, barely opening her mouth. Though I was still able to catch a glimpse of what she was trying to hide. ¡°Do you have any hobbies? How many languages do you know?¡± I asked, to which she look at Nas, who nodded. ¡°I do not have any hobbies, but I know three languages. Common meldhornish, and okas,¡± she replied. ¡°Can you turn off your skill, please?¡± I asked, and it couldn¡¯t surprise her face. She hesitantly looked at Nas and Nas looked at me, and I looked back at her with a smile. ¡°Do it,¡± ordered Nas and she followed. It did not seem like she deactivated it, but she did. The glow on her skill disappeared. There was no change, till one looked at her carefully. Her faint orcish features became slightly prominent. Her skin, which was smooth like a human, became rough, her hair looked even more faded, and the shadow of features on her face became more prominent. Though the changes did not make her look ugly. She looks average, with a hint of orcish features. ¡°Can you open your mouth, please?¡± I asked. This time, she did not even look at Nas for permission and simply did it. As I had expected, her canines were larger than humans. She was trying to hide them before. ¡°If you take her, I will give you a 50% discount on her price,¡± said Nas. To that, I smiled and moved ahead. I checked girls one after another, noting down my own observations and the data I had gotten from my skills. It is such regret that I could not take people from other races, they would have brought tremendous boosts to my business. ¡°The arrangement is ready, Mister Silver,¡± informed Nas, when I nearly finished with the girls in the hall. ¡°We will finish here first,¡± I said, and Nas nodded. Ten minutes later, we are finished and walked into the elevator for the floor above. ¡°I would also need to see the Level 5 and below girls,¡± I said. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± replied Nas with a smile. Soon, we walked out into the elevator, and Nas took me to the small room. Which had a beautiful carved green table and chairs. ¡°Take a seat, Mister Silver. The girls will begin arriving soon.¡± Said, Nas. I nodded and sat in chairs with Carla and Caena, sitting on my left and right. It felt like an interview, and it is an interview. If they pass, they will get the job. A few seconds later, a woman came, and I immediately shook my head. She is beautiful, one of the most beautiful women I had seen here so far, but I can¡¯t choose her. ¡°It seemed like you want the city to seal my business and sent me to jail, miss Nas.¡± I said to which Nas smiled apologetically. ¡°Too elvish?¡± she asked, and I nodded. ¡°You can return,¡± said Nas to the girl, and the girl returned, and immediately another girl appeared. ¡°This is Losi. A human with dwarf blood. Class Strumpet, Level 17. She had nineteen years of experience in the business,¡± said Nas as she introduced the women. I looked at the woman carefully and to be honest, if she hadn¡¯t told me, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed she had dwarf blood in her. As humans are short and have wide shoulders, too. This woman is not too short. She is taller than any dwarf considering they are below five feet, and she is slightly above it. ¡°Where are you from?¡± I asked the question while activating my skills. She answered the question a moment later, and I asked her another. Which she answered after permission. I wrote what I observed on my notes and the next woman came and I repeated the same process. One woman after another came. I would ask them two or three questions and check them with my skills. Hours passed, and we forgo even our lunch. Thankfully, Nas had asked for a light lunch, for which we have taken a small break, before resuming. It is not just adult girls we had looked at, but also the teens of Level 5 and below. These girls are necessary for the future of the establishment. As after years of training, they will become true gems of the establishment. Time passed, and before I knew it, the evening had arrived. I could not go longer. I am tired and my skills have run out of juice. ¡°We can stop now, miss Nas,¡± I said dwarf woman, who is looking energetic as before. ¡°How many you choose?¡± she asked. ¡°Give me some time, before I give you the final number,¡± I said with a tired smile. ¡°I will give you the privacy. Call me when you are done,¡± she said and walked out room. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± asked Carla. ¡°I just need a minute,¡± I said and closed my eyes. Both of them are Level 20 and I am just Level 12, thanks to the level-up I got yesterday. Still, a point in a charm was not enough to recover from overexertion of the skills. Hun! I was resting when I felt a soft hand on my cheeks. I was surprised, not because of the touch, but because the hand is not of Carla. I am familiar with her touch enough to know that it is not hers. I was about to open my eyes and say some stern words to Caena for this invasion of privacy when something surprising had happened. I felt a burst of vitality coming into me from the hand and rapidly begin to evaporate the tiredness I am feeling, till there is barely anything to remain. I kept my eyes closed for a few seconds before opening them. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to Caena. Such skills are very valuable and rare. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do,¡± she replied. ¡°Since I recovered. Let¡¯s get started,¡± I said and turned to the first name on the list. ¡°What do you think of Hesla?¡± I asked them. ¡°She seemed subpar. The only qualities she had are secondary class and mixed heritage,¡± said Carla. ¡°I do not feel she would be a good addition to the establishment,¡± added Caena. I agree with them. I do not she would be a good addition, my skill told me the same. ¡°Senar?¡± I asked. ¡°Her orcish features are prominent when looked closely,¡± said Caena. Carla said nothing other than a nod at Caena¡¯s words. ¡°She can hide those features with her skills, and I am sure Eudo and spa will be able to help with rest,¡± I said. She felt like a rough gem to me, with some careful polishing, she will become a diamond. Not to mention, she will also bring the exotic element to the establishment without breaking the laws of the empire. ¡°So we are taking her?¡± asked Carla. I nodded and write her name on the blank paper before turning to the next girl. One by one went through one after another. It took us two hours, but we finished it and were quite happy with the girls we had chosen. From two hundred and seventy-six girls we had seen, we had chosen thirty-eight among them. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 82: Tickets Chapter 82: Tickets ¡°With a 5% discount. It will be twenty-one thousand and sixty Krals.¡± Said, Nas. Kral of merchant cities is imperial of empire. The currencies of this world work differently. The value of a currency depends on the material used to make it. Empire and merchant city-states used the same formula thus, their value is also the same. Twenty thousand and sixty krals are equal to the two million and six thousand crowns. The girls here cost me over more than double that of Namdar, but their number is also nearly double. It is fine, the cost of girls¡¯ contracts is the least of expenses. Before, they debut, I will need to spend many times more on them. The teachers, the spa, custom dresses, and many other things, all of which cost a lot of money. I wrote the check, and we signed the contracts. ¡°It¡¯s nice doing business with you. Mister Silver.¡± She said as we shook hands. ¡°Likewise, miss Nas,¡± I replied. ¡°Please come back tomorrow. We have a huge collection and you have seen only a fraction of it today,¡± she added when I set to leave. To that, I smiled. Soon, we walked out of the store and sat in the carriage. ¡°Another indentured store or back to the mansion?¡± asked Carla. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping for accessories, but first we will have dinner,¡± I said. Thankfully, the reservation is made in an excellent restaurant. Carla told the driver of the place and half an hour later, we reached there. The name of the restaurant is glass, and it is made of glass. Even the table and cutlery were made of glass, and I was surprised when I saw the servers wearing fabric clothes. I thought about seeing everything is glass. The clothes would also be of glass. Though the restaurant was quirky, the food they served was surprisingly good. Little better than even from the restaurant from which we had eaten yesterday. After we finished the meal, we went to the boutique. Where I had got another surprise. Caena is surprisingly good at fashion or at least choosing clothes based on Eudo¡¯s requirements. I wanted to bring him, but the staff of the studio is not good enough to work without him. Though, he said, in a few months, some will gain enough skills and expertise that they will work without him. I hope that happens because Eudo is valuable, and I don¡¯t want to keep him constrained in the studio. ¡°Have the girls arrived?¡± I asked Vikdyr the moment I returned. ¡°Yes. I had set them into the arranged rooms.¡± He replied. ¡°Good,¡± I said and walked inside the mansion and went to my room to sleep, while Carla and Caena checked on the girls. Tomorrow, we will buy more contracts, but from a different store. It is wise to be not dependent on one supplier, not to mention, every store had a specialization. The one I had gone to today had more dwarfs and dwarf blood. The other shops will have something different, and I want to check it all out. Soon, I reach my suit, and a minute later, I was fast asleep on my bed. Caena had helped me with the spell, but I was still tired. It was exhaustive and tomorrow would be going to be even more exhaustive. The next day, I woke up at dawn. I freshened up and showered before walking into the kitchen. Even in this early morning, Vikdyr was awake, impeccably dressed in a suit. ¡°Shall I ask the chef to set a breakfast?¡± he asked. ¡°No, wait till Carla and Caena arrive,¡± I said and say down, before picking up the paper. The news is general, politics and war, with big of a market. Hun! One piece of news had attracted my eyes. I had heard about people talking yesterday. Some seemed quite excited about it. ¡°Can you get me the tickets to this dual?¡± I asked Vikdyr. ¡°The best tickets have been sold out,¡± he replied smoothly, but I kept staring at him. ¡°There may be some available in the black market, but they will be expensive. At least three times expensive their original price,¡± he added after a few seconds of silence. ¡°It is fine,¡± I said. If it had been a normal duel, I wouldn¡¯t have been much interested, but it is between powerhouses of Level 30, and not a normal powerhouse either. One is Knight Commander Valra from the order of Blazing Fist and the other is Viscount Bal Luran of house Locklaw of the Kingdom of Mahal. The thing that makes it interesting is that both are accomplished, warriors. Fought in many wars. It is a grudge duel. Two decades ago, when Merchant City-States fought a minor war against Mahal. The Father of Viscount Luran fought against Knight Commander Valra and lost. A week ago, Viscount Luran challenged Knight Commander Valra for dual and he accepted. They will fight the dual in the central arena. The biggest arena in Owlspring, with a capacity of three hundred thousand. Half an hour later, Carla and Caena arrived, and we had breakfast before we walked out of the mansion. Yesterday, we were quite late. Today, we are going early. We plan to get more girls today. Forty minutes later, the carriage had stopped in front of the store. If yesterday¡¯s store had a spartan feel, this one had delicateness in it. It is a rose-colored six-story building, with simple but masterful elvish designs carved into it. We stepped out of the carriage and walked inside the store, and entered a beautifully decorated lobby, which gives a serene feeling. They have even placed the women in the lobby on round platforms. Those seven girls were no common whores. Each one of them is Level 30+ and their contracts cost millions of crowns. ¡°Welcome to Lunaryn Indentured. Mister Silver. I am Alen Onvyr, I will be at your service,¡± said the middle-aged elf with radiant raven hair as he stopped beside us. ¡°I have a big ordered Alen, and these are my requirements,¡± I said and immediately, Carla handed him the note. He took the note and read it, before turning to me. ¡°It will take fifteen minutes for me to arrange the room. Till then, why don¡¯t I show you around our store,¡± he said and handed the note to the women behind him, and spoke a few words, before turning to me. For fifteen minutes, we browsed through the store, looking at the women they were offering. Like the store yesterday, they offer girls of all races but specialize in elves. Which is no surprise since the store is run by elves. ¡°Mister Silver, the viewing room is set,¡± he informed me and took me to the fourth floor. Into a well-decorated room. Which is the same size as the room yesterday, with a table and comfortable chairs. ¡°Should I start bringing the girls, Mister Silver?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. I opened my diary, set a pen, and waited. I did not have to wait for long as a beautiful young woman in her early twenties walked inside. She had raven hair, a delicate face, and clear blue eyes. She is pure human and one look at her, and I know. I am going to choose her before I even heard a single word about her. She had the face; I need in my establishment. ¡°This is Sabra. She is a pure huma...¡± he introduced. After he finished the introduction, I used my skills and asked my questions. Learning from yesterday, I only used the skills only when I need them and did not keep them active. Sabra left a minute later and immediately another woman came and then another. Hours passed and names in the diary kept increasing. By the time we have paused in the afternoon; the numbers have already crossed two hundred and fifty. We have come a few hours early and set the room from the beginning. Which saved a lot of time. I am also quite happy, as girls here are more of my taste than the caskheart indentures. We ate the boxed lunch that Jonah brought. It is not the only thing he had brought, he also brought tickets. They had cost a lot, but I don¡¯t mind paying. We finished our lunch quickly and continued for two and a half hours more, before stopping for good. ¡°I will give you the privacy to decide,¡± said Alen, when stopped. As he left, Caena touched my cheek without me asking, and a burst of vitality entered inside me, taking all my tiredness away. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her and turned to my diary. For the next two and a half hours, we reviewed one name, and after another, before finally selecting fifty-three of them. ¡°Alen,¡± I said, and a second later, he opened the door and came inside. ¡°Have you decided on the girls, Mr. Silver?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, this is the list,¡± I replied, and Carla handed him the list. Half an hour later, we walked out of the store, spending nearly three million crowns on the girls. ¡°Twenty girls more tomorrow and we will be done,¡± said Carla as the carriage begin to move toward the restaurant. We are going to have an early lunch before going to the central arena to watch the dual. ¡°If we are lucky, we will be finished by the afternoon tomorrow,¡± I said. I am planning on buying the contracts of about a hundred girls. It is the most girls I had ever brought, but I need them. The establishment, in its current size, could host one hundred fifty to one hundred seventy girls easily. An establishment running at its full capacity will bring huge profits, and I need those profits to push my plans forward. The next stage is big, and I needed hundreds of millions of crowns for it. The establishment at full capacity will help me in achieving that quickly. Keep reading as a patron on .Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 83: Duel Chapter 83: Duel ¡°The seats are nice,¡± said Carla as she sat down. They are even better than the modern stadiums on earth. The seats are made of wood and leather with a soft cushion that melds against the body, but that is not the most amazing thing about it. The most amazing thing is the array of enchantments. This arena is huge, with a capacity of over three-hundred thousand. Double than the biggest stadiums on earth. Even with better arrangements, it is hard for most people to see a thing on the ground clearly, not to mention hearing the sound near impossible. That is where the enchantments does their magic. They create an effect that brings the view much closer, like watching it from the front. At the same time, they provide coherent sound. I have been to many stadiums and watched all sorts of sports in them, but not a single one could compare to the arenas of this world. Our experience is going to be best, as these seats are equal to the club seats. I wanted to get a suit, but they are always hard to get. Having money is not enough to buy them, you need standing and connections. I look at the stadium; jam-packed with people. This arena might seem big, but it is average on a world scale. The war cities of Oton had the biggest arenas in the entire world. Having the capacity to hold over a million people. I want to sit in them, at least once. The fight will begin in ten minutes, but seeing the crowd. I cannot wait for long. ¡°Remus. I did not think I would meet you here,¡± said the familiar voice. I turned to the middle-aged blond man with a smile. ¡°It is a nice surprise. Guild master bow,¡± I said to the man. He is Irvin Bow, the guild master of the potters'' guild and also a secretory in the merchant guild. ¡°When do you arrive at Owlspring?¡± I asked him as he sat beside me. Well, besides Carla, I had exchanged the seat with her. ¡°Just this morning. I had a come a day early to watch this duel,¡± he replied with excitement palpable in his voice. ¡°It seemed like you are an enthusiast,¡± I said, and the man nodded unabashedly. ¡°I love battles since I was a child,¡± he said, and I smiled at that. Time passed as I made a talk with a man when suddenly, the whole arena quit down. The arena is still empty, but the lines of enchanted scripts became visible as they lit up. A few seconds later, a change appeared. The area came closer to me. I could now clearly. I felt like, if I crouched down, I could pick up the dust from the arena''s ground. I was adjusting myself when I heard the crushing of boots and saw a middle-aged man walking into the arena. It is a handsome half-elf with silvery hair, wearing a white suit. ¡°Everyone, thank welcome to the central arena to watch the duel of the year,¡± he said, and the crowd cheered loudly. There is no mike on his face, but his voice is clear to everyone sitting. ¡°Knight Commander Valra of Blazing Fist will dual against Viscount Luran from the Kingdom of Mahal,¡± he said, and the crowd cheered wildly. ¡°Without further, I call the duelist to the arena,¡± he declared, and a moment later, the gates on both sides of the arena opened. For a few seconds, there was nothing, before two people walked out at the same time from opposite ends. One is a short, bearded man, barely five feet tall looked to be in his late fifties. Wearing purple armor with an emblem of a blazing fist at its center. The armor is enchanted and so is the black ax and purple shield he has in his hands. He is Knight Commander Valra, and clearly a half-dwarf. While the man coming from the opposite direction is human. Vicount Luran looked to be in his mid-thirties, quite handsome, with pale blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He is wearing light armor and has an enchanted blue-blade long sword. ¡°Eleven days'' war had been especially bad for House Locklaw. Their title, demoted from Count to Viscount, their territory reduced, and their greatest powerhouses, had got injured enough that never able to reach the peak,¡± informed Irvin Bow. ¡°Bal Luran had also taken part in that war, right?¡± I asked. To that, he nodded. ¡°Yes. It is said, he hadn¡¯t gained a class that time,¡± he replied. That would make him less than fifteen years old when he took a part in the war. I wish I could say it was uncommon in this world. Soon, both of them stopped in front of each other and the whole arena fell silent. ¡°Defeating you, I will regain the honor of my house,¡± said the Viscount Luran. ¡°Hehe. Thousands have said that to me, young man, but very few have been able to do it.¡± said the Knight Commander with a laugh. An old man turned up in the center of the arena. One minute, there were only two people, another minute he was present. He is human with some elvish blood and looks to be in his mid-sixteen, with shoulder-length blue hair and dull grey eyes. He is wearing simple clothes and held no weapon, but both Viscount Luran and Knight Commander Valra turned respectfully as he appeared beside them. ¡°Is he?¡± I asked Irvin Bow. ¡°Senon Darius, the marsh hunter,¡± said Irvin. The S-class powerhouse of Owlspring. Their national treasure. ¡°This is a duel, but not a death duel. You could injure each other, but not fatally or in the way. It will take a long time to heal.¡± ¡°If I see it happening, I will stop the duel immediately and declare the result,¡± said the old man in his clear voice, and both of them nodded. ¡°Begin!¡± He shouted and disappeared, appearing at the edge of the arena a moment later. While at the same time, Viscount Luran and Knight Valra moved, using their skills from the beginning. They moved fast, so much so that even with the enchantments, I had to focus really hard to see them. Though from what I could see, Viscount Luran is clearly fast, but speed is not everything. Viscount Luran appeared in front of Knight Valra and swung his sword. The blue sword was so fast that I could only follow the afterimages it had left behind. Clang! A loud sound rang out as their weapons clashed. But that was the beginning of the next moment. Viscount Luran attacked again. His attack is like a storm of blades. The blue blade had transformed into the tens of blades and all of them went to Knight Valra, who seemed unfazed by the attack. He just moved his ax and was not fast either, but could be able to clash against the tens of blades. ¡°Knight Commander Valra is good,¡± I said, looking at how he is defending himself. ¡°He is very experienced, but Viscount Luran is pressing him. Making him use his ocular skills,¡± said Irvin. I am a little surprised and turned to Irvin, who is looking at the battle with complete focus and even had a skill active. I looked at him for a moment, before turning to battle, where Viscount Luran had pressed at even greater speed. Still, Knight Valra countered it with his ax, without using his shields. I wonder whether he would use the shield. Clang! I had just thoughts that when he used his shield to defend, before moving forward at amazing speed, wanting to ram the shield into Viscount Luran. He was fast with great timing, but Viscount Luran had avoided it before the shield crashed against him. Though Knight Valra seemed to have expected it as he launched the attack with his ax. Clang! Viscount Luran immediately defended it before attacking. A few minutes passed, and the crowd is roaring in excitement as they fought. The battle is on a completely different level. I have never seen such a battle in my life. I would have in the island if I had been powerful enough, but I was not and wasn¡¯t able to join the High Mage Blackstone in his battle against the lich. In the first minute of the duel, I thought Knight Valra would win. Seeing how he was defending with minimal movement, conserving his energy and stamina, but now, I do not think so. Viscount Luran is not an idiot, and he is fighting with a strategy. If I am right, then he is testing his opponent. The battle continued for half an hour more, when a thing that everybody had been waiting for had happened. ¡®Aura,¡¯ Aura came out of the Viscount Luran. It immediately senses an oppressive feeling across the whole arena. People shuddered and some weaker ones even fainted from it. Aura is said to be a sign of one''s will and it is awakened and not gained as skill and classes. Everyone could awaken it, but those with ruling classes awaken it the most. Even in ruling classes, a few could awaken it, and those who do it are considered people with great potential. The aura is not can be used to suppress, but also used in the fight and that is what Viscount Luran is doing. The white aura formed a cover around him, and it is especially thick around his sword as he moved. My eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen as I saw his increased speed and power. I felt like he had teleported and attacked Knight Valra. The aura burst out of Knight Valra. It is white too, like all unspecialized auras. It covered his body and weapons as he moved his shield to defend against the attack. The crowd cheered like never; this is the reason they have come here. If these two had been any other level 30 powerhouses, they wouldn¡¯t be this excited. But these two are not normal. Both of them have awakened the aura. Clang Clang Clang They fight fast and hard. I am having quite a problem seeing it clearly, but couldn¡¯t help but feel the burning excitement watching the duel. The sheer number of skills they have and the expertise they are using are simply amazing. I couldn¡¯t help but wish to have such skills, but it would be hard for me to reach such a level. Both of them had fought many battles to reach this level, while I like to avoid fighting. The only reason I train so zealously is because I want to survive if there is battle. Time passed as I watched them fighting hard; they seemed to have unlimited stamina as their speed never lessen, instead; it had increased further. CLANG After more than an hour of fight, the attack landed. The shield heavily smashed against the Viscount Luran, and he staggered. Instead of shooting back like a ragdoll as I expected, given force and speed. Rip! I was surprised when I got even more surprised. When Viscount Luran moved through the attack, Knight Commander through the tiny gap in armor at his elbow, drawing blood. This did not stop them. They attacked each other again, even faster and harder. Injuring each other every few minutes. ¡°This Viscount Luran is really terrifying,¡± said Caena suddenly. ¡°Why do you think that miss?¡± asked Irvin, before I could say anything. ¡°Knight Commander is a defensive fighter, but he is not fully defending against the attacks of Luran.¡± ¡°The most terrifying thing about him is his use of aura. It is not a sword that passes through the gaps. It is the aura.¡± ¡°One needs to have amazing control over compressing it into a blade that is powerful enough to tear through aura protection and defenses of armor.¡± She replied I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised hearing that, and I am not the only one. ¡°You have a good eye miss,¡± said Irvin after a moment of silence. There is one thing she forgot to mention. He is still young and will reach Level 40 if he lives long enough. The same could not be said about his opponent, who is stuck at Level 39 for over a decade. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 84: Stone Mercenaries Chapter 84: Stone Mercenaries ¡°Stop!¡± Shouted Senon Darius, and immediately both of them stopped fighting, while the crowd cheered madly. Three hours passed, and they have become bloody and tired but would have continued fighting if Senon Darius hadn¡¯t called the stop. The dual was really amazing, not even for one second. I felt bored. The skills they used and the efficiency with which they have used them is simply amazing. Even if a hundred like me stand in front of them. It wouldn¡¯t take them long to finish all of us off. ¡°Since there is no winner in three hours. I called the duel a tie.¡± He declared and looked at the combatants for objections. They nodded in acceptance. Sonen Darius disappeared, seeing their nod. While the combatants walked back to the way, they have come from, without saying any words to each other or the crowd. The only person who remained in the arena was half-elf in a white suit. ¡°What a duel it was. My heart is still beating hard even now,¡± he said, and the crowd laughed. The crowd begin leaving after the half-elf said goodbye. We did not leave. It is crowded; we are staying till the crowd leave. ¡°The duel was great. It would have been even greater if they hadn¡¯t held back,¡± said Irvin and sighed. I smiled hearing that, unlike him, there is not a hint of disappointment in my heart. They had held back in the dual. It is not clear, but those with knowledge could tell. They only used the skills and the strength that peoples are aware they have. As it is a dangerous world and those intelligent zealously guard their strength. If it had been a death dual. They would have used their strength, but it was not. When I think about it, I couldn¡¯t help but think that there was more to the duel than simple honor. They might have used it to send the message. The dangerous times are approaching. One of the most powerful players in the world and continent is on the verge of getting unstable. If that happened, it would affect the entire continent and the entire world. History is an example of it, not only here, but also on earth. Over fifteen minutes passed and 90% of the people had left. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will see any crowd now,¡± I said and got up. ¡°I hope the carriages have left. I hate it when there is traffic,¡± said Irvin as we walked out of the seat. Soon, we were out with our carriages in front of us. I waved at Irvin and walked toward our carriage with Carla and Caena. A few minutes later, we were in a carriage moving toward the mansion. ¡°Tomorrow is the last day tomorrow and we have many things to do,¡± said Carla. ¡°I think we will manage,¡± I replied. We only need twenty-some girls and do the shopping for accessories, and we will be done. There are a few more things we need, but they will be coming from a different place. Soon, we reached the mansion, and a few minutes later; I was in my bed, sleeping tiredly. I wanted to make love here with Carla at least once, but we have been so tired and busy that we did not get a chance at all. At least, we have done it on the ship. ¡°Twenty-two girls,¡± said Caena, as finished selecting. ¡°With these twenty-two girls, we have brought one hundred and thirteen girls.¡± ¡°I wonder how many will stay?¡± asked Carla, as she looked at me. I did not answer and instead turned toward the door of the small room. Click! ¡°Mohar, we are finished,¡± I said and immediately a tall human man with a mustache walked in. The third store we have walked into is human-owned. They had a good collection of pure humans. They have prided themselves on that. Of the twenty-two we have brought, nineteen are pure humans, while only three had the blood of non-humans. A few minutes later, we walked out of the store, but unlike the past two days, we sat on the different carriages. Carla and Caena are going shopping for accessories while I am going back to the mansion. Forty minutes later, the carriage had stopped in the mansion. ¡°At four, gather all the in the hall,¡± I said Vikdyr. ¡°Yes. Mister Silver,¡± he replied. There are still two and half hours to four and Hanson indentured said they will send girls within an hour. So, they will have enough time to take a brief rest before I will give them the choice. I hope, not many of them would leave. I need to bring at least eighty girls back. If too many leave, then I might be forced to buy more contracts. In such times, I want to curse myself for this excessive mortality. It became a shackle, but if I did not do it, I cannot sleep in peace, and I really like peaceful sleep. ¡°Mr. Silver, Jonah Thomas, is waiting for you in the parlor,¡± informed Vikdyr. I nodded. Soon, I entered the parlor and found Jonah waiting there. ¡°Have you finished it?¡± I asked as I sat down in front of him. ¡°These are the mercenary teams within your budget and rating you have asked for,¡± he said, and handed me the papers. I have brought the twelve guards, but I do not feel it is enough. So, I had asked Jonah to go to the mercenary guild and find a small mercenary team with a good record. I begin to look through the teams and couldn¡¯t notice one thing. ¡°There seemed to be many people from Mayhurst island,¡± I said. Many of the mercenaries are from Mayhurst island. ¡°Condition is extremely bad there. Those who can run away, do it,¡± he said. ¡°Though very few could get past the blockade,¡± I said. The lich¡¯s forces not only attacked all the kingdoms on the island, but also created a naval blockade around the sea. It makes escaping every hard. Only a quarter of those who run away safely escape from the blockade. Finally, I looked through all the thirty-one interested mercenary teams and selected the one. It is fairly new, formed a little over two months ago, but their record is great. I wouldn¡¯t have chosen them, if not for seeing the name of the familiar woman. She had used their services and rated them. She did not seem like a person who would give such a great rating without a thought. ¡°Hire them,¡± I said and forwarded the page. ¡°Stone mercenaries,¡± he said as he took the page. Jonah left for the mercenary guild, while I had gone to my suite and worked a little, before resting. At right four, I have walked out of my suite. Click! ¡°Mr. Silver, they are ready.¡± Said Vikdyr as I reached the hall. ¡°Thank you, Vickdyr,¡± I said and opened the door, and walked inside. As I walked inside, I felt the eyes of a hundred people. One hundred and thirteen girls standing in a neat line. Looking at me with all sorts of expressions. There are also four guards. As I entered the hall, two have appeared behind me. ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted. There was no response. All of them just kept looking at me. ¡°I will get directly to the point then,¡± I said, and my expression turned serious. ¡°There are two choices in front of you. First is to come with me to Greltheaven and work in my establishment, and second, leave.¡± ¡°Those who want to leave, I will release you from your contract with five thousand cro...elem as severance toward your future,¡± I state and immediately, great change appeared on every girl¡¯s face. ¡°You are joking, right? I never get why you rich people like to play such sick games,¡± said blond hair woman in her mid-forties. ¡°I am not joking, and this is not any sick play. I am giving you the same choice that I had given to all the girls in my establishment,¡± I said. ¡°And you will pay us with five thousand elem on top of freeing us from our contract?¡± asked a dark-haired woman in her late twenties. ¡°Thanks, what I had said,¡± I said. ¡°It is quite hard to believe,¡± said the young woman with red hair. I said nothing to that. ¡°You all have four hours to decide. So, think hard,¡± I said and walked toward the door. ¡°Are you a Silver from Greltheaven?¡± asked the voice, and I turned. It is a teen girl with curly green hair. She is one of the girls I brought today, one of the three with non-human blood. ¡°Yes. I am Remus Silver,¡± I answered and looked at the girl, but seeing she had no more questions, I opened the door and walked out. .... Senar ¡°Why do you ask that question? Didn¡¯t I tell you we were brought by someone from Greltheaven,¡± I said to the teen girl, who I had not seen in years. She was so little when I had seen her for the first time, but in just five years, she had grown and become beautiful. ¡°You didn¡¯t say it was silver,¡± said Elah. ¡°What does it matter? If what he says is right, then we are going to be free soon,¡± I said, with a big smile appeared on my face. I am so happy that I am smiling ear to ear, without caring for my canines. ¡°It matters. Matters a lot,¡± said the teen, and my expression couldn¡¯t help but turn serious. ¡°You aren¡¯t thinking about staying, are you? You do remember saying you wanted to be free. What happened to that?¡± I asked, with hints of anger seeping into my voice. This young girl was a light in a dark for me. Despite being born in a brothel, she dreamed about being free. Never losing hope, no matter how bleak things were. ¡°I have grown up,¡± said the young girl softly and turned to me. ¡°Do you know what happened to us whores when we became free?¡± She questioned. It is such a simple question, but it had filled me with sadness because I know. Most who became free came back to the brothel. Life is hard outside the brothel, so hard that many return to it. The same place they desire to escape. ¡°It will be still better than being in a brothel. Especially for me,¡± I said, and I could see hurt appearing in the teen girl''s eyes. One of the reasons I like this little girl is because she never pitied me. Even those who were disgusted by me pitied me. It is the emotion I hate the most. For a minute, nobody spoke. We just stared at the garden ahead. I had been here for two days, and it is the most beautiful place I had ever been. I was a little surprised when those two women had told us we were free to move around the mansion, as long as we do not go few restricted areas. Since the first day, except for eating and sleeping. I had spent nearly every minute here in this beautiful garden. ¡°Do you know why I had asked, if he was Silver from Greltheaven?¡± she asked. I wanted to reply with something snarky since I am still angry with her, but I controlled my emotions and shook my head. ¡°About one and half months ago, Liam Boris had come to the brothel for his monthly visits to Madam Lucy,¡± she said. Liam Boris is a powerful man who owns several brothels. He is a violent man. I had been hit by him more times than I could count. ¡°I was there cleaning the room when he said some shocking things,¡± said the teen girl, with her expression becoming very serious. ¡°What sort of things?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask, seeing such a serious expression on her face. ¡°Things you will not dare to believe,¡± replied the young girl and turned to me with deep black eyes. For a minute, she did not speak, but when she did, every word that came out of her mouth sent an earthquake into my heart. I did not dare to believe it. I couldn¡¯t. There is no way those things could be true. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 85: River Bandits Chapter 85: River Bandits ¡°I will tell you, girls. By staying, you have made the best decision of your life.¡± Carla said to the one hundred and one women standing in front of her. To be honest, the number of girls who stayed had shocked me. With past experience, I thought, I would have left with around eighty girls, or even seventy. That would have forced me to buy more contracts and extend my stay by a day. ¡°I could see many of you are not willing to believe me and only chose to stay because there was no choice.¡± ¡°Whatever your reason may be, it is the best decision you all have made and will see it in a day,¡± finished Carla. The girls had no change in their expressions hearing her words. As she had said, most stayed because there was no choice. The whore who left the business eventually returned to it. ¡°Sleep early today. Tomorrow, we will leave at dawn,¡± I said to them, before walking out of the hall with Carla and Caena. I had just walked out of the hall and saw Jonah is waiting for me. ¡°Mr. Silver, the stone mercenaries, has arrived,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s meet them,¡± I said, and we walked toward the parlor. I have hired them for the day, but they will be finished well before that. As we will reach the Greltheaven by early afternoon. Soon, I reached the parlor, and immediately seven people stood up to see me. They are the stone mercenaries. I looked at them, and could easily see all of them are from Mayhurst island. Their sun-kissed skin tone is very easy to recognize. I turned to the leader. He is a big man who looked to be in his early to mid-forties. He is at least six foot five or more. Giant blood clearly. Have a thick mane of golden hair and amethyst eyes, turning his below-average face into handsome one. By his side is a huge steel great sword, which is at least five feet long. Even with their natural strength, giant bloods did not use such abomination weapons. Sitting beside him is a man named Jon Sands. He is a lean man about the same age as him. With a handsome face and blue eyes that felt sharp as a sword. He is a rogue. On the left side of them were two people: siblings, Stena and Shaun Carter. They are in their late twenties with black hair and faint yellow eyes. Their parents have blessed them with good genes as man is handsome and women are pretty. The man is a mage, and the woman is an archer. On the right side of the Stone and Jon are three people. The first one is a teen, with somber brown eyes. The young man is Eli Gest, a tamer/ scout. Sitting beside him was an elf-blood woman in her late twenties with short blue hair. She is Zela Taras, a water mage with the ability to cast some healing spells. The last one beside her is a short-haired man in his mid-twenties. He has blond hair and a silver stud in his earns that seemed to give out a spunky feel. His name is Hugo Bent, and he is a warrior. I have to say, there is a great team. A well-balanced one. Especially with mages. It is hard to see the teams with one mage, but they have two, including the one who could cast healing spells. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± the big man greeted, ¡°Captain Stone,¡± I said back and sat down. ¡°I assume Jonah had provided you with the details of the work?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, he had,¡± he replied. I talked to him and his teams for half an hour, giving them inputs, before going back to my room to sleep. ... ¡°Caena and guards have taken the girls to port ten minutes,¡± said Carla as I walked into the parlor. ¡°Let¡¯s leave then,¡± I said and walked out of the mansion. ¡°Have a safe journey, Mr. Silver,¡± said Vikdyr as we reach the door of the mansion. ¡°Thank you, Vikdyr,¡± I said with a smile. Half-elf had been very good, and I have shown my appreciation through the tip I had left for him. It is still dark, but the sun is out, and it is getting brighter by the minute. I nodded at Stone and the other guards and sat in the carriage and a minute later; the carriage rolled out of the gates of the mansion. Even at dawn, the city is active, but the carriage is moving more freely. We will reach the port sooner than it would usually take during the day. ¡°The trip was successful,¡± said Carla. I smiled at that, as it is a success. We got everything we wanted and even could watch the wonderful duel. ¡°We are still in Owlspring. Say that, when we reach Greltheaven,¡± I said. I will not consider it a success till I reach home safely. I don¡¯t think there would be any problem. I have booked the ship, and the route is safe. Many groups of river bandits had been dealt with, and in the past week, there is not been a single attack. Owlspring and Greltheaven had done a good job dealing with them. I wish they had done just as well at dealing with bandits in Nakar forest. They have been plaguing the baronies. Looting, raiding, and killing, while the forces of the empire could only watch. It is not just the gorlag bandits that are doing that, but also other groups who got the courage to see them. I had got a message yesterday that my brother had been looted. It couldn¡¯t help but make me happy. I wish I had been there to see his face. They have a serious problem, and I hope they will do something about it before it truly gets out of control. Forty minutes later, the carriage stopped, and we got out into the bright sky. I looked at the sky, before turning to the ship. I have booked the whole passenger ship. A ferry, to be exact. It has a capacity of one hundred and fifty people. It is not a common ferry. It is one of the luxury ones. Costing three times more than the ordinary ferry ship would have cost me. They have better seats and more leg space. More importantly, it is big, with enough space to move around to enjoy the river and scenery around it. It is a short distance journey and will take around six hours for us to reach the Greltheaven. If it had been a long distance, I would have booked the ships with beds, but for such a short distance, there is no need. The ship''s name is Loza. It is a long white ship, with a curved stern. Soon, I reached the ship and climbed into it, where a middle-aged man was waiting. ¡°Mister Silver, welcome to Loza.¡± said a middle-aged man. ¡°Thank you, Captain Seron,¡± I said as I shook his hand. ¡°If all your preparations are made, we can leave in five minutes.¡± He said, and I turned to Caena and Johan, who have come. They nodded. ¡°We can leave immediately,¡± I replied. ¡°Ok, then. I will start the ship,¡± he said, and walked toward the control deck, while I turned to Caena and Johan. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, all the girls counted and seated,¡± replied Caena. ¡°The guards are also in their position.¡± Informed Jonah. ¡°Good,¡± I said and walked with Caena and Carla, while Stone and Jonah followed behind. Soon, we reached the small private on the ship, which had even better seats and views. A few minutes later, the runes across the ship light up and a few seconds after that, the ship begins to move out of the port. ¡°The city is great but expensive. The accessories you have brought from Namdar had been cheaper than from here,¡± said Carla, as we watched the ship sailing in confluence. ¡°Namdar is not cheaper. I had got the friend discount there,¡± I replied. Looking at the prices here, I know she had given me a huge discount. I will soon have to buy a huge number of accessories. What I had brought in Owlspring is supplementary to what I have, but I will need more for these girls before they debuted. I planned on sending Eudo for that; I hope the staff of the studio will be ready by then. Soon, the boat sailed out of the confluence into the Trollmouth river that was formed it. The Trollmouth river is wide, wider than Northhare and Vale, that is made of. So, the potential of trade that Greltheaven represents is greater than Owlspring. Having potential does not mean we will succeed. It requires political will, better policy, and favorable geopolitics along with some luck. The Greltheaven has half of these things and half will need work. The optimal time is running out as the death of the emperor, going to make things a lot more volatile, which is not favorable in a hundred ways. I shook my head, as I can¡¯t do much about it. Still, I am doing as much as I can through my small position as the legal adviser. An hour passed, and we have crossed the territory of merchant cities and entered the Renwall region. The boundary is visible. That even a simpleton would recognize it. The side of merchant cities is completely verdant, while the empire''s side is completely barren. When I came, it was dark, and I did not see it clearly, but now the difference is clear. The Renwell region is barren, dependent on others for nearly everything. I sighed and took out the book from my bag. I had barely got any chance to read since I came to Owlspring, but now that I have a few hours to kill, I could read a book. Thanks to my Reading skill, my speed is quite fast. In the first two months since I had come here, I did not think I could finish my reading target. That thought now had completely disappeared, all thanks to my wonderful skill. Even with resistance, I could read much faster; not simply read, but also understand. Now, even with much less time to read, I would be able to finish my target in less than half a year. The skills are such amazing things. They made everything great. I read for two hours before getting up and walking to the big deck. Much bigger than the common ferry ships. I nodded at the guards before coming to the wooden railings and watching the water. It is clear and harmless to drink. One could say that about the earth¡¯s rivers. A few minutes passed, and I took a step to leave, when suddenly, the teen Eli, the tamer, took out his sword. ¡°Bandits!¡± he screamed loudly, and at that exact moment, I saw the gentle flowing water rippling and figures started to shoot out of it. Keep reading as a patron on . Chapter 86: Assassins Chapter 86: Assassins ¡°Bandits!¡± shouted Stone and Jonah behind me, while I took off the rapier in my hand and turn toward the bandits. Two mages and an archer from the Stones team had already launched their spells and arrows. What made me surprised is the preparation of river bandits. The spells and arrows were halfway through when the protective shields formed on their bodies. They also moved mid-air in practiced grace to avoid the spells and arrows. ¡°Target Locked,¡± shouted the tall man with a mask looking at me, and immediately, I felt my body freeze. I could not move at all. I tried, I struggled, but could do nothing. It immediately made panic rise in my heart. They are coming from me and seeing their numbers; they are fully prepared to kill me. There are over thirty of them, while I only have nineteen guards. ¡°Protect!¡± Stone screamed and moved toward bandits, while Jonah and other guards, including mage Zela, move to surround me. Thud Thud Thud The masked river bandits landed on the deck one after another. They came at me in perfect teamwork, while Stone and others moved to intercept. The difference in numbers did not seem to faze them. ¡°Unshackle,¡± said someone behind me, and I felt a hand on my shoulder, and immediately, I unfroze. ¡°Mister Silver, get into the seating area,¡± said Jon and disappeared. The next second, he appeared beside Hugo, who was moving toward the bandits coming from the other side of the deck. ¡°Mister Silver, let''s go,¡± Jonah said and took me toward the seating area, while Stone reached the bandits and what happened next was quite shocking. He swung that big sword of his, and it moved so fast that it slashed through the bandit, cutting him in two. Seeing such a swing killing, I couldn¡¯t help but get shocked. If it had been a normal bandit, nobody would have been shocked, but the one who had been killed was quite powerful. At least a Level 20, but Stone had killed him in a second. It shocked me, but this shock is nothing to be compared to what happened next. It had simply blown my mind. The two bloodied parts of the person turned into the water and fell down on the deck with a splash. ¡®Water clone,¡¯ I thought, and my expression has turned bad. Not only me but others too, as they also understood what it means. Water clone is a powerful skill. A skill that is very rare and only those of Level 30 and above have it. It had disadvantages, but in front of massive advantages, they are nothing. Most importantly, with water clone. They will not have to care about their life. They could come at me with reckless abandon. ¡°Target Charge!¡± It is an order, but also a skill, seeing the change appearing on the bodies of bandits. As all of them had charged toward me. It had scared me to my life, seeing all of them coming toward me to take my life and they would only need a single will-place attack to finish me up. ¡°Protect The Ward!¡± Stone ordered with skill while slashing another bandit, a woman this time. Her two parts, too, turned to water and splashed on the deck. It is not only the Stone who had killed but also Jon who pierces his dagger into the skull of a person, while the Stena attacked with a barrage of mana bullets. Most defended, but one hit the man''s chest, turning him into a puddle of water. Still, it did not make me happy. As they are closing fast, and we are killing too slowly. At least, the guards are gathered around me and more and are blocking the way. It took less than three seconds before the bandits approached the guards protecting me. They came from all sides, and my guards moved to stop them. Using their blades, spells and arrows, but despite all that, I am not feeling confident that they will be able to block it all. I had just thought that when a thin masked man materialized in front of me. ¡°Die, silver!¡± it shouted and attacked me with a dagger, at a very fast speed. I am panicking seeing the attack, but I reacted instantly. I swung my rapier in defense, using everything I have. I used the Weighted Strike and also the Consecutive Strikes, despite knowing it will give me only a faint increase, but even that would be helpful for me. Clang! My sword clashed against its dagger, and it surprised him. He had not thought I could defend against the attack. I did not come out unscathed while defending against its powerful attack. I am feeling a heavy shock in my arm; it sorts of numb, but I was used to it. Instructor David used the power and skills that are above me in our training. Every day, he would barrage me with such attacks. ¡°You bastard!¡± He cursed angrily and attacked me again, and I responded instantly, without caring for the shock and pain I had in my hands. Clang Clang Clang He begins to attack me with daggers and I defended while thanking the god that it was attacking me with the water clone. This bastard is very skillful and powerful. At least Level 20, like most bandits, but due to being a clone, his skills, and power are suppressed. Still, he is far more powerful than me and the only reason I am defending is training and a little bit of talent. Rip! Finally, his dagger succeeded in dodging my sword and slashed through my chest. The injury would have been deadly. If I hadn¡¯t dodged the attack, taking a step back with Quick Steps and Surefoot at the last moment. The slash is not serious, but not a scratch either, and is hurting like hell. It is having some kind of pain skill attached to it, which is giving me blinding pain. Clang! ¡°Why don¡¯t you just die!¡± he shouted in frustration and attacked me and I responded through pain and injuries while raising questions in my heart. ¡®Why isn¡¯t anyone coming to help me?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help, but ask myself. I am fighting for my life, here, using everything I have to survive a second more, but my luck won¡¯t last forever. Even with few skills and slashed attributes, it will kill me. If I did not get the help sooner. I wanted to look at what is happening around me, but I did not dare to. A distraction for a fraction of a second would cost me my life. So, I will keep fighting till I take a last breath. Rip! I defended a few more attacks when I got slashed once again. This time, one the shoulder bone, very close to my neck. ¡°There is no other choice for you but to die. So, why are you resisting?¡± it asked as it attacked me. If I had any doubts before, they are now cleared. Someone is trying to kill me and hired these assassins for it. These were no bandits, but a group of assassins, who specialized in assassinations over water. I wish I was surprised, but I am not. There are many people who want to kill me. The enemies of the house of silver. The people who killed my father. My business competitors or someone I had made the enemy unknowingly. I don¡¯t know who it is, but if I survived it. I will find them and kill them in the worst way possible. Clang Rip Clang It continued attacking me, and I had defended the most, but some of them hit me. A few of them are bleeding a lot, which started to make me a little lightheaded. I have to thank this bastard for the pain skill. It is the reason I am so wide awake and still fighting. If the pain turned off, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight as I am doing right now. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to use this skill on a weakling like you, but you have forced me,¡± he said, and before I could even say anything, the dagger in his hands lighted up in a grey light. My eyes widened in horror as I saw the speed and power of the attack and know there is no way I could defend against this attack. Despite knowing that, I attacked with a rapier. I know it is futile, but I don¡¯t want to be frozen in front of death. I want to face it head-on. Time seemed to slow down in face of the death. The dagger slow down in front of me, and my saber barely seemed to be moving compared to it. The dagger came closer and closer and closer to me till there were barely a few inches between us. I have no doubt it will reach me soon and decapitate me. SLASH! I was sure of that when I saw a huge steel blade appear over the head of the assassin and came down. Its speed was so fast that, that even the slowness in front of me barely seemed to have any effect. I saw the man splitting into two, from blood to innards coming out, while the dagger kept coming closer to me. It was less than an inch away from my neck when the dagger turned into the water like the body holding it. Behind the falling water, Stone is standing with a huge sword in his hand. A moment ago, it was wet with blood, now it is dripping water. He only remained there for a moment before turning to the battle, which is still raging, but to my surprise, more than half of the bandits had already been finished. The other half, including the one who seemed to be the leader facing off against Jon, are trying their all to come close to me. Gulp! Without taking my eyes off the battle, I took out the healing potion bottle from my pocket and gulped it down. A moment later, a cool energy filled my body and begin to heal my injuries. ¡°Mister Silver. Please move to the seatings, it would be safe there,¡± said Eli, but I immediately shook my head. ¡°I am fine here,¡± I said. I would very much like to be safe, but I couldn¡¯t go there. It will risk the safety of the girls. Hun! I was looking at the girls when I saw a figure jumping at the back of the ship. I had just opened my mouth to warn when suddenly, a fireball seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and smashed into the head of a bandit which had just landed on the deck. Instantly turning him into a puddle of water. ¡°You saw that, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked Eli, who nodded, dumbfounded as I was feeling. What happened is shocking, because mages, we have been on this side of the ship, while only one guard was on the other side. Our mages are busy fighting the bandits. If they had cast the fireball, it would materialize here and went there, but that fireball was strange. It had materialized the moment the bandit touched the ship, right next to his head. It crashed on the head immediately, without giving the assassin even a moment to defend. It was quite shocking and strange. I thought for a few seconds before pushing those distracting thoughts away. Currently, it did not matter how the assassin is dealt with. The only thing matter is that it had happened. I will think about it when I am safe. I turned to battle where now my guards are overpowering the bandits. Finishing their numbers one after another, but even then, the bandits are trying their all to come at me, launching their attacks, which would be dealt with, before they reached me. A few seconds passed, and finally, every bandit turned into the water, except for one. The leader, who had jumped on the bowsprit. While Stone stood in front of him, ready to block any attack from him. ¡°Who are you, and who paid you for my assassination?¡± I asked, and the masked man turned to me. ¡°You know most of the time assassination failed not due to the ability of assassins, but because of faulty intelligence,¡± he said with melancholically, ignoring my question. ¡°If we had the correct information, especially about this powerful gentleman¡¯s team. We wouldn¡¯t have failed so miserably,¡± he lamented, looking at Stone. ¡°Give me the name of the person who hired you and I will pay double the amount he paid you,¡± I said to him. ¡°That, unfortunately, I could not do that, Remus Silver,¡± he said, finally acknowledging me. I smiled at that as I kind of expected it, before my expression turned serious and I looked directly at the sea-blue eyes of the assassin. ¡°Today I am weak. Have nothing, but remember, there will be a day when I will not be this weak and powerless.¡± ¡°When that day comes, I will do everything to find you,¡± I said to him and also to myself. It is a promise. ¡°Good. I will be waiting,¡± he said before his whole body turned into the water and fell into the river. ¡°I guess there is no way you might be able to catch one of them?¡± I asked to stone. To that, he shook his head. ¡°These people have come well prepared. If we went to catch them, we will end up losing our lives,¡± he replied. I had expected it, but it still couldn¡¯t disappoint me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be disappointed, Mister Silver. You have survived a powerful assassination attempt. A few would have been that lucky,¡± said Jonah, and all I could do was nod. I am struggling to find the best uploading time. I would very much welcome suggestions from you guys (Pacific Time).Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 87: Failed Chapter 87: Failed ¡°They failed,¡± said the man behind an intricately carved violet table. ¡°They said it was an intelligence failure. It is what made them fail,¡± said the old man sitting in front of him. He had been waiting for hours, unable to sleep even for an hour. All in hope of hearing the good news. ¡°Losers always have excuses,¡± he said, what his father always says. He had used those words on him just a few days ago. He was so angry that he had decided to take action against Remus Silver, paying for it from his own pocket. And what happened? Those bastard¡¯s assassins failed. ¡°This will not be the last opportunity. We will get another soon enough,¡± said the old man, and he nodded. Since he has already started, there is no need to stop. .... Warrior Lv. 9 A notification appeared in front of me. Surprising me. I had not thought I would level up from it, seeing I had barely fought with the assassin for a minute. Though it had nearly killed me. If not for timely rescue from the Stone. They would have been looking at my dead body right now. This level-up will help me. If I had leveled up my warrior class once again. I would gain an attribute point. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to Zela, as she cast another healing spell on me. She had cast one a few minutes ago and now had cast another one. She nodded and walked toward another guard and cast a healing spell on them. I am not the only one who had been injured. With reckless momentum, the assassins come for me. It is already a great surprise, there are no fatalities. ¡®They will pay,¡¯ I promised once again. Not only assassins but also those who hired them. It will be difficult to find them, but as I had said to the assassin, I will use everything to find him, and I will. I stayed on deck for ten more minutes while guards surrounded me. They are in their position, more alert than before. The assassins could come back. Many times, assassins act like they retreated, before being attacked with even greater force. I finally got up and walked toward the seating area, with guards ahead and behind me. The girls watched me as I passed by them. I nodded at a few of them, even smiled. They are scared and so I am, but I could not show that. So, I smiled lightly in confidence as they looked at me with fear and trepidation. Caena and Carla are among the girls, reassuring them. Especially the teens. Soon, I reached the seating area and sat down, and a few minutes later, Carla and Caena appeared beside me. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Carla. ¡°Fine,¡± I replied with a smile. I am feeling anything, but fine and she knows it as well, as she gave me the look. She said nothing, but took my hand in hers, without caring for anyone looking. Usually, she refrains from doing such things and maintains a professional persona in public, but not now. I am glad she did not. Her presence, and her touch, are reassuring. I smiled at her, this time genuinely, before closing my eyes. It is dangerous, but there are guards around me. If they are not able to stop the threat, then I am good as dead. I tried to sleep, but after more than half an hour of trying, I gave up and opened my eyes. I tried to focus my mind on something else, but I couldn¡¯t read more than a line, so I simply took out the diary from my bad and begin to write whatever I have in my mind. Writing always relaxes me. It did not need to be about the experience, just the task of doing that is enough. I felt myself calming down as I wrote. When I looked at what I wrote, it couldn¡¯t help but be surprised me. I kept writing for half an hour, before stopping and closing my eyes to think but fell into sleep unknowingly. ¡°Remus, we have arrived,¡± said Carla as she gently shook me away. I opened my eyes and turned. I saw the port of Greltheaven in front of me. It is busy, as always, filled with people. I smiled seeing that, as I got up and walked out of the seating area, seeing Margaux and a few other old girls talking to the new girls. ¡°Captain Seron, till we meet again,¡± I said to Captain, who was waiting by the exit. ¡°I hope next time we meet. You will enjoy our hospitality better,¡± he said. I smiled at that and walked out under the protection of the guards. Carla and Caena will take time. They have over a hundred girls to handle; it will take time. I had just walked out of the guild when I saw a familiar person come running toward me. ¡°Remus, are you fine? I heard the assassins have attacked you.¡± Said Locke as he looked at me, especially my clothes, which are still torn and bloodied. ¡°It was just a minor attack. Stone and Jonah have protected me,¡± I replied. He looked like he did believe me. ¡°I am glad you had survived,¡± he said after a moment of silence. ¡°So, anything new happened while I was gone?¡± I asked, clearly changing the subject from what happened. ¡°Nothing interesting, aside from the few interactions we had about the Deerpond. I will tell you about them when you return to the guild,¡± he said. I nodded and walked toward the carriage. I want to reach the establishment as soon as possible. It is the only place I feel safe. I sat in my carriage with Jon and Zela entering after me, while Stone, Jonah, and others on both sides of the carriage were on horses. The trip to the establishment was silent. It was not an awkward silence. They seemed to understand I was not in the mood for even small talk and stayed silent. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I walked out. The first thing I did is to look at the establishment. It had been only four days but felt like weeks since I have seen the establishment. ¡°Jonah, Stone. Thank you for protecting me. Without you and your teams, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here today,¡± I said, and those words have come out from the bottom of my heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank us. It is what you had hired us, Mister Silver.¡± Said, Jonah. I smiled at that, before turning to the big man. ¡°Stone, can I talk to you in my office for a minute?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course, Mr. Silver,¡± he said. Nodding at Jonah, I walked toward the establishment, while Stone followed behind with two of his teammates. As I entered the hall, I saw the girls looking at me. They were surprised looking at my state but did not ask a question. Click! I reached my office and entered inside and turned to Stone. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± I said to them. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Silver,¡± he said and sat in front of me with teammates, while I took out my diary and tear open and page from it. ¡°I am going to be direct with you, Stone. I want to hire you and your team services for a longer time, and this is what I am willing to offer,¡± I said and slid the page toward him. He did not even look at the page. ¡°My apologies, mister Silver, but w¡± he was speaking when he suddenly stopped and looked at both of his teammates before turning back to me. ¡°Can I get back to you about this, Mister Silver?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure,¡± I said. He nodded and finally look at the page. A faint surprise appeared on his face, but he quickly disappeared as he took the page. A minute later, I saw him and his team leaving through the gate. I hope he accepts; he is very good. Better than Jonah and his team and if it is not for them, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting in this room. I had offered Jonah and Dan the same thing a few months ago, but they decline due to the contract they have with their mercenary company. This team is independent, but the chances of them accepting are less, given how smoothly he was about to reject my offer, before being stopped by his teammate. His reaction tells me that I am not the only one who had offered him. There might be quite a few employers who might have done the same. Which is not surprising, seeing how good his team is. Their teamwork is excellent with the balance of classes. Not to mention, they have two mages and two people who are close to Level 30 or might be at Level 30. A minute later, I had got up and walked out of my office, and went to my room. My injuries have nearly healed, but my clothes are torn with signs of blood on my clothes and body. In my room, I strip all my clothes and walked into the shower. Scrubbing all the dried blood nearly obsessively till not even smell had remained, before coming out of the shower. I remained in the shower for nearly half an hour before I came out and change into the new cloth before walking out. When I reached my office, I found Carla sitting there. ¡°Have all the girls arrived?¡± I asked, ¡°Yes. Margaux and Caena are giving them the tour of the establishment,¡± she replied. ¡°After the tour, bring them to me. We have contracts to sign,¡± I said. ¡°Ok,¡± she said. ¡°And tell those girls they have to give me the answer tomorrow,¡± I said. She nodded at that. I have taken out six girls from the job, three of which left, while Lauren joined the studio. There are still other two, who had yet to be decided. I had given them ten days in the beginning, but they had asked for more time, while they try different things and I agree. Today is the last. Tomorrow, they will have to give me the answer or I will decide in what way they will serve their contract. The next one and a half hours passed in silence. I could tell Carla wanted to say something, but she did not. She just stayed by me in silence.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Visit Patreon for Advance Chapters. Chapter 88: Decision Chapter 88: Decision Stone ¡°So, what have you all been able to find out?¡± I asked. As we all gathered in the private room of the restaurant. The whole yesterday and today, we have spent gathering information about the Remus Silver. It is they, not me, who were gathering the information while I remained in the inn, drinking. I am against working under anyone, but since the moment of founding our group, we have decided to take in each other¡¯s views before making a big decision. So, the meeting. ¡°The things I heard about him were surprisingly good,¡± said Shaun. Immediately getting a glare from his older sister. ¡°Of course, you will find them good. Since it is a whorehouse,¡± snapped his older sister. ¡°At least I have desires. I am not a complete monk like you,¡± he said back, which made Stena glower at him angrily. ¡°The information I got from the grey guild. Is also favorable, some of the things there I read were a kind of shocking,¡± said Jon and forwarded the binder. I did not even look at it. ¡°The thing is Stone, we need money. We had sold everything we have to heal from the injuries.¡± ¡°The money will buy us the gear. Eli a monster, Stena and me spells, and many other things,¡± said Zela, hitting him hard with her words. She is the one who stopped him from directly rejecting Remus Silvers'' offer. ¡°If we continued with the individual missions. It will take us years to buy everything we need. Working long term for one individual will halve that time to half,¡± said Jon, and I wish I could refute him. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t forget, he had enemies. One of whom has hired assassins to kill him,¡± said Stena, and I nearly patted her back. ¡°Anyone rich and powerful has enemies have Stena. The clients who offered us jobs had even more powerful enemies than him,¡± replied Jon. ¡°But he is a pimp,¡± she said. A little forcefully. ¡°What did it have to do with us? If we control ourselves, it will be like any other job,¡± he said, looking at all the men, especially at Shaun. ¡°We should just vote. It is much less easy than needless arguing,¡± spoke Hugo finally, and we all looked at each other, before starting to vote. .... Lawyer Lv. 19 Agent of Experience Lv. 13 The texts were in front of me when I woke up. Seeing the level up, a smile lit up on my face. The advancement of my base class is no surprise, but my Lawyer Class is. As I had expected to level-up in it yesterday, after signing over a hundred contracts, not the next morning. Still, I am happy at level up. Late as it may be. Class: Agent of Experience (Lv. 13) Lawyer (Lv. 9) Warrior (Lv.9) Charisma: 12 Intelligence: 10 Vitality: 7 Strength: 8 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Sense ¡¤ Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker 7 Strength: 7 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Sense ¡¤ Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Consecutive Strikes ¡¤ Quick Steps ¡¤ Fast Reading ¡¤ Price Is Right ¡¤ Weighted Strike ¡¤ Lawful Suggestions ¡¤ Sure Foot ¡¤ Sight Through Veil Attribute Points: 0 I closed the interface with a slight regret of not getting any skill from the level up. I had got no skill in my secondary classes since I returned from the Namdar. Though, at the next level up. I am going to get it. Over 90% of people receive new skills at the capstone. I closed the interface and turned to Carla, who was sleeping soundly. I rarely woke up before her. She looked beautiful even in her sleep, that I couldn¡¯t help but gently kiss her on the temple before getting up. I have to get ready for training and I am going to ask instructor David to go even harder on me. Click! A few hours passed when I walked into my office, with my body shaking. Instructor David had gone hard as I had asked him to and it was painful, but I will continue. It is because of this training; I had survived against that assassin, and I want to continue doing that. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t push yourself this hard,¡± said Carla worriedly as I sat down gently. ¡°It is fine,¡± I said and opened the file of yesterday night''s earnings. As always, everything is written neatly. I read the file and made notes in my diary, before turning to them. ¡°Carla, ask Ina whether she still wants the job. It will be of assistant madam,¡± I said, surprising both of them. ¡°Master Silver, the girls might have increased, but I am confident in handling them,¡± said Margaux. The hurt is clear in her eyes. ¡°It is not about your abilities, Margaux. You are doing a wonderful job, but the establishment needs another madam ready for emergencies and expansion,¡± I explained, and she calmed down. ¡°My apologies for overreacting, Master Silver,¡± she apologized. I smiled at her before my expression turned serious. ¡°Bring the girls. I want to hear what they have decided,¡± I said to Margaux. She nodded and got up. I hope they have decided, if they have not, then I will have to decide, and I already have a list of things where they could serve their contracts. ¡°Wanda and Cressa come in,¡± said Margaux as she opened the door. It seemed like she had already had them wait outside my office, knowing I will ask about them first thing in the morning. A few seconds later, Wanda and Cressa walked inside. Wanda is a woman raven-haired woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She had brown eyes and a small face, which made look delicate. Cressa was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She had platinum blond hair, which she had colored from brown, but since Eudo had done the work, it was indistinguishable. She had bright blue eyes and full lips, making her seductive. She had worked on this look with the help of an acting teacher. She had really become good at it. If it wasn¡¯t for those few things, I wouldn¡¯t have pulled her out. ¡°Master Silver,¡± they greeted. ¡°Wanda, Cressa. Have you decided?¡± I asked directly. ¡°Yes,¡± said Cressa, while Wanda nodded. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. It is always better that they decide on them instead of me deciding for them. ¡°What have you decided?¡± I asked them. ¡°I want to be a chef,¡± said Wanda. ¡°I want to be a bartender,¡± said Cressa, a little hesitantly, and it had truly surprised me. Hearing Wanda¡¯s choice, I am not surprised. Cooking is one of the classes she is taking from the beginning, along with the music. The notes from her teacher had said that she was good enough to start working as a kitchen porter. If she hadn¡¯t made the choice, I would have sent her to the kitchen. It is Cressa¡¯s choice that had surprised me. She is a good painter, and I thought she chose a field related to that, but no, she chose bartending, which had been learning for not over two weeks. ¡°Are you sure about your choices?¡± I asked them, making my voice especially heavy to let them understand the gravity of their choices. ¡°Yes,¡± they said in unison. ¡°Good,¡± I said and turned to Margaux. ¡°Tell the head chef. Wanda will start working as a kitchen porter from today and Cressa will continue to learn, till Jamel thinks she is ready to work in a bar,¡± I said. ¡°I will tell them,¡± said Margaux. She left with the girls soon after, leaving only Carla and me alone in the office. ¡°Yesterday you have experienced horrific. Don¡¯t react directly, take a rest, and think about what you have to do,¡± said Carla. Hearing that, I stopped what I was working on and turned to her with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not hurt myself, but the training is necessary,¡± I said. I saw her watching when I was training. It might have seemed extreme, and it was, but with instructor David¡¯s skills, the risk is manageable. ¡°I hope so,¡± she said a moment later. She left but soon came back, bringing Ina with her. ¡°So, you accept the job?¡± I asked Ina, after explaining what her new job will entail. ¡°I do,¡± replied Ina, with eyes filled with excitement. She will be junior to Margaux and not even earn 10% of what she is earning. She is the higher-earning girl in the establishment, but she did not seem to care about that. I looked into her eyes and saw something that made a smile appear on my face bigger. Ambition. This girl had ambition. I hadn¡¯t seen this emotion in her eyes before, but now she has it. I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy seeing that. It is good to be ambitious; it is one of the qualities I want girls to have. ¡°You will start from today, learning the ropes from Carla and Margaux.¡± ¡°You will attend a few lessons on management and have the choice to get one teacher in your desired field,¡± I said. ¡°I understand,¡± she replied. Hearing that, I slid the contract toward her. She read it whole before signing it. ¡°From today, you will be a trainee madam. After your training, is over, you will be an assistant madam.¡± I said to her. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity. Master Silver, I will not disappoint you,¡± she said, with tears dripping from her eyes. She wiped the tears a second later before leaving the room. Leaving Carla and me alone again. ¡°She did not seem like an emotional type,¡± I said as the door closed. ¡°The opportunity means a lot to her,¡± Carla replied, sounding a little emotional. ¡°Still, I am quite surprised she had accepted the job so quickly. Considering she will not even earn a twentieth of what she was earning till now,¡± I said, and Carla gave me the look. The look that said I shouldn¡¯t disparage her intelligence. Visit Patreon for Advance Chapters. Chapter 89: New Chef Chapter 89: New Chef Click! I was discussing some things with Carla when the door opened, and Margaux walked in. When I looked at her, I froze, forgetting what I was talking about. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. She is angry. I had never seen her this angry. It is a bubbling, raging anger. ¡°I had gone to the head chef to tell him to let Wanda work in a kitchen from today, but he said he will never let a whore work in his kitchen. He will not do it, even if you had asked him.,¡± she said, with a shaking voice. ¡°That bastard,¡± cursed Carla, with anger apparent in her voice. ¡°Is he in the kitchen?¡± I asked as I got up from my chair. ¡°Yes,¡± Margaux replied. I nodded and walked out of my office with Carla and Margaux following behind me. I had just stepped out when I saw Wanda. She was crying. Seeing me, she quickly wiped away her eyes, but I could see the tears and pain. She must have been present when she heard those words. I smiled at her reassuringly and walked down the stairs. Soon, I reached the ground floor and walked straight into the kitchen. All the kitchen staff stopped in their preparations. Including the blond bearded middle-aged man, who was checking vegetables, stopped and turned toward me. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± he greeted after a second of silence. ¡°Allen, you had said something about Wanda working in the kitchen?¡± I asked directly. His expressions change a little, and he looked at Wanda and Margaux behind me. I could see flashes of anger appearing in his eyes, but he controlled his emotions as he turned to me. ¡°I am fine with my assistants teaching your whores, but I draw the line with them working in my kitchen,¡± ¡°That is not acceptable to me,¡± he said, and hearing that, I smiled and could see a slight relief flooding in expressions seeing me smile. ¡°Well, if it is unacceptable to you, then the establishment does not require your services any further. Your employment is terminated effective immediately,¡± I said without changing my expression. While my expression had not changed, his has. ¡°You are joking. I am a Level 28 Chef. You will find anyone of my level in this city immediately and if I leave, more than half of the kitchen staff leave with me.¡± he said with an obvious threat. ¡°It is fine if you take all of them. I have money. I will have a new staff working in the kitchen by tomorrow,¡± I said, looking at all the kitchen staff. A third of which is brought by Allen. He glared at me before turning to the kitchen staff. ¡°All of you come. I already have an offer. They are willing to give us a better salary and a bigger kitchen to work in.¡± He said to them with a smile on his face, but within a few seconds, that smile begin to slip away. Half a minute passed and not a single one had taken a step toward him. Even those who had been with him for over a decade, are unwilling to leave with him. ¡°Bastards!¡± he cursed angrily and turned to me. ¡°You will regret this, Silver,¡± he said and walked out of the kitchen. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little regret seeing him leave. He was a good chef. Those levels were for nothing, but he had crossed the line. So, even if he had been Level 30 or above, I still would have fired him. ¡°Go to the employment guild and get a chef at Level 25+. Money is not a problem,¡± I said to Carla. ¡°I will leave immediately,¡± she said, walking away. Usually, she sends people, but now the time is of the essence. There are only a six and half hours till opening and I need a chef before that. If I did not find a chef, I will close the establishment for a day. I could not lower the quality of the experience. I would rather close the establishment than provide a subpar experience. There are some chefs here that are Level 20 and above, but they are not good enough. It is not just about levels, sometimes talents also matter, and these people have quite a road to cross before reaching Allen¡¯s level. ¡°Gentlemen, thank you for staying. You will not regret this choice,¡± I thanked the kitchen staff before turning to Wanda. ¡°This is Wanda Blanc; she will be working with you from today,¡± I stated. ¡°Welcome to the kitchen Wanda,¡± they said in unison. I smiled, seeing that before walking out of the kitchen. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux. ¡°What¡¯s there to thank?¡± I ask. That bastard crossed a line and deserved to be fired. I will not tolerate someone like him, no matter how high-leveled he is. Soon, I am in my office working. I had planned to go to the guild, at least for an hour, but it wouldn¡¯t be possible now. I really hope Carla finds the chef; I rather not want to close the establishment. It will give my competitor a chance to claw some ground, small as it might be. Not to mention money. I will lose money, the girls will lose money. .... Drev ¡°We have arrived, Mr. Drev,¡± said the guard, who introduced himself Omab as the carriage stopped. I nodded and walked out of it, and immediately my eyes fell on the brothel. The best brothel in Greltheaven, as people called it. I have seen it many times from the street, but it is my first time seeing it so close. I wanted to come here hearing all the talk about it but didn¡¯t have money. Everything I earn needs to go into paying back Liam. If it wasn¡¯t for him. I would have been rotting in the jail of Teveb. ¡°This way, Mr. Drev,¡± he said and took me toward the mansion, but not at the main door, but toward the back. There is a garden and building on its right, from where I saw a woman coming out and froze. She is beautiful and glowing radiantly. She seemed to sense me looking at her and turned toward me before smiling enchantingly. ¡°Uhoo,¡± I was looking at her when the guard coughed, making her laugh, while I turned to the guard apologetically and followed him. Though not before stealing another glance at her, who is still looking at me with a mirthful smile. ¡°If you were hired for the job. I would advise you to keep your conduct professional. Mister Silver does not tolerate any misconduct toward his girls; the head chef is fired due to that,¡± the guard informed as we entered the building through the back. The owner had fired the head chef, and now they need someone before the business opened in the evening. I think this hurry is the only reason they have come to me. If they had a day more, they wouldn¡¯t have come for me, given my record. Nobody wants to hire someone who burned down the two restaurants. As I entered inside, I got surprised immediately, seeing how well-designed the brothel was. Sometimes, things look nice on the outside, but bad inside. ¡°Mister Silver is in the chef''s office,¡± said a middle-aged bald guard who was standing by the stairs. Omab nodded and took a turn and soon we appeared at the door of the kitchen. It is of medium size, with around twenty people working. They all looked at me as I entered. They looked surprised as they saw me, and so I am. Of twenty-some people, I saw a woman there. Far more beautiful than a man or woman standing beside her. She is very new. I am experienced in the kitchen enough to tell who is seasoned and who is not. ¡°Mister Silver, I have brought Chef Drev Eshton.¡± Said Omab as he knocked on the brown door. Click! A moment later, a strikingly beautiful with flaming red hair opened the door. ¡°Chef Eshton, come in,¡± she said and invited in. As I entered the small office, I saw another beautiful woman there. I felt like my mind being frozen. I had seen four women since entering this place, and all four of them were the most beautiful women. I had seen in my whole life. ¡°Mr. Eshton, take a seat,¡± said the voice and only then, I noticed someone else is present in this small office. I looked at the person and was surprised to see a young man, even younger than me, sitting behind the table while standing on both sides of him, were beautiful women. Remus Silver, the owner of the most famous brothel of Greltheaven. I thought he would be older. With all the things I have heard about him. ¡°Thank you, Mister Silver,¡± I said and sat down, as I looked at the raven-haired young man. He is handsome with sharp eyes, and feeling those eyes at me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little subconscious. I controlled my emotions. I need this job, as short as it may be, as it will go into my resume. It is the first interview since that incident. It is important I get the job. It could be said, my future depends on it. ¡°You seemed too young to be Level 25. Chef Eshton,¡± he said. It is a question I heard many times, especially in these past three months. They all said the same thing before throwing me out. ¡°You also seemed to be too young to be running the brothel, Mister Silver,¡± I said, before I could stop myself, and looked at him, expecting to see anger. These young men from rich families get angry too quickly, but when I looked at him, I saw him smiling, but soon his expression turned serious. ¡°We need a chef urgently, and you fit the requirements. Normally, I would not even see you near the gates of my establishment with your record, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°I will hire you for a week, but first let me see how good you are,¡± he added and slid the page toward me. ¡°You can cook them, right?¡± he asked. All of them are classic dishes of the western Zenid. Though different variation of them exists, they are not noted down. ¡°Yes, I can cook them,¡± I replied. ... I watched the young man cutting the vegetables. His movements are practiced, and his eyes are focused. It shouldn¡¯t be surprising given he is a Level 25 chef. Though, he does not look like one. He is just twenty-three, and he had to face. That made him look even younger. If he hadn¡¯t been verified by the employment guild, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it. He is a handsome man with aqua-blue hair and maroon eyes, which seemed a little strange to me, despite looking normal. He seemed good, but if I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t have hired him. He burned restaurants. Not one, but two, the last he did just a few months ago. He had burned it all to the ashes. There is not much information about it, other than saying he was experimenting. He was experimenting with magical ingredients. Magical ingredients are dangerous; only those with sufficient training could handle them. In the spa, we use a lot of magical ingredients, and the people there follow the strict to handle them. Not all magical materials are dangerous. They turned dangerous when handled wrongly. Time passed as I watched him cook, the more I watched, the more impressed I would become. He not only has a plethora of skills but also seemed quite experienced. I have watched Allen, and he did not impress me as this man is doing. Finally, he finished cooking and started to make the plates, and I have to say, he is quite a food artist. Far surpassing Allen in that department. ¡°The food is ready, Mister Silver,¡± he said as he set plates for three on the table. ¡°Shall we,¡± I said to Margaux and Carla. We sat at the table and ate as he served us, and I was once again surprised. The quality of the food is equal to the best restaurant I had eaten at in Owlspring. The chef they had was at level 30. Levels are important, but so is talent, and he has both. Visit Patreon for Advance Chapters.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 90: Adviser Chapter 90: Adviser ¡°Good morning, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux and Ina as I enter my office after my training, which was just as painful as yesterday. It is the first day Ina is attending the morning meeting. She seemed excited about it. ¡°Good morning, ladies,¡± I said to three of them, before sitting on my chair. Immediately, I opened the file in front of me and a faint surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. There is an increase of hundred and forty-seven thousand crowns. 95% is from food and drinks. It is the biggest increase in more than two weeks. ¡°The new chef, how is he?¡± I asked, and the face of Margaux and Ina lit up at the question. ¡°He is amazing. More than thirty people yesterday praised the food. Seven even called the chef himself to thank him,¡± said Margaux excitedly and I wish I could share her excitement. That man had burned the restaurants, and the sooner he got out of my establishment, the better. Carla already working on finding a suitable replacement for Allen. ¡°There was a guard on him, right?¡± I asked. To which she nodded. ¡°Yes, two guards with the sharpest eyes were always around him. Keeping eyes on everything he does,¡± she replied. ¡°How are the new girls adjusting?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. We have already started their spa treatments and all of them have finished answering their sheets,¡± replied Ina, while motioning to the four piles of papers on my desk. I looked at piles and felt excitement and a headache at the same time. We have to note and analyze the answers they have written. At such times, I miss the computer the most. It is based on this data; we will know their interests and assign them, the teachers, to foster those interests. Speaking of teachers, we will also need to hire more of them. The teachers we have are not enough for a hundred new girls. A few minutes passed, and Margaux and Ina got up to leave after they have done with their business. ¡°Ina stay. The two of us would not be enough to sort these things,¡± said Carla, motioning toward the piles of pages. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± asked Margaux. ¡°No, you have enough responsibilities already,¡± replied Carla. Margaux nodded and walked out, while Ina sat back in the chair. ¡°Let¡¯s begin. It is going to take a lot of time,¡± I said, and Carla took the first set and handed it to Ina. ¡°Start from name and then questions and answers they have written,¡± instructed Carla. Ina nodded and turned to the first page. ¡°Name, Senar Olgard...¡± Ina begins, while Carla begins to write. She is the best choice to write. She had got a skill about it. Ina read while Carla wrote. Her voice is clear that Carla never asked her to repeat her. When she was done, it was my turn. I have the details of their classes and skills, along with the notes I have made about them. The details of their classes are not only from me but also from the stores. They have provided the complete details on the girls. The merchants of Owlspring keep a much better record of the girls than of the Namdar. Or maybe it is just waris scent. I have only brought the contracts from him in the Namdar. Time passed as we continued to note down answers and details of the girls. It is going fast; we will be able to finish writing down soon and then we can analyze and decide on the things they need to learn and hire teachers accordingly. In two hours and ten minutes, we have finished writing down all their information and began analyzing. Ina is so good at it that I am surprised by it. She had an analytical mind and could think more deeply than most people. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, unlike most girls. She had not chosen even a single art class, even the one I had chosen for her, had to be stopped. Her teacher had come to me, nearly begging me to relieve her of teaching Ina. Saying she does not iota of artistic talent. She had been learning mathematics since the beginning and started philosophy and history, along with geography, after she stopped taking the art class. Hun! It had been a little over three hours since we started working when I saw the gates of the establishment opening and the carriage coming inside from the corner of my eye. Only a list of people could come directly, like Marina and Aydin. Others stopped at the gates. If they came outside of business hours. The carriage stopped, and to my surprise, Stone walked out with Jon and Zela. I did not think he would come since I did not hear from him yesterday, but he did. I did not let myself get too excited. There is a high chance he had come to reject my offer, seeing how he nearly did when I had asked him two days ago. ¡°We should take a break,¡± I said as I put my diary aside. ¡°I will come back in a few minutes,¡± said Ina. ¡°Stay,¡± I said, to her surprise. ¡°Though you and Carla will need to sit there,¡± I added, pointing to the sofa. ''Master Silver. The stone mercenaries have arrived,¡¯ said Jill through the new magical intercom. ¡°Sent them in,¡± I said to her, and after a few seconds, Stone walked inside with Jon and Zela. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± greeted Stone, before casting a glance at Carla and Ina sitting sofa. ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± I said to them. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Stone, as they sat. There was silence after they sat. I waited for them; they waited for me. ¡°We have decided to accept the offer of your employment,¡± said Zela finally. ¡°But a year is unacceptable to us. We would like it to be six months long,¡± added Stone. ¡°That is fine,¡± I said with a smile, surprising them a little. I knew there is only a small chance they will accept a year of employment. I had just written it to gain the edge, and I have got it. ¡°When can you start?¡± I asked. ¡°From tomorrow,¡± replied Stone with his face twitching. He does not like the way negotiations are going. ¡°Any problem with salary?¡± I asked, ¡°No,¡± this time, it is Jon who replied. They better not have any problem with it. I am paying much higher than the market price. At this price, I would have gotten more mercenaries of the same level, but they wouldn¡¯t be trusted or rather clean. It had been only three months; they have come from the Mayhurst. It is unlikely they are secretly working for someone. They are safer to hire than seasoned mercenaries with years of experience. ¡°Sign, these contracts to seal your employment,¡± I said, and handed them the contract. Stone and Jon did not touch the contract, only Zela did. She took it in her hand and begin to read it, and soon a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. By the time she finished reading it. That expression had appeared on her face a couple of times. She placed her contracts down and took Stone¡¯s contract to read. There is one thing to learn from the tech giants of the earth. Give them so many services and amenities that people wouldn¡¯t leave, even if they wanted to. It is way, they keep the best talents, even in a competitive market. So, I have given them much more than salaries. From accommodation, and food, to other things. I want them to stay long-term. For it, even if I had to spend more, I will do it. It is worth it, seeing as it is a matter of life and death. ¡°They are good,¡± said Zela, and immediately Stone and Jon signed their contracts, along with Zela. ¡°Welcome aboard. I hope you will have a pleasant experience working for me.¡± I said and shook their hands. They left after discussing a few things; they will be start working from tomorrow. With the other four members of their team signing the contracts by the evening. ¡°Let¡¯s continue,¡± I said the moment the door closed. Carla and Ina once again sat in front of me, and we continued. It would be great if we could finish it by three. I have a visit to the guild. Locke had sent me a message yesterday to come today, at least for an hour, as he needed my opinion on a few things. Carla has to leave too; she needs to go to the employment guild for the chef. Drev is too much of a risk to keep. I cannot have him burn down my establishment. Soon it was two, and we have nearly finished. Fifteen minutes more and we will be done. Carla will take the list of teachers and post it in the employment guild and with the salaries, we are offering. We will have no problem getting the teachers we need. Hun! We were working when I saw a carriage coming through the gates. It is an enchanted carriage and seemed familiar. I was thinking that when I noticed something which made my eyes go wide in surprise. ¡°It bears the flag of the city,¡± said Carla. Soon, two people walked out and immediately recognized them. The short man is Kent. He is the clerk of Count Darrow, while the other person is a guard, who usually is present in the meeting chambers. I don¡¯t know why they are here. It may be related to that strange meeting or maybe something else. I thought about it before pushing the thoughts away. I will know the reason soon enough. ¡®Master Silver, the people from Count Darrow¡¯s office are here,¡¯ informed Jill through the magical intercom. Click! ¡°Sent them in,¡± I said and a second later, the door opened and two people walked inside. ¡°Remus Silver, Count Darrow had summoned your presence,¡± said Kent, the clerk, before I could even greet them. ¡°Now?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, immediately,¡± he replied. ¡°Can I at least change into better clothes?¡± I asked. While I am wearing good enough clothes for a meeting, it is Count Darrow I am meeting. I have to present myself better, lest he takes offense. ¡°You look presentable enough,¡± he said, clearly rejecting my request. Seeing I would not get any time, I got up from my seat. ¡°Can you tell me why Count Darrow had summoned me?¡± I asked as we got out of my office. ¡°Don¡¯t know, Lord Count had asked us to bring you to him. We are just following the orders,¡± he replied. I don¡¯t think I have done something that warranted such an urgent summons, but you could never guess with the nobles. Soon, we got out of the establishment and sat in the carriage with them. In a minute, we were out of the establishment. It took around twenty minutes for the carriage to reach the palace of Count Darrow before entering the inside. The carriage stopped, and we stepped out before walking toward the doors of the palace. The closer we got to it, the more nervous I became. I don¡¯t know why count Darrow had called me and that is making me nervous. Soon we reached the doors and entered inside. It is my first-time entering a palace without the company of the butler and assistant butler. The palace is vast, and we need to walk for more than ten minutes before stopping in front of unfamiliar large doors. ¡°Secretory Marta, we have brought the Remus Silver, as you had asked.¡± said the short man, to the white-haired woman who looked to be in her mid-sixties. Marta Winters, secretory of Count Darrow. She said to be one of the people he trusts the most. ¡°You both can go,¡± she said as she dismissed them and turned to me. ¡°Sit there Remus Silver. Lord Count will see you in a few minutes.¡± She spoke. I nodded and sat down on a luxurious chair before taking the magazine to read. Half an hour passed and then another half, but even then, I am still waiting. I hid everything I am feeling in my heart and focused on reading the magazine. Click! A little more than ten minutes passed when the door opened and three people walked out. Seeing them, I couldn¡¯t help but became surprised. Commander Atticus, the leader of Greltheaven forces. Guildmaster Hardt, leader of the merchant guild, and Guild-master Albelda, leader of the Mage guild. She is the second High-Mage the city has. Sent to the city by prince Grelt, like the other High-Mage. They looked at me, and to my great surprise, nodded before walking away. I have come across them many times before, but they never had such an acknowledgment of me. Especially Commander Atticus. And is that jealousy I saw on Damon Hardt¡¯s face? ¡°Remus Silver, Lord Count, is ready to see you now,¡± informed Marta. I nodded and quickly controlled my expression before walking toward the door. I walk through the door and find myself in an expansive study. Filled with books and artwork. It was decorated wonderfully. The only flaw it had there been too much artwork. If he lessened this cluttered. It would look even more amazing. ¡°Lord Count. Lord Lancel,¡± I greeted Count Darrow, sitting behind the table and his son, on the chair by the window. ¡°Young Silver, sit,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said as I sat down. While he and his son looked at me, the silence stretched. ¡°Do you know why I had summoned you?¡± he asked nearly a minute later. ¡°No, my lord,¡± I answer, without using any excessive words. ¡°I had called you here to give you a job offer,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised. I had expected many things, but not this. ¡°It would be my honor to be a service to you in any way possible,¡± I replied. Not explicitly agreeing. I would be mad to directly agree, before hearing what job he is trying to offer me. ¡°I want you to serve as an adviser to my son,¡± he said, and it had truly shocked me. So much so that I wasn¡¯t able to keep my emotions in control. I can¡¯t blame myself; the news is too much and unexpected. It may seem like I should have guessed given the interview, but things are not so simple here. Many things needed to be looked for in this job. Allegiance, profession, and age, among other things. I do not fit into any criteria. As my allegiance is unknown or neutral, considering I am a member of a house of silver, my allegiance is to them and whoever they had allegiance to. As for my profession, it is not also something good. Something they will not have for an adviser, even in this world. How the general public thinks matters and a whoremaster as an adviser does not sound good. Last is my age; I am only eighteen. Though, my real age is thirty-four, counting both my lifetime. So, it is quite shocking seeing him offer me this position. ¡°Do you accept?¡± he asked, and it is a heavy question. As accepting this decision will change the whole trajectory of my life. I will be officially counted in the camp of Prince Grelt. Though I am nothing and no adversary of Prince or Count will assassin at me. At least not yet. If it had been a week ago, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted it. The risks were too high, but now, it will be a shield for me. ¡°It would be my greatest honor to serve Lord Lancel in any capacity,¡± I said. He smiled, but his son glared. Seeing that I know the job will not be easy, but I never liked easy. Though, I feel a little sad about Locke, from now on I won''t be able to help him, as much as I am doing before. With this new position, I won¡¯t be a legal adviser to the merchant guild.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 91: Difficult Chapter 91: Difficult ¡°I will inform you of my decision soon, Lewis,¡± I said to the middle-aged man. ¡°I will be waiting, Adviser Silver,¡± said the man with a fawning smile. I smiled and walked away with Carla and Jill. Adviser, it had been nine days since I have become the adviser of Lord Lancel Wilstein of House Ravenheart. Everybody knows about it since the papers had published the news and the public had taken it better than I had imagined. It had also come with a lot of privileges. Like when I was looking for an office property to rent, the owner himself had come to show them. The job is not easy, it could be said that bastard Lancel is trying to make it hard as possible for me. It turned out he had chosen someone else, but Count Darrow had chosen me for him. He is angry about it and acting spoiled. Making the job extremely difficult, even hell. So, I could quit on my own. Well, that will not happen. I had been awake the whole night, going through the directories of taxes, because he needed advice on one very particular issue of a particular case. I wish it was the only night I had not slept, but it was not. It is the fourth in nine days. I have never been so grateful for my reading skill as I am feeling nearly every day since I got the job. It had helped me tremendously and since I am using it so extensively, nearly all the resistance had vanished. It was not easy to bend the skill, but I did and now I am reaping the benefits. ¡°What do you think about it?¡± asked Carla. ¡°The one on the seventh floor with the view is good. I think I will take it,¡± I answered. I have watched over fourteen office spaces today, and three in the building I had been to. ¡°Good. I will inform him of your decision by evening.¡± Said, Carla. I am looking for office space. It is not something the Count or that bastard Lancel had asked, but something I am doing on my own. I have become an Adviser to Lancel, who will one day rule this city. I can¡¯t operate from the brothel, even though I am a whoremaster. I need an office in the administrative district. Closer to the palace and the city hall. It is also the reason I am staying in the house every other day or trying to when Lancel isn¡¯t asking me to burn the midnight oil for petty things. Though it is frustrating, it is also enriching my knowledge, and it helped in the multiple meetings I had with Count Darrow and his advisers. Soon, we reached the establishment, and Jon opened the door after the carriage stopped. ¡°You should sleep,¡± said Carla. ¡°I will, but first I have to do a job,¡± I said and Carla turned. ¡°Hugo, ask Drev to come to Master Silver''s office in ten minutes,¡± said Carla. Most of the time, I did not need to tell her things. She understands on their own. I had decided to hire Drev Eshton more permanently because there was no choice. He had elevated the experience of the establishment, taking it to the next level. So, I needed to hire a chef, at least good as him, a seemingly impossible task. I was able to bring a level 30 chef from Inam, but even he was no good as Drev. Who is becoming better every day. People have praised the food of the establishment Margaux and Carla, but also me. Even I got used to the delicious food made by him. That left me no choice but to hire him. The man who burned restaurants, till I find a good replacement. ... ¡°You can go in, Chef Eshton,¡± said the young girl, sounding a lot older than she is. ¡°Thank you, jill,¡± I said to the young girl, who likes sour things. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It is not bad,¡± she said softly, seeing my nervousness, and immediately I felt relieved. While he extended my employment by a week, two days ago. Seeing him calling me to his office suddenly. I assumed the worse, but her words assured me it is not. I nodded my thanks and walked inside the office, past Shaun and Stena, who were guarding the door. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± I greeted the young man as I entered inside. ¡°Take a seat. Chef Eshton,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you. Mister Silver,¡± I said and sat beside enchanting Carla, whose beauty is enthralling. ¡°I am planning on extending your contract for three months, but before that. I need to know about a few things, and I hope you will answer them truthfully,¡± he said. Clearly stating if he is not satisfied. He might not extend my contract. ¡°I will answer them to the best of my abilities,¡± I said, not promising anything. He did not seem angry by the vagueness of my answer, seeing he smiled instead of getting angry. ¡°I will start with the most important question then. Why do you burn the two restaurants you were working in Teveb?¡± he asked. I had expected. It is the most common question all people had asked when I went to seek the job. ¡°Technically, I had only burned one restaurant. I only burned the kitchen of the first one,¡± I replied, but he did not seem amused by my smart-ass answer, seeing him staring at me, without change in his expression. ¡°As for why I had burned the restaurant. I was experimenting with magical ingredients,¡± I answered. These experiments had destroyed my career, but they were also the reason I had leveled up so quickly. Burning of ¡®Haler¡¯ was the worst day of my life, but it is also the day I leveled up twice. From Level 23, I reached Level 25. ¡°You should have stopped, or at least controlled yourself, after the first incident.¡± He said the same thing Liam had said. ¡°I wanted to, but I couldn¡¯t,¡± I replied, feeling ashamed. ¡°Why not?¡± He asked, and I opened my mouth to speak the same words I had spoken so many times when I was asked this question. I tried to speak, but no words would come out. I first thought it was some sort of skill that was trying to stop me from speaking a lie, but it turned out to be me. My heart is telling me a lie would be bad. I should be truthful. ¡°The urges or the curiosity, if you call them. Wouldn¡¯t let me rest in peace unless I try.¡± I said finally and looked at him. To my surprise, he just nodded as if understands what I am feeling and not called me crazy, as most people have. ¡°I will give you an offer, Chef Eshton. Do your work, without any incident, for three months and I will not only extend your contracts for a longer period but also construct a separate kitchen and fund your experiments with magical ingredients,¡± he said, shocking me to my core. It took me more than a minute before I was able to think straight. ¡°You are not joking, are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Why would I joke?¡± he asked back seriously. ¡°You are an excellent chef and if you could craft the food from magical materials. It will be favorable to my business,¡± he explained. ¡°That makes sense,¡± I said, while still shocked by what he said. I tried to not let the excitement fill me. It might be just an empty promise. As what he had promised will cost huge money. Many people will think twice before committing to something like that. Still, if it happened. I will be able to explore my lifelong dream. ¡°Here¡¯s the contract. There will be no changes in it,¡± he said and slid a contract at me. It is a lot bigger than a one-week contract I had signed twice. I begin to read the contract, and immediately, a surprise appeared on my face. Even though he said there will be no changes, I had planned to haggle for a salary, if it seemed less, but seeing the number, that desire had vanished. It is better than what I would have asked him. As I read the contract further, a bigger smile appeared on my face. As finally, I will get the freedom a head chef should have. Till now, I did not have the freedom to change the menu. I have been cooking what the previous chef had decided, but now, I get complete freedom. I could now change the menu and also ask for any tool. I might need to cook the dishes. Thankfully, the reward clause is present in this contract like in the previous contract, where I will have all tips that the customer gives specifically in my name. It differs from the tips servers get. The establishment does not keep any commission like my previous restaurants used to do. Though there is a stipulation that I much share it with the kitchen staff. I have been doing that, sharing 60% of it with the kitchen staff, even though only 50% is required by the contract. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited as I read it. I have many ideas about the menu. The menu the previous chef had created, is quite bland, to be honest. There was no creativity or spirit in it. Though, all the changes need to be pre-approved, and, like always. I could not cook without the presence of at least one guard around me. Those bastards are always watching my every movement. Even when I am not in the kitchen. I read the whole contract twice in case I had missed anything, but everything was good. So, I took the pen and signed it and immediately felt its binding effect. ¡°Welcome to the establishment, Chef Eshton,¡± he said as he shook my hand. ¡°Thank you, Mister Silver,¡± I replied, before walking out of the room. .... Senar I was sitting in the garden bathing in the moonlight when I saw a beautiful young girl coming out of the spa. She looked radiant, her skin glowing under the moonlight. She used to feel jealous of that. She feels jealous of her even now, but the feeling has diminished. She was walking toward the establishment when she noticed me and turned. ¡°It is a beautiful night, isn¡¯t it,¡± said Elah as she sat beside me. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I replied. Beautiful or not, I loved the garden and the serenity it brings me. I have come here every night for at least an hour since I had come to this amazing place. ¡°Your skin is looking quite radiant. What treatment did you take?¡± I asked her. The evening time is for them; after five, the working girls prepare for work, while we trainees, as they called us, get to enjoy the spa. In these eleven days, I had gone to the spa four times, getting six treatments that had transformed me. ¡°Hesla flower bath,¡± she said, and I nearly sucked my breath. It is one of the most painful treatments, but the result it produces is also amazing. ¡°You look nice too,¡± she said, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel my cheeks reddening. It feels strange to be praised for my physical appearance. I was always called ugly and an abomination by some. I looked at my hands with smooth, glowing skin. Even when I used my skill, I did not get such smooth, glowing skin. It is on a completely different level. It is not just my skin that had transformed, but also my hair, nail, and other things. My frizzy hair became silky and shiny, and cut to the shoulder from long. When I look at myself in the mirror, I couldn¡¯t recognize the person standing in front of me for a whole second, before realizing it¡¯s me. ¡°Have you decided on the classes?¡± she asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°No, I am still trying different things,¡± I replied, feeling a little ashamed. It is another thing; I am jealous of her. She knew what she wanted and started lessons on it. While I am still trying on different classes, to see which one love. Till now, I have found anything that interests me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will find it soon.¡± She said reassuringly. I smiled. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I got up. It is time for my last class today and I don¡¯t want to be late. I got up and was about to leave when I suddenly stopped and turn to a young girl. ¡°Thank you. If it hadn¡¯t been for you. I would have missed the greatest opportunity of my life,¡± I said to her. Feeling genuinely grateful to her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t thank me, sister Senar. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t even have been alive,¡± she replied, and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I remember that horrific incident. I still bore the scars of it. Chapter 92: Mirador Hold Attacked Chapter 92: Mirador Hold Attacked ¡°Is everything ready?¡± asked the handsome pale young man. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± replied the man in a grey robe. ¡°Then send the welcome party to our new neighbors,¡± said the young man. ¡°As you command,¡± said the man in a grey robe in pleasure. ..... Knock Knock I was in a deep sleep when a loud knock rang out on my door. ¡°Fucking bastard!¡± I cursed loudly in anger as I got up. The first thing I did was look at the watch. It is one am. I had slept for only four hours. I thought I would get an undisturbed sleep tonight, but it seemed like I was wrong. That bastard Lancel didn¡¯t want to let me have even one night in peace. ¡°I will be ready in a minute,¡± I said, and quickly washed my face in the bathroom and changed into the clothes I had placed on the table before sleeping. Lancel doesn¡¯t like it when I am late. I need to get to him within half an hour of summoning, or get even angry. He will not be present. It will be his assistant, telling me the task, he left for me, before he went to sleep a few minutes ago. Which is a flat lie, he just timed summons, to make me frustrated. Five minutes after waking up, I am ready. Click! ¡°Mister Silver, Lord Lancel had summoned you urgently,¡± informed Zela. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said and climb down the stairs of my house, with Stone and Zela following behind me. Sometimes, I regret hiring stone mercenaries. As before them, Lancel would have needed to send his men. Now, he just sent the message to my mages, making things frustrating for me. I had reached the first floor when I found Jill coming out, looking ready. She did not look sleepy, like half of the girls of the establishment. She also had the skill that let her operate on less sleep, unlike me, who needs to sleep for at least six hours. Soon, we reached the carriage, where the driver opened the door within a few seconds. The carriage is moving fast toward the palace. At midnight, there was no traffic. We had reached the palace within fourteen minutes. The gates opened after guards looked at me and checked my credentials. They look especially focused tonight. Soon, the carrier reached my reserved spot, and I got out. Getting immediately surprised. There are more carriages than usually there are. At the same time, I also noticed there are more guards patrolling the palace than usually are, looking a lot more alert. Like the guards at the gates. Seeing that, the frustration and anger caused by sleep deprivation disappeared. It is clear something had happened. ¡°Adviser Silver. Lord Lancel had asked to appear in Lord Count''s study,¡± informed the guard. ¡°Thank you, Simon,¡± I said to the guard and walked toward the study. Nearly jogged, while feeling eyes all over me. It is not just the security of the outside that had tightened, but also of the inside. I became even more sure something had happened. Soon, I reached the study and saw Secretary Marta at her usual spot. She is usually not present at this time. ¡°You can go inside, young Remus,¡± she said, as I reach the study. I nodded my thanks and walked toward the door. Click! I pushed the door and entered the study. There are many people inside. Aside from Count Darrow and Lancel, there are also three advisers of Count Darrow. High Mages York and Commander Atticus. All of them had tense expressions on their faces. ¡°My Lords,¡± I bowed. ¡°Commander Atticus,¡± I greeted, before quietly walking inside and standing behind Lancel. ¡°Are you sure, it is not a full-scale attack?¡± asked Count Darrow. ¡°Yes. I am sure. Fifty thousand undead is a small number. It is just them teasing us,¡± replied Commander Atticus. ¡°It is not just a guise, they are using to hide their real attack?¡± he asked. ¡°They used this strategy before. So, I can¡¯t deny it entirely, but agree with Commander Harrison of it being a tease attack,¡± answered Commander Atticus. I am shocked by what I heard. By these words, I could easily guess that Mirador Hold had been attacked by the undead of Navr. The first attack of such scale they have launched on us in these past three years. Fifty thousand undead may seem huge, but they are not. I have read everything I could about the undead after the island and from the past attacks of hundreds of years. I know it requires far more than fifty thousand undead to crush the Mirador Hold. ¡°Fucking bastards. They are not willing to give us even a year of peace,¡± cursed Count Darrow. It had been exactly five months since the city had been inaugurated. We had hoped the undead would let us live in peace for at least a year before doing something, but I guessed we were wrong. ¡°It is going to be complete chaos tomorrow,¡± said Lancel, and Count Darrow massaged his head. It will be a complete shit show. The news is going to spread and once it does. People will panic and they will try to leave the city, the same will be with business. If not handled correctly, it is going to cause a lot of damage, that will need the city months to recover from. It is that if it is a tease attack. If it is an actual attack, then the city will need to raise its defenses and I might need to think about running away. ¡®Lord Count, the advisory council had gathered,¡¯ said Marta through the magical intercom. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Count Darrow, and got up before walking out of the study. I followed behind with the rest. ¡°You have come early,¡± said Lancel as we walked toward the conference room. ¡°I came as fast as I could,¡± I replied politely, as always. ¡°It would be great if you keep arriving such fast in the future,¡± he said with a hint of mocking. ¡°As you wish, my lord,¡± I said. Soon, we reached conference room 5. Reserved for the advisory council meeting. ¡°My lord,¡± All of them got up and bowed as Count Darrow entered. ¡°At ease,¡± he said as he sat down. Lancel and Commander Atticus sat on his left and right while I stood behind Lancel. With a clear view of Damon Hardt, who was sitting in the opposite row. He smiled at me as I looked at him, but I could see jealousy and a little anger and hate. I heard he was also interviewed for the adviser¡¯s position but did not get it. While it is a level lower than his advisory council position, but my position is closer to the leadership. Thus, could wield more power. He would give up his position on the advisory council within a moment to become an adviser to Lancel. ¡°I have summoned you all here to inform you of important news,¡± he said as he looked at all of them, while the High Mage York whispered something to his ear, which only he could hear. ¡°The undead of Navr had attacked the Mirador hold with the number of fifty thousand.¡± ¡°Commander Harrison of Mirador Hold and Commander Atticus believe it is a tease attack.¡± ¡°According to the latest information, Commander Harrison had sent a first company to fight them and is confident, in crushing them before dawn,¡± he informed the people who suffered mild fear to horror on their faces. This is the advisory council. Every person here is powerful and influential and holds important positions in the city. From Damon Hardt, the leader of the Merchant Guild, to the priest Harold of the god of war, everyone is important. More than half of them had never seen the undead, but they heard the horrors of them. From the war in Mayhurst to the attack on the island that we faced. ¡°Are we really sure it is a tease attack and not the bastard launching a full attack in the guise of it? They have done it before,¡± asked the priest to the god of war. ¡°95% chance it is not.¡± ¡°The signs are not there and also, they will gain nothing for that. The region''s populations hadn¡¯t reached high enough for them to launch the full-scale attack for the bodies,¡± replied Count Darrow in confidence. That seemed to soothe away a lot of fear. ¡°Still, we need to prepare. If this is an actual attack,¡± said Damon Hardt. ¡°We are prepared,¡± commander Atticus replied gruffly. ¡°The important thing is, the news is going to spread, and once it does. It is going to cause a lot of damage. So, we have to manage it very carefully to minimize the damage.¡± ¡°Does anyone have any idea how we will achieve that?¡± he asked and looked at the table. The attack is important, but ripples caused by it are most important as they cause long-lasting damage. They are very dangerous for the new city, like Greltheaven, where trade had just started budding. The big business hadn¡¯t invested enough to be at the root of this place. If they sense the dangers, they will cut short their losses and will leave. It would be very bad for the city. ¡°We should contain the news as long as we could and closed the gates of the city. If Commander Harrison can wipe those wretched undead, we will just say it is a minor skirmish.¡± ¡°By evening, everything will calm down,¡± said the Priest, more than half of the people nodded with him. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ I cursed. ¡°It will not work. Even If the undead is dealt with by morning, and we announced it. The news will still cause panic if we close the gates. We will have riots in our hands,¡± said Count Darrow. Such an approach might work in the middle regions of the Empire, but not here. Where the undead is a constant threat and had ravaged this entire region a few years ago. ¡°It will be much better to have restricted entry and exit. Along with containment of news, as long as possible,¡± said High Mage Albelda. The leader of Mage Guild. This is bad as the first choice, even worse. People will riot. ¡°It is not the best option, but seemed to be the only wise one,¡± said Count Darrow and turned toward the table. ¡°Does anyone have any better idea?¡± asked Count Darrow, and nobody spoke. I have an idea, but it is risky, and if it did not work. Losing this position of adviser would be the last thing I would need to worry about. ¡°Remus has it. He had told me on the way here and I think it is pretty good,¡± said Lancel and every eye turned to me. ¡®Fucking bastard!¡¯ I cursed. He did it again. It is not the first time he did something like this, but this time, the stakes are high. ¡°Do you have a better idea Remus?¡± asked Count Darrow, and I wish, I could say no, but that is not a choice I have. ¡®Fuck it!¡¯ ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, and he looked at me to explain. ¡°If we are sure the commander Harrison¡¯s forces will deal with the undead by dawn, then we shouldn¡¯t hide the news. ¡°We should indeed publish it to the whole city, like any normal news, and even keep the gates opened as they are on any other day,¡± I said to the shock of all sitting. Even Count Darrow and Lancel seemed shocked by it. ¡°Are you mad, Remus? If the whole city comes to know about it, people will leave, the business will leave.¡± ¡°They will desert the entire city by the evening,¡± said Damon Hardt. ¡°We will have to be careful about how we tell the public and instill confidence in the security through various ways,¡± ¡°Yes, the people will hear the news, and a lot of them will leave, but there will not be any riot. If we project everything is normal, people will act normal and those who are gone will come back.¡± ¡°Most importantly, this will reduce the losses to the city by a lot,¡± I finished. ¡°This is madness, it will not work,¡± said the Priest. This bastard hates me, he was one of the vocal opponents of my position as an adviser. He hates me for the simple reason that I own a brothel. ¡°Priest Harold is right. The plan is madness,¡± said Damon Hardt, and a few others nodded at him. Nobody said anything and turned to Count Darrow, who was silent, thinking. ¡°If we act, according to your plan. What would be the steps we will need to take?¡± he asked after a minute of silence. Surprising everyone, including me, as I had not thought he would accept it. It is opposite to what they all are proposing. Now he wants the details of it. I barely conceived the idea a few minutes ago. Even I don¡¯t know the complete details. Still, I still opened my mouth and words begin to come out. ¡°We will start with the newspapers....¡±Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 93: Planning and Execution Chapter 93: Planning and Execution ¡°Yes, it''s good. Print it,¡± said Lancel as I nodded at him. In front of us are copies of three newspapers, placed by three chief editors. We are at the office of the Greltheaven Gazette, where we have called the chief editors of all three newspapers. We are manipulating the news. It happened daily here and also on earth. News gets manipulated every day through the lens of economics, politics, and ideology. ¡°It is time to go to the crier¡¯s guild, my lord,¡± I said to Lancel. Time is of the essence. There are many things we have to do before dawn, and we barely have a little more than two hours. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± said Lancel and walked out. Newspapers are only one thing. We have to manage all sources of information and we have to do it before dawn. I have told my plan to Count Darrow step by step and he agreed with it, and gave me permission to use every resource the city has. It is an enormous responsibility. Success will win me plaudits, while failure. Well, I don¡¯t even know what failure will do exactly, but at the minimum, I will be expelled from the city, while at the maximum they will jail me, with all my possessions confiscated. Well, it is a risk I had decided to take. When Lancel said, I have a plan. I could have easily said something dumb, and they would reject it, but I had told them, the plan I was thinking of. So, whether I fail or succeed, the entire responsibility would be mine. Soon, we were out of the building and in the carriage, which begin to move speedily toward the criers guild. ¡°Your plan is quite extreme, like most things you say. I can¡¯t believe father had accepted it,¡± said Lancel after a few minutes of silence. ¡°It may seem like it, but it is better than any plans others proposed,¡± I replied. ¡°We will see,¡± he said, and out of the window. Lancel had been behaving quite nicely, not blocking and interrupting anything. Even his arrogant self understands the gravity of the situation and knows it is not time for childish tricks. Soon, we passed through the central square where the preparations have already begun. Even with the skills and spells, it is quite a big job for those people. I hope they will be finished by the morning. A few minutes passed, and we reached the crier''s guild. ¡°Lord Lancel,¡± greeted the guild master Ronald of crier¡¯s guild and bowed as the door of the carriage opened. He is a man in his fifties with a receding hairline and a rasped voice. Nearly every person in his profession has it at his age. ¡°Have you called all your criers ?¡± asked Lancel from the carriage. ¡°Yes, they are all in the hall,¡± he replied. There are clear questions in his eyes, but he did not dare to ask them. ¡°This is my adviser, Remus Silver. He will tell you what to do and remember, I want complete discretion till it is time to reveal it.¡± ¡°A single word and you will not like the consequences,¡± he said, with a clear threat. It made the man shudder. ¡°You can count on me for discretion, my lord,¡± he said. Lancel nodded. I walked out of the carriage and closed the door. Lancel is not coming inside. He is the son of Count Darrow. He does not need to come with me everywhere. ¡°Adviser Silver. May have happened?¡± asked Ronald softly as we entered the building. ¡°You will know soon enough,¡± I said with a smile. A few seconds later, we stepped into the hall, which is packed with over fifty people, from ages fifteen to six. ¡°This is Mr. Remus Silver, adviser to Lord Lancel Wilstein. He has important business to talk to you all about.¡± Introduced the Guild master of the Criers '' guild and immediately, all the eyes turned to me. ¡°You have very important work tomorrow. For it, the city had double your wages for the day.¡± I said, starting with carrots. Immediately, all of their eyes lit up, and they have become excited, and the guild leader became even more curious. ¡°Remember, it is very important. If you do not follow the instructions, as I will tell you to. You will be punished heavily,¡± I said, showing the stick. ¡°What you have to do is...¡± I begin and after a couple of minutes, fear appeared on their faces. If it was not scary, guards were at the door; some of them would have already bolted. They might have been able to do it before, but now that they heard the news, they will not be able to leave until they finish their job. ¡°I hope you will do the job to the best of your abilities,¡± I said and walked out of the hall. ¡°Has the und...they are not a threat, Adviser Silver?¡± asked the Guildmaster, barely stopping himself from saying that word. ¡°As I had said, the Mirador Hold had defeated the undead. We are doing this to control the chaos that might erupt due to it,¡± I replied. Soon, we got out of the building, and the poor man received another surprise. There are over thirty city guards around the guild. Of course, I had called the guards. I could not take any risks. I did the same with the offices of newspapers. We cannot have a news leak before its time. People should hear the news from us, the way we wanted, not through some leaks and whispers. ¡°Adviser,¡± said the guard captain. ¡°Not a single person should get out before it''s time,¡± I said to the man, and he looked at Guildmaster, and I nodded faintly. It alarmed the Guildmaster, but I don¡¯t care. The news will not leak out till it is time. ¡°As you say, adviser,¡± he said and saluted. I nodded and walked into the carriage, and a second later, it moved again. For the next two hours, the carriages went to a couple of more places, before finally returning to the palace when the sun had just started to come out. Soon, the carriage stopped, and we walked out. As we were walking toward the palace, I motioned to Zela. Immediately, she appeared beside me. ¡°Message Carla and ask her to use a red envelope and buy the properties after the news came out,¡± I said. It is not much detailed order, but Carla is smart enough to know what to do. ¡°Most people would try to sell their assets in such conditions. You are buying, especially the ones you can¡¯t take away,¡± said Lancel as we entered the palace. ¡°The undead are no threat, at least this time.¡± ¡°So, I might as well use the opportunity to buy some properties I had my eyes on,¡± I replied. I internationally made him hear it; I don¡¯t want him to think I am hiding something from him. He already hates me enough for some unknown reason. ¡°Lord Count,¡± I said, bowed as we reached the study. ¡°How was everything?¡± he asked. ¡°We have set the wheels in motion,¡± replied Lancel, while I turned to two advisers behind Lord Count, who nodded lightly. I was not the only one who was doing the thing. The plan is too big for one person. So, I divided the tasks among people. They had their tasks, and they seemed to have finished them. Robin hadn¡¯t come, which is not surprising. The tasks he had been the lengthiest ones. ¡°Now, we wait,¡± said Count Darrow, and sat more comfortably in the chair, while I turned to mages. There are five mages, one is the High Mage, while the four are Level 20+ mages, who are experts in communication. They all like the radio. They will tell what is happening in the city. We have sent mages into every part of the city. Whatever is happening, we will know it instantly. I had just thought about that when the first mage spoke. ¡°The newspapers begin to distribute. Within an hour, 80% of businesses and households will have them on doorsteps,¡± said the mage with long raven hair. ¡°The criers have also stepped out of the guild. They all will be in their position within an hour.¡± Said the bald mage a minute later. They begin to inform us about the pieces we have spread across the city. ¡°How¡¯s the panic?¡± asked Count Darrow. It is the seventh time, asked the question in the past half an hour. ¡°Very mild. The people have gathered around the city hall and Criers, who are relieving their queries.¡± said the first mage. ¡°The traffic at port is twice as usual. There is mild panic, but guards are handling it well.¡± Said the second mage. ¡°30% of newly docked ships are leaving within a minute of docking at the port. 25% unloading the goods while the rest is waiting,¡± added the third mage. Hearing that, a small smile appeared on the count''s face. This is just the beginning. Everything could change at any moment. We need to keep our eyes on the flashpoints and dissolve them as soon as possible, as it did not take long for the chaos to spread and once it does, it is really hard to stop it. A few minutes passed, and when suddenly, the eyes of High Mage York lit up. ¡°Lord Count, the undead had been defeated.¡± He informed. I could see the visible relief appearing on the faces of people, including me. They are a real threat and if the mirador holds fall, then the whole Renwell wouldn¡¯t be able to do much against it, either. Except for dustorn fortress, but it is always busy in dealing with the threat of the Tabes. ¡°Is there any sign of a hidden attack?¡± Count Darrow asked. ¡°Till now, they haven¡¯t found any,¡± High Mage York replied. ¡°Tell them to keep looking,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± replied High Mage York. Click! Two and a half hours passed when the door clicked opened and walked in, clearly tired, but there was a smile on his face. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± asked Count Darrow, looking at him expectantly. ¡°Done,¡± Robin replied. ¡°And the crowd?¡± Lancel asked. ¡°They are filling the venue,¡± This is the most important part. Everything depends on it. Till everything is going great. The people are leaving, and there is selling, but the numbers are at a comfortable level. Still, the change could happen in an instant. Everything we had planned needed to go accordingly. If the day passed without a major incident, then nothing will happen and from tomorrow, the city will turn to normal. ¡°Lord Count, it is time,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go,¡± he said and got up and we walked out of the study. Soon, we were out of the palace and sat inside the big black carriage of Count Darrow. It was the most luxurious carriage I had sat in, but also the most powerful. It is over five hundred years old and is highly defensive. The carriage rolled out of the palace, and I could see the change in the city. There are fewer people the people on the street than usual and more guards patrolling the street, but not in oppressive numbers. I had made sure of that. Huge number of guards are not good, they project ¡®something is wrong¡¯, and we want to project ¡®there is concern and we dealing with it¡¯. It took us a few minutes to reach the central square and, seeing its state, a smile appeared on my face. It is packed with people. There are over five thousand of them. All gathered, waiting for the event to start. In the newspapers and crier''s mouth, the main news wasn¡¯t about an undead attack on Mirador Hold. No, it is about a duel between the two most powerful mercenary companies of Greltheaven. The whisper dagger and howling axe; the enmity between them is known. So, we said that it is finally exploded and were preparing to war against each other, but the Count had interfered and asked them to resolve the enmity more civilly. Thus dual/tournament. The carriage stopped, and the Count got out with the heavy security surrounding him and soon reached the stage. Where all the important people are sitting, and when they saw the Count entering, all of them stood up. ¡°My lord,¡± they greeted, along with those sitting in other seating. ¡°At ease,¡± he said gently, but his voice spread through every ear. The power of skill of the ruling class is at a different level. Lancel sat down on the big chair while Count Darrow walked ahead on stage and stopped at the ramp overlooking the crowd of a thousand. Giving them a perfect view of him, with his confident smile. ¡°The citizen of Greltheaven...¡± he begins his speech. We already prepared it. Every word, every pause is carefully crafted, and Count Darrow is as experienced as he is voicing it out in perfection. ¡°...I commence the tournament,¡± he finished Count loudly, and the crowd cheered madly. A minute later, the duals began on the four stages. And as we had told them, they were fighting most showily. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the city?¡± asked the count. ¡°Mild rush. More than half of the businesses had opened, and people were going to their jobs. There was a small incident, in holler district, but it was diffused immediately,¡± informed High-Mage York. The holler district is sensitive due to being a low-income district it is also the place where most gangs are present. We have warned the gangs and promised the strictest action and arrested some as a preventive measure. Till now, everything is going smoothly, but trouble could rise at any moment, and we have to be ready to deal with it.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 94: Gains Chapter 94: Gains Clang Clang Clang The bloodiest, most intense fight is going on in front of me. The leaders of two mercenary companies are fighting while the crowd is cheering madly. Unfortunately, most of it is fake. The blood is real, and so are the injuries, but if one look clearly. They will see not a single injury on their fatal spot. Though it will still take them a couple of days to recover from these injuries and they are more than happy to get these injuries. Aside from huge money, the count had promised them healing from the head priest. So, they will heal most of their injuries in a couple of hours, while the minor ones will take a few days. ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡± asked Count Darrow. It had been his more than the hundredth time asking this question and I cannot blame him. If I had been in his place, I would have done the same. ¡°The leaving of people had lessened considerably compared to morning. So is selling of businesses,¡± replied High-Mage, York. Count Darrow took a visible sigh of relief. So have I. Things have gone better than we had thought. There were no riot or chaos, but some flashes had occurred in several areas. They were dealt with quickly and swiftly. Few people from the gangs had died, but it¡¯s their fault for not listening. They tried to sow the chaos to reap the rewards, but ended up losing their lives. I hope Carla did what I asked her. I need that one thing, more than anything else. It is necessary for me to take my business to the next level. Though today made me rethink my plans and made me understand how things could change immediately for the city. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t put all my eggs in one basket. I am too tired to think about it and focused on the duel. It is nearing the end and I know who the winner is going to be. Bang! Finally, the yellow metal shield of Lector Gorges slammed squarely against Jarvis Ham, sending him flying out off the stage. It made the crowd go completely crazy, and they cheered hard. ¡°The winner is Lecter Gorges,¡± announced the judge, and the bloodied man smiled while the crowd cheered for him. The bastard is very lucky. He got a stage and free publicity, and the top money city is going to give him for this act. Such opportunities rarely come to life. Count Congratulated him and the others. Gave another speech a small one before leaving the stage. Soon, we are in the carriage, leaving for the palace. Twenty minutes later, we are in the study of Count Darrow. Where once again, the control room is set up. It was night, and things seem to calm down, but here every one is alert. As they understood, how things can change suddenly. Hours passed, and soon it is midnight. ¡°I think the situation is in control, but to be careful. You all stay in the palace. If something happened, you all will be able to appear here wasting no time,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± we said, while I cursed inside. I want to go back, but it wouldn¡¯t be possible now. Soon, I stepped out of the study and walked toward the southern wing of the palace. I had a suit in the palace, every adviser had it. Though, it will be the first time I will stay there. ¡°It was a wild day, isn¡¯t it,¡± said Robin beside me. ¡°More like the most stressful day of my life,¡± I replied. It might not have seemed like it, but it was the most stressful day of my life. As the failure of the plan would have crushed me. Thankfully, nothing of that happened, and the plan had worked better than I had imagined. ¡°Good night,¡± I said to Robin and opened long cream-colored doors, and entered inside. It is a big suit with a beautiful interior. Nothing gaudy, that half of the palace is, thanks to Count Darrow¡¯s taste. I wanted to sleep immediately, for the two days. I have gotten a little sleep, but I took a shower first. I was sweating a lot throughout the whole day, worrying about every little thing. I took a cold shower before walking out and changing into a comfortable set of clothes and placed a suit on the table for a quick change. If I called suddenly. It is a good thing; I had sent a spare cloth here. I had done that on the second day of getting appointed as an adviser. I did not think I would need them this soon. With the clothes changed, I lay on the bed and fell asleep within a second. .... [Class Gained: Adviser] [Adviser Lv. 2] [Adviser Lv. 3] [Adviser Lv. 4] [Skill Gained: Persuasion] [Skill Gained: Every Ear Listens To My Words] The texts were in front of me when I opened my eyes. Seeing them. A smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. When I got the position, I thought I would need at least a month to gain the class, but it only took ten days. I had not only gained the class but also four levels, along with two skills. One of which is very rare and desirable. It is one of the favorite skills of rulings elites. Persuasion: this skill is powerful. Especially for those with high charm. It is also on my wish list, and I have got it. It will help me tremendously. The other skill of this class, Every Ear Listens To My Words, is also useful. With it, I won''t need to strain my throat to speak loudly, they will hear it, even if I whisper. The texts felt like a dream. Especially four levels up, even in the base class, I could not gain over two levels at once, and here; I have gained four. Though when thinking about the scale which I worked on yesterday. It is not surprising. The adviser will be my fourth class, which is more than I could keep without sacrificing the speed of leveling up. Still, I am keeping it. I want to consolidate it with the other class I have. I have very a specific class in mind and it will help me get it. For it, I am willing to slow down my leveling. I stared at the texts for more than a minute before walking into the bathroom to freshen up and shower. When I walked out, I changed into the new set, before stepping out of the suit. I hope everything had calmed down. I really want to go back to the establishment. ¡°Good morning, Marta,¡± I greeted the old woman as I reached the study. ¡°Good morning, young Remus,¡± she greeted back, ¡°You can go in. Lord Count had asked me to send you as soon as you arrived,¡± she added. I nodded and walked toward the study. ¡°My Lords,¡± I greeted and bowed to the father and soon. ¡°At ease,¡± he said, before looking me directly in the eyes. ¡°You have impressed me, Remus. Your plan worked much better than I had imagined. There is only around 2% to 5% damage to the city¡¯s economy, which we will recover in a week or two,¡± he praised. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said. ¡°There is a meeting in the afternoon of the advisory council. Till then you are free to attend to your personal business,¡± he said. Knowing I am dismissed; I bowed to him and his son before walking out of the office. As I stepped out, I increased my pace; nearly ran. I hurried to reach the establishment. I have given the task to Carla, and I want to see what she had done. Especially about that thing. Soon, I walked out of the palace, toward my carriage, where my guards were already waiting. They have changed the shift, as now there is Jon, Hugo, and Stena, who are waiting by the carriage. I nodded at them before sitting on my carriage. A minute later, the carriage was out of the gates and is moving toward the establishment. I looked out of the window and saw the city mostly turning to normal. Though I could still feel the faint trepidation, it will disappear in a few days. A little over fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered through the gates of the establishment before stopping. I got out and enter the establishment and saw girls taking lessons in the hall. A few weeks ago, this time used to be the quietest time. At eight am, most of the girls would be sleeping, but since the new girls arrived, that silence had also gone. Their lessons start at six or seven and end at midnight. The teachers are present even during business hours, teaching them in the basement. It is not only the lessons. They get breaks and spa times and a few other activities. These new girls are reaping the benefits of data I had gotten from the old girls. With experience, I know what works, and what did not. What kind of teachers I will need to hire and the methods they would need to employ to teach them. Not everything is easy for them, there is also great pressure. Unlike the girls before, they will need more than a month of lessons before I could use them for business. The standard of the establishment had increased, and they need to reach that standard before I could let them enter the business. They might need to train for two months or even three before they will reach the standard. I need them to be to join the work. Click! Soon, I reached my office, and it was empty. I entered inside and sat on my chair and was about to call Carla when the door connected to her office opened and she walked in. I looked at her wearing the red dress and I nearly forgot what I wanted to ask her. Instead, I wanted to tear that dress apart and have her on the table. She seemed to know what I was thinking as her lips curved seductively. I nearly got off my chair but calmed myself, as it is not the time. I could see a faint disappointment appearing in her eyes for a moment before it disappeared. ¡°Have you succeeded?¡± I asked her. There is nervousness in my voice, as it is too important for me. ¡°Yes, I brought it and many other things,¡± she said, and a smile lit up across my face. I immediately look outside my window. I could not see more than the outline of my new plot, but even that satisfied me. I had been trying to buy the plot next to mine for more than two months. Even offered as much as four times its price, but the owner didn¡¯t want to sell it. While my plot is big and even with expansion, the establishment is covering only 30% of it. I don¡¯t want to touch it, as there will be a future expansion. As for the plot is next to mine. I want it for a completely different purpose. It took me a while to calm myself before I turned to her. ¡°You know, the interesting thing is just when I was about to leave to meet him. He sent his representative to us for the sale.¡± She spoke. and it couldn¡¯t help but surprise me. ¡°So, how much did it cost us?¡± I asked. ¡°Twenty-nine million crowns,¡± she said, and the smile on me became even bigger. Twenty-nine million crowns are nearly double the price that it is worth, but it is fine. As I was willing to pay far more for it, but he was not ready to sell. ¡°What else did you buy?¡± I asked, and instead of answering, she slid a page toward me. When I looked at it, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen. She had brought nine properties, five plots, and four buildings. She had also rented one for a year. It is not just the properties. She had also brought magical materials and instruments for the spa, and lots of wine. Three enchanted carriages, and many other things. It is not just things, but also contracts of people. She had brought contracts of spa employees; we need them desperately. Even with Maeve contacting her connection, it was slow recruiting people. We only had staff sixteen on the spa staff, which was not enough with new girls joining. Now the spa had a staff of thirty-seven. Which is more than enough for the current number of girls. Everything had cost us two hundred and forty-six million crowns. I did not have that kind of money. So, she used the grandfather¡¯s gift. Which he sent me after I returned from Namdar. It is a writ of guarantee from a house of silver worth two million imperials: two hundred million crowns. I could take it to any bank, and they will give me a loan of two hundred million crowns. If I did not pay it. House of Silver would. I have brought a lot of things, but now I also have a huge loan. I have confidence I could pay for it within a year. Especially now that I had got the plot. I could start the next phase. It will take months, but when it is done, it will be grand. Chapter 95: Vision Chapter 95: Vision Sorry for the absence. Has been busy with something personal.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Thank you for reading. Chapter 96: Responsibility Chapter 96: Responsibility ¡°I will ask you all, once again. Are you really sure about it?¡± I asked four girls. All of them are eighteen. ¡°Yes, Master Silver,¡± they replied in unison. ¡°Ok, then. From today, you will formally start working in the establishment,¡± I said and slid the four contracts toward them. These girls have turned eighteen this month. There are six who turned eighteen, but the other two are not ready. All four of them are from the first and second batches and have at least three and a half months of training. Two even have seven months of training. They have been training since the day I brought the teachers to the establishment. It had made them very good. The only flaw they have is their lower level, but it is not really a flaw, considering they are only eighteen. They have higher levels than an average person of their age. If the data is to be believed. Then they will advance rapidly in their classes once they started working. Soon, the girls finished signing the contract, and I felt them clicking in my head. ¡°Remember. There is always a choice. If you don¡¯t want, you can say no directly. If don¡¯t want to work after today, it is fine too. You can serve the contract some other way.¡± I said to them. They just nodded at that, with eyes burning in excitement. Not about the work, but the money they will earn from today. Soon, they left with Margaux, leaving me and Carla alone in the office. ¡°How are our finances?¡± I asked her. ¡°They are good. We have a good 20.6 million crowns, with all our expenses paid.¡± She informed. The expenses had increased tremendously in a single month. The biggest one is new projects, along with loans, and taxes. Together, they take about seventy-five million crowns a month. Another twenty-five million crowns more go to the commission of the girls, salaries of staff, and other expenses like maintenance. Despite all this, I will still have a cool twenty to twenty-five million crowns. It had been a month since the undead attack. six months since the inauguration and so much changed. If my father had been here, he would have been shocked by what I had done to the business. Even I am shocked by it. When I had first come here, I did not think. I would earn such a massive amount of money in a year that I am earning in a month. I am sure the next six months would be even more transformative. The training of the new girls is going well, better than I had imagined. It had been one and half months since they have been training and a quarter of them already feel ready, but I am waiting. I will wait for another month. By then at least 70% of them would be ready. I will debut them at once. With girls numbers nearly doubling, the revenue of the establishment will also increase. I need that, especially to speed up the project, which is going great, but it could go faster. If I provided more money. ¡°What is progress on the sommelier?¡± I asked, to which she massaged her head. ¡°The ones I had interviewed yesterday turned out to be subpar,¡± she answered with disappointment. ¡°Looks like we will have to wait for the one that Drev referred,¡± I said, to which she nodded. ¡°Drev had high praise for the man. I hope he is good as he is praising him to be, till then, I will continue to interview more,¡± she replied. The one who Drev referred to is available but is on vacation. It will take him about two more weeks to return. Even if he is good, we can not stop searching. The food of the establishment had become the talk of the town, and while Drev is knowledgeable enough to suggest the wines, which is a big chunk of business. We need the best to enhance the experience of our patrons. We are willing to pay good money for it. I worked for two hours before getting out of my office, and soon I was out of the establishment. I did not walk into the carriage, which is waiting for me. Instead, I walked toward the new plot, which was not so empty anymore. The construction is going in a full swing. I could see hundreds of workers who worked day and night in the shifts. It is amazing how fast it is happening. Two weeks ago, there was nothing here, but now, one could see the round walls. Hun! As I am watching it, I saw a familiar figure walking out of it. Caena had been visiting the site every day, even before the constructions begin. She did not disturb or talk to anyone. She just walked around it before coming back. It is strange behavior, and I wish I could say it is new. She had done that when the changes were happening in the establishment and the spa was built. Carla said, there is something fishy, and I should forbid this behavior, but I did not. It is not like I am not sensing something fishy, but I do not sense any threat from it. Most importantly, I have no proof. Even Jon had tailed her secretly and he found nothing. He told me he saw nothing out of strange. She just walks there, looks around, and returns, doing nothing. I watched for a minute more and sat on my carriage. Twenty minutes later, the carriage entered through the gates of the palace, and I stepped out it before walking into the palace. ¡°My Lords,¡± I greeted and bowed as I entered the study. ¡°Remus, you have come at the right time,¡± said Count Darrow, and my heart skipped a beat. Especially when I look at the expressions of Robin and Lancel. They did not look happy. ¡°The diplomatic mission to Navr had been finalized.¡± He informed and my expressions kinds of froze for a moment. ¡°Congratulation, my lord,¡± I said after a moment of silence. ¡°It is a good thing. The prince can now rest easy,¡± he said with a relieved smile, before turning back to me. ¡°Lancel will lead it, with Robin as emissary. You will also be part of a mission, responsible for the business delegation,¡± he stated, and I felt like someone attacked me with a lightning bolt. I have been praying for this not to happen and, while confident, that I will not be part of it. As Lancel had no interest in it and since I am his adviser, I would have also stayed with him. The opposite had happened. Lancel is going, and I will also go with him. Not only that, but I am also responsible for the business delegation, a huge responsibility. ¡°I am honored, my lord,¡± I said, and the Count smiled. I hate it, but I cannot say that. The moment he informed me about it, the decision was made. I could not get out of it. So, I might as well smile and accept it graciously. ¡°I know. I could count on you, Remus. The mission will leave in eight days, and I hope you will complete the preparations by then,¡± he said, giving me another shock. Eight days is too little for such a complex task. Still, compared to Robin, I have much fewer responsibilities. The poor guy looked like he had eaten the most horrendous thing and was holding off vomiting it. A few minutes later, the meeting was over, and I stepped out of the study, following behind Lancel. ¡°Father had said it would be someone to a cousin who will lead this mission, but changed his mind at the last moment and now he is sending me,¡± said Lancel angrily, more to himself than me. So, I stayed quiet, but it did not take him long to turn to me. ¡°I know, you have been dreading it like me, but now, you are also going there with me,¡± he gibed as he turned to me. There has been a lot of improvement in Lancel¡¯s behavior toward me since the incident a month ago. We do not become buddies, but now, he does not hate me; just tolerates me. Like a tool, he does not like it but needs it. ¡°Lord Count is wise. I am sure he had a plan when he chose you to lead the mission,¡± I said respectfully. With no hint of mocking. It still made him glare at me intensely. ¡°You have fought against the undead. How are they in reality?¡± he asked, after minutes of silence. There was no mocking or jeering in his voice. His expressions were serious. ¡°They are dangerous, especially in large numbers. If you want to deal with them, kill the one who is controlling them.¡± I spoke. Immediately, fear clouded his eyes. ¡°But we don¡¯t have to worry about our safety. Navr takes the safety of the diplomats extremely seriously; it is one of the safest countries for the diplomats,¡± I added, and the fear in his eyes turned to anger. ¡°I am not worried about my safety, Silver. I am more than capable of protecting myself.¡± He said, and he believed that. It is one of the most surprising things about him. He truly believes in his strength. He is a capable fighter from what I had seen, but not to the level to feel such confidence. Maybe it is likely why the Count is sending him to Navr; to get more grounded. Or maybe he just got irritated with him as I am and wants a few days of peace and quiet. One and a half later, I finished my business with Lancel and sat in a carriage for my office, thinking. The count had handed an enormous responsibility. The business delegation wouldn¡¯t be easy. While merchants like to take the risks, I don¡¯t know how many of them would enter the kingdom of death itself for the fortune. It had a lot of things to offer, vast agricultural products, metals, liquor, gems, magical materials, and many other things. Undead labor makes a lot of things easier for them. It is why the undead kingdoms are filthy rich, especially the older ones like Navr. The fortune, they are immense, not just in money, but in artifacts and spells. It is the reason why so many kingdoms think twice before launching a full-scale war against these bastards. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 97: Reward Chapter 97: Reward ¡°So, this is a final list?¡± I asked, looking at the names of the people on the list. She had handed me. ¡°Yes. These are people who agreed. They promised they will not change their mind,¡± replied Ina. I don¡¯t think I had been as busy in my life as I had been in the past week. I did not get any time to focus on my business. Thankfully, I have Carla. She is handling everything while I am busy with my city¡¯s work. ¡°I really hope so. If they dared to change their mind one more time, they will pay,¡± I said, and the warning is not empty. There are some serious things I could do; things they would not like. ¡°I had warned them about the consequences,¡± said Ina. I had asked her to do that. A week ago, there have been one hundred and thirty merchants ready to come with us to Navr, but through the week. Many backed down, and what is more frustrating than it is, that many of them came back on board before backing down again. We are leaving tomorrow and with us are coming many people. Including these thirty-six people from the different businesses. Of the thirty-six, only four are from the major business house. The others were from small merchant houses, but the majority of them were from individual businesses. I thought many individual merchants would come. The business world is cutthroat and monopolized by the business houses. Seeing this golden chance at a new market, these small businesses would leap at it, but it seemed like I was wrong. Many merchants are having the same fear that business houses are having. The reputational damage. The undead are considered anathema and those who trade with them are prosecuted in the empire. The empire had exempted business with Navr through the official channels, but the people are still fearful. It is something that could damage their reputation, which is most important in the business. Unlike them, I do not think it would be a big problem, especially for the local merchants. People are used to it; it is common knowledge that the merchant cities trade with Navr and many of the things we buy from them come from Navr. I have made sure to highlight it every day through the newspapers. It had caused a minor scandal, and some people had boycotted some goods from merchant cities, but it was over within a few days. As these things are essential and people can¡¯t live without them. In a month, nobody would bat an eye at this. It would have been great if the merchant from other cities could come. We have invited them, but they have made various excuses to not come. They want to see how this trip would go. How people would react to it. We have framed it as a peace mission, which it actually is, even so. We have to be careful with perception, with enemies trying their deceptive campaigns, against us. They are doing it sneakily, because the emperor is watching, but we still see the signs. ¡°Sent this list to Robin,¡± I said after looking through the list. ¡°Ok,¡± she said and put it into the envelope, before walking out of the office. I am taking Ina with me; I could not take Jill or Clair. They are too young, and it will be dangerous. Not physically dangerous, but politically, and there, I could not take any risks. Ina is the best choice; she is the most politically aware person I trust. She is as good as Carla. There is another one who is as good as her, but I do not trust her enough. Hours passed as I kept working, and soon it was evening and I needed to leave for the banquette. ¡°Sent this Carla,¡± I said and handed Ina the letter, before getting up and walking out of my office through the door on the left and entering my room. Of course, there is room, and in this past week, it had become quite useful. I had slept in the office for three days. It was late, and I didn¡¯t want to go back to the house, just to sleep. Though, when it is the day of establishment, I went there, no matter how late it was. As I walked into my room, I undressed and stepped into the shower. Fifteen minutes later, I came out feeling refreshed. I changed into the suit, which is waiting on my bed, since morning, and readied myself in the mirror before stepping out of my room. As I did, I saw two women in my room talking. ¡°You are looking nice,¡± said Valentina as she turned to me. ¡°You are not looking bad yourself,¡± I said to her. She is wearing a low-cut violet gown and diamond jewelry which rested squarely in the valley of her breasts. ¡°Shall we go?¡± I asked her, to which she nodded and got up. Soon, we were in the carriage, moving toward the palace. ¡°Thank you for the permit. Without your intervention, it would have taken me at least a week to get it,¡± she thanked me. She had hired over two-hundred workers from the merchant cities. Such things require a permit, which I was able to get for her within a day. ¡°It was nothing,¡± I replied. ¡°I heard Navr is a beautiful place if you forget the undead,¡± she said with a smile after a minute of silence. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about it. I am very worried about it,¡± I said, looking at her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. It is one of the safest countries in the world, at least for those who entered it with permission,¡± she said reassuringly. ¡°I am not worried about my safety,¡± I said and sighed. I have a feeling this diplomatic mission wouldn¡¯t be as simple as the Count is saying it to be, especially after the appearance of those five people. Yesterday, five people arrived; they are the prince''s men. They will accompany us to Navr. As for what is their purpose, I don¡¯t know. Nobody does, except for Count Darrow and Lancel. They did not tell any of us advisers. Soon, the carriage passed through the gates of the palace and stopped at my reserved spot. ¡°It is nice when you have the reserved spot,¡± said Valentina as we got out. I smiled and took her hand as we walked toward the palace. ¡°Adviser Silver, Mage Valentina, welcome,¡± said the head butler. I nodded, and we entered the ballroom. It is big, the biggest one in the entire city, and despite being early, there are already quite a few people inside. We had just entered when a soldier walked toward us. ¡°Adviser, Count had requested you to his study,¡± he informed. I nodded and turned to Valentina apologetically. ¡°I am sorry,¡± I said, to which she smiled. ¡°Go, I can mingle on my own,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and I walked toward the study. I knew I had to go meet with the Count for the one last meeting, but I think it would be after the party. It is a good thing; it is before the party. This way, I will be able to sleep early. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted father and son and bowed as I entered the library. Aside from them, there is Robin, and the High Mage York is also present. ¡°Remus, how are the preparations?¡± asked Count Darrow directly. ¡°Thirty-six merchants have agreed to be part of the delegation, and I have personally seen through the contracts that will sign between the merchant guilds, among other arrangements. ¡°Will any of your merchants back down from the at the last moment?¡± asked Lancel, putting the blame on me. ¡°I have warned them what will happen. If they try to do it,¡± I replied. They had the chance to decline. If they still do it, I will really make those bastards pay. ¡°Remembers, the goal of this diplomatic mission is to open the channels. If we are able to get any no-arms agreement; it would be a grand victory,¡± Count said, and immediately, a smile appeared on the faces of Lancel and others. A smile with no mirth. Navr is notorious for not signing any type of these agreements. There are three known instances where it had signed those agreements in its over two thousand years of history. ¡°We will try our best for it, my lord,¡± replied Robin, but seeing Count''s expressions. Even he didn¡¯t believe something like that would happen. ¡°Remus, I had called you for a different purpose,¡± said Count and placed something on the table, seeing that my eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up. ¡°You have done an exceptional service to the city. For it, I am giving you this. As long as you are in the city''s service, you will keep this,¡± he said and placed a beautiful brown leather bag. Seeing it, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen. It had a simple design of a small emblem of lightning. Made by the enchanters of the storm tower. It is a precious thing that I very much wanted to buy it using my grandfather''s gifts, but I had controlled myself. This thing was important, but there were other important things, the plot next to mine. It is a good thing I controlled myself as I have not only got the plot but also this. ¡°Thank you for the generous gift, my lord,¡± I said and took the bad. This is called the bag or iles bag, because of the material from iles monster which is essential to crafting this bag. It is a precious thing, which costs around a million imperials. Because this tiny bag could hold many times its size. Seeing it is basic, it has around one cubic meter of space. It could store anything, aside from things with high magic radiation. A few minutes passed, and we discussed a few other things, but I barely participated in it. It is mostly Count asking the questions and Robin answering them. Lancel is a leader only in name. It is Robin who is responsible for everything. It took an hour to finish everything when the Count got up and walked out of his study. While we all followed behind. ¡°My Lord,¡± Greeted the people in unison as the Count entered the ball. There are over a thousand people, and not all from the city. More than half of the guests are from outside the city. From merchant cities and the cities of renwell. ¡°Thank you all for comin...¡± Count Darrow started the speech, and while I with others, stood behind him respectfully. Watching the crowd as they listen to Count Darrow¡¯s speech, most of them have expressions of attentiveness but are utterly bored. Thankfully, the speech was not long and finished within ten minutes. For little more than half an hour, I followed behind Lancel, till he relieved me, and I walked toward Valentina. ¡°I have to say, Mage Valentina, Adviser Silver, suits you well.¡± Said an old man with blue hair, as I appeared beside her. ¡°Thank you, Vice-Guild-master Alvar,¡± she said, with flushed cheeks and ecstatic eyes. All fake, but one could hardly be able to tell seeing how good she is at acting. She may even have a class related to that or something she learned out of necessity. Likely out of necessity; given the consequences, if people were to find out. ¡°Vice-Guild-master Alwar; it is such a regret you could not come. With you, the mission to the Navr would have been more successful,¡± I said to the old man, from the Deerpond. ¡°Truly a regret. Adviser Silver. If not for the prior commitments, I would have joined you on the trip to Navr,¡± said the old man. The surrounding cities have never outright rejected our proposal but used the excuses as prior commitments and other whatnot. So, this way, when the chance comes, they could hop on it with no problem. As they have never formally rejected the mission with Navr, they were just too busy at that time to come with us.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 98: Trouble In Fortress Chapter 98: Trouble In Fortress ¡°Best of luck, my son. I hope you will make me and our house proud,¡± said Count as he hugged his son. ¡°I will, Father,¡± said Lancel emotionally, before breaking the hug. Lancel had taken part in many of the diplomatic missions, but it would be his first leading it. The count had many expectations from him and so is the city and the whole region. A success and we will have a little less headache from the Navr. It will give the region a chance for stable development, with the Greltheaven being the biggest beneficiary. ¡°York, I hope you will protect my son from any danger,¡± he said to the High Mage. He is the one responsible for security, with three captains below him; Captain Julian being one of them. ¡°I will protect Lord Lancel with my life, my lord,¡± High-Mage promised. The Count nodded and turned to the handsome man in his early forties with shoulder-length raven-black hair. Viscount Akre, the leader of five people, came from the fourth prince. He is a loyalist and, from what I heard, a hell of a negotiator. Unfortunately, he will be only negotiating the prince¡¯s business. Count Darrow talked to him for more than a minute in privacy. After he finished, he turned to us. ¡°Everyone, try your hardest to make this mission successful as possible,¡± he said. ¡°We will, my lord,¡± we said in unison. ¡°Leave and return in victory,¡± he said, and we climbed into the wide boat. A minute later, it is sailing through the river to the other side. Most of our entourage had already reached the other side. We were the only ones who had waited for the last goodbye. I sat more comfortably on the bed and looked at the ships sailing in the river. There are a lot of them, more than they were a month ago. The undead incident barely affected a week of progress; the trade from merchant cities recovered in less than a week. Unlike us, they are used to the undead and did not react as badly as we had expected. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the day when at least half of these ships dock at Greltheaven,¡± said Lancel. ¡°Under Lord Count and your leadership, that day isn¡¯t far, my lord,¡± said Hennessey. His assistant and the biggest yes-man, I had ever seen. Robin, I, and others also nodded our heads in affirmation, but a few of us also rolled our eyes secretly, hearing the absurd statement. Less than a quarter of ships coming from empire and merchant cities, dock at the Greltheaven. The percentage is reducing, despite more ships docking at Greltheaven by day. We are a tiny city, and we are growing at a shocking speed, but we are just one city. While goods in the river go for hundreds of cities of empire and merchant city-states. We are lucky to be established in such a strategic place. Where huge trade gives us huge taxes. I had got to know the amount of tax we receive, and it blew my mind. It is huge and the worse thing is the Count will spend only a quarter of it on the city. From what I am able to find out, around 40% of taxes earned by the city go to Prince Grelt, 25% to the empire, and 10% were pocketed by Count Darrow. I had tried to steer the Count to spend more on the city, but found it impossible. Count Darrow is smart, but he is also a greedy fellow as they said him to be. He isn¡¯t willing to spend a single penny from his share. It is kind of normal here, but still, I hope he would listen. If he spends more on the city, he will earn more, but it will not happen. So, I focused on nudging him toward spending efficiently. Instead of spending more on white elephant projects, which Count Darrow is quite fond of, I made him focus on infrastructure and services. I did not succeed completely, but I had my victories and a level in my Adviser Class is proof of that. Soon we reached the other side and walked out of the boat, one after another. The carriages were already ready and, seeing us stepping out, the others who were waiting by their carriages stepped inside immediately. Eighty-four people are going to Navr; nearly half of it is security, with three of my guards added. I wanted to bring more, but three is already a stretch, as no one had been allowed to bring their guards. The only reason I did was that I refused to go on the trip without them. We walked toward the carriages; there are eight of them with a lot of horses and four blue-horn rhinos. They are black rhinos with blue horns; they are slightly slimmer than the earth rhinos, but it gives them speed. It might not look like it, but they could go faster than the horses of the earth and have much greater stamina than them. Soon, we appeared beside a purple long carriage and Captain Julian opened the door. Lancel was the first to go inside before it was High Mage York, Robin, and then me. The carriage is big, with wide comfortable seats that can recline for maximum comfort. Soon, the carriage begin to roll, and its speed was not slow. ¡°Lord Lancel. Navr had rejected our request for our security,¡± said High Mage York suddenly. ¡°Fuck, why those bastards couldn¡¯t agree,¡± cursed Lancel angrily. The security had already been decided, but Lancel kept trying. The Navr rarely makes an exception and Lancel is not powerful enough to force them to do that. ¡°Navr said since we are their guests, they want to guarantee our safety,¡± replied High-Mage York. The moment we stepped out of the empire¡¯s boundary, there will be people from Navr guiding us, providing security. Since they are an undead kingdom, one does not need to guess the kind of security they will provide. They do that to every diplomat, and to be honest, I would prefer the undead take a charge of our safety. I don¡¯t like it, but their records speak. Lancel did not speak further, and others also remain quiet. Seeing there won''t be any talking soon, I took out several documents and begin to read them. I have done it many times, but I am doing it again; I want to be familiar with every word. So, I will be ready to deal with any problem that came with me. I am responsible for the business delegation and its business; the merchant guild had provided a negotiator, but I also need to be fully prepared. Being undead is not easy. A few hours passed, and Lancel is now sleeping, and High-Mage York is alert, casting the spells now and then, while Robin and I working. I was reading a long document when suddenly I saw Robin turning toward the window and kept looking. I followed his gaze at the window and saw the prison wagons filled with bandits. Over 90% of them are orcs, with the rest 10% being half-bloods and humans. They are in large prison wagons, chained for extra protection. Count Darrow acted on his promise and doubled the bounties on the bandits and allowed the foreign mercenaries. They poured in and from the first day; they started killing and capturing bandits. They are very good, with special classes and skills to aid them. In less than a month, more than half of the bandits were captured or killed. Some had run away in fear, while some struggling. There is still one group that is giving trouble and has killed many bandit hunters that come to hunt them. So, now stronger bandit hunters are hunting them, and they are confident they will capture them in a month. It is not just mercenaries, but also the forces of Mirador Hold. Though they did not count. They have been trying that for months, achieving no success. Even the band of nobles had better success in hunting bandits than them. A few nobles of Nakar forest had banded together and formed a couple of hunting bands against the bandits. Even my brother had joined in and from what I heard; he was actively taking part in it and seemed to be enjoying the hunt. Good for him. A few hours passed, and we took a small rest of half an hour at a big patch before resuming our journey. Soon, the evening arrived, and we could see the silhouette of the Mirador Hold under the bright moonlight. We have already come across several patrols, and a few have spread around the carriage to protect it. It is only for a show. There is no danger this close to the Mirador Hold, especially on this side. Soon, we reached the gates, and the carriages stopped. There is a man standing at the gates, wearing a uniform and all the medals. Beside him are the other men and women, all wearing their military uniforms. The guards gathered around the carriage before High-Mage York came out and behind him, Lancel. Soon, the whole entourage came out, and we walked toward the gates with Lancel leading in the front. ¡°Welcome to the Mirador Hold, Lord Lancel,¡± said Commander Harrison as Lancel appeared in front of him. He did not bow to Lancel but showed enough respect to him. If it had been Count Darrow, he would have not only bowed, but welcomed him from the carriage. He is a prince¡¯s man, and I heard Duke Benedict played a big role in him getting this position. Duke Benedict is Lancel¡¯s uncle. ¡°Commander Harrison,¡± said Lancel. I could see the faint displeasure that appeared in the eyes of the commander, the way Lancel had greeted him, and knowing Lancel, he did intentionally. To establish the hierarchy. Officially, Mirador Hold is an imperial frontier fort, managed by the defense ministry of the empire. In reality, it is a personal fort of the fourth prince; every person here comes from the army of the fourth prince, including Harrison Dane. Count Darrow is the prince¡¯s uncle and his ardent ally. He is also part of the defense council of mirador hold and, if he wishes, could remove Commander Harrison from his post. Lancel is nothing officially, but he is a member of one of the most powerful noble houses of the empire and the prince is his cousin, which gives him power over Commander. Harrison Dane understands it very well, seeing how he took the small disrespect with a smile. ¡°Viscount Akre, welcome,¡± he said and took us inside. The preparations had already been made. Commander Dane took us directly to the banquet, where everyone important in Mirador Hold was present. The party lasted for over two hours before it was over. After the party was over, I joined Lancel for an important meeting in the mirador hold, with Commander Dane and his men. It had lasted for a little over an hour, during which he briefed Lancel about the undead attack that happened more than a month ago. Nothing, he said, surprising to me. He had sent the detailed record, which I had read a couple of times. ¡°Is anyone trying to leave?¡± I asked Ina as I finished my duties with Lancel. ¡°No. They are all sleeping. I have personally checked it,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°Good, you can sleep too. We have to leave early tomorrow,¡± I said to her. She nodded and walked toward the door, before suddenly stopping and turning to me. ¡°Thank you. Master Silver,¡± she said, surprising me. I was about to ask her why when she opened the door and walked out, leaving me confused. I decided not to think about it further and walked into the bedroom, which had a beautiful view. The last time when I had come here, I could not stay on this floor. Now, they have placed me here without me asking. In just six months, the fortunes have changed. I looked at the view for a couple of seconds, before laying on the bed. Within a few minutes, I was in deep sleep. ¡°Mister Silver, wake up,¡± I was shaken hard from a deep sleep by a familiar voice. I woke up in seconds and my hand immediately went to the sword by my bed. I did not forget what had happened last time when I was woken up in such a way in a foreign place. ¡°What happens?¡± I asked with my sword in my hand. ¡°Assassins,¡± replied Jon, making me even more alert. ¡°Not here, mister silver. They have attacked Viscount Akre and his men,¡± he added, and I couldn¡¯t help but relax. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 99: Breach Chapter 99: Breach ¡°My Lord,¡± I said as I entered the secure room. It took some convincing and usage of ¡®Persuasion¡¯ for them to bring me here. A fortified place, which is defensively enchanted and guarded by powerful guards. Lancel is sitting there, and so is the bloodied Viscount Atre along with two of his men. One of them is laying on the ground while being treated by the leader. Lancel is sitting on the head chair, looking angry. I wanted to ask what happened so badly, but seeing Lancel''s expressions, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to do that. The only thing I know is that Viscount Atre and his men had got attacked, and at least one got killed. There are two sittings here, with one being treated by a healer. Still, I mouth the words to Robin beside me, who mouth ¡®later,¡¯ back. I nodded and turned to Lancel, who was still staring at the table. ¡°This is a fortress, for the emperor''s sake. The assassins have come here and killed two people under their noses, while they watch like dumb chickens.¡± cursed Lancel angrily and turned to the middle bald man, who was sweating profusely under Lancel¡¯s glare. ¡°Our sincerest apologies for this security lapse, Lord Lancel. The commander himself searching for the perpetrators to bring them to justice for this heinous act,¡± replied the man shakingly. It made Lancel glare at him further. The man shuddered under his glare and sweated even more. That made Lancel shake his head in pity and turned away from the man. The silence is deafening, and I wish I had some telekinesis skills, but I did not. So, I sat in silence. ¡°This damned stickiness!¡± cursed Viscount Atre suddenly, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. ¡°Bring me a new set of clothes,¡± he said, and looked at the guard standing beside him. The guard instead looked at the bald man. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go bring Viscount Atre a new set of clothes,¡± snapped the bald man. I couldn¡¯t help but get surprised seeing that. Gone was the pitiful face and now, he had an angry look on his face, filled with irritation. Though it had only lasted for a second, before reverting to the old pitiful face, with sweat coming all over. I am not the only one to notice that. I am impressed. The bald man is doing something, that very few could do in this world. He was able to fool even Lancel and the rest. Even now, when he broke the cover for a moment, very few people noticed it. This is the weakness of this world; they depend on their skills too much. They think, if someone deceives them, especially on their face, they must be using their skills. Despite sitting close, Lancel had not noticed. Though Viscount Atre did, that man was sharp. He immediately caught it but did not show he did. Though I may be wrong, he might be using acting skills. They are acting skills for a reason. A few minutes passed and fortified doors opened, and the guard walked inside with the set of clothes for Viscount Atre. ¡°Well, congrats. You did not botch this,¡± said Viscount sarcastically, as he took the clothes from the guard''s hand and walked toward the bathroom. Looking at his gait, he only looked slightly injured, despite his bloodied clothes. Soon, the Viscount returned wearing a fresh set of clothes. He looked completely fine, except for being a little pale. It could be due to the injury or stress of the situation. He sat down silently, without uttering a single word. Which couldn¡¯t help, but irritate me. Usually, I like silence, but there I know all the facts of the situation I am in. Here, I am nearly blind. I only know that there is an assassination attempt and at least one person had died. I don¡¯t know who the assassins were, how they enter the fortress, or whether any of them had been captured. I don¡¯t like it, but there is nothing I could do about it. ¡°Lord Viscount. Mr. Calvin is stable now,¡± said the tired healer, who had been healing the man on the ground. ¡°Will he be fit for travel in the morning?¡± asked Viscount, surprising the healer. ¡°He will, but I hope. He will take as much rest as possible to recover quickly,¡± the healer replied. ¡°Thank you, healer. You are the only person in this damned fortress who isn¡¯t disappointing,¡± he said while glaring at the bald man, who again started sweating pitifully. Though this time, the Viscount is not fooled. An hour passed and barely any word when the fortified doors opened, and Harrison Dane walked inside with his men having a sour look on his face. ¡°Did you find them?¡± asked Lancel, and his face become sourer. ¡°We are still searching the fortress. We will find them,¡± replied Commander Dane. He looked like, he ate something disgusting as he replied. ¡°So, you have failed in finding them,¡± said Viscount Atre as he slowly raised his head and looked directly into Commander Dane¡¯s eyes. The first hour is the most important in finding the assassins. If you didn¡¯t find them, by that time, then it is very hard to find them later. ¡°We have not failed. We are still searching for them,¡± said Commander Dane forcefully, while those grey eyes of Viscount turned thunderous. ¡°You have failed Dane. You have failed since the moment the assassin attacked us in your fortress.¡± ¡°They tried to kill me. They killed two of my people and injured one while you have not only failed to stop them, but have as well let them leave freely. ¡°If this is not a failure, I don¡¯t know what it is,¡± said Viscount slowly, with each word fury in his voice rising. ¡°We are searchi¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± shouted Viscount, and suddenly invisible pressure surrounded the entire room. It is so heavy that I had stopped breathing; forgotten the first instinct I have learned since coming to the world. It took me a second to remember what my old instructor had told me about it and forced me to act on it. I controlled my fear and forced myself to breathe, which is much harder than it looked, but I did it after a couple of seconds. Aura. Viscount Atre had released the aura. I did not know he awakened the aura; it is very hard. Only a select few could awaken it. It is shocking, and I am not the only one feeling it. Even Commander Dane and Lancel seemed shocked. Though, unlike me, they seemed to take an aura much better. Especially Commander Dane, whom the aura is targeting. They are used to the aura and had even been trained to bear it. Lancel, like all the people from great noble houses, had been trained to bear it. It is also said to increase the chances of awakening it. Lancel had not awakened the aura, nor his father, but his uncle, the Duke of Valeshire, had and so had his older brother. Count Darrow is very proud of him. Thud Thud! Suddenly, the loud sounds of falling rang out. I turned back and saw two guards falling to the ground and more seemed to be close to doing that. ¡°I want them found Dane or you won¡¯t like the consequences,¡± warned Viscount Atre. Commander Dane looked at him before walking out of the room without saying a word. Though it is clear from his eyes that he is angry about the aura and the warning that came after. He did not look like a man who would bear such insults. ¡°Viscount Atre congratulations. The awakening is a great milestone,¡± said Lancel with a smile, but I could see the hidden jealousy within it. ¡°Thank you. Lord Lancel,¡± he replied. There were a few seconds of silence before Lancel¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Do you think we should delay the trip?¡± Lancel asked, to which the Viscount shook his head. ¡°No, we cannot do that.¡± Replied the Viscount, and he seemed quite adamant about it. ¡°You have lost two people. Will you be able to make do without them?¡± Lancel asked. ¡°It will be a little stressful, but I will manage,¡± he replied. Lancel seemed like he wanted to say something, but did not. Time passed, and soon it was five. The sun will start to come out in a few minutes. This means we only have two and a half hours before we depart for the Navr. I was thinking about that when Viscount Atre got up. ¡°Lord Lancel, we should make the preparations,¡± he said, to which Lancel nodded and got up from his seat. ¡°Lord Lancel, Viscount Atre. It would not be a wise choice to go out now. The assassins haven¡¯t been caught yet,¡± said the bald man. ¡°Fuck off,¡± said Lancel angrily and walked past him and toward the door. The guards looked around in hesitation before opening the doors. Soon, we walked out of the fortified rooms with heavy guards around us. ¡°Lord Lancel, Viscount Atre. We would be grateful if you remain in the security of the guards,¡± said the bald man, but neither Lancel nor Viscount Atre gave a response to him. ¡°Be ready. We have to leave at seven,¡± said Lancel. Soon we separated. I went to my suite, while Lancel and Viscount went to theirs, which is the main fortress, on the same floor as Commander Dane. ¡°What had happened?¡± I asked Robin. Even now, I do not know the complete details. ¡°A group of assassins attacked Viscount Lancel and his men. They succeeded in killing two.¡± ¡°Viscount had fought and injured the assassin that attacked him before alerting,¡± replied Robin. I had thought he was a negotiator, but it seemed like I was wrong. It is hard to guess with the ruling classes. They are encompassing; one could be many things in a single class. ¡°He must be quite powerful to fight off the assassins,¡± I said, to which Robin nodded. ¡°He is. He had acted as the fourth prince''s bodyguard on many occasions.¡± He replied, and that couldn¡¯t surprise me. Being a prince''s bodyguard is not a simple task. He should be at Level 35 and above and with him, having a ruling class. He should be more powerful than the people with the combat classes. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. He had awakened an aura. Only those above Level 30 do that. It is very rare for people below Level 30 to do that. Soon, we reached our suits, and I went inside with high security. My three guards and nine from the fortress. After assassins, I do not mind this extra security. The first thing I did after entering, is freshening up and shower, before taking a look at the documents one more time. By the time I was finished, there was only half an hour to leave. I readied myself and walked out with security. Feeling relieved that I did not get attacked in the suit. I was fearing it might happen at any moment. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 100: Navr Chapter 100: Navr ¡°With the temple acting up; I think it would be better to postpone the delegation from Harsoth,¡± said the man in grey robes. ¡°Or at least sent them to other regions.¡± He added. The pale young man who was reading the papers finally looked up. ¡°There is no need to postpone it or send them to other places,¡± ¡°The second majesty himself had arrived to deal with the temple''s disturbance. He will calm it down,¡± said the pale young man. Hearing that, the man in the grey robe is not surprised but relieved. The temple is something ancient, even after thousands of years. They could not find all its secrets. Its reactions are not rare, it happens every decade and only the majesties have the power to calm it down. ¡°How many it took till now?¡± asked the pale young man. ¡°Eighty-seven people. Thirteen of them had returned,¡± he replied. It had been one and a half days since it had reacted and if didn¡¯t calm down soon, it will take more people. ¡°Good. Keep an eye on those returned and make sure it didn¡¯t get anyone from the empire.¡± said the palace young man before turning to papers. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± said the man in grey robes and walked out of the office. ... ¡°You had failed Dane. I don¡¯t know why, I had even thought you might be able to capture even one,¡± said Viscount Atre. We all have gathered on open ground with our carriages ready. I have checked everything and everything is perfect. It couldn¡¯t help but make me feel relieved. ¡°I will capture them,¡± said Commander Dane, but nobody believed it, including his people. ¡°Keep telling yourself that,¡± said Lancel with mirth, before walking toward the carriage with Viscount. He had confidential business to talk to Viscount and will be alone in the carriage. Even High-Mage York isn¡¯t allowed inside. I watched till Lancel entered the carriage, before entering the carriage with Ina. The others also sat and the security of over three hundred guards surrounded them before the carriages move. Not all of these guards are coming. They will be with us for an hour, till we met the representative from Navr. Who will escort us inside the undead kingdom. Soon, the carriages reached the giant gate, and it opened. It only opens, when the undead attack, but if we are successful in Navr. It will open more often. The carriages begin to roll through the gates, and I could see the verdant hills on the other side. It is beautiful scenery, it would have been more beautiful, if not for being marred by the signs of battle. The bones are still around and there are many of them. They must have cleared the ones with the death energy while leaving the harmless ones behind. They create quite a picture. I was watching the scenery when I noticed Ina taking out something from her bad nervously. A white envelope. ¡°Caena had asked me to give it to you after we left the fortress,¡± said Ina suddenly and handed the white envelope. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± I asked as I felt the bulge inside it. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She replied. I looked at her for a moment, before turning to a white envelope, which was blank. Not a single word is written. Hun! I tore it open and raised it up. Immediately, the thing inside came out, and I froze in shock at seeing what it was. I had expected many things, but not this. I nearly threw it before stopping myself. ¡°Is it a charm?¡± asked Ina hesitantly, seeing the thing in my hand. ¡°It seemed so,¡± I replied. Feeling quite conflicted. There are very few classes that create charms, with one class being most notable for it, especially for herbal charms like this. The class, because of which, I ended up in the Greltheaven. So, one can guess, why I wanted to throw it away. Even those who had not been affected by that class did not like it. Some kingdoms outright banned them, while some hunt them actively. The herbal charm is quite beautiful, woven in delicate herbs and flower petals and tiny branches. The charm is not the only thing in the envelope. There is also a note; I took out it and opened it. It is short, written in the delicate handwriting of Caena. I read it over and over for a minute, before taking out the torch stone and burning it into the ashes. I turn back to the charm and was about to put it back into the bag, but decided to put it into my pocket. If what Caena had written is true, then the pocket would be the right choice. ¡°I guess with this. Caena¡¯s base class is no longer a mystery,¡± said Ina, after a few seconds of silence. ¡°If she is the one who made this charm,¡± I added, to which Ina smiled. It all makes sense now. Her knowledge of herbology and strange behavior. It made me worried. When I return to the Greltheaven, I am going to have a long talk with her.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 101: Pulled Chapter 101: Pulled ¡°Navr is blessed with a great soil, that we can grow nearly everything.¡± ¡°Even those we can¡¯t grow naturally. We grow it in our domes,¡± said Necromancer Raihar, pointing toward the energy domes. They are big and in different colors. They are greenhouse domes with an artificial environment inside them to grow plants that could not be grown outside. We are taking a rest in the middle of a vast farmland in a luxurious tent, with food that is even better than Drev''s. It is made of a mix of magical materials and normal cooking ingredients. Drev had asked for permission to cook these fusion dishes. He said he was quite good with some fusion recipes and could do it without burning up anything. I had flatly rejected it. I am not ready to take such risks with him. ¡°Navr is an agricultural powerhouse, there is no denying it,¡± said Viscount Atre. He did not like saying those words, but it is true. It is also a truth, that it is a big carrot for us and the rest of the cities of Renwell region. Nearly all our food is imported. Currently, it is the Empire that sent the most food, but merchant cities are rapidly catching up. I don¡¯t think it would take them over six months to export 70% of our food needs. It would be great if we could make deals with Navr. A diverse supply chain is always good. I looked at the beautiful scenery through the window and couldn¡¯t help, but feel jealous. We are a living, but we live in a wasteland, and these bastards, despite being undead, they are controlling one of most fertile land on the continent. ¡°I heard the Talgek region is where the Talas wine is produced. Am I right?¡± asked Lancel, to which Raihar¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes. Talas wine is produced in the Talgek region,¡± said Raihar proudly. It is a thing to be proud of. Talas wine is one of the hundred top spirits in the world. It is counted in the top ten in the world. It is a very expensive wine and even a decade-old bottle cost over million crowns. The Undead are one of the best winemakers. They live for hundreds and thousands of years and have time to focus on different things. One of the things they focus on is winemaking. It is not a craft to focus on, but it is also something that brings them great fortune. This is why a fifth of the top hundred wines come from undead kingdoms. Navr had three spirits in the top hundred, and thirty-seven in the top one thousand. I had planned to buy some of them. I will try for at least one bottle of one of three spirits on the top hundred; it will be difficult seeing how quickly they sell, but I¡¯ll try. We rested for about an hour before we walked out of the tent. ¡°For a while, I had forgotten there are undead around us,¡± Lancel muttered as we walked toward the carriage. No undead were seen in the tents and in the farmlands, they were far enough to be blurrier. As for a Raihan, he is a mage like High-Mage York, specializing in necromancy. Soon we sat in the carriages, and they moved again. It is late afternoon, and we will continue till night, before taking another break. We will need to travel through the night if we want to reach Jalrux City in the morning. Raihan said it wouldn¡¯t be a problem and I really hope so, because no matter how beautiful Navr is. I like to conclude our business here as soon as possible and go back to the Greltheaven, where I feel safe. Hours passed, and soon it was evening. ¡°That should be Melhax city,¡± said High Mage York, looking at a cluster of lights at a distance. This might be an undead kingdom, but it has cities and villages. Like all kingdoms, it needs fresh blood. It might seem unbelievable, but Navr accepts a lot of high-level people. Those with death magic affinity will be accepted immediately without any questions. It will also accept anyone above Level 25. Especially the farmers and miners who are vital for Navr to continue to increase their fortune. Just a decade ago; a level 40 farmer had migrated to Navr from merchant cities. It had caused quite a stir in merchant cities. A farmer of that level is very important. More important than a combat class powerhouse. At that level, they became capable of performing miracles. The merchant cities had gotten quite angry and made a show-attack, to appease the public, but other than that did not do much. Navr is extremely powerful and one of few kingdoms in continents, whose capital had never been breached since its founding. Not even the Empire and Merchant Cities could boast of it. It is also a cruel kingdom; Its body hunting wars leaves no-one alive. When they are done with it, the villages, cities, and even the entire region do not have a single soul in them. Others could only watch and make a show of retribution; even the archmage of Zenid could not do much against them in their kingdom. Navr is too powerful to do anything to it and also knows its limit. This is why, since its founding, it had never expanded. Its armies would always retreat back into the kingdom after getting what they want. A few more hours passed, and we took our last break. This time, we stopped by the lake, which had a huge lake house. ¡°It is a beautiful place. I would have loved to spend the night here,¡± said Lancel as he walked to the porch of the lake house after dinner and looked at the beautiful lake in front of us. It is really beautiful is beautiful scenery, but unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t stay here. Twenty minutes later, we sat back in the carriages and our journey resumed. In just a few minutes, Lancel slept; it couldn¡¯t help but surprise me. He had been sleeping through most of the journey and even had slept yesterday on the journey. I did not notice it yesterday, but today is quite clear that Lancel is a travel sleeper. It might be just a habit or maybe it is a skill. I don¡¯t know, but it is a point I noted. I did not sleep; I had slept earlier. So, I opened the book and begin to read it. The book is about Navr, its history, and its customs, among many other things. Most of the knowledge is not new to me; old Remus¡¯s studies involved this, and I had also read a couple of books about it since coming to this world. Still, I read it as extra knowledge is always helpful. I read for two and a half hours before putting the book in the bag and closing my eyes. In a minute, I fell asleep. It was not a calm sleep, but a nightmare about the undead. ¡°Lord Lancel, wake up,¡± suddenly a sharp voice of Mage York rang out, waking me and Robin, along with Lancel. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Lancel cautiously. ¡°Necromancer had just used a spell.¡± Informed High-Mage York. It made Lancel alarmed for a moment before he controlled his emotions. ¡°What kind of spell?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of spell it is, but it connected all the undead with a string of invisible death energy, with our carriages as the center,¡± High-Mage York informed. Lancel did not say anything, but I know he was thinking. He thought for a few seconds before turning to me. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± he asked me. ¡°We should ask the necromancer. He should have told us about it before casting such a spell. It is a courtesy,¡± I replied. We are no common people or group of merchants, but the diplomats of the empire. Since the necromancer is responsible for our security, he should inform us if he casts any spell such wide spell around us. Lancel turned his head to High-Mage York and Robin, both of them, nodded. ¡°Stop the carriage, but first inform Viscount Atre of what happened,¡± said Lancel. ¡°I think, the Viscount should be aware of it,¡± said High-Mage York, but still closed its eyes for three seconds, before opening them. ¡°Driver, stop the carriage,¡± said High Mage York, and a few seconds later, the carriage stopped, and with it stopped the undead. ¡°Is there a problem, Lord Lancel?¡± asked Raihar as he appeared by the window before High-Mage could open the door. ¡°You had cast a spell, Representative Shadowend,¡± said Lancel, using his displeased voice, and he did not surprise by the question. ¡°Yes, that was a beacon spell. It is to let know Rome and surrounding cities of our locations,¡± he replied smoothly with a smile. Lancel looked at the High-Mage, who nodded hesitantly after a second of silence. ¡°I like to be informed. If you cast such a wide spell next time,¡± said Lancel. ¡°Certainly Lord Lancel,¡± said the necromancer without changing the smile on its face. A few seconds later, the carriage begin to move again, but nobody slept immediately. We talked for a few minutes before Lancel closed his eyes and slept again. I did the same a few minutes later. This time, when I slept. There were no nightmares. ... ¡®Yes, everything is perfect, my lord. I had cast Ikesai¡¯s Layers as you had asked me to,¡¯ said Necromancer Raihar, through message spells. ¡®You will soon enter the influence of the temple. So, keep the spell is active, till you reach the Jalrux,¡¯ said the voice on the other side. The influence of the temple is wide, covering nearly a third of the Talgek, and the Jalrux city is near its center. If he had a choice, he would have circumvented them, but he did not. ¡®As you command, my lord,¡¯ replied Necromancer Raihar. He thought the message would be cut, but his superior surprised him with another question. ¡®Has there been any problem in with the journey,¡¯ asked the superior. ¡®My lord, everything is perfect. If luck with us, we will be able to reach the city a little earlier than I had estimated,¡¯ informed Necromancer Raihar. ¡®Hmm,¡¯ said the superior, before cutting the spell. Necromancer Raihar looked around while maintaining the spell. Every few minutes, his eyes would drift to carriages, especially those two carriages, where he wants to release his undead. It would be an understatement to say he did not like them. He hates them with every cell of his body. .... Suddenly, I opened my eyes and felt an uncomfortable feeling all over me. As if something is pulling me hard, but the strange thing is, I am in my place, without shaking or moving. The feeling is strong, and it is rapidly getting stronger, that it started to become painful. Hun! I could not bear it anymore and opened my mouth to call High-Mage York when suddenly I felt a suppressive aura surrounding me. Viscount¡¯s aura. It is definitely Viscount Atre¡¯s aura, and it seemed to be more powerful than what he had used against Commander Dane. It immediately forced High-Mage York to open his eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± Lancel asked as he opened his eyes and looked at the High-Mage York. Who had expressions of concentration on his face, while the crystal on his staff glowed. ¡°There is something strange going on here,¡± said High-Mage vaguely, without explaining much. I did not care as the pull on me had increased further, and I was about to tell that when suddenly, the powerful aura of the Viscount disappeared. At that same time, the pull on me increased even further. ¡°I..¡± I opened my mouth to inform it when suddenly everything in front of me turned black. It had happened quickly and what made it scary was that I could not feel anything, smell anything. I felt like I had disappeared from the world. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 102: Unholy Temple Chapter 102: Unholy Temple Thud! I crashed against something hard and everything in front of me, become clear. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed in pain as I sat down from a strange position, I fell in and immediately got shocked, seeing where I am. I am in a grand corridor with huge, intricate pillars. It seems to be made for the giants and is a radiating a feeling of oppressiveness, that feels as strong as Viscount Atre¡¯s aura. One moment, I was in the carriage, and the other; I was here. I want to believe that I am under some kind of illusion spell and that High-Mage would soon relieve me of it, but it is not. I could feel in my heart and my bone that it is real. As for how I get pulled into this place, I don¡¯t have a fucking idea, but it is a world of magic, and stranger things happen. I don¡¯t know where I am, and how I get out of here. On top of that, I do not feel great. I felt like danger is everywhere. Instinctively, my hand went to my waist, but my sword was not present there. I had placed my sword beside my chair. If any trouble came, I would have been able to take it in an instant, but never in all scenarios I had imagined. I would be pulled into a strange place. Next time, I will remember that. I am unarmed; I don¡¯t even have a knife. The only thing I have that could be called offensive is the charm I have in my pocket. I touched and felt a little reassured before looking around. I don¡¯t have a map of this place and don¡¯t know what it is, but I couldn¡¯t stay in one place. So, I turned back and begin to walk through these dim corridors, which seemed to be made for the giants. The size of the corridor and the beauty of it I have never seen before. It awed me and if my father had been here, he would have tried his all to take away these pillars. But I know enough to consider any art connoisseur would sell their souls to have them. I stopped beside one pillar and looked at them. The beautiful carving that is done on every pillar. They carved the pillars in great detail, each telling a story. The stone pillar I am looking at is showing humans, elves, dwarfs, orcs, and even undead among them. It is not just, there are even elder races among them. Giants and Crystal race, among two others, which I could recognize. There is also another one, which I didn¡¯t. All these races seemed to be fighting unitedly against a single enemy, which has come from the sky when it had split open. ¡°Incursion,¡± I said. It is, without doubt, the scene pillars describing is of the incursion. The incursions are the gravest danger to this world. Every time they came, they would wipe out more than half of the population. The kingdoms are destroyed. The empires turned to dust. Races extinct. If anything, that has the greatest influence on this world, then it is incursions. The last incursion had been more than two thousand years ago, and people are saying the next incursion would be in this century. They have been saying that thing for the past centuries and it did not happen. I hope it didn¡¯t happen in this century either. I moved to the next pillar, and it had scenes of incursions. Some were so painful that it had brought tears to my eyes. I looked around the seven pillars before I stopped. The pillars wouldn¡¯t provide me with any information about this place. It is better that I increase my pace and get out of here. Hun! Minutes passed when I suddenly stopped. The corridor that had been in optimal condition had collapsed. I climbed through the rubble and found the way is completely blocked. I could go around it through the overgrown to the right, but just looking at gives me shivers all over. I will not go there, unless there is really no choice, and even then, I would think about it hard. Seeing there is no way back, I turned and walked forward. An hour passed, and I was still walking through this corridor. It seems endless with a wall to my right and an overgrown garden to my left. Leaving me no choice, but to continue walking through the corridor. I had walked for another half an hour when something changed. Seeing it, I nearly ran and soon reached the end. ¡°Gasp!¡± A visible gasp came out of my mouth as I stopped in my tracks. In all my life, I have never seen something so beautiful. It is so beautiful that unknowingly tears have started to come out of my eyes. In front of me, or rather a few miles away from me on a tall hill, is a building. The building did not seem like the right word to describe it; it looked more like a temple. Yes, the temple would be the right word to describe it. It is radiating holiness. The temple is completely white and has a square base, with a long spiral going high in the sky. I looked at it for a minute before taking a step into the open ground. There is a large open ground between the temple on the hill and the building I am. Miles long, that would take me hours to cross. There are also many buildings. Such as the one I had come from. Forming a circle around the temple on the hill, with a gap of miles between them. Hun! The moment I took a step out of the corridor, I stopped, and a great shock appeared on my face. The oppressive aura had become powerful, that I am having a hard problem breathing. Still, it is not a thing that shocked me. It is energy coming from the temple. It is more suppressive than the oppressive aura. The death energy. It is different from the oppressive aura. It is much softer but more powerful than it is. Far more than I had ever felt; in the Navr or from the undead that attacked the island. The temple which I was considering holy is unholy. Though since death is a part of the natural order, it is holy; I do not want to get into the debate, which is waging for thousands of years. Before, I wanted to take a look at the temple from close as possible, but now I want to run the other side as fast as possible. I did not, instead; I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths. It was hard, but slowly, as I started to breathe. I still felt like every breath is a challenge and I continued taking slow and long breaths. It took me more than ten minutes before I was able to breathe, without focusing my everything on it. It was when I noticed another shocking thing. I was not able to see it before, but now I got out of the corridor. I could clearly see it. I am underground. They have disguised it very well, but time unravels it all. When I looked clearly, I could see the signs that show me, it is underground. Which opened the can for all sorts of questions. The first one is all the greenery; everything is green here. The place I am standing had verdant grass and strangely. It is well cut, not like the overgrown garden I had seen through the corridor. There is also the question of oxygen. I have been in the deep underground on the earth, and I know what the air in the underground feels like. Here, everything seemed fresh. It did not make me feel like I am underground at all. It is likely why it took me so long to notice it. Seeing there is no choice, I walked ahead, but this time, I am a lot more cautious. I aim to find the exit of this place, which wouldn¡¯t have been challenging if I had been above ground. As every architecture follows some rules and if one knows them, it is very simple to find an exit. Here it is, a lot more complicated. Exit could be anywhere, there might be only one or several. It might be in the building or the temple, where I do not want to go. The unholy temple had an allure, despite knowing it is a source of all death energy. I want to go to it; though, even if I want to, I could not. In these few minutes, I found out, with every step I take, the aura and the death energies are getting stronger. In my current state, I am too weak to bear the death energy and aura that the temple has. Hell, I don¡¯t think I am strong enough to even reach near the hill, much less the temple on top of it. I would need to find an exit in the surrounding building. They are huge, and each one of them looked like they have made for the giants. From what I know, even before Navr was established. This place had been the majority occupied by orcs and humans, with a few tribes of Elves. There was no record of any elder races being here. Maybe this place is older than records go or maybe it is built with a purpose of grandiose, or maybe I am not in Navr. It is quite frustrating when you didn¡¯t know anything. I do not have any single idea about this damn place, not even a hint. It is making me frustrated and angry, with nothing to go on. Hun! I had just thought about that when I noticed something. A man came out from behind the trees. ¡®It is not a man!¡¯ I realized a few seconds later, seeing the way it was running toward me. it is undead and it is coming off me. My first instinct was to run away, but I even took a step to do that when I stopped myself. Running would get me killed faster. Even at a distance, it is running faster than I could, and with it being undead in such dense death energy. It will catch up with me and at that time, I will be tired, and ready to die. Though staying did not seem like an appealing choice either. I am unarmed, but it is still better than running. Unless of course. I want to enter that overgrown garden. I waited for the undead while thinking about how I was going to deal with it. Nearly all my skills require a weapon, and I did not even have a stick. I have searched for it and while there were several; they were useless. Still, I do not have any choice. If I want to survive, then I will have to be finished, this undead. Soon, it came closer to me, and I couldn¡¯t help but became surprised. It is a man with a pale undead face, but the face looked a lot more vibrant than any undead I had ever seen. Even with paleness, I wouldn¡¯t have considered it undead. If not for its gait and dead eyes. The thing that shocked me is its clothes. It is wearing a business suit, which is new. There are some wrinkles and dirt on it, but I could tell it is still in excellent condition. It couldn¡¯t help but turn my expressions bad, because this is no old undead, but one that is recently made. One which had fairly new clothes and a dress sword in hand. If I am not wrong, then this person is also like me. He is pulled into this place and died in some way, likely due to the aura and death energy, before turning undead.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 103: Fighting Undead Chapter 103: Fighting Undead The undead zombie is only twenty meters away from me. Seeing that, I took a deep breath and adjusted my position. I do not have a weapon, but I could fight unarmed. Instructor David had made sure of that, but most of his training was aimed at fighting unarmed against the humans and orcs, but the undead are a different thing. Unlike humans and orcs, they do not feel pain and their bodies do not have the same limitations as we do. Though not everything is bad. I will be fighting a dumb undead, which is the biggest advantage I have against it. My first purpose would take that sword from its hands. I need it. It is the only way I could kill it. My hands and feet are not enough to decapitate or crush its skull. Gaaaa! It appeared in front of me and attacked with its sword while making a strange noise from its salivating mouth. The attack is fast; faster than I had thought it would be. Thankfully, it only possesses the raw power and speed; there is no technique or skill involved in it. I immediately dodged the attack using Quick Steps, but it was barely by an inch; it was too close for my comfort. The tiniest injury could spell doom here. The death energy slows down the healing and gives a way for death energy to seep inside the body. As I dodged the attack, the undead attacked again, with a strange noise coming from its mouth. This time, I was more prepared and able to dodge, with a healthy distance, but it had come at me again, and again. I did not immediately go for the sword. I wanted to get used to its power and know how to it fight. In just a few seconds, I come to know that the undead, or the person he was before, had barely any knowledge of fighting. As the instinct remains, even when they turn undead, it is why the death practitioners love warriors so much. They would take warriors of lower attributes than normal people three times the number. As even after turning undead, the warrior fights with instincts that are imprinted in every muscle through years of practice. It did not surprise me. The man¡¯s physique, his clothes, and especially that sword. All are an indication that he was a wealthy person; that sword is just for the show. It is a dress sword for christ¡¯s sake. The zombie kept attacking me, and I dodged all its attacks with my skill. The undead are utterly unskillful, but it is powerful. It might be due to the man''s high attribute before turning undead, the dense death energy of this place, or maybe both. A few minutes passed, and the undead kept attacking me without stopping even for a moment. Its relentless attacks had given me an estimation of its strength and speed. ¡®It is time,¡¯ I thought and moved with Quick Steps. I only needed a take three steps before I appeared in position, before throwing a punch at it with all my strength. Bam! My punch hit its fist, right at the base of the knuckle. It hit hard, but also gave me the sharp pain that I was barely able to stop myself from crying out loud. I would have made the sound. If not for seeing the sword flying out of its hand. It couldn¡¯t help but surprise me. I had not thought it would be this easy to take the sword from the zombie. Zombies¡¯ grips are unnaturally tight; unless you decapitate them, it is very hard to get something from their hands. Maybe it is because it is a new zombie, and its nerves are still yet to be fully zombified, or it is just luck. I don¡¯t care, as I quickly took steps back with Quick Steps to avoid another attack from the zombie, before moving toward the sword. I reached for the sword and picked it up; I did not have to bend much, as it was buried vertically. This is a dress sword, a type of short sword. It has a steel grey blade and a red handle. It is shorter than my rapier, but its blade has about the same wideness. Most importantly, it is an enchanted sword, just like my rapier. Though, it only has one enchantment, while my rapier has two. I wouldn¡¯t have minded if it did not even have an enchantment; as even a simple sword would have made me more than happy. Gaaaa! I just picked it up when the undead reached me and attacked with its hands. I dodged its attack, before appearing at its left with Quick Steps. The moment I did, I attacked. The runes on the blade begin to light up as it moved toward the zombie, and I was glad. This man had kept the enchantments in perfect condition. Pachac! My sword reached the neck, and the enchantment of sharpness cut through the neck like butter. A second later, its neck was completely cut clean, with the head falling and foul blood leaking out of its neck. It is more than normal zombies should have. This is yet another proof that it is a new undead. Thud! The body and the head fell one after another, while I watched. It had taken me a few seconds to calm down, and I moved toward the zombie. Since he had enchanted a sword, he must be a rich man, and I want to see what else he would have. I am not above stealing things from the undead. Soon, I used the sword to cut through its clothes and used my feet to flip over before cutting the rest. The only thing he had was a wallet. Inside it is a checkbook which is useless to me and twenty-one thousand imperials in Navr currency. Which I gladly took and put in my bag before resuming my journey. The undead had given me a lot; the sword alone cost over twenty thousand imperials. I had defeated the undead zombie, but it was not a big thing. The undead are never powerful individually. Release a horde of the weakest zombies and even the strongest enemy will fall to their knees. Since I had encountered one zombie, there might be another. I might even find people who might not have turned undead. I really hope. I want to meet someone who has a freaking idea what this place is here and where its exit lies. Hun! I was walking in the direction where the zombie had come from when suddenly I stopped before turning toward the temple. The oppressive aura had disappeared, but a second later, it had appeared again. Now, it is stronger than before. ¡®What is happening?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but ask myself. I shook my head and push those thoughts. I do not have any idea of what is happening and if I kept thinking about it, I will give myself a headache. It is better I focus on things I could do, like finding the exit. Soon, I reached the place where the zombie had come from; it is a little different from the verdant grass I had walking till now. The grass here is overgrown and there are also trees. The grass is one thing, but the trees are completely different in a place where death energy is so thick. This place is different from the overgrown gardens I am seeing between the buildings. Just looking at them sent chills down my body. Here, I did not get that feeling, but travel here will not be a cakewalk. With the trees all around; I will not be able to see the zombies before they reach really close to me. I want to return to the verdant grass, but there is no choice; I had to keep moving to find the exit. Find the people who might know how to get away from this place. I did not immediately move ahead. Instead, I took out a water bottle and took a measured sip before placing it back in the bag. There are many things in my bag, including water and food that will last for four days. I am glad, I listened to Stone and others and packed these things or I would have one more thing to worry about. If I am careful, I can make it last longer and that is what I am trying to do. I don¡¯t know how long it will take me to get out of here. I need to be careful with my ration and, if possible, find something to eat here. Till now, I did not do anything edible, but there are chances. I will find something in these trees. With that thought, I resumed my journey with more caution than before. Minutes passed as I walked through the grass as tall as my waist and the trees around me. Not a single one of them has a single fruit on them. Though I have spotted a couple of mushrooms, I am not going to touch them. Even an idiot knows you shouldn¡¯t touch the mushroom unless you are very sure it is safe. Hun! A few more minutes passed when suddenly I stopped and become alert. I heard the faint sounds; I concentrated and could hear them clearly and they are getting louder by the second. In just a few seconds, I saw the first zombie, and it is not the only one. Four more came behind it. ¡°Fuck!¡± There are five of them, but it is not what made me curse; what made me curse is two people wearing armor and one of them is not even a complete human. A half-orc zombie. Like the human zombie beside him. He is also wearing standard armor, with the emblem of Hafran City. It is a city west of Jalrux. I had memorized emblems of all cities of Talgek region of Navr. It was one of the easiest ones to memories. It is a staff burning in black flames above the mountain of skulls. Hafran is the only city that uses skulls as its emblem. Other cities, including Jalrux, had much more civilized emblems. Aside from the two guards, there are three human zombies. One is as young as me, wearing tattered clothes, which did not look old. He also has iles bag, but it did not seem like it belonged to him. His clothes, even when torn, are normal, and so are the shoes he is wearing. He does not look like a person who could have a bag worth of million imperials. I might be wrong, but that seemed unlikely. The last two were a middle-aged man and the old man. Both had their clothes torn like the young man and had injuries all over their body. They also been attacked first, before turning undead. The same could happen to me. If I am not careful.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 104: Friendly Chapter 104: Friendly They are coming at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel fear. Still, I did not retreat and instead moved toward them. Running away will not help, nor will be staying in one place and waiting for them. I will need to act proactively. I moved toward the zombies; my main target is half-orc and human zombies wearing armor, but if I get a chance. I will finish the other three too. Gaaaaa Gaaaa... They made a strange noise as I reached them and attacked me. The attack of human and half-orc soldier zombies was the most skilled and powerful, while the other three were weak. I used the Quick Steps and dodge their attack by moving left, before attacking the old human zombie. Pachac! I cut its neck in a single strike and would have attacked the young zombie behind me. If I had the rapier, its reach is longer than this short sword. Pachac! So, I dodged another attack from behind before appearing to the left of a young human zombie and decapitating it. I did not use my offensive skills, just the power of an enchanted sword and my physical attributes. These zombies are strong, but not strong enough to force me to use my skills. A lot of change had occurred since I faced the undead on the island. My physical stats have increased and so is my skills and levels. Not to mention training; I am more skilled now than I had been on the island. Once again, I dodged the attack of the two soldier zombies before moving right and appearing in front of a middle-aged zombie and attacking it. Pachac! Its head flew up as I decapitated it, leaving only two soldier zombies. Killing the three was not much of a challenge; I could have easily killed them on an island. These two will give some challenges. They might be dumb, but they are powerful and have instincts of their former lives. They came at me; the zombie half-orc attacked me with its long sword, while the human zombie with a saber. Clang! I dodged the long sword and clashed against the saber. I felt the shock with my small sword, but I bore it and moved left, before taking steps forward and attacking the soldier zombies with Weighted Strike. Pachack! I decapitated it and immediately bend down to dodge the attack from the half-orc zombie. I wanted to attack immediately, but seeing the attack coming. I moved my sword in defense; I could have dodged the attack, but I want to see its power. As it will not be the half-orc zombie I will face. It is better that I know their capabilities. Clang! The attack clashed, and I felt shocked. It was heavy and painful, but as not as much as I had expected. The physical shocks I received during practice with Instructor David are far worse than this. As it finished with the attack; it attacked again, but this time, I dodged and took a step forward, before attacking. Pachac! I decapitated it, before taking a step back with Quick Steps to avoid the foul blood falling on me. These two soldiers were powerful and if they hadn¡¯t been dumb zombies, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill them so quickly. They were zombie warrior material. Thankfully, it is the death energy that turned them, not the death spells, or they would have been the zombie warriors with the necromancer¡¯s spells. I took a deep breath before moving toward the zombies. The young zombie specifically, and used my sword to pry off the iles bag from him. I wanted it the moment I saw it and now I have it. A bag worth of hundred million crowns. I tear open his clothes and found nothing there. I was even able to inspect his clothes more closely, which are worn out, but in good condition. He is a middle-class person; there is no way he could afford this bag. The other two beside him are the same, with the old man being relatively well off. I took everything I could from them before turning to the two soldiers. I tear open their clothes and took their weapons and armor. The light armor on the half-orc zombie''s body could not fit me, but the human zombies looked about my size. I cleaned it with the clothes and water I have and even used perfume on it before I wore it. Like their weapons, the armor is also a common one, with no enchantment. Common soldiers could not afford enchanted gear, even if they work their whole life. The armor might be common, but it is still better than nothing. I wore the light armor on my body with some difficulty and was thankful that it fit about perfectly. After I was done with armor, I changed my shoes with the soldier. Mine are dress shoes. They are not suitable for battle, while the shoes from the zombie are not the best for comfort. They will help me in battle. With that done, I looked around, before I started to bring out things from the iles bag I had found on the young man. The first few things I took out were books, to be specifically recorded. They belong to a business in Jalrux City. Then it was a set of clothes, snacks, and a few miscellaneous things. The only valuable thing I found is a purse, which had four hundred imperials in Navr¡¯s currency. I pocketed the money before taking a closer look at the books. ¡°An accountant,¡± I said as I closed down the last book. It belongs to the accountant of the big merchant house in Jalrux, the city. Their business is big and looking at those numbers, my eyes couldn¡¯t shine. With the huge money, it is not a big thing for them to provide iles bags to the important staff. Every business house does it, including the House of Silver. It is why I did not throw away the books. They would be quite valuable to me survived, seeing it is the kind of business I had planned to visit after coming here. Aside from books, food, and a few clothes, that I might use them as a bandage. I threw away everything and added things like half-orcs armor, its shoes, and the saber of a soldier zombie. I would have loved to take the half-orc zombie''s sword. If it had been enchanted, I would have chosen it over the dress sword I am. It is a short sword, and I prefer a long sword, or at least a sword, which is as long as my rapier. The weapons with longer blades are better at dealing with zombies. After checking everything, I resumed my journey and now I am a lot more careful. I have seen those people; know how they have turned. A few minutes later, I stopped by a small tree with berries on it. The tree is a magical tree. The death energy around it is twice as dense as in other places. I looked at it for a few seconds, before starting to pluck the red berries with my glow. I don¡¯t know what kind of berries they are, but I know something that uses death energy to grow is precious. The entire tree is filled with it, and I plucked it all, without leaving a single one, and stored it in the bag. After plucking the berries, I resumed the journey. For the next half an hour, I did not find anything. No exit, no zombies, no magical trees, or any human or person of other race. It started to frustrate me; finding the exit on my own will be difficult with the time I have. I am already feeling tired, and in a few hours, I would be forced to rest. This place is difficult. Every second, I am bearing the aura and death energy. The aura is strong enough to make those weak will fall to their knees and even unconscious and after that; it is a slippery slope to death. I stopped for a second and drank another measured sip of water before resuming my journey to find the exit. Hun! Another twenty minutes passed when I suddenly stopped. As I saw a group of four zombies, and they also seemed to have noticed me as they turned to me. I was watching the group of four when my eyes widened when I saw a few more zombies coming from the group of trees, taking their numbers to eleven. I wanted to run away, but it was useless; in a place like these zombies have known better than a hound. They can sense life''s energies and once they do that, they will chase you till you are dead, or you killed them. I moved slowly toward them and soon; they have come closer enough that I could see more than their silhouettes in this twilight. Of the eleven, seven had the weapons. Two had sticks, while four were guards and have the swords in their hands. The last one was an orc zombie holding an ax. The rest are unarmed. Soon, there were only five meters of distance between us. With two zombies holding sticks, at the front while nine few meters behind them. I am a little relieved seeing that. If they had come at me together, I would have run away and separated them, before attacking. I am not an idiot to go against eleven zombies at once. Those two only had about six meters of distance from the rest of the group. Which is not much, but it was enough for me. A few seconds passed, and I let them come closer, and there were only three meters of distance between us. I moved toward them, pushing Quick Steps. Speed will be key here; I need to be fast as possible. Thankfully, I have worked hard on my Quick Steps for such scenarios, and with Sure Foot, I will always be in balance. Gaa I moved fast and less than a second later, appeared in front of the two zombies. They reacted immediately, swinging their sticks. They are fast, but I am faster. I moved left to dodge the sticks and attacked with Consecutive Strikes. Pachack The tall zombie decapitated before it knew what happened. I did not stop and instead used the momentum of the attacked and turned, before launching another attack at the short zombie. Pachack! I decapitated it before moving right to avoid the stick from the headless zombie. I had just dodged that, when I found myself in front of the nine zombies. I prepared to retreat when I saw the opportunity and moved forward in a zigzag way. I am moving so fast that I begin to test limits of my skills. Even during the training, I had not pushed myself through this hard as I am doing right now. Feeling the lack of flexibility and fluidity in movements on the island, I have trained hard with instructor David. Now, I am reaping the reward of that training. Gasss Gaaa Gaaaa... The zombies screamed in their strange noises as I moved around them, dodging their attacks, before finally swinging my sword. Pachac! Ting Rip! I decapitated the zombie with the sword but did not come out unarmed. One of their attacks hit on my pauldron, while the other slashed my back. While I was able to avoid most of it, it still gave me a bloody wound. I bore the pain and used the opportunity it had provided me by swinging my sword hard at the zombies. Pachac Pachac! I decapitated the zombie before dodging the attack of the Orc zombie. Immediately after, I attacked again and decapitated another zombie. In just two seconds, I had killed five zombies, but the battle was far from over. There, six more zombies have remained to kill, three armed and three unarmed. Gaaa Gaaa Gaaa The zombies came at me, and I moved around, dodging their attacks. Looking for the chance, which came in a few seconds. I moved forward when the orc appeared in front of me. It is strong, I will give you that, but it is still something I could manage. Slice! It attacked me, and I dodged as crouched down, before attacking its leg, slicing the whole thing off. As I did, I moved left before standing up, avoiding most of the foul blood, before dodging the attack by the two zombies. Pachac! I decapitated the unarmed zombie and dodged the attack of two armed zombies by taking rapid steps back. With one more dead, five zombies have remained for me to deal with, four to exact. Seeing, I had sliced the leg off Orc and how it is falling; it won''t be much of a danger for me, as long I stay away. I will deal with it after I finished with these four. For a few seconds, I only dodged the attack, taking zombies away from the Orc, who is crawling toward me. It surprised me, but I pushed it aside and moved forward. Pachac! Clang! I dodged the attack of the armed zombie and decapitated the unarmed one. The other arm zombie was able to hit me directly on the chest, knocking the air out of me, but doing nothing else, due to my armor. Pachac! I had expected it and thus let it attack and it give me another chance to decapitate another unarmed zombie. as I clear my breath. ¡°Now, only you two have remained,¡± I said to them and dodged their attack before taking a step forward and launching mine. Pachac! I decapitated it and dodged another attack from the last armed zombie and was about to kill it when I suddenly stopped in surprise and retreated. Pach! A moment later, a small energy arc decapitated it, and I watched with eyes wide before turning toward the direction of the energy arc and saw the silhouette of the four people a few hundred meters away from me. Pachac! I only looked at them for a second, before moving with Quick Step and appeared beside the crawling orc and decapitating it. Only then, I heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the group cautiously. They could be friendly, but they could also not be; I need to be ready for both scenarios. I held my sword tighter with one hand, while the other went to my pocket for the charm. A few seconds passed, and the silhouettes had finally cleared, and I was able to see their faces. Immediately, a smile appeared on my face. There are four people, of which three are familiar to me, with one being my guard. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Visitt for the latest updates Chapter 105: Friendly II Chapter 105: Friendly II Zela is in the group. She is the one who had cast the spells, as the others did not seem like mages. I know for a fact that two people beside her are not. Of the four people coming toward me, one is Zela. The aquamancer of the stone mercenaries I had hired for my protection. Beside her is a woman, just as tall as her with blond hair, she is Captain Azalea; one of three captains who came with us. The third person is a short middle-aged man, holding an enchanted long sword is joseph. He is one of the guards, a member of our security. The fourth person is unfamiliar to me. He seemed to be in his early thirties, with golden brown hair, and a handsome face. He is wearing a classic black business suit, which had been torn in many places. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± greeted Zela, as she and the group appeared in front of me. Looking at all the dead zombies. ¡°Zela, Captain Azalea, Joseph. I couldn¡¯t tell you how relieved I am to finally see people who can talk,¡± I said and immediately, smiles appeared on their tense faces. ¡°It is Mister Silver,¡± Zela replied. I smiled before my expression turned hopeful. ¡°Do you know how to get out of here?¡± I asked directly and got the answer, I was fearing to hear the most. ¡°No,¡± she answered, crushing all my hopes. ¡°It seemed like we will need to keep searching for it,¡± I said and sighed. I am not the only one disappointed. They are feeling the same; like me, they also thought I might know something about getting out of this place. ¡°I am going to see if they have something useful that will help us survive here longer,¡± I added, and turned to the zombies. I am not going to say I am looting the zombies. I am already taking risks by doing this in front of them. If the word spread, my enemies could turn it into something repulsive to tarnish my reputation. Well, I am too worried about my survival to care about my reputation. If I survive, dealing with such things won¡¯t be a problem. I tear open the clothes and search for anything important, but I did not find anything interesting than a few coins. There is not even a simple enchanted weapon, much less an iles bag. I shook my head in disappointment and turned to an unfamiliar person. ¡°Sir, it would be wise to change your armor. The one you are wearing seemed ill-fitting,¡± I said to him. He is holding a sword awkwardly and his face looked like it is about to vomit as he looked at all the zombies. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said and walked toward the zombies. I had already separated armors from the bodies; he just needs to try it out. ¡°Do we even know whether we are still in Navr?¡± I asked, no one in particular. ¡°Yes. We are in the place called Haea Temple; it is a deep underground of Talgek region,¡± replied the unfamiliar man as he removed his armor. I turned to him and arched his brow. ¡°My house had been doing business with Navr for generations. We know a few things,¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°Know anything about the exit?¡± I asked, despite knowing it was futile. ¡°No. Navr, keep a very tight lid on the information related to the temple,¡± ¡°Till now, I have been thinking it as a myth, like many other things about Navr,¡± he said in disappointment. I had expected the answer before it couldn¡¯t help, but make me sad. A few minutes later, and one bout of vomiting. He found the armor that fit him perfectly. I could see, despite standing awkwardly, some confidence had appeared in his eyes after wearing the armor. ¡°So, where should we go?¡± I asked, and some hesitation appeared on their faces. ¡°We were moving north before we heard the sound of your fight,¡± said Zela. ¡°North it is then,¡± I said, and we begin to walk toward the north. Leaving the bodies of zombies in our wake. A few minutes passed, and nobody talked about anything. There is nothing to talk about. Everyone looked everywhere, searching for the signs of exit, but did not find any. ¡°Zela, did you mind changing the weapon with me? The range of this sword is a little short for me,¡± I asked. I had noticed a saber at Zela¡¯s waist. She had found the enchanted weapon. She is not the only one who has it. Captain Azalea had three, while Joseph has one, but theirs were from the city. Count Darrow wouldn¡¯t compromise his son¡¯s security. All the guards who had come with us had enchanted weapons; three captains had full gear. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I prefer short swords,¡± she said with a small smile. I handed her the dress sword and took the saber from her. It is atanas saber, which looked like a classic europan saber with a curved blade. It is slightly longer than the rapier, which is not a problem for me, even an advantage here. With its long-curved blade, I would be able to hack the zombies far more efficiently. The saber is simple but beautiful with a steel-blue blade and black handle. It is also wickedly sharp and has a sharpness of enchantment, like the dress sword. It will not have any problem in cutting through the zombies like butter. I just thought of zombies when the two appeared. To my surprise, the people around me did not stop or even looked unfazed. Even an unfamiliar man only had a slight change in his expression. The zombies came toward us, and when they were just a hundred meters away, Joseph moved. Pachac Pachac! A couple of seconds later, a wet cutting sound rang out as Joseph decapitated the zombies in a single move. He also tore their clothes and take the money from one of the zombies who had the wallet. ¡°I am Remus Silver, by the way,¡± I introduced myself to the unfamiliar man. He seemed a little surprised, both by my introduction and name. ¡°From House of Silver?¡± he asked with his eyes becoming serious. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Ethan Ashav,¡± he introduced, and a smile appeared on my face hearing his last name. ¡°From Oksall right?¡± I asked, to which he nodded. I had already recognized him; his iles bag and ring on his finger had an emblem of his house. House of Ashav is a mercantile house in Oksall City. Powerful, more than even a house of silver. They trade in magical goods, mostly in raw magical materials. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Mister Ashav. Where you were when you got pulled?¡± I asked. ¡°Ethan, please. I was just a few miles away from Jalrux city,¡± he replied. ¡°Has something like this happened before?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He said with a shake of his head. An hour passed, and we made a small talk. Most of the things were related to business, anything to keep our mind occupied from the place, we are in. ¡°Can you hear it?¡± said Captain Azalea as she stopped suddenly. I concentrated, but a few seconds later shook my head, and so had Ethan and Joseph. Only Zela seemed to have heard something as turned her head left. ¡°Something is happening there,¡± said Zela, pointing left. Ethan shuddered at seeing the place where Zela was pointing. ¡°Untamed garden. These places make all the hair on my body stand up,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. The overgrown gardens are dangerous. I have come across a few of them, sandwiched between the building and every one of them had scared the hell out of me. There is something dangerous there; something that will swallow me alive, if I dare to enter inside. ¡°We will not enter, but we will go closer and take a look at what is happening,¡± said Zela. ¡°Fine,¡± I said with a sigh, while Ethan nodded reluctantly. A second later, we are moving toward the overgrown garden. A few minutes later, we reached close enough that I could hear what they were hearing. ¡°Someone is fighting inside,¡± said Ethan with horror in his voice, and I could understand his emotions. The overgrown garden is extremely dangerous. One look at it is enough to raise all the hair on my body. Now, at least one person is fighting inside it; one would need to be very powerful to do it. A few minutes passed when suddenly, the sounds of clashing got intense and also louder as if is coming toward us. ¡°Be careful!¡± Zela warned. Immediately, I moved my sword forward and adjusted my position, ready to face whatever had come out of it. Though I know my attempt is futile; whatever it is or who is will be very powerful, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to last in front of them, even for a moment. Rustle Rustle! Seconds passed, when suddenly sounds of metal stopped, and for seconds, there was an only silence before the sound of the rustling of trees rang out. ¡°They are coming!¡± shouted Zela and her staff lit up, while Captain Azalea took a step forward, as the two bloodied figures came out. Thud! The one simply collapsed after few steps, while the other stopped tiredly. They are bloodied from head to toe. There is barely any part of them that is not covered in blood. Seeing their state; a horror bloomed in my heart. ¡°Jon!¡± shouted Zela suddenly, and moved toward bloodied people, while my eyes widened in recognition. It is Jon, my guard. Immediately, I also recognized the person standing beside him. It is none other than Viscount Atre. Zela reached them and the crystal on the staff lit up; she is clearly in the process of casting the spell. I hope the spell is good, because, looking at their state, they very much need it. ¡°Stop!¡± said Viscount suddenly, to Zela. A frown appeared on her face, and she was about to say something when Viscount took out a scroll from his bag and, without saying anything, he unfurled it. Immediately, a holy white light came out of the scroll and formed a holy circle on the ground, covering them both. ¡°Divine spell,¡± said Ethan beside me in shock. I am also shocked. It is very hard to store the divine spells in the scroll. This one seemed especially powerful, seeing the speed with which it was healing their injuries. It shouldn¡¯t be surprising that a person like Count Atre has it. He is a powerful man, the one trusted by the prince. Such people have these nice things. I wish I became powerful enough to have them, too. The divine spells are lifesavers, hundreds of times better than the healing potions. ¡°Be careful, everyone. There is nothing like a holy aura that attracts the undead,¡± warned Zela, while looking at Viscount Atre and Jim, both of them laying on the grass, likely sleeping. The injuries on them were too heavy. I would have been surprised if they hadn¡¯t slept. A few minutes passed and the power of the holy spell, lessen. In a minute or two, it will disappear. It had done an amazing job already. All the wounds have vanished, leaving only faint marks, they would also disappear before the spell ends. There might be some hidden injuries, but they will be in fighting conditions when they woke up. A few more minutes passed, and the spell disappeared, but the two of them were still sleeping. It will take them a while to get up, till then. We will need to protect them. ¡°Phew, for a while I thought we would be swarmed by zombies,¡± said Elrod wiping the sweat down his face with a relieved smile, but the next second, the smile on his face froze when he saw everybody looking at him. We only looked at him for a moment before looking ahead, watching everything cautiously. We will remain cautious every moment we are here. Especially now, when two people are lying defenseless. One of them is very powerful and could become a key to get out of this ruin. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 106: Incursion Dungeon Chapter 106: Incursion Dungeon ¡°We will move as we had planned,¡± said Captain Azalea, looking at the group of forty-three zombies. I had been thinking about why the Zombies hadn¡¯t come despite the powerful holy energy. They had sensed it, and they were coming; they were delayed because they were gathering. It is strange behavior by the zombies. As they did not gather, they came directly come. It confused not only but also Zela, who had the biggest experience in fighting the undead. We nodded and moved toward the zombies; Captain Azalea is in the middle, while Joseph and I are on her left and right. Zela and Ethan are staying in their places; Zela staying to protect Jon and Viscount Atre. It is Zela who will protect, while Ethan is staying with her. He had little experience in fighting; he had told me he had taken a few lessons when he was young but had no interest. So, stopped after a few weeks. It is not surprising. The scions of powerful merchant houses taught skills related to business. Things that will help them get a good mercantile class and make them a good merchant. Even my father was opposed to me learning to fight, but he respected my choices. Merchants do not need to fight; they just need to earn enough money. The mercenaries they hire from earned money will protect them. Gaaa Gaa Gaaa Soon, there were only ten meters of distance between the zombies and us. Over forty zombies against only three of us; will be challenging, especially for me, who is the weakest in the group. Both Captain Azalia and Joseph are Level 20+. If I wished, I could have stayed back and nobody would have said anything, and I very much wanted to do that, but I did not. I will not be a coward when I have the skill to fight. Hun! Suddenly, I felt cool, and a moment later, a water-blue skin enveloped me; not just me, but also Joseph and Captain Azalea. I am a little relieved with the defensive layer around me; defeating these zombies wouldn¡¯t be easy. Not because they are powerful, but because they are a group, and we are only three people dealing with them. Zela had said, she will only use a spell, if she felt the need for it. Mana''s recovery is very slow here, due to all this death energy. There are potions, but she is avoiding drinking them. A time might come, when she needs to drink many man potions; for that, she is avoiding drinking now. To not suffer, mana burn later. ¡°Don¡¯t break the formation,¡± said Captain Azalea as we reached the zombies and they moved to attack us. The strange loud noises coming from their mouth feels very irritating. If I had been a rookie, I had surely been distracted by them. I dodge the two attacks, before three steps left with the Quick Steps and launched the attack with the Consecutive Strikes. Pachac Pachck! My saber moved like the wind, cutting the neck of the zombie silent whisper; without breaking the rhythm, I moved back my sword and cut the neck of another zombie, before dodging attacks by moving around with the Quick Steps at a very fast speed. Ting! An attack hit me on the chest plate, but I bore it while biting down the shock, before attacking again. Pachac Pachac Pachac I decapitated another zombie before dodging multiple attacks and killing another zombie, and then another. Slash! I had just finished killing the fifth before the saber of an armored zombie cut me on the shoulder. I was a little slow at dodging the attack. I did not let it affect me and instead, attacked the zombie and decapitated it. Pachac! The watery later did not stop the attacks. It slows them down, taking nearly all their power. The zombie attack on my shoulder that would cut through my bone had only given me the flesh wound. It is hurting like hell, but I did not focus on it, instead focused on killing the zombies. We are doing extremely well; it had been only a few seconds before we wiped out more than half of them. Captain Azalea is very good; that sword of hers is like a reaper, cutting zombies, like the knife cut from the cucumber. She is also very skilled, her every strike is simple and efficient, without any flair. Hun! I was dodging when I saw Joseph moving a little away from the formation to kill a zombie. A zombie with an enchanted weapon. Creating a gap on the right of Captain Azalea for zombies to swoop in. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ I cursed him. The enchanted weapon is important, but maintaining the formation is more important. It had put the life of Captain Azalea in danger, and she was angry, but she did not let her anger cloud her judgment. Her sword blurred and killed the three zombies coming from the right before dodging the attack coming from the front. I only watched for a fraction of a second before focusing on the surrounding zombies. I killed zombie after zombie before only one had left in front of me. An orc-zombie. Gaaa! It screamed as it attacked, which I had dodged with the Quick Steps before appearing in front of it and attacking. Pachac! The saber cut through its neck the foul blood sprinkled, but I did not move. The watery layer is protecting me. The drops fell on the watery layer before sliding down to the ground. I took a deep breath and looked around and saw every undead lying on the ground. We did it; we have killed all undead. If I had been alone, it would have been a great challenge for me. I would have needed to move around, separating the Grimms into small groups, before fighting them. Going against a group of forty would have been a death sentence. ¡°Joseph, you have disappointed me. You had not only put my life in danger but also of the adviser Silver¡¯s,¡± ¡°When I will submit the report, there will be mention of this willful endangerment,¡± said the captain azalea, and walked toward the dead zombies. ¡°Captain,¡± he said pitifully and looked at me, but he saw no help from my eyes and walked toward the captain. While I brought out the healing potion and took a sip. As for zombies, I have no interest in them. There was only a zombie that had something precious and that had been killed by Joseph. So, there is no need for me to loot the zombies for small change. The coolness of the potion spread to my body, before focusing on the wound on my shoulder. I stayed in my place for a minute before walking toward Zela. ¡°Mister Silver. You should take a rest. We might not get a chance after these two wake up,¡± said Zela as I reached her. ¡°What about you?¡± I asked. She seemed a little surprised by that, but shook her head. ¡°I will take a rest in a shift with Captain Azalia after she returns,¡± she replied. ¡°Ok,¡± I said and sat down, but instead of immediately closing my eyes. I took out water and some food. I placed it beside me before I lay down and closed my eyes. A couple of seconds later, I fell asleep; it was a sound sleep without any nightmares or bad dreams. ¡°Mister Silver, wake up!¡± said a familiar voice. Immediately I opened my eyes before sitting up. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted and quickly get up, as I saw Viscount Atre sitting on the grass. ¡°Young silver,¡± he said, before turning to rest. Everybody is present, and nobody is missing. It made me relieved; I feared something might have happened when I was sleeping. Thankfully, nothing happened. ¡°Since everyone had woken up; let¡¯s talk about the place we are in,¡± he said as he looked around before his eyes focused on the temple. I saw a fear flash in his eyes for a moment before it had disappeared. ¡°Do you all know the place we are in?¡± he asked. ¡°Haea Temple,¡± answered Ethan, to which he nodded. ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked, and everybody shook his head. ¡°As young Ashav had said, we are in the place called haec temple, deep underground in the Talgek region of Navr,¡± he said, and his black expression became serious; very serious. ¡°It is made by draugr race,¡± he added and immediately my eyes widened in shock, while I shook from head to toe. The intense reaction was immediately caught by the others. ¡°These buildings you can see around are part of a seal that suppresses the power of the temple.¡± He explained, and the light in some people¡¯s eyes lit up in understanding, before the fear appeared. Everybody understood what he was talking about except for Joseph. They might not know what Draugr is, but they understood anything that requires sealing of such scale could only be related to those events. Incursions. ¡°Incursion dungeon,¡± said Ethan shakingly. ¡°Yes, young thorn, we are in an incursion temple and the sooner we get out of it; the better it would be for us.¡± ¡°It had already marked us and if we don¡¯t want to turn to the undead, we need to get out of here,¡± he said to us, who are now scared shitless. ¡°We have been trying that for hours, my lord, but exit is difficult to find,¡± I said, to which he smiled. ¡°You do not need to worry about it, young silver,¡± he said, and a second later, he took out a parchment from his bag. ¡°Necromancer had handed me this a moment before I got pulled here,¡± he said as he opened the parchment, which had a clear map. I could see the temple at the center, with seals surrounding it from all sides. ¡°Can we trust the map given by the necromancer?¡± asked Captain Azalia, to which the Viscount smiled. ¡°Do we have any other choice, captain? From what you have told me, I don¡¯t think we will find an exit if keep searching for it blindly,¡± he said. ¡°Apologies, my lord,¡± she apologized while bowing faintly. To that, he sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for asking valid questions, captain. Yes, we cannot trust the necromancer, but it is in his best interest that we came out of here alive,¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t look good on Navr if we died here,¡± he said. What he meant to say was ¡®he¡¯ died here. Viscount Atre is a noble, an emissary from the emperor. He might come for the business of the fourth prince, but he is an official emissary of the empire. If something happened to him, it would create a huge diplomatic scandal. The empire is not at its strongest, and the emperor is being cautious. That does not mean an empire wouldn¡¯t do anything. Especially after that incident in Namdar and this time, it involves a noble. The nobility and fourth prince will force the emperor to take action. Even if resisted the pressure and did nothing, the relations between the empire and Navr would sour further. Even Navr wouldn¡¯t want that; the Empire is not a kingdom. It is an Empire. Its power should not be underestimated, even in its weak phase. ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t waste any time, my lord,¡± said Captain Azalea. ¡°You are right Captain, we shouldn¡¯t,¡± he said and got up, looking at the exit on the map. For the first time since I was pulled here, I saw hope, but I know it won¡¯t be easy. Nothing is when it comes to things related to the incursions. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 108: Deadly Plants Chapter 108: Deadly Plants ¡°Necromancer, any news of them,¡± asked Lancel harshly. He did not care about faking respect for Necromancer. All he wants is the answers. They have disappeared at midnight, and it is morning right now. He does not care about anyone else but the Viscount. His cousin had contacted him, not long ago, asking him to do everything he needs to press these bastards to bring out Viscount Atre from a fucking incursion dungeon. He could understand his cousin''s worries. He is gathering allies and the Viscount Atre is a very important ally; a loyal man who had the potential to become very powerful in the future. Such people would be very important to his cousin in getting the throne. It would be better if Silver also come out of it alive. He did not like the bastard, but as father had said, you do not need to like the tools, you only need to use them, and Silver is proving to be quite a useful tool. ¡°We are trying, Lord Lancel. We will have the Viscount safe with you by tomorrow,¡± said Necromancer. ¡°You better wish it happens, Necromancer, or you wouldn¡¯t like the consequences,¡± I warned and could see anger appear in the necromancer''s eyes, but he drink it down and nodded, before moving away with his horse. I turned to the city we are approaching fast, and it seemed more beautiful than I had heard, but I am no mood to admire it. ¡°Have any new messages come from father or cousin?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, my lord. One came from the Lord Count. He is asking you to tread the situation carefully,¡± York replied. ¡°Tell him I will be careful,¡± I said and turned back to the city. .... ¡°Good. Now rest. We will leave in an hour,¡± said Viscount, and broke the formation before sitting down. For Viscount Atre, telling him what skills and spells we have are not enough. He had asked us to perform them and devised the strategy to leave this place. I sat down, looking at the temple, which is continuously emitting an unholy glow. ¡°That temple must contain a fortune,¡± said Heiman, looking at it. He had a longing in his eyes that I have seen in the eyes of mercenaries and adventure. Their desire to gain a fortune that will set them for life. ¡°You will need to be an S-class powerhouse to even touch the steps of the temple. Even with that power, there is no guarantee, you will survive inside,¡± said Brul, the green orc, throwing cold water on a daydream. ¡°A man can dream, Captain,¡± Heiman complained. Heiman is not wrong. Places like this contain an immense fortune. Artifacts even relics, but to get them; one needs to bet one¡¯s life with very low odds. Even S-class powerhouses would think a hundred times before going to a place. ¡°Captain, do you think three-majesties had entered this temple?¡± asked Heiman, but before he could finish it, the green orc glared at him intensely. That question wades into dangerous territory. The rulers of Navr are revered, and there is a heavy punishment for speaking against them or even implying something. They don¡¯t want the public to discuss this temple or their supposed association with it. Seeing how strictly; they are guarding the information about it. Though he raised a valid point. The three rulers of Navr are extremely powerful. Each of them is level 50+. I heard one of them even belongs to the elder race. Those three had been one of the most powerful people and had been for over two thousand years. They have likely explored the temple, not once, but many times, and might have gotten all or at least some fortune contain there. Soon an hour is over, and I get up from the ground. I looked at the temple for one last time, feeling it might not be the last time I will be seeing this temple. I shook those thoughts and walked toward the Viscount Atre, who is standing in front of the entrance. ¡°Get into the formation,¡± he commanded, and everyone moved toward their position. Ethan and a few stumbled, but soon we had gathered in a formation. It is an inverted kite formation; on the front will be Viscount Atre, the most dangerous position. While at the back end will be Captain Azalea; the two Orcs will be at the two horizontal ends of the formation. Zela will be middle and protected, as she is the only mage we have, and Jon¡¯s position is flexible, due to him being rogue. Ethan and two others will also be in the middle and thus protected, but it will not be easy for them to survive. In the middle, you are more protected, but that does not mean you won¡¯t get attacked. They will get attacked, but less than us. If they want to survive, they will need to fight, and Viscount Atre is already helping with that. My position is at the left horizontal end, behind Brul. He is powerful and I will have sufficient protection, but attacks will still come at me, and I will need to fight. ¡°Ready?¡± asked Viscount Atre. ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted with a rest. ¡°Let¡¯s get out here then,¡± he said, and we walked toward the large corridor filled with the deadly plants. Viscount took the first step on the stair, and nothing happened. I had expected them to move, attack him, but they did not. They did not move on to the second step and the third. They did not move even when he took the last step, but just as he took the step inside the corridor. The vines moved at him like an arrow, coming at him from all sides at a very fast speed. Rip! A white sword appeared in Viscount¡¯s hand and sliced them apart with a speed that I could not see. One moment, the group of vines came toward him, they were cut into pieces with freeze spreading on both ends. ¡°Artifact!¡± exclaimed Heiman, seeing the white sword in Viscount¡¯s hand. I did not get a good look at when the Viscount came out of the untamed garden. He put it back immediately, but now I did, and it is without a doubt an artifact. Artifacts are rare, very rare. It is said that people of this age could not craft them. I don¡¯t know whether it is true or not, but they are very rare, and it is very hard to buy them. Most artifacts didn¡¯t appear in the market and when some do; they were brought it off immediately at insanely high prices. I have read about this icy sword; its name is snow wind. Its family sword belongs to Viscount Atre¡¯s House. We froze for a moment, but the Viscount did not stop as continued walking. Seeing that, we quickly moved to follow him as his sword cut the path for us. ¡°The first column is ahead. Things are going to get dangerous from here,¡± he said, looking toward the huge column, which is fully covered in purple-black vines. After a warning, he moved ahead and cleared the path by cutting everything that came at him. I looked around cautiously, especially at the untamed garden, which had spread into the corridor. There is no difference between them and if I had not walked in such a corridor before, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to separate them. Till now, not a single thing had attacked, but it could change very soon. Hun! I had just thought that when plants came toward us. It is not just wines, but also normal-looking plants, which stretched themselves, and some even split, revealing sharp body teeth, which sent a shudder through my body. Slash Slash Slap Brul ahead of me and Heiman behind me moved to defend against the attack, cutting the plants that came at us from the side and below. While the Viscount had cleared on the plants on which we step; some had remained. We must clear them. Brul and Heiman cut nearly all plants, but one had passed through their sword and now is coming at me. Brul could have cut it easily, but he had sent it to me, and I instantly moved my saber to deal with it. Slash Slash My saber slashed through the vine, and it begin to flail, dropping greyish liquid and I slashed it again at the further end. These are not undead, that would be dead with simple decapitation. No, they are far more dangerous. They couldn¡¯t be killed unless we pull them out and we do not have such time. It is also very dangerous. So, we need to cut them, temporally making them less dangerous, before they grow back again. Barely a second passed since I had cut with wine when another wave of plants came. Not only from the side but also from above, and this time, the attack came for all, not just Viscount and us. ¡°Remus, focus on the side. We will handle the top,¡± said Brul, and moved his one sword at the left, while the other toward the plants coming from the top. ¡°Ok,¡± I said and moved my saber to deal with the plants coming from my left. This time, I won¡¯t be handling the single plant. Four plants came at me with vines: one flower and one plant. Slash Slash Slash My saber did not hesitate and begin to cut through them. I did not use my skills, only the power of my sword; I want to conserve them as much as possible as soon as I will need to use them heavily. I had just finished cutting the plants when I saw a ball of water shooting from the Zela¡¯s staff, before turning into a wave of thick mist. Which quickly submerged the spore bomb and pushed it away from us. Viscount Atre had said, the spore bombs are one of the most dangerous things in the untamed garden and Zela is responsible for dealing with them. A mage had a special advantage in dealing with them and she had a unique advantage at that, being a near-specialized mage. Zela identifies herself as Aquamancer, but she is technically not. Though she is very close to gaining that water elemental specialization, and the class that will come with it; the moment she achieves it, she will be quite powerful. It is not easy; it is a step that stopped most of the mages in their life. We dealt with the plants, but more came again and then again. Slowly, increasing by numbers and powers. Soon we reached the first column and when I turned back. I was shocked to see the way; we have come from had disappeared. I could not see the verdant grass or the temple on the hill. ¡°Mage Zela; protective spell. Everyone uses the first tranche of buff skills,¡± commanded Viscount, as he dealt with the plants. Immediately, the Zela¡¯s staff lit up and a protective watery screen appeared on our bodies. At the same time, I felt the effect of three buff skills. These are not the only buff skills the people here have, but Viscount had decided to employ them in three stages, from weakest to strongest. The buff skills also mean that now we will move fast and with each stage buff skills, our speed will increase. We have to reach the exit as soon as possible. Viscount and Jim said the plants could move; the longer we stay here, the more plants will attack us. ¡°Let''s move,¡± said the Viscount and immediately increased his pace. The buff skills may be the least powerful, but the enhancement they gave me was quite good. I am feeling it, likely because of my lower level. All combat personnel here is at level 20 or above. Slash Slash Slash The plants attacked, but we cut through them. Be it vine or flower, we did not stop, not even to pick them up. Some of them were precious and I could see it was killing the mercenaries to not take them, but they did not. Viscount Atre had forbidden us from picking even a single thing, not just the plants, but any other thing we find. If we disobey that, he will kill us; he explicitly said that. Getting out of here is more important than anything. Without life, no matter what we find here, we wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy it. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 109: Death Chapter 109: Death We have reached the second column, and the plants have intensified their assault further. Now everyone is fighting, even those who are protected. Ethan, Cooper, and Roth are fighting; they barely have any experience, but they are fighting with the experienced edge. One does not need years of experience; they only need skills. It is Viscount¡¯s skill, an army skill; that gave them knowledge and familiarity to fight. It is a very desired skill in the army; one that promotes you to a certain level if you get this skill. Slash Slash Slash My saber slashed through one plant after another, but I am feeling no joy in doing that, instead, worry. We have reached only a second column, and the intensity of the attacks is this high. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of attacks we would receive when we reached the tenth column, the twentieth. We do not know exactly how many columns we will need to pass to reach the exit, but from what I could deduce, it should be around fifty. That terrifies me, but there is nothing I could do about it. ¡°Pod!¡± I shouted as I saw the pod appearing from the group of plants ahead of me. A moment later it exploded, sending out a yellow cloud at us, but before it could come closer. A ball of water shot past me and exploded into a wave of mist and enveloping the yellow cloud and sending it away. I heaved a sigh of relief and kept cutting the plants. ¡°I thought with such a powerful team; we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about getting out of here, but now looking at these bloodthirsty plants, I think, I had been utterly wrong thinking that,¡± said Heiman. He seemed to use the skill to talk; nobody seemed to hear that aside me and Brul. This is good because these are not motivational words that one would like to hear at a time like this. ¡°My uncle had said, more than half of the people of his party had died reaching for the exit and those who survived were nearly at death''s door,¡± replied Blur as effortlessly cut the vine thicker than my thigh. ¡°Though I still think we have great chances to survive,¡± he added, looking at the Viscount. His sword is cutting through everything that came at him and freezing the whole thing to the end, killing it. He is the only one killing the plants to roots, while all of us are cutting them. A few minutes passed, and we crossed the third column and reached the fourth one, making attacks on us more intense. ¡°Fuck!¡± Roth screamed as the plant bit him on his thigh before Jon had cut it apart and sprinkled the potion on the wound, before moving to deal with the other plants coming. The wound was slight, but it had made everyone¡¯s expressions serious and their movements cautious. This is a small glimpse of what will happen in the coming minutes. It was Roth now, but soon it will be us, and the wounds we will get wouldn¡¯t be as small as this one. I cut the plants, putting extra effort into conserving as much as energy I could. As I will be needing it ahead. Thankfully, I hadn¡¯t used my skills yet. I would have needed to use them if I hadn¡¯t gotten the buff from others, which is helping me a lot. Hun! I was dealing with the plants when I saw something strange. Tens of vines are coming at us like snakes. They are not only moving like a snake but also making a hissing sound like snakes. They look so much like the snakes that, for a second, I thought they were snakes, but they are plants. No other living survives in this place other than the plants; these plants will kill anything that is living other than them. Slash Slash Slash Brul, Heiman, and I cut through the vine snakes. They tried to move away and jumped at us, but it was useless. ¡°These vines snakes are quite tough. If we did not have the enchanted weapons, cutting through them would have been hard,¡± said Heiman and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. I felt the strength of the vine snakes and know how hard it would have to kill them without the enchantment sharpness on my saber. Especially for me, seeing I don¡¯t have any skill that increases the sharpness of my attack. My combat skill tends to focus on increasing the power of attacks, rather than the lethality of the weapon. Those two are completely different things. We take one step after another, not stopping even for a second, cutting everything that came our way. Soon, we passed through the tenth column and plants have become denser. The untamed garden and the corridor, both of them filled so densely with the plants, that I could not see even a single inch of stone. Nearly all of these plants are deadly. Some are more than others. Hun! I cut the four plants when another wave of plants came and, seeing it, my expression turned serious. Even with Brul and Heiman, it will be hard for me to defend against it. ¡®I guess, it leaves me no other choice,¡¯ I thought and moved my saber, but this time, it was no simple attack, but the one that is filled with the power of the Consecutive Strike. Slash Slash Slash My saber cut through one blue plant before moving to purple vines and then the red flower and again to the black plant. The saber moved with the power of a Consecutive Strike, becoming slightly more powerful with each strike. It was a good thing I decided to use the skill otherwise; I wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with the attack. ¡°Fuck!¡± Ethan cursed as the plant pierced a needle inside him and begin to drink his blood before he cut it and removed the needle. I barely glance at him before I needed to look up and attack again with Consecutive Strikes, to deal with the wave of flowers with a sharp tooth. I had cut the plants when another large wave of plants come from the left and attacked it, without breaking the rhythm of the skill. ¡°Things are getting harder,¡± said Joseph from the other side and it is true, in these few seconds, things have become harder all of a sudden. I dealt with the wave of vines and cut them before another wave came of plants came and I dealt with them too. It is like in these past few seconds; some switch had flipped, making things difficult. A few minutes passed, and things got even more intense. Three times, I had been nearly bit and cut by the plants. Now, I am using Consecutive Strikes constantly; there is no other option. If I did not, the plant will injure me, and I can¡¯t have that. I can¡¯t be like Ethan and the other two, who are getting injuries all over them. Jon is helping them now, and then, but they need to protect themselves and pushed harder. The sooner they understand that, the better would be or they wouldn¡¯t be able to come out alive from this place. If things kept getting back at this rate. Rip! Minutes passed when the plant was able to avoid my saber and cut my shoulder. The wound was slight, and barely a drop of blood come out, but it was an important moment. This injury signifies that things are finally going to be dangerous for me. I am not careful, one of the blades of plants will decapitate me or needle me to drain my blood. I cut the plant that cut me before moving my saber, to deal with another wave of plants with the Consecutive Strikes. A minute passed, and I nearly broke the record of Consecutive Strikes, I had made fighting the undead on the island. Still, despite that, the two plants came and injure me lightly. Things are becoming dangerous with every step; Zela is casting a poison detection more often. Hun! Suddenly, a loud rustle rang out and another wave of vines came, and this wave is different from all the others we have faced. They are ropes. The tens of vines bungled together into the ropes, which are thick as my waist. Tens of these thick rope vines are coming, with sharp thorns, all over them; a direct hit and it will be a game over for me. Consecutive Strikes Weighted Strike I was already attacking with the Consecutive Strike and added a Weighted Strike on top of it as I attacked. One part of my mind is calling it an overreaction, but the other is accenting. The enchanted weapon is sharp, but I could not take the risk. If it failed to cut them, they will come at me. SLICE With a powerful attack, my saber touched the thick rope vines and begin to cut through them like butter. It took a fraction of a second for it to cut through it, and it moved to the second rope vine and cut it, before moving to cut another wave of plants coming behind it. The speed of my saber is fast, as it cut through the attacks coming from above. It is all thanks to the Consecutive Strikes. This skill is broken when it comes to dealing with a wave of dumb enemies. Still, even with the broken skill, defending every attack is not easy. One of them had been able to avoid it with my saber and struck my shoulder guard. I cut it before moving to defend against another wave of attack. A few more minutes passed, and things have become even more difficult. Especially for Ethan and the other two; a lot of injuries have appeared on their bodies and so are the changes in their fighting style. Roth and Cooper are panicking with every attack that hit them; making them fight worse. The opposite is happening with Ethan. He seemed to understand, while he is protected, he will need to defend against the attack that slips through protection. If he could not, then he will die. Soon, we reached the fifteenth column and kept moving while dealing with the attacks. Rip Rip! Suddenly, two attacks came from the crack and gave two cuts on my legs before I was able to deal with them. This was no normal injury, but the painful one; those fucking plants release pain toxins, making it hurt like hell. I don¡¯t know whether it is simple pain or a nasty toxin; I wanted to drink anti-toxin medicine immediately, but I waited. Zela is using a poison-detection spell every minute; it had been nearly a minute since she had done and used it in a few seconds. I will drink it after she cast a spell. I have only three bottles and did not spend them before, I am sure. A few seconds later, she cast the spell, and I was relieved, seeing there is no poison or other toxins that are harmful to me. Puch! Barely a second passed after she had cast a spell when a sharp vine come from above and pierced through Roth¡¯s helmet into his brain. Killing him immediately. It happened so suddenly that, nobody had time to save him. It could be even said, it happened at the perfect moment, when everyone who could save him was far too away from him. ¡°Roth!¡± Cooper shouted, seeing his body falling. Jon appeared beside and cut the vine that killed him, before taking the weapon off his hand. ¡°We keep moving,¡± said Viscount. He did not stop, nor did we. We knew there will be death and were prepared for such a scenario, which is to keep moving. Our destination is exit and till we reach it, we will keep moving, no matter who dies. Still, the death had hit me harder than I thought. It made me realize how close I am to death. These plants only need a single well-placed attack to kill me. ¡°Roth!¡± Cooper said with tears dripping from his eyes as he moved with us and soon Roth¡¯s body moved out of the formation. The moment it had happened, the plants moved toward it ravenously, covering it like a mound. A couple of seconds later, they moved away and there was nothing aside from his clothes. The plants did not leave behind, even bones or hair; they ate everything.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 110: Exit Is Near Chapter 110: Exit Is Near "Second Tranch!" Viscount Atre commanded and immediately, the second tranche of buff skills, activated. I heaved a sigh of relief as I moved my saber to cut these wretched plants, which have gone crazy in the past minute. They have tasted the flesh and now they want more of it. Our plan was to not use the second tranche of buff skills before reaching the twentieth column, but we have used it near the seventeenth. There is no choice. If they did not, people like me wouldn''t survive. As the buff skills activated, I felt my strength and speed increased more than before and injuries begin healing slightly faster than before. The last one is from Brul. The healing type buff skill is rare and very useful in battles like this. With this tranche, the people have used all their buff skills. The last tranche is going to be from Viscount Atre alone. Till now, he had not used any skills other than army skills; he used three. Slash Slash Slash As the power of the skills filled me, the speed of my attacks increased, and so is the power behind them. I slash one plant after another with Consecutive Strikes. The buff is good, but I still need to use the skill. Though, I am not using as much Weighted Strike as before. Which will save me a lot of stamina; that skill is powerful, but it takes a lot out of me. Soon, we reached the eighteenth column and moved fast toward the nineteenth. Since the second tranche f buff skills activated, the Viscount had increased the speed. Which put more pressure on us, especially Ethan and Cooper. They are barely surviving, but for how long they would be able to do that? I don''t know. They are fighting with everything they have, especially Ethan. If they had been somewhere less dangerous; they would have been able to survive with the efforts they are putting in, but here there is no guarantee. It is what making them fight so desperately. I cut through plant after plant, swinging my saber again and again with the power of the Consecutive Strikes. Soon, my saber moved in thirty-sixth strikes and cut the four plants at a very fast speed. At speed, that I could barely see the flicker of my saber. As I finished the thirty-sixth strike, I cut the skill and activated it again. At thirty-seventh, the speed and power behind the attack would have been increased further at a higher rate, but I don''t want that. That power and speed come at a cost. It drains stamina too quickly; I could not afford that. I could have gone above the thirty-sixth strike hundreds of times, but I chose not to do it. I am one of the weakest in here, weakest after Ethan and Copper, but unlike them, I am not protected. So, every decision I make needs to be with my survival in my mind and nothing else. We reached the twentieth column, and I saw the surrounding scenery changing. The untamed garden has become beautiful; each plan looked aesthetically pleasing. Especially those enchantingly beautiful red roses I have never seen something so beautiful, and I want them. I am sure they will smell amazing. If I put them in a hall of my establishment. It will take the aesthetic of it to the next level. Hun! I nearly took a step toward it when suddenly a powerful aura washed over me, clearing my thoughts immediately. "Fuck!" I cursed loudly, with cold sweat pouring all over my body as I shook in fear. I was nearly done. If not for the aura saving me in time, the plants would have had me. "Careful. The attacks from plants wouldn''t be limited to the direct physical attacks," Viscount Atre warned. As for an anti-toxin one, I threw it away as it is completely empty. A moment later, Heiman and Brul moved back to their places, and I resumed fighting. It is not the first time I had drank the potions and won''t be the last. Every minute, I am getting injured; there isn''t a part of my body that isn''t cut and armor that is not dented. With injuries come poison and other things, while most plants only injure. Some leave behind nasty things and it is important that I deal with them quickly as possible, before they do some serious damage. Slash Slash Slash Minutes passed, and things got so hard that every second had become a challenge to survive. Things have become so bad that I have drunk a stamina potion, which I only planned to do at the end, but there is no choice. Using the skills constantly is taking a lot out of me. If I did not drink it, then I will die. It is not just me, but the others are also having a bad time. They are the ones bearing the maximum burnt, more than me, and I could see how they are struggling. Even Viscount Atre had not been spared and had gotten injured a couple of his times. He is the one who is bearing the most pressure, they seemed to know he is strongest and attacking him crazily. He is dealings hundreds of them by minute, killing them by freezing them to the roots with his artifact. Such a powerful artifact couldn''t be used without paying a price. He is getting tired; I had already seen him drinking the potions a couple of times. It is likely why he had started to push us harder. He had increased the speed, and that is putting a lot of pressure on us. Rip! "Fuck!" I cursed as the plant gave a bloody cut to my neck. It is a good thing I dodged it on time with Quick Steps, or it would have been far more than a cut. I wish I could say, it had happened the first time. No, it had happened over ten times, and it felt like a miracle that I am still alive. Though the biggest miracle would be Ethan, he was still standing, despite his body being filled with injuries. He should thank Zela. She is the only reason he is even alive. Her healing spells are keeping him standing. "Shit!" Cursed Brul as thick vines pierced his shoulder. He cut the vines, before pulling them with his mouth, while continued using his swords. People like him, who are on the edge of the formation and had to bear the greatest pressure, couldn''t afford to put away their weapons, even for a second. It is a good thing; he had armor, which covered most fatal spots, or he wouldn''t have been standing right now. Soon, we reached the thirtieth column and continued moving. The battle became desperate, and I am barely stopping myself from pushing all out with Consecutive Strikes. I nearly did hundreds of times, before stopping myself, but I won''t be soon, because, without it, I won''t be able to. Because not using its potential will kill me. Hun! A minute passed, and I was moving my saber, intending to go beyond I had ever gone in Consecutive Strikes when something shocking happened. Viscount Atre stopped. Since we entered, he had never stopped, even when people died. "The exit is ahead," he said, and my heart shook. I had thirsted for it, even prayed thousands of times. Now, the thing I had been waiting for had happened; the exit had appeared. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 111: Sudden and Shocking Chapter 111: Sudden and Shocking ¡°The exit is three hundred meters ahead. The plants will attack us with everything, they have as we get closer to it. So, don¡¯t hold back,¡± Viscount said, and finally activated his buff skills. Immediately, I felt the power rushing into me. It is not just I have got faster and stronger, but I am also thinking clearer. I seemed to have gained the clarity that made me more perceptive. It feels like I have gained the ten levels within a second. Zela had also gone all out; first, her watery blue screen covered us all, and it was much thicker than what she had cast, and she had superimposed it, with a healing spell inside. Hun! As she cast a spell, greyish blood came out of her eyes and ears, while her hands blacked, and skin become spells. Her injuries were acting up. These injuries she had gotten in the Vris¡¯alud. They are magical injuries and couldn¡¯t be healed through healing potions or simple healing spells. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself too much,¡± I said to her. She nodded and took out a purple potion, and drank it. I have gotten it for her, and it had cost me a lot. It would have cost me even more if I hadn¡¯t been directly brought from the lightning tower, with the help of privilege, that the medal provide. The potion made the blackness recede, but not all. Hun! I was looking at her when something surprising happened. Ethan, who was barely fighting with his injuries, took out a scroll and unfurled it. Immediately, the yellow fire come out and enveloped him. Making it look like he is burning. He is not; it is just a fire cover spell and looks pretty powerful. I am quite surprised, not because he has the spell. He is from the House of Ashav, which deals with magical materials. It is normal for him to have such a spell. What is surprising is that he had waited this long to use it. A normal person would have used it a long ago. ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± said the Viscount and immediately, his speed increased further, and the power of his attacks. Now only his sword freezes anything it had touched, but also creates an area of ice around it. Any plant that comes closer to his sword would freeze in its place. We followed behind him with our bodies filled with vigor. We could not see the exit, but since the Viscount said it was three hundred meters away, then it was. Outside, it is not much of a distance and could be crossed within thirty seconds, but here, it will take minutes. Slash Slash Slash I did not hold back anything. I cut through the plants one after another using Consecutive Strikes and Weighted Strike. This time, I will not stop the Consecutive Strikes and pushed them, as far as my body allows me to push them. Soon, we have crossed a hundred meters and now only two hundred meters remained. We have crossed it quickly and moving to cross the rest two hundred quickly, too. The buffs and defensive screen covering me are really helping me a lot, and my injuries also healing quickly. We are making a good time and if this continued, we will be out of this place in a few minutes. Hun! Two more minutes passed, and I think I could see the exit. The plants are covering it, but I could still see a rectangular block in the middle of the hallway. ¡°Be very careful; there is an immense danger ahead,¡± warned Viscount somberly, without stopping. For nearly a minute, there was no change till there were only a hundred and fifty meters between us, when something shocking happened that horrified me and others to every inch of our life. Rustle Rustle Rustle All the surrounding plants rustled together as we crossed some invisible line and moved. They did not come at the wave of hundreds, but the tide of thousands. Seeing that, I felt the fear in every cell of my body. This is not something we could contend against; it is a death. It froze me for a moment before I controlled my emotions. So, what if this is above my grade, I will fight it, till I have a breath remaining in my body. ¡°To the gate!¡± The viscount roared and his powerful aura spread toward the vines, spreading the cold of its artifacts toward them. At the same time, watery shields materialized around us as sped toward the gate. Slash Slasp Puch! I cut through the plants as they came at me. I was able to cut most of them, but some were too fast, that I could not cut. I avoided them with Quick Steps, but one still struck me through the defensive layer and the armor. I grunted in pain, before cutting the vine, and moved to deal with other plants coming at me. I am cutting them and those I could not, I would dodge, but it is not enough. Some of the strong ones are avoiding my saber and piercing through the defensive screens before coming at me. All I could do is not let them attack my fatal spot. The formation is all broken, with the massive assault of plants, but we all remain closer to each other. No one is speeding toward the gate alone; it will be a huge mistake. Everybody understood, the only way we will be able to deal with the tide and reach the gate is by being together. Puch! Another plant cut me and released nasty toxins that made me scream like never before, but despite that, my saber did not stop moving. Instead, it moved faster and got stronger, as it broke past the previous record of Consecutive Strikes. Getting to the thirty-seventh strike, before moving to the thirty-eighth, which is even more powerful. Slash Slash Puch! It cut through one plant after another, getting faster and stronger with each strike. Still, it did not stop all the attacks coming at me. There are too many of them; I could not cut all of them. All I could do was deal with the most dangerous ones while avoiding the ones that could kill me or slow me down. Like the attack from the vine, just now, which had tried to circle my neck, but I avoided it with the Quick Steps and cut it. Doing that, I was attacked by the two plants, at my back and left leg. I am getting injured in every part of my body and these injuries are piling up very fast; the only thing that made me relieved is that we are getting closer to the gate. Hun! I was fighting when I saw something horrifying; Martin, who was fighting behind Grog, had got a vine wrapped around his leg. He cut it immediately, but he froze a moment later for some reason. Another took a chance and pushed its thorns inside him, before pulling him, while he screamed in pain. Joseph and Grog moved to help, but they were too slow. The plants had pulled him too far back that they could not do anything other than hear his screams, which suddenly stopped a second later. Martin¡¯s death horrified me, far more than the death of Cooper and Roth. They were common people who did not have a combat class and never fought anyone. Martin is a mercenary, with decades of experience and twenty levels in his pocket. The plants killed him within seconds. If he could die, I could die too, and much more easily at that. As I am not even Level 10 in my warrior class. I am much weaker than him, with a lot less experience. This realization struck me, and instead of freezing me on the spot, it gave me strange clarity. Likely because I always knew I might die since I took a step here and after seeing someone powerful at Level 20 die. The fact had stamped itself on my heart. I moved with a greater purpose. I understand I might die, but till that happens, I will cut every plant I come across. I was fighting when, once again, a watery shield appeared in front of me. Stopping the attacks of bone-wooden needles coming toward me. These are the attacks that are most dangerous for the warriors; the mages are best at dealing with them. A moment later, the plants destroyed the shields, and I cut them with my saber. Some injured me, but I was able to dodge the most dangerous ones with the Quick Steps before cutting them apart. Less than a minute had passed since the tides of plants attacked, and we are still defending. We have crossed fifty more meters, and now, the gate is only a hundred meters away. Puch! A few seconds later, one nasty plant drilled into my shoulder, making my left hand useless. I had nearly dropped the charm, which I have in it; ready to activate it if I saw anything close to killing me. I bear the pain and kept fighting. There is no other choice. We kept moving, no matter how many injuries piled on us. These injuries are so serious that if there weren¡¯t healing spells from Zela, many of us would have fallen down. Another minute had passed and when suddenly something strange begin to happen around the gate. The plants begin to move, not only those around the gates but also those around us. The attacks slowed down until they stopped as all the plants moved toward the gates, gathering in a huge ball, which was getting bigger by seconds. ¡°What the fuck is happening? The plants shouldn¡¯t behave like this,¡± said Brul as we moved toward the gate. Even in a magical world, it is very strange what is happening in front of us. It is sending a shiver down my spine every moment, as more plants gather near the gate. ¡°Boss, it is sending my danger sense off the charts!¡± said Heinam, as we moved toward the gate. We were less than fifty meters away from it when a drastic change occurred. It suddenly gets taller, before spreading into the humanoid shape. First, the head appeared, before the plants moved and created the arms and the legs separated. An armor of plants formed, and its feature become more pronounced, making it a real plant humanoid. I am shocked seeing it; others seemed just as shocked as me. Nobody expected something like this to happen. It shouldn¡¯t have happened. We are in the land of death for god¡¯s sake; here the death energy is everywhere. Plants should die here, not thrive and turn murderous. It is unexpected, sudden, and absolutely shocking. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Chapter 112: Abomination Chapter 112: Abomination ¡°Retreat!¡± Viscount commanded when we were approaching the plant humanoid. The command had confused some, but we followed immediately. BANG! It is a good thing we did as at the very next moment. A fist as big as the whole me came down hard. If it had hit any of us; we could have been splashed across the floor. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± asked Heiman. ¡°It is definitely not treant or plant elemental,¡± said Ethan, looking at a giant plant humanoid, which was nearly ten meters tall and looked extremely scary. It is now coming toward us, while at the same time thick plants released from its back and covered the gate thickly. This thing does not want us to escape and is intelligent enough to block the gate, but the question is how this is happening. Does the influence of the temple, had reached so deep, that it could do something like this? ¡°It is a plant abomination created by the temple,¡± Viscount informed us as he looked at the abomination coming toward us. ¡°Captain Azalea, Mage Zela, Jon, Brul, and me, will fight it; the rest of you stay back and deal with anything that comes from behind,¡± he commanded. Soon, four of them had stepped forward and appeared behind him, while five of us stepped back. Not too far, there are plants waiting for us invisible boundary of abominations influence. If we cross that, they will come for us. ¡°Support me,¡± said Viscount, and ran toward the plant abomination with his eyes burning in the battle spirit. Till now, he had remained calm; even when people died, his expressions did not change, nor any other emotions appeared in his eyes. Except, now; there is excitement in them. ¡®Just crazy,¡¯ I thought, seeing that. I do not like to fight, and when I do, it is for survival. It is the reason, I forced myself to wake up every day at dawn and train for three hours till, every part of my body burns in pain. I do not like the training, but it is what kept me alive in the place. Where people stronger than I had died. Soon, the Viscount reached the plant abomination, and it threw a powerful punch at him. It is powerful enough to kill all five of us in an instant. He avoided the punch before bringing his sword in his hand down, wanting to cut it apart. He slashed at a huge hand and cut it more than half before freezing the wound. ¡°Yes!¡± Joseph cheered, but the next second, his expression froze away. When the ice surrounding the big wound cracked into pieces and the wound mended, till there was not even a scratch remained on it. Viscount did not seem surprised; he seemed to have expected it. He was still in the air when the plant abomination attacked him, moving its arm at an angle that a normal arm wouldn¡¯t move. Looking at the speed, it seemed like the Viscount would have a hard time dodging it. Hun! I was thinking that when suddenly. A tiny watery screen appeared behind his feet. It is big as my hand and even Viscount seemed surprised by it, but he quickly made use of that, by stepping on it and jumping in the other direction. Others did not do just watch. They moved and the one who surprised me the most was Jon. He jumped, and when he reached the top, a blue screen appeared under his feet and he stepped on it, before jumping higher toward the head of the plant abomination. The way he jumped; it is clear he is used to them. Zela and he likely fought this way, and I could use its uses. It had saved the Viscount while giving Jon hold to reach his target. Jon attacked the face, while at the same time, Brul and Captain Azalea attacked both of its legs, creating long gashes. Which filled immediately. ROOOO... The injuries may have healed, but it had made it angry, and it begin to punch and stomp mercilessly. They avoided it expertly, before attacking it again and again. Which seemed to make it angrier by the second. ¡°It is useless; no matter how much they cut it. It will heal from those injuries,¡± said Joseph. ¡°It is not useless; they are doing great,¡± said Ethan and Joseph, and others looked at him in question. ¡°Such magical constructs are rare, but there are thousands of records of them. Due to their nature, they might seem impossible to kill.¡± ¡°It is not impossible, just very hard, but people powerful as Viscount Atre, have the ability to kill it,¡± he added with a smile. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered how they are doing great when they clearly aren¡¯t?¡± asked Joseph, looking a little angry. ¡°The answer is right in front of you,¡± Ethan replied with a smile, making joseph even more angry at him. I thought deeply about what he said and looked harder and soon understood what is happening. While it might seem like nothing happening to the plant abomination. It is not true; things are happening to it. Its healing is slowing down. It is clear that to heal; it is consuming the energy and the more it consumes, the slower its healing would be. It also made me marvel at the power of Viscount Atre; he is the reason the four are able to cut the plant abomination. As he is the one who is taking most of its attacks, providing others way clear way against it. It is very strong, and without the Viscount, all of them would have died already, and so are we. He is one who is blocking and countering all the attacks of the plant abomination. The one who is doing most of the damage 80% of the damage is done by him alone. This is a Level 40 enemy. Only those of that level could fight it. While Viscount is not Level 40, his class and aura give him the power to fight it, and with artifact; no level 40 warrior would be his match. The weapons we use plays a great part in power, which is why people are crazy about enchanted weapons. They will kill for artifacts and wars have been fought over the relics. ¡°It would have been great if I had the skill to see the Viscount''s movement clearly,¡± said Joseph as he looked at Viscount yearningly. Viscount is fast, very fast. So much so that I could only a blur of him and the injury he is causing to the plant abomination. His speed is a completely different level, he is even faster than the Viscount Luran, whose duel I have watched in the Owlspring. Such people are extremely dangerous in war; they could win the war by killing the commanders and higher-ups. It is the reason why, in every war. The powerful powerhouses, such as him, were dealt with first; they are the command, and once the command is dead. No matter how big the army is, it will collapse. More than ten minutes passed and now, the healing speed of the plant abomination had slowed down by half. Our powerhouses have also slowed down, including the Viscount. They have been fighting since the moment they have taken the step into this place. Even with their levels, they couldn¡¯t continue forever, especially against the enemies like this, where the battle turned to attrition. Those who last longer, will win. Zela and Jon are most troubled; their injuries have begun acting up. Black marks begin to appear on Jon¡¯s fingers and blood started to sip out of his orifices; the same is happening with Zela. I could not do anything other than watch and hope it is over soon before it is too late. I am powerless to do anything; I do not have enough power to go and fight. While I do have a charm, I don¡¯t know how useful it would be against an enemy this powerful. Minutes passed, and the healing of the plant abomination slowed down even further. It is visibly fast, but much slower than before, and Viscount wants to take full advantage of that, seeing the way he is attacking. He had picked the left shoulder and had been targeting it over and over. He had already cut 70% off it and it won''t be long before he cut it whole and this time even its despicable healing abilities wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. He attacked the spot over and over, before finally, with the last strike; the arm got cut fully and fell. ROOOO! The plant abomination screamed loudly, and I thought; it would attack madly, but instead. It froze for a moment and black smoke, begins to come out of it and at the same time, 50% of the plant making an abomination begins to turn white. Not white. They are transforming into bone. Within a second, it became a horror of plants and bones, making it look even more horrifying. ROOOO! It roared strangely again and moved toward the Viscount; seeing that, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but get alarmed. Its speed increased immensely; it became a blur before it did not have such speed and power. Viscount clashed against it and to my surprise; he was only able to cause minor injury to the plant-bone abomination. I opened my mouth to curse, but suddenly stopped when I saw the small wound. Which is not healing. The wound is not filling like it used to; not daring to believe it, I focused more and saw the same thing. The abomination seemed to have sacrificed his healing for power. ¡°Look, something is happening there,¡± said Grog, pointing toward the fallen arm. I looked at it and saw it had also changed like the rest of the body into plant-bone and now, wriggling madly, before the plant-bones begin to rise up and, to my shock, weaved into the humanoids. In a matter of seconds, nine plant-bone humanoids formed from the fallen arm, with weapons and all. ¡°Fuck, they are coming toward us,¡± said Heiman and I looked toward our powerhouses, who were busy dealing with the plant-bone abomination. They are in no state to rescue us. It is clear that we will need to fight these abominations on our own. ¡°Rich man, you wouldn¡¯t be having a spell scroll of Siege Fireball or other powerful spells?¡± asked Grog hopefully, but Ethan just shook his head. His spell is still working, but seeing how it is losing power. In a few minutes, all the fire will disappear. He might well die before that; those coming at us are not if plant bone abomination is an example. ¡°It seemed like we will have to deal with them with our power. Thankfully, the buffs from the noble are still working,¡± said Grog as he took a step forward. ¡°Grog and I will deal with five of them. Joseph and Silver, you each handle two,¡± said Heiman, he did not even look at Ethan. It will be his good luck if these humanoids avoided him as the plants had done. I took a deep breath and looked at the enemies coming toward us; they are strong and fast. If what I am seeing from the plant-bone abomination is right, then they will also be smarter or at least will know how to fight properly. The abomination had not only become stronger and faster but also seemed to have got smarter. I hope the enemies coming toward me are not too smart, as they already seem quite strong and fast. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 113: Final Battle Chapter 113: Final Battle I gripped my saber tightly and looked at the plant-bone humanoids coming toward me. They will not be easy to fight, but what other choice do I have? I couldn¡¯t run away, since every way is blocked by the plants, nor there is anyone here to help me. Everyone is doing their bit, except for Ethan, but I can¡¯t really blame him. If I didn¡¯t fight; these little abominations will kill me. ¡°Now!¡± said Heiman and immediately we moved toward the plant-bone humanoids. It is better to take the lead than wait for them to come closer to us. I moved with the Quick Steps and appeared in front of them and attacked. I held nothing back and attacked with Consecutive Strikes and Weighted Strike; the sooner we kill them, the better it would be for us. The plant-bone humanoid also reacted and moved its gladius. The weapon seemed like it was made of the same material as its body, but it had a crystalline sheen on it. I activated the enchantment of my saber at full power. I want to know how strong it is to devise a strategy to deal with it. Clang! A metallic clang rang out as our weapons clashed and I shook. As I felt the heavy shock across my body, especially the hand holding the saber. The shock was powerful enough to need me a moment to recover, but I do not have the luxury of it and immediately moved with Quick Steps, to dodge the attack from the second plant-bone humanoid. I did it, but the third one moved to attack, but thankfully Grog stopped it. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. Two are already too much. If there is a third for me to deal with, then I won¡¯t be live till the end of the minute. These plant-bone humanoids are powerful. Their strength is equal to those of the Level 20 Warrior. Thankfully, they do not have the skills to accent that, but even the raw power is dangerous, especially when it is used skillfully. A single exchange is not enough for me to know how skillful they are, but I know they are not as skillful as the people at their level of power. The two plant-bone humanoids followed me as I moved away with Quick Steps, before I stopped and attacked. I am focused on the first plant-bone humanoid sword; the one I clashed with and saw that my enchanted saber had only left a scratch on it; it did not make me feel good. It means these swords are stronger than steel swords. Clang! I clashed against it, before using Quick Steps to dodge the attack from the second plant-bone humanoid. Rip! I could not dodge it perfectly, the attack hit my arm, leaving a bloody gash on it, before both of them came at me with another attack, with a speed that is faster than mine. Clang Clang! I defend against the attack and dodge another, before moving my sword again to defend against it and then again moving with Quick Step to dodge. Barely avoiding the attack by the hairbreadth. I cannot fight like this. They would tire me out in minutes and then it will be the end of me. Clang Clang Rip! They came at me, and I defend and dodge; using every skill I have. I need to or I won¡¯t survive against them. It is not all I am doing; I am analyzing their fighting style and their weak spots. The neck is the most common. Nearly all things die when their neck is cut off, but cutting the neck would be a challenge, given how thick that part is; it will be as difficult as cutting their swords. The same is with their hearts; the layers of plant bone covering them seemed even thicker than their neck. I continue to look around their bodies, when suddenly. An idea formed in my mind; I shouldn¡¯t think about killing them. It is very hard, and those fatal parts are very protected. I should do what the Viscount had done when he cut off the arm. Incapacitate it; it will make the killing much easier. I had already chosen which part I want to target, and it is not an arm, but targeting it is hard, with these two little abominations pressing me repeatedly. Clang Rip Clang A few seconds passed, and each of my attacks was countered. I am not able to hit the place, I wanted to. It is making me tired, as each of the attacks is filled with the power of skills. The more I use them, the more stamina they will take. I can¡¯t stop using them; it is because of them I am still hanging. If I don¡¯t want to die, then I quickly need to find a way to kill these small abominations. I am thinking about them, but not a single one is coming to my mind. I once again dodge the attack through the Quick Steps and moved my saber to defend. This movement skill had become the most important in this battle. If I didn¡¯t have it, I wouldn¡¯t be alive right now. I had just thought that when a brilliant idea come to my mind. It is extremely risky, but it could work, most important; it won¡¯t be as tiring as what I am doing. I made up my mind immediately; it will be risky, and I might, but it will give me a real chance to defeat these small abominations. I didn¡¯t waste any time in acting and stopped my saber, which is moving to defend, and instead used Quick Steps to dodge, before moving left with dodge to dodge the attack from the right. Now, I am going to dodge only; attack when I get the chance to hit the spot I want. It is extremely risky, but it is the best strategy. It will help me last longer, as I do not use the two combat skills and observe my enemies more. It will also increase the chances of me getting hit, but it is a risk, I am willing to take. Rip Rip I dodged the four attacks consecutively before the two hit me. Giving me a slash on my thigh and back. I wanted to use my sword against the last one, but I forced myself to dodge. They followed me to every step, attacking me tirelessly, and the only thing I did was dodge. A minute passed, and in this single minute, nineteen injuries appeared on my body. It was a struggle not to use my sword, but I did it and now, I have become much better at dodging the attack. I have understood their combat style and know their limitations. Now, I will start attacking them, it will be hard, but there is no other choice. If I kept dodging only, I will bleed to death. These are not normal injuries, there is something in them that makes them hard to heal. If I had time, I would have continued for a few more minutes. Understand it even better, but I did not. Whether I wanted or not; I will start attacking. I dodged the three attacks one after another before I suddenly bend down and attacked. Clang! It hit its thigh, right where I wanted. I was only able to glance at hit for a moment before I had to take a step back before moving right and then left to dodge the attacks coming toward me, one of which had hit me. Clang! I dodged seven more attacks before the first plant-bone humanoid again at the same exact spot, widening the injury, which is not healing. The thigh is the right choice, as the hands are better protected and more agile. While thighs are much thicker, they are not as much protected and attack against them, couldn¡¯t be easily dodged. Clang Clang Clang I continued to dodge and attack in between and while I got injured, but those injuries were small and manageable. A little more than a minute had passed when something happened. Clang! My attack hit the same spot again and the thick bone-vine, which is thick as my hand, is completely cut. There are four more of such vines that made the thigh, but it is a victory. Hun! A few seconds later, I noticed a thing. The cut had affected it more than I had thought it would. Its speed had reduced by a little and now, its movement isn¡¯t as smooth as before. It put a smile on my bloodied face, and I moved at it with greater vigor. Clang Clang Clang It took me forty-second to cut the second bone vine off its thighs, making it even slower. It made attacking it, even easier, and I continued that with a single-minded focus, not caring about the injuries I am receiving. I cut the third bone vine thirty-five seconds later and needed about the same time to cut the fourth one. Now, there is only one bone vine connected to the rest of its leg. This made it quite slow and its movements more predictable. With reduced speed and predictable attacks from one plant-bone abomination, I begin to get much less injured than before. Now, I am completely focused on the last vine. I would attack it over and over while dodging its second plant-bone humanoid attacks. It was also great that my attacks rarely missed their target, always hitting in place, which I wanted with perfect accuracy. I have been trained for it; it is one of the first things my mother and later, my instructors taught me. Slice! Finally, with the last attack, the final bone-vine was cut apart, and the leg fell to the ground. To my surprise, the plant-bone humanoid did not fall. Instead, it attacked me while standing on a single leg, which I had easily avoided, but avoiding the powerful attack from the second plant-bone humanoid. While it is not falling down is a little disappointing, it did not matter. I used the Quick Steps to move back and like I had expected. The second plant-bone humanoid followed the first. It was too slow with hopping on a single leg and looked kind of funny. Clang! I dodged the attack, before attacking, the same spot I had attacked the first plant-bone humanoid. It hit, and I dodged the attacking at me, before attacking that spot again. Dealing with two of these plant-bone humanoids is hard, but a single one is only difficult. After fighting them for a few minutes, I got used to them and could deal with it, as long as it is alone. Clang Clang Clang I dodge and attack before moving away when the hopping plant-bone humanoid got close. I moved around the small area, while keep attacking and was finally able to cut the first bone vine on the second plant-bone humanoid thigh. I immediately targeted the second bone vine and then the third, fourth, before finally the fifth. I did it without getting any injury, which made me most happy. As these injuries may be tiny, but the damage they are doing is not. Slash! With the final slash, the entire leg was cut apart. Now the second plant humanoid is also hopping on a single leg. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, but I did not waste any time. Instead, I begin attacking the other thigh. Attacking the sword in hand is still dangerous, it is better. I cut both of their legs before I move to their hands or any other part. This time, I did not begin immediately. I created some distance and took out the potions; I drank the stamina potion and the healing potion, and both of them burned in my stomach. I had drunk them to their limit and with these potions, there will be side effects, but I will care about them later. My injuries are heavy, that I already started to feel lightheaded. I could not continue in such a state. I am thankful to the Viscount; it is because of him. The potions are even working against these injuries. These are not normal injuries, but magical ones, and potions shouldn¡¯t affect them, but they are. It is for the same reason Zela and Jon are still fighting, despite their injuries flaring. The potions gave me pain, but their effect started within a second, and I moved toward the plant-bone humanoids again. Clang Clang Clang! I cut them and the resistance was so low that I was able to cut the first bone vine in eleven seconds. I took a second less, cutting the second bone vine. Thud! Half a minute later, I cut the whole leg and the plant-bone humanoid fell on the ground hard. Even in this state, it moved toward my attack, but it was far too slow. I looked at before I moved toward the second hopping plant-bone humanoid and begin to cut its other leg. Thud! I succeeded in forty-eight seconds; now both of the plant-bone humanoids are on the ground and moving toward me very slowly. ¡°Silver, their weakness is their heart!¡± shouted Heiman from the other side. I nodded and moved to attack my heart immediately. The heart-like neck is protected; it will take double the effort to strike it. Clang, Clang! I moved to strike it when it defended. I tried again, and it defended again. Seeing that, I decided to cut the hands first before moving for the heart. It was a little difficult, seeing the hand could move in any direction and is fast, but I have freedom. I attacked constantly, without stopping. Finally, I succeeded in cutting one hand, before cutting the other one, as the bastard could use a sword with a single hand. I did not immediately go for the heart instead; I went for the other plant-bone humanoid, and cut its hands, before finally going for the heart. Hun! It took more than twice the effect to breach the heart, but when I did; I got a surprise there. There is a green and black gem in the center. It is the size of a marble and is shining with power. I looked at it for a moment, before cutting all the connections to it and bringing out the gem. The moment I did, it finally went limp and ceased all the movements. The gem is its core, the moment I removed it; it is dead. The black-green gem looked important, and I had placed it inside my bag before moving to the other plant-bone humanoid. ¡°Need any help?¡± Grog asked as I was attacking the chest of plant-bone humanoids, ¡°No, I am fine,¡± I replied. He and Heiman had finished dealing with their plant-bone humanoids. I am surprised that Joseph is still fighting, that Heiman had gone to help him. I only glance at him for a moment before I focused on my chest, a couple of seconds later, I was able to breach it. As I did, I took out the gem and the plant-bone humanoid went dead. ¡°To be honest, I did not think. You would survive the battle against these things. They were strong as me in raw power,¡± ¡°But you had not only survived but also killed them,¡± he said, sounding so impressed that I felt my cheeks heating up. ¡°Thank you, I guess,¡± I said, a little awkwardly as I got up. Looked at the fight in front of me, where the same thing is happening. They are also cutting the abomination piece by piece to kill it. Till now, they have successfully cut its head, a hand, and a leg, and now the Viscount is very closer to cutting its other hand. Thud! I had just thought that when the Viscount finished cutting its arm and immediately moved to the giant leg. Third of which had already been cut by the others and as the Viscount joined, the progress has become faster. THUD! A minute and a half later, the huge body fell down, and the Viscount jumped on its chest but did not attack immediately. ¡°Four of you, open the gate.¡± He said to four helping him and turned to us. ¡°You five come close to the gates. The moment I remove its core, the plants, might attack again.¡± ¡°We need to be ready to leave immediately when that happens,¡± he added, and we immediately moved toward the gate, maintaining as much distance from the giant plant-bone abomination as possible. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 114: Warrior Level 11 Chapter 114: Warrior Level 11 ¡°I had not thought more than one person would survive this,¡± said the man, watching the people leaving through the gate. The plants are rushing toward the gates before stopping as the last man passed through it. The plants did not touch the man with the staff standing amidst them, as if they did not sense him. He looked at the gate for a couple of seconds before turning to parts of a plant-bone humanoid, and his expression turned serious. ¡°The temple is increasing its influence more rapidly than the past two thousand years.¡± ¡°Is this will be the century when they will come?¡± he asked softly, before turning to the temple and a moment later, disappeared. ... Everything turned bright again as I appeared on the other side, where over twenty people were already waiting by the gate. As we appeared, they surrounded us with weapons ready. ¡°They have appeared. Healers, begin your work,¡± said the man, or rather the lich. The skull and green soul flames in the eye socket are rather telling. He is wearing purple armor and a blue ax on his back, which is definitely an artifact. The healers appeared immediately at his order. Thankfully, they are priests and not a mage healer. Navr also has churches, there are many gods in the death domain and nearly all of them have churches here. They appeared and immediately cast the healing spells on us, and I have to say; they are damn comfortable. ¡°Honorable Yatsal; these two had flaring of shamasil ink?¡± said the middle-aged woman healing Jon and Zela. ¡°Is that something they have got in a dungeon?¡± he asked. ¡°No, it seemed far older,¡± the woman replied, shaking her head. ¡°Then, healing it is not our responsibility,¡± replied the lich with a smile. Hearing that, dread appeared in the eyes of Jon and Zela. Their injuries have flared too much and spreading rapidly. If not healed quickly, it will kill them. ¡°Forgive me, Great Lich, but it is your responsibility to heal them,¡± I said before I could stop myself. Immediately, all the eyes fell on me, including Viscount, who was about to speak. ¡°Why do think that little human? As the healer had said, these are not injuries, they have gotten into the dungeon. So, it is not our responsibility to heal them,¡± asked Lich softly as he turned to me. ¡°Our diplomatic mission falls into Navr diplomatic charter, section seven, subsection three.¡± ¡°The security of diplomats is Navr¡¯s responsibility; under it, any damage and injuries we suffered is also the responsibility of Navr,¡± I said, and the smile on Lich¡¯s face widened. I had read the laws of Navr carefully, before coming here; I didn¡¯t think I would need to use them in such conditions. ¡°Again, this is not an injury that they have got in the dungeon. So, we have no responsibility to heal it,¡± he replied. ¡°You have, because their injuries had been suppressed, but the conditions they suffered inside the dungeon had made them flare out. So, it became your responsibility to heal them,¡± I said. The lich is not unfazed by my words. ¡°Since you are saying they were suppressed before. We will suppress them back as before,¡± he said and this time, it is my time to smile. ¡°Suppression wouldn¡¯t be enough. As you are aware, once these injuries flare, even if you suppress them, they flare again quickly; the suppression will only be temporary,¡± ¡°Since it is conditions we have faced in the dungeon that caused the flare; only healing them fully will be complete compliance with the Navr diplomatic charter section seven, subsection three,¡± I said, looking directly into his eyes. ¡°That is your interpretation, but mine said, the suppression of their injuries is more than enough for compliance with the charter,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°I can not force you, Great Lich, but I will be filing a protest about it in all the relevant channels,¡± I said and felt like I could die the next moment. All the hair on my body stood up, and my heart started to beat faster. Even healer healing stopped hearing my words. I had just threatened a lich. A Great Lich; a Level 40 powerhouse, who can kill me in an instant. ¡°Silver is right. Lich Yatsal, it is your Navr¡¯s responsibility to heal all our injuries,¡± said Viscount, with his lips curving faintly. I looked at him, thankfully. ¡°Since you are asking, Viscount Atre; I will accept your request,¡± said Lich and pointed his bone finger at Zela and Jon. Viscount made a statement, not a request, but nobody pointed that out. A second later, the white gemmed ring lit up, and two white rays leased from it toward Jon and Zela. ¡°Ahhhh....¡± They scream mournfully as the rays hit them, and I nearly opened my mouth to scream at him, but stopped when I realize, Lich is not harming them. The black marks over their skin and inside their bodies are burning. The treatment may be painful, but it is doing the job. These injuries are quite scary that normal healers could forget to remove them. Only someone at the power of Lich could do that. Two minutes and a half later, the rays disappeared, with Zela and Jon falling into unconsciousness. ¡°Thank you, Great Lich,¡± I thanked, he only looked at me, before turning to Viscount Atre. ¡°Viscount, I hope you and your people will hand over everything you have got in the dungeon. As you can understand, those things are corrupted. We need to destroy them as soon as possible,¡± said the lich. My heart tightened hearing that; I picked up a few things in the dungeon. Including the cores of little abomination, which I think are very valuable. If we were normal adventurers, we would have needed to hand them over with no questions asked. The state has the first right over the things found in the dungeon, but we are not adventurers, nor mercenaries, but diplomats. It makes things complicated. ¡°No. Those things we have earned by fighting for our life. We will not hand them over,¡± said Viscount, rejecting the lich directly. It made the flame in Lich¡¯s eyes burn bright for a moment, before turning normal. ¡°Those things are corrupted, Viscount; they will be harmful to you,¡± said Lich, emphasizing those two words. ¡°You do not need to worry about that, Lich Yatsal; we have our methods to purify the corruption,¡± he replied. ¡°As you say, Viscount,¡± said the Lich, with gritted teeth. He is angry, but he did not press. They are already in the wrong and Viscount had kept the conversation civil, despite the things we have suffered. Though Navr will have to give the answer. Time passed as healers work on everyone, including Viscount. He is also injured, though, not as much as the rest of us. My injuries are healing rapidly, and it is making me sleepy. I am having a hard time controlling this sleep. ¡°Honorable Yatsal, they are out of danger,¡± informed the woman. ¡°Good, take them into carriages and continue with their treatment there,¡± he said, and immediately a few people moved. They placed us on a stretcher and moved. I looked around and saw an old building with high ceilings. There are even carving on the walls that looked similar to the ones on the columns. Soon, we reached the carriages, which were parked inside the building. The carriages are bigger than normal carriages. They are medical carriages; they have prepared them, knowing we would come out injured. Hun! As we reached near carriages, I saw a surprising thing. The things pulling carriages are not alive; they are dead. The bone horses are attached to the carriages; they will pull the carriages. I watched them as the door of the carriages opened and they took us inside. The carriage they took me had two beds; they put sleeping Ethan in one and me in another. I looked around the carriage and saw there were no windows in it. I was looking around it when the carriage begins to move, while the priests started to cast the spells again. They have brought us out of danger that we could recover on our own, but they are still casting the spells and I will not reject it. The sooner I recover, the better it will be. After what I had experienced, I want to be in top shape always. ¡°How long it will take us to reach Jalrux City?¡± I asked the priest who was healing me. ¡°About five hours,¡± he replied. I nodded and closed my eyes and the sleep I had been resisting took me in its embrace immediately. Warrior Lv. 10 Warrior Lv. 11 Lawyer Lv. 10 Skill Gained: Swift Blade Skill Changed: Quick Steps ¨C Rapid Legs Skill Gained: Honeyed Voice When I woke up, I saw the words in front of me. I had leveled up and gained not one, but three levels. One in a class I had not thought I would get. Not to mention the skill that came with it. It seemed like quoting a law in front of a hostile Lich made me level up immediately. I have got three skills. Two new skills and one which advanced. The one thing that made me most excited is the attribute points. Since two of my classes had reached the first capstone of Level 10, I got two attribute points. I had big plans for them, but seeing the incidents I had experienced since leaving the Greltheaven, I decided to use points on different attributes that I had decided earlier. I did not use the attribute points immediately, instead opened the interface. Class: Agent of Experience (Lv. 13) Warrior Lv. 11 Lawyer Lv. 10 Adviser Lv. 5 Charisma: 12 Intelligence: 10 Vitality:Visitt for the latest updates 7 Strength: 8 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Sense ¡¤ Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Consecutive Strikes ¡¤ Rapid Steps ¡¤ Fast Reading Strength: 9 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Sense ¡¤ Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Consecutive Strikes ¡¤ Rapid Steps ¡¤ Fast Reading ¡¤ Price Is Right ¡¤ Weighted Strike ¡¤ Lawful Suggestions ¡¤ Sure Foot ¡¤ Sight Through Veil ¡¤ Persuasion ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Swift Blade ¡¤ Honeyed Voice Attribute Points: 0 Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 115: Jalrux Chapter 115: Jalrux ¡°How long it had been?¡± I asked the healer, who was sitting not far away from me. ¡°Three and half hours; we should be in Jalrux in an hour,¡± he replied. ¡°Thank you for healing me,¡± I said, and a small smile appeared on his expressionless face. ¡°It is my job,¡± he replied, before going back to reading his bible. I looked around in the windowless carriage. It is not dark inside. The crystal lights provide enough illumination to look around but are gentle enough that one could sleep in it without any problem. ¡°We had really survived. I did not think we would, especially when the abomination appeared,¡± said the voice beside me. I turned to Ethan, who had finally woken up. ¡°Yes, we did,¡± I replied, and I sighed. Many times, in the battle, I had nearly died. It is by everyone¡¯s help; we could get out. For it, I am very grateful. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked. ¡°Good,¡± he replied and turned to the priest. ¡°I will ask my family to increase the donation to the church of Raal,¡± he said, to the priest. ¡°The church will appreciate it,¡± said the priest. I looked at him and spun my index finger. He nodded and a moment later; the silence becomes deeper. ¡°Do you have a sealing box?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, and the second later. He handed over a small palm size wooden box to me, which is heavier than it looks. ¡°It will be enough for cores. For other things, I will get you the bigger boxes after we reached the city,¡± he said. ¡°How much do I have to pay for this?¡± I asked him. The sealing boxes are not exactly cheap, and this one looked especially well made. ¡°Really? You are asking me that, what we have gone through?¡± he asked back. ¡°These are pretty expensive,¡± I said, looking wooden box. ¡°Not to me. My house makes them,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, not forcing further. I turned to the box and opened it, before placing the two cores inside, aware that the priest was looking. I do not care. He is not going to snatch them; they are mine. ¡°You should purify them quickly as possible, or you can sell them to me. I will pay quite a high price for them,¡± Ethan said, and I turned to him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you satisfied with the two you have got?¡± I asked, to which he sighed. ¡°I would have been satisfied. If I had gotten the other four too,¡± he said, with longing. ¡°They had already taken an enormous risk, selling you the two,¡± I said, and his expression turned serious as he nodded. There were nine little abominations, and through them, nine cores were taken out. I have got two, Joseph got one, while Grog and Heiman got six; one from Joseph¡¯s abominations since Heiman helped him. Grog and Heiman sold him two cores, which I said was an enormous risk because the state had a first right over everything gotten from the dungeon. They sold those things before letting the state could take a look at them. It is a calculated risk on their part. They only sold a third of the bounty, and also this trip to the dungeon was not official; they were pulled into it without their consent. It will give them some wriggle room; as they had sold a third of things, the rest was for the states to take, which I am sure they will. The state rarely let mercenaries have such dangerous things. Speaking of it, I will have to find someone to purify them before researching their leads. I have a couple of leads. If they did not work; I will send them to Namdar. Time passed as we talked about general things before the carriages suddenly stopped. A second later, the healer opened the door and walked out. Ethan and I looked at each other before walking out of the carriages into the late afternoon sun. The carriages stopped on the open ground beside a wide paved road. It is one of the widest paved roads I have seen in this world. Our carriages are not the only ones standing. There is another group of enchanted carriages parked, with human and orc drivers and the real beasts pulling them. I was watching everyone getting out of their carriages when the black carriages with undead horses turned left. ¡°Gentlemen, please,¡± said the Orc, who was talking to Viscount Atre. I have seen him beside the Lich earlier, who seemed to have disappeared. He motioned toward the new carriages; it is clear; we are changing the carriages. I wonder why we didn¡¯t use the black ones to reach Jalrux City since it is not far. I could see its outline from where I am standing. ¡°Silver, ride with me,¡± said Viscount Are, when I was about to enter a white carriage with Ethan. His invitation surprised me. I may have fought alongside the Viscount in the dungeon, but I had barely spoken a few words to him. ¡°It would be my honor, my lord,¡± I said to him, walking toward the red carriage, which was bigger and better than the other three. I walked inside and sat in front of him. Feeling nervous and a little awkward. This man is powerful, not only by levels but also by station. He is from a noble house, which is strongest, but not weakest, either. Most importantly, he is one of the people closest to the fourth prince. A strong contender for the throne. ¡°You are quite surprising, Silver. You can fight like a prodigy and, from what I heard, is quite knowledgeable in law and policy.¡± ¡°These are not the qualities seen in the merchant,¡± he said, with a small smile on his face. It sounds like a normal statement, but it is something more. I should be careful in answering it. ¡°It all thanks to my late father. He had given me the freedom to pursue anything I had wanted,¡± I replied. It is a truth. He may not like what I am learning, but he never stopped me from perusing it. ¡°You should feel grateful for it; not many people get such freedom,¡± he said and his eyes became unfocused for a moment. ¡°I am,¡± I replied, with a lot more emotions in my voice than I like to. For more than a minute, there was a silence. I wanted to speak twice, but no words seemed to have come out of my mouth. ¡°Count Darrow had praised you greatly. Especially your handling of the undead incident.¡± ¡°I have seen cities riot and burn, with just a whisper of undead,¡± he said and shook his head as if remembering something nasty. ¡°Mind telling me how you did it?¡± he asked and this time, his gaze is serious. ¡°It was all control of information and narrative; we molded it according to our needs. Telling the people the truth, the way we wanted,¡± I replied. He nodded, but keep looking at me; it is clear that he wanted me to explain it in detail. ¡°When we first got the news, it...¡± I begin hiding nothing. There was nothing in the information that he does not know or have access to know. He listened with no interruption. If I did not see his eyes closely following my explanation, I would have thought, he is sleeping with his eyes open. Some people do that, I even knew one person having a skill for that. ¡°Many mistakes have been made. If not for them, it would have gone even smoother.¡± I finished. Yes, there have been mistakes. Some were truly idiotic ones, but thankfully, despite them, everything had worked great. There was no riot or chaos and, most importantly, business returned as usual within a week. ¡°You have done great, better than most people. If not for you, Count Darrow would have been still busy in dealing to this day,¡± he said, and I smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why did not apply for the imperial knights for which you were preparing? Seeing your talent, you have been able to get in,¡± he asked, and it couldn¡¯t help but make me surprised. It is not common knowledge that I had been preparing to become an imperial Knight. Even during the years, I had prepared; few people knew about my goal. ¡°I had got into an accident a few weeks before the test, which made me access my life choices,¡± I said, and he nodded somberly. ¡°Yes, life-threatening accident, as that will much anyone reevaluate their choices.¡± He said, once again surprised me. It is clear he had researched me, while none of these things were secret. They couldn¡¯t be known to him unless he looked around. Time passed and he continue to ask simple questions. Revealing information, a very few know about. I had become even more careful in answering the questions but did not lie while answering them. As I had said, these questions only contain information few knew. They did not pry for secrets or any important thing, but despite that, I felt like this man was reading me; understand things I won''t like him to do. In this regard, he was more intelligent than the Count Darrow. A little more than half an hour passed, and the Jalrux city had gotten close enough that I could see. ¡°It is a marvel,¡± I said as I looked beautiful city, which is no less grand than Namdar. The city is smaller, half the size of Namdar, but extremely well-planned. Filled with beautiful architecture, and wide roads. It is built by the liches, and like all regional capitals; it had never been breached by any forces. In the past thousand years, a few armies were able to reach it, but they could never breach its gate, much less conquer it. The last time the city was attacked was four hundred years ago. Soon, we reached the gates; they are white and made of bones, but people passing through did not seem to bat an eye at it. The carriages entered the gates without stopping even for a second. There were human and Orc guards, but they just glanced at the carriages before letting go. ¡°I don¡¯t like to say it, but Navr safest country in the continent. Its cities are safest in the whole continuant; they are also politically stable with no conflict, crime, and unemployment,¡± he said. I am surprised to hear that, not because it is not true, but because he had said it, people of his station and especially from the Empire did not say such words. ¡°Some say it is a paradise,¡± I said, and he nodded lightly. In these past few months, I have heard many people say those words to me. It is paradise because, inside the border, there is no war. The crime barely exists and so is unemployment. In Navr, no one goes hungry and there is always a roof to sleep on. It is why, despite the undead kingdom. People throng to enter it, but not all. The borders are very well protected, and those who sneaked in got jailed or killed, before they them into the undead. The only way one could get inside is by being valuable; you need to have high enough levels in required classes. People of Level 30 and above had direct entry, no matter the class they have, but how many could reach that level? Those who are able to reach it, do not need to go to Navr for a comfortable life. They can find it anywhere. The carriage entered the city, and the things I saw blew my mind. Each building looked like it is made to accent the city. There are all types of architecture here and all fit the city, like a perfect puzzle. As the carriages walked on a wide road, with barely any traffic. I saw the beautiful buildings, large parks, and markets, where there are people of nearly every race, buying and selling things. It is all enamored me, making me feel the trip to the dungeon worth it, to see this wonderful city. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 116: Sealed Chapter 116: Sealed The carriages went through the gate and stopped in front of the white mansion surrounded by a big, beautiful garden. The guards immediately appeared in front of our carriage, and one of them opened the door. Through the window, I could see Stone and Ina; looking at carriages with the searching gaze. ¡°Silver, it is nice talking to you,¡± said Viscount as he got up to leave the carriage. ¡°The honor is mine, my lord,¡± I replied. He smiled and stepped out of the carriage, and I followed behind him. Immediately, Ina¡¯s eyes found me, and she took a step, before stopping herself. ¡°Hanson, you shouldn¡¯t have come,¡± said Viscount to his injured man. He was still recovering from the injuries he had gotten from the assassins. ¡°It is my duty, my lord,¡± he said. Viscount smiled and walked with his two men toward the mansion, talking to them under privacy skills. I did not follow him and instead turn to Ina. ¡°Master Silver,¡± she greeted as she appeared in front of me, barely holding the emotions in her eyes. ¡°Ida,¡± I said and gave her a light hug. Immediately, I felt the wetness on my shoulder. Feeling that, I hugged her a little tighter; a moment later, she relaxed. ¡°I am sorry. I am just glad you are alive,¡± she said as she let go of the hug and wiped the tears in her eyes. ¡°Me too,¡± I replied and turned to Stone, who was bringing his weakened teammates out of the carriage. While they have been healed from those powerful magical injuries; they are quite weak. It will take them two to three days to recover from it. ¡°We didn¡¯t get a chance earlier to say it. Thank you, mister Silver. We really appreciate what you have done for us,¡± said Jon, as they stopped beside me, while Stone watched in confusion. ¡°It is the least I could do after what we have been through,¡± I said and walked toward the mansion with Ina, while Stone took Zela and Jon to their quarters. ¡°Adviser Silver, Lord Lancel, had summoned you to his office,¡± said the guard, as I barely climbed two steps into the mansion. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said to him, and we walked inside the mansion, whole Stone took Jon and Zela to their quarters for the rest. ¡°When did you arrive here?¡± I asked Ina while following the guard inside the luxurious mansion. I hate to admit it, but it is much better than my establishment. Every corner and every piece of art is expensive and beautiful. There is not a hint of gaudiness that is seen in the mansion of Count Darrow. ¡°At late morning,¡± she replied. ¡°You should have arrived by morning?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, but after you all disappeared, they changed the route,¡± she replied. Lancel must have raised the hell, not for me. Even after a month, he did not like me, but for the Viscount. He is an important man and even if the disappearance is no fault of his. It will affect him and, like Count Darrow, Lancel hates it when his interests are threatened. ¡°You didn¡¯t inform Carla or my family, right?¡± I asked. ¡°No, all communication was forbidden,¡± she replied, and I sighed in relief. Carla would have been worried needlessly, and informing the family would have brought its own set of troubles. Soon, we stopped by red-metallic doors; they are simple, but I could tell, they are very well made and heavy. It would be very hard to destroy them. ¡°Adviser, Lord Lancel had asked you inside,¡± informed the assistant. I nodded and walked toward the door. As I reached them, I pushed, and they opened with surprising smoothness, despite being so heavy. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted as I entered inside, where several people were sitting. There is Lancel, and in front of him, is Viscount Atre. There are also Mage York and Robin. ¡°Remus, I am glad you have come out of the dungeon alive,¡± said Lancel as he turned to me. ¡°It is all thanks to the Viscount Atre that we all were able to survive,¡± I replied. He smiled at that, before turning to the Viscount. ¡°The incident was unfortunate, but it also gives us the opportunity. I was discussing with Viscount how we should use it,¡± said Lancel, immediately coming back to business. It is one of his qualities I like the most; he is lazy, but a hard worker, when it is important. ¡°It is indeed an opportunity that we should use wisely, but shouldn¡¯t press too much,¡± said Viscount. ¡°You are right Viscount; go for the minor concessions, not the bigger ones,¡± said Lancel and Viscount smiled. A few minutes later, the Viscount left after giving some pointers, while Lancel, Robin, and I begin to hash out the new strategy for tomorrow. Viscount is not part of our negotiations. He had his own things, something only Lancel is aware of. An hour passed, and we are still discussing, bringing out our views. I mostly stayed quiet on most issues, only giving my opinion when asked, aside from the trade. I will be part of all negotiations, but responsible for the trade. It is a good thing; I had changed the clothes in the carriage. If I had to sit here with torn clothes, it would have been awkward. ¡°We will move tomorrow with this strategy,¡± said Lancel after three hours of discussion. Robin and I nodded, with relieved smiles on our faces; it is very hard sometimes to convince Lancel to follow our advice. Thankfully, he agreed to most of our suggestions. ¡°Remus, take a good rest. Tomorrow will not be easy.¡± Said Lancel. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I said and walked out of the office. I am tired and want to take a rest, but there are a few things I have to do first. ¡°Captain Azalea,¡± I greeted the woman. She looked fresh, it is clear, she had bathed and changed into a new set of clothes. ¡°Adviser Silver,¡± she replied and walked toward the office, while I turned to Ina. ¡°Do you know where I am staying?¡± I asked, ¡°Yes, Majordomo had informed me, when we come here,¡± she said and led me toward my suite. Soon, we stepped out of the elevator and stopped in front of the white doors. She took out the key and opened the doors. I walked into the beautiful suite, like the mansion. Everything here was beautiful. I like how minimalistic this suit is. ¡°I will freshen up and ask the kitchen to send the dinner for us; we will be leaving after finishing the dinner,¡± I said and walked to my room, before stepping into the shower. I sighed as the cold water cascade over my body. I am clean. All the dried blood, dust, and other things have been removed by the spell, but there is nothing like a shower that makes you feel clean. I stayed in a shower for half an hour and washed every part of my body before walking out, feeling truly clean. I dried myself and walked into the closet, where all my clothes were perfectly lined up. I picked a suit and wore them before waking out of the room. I had an extra set of clothes in my iles bag, but that was for an emergency like a dungeon. Iles bag space is precious, and I had thought carefully about everything I had placed there. I had walked into the living room and saw dinner had been brought and already set on the table. ¡°Eat with me. It might take some time to the place where we are going,¡± I said to Ina. She hesitated for a moment before sitting down in front of me. We ate in silence. I had already asked her what I wanted to do earlier. So, there was nothing else to talk about. ¡°Earlier, a delivery of sealing boxes came in your name. It is from Ethan Ashav,¡± she informed. ¡°Where are the boxes?¡± I asked her. ¡°I had placed them in another room after Stone said they are safe,¡± she replied. ¡°Good,¡± I said and continued eating. A few minutes later, I finished the dinner and walked to the room. As she had said, there were three brown boxes. They are wooden and of different sizes, but all three would fit in my iles bad perfectly. ¡®These three should be enough,¡¯ I said to myself and opened them, before wearing gloves and bringing out the things from the iles bag. I have touched them with my hands in the dungeon, but I don¡¯t want to take the risk again, with healing and all done on me. In front of Ina¡¯s widened eyes, I took out the things. The first ones were the swords. I took out both of the swords and placed them in the box before closing it. In the second box, I placed the tiny piece of a big abomination. I had picked it up when I was walking toward the door; I am not the only one done that, others also did it. Ethan had even thrown away many things from his bag to make a space for them. It may be a tiny piece of plant-bone abomination, but it is big as my hand and thick as my thigh. It is also quite heavy, so I had to be careful in putting it into a box where it barely fit itself. The last box is a little smaller than the box I had put my swords and made small and big brackets for different things. I placed berries and flowers; I had picked in a dungeon. And also, the things I found lying on the battlefield. Not every part of the plant was used in the abomination''s creation. There are some flowers, seeds, and even fruits that didn¡¯t; I picked a few that were near the gate. ¡°Are these the things you have found in a dungeon?¡± Ina asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied and put the boxes in the iles bag. I felt relieved as I placed the boxes in the bag. Ethan had warned me to place them in the sealing box as soon as possible. The magical materials are dangerous, many of them needed to be placed in a sealing box before storing them in an iles bag. As their magic could erode the enchantments of the bag. ¡°Legs go,¡± I said, and I walked out. As we stepped out of the suit, Stone appeared behind us. ¡°How are Jon and Zela feeling?¡± I asked. ¡°Aside from the weakness. Very good,¡± he said. I nodded and stepped into the elevator. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of me. Stone opened the door, and I stepped inside with Ina. ¡°Take us to Axel Emporium,¡± said Ina. A moment later, the carriage moved and soon it rolled out of the mansion''s gate into the city. We did not speak, instead looked at the city. At night, it is even more beautiful than the day. Every part of the city is covered in light, with people of every race walking under. One would be surprised to see there is very little undead in the city of the undead kingdom. Of course, there are undead, but far fewer numbers than one would imagine in their mind when they think of the city in Navr. Navr had a huge number of undead; millions of them, but the majority of them are hidden. The ones that are visible are farming and mining undead. Soon, the carriage reached the Johar district; one of the market districts. Where the lights are extra brighter and the buildings are bigger, with lots of people, but despite that, the carriage barely lowered its speed. In the market district of Owlspring, the carriage had to reduce its speed by a fourth, sometimes fifth. It is surprising because the number of people is about the same. The only difference here is that Jalrux is far better planned than the Owlspring. A few minutes passed, and the carriage stopped in front of a huge nine-story building. It is all tall and wide, and it only sells one thing; the thing I am very interested in. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Visitt for the latest updates Chapter 117: Relationship and Training Chapter 117: Relationship and Training ¡°I never thought I would see a store so big that only sell liquor,¡± Ina said with a smile as we got out of the carriage. As she said, the whole nine-story building only sells liquor. I looked at the bluestone building before entering inside through the large glass doors. On the other side is an enormous lobby, which leads to the different sections of the store. I couldn¡¯t help but get enamored by it; especially ten bottles of different types of liquors in fortified glass. These ten bottles belong to the top ten and all of them are five hundred years old. They are very expensive, and money alone isn¡¯t enough to buy them. I wanted to browse this magnificent store, but I have not come here for that; my purpose is bigger. I walked toward the reception and stopped in front of a beautiful elf with light green hair. ¡°Hello, I would like to meet the owner of the store, please,¡± I said. The receptionist is quite good. There is barely any change appears on her face upon hearing my words. ¡°Certainly sir, but before that, can I know your name?¡± she asked with a small, professional smile on her face. Of course, they will not let anybody meet the owner unless of course it is needed to be someone important and even then, one would need to make an appointment. It is only polite. An immediate meeting like this, requires a cause. ¡°Remus Silver; adviser to Lord Lancel Wilstein,¡± I said, and placed my merchant badge in front of her, which is the first thing that surprised her. It might not be an Empire, but the badges still work to show the importance. ¡°Your purpose, sir?¡± she asked. This time with a little brighter smile and more polite tone. ¡°To return things, your store had lost,¡± I said, and she looked me in question. I smile and place a dirty book with grass stains on it; it looks like someone had stomped on it. I did, for little effect. Her eyes were curious, before suddenly flashing in surprise. She took the book in her hand and turn the few pages and the surprise in her eyes become bigger before her expression turned normal. ¡°Do you have all the books, sir?¡± she asked as she placed the book down. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied. She looked at me in question, but I just smiled. She stared at me for a couple of seconds before putting a smile back on her face. ¡°Please wait; someone higher up will meet you in a few minutes,¡± she said and led us to the private waiting room, before going back to her place ¡°What is that book?¡± Ina asked as the receptionist left. ¡°Accounts,¡± I replied. I could tell she wanted to ask more, but she remained quiet. Soon, a staff came offering refreshments; I took water while Ina took a tea, as we waited. We did not have to wait for long less than ten minutes. The elf walked inside with a smile on her face. ¡°Mr. Havel will see you, Mr. Silver,¡± she said. I smile and get up and walked out of the room with Ida. Soon, we stepped into the elevator, which took us to the top floor. We stepped out of the elevator and walked to the left end. There is a huge office with glass walls and in front of it; two secretaries. One is human, while the other is a half-elf. ¡°Mr. Havel is waiting for you. Mr. Silver,¡± said the human secretary. I nodded and walked toward the door, before opening it and entering inside. The first thing I saw is the size of the office; it is huge. One of the biggest offices I have seen. The size of the office is not everything. My grandfather¡¯s office is smaller than it, and he is one of the richest merchants in the empire. In the near center is a huge desk, and behind him sits a short stocky man with thick brown hair. He is Jasper Havel, the head proprietor of the store. He also had some dwarf blood in him, likely from his grandparent or great-grandparent. Those features are quite visible. ¡°Mr. Silver, welcome. I heard you have things we had lost,¡± he greeted and motioned to sit in front of him. ¡°Remus, please, and yes, I have found a few things that belong to you,¡± I said and begin to take out the books. ¡°Apologies for their state; they were in this condition when I found them,¡± I said as I placed them on the table. His expression remained unchanged, but I could see the hint of relief flashing in his eyes. Usually, the business has at least two copies of such important records, but losing one set is also bad. As it gives people the chance to manipulate the records. Not to mention, in the wrong hands, it could cause huge trouble. He took the book and check each one of them, before turning to me. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, where do you find them?¡± he asked, with his face serious. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± I said, and a frown appeared on his face. ¡°Mister Silver, it is very important. As you can understand, our important staff had been kidnapped.¡± ¡°We have to find who did this; the more information we have, the easier it would be for us to find the perpetrators,¡± he said. ¡°I am quite confident it is not kidnapping unless your person had disappeared from the city,¡± I said, and he opened his mouth before suddenly stopping. A spark lit in his eyes as if he had understood something, and he turned to me. ¡°You have found it there right; in the underground temple?¡± he asked, and I smiled. I will not talk about it. It is a forbidden topic; the less I speak about it, the better it would be. ¡°Have you seen Faris?¡± he asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I found the books on the ground, with other things. There was no person nearby.¡± I replied. ¡°Could you describe me, how he looked?¡± I said a moment later. He said nothing, instead; he opened the drawer and took out the page, where the sketch of the person is drawn. ¡°He is dead,¡± I stated. This time, there was an absolute surety in my voice, as I am the one who killed him, or rather, a zombie he had turned into. ¡°He was a talented person, impeccable in his work. It is such a loss to lose him.¡± Havel said and sighed sadness, before turning to me. ¡°Thank you, Remus, for bringing this to me. I am sure you understand how important they are to us,¡± He spoke. Implying, if I had gone to his competitors with it, I would have gotten quite money. I could ask him for that money and seeing his expressions, he will not decline. If the amount is fair. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, Mr. Havel. I had only picked them because I had some extra space in my bag.¡± I said and got up to leave. My reply surprised him, but a pleased smile appeared on his face a moment later. ¡°At least, take this bottle of wine as a sign of my thanks,¡± he said as the bottle of wine come flying in his hand from the wine shelf. ¡°A hundred-year-old, Talas; this I will not decline,¡± I said with a smile. I took the wine bottle. It is very expensive, not to mention rare; even with my connections, it is quite hard to get a hand on this bottle. It is talas, a liquor ranked number fifth in the world. ¡°If you need any more wine, do shop in our store, Remus; I will even give you a good discount,¡± he said. ¡°I will,¡± I said and walked and walked out of his office with Ida. Soon, we walked out of the store and stepped inside the carriage. ¡°He was clearly willing to give you a lot of money for those books. Why don¡¯t you ask for it?¡± she asked after a minute of silence. She had been wanting to ask this question since we walked out of the office. ¡°The payment would have been great, but it would have been a one-time thing. Taking it would have been wasting this wonderful opportunity,¡± I replied. ¡°You want to create a relationship?¡± she asked after a few seconds. ¡°Right. They are one of biggest liquor businesses in the whole Navr.¡± ¡°Seeing we earn most through the liquor; it is important we form a good relationship with them. It will help us tremendously in the future,¡± I explained. She nodded in understanding. I had brought her here to train. I need people to grow my business and I do not have years for them to slowly learn; I need to train them myself. Thankfully, I have lucked out with capable and loyal people. Ina is good with great people skills and political understanding. If one really converses with her, one will have a hard time believing she is a whore. She was this from the beginning, before classes, before the establishment. The only she did not have was the ambition and drive, which is now burning in her heart. There are a couple of more flaws, which came from the environment. She grew up and worked. I am going to fix it all; show her the world and make her thrive in it, beyond her imagination. From tomorrow, she will have to do the real things. It is very risky to have her do them and if she makes a mistake, it will cost me millions of crowns and damage in reputation, but I must take the risk. She is worth taking the risk. ¡°Here, this is from you,¡± I said, and a shock appeared on her face. As she looked at the iles bag in my hand. ¡°I..I can¡¯t take it; it is too precious. I might lose it, or someone might steal it,¡± she declined with a little stutter. It is not surprising she is scared; the little bag''s value is nearly equal to my establishment. ¡°I am going to be very busy in the next few days. I will need you to do things for me and this bag will help,¡± I said. She does not require the iles bag for those things, but it will help. Most importantly, it is a sign of my trust in her. She looked at me before her shaking hands, took the bag from my hand, and placed it in her bag. It is standard like mine. They came in various shapes and sizes. Standard and stylized, some even change their colors, but those are a little expensive. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. I only smile. She usually has excellent control over her emotions, but today, I was able to make her cry twice. ¡°Tomorrow, you have to do a few things; some of which we had already discussed in the Greltheaven,¡± I said and took out the list from my bag. Most of it is a shopping list; the things we need to buy and the price we are willing to pay. It will be her job to buy those things in that range. There are places in them, she will need to visit and do the things I want. ¡°I will not disappoint you,¡± she said as wiped away the tears from her cheeks. ¡°I know you will not,¡± I replied with a smile. The rest of the carriage ride went with me, answering her questions. She seemed to know what I was trying to make her do. So, she is trying to get as much as information she wants from me. I answered most of her questions, but not all. Telling her everything will defeat the purpose. She needs to do it on her own, make mistakes and learn from them. Soon, we reached the mansion, and we got out of the carriage. ¡°You, go rest. You have a lot to do tomorrow.¡± I said. This time, she listened and walked toward her quarters. A few minutes later, I reached for my suit. I changed into comfortable clothes and lay down on the bed. I wanted to prepare for tomorrow, but I am so tired that I just want to sleep. The battle had tired me out and so has the healing. While I had slept for nearly four hours; it was not enough. I need more sleep and within seconds of laying on the bed; I fell into a deep sleep.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 118: Negotiations Chapter 118: Negotiations ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed loudly as I woke up; I had planned to wake up at my usual time at dawn, to practice my new skills. Seeing what had happened on this trip. I wanted to be ready for anything that might come, but it seemed like I had been more tired than I had thought. I had slept for twelve hours and now, I only have half an hour, before I have to meet Lancel and leave for the negotiations. I did not waste any time and went to the bathroom. There I quickly freshen and finished the shower within five minutes, before coming out and changing into the suit. Seeing I looked presentable; I walked out, but not before taking my sword. Today, I am alone. There is no Ida or Stone; she had left and taken Stone with her as I had asked her to do yesterday. I don¡¯t like to be without my own guards, but I could take that risk here. The Jalrux is safe as the city could be and not to mention after the incident of incursion dungeon; they are more careful about our safety. I stepped out of my room and immediately activated the Rapid Steps; I have only five minutes to reach Lancel¡¯s office and I don¡¯t want to be late. The skill is excellent. Its range has increased with advancement from the Quick Steps and so has its speed. With Sure Foot always active, I could do wonders with this skill when fighting. In less than three seconds, I appeared by the elevator and stepped in. When the elevator stopped, a couple of seconds later. I used the Rapid Steps again to move towards Lancel¡¯s office. ¡°Adviser Silver, you can go inside,¡± said the assistant. I nodded and walked into the door. Lancel did not trust his assistants much; he would always keep them out in most meetings. They mostly act as his errand boys than the assistants, but the assistants are errand boys. So, they are doing what they are paid to do. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted as I appeared in the office. Everyone is already present, including Robin. ¡°Remus, take a seat,¡± said Lancel. ¡°Thank you. My lord,¡± I said and sat down. ¡°Since Remus had arrived, we will go one more time on our strategy,¡± he said, and for the next hour, we discussed our strategy for today''s negotiations, until it is time to leave. At right ten, we all got up and walked out of the office. As we stepped out of the mansion, we walked into the carriages waiting for us. Lancel, Robin, and I sat in one carriage, while others sat in the other. ¡°We have to get a non-aggression pact for at least six months, and with that incident, we have some leverage,¡± said Lancel with a small smile on his face. ¡°My lord, we will try our all, but I hope you do not get your hopes up. Navr, rarely signs such pacts,¡± said Robin in an unusually blunt voice. He rarely speaks such direct words, at least to Lancel. Who tends to get angry too quickly, but it seemed like this time he is aware of the reality as well. ¡°I know it will be hard, but we will try for it,¡± Lancel said after a moment of silence. Most of the carriage ride went in silence. All three of us, looked at our preparations silently. I am a little nervous thinking about the afternoon when I will be leading the negotiations. It will be the first time I will be leading any negotiation outside of Greltheaven. Soon, we reached our destination and got out of the carriage. The city hall. ¡°Navr is really rich,¡± said Lancel, barely able to hide the awe in his voice as he looked at the architectural marvel in front of us. It is a huge palatial building, with detailed carving work done on it and painted with gold and precious metals. Some works even had a gem embedded in them. Only the undead kingdom would dare to be this extravagant; other places did not dare to. There are thieves, high-leveled thieves. It is not like Navr didn¡¯t have high-leveled thieves, but here the density of powerhouses is also greater. Especially the dead kind, who can sniff those live rats. We were admiring the work of art when a half-elf, who looked to be in his late thirties, appeared in front of us. ¡°Lord Wilstein,¡± he greeted Lancel, who turned to him, ¡°You must be the attendant assigned to us,¡± said Lancel, hiding his embarrassment after getting caught admiring the city hall, like a bumpkin. ¡°Yes, I am Loryn, I will be your attendant today,¡± he replied. ¡°Lead the way,¡± said Lancel and he did. ¡°Your meeting will be on the eighth floor of Saras wing,¡± he informed us as we entered the city hall through the door on the left side. While following him, I couldn¡¯t help but admire the beauty of its interior. It is really a work of art that had been refined over nearly two thousand years. It is not something one can see everywhere. We reach the elevator, which is wholly made of golden glass, and one could not see the slightest runic inscription on it. As we stepped inside, it begins to move up smoothly, giving us a clear view of each floor as we move above. The elevator stopped, and we walked out; it is a floor filled with conference rooms. Navr is a powerful kingdom on the scale of the entire world, and there are hundreds of kingdoms and empires and thousands of cities traded with it. We are the smallest city on its long list and the only thing that makes us valued is that we are part of the empire. We are the first city from the empire to contact it. If they did well for us; the doors to the empire would open for them slowly. We will also benefit tremendously, from being the first movers. Navr needs trade; more trade is always better. If you remain stagnant, you are bound to fade in the annals of history and the undead understand that better than anyone. We passed through more than twenty conference rooms before we stopped in front of one. Like the other conference rooms, it also has a colored glass wall. With a plate engraved with ¡®26¡¯ hanging by a blue glass wall. ¡°Administrator Rilug will come shortly for the meeting,¡± he said and opened the glass door of the doors for us. We went inside and took the seats on the left side of the table. Lancel was first to sit, with Robin and I sitting on both sides of him; the others sat beside us. We brought out our memos and folders. The topics and orders of today¡¯s negotiations have also been decided. We only need to negotiate and come to understand that is agreeable to both sides, which is harder than it looked. I looked at the time, and there were still ten minutes till the negotiations start, seeing that I opened the folder and read through a few things. While I have nearly memorized the whole damn thing; I wanted to take a look at it again, in case I had missed something. Hun! When it was one minute to time; a middle-aged grey orc wearing a white suit came inside and behind him, is a human. I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised to see only two of them; I thought they would have at least three people, but they only have two. ¡°Lord Wilstein; I am an administrator Rilug. I will represent our great city in today''s negotiation,¡± he introduced himself as he sat down. I wanted to curse the bastard; he had come alone; the human is his assistant. He is trying to show his power, which is a kind of offensive gesture. I thought Lancel will burst into flames, but he had a smile on his face. He is not noble for nothing. ¡°Nice to meet you, administrator Rilug,¡± Lancel said as he shook the orc''s hand over the table. There is no hesitation or repulsiveness; it is a first confident handshake. ¡°Now, the pleasantries are over. Let¡¯s start with business; the thing is a non-aggression pact,¡± said the orc, looking at the document in front of him. ¡°This request had come from the entire region of Renwell. We hope Navr will agree on a yearlong, non-aggression pact and we are willing to provide many incentives for it,¡± said Robin, using every skill he could. It is a very important point. If we are able to accomplish it, we will receive a hero¡¯s welcome back home. ¡°My apologies, but the undead kingdom of Navr won¡¯t sign any non-aggression pact with the life state,¡± ¡°Our wise leaders believe that life and death should always be in struggle, and we shouldn¡¯t upset that balance.¡± He said, rejecting the request directly. ¡°How about six months, we are wil¡± ¡°Navr will not accept any non-aggression pack, not even of one day,¡± said the grey orc, cutting the Robin, before he could complete the sentence. I felt the full power of his skills and couldn¡¯t help but become impressed. He is clearly at a higher level than Robin, and Robin is near Level 30. ¡°Since Navr is not interested, we will not speak about it further,¡± said Robin and changed the page; so, has the orc. ¡°The next point is the mobility of people,¡± said Robin. ¡°We want three thousand people every from both sides,¡± said the Orc. ¡°We do not have a problem with that, but we have some specific conditions,¡± Robin replied. ¡°The first one, we will not accept any undead, nor any necromancer. Any power...¡± Robin begins to state, one condition after another. There are twenty-three conditions from barring the entry of any kind of undead necromancers to pre-arrival intimation of any powerhouses above level 30. Fourteen conditions were agreed upon immediately, but for the other nine, we negotiated hard. It took more than two and a half hours before we agreed to the condition, which is satisfactory to both sides. We then moved to another point, which nobody follows, but need to agree on. The intelligence and infiltration. This condition is a kind of a joke; like on Earth, here everybody spies on everybody. Navr had one of the most extensive spy networks on the continent. These bastards do not rely on their undead hordes alone to win the battles. They use intelligence, as well as weapons any army use. Cannons and all. It is why the hordes of Navr are so damn hard to defeat. It is a good thing; it had just as powerful neighbors. The merchant states and Baxr dominion are not easy countries to deal with. Even Navr thinks hard, before attacking them. It fights wars; the war is the thing it loved the most. It is where it gets the powerful bodies that it needs. Hours passed, and soon, it was afternoon. ¡°It was nice negotiating with you gentlemen; we will convene again in the evening,¡± he said, and the left with his assistant. ¡°He was one tough bastard,¡± said Rowling. ¡°We had expected nothing less,¡± said Robin with a smile on his face. It may seem like negotiations went badly, but they went well. Aside from the first thing, we have got what we wanted. ¡°My lord, are staying for the trade negotiations?¡± I asked Lancel, to which he shook his head. ¡°No, I have one important meeting to attend, and I will be taking Robin with me,¡± he replied and left the conference room with Robin. He does not need to stay in negotiation earlier, too. He is the leader; he only needs to state the requirements and check the progress. Good leaders stay out of actual negotiations or only do it with the people of their standing, but I will not say that to him. In another way, it is also good he stayed. It is a learning experience for him, the reason the Count sent him and not someone else. At this stage, he could afford to make mistakes; he will not have that luxury when he becomes a leader.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 119: Risky Decision Chapter 119: Risky Decision Margaux ¡°Another night went great,¡± said Carla as she closed the file and turned to me. ¡°Men drink a lot. Some even have a great capacity,¡± she added with a smile. ¡°Women drink no less, my friend. If you let Barb loose, she will drink as much as them,¡± I said, and Carla sighed at the mention of our resident drunkard. Saying Barb likes to drink would be an understatement. She loved it; she revels in it and had even gotten the class for it. Thankfully, the women know how much she can drink. Master Silver had placed a limit on drinking; the girls could drink, but only till they could hold themselves rationally. It is one of the greatest challenges faced by the new girls; I had faced it every day. I had worked. Their biggest revenue comes from alcohol, but they have to be careful about how much they could drink with the client. They could not get swept into the conversation and drink endlessly. They have to make the clients drunk, not get drunk themselves. Thankfully, ¡®Graceful drinking¡¯ is one of the lessons we received. We had been taught to drink in a way that we could make a glass last for more than an hour without being noticeable. Some girls had permission to drink more or endlessly. They are the ones who got the ¡®sober¡¯ skills; a type of skills that makes them sober or hard to get drunk. They are excellent skills. I wish I had it. ¡°We have brought a lot of liquor during the incident, but all of it is gone.¡± Said Carla and looked page in front of her, it is a list of liquor they will buy today. It will be enough for ten days and then they will have to update the list. Seeing what Master Silver brings from Navr. He had set aside quite a lot of money for the liquor he was going to buy in Navr. ¡°Have any messages come from Master Silver?¡± she asked. ¡°No, aside from one who came yesterday, saying they will be finished in a few days,¡± Carla replied. There is worry written all over her face. She is trying to hide it, but failing spectacularly. ¡°He will be fine. We should worry about the establishment,¡± I said gently while pressing my hands with her. The business is going well; it is because they are doing everything perfectly. There are problems every hour, from the fight between the girls to the sudden absence of teachers. They are solving these problems immediately as they appear. ¡°With Ina gone, the responsibilities on you increase further. It is too much. You need someone to share the responsibilities,¡± Carla said. ¡°I am fine,¡± I replied. The responsibilities are a little heavy, but I can handle them. ¡°It is not fine. You need someone,¡± said Carla, before sighing. I smiled at that, but there was no mirth in it. Yes, the responsibilities are a little heavy, but who can I get? All the capable ones are top earners. If we take any one of them, the business will be affected. We can¡¯t have that, at least till we get a good number of girls in high-earning brackets. So, I will handle it alone, till Ina returns. ¡°At least take an assistant.¡± Carla pleaded, and it was not the first time she had asked her that. ¡°Fine,¡± I said, and could see a smile appearing on my friend¡¯s face. I am not so happy; the young girls going to create quite a ruckus. The girls below eighteen could not work. They only need to focus on their studies, and they get a small stipend to spend. It is good, but nothing compared to the lowest-earning girl of the establishment. Thus, the intense competition, whenever a job appeared as it gives them more than a basic stipend. They discussed a few more things before I walked out of Carla¡¯s office. As I walked down, I heard sounds across the rooms; the classes had already started. This made Carla most worried; she wants 80% of the adult new girls to be ready for the business at the end of the month. Which I think would be possible, considering they are training for more than two months. At the end of the month, it will be three months. They will have most training than any other girls before them. Their practice with actors has already begun and with a few old girls reaching eighteen; we should be able to get the number we desire. We want the establishment at full capacity, which is around hundred and fifty. I am confident we will have that. To me, they already feel ready, but that is my opinion. Master Silver needs to feel it too, and this time his standards have increased further. The new girls need good enough to match the standard of the current establishment. The more time passed, the bigger requirements would become. She could see how girls are improving; it is not just their levels, but also the skills they are learning. Their speed of progress is amazing. I am not behind the girls either; I would practice painting in every free time I have, and I think, I am improving. The rising levels are proof of that. Though one thing still kept me awake. My mana attribute: I wanted to forget it, but I couldn¡¯t. Especially when I read my daughter''s letters, about how amazing the magic is and how she couldn¡¯t wait to cast her first spell perfectly. I shook my head and walked down, and soon; I reached underground. It is mostly silent, and while a few new girls are moving around; they are talking in low voices or using skills. To not disturb the girls who are sleeping. Soon, I reached my quarters and place the file on my desk, before walking to my room and removing the dress. I hung the dress before falling on the bed and within a few seconds; I was asleep. Four hours later, I woke up feeling completely refreshed. I stayed the bed for a few minutes before getting up and walking to the bathroom. There, I freshened up and showered. I dried myself and opened the closet. There are twenty-six dresses including eighteen night dresses. Those are for business; the other eight are also good, but they are for off hours. Carla had said Master Silver had ordered four more dresses for me. Saying she does not have enough dresses that require for the madam, he wants her to have at least thirty-two dresses. One for each day of the month. I have never in my life thought I would have so many dresses. Even their old madam only had three good dresses which she guarded with her life, and those were nothing compared to these. I looked at them before picking up the blue one. A few minutes later, I am in my office. Yes, my office; even after so much time, I couldn¡¯t believe I have an office of my own. I calmed myself down and opened the files and begin working. There is not much work; I only need to make a few entries and I will be done. Then I can go eat. Knock Knock! Barely a minute passed since I had started working when the knock rang out on my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said, and a second later, the door opened and a beautiful woman in her late thirties with dusky skin and shoulder-length curly hair walked in. She was nervous, but there was a bubbling happiness on her face. Seeing those expressions, a smile appeared on my face, and I open the drawer and took a small box with a delicate ribbon on it. ¡°Congratulations Mena,¡± I said to her as I placed the small box on the table. ¡°Thank you, Madam Margaux,¡± she said happily, and moved her hand toward the box, but I stopped her. ¡°Before I give it to you. I have a make sure it is true. It is a simple formality,¡± I said, and the woman smiled and the next moment, she opened her class, and I sensed it with mine. I got the confirmation and the smile on my face, become bigger. ¡°Congratulation on breaching the second capstone,¡± I said and gave her a box. She is the fourth girl from the third batch to breach this milestone. She tore the ribbon and opened the box. Inside it is the key to her very own room. ¡°I have dreamed about this every night,¡± she said, with tears dripping from her eyes. I felt myself tearing up, before wiping the tear off my eyes and taking out the green book. ¡®No. 34. Mena Horn,¡¯ I noted down on the green book. Girls are leveling like crazy. Seven months ago, there was not a single girl with Level 20, now there are thirty-four. This is the number the establishment had started, and now we have that number of girls at Level 20 and above. The number is still less than what competitors have, but we are improving rapidly and there is no doubt in my mind, we will catch up. Click! I had just put back the book. When the door widened, Carla walked in and saw Mena staring at the key, and a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Congratulations Mena,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you, Madam Carla,¡± she replied, before wiping her tears. The girl stayed in the office for a couple of more seconds before walking out. Excited to move to her own personal room. Carla closed the door and sat in front of me. I could tell she have something to say, seeing her expressions. ¡°I am going to do it,¡± she said with a smile, but I could see the nervousness in it. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked. Feeling, a little nervous for some reason. ¡°I am going to let Drev use the magical materials,¡± she said, and my expression froze for a moment. ¡°What! Are you crazy? You know he had burned the restaurants, right?¡± I asked. Master Silver had said, he will think about it after watching him for a few months. He was going to build a separate kitchen for that, so he wouldn¡¯t burn down the establishment. I never thought Carla would even think about something like this. Lola, yes, given her impulsiveness, but not Carla. She is cautious, but it seemed like she wants to throw that into the wind. ¡°Yes, he did, but both of those times. He was using wholly magical materials,¡± ¡°I am going to let him use a few of them with normal ingredients. The food will be a mix of magical and mundane ingredients. He never had an accident with that.¡± She explained. ¡°How do you know that? Did you ask him?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, but also the detailed background check we had ordered on him arrived yesterday. Everything he had said is the truth.¡± She replied. ¡°Still, it is dangerous,¡± I said, and she nodded. ¡°It is, but is also necessary.¡± ¡°Starting next month, the number of girls going to increase, but it is not enough. We need something more; the fusion food will be great, especially with the liquor that Remus will bring from Navr.¡± ¡°At least ask Master Silver permission before doing this,¡± I pleaded to my cautious friend, who had turned crazy. ¡°I will tell him,¡± she said, and hearing that, I sighed. She will not ask him permission, rather she will tell him after she started. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will be careful. There will always be Stena, Shaun, or Hugo with him when he uses magical ingredients, along with two guards.¡± ¡°Just be careful, okay,¡± I said finally, seeing she is not going to listen to me. It is not like I don¡¯t understand her intentions. I do, I just hope, she would take things her usual cautious way and not become impulsive for progress. ¡°I will take every precaution, there is,¡± she said, and I nodded. I know my friend and it might seem impulsive, but she must have thought about it deeply before making this risky decision. Though, I have to say. If it worked, it would help the establishment tremendously. I truly hope it does.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 120: Paint Chapter 120: Paint Margaux ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Carla asked after nearly a minute of silence. ¡°No, I was planning to, after I finished with it,¡± I said, motioning to the work in front of me. She nodded and stayed silent. Seeing she was planning to wait, I focused on the world, and in a few minutes; I finished with it. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said as I put the file into the drawer. Soon, we walked out of my office, silently. Each one is busy with their own thoughts. We stepped out of the basement and walked toward the kitchen. When we reach there, a few girls were already eating. Thankfully, one table was empty, and we sat on it. A second after we sat, Drev appeared beside us. ¡°Madam Carla, Madam Margaux. What would you like to eat?¡± he asked, and we smiled. ¡°Surprise us, Drev,¡± said Carla. He seemed a little surprised by that. Usually, we state what we want. ¡°Good. I am planning on adding Karnam steak and Jaus rolls to the menu. You can tell me how they are,¡± he said and walked toward the kitchen. Currently, the kitchen is run by the morning staff. The new hires are training. If they do well, they will be promoted to the night shift, where the real fun and the money. There are people on the night shift here; three of them. The first one is Drev, of course, and the second is Hilda. A woman in her late twenties, ambitious that she only went home to sleep, before coming here. She is trying to learn from the Drev as much as she could, and she seemed to have learned a lot. Though, if anyone had learned the most, then it would be Wanda. That woman is working hard. Since she had chosen to work in the kitchen, she had been working constantly. Learning as much as she could. If she was not sleeping, she would be in the kitchen practicing. Even Master Silver had praised her for her hard work. Currently, she is only helping with odd jobs and preparations, but if she continued with such drive. She will be able to cook during a day shift, in a few months, and will have a chance to work the night shift, if she had reached the standard required. Working on a night shift means she is good enough to work in most restaurants. This means she would have a respectable skill to survive in the real world. It means the world to people like us. This lack of skill is the reason, why most women, who became free, returned to the brothel. They do not know anything than whoring. I had experienced it myself and know badly the world the worlds treat you. A brothel may seem bad, but there are places that are worse than it. Those few months I was free were one of the worse days of my life. If I had been alone, I would have killed myself, like many do, but I returned, for the sake of my daughter. I was walking through those terrible memories when Drev come back and brought the food that was smelling heavenly and looked like a work of art. ¡°Ladies, this Karnam steak and Jaus roll, along with Haster salad and honey-dipped yur ball, that you like Madam Carla,¡± he said as placed the plates in front of us. ¡°You have spoiled me, Drev; I don¡¯t know what I will do without you,¡± said Carla. ¡°Then you will not have to let me go,¡± he said, and Carla smiled. It smells heavenly, I wanted to eat everything at once, but I first started with a steak. ¡°Umm..¡± an unconscious sound couldn¡¯t help but escape from my mouth before I could stop myself. It is very good; the steak had literally melted in my mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be able to eat the normal food again,¡± I said as I finished with a bite. ¡°I won¡¯t ever,¡± said Carla and took the second bite. Within a few minutes, we polished our plates clean. I felt embarrassed by it, but it was so good, I couldn¡¯t control myself. ¡°How was the lunch, ladies?¡± asked Drev as he appeared at the table. ¡°Delicious,¡± I replied. ¡°Delicious enough to add it to the menu?¡± he asked, and I looked at Carla, as it come under her authority. ¡°Yes, you can add it to the menu,¡± said Carla after a moment of silence. ¡°Thank, Madam Carla,¡± he thanked and went to leave. ¡°Drev,¡± Carla called out, and he stopped and turned. ¡°Come with me to my office. I have something important to talk to you,¡± she said and got up, while he looked in surprised. Carla looked at me, but I shook my head. It is her idea; she will have to do it herself. Though, if there is trouble because of this, I will be by her side. I watched them disappear down the stairs before getting up from my chair. I walked to the hall, where several classes were happening within the temporary partitions. The number of classes increased as the number of girls increased. Most of the classes could be held in the room, but some with more girls could only be held in the hall. It is the only large place we have. I turned toward the etiquette class, where the girls were still getting hit by an old woman even after two months. It is not surprising, since the difficulty of class had also increased with time. I know it better than anyone, as I have a weekly glass with an old woman. It is a one-on-one class and I still get hit by her. That made me want to curse that old woman to death. I may curse her, but I know how effective her class and other classes had been. In this half a year, I have been fully transformed, that sometimes even I couldn¡¯t recognize myself when I looked in the mirror. It is not just my looks that had changed, but also the way I walk, talk, smile, and frown. Everything had changed. Sometimes, I wonder whether my daughter would be able to recognize me. This scares me. I pushed those scary thoughts and looked at the inspiring scene at the bar where a young woman is practicing. Wanda is not the only one who is giving her all. Cresa, too, is doing the same. She is practicing every hour, and, unlike Wanda, who is still a month away from working in the kitchen at night, Cresa, going to get her chance soon. In two months, she had learned enough that Master Silver had decided to let her work on the bar. She will be working at the start of the next month. She is excited about it and every day pushing herself harder than yesterday. Currently, she trying to spin several bottles across her arm. She saw me looking at her and turn me. ¡°Madam Margaux, do you want to have a drink? I can quickly make you an arten¡¯s river,¡± she asked. I wanted to decline since it was afternoon, but the name of the drink stopped me in my tracks. ¡°Sure,¡± I said and walked toward her, before sitting on the chair, while she makes my favorite drink. ¡°How is practice going?¡± I asked her. ¡°Good. I could make almost all the drinks we serve and now practicing some show tricks.¡± She said and shook the mixed drink, before straining it into the glass and garnishing it with a slice of lemon. ¡°Here is your arten¡¯s river,¡± she presented me with a light blue color drink. ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± I said to the young woman and picked up the glass. I took the sip; the first thing I felt was refreshing coolness before bitter notes came with a hint of sweetness. ¡°How is it?¡± she asked with hopeful eyes. ¡°Amazing,¡± I said and took a second sip, which is better than the first before I know it. I finished the whole glass. ¡°Do you want second, Madam Carla?¡± she asked. ¡°No dear. One is more than enough for an afternoon,¡± I said and got up and walked toward the door. Soon, I was out of the building and walked toward the plot, which was not empty anymore. In nearly two months, they have made amazing progress and in a little over four months, it will be ready. I had seen the design and the sketches, and it felt like heaven. I am not exaggerating; it will be like heaven. Master Silver had everything; things I don¡¯t know existed before. Just thinking about them makes me shiver excitedly. I wonder how the real thing would be. ¡°You are going to the site Madam Carla?¡± asked the familiar voice. ¡°Yes, dear,¡± I said to the raven-haired woman. ¡°Mind if I tag along?¡± she asked. ¡°Your company would be much appreciated,¡± I said, and the woman gracefully moved toward me at a quick speed. She is Stena, from the Stone Mercenaries. Soon, she appeared beside me, and we walked toward the site. ¡°It will be quite beautiful when it is completed,¡± said the woman, looking at the site, which was coming closer with every step. ¡°More beautiful than you could imagine,¡± I replied. She looked at me with an arched brow, but I smiled. Master Silver had forbidden to talk about it to anyone, and I am more than willing to follow that order. Soon, we reached it, and I saw Caena walking out of the site. ¡°Madam Carla, Stena,¡± she greeted as she reached us and walked away toward the establishment. ¡°Caena is fun, but she is weird as hell,¡± said Stena, and I smiled. Of course, she is weird, and she is doing something suspicious. She is doing that since the moment she arrived at the establishment, but we could never find out what she does. Carla wanted to ban her weird visit to the site, but Master Silver refused, saying until he finds proof, he will let her do what she wants. Soon, they reached the site and walked around it. Though careful not to get in the way of the workers. As I looked at it, I could connect with the blueprint and sketches I had seen. It made my heart beat faster. They looked around the whole site before walking out of it. ¡°Madam Margaux,¡± said the old familiar voice. ¡°Chief Architect Davidson. When do you arrive?¡± I asked. I did not see him earlier. ¡°Just now,¡± he replied. ¡°The construction is moving quite fast,¡± I commented, and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°We are slightly ahead of schedule and if kept moving at this speed. We will finish it within five months.¡± He said with a wide smile on his face. ¡°Master Silver would be pleased,¡± I said. And stressed. With this huge construction and loans, our finances are tight. We will get a little breathing space next month when new girls join at the start of next month. ¡°I am glad,¡± he said. I talked to him for a few minutes before walking toward the establishment with a slightly hurried place. My class will start soon, and I don¡¯t like to be late. Thankfully, I have reached on time and the class went well. It was a management class, my least favorite, but most useful. The things I learned in it are helping me do my job smoothly. Click! I opened the door of y quarters and closed it before walking into my room. There, I removed my dress and walk back into the living room, which was covered in cloth curtains from all sides. One could not see what was inside. I moved a large cloth curtain and walked inside my tiny studio. I do not need the living room, so I converted it into a studio. While there is a painting studio, I wanted something private. I changed into work clothes and an apron and looked at the blank canvas in front of me. Thinking, whether I will throw it into the trash after painting it, like many others. I had told my daughter that I had started painting, and that was a mistake. Since then, she had been asking for a painting insistently. She is asking for it in every letter. I looked blank canvas where I was trying to draw on my happiest memories. It is in the park, one of my favorite places, and the only place where I could afford to take my daughter. The park has many happy memories, and I am trying to paint one, but it is harder than I released, especially when I am trying it to be perfect. I stared at the blank canvas for a couple of minutes, thinking of the happiest memory I have in the park. It took a while to materialize it. When it did; I started to paint it. This time, I did not think. Let the memory guide it. It feels impulsive to paint like this, but it felt right and joyful. Like that day I had spent with my daughter. Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 121: The Legacy Chapter 121: The Legacy ¡°Second Majesty had suppressed the temple; remove all the restrictions,¡± said the pale man suddenly. The man in grey relaxed visibly. Saying the last few days had been tense would be an understatement. Managing it was difficult. ¡°It will be done,¡± he replied. For a minute, the pale man did not speak and kept looking out of the window, which had the best view of the Jalrux. ¡°How are the negotiations with the empire''s city?¡± he asked. ¡°As you had commanded, we have relaxed a lot of conditions, but making them work hard to get it,¡± replied the man in a grey robe. ¡°Most wouldn¡¯t suspect anything, but the smart ones who do will keep their guesses to themselves,¡± said the pale man, and the man in the grey robe just nodded. ¡°My lord, what do you think about the empire¡¯s prince''s proposal?¡± asked the man in a grey robe. He did not receive the answer to that immediately. ¡°Agree to deal. I want what they have, and I will give them what they need.¡± ¡°Try to find out what they want to do with it. They are planning something big if they want it,¡± said the pale man, after more than a minute of silence. ¡°I will try with my all,¡± said the man in a grey robe and disappeared. ... ¡°As always. You are a tough bastard, young man,¡± said the middle-aged man with the sun-kissed skin, as he shook my hand. It is the third day of negotiations, and I am nearly finished. By tomorrow afternoon, I will be finished with trade negotiations. ¡°I should be the one who saying those words. Trade administrator Karad, you are one tough negotiator,¡± I said to the middle-aged man in front of me. He smiled at that. ¡°See you tomorrow. Young man,¡± he said and left with his assistant, while I slumped back in my seat, which is wet with wet sweat covering my whole body. The bastard was tough, but I have fought with tooth and nail to get what I want from him. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can bear the power of his skills directly, Adviser Silver. Under that power, I wanted to shit and take a leak at the same time,¡± he said. He had one of those nasty skills that makes one take a shit and piss really hard. They create the hardest distraction to concentration. These types of skills are rare, and some negotiators and businessmen use them with surgical accuracy. One of my father¡¯s associates had a skill like that and he made a person defecate in their pants in front of me. He did that to show off the power of the skill he is most proud of. I was embarrassed, as I was horrified. It is a good thing Karad did not use the full force of the skill, or I don¡¯t know if I had been able to hold it back. It was a very hard negotiation, but I got what I wanted. It could be said that I got more than I expected. I feel like he had intentionally gone easy on some points. I may be wrong, but that is unlikely. Whatever the reason, the results matter and I have brought the result. These negotiations will bring more trade to the Greltheaven and make it richer. I want to do some part of it and already made a move. I will know the result when I return to the mansion and meet Ina. After we collected ourselves, we left the conference room. ¡°Mister Silver, this came for you a few minutes ago,¡± said our guide, standing by the door. I took the letter, which had a personal seal of Lancel. I opened the letter and read the single line it had and turned to the four people with a bright grin on my face. ¡°Boys, this is the best day of your life. We are going to the Mirage,¡± I said and the expressions on four of their faces changed immediately to that of wonder and shock, and finally, the excitement. There is no one in Jalrux who doesn¡¯t know of Mirage. Even a small child knows about it. ¡°The legacy?¡± asked Rowling to be sure. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°Fuck yes!¡± he shouted without caring for the world, while our guide looked at us with jealous eyes. ¡°We should go there quickly; Lord Lancel had asked us to come as soon as we were finished here with the negotiation,¡± I said, and it made them a little sober. ¡°Can¡¯t we make a quick trip to the mansion? I would like to change from these sweaty clothes,¡± asked Dime, and I shook my head at that. ¡°No, we have asked to reach there directly, and we are already quite late,¡± I said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste any time then,¡± said Rowling and walked toward the elevator. A minute later, we reached it and enter inside it. A few seconds later, we walked out and got out of the city hall, waiting for our carriage. Which, thankfully, didn¡¯t take long to appear. We sat in the carriage at a record speed, and it moved toward the mirage. ¡°I had a dream of visiting a legacy, never thought it will be fulfilled one day,¡± said Winfred as the carriage moved toward it. Legacy is one of the miracles of this magical world, the dream of every person. From merchants to kings, everyone wants it, but few could get it. As nobody knows, how to get it. There are many theories behind it, but all seemed bullshit. Billions have followed those theories, across the ages, but few have got it. The city of Jalrux, which is over two thousand years; only had three legacies. Nobody has any idea how legacies are formed, but they are clear about one thing, the legacies are formed in a place where they''re a lot of people and varying emotions gathered. The legacy gives its own skill and, if advanced, then inheritable classes. That could be inherited by the descendant and future owner of those legacies. Though, 80% of legacies last till their owner is alive. Few could last centuries. Those that had lasted over a thousand years are so low; that they could be counted with fingers. Everyone loves legacies; the merchants love them, because of the money and worldwide fame it gives them. The kings and lords love them because of the power they represent. Some legacies like Fort of Vayu, it is indestructible. Armies have attacked it for hundreds of years, but are never able to breach it. We are going to Mirage, a bar. 45% of the legacies that are produced are the bars. As I had said, legacies are produced in a place where there are people and emotions are constant and there is no other place. Where there are lots of people and different types of emotions. The carriage ride was silent; few had opened their mouths to talk, but not much came out. We are so excited that we could barely speak with each other. After over forty minutes of the ride; we reached our destination. A five-story red-colored building. It was only two floors when the legacy was formed. The owner added three more floors. It is a risky bed. If you mess too much with a legacy, you could lose it. It is why people did not change legacies much, lest they lose it. Many did and cried for the rest of their lives. The bar is a legacy and looked good, but it does not look like the best bar in the whole damn region, but it is. There is a saying. You could only enjoy the legacy when you take a step inside it. We got out of the carriage and saw quite a crowd around the legacy. They are not here to enter it, but only to watch. They could not enter it, even if they want to. Even I couldn¡¯t book a table; there is a five-year-long waiting list that could be shortened to months for someone like me. If one wants to enter within a day, then one needs to belong to a powerful noble house like Lancel. Most of them are tourists and Legacies are one of the most visited spots in the city. There is another reason the merchants like legacies. No taxes: it is a rule that states do not collect taxes from the legacies, some even pay the money to them. A single legacy brought recognition to the city and kingdom and provide huge economic, social, and political benefits. Nearly every city had a package of large sums of money for the legacies. Even Greltheaven has it and it is good. Soon, we appeared at the entrance, where the beautiful human woman in a raven bun and sleek white dress was standing. ¡°Welcome to the Mirage, guests. Do you have a reservation?¡± she said with a professional smile. ¡°We are from the party of Lord Lancel Wilstein,¡± I said to the hostess. ¡°Welcome Mr. Silver, I will take you and others to your party,¡± she said and took us inside. The moment I took a step inside. I felt the change. Everything had changed. From the temperature to the emotions, I am feeling. The temperature became comfortable, and I begin to feel relaxed, as if multiple hands massage over my body. The exhaustion I was feeling due to three days of constant negotiations and the barrage of skills, all being taken away with every step I take inside. At first glance, the legacy looks like any other high-end bar, but when looked closely, one will see the real difference; that will make them gasp in shock. The first thing one notices about this place is being completely crowded. People are everywhere, but despite that orders are served at inhuman efficiency. It is the level of these people; legacies will have the most high-leveled workers. It attracts them, as it makes them. There is one thing common among all the legacies. It is how they run, the multicolored energy clouds above. They are so thick; the entire ceiling had disappeared. Those were no energy clouds, but emotions harnessed from the patrons. The moment I entered here; I felt good, because this place had harnessed my unwanted emotions and gave me a dose of relaxation. When thought about it, it is quite scary, but not scary, when you compared it to the medicine. These gathered emotions could do many things. Impossible things. They could enhance things beyond their natural level and give an otherworldly feel to them. It depends from legacy to legacy, but some could do scary shit. Consider this one. It not only makes one feel good, mentally but also gives physical relaxation. That is equal to a massage from an expert masseuse. Legacies like this bar infuse those emotions into the food and drinks they serve. Making them otherworldly. Soon, I saw Lancel and Robin, and four others in our entourage, but they are not the only ones present. I also saw Viscount and two of his men sitting at the table. Despite staying in the same place, I had rarely seen them in the past three days. They all have a drink their hand and a smile on their face. They are sitting in a VIP area, where there is no crowd. The only people who are moving around it are the servers. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted as I approached the table. ¡°Remus. You have finally arrived. Come take a seat,¡± he said, motioning the seal opposite to the robin. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and sat on the most comfortable. The brown leather chair melded against my body. ¡°How were the negotiations?¡± he asked as I sat down. ¡°Good,¡± I said and take out a small file from my bad and gave it to him. He quickly checked and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on his face. He put it down after a quick read and slid toward the Viscount before turning to me. ¡°You are doing much better than I had anticipated,¡± he said and patted my shoulder, but instead of smiling, my expression turned serious. ¡°Thank you for your praise, my lord, but I think they are doing this intentionally,¡± I said and his and other''s expressions turned serious. ¡°They are offering more concessions than it is shown in our research, and they are doing that in most things,¡± I added. ¡°How sure are you?¡± he asked. His question surprised me, as I thought he would say I am underestimating my abilities. ¡°100%¡± I replied, going with my gut. These are not the first negotiations I have done; I have done hundreds of them on Earth and had a sort of sense. I am usually right about these things. He nodded and looked at the Viscount, and they shared a look. They seemed to know something, that I don¡¯t. ¡°We will talk about this later. Tonight, is for celebrating,¡± he said when I thought he might explain what he was thinking, but it is clear. He does not intend to. Barely a second passed. He said it when a waiter arrived, and we ordered. I begin to feel kind of excited. It is my first time in Legacy. My father had gone to it many times; sometime, he would leave me in the carriage outside. I had asked him many times to take me, but he said it was something I had to earn it. He said the same thing to all my brothers, but not to his favorite daughter. He took her there many times like he had left the share of his estate to her. ¡°..this is your Orwell, with drops of love,¡± said the waiter as he placed the whisky in front of me. Orwell whisky, is one of the top hundred liquors in the world, but what is making golden brown whisky amazing is the purple mist mixed in it. The mist is not floating above the whisky but inside it. I looked at it for a moment, before taking a sip of the smoothest whisky, I had ever drunk. I felt its wonderful smoothness and burn in the stomach. At the same time, flashes of countless memories begin to appear in front of my eyes, from memories of my parents to women I dated. They are not only people of the earth but also these world¡¯s parents. Nearly faded memories of my mother, whom I could barely remember. The last memory is of Carla, and hers lasted for a while. ¡°Tasting it, I could now die without regret,¡± said Rowling, with tears dripping from his eyes. I also had a few tears in my eyes, which I wiped before taking another sip. ¡°The first experience is most memorable. Cherish it well,¡± said Viscount as he took a sip from his glass.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 122: Your Brother Is Dead Chapter 122: Your Brother Is Dead ¡°What a night it was; I don¡¯t think I could forget it even if I want to,¡± said Robin and sighed as reached our suits. ¡°It was really memorable,¡± I said, remembering the time in Mirage. No wonder people are crazy about it. I too would like to visit again, but it wouldn¡¯t be possible with the time we have. Tomorrow is the last day of negotiations, but we aren¡¯t leaving tomorrow. Viscount will finish with the day after tomorrow and after recent experiences. It would be wise to leave with a powerful person as the Viscount. I will try to finish tomorrow early as possible; I have to do sightseeing and also some light shopping. Most of it had been done by Ina, and she had done a fantastic job. There is also a party I have to attend in the city hall, where all the important people are invited. ¡°Good night, Remus,¡± said Robin as he reached for his suit. ¡°Good night,¡± I replied. A second later, he opened the door and walked inside his suit. Stone was standing by my door and as I appeared in front of it, he opened it. I nodded a thank you and went inside. Not before noticing the big, enchanted sword on his back. In the morning, I have given Ina, the saber I had got in the dungeon. To exchange it for the sword that Stone like. She would have needed to pay something extra, for the big size, but it is nowhere near the price, I would have needed to pay for the new enchanted sword. I felt relieved seeing the enchanted sword on his back. It will make him more deadly, and I will be better protected. As I went inside, I saw Ina sitting in the room. She nearly stood up before stopping herself. I had asked her to not stand up, every time I walked into the room. There is no need for her to do that when we are alone. ¡°How was it?¡± I asked as I took a seat in front of her; barely holding back my questions. ¡°All seven of them had transferred the payment, and I have made a deal with the Axel Emporium.¡± ¡°All that remained is you signing these documents to complete the deal.¡± She said and pushed the papers in front of me. I took them and read them carefully, not missing a single word or line. The more I read, the more impressed I have become. She had just made the deal worth three-hundred and twenty-million crowns. We are buying the liquor, not for us, but for the seven stores in the Greltheaven and they have already transferred 60% of the money for it. This trip is a great opportunity, and I am not going to let it go to waste. As I said, I want a share of the pie and I will have it. Liquor is the best business I could tap into. No big players made a play covertly or openly for it, which gave me the opportunity to move unhesitantly at it. The connection I had made with the Axel Emporium also helped a lot. Yesterday, I asked Ina to contact all the liquor wholesalers in Greltheaven and state the prices of Navr¡¯s liquor; we are willing to get it for them, and seven responded immediately. With this deal, I will earn a profit of 15% and it is after all the taxes and all. It will be forty-eight million crowns, a massive amount. This money will help me a lot, in paying loans and fastening the construction of the project. I want the girls to have their own space, to live and learn. The establishment is not a good place to learn. It is for business and should be used for business only. If this deal goes smoothly, many of such deals will come; bigger than it, and I want it all before others claim it. ¡°The delivery will happen in two to three weeks?¡± I asked after I finished reading it all. ¡°Yes, the store wants all the regulations finalized between the two cities before they sent the goods to us,¡± she replied. It is wise; as the deals between the two cities may have been signed, but it will few more days for them to into effect. I nodded and signed the contract. This deal may have been devised by me, but it is she who completed it and did it without a flaw. To be honest, I am kind of shocked by the speed and efficiency with which she had done it. It is a good thing; I intervened as little as possible. It helped me see her real capabilities. ¡°You have done a great job,¡± I said to her, as I finished signing the documents and adding my contract skill to it. ¡°Thank you for giving me a chance,¡± she said, with her voice heavy with emotion. I smiled at her and also at myself for finding this gem. If trained well with trust, she will be an incredible asset. Soon, she left with the contract, while I walked to my room and stripped off all my clothes before walking into the shower. I do not feel as dirty as before I went to the mirage, but I want to take a shower. Half an hour later, I walked out of the shower and changed into comfortable clothes. If I had not gone to the mirage, I would have fallen asleep already, but I am not tired and thus decided to prepare a little for tomorrow. I read through all and note down a few ideas before finally sleeping an hour later. The next day, I woke early at my usual time, nearly dawn. I quickly freshened up and changed into the practice clothes, before walking out of my suit. Hun! Immediately, I was surprised. As it is not, Stone is at the door, but Jon, who had been resting with Zela. ¡°You should have rested a little more,¡± I said to him. ¡°I am nearly recovered, Mister Silver. The rest of the recovery does not require me to rest,¡± he said, and I did not say further. Though, I have to say he looked good, much better than I have seen him the first time. There is more life in his eyes than before. I reached the elevator and stepped inside and a few seconds later; I stepped out. A minute later, I had reached the place where I practice; four guards were already waiting for me there. Stone refused to practice with me, saying he does not know how to hold back. So, I am practicing with these guards. They are good; I have practiced my two new skills with them. I was about to call them when an idea came to my mind, and I turned to Jon. ¡°Jon, interested in a little spar?¡± I asked him. ¡°Sure, mister Silver,¡± he replied to my surprise. It is not the first time I had asked him; I had asked him before when I practiced with the instructor David, but like Stone, he had refused. I don¡¯t know what happened to change his mind, but I am glad he did. I have not fought with the rogue; instructor David had a few rogue skills, but he was not a true rogue. He was a warrior, a mercenary before he became an instructor. The real rogue is different; I have seen how Jon fights in a dungeon, and it is amazing. He went to the weapon rack and picked up the weapon. A dagger. Despite the weapon being a practice weapon, I couldn¡¯t help but shudder when he took it. In his hand, anything is a weapon. He could even kill me without it. ¡°Ready, mister Silver?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied and before I could even finish the sentence, he disappeared and appeared in front of me, before attacking. Targeting my neck. I got surprised, but it did not stop me from reacting. Seeing his attack, I responded immediately with Swift Blade. My sword moved toward him fast, but he avoided it almost effortlessly and the thing is, his speed is not greater than mine. It seemed even slower, but his dagger avoided my sword easily, and came at me. ¡°First hit,¡± he said as the blade of his dagger touched my neck. I smiled, and we started again, and he overpowered me, despite using a similar level of strength, but I did not mind. It is for this purpose; I am fighting with him. I have to learn to fight and win against the enemies stronger than me. It is due to such practice; I could survive the dungeon, while those stronger than me died. I need to keep practicing, and keep improving; it is the only way I will survive in this dangerous world. If it had been up to me, I would have used this time to read books. I would have finished a lot of them, but if I had done that, I would have been dead on the island. Old Remus has the gift and even if I don¡¯t like it, I will use it. Surviving is the most important thing; only by doing that, I will be able to fulfill all my dreams. Hun! ¡°Hit!¡± Jon said, and his dagger hit me like a hammer, sending me flying to the ground. I remained there for a minute before slowly getting up. ¡°I think it is enough for today,¡± I said. Two hours had passed since we have been sparring; it was quite a spar, that I was able to stop, only six among the hundreds of attacks Jon launched on me. He used a strength equal to mine, but beat me so thoroughly that I could barely stand. There is a vast difference in the skills between us; that couldn¡¯t be surmounted easily. Jon had fought in Vris¡¯alud. In a matter of a few years, a common rogue had transformed into a sharp blade that could cut the foes like grass. I wanted to rest a little, but I pushed myself toward the mansion. Each step is filled with pain, but I bore it as I climbed the stairs of the mansion. Jon quietly followed behind me; he did not offer me help and I appreciate it. I am quite capable of reaching my suit on my own. ¡°Adviser Silver,¡± Soon, I reached the elevator and was about to take a step inside it when a familiar voice called me. ¡°Yes, Joseph?¡± I asked the guard. ¡°Lord Lancel has summoned you to his office. It is an emergency,¡± he said, and I wanted to curse loudly, but I bore it and smile. ¡°Sure,¡± I said with gritted teeth and begin to walk toward Lancel¡¯s office. It is painful to match his pace, but I did it with gritted teeth and soon reached the office. ¡°Lord Lancel is waiting for you,¡± said Secretary. I nodded and pushed the door, before walking inside. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted and bowed, despite being painful. ¡°Were you training, Remus?¡± he asked, looking at me from up to down. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I replied while looking at Lancel. He seemed very happy but is intentionally making his face somber. He is not that hard to read when his emotions are high. ¡°I have bad news, Remus,¡± said Lancel somberly, and my heart skipped a beat. It is clear, the news is about me. My first thought was the establishment, but it wouldn¡¯t have made him happy. It might be surprising, but he does not hate my business. He liked I am a brothel owner; one more reason for him to look down on me. He will not be happy seeing something happen to it, as it will take away a reason for him to look down on me. ¡°What is my lord?¡± I asked, and there was a long pause before Lancel opened his mouth. ¡°Your brother is dead, Remus,¡± he said finally.Visitt for the latest updates Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 123: Next Baron? Chapter 123: Next Baron? ¡°Oh,¡± I said and gently sat down with sadness all over my face. While in my mind, I am raging in anger at whoever killed him. He shouldn¡¯t have died. It was too easy for him. I wanted him to live so I could take revenge on him. Make him feel what he did to me. I had so many plans to make those bastards regret what they have done to me, and now I will not get a chance. Speaking of which, I wonder. Which bastard it is? Lancel had said my brother was dead. He did not say which one. There are three of them and I hate all of them but at a different level. ¡°May I know who it is?¡± I asked him. ¡°It is Baron Edwin,¡± he replied, and I wanted to hit the table hard and curse with everything I have. I hated that bastard with every cell of my body. The cause for all my misery. If there was anyone of my blood relative, I truly wanted to kill, then it would be Edwin. ¡°How did he die?¡± I asked. This time, Lancel could not maintain the somberness on his face, and the smile slipped through the cracks. ¡°It was a glorious death,¡± said Lancel, but I kept looking at him. ¡°The baronies, forces from the Mirador Hold, and the mercenaries all forged the united force and attacked the hidden base of Golag bandits; it was a massive battle that lasted till the morning,¡± ¡°It was an annihilation,¡± he said and by the end, he was smiling tooth to tooth. Even on my face, a slight relief appeared. Golag bandits had become a pain in the ass; they looted merchants and kidnapped nobles. They have even looted the keeps and would disappear after doing the deed. They were a menace for half a year and, due to audaciousness, other bandit groups also became daring. Creating chaos within the baronies. Forces of Mirador hold, have hunted for them, but have never been able to find their base. The failure was a great embarrassment to the mirador hold. ¡°I am glad. It was time, we wiped those pests, and I am glad my brother played a part in it,¡± I said. Edwin was more of a nuisance than a help to the hunting parties. He can use a sword, but was not that great at it, and had problems with following orders. Some nobles have come to Greltheaven, and they were more than happy to tell me how he continued to make fun of himself. They had only tolerated him, because he had a sufficiently strong force at his disposal. ¡°They have wiped the bandits, but not all. The leader and his three lieutenants were able to escape,¡± ¡°That¡¯s when they killed your brother. He was part of the outer perimeter,¡± he explained, and my expression couldn¡¯t help but turn bad, because it is bad news. It means we had just delayed the problem. Golag bandits will come back, as long as the leader is alive. It had happened already; Oksall had wiped out his band, but he could escape and gather another band before starting looting. One more time they did that, and he escaped, only to return a year later, with a bigger band. ¡°We will be prepared for his return. We will not let your brother¡¯s death go in vain,¡± Lancel added after a second of silence. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said. The bastard, he couldn¡¯t even die quietly. He died like a martyr, which he did not deserve. He should have died like a dog, with people spitting on his grave. Now, even I will be forced to say a kind word to him. ¡°Today is for you to grief; we will postpone the negotiations for tomorrow,¡± said Lancel. ¡°No, it would not be wise to delay the negotiations. We have the momentum, and we should not let it go to waste,¡± I said, with my expression becoming firm, with grief lingering in my eyes. ¡°But your brother had just died. You should grieve,¡± Lancel said with concern all over his face, but I could also see the focus. He is looking at my reaction; seeing how I will react. ¡°We were not close, but he was my brother and I grieve for him, but negotiations are also important.¡± ¡°It will bring huge trade to our city, especially the grains. They will be very helpful in the winter.¡± I said and Lancel opened his mouth, but I cut him off. ¡°I will not make the city suffer in my loss,¡± I finished. It is common knowledge of what my brothers have done to me. It would not be wise to feign too much grief, but it wouldn¡¯t be wise to not show any emotions at all. So, I went with the middle path; I showed some grief and commitment to the job. The trade negotiations are my responsibility. He could not hand it over to the others, including Robin. As he is not prepared as I am and trade is not his forte. Lancel understands it, which is why he spoke about postponing the negotiations to tomorrow, rather than handing them to Robin or someone else in my team. Especially when I am bringing great results. ¡°Since it is what you want, I will not stop you.¡± Said Lancel. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and gently got up. ¡°Go and if you want, we can delay the negotiations by a few hours,¡± he said. To that, I shook my head, despite it feeling painful to do it. ¡°There is no need for it, my lord. We will be there on time as usual,¡± I said and walked toward the door slowly. ... ¡°He took the news better than I had thought,¡± said Lancel, looking at the door, which had just closed. ¡°I am surprised. He is even feeling the grief for his brother, seeing they have snatched his inheritance,¡± said Mage York and Lancel laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t even know half of it. A few months ago, when they were setting up the territory, they had tried to kill him,¡± said Lancel and it couldn¡¯t surprise the mage. ¡°Well, it seemed like his brother was a real piece of work,¡± said Mage York finally. ¡°An annoying piece of work. He had annoyed everyone at the hunting party that they had placed him outer perimeter, where he can¡¯t interfere in battle,¡± ¡°Even there, he couldn¡¯t do a proper job and got himself killed idiotically,¡± said Lancel, and both of them shared a laugh. A few seconds later, his expression turned serious as he turned to the mage. ¡°Had they found him?¡± asked Lancel. ¡°No, my lord, they are still searching. Lord Count had even increased the bounty on bandit leaders'' heads,¡± Mage York informed. ¡°I wish I had been there. With me leading the assault, not a single bandit would have escaped,¡± said Lancel. ¡°You are absolutely right, my lord,¡± said Mage York, while rolling his eyes from behind. ... ¡°Jon, call Zela to my suit,¡± I said as I reached my suit. ¡°Ok,¡± he said and walked toward my room. It is painful, but I reached the bathroom in my room and added a few drops of healing potion into the jug of water, and begin to massage it across my body. I could have drunk the potion right after the practice, but I bore the pain. It helps to get used to distract less when I suffer in the battle. Usually, I use numbing cream, but with the death of Edwin, I have a few things to do, and numbing cream wouldn¡¯t help me with that. The potion is a much better choice. I stayed naked till nearly all the pain disappeared, along with most red marks, before taking a shower. I walked out of the shower and changed into a suit before walking out of my room. As I did, I saw Zela sitting in the living room. She looked good. All the paleness had disappeared and now, her eyes have a similar vibrant light as Jon''s. ¡°Sorry for calling you while you were resting, but there is an emergency,¡± I said to her. ¡°It is fine, Mister Silver. I am nearly finished with my rest.¡± She said, and I smiled gratefully. ¡°I called you here to send a few messages,¡± I said and describe messages and within a few seconds, her expression changed. As she got to know about my brother¡¯s death. In the next hour, I sent a couple of messages and received many in return. Thankfully, the communication system for Navr is very good. The mages sent and received the messages at top speed. I had called a couple of places, blain, Mirador Hold, Greltheaven, and a few nobles I know. Thanks to my position as adviser to Lancel, I have got all the information; I needed very quickly. Even Mirador Hold did not delay it; they don¡¯t want to mess anything further. It had turned out that the battle began at midnight and ended at dawn. Many people died; the number of bandits had been greater than they had thoughts. Still, with the preparations, they were able to eliminate and capture all the bandits. Only a small group was able to escape, the group of the bandit leader. He is injured along with his men and people searching the entire forest for it and even alerted Oksall. They had increased the patrol on their side and moved their forces close to the extreme magic region, where the bandit¡¯s main hiding hole is. The only thing I could not find out was how they were able to get to the location of the bandits. The Golag bandits have been extremely careful; never let anyone have a hint about their base. No method is perfect, no skill offers perfect protection. They might have slipped, and hunters would have the scent. The funeral would be held in three days; it would be enough time for family members to arrive. Edwin is going to be buried in the keep. If it were up to me, I would have kept his body in the open for animals to eat. Unfortunately, I will have to attend it. It is going to delay my return to the Greltheaven. The important question is, who is going to get the title now that Edwin is dead? There are my two brothers and sister; Grandfather might even consider the cousins for the job. He will definitely be going to do it. Grandfather will not give the titles to my brothers. They are utter idiots and incompetent to handle such responsibility, even with the help of their mother. Edwin was in the same category, but he could learn. Those two could not. That only leaves my sister; she is the one my father had asked first. She is his precious daughter, his firstborn. She rejected it and I don¡¯t know what she will do this time. Among cousins, there are some good candidates. As for me, I don¡¯t think I will be asked with being a bastard and owner of the brother, but even if they did ask me. I will reject it. I have no interest in a barony sitting on hot coals, where I could be killed at any time. There is not much of a future to it unless Oksall starts the trade and that is going to take time, even if it happens. Even if it had been at a better place, I would have rejected it. The control of the family is too much, and I like the freedom I currently have. I am happy with my position and my business, which I have taken, beyond what my father would have imagined. I could see it growing and if it continued to grow, as I had expected it to be. It won¡¯t take long for me to amass a fortune equal to my father''s. I have already set a time limit; it is five years. It will be a challenge to achieve that in five years, which took him fifty years to achieve, but I will do it. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Visitt for the latest updates Chapter 124: If You Want It, It Is Yours Chapter 124: If You Want It, It Is Yours Lancel sat and I and others sat down after him, before taking out the things and putting them in front of me. We are in a conference room for the last day of the negotiations. Which Lancel had decided to attend. It is quite surprising, as trade is his least favorite topic and he stayed away from it. Today he did not, and he brought Robin with him. Likely as a contingency, in case I wasn¡¯t able to do the job properly in my grief. Four minutes later, the middle-aged man walked in with his assistant. Today, he looked different. He did not have that trademark smile on his face, instead a somber look. ¡°Adviser Silver, my condolences,¡± he said as he stood in front of me. It couldn¡¯t help but surprised me. I shouldn¡¯t be. These bastards have an extensive spy network. Not to mention, the message spells. There is no doubt they read it, as many other states do. ¡°Thank you. Administrator Karad,¡± I said to him softly. He nodded and greeted Lancel, before sitting in front of me. ¡°The taxes on grade 1 magical material. We want it 25%,¡± he said, and I felt his skills. They want me to agree with it and the compulsion is so strong that I had nearly opened my mouth to agree before closing it. He had also used that nasty skill of his; it is giving me a powerful urge to shit. It is really hard to resist it. I bore it with a smile on my face; even when my clothes were drenched in sweat and activated my own skills. Lawful Suggestion, which resisted the most since it had not turned into a law and barely had any effect, but I am using it. On top of it, I use Persuasion and Honeyed Words; Persuasion also had resistance since it comes from Adviser Class. Only Honeyed Words worked perfectly without any resistance. ¡°You are trying to loot us with taxes, Administrator. How about 5%?¡± I asked with my brightest smile. ¡°5%? We might as well not apply any taxes at all,¡± he said back sharply, with his glaring at me in anger. He looked furious and his skill is making it seem like he is angry, but he isn''t. The lord of Jalrux is not an idiot to keep a hot-headed negotiator. The first any intelligent person looked at a negotiator is their disposition. ¡°Our city will be thrilled with that wonderful treatment,¡± I said back with a smile. He glared before countering. This was an important point, as Grade 1 magical materials are one of the traded. I need to get as low taxes on them as possible. We have squabbled over it for more than an hour. We have agreed on the number within twenty minutes. It is a fraction that took us a long, but finally, we agreed, and it was favorable. So much so that Lancel wasn¡¯t able to hold his smile. With that done, we moved to the second point, which is also tax-related, but agreed within two minutes, before moving third point, which took half an hour. We did not agree on all the points; some that were disagreeable to both and thus skipped them. They were in a minority and nothing surprising. It is quite common in the negotiations, especially when those points are not important. Parties could afford to wait over them until the favorable condition appear to talk over them. Four and a half hours later, we finally finished the last point, but the bastard still had not deactivated his skill. I am really close to shitting in my pants. ¡°Adviser Silver, it had been a pleasure to negotiate with you.¡± He said and shook my hand, and I felt his skill deactivating. Instantly, all the tension in my body was released. ¡°Likewise, Administrator Karad,¡± I said to the middle-aged man. ¡°Lord Weinstein,¡± he said with a faint bow, before walking out of the room. ¡°Fred, really?¡± said Rowling after Administrator Karad left. I first didn¡¯t understand, but a second later, I smelled it and couldn¡¯t help but glare at the middle-aged man. ¡°I apologize, but the skill was too powerful for me to resist,¡± said the man and bowed to Lancel, who is glaring at me. ¡°High Mage,¡± said Lancel. A moment later, green light enveloped the entire room, especially denser around Fred. It had lasted for a couple of seconds before it had disappeared and when it did, there was no smell. Even the sweat on my body and sweat produced through it had also disappeared. For it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful. I don¡¯t like being sweaty when I am not training or having sex. ¡°Thank you, High Mage York,¡± I said to the mage. The others also thanked him, especially Fred, who is very embarrassed and scared for the carrier. Truthfully, it is not his fault. It is not like he is not sufficiently leveled or has weak willpower; he has a hard time controlling his bladder. I will talk to Lancel about him. He is good and firing him wouldn¡¯t be wise. ¡°Remus, you have done well. Better than I have thought, despite such circumstances,¡± said Lancel. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. He nodded and walked out of the conference room, with us following behind. ¡°Now that the negotiations are finished. What are your plans for the afternoon, Remus?¡± asked Lancel as we entered the elevator. ¡°I will send a few messages to family and do some sightseeing to keep my mind off Edwin,¡± I replied. ¡°It is a good idea; all the carriage drivers they have provided us are certified guides. They will give you a good tour of the city,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I said. Soon, we walked out of the majestic city hall and sat in the carriages. We will return here in the evening for a party. I looked out the window at the beautiful city, while Lancel and Robin talked about an interesting topic. I want to take part in the conversation, but I can¡¯t. I want to show it; I am grieving and being chatty wouldn¡¯t help. Acting could be tiring, but important. Humans relate when you show emotions; I don¡¯t want to come out cold-hearted, even though I hated Edwin¡¯s guts. A little more than a half hour later, we reached the mansion and got out of the carriages. ¡°Return to the mansion by eight; we do not want to be late for a banquet,¡± said Lancel, before walking toward his office. ¡°Do you want company, Remus?¡± asked Robin. ¡°Thank you, but I will be fine,¡± I replied, and could see a faint relief. It was polite of him to offer. If I had said yes, he would have stuck with me. He had plans. He had talked about the things he wants to see in Jalrux, and they are different from what I wanted to see. Soon, we reached our suites; he went to his, while I went to mine. When I had entered my suit, I saw it is not empty. There were two women sitting there. Ina and Zela, ¡°Mister Silver, these messages have arrived for you,¡± Zela said and looked at the pile of envelopes on the table with the seal of Messager guild. I am sure many of the messages came to her directly. ¡°Thank you, Zela,¡± I said and turned to Ina for the important thing. ¡°Have they signed it?¡± I asked, and she nodded. A smile appeared on my face seeing that, I sat in front of them before taking the contracts in my hands. There is a seal of the store, along with the signature and enforcement of powerful contract skills. With this, the deal had become official. As long as Navr does not do something drastic like attacking Renwell, the deal will continue, till it is time to renew it. ¡°My condolences, Master Silver.¡± Said Ina as I placed the contract down. ¡°Thank you, Ina,¡± I replied and turned to the letters on the desk, all with the sigils of the massage guild. I looked at the senders'' names on each letter before reading them with priority. The first one is from my grandfather; There was only a single line to it, but it shocked me. So much so that I wasn¡¯t able to react to it for a minute. When I did, the first I did was to take out the firestone and burned it to the ashes. It is not a message others should know. For a few minutes, I stayed silent, did not open, even a single letter, before finally sighing and before taking out an envelope from my bad and writing a single letter. ¡°Sent this to massager guild immediately,¡± I said to Ina. She nodded and walked out, while I turned to the other letters. Grandfather''s letter had a single. ¡®If you want it, it is yours.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have to be intelligent to know the meaning of that. He is clearly referring to Barony. He is offering me something my brothers would kill for. I couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by his offer, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t take it. To be honest, I nearly agreed, even when I had decided I would not even think about it. The allure of such power is too strong; if I had accepted, I would become a baron, and people will call me ¡®lord,¡¯. I will have authority over thousands of people, and they will bow to me. A simple thought of it felt intoxicating. People will do anything for such a thing, kill for it and they do, but I do not want it. The control of the family would be too much, and so is danger. I like the freedom I have. I will not have such freedom if I had accepted it. Most decisions would be made by the family, and I would be only lord in the name; I do not want an empty authority. My current position is not bad and if I could keep it till Lancel gets the reins of the city. I will automatically become one of the most powerful persons in the jurisdiction of Greltheaven, which includes Nakar baronies and Mirador hold. I read letters and they fall into two categories: well-wishers and campaigners. One group of letters is the letters of condolences from friends, colleagues, and family members. The other group is only family members with a different purpose, the cousins and their parents. They want me to ask Grandfather to suggest their name for lord of the barony. As if I have such clout and even if I had it, I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, unless I had been asked by Grandfather. Though, they will only stand a chance if my sister rejects it. Grandfather is going to ask her or already had asked her. I don¡¯t know if he asked her already or will do it after he received my answer. I will know about it soon enough when I reach there for the funeral. Soon, I finished with all the letters and turned to Zela. ¡°Do you have any messages?¡± I asked, and she simply slid the pages with paperweight toward me. There are over twenty of them, from the well-wishers and the campaigners. I finished very quickly with Fast Reading. By then, Ina had also returned. ¡°I am going sightseeing in the city. You ladies are interested?¡± I asked. Ina nodded, while Zela shook her head. ¡°If it is not important, I like to stay and rest,¡± she said. ¡°Ok,¡± I said, getting up. I could understand her, it is an undead city. No matter how beautiful it is, she hates it. The undead had taken everything from her and forced her to escape from her home. She did want to see them, more than she needs to. It is already surprising that Stone mercenaries agreed to come here; in their contract, they could reject undead-related missions. A few minutes later, I came out of my room looking fresh and excited. There are many things I want to look at, with the little time I have. I hope I will see at least half of those things. Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 125: Hris’masl Chapter 125: Hris¡¯masl It is nearly evening, and we are moving toward our last destination before I need to return to the mansion for the party. We have already visited one destination and stayed in it longer than we wanted. It was a little crowded, but with diplomatic credentials, we were able to cut through the crowd and get to look at them. I wish I had more time. Even a day is not enough to completely look at the museum. It was an art museum, with extremely expensive art. Many sculptures, paintings, and other art pieces have been made by famous artists. Some of them, were very high-leveled. I have seen many of them because of my father¡¯s influence, but the pieces there topped everything I have seen in the empire. I had asked Count Darrow to build a public museum to boost tourism, but he was utterly uninterested. He wants only trade, and earn as much money for himself and his nephew before the city gets destroyed. He had never said that explicitly, but shown by his behavior. He believes it will be Navr who was going to destroy the city; these words, he had said himself. He is not wrong, seeing 95% of the time. It was Navr who had done the deed. Everybody thinks that and knows, the city had around a decade before the region will have enough population and big enough armies for Navr to send its horde for the harvest. It could also do it sooner, but I hope it will not. There are a few things I have to do and till that happens. I hope Navr doesn¡¯t release its infamous horde at the Renwell region. I do not want a lot of time; three years would be enough for me to have enough wealth to move me and my business to a big city, like Namdar. Where I would be able to carve a business in a safe environment. ¡°Sir, we have reached the Bone Market,¡± informed the driver said as the carriage moved through the stone arch. I looked through the window and couldn¡¯t help but get surprised. It is so different from the other areas. The shops are lined up in perfect symmetry, with much fewer people than in other market areas. There are still many people, but it is not crowded and most look like tourists with a sense of adventure. It is a place that will horrify most people. Even those who entered Navr wouldn¡¯t come here. ¡°My god, the bones!¡± said Ina, looking at the bone sculptures, that are in front of some shops. They are beautiful, especially the ones that are moving, I have never seen something like it. I have seen bone art before, on Earth. Many cultures have them; from Europe to Africa. While on Earth, most modern people may think it is creepy, but they will accept it. Here, bones are related to necromancy and people will stay far as away from them as possible. Only in a necromantic kingdom, such a scene could be seen. Soon, the carriage stopped, and Rob opened the door. He is a middle-aged man with thick brown hair. ¡°You can stay inside if you want,¡± I said to Ina. She is a little shaken with the bones and I wouldn¡¯t blame her. ¡°No, I will come,¡± she said, shaking her head, and followed behind me. ¡°This is a bone market, also known as Hris¡¯masl, in the old tongue. It is one of the most strategic places in the whole city, half of the bone horrors, that our armies use has made her,¡± said Rob, and pointed at the shops. At the first shop, a man in his thirties working on a small piece of bone, with small instruments. I have not come here to watch the bone arts that some shops are selling, but to see the bone creations that fight in undead hordes. They are dangerous and crafted in places like this. This market could say to be an industrial complex to create bone creations, and, unlike most defense complexes, they did not keep this one hidden. They do not need to. There are many other secret facilities; they need to keep hidden from people. Soon, we stopped in front of another shop, where a beautiful statue of bone was placed in front of it. It is of a naked woman; she is sitting on a stone, looking ahead with longing eyes. ¡°It reminds me of the mermaid fountain we had in front of the establishment,¡± said Ina. As I heard the words, I also started to see the similarities, especially the longing gaze. Though the expression on the bone sculpture looks a lot more genuine than it had looked in the mermaid. Hun! We were looking at it when suddenly our gaze got attracted by something shocking. Ina gasped in shock and gripped my hand tightly, but did not move from her spot as she looked ahead at the marvel or horror depending on one''s gaze. It had attracted the eyes of everyone in the market, including mine. It is for such a thing; I have come to this market. A few hundred meters from me, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, riding a beast on the street. It is not a live monster he is riding, but an utterly beautiful creation of bones. He is riding a big tiger made of bones; it is a work of art, made from thousands of pieces of delicately carved bones. The thing that amazed me the most is the movement of the bone tiger. They are smooth and graceful, like that of a real tiger, even better than of a real tiger. It did not seem to be for a show only; those purple color bone claws looked unnaturally sharp and I have no doubt about them cutting through my claws, like butter. ¡°This isn¡¯t normal, right?¡± I asked my guide. I have read about the bone creations, and this is not a standard bone creation. They are not this complex. They have less than a hundred pieces, while this one had over a thousand easily. ¡°No, it is not. This is a special-grade bone creation,¡± the guide replied, sounding impressed. ¡°Do you know who that is?¡± I asked, looking at the young man riding the bone tiger. A faint hesitation appeared on Rob¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°Ranhas Wale. Top student of Jalrux Academy,¡± he replied finally. ¡°That bone tiger seemed quite powerful!¡± I said and pride appeared on his face. ¡°It is. Ranhas was able to kill seven people with that tiger. All were Level 20 and above, with the leader being Level 25,¡± informed Rob, and Ina shuddered visibly hearing that. I barely hold myself back; this graceful bone feline is not something against which I could contend. It would take less than five seconds for it to tear me apart. Thankfully, special grade bone creations are very few in the horde; some didn¡¯t even have them. As they are not only expensive, but not every necromancer could handle them. One needs to be very talented to control such complicated bone creations. If such creations appeared on the battlefield, their controller instantly became a top target. I kept looking at the bone tiger as it walked past me, committing every aspect of it to my memory. I never wish to fight something like it, but if ever comes to that, I want to be ready. With the tiger disappearing, we moved on to the market. I only glanced at shops selling sculptors and other things and focused more on the ones that created the bone creations. ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t enter inside the stores, Mister Silver. Even locals like me would need special permission to enter inside,¡± said the guide. ¡°Such a regret,¡± I said and sighed. I had asked him whether I could go inside the workshops, where the bone creation was being made. I know, I couldn¡¯t, but I still wanted to try. It turned out I could not. They would definitely not let a diplomat inside. I would need to be satisfied watching from the windows. Though those working in the widow are novices, which is why they have been sitting there for the tourists'' pleasures. ¡°Do you want to buy anything, Mister Silver? I know a couple of shops that sell good souvenirs,¡± said Rob. ¡°That won''t be necessary,¡± I said with a smile. I would never take a thing made of bone home, aside from the ones from the dungeon. They are dangerous and have real consequences; they could even cost me my future. Speaking of shopping, I have not been able to do it. Thankfully, Ina had brought most of the things we need, and the rest could be brought easily within a few hours. She will do it. Soon it was time to go back; I have not explored the market fully, but I do not have time. I have to return to the mansion and get ready on time for the party. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the mansion,¡± I said to Rob, and a few minutes later, we were carriage, moving toward the mansion. Forty minutes later, the carriage entered the mansion. ¡°First have dinner, before doing the shopping,¡± I said to the Ina. I couldn¡¯t take her to the party, Lancel had forbidden it in a not-so-subtle term. So, I booked a table for her and my guards in an excellent restaurant to show my appreciation. The restaurant couldn¡¯t be compared to the legacy, but it is good. I had dinner there, two days ago. It is very expensive, but they deserve it. After tipping the guide, I walked into the mansion and soon reached my suite, where I found a letter from Lancel. I read it before I placed it back on the table and went to the room, where I showered and changed into the suit. It is a classic black suit, and it fits me perfectly. All that training had wiped away any excess fat I had. Now every muscle of mine is taunt and flexible. It is also making me look quite good in this tailored suit. I satiated my vanity for a minute before I walked out of my room and reached the parlor where Robin had been waiting for me. ¡°You are a handsome man, Remus,¡± he said as I entered the parlor. ¡°You are not bad yourself, Robin,¡± I said to the man. He is handsome in a scholarly way. ¡°You should tell that to my wife; she said, I have become ugly in these past few years,¡± he said, and I laughed before we walked out of the parlor. As we stepped out of the mansion, we sat in the carriage that was waiting for us in front. A minute later, the carriage rolled out mansion into the city. I looked at the city for the last time; it is my last night. I don¡¯t know when I will be able to visit this beautiful city again. ¡°Do you know who Lord Lancel¡¯s date is?¡± I asked. Lancel¡¯s letter said he had found a date. It is why he is not coming with us. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but whoever that is, she is not from the empire,¡± he said, and I smiled. Of course, she is not going to be from the empire. Lancel had been meeting a lot of people here, people from other kingdoms. He had been open about most meetings, but some had been secret, and we are wise enough to not ask about them. We are advisers. We do not need to know everything and trying to do that is a quick way to get fired and land in jail. The ride passed in the conversation, and before we know it; the carriage stopped, and we got out. the moment we did, our eyes widened as the first day we have seen the city hall. ¡°Wow,¡± a word came out of my mouth as I looked at it. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 126: Lord of Jalrux Chapter 126: Lord of Jalrux ¡°Yes, wow,¡± said Robin as he looked at the city hall. It is different from what we have been seeing for the past few days and nights. ¡°Well, it seemed like those embedded gems and precious metal paint weren¡¯t just for the show,¡± I said. Seeing how those gems had lighted up the whole city hall. The thing that makes it even more amazing is the precious metal paint, which radiates the lights across it. Whoever created it must be a genius. The way the lights from the gems accented the city hall was amazing; it gives it a majestic feel. The city hall always looked beautiful at night, but it had never looked this beautiful. We stared at it this work of art for one entire minute, before walking toward the mansion. Soon, we reached the main gate of the city hall. During our visits here, we had never used this gate, as all our negotiations were held in the left wing. At the door is a lich welcoming the guests, the same lich who had welcomed us from the dungeon. He is a great Lich, a Level 40 powerhouse, but not the strongest one. There is another Lich in the city, stronger than him. They are the bodyguard of the city lord and are said to be close to Level 50. There is also one mage, and seven warriors, who are at Level 40 +. This is the power of the regional capital, and it is what they are showing. I am sure their strength is greater than they are showing. Greltheaven couldn¡¯t be compared to them. We did not have a single powerhouse at Level 40, our small city couldn¡¯t afford them. ¡°Welcome to city hall, guests. I hope you both enjoy the party.¡± Said the Lich. ¡°Thank you, Great Lich Yatsal,¡± I said, while Robin just nodded shakingly. He had gone pale seeing the lich and shaking in fear. Thankfully, he did not freeze and followed my lead. ¡°This way, please gentlemen,¡± said the beautiful elf woman with earth-brown hair as she appeared in front of us and led us inside the city hall. ¡°How can you stay calm in front of a Great Lich? I was barely able to breathe in front of him,¡± asked Robin as we walked away from the lich. ¡°He is not going to eat us, especially in Navr,¡± I replied with a smile. He glared but did not say anything and instead focused on the city hall as I was doing. The main wing of the city hall is even more beautiful than the left wing. Every inch is carefully crafted and every piece of art that is placed here is amazing and expensive. If we loot the city hall with everything it has had, it will be enough to pay all expenses of our city for decades. A minute passed, and we took the left turn and appeared in front of the large silvery doors, which had elaborate designs painted on them. I would have definitely admired them, if not for looking ballroom, which those doors lead to. ¡°Enjoy the party guests,¡± said the elf as she took us to the door, before turning and leaving, while we entered the ballroom. The ballroom is the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It is large, with a realistic mural painted across its roof and walls. If one stared at it long enough, one would find them moving. The one who painted them is not only talented but also had been high leveled. Only they could create such an effect. There are a few hundred people already inside; all of them dressed impeccably. Mingling with each other. Under the melodious music of the band. The music felt so wonderful that I wanted to kidnap the musicians and take them to my establishment. ¡°Wine sir?¡± we had just taken a step inside, when the waiter appeared in front of us, with glasses of golden wine. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and picked up the glass. Robin did the same before drowning half of it within a second, while staring at the corners. It seemed like seeing a couple of liches had stressed him out. Eight liches are standing in every corner of the ballroom; gazing at the ballroom and even talking to the guests who are daring enough to approach them. Navr is smart. They have unabashedly placed their undead around. These are not common undead, but liches, with each one dressed impeccably. This will lessen the aversion of people toward the undead and make them look normal. The people invited here are not common; each one of them has some influence. Even Robin and I have some in our city. Through us, they wanted to reduce the terrible reputation of the undead. As less aversion brings more trade, and no matter how powerful Navr is, it needs that trade as the world needs its goods. ¡°Lord Lancel had not arrived,¡± said Robin as he looked around the ballroom. ¡°Viscount Atre isn¡¯t present as well,¡± I said. He nodded. I was just looking around when I saw a familiar face, and at the same time; he looked toward me. He said something to the man standing beside him and soon, both of them came toward us. ¡°Remus, it¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± said Ethan as he appeared in front of me. ¡°It''s nice to see you too Ethan and I am really sorry that I couldn¡¯t meet you, with all the work,¡± I said to the man. He is Ethan Ashav, a scion of one of the very powerful merchant houses in the merchant union. ¡°I know. I have been too busy, with the incident taking a day from my schedule,¡± He replied, and I got slightly alarmed by his mention of it, in front of the people. Even though he did not mention it explicitly. I would still prefer it if he did not speak in front of other people. Things are going well in Navr, and I don¡¯t want to do anything to jeopardize that. He smiled seeing that and turned to the green orc beside him. He looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties; it is hard to tell with orcs. ¡°Remus, this is a Yaguk Almphu; the leader of Ax Storm mercenaries,¡± he introduced and my eyes widened in surprise. He is the leader of the mercenaries to which Brul and Borg belong and is likely the uncle who had survived the dungeon a couple of decades ago. The information, he had told Brul, had helped us tremendously in getting out of the ruin. ¡°Hello, I am Remus Silver. I have heard a lot of things about you from your men,¡± I said as I shook his hand. A smile appeared on the green orc¡¯s face, making him look slightly younger. ¡°I have also heard a lot of things about you too, young man, and let me say. Not many with your strength survive what you have survived,¡± he said with all seriousness. ¡°Thank you for your praise,¡± I said with a smile, and he shook his head. ¡°It is not a praise,¡± he said. For a moment, there was silence. Thankfully, the delicious-looking appetizers arrived to fill the void. We each took one, and they were delicious; as good as the wine, I am drinking. ¡°You are leaving tomorrow, right?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Yes. We will be back in the empire, a day after tomorrow,¡± I replied, and an unconscious smile appeared on my face at the mention of the home. It would have been great. If my bastard of the brother hadn¡¯t died. His funeral and other things going to waste at least two days before I could return to Greltheaven and my business. A few minutes passed, and we talked about a lighter topic when a new guest had caught my eye. Seeing us, he turned. ¡°My lord,¡± I and Robin greeted with a faint bow as he appeared beside us. He nodded and turned to Ethan. ¡°Mr. Ashav, thank you for your help. You saved me a lot of time,¡± said Viscount. Mentioning the business, I know nothing about and did not dare to look even curious about it. ¡°It is a small thing, Lord Viscount,¡± said Ethan, before he turned to the old orc. ¡°Chief Almphu, this is Viscount Atre of the Harsoth Empire. The sole reason we were able to get out of that place,¡± he said, and Viscount''s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you, Viscount, for bringing my men out of that place,¡± he said to Viscount, who smiled. ¡°It is I who should thank you, Mister Almphu. Without your information, we would have been food those plants,¡± he said, and the orc smiled. Viscount remained with us for a minute more, before he left, and a few minutes later Ethan and Orc. We mingled with other people; we do not know any of them, but one does not need to in a place like this. The purpose of these parties is to meet the people one had not met before. Half an hour passed when something happened in the ballroom. Fifty-two men and women of all races entered in four lines, wearing stylized mage robes with an emblem of Navr on their chest. They walked into the center and formed a large circle before taking out their wands. People turned toward them, including me and Robin, and the half-elf man we were talking to, who seemed to realize what was happening seeing a big smile on his face. ¡°What is happening?¡± I asked Ralan, the merchant from the Kingdom of Mahal. ¡°Something amazing,¡± he replied without elaborating. Hearing that, I did not ask further and focused on people whose wands have lit up and a moment later, spells come out, as they raised them in the air. Spells came out of their wands, with Lumen Balls and Flair being the most common. They floated in the air and came together, forming an emblem of their city. It is a black stag, with white burning eyes on the red triangular shield. It stayed in it for a couple of seconds, before the real performance started, and it is mesmerizing. As the emblem dispersed, they begin to cast the spells rapidly. They all were grade-one spells of light and fire elements. I was only able to recognize a few of them, even among those, half of them were highly modified. They gathered and a couple of seconds later, a hundred-meter-long giant dragon materialized in the air. It looked amazing with simmering scales and glowing eyes, and the way it moved its wings made it feel like a real thing. ROOOOAR! It roared so loudly that I felt my hair moving. Robin even took a step back as the dragon roared in our direction. ¡°My god!¡± said Robin in wonder. ¡°The show mages are quite good and today these looked like mythical beasts,¡± he said, and he was right. In the next minutes, a hydra appeared. Then it was a golden stag, a lethal one, and many others begin to appear. I have seen the magical shows, but nothing could be compared to this. It is on a completely different level; it is like seeing a regional acrobat to the Olympian. The thing is, they are only using the grade 1 spells. There know bigger spells, but at today''s party, they are keeping themselves restricted to grade 1 spells. Mage talent is considered the best. It opened different roads to the future. The combat mage or scholarly mage is not the only option; there are many others. Show mages are one of the paths one could take. Other mages looked down at them, thinking it was a path chosen by those who couldn¡¯t walk into the other two. I am not looking down on them, but combat is not everyone. Many mages give up after their first assignment and a cushy job. As for being a scholar, which is akin to being a scientist, not everybody could become one. Seeing these show mages, a daring idea appeared in my mind. I will have to test whether it is possible. If it is, I will do it. It will cost me a lot, but if I succeeded, it would also provide me with tremendous benefits. We were watching the show when Robin and I shook. Immediately, we averted our eyes from the show and looked toward the door, where Lancel had appeared, with a beautiful woman who looked to be in her late twenties. ¡°It was nice talking to you, Mr. Woods,¡± I excused myself and walked toward Lancel with Robin. ¡°My lord,¡± we greeted in unison and bowed faintly as we stopped in front of Lancel. ¡°Robin, Remus. This is Lady Ahana Harley of Ataren,¡± He introduced his date. ¡°My Lady,¡± we greeted. ¡°Ahana, this is Robin and Remus, my advisers,¡± he introduced. She nodded politely, but her eyes held no interest in us. The woman is beautiful with a small delicate face, raven black hair, and smooth light brown skin. She is from the Kingdom of Ataran, a central Kingdom, which shares a border with Tabes and Edruin, the empire''s dear neighbors. If I remember correctly, she is the daughter of Marquess Altan Harley. He had three daughters. I am confused whether she is a middle one or a younger one. It is definitely not the oldest, as her name is not Ahana. After the introduction, Lancel walked away without so much nod. Which is normal behavior, and we didn¡¯t think much and turned to the beautiful show. The show lasted for forty-five minutes before the mages disappeared. Their exit was amazing. The blue phoenix made a loud cry and dived on them creating a beautiful explosion of lights and when it was disbursed a few seconds later, the show''s mages have disappeared. I was basking in the afterglow of the show when suddenly the whole hall quieted down, and everybody turned to the central stairs. The empty stairs now had a person. So beautiful that women would feel jealous of him. He is a tall young man, who looked about my age. He had thick blue hair and high cheekbones, with pale skin. The most prominent feature of him is his red eyes. They are crimson in color, with a faint shine in them. ¡°I hope you all enjoyed the show,¡± he asked in a soft, melodic voice as he climbed down the stairs. ¡°Gawain Phaeron,¡± whispered Robin in a barely audible voice, he looked at one of the most powerful people of Navr or it could be said, of the whole continent. I have heard he looked young, but still had a hard time believing, seeing him looking young as me. While he may look young, he is old. Hundreds of years old. Gawain Phaeron, Lord of Jalrux and the whole Talgek Region. A vampire, a member of the elder race, and a truly terrifying individual. He is someone who could fight against the Grand Mages head-on and if whispered to believed, killed one, in the present century. His entrance had surprised everyone. He rarely makes an appearance at parties, but when he does, he stays. Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 127: Return Chapter 127: Return ¡°It was too risky. You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± said an old orc with a thick wooden staff in its body hand. To the middle-aged orc, who was stepping into the herbal pool. The moment stepped in it; the injuries which looked healed turned red and a middle-aged orc gritted its teeth. ¡°It was worth it; as now, they won''t guess what I am going to do next,¡± said the middle-aged orc, and grinned in pain, before turning to a thin human standing beside him. ¡°Is the information provided by our spy accurate?¡± he asked the human. ¡°Yes. He had provided us with information many times and it was never wrong, and I have corroborated with another source,¡± replied the human. ¡°We have waited for this opportunity for months. If we succeeded, we would have a fortune beyond our dreams,¡± said the middle-aged man, with a crazed dreamy look in his eyes. ¡°We will. Your plans had never failed us, they will not fail us, now,¡± said the human, and the orc grinned. All he did in the past few months for this opportunity. He even baited his own life, all for this. He will succeed. There will be no other conclusion than this. ... ¡°A whole carriage. I thought I had brought lots of stuff, but it seemed like compared to you, it is nothing,¡± said Robin, seeing the whole cargo carriages filled to the brim with my things. The carriage only has a small portion of what I have brought; the other things will come in two weeks. ¡°It is not that much,¡± I said. At least compared to Lancel; his things have filled the four carriages. I don¡¯t know when he had got time to do so much shopping. A few minutes passed and all the preparations were made. When finally, Lancel and Viscount walked in, in the company of a half-orc, with a spear on its back. He is Captain Temha. He will be responsible for our safety. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± asked Lancel. Who had returned to the mansion in the morning with a smile, with a satisfied smile on his face. Even now, that smile had not disappeared. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± replied Robin. ¡°Then let''s go,¡± he said and stepped into his carriage with Mage York, while Viscount sat in his with his men. With them sitting in their carriages, Robin and I stepped into my own carriages. We will not be riding with Lancel, since the business is done; he wants his privacy, and I couldn¡¯t agree more. I sat opposite Ina in a maroon carriage and a couple of seconds later; the carriages begin to move out of the mansion. I sighed as I looked at the beautiful city, bathing in the evening light. The undead had really built a great city that one would wish to live in it forever. Even I felt that for a moment, but I can¡¯t. This is Navr, and I am from the Empire. I love Greltheaven. It may be small and have nothing compared to the magnificent Jalrux, but I love it there. I never felt peace anywhere but there. ¡°If there is a chance in the future, I will visit the Orwyth Tower again,¡± said Ina, as he looked at a huge blue tower. A planetarium that we visited in the afternoon. It was really good, better than any planetarium I have visited on Earth. I get to see it and a few other things, thanks to the Viscount. In the morning, he informed us that it will take us the evening to leave, and I was more than happy with that news. I was able to visit the places I couldn¡¯t do yesterday and also able to do some shopping. Now, Carla won¡¯t be mad. The stopping took nearly everything I had brought with me. Now I have less than four thousand crowns in my pocket. Soon an hour passed, and the carriage moved out the last gate of the city. We are now truly out of it. Ina shuddered, seeing the vast farmland in front of us. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they had dealt with the problem. The incident will not repeat itself,¡± I said reassuringly, sounding more confident than I am feeling. It was not just her who is scared, but also I am. I knew how lucky I had been to survive that place. If Viscount Atre hadn¡¯t been there; then, even with four times the numbers, those bloody plants would have had us. I loosened my hand on my sword, which was still attached to my chest, and took out the book from my bag. I had brought a good number of books but did not get even a minute to read them in the city. Now, I am going to read it, till we take a break for dinner, which is going to be around ten. So, I have a few hours. I activated the Fast Reading and began to read at incredible speed. The skill is amazing. What makes it more amazing is that, while it lets me read fast, it did not take the joy out of it. I feel the same joy and relaxation, while reading skill, as I do without it. It also saves me a tremendous time. My speed of reading had increased with the level of my class. The lawyer class had advanced a lot here. Reaching Level 12 from Level 9, it was in Greltheaven. Which automatically increased the power of the skills. It would have been great. If the attribute points I have got here, would have been used in the charm and other mental attributes; the power of the skills would have been even greater. I pushed those thoughts. Yes, it is regretful that I need to use the attribute points on strength and vitality when I wanted to use them on charisma and intelligence, but I do not regret my decision. My safety matters the most and till I reached Greltheaven safely. I would use every attribute point I have for physical attributes. Those two attributes had increased my strength, along with the new skills I have got. While Jon had beaten me till I couldn¡¯t walk on both days; I could tell my strength had risen and so has my efficiency in using my skills. Instructor David is right, there is no better place than a real battle to hone one''s skills and I have fought them, more than I liked to. In less than a year, I had been nearly killed by my family, got attacked by undead, assassins, and thieves, and got myself into a dungeon. All of which was no fault of my own, I was never an aggressor or initiator. A few hours passed when they stopped by a manor by the river. It is a beautiful manor, with a huge wooden pillar with artful carvings on them. We freshened up there and had dinner before resuming our journey. Captain Tenma had said we could have spent a night, but we didn¡¯t. We have to reach the empire as soon as possible. Lancel is in more hurry than me, despite my brother being dead. He had to meet a lot of people. My brother is not the only one dead, he is the highest-ranking one who died, but there are also children and relatives of many nobles who have died, not to mention countless men. The battle had been bloody and killed a lot of people. Lancel is going to meet them, and I am going to follow him. It will be much better than spending time with my relatives in the blain. As the carriages picked up the speed, I reclined my chair and fell asleep within a minute. The sleep had been peaceful, and I woke up at near dawn. Half an hour later, the carriages stopped again at another beautiful estate, which had a large orchard in front of it. There, we freshened up and showered before having a sumptuous breakfast. A few minutes after that, we are in the carriages again, moving toward the empire. I once again picked up the book, happy that Lancel hadn¡¯t called to me. I am having a peaceful time reading and when I am bored by that, I would look outside at the beautiful scenery. These bastards have converted a lot of land into farmland. Navr had one of the biggest forests, but it also had the largest farmland. 70% of its population lives in a city, with 30% in villages, and those villages are strategically built near the vast farmlands. The sheer wealth that Navr earns through it is colossal. The undead bastards are blessed with such glorious land while we are living in a wasteland. Still, it is home and place in a strategic location. Which, if used well, would earn the city a fortune. I read for a few hours and talked to Ina, for whom I had a great plan. I will inform her of that in a few hours. Soon it was time for a lunch break, and the carriages stopped again. This time it is tents, where cool wind from nearby hills will come, making me feel amazing. If it were up to me, I would have laid on those beds and slept away for hours. I did not, instead we quickly finished and resumed our travel. I once again picked up the book while talking to Ina, now and then. She also seemed to have brought some books, but they were not about history or magical things I am reading about. Instead, they are all about business. She also has reading skills, and hers is much better than mine, or it is due to her being higher level and having more points in attributes. She is level 20+, with more than half of the points invested in mental attributes. In one of our conversations, she let it slip that since she had come here. Aside from one point which she had spent on vitality, all the other attribute points she had got, she had spent on mental attributes. Which is, at least four attribute points. From what I could guess, she had leveled up five times at least in her base class, which is five attribute points. Sometime later, I begin to see the familiar hills and trees. We had returned to the road; we had taken when traveling to Jalrux. Looking at them, I could tell we were getting close to the empire''s border. I first did not believe it when the orc had said we will reach the empire by late afternoon, but now I do. Which also means it is time to talk to Ina. I wanted to talk to her about it when we reached the empire''s territory, but now would be better. It will give her a chance to think about the choice and make a decision. ¡°Ina,¡± I said gently, seeing she is focused on the book. She placed the bookmark on her book and turned to me. ¡°Yes, Master Silver,¡± she said and waited. ¡°I want you to stay at Mirador Hold and operate from it,¡± I said to her. Immediately, a clear surprise appeared on her face. ¡°As you wish, Master Silver,¡± she agreed. The moment she got control of her emotions. Her quick reply surprised me; for the intelligent woman she is, she sometimes acts foolishly. She could guess what I want her to do, but she still needs to ask for every detail before agreeing. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask what it will entail?¡± I asked her and she smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to. I know it is a big responsibility and a great opportunity for me.¡± ¡°I will always be grateful for you giving me that,¡± she said, with her eyes becoming emotional at the end. ¡°It will not be easy,¡± I said, and I am not talking about business. I know she can handle it with no problem. I am talking about the people. With her background, it will be difficult. She will be looked down, taunted, and someone might even try something with her. All of it is a real possibility, and I will not be there to protect her. ¡°I know it will be difficult, but it is the biggest opportunity of my life and I will not decline it just because it is difficult,¡± she said with a conviction burning in her eyes. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. Things will be hard, but she is capable of dealing with them. ¡°Still, let me tell you about the job and if you changed your mind after, I won¡¯t mind,¡± I said to her and begin to explain. Her job will be simple. She will be representative of my business and will have the power to make the deals and receive the goods. This means she will need to make trips to Navr regularly. She will be based on Mirador''s hold, and I have already made the preparations for it. It would be difficult for others to place the representative in the military compound, but for me, it was easy. She will be the first of representatives, but will not be last. After the trade begins, the big business will place their representatives into the Mirador Hold. It will benefit Fortress a lot and from it, the city. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± I asked after I stated her responsibilities. Small and big, many of them seemed to surprise her. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, barely able to contain the flood of emotions she was feeling. ¡°This is your contract, read it carefully,¡± I said and forwarded it to her, adding my Contract Skill. I had crafted it in these past few days. It is thorough, with every point taken into consideration. It had many things, including a salary, which is equal to that of Carla. She read it for nearly half an hour and signed it silently, before handing me back my copy and placing hers into her iles bag. The rest of the ride went in silence; Ina did not read and instead looked out of the window. Now and then, a beautiful smile would appear on her face. I soon got bored looking out the window and focused on the book. I became quite engrossed in it and only looked up when I felt the carriage stop. This time, we have not stopped to rest, but to get out. We have reached the empire. The border is less than a hundred meters away. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 128: Ulag Karguk Chapter 128: Ulag Karguk ¡°It seemed like they have already begun,¡± said Lancel as he got out of the carriage and looked at the construction on both sides. Before there were two small outposts on both sides, and they are present now, but around them are new constructions happening and they have already made good progress in three days. The trade will need an infrastructure; the new constructions will house more guards here and inspectors. We do not want any contraband to enter the empire through Navr. Count Darrow wants enough trade that the expense of Mirador Hold will be paid by the taxes earned through it. It cost a lot to maintain a fortress so huge, not just salaries and weapons, but also food, maintenance, and other things. Currently, it is the Empire, the city of Greltheaven, and the Prince paying for it equally. The share, which the city pays, increases every month, and the share Prince pays reduces. The number is huge. When I saw it the first time, my eyes had become big as saucers. The plan is fortress supported fully by the city, within a year. More than half of the time of which had already passed. It is a huge expenditure and the Count curse at whenever he sees knew the expense from the fortress. Count wants the taxes to pay for it all. It is why the prince had been pressuring his uncle to form relations with Navr, but the Count had been holding off that pressure. Having a relationship with an undead kingdom is not an easy thing. For a person like the Count, it could have great reputational damage if not handled well. Thankfully, it is an undead who provided us with the opportunity and seeing what we had achieved. It could be said, we have made great use of the opportunity. Trade with Navr had a huge potential; as we will not be the only ones doing it. The whole region will want its goods in the coming months and since we control the route, it will be us who will benefit the most. It is not farfetched to say that taxes from the trade would be enough to run the fortress and it could happen sooner than the Count had imagined. Lancel looked at the sites for a few seconds before turning to the half-orc, who was talking to Viscount Atre. ¡°Thank you, Captain Temha, for safely bringing us to empire,¡± said Lancel. ¡°It is my pleasure, Lord Wilstein,¡± replied the half-orc. Lancel nodded and walked toward the boundary of the empire, with guards surrounding him from all sides. Soon, our entire entourage crossed the small bridge and entered the empire. There, Commander Harrison Dane, along with a few familiar people, was already waiting for us. ¡°Lord Lancel, Viscount Atre. Welcome home,¡± he welcomes, with carpet and all. Wanting to fix his image from the last times'' fiasco. ¡°Thank you, Commander,¡± said Lancel, while Viscount just looked at him. ¡°Have you been able to track any assassins, Dane?¡± Viscount asked immediately, not letting him forget his failure. The smile on Commander Dane¡¯s face disappeared hearing the question and sparks of anger lit up, which he quickly doused and brought out an apologetic smile on his face. ¡°My profound apologies, Viscount Atre, but it seemed like they had escaped,¡± he replied. ¡°No surprise,¡± said Viscount softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear, before walking toward the carriages on the other side. There was silence for a moment before a loud voice broke it. ¡°Lord Lancel. Thank the war god you had returned safely. I had been wide awake at nights worrying about you,¡± said the grey-haired man in his mid-sixties, as he appeared in front of Lancel. He is Baron Angus Lockridge, a House Ravenheart loyalist. He is a new noble and has a territory in the Nakar forest, all thanks to House Ravenheart. ¡°Navr wouldn¡¯t dare to harm a single hair on my body,¡± Lancel boasted, and the smile on Baron Lockridge''s face widened further. ¡°You are absolutely right, my lord. A slightest harm and empire would have rained down its fury on Navr,¡± he said. It was very hard not to roll my eyes hearing that. Empire wouldn¡¯t have done anything, even if Navr had killed Lancel. At most, there would have been a diplomatic protest and few show attacks. It is not an empire, it had been a few decades ago. Lancel smiled at his words before walking toward the carriages and entering inside, with Commander Dane and Baron Lockridge with Mage York following behind. I sat in my carriage with Ina and soon the entourage begin to move toward the fortress. Little more than an hour later, our carriages walked in through the giant gates of the fortress. The carriage stopped. I got out of it with Ina, when suddenly a voice spoke in my mind. ¡®Adviser Silver, Lord Lancel, is summoning you to his carriage,¡¯ said the familiar voice. I nearly jumped in alarm before I could calm myself down. It was the first time I had experienced the telepathic spell. It was from Mage York. I did not waste any time and walked toward the carriage, and it seemed like I was not the only one who Lancel had summoned. Robin is also moving toward the carriage. As we reached the carriage, Commander Dane walked out of it and his mood did not look good. He walked away without saying anything. We shared a look, before entering inside the carriage. ¡°You have summoned us, my lord?¡± asked Robin. ¡°Yes. I have called you to inform you that I will be leaving for Nakar baronies immediately, taking Remus and guards with me.¡± ¡°While you leave with Viscount Atre and brief father of mission¡¯s success,¡± he said. Robin is clearly surprised as me, but he bowed in acceptance. ¡°If I may be bold, my lord, but traveling to Nakar baronies at this time will be dangerous. Especially when the Golag bandit leader is still out,¡± I said, and immediately Lancel and Baron Lockridge looked at me. ¡°I thought you were brave, Remus? Has the dungeon taken away all your bravery?¡± asked Lancel with a hint of mockery. ¡°Just being cautious, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. ¡°Young Silver is right, my lord. We should stay in the fortress for a night and leave for Baron Lockridge¡¯s territory in the morning,¡± added Mage York. Hearing that, I felt relieved. I have read about the Gorlag bandit leader; he is very smart, and we should be cautious against him, even when he is all defeated. ¡°It will be fine, Mage York. Forget us and guards, Lord Lancel alone, would be enough to deal with bandit leader if he dared to show up in front of us,¡± said Baron Lockridge. Mage York. He looked like he wanted to say something, but did not. ¡°You have five minutes to finish your business, Remus, and bring your guards with us.¡± ¡°Viscount had said some good words about those islanders,¡± said Lancel. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± I said and bowed before walking out of the carriage. Immediately, I went to Ina, who was waiting by the carriage. ¡°I will be leaving with Lord Lancel immediately,¡± I informed her. ¡°I thought you were going to spend the night here?¡± she asked. ¡°That was the plan, but Lord Lancel wants to reach the Nakar baronies as soon as possible,¡± I replied and sighed. I had planned to get her to use this place and introduce some people, but now, that won''t be possible. She will have to do everything for her, adding more difficulties to her already difficult job. ¡°You go. Master Silver, I can handle everything here,¡± she said, as if reading my concern. ¡°I know you can,¡± I said, fully confident of her. ¡°I will be taking the guards with me, but will ask one of the stone mercenaries from the city to come here for your safety,¡± I said and could feel some tension leaving her body. I planned to keep one of my guards here before the other guard, take their place, but now Lancel asked me to bring my guards with me. She will be fine without guards for a day. By tomorrow, someone would be here for her safety. I talked to her about a few more things, before turning to the guards and asking Zela to send a message to Carla to send a guard here. ¡°Finished with your business?¡± asked Lancel as I returned to my carriage. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I replied. A few minutes later, the carriage moved through the huge gates of Mirador hold, with fifty guards surrounding the horses. Ours is the only carriage; Lancel didn¡¯t even bring his cargo carriage, which house all his clothes and other stuff. He wants to reach the baronies as soon as possible. Soon, our carriages crossed the hill, and I felt the effects of many skills being placed on the carriage. The carriage got faster and smoother. More than a modern automobile, I felt like I am flying. ¡°With this speed, we should be able to reach Hennost within four to five hours,¡± said Baron Lockridge. Lancel nodded, while looking out of the window, but did not speak. ¡°I will be joining the hunting tomorrow. I will not let those pests escape my domain after what they did,¡± said Lancel. I want to stay something against that, but decided not to; Mage York had opened his mouth, closing it with a sigh. ¡°That is wonderful, my lord. With you, it won¡¯t be much challenging to fight the find the bandits and wipe them from the face of the earth,¡± said Baron Lockridge. I truly want to kill this sycophant and the idiot who listening to him. To search for glory, he might end up killing himself and even take me with him. We should have stayed the night in the hold or should have brought more guards. There are only fifty-eight guards. Fifty of Lancel¡¯s, three of mine, and five from this old bastard. I had said it, but the bastard isn¡¯t willing to listen. I truly hope nothing untoward happened to Lancel because then his father will have my head. He will literally do that if something happened to his son. I had already asked my guards to give the same priority to Lancel¡¯s life as mine. A few minutes passed, and I am already feeling bored. Even the conversation is feeling boring to me. So, I decided to open my mouth. ¡°Lord Baron, have you taken part in the battle against bandits?¡± I asked. To which he shook his head. ¡°No, I was guarding my keep. It is my eldest who fought in it,¡± he replied with great pride. ¡°I heard the battle was quite bloody,¡± I said, and he nodded. ¡°Yes, it was. That wretched bastard had the red skill,¡± he said, and I was not surprised. It was present in the information I got. Still, I acted surprised. ¡°Truly?¡± I asked in shock. ¡°Yes. That bastard had activated it in the battle, it filled all his men with rage and they begin to fight, without care for their life,¡± he said. The red skills are rage skills, they are dangerous. Especially those which increase the rage of others and make them bloodthirsty. ¡°Rage skills are uncontrollable, but those who could control it. Are one of the hardest people to deal with,¡± said Mage York. ¡°Buvak Grukk and his mad company,¡± I said, and Mage York nodded, with a hint of respect appearing in his eyes for a moment. Not for me, but for the man I had just named. He is a mercenary with three thousand men to whom he could spread his rage. His company is extremely powerful, defeating many undefeatable foes; many times, he and his company broke through many of Navr''s hordes and killed their leader. Navr had sent assassins after him and even have an active bounty, but could never kill him. Rage skills are powerful, but I do not want them. They bring more danger than I like and affect one psychologically. Many of its users have activated it unconsciously and ended up harming their loved ones. Soon, the sky became completely dark, but the carriage kept moving and slowing down, only went we reached the Nakar forest. As the carriage entered the forest, the guards have become alert, and so am I. My hand is on my sword, ready to use at the moment''s notice. Two hours passed, and we reached the large clearing, and center of it was the keep; with the large flag of house Lockridge flying over it. ¡°We have reached it and that is without any incident,¡± said Baron Lockridge, looking at me with pointed eyes. I only smiled in reply, while feeling relieved inside. I have been tensed this whole journey, expecting the bandit to attack at any moment. Thankfully, it did not happen. For once, luck with me. The large gates of the keep opened, and the carriage entered inside, with the protection of the guards, before the door closed behind us. ¡°Welcome to the Barony of Lockridge, my lord,¡± said Baron Lockridge and bowed before opening the door and stepping out of the carriage. He did not move away and instead held the door for Lancel. Though it was Mage York who got out first and then Lancel, with the last one being me. ¡°I wanted to prepare a grand welcome for you, my lord, but the short time did not give me that luxury,¡± he said. ¡°I do not need any grand welcome, Baron Lockridge. Your loyalty to our house is more than enough,¡± he said. ¡°That you will have it, till my last breath,¡± he said, bowed. He raised his head, and a frown appeared on his face. ¡°Where is Charles? I told him to be ready to welcome Lord Lancel?¡± he shouted. Immediately, I noticed the strangeness. There was no family member of Baron Lockridge. They should have been present, but they were not. It is not a simple faux pas, but a breaking of etiquette. A lord and his family should be out to greet their liege. I became alert, and I am not the only one. Mage York also noticed it and moved closer to Lancel, while his staff glowed. ¡°Charles will not be able to Welcome Lord Wilstein. It will be only me,¡± said a rough booming voice, and a few seconds later, an armored orc walked out, and seeing him, my eyes widened. The orc is Ulag Karguk, leader of Gorlag Bandits.Visitt for the latest updates Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 129: Escape Chapter 129: Escape ¡°My son!¡± Baron Lockridge screamed in grief, seeing the bandit leader coming out. The bandit leader is short for an orc, and looked with a long ponytail but had a body built like a tank. Every muscle in his body was well-defined and could burst with strength at a moment¡¯s notice. I am shocked, to my core, not only by the brazen entry of Ulag Karguk, but also by how casually he is holding the decapitated head of a blond man by hair, which is dripping with blood. The dead man is the son of Baron Lockridge, who is being held back by guards. As he wants to run to the bandit leader. ¡°Bandit, you have made a grave mistake coming here,¡± said Lancel, with eyes filled with anger. ¡°You are here. So, it is not a mistake,¡± said the bandit leader with a laugh and kept walking. Stopping only when there is about a hundred-meter distance between us. He is standing alone with a confident smile on his face, not caring for nearly sixty guards armed to the tooth and a High-Mage. Things are not simple as they looked. This bandit is intelligent, and it wouldn¡¯t have come here without preparations. As for why he came, he just told us; for Lancel. ¡°I was planning to hunt you down tomorrow, but since you delivered yourself, I can kill you now,¡± said Lancel as he took out his sword. Bandit leader¡¯s expressions turned strange. He begins to look at Lancel as if seeing the world''s biggest idiot. ¡°Hahahaha...¡± He looked at him like that for a second, before a smile cracked on his face and soon transformed into raucous laughter. The bandit leader laughed so hard that tears started to drip down from his eyes. ¡°Why are laughing, you wretched bastard?¡± Lancel asked angrily and tried to take a step toward the bandit leader, but Mage York stopped him. It took a few seconds, but the bandit leader finally stopped and the first thing he did was throw away the head. It immediately brought a reaction from Baron Lockridge, and he tried to move toward the bandit, but his guards stopped him again. He used that free hand to wipe away the tears from his eyes and turned to Lancel. ¡°I am laughing at your idiocy, dear lord. You are idiot enough to assume I would come here without preparation,¡± ¡°Has all the luxuries in your life, had eaten your brains enough to not understand that,¡± I am standing in the middle of the castle, without care,¡± he said and mocked looking at Lancel mocking, before raising his hand up in flourish. Seeing the fist, I felt all the hairs on my stand up, and a moment later; the bandits begin to reveal themselves. They are coming from everywhere, from the front, back, sides, and battlements. From where, over ten archers have drawn their bow, with Lancel as their target. My focus turned to the six people that appeared beside the bandit leader. Two humans, three orcs, one half-orc. Three of them. I instantly recognized it. They are lieutenants of the bandit leader. In these past few months, we have collected a thick file on them. They were present with Karguk, when he had escaped two days ago and killed my brother on the way. The other three are completely unknown. I looked at them before focusing on the old orc with the staff. Looking at all the markings, he is a shaman; they are very hard to deal with. ¡°You have brought quite a force, but we could still defeat you,¡± said Lancel, suppressing the intense fear he is feeling. Yes, we could defeat the bandits despite them having more men than us. We have a High Mage, Baron Angus, three captains, three of my guards, and trained experienced guards. It will be a bloody battle, but victory is undoubted. ¡°You are right about that,¡± Karguk agreed and Lancel smiled. ¡°Of course, I am right. You wretched bandit and since you have dared to show yourself, we will kill you and all the filth you have brought,¡± said Lancel, pointing his sword toward the bandit. I did not feel good, especially when I see that the smile on the bandit leader''s face did not dim. Instead, it had brightened up. ¡°Your force will be able to defeat us, but not before we will kill you,¡± said the bandit leader. ¡°All my men, including me, will attack with you as the only target,¡± ¡°Many of us will die, even I might die, but we will keep going, till we kill you, and not even High-Mage standing beside you will not be able to protect you,¡± he said and for the first time, true fear appeared in Lacel¡¯s eyes. Earlier, the bandit leader implied he wanted to kill Lancel, but now, he clearly stated it. The question is why? Lancel is not a common person, he is a scion of one of the most powerful noble houses in the Empire. The House of Ravenheart wields immense power. Killing him will bring the force of that house to a bandit. The whole army of Mirador Hold will descend here, and also armies of House Ravenheart and their experts. They will hunt him down, even when if he hides in the extreme magic region. You can¡¯t just kill a member of one of the most powerful noble houses and hope to live. ¡°Why do you want to kill me?¡± asked Lancel and his voice was surprisingly steady. The bandit leader shook his. ¡°I do not want to kill you; my employer wants you. If I bring you alive with me, he will pay me more, with a dead body, a little less.¡± ¡°So, it is your choice. You can come with us alive or as a dead body; either is fine with us,¡± he said with a shrug. Seeing the bandit talking so casually about his death made Lancel really angry. I have seen him angry, but not like this. ¡°I am Lancel Alexander Augustus Wilstein of House Ravenheart. You filthy bandit, you can¡¯t kill me,¡± he roared, and the bandit leader grinned. ¡°You are of flesh and pitifully weak. I will kill you,¡± said Bandit Leader with a grin, before his pale blue turned calm as a lake. ¡°Attack!¡± he ordered. Immediately fourteen archers begin to lose arrows with every skill they have, and all of them were aimed at Lancel. I looked at the arrows before focusing on the bandit leader, who did not move from his spot. Nor do we. Attacking them before they attack us is not wise in the position, we are in. It is great for us that it is making its archers attack; it will make them lose arrows. So, when the real battle begins; they will have fewer arrows to work with. As for Lancel, nobody is worried about him; he had a High Mage to protect him. He will be fine. High Mage had already enveloped them in a red protective sphere. It is thick but transparent. I could see both of them clearly through it. The arrows were so fast that they barely took a second to reach the shield, before starting to hit the protective sphere. The ripples formed as the arrows hit the sphere before they begin to fall down on the ground. Not a single one of them could breach even an inch of that protective sphere. Seeing the arrows falling down, the smile on Lancel¡¯s face became even bigger, and he looked at the bandit. The bandit''s smile did not change, and it worried me. I have read every report on the bandit. Every caravan it looted, every person it killed, and the battle it fought. From all this, I know this bastard is intelligent, ruthless, and has a strategic mind. I feel like the battle two days ago is not simple as people are thinking it is. If I am daring, I would even say, it had intentionally leaked his position and let the collective force attack him. So, he could lure Lancel here, as he knew as the future lord of Greltheaven, he will come here for the funeral. Lancel should understand it, seeing he had worked under famous generals. One of the perks of being a member of House Ravenheart. He did not seem worried, instead; he was looking at the bandit with a mocking smile. I really want to curse him. If he had just listened and not used his monkey brain. We would have been safe in the Mirador Hold. Hun! I was tens of arrows hitting the shield, when something shocking happened. One of the arrows somehow pierced through the protective sphere and lodged itself into Lancel right below his chest, cutting through the layer of energy covering him. Instantly, shock spread around me and the one who is most shocked was Mage York, who had cast a protective sphere and the protection layer around Lancel. Ahhhh! Now, the arrow had lodged itself deeply into Lancel, making him scream in pain. ¡°I told you, you will die and even a High Mage will not be able to save you,¡± said the bandit leader while High Mage York added a couple of layers to his protective sphere. I felt relieved seeing the arrow lodging below his heart. If it had hit his heart and died, then I would have no option but to run for a family. As the Count wouldn¡¯t have let me and others live, with his son dead. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if it wasn¡¯t my fault. In the short time, I have known him. I understood his nature and knew how petty and ruthless he could be. Lancel stopped screaming after Mage York fed him something and looked at the bandit with fear in his eyes. He only stared at the bandit leader for a moment before putting his hand into his iles bag and taking a silver scroll out. Seeing that, a smile on the bandit leader''s face widened. ¡°Teleportation scroll won¡¯t work here. My shaman had cast a powerful anti-teleportation ritual long ago,¡± said the Bandit leader, with a mocking smile. Instead of shaking in fear, as I had expected him to be, Lancel smiled. ¡°It is not something you little shaman could stop, filthy bandit,¡± he shouted and started to open the scroll. The relaxed smile on the bandit leader''s face disappeared immediately. ¡°Stop him, now!¡± he ordered his shaman, and multicolored hanging crystals on the old orc shaman''s staff lit up. At the same time, the Lancel unfurled the scroll fully, and silvery light covered both him and High Mage York. It had just covered them, when it flickered, and fear came back in Lancel''s eyes and joy lit up in bandits. The flicker was temporary. A moment later; it had stabilized. ¡°Filthy bandit. I will hunt you down, even if you hide in the deepest of extreme magic regions,¡± shouted Lancel, and a moment later, he disappeared, taking High-Mage York with him. The only person who guaranteed our victory against these bandits. ¡°FUCK!¡± the bandit leader screamed so loudly that it reverberated through the keep before he turned back to the shaman. ¡°You said they would not be able to escape,¡± he said to the shaman, with a burning range in his eyes. ¡°The scroll he had was stronger than my ritual. Though my ritual took quite a lot of power, so they wouldn¡¯t have teleported far,¡± explained the shaman hastily. ¡°Can you track them?¡± he asked. ¡°He has anti-tracking measures and High-Mage would cast more, making tracking them harder,¡± the shaman replied. ¡°Can you track them?¡± The bandit leader asked again, and the shaman turned toward us for a moment before looking at the bandit leader. ¡°Yes, but sacrifices will need to be made,¡± he answered. Hearing that, horror filled my heart. As even an idiot could guess what the bandit leader would do next.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 130: Battle In The Keep I Chapter 130: Battle In The Keep I ¡°Attack, kill every one of them!¡± ordered the bandit leader and came toward us with his men, and at the same time, arrows begin to rain again. ¡®Fuck fuck fuck...¡¯ I cursed madly. Lancel, that bastard. I wish he was dead. Damn, the consequences. It is all happening because of him, and he ran away, leaving us here in the jaws of bandits. Taking High-Mage with him, the only one who could guarantee our victory against the bandits. Now, with him gone, there is a chance we all be wiped out, and it is all happening to find that bastard. The blood shaman intends to sacrifice us to track Lancel. Even in escaping, he had brought death for us. It took all but a second for the first volley of arrows to reach us. Ting Ting Ting Thankfully, we have enough mages to cover us with shield spells. Including Zela, whose water shields are moving across the battlefield and around me. The arrows hit the shields and fell to the ground, not breaching even a single shield. I felt relieved seeing that but didn¡¯t grow confident. I saw what happened to Lancel and while it is likely a special arrow that breached the shield; I don¡¯t want to take chances. I am keeping an eye on arrows, as well as the bandits coming toward me. The others got ready to face them. I felt a lot of buffing skills covering me, which gave me some confidence. Though, I know we will not be the only ones using the buff skills. The bandits would be using theirs¡¯s as well. It is not an advantage, as it was against the undead and in the dungeon. ¡°Jon, Captain Hiren; go and neutralize the archers,¡± I said to them, seeing the volleys of arrows. With Lancel gone, I am the highest authority here. Baron Lockridge may be higher in the station, but I am the adviser. It could be argued on several grounds, but Baron Lockridge was in no state to do that. They looked surprised by the order, but moved quickly, with Captain Hiren taking three more people with him. One is a rogue among three, while about two, I don¡¯t have any information, since they are from Mirador Hold. I would have very much liked to keep these people around me. It would have increased the chances of my survival, but with archers, the result would be me being dead. They need to be dealt with first. They are what could kill us from a distance and keep our mages busy. Our mages have attacked the bastards before stopping. It is a waste of mana, seeing as they are protected; those stone guards are not easy to breach. Even Zela¡¯s spells will have a hard time doing that. As the rogues moved toward two entrances of the battlements, some archers focused on them and so had one of the grey-orc lieutenants. He is a rogue, with a level estimated between twenty-five to twenty-nine. He had moved to block Captain Hiren. I quickly moved my gaze away and turned to bandits, who were about to reach us. ¡°Bandit''s leader and his lieutenant are the targets. Kill them and the victory will be ours!¡± I shouted for morale. I may not know much about the battles, but I know how important the morale and the leadership are. Our leader ran away and the second one is no state to lead and boost morale. Everyone here is more powerful than me, but they are looking to me for support and leadership and to win and survive. I will give that to them, no matter how uncomfortable and dangerous it is. The expressions of people changed hearing my voice, and they seem more ready, but it also attracted the eyes of the most dangerous man here. Seeing those pale blue eyes, I shuddered, but I did not move my eyes away. Even when I wanted to do that desperately. ¡°I will kill you, you bastard!¡± Shouted Baron Lockridge as his men finally let go of him; he moved toward the bandit with a speed that made the bandit''s leader turn his head and loosen the grin on him. Baron Lockridge is not the only one who attacked the bandits, others charged behind him. Stone, Captain Julian, Captain Azalia, and two men of Baron Lockridge; I hope they will be enough to deal with the Bandit Leader and its lieutenants. Soon, they reached the bandits and something surprising happened. A dagger appeared in Baron Lockridge¡¯s hand; he did not use the sword by his waist and instead use the dagger. The information I have said he is a warrior, not a rogue. I could only see him attacking before I had to turn to face the grey orc, appearing in front of me. It is a big orc with arms holding an enchanted long sword. If it hit me, it will be a game over for me. ¡°Die, little human,¡± he said with a grin, and swing his sword at me. It is fast, but not as fast as I had expected. With his power, he should have been able to attack much faster, but he is not doing that. The bastard isn¡¯t even using a skill; thinking me weakling and he is not wrong. I look young and most people of my age did not have many levels, much less the combat skills I have. Hun! Seeing him underestimating me heavily, I decided to take a big risk. Usually, I do not like to take such risks, especially at the start of the battle, but here, things are different. Everybody is higher level than me. If I want to survive, then I will have to kill, and I don¡¯t think I will get a better opportunity than this. It will also boost morale. So, I acted, or rather did not act; I just stayed on my spot, frozen in fear, seeing that. The grin on his face became a bringer. I let his sword come closer to me and when there was just a distance of hand between us. I moved with the speed; I have never moved before. I pushed Rapid Steps further than its limit. It gave me such speed that I was able to avoid his sword by more than a palm distance. I thought I would be able to avoid it by inches at most or even get cut by it, but I did not. As I avoided his sword, I swung mine using Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. It moved so fast that I could barely track it, but I know where it is going. The orc is shocked by it, but he reacted quickly. He started to move back to dodge the attack, but I had expected it and did not stop when I appeared right in front of it. It is the only thing it could; his sword is behind me and with its momentum, it will take time to attack me. Dodging is the only choice he has, but not the right one. Hun! It took less than a second for my sword to reach its neck when I felt the resistance. He has a skill; it had created an invisible force field around his neck. Such skills are very rare and extremely useful. If one worked on it well, they could do many things with them. The force field had slowed down my sword but did not stop it. It tried to use that escape, but I am following him with every step. The power of my two skills and enchantments. My sword cut through the forcefield, before finally touching its neck when the forcefield suddenly disappeared and my sword regained its speed and power. Pachac! As it did, it took all but an instant for me to sever his neck. I could see a shock appearing in the eyes of some bandits and guards fighting beside me. The only one who isn¡¯t shocked was Joseph. He barely glanced at me before continuing his battle with the two bandits. In the two seconds, it took me to orc bandit; the battle had begun. Bandits are fighting against the guards. As I looked around, I received a shock of my own. Baron Lockridge was fighting against the bandit leader and their fight was so fast that I could not even see, all I could see is them flickering in positions. The shocking thing is, Baron Lockridge, is fighting as a rogue and seemed equally strong as a bandit leader. I had read about Baron Lockridge; his family had been serving House Ravenheart for over five hundred years. They are warriors, I have never heard about them producing such power rogue of such power. One could never guess when it comes to the powerful noble houses. It is highly likely that Baron Lockridge had been a member of House Ravenheart¡¯s secret forces; it is the only reason he would hide his real class and show himself a warrior of average strength. I only stared at the battle for a second, before my gaze is attracted by the first death among the guards. It is an archer; the aura had directly pierced through his head. Zela and mages are trying, but the archers have an advantage due to their positions and numbers, not to mention they have the aid of bandits from below, which made it hard to defend against them. I was looking at guards when I saw an Orc coming toward me. It was also a grey orc with a great sword coming toward me, with burning anger and grief in its eyes. ¡°You have killed Hoge. You will pay for it,¡± it said and attacked me and this one did not hold back at all. Seeing the power behind his attack, I become really scared. I did not dare to engage against it directly and instead chose to dodge the attack. Rip! His sword tore my clothes and gave me a cut in the stomach before launching another attack. Rip! It also cut me a little deeper than the first one. This is the power of the Gorlag bandit; I was able to kill the one before because that one had underestimated me, but this one come at me with full power, with skills and all. These two strikes are enough to tell me the difference between us is large. Large like ten levels. The only reason I was able to even dodge the attack before I have Rapid Steps is a powerful short-range movement skill. Which is faster than the normal movement skills and also old Remus¡¯s combat talent. He had envious combat talent, learning anything very quickly, and had been praised to be born with the instinct of the warrior. There is also some training I have done, even so, I am scared of my life. It is highly likely I will die. He is Level 20, while I am Level 11 in combat class. This gap is vast, but I have to try it because there is no other choice. ¡°Dodging will not save you. You will die!¡± It said and swung his sword again while moving toward me. He is fast and his sword is faster. All I could see was an afterimage. So, I didn¡¯t even try to and even stopped thinking about it altogether. I focused on my instincts and let them guide me. Like in the dungeon, I could feel them and moved according to their direction. Rip! Once again, its sword hit me, but this time, it barely touched my skin. I am surprised, as I had been thoroughly prepared to lose an arm. He also seemed surprised, but he did not let it stop him and attacked me immediately. Once again, I did not think, but reacted, and dodged the attack wholly, without letting it cut even a single string of fiber of my cloth. Now it is angry. ¡°I will kill you!¡± it shouted and came at me and, like before, I let my instincts guide me. It is not just instinct, but also my skills. The Rapid Steps and Sure Foot; I am pushing them beyond their limit. I am dodging the attacks at such angles that made it feel like Sure Foot had become an active skill. I have really got lucky with this skill. It kept attacking me, and I kept dodging. Half of the attacks, I have dodged perfectly, while the other half injured me in some way. Still, it is hard to believe I am even dodging the attacks. Seeing the difference in skills between us. I am alive now, but I won¡¯t be forever. I needed to dodge his every attack, while he only needs to hit once, and that enchanted sword and I would be dead. I wish someone could help. My guards would help me, but all of them are busy. I had sent Jon to deal with archers. Stone is fighting against two of the bandit leaders¡¯ lieutenants and Zela and is summoning shields all over the battlefield and above me while also dealing with shaman¡¯s attacks. As for normal guards, they are fighting and dying. Till now, four of them fell, including one mage. Thankfully, they have taken double the number of bandits, and it all happened in less than a minute. It hadn¡¯t been even a minute since bandits attacked us for sacrifice and over ten people were dead. I wonder how many more will die before it is over. Whether I would be one of them.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 131: Battle In The Keep II Chapter 131: Battle In The Keep II Rip Rip Rip Seconds passed as I dodged one attack after another from the grey orc in front of me. It is hell-bent on killing me and using every skill he has in his arsenal and all I am doing is dodge, this is all I could do. I could not counter his attacks, nor I could defend against them. He is stronger than me. The only thing I have is a movement skill, which is really good, and a balance skill, which stops me from falling when I dodge weirdly. Without both of them, I would have been dead. I would be dead. If I did not do something soon. I couldn¡¯t dodge forever. It will kill me sooner or later, but I have nothing. I do not have the required speed and power to kill him. This one is also not an idiot, like the last one. The only thing that could save me is help from others, but that will be unlikely to arrive soon. Seeing everyone fighting, even my guards are busy with bandits. They are the only reason we have a chance in this battle. If not for them, bandits would have the edge in this battle and it would be us, dying in large numbers than the bandits. Zela is summoning multiple shields, while Stone is alone, fighting against two of the bandit leaders'' lieutenants. As for Jon, he went to the battlements and I really hope he and others will deal with the archers soon. They are killing our people. Three of the five guards dead have been killed by the archers. Sup! I was thinking about the archer when one of the arrows circumvented around the shield and nearly hit me on my head. Thank God, I was dodging its attack and able to avoid it. Seeing myself nearly dying at every second, I am cursing that bastard Lancel with everything I have. If he had just used his little brain, we would have been safely sleeping in our suits. I defended a few more attacks and dodged two more arrows. The bastard archer had fixed me at their target and now attacking me; most of their attacks had been blocked by shields, but get passed it. He had a skill that let him circumvent the shield. Getting hit would be a death knell for me, even if it hit the most harmless part of my body. I will be dead, in less than a second. A minute passed, and I am surviving, but many have died. Including some archers, if reduced intensity were any proof. The number of arrows may have reduced considerably, but they are still coming. The one attacking me is just fine; it would have been great if one of our rogues were able to kill them. Rip! Another attack cut through me, this time more deeply, right across my stomach. There are so many such injuries piling on my body. Currently, I am fine, but soon, these injuries will tire me out and it won¡¯t take long. Seeing the speed, these injuries are piling on me. Sup! I just thinking that when another arrow came and nearly hit me once again. At that moment, I realized something bound the arrows. They are coming from the front of me, at the back of the orc. This latest arrow had not only nearly shot me but also the orc. Unlike me, the orc is not worried about them. He knows these arrows will not harm him. A couple of seconds passed, and a few more arrows came, and I received an injury on my shoulder. It is light, barely a scratch, but if I hadn¡¯t been wearing light armor under my shirt it would have been, been much bigger. After the dungeon incident, I brought a hidden armor from Jalrux. It is thin enough to be not noticeable under the shirt but powerful enough to slow down the attack from the enchanted weapon. It had saved me many times in this battle and made me wish I could have brought the better one, but Lancel wouldn¡¯t have let me wear that. He has no armor policy for the advisers; the armor is only for guards. Even his father thinks it is an idiot rule. Sup! Another arrow came, and I avoided it while dodging the attack of the orc, which was coming constantly. ¡®So, this is the pattern,¡¯ I said to myself. Ever since I had noticed that thing, I begin to observe and the more I did, the more I noticed the pattern. They are hiding it, but not actively. They had been trained that way. It is a classic army method; it is simple enough that most archers could learn it, but is difficult for the target to track it. Old Remus had been taught this by an instructor; dealing with archers had an important lesson in old Remus''s training. Not because every warrior should learn it, but because his brother was a casual archer, and he liked to shoot arrows at old Remus when he was training. The bastard had picked up archery to bully him. He lost interest in it after I took over as I stopped practicing, and he picked up different things to bully me, but soon learn the price of that. A small smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face when I remember his screams. I pushed those memories away and focused on the current state. I could not dodge forever; I will die eventually. It would be better if I killed him; it would save me from dying, at least temporarily. I decided to take the risk, but I did not act immediately; I continued to dodge the attack and the arrows, till, I could tell when the arrow was coming. It had taken a few seconds, and injuries, one of which hurt like hell, but I got what I wanted, and now, I have only a chance to execute it. He is a bandit, not an idiot. He might understand what I am trying to do after the first attempt, so I have to succeed. My goal is to injure him enough that he couldn¡¯t attack me with rapid attacks. If possible, kill him, but that would be hard. Though, I will try my hardest for that. To be honest, I would have liked a few more minutes to study the archer, but this was an actual battle; I do not have the luxury of time. Here, I will die if I wait for a few minutes. He continued to attack me, before finally, I saw the arrow coming and moved left to dodge. My instinct told me it is much safer to dodge from the right than the left, but I need to move left. Seeing the trajectory, this arrow will curse its path to avoid Zela¡¯s shields, which are always moving to make archers'' jobs difficult. It''s a dangerous risk and if I was even faintly wrong about the arrow''s trajectory, I am going to pay an enormous price. A grave injury or death, but what other choice do I have? If I keep fighting as I am, I am going to die, eventually. So, it is better; I die taking a risk, rather than running like a rat. I moved to the left, using every bit I power I could, and pushed my skill in such a way, it begins to hurt in my head, but I did not care. Seeing me dodging to the left, a grin appeared as he could divert his attack to the left easily, rather than right, and it did just that. Its sword came toward me, at a speed faster than I was moving. It will eventually catch up to me and when it does that, there will not be an injury, but death. That sword of it will cut me cleanly from my upper waist. I am looking at the sword, but I am focused on the arrow, which had avoided the shield, by mere centime, as I had expected it would do and now coming toward me, or rather toward the orc, at a very fast speed. The orc hadn¡¯t even sensed he was moving into the path of the arrow. ¡°You can die now, human,¡± it said when its sword reached very close to me when suddenly, his expression changed. He finally sensed the arrow behind him, and it was too damn late. Even with his speed, the arrow will hit it and there is nothing it could do with all its power and levels. Puch! The arrow hit his thigh and came, and its head came out from the other side, along with a large part of the arrow. It pierced through the thick thigh of the orc and froze his leg, and seeing he was moving at a very fast speed to match mine, he had gone off balance begins to fall down. I only looked at it a moment before focusing my all on my dodge, as the sword was still coming toward and it seemed to target my junk. Rip! It cut through my thigh, with its tip reaching my bone, before I was able to get away. Nearly fell, but thanks to Sure Foot, only stumbled. The injury is serious, seeing it hit the vein, and the pain is blinding, but despite that. I did not stop and instead moved toward the falling orc, which is trying to use his sword to stabilize himself. Pachak! He had stabilized himself with the help of his sword. That¡¯s when I appeared behind him and attacked him using Swift Blade and Weighted Strike, pushing them hard as I could. Channeling all the blinding pain I was feeling. It had sensed the attack and tried to move, but the arrow had damaged his leg so much that he could not move fast as he needs to. With his power and skills, he would have been able to defend himself. If he hadn¡¯t His situation had kind of reminded me of the plant-bone abomination. How they would move after the I cut their legs, even if they had better speed on one leg, than he is right now. Pachac! I decapitated it with his head flying in the air before falling to the ground. I do not like the decapitation, but his chest was protected by thick armor. I don¡¯t know how long it will take me to pierce his chest. The head is a better choice as I was skilled used a small gap below his helmet. Thud! I did not wait for his head and body to fall to the ground and instead took out the potion. I drank half in a single gulp while using the other half on the injury to my thigh. I took out another bottle and spread it over my injuries, not caring about the bloody mess I was making, before drinking the pain potion. I am feeling pain all over and I don¡¯t want to feel it now. Especially when I will need to move again, and it will hurt like hell. After I dealt with my condition, I looked around and saw the fighting have intensified further, with many guards and bandits lying on the ground. The bandit leader and his lieutenants are still fighting, and it is looking bad. Baron Lockridge¡¯s whole body is filled with injuries, while there is barely anything on the bandit leader. I was looking at the fight when something shocking happened, not far away. Stone¡¯s sword had cut through the bloodied human lieutenant; he separated him into two, from left shoulder to right waist. Like he did, with water clones of assassins. He is giant blood, built as an orc, and has inherited strength from his giant blood ancestors. It gives him enough power to split people into with a normal sword, and he is using an enchanted sword. I was looking at him, in a wonder when I sensed an arrow coming toward me. It was fast; it appeared beside me in less than a second, when I swung my sword hard and fast, with the power of my skills. Clang! A metallic sound rang out, and I repelled the arrow, but I felt a tremendous shock in my arm from the sheer power the arrow had. Numbing my arm for a second. It is the reason why I had only dodged the attack of the orc, instead of defending with my sword. The shock of power is too much; I am not strong enough to bear it. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 132: Terrible Feeling Chapter 132: Terrible Feeling ¡°Filthy bandit, I will kill you!¡± said the bastard in front of me and launched another flurry of attacks with that dagger. Whirlwind Slashes. Elnor¡¯s Movements. Lacerating Cuts. Blistering Bleed. I stopped each of his attacks with a combination of skills before giving him another slash in the left thigh. He mostly avoided the attack, except for the small cut, which joined tens of other cuts all over his body. ¡°Old bastard. It won¡¯t be long before I sent you to your grave,¡± I said and attacked him. I have to finish this bastard and others soon. Things are working as I had expected them to. I thought, with the High-Mage running away; I could kill the rest of them with ease. It won¡¯t take even five minutes to complete the sacrifice, but the battle is in no hurry to end. There have been many mistakes, the biggest one the old bastard, I am fighting. He is far stronger, than I had thought. The intelligence I had collected and had been provided by the employer clearly stated this Lockridge bastard was an average warrior. He is a fucking rogue of Level 30 and if that wasn¡¯t enough. The guards of Silver had more strength than intelligence had said. Especially the giant blood, who is fighting against two of my lieutenants. I do not care about my people dying. If the numbers are limited, I will be more than happy to see them dead. I was going to kill them anyway after I got Lancel Wilstein. The money I got from it would be more than enough to live my life comfortably anywhere in the world. I have already decided on the place and made all the preparations to disappear. The bastards from the empire wouldn¡¯t take his death lightly. Though I have confidence that no one could find my place in the extreme magic region. I don¡¯t want to hide anymore. I want to enjoy my life freely, without care for the world. All I need to do is kill Lancel Wilstein. I will need to finish killing these people and complete the sacrifice. Only then I will be able to find Lancel Wilstein. Hun! I was thinking about that when I saw something. My lieutenant got split into two by the giant blood¡¯s sword. From shoulder to waist, with all the blood and guts spilling out. It shocked me before it turned to anger. I had to force myself to calm down; this is not the place to fight angrily. I am fine with my people dying, but I couldn¡¯t afford to lose my lieutenants. They are what I will need to deal with High-Mage, when I find Lancel Wilstein. Now, the giant blood had killed one and moved to fight another and since he killed Soz, it will not be hard for him to kill Jadak. I could not let that happen. ¡°See that bandit? Your first lieutenant is dead. It won''t take before others started dying, and then it will be you,¡± said the old bastard and launched another attack. That made his dagger come at me like a snake. Clang! I defended against his dagger and moved toward him. Till now, I had been playing safe, conserving my strength to fight against the High Mage. Now, no more. I will finish this old bastard before killing all the strong ones or I will be the one who will have to run. I had made that mistake before; I will not make it again. Bloody Blade. Poison of Ilve. Spurting Vigor. I stopped holding back and activated three more skills and the first attack I did was at the pest, who had come right in time to interfere. Puch! I avoided the old bastard''s dagger and appeared directly in front of the short man, who was attacking me, with his boss. His attack was fast, but not fast enough. I dodged it before appearing directly in front of me and putting my scimitar into his chest. He tried to avoid and even resisted, with his skills, but my scimitar had crushed through it all. It is a regret that I did not get to see the fading light from his eyes as another attack from the old bastard is coming. ¡°You are next, old bastard!¡± I said as I dodged his attack and moved toward him. ... ¡°You are really something. You have killed two of our people, despite being so weak,¡± said the thin blond human bandit, before attacking me again. I dodged it with a Rapid Legs and Sure Foot, but it had come at me again. I had been fighting this thin man for half a minute and he was quite skilled at launching a rapid attack. He has skills that worked well together; the only flaw he has is speed. In his profession, speed is not important as strength. The bandits fight in the jungle, among the trees. In such places, it is better to fight from a single place, rather than move around. One might get tangled in the vines and fall down. He might not have much speed, but he is still nearly ten levels higher than me, which gives him enough speed to deal with someone like me. I am once again dancing on the edge of the knife. His rapid attacks came at me without a moment of break. It is hard to dodge, but after dealing with two enemies such as this, I have gotten used to it. Or rather, I would say, I learn to calm my nerves and focus more. Not think about death too much. There is another reason for me able to focus on the battle against the thin man fully. The archer that had been targeting me had stopped, along with all the archers on the eastern battlements. Now, the archers are only present above the gate and western battlement. I am sure they will be dealt with quickly. It had freed up our mages and lessened the pressure on the men including mages. Now more bandits dying and if I am right, their numbers have reached nearly equal to us. With the speed they are dying, their numbers will be reduced further in the coming minutes. So, I only need to stay alive for a minute or two before someone will come to help me. As for killing the thin man I am fighting, I don¡¯t think that would be possible for me. He is not an idiot and there is no archer of which I could take advantage of and even if there was, this man wouldn¡¯t fall for such a trick. He had seen how the Orcs have died and wouldn¡¯t be repeating their mistake. Hun! I was fighting, when I noticed another death. It is not a death of the common bandit, but of the lieutenant. Captain Azalea had killed the orc she was fighting. She had killed him by piercing her blade through his eyes. She immediately moved toward Captain Hiren after killing the bandit. He was fighting against the rogue lieutenant, who seemed to have great skills. He had littered the whole body of Captain Hiren with injuries, especially his left arm, which was hanging. Hun! There was a smile on my face seeing the victory of the Captain Azealia, when it froze away. Baron Lockridge died. The bandit leader had cleanly decapitated the head of Baron Lockridge and was grinning at victory when another shocking thing happened. Stone killed another lieutenant of the bandit leader. ¡°You bastard!¡± the bandit leader roared at Stone and moved toward him. Seeing that, my heart skipped a beat. Stone is strong, but Bandit Leader is stronger. Stone also seemed to realize that as he turned to face the bandit leader solemnly. I wanted to watch their fight, but I couldn¡¯t. I could only get a glimpse now and then, fighting against this thin man. Fighting against the bandit leader, Stone¡¯s fighting style had taken a complete reversal. From the pure offense, he had moved to pure defense. It is a wise choice. Bandit leader is not an enemy, he could defeat, with all the advantages his level and giant blood could provide him. ¡°Our leader had defeated the bastard rogue and not giant blood will be dead too,¡± ¡°It won''t take long before all of you will die,¡± said the thin man with a grin and attacked again, while I only dodged. A few seconds passed and a couple more bandits died and a guard. When another Bandit Lieutenant had died, the half-orc fighting against Captain Julian. He killed the lieutenant and immediately moved toward the bandit leader without hesitation. It is a very dangerous choice, but Captain Julian took it without hesitation. A few seconds later, he was against the bandit leader. Nine seconds after that, another lieutenant died, who was fighting against Captain Hiren and Captain Azalea. As they killed him, Captain Azalea moved toward the bandit leader to join Stone and Captain Julian, while Captain Hiren drank potions, before taking the stairs toward the battlement. In less than a minute, the whole battle had changed. Four lieutenants of the bandit leader had died and now three people were fighting against him. Now four people are fighting against the bandit leader. Jon had joined the battle by jumping from the battlement, even with skills. It is a dangerous thing to do. One could break many of their bones, and even die, but Jon is fine. They have surrounded the bandit leader from all sides, and now he is the one who had gone to the defensive. He may be powerful, but there are four very skilled people fighting against it. It became especially frustrating for him. Still, the bandit leader is no weakling. He could still turn the tide, and he had done that many times. I hope Stone and others remember that. A few days before coming here, I got permission from the Count to show them some confidential information and Gorlag bandits occupied a large part of that information. Hun! A few more seconds passed when something happened. That pleased me to no end. Finally, people are coming to help me. Joseph and another guard named Marvin are coming toward me and a thin man sensed them immediately. Which is why he turned and moved toward them. I did not follow him, instead took out the potions and drink them, before applying them all over my body. I did not join Joseph and Marvin in the battle against the thin bandits. I know my limits, and joining them will harm them instead of helping them. As they would be focused on my safety. I had just barely applied the potions when I saw an orc coming toward me and prepared myself to fight against him, but a second later, the guard appeared in front of him. I heaved a sigh of relief and turned to the bandit leader and a grudging respect for his strength and skills couldn¡¯t help but appear in my heart. He is not only powerful, but also very skilled in battle. He is fighting against four very good opponents, but still not getting suppressed. Instead, managing to get an attack or two against them. It seemed like, despite the extensive research we have done on him. We still end up underestimating his strength. Hun! I watching the bandit leader, when I noticed something on the other side of the fight. The orc-shaman who had been fighting against Zela suddenly begin to retreat, before disappearing into the keep. I thought Zela would follow him, but she did not, and instead, she joined the battle against the bandit leader and her first spell was a huge sphere of water. In which she had caged the bandit leader. Instantly, he begins struggling inside. It is why the mages are so dangerous. They have versatility and range, along with massive power. Depending upon the skills and spells they have, they could easily crush a couple of people of the same level. As Zela put the bandit leader into a water sphere; others did not waste any time in acting. Hun! They had just moved when something shocking happened. The bandit leader, who was struggling, rip apart the water sphere, sending all four of them a couple of steps back. He looked around the battlefield, and his expressions become worse. Though he recovered his expression in an instant and turned to Zela, where his expression changed again. I thought he would attack her. He is known to pick the mages first, but to my surprise, he did not. Instead, he moved his gaze and looked at me, and a wolfish grin appeared on his face. Feeling his eyes; I got a terrible feeling. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Chapter 133: Killing The Bandit Leader Chapter 133: Killing The Bandit Leader ¡®I hate mages!¡¯ I cursed as the water sphere enveloped me. They are always hard to deal with. It is all because of that bastard Itles; he ran away. He will be one of the first people I will kill when I get out of here. I calmed my anger and looked around. I could see the four of them had already started preparing to attack me. I couldn¡¯t stay here. A few seconds more and my chances of survival will disappear. Dividing Cut I activated the only skill that could bring me out of here. My scimitar moved through the water fast, cutting through the water as it passed through it. The cut water, which should merge naturally by laws of nature, stayed separated till my scimitar formed the full circle. BLAP! The water sphere broke through, sending the four surrounding me a couple of steps back, while I took a deep breath and looked around the battlefield. The more I looked. The worse my expression becomes, but this time, the blood-red anger did not rise, instead cold reality seeped into my heart. I have lost. There is no way I could win it. I have to escape but is harder with the gates closed. I do not have skills that will let me jump through the walls. There is a hidden exit in the keep, but it will not work. It is narrow that only a single person passes through it; not to mention I had blocked it to stop from anyone escaping. That only leaves the gate. They will not open the gates unless they are forced to. I looked around before my gaze stopped at the mage, and immediately, I shook my head internally. She is not important enough to open the gates. She is just a retainer. As I had thought that my eyes turned to a young human. Remus Silver. Adviser to Lancel Wilstein of House Ravenheart and scion of the mercantile House of Silver. The most important person here. For whom, they will open the door. Mist Mobile I activated my fastest movement skill and moved toward the Remus Silver. I could see the alarm appearing on the faces of the people surrounding me. They moved to stop me, but they are slow. Even Rogue couldn''t catch me with his speed. The mage attacked me with the water arrows, but I defended against them, with Whirlwind Slashes, before finally appearing behind Silver and using my left hand to take his neck in a chokehold, while he watched with helplessness. ... I felt the Orc''s thick arm around my neck; they are so powerful that it will take him an instant to crush my neck. He also seemed to have used some skill, which numbed my body. The only part I could control is my head. ¡°Release Adviser Silver, bandit,¡± said Captain Julian as he and others moved closer, but maintained distance. In fear of bandits doing anything. ¡°That will not be a problem; just open the gates and give me my horse, and I will release him,¡± said the bandit leader. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said and immediately the pressure on my neck increased. ¡°You should stay quiet, adviser,¡± warned the bandit leader, with threat dripping from his voice. I want to live and wouldn¡¯t have objected to his request. If not for knowing his record. I am not the first person he had taken hostage and half of them he had killed. Generally, he released the hostage he takes. After they give him demanded ransom, but this time, I don¡¯t think, there will be a call for ransom. He had chewed more than he liked, and his purpose was to get away. The moment he did. He will kill me; I have no doubt about it in my heart. ¡°You have a minute to decide. If you didn¡¯t, I will kill him and take my chances with you all.¡± ¡°I am sure, with some losses and injuries, I will be able to get away from this place,¡± the bandit leader warned. For a couple of seconds. There was no reply. They looked at each other before turning back to the bandit leader. ¡°Bring his horse,¡± ordered Captain Julian. ¡°And horses for my men,¡± added the bandit leader. ¡°You can forget about that,¡± replied Captain Julian, and it was clear by his voice, he will not agree to it. Which is wise. More men will increase the chances of his escape. We cannot let him have that. ¡°Fine,¡± said the bandit leader. He surprised me, I didn¡¯t think the bandit leader would agree such easily. A few seconds passed in silence before, finally, the guard brought his horse. ¡°Now, opened the gates,¡± said the bandit leader, and Captain Julian turned to the bloodied Captain Hiren, who was guarding the gate with guards. ¡°Open the gates,¡± he said finally. Captain Hiren nodded at the guards. Who released the bolts and pushed open the enormous gate, while the bandit leader moved toward the red horse, taking me with him. I can not go with him. If I did, it will be game over for me, but there is nothing I could do. He is at least twenty levels higher than me. His raw strength is more than enough to crush my bones. While I have the protective measure, I couldn¡¯t depend on it. I have seen it working and seen it not working. I wouldn¡¯t bet my life on it. Aside from it, I have nothing. Wait? I have something. I have nearly forgotten about it in my battle. It is in my pocket. In my numbed hands. When I saw the bandit leader coming at me, I unconsciously put my hand left hand in pock and gripped the charm. Now what? Caena¡¯s letter had said it was a protection charm, and she had given me an activation world, but there was no instruction on how to use it. Not that I could do anything other than speak activation words. It had numbed my whole body with skill. I don¡¯t know whether or not it will work; maybe it is a joke from Caena or maybe it would harm me if I activated it in my pocket, but I don¡¯t have any choice. The gate opened, and we are closer to the horse. I wanted to activate it immediately, but I waited. If I am going to use it, I want to use it right time. Soon, we reached the horse, and it was beautiful. With a radiant red coat and luxurious mane. If I am right, this horse is a descendant of ilahasa; the flame horse monster; a very fast and dangerous monster. ¡°Sit,¡± The bandit leader commanded, and the horse immediately sat up smoothly. The bandit leader did not sit and instead looked at the surrounding people. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to follow me,¡± he said. ¡°You release Adviser Silver, and I will give you my word. That will not follow you,¡± said Captain Julian, who also had a horse beside him. So, have Zela and Stone and others; they are intended to follow the bandit leader. ¡°Not going to happen,¡± said the bandit leader. ¡°Then we will follow you.¡± Replied Captain Julian. ¡°I could kill him right now, you know,¡± said the bandit leader, with a clear warning in his voice. ¡°You could, but then we will use every skill and spell we have to kill you,¡± said Captain Julian, with leveled voice. ¡°Fine, fine. You can follow me,¡± said the bandit leader and turned to his horse and moved his leg toward it; while keeping me with him. ¡®It is time. I hope it works,¡¯ I thought and gripped the charm tightly and opened my mouth to speak the world. ¡°Almaroz,¡± I spoke in a barely audible voice, as it is the loudest I could speak, with bandit leaders holding on to my neck. It stopped the bandit leader while I waited with bated breath, but nothing happened. ¡°What di,¡± the bandit leader spoke, when suddenly the charm in hand turns to dust, and a moment later, dense purple lighting covered my whole body. It shocked me, but what shocked me the most, was that it did not harm me. I could feel the power of the lightning and know it could kill me in seconds. The purple lighting stayed on me for a fraction of a second before it moved to the bandit. Covering his whole body in an instant. ¡°Ahhhh...¡± He screamed loudly, and it felt especially loud in my ear. As the lightning covered him. Puch! It surprised me, but I did not let the surprise stop me from acting. I am free from his skill and I took advantage of that. I moved my sword back with the power of Swift Blade and Weighted the strike. It pierced through his stomach. The bandit leader moved back, wanting to get away from me, but appeared directly in front of Jon, who appeared behind it and attacked the bandit leader, without caring for the lightning covering him. The bandit leader is powerful; despite the lighting covering him. Which is burning him; he moved fast enough to defend against the attack. Albeit barely. The moment he defended, the others arrived, along with Zela¡¯s spell. Which brought a water binding that spread around his body, like a snake, restricting his movements. The next attack came from Captain Azealia, and it directly pierced through his chest. Jon¡¯s dagger came next and entered his head. Captain Julian attacked the other heart for some reason and Stone finally attacked with his sword and decapitated him in a single attack. The bandit who terrorized the Nakar baronies had been finally dead. I am having a hard believing it and what¡¯s harder to believe is Zela is responsible for it. Not only in killing the bandit leader, but also in saving my life. For which I am extremely grateful. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± said Zela, moving her glowing staff toward my neck. I could see there are questions in her eyes, but she is holding them back. ¡°I am fine. Heal those who are in danger first and take these,¡± I said and handed her potion bottles, before turning to Captain Julian and others. ¡°Secure the keep; search for any rats that are hiding. I want that blood shaman found if he is hiding in the keep,¡± I said to them; they nodded and walked away, leaving only Stone. He is standing beside, protectively, without saying anything. ¡°You should at least drink potion,¡± I said to him. There are injuries all over his body. While the elder blood in his helps him heal fast, he should take potions to expedite the process. Some emergencies might appear that might need him to be at his peak. He nodded and took out the potion from his pocket, while I turned to look at surrendered bandits, who are being bound by the guards. Zela had gone to Captain Hiren and healed him. He is the most seriously injured and collapsed after the bandit leader died. A few minutes passed, and all three of them returned with a grave expression on their faces. ¡°The bandits have killed them all; they hadn¡¯t even spared the children,¡± informed Captain Azalia. I didn¡¯t have to ask, what she is talking about. I feared this might have happened, but still wished I was wrong. ¡°Leave the bodies just as they are and sent scouts out; we don¡¯t want to be caught off guard again,¡± I said. They nodded and disappeared.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 134: Return Chapter 134: Return ¡°Collect all the things and place them in the open, and call all mages,¡± I said to Captain Azalia. She nodded and walked away and soon begin to order guards. Except for those guarding the keep and injured; all of them moved. As for the bandits, we have placed them in the cells of the keep, with a tight watch from the guards. A minute later, all the mages gathered in front of me. Including Zela. ¡°How is he?¡± I asked her. ¡°Out of danger,¡± she replied. I sighed upon hearing that. Captain Hiren is seriously injured and wouldn¡¯t be able to come back to the job quickly or ever be. I pushed the worries about him and turn to mages; it is time to do an important job. ¡°I want you all to send this message to all baronies. I want it sent exactly like this,¡± I said and showed them the page. ¡°We should be able to do it. Now the anti-message field had weakened,¡± said Reve. The bastard blood shaman had cast an anti-massage spell field. It had made it hard to send the message. Immediately, they all sat down and started to send the message to the surrounding baronies. ¡°Zela, I need you to send this message,¡± I said. It is to Count Darrow. He needs to know what had happened. Though, I am sure, he had got to know about it already. This will be from me; not from his son, who had run away. A couple of seconds later, the message was sent, and immediately, the reply came. He had a lot of questions and I answered each of them carefully. For more than half an hour, I had sent and received messages from Count Darrow before I got a small respite. ¡°Sent this to the Mirador Hold,¡± I said and gave the page to Zela. They also had a lot of questions, and I told them everything they need; thankfully, I finished quickly. ¡°Any response from Mage York?¡± I asked. To which she shook her, ¡°No, he is not receiving messages,¡± she replied. I had asked Count Darrow and Mirador Hold whether they have received any contact from Mage York. They remained mum, which is an answer in itself. Especially Count Darrow, who was relatively calm. If he didn¡¯t know about his son, he wouldn¡¯t have been that calm. The messages begin to come from the baronies to Count Darrow and I replied to them all while watching the guards place the bandit¡¯s things in the open. From Iles bags of the bandit leader and his lieutenant and their weapons to money pouches and other things of common bandits. Aside from their clothes, we have brought everything out. Hun! I was watching it when I saw something surprising. Three guards came, bringing the five small crates with them; each one of those crates had the little monsters in them. I could recognize two of them. One is Lurois, a black feline beast with a single curved horn, and a Halmk, a pure white sparrow, which is the size of my finger. It is also known as a cloud-surfing sparrow. I was looking at them when my gaze fell on a wolf-like beast. It seemed weak, and there was something different about it. ¡°It is a mutt, right?¡± I asked after a few seconds of observing. ¡°From the looks of it; it did seem like a mutt,¡± replied Zela. Mutts are monsters that are a mixed breed. Such monsters are unpredictable and usually killed, rather than taken. ¡°Try a healing spell on it,¡± I said, looking at the pitiful monster. Zela looked at strangely for a moment, before casting a healing spell. A few seconds after, its condition seemed to improve a little. ¡°Mister Silver. We would be grateful if we could get that cloud-surfing sparrow,¡± said Zela, and Stone nodded. ¡°I will see what I could do,¡± I said. The loot belongs to the city and while have some rights in it. It is the city that will decide what we could take. These monsters are expensive and rare, especially Lurois, which is in always high demand. ¡°Joseph, try to ask where the bandit got these beasts,¡± I said to Joseph. ¡°Yes, Adviser,¡± he said with a lot more respect than before. He left toward the keep while I walked toward the stuff of the bandit, which was placed in the open under the moon''s sky. ¡°Captain Azalia. We are going to make an inventory; I need you and three other guards to be witnesses.¡± I spoke. She nodded and soon I started to make an inventory. It is a procedure; I need to catalog everything. Clean records always help; it also wards off suspicion. I don¡¯t want anyone to think I had taken anything. Soon, we finished with everything and now only eight Iles bags have remained. Two belong to the bandit leader, six belong to his lieutenants. There were seven lieutenants, with one being on the battlement. That Jon had killed. Of all the bandits, only one had escaped. The blood shaman and, to me, he was dangerous as the bandit leader. ¡°Losh, pick the first iles bag and begin taking out things slowly,¡± I ordered. The woman nodded and begin to take out the things; the first thing she took out was a pouch and it was filled with money. A lot of money. We counted the money before she took out another thing and then another. One by one things came out till nothing remained and she moved to the other iles bag. One by one, we emptied five iles bags. All of them had money, weapons, and potions, along with some food and personal item. Now, only two iles bags of bandit had remained. Losh begins to take out the things and I could see the excitement in her eyes. She is not the only one feeling that. I am also feeling it; the bandit leader had been doing this for decades. He must have amassed a huge fortune. A few minutes later; all the excitement deflated. He has more money and precious things than his lieutenants, but nothing shocking. I kind of expected spells, scrolls, and chests filled with gems, but I found nothing of that sort. ¡°This is the last thing,¡± said Losh and took out folded parchment from the second bag of the bandit leader. ¡°Open it,¡± I said to Losh as she looked at me for permission. She did, and I saw it. A map. ¡°Close it,¡± I said hastily. She did. It is a map of the bandit leader; it must be something important. It is better that others did not see it. ¡°This is the list of items we have got from bandits. Verify it and sign it,¡± I said to Captain Azalia. She begins to check the list, and a few minutes later; she signed it. The guards did the same and handed it to me. I once again checked it myself, before signing it. ¡°Replies?¡± I asked as I reached Zela, and she handed me notes. I replied to them through Zela and walked toward the quarters. So far, I have avoided it, but I need to look. A few minutes later, I am looking at the horrors of bandits. Those bastards had even killed children. ¡°The bastard got an easy death,¡± I said and walked out. He should have suffered the greatest punishment, but he died after suffering seconds of pain. Two hours passed, and I was sitting beside crates of monsters. Feeding cute little things pieces of meat, which they are eating ravenously except for one. The mutt had recovered a lot, but was still weak and refusing to eat. It did not surprise me; many dogs my father trained behaved like this. It could be sickness, a new environment or just the monster didn¡¯t like to eat from strangers'' hands. ¡°Its been nearly three hours. Why didn¡¯t they arrive?¡± asked Joseph. ¡°They will soon,¡± I replied with a smile. I am in constant contact with baronies, mirador holds, and the city. All forces are coming and should have come by now, but there is no sign of them. After what happened, they will take time. I don¡¯t mind; I am quite enjoying myself with these cute things. They reminded me of home. Brough back, the memories of my childhood. Soon it was midnight, and notifications appeared in front of me. [Warrior Lv. 12] [Warrior Lv. 13] [Conditions Met: Sure Foot- Gymnasts Grace] Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 135: Representative Chapter 135: Representative ¡°My Lords,¡± I greeted and bowed faintly to the Baron Harrods and others, leading the small army. They did not reply, instead, just keep looking at me. ¡°Have the bandits been dealt with, Adviser?¡± asked Mage York after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Yes, High-Mage.¡± ¡°Half of the bandits are dead, including the bandit leader and six of his lieutenant. Those who survived are in a cell of the keep,¡± I replied and could see some people having a hard time believing it. ¡°How is that possible? You must be lying!¡± said someone from behind and immediately got a glare from Baron Harrods and others. ¡°You do not need to believe me. The proof is present there,¡± I said and motioned toward the open gates of the keep. ¡°You four, go check it out,¡± said Baron Harrods, but Mage York shook his head. ¡°There is no need. Adviser Silver is telling the truth,¡± he said. He must have used a spell like an eagle eye or something. He could do it, with all the restrictions of the blood shaman disappearing. ¡°If you all have been satisfied. I would welcome you all to the castle. Though, I would request you to keep most of the army out before we cleared everything,¡± I said to them. ¡°It is fine,¡± said Mage York and moved his horse ahead and with him, other important people also rode toward the gate; I moved with them, matching their speed gracefully. Soon, we were inside, and the first thing they looked at is the bodies of bandits. Including the bodies of the bandit leader and his lieutenants. They moved their gazes and looked at nine guards who have sacrificed their lives fighting the bandits and then inventories, neatly laid out in the open. ¡°You have really killed them,¡± said Major Jarvis. I smiled and turned to Mage York with the file in my hand. ¡°High Mage. This is the inventory. I hope you verify it; it will relieve the big load off me,¡± I said. He got off his horse and took the file. ¡°Everything is good,¡± he said a minute later. ¡°Captain Julian, please secure the bounty,¡± ordered Mage York. ¡°Yes, High Mage,¡± he acknowledges and begins to pack things. ¡°It must have been a bloody battle,¡± stated Major Jarvis as he looked at bodies. ¡°Yes, it was,¡± I replied. ¡°It is quite harrowing what happened to Baron Lockridge and his family. He did not deserve this,¡± said Baron Harrods and sighed. ¡°He fought bravely,¡± I replied. I have been asked to speak less about it. I was talking to an old man when a red carried rolled inside the keep with heavy security, before stopping. The door opened and Lancel walked out. He stopped mid-way and his whole body shook before finally coming out. ¡°My Lord,¡± I greeted and bowed. ¡°You have done great service, Remus. Father had high praise for you,¡± he said without any expressions. ¡°It is all thanks to you, my lord,¡± I said, and a small smile appeared on his face. Count Darrow and I have talked. We have decided to add a lot of Lancel¡¯s involvement in the battle than it is. I am the one who suggested it. It will look bad if people know he had run away. In the city, the papers had already started printing the stories. I had myself written the articles with a nod from the Count. Lancel walked out and looked around before his eyes stopped on the monsters and lit up. ¡°You were telling the truth; there is Lurois and is that Cobfor, I am seeing?¡± he asked, looking at the blue lizard-like monster. ¡°Yes, my lord. It is a Cobfor, and this one is very young; a prime age for training,¡± replied the High Mage. Lancel nodded with a smile and turned to me. ¡°Where did those wretched bandits get them?¡± asked Lancel. Thankfully, I got information about it from the bandits. ¡°They belong to orc shaman; the bandits do not know where it had got them,¡± I replied. ¡°Its fine. They are now mine, except for this mutt,¡± he said and looked at the mutt. ¡°High-Mage, check its bloodline?¡± asked Lancel, and a moment later, the staff of Mage York lit up. ¡°It mixed, my lord. There is no dominant race in it,¡± he said. ¡°Well, it is useless then. Killing it would be a wise thing unless any of you want it?¡± he said and looked around. ¡°A mutt is more trouble than it''s worth,¡± said Baron Harrods. Others also shook their head. Mutts are hard to train, especially the ones that do not have the dominant lineage. Most importantly, they are not powerful, as pure-breed monsters could be. The monsters are different from common dogs, or cats that you interbreed to make the breed you want. It is highly dangerous if their bloodlines clashed for dominance. It is why mutts are usually put down, especially those who do not have common dominant ancestry; that could suppress the others. Killing them is common practice; there is nothing inhuman about it. It is common on earth for pets who have grave medical problems. ¡°High Mage, kill it,¡± said Lancel and the staff of Mage York lit up. ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± I said, to my own surprise. I don¡¯t know how it came out of my mouth. ¡°Mutts are not easy to train, Remus. Even the young tamer you have will advise you to do the same,¡± said Lancel. ¡°Thank you for the advice, my lord. If it gets difficult, I will put it to sleep,¡± I replied. ¡°Since it is your wish, I will not say anything further,¡± he said and walked ahead, before stopping at the entrance of quarters and turning to me. ¡°Did bandits really do it?¡± Lancel asked, with his expression turning serious. ¡°They did not even spare the children,¡± I replied. He nodded and walked to the room, where the bodies were. We have secured them in an empty room, along with the body of Baron Lockridge, and covered them all with a cloth. Zela had cast the preserving spell on them. The Count had ordered it, saying his family will be coming for the funeral. Lancel looked at the bodies wrapped in white clothes and muttered a small prayer before walking away. For the next few minutes, we walked to the different parts of the keep, including the dinner exit, before finally stopping at the office of Baron Lockridge. ¡°You had done a good job, Remus,¡± said Lancel. ¡°It all because of you, my lord. If not for orders, we wouldn¡¯t have succeeded,¡± I said and smiled. He asked a few questions, and check the file of inventory and a report on the battle I had prepared. It is for only the eyes of Lancel and High Mage; I can see others wanted to read it, but they did not. After reading it, Lancel put it in his iles bag. ¡°Remus, I will be returning to the city. Father needs me for an emergency,¡± he said, and I nodded. ¡°Yes, Lord Count had informed me about it,¡± I replied. The bastard is running away again, but of course, I am not going to say it. ¡°So, you will be my representative here. Attend all the funerals and meet all the people in my stead, before returning to the city,¡± he said. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± I said before my expression changed. ¡°Do you need anything Remus?¡± he asked, seeing my expression. ¡°Yes, my lord. I have one presumptuous request,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°As long as it is not something excess, I will accept it,¡± he said. ¡°I am hoping you would grant me a monster,¡± I said, and his expressions were serious before relaxing. ¡°You have already got mutt and now you want more?¡± he asked. ¡°It is for the tamer, I have,¡± I said. ¡°Fine. As long as it is not Lurois or Cobfor, you can have the monster you want,¡± he said. ¡°It is a cloud-surfing sparrow,¡± I said, and I could see him visibly relaxing. ¡°It is yours,¡± he said, and a smile appeared on my face. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said. We stayed in the office for nearly an hour. There are a few things to sort out before he could leave. I am cursing the bastard for doing that, but also happy. It will increase the workload on me, but will also help me make connections. Here I will not be the bastard of House Silver but advised of Lord Lancel Wilstein of House Ravenheart. The new responsibility will not increase the time I have to stay here and it will also give me an excuse to not go to Blain too soon. I had received some messages from the family; my brothers and sister are coming tomorrow, along with a few other members of the house. A very few of them that I like. ¡°Take care of things here, Remus,¡± he said as the door of his carriage opened. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I replied. He waved at everybody and entered the carriage, and a second later, it moved toward the gate, with heavy security of the guards. He is taking two hundred guards from nobles and Mirador Hold, along with his guards and three captains. He left behind ten guards for me, along with three of my guards. He even wanted them, but I talked him out of it. ¡°Major Jarvis. I hope I can sleep without worry tonight,¡± I said to the middle-aged man. The Mirador Hold had gotten the stewardship of the keep, till the new lord is decided. It could be someone from the Lockridge family or someone new. Lancel didn¡¯t talk anything about it. ¡°You can relax, Adviser, my men, and I will not let anything that will disturb your rest,¡± he replied. I nodded and walked away. ¡°Thank you, Mister Silver, for the monster,¡± said Zela. ¡°It didn¡¯t take much effort,¡± I replied, before turning to her ¡°If don¡¯t mind me asking, why does Eli want Halmk? It is a pet for a rich, not truly a monster that people would use in combat-related activity,¡± I asked, looking at Stone holding the crates of two monsters. ¡°Have you heard of Vraj of clouds?¡± she asked back. ¡°The name feels familiar,¡± I replied. ¡°He was an S Class Scout and great-grandfather of Eli. He used Halmk,¡± she replied. ¡°Well, then it makes sense,¡± I said. Every monster has its uses. If the trainer is good and uses the skill they have wisely, then even the weakest monster could do wonders. Soon, I reached the room; it is in the guest room. I don¡¯t want to sleep in the room where dead people used to live. I wanted to sleep immediately, but I did not. Instead, I removed my torn cloth and walked into the shower naked. I could have taken a shower and changed into the new clothes, while I was waiting, but I stayed with blood-soaked clothes for an effect. It had worked as I had expected; everybody who looked at me first stared at my bloodied clothes before looking at me. I moved the tap and cold water cascade cascaded over my body, washing away the dried blood, which is covering nearly every part of me. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out of the shower feeling clean. I changed into comfortable clothes and laid down on the bed, forgetting the horrors I had experienced today, in the void of sleep. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 136: Thoughts Chapter 136: Thoughts Sin Lord 136 Thoughts I woke up early in the morning; not as early as I woke up daily, but still early. I had slept for four hours, and it was a good sleep without any nightmares. I wanted to sleep more, but there are things to do and practice. I couldn¡¯t take a break, even for a day. After what I experienced yesterday. I want to be ready for everything. The enemies I would face will not be weak and I need to be strong enough to defend against them. Yesterday, I had done well, but I am aware of how close I had been to death. If any of the attacks had gone a few inches deeper, I wouldn¡¯t have been standing here alive. I freshened up and changed into practice clothes before walking out of my room. ¡°Have you slept?¡± I asked Jon. ¡°Yes, for three hours,¡± he replied. I nodded and kept walking. Most of the army had left, but there are still around three hundred people who have remained at the keep. They are from Mirador Hold, but little more than fifty belong to Baron Harrods. He had stayed and would visit different baronies with me. Soon, I reached the practice ground, and there were already people practicing there. Seeing me, they all stopped. ¡°Apologies for disturbing you all,¡± I apologized, before walking into one of the sparring rings and turning to the guards. ¡°Anyone interested in a little spar?¡± I asked. I would have sparred with Jon, but he is still injured and while he could fight, I don¡¯t want to strain his injuries further. For a couple of seconds, nobody moved, before a blond man who looked to be in his mid-twenties stepped forward. He was one of the people who was practicing in the arena a few seconds ago. ¡°What¡¯s your name, soldier?¡± I asked. ¡°Jora, adviser,¡± he replied. ¡°Jora, if you are Level 20 or below, don¡¯t hold back. Come at me with everything you have.¡± I said, and I could see his expression turning a little strange. A second later, his expression eased. ¡°I am coming,¡± He announced and came at me. His speed is good, and he is using his speed skills from the beginning. Looking at his expressions, he wants to defeat me in a single attack. It took him a second to appear beside me, and he attacked. I could see he was hesitating. The way he had reduced the speed of attack. I let the sword come closer to me; just when it was less than half a meter away, I took a step right, avoiding his sword, before attacking with mine. He was startled seeing that and moved back and this time; he had used the movement skill at full power. I smiled and followed him with the Rapid Legs, and attacked with the Swift Blade. The blond is quite skilled as he reacted instantly, with all the hesitation gone. Clang Our weapons clashed, and I felt a heavy shock in my arm. It was so powerful that I nearly threw away my sword. He is not Level 20 yet, but he is close and, like all soldiers, invested most of his points in physical attributes. It will be better if I focus on dodging. With that thought, I moved to dodge the second attack; he followed with another and then another attack, but I dodge it all. After fighting against the bandit, dodging the attacks of this speed had become a little easier. It also helps that I have leveled up twice and upgraded the skill. Which now keeping my whole body in balance and not just legs. The Sure Foot used to use the legs to keep me in balance while Gymnasts Grace, uses my whole body. It gives me a lot of freedom that I did not have before, making things even easier. ¡°You are very good at dodging the attacks, adviser,¡± said Jora as he stopped holding back, seeing me dodging his every attack. ¡°It is how I survived yesterday, Jora,¡± I replied and dodged another of his attack, which filled with the power of the skill. If it had hit me; it would have broken a couple of my bones. Seconds passed, and Jora continued his offense, using every skill and move he had, but failing. It is frustrating him, and he is taking more and more risks; opening himself more, baiting me to attack, but I remained calm and only dodged the attacks. It is fun. Here I am only using two skills to dodge attacks of a person who is higher leveled and has more experience than me. Hun A few more minutes passed when suddenly, I saw a golden chance and I took it without hesitation. In these few minutes, I have not only dodged his attacks but also studied him. His skills, his combat style, and the limitation he has. It all made me confident; I could take this chance. His sword came at me again, and instead of moving left to dodge, I stepped forward. It surprised him, but he reacted instantly and increased the speed of the attack, just like I thought he would. I appeared in front of his sword before moving my shoulder left, dodging his sword by hairbreadth while attacking with a Swift Blade. He moved to dodge immediately, but I followed him. He might be a few levels above me, but his speed is only slightly faster than me. So, I have gotten close to him before attacking with my sword, which is fast enough to reach him, even when the distance between us is widening. Especially when I am using the Swift Blade at full power. ¡°Strike,¡± I said as I stopped my sword at his neck, while his sword is inches away from me. ¡°You won, adviser,¡± he said, as he put down his sword, while still in shock at the result. The guards watched with wide eyes, especially the ones who were wearing the same colors as Jora. Clap Clap Clap I had just put down my sword when I heard clapping and only to see an old man entering the arena. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted and bowed faintly, while Jora was beside me more deeply since he was his lord. ¡°I had heard about your battle yesterday from the men, but had a hard time believing it, but seeing you fight. It seemed like your performance was no exaggeration yesterday.¡± He spoke. ¡°Thank you, for praise my lord,¡± I said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would you mind having a little spar with this old man?¡± he asked, and my expression turned awkward. ¡°I am no match for you, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young man. I will restrict my power at your level,¡± he said. ¡°Then, I would be honored, my lord,¡± I said. He smiled and walked toward the weapon rack and picked up the saber. ¡°Ready, young man?¡± he asked, and I nodded, before moving at him. I did not hold back. I used Rapid Steps to reach him and attacked with Swift Blade and Weighted Strike, using their full power. The old man casually moved his saber and deflected my sword before touching my neck with his saber. He had not used more power than me; even a little less, and had not used any skills, but even then. He had defeated me with a single attack. ¡°Nice attempt, but try harder,¡± he said as he took back his saber. I attack again in a different way, but he deflected again, putting the sword on my chest. This time, I did not stop and attacked again, and like before, he deflected my sword once again. I am not surprised by it; this is the strongest man in Nakar baronies. Someone who had fought countless battles. Even the bandit leader did not dare to engage with him. In the last battle, when they had surrounded him, he ran away instead of facing this old man. His level is above 30 and had a great battle experience. Most importantly, he is the prince¡¯s man. Even Count Darrow will not do anything to him without taking permission from his nephew first. He had got the barony with merit, and, if Count¡¯s words, were to be believed. The prince trusts him deeply and placed him here to keep an eye on him and Harrison Dane. A few minutes passed and when I was finally able to stop his saber from deflecting my attacks. A moment later, he attacked, and I found his sword on my neck again. From that moment, he stopped defending and started attacking, while I defended. Nearly every attack of his touched me, but with time, I was able to defend against them. Within ten minutes, I had continuously defended against seven of his attacks before he was able to hit me. We kept fighting, and I felt like I was learning a lot. I am very grateful for this old man, whatever his intention in sparring with me. ¡°I think it is enough,¡± he said as the tip of his saber poked my chest once again. ¡°Thank you, my lord. I had learned a lot,¡± I said, and he smiled. Though his smile felt a little more straining than before, maybe I was imagining it. I talked to him for a few minutes and went back to my room. Today''s session was mentally exhausting. Usually, my spars make me wither in pain, that I couldn¡¯t make a simple movement without gritting my teeth. Baron Harrods had only touched my fatal points with a sword. He did not beat the shit out of me like most of my sparring partners do. I took off all of my drenched clothes and walked into the shower and washed away all the sweat. Ten minutes later, I stepped out and changed into the suite before walking out of the room. Soon, I stepped into the kitchen and found Baron Harrods and Major Jarvis sitting there. The breakfast is placed in front of them, but they are not eating. ¡°Lord Harrods, Major Jarvis,¡± I greeted as I appeared in front of them. ¡°Adviser, we were waiting for you. Take a seat,¡± said Baron Harrods, motioning to the empty chair. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and sat down, and immediately a man wearing a mirador holds color served me breakfast. ¡°I have to say, you got one talented chef, Major Jarvis,¡± said Baron Harrods as he took a bite of pancake. ¡°It is really good, Major Jarvis,¡± I added, as the taste of pancake filled my mouth. The middle-aged man smiled, with a hint of pride in it. ¡°Thank you, my lord, adviser. It is my fortune, I have found a chef among my men,¡± he said, looking at the chef. In the army, your talent always helps you. If it is something that is pleasing to your superior. We talked as we eat, mostly about general topics. Nothing too serious, before finally both of them turned to me. ¡°Adviser, what are your thoughts about the battle you fought yesterday?¡± asked Major Jarvis. It little surprised me, but I did not immediately answer. If it had been anyone else, I would have given a generic answer, but it will not work against these two. So, I collected my thoughts for a couple of seconds before opening my mouth. ¡°The Ulag Karguk was smart from what I had read about him, but yesterday, he had done an idiotic thing,¡± I said, and surprise couldn¡¯t help, but appeared on their faces, but they did not speak. Wanting me to explain my reasoning. ¡°He had captured the castle and surrounded us, which he shouldn¡¯t have done,¡± ¡°He is a bandit, who is experienced in fighting in the forest, but he trapped us in a castle, where everyone, including me, has fought or trained to fight,¡± Yes, old Remus had the training to fight in a castle. ¡°The bandits were well placed, but they didn¡¯t have any experience in fighting a place like that.¡± ¡°If they had fought us in the forest, it would have been us who would have been wiped out,¡± I explained. ¡°There is also another reason for our victory. The leader''s red skill that you both had faced two days. It seemed to be on cooldown, if he had activated it; it would have been a mutual destruction,¡± ¡°I could even say we have not won, because we were powerful or skilled, but because we were lucky, that our enemies were idiots,¡± I finished. They looked at me with mouths open; they might not have expected such an answer from me. ¡°You are taking your victory far too, humbly, adviser,¡± said Baron Harrods, with a hint of respect in his eyes. ¡°It is the truth, my lord. There is no need to gloss over it,¡± I replied, and he smiled. A few minutes later, we finished the breakfast, and an hour later; I was in a carriage with Baron Harrods. Traveling toward my first destination as a representative.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 137: Castle Rose Chapter 137: Castle Rose ¡°...May the brave souls rest in the light,¡± I said the prayer with rest before burying the urns in the ground. Here in this world, nearly all cultures cremate their dead. Seeing the fear of the undead, who can make bodies rise from their graves. We are in the territory of Baron Homer; he had lost four men in the battle and his brother had got seriously injured. He is in stable condition, but still bedridden. The priest started his prayer as they covered the grave and in a few minutes; it was all over. ¡°Baron Homer, Count Darrow, and Lord Lancel understand your pain and will be working hard. So, an incident like this would never happen,¡± I said, promising nothing with the big words. ¡°Thank you, adviser. Your presence means a lot. You have avenged them, by killing the bandits responsible for this,¡± said the man. ¡°It all thanks to Lord Lancel,¡± I replied. I had used these words so many times throughout the day, I started to feel like it is the truth. He smiled, and it is clear; he knows the truth, everyone here does. These words are not for them, they are from the public in Greltheavens influence; they shouldn¡¯t think their future lord is a coward. A few minutes passed before it is time to leave. ¡°It is such a regret that you couldn¡¯t stay, adviser; it would have given me great pleasure to give you the hospitality of House Musk,¡± he said with a face filled with sadness. ¡°I will come here future and impose on you. I hope you won''t turn me away then,¡± I said to the blue-haired man. ¡°The door of House Must is always open for you, Adviser,¡± he replied and turned to Baron Harrods. ¡°Once again, thank you, Baron Harrods. If not for you, I would have lost more men to the bandits.¡± He said to the old man. ¡°We are neighbors, Baron Homer; it is the least I could do,¡± Baron Harrods replied. A minute later, we are in the carriage, which is passing through the gates of the castle. I looked out of the window and saw the sun was setting; in ten minutes, it will completely disappear. During the whole day, I visited five baronies as a representative. Spending less than an hour at each, before moving to a different barony. ¡°Thank you, Baron Harrods, without you. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the schedule,¡± I said to the old man. The baronies might be small, but they have a considerable distance from each other. ¡°It is my pleasure, adviser,¡± the old man replied. During the hours we were traveling; we talked about many things. I got to know the man a little better, and he is not someone who only knows fighting. He is aware of many things, and I get to ask about a few things I am curious about. Mostly, the wars he had fought. He was in the army for a half-century and had fought in nearly every important war. Including the one that conquered the Renwell Region. For a few minutes, we were silent, watching the sun until it fully disappeared, and two moons took their place in the sky, bathing the forest in a gentle moonlight. ¡°It had been nearly six months since I had been granted this barony and come here with everything I have,¡± he said and turn to me, with a somber look on his face. ¡°It is a very difficult job than I had first realized. Especially someone like me, who does not have the backing of a powerful family and limitless resources they provide.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but nod at that. Getting territory is an easy part, running it is the hardest. The expenses are a lot, from the salaries of men to the upkeep of the castle, maintenance of lifestyle, and also providing for the people under him. Farming had barely started, and it was not enough to pay for all expenses. It will take him a few years before he would be able to open enough farmland to pay for everything. ¡°I had nearly spent everything I have, that I only have enough money to pay for one month''s expenses,¡± All I could do was nod. I remember how I had spent every penny I had in the establishment in the first month and even took the loan. If the establishment hadn¡¯t worked. I would have gone bankrupt and would need to ask family for help. ¡°What I am saying is, in your wisdom. Do you have any way, this old man could earn some money to keep going?¡± he asked, with small embarrassment covering his cheeks. I couldn¡¯t help get surprised by his questions. I thought he was telling me about the woes the nobles suffer, but it seemed like the asking me for ideas. I could see the old man is really sincere and even had faint desperation in his eyes. It is not surprising, since he didn¡¯t have someone backing him. While the Prince might be able to help him, this old man won¡¯t ask him for help, unless it is necessary, and it will make him more indebted to the prince. Which is a dangerous thing considering these times. As for his question, the answer to it is really simple. It is an idea, I had pitched to Count Darrow, but he had asked to wait till the baronies have become more settled. Now, this old man asked for it. I will tell him and see whether he is ready. If it worked, the Count is going to be happy. ¡°There is a simple way, out of your predicament,¡± I said, and he looked at me expectantly. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Trade,¡± I replied, and a mirthless smile appeared on his face. ¡°Trade with who, adviser? Mirador Hold¡¯s all contracts go to the big merchant houses and, even if they will trade with us, we do not have anything to trade with them,¡± he said, referring to farms. To which I shook my head with a smile. ¡°I am not talking about the Mirador Hold or the city; I am talking about the tribes of orcs, which are on the other side of the boundary,¡± ¡°They live in a forest, away from the cities of Meldhorn and Oksall. You have clear access to them, trade with them,¡± I said and a huge shock appeared on the old man''s face. He will only need to buy the goods from Greltheaven and sell them to the orcs. If he is smart, he could even buy things from Navr. The data we have suggests, the tribes of orcs have many things, that we will be more than willing to buy. ¡°Are you joking, adviser? Those are bastards who moonlight as bandits. Not to mention, isn¡¯t it illegal to trade with them?¡± he asked loudly. Though there was no anger in his eyes; he is just trying to understand the logic behind my words. ¡°I am not joking, Baron Harrods, and yes, some of the tribe''s moonlight as bandits, but there are hundreds of them, and only a few are bandits.¡± ¡°As it is being illegal, it is not, but it is not legal either. It is falling in a grey area and if you want, you could take permission from the Count about it,¡± I said to him. We didn¡¯t normalize our relationship with Oksall. So, we couldn¡¯t trade with them directly, but we not trading with cities. They are wild orc tribes, who are living at the boundary of the merchant state. It will be unofficial, and the Count won¡¯t have any problem with it, seeing how he craves the taxes. The old man did not say anything and just slumped back in his seat. ¡°You are really something Adviser and I wished your family had been wise to give you the territory, instead of that brother of yours,¡± he said, and I smiled. I had been offered the territory, but I didn¡¯t want it. Why would I want it, with such freedom in hand? It is not just freedom, but also the wealth and power I am accumulating. In less than seven months, I had been here. I had climbed from legal advancer of the merchant guild to the adviser to the heir of the city. Today, I am his representative, holding more power than some of these nobles. As long as I act carefully. I will rise, and become indispensable, that even if Lancel hates my guts, he will have to keep me, seeing my usefulness. He already understands that. At night when he returned to keep, he was all smiling, but the bastard was angry at me for stealing his thunder, but he did not show it. He might be an idiot, but he is smart enough to know how to use smart people. His father had taught him this thing well. An hour and a half passed, when a smile appeared on Baron''s Harrods face. ¡°We have entered the territory of Radshire.¡± he said. He is happy that we had reached his territory. Like Blain, his territory is on the boundary of the Oksall and Renwell regions, which gives him a great opportunity to trade. If I had been at his place, I would have started it already. It is an untapped market that he could reap. There are hundreds of tribes of orc in the forest and the clothes ones live only a few miles away. Another hour passed, and I could see the farmlands spread around me. The crops are growing well and would be harvested in a month. It will give a small respite to Baron, but after a few months, he will have to find another source of income. If his condition is as bad as he is telling me, it is. Trade will earn him a lot; more than he could imagine. If he did it wisely. Soon, I could see the castle and the small buildings around him. He is one of the most ambitious people here; already setting up a town around the castle. Most had only created small villages away from the castle. He also had one of the biggest populations of civilians in baronies, around a hundred families. Which is not surprising. His territory is the least attacked one; even bandits dared, as Ulag Karguk didn¡¯t attack him. He had created an excellent system of scouts, which warn him of any incoming bandits. It is why nine bandit groups had attacked him; five of them were wiped out, two of which were defeated and surrendered, and only two were able to get away. No one had such records. Soon, the carriage appeared in front of the gate, and I looked at Zela from the window, she nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be worried, Adviser, my castle is well protected. If there had been something wrong, the scouts would have informed me already,¡± he informed, seeing the slight nervousness on my face. ¡°It never hurts to be cautious, my lord,¡± I said as the carriage entered the castle. ¡°Welcome to Rose Castle, adviser. I hope you will be satisfied with our hospitality,¡± he said as I got up. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said, and he smiled as we got out. In front of the door, the family of Baron Harrods waiting. His son and daughter, daughter-in-law, and a grandchild. I greeted them before turning to the castle. All the castles in baronies are the same, but like many other people, Baron Harrods had also started to make changes. Though his changes are small compared to others. As he had said, he did not have an uninterrupted supply of resources. Despite that, his men are well trained and alert; I could see their eyes tracking me as I moved. ¡°It is first place, in the Nakar forest. I am feeling truly safe,¡± I said, and the smile on Baron Harrod''s face has become brighter. ¡°I am glad you feel that adviser,¡± He replied and led me inside. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 138: Funeral Chapter 138: Funeral ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Baron Harrods,¡± I said as I walked to my carriage. ¡°I hope you will visit my territory again, adviser,¡± he replied. ¡°Definitely,¡± I said and walked into my carriage, and a few seconds later, it is moved out of the gate. I have one more barony to visit before I had to go the blain and deal with my dreaded family. I truly wish I could return to the Greltheven, but I had to go there for that bastard¡¯s funeral. I am still angry that he died such an easy death. ¡°How are the monsters?¡± I asked. ¡°Good, the mutt is recovering well,¡± Zela replied. I did not look at the monsters since yesterday and not because I don¡¯t want to, but because I feared I won¡¯t be able to keep myself away from them. Especially from the mutt. It might be a mutt, but it is very cute, and it reminds me of the pets I had. Since I was born, I was never been without a pet. My father was a trainer. We always had dogs in our house, including our own dogs. The only time I had been without a pet was the collage. I will focus on the cute little thing after I finished my business here. Two and a half hours later, I reached Barony of Laval and stayed there for two hours. More than double any of the five places I had visited yesterday. If it were up to me, I would have stayed the whole day and night. It is much better than dealing with family. From Laval, it took me another two and a half hours to reach Blain. When I looked at the castle, I wanted to vomit. ¡°Terrible,¡± I muttered. My brother had repainted the castle, and he did it in a garish shade of green. It is bright and when I looked at it; I wanted to vomit. I had heard people saying it is vomiting and felt it is an overreaction, but it turned out, it is not. Soon, the carriage reaches the gate and entered inside it, before stopping. The door opened by Stone, and I walked out and saw quite a lot of people waiting to welcome me. ¡°Adviser, welcome to the Blain castle,¡± said the voice, I hadn¡¯t heard since that day of will read, where I had lost everything. ¡°Thank you, Leila,¡± I said to my elder sister. She is as well-kept as always, with shoulder-length blond hair, and an expensive tunic and pants, with her enchanted sword at her waist. It is not for a show; she could use it and is powerful enough to kill me. She is a Mage Warrior, and over level 20; she is also a competitive merchant. Though she focused less on that, despite my father¡¯s dismay. Her passion was adventuring. She had visited many places and different continents and fought against many things. Earning the levels and the wealth she has. Her expressions did not change at my address, but the expression on a few people''s faces twitched and anger in madam¡¯s eyes rose further and she gripped her hands. I saw her looking at me angrily the moment we stepped out, and now she had become even angry. I looked at her but turned to my brothers; whom now I hate just as much as Edwin or even more. All the hate I felt for him now had transferred to these two. It is not just the family here; others are also present, including my bastard uncle Raymond and Gerald. I have to talk to him. Invite him to my house; it is at least I could do. After the hospitality, he showered me in Namdar. ¡°You have appeared at the right time; in five minutes, we will start the cremation,¡± said Leila. ¡°I am glad I am not late,¡± I said. Of course, I am not late; I have arrived on time. I had slowed down the carriage earlier. It is unbearable with family; anyone could tell by seeing how strange our conversation is. It is even worse than talking to complete strangers. Leila nodded and led me toward the funeral, where everything had been already prepared. I could see Edwin''s body on the pier; he looked peaceful. I have never seen him, so peaceful as he is in death. I have to say; the mortician had done a great job. Not only in serenating his expression, but also in connecting his head back to his body, making it look flawless. The bandit leader had decapitated him, killing him with a single attack. He didn¡¯t even feel pain, just shock, before death took him. Soon, everyone appeared in front of the pier and the priest begin at Leila¡¯s order. The priest started rituals while I watched. They took part in it; Leila, madam, and my brothers, while I stayed away. They didn¡¯t ask me, which is fine. I have no interest in taking part in the last rites of a man, whom I hate. Also, I feel like it would have been bad. If I had participated in rites, seeing the way Madam was glaring at me. She is still doing it. Her anger is quite surprising, as Madam, is someone who hides her emotions really well, but now she is not hiding anything. Everyone could see how angry she was, and some were confused, including me. She should be grateful to me. I have helped to kill her son¡¯s killer, but all I got was the anger. Hun! Soon half an hour passed and finally, it is time to burn Edwin. Leila held the torch and went toward the pyre with Madam and her two brothers when suddenly Madam turned to me. ¡°You, it is because of you wretched bastard, I had lost my son. If you hadn¡¯t stolen the protective amulet, my son would have been living,¡± she screamed at me, to the shock of everyone. Even Leila seemed surprised by the outburst, while I got the answer to my question. I did not steal the amulet. I have a right over it as much as others. I even have bigger rights, seeing how her children schemed me out of my inheritance. I very much deserve it and I feel no shame about it. ¡°Madam, cease your accusation. The protective amulet belongs to the House of Silver and after the death of hurty, the head of the house had bequeathed it to Remus,¡± said the voice filled with authority. Everybody turned and saw the old man walking in. Uncle Thompson. I didn¡¯t know he was coming, but it was not surprising. He is the true representative of his grandfather. Also, he is lying, but I appreciate his words, in front of all these people. Madam wanted to say something and even opened her mouth, but seeing the expression on the old man¡¯s mouth, she closed her mouth and instead glared at me again, before turning to the pyre. The pyre burst into the dense blue flames of alchemical fire, they lit it. This alchemical fire is for cremation purposes only and will turn everything to ashes in less than ten minutes, and those ashes wouldn¡¯t be hot. So, we will be able to place it into the urn and bury it, with no problem. ¡°Your grandfather is very pleased with you, Remus.¡± Said Uncle Thompson, which surprised me. ¡°I thought he would be angry, seeing I had rejected his opportunity,¡± I replied, and the old man smiled. ¡°Why would he be? You are making your own choices, following your path, without taking much help from family,¡± ¡°He is most happy when the members of the house try to chart their own paths and you are doing that,¡± said the old man. ¡°I am glad,¡± I said and relieved. Some of the decisions I had made in the past few months could put a house in an uncomfortable position. Like becoming an adviser to Lancel, who is strictly in the camp of the fourth prince. Till now, the house had not decided who they would support in the succession or will stay neutral like last time. Seven minutes later, the alchemical fire disappeared, leaving only ash. The four of them had collected the ash and placed it in the golden urn, before moving to the burial place. The priest begins again, while I talked to the old man. The funeral demanded silence and respect, but I have no respect for Edwin, and nor does the old man beside me. I used this chance well to ask a few questions, and I am grateful that the old man has answered it all. I had also become sure who will be the next lord of Blain. With the last prayer, they buried the urn, and the madam broke down. Seeing her like that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for her. Her son had died, the person she loved the most. A little anger I had toward her had disappeared. Though I hate the woman, after what she had done to me last time. A few minutes later, it was all over, and we turned toward the keep, with Leila holding her mother, while my two brothers came toward me. ¡°Uncle Thompson,¡± they greeted, and the old turned to them. ¡°It seemed like you were something important to talk to Remus; I will give you some privacy,¡± He said and walked toward Gerald with a knowing smile hanging on his face. ¡°Remus, it''s nice seeing you again,¡± said Reed with a sugary smile. He had never used it on me before. ¡°What do you want, Reed?¡± I asked him directly, as it is clear he wants something. ¡°He is our older brother. You should be respectful,¡± said Landan and I turned to him and just looked at him blankly. He was always a minion. First of Edwin and now he is dead. He had attached himself to Reed. ¡°I will come directly to the point, Remus.¡± Said Reed and become slightly nervous for a moment before turning serious again. ¡°I want you to recommend me as the new Lord of Blain,¡± he said. ¡°And why in the hell I would do that?¡± I asked him, looking at him incredulously. ¡°Because we are brothers, and I would owe a huge favor.¡± He said, and I laughed. It came out sudden and loud, that several people turned toward me, seeing me laugh, me laughing like mad. It took me a while to calm myself up before I turned to me and saw him glaring at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether my words hold any weight. Even if it did, I will never help you, ever.¡± I said, looking directly into his eyes, showing how much I hate him. It shook him for some reason, and he took a step back. I smiled seeing that and turned to walk away. ¡°It will be Leila, who will take the title,¡± he said from behind. ¡°Good, she will be a hundred times better than you,¡± I said, and this time he laughed. ¡°Do you know where that witch ritual we have used to bind you to the brothel had come from?¡± he asked, and I turned to him. ¡°It was Leila who had given that spell to Edwin,¡± he said, smiling. It stumped me, but soon a smile appeared back on my face, but this time, it did not have any mirth in it. ¡°I am not surprised. To you all, I was never a brother, always a bastard,¡± I said and found myself filled with more emotions than I like to be. I may have said, I am not surprised, but I am. I am shocked. I did not have much relationship with Leila. She is more than a decade older than me and had been at the academy since I was born. When she came home, she would mostly ignore me and even when she talked, it was never more than a few words. It was just that. Unlike my brothers, she never bullied me or said any bad words. So, it is quite shocking to hear that she is the one who provided that ritual spell. Though, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. She is a mage and graduated from one of the top mage academies in the world. It isn¡¯t a big thing for her to get a spell like that. Still, I felt hurt by this information and felt my eyes tearing up, but I controlled myself and walked ahead with a smile on my face. I could not show any weakness here, not in front of these people. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Visitt for the latest updates Chapter 140: Reward Chapter 140: Reward ¡°Isn¡¯t the reward a little too much?¡± said Lancel to his father. Seeing what his father planned to give Remus. ¡°He commanded the force, killed two bandits, and played a big part in killing the biggest menace of Nakar baronies.¡± ¡°If we calculate his contributions, he deserves at least 20%¡±. ¡°We are giving him less than 5%,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°I should have stayed; the bastards only had one of those arrows,¡± said Lancel with gritted teeth and anger in his eyes. Hearing that, Count Darrow shook his head. ¡°You have done a wise thing escaping, son. You are a lord, always remember that. It is not your job to fight, it is what we have servants for. Your job is to rule,¡± said Count Darrow¡¯s. ¡°Which is why you shouldn¡¯t hold any anger at Remus. He is a servant; his glory is our glory; he could never surpass us.¡± ¡°I understand, Father,¡± said Lancel. Count nodded with a smile before his expression turned serious. ¡°He is turning out to be a great asset, and you should learn to use him well or he will go to others,¡± he added with a hint of warning in his eyes. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare to betray us!¡± said Lancel. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a betrayal. If he went to work for your cousin,¡± said Count. ¡°Viscount Atre?¡± he asked, and the Count nodded. ¡°Yes, that man now has an eye on him, and I am sure, what Remus did Nakar baronies would have reached his ears, too.¡± ¡°So, little mindful of how you treat a person who could become your sharpest blade,¡± advised Count Darrow. ... The carriage stopped, and I got out of it before walking toward the gates of Lord Darrow¡¯s mansion. I have only got three hours of sleep before I had to come here. I didn¡¯t even go to the establishment, which I very much wanted to do, but Count Darrow had asked me to appear in his office at sharp seven. If I had gone to the establishment; sleep would have been the last thing I would have done. The guards saluted as I stepped inside the mansion. I look like I am walking gracefully, but if they look closely, they will see me moving faster. Faster than the sprint of unawakened. The Gymnast¡¯s Grace is a really amazing skill, and I planned to tailor my fighting style to exploit its full potential. It is not just this skill, but all of my skills. Though, I am going to focus on two skills the most, in the short to medium term. Rapid Steps and Gymnasts Grace. These are the skills that saved me from the bandits and will save me from other foes till I became strong enough to fight against them. ¡°Lord Count is waiting for you,¡± said the receptionist. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the old woman and walked toward the door. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted Lancel and his father. There were only two of them in the office. I did not see High-Mage York or others, but I am not an idiot to believe they are, with no protection. ¡°Welcome back, Remus,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. There was silence for a moment before Count Darrow opened his mouth to speak again. ¡°You have done well, Remus, better than I had thought you would. Not just in Navr, but also in Nakar baronies,¡± ¡°Many praised your command and combat abilities. Fighting against three Level 20 bandits and killing two. It is no simple feat, especially for someone of your level,¡± he praised. ¡°Most of what you heard is an exaggeration, my lord. I was only able to kill them because they were dumb enough to underestimate me.¡± I replied, and he smiled. ¡°It is the nature of the combat, Remus.¡± He said, and while I only smiled. ¡°The captured bandits arrived at the city yesterday and we are planning to execute them tomorrow,¡± ¡°It will be big news for the city, and I want to add the news of Navr to it,¡± he said and the smile on my face become brighter. The man is intelligent, far more than his son. ¡°It is a great idea, my lord; this will blunt, any negative reaction that might come from this news,¡± I said, and he smiled. ¡°What do you think our neighbors will do?¡± he asked, and it is not the first time he had asked me this question. Though, the last time I hadn¡¯t gone to Navr and negotiated the trade deal. ¡°I am confident they will stay silent in both open and shadows; they need the trade as much we do.¡± Visit for Advanced Chapters.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Chapter 141: Witch I Chapter 141: Witch I Knock Knock I had adjusted my clothes and just sat down when the knock rang out on my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said. The door clicked open, and Margaux walked inside. ¡°Master Silver,¡± she greeted and took a seat beside Carla, who glared at her for some reason and Margaux''s cheeks reddened for a moment before she composed her expressions. ¡°Carla told me everything went fine,¡± I said, and she nodded. ¡°Yes, there were some minor problems, but we dealt with them,¡± she replied. I nodded and opened the file of earnings and expenses. There is everything is written neatly in Carla''s handwriting. As I read, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. The establishment had earned very well. There are many expenses that occurred, but still, a lot of money had been accumulated. It will be enough to fund the trip to Namdar, I am planning to send Carla to. I closed the file and turned to Carla and Margaux. ¡°Can make-up studio room work without Eudo?¡± I asked. They looked at each other but didn¡¯t speak immediately. ¡°They have become quite good under Eudo¡¯s directions, but they are not Eudo. Though their work had become well enough that Eudo could take a break for a few days,¡± answered Carla, and I sighed in relief. There are two people in the establishment, which have become irreplaceable. First is Eudo and the other is Drev, the chef. Both of them are too good to replace if they are gone for more than a few days. The quality of the establishment will plummet. ¡°Carla, you will leave with Eudo for Namdar in a week and you can take one of the girls if you want,¡± I said, and a frown appeared on her face. ¡°You are not coming?¡± she asked, to which I shook my head. ¡°No, it won¡¯t be possible for me to come,¡± I replied with regret. I really wanted to go with her, but I am too busy. Carla did not like the new plan, but there was nothing she and I could do about it. Also, me going is kind of useless, while I have brought the stuff and it was good, thanks to Eva, but she and Eudo would be enough. They know my vision and will buy the best better, better than I could, or even Eva. I want the debut of the new girls would be perfect and hope, I would be able to achieve the maximum number. Though I would not chase that number; the girls who are not ready will not make a debut. ¡°Has Elese been delivering the dresses?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, she is ahead in her deliveries,¡± replied Carla. Hearing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I have to truly have to thank Eudo for finding me this gem; that woman is really good. If her earlier designs were good earlier, now they are great. She is improving at an amazing speed. To fill the constant orders from me, she shifted to a bigger warehouse and employed a lot of people. She is now focusing on designs only while letting others bring out her vision. The orders are going to increase further, and I hope she will continue to increase the quality of the work. She would need her goods to match the level of my establishment, or I will need to find someone else. Though, I don¡¯t think it will come to that. ¡°Master Silver, is not Ina not returning?¡± asked Margaux. I finished writing the note about Elese in my diary and turned to Margaux. ¡°She will, but if things work as I am expecting, then she will be in Mirador''s hold most of her time,¡± I replied. I had told them about my letter; I am keeping Ina there and now with Hugo, there for her safety. I am more relieved. ¡°Then we will need Ina¡¯s replacement. Currently, Margaux is doing fine, but when the girls debut; it will be hard for her to manage everything,¡± said Carla, while Margaux glared at her, before turning to me. ¡°I am fine, Master Silver. I can manage the responsibilities, even after more girl¡¯s debuts,¡± Margaux assured. ¡°I had thought about the problem, but I did not see immediate solutions to it.¡± ¡°I did not trust the new girls enough to give them the responsibility and among the working girls, the capable ones are also the top earners; it will not be good for the establishment if we pull a single one of them out,¡± I said, and I sighed. Earning of single girls didn¡¯t affect me much, but it is clients they bring. The clients come for the top ones; their presence brings the business. So, until a few more girls reach their level. I didn¡¯t see any way out of this predicament unless I ask Carla to help out Margaux with some of her responsibilities when the time comes. It is not something I want to do, but I did not have a choice. ¡°I have a solution to our problem,¡± said Carla, and I looked at her. ¡°We will select a capable girl; she will have to handle her work and duty of assistant madam together,¡± she explained, but I shook my head. ¡°It will put enormous pressure. It will be hard for her to do both jobs,¡± I said. To that, both of them smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them; the girls, the girls are more than capable of handling responsibilities,¡± replied Carla with confidence. I want to reject her idea, but it is very appealing, and I don¡¯t see any choice. Most importantly, I could stop them if I didn¡¯t see it working. The assistant madam will not only lighten the weight of responsibilities on Margaux but will also learn from her. Like Margaux did from Carla and Ina from Margaux. If they are capable enough and a chance comes. I might need to hand them responsibility as I had done with Ina. ¡°Fine. Give me a list of girls who you think can do the job and I will interview them,¡± I said finally. A minute later, I had a list of eleven girls in my hand, and not a single name on the list had surprised me. All the girls are capable. I talked to them for a few minutes about minor things, while I read through the files, before deciding to deal with important things. ¡°Margaux, call Caena to my office,¡± I said to Margaux. She just nodded but did not get up from her chair. Instead just closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them. ¡°She will be here in a minute,¡± she said. ¡°It is a nice skill you have got,¡± I said, and she smiled. I was kind of jealous; telepathy skills are extremely rare, just as the telekinesis skill that Eudo has. It would make quite many things easy if I had a skill like that. Knock Knock Nearly a minute later, a knock rang out on my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said and Caena walked inside. Her face is expressionless as always, but I could see the hidden nervousness behind her eyes. She must have already guessed why I had called her to my office. ¡°Ladies, give us some privacy,¡± I said. Margaux nodded, while Caena looked in question for a moment, before getting up. Both of them walked out of my office and closed the door. Seeing that, some of the nervousness in her eyes disappeared. ¡°Caena, take the seat,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she said and took a seat, with nervousness cracking on her face, which she was trying to hide. I looked at her while activating the privacy enchantment at its strongest. I don¡¯t want anyone to hear a single word of the conversation I am going to have with Caena. ¡°A Witch. I had tried to guess your class many times, but never in my dream, I thought, it would be a witch,¡± I said and the nervousness in her eyes deepened before suddenly it all disappeared and her face was resolute. ¡°My apologies for hiding my primary class,¡± she apologized. Not for her class, but for hiding it. She seemed to have quite a pride in her class. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t like your class very much,¡± I said, and she nodded. ¡°I would have felt the same if I had suffered what you had,¡± she replied. I am not surprised she knew about what happened to me. It is common knowledge and more than a hundred establishment clients had talked about it. ¡°Yes, I would have terminated your contract if I knew and had intention, when I saw the charm in the envelope, but now, things have changed,¡± I said, looking directly into her eyes. ¡°You have used the charm,¡± she said and seemed oddly sure about it. ¡°Yes, it saved my life.¡± ¡°So, thank you,¡± I said. I don¡¯t know if I would have been alive, if not for her charm. ¡°I am glad,¡± she replied. As she could also sense, a but in my sentence and there is a but in it. ¡°I am going to ask you a few questions and I hope your answers would be satisfactory,¡± I said, and a small smile appeared on her face. ¡°What will you do, if you are not satisfied with them?¡± she asked back. ¡°Nothing bad. I will terminate your contract and will give you a hefty severance since your charm saved my life,¡± I said, and she seemed surprised by it but soon controlled her emotions. Though, I could see, relief appearing in her eyes. She likely had expected I would report her to the authorities, and that would have been bad. Witch is a registered class in the empire''s registry, which means those with that class will have to register with authorities. Casting spells and doing rituals is forbidden for unregistered witches, and there is punishment. I don¡¯t want her to suffer any of that. So, I will pay her well and even book a ticket to the places which are friendly to witches. If her answers satisfied me, she would stay. It will be risky, but there are no rewards without the risks.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 142: Witch II Chapter 142: Witch II ¡°What are your intentions with my establishment?¡± I asked the most important question. It surprised her, but she quickly controlled her expressions. I could have started with the other questions, but I started with the most important ones. I have been thinking about the moment; I realized her class, and it made me realize other things. Her strange behavior isn¡¯t strange now. Since the day she arrived here, she was wandering around the establishment. Then the spa and now the project. It was clear she was doing something, but no one could find out what; even now, I don¡¯t know what she did or is trying to do since she is still making around, but I want to find out. There is a reason witch is a restricted class and while there are misconceptions and stereotypes about it, there is also a genuine reason. The class is dangerous. She did not say anything, even after a minute, and I was about to ask her again when a smile appeared on her face, and she looked at me with those deep black eyes. ¡°You know, you are the luckiest person I have ever met in my life,¡± she said, surprising me with her words. Now, I wanted to laugh. I am the unluckiest one, especially in the past year; I found myself in a string of dangerous incidents, where I was barely able to survive every time. ¡°Do you know the chances of success with the type of ritual done to bond you with the establishment?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, it is less than 1%,¡± I replied. The moment I came to know what had happened to me, I tried to find out everything I could about it; every aspect of it. From the ritual to the class that performed it. She smiled at my answer. ¡°It is 0.2% to be exact and even when it worked; it only worked, partially, about 10% to 20% of its power. It is enough to affect the class of the target,¡± she said, and I nodded. The few witches and experts I had talked to had said the same things. ¡°To you, on the other hand; it had worked completely. At 100%,¡± she said and now, I am shocked. Because I had asked this question to the old witch I had talked to, and she laughed in my face. Saying it is near impossible. The chances of that happening, is more than a million in one. ¡°And it made me lucky because?¡± I asked, and she nodded. ¡°Because at hundred 100% success of such a ritual. The bonded item gains the abilities and what yours has gained is considered rarest of them all,¡± she said slowly and looked at me. ¡°I have no idea,¡± I said plainly and smiled again. ¡°It is emotion absorption,¡± she answered, and my eyes went wide. Saying I am shocked would be an understatement. I am beyond it because there is only one thing that absorbs the emotions. ¡°Legacy,¡± I said, and she laughed loudly, before stopping suddenly feeling my intense gaze. ¡°Legacy is something that is on a different level.¡± She said, with her gaze turning somber. ¡°Even the weakest legacies absorb 98% of all emotions people release and could hold it, without any leakage,¡± ¡°While the establishment could only absorb around 3%, of which 99% get leaked out,¡± she said. I couldn¡¯t help but frown upon hearing that. It is nothing. ¡°Then why did you say I am lucky?¡± I asked. ¡°Because emotion absorption is extremely helpful,¡± she said. ¡°You are already enjoying the effects brought out from it,¡± she added a moment later. I was about to shake my head when I suddenly stopped and begin to recall some things which I found strange. There are many, but one of them I had noticed before Caena had come to the establishment. When I was making changes, more than after the establishment opened Architect Lloyd had come to me and asked me if someone had cast an area-wide reinforcement-type spell. He said, the ground is firmer, and the walls are stronger than they should be. ¡°Can these emotions affect the strength of walls and the grounds?¡± I asked. To that, she smiled. ¡°It affects everything,¡± she replied. It is not just strengthening; a lot of clients had said, the ambiance of the establishment is great. The drinks tasted better here, and the music was more melodious. I thought; it is because of my preparations, but it seemed like there was something more. There are many other things, including the feeling, which seemed to be getting stronger over time. ¡°Will this emotion absorption increase over time?¡± I asked, and she looked at me before slowly nodding. ¡°Yes, and so will the ability to hold it, but no matter how much it increases; it would never reach even 1% of the legacy,¡± she replied. I sighed, hearing that, but nodded. Thinking about what she had told me. I do not completely believe every word that came out of her mouth, but know, the majority of it is the truth. ¡°So, once again, what is your intention with my establishment? Most importantly, what do you do when you roam around?¡± I asked, adding another question to my original question. I could somehow guess a little, but I put that aside. ¡°The answer to your first question is simple and you would have guessed it already,¡± she is looking at me. ¡°We witches are the oldest of casters. Our magic works through laws and emotions, and your establishment has it.¡± I smiled hearing that and become cautious. I had already been cautious, but now I become even more. With witches, every word spoken to them is a pact and I am not going to promise her anything. Especially about the emotions she wants to harvest from my establishment. ¡°The answer to your second question is I am casting ritual enchantments to it. I had spent every crown I earned for that.¡± ¡°It is the reason drinks tasted a little better; treatments in the spa work better. I am also connecting to the establishment with the project,¡± she replied, and I am shocked to hear that. I thought she was trying to steal the harnessed emotions and not this. Though, from what I know, stealing is impossible. It is my domain, and she will need my permission. She is a witch, and this is the law. Still, it is kind of shocking, especially when she said she is spending every crown she is earning. Which is kind of a lot, considering she is among the top three earners. ¡°And you are doing that with the goodness of your heart?¡± I asked, and she laughed. A good, humorous laugh that even put a smile on my face. The laugh disappeared a couple of seconds later and her eyes turned somber as she looked directly into my eyes. ¡°No, Master Silver; I want the emotions your establishment is absorbing. It is every witch¡¯s dream.¡± ¡°I will give my everything for that, willing to work tiredly for years, till I gain enough of your trust, that you will give me permission to use it,¡± she said with unwavering gaze. I smiled at that. ¡°I hope you will give me the list of all the ritual enchantment you have placed in and around my establishment,¡± I said, and she smoothly opened her bag and removed the diary before handing it to me. I took the diary from her and open it and within a minute, a surprise appeared on my face and the more I read, the bigger surprise would become. She had cast forty-six ritual enchantments. From drinks to spa treatments to food dishes to reinforcement of my establishment, like strengthening its material and other things. She had even imprinted the sexual positions in it. ¡®How was she able to do it, without gaining my permission?¡¯ I asked myself. She needs permission to do it; it is the law. It didn¡¯t take me a second to realize the answer to my question. I had given it to her and did its strongest form. The contract we had signed had allotted the girls certain privileges and one of the clauses I had written, gives her permission to do what she was doing. My intention was different but through it. She has permission. It seemed like I will need to make some changes in the contracts of the girls. I finished reading the enchantments and put down the diary before closing my eyes. There is a burning excitement in my heart. She had opened big doors for me; the things I could do with her help. I might not have a legacy, but with her help, I can make my establishment the second-best thing to the legacy. I opened my eyes and turned back to the diary. She has done a good job, but she could do it better with data. I have stacks of data. From what drinks we sell the most to what sort of positions clients prefer. Imprinting those with ritual enchantments will bring a bigger effect. First, I need to know one thing. ¡°Did you need to experience those to complete the ritual?¡± I asked. ¡°Not necessarily, but If I did it with me as a medium. The chance of success is over 80%, while with others, it is only 20%,¡± she replied. I nodded at that before turning back to the diary and writing down a few things in it. I feel like she is telling the truth about the ritual enchantment, but the feeling is not enough. I will have to test it and I have an idea of how I will do it. ¡°How long will it take you to make these ritual enchantments?¡± I asked as pushed the diary toward her. There are six ritual enchantments I want to imprint; they are different, and any effect related to them would be noticeable to me. It will help me know whether she is telling the truth or not. ¡°If I have the materials ready, then I will need three to four days to create them,¡± she replied, looking at the list. ¡°Give me the list of materials,¡± I said to her, and she begin to write down the list and a few minutes later, she finished and pushed it toward me. I look at the list and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by it. 90% of things are mundane materials, 10% of them are magical in nature and that is what cost the most. From what I could see, they will be easily found in the city, and I won¡¯t even have to be secretive about buying them, considering the Drev is using them to practice and create a new fusion menu, which we are going to use from next month. I didn¡¯t say anything to Carla about her giving him permission to practice with magical materials, but I still fear he might burn down the kitchen and even my establishment. ¡°You will have these by evening,¡± I said. ¡°Ok,¡± she said. A few minutes later, she had after we discussed the six ritual enchantments, while I closed my eyes and slumped on the chair. There are many things I wanted to ask her, but it is not time. Just as it is not time to give her a ritual that bonded me to the establishment. I need to know things, and truly trust her before I could do it. Click! I was thinking when the door opened from Carla¡¯s side and she walked in. ¡°What was that about?¡± she asked as she took a seat in front of me. ¡°Something secrets,¡± I replied. She glared at me but didn¡¯t peruse further. ¡°I come to invite you for lunch downstairs. He is creating great fusion dishes,¡± she said, looking at my reaction. ¡°I just hope, he didn¡¯t burn down my kitchen,¡± I said. ¡°He will not, I am taking every precaution for it,¡± she replied. There was a comfortable silence for a few seconds before I placed something on the table and slid it toward her. Seeing that, her eye widened in shock. ¡°This is for you,¡± I said as I placed it in front of her. ¡°Is this?¡± she asked with a shaking voice. ¡°Yes, an iles bag and it is yours,¡± I said with a smile. She touched it with the shaking hand before pulling it back. ¡°I can¡¯t take it. It is better if we sell it and use that money on the establishment,¡± she said, to which I shook my head. ¡°There is no need for it,¡± I spoke. Yes, I could sell it, but Carla needs this. It makes a lot of things easier, and it is a symbol. She looked at me for a couple of seconds before finally stretching her hands toward it. She took it with her hand carefully and pushed it inside before turning to me. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, with tears welling up in her eyes. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 143: Preparation Chapter 143: Preparation ¡°So you understand what you and your criers have to do, guild master Ronald?¡± I asked the old man. He is Reggie Ronald, the leader of the criers guild. ¡°Yes, adviser. I will thoroughly prepare my people for it,¡± he replied. ¡°You better; any mistakes and both of us will not like the consequences,¡± I said, and a small, mirthless smile appeared on his face. ¡°It will not happen, adviser,¡± He said. ¡°Start the preparations; I will personally come at night to check on your progress,¡± I said to him, and his expression froze for a moment before a strained smile appeared on his face. I don¡¯t want to pressure him, but I want tomorrow and the entire week, perfect. I want to people to hear about trading with the undead so much, that they would think it is natural. Though I would not bombard them with it, the messaging would be subtle. It is not only for the city but also for me. I have a personal stake here and I will damn. If I let anything or anyone mess it up. ¡°See you tonight, adviser,¡± he said and walked out of the room. He is not the first person I have met since I came from the establishment. Before him, I had met the chief editors of the three newspapers and told them about tomorrow''s agenda. I will also go there at night, to check the final draft of newspapers. The next few days are going to be very important; I need to shape the opinion such away and it needs to be smooth; too much and the public will not accept it. It will be a challenge, but there is a big hope. Nearly everybody is aware that the merchant cities trade with undead and we use many of the things that come from there. Thankfully, I had made the preparation nearly a month ago; the day I come to know about the diplomatic mission and trade negotiations that will happen there. The newspapers have been publishing articles about it. Not our trade, but of merchant cities and other kingdoms and how many of things we use come from there. There has been a reaction, but it had been controlled. After he left, I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds, before opening them again and looking at the file in front of me. I am in my new office, which is good; not as big as the one I have in the city, but still big enough. The furniture is amazing, better than I had in both of my offices. I worked for an hour before he went to Lancel¡¯s office and from there; I went to Count Darrow¡¯s. I updated him on my progress and took a few permissions before going to the merchant guild. Where I have a meeting with Guildmaster Hardt and other stakeholders of the merchant guild. The merchants are a powerful force with an enormous influence; used wisely and they will be able to do the wonders. ¡°Adviser Silver,¡± They stood up and greeted me as I entered the conference room, where all the seats were filled. I had asked everybody to be present and was happy that nobody was absent. I looked at all of them. The Guild-master, vice-guild masters, and other important people of the merchant guild are sitting there. A few months ago, I used to sit among them; not in the main seats, but behind them where the staff is seating. I could see all of them focused on me, wearing a smile on their faces, but many of them has jealousy in their eyes. There are some who are feeling it, with an unnatural intensity. The biggest is Damon Hardt, Guild-master of the merchant guild. He wanted the position I have and even interviewed for it. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± I said to them, all men, before sitting down. They followed after me. ¡°We have established trade relations with Navr. If flourished, it will bring our city, region, and whole empire riches beyond imagination, but for it to succeed, we need to sell this idea to the people,¡± ¡°And no one could compete with us merchants when it comes to selling things,¡± I said, drawing the laugh from many faces. ¡°Wise words adviser,¡± said vice-Guild-master Soren, and immediately Guildmaster Hardt looked at him. There is a deep anger in his eyes, which is hiding underneath that smile. The old man wants Hardt¡¯s position, and he did not hide it. Count Darrow is aware of it, but he is not doing anything and I don¡¯t think he will do till Hardt does something he didn¡¯t like or something changes with his family. I wouldn¡¯t interfere either, despite me preferring the old man. I know what I could do, and what I shouldn¡¯t do; interfering here is not something I should do. My position isn¡¯t strong. I need to make myself invaluable before I start meddling with these things. Making these things go smoothly will help me achieve that goal in a big way. ¡°I have a plan and I hope you all will listen to it,¡± I said and started, telling them, while taking the questions. Answering each and every one of them and taking inputs and changing the plans, if it is better. I am not omniscient, and there is nothing wrong with accepting others'' ideas, if they are better. These are experienced people who have decades of experience in what I want them to do. I am learning a lot as I talk with them; sucking up the wisdom they have. Little over two hours later, I am finished and now, 60% of ideas are mine and even among them, 25% have been changed, while 40% are from them. ¡°Thank you for your time, gentlemen,¡± I said, as I ended the meeting. One by one, they left. I talked to each one of them, a few words. Including Damon Hardt. We might not like each other, but we understand our position and know we couldn¡¯t afford to fight each other. Remaining cordial in our best interest. ¡°You are flying higher and higher, Remus,¡± said Locke as I walked out with him from the conference room. ¡°I am just doing the job Lord Count had handed me,¡± I replied to him and he just rolled his eyes. ¡°How was your trip to Navr?¡± he asked. ¡°Great. It is so different from what I had expected,¡± I replied, and it is. Despite reading about it, I had expected to see a horde of undead and gloomy cities. Instead, I saw one of the most beautiful places in this world and also the most terrifying; I shudder whenever I think about the unholy temple. ¡°It was such a regret that my family didn¡¯t give me permission,¡± he said and sighed. He wanted to send the representative, but couldn¡¯t, as his family had declined his request. Locke is quite independent here; the business he has is from his own money, but he is still a member of the house and enjoys the privileges that came from it and that come with strings. He needs to take permission, before forming a relationship with kingdoms like Navr; that has the potential to harm the house¡¯s reputation. I have the same strings attached to me, but I have been provided a lot more freedom. I had informed the house about my intentions and no objection came from it. They did not give me permission explicitly, but the no objection is permission itself. It will help them, throw all the responsibility to me if things were to go wrong. Still, I am quite grateful for the house. They could have stopped me, but they did not. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You have not lost the chance, but if things went well, I will introduce you to a few people who will help you,¡± I said, and he looked at me gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Remus,¡± he replied, and I smiled. I consider Locke a friend. Most importantly, he has potential and he would be very helpful in the future, or even now with the things I am going to ask him about. ¡°Locke, I hope you could help me with a thing,¡± I said. He opened his mouth but stopped and looked at my face, which had become serious. ¡°If it is in my power, I will do it,¡± he said after a second. ¡°I need information about witch class and its working and bonding rituals. I had collected some information, but it is not enough.¡± ¡°I want to see if I do could something about the bond,¡± I said and looked at him hopefully. ¡°Getting you those books won''t be a problem, but I hope you will be careful with them,¡± he said after a moment of silence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know they are restricted. I will return them to you after I finished with them,¡± I replied. ¡°Ok,¡± He replied. A few minutes later, I was in the carriage with a smile on my face. I don¡¯t feel bad about asking Locke for the restricted books. I have done him countless favors, and it is time; he does something for me and it is not something big for him. His house deals in books and related stuff and has a license to keep some restricted books. Even if they didn¡¯t have the license, they would have kept it. The House of Silver also has an extensive collection of restricted books, which only the trusted can read them. I would have asked the house, but the house doesn¡¯t send out the restricted books, even the copies. Locke is the best choice to get it. I went back to my office in Count Darrow¡¯s mansion and work there for some time. Before I received the message, I was waiting for. I got out of the office and sat in my carriage, and I was at the port. Walking toward the spot where the boat from the other side will stop in the company of the port official. I talked to him as I waited, and soon, I saw the boat and people sitting on it. A minute later, the boat was docked, and people had come out. ¡°Uncle Thompson, Gerald, Uncle Raymond, welcome back to the Greltheaven,¡± I greeted. I don¡¯t want to greet my uncle; I hate that bastard, but I didn¡¯t want to show the family differences in the open. ¡°Remus, you didn¡¯t have to welcome us personally,¡± said Uncle Thompson. ¡°I wanted to,¡± I replied and took them to the carriage. Soon, the carriage is moving toward my place. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask yesterday, but how was Navr?¡± asked Gerald. ¡°Good, better than you would expect, and extremely prosperous,¡± I replied, Gerald nodded and look at the two men. I felt the skill activate and even the green ring on Uncle Thompson''s finger activated, covering the carriage in a green light. ¡°The house wants to set up a branch in Greltheaven,¡± Gerald informed. ¡°I had asked the house to do that months ago; Greltheaven has huge potential. If the trade with Navr worked, it will be even bigger,¡± ¡°They have everything our house will be interested in,¡± I said. ¡°Navr is complicated, we will start with merchant cities first,¡± he said and I smiled. I could understand the hesitation; it could have been a great repercussion if things went south. ¡°Your grandfather is asking when you would be interested in running the Greltheaven branch?¡± asked Uncle Thompson and could see the surprise and then anger appear in Uncle Raymond¡¯s eyes. It seemed like grandfather didn¡¯t fill him on that. ¡°I can¡¯t Uncle Thompson; there are too much responsibilities on me already. I am in no state to handle another one.¡± I declined the responsibility. They didn¡¯t seem surprised at hearing that. I had declined the barony, compared to it, the branch head is nothing. Though, Uncle Raymond is a different reaction than them. The branch head is an enormous responsibility. As it will come with responsibilities of the whole region. There are some investments in the Renwell region, but not a branch. The branch head will be responsible for the whole region and if they did well, they might gain that position officially. I am sure the wrangling and lobbying had already begun, and I planned to stay away from it. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 144: Executions Chapter 144: Executions ¡°...I could proudly say to you all, the biggest menace of baronies has been dealt with,¡± said Count Darrow from the stage, and the crowd of over ten thousand cheered madly. I am standing behind Lancel on the stage, and in front of us are thirty-two guillotines, with thirty-two bandits bound to them. The moment those wickedly sharp blades fell, they would be dead. I don¡¯t like the public execution. It all felt uncivilized to me. Though these bastards deserve to be executed; they have killed countless people, including the children mercilessly. Count¡¯s speech lasted long, and he praised his son¡¯s bravery nonstop. He barely mentioned mine and others'' contributions; like his son alone had fought all of them. Lancel, on the other hand, is even more shameless; he didn¡¯t speak about our contribution at all. ¡°How is everything going?¡± I asked Mage York. ¡°Same as before, protests in seven areas, including one in front of the church,¡± he replied. I am sure half of those protesting are being led by the church. The church had been warned to not create any ruckus; it had mostly listened. The protest is its form of protesting and face-saving in front of the public, with the priest promising to do everything in his power to stop the trade with Navr. Count Darrow wanted to restrict all the protests, including one in front of the church, but I had stopped him. There should be visible resistance. If we used brute force on everything, it would become even bigger and more uncontrollable; we do not want something like that. ¡°Execute them,¡± Count Darrow ordered, and immediately all thirty-two blades fell down. I am seeing the blades coming down and fighting the impulse to look away. Thud Thud... A second later. The falling blades decapitated the bandits and the thirty heads rolled out. There was silence for a moment before the crowd cheered. Loud enough that the entire city could hear them. These should be executed inside the jail, away from the crowd, but it is a custom in this world. Except for sensitive cases, all the executions are done publicly in the central square of the city. The speeches continued, while the people collected the heads and bodies. Though they didn¡¯t remove them. They will be there till evening. I watched the speeches while taking updates from Mage York continuously and also listening to speeches, which didn¡¯t end after the executions. This is a big opportunity for Count Darrow, and he is milking it for all its worth, promoting his son in every word. Not only him, but others are too weaving the flowery words for Lancel. They have been ordered to do it. I edited some of these speeches myself last evening. It is my job as an adviser to Lancel. Over an hour and a half later, everything ended, and we had finally returned to the mansion. I feel really good to be getting away from those dead bodies, which will be burned in the evening. ¡°How was everything?¡± asked Count Darrow as he sat in his chair. ¡°There are some protests, but other than that, everything is great,¡± I replied, but Lancel did not seem pleased by it. ¡°Are you an idiot, Remus? Crush the protests and throw them in jail. A week in jail will teach them a lesson,¡± Lancel ordered in an unusually loud voice, which felt high-pitched. It seemed like the flowery words of fake glory had gone into his head. It is said, if people tell you a lie repeatedly, you will believe it as the truth. People praised him as brave and powerful, and he seemed to believe that he was those things. Not is a coward, who had run away from the battle. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do it, my lord. The people need an outlet to blow off their dissatisfaction, and we should let them do that. If we get too strict in dealing with them; they will explode, and it won¡¯t be containable. ¡°They won¡¯t dare to do anything. We are the lords, and it is their duty to follow our every order.¡± ¡°If they dared to cause trouble, we will execute them, as we executed the bandits,¡± he said, looking at me mockingly. I wanted to beat the shit out of this bastard. I mean, hadn¡¯t he learned anything? He doesn¡¯t even know basic statecraft. Power is not everything. If your citizen is against you, then no matter how leveled you are, you will be toppled. There are a few exceptions to that, but this bastard didn¡¯t fit in any of them. To be honest, I worry about my future and the city when I hear such words come out of his mouth. He is going to rule this city one day, and he wants to destroy it. If our enemies aren¡¯t for that. I smiled and turned to his father. Whose good mood seemed to have disappeared. ¡°We may be the lords, my son, but powers have limits, and knowing them is the mark of a great lord,¡± he said and turned to me, with his eyes serious. ¡°I hope you know what you are doing, Remus,¡± he said. There is a threat in his voice, but it is less for me and more to console his son. ¡°I am my lord, and I promise you. If we slowly let them blow off the steam, there won¡¯t be any big chaos,¡± replied. ¡°I will let you handle it, but if something goes wrong, then it will be your responsibility,¡± said Count Darrow. I had to fight with my all, not to stiffen at the moment. It is this bastard''s work I am doing, but to please his son. He is throwing it all at me. ¡°Thank you for your trust, my lord,¡± I said. I could see Lancel¡¯s expressions changing; his anger is all disappeared and now, there is a smile on his face. ¡°You are dismissed,¡± said the Count. I bowed to both of them and walked out of the room and directly went to the control room I had set up the last evening. ¡°How is progress?¡± I asked the mage as I took my seat. ¡°Everything is great, adviser, aside from the protests at seven places,¡± he replied, and begin to ask him a question in detail. I didn¡¯t stay in the control room long and took the unmarked carriage and moved toward the protest¡¯s spots. I begin to visit them. The arrangements were working as I had expected them to. There are criers and guards, some of them with special classes to spot the miscreants. There are many classes that specialize in sowing chaos. The guards will need to be alert to spot them. At each spot, there are twenty to thirty people protesting aside from the church where there are about a hundred. I am least worried about the people in front of the church as it is their people. Till everything is in control, the church will keep them in control, but the moment things become bad. These people will be the ones who will become the most dangerous. Aside from our neighbors, the church is the most dangerous factor. Till now, the neighbors hadn¡¯t made any move, and some cities had even started to support us in it. As I had said, everyone wants the trade. Count Darrow is not the only one who is thinking about earning a lot of wealth before the eventual fall of the region. Others also think the same and want to gather as much wealth before everything goes down to hell. ¡°There is a message from your uncle; they are leaving,¡± said Zela in front of me. ¡°To the port, driver,¡± I said and the carriage begin to move toward the port. I feel really bad, I didn¡¯t get to show any hospitality to Uncle Thompson and Gerald. Yesterday, I had barely spent two hours with them before I needed to return to the office. My Uncle Raymond had quipped about that in the morning, but I didn¡¯t even respond, which made him quite angry. Thankfully, they were understanding. Still, I want to send them off. It is the least I could do. Soon, the carriage stopped, but I did not get out. There is still time before they arrive. So, I turned to Zela and once again asked her for reports and not just about the protests, but of the other things, too. I would be an idiot. If I had looked at only one thing. I had spread the men everywhere, with one mage on each team. They are keeping an eye on everything and if you think someone is doing something suspicious, they will detain them. With the count unloading all the responsibility on me; the stakes have become even higher. I have to be even more careful. I could not make a mistake, or it will be over for me. I have yet become valuable enough for the Count to not fire me over such a mistake. A little over ten minutes later; a familiar carriage stopped beside mine and I got out. ¡°I have been a terrible host to you all,¡± I said to them as we walked toward their ship. ¡°You were not a poor host; you are busy at work. It happens, so don¡¯t stress too much about it,¡± said Gerald and patted me reassuringly. ¡°Still, I feel bad. You and Cara had done so much for me when I came to Namdar and I here, I had barely spent a few hours with you all,¡± I said and sighed regretfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, young Remus,¡± said Uncle Thompson, and I nodded. We talked about something else until it is time for them to leave. They were going to Namdar first, where Uncle Thompson had some business, before returning to the mainland. Uncle Raymond is going with him; he could go back directly, but hanging back with Uncle Thompson. I watched them walk the ship through the ramp and stayed there till they disappeared from the view and returned to the carriage, which moved toward the city. I didn¡¯t return to the office and instead continued surveying the locations for a few hours while taking inputs from Zela and giving orders. It was five when I returned to the controlled room and till now everything is good, but things could turn sour at any moment, and I have to be careful. It is why I didn¡¯t return to the establishment; even when I wanted to. It will just distract me, and I don¡¯t want to be distracted when there is a sword on my shoulder. ¡°There are people gathering in the central plaza,¡± informed Zela. ¡°Detain them, but ask the guards to not throw them in jail; just keep them in the cell till night, before releasing them,¡± I ordered. There are certain no-go areas, and the central square is the biggest one. I cannot let them protest in that place; the chances of things getting out of control are very high. Hours passed, and I had given out many such orders. Soon it was ten at night, and every protest disappeared. Even the one in front of the church, we had let them stay longer than the other protests, but ten is a limit and they also seemed to understand that. The guards only bark a few sharp words and hit a few before dispersing. Though looking at how things went today, the protests will return tomorrow, but that is to be expected. I didn¡¯t go back. There are other things I have too to look for and deal with them as they appear; a slip would be dangerous. [Adviser Lv. 7] [Skill Gained: Lords Mood] Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 145: Three Chapter 145: Three ¡°I am going to miss you,¡± I said as muzzled my nose into Carla''s neck. It has already been a week since I returned, and I have been busy, especially in the first three days and I am going to be busy again from tomorrow. Today, the shipment of goods has left the Navr; it will reach the Mirador Hold tomorrow, and by night; the goods will be in the city. It is the day I had been waiting for and also the one I had been dreading. The people reacted when they heard we will be trading with Navr. I can¡¯t help but be worried, about what they will do when the actual goods from the undead enter the city. I have prepared for this moment for a week, but still can¡¯t predict the reaction the people will have. I hope it won''t be too much or I might lose my job. I love my job, despite hating the guts of my boss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Everything would be fine,¡± said Carla, noticing the look and kissed me. The kiss lasted for more than a minute before our lips separated and she got out of bed, with the duvet sliding off seductively off her body. ¡°Stay,¡± I said to her, and she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I am leaving in a few hours and there are many things for me to do,¡± she said as she quickly wore her clothes, which are scattered across the room. Since I had returned, I had been with her for the night and now she is leaving. I wish I could have spent more time with her, but I was so busy; for the first three days, I slept in my office. For the next four days, I slept only for four hours. Soon, she finished wearing her clothes and bend down to kiss me. ¡°We will spend all the together when I return,¡± she said and left the room. I stayed on the bed for a couple of minutes before getting up. A few minutes later, I walked out of the building in the faint light of dawn. After reaching my spot, I started yoga, which I hadn¡¯t done in nearly two weeks. By the time I am finished. Instructor David had arrived. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± he asked, without making any small talk. ¡°Yes,¡± I said, and I moved to attack him with Rapid Legs. A faint surprise appeared on his face, but he reacted quickly and responded. Instructor David, as usual, came at me hard. Using a plethora of skills against me, some he had never used before. His class provides him with many skills. Some combat teaching classes get a repository, where they have many skills to teach their pupils. Some repositories have tens of skills, while some have hundreds. I heard; I heard some repositories of very powerful classes have thousands of skills in their repositories. Instructor David is good, but I don¡¯t think he is over Level 30, close but not there. This means his repository will probably have around fifty skills. These skills could only be used in teaching the pupils and not in the battle, or these classes would have been terrifying. It is because of practice with these skills; I was able to survive against those bandits. They had many skills, some I have never seen, but I survived them, and the big credit goes to instructor David. I responded to his attacks but mostly dodged. It is the thing I could do the best and planned to focus on in the short term. Before, I wasn¡¯t able to dodge so many of his attacks, but now I am doing it and it is not only because of my amazing skills but also because of the experience. I had fought bandits, fought the bloody plants and undead. Every one of them had the power to kill me with a single attack, but I survived, and I will train even harder to survive more of such incidents. I plan to live long, and I am sure I will come against many dangers. I want to be prepared to deal with them. Soon, two hours were over, and we had stopped; an hour early than usual, but this is all I could spend today and in the next few days. ¡°You have improved tremendously in these two weeks, Remus. To be honest, I have never seen anyone improve so fast, except in the war, and even there, very few could make such comprehensive progress.¡± He said with wonder written all over his face. ¡°I have experienced a few things that forced me to improve,¡± I replied, and his expressions become serious. ¡°They must have been something,¡± he said, and I smiled. I have been ordered to not talk about the dungeon. Even if I wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have talked about it; that place is not something one should talk about it in the open. Instructor David left a few minutes later after giving me the tips and the promise of making the training even harder in the next session. I am more than open to it; I want it hard as possible. I walked inside the building with much less pain than I would usually feel after training with instructor David. The establishment feels a little different; it is not noticeable unless you are focused on certain things. Some of them had improved, like now there was little less dust accumulated on the hidden corners. The six ritual enchantments were things I could notice easily, and they seemed to be working. Or it could be the spells doing to make me believe it. To know for sure, I am spending a lot of money. I had asked her to make six ritual enchantments earlier. Yesterday, I increased that number to thirty-two and even ordered the material needed to make it. They will arrive by tomorrow. These thirty-two ritual enchantments will tell me the truth. As even if she is a powerful witch, she wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain so much active spells constantly, if she is lying to me. If she is telling the truth, then my establishment will become even better, and I will spend more. Millions of crowns. I will enchant the establishment with thousands of such ritual enchantments, till it could only be bested by the legacies alone. It seemed farfetched but could be achieved. I am confident I will be able to do it, if it is the truth. As I reached my room, I removed all my clothes and applied the numbing cream before walking into the shower. Two hours later, I was waving at Carla, who was walking toward the ship with Eudo and Andrea. If everything goes well, then she will return in five to six days, a week at most. She reached the ship and waved back at me. I stayed for a few minutes before sitting back in my carriage. I would have waited till the ship has sailed, but I do not have time. ¡°To Nielson,¡± I said to the driver. I have a couple of things to do today. First, meet with Valentina, that¡¯s where I am going. Then go back to the establishment to finish the interviews, before going to the office. I have taken the time and interviewed most of the girls, and now only two had remained. I want to finish with that as soon as possible and make my choice, as aren¡¯t many days have remained, till the debut date of new girls. The carriage stopped, and I got out of it and walked inside the building of the Nielson Guild. ¡°Miss Elar is waiting for you inside, Adviser,¡± said the receptionist. I nodded my thanks and walked into Valentina¡¯s office and immediately got surprised. There was Valentina and Chief Architect Davidson, sitting opposite of her, and between them, was a projection of a circular building. Seeing it, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. She seemed to have finished with the changes, I had asked her; they were a little complicated and couldn¡¯t be done in a single meeting. ¡°Remus, welcome,¡± said Valentina as I entered her office. ¡°Adviser,¡± greeted Davidson. ¡°Miss Valentina, Mr. Davidson,¡± I said, while still looking at the projection, which is covering the whole table. My trip to Navr opened my eyes to some things and gave me perspective. So, I asked for the changes, expensive changes for which I had to give her the whole check I got from the Count and some more. ¡°We have incorporated all the changes you have asked for,¡± Valentina informed, and begin to show me the changes. I looked at each and every one of them and she had incorporated it all. There are many changes, including adding a few more specialized rooms, some changes in the spa, and a few other things. There is one thing I added, which took half of the check. It will be a long investment, but I could already tell it will be worth it. It will give her girls what they had never expected. I just hope enough of them have a talent for that. I should have checked that, before making such an investment, but it is fine. I am thinking of the future, if my girls didn¡¯t have it, I will get those who have. The contract of those will cost me a lot, but I will get them. ¡°The changes will not affect the schedule, right?¡± I asked, and she smiled. ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± she replied. I felt relieved. The construction is progressing rapidly. I have seen what she was able to do in little more than a month. She had already told me she was confident it will be finished in five months, instead of the six months she had said before. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, if you finished early,¡± I said, and she smiled before rolling her eyes. After hashing out a few details, I was in the carriage again, and a little more than ten minutes later; I was in the establishment. I didn¡¯t go immediately inside and turned to the construction, where over a hundred people were working. They are already finished with the first floor and within two months, the rest of the four floors will be contracted, along with a spa in the middle. It is the small, complicated work later that is going to take a further two months. I wanted to check it out, but there are other things for me to do. Sighing, I walked into the establishment. ¡°Master Silver,¡± Margaux greeted as she saw me in the hall. ¡°Margaux, send the two girls for the interview,¡± I said and walked to my office. I want to choose today; there are less than ten days before new girls debut, and I want assistant madam to learn at least a few things before loads of responsibilities fall on them. Seeing the number of girls going to debut, the responsibilities are going to be heavy. ¡°Master Silver, Miss Ruvel has come for the interview,¡± informed Clair. ¡°Send her in,¡± I replied. A moment later, a woman in her mid-forties with dark blond hair walked inside. Fifty-five minutes later, I had finished with interviews and asked Clair to call Margaux. I had made my decision. Click! The door opened, and Margaux walked inside. ¡°Have you decided, Master Silver?¡± she asked as she sat down. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied and forwarded the page. She looked at it and was surprised immediately. ¡°Three?¡± she asked, and I nodded. I originally planned to hire only one for the job, but after thinking. Three would be the best; I would need capable people. Not only for the establishment but also for the place I am constructing. There are also a few other things I have in mind, and I would like to have a capable person in my hand, till that happens. The three girls are Lola, Della, and Andrea; all of them are capable and are the top earners in the establishment. They will have to work and juggle the administrative responsibilities together. I am worried, but Carla and Margaux seemed confident. They will be able to do it and I believe in their judgment. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 146: True Chapter 146: True Sautner Merchant Lv. 14 The text was in front of me when I woke up at dawn and a smile appeared on my face. I thought for a second before adding the point to the charm. I had wanted to do that for a while, but keep adding to physical attributes. Though, after it. I am going to add the point to the strength. I should have added this to the strength, seeing it is at nine, and it would have gotten a big increase, but the charm is important too. I would need it a lot, in the work I do. I stayed in bed for a minute more before I got out. I have to go to the office as soon as possible. The goods will reach the Mirador Hold soon and I want to know every detain after that. They are going to come to the city at night. If I wanted to, I could have kept them there for a few days, but I didn¡¯t. The sooner people get used to the goods from the Navr, the better it would be. ... Caena ¡°Finished,¡± I said and wiped away the sweat from my brow as I looked at the ritual enchantment in front of me. It is in the shape of a flower, with tails hanging below it. Now, I only need to charge it, before imprinting it into the establishment. It is a sex position ritual enchantment. The riding woman: it is one of the thirty-two ritual enchantments Master Silver had asked me to craft and I will need to activate the charm while doing this position. It will not be difficult, considering it is one of the most preferred positions. Master Silver had asked me to create charms, but only half of the things have arrived, or should I say 92% of things arrived, which hold less than 10% of the value. The real magical things have yet to come; they are not rare, and most should be available in the city, but this time, he seemed to be cautious. A week ago, he brought things within a day, but now three days had passed. Well, a week ago, he only asked to make six ritual enchantments; this time, it is thirty-two. Some require rare things that might draw suspicion. Knock Knock. I was thinking that when a knock on my room rang out. I placed the ritual enchantment on the secret compartment and hid it under the spell before walking toward the door. Private rooms had many benefits; here, I could do whatever I want, without fear of anyone seeing it. Click! I opened the door and was surprised to see Margaux. I thought it would be one of the girls who come to me with their health problems. I am an herbalist after all, and what I couldn¡¯t solve through herbs could be solved by adding a little witch magic in them. ¡°Madam Margaux,¡± I greeted the woman, who remind me of my mother, with her grace and patience. ¡°This is for you,¡± she said and pointed at the trolley held by Stena. On it, there is a big sealed wooden box. No one will be able to tell what it is inside, till they tear it open. Seeing it, my eyes lit up, but I quickly controlled my emotions. Seeing Margaux watching me closely, despite not looking like she did. ¡°Thank you, for bringing this to me, Madam Margaux,¡± I said, taking the trolly from Stena. ¡°It is no trouble. I needed to talk to you anyway,¡± she said, and her expression turned serious. ¡°Would you mind coming inside, then? We can talk more comfortably here,¡± I invited. She nodded and came inside, with Stena following behind. Margaux and Stena sat on the chair while I was on my bed. Just a few minutes ago, it felt quite spacious, now, with two extra people; it is cramped. It is not new. I would always feel it when people came, but it is not uncomfortable. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about, Madam Margaux?¡± I asked as we all sat down. She didn¡¯t answer immediately, instead looked around my room, with her gaze staying on my worktable for a moment before turning to me. ¡°Your medical help is turning out to be invaluable to the girls'' and because of that, Master Silver had decided to offer you the suit,¡± she said, and I was shocked. So much so that I wasn¡¯t able to react for a few seconds. A private room is more than enough for me; it had been decades since I had something of my own, but now, I am getting a suit. A privilege that only Madam and Assistant Madams have. And I am sure my medical services are not the only reason for me getting it. ¡°Thank you, Madam Margaux,¡± I said with a shaking voice. I tried to control my emotions, but couldn¡¯t. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. It is Master Silver''s decision,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°I will thank him when I see him next time,¡± I said, and she nodded and for a moment, her expression turned a little strange. ¡°He will see you tomorrow; by then, prepare a list of things. You will need to practice your profession. The establishment will provide them to you,¡± she said and which, again, surprised me, but I nodded. ¡°I will,¡± I said after a moment of silence. ¡°Well, I will be leaving then,¡± she said, got up, and walked out of the room with Stena, who took the trolley back, leaving the big wooden box inside. I closed the door after they left and slumped back on the bed. I am sure the suit is more for my witch abilities than for the healers and, to be honest; I don¡¯t care. I want the suit. The bigger space will be more helpful than the room, which now started to feel tiny to me. I closed my eyes and started to create the list of things I want. Though I have to be careful, as some of the things are pretty witch-specific and expensive. A few minutes later, I took pen and paper and begin to write it down, and soon; I finished with the list. I folded the paper and sealed it into the envelope; there are few things there, which only Master Silver should see. With that done, I turned to the wooden box and started to open it. It took a few minutes and some effort, but it was done. Inside it were magical materials, which I had handled carefully. There are all types of things there, from herbs, stones, colorful liquids, and monster parts. Master Silver had brought every ingredient on the list I had given to him, and the quality of all of them was the highest. Much better than the subpar goods I had brought from the old woman. Or even the ones he brought a week ago. They much have cost a lot. If I am right, the market price of all these things would be slightly over a million crowns, and with their quality; I would be able to create more than thirty-two ritual enchantments. The quality of the material not only reduces the rate of failure but also increases the power of ritual enchantment. I sorted them and placed them on a table with tight protection of the spell. Earlier, I had materials to create a few ritual enchantments, but now I could create all thirty-two ritual enchantments. I didn¡¯t waste any time and stared immediately and a little over two hours later; I finished crafting it. This one was rather difficult, but I crafted it without failure. I wanted to create another one, but I am feeling a little tired. So, after putting the ritual enchantment into the secure place; I got out of the room. Creating ritual enchantment is not easy. It took a lot of effort and magic, but I am confident that I could create three a day, four if I push. Though, I will not do it, unless I feel ready. The resources are precious, and I don¡¯t want to waste them on needless failures. The workload is going to be immense, but it is also a great opportunity for me. If I am lucky, I might get a level out of it. I am leveling fast since I had come to this place; not only I broke the second capstone but also went higher. My target, which seemed impossible till a few months ago, didn¡¯t seem impossible now. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on my current challenges. Creating the ritual enchantments is the only one part; the other part is charging them. Unlike mages, I could not just pour my mana into it. Witch magic doesn¡¯t work that way. I would need to harness the emotions. Thankfully, I meet lusty men every day, but even then, harnessing the lust to fill three or four ritual enchantments is going to be challenging. I walked out of the basement and saw the girls practicing, new girls, along with old girls. The whole hall is filled with girls and actors talking animatedly, while Margaux, Lola, and Della watch. I feel a little jealous of Lola and Dell. They had been interviewed for the position of assistant madam and got the job. Andrea had also got it, but she had gone with Carla to Namdar. Forget getting it, I wasn¡¯t even on the list of people who have been interviewed. My class makes me useful, but also untrustworthy. I would have been untrustworthy, even without a bonding incident. Witches are not trusted. I have to make him trust me. To achieve my goals, to take my revenge, I need this establishment and even if it takes me years or even decades, I will keep trying, as it is the only option I have. I watched for a couple of seconds before getting out. I stopped by the statue and turned toward the establishment. ¡°Eslayande,¡± I muttered and immediately, everything around me vanished. The statue, the ground beneath my feet, and even the establishment. The only thing that remained is the true establishment. If Remus Silver can see it, he would be shocked out of his life; I could show him, but he is not ready. I looked ahead at colorful faint lines; they are faint enough that one could barely see them. When I first saw them the first time, they were near invisible; now I could see them with focus. On these lines are the tiny multicolor dots, which are twinkling like the stars. These are ritual enchantments I had imprinted and like strings; they are getting brighter every day. Every day, the establishment is absorbing more emotions. I noticed that the more enchantment I add to the establishment, the more emotions it will absorb and be able to keep after. I didn¡¯t dare to believe it when I first noticed it, but after observation and some experiments, I know it was true. More enchantment will help the establishment instead of straining it. I looked at strings and enchantment before focusing on the core. It is a multicolored ball the size of a child¡¯s fist and looked like a sun. It may be small, but it contains a huge amount of emotion, that any witch would salivate seeing it. Every day, it will get stronger, till it transforms into a legacy. It will be a real terror when that happens. If earlier I had been hopeful, now I am sure it will happen. Though the timing is something I am not sure about; it could take a decade or even a century, but it will happen, as long Remus Silver is alive, and it kept harnessing the emotions. I didn¡¯t tell Silver about that. He didn¡¯t need to know. His knowing might destroy everything. The magic is not simple, especially our kind. Sometimes, you have to be aware of things, but sometimes, being unaware is more helpful. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 147: Goods In The City Chapter 147: Goods In The City ¡°The goods are only an hour away, My Lord,¡± informed Mage York. ¡°They are coming at the right time,¡± I said, looking at the clock, while they looked at me. All of them are thinking it is not wise to bring the goods from the Navr at prime night time. Either I should have waited for a few more days or I would have brought it late at night when everyone is sleeping. ¡°If things go wrong, you can say goodbye to your job, Remus,¡± threatened Lancel. He is angry and jealous. The new skill provides me with quite an insight into his mood. To be honest, it is not a difficult task; unlike his father, he could not guard his emotions well. ¡°I am aware of the gravity of this task and its repercussions, my lord,¡± I replied and felt his mood easing a little. The skill is helpful, as now I could be very sure of what he is thinking and choose the right words to reply. ¡°Be careful, Remus. The trade with Navr is very important. I don¡¯t want you to spoil it in your hurry,¡± Count cautioned. ¡°I understand, my lord,¡± I replied. In the week since I had got the skill, I had only been able to sense his mood once. It is not only because of the difference in level and power of class, but also because he is very good at guarding his emotions. The skill will only work if they could guard their emotions. If Lancel guards his emotions well, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything from him. Still, this skill is very rare; I am quite surprised I got it. Those who get it are mostly at Level 20 and above and have years of experience working for their lord. ¡°Go, then, and come back with good news,¡± he said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°You will not be disappointed, my lord,¡± I said and bowed before walking out of the office. Soon, I am sitting in an unmarked carriage moving toward the port. I didn¡¯t hide the news of goods coming from Navr and even told the time it would come in the newspapers. Though I have omitted the information on the goods that are coming; I had only mentioned the essential goods. Even associated them with the goods we regularly brought from the merchant cities, which also come from Navr. I have been doing that for weeks and while everything was not perfect. I was able to get more successes than failures, including two levels and one skill, which I think is pretty good. My adviser''s class is advancing fast and now it is only two levels away from reaching the first capstone. I pushed those thoughts of levels away and turned to Zela for the reports. Till now, there is no change, except for one. People are gathering at the port; we have not stopped them and have even been given the area to protest, which will be closer to where the boats carrying the goods from the other side of the river. Soon, I reached the gate, and the carriage stopped for a moment and the door opened. A man in his late fifties, with a mix of grey hair, along with a man in his early forties, stepped inside the carriage and sat down. A moment later, the carriage begins to move again. ¡°Adviser Silver,¡± said the man gruffly, as he looked at me with his piercing blue eyes. ¡°Port master Black,¡± I greeted back with a smile, seeing the man was not happy with me. ¡°I am not liking what you are doing at my port, Adviser,¡± said the man directly. ¡°My apologies, port master, but it is necessary,¡± I replied, and he shook his head while looking out of the window. ¡°You should have let me put them in jail,¡± he said. Looking at protesting people who are coming into view. ¡°If we let them protest now, they will protest again tomorrow and the day after that, till they started to protest at every little thing they didn¡¯t like,¡± ¡°I understand your worries, port master, but it is important, and it will be for the night only. After that, you continue reinforcing your rules,¡± I said, and the man¡¯s expression turned a little better. Will this going to be a one-off event or regular occurrence will depend on the reaction of the people? They need to accept the trade from Navr and once they do; they will rain the money on the city and also me. Since coming back, I have got inquiries from hundreds of businesses. Not only from the city, but also from the other cities around. They were waiting for the reaction of people. Once they are sure, it will be bees on the honey. It will take some time. A single day''s result will not create a flurry, but it will be the first step. If everything goes well, the next batch of goods will be even bigger and the one after that would be even greater. The carriage stopped a little distance from the protest. We didn¡¯t get out; showing our faces would be like lighting matches to the fire. Watching from a distance is more than enough. ¡°How many people have been gathered there?¡± I asked the port master, who looked at the mage in front of him. ¡°Currently four hundred and fifty-eight, but there numbers are increasing,¡± he replied. Their numbers are less than I had thought; I thought more than a thousand would gather, but that didn¡¯t seem like the case. Though I didn¡¯t celebrate the fact, I know how quickly things could change. A few minutes later, a big group of twenty people joined the protests, along with lone people, who are coming, every few minutes. Time passed as we watched when, finally, the port master turned to me. ¡°The goods have reached the other side. They are now loading the carriages into the boats,¡± he informed, and a faint nervous smile appeared on my face. While the things we have brought are nothing compared to what comes from merchant cities every day. It is still a huge quantity. The stuff we brought needed thirty-nine carriages to transfer. Now, all of them are coming to the city. A few minutes passed, and finally, the first group of boats could be seen coming from the river. Each boat had a big enough space to hold the four cargo carriages and there were five such boats coming. ¡°No goods from the undead. No goods from...¡± The moment the first boat docked; six hundred protestors begin to shout loudly. Attracting the attention of everyone around, most people just glanced and continued with their business, while some just stopped. People worry about the undead but don¡¯t care much unless they are at their door. Finally, the first carriage rolled down the ramp and begin to move toward the gate; people shouted loudly but didn¡¯t cross the barricade of the guards. They just kept shouting, till all carriages came down. The boats returned to bring another batch of carriages, and some people. Ina had also returned, and I had asked her to stay in the carriage. She didn¡¯t need to show her face, it will put her in unnecessary danger. If I had not needed her, I wouldn¡¯t have called her back to the city. Soon, the boats returned, and bridging the remaining carriages and protests started to shout again. Some also started to follow the carriages, and we let them. A few minutes later, the carriages passed through the gates of the port and entered the city. I remained in the carriages, watching the remaining protestors, who are dispersing fast. Finally, the last of the protestors had disappeared, and port master Black turned to me. ¡°I am impressed, Adviser. I thought the chaos will reign in my port today, but it was surprisingly calm,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, port master,¡± I replied. He smiled and got out of the carriage with his mage, while my carriage moved toward the gate. He is not the only one who is surprised. I am surprised too; I thought there would be a far greater reaction, but it was not. Still, my job isn¡¯t done yet. There are a few more things I have to do. The carriage moved, and half an hour later, it stopped in front of the mansion of Count Darrow. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted and bowed faintly as I entered the office. ¡°Remus, you have done a great job,¡± said Count, with a big smile across his face. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. He had been very fearful about this. He thought thousands will protest since I plastered the news in all newspapers and removed the restriction on protests in the port. Nothing of that sort happened; there were only a few hundred protestors, and they behaved. Not a single arrest had been made. While the challenges are not over, and there are many things that could go wrong. It could be said, we have dealt with one of the biggest challenges today and will deal with the rest of them in the same way. I stayed in the mansion for an hour before getting out. I did not immediately go back home, instead went to the warehouses where the goods were being kept and looked at heavy security. Including hidden guards, I had posted. I could not look away from any aspect of it, and warehouses are an important thing. People love to burn them. 90% of the goods that came were kept here; their owners will take them out slowly when things calmed down. 10% had already been taken and one of the people who have taken them is me. I looked at all the preparations before moving toward the home. ¡°Take the back entrance,¡± I said to the driver as we reached the establishment. During business hours, I used the back entrance. Though I will not be staying in the establishment; I will go back to a rented house. As the carriage walked inside, I saw another carriage there and a few people beside it. Soon my carriage stopped, and the door opened, and it was not the guard who opened the door, but Ina. ¡°Master Silver,¡± she greeted. ¡°How was the Mirador Hold, Ina?¡± I asked her as I got out. ¡°Good. Master Silver,¡± she said with a genuine smile on her face. I knew she had faced some trouble and dealt with her own. I had a few people to keep an eye on her and knew how difficult things had been for her, especially the first few days. ¡°You have done a really good job,¡± I said to her, before turning to the carriage. People are taking out the crates under Cresa¡¯s eyes. The bartender is busy serving the drinks. So, it is Cresa¡¯s responsibility to deal with the new wine and take it to the cellar. It is not just the wine we have brought from Navr, but a few other things, but wine is most important. ¡°Will you be staying here or at the place in the city?¡± I asked her. I had rented a place for her. She had new responsibilities and will be better if she stays in the city whenever she is here. ¡°I will be staying here for today,¡± she said. ¡°But stay in your place from tomorrow,¡± I said, and she nodded, with a mix of sadness, trepidation, and joy. It will be a big step for her; after two decades of living in a brothel. She will live in her own place. I talked to her for a few minutes and made a round of establishment, which is going strong. The absence of Eudo could be felt, but it hadn¡¯t affected the earnings. It had been only one day. The clear result will appear in the next few days. Even if there are effects of his absence, they won¡¯t be big. The others are doing a good job; he had trained them well. After I finished with the round; I sat back in the carriage. Soon, I reached my place, and slept, without even changing the clothes. Souteneur Merchant Lv. 15 Adviser Lv. 9Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 148: Magical Threads Chapter 148: Magical Threads ¡°Harder, push yourself faster!¡± said instructor David, and pressed me harder, with his attacks. I dodged his attacks and those I couldn¡¯t dodge, I tried to counter them with my sword at the cost of pain, but both of the options are not easy fighting against the man, who seemed to read my every move. He has been training me for months and is familiar with my fighting style. Not to mention his class affords him skills that will let him read his pupils. It will help them fix the flaws they have; he had been helping me a lot with that. Thap! Time passed and continued fighting, before finally, he hit me on the knee, sending me to the ground. ¡°You are improving, but there are still many flaws,¡± he said, looking at me, who do not have the energy to get up. ¡°Take this latest one, when I attacked your knee, you...¡± He explained the flaws and gave me tips to improve them. I watched him leave, but didn¡¯t get up; today¡¯s session had been especially intense. He wanted to push me beyond my limits and he did; the pain and marks all over my body are proof of that. The intensity of the past few days had helped me get complete control over my strength, which I took to ten a couple of days ago. After over five minutes of resting; I get up. It was so painful that I nearly collapse. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to walk more than a few meters before I reached the changing room. The manor I had rented had dedicated sparring space and attached to it a changing room. Click! I opened the door and walked into the changing room, before removing all my clothes. Which is akin to a torcher and started applying the numbing cream all over my body. I wanted to just take a sip of the healing potion and get done with it, but I resisted. After applying the cream, I rested for a few minutes before taking a shower. The water is ice cold and getting colder every day. The winter had started, and the temperature was falling; It won¡¯t be long before the first snowfall occurs. I walked out of the shower and wore one of the suits, I keep in the changing room. After looking at myself in the mirror, I went to the kitchen and ate breakfast before sitting in my carriage. Carla is arriving in half an hour, but I am not going to the port to receive her; I have a meeting with the Count, that I couldn¡¯t postpone. It took six days for her to return and shopping had gone a little over the budget, but it¡¯s fine. I have money earned from the Navr deals; half of which I had sent to Carla to shop more, while the other half went to pay my loans and other expenses. I would have loved to give some of them to Valentina, for the new project, but I didn¡¯t have it. As I am spending what I have to make a few changes to the establishment. These changes may be small, but they are delicate and cost quite a lot. Though I am not worried about my payments to Valentina. I am ahead in it; I am also ahead in my loans. I have to pay off both of them quickly as possible, before saving. I have plans. Though, I will not begin on them till I finished the project; which is going to cost a lot. As I want to make further changes, but these are going to be even more expensive and I haven¡¯t truly committed to them. I will decide, after seeing the earnings of my liquor business and establishment after the new girls'' debut. The debut is only three days away, and I have given most of my responsibilities to Margaux. There is no other choice, I am busy. It had been a few days since the goods from Navr came. Now, we are in the preparations for the second tour; this time only merchants will go. Ina will also go with them, and we have already received orders worth four hundred million crowns. I am now busy with many things; getting the people who used to do the idea of goods from Navr to contacting merchants'' guilds of the neighboring cities. I had Ina out on the second day, along with a few people, to meet merchant guilds of surrounding cities. They will go to the merchant guild; give them details about the trade with Navr. The merchants will put pressure on their lords and governors, who also like to have trade, but are waiting. I am trying to fasten the process and make it smooth as possible. ¡°How are our representatives doing?¡± asked Count Darrow. The moment I stepped inside the office, he didn¡¯t even let me greet him. He seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason. ¡°They are doing good, my lord; many low and mid-level merchants are showing interest, along with a few big ones.¡± ¡°I am sure it will put pressure on their lords to act fast,¡± I said and gave him the look, to which he sighed. I have a limited clout. I could at most talk to others at the adviser level. Count, on the other hand, talks to leaders. He is the most powerful noble in the whole region if I weigh the power of his house. Even without it, he is powerful; came second in an entire region behind Marquess Gats; same league as the Lord of Deerpond. ¡°I am trying, Remus, but those bastards want to wait till they get the complete picture,¡± he said, with gritted teeth. ¡°The bastards from Oksall are not willing to budge as well, even after seven months. How much time they need to start the fucking trade!¡± So, that¡¯s why he was angry; he wants the trade with Oksall. Currently, we have an official trade relationship with Meldhorn. While some unofficial trade comes from Oksall and Belnin, it is not enough. I have one idea, but I decided to not say it. I first need to sort out the trade with Navr, before meddling with other problems. I have to prove myself by handling Navr first. It will give me enough capital to poach the other idea. I had already told him about it, but he didn¡¯t listen with much care. ¡°Have a little patience Lord Count; Empire is a big market and they are merchants. They won¡¯t be able to resist it, despite all the grudges, they have,¡± I said, and the Count nodded. Even Lancel smiled hearing that. We talked for a few minutes, before the Count turn to me with his expression serious. ¡°Remus, someone from the capital had come; I am going to meet him in half an hour, I want you to be there,¡± he said, surprisingly. Usually, I know all the important people coming to the city. As there is preparation to be made to welcome them according to their position. When I wasn¡¯t aware of it, means the meeting is secret. Count Darrow had many secret meetings before. It is the nature of politics. It is the first time I will be attending one. ¡°It will be my honor, my lord,¡± I replied. Three and a half hours later, I walked out of the mansion, with deep thoughts running into my mind. The meeting was something else; it had sobered me. Though, I will be not discussing what I heard with anyone. It will not affect, the things till the emperor dies, which is going to happen soon. In less than three years. His health is deteriorating, and the only reason he is even alive is because of the alchemists and healers. It could be said, he could die at any moment and it will plunge the empire into chaos. It will affect the entire continent, especially the western side. I shudder, thinking about it. To survive it, I will need to accumulate wealth and power; it is the only way I would survive. If I had not accepted the position of adviser, I would have been much safer, but I accepted it knowing full well what it could do to my future, and I have to bear the responsibilities for it. By the time I had reached the establishment; my mood had calmed down enough. I got out of the carriage and walked into the establishment. I took the side entrance, seeing the ladies practicing. Though, I had stopped at the corner and watched for a minute. What I saw satisfied me; the girls are doing great. They have been practicing for nearly a month; it made them very good. Not to mention the classes, the spa, and a few other things have given them confidence, which is showing on their faces. Click! Soon, I reached my office, and I had just sat down when the door through Carla¡¯s office opened and she and Margaux walked inside. ¡°How was Namdar?¡± I asked as they sat. ¡°Amazing; the friend of yours had been very helpful and Eudo had said she had given us a big discount,¡± said Carla, and a smile appeared on my face. They have spent a total of seventy-one million crowns on shopping; over three times more than the last time. 80% of which had been brought from Eva¡¯s store. I didn¡¯t tell them to buy from Eva¡¯s store; I had only to tell them to give it priority, but I was not surprised, seeing they have brought all those things from there. The store is huge. It has everything one might need. ¡°You have got everything we need, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, and more,¡± she replied. There are only three days before the debut, and everything is ready. My only regret was that I wasn¡¯t more involved in it. Though, I am trying to be as much as I could. I have already the most important thing. The list of girls who are going to debut and their number is bigger than I thought it would be. It made me very happy. ¡°Was there any problem?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. ¡°No, the journey was smooth,¡± she replied, and I wanted to sigh. Only I have bad luck in journeys; I have been attacked and nearly died, more times, than I could count. ¡°Has Elese delivered the dresses?¡± I asked, and Margaux nodded. ¡°She delivered them all in the morning and they are amazing,¡± Margaux replied, and seeing the smile on her face, she was quite impressed. I am glad she is because I have paid, quite a lot of money for them. The start of the month is going to take the standard of establishment to a new level. More girls are going to be present, wearing more expensive dresses and jewellery than before. There will be better food, wine, and entertainment. I have a target of ten million crowns, and I planned to achieve it. It will be challenging, but I know it could be achieved. ¡°Elese had also brought something which she had been working on and it is amazing, unlike anything I have seen before,¡± said Margaux with eyes filled with excitement; it made me curious. ¡°It is better if you just see it,¡± said Carla and got up. I hesitated for a moment before getting up and following them out of my office. Click! Carla took me to a small room, beside my office and opened the door, revealing the things inside. It froze me on the spot. There are five dresses of different styles and colours; from halter to backless. In red, blue, white, silver and black colours. The designs are amazing, the best I had ever seen from Elese. It is not what froze me on my spot; what froze me is one thing they are made from; magical threads. They are not complete magical thread dresses; only the stitching was done with that, but even then, it had taken the dresses to a completely different level. ¡°Tell Elese we will buy every dress of magical thread she can make,¡± I said after more than a minute of silence, surprising both Carla and Margaux on the spot. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Visitt for the latest updates Chapter 149: Tomorrow Chapter 149: Tomorrow Senar ¡°...Kass is better than Alemeri; the depth he could give to his character is much better than Alemeri. On the other hand, Kass is better at developing the world around his characters.¡± I said to the blond man in his early forties. We are sitting in a busy hall, where people could be seen talking and laughing at every table. Though it is busy, it didn¡¯t feel crowded. Despite the number of people doubling in the hall, everything is running smoothly. It is all practice, as Madam Margaux says. I still remember, when we first started, things were not smooth. While no server had tripped, there was not this smoothness in working that could be felt now. ¡°I disagree. Alemiri¡¯s characters had more depth than Kas¡± Clap! He was just talking when suddenly, a loud clap rang out through the hall; signaling the end. ¡°It had been a pleasure, miss Senar,¡± said the blond man and kissed the back of my hand, which flushed my cheeks. Even after the weeks, I couldn¡¯t get used to the gesture. ¡°Likewise, Carl,¡± I replied. He smiled and walked away with the rest of the actors; I watched him leave and turned to Master Silver, who was talking with the acting company''s leader. With Madam Carla and Madam Margaux on his sides. Behind them are three assistant madams standing behind him; I heard they will work, despite their elevation. It is not surprising; I had heard about the money the three of them make. Especially Lola, who is the top earner. When I heard how much she makes, I couldn¡¯t really believe it. It is not from the hours she makes it but from the gifts. She received many gifts; I saw the necklace she received two weeks ago; it was beautiful. The girls said it costs over a hundred thousand crowns. Tomorrow we will debut, and I am excited as I am nervous. I will finally be able to earn money and I hope I do, but I still fear, I might not be able to. People will see me and think of me as an abomination. Like they did in the Owlspring. Elah said it will not happen, but I still worry despite the big changes that had happened to me. ¡°The practice is over,¡± he said before his expression turned serious. ¡°Tomorrow, you all will debut and it will be defining moment of your lives. A step toward a better life, but remember, there is always a choice.¡± ¡°Whether you want to work. Whether you want to do certain things, a patron asked you.¡± ¡°The choice is yours,¡± he said, looking at all of us in the eye. For a moment, there was silence, before the loud claps rang out. I found tears pouring out of my eyes and I am not the only one who had it; nearly everyone had it. As these words were not a lie to inspire them. So, they would work themselves to death for the establishment. They have a choice. She had seen from her very eyes. When Ginna didn¡¯t want to go back to the rooms with the patron, she said it directly. It had made the patrons angry, and he tried to force her, but less than a minute later, they arrived with Madam Margaux and escorted the man out, and banned him from the establishment. It had happened many times and all the time. The patrons have been escorted out and banned. Master Silver left with Madam Carla, while Madam Margaux turned to us with a smile. ¡°You have done very good girls, I am proud of you all,¡± she said, looking at all of us. ¡°Now return to changing rooms and rest. Tomorrow is a big day for you all,¡± she added. I got up and walked out of the hall toward the changing room, assigned to my group. Usually, we change in the studio, but changes happening to it; I heard they are making it even bigger. ¡°Senar,¡± said a familiar woman, and a second later, she appeared beside her. ¡°Dina,¡± I said to the ginger-haired woman, who is shorter than me, but seemed to contain all the energy of the world. She is a new girl like me and my roommate. ¡°Have you seen the new dresses?¡± she asked excitedly. ¡°I have not,¡± I replied. I heard they arrived yesterday, but they are very secretive about them. ¡°Well, I have been able to catch a glimpse of some earlier, and let me tell you, they are amazing!¡± she said, bubbling with such excitement. That, I feared, she might start to bounce off. The dresses they are wearing now are amazing; far beyond something she had dreamed of wearing, but she heard the new dresses were even better than this, and with Dina¡¯s words, it seemed to be right. ¡°Really?¡± I asked, and Dina nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes. They are something out of the dream,¡± she replied swooningly. ¡°I heard they are amazing too; Lenore had high praises for them,¡± said Mina, the beautiful brunette and one of the girls I admire the most; especially her hair, they are wonderful. She is from the first batch and even interviewed for the position of assistant madam. She was also at Level 20 and had her own personal room. ¡°I really wish I could see them for more than a few seconds,¡± said Dina and sighed, which brought a melodic laugh from Mina and a hint of jealousy from my heart. I wish I could laugh like that. I have taken lessons and could never seem to get well as some girls. Mina is the best of all. ¡°You only need to wait for the day, girls. Tomorrow, we will see our new dresses and amazing things Sister Carla and Eudo had brought from Namdar,¡± she said with a smile and turn to her changing room. ¡°I wish I could go to the Namdar. I heard it is a beautiful city, with the sea surrounding it,¡± said Dina, with a dreamy look in her eyes. ¡°Well, you should have been part of the first or second batch, then. They get all opportunities,¡± snipe Avina as she walked past us. Dina sighed again and with her, me. It is the truth, the first and second batches of girls receive the most opportunities. Which is not surprising. They were first, and it is said, Master Silver knew them before coming here. Aside from them, only sister Caena had the favor of Master Silver. Well, she is a healer. Soon, they have reached the room, where some girls already getting out of their beautiful clothes. There are two young girls present in the room Elah and Lorena, who are taking the clothes and jewelry from us and folding it carefully before giving us our own clothes. I smiled at the young girl, who is trying to get as many jobs as possible. There is fierce competition for them; even I get scared, seeing the intensity with which these young girls compete with each other for the little jobs. I removed all my clothes and took and took my old dress from Elah and wore it, before walking out of the room with Dina. Soon, we were in our room, on our beds. I closed my eyes, and an interface appeared in front of me; I still can¡¯t believe it. I was able to advance so much in a few months. Especially in base class, when I didn¡¯t work. When I came here on the first day. I had heard about the fast level up, but not truly believed it till I had experienced it myself. Class: Trollop Lv. 15 Reader Lv. 3 Charisma: 15 Intelligence: ¡¤ Night Long ¡¤ More Human ¡¤ Reading ¡¤ Quote Attribute Points: 0 I have leveled up twice in my base class; I was a little confused. Since I didn¡¯t work, and it is common knowledge, that only by working in the trade, one will level up. Thankfully, Madam Margaux had cleared my confusion. She said, what we are learning is for our trade and thus making progress in it and our class had awarded those efforts with the levels. I have got two attribute points from level up, and I have used them on charm, as Madam Margaux had suggested. I also gained the class and even got two skills; both of them very useful. Especially Quote. When Madam Margaux got to know about it, she brought me a special teacher. He trained me to use this skill in the right settings; he said, it is the best skill that will make one seen cultured and learned. ¡°From tomorrow, we are going to work,¡± said Dina, in an unexpectedly calm voice. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, as I opened my eyes. ¡°I am a little nervous,¡± she said. ¡°Me too,¡± I replied, after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I want money. I want to earn so much that when I leave after my contracts expire. I could live off it for the rest of my life,¡± said Dina. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are going to have a problem with that,¡± I said. I have seen how much the girls earn. Even if she earns one of the lowest, she will still have enough to live the rest of her life in comfort. Not to mention, she is learning the trade that will help her. She is training to be a spa therapist. I had heard Miss Maeve praising her, even saying. If she keeps improving at this speed, she will let her work on the girls in a few months. She already got a class for it and if she earns levels in it, by the time she leaves. Then, even without the money, she will be fine. Unlike her, what I had chosen was not that good. I tried many things, but nothing seemed to interest me, and returned to it. Thankfully, Master Silver and Madam Margaux excepted it. I have chosen art, literature to be specific. It is interesting, but not enough. Still, it is something I am good at, and even the teacher praised me, for my insight to see what others couldn¡¯t. I even got the class for it and earned three. A few minutes passed when Dina got from the bed. ¡°Where are going?¡± I asked. ¡°I am going to the spa,¡± she replied. Her reply is surprising me. As today is a break. Even the establishment had closed for a day. The spa is also closed for today, seeing they have already finished with treatments and everything they needed for their debut. Thus, the break, to rest before we start working tomorrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t it closed?¡± I asked, and she nodded. ¡°It is, but Miss Rona had said she will teach me when I asked yesterday,¡± she replied, and I could see she was very excited about it. She waved and left. I watched the door closed, before picking up the book. It is one of the books the teacher asked me to read and write a short thesis; I finished the four other books and this one last. I begin to read it and enjoyed it, but there is no deep passion as I had seen in Dina has messages and many others for their things. I wished I had found the true purpose. I am worried about it, but not too much. I know, as long as I keep trying things, I will find it eventually. What I am worried about most is tomorrow. I am orc blood; one-sixth of it runs my veins, and it shows, if one looked clearly at me. The spa treatments, hair treatments, and other treatments had brought an enormous change to me physically, but they didn¡¯t hide the orc blood features. They had enhanced it like they enhanced my human feature. They didn¡¯t want to change me. They wanted to enhance the beauty; I already have. I had never considered myself beautiful, nor had I heard it from anyone, but since I had come here, I had heard it hundreds of times. It gives me hope, but most of the time, I feel dread. Fearing, I will hear the same insults I had been hearing since my childhood. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the book. Tomorrow is the test. I will either soar in the sky with hope and happiness or will be buried in the ground with dread and helplessness. Chapter 150: Today Chapter 150: Today Margaux Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 151: Assistant Director of Trade Chapter 151: Assistant Director of Trade ¡°Jones, I hope you will not let Count Darrow down,¡± I said to the middle-aged man softly. I am in the decorated hall of the mansion, filled with merchants, who will depart for the Navr soon. Their numbers are triple the last time and the goods they are going to buy will be six times. This time, I have done something; I had not thought I could do. I was able to get merchants from Norke; three of their merchants are going to Navr, with our merchants. I have to thank Ina for that; she had a real outcome herself this time. Though it was all planned by me and needed help from Count Darrow, her help in achieving this feat was indispensable. ¡°You can believe in me, adviser; I will make sure everything goes smoothly,¡± he said, and I nodded. Jones is the representative of the city, going with the merchant group. A capable man with connections in the city. It is the reason I selected him. A favor for someone. He will be a leader in name, Ina will be the one who will pull the strings through me. He is capable, but it is my reputation riding on this mission; I could not take any risk with an unknown man. I had already told him to discuss every decision with Ina before executing it. He didn¡¯t like it, but he agreed. He didn¡¯t have a choice, because if he didn¡¯t, I would have chosen somebody else. After the success of the first trip, there is a line of people who are willing to lead the group to the undead kingdom. Ina is capable, but she has many things to learn, and working with him will teach her those things. I talked to him before turning to merchants gathered in the hall. There are eighty-two of them, all of them nervous and excited about the new journey. Ina appeared beside me, as I mingle with the merchants. She knew many of them, and I am introducing her to the rest. They all know who she is and many of them didn¡¯t even hide their lust as they looked at her. I am helping her with what I can, but she will have to face the greatest challenges by herself, and I have complete confidence in her ability to do so. It is why I am sending her when I could have easily brought the wine through a message and money transfer. She needs these trips; she needs to gain experience. Click! I was mingling with the merchants when the door clicked open, and Lancel walked inside. ¡°My lord,¡± Everyone greeted in unison. ¡°Are they ready to leave?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, my lord. We are ready to send them off at your will,¡± I replied, and he nodded and turned toward the merchant gathered in front of us. ¡°Dear merchants, Navr is our enemy, but it is also an extremely powerful kingdom, with great bounties.¡± ¡°We need those bounties for our citizens and you merchants, will bring it here,¡± ¡°I will pray that you will succeed in this endeavor and return home safely,¡± he said. It is not a good speech; he does not have a talent for that. It is fine, many do not, but he didn¡¯t use the written speeches for the things he considered beneath him. Like sending off the merchants. ¡°Thank you for your blessing, my lord,¡± said Jones, and he bowed along with the merchants. ¡°Now depart and return with success,¡± he said to them. I watched them leave one after another, till only two of us had remained in this big hall. ¡°What do you think? Will there be any problem?¡± he asked. A question kind of surprised me, as he rarely asked such questions. ¡°You have already negotiated everything, my lord. They just need to go there and place their orders; I don¡¯t think they are going to have any problem doing such simple things,¡± I replied with a straight face. Of course, a lot of things could go wrong, but he does not need to know that. A smile appeared on his face upon hearing that. ¡°I would be disappointed if they couldn¡¯t even do this,¡± he said and walked toward the door and I followed him. Soon, we reached in front of Count''s office and walked inside. ¡°How did it go?¡± asked the Count. ¡°What¡¯s wrong could go in sending off a bunch of merchants,¡± replied Lancel and sat on the sofa, while Count turned to me with a smile. ¡°Remus, you have a fantastic job this time, especially in bringing the merchants from Norke,¡± he said, and he is happy, which is understandable. He thought it would take months before other cities started to trade with Navr, but I was able to bring the merchant from Norke, and while it was only three people, they were planning on big orders. Most importantly, if they succeed. More merchants from Norke and other cities would trade with Navr. I had focused on Norke, because it is a distance away from the port cities or river route, while it is slightly closer to merchant cities than Greltheaven. Those dry hills make a difficult route. Though it still trades with merchant cities, not as much as us, and thus its lord wants more trade. He needs to accumulate wealth before he needs to leave and that makes him susceptible to whispers of his merchants. To accomplish it, I had planned carefully, while Ina executed it beautifully. With its merchants lobbying and Count Darrow¡¯s pressure; its lord had conceded and sent three merchants. I wanted a little bigger group, but three is fine too. If they succeeded, the bigger group will come next time. ¡°Thank you for your praise, my lord,¡± I said, and he shook his head. ¡°It is not praise, Remus. You have done something that would have taken months otherwise,¡± he said, and I smiled. ¡°For your work, I appoint you as the assistant director of trade, Navr division,¡± he said and I couldn¡¯t help, but become surprised. I am already doing what this post will have me do, but now with it, I will have the official power. Most importantly, I will have the same position as Damon Hardt, Soren, and Tilak. These positions are usually filled by higher-ups of merchant guilds; as they have now. Damon Hardt is responsible for the trade from merchant cities, Vice-Guild-master Soren is for Empire and Vice-Guildmaster Tilak is for western kingdoms, which came from Inam and the three port cities of the Renwell Region. Damon Hardt is going to get red with envy, knowing it. Now, he has another competitor for the post of director of trade. This position is empty, and he had been lobbying to get it for months, just like the other two. It is a very powerful position, and I will try for it. Usually, I don¡¯t like to get in the way of others, but this position is powerful, and it will help me tremendously in realizing my ambition. ¡°Thank you for your trust, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. ¡°It will be a great responsibility. I hope you can handle it well,¡± he said. ¡°I will not give you any reason to complain, my lord,¡± I said, and he nodded and dismissed me. I bowed once again and walked out of his office. The moment the door closed behind me. I activated the Rapid Legs and walked toward the exit. Today, the girls are debuting, and I want to look at all the preparations before that happens. Thankfully, I was able to finish sending off the merchants earlier than I had thought. Soon, I got out of the palace and reached my carriage; was quite relieved that nobody had stopped me. ¡°To the establishment,¡± I said to the driver, and the carriage moved. While the carriage moved, I took out the book from my bag and begin to read it. It is not history or politics that I usually prefer, but hospitality. Caena¡¯s ritual enchantments have opened completely new doors for me, and I want to use them as their bests. So, I am studying the things that will help me, from hospitality to architecture. I had given her the list of ritual enchantments I want and stuff to make them. I have also created a list of one hundred and two ritual enchantments till now, and the list is getting bigger. I want so many things and I am willing to pay a high price for it. Little over ten minutes later, the carriage pulled into the establishment, and I walked out. I looked at all the changes and a smile appeared on my face; these changes are small, but they make one feel like many things have changed. I looked at everything before entering the hall and the smile on my face had become even bigger. The changes here had cost me a lot, but needed to be done to accommodate the increased number of girls and patrons. I looked at tables and art before focusing on the bar. The counter and shelf are dwarven made; it had a less elaborate design compared to the bar before, but it projects an inviting feeling. Anyone wants to sit on its chairs and order a drink. As I was watching it, Carla appeared beside me. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. Margaux and the girls have done a wonderful job,¡± she replied. I nodded and walked toward the studio with her; I checked it all out before going to the kitchen and then the rooms. I looked at everything carefully. It is not only to inspect the work the girls have done but also to test the effects of ritual enchantments. I am still not completely sure of them and till I do; I will keep an eye on every little thing. Soon, I am in my office with Carla and Margaux. ¡°Here is the sitting arrangement, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux and forwarded the file to me. I looked at it, and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°Good, and it seemed like we will need to pay special attention to Varza. She is leveling at a good speed,¡± I said, and Margaux nodded. She was already on the list and now she had moved up higher. ¡°Tomorrow, a lot of girls are going to make the advancement,¡± said Carla, and all of them smiled. If the past incidents were to repeat, then tomorrow 90% of the new girls are going to level up. ¡°It is going to be an exciting night, but a lot of things could go wrong,¡± I warned. ¡°We are trying many new things, which we have no experience before, and while we have practiced with actors; the real people are in a completely different league,¡± ¡°I understand. I will be keeping an eye on everything,¡± said Margaux. I will also not be sleeping till late. I could afford to do that now; with merchants, leaving the tension on my shoulders has lessened a lot. Since I returned from Namdar; I had been busy, but now I could relax a little and focus on things I wanted to do after the return. Though there will be work, it wouldn¡¯t be intense as it had been in the past nine days. I would be able to give time to the establishment and could start on my plans. Those plans will depend upon how the night goes and how much we earn. I hope the establishment will make me around ten million crowns. It is a realistic target, with more girls, new wine, and fusion food, achieving it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I discussed a few more things with them before they left. I turn to the window, to the Red Fragrance on the other side of the street. My competitor is making good money, more than me, and even expanded further. He had more than twice girls as me and unlimited resources. So, it is not surprising. Though, with this expansion, I will reach closer to him. The establishment is still popular and even now, the moment our gates open, the people came running out from the other side. Making Norman very angry. So much so that he closes the windows at five. So, his patrons wouldn¡¯t notice the gates opening and come running here. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 152: Gates Open Chapter 152: Gates Open ¡°Open the gates,¡± said Margaux from the door, and a moment later, the gates of the establishment opened. She is looking beautiful with a shimmering red gown hugging her body perfectly. As she moved, it looked like she was wearing the water as the dress moved with her. Elese had designed it specifically for Margaux, and it shows the way it hugged every part of her. It didn¡¯t even take ten seconds before the first carriage came through the gate. Margaux smiled and turned to the girls. The experienced girls are keeping their expressions composed, while the new girls had different expressions on their faces. From nervousness to excitement, which is natural. Many girls sitting here had the same expression on their faces on their first day. ... I watched the first carriage rolled into the establishment and it had come from the Red Fragrance. It stopped and two middle-aged men came out of it; they had just taken a step out when two more carriages came inside, one after another. A minute passed, and thirteen carriages came into the establishment and that just starting. Seeing the traffic, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. Some of the worries I have been relieved of, but not all. They will only be relieved after the night passed. There are new girls, which will bring nearly double the number of patrons. I have made changes to accommodate such a number and even made girls and staff practice with actors, creating various scenarios. The practice is great, and now it is time for them to deal with people. It is a real challenge, not only for the girls but also for Margaux and the staff. It won¡¯t be easy, but I have confidence in them. Hun! I was watching through the window, when suddenly. I felt my skill getting suppressed. Nearly 40% of Torch of Seeker¡¯s power had disappeared. ¡°Norman, oh Norman; suppressing my skill, won¡¯t change things much,¡± I said, looking at the Red Fragrance with a smile. It is not the first time he had done that, and like before, he won¡¯t be able to affect my business. Unlike before, he couldn¡¯t suppress all the power of my skill. Now, in a matter of months, I have leveled up enough that he could only suppress less than half of my skills'' power. My main class, Agent Of Experience, had reached Level 15, and it is not a common class either, which makes it even more powerful. Every level I gain will lessen the effects of his skill and I am sure, one day, he won''t be able to suppress my skill anymore and that day would come sooner than he realizes. I don¡¯t know what the problem of Norman is; there is enough business in the city for us. Even if his patrons came running to my establishment. There are still enough patrons for him to do the business. From what I had found out, his business is always 80%-90% filled, even when I took many of his patrons. Now, with the capacity of my establishment, nearly doubling; some things might change. Though, I don¡¯t think they will change enough to affect his business. As I had said, there is enough business for both of us, due to the large number of merchants and other rich people coming to the city. Their numbers are increasing every day, like the economy of the city. The trade with the merchant state of Meldhorn is increasing; it is not just the cities of Renwell that are buying up their goods, but also the empire and its appetite is increasing rapidly. So much so that by the end of this month, the empire will trade more goods than the renwell region and it will keep increasing. Renwell region is big, but the empire is bigger with a lot of population, and they want to trade with merchant cities. It is why, I had said Count Darrow, not to worry about trade with other merchant states. The appetite of the empire is growing, and the merchant states wouldn¡¯t be able to resist it for long. The secret trade had already started from Oksall and Belnin and not only them, but goods also started coming from as far as Valboldar and Nova Alyra. More and more carriages are entering through the gates, and valets are parking them efficiently. More space had been further opened and I have also made the parking by the street, in case the space I have is filled. The space is not unlimited, but currently, I could manage. Through the next expansion, I would need to dig a little deeper for more parking as even the street wouldn¡¯t be enough, and I don¡¯t want to use the garden for parking. The garden is part of the experience, and I will not destroy it for the parking. I stayed by the window for a couple of minutes before sitting back on the chair and looking at the diary in front of me; the one that had the latest intelligence. The girls still provide it and every day, I burn it down after recording it in my diary. This intelligence is the reason why I targeted Norke and a specific group of merchants there. It worked. In these seven months, the girls have collected a lot of intelligence and I am being very careful about it. The most important steps I had taken are limiting the number of girls who collect the information. Only the most trusted girls were allowed to report. It is limiting, but a cautious approach. If it is known, then my entire reputation will go down the drain, not to mention the consequences I would suffer. I read the few pages before putting it back into the vault. It seemed like I would need to start shifting to the files. The diaries are not efficient, but using files will make them conspicuous for any thief coming to steal them. The vault is good, but any rogue with good enough levels will be able to open them. Unfortunately, it is the best option I have. Though I am trying to reinforce the protection around my office with ritual enchantments. Hope, that will be enough to keep them away from the hands of any rogue coming here. Time passed as I kept working. Now and then, I would look out of the window. I once again looked out of the window and looked out, but this time, saw a completely different thing. Instead of the carriage coming, I saw the gates closing. Immediately, I turned to the clock, and what I saw brightened my eyes. ¡°Fifty-six minutes,¡± I noted. The gate had closed in less time before, but this time, the numbers of patrons were nearly double. I had asked Margaux to only close the door when the patrons reached a certain number. ¡®Since the gates have closed, it is time to look,¡¯ I thought and walked out of my office. Click! Soon, I reached the ground floor and opened the door of the small observation room, and immediately, a full view of the hall appeared in front of me. One of the changes I made in the hall involves the painting covering the view. I had now brought the bigger painting, which was slightly over five feet tall. It gives me a full view of the hall and even added extra protection to it through the second batch of ritual enchantments. It is the first ritual enchantment on the list of the second batch. She had imprinted the enchantment in the morning when Architect Lloyd finished with the changes. I have to be careful with these types of things. What I am doing is not illegal, but people don¡¯t like it when you look at them in such a sneaky way. It will damage the trust. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked Carla as I looked at the hall. There is not a single chair that is empty, be it on the table or the bar. Despite being packed, it is not crowded. It looked lively, and people could see enjoying themselves, seeing how they were laughing and talking. ¡°Good; I didn¡¯t see any problem,¡± she replied before her expressions become serious. ¡°It is a good thing. We have listened to Rain and kept the fusion menu reserved for select tables,¡± she added. Wilman Rain is a new sommelier that we had hired; he is the one who Drev referred and is good. I was a little hesitant to hire him, hearing the salary he demanded, but he proved himself. He is also quite knowledgeable in management, and we have adopted some of the ideas he suggested. Like reserving the fusion dishes for the select tables. ¡°They are ordering it?¡± I asked. ¡°Eleven of those twelve tables had ordered it,¡± she said, and it kind of surprised me. Fusion dishes are made from a mix of magical and normal ingredients. Though having magical ingredients didn¡¯t automatically make them tasty, it makes them dangerous. If not cooked according to the recipe, it could kill people. It is quite common for people to die, eating food made of magical materials. The main reason I had allowed a few fusion dishes on the menu is not because they are extremely tasty and will get huge margins selling them, but because it would create a novelty. It is a good advisement, and it attracts a certain kind of people. So, I am quite surprised when eleven of the twelve tables had ordered it. ¡°Hope it will not put too much pressure on the Eudo,¡± I said. One needs to be careful in cooking them. If many people order it, it will put pressure on Drev and he might make a mistake, which would be quite bad. I don¡¯t want anyone to suffer or die eating the food in my establishment. ¡°He said he can manage,¡± she replied. I nodded and turned back to the hall, noting down things that I noticed and felt improvement. ¡°Caena is quite good. I have never seen any girl entertain so many people without making anyone feel neglected,¡± she said, and a smile appeared on my face. Carla had been quite curious about my meetings with Caena. She never asked for it directly after the first day, but she remains curious and had been trying to gain the information indirectly. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t tell her anything about my business with Caena. I looked at Caena, who was sitting at the biggest table, with five people. She was able to maintain a conversation with all of them equally; I have never seen a single person leave her table in disappointment. Some people are great at holding conversations. They could engage with people for hours, without making them feel bored. I stayed in the room for more than an hour, watching everything, and the more I look, the happier I would become. Everything is going well. While some hiccups did occur, Margaux handled them smoothly. Feeling I had looked enough; I got up and walked out of the room and the first place I went to was the studio. Which has now become bigger. When I entered, I saw four girls in the midst of change and makeup; three didn¡¯t react, while one become a little nervous. She is new. I smiled at the nervous girl reassuringly and sat down. The chair is bigger and more comfortable and is at a place from where I could look at the whole studio. It feels quite empty, with only four girls and a staff of nine, plus five trainees slash helpers. It is not surprising, only two hours have passed. The real rush happens at late night to midnight when these people wouldn¡¯t get even a minute of rest. I watch as Eudo directs the staff; he is sitting in a chair, advising, while others do the job. He is a good teacher, be the staff working here or the girls, all sing high praises of him. Everything is done by staff and if they do well, he doesn¡¯t even touch the girls. Of the four girls here, Nero only raised his hand or, rather, telekinetic, on only one and that is only for a slight touch-up. I had asked him to do that; I need him to train the staff enough that they could work without him. It is for contingency in case he left and also because he is very good at teaching, and seemed to love it. I stayed in the studio for half an hour before walking out of it and going to the kitchen. There the stoves are burning, and knives are cutting whatever is beneath them. I could see Wanda, washing the dishes with two young girls, who had chosen culinary as their trade. She is doing well. In a few months, she will be among the chefs, working on these counters. Everyone is busy, including Drev, who had a separate counter from all, and Zela is keeping an eye on him. Ready to deal with any fire that threatened to burn the kitchen. When I turned to her, her cheeks reddened. As she was eating the rose balls of sugary delicacy. I smiled before walking out of the kitchen. Soon, I went back to the secret room and sat beside Carla. Hun! Barely a minute had passed since I came back when something happened in the hall. Immediately, I got up. ¡°Stay, Margaux will handle it,¡± said Carla as she stopped me. I hesitated for a moment, before sitting back and turning to Margaux, who is walking toward the disturbance.Visitt for the latest updates Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 153: Plans and Perspectives Chapter 153: Plans and Perspectives Margaux I watched the carriage stop and a blue-haired man came out. Seeing him, I touched the runic switch on the wall, and a moment later; the guards begin to close the doors of the establishment. ¡°Welcome to the Velvet Garden,¡± I greeted the blue-haired man, who looked around the hall, before turning to me. ¡°My friend was right, it did not feel like a brothel,¡± he said, and a smile appeared on my face. ¡°I am like glad you like it, patron,¡± I said. ¡°It is good, but I don¡¯t see any space for me?¡± he asked as he turned to me. ¡°There is, let me lead you to it,¡± I said and took him to the bar, where there is only one empty. ¡°It is always this packed?¡± he asked as he sat down. ¡°Yes, our patrons liked us enough to keep coming back,¡± I replied. ¡°That, I have no doubt,¡± he said as he looked around. ¡°What can I get you?¡± asked Cresa from the bar. For the first hour, this girl had been nervous and even made a mistake spilling a few things, but now she had gotten into the rhythm. It didn¡¯t seem like it is her first day, but those with eyes could see she is under leveled compared to other bartenders besides her. It is the reason why Master Silver had put her to work. The practice could only take one so far; the levels come from real experience. ¡°I will have a calisno neat if you have it,¡± he said, and Cresa smiled. ¡°We do,¡± she said and took out the bottle with the golden-brown liquid. ¡°Enjoy your time with us, patron,¡± I said to him and walked away from him. I move around the hall, greeting the regular patrons, and talking to those I don¡¯t know. In this business, personal connections matter a lot; the patrons like it when I greet them personally. ¡°Drink it, you whore!¡± I was mingling with patrons when suddenly a loud slurred voice rang out through the hall. ¡°If you excuse me, Mr. Carlson,¡± I said to the bald man, I was talking and turned to the table, where the loud voice came from. There is a man in his mid-thirties, forcing Hatan to drink the wine. He has taken the glass to her lips and forced her to drink. Hatan is a teetotaler, she didn¡¯t drink. Seeing, Hatan won¡¯t be able to handle the man on her own; I activated the Feather Walk and walked toward the table. The skill is very good; it is not only fast but also provides me with great control over my body. With it, I could easily move around the tables and people without touching them, and on top of that, it made my movements look graceful. To others, it seemed like I am gliding on the ground instead of walking, which is what this skill feels to me. The first day, I got it; I used it all day, till I couldn¡¯t anymore. I could feel the eyes of people around me; many are staring openly, while others are looking from the corner of their eyes. Soon, I reached the table and turned to the red-haired man. ¡°Is there any problem, patron?¡± I asked the man and looked at the young woman reassuringly. It is such a regret that the girl has to experience this one on her first day. ¡°Yes, there is a problem. This whore of yours is acting high and mighty.¡± ¡°I had ordered this expensive wine for her, and she is refusing to drink,¡± he complains drunkenly, with accusing eyes. Like the fault is ours, and he has done nothing wrong. I wish I could be surprised by such behavior, but it is quite common. Most of the patrons keep themselves in control, but there are always people like this man who would cross the limit, and I want to do nothing less than throw them out. ¡°It is her choice, patron. If she doesn¡¯t want to drink, you can¡¯t force her,¡± I replied politely. Bam! It seemed to have made him angry as he smashed his fist angrily, flipping the plates, and splashing the wine all over, including some on Hatan¡¯s dress. ¡°The hell it is not! She is a whore, and I am paying for her time. She will do what I say,¡± he said loudly, slurring some of the words. ¡®That¡¯s enough!¡¯ I thought angrily; I was willing to give him a chance, but instead of apologizing, he took it even further. ¡°It seemed like you had too much of a drink. Mr. Asdoo,¡± I said and looked behind me with a smile on my face. This time, the smile on my face is genuine. ¡°Guards, take Mr. Asdoo to his carriage,¡± I ordered. They moved immediately, while the man looked at me with shock. ¡°Mr. Asdoo, your behavior was regretful today and thus you are banned from the establishment for a year,¡± I said to him with a big smile on my face. ¡°You whore, you can¡¯t do this! Do you even know who I am?¡± he shouted and to my surprise, even leapt at me, but before he could do much. The guards picked him up and carried him away while he struggled wildly. I looked at him for a moment before turning to the scared young girl. ¡°I..I am sorry, Madam Margaux,¡± said the girl, with tears starting to come out of her eyes. ¡°It is not your fault, dear,¡± I said to her. ¡°Now, go back to your room and rest. Try to sleep, if you can,¡± The girl hesitated before accepting. I watched her leave and walked toward Carlson, whom I was talking to before. ... Cresa I heaved a sigh of relief, seeing the man getting thrown out of the establishment. These types of incidents had lessened a lot, but they still happen. I am glad Sister Margaux had thrown him out. ¡°I have never seen anyone getting thrown out of a whorehouse, aside from the reason of pay dispute,¡± said Oron. He is the man brought by Sister Margaux a few minutes ago. He is fun to talk to. ¡°Well. It is different here,¡± I replied and couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of that fact. ¡°I can see it,¡± He replied, taking a sip of his drink. I smiled, before going to another customer for their order. There are a lot of customers, even with six of us, we are barely getting a second of rest. There are always orders and some of the drinks they order are complex. It takes time and skills. This Blissful Breeze I am making needs nine ingredients, and making it is time-consuming, compared to the simple pouring of drink from the bottle. I have to do it while making the whole look enticing to the eyes. It is the job of the bartender. It is a good thing these complex drinks are expensive, with a high margin on them, and those who ordered them tipped well too. The tips are so much that I feel like I won''t have a problem making what I was making before changing the trades. I didn¡¯t mind. If I made a little less. When I had first chosen bartending, it is out of desperation and it is something I liked, but as I learn the trade, I begin to love it. It had given me purpose, the skills that nobody would be able to take from me. For the first time in my life, I am not worried about the future. I know no matter what happens, I won¡¯t need to go back to being a whore. Not that I wish for something to happen; I love this place as I love this trade. It had become a home I never had. ¡°It is quite rare to see human woman bartenders. You are only the third human woman bartender I had seen,¡± Oron said, and I smiled. Bartending is considered a man¡¯s job; most bar owners would laugh at the thought of hiring a woman bartender, especially among humans. In elves, they are little more in number, while among the dwarves, they are said to be common as men. ¡°It all thanks to Master Silver. He had given me the opportunity,¡± I replied. Feeling grateful from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Remus Silver is quite a man. He had to take his business to such a height in a matter of months and done even better, in his political carrier,¡± commented Oron. This time, I only smiled. I knew when to reply and when to not. It would have been fine if he had talked about the establishment, but since he spoke about Master Silver¡¯s other job, I would remain quiet and smile, as I had ordered to. Sister Carla had asked every girl and even staff to not talk about Master Silver¡¯s other job. I don¡¯t understand the reason behind it, but since it was an order, I will follow. ¡°Your words are true, my friend. The rise of Remus Silver is really something,¡± said the middle-aged man beside him, who had been quiet till now. I talked with other customers as I served drinks, but kept my ear on their conversation. Listening to every word, they spoke. .... Caena ¡°You are right, Caena. It is really good,¡± said Evander. As he took a sip of the bluish drink with others. ¡°Our bartender had changed one spirit in Frosted Fizz and added one lesser-known spirit from Navr. It made its whole taste change,¡± I said to them. There are five people sitting around me and all of them are lusting for me. I am harnessing it to charge the enchantments. Two of these five are regular and are quite freaky, while the other three are their friends. They have brought them here with a special purpose. I am going to do five of them together. They are young and it will be fun, most importantly, I will get the huge amount of lust I want in the shortest time, to charge the enchantment. I have a lot of enchantments to charge and these five will help a lot with that. These five will not be the only, there will be more. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about it. I have even a special room reserved for me, thanks to Master Silver, where I had made some preparations, which will help me harness the lust from them more efficiently. With five of them, I will also get five times more money for my time. Also, the gift they had hinted at a few times. Which they will give me after we finished. If it had been a few weeks ago, I would have been quite excited about it. As the money selling the gift would have got me the resources to craft ritual enchantments. Now, I do not need to worry about that. Master Silver is bringing the resources for the ritual enchantment. Through them, I am not only creating the enchantments he needs but also some I need. Or rather, the establishment would need; I just couldn¡¯t tell him about that. With his cautious nature, he wouldn¡¯t give me permission for them, but I know they are necessary. If my mother had been here, she would have been proud. I am using crafting complex magic, something I had never done before, but my mother and other elders do it. It will require hundreds, if not thousands, of ritual enchantments to craft that magic, but if succeeded, then it will be able to do things no one could think about it. If this establishment had become a legacy; then Remus Silver will have a weapon that will make his enemies shudder. I am not solely doing this for him, but also for me. It will help me take revenge on the people who have taken everything from me. ¡°Caena, where you have lost to?¡± asked Rij, bringing me out of my thoughts. I immediately controlled my emotions before bringing a seductive smile to my face. ¡°I was thinking about what tonight would be,¡± I said, and the expression of all five of them changed; I could feel their lust spiking, and I harnessed it. ¡°Really?¡± asked Evander excitedly, and I nodded seductively. A few seconds later, I got up and walked out of the hall. I am alone. I asked them to follow me after a minute. It will give me time to activate all the preparations in the room. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 154: The Number Chapter 154: The Number Maquerelle Lv. 26 Bartender Lv. 5 Bartender Lv. 6 [Skill Gained: Flair] . . . ... Agent of Experience Lv. 16 Adviser Lv. 10 [Skill Gained: Privacy] The notifications were in front of me when I woke and when I saw them, a smile appeared on my face. Not because I had leveled up, I am not surprised by it but because I had gained the skill, I had been desiring. Privacy. It is a very important skill and till now; I had to depend on others or use the tools, but now I have it. With it, I would be able to talk to others with relative privacy. The level-up provided me with two attribute points. One from my base class and the other from Adviser Class as it reached the first capstone of Level 10, and I know where I want to use them. So, I immediately added one point to the charm, while the other into the intelligence. Immediately, I felt their effects. I seemed to see the world with better clarity and my thoughts seemed to move a little faster. I wanted to use the points of physical attributes, but I need to use them in the mental. I am moving above in my position, which will make me deal with powerful people. These people have high levels and are not easy to deal with. If didn¡¯t have enough levels and good attribute points in my mental skill, those people will eat me alive. I have seen the power of the negotiators in the Namdar and Jalrux. They have dominated me without even using their full power. If they had, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand against them. I opened the interface and looked at the progress. Class: Agent of Experience Lv. 16 Warrior Lv. 13 Lawyer Lv. 12 Adviser Lv. 10Geett the latest novels at novelhall.coma: 14 Intelligence: 11 Vitality: 8 ¡¤ Gymnasts Grace ¡¤ Sight Through Veil ¡¤ Persuasion ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Swift Blade ¡¤ Honeyed Voice ¡¤ Lords Mood ¡¤ Privacy Attribute Points: 0 It is good; with the privacy, I have a good balance of skills. If I looked deeply, I could even see my skills were moving toward manipulation. I have three skills related to that. At my current level, these skills are not that useful against the people I deal with, but when I reach level 20 in these classes, add more attribute points and mold them according to my needs. These skills will become very useful. These types of skills become more powerful as one level up. My father used to say that people with manipulation type of skills are more dangerous than ones with blades. Unfortunately, he was killed by the man with the blade. I understand what he meant. The world is controlled by the mind, rather than the sword. Still, the sword is necessary to enforce the will of the mind. It is true in this world and had been true on Earth too. I closed the interface and got out of my bed before walking into the bathroom, where I freshened up and showered. Today, I had taken a break from the training. I had slept at the time when I woke up. I have less than two hours before I need to go to the office for my meeting with Count Darrow. It won¡¯t take long and after that, I could do the thing I wanted to since I had returned from the baronies. I walked out of the shower and changed into the suit, before eating breakfast, waiting for me. Click! Fifteen minutes later, I opened the door and walked into my office. There are five girls waiting and got up as I entered. ¡°Master Silver,¡± they greeted. ¡°Ladies,¡± I said and sat down in my seat. Aside from Carla and Margaux, there is Lola, Andrea, and Della also present in the room. They all look well-rested and beautiful. ¡°So, have we been able to reach our target?¡± I asked, feeling quite nervous and excited in my heart. A lot of things will depend on how much I will be making with the addition of the new girls to the establishment. ¡°We are able to go a little, above that,¡± replied Margaux with a smile and slid the file toward me. I opened the file with my heart beating like a drum. Soon, the first page came into view and I begin to read it with Fast Reading. What I read shook my heart, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I flipped the page and read it before flipping again; one by one, I read through every page, till I finished reading the entire file. It took me a few seconds to calm my wildly beating heart and turned to the girls. ¡°You all did a wonderful job, especially you, Margaux,¡± I said to the woman with platinum blond hair. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Master Silver,¡± she said politely. ¡°They are truth Margaux,¡± I said. This time, I was not able to focus on the establishment as I have done in the past. Most of the responsibility had fallen on Margaux¡¯s shoulders, and she did a wonderful job. ¡°Master Silver, Hatan wants to talk to you,¡± she said, with her expression turning serious. ¡°How is that, poor girl?¡± I asked. The young girl was from the second batch and had turned eighteen two months ago, before debuting yesterday; it is regretful that she had suffered what she did yesterday. ¡°She is feeling good now,¡± replied Margaux. ¡°Ask her to come in after we finished with our business,¡± I said. We discuss a few things, especially minor changes, I wanted to make, after observing things yesterday. Especially the band; it was good when I interviewed them, but yesterday, they didn¡¯t impress me much. Their performance was slightly better than the band we were using before, but paying three times less price. A few minutes later, we finished, and the three of them left, leaving only Carla and Margaux in the room. Click! The door hadn¡¯t closed when a petite girl walked inside, looking nervous and scared. ¡°Take a seat, dear,¡± said Carla, asking her to take a seat between her and Margaux. She did nervously, before turning to me. ¡°First, let me start by apologizing to you. You shouldn¡¯t have gone through what you have gone through yesterday,¡± I apologized, which seemed to surprise the young woman a lot. It was our responsibility to protect them from such incidents, but we had failed. ¡°Y..you didn¡¯t need to a..pologise Master Silver,¡± she said stutteringly. ¡°I do,¡± I said and sighed, regretfully. Most who do these things are from merchant cities; those bastards fear nothing and nor I could do anything to them. The ones from the empire and surrounding cities are more well-behaved. Especially after I become an adviser. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡± I asked her after a few seconds of silence. Her body had become even more tense, and she looked at Margaux, who nodded at her. ¡°I..I don¡¯t want to work in the e..establishment. I want to serve my contract a different way,¡± she said and looked at me with fear and hope. Seeing the fear, I felt sad. It seemed like I haven¡¯t earned their trust enough Though it is not surprising, no whore would dare to say to her boss, she didn¡¯t work as a whole. It will get them an intense beating. They are whores, and as long as they are brothel; they have to do just that. There is no other option. ¡°It is not a problem.¡± I agreed and could see all the tension leaving her body and the fear disappearing from her eyes. ¡°As I had said before, it is your choice.¡± ¡°I will give you two weeks to decide, to suggest the way you want to serve your contract or we will decide for you,¡¯ said and could hope to burst into her tears. ¡°Gardening. I want to do gardening,¡± she answered quickly before her cheeks reddened. I couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing that. I am not surprised by her choice; she was one of three girls learning gardening. The report says, she has a talent for it, but talent is not enough; one needs to do hard work too. I will see whether she had what she takes, or I chose the other job for her, which she will have to till her contract end. ¡°You will start tomorrow,¡± I said and turned to Carla. ¡°Inform, the gardener of this,¡± I said, and she nodded. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± said the girl, and I smile. A few seconds later, she left with Margaux, leaving me and Carla alone in the office. ¡°Fifteen million crowns. 50% more than we had estimated,¡± she said, and I looked at the file. The establishment had made fifteen million, three hundred and seven thousand crowns in total. With all the expenses, including the taxes, commission girls, salaries of staff and even replenishing what we spent; I will still have half of it in my pocket to do what I want. ¡°I want to see whether we could keep earning this every day,¡± I said, looking at the exciting number on the file. ¡°If we looked at our past earning pattern, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°I really hope so,¡± I said. I have plans and with what Ina will bring out, with her trip, I will have some serious cash in my hand in a week. ¡°So, what are you planning to do with it?¡± she asked directly. She knows my vision, but not the details in between; especially the ideas I had when I was in Navr. ¡°Something you will know soon,¡± I said to her, and she glared at me, but didn¡¯t say anything further. I read the files, including the ones that had information, before putting them in a file. I decided to use the files; they are much better than diaries. It comes with risks, but I will accept them for greater efficiency. Soon, I was done with the work and took the newspaper and after a few minutes, a frown couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. ¡°Were you expecting to see something?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, and she arched her brow in question, but I didn¡¯t answer and checked the other two papers, but they too had not had what I wanted to see. The count had promoted me, but there is no mention of it in the papers. It is an important posting. It should have been in the papers. The only reason I could think of it, not being in the papers, is because the Count didn¡¯t put it in them. I put down the papers and calmed my mind. There must be a reason behind this and I will know after I met with the Count today. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 155: Fang Chapter 155: Fang ¡°Phew!¡± I took a breath of relief as I sat back in the carriage. I just had a meeting with Count Darrow and realized why he had stalled my promotion. It is all because of his idiot son and some people who had lobbied against it. No one talked about it directly, but Lancel mocking words and a few indirect references from Count Darrow were more than enough for me to know what had happened. It took most of my worries away. The promotion hadn¡¯t ended, just postponed, due to his idiot son. Count loved his son too much and to please him, he had postponed it. I will get it. It will take a week or two, a month at most, but it will happen. Count knows my value, and he would be an idiot to deny me a promotion. The man is intelligent but also has many flaws, which is a good thing. If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have needed me. I love working for such people, who are smart enough to understand things but also have some flaws that needed other people to fix. ¡°To house,¡± I said, seeing the carriage is still standing and a second later, the carriage begins to move. Today is a great day despite a slight disappointment. The establishment had performed better than I had estimated, and Ina had also left the Mirador Hold with the merchants, without any accident. Through the private message, Ina had informed me, there was some discontent among the soldiers and officers. Soldiers are discontented because we are trading with the enemies, whom the emperor had declared as our greatest enemy. While the discontent among officers is for a completely different reason. They are not getting any benefits from trade. Count Darrow should have promised them some percentage of taxes from the trade with Navr. If not that, then increase their salaries and some perks, but instead of that, he is planning on cutting those benefits, they already have. He didn¡¯t ask for advice about it, and I didn¡¯t tell him my views. It is a delicate topic, and the Count becomes angry at the thought of even spending a little money. He is not this way in Greltheaven, where he needed to accumulate as much as money before leaving, but does the same in his territory. There too, he acts miserly and didn¡¯t spend much on anything other than his army. In the future, I will try to nudge him in the direction I want. Mirador Hold is an important cog in the welfare of the region. It is our shield against the undead. While it wouldn¡¯t be able to do much against a serious attack of the undead, given the number of men in the mirador hold, they could still hold off against the regular attacks. Ina will reach the Jalrux by tomorrow and will stay there for two to three days, before returning. I took out the book as the carriage got out of Count Darrow¡¯s mansion. It is the new book I am reading; it will help me with what I am going to do today. I had already read several books about it. Six months after, I had come to this world and had even seen how the job was done. For a while, I had wanted to peruse this trade, given my prior experience, but doing that would have been too suspicious. So, I perused my other trade while learning to be a merchant from my father. A few minutes passed, and the carriage pulled into the manor. It is my new home; I had rented it when the undead had attacked the mirador hold. Carla got it at a good rate. It is a three-story tall manor with a garden. I got out of the carriage and went inside. The first thing I did was go to my room, where I had changed from a suit into comfortable clothes, before coming down to the kitchen and having lunch. With that done, I walked into the back garden, where there was already someone. The young man is about my age and has a small white sparrow making flying around him. It surprised me; it hasn¡¯t been even two weeks, and he was making the monster move around him. He is smiling, which is quite rare, as usually he had a somber look in his eyes. ¡°On palm,¡± he said, and sparrow flew toward him, before landing on his hand. ¡°Mr. Silver,¡± he greeted. ¡°You are making great progress with a cloud-surfing sparrow, Eli,¡± I said, and the young man¡¯s cheeks brightened. I looked at the sparrow, which seemed to have grown slightly and looked a little plump. ¡°She is much smarter than any monster I had seen,¡± he said, looking at the little sparrow affectionately. ¡°What about the other guy?¡± I asked, looking at a white mutt sitting in a wooden pen. ¡°Same as before, it doesn¡¯t listen to anything and becomes aggressive when I tried to train him,¡± he replied. ¡°It is not surprising. It is a mutt,¡± he added with a sigh. Very few people would train the mutts, and most give up. They are hard to train due to their unstable genetic factors. I looked at the mutt; it had healed from its afflictions. The beast healer I had called had said, it is completely fine but advised me to kill it. According to him, it has Lv. 3 aberration factor. Like on earth, breeding among the subspecies is not forbidden and 80% of the time doesn¡¯t come with side effects. It is how we have got so many breeds of dogs in modern times. Here too, many subspecies interbreed in the wild or by people, and most of the time, it is fine, but sometimes; they produce a result that is not stable. Which is known as an aberration factor if it happens once. It is Lv. 1. These monsters are dangerous but stable enough that one might train them, but if they breed with another aberration factor beast or subspecies, that formed an aberrant factor with it. It takes their aberrant factor to Lv. 2. very few people would train such monsters. It only happens when the trainer sees a very desired, trait in the monster. This one had Lv.3 aberrant factor, barely anybody trained such monsters, even if they had the desired traits. If I knew about it, I wouldn¡¯t have taken it, but I had taken it and will try my all. I will think about the last option when I spent all options, I have. It''s what my father would have done. I walked toward the pen, before stopping by it and looking at the monster, whom I had been feeding for a week. While I have not done much training, I had been feeding it every other day, at least once. The monster is quite cute, that anyone would want to cuddle with him. It has a pure white thick-soft coat, with normal wolf''s ears and tail; its paws on the other are thick. Bigger than normal paws with tough but soft paw pads and deep purple nails that are very sharp. Eli had been filing them every few days. As they would sharpen very quickly. The monster could retract them back till they disappeared inside its paws. Eli saw it happen, but this little monster kept them out, especially when people were near it. The most prominent feature of it is its eyes. They are an indication of it being a mutt. It had dual irises; they are violet and magenta and looked like they are clashing with each other. Most mutts have such features that make them easier to recognize. ¡°Hello fang,¡± I said to the monster, and it didn¡¯t even turn. It is the first time I had called him by his name; referring to him as ¡®him¡¯ rather than ¡®it¡¯ that I had been doing. The name is not hard to think; I had been on my mind for years since I was a child. In a zoo, I had seen a wolf and wanted to adopt it and when my parents asked me, what I would name it, I answered with a fang. It also comes from one of my favorite books, white fang. We had many wolf-like dogs from huskies, german shepherds, and even wolfdogs, but never a wolf. My father had got the opportunity to train the wolf many times but declined it. Saying they would disturb the rest of his dogs and it is going to take too much work. This monster is going to take too much work. More than a wolf would have done. That makes me, relegate responsibility to someone or even kill it, but since I decided, I will do it. I took out the black leash from my bag and it connected it to his collar automatically. ¡°Come out, fang,¡± I said as I opened the pen¡¯s door. It looked at the opened door but didn¡¯t come out. ¡°Not interested Hun. How about this?¡± I asked and took out a piece of dried blue monster meat. Immediately, his eyes were directed at me, and it growled low before jumping at me, with its sharp claws out. The monster looks small as two months old husky, but he took the jump at me with speed, that normal humans wouldn¡¯t be able to react. Thankfully, I have been prepared. I kept a smile on my face and let it come near me, before sliding my hands to catch him. He tried to avoid my hands, but I was fast and had practice. I caught it easily, avoiding his sharp claws. Though, I had worn gloves to avoid any accidents. Growl! It growled at me cutely before tried to reach for a dried monster meat in my hand, his favorite. I have been not sitting useless; I have asked Eli to test which type of food he likes the most. He tested over a hundred types of monster food before finalizing on four, which he loves the most. ¡°You will not get it, by being aggressive fang,¡± I said to the monster, who is struggling hard in my hands, while I took him toward the corner of the garden. Like the dogs, the training of the monsters is also a reward base. You will do a thing right and you will get a treat. The first stage of monster training is finding out the food they like the most. I had done that and now, I have to train him with patience. Thankfully, it is a job, I have been doing since I could walk. It will be harder than any dog, I had trained, but I am upped for a challenge. I love this job and if it wasn¡¯t for me wanting to accomplish something in life. I would have stayed home and worked with my father in the business. ¡°This place seems better,¡± I said and stopped. It is in the corner of the garden, devoid of any distractions. It is important, the less distraction there, the more fruits training will bring. My first target is basic obedience training. Following the simple commands, like sitting, staying, and walking with a leash, before going on more complex. Unlike dogs and other animals, monsters are capable of learning complex commands. Especially when there is help from the skills which I don¡¯t have. I will try first, before taking help from a trainer. Eli is good, but I would need someone better with more experience. Though, I will only do it if I wasn¡¯t able to manage it on my own and likely will need to, considering, this job is not simple as dog training. Not to mention, I don¡¯t have enough time to train him properly, with all the work I have to do. I am currently not busy, but it won¡¯t be long before I find myself on a task. That will take most of my time. I placed him down gently and sat beside him, with meat hidden in the wrist, where he was focused at. ¡°Now, we will start with your training,¡± I said and opened my fist. Like before, he jumped at me, and I caught him and placed him back in his place. I opened my fist again, and he jumped again before I even uttered a word. ¡°You will not make it easy, are you fang?¡± I asked him as I placed him back in his position before starting again. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 156: Mage Sensing Chapter 156: Mage Sensing ¡°You have quite an ambition Remus,¡± said Lancel as he looked at the document in his father''s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for it, my lord. Ever since I saw the show in Jalrux, I couldn¡¯t get it off my mind,¡± ¡°I want to create something like it,¡± I replied. ¡°Creating the show mages isn¡¯t an easy task. Forget the huge amount of money it will require. You will also need talent and years of time to make them,¡± said Count as put down the document. ¡°I understand it, my lord, but if I succeeded. It will bring me a tremendous fortune and also a few levels,¡± I said, and he shook his head. ¡°It is not a simple thing. Many try, but most fail, and you will be trying it with the whores. There is a very high chance that not a single one of them might have a mage talent,¡± he cautioned. ¡°You are right, my lord, but I have to try. If I am able to achieve it, it will be an accomplishment for me,¡± I replied, and he sighed. ¡°It is such a regret; you have been forced into this Class. If you had standard Merchant Class, you would have been able to do much more,¡± he said, and I smile. He is thinking I am doing this for the levels, and he is not completely wrong, but it is not my primary reason. My primary reason is purely financial. If I want to be the best business, and I have to make it different from others, offer things that others do not have. Brothels do not have shown mages; I have not heard a single one of them training their girls to become show mages. It will really help me tremendously if I could make a show mage group. Even a small one would bring tremendous benefits. While is right about failure or it is taking years along with enormous investment, I am willing to do it, because the benefits would be worth it. ¡°It is all past, my lord,¡± I said. He smiled and looked down at the paper. ¡°Your business may be respectful, but you are an honest merchant. Even your whores pay taxes, unlike the bastards who skim them,¡± ¡°So, I am giving you the permission, with the hope that you will find success in it, no matter how far-fetched it seemed,¡± he said and signed the document. Usually, there is a long bureaucratic process for these kinds of things. Thankfully, knowing the lord of the city had its benefits. With this sign, I won¡¯t need to go through the tedious process. I will send it to the city hall and will get all permits and licenses I will need. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and put the document in the file. I left soon after. Though, I will be returning in the evening. There is a weekly council meeting. Which won¡¯t last for long; there is only one important point and I have already smoothened everything about it. So, if all goes well. It will be over within an hour. I have many things to do today. Go to the establishment, meet with Valentina, and train Fang, which is turning out to be frustratingly hard; it is like he didn¡¯t want to listen. It had been a week since I had started training him, and I have come to know a few details about him. First, he is smart. Not dog smart, but really smart. He is also stubborn and aggressive, but there is good news, especially about the last trait. His aggressive nature feels psychological, and while I couldn¡¯t deny the genetic factor that might be responsible for it. I feel like he could be trained to control it, whether I could do it, I don¡¯t know. Considering, I have not been able to teach him to sit even after a week. If the trainer is good enough, most puppies learn it in a few hours at most. Soon, I sat in the carriage as it moved toward the establishment. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage pulled into the gates of the establishment, and I got out of it. As I stepped into the hall, and saw the girls taking lessons in the partitions. All of them learning a much greater focus than a week ago, especially the new girls. It is after debut; the girls truly understand the value of these lessons and work hard to learn. Soon, I reached my office and sat in my seat, and opened the file in front of me, with a smile on my face. This thing is bringing a smile to my face every day of the past week. ¡°Sixteen points three five,¡± I said, reading the file. The establishment earnings in tandem with the first day¡¯s numbers. Rising slowly each day; within a week, the earning rose by a million. It will slow down but will keep rising. I had expected this on the first day, given the previous data as Carla reminded me, but I still decided to wait for a week, before finally getting permission from Count Darrow. This will be my biggest investment, and, unlike most, it will take a lot of time, but as I had said to Count Darrow, I am willing to take the risks. You need to take the risks to rise in the business. Click! I was reading the information when the door clicked open and Carla and Margaux walked inside. ¡°Master Silver,¡± greeted Margaux. ¡°Margaux,¡± I said as both of them sat. ¡°What is this?¡± asked Carla, seeing the unfamiliar file. ¡°The one you have been asking about,¡± I replied and a faint surprise appeared in her eyes. She touched the file and seeing, I am not saying anything. She pulled it toward her. ¡°Is this the thing you have been working on?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, and she arched her brow in question, but I only smiled. She glared at me faintly before opening the file. For a few seconds, her expressions were curious, before suddenly her expressions changed drastically. So much that Margaux leaned in the curiosity toward the file, before pulling herself back. It took her over ten minutes for her to read out my detailed plan before she closed her eyes. More than five seconds later, she opened her eyes and darted them at me. ¡°This is extremely ambitious and impossible to achieve,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°Ambitious yes. It will also require a lot of time and I will need to spend a fortune, but it is not impossible, just hard to achieve,¡± I replied. ¡°It would be better. If we focused that money, somewhere else,¡± she said, and I shook my head. ¡°No, waiting is not an option, the sooner we start. The sooner we will get the results,¡± I said, and she sighed. She didn¡¯t agree with me, but she is willing to believe in my vision. ¡°I had heard about them from Ina. She said it is one of the best things she had ever seen,¡± she said after a moment of silence. Ina had seen the mage show in Jalrux. There was a show, and she had brought a ticket to that; she had informed me about it in her message a few days ago. She had returned from Navr yesterday and would come back to the city tomorrow with the goods. ¡°Margaux, look at it and tell me thoughts about it,¡± I said and her hands moved so fast toward the file that it kind of surprised me. She also seemed to understand what she had done as her cheeks reddened. She controlled herself for a couple of seconds before reading the file and, like Carla, her expressions had also changed drastically. Far more than that of Carla. There even some wetness appeared in her eyes. I didn¡¯t comment and let her finish. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked as she put down the file. ¡°Mages are not easy to make; there is a lot of study involved, along with many resources and, most importantly, the talent,¡± she said. Margaux knows about it more than others; her daughter had been admitted into a mage course in the academy. It is cheaper to learn in the academies; they provide expert teachers and wide facilities. Well, I am not trying to make the girls into full fledge mages as the academies do; I am trying to make show mages. They will learn the most basic spells. ¡°It is hard, which is why we will start immediately. The first step would be finding the talents. Only after that, we could start thinking about teachers and other resources,¡± I said and couldn¡¯t help but feel myself getting excited. I could even see the girls performing the show in front of me. It might take time, but it will happen. I touched the button on the intercom. ¡°Call Zela and Shaun in my office,¡± I said. They are mages and I would need to use this thing. I thought as I took out a palm size blue crystal ball from my Iles bag. I had ordered it from the Namdar; it had come two days ago. Click! A few minutes later, two of them entered the room. ¡°You have called for us, Mr. Silver?¡± asked Shaun, while Zela¡¯s eyes directly fell on the crystal battle in front of me. ¡°Yes. I was wondering. If you two know how to operate this thing?¡± I asked, and his eyes also fell on the crystal battle. ¡°It is a mage-sensing ball, right?¡± he asked, and I nodded. ¡°Yes, then we know how to operate it,¡± he replied. I could see the question in his and Zela¡¯s eyes, but they didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Good, I want you to operate it,¡± I said and slid it toward them, before turning to Margaux and Carla. ¡°Would you two be willing before we call the girls?¡± I asked. Carla nodded immediately, while Margaux hesitated, before nodding. ¡°You two can start,¡± I said to the two mages. They nodded before Shaun took the crystal ball and turned to Carla. ¡°Madama, Carla, we will start with you,¡± said Stan with a smile on his face. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± she asked nervously. Carla is rarely nervous, but this time, she is. There is also hope hidden beneath it. ¡°Just place your hand on the ball,¡± he instructed. She nodded and nervously placed a hand on the battle. For a moment, nothing happened before the ball turned white. Seeing that, I sighed and even the smile on the face of Shaun froze for a moment. ¡°It seemed like the spells are not for you, Madam Carla,¡± said Shaun politely. ¡°I am too old to learn them anyway,¡± she replied, but I could see the disappointment and sadness in her eyes. The same emotions I had felt when I realized I didn¡¯t have a talent for it. Mage talent is rare, only a thousand in one have, and it is only the first step. Learning to cast the spell is another challenge in itself. ¡°Welcome to the club, Carla,¡± I said to her, and she smiled. ¡°Madam Margaux,¡± said Shaun as he placed the crystal ball in front of her. She hesitated for a second, before placing her right hand on it. A second later, it turned yellow, surprising the three of us. There are three colors the ball could turn to when touched. First is white, which means no talent, second is green, which means mage talent, and the third is yellow, which means the person not only has a mage talent but also unlocked it. Mage talent is usually dormant; one needs to unlock it. It rarely happens naturally. Usually, it is mages who help you unlock. She unlocked it on her; which means she gained the Mana attribute. All three of us looked at her, and she seemed to understand what we were thinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I had talent till a few months ago when I unlocked it during the treatment in the spa,¡± she said, looking all guilty. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty, Margaux. Everyone is entitled to their secrets,¡± I said to her, and relief flooded into her eyes. I will not be angry at her or anyone for keeping a secret. As long as it didn¡¯t affect my business and me, I don¡¯t care about the secret, no matter how big it is.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 157: Relieve Chapter 157: Relieve ¡°My lord. I could do it. Please give me another chance,¡± Damon begged, but instead of sympathy; he got a glare. ¡°Hardt, it had been seven months since you have this position, but you have barely made any progress,¡± said Count Darrow angrily. ¡°It is not true, my lord. The shadow trade had started, and its volume is increasing every day,¡± he said, but the Count just shook his head. ¡°You did little about it. It was the prince, and me, who did that, while you squabbled in petty politics, instead of doing some actual work,¡± accused the Count. Damon wanted to deny it and opened his mouth to refuse, but closed it, upon seeing the Count¡¯s expressions. Instead, he turned to Lancel and begged him with his eyes. ¡°Father, you have been unusually hard on Hardt. He is trying his all. Give him another chance,¡± Lancel requested, and Count''s eyes softened as he turned to his son. ¡°Since you said it, I will listen, but I can¡¯t let this go, without any punishment,¡± he said and turn back to Damon Hardt, with his gaze hardening again. ¡°You will still be responsible for merchant cities, Damon,¡± he said, and relief flooded into Damon¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t lose his position; it had brought huge profit to him in mere months. Most importantly, it is a question of prestige. Losing it will make him the laughingstock in the city and give that bastard Soren a chance to vie for his position of Guild-Master of the Merchant Guild. He can¡¯t let that happen. ¡°But your failure shouldn¡¯t go unpunished; I am taking away the responsibility of Oksall from you,¡± stated Count, and he looked adamant about it. So, once again, he looked at Lancel with pitiful eyes. ¡°Father, it is too harsh. Just give him another chance,¡± said Lancel, but this time, even his son¡¯s words fall deaf to his ears. ¡°You cannot tolerate the failure, son, even of the person you trust the most. There should be a clear line between the reward and the punishment,¡± said Count. Lancel opened his mouth to protest, but closed it, seeing the expression on his father''s face. He knows when his father would listen and when he will not. ¡°Damon, consider this punishment and work hard. If I didn¡¯t see the result, I will take all the responsibilities from you,¡± he warned. If it had been his territory, he wouldn¡¯t have been this forceful. You can¡¯t force such a matter, but this is not his territory. It is a temporary place created by my nephew to earn money. Money that will help him fund the battle of the throne. Till now, they are barely earning anything. They have not even got what they have invested. They need to earn more, and they have little time. The Emperor won¡¯t be alive for long; the moment he dies. The real battles will start, where not only the survival of his nephew, but his survival will be on the line. ¡°Thank you for the second chance, my lord. I will work harder this time,¡± Damon said and bowed, before looking at the Count again. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who would you give this responsibility to?¡± he asked, and a smile appeared on the Count¡¯s face. ¡°Someone who could do what you weren¡¯t able to,¡± replied the Count. .... Click! I sat down in a hidden room in the hall. Directly in front of me, on the other side, is a table on which a blue crystal ball is placed, with girls lining up behind it. I wanted to do it in my office, but seeing the establishment having over two hundred girls. The big hall is a better choice. So, we paused classes for an hour and sent everyone except the girls out. I am feeling quite nervous; mage talent is rare, but I hope to get at least five to ten girls. Though, even that seemed impossible, considering only around one in a thousand have this talent. I shook those distracting thoughts and focused ahead. Danielle, the tall woman, placed her hand on the ball gently. A second later, the ball turned white. I could see the sadness and disappointment appearing in her eyes, but she took it gracefully and walked away and immediately, the girl behind her took her place. She placed her hand on the table ball and a second later, it turned white. The same thing happened with the fourth, fifth, and sixth girls. I had kind of expected it, but it had still couldn¡¯t help but feel sad seeing it happening. I felt like Margaux might be the only girl in the whole establishment who has any mage talent. Hun! I was wallowing in disappointment when suddenly the battle turned green. It is Lenore, who did it. The beautician. Seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t light up on my face. Finally, someone other than Margaux had shown a talent. I was smiling when another girl placed her hand on the ball, and it lit up green again. The smile on my face froze for a moment before becoming even bigger. I quickly noted their name, while watching the next girl, who drew blank, and the one after that. Three more girls drew blank before Cath lit up green. The humorous girl made a joke, making everybody laugh on the spot. Five more girls passed and once again, green-lit up and it was none other than my assistant Jill. After her, another green lit up. It was a young elf-blood girl, Elah, from the fourth batch. To my shock, even a girl after them drew green. Stan said something to Zela and checked the ball before making the young girl place her hand on it again and once again. It drew green. The next couple of girls lit white, before a crystal lit green again, this time by Mina, who jumped in joy, like a little girl. One by one, more and more girls placed their hands on the crystals. Most of them drew white, but a small minority lit up green. Far more than I had expected. Mage talent is very rare. So, they shouldn¡¯t be able to have over three or four girls and even that would have been quite a lot, but till now, we have already had ten girls with mage talent and there are still many girls, who have yet to be tested. Once again, the ball lit green. The one who did surprise me. It is Senar, the orc blood girl. I am surprised because orcs are the species with the lowest mage talent. It is over ten times worse than humans, but that doesn¡¯t mean they do not have magic. They have shamanic magic, but it falls into a different category. So, unconsciously, I thought, she wouldn¡¯t have one. I didn¡¯t consider, she is more human than orc. She has a quarter or less of orc blood, while the majority of her is human. She seemed very happy seeing it feels like it is more than just about having magic to her. One by one, every girl is tested, till only three have remained. Della and Lola and Andrea. Della is the first who went to the ball, and a moment later, it turned white. She just sighed and moved away, and Lola placed her hand on it and a second later, it had turned white too. It seemed to have hit her quite hard as her eyes watered. She may look tough, but she is quite emotional. When Andrea placed her hand at the last, it turned green, bringing a small smile to the young woman¡¯s face. ¡°Twenty-two girls. It is quite shocking,¡± I said as I looked at the names of twenty-two girls. ¡°It is a large number,¡± said Carla. I smiled and turned to the two mages in front of me. ¡°How much time will they need to learn to cast the most basic spells?¡± I asked them. They didn¡¯t seem surprised by it, likely expecting it. ¡°It depends on many factors, like the learning ability, age, teacher, and resources,¡± replied Zela. ¡°Still on average?¡± I asked and didn¡¯t receive an answer immediately. ¡°An average student, with average resources and conditions, would take a year to two years to cast their first Grade 0 spell,¡± replied Zela after a few seconds of silence. I nodded, and it was about what I had researched. This plan isn¡¯t born out of thin air. I had researched all aspects of it before taking the permission. Though, most of the research about it had already been done, years ago, when I had wanted to mage. I wasn¡¯t willing to accept this null-mage talent and tried to find ways to gain it before giving up. I understood the reality. It is not like one couldn¡¯t gain mana attributes artificially, but it is too much hassle and a very dangerous process. I didn¡¯t want to risk my life, just so I could sling some spells. I was about to dismiss them, when a thought come to my mind. ¡°Do you know the mage personally?¡± I asked. Of course, there are tutors, I have my eyes on, and I had also planned to post the job for it. Though before doing that, I had wanted to ask Valentina, and since these two are also mages; I am asking too. ¡°We indeed do know someone,¡± said Shaun, and turned to Zela. ¡°I had received a message from Leopold Mage Aldridge students. He said his teacher had thrown him out of another academy at Belnin,¡± ¡°I am not surprised, given the nature of that man and it seemed to have become even worse, after what he has gone through on the island,¡± said Zela and sighed, while Shaun smiled before turning to me. ¡°We know someone. It is one of the people with whom we have escaped from the island,¡± said Shaun, turning to me. ¡°Is he good?¡± I said. I just heard that man getting thrown out of the academy and likely suffering psychologically due to the war on Mayhurst island, where these people fought, before escaping. ¡°He is the best teacher; I had ever seen in my life. He was a teacher at my academy. Though he was very strict and demanding.¡± ¡°Most people leave his class due to the sheer pressure he put on them, but those who stayed benefited tremendously,¡± said Shaun. ¡°Were you in his class?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, I had taken his basic magic theory class and was one of a few people who had completed it in a semester,¡± he replied. I don¡¯t want girls to learn from a stressful teacher, but Shaun is not someone to praise anyone lightly. ¡°Contact him and tell him about the job. If he is interested, ask him to come for an interview,¡± I said. He will not be the only person I will interview; I will ask Valentina and also post a job notice in the mage guild. They left soon while I turned to Margaux and Carla. For one last important thing of today. ¡°I think we could take one of them off, now,¡± I said and the two of them smiled. ¡°Yes, many girls have leveled and doing good,¡± ¡°Taking one of them off wouldn¡¯t affect the establishment too much,¡± replied Margaux. I am talking about the assistant madams. I can¡¯t always have them do both jobs together. It was a temporary thing, till we have enough top girls and now we have and could afford to take one of them out. I hope this month I could relieve all three of them. So, they could focus solely on being assistant madams. ¡°Who do you think, we relieve first?¡± I asked, giving the decision to her. ¡°Della,¡± Margaux replied. I am a little surprised. I thought she would choose Lola or Andrea first. Though I could understand why she had chosen Della; the older woman had the best relationship with the girls. ¡°Inform her of it then,¡± I said. ¡°I will do it immediately,¡± she replied, and her eyes were black for a moment before returning to normal. I know she did. The telepathic skill is really amazing. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 158: First Step Chapter 158: First Step ¡°... and we will be adding another group of men in the coming week. We want to finish the construction by the end of the next. So, we could focus on the delicate work,¡± said Chief Architect Davidson. I have come to the next plot to see the progress of the construction. It is going great, faster; it had already taken its round shape, and they had nearly finished up with the second floor. Not to mention, a lot more work had been done underground. In the middle, the construction of the spa had already been halfway done, but it is hard to associate it with its design. It looked a lot different and will, till they fit the glass. There is a lot of glass involved in this building. Hun! I was talking to him when the familiar carriage pulled inside through the entrance. A few seconds later, Valentina walked out of it, wearing a blue mage robe, which she rarely wore. ¡°I had a meeting in a mage guild before I came here,¡± she said, seeing me looking at her robe. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked, turning to the construction. ¡°It is great. Chief here said, everything is going accounting to a new schedule,¡± I said. The new schedule is a five-month timeline. Instead of the old months, she had given me. ¡°Not if you keep adding things,¡± she said, and I smiled. I called her about the new changes, which are going to cost me a lot. More than fifty million, I had paid her a few days ago. When I started, I knew it is going to go over budget, but didn¡¯t expect this. It had already doubled in budget and will increase even further. ¡°Let¡¯s go see inside.¡± She said, and we walked toward the building. On the way, a ring on her finger had lit up and a defensive layer appeared around our bodies. Which is good. If something fell from above, I don¡¯t think I would be able to survive it. ¡°We have brought all the materials we needed for the constructions, at least for the shell and our enchanters working non-stop,¡± ¡°Chief might have already told you. We plan to finish all the floors, by the first week of next month. The rest of the time will be spent on doing the delicate work,¡± he asked and turned to me. ¡°You have a month to make any big changes; after that, doing that will only increase the time,¡± she added. ¡°Chief Davidson had told me,¡± I said. She nodded and led me ahead, informing me about what they were doing. I am listening to everything while marveling at the work they are doing. The people with the skills. It is amazing to watch and now, even the old man had added some of his skill to it. It seemed to have increased the speed of men working and also make their work more precise while reducing their mistakes. To these people, it is all normal, but to me, it is marvelous, despite watching them work daily. Half an hour later, we walked out of the building and went to the establishment. ¡°It is not a simple change; it might even affect the timeline of the project,¡± Valentina said after I laid out the changes I want. ¡°I am aware, and I won''t mind if the end date gets pushed a little back,¡± I said. I will not like it, but I also know, I can¡¯t hope to get everything done on time, with my increasing demands. ¡°A couple of more changes and it will be a Grade 1 mage suit,¡± she said, and I snorted. ¡°A couple of changes, which will cost me over ten million imperials,¡± I said. A Grade 1 mage suit is the lowest grade of mage suit, and any kind of it would cost me more than a billion crowns. It is not something. I haven¡¯t thought about it, but something I couldn¡¯t afford. Though one day, I will. ¡°This is to get you started,¡± I said and forwarded it to her. She took it and a faint surprise appeared in her eyes; she hadn¡¯t expected, I would pay her 50% of the new changes upfront. The new changes would cost me one hundred and fourth-million crowns, and I had just paid her seventy million crowns. I have nearly emptied all the savings and what I had earned in the past week. I now have less than a million crowns in my account, but I am not worried about money. The establishment will earn more today and, most importantly, Ina will come tomorrow, bringing the goods. The merchants will clear their dues in a day or two, giving me around a hundred million crowns. This time, orders have reached 700 million crowns, double that the last time, and with my 15%, I will get a little over a hundred million crowns. Navr is a gold mine for me. This order is small, compared to the ones that will come in the future. As it has come from the city only and this week, I have many inquiries from outside the city as well. If I am lucky, next time, I will have an order from a merchant outside the city. ¡°Oh, I hope you will finish the kitchen soon,¡± I said, reminding her of the thing we had discussed while coming to the office. ¡°It will be done within ten days,¡± she replied. ... I watched Valentina¡¯s carriage leave through the window and walked out of my office with Carla, Margaux, and Della. Since she had become a true assistant madam; she will be attending all the meetings. It won¡¯t take long for others to join. If possible, I want to relieve two of them from their jobs by the end of the month. The girls are doing well, and many are leveling up fast. I have already got over fifty girls over Lv. 20 and that number is increasing every week. I am sure some girls would soon reach the Lv. 25; Carla and Margaux wouldn¡¯t be two alone at that level. Soon, we were in the kitchen, and it was amazing, as always. Drev spent most of his time in the kitchen; going home only to sleep and shower. He is working on the recipes, perfecting them since I had allocated a big budget to the kitchen. ¡°Drev, someone from the Nielson guild to come to meet you, in an hour,¡± I informed him, as I finished with lunch. His eyes lit up at hearing that. ¡°Are you making changes to the kitchen, Mr. Silver?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, that and something more,¡± I replied, and I could see he wanted to ask more, but I smiled and walked away. He will have answers to his questions when people from the Nielson guild come. I am making changes to the kitchen, but also making a new kitchen. It will be separate from the establishment. So, even if it burned down, nothing else will be harmed. The new kitchen will be for teaching and experimentation, with many safety features. It is costing me quite a lot, but it is worth it, seeing how it had been winning me praises and bringing the business. There are many people who praised the food of the establishment, especially the fusion dishes. I had even printed articles about it. They didn¡¯t name the establishment, but those reading it would easily understand, they are about the establishment. Carriages would enter, even before the gates could fully open. Just so the people could get into the prime tables. Only from there, one could order the fusion dishes. It had unintentionally increased the exclusivity of the establishment, and I want to make full use of that. I am not the only one. I heard Normal also searching for a fusion chef. It won¡¯t take him long to find a good one, considering the resources and the reach he has. He had tried to poach mine, but till now had been unsuccessful. After finishing the business in the establishment, I sat in my carriage, and it rolled toward the manor. Twenty minutes later, the carriage entered the gates of the manor before stopping. I didn¡¯t go to my suite and instead went to the changing room directly and changed into the training clothes, before going into the garden. When I walked into the garden, was Fang, sitting on a tree, while two guards keep an eye on him. Eli is not present. He had taken two days of leave and had gone outside to train his sparrow. The airspace above the city is restricted and while I have taken permission for him to practice above the non-restricted areas in the city; he said, he wants unrestricted space to train his bird. The guards retreated as I appeared by a tree; Fang glanced at me lazily before closing his eyes. He remains free in the day with Eli or guards keeping an eye on him, while remains in pen at night. ¡°Come down, Fang,¡± I said to him, but he didn¡¯t even open my eyes. ¡°You want this, right?¡± I asked him as I took about a piece of dried meat. He immediately opened his eyes to see the treat, but unlike the first day, he didn¡¯t leap at it instantly. For a couple of seconds, he kept looking before leaping at me. He became faster in the week, despite there being no change in his size. I moved my hands to catch it and like the past few days; he tried to maneuver in the air. Trying to avoid my hands and taking the piece of meat from my hand. When he did that three days ago; he succeeded in taking a piece of meat from my hand and even drew blood with those nails, which turn sharp despite the constant fining. Little monster may have surprised me once, but never again. My hands moved around him fast, but smoothly, avoiding his nails and a little mouth, before grabbing him smoothly and putting him down. ¡°You know, Fang, you don¡¯t have to be stubborn; just follow the simple command and you will get the treat,¡± I said while the little monster just looked, staring at my fist, which had a treat. ¡°Sit,¡± I said to him and opened my fist. He didn¡¯t even react, he just kept looking at it and I prepared myself for the leap. ¡°Sit,¡± I repeated, and there was no change. I repeated three seconds later and did it again three seconds after that. ¡°Sit!¡± I said at fifth ready, ready for his leap as he was reaching his limit when suddenly, he sat down, and it is perfect sit. I was so surprised that I wasn¡¯t able to react for a moment. It is the first time he has listened to my command. I had told him many times about how to sit, but never followed the command. ¡°Good boy,¡± I praised and fed him the treat, careful of his very sharp teeth. He ate it quickly, crunching the hard meat effortlessly with his tiny sharp teeth, before swallowing it. ¡°Now, we will try again,¡± I said and took out another piece of meat, and waited till he got up. ¡°Sit,¡± I said, and he sat down immediately. For the next few minutes, he followed every sit command without any miss. Even the smartest dogs would miss it a few times and even monsters one or two times, but he got it perfectly. I trained him for twenty minutes and took a break. The break is necessary, even in monster training. Like dogs, monsters get irritated, and one needs time to get them to relax. A half an hour later, I resumed his training and, once again; he started to follow the commands perfectly. Though, this time, I had changed the technique a little. Now, I am not giving him a treat at every successful command. ¡°Growl!¡± He growled, seeing me not giving a treat, but I smiled, but next time, he followed the command, and I gave him the treat. I took a break for half an hour before training him again and like before; he followed every command accurately, with his growling lessened. Soon, it was six, and I finally stopped. I am a little tired, training the monster is exhaustive, but there is a smile on my face. I have taken the first step in the obedience training. While the monster is stubborn, he is very intelligent. If he learned the other commands the same way, I should have basic obedience done in a month. For most dogs, it is enough. Over 95% of dog owners are satisfied with it, but it is not the case with monsters. Especially not with mutts with level 3 aberration factor. His real training will start after he finishes with basic obedience training. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 159: Council Meeting Chapter 159: Council Meeting The sun had completely gone down when I stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the mansion of Count Darrow. It is really frustrating for a lot of people that he works from his mansion. He barely visits the city hall once a week, and in some weeks, he didn¡¯t even do that. People joke that he should transfer the staff into his mansion as well and rent out the city hall. I have no personal problem with it, but I find it inefficient. So much time could be saved and some resources, but Count Darrow didn¡¯t care about that. All he cares about is his comfort and his idiot son is learning from these flaws. I entered the mansion and walked toward the Count¡¯s office with Rapid Legs. With training, I have become quite good at it. It took me barely a minute to reach Count Darrow¡¯s office. The secretory simply nodded at me. It is her saying; I should go inside. So, I pushed the door and went inside. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted and bowed to Count Darrow and Lancel. Aside from them, there are three advisers and Mage York. ¡®Somebody isn¡¯t in a good mood,¡¯ I thought, feeling Lancel''s eyes on me. He might have a light smile on his face, but I could feel the dislike and anger, with a heavier-than-normal dose of jealousy. This bastard is jealous of me, when I sensed it the first time. I couldn¡¯t believe it. He has everything. He didn¡¯t need to feel jealous, but he was, and it was not hard for me to guess the reason. Today he is more jealous than normal, which means something good is coming for me. I had noticed that whenever he was jealous; good things happen to me. ¡°Remus, how are the preparations?¡± he asked. ¡°Everything is great, my lord. All the goods have been checked and safely stored.¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning, they will leave for the city and arrive by night, about the same time as last time,¡± I informed. I have been taking updates throughout the day. It is my responsibility, and I couldn¡¯t let any mistake occur. Thankfully, everything had been great; there were some tiny problems, but Ina dealt with them. Only once time, I needed to personally intervene. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take such risks, Remus. One day, people might have enough, and their temper would explode,¡± he said with a hint of warning. ¡°It is why we are letting them get used to it. Till they begin to think, it is normal,¡± I replied. I thought he would shoot another warning, but he just laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go; it is time for the meeting,¡± he said and got up. Hun! When he reached me, he clapped on my shoulder before walking ahead. The gesture had surprised me; it is the first time he had done something like that. It seemed to take others by surprise too, especially Lancel. The jealousy he was feeling just spiked. I didn¡¯t let it distract me and followed after him. ¡°Any fresh developments?¡± I asked Robin, to which he shook his head. I felt relieved. The council meeting is important, but they are mostly bland. We just stand behind and talk only when asked. I already know what kind of topics that will be discussed and am fully prepared to answer any query about them, if anyone asked. Soon, we reached the meeting hall, and I immediately felt the eyes of Damon Hardt, who didn¡¯t look to be in a good mood. Though he controlled his expression a moment later, and he got up with the rest. ¡°My lord,¡± The council members greeted. ¡°Sit down all of them,¡± said the Count said as he took the head chair, while Lancel sat down on the opposite end, with me behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting,¡± said the Count. ¡°My lord, I will first start with my objection. I heard the goods from Navr coming at prime hour tomorrow.¡± ¡°The people are worried. It should be postponed,¡± said Priest Harold. This news hasn''t been made public yet, but I am not surprised by the priest knowing about it. These bastards love to interfere where they shouldn¡¯t and have rats everywhere. ¡°Priest Harold. Everything is being taken care of, you shouldn¡¯t be worried,¡± he said, not so subtly. ¡°My apologies, my lord, but the dark hand of the kingdom of death, affecting the people, I cannot bear to see it,¡± said the priest, not backing down. The priest is having a lot more courage than normal. It seemed like the rumor must be true. The pope of the god of war is on a tour of the empire. This month, he is said to be bestowing the honor of divine war on the first prince. It is going to be in the presence of an emperor in a big ceremony. It is not a small honor, and if the rumor is true, then it had become clear the church was throwing its weight behind the first prince and it is likely something the emperor had a hand in it. For more than a year, the emperor had made moves to consolidate the authority of the crown prince. This is another effort on his part and quite a big one. I am sure the church must have gotten significant benefits in this exchange. Still brazen as they are; the church of god of war usually tries to stay neutral in succession wars, especially in a place like an empire where stakes are high and their position as first religion is already secure. There must be some damn good reason for them to think of taking such steps. There is no change in Count Darrow''s expression, but I could tell he is angry. Harold is merely a priest, not Bishop or Archbishop. He spoke to Count in a disrespectful way; it is obvious, he would be angry. It is quite a surprise, that he didn¡¯t throw the priest out of the hall yet. Lancel was also angry as his father, and he was about to burst, which would be bad. So, I gently place my hand on Lancel¡¯s shoulder; it surprised him, but also brought him back to reality. The bubbling anger in his heart had calmed down. ¡°It is your view, Priest Harold. I am seeing the people are happy with the trade,¡± ¡°The rates of grains and other essential things have come down. It is putting more food on people¡¯s plates and fewer people are sleeping hungry,¡± he said with a smile and the priest opened his mouth but closed it a moment later. He seemed to understand; he had already crossed a limit and while Count Darrow was mindful of church power, he wouldn¡¯t let a puny priest trample on his honor. ¡°I will be performing the cleansing ritual after the goods have arrived,¡± he said finally, after seconds of silence. ¡°I will post extra guards for your security,¡± he said with a smile, but one could feel a veiled threat in his voice. The priest only nodded. For a couple of seconds, nobody spoke before they started, and they are being very careful in their words. Not daring to say something that will make the Count angry at them. At record half an hour, every one of them finished speaking. Even Tilak, who usually speaks lengthily, had finished quickly. ¡°Now that we concluded the business, I have an announcement to make,¡± said Count Darrow, looking at every council member. I saw Damon Hardt¡¯s expressions turning worst and a slight chance occurring in Lancel¡¯s emotions as well. ¡°I am appointing Remus Silver as Assistant Director of Trade,¡± He announced, and relief flooded into my heart. I knew the promotion was not going anywhere, and it came earlier than I had expected. I thought it would take him till the end of the month, but he announced it within a week. ¡°He will be responsible for eastern division; Navr and merchant state Oksall,¡± The shock rang through my heart; I was fine till Navr, but Oksall had totally shocked me. As it comes under the jurisdiction of Damon Hardt. No wonder he was in a spoiled mood and staring daggers at me. ¡°Thank you for your trust, my lord. I will not disappoint you.¡± I said quickly, collecting my thoughts. ¡°I know you will not, Remus,¡± he said while glancing at Damon Hardt from the corner of my eyes. ¡°Congratulations Adviser Silver,¡± said Vice Guild-master Soren and Damon Hardt, who immediately glared at him, but the old man smiled back, with a smirk on his face. The others also begin to congratulate one by one. ¡°Congratulation, Adviser Silver,¡± said Damon Hardt at last. ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster,¡± I said. The only one who didn¡¯t congratulate me is the priest; he remained quiet, watching. A few seconds later, the Count got up and walked out of the meeting room. I and others followed behind him. Bang! Soon we returned to the office, and he sat down. Lancel had opened his mouth to say something when Count Darrow hit the table hard with the fist. ¡°Fucking bastard!¡± he cursed; nobody needs to guess, to whom it is cursing. ¡°I had talked to brother, and he said, these priests begin to cross the limits everywhere. Especially in our territories,¡± said Lancel angrily. The Count remained quiet before a smile appeared on his face, but his eyes were filled with anger. ¡°The power of these bastards is growing, that they are forgetting their place.¡± ¡°Let these bastards enjoy the power; it won''t be long before we will show them ours,¡± said Count Darrow, and for the first time, I had sensed the emotions of Count. It was faint, and it is only for a moment, but what I had sensed had surprised me. The man is not only feeling anger but also powerlessness. It is not an emotion one should expect from a man like him. He is a Count and not a normal Count either, but a Count from one of the most powerful houses in the empire. He has power, but couldn¡¯t use it. Nobody said anything, even Lancel. Everyone is acutely aware of the consequences of speaking the wrong word. For more than a minute, the office was silent, before Count Darrow looked up and turned to me. ¡°Remus, I have given you the responsibility of Oksall. I hope you will take it seriously,¡± he said. ¡°I will not disappoint you,¡± I said and thought of my plan for Oksall. One I had told him about it and gave an idea to Baron Harrods when he asked about my help. I had made quite a progress in it. ¡°You already have something. Are you thinking about the trade with orc tribes that you mentioned to me last time?¡± asked Count Darrow. I had told him about it weeks ago before I went to Navr, at that time he didn¡¯t take it seriously, but now he seemed to consider it. ¡°Something related to it,¡± I answered, to which he arched his brow. ¡°I am not finished with the plan yet. I will show it to you, the moment, I am finished with it, my lord,¡± I said. It is not complete. Many things have remained to be done before I could present it to him. I have found some important information, which made me take the plan, in a different direction. This direction offers bigger opportunities and more trade. Oksall, which had been so hesitant to trade with us, might agree. ¡°How long will it you to finish your plan?¡± he asked. ¡°Ten to twenty days, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°Fine, I will give you the time, but I hope it will be something good,¡± he said, looking intently. ¡°You will not be disappointed, my lord,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t stay in the office for long. A few minutes later, I was in the carriage, directing Zela to send the messages to get the information. This time, I didn¡¯t hold back, as the city will be paying for it. Though most of the information is present in the public domain and wouldn¡¯t cost much to get it. Agent of Experience Lv. 16 Adviser Lv. 11 Class Gained- Trainer Skill Gained- Command Projection Visit for Advanced Chapters.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 160: Mould Chapter 160: Mould ¡°Thank you for your time, Mage Whitaker. I will inform you of my decision in a few days,¡± I said to the old woman, who looked to be in her early seventies. ¡°Thank you for considering me,¡± she said and walked out of my office. ¡°How was she?¡± I asked Zela sitting beside me. ¡°Her knowledge was good, but her explanations were too complex,¡± she replied. I am not a mage. I need someone to check the knowledge of the person; I am interviewing. There is also Carla, who is very good at people; there is a reason, my father has chosen her. The old woman was the seventh mage we interviewed in the past five days. She is also one of two, that Valentina had recommended. There is one more interview in the afternoon. This one was recommended by Shaun; the one he talked about in my office. ¡°So, I would not be adding her to the list?¡± I asked, and both of them shook their heads. Of all the seven people, only two have been added to the list; I have already ordered a background check on them. ¡°I will swing by the establishment. Are you coming?¡± asked Carla. We are in my office in the city. It is more suitable to interview here than in the establishment. Though the ones we hired will need to teach the girls in the establishment before they shifted to their new home. ¡°I can¡¯t, there is a lot of work here for me to do,¡± I replied, looking at piles of boxes by my desk, which I have to go through today. ¡°Good luck,¡± she said and walked out with Zela, but not before glancing at Fang, who is sitting on the small cushion bed. ¡°Good boy,¡± I said as the door closed and threw the treat at him, which he caught in his mouth. It is the first time I have brought him out of the manor, and he is doing well. He sat there without making even the slightest sound, despite people coming and going. Many wanted to pet him, including Carla, but I stopped her. Despite the progress I had made; it is still dangerous for others to touch him. Those sharp teeth could easily bite off the bones. I have made great progress in his training, and it is all thanks to the new skill I got, twelve days ago. I was surprised when I got it. It is a rare skill. Even Lv. 20 trainers didn¡¯t get it, but I got it. Though, I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. It is a trade I am most experienced in. I have trained in the dogs since I was a child and helped out my father whenever I go home. It could be said, I have got the skill because of my experience. Though, it should also be nodded that monster training is on a completely different level than dog training. The skill is very good, but it is not easy to use. For three days, I have been scratched and bloodied more than I could count before I learned to use it properly. The skill Command Projection is an invaluable skill. It lets me project command to the monster I am training. To do that, I need to touch the monster. I am training, and I need to have a clear and concise projection in my mind. Which is the toughest task. It had made Fang very angry the first time that my guards thought it had lost its mind and wanted me to kill him. It was my mistake, and it took me three days and I nearly spent all my time figuring it out, but it was worth it. Seeing, I had finished the obedience training in less than a third of the time. Today, I have even brought him to the office to get used to the people. Click! I had just fed him when the door opened, and Jill and Clair walked inside and sat opposite of me before pulling the boxes on the table. Jill gave me a big stack and shared a small one with Clair. We are researching the plan for the Oksall trade. Half of the time had already passed, and I have around eight days before I will need to present it to the Count. I could get an extension from the Count, but there is no need to do that. I am confident I will be finished on time. These girls are good. I have taught them tricks of doing research, as I had done to Carla, Ina, and Margaux. They had learned it and already helping me with the work. Clair had even gained the Reading skill. I opened the first stack and started to read it. My Reading skill is very fast, all thanks to the points, I am investing in the mental attributes. The latest attribute, point I have got; I had invested in intelligence, which has increased my reading speed further. This intense research in the past few days had done another thing. I was able to mould my Reading skill fully. It is now devoid of any restriction. It now gives the same reading speed as legal documents to other texts. It was not an easy task, but I did it. Though, it is also worth mentioning that Reading is a common skill and the one I use the most. It is quite hard to manipulate and mould the other powerful skills, but I am trying and was able to have small successes. I pushed those thoughts and focused on the stack of documents ahead of it. I took the first stack and begin to read it while taking notes on important points. There is a lot of information here, centuries old. The grey guilds have a large amount of information on all kinds of things and since it is barely the lowest level of secrets due to their age, I have got cheaply, and the city paid for it. There is also a heavy discount, which cities get. The lords might curse the grey guilds, but they are also the ones who use their services the most. These people are very good at keeping records. I could get hundreds of years of information from them. Not all information here has been brought from the grey guilds. The majority of it is from the public domain. We only needed to pay for copies and transport fees. An hour passed and then another and I read through a truly large amount of material. So much that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it in a day. I am not simply reading, but employing the reading methods, which makes my speed even faster than simply Reading. It is amazing what I have been able to do in these few days. It would have needed a month for a normal person. Thankfully, nobody has come to disturb us. Some people might have come, but I have kept someone downstairs, and unless it is important, nobody would disturb me. I read through stack after stack of papers and the majority of information there is not useful to my current purpose, but now and then, I would find a line, a paragraph, or an article in there that will be useful. Click! I was reading with the girls when the door clicked, and Carla walked inside with Zela. ¡°Jill, Clair, take the rest,¡± I said. The girls put the stacks in the boxes, before walking out of the office. ¡°How are the things in the establishment?¡± I asked. ¡°Good, Margaux is handling everything well,¡± she replied. There is also Della and Lola to help her; I have relieved her too and in this week. I will relieve Andrea as well. They need to learn as much from Carla and Margaux as possible. I have a feeling that I will need some of them soon. A few minutes passed, and we discussed a few things before the magical intercom lit up. ¡®Mr. Silver, Mage Aldridge, has arrived for the interview,¡¯ Clair informed. He had arrived exactly on time. ¡®Send him in,¡¯ I said. Click! A few seconds later, a man with bronze skin, who looked to be in his early sixties, walked inside. At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about this man. He is of medium height and average face, but his eyes are completely different. They are sharp and at one glance; he seemed to have seen through everything. ¡°Mage Aldridge, take a seat,¡± I said to the man. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Silver,¡± he replied and took a seat in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing you again, Scholar Aldridge,¡± said Zela. ¡°You too, Mage Zela,¡± he replied with no change on his face. ¡°I assume you have read the job requirements, Mage Aldridge?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied expressionlessly. ¡°And you will not have a problem or aversion to those who you will teach if you get the job?¡± I asked. ¡°No, you will be paying to teach me, and I will do that; it didn¡¯t matter to me whom I have to teach,¡± he answered. ¡°Good, we will begin then,¡± I said and started the interview. Though it had started the moment he walked inside. I have taken hundreds of interviews, and many were like this one, where I had barely any knowledge of the field I am taking the interview for. The clients or their people with me had tested those aspects, while my job had been testing the other aspects. There are methods of that, the set of questions. I started to ask them, from the first question and what he said and the way he answered them. All three of us had asked questions, Zela asked the ones related to magic, while Carla and I asked those related to our expertise. ¡°I heard that very few were people last in your course till the end, why is that?¡± I asked the most important question. He didn¡¯t answer it immediately, like most of his answers. It is the thing I liked about him. He weights the question before answering them. ¡°Most people find my class difficult and me overbearing.¡± He replied after a second of silence. ¡°Why do not change your teaching method then?¡± I asked, and his expression changed ever so slightly. ¡°Why should I? While my teaching may be overbearing, those who remain in my class till the end are best and do better in the academy and out of it,¡± he answered, with a hint of pride in his voice. ¡°That¡¯s all. Thank you for your time, Mage Aldridge.¡± ¡°I will inform you of my decision in a few days,¡± I said. He nodded and got out of his seat before walking out of the office. ¡°He is overbearing and prideful,¡± I said as he left. ¡°There is nothing wrong with that. The man is confident of his abilities and unapologetic about it.¡± ¡°We need this type of person to teach the girls,¡± said Carla. It surprised me. As she doesn¡¯t like such people, but now she wants a person like him to teach the girls, whom she is quite protective of. I turned to Zela. ¡°Shaun is right about him. His knowledge is quite deep and could explain it in understanding language,¡± she said. ¡°We will make our decision after we interviewed the rest,¡± I said. I am quite hesitant about the man. I do not have a problem with man, but his straights. ¡°You know, he is just like you. So confident in his abilities that it is irritating,¡± said Carla, surprising me. ¡°I am not like that,¡± I said, glaring at her. ¡°You should see your face when you explain things to people. It can be irritating sometimes,¡± she said I wanted to refute that and even opened my mouth, but closed it. Maybe there is a reason why some people didn¡¯t like me. I will need to work on it. As nobody, like the smartass. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 161: The Plan Chapter 161: The Plan ¡°This is the plan, then?¡± asked Count Darrow, as I placed the file in front of him. ¡°Yes, my lord. I hope you will approve of it,¡± I said, with a palpable nervousness in my voice. He didn¡¯t reply and instead opened the file and begin to read it. I finished the plan yesterday, but I have taken help from a scribe and artist to make it more appealing. I have added a little modern twist to it. It''s a small one, but it made the texts much easier to read. He finished the first page in seconds, before turning to the next and next a few seconds after. He kept reading in silence, without change in an expression or a comment, which he usually does when he was presented with a plan. Everyone in the room turned their eyes to the file, including the Lancel, who was only mildly interested a minute before, but now got quite interested. Though he didn¡¯t get up from his spot. He just looked at his father, who was turning page after page. Sometimes, he would stop at the page and stare for seconds to a minute before turning the page. This silence felt unbearable to me, but I bore it as I watched Count Darrow for any reaction. He isn¡¯t having any. Finally, after a little over twenty minutes. He finished reading the file and looked up. ¡°I wish Damon Hardt had been here,¡± he said. ¡°I could summon him if you want to my lord,¡± said Mage York, but Count Darrow just shook his head and turned to me. ¡°You have surprised me with this plan, Remus. I didn¡¯t think you would come with something like this,¡± he said, clearly sounding surprised. Also impressed. ¡°Trade with Oksall is important to us, my lord. If this plan worked, it might open the doors of direct trade with the merchant state,¡± I said to him, to which he smiled. ¡°This plan of yours is the first thing in a while that gave me some hope of it happening,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, for your praise my lord,¡± I replied, feeling relieved in my heart. I had worked really hard for it. To be honest, I had feared he would throw away the file, thinking it was too far-fetched. It is a not simple plan and would be expensive for Oksall, but will also provide them, with tremendous benefits. ¡°Father, it is good?¡± asked Lancel, feeling curious. ¡°You can take a look yourself,¡± he said and gave the copy of the file to his son. Lancel begin to read, but unlike his father, he didn¡¯t guard his emotions well, and he was also reading too fast, that he finished in less than five minutes. ¡°It is too far-fetched. It is not going to work,¡± he said, throwing the file on the table. ¡°But if it worked. It will give us an opportunity to trade with the second merchant city-state and open a new trade route.¡± ¡°You do know how important that is, right?¡± he asked as he looked at his son with all seriousness. ¡°Yes, Father,¡± agreed Lancel. Count Darrow smiled and turned to me. ¡°I will check on a few things if everything is perfect. Then, I will contact the Oksall,¡± he said, and I smiled. Most important is Count Darrow. For it to succeed, we will need to meet important people, important as ruling council members. Only Count Darrow has a reach that high. ¡°You have worked hard, Remus. This plan of yours is good,¡± he praised, before taking the file back in his hand. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied and prepared for what was to come. Nearly two hours later, I walked out of his office with my back drenched. I felt like I have fought an intense battle. Count Darrow had asked every type of question related to the plan; some I had not thought he would. I have done nearly all the research myself and thanks to it; I had answered each and every one of his questions to his satisfaction. I don¡¯t know how long it would take him to verify the plan before we started the preparations, but it shouldn¡¯t take long. Count wants trade; the money it brings. From a little what I could gather, the prince had been asking him to increase the trade. He needs a lot of money to finance the battle for succession, he is preparing to fight. I think there are some things that are going on in secret. Prince is buying things from Meldhorn, dangerous things; that should be secret. Count Darrow is being very careful about these things, and I only caught a whiff by sheer accident. It made me very curious, but I crushed that curiosity hard immediately. It is something I should stay far away as possible. If I so much dare to dare to dip my finger into it, I will disappear from the world forever. I don¡¯t want that; there are many things I have to achieve. ¡°Mage Aldridge has arrived in the city,¡± Zela informed me as I sat in the carriage. ¡°Ask him to come to the establishment in an hour,¡± I said. She nodded and closed her eyes. I have interviewed seventeen mages, after discussing them with Carla and Zela, along with the background checks I had ordered. I had chosen Mage Aldridge. Today, I asked him to come for the negotiations. We have already discussed most of the conditions through the messages. The only important thing have is the salary. If we form an agreement on it, I will hire the old man. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage pulled into the establishment. Stone opened the door, and I walked out with Zela and walked into the establishment. There, I saw something that made me shake my head in exasperation. ¡°He is not an animal, but a monster, Carla. You should keep him on the leash,¡± I said to her, seeing Fang in Carla¡¯s arms. Her cheeks reddened at my words, but she didn¡¯t put him down. ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist him. Look at him, he is so cute,¡± he said and kissed him. It had been three days since I had let her touch him. In these three days, she went from hesitantly petting him to carrying him in her arms. She is not only carrying him but also letting other girls pet him, which is not safe. I am just glad; I had asked Stena to keep an eye on him; not let him go out of her eyes. Till now, he hadn¡¯t shown any sign of instability, but it had been less than a month since I had started training him. Seeing her like this, I made sure there was always a guard around him when I am with him. I walked toward my office, and she walked with me, not putting Fang down from her arms. The little monster also seems to enjoy being carried by her. He didn¡¯t stay in my arms for more than a minute before he tried to wiggle away. Soon, we reached my office, and she put him down on his cushion bed, which I have placed in all my offices. He seemed to enjoy them more than the pen. Like always, I picked up the first file on last night¡¯s earnings and read through it all in a minute before putting it down. The numbers are good, rising slowly nearly every day. It had been twenty-six days since the establishment was running at full capacity and the business was good. Not only the establishment but my other business is also doing good. Ina is currently in the Navr. This would be her third trip four, if I count the first one with me. This time, we have taken fourteen merchants from Norke. She will be leaving Navr tomorrow at dawn and two days after that, she will be back in the city, bringing me another big check. The next trip is going to be important; we have got interest and assurance from two other cities of the region and their merchants will be going to Navr. Ina had played a big part in it. Time passed as I looked through the things and soon, the intercom had lit up. ¡®Master Silver. Mage Aldridge and had arrived,¡¯ Jill informed through the intercom. ¡°Send him inside,¡± I said. Click! A second later, the door clicked opened and an old man came inside. ¡°Mage Aldridge,¡± I greeted and offered him the seat. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Silver,¡± he said and sat down. ¡°You have got the complete details of the job, right?¡± I asked him. I sent him the complete details of the job yesterday, including the contract for him to go over. It was a standard service contract, and he only asked for minor modifications. Most of which I had agreed to. Now, the only thing that has remained. ¡°Yes, and I won''t have a problem in accomplishing the task, but let me tell you, it will not be quick and not all of them will cast the spells.¡± ¡°It might be a year or more before the first person could even cast the spells,¡± ¡°The resources it will require also going to be very expensive,¡± ¡°I am aware of the facts, Mage Aldridge,¡± I replied. It will be a very expensive and long process, but if I had succeeded. The reward coming from it will be just as good. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the main point. How much salary do you want?¡± I asked directly, and his expression turned serious. ¡°Forty-thousand imperials per month,¡± he stated, and there is no change in my pace, but I had activated Price Is Right. ¡°It is more than double your previous salary. The number of people you will be teaching is also much less,¡± I said. Of course, with the money I paid to the grey guild, I have even got to know the salaries, he was being paid at his previous jobs. ¡°That might be true, but I will be responsible for teaching them everything. From spell theory to cast actual spells,¡± he countered. He will not be teaching alone. He will bring three of his students, as he did in two academies, where he had been employed in the past few months. ¡°How about twenty-thousand imperials? It is 20% more than your previous salary,¡± I said, increasing the power of my skill to its fullest. ¡°No, it will not do,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Thirty-five thousand imperials?¡± he asked. ¡°Twenty-five thousand,¡± I offered, but once again, he shook his head. ¡°I will go as low as thirty thousand. I will not accept a single imperial below it,¡± He said and I know looking at his eyes, that he will not be below it. ¡°Thirty-thousand imperial, it is,¡± I agreed. I had asked Zela, Valentina, and even Mage York. All of them had said I would need to pay for the twenty-five thousand imperials to forty thousand imperials for the teacher mage I want. Thirty-thousand imperials, which are three million crowns. I will be paying for the teaching alone. I am already spending two-hundred million to create special infrastructure, and I would need to spend more on the resources such as books, tools, and other things. It will be a huge expense. ¡°This is the contract,¡± I said and forwarded the copy to him after adding the salary amount to it. He took it in his hands and begin to read it. It took him nearly half an hour to read through the thick contract. After doing that, he did something surprising. He took the pen and began signing it. Though I have agreed with the changes, he asked for the contract yesterday. I still thought he would have some condition, but apparently, he didn¡¯t. He signed on the last page, and I felt the contract clicking. ¡°Welcome aboard, Mage Aldridge,¡± I said and shook his hand. ¡°Thank you. Mr. Silver,¡± he said. For the next hour, we discussed things he will need for teaching. He gave me a big list of things, which are going to need a lot of money to buy. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 162: Confidence Chapter 162: Confidence Margaux ¡°Slowly. It should be like a gentle river passing through the plains, rather than a raging river in the mountains,¡± said Leopold. The young man is training me in the circulation of mana, which is part of mana control, and it is hard. It had been five days since I had started, and I didn¡¯t feel I had made any progress. Now I could understand why my daughter had sounded so frustrated with her letters. I am frustrated, but I am also ten times more excited. I am learning the magic finally; a thing I have not dreamed of. I have been practicing every day, and I am not the only one doing that. Nearly everyone is trying their hardest. Practicing at every chance, studying at every moment. It had only been a week since they had started learning and everybody understood the reality. It won¡¯t be easy casting a spell, but not a single one is willing to give up. Even under Professor Aldridge, who is an extremely demanding teacher. He didn¡¯t use bad words or shout, but speak in such a way that makes you want to achieve what he said and if you didn¡¯t, then you would want to give up. He speaks in such a way that you want to achieve what he said, not for himself, but for yourself. The price of not doing that is too big when the dream is on the line. No wonder so many people leave his class, and academies have terminated his contract. The girls, on the other hand, are enjoying this pressure. Before coming here, their self-worth was nothing. Now they are learning to love themselves by learning the things they love. They love magic a lot; some seemed to have become obsessed with it. ¡°Take slower, even slower,¡± advised Leopold gently. I am circulating the mana slowly as I could. The pace is slower than that of the snail, but it is not enough. He needs me to go even slower than it. It is hard, so much so that my whole body had become sweaty, from brow to back, but I am not giving up, especially when I am enjoying this privileged of personal teacher. Being a madam gives me a certain privileged, one of which is one-on-one guidance whenever I wish. I feel bad about it, but it is necessary, seeing I have more responsibilities, which gives me much less time than the other girls. The only one who is enjoying the same privilege is Andrea; she is the assistant madam and the only one of the three with mage talent. The young woman also seemed to be naturally talented. In less than a week, she had done what I am trying to do. If anyone comes close to her, then it would be a second assistant of Carla. That teen elf-blood girl Elah had also accomplished it yesterday. Half an hour passed, and I am feeling so tired that I wanted to give up. The practice is extremely tiring; it hadn¡¯t been an hour and I feel like I would collapse on the floor if someone had so much tapped me. Minutes passed, and I pushed all my will into slowing the mana down, even further. ¡°Good Madam Carla, you have reached it! Now maintain this flow,¡± said Leopold excitedly. I finally slowed the flow of mana. It was so slow that it didn¡¯t feel like it was moving at all. Now, I have to maintain this slow speed, which is a great challenge in itself, but I have no choice. Every second is a challenge, but I maintained it while taking even breaths, as I have been taught. This is the easiest of the mana control exercises. If I couldn¡¯t even achieve it, then I could forget about the others. ¡°Good, you can let go now, Madam Carla,¡± said Leopold, and I immediately let go. Letting the mana disperse into my body. ¡°You have done great, Madam Carla. If you continue with this, you will master the first mana control exercise and we will move it to the second.¡± All I could do was nod at his encouraging words. I am so tired that I couldn¡¯t even speak; he understands it as he got up and cast a Clean on me, before walking out. I am grateful for the spell, even when my cheeks reddened, seeing the grime that fell around me. If it was not for the spell, I would have needed to shower, and I already showered. I stayed in my place for a second before walking out of the room. The whole left wing of the underground first floor had been converted into a learning space for the girls. As Mage Aldridge refused to teach in rooms above. He said the girls shouldn¡¯t learn in the same space they work in; it will be distracting. They needed a clean blank space that didn¡¯t arise any memories. We needed to shift the girls to the lower floors; some of them were quite angry at this change. They followed the orders with grumblings, and now we have enough space. Though Master Silver is building more rooms underground. We only have five spare rooms now. They will be soon occupied by the girls, leveling up to Lv. 20. Not to mention, Master Silver had been planning to bring more girls. Now that the establishment has achieved full capacity; it is time to work on our next target. Turning the establishment into a day/night brothel. Most brothels are day/night. Like our direct competitor is on the other side of the road. These underground rooms are temporary as in a few months, we will move into our permanent accommodation. This huge underground space will be used for a different purpose. I looked at the surrounding rooms; each one is for a different purpose. From teaching, meditation, practice, and other things. This had become a restricted space, only the girls with mage talent and teachers could enter inside. Master Silver, Carla, and Assistant Madams are the exceptions to that. I nodded at Stana, who was standing guard with four guards at the entrance before walking toward the right wing, where my office and suite were. ¡°Madam Margaux, Madam Carla is waiting inside your office,¡± informed my assistant, Laura. The teen is sitting in front of my office with a small table. ¡°When did she come?¡± I asked, ¡°Four minutes ago,¡± she said, looking at the small clock in front of her. I nodded and opened my door and entered the door of my office and walked inside. As Laura had said, Carla was waiting. ¡°How was the practice?¡± she asked as I entered my office. A smile appeared on my face at her question, but also guilt. Though not as much as the first day. Carla doesn¡¯t need my pity. While she was disappointed, the first say seeing she doesn¡¯t have a mage talent. She had gotten over it; mage talent is not everything, Master Silver doesn¡¯t have it, but that doesn¡¯t stop him from accomplishing great things. ¡°It was good. I had finally been able to practice the first mana control method, but it would take a few more days to get proficient in it,¡± I replied as I sat down. ¡°You have been working hard, you will be able to do it,¡± she said, and I smiled. This time, genuinely. I have confidence that I would be able to do it, with some practice. I plan to snag an hour of practice before we open and will do some reading at night. With three assistant madams helping me, I could get a few hours off during the night. ¡°So, what do you need?¡± I asked. Usually, we finish most of the business in her¡¯s or Master Silver¡¯s offices. She only came to the office when it was important and needed to be done quickly. ¡°Nothing, I was hoping you could come with me to Elese?¡± she said. ¡°Sure, but we need to return soon; I need to practice for an hour before we open,¡± I replied. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± she said and got up. Soon, we got out of my office and a minute later, out of the establishment. Without us saying anything, the driver brought the carriage. We stepped into it, and soon we were out of the establishment. ¡°All five floors are nearly done,¡± said Carla, looking out of the window. I looked at the construction. The big round building had taken shape, and it was nearly done. In the next week, they will be done with it, and only delicate work will remain. ¡°They did it quite fast,¡± I replied. They are doing it very fast. Two and half months already passed and only two and a half months have remained. Mage Valentina had said it might take more, due to the increasing demands of Master Silver. Little over ten minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the warehouse, and we stepped out of it. We walked through the gate of the warehouse and saw over seventy men and women working. Elese had gotten large orders from Namdar. From a friend of Master Silver, which made her hire more people. We are not here for them. We walked and soon appeared in front of the wall. The warehouse is divided into two parts. What is behind us is the first part. It is the bigger one. The one in front is small but more important. The guards standing opened the door for us and we entered inside. The second section of the warehouse is much small. There are only eleven people working in it, including Elese, who is standing by the middle-aged woman, who is working on a large cloth on a big table. All the people here are working on the orders from the establishment, making the dresses with magical threads. Master Silver had ordered magical threat dresses for a lot of them. It is costing a lot, and both of us suggested we delay it, but he didn¡¯t listen and ordered them; he wants the dresses ready in the next three months. Three months later, all the girls will wear dresses of magical threads; not just madams. ¡°Carla, Margaux. You have come at on right time,¡± said Elese as she noticed us. We moved closer, and she pulled out the dress from the table, and seeing it, our eyes couldn¡¯t widen. It is a purple dress, with wavy red ribbons designs. These ribbons shine as the light fell on them. ¡°It is amazing.¡± I praised and the smile on her face brightened up. ¡°Good, because it is for you,¡± she said, surprising me also Carla. ¡°It is a not type of dress I wear,¡± I said. It is a skintight dress, it will show every part of the body and, most importantly, the cloth it is made of looks quite thin. It will keep nothing to the imagination. This is the kind of dress that Lola or Mena would prefer. They loved all the eyes on them. ¡°I have made this with you in mind. You will love it,¡± she said and looked at me. It is clear. She wants to wear it and she is not the only one, Carla is also giving me the same look. ¡°I don¡¯t think. It will suit me,¡± I said. ¡°Wear it once. If don¡¯t like it, I will not make you wear it again,¡± said Elese, and I hesitated. I am sure it will not suit me, but seeing their eyes, I couldn¡¯t say no. Especially to Elese, who had made this for me. ¡°Fine, I will wear it,¡± I said and took the dress from her, and walked to the changing room. It is not the first time I had tried the dresses here. I closed the door of the changing room and removed my dress before wearing the purple dress, which is tighter than I had expected, but not in a constricting way. I finished the dress and looked in the mirror and what I saw couldn¡¯t help but shock me. I saw my face, but nothing else seemed familiar. I stared at a familiar person wearing the dress which I had not thought I would ever wear or even look good on me. The Opposite is happening. The dress is looking good on me, more than I like to accept. It is scandalous, but not obscene. It is not making me feel naked as I thought it would. This dress had a grace that one wouldn¡¯t expect from it. Wearing it, I feel confident when I should be feeling self-conscious. I looked in the mirror for more than a minute before walking out of the changing room. ¡°Wow,¡± said Carla as I came out; she looked shocked as I had been when I looked in the mirror. ¡°It is looking better on you than I had imagined,¡± said Elese with a clear surprise in her eyes and attraction. It is not just them, but the people working also looked up, and they were just staring. Their eyes gave me confidence and I become more comfortable in the dress and thought of something, which would have shocked me a few minutes ago. ¡°I like the dress. I am going to keep it,¡± I said, bringing a big smile to Elese and Carla¡¯s face.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 163: Purification Chapter 163: Purification Click! The door opened, and Caena walked inside. We are having our regular meeting, which happens every three days, and today is a little special. It had been one and a half months since she had been creating ritual enchantments for me. I am now confident they are real and trust her enough that I could ask her to do that thing. ¡°Master Silver,¡± she greeted. ¡°Caena, take a seat,¡± I offered a seat. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she said as she sat down in front of me. ¡°How are the ritual enchantments?¡± I asked. ¡°I had finished about 50% of them and imprinted 40%,¡± she informed me, and I couldn¡¯t help but get surprised. Three days ago, she said, she finished 20% of ritual enchantment from the latest list, of which 80% of them imprinted into the establishment. ¡°It is quite fast,¡± I said, to which she smiled. ¡°I have leveled up,¡± she replied. It is quite hard to believe she had gained a skill and level that will help her make ritual enchantments faster and charge them quickly. She is hiding something, and she is telling me she is hiding things. Of course, I had guessed it from the first day. Nobody tells no one''s their whole secretes. Now, she is openly telling me, and I wanted to sigh. It is hard and exciting to work with smart people and Caena is one of the smartest I had ever with. ¡°Good. Finish them quickly, but don¡¯t force yourself too much,¡± I said. I need ritual enchantment, but I don¡¯t want to work her to death. It will be counterproductive in the long run. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°This is the new ritual enchantment I want. Give me your opinion and the list of materials you want,¡± I added, forwarding the file. I didn¡¯t make the specific list of ritual enchantments I want like before. It is not efficient, despite seeming like it. So, instead, I have given her a list of effects, I want the establishment to have, and she will create a list of enchantments from them. Once approved by me, she will then turn them into real ritual enchantments. ¡°I will give you the list of enchantments and materials by the evening,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°There is one more thing I want you to do,¡± I said and slid a small box toward her. Click! She looked at me in question, but I didn¡¯t reply. Seeing that, she took the box in her hand and opened it. The moment she did, a great change appeared on her face. She kept staring at two cores inside the box for a couple of seconds before touching them gently. It took more than a minute for her to open her eyes and she looked at them for a few more seconds before finally closing the box. There were deep, complicated emotions in her eyes before she hid him. ¡°These gems, which have an element of life and death, are very valuable. Especially in the form of core,¡± she said before turning to me. ¡°It is also corrupted with the foreign power,¡± she added, looking directly into my eyes. I am not surprised. She is a magic practitioner of the magic, which is older than mages and also said to be older than the system itself. ¡°If I am not wrong, this should be from the dungeon. Incursion-type dungeon, of undead element to be exact,¡± she said, and this time, I am quite surprised. She was able to find it out, with just a few minutes of examination. ¡°How do you figure that out?¡± I asked, to which she smiled. It is quite frustrating, as people employ tactics; I could now see why Carla gets so frustrated when I answer her with a smile. ¡°I want you to purify them, can you, do it?¡± I asked her. ¡°With the right resources, it won¡¯t be a problem,¡± she answered, and a smile couldn¡¯t help but light up on my face. Those things are quite expensive. Ethan is still asking about them, in his letters, and willing to pay a high price for them. ¡°What are you planning on doing with them?¡± she asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I was wondering if you would tell me about their uses,¡± I said, and she smiled. ¡°These are the cores, with the life and death element. Which makes them very powerful, especially to my class,¡± ¡°You could use them for forging weapons or enhancing them. They could even be used in alchemy. Any alchemist will pay a high price for them.¡± She said, and I smiled but didn¡¯t move my eyes away from her. I could feel there was ¡®but¡¯ in her words. ¡°But I think the best use of them would be using on the establishment. The way your connection formed with the establishment makes these cores perfect things for it,¡¯ ¡°It will strengthen your connection with it and will also increase the power of the ritual enchantments,¡± she said with eyes shining and this time, I am shocked. I could already feel the changes in the establishment appearing every week. They are tiny, but together, they are a force. They have been playing a huge part in the establishment''s business. If I could increase their power further, with it, I will not hesitate. Especially now when I want to turn the establishment into a day/night brothel. I am already planning a trip to a merchant state next week and will be taking permission from the Count for it. ¡°It will be great if you could do it,¡± I said happily, before calming my emotions down. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± she replied. ¡°These are not only things; there are a few more things I have, which I hope you will purify,¡± I said and got up before placing three boxes by my chair on the table. She looked at them in surprise before opening one after another. The more she looked, the more surprised, she would become. ¡°It seemed like your trip to the Navr wasn¡¯t as simple as I thought,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, there were some incidents,¡± I replied, and she smiled. I didn¡¯t even tell Carla about them. Though I am thinking of talking about it with her. That thing giving me nightmares, letting all out of the heart, might help. A few minutes later, Caena left, and I kept working. It had been eight months since the establishment opened and more than a month since it had reached its full capacity. Now, I am going to bring more girls. The girls I have are not enough to make the establishment a day/night brothel. I have even asked Valentina to open more underground rooms. With it, nearly all the space below the establishment had been hallowed for the rooms and also some space from the new plot. A little over an hour passed, and I walked out of my office. I have to go to the Count''s mansion, but before that, I will visit a few places in the establishment. Soon, I walked out of the establishment through the back and felt the cold wind. It is a good thing; I had worn the jacket before coming out. On my left is a spa, which had become slightly bigger. I added four more rooms to meet the increased demand. On the right, near the corner, is a much smaller building. It is in the kitchen. Two weeks have passed since it has been completed and Drev started practicing and teaching in it. Till now, no major incidents had occurred, though there were some small ones. It didn¡¯t happen with Drev, but with the other chefs, he is teaching. I walked toward the kitchen and with Rapid Legs; I was at its doors. The two guards nodded and opened the gates for me. I entered the small empty room, which leads to the kitchen. Like every part of the kitchen, it is reinforced. It would be hard to burn it down. With the level of magical material, we have here. ¡°Adviser,¡± greeted the old man with a magic staff. ¡°Lysander, you are looking good,¡± I said to the old mage, who is standing at the kitchen entrance. Since I only have two mages, they couldn¡¯t be in the kitchen always. So, I hired this old mage from the mercenary guild. He had retired but agreed to work when read the description of the job. His job is to guard the kitchen and save mages from damage. He is a generalist, but has good protection spells; he had already proved his worth by saving the chefs from injuries many times. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Silver,¡± he said with a toothy smile. As always, he cast a protection spell on me, covering me with a thin brown layer of energy as I entered through the door. The kitchen is medium size, with everything instrument here made of powerful alloys and crafted by craftsman over Lv 25. There is also protection enchantment all over the kitchen. The kitchen wasn¡¯t cheap, but seeing how happy it had made Drev, it was worth it. As in this kitchen, he is training the people, who will make the fusion food. There are five people here. Drev and four chefs learning under him. Technically, there are three chefs seeing Wanda hasn¡¯t officially become a chef. She had gained enough skill to work in the kitchen, months earlier than I had expected and would have been working in the kitchen at the start of this month, but I shifted her here. Of the four people learning, two are from Drev¡¯s old restaurants. One is from our kitchen; he had been working establishment since the first day. The last one is Wanda. It is dangerous for her to work here, seeing all people learning has at least a decade of experience, but she has talent and expressed the desire to learn. I gave her the chance. I value her more than the other three; she is the one I trust the most and is loyal. Which is the most important thing to me. I looked at them and saw Drev teaching them. He is working on a red lotus, like an artist, describing the whole process to them and answering their questions. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± he said and gave them each the lotus flower. ¡°Mister Silver,¡± he greeted as he looked up, finally noticing me. Culinary is his passion, and he gets lost in it quite quickly. Even if he had noticed me, he wouldn¡¯t have greeted me, before finished doing what he was doing. ¡°How are things, Drev?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. we haven¡¯t damaged anything today,¡± he said, looking around. ¡°The day isn¡¯t over yet, Drev,¡± I said, bringing a smile to his face. I talked to him; he brought me up to date with his progress. A few minutes later, I walked out of the kitchen and walked to the spa, where there were always people. The spa had not only become bigger but also has more people. There are now thirty-two people working in it and many girls. Thirty-two are enough to handle the girls I currently have, but I might need to hire more when the new girls came. Hun! I reached the spa and entered inside and saw Maeve in the lobby. ¡°Mr. Silver,¡± she greeted. ¡°How are things, Maeve?¡± I asked. ¡°Very good,¡± she replied. Things are good. I get daily reports of the spa from Margaux, and it is good. The nature of the staff had to become even better since I had fired two people around a week ago. They were behaving condescendingly with girls. I had warned them and when they didn¡¯t change their behavior; I fired them directly. It kind of surprised the staff here and they begin to work more professionally. I am paying them well, better than any spa in the city, and I expect them to behave professionally. They didn¡¯t have to like the girls or what they do; they only need to do their job. It is what I am paying them for. I talked to Maeve and looked at the rooms and staff working before coming out with Rena. She is going to the plot next; they have started working on the spa and Maeve likes to be there when they add every new thing. ¡°You are not coming?¡± she asked. ¡°No, I have some things to do,¡± I replied and walked toward the carriage while she went toward the construction.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 164: News Chapter 164: News Amberhold City An old man wrapped in bandages was sitting in a huge dark stone hall when a red-haired man holding a green elaborate short bow strode into the hall. ¡°Did you catch them?¡± asked the old man as he turned to the younger man. ¡°Yes, two of them, but those bastards killed themselves before I could even ask a single question,¡± replied the younger man. ¡°It is the fourth time in half a year, we have been targeted by the assassins,¡± said the old man, before signing and, within a second, begin to look a lot older than he is. ¡°We have chosen the wrong candidate and now paying the price for it,¡± added the old man, full of regret. ¡°It is not your fault, Father. At that time, supporting the orc, felt a wise choice,¡± said the younger man, but even he is also feeling regret over their choice. They have paid a great price for that. ¡°Send the message to the orc and tell him what happened. Warn him that if we suffered even one more of such assassination, we would take our vote back.¡± ¡°Damn, the consequences,¡± said the old man, with a look in his eyes, which clearly states he was ready to sacrifice it all. .... I sat in the carriage, and it moved out of the establishment. I looked through my carriage and looked at the changes in surprise. Every day, I feel this emotion as I looked at the city, which is growing very fast. There are building everywhere; many growing bigger and taller. The city is expanding and with new people coming every day. Most of them are from the empire, with some of the merchant cities. A tiny fraction of them are from Mayhurst Island, where the undead are rampaging. Every month, they are conquering more and more of the island and getting stronger with the bodies they harvest. It is common knowledge that you shouldn¡¯t give war to the undead. If you fight them, then finish them quickly. The longer you fight, the stronger they will become. The war makes one level up quickly, and the undead get access to these bodies and thus become stronger. It is what is happening on Mayhurst Island. It is due to that a large number of people are running from the island. Half of them never succeed because of the undead blockade. Those who cross it successfully come to Zenid as it is closest. Harsoth Empire has restricted their entry. Only accepting those with higher levels and those with required classes. Merchant cities are more lenient. I had suggested Count Darrow let more people of Mayhurst in as we need people, and the flow of people from the empire is quite slow, but he isn¡¯t willing. If he had listened, the city would have grown even faster. Well, at least Nakar baronies are accepting them. They had run away from the undead, but were still willing to live near them. They don¡¯t have much of a choice, either that or starving to death. Still, the Count had ordered that 75% of people should be from the empire, which restricted their flow to baronies as well. As people from the empire are not fans of living so close to the undead kingdom. It could change. If my plan worked, there will be a lot more people in baronies and these fiefs will be rich. Though, the city will be the biggest beneficiary of all. ¡°Mister Silver. Miss Ina had messaged that she reached the Brimbale,¡± said Zela suddenly. She had returned from her fifth trip to Navr yesterday. Instead of coming to the city with the goods yesterday, she had gone to the Brimbale. It is a southeastern city of Greltheaven between Mirador Hold and Dustorn Fortress. Brimbale is one of three cities on the eastern side of the Renwell Region. Most cities are on the western side, on the other side of the river. The river act as a blockade, when undead of Navr pour into the region. It is a small city, but old. Like Deerpond, it had been destroyed and built back many times. Ina had gone there to convince the merchants. There is a big chance they will join us in trading with Navr. It has no other option. Like Norke, it is not situated on the river. It is in a worse place than Norke since it is so far from the merchant states. Though, unlike Norke, it had been surrounded by three big green patches and situated on one. With this, it can grow the food it needs, but food alone is enough, people need other things too. Navr offers that all to them. The two cities, Norke and Riverbell, already started joining us in trading and I want Navr to be the third. ¡°Tell her, good luck,¡± I said. There is no need to say anything else, I have briefed her on what she has to do. She will meet the party from Greltheaven and have a meeting with the high-ranking people of Brimbale¡¯s merchant guild. She will spend tomorrow there and return to Greltheaven, a day after that. Soon, the carriage passed through the gates of the mansion, before stopping at the registered spot. I got out and walked toward the mansion with Rapid Legs. The meeting will be about the trade with Navr, which is what half of our meetings are about. The Count was happy with my progress and had given me free rein over it; the only thing he is doing is signing on the orders. I am happy with the progress I am making, but unhappy with the level-up. With the things I have achieved, I should have gotten quite a few levels already, but I only leveled up twice in my Adviser Class in the past month. The same thing is happening to my main class. It seemed like the effect of crowded classes had finally caught up to me. I have five classes, more than what most people keep. One is my main class and four are secondary classes. I was fine till four classes, but with the five have become too much. Now, no matter what happens, I won¡¯t take another class, no matter how powerful is or vital or my leveling up will slow down even further. I reached Count Darrow¡¯s office and pushed the door before entering inside. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted and bowed. ¡°How are the things, Remus?¡± he asked. ¡°Very good, my lord. The goods have come yesterday, and have been on the way to their cities, while our merchants also emptied the warehouse,¡± ¡°Twelve of them had already sent the goods to the mainland and three of them to the Meldhorn,¡± I replied. Of course, we are sending goods to Meldhorn; they are merchants. If they get things cheaply from us, they will buy them without hesitation. ¡°What about Brimbale?¡± he asked. ¡°Our representatives will have a meeting with the merchant guilds tonight,¡± I replied. Ina is not alone, a team from Greltheaven had reached the Brimbale in the afternoon. They will coordinate with Ina when they meet the merchants. ¡°I have sent my message to the governor of Brimbale; we will receive his answer before the next merchant group leaves for Navr,¡± he informed. ¡°It will happen, my lord. The Governor couldn¡¯t resist for long,¡± I replied, and he nodded with a smile. He is happy, and why wouldn¡¯t he be? The trade with Navr is increasing every week. Which means the taxes he is earning are also increasing. If the trade continued to rise, it won¡¯t take long before he started to get enough taxes through trade to pay for the expense of the mirador hold. ¡°I have the news too, Remus,¡± said Count Darrow, with his expression becoming serious. ¡°Council member Azog Grimgore of Oksall Council agreed to the meeting,¡± he informed, shocking me. For the past two weeks, there were barely any words from Count Darrow about it and now he is telling me he had fixed the meeting with the council member. ¡°When is the meeting?¡± I asked, and his expression changed a little. ¡°It is in five days,¡± he replied, and I sucked in a deep breath. ¡°We only have four days before we leave,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, yes, and I want all the preparations done by then,¡± he ordered. ¡°It will be done,¡± I said. What else could I say? Thankfully, I have done nearly everything I needed to. The one thing that had remained, is the old man making good progress on it, but it won¡¯t be enough. If I had more time, we would have gone there with the complete preparations. ¡°Contact Baron Harrods and your sister. They will also be coming with us,¡± he said, and I nodded. Baron Harrods has been making contacts with the tribe of orcs, and my sister had joined him. She was always good at finding opportunities in dangerous places. Even though I don¡¯t like it, Baron Harrods has made enormous progress with her help. She is a merchant, with experience in making connections, even when the other party is hostile. ¡°As you command,¡± I said. For a few seconds, there was silence before Count Darrow looked at me, with more weight in his eyes than before. ¡°It is very important for this deal to success, Remus; I hope you will give your everything to it,¡± he said. ¡°I will not disappoint you, my lord,¡± I said. The time is short, but I will make do with it, ¡°Though, I hope, I will have all the secret information I need for better preparation,¡± I added and looked at him. This is a big ask, but I need to know about every little detail for better preparation. ¡°You will have it,¡± he said after a second of silence. A few minutes later, I walked out of the Count''s office into mine. As I sat down, I begin to write and finished in a few minutes. I looked at it, before pushing it toward Zela, sitting in front of me. ¡°Send this message to Baron Harrods and My sister,¡± I said to her. She looked at it and closed her eyes. ¡°Done,¡± she replied as she opened her eyes, but a few seconds later, her staff lit up, as my sister replied. It turns out she is with Baron Harrods, and they are in a meeting with one of the orc tribes. We exchange messages for half an hour. They updated me on their progress, while I updated on things here. The next three days, going to be very busy for them. They will need to meet as many orc tribes as they can and it is not a simple thing, with more than half of them being hostile and bandit attacks. We have reduced the number of bandits a lot, but there are more bandit groups. Especially on Oksall¡¯s side. It will be another problem if we succeed, but then we will have Oksall with us to help. ¡®Master Silver. Mr. Merrick had come,¡¯ said Jill through the magical intercom. ¡®Send him in,¡¯ I said. Click! A second later, Merrick came holding the box. ¡°Adviser, Lord Count had sent this for you,¡± he said and placed the box on the table and turn to Zela. ¡°He said it should be read in privacy,¡± he added. ¡°I will wait outside,¡± said Zela, while Merrick walked to the corner. It is clear he will be here till I finished reading the information in the box and would leave with it, once I am done. He is one of the guards that the Count had brought with him. There are several like him, and all of them give me dangerous feelings. They are at least strong as Mark or even stronger than him. I didn¡¯t waste any time and opened the box and took out the first stack with Azog Grimgore written on it. I took the first file and begin to read it. The information in it seemed nothing shocking. The secret information is rarely shocking. Not everybody is hiding shocking secrets, but they are hiding tiny little ones, which are most important. I wish I could note it down, but there is already a note about the information being eyes only. So, I read it and made mental notes, and the more I read, the more confident I would become. It seemed like what I had deducted from the information got from the grey guild is true, and that makes our chance of success higher. It also tells me; that things might turn dangerous. Though Oksall keeps such things contained. They did not, let such things spill on the business and I really hope it is true. ¡®Why can¡¯t things be simple?¡¯ I asked myself, but soon laughed at the silly question. As things are never simple. Soon, I finished with the first stack and started with the second. One by one, I read through the stacks before finishing it all. ¡°Please thank the Lord Count for the information, Merrick,¡± I said to him, as he picked up the box from the table. ¡°Will do, adviser,¡± he said and left, while I called Zela to send more messages. I don¡¯t think I will be able to leave my office, before midnight today. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 165: Yacht Chapter 165: Yacht Leila ¡°Snowing is getting intense; I hope there is not a storm,¡± said Baron Harrods, looking at heavy snow in carriages widow. ¡°It won¡¯t be,¡± I said. Snow is strong, but not all the elements are aligning. Which is good. I didn¡¯t want anything to delay this trip; it is too important for me and also for the old man in front of me. It is an enormous opportunity. This deal has the potential to change the fortune of my territory and me. The turbulent times are coming, and strong territory will help a lot in that time, especially if the bets go wrong. The house is being careful, but anything could happen. ¡°Do you think the deal could succeed, Lady Leila?¡± the old man asked, with a hint of nervousness, which he was trying to hide. It is the first time he had asked me this question. The deal is very important for the old man more than me. Unlike me and many others in the baronies, he didn¡¯t have the support of a powerful family. That could pour a large amount of money into his territory. If the whispers I heard are right. Then this old man is at his last financially and agriculture is not enough to support him. It will take him a few years to open enough farmland to support his territory financially, but he didn¡¯t have a few years. He didn¡¯t even have a few months. ¡°Remus is feeling it could succeed. I am also feeling there is a high chance of success,¡± ¡°If what I have heard is right, then the party on the other side is also desperate and needs the trade as much as we do,¡± I said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I really hope so,¡± he said with a small hopeful smile on his face. A few minutes passed, and the carriage stopped. Immediately, I adjusted my clothing and stepped out of the carriage, and felt an intense cold. That couldn¡¯t bring a smile to my face. Ice is my element, and it felt like hope. Though, even I won¡¯t be able to stay comfortable in such for a long time. My magic hasn¡¯t become powerful enough for such a temperature to become harmless to me. A few seconds later, an old man came out, wearing a thick winter jacket. ¡°I don¡¯t like snow. I would rather spend days in a desert than this damn snow,¡± cursed the old man as he appeared by me. I smiled, and we walked toward the river. A minute later, we stopped at its bank, where there are already people waiting for us. ¡°Baron Harrods, Lady Silver. I am administrator Jost; I will take you two to the other side,¡± said the middle-aged man with a faint bow. I nodded, and he took us to the boat, and a few seconds later; it moved toward the other side. ¡°Even in such snow, the ships are still coming and going,¡± said Baron Harrods, looking at large ships on the river. ¡°Trade never stops for anything. Be it snow, famine, or war,¡± I said. It is the supreme motto of the merchant. Most powerful merchant houses had been found in the dangerous times. Some people in the House of Silver are looking forward to a succession war and started making moves to reap the rewards that come with risks. Grandfather is cautious, which I think is a wise choice. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the wonderful snow. I always liked snow. In Redfawn, we didn¡¯t have it, but Father would always take me to Rohn every winter, where there is snow. It was the happiest time of my life. I raised my hand and snow begin to gather over it and when enough gathered. They begin to move, and soon formed a face; seeing it, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but tear up. I dispersed the snow a second later and wipe away my tears. People have noticed but politely looked away. Soon, the boat reached the other shore and found a familiar person waiting on the other. Seeing him, my expression couldn¡¯t help but turn complicated and regrets appeared in front of my eyes. ... ¡°Baron Harrods, Lady Lela, welcome to the Greltheaven,¡± I said, as they appeared in front of me. I am a little surprised to see my sister not wearing even a single piece of winter clothing. ¡°Adviser, you didn¡¯t have to come personally,¡± said Baron Harrods. ¡°I wanted to,¡± I replied, and we walked toward the carriage. It is snowing quite hard today. It will slow down our journey to the merchant state, but it wouldn¡¯t affect the overall journey. Soon we are the carriage, and the old seemed quite relieved from the cold. ¡°How was the journey?¡± I asked them as the carriage begin to move toward the city. ¡°Good, there wasn¡¯t any problem other than the snow,¡± he replied. I could only smile in response and look at my sister, who is looking at me. Leila is a cryromancer. She had a high affinity with the ice element. It is the main reason she was accepted into one most of the premier magic academies in the world. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± asked Leila. ¡°Everything is great. Though, it would have been even better if you both had more time to finish the task,¡± I replied, and the three of us sighed together. Twenty minutes passed, and the carriage stopped in front of the large mansion, where I had dropped them to rest. They are tired. For the past three days, they have been meeting with orc tribes, not returning to their fiefs till last night. Even there, they didn¡¯t stay for more than a few hours, before taking the journey to the Greltheaven. It is not just them who were busy. I have been busy making the preparation. This trip is important, and it is going to be quick. If everything goes well, we will return to the city the day after tomorrow. I planned to make another trip to the merchant cities with Carla for the girls at the end of the week. It had already been nearly one and a half months since the new girls debuted and got used to the business. The space has been built for the new girls, and now we only need to bring them. I really hope nothing happens on this trip, that could make me change my plans and it wouldn¡¯t. We will directly go to Oksall and return through the same route. With Count present with hidden and unhidden guards; there won¡¯t be any problem. Oksall wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to the Count. He is a powerful noble from the most powerful houses of the empire. It would create a huge diplomatic incident if something were to happen to him. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of my office, and I walked out and enter my office, while nodding at city employees, shoveling the snow. As I entered my office, I saw the girls working there. Not only Jill and Clair but also Lola and Andrea. I only had three days, and there was a lot of work that needed to be done. ¡°Have you finished them?¡± I asked Andre and Lola. ¡°Yes, it is finished,¡± said Lola and handed me the file. I took it and began to read it. As I finished, a smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. ¡°Good job, job both of you,¡± I said and took another file and made a change in it. A few minutes later, I am finished and so is the work. I looked at the clock, and it was nine. Three hours later, we will leave for the Oksall; I will have to be at the mansion two hours before that. Click! I was thinking about what should I do, when the door of my office opened, and Carla walked in wearing a black dress and had her hair up with only a single pin keeping them in place. The black dress she is wearing a simple, but the way she is walking and the expression, she had made her look like the greatest seductress in the world. ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I said as she appeared in front of me. ¡°I know,¡± she said with her voice turning husky. I opened my mouth for another praise, but before I could even utter a single word, I found her lips on me, and a moment later; we were kissing passionately with stuff on the table flying everywhere. For an hour, only loud cries and moans rang out of the room, with the sex of the smell filling its every corner. We had done it in the night, but it was not enough. ¡°I have to leave,¡± I said. We are on the floor on top of each other, with sweat sliding down from our bodies. I was great, full of passion, and I want more, but I didn¡¯t have the time. ¡°Go, get ready,¡± she said and kissed me. The kiss lasted for more than a minute and my hands roamed around her enchanting body before I stopped and forcefully pulled away from the kiss. It took quite the willpower to do that. She smiled as got off me, while I get up and walked into the small room behind my office and stepped into the shower. I can¡¯t go and meet with Count and others with the smell of sex on me. I showered within ten minutes and changed into the new suit before walking into the office, where everything had been fixed. Even the smell of sex had disappeared. Now, even I can¡¯t tell, it is a place where we had fucked like bunnies a few minutes ago. ¡°Take care and came back safe,¡± said Carla. ¡°I will,¡± I said and kissed her. The kiss was gentle and lasted a while before I pulled back and walked out of the office with a stack of files in my hand. When I got out, the intensity of the snow had increased even further. Shaun had cast a barrier around me as I entered the carriage. A few minutes later, the carriage entered the mansion, and I walked out. I had a barrier around me until I entered the mansion. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted father and son as I entered the office. Which is filled with people, including one unfamiliar woman with a mage staff. ¡°You are late Remus,¡± said Lancel sharply. ¡°My apologies, my lord. The last bit of work, too more time, than I had thought,¡± I replied and placed a stack of files on Count Darrow¡¯s table. ¡°Is everything done, Remus?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I said. ¡°Good, then let''s leave. The snow is going to get worse. It is better, we leave early to reach Oksall on time,¡± he said and got up. I am surprised as I thought we would have one last meeting before leaving, but he is right, too. The storm is going to make us late if we follow our old schedule. Soon, we were out of the office with me following behind the Count, alongside Robin, who was also coming with us. ¡°Who is the mage?¡± I asked him. The woman looked to be in her early forties. She is tall, with sharp blue eyes, which people would first notice about her than her beautiful face. She is talking to my sister about privacy skills. ¡°High Mage Amara Beaumont. She is a retainer of Count Darrow,¡± he replied. We reached the door of the mansion and immediately, the purple gem on Mage Beaumont¡¯s staff lit up. Lancel and Count immediately got covered in a white layer of protection while we walked into the wild snow without it. Shaun and Zela are present, but they didn¡¯t cast a spell on me, which is a wise thing. It might seem like disrespect. Soon, we were in the carriages, aside from Count Darrow and Lancel. There is also my sister, Baron Harrods, Commander Atticus, Robin, Mage Beaumont, Mage York, and me. Everybody is coming, except for Lancel and Mage York. Lancel is scared shitless after experiencing bandit attacks. He didn¡¯t leave the city even once, since he returned from the baronies. That was nearly two months ago. Twenty minutes later, we got out of the carriage and saw a beautiful yacht in front of us.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 166: Journey Chapter 166: Journey ¡°The harsothians presented a great plan, and I have got the assurance from the head of the council. That as long as you make the road, he will use his influence to stop the attempts,¡± ¡°If we do it, the assassinations will stop?¡± asked the man with the red hair, looking at a file in his hand. The middle-aged orc in front of him nodded. ¡°But it won''t be easy?¡± he asked and once again, the orc nodded. ¡°He will make every effort to kill you. It is the only chance he will have; once you did it, you are safe,¡± said the Orc. ¡°It will be more dangerous than surviving the assassins,¡± said the man with red hair. The orc smiled. ¡°The council had amended the contract with Navr. It is a done deal. If you didn¡¯t succeed, someone else will take your place and do it,¡± said the Orc. There is not much of a choice. Either he agrees and achieves what the council had asked him. If he did it, he and his family would be safe. If he failed, the assassins kept coming till they succeed. Most importantly. If he succeeds, he will fulfill the wish of his ancestors. They were the ones who devised this plan. The harsothian Count had just copied it. ¡°I will do it,¡± I said finally, betting on the survival of my family and on it. .... ¡°This is pearl,¡± Count declared, looking at a beautiful white yacht bathing in snow. It is a work of art. It is completely white aside from the emblem of the House of Ravenheart, which is in blue. It is a graceful thing with long masts and, I am sure; it is not only beautiful but will have the power to back it up. I may not know much about yachts, but I could tell a powerful thing when I see one. It is a surprise; the Count had informed me about his personal ship coming, but he didn¡¯t say it was a yacht. ¡°This was made by my late grandfather. He gave it to Father when he inherited the County,¡± informed Lancel. I looked at the Count and saw the adoration he was looking at it. It is clear he loves this thing and if I am at his place, I would love it too. This thing is too beautiful. Everybody wants to possess it the moment they see it. ¡°Let''s board it,¡± said the Count and walked toward it and his steps faster than usual. We followed him, while the snow intensified around us. Soon, we reached the ramp, where two people were guarding the entrance. They bowed to the Count and Lancel and opened the ramp gate. ¡°Welcome my lord. The pearl is glad to be in your service again,¡± said the middle-aged man with a goatee as he bowed deeply to the Count. ¡°I missed her,¡± he said as he patted the captain''s shoulder and walked to the deck. We followed after him, admiring every aspect of this beauty, also noticing nearly all freezing temperatures disappear. ¡°It is a fine yacht, my lord. I have never seen, a yacht, so beautiful,¡± I praised and even got an eye roll from Robin. I could also faint regret for him for not praising me. I am sucking up to him and, like his son; he is quite susceptible to them, but unlike his son, he didn¡¯t let them get over his head. ¡°Thank you, Remus. This beauty is one of my most prized collections,¡± he said, looking at the yacht with love and pride. A few seconds later, his expression turned serious, and he turned to a middle-aged man with a goatee. ¡°Sterling, if all the preparations are made. Then start her up. I planned to reach Oksall on time,¡± he ordered. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± he said and bowed, before started ordering staff around him. ¡°Best of luck, Father. I will pray for your success,¡± said Lancel. ¡°Thank you, my son,¡± he said and hugged his son and said something in his ear, with privacy skill. A minute later, Lancel walked out of the yacht under the protection of Mage York and guards. As he stepped off the yacht, it hummed in power. The hum was gentle, but I could feel the contained in it. Its enchantments started lit up, and they were everywhere; not one part on which I didn¡¯t see them. The sheer scale of enchantment shocked me, and I know I had underestimated its value. I had foolishly compared it to the ones owned by some people in my family, but it is a grade above them. If any yacht in my family could compare to it; then it would be one grandfather had. It is an expensive thing. So much that even if I sell everything I have, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for a deposit, much less buy it. As the enchantment activated, all the cold disappeared and comfortable warmness appeared. The snow is still falling, but it is not staying. We all removed our jackets and watched the yacht move. It took barely a minute to get out of the pier before turning north, toward merchant cities. It is picking up speed. It couldn¡¯t make me wonder how fast it could go, in weather like this. I turned to the city covered in snow, and it looked beautiful. I wish I had a camera; I would have captured it. In a few minutes, the yacht had picked up speed. It is faster than any ship, I had traveled on this river and its speed is still increasing. Though, at a much slower rate than before. ¡°We will have a meeting at two, till then rest,¡± said the Count and walked into the yacht. After he disappeared, the staff also took us to our cabins. Click! ¡°Wow,¡± I said as the door clicked close behind me. The cabin is beautiful; there is an elvish queen size bed. A table and a cupboard of the same design and a private bathroom. Which is bigger than I thought. Though the best thing about the cabin is the window. Which is around a hundred inches long, and the glass is so clear that it felt like it isn¡¯t there at all. I looked at the passing scenery of snow falling in the wasteland. It looked beautiful in a bleak way. I looked at it for a few minutes before I lay on the bed and simply closed my eyes. Not to sleep, but to think. Think about this trip, my business, and the future. Things are calm right now. The skirmishes along the empire''s border had nearly stopped in the past few months. Even Tabes had withdrawn most of its forces from the border of the Renwell region. They all are preparing for chaos to come, which will begin with the death of the emperor. Nobody could guess what would happen, but everybody is preparing to defend or conquer. The empire is juicy meat, of which everyone wants a piece. It is why the emperor is trying so hard to consolidate the crown prince¡¯s power. So much so that he made a deal with the pope. It would have been great. If he had started doing that a decade ago; the crown prince would have a secure throne, but now, the chances seemed slim, despite all the efforts that the emperor was making. I am worried about these things immensely. As they will affect my future directly. It is why I will soon start working on things to secure myself; at least financially. I want to be secure enough that I could run at a moment¡¯s notice, taking all my employees and staff. Signing the deal is very important; it had a chance to empower the whole region, especially the Nakar baronies. Currently, they are weak as chickens with people like Baron Harrods, barely able to pay the running expense. If the deal happens and they make use of it, they will be rich and also powerful. As they will need to deal with pests that disturb the trade. This region has become my home, and I want it strong enough to defend against every foe. Be it disturbance from the Empire, attacks from Tabes, or a horde of Navr. It is hard to imagine the wasteland could do something, but it had happened a couple of times in history. A few minutes later, I opened the book. I didn¡¯t prepare for the meeting; I didn¡¯t need to. I know everything by heart; I have done research and made a plan. As long as the Count asked anything related to that, I could answer. Time passed, and soon it was time for a meeting. It is still heavily snowing, but despite that, the yacht is moving fast. In an hour, we would reach the Owlspring, which normally takes six to seven hours to reach, but with this yacht, we will be making the journey in four to four and a half hours. We are traveling through the heavy snow. If there wasn¡¯t snow, it would have needed even less time to reach it. I got out of the cabin, and a minute later; I am in a conference room. The yacht had a dedicated conference room, and it was not small. ¡°We have touched our bases, and everything is ready. All we have to do is meet with the councilman tomorrow,¡± said the Count as the meeting ended. It lasted less than an hour. It would have lasted longer, but everyone is competent and prepared for their end. Count Darrow is the only one who needed to refer to the file. A minute later, I walked out of the conference room but didn¡¯t return to my cabin and instead went to the deck. The snow is falling on it before disappearing, and it is slightly chilly, but not enough that I would need to wear the winter coat. I appeared at the right time, as the yacht had just entered the confluence of Northare and Vale Rivers. I could see the huge Owlspring City in front of me, covered beautifully in snow. The heavy snow didn¡¯t don¡¯t seem to affect the trade at all. I felt like there were more ships now than it had been when I came here last time. ¡°Merchant states, view trade more differently than the empire,¡± said Leila, as she appeared beside me. ¡°It is why they are merchant states, and we are an empire,¡± I replied, to which she nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. In the empire, there are many restrictions on the merchants. In merchant cities, not so much. ¡°I felt like the Count is hiding things from us,¡± she said, and I got alarmed, before seeing the privacy ring on her finger active. I heaved a sigh of relief before activating my own skill. ¡°Of course, he is hiding things. We are mere subjects. He won¡¯t tell us things. He doesn¡¯t want to,¡± I said cautiously, but she just gave me a look. ¡°You know what I mean,¡± she said, and after a moment of silence, I nodded. ¡°I also have a feeling Count had done some things and even feel prince¡¯s hand in the shadows,¡± I said after nearly a minute. I am not an idiot. In the past few days, I sensed things. The biggest hints were to be given to me by that bastard Lancel. In his mocking and teasing, he had revealed quite a lot of things. ¡°We have to be careful. Things might even get dangerous,¡± she cautioned, and I nodded gently. We didn¡¯t talk further; even this was dangerous. There are skills and tools that could breach privacy. The Count will not be pleased if he heard what we had talked about. Though, her confirmation made my mood somber, and I begin to pray that everything goes smoothly on this trip. I remained on the deck till the yacht turned to vale river and Owlspring disappeared from the view before going back to my cabin. Those words of Leila had given me a lot to think about. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 167: Oksall Chapter 167: Oksall The yacht stopped at the pier, and I looked at the grand site of Oksall. I have been looking at it for minutes and still staring at it in wonder. The vale river flows through the center of the city; the city had been built around it and it is huge. Bigger than even Namdar and bright like a starry sky. There are huge walls and even taller mage towers that seemed to be touching the skies. One could feel the wealth and might of the city in the air itself. It is the capital of the powerful city-state, its economic and political center. It is where the ruling council resides. Oksall was so powerful that if it wished, it could capture the whole Renwell region rather easily. The thing is it is not even the most powerful of merchant city-states. There are some very powerful and one so much that even the emperor had not said a single bad word about it. It is said to be a real master of Merchant Cities of Western Zenid. ¡°The merchants may be detestable, but they know how to build,¡± said Count Darrow from behind. Leila and I shared the look but didn¡¯t say anything. A minute later, the ramp was in place, and we walked out of the yacht with the lead of Count Darrow. I could see an entourage of a hundred men and women waiting below. There are people of multiple races there, orcs, humans, and elves with a half-elf man as the lead. I instantly recognized the green-haired half-elf and a couple of people around him. All of them are pretty important. ¡°Welcome to the great city of Oksall, Count Darrow Wilstein of House Ravenheart,¡± said the green hair half-elf who looked to be in his late thirties. ¡°Thank you, Deputy Governor Caryn,¡± the Count replied with a smile. The half-elf is a Deputy Governor of the Oksall. There are only three of them. So, by sending him, it could be said, they are showing sufficient respect. If Count Darrow¡¯s brother had come, it would have the Governor welcoming him and the Prince would have warranted a ruling council member to welcome him. They made small talk before going to the carriage. With them, only their guards with them. We sat in different carriages, with me sitting with Robin, Baron Harrods, and my sister. ¡°This is one nice carriage,¡± said Baron Harrods, as the carriage begin to move. ¡°It is. It feels as good as my father''s favorite carriage,¡± she said, and I nodded, but my focus is on the city. The port is huge and well organized. Everything seemed to be running like a well-oiled machine. ¡°The city is grand. No wonder Navr¡¯s horde failed to breach it,¡± said Baron Harrods, looking around in wonder. Oksall region shares a boundary with Navr. So, when Navr, sent its horde, it is Oksall responsibility to defend against them. ¡°The city is extremely defensive, most importantly. It had multiple S-Class powerhouses, including a Grand Mage, and a well-equipped army, along with a large mercenary force.¡± ¡°With all those things, even hordes of Navr get stopped in their tracks,¡± said Leila. Navr is powerful without a doubt, but the merchant cities are not weakling. They have been fighting Navr since its inception and know how to deal with it when it releases its horde. Though, in their battles, Navr also gets what it wants. The powerful bodies, it is for what they release their hordes. Ten minutes later, we reached the third wall and our carriage passed through it. Oksall is a huge city, which is separated into five walls. Each one of these walls is thicker and bigger than the city walls and offers far greater defense. The port is on the fourth wall, and we are going to the first wall. It is a political center and the smallest of all the walls, but still bigger than our city. Over a million people live on the first wall alone, and the whole city had a population of over twenty million. The whole Renwell Region didn¡¯t have a population, even a quarter of that. This population will immediately make it one of the most crowded cities in the world. If it were Earth. Despite that, the city is not crowded. It is huge enough to accommodate the population easily. It is past ten, but the city is still active, with people everywhere in the bright lights. People of every race could be seen on the streets, of orcs, elves, even dwarves and half-giants. The diversity of races here is even greater than of the Owlspring. Though, around 75% are orcs and humans in about the same numbers. Which is why eight of twelve council seats are controlled by them. The last four were controlled by a dwarf, an elf, a half-orc, and a half-giant. Soon, our carriage took the enchanted road, or lightway, as they call it. There is a direct route to travel between the walls, and it is magical. I am staring at it, with my eyes wide in wonder. We are moving fast, not only because of the great skill of our driver and this carriage but also because of enchantments cast on the road itself, which makes travel faster. ¡°The merchant cities are really rich to make the enchanted road. Spending such money is simply wasteful,¡± said Robin, and Baron Harrods nodded. ¡°It is not wasteful, but time-saving, which in turn saves money,¡± I replied. ¡°How can one save the money by burning it?¡± asked Baron Harrods. ¡°Efficiency Baron Harrods. The faster people reach their destination, the more trade they will do. Most important, it eased the movement, and people like it, and they will come here again, increasing the business of the city,¡± ¡°The adage of saying ¡®you need to be spent money to earn money'' is very true in this case,¡± I said. He seemed to understand some meaning of my words as he nodded while I turn to the road of flashing runes. The lightway is an insanely expensive thing, with the number of carriages moved on it. It needed to be serviced regularly. Every week, the road was closed for six hours for the servicing. A large group of enchanters serviced the runes, and it is expensive. I am sure it is in millions and that is the imperials I am talking about, not the crowns. Soon, we reached the first wall. The political center of the whole Oksall city stage. It is magnificent. It had immediately attracted the eyes of everyone off of us, and why wouldn¡¯t it? Every building here was grand and majestic and will pull our eyes toward it. I read about it and even saw the paintings, but they didn¡¯t do justice to what I am seeing. Everything here was so great; they could easily match Jalrux. ¡°These merchants really have too much money,¡± said Baron Harrods and signed. Ten minutes later, we entered the residential area, filled with huge mansions. Every one of them looked like a work of making and made in all styles of the world. I was staring at them when our carriages suddenly stopped before turning to the mansion. It is as big as Count Darrow¡¯s, with an enchanted fountain that forms and a beautiful mermaid of water in the air. It looked amazing, but quite an expensive thing. I wanted to have such a fountain in my establishment, but I can¡¯t afford it. The carriages stopped, and we got out; Count had already done and talked with Deputy Governor Caryn. He talked for a minute before leaving with his men. ¡°We will have a short meeting in half an hour,¡± he declared and walked inside with the human butler. We followed inside, with the staff taking us to our suits. While we walked inside, I looked at the mansion. It is beautiful, but I don¡¯t think the Count would like it very much. It has a minimalistic interior, which the Count didn¡¯t like it. He liked his place, filled with things. Especially the art pieces, mostly paintings, and statues. ¡°This will be your suite, adviser,¡± said the blue-haired elvish woman as we entered inside, and two behind her took my bags to the bedroom and came out a minute later. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the three of them. Which had surprised them a little. ¡°It is our pleasure, adviser,¡± said the elvish woman and left with two. The suit is great, with cream-colored walls and yellow lights. There is a painting of orc riding a lion-like monster and it looked quite good. When I focused on it, I felt like I was watching the orc ride the lion-like monster. I went bedroom and saw having the same design as the living. I only looked for a few seconds before walking to the bathroom and taking a shower. I took out a new suit from the closet, wore it, and checked myself in a mirror before walking out of the room. ¡°Adviser, let me lead you to the office,¡± said Kilmer, one of the trusted guards of Count Darrow, who was waiting outside my room. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said and walked with him, while my guards followed behind me. I was wondering where the meeting would be held. If it had been home, then it would have been Count Darrow¡¯s office, but it couldn¡¯t be said, since it is the first time I have to foreign trips with Count. He had said there will be a meeting before even stepping into the mansion. Click! Kilmer opened the door, and I walked into the office. Robin was already there. ¡°Do you know what this meeting is about?¡± I asked him. ¡°Unfortunately, no. Lord Count didn¡¯t say anything about it,¡± he said, shaking his head. I sighed and took my place. Everybody should arrive soon. I had just thought that when the door clicked open, Baron Harrods walked in, and the minute after that, my sister. A few minutes passed and there was no sign of the Count; it took another ten minutes before the door opened again and Count walked inside with Commander Atticus and Mage at his sides. ¡°My Lord,¡± we greeted. He nodded and sat down in his seat. ¡°There has been a little change of plans,¡± he announced, and we waited. ¡°I am going to meet with the Oksall Council tomorrow and the afternoon meeting, that we were supposed to have Councilman Grimgore had been shifted to evening,¡± he informed, sounding almost giddy. The meeting with the council hadn¡¯t been our itinerary. The Count had tried to arrange that. The whole council was much better than a single council member, but he had not happened. Now, it seemed like something had changed and they were willing to meet with him. ¡°Will you be going alone for a council meeting, my lord?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yes, but you all will join me in the meeting with councilman Grimgore,¡± he replied. ¡°Is there anything we will need to prepare?¡± asked Robin. ¡°No, not at this moment, but I will tell you, if something changes, after my meeting with the council,¡± he replied. A few minutes later, I walked out of the meeting room with my sister and Baron Harrods. ¡°It seemed like something has changed,¡± she commented. I couldn¡¯t help but nod at that. A council wouldn¡¯t have met the Count, if it hadn¡¯t. ¡°I am sensing an opportunity,¡± I said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Me too,¡± Leila replied, while Baron Harrods just looked at us. Call it an intuition of a merchant, but I think, tomorrow, I am going to receive big news. I just hope it is not big enough to be the death of me. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 168: Witch’s Diary Chapter 168: Witch¡¯s Diary When I woke up, I saw the rays of sunlight coming out of the night. The sun had just started to come out. I looked at it for a few seconds before walking out of bed and going to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, I came out and saw the sun had fully come out. I changed into practice clothes and walked out of my room with Jon and Shaun. A few minutes later, I walked into the training ground, where some of Count Darrow¡¯s guards were practicing. I nodded at them and walked toward the empty circle. It is a fully equipped training ground, with every kind of tool that would need to practice. I went to the circle made with special soil with elastic properties and begin to stretch. ¡°I am ready,¡± I said to Jon as I finished. He had been ready with practice daggers in his hands and the moment I said, I was ready. He came at me like a phantom. I reacted quickly with Rapid Legs and dodged his attacks, before moving my sword to defend with Quick Blade. I defended, feeling the heavy shock, but quickly distributed it before moving to dodge the attack. I dodged and defended seven of his attacks before one was able to scratch me. I didn¡¯t stop with the scratch and instead used the chance and attacked, but he defended rather easily, before attacking me again. Since I returned from Navr, have been practicing every day. I had only taken a break for five days, and yesterday was one of them. Even when there was a load of work for the last four days, I practiced. I didn¡¯t always practice for three hours, sometimes I couldn¡¯t and only practice for one. Though, I would always try to practice for three hours and sometimes, even do four hours and train in the evening. This training had been tremendously helpful. I have been able to put what I learned in my battles in the Navr and barony into my combat style. Even Jon had praised me for improving fast. Most of the time, I would train with the instructor David and Jon, but sometimes, I would ask Zela and Shaun, too. I need to get used to the mages as well. They are hard, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel genuine fear for them. The mages are the bane of warriors; they could dispose a group of warriors rather easily from a safe distance. The Mages like Zela and Shaun are even more dangerous. They have a huge battle experience that in our training sessions, not once I had been able to reach them, even when they only used safe Grade 0 or Grade 01 spells. Thud! Twenty minutes into fighting, I fell hard on the ground, as Jon kicked on my leg. I bore the pain and stood up, before attacking again. The pain is sharp, but it didn¡¯t mess up my gait as it was used to, and I was able to defend against his consecutive attacks before he again hit me hard, this time on my back. He imbalanced me enough to put his dagger on my neck before I could do anything. The Gymnast¡¯s Grace is an amazing skill, but it had limitations and Jon knows how to exploit them. In doing that, I know how I can stop others from doing the same thing he is doing. He is powerful and experienced; I have no chance against him, but if I fight the people of lesser levels. I could survive, and that is the purpose of the training. Time passed, and we continued to fight; some guards watched, and some even cheered, but I didn¡¯t focus on them. All my focus is on Jon, who is like a storm. He barely used any skills and controlled his strength, but despite that, I need to use everything I have to defend against his every move. Even then, his attacks would hit me, and they were painful. Thud! Once again, I fell, but this time, I didn¡¯t get up. Instead, just stayed there and took deep breaths; we have been sparring for two hours and it had been tiring. A few minutes later, I got up and walked out of the training grounds with my guards. It felt a little chilly, but nothing like what we had experienced when coming here. There is barely any snow in Oksall, while the streets have filled with it in the Greltheaven. Soon I reached my suit and went to shower. Usually, I apply the numbing cream, but today, I mixed a few drops of healing potion into the water and applied it to my body. Within a few seconds, the pain was gone, and the warm water begin to cascade down my body. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out of the shower, changed into the new suit, and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Normally, I take it to my room, but today, I decided to eat in the kitchen. I had just reached there when I saw Robin, Baron Harrods, and my sister were already having breakfast. ¡°Adviser Silver, join us?¡± said the old man. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said, and a sat beside my lords. ¡°Were you practicing before coming here?¡± he asked, and it surprised me a little. ¡°Yes, but how do you know that?¡± I asked, to which the old man smile. ¡°The faint smell of healing potion. It didn¡¯t easily go away,¡± he replied, and Robin tried to smell it but didn¡¯t seem to get anything, nor did I. He may have a skill related to that or it could have a heightened sense of smell. Some people have that. ¡°It is such a regret that we won¡¯t be able to sightsee,¡± said Robin with a regretful sigh, and all of us nodded. We have a whole day since our meeting is in the evening, but we are here for official business, and Count Darrow may need us at any moment. Sightseeing is not allowed when in official business unless the business has concluded. ¡°We would get more chances to visit the city in the future Adviser Robin, especially if this deal succeeded,¡± said Leila, to which he smiled. ¡°You have been to Oksall before, right?¡± I asked her. To which she nodded, ¡°Yes when I was at the academy. I had come here for the competition,¡± ¡°It is a beautiful city.¡± We all ate and made small talk before leaving the kitchen together. There is one small meeting before Count Darrow leaves for his meeting with the Oksall Council. Click! Soon, we reach his office, which is empty, except for the guards. We sat there until Count Darrow arrived a few minutes later. ¡°My Lord,¡± We greeted. He nodded and sat down. ¡°We will go over our plan one more time. If possible, I want to get an assurance from the council before we negotiate with Councilman Grimgore in the evening,¡± he said. We begin going over the points. It is mostly us asking and the Count answering the question. Unlike his son, the man is quite dedicated. It seemed like he took yesterday¡¯s falling and studied the plan more carefully. He was able to answer all the questions in complete detail. ¡°I am leaving now. Hope I will succeed,¡± he said as we finished. ¡°You will succeed my lord,¡± We all replied. He nodded and walked out of the office with his guards. We followed behind him and watched till his carriages went out of the gates before turning back to the mansion. ¡°Remus, can I have a word with you?¡± asks Leila as we returned to the mansion. ¡°Sure,¡± I said, feeling curious as we walked to the parlor. We sat down and I turned to her, but for a couple of seconds, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Have you heard anything about progress on my title?¡± she asked finally, looking faintly nervous. Her question didn¡¯t surprise me. I had kind of expected it would be in this line. ¡°Yes. The Prince had signed off on your title three days ago and it will come to the Greltheaven within a week,¡± I replied and could see her taking a sigh of relief. I don¡¯t know why she is worried. Since the family had chosen her. It is a done deal. Count had mentioned it a few days ago. Her title is not the only one being signed, there is also one for the Lockridge family. Baron Lockridge had died, and now his brother was taking his place, and that man was a proper warrior. ¡°How are the things in the territory?¡± I asked. ¡°Good now. To be honest, Edwin had made a mess of a barony, including that horrendous paint job. It took me weeks to fix all that.¡± she replied with a mirthless smile. Edwin was an idiot. Leila, on the other hand, is capable. She should have accepted it the first time; Edwin would have been alive for me to take revenge on him. The atmosphere turned awkward around us, and I was about to excuse myself when she took out a diary of sorts from her iles bag and pushed it toward me. I looked at her with a question. ¡°I had contacted the witch, who did the ritual, and this is her notes. Everything she did for ritual, from materials she used and feelings she felt, everything is noted down in the diary,¡± she said, and it couldn¡¯t help but surprised me. ¡°Thank you, I suppose,¡± I said and hesitantly picked up the diary and placed it into my iles. ¡°I have said to you before, Remus, but I will say it again. If I knew, the real purpose Edwin is taking a ritual or knew what he was doing to you, I would have stopped him,¡± ¡°We may have been distant, but I would never do, what they did to you,¡± she said, looking directly into my eyes. I smiled before getting up and walking out of the parlor. What happened to me isn¡¯t going to get fixed with a simple apology or explanation. Even now, I don¡¯t know whether she is telling the truth about not having a hand in the ritual, aside from providing a ritual. The things that made me doubtful are that we never had much of a relationship. Over the years, we only spoke a few times. That is only when we are in the company of others. Most of the time, she wouldn¡¯t talk to me, even when we passed by each other. Well, at least she didn¡¯t bully me. I didn¡¯t recall a single incident when she had done that. Our relationship is too weak and broken to be fixed by apologies and explanations. Though, I am willing to give it a chance, with careful note. I have been burned by the family once and I sure as hell don¡¯t want to get burned again. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on what¡¯s important. Earlier, I wanted to look around the mansion, but with a diary, my plans had changed. I stepped into my suit and sat on the couch comfortably before taking out the diary and opening it. The first thing I noticed about it is bad handwriting, so bad. If I didn¡¯t have Reading Skill, I would have needed a lot more time to finish it. Reading Skill not only makes reading faster but also helps in an understanding of the text and processing it. I begin to read it and, as I had expected, most of it had gone over my head, but not everything is hard, I did understand a few things. It took me about an hour to finish the diary, and I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them. From what I understood, the witch knew the ritual succeeded, and it worked 100%. She even hinted at getting a reward from it, and I don¡¯t think she is talking wholly about the money my brothers have paid her. She is also talking about the levels. To understand fully, I will need to take Caena¡¯s help, and I plan to do that after she finished cleansing the dungeon''s loot. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 169: Negotiations Chapter 169: Negotiations The Orc watched the harsothian Count leave through the window and turned to associate. ¡°How is the progress?¡± he asked, a middle-aged human man. ¡°Our person has called the meeting,¡± he replied. ¡°Will they attend?¡± asked the Orc. ¡°He has a good reputation among them. He promised a sufficient number of them would turn up,¡± the human man replied with a smile. Orc¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Some in the council already got the inkling what I am doing. So, this is my last chance and also yours. If we didn¡¯t succeed this time, then we will not get any further chances,¡± said the Orc, and the middle-aged man nodded. ¡°I understand. We will not fail this time.¡± ¡°We better not. I want Amberhold in my control,¡± said the Orc, and the middle-aged man nodded before walking out of the room. ... ¡°Mr. Silver, Count Darrow is returning,¡± informed Zela, as she put her book down. I nodded, closed the thing I was working on, and walked out of the suit. Soon, I am in the office, where everyone is already present and waiting for the Count. They also seemed to have got the message from the Mage Beaumont as Zela did. Click! It was a little over ten minutes before the door of the office opened and Count Darrow walked inside, wearing his emotions in his face, which he rarely does. Though his mind is guarded. It is more because of the black ring he is wearing, which he didn¡¯t like wearing when he was in his office, but the moment he stepped out; he wore it. It is a mind-protecting weapon. It might be an enchanted tool or an artifact. I heard the House of Ravenheart has a couple of them. While it is Duke Benedict who controls most artifacts. There are some in Count Darrow¡¯s hand, Riverheim Saber, which he used to have, but handed to his elder son a few years back. ¡°The council has given their approval to the deal,¡± he said finally as he sat down and a smile on his face widened. An even bigger smile appeared on the face of Leila and Boron Harrods. As Nakar Baronies will be the biggest beneficiaries, after him and especially of these two whose territories are closest to the Oksall. ¡°Congratulations, Lord Count,¡± I congratulated. ¡°You all played a part. Especially you, Remus. You have crafted a magnificent proposal,¡± praised Count Darrow. ¡°Thank you for your praise, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. ¡°We have got the approval from the council, but negotiations had remained. I am confident that a single meeting would be enough to finish it,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. This will be a big stepping stone for normalizing the relationship, which will start the river trade. Not that this deal didn¡¯t have an enormous potential. It has, and might even surpass, the river trade, but it is the river trade that will win in the long term. ¡°We should prepare then, my lord,¡± said Robin. Count nodded, and we all took out copies of the contract. This one, too, had been crafted by me. Though, I did take help from some people. A legal contract is a completely different thing, a small mistake like a comma, has the potential to upend the whole thing. We prepared until it was time to leave, going over every point. The points on which we could compromise and on which I couldn¡¯t. We got barely fifteen minutes to freshen up and change. If I didn¡¯t have the skills like Rapid Legs, I wouldn¡¯t have managed it. Nobody would have managed that. I had seen my sister casting haste on herself and Baron Harrods, using his speed skill, which turned him into a blur in my eyes. Still, the one that impressed me the most is Robin¡¯s skill. One moment, he was looking haggard and tired, with his clothes creased up, and the next moment, he was all presentable, with a bright glowing face. Robin is a high-level adviser and a true Lv. 30. He is so good, that sometimes, I forget that fact. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± asked the Count as we returned. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± we replied. ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± he said, and a minute later, we walked out of the gates of the mansion and sat in the carriage. I and Robin sat with the Count in his carriage, while Leila and Baron Harrods sat in the separate carriage. A few carriages more filled in, but they were with the guards. There are also guards riding on the beasts around us. Seeing it, I smiled in my heart. Appearances are necessary. If we went there by a single carriage, it would put a different effect compared to the five we are going now, with a large entourage of guards around us. A little over ten minutes later, we stopped in front of the huge city hall. It is as big as one in the Navr, and just as good in design. The only thing it didn¡¯t have are precious gems embedded in it. The merchants have money, but they are not wasteful. At least not wasteful enough to put precious gems openly on the city hall, only to be stolen by the thieves. Some had tried to copy Navr but soon found out that while they may have the money to do it, their forces are not capable enough to protect them from the thieves. Forget the precious stones; they have even stolen the precious metallic paint and one time did that on a clear day. As we got out of the carriage; there is a group of people already waiting for us. ¡°Lord Count, please,¡± said the Orc, waiting for us and led us into the city hall. Which is beautiful, but most importantly, well-designed in an efficient way. This efficiency didn¡¯t feel cold at all. Instead, it makes one feel energized and motivated. ¡°These merchants have so much money, but couldn¡¯t put a decent piece of art in their properties,¡± grumbled the Count. Yes, there are pieces of art here; it is a style of this world, and these pieces are much better than what Count Darrow has, but nobody is going to say that to him directly. Soon, we reached the elevator, which took us to the ninth floor. ¡°Councilman Grimgore will be with you, shortly,¡± Orc informed us as he took us to the luxurious conference room, which provided a beautiful view of the city. He left the room while we put the files in front of us and waited. We didn¡¯t have to wait for long, a minute and a half later. An orc who looked to be in his fifties walked inside with three people behind him. Robin and I stood up while Barron Harrods and my sister only nodded. The leading man is a grey orc in his early fifties. He is thin compared to a normal orc, but not too thin. He is fit, which is likely making him seem that way. His eyes are sharp, and they seem to notice everything, which is not surprising. All twelve of the council members are elected. Unlike hereditary seats, where even an idiot could take a powerful position. Here these people have to use their wit, money, and sometimes, the blades in the dark to get it. There are three other people coming with him. One human, one half-elf, and a dwarf. My eyes immediately turned to the red-haired human who looked to be in his late twenties. He is an integral part of my plan. Ignatius Blackwell, son and heir of Silas Blackwell, Lord of Amberhold City. Ignatius Blackwell is a handsome man, with glassy blue eyes and fiery red hair, which looked like they were made of fine strands of crystals. There is one rumor about his family. They never confirmed it publicly, but after seeing his features, I could guess why they say that. His city is closest to the Nakar Baronies. Most importantly, the old trading fort is his territory. It had been built by his ancestors and, according to the reports, it was still in good condition. ¡°Count Wilstein, I hope you haven¡¯t been waiting for long,¡± said Councilman Grimgore as he sat down. ¡°Not at all, Councilman,¡± he replied. ¡°This is Lord Ignatius Blackwell, heir of the Amberhold City,¡± Councilman Grimgore introduced. ¡°Lord Blackwell, thank you for your presence,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°It is my honor, My Lord,¡± he replied, Count nodded and turned to his left. ¡°This is Baron Harrods and Lady Silver; their territories share the boundaries with Oksall,¡± the Count introduced them. He didn¡¯t say anything about us, which is normal. We are advisers. Our job is to stay invisible and provide help to our lord when he needs it. ¡°Now that the introduction is over, let¡¯s move to the negotiations,¡± said Councilman Grimgore. ¡°Our plan is to reestablish the land trade route from Oksall to Renwell,¡± said the Count, looking at Lord Blackwell. For a couple of seconds, there was a silence, before a half-elf woman who looked to be in her early forties leaned forward. ¡°The area is undeveloped and is full of pests and fractious orc tribes. It will be costly to redevelop the route.¡± ¡°We want the city of Greltheaven to share half of the cost of development,¡± she said, hitting us, with the power of her skills. It was so much that I had nearly nodded in affirmation. Which surprised me. I had invested quite a lot of points into my mental skills, but still nearly fell under skills powers. She is definitely a level 30+ negotiator and will eat me alive if I gave her the slightest chance. ¡°That is preposterous. Why should we pay for the roads of the Oksall? It is your responsibility, you will pay for it,¡± I said back using my own skills, and she smiled, and I felt the power of her skills increasing further. ¡°It is not preposterous. The trade will benefit immensely to the Greltheaven city and it is only fair that they would share half of the cost,¡± she countered, and I wanted to agree to it so much. ¡°That is absolutely wrong; the biggest beneficiaries are Oksall, we are giving access to the Navr. ¡°We will only act as a bridge and earn a fraction compared to Oksall,¡± I said, using Persuasion, Lawful Suggestion, and Honeyed Words at full power. Yes, the goal of my trade is not to trade with Oksall, but to act as a bridge between four trades between Oksall and Navr; it had a thousand times more benefits than trading with us. My plan was never to make them trade with us, with their attitude, they would never agree. The new plan is about providing us Oksall access to Navr, the biggest trading partner of merchant cities of western Zenid. While Oksall has access to Navr, but to not all regions. Oksall shares boundaries with three regions of Navr, but trades directly two. The third entry to the third one of blocked by the Extreme Magic Region, which both of them share. Renwell, on the other hand, shares territory with the two regions directly and we will give them access to them. ¡°Not to mention, it will not be free for us. We would also spend a lot of money on the infrastructure, from roads to warehouses to extra men; it will cost us a lot,¡± ¡°When we compare our economies, it is an enormous expense for us,¡± I said, not giving her a chance to press further. ¡°The expense we incurred will be massive compared to what your city will spend,¡± she said, not backing down, forcing the power of her skill further on me. So much so that my back had been drenched and sweat appeared on my temple. ¡°But we will spend a much greater amount when compared with our economies,¡± I countered, using every bit of power three of my skills give me. For a couple of seconds, she just looked at me, before she sighed, a small stack of papers appeared beneath her hand, which she slid toward. ¡°Fine, we are willing to make a concession on it, but we want this infrastructure from your side,¡± she said. I didn¡¯t say anything and begin reading. Each page I read, I would pass it to Robin. ¡°This is excessive, especially the time limit,¡± I said after I finish reading, to which she looked at me levelly. ¡°We already made the concession. We will not make them on this,¡± she said, and I looked at Count Darrow, who had finished reading the proposal on infrastructure. Who looked at it for a couple of seconds, before nodding. ¡°We agree with it,¡± I replied, and a smile appeared on the half-elf woman¡¯s face. It was planned from the beginning. They never wanted us to fund the trade route. They wanted a quality infrastructure on our side for their need. Which they know Count Darrow wouldn¡¯t have provided, if they had asked nicely, given his miserly nature. ¡°Good, now let''s move on to the security,¡± she said and thus begin another round of intense negotiations. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 170: Negotiations II Chapter 170: Negotiations II ¡°We cannot agree with increasing the trade limit every month with the baronies. At most, we can agree to increase it by quarterly by 10%; it is our final offer,¡± said half-elf with the power of her skills pressing down on me. This is the last point of negotiations. We have finished the route, infrastructure, taxes, men, and other things, only this remained. These bastards had been adamant about it. As they know, we need trade. Far more than them they and they are taking full advantage of that. First, they have even refused to discuss trade with the Empire. Forget Empire and the region of Renwell; they have refused to discuss trading with the city itself. The only exception they are willing to make is a Nakar Baronies and even there, they have placed the limitations on it. They are freaking merchant states; they shouldn¡¯t be creating trade barriers, but they are doing it. Though I can¡¯t really blame them. The emperor¡¯s words and actions were such that even merchants would hold a grudge. The monthly limit they have placed is big, and it will make baronies rich if they use it well, but it won¡¯t be enough. People like my sister will gobble the limit and their appetite will only increase every month. I looked at the Count, and clearly; he was not happy about it either. It is not just him, but also Baron Harrods and my sister, whom it will affect the most. They are worried and looking at me to do something. The half-elf is also staring at me with a smile on her face. It is a pretty smile, but currently, I am not liking it very much. Seconds passed, and I know I need to decide soon or accept their offer. We cannot simply walk away from it; they know it, which is why they are putting such undesirable conditions in front of us. I was about to open my mouth to agree and end these negotiations when an idea come to my mind. ¡°There is another way we could sort this out,¡± I said, putting my best smile on my face, but there is not a single bit of interest in half-elf or Councilman Grimgore¡¯s face. They plan to reject whatever I say. ¡°We propose tying the trade limit to your trade with Navr.¡± ¡°If your trade with Navr increase, you will increase the trade amount on baronies and if the trade with Navr decreases, you will decrease the amount,¡± I prosed and could see the interest lighting up in their eyes. The half-elf woman looked at Councilman Grimgore and he nodded. ¡°We are willing,¡± she said as she turned to me. For the next forty minutes, we negotiated like hell. A few minutes into it, Robin took over from me, giving me the rest. We had done this many times during the negotiations. I am barely above Lv. 10, in my lawyer and Adviser classes and she is over Lv. 30. The difference between us is stark. If she used the full power of her skill, she could make me unconscious. That would be a breach of etiquette, and the Count wouldn¡¯t have that. I have to thank Robin a lot. He had been supporting me with his skills. He is the reason why I have lasted so long. ¡°So, we agree?¡± I asked as we come to a decision. She looked at Councilman and he nodded. ¡°Yes, we agree,¡± she affirmed, and relief flooded into me. I am tired and felt like I fought a great battle, which I kind of did. If I had not been with these people, I would have slumped in my chair. ¡°This deal will usher in a new chapter of the relation between our countries,¡± said Councilman Grimgore. ¡°Without a doubt, Councilman,¡± said Count Darrow, smiling ear to ear. He is ecstatic and I would be too if I were in his place. I am ecstatic at my place, too. It was my plan. ¡°Lord Blackwell here had already started the preparation. His forces will clear the route and the state of Oksall will develop it immediately.¡± ¡°If everything goes smoothly. The trade will start within a month,¡± said Councilman Grimgore. Hearing that, a smile appeared on my face, but also the thoughts raced through my mind. This is a tremendous opportunity, and it will be a shame if I didn¡¯t use it. I could earn a fortune like I am earning from Navr. Though, using this opportunity will be difficult since the merchants from the merchant state already have connections in Navr. They may not have a direct road to the region we have, but they trade with them. The merchant cities trade with the whole Navr. We are just giving them another route for that, which will save them money and time. Finding opportunities will be hard, since the agreement we had signed will have them trade with Navr, with us as a bridge. Only Nakar baronies are an exception. Nakar baronies, on the other hand, will trade with the Greltheaven and other cities. The trade limit is big and if Oksall¡¯s trade with Navr continues to increase, the limit of trade will also increase. Technically, I couldn¡¯t do business since I was from the city, but that is I least of my problems. It could be done. There are several clauses and loopholes that would let me do that. The real challenge is finding the business. Something these merchants didn¡¯t have connections with. I was thinking about that when a bulb lit in my mind. ¡°We will start our preparations on our side, while Baron Harrods, Lady Silver, and Adviser Remus will go with Lord Blackwell to Amberhold City,¡± ¡°From there, they will be with Lord Blackwell¡¯s forces, who will clear the path to Renin Fort,¡± said Count Darrow. I was so engrossed in my idea that for a moment; I didn¡¯t understand the words that Count Darrow spoke. When I understood them, my expressions changed drastically, and blazing anger burned in my heart before I controlled my expressions and emotions. ¡®This bastard! I have helped him achieve what that bastard Hardt couldn¡¯t do more than half a year and what did he pay me with?¡¯ ¡®He is sending me to Amberhold. This fucking bastard, I knew nobles couldn¡¯t be trusted, but I didn¡¯t think he would do this to me.¡¯ I looked at him, and he gave me a look before looking at the Orc. It is not time to discuss it. ¡°The Council will give its complete support to Lord Blackwell. We want this done as soon as possible,¡± said Councilman Grimgore. ¡°The city of Greltheaven will finish the preparations on time,¡± the Count replied. Half an hour later, we walked out of the city hall. It was midnight, but people could still be seen coming and going out of the city hall. A minute later, we are carriage. ¡°I am sending you to the Amberhold and from there you will travel to Fort Renin with Blackwell¡¯s forces,¡± said Count Darrow after a few minutes of silence. ¡°My lord, it is dangerous. My sister and Baron Harrods are capable and could handle everything. I on the other could not,¡± I pleaded. I like city life; I don¡¯t want to go into the wild, where there will be danger. ¡°It will not be dangerous, Remus. There are going to be thousands of Blackwell people. If any pests dare to attack, Blackwell and his forces will wipe them out,¡± he said. Still, I opened my mouth to protest, but his eyes turned serious. ¡°I am sending you, because I trust you, Remus. I don¡¯t trust Harrods or your sister. I know, as long as you are there, any problem that occurs will be dealt with swiftly,¡± he said, staring directly into my eyes. I wanted to object, but I know that look. No matter how much I object, he will send me there and unless I want to lose my job, I will have to accept it. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± I said finally. He is right, with Blackwell''s forces, nothing bad will happen. Even those two dangers wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. One is undead of Navr, and the others are bandits. There is a huge army of merchant states at the border with Navr. If their hordes come, we will get a warning. As for bandits, I am not worried about them; there are a lot of groups that operate near the boundary of Oksall and Renwell, but not a single one is dangerous enough to threaten us. I am more worried about the third danger, the assassins. I heard Blackwells have been attacked by the assassins a couple of times in the past year. I am scared of them, ever since I saw them decapitate my father, in front of my eyes. I fear I might get killed by them. It might happen if I am in the same room with him. This selfish bastard sending me and if I want to save my carrier, I want to follow his order, no matter how dangerous it is. ¡°By the way, it was a good idea linking their business with Navr with their business with baronies. It will be beneficial to us,¡± He praised. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. I did something today with the plan, negotiation, and signing that happened today. I am going to level up in both of my levels, despite the crowd effect. The things I have achieved are too big for me to not level up through it. If there wasn¡¯t a crowd effect, I had have leveled up twice. Hell, I have had more level-ups in the past month and a half. With the cities, I was able to convince them to trade with Navr. Soon, we reached the mansion but didn¡¯t immediately go inside. Instead, we went to the office of Count Darrow. ¡°Lady Silver, Baron Harrods, I have an important job for you two,¡± he said, as he closed the door. ¡°We will do as you command, my lord,¡± said Baron Harrods, while my sister just looked. ¡°I want both of you to protect Ignatius Blackwell; he is integral to the trade. If something happened to him, the deal will be delayed by weeks or even months. I don¡¯t want that to happen,¡± he said, looking at them seriously. ¡°We will do our best, my lord,¡± they said in unison. It is a job they will have to do with all their hearts. Not for the Count¡¯s sake, but for their own sake. Baron Harrods is especially desperate. He was on the edge of being broke and needed this deal to succeed. His reputation depends on it and for a proud man like him, it is everything. A few minutes later, the meeting ended, and I went back to my suite. ¡°Zela, send a message to Carla and tell her to come to the Oksall earliest,¡± I said to her to her and instead of sending the message, she looked at me. ¡°We will be here for three days,¡± I informed. She nodded and closed her eyes to send the message. I have brought both of the mages with me, but there are mages to the establishment. Students Mage Aldridge, I had hired them to stay at night for emergencies like this. ¡°Also, tell her to send Andrea and Clair to Ina,¡± I said as he opened her eyes. I was planning to send Andrea to Ina anyway, but I had planned to wait a month more. So, she could learn a few more things from Margaux and Carla. I had told her about my intention to send her to Ina a few days ago and had asked her if she was willing, with magic classes and all, but she was very willing. Clair will also be going; Andrea needs a good assistant and Clair is perfect for her. ¡°Inform Ina that both of them are coming to her,¡± I said to Zela and once again, she opened her eyes. I am going to have a talk with Ina. As I had said, I would be an idiot to let go of this opportunity to waste. I already got a plan in mind. It won¡¯t turn into a profit immediately, but if done well, it will benefit me immensely. As for why I am calling Carla here, to get new girls off course. I will be here for three days, and I couldn¡¯t waste time. I need to get things done. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 171: Masterful Administrator Chapter 171: Masterful Administrator ¡°Thank you all for coming, ladies and gentlemen,¡± said the human wearing a ceramic mask, to the people gathered around him. All of them are on their steads, not a single one had got off their beast. Most of them are Orcs, some are human and half-orcs, with only one half-elf. Many of them are mortal enemies, but they have put aside their enmity for this meeting. ¡°Why have you called us, Jev?¡± asked the half-elf woman, sitting on a huge stallion beast, which is breathing hot air. ¡°I will tell you, but let me show you the reward first,¡± he said and opened the big chest in front of him in a flourish. ¡°Fuck!¡± many of them cursed the moment it opened, and the greed lit up in their eyes, but not a single one of them took a step toward the big chest, filled with precious gems. ¡°This is but a small part of the reward you will get if you agree with the job,¡± said a masked human. ¡°What is the job?¡± asked a buffed orc, not looking away from the chest full of gems. ¡°It is quite simple. Killing the heir of the Amberhold City,¡± he answered, shocking everyone who was listening. ¡°You are crazy. If you think we will d....¡± ... Lawyer Lv. 14 Adviser Lv. 14 Conditions Met: Lawyer + Adviser- Masterful Administrator Lv. 14 Condition Met: Persuasion + Lawful Suggestions + Honeyed Words¨CPersuasive Conditions Met: Fast Reading- Insightful Reading Masterful Administrator Lv.15 Skill Gained: Get Ready When I opened my eyes, there were lines of text in front of me. They were kind of expected. Though I was slightly disappointed when I noticed despite the things I have pulled, I have only leveled once in both of my classes. The disappointment had only lasted for a moment. As my eyes went to the third line, my eyes went wide, and I nearly jumped out of my bed. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed loudly, unable to control myself. Click! I had just cursed when the door opened swiftly, and Jon appeared in the room with daggers in his hand. Looking around for any danger, before turning to me. I looked at him with my cheeks red. My reaction had been a little too much, but nobody could blame me. The third line was really too much. ¡°I had leveled up,¡± I informed sheepishly. ¡°You must have gained quite something to scream like that,¡± he said, and the smile on my face brightened. He didn¡¯t ask further; only took one last glance at the room before leaving, while I slumped back on the bed, staring at the third line. My Lawyer and Adviser Classes had merged and become Administrator Class. It is not a common Administrator Class, but a powerful one. Masterful Administrator. I had got an Administrator Class for a moment before it changed into Masterful Administrator Class and this fact surprised me the least. I have gained the skills in both classes that turn toward manipulation and control and what better class would be to control them than the Masterful Administrator. As for why, the merging of my classes had been gone in the direction of the administrator, despite there being many other paths. Well, the answer to it is quite simple. It is what I have been doing. I have been less of an adviser, and more of an administrator. I have been doing every task I have been handed, rather than only advising on it. The new class is not the only thing I have got; I got other things too. Skills. All three manipulation types of skills have merged into one. Persuasive, which might feel the same as persuasion, but it is not. It is far more powerful and directed. It is also the kind of skill that others remain careful of. I could use the skill but never tell people its name. There are many lists of skills. My father is one of such lists with a name of skills and classes. He showed it to all his children and asked them to be careful of people who had the skills and classes that were present on the list. Persuasive was on the list. If I took the class high enough, I will be able to do some crazy shit with this skill. Even now, I will be able to do some serious things, but I have decided not to use its full power unless I need them. I turned to the line below, where another of my skill upgraded into something good. Fast Reading had been upgraded to Insightful Reading. I had read about this skill and felt quite excited. It had now moved away from simple reading. While Fast Reading provided some analytical abilities. Insightful Reading takes them to a completely different level. The last skill is one that surprised me the most. It was just a few days ago; I have been jealous of this skill from the Robin and now I have got it. It is quite a common skill among the advisers, diplomats, and even military officers above Lv. 20. It is so useful that many people would trade their important skills for it. I wanted to use it immediately, but I controlled myself and opened the interface. Class: Agent of Experience Lv. 17 Masterful Administrator Lv. 15 Warrior Lv. 13 Trainer Lv. 02 Charisma: 15 Intelligence: 11 Vitality: ¡¤ Persuasive ¡¤ Gymnasts Grace ¡¤ Sight Through Veil ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Swift Blade ¡¤ Lords Mood ¡¤ Privacy ¡¤ Command Projection ¡¤ Get Ready Attribute Points: 0 Now it has become more official and also with merging. I have once again gone back to having only three secondary classes. I have to keep it that way, no matter what. Now under Masterful Administrative, all the skills of the two previous classes will become powerful. I stared at the interface for more than a minute before getting off the bed and standing in front of the mirror. ¡°Get Ready,¡± I said and activated the skill. Immediately, a stark change had occurred to me. First was my expression, which had been sleepy, turned fresh and alert, with my hair fixing itself and skin glowing, like freshly showered. At the same time, my clothes straightened up; all the creases and dust that might have been on them had vanished. ¡°Wow,¡± I said as I looked at myself in a mirror. The skill is amazing, and it would have been more. If there hadn¡¯t been limitations; at most, I could use it four times a day. Which I don¡¯t think would be a problem. Half an hour later, I was in the training space, sparring with Jon. Today, I pushed myself really hard, more than I usually do. I am going to be leaving the day after tomorrow for Amberhold and from there journey to Fort Renin with Blackwell¡¯s force. Fort Renin is only a few miles away from the boundary of the renwell region. My sister and Baron Harrods had looked at it from the distance and paid a few orcs to look at it. They couldn¡¯t go there; we were already doing illegal things by contacting the orc tribes on the other side. The fort is in good condition, requiring a slight fixing. Which is good, if it had been in bad condition, there would have been a delay in the trade. Thud! Two hours later, the training ended, and walked to my suit. Where I wanted to use my skill one more time, but I remember one bad thing about it. Get Ready. I activated the skill and immediately I found myself clean, with my clothes just as before when I wore them. There is one more thing, the surrounding grime. There is a circle of filthy sweat. It didn¡¯t disappear; it fell. Just like the clean spell, but the spell is more controlled. The skill could be controlled too, but it takes a lot of time to learn to do that. Like yesterday, I applied the diluted healing potion to my body before I showered. After changing into the new clothes, I went to the kitchen for breakfast, which the three of them already had. A few hours passed, and I was once again at the port; not to leave, but watch the Count leave with his yacht, which is moving away. He had taken all his people, including the guards and Robin. Only leaving three of us and our personal guards. ¡°I have received a message from Lord Blackwell. He wants to meet us at five,¡± said Leila. ¡°Well, we have a lot of time to sightsee,¡± said Baron Harrods, before me and my sister. ¡°Are any of you interested in seeing the city with this old man?¡± He asked, to which both of us shook our heads. ¡°My apologies, Lord Baron, but I can¡¯t. I have some personal business to attend,¡± I said. ¡°Me too. Though I will be with you tomorrow,¡± added Leila. The old man nodded, and all three of us walked toward our respective carriages. Carla is coming to the Oksall, and I have to make preparation for tomorrow when we will get the new girls. Baron Harrods and my sister''s carriage went toward the port''s gate, while my carriage went deeper into the port. Toward the office of the ship-renting company, I want to rent a ship. There will be a significant number of girls, around a hundred, and instead of booking the tickets, it is better to just rent one. It is an expensive option, but I can afford it. I am quickly done with it before entering the city proper. I didn¡¯t just visit the places, I also sightsee. My work would be finished in minutes, as would only speak to people and set things up. The city of Oksall is beautiful as it is huge; there are many places I have to visit, but with the time I have, I have selected a few. Like the place, I am right now. The bubble park; is a display of magical extravagance. It is a huge four hundred square meter place. Which is covered in a hundred colorful tiles. One has to step on it and a moment later, a bubble will envelop you and take you into the sky. It is one of the most famous attractions in the city and those bubbles could be seen from any part of the city. They reach quite high, that one could see the entire city through them. Like all the famous spots, it is busy, with waits stretching for months, but there is always an exception. 75% of places here are reserved for the public and could only be accessed through the line. The rest 25% are reserved, and the line stretched for years, but I got a spot. There is an exception for the important people. I had booked the place for myself, with Counts credential. ¡°Mr. Silver, you can go in,¡± said a young orc about my age. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and walked out of the lounge, where I had needed to wait for less than ten minutes. I walked to the huge tile space and stepped on the white tile. I want to watch the city from the sky and the white bubble will be the best for that. For a couple of seconds, nothing happened, before I felt the humming and soon, the bubble came out of the tile and enveloped me. I touched it and it felt like a bubble, but unlike a normal bubble. It didn¡¯t pop up; it is magical and unless I use my sword or hit it really hard, it will not pop. If I do that. I will be banned from this place forever. A second after, the bubble enveloped me; the bubble begins to lift in the sky. Every meter, it went above, I get to see more and more of the city before it reached its maximum height. Where there are hundreds of multicolored bubbles floating around me, with each one having people in it, looking around in wonder. ¡°Magnificent,¡± I said as I looked at the entire city from the height of three hundred and fifty meters. The city is magnificent. I could see all the five walls and could feel its grandness. ¡®The merchants have really built something,¡¯ I thought, looking around with eyes full of wonder. Pop! Before I know it, ten minutes have passed and with a sigh of regret, I felt it descend, before popping up safely. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 172: Meeting Chapter 172: Meeting The carriage stopped in front of a manor. It is not big, but not small either. It¡¯s a red-brown manor with slanted roofs and vines hanging by it. The manor is not over beautiful or striking as so many buildings, but it looks homely and inviting, a few buildings give such a feeling. If I am not wrong; it is old. At least centuries old; the style it is made of was popular a few decades ago, but that iteration was different from what it is made in. Fashion changes every decade and came back. In every century, one will see different iterations of the same fashion. I stepped out of the carriage and walked toward its door, where guards and a man with a butler uniform is waiting. ¡°Adviser Silver, welcome to the verity manor,¡± said Butler. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. He led me inside and to the parlor, where Lord Harrods and my sister were already present, talking to Ignatius Blackwell. I am quite seeing her talking to him with quite friendly, seeing it is only the second time they have met. Well, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, seeing both of them are about the same age and practice armament magic. ¡°My Lords, Lady Leila,¡± I greeted. ¡°Adviser, thank you for coming,¡± said Blackwell, and offered me a seat. ¡°It is my pleasure, Lord Blackwell,¡± I thanked and sat down. ¡°Now that Adviser Silver has come, we can start.¡± He said and tapped on the table between us and immediately, a map projected above it. It is the map of Oksall, which he magnified to show only the southern part of the merchant state, with a focus on Amberhold city. ¡°We will leave a day after tomorrow through the ship for Manris City and from there, we will make the way for the Amberhold,¡± ¡°My father has already started preparation. So, we won¡¯t be staying in the Amberhold for more than a day before taking the force for the Fort Renin; it shouldn¡¯t take us over two to two and a half days to reach it,¡± he said, pointing at places. Nobody seemed surprised by the travel plan; since there is only one main route, we had already expected that. Though I certainly appreciate his quickness. He is not willing to waste any time, which is good, because we are already doing it here. ¡°What danger do you think we will face on our way to Fort Renin?¡± asked Baron Harrods. ¡°There is only one danger, bandits, but we are bringing a force big enough to crush any attacks; even if some of them grouped together and attacked. We will be fine,¡± he said confidently. Nobody is worried about the bandits. ¡°What about the assassins, Lord Blackwell?¡± asked Leila directly, and his expressions become serious. ¡°Yes, my family had been plagued by them for the past year, but till now, they have never attacked us outside the Amberhold or when we are in the presence of a large number of guards.¡± ¡°In all times, they attacked. There is always a gap of at least one month. So, I think we should be safe from assassins. If they attacked, even less of them would return than last time,¡± He replied with a fire burning in his eyes. ¡°We believe you, my lord, but I hope you will take extra care for your safety,¡± I said, using a strand of Persuasive¡¯s power. I hope what he said is true. I would prefer that no assassins attack him, as there is a chance that we might die in the crossfire, and I don¡¯t want that. My life is important, more than delay and this deal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am taking care of my safety; I am quite young to die so early,¡± he said, and we all laughed. We stayed there for twenty more minutes before walking out of his manor. I am once again in my carriage, reading the stacks of documents I have got from Blackwell. I already have most of the information from my research. Though these stacks do offer something different. I am reading it all through Insightful Reading, and the skill is amazing. I could read faster than before. Most importantly, I could process that information far more quickly. Which is more important to me. This skill is very helpful and it is already proving his worth. A few more hours passed, and I returned to the port once again. Carla had left in the morning and will be arriving soon. I didn¡¯t get off my carriage and focused on the book I was reading. I finished with a stack of documents earlier and now reading the book while waiting. This one is about legacies; it had detailed knowledge of legacies in merchant states. It turned out merchant states have more legacies than any country on the continent. More than twice the empire of the empire. Most of the legacies are the places where people release their emotions. 70% of legacies in the merchant states are bars of different types, tavern pubs, and other things like hotels and brothels. There are many other types of legacies, but I am currently focusing on hospitality. I want my establishment second best to legacy, and I have been constantly studying things that could make it better. Not only about the legacies but also architecture, interior, F&B, and other things. It had been helping me to improve the services and other things. I would use the methods in them, keep those that are working and remove those that are not. Most importantly, I am doing that for the ritual charms. They have been tremendously helpful. I could feel the changes they are bringing to the establishment, and they are amazing. So much so that others have started to notice them; I could see the question in the eyes of Carla, Margaux, and a few smart women. They didn¡¯t ask, and I didn¡¯t tell them and nor I had planned to. What I am doing is dangerous. I am using witch magic and it could have repercussions for my business if it were to become public, but it is too useful not to use it. The clients could see the change, but they all attributed them to the skills. There are skills that could affect the entire establishment. Like The ¡®Torch Of The Seeker¡¯ skill I have. I have hinted to the girls to give this answer if someone had asked them. I was in my thoughts when the ship docked in a place I was looking at and soon the people had started to come out of it. It is quite far, that I couldn¡¯t see the people clearly, but I have sent someone, they will bring them to the carriage. A few minutes passed, and I noticed Carla and Lola coming toward the carriage in the company of the guards. Click! The driver opened the door, and Carla and Lola stepped inside the carriage. ¡°Welcome to the Oksall,¡± I said to them as they sat in front of me. ¡°It is a beautiful city from what I could see and huge,¡± she said, with a hint of wonder in her voice. ¡°It is both of those things and more,¡± I replied. ¡°How was your trip?¡± I asked them as the carriage begin to move toward the port gate. ¡°Good. There was no problem.¡± She replied, giving me a look, which I ignored. A few minutes later, the carriage had passed through the port gates and entered the fourth wall proper. I could see they were impressed by what they saw and didn¡¯t disturb them. ¡°The city is really beautiful. I wish I would have been able to stay longer than a day,¡± she said, still looking through the window. ¡°You will get a chance at the future,¡± I replied. To which she smiled, and a minute later, a shock appeared in her eyes, when the carriage entered the lightway and its speed increased suddenly. ¡°This,¡± said Lola in shock. ¡°A splendor of magic and wealth; enjoy it,¡± I said, and they watched the road giddily as their carriage moved fast. Even after using the lightway a couple of times already. I still feel wonder. It is really amazing and I wish we could have this at Greltheaven, but that is a fool''s dream. First, it is really expensive, and second, maintaining it cost a lot. Greltheaven couldn¡¯t dream of having something like it. Soon, the carriage got off the lightway and stopped in front of the huge hotel. The Myrithon Hargreaves. It is big, over thirty stories tall; bathing in a beautiful in beautiful elvish lights and an enormous fountain in front of it, which is telling a story through the water arts. Every day, thousands of people come to watch it. It is one of the biggest hotels on the third wall and has a magnificent view of the city from the top; that is where I have booked the suites. I am not taking them to our residence on the first wall. It is a diplomatic residence and couldn¡¯t be used as a private one. The count would flip if I did something like that. We got out of the carriage and entered the grand lobby, which is a work of art in itself. There are hundreds of people who belong to different races, moving through it. ¡°Remus Silver, I have two suits booked,¡± I said to the green-haired elf. ¡°Yes, sir. Gerd and Helna will you to suits,¡± she replied. A moment later, the half-orc and the human concierge took us to lead us to the elevator. The elevator was made of transparent crystal. It gave a wonderful view of the city and the sky. Soon, the elevator stopped we got out, and the concierge took us toward our suits. ¡°We will have dinner in an hour,¡± I informed Lola before going to my suite with Carla. The suit was beautiful, but I am in no mood to look at it. Everything pales in front of Carla. ¡°I missed you,¡± said Carla the moment the concierge left, and her lips touched mine a couple of minutes later, only moans and wet sounds of our bodies rang out in the suit. We were so lost in each other that we didn¡¯t even move to the bed and did it on the floor. ¡°We have to leave soon,¡± I said after nearly forty minutes. We went to the shower and did it there. I wanted to cancel the dinner and call a room service, but I made a plan. Besides, Lola had come to such a city for the first time and needed to experience things. She is one of the most talented in the establishment and I want to groom her for great things. First, I had thought about sending her to Ina but immediately crossed that through. She had little interest in it. Though I have no doubt, if I had sent her, she would have done the job just as great as Ina, despite not liking it. Her ambitions lie in different directions, and I plan to foster that and also blunt that inherent rashness in her further. She had gotten it under control, but I think she needs more time and I planned to give that to her, before handing her a big responsibility. Till then, she will continue to learn new things and experiences. Get Ready. I activated my skill as I finished wearing the clothes and immediately. My hair dried out and fixed itself. At the same time, minor creases on the suit disappeared and my clothes adjusted well, fitting me more perfectly. Seeing it, a surprise couldn¡¯t help appearing on Carla¡¯s face. ¡°It is the skill that will make any woman jealous,¡± she said, looking at me jealously, before turning to the mirror. A few minutes later, Carla finished her makeup and turned to me. ¡°How do I look?¡± she asked. She is wearing a halter black dress and red lipstick on her lips that I wanted to kiss them. ¡°So beautiful that I wanted to tear the dress and have my way with you against that glass wall,¡± I said, and a smile appeared on her face. ¡°You could do that after we returned from the dinner,¡± she said and walked toward the door seductively. I nearly raised my hand to stop her and tore that dress, but I stopped myself and took a deep breath before walking toward the door. I only have to control myself till dinner, and then I will have her the entire night. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 173: Rhine Indentures Chapter 173: Rhine Indentures Bell ¡°We have arrived,¡± said the driver as the carriage stopped and the door opened. It is a long carriage to sit a large number of people, but we are still jammed-packed. Sitting on the laps of each other. So, when the door opened, we stepped out of the carriage, fast. All of us did that so many times, we were able to do it, without stepping on each other¡¯s toes. ¡°Follow me,¡± said the old Gray, and we followed him inside through the familiar back entrance of Rhine Indentures. I have come here many times in the past decade. Have been sold and brought by many brothels. Including three men. Though those three sold me back to the store within a month. A brothel is the safest place for me, no matter how distasteful it is and how much I hate every moment in it, but I am alive due to it. My enemies, in their wildest thoughts, could never guess I was hiding here. It is the reason they have not found me. Even I wouldn¡¯t have guessed a decade ago. That I would live in a filth of society, calling it home. I hate it, but my enemies are still searching for me, even after twelve years. The bounties for my information and location are present in all the guilds and taverns. The reward for capturing me alive is so huge that even S-Class had taken part. I have something they want, but I will die before I tell that to them. Soon we entered the building and stopped in one of the halls, where Laryn, a short violet-haired elf, walked in front of us. ¡°Those between Lv. 13 to Lv. 16 follow me, while the rest go with old grey,¡± she ordered and turned without any words. I am a little surprised, as they have never separated us from these levels. Usually, it is Lv. 10 to Lv.15 or Lv. 15 to Lv. 19; as prices of our contracts changed, when we reached these levels. I quickly moved into the new line and followed Laryn, who took us into another hall, and this is bigger than the previous one and full of people. There are over a hundred women in the hall, each is sitting in the chair, waiting. ¡®A private showing,¡¯ I thought. In the years I have come to indentured stores; I have been part of only four private showings. They are rare, as the people who buy us are brothels, who only looked for our class, levels, and looks. Not to mention, for private showing. The client needs to be important and rich. The private showing usually happened for girls above Lv. 20, but here, everyone seemed to be below that. ¡°Bell, it¡¯s been a while,¡± said the woman beside me and turned to her. She looked mostly human, aside from her large physique, and extremely faint greyness in her skin, that wouldn¡¯t be visible unless one look at her clearly and slightly larger canines. I instantly recognize her, when I saw the ever-cheerful smile on her face. ¡°Three years, Rexy,¡± I said to the woman. We were in the same brothel three years ago. She is a fun girl; I don¡¯t know how she had the energy to be cheerful, even after suffering so much. Orc bloods suffer the worst in the brothels. Even in places like Oksall, which had the largest number of orcs in merchant states. ¡°How have you been?¡± she asked. ¡°Me, fine,¡± I lied. I am not going to say the truth and tell her miserable every second of my life for more than a decade. Today is my birthday actually, which I had nearly forgotten. Last year, I had actually forgotten, only to be remembered a week later. With monotonous days, it is really hard to keep track of things. Especially the things I am intentionally trying to forget. ¡°Which brothel is looking for the girls?¡± I asked as I saw a girl coming out of the door before another going in immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I heard it is not from Oksall,¡± she replied. I had gone out of the Oksall a couple of times, but always returned to the city. Time passed as one girl after another went inside and came back. Laryn keeps bringing a new group of girls every hour. Soon, I was on my turn, I stood by the door, while Rexy entered inside. The half-orc, by the door, handed me the page from the stack he is holding. It had all my information, from age to skills. Click! Three and a half minutes later, Rexy came back, and I looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is just some question,¡± she said and it couldn¡¯t help but feel relive. I do the things every day, but even after a decade, I dread doing them. I can¡¯t seem to block them and turn into a completely different person like so many girls do. Shame fills me every time, but I still do it. It is what saved me from my enemies and till I find a better way, I will continue to do it, no matter how much shame I feel. Survival is paramount; my family hadn¡¯t sacrificed everything, including their lives, just so I could throw mine away. I cleared my thoughts and I entered the small room. There, I saw three people sitting. In the middle is a handsome young man, whose silvery-grey eyes make him look much older, and two beautiful women on both sides of him. The moment I looked at them, I found myself getting surprised on so many levels. First, they are keeping their classes open, which takes conscious effort. As the classes are hidden and unless you want others to feel them, they remain hidden. They are doing it for me and the other girls who are coming. Showing, they are the same as us and that is surprising because they didn¡¯t feel like it. They are whores, but their skin is vibrant and glowing. It is not a natural glow, gotten from the vibrancy, but the one gotten through the beauty treatments, and it looked like someone has worked really hard on them. These two are naturally beautiful women, and the treatments had made them even more beautiful. The clothes they are wearing are good, but what is surprising is the ease they are wearing. Whores do not have such ease; even the ones from the high-class brothels. While their beauty and their clothes were surprising, what is more surprising, or I might say shocking, is the confidence in which they are sitting on the chair. Their posture is perfect with their back straight and hands on the table, and every movement is graceful, and this is not an effect that skill gives. One needs to learn these things. Things I have worked very hard to unlearn. If they hadn¡¯t shown me, they were whores. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to guess. I have seen the whore, the high-level ones, those at Lv. 40, some were closer to Lv. 50. They are powerful and unique individuals, but I could even recognize them as whores if they weren¡¯t using any skill. I didn¡¯t with these two. It made me curious and also alert. I have to be cautious and make sure whoever these people are didn¡¯t choose me. I felt like, if I go with them, my life will be changed, I don¡¯t want that. A change could mean my enemies finding me, and once they do, I will have a very painful ending. ... ¡°Thank you, Miss Rexy,¡± I said to the orc''s blood woman, who have a natural cheerful smile on her face. She nodded and walked out of the room. ¡°We are taking her,¡± I said to Carla and Lola. I liked her, she gave me a good feeling. She also has a good assembly of skills, that are suitable to establishment and could speak three languages. Most importantly, she is an Orc-blood, and I want a few orc-bloods. Response to Senar had been great. So much so that the girl is steadily climbing the ranks that I felt like she has the potential to get into the top ten earners. Her clients are mostly from the empire; her faint orcish traits seemed to fascinate them. Since novel experiences are what they are desiring, I am willing to provide that to them. After all, I am the Agent of Experience. It is my job to provide them with experiences they never had before. ¡°I have added her name to the list,¡± said Lola. I nodded and turned to the next woman who appeared in the hall. She is a tall woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties. She is beautiful, with long blue hair, almond brown eyes, and a straight nose. She also seemed to have a resting bitch face, and it only changed faintly, for a moment, before returning to just as it was. She appeared in front of the table and place the page on it. I didn¡¯t look at it, instead activated my skill Sight Through Weil. Immediately, a blinding headache appeared in my head. I have been feeling it for quite a while. I have used the skill hundreds of times today and it had already reached the limit. I will need to rest it, or this pain will kill me. I bore the pain and focused on her and immediately got surprised by what I saw. Prostitute Lv. 16 It is all I saw, no attributes or skills or other classes she has, and it turned out, she has. The Prostitute Class is her secondary class. She has a main class that is powerful enough to hide, not only the class but also the attributes and skills. Even the ones belonging to the Prostitute Class are hidden. I am only seeing her in secondary class because she allowed it and it made me curious about her Primary Class. It should be at least at Level 20 to do this. I was about to turn off the skill when I saw something strange; I saw her flickering. I only saw it for a moment, before everything turned normal. ¡®Maybe it is because of the pain,¡¯ I thought as I turned off the skill. I couldn¡¯t keep it on anymore. A few seconds later, I turned to the page where there was information about her. Her name, her class, level, and three skills, along with a few lines of other information. ¡°Miss Bell, where are you from? Do you have any hobbies or profession or know any other languages than common?¡± I asked all the questions together, surprising her. I would love to take the time in interviewing them, asking each question separately, but I do not have time. I only have a day, of which more than half had already passed. So, I will ask questions together and depend on my experience and the opinion of two women beside me to select the girls. ¡°I am from Hentiv. I don¡¯t have any skills, hobbies, or know any language other than common,¡± she replied without any change in expression. ¡°If you were to become free from your contract today, what would you do?¡± I asked. It surprised her before a mirthless smile appeared on her face. ¡°I will find another brothel to work. Since it is the only thing I know,¡± she answered, and I smiled. Which seemed to make her uncomfortable. Likely because she could tell, I know she had a primary class, which is trying to hide. It is not written in her information. It is not like the store didn¡¯t know about Prostitute Class being her secondary class. They obviously know it. With the store big as these, they have people with the skill to see that, and the only reason, they didn¡¯t reveal it, because even didn¡¯t know what her primary class is. They only know she has one. ¡°Thank you for your answers, Miss Bell, and on the way, tell Mr. Thyno that we are taking a break for an hour,¡± I said, to which she nodded and left the room, while I put my head on the table and closed my eyes. I was far more tired than I had realized as I fell asleep within a second and was gently woken up by Carla. ¡°The hour is nearly over,¡± she said. I nodded and was about to use Get Ready before stopping myself. The sleep let me get rest and recharge; I couldn¡¯t squander it using the skill. I need all the energy; I have for Sight Through The Veil. A few minutes later, we begin again and continued till I couldn¡¯t anymore. By then, we have interviewed enough girls, including the young ones, and we begin to discuss the list. One and half an hour later, we had finished with the list and the final number had kind of surprised me. It is one hundred and sixty-two; more than I had thought I would get with the time I have. Though I didn¡¯t cut any of them; I am sure many of them leave in a few hours, when I give them the choice. I negotiated and paid for their contracts before asking the store to drop them at the port. They would directly go to the ship and leave in a few hours for the Greltheaven with Carla and Lola. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 174: Trespass Chapter 174: Trespass ¡°They are ready for you. Master Silver,¡± said Lola. I nodded and turned my eyes away from the river and walked to the girls toward the passenger area. They have been crammed in there, barely having any space to move. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bad about it, but I had to address them together, I couldn¡¯t go to all three passenger areas, one by one. Soon, I stopped and looked at all of them. I met each of their gazes, before activating Every Ear Listen To My Words. ¡°First, let me start by apologizing to all for your current condition. It is only for a few minutes,¡± I said with a smile, but there is no response, except for their gazes turning serious. ¡°Before you all leave for the Greltheaven, I am giving all a choice. A choice of freedom. If you want, I will free you from your contract and even give you ten thousand crowns for your future,¡± ¡°You all have an hour to decide,¡± I finished and walked away from them, letting Carla handle the rest. Usually, I use more words, but I didn¡¯t have time. I have to leave and meet someone and that will only happen after the ship leaves for the Greltheaven. .... Bell ¡°Calm down, girls. The choice Master Silver gave you is real. We will not stop you, if all of you choose the freedom,¡± said a woman wearing a red dress. She has an air of authority, which instantly calmed down everyone. ¡°Those who want to leave can to me or Lola,¡± she added and turned to the beautiful woman in a black dress beside her. ¡®Fucking hell!¡¯ I cursed for the hundredth time in a few hours. I hated my life in Oksall, but I had been safe in the massive city. My enemies couldn¡¯t find me, despite knowing I am there, but in Greltheaven, it is going to be much different. It is a city that didn¡¯t have a population of even a hundred thousand. It will be much easier for my enemies to find me there; with the resources they have. They will know where I am. The last big scrying attempt had been done a week and a half ago and this one was strong. Stronger than all the past big scrying attempts. The sage of a thousand luminescence had leveled up. Every level, taking him closer and closer to finding me. This time, he seemed to have narrowed down the district. From many girls, I heard the strange men in black uniforms coming to the brothels and inspecting the girls, asking the question. It might be for something else, but I think they are searching for me. They already might have deduced that I am living in the red-light district or might be a whore. Then this is a great chance for me. No, I will not go to the Greltheaven. That would be an idiotic thing for me to do; I will take the freedom they are offering and will go to Belnin. The more I thought about it, the better I felt the idea came to my mind. So, I waited calmly, listening to conversations around me. Girls are surprised by the freedom and money they are offering, but few are going to take it. The money is good, but not many want freedom. Many had gotten free, even I had gotten free two years ago, thanks to strict indentured laws in Oksall, but I signed a contract immediately with another brothel. Nobody hires a prostitute. So, after gaining freedom, many would sign contracts with their brothels again. It is not like there isn¡¯t anyone considering taking the offer. The girl in front of me is going to do it. From her words, she planned to take the money and enjoy herself for a few days with that, before signing a contract with her old brothel. Though most are smart enough to not do that. If someone is willing to offer them freedom and money, then there must be something else there. They want to see it. Some even have hope; seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Even after suffering so much, some girls still kept hope in their hearts. The girl beside me was one of them. Half an hour passed, and a few girls have approached the two women already. Those two have taken out the contract and burned it in front of everyone and gave them money pouches before sending them out of the ship. They should have waited for the end of the hour before burning the contracts and giving girls the money. Showing they are truly meaning what they have said. They are enticing more girls to leave. It is like they want the girls to leave. Then why did they buy our contract in the first place? It all seems strange and idiotic to me. ¡°Bell, are you leaving or staying?¡± asked Rexy. ¡°I a¡± I had opened my mouth to reply when I froze away. On the deck, a couple of people appeared. One is wearing the uniform of port guards, while four are wearing a familiar black uniform and had an emblem on their chest. That destroyed everything for me. Seeing them, I froze before raging anger and hate rose in my heart. Rexy looked at me strangely, before following my gaze. When she looked at those people, a hint of anger appeared on the cheerful girl''s face. ¡°These bastards are visiting the brothels; they have come to mine a few days ago. They removed all our clothes, touched us with strange things, and asked all weird questions,¡± she said and shuddered. I looked at them and saw the young man walking toward them, and he seemed angry. ¡°I heard that from others, too. I wonder what they want?¡± I asked casually, despite feeling terror in my heart. Rexy¡¯s eyes lit up, hearing that. ¡°I can listen,¡± she said, activating her skill. I also have a listening skill, more powerful than hers, but I am not going to use it. These bastards have ¡®Hunting,¡¯ classes; since they are searching for me, it might trigger some of their skills. Not activating any skill is a wise choice; my ring will protect me, but examined me, then even the ring won''t save me. I really hope the young man sent them away, but that is likely the case. Lomeir is an informal ally of merchant states and a kingdom that gives access to the north. It is due to its important role. It enjoys many privileges. Knowing that I move my hand into my bag. If they did come searching, I will use the last option. There is no way in hell I will tell them what they want. That secret will die with me. .... Hun! I was standing by the railing enjoying the view when I saw people coming to the ship. They pushed the guards at the ramp''s entrance and entered the ship. A spark of anger lit in my eyes, but I stopped Stone and Shaun stopping them and walked toward them. There are five people. One is wearing the uniforms of Oksall port guards, while the other four are wearing black uniforms. ¡®Kingdom of Lomeir.¡¯ I thought as I saw the flag on their sleeves, but I was the most interested emblem on their chest, which had the head of a dire wolf wearing a thorny crown and two bloody swords behind it. It took me a moment before remembered it was an emblem of the Duchy of Sarkin. ¡°Gentlemen, you are trespassing on my ship,¡± I said to them as I stopped in front of them. ¡°We are not. We have an order from the port master¡¯s office to search every ship carrying the whores,¡± said the guard with blond hair. ¡°Can I see the order?¡± I asked him. He looked a little surprised, likely because people don¡¯t want to question the port guards. It could make things a little difficult. Still, he didn¡¯t decline and gave me the order. I read it, before turning to him. ¡°You can not search my ship with it,¡± I said with a smile and handed it back to him. A frown appeared on his face, along with some hint of anger. ¡°The order state, we have authority to search all mercantile ships carrying the whores,¡± ¡°Search the ship,¡± he said to the four men from Lomeir, and they took a step to do it, but Jon and Stone appeared in front of them, while the guard turned to me with clear anger. ¡°I will arrest you. If you stop me from executing my duties,¡± threatened the guard. ¡°I am Remus Silver, adviser to the Count Darrow Wilstein of House Ravenheart, and this ship I had rented is through my diplomatic credentials,¡± ¡°It means you will need a class 3 order if you want to search my ship.¡± ¡°If you did it despite that, you will violate my rights and I will surely write to your governor about it,¡± I said to the guard, staring into his eyes directly. I could see fear appearing in his eyes upon hearing those words. ¡°The merchant state of Oksall doesn¡¯t have a relationship with the empire. So, you are breaking the rules in buying the contracts of whores,¡± said the bald man in a black uniform in heavily accented avoid. Those words seemed to have given the guard hope, seeing how his eyes lit up. ¡°A diplomatic exception,¡± I replied simply. ¡°Mr. Silver, we have been searching for a high fugitive from the Kingdom of Lomeir and we would be grateful. If you let us search, the whores you have brought,¡± said a bald man, with a considerably polite tone. ¡°I have no problem doing that. All you need to do is bring out a valid order and you can search my ship,¡± I replied, and it made him angry. He didn¡¯t say anything and instead removed the paper parchment and handed it to me. ¡°We are searching for her. If we found her, that bounty will be yours,¡± he said, and looking at his expression, it is clear he expects me to agree after seeing it. I nodded and looked at the parchment. There are two sketches, one is of a late teen woman, while the other is her older version in her late twenties. I looked at the sketch for a moment, before reading her name and the bounty, which is in a shocking amount. It will entice even Lord Darrow. It seemed like she was related to that incident more than a decade ago. ¡°My apologies, but I don¡¯t think I have brought the contract of this woman,¡± I said to him. ¡°She has the skill to change her physical shape,¡± he replied, and I nodded. ¡°I love to help you, gentlemen, but I couldn¡¯t. If I let you search my ship, it will trample on the honor of my lord. Please bring the valid order and I will let you search my ship,¡± ¡°And you have about an hour for that. In an hour, the ship will leave for the Greltheaven,¡± I said. The eyes of a bald man hardened hearing that, and this time, he was not even trying to hide it. ¡°It will not look good on you, young man if you dare to harbor the fugitive of the great kingdom of Lomeir,¡± he said threateningly, and hearing the smile on my face become even brighter. ¡°You can keep your threats to yourself and get out. I won¡¯t have you on my ship unless you bring out a valid order to search it,¡± I said back, without losing a smile on my face. Which seemed to irk him even more. His hands moved toward his sword, and fear appeared on the port guard''s face, but before he could do anything, a hand appeared on his shoulder. ¡°Our apologies. If our words felt threatening to you; it was not our intention, Adviser. We are just doing our job and under a lot of pressure,¡± said the older man, who appeared beside the bald man. ¡°Let¡¯s forget that and if you really want to check on the girls. You can do it in three to four months when they will make a debut,¡± I informed him with a smile. The older man in the black uniform nodded and walked out of the ship, with others, without saying another word, and I turned to Carla, who was coming toward me with worry written all over her face. .... ¡°Greltheaven,¡± I said as I watched the ship leave the port of Oksall. All my plans have been destroyed by those bastards. Now, I couldn¡¯t stay in Oksall or go to Belnin; I am going to the Greltheaven. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 175: Manris Chapter 175: Manris ¡°You looked like you didn¡¯t get any sleep,¡± said Leila as our carriage moved toward the port before dawn. ¡°I slept for only three hours,¡± I replied with a strained smile, looking at the moon through the window. I met with Ethan after Carla left with the girls for the Greltheaven. I would have met him earlier, but he was out on business and returned to the city in the evening. After meeting him, he took me to a few places, and before I know it. It is midnight. I barely got to sleep for three hours. Thankfully, I would be able to sleep on the way to the Amberhold. We are going to the port, where we will meet Ignatius Blackwell for our journey to the Amberhold. ¡°Well, in that, I am quite lucky. I have gained the Rest Skill quite early in my army days,¡± said the old man. He has more than half a century of experience in the army. He was a carrier soldier and had been in the army till he received the title and the territory from the prince. I wonder whether simply saving a prince¡¯s life has gotten him into the title or if there is something else. Usually, I don¡¯t think so deeply about these things, but after the incident with Lockridge, I started to think deeper. One might think the truth is what they heard and know, but there are layers deep within it and I need to learn to look deeply. I need to learn fast and be careful. I have entered a dangerous game and I am sure I might have already entered the list of a couple of people. Count Darrow has many enemies and seeing how much I am helping him. They might think about killing me. Sometimes, I regret taking these positions but immediately throw those thoughts away. This position helped me a lot. I had accomplished many things due to it and was willing to accept the dangers that came with it. Soon, we reached the port, and there was a yacht waiting for us. Not as grand as the Count¡¯s, but still good. There is a Lady Blackwell written on it in big, cursive letters. The guards didn¡¯t stop us when reached the ramp and soon we were on deck, where Ignatius Blackwell was waiting for us. He was looking at the sun, which had just started to come out, before turning to us. ¡°Thank you for coming. This early,¡± he said. ¡°It is no effort,¡± said Leila, to that he smiled and turned to the middle-aged man waiting in the distance. ¡°Captain Dane, we are ready,¡± he said, before turning back to us. ¡°We should reach the Manris in four hours and from there we will take the carriages from the Amberhold,¡± he informed. ¡°We should be able to reach it by the night, right?¡± asked Leila. ¡°Yes, if everything goes well, we will have dinner at the keep,¡± he said. This means we will have been able to leave for Fort Renin tomorrow. We were talking when the yacht begins to move and within a few minutes; it was moving toward Manris. It is a city between Oksall and Owlspring, and, from there, we will need to use the good-old road to Amberhold. We talked for a little more than fifteen minutes before the staff took us to our cabins. The cabin of the yacht was smaller than the cabins in Count Darrow¡¯s yacht, but it still had a bed big enough for two people to sleep in and a private bathroom. Modern yachts on Earth of this size didn¡¯t have such space in them. For a yacht of this size, there would barely be a space for two private cabins. This one had six of them. Unlike Earth, not a large space is taken by the engine. It did have an engine of sorts, but it is magical in nature and has a much smaller size. The space is also saved, by many things, like not having big water tanks and appliances like a refrigerator. This work is all done by the runes. If I want water for a shower, there is a very small water tank and when it empties half, the runes activated on their own and pull the water out of the river and filter it, before sending it to the tank. The same for things like refrigerators; there is no need for bulky appliances as the cooling and freezing runes are imprinted into the cupboard. Yachts are expensive, not only to buy but also to maintain. It is a reality in both worlds. Currently, I cannot buy a yacht, even if I want to. Though one day, I planned to. I want it, not only for the luxury of it but also for the ease of travel. The river is the main route of travel and having a yacht would be quite helpful. I put those thoughts away and lay down on the bed. It didn¡¯t even take me a minute to feel asleep. Three and a half hours later, I woke up on my own. I am feeling much better and more rested. I quickly freshened up and changed into the new suit. I didn¡¯t use my skill Get Ready. It is an important skill, and I won¡¯t be using it unless it is necessary. I walked out of my cabin, wearing a winter coat, and went to the deck, where my sister and Baron Harrods were present. Though, they are standing separately. My sister is standing with the Blackwell, talking to him, and they seemed quite engrossed in conversation, under their privacy skill, while Baron Harrods is standing alone, watching the scenery. ¡°Enjoying the scenery, my lord,¡± I said to the old man. ¡°Yes, it is quite nice,¡± he said, without moving his eyes away from the passing scenery. ¡°What do you think about the danger on the way to Fort Renin?¡± I asked after a minute of silence. The old man didn¡¯t answer for a few seconds before turning to me. ¡°It is a hard question, young Remus.¡± ¡°There are dangerous everywhere on that route, from the undead, orc tribes, bandits, and even monster horde from the extreme magic region.¡± ¡°If we think carefully, the undead wouldn¡¯t be a danger and we will be alerted if there is any attack from them.¡± ¡°The orc tribes won¡¯t like the freedom they have enjoyed till curtailed by the Oksall, but they know they are powerless to do anything against it.¡± ¡°The bandits, on the other hand, are splintered and mired in their own personal conflict to work together.¡± ¡°As for the monster horde from the extreme magic region, it is very rare and unpredictable,¡± he said and smiled. ¡°All of them are threats and have the potential to cause us great harm or even wipe us out, but an educated guess tells us that not a single one of them would be a threat,¡± ¡°Though, in my experience, I have found many times this educated could turn very wrong.¡± ¡°You see, people are hard to predict. So, my advice would be young Remus, be prepared for anything.¡± With those words, the old man turned back to the scenery he was watching, while I went to my thoughts. I really hope everything goes great, but I am prepared. I won¡¯t be caught off guard, like the undead incident and bandit one. Thankfully, I have brought four of my guards, this time. Not to mention, there will also be a big force of the Blackwell family coming with us and would be stationed in Fort Renin. I would have very much liked it if the Oksall army had taken this task, but Blackwell¡¯s forces are also well-trained and better equipped than the Oksall army. Fifteen minutes passed, and I saw another silhouette; it is not of the town or village but of the city. ¡°Baron Harrods, Adviser Silver, we will reach Manris in ten minutes,¡± said Blackwell, as he stopped beside us. The ship got closer and closer to the city and soon stopped at the port of the huge city. Manris might not be at the level of Oksall, but it is still a big city, with a population of six million. It is also the city of Isolde Ashenwood. One of the human council members of Oksall''s ruling council. We walked down the ramp, and Blackwell talked to a few city officials waiting for him before we sat in our carriages. Where more than a hundred guards surrounded us; they are from House Blackwell and would protect us on our journey to the Amberhold. I felt relieved seeing their number and the power they were radiating. Manris is a beautiful city and is also known as the craft capital of Oksall. Some people even called it a smelly city, due to its tanneries. The city had one of the largest tanning industries in the whole merchant states. Thankfully, the tanning district is a distance away from the other districts and the smell remained contained there. We are not entering the city proper and taking the bypass to the eastern gates directly. I watched the city through the window in comfortable silence. I have taken the carriage alone, while my sister and Baron Harrods are with Ignatius Blackwell. I said I wanted to take the rest, but the real reason for the separation carriage is keeping my distance from him. Ethan had told me a few more things about the assassinations of Blackwell yesterday. Let''s just say I want to remain close to get the benefit of the guard''s protection but maintain enough distance that if assassins came, I won¡¯t be targeted unless they want to kill me. I watched the city, till our carriages passed through the eastern gates, before taking out the book to read. I am taking a little break from hospitality and reading about the current events in the world. I have brought a large dossier of information and planned to finish it all before reaching the Amberhold. As I read it, I took out the snack to eat; I had skipped breakfast earlier and am now feeling a little hungry. ¡°The way you read; you should have been a mage. You have the right mindset for it," said Zela, who is also reading a book and eating snacks with me. ¡°I wanted to, but unfortunately, I have no talent for it,¡± I replied, smiling. An hour and a half passed, and I reached the Mayhurst section. The forces of Vris¡¯alud had conquered the kingdom of Edulia and Brarod and more than half of the Dekas. Now only Kalgha Dominion and Bulgan had remained nearly intact. Kalgha had lost some of its territory, while Bulgan was intact and that is because of Kalgha and Dekas, which are protecting it like a wall. If Dekas fell, it will give an undead way to Bulgan. Through this, they will be able to surround Kalgha Dominion in all directions. ¡°How long do you think Dekas will take it to fall?¡± I asked her. She seemed surprised but quickly controlled her expressions. ¡°If Dekas forces alone had been defending, I would say two months at most, but things have changed in the past month.¡± ¡°The Kalgha Dominion have sent Lokra Bonebreaker and his iron fangs to Dekas, and they seemed to have stopped the advancement of undead,¡± she replied. Iron Fangs are one of the three elite armies of Kalgha Dominion, having two hundred thousand men. The army had a reputation even before Vris¡¯alud started its conquering war and, in the few years since the war began, it had become even more dangerous, especially their leader. Lokra Bonebreaker also known as Lokra the Wavecrusher. An immensely powerful man, who rose from a normal soldier to leader of Iron Fangs in a matter of years. All the leaders of the three elite legions are S-class powerhouses. Kalgha Dominion has not publicly acknowledged it, but if it is true, then he would be the youngest to reach that level in centuries. He is only thirty years old. ¡°Let¡¯s hope, with their aid. The advancement of Vris¡¯alud would be stopped. It would be bad for everyone if the undead were to conquer the whole island.¡± I said, before turning to another section of the stack. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 176: Amberhold Chapter 176: Amberhold ¡°The city is really something,¡± I said as I looked at the city from a distance, bathing in bright moonlight. The city is situated on hills with beautiful buildings and lush greenery. Many of these buildings are old, some of them are older than a thousand years. Especially the amber castle on the tallest hill in the center of the city. It is over two thousand years old, the same as the large amber wall surrounding the city. The castle is called Blackwell Keep; many people referred to it as Amberhold. The city used to be called something else, but seeing it rarely, people referred it to by its original name. They change it to Amberhold, which used to be its informal name. ¡°It is really a beautiful city,¡± said Leila. ¡°A work of art,¡± added Baron Harrods, and it is not empty praise. Especially now, when the city is covered in light snow, it looked enchanting. ¡°Amberhold is the first city to be built after the creation of Merchant Cities of Western Zenid.¡± ¡°It is the place where the last Ired Queen was slayed by my ancestor Seraphina The Valient. Every brick in the city¡¯s wall has dust of Ired¡¯s hive and every brick of our keep had part of Ired Queen herself,¡± informed Ignatius with pride in his voice. Seraphina the Valiant, the primogenitor of House Blackwell. She was one of the continental powerhouses during the last incursion and a founding member of the Merchant Cities of Western Zenid. ¡°It is a beautiful city she had founded,¡± said Leila, and Ignatius smiled, but there was no pride or mirth in it. ¡°It is a regret that we, her descendent, were not able to live up to her hopes and expectations,¡± he said with a voice full of regret. Nobody said anything to that and instead turned to the window and watch the carriage descend from the hill toward the city. The city is huge, with a giant amber wall surrounding it. It could easily house five million people inside those walls, but the city only had a population of a million. It used to have a huge population, but after mines dried out a few centuries ago, people left. Still, the city is in great condition. Silas Blackwell might not be much of a warrior, but he is a great administrator. The city was in bad condition when he inherited it, but in a few decades, he changed it completely. He diversified the economy from mining and reformed many policies. His efforts had led the city from bankruptcy to stability. Quadrupling the population to nearly a million. It is quite incredible what he did, seeing in the city is the easternmost side of Oksall, closer to the boundary of the empire. There is not much anything to do other than mining and farming. There is an extreme magic region, which is a treasure trove, but its trade goes to other cities. The western side of the extreme magic region close to Amberhold, is controlled by the powerful monsters. Which is a blessing and curse; those monsters controlled other monsters well and didn¡¯t send the horde. They also kill whoever enters the extreme magic region through the western side, which makes adventurers, very hesitant go through that side. I didn¡¯t think I read about the monster horde attacking the Amberhold, during my research. Though it had attacked the settlements in Nakar forests in the past. A few hundred years ago, they had destroyed everything. Those monsters are even more dangerous than the undead when a horde of them is attacked. Soon, the carriage appeared in front of the big amber walls and passed through the huge city gates. As the carriages entered inside, I couldn¡¯t help but become impressed. There are wide paved roads and manicured trees, everything so well managed. ¡°Now, I can see why people call the Amberhold the garden city,¡± said Leila, clearly impressed, and it is impressive. ¡°It is all my parents doing; they want Amberhold to become the most beautiful city in all of Oksall,¡± he said, with pride in his voice. They have really made something to be proud of; I have given examples to the Count about the city to support my ideas, but he isn¡¯t willing to listen. To him, the Greltheaven is a temporary thing. A place through which he needs to earn as much money as possible. Before escaping the moment, Navr releases his horde. If Amberhold had been in the place of Greltheaven; the Blackwells would have been able to achieve far more than what they have. Currently, Amberhold¡¯s growth potential is at its limit. It is why they are so ready to open the trade route and complete the plan of their ancestors, who also understood, trade is the only thing that could make Amberhold prosper. It will prosper and so are baronies and Greltheaven with it. The carriage had reached the base of the biggest hill and begun to climb it and soon the carriage was in front of the giant coppery gates of the castle. The carriage had passed through them and the amber castle appeared in front of me; it is even bigger than it looked from the distance. I wanted to get out of the carriage and looked at it more carefully, but controlled myself and stayed, Click! Finally, the carriage had stopped, and the door was opened by a middle-aged man, with short black hair, wearing a white uniform. ¡°Welcome home, my lord,¡± said the man. ¡°It feels good to be home, Commander Wildewood,¡± said Ignatius as he stepped out of the carriage. ¡°Baron Harrods, Lady Leila, Adviser Silver; I welcome you all to the Amberhold,¡± he said, as we stepped out of the carriage. ¡°Thank you for a kind welcome, Commander Wildewood,¡± I replied to the middle-aged man. He is the commander of the Amberhold¡¯s forces. ¡°Lord Blackwell wishes to meet you all. Please allow me to escort you to him,¡± he said, and we walked with him toward the castle. I would have liked to rest, but meeting Lord Blackwell is also necessary. The castle was huge and designed magnificently with those large amber bricks. It is big enough that half-giants could walk here comfortably. It is said, each brick of the castle contains the part of Ired Queen as Ignatius told us earlier. I don¡¯t know whether it is true or not, since the walls of the city had never been breached. The city hadn¡¯t been attacked many times; even the undead horde didn¡¯t attack it, more than ten times in past millennia. Whenever it does, it won¡¯t be at full force; just a small part of it. It is all because of its excellent location. It is a distance away from all the cities and closer to the extreme magic region. This makes the undead avoid it, as they attack the places where there are large cities close to each other and away from the extreme magic region. The monsters of the petyv extreme magic region seemed to hate the undead. Whenever the undead forces got too close, they will attack. Even in their territory, Navr keeps its undead away from the petyv extreme magic region. Soon, we entered the castle, and immediately I felt the faint suppression. It is like the air seemed to have become denser. Suddenly, I found myself taking a little more effort in breathing and walking. It is not restrictive, just faintly stifling. ¡°You will get used to the feeling in a few minutes,¡± said Ignatius, sensing the change in us. I took a deep breath and followed him while watching the beautifully grand castle. Where every art piece and weapon hanging on the wall, seem to exclude ancientness. It is more than two thousand years old castle; I am sure some of these things are as older as the castle or even older. As I walked through the castle, I noticed. There are a lot of guards. I could see them at every corner, looking around for the threats. While security is always tight, in such places, there are little too many guards. Even there are guards in the elevator. I don¡¯t know whether so many guards are normal or because of the Blackwells facing a lot of assassination attempts. Soon, we appeared in front of the white stone doors, which the guards opened, and we went inside a huge conference room, which already has some people in it. My eyes immediately went to the pale-looking man sitting in the head chair. He looked to be in his late fifties, and of medium height, with an average face and build, but his black eyes were sharp, and they seemed to look through everything. Like his son, his eyes also looked faintly glassy, and have red hair that looked like they were made from crystal. They are hereditary features of House Blackwell and the source of the rumors about their family. On the other side of the table is an elf woman who looked to be in her late forties. She is a graceful woman with blue hair and blue eyes; Ignatius seemed to have gotten his eyes from her. It is the only feature he seemed to have from her. Looking at him, one couldn¡¯t guess that his mother was an elf. It is all related to the mystery of the family. ¡°Father, mother,¡± Ignatius greeted. ¡°I am glad you have you have returned safely, my son,¡± said Adryna Blackwell. One could see the relief flooding into her eyes as she saw her son. ¡°Lord Blackwell, Lady Blackwell,¡± we greeted. ¡°Baron Harrods, Lady Leila, Adviser Silver. Thank you for coming all the way to Amberhold,¡± said the man. ¡°It is our duty, my lord,¡± replied Baron Harrods. Of course, it is a duty. I would have been glad if the Count had exempted me from it. ¡°Take a seat, you all. We have a lot to discuss,¡± he said and which we did for one and a half hours. It is mostly about the arrangements for tomorrow. By late morning, we are going to leave Amberhold, with Ignatius Blackwell and his men. They had scouted the route, and people have been selected. We only need to walk the path, destroying everything that came our way. If our luck is good, the journey should be smooth, well, aside from being very tiring. We will be riding the beasts instead of the carriage; it will be faster and much safer. After the meeting is finished, we had dinner with Lord, and Lady Blackwell before they took us to our suits. ¡°Wow,¡± I said as I looked at my suit. It had a spartan feel to it, with a huge stone room and minimal decorations. The one that impressed me the most is the huge window; it gives me a view of the entire city. It is also enchanted, protecting against intruders and cold winds. The light snowfall is continuing, and I hope, by morning, it will be finished. I don¡¯t want snow on top of the thick forest on the way to Fort Renin. I looked at the city for a few minutes before turning back to the room. I wanted to sleep, I am tired, but there is one thing I have to do before I could sleep. ¡°Are there any messages for me?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, a few had come; I have noted them all down for you,¡± she said and handed me the notes. There are over thirty messages. They are Carla, Locke, and a few other friends and colleagues from the Greltheaven. Most of them are about them, inquiring about the progress. These bastards hadn¡¯t been this excited when we were dealing with Navr, but Oksall is a completely different thing. They are inquiring about it, despite knowing. It will take a while before they could trade with it legally. The new girls reached the Greltheaven in the morning and Carla had given the tour and the stack of questions. When they are done filling them, we will find the teachers for them. It will be a little crowded, with the addition of one hundred and forty-eight girls, but they will have to manage. In a few months, this problem is going to disappear forever. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 177: Wing Chapter 177: Wing ¡°So, this is the plan?¡± asked the beefy orc, looking at large the map. ¡°Yes, my mage received it from the mask a few minutes ago,¡± replied the half-elf, with a hint of respect. Not only her, but everyone has those emotions in their eyes. The mask and the people that employed him had someone so close to Blackwell that they are able to get their hands on their plans. Which hadn¡¯t been made more than a day ago, The map had covered a large make-shift table that all bandit leaders could look at it. ¡°Everybody remember, our target is Ignatius Blackwell, not killing or looting. If we kill him, we will get the fortune that we have been promised,¡± advised the human with the bow. There are a lot of people in every group who get lost in it the moment they entered the battle. It will be their leader''s responsibility to keep them in control. ¡°It is such regret that we won''t have that artifact,¡± said the half-orc, and many sighed. The mask didn¡¯t put any restriction on the artifact and even said they could have it, but everybody is aware. The moment Ignatius Blackwell is dealt with, that artifact would be gone as well. ... When I woke up again, the sun had been completely up. I had woken up at my usual time, before dawn, but decided to sleep further. We are going to leave for Fort Renin today, and it is not going to be in a comfortable carriage. It will be on the beast, and I need to be as rested as possible. I wanted to train earlier, but that wouldn¡¯t have been wise. I have been training constantly and taking breaks, only when I absolutely needed to. I am as much trained as I could be for any danger I might face on the journey. More training would only be tiring. I stayed in bed for a couple of minutes before getting up and walking to the window and looking at the beautiful snow-laden city. The snowfall hadn¡¯t stopped through the night. It had increased even more. ¡®It seemed like things won¡¯t be easy,¡¯ I thought, looking at the snow. I stayed by the window for a couple of minutes before walking into the bathroom, where I had freshened up and showered. I changed into a new suit and readied myself before walking out of my suit, where the staff waiting for me took me for breakfast. Soon, I was in the kitchen and saw Baron Harrods already sitting there, eating breakfast by a large window. Enjoying the food as well as the view. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted. ¡°Remus, take a seat,¡± he offered. ¡°Thank you, lord,¡± I said as I sat in front of him. ¡°It is nice weather, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, and a mirthless smile appeared on my face. ¡°It will make our journey a little harder,¡± I complained, but he just shook his head with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. House Blackwell had made the proper arrangements. The journey won¡¯t be comforting, but it won¡¯t be arduous as you are thinking. ¡°I am glad to hear that,¡± I replied. I felt a little relief from his words, but not too much. He is a career soldier and had marched through nearly every terrain. His standards might be much different from mine. Though, I will not complain and will take it as another adventure. I only hope it will be uncomfortable, not dangerous. We were having breakfast when Leila arrived and sat beside her us. Something about her felt different. I don¡¯t know what it is, but something is different. I didn¡¯t ask. Soon, we finished breakfast and followed the butler on the tour of the castle. Many of the areas are restricted, including the roof of the castle. I would have loved to see the city from the top to the top. He showed us various parts of the castle. The more I looked. The more impressed I would become with this ancient castle, which felt like it was still in its prime and one couldn¡¯t help but feel a sort of reverence toward it. It is likely due to the suppressive aura that is always covering you, reminding you that you are in its domain. Soon, we entered a large hall, which is filled with paintings and other stuff, including a wing of Ired Queen. ¡°Is it really a wing of Ired Queen?¡± asked Leila as we stopped in front of a wing that is bigger than us. It is thin like an insect wing and sharp as a blade; when the light fell on it, it seemed to reflect all the colors in the world. The wing had beauty in it but also felt dangerous. It is dangerous, considering it from being, who has S-Class powerhouses for lunch. Thankfully, it is sealed on the blue stone. ¡°Yes, it is a wing of Ired Queen that Seraphina The Valient had slain,¡± said the butler. It is really hard to see anything from incursion. It is the only second thing I had saw from incursion. These things are dangerous and guarded for the safety of the public. Most of them were destroyed or used in years after the incursion. Very few have remained, and most of them are hidden and guarded. We looked at other things and before we know it; it was time to attend the farewell in the throne room. The herald announced us, and we entered the huge hall. In front of us is a huge, raised platform, on which Lord and Lady Blackwell are sitting. In front of them are two rows of chairs, nearly all of which are filled by people from the military to civil officials and other important people like merchants and officials of the state. ¡°Lord Blackwell, Lady Blackwell,¡± They nodded, and we were led to our seats. ¡°The Oksall ruling council had passed the resolution to open another trade route to the Navr through the region of Renwell of the Harsoth Empire.¡± ¡°With it, we will get direct connectivity with two regions of Navr,¡± said Silus Blackwell. I have read the news. Oksall is telling its citizens that they are trading with their trading partner Navr and only using the empire as the route through it. Though they mentioned there will be a slight trade with the empire, it was only a line on that whole page. The emperor had to open his mouth and say those nasty words. It had harmed the relations, more than the attacks. People are merchant cities would swallow the attacks, but they have a hard time swallowing the words. Navr¡¯s horde attacks them, at least once a decade, and it only stopped the trade for a few months before resuming at full force. Things are changing now, depending on the trade. The Oksall would slowly open up to the Renwell and trade will resume, without restriction. Like we have with Meldhorn. It might take time, but it will happen. I am confident about that. ¡°The trade will prosper and with it, the city of Amberhold...¡± I could see the excitement in the eyes of Silas Blackwell and couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he will do when the trade will rolling in the money. Amberhold is an important part of the trade, and it will benefit the most. Silas Blackwell and his wife were able to do wonders with a small economy from farming and mining. I wonder what they will they able to do when big bucks will start to enter their coffers. I will be keeping an eye on them; to study. I saw the Amberhold being the best-managed city in Oksall and one of the best in the whole merchant states. There are many things I could learn from them. The speech continued, and I listen, but most of my focus was on the painting. It is a large painting, where a woman in a blue armored dress holding a shining bow and shooting arrows at the large monster. Not a monster, but Ired Queen; it is one graceful being of terror. Between them, two armies are fighting, one that had humans, orcs, elves, and many other races, while on the other side is the hive of Ired. Looking at it, I felt like I entered the battle, watching it with my own eyes. I was so engrossed by it that I lost track of the speech that Silas Blackwell was giving. Thankfully, I was able to come out on my own at the end. ¡°I wish you best of the luck, my son; the blessing of all Amberhold citizens is with you,¡± he said and finished the speech. ¡°I will not disappoint you, my lord,¡± said Ignatius and kneeled before his parents. A few minutes later, we walked out and in front of the castle, where a thousand men were standing in neat lines. Seven hundred and fifty on foot, while two hundred and fifty on the beasts. All of them are armored, with each having an enchanted weapon. These thousand people are 20% of the Blackwell¡¯s army. It is hard to believe, but it is the truth. In the merchant state, individual lords couldn¡¯t keep an army of more than twenty-five thousand. The Blackwells had the authority to keep ten thousand man''s army, but they only keep it five thousand. It is efficient and cost-saving. It is Oksall, that is responsible for the security. In empires and kingdoms, it is individual lords responsible for the security of their fiefs, but it is not the same case in merchant states. Here, many cities are run by nobles, and some have councils and governors to run them. The power of nobles is greatly halved here. First, they couldn¡¯t keep a large army, the security of their domain is the responsibility of the state. There is an army division of twenty-thousand people placed in the Oksall. Usually, the army stays in barracks and only controlled the gates of the city, but has an obligation to follow the lords¡¯ orders. The rest of the army only takes control of the city when it is in danger, or the lord asks for it. In peacetime, city guards are responsible for the security of the city, which is under the lord. Their numbers couldn¡¯t be countered in the army and have a separate quota for them. The lords here couldn¡¯t collect taxes from their fief; it is done by the state. The state then pays the percentage of it to the lord. In deciding the policy, they have autonomy, but they need to work under the framework of the state¡¯s constitution. They have also done away with hierarchical titles. There is only one title for the nobles here, and that is lord. There is no Baron, Count, or any other hierarchical title. The system is applied in all merchant states, with some variation. On the continent, it is the only place that has this system. One could imagine the reaction the nobles will have if the king or emperor tries to do such a thing. The nobles will revolt and do that when the rulers try something like it. Not to mention, the hierarchical system works well in the favor of rulers. They do not have to pay for a large army and unless it is something that threatened the borders, the rulers could let the nobles handle their affairs. If anyone were to ask me which system I like the most, then my answer would be the merchant-states. Which I will not say in public ever; it will get me killed with charges of treason stuck on me. It is not a perfect system; there is too much-centralized control, but much better than a classic hierarchical system of kingdoms and empires. The standard of living for people in merchant states is one of the highest. People here also have much greater rights here than anywhere on the continent. Most importantly, the nobles here could focus more on their people and territories, since conflicts and security are handled by the state. Amberhold is a great example of that. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 178: Attacked Chapter 178: Attacked Ignatius took a step forward as appeared in front of the army. ¡°Today is an important day; we will be moving to chart a path of prosperity for our city and the whole merchant states,¡± ¡°It is a great responsibility, but I am confident that we will succeed,¡± he said, and the crowd cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Ignatius, turning to us and we walked toward the beasts. Soon, I appeared beside the beast I will be riding. It is a blue horse, with thick hoves and a dense, soft coat. My sister and Baron Harrods sat on a similar horse, while Ignatius sat on a black horse with a purple scale around its legs. I sat on the horse in one smooth motion, the other did the same, and soon we moved toward the gates. I felt the skills activating around me, some had covered me. Immediately, making the experience a little comforting. A few seconds later, we passed through the gates and became part of something that I had only been a spectator. There are a large number of people on both sides of the streets cheering loudly. I had not expected this, and the thing is we are still on the hill. The proper city is down below, where more people seemed to have gathered. It all feels surreal, but I forced myself to sober up and move my hand close to my sword. If the enemies of the Blackwell want to assassinate Ignatius, it is a great chance. With such a large crowd, they would be able to target him and get away. It is likely why the guards have moved a little closer to him and there is a presence of heavy guards among the crowd who are keeping them in control. Not letting them get too close. I looked at this novel experience and, to be honest, it felt good. Despite knowing, they are cheering for him, not me. Such a send-off is only reserved for the lord going to war or coming in with victory, but there are some exceptions as well. Like this journey to Fort Renin, which had the potential to transform the destiny of the city. Speaking of the city, I wanted to explore it but didn¡¯t get a chance. I have heard so much about its parks and public buildings that are open to every citizen. The Blackwell¡¯s had spent a huge amount of money on the public infrastructure. They had even reduced the size of the army to half. So, they would be able to spend more on the Amberhold and towns and villages that came under their territory. Which helped them to get their territory out of the destitute state. Soon, we came down the hill and, as I expected, the number of people increased. So much so that guards seemed like they were having a problem controlling the crowd. I have seen such things many times in my life since coming here and I could see the people genuinely love the Blackwells. Most of the time, people asked to come for such things, sometimes forced to. The love and respect needed to be earned. You didn¡¯t get it, just by inheriting the title. The Blackwell¡¯s had earned it. Finally, we reached the city gates, where the crowd was dense, but a large number of guards were handling them efficiently. ¡°Your people adore you, Lord Blackwell,¡± said Leila as the whole force got out of the gates. ¡°It is my parents. I haven¡¯t done anything to earn their adoration,¡± he replied, with his cheeks flushing a little. A minute later, we have ridden out of the gate, and in front of us was a snow and forest. We will have to travel through these snow-filled hills to reach the old fort. More skills were activated, and our pace increased. In a few minutes, the city seemed far, and it was getting further. The army is moving fast, in perfect discipline. The Blackwell might not have a large force, but what they have is experience. In the past decade and a half, they have fought in every big battle merchant states had faced, including a horde of Navr. Unlike his father, Ignatius Blackwell is a warrior. He had led his forces to the wars and is very good, especially when he has that thing in his hands. An hour passed and then another. Soon, it was three and a half hours since the march had begun, and we had reached the last village. It is a small village of about a hundred houses and they cheered, like all the other towns and villages we had passed through in the past three hours. If the trade flourishes, these places going to benefit a lot. As the village passed, we crossed into a proper forest, where there are no paved roads, but small trails. The people become more careful as we entered the forests. The scouts moved further in all directions and the guards surrounded Blackwell and us more tightly. ¡°The wildness is really beautiful,¡± I said in wonder as we crossed through the small stream of crystalline water. ¡°It is,¡± replied the old man beside me. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about danger and the cold. Since we left the village and entered the forest, I have been enjoying this mesmerizing beauty. Now, I could understand why my friends would go camping and spend nights in the environment. That could kill them if something went wrong. It is really beautiful, untouched by anyone, even the orc tribes live a little further. This area acts like a little buffer zone, with proper civilized Oksall and wild orc tribes. In a few weeks, a large number of people will descend here, and a road will be made for the trade, and even a few more villages and towns may pop up in a few years. It will only take a small part of this vast forest. They won¡¯t dare to build a large city in this area. At Fort Renin, maybe, but not here. Nobody wants to antagonize the monsters of the extreme magic region. If they started sending out the horde and nobody wants that. A few more hours passed, and we started to come across the tribes of orcs and currently, we were traveling very close to one. It is only a few hundred meters away; I could see the huts they live in and some orcs, who are watching us from the distance. There are a lot of orcs tribes. If a few of got together and attacked, they could potentially wipe us out, but even they have realized how idiotic that would be and had been warned about such actions. Currently, it is the tiny Blackwell army, but if they did something, then the army of Oksall will descend and it will be merciless. ¡°The snow is getting heavy,¡± said Leila. She is smiling as she gathered the snowflakes in her hand. Only she is smiling. Everyone, be it Ignatius or Baron Harrods, or me, has serious expressions on our faces. Unlike her, we didn¡¯t practice the ice element or have any magic. ¡°Do you think the snow is going to increase, Lady Leila?¡± asked Ignatius. ¡°Definitely; there is going to be a heavy snowfall in the night.¡± She replied, and his expression turned bad. ¡°Colonel Grennan, increase the pace,¡± he said to the orc-blood man. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± he affirmed and immediately, he fired orders, and a couple of seconds later, our pace had increased. A few more hours passed, and it was evening. In a few more minutes, it is going to be completely dark. Colonel Grennan suggested setting up camp earlier, but Ignatius want to push through, till we reach our decided spot. Thanks to the increased pace, we will be able to reach there in time. I would have loved to stop early, but both Ignatius and Baron Harrods think that it is better to stop at a predetermined place. Soon, it had become completely dark, and seeing there is no moon; the journey felt even more eerie. Especially with the snowfall getting heavier. While there might be no moon, there is no end to the light. Crystal torches had lit up, providing enough light for us to see around, but not enough that anyone will see us miles away. Not to mention cloaking skills have been activated. So, unless one is close, they won¡¯t be able to see us. Two more hours passed, and we finally stopped as we reached the place. It is a large hill, and we are doing to set our camp there. It will make it easier for enemies to discover us, but hard for them if they attack us. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed in my heart as I got off the horse. The cramps are painful, so much so that I wanted to drink the potion, but I didn¡¯t and instead took deep breaths. Slowly, the pain subsided enough that I could walk around and did, to free up the muscles. The soldiers have begun securing the parameters and setting the camps. They had already removed the snow and put firestones on the ground to make the preparations for the cooking. Everything is happening smoothly and efficiently. ¡°Blackwell¡¯s forces are quite well trained,¡± commented Baron Harrods, as we sat on the makeshift bench. ¡°Hope, they are just as good as defending. If any enemy came at us,¡± I replied. To which he smiled. Soon, an hour passed, and dinner was ready. We were all served on a makeshift table, with a large cloth hanging above us to protect against the snowfall. It is increasing every hour and if it kept increasing as such; it will make the journey tomorrow very difficult. ¡°Will the snowfall continue tomorrow?¡± I asked. ¡°Very likely,¡± replied Leila, and I sighed. ¡°I am glad we had brought enough cold-resistant potions. If the need arises, we will use them,¡± said Ignatius. The dinner was simple, but it was hot. They added drops of cold resistance potion in it, which made it even better. After dinner, Ignatius held a small meeting for tomorrow¡¯s journey and looked at the security arrangement before going back to his tent. I have gone to mine. It is a small tent, made of monster hide. Which keeps everything inside warm. I had removed my winter coat but didn¡¯t remove the light armor I was wearing. It will be uncomfortable to sleep in it, but I will bear it for my safety. After putting my sword beside me, I closed my eyes to sleep. It seemed like the journey had tired me more than I had thought. Even wearing the armor, I fell asleep within seconds. ¡°Mr. Silver, wake up!¡± I was in a deep sleep when a powerful hand shook me awake with a loud voice. I opened my eyes immediately and gripped my sword. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Jon. ¡°Bandits, a lot of them,¡± he replied. I shuddered, before quickly calmed myself and got up. The first thing I did was drink the cold resistance potion. ¡°You have all your potions, right?¡± I asked him. I have given all of them potions, from healing to cold resistance. Not only that, but they are also wearing the enchanted armor. The gear had cost a lot, but I didn¡¯t want to be unprepared for whatever danger we might face here, especially after what I had suffered last time, and it seemed like it was a right bet. ¡°Yes,¡± He replied and got out of the tent. I followed behind him and saw what was happening; it made me shudder for a moment. Around me, the army was in position around the camp. Baron Harrods and my sister are with Ignatius Blackwell, and all of them are looking at the tide of people coming toward the hill from all directions. Seeing those numbers, horror couldn¡¯t help but filled my heart. ¡°They have at least double our numbers,¡± I whispered. ¡°Nearly triple,¡± replied Stone behind me. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 179: Bow of Valor Chapter 179: Bow of Valor ¡°What did our agent say?¡± asked the Orc. ¡°Everything is the place, all the tools have been delivered to them and also the information, along with the strategy,¡± replied the middle-aged man, and the orc just looked. ¡°With the triple number and all the bandit leaders, they shouldn¡¯t have any problem killing him. If they failed, then our last option would finish the job,¡± he added, and Orc nodded. ¡°How are our agents in the Amberhold?¡± he asked. ¡°They are ready in their position; the moment we get the confirmation of Ignatius¡¯s death, they will move for Silus and his wife,¡± replied the middle-aged. ¡°I really hope you have prepared everything well. It is the last chance I have. If we failed, I would lose a fortune, but you will lose a chance to ever become a Lord Blackwell,¡± said the Orc. ¡°It will not happen. With the preparations we have made, we will succeed and have the wealth that will come with it,¡± he said, but instead of agreeing with his words, Orc¡¯s eyes turned sharp. Immediately, he realized his mistake and opened his mouth to apologize. ¡°I do not care about wealth. I have enough of it. I want what that place has, and you better not forget it,¡± warned the Orc, with sparks of anger floating in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget my promise, Merchant Lord. The moment I become Lord Blackwell, you will have that place,¡± he said and the anger on the Orc''s face disappeared, replaced with a big smile. ¡°You better remember that,¡± said the Orc and disappeared through the hidden way. ... Triple. Stone¡¯s voice rang aloud in my mind as I looked at the large number of people coming toward the hill. Most of them are on the foot, but many of them are on the beasts. Coming toward the hill fast and hard. They want to strike fast with their numbers and end the battle quickly as possible. As for who these people are, it was not hard to guess. The bandits. Though it is hard to believe that they would attack a noble on an official mission and, more importantly, work together in such a large number. Most bandit groups didn¡¯t have a large number of people. Only the big one has such numbers and according to the formation, they all seemed to take each other, but here they are working together. It must have taken quite a lot of effort to make all of them work together. Of course, they are doing it because someone had told them. The bandits might be daring, but they are not idiots. They wouldn¡¯t have taken such risks if someone had paid them to do it. They must have paid them handsomely. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have set aside their differences and worked together. I looked around the hill and saw Shaun and Zela, within the army. She is talking with my sister, who had a staff in her hand, and is looking at the bandits coming toward us. I didn¡¯t go toward them and planned to stay far away as possible. Especially from Blackwell, who is without a doubt their target. Staying far as possible is the wise choice in the scenario. ¡°Now!¡± My sister shouted, and her staff lit up, along with the staff of many mages. A moment later, a large snowball begins to form in front of them. It took seconds to form snowballs. The biggest ones in front of my sisters; hers are bigger than me and when they descend the hill, they will become dangerous to the bandits. ¡°Release,¡± she ordered, and all snowballs begin to descend toward the bandits, who had just reached near the base of the hill. As the snowballs descended. They started to become terrifying. They gathered momentum and started collecting more snow, more than they would normally collect, especially the snowballs of my sister. Those twelve snowballs are rapidly growing larger. If that was not enough, new snowballs are forming around the hills, right after they released the first set. ¡°Release,¡± she commanded and releasing the second set of snowballs and the third beginning to form. ¡°Mages are terrifying when they are in their element,¡± said Jon, looking at my sister, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. The snow-laden mountain and the heavy snow are advantageous to my sister. She could harness the element against her enemies, by only using a small amount of her mana. Zela also had a small advantage in this environment. She specializes in water elemental spells, which had great synergy with ice. She also knew some ice elemental spells. ¡°Release!¡± Ordered Leila, and the third set of snowballs spiraled toward the bandits. The first batch of giant snowballs reached the bandits, who had already slowed down seeing the snowballs coming toward them. Hun! As they were only a few meters away from striking, the bandits, a flash of lights, appeared through them, and snowballs begin to explode one after another. With than thirty snowballs going toward the bandits, only seven of them remained. These sevens hit the bandits, but the loss was small. These seven snowballs went through the places where the number of bandits was small. ¡°It seemed like they have come prepared,¡± I said, looking at how coordinated their response was. The bandits had slowed down but didn¡¯t stop despite the snowballs coming at them. They crushed the second set of snowballs, with a minimum loss, reaching the base of the hill, when the set tranche of snowballs went at them. ¡°Archers attack!¡± ordered Blackwell, who had been only watching silently till now. Immediately, a hundred archers raised their bows and started shooting arrows. At the same time, a green bow appeared in his hand, and he pulled its string. A green energy arrow formed in the bow and shot out of it, as he released the string. The Bow of Valient. Artifact of the House Blackwell, the same bow used by Seraphina the Valiant to slay the Ired Queen. The bow is green with a beautiful design of purple vine painted on it. In front of it, there are three holes, one in the middle and the other two on each side. Some say it is a relic and only had a power of artifact, because those three gems are missing. I take those things with a grain of salt. Relics are extremely rare, so much, so that in the whole empire, there are only two of them and both are in the hands of the imperial family. Merchant-States have a few more, but they are rarely used in battle and not anyone could use them. After he finished with the first arrow and he launched the second one, just as fast as the third. The other archers also begin to launch the barraged of arrows, using various skills, but nothing could compare to the green arrows. Artifacts aren¡¯t desired and feared for anything. They are terrifying tools of war that nobody wants to face. As the arrows shot through the bows, the bandits revealed their cards too and it is a kind of surprising. They took out the enchanted black shields, and the line of it formed to defend their mages and archers. I felt something from the shields and to see clearly; I took out the bulky glasses that looked like steampunk vr and wore them. The runes on it activated, and the small bandits become big in an instant. They looked like they were only tens of meters away from me. The moment I saw the bandits clearly; I was shocked. Those shields are not normal enchanted shields but tripled enchanted shields. They are insanely expensive, and unlike normal enchanted weapons that one could get easily. As these weapons are powerful, not to mention they are difficult to make. The bandits moved ahead with their shields; seeing even the green arrows from the artifact have been stopped by them, but it is an enchanted weapon for nothing. While other arrows weren¡¯t even able to put even the faintest mark on them; the green arrows put a dent. ¡°Change the target, attack the unguarded bandits,¡± ordered Ignatius, while continue shooting at those hiding behind the shields. They are leaders and important people. They defended and destroyed the last set of snowballs and shifted to defend against the arrows. Most of them defended, but some stuck, injuring and killing the bandits. A few arrows and spells came from the bandits but weren¡¯t able to do anything. A few seconds passed and all the bandits begin to climb the hill. The archers intensified their attacks, killing many bandits, and that is when Ignatius got his first kill. I don¡¯t know how he did it exactly since the person was hiding behind the shield, but he killed them. It might be just his ability, a skill, something from the artifact, or all three. What matters, he killed an important bandit. After the first kill, he was able to take out the people behind the shield every few seconds, but quickly others would take their place. These bandits came prepared and seemed to know quite a lot about Blackwell and his people, seeing the way they are responding. It is not surprising. If those from behind could provide them with such expensive enchanted weapons. There is no doubt they would have provided them with the information. Which is bad, because in battle, information is extremely helpful. Especially one about numbers, classes, levels, and skills. Effective planning could defeat a stronger foe with a large number. The bandits have a larger number than us and a lot of captains are powerful. I gripped my sword tightly, looking at these bandits. It is going to be a bloody battle and we might get wiped out. I need to be ready for anything, even something shameful, like running away or surrendering, depending on the conditions. Soon, the bandits reached halfway up the hill and we were able to kill a few hundred of them, but it didn¡¯t seem to affect them. They even seemed happy. As if expecting more of them to die. The bandits have covered the hill from all directions; not leaving a space for even a single person to pass. We are killing them, but the moment we did. Someone would take their place. It is frustrating to see their endless numbers. I am feeling scared, and doubts spreading in my heart, which I crushed resolutely. This is no time to doubt, they are enemies, and I am going to kill them, till my last breath. They came closer, and now only a hundred meters remained between the bandits at us. With such distance, they could charge at us, and, seeing how their body language is changing, they are preparing to do just that. I had prepared myself when I saw my sister, who was standing without doing anything, gently tapped the ground with her staff. Hun! The icy crystal on her staff lit up and a wave of ice-white energy spread through it and what happened shocked me as much as it had shocked the bandits. The snow on which they were walking collapsed from all sides and it had very fast, surprising me again. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it had been a mountain. Where it is easy to cause an avalanche, due to their steepness and gravity, hills are completely different things. What impressed me most is that she did it without getting discovered by the mages of the enemy and that requires real skill. It seemed like I had underestimated my sister a lot. ¡°All archers, released!¡± Ignatius ordered, and soldiers, who were standing with their swords, buried their hands in the snow and took their bows and quivers in quick motions. They fixed the arrows in bows and started shooting the bandits, many of which fell back and disbalance. All their formation collapsed like a house of cards, becoming a live target for I watched all in shock as since we had left the city. I thought we had only a hundred archers, but he had brought two hundred. He disguised them as warriors and hid their bows in the snow to be used at the right moment. Visit for Advanced Chapters.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 180: Battle On The Hill I Chapter 180: Battle On The Hill I Charge! The bandits roared as the snow collapsed under their feet, destroying their formation. ¡°Archers, mages, attack them with everything you have,¡± ordered Ignatius, calmly. Till now, the mages have been mostly silent. Only a few had acted, but now their staffs lit up and power hummed in the air. A moment later, the spells rained down upon the bandits. Like beautiful, terrifying destruction, which mesmerized and horrified me at the same time. All types of spells are being cast by mages. Ice Lances from my sister. Hydro Burst from Zela, Wind Blades from Shaun, Acid Strikes, Fireballs, Light Missile, and many other spells. So many that I couldn¡¯t even name some. It is not just the mages who are attacking, but also the archers. They are using every skill they have that made the distance between them and the bandits covered in arrows. The best of them is Ignatius Blackwell. He let go of single steady arrows. Now three magic arrows are forming on his bow at every moment, and he is shooting them at the bandits at a speed, I couldn¡¯t even see. Most importantly, his arrows are finding the target. Unlike before, most of the arrows are now finding the target. The collapse of snow had destroyed their formation and opened the holes in their defense, which he is targeting. The bandit had recovered themselves and now charging toward us fast. They didn¡¯t try to regroup, and that is a wise choice. These bandits have never worked together, and don¡¯t know how to do that on a big scale like this. If they try, they will end up wasting time, giving our archers and mages more time to shoot them. I watched the bodies of bandits falling at every step. Their archers are attacking and mages casting the spells, but they are not coordinated as us, and most focus is on defending. It is why not a single one of us was injured while we have killed hundreds of them. If I were to guess, I think, we have killed around four to five hundred. I feel no joy at that. We are still in very much danger. They still have more than twice the number and more high-level people than us. The only thing we have is a highly experienced disciplined army, which is well-equipped. A few seconds passed, and mages and archers begin to retreat in the line. Half of the archers have put back their bows and joined the ranks with the warriors, while the rest of them retreated further, but kept shooting. Zela and Shaun had also returned close to me. It couldn¡¯t help but made me feel relieved. Seeing such large bandits, I am worried. With them returning, I feel a little more secure than before. As bandits came close, my sister took out her real weapon. It is a beautiful broadsword. Its blade looked like it is carved out of ice and had a mural of dancing ice spirits on it. It has a red stony grip and an icy blue gem at its pommel. That sword is named Ikira. The house has brought it for an extremely high price. It is not an artifact, but a weapon that is closest to what we could forge at this age. It is a powerful mage weapon, and she is very good at using it. In a few seconds, I will see how good she is with it. The bandits are about to crash into them, but Ignatius didn¡¯t retreat. He remained on the first line with the others, despite knowing he was a target of all the bandits. It might seem like bravery, but to me, it feels like a total idiocy. Not because I don¡¯t think he didn¡¯t have strength. He has, and I know, he is hiding more, but still, being in front will put more strain on people around him. Thankfully, he is surrounded by powerful people. My sister, Baron Harrods, Colonel Grennan, and two mages, one of whom had yet to cast any spells. The roaring bandits finally crashed against the first line, and it was furious. They are angry and they are channeling it all against the Blackwell and his army. The first line had stopped the bandits and moved their weapons against them in a practiced manner. Killing and injuring many bandits within a second. It is a blood scene that made me shudder. It is a simple brutal efficiency with discipline. It didn¡¯t feel like they were people, but death-reaping machines. I looked at the army before turning to its lord. Ignatius shot the bandit at point black range, creating a bloody hole through half-orcs eyes, before defending against the sword attack with his bow and shooting another arrow, killing the attacker. It is great when you don¡¯t have to nock physical arrows in the bow. Though the physical arrows could be nocked, he is seeing no need to do that. As the bandits crashed, they begin to push against us in high numbers, but there is limited space, and the first line guarding it tightly, without a flaw. They have become a cutting machine, killing the bandits as they came. ¡°The forces are trained well and experienced. Even back home, they would have won, praise,¡± said Stone beside me. He and Jon are beside me, watching while Zela and Shaun would cast the spells at the bandits. ¡°I hope they can stop bandits in the first line,¡± I said with hope, but all four of them smiled hearing that. ¡°That is possible, but I don¡¯t think Lord Blackwell would use that strategy. The losses will be huge,¡± ¡°The killing circle is a better strategy. Let the bandits enter inside and grind them to them,¡± said Stone. I sighed and looked at my sister, kill another bandit. She had decapitated him with her sword before sending ice daggers into the eyes of another bandit through the edge of her sword. That expect moment, an arrow came at her, and she defended it with a frost shield, before attacking the archer with frost daggers. It seemed like there was no way to get her; every side of her is protected, including the top. Where she had impaled the assassin with the ice lance. As for the old man beside her, he is a killing machine. There is shiny magic in him, like my sister. It is all grace, gotten through the experience. I could see it clearly, unlike Ignatius and my sister, whose moves are so fast that it is a blur. The old man is not like that. His every move he is making is visible, but despite that, his enemies can¡¯t seem to dodge any of them. ¡°Is he even using the skills?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, but the most basic ones,¡± answered Stone, and it couldn¡¯t surprise me. If he is so powerful when using the basic skills, then what he would be when he starts to use his real skills? There is also one question in mind. His class, the ruling class, to be specific. The ruling classes are different. They work a little differently. I know he got the class; Count had told me himself, but now the question is whether he got through the advancement of his main class, or he got it like a new class. If he got the noble class through advancement from the main class, then it would be best. He is above Lv. 30, and he would have levels if he got through the advancement of his main class. While some of the levels will disappear, due to the nature of ruling classes but still, the upgrade will be huge. His power will increase, and his skill be upgraded, becoming far more powerful than before. If he got the ruling class as a new class, then he will have to start from zero, like every new class. Merging it with his main class wouldn¡¯t happen till he takes his ruling class to Lv. 10 or even Lv. The second option is more common than the first among the new nobles. I am glad he is here and seeing him fighting. I am having more confidence in our chances of winning the battle. A minute passed, and the battle has become even more intense. The bandits are trying to breach in while the forces are trying to hold them back. The weapons are clashing everywhere and so are the spells flying. The enemy spellcasters are casting the spells, and they are coming from above. We may not have as much as men as the bandits, but we have enough mages to deal with every spell they cast. Shaun and Zela also doing their best, casting both offensive and defensive spells to help. Zela had even cast a few healing spells on the men fighting in the first line, who had received injured. The first line was so swamped that they couldn¡¯t even drink the potion. It is a good thing Ignatius had come prepared and brought five clerics with him. They are casting healing spells all over. ¡°Be ready, Mr. Silver; they are going to let the bandits in,¡± warned Stone, and two and half seconds later, the soldiers separated perfectly and let the tides of bandits enter the small hilltop. While the top of the hill flattened and big, but not enough to hold three to four thousand people. Two thousand will be the limit of what it could hold. The bandits entered like a tide, and my guards reinforced their position. Zela and Shaun were already casting the spells while Jon and Stone waited for them to come closer. ¡°As expected, Lord Blackwell is their target,¡± said Jon, and I could see it too, and the army had also predicted it. All the bandits that had entered are trying to move toward Ignatius, but the army had made it too hard to do it. Bandits will need to crush the whole army if they want to rush toward Ignatius. It forced them to change their strategy. The common bandits stopped moving toward Ignatius and started attacking anyone that was coming their way. The leaders, on the other hand, didn¡¯t change their way and focused on Ignatius. It is very easy to recognize them, with their weapons and power. ¡°They are coming,¡± said Shaun, as the tide of hundreds of bandits came toward us. People around me got read and also me my guards. They have already started attacking the tide. There are some mages in there, but they are weak, the stronger ones have gone for Ignatius. I am fully focused on what is coming to me, with only survival in my mind. I have to survive. I will kill anyone that stands in the path of me and my survival. Soon, the bandits were only a few meters away from me when a blue layer covered me. At the same time, I begin to feel the effects of tens of skills on me, each one with a tiny effect, but together, they are strong. The surrounding soldiers activated their army skills and added me to it. I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful for every aspect of my strength that begin to enhance, from my speed and strength to my senses. All of them have received boosts from their skills. The bandits that came are powerful, with their average strength being Lv. 15 and, like me, they have also been boosted by the army skills, but their greatest advantage is their numbers. They have more than twice our numbers. I will need to be extremely careful in dealing with them. A mistake, I will die and not even my guards would be able to save me. Finally, the bandits are in front of me. It is a grey orc, wearing light armor and having a great sword in his hand. His eyes are bloodied and his expression maddening. He is already feeling the bloodlust and there might even be skill involved in it; it will make things even more difficult. ¡°Die, human!¡± It roared as he reached me and swung that great sword toward me. I activated the Rapid Legs and moved toward him. He got surprised by that, and increased the power behind his attacks. That is when I increased my speed further and moved sharply left, dodging the attack, before moving right and appearing in right front of it. I immediately activated the Quick Blade and attacked. He tried to dodge the attack, seeing my rapier coming at his neck, and retreated with his speed skill, but I followed, while my sword moved closer and closer, before finally reaching his neck. Slice! It cut through the leather covering before cutting his neck cleanly.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Sorry for not updating yesterday, was not feeling well. Chapter 181: Battle On The Hill II Chapter 181: Battle On The Hill II Hun! I didn¡¯t even get a moment to relax as I killed the Orc bandit when two attacks came at me from the opposite side. I immediately ducked down and moved right with everything I have, dodging the attack by inches, before getting up and attacking the human bandit to my right. Clang! He defended, giving me a buzzing shock to my arm, but I bore the pain and moved left to defend against the attack coming from the half-orc. Which I did, but soon, the human bandit attacked again. I dodged by moving right, but quickly moved left to dodge the attack from the half-orc. These bandits are not weak, and they are careful seeing how I killed the first bandit. I kept dodging the attacks, as I had trained for since the last bandit incident, and it seemed to work very well. I am dodging every attack. Though the range I am dodging them is quite uncomfortable. Still, I am dodging the attacks without getting injured is already a miracle, seeing both of them are stronger and more experienced than me. Seconds passed, and I kept dodging and the more I dodged. The better I would become, and it is frustrating my enemies, who are using every skill, they have in their arsenal to kill me. Now! More than a minute passed, and I dodged another attack by ducking down when I saw the opportunity and took it, without hesitation. I jumped toward the human bandit. I could jump quite high, with a combination of Gymnasts Grace and Rapid Legs. The bald human bandit was alarmed, seeing me doing it. Opening myself to him, completely, it made him grin for a moment before he realized where his sword was and how fast I am moving. I have trained hard to survive in the battle. Dodging the attacks is a main part of that, but what helped the most is killing the enemy. I am using a perilous maneuver, but I have no other choice. These two have been swarming me with attacks. If they keep doing that, one of them will hit me hard, and I will be finished. Not to mention the number of bandits is increasing. If I keep dodging, the number of people I am fighting might increase and I do not capability to handle them, given my level. My guards are already helping me a lot, dealing with a lot of bandits coming at me, but they couldn¡¯t stay too close to me, seeing they are being swarmed. Bandit leaders have come to deal with them, seeing how they were massacring the bandits. Puch! I appeared close to the bandit, and directly put my sword into his eyes. He had tried to defend his face with his armguards, but the enchantments of my rapier lit up and pierced my sword into the whole arm, before going through his eyes. Slice! I pushed my legs on his chest and used it to fall down and while I was doing that; I was attacked by a half-orc, who gave me a cut on my back. I tried to dodge, climbing over the falling body of the bandit, but couldn¡¯t defend fully from the attack. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed loudly in my heart as I felt the blinding pain that brought tears to my eyes. The bandit used a pain skill and its exceptionally powerful, giving me a similar level of pain that instructor David¡¯s skill does. It is the only reason; I am thinking straight and not screaming in pain. ¡°Die!¡± screamed the half-orc and launched another attack and this, I couldn¡¯t remain on my spot, or I will be killed. Thud! So, I jumped from the falling body, using it as leverage, and landed in the middle of another battle, where I made an instant decision and swung my sword at the orc, who had just dealt with the attack of the soldier. Slice Pachak! My sword moved fast and cut through the hand of the orc, and I turned, before swinging my sword to decapitate him. I killed the orc, while the soldier stopped the attack of a human bandit he was fighting. The head of the orc hadn¡¯t landed on the ground when the half-orc had reached me, with anger raging in his eyes. Clang! ¡°Bastard, you will pay for what you did!¡± roared the half-orc and attacked me, but I dogged it and launched an attack of my own, which he defended and attacked again. I dodged. Dodging is much better than defending against a powerful enemy like him. It also irritates them the most, which is another plus point. ¡°Try harder or I will send you where I sent your friends,¡± I taunted. It glared but remained quiet. Though he is angry and is using everything, he has to kill me. I dodged every attack while observing his every move and skill. He had a good skill, but the one that impressed me the most is his pain skill, which is still giving me hell-like pain. It is like someone had poured chili powder on the wound. I wanted to lie down on the ice under my feet and let the cold of it numb the pain. Four and a half minutes passed, and we were still fighting. It is still attacking me, and I am attacking him while dodging the attack. ¡®I think I should take a chance,¡¯ I thought as I attacked again, which he defended and attacked me. Though, I don¡¯t know what benefit I will receive after killing him. Currently, it seemed like he is being alive would be better than him being dead. He is providing me shields; all new bandits that would come in would go to the soldiers, seeing us fighting. If I killed him, other bandits would come, and they might be more powerful than him. Not to mention, taking a chance against him, come with risks of its own. I could die. I looked around me and decided to take the chance. I have to do my part. I couldn¡¯t act selfish and keep hanging on to the single enemy, while people around me, fought to death to kill the bandits. Immediately, I changed my fighting style, and it became more daring. I begin to push hard against the half-orc, targeting his weakness that I had learned. It grinned at first, but soon his expressions become serious. After, I have come close to injuring him, a couple of times. Hun! A few seconds passed, and I was about to try the risky maneuver to finish him off, when I saw another half-orc coming at me from behind and moved sharply left to dodge the attack. Rip! I dodged the attack, but not fully, as it cut through my sleeve, giving me a cut across my arm. Thankfully, the cut is not too deep. ¡°It is my prey. You could go find yours,¡± said the first half-orc, glaring at the second half-orc that appeared. ¡°I will not,¡± replied the second half-orc and came at me with speed skill, which is as fast as mine, while the first half-orc had launched the attack from the other side. I moved three steps left and right, two steps, dodging both of the attacks by inch difference. They didn¡¯t waste any time in coming at me again and the way they did it. It is clear they have fought together many times before and that is bad news for me. It is already difficult for me to handle one of them and now I am going to fight those who have good synergy. Slice! ¡°This one is slippery,¡± said the second half-orc, as he injured me in the thigh. I was able to dodge it on time or it would have taken a bone and that would have been a death of me. The second one is faster than me, making it quite hard for me to dodge his attacks. Not that I have any other choice. My guards are busy dealing with a swarm of bandits attacking them. Still, they would kill most bandits coming in my direction. Several minutes passed and I kept dodging the attacks. Though it is costing me a lot; injuries have appeared all over my body. Thankfully, one of the soldiers seemed to have a rare hemostatic skill. It is a rare skill, and they have it on army type, which makes it even more rare and the reason, I am not bleeding to death. There are a lot of injuries on my body, but I am bleeding. The hemostatic skill had stopped the blood from coming out of the injuries. The way I am fighting is not good. I couldn¡¯t keep receiving the injuries, I need to kill them, or they will kill me. I have an idea. These two may be good at working together, but they hate each other. So much that they wouldn¡¯t come, less than a meter away from each other. Many times, they have let go of many attacking opportunities. Whatever happened between them must be pretty intense to not be within one meter of each other, especially the first half-orc. I didn¡¯t believe it at first when I saw it, but I confirmed it several times. I am pretty sure, it is a real, not some ruse on their part. If it is, then I am sure they must have a good level in their acting classes. I decided to take the risk and started to move according to the plan, which is to do it slow, without letting them suspect anything. They are bandits, not fools. A minute passed, and I have them where I want them. It took some effort to bring them close, but I was able to do it. The second bandit launched an attack, and I dodged it. Instead of dodging from the left, I moved back toward the first bandit, who I am sure, has a smile appearing on his face, seeing me finally coming to him to die. The second bandit stopped, while the first bandit¡¯s sword had reached so close to me that I felt all the hair on my body stand. Anyone watching me would surely see me walking into the mouth of death on my own. There may be a few inches of distance between his sword and me when I pressed my legs down and moved forward with everything I have. I harnessed every bit of power my skills could provide and harnessed it through my legs as I ran toward the second half-orc bandit. Slice! I felt the sword of the first bandit across my neck, giving me a cut on it. If I reacted a moment late, my head would have been flying in the air right now. The second bandit was surprised, seeing me coming at him, and reacted immediately, but still, it was slow. PUCH! His attack couldn¡¯t pick a speed before I appeared in front of him and pierced my sword into his heart with Quick Blade and Weighted Strike. Killing him instantly. Its fading eyes looked at me with shock, and I am a little shocked, too. The whole plan depended on him assuming I would die at the hands of the first bandit and thus relaxed his guards, and that cost him his life. ¡°NO!¡± Screamed the bandit behind me and when I turned back, I saw it frozen in shock and with immense grief. A moment later, it turned into a bubbling rage. ¡®Oh,¡¯ I thought. I had thought they were friends and had a falling out, but it seemed like, I had been a little wrong in my assumption. ¡°I will kill you!¡± roared the bandit and came at me with all the anger in the world. I also moved at him. Slice! It took me a moment to appear in front of his blade, due to the short distance between us, before I spun. Feeling his sword on my neck a second time in less than five seconds. In my training, I was able to delve deep into Gymnasts Grace. It is an amazing skill, capable of helping users to take their bodies to the limit. Like real gymnasts do. I completed spin and attacked the half-orc bandit. Seeing that, all the anger left his eyes and alarm flashed in his eyes, which turned to horror, but it couldn¡¯t do anything. As its sword is moving in the opposite direction and dodging is not possible, with how close I am. Pachack My sword touched his neck before cutting it cleanly. I could see the hate and unwillingness in his fading eyes as his head crashed toward the ground.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 182: Gruesome Chapter 182: Gruesome ¡®If this goes on, we all will get killed,¡¯ I defended against the arrow of Blackwell. which put a small dent in my sword. The damage would have been even greater. If there hadn¡¯t been, Damage Reduction on my sword. There are a couple of small dents that have already appeared on my sword, all from the fucking arrows of Blackwell. Which had killed many of my men, including two of my lieutenants. This task wasn¡¯t supposed to be this difficult, especially when we were able to pull up such a huge number. I had thought we would simply swarm the enemy¡¯s army and our target before killing them, but it is we who are getting killed. I looked at Leryn beside me, and she looked at me. The half-elf had the same question as I have. ¡®Why the support, hadn¡¯t arrived yet?¡¯ Only Leryn, Herman, and I knew about the extra support. When the masked man told me about it. I had got offended and still am, for him to not believe in our abilities. Now, I want the support to come as soon as possible. Though I would be the one who will kill the Blackwell and get that bow. It said the bow will return after its user died. That didn¡¯t change my mind about getting it. I have contacted a few people, and they have given me a few things. They say they might be able to hold the bow back. The reward they offered me in exchange for it is so huge that I could live my whole life in luxury. Most importantly, they are willing to provide me with safe heaven and they are powerful enough to do it. I am not the only one who has eyes for the bow. Leryn and Herman both want it. Herman especially, since he is an archer. If anyone can get the bow, then it would be me and I will kill anything that came my way. Blackwell, Herman, Leryn, and anyone else. Puch! I was just thinking that when an ice dagger materialized out of nowhere above me and stuck in the eyes of the assassin. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed and stepped aside to avoid the falling body. If Blackwell, the half-orc colonel, and that old man weren¡¯t enough, this human bitch had also started to make things difficult, and of the four of them, she was the most difficult to guard against. Information had been provided about her by the masked man, but it was vastly underestimated her strength. She is far stronger than what her information had said, especially with that sword. Her sword moves in different directions and spells came out from another. I had gone for her, but came back to Blackwell a minute later. It is frustrating to fight against her. When attacking, the frost shields would appear in front and when I destroyed them, I would find a barrage of ice spears coming at me, with her appearing behind me with that icy sword. I want that sword. Unlike the artifact of Blackwell. It didn¡¯t come with any risks. I could sell to anyone I want. It is why many people want it. Especially Lyria. She had the highest mages in her group. I suspect she is a mage too, despite her denying, not being one. Hun! I defended against another arrow of Blackwell when I noticed something that alarmed me. ¡°Jerra, retreat!¡± I shouted, and he acted immediately. For a moment, relief flooded into my eyes, before once again they widened in alarm and turned to horror, as the old man cut my strongest lieutenant into two. ¡°Bastard!¡± I cursed at the old man but didn¡¯t go at him. I wish that bastard Karguk had been here. I hated the bastard to death and celebrated when he was killed, but he had been here. We wouldn¡¯t have been in such a condition. Even the masked man had said, with Karguk. This would have been much simple. The bastard had the Red Skill. The madding rage he brought out with that skill, the skill was terrifying. I had fought against him, and despite having five times less numbers. The bastard had decimated half of my men. Now, I only hope; the support came in time. I don¡¯t want to leave without getting my hands on that artifact. .... Puch! I ducked the saber attack at the last moment before piercing my sword into the chest of the bandit. She died immediately, with shock in her eyes. As I killed her, I moved immediately and dodged the attack of the bandit from behind. It had nearly touched me. About an hour has passed since I had started fighting and I had killed eleven bandits till now. More in the second half of the hour, as I changed my fighting style. I had let go of all my reservations and begin to use every skill, I had to its limit and found my speed getting faster and my attacks stronger. Though, one skill that is helping me most is the Gymnasts Grace. It is an amazing skill. Without the freedom to maneuver, the way I want; I wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill so many bandits. It is not easy, and I have to push myself hard. Harder than I had pushed myself in the practice. I dodged another attack from the bandit before attacking him. I planned to finish him off before another join. That would be difficult. Killing the bandits is not easy, given the difference in strength between us. So, I study them; their skills and test them, by giving them a few openings before making my move. It is a wise strategy. If I go directly for the kill, I will be killed. Becoming part of the bodies I had been stepping on. The bandits are getting killed fast, and their bodies have littered the ground. The number of bodies has increased so much that I am standing on them to fight. The dead bodies covered nearly all the surface of the hill, that it had been minutes since I stepped on real ground. It is horrifying, and I want to run away, but that is not an option. I will have to fight till the battle ends. There is a chance of it happening, sooner rather than later, seeing how fast the bandits are getting killed. The forces of Blackwell are too well trained compared to the bandits who are fractured. These groups hate each other and have no coordination. It is why they are getting killed by an experienced and disciplined army of the Blackwell. It is drowning their morale, which is the most important thing for an army, as important as the levels and sometimes even more important than it. I could feel the plummeting morale of bandits. It was high when they had first attacked, but slowly it begins to lose steam and now, I even saw many bandits running away from the battle. I couldn¡¯t blame them; why would they fight, when their leaders are dead? There are tens of bandit groups who have taken part in the battle and many of them have died. Ignatius and others are killing them, one by one. They seemed to be no match for them, despite their numbers. Though the bandits are powerful, the people Ignatius has brought are not weak either. Colonel Greenman, four captains, and twelve lieutenants were all very experienced and leading them deftly. Aside from them, there are many other people who are over Lv. 20 and most of them are around Ignatius. At first, the bandits had an edge with their greater numbers of powerhouses, but they are getting killed steadily. That some of them have started fighting defensively. Clang! I defended with my sword and nearly threw it away; the handle of my sword seemed to have heated up so much that I felt my hand burning, but I held on. Is not burning, but I am feeling the pain. It is the skill of ugly blond hair bandit, I am fighting. It is the second pain skill I felt here. This one is even more powerful than the last one. Others may have it, but didn¡¯t get to use it on me, as I had focused on dodging instead of countering. ¡°You should run away, you know. We will win the battle and when that happens, you will be executed or something worse might happen to you,¡± I said to the bandit. ¡°I will never run away. It¡¯s you who should fear for your life because I am going to kill you,¡± it said with a grin, and attacked me again. ¡°You said those words five minutes ago, but aside from three minor injuries, you were not able to do anything,¡± I taunted, making him even angrier. ¡°You are too amateur to get a rise out of me, little boy,¡± he said and intensified his attacks with the different combinations of skills. He has quite a good combination of skills. One is even an illusion-type attack, which is hard to defend against. Those three injuries I have got from him, given to him by that attack. Once again, his blade disappeared in the mid attack, and I let my instincts guide me and move left. As always, I had been right, as I felt the wind pass my shoulder before the blade materialized. It is a rare skill to have, even at Level 20. I don¡¯t know if this person in front of me is Level 20. If he is not, then he is definitely close, at least Level 18 or Level 19. Ting! A minute passed, and his sword hit the armor I was wearing. It had happened many times. If I hadn¡¯t been wearing it, I would have been dead already. ¡°The armor set will look quite good on me,¡± said the bandit, looking at my armor greedily. He is not the first to look at my armor with greed. Many bandits wanted it. It had been hidden under my clothes, but as they got torn by the attacks. It had become visible, attracting even more bandits at me. A few seconds passed; it attacked again, which I had dodged when a sudden change occurred. It was unlike anything; he had done till now. Hun! He became fast, faster than he had been in our fight in the past few minutes. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but get alarmed and moved to retreat, but to my shock, I realized I couldn¡¯t retreat. He had a Restrictive Skill that was stopping me from retreating. It may be ¡®Stop Retreat,¡¯ or any other skill, which is another rare skill. Earlier, I had doubts about him being a Level 20, but now, I do not. The bastard had been hiding his power and now he had revealed it. I have to do something fast. If I didn¡¯t, I will get killed, but there isn¡¯t anything I could do. The only thing that could have helped me survive would have been retreating, which I couldn¡¯t do it. My thoughts moved fast, but I didn¡¯t see any option, other than the craziest one, which is running toward him. It will not help me survive, but it will give me mutual destruction, which is much better than dying alone. The moment I made the decision, I moved, harnessing every bit of power I could from Rapid Legs. I moved so fast that I felt the pain in my legs, but I didn¡¯t care and swung my sword, activated Quick Blade, Weighted Strike, and even Consecutive Strikes, for the little enhancement it will give me. The activation of four skills at full power begins to make my head hurt, but I don¡¯t care. If I am going to die, I will take him with me. He seemed to understand what I was doing and continued with his attack, but as we come closer, a hesitation begins to appear on his face. Hun! When there were less than two meters between us. He did something surprising. He stopped his attack and retreated. I had not expected it, because despite going for mutual destruction. He could have been able to stop me, kill me before I kill him. With his abilities, he would have been able to achieve that, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t have enough confidence in his abilities to go with it. Seeing his retreat, I wanted to stop too when I saw his sword becoming visible and without hesitation jumped at him, with everything I have. It surprised him, but quickly his expression relaxed, and a smile appeared as he attacked me. There is a smile on my face too, as his sword is moving fast as I had expected. The way I had expected. Soon, I reached closer to it, and it moved to cut me in half; that¡¯s when I took my right leg forward. It is very hard for a normal person to do; even for me, it would have been near impossible to do it. If not for Gymnasts Grace, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it. Some credit also goes to yoga, I do it every day. It helped me become flexible in performing these maneuvers. Gymnasts Grace, give me grace. It does not make my body flexible or give me stamina. He understood what I was doing and tried to raise his sword, which brightened the smile on my face further. Instantly, the leg moved faster with Rapid Leg and stepped on his sword. Immediately, I felt like my leg was burning, but I bore it and pressed my leg against it. I leveraged my foot on his sword with balance given me by Gymnasts Grace and brought my rapier down with Quick Blade and Weighted Strike. Pachak! It came down fast, and in an instant, reached for his head. The enchantments on my rapier flared, and it started to cut through his head in the most gruesome way. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 183: Shadows Chapter 183: Shadows Rip! ¡°Fucking bastard,¡± I cursed loudly. The burning arrow grazed through my arm, giving me a sharp pain. It is not the first time this had happened in the past few minutes. I have been grazed by the attacks more than ten times. If not for the Dangersence and Swift, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge these attacks. The condition is becoming worse; more and more of us are getting killed. At least half of us have been killed, and I don¡¯t think even hundreds of them had died. It is not surprising, seeing how disciplined and trained Blackwell¡¯s army is. It had been two decades since I had left the army and had forgotten what a well-trained army could do. This battle reminded me of that. After this, I would think ten times before fighting an army, but before such a question came, I have to deal with a problem I am facing here. With every passing minute, the task of dealing with Ignatius Blackwell seemed to get further and further. More and more of us are getting killed, not just regular bandits, but as leaders. A third of the leaders are already dead, and it has been only an hour since the battle began. If this continued, then I will have to think about retreating. Which I don¡¯t want to do after I had lost so many men. The masked man had provided a good advance and it will be more than enough to rebuild my crew, but I want more. I want that Bow and that sword, and victory. Another arrow came from Blackwell, and this time, it is targeting Leryn, who quickly raised her sword, but before she could defend herself. Another arrow came from behind and struck it. The arrow from behind is destroyed, burning into ashes, but it took more than half of the power of Blackwell¡¯s arrow, what remained is easily defendable. Herman. I really envy the bastard for fighting from a safe distance, while I need to fight close, where the slightest mistake and I am dead. ¡°Nrokk,¡± said the familiar voice. I looked at Leryn, who was looking at me. She said nothing more than my name, but I know what she is trying to say. ¡®Where is the support we have been promised?¡¯ I am also asking the same question. The masked man had said there will be support, but till now, I didn¡¯t see anything. It should come early as possible. If it was late, then even if they came, it would be too late. I have already decided that if support didn¡¯t come in ten minutes. I am going to retreat. I want wealth and artifacts, but the thing I want the most is to preserve my life. A few minutes passed and the thing I had waiting for finally happened. ¡°Lord Blackwell, assassins,¡± shouted the old man suddenly, and immediately, the people around Blackwell become alert. I didn¡¯t see anything for a second before I started to see the shadows coming toward me. ¡®It is time to go all out,¡¯ I thought and activated my most powerful skills and waited for assassins to attack and create the opportunity for me. I am going to kill Blackwell. ... Slice Puch! I cut the leg of the bandit before piercing his head through the back. Killing the fourteenth bandits of this battle. I avoided the falling body and took healing and stamina potions. I wanted to drink anti-cold potions, too, but I couldn¡¯t. I am already near the limit of the potions I could drink and what limit I have; I have to keep it for the healing potions for the emergency. The battles had been intense, especially in the past few minutes. A lot of bandits have died, nearly half if I were to guess. This means, most of whom have remained, are pretty strong, and killing them is hard. In every fight, I need to push myself further and further. Pushing my skills to their limit to get the power I need to kill my enemies. It had been even five seconds since I drank the potion when I saw a muscled orc coming toward me. It is buffed, one of the most buffed orcs I had seen on the battlefield. Though not as much, Nrokk Shieldhead, the leader of shield bane bandits. Who is built like a tank. He is fighting against Ignatius and the group and is the most powerful bandit fighting here. He was the enemy of Ulag Karguk. Both fought many times. He had nearly killed Karguk many times, but that bastard was always able to run away, till he was killed by us. ¡°Die!¡± shouted the beefy grey-orc as he reached me and swung down his ax like a storm. I dodged the attack by retreating, and he followed with another attack, without wasting even a moment. Bringing his ax a mere inch away from his neck. As I had said, only stronger had remained and these bastards are harder to deal with, but I do not have any other choice. As surrender isn¡¯t an option and so is running away. I need to keep fighting until we defeat the bandits. Things have started becoming good for me. I have achieved something on this trip, and I need to live to see the plan working, for which I had worked so hard. My career is taking off and so is my business. I want to take them even further and there are many plans in my mind, very ambitious plans. Till I achieve them, I refuse to die. The beefy orc is attacking me relentlessly, using Speed Skill and Offensive Skills together. This one was more dangerous than most bandits; it is powerful and had an enchanted weapon. The ax will only need to touch me, and it will smoothly pass through my skin without any resistance. ¡°You should just accept your fate and die. I promise I will make it swift and painless,¡± he said while continuing with his attacks. ¡°Not interested,¡± I replied, and it grinned. ¡°Good. I like the enemies who resist. Their painful screams are so delicious,¡± he said, licking his lips. If I had any doubts about him having pain skills. They have disappeared. I also found out this bastard is a sadist and probably psychotic, seeing a pleasurable expression appear on his face as he spoke the last sentence. A minute passed and many times, its ax had come very close to cutting me, but I was able to dodge them. I wanted to go to the offensive on him, be he is not giving me a single chance to do it. Keeping me busy with his constant attacks. It seemed like he had a skill related to that and developed his fighting style according to it. I wouldn¡¯t have said those words if not seeing how perfectly he is pressing me. It is frustrating me a lot. Seeing he is not giving me a single chance to launch an attack. If this continued. We will keep fighting till the end of the battles. Which is bad for me, unlike him. I am lowered level than him and not a pure warrior and thus have lower stamina. I would lose if this turned out to be the battle of attrition, but I didn¡¯t see a choice other than this, unless, of course, I had received the help. Everyone around me is busy, including my guards. Though, unlike me, most of them are fighting in groups. I couldn¡¯t join the groups, despite wanting to. They are trained to fight in such a way. If I join their group, I will break their formation. Which might get them and also me killed. Rip! Another minute passed, and its ax finally touched me. It was the faintest touch, but the ax opened the big wound. Like how the taunt cheese split open with the slightest puncture. It is definitely due to the effect of the skill. Thankfully, it was only the faintest touch, and the injury it had opened on my shoulder was small. If it had been a normal cut like I had received so many times on this battlefield. I would have a grave injury and a bleeding shoulder; that would have been the end of me. ¡°Hehe,¡± he grinned, and there seemed to be some sick pleasure in it. I felt all the hair on my body stand up, seeing the grin, and I become more careful. Another attack came, and I moved to dodge it when I was suddenly hit by a sharp pain. Like someone had poked a hot dagger into me through the small wound I received a second ago. Delayed Pain! The name of the skill appeared in my mind and my eyes started to tear up. I wanted to curl up on the ground and scream, but I did none. As that would have killed me and instead, I harnessed than pain and pushed my skill harder to dodge the attack. A surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on his face seeing that, but I didn¡¯t care about what he was feeling. I care about the attack that coming at me and it didn¡¯t stop, even when he was surprised. I dodged it, and his ax came again. I dodged it, with unclear vision brought by the tears of pain coming from my eyes. It is really painful, and I wanted to scream, but there is one thing I don¡¯t want to get another injury. I will not be able to bear it. Hun! Another half minute passed when a change occurred as we reached a group of soldiers fighting the bandit. When I dodged the attack of his. Instead of attacking me again, with another attack, he shifted and attacked the soldiers from behind. It surprised me, but I also recognized it as a chance I had been waiting for. I watched and when the attack reached halfway and moved toward him, with the speed I have been holding back. Yes, I have been holding back a little to exploit the moments like this. I have to do it because everyone here is more powerful than me, and if I used all my strength from the start. They would get used to it and measure my response in that strength, my peak strength. Holding back, I have something to be used at the right time. He noticed me, moving fast toward him. A surprise appeared on his face and I thought he would stop the attack and turn to me, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he freed his left hand from his ax and takes out the sword from his waist, and moved it toward me with a grin. He is being greedy; he wants to kill both me and the soldier. I reached him, and he moved his sword to decapitate me, and seeing, the skill in which he is using, it seemed like; I am not the only one who had been hiding one¡¯s power. He could use two weapons at the same time, with sufficient mastery. His sword avoided my rapier expertly and soon appeared in front of my head, with only, a few inches of distance between us. Clang! That¡¯s when I ducked, and I did it with such speed that it alarmed him. He moved to stop me; that is when the soldier, he is attacking from behind, turned and his saber, clashed the against the ax. Puch! The orc shook, and it affected his movement. I used it, as I appeared in front of him and pierced my rapier into his chest. I watched his fading eyes as I avoided his sword. The body fell down in front of me and I felt relieved. Not about killing, but about the burning pain; it was too much. It stopped with his death. I took out the healing potion and spread it on a small injury. I took out another potion and took a sip from it. A moment later, the cold recedes and so are the effects it brought. The snowfall was heavy, and it was cold. I could bear the cold, but not its effect. They were slowing me, and the heat of the battle was not enough to counter those effects. This sip of chill bane potion would. I took even breaths and waited for another bandit; they will appear soon. Hun! Four seconds later, I saw the bandit coming toward me and waited to welcome him. When suddenly my expression changed when I saw something behind him. I saw over ten shadows moving at blurring speed, moving toward Blackwell and my sister. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed. I knew a bad thing when I see one and these shadows are the worst. They could change the winning battle into a defeat. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 184: Occupied Chapter 184: Occupied ¡°They have come!¡± I said softly and sighed. I had expected them, but wished they would not come. It is the first time they have attacked me when I am surrounded by people. Though it is also the first time; they are supported by the bandits. It is a perfect chance for them to attack me. I am away from my city and the majority of army and most powerhouses. I would have been surprised. If they hadn¡¯t attacked me. The moment bandits saw the assassins coming toward us; they burst out with their full power. They were hiding their power, another unsurprising thing. It took mere seconds for the assassins to reach us and surround us from all sides, before coming at us. Or rather me; I am their target. ¡°Now,¡± I ordered. Immediately, a change had occurred in the people around me. Their movements become faster and their attacks powerful. The bandits were not the only ones hiding; we were hiding our strength too. The bow in my hand vibrated as I activated its second ability. It took more mana, but I have been conserving it, using only the base arrows. This ability is called solid because it makes the arrows solid, more than the general energy arrows I have been using. Four of such green solid arrows materialized on the bow as I pushed my mana into the artifact and activated my skills. Piercing Arrow. Scatter Shot. Hunters Mark. Snipers Focus. Crippling Shot. Till now, I had not used more than two skills. I didn¡¯t need to, but with the assassins, I am bringing out my skills. As they applied to the bow, their power will be enhanced even further. Sup Sup Sup Four arrows released from my bow and another four formed on it, in an instant. I released them and the ones formed after that. I continued to release them at bandits and assassins without stopping. It made the bandits stop in their tracks immediately, and they dodged before continuing toward me. Seeing that; I wanted to curse loudly. These assassins are not weaklings; they are powerful as well as experienced. Not anyone could dodge my arrows at such a close distance. My enemies have left no stone unturned and if I want to survive this, then I will have to give everything I have. .... The assassins came and there were twelve of them. They are powerful, I couldn¡¯t even see them clearly. They surrounded Blackwell and the people around him, before moving toward them with a speed that become invisible to me. It was so fast that I could only see the afterimages they have left behind. Multiple things happened as the assassins attacked. First, the bandits revealed their full power. With the way they were fighting, I thought they were using their full power, but I was wrong. They were hiding a lot of their strength. Thankfully, Blackwell and others also seemed to be holding back their power as well. As the bandits moved toward them, powerful skills and spells exploded around them. The arrows of Blackwell turned more solid, and he begin to shoot them at much faster speed. The only thing I am seeing are the arrows in the air; not how he is nocking them and shooting them. It is not just him, but also my sister, whose spells have become even more dangerous. There are more ice daggers and lances appearing around her; she has literally started to freeze people to death with the touch of her sword. Baron Harrods seemed the same, but when the first bandit had reached him, he turned into the phantom. I didn¡¯t see what happened next, other than the assassin retreating with blood falling on the ground. ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t think, we will get such support,¡± said the bandit, as he appeared in front of me. ¡°With it, killing you all won¡¯t be a problem anymore,¡± he added, looking at me. ¡°The assassins will not make any difference, bandit; you all will die, nonetheless,¡± I replied calmly. Anger flashed in the green orc¡¯s eyes, and he came at me. Hun! I readied myself to respond to him when something surprising happened. Puch! An arrow came flying fast and lodged itself into the head of the bandit and came out through the eye. I watched the shock appearing in its eye as it fell in front of me. This thing had happened with the others, but not with me. I looked ahead of me and didn¡¯t see the archer who shot the bandit. There are a lot of archers around, it is hard to guess which one had shot the arrow. Whoever did it, I am grateful. I used this opportunity to get a look around and see what I saw couldn¡¯t help but turn my expressions worse. The bandits'' morale had risen with the entry of assassins and that is a bad thing for us. Their low morale had helped us tremendously, we were able to kill a lot of them and made some escape. Now, the bandits are fighting back in earnest; it is a good thing; we have already killed half of them. There is a much fewer numbers, than they were at the beginning of the battlefield, but all those remaining are strong and I won¡¯t always get help, like I had just done. I turned to the main battle, where a huge change had occurred. It had become isolated; the common bandits and the soldiers have separated from the main battle. Before many bandits tried their hand against Blackwell and others, but now, they have left them alone. They have revealed their full power, and it is not something that common bandit and soldier could wade in. Those who tried paid with their lives. There are fifty-some people fighting in there, but the power of those people is so much that they could defeat the rest of us fighting around. Everyone understood this admission, which is why the fierce fighting that started with the appearance of assassins slowed down rapidly, till we have stopped fighting. We have now separated and watched the battle that is being fought in the middle. It is surprising, but even the bandits understand how fruitless the fighting is when their fate won''t be decided by them. The fate of the battle will depend on those fighting in the center. Those who will win it will be the winner of the battlefield. ¡°Do we have a chance of winning against them?¡± I asked my guards, who have gathered around me. ¡°Nothing could be said, but from what I could see, the scale seemed to be in favor of the bandits,¡± replied Stone, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod with a heavy sigh. It is a reality, with assassins joining the ranks. Our enemies have nearly twice several powerhouses as us and they are powerful, especially the assassins. All of them seemed near Level 30 and one, who seemed to be their leader, was Level 30+. He is a terror, his speed is akin to teleporting, but despite that, Baron Harrods seemed to be keeping up with him. The leader is trying for the Blackwell, but Baron Harrods is stopping him. Still, he is not the only assassin Baron Harrods is dealing with. There are three more assassins that are attacking him, which gives a leader a chance to attack Ignatius, who is the target. He started to show his real power, and I have to say; he is good. Especially with that artifact. The way he is using it for the defense is really amazing. I didn¡¯t know, the bow could be used as such. The battle is unlike anything I had seen before. Even though I had been in a battle where a High Mage and Knight fought; it was done in the tree, where I couldn¡¯t see much. Not to mention, I have been so swarmed with the undead that I didn¡¯t have even a moment to look at other things. I have to give to him for the people he had brought. Especially that aegis caster. She is the reason so many of them are alive. Her shields are amazing. They will pop everywhere, defending people and also giving them a chance to attack. She is specially targeted, both the assassins and the bandits are attacking her, but not a single one is succeeding in getting close. Despite all these powerful people on our side, I couldn¡¯t help but get worried. The bandits and assassins are not weak, and they have only one target. They will win the moment Ignatius is dead. I don¡¯t know whether Colonel Garran will be able to command men to keep fighting and morale, they will have with their leader dead. I pushed those thoughts away and focused back on the battle, which looked beautiful in a brutal way. Everyone is using everything they have and especially my sister. Who seemed to become the lady of the ice. She is the only person in their fighting who is on the full offensive, rarely does she summon the shield to defend herself. She is bombarding her enemies with the spells; they are coming from all corners and directions. Though the people she is fighting are also good. They are defending her attacks, but not always. People got killed. A few minutes passed, and the battle became even more intense than before; people have gotten used to each other''s abilities. It had become harder for them to kill each other. I had just thought that when a person died; he was from our side. One of the Captains, the man, was powerful, but the assassin had decapitated him with his long thin dagger. Seeing that, my expression couldn¡¯t help but change. That man was one of the powerful ones and he got killed, taking even our numbers down even more. ¡°Can you guys help in battle?¡± I asked my guards. I didn¡¯t want to ask them, seeing their responsibility is to protect me, but if we lost; there is a high chance, many of us will lose our lives. I couldn¡¯t let Blackwell die. It will delay the plans for months and that is not good for me or the city. ¡°Shaun, protect Mr. Silver,¡± said Stone a moment later and touched my shoulder, before walking toward the battlefield with Zela and Jon. Nobody had stopped them, some bandits even watched them with joy. In these few minutes, many daring people have moved toward the battlefield. Mostly bandits, more than half of them, have ended up losing their lives, while the rest retreated to various injuries on their bodies. I feel bad sending them, especially Stone, who is injured. The injury given by the undead is not easy to heal. Jon and Zela had been lucky that I had been able to force the Lich to heal them. Soon, they approached the battlefield, and immediately, the two assassins moved toward them. Jon and Stone acted immediately. Jon leaped toward the assassin while Stone smoothly moved his sword to defend against the attack. The assassins may be powerful, but my guards are not weak and have much greater experience. ¡°They will be fine, right?¡± I asked Shaun, to which he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Silver, they have fought in much worse odds and survived.¡± He replied, and I heaved a little sigh of relief. They do not need to kill any bandit or assassin. It will be more than enough if they are able to keep some of them occupied.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 185: Battle Ends Chapter 185: Battle Ends I watched the first assassin fall. He was killed in a close range by Blackwell. He had shot an arrow into his chest at the point of black range. The arrow avoided the enchanted chest plate and pierced his heart directly. It may be a skill or an ability of the bow. Immediately, it had made all the assassins and bandits careful, but they still went for the Blackwell. He is the target, and they have to kill him. The killing of the first assassins seemed to have brought a new spirit to the battle. It also lessened the load on our side. Each assassin is dangerous, more than the bandit, they were fighting. Killing a single one had brought a huge effect and increased the mental pressure on our enemies. Still, it is far from enough to make the bandits and assassins back down, but a first step in doing that. If we kill a sufficient number of them, we can make the retreat. My guards are doing well. They are fighting with great teamwork, keeping an assassin and the four bandits, including one mage, busy; Zela was even able to strike the bandit and injured him. If not for the timely support, he would have died. Hun! I was just thinking about that when a surprising thing happened. They have killed a bandit. First Zela had cast a water rope on the orc; he was able to destroy the spell with the help of a mage, but just as he did. He found Jon¡¯s dagger in his head. The assassin came to the rescue, but Stone stopped him with his sword, before attacking him back. A few minutes passed, and the battle intensified. More people have died, including another assassin and a couple of bandits, including one more killed by my guards. We are not without our losses, but the losses of our enemies are much greater, and it had affected them heavily. Their edge had been whittled away, and now both sides seemed to be on equal ground. Which in other words, we are gaining the edge. Though I am aware of how precarious our state is. Our enemies have only one target, while we have all of them. They will only need to kill Ignatius Blackwell to win, while we need to kill a sufficient number of them to gain victory. Still, it had created a psychological effect. It had made many bandits run away. Every minute, a few are trickling away from the hill, and no bandit had stopped them, instead some even joined them. We didn¡¯t stop them either, to us; the more leave, the better it would be. If we fight again, their lower numbers will help us tremendously. A few more minutes passed, and I wanted to sit; It is hard to continue to stand up in all this heavy snow. Thankfully, the anti-cold potion is keeping me insulated, or it would have been even worse. Till now, four assassins have died, leaving only eight. It had put immense pressure on them, but also on us. As they are growing desperate and taking more risks. Just a few seconds ago, the dagger of the assassin had nearly touched the Blackwell¡¯s chest. If not for the barrage of frost lances, that would have skewered the assassin, before he could kill Blackwell, the assassin wouldn¡¯t have retreated. From what I could see, these assassins will even sacrifice themselves. The death sworn assassins are rare and their services cost far more than normal assassins, but they offer the discretions like none other. They were employed by those who didn¡¯t want to leave any trail behind. A few more seconds passed and something shocking happened. I saw Baron Harrods springing into the air and killing two assassins in less than a second. It happened so fast that I couldn¡¯t tell how it had happened. The only thing I saw was him using a second blade; he decapitated one assassin with his main weapon and pierce the head of the other with the second one. He had just landed when another shocking thing happened. Colonel Grennan and my sister killed two bandits, one after another. An icy ribbon came out of her sword, and it cut the bandit in two, while he was defending against the barrage of frost daggers, while Colonel Grannum had killed the bandit, after cutting his thigh. The four deaths in less than two seconds have stopped the bandits on their track. As of now, their numbers have become equal to ours. The pause had only lasted for a brief moment before all the bandits'' fighting started to run away. It happened at once, like they have communicated in an instant, and decided to run away. It¡¯s a realization or instinct. I don¡¯t know, but bandits are running. Seeing their leaders running away from the battlefield. The bandits, watching, had turned and begin to run, with everything they have. It made the assassins, which were still attacking, slowed down, and their heads turned toward their leader. ¡°Retreat!¡± he shouted, and assassins begin to run away, mixing into the running bandits for cover against the attacks, coming at them. ¡°Bandits, surrender and you will be spared. Run away and we will kill you!¡± Blackwell shouted. Hearing his voice, more than half of the bandits threw their weapons and lay down on the ground, while the rest ran and met with walls of soldiers, who are cutting them like vegetables. Seeing that even more begin to surrender. The soldiers reacted fast; the moment they saw bandit leaders running away; they got ready to deal with them. They are not willing to let any bandits run away, which is making more and more of them surrender. ¡°Mr. Silver!¡± I was watching the bandits when Shaun screamed behind me and saw shields appearing around me, one after another. It took me an instant to realize what he was talking about and turned to see bandits coming toward me. It is Nrockk Shieldhead, and he is coming toward me. Not in my general direction, but for me. ¡®Why it always happens to me?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help, but ask myself. It is not the first time something like this had happened to me. It always happens to me; it is like, there is a target written in big bold letters on my forehead. The lich did it, and then it was Ulag Karguk, and now this bandit. Lich coming toward me was unintentional, but Karguk had intentionally targeted me and now, this bandit had been trying to do the same. Take me hostage to survive. Which is the right choice. I don¡¯t want to tote my own horn, but I am important enough that if the bandit got me, they would have to let him go. Sup Sup Sup Shaun cast the spells at the bandit from acid balls to wind blades, but the bastard defended against them. He is not alone. There is a half-orc mage beside him and an Orc bandit beside him, helping him handle the spells. Still, he was able to hit the warrior, who fell, but Nrockk and the mage continued and a second later, they reached me. He attacked the shields instantly. I cursed the bastard and Blackwell and others. They are busy in chaos around them, killing the bandits that are not surrendering. They might have helped me, but there are too many people in between, but I could still see Baron Harrods and my sister rushing toward me. Unfortunately, it will be too late. BANNG! He struck the shield with the full power of his skills and enhancement from his mage. It broke the shields into hundreds of pieces. ¡°Now, you are mine adviser,¡± He said with a grin and came at me, while I watched in horror. Though, even in horror, I moved my sword toward him, despite knowing how effortlessly he will be able to swat it away. This time, I didn¡¯t even have a charm, that I had used to deal with Karguk. I had asked Caena before leaving, but she had bad news for me. She tried making it over ten times but failed. It is hard to create such charm and requires great luck to succeed. Hun! He moved his sword to swap away mine, while the other arm took me hostage, when suddenly, I felt a powerful pull, and everything blackened in front of me. Everything cleared a moment later, and I found myself completely different from Orc, who was standing with hand raised in surrender and was shocked seeing me, appearing in front of him. Though a moment later, a shock turned into a smile as he moved toward me. He wants to do the same thing that Nrockk Sheildhead tried to do a moment ago, but he was not Nrockk and my sword is too close to his chest. Puch! I didn¡¯t think and pushed my sword forward. It pierced through his chest, into his heart, killing him. Seeing him dead, I turned around and immediately saw something shocking. I saw the head of Nrockk flying in the air and the one who killed him is none other than Stone. ¡°That tap,¡± I muttered. I felt something weird when he tapped on my shoulder before he went to join the battle. At that time, I didn¡¯t think too much about it, but now that I think about it, he is likely to activate his skill. Place Swapping. These skills are extremely rare, and people pay a high price to hire people with such skills. Especially the ones who needed a bodyguard. With this skill, their guard could easily swap places with them when they are in danger. It seemed like I have to give Stone a raise. I just hope others don¡¯t steal him from me before I do that. I pushed those thoughts away and turned to my sister and Baron Harrods, who appeared in front of me. They looked relieved. They should be. If something had happened to me, the Count would have gotten very displeased; it is not something they want. ¡°I am glad you are fine, Remus,¡± said Leila. ¡°It is all thanks to my guards,¡± I replied. ¡°That was one good skill. Be careful Adviser or someone might steal your guard,¡± said the old man, to which I smiled. ¡°I will take that in mind,¡± I replied. They nodded and walked away; not all bandits have surrendered. They needed to be dealt with before they get away. While they went after the bandits, I went to my guards. ¡°Thank you, Stone. I wouldn¡¯t have been standing here, if not for you,¡± I said to him. He is sitting on the snow with his eyes closed and has a bottle with glowing water in it. It is a holy water, created by Archbishop; it was not easy to get and very expensive, but I was able to get it through the family. It helped to suppress the undead curse he has. It flares up whenever he comes close to using his full strength. ¡°There is no need to thank me, Mr. Silver; I only did my job,¡± he said as opened his eyes. To that, I smiled and looked around. Half of the guards are busy cuffing the surrendered bandits with the ropes, while the other half has gone downhill to hunt the bandits who are running away. The battle had ended, and I have survived. There have been many instances where I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive, but I did. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 186: Fort Renin Chapter 186: Fort Renin Crash! ¡°Those fucking bandits couldn¡¯t achieve a simple thing, even with all the help we have provided them!¡± shouted a middle-aged man, as he sent glass crashing into the wall. Sending shards of it all over the room. He took a few seconds to calm down before he turned to the Orc, sitting behind the table. His mood was worse than the middle-aged man, but he kept his emotions contained. ¡°Merchant lord, we could try again. If we made enough preparations next time, we would succeed,¡± he said to Orc, in a tone filled with desperation. He is desperate; they are closing in on him and after this attempt, it won''t take them long to find out. He needs to kill them before that happens. ¡°It is over, at least for a few years. Council had already suspected, what I am doing and have been warned indirectly to stop,¡± said Orc and put down his glass on the table. ¡°You can¡¯t do this! I deserved to be Lord Blackwell and you will help me achieve it or there will be consequences,¡± threatened the middle-aged man. ¡°Hehe!¡± Instead of getting angry, the Orc laughed, which made the middle-aged man even more angry. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could let out a single word, he begins to feel a tightening in his chest, and a moment later, begin to have difficulty in breathing. ¡°You,¡± the middle-aged man let out, as he collapsed on the floor. ¡°You were just a puppet. There are many more, like you,¡± said the Orc and got up, before walking toward the hidden door. He stopped before taking a step and turned back. ¡°It needs to be perfect; I don¡¯t want anything here connected to me,¡± said Orc. ¡°It will be done,¡± said the man, materializing in the room. He has always been there, invisible, undetected. The Orc nodded and stepped out, without leaving a single proof of his involvement in the whole affair. ... An hour later, the soldiers returned, bringing captured bandits and bodies of dead ones, piling them into another big pile. There are already several piles of bandit bodies. It is not just bandits who have died; we have also lost people. Though much less than what I had thought. I was looking at those dead bodies when Blackwell appeared in front of me. ¡°Adviser, I hope you will accept my heartfelt apologies. My inadequate preparations had put you and your people in danger,¡± he apologized, surprising me. Nobles are haughty; they wouldn¡¯t easily apologize to anyone. Especially those below them in the station. ¡°It was not your fault, Lord Blackwell. You wouldn¡¯t have known. The bandit would attack your forces and assassins would come at their support,¡± I said, with my words coming out sharper than I had intended to. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have known, but I should have prepared better. It is a lesson I will remember my whole life,¡± he said with a sigh, before turning to my guards. ¡°Thank you for coming to our rescue. Your help was instrumental in the defeat of the bandits,¡± he thanked. ¡°We did what we have been ordered to do, my lord,¡± Jon replied. ¡°Still, thank you,¡± he said and left. He walked into the tents, where they were healing the injured soldiers. A lot of them were being treated by healers and doctors. It is a good thing; he had brought a sufficient number of those people, or the losses would have been even greater. ¡°Mr. Silver, you should rest,¡± said Jon, a few minutes later. I nodded and got up, with the snow falling off my body. It is still heavily snowing, and I don¡¯t know if tomorrow will be better, but I hope it does or it will make it even harder to reach Fort Renin. I took one last look around the hill, before walking into my tent and laying down. Immediately sleep took me, despite the pain of injuries and uncomfortableness from the armor I was wearing. It seemed like I had been more tired than I had realized. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 187: Fort Radcliff Chapter 187: Fort Radcliff ¡°Clean it well. We do not need even a single weed,¡± said the guard down below to the group of orcs. They brought a group of orcs from tribes around the fort. To clean up the overgrown trees and weeds in the fort, which are everywhere. This suit I had slept in last night had it. The guards removed it before I set the tent. Yes, we had set the tents inside the suits. It was the only option we had, seeing there was no furniture or bedding. Even the suits were laden with junk that people who lived here years ago left behind. I woke up not long ago and freshened. Now, looking down from the huge window. I love these huge windows of forts and castles; they provide a splendid view, and one could even sit on them like I am doing right now. These orcs are from friendly tribes; my sister had contacted them before and only needed to send people to bring them here to work, which they are more than happy to do, with the wages that Ignatius is paying them. They may be far from cities, but they know the value of the money. They will clear the plants and junk, before people from the Greltheaven come to do the emergency work on the fort. It needs work, but most of it could delay, but some not, like working toilets. Fixing the magic lights and other things. They are also bringing the furniture, which Ignatius sent from Oksall to Greltheaven. Currently, with snow and no proper road, bringing people and things from Greltheaven to here is much easier than doing it from the Amberhold, despite it being much closer. It will take around two to two and a half months to build a road. Though, the trade will start before that. The first batch of goods should arrive by the end of the month. I watched them working for a few minutes before walking out of the suit. An hour later, I was near my horse, ready to leave the fort, with my sister and Baron Harrods. ¡°Your help on the journey had been invaluable. Without you all, I don¡¯t know if I would have been standing here and talking,¡± said Ignatius. ¡°You are being too humble, Lord Blackwell,¡± replied Baron Harrods. ¡°It is not humble words, but truth, Lord Baron,¡± he said, and the old man smiled. A minute later, we are on our horses, walking out of the fort''s gate with our men. There are around fifty new guards around us, a few are quite familiar to me. They are men of my sister and Baron Harrods, who had come to the fort an hour before. The route the safe, but nobody wants to take a risk after what we have experienced. Two and a half hours later, we stopped. We crossed into the Empire half an hour ago and now intersection. Left is the territory of my sister, while on the right is the territory of Baron Harrods. ¡°It is goodbye, Adviser,¡± said the old man. ¡°We will be meeting in the evening, Lord Baron,¡± I said to him. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°Have a safe journey, Adviser,¡± he said and waved as left. Leaving me with my sister, which immediately turned the atmosphere a little awkward. ¡°I would have invited you to the Blain, but you have to go,¡± she said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Some other time,¡± I replied and move my horse forward, while she watched. I have to go to Castle Radcliff; it is where Count Darrow is. Castle Radcliff is not under any lord; it is under imperial control, like the majority of the territory in the Nakar forest. It is the center of baronies and going to be the center of the trade here. I rode through the forest, and it was really beautiful. Unlike the wild paths we have taken on our journey from Amberhold, here everything is paved. These roads will need to be widened further, to support the traffic that will come. Just imagining it brought a smile to my face. I will be seeing it with my own eyes; I am sure I will have to make a couple of visits here every month, to see how things are going. It is my plan, after all. One and a half an hour later, I was in front of Castle Radcliff. It is a keep of similar designs, as other castles here. Square in design, made of white stone, which is abundant here. The keep is heavily guarded, which is not surprising since Major Jarvis had shifted his forces here. Handing back the Castle Lockridge to Angus Lockridge¡¯s cousin, who has become the new Lord Lockridge. ¡°Adviser Silver,¡± greeted the familiar man at the gate. ¡°Captain Hartley,¡± I said. ¡°Lord Count has ordered me to bring you to his cabin as soon as you arrive,¡± he informed. I nodded and rode inside. I dismounted, and the guard took the horse to the stable while I walked with Captain Hartley toward the keep. Soon, we are at the gate of the Count''s office, and I activated my skill ¡®Get Ready,¡¯. While I want to show how this journey took a lot of me, looking presentable is more important. It is what Count Darrow expects of his people. Captain Hartley pushed open the door, and I walked inside and saw Count Darrow, turning to me from the document in front of me. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted and bowed. ¡°Remus, welcome back,¡± he said and motioned me to sit. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. He is alone in the room. There is no Mage York or any guard, there is not even another adviser. Which is extremely rare, as there is always someone with him. A protector, like Mage York That doesn¡¯t mean, he isn¡¯t protected. He is always protected. ¡°How was the journey?¡± he asked. The bastard knows what happens, and instead, with sympathy, he had asked me the question. ¡°It was good, except for one small hiccup last night. Which will be in our favor, considering we have wiped out a third of the bandits plaguing the area,¡± I replied to him. ¡°You are right, it will make things easier,¡± he said and wrote down something on the file in front of him, before turning back to me and this time expressions are serious. ¡°Now you have experienced it yourself. Do you think it has the potential to become a big trade route?¡± he asked. ¡°Absolutely,¡± I replied. ¡°There is also a will to do it. Especially from Amberhold, they need this trade route as much as we do and will give their all for success,¡± He nodded, and for a couple of seconds; he didn¡¯t say anything, before turning back to me. ¡°There is a reason I had sent you with Blackwell, despite knowing the danger of it,¡± he said, in a tone that he uses when he has to say something important. ¡°I wanted you to get familiar with Blackwell, who we will act as a representative of Oksall,¡± he said, and I gripped the hand of the chair a little too tightly. ¡°As you can understand, the trade is very important, and I want you to personally oversee every aspect of it.¡± Those words felt like thunder to me. I thought he would give me more responsibility and not unload the whole thing on me. ¡°My lord, I will be able to do a better job from Greltheaven,¡± I protested and even activated Persuasive, but it seemed to have no effect on him. ¡°You will not be a mere trade chief, but my representative. You will have the authority, power to do anything that will smoothen the trade,¡± he said. I wanted to protest, but stopped hearing it. If it has been trade chief, then there wouldn¡¯t have been any additional responsibility, seeing as I am already responsible for the trade with Oksall. It would have even been seen as a demotion with me away from the seat of power, but being representative, with certain powers over baronies, is a completely different thing. ¡°I will accept it, but I have a certain condition,¡± I said, and a surprise appeared on the man¡¯s face. Till now, I have accepted every order of his without any complaint, but now, I think, I have become valuable enough that I could put certain conditions of my own. ¡°What are they?¡± he asked. ¡°First, I want complete freedom to operate. While I will ask your permission for important decisions, I need free will to operate on other small decisions, without informing you first,¡± I said. He just kept looking at me. ¡°Second, I want a bigger infrastructure fund and after a trade begins, I want the freedom to spend 10% of taxes coming from it,¡± ¡°Third, this should be temporary. After the route opened and everything normalized, I want to hand over the responsibility to someone capable and return to the Greltheaven,¡± I started all three conditions, but not a single word came out of his mouth. ¡°I agree with the first and third conditions. The second condition is not something I could agree with, since we haven¡¯t even started earning the taxes.¡± ¡°But I promise you, after we started earning taxes and they become greater than what we are spending here, we will talk about it again.¡± ¡°As for a bigger infrastructure fund, it won¡¯t be possible with our tight finances, but I will give you complete freedom over the infrastructure fund we currently have,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, my lord. I will not disappoint you,¡± I said, accepting the responsibility. I have gotten more than I wanted. I thought he would completely deny me the first two conditions and I have only put them. So, he would accept the third one. This new position may have power, but I like to be in the Greltheaven. My business is there, and it will benefit my carrier more if I stay there. Though, this will be a wonderful opportunity for me to learn. It is a huge responsibility with command over everything. I could even ask baronies to do things, but it also comes with huge risks. If anything goes wrong. It will be squarely on me. ¡°I will announce it to everyone in the evening,¡± he informed. An hour and a half later, I walked out of the Count¡¯s office and directly went to the kitchen. I had breakfast, but I was feeling quite hungry. Likely because I am thinking so much. This responsibility is huge. I not only had to coordinate with Blackwells and Oksall, but was also responsible for overseeing the infrastructure that we needed to build for the trade. It means giving a lucrative tender for infrastructure. That will not only cover the baronies but also the mirador hold. I will have to deal with them, which will be a challenge of its own. A few minutes ago, Count Darrow had called Major Jarvis into his office and informed him of his decision. He didn¡¯t look so happy, I wouldn¡¯t be if I had been in his face. I have become his boss. He would have to accept every order I will give it him. Though, from the time I had spent with him. I know is a rational man. He isn¡¯t someone to let his ego come in between his job. I really hope it is true because if he wished, he could make my job much harder.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 188: Bell Chapter 188: Bell ¡°Thank you, girls, for filling these. We will analyze it and provide you with the teachers you need.¡± ¡°It will take a few days, but your classes in basic etiquette and a few other things will start tomorrow,¡± said Madam Margaux as she took a stack of papers from us and put them in a box her assistant was carrying. We got those forms the first day, right after they finished giving us the tour of the whole place. In more than a decade in business, I have never been as shocked as I have been. The whole time, I kept thinking, this is some elaborate ploy from my enemies to get what they need for me. It is a reality, hard as it may seem to believe, ¡°You in the third batch will be going to miss Cain¡¯s place in the afternoon. So, be ready,¡± she informed and walked out, with her assistant and guards holding the stacks of forms got from them. It was very hard, a struggle to be honest to fill those forms. I know many things, taught by the tutors since I could walk, but I couldn¡¯t choose any of them. So, I chose the one I hated the most. My mother had tried to force me to learn it many times, but I never did, despite her trying for years. ¡°I am going for a swim. Are you coming?¡± asked Rexy. To that, I shook my head. ¡°You should do something else, other than being cooped up in the books,¡± she said, before walking out of the recreation room. The orc blood woman seemed to be obsessed with swimming; we have been here for two days, and she has spent hours in that underground pool. I wanted to take a swim too, but I controlled the urge, due to the fear of being found out. I have been taught many things, including swimming. If I tried to swim, I might show these things. I have been especially scared about tomorrow¡¯s etiquette lessons. I have given years to forget all of it and now I will attend lessons to learn it. That old woman is sharp and seems to notice everything. I feel like I am walking on eggshells here. It had been a decade since I felt like this, like every movement of mine, will make my enemies discover me. I was in my thoughts when I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. It is a tall heralden girl in her mid-twenties. She had come with me from Oksall. Though I hadn¡¯t seen in any of the brothels, I worked over the years. It is not surprising, seeing the majority of the girls who came with us from Oksall had been unknown to me. Though, I know her name. She introduced herself in the introduction, and once I heard something, I will remember it through my powerful memory skills. It is my first skill. It made both of my parents extremely happy when I told them about it. ¡°It is time for our spa appointment,¡± she reminded gently. She is excited about it, and she is not the only one. The mention of the spa had wiped away every other thought floating in my mind. I love the spa, and it is one of the few things here I do not care about being found out about. I had been worried about it yesterday, but seeing how everyone around me is behaving, I let my natural emotions show. That is how every other person is doing. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said to Minka, and we walked out of the recreation room. I could see the woman beside me casting longing eyes to the left, where they were trying to create mages. It is quite ambitious of them. When I got to know about it, I didn¡¯t think they would succeed. Even now, my mind hasn¡¯t changed much. Though, I would say. If those girls kept the zeal I saw in their eyes for a year or more, they might be able to cast a spell or two. I could cast spells. My mother had disapproved of it, saying I should focus on responsibilities, as I will always have people around me to cast the spells I need. I walked out of the underground and saw, the classes already started in the hall. Seeing them, my heart couldn¡¯t help but tighten up. I quickly looked away and instead focused on the wonderful smell of food. For more than a decade, I had finally eaten some real food, that was actually made by someone who knows how to cook. I already had breakfast, but I felt hungry again, smelling the wonderful aroma. So, I walked toward the table and picked up one glazed bread. The heralden woman beside me hesitated for a fraction of a second, before picking up the slice as well. ¡°This is the most delicious bread I had eaten in my life. I could eat it for the rest of my life,¡± said Minka. ¡°Don¡¯t say that dear; you will not be able to eat it, even for a month, if you eat it day and night,¡± I said. ¡°It is not true; I could totally live off it,¡± she insisted. I only smiled at that. Soon, we walked out of the building into a small garden. It is good. Though nothing compared to what I have seen. It has a certain calmness; anyone would enter inside would feel calm. It is why every time I came here, be it day or night, someone would be sitting on those benches, gazing at flowers or the sky. A minute later, we reached the spa. It is a small building with a fountain in front of it. Girls could be seen coming and going out of it. If there is one thing, the girls love most about this brothel. Then it would be this spa. Everyone loves it. I love it, not only because it reminded me of who I was, but here, I could let myself go without fear. Inside a small lobby, there is a table made of stone against the wall, and behind it are two young girls. ¡°Sister Bell, Sister Minka. Welcome to the velvet spa. You have a hlecian massage in five minutes in room twelve,¡± informed the red-headed girl. We said our thanks to the teen girl at reception and walked toward the changing room, where we removed our clothes and put them in a basket, before wearing the robes with our names monogrammed on them. ¡°We arrived only two days ago, and they already got the robe for us, with our names on it,¡± said Minka, eyes full of wonder. ¡°It is rather fast,¡± I said and efficient. These robes are not only monogrammed but also of our size. They must have quite a vendor to do it fast. We walked out of the changing rooms and went to room number twelve. Click! Minka opened the door, and we went inside. The room was small, but well decorated, with a calming fragrance. There are two massage beds and two women wearing the spa uniform. ¡°Bell, Minka welcome. Are you ready for the massage?¡± asked the raven-haired woman, who looked to be in her early forties. ¡°Yes!¡± said Minka excitedly. ¡°Good. If you are comfortable, you can remove the robe or you can cover yourself with a towel,¡± he said, motioning toward the two towels on the stand. Minka simply removed her robes and places them on the table. I did the same. If it had been an onor massage or basn, I would have used the towel. I don¡¯t like to show my naked body to others when I do not need to, but hlecian massage, needed the body to be completely free for maximum benefits. ¡°Now, lay down on these beds and we will start,¡± said the raven-haired woman. Minka took the first bed, and I took a second and waited for the massage to start. It took a few seconds before I felt a warm oil falling on my back and onto its sand. It is not sand, but hlecian crystals, made from seven herbs, two magical, and five non-magical. The crystals will melt as they heat through massage, with their essence entering the body. A moment later, gentle hands begin to massage my body. It is a little painful, with crystals, but I bore it. It will only be for a few minutes before they melted, and the pleasurable massage begins. I closed my eyes to enjoy the massage fully, but to also sense the faint mysterious effect that I felt yesterday. Yesterday was my first day in a spa after more than a decade. I had a pedicure, manicure, and bath, which was amazing. As those treatments were happening. I felt a mysterious energy, which I felt enhanced the power of treatment and the result it gives. Now, I concentrated on it, using my ability, I am feeling it again. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I thought. I never felt anything like this; it is extremely faint. That if I didn¡¯t have the ability I am using, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sense it at all. My first guess was that it is the power of skill, but it is not. The masseuse is using several skills, but they give a completely different feeling. It is not skills; it is not the spell either. It is something different. The only thing I could only relate to is the feeling I had felt in the legacy, but that should be impossible. This place is no legacy. One couldn¡¯t hide the legacy. Not to mention, the feeling would have been hundreds of times more powerful. Maybe I am wrong; it had been more than a decade since I had last gone to a legacy. Still, it is something different and powerful despite being faint, and I like to find out what it is. I looked for the source of feeling for minutes, but like yesterday, I got nothing. I could search deeper, but that might reveal that ability of mine. Which I couldn¡¯t do. It will cause a great shock in a small city and an entire region and also catch the attention of my enemies. Even they would be shocked to see me having it. Not even in their wildest dream, they had even thought I would have something like this. It would have made even my parents shocked, especially my mother. She would have been ecstatic seeing me gaining it. It is the greatest symbol of one¡¯s power, one''s will. I pulled back my ability and stopped thinking about the feeling instead of focusing on massage, which it had enhanced through its power. The massage had lasted for more than an hour and a half before the masseuses left the room; letting us bask in its effects. Two hours later, we finally got up and took a bath, washing away all the oils across the body. Getting beautifully vibrant skin. ¡°I have never felt beautiful, as I am right now,¡± said Minka, looking at herself in a mirror. I did say anything and stared at myself in a mirror. It had been ages since I had seen my actual face in a mirror. I like to see it one day, openly, without any fear. A few minutes later, we walked out of the spa with a smile on my face and a decision in my heart. When I came here, there was a plan in mind. It is to make things difficult enough for the owner that he would sell back, but now, I don¡¯t want to do that. My rational mind is telling me this place is dangerous for me. I should get away from it as soon as possible. My instincts are telling me the opposite thing. They are telling me to stay, saying staying here would be much safer. I am going to trust my instincts. They have saved me more times than I could count. Prostitute Lv. 17 Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 189: New Day Chapter 189: New Day ¡°...Remus will be my representative,¡± Declared the Count to people filled in a hall. All the nobles of Nakar baronies were present, including my sister, and would be a new baron Lockridge. There is also Ignatius Blackwell, who arrived earlier and held a talk with Count and me. ¡°I will try to live up to your expectations, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. ¡°I know you will, Remus,¡± said Count, and patted my shoulder. We moved into the crowd and began to mingle; I know all of them. Some, well enough, while others in passing. As an adviser, I have met with them many times. The Count couldn¡¯t always meet with them and not all things they bring, warrant his attention; such things are handed to us advisers. The party lasted for four hours before guests started leaving, except for Ignatius Blackwell. He is staying in the keep. He will leave tomorrow. He wanted to leave, but the Count had asked him to stay. His safety is important, especially before trade begins. ¡°I am handing over everything to you, Remus. I hope you will do a good job,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°I will not give you a reason to be disappointed. My Lord,¡± I said to the man. ¡°You better not,¡± he said with a smile, before sitting in a carriage. He is leaving; I wanted him to stay the night, but he couldn¡¯t. He said, there is someone he needs to meet tomorrow. That someone must be pretty important for him to leave at night. I watched the carriage disappear through the gate and turned to the man beside me. ¡°Major Jarvis, I hope we will have a good working relationship,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I hope so too, adviser,¡± he replied. ¡°Speaking of that, please ask Commander Dane to send Major Lawson here and ask him to bring the plans northern side,¡± I said, and a small smile appeared on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t waste any time, do you?¡± he asked. ¡°There are a lot of things to do and a little time to waste,¡± I replied and entered the keep with him. Soon, I stepped into the office and sat on the chair on which Count Darrow was sitting not long ago. For a few months, this is going to be my office. I planned these few months as short as possible. So, I could return to Greltheaven permanently. Though, I will not be hasty in my work. There are several things I have to do in the next few months. First, of course, built the infrastructure, from roads to warehouses. Second, start the trade and bring it to the level that the Count had asked me to, and third, train my successor. All three are hard, but the second and third are the hardest. Second, because we have only signed the contract and Blackwell brought his forces. We have got a little ahead with killing and capturing a large number of bandits. Which I hope, will help in smoothening of the trade. This condition also involves dealing with the bandits who are active in baronies and on other sides of Oksall¡¯s territory. The safer it is, the more trade will come. I will talk about it with Blackwell and Major Jarvis tomorrow. The third condition will depend on Count Darrow. A few people will be coming here from his territory. I have to access, train and choose my successor among them. I am tired currently, but there are things I have to do. I took a deep breath and opened the file in front of me and took out the blueprints and sketches. When I crafted a plan, I included everything, including the plan for infrastructure and the cost. There is only a slight modification needed to make due to the requirement from Oksall. Which thankfully, increases the budget. I put out the plans in front of me and took notes. Major Lawson should come tomorrow and handling him won¡¯t be easy, but is necessary. The sooner I finish with it, the better it will be. After it comes tenders; these are very lucrative contracts. Every big firm will want it. I have a few ideas about how I am going to do it and it is going to make a few people angry, but that is fine. While I like to take everyone along. It is not always possible. Some of my decisions will always make people angry, intentionally or unintentionally. I worked for one and a half hours before walking out of my office and into the suite. I am taking the second-best suit. The first will always be reserved for Count Darrow. I fell asleep within a minute, and it was a deep sleep, with no nightmares. Agent of Experience Lv. 18 Masterful Administrator Lv. 16 When I woke up, there was a notification in front of me and not one line, but two. I had expected to level up in Masterful Administrator since the Count handed me this new responsibility and power, but leveling up to the Agent of Experience is a little surprise. I have to ask whether something happened in the establishment yesterday. Since I leveled up at the Agent of experience, I got the attribute point, which I immediately deposited into vitality. The battle had proved how desperately I needed it. With this one point, I took it to the nine. I felt its effects immediately. The comfortable cooling and slightly radiant skin, which had turned a little pale from the injuries I had received in the battle. Class: Agent of Experience Lv. 18 Masterful Administrator Lv. 16 Warrior Lv. 15 Trainer Lv. 02a: 15 Intelligence: 11 Vitality: 09 ¡¤ Gymnasts Grace ¡¤ Sight Through Veil ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Swift Blade ¡¤ Lords Mood ¡¤ Privacy ¡¤ Command Projection ¡¤ Get Ready ¡¤ Quick Parry Attribute Points: 0 I opened the interface and watched the progress. It gave me the ego boost I will need for today. A few seconds later, I closed the window and went to the bathroom to freshen up and shower. I came out of the bathroom half an hour later and changed into a suit. Today is important. I need to be at my best. Growl! Seeing everything perfect, I walked out of my suit and immediately heard a familiar growl directed at me. ¡°I missed you too, buddy,¡± I said and picked Fang off the ground. He resisted for a few seconds before calming down. I looked at him clearly and there was no change in him. ¡°It seemed like he is really a dwarf,¡± I said. ¡°It seemed to be true; there was no growth, except for his hair,¡± said Eli, who had a cloud-surfing sparrow on his shoulder, which had become slightly bigger. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± I asked him. ¡°Just half an hour ago,¡± he replied. I talked to him on the way to the kitchen. I sat at the table but stopped the chef from serving the breakfast. I didn¡¯t have to wait for long. A little over ten minutes later, Blackwell walked inside. ¡°I hope you were not waiting too long, Adviser,¡± he said as he took a seat in front of me. ¡°I just arrived a few minutes ago,¡± I replied and asked the chef to serve us breakfast. ¡°Did you receive any message from Oksall?¡± I asked directly. ¡°Yes. I have been informed that their people have started the survey of the route,¡± ¡°They will be finished in a week and will start the construction of the road after that,¡± he informed. It had been done before and House Blackwell has a complete record of it. So, it shouldn¡¯t take long for them to finish the survey and start the construction. The distance from Fort Renin to Amberhold is less than half or nearly a third of what Greltheaven to Nakar Baronies, but due to hills and all; it is a difficult journey to make. We are lucky, due to our side being a wasteland. It is plain, with little obstructions. We could cover that large distance in a short time. ¡°What about your side?¡± he asked. ¡°Lord Count had already started on things, and I will try to expedite them further,¡± I replied. ¡°I am sure you will accomplish it on time; I will be doing the same with my side,¡± he said, and I smiled. ¡°I think we should start a discussion of collaboration on bandit extermination soon as possible.¡± ¡°It would be wise if we have a framework ready by the end of the month,¡± I said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I was going to suggest the same. While we have wiped away a large number of bandits, there are many of them who are still active on both sides,¡± he replied. For a few minutes, we discussed that topic. There are already a few lines added about it in the agreement that we and Oksall had signed. We have to develop the framework of corporations based on that. It will take some negotiations. A lot of manpower will be needed for operations like this, which is going to be the easiest part of the negotiations. Soon, we finished breakfast and walked out of the keep. ¡°Have a safe journey, Lord Blackwell,¡± I said as mounted. ¡°I will,¡± he said and left with his force. I sent a platoon of soldiers with him for extra security; they will return after taking him safely to his fort. I turned back and walked toward the keep. ¡°Master Silver,¡± Jill greeted, sitting at a table by my office. ¡°Jill, I hope the journey has been well?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes, there was no problem,¡± she replied. I smiled and walked inside, where another person was waiting. ¡°How are the things in the establishment, Lola?¡± I asked as I took a seat. I had called them here after the Count had handed me the responsibility. To be honest, I wish Carla had been here, but she had a business to manage in my stead and couldn¡¯t leave the Greltheaven. So, Lola is the next best choice. ¡°They are good; the business is going well, and the new girls are adjusting, without any problem,¡± she replied. I nodded and looked at my desk; it is completely different from the mess I left behind last night. I took out the first file; it is about our finances; both establishments and my liquor business with Navr. I have accumulated a good amount of money; I could easily pay all my debts with it. However, I am not going to do that. When I went to Oksall. I saw the biggest city in the world. I opened my eyes to a completely different reality. Seeing such a massive city, my perspective widened, and I realized. I have been playing too safe in these past few months with the establishment. I should take big risks and give my all. If I take things too slowly, I might end up losing the opportunities I might get. I should treat my business like a start-up. Take big risks, it is the only way I will achieve my dreams. I read the whole file and made a few notes, before turning to Lola. ¡°Did you bring what I had asked?¡± I asked. She nodded and took out the box from the corner of the office. The box contains files, a lot of them. ¡°Let¡¯s start; we need to finish with it, before the afternoon,¡± I said to her. She took the seat opposite of me and we started working. In the afternoon, Major Lawson is coming, and I need to be prepared. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 190: Ungrateful Chapter 190: Ungrateful ¡®Master Silver, Major Lawson is here,¡¯ informed Jill. Click! ¡°Send him in,¡± I said. A second later, a fat man with a blond mustache with a bald head walked into the office. He is wearing a black army uniform, which doesn¡¯t have a single wrinkle on it. His eyes scanned the room, fixing on Lola for a second, before focusing back on me. ¡°Adviser Silver, it¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± he said with a big smile. ¡°You too, Major Lawson,¡± I replied. He sat down in front of me and looked at me with a smile, without saying anything. It has begun. ¡°I have called you here to discuss infrastructure plans. I would like to know, the thought of Mirador Hold on to it,¡± I said and a smile on his face became slightly bigger. ¡°There is nothing to discuss, adviser. You will give us 75% of the budget and we will handle everything on our end,¡± he said, surprising me greatly. I was processing the words when suddenly he hit me with his skills. He didn¡¯t hold back anything at all; hit me with everything he had. He did it without changing the smile on his face. His skills are powerful, which is not surprising, seeing he is Level 30+ and has great experience in using them. He wants me to agree, and the moment I did, his verbal contract skill would click. He would not get 75% of what he is asking, but he would take far more than what I would give to him. That would be bad. Forget giving 75% of the budget, I couldn¡¯t give him, even 25%. I had called him to discuss things, to take his view. I don¡¯t want to do things arbitrarily. But he wants to do it that way. He sees me as a young man and is willing to push me. Use force, without care. He might even succeed because of my stupidity. I had made a mistake calling him here without any backup. I should have had someone with me who could support me if he tried to do something like this. I had not thought he would do something like this. I thought it would be a civil discussion and even negotiations. He is using the force of his skills and the compulsion of his powerful skills is strong enough that I am going to agree with it. If I did that, I would definitely lose my job, and it will be because of my damn overconfidence. ¡°We are not asking much. To be honest, we deserve that whole infrastructure fund, seeing what Count Darrow agreed with the merchant state,¡± he said, and he is telling the truth. Mirador''s hold does deserve it all; they have so much to do, and I should be giving them all the money. Hun! I opened my mouth to agree, when suddenly a cooling feeling washed over me, clearing my thoughts. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed and turned to Lola, whom Lawson had also looked at, before turning to me, focusing his skill sharper. Lola had activated her skill. Its power is much weaker than Lawson''s skills, but it cleared my mind. Now, holding my thoughts as tightly as possible, I turned to Lawson. I wanted to kill this bastard, but I controlled my emotions, focused on keeping my thoughts still under the colossal weight of his skills. ¡°You have misunderstood, Major Lawson. I have called you here because I want to hear your views and nothing more.¡± ¡°The infrastructure budget is under me, and I will decide what I need to do with it, what kind of infrastructure we need to build, where to build it, and who will build it,¡± I said directly. This time, I didn¡¯t even bother to smile or nor I could under such pressure of his skills. The smile on his face stiffened upon hearing me, but a moment later, came back brighter. ¡°You are overestimating your responsibilities, Adviser. Everything that goes in a Mirador Hold and its domain needed its commander permissions.¡± ¡°You have to give us a budget. It is the law, charter 3 of the region''s constitution,¡± he said, and my lips curved slightly. Persuasive I activated my skill and felt the pressure of his skill lessen a little. He gave me the opening by mentioning the law; he shouldn¡¯t have done that. Persuasive is useless, it is a compulsion-type skill. With the difference in our level and condition which we are negotiating; it is nearly useless to use it, but now he has given me an opportunity. My Persuasive skill is not standard Persuasive skill. It is made from a merger of three skills, one of which is Lawful Suggestion, which used belongs to my Lawyer Class, that made the Masterful Administrator. So, with his words, he gave me the power to use the making; making it more powerful than it would have been if I used it before. Now it is useful, giving me more breathable space. ¡°According to Charter 3, section 17, subsection B of the constitution. Prince Grelt has a supreme authority, over Mirador Hold, which he granted to Count Darrow Wilstein,¡± ¡°As his representative, I have permission to use his authority in the subject of trade. Thus, as long as it is related to trade, my authority supersedes even Commander Dane¡¯s,¡± ¡°With it, I could build, destroy or do anything. I damn well please and Commander Dane will have to accept it,¡± I said, looking directly into those forest green eyes. I had wanted to be polite, but he used force and not in a nudging way, but like a harsh hammer and I wouldn¡¯t be Remus Silver if I didn¡¯t answer that in kind. I could see a shock appearing in his eyes and behind came anger. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it a moment later and calmed his emotions. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak, so harshly, Adviser,¡± he said, with a hint of warning in his voice. ¡°I am not speaking harshly, Major Lawson. I am just making you aware of reality.¡± I replied. I also calmed myself; making enemies with Mirador Hold won''t help. I have to be calm and make compromises, which I really don¡¯t want to do. ¡°I have the plans in the business section of mirador hold and I have a few questions for which I asked you here,¡± ¡°I hope you will answer them,¡± I said, hating for giving this ungrateful bastard another chance. He is still looking at me angrily and using the full force of his skills on me, despite me offering a friendly hand. ¡°To satisfy a contract with the merchant guild. We will need twelve new warehouses and a new guest house, bigger than the one we actually have. ¡°Quarters for workers...¡± I named all things before turning to him. Who is still looking at me with anger and pressuring me with the power of his skills. ¡°I like to see the blueprints of the plans to comment on it further,¡± he said after the seconds of silence. ¡°Lola,¡± I said to her, and she took out two large blue-print and handed them to the man. He looked at it and a surprise appeared on his face. When I was making a plan, I had all the data. So, I asked the architect to draw out several plans. These two he is looking at fit into the requirements that Oksall had asked us for. This does not only have warehouses and guesthouses, but also has guard stations for the guards, canteens, and other things. Many of these things that Mirador Hold had been asking for Count for months. He studied it for over fifteen minutes before turning to me, with the full power of his skills, which is still unbearable as it had been when he activated them for the first time. ¡°The plan is good. We will need half of the infrastructure fun to accomplish it,¡± he said. ¡®Ungrateful bastard!¡¯ I cursed in my heart and resisted the urge to bang my hand on the table. ¡°Major Lawson, the tender will be issued by my office and will pay the company directly. Mirador Hold will not have any hand in it,¡± I said directly, and it made him even more angry. ¡°Commander Dane had personally asked me to bring the fund. He will be very disappointed,¡± he said, with clear threat in his eyes. ¡°Please tell Commander Dane that it won¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°If he has any suggestions; I promise to take them under consideration,¡± I said, and he glared openly. This time, he didn¡¯t even try to hide his emotions. He is also trying to press me hard with his skill, and it is hard to bear them, but I am doing it. There is no other choice. If I give up; there will be huge consequences. ¡°I will surely mention that to him,¡± he said through greeted teeth and got up before walking out of my office. His skills disappeared, and I slumped back in my chair, drenched in my sweat. It was really too much harder than the real battle. It was also a battle, a different kind, which I fortunately survived. Though it had taught me a lesson, that I didn¡¯t plan to forget soon. ¡°Thank you. If not for you, I would have agreed to everything he wanted,¡± I said, to which she smiled mirthlessly. ¡°My skill was completely crushed by his,¡± she said, clearly disappointed. ¡°It is not; it had helped me when I felt all the hope was lost.¡± ¡°We have survived Level 30+, with a lot of experience. We should be proud of that,¡± I said, and she finally smiled. I took a deep breath and walked to the window and saw Lawson talking with Major Jarvis. I had called him for a discussion. I had wanted to take his view and even would have made some changes; I had even swallowed my pride and given him a second chance, but he threw that away right at my face. Now, I will only do what is required for the trade, nothing more and nothing less. Mirador Hold will not get anything extra. The money saved from it could be used for other things. I watched him till he left the castle, before sitting back in my chair and starting to write a letter. Within a few minutes, I finished and gave it to Lola. ¡°Sent it to the city hall and ask them to send it to all the construction companies; I want them delivered to their offices before evening,¡± she nodded and walked out. This letter will make some people angry. I wonder if some of them will go to Count Darrow. I didn¡¯t inform him of this and won¡¯t do it, till everything is finalized. Lola returned a few minutes later, and we worked on some things. There are really many things to do, and I have little time to accomplish them. There are many people who would like to see me fail and today, I had added a powerful mirador hold to that list. I wanted to avoid that and even swallowed my pride, but it was all useless. I worked for two hours before I walked out and went to where Eli was and started training Fang to relax. I have made good progress with him, but more is needed. I want to put discipline into his every cell. So, he would be able to control instability that might arise from his genetics. It is necessary, seeing how Carla keeps him close to her. Many girls play with him and, if some unstable factor triggers, during that time, it will be bad. Training will help in dealing with it. It would be great If I am able to get a skill, that will help me suppress those things. Though, I am not counting on that. I would rather prefer to depend on my training. Which is what I will do. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 191: Tenders Chapter 191: Tenders ¡°So, you just stormed out?¡± asked Commander Dane, looking at the fat man, who started quivering, hearing his soft voice. He wouldn¡¯t have been worried. If the commander raged, that anger would have been temporary, but he is speaking in a soft voice, which means he was truly angry, and this anger won¡¯t disappear soon. ¡°He disrespected you and Mirador Hold, Commander. It was unbearable for me,¡± said Lawson, stopping his voice from quivering. It seemed to have made Commander Dane even angrier. ¡°Remind me once again what I said to you before you left?¡± asked the Commander. ¡°Get half of the budget. If that¡¯s not possible, then try to get as much as things we need from it,¡± Lawson replied and shook. As if finally realizing the mistake he had made. ¡°I have been walking on eggshells since the assassination event; many people want to remove me and you, like an idiot, added another weight to me.¡± ¡°You have made things difficult with a person who is most friendly among all the advisers,¡± said the Commander. With every word, the anger in his eyes would go higher. Lawson had seen Commander, such angry very few times. ¡°Please, forgive me; I have made a mistake, Commander,¡± said Lawson. ¡°You did and if I suffered because of it. I will make sure you will suffer more,¡± said the commander and walked toward Lawson, before standing very next to him. He looked into his eyes for a moment, before moving his hand and removing one of two stars from him; demoting him immediately. From Major, he becomes Colonel. ¡°Make it right Lawson or you won¡¯t have that other star too,¡± said the Commander and walked away. ... ¡°Have they arrived?¡± I asked as Lola entered my office. ¡°Yes; they are waiting in a big conference room.¡± She replied. ¡°How many of them have arrived?¡± I asked. ¡°All of them,¡± she replied. Hearing that, a big smile appeared on my face. The more there are, the better it will be. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I said and got up from my seat and walked out of my office with Lola. It had been three days since I had got this responsibility and two days since my meeting with Major Lawson, or rather, Colonel Lawson. I had heard, he had been demoted. I had only seen one star on him when he came to apologize that evening. I wish it had been a sincere apology, but nevertheless, I accepted it. It won¡¯t do me any good to worsen my relationship with the Mirador hold. Though I will not forget that bastard Lawson. Click! A minute later, I stepped into the conference room, which was filled with people. ¡°Adviser,¡± they stood up and greeted. ¡°Please sit, ladies and gentlemen,¡± I said to them as I took the seat and looked at them. In front are thirty-four people in front of me. They belong to big, medium, and small construction companies operating in the Greltheaven. There are many familiar people among them, including Valentina. ¡°Lola,¡± I said. She raised her fingers and immediately, the clerks standing by the wall moved and began placing three files in front of every member of the construction companies. ¡°First, let me start by thanking you for all for making the journey here this far.¡± I thanked them, and they smiled. ¡°As you all are aware, we have opened the trade route with the merchant state of Oksall through the Nakar Baronies to the Kingdom of Navr.¡± ¡°It will be extremely beneficial, not just to the baronies, but also for the city of Greltheaven and the entire region,¡± I said and looked at files. ¡°The three proposals in front of you are the tenders of infrastructure we need to build. The first proposal is for the road; we will need a road from our boundary to mirador hold,¡± ¡°More than half of it is already done, but will need to be widened up and constructed where it is not present,¡± ¡°The second proposal is to build infrastructure, like warehouses, guesthouses, and other things in Mirador Hold and at our boundary, with Navr,¡± ¡°The third proposal is building infrastructure around the Castle Radcliff,¡± ¡°You all have three days to submit your bids for them,¡± I said and watched as they opened the proposals. It didn¡¯t even take a minute for the first question to come in. ¡°Adviser, why did you divide the whole proposal into three? A single proposal would have been efficient and cost-friendly,¡± asked a middle-aged man, with streaks of grey in raven hair. He is Rufus Door, leader of one of the top four construction companies in Greltheaven. His company was part of a consortium that built the Greltheaven. If the Count had been my place, he would have thrown the contract in one of the four. Two, to be exact, he prefers them over the other two. ¡°Not particularly, but the reason I did it was because I wanted to do it fast. With more players, it will be much faster than what a single player would be able to achieve,¡± I replied. ¡°You can give this contract to us, and we will complete it in record time, without compromising on quality,¡± he said. ¡°I made my decision. Mr. Door and it won''t change.¡± I replied with a smile. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Which is good. If he had pressed with the non-sense question; I wouldn¡¯t have been polite with my answer. There were a few minutes of silence before the questions resumed and most of them were meaningful about the proposals in front of them. I answered each and every one of them personally. ¡°Once again, thank you all for coming. I will see you all in three days with your bids,¡± I said, after one hour of answering their questions before walking out of the room. I wish I could talk to Valentina; there are a few things I want to talk to her about my personal business, but it won¡¯t be wise. I don¡¯t want to do anything that will see me playing favorites. I will not play favorites. Though the lowest bid is not the only thing I will look for before choosing the winner for the bids. I have a little more than two weeks before the first shipment of goods comes. It is impossible to have the infrastructure ready by then, especially when I am using the tendering process. If I used the method that Count uses; they would have started by tomorrow. In the Count¡¯s system, there is no tendering. He just calls top companies and chooses among them. It is fast, and the majority of nobles and cities use these methods. It is a reason why the top construction companies always remain on top. The state contracts are the most lucrative ones, and they have a monopoly over them. I do not have any problem giving the contract to big companies, but I think, the bidding will be beneficial in saving money and getting better work from them. It will also give a chance to small and medium players. When I went back to the office, Major Jarvis was there, waiting. ¡°How was the meeting?¡± I asked him. ¡°Good. We will be able to create a working mechanism within a month,¡± he replied. He had gone to Fort Renin to meet with Colonel Grennan. Both sides want to exterminate the bandits. While killing all of them won¡¯t be possible, due to the thick forest and extreme magic region, where those bastards go to hide when things become difficult. We could reduce their numbers enough that they wouldn¡¯t be more than an inconvenience. The faster we do it, the better it will be. When the trade begins, more of them might get attracted to the area. Though Blackwell had informed me, a bandit hunting division of Oksall¡¯s army would sweep the area every four months, which was great. Merchant states hate bandits so much that they have created a special division to hunt them. Bandits shudder whenever they hear their name; they are that good. Still, we don¡¯t want to rely on them alone and have to put our own efforts too, in culling them. A few minutes later, he left, and I focused back on the work. I worked for a few hours before walking out of my office and the keep. I mounted the horse and rode out of the gates, with guards around me and Fang following behind excitedly. I do not have the exact purpose other than to get away from the work. I have been working since early morning without taking a break. Riding is relaxing, especially in the snow with trees around me. It is beautiful scenery, and I wish, I had a camera so I could take a few pictures of myself. I didn¡¯t go far and remained in the area, which was under the eyes of guards. I am sure there are many people aiming for me. Bandits and the enemies of Count. They wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill me if I gave them the chance. I rode for an hour before riding back to the castle. When I reached the gates, I saw Lola taking the lessons. Both Lola and Jill are taking the riding lessons from yesterday. I had asked them to do it. It is an essential skill like driving; they will need it. I dismounted near the stables but didn¡¯t go inside instead went to our usual spot with Fang and started to train him. He is intelligent and with Command Projection. I could teach him the complex command rather easily. Though, the only problem there is his stubbornness. He is frustratingly stubborn, and it is a challenge to teach him commands that he doesn¡¯t want to learn. Well, this is where the fun is. If it wasn¡¯t so frustratingly hard, I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed it, as I am. It is the reason why I have taken him. I didn¡¯t want a monster who could tear people apart. I wanted a monster that I could train so I could feel more connected to my past life. Though, it would have been great. If he wasn¡¯t a dwarf. Speaking of dwarf, I wonder how old he is. I first thought he was only a few months old, but since he was a dwarf, it was not the case. He is likely older, maybe a year old. I would need a high-level monster expert to know that. Unfortunately, we do not have those at Greltheaven. I trained him till it was evening before I went back to my office and worked till it was time for dinner. I took a short walk on a battlement after dinner, talked to the people guarding it before going back to my office, and worked for two hours more. I am sleeping early today. Tomorrow, I have to wake up early to train. My injuries have healed enough that I could start training again, which I desperately want. The battle had told me how much I needed to keep up with my training. Now, I even have a new amazing skill to train; I want to incorporate it into combat style as soon as possible. The training will help me with that. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 192: Valentina Chapter 192: Valentina ¡°Sorry, I wanted to come sooner, but held up in a meeting,¡± I said to the red-head, as I walked into the office. She is a beautiful woman with curly, bright red hair. I always had a thing for redheads, which is why I couldn¡¯t help but get attracted to the woman in front of me, despite having a girlfriend. ¡°It is fine, Miss Valentina,¡± said Carla, with a beautiful smile on her face. ¡°The curly hair looks very good, by the way. When do you change it?¡± I asked as I sat down. ¡°They are natural. I used to keep them straight,¡± she replied. I couldn¡¯t help but smile hearing that. She shouldn¡¯t have changed them. The curly hair looks great on her, much better than the straight she used to have. ¡°I have called you here for the changes we have to make,¡± she said, and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I had expected this much when she contacted me yesterday. ¡°I hope they are not big, because, if they are, they are going to push the deadline of the circle,¡± I replied, to which she smiled. I am already doing everything I can. I assigned the maximum number of people to finish it on time, but the requirements kept increasing, making it harder for her to maintain the deadline. ¡°The change is not about the circle; it is about the establishment,¡± she replied, and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. It also made me feel happy. It is a new business and seeing Carla¡¯s expressions; it didn¡¯t feel like a small change. Speaking of business, I really hope I will the bids for the tender. I have formed a partnership with two other mid-size companies to bid for proposals. With the price we have set, we will not earn much from it, but that is not the purpose. The purpose is to break into state contracts, which only the top four have monopolies over. I have contacted the headquarters about it, the moment I received the proposal. They have asked me to bid, with the lowest I could; it won¡¯t matter, even if suffer a loss. Once we establish our reputation with the city; we will get more contracts. That will help us earn a lot of money. The state contracts are the most profitable ones. Not to mention, getting a state contract will increase the reputation company, and will help me get more general contracts. I hope Remus will show some favor. Though likely, seeing how didn¡¯t even talk to me two days ago. ¡°What changes does Remus want this time?¡± I asked. To which Carla smiled and instead of answering, she pushed the file toward me. I opened the file and saw the rough sketches; the first sketch had an extra floor on the establishment. I looked at it carefully and read the surrounding texts before changing the page. It was there I received a surprise. This is the most radical idea about the design of the establishment he had shown me. Looking at the ink, I could tell he had conceived it months ago. It is really something. I thought I stopped getting surprised by his ideas and now gotten surprised once again. They are different from anything; I have come across. I looked at the whole file before closing it and turning to Carla, my expression serious. ¡°It is a big change, Miss Carla; it couldn¡¯t be done by cloaking the building with mist. You will have to close the business, at least for a few weeks or even a month.¡± I informed. He doesn¡¯t want a small change in the establishment, like he did in the past few months, but big ones, including more powerful enchantments. It will be very costly; most importantly, he will have to keep his business closed for about a month, which will cost him more than these changes would. From what I heard; he earns about three to five million imperials every month, second only to the brothel next to him. These new changes might make him the top earner. ¡°Mr. Silver is aware of that, and he wants you to begin with outer changes first and start with the inner at last month,¡± said Carla. ¡°I will start the work on establishment by the end of the week,¡± I replied. ¡°No problem,¡± Carla replied. Two months would be more than enough to finish the job. For the next fifteen minutes, we discussed the other details, and she gave me the check of the million imperials. ¡°I will prepare several models for Remus and hand them over to him tomorrow,¡± I said and left the office. Soon, I walked out of the office and entered my carriage. I opened the file and wrote the notes. I will have to give these to the design department and ask them to create models and blueprints to show to Remus. Hun! I was taking notes when the green gem ring in my left hand lit up. A message came and when I saw the signature and read it, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. The headquarters approved the plan; there was no surprise in that. Seeing they are willing to suffer even a loss for contracts. We will actually make some good profit. Not as much as we liked, but with the scale, it will still be substantial. I hope the headquarters of the other two companies will also be okay with it. I will know for sure in the evening. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I walked into the office and took the stairs, instead of the elevator, that I usually do. ¡°Chief,¡± The receptionist greeted me as I appeared in front of her. ¡°Is Sadler in?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, Mr. Sadler, in his office,¡± she informed, I nodded, and I walked toward it. Click! I opened the door and walked into the office, where a middle-aged man with sandy hair was working with three people. Multiple blue splattered around them, with the projection floated above the slate. ¡°Chief,¡± he said. I nodded and placed the file on his deck. ¡°I want several models ready by midnight,¡± I said. Usually, Remus¡¯s work is handled by an old man, Davidson, but he is busy. Sadler is good and more suited to design, the changes Remus wants this time. ¡°Chief, me and my team are already swamped with work. Can I do it tomorrow?¡± he asked. ¡°It is Adviser Silvers, work,¡± I said, and his expression changed immediately. ¡°It will be done by midnight,¡± he said, taking the file. Remus is a priority client. Most importantly, they think something is between me and Remus. Which is what I want them, and everyone, to think. If they came to know about my real relationship; I would be in a dungeon, ready for public execution by the church. I walked into my office and saw the old man Davidson waiting there. ¡°Have you finished?¡± I asked as I sat down in my chair. ¡°Take a look,¡± he said and slid the file toward me, I began to read through it and the more I looked, the bigger the smile on my face would become. ¡°You have done a good work, old man,¡± I said to him, as I closed the file. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we will succeed with this,¡± he said. ¡°We have given our all. It all depends on Remus now,¡± I said, to which he nodded. A few hours passed, and I concluded other business with an old man and met a few clients. The bossiness is going well in the Greltheaven. Far better than I had expected, when I had come to the Greltheaven, more than a year ago. When I first asked to be sent here, my superiors were surprised. I was a rising star there and coming here was a sort of demotion; they were planning to send one of the worst-performing managers here. I have my reasons to come here; I wanted to be away from the mainland. In a place where the influence of the church is much less, where I will get more freedom. The Greltheaven had turned out to be a better place than I had expected it to be. Like an oasis in the barren world. It is quite unfortunate; it will be temporary. It has a decade at most, before the undead sent its horde, and unlike merchant states. The region didn¡¯t have a powerful force to stop it. They will raze the whole region, leaving it barren of any people. ¡®Chief, Mr. Cass, and Mr. Wayne have arrived.¡¯ informed my secretary. Click! ¡°Send them in,¡± I said as I adjusted my posture. A second later, the door opened and two middle-aged men came inside. ¡°Mr. Cass, Mr. Wayne; thank you for coming,¡± I said to them, as they sat in front of me. ¡°We have received affirmation from our headquarters to proceed with the proposal,¡± said Wayne, and with a smile, my face became bigger. ¡°Good. Now, we only need to submit our bids tomorrow,¡± I said, and couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about it. ¡°About that. Have you spoken to Remus Silver?¡± asked Cass, and I made my expressions serious. In our earlier meeting, they implied I leverage my relationship with him, but this time, he has directly said it. ¡°I do not mix my personal relationships with business, Mr. Cass. If we win, the tenders, it will be on the strength of our proposals, not on my relationship with Adviser,¡± I replied. ¡°My apologies. Miss Elar, if you feel hurt by my words, but you can see how important these tenders are to us,¡± he said. ¡°It could help us break into the big boys club,¡± added Wayne. ¡°I want the same thing too, but I will not leverage my personal relationship with him,¡± I said, this time more firmly. They seemed to understand it, as they didn¡¯t bring up that subject again. Ten minutes later, they left my office. There was not much to discuss since we had already finished negotiations. The last few things that remained were done within a minute. Soon the evening came, and I left the office. Usually, I stay till night, but I have to leave before dawn tomorrow. I also planned to give a few hours to the new spell I am learning. The spell cost me a lot. It is also the most difficult spell I have ever studied, but it will increase my strength. If I was able to do it, I might even get a level in my mage class, if I am lucky. Ten minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a four-story house. It is secluded from most houses. I need it to be secluded since it is not just a place where I live; I also do my experiments here, which could turn deadly if things go wrong. It also gives me the privacy to do the other things. Hun! I had just taken a step when I had stopped. My staff appeared in my hand, and a crystal on it lit up a moment later. I gently took a step inside the living and opened my mouth to call out to whoever was inside, when I froze once again. There in my living room is a woman; she is lying seductively on the sofa, and there is not a single article of clothing on her. Staring at her smoldering eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but feel parched, and it was not the water that would satiate my thirst. ¡°Weren¡¯t you coming two days later?¡± I asked as I walked toward her. ¡°Yes, I was, but the mission ended early,¡± she replied and got up. ¡°You should have informed me,¡± I said as I stopped in front of her. ¡°I wanted to surprise you,¡± she said, bringing her lips close enough that I could feel her breath on me. ¡°I am surprised,¡± I replied softly. It made her smile, and she brought her lips to mine and gave me the lips that I had been thirsting for. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Updated chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 193: Party Chapter 193: Party ¡°As I was saying, adviser; it would be great if the widening of roads is also done around our territories.¡± ¡°It will benefit my territory and the territory of Baron Moss and Baron Schafer here and will also provide a second way to the Mirador Hold,¡± said the blond-haired man in his fifties. The two men beside him also nodded at his words. ¡°I would love to, my lords, but the road is decided by the Lord Count. Since you have asked me, I will mention it to the Lord Count,¡± I replied. ¡°That is all we ask, adviser,¡± said the man. I talked with them a minute more before moving to other nobles. I am at the birthday party of Baron Ardo; it is the first party I have attended since coming but won¡¯t be the last. I have already got invitations to two others. It is a part of the responsibilities, and I don¡¯t mind it. I get tired of working all day, socializing is relaxing. I was mingling with guests when I felt the sharp gaze again. I didn¡¯t have to turn to look, to see who was giving me the eye. It is, madam. She had been giving me an angry look from the moment I came here. She hadn¡¯t stopped blaming me for her son¡¯s death. For which only he was responsible and no one else. I mingled with a few more nobles when I saw Leila coming toward me. She had left her mother with another guest and now, coming toward me with a man, I saw with her at the funeral. ¡°Lady Leila,¡± I greeted, with a faint bow. ¡°Adviser,¡± she said, and the awkwardness appeared behind us again. We might share blood, but we are unfamiliar with each other, and it is not something that could easily be fixed, nor I am enthusiastic about fixing it. The only thing I want is to have a cordial relationship and nothing more. ¡°Alaric Thalian. I wanted to meet you at the funeral Adviser, but you had left too soon,¡± introduced a man standing beside Leila. He is about her age, with a tall physique and a handsome face in a classical way. ¡°It is nice to meet you, Mr. Thalian,¡± I said as I shook his hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how do you know Lady Leila?¡± I asked, to which he smiled. ¡°We were classmates at the academy,¡± he replied. I first thought he was her boyfriend, seeing how they acted, but that didn¡¯t feel right. It is likely that they are just good friends. ¡°I was able to find things you were looking for, but the price they are asking is high,¡± she informed. ¡°It is within a range, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, but on the higher side,¡± she replied. ¡°It is fine, as long as it is within a range,¡± I said. I had asked her to get a few things for me. They are mage-related and need to be brought from a trusted source. ¡°Ok,¡± she replied. Once again, there was an awkward silence, but this time, I didn¡¯t let it stretch it for far. ¡°I have news for you, too.¡± ¡°The thing you have been waiting for has arrived. The Count will contact you about it in a few days,¡± I said. There was a surprise at first in her eyes, before they lit up with joy. ¡°It is the best news I could hear,¡± she said. ¡°Thank god it came; at least now, all the wondering will stop,¡± said Thalian, and she glared at him. ¡°Contact me when you finalize the price,¡± I said and walked away from her. ... ¡°It is horrifying how you two behave with each other. So much awkwardness, even strangers are not as awkward as you two are,¡± said Al. I glared at him before my eyes softened. ¡°We are strangers,¡± I said with a tint of regret. I could tell Remus didn¡¯t have a tint of love or affection for me despite sharing the blood. It is the same for me; though, there is now a useless regret mixed in it. I could still remember those loving eyes, which he used to look at me when he was a child. One time, when he was three or four and I was fourteen, he had tried to hug me and I pushed him away. It was not my intention; it was an instinctive reaction to all the conditioning my mother gave me. I felt bad but didn¡¯t apologize or help him. Instead, ran away, watching his mother console him. He continued to try for my affection for years after, till his mother disappeared when he was around eight. He had approached me, calling me sister, but I didn¡¯t acknowledge and walked away. From then on, he never approached me, always looking at me as if I were a stranger. ¡®The things we want to change,¡¯ I thought with a sigh, before pushing away those thoughts. I had just pushed away those thoughts when my mother approached me, with clear anger in her eyes. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe he had brought a whore, in the gathering of peers,¡± said Mother. Looking at the beautiful woman, following behind Remus, which he introduced as an assistant when people asked. ¡°Leila, you should report to the Lord Count. He needs to be punished for this offense.¡± I don¡¯t know whether to be angry with my mother or simply laugh. Hun! I opened my mouth with a really harsh word in it when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡°Madam Silver; it wouldn¡¯t be a wise thing to do,¡± said Al. ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you seeing what he is doing? People are going to report, and it will be better that we would be one of them,¡± I wanted to massage my head, hearing that. ¡°It is unlikely that anyone would report him. Adviser Remus is an important man and has the trust of the Count.¡± ¡°Reporting him, won¡¯t earn them more than a few minutes of time with Lord Count, but it will earn them the enmity of Adviser Remus,¡± ¡°They don¡¯t want that, since he could make things very difficult for them, and for us if we did that,¡± All explained in language she could understand. Which is also the truth. Remus is currently powerful. Count trusts him explicitly otherwise; he wouldn¡¯t have handed him such tremendous responsibility. ¡°So, we do nothing?¡± mother asked, still angry. ¡°We do not have to report it. Count has men everywhere, and he is going to know it or already knew it by now,¡± ¡°If he decided to punish Adviser Remus, we will hear it. If we didn¡¯t hear anything, then we should remain quiet,¡± said Al, and it is clear. Mother didn¡¯t like the answer, but she didn¡¯t seem to want to press further. ¡°The bastard is always lucky, getting with everything,¡± she muttered but didn¡¯t speak another word about Remus, in the rest of the party. ... ¡°It was a wonderful party. Thank you, Lord Ardo,¡± I said to the middle-aged man. ¡°I am gland, you had a good time, adviser,¡± he said. ¡°Have a good night, Baron, Baroness,¡± I said and walked out, with Lola following behind me. In the whole party, she had barely spoken more than a few words but attracted the attention of everyone. It was a risk a bring her here, but the one, I took, after thinking deeply. Now will come the time in consequence. Count Darrow will definitely know, and I wonder what he will do. There are many things he could do, but I am sure even with the harshest punishment, I won¡¯t lose this job. That is why I decided to take this risk. It is such regret that Carla isn¡¯t here; I wanted her to be first and would have asked her to come, but she was busy. She is not only handling the establishment, but also the liquor business. Contacting all the business, taking the orders, which are rising every month despite the competition appearing. Many had started to buy liquor from Navr. This is not surprising, seeing it is the biggest producer of it, on the whole continent. These established players aren¡¯t able to beat me, and I won¡¯t let them beat me. This business is earning me immense profit; it is because of this profit; that I decided to take a chance with the big expansion. Carla contacted Valentina today for new plans for the establishment. I was going to wait for it a few months, seeing I would need to keep the establishment closed for one month for this expansion. Losing the business of five hundred million crowns. It is what the establishment is making every month. It was not an easy decision to take, but I decided to take the risk. This will be the biggest change the establishment will go through. Not only in architecture but also in business models. It will also be very expensive. I planned to overhaul nearly every enchantment in the building and change furniture, among other things. If it works; it will be worth it. We sat in the carriage, and it moved toward the Castle Radcliff. It would take around an hour and a half to reach there. ¡°Thank you,¡± I was reading when I heard those words. I turned to Lola, ¡°There is nothing to thank me for,¡± I replied, but she just shook her head gently. An hour passed by silence, and I finished reading. Instead of starting another file, I turned to Lola. ¡°How do you like the experience?¡± I asked. ¡°These people are no different from us. Some of them are worse, trying to slander others with polite words, asking for things, without offering anything in return,¡± she replied, and I couldn¡¯t hold back my laugh. Not only me, but even Zela, beside her, who was expressionless, had a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Many of them are no different from common people, but with power come change,¡± ¡°They go to extremes rather easily than normal people, and that makes them dangerous,¡± I replied, with my expressions turning somber. The nobility of here and earth or no different. They squabble, they plot, they fight. Thankfully, Nakar baronies are much calmer and controlled, but they have just started. Let a few more years pass. Let them experience this power more thoroughly and gain the classes. They will become, like every noble in the world. A few minutes passed, and the carriage reached the Castle Radcliff. We got out and walked into the keep. It was eleven. Usually, I am asleep at this time, but now I am walking to my office. Someone had come and I have to meet them. Soon, I reached my office and saw Jill talking excitedly about a teen girl of the same age. They stopped as they saw me. I nodded at them and entered my office, where two beautiful women were waiting. ¡°Master Silver,¡± they greeted. ¡°Ina, Andrea, how was Navr?¡± I asked. ¡°Successful. We brought our biggest order yet,¡± Ina replied. I smiled, and I turned to Andrea. ¡°I hope it was not too much for you,¡± I said. This was her first trip to Navr. It was brave of her to go there without hesitation, with only a day of notice. A few people have such courage. ¡°No, it was wonderful. It was not a death land; I had expected it to be,¡± she replied. My expression turned serious after hearing that. ¡°It is a death land; they just hide it very well,¡± I replied, with my expressions all serious. I had experienced one of its horrors firsthand and, to be honest; I shudder whether I think about it. I still have nightmares about that place. ¡°I will remember that,¡± she said somberly, which made me smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much; it is safe. Safer than even Empire and Renwell region,¡± I replied. I don¡¯t like to say it, but it is the truth. I talked to them for a few minutes before turning to a real topic. ¡°Here is the list of merchants, you will have to meet, after you reach Oksall,¡± I said and forwarded the list to them. They have a week-long tour of the Oksall and its cities, including Amberhold. Meeting merchants, who will be trading through the route. ¡°I won''t be a problem,¡± she said, looking at the list. The list is small, as only these merchants have agreed to meet. Still, it is bigger than I had expected. Being responsible here and belonging to a house of silver helped a lot in making them agree to meet with my representatives. ¡°It is a regret that you didn¡¯t get to rest for even a day after returning from Navr, and I am already sending you both on another arduous journey,¡± I said with a hint of regret. I especially feel regretful for Andrea, who had only ridden when she was a child and now going to make a journey in those hills. Ina, on the other hand, has taken lessons in the past few months and gained enough experience in riding. Even for her, the journey will not be easy. I wouldn¡¯t have made them do it if I had time, but I didn¡¯t. I have to act fast if I want to make use of opportunities. ¡°You do not need to feel regretful, Master Silver; we enjoy the work tremendously,¡± ¡°Never in our life, we have expected to do something like this,¡± said Ina, with her eyes watering. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I finished the business quickly. They have to wake up early tomorrow and leave for Fort Renin. Where they will make the journey with Blackwell¡¯s men to the Amberhold. Next Chapter: Bids Chapter 194: Bids Chapter 194: Bids Thud! I fell down hard and remained there breathing hard. This man didn¡¯t know how to spar. Well, it was me, who asked him to spar with me. It was worth it. ¡°Once again, I apologize, adviser. I had told you; I am not the one for sparring,¡± said Captain Oliver. ¡°As I said, it is fine, Captain. It was fun; I will be asking you to fight with me a lot,¡± I said to the blond-haired man, who just shook his head in defeat. Stone had said, that this man was the most technical fighter he had ever seen. He had been impressed by the young captain and I could see why. He is really amazing. I stayed on the ground for a few more minutes before getting up. Every part of me hurts like hell. Captain Oliver really hit hard, any more force, and he would have broken my bones. It was a struggle for me to not scream or grit my teeth as I walked out of the practice field. I am the leader here and I have to maintain the dignity of it. It was a challenge to reach my suit, but I did. The moment I did, I removed my clothes and walked into the bathroom, where I mixed a few drops of healing potion into the numbing cream. I wanted to add more, but it is not wise to get used to the healing potion. Even the numbing cream I used is of lower grade. I wouldn¡¯t have even used it, but my training sessions are intense. Far more than normal. Even soldiers do not train as hard as I do. It is necessary, as unlike them I am not professional and couldn¡¯t put many hours into it. So, I try to get as much out of those few hours as possible. I put the cream all over my body, which is another challenge in itself. I could have asked for help, I should have asked for help, but it feels uncomfortable in my prudish mind to take help for such things. I stayed on the floor for over ten minutes before taking a shower. ¡°Major Jarvis,¡± I said as I sat across from him at the breakfast table. Every day, we would have breakfast at eight-thirty. ¡°Adviser, it looked like you have pushed yourself a little too hard today,¡± he said, looking at me from up to down. ¡°Yes, today was a little rough,¡± I replied and thanked the maid, as she served me the breakfast. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Balance is key to the training, otherwise, you will burn out fast,¡± he advised, to which I nodded. ¡°I heard the mission was a bust yesterday,¡± I said, and disappointment appeared on his face. ¡°Yes, there was no sign of bandits when my guys went there,¡± he replied. ¡°Keep searching. It would be good if we cached them, but even if didn¡¯t, this constant raiding will keep them running and we will eventually catch them,¡± I said. To which he nodded. Soon, the breakfast finished, and I entered my office, where the first thing I did was to read the messages. My heart was beating loudly and even fear appeared in my mind as I began to read the letter from the Count, but even after I finished, I saw no mention of yesterday¡¯s incident. It was all business, especially about the bids the merchants would place. I am quite surprised. He didn¡¯t mention or even hinted his choice. Though he had hinted, the people from construction companies have come to him. Which is not a surprise. I already expected they would go to the Count. I am thankful that there is no pressure from him, but also understand very well that there would be a price to pay if I failed. A few hours passed, and the carriages began rolling into the castle. Today is the day they will submit the bids. ¡°Many of them are name-dropping to meet you,¡± said Lola as she came back. "Well, I am not going to meet any of them personally till the winner of the bids is decided,¡± I replied. I don¡¯t care whether they drop the name of the Count or the Prince. ¡°It is time,¡± she informed an hour later. I nodded and got up. A minute later, I entered a room where I had met these people three days ago. As I walked into the room, everyone looked at me with different emotions in their eyes. From hope, and expectation to anger. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for coming today. I hope you all have the bids ready,¡± I said to all of them. To which they nodded. ¡°Good, submit them,¡± Immediately, they begin to place their proposal in front of them. With Lola¡¯s instructions, the clerks begin to gather the proposals from them. ¡°Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for participation in the process. I will have to winners of the bids, by tomorrow evening,¡± I informed and walked out. Lola and the clerks stayed; they will inform the process in more detail. To be honest, I would have loved to have a week or even two weeks to analyze all the bids, but I have already wasted time doing this process. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time anymore. There are less than two weeks before the end of the month when the first shipment will come from the merchant state. I want those merchants to see some progress when they come. My sister, Baron Harrods, and other nobles have already started with their preparations. Building inns, stores, and other things near the road, on their territories. I heard the old man had taken a huge loan and formed a partnership with my sister on some business. Which is a wise thing; he doesn¡¯t much about business. It is better for him to learn the ropes of partnership before starting something solo. Speaking of that, I have to sell the plots for businesses around the castle and there are already inquiries about it. I planned to turn the area around the castle into the town. Count is in very much support of the idea; the only thing is he does not support spending the extra money on it. Thankfully, Oksall had forced the Count to spend big on development as a condition to trade. Some of which I plan to save from the construction fund and spend on building a proper town. We already agreed to build things that a typical town has in our contract with the merchant-state. I will only need to add a few extra things, and a town will be ready. I thought deeply about the contract signed with the merchant guild and there are many things there that the Count wouldn¡¯t agree with given his nature, but he did. I think the push to agree had come from above. I didn¡¯t dare to voice my opinion to anyone; it didn¡¯t concern me. For the plot auction, I will be meeting with merchants and nobles in the coming days. The Count had agreed to let me add half of the money, got from it into the construction fund. Though it will not be much, it will be helpful. Half an hour later, Lola returned, bringing boxes of proposals. We will have to study and select the winners within a little more than a day; it is a huge task. Thankfully, there is help. ¡°Everyone, take a seat and pick up the proposals. We have a job to do,¡± I said to six clerks. They are from the city hall and are quite good. I have worked with them before, and they have all the required skills that are needed for this job to be done well. ¡°Zela,¡± I said, and she set the huge board. A minute later, everyone had the copies of proposal and began studying them, while Zela handled the board. I crafted the three bids myself and asked the merchants to craft the proposals in a way I had set the conditions. It is why there is much less non-essential clutter and more substance. Hours passed, and evening came except for small bathroom breaks. No one had left the room, and those who left had a guard followed. I want nothing of this room to get out, till I announced the winners of the bids. While these people are trustworthy; I am taking precautions. The bids involve large money and, most importantly, the exposure they will gain through it. They might try to bribe or even intimidation, to gain things in their favor. I looked through proposal after proposal and each one of them surprised me. Telling me, how great an idea it had been to make them bid for it, instead of directly giving it to the top ones. ¡°Everyone take a break of an hour,¡± I said to all when eight rang in. They stopped and put out the proposal''s downs before walking out of my office. After they left, I slumped back in my chair and massaged my head. It is not easy to go through all these proposals when these bastards have attached skills to them, to make them more pleasing. ¡°Do these people even want to earn a profit?¡± asked Lola, seeing the notes in front of her. ¡°Yes, they do, but they want exposure more. If you look clearly, the bids of small and medium firms are lower than the big firms,¡± I replied. ¡°It is unlikely they will earn any money, but it is good for us,¡± she said, shaking her head. Some of them will, but as I said. Earning money isn¡¯t their target for this bid; it is to get exposure through these contracts. I turned back to the table and turned to things I had wanted to look at in the past few hours. I took six square things longer than my palm and placed them in front of me. They look like wedding cards, white and in a perfect square shape. I opened their seal; they began to open up and turned into paper models. ¡°Valentina had done a really good job,¡± I said as I looked at models of the establishment. ¡°These are the new changes?¡± asked Lola from the side. ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to do these changes without keeping the establishment close for a few weeks,¡± she said. ¡°Likely a month,¡± I replied, looking at these models. If it had been just breaking walls and adding some; it would have been done within a week but I am upgrading all the enchantments. Changing the whole furniture, among other things. It will be a very expensive change. I looked at them for a few minutes before taking out the blueprints. I put them back after a few minutes and went to the kitchen for dinner. By the time I had returned; it was time to start again.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Next Chapter: Winners Chapter 195: Winners Chapter 195: Winners I looked at all of them, who were looking at me with hope and expectations. I have studied the bids, and now it is time for me to announce the winners of it. It was a hard job, and the merit of the proposal was not the only thing I looked at before selecting the winners. ¡°The winner of the first tender is Ravin Consortium,¡± I announced, and immediately, five people got up and shouted before controlling themselves. The first tender is for infrastructure around the castle, aka castle town. It is won by a group of five small construction companies. It was a bitter fight. Several others also had bid close to it, but what won them, is that they complement each other with their specialties. Most importantly, one of them manages the quarry here; it will help tremendously with the construction. Many people are not happy with small companies getting the bids; it is clear on their faces, but they didn¡¯t say anything. They have tried to influence it through the Count but have failed. ¡°The winner of the second tender is Thomson-Vilas,¡± I announced, and a smile appeared on the face of the long-haired man. The second contract is about Mirador Hold and it went to one of the top four companies. There are many good proposals with lower costs, but I have chosen Thomas-Vilas. Mirador Hold could bully small companies and pressure mediums, but they could do little against these big ones. Their owners are powerful, and they have political backers. Even Commander Dane wouldn¡¯t dare to create any big obstacles in their work. If I had a month of time, I would have chosen the best. Then I would have been able to deal with any problem that Mirador Hold might create, but I simply don¡¯t have that much time and thus, the compromise. ¡°The winner of the third tender is Nev consortium,¡± I announced, and immediately a smile lit up on Valentina and the other two men¡¯s faces. The first and second tenders are at a similar level. If I add the extra things, I am going to add around the castle, while the third is the biggest tender, in value and size. ¡°Congratulations you all; I hope we will have a good working relationship,¡± I said and walked out, leaving Lola and the clerks to deal with the rest. I am going to have a meeting with each winning party; I want them to start as soon as possible. Tomorrow, if possible; I hope some visible work will be done before the shipment of goods arrives, by the end of the month. ¡®Adviser, people of Ravin Consortium are here to meet you,¡¯ said Jill through the intercom. Click! ¡°Send them in,¡± I said and looked at the plan I had placed on the table I had placed before me. I looked at it for a moment, before turning to the door, through which five people were walking inside. ¡°Adviser, we are grateful that you had trusted us for this great responsibility,¡± said the old man. He is a Marcus Chavez; he owns 35% of the consortium. ¡°I have taken a huge risk doing that; I hope you will not give me a chance to regret this decision,¡± I said to them directly as I offered them seats. ¡°We will not, Adviser,¡± He replied, before looking down at the table, where all four of his partners looking at. Seeing the plan of the castle town, his eyes lit up. Among the three proposals, the first one is the smallest, but when a few things are added, it will be as big as one of Mirador''s Hold or even bigger. It will all depend upon their work. If they do well, I will hand them over the responsibility for the rest. If not, there are others waiting to get their hands on this chance. ¡°As you are aware, we are on a tight schedule. I hope you will all act fast without compromising on the quality,¡± I said to them, with a hint of warning. ¡°We have already sent messages to the city. As it now, they are loading things and men into the carriages,¡± ¡°By tomorrow morning, they will be here, and we will start the work,¡± replied the old man. ¡°I am glad to be near that, Mr. Chavez,¡± I replied. I discussed things with them for ten minutes before they left. After that, I met with Nat Addison and there was an original plan for Mirador Hold on my desk. It was the plan, I had shown to that Lawson bastard, but since he messed it up. I changed to a minimum; I might implement the old plan, but it all depends on the behavior of the mirador hold. Addison also promised to start work as soon as possible, but I am not much worried about it. The Mirador Hold already has infrastructure and a slow start won''t affect anything. ¡°We had already contacted quarries and the city. We will be able to start with work by tomorrow morning,¡± informed Valentina. ¡°Good. I hope you will start with the boundary first. We need a new road, connected with the old road first before you start widening the old roads,¡± I said to them. While there are roads, not all parts are connected to it. In Nakar Baronies, the road only stretches to my sister and Baron Harrod''s territory, not till the region''s boundary with Oksall. We have to make that road first. They will also need to transform the gravel road into the paved one from Mirador Hold to Baronies, as not everything is paved. ¡°We were thinking the same,¡± she replied. Fifteen minutes later, Valentina had left. She will be staying in the castle with the rest of the people who won the bid; I am hosting a dinner for them. An hour, I am having dinner with the people. Talking, taking their views, hearing irritating boasting of the Addison, but thankfully, it ended, and I got my peace. ¡°I am sorry; I wanted to talk to you but didn¡¯t want to be seemed like I am favoring you,¡± I said as Valentina walked onto the roof. The silver light falling on her hair made her look even more beautiful. She is truly a beautiful woman, both in body and mind. Unfortunately, she doesn¡¯t have any interest in me or rather in any men. ¡°I gathered as much,¡± she said with a smile. We didn¡¯t say anything about a and just looked ahead at the beautiful forest around us. ¡°Soon, the whole area is going to be transformed,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, and I am kind of excited about it,¡± I replied, looking ahead. It is my vision, and I want to see it come through. It won¡¯t be easy, but I am ready to face the challenges. For a few minutes, we didn¡¯t talk; just kept looking ahead when she took a black roll from her bag and spread it on the ground. A moment later, the projection of the establishment started to float over it. This is the establishment of my vision, which will have five floors and the capacity to hold a lot more people. It will be more beautiful than before; this time, I plan to spend big on the interior as well as our exterior. I want a place that will attract the eyes of everyone who will see it. A place where they will get to experience something different and a place that will satisfy their desires. It is going to cost me hundreds of millions; not to mention the losses I will incur during the closure. It is why; I wanted to wait for these changes, but Oksall had changed my mind and I decided to go with it. I have to take the risks if I want to grow. Especially now, when my sister has come here; I don¡¯t want to lose to her. I don¡¯t want to lose to anyone in the family. They have given me an amazing gift and I want to show them what I could do with it. ¡°Do you have any more requirements?¡± she asked, showing the projections. ¡°Many,¡± I replied and took out my diary, and we began. One and a half an hour later, she closed it and put the roll back into her bag. ¡°These changes are huge; it is going to cost you a lot, Remus,¡± she said. ¡°I know,¡± I said, and she gave me her estimate. It is a lot, but I could afford it with what I was earning. We talked for a few more minutes before she moved to leave. ¡°Valentina. The grey cloaks are coming to the Greltheaven,¡± I said softly, but she heard me as she stopped in her tracks and shuddered. We have never discussed our relationship, but she knew I was aware of what she wanted and was willing to give it to her, without asking those questions that could get us both in trouble. It is the first time I have said something related to that. ¡°How sure are you?¡± she asked. ¡°The Count had told me about it,¡± I replied, which made her shudder further, but she nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, shakingly, before walking away. I sighed. For people like her, this world is extremely dangerous. Especially a place like an empire, where the influence of the church of the god of war is heavy and spread into every corner. The grey cloaks are church hounds for people like Valentina; they are very dangerous. I stayed on the roof for a couple more minutes before walking out and slept; I have to wake up early tomorrow. Masterful Administrator Lv. 17 Next Chapter: Chapter 196: Laurel Town Chapter 196: Laurel Town ¡°Such numbers?¡± asked Jarvis in shock. ¡°I and my team had seen it with our eyes my, sir,¡± replied the scout team leader. I shuddered hearing the confirmation, but kept my emotions under control. ¡°First, we will catch the bandits before dealing with the implications of other news,¡± I said. Remus Silver hadn¡¯t given me any pressure, but I am feeling it. I haven¡¯t caught a single bandit and if I didn¡¯t bring some today, I might get sent back to the Mirador Hold. I don¡¯t want to go back; I like it here. I have been worried the past few days, since I heard the news of his coming from Silver. It is why, at midnight, when I got the message from my scouts, I came running here. If I succeed, then forget being sent back, I will receive a commendation. ¡°Send the message to Colonel Grennan; ask him to keep his men ready on the other side.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want any bandit escaping our net to roam free again,¡± I said to the mage. I had my reservations about working with Orc-blood, but the man is good. The discipline and experience of his men had got me envious. I hadn¡¯t expected such a thing from the army of merchant nobles. There is a common conception in the empire that the army of merchant states is weak. It is their wealth that is more dangerous; through which they employ legions of mercenaries to fight their battles. ¡°Commander Grennan says his men will be positioned in two hours,¡± the mage replied. I nodded and turned to my men. ¡°Today we have to succeed. Failure is not an option,¡± I said, and we moved to capture the bandits. .... The month ended, and a week passed. Today is an important day for many things. First among them is a shipment of goods from Oksall; it was supposed to come at last month''s end but was delayed. It will arrive in a few minutes, and I heard the shipment was twice the size of what was originally planned. Which made me quite happy, especially now that we had a few warehouses ready. They had just completed the three warehouses yesterday and more will be finished in the coming days. The second thing, my sister is formally ascending to the nobility, and the ceremony is today. Tomorrow, it is a new Baron Lockridge. The Count is coming to attend both of the ceremonies and will spend two nights here at Castel Radcliff. It will be his first time coming to Baronies since he handed me the reins. He is not coming alone; he is also bringing my two would-be successors. There is another news; Major Jarvis took a lot of men to capture a large group of bandits. He also said, there was some worrying news, but he didn¡¯t explain. I hope it is something we can deal with; I want nothing that could jeopardize the trade. Finally, I saw silhouettes of the carriages and felt a joy from deep within my soul. I conceived this idea months ago and spent weeks putting it on paper. Finalizing and signing it with Oksall, before making a dangerous journey and fighting against the bandits. After coming, I got a responsibility, and I performed it to the best of my ability to make the progress, I am seeing right now. I picked up the binoculars, and immediately they got much closer. I could see the train of twenty-five carriages, bringing a lot of goods with them. As they entered inside, the wooden town wall, the guards, led them toward the warehouses. I wanted to go there and watch it all myself, but it was below my dignity. I have to maintain, no matter, how much I want to run there and see. It took them two days to reach here; three times more than if there had been a proper road. Soon, these carriages will have a proper road. Both sides have started constructing the road, and in two to three months, it will be ready. There will be a proper paved road from Amberhold to the Mirador Hold. It would have been sooner, if not for the winter. Last night, it had snowed heavily. The workers, who were working day and night, had to stop but resumed work after the snow had slowed down. They are working even now when the light snow is falling. I looked for a few minutes before going to my office. ¡®Adviser, Vice-Guild-master Martin has come to meet you,¡¯ informed Jill. ¡°Send them in,¡± I replied. Click! The door opened, and a man in his fifties walked in, with two people behind him; a man and a woman. ¡°Vice-Guildmaster Martin, Mrs. Chalise, Mr. Lard. Welcome to the Castle Radcliff,¡± I said. They are from Oksall. Vice-Guildmaster Martin is a member of the Amberhold merchant guild, while man and woman are members of merchant houses in the Oksall. ¡°Thank you, Adviser Silver,¡± said the Vice-Guildmaster. ¡°I know, I shouldn¡¯t ask this, since I had experienced it myself, but how was the journey?¡± I asked, bringing the smiles to the faces of all three. ¡°Bad as you had experienced a few weeks ago; the only thing we didn¡¯t come across is the army of bandits,¡± he replied, to which I smiled. ¡°You will have to suffer the pain for a few months, most. By then, the roads and all the required facilities will be ready,¡± I said to them. ¡°Let''s hope so if the conditions are as grim as they are now; barely anyone would like to trade through this corridor,¡± replied the woman, and all I could smile politely, before turning to the proper business. The goods they have brough are different types. Fertilizers, alchemical ingredients, delicate glassware, and a few more things. Ninety percent of those things will go to the Navr, but around ten percent will be sold to the baronies. I talked to them for a few minutes before they left. They are dead tired from the journey and want to have a hot meal to fill their stomach and a warm bed to sleep in. Both are prepared for them. The merchants needed to be happy; at least until they started to see the profit from this corridor. Once that happens; they will sleep on one street, without a word of complaint. A few hours passed as I worked, checking things and expenses. There are a lot of expenses, thousands of types of them and it is not easy to manage them, especially when you have people to take care of. I am dealing with a huge amount of money, and I need careful in dealing with it. I have to verify everything that others send to me; it is tiring that sometimes, I just want to sign it off and be done with it. ¡°He is fifteen minutes away,¡± informed Zela. I didn¡¯t have to ask her who; I adjusted the things on the desk and gave a few instructions to the clerk standing in the office before walking out of it. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± I asked Wilson, another clerk. ¡°Everything is perfect, Adviser,¡± he replied. ¡°Check once again; the Count is arriving in fifteen minutes,¡± I said, he nodded and walked away. ¡°He arrived,¡± informed Zela, and I saw the familiar carriage of Count Darrow coming toward the castle protected under heavy security. A minute later, the carriage stopped, and I opened its door. ¡°Welcome to the Radcliff Castle, my lord,¡± I greeted, bowed. Count Darrow came out without uttering a single word. Before turning to me with unreadable expressions. ¡°You are doing a wonderful job, Remus. Far better than I had imagined,¡± he said and patted my shoulders. ¡°It is all due to your trust, my lord,¡± I replied. It made a big smile appeared on his face as he turned toward what was behind the gates. I took this chance to look at two unfamiliar people who came with him. They were not his carriage but came out from the carriage behind him. One is a handsome man, in his mid-thirties with light green hair while the other is short, middle-aged brown hair and blue hair. I only glanced at them for a moment, before turning to Count. ¡°Lord Count, I would be glad if you inspected the progress,¡± I said to the man. He was waiting for me to say that; he couldn¡¯t just walk through the gate and inspect it. ¡°Ok,¡± he said, and we walked toward the gate, with guards and two unfamiliar men following. We walked out of the gate and into the town, where in every direction, they would see people working on buildings of various sizes and types. The workers are working on over a hundred buildings. One hundred and seven to be precious. It is not just a warehouse, but also guesthouses, roads, walls, savage system. There are many private buildings, like inns, pubs, and even apartment buildings. I could see Count Darrow was quite shocked. He was not able to see it completely through the carriage''s window as he was seeing right now. He was so shocked by it that he had loosened the hold on his emotions, and I was able to sense some faintly and could tell he was genuinely impressed by the development. It is not just him, even I am impressed by it. It had been a little more than two weeks and it had already taken the shape of the town. By the end of the month. There would be a real town standing here with inns, pubs, and other things. ¡°You have built a damn town,¡± he said finally. ¡°It is all thanks to the guidance, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°I hope you have not spent everything here,¡± he said. ¡°No, my lord, it was just planning,¡± I replied and led him into the town. We walked through the paved roads and watched the building. The Count asked a lot of questions, and I answered them. In these past few months, I have gotten to know him well and aware of what kind of things he likes, how he likes, and the kind of questions he asks. ¡°My lord, as you can see; it will be a town, but it didn¡¯t have a name yet,¡± I said. ¡°Lauryl. It will be the name of this town,¡± he replied, without missing a beat. The man may have flaws, but he is smart. ¡°It is very gracious of you to name this town after your mother, my lord,¡± I said, and a small surprise appeared in his eyes before disappearing. Anna Clementine Lauryl Bast Wilstein is the mother of Count Darrow and Grandmother of Prince Grelt. ¡°I hope it will turn into a place that my mother would be proud of,¡± he said, looking around the town. ¡°I will give my every effort to see it happen, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°I have no doubt you would, Remus,¡± he said and turned back toward the castle.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Next Chapter: Chapter 197: Disturbance In Extreme Magic Region Chapter 197: Disturbance In Extreme Magic Region Count Darrow sat down in his chair and turned to me. ¡°Remus, this is Becker Carlos and Magnus Leblanc; they will be your assistants, and if you are satisfied with them, then your successors,¡± ¡°Train them well,¡± he instructed, introducing two people standing beside me. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± I replied. They came from Count¡¯s territory and from what Robin had told me about them, both of them are good. They were chosen by Count Darrow¡¯s eldest son to be sent here. ¡°These are the files, right?¡± he asked, looking at the files in front of him. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I replied, nodded, took the first file, and started reading it. I have everything prepared for him. Including the files. Everything is written down perfectly, in a language that anyone would understand. He started reading them, and every minute, he would ask a question and I would answer them. ¡°For the first and third bid. You have chosen the lowest and best bid. Why did you choose Thomson-Vilas for the second bid?¡± ¡°From what I could see here, there were many cheaper bids, offering the same quality as them,¡± I smiled at hearing his question; I had expected this one. ¡°Because I wanted the work there to go smoothly; I don¡¯t want to choose a company that Mirador Hold could bully and delay the work,¡± I replied directly. ¡°Good. Seeing some things here, I thought, you have become too idealistic and forgotten realities of the world,¡± he said to which I smiled. He moved to the other files, reading much faster than what my reading skill gave me. He is a noble, with a powerful ruling class. His skills and mine would be far apart, even if our classes were at the same level. ¡®My lord, Major Jarvis is here,¡¯ said the secretary through the intercom. ¡°Send him in,¡± he said, taking a pause from the reading. Click! A second later, the door opened, and Major Jarvis walked inside. I look at the man, who seems to have gotten springs in his legs. It seemed like the mission had been successful. ¡°My lord,¡± He greeted and bowed. ¡°Jarvis caught any bandits?¡± asked the Count directly. ¡°Yes, my lord. One hundred and sixty-seven on our side and one hundred and thirty-two from the other side,¡± he replied, surprising me, as well as the Count. It seemed like; he was telling the truth about there being a large number of bandits. ¡°Were they planning the attack on the caravan to gather in such numbers?¡± asked the Count. Bandit groups are small; even the big ones keep their units small. Gathering in large numbers, only when planning something big. ¡°No, my lord,¡± he replied, and the smile on his face disappeared and his expression became grave. ¡°They were attacked.¡± He added. ¡°Blackwell¡¯s?¡± asked the Count, to which he shook his. ¡°Monsters of the extreme magic region,¡± he replied, and immediately expressions on everyone¡¯s faces changed. The news is really as disturbing as he said. ¡°Were the bandits tried to hunt them?¡± asked the Count cautiously. The bandits live closer to the extreme magic region; it is the best hiding place, where nobody dares to come for them. ¡°No, my lord. From what I can find out from bandits; there was a disturbance. In the extreme magic region, before they were attacked by the monsters,¡± ¡°The bandits I have caught belong to the three groups, with their numbers reaching over seven hundred, but less than half of them have been able to survive the monster attack,¡± he replied, shuddering. He is scared. Hell, I am scared. The monsters of the extreme magic region, are dangerous beyond imagination. They have razed the kingdoms within a single night. There was a silence, but I am sure the Count had been cursing in his heart like I am doing right now. ¡°Was the disturbance being sudden or was building?¡± he asked after nearly a minute of silence. ¡°It was not sudden; they had been hearing disturbance for the past few days before the attack happened,¡± he replied, turning the expressions on both our faces worse. If it had been an instant, then it would have been worrying, but not much. Prolong disturbance and then attack are not good. It means various things, but one of the worst is that a new monster lord had appeared, and the disturbance was about that. If this was the case, then we might be in danger. A new monster lord could sense the horde of monsters toward us as a show of power. It has happened multiple times in past centuries. One time, a few hundred years ago, they destroyed all the settlements that used to exist in the Nakar forest. ¡°Jarvis, keep a tight lid on this news; I don¡¯t want it to leak away and find out more about it.¡± ¡°I will message Dane and ask him to send a team of scouts and a battalion of soldiers; Until then, ask your scouts to keep a sharp eye on things,¡± ordered the Count. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± he replied. ¡°Beaumont, send a message to Blackwell and tell him I will meet him in Blain about these circumstances,¡± he said to the mage standing behind him. She nodded and closed her eyes. ¡°He agreed, my lord,¡± she replied. ¡°It seemed like the success won¡¯t be without obstacles, Remus,¡± he said, turning to me. ¡°There are always challenges, my lord. We will just need to face them,¡± I replied. It might be a one-off incident; things like this happen, but we will need to be careful. ¡°We have invested too much here to back down. If monsters attack, then we will deal with them,¡± he replied. I could only nod while controlling myself not to curse at him. If the monster attacks, he will be the first to run away, like his son did. Major Jarvis left and the Count continued with the files, finishing an hour later. ¡°You have done a very good job, Remus,¡± he said as he closed the last file. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°So, what are you planning to do with the rest of the money that remained in the construction fund?¡± he asked. I smiled and rolled out two papers on the table. One is about the castle town, and one is about Mirador Hold. He didn¡¯t say anything for a few minutes, just kept looking at them. ¡°It is ambitious,¡± he said finally. ¡°I believe it is necessary, my lord. The trade is going to take off and we need to be ready for it; lagging would be our greatest mistake,¡± I stated. I genuinely believe in this trade and want it to succeed. Its success will be my success; the reputation boost I will get from it will help me tremendously. ¡°Fine, I will not stop you,¡± he said, and I felt relieved. For a moment, I thought he would take some funds or divert them somewhere, but thankfully he was not doing it. Even he could see the amazing work I have done so far. The first shipment had come today, and the second was leaving the Amberhold by tomorrow. The goods that came today will stay for a day and leave for the Mirador Hold tomorrow. The small amount of goods that will stay here will be sold to the nobles and businesses they have tied to. According to the agreement, the goods will be sold to the Nakar baronies, which is fine, as most of the barons are merchants. They will keep what they need and sell the rest. That is why many merchants from Greltheaven are coming here in the next few days. Many nobles and merchants have brought the plots, and some started building, with my sister being the most aggressive one. The consortium she is leading with three other nobles is responsible fourth of private construction. She is betting big, and she will succeed. I only hope the monsters don¡¯t attack and spoil it all. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out office, with Count going to his suit to rest. We have to leave for the Blain in a few hours for the accession ceremony of my sister. ¡°Gentlemen, this is your office; I have placed all the information you need to know about your desk. If you have any questions, you can ask it, Lola,¡± I said as I led them into a room. This room had three desks, two for them, and one for Lola; they will work with her and also keep an eye on them to gauge their abilities. This is my baby. I have conceived it and worked hard to sort of take it this far. One of these two men will take my place in a few months, and I want them to be capable; I don¡¯t want them to mess with what I have built. I talked to them for a few minutes before walking into my temporary office. I can¡¯t work in the old one, since the Count is occupying it. It had a simple desk, chair, and shelf, which was more than enough for me. I have some work to do now that the Count has approved what I have done. It is about the work on the castle. I am going to build a dedicated office space, which will have offices conference rooms, and other things that a modern administrative place needs. It will take more area of the keep and will need to shift some barracks out, which wouldn¡¯t have been a problem, but now it could. The disturbance of extreme magic regions could create complications. I will talk to Major Jarvis after the Count leaves, before starting any changes in the castle. I worked for three hours before I went to my suite. I showered and changed before walking out. An hour later, I was in the carriage with Count Darrow, which was moving toward Blain. Aside from Mage Beaumont, we are only two in the carriage. Major Jarvis and a company of soldiers are around the carriage, protecting it from all sides. The Count didn¡¯t want to take any risk and I am glad he didn¡¯t; I liked to be safe, too. ¡°The widening of the roads will begin in the last stage, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, my lord. First, they will connect our boundary and Mirador Hold with a completely paved road, before starting with widening of this old road,¡± I replied. ¡°They are moving fast, but I hope they are not compromising on quality, or we will become a laughingstock to those merchants,¡± he said, looking at me seriously. ¡°I am personally overseeing everything, including the quality checks.¡± ¡°I will not let anything happen. That could besmirch the reputation of our city, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°I know you will not, Remus,¡± he said and once again, turned to the window. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 198: Intoxicating Power Chapter 198: Intoxicating Power The gates of Blain Castle opened, and the carriage went inside; giving a view of the beautifully decorated castle. That horrible paint job my brother did in the castle had vanished, and its place was a simple brown color. Which looked very good. Click! The carriage stopped, and a moment later; the door opened by my sister, with many familiar people behind. There is the madam, whose smile frozen on her face, as she looked at me. She is trying to smile like the rest, but can¡¯t seem to, and it is making her look strange. ¡°Welcome to Castle Blain, Lord Count,¡± said my sister as the Count got out, with me behind him. ¡°I am honored to be here, Lady Silver,¡± he replied with a smile. The Count could be charming when he wanted to be, and he knows how to use it with surgical accuracy. I followed with them, mostly staying silent. However, I did look around at my relatives and some seemed genuinely shocked seeing me walking behind the Count or my rise. I made eye contact with a few like Uncle Thompson, Gerald, and his wife Selina. I want to talk to them, but this time too, I won¡¯t be able to talk to them much. Though I had asked them to let me host them; they will be staying with me for the night. ¡°He is waiting inside, my lord,¡± said Leila. Count just nodded and walked toward the room, with Major Jarvis and I following behind him with Mage Beaumont. ¡°Count Darrow,¡± Ignatius greeted. ¡°Lord Blackwell,¡± said Count and shook his hand before sitting across from him. I and Major Jarvis sat on both sides of him; like the two people around Blackwell. One is a middle-aged man I didn¡¯t recognize, and the other is a man with green skin. Colonel. He had special permission to enter the territory of the empire, but it was restricted to the Nakar Baronies. ¡°The news is disturbing,¡± said Ignatius with a sigh. ¡°It is Lord Blackwell and unless it showed the signs of becoming threatening, we should keep it quiet,¡± replied the Count. ¡°I completely, my lord,¡± he accepted. ¡°I have called scout teams from Mirador Hold for extra help. I hope you will aid on your end,¡± said the Count. ¡°Certainly, my lord.¡± ¡°A scout team is coming from Amberhold; I have also hired a mercenary scout,¡± he said, and a frown appeared on his face. ¡°Mercenaries are fickle; they have a hard time keeping their mouth shut,¡± said Count, with a clear displeasure in his voice, but it didn¡¯t seem to affect Blackwell as the smile on his face remained unchanged. ¡°This one is trustful; I know him personally,¡± he replied, and Count''s expression eased. Fifteen minutes later, both nobles walked out of the room. The ceremony started not long after, and I finally got to talk to some of my relatives when Count Darrow moved to participate in the ceremony. He is not a lord of Nakar baronies; technically it was Prince Grelt, but he had given Count his authority. So, here, he will act at the behest of the prince. ¡°How was the journey?¡± I asked Gerald. ¡°Great. The city had changed so much since I was here last time,¡± he said, with a faint hint of surprise. The Greltheaven is growing rapidly; every week, thousands of new people coming into the city and even they are not enough. Count had been forced to increase the quota of non-empire citizens to meet the needs of the city. He didn¡¯t like the immigrants, but there was no choice but to accept them. He also understood growth of the city is more important than anything else. The faster the city grows; the more money he will earn. He wants to earn as much as possible before leaving when that day comes. I also need to leverage this growth with my businesses, and I am doing that. I am going all in. ¡°Lady Leila Silver, from today you are Baroness Silver; I hope you will work for the betterment of your people and all the citizens of our great empire,¡± said the Count, as the priest handed her the scepter. ¡°I will,¡± she replied. The ceremony ended a few minutes later, and the party started. I once again moved with Count Darrow, mingling with guests. Rarely did I get a few minutes to talk to the people I wanted. ¡°What was that secret meeting about earlier?¡± asked Leila, as we got the chance to talk. She is asking about the meeting we held with Blackwell. ¡°Something I can¡¯t tell you,¡± I replied directly. I can¡¯t tell her; it is very sensitive news, and I can¡¯t risk it coming out. If it came to know, that I leaked it; it would vaporize all the trust I have built with Count. That would be a grave loss. ¡°Will it affect me and my territory?¡± she asked, to which I nodded, after some thought. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, and I nodded and walked away, feeling two sets of angry eyes on my back. When I came, it was just madam. Now, even my Uncle Raymond had joined her. Well, I don¡¯t care. I have achieved something. He could never dream of and there was nothing he could do about it other than get jealous. Which he is, so much that he wasn¡¯t able to control it. Soon, the party ended, and I sat down in the carriage with Count Darrow. ..... I watched the Count¡¯s carriage disappear before I sat on my own and a moment later; it was moving toward the Nakar baronies. I had accompanied Count Darrow to the Mirador Hold after we had attended the ascension ceremony of the new Baron Lockridge last night. We went to Mirador Hold directly, instead of going back to Radcliff castle. The Count had inspected the work and held a meeting with Commander Dane about the disturbances in the extreme magic region before leaving for Greltheaven. I should be able to reach the castle by the evening. Gerald and Selina were coming in the evening, and it would look bad. If I am not present, there to receive them. I pushed those thoughts and looked at piles of stones and other materials by the road, every few hundred meters. They have started building the road on this side too, and they are working fast. While Valentina had officially said, the road would be built by mid of next month, privately she said it would be finished by the end of this month. She might be able to achieve, especially on this side, where it is all wastelands. It is much easier to build the road in a flat wasteland than the forest and the hills. Soon the carriage entered the forest, onto the paved road from the gravel road. It feels amazing to ride the carriage through the forest, where trees on both sides and nothing but a sound of carriage. Occasionally, there would be a sound of a bird or animal, but just that. I stopped reading the book and enjoyed the silence. I wish the person sitting next to me would do the same and would have done it. If not for being engrossed in a thing I had brought for her, she would use every minute to study it. I didn¡¯t disturb her and enjoyed the serenity of the beautiful forest. To be honest, I like living here very much. Especially the power; I have more power than any noble here, and I could do pretty much anything I want. Even Major Jarvis will have to follow the orders that he doesn¡¯t want if I press him. It is so intoxicating that I want to stay here and not return to Greltheaven. I had proven myself valuable enough that the Count would let me stay if I wanted to. He wants me to stay here and hinted multiple times in the past two and a half days. Intoxicating as it may be, but this power is false. It is not my power. If the Count willed it, he could take it all away in an instant. I don¡¯t want to cling to such a fickle thing. I will do my job, learn as much as I can, and return to the Greltheaven to my business. That is where the actual power is. Finally, I reached the Castle and before time; I had plenty of time before they arrived. So, I worked. The Count had gone, but the work was still there. Thankfully, this time, I didn¡¯t have to do it all alone; the two people he had brought were good with experience in administration. That is why I asked Lola to follow around them and learn as much as she could. Those people are professionally trained in administrative duties. There are a lot of things they could teach her and me. ¡°They are here,¡± informed Zela, as she looked up from her spell book. I nodded and walked out of the office, waiting for them. I didn¡¯t have to wait for long before I saw their carriage coming toward the gate. Soon, it entered through the gate and stopped before the guards opened the door and Gerald walked in and behind him, Selina. ¡°Welcome to Castle Radcliff,¡± I welcome. ¡°Remus, you don¡¯t have to come down personally,¡± said Selina as she looked around. ¡°Of course, I have to,¡± I said as I hugged them before leading them inside. ¡°I have heard a lot about you. The things you have been able to achieve, in such a little time, seemed amazing,¡± said Gerald with his voice full of amazement. ¡°Most of it is exaggeration,¡± I replied as I led them to the parlor. ¡°So, how¡¯s Namdar?¡± I asked as we sat. ¡°It is good,¡± he replied before his expressions turned serious. He didn¡¯t say anything, but I felt his privacy skill activating. Selina had also activated her privacy skill before the ring on her finger lit up, activating the privacy spell. I also activated Privacy and turned to Zela and Stone, both of whom, took a hint and walked out of the parlor. ¡°The house is thinking about shifting the headquarters to Namdar,¡± said Richard directly. My expressions turned serious, but they were not enough to show the shock I was feeling. The house is even thinking about means it is a big thing. If it happens, means the House of Silver has decided to play the neutral in the coming conflict. Namdar is going to be neutral, Helena Salazar had already her position loud and clear. Shifting the business there is going to be a costly affair, but if a succession conflict occurs, we would be quite isolated from it in the safety of Namdar. The House of Silver will survive and if we play our cards right, we might even recover the loss and even thrive during the conflict. It also means other things, like the House Leaning toward Gerald as its next leader. Namdar is not the only powerful place in an empire that declared itself neutral, there are two others. Also, it is not without risk. The Undead of Vris¡¯alud had made it quite obvious that he had eyes on it, which is no easy threat. ¡°If it happens. You both going to have a shitload of responsibilities on your shoulder.¡± ¡°I am very glad that I would be here in the wasteland, far away from house politics,¡± I replied, after a minute of silence, bringing the smiles on their faces. Though it had only lasted for a couple of seconds before their expressions turned serious. ¡°I hope you will support the decision. If Grandfather had asked your opinion,¡± said Celina, looking at me in the eyes. ¡°You both know, I don¡¯t participate in house politics,¡± I replied and could see disappointment clouding their eyes, but there was no bitterness in them. ¡°Though, if asked for my opinion between the three places, Namdar would be my choice,¡± I added, and the bright smiles bloomed on their face. ¡°That is all we ask,¡± said Richard. Masterful Administrator Lv. 17 Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 199: Charms and Lust Chapter 199: Charms and Lust Caena Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 200: Returning To Greltheaven Chapter 200: Returning To Greltheaven Kitch! I cut the ribbon, and the people surrounding me began to clap. ¡°Thank you for this honor, Wilks,¡± I said to the middle-aged man. ¡°It is me, thanking you, Adviser. Without your help, it wouldn¡¯t have been this smooth,¡± replied the man, and we went inside the store. This is the ninth store in the town and the biggest one. It is a three-story building, selling everything from soaps to nails. All the stores in the town are single stories tall, but this one is much bigger than any one of them. It seemed like Wilks wanted to take a first mover''s advantage and build a brand. It is quite a risk for a small merchant like him. He had two stores of similar size in the Greltheaven and now he had built a third here. It is a considerable investment and a huge risk, but it will be worth it, seeing the business has already started in the town. The four inns have over 70% occupancy, the apartment buildings already have the renters. The stores are also beginning to earn goods and now with this addition; the nobles might shop here. The baronies have only started developing, and there is not much there. The lords buy things in bulk from the city, for their needs and needs of their people. The people of baronies have already started to shop from stores and now nobles themselves might shop here, as it is cheaper than buying from the city. Once nobles came; the rest will also throng here. It is what Wilks seemed to want to bank on and it''s a great strategy that is likely to work. I will know in a few weeks how well it will work. I looked around the store and talked to many merchants who had come to the city for this inauguration before leaving for the castle. It had been one and half months since I had come here and from nothing, this place had transformed into a proper town. In such a short time, roads, wells, sewers, and walls had already been built, and businesses like inns, guesthouses, and stores had started popping up. The town even has official citizens. There are now three hundred and fifty-three people living in the town officially. They have registered themselves in town, unlike over a thousand workers, who will leave after the work is done, They will remain here, and their numbers will continue to increase. Thankfully, we have housing ready for them and anyone who would want to live in the town. I have built residential buildings and small apartments that even workers could easily afford. However, I won¡¯t be spending more on public housing anymore. As the business has started building them. The public housing was only to show the way, it is private players that will do the rest. Soon, I entered my office and saw someone already waiting for me there. ¡°There was another attack today,¡± informed Major Jarvis before I even sat down. ¡°How many you have caught?¡± I asked. ¡°Not much, around twenty-two. Fifty-four caught by the other side,¡± he replied. ¡°It is getting really serious,¡± I said and sighed. ¡°I need more men and resources.¡± ¡°We also need to talk to the nobles. Some of them have already started to suspect what is happening,¡± he said. ¡°I will personally ask the Count about it tomorrow,¡± I replied. The Count is not as helpful as he should be. It is quite frustrating to deal with that man, especially with messages. ¡°Please do. If they attacked, and we are not prepared. We are going to suffer a lot,¡± he said gravely. ¡°I understand,¡± I said. He left soon after, while I slumped back in my chair. If the monster attacked, it would not only harm men and property but also the business sentiment, which would be very hard to build back. The business had started to pick up; now every day, a caravan would come from the Oksall, with each caravan at least having twenty carriages. In a week or two, that is going to increase further. As the merchants started to earn profit, not only in the Navr but also here in the baronies. The road also made things easy; the Oksall is rapidly building the road through the snowy hills, while we have finished. There is now a completely paved road from our boundary with Oksall to Mirador Hold. Some of the caravans are going directly to the Mirador Hold, without stopping into the town. There is only a widening of the road has remained, but Valentina had said, it would be done before the deadline. I am already happy with her progress; not only hers, but also of others. They are doing a good job, including Thompson-Vilas in Mirador hold. In two weeks, all three contracts would be finished and there was still some money remaining in the fund. I have a lot of plans, but I didn¡¯t spend too much. I am keeping it for the emergency, which I think is a wise choice. The day passed, and the night came. ¡°I have confidence, that you three will handle everything in my presence. Still, if there is any problem, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± I said to three, who have come to send me off. ¡°You do not need to worry about anything, Adviser. We will keep things smooth here till you return,¡± said Carlos. I nodded and stepped into the carriage a few seconds later. The carriage passed through the castle gate, under the moonlight. I going to Greltheaven and couldn¡¯t help, but feel excited about the trip. It had been one and a half months since I had left the city and I missed it very much. Especially my establishment. I wanted to go back much earlier, but I couldn¡¯t. Even now, I had a shitload of work, but I can¡¯t stay here when I am making such an enormous change in my business. I have to be there, at least for a day. I watched the scenery of the beautiful road for a while before turning my focus on the book. While there was a lot of work in the past one and a half months; I also got a lot of reading done. This book I am reading is from the library of Baron Moss. As I finished with all the books, I had brought with me. When I return, I will bring more books back. I read for an hour before closing the book and reclining the seat to sleep. I fell asleep after a few minutes of trying and when I woke up; it was a morning. The carriage stopped for half an hour to freshen up before resuming the journey again. I wanted to leave early yesterday, but work longer to finish up than I had thought. I left at midnight, and now I will reach the city, a little later than I had planned. It seemed like I would need to go to Count Darrow directly. Soon, I could see the city, and every second, it got closer and closer, till I could see it on the other side of the river. The carriage stopped, and I walked out and stepped into the boat, which was already waiting for me. I became a little careful and was glad that I had been surrounded by the guards. Just yesterday, someone important was assassinated in the empire. The assassin came out of the river, and killed a person, before disappearing. Even his powerful guards weren¡¯t able to protect him. I pushed the thoughts of death away and enjoyed the beautiful view. The city looked beautiful in the morning, like a pearl in a desert it is. The ships also seemed to have increased. They have increased. I may have shifted to the Castle Radcliff; I still get the important information about the city, especially on the trade. The trade is increasing; there is a sudden increase in things like processed ore and specialized crystals among other things. Those things are used for many things, including the manufacturing of weapons and war-related things. In the first few months, there were some restrictions on those things from Meldhorn, but in the past two months. They have disappeared; the merchant state is now letting those goods flow unrestrictedly. I wish I could be surprised, but there is nothing surprising about it. The merchant states thrive on war, and they will sell anything and everything if they see enough profit in doing that. It is why people love them and hate them. Soon, the boat stopped, and I stepped out of it before walking into the carriage waiting for me. A moment later, it started moving toward the port gate, while I watched the small but bustling port with a smile on my face. The Greltheaven is really growing fast. I think, if it continues to grow so fast, the single wall won¡¯t be enough to hold all these people. A few minutes passed, and the carriage stopped. Get Ready. I didn¡¯t get out and instead activated my skill. Immediately, all the signs of sleep vanished. So, has creases and little dirt on my suit and shoes, making them clean. I looked at myself before stepping out of the carriage and walking toward the familiar mansion. ¡°He is waiting,¡± said the secretary, as I reached the office. I nodded my thanks and pushed open the door before entering inside. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted Count Darrow and his son. They are not the only two presents in the office. Aside from them, all three advisers, Mage York and Commander Augustus, are also present. ¡°Remus, how was the journey?¡± asked Count Darrow. ¡°Peaceful my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°And progress?¡± he asked. ¡°On time, my lord,¡± I replied, and I took out the files and placed them in front of him. He only glanced at them, before turning back to me, with his expressions serious. ¡°The monster threat. How is it?¡± he asked directly. ¡°Grave, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°The monsters have attacked nearly all the bandits hiding near the extreme magic region. Major Jarvis thinks that they might target the territories next,¡± ¡°It would be great. If we have more resources to deal with attack, that might happen,¡± I requested. ¡°The monsters wouldn¡¯t attack the territories. They have attacked the bandits only because they are quiet to their territory,¡± said Commander Augustus gruffly. ¡°Still, we should be careful and be prepared to deal with it. It would affect the trade adversely if the attack happened, and we weren¡¯t prepared,¡± I insisted and could see it was affecting the Count. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is necessary, Adviser. If some monsters do attack, let the territories handle it. It is about time. They stopped depending on us for security.¡± said Commander Augustus, forcefully. What is his problem? It is clear he is not simply stating his views, but intentionally opposing me. He knows what is happening. I have been sending reports daily. He should understand how desperately we need to be prepared. I may not have a military background, but even I could tell the monsters might attack, especially when I compare their behavior with past precedence. ¡®Is he angry about that?¡¯ I asked myself. Little more than a month ago, when I released the bids. He had sent me a letter asking to give all the bids to Brimble Construction company; one of the top four. Which it didn¡¯t, even a single one. It is the only reason I could think of for a change in his behavior. As before, we had a cordial relationship and worked together relatively well. Now, he is opposing me and if it had been any inconsequential things, I wouldn¡¯t have minded it, but this thing could affect the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people, including mine. I opened my mouth to answer him, but Lancel had cut me off. ¡°Why are you pressing so much, Remus? Is it to protect your family''s territory at our expense?¡± asked Lancel, with a despicable smile on his face. I was about to respond to that when I saw Count Darrow turning to me. ¡°I can understand your worries, Remus, but as you can see, the finances of the city are tight.¡± ¡°The most I could do is send some more men. As for the extra resources, you will have to arrange that with the extra funds you have,¡± said the Count. I wanted to curse at the bastard, but instead, I put on a smile and gave a bow. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, my lord.¡± I thanked. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 201: Purified Chapter 201: Purified ¡®Fucking bastard!¡¯ I cursed in my heart as I got out of the office. He could do more, but he is unwilling to do it. Instead, he asked me to use the money; I had got from plot selling plots in the town. Of which, he had taken the half. If that money had been enough, I wouldn¡¯t have come here begging. ¡°Send a message to Vice-Guildmaster Arryn, and ask him if he has time to meet with me,¡± I said to Zela. I was so excited an hour ago, but now that bastard Darrow threw cold water on all, with that sorry excuse of the city being a tight spot. I have seen the taxes and our spending. The city has a lot of money, but he isn¡¯t willing to spend any. If he could get out of his miserly attitude, he would be able to see with some spending. He could increase the revenue further, but he isn¡¯t willing to see it. It is he, who is single-handedly holding back the city from growing into its full potential. ¡°He can meet with you immediately if you want,¡± Zela replied after a few seconds. ¡°Tell him I am coming,¡± I said. One and a half an hour later, I walked out of Arryn''s office. I didn¡¯t suffer the disappointment there. I stepped into the carriage, and it moved toward the establishment; once again, the excitement had started to build in my heart. It had been more than a half month since I had seen my business. I missed it a lot and I am going to finally see it. Time passed slowly before finally the establishment and circle appeared in front of my eyes and the joy burst out in my heart. They are cloaked in the pink mist, especially the circle. Other than the silhouette, nothing could be seen about it. The carriage went through the gates of the establishment and stopped. ¡°Welcome back, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux as I walked. ¡°It is nice to be back, Margaux, Carla,¡± I replied. My gaze lingered on Carla for a moment longer before turning to the establishment, covered in the mist. ¡°How is the progress?¡± I asked. ¡°They are waiting for us to shut everything. So they could start the work inside,¡± Carla replied. I nodded and walked toward the establishment, which had now become even bigger and taller. It will be five floors tall, just like the circle beside it. This plan I conceived months ago, and wanted to wait for a year, but after the Oksall trip, I realized, I was wasting a precious and decided to take the leap. Looking at the changes. I became even more sure, that it had been a wise decision. I looked at every part before walking inside the establishment, and immediately I felt that familiar feeling. It had become even stronger. It is not a faint feeling anymore that I would need to concentrate to feel it. Now, I could see easily sense it, without focusing. I will have to ask Caena whether others would be able to feel it. I hope they do not; I need to keep this secret of the establishment to myself. In the hall, various teachers are taking the classes. It is the last day; this will happen in the establishment. Tomorrow, they are shifting to a different place and a month later, to the circle, which will be their permanent home. Soon, I reached the place where my office used to be; it had gone and now there is a whole floor. Tens of people could be seen working around, doing all sorts of things. We tip-toed, seeing there was a lot of stuff lying around, including the nails and other sharp things. I looked at everything before walking to the temporary office on the fourth floor. ¡°How is the business?¡± I asked as I sat down. ¡°Good, very good,¡± replied Margaux. ¡°We are doing this expansion at the right time. I would have suggested if you hadn¡¯t started.¡± ¡°The carriages lined to enter the establishment,¡± added Carla. She is not lying; the popularity of the establishment is shooting through the sky, not only city but even outside of it. So much that the gates would close within half an hour of opening. Till the midnight, they will only open for a minute or two before closing. The wonderful ladies and our stellar service are not the only thing responsible for it. ¡°Let¡¯s hope our patrons won¡¯t forget us when we open after a month,¡± I said. ¡°It won''t happen,¡± replied Carla with quite a confidence in her voice. I smiled at that, before taking the first file and started to read it. It didn¡¯t take long for me to finish reading them all. There were only two files, and both of them contained only this week¡¯s reports. Every week, Carla would send the reports to the Castle Radcliff. I talked to them for a few more minutes before Margaux left, leaving me and Carla alone in the office. A minute later, we were doing the things that this room had been used for the past ten months. It was about two hours before we stopped, with our bodies being all sweaty and tired. I want to continue, but there are things I have to do. I can¡¯t spend more time with her, even when I want to. ¡°I missed you,¡± I said, looking at her. ¡°I missed you, too,¡± she said, and we kissed. We are lying on the floor naked with our sweaty bodies and the scent of sex around us, and it is amazing. ¡°Your hair looked beautiful,¡± I said, caressing her soft, curly hair. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with her cheeks flushing. We lay there for a few minutes, soaking in the after-sex feeling before getting up and wearing our clothes. Get Ready. As I finished wearing the clothes, I activated the skill, and immediately, my clothes straightened, and creases vanished. The sweat disappeared from my body and so is the smell of sex. Looking at me; no one would guess I was having sex a few minutes ago. ¡°Nice skill,¡± said Carla, who also has a similar skill, and hers is better than mine and more powerful. ¡°It is really amazing,¡± I replied, smiling. A few minutes later, Carla left, and I focused on the work. Thankfully, there is not much. Carla and Margaux left me none, but as a boss, I have to look at things they have done and see if there are any mistakes. I trust them, but even they could make a mistake. So, it is better to verify everything. ¡®Master Silver, Madam Caena here,¡¯ said the voice through the intercom, and I looked at the clock. She had come right on time; I had asked Carla to send her. ¡°Master Silver,¡± she greeted. ¡°Caena,¡± I said, offering her the seat. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. I am ahead with charms and should be finished with the list you have provided within a month,¡± she said and slid a few pages in front of me. On it is a list of charms I had asked her to create, and she had marked ones, which she has created and imprinted on the establishment. I looked at the list, and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. Once upon a time, she was barely able to create a single charm a day, but now, she is creating three. I looked at the list before taking out another list and started making the changes. I had erased a few and added some more. I had given her an old list a month ago. Since then, I have had more time to think about the changes I am making in the building and business model and which ritual charms would be most suitable for it. The books on hospitality helped a lot; I would need to read more to enrich my knowledge. The only reason I could even create such a long list of charms is because of them. ¡°Will I need to get more resources for them?¡± I asked as I slid the pages toward her. ¡°We have most of the resources, but I will need these few,¡± she said, looking at the list, before taking the pen and writing it down, before sliding the list of seven materials toward me. ¡°It will be done,¡± I said and put the list in my bag, before turning to her. There was a silence for a few seconds before I asked her about the important thing. ¡°Have you purified them?¡± I asked with a hint of excitement. Ashav is still asking me about them, willing to pay a high price. It is not just him, but many times, the Count has hinted that he is willing to buy them, but I always decline. I don¡¯t know what I will do with them, but I do not plan to sell them. At least not yet. ¡°Yes. All of them have purified,¡± she replied, and her expression turned hesitant. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about them,¡± she said after some hesitation. ¡°Is there any problem with them?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. ¡°No, they are completely. It is something different,¡± she replied, and I kept looking at her. ¡°The thing is. The cores are special. They contain a life-and-death element. The ritual was done on you to bond with establishment had been done with the basis of that duality,¡± she said with hesitation. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± I asked her. I understood the meaning of her words, but I didn¡¯t understand the context in which she was speaking. ¡°What I am trying to say is that we should sacrifice the core to the establishment through a ritual,¡± she explained. For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand what she was saying, before I was able to make a sense of it and even then, I didn¡¯t understand more than the basic meaning of the sentence. If it had been a magic system of mages, I would have understood it clearly. It had clear rules, but the magic system of witches was completely different. It works on a completely different set of rules. ¡°What it will do?¡± I asked after more than a minute of silence. ¡°It will strengthen the bond you have with the establishment. Which in turn would increase the absorption and storage of emotions, thus increasing the power of ritual charms imprinted on the establishment,¡± she replied. I didn¡¯t talk for a few minutes. She had said some heavy stuff. I had not expected her would say something like this. It had shocked me to my deepest. ¡°You have given me a lot to think about,¡± I said finally. She didn¡¯t say anything other than to give me a small smile. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 202: Demolition Chapter 202: Demolition ¡°...we need it urgently,¡± said the middle-aged man. There are two people in front of me; they work for a liquor business in Inam. They have come to me for an emergency order; they want a large quantity of the Navr liquor. While they could get that from Oksall, I can get them slightly cheaper. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem. You will have it in three days.¡± I said with a smile. Ina is not Navr, but she didn¡¯t need to be for us to buy the goods from Navr. In these few months, we have proved ourselves enough that we could get the orders with message alone. We have big credit lines with several liquor merchants. If I sent a message now, they would pack the goods immediately and send them by the evening. Tomorrow, the goods will reach the Mirador Hold, by night they will be at my warehouse in the city. From there, these people would take the goods to Inam. ¡°Good. We will be expecting the delivery in three days,¡± said the middle-aged man, and we signed the contract. I watched them leave, before turning to the check in my hands. This is the biggest order I have received from a single person. Five hundred million crowns. Five million imperials. I should start using the imperials instead of crowns; people use them. Only the house of Silver is slightly different. There is a rule in house unless you start earning a million imperials a month. You have no right to use the higher currency. It''s an idiotic, stupid rule, but it has been in the house for nearly millennia, and everybody follows it despite knowing how stupid it is. Due to the stupid rule, I have got so used to using crowns. I am having a problem shifting to the imperials despite its months since I started making over a million imperials a month, months ago. I will need to be more conscious of using it; it is the only way; I will be able to break that stupid habit. ¡°Send the message,¡± I said to Zela, who nodded and closed her eyes. I stayed in my office for three more hours and met a few more people before walking out. Since I came back yesterday; I have been busy. There was not a single minute where I wasn¡¯t doing anything. Till the evening last night, I had talked to various employees. From Margaux to Drev, taking their views and discussing things with them. After that, I watched the establishment for two hours, before I had to attend the party with Valentina. Today was the same. In the morning, I went to Count Darrow where it was as bad as yesterday, before coming back to my office, and now, I am going back to the establishment. I have to meet people there. Soon, the carriage moved through the gates of the establishment before stopping. There are many people around the establishment. Mainly removing stuff and putting them into the carriages. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked Carla and Caena as I walked out of the carriage. ¡°The girls have been shifted. We also shifted their personal stuff; the rest is going to the Nielsons warehouses,¡± she replied. We had shifted the girls at dawn after the last patron left. I have rented a huge place for them, where they will live for a month. It cost me, but there was no other choice. The entire establishment is going to be overhauled. Every single room, from above ground to underground. It is a very expensive change and if it hadn¡¯t been for the profits of the liquor business, I would have needed to take the loan. ¡°Have they arrived?¡± I asked as we walked toward the establishment. ¡°Yes, they are waiting for you.¡± She replied. I entered the hall, and it was a complete mess; people were breaking walls. Putting support columns for demolitions. In a matter of a few hours, they have transformed the whole floor and not just the first floor. The demotions are going on all the floors, everywhere I look, I would see people breaking something. The only place they aren¡¯t breaking is the one I had entered. In the room, there were four people present, aside from Margaux and Valentina. There is a bearded man and a blond woman who look to be in their late thirties. The man is wearing a black suit, while the woman is wearing a blue dress with a purple leather belt. ¡°Merna, Ivan; this is Remus Silver,¡± Valentina introduced. ¡°It is nice to finally meet you, Adviser,¡± said the man. ¡°It is nice to meet you, too. Merna, Ivan,¡± I said as I shook their hand before taking my seat. These two are interior designers. Nielson guilds have their in-house designers and Valentina has some talent in that field as well, but I hired these two. She herself suggested I hire them. Saying their expertise is suited to the vision I have, and I will also be their first client. They have left their jobs to start the company. ¡°So, have you finished?¡± I asked them. ¡°Based on the information you have provided, we have created several samples for the establishment and circle,¡± replied the woman, and activated the slate. A moment later, a projection of an inside view of the establishment appeared. My eyes lit up seeing it. It was amazing and looked beautiful, but most importantly, it seemed to have captured the vision for the establishment I have in my mind. They have been working for three weeks; researching and watching how the establishment works. I have even given them access to hundreds of rough designs I have made and ideas I have written down. Through the messages, they asked all the questions they had in mind, and I answered them all to the best of my abilities. Seeing the design, it is clear. They have worked hard to capture my vision and have been successful at it. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the first floor,¡± I said after a minute of silence. They nodded, and the woman tapped on the runes. Soon, everything aside from the first floor, everything disappeared, and it magnified. ¡°Bring out the other models of the first floor too,¡± I said, and five more first floors appeared in a palm-sized icon, the side of a huge model of the first floor. ¡°All six models incorporate the elements you have asked for,¡± said the man and began to explain in detail. I didn¡¯t disturb him and listened carefully while studying each of the six models. ¡°They are good, but some changes are needed,¡± I said after more than ten minutes. ¡°Please tell,¡± said the woman, and I began. Over 90% of the changes are me taking things I like from different models into the ones I like. Only a small number of changes, I needed to mention, which they applied on the spot. The first floor is going to be the most important one; it is where the biggest changes are being made. It is a kind of gamble, but if it worked, it would bring me enough riches to finance my other plans. It took three and a half hours for all the changes to finalize and another hour and a half for the changes in the circle. The circle didn¡¯t take much, despite being bigger. It is not a place of business and thus; I had given more responsibility to the designer. Let them present their views in consultation with the girls. I have to say; that they have done an impressive job, and it is going to be not as expensive as I had thought it would be. Thought it would still cost a lot. ¡°I hope you will be able to do it in one month,¡± I said to them. ¡°It won''t be a problem, Adviser,¡± said the woman with confidence and walked out of the room with her husband. ¡°So, do you want to watch it, from above to below?¡± asked Valentina. ¡°From above,¡± I said, after a moment of thought, and walked to the fifth floor. There is something amazing going to happen and I want to watch. It is just not me. Even the ladies want to watch it, seeing they are following me. Soon we reached the fifth floor and stopped where Valentina wanted us to stay. ¡°Ready?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°Do it,¡± I said, and the staff in her hand lit up. A moment later, the floor in front of me collapsed, the floor, below it collapsed and the floor below that. All the floors until the first floor collapsed, but not all of them; only a certain section of the inn, from and among each collapsed section, is different sides. Half of the roof above the first floor had collapsed. While only 25% of the floor we were standing on had collapsed. As for why, I demolished part of the roof on every floor because I wanted this five-floor building to have four floors in front. I did it to have the seating area with the high ceilings. Higher than what I currently have. This change is internal. On the outside, nothing had changed; I only made the roofs collapse and not the buildings. ¡°You have a huge work ahead of you,¡± I said to Valentina. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, since the walls are breaking easily this time,¡± she said back, and I smiled. If it had been a small work, I wouldn¡¯t have kept the establishment closed for one month. Valentina will now reconstruct these roofs and laid down enchantments before handing things to the interior designers. It is a lot of work for her and interior designers to do within a month. After the dust settled. I walked down, checking each collapsed roof. Looking at the things, everything seemed to have worked perfectly. Now, the workers are collecting the rubble and bringing it out of the establishment. They will not throw it away and instead; they will reuse it. I had specifically told Valentina to do it. ¡°Master Silver, I have to talk to you about something,¡± said Margaux as walked back into the office. Her expression was serious; it seemed like she wants to talk about something important. ¡°We will return in ten minutes,¡± said Carla and walked out of the office with Caena, leaving me and Margaux alone and the guards. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, hoping everything was right with her. ¡°I hope you will let me resign from the duties of the madam of establishment and give me responsibilities of the circle,¡± she said, surprising me. I already discussed the command structure with them, and the head of the circle would have the same authority as the madam of the establishment in their domain. Both of whom will work under Carla, like Ina is doing. Though, the prestige of the madam of the establishment will be higher as it is a place that earns the money. So, it is like she is asking for the demotion. ¡°Why?¡± I asked after a minute of silence. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 203: Threat Chapter 203: Threat ¡°Thank you, Guildmaster Arryn,¡± I said to the old man. ¡°It is the least I could do for you, Adviser,¡± he replied. ¡°I am grateful for that,¡± I said and stepped into the boat, which began to take me to the other side. I was going to leave tomorrow, but things have changed in the baronies, and I have to leave as soon as possible. After the message, I left the establishment within a few minutes and went to Count Darrow. I didn¡¯t stay for more than an hour before coming to the port where I met the old man. I watched the moon in the sky and wished I could stay one more night in the city. I pushed the melancholic thoughts and turned to Zela. A few minutes later, the boat had reached the other side, and I stepped out of it before walking toward the carriage. It would have been great if there had been a bridge on the river, but I didn¡¯t even bring up that subject. The Count would never agree, and the issue is more complex than the cost it would incur. It has security implications for it. Still, having a bridge would have been nice, especially now with the goods coming from the Navr every day, in large quantities. We are not just importing, but exporting as well, and it would only grow with time. Having a bridge would have made everything more efficient. I pushed those thoughts and looked at the goods carriage behind my own. It had the stuff I had brought from Arryn at a deep discount. I could only afford a single carriage of the stuff and we needed over ten times what it had, but the bastard Count was not willing to spend even a single coin from his pocket. I sighed and sat in my carriage; a moment later, it started to move toward the Nakar Baronies. I took out the book from my bag and began to read it. I have brought a lot of books with me. Most of them are related to hospitality, but there are other subjects as well. I read for a few hours before reclining my seat to sleep. I had to get as much as sleep, I could. With how things are going, I don¡¯t think I would get any sleep after I reach Castle Radcliff. ¡°Mister Silver, we have arrived,¡± said Jon, waking me up gently. I opened my eyes and saw the carriage moving through the town and even now, people are working on things. They are on the night shift; they will stop after dawn and other people will take their place. I wonder how much the news that would be revealed today, will affect things. Soon, the carriage entered the castle and stopped. The guard opened the door, and I stepped out of it. Aside from Lola and two, Major Jarvis is also waiting, and he doesn¡¯t look good. ¡°Have you slept?¡± I asked him. ¡°A little,¡± he replied, and we walked inside. We didn¡¯t walk to my office but on the left wing of the keep. Click! Soon, we reached the thick iron door, guarded by four guards. They saluted before opening the door. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed as I saw the scene inside. In front of me are carcasses of the monsters, in the freezing enchantments. There are nine of them, different sizes and breeds. The smallest one is the size of my hand, while the biggest one is as big as me. ¡°Thanks to the scouts; we got the warning and were able to deal with them on time,¡± he said after seconds of silence. ¡°Any casualty?¡± I asked. ¡°No, but few suffered injuries and resting,¡± he replied. A few minutes later, I walked out of the room and went to my office with Major Jarvis. ¡°It is the first time they have breached our territory, right?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think it will be the last or their numbers would be so low,¡± he replied gravely. ¡°I wish I could bring more help,¡± I said with regret. ¡°I am already surprised you had been able to bring at least something,¡± he said, smiling mirthlessly, a smile I shared. Everybody is aware of the Count¡¯s nature, especially the people from Mirador Hold. Who have been constantly demanding from things, but barely get any. ¡°Well, we have to make do with things we have,¡± I said finally. ¡°There is no other choice,¡± he replied. A few minutes later, he left, and I turned to three. They filled me up with everything that had happened in the past two days. I talked to them and noticed there was some friction between them, but I didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Ask Captain Wright to come to my office,¡± I said as the three were leaving my office. Click! A few minutes later, the middle-aged bald man walked into the room. ¡°You have called me Adviser?¡± asked the man. ¡°Yes, Captain. Please take a seat,¡± I said to him. ¡°So, what do you have for me?¡± I asked him directly. A day before leaving, I asked Major Jarvis directly about the person who knows things in the castle. There are always people like that everywhere. He was surprised but gave me the name of this man. If anything happens, from minor gossip to disagreement, he will have knowledge of it. ¡°A few interesting things,¡± he replied, and I kept looking at him. ¡°A drunken brawl occurred between two guards yesterday; we had caught our first thief....¡± he begins to tell the list of things, some interesting, others interesting. Suddenly, he became a little hesitant. ¡°Nothing will go out of this room,¡± I said, seeing the hesitation. ¡°That Carlos had used some harsh words against your assistant,¡± he said. "What words? Tell me exactly what he said,¡± I asked, and he did after some hesitation. A few minutes later, he left while I went back to work. I am angry with what happened with Caena, but I am not going to deal with it; she will have to deal with her problems herself. It will not be the first time something like this will happen. She will have to learn to deal with it, like Ina had done and like Andrea is learning to do. People would always look down on her and use hurtful words and actions due to what they were. They will have to overcome these obstacles if they want to succeed in life. A few hours passed, and the carriages started coming inside the castle. ¡°They have arrived, Master Silver,¡± informed Lola. I nodded and got up before walking out of the office. Soon, I walked into the room full of nobles. Every baron or baroness had come here. I had asked them to be personally present in the meeting and not send a representative unless there was an emergency. It seemed to have made some of them angry; some were also angry that I didn¡¯t personally welcome them. I have relegated that responsibility to three. ¡°Thank you for coming on such short notice, my lord and ladies,¡± I said to them, as I took the seat. ¡°I hope it is something important, Adviser,¡± said new Baron Lockridge, with displeasure written all over his face. ¡°It is my lord,¡± I replied, before turning to all sitting in front of me. ¡°I have called you all here to share grave news,¡± I said. ¡°We have been sensing the disturbance in the extreme magic region for a month; these disturbances were minor, but slowly they increased and became major,¡± ¡°At first, the monsters attacked bandits, hiding near the extreme magic region. It is the reason why we have been catching extraordinary numbers of bandits lately.¡± ¡°Monsters, my god!¡± interrupted Baron Moss, shaking. I looked at him, and he controlled his expressions. I do not blame the man for interrupting; monsters are dangerous enough to put fear in anyone¡¯s heart. Even Baron Harrods and Baron Lockridge¡¯s expressions have become serious. ¡°If the disturbance had been related to the extreme magic region and surrounding areas, we wouldn¡¯t have, but are moving further,¡± ¡°A small group of them have breached the boundary of the empire yesterday. Thankfully, we have dealt with them, but Major Jarvis and our scouts think this will not be the only attack from the monsters,¡± ¡°They might increase, with bigger numbers, posing a threat to the whole baronies,¡± I explained and saw their expressions turned grave. Especially of the Baron Harrods and my sister. If the monsters attack, their territories will be the first target. Even others have started to look at them with pity, especially those who had territories on the southern side. ¡°Is there really a chance of monsters attacking our territories?¡± asked Baron Harrods. I looked at Major Jarvis. ¡°I couldn¡¯t give a definite answer to you, my lord. The only thing I could say to you, and all is that be prepared.¡± ¡°The monsters attack hard and fast. If we are unprepared; they will tear through the baronies, destroying anything and everything, that will come in their path,¡± he replied. ¡°It is why we need a collective force; that would defend against any of their attacks.¡± ¡°Fort Radcliff is willing to provide everything we could, but our men are limited, and our resources are small.¡± ¡°So, we will need everyone to contribute to the safety of the baronies,¡± I said. Many nodded, but most remained stone-faced. ¡°Have you informed it to the Count Darrow?¡± asked Baron Lockridge. ¡°I have personally informed the Lord Count, and he gave all the help he could, and now wants us to contribute on our part,¡± I replied, and many people shook their heads. The meeting lasted for two and a half hours and I informed them about everything we knew. ¡°It went better than I thought,¡± said Major Jarvis as we walked out conference room. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled about their pledges, Major. They are nobles, and most of them will only give tokens of contribution.¡± ¡°We could only depend upon those on the northern side. It is they who are most threatened, and we should focus on them, the most,¡± I said to the man. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°At least we will get the help, from Blackwell,¡± he said, and I nodded. Yes, there will be help from Blackwell. The monsters are as threatening to us as it is to them. More than us, seeing how much the Amberhold is betting on this trade route. We will be leaving for Fort Renin in a few hours to discuss this threat. I will try to get some resources from him. I do not like it, but what choice do I have? Since the bastard Darrow flatly refused to spend any money on the defenses. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Updated chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 204: Monster Horde Chapter 204: Monster Horde ¡°Baroness Leila had sent this,¡± said Lola, and placed the file in front of me. I nodded and opened the file. It is a file on the inventory of the monsters, or rather what becomes of them after we had sent it to her. Leila acted fast, seeing the opportunity in the danger. She had set up a monster processing plant, in her territory. Where the killed monsters would be cut, cleaned, sorted, and stored. To preserve the magic in them before selling them to the merchants. It had been sixteen days since I had come back and since then; we have killed three hundred and seventeen monsters. One hundred and twenty-two were killed by Blackwell¡¯s people. All these monsters have gone to Blain for processing. The sooner the monsters got processed; the more magic gets preserved. Especially in their blood and meat. The hide, horns, bones, and nails didn¡¯t need to be preserved to keep the magic in them, but it was always better to do it. Monsters are valuable, and these were pure monsters, not the beasts we use who have some monster blood. Thankfully, the Count has agreed to let us have everything we get from selling the monsters. The monster attacks increasing with higher numbers every day. Major Jarvis feels that there will be an attack without a doubt, and it will be soon. We have made as many as preparations we could, but we could have done better, with a little more help. Still, it is quite surprising that despite the monster threat. The trade hadn''t slowed down. It had instead increased and now, every day, three caravans are coming to the town. Which, in turn, made the merchants and nobles invest more heavily in town. More stores, inns, warehouses, and other businesses are popping up in the town. The fourth tranche of plots sold like hotcakes three days ago and they wanted more. The Count wanted me to sell all plots together, but I am selling them in steps, and every time, the rate of those plots would double at least; the last tranche gave a quadrupled rate. 70% of those plots sold are being developed; I am only selling to those who want to develop them. There is only a small quota for people who are buying it as an investment. The trade is increasing at a much faster rate than I thought. If it kept increasing at such speed, it would reach the needed amount, much sooner than I had thought, and I would be able to return to the Greltheaven. The power is intoxicating, but I miss my business. Even now, I want to go back to the city and see through every change that happening, and I might have gone. I had planned to make another trip in the middle of the month, but with this monster threat, I couldn¡¯t go anywhere. ¡®Master Silver. Miss Valentina is here,¡¯ said Jill through the intercom. ¡®Send her in,¡¯ I replied. Click! The door opened, and she walked inside. ¡°How was the trip?¡± I asked. ¡°It was good. I had mostly slept through the night,¡± she replied as she sat in front of me. ¡°You can take a rest if you want,¡± I said, to which she shook her head. ¡°There is no need,¡± she replied. ¡°A lunch then?¡± I asked, to which she nodded. I took her to the kitchen where we had lunch, before walking out of the keep and sitting on the carriage. It is an open carriage; it would be better suited for our job today. It is a formality. The last inspection and she will be done. The road is finished and also the extra work I had given to her consortium. Today, I will be checking the roads with her, before signing off on the progress. I had already inspected the work, and this would be just a few hours of carriage ride in nice weather toward the boundary before coming back to the castle. ¡°The town is developing well,¡± she said as the carriage rode through the town. ¡°It is. The trade is going well with the Oksall, and it is attracting more people and investments,¡± I said. The town now has over seven hundred people as official residents. ¡°We are thinking about developing a quarry in Baron Wilson''s territory,¡± she said softly while looking at the town. ¡°Is quantity big enough?¡± I asked. ¡°We have done some tests; the amount of stone it is big enough to be worth the investment,¡± she replied. ¡°Then you should buy it. The way the trade is developing. The stone will be in high demand,¡± I gave my views. Visit for Advanced Chapters. Chapter 205: Bram Valley Chapter 205: Bram Valley ¡°What is the progress?¡± I asked Zela, as we rode through the forest. ¡°The town has been locked down. The reinforcements are moving toward the destinations, the teams leave for their designated places...¡± Zela recounted everything. It had been half an hour since we had started moving and it would take us around an hour more to reach the Bram Valley. ¡°Why are coming to fight Remus?¡± asked Valentina suddenly. I turned to her, but didn¡¯t answer immediately. She is not the only one who has asked this question. I am asking this question to myself, repeatedly. In all the planning and everything, I have never counted myself fighting. I always thought I would be in the safety of the castle, but here I was riding to fight against the horde. ¡°It is my responsibility,¡± I said after a minute of silence. This is the only answer that felt right. I conceived the plan from the beginning, went to Oksall for it, and in the past two months, I have brought it to reality. I felt the responsibility for it. That is why instead of running back to the castle like I had decided. I am riding the horse toward the most dangerous battle of my life. If the information is right, then it would be even more dangerous than anything I had faced before, including the undead army and bloody plants in the Navr¡¯s dungeon. Half an hour passed and when I sensed another group coming toward us. Soon, they became visible and joined our groups. As they did, their skills spread into our making, making our horses go slightly faster and their gait more stable, along with making riding a little more comfortable. ¡°Adviser, I had not thought you would personally come and even bring Mage Valentina with you,¡± said the old man as he brought his horse beside mine. ¡°Neither am I, my lord, but conditions are so grave that we all need to contribute, as it may be,¡± I replied, and he nodded. He contributed a lot. Half of his people had already been at Bram Valley for more than a week and now, he had brought another group with him, including his son. He and my sister had given the most in the defense, while some, like Lockridge, had only sent a token. Even those he sent were one of the weakest. I wish I could say there are only a few like him, but no, more than half of the nobles did the same. Thankfully, the southern Barons didn¡¯t hold back. They had sent every man they could and also the things that could help in defense. Finally, we could see the Bram Valley. It is the place edge of our boundary. Half of the valley is in Oksall¡¯s territory, while the other half is in ours. Which makes it a prime spot in our joint defense. Because if it had been wholly in our control or control of merchant states, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend it. The relations between the Merchant States of Western Zenid and the Harsoth Empire had only started to thaw. There are still many restrictions. One of the biggest is that we couldn¡¯t take the armies into each other''s territory. It would be a grave violation of sovereign rights, and an exception is impossible with our current relations. We have applied for that and didn¡¯t get permission, which is why we chose this spot to stop the monsters. Here we could fight together, and armies could move freely as the boundaries are not perfectly demarcated. There is only one line. One side belongs to merchant states, and the other belongs to the empire and I could interpret it in a hundred ways. We have freedom here and there won¡¯t be any complaints from higher-ups on both sides. There is an army of four and a half thousand standing there. Two thousand men are from us, fifteen hundred are from Blackwell, and the rest thousand are from the baronies. 70% of which were contributed by the southern baronies. Soon, we entered the valley, and it was beautiful, with lush green hills and a small stream of water flowing through the middle. It is such a peaceful scenery, which is going to be going to be destroyed in a few hours. The battle won''t spare anything. We stopped as we reached the army and got off our horses. Blackwell was already there, and also my sister. I also saw Alaric, her friend, and familiar people from many baronies. Only two leaders have come personally from Baronies. My sister and Baron Harrods, while others have only sent their men. ¡°Lord Blackwell, Baroness,¡± I greeted. ¡°Adviser, I had not expected you would be participating against the horde,¡± he said, looking at me with surprise. Not only him, but even my sister looked surprised. ¡°I also did not, my lord, but we all have to do our parts,¡± I replied. He seemed to be taken aback a little by my words, but nodded. ¡°So, what is the progress of the horde? Did we have an accurate number?¡± I asked. ¡°According to scouts, the number of monsters seemed to be between three to five thousand, and they will be here in an hour,¡± he replied, and I nearly sucked my breath. I really hope the number isn¡¯t at the maximum or we will be truly fucked. The monsters are dangerous, and like us, they also have a different level of powers. The powerful ones are truly dangerous. ¡°Did we know anything about horde leaders or powerful monsters in it?¡± I asked, and his expression became serious. ¡°Majority of the monsters seemed to be Grade 1, but many Grade 2 have been spotted. The leader is definitely a Grade 3, and it might not be only Grade 3 there,¡± he replied. I wanted to curse badly, but I controlled myself and laughed. ¡°It seemed like the monsters were really coming with the intention to wipe us out,¡± I said, bringing a smile to their faces. ¡°In the past few days, the scout that Lord Blackwell hired has noticed some strange things in an extreme magic region.¡± ¡°When everything calmed down, I planned to go and take a look,¡± said Leila, after seconds of silence. ¡°Is it expanding?¡± asked Valentina, making my expression stiffen. ¡°The scout couldn¡¯t tell, but he is sure the reason behind the disturbance is not something as normal as the emergence of a new leader,¡± she replied. Everyone¡¯s expressions turned serious, hearing that, but I could also see some faint excitement in the eyes of my sister and Blackwell. The extreme magic regions expand and shrink. It is not rare, but not common either, but when these things happen, they rile the monsters and also present opportunities to people who are daring enough to get them. We were talking when Major Jarvis came with the old man, who was present with Blackwell when the Count met with him at Blain. ¡°Adviser,¡± greeted Major Jarvis, with a little more respect than usual, before turning to Valentina. ¡°Thank you for coming Mage Valentine. A Geomancer like you will be immensely helpful against the monsters,¡± he said. ¡°I am Mage Major. Though I would be more than happy if I reach Level 30 after this battle, then you can definitely call me Geomancer,¡± she said, bringing a smile to his face. Specializations didn¡¯t consolidate before Level 30. So, they could only be called by specialized archetypes after reaching level 30, which is especially hard for the mages. Experience and battles are not enough; they also need to have knowledge of the field they are specializing in. It was why, despite fighting hundreds of battles, many mages were never able to cross that threshold in their life. Major Jarvis took Valentina; he needed her help before the monsters arrived. We have already made the preparations for the monsters. There are traps and trenches, sharp wooden spikes that would even bear the holes in the tough hide of the monsters. Aside from that, there is another surprise, which is our biggest weapon against the monsters. It is best to be used in a space like a valley, where monsters will be in big numbers, with a little freedom. Such conditions are bad for us too, but the disadvantages are worth it, seeing our strategy. ¡°Mister Silver, there is a message from Lola,¡± informed Zela, and there is something in her expression. ¡°She reached the Baron Homer¡¯s castle, right?¡± I asked. It is the only way she could send a message. I had already sent the message to Homer, and he promised me her safety. So, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem. ¡°Yes, she did, but on the way a few minutes after we left, Fang escaped from her arms,¡± she replied. ¡°He escaped?¡± I asked back, not believing what I heard right, to that she nodded. It was the first time he had done something like this. He never escapes, he might wriggle in the arms of people he doesn¡¯t like, but never escapes. ¡°They tried finding him, but he disappeared,¡± she added. He had chosen the worst time to escape. Not only because I couldn¡¯t go searching for him right now, but also because the monster horde was coming and if any monster came across him, they might attack him. ¡°Inform all the teams; give them his description and ask them to capture him, if they see him,¡± I said, this is all I could do. ¡°Half an hour; the horde is half an hour away,¡± the loud voice informed the army. Everyone had already gathered in their respective places, including me, who was in the middle. My sister, Baron Harrods, Alaric, Stone, and a few others are at the front, while Blackwell and Valentina are on the hills. I only have Jon and Zela for my protection. I wish Shaun had been here, but he was with Ina and Andrea, along with Hugo. Stena is in a city, while Eli is in Castle Radcliff. Time passed, and I got updated on the horde''s progress. They are coming toward us; they get attracted to places where people are, and we are also burning a few things that attract the monsters. ¡°Ten minutes,¡± informed the guard. I was looking ahead when I heard a small commotion behind me and a few seconds later, a group of guards came with one of them, holding a small wriggling monster in his arms. ¡°It is a good thing, you have notified us Adviser or some of the people unfamiliar with him might have shot him,¡± he said and handed me Fang. ¡°Thank you, Captain Oliver,¡± I said to the man. He nodded and walked back to his position while I turned to the little monster in my arms, who was looking at me with puppy eyes. ¡°You have no idea how much trouble you are,¡± I said to him. It is a good thing; the captain handed him to me. As there is no place safe here. I couldn¡¯t just leash him to the tree or put him in the box, which would definitely get him killed by the monsters. He is not safe with me too, but it is still the safest place for him on the battlefield. ¡°You will listen to me now,¡± I said and touched his head with my fingers and closed my eyes before activating the Command Projection. A few seconds later, I opened my eyes and placed him down where he stood with alertness. Fang is a puppy-sized dwarf monster. He had not been trained to fight, nor I wanted him to be. I have been training him as a companion. I hope I will be able to protect him. I had asked him to stay around me and avoid any monsters. He might be able to do it, he is much faster than he looks. If he wasn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to get away from the guards, chasing him. Cry! A few minutes passed, and I heard the first cry of a monster. It came from a red bird, which is bigger than me. It is not alone, behind it is a whole group. Instantly, the whole army becomes alert, ready to attack the monsters at command. Visit for Advanced Chapters (10). Chapter 206: Battling The Horde I Chapter 206: Battling The Horde I Thud Thud Thud A few seconds after the birds made their appearance; I began to hear the faint shaking under my feet, which started to get louder by the second. Everybody turned serious and gripped their weapons tightly. Even Fang¡¯s ears became taunted, but he remained in the position I had asked him to. More and more monsters gathered in the sky, but they didn¡¯t attack. They just circled at a distance, away from the range of most attacks. Some of our people and tools could target them, but didn¡¯t. They are waiting for the right time. Seconds turned into minutes, and now the earth beneath our feet had started shaking wildly like an earthquake, and the sound we were hearing felt like that of the ringing of a thousand drums. It is so scary enough that every part of my body is asking me to throw my sword and run away. It took me a few seconds before I was able to control myself. Unlike me, all the people beside me had enough experience to not feel overwhelmed by such emotions. Especially Zela and Jon. They had to make a journey around the extreme magic region to get out of Mayhurst Island. A few seconds passed and I finally got the glimpse of the monster horde, and it shook to my heart that I unconsciously took a step back. ¡°They came,¡± said Jon, looking at the monster horde, which filled the small valley within a second. Their numbers seem endless, continuously filling the valley without an end. In a few seconds, they got closer, and I could see them more clearly. In the tide, I could see monsters of all sizes and shapes. Having Different colors and powers. The majority of them bear the likeness to the animals, like elephants, wolves, lions, hogs, and many others, but some looked completely different. Though, I will be wise to remember that, these are not animals, but monsters. They will easily tear through us if we give them the chance. Roar Cry Roar! Most of them belong to a species that I couldn¡¯t name, and they are coming at us with roars and cries that begin to shake the hearts of people like me. The birds that were circling the skies, at a distance away, let out loud cries and began to come toward us like their land kin. Finally, the horde reached the place we wanted. The first line of monsters begins to fall into the ground, to the deep pits. Lined with a bed of spikes. Where those sharp wooden spikes pierced their hides and killed them painfully. After the meeting with the nobles, sixteen days ago, I had gone to meet Ignatius, where we decided on this spot and started to make the preparations the same day. We took help from the construction companies and called the trap masters to create these traps. It took a considerable money, and we had to pay half of the bill. Thankfully, the baronies contributed a lot. The money we have spent is worth it. Seeing how monsters are falling to their death. These pits are huge and deep and within a second, hundreds of monsters fell in them and died a horrible death, but it was not enough to make the monsters stop. Roar Cry Roar! The pits didn¡¯t stop them and instead enraged them even further. The monsters stomped through the bodies of their dead comrades and moved toward us with even greater fury. Unfortunately for them, the pits are not the only thing we have. We have something more; something truly destructive. Boom Boom Boom As the monsters crossed another line, our real weapons started their attacks. Fifty-seven cannons from the hills shot the cannonballs at once, with a defeating bang. It was loud and filled with the power that even monsters seemed to have slowed down hearing them. Even they could tell something destructive coming at them. The cannonballs struck them with great velocity, which crushed their bones, and some cannonballs just tore through them before exploding into colorful death. The cannons of this world differ from the earth. Here, they didn¡¯t use the gunpowder. Instead, they use the energy crystals, with an alchemical compound. It creates a powerful blast; that could even explode through the thick hide of the monsters. The monsters got furious at seeing the barrage of cannon balls raining down on them. ROAR! Suddenly, a loud came out from the middle of the horde. It cut through all the sounds of monsters and cannons. It is from the leader. Immediately, the monsters came faster toward us with greater fury and also began to move toward the cannons in large numbers. The birds, which were circling high in the sky, finally attacked. A large number of them dived down toward us, while the wind blades, lightning bolts, and other elemental attacks came down from above. As the birds moved, we also acted; our archers on the hills pulled up their bows and started shooting the arrows. This is not all. The twelve ballistas revealed themselves and began to shoot the monsters high in the sky, that are attacking us with the elemental attacks. At the same time, the special archer squad of Blackwell begins to target the monsters with those big crossbows. More than half of the cannons came from Blackwell. All ballistas belong to him and also this squad of monster-hunting archers. He only has a squad of them, and he had brought them here from the amberhold. The arrows and ballistas begin to hit the monsters, while their attacks are being defended by our mages. The monsters began to fall from the sky and even then; it didn¡¯t stop their attack. They keep attacking, with a few of them avoiding the arrows and coming to attack the archers. The archers are not standing alone. They are surrounded by a group of men, who will protect them from any monster attack. I looked at the archers on the hills for a few seconds, before focusing on the monster horde coming toward us. There is now only three hundred meters of distance had remained between us. I knew that because archers and mages standing between us had begun their attack on the monsters. Roar Roar Roar! The monsters are no weakling, and they roared and began to launch the attack on their own. There are less than 5% of the elemental monsters there, but seeing their numbers are in thousands. They have more monsters, casting elemental attacks than we have mages. They might have numbers and power, but we are intelligent, and we are using it to close the gap of power between us and monsters. Hope we are successful in defeating them. As they came closer, a barrage of spells flew at them, from ice lances to fireballs to wind blades. We threw everything we had at them. However, the spells that affected them most were earth and water elemental ones. They were being cast by Valentina, Zela, and other people, and they slowed the powerful momentum of the monsters. They reduced their speed by creating earth shields, mud fields, and water spells like hydro bursts and water walls. Not to mention; they are also using killer spells like Earth Spikes and Water Binds to kill the monsters. The range spells and arrows killed a lot of monsters, but they finally reached us, and it was time for us to fight a bloody battle with them. I gripped my sword tightly as I watched the monsters crashing against the first line. Despite being reinforced by the spells; the monsters pushed them back, before breaching the line. We begin killing the monsters with our weapons, but monsters are also killing us. I saw a big lion monster, tearing the head off of the person, while Ultol, a glitter-eyed hyena, tore the neck of another soldier. These monsters are powerful and vicious. We have to kill them as soon as possible or it will be us that will be wiped out by them. Monsters wiped out cities in a matter of hours. With their power and strong bodies, it is not much of a difficult thing for them. Here, there are a sufficient number of monsters to do that. So, we must finish them as quickly as possible. Seconds passed before finally, the monsters came in front of us, and their number was greater than I had imagined. I shook seeing them and the fear in my heart was much deeper than just a reaction to seeing the large number of monsters at a close distance. The fear is from deep within my heart. It didn¡¯t belong to me, but to the old Remus who had been killed by the monster. Old Remus loved to fight monsters. He killed many, till was killed by one. Now, I am feeling that fear and fury he had left behind. I took a deep breath and controlled my emotions. If I let those emotions get the better of me; I will die. I need to be in complete control of myself and not let those emotions control me. Hun! A moment later, a monster appeared in directly front of me and made a weird noise between clicking and whistling. It looked at me for a fraction of a second before leaping at me at a very fast speed. It is a Lemur monster, with red-fur and grey strips. It is twice the size of the normal Lemur and has extra-long claws, which it is going to use to tear my neck off. I wanted to run away from the monster; use the skill and dodge as fast as I could, but I didn¡¯t and instead remained on my spot. I could feel the joy on the monster''s face, seeing me frozen in my place. Thinking, the victory is already in its claws. My heart is thinking the same. The monster didn¡¯t even take a second to reach in front of me and attacked. Seeing that, I didn¡¯t waste any time and took a step back and then a sharp left with Rapid Legs and swung my sword hard with Swift Blade. The monster got alarmed seeing that, and it acted fast, but I was faster. Pachack! My sword reached it in an instant, with enchantments blazing on its blade, before touching its neck and cutting it smoothly like butter. A moment later, the blade came out cleanly, killing the monster. Hun! I didn¡¯t get even a moment to celebrate the victory before I swung back my sword at another Lemur monster coming from behind. Clang! Quick Parry, I activated the skill a moment before my sword clashed against its claws, and deflected the attack, before attacking it, swiftly. Pachack! It tried to defend against the attack but saw my sword cut through its neck, as the enchantment on its blade flared again. ¡®It worked,¡¯ I muttered. I had doubts whether the Quick Parry would work against the monster¡¯s attack. I had asked Major Jarvis and even Baron Harrods, and both of them said, it should work. It did, and there was not the slightest resistance being used against the monster. It seemed like I could use it to parry any attack and it would work, as long as I used it against the attack. It made me relieved. This skill, going to be very useful in helping me survive this battle. Visit and read up to 10 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 207: Battling The Horde II Chapter 207: Battling The Horde II Bam! The huge blue gorilla swung its fiery fist, which would have blasted me to the smithereens, but instead, its fist crashed against me. It had crashed against the watery wall that suddenly materialized in front of it. At the same time, the watery tentacles came down from the ground and bound it. Sizzling under the fire that spread from its first to vaporize it. Though, before it could evaporate those water binds; an enchanted spear came from behind and pierced through his chest. The blue gorilla monster died, but no one celebrated. There were too many such monsters everywhere to have even a second to celebrate. Hun! The gorilla monster had just died; when I saw aireni, a wind-clawed puma, with pure white fur attacked me. It leaped at me. If it succeeded, the monster would make me fall with its weight and tear my head off with its sharp teeth, and pierce those sharp claws into my heart. I reacted instantly and attacked it with Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. It saw the sword coming and changed its position to the right, stepping on air as if it was solid before coming at me even faster speed. I had been expecting it and moved my sword right toward it, faster than before. Aireni, is a wind elemental monster; it could use the wind elemental in its claws to step into the air. It makes it very hard for enemies to strike when they can step into the air. Thankfully, it couldn¡¯t do it for more than one or two times at each leap at its current grade or it would be a terrifying monster. Clang! My sword moved to strike its head, but it swiftly blocked it with its claws. The enchantments flared and the blade, which could cut through the metals, stopped by the big claw. I took a step back to manage the shock and create a distance, but it didn¡¯t give me a chance, and attacked again. I reacted instantly, by attacking it, despite my hand hurting. The claw held an impressive power. If my stats hadn¡¯t been high, I would have dislocated my shoulder. I am glad that I had leveled up a week and a half ago in my main class. I used the attribute point to take my vitality to ten. It had been a wise choice. If I had used it on the mental attributes like I had wanted to, I would have regretted it a lot. Clang! Once again, I stopped its attack with my sword. Growl! It landed on the ground and growled at me. It had also cast a glance at Fang, at my feet, before focusing on me again. It leaped at me once again, and this time, much faster, with its claws glowing with power. Clang I swing my sword and stop the attack with Quick Parry. It is a good thing; I have used the skill because the shock is more powerful and without it, I would have dislocated my shoulder or worse, broken the bones. The skill is not the only one that helped me with it. It is also the footwork that helped me distribute the shock quickly. Clang Clang! It attacked again, and I defended before attacking, which it had stopped with its claws. The enchanted blade barely seemed to have any effect on it, except for making it angrier. A few more seconds passed and not it could do anything to me, nor I was able to do anything to it. I couldn¡¯t touch it while in the air, where one was most defenseless. It would always defend, even when it was falling. It is so agile and fast, that nothing seems to be working against it, but I have to find a way. Till now, I have been lucky, that no other monster has attacked me, but I won''t be forever, and I have to finish it before that, or I won¡¯t be able to deal with the other monster while engaging with it. It will not let it happen. ¡°Is that all you got, kitty? I thought you were one powerful monster, but you couldn¡¯t even touch me,¡± I taunted and attacked the monster. Growl! It growled. It might not be able to understand me, but it seemed to understand the emotions, seeing how it had become angry. Clang! It stopped my attack, with its claws before opening my mouth and releasing the wind bullet. Fuck! I cursed immediately, seeing that as the fear filled my heart. I read only Grade 2 monsters aireni could launch the air bullets, but it seemed like the information I had read was not complete or this one little special. I don¡¯t care for what it is; the most important thing is that I had to dodge the attack. That is what I am doing, using every bit of speed the Rapid Legs give me and even it didn¡¯t seem to be enough, seeing how fast that wind bullet is coming at me. Rip! The air bullet hit me, piercing through the flesh of my arm, and creating a small hole just above the bone. If it had been struck a few centimeters below, the armguard would have been defended against it and a centimeter left and it would have gone for my heart. Even though I am wearing a chest plate, nothing can be said when it comes to sharp elemental attacks like this. Many times, people take risks, thinking their defensive tools will help them, but they overestimate the defenses and end up losing their lives. I don¡¯t want to be one of those people. ¡®It had nearly killed me,¡¯ I thought, as I moved my sword toward the monster coming at me. It had not just launched the air bullet at me, but also came at me after. If its first attack didn¡¯t finish me; it wanted to do it with a second. Clang! Thankfully, my sword reached it in time and was able to stop it. I was trying for its legs, but the monster was too fast. It had stopped my sword with that powerful claw. Sending me back, before attacking me again. Clang Clang Clang Time passed as I attacked and defended. I tried to take out its legs and head countless times, but the monster was too fast. It would always stop my attack. ¡®I have to do something, or it will be too late,¡¯ I thought and searched for options, and it didn¡¯t take long for me to think of one. It is my skill. The first I got in the combat class. I used it quite many times in the past, but rarely used it recently as most of my opponents would counter it, but it could work against this monster, like it had against those dumb zombies. With the mind made, I activated Consecutive Strikes, along with Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. These three skills put pressure on me, but I bore it and attacked the monster. Clang Clang Clang! It defended and attacked again, and I countered it without losing the rhythm of the skill and attacked again. Unlike the people who could recognize the skill and move to break it. The monster could only sense the danger with its instincts and nothing else. I attacked and defended without breaking the rhythm of the skill and slowly it got stronger and stronger, before I knew it, I had used it twenty-four times, taking its power, higher and higher. The monster senses something wrong, seeing the way it is growling, but it can¡¯t tell what is wrong. I continued with the attack without breaking the rhythm, which is harder than it looks, and I had to take the risks. Finally, I used it thirty-sixth times and moved to thirty-seven, where the power of the attack increased further. Clang! This time, the monster was barely able to stop my sword on time. If it had been even a fraction late, I would have cut the bastard''s legs. Growl! It shook the monster, and it growled at me angrily, before releasing the wind bullet at me and leaped for my head. This time, I didn¡¯t move to dodge the attack, but I couldn¡¯t. The bullet is too close. The monster had learned from its last mistake and launched the bullet from a close distance I couldn¡¯t dodge. Since I couldn¡¯t dodge the bullet; I swung my sword at it, harnessing every bit of strength my body and skills could give me. My sword moved faster than it had ever been and reached the bullet in an instant. Clang! My blade clashed against the bullet, and sparks flew. Rip! I felt the strain on my arm due to the sheer momentum the bullet had before the enchantment of my sword flared to its peak and started to cut through the bullet. A moment later, my sword cut through the bullet, with two ends moving past me from both directions, with much less speed and power, while my sword continued toward the monster. It is shocked and alarmed seeing my sword coming for its head. It had learned from the last time. It had launched the wind bullet from an even closer distance and targeted my head. It is a sound strategy for its small brain, but even it didn¡¯t think I would take on its bullet. Now, my sword was moving very fast toward its head, and to survive it, it was trying to leap higher into the air. It had no other choice. If it came to me, to bite my head, I would decapitate it. This way, way, it wants to save its head from my sword and block my sword through the claws of its hind legs. Unfortunately, they won¡¯t be able to stop my sword. They are slow. It had made a mistake from the beginning and now leaping into the air. It had given me a clear way toward its stomach. I finally got the opportunity, and I will be damned. If I missed this. Soon, my sword reached it and its hind legs, which it had been counting on to stop my sword, had yet to reach me, like I had been expected. I could see the terror in the monsters¡¯ eyes. As it tried to step into the air again in its panic, slowing its momentum further. People aren¡¯t the only one¡¯s panic and make mistake after mistake; monsters are also the same. Hun! Finally, my sword reached its belly, and I felt the air resistance appear, but it was far weaker than what the bullet had and my sword tore through it, before touching its skin. My sword began to cut through its skin, slowly stopping only when it reached its bone and even then, it didn¡¯t stop for long and started to cut through it. Monster bones are tough as metal and even tougher than it, but my sword has sharpness, enchantment, and a great power behind it. Pachack! So, it cut through its bones one by one, before finally coming out from the other side. Diving the monster into two pieces. Visit and read up to 10 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 208: Purple Claws Chapter 208: Purple Claws Thud! The two parts of aireni¡¯s body fell to the ground. Splashing some of the gore on me. I wanted to use Get Ready to clean it up, but I didn¡¯t. Every skill is important, and I shouldn¡¯t use it unless it is extremely necessary. I pushed that thought and took out the healing potion swiftly from my pocket and poured it, on the wound, before taking a small sip. Thankfully, the wind bullet had caused only a small wound. The bullet was thin, like a thick needle; the hole it had left behind had stopped bleeding in a couple of seconds. If it had a Grade 2 aireni¡¯s wind bullet; I could forget using my hand or might not have the hand. ROAR! I was putting on the potion bottle in my pocket when heard the loud roar that pierced through all the noise that battle was making. The roar of the leader. My heart tightened hearing it. It is definitely a command and I really hope it isn¡¯t something bad. For a few seconds, there was nothing, before I started to hear the gaggle of faint squeaking noises, which started to get louder rapidly. I didn¡¯t get a good feeling and when I saw the things making the noise, fear couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. Ilbrs. The green-eyed rats and there are hundreds and maybe thousands of them and they were coming, attacking anything and everyone. That was in their way. Each one of these rats is as long as my arms and has dark brown fur and long sharp teeth and claws. That could tear through the bones. Individually, they are not hard to deal with, but in groups, they are terror. A group of them could eat a man in less than a minute and it is why people aren¡¯t letting them form the group. They are attacking every rat; they come across, but the rats are not the only monsters we are dealing with. There are other monsters as well. The rat monsters took advantage of that. Ahhhhh... A group of rats surrounded a man and covered him as he fell to the ground. His mournful screams rang for seconds, but cut abruptly. No one was able to help the man before he died horribly at the hands of the monsters. A few seconds later, rats left than place, leaving nothing other than torn clothes and metals. The rats ate everything from hair to nails, leaving nothing of his behind. They are really a terror and soon that terror will be on me. Squeak Squeak It didn¡¯t take long before two rats appeared in front of me. They looked at me for a moment, before coming at me from the left and the right. They were fast, and I wanted to run at them to finish them as quickly as possible, but I didn¡¯t and instead, I stayed on my spot, till they were directly in front of me. That¡¯s when I acted and moved at the highest, speed that Rapid Legs could give me before appearing behind the rat monster on the left and attacking it with Swift Blade. Pachack! The monster sensed my attack and tried to dodge it, but my sword was fast and able to decapitate it before it could dodge the attack. Hun! I moved toward the second rat and swung my sword at it when I noticed something. I saw two more rats coming, and they were moving toward Fang. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed loudly, with fear and panic rising in my heart. Fang is scared, seeing how he took a slow step back. Anyone would be scared. Hell, I am scared thinking about what they will do to him. I couldn¡¯t do anything to help him, as I was already doing it. I am moving toward him, while my sword moves toward the rat in front of me. I hoped Fang would use that agility and dodge those rats; it wouldn''t take me more than three seconds to reach him. Pachac! My sword cut the rat into two and moved toward the two rats who were on Nero. They attacked him, and he dodged them by leaping high in the air. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. He may be small, but he is fast and agile. If he ran at full speed, I couldn¡¯t catch him, even with the full power of skill. Hun! I was watching him in relief when he did something shocking. Instead of moving away, he performed a maneuver in the air. That helped him dive back toward the rats. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I shouted. ¡®What is happening to him?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help asking myself. First, he ran away from Lola, which he never did, and now he dived back into rats instead of escaping. Those bloody rats will tear his cut little body apart, and they are ready to do that. Seeing how both rats stood up their legs, with their sharp claws shining. Soon, there were only a few centimeters of distance between them and him. It would take me another second to reach him before I could attack those rats bastards. Hun! Fang had reached rats, and they attacked him. When something shocking happened; something that I had not expected in my wildest dreams. Two purple energy claws came from his cute front claws. These energy claws are long, longer than his tiny legs, and moved them at the rat on the right. Pachack! The purple claws met the claws of a rat on the right and cut through them like butter, before cutting through the whole rat. He killed the rat while, avoiding the attack from a rat on the left. After he killed the right rat monster, he leaped at the rat on the left. Puch! A second later, he had those claws into the head of the second rat. ¡°My god,¡± It is the only word I could speak. This tiny puppy-shaped dwarf wolf had killed the two rats, within a second. The way he did it; it didn¡¯t seem like it was his first time doing something like this. It seemed like, I had misunderstood, when he took a step back earlier. He was not scared; he was just preparing to kill the rats. He had also never shown those purple energy claws or any sign that he could use the magical attacks. Or he could even fight. Nobody would think he could fight, seeing he looked like a puppy. I wanted to congratulate him, but before I could say any words, the new guests had appeared. Inbur or Iron Fur Bear. It is a gray bear monster, bigger than me, with metal fur. Every hair on its body is metallic, and they are sharp as the needles. This bear could fight on two legs and loved to take its prey in embrace. It then pierces those metal needles into them, which it could straighten at will. It is why this monster is also called a huggy bear. Its hide is defensive, making normal weapons have a difficult time breaching it. It had not come alone. There are four rats, who came with him. Growl! ¡°Fang, handle the rats,¡± I said to him and moved to dodge the attack from the Bear monster. I could see the rats were also coming toward me, but I hoped Fang would handle them. I have no other choice. I couldn¡¯t deal with the rats while dealing with enemies like this iron fur bear. If Fang hadn¡¯t shown me what he could do, I would have run toward the group of guards. I know which battle to fight and when I should take help. Fighting a powerful monster like it is a risk, but it is better than running toward the guards. They are busy dealing with a bigger threat than I am facing. I dodged its claw and moved, attacking the bear at the same time. The purple energy claws appeared on Fang''s front legs, and he attacked the rats. Clang! The bear had stopped my sword with his claws, shaking me from up to down and forcing me to take the steps back. I was doing that when it attacked me again. I dodged the attack by inches, before attacking, and the bear once again moved its claws to defend. The bear monster is faster than it looked and has quick limbs that it was able to defend against my attack, before attacking me with those huge claws. While I was unable to make any progress, Fang had killed the first rat and now the remaining rat had grouped together on him. Clang! It once again stopped my attack and sent me back. ¡®If I keep doing that, my hand won¡¯t be able to survive; I have to finish it quickly.¡¯ I thought, feeling the pain in my hand. In a moment, I made the decision, and instead of dodging its claw; I swung my sword toward it, with Swift Blade, Weighted Strike, and also added the Consecutive Strikes and Quick Parry. I felt the pain, but I bore in with all these skills, but I bore and continued with my attack. Clang! My sword clashed against its claw and stopped it, and, to my surprise, I felt less pain than I had earlier. I wanted to use this as a counter with the help of Quick Parry, but the bear didn¡¯t let me do that. So, I took back my sword and attacked it again. Since I started to use the Consecutive Strikes. I need to get as much as attacks while maintaining the rhythm as possible; it will make my attacks stronger and faster, helping me deal with it. Clang Clang Clang My sword clashed against it, in offense and defense, without breaking the rhythm. ¡®This monster is really something,¡¯ I thought. It had been over thirty-eight attacks and defenses, but the bear was unharmed. I will have to make my attacks even stronger and faster; I just hope my hand will be with me, till the end. The stronger power and speed had their benefits, but it had side effects as well. Especially when fighting against an enemy as powerful as this one. Growl! It growled angrily and attacked once again; I swung my sword to defend, before attacking it. Hun! I was fighting it when I saw Fang finished dealing with the four rats and the fifth one that came later, and now it moved again. I was confused at first, but a second later my eyes widened, seeing him leaping at the bear from behind. ¡°No!¡± I shouted. The rats are dangerous, but only in groups. This bear, on the other hand, is dangerous on its own. It is a very powerful monster; Fang will be squished by it. Even if it didn¡¯t attack Fang with a claw; those sharp hairs on his body would be enough to turn him into the porcupine. The bear sensed him instantly and turned, before moving its one claw at him, while moving the other claw toward my sword, which was aiming for his head. If the claw hit Fang; it would tear him into pieces, and I would be powerless to stop it. I am trying, using every ounce of my strength, to move my sword faster, but it is Nero who will reach the claw of the bear first. In one of these movements, I really wish I would have been a mage. The mages have a lot more freedom compared to the warriors and are a lot more powerful. Nero reached the claw, and the bear¡¯s claw moved to slice him. I nearly closed my eyes when I saw Nero do something incredible again. He maneuvered in the air, around the claw. Dodging it by less than a centimeter. It was incredible, and he had done it, without using any magical power. Only his body and he were very graceful. He avoided the bear''s claw, but the bear''s claw couldn¡¯t avoid his claws; those long purple energy claws appeared once again and touched its iron arm; on which all the iron hairs stood up like spikes. Rip! They didn¡¯t seem to affect his purple claws, as they cut through them before cutting the limb. GROWL! The Bear¡¯s claw fell down, making it growl loudly in pain. However, it also provided me with a great opportunity. As Fang sliced the claw; my sword reached the bear''s other claw. As it did, I flicked my wrist a little, making my sword avoid the claw. Though at much less grace, than Fang did. I had tried tens of times to do this, but never succeeded, but now, I did. Thanks to the bear being distracted by pain. It didn¡¯t take Bear to realize what happened, and it moved its head toward me and an alarm flashed in its eyes as my sword had reached its head. It tried to move its head back and retreat, but it was already too late. Pachack! My sword touched its neck before cutting through it. There was resistance, but with enchantments on the blade flaring and the power of Consecutive Strikes, I was able to decapitate it cleanly. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 209: Horde Leader Chapter 209: Horde Leader Leila ¡°Found it,¡± said August. Immediately, my expression changed. Not only me, but also of everyone who had heard it. It had been nearly two hours since the battle had begun, and I had been searching for it, using every sensory spell I had, but the bastard had evaded me. I am talking about the horde leader; the monster who is controlling it all. Once it got killed, the whole horde would disperse. ¡®Frost Whips,¡¯ I activated the spell, and twelve sharp frost whips came out around me. Killing half of the surrounding monsters. Only the strongest were able to dodge on time. I hadn¡¯t used this spell till now and for a good reason. The mana expenditure of the spell. I used this opportunity to move toward August, killing any monster, coming into my way with Frost Daggers and Frost Spears, and defending the attacks with the Frost Shields and Ice Walls. Puch Pachak Bang! Finally, I reached August, who was dealing with monsters of his own and I started helping him. A minute and a half later, Major Jarvis appeared, and half a minute after that, Mage Alva and Thaddeus Stone. ¡°Legs go,¡± said August as we all reached him. We nodded and moved, wasting no time. ¡®We are leaving,¡¯ I sent the message to all and could a moment later, within a few seconds, our offense intensified against the monsters. We had already planned how we would deal with the horde leader. The first step is finding the leader. The second is surrounding it, and the third is killing. Our group is formed for that. The five of us are not the strongest. Baron Harrods and Ignatius with his artifact are the strongest among us, but five of us have suitable abilities. We were also chosen because others are integral in dealing with monsters. If someone like Ignatius, who is leading the attack against avian monsters, or Baron Harrods, who is dealing with Grade 3 Monster, joined us. It will affect the battle adversely; they need to stay there, to keep the monsters at bay. Among the five of us, Mage Alva had her defensive spells. Major Jarvis was a soldier of experience and war skills. Thaddeus Stone is Remus¡¯s man, a giant blood with impeccable battle skills. I have seen him against bandits. He was amazing. Looking at him, one would think, he is all brawn, but he is an experienced warrior and Baron Harrods himself suggested that he would join the horde leader hunting group. There is then me. I don¡¯t like to tote my horn, but I am a good Spell Sword, with a considerable number of defensive spells in my arsenal and experience to use them. The last one is August. He is Ignatius¡¯s man. A friend he had made during his travels. I don¡¯t know what he is. While he is fighting with the spear and seems quite experienced in it. It doesn¡¯t feel like he is a spear. It is why Major Jarvis and I wanted Baron Harrods to lead the hunting group, despite the cost, but Ignatius said August would be a better choice than Baron Harrods. I am having a hard time believing in it. Seeing he is even weaker than Major Jarvis. The only thing that kept me from objecting was Ignatius¡¯s confidence in him. Pachac Puch Bang! We are moving fast, killing everything that came in our path. It is important that we reach the horde leader before it discovers us. It would be troublesome if it discovered us before that. We have taken an important gamble in choosing to go after the leader. With us leaving, the pressure on the others had increased tremendously and many people would die, but if we didn¡¯t kill the horde leader. The entire army would be slaughtered by the monsters. They have now started dealing with the enemies against their full power, using everything they have. It means they will tire quickly. We need to finish the job before that happens and that won¡¯t be easy, given the sheer number of monsters. It turned out our scouts had been a little strong in estimating the number of the monsters. If Captain Jorah''s skill is to be believed; there are around six thousand monsters that have attacked us. If we knew the monsters had such numbers; few people would have dared to fight against them. It would have been especially bad for me and Baron Harrods. Our territories would have been the first targeted by them. I don¡¯t think even a single brick would have survived their assault, much less the people in the keep. It is why we need to kill the horde leader and defeat the horde. There is no other choice because they will not leave after they are done with us. They will target the baronies, with mine being first. ROAR! Four and a half minutes passed, and the horde leader roared, just when we were about to approach it, and ran away. ¡°It discovered us. Don¡¯t hold back, used everything you have,¡± said August. Just as he said that, more than half of the monsters fighting around us, turned and attacked us. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed loudly, without caring for my station. What I had feared had happened; the horde leader had discovered us before we reached it. The memories of Nyker Island came back in front of me. There I had fought another horde a few years ago and my group was unlucky to be close to the leader when the hunting group approached it. More than half of my group had perished in that battle. I had to join the hunting group to kill one of the leaders. It was during that battle; that Alaric and I had crossed the second capstone. Reaching Level 20. Frost Mist. Ice Bullets. I cast two spells simultaneously. One clouded their vision while numbing their movements, and the other pierced through their bodies. The Ice Bullets are not a strong spell, but I could use it in large numbers. It is especially effective at a close range and takes less than half of the mana compared to Frost Daggers. We moved fast toward the leader. I started to burn more mana than I liked to, but there was no choice. There are too many monsters attacking us, not to mention the bastard leader has also started to move around, seeing we are on him. Thankfully, we have not lost it. August seemed to have tracking skills, which let him never lose the monster''s position. ROAR! Over ten minutes have passed since we are chasing the bastards and we have yet to catch them. Many times, we have got closer to it, but it would always run away. It is intentionally doing that. I could see it in its eyes. It is making us running run around it, while commanding its monsters to fight more frenziedly. It is extremely challenging for us to fight through the monsters, but we have learned about each other''s abilities and used our spells and skills more in sync to lessen the pressure. It also helps that now and then. We would receive help from mages and archers on the hill. Though the instances are few; they are busy dealing with their load of monsters, who have become more frenzied at the command of their leader. Bam Bam Bam! I had just dealt with a monster when a group of blade snakes flew toward me. I activated the Ice Wall, making them crash against it. Aurican Needles. I activated another of my spells and a barrage of thin needles went toward the blade snakes, piercing their skin and killing them. Hun! I had just killed the group of Blade Snakes when I saw another monster coming at me. A Fire Fur Wolf jumped from behind the dead blade snakes and came at me with those fiery claws. If those claws hit me; they will tear me apart. The Fire Fur Wolf is as big as me and that fire is powerful enough to melt my ice in seconds. It is not an opponent I would dare to underestimate, but it had underestimated me by attacking like this. Minor Haste. Spring Steps. I activated the Minor Haste spell and Spring Steps skill. The combination of these two spells and skills gave me a speed that was faster than the leaping monster. Pure Mage Classes couldn¡¯t have skills. It is a restriction on them, but I am not a pure mage. I am Spell Blade; a mage and a warrior, which let me have the benefit of both. However, it is also harder to level up with greater restrictions. They are worth it with the power it gives me. I appeared to the left of the monster and brought down my sword hard. I didn¡¯t even use the skill. Pachac! The monster sensed my attack, and fire flared under its claws as it tried to retreat in panic, but I was too close. It would have been better for the monster if it had come at me instead of retreating. Then it would be me, who would be retreating. Mutual destruction isn¡¯t the thing I want. Pachack! My sword reached his neck and cut through it smoothly, dispute the burst fire coming out to stop the momentum of my attack. It might have affected a common enchanted weapon, but it could forget about affecting my sword. It is a weapon, the closest artifact, and the family had paid a very high price to get it. I had killed it when two more monsters attacked me. I didn¡¯t activate a shield or spells and just waited for them, before attacking them with my sword. I wouldn¡¯t usually take such risks, but I want to conserve my mana as much as possible. A few more minutes passed, and we continued to chase the monster around the battlefield. I even caught a glimpse of my brother fighting, and I have to say he was just as good against the monsters as he had been against the bandits. I am still quite surprised that he came here. In the past two weeks, we had held many meetings, and I had asked whether he would join the battle if the monster attacked, and his answer had always been a no. Now, he is fighting. A few more minutes passed, and we were still chasing the monster. I begin to wonder whether we would be able to catch the monster before these monsters slaughter us all. ¡°I got it! We have only five seconds to reach it,¡± shouted Mr. August suddenly, and I saw him suddenly increase his speed. Seeing that, I increased my speed to match his, while once again thinking about his class. He is Hunter? It could be his class, seeing he was able to find the monster in thousands of them and able to track it for minutes, before using some sort of containment/hold-type skill on it. ROAR! My thoughts were interrupted by the monster¡¯s roar; it was looking at us angrily. It didn¡¯t seem like a horde leader like August containing in limited space. He seemed to have used skills like Hunters Circle that keep the prey locked in a limited area. Monsters came at us, but we tore them apart as we moved toward their leader at our greatest speed. Cry! Every monster around us trying to stop, including the avian. I could hear the loud cry of the Grade 3 monster from the sky, but Ignatius kept it occupied. There are not only a large number of monsters, but there are also more powerful monsters than we had expected. Four Grades 3 monsters; with the leader being the strongest among them. It took us four seconds to reach the horde leader and used the last second to surround it. I sent the area-wide message to all for the final attack. Since we have surrounded the horde leader. All the monsters will target us, and I really hope the people will protect us while we deal with it. It is the most dangerous part of fighting against the horde. The make and break a moment. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 210: To The Centre Chapter 210: To The Centre Rip! The Blade Snake rips through my shoulder, giving me another cut. Pachack Pachack! Though, a moment later; it got its head cut off by Fang¡¯s claws, while I also killed another blade snake coming at me, before moving my sword to defend against the attack of Ralturan, the red-eyed baboon. Clang Clang! I defended against its claws, before attacking it, which it defended, and attacked me again. It is faster, faster than me, while I am tired and injured. It had been hours since I had been fighting against the monsters. Their numbers are endless, there is no end to them; the moment I killed the monster, another one would appear in a few seconds. ¡®I hope they will find the leader soon,¡¯ I thought, dealing with another attack of the monster. I had seen them chasing the leader. It was fast, so much so that I could only see a blur, and powerful seeing how effortlessly it had torn through people who had tried to block its way. I hope those five will be able to deal with it or I don¡¯t know, what will happen to us and the whole Nakar baronies. ¡°Now Fang!¡± I said, and he leaped at the monster while I also attacked at the same time. He had been waiting for my order. The moment he received it; he acted. The baboon monster saw Fang with his purple claws coming out and my sword coming toward it and decided to jump back to dodge the attacks. ¡°Hehe,¡± I grinned and moved forward toward the monster. A moment later, Fang¡¯s claws retracted, and he landed on my shoulder before turning and jumping at the monster at a much faster speed. The baboon monster was surprised to see it and swiped its claws toward Fang while chattering its teeth angrily. Clang! Fang didn¡¯t maneuver around the monster''s claws and instead, his purple energy claws clashed against the monsters. Maneuvering would have been a death sentence for Fang; the monster is fast and agile. He would have torn Fang apart, with how fast he could move its hands. The monster was shocked as they clashed; its claws had cracked, but were still capable of tearing Nero apart. That is why he used the force of the clash to jump back. The monster is angry and tries to follow Nero, but at the same moment, with its eyes widening in shock. Puch! It moved its claws to stop my sword, but the blade held too much momentum to be stopped by them. It slipped through them and entered the heart of the monster. A moment later, I removed my sword from the body of the monster and looked around. In these past hours, Fang and I had learned to fight together. It is quite hard to believe how compatible we are. Usually, such a thing requires training, months and years of it, and help with few skills. It seemed like those trust exercises and fun games to tire him out had helped a lot in fostering teamwork. Nero is really powerful. Grade 0 monsters are nothing in front of him. His purple claws would tear through them. Even the defenses of Grade 1 monsters are crushed with those energy claws. Only powerful things like claws could stop his claws and he damaged even them, like he did the baboon claws. Hun! Barely seven seconds passed when I saw another monster coming toward me. Bavcinh, a grey-striped hyena. It glanced at Nero and stared at me, before coming at us. I am glad it is alone; I have seen a group of Bavcinh, tearing a man into pieces within seconds. ¡®We have surrounded the horde leader,¡¯ I was about to move to attack the monster when I suddenly stopped. A smile appeared on my face, not only mine, but of everyone''s. They have surrounded the monster leader. This means it is time for the final attack. I had just heard the message when I felt another skill on me. ¡®So, this is what Blackwell was talking about,¡¯ I thought. ¡°Come on, Fang!¡± I said and moved toward the Hyena monster. As fast as I could, activating every skill that would help me kill the monster. I am moving toward the hunting group and will kill every monster that comes my way. It is not just me, but everywhere is doing that, because now, the real battle will start. Any time now, the leader will call its monster to protect it, and it will be the responsibility of the entire army to stop it from happening. So, the group could kill the leader, with no interference. ROAAARR! I had only taken a step when I heard the roar of the monster leader. It is the loudest roar it made since the battle began. It happens in every monster horde. The moment; the leader is surrounded. It will call the whole horde for its defense. It didn¡¯t matter if it could finish those surrounding it. It will call them, as the horde leaders¡¯ job is a direct horde, and it couldn¡¯t let anything happen itself. Without it, the whole horde would collapse. The monsters stopped, what they were doing and turned before running toward their leader while we moved toward our group. With every step I take, I begin to feel tens of skills on me. The soldiers have started to activate the army skills in mass. There are all types of skills, affecting strength to healing. The effects of these skills are small due to being shared with a large number, but the sheer number of them makes up for the power. The soldiers had been instructed to save on their army skills. To be used at this moment. I could feel my strength rising and my steps becoming lighter. My fatigued mind reinvigorated, and I started to think clearly again. I also used this opportunity to drink, the healing and stamina potions. I felt their burn and knew I would suffer as it was not the first time I had drank the potion in the battle. I would think about the side effects if I survived this battle. ¡°Fang,¡± I said with potion bottles in my hand, and he understood. He jumped toward me after he decapitated the rat that attacked him. I caught him and fed him the potions. I also spread them over his wounds. I did the messy job, but in my current state; I couldn¡¯t do it much better. He jumped out of my arm to deal with the insect monster coming at us from the left, while I moved forward to kill the monster in front of me. Monsters and we are moving toward the same place and it has become chaotic, with both sides trying to kill each other while doing that. Monsters are dying and so are the people. Not far away from me, I saw a red stallion monster chomping the head of the soldier and a second later got killed by Captain Oliver. The young captain is really good. A textbook fighter. What he did was amazing seeing he did it with one hand, while his other hand was hanging loose. I only looked at him for a moment, before swinging my sword at something black coming at me. It was so black that it seemed to be sucking the light surrounding it. My sword stopped the arm-length thing, only to realize it was a mantis monster. A pitch-black mantis with glowing green gem eyes. I don¡¯t know what type of mantis monster it is, but I know, I couldn¡¯t let it touch me. Those sharp blades would cut through my bones without any problem. Even Fang didn¡¯t leap at it and, instead, turned to the monster at the back. Its wings buzzed, and it tried to come at me, but I used everything I had to bring my sword back and swing it at me. Clang! I stopped it, using everything I had, and needed to take a step back to absorb the shock. There is a large difference in size between me and the monster, but despite that, it is stronger than me and blades that even my enchanted weapons couldn¡¯t nick. Clang Clang Clang I begin to clash with it, which is more like defense, seeing it is trying to come at me, while I am stopping it. I fought against it calmly, matching its attack with attack, while keeping an eye on the monsters around. Thankfully, most of them moved forward, while that remained being handled by Nero. Now and then, my guards and other people also help, but they are also busy fighting loads of monsters. Suddenly, it avoided my sword and came at me with incredible speed. Seeing it coming, a terror-filled my heart. I know, that if it reached my fatal spot, I would be dead, I couldn¡¯t let that happen. So, I harnessed every bit of power I could from my Rapid Legs and other skills covering me and moved. Rip! A moment later, I felt a sharp pain on my cheek; only to see the cut opening and blood coming out of it. The cut is deep, and it cuts some of the bones; making me tear up. These tears are not of the pain, which is immense, but of relief; I truly hadn''t thought I would survive, but I did. Riiii! I didn¡¯t have a chance to celebrate my survival as the monster came at me again and this time. It is angry, seeing the sound it was making. Clang Clang Clang! I was able to move my sword in time to defend against the attack, but it attacked again and again. I defended each and every move of it, observing it. Seeing its strengths and weaknesses. This monster is obviously strong, with sharp limbs powerful enough to cut through the metal and strong enough to push me back. Though it also has weakness in its body; harm it and it will be dead, but that is easier said than done. Still, it is not that hard either. I only need to understand the attack pattern of the monster and once that is done, it will be much easier to kill it. Monsters are easy that way. People consider fighting monsters more dangerous than people, but in my first battle against them. I felt it was monsters that were easier to deal with that person. The monsters are powerful and have great instincts, but even that couldn¡¯t compare to their intelligence. It is defining the quality of people; the one that makes them a much greater threat than the monsters ever could. So, I focused on understanding the monster and building a power for an attack. Understanding alone wouldn¡¯t be alone; I would need power to back it up. ...thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, forty-two. I launched the forty-third counter of Consecutive Strikes against the monsters, but unlike my previous counters. I flicked my hand at the last moment and avoided the blade of the mantis. It is not as easy as it looked. The speed and power of my attacks have been increasing rapidly and in the past few counters, I was able to move the monster back. So, this time, I moved my sword a little, just when it was about to clash against my sword, predicting its movement. It reacted quietly and tried to retreat, and it might have been able to do that a few seconds ago, but not now. My sword is too fast to do it now. Pachck! My sword reached it and cut through its body, dividing the monster into two vertically. I didn¡¯t wait for the body of the monster to fall down and moved forward with people around me. It took me minutes to cross those few hundred meters, but I reached the place, and what I saw put fear in my heart. I saw thousands of monsters attacking wildly to save their leader while we were stopping them. It was a scene I would never forget in my life, and I wanted to run away as fast as possible, but I joined the people. Running is useless. The only way I could survive, any of us could survive, would be by killing the monster leader. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 211: Final Battle Chapter 211: Final Battle Leila Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 212: End Chapter 212: End Pachac Raor Clang ¡®When will it end?¡¯ I asked hundreds of times as I killed the red weasel monster coming at guard beside me, before defending against the claw of the black wolf monster. The monsters have become crazy about reaching their leader, while we have formed circles over the circles to kill any monster trying to reach the leader. We are killing the monsters at a rate like never before, but we are also dying at a rate like never before. I don¡¯t think we could continue long like this. We are tired. I am tired; that if I stopped, I would simply fall down. I couldn¡¯t even drink the stamina potion. I am already feeling an intense burn because of overconsumption; the same is true for healing. I am also injured, but my injuries are not as heavy as they should have been, thanks to Zela. She had cast a couple of healing spells on me throughout the battle. Clang Clang Rip! I defended against the wolf monster and dodged the attack of Lainac, the squirrel monster, but not completely. Its claws were able to cut my thigh. Giving me another injury. I moved to deal with the black wolf monster, while the squirrel monster was stopped by Fang from attacking me again. I am very glad that Fang had come and could fight, or I don¡¯t think I would have survived here till now. Every person fighting here is lucky because, without luck, they wouldn¡¯t have survived. Though this luck is being tested, by every monster every minute. Here, there are a huge number of monsters attacking us and we are killing them, but like endless tide. They kept coming. There seemed to be no end to them. Slash. I was able to slash the neck of the black wolf, but the bastard was agile and dodged at the last moment. It was only a slight cut appeared on its neck. If it had been a fraction of a second late in dodging, I would have slashed that head off. Growl! It growled at me and came at me. I attacked again, carefully looking into its eyes. The wolves are the most devious monsters and I have learned that in a hard way. In the battle against the wolf, I would use half of the focus on their eyes. It is where they show their emotions and right now, I could see what it is thinking. It had changed the target from me to the soldier beside me, who was sitting down. He is so heavily injured in the leg that he couldn¡¯t even stand, but even then. He is holding his sword against any monster that comes at him. If the wolf attacked, he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. ¡°The wolf is coming at you,¡± I said to him and there was no reaction from him. It is not the first time I have reminded that of him. The dead bodies of monsters around him are proof of that. I continue to move my sword without any change. It didn¡¯t seem like I knew what it was doing until it changed its direction and my sword smoothly moved according to it. The monster''s eye widened, and it shifted to avoid the sword. For a moment, there was relief, seeing it had avoided the sword, but that relief was short-lived. Puch! As it turned toward its prey, it saw something coming at it, and before it could do anything; it pierced into its brain, killing it. ¡°Thanks,¡± said the soldier as he removed the sword from the monster. The soldier might be injured and on the ground, but he is still doing everything he can to kill monsters. There is no other choice for him, he needs to do it to survive. I nodded and looked at the battle behind me. I am standing in the last circle and have a clear view of the battle happening behind me. I could see the five of them fighting hard against the Lightning Leopard, the monster leader. They have even been able to injure it, but all the injuries they caused have been cauterized by the bastard. I have seen this ability in a few fire elemental monsters, but I saw it first time, in the lightning elemental one. Though it is not surprising, Lightning Leopard has it. This monster bears the strength above, the monsters of the same grade, and has many abilities. One of them is rapid healing. Its injuries heal every passing second, while the group is getting more injured. I was just thinking that when I saw it getting slashed by the chained dagger of August, before being cut by my sister¡¯s misty blade. ROAR! It roared loudly and attacked my sister angrily, but Stone appeared in front of her with that huge shield. I only watched the battle for a second before turning ahead. I couldn¡¯t let myself be distracted by the battle. I have a job to do and that is to stop any monster coming to help its leader. I will do it, till the battle end or I take my last breath. I looked in front of me and saw the monsters attacking crazily. I am one of the safest and the most dangerous places on the whole battlefield. Safest because I didn¡¯t have to feel the full brunt of monsters'' assault, seeing I was in the last ring. It is also the most dangerous because. If the group is behind me and isn¡¯t able to kill the monster leader, I will be the first person it will kill after it has finished dealing with the group. So, I really hope for myself and the rest of the army that they kill the monster leader. There were no monsters for nineteen seconds and it was the longest time, I had been without a monster to fight since I had joined the circle. However, the joy was short-lived, and as monsters came. They came in large numbers. There are twelve dog monsters, and they are coming in my direction. There are other people besides me, but we will at least need to handle three each; seeing half of the people around us are heavily injured and nearly defenseless. These dogs are big. Bigger than most large size dogs and looked like irish wolfhounds. They have grey fur, red ears, and a murderous look in their eyes. If I am not wrong; they are called Kriagr. They are one of the hard-to-train dog monsters, but favorites of trackers. These bastards never lose a scent once they catch it. Now, twelve of them have come, and while their state is not good. They are still in much better condition than any of us. Growl Growl Growl! These growled before coming at us fast and to my horror, I found four of them were coming at me. I would have a problem stopping one of them, and now four of them are coming at me. They will easily tear me and the soldiers standing near me with ease. Still, I readied myself despite the horror I was feeling. What other choice do I have? I rather die fighting than collapse in fear. Hun! I was ready to move my sword toward them when suddenly a blue light shone on them. Seeing that horror on my face turned into a smile, and I moved toward the monsters with my greatest speed. Not only me, but other guards around me had done the same. A moment later, a sphere of water covered the monsters, alarming them. They tried to get out of it, but it was futile, at least for a three and half seconds, which would be enough for us. Puch Puch Puch! My sword entered the water sphere and pierced through the eyes of the monster. I removed the sword with a Swift Blade and pierced it into the eye of another monster in the second monster, the water sphere, before piercing into the third. Thankfully, the other guards finished the other monsters, including my fourth. I stepped back to my position and turned to Zela, who was in the ring in front of me with Jon. She was fighting against a group of monsters, but still helped me at the right time. Since we came here for the final defense. Her help had been limited, but every time she helped, it had been lifesaving. If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t have been standing here alive. I had just returned to my spot when suddenly I sensed something from above and a second later. Thud! A big red bird fell dead in front of me. It is not the first time something like this has happened. Many birds fell from the sky; it is unfortunate that some people hadn¡¯t been able to dodge it and got themselves injured and even worse. I only glanced at the bird, before swinging my sword toward the coming monster. A few minutes passed, and my condition had become even worse. I became even more injured and tired, that now it is extremely straining for me to activate a single skill, but I am activating several at once, which made me feel like I might fall unconscious. That is why, I have started using them exactly when I need them and stop when I am finished. I am not keeping them active, even a second long, nor I could with the sheer strain they are giving me. This efficient using seemed to be helping a little deal with the strain that was making me bleed from all my orifices. I didn¡¯t care for any of that. What I care about is stopping the monsters, and I am doing that with help from the people around me. Though, I don¡¯t know how long I will be able to survive like this. I am seeing people around me dying and in one of those moments; it is going to be me. ROAARRR! I was having those grim thoughts as I killed another monster with Fang and got another injury when I heard the roar. It was the loudest roar I had ever heard, and it seemed to be filled with pain. I couldn¡¯t help but turn back and see the monster leader covered in an icy mist. What attracted my gaze was the chained dagger on its neck and the huge sword on its back. Which I instantly knew was of Stone; I am the one, who had given it to him. It made me instantly notice Stone, lying on the ground not far away from the monster, with the lightning covering his body. It was not just him. I even saw my sister lying beside him, twitching as lightning moved around us. ROAARRR! My heart skipped a beat, seeing that, but my eyes were immediately attracted by the lightning leopard, it roared again. To my shock, it is moving toward me. I noticed its unstable gait but also saw its speed and lightning covering it. It won¡¯t take long to reach me and once it does, it will be a game over for me. I felt horror deep in my heart and felt my hand releasing the sword. I picked the spear embedded on the ground; it used to belong to a soldier, who is now dead. I had just picked it up when I saw Major Jarvis appearing in front of the monster. Immediately, I took a sigh of relief, feeling I was saved. BANNG! That relief lasted only for a second. The monster''s claws clashed against the sword of Major Jarvis, sending him away. Earlier, the monster was only able to make him take a few steps back, but now it had sent him back hard enough, that he had barely been able to stop himself from falling. The monster isn¡¯t the only one who is injured. Major Jarvis is also heavily injured. Now, Major Jarvis is out of the way. The monster moved again, and it didn¡¯t change its direction. It is coming at me. Hun! I removed the spear from the ground and saw Fang touching its tip with his energy claws, covering the tip with purple energy. My tired mind smiled seeing him contributing and aimed the spear toward the monster. The spear is a normal steel weapon. Unenchanted and dented in many places, but it is the only thing I have. I threw the spear at a monster with every ounce of strength I had, along with the power of every skill I could harness. They resisted heavily, but I pushed through their resistance. I do not believe it will do anything, and even the monster didn¡¯t think it would do anything, seeing the mirth appearing in his eyes, but it is the only thing I could do. The spear moved toward the monster, and there was no fear in the monster¡¯s eyes. Hun! It took a second for the spear reached close to it, when suddenly alarm flashed in the monsters¡¯ eyes. A black arrow suddenly materialized over the monster and came at its incredible speed. The arrow is completely black, and it is from Blackwell. It is not an energy arrow. It real one, and I had seen it in his quiver. It is the only black arrow he has. The lightning around its body blazed, and its speed increased further, but the arrow was too fast. The only thing the monster was able to do with its speed was change the target. Now, instead of attacking its head; it will attack further back. Puch! The arrow pierced through its back, near Stone¡¯s sword. As the arrow struck the monster; something incredible happened. In an instant, lightning disappeared from the monster''s body. Not even a single spark of it had remained. It alarmed the monster, more than seeing the spear appearing directly in front of its eyes. Even now, when its lightning had disappeared; it didn¡¯t seem to fear the spear and it shouldn¡¯t. The spear was normal. Even the strength I had thrown it with was nothing special. The only special thing about it was the purple energy covering the tip for which the monster seemed to feel no fear. The spear reached its left eye, which it closed. I thought the spear would be repelled by the thick eyelid but to my surprise and sheer horror of the monster, which was seen in its open right eye. Puch! The spear pierced through its eyelid and continued going inside, stopping only when it went over ten inches deep. The monster opened its mouth while glaring at me with raging anger like lightning that started to spark across its body again. I was waiting to hear its roar before it tore me apart, but I saw lightning that started to spark across my body suddenly disappear and the monster leader fell down. Thud! It crashed hard on the ground and continued skidding with the momentum, before stopping right in front of me, dead. Dead. The fearful monster leader is dead. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 213: Aftermath Chapter 213: Aftermath Roar Cry... For a moment, there was an absolute silence before monsters let out roars and cries. They stopped what they were doing and bolted out in a tide like they had come. Seeing that people let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought, the monsters would keep fighting and that would be disastrous to the extreme. They would have slaughtered us if they had kept fighting. The monsters ran and barely anyone raised their hands to stop them. Everyone is tired, that if the conditions hadn''t been dangerous; they would have collapsed on the ground. I wanted to do that, instead, I took one last look at the dead monster leader in front of me and walked toward the Stone and my sister. "I am fine," said Leila, answering Mage Alva. Hun! I nodded at her and turned to Stone. All of us did; there was something strange going on with him. A faint bronze shin appeared on his skin and rippled across his body. Erasing any black and grey spots that are appearing on him. His injuries seemed to be healing rapidly by it. "What is happening?" I asked, and August opened his mouth, but the answer came from behind. "His giant blood is reacting," said Zela, with a clear hint of surprise. Even I got a surprise and Major Jarvis, but not my sister, August, and Mage Alva; they seemed to know about it more than us. "So, he will be fine, right?" I asked worriedly. "Likely, and might even receive some benefits from the elder blood," replied August and I sighed in relief. There was a silence for a moment before I turned to Zela. "Did you send the message?" I said. "Yes," she replied, before pointing the staff at me. "I am fine, use the spells on others," I said as I sat down. I am injured, but I could survive, with normal aid; the spells are for those who are really at risk. She nodded and moved her staff to Major Jarvis. He was shaking his head, but he needed it. He thanked Zela for her spell before walking away. The battle had ended, but work was not. Tending the injury, directing the men and many other things remain to be done. Thankfully, I do not have to do that. So, I sat down and brought out bandages and the ointment and was about to apply them when Leila sat by me and started to help me, without saying a word. "That was quite an attack at last," she said after a minute of silence. "You saw it?" I asked in surprise, and she nodded. When I looked at her earlier, she was twitching while the lightning ravaged her. It was a good thing she had protected spells, or she wouldn''t have been here talking to me. "It was a fluke and a combination of many factors. Most importantly, the arrow of Lord Blackwell," "If he hadn''t used the magic nullifier arrow; the spear would have been repelled by the lightning, without even touching the monster," I replied, and she smiled, before turning to Fang. "This guy helped, too. I don''t think the spear would have even breached the eyelid without the precious help from this little guy," she said, and I smiled. "He helped tremendously. He is the reason why, I am even alive," I said and petted his head. Fang is injured, but healing. I had inspected him and saw his injuries had already closed. It is an incredible healing speed; few monsters have such powerful healing abilities. She left after bandaging me, while I also got up and started to help others. As every bit is needed. A few minutes later, the clerics came and started healing people. Unlike the battle against the bandits. The clerics hadn''t joined the battle against the monster, but they were close. Inside the hills, ready to be in use after the battle ended. I couldn''t help but sigh seeing that. I had asked the church of god of war for help and they had flatly refused. Saying they had other important engagements and couldn''t be there to help. There are twice as many clerics, than what we had during the fight against the bandits. Blackwell had asked for more and they came and while it was not free, the service of the church never is. Especially when they work outside the city, but their prices are fair. While I might not be able to bring clerics; I was able to bring doctors. I had hired a large number of doctors and nurses; they are in the Castle Radcliff and are now coming here. It was what I was talking about to Zela. Though Blackwell had hired even more than me, and they will come soon from Fort Renin. We need healers, doctors, and every medical professional. What we have is barely enough. Hope, the Count will do the one thing he had promised, and the aid will come soon. "Thank you, Adviser," said the soldiers as I finished wrapping the surrounding bandages. "Take a rest. We will soon be transporting you all back to the hospital soon," I said to them. Yes, I have prepared a hospital; it is not as good as the city, but it will be enough for them to recover. It is a good thing I did that because the infirmary of the castle would have been far from enough. Every soldier is injured and will need a few days to weeks of rest. Some never be able to fight. As for the dead, there is nothing that could be done about them other than giving them a proper burial. A lot of people died, more from our side than from the Blackwell. Unlike the Blackwell''s army, which was well-equipped, ours was not. Classes, skill, and experience matter a lot, but also the equipment. More so against the enemies, like monsters, who are stronger, faster, and have powerful defenses. An hour passed, and I was still helping the people, when I sensed people, behind me. It was Major Jarvis, and beside him was a cleric. She is pointing her staff at me. "Please don''t waste any spell on me; there are many who need it more than me," I said to the cleric. "Adviser, the leadership is more important. We need to be in command. It is only we who will direct people and thus save more lives." "You should be in better shape to handle the challenges, we are facing now," said Major Jarvis sternly. He is right. We have finished the battle, but what comes after is just as important. The slightest mismanagement would cost lives and we have already lost enough in the battle. I need to be in a better state, to deal with all the responsibilities. "Please," I said to the cleric and a moment later; comfortable white energy covered me and began healing my injuries. "What is the status?" I asked him. "According to the scouts, the monsters are running back to the extreme magic region. Those that entered Nakar forest are being are being handled by the teams," he informed. We have not brought all our men to battle. A few hundred were divided into squads and placed around baronies. 70% of them are around the territory of my sister and Baron Harrods; these territories from which the monsters could enter the Nakar Baronies. "What are nobles are saying?" I asked. "They have sent the teams to hunt the monsters," He informed. "What did they say about aid?" I asked him, to which he gently shook his head. "Zela, remind them gently to send sufficient aid and the consequences that might occur if the aid is not good enough," I said to her. I have been quite polite with the nobles since I needed their help, but some had really made me angry by sending just a token force. This is their last chance for redemption, or they will pay for it. I have enough power to make things difficult for them and this time, I wouldn''t hesitate to use it. Soon, the first group of doctors and healer mages arrived. It came from Blain and that is just starting, as half an hour after that the help from Fort Renin came. Soon, the people came from different baronies, bringing healers and supplies that we needed. Some of the barons are really showing sincerity; some, like Homer, had come personally. I sent messages and took replies. Most of them were from Count and one of them was from an unexpected person, but I replied in the politest language. "So many dead," I said, looking at the bodies. "It is the price of safety, Adviser," said Lord Blackwell and I couldn''t help, but nod. "The casualties have been even greater, given the number of the monsters. If not for the preparations you have made, Adviser, Lord Blackwell," said Baron Harrods. "Still, too many people have died," I said and sighed. There are bodies and bodies in front of me, hundreds of them. Carefully, packed in cloth with their names tagged on it. The carriages have come, and they are taking the patients to Fort Renin and Lauryl Town. After the patients, it will be the dead bodies and then it will be the monsters. We seemed to have killed more than half of the monsters. It is a great wealth, and Leila is leading the soldiers in collecting and sealing them properly. All of it will go to the Blain, where she will process them and after that, we will sell them. 65% of all the proceeds will go to the Blackwell. 35% to us. Of the 35%, 2.5% will go to my sister, 1.5% to Baron Harrods, and 1% to the other baronies who contributed. The last 30% will belong to Castle Radcliff. Blackwell was getting the biggest share because his efforts were the greatest. The army, the clerics, the cannons, the ballistae, and many other things came from him. The Count has signed himself on this deal and I am sure he will be regretting hard right now because the monsters are worth a lot. I walked away from the bodies and helped where I could, but most things were being handled by Major Jarvis. The battle is the business of Major Jarvis, and he is handling everything well, and I didn''t interfere in his work. I, on the other hand, focused on my work. Sending the messages, requesting more aid, and asking the town to make the preparations for the injured soldiers. It is a good thing there are a large number of workers from construction companies present in town. They are converting. Two warehouses into temporary hospitals. Looking at the number of injured; the space we have prepared wouldn''t be enough. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 214: Blade Warrior Chapter 214: Blade Warrior [Class Change: Warrior - Battle Fencer - Blade Warrior] Blade Warrior Lv. 16 Blade Warrior Lv. 17 [Skill Gained: Sharpness] Trainer- Lv. 5 Trainer Lv. 6 Trainer Lv. 7 [Skill Gained: Active Presence] I was woken up by a sharp noise by Fang in my arm; only to see a line of texts in front of me. It surprised me, but I moved my focus to Fang. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked him, who was looking at me. It took a second for me to understand what happened. ¡°You felt the skill?¡± I asked him, activating the Privacy. I don¡¯t want anyone to know about my skills. He seemed to understand me, as he nodded. I am also feeling my new skill in the Trainer Class. It is a passive skill and it let me sense the presence of Fang; I have read about this skill. Though, most people who have this skill are Monster Scouts and Monster Warriors. Trainers rarely have them, but there are many records of them having the skill. I am not surprised; myself getting the skill, after how we had fought the battle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It is just a skill,¡± I said gently and petted him, till he calmed down, before looking back at the texts floating in front of me. My Warrior Class had changed. It had first seemed to have changed to Battle Fencer, but it was rejected and changed into a Blade Warrior. It is a good thing; it had just rejected the Battle Fencer because I would have done it. Fencer means I would have been limited to the rapiers and I don¡¯t want that. I may like a rapier and use one due to personal liking and sentimentality, but I do not want to be restricted by it. I am nearly as good as with other light swords and sabers as I am with a rapier. I used them a few times a month in my training. This change is an upgrade. I could feel the weight of the class had increased. I had leveled twice and even gained a skill. None of my skills in the past class had changed or upgraded, but I could feel the change in them. The skills take the flavor of the class and they have taken the flavor of an upgraded class. I wonder what kind of change the new class will bring to skills. I have got a new skill, Sharpness. It is a common skill and might seem useless seeing I use an enchanted weapon, but it is not. It is a very useful skill and the one I have wanted to have. Even when looking at today¡¯s lens, it would have been helpful. Sometimes, even enchantment needs a little boost of sharpness and a non-enchanted weapon even more. The mundane spear I had thrown at the monster leader would have been even more useful. If I had thrown in it with the power of Sharpness attached to it. It is not just my combat class that had made the advancement, but also my Trainer Class, which had made an even bigger advancement. I have gained three levels in it in a single day. The class advanced in five levels since I came to the baronies and this time, I had even got the skill. Active Presence. The passive skill let me sense Fang¡¯s presence; the skill is like always an active tracker. I will have to test its limits, but this is not a time. I pushed the texts away and looked in front of me. The soldiers are working, and healers and doctors are still trying to save the people and put them in the carriages. The only thing that has changed is the sky, which has now completely darkened. I looked at the pocket watch and saw I had only slept for half an hour. I wanted to rest for a few minutes but ended up falling asleep. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let me fall asleep,¡± I said to Zela, who was sitting not far away from me. ¡°You needed it,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Any new messages?¡± I asked. ¡°A couple,¡± she replied and handed me the cards and I read each one of them before sending replies. I didn¡¯t want to use her to send the messages, seeing how tired she was, but some of these messages were sensitive. I couldn¡¯t trust anyone to send them, not even my sister. Even Valentina wouldn¡¯t do. The receivers wouldn¡¯t like a merchant knowing the content of conversations we were having. ¡°How is Stone?¡± I asked, and her expression turned a little worried. ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet,¡± she replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. August said, it is a good thing what is happening to him,¡± I said, and she nodded. She herself had asked him about that. Giants are the elder race and the one, which had been most intermingled with other races. It is extremely rare for the elder blood to react, and it only happens in extreme cases. What Stone faced today was extreme, but I think the thing, that triggered the elder blood in him was the curse inside him. Today¡¯s battle had just provided a little extra pressure to tighten the container for it to explode. I was talking with Zela when Major Jarvis came toward me. ¡°Is everything ready, Major Jarvis?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yes, they are ready to leave,¡± I said and walked with Zela. Soon, I reached near the horses and saw Valentina, talking to a group of archers, who smiling and shaking her hand gratefully. Well, they should. She had done something incredible; that even Ignatius couldn¡¯t achieve. Seeing me, she walked toward me. She had just reached me when Ignatius arrived with my sister and turned to Valentina. ¡°Mage Valentina. Once again, thank you for not letting any of my men die,¡± he thanked. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t thank me, My Lord. It is your men, that were good; the only thing I did was a helped a little,¡± she replied, and I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes hearing that. I had seen the hill and bodies of monsters, that littered across it. The majority of them have been killed by her and most of those killed had been killed by a single spell. Earth Spikes. She was using a heavily manipulated version of it, which condensed the earth spike to the level of stone and its tip made of metals. Since Earth Spike is a manipulation spell. It uses existing earth instead of summoning the element. She was able to use the spell in great quality, killing many monsters. The special spell isn¡¯t enough for what she did or all earth spellcasters who had a spell like that would be terrifying. The spell is as important as the person who cast it. The way it is used determines half of its lethality and she had used that spell, with the precision of a surgeon. She had even impressed Baron Harrods and August, both said she had a lethality of battlemage. ¡°Have a safe journey, Adviser,¡± he said, turning to me. ¡°Thank you, Lord Blackwell, and please try to return to Fort Renin. If possible,¡± I said, to which he smiled. Like Major Jarvis, he is going to stay here. It might look like the danger has passed, but it is not. It could come back, and we will need to be prepared for it. The horses begin to move and, with us carriages holding the last of the badge of the injured. The most injured had been shifted out before the dark, as it gets quite cold at night. ¡°I had nearly forgotten how battle feels like,¡± said Valentina suddenly, with a smile and sadness on her face. I don¡¯t know much about her past, other than she used to be a mercenary. She suddenly gave up and joined Neilson, where she rapidly rose through the ranks before reaching her current position. I didn¡¯t say anything. Personally, I don¡¯t like to fight. I had done it because I needed to and would do it again if the need arose, but I would be more than glad if I didn¡¯t need to raise the blade again. The journey had been slow and passed in silence, with each one of us busy with our own thoughts. Soon, we saw the lights, and before I knew it, we were at the gates of town. The gates opened, and we rode in with people watching from both sides in silence. I could feel the eyes of people and the gazes of children and women felt especially piercing. Some of these women and children were families of soldiers; I felt guilty looking into their eyes. Still, I looked at the eyes and each and every one of them faced their questions in silence. It is the least I could do. We didn¡¯t move to the castle but toward the warehouses, which had been converted into temporary hospitals at incredible speed. I am feeling very sleepy and tired, but I can¡¯t sleep; there are too many things to do. The horses stopped, and I got off. There are Carlos and Leblanc were waiting for me, along with Lola, who was looking at me guiltily and that guilt increased when she saw Fang in my arms. ¡°What is the progress?¡± I asked directly as I entered the warehouse. The nurses had started shifting the patients to the warehouses, where doctors, healing mages, and a few clerics I had borrowed from the Blackwell were working on the patients. ¡°We have done everything you instructed Adviser; we have...¡± he began to list the things while I toured the warehouse. I didn¡¯t disturb the healers aside from asking if they need anything and they need a lot of things, and we are providing them as much as we can, but they clearly need more. ¡°What about the aid from the baronies?¡± I asked. ¡°Majority of baronies had sent the aid in expected amount and some about them, but there are few who had sent only a token amount,¡± informed Pedro. ¡°Give me the list of them,¡± I said and walked to the other warehouse before stepping into the hospital. It is a place where the most critical had been placed and there are a lot of people in the critical state fighting for their lives. The mage healers, clerics, and doctors are working on saving every patient, which is no simple task. It is said that it is easier to save a man fallen from a cliff than a soldier in a soldier in critical condition. The reason is simple. Unlike the man who fell off the cliff, they could use potions with healing spells and surgery, but here using a healing potion is useful in fewer cases. As soldiers would have already drunk it and suffered from the burn. Using a potion on such people is like expediting their deaths. ¡°Please be patient. The healers are working and are giving their all to save our brave men and women,¡± I said to the crowd gathered. I talked to them and tried to abate their fears and worries. It is the only thing I could do for these worried souls. It took a while when I entered the castle and went to the infirmary, which was housing the officers. I talked to healers and a few officers, who were in better condition, before walking toward my office. ¡°You should go sleep,¡± I said to Valentina, who hadn¡¯t left my side. ¡°You need it more than me,¡± she said back, giving a look. ¡°I will sleep after I deal with a few things,¡± I replied. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t and instead just shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard,¡± she said and walked away, while I walked into my office. ¡°I am sorry; I shouldn¡¯t have let him go,¡± said Lola after everyone left. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault; even I won¡¯t be able to catch him if he wants to run away,¡± I said, and the guilt in her eyes seemed to lessen a little. ¡°Go sleep, we will have a lot of things to do tomorrow,¡± I added as I got up and walked out of my office. It is three and a half in the night, and I am not finished with work, but I know, I have to sleep, to handle the things tomorrow and Count, who is coming. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 215: New Day Chapter 215: New Day [Class Consolidation: Bravo Colonel + Carver + Leader ¨C Brave Baron] Brave Baron Lv. 28 [Class Change: ...¡± . . . Spell Sword Lv. 26 [Class Gained: Baroness] [Skill Gained: ...] Soldier Lv. 20 Spearman Lv. 19 Captain Lv. 24 . . . ... Masterful Administrator Lv. 19 There was a text in front of me when I woke; it surprised me. I had not thought I would level up with a Masterful Administrator. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, seeing the work I did in the past two weeks. It is a good thing my base class had leveled up to Level 19, a week and a half ago or I would have been in trouble. I might have needed to discard this level-up. I experienced the consequence when I let my other classes go above my base class. It had slowed down my level-up for months, and I didn¡¯t want to experience that again. I didn¡¯t get any skill with this level-up, but I don¡¯t mind. This level-up will increase the power of the existing skill and if I level up in it again; I will be reaching Level 20. It is not easy to cross the second capstone. I will have to achieve something incredible for the next level up or it will take months or even years if things go slowly. Though, once I did it. It will bring a tremendous benefit to me. I will get an attribute point and also a skill. There is always a skill and an attribute point when breaching the capstone. I pushed away the notification after a few seconds and looked at the clock on the wall and my eyes flew open. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, seeing it was nine. I was supposed to wake up at five, to welcome the Count, who was coming. ¡®I am fucked.¡¯ I thought. I got up immediately and wore the suit, before activating Get Ready. Immediately, a huge change occurred. The biggest I had seen, was the skill to do it and it is not because of the level, but because of the state I am in. The dried blood, sweat, and dirt flowed down from my body. More than half of the bandages had loosened and fell down, while the rest had tightened around me. I would have changed the bandages, but I didn¡¯t have any time. Thankfully, the skill had cleaned them. I looked at myself in a mirror, before stepping out of my suit. I used Rapid Legs to walk and felt the change in the skill. It had not just become slightly powerful, but some fundamentals of it had also seemed to change. It felt smoother and more powerful. As I had expected, the upgrade had changed the skill and I want to see how the other skills have changed too, but that won¡¯t be possible today. Within a few seconds, I reached my office and looked at the old woman waiting by it. ¡°You go can in,¡± she said with a smile. I nodded my thanks and pushed open the door. As I had expected, the Count is sitting on my chair, and he is not alone, Commander Atticus is with him and Mage Beaumont. There is also Carlos, Leblanc, and Lola. I am surprised to see her; I didn¡¯t think the Count would let her be present in the office. ¡°My Lord,¡± ¡°My greatest apologies for the disrespect,¡± I said and bowed, deeper than I usually do. ¡°It is fine, Remus; you needed the rest after the battle and the work you have done after,¡± he said and I couldn¡¯t help, but feel relieved. I have broken the protocol of not welcoming him personally. He would have punished me, but he is smart enough to not take offense at small mistakes. Especially for the first time. ¡°Thank you for kindness, my lord,¡± I replied and took a seat he offered. ¡°You have done a good job, Remus. I am not talking about you joining the battle, which I think was idiotic. A like of the leader is important and should only lead from the safety.¡± ¡°I am talking about the preparations you have made before the battle and the work you have done, after it,¡± he said looking directly into my eyes. ¡°Thank you for your praise, my lord,¡± I said, and he nodded, and his expressions turned regretful. ¡°We have killed a lot of monsters in yesterday¡¯s battle,¡± ¡°It is a quiet regret that we will be giving 65% of what we will earn selling the monsters to Blackwell,¡± he said, surprising me. I had thought he would be showing regret about the death of the soldiers, but he is more worried about the money. ¡°Is there any chance we could challenge the contract?¡± he asked, and I could tell he was serious. I wanted to curse him badly, but I controlled my thoughts. I have to be careful; there are skills, that might make him feel what I am thinking. ¡°We have some wriggle room that might give us a few more percent, but not over 5%. I think it wouldn¡¯t be wise to challenge the contract.¡± ¡°It will harm our relations with Blackwell, and we need to have a good relationship with him for trade and to deal with the future monster attacks,¡± I cautioned, and a moment later, he nodded. ¡°Blackwell is going to get a lot of money,¡± he said before turning to me. ¡°What are you planning to do with money getting from the monsters?¡± he asked. ¡°Give a certain percentage to the pension fund of the soldiers, buy better equipment for them. Get defensive equipment like cannons and ballista¡¯s and spend some on improving the medical infrastructure,¡± I replied. I could see his expressions turning worse with every word I spoke. He had said he would give everything from the monsters to me, but he didn¡¯t give it in writing. Though he said it in front of the people. ¡°Fine,¡± he agreed, and I felt relieved. I had really thought he might ask me some of it. The money would be huge, but it won¡¯t be enough to do all those things I have listed. I would need to be selective, but still, with it, we would be better prepared against the next monster attack. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± I replied. He opened his mouth to say something when he closed it and looked at the door. Click! ¡°Dane is here,¡± he said and a moment later. The door of the office opened, and Commander Dane walked inside. ¡°My lord,¡± he greeted and bowed faintly. ¡°Dane, you arrived at the right time. We were about to go meet the injured,¡± said the Count and got up. We walked out of the office, and the first place we went was the infirmary. Where the Count looked at the injured officers, but didn¡¯t do much talking. It was Commander Dane and I, who pretty much did all the talking. It seemed like the Count didn¡¯t like the injured; he seemed to have a thing about them. I had noticed it before, but now I have become sure of it. We didn¡¯t stay in the infirmary for long and walked out of it. ¡°I have read the reports, Adviser. The strategy you have employed was great.¡± ¡°The battle should have wiped you all out. Instead, you had not only defeated the monster¡¯s horde but managed that with losing much fewer numbers than such a battle does,¡± he said; he seemed clearly impressed. I don¡¯t like what he said about the casualties. A lot of people have died, but he is right; we did manage to win the disastrous battle with fewer than expected casualties. I was about to thank him when Atticus opened his mouth. ¡°To me, the battle was a disaster; they could have done a much better job,¡± said Atticus and I wanted to curse the bastard. I am extremely angry at him. It is because of his pettiness, that more people have died than they should. Even if he didn¡¯t want to support me to get more resources from the Count, he shouldn¡¯t have opposed me. I wouldn¡¯t have been angry if his opposition to my request had been based on the truth. No, it was to nurse his bruised ego. I looked at Dane and thought he would be glaring angrily at Atticus since he was disrespecting his men, but I saw him smiling. ¡°I would really like to see how you could have been done better if you had been at my Major''s place, Commander Atticus,¡± he said. Atticus opened his mouth to reply, but no words seemed to come out. Seeing the smile on Commander Dane¡¯s face became bigger, but he didn¡¯t say anything further. We walked out of the castle, and I saw a team of soldiers coming toward it. One of them is Eli. He had been guiding the team to hunt for the monsters since yesterday. That little sparrow had turned extremely helpful in finding the stray monsters. Till last night, they had hunted nine monsters, which is a lot for a team. They entered the castle while we went to the hospital, where healers, including the clerics I have borrowed from Blackwell, are still working. ¡°It would have been great. If the church of the god of war had sent a few priests,¡± I said and immediately the expression of the Count had changed, and I was able to get a glimpse of his emotion for a brief moment. He is angry, extremely angry, and I don¡¯t think the church¡¯s Greltheaven branch, not sending a priest, is a reason for that. He is likely angry about the declaration that their pope had made a few days ago. That Crown prince is a rightful heir of the empire and has the blessing of God of War behind him. Churches always support candidates, but they are never so direct, especially this early. The emperor and the crown prince would have definitely promised them something huge, in exchange for that. No wonder that bastard had been so daring in front of the Count in the past month. I may not be present in the city, but I know what happens there. ¡°He will be coming for the funeral in the evening,¡± said Count with a smile, but everyone could see how he was gritting his teeth in anger. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 216: Home Chapter 216: Home ¡°Is your decision final?¡± I asked Lola as I stopped at the door of the carriage. ¡°Yes. Master Silver,¡± she replied, and she was sure. It was the second time I had asked her. The first time a week ago, even then, she had rejected the offer within seconds. I had offered her something big, something she envied once, but now she had rejected it. I looked at her and couldn¡¯t help, but feel surprised again, seeing how much she had changed in less than a year. Lola, twelve months ago, would have jumped at the opportunity. She would have accepted it two and a half months ago, done it in a second, but now, she had rejected the offer. There was no hesitation. ¡°Take care then, Lola,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she replied with her voice, a little emotional. I looked at her for the one last time, before sitting in the carriage and a few seconds later. The carriage moved toward out of the gates of the castle toward the Greltheaven. It had been eleven days since the attack of the monsters and I hadn¡¯t thought I would be able to return so soon, but things have turned to normal sooner than I had expected. The thing the monster attack had affected the most was the trade. For the four days, there was no trade caravan. I had feared that it might have done irreplaceable damage to it; not only me, but even Blackwell had hot worried, but our worries had been unfounded. After the four days, the trade had returned, and it had returned at incredible speed. In the past three days, there have been more trade caravans coming than, it had been before the monster attack. Merchants needed to see the money. Once they did, even the monsters wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop them. It also helps that Oksall is rapidly making progress on the road. The progress in town is a little slower to pick, but in the past few days; I have seen the vibrancy returning. I have no doubt it would return, especially when I sell the next tranche of plots after I return. This time, it is a little special because the merchant from Oksall could buy 25% of that. It had not become certain yet. I am still negotiating the deal with Oksall. I want a certain privilege in return, but I am confident it will happen. The merchants and Blackwell¡¯s have been pushing their leadership hard for it. Soon, the carriage rolled out of the town and picked up the speed. I should be able to reach the city by dawn and this time, I am going to stay for quite a long. I had asked for ten days, but I am already planning to make it, two weeks. I need the time for my business. There are only five days before the establishment opened, and I have to stay there for at least two weeks more to see how it will perform. I am as excited as I am nervous. Despite being here, I have taken all the important decisions, but nothing could be compared to remaining present there. In these five days, I am going to spend all my time on my business. I need everything to be perfect for the opening. ¡®It will be perfect,¡¯ I said with nervous excitement. I am also thinking about handing over the reins by the end of the next month. I want Lola to take over, but that is going to be impossible. It needs to be between Carlos and Leblanc; they can handle the responsibility. The only thing I will need to do is take the trade to a certain amount, which I don¡¯t think will be a problem. The road will be finished in the middle of next month and then the trade will increase further. However, I will need to convince the Count. It won¡¯t be a problem, since Lancel will help me. He hates that his father had given me the responsibility and a few nudges to him would be enough to push the Count in the right direction. Not to mention, the Count had promised me. If he resisted, I would remind him of those words. I took a deep breath, calmed my emotions, and turned to Zela in front of me. The battle seemed to have done something to her, she was studying like crazy. I didn¡¯t disturb her and instead closed my eyes to sleep. I also wanted to read, but I am tired. Since I am taking a big leave, I had held meetings till day and till the time I left. Checked everything before handing the responsibilities to the three. I was so tired that I fell asleep within a second and there was no monster in my dreams today; not even the leader, who appeared every night. Knock Knock I was in the sleep when a knock rang out on my window, and I immediately opened my eyes. ¡°We have reached the river, Mister Silver,¡± informed Stone. Only then did I realize that the carriage had stopped. ¡°Zela,¡± I said to my guard, who had fallen asleep, with books on her lap. One book is even at her feet. She didn¡¯t wake up, and I was about to call her again when she opened her eyes, cheeks flooding. ¡°My deepest apologies, Mister Silver. I shouldn¡¯t have slept on duty,¡± she apologized. ¡°It is fine, Zela. Don¡¯t take too much stress, it makes things difficult, instead of easier,¡± I said to her and gave the book that had fallen near her feet, before stepping out of the carriage with Fang in my hand. It was still a night, but dawn will appear soon. I looked at the sky for a moment before walking toward the boat with my guards around me. I stared at Stone, who was walking ahead of me. He had quite scared me, after what happened to him in battle. He had remained unconscious for two and a half days before waking up. He didn¡¯t tell me what happened, what he experienced during the elder blood reaction, nor, I had asked. It is his personal business. Though it had made me quite curious. Elder races are quiet mysteries and powerful, anything related to that evokes a great curiosity. I pushed the thoughts away and stepped into the boat. Soon the board began to move across the river silently. There is barely any notice at this time, even ships are moving silently. The boat was halfway into the river when the faint rays of light began to pierce through the cloud. It looked beautiful, and I watched it with a serene smile on my face, till I reached the other side and got off the boat. The carriage was waiting for me, and I stepped inside. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered the road, from which I could see the establishment and the circle. The circle is being covered by large clothes. So, I couldn¡¯t see anything, while the establishment was being covered in the mist, that only its silhouette could be seen. Soon, the carriage moved through the gates of the establishment and stopped. The gates opened, and I walked out, only to see there was already someone waiting for me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come so soon,¡± I said to Caena. ¡°No, I wanted to be here when they make these changes,¡± she replied as she looked at the establishment. There is some carving work going on in the building, and it is beautiful. It will be even more when they are finished with it. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked as I watched the artist''s work expertly. The way they work looked mesmerizing. ¡°Very good; there were small hiccups, but we had managed to smooth them over,¡± she replied. For the past five days, she had been in charge of the girls and work here. Carla, Margaux, and Eudo, along with a few others, have gone to the merchant cities and then Namdar for shopping. They have done a lot of shopping and returning at night. I looked at it for a few more minutes before walking inside, and what I saw made me stop in my tracks. It looked amazing, better than I had imagined, and it was not even finished. The people were still working, and the furniture had yet to be brought. When it is finished; it will amaze everyone who will see it. Eight million imperials; eight hundred million crowns. That is how much the circle and the changes in the establishment had cost me. I have poured everything I have earned from both of my businesses into them. Taking a huge risk. This is just the cost of these two things; I had spent another three and a half million imperials on clothing, jewelry, and other accessories, along with new staff and a few other things. If it didn¡¯t work out. It will send me back months or years and even damage my reputation, with another risk, I will be taking in the day of opening, but if it works, then it will open completely new doors for me. I looked at the hall, which had become even bigger than before, and it was not just the hall that had become bigger. The kitchen had increased its size more than twice and now there were three bars in the hall. These are just minor changes compared to some of the really big ones I had made. I looked around the hall before walking, taking the stairs, checking each room carefully. The establishment is five floors tall, but in front; there were only four floors with really high ceilings and the artwork had done them, but I couldn¡¯t see it, since all of it had been covered in the papers. Soon, I looked through all five floors and went to the underground, where there was the biggest change. Till now, the underground had been the same. It had used to house the girls, but in a few days, the girls would shift to the circle; they would live and learn there, including magic, which had cost me a lot. I couldn¡¯t let the three floors of the underground go to waste. I had created something here, that girls will love. Soon, I finished touring the whole establishment and wanted to look at the circle, but it wouldn¡¯t be possible, seeing I have a meeting with Count Darrow in fifteen minutes. I walked toward the carriage before stopping and turning to Caena. ¡°Prepare for the sacrifice ritual,¡± I said to her, before stepping into the carriage, leaving her surprised. One month had been a long time to think and find out about these things. I didn¡¯t get as much as information, I hoped to get, but got enough to make the decision. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 217: Preparations Chapter 217: Preparations The carriage stopped, and I got out and looked at the huge mansion in front of me. It is white in color, with a lot of open space around it. It is not exactly beautiful, but it is big enough with quarters behind it, to house, over three hundred and fifty girls. Though not as comfortable as they had been in the large underground beneath the establishment. It had caused some friction among them. Though it had been handled. The Girls have grown used to their privacy and protect it fiercely. So, when they began sharing the space, again, with more girls than they did in the past year, a conflict arose between them. The ones who got the angriest were those who had their own private rooms, but Margaux and others have resolved it. They only need to bear it for a few more days and it will all be over. I entered the building and soon, reached the ballroom, where it looked like some sort of party was happening. Men and women in beautiful dresses, smiling, and talking, while servers moved around them. ¡°Start again,¡± said Mena and the actors got up and immediately left the ballroom, while the girls changed their positions. They have been practicing daily for the past month. It had made them really good. This practice is for the new girls, I have got from Oksall, but all the old girls are also practicing. They also need to keep their craft polished and these actors are wonderful practice partners. According to Carla and Margaux. Over 80% of the eligible new girls are ready to work. I will have to look at that myself, but I don¡¯t think the figure would be different from what they had said. They understood my vision and requirements and till now, the information I have read about their progress told me they are ready. ¡°Master Silver,¡± greeted Mena as she walked up to me. ¡°How are the girls?¡± I asked. ¡°The girls are doing great. They are ready,¡± she replied. ¡°Keep the practice going. We need them as prepared as possible,¡± I said, before turning my focus on girls. I watched for an hour before I walked to the other section of the manor, where various lessons were being held. I stayed in the compound for another hour before walking out and going back to the establishment. This time, I didn¡¯t go to the establishment and instead, directly went to the circle. It is going well and will open on the same day as the establishment. I toured through the circle, before walking into the spa, which is at the center. Maeve is there, along with a few other people; she is arranging the new spa tools with the technicians. The spa had been an expensive endeavor since the beginning. Now it has become even more expensive and will be even more expensive in the future, but I don¡¯t mind. The benefits the spa had provided had been amazing, and now, with this expansion, it will be even better. ¡°How is the recruitment?¡± I asked. ¡°Going well; I have recruited nearly 90% of the people we need,¡± ¡°I am interviewing some people tomorrow and the day after that. If everything goes well, then we will have the required numbers by the opening,¡± she replied. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to recruit people with subpar skills. We will be fine, without the required numbers,¡± I said. ¡°I know, and all the people I recruited are good,¡± she replied, sounding confident. There are over three hundred and fifty girls in the establishment and when it will open. Over two hundred and fifty are going to work. To service these numbers, we need more people in the spa. As I had said, such an endeavor would cost a lot of money, but it also provides many benefits. It is one of the reasons why the establishment does so well. After a tour of the spa, I left the circle and went to the building behind the establishment, where Drev and other chefs were practicing. I have hired more chefs and other staff and looking at things; they are doing well. However, I will only know how good they will do on the day of the opening. To be honest, I am scared of the opening. Everything, every part, needed to be perfect. If there is the slightest mistake on a single part, it is going to mess up everything and will take my reputation with it. It would be disastrous if that were to happen. It is why I want to revert many of these changes, but thankfully, it is too late. I couldn¡¯t revert to the old system, even if I wanted to. Soon, my carriage moved out of the gate and fifteen minutes later, entered the gates of another mansion. It is the place I am renting and currently, there are people working around it. ¡°Adviser,¡± greeted the middle-aged man with ginger hair. ¡°Mr. Ornell, I hope everything is going well?¡± I asked, to which he nodded. ¡°Everything is going well, Mr. Silver,¡± he said and began to show me the preparations he had made so far. I am throwing a party, a birthday party. In three days, this body will be nineteen. It will be the first party I will be throwing, and I need it to be perfect. Lots of important people are going to attend, not only from the city but also from outside the city. Leila wanted to throw it in Castle Radcliff; it would have brought the greater effect, but I wanted to do it in a Greltheaven. I would have done that if not for the big opening one day after my birthday. I didn¡¯t stay in the mansion for long. I looked at the preparations before walking away. My birthday is important, but my business is more important to me. With an experienced event manager like Ornell, I do not need to look at every tiny thing. I rather use that time and energy on business, which could make or break me. From the mansion, I went to my office in the city and began to work in earnest. I began to go through the file after file. There are so many of them, but with Insightful Reading, I am going over them fast; it also helps that the information in the file is clear and concise, without any clutter. It is quite marvelous how Carla and Margaux write the information, with less than a year of experience. Carla especially, didn¡¯t have any experience in the beginning, and even then; she was good. After taking classes, she became as good as the clerk with years of experience. The skills help and I could tell they had used some, but the skills alone aren¡¯t enough. It was around nine when I had gone through the entire files. I had finished sooner than I had expected and now that I had done; I am free to do the real work. Tomorrow, I will interview the new girls; to see who are ready to work. It is not just new girls, but also some old girls who have turned eighteen and want to work. Like all the girls, they have the option to do other things; with the establishment grown, there are many other things they could do, but most have opted to work in business. It is hard to blame them when they see how much money their friends are making. Many had started investing with the money they had earned. Buying the properties, precious metals, gems, and other things. Some had earned enough that if they used the money wisely. They could live off it, till they die. ¡°There is a message from Major Jarvis,¡± said Zela and I turned to her. ¡°A group of six-eight monsters has attacked, and the monsters in the group were stronger than usual,¡± ¡°Eighteen of them were Grade 2, twenty-seven were Grade 1 and the rest Grade 0,¡± she informed. My expression turned serious. There were only a few days of calm after the monster¡¯s horde before monsters resumed attacking. There were small groups, but every day, there would be an attack. We have been vigilant and killed each and every monster, but still, the monster attacks had made us worried. This new message made me even more worried. Usually, when such a big group of monsters attacks. The lowest-grade monsters are in the greatest numbers; it was the same when the horde attacked. There were Grade 0 Monsters in the highest numbers, with Grade 1 in lower and Grade 2 in even lower numbers. And there were only four Grade 3 in over six thousand monsters. Now in this group, there are a greater number of Grade 1 monsters than Grade 0 and the numbers of Grade 2 and Grade 0 are about the same. This is worrying; the greater number of high-grade monsters is never a good thing. It is a sign; we were hoping not to see. ¡°Thank him for the information and ask him to remain vigilant,¡± I said. A minute later, I got out of my office and stepped into the carriage. I am going to the establishment; there are few things for me to do, but most importantly, I am going there to pass the time. Carla will be returning in three hours, and I don¡¯t think I will be able to focus on something important with her being so close. I had missed her a lot and can¡¯t wait to take her into my embrace. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 218: Birthday Chapter 218: Birthday ¡°Happy birthday,¡± said Carla as I opened my eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her, taking her naked body in my embrace and kissing her lips gently. Today, this body had turned nineteen. Making it four years and six days since I had come to this world. So much has happened, since then. Especially, the past year, which had been transformative. I still remember a day exactly a year before, when the whole family went to my father''s office to read his will. That day changed my life in more ways than possible. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on a beautiful woman who had climbed over me without leaving my lips. She took my hard cock in hand and placed it over her pussy, before gently sliding down. I could feel her moaning in the kiss as she slowly began to ride me, without breaking the kiss. I matched her rhythm with mine, enjoying every moment slowly. We didn¡¯t say any words, nor did we need to. Our movements were enough to communicate with each other. An hour passed, and we got out of the shower; there too. We made love with each other. ¡°If you keep looking at me that way, I don¡¯t think we will be able to leave the room before the afternoon,¡± she said, seeing her intentionally wearing her clothes seductively. I hugged her from behind and crooned my nose into her neck, under her thick curly hair, inhaling her addictive fragrance. ¡°I don¡¯t think any better way to spend my birthday than that,¡± I said as I pressed my cock into her, which had once again become hard. ¡°I want it too, but we both have too much work to do,¡± she said as she pressed her ass against my cock, before walking away. I wanted to catch her and pin her against the wall before having my way with her, but she was right. We have too much work to do to spend the entire morning making love. We left the room a minute later. She went to the mansion where the girls were staying. I looked at preparations for tonight¡¯s party. Everything looked good; Ornell had done a wonderful job. After I finished with it, I went to the establishment, where there were a lot of carriages coming and going, not only in the establishment but also in the circle. Two days ago, they had started to set the furniture and other things. As I walked out of the carriage, I saw Eudo warning the people to be careful with things. He had been here since yesterday morning, busy setting up the studio. It is not just him, but also the chief bartender and Wilkins, the second in command of Drev. As for where Drev is, he, along with most of the kitchen staff, is in the mansion, preparing for tonight. I didn¡¯t hire the catering and why should I? When I have the best chefs in the city. By evening, everything will be set up and tomorrow, the establishment will open. I didn¡¯t let the nervousness appear on my face and walked inside the establishment. An hour later, I walked out and stepped into the circle. Many think, even among the girls, that I had spent too much on it, given its purpose, but I don¡¯t think I had. I had spent what I needed to spend and got there great result. I hope the people will like it, for whom I made it. After checking the circle, I sat back in my carriage and went to my office. Hours passed, and soon it was a late afternoon when I had pulled into the mansion. It is not the one I live in, but the one where girls live. I have come here for a few minutes before I go back to the manor where I live and prepare for the party, which will start in a few hours. ¡°Happy Birthday, Master Silver,¡± I heard the moment I entered the ballroom, where I saw all the girls. From teens to old, everyone was present in the ballroom, with a big cake in the middle along with the candles. ¡°Thank you, girls,¡± I said after a moment of surprise, with my voice being a little emotional. I had not thought they would do this and to be honest; it made me happier than I had thought it would, seeing all of them gathering and wishing me the birthday. ¡°Come, blow out the candles,¡± said Carla. I nodded and walked toward the huge three-tiered cake, before blowing the candles on it. The girls clapped, singing me happy birthday, before Wanda, began to cut the cake into the perfect slices. I ate the cake and talked with the girls. This time, more like a friend rather than the boss, and it made me happy. ¡°This?¡± I asked as Carla pushed a beautifully wrapped small box to me. ¡°Your present from me and the girls,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you,¡± I accepted. She looked at me to open it, but I smiled and put it in my pocket. She glared, but didn¡¯t say anything. Half an hour later, I left the mansion. I didn¡¯t want to leave, but I had already stayed more than I had planned to. As the carriage moved toward the mansion; I took out the present the girls had given me. I removed the ribbon on top of it and unwrapped it gently. Only to see a delicate jewelry box within. I opened it carefully; only to see a delicate gemmed rose-shaped brooch within. It was so beautiful that I started at it until my carriage reached the mansion before I got out. It was evening, and I had only one and a half hours before the guests started to arrive. I am feeling a little panic, but it was elevated. Seeing the mansion lighting up beautifully. I entered inside and checked the preparations before going to my suit. There, I showered and changed into the new suit, before taking out a jewelry box and wearing the rose brooch. Click! Knock Knock! I was looking in the mirror when the knock rang out on my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said. The door opened and Eudo walked inside, with Lenore following behind him. ¡°Has she arrived?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, I had just finished with her,¡± he replied, while Lenore set up the make-up box down and opened it before Eudo started on me. I am not a fan of make-up, but today is important and I have to look my best. ¡°Thank you Eudo,¡± I said as he finished with me. The beautiful man smiled and walked away, while I turned to the mirror and looked at a very handsome face. I looked so handsome that, I have never in my life. He had taken me near the realm of beautiful. Knock Knock! I narcissistically admired myself for a few minutes before walking out of the suit and knocking on the one beside mine. ¡°Come in,¡± said the familiar voice, and I entered inside, and I have to say, I am impressed. ¡°You are looking beautiful enough to make even a woman jealous,¡± said Valentina. ¡°You are not looking bad yourself,¡± I said to her. She is a wearing backless satin dress, with a wide cleavage and slit that reaches quite high. Eudo had done a wonderful job on her, that I wish he would have held a little back. ¡°Ready?¡± I asked as I gave her my hand, which she took. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, and we walked out of the suit. I would have been very much preferred. If it had been Carla in the place of Valentina, sadly, it was not possible. At least, she will be at the party, with Margaux. A few minutes later, we welcomed our first guest, and a few seconds after another, and then another. I have invited a lot of people, with many of them being important. Time passed, and the important ones begin to appear. ¡°Welcome Guildmaster Hardt, Mrs. Hardt,¡± I greeted Damon Hardt and his hot wife. ¡°Thank you for the invitation adviser,¡± said Hardt with a smile, before walking inside. He still hates me, but there is also a hint of respect there, which surprised me. I had not seen that emotion in his eyes before. I quickly cleared my emotions and turned to the next guest. ¡°Welcome Baron Homer, Baroness Homer,¡± I welcome with a faint bow. ¡°It is our pleasure, Adviser,¡± replied the man. ¡°It seemed like, anyone who is important in Renwell region had come to your party,¡± said Valentina. ¡°Not everyone,¡± I said, and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Even, the Governor of Deerpond and Commander of Dustorn Fortress has sent their representative,¡± she said, and I smiled, a little too brightly. I had sent the invitation to Marquess Gats but didn¡¯t think he would send someone, but the man did. A few more minutes passed and when a surprise appeared on my face when I saw my sister. It was not my sister who surprised me, but the man coming with her. I had not thought he would personally come. ¡°Lord Blackwell, Baroness Silver, thank you for gracing me with your presence,¡± I greeted them. ¡°Thank you for inviting me, Adviser,¡± he said with a smile. I talked to him, and my sister for a few seconds before they entered inside, and I welcomed the other guests. Time passed and nearly all the guests arrived except for one, without whom, the part couldn¡¯t stop. He had me wait quite a while before he finally came. ¡°Welcome to my humble abode, my Lords,¡± I said and bowed. ¡°I hope your little party won¡¯t be boring, Remus,¡± said Lancel mocking, while glancing at Valentina with lust. He hid those emotions quickly, but I could see he was still feeling them. The bastard feels lust for nearly every woman, but he doesn¡¯t act on it. He considers it beneath him to try against any woman, who doesn¡¯t have noble blood. ¡°I promise you will not be bored, my lord,¡± I said and took the father and son inside with Valentina. All the eyes turned to us as I led them to the ballroom before I walked to the stage. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for making this special day even more special with your presence,¡± ¡°It is a great honor for me to have you all in my humble home and share...¡± I continued with speed; I kept it small, but even the small speech, need to last for at least five minutes. ¡°Hope you will enjoy this night and impart to me with wisdom, as I grow the year older,¡± I finished, bringing the smile to the faces of people. I got onto the stage and joined Valentina, before starting to mingle; the first was, of course, Count Darrow, who was talking with Ignatius and representative of Marquess Gats. I talked with them for a few minutes, before turning to the other guests and then the other. An expert host never lets any guest feel left out; making each one feel special is a mark of a great host and while I may, not be as good, I am close. I am not able to make some people, like a priest of the god of war and commander Atticus, feel special, as there is not the slightest bit of change in their hate for me. ¡°Adviser, once again, thank you for inviting me,¡± said a beautiful woman with a lithe figure. ¡°It was my pleasure, Miss Salt,¡± I said to Lena, who was talking to me, but her eyes were on Valentina, with pain in the eyes of their both. A beautiful world can be so cruel. Soon, I went to Carla and Margaux, who were talking with merchants from Owlspring. I introduced them to a couple of people before mingling with more guests. Hours passed, and before I knew it, the guests began to leave one by one, till only two of us remained. ¡°It went better than I imagined,¡± I said as I bid farewell to the last guest. ¡°You have thrown a great party, especially food. Everybody was praising it,¡± said Valentina. ¡°Let¡¯s hope, they will sing the same tune tomorrow,¡± said to which she smiled. ¡°Come, it is time. I give you, your present,¡± she said. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to,¡± I said, but she just gave me a look. I thought the present was outside, but no, it is not. We sat in the carriage, and it moved; I had asked her about it, but she didn¡¯t say anything. So, I remained quiet as the carriage moved toward the entertainment district. It stopped in front of the establishment, and without her saying anything, I saw my present. ¡°Do you like it?¡± she asked, looking at me hopefully. ¡°I love it,¡± I replied. It is really beautiful. Visit and read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 219: Sacrifice Ritual Chapter 219: Sacrifice Ritual It was dark when I woke up. The stars are still twinkling, and the two moons are still in the sky. I looked at the clock and saw it was half an hour to dawn. Today is the day of opening. Thinking about it, a big smile appeared on my face. I looked at Valentina, sleeping on the sofa, and couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. I had asked her many times to sleep on the bed and I will take the sofa, but she didn¡¯t listen. I looked at her for a moment, before slowly getting up and walking to the bathroom, trying not to make any sound. I came out of the bathroom and changed into the suit, before stepping out of the room. Fifteen minutes later, the carriages stopped in front of the establishment which was bereft of any mist. In the faint light of dawn, I could see the beautiful pink and cream pastel color building and the one that made it even more beautiful was the golden and silver carvings on it. It is so beautiful. In front of the mansion is an enormous fountain of lustrous black stone. In the center of the fountain were three beautiful women, looking in three directions with longing eyes. This is Valentina¡¯s gift, and it¡¯s beautiful, better than the one I selected. It makes the establishment look complete. Unlike yesterday, there is no hub-hub around the establishment. Everything had been set up yesterday; the only thing we need to do is welcome patrons. There are also no people inside the establishment. There is no requirement for not having people inside for what I am planning to do next, but it is better that no one is present there. I am planning on doing something. I have barely had any knowledge and don¡¯t know what will happen during it, but it was something, I felt would help me a lot. I walked into the establishment and saw it completely changed from a month ago. It looked amazing in pastel walls and huge dwarf crafted chandeliers, that will light up in a beautiful light. They had cost me a lot, but they are worth every penny. I didn¡¯t look around for more than a few seconds before walking underground, where I saw Caena waiting for me. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± I asked, feeling nervous about what I was planning to do. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied solemnly and began to walk. I am doing the sacrifice ritual. I have found out a few things about it, which helped me make the decision about it. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have reservations; I have a lot of them. The magic of witches isn¡¯t as simple as mages; it is complex, and a few could do it. It is a magic that is older than the system that governs the world. Something, even the monsters of incursions fear, and most countries of the kingdom keep a tight lid on it. Click! She opened the door, and we walked inside the room. In the room, there is a big circle made of symbols or script I didn¡¯t recognize using herbs, flowers, roots, crystals, and other things. In the center of the circle, there is a small triangle made of the same things, with unfamiliar symbols, and the center of the triangle is a small familiar thing. It is the core of the abomination I had faced in the dungeon of Navr. ¡°Please sit here, Master Silver,¡± he said, pointing toward the tip of the triangle. I nodded and carefully entered the circle before sitting in front of the tip of the circle while she sat on the other side. ¡°I have a question; I would be grateful if you would answer it?¡± I asked her. ¡°If I know the answer, I will do it,¡± she replied. ¡°Why sacrifice ritual? What not use the merging ritual?¡± I asked, and a smile appeared on her face. ¡°A good question, Master Silver.¡± ¡°The reason we are not using it is because of the core we are using,¡± she said and looked at the core. ¡°This core is produced in place, which had the influence of a powerful incursion race. Every speck of it contains their mark and while purification had removed 99.999% of them, a trace has remained,¡± ¡°If we use the merging ritual and if it succeeds; the establishment will inherit those traces,¡± ¡°The sacrifice is much safer; we are sacrificing through the world as the catalyst. It will wipe every trace of foreign influence, leaving only pure magic to amalgamate with the establishment, which is what we want.¡± She explained. I nodded a minute after a few seconds of silence, feeling much more relieved than I was a few minutes ago. Traces of incursion are bad. I have read enough in my research to know the things it could do. It is why anything that came out of an incursion dungeon is purified. It is said that as long as anything is 90% purified; it is harmless, but Caena, unwilling to have even 0.001 trace of it. ¡°So, what do I have to do?¡± I asked. ¡°You have brought the needle, right?¡± she asked back, and I had brought out the needle as she had asked me a few days ago; it was the only thing she had asked me to bring for this ritual. ¡°Pierce it on your finger and drop the blood on the black crystal,¡± she instructed. I nodded and pierced my finger with the needle. After a slight pain, a drop of blood came out, and I dropped it on the tip of the triangle, where the black crystal was. Nothing happened as the drop of blood fell on the crystal. I looked at Caena and saw her looking at me with a smile. I opened my mouth, but closed a moment later and decided to wait. I didn¡¯t have to wait for long before I noticed the signs of something happening. The core, which was lying in the center, moved, and it started to melt rapidly until it completely turned into a liquid. That liquid moved toward the small triangle, seeping into every herb, flower, crystal, and everything else, till no sign of it had remained. It surprised me, but I didn¡¯t do anything and just watched, but unfortunately, nothing happened for several minutes. Once again, I was about to ask her what would happen when I saw the smoke coming out of the triangle and this smoke, instead of spreading into the whole room, moved toward the circle and began to enter inside it. Hun! I was watching it when I noticed another thing. The small triangle is turning to ashes. It is not just flowers and roots, but crystals and gems, too. The more smoke came out of them, the things would turn into ashes. A surprising thing about all is that there is no heat, not even the slightest. I took my hand closer to it but felt nothing. A little more than ten minutes later, the whole triangle had turned into ashes and all the smoke had been absorbed into the circle. Dhub! I looked at the circle and wondered what would happen with it when I got the scare of life when the whole circle burst into flame. It is not a normal fire, but a blazing fire. I turned to Caena, only to see her looking at me calmly, with a small smile on her face. I opened my mouth to ask her what was happening because the fire was dangerous and since we were underground; it was even more dangerous. ¡°Wh,¡± I had barely let out a word when I felt my vision blacking; the darkness appeared in front of my eyes. I felt the panic seeping in, but before it could fully manifest; I saw something mesmerizing appear in front of me. A globe, no, a sun? It looked like a sun and seemed to contain all the colors in the world. It had just materialized when I saw thin faint strings coming out of it. There are twenty-four of them and they felt like long, with knots twinkling on them. I had barely taken a look at these twenty-four strings when I saw more strings appearing one after another, at a fast speed. These strings are much smaller than twenty-four strings, but they have far more twinkling knots in them. For several seconds, countless strings materialized before finally stopping. I don¡¯t know what it is I am seeing. Whether it is a hallucination or reality or something that I couldn¡¯t understand. However, one thing is clear. I am feeling a genuine connection to it at my deepest level. I could feel the changing color and I felt like I would be able to feel it, even if I closed my eyes. I was looking at the marvel in front of me when a thick black and white smoke materialized out of nowhere and began to seep into the sun. There was a huge amount of smoke, and it rapidly went into the sun and a couple of minutes later, it had completely gone inside. There is no change to the sun or strings with twinkling knots, but I felt my connection to it seemed to have gotten a lot stronger. Hun! I was feeling this stronger connection when I felt everything in front of me disappearing. ¡®No!¡¯ I screamed, willing it to stop, but it didn¡¯t, and everything turned dark before the light appeared in front of my eyes. I have returned to the real world from wherever I had gone and instead of sitting. I found myself lying on the ground, with a circle surrounding me in ashes. I looked around before getting up and saw Caena sitting in the same position as she had been earlier. ¡°Has it succeeded?¡± I asked, to which she smiled. ¡°You know the answer to that question better than me,¡± she replied. Hun! ¡°It succeeded,¡± I said and immediately noticed something. The feeling I get from the establishment becomes much clearer. I could sense it, more clearly, and could even feel the facets of it, which I couldn¡¯t before. Like the sun, I felt it is made of different things, and maybe those ever-changing colors of the sun represented this. I wanted to tell Caena about what I saw but felt like it was not time. I had to understand this thing first before I could talk about it with her.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com For Advanced Chapters: Chapter 220: New Madam Chapter 220: New Madam Caena Click! The door opened, and we walked into Master Silver¡¯s new office; it was slightly bigger than the old one with a beautiful interior. The table and chairs are elvish made. They are green-blue and look amazing against the creamy pastel walls. It is a really beautiful office and the thing that makes it even better is the huge window, from which the whole view of the gate and road can be seen. The glass is reinforced and enchanted. It could protect but also magnify. It is not the only office on the floor; there are two more offices and while they are small. They are just as beautiful; that I wish one of them would be mine. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have a chance. One belongs to Madam Carla and other to the Madam Margaux. The assistant madams have got their own offices, but they are in the basement. I have seen the offices and hope I will get to choose the one I want. ¡°Take a seat, Caena,¡± he said as he sat down. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± I said as I sat down and looked at him. There must be something for him to call me into his office and, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous about it. ¡°As you know, all the girls will need to sign the new contract today,¡± he said and took out the contract. ¡°Here is your contract,¡± he added and slid toward me. I took the contract, hoping there wouldn¡¯t be many changes. Hun! I activated the Fast Reading and started to read it; within a second, I was shocked, but that shock was nothing in front of what I had gotten a few seconds after that when I read the privileges. I had not thought he would give this to me. This early. ¡°This?¡± I asked, looking at him in shock. ¡°I want you to be Madam of the establishment,¡± he stated. It is not what I had been asking about. Though it was the thing, that shocked me first. ¡°What about Madam Margaux?¡± I asked. ¡°She had resigned. She wants to take the responsibilities of the circle,¡± he replied. Now, it all started to make sense. In this past month, Madam Margaux handed me quite a lot of responsibilities, more than she had given to the assistant madams. The responsibilities had made me a little angry, seeing I wasn¡¯t able to give the time, I hoped to give to crafting the ritual charms. She has been training me by giving me all those responsibilities. However, I am still shocked. There are women more qualified for this job than me, like Dell, Lola, Andrea, and others. I didn¡¯t ask about them. I would have, if the privilege hadn¡¯t been involved, but it is, and I want it. I am sure, he would have thought about all the candidates before offering the job to me. I will not disrespect him by asking the question. I finished reading the contract and took the pen. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sign it immediately,¡± he said. I smiled and began to sign the contract. There is no way I would give him time to change his mind. I love the position he is offering, but more than that, I want that privilege. I have been trying for it, since the day I came to this place and now, I will have it. I signed my name on the last page, and the moment I did, I felt the contract clicked. More than that, I felt an even bigger change, full of magic. If there had been another witch standing beside me; she would have been shocked by seeing what was happening around me. I felt the establishment truly accepting me, by the order of its lord. I could feel the resistance to me disappearing; more importantly, I could feel its power and know I could use some of that power. The contract gives me the privilege to use 1% of the power of the establishment. There are twenty-eight conditions attached to it for purposes which I couldn¡¯t use, but I don¡¯t mind as not any condition stopped me from doing what I am doing. Even my personal project is for the benefit of the lord of the establishment. I had dreamed about this power, and now I have it. Witches dreamed about it but could never get their hand in such power. If a coven has access to such power, they could do things that will give their enemies the nightmare. Now I will wield this, and I wanted to use it immediately, but I controlled myself and turned to the person who had given me this power. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver. I will not let down the trust you have shown to me," I said to him, bowing deeply. The gesture seemed to surprise him, but he quickly controlled his emotions. ¡°Go, then, and see the preparations. We need today to be perfect.¡± He instructed. ¡°As you wish, Master Silver,¡± I said and got up and was about to leave the office, but stopped. ¡°They have arrived,¡± he said. Seeing the line of carriages on the street, moving toward the circle. Today, we all are moving into a new home. Speaking of which, now that I am a Madam, I will get one of the big three suites. There are three suits on the top floor with the best view and the interior. One is for Madam Carla, the second one is for the headmistress, the head of the circle, and the third is for the madam of the establishment. Now, being Madam; I will not only have the office on the top floor of the establishment but also the best suit. I looked at the carriages for a second more before walking out of the office. I have a lot of things to do. The first is meeting Drev and Stavad. Till yesterday, we were equal. From today, I am their boss, and it couldn¡¯t help but put a smile on my face. Soon, I reached the first floor and walked toward the kitchen, which was running at full force. We haven¡¯t done a soft opening for the new system, but girls are coming here in one and a half hours. They will sign the new contracts and eat. There will be a few rounds of practice, but it will be done on the three floors above. The first floor is for a completely different purpose. There won¡¯t be any girls involved in it. I had just entered the kitchen when I saw Stavad, and he was with Drev. They seem to be discussing something. Drev is the one who referred to Stavad; he used to work with him, in the restaurant he burned down. They noticed me and stopped talking, before walking toward me. ¡°Boss,¡± they said in unison. ¡°You know?¡± I asked in surprise. ¡°Mr. Silver informed us yesterday that he will be offering you the position and looking at the smile on your face, you seemed to have accepted it,¡± replied Stavad, in his drawling voice. Stavad is a man in his late thirties, with an average face and build, but an amazing voice. So much so that when Madam Carla first talked to him, it was a warning to not seduce any girls. We had hired him a few weeks ago. He will be the manager of the first floor. ¡°Well, since that is out of the way, then let¡¯s get down to the business,¡± I said and led them out and sat down at one of the tables. ¡°Do you have everything you need, Drev? Anything you need, tell me now?¡± I asked to which, he shook his head. ¡°I have everything I need, boss,¡± he replied. I nodded and turned to Stavad. ¡°How is your staff?¡± I asked. ¡°They are good, you will see them working like a fine-oiled machine in an hour,¡± he said, sounding quite confident. ¡°Still, we will go over a few things,¡± I said and took out the list from my purse. A few minutes later, they left. I remained at the table, thinking about all the things I had to do. Instead of doing them. I got up and walked into the basement. I couldn¡¯t control myself. If I didn¡¯t test the power, I wouldn¡¯t be able to work in peace. Even when I was talking to those two, all I have been thinking about is the power that is around me. I have to test the power, the things I could do with it. Click! Soon, I opened the door and went inside, before stopping middle of it. I raised my hand and willed the emotion present everywhere around me into my hand and they did, without any resistance. Seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. A moment later, I calmed my emotions and willed the spell to materialize through my craft. Hun? A second later, surprise appeared on my face when I didn¡¯t feel the spell materialize. I tried again with more focus, but once again, nothing happened. So, I tried again and again, but every time I tried, nothing happened. ¡°What is happening?¡± I asked myself before suddenly my eyes lit up with understanding. ¡°I am such an idiot,¡± I cursed and wanted to hit myself. In my excitement, to try the power, I forgot one of the main principles of witchcraft. I looked at the emotions, gathered in my palm, and poured an equal amount of emotions into my palm from my own reserves. The establishment is closed, but that doesn¡¯t mean, I can¡¯t harvest emotions. I had to meet a lot of people due to my responsibilities and many harbor the lust toward me. I had harvested it and while it is not as much as I get in the establishment; it is still enough for me to do some experiments here. As I did that, the fireball appeared in my hand. ¡°As expected,¡± I said, seeing the yellow fireball in my hand. The 1% power is huge, but it couldn¡¯t be used directly. It would go against the nature of witchcraft. I have to provide something of mine to use this power and it puts a smile on my face, instead of disappointing me. Because, if this place, ever turned to a legacy. It will be terror. I dispelled the fireball and, a couple of seconds later; the wind blade appeared in my hand, and a few seconds after that, the earth spike. We, the witches, are capable of casting any spell that mages could, but due to the nature of our magic, we couldn¡¯t fight on the frontline like mages do. Unlike them, we have to harness our power from emotions, and while we have mana, we need emotions to power our craft. If we deplete the harvested emotion, the mana will become useless to us. There is also slowness of spells and many other things. It is why witches focused more on rituals and charms. They are the things, that work on a much more subtle level than the spells and are harder to defend again, than putting a simple shield in front of you. I tried a few more spells before taking out the ritual charm from my pocket. I had a thought, with increased responsibilities, I wouldn¡¯t be able to create the number of charms I thought I would, but I did. The responsibilities seemed to have strangely made me better at crafting them. Likely because of all the mental strain I had to endure, managing these girls. From today, it will increase even more than now I will have to handle the whole establishment, every aspect of it. It is stressing me, but also making me feel excited. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. Charging the ritual charm. I did what I had done earlier and gathered emotions from the establishment and merged the equal amount of what I had harnessed before pouring it into the charm. It worked and within seconds; I had finished charging the charm, the fastest, I had ever done. Now, not only I will be able to charge the charms with half of the harnessed power, but it will also help me during the crafting. Power is not only required when charging the charm but also during the crafting. If creating ritual charms would have been just bending off flowers and vines and adding crystals and herbs, I would have created hundreds of them daily, instead of five or six. I wouldn¡¯t have been so tired too. I wanted to charge more ritual charm, but I was nearly empty. I didn¡¯t have much to begin with, and most went to spell and the charging of ritual took nearly all that was left. I am not disappointed. The moment in the evening arrives; I won¡¯t have a problem filling my reserves and charging these charms. It put a smile on my face, but also increased the pressure to make the evening as perfect as possible. ¡®I will be,¡¯ I said to myself and walked out of the room to make the preparation for the experience that patrons would talk about for days. For Advanced Chapters Visit Chapter 221: Utsa Chapter 221: Utsa Barb ¡°I am excited,¡± I heard the fifth time in ten minutes since we had left the mansion. ¡°I know you are excited, little girl, but can you keep it quiet? I am feeling a headache here,¡± I said to the bubbly orc-blood girl. ¡°Maybe, you shouldn¡¯t have drunk so much last night, then Barb,¡± replied the girl, and a tired smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face, hearing that. ¡°It is not drinking that giving me the headache, little girl, but not drinking it,¡± I replied, before turning to them. ¡°By any chance, do you have anything in your purses? It is fine if it is a sip or two?¡± I asked, looking at them hopefully, but all I got was disappointment, seeing them shaking their heads. It was a bad decision to send all my stock, along with my stuff, last night. I thought I would pilfer some from the party and I nearly did, till that girl Mena confiscated the bottles from me. Saying it is a property of the establishment; I could drink it at a party but not take it away with me. I had drunk it a lot, but the effects had disappeared by the morning, even with the skill, and the headache returned. Now, I wish this carriage would move faster. So, I could reach the circle sooner and get my hands on my stuff. However, I am also a little excited about the circle. I tried to get a look at it but was shooed away. In the past three months, aside from Madam and assistant Madams, nobody was able to look at what was happening inside. Though, I heard quite a lot of things, and the more I heard, the more excited, I could become. However, my excitement is nothing in front of the girls around me, who are talking loudly about it. Some are so loud that my headache begins to worsen. The only one who is silent among them is a girl named Bell. She was silent as usual, focusing on knitting, which she seemed to hate as well as love. Thankfully, the journey ended quickly as the carriage passed through the gates and stopped in front of the circle. Immediately, we began to come out of the carriage, and within a second, all twelve of us stepped out. ¡°It is so beautiful and big. It didn¡¯t seem so big when it was covered in all those clothes,¡± said Cath, with a voice filled with awe, I couldn¡¯t help but nod. It is really beautiful in a bold kind of way. The cream-colored building, but the more one looks, the more good it feels. However, the best thing about it is its shape; the circular shape looks good and those huge windows add a unique charm to it. I hope no one would jump from them, especially from the upper floor, where even high stats in vitality wouldn¡¯t be able to save them. I looked at the building for a minute before joining the girls, lined up in front of the huge iron gate of the circle. In front of the gate is Margaux, with Carla and Dell at her left and right. She looked at all the girls in front of her, over three and a half hundred of us. ¡°Welcome to the circle girls,¡± she welcomed with a smile and the gates behind her opened. She turned and walked inside, and we followed behind, already awed by what we had seen through the door. Gasp Gasp I passed through the iron doors and immediately heard multiple gaps. I was barely able to stop myself from gasping, seeing what I was seeing. The outside was nothing compared to what we are seeing inside. Inside the building, I saw the wide walkway lines with beautiful marble and big columns. Transparent elevators that will take one to any floor. Though the girls barely glanced at them, as everyone focused on something truly beautiful. There is a beautiful garden in the center, with trees, colorful wines, and charming flowers. It is all made beautiful by a drizzle of water from above and multiple ponds on the ground. ¡°Are those bridges?¡± asked Bell in surprise, looking above. It was the first time I had seen her showing surprise at anything. When she pointed; I looked up and couldn¡¯t help but become surprised. ¡°It seems like it,¡± I said in awe. There are freaking bridges here, made of colorful vines and wood. ¡°Are those bridges real, Madam Margaux?¡± asked a young girl of fifteen, whose name I couldn¡¯t remember. Soon, I reached the door with ¡®22¡¯ stamped above and pressed the handle. Click! It opened smoothly, and I entered inside into the room. The room is beautiful with sofas and tables and even a bookshelf, but what attracted my eyes is the five doors on three sides marked, A, B, C, D and E. There is also one ¡®Bathroom¡¯ written on it. I looked at them, before walking to door B. I tried opening it, but it was locked, seeing that a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face and I took out the key. The card isn¡¯t the only thing we have received last night, as it was the key. Click! I inserted the key and heard the clicking sound. A moment later, I pushed open the door and saw the most beautiful room I had ever seen in my life. It is slightly bigger than my old room had a beautiful white bed, a cupboard, and a table to study with two chairs. Though, the thing, that attracted my eyes was the widow. It is big and gives a clear view of the establishment and everything around it. The view couldn¡¯t help but bring a smile to my face, but I also felt myself tearing up. ¡°I need a drink,¡± I said to myself and walked up to the cupboard and opened it. As I had expected, all my stuff was here, but my eyes fell to the bottom, where my precious things were. I do not have any hobbies, except for drinking. Though, I wouldn¡¯t say it is a hobby, to me it is medicine. I had gained that class roughly ten months ago, and in just ten months, I took my Drinker Class to Lv. 11. It is a shocking speed that would have shocked anyone, but here, it would only bring a mild surprise. There have been many girls, who have gained classes coming here and took them higher than me. I looked at bottles; nearly every type of liquor is there, from wine to whisky to beer, and they are not cheap. I may be a drunkard, but I dislike the cheap stuff. Thankfully, I have a good supplier, who brought them for me at a wholesale price. Without that girl Ina, I would have been spending a lot more on them, than I should. I took out the round bottle with amber liquid and opened the cap before taking a sip directly from the bottle. I felt the velvety rum touch my tongue, bringing the taste of caramel with a fruity hint from behind. I kept it in my mouth for a few seconds, before gulping and activating Lasting Intoxication as it hit my stomach. I closed the bottle and sat on the chair by the window, feeling the burn and intoxication that came with it. It is a pretty hard rum, and I shouldn¡¯t drink it neat, but I like it. I felt the relaxation seeping into me, and the headache disappearing. As long as I remember, I had a headache. Sometimes it used to become so much worse, that I wanted to die. I had tried once when I was young but was saved by Carla¡¯s mother. I tried everything to heal it with the means I had, but nothing seemed to work, even a healing potion brought with months of savings, was useless. Some medicines did work, but they made me feel completely different; I didn¡¯t like them one bit, but took them for years. They were the only thing, that made the headache go away. I tried alcohol, but it also didn¡¯t work. Maybe it was because of cheap stuff, I drank or something else. Now, I do not feel any headache as long as I have a drink in my stomach. Today was the first day, I had felt the headache in over three months, and it was due to my own mistake. It made me wish that I had come to this place sooner. I laugh, thinking it; I am part of the first group. There was no one before me, even Master Silver, who came here months after I did. I wanted to take another sip, but I didn¡¯t. The Lasting Intoxication will keep a headache away for hours and I need to be conscious as possible when I sign the new contract. Though I wouldn¡¯t have drunk, even if there was no contract to sign. To me, alcohol is a way to control my affliction. A medicine; I won¡¯t let it become a vice. I have seen how it destroys people, and my own loved ones have been destroyed by it. I will not let it destroy me, just when I have found joy in this worthless life of mine. Not satisfied. Click on PATREON for More Chapters. Chapter 222: The Day Chapter 222: The Day "Father, have you seen this?" said Lancel angrily as she put a bunch of newspapers in front of his father. "I had heard about Remus making covert invitations in his part yesterday, but putting it in the newspaper is too much." He is clearly angry, but also happy. This is a great opportunity to teach Remus a lesson. He did something that deserved punishment and this time, he wouldn''t be able to talk his way out of it. The Count didn''t even look at papers and instead turned to his son. "I know, Remus had asked me permission for it a few days ago," his father replied, surprising him. "You knew, and you let it happen?" he asked incredulously, not daring to believe his father let such a distasteful thing happen. "Son, sometimes you need to do things you don''t like." "Remus is an asset. He excelled at every task we had given to him, done it better than we could have imagined," "He never asked for much, but when did, I accepted, even when I didn''t like, what he had asked. It is the way you keep the people loyal to yourself," he said and Lancel opened his mouth to object, but closed it a moment later. "Well, it didn''t matter, even if he posted on the newspaper. No respecting people would go to the brothel for that, much less take their wives," he muttered. The Count didn''t say anything to his son''s words, but there was a small smile on his face and a little bit of curiosity in his eyes. ... Arlina "Are you really taking me to the brothel?" I said as I readied myself in a mirror, with my heart beating with trepidation. It could change things. We could become a social pariah and it will affect our life and our business where we have poured all our savings in. It is fine for men to go to the brothel; nobody would bat an eye. A woman going there is an absolute taboo and a crime. If husband and wife both went there, then they would become social outcasts, and nobody would even look at that. That is the lightest of punishment; the gravest would be arrested by the church. Once that happened, there was no release or redemption. I heard there are even grey robes in the city. "We are not going to a brothel, we are going to a different establishment, which is on the first floor." "It is even a separately registered business and respectful one, that even newspapers have written about it," said Galen, pointing to three newspapers at the table. "Do we really have to go?" I asked, with desperation seeping into my voice. "We don''t have any choice, dear. You were there with me when Silver invited us,". Said Galen, and sighed in helplessness. "He didn''t say that clearly," I said, trying one last time, pleading. Going there could destroy us. "He implied it heavily," he replied, before walking toward me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "We cannot afford to anger Silver. He is the reason, we are receiving so much business, and if he wished, it could disappear, just as quickly," he said softly, and I shuddered. "I know," I said and got up. I know the consequences. It is the reason why, I bought the new dress and readied myself. My words were just venting; there was no choice. It was decided the moment Silver invited us yesterday. I had heard that he was the reason Mr. Carlson had postponed his son''s birthday party, which was today. "Let''s go," he said. We stepped out of the room and walked down the stairs. We were about to walk out of the door when we suddenly stopped and turned, where two children aged eleven and six coming at us. Both of them had inherited their father''s coppery hair and blue eyes from me. "My apologies Mr. Harlow, Mrs. Harlow. I had asked them to prepare before their tutor came, but they wanted to say goodbye to you two first," said Martha, coming from behind. We had hired her two weeks ago. We wanted to hire a nanny before, but couldn''t afford to. "It is fine, Lilian," said Jonas, while I turned to the children. "Mom and Dad are going to the party. We will try to return soon, but it could be late," I said to them and kissed their cheeks. I feel guilty for not being present for one more dinner. A few months ago, there was barely any invitation to any parties, but since the contract from the city, our fortunes have changed. We had even been invited to parties at nobles. "Goodbye mom, dad," they said. We said our byes and walked out of the door and stepped into the carriage waiting outside. We own a small construction business. We had been here for nearly two years, arriving a year before the city''s inauguration. Even in the small city, the competition was fierce. We were at our end, two and a half months ago, planning to sell everything we had to pay our loans and return to where we came from. Everything changed with the tender. Galen didn''t even want to take part, knowing only big companies would gain it, even if it was an auction. I still sent him, not because I thought there would be a chance, we would get it. I didn''t even think we would get it; only big companies get state contracts or those with connections, like Valentina Elar. I had sent him because it would be a place where all the representative medium and big construction businesses would gather, and Galen could talk to them about selling the business. It is very hard to get an appointment for those people. Galen wasn''t able to make a deal to sell the business, but he was able to meet other small-business owners and formed a consortium with them to submit the proposal for the tender. The proposal which I had created. After that, a miracle happened. The consortium got the contract and while we had barely made any money through it. The exposure we had gotten due to it, helped us land more contracts. Three months ago, there was a single project in our hands, now there are fourteen of them. Nine in the baronies and five in the city. We had a meeting tomorrow. If it goes well, then we will have three more projects. It all happened because of Silver. A bastard of the powerful house of Silver, who was thrown away here in the boundary city. Many thought he would fade away with his brothel, but in just a year, he had become one of the most powerful people in the city. Some even say he was most powerful after the Count and his son. More powerful than Commander Atticus, Damon Hardt, and even the priest of God of War. It doesn''t sound preposterous. Seeing everything he seemed to touch turned to gold, and he was powerful as well. Fighting undead and even monsters. The thing is, he is powerful, which means if he is angry, he wouldn''t have any problem destroying us. All he would need was a single word, and we will be finished. That is why, we can''t afford to get him angry and go to a brothel, that could potentially destroy us. "Relax, love, we are not the only ones who are going. I have talked to others earlier and they are also coming," said Jonas, taking my hands in his. "Let''s hope so," I said, pressing his hand tightly. I turned to the window, watching the scenery pass by, marveling at how fast the city had been changing. When we arrived at the city two years ago, there was barely anything in this area, now, it is lined with houses and stores. The city is growing at an amazing fast speed, and one couldn''t help but dream about their future in it. Unfortunately, the city didn''t have a future. When we came here, we had already decided when we will leave. We are going to stay in the city for six years before leaving. Two years have nearly passed and four more have remained. There will be no change in that. The safety of our children and us matters most to us, more than business or anything in the world. I hope we will earn enough in the four years to settle anywhere comfortably. If we continue to get the business as we are right now, we might be able to. A few minutes passed, and the carriage entered the entertainment district and, once again, my heart started to beat wildly. "Darling, look," said Galen, pointing toward the purple carriage from his side of the window. I looked at him with an arched brow. "That carriage belongs to Vice-Guildmaster Soren," he informed. "And you think he is going in there?" I asked. "He might be, I heard he had a good relationship with Silver," he said, sounding hopeful, but I had just rolled my eyes. Vice-Guild master Soren is a powerful man. He wouldn''t risk his reputation going there and was powerful enough that Silver wouldn''t be able to do much of anything to him. Still, I continued watching the carriage and saw it moving in the same direction as ours. Seconds passed and turned to the minutes, but the carriage moved with ours and soon, we reached near the brothel of Silver. "It is quite a beautiful building, especially those colors," said Jonas. I couldn''t help but nod. I had come to this road many times and was always impressed with the building and colors. Now, it had become even more beautiful; no wonder it attracts the men like moths. If I had been a man, I would want to come here too. I mean, who wouldn''t want to be in the company of beautiful women? I pushed that thought where it came, along with so many others, that I had been suppressing for years and focused on the building. The doors are still closed, but there are a lot of carriages waiting and now, our carriage will join it, along with Vice-Guildmaster Soren. Our carriage reached as close as the gate could before moving to the park when the doors of the brothel began to open. Immediately, all the carriages begin to move toward it. Not satisfied. Click on PATREON below for More Chapters. Chapter 223: Gates Open Chapter 223: Gates Open ¡°Open the gates,¡± Caena ordered right at six with a big smile on her face. ¡°She seemed quite happy saying it,¡± said Carla. ¡°It is something only Madam¡¯s could say and since it is her first day, she is excited to say it,¡± added Margaux with a smile. I didn¡¯t say anything and watched Caena leave the floor after speaking a few words to Stavad. The first floor is different. It is not part of the brothel; it is what I had said to invite the people. It is a very much part of it, not the brothel, but of the establishment. I had invited a lot of people, not because I wanted the patrons. No, I already have them, seeing how the establishment becomes full in less than half an hour. Even with more girls, I wouldn¡¯t have that problem. I have done that because I want to expand my clientele. I want to reach the people who would never step into the brothel and women. Though, that will be a challenge. Some might come with their husband today because I had invited them, but it is hard to say whether they will come on their own. It will be dependent upon the experience they receive. Let¡¯s hope, all the preparations work as they should, and the rest should be handled by the charms. Caena watched till the gates opened before going upstairs. The first floors aren¡¯t for the girls or Madam. It will be under her, but she will not be able to show her face. It is a restaurant; the madam had no place here. It will change. It will take time, months, years, or decades, but it will definitely happen. Opening a restaurant beneath the establishment is a risky move, considering I already sell food and wine. It is still available on the upper floors. There are several reasons why I took such a huge risk, but the biggest one is the promise I had made to myself. I wanted a place that is more than a thing, where people come to vent their lust. I want to create a place where people get to experience, they would never get anywhere, a place where their desire would be fulfilled. I had made huge progress in that vision; seeing only around 30% of patrons, have sex, while others come for good food and company. This time, I took a step further, opening a restaurant at the establishment. Here, I will be able to satiate the desire of the people who do not have any interest in the girls and services they offer. I had needed to be a little forceful with the invitation. So, they would bring their wives and I am not proud of them, but I am not ashamed either. The experience will be thrilling for people, and they love thrill; especially those who are bound by the restrictions of society. They reveal in the slightest bit of freedom they get, the conventions, they break. It is not just the women crave it, but also the men. I had worked hard at the restaurant; conceptualizing the idea until it became what it is today. To give the best experience, I had given Drev complete freedom, and he didn¡¯t disappoint me. I have tested it, and I can confidently say that it is better than anything in the city. It is comparable to or even better than what I had tasted in other cities; the only thing that had better food was the legacy in Navr. Which I wouldn¡¯t be able to compare in my whole life, but I will try my damn hard to do it. The charms are working great; the effect they are creating is amazing. They are tailored to enhance every aspect of the establishment and, from today after a month of break, more charms will be added, creating an even better ambiance here. So, I really hope, the people coming here, some of whom I had forced, would come back on their own next time. Hun! The carriages began to come inside as the door opened and a less than minute later, the first guest came in and it surprised me. ¡°Well, this is surprising,¡± I said, while Carla and Margaux nodded in dumbfoundedness. I had expected many people to come, but never in my dream. I had expected he would come. It is none other than Damon Hardt. I had invited him yesterday like I had others, but I hadn¡¯t thought he would come. He is expressionless, while his wife is looking at everything with surprise and excitement. Stavad welcomed him and Edina. The mai?tre de took him inside and seated him at the best table. The other guests came after him. Some had surprised me, like Vice-Guildmaster Soren, who had also come with his wife. He is not only from the vice-Guild-master who came. A few seconds after that came Locke with his wife. Minutes passed; carriages kept coming through the gates of the establishment. Though not all of them had entered the restaurant, more than half of them took the entrance above. There are three entrances throughout the establishment. One is direct, it is on the left side of the fountain, while the main entrance to the restaurant is on the right. The second one is through the underground parking, and the final one is through the restaurant itself. It is hidden on the way to the bathroom, but some people found it within minutes and went above. At the twenty-seventh minute, the gates of the establishment closed. The restaurant is filled, including the stools by the bar and the private cabins, which have been occupied by the groups. The same is true for the three floors above; I hadn¡¯t gone up yet, but if that wasn¡¯t the case, Caena wouldn¡¯t have closed the gates. It is quite surprising; that the establishment filled so quickly. The restaurant has one hundred and forty-two tables, excluding the nine private cabins and space on the three bars. There are also more girls, two hundred and nine, on the three floors above. There is a total of two hundred and seventy-one of them, that will work, but not all at the same time. From today, the establishment changed to night brother today/night brothels. I had wanted it from the beginning and now, nearly a year later; I have got it. I am glad I didn¡¯t rush into it. The timing now feels perfect. ¡°It seemed to be working well,¡± said Carla, and I couldn¡¯t help, but nod. It was working beyond well; I could see people eating and drinking and this time, there were no girls, but friends, family, and colleagues. Smiles on their faces are really big and nearly everyone, especially women, would glance up, now and then, with a thrill and excitement in their eyes. Seeing that, a big smile appeared on my face. It is for this reason; that I had created this place. So, they could experience these emotions. Even if they never come back, the memories of this place will always remain in their heart. I looked for a few more minutes before walking out of the secret viewing soon, which was now even bigger. It had enough space that five people could sit easily in it. We climbed the secret stairs and went to the second floor, where I saw the girls, laughing and smiling at the patrons. It is a familiar scene that made me smile, but it is also different from the past. So much different. First, the interior is much better, with high ceilings and a huge chandelier along with beautiful art. The dresses the girls wore were wearing; all of them had a magical thread in them. The accessories they were wearing were also expensive and, more importantly, they were doing great. A month of training and learning had made them better. Even the experienced girls are showing quite an improvement. The new girls mixed between them are also doing well. I could see Jenna moving around the table, talking to the patron, laughing, flirting. Every floor had a floor leader; they were the assistant madam¡¯s. The leader of this floor is Jenna, and she is doing amazing. We looked for a few minutes before we went to the third floor, which is a little smaller than the second floor and has fewer girls than it. The higher the floor, the fewer girls it will have, but they will be better leveled, and the interior of the floor will be much nicer. Danielle is handling this floor, and, unlike Jenna, she is a little reserved, but every time she approaches any table, the patrons turn to her with a smile on their faces. Finally, we reached the top floor; it had the smallest space, but its interior cost me more than double of two floors below. I had kept intentionally small and, due to it, the space behind had a lot of rooms. The floor only had twenty-eight tables and the girls on them were the best of the establishment. Most of them are the highest leveled, some closing on Lv. 25, but some hadn¡¯t been Lv. 20, but are here. I want the best, not the highest level, and sometimes, it doesn¡¯t mean the same thing. Mena is the floor leader, but Caena is also present here. Caena¡¯s is responsible for everything and a minute after we stepped onto the fourth floor, she went down. ¡°I thought it was a little risky to have those two on the top floor, but it seemed like, it was a good decision,¡± said Margaux and I couldn¡¯t help, but smile. I didn¡¯t have to ask them to know who they were talking about. They are talking about Bell and Rexy, two new girls. They were not supposed to be on the top floor. The top floor was supposed to be for the experienced girls, but those two have impressed me enough that I added them to the top girls. It is huge, but I thought it would be worth it, and seeing how they are doing, it might be worth it. Though nothing is concrete; it is just a first impression and barely an hour passed. Those two are a little complicated, one is orc blood, while the other straightforwardly said that she won¡¯t have sex. Rexy isn¡¯t a problem; the orc blood is beautiful, funny, and charming, completely opposite of Senar, who is reserved. She is also on this floor. Bell is different, she is quiet, but not reserved. There also seemed to be an air of heaviness around her, she tried to hide it, try to look nothing more than a pretty face, but it was there, and it came now and then. The reason I had chosen her, was because of her ability to hold the conversation. She could keep people engaged in even the most boring topic. It is one of the challenges here and the man who is sitting opposite to her is one of the most boring people, but he gives lavish gifts. It is the reason he is on the top floor. Not anyone could get onto the top floor. There is a list of people, made by madams and girls. Only those on the list could have the privilege of coming to the top floor. Thankfully, the list is quite long and will keep growing every day or I would have been worried about getting patrons here. ¡°We will need more girls in the leadership role, both in the establishment and in the circle,¡± said Carla suddenly. ¡°Dell and I will be able to handle the circle,¡± said Margaux, a little defensively. Her tone is understandable. Today was her first day, and she didn¡¯t want anyone doubting her abilities. ¡°You can handle the girls at the current number, but what will you do when more girls come?¡± Carla asked back her friend. Instead of answering, Margaux looked at me. ¡°We do need more girls at leadership in the establishment. We only have one madam and three assistant madams, we need more since the establishment is going to be a day/night business,¡± ¡°As for getting new girls, it will depend on how the establishment does,¡± I said and looked ahead. Not satisfied. Click on PATREON below for More Chapters. Chapter 224: The Night Chapter 224: The Night Caena Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 225: Breaching Capstone Chapter 225: Breaching Capstone Prostitute Lv. 20 [Skill Gained: ...] [Skill Gained: ...] Whore Lv. 16 Whore Lv. 17 [Skill Gained: ...] [Conditions Met: Harlot + Dancer ¨C Vivacious Harlot] Vivacious Harlot Lv. 20 [Skill Gained: ...] Cocotte Lv. 18 Cocotte Lv. 19 Magical Chef Lv. 27 [Skill Gained: ...] [Conditions Met: Trainee Cook- Chef] Chef Lv. 11 Chef Lv. 20 [Skill Gained: ...] Waitress Lv. 17 [Skill Gained: ...] Server Lv. 19 . . . Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 26 [Skill Gained: Precise Hands] [Class Gained: Madam] Madam Lv. 2 Madam Lv. 3 Madam Lv. 4 [Skill Gained: Voice of Authority] [Skill Gained: Eye for Numbers] I looked at the text in front of me, dumbfoundedness. I had levelled up in my witch class and that didn¡¯t surprise me. Though, I am happy, especially gaining the skill. The skill is not rare; most witches, especially those who work on charms, get it after crossing Level 10. I didn¡¯t have the chance, everything was destroyed by the time I got the class, and rarely made charms for years, in fear of getting discovered. I pushed those thoughts and focused on the thing, that surprised me. The new class Madam. I shouldn¡¯t have got it, seeing I had a Prostitute Class, which had merged into the Witch class; giving me the primary class I have. The experience I got from running a brothel should have gone to the primary class, which has my Prostitute Class, but that didn¡¯t happen and instead, I gained the new class. I looked at the class and skills carefully and felt every aspect of them, and soon a smile appeared on my face. I understood why, I had gained the class. The Prostitute Class that merged with my Witch Class, had an aspect of sex, lust, sin, and other things, but didn¡¯t have administration. I didn¡¯t manage anything; I was just a common whore like the rest. It changed when Master Silver made me the assistant, madam, and I gained administrative responsibilities. The experience of it tried to merge with a Prostitute Class part of my primary class, but it couldn¡¯t. If my Witch Class hadn¡¯t merged with my Prostitute Class, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. The Prostitute Class would have advanced to Madam, as it had happened with my seniors and assistant madams. I think it was the reason why, I felt the buzzing in my class for the past two months. Yesterday, the experience of administration was too much, and since it couldn¡¯t merge; it had formed a new class with an administrative nature. I am happy with my new class. It will aid me immensely in my duties as a madam. ... Agent of Experience Lv. 20 Agent of Experience Lv. 21 [Skill Gained: See My Vision] ¡°I breached the capstone,¡± I said as I looked at the three texts in front of me. I knew there was a high chance of it happening, but seeing it happening has still surprised me. It is not a common level-up, but a breaching of capstone. People took years and many couldn¡¯t even do it, but I did it and did it in little more than a year. It immediately set me apart from more than half of the population of the world. More than half of the people of the world could never breach the second capstone. It is quite surprising that I had gained not one level, but two. It is quite hard to gain level after the second capstone; one needs to work hard for each level. It seemed like yesterday''s convention-breaking opening of the restaurant, has given me a greater response than I had imagined. I turned to the skill, not a normal skill, but a capstone skill. They are stronger and rarer and this one feels strong and gives me a similar vibe as Command Projection of my Trainer Class. I think I have an idea of what it is about and could do, but I will have to test it first before I can say something about it. Though, if it worked as I expected it to be. Then it is going to solve, many problems. Especially with what I am planning to do next. I looked at skill before going back to the two-level ups and with them, the two attribute points I got. I want to add them to Charm and Intelligence, but I am still working on baronies, and it would be wise to spend on the physical attributes. I didn¡¯t feel good about that choice; I needed the points in my mental skills too, seeing most of the skills are mental in nature. So, after much thinking, I made a compromise. I added one point to the Strength attribute, taking it to eleven, and one to Intelligence, taking it to twelve. Their effect was immediate. I felt stronger like, I could punch through the wall and my thoughts became clearer. It couldn¡¯t help but make but bring a smile to my face, thinking how much these points will help me, especially the Intelligence. Class: Agent of Experience Lv. 21 Masterful Administrator Lv. 19 Blade Warrior Lv. 17 Trainer Lv. 07 Charisma: 15 Intelligence: 12 Vitality: 10 Strength:Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Swift Blade ¡¤ Lords Mood ¡¤ Privacy ¡¤ Command Projection ¡¤ Get Ready ¡¤ Quick Parry ¡¤ Sharpness ¡¤ Active Presence ¡¤ See My Vision Attribute Points: 0 I looked at the interface for a minute, before closing it and stepping out of the bed. Forty-five minutes later, I opened the door of my room and stepped into my office. Now, there is a room right behind my office; it is smaller than the room, I had before, but I didn¡¯t mind. It does the job and is big enough that I could do other activities without feeling constrained. ¡°Congratulations on breaking the capstone,¡± said Carla. I froze as I was about to sit down. ¡°How do you know?¡± I asked in surprise. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised. If she had congratulated me on leveling up, but she had specifically said, capstone. ¡°Your skill, covering the establishment, spiked in power.¡± She replied, and I immediately deactivated the skill before activating again, while shaking my head. It is useless; the people would have already been aware of it by now. There is no need for me to hide and I am not planning to hide it either. Torch for Seeker is an extremely useful skill. It will attract patrons and there is no way I would lessen its power, just so I could hide my real level. It would be like hitting my toe with a hammer. Instead, it will benefit me. If people know, I have reached Lv. 20 so quickly. Sometimes, it is more useful to show strength than to hide it. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked. ¡°With Carla and Margaux taking the reins, my responsibilities of the establishment had lessened a lot,¡± ¡°Which is good, because the responsibilities of our liquor business are increasing,¡± she replied. I had handed the business to her. She is doing a great job, better than I had thought she would. This is good, because, if the establishment did as I wanted it, to do and I got all the permissions, she is going to get very busy for a long time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; the help is coming,¡± I replied, and she smiled gratefully. She knows my plans and understands how drastically things will change in the next few months. It is why, I had a few capable people coming to share the load. They will be coming with members of the house, who are coming to set up a branch in the Greltheaven. It was supposed to happen months ago, but some things are happening there, that delayed them. They will be here in three days. ¡°So, when we will file the applications?¡± she asked, with excitement burning in her eyes. ¡°We will have to see how the establishment does first,¡± I said, to which she waved her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is a problem. Even the kind of clientele you want didn¡¯t come. It won''t be a problem for us to fill every table at the restaurant with our usual clients,¡± she said, looking at me intently. ¡°Yes, I know, but we need that of clientele. If we want to take the establishment to a greater height,¡± I said to that. ¡°Fine, we will wait for a week. I just hope, you will be able to stay a week,¡± she said, and I smiled. It is difficult to say, but I don¡¯t think that would be a problem, seeing everything is going well in the baronies. Even the monsters are being handled. Most importantly, more caravans coming from the merchant-state every day. I am receiving loads of messages from merchants from the city and Oksall, asking about the plot sale. Speaking of which; the negotiations are nearly finished. We will complete a deal in the next few days. I pushed those thoughts and focused back on Carla. ¡°Give me your hand,¡± I said to her, and she arched her brow with a suggestive smile on her face. Seeing that, I wanted to jump out of my chair and rip that dress off her, but I controlled myself. ¡°Nothing of that sort; I want to test my new skill,¡± I replied and could see a faint disappointment before she gave her dainty hand to me. I took her soft hand, and I wanted to kiss it. Instead, I closed my eyes and a second later activated my capstone skill, See My Vision. As I did, I projected what I was imagining to her. I have quite a practice for it since the Command Projection of Trainer Class is about the same, but I could already start to see the fundamental difference between the two. The biggest of them all is the power of the skill and for how long, I could use it. Two minutes and thirteen seconds later, the skill stopped, and I let go of her hand. It is far more time than the eight seconds I get with the command projection. I turned to Carla, who still had her eyes closed, which she did some time ago. I didn¡¯t disturb her and waited. I needed to wait for more than a minute before she had finally opened her eyes, looking at me with shock. ¡°Is that your vision for the establishment?¡± she asked. To which I nodded after a moment. ¡°It is beyond anything I thought and feels impossible,¡± she said with wonder in her voice. ¡°For you, near impossible,¡± she added, and I smiled. ¡°Let me test a few more things,¡± I said and once again, she gave me her hand. I tested a couple of things, till I felt tired and couldn¡¯t do it anymore, but there was a smile on my face. ¡°It is an amazing skill you have got,¡± she said as I opened my eyes after a few minutes of rest. ¡°It is,¡± I said with a smile. The skill can let me share what I want, memories, thoughts, and imagination. It is anything as long as it is related to business. The things related to the establishment are the clearest; the ones related to my liquor business are also clear enough. There was a huge resistance when I tried to share anything else, like scenery or memory unrelated to the business. It is blank most of the time or extremely blurry. There are a couple of more things I want to test, which I couldn¡¯t do with Carla. Things like, whether I could use it with people other than the girls and those who work in establishments and a few other things. ¡°You rest. I have a meeting with Mr. Hazev from Deerpond in half an hour,¡± she informed me before leaving my office. The Deerpond is lessening the restriction on goods from Navr, that came through Mirador Hold. However, they are not still letting their merchants come and I am trying for it. It will be great if I am able to achieve that. Once Deerpond agreed; the rest of the cities which are resisting would also let their merchants trade with Navr. It will bring a lot of taxes to the city. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 226: Cath Chapter 226: Cath As the door closed, I slumped on my chair and rested for a few minutes. I was about to open my eyes when I decided to do something. I noticed it last night and wanted to check it out in the morning. This is the best time to do it, before the establishment opens for the day. I focused and immediately the feeling began to get clearer. I could tell that it had become faintly stronger than the morning yesterday when I had performed the ritual. Caena said, the more powerful the feeling is, the more powerful the charms would become. A minute later, I stopped and focused on the papers in front of me. ¡°Master Silver, Madam Caena, and Headmistress Margaux are here for you,¡± the voice said through the intercom. Click! ¡°Send her in,¡± I said, and a second later, the door opened, with Caena and Margaux coming inside. ¡°Master Silver,¡± they greeted, ¡°Caena, Margaux, take a seat.¡± I offered them the seats. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± they thanked as they sat down, putting a file in front of me. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. The establishment has been cleaned, and currently, the staff is busy setting up the tables and making preparations for the opening,¡± Caena replied. It was nearly eleven; I had slept after the establishment closed, and because of that, woke up late. Earlier, our plan was to open the establishment at nine in the morning, but after consulting with girls and a few trusted friends like Valentina, while also doing some research. I decided to open at twelve; it is perfect timing. It is a time for lunch and also late enough that people can drink and enjoy the company of the girls. I am not aiming for perfect occupancy during the day. It is not a realistic goal, but like to have 75% at a restaurant, between twelve to two, and 60% at above floors, between twelve to five. I am not going to use all girls; just around a hundred. Like the night, it will be a mix of old and new. It is why only two floors are going to be used. The top floor and the third floor; I am not going to use the second floor, which is the biggest of the three. However, these changes are not permanent. I will make changes if I feel the need for it after my observation. I nodded and turned to Margaux. ¡°The girls are doing great. I had nine girls coming to me for the private room,¡± she informed, and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face before turning to smile. Them asking for the private rooms only means one thing. They have breached the Capstone and reached Lv. 20 and above. The numbers of such girls are steadily rising. They had slowed down in the past month and even there, two girls had somehow reached Lv. 20. ¡°I think this month, we will reach the century,¡± said Caena and Margaux, nodding with a smile. ¡°How both of you are feeling with your new responsibilities?¡± I asked them. ¡°I am far more relaxed than before,¡± said Margaux. ¡°I am a little stressed, but it is because, of the first day, it will be more relaxing after I get used to it,¡± she answered. ¡°It might, but both of you need help,¡± I said. ¡°Have you prepared the list?¡± I asked. They nodded and pushed a list toward me. I looked at the thirty-two names, which I will interview for the five positions. I need more girls in leadership. Caena and three assistant madams aren¡¯t enough to manage the establishment and the same will happen for the circle, if more girls come. It is not just that; I don¡¯t want these, and two others worked to death. They need time for classes and for personal needs. Work should be part of the life, not life itself. ¡°I will begin the interview at two,¡± I said and picked up the file that Caena had put in front of me. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excitement as I opened it and began to read, and the reading was faster. Insightful Reading has become powerful, and it is not just the attribute point, that did it. It is also because my primary class had reached Lv. 21, breaching the capstone. Insightful Reading is not the skill of the Agent of Experience, but it still affects it. The attributes didn¡¯t have a set value; their value depended on classes. It is why Lv. 10 Lord is far more powerful than Lv. 10 Warrior; the former could handily beat the latter. Because the Lord Class had much greater weight and it reflected on the attributes. All classes put their weight on the attributes, but it is the primary class that puts the most. If a primary class is powerful, then it puts all the weight of it on the attributes. It is because of this that the secondary class becomes more powerful than the primary. The fight for dominance occurs. It is not just the levels that need to be greater, but also the weight of class. If one had Warrior Class as their primary class, which is at Lv. 10, and have Lord Class as their secondary class, which is at Lv. 5. The Lord Class will have a greater weight and thus interfere in the leadership of primary classes. Slowing down, leveling, and sometimes, they even reduce the power of primary classes, if the secondary class is especially powerful. What I mean by saying is primary class should be higher leveled and have more weight. Thankfully, I am safe in that. Agent of Experience is higher leveled and has more weight. There was no problem when the Agent of Experience and the Masterful Administrator were at the same level. I pushed those thoughts of classes away and focused back on the exciting numbers in front of me, written in beautiful handwriting. It was not this good when I saw it yesterday. It seemed like she had received a skill; such change could only have appeared through the skill. I finished the file fairly quickly and tried hard to hold back from the big smile appearing on my face. The numbers are better than I had imagined; not just for the three floors but for the restaurant too and that is after we gave a huge opening day discount. Seeing the numbers, I could feel the plans materializing in front of me. Those plans will require a lot of money and while I am earning a lot through the liquor business, I want the establishment to do its part, too. If the last night''s numbers are anything, the establishment would do great. ¡°We will put them in the records, but will not consider them when we make future plans,¡± ¡°We will consider, what we earned from today,¡± I said and both of them nodded. The daily earnings report will calculate our earnings from 12 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day. They left soon after, and I turned to Zela. There were many messages waiting for me. I do not have to go anywhere for the rest of the day. I have taken, leave from my duties in the city. Today is the last day of that. Tomorrow I will go back to the Count. Though, I will have to attend the part at Mr. Carlson¡¯s. That man had postponed his son¡¯s birthday for me, and I will be attending despite not wanting to go. Soon it was twelve, and the gate opened, and quite a lot of carriages entered inside. It surprised me. While their numbers are not as much as what came at night, it was still surprising for the first minute in the afternoon. I watched them for a few minutes before sitting back on my desk and opening the files on the girls. I have to go over the information, I have on the thirty-two. It is the only way I will be effectively able to interview them. ... Cath ¡°I am worried; I hope it goes well,¡± I said, feeling very nervous. I had failed once before, and I don¡¯t want to fail again, or I might not get this opportunity again. I had given an interview before, and it had gone really well. I thought I would get the job. Instead, it was Jenna and Danielle who did. I want to get it this time. ¡°It will be, don¡¯t worry,¡± said Barb, with the faint smell of whisky coming from her. I don¡¯t like the smell of liquor, but the one coming from Barb isn¡¯t a smell, but a fragrance. Barb had a passive skill, that made the smell of alcohol coming from her feel like perfume. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± I asked. The older woman¡¯s face turned a little serious before a small smile appeared on it. ¡°A little, but not as much as you, or that little girl over there,¡± she said, pointing at the teen, who was walking nervously and even got herself wet accidentally from the shower coming from above. ¡°It is quite surprising that a young girl is chosen for the interview,¡± I said, looking at Gloria. She is only seventeen but worked in business since she was thirteen. Despite experiencing the horrible things about this business, she still maintained her innocence. ¡°She is young, but the girl is wise beyond her years and quite talented,¡± said Barb, before turning to me. ¡°You are also very good. So, don¡¯t doubt yourself too much,¡± she added, pressing my hands with her. I felt myself calm down a little and a few minutes later, I walked into my room. I had a personal room for months. I was the first person to reach Lv. 20 and got my room. Which I love dearly; one month in the mansion where I needed to share a room had been hell. It is not like my roommate was bad, but both of us had grown used to our personal space, and living together was difficult. I don¡¯t want to experience that again. If get selected today, then I won¡¯t have to, even if we somehow shifted to the mansion for a reason. Madam and assistant madam¡¯s get suits and offices. I want them; I have dreamed about them many times. I didn¡¯t stay in my room for long. I changed and walked out after picking up my kit. There are two hours before the interview, and I don¡¯t think I will be able to remain calm till then. So, I am going to a place which calmed me down. Click! I got out of the elevator and went to the basement and soon reached the place where I wanted to. Pottery workshop. There are already several girls here practicing. I nodded at those who looked at me and wore an apron, before setting the things by the wheel. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± I said and started. Pottery is one of the most liked things that girls choose. It is fun and relaxing and also helps them make money. Master Silver had set us up with a merchant who buys our wares. I have been earning a good amount of money from it for months. While it couldn¡¯t be compared to what I earn in the establishment. It is enough to make a good living if I ever felt like leaving the business, which I don¡¯t plan to do. At least, not in the near future; I might in a few years, but nothing is certain. Nearly one and a half hours passed when I stopped and placed my work in the kiln before leaving. Soon, I reached my room, showered, and readied myself for the interview. ¡°Ready girls?¡± asked Della to the eight of us who were gathered. The interview will happen in batches of eight and I am part of the first batch. All the girls are familiar, but I am glad Barb is here. ¡°Good, let¡¯s go then,¡± she said as we nodded and opened the gate of the tunnel. Yes, there is a tunnel, it will directly lead us to the establishment''s entrance. Within three minutes, we reached the establishment¡¯s basement before taking the secret stairs to the top floor and soon, we were in the small waiting room by the Master Silvers office. ¡°Madam Della, Master Silver is ready,¡± informed Jill from her desk. Della nodded and turned to us. ¡°Cath, you are first,¡± said Della, surprising me. However, I quickly composed my emotions and got up before walking toward the room with the hope that I would get the job.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 227: Arrived Chapter 227: Arrived Click! I opened the door with a shaking hand and went inside. There, I removed my clothes before applying a numbing solution. I had gone a little too hard on the practice. I had taken a break for a few days, before resuming yesterday. Then, too, I had pushed myself as hard as today. The level-up had increased my strength, and I have pushed myself to test their limit and get control over them as soon as possible. I need to use the strength I have as efficiently as possible with surgical accuracy and the only way I could do it, is by training hard. It will increase my chances of surviving any danger that befall me. There are many, that sometimes, I feel really scared. I finished applying the numbing cream and felt the pain lessening until it nearly disappeared. A few minutes later, I showered and changed into one of the suits I keep in this room before stepping out. I stopped in the kitchen for breakfast before walking into my office. ¡°It arrived,¡± I said as I looked at the thick blue package on my desk. There is nothing written on it except for the single dark grey line in the middle. I moved my index finger toward it, and soon the nail touched the string over the package. It immediately cut, before I begin to slide my nail across the wrapping of paper, cutting it smoothly. The Sharpness could not be used only in fighting. To get mastery over it, I am using it to cut things to eat and I have to say; it is a pretty useful skill to have. It is a Warrior Class skill, and there is resistance when I use it like this, but despite that, it provides me with enough sharpness that I could use my nail as a medium to cut through things like normal strings and paper. Inside the package is a thick stack of papers. On them too, there is a small grey line. It is from the grey guild, information on the empire and world. It was very expensive, and I had asked for a city to pay for it, but the Count had refused; he said, to buy a lower-grade one. So, I am paying for it with my own money. I used to buy it before, but it was in the lower grade. This one had more secret news, and they were more detailed. I didn¡¯t waste any time and began to read it and for a few minutes, there was no change, but as I started to read the information on the empire, my expressions have started to become serious. ¡®They are hurrying in their preparations,¡¯ I thought as I finished with the empire section. I knew everybody was preparing for the emperor¡¯s death and making the preparations. It was clear as day, but it seemed like in the past few weeks, they had increased the pace of it. The armies are shifting, more restrictions are appearing on the movements of people. Especially young or those with the desired class; the same with resources, like precious metals and resources of a magic nature. No wonder the prices are increasing; they are becoming high, especially in the empire, that I begin to source more and more resources of a magical nature from the merchant cities. Though not in enough quantity to arouse the suspicion. Every faction was preparing, and it seemed like there were more factions willing to try for the throne than I had initially thought. Though, I am sure, some are just flexing their muscle to get a greater advantage in negotiations. It has already begun; I have heard many princes and princesses are making deals and alliances. The crown prince is ahead of all. Prince Grelt is right behind, and his influence is growing fast. The man is charming and powerful. He had proven himself on the battlefield and arena of politics. It is why he is getting much greater push back from the crown prince and the emperor. Though it is clear as day that the influence of the emperor waned a lot. Nobody had defied him, but his commands and decrees weren¡¯t getting the reverence and obedience, that they used to get a decade ago. He is not pushing hard either and using a soft approach more and more. If he tried hard and people openly defied him; things would escalate rapidly, and the emperor would have a civil war in his hands. He didn¡¯t want that. He wants to maintain his legacy and having a civil war at the end of his reign is the last thing he wants. Seeing his reign had been long and somewhat prosperous, at least until a few decades ago. It is not just people in the empire who are making the moves for what is coming, but also of the continent. Our enemies are preparing, seeing they almost stopped fighting. They are waiting for the emperor to die and once that happens. They will attack, the empire and it will be bloody. I really hope there will be a consolidation of power quickly, or we will be in a shitload of trouble. If things turn worse, there won¡¯t be an empire in the next few years. It is not just the doom thoughts. These things could really happen. I read further. The more I read, the more worried I would become. Things are turning worse, and it is worrying people like me, because of the destruction that occurs during the war, any war is shuddering. Here, people could cast destruction equal to the nukes; it is terrifying. ¡°Master Silver, they are here,¡± said Jill through the intercom. ¡°Send them in,¡± I said and put the stack into the drawer. They should have arrived yesterday but got delayed by the day. Click! The door opened and two people walked inside. One is a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties and the other is a man who seemed to be in his early thirties. The man is in his mid-twenties and is tall and handsome. He looked quite similar to his father, but handsome. The man in his early thirties had an average face and height, but the eyes had intelligence. It is a good thing, the family had sent him, because Rowen had a nearly similar business sense as his father, zero. These two and me share physical similarities, all three of us have silvery grey eyes, the mark of silver. ¡°Cousin,¡± said Rowen and sat down without me giving permission. ¡°Adviser,¡± greeted Graham, but didn¡¯t move from his spot. ¡°Graham, please take a seat,¡± I said with a smile and turned to both of them. ¡°Welcome to Greltheaven, I hope you had a pleasant journey,¡± I said to them. ¡°It is a good thing, I had stayed Ubal for the day. It will be hard to get adjusted to this shithole,¡± he said with a smile, I really wanted to slap the bastard and I could do it without consequence. ¡°It may be shithole to you, but it is home to me and I hope you will be respectful to it,¡± I said with a smile, and Rowen¡¯s expression froze for a moment before anger appeared in them. He opened his mouth, but closed it a moment later. He is Rowen Silver, son of Uncle Raymond, and is as useless as his father, even more useless than him. He had turned three stables business into ruin and caused an incident, that his father needed to apologize for it. This was the last chance; the family had given him, and they had sent Graham with him. It may be Rowen in charge, but real authority is in the hands of Graham. Who is from a distant branch and had to work hard to reach, where he is today. I have been asked to keen eye on him. They have plans for him and need to know whether he is worthy of responsibility, they are planning to hand him over in the future. ¡°It is a beautiful city and developing, far faster than family had predicted,¡± said Graham, and I smiled. ¡°It is developing fast; the population has tripled in less than a year, going over a hundred thousand,¡± I said. He seemed surprised by that, but quickly controlled his emotions. ¡°We will set our business here and hope you will help if there is any difficulty,¡± said Graham. ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t expect any special favors from me,¡± I said, and Rowen glared. ¡°Of course,¡± Graham replied with a smile. It is a joke since I am an adviser, they have already had a huge advantage here. They wouldn¡¯t need any special favors if they worked with their brains. I would not help them if they got in trouble. It doesn¡¯t mean, I won¡¯t help them. I will, they are family after all, but I won¡¯t be helping them at every step, only with something that they couldn¡¯t solve and genuinely need my help. ¡°There is a party at Vice-Guildmaster Soren¡¯s house today; I have secured the invitations for you both. It will be a great opportunity for you both to make the connections.¡± I spoke. ¡°Thank you, Adviser,¡± he thanked. ¡°You can call me, Remus, Graham. We are family, after all,¡± I said, and he smiled brightly. We talked for a few minutes and discussed some important things while Rowen remained silent. He didn¡¯t speak even a single word. ¡°We will be leaving now. Thank you for your time, Remus,¡± said Graham. ¡°Any time,¡± I said. He nodded and left with Rowen. Click! A minute after they left, I walked out of my office. ¡°They are waiting in the parlor,¡± Jill informed. These two aren¡¯t the only ones who came. I stepped into the parlor and immediately seven people waiting there got up. All six of them are familiar, but I am surprised to see two; a young and a woman. The old man said, he would be bringing his grandchildren, and he had eight of them. ¡°Hendricks, I hope, the journey had been great,¡± I said to the old man as I sat down and they sat down with me. There seemed to be quite a change occurred in the old man, in the past year. It is not surprising, seeing he had lost a job with my father¡¯s death, and not any of my siblings have offered him a job. If not for me, he wouldn¡¯t have the job he has right now. ¡°It was great, Master Remus,¡± he replied. ¡°It seemed like you have brought Ivan and Maria with you,¡± I said, looking at his two grandchildren. Ivan is a young man of seventeen years. He is of medium height with a handsome face in a scholarly way. His older sister, Maria, was in her early twenties; twenty-one if I remember right. She was a warrior, much to her grandfather¡¯s chagrin. She is the only one, among his children and grandchildren, who has taken this path. Looking at her expression, it didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to be here. ¡°Yes, and I hope you will take care of them,¡± he said, ¡°Of course, that won¡¯t be a problem,¡± I said. The old man had helped me a lot in the past year. From sending the girls to bringing these four people here, he had done many things for me. I could do a few things for him in return. ¡°You have my thanks, Adviser,¡± he said, and I smiled, before turning to four. ¡°¡°Becker, Nina, Fuller, Taylor. All of you, welcome to Greltheaven,¡± I said to them. ¡°We are happy to be here, Master Remus,¡± said Becker with a smile. Of course, all of them have come with their free will. I had asked the old man to approach over twenty people and of them, only these four were willing to come here. I am familiar with their work, and they would be tremendously helpful to Carla. ¡°Good, you will love the work here,¡± I said to them and turned to the door with a smile. Their boss had arrived, and she was looking stunning, as always. It had immediately charmed all of them, including the old man. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 228: Dangerous Responsibility Chapter 228: Dangerous Responsibility ¡°...Lokra Bonebreaker and his allies are stopping our hordes, but we are pushing hard. We will gain the advantage within a month,¡± said the projection of the armored man. He is in the hall with a pale man looking at him from the huge bone throne. He is not present physically, but he would shudder in fear whenever a pale man on the throne looked at him. ¡°This is your last chance, Hezar. If you couldn¡¯t crush Lokra Bonebreaker and his iron fangs within a month. I will give a command to someone who could,¡± said the pale man gently, making the projection flicker. ¡°I will not disappoint you, your deathless,¡± said the man as the projection stabilized. The pale man on the throne nodded and turned to the robed figure. ¡°What is your progress on wasteland?¡± he asked. ¡°Going great, my lord. Our agents had found another trace; nine more and will have the location of that place,¡± the robed figure replied. ¡°If that old bastard had died. We would have been much faster in finding it,¡± added the robed figure. ¡°He won''t be able to live for long. Keep up with the preparations. We will make our move the moment the husk falls dead,¡± said the pale man on the throne. ¡°As you command, your deathless,¡± said the robed figure and bowed deeply. ... The carriage stopped, and I stepped out, with Zela, Jon, and Maria following behind me. It had been two days since Maria joined, and it didn¡¯t seem like she was enjoying following behind me too much. It is clear by the bored expression; that she has on her face all day. I entered inside the mansion and moved with increased speed, which the three of them didn¡¯t have any problem following. A minute later, I reached the door and looked at the old woman sitting behind the desk. ¡°You can go in,¡± said the old woman and nodded at my thanks before walking toward the door and entering inside. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted and bowed. Hiding the surprise in my eyes. There are only father and son present in the office as far as I could see. There is no Mage York, Mage Beaumont, or any other protector. It had only happened a few times. The Count is a little paranoid. He rarely remains alone without any guards. ¡°You have come at the right time, Remus,¡± said the Count, with his tone serious. Not only his, but even Lancel¡¯s expressions are unusually serious, and it is not fake serious, which he usually tries to project. This time, he is really serious. ¡°Forgive my impudence, but has something happened, my lord?¡± I asked, hoping I wouldn¡¯t hear the news, I dread to hear. I am not ready for it. Thankfully, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Seeing a small smile appeared on the Count''s face for a moment, before his expression turned serious. ¡°Nothing happened. I just have a very important job for you,¡± he said and placed a hand on the simple wooden box in front of him. I saw it as I came into the room, but didn¡¯t focus, but it seemed like something important was there, the way he placed his hands on it. ¡°Your will is my command, my lord,¡± I said after a moment of silence. He nodded with a smile and moved his hands toward the lid of the box. ¡°The task I am going to hand over to you is a sign of my trust in you, Remus. I hope you understand the gravity of it,¡± he said with the most serious expression I have seen him and opened the box. My eyes fell on the things inside, and they widened. I am shocked, beyond shocked. I thought he was being overly dramatic with his words, but looking at this, he didn¡¯t. I was barely able to stop myself from gasping in shock as I looked at those things in front of me. I have seen only images of it, but never truly looked at the real thing, and nor I could. This is the most controlled substance in the world. There is a special department for it and the emperor keeps a tight leash on every drop. Even with all the money, the house of silver couldn¡¯t get their hands on these things legally. We could get our hands on the products that have these things if we are willing to spend enough money, but never in such a pure state. ¡°These?¡± I asked to be sure, and the Count nodded. ¡°Emotion Essences,¡± he replied. ¡°They are Grade 3,¡± added Lancel, surprising me a little. In the box are twenty-four tiny bottles which are smaller than my thumb. Twenty-two of these twelve bottles contained multicolored liquid. The other two have indigo and red liquid. It was unlike anything; I had ever seen or imagined them to be. The liquid was so different and made my emotions tremulous before I was able to calm it by taking a deep breath. The box contains bottles of emotional essences; they are also called primal drops or pieces of heaven. There are many other names for it. These are things that could be produced only by the legacies. The legacies that harvest the emotions, purify them, and turn them into these. These are the most valuable materials in the world because they could create the potions that one could drink without side effects. Weapons are more powerful than the enchanted. It could make wine, that a single sip of it could make one drunk for days, and a drug, that after consuming, people begin to experience the heaven itself. It is said, that a higher level of these essences. Grade 7 and above are used to make artifacts and relics and in seals that are used to contain great horrors. This could do anything, and it is why, over 95% of emotion essence is produced by any legacy taken by the Sovereign. In the empire it is 99%; only 1% is left for the owner of the legacy and they need to give the Sovereign record of every drop. It is why the legacies are precious; they are protected by the Sovereign and their owner gets the privileges equal to nobles. Not to mention the zero tax and immunity from low crimes. Even if the crime is high. Only imperial authority could punish them. Local lords do not have the power to touch them. The legacies, no matter where they are, whose territory they belong to. They are considered the property of the Sovereign. ¡°What do you want me to do with them?¡± I asked after more than a minute of silence. ¡°I want you to join Damon and Robin for the Owlspring tonight,¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning, you will take it to the place and hand it over to a person,¡± he replied. ¡°The responsibility is too big, my lord. I don¡¯t, I deserve it,¡± I said. This is my polite way of declining. I don¡¯t want the responsibility; it is a sure way to die. People kill for it; it is not the most precious thing in the world for nothing. Not to mention, I don¡¯t think this is legal. This material is restricted and now he is asking me to take it to a completely different country. This had danger written on it; it was blazing brightly like a sun. ¡°You deserve it, Remus, and it is why I am handing you this responsibility. I hope you didn¡¯t disappoint me,¡± he said. I wanted to decline, but I knew if I did, there would be consequences. I have worked so hard to gain his trust and got the power in exchange and I could lose it and I don¡¯t want to, despite knowing agreeing to it, might kill me. ¡°Thank you for your trust, my lord,¡± I said and bowed to him. They are right when they say, the higher you rise, the more you will fear the fall. I have become a perfect example of that. ¡°You will also have other responsibilities aside from this, mainly signing the contract you have negotiated with Oksall in their representative office.¡¯ ¡°After that, you can join Damon and Robin in their negotiations with Owlspring merchant guild or do your things, it¡¯s up to you,¡± he said. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. A few minutes later, I walked out of his office and stepped into mine. I sat down on the chair and just closed my eyes. Everything had been going smoothly; in three days, I was going back to the baronies and planned to hand over the responsibility for one of those two at the end of the month. I had come intending to broach that subject, but now, it won¡¯t be possible till I return. If I am able to return. I don¡¯t know for sure if I could even return or die on the way. Still, if I somehow came back; the Count will owe me enough to listen to what I say. I had my eyes closed for over ten minutes before I opened them and began with my work. There is some work, I have people to meet, but I should be done soon. Two and a half hours later, I walked out of the mansion. I was planning to stay for one and a half hours at most, but I had to meet a noble who came from the Baronies and helped him with the problem. It was not an official one, but it was something I could solve, and I did. I sat in the carriage, and it moved out of the mansion and ten minutes later, entered the establishment through the back gate. As it did, I felt the feeling. Earlier, I used to feel it when I stepped into the mansion, but now, as long as I entered the boundary of the establishment, I would feel it. Every day, the feeling seemed to get slightly stronger, which was in turn making charms imprinted on the establishment stronger. The carriage stopped, and I stepped out of it, before walking into the establishment. I didn¡¯t take the stairs to my office instead I walked into a secret room on the first floor and what I saw brought a smile to my face. The first genuine smile since I had stepped out of the Count¡¯s office. It is five days, six if I count the first night since the establishment opened, and it is doing better than I had imagined. Like the restaurant right now, it is one-thirty p.m. and it is jam-packed. In the past three days, it has been packed from twelve-thirty to two-thirty. We had to send people back during the lunch rush, and even after that, till five, it remained at least 50% full. I really wish I could stay in the city, not go to the Owlspring or Baronies, and just focus on my business. Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t possible. I watched it for a while, before climbing above onto the second floor and seeing the scene there, an even bigger smile appeared on my face. For the first two days, we have used the third floor, but seeing the number of clients, we had to shift to the second floor; the biggest of all three floors. Now, the second and top floors are open, while the third floor is closed. I looked at the huge floor, which is 80% full. It is far greater than we all thought. I watched for a few minutes before going to the top floor, which was fully packed. These people aren¡¯t ordinary people, we have not let anyone in, even during the day. All the people here belong to the girl''s list. A few minutes later, I went to my office. I didn¡¯t step into it and turned to Jill. ¡°Call all three madams to my office,¡± I said and walked inside. Click! Half an hour later, the door opened, and Carla walked in with Margaux and Caena behind her. ¡°This better be urgent. I had to postpone a meeting for this sudden summon,¡± she said, glaring at me; she had used to the skill. So, only I could hear what she had said. She had been in her office in the city; it is where she now spent most of her time. Coming to the establishment, only for a few hours. It is not just the work, but also the staff; it had been only three days since they had come, and she had been familiarizing them with the work. ¡°Has something happened, Master Silver?¡± asked Margaux as she took the seat. ¡°Yes, something had happened. We will be taking our plans a little forward,¡± I said, and surprise appeared on the faces of all three of them. Just Yesterday, I shared my plan with them. It shocked them, before exiting them, I could still see the excitement they had in their eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Carla with a hint of worry. ¡°I have received an urgent assignment to go to Owlspring, with Damon Hardt,¡± I informed. ¡°Margaux, you will be joining. We will use this opportunity to get more girls,¡± I would have loved to take Carla, but she is swamped with work. She would decline, even if I asked her. The same with Caena; she makes things easier. I hope the level-up will help me with the strain, I am going to feel in the next few days. ¡°And applications?¡± asked Carla and all the girls focused on me. ¡°I will submit them personally,¡± I replied. The response to the bossiness is good enough that I want to take the risk. It is bigger than what I had taken with the establishment and circle. It will be a huge step toward making my dream come true, and I hope the merchant states won¡¯t crush them. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 229: Stolen Chapter 229: Stolen ¡°It is a good thing you are joining us, with your help, we will be able to refine our negotiation strategy further,¡± said Robin as we walked out of Count Darrow¡¯s office. It is ten in the night, and we have bid our good guys to Count and now leaving for the Owlspring. If the journey goes well, we will be in the Owlspring by dawn, and I really hope we do. I don¡¯t want to die before I accomplish something worthwhile. ¡°You do not need my help. I am sure the preparations you have made are more than enough,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°We did prepare, but I still want you to take a look at it. You are quite good at picking up the flaws,¡± he said. ¡°Fine.¡± I agreed, and he smiled. Declining him again would have been disrespectful. Soon, we got out of the mansion and sat in the carriage. The ride to the port was silent and slightly awkward. Robin talked to me, and Damon Hardt and we would reply in a few short words. We both are busy with our own thoughts. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking, but I am thinking about my safety. These six hours would be dangerous; there is a good chance that I might get attacked on the journey. Given my luck, it is not good, but a high chance we might get attacked. I really hope I would have been going alone, instead of Robin and Damon. Their lives would be in danger if there was an attack. Soon, we reached the port, and the carriage stopped by the ship. We stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the ramp. ¡°Welcome to pearl, gentlemen,¡± said Captain Pierce. It had been a few months since I had last seen the man, and he looked good. ¡°Thank you, captain,¡± said Damon Hardt. We talked with the captain for a few minutes, before he walked away and soon, the masts unfurled, and the ship began to move. We remained on the deck and watched till the city had passed before I went with them to the small conference room. Two hours passed quickly than I had imagined, and I got out of the conference room, with a surprise on my face. Damon Hardt had really changed. They had made thorough preparations for tomorrow, which is not surprising because both of them are experienced and high-level. I do not know their exact level, but I know they are close to Level 30. The bottleneck that stopped most people who crossed the Lv. 20 and is much harder to cross. I wanted to go to the deck, but it was dangerous. So, I went into my cabin. I didn¡¯t lock the door and had Jon inside; he didn¡¯t ask questions when I had asked him to come inside. I am glad he didn¡¯t; I don¡¯t like to lie to people who are responsible for protecting my life. I lay down and tried to sleep. Usually, I sleep pretty quickly, but it is now eluding me. The worry about the danger is making us unable to fall asleep. Every moment, I am sleeping about the danger. I imagined thieves and assassins coming at me through the river or the door and killing me like they had killed my father. I tried for half an hour before picking up the book and reading it and before I knew it; I fell asleep. ¡°Mr. Silver, wake up, we have reached the Owlspring,¡± informed the familiar voice, waking me up. ¡°Really?¡± I asked, not daring to believe that we had reached it without any incident. I even had a nightmare about being attacked and was dreaming it, when Zela had woken me. ¡°Yes,¡± she affirmed, with a question on her face, but she didn¡¯t ask it. I turned to the porthole and could see the city of Owlspring, shining despite being so late or rather so early. ¡®It seemed like we have arrived sooner than I had thought,¡¯ I said to myself and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When I came out, I changed into the new suit and activated Get Ready. Like all the skills, it had also become slightly powerful with level up. After taking a last look at the mirror, I walked out of the cabin and went to the deck. The sun had just started to come out, with its rays reaching further and brighter every second. It is a beautiful scenery with a confluence below it. ¡°Good morning,¡± said a familiar voice behind me. ¡°Morning,¡± I replied, without looking back. ¡°It is really beautiful scenery,¡± he said, looking at the sun shining over the confluence. ¡°It is,¡± I replied, looking at the scenery. For a few minutes, there was a silence before he turned to me. ¡°I have seen people experiencing shocking things, and it changes them, but the shock you have given to Damon Hardt, and the changes it brought to him and still bringing, are the biggest changes I had ever seen happening to a person,¡± he said. People say Robin is undeserving of his position, but they don¡¯t know the man well enough. He is the most intelligent among all the advisers. He notices everything and speaks a few words, but when he does, intelligent ones listen. Count despite all his flaws, recognize his value, and listen to him the most. Far more than me or any other advisers. ¡°He has changed,¡± I said after a pause, and he smiled. The shock he had received was enormous, Count had taken away part of his responsibilities and handed them to me. If it was not bad enough, I had succeeded in achieving what he couldn¡¯t for more than half a year and the results were amazing. He hated me so much that he had started opposing me even more and even stopped me from getting the aid I needed against monsters with Commander Atticus, but that seemed to have changed since I had come back. He still hates me, but there is now some respect. Last night was quite surprising. He had heard everything; I am saying, without any snide comment or unreasonable counter. Something seemed to have happened in the past month. That brought this huge transformation to him, and it is not just his attitude toward me, but also the decision he is taking in the merchant guild and his own business. They are more comprehensive and somewhat daring. Locke had said that Damon Hardt has become accommodating, listening to what he and others say in meetings and even implementing their ideas. We stayed watching the scenery for half an hour more, before going inside and sometime after that, we had breakfast with the captain. ¡°Come to the merchant guild, if you have time,¡± said Robin as we walked off the ramp of the ship. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be able to make it,¡± I replied with an apologetic smile. I might be able to make it, but I will not. Damon Hardt might suffer my presence and listen to my opinions, but I don¡¯t have much interest or time to put my neck in his business. I have things of my own that I have to do. I watched them sit in their carriages, and I sat in mine, and it began to move toward the city. I had to go to the place and empty this load that is like the mountain. Even now, I am worried and would be till I had over to the person. If it were up to me, I would have gone there the moment I had woken up, but I couldn¡¯t. The time is seven-thirty or after. Minutes passed and the thieves or assassins I had been waiting for didn¡¯t come and finally, I had reached the place. Aryveson Alchemy. It is a five-story building, bigger than the establishment. It is the best alchemical store of the Owlspring, and its owner is said to be a Lv. 40 alchemist; one of four in the whole city-state of Meldhorn, which has over thirty cities. The other three are in the capital, Meldhorn City. These two places are the only ones in Meldhorn-state that have the legacies. I have reached the storage, and now, I am nearly safe. I will be completely safe once enter the store and hand the thing over to the person inside. With that, I stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the pale green building with a smile on my face. ¡°Mr. Silver, watch out!¡± shouted Jon suddenly, and after that, everything happened so suddenly. I saw Zela¡¯s staff lighting up and watery bubbles from around me and, at the same time, Stone swinging his sword toward something. I couldn¡¯t see Jon as he was behind me, but I could feel his and Stone¡¯s skills covering me, along with Zela¡¯s spell. ¡®Thief,¡¯ I thought. There is definitely a thief or even an assassin. It froze me and flashes of my father¡¯s death began to appear in front of me; they became clearer than they had ever been. They froze me for a moment, but I forcefully shook it away and moved my hands. One went toward my sword while the other toward my storage. My hand had just reached the storage, when I saw the grey form materialized in front of me. Avoiding the bubble that Zela has cast and is still around me. It had appeared suddenly, like a phantom, and moved his hand toward the storage that I had just touched. Its movements were so fast and smooth that I could see every movement and could feel my own slowness in front of him. It is not just I am slow, but also Stone, who turned his sword toward the masked grey form, but it seemed to be moving too slowly to do anything. I felt him taking out the storage from my pocket and the moment it did; it turned to an extreme blur and disappeared from my view. A moment later, everything turned normal, and could feel Jon moving in that direction fast, but even his speed seemed far too slow compared to the thief who had just stolen my storage. ¡°Mr. Silver are you all right?¡± asked Stone, pulling me out of my thoughts. ¡°Yes, I am fine, but the thief had got my storage,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Was there something valuable?¡± he asked. ¡°Kind of,¡± I replied, as I watched Jon return. ¡°He got away,¡± he said with a regretful shake. I didn¡¯t say anything and turned to two people appearing beside me. ¡°You guys?¡± I asked, with hope in my eyes. Jon was not the only one who was chasing the thief. These two had come from the direction of the store and moved toward the thief, and they were even faster than Jon. ¡°He disappeared without a trace.¡± The half-elf woman replied with a sigh. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 230: Necessary Step Chapter 230: Necessary Step ¡°Such a regret,¡± I said with regret before walking toward the store. My guards and two from the store followed me, and soon I reached the thick glass door and entered inside. As I did, I couldn¡¯t help but become impressed that for a moment, even forgetting, that a powerful rogue had stolen my storage and if it wanted, it could have killed me just as easily. It is a large floor with a lot of people shopping for potions, which are placed on crystalline shelves. The bottles are small and big and have potions of all colors and cause on them. It is not just potions, but also salves, balms, lotions, pills, and other things also there. As long as it involves the alchemy, they are here. ¡°Mr. Silver, Alchemist Aryveson is waiting for you,¡± said a blue-haired woman in a black dress stopped in front of me. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said, and she took me to the elevator. We stepped in it, and it moved up, before stopping at the top floor. We walked out of it and stopped in front of an elaborate red-doors made of really expensive wood and beautiful carving on it, that seemed to pull me to it. It took some effort for me to pull my focus out and step inside a magnificent office with an amazing view. The office is twice had big as mine and has a window that is as long as the wall, providing a huge view of the city and ample natural light. The furniture of the office is great and expensive, that I couldn¡¯t afford it, even with the money, both of my business earning me. I looked at the half-elf sitting behind a huge table. He looked to be in his late fifties, with a handsome face and green hair. Wearing a perfectly cut, classical style alchemical suit. ¡°Alchemist Aryveson, you should have better security, I have been robbed right in front of your store,¡± I said to the man and could see the irritation flashing in his eyes hearing my words, but he quickly controlled it. ¡°Our security is fine, young man. If you had been within the boundaries of my store, you wouldn¡¯t have been robbed,¡± he replied in confidence and now it is me feeling irritated. ¡°The question is whether the thief had stolen the box. If it had, then you are in great trouble, young man.¡± ¡°You might not be aware of it, but that box contained extremely precious things,¡± he asked in a tone that bordered on rudeness. ¡°I am aware, Alchemist Aryveson, and took ample precaution,¡± I said and took out the ines bag from my pocket and from it, the wooden box. Seeing that, a surprise appeared on his face. I placed the box on the table and he snatched it away at a speed, that is a blur to me. Click! I heard the click, and the box opened. Revealing the bottles of emotional essences. Seeing them, his eyes become bright as bulbs. The rogue had been powerful, but he didn¡¯t succeed in taking it, even with all his strength and skills. I had hidden the bag on my sleeve and put it in my pocket after getting out of the elevator. Still, such a simple trick wouldn¡¯t have worked, seeing the rogues have skills against such tricks. So, I had asked Jon to cast his skill, he has one anti-detection type skill, but even that won''t be enough to fool high-level thieves with their powerful skills. It is why I had taken some help from Caena, who, before I had left, had performed the ritual. She had even created a few charms; though their power was not as strong as the charm I had thrown at the bandit leader, they were still powerful. It all helped, seeing the thief had stolen the wrong storage. ¡°This is good,¡± he said, he said, looking at bottles of emotional essences. ¡°Alchemist Aryveson, please sign this letter of delivery,¡± I said and handed him the letter. He stamped it and signed it, before giving it back to me. ¡°Thank you, Alchemist Aryveson,¡± I said, after checking the letter, but he didn¡¯t even nod. I drank down the anger and walked out of his office. I didn¡¯t immediately leave the building. I am not idiot enough to let some little rudeness get in my head. No, instead of leaving immediately, I did some shopping, spending quite a lot on potions and other things I needed. If there had been a better place to buy things of this quality, I would have gone there, but unfortunately, there is not. This is the best place in the entire city. Once the shopping was done, I sat in my carriage and it moved toward the city hall, while I took out five stacks of forms. I have already checked them multiple times, but I am checking them again, in case I have missed something. I didn¡¯t. The carriage stopped within the minute, I had finished with the forms, and I got out. The city hall of Owlspring is huge. Not as magnificent as of Jalrux or Oksall, but far bigger and grander than what we have in the Greltheaven. I am here for an extremely important thing. I am here to submit the application for business, a license. Our agreement with Meldhorn involved brothels. Not specifically brothels, but the category of business that brothel is part of. It is not something I had added, but something that was part of the original agreement that the prince signed with the merchant state. While the agreement may have the provision for it, that doesn¡¯t mean, it is easy to set brothels in the cities of Meldhorn. No, it is extremely hard and till now; they have only given three permissions. Even Normal Lucas had only got one license, despite the connection of his family in this business. Now, I am applying for five licenses in five cities, including Owlspring. It will be challenging to get the licenses and their requirements are high, but it will be worth it. I will be happy if I get even a single license. This expansion is the next step in my business. Only through expansion, I will be able to create the business empire, I envisioned. Also, it is necessary. I love Greltheaven, but even I know its future is not certain. I need to prepare for catastrophe and merchant states are the best place for it. It is a stable country with a huge market, and they are powerful enough to deal with the full might of Navr or any country on the continent, including the archmages city. It is why, I had chosen to expand here despite the difficulties, rather than the empire, where I won¡¯t face many problems. I controlled my emotions and went inside. Two hours later, I walked out. I have submitted and met some familiar people who have some sway. ¡®Let¡¯s hope they accept,¡¯ I thought to myself as I stepped into my carriage. I will get the results of my applications within a month. I have started the preparations for them today. As for what will happen to these preparations if I don¡¯t get the license? They will not go to waste. If I don¡¯t get permission in the merchant city, I will start in the empire, and I already have the cities in mind. However, my preference is still merchant-states, and I will try hard. I have a few more connections and I will be trying them. The carriage moved out of the city hall and twenty-five minutes later, it stopped in front of a familiar place. A building made of stones and has large windows. Behind those windows, I could see the silhouettes of girls. Caskheart Indentured. I stepped out of the carriage and walked into the building. Immediately, I saw two women coming toward me. ¡°Master Silver,¡± greeted Margaux, while Barb nodded respectfully. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have waited for me,¡± I said, to which she smiled. I trust her to do this. She had experience and understood my vision; she wouldn¡¯t have any problems in selecting the right girls. ¡°My apologies,¡± she apologized. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. Only realize that you have my trust,¡± I said, and her eyes turned emotional. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°I assume all preparations are made?¡± I asked the pretty dwarf appearing beside me. ¡°Yes, Mr. Silver. We have readied everything, Miss. Caena had asked us to,¡± replied Nas Caskheart. Click! A minute later, she opened the door of the room, which was bigger than the last time. It had a big table and three comfortable chairs. This is good because it is going to be long and with the number of contracts I have to buy. It is going to take days. Thankfully, I have time; the Count won¡¯t say anything, even if I stay here for a week. Though it won¡¯t take a week, just a few days. ¡°Miss Nas, bring the girls,¡± said Margaux to the blond-haired woman, and a few seconds later, the first girl came in. ¡°They know how to impress,¡± said Barb. Margaux and I couldn¡¯t help but nod at that. The woman in front of us is striking. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, tall with a slim figure and blueish black straight hair. She had green eyes, a straight nose, and enviable cheekbones. She is the kind of woman who would attract eyes, the moment she enters the room. As she appeared, Nas put her information in front of us. I read through it within seconds and surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡®This is interesting,¡¯ I thought and activated the Sight Through Veil. The girl felt my skill and there was immediate resistance and a spark of anger on her expressionless face. I could see her trying to ball her fists, but she resisted doing that. I don¡¯t like doing that to the girls who haven¡¯t signed the contract with me. In their contract, there is a clear provision for this act, but I need to do it to get the best girls. Vrana Lester Class: Milliner Lv. 13 Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 231: Invitation Chapter 231: Invitation ¡°My lord, there is a message from Alchemist Aryveson, stating that he received the package,¡± ¡°There is one from Remus Silver, stating that he delivered the package successfully,¡± informed Mage Beaumont, and the Count, who had been worried sick, finally felt relieved. He has just received information a minute ago from people watching Remus that the storage has been stolen. It is the reason; he had given the package to Remus to deliver. The information of the emotional essence had been leaked somehow and earlier a plan to send it to a merchant state to be scrapped. The prince had asked me to go myself, but I did not. Just yesterday, one of the prince¡¯s loyalists had been assassinated. Alfred was a powerful man and well-protected, but they had killed him. I didn¡¯t want to risk my life, no matter how precious emotional essence is. So, I sent Remus. He was able to do things that others didn¡¯t, and I was right in my decision. He succeeded, despite them sending the grey man, a powerful thief. I don¡¯t know how Remus was able to fool him, or just lucky. I don¡¯t care how he did it. What I care about, is the emotional essence, that had been delivered to the whom it was supposed to. Emptying the enormous burden, I had been feeling for a few days. ¡°Send the message; say the delivery is successful,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t have to tell her whom to send it to. ... The ship had finally stopped, and I looked at Greltheaven, bathing in the morning light. The city is tiny compared to the grand Owlspring, but it has its own charm. I still remember the day; I saw the city; it was a morning like this one. The only difference is the port is now twice as big and has at least five times more people in it. There would have been a lot more if the Count had accepted some of my suggestions. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t. ¡°I will be going first. You bring the girls to the circle,¡± I said to Carla and walked off the ship. I have been to the Owlspring for three days. Bringing a total, of four hundred and twelve girls. It was four hundred and forty-nine, but thirty-seven of them had chosen the freedom. Four hundred and twelve girls may seem much, but they are not. I could easily absorb half of them into the establishment and will do it after they are trained. I wanted to stay further and buy more contracts, but I couldn¡¯t. I have to leave tonight for the Nakar baronies. There are a few things I want to attend. Before leaving for Nakar Baronies. I will be breaching the subject of handing over my position to someone else. Let¡¯s hope the Count agrees. Fifteen minutes passed, and the carriage pulled into the compound before stopping. I got out and walked toward the mansion. In a minute, I appeared by the door and entered inside, after getting a nod from the secretary. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted the Count and son. This time too they were alone, without any protector. Though, I know it is not true. I have sensed Lancel¡¯s emotions and sometimes even Count¡¯s. I didn¡¯t sense the fear of safety in them, not even once in this room. I had sensed fear many times in Lancel, and it seemed to disappear when he was in his father¡¯s company. It is not just because he trusts his father and knew he would protect him. No, it is because, he knows, there is someone, or are some people, who will protect him and his father from the danger. ¡°Remus, welcome back, and congratulations on the delivery,¡± said Count, and a mirthless smile appeared on my face. ¡°It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life,¡± ¡°That thief stole my bag. It had valuable things, like an enchanted weapon, the things I got from that place in Navr, and many other valuable things,¡± I said. ¡°It is your own fault to keep those things in a bait bag,¡± mocked Lancel. I was about to answer him politely about the reason for that when the Count did something surprising. He looked at his son and there was a flash of anger in his eyes. Count rarely gets angry at his son. This is only the third time; I saw him getting angry at Lancel. ¡°The city will compensate you, for everything you have lost,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied, with a relieved smile. Of course, I didn¡¯t lie about the thing, I had placed in the bag. It had those things. However, what state they were in is a completely different question. He had sent me on a very dangerous mission. There was a very high chance that I would have died. There is no way, I wouldn¡¯t demand compensation for it. I want to place the report of everything, I have lost in front of him immediately, but that wouldn¡¯t be wise. I will send the file to the respective department for compensation. ¡°When will you leave today?¡± he asked after several seconds of silence. ¡°Tonight, I should be in Lauryl by the morning,¡± I replied, to which he nodded. ¡°I have read your proposals on the plots and while I disagree with the conditions you have put in there, you have my permission for it,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, my lord, ¡°I said and for a couple of minutes, we have discussed a few things about the Lauryl town and our business with Oksall and Navr. ¡°My lord, did you make any progress with the Deerpond?¡± I asked, and his expression turned bad like he had swallowed something nasty. ¡°The bastard is still dragging his feet and with him those cities,¡± he cursed. ¡°Our trade with Narv is increasing by the day. It is helping our city a lot. He wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the allure of it for long,¡± I said, but his expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Nothing could be said about that bastard. He might be willing to suffer the loss. He knows it well. If he joined trade with Navr, other cities would join too,¡± ¡°Within a month, the whole region will trade with the route that we control and tax. It will benefit us immensely, more than his single city. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do it unless there is no other option in front of him,¡± he said. It is petty and counterproductive, but nobles are like that. It is not just noble, but the politicians of the modern day are also the same. ¡°It is also the truth that we need him. We wouldn¡¯t be able to extract all the benefits of the route we control unless he joins us,¡± I said. Count nodded and sighed. There was a silence for a minute before I spoke again, with words, I had practiced for more than a month. ¡°My lord, the town is developing nicely, and the road is about to be finished in a few days from the merchant''s end.¡± ¡°I think, I have achieved everything you had asked for and now, I really hope. You would hand over the responsibility to someone more worthy than me,¡± I requested, and the Count smiled. ¡°You know, Remus. People will kill for that position, and you have been trying to throw it away since the first day,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I love the city, my lord. You are here, so is my business and I really think I would be better used here than at baronies,¡± I said and he just looked at me. There was silence for several seconds before he sighed. ¡°It is true, you have nearly achieved everything I had asked, and I had made a promise.¡± ¡°I will be coming to Lauryl at the end of the month, and you will have what you wish,¡± he said, and a big smile appeared on my face. He didn¡¯t promise anything, but even those words were enough for me. As I really thought, he might try to find some wriggle room in it. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said with a bow. A few minutes later, I walked out of the office, but I didn¡¯t leave the mansion. I did that after three hours. There was some work I had to do, thankfully, I had finished it in time. I sat in the carriage, and a few minutes later, I got out in front of the three-story building. I stepped inside the first floor and saw the new staff working. Each of them doing their job, Carla used to do most of it, but now she has help. I had talked to them for a few minutes before I went to my office on the third floor. Carla wasn¡¯t present, she had gone out for a meeting. There is some work I have to do, but first, I have opened the letters. Some were invitations, some correspondence. I read each of them and wrote a reply. ¡®Another one,¡¯ I thought, reading the letter in a blue envelope. The city is growing fast, and many businesses are growing with it, but some are also failing. So, they sell assets and leave or use the proceedings to invest in other businesses. I read through everything and wrote a reply, before focusing on the actual work. The first thing I did was look at the earnings report of the establishment. Which has been professionally done, thanks to the new staff that had come from the mainland. While the madams are good. They are not professionals; they barely have months of experience. These people have years of experience and have the classes and skills related to that. I looked at the numbers, and a big smile appeared on my face. I really hope I will receive at least one license from the merchant state. I really want to start the expansion from there. Click! I was working when the door opened. I didn¡¯t have to look to know that Carla had come; she was the only one who came without knocking. ¡°How was the meeting?¡± I asked. ¡°Not great,¡± she replied, with an obvious sadness. ¡°It is fine, we are well above our target for this month,¡± I said. It is business, such things are normal. ¡°I really wanted his business, but not everyone would want to do business with whores,¡± she said and sighed, while my expression turned serious. ¡°Did he say something?¡± I asked, to which she laughed. ¡°Not in so many words,¡± she replied mirthlessly. He is not the first man who has declined to do business with her because of Carla¡¯s past profession, and he won¡¯t be the last. Some had rejected to do the business with us, just because she is a woman. She knew how to handle such people and usually wouldn¡¯t be this upset over a failed deal, but this one was big. Even I am a little sad, but it is normal. It is business. ¡°Is that from Hershel?¡± she asked suddenly, seeing the blue envelope on the table. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°I met him a few days ago, and he had told me he would send the invitation. It seemed like, he did,¡± she said and took the letter, before reading it. ¡°You should go check it out,¡± I said, and surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on her face. We have received such invitations many times, but never attended even a single one. There were some fears before, but now that we have moved far enough, they won¡¯t risk doing something like that. Even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t affect us much. ¡°Haven¡¯t you brought enough girls?¡± she asked as surprise eased from her face. ¡°Yes, I have, but we can house a few more,¡± I replied. ¡°I will go if I have time,¡± she said after a moment of silence. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 232: Back Chapter 232: Back ¡°Welcome back, Master Silver,¡± said Lola as she opened the door of the carriage. ¡°Thank you, Lola,¡± I said as I got out of the carriage. I had left late last night and thus reached Castle Radcliff late; it is all the fault of Carla. That black thing she wore was a little too much and what she did after removing it, had kept me in the room for hours, longer than I had wanted to. It took great willpower to leave the room. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked. ¡°Everything is great, Mr. Silver. We have done everything you have asked for, including the preparations for tomorrow,¡± answered Carlos. This question was for Lola, but it¡¯s fine. ¡°I have read the report, and the response has been good. Let¡¯s see how many people come tomorrow,¡± I said. Tomorrow is a huge plot sale, bigger than every other we have done till now. Most importantly, half of the plots have been reserved forced the merchant of merchant states. The negotiations with them had been successful. I had to agree with some of their demands, like increasing the number of plots for merchants. It is the thing I wanted to do and intentionally kept the number small at the beginning. In exchange, we had got greater trade limit by month, which will increase with the business they do with Navr. ¡°How is the progress of the road?¡± I asked. ¡°They will be finished in four days; Lord Blackwell had invited you for its formal inauguration on the 14th,¡± he replied. The road is nearly finished; only a small part of it has remained. Despite that, a lot of caravans are coming, and their numbers will substantially after the road is complete. Oksall is working day and night to finish the road. There is a huge pressure from the merchants to do that. The route is proving far more beneficial than they had thought. So much so that now, there is one caravan coming every two hours and some small groups and lone carriages have also started coming. Which is surprising as I had not thought. Lone merchants would come before the road was finished and sufficient security was established. I have been out for nearly fourteen days and the town has changed tremendously. More shops and other buildings had opened, and the population had increased further. Some of the laborers working here had shifted their families from the city. It is cheaper for them to live here, and work is available everywhere. It is also helping their employers and also the people who are building to house them. They are filling so quickly that the rent has begun to rise rapidly. While I didn¡¯t like to interfere in the market, I had to do it. I had restricted the rent. It made some people angry. The problem would only last for a few weeks more. By then, we will have enough housing to house the ever-increasing population of the town. The merchants from Oksall will also help with that, after tomorrow''s auction. I stepped into the office, where a pile of files had been waiting for me. I got the reports when I was in the city, but they only cover a surface. These files contain the essence; I have to read through it all and then verify. It is extremely important to verify. If one didn¡¯t, it could give rise to many things. The most dangerous of them is corruption, which is a difficult thing to root out once it lays down its seeds. I trust Lola immensely, but I do not trust others much, and even with Lola, I would still verify the things she had done. It is quite tiring, but it is a prize of good governance. I opened the file and activated Insightful Reading; the skill is really amazing. I could not only read fast with it but also understand things more deeply. The level-up had made the skill even more powerful than before. Within a few minutes, I finished with the file and started with another. It is not like, I am only reading, I also taking notes for the things, I have to check later. It is a habit of mine that has served me great over the years and I am not going to change that unless I get the skill related to this and there are skills like that. I finished two more files before I felt a rumble in my stomach. I stopped immediately and got out of my seat. I went directly to the kitchen and ate the breakfast. I could do without lunch, but I need breakfast, especially at a time like this, when it becomes distracting. After breakfast, I went back to the office and started with the files. I would have eaten breakfast in my office, and I should have done that. In my hurry, I didn''t remember it and am now feeling a little ashamed. I pushed that feeling aside and started with the files again and it was late afternoon before I finished with all the files. ¡°You all have done a wonderful job,¡± I said to all three. I am especially proud of Lola for what she has done; this time, she was able to snatch some work from the two. Last time, there was no work on her name, but now, around 20% of it has been done by her. Those two are very territorial and want to have as much work on their name as possible. To prove they could do it. They both want the position I have and trying desperately to prove their worth. I might not like them, but they are good. They would be able to fill my shoes without any problem. ¡°Thank you, Adviser,¡± both of them said in unison, while Lola nodded. I got up, walked out of my office, and started checking things. I started with the keep and new development that is happening there. I am creating the complex; the current space isn¡¯t enough for administration. If I want more, I will have to destroy some suits, which I don''t want to do. Those spaces will be needed to host the important guests and there will be many. If the town kept prospering at the speed, it is right now. Soon, I got out of the keep and saw Fang following behind me. He had jumped out of Lola¡¯s arms and now walking with her; I didn''t have to look at him to know where he was. I could always feel his presence thanks to my skill. In these two weeks, I hadn¡¯t been able to train him at all and I planned to use this month to do it. Once I had returned to the city, I wouldn¡¯t have such a huge area for the training, where we could move with no restrictions. I looked at the town, bathing in the evening light. It looked beautiful, with more going their way. The workers have ended their shift and many getting off, but others are replacing them. There is barely any pause in their work, after one completes their shift, the others will take their place. Valentina¡¯s company is working here; she has got quite a lot of business in the town. Her work is amazing, and it also helps, that it is known that she has a relationship with me. It is not just her company building things, but others too. However, the ones that captured the biggest market are small companies. They are offering competitive prices and quality work. Valentina had even complained to me a few days ago that these people had formed a supply chain contract. Which is making them compete with middle-level companies. I didn¡¯t say anything and nor I will do anything. As long as it doesn¡¯t become anti-competitive, I won''t lift a finger. They haven¡¯t done anything wrong, by allying. I could even say they are helping the market by making middle-level companies feel threatened. It is, in turn, making the middle companies up their game. Turning the market more competitive. As I strolled through the market, some people would stop and bow. I used to stop that, but seeing there was barely any in their altitude, I stopped. Though, whenever the Count came in, I would always spread the news to tell them the real boss was coming. I don¡¯t want them to bow to me in his presence; it will create a misunderstanding, that could have consequences. I strolled, watched, and even talked to people. Some people had even talked to me on their own, which I tried to foster. Usually, the people are too scared to talk to the big boss. It helps to understand the problems that are not visible. Like the problem, one of the citizens told me a few weeks ago. Some of the members of the army would ride too fast through the town. A few children and adults have been hurt by it. There is a speed limit on how fast people can ride their beasts, but the army has an exception. However, it only applies when there is an emergency. Some men were not following that. I had to make changes in the rules, so it could only be used during genuine emergencies. It was the night when I returned to the keep, and I had started working with three for the auction of plots, that is tomorrow. Most of the preparations have already been made, but some have remained, and seeing how important it is; I want everything to go perfectly. It will help the town a lot. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 233: Shimmering Lily Chapter 233: Shimmering Lily Carla ¡°Can you do that, Miss Carla?¡± asked the middle-aged man in front of me, trying but failing to hide the lust in his eyes. ¡°We can do that; if you want, we can provide you with 42% things you want immediately,¡± I said and slid the list toward him, which made his eyes light up as he looked down. Two weeks ago, we had brought a huge load from Navr. It was not an order for any client but for ourselves. Though it was brought to sell to the client; it makes the process a lot smoother. Now, we don¡¯t have to take the order and deliver it in a few days; we can deliver their order immediately. We can do that, with some of their orders and plan to do with the whole in the near future. We wanted to do that from the beginning, but most of our money was to be poured into the circle and the establishment. Two weeks ago, we had accumulated enough to bring a large order. Currently, we are only having the bestsellers, but we are planning to expand to more brands. I have already placed another large order yesterday and it will be coming by tomorrow night. I planned to have our warehouses filled with every type of liquor produced in the Navr in the next few months. I want to do it, despite the expansion that will occur, and I will be able to do it. As of now, the establishment has also started to earn and its earnings are really good. They are increasing every day. Especially during the day, when we are receiving more and more patrons. ¡°That would be great. We really need this,¡± he said with a big smile. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, Mr. Coal,¡± I said, and we finalized the deal and signed the contract. Click! He left, and I laid back on the chair with a smile; another successful deal. Though it couldn¡¯t be compared to the one I had lost three days ago. If I had succeeded, it would have been the biggest deal made by me. I cursed that bastard for the prejudice. We would have given him the best price, but the old bastard clearly stated that he didn¡¯t deal with a woman like me. I wonder how the old bastard would have reacted if I had told him his son visits the establishment every time he is in the city. Of course, I didn¡¯t. Privacy of the patrons is extremely important; Remus had forbidden us from the first day to discuss the patrons, anyone who is not part of the establishment. Knock Knock! I was working when a knock rang out on my door, and a second later; the door opened. Margaux walked in with her, Mena following behind her. ¡°Did you forget where we have to go today?¡± asked Margaux, and immediately remembered. ¡°I nearly forgot,¡± I said, with my cheeks flooding. ¡°Give me ten minutes; I will come back, changing the clothes,¡± I said and quickly walked out of the office. Click! I went to the upper floor of Remus¡¯s office before opening the door to the room behind it. There, I quickly undressed and freshened up before opening the closet. It is filled with clothes. There are more of my clothes here than of Remus. I had used this room more than him and slept here a few times a week. I have an apartment within walking distance and a suite in the circle, but sometimes, after a long day of work. A ride from my carriage to my apartment or the circle becomes unbearable. I looked at the clothes before taking out a shirt. It is Remus¡¯s shirt; I took it to my nose and breathed in deeply. I miss him a lot and wish he was with me. He makes every day more vibrant and beautiful. A minute later, I put his shirt back in its place rather unwillingly and turned on my clothes before choosing the dress to wear. I wore a simple black dress that reached near my collarbone and went below my knees. I looked at the shoes and decided to wear the red high hills. I didn¡¯t wear any jewelry, just fixed my hair and applied some light makeup, which took some time, before activating my skill. Immediately, the changes appeared; I looked more appealing. Unlike Remus¡¯s skill, which made him presentable, mine enhanced everything I did. Like now, it had made my hair slightly vibrant, fixed the flaws in make-up that I didn¡¯t notice, and adjusted the dress, making it fit better. After looking at the mirror one last time, I walked through the room and soon entered the second floor, where I saw Margaux and Carla talking to the staff. There were eight of them. Five had come from the mainland, and three were girls. Two of them are teenagers, while the third one is a woman in her late twenties. She is one of the women we have gotten from Oksall. One of the few who were not chosen to work after their training. A few days ago, I posted the notice in the circle for the jobs in the office. These three applied; they will serve their contracts by working here, instead of in the establishment. However, that doesn¡¯t mean we will not pay them. We will pay them. Currently, they are learning. So, they will only get a stipend, when they will work, they will receive salaries. Seeing them, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. If they learned, then whatever happens to the business, they would be able to make a living anywhere and wouldn¡¯t have to go back to the profession they want to leave behind. Over 95% of the girls in the establishment who have been there for six months have gained enough experience, class, and skills; that they could work a respectful job without any problem. Most of them had taken those classes over Lv. 10, passing the initial hurdle. It is enough for them to go find a job that will sustain them and wouldn¡¯t have to work in a brothel if they didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Don¡¯t stay a minute above five,¡± I said to the staff and walked out with Margaux and Mena. Soon, we sat in the carriage and it began to move. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered the red-light district before moving into the nicer part of it, a place where high-class and mid-class brothels are. While there is permission for high-class brothels in the entertainment district, not all are able to get it. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the red-three-story building. We stepped out and walked toward the building. We had just entered through the door when a middle-aged bald man with a blond mustache appeared in front of us. ¡°Mad...Miss Carla, Madam Margaux, Madam Mena, welcome to shimmering lily,¡± said the man. ¡°Thank you, for your invite, Mr. Hershel,¡± I thanked the man. He is Julo Hershel, owner of this brothel, who is selling the contract of the girls. I heard the building had been sold to Normal Lucas, who will open another brothel. Lucas is expanding rapidly, if what I heard is really true, then it will be his seventh brothel in the city. ¡°To be honest, I had not thought you would come,¡± he said as he let us inside. ¡°How can I not, when you had invited us, so graciously,¡± I replied and the man smiled. Soon, we entered the area where the girls wearing barely anything were standing while the men were browsing them like goods. ¡°These are girls. You can see them and interact. If you are interested in them, take the card and submit it in your name.¡± ¡°If more than one person bids for the same person, then there will be an auction,¡± he said, explaining the rules. ¡°Are the girls on the first floor or other floors, too?¡± I asked, ¡°All three floors, some of the people of the other mid-class brothel had also sent the girls, whose contracts, they want to sell,¡± he answered. There seemed to be too many girls on the first floor, more than a hundred and twenty, that Hershel was supposed to have. He left soon, while we walked toward the girls, who had turned to us, along with men browsing them. We are the only group made wholly of women. Most of the people who have come here are men; only a few have a woman with them, who are madams of the brothel they run. Many of them are familiar; I had met them in official and unofficial meetings of business, which I attend as Remus¡¯s representative. I nodded and smiled at the people before stopping in front of the woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She is a beautiful woman, plump with blond hair and vibrant green eyes Her name is Arna Mads, according to the board in front of her. She has a Prostitute Class at Lv. 14 and her three skills are also mentioned. They are nothing rare. I only glanced at them before turning to the woman, who was also looking at us. ¡°Are you from the velvet garden?¡± she asked, as I was about to speak to her. ¡°Yes, I am Carla. This is Margaux and Mena,¡± I introduced ourselves to the girl. As I confirmed, her face lit up blindingly and her eyes blazed like a bulb. I thought she would leap at me, but thankfully, she controlled herself. ¡°Do you really pay, your whore''s massive money?¡± she asked, barely able to contain her curiosity. ¡°We do not pay girls; only madams are paid. The girls earn a commission, which is currently at 25%,¡± answered Mena, which widened her eyes that they looked like saucers. ¡°Though it is through gifts and tips, through which the girls earn most,¡± she added. I glared at Mena, and her cheeks flooded. The poor girl was barely able to digest the news earlier, but the second one, had nearly made her faint and she would have, if not for Margaux, stopping her by grabbing her hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Arna as she got control of her emotions, but a moment later, a question appeared on her face. ¡°Isn¡¯t the commission 10%?¡± she asked and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on our face. ¡°Many of our patrons talk about the velvet garden a lot,¡± she explained, and a hint of sadness flashed through her face for a moment. The girls didn¡¯t hide their commission. If they want to tell the clients, they are free to do it. It had turned beneficial for them. When the clients begin to know, the establishment doesn¡¯t touch their gifts and tips given to the girls. They begin to give gifts and tips to girls more often and they are more expensive. It is the same with the commission, when they found out that a quarter of what they are paying is going to girls directly. There is greater satisfaction in them. ¡°It was 10% before, but Master Silver hiked it to 25% at the start of this month,¡± replied Mena. The girl sighed before turning her eyes to us with full focus. ¡°Can you take me? I will not ask much, I will even work with a 5% commission, no 1%. You can even keep all the gifts and tips I will receive,¡± she asked with such hope that it felt painful to look at. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that, Arna,¡± I said with a sigh and disappointment appeared on her face and tears in her eyes. ¡°Miss Carla isn¡¯t saying we can¡¯t take you. It is just that, we are looking specific and we only take those girls to fall in that,¡± explained Carla, and the girl turned even sadder. ¡°Do I have a chance?¡± she asked, with a small voice with barely any hope, in those which are blazing with not long ago. ¡°Of course, just answer the questions truthfully. We will see whether you have what needs to be a member of the velvet garden,¡± answered Margaux, and hope lit up in her eyes again. She is much better at dealing with girls than I am. It was a wise decision for her to take over the circle, despite it seeming like a demotion. There she can not only take care of the girls better but also focus on magic and painting. Which she had started to do. ¡°Arna, we are going to ask you some questions and I hope you will answer them truthfully,¡± I said to her, bringing out my madam''s voice. ¡°I will not lie, madam,¡± she replied, and we began with our questions. I like this girl; I have a good feeling about her, but that alone isn¡¯t enough. Though, it is the most important part. Soon, we finished with our questions. ¡°Thank you, Arna,¡± I said, and the girl looked at me with hope. ¡°Are you taking me?¡± she asked, with hope and hesitation. ¡°You will know in a few hours,¡± I replied and walked toward the next girl. We went to girl after girl and soon, we finished with all the girls on the first floor and climbed to the second floor. Hun! We just reached there, when we came across a group, walking toward the third floor. ¡°Mr. Chase, it¡¯s nice to see you here,¡± I greeted to man in a suit. He is the man of Normal Lucas; he comes to deal with us when they poach our girls. Speaking of which; the first girl, they poached, is standing beside him. ¡°Likewise, Miss Carla, Headmistress Margaux, Madam Lena,¡± he replied with a smile. If anyone knows about us more and is not part of the establishment, then it would be this man ¡°Madam Francesca, you look great. Donna, it''s been a while,¡± I greeted the two women, beside him. Donna nodded and looked away, looked away with cheeks flushed. While Madam Francesca is an average-looking woman; she is a madam of red fragrance. An intelligent woman, whom I couldn¡¯t help but respect, despite being a competitor. Her contract is ending in around half a year and I had hinted to her that we might be interested in her. Though there was no reply from her; there was still time. I didn¡¯t tell Remus and it would take some effort to make him agree. He wouldn¡¯t trust a woman who had worked for Norman Lucas for so many years, but she would be worth the risk. ¡°You are looking as beautiful as always, Miss Carla,¡± she replied, before turning her head. ¡°You too Madam Margaux, Madam Mena,¡± she added. ¡°Thank you, Madam Francesca,¡± said Margaux. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t choose the same girls,¡± said Chase with a smile. ¡°Nothing could be said, Mr. Chase,¡± I replied. He walked to the third floor, and we entered the second. We looked at each and every girl, asking them questions, and getting their feeling, before going to the third floor. There are only twenty-eight girls here, including the former madam of this place. He is even selling her contract and I am sure many will be bid; madams are usually in demand due to their experience and levels. She doesn¡¯t fit in our vision. We want someone from Lv. 16 and below, but if we find her interesting enough, we can make an exception. Chase and others were present on the floor as well; they seemed to have finished looking at the girls and now talking to the people. Hershel was also present here, talking to a beautiful girl in a wheelchair. There was a board beside her, which rubbed me the wrong way. Saying, her contract will be free for those who will buy the highest number of contracts. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 234: Listener Chapter 234: Listener Rayna "I can be helpful in your new business," I pleaded to him once more. "Shut up! You might have been a little helpful in the brothel, but a cripple like you would be useless in there," "If I take you, it will drive away the customers instead," said Hershel harshly, while having a pleasant smile on my face. It is one of the things I had learned from him as on my face too there is a pleasant smile. To others looking at us, it will look like we are having a pleasant conversation, but our conversation is far from pleasant. "I," "Not another word about it," he said, raising his voice while still maintaining the smile. I once again tried, but he simply walked away. I want to call him out, but that would be bad; he is a bad man when he is angry. However, the man that will take me is even worse. I had seen how Lawrence Pen was looking at me and knew he wanted me. I had heard he likes cripples and those cripples disappear in a few months. Since he is rich and his victims are useless cripples, even the law didn''t care. I am free to those who will buy the most girls, but I had already heard Chase saying that he will not be taking a cripple, even if it is free. If he didn''t take me, then I would go to the second person buying the most girls, and that would be Lawrence Pen. He had boisterously declared the number of girls, he had claimed and the number was second to chase. If Lawrence gets me; I am going to drink that. There is no way, I will suffer what all those poor girls did. I was thinking that when my gaze fell on three beautiful women who stepped on this floor not long ago. They are from the velvet garden, and a curly red-haired woman is Carla Salt. The first madam of a velvet garden and now, the woman who handles Remus Silver''s businesses. Hershel said she was the most powerful whore in Greltheaven. He also said he liked to tear her clothes apart and fuck her till all the smugness disappears from her and she begin to scream in pleasure like a whore she was. I looked at her, and she didn''t look smug. It is not surprising. Hershel hates powerful women and likes to call them nasty names. I shook my head and listened to the surrounding conversations. I didn''t use any of my skills aside from passive one, which I had focused on several people. Unlike Hershel, there are quite a few people here who are powerful. Like that, Chase and Francesca from Red Fragrance and Carla and Margaux from Velvet Garden. These people will sense if I have used any of my skills on them. Even using passive skills, I need to be careful, lest they sense it. An hour passed, and I have noticed something strange from three from the velvet garden. "Remani, what they talk to you about?" I asked a dark skin girl, a few meters away from me. I had used my skill in Distance Talking. As long as we were in the same room, I could talk to talk to them, as if they were standing next to me. "Nothing, they just asked a bunch of questions," the girl answered. "What kind of questions?" I asked. "Like where I am originally from, how many languages I know, do I have any hobbies or interests or classes related to that, and a few other questions," she replied, feeling slightly confused, but I could also sense the hint of hope in her voice. "Do they not ask you about the skills you have and positions you know?" I asked. "Strangely, no," she replied, shaking her head. "It is strange," I said, agreeing with her and not for the sake of it. "I really hope they take me; I really want to go to the velvet garden," she said, with a voice full of hope. I talked to her for a minute more, before talking with the other girls. Soon, I got all the questions they had asked. It turned out there were seven questions, which they asked everyone. They didn''t change it, not even the order in which they asked for it. I noted down all seven questions and wrote them in my Mind Diary. It is a wonderful skill, my favorite; it is filled with thousands of secrets; some of which will kill me. If people know, I know about them. Hun! Some more time passed, and I saw Baryl walking toward his boss. He is a Hershel assistant, who thinks of himself as far more intelligent than he is and assaults girls, who make him feel inferior. Latch Listening I activated my skill and targeted him with it. "How is it?" asked Herchel. "Better than we had assumed. The bitches of the velvet garden had chosen the girls, that we had low expectations of selling," Baryl replied with a smile on his face. "Let me see, the list?" Hershel asked, and Baryl handed him the clipboard. He looked at the pages, and a smile appeared on his face. "You are right, that bitch is taking half of our low-expectation stock," "Maybe, instead of using them in the brothel. I should start selling them. If they sell as good as this, I will earn a huge profit," said Hershel with a smile. "It is a great idea boss," said Baryl. "It is," said Hershel, feeling proud of himself. I could see the cogs in his spinning, while all I wanted to do was shake my head. "Boss, what do we do about the request from Mr. Chase?" he asked softly. The man in the suit had asked Hershel to provide the list of girls that the velvet garden wanted to buy. "Norman Lucas may be powerful elsewhere in the empire due to his family, but here it is Remus Silver rule and I still want to live in the city," said Herchel. For once, he is doing an intelligent thing. "So, no?" asked Baryl, and Hershel, nodded, before walking away. A little over an hour passed, and Hersehl took center stage. He cleared his throat, a little too loudly, attracting the attention of everything. "Thank you for coming ladies and buying nearly all the contracts I had brought out to sell," "On the girls, which are claimed. Nineteen of them had been claimed by more than one person," he said and turned to nineteen girls gathered crowdedly in a corner. "Sebal," he said, and the raven-haired Sebal walked out of the group and went to Hershel. "Her contract claimed by Mr. Arvin, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Pen," "You three will bet on her contract and the price starts from five hundred imperials and will increase by a minimum of ten at each big," said Hershel, looking at people in front of him with a big smile. Hershel is a horrible auctioneer, he should have hired a professional, but he is too cheap for that. "I am not paying one imperial more than five hundred for her." Said Arvin, "Me too," said Rose, making the expression on Hershel''s face bad. I had told the greedy bastard to not have an auction when he presented his smart idea. If they wanted whores that are at the auction level, they could have simply gone to Namdar or Owlspring. They would not come to this dingy place. "I am willing to give only one 1 imperial extra and that is only because you are my friend, Hershel," said Lawrence Pen, making the expression on Hershel''s face worse. "I say you cut this auction crap, Mr. Hershel. We have wasted enough time here and would like to return with the contracts we had claimed," said Chase, if earlier insults weren''t enough. He is angry; the smile on his face brightened up. It means he is angry. "How do you want me to handle girls who are claimed by more than one party?" he asked angrily. "Give them to those who claimed them first," said Carla in impatience, which made him angrier. Though he was angry, Hershel knew how to control his anger. At least in front of the people. "Give me a minute, ladies and gentlemen," he said apologetically and turned to his assistant. I wanted to hear what they were talking about, but it would be wise to do it, with powerful people focused on them. A minute later, Hershel turned to people. "We will do as you have suggested. The nineteen girls'' contract will go to those, who have claimed them first," he said. "Good. There are other places I need to go after I finish with this," said Chase, making Hershel twitch. "There is one last thing," he said and pointed toward me. "This cripple, we will offer to those who brought the most girls and since it is your Mr. Chase, you are welcome to take her for free," he said and my heart started to beat, wishing he would take me. Anyone is better than Lawrence Pen. "We are not interested in cripple even if it is free," said Chase directly, and felt like the mountain had collapsed on me. I would kill myself if I went to Lawrence Pen. "Miss Carla, you brought second most contracts. You are welcome to take her," he said to the redhead. Surprising me, I thought it was Lawrence Pen who brought most girls after Chase. I have no hope for them; velvet garden is the top brothel in the city. They would never take me, and after her, it is Lawrence Pen. He is looking at me, licking his lips. "We will take her," said Redhead, and it shocked me. Not only me but also Hershel and others; they have not thought she would take me. I am so shocked that I am having a hard time believing it. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your presence, I hope you all find great success with these girls," said Hershel, but I didn''t even look at him. I was looking at the redhead with emotions I couldn''t understand when I saw Lawren''s Pen appearing in front of her and my heart skipped a beat. He said something to her that desperately wanted to listen, but I controlled myself. I don''t know what he said, but whatever he said, it seemed to have made the redhead angry and she said something sharp that made him angry and he walked away saying something. Relief flooded in my heart. I have heard the velvet garden is a paradise for whore, but I know reality is always something different, especially for people like me. Still, I am happy and excited. As I know, I will not suffer the things I would have if I went with Lawrence Pen. Half an hour passed and thirty-seven girls brought by the velvet garden began to sit in carriages. The redhead has disappeared. Now, the platinum-haired one and raven-haired one had remained. If the entries in my Mind Diary are right, then their names are Margaux Swan and Mena Horn. Soon it was my turn, and the driver picked me up harshly. "Be gentle," said a gentle but stern voice from Margaux behind me, and immediately, the pressure from his hands lessened comfortably. He put me in the carriage, where girls made space for me. I looked at my wheelchair, that Strev took away. The bastard Hershel isn''t willing to give me, a nearly broken wheelchair. Thankfully, I have some money saved; I could buy a good one with it. Soon, the door closed, and the carriage. "Girls, we are going to the velvet garden," said Alrin and the girls cheered. Some had even started crying. "From tomorrow, we will swim in money," said Barta, and the girls cheered more. "No, you will not. There is a training of two to three months before you are allowed to work, and not all, are allowed to work, only those chosen by silver," I commented and all girls turned to me. Some smiled, while others glared. "You don''t have to spoil the fun, Rayna," said Valsa. "Sorry," I apologized. She smiled and they once again engaged in conversation, laughing, giggling like little girls. I have never seen them behaving as such in the years. I have been with them. Hope could do the magical things. Soon, the carriage stopped, and we appeared in front of a huge, round building. On the other, I could see the velvet garden I had heard so much about. Both looked beautiful and I could feel something from them, I had never felt in any brothel. Click! The door opened, and the girls began to come out one after another, till only I had remained. Two women appeared at the door; they were guards, looking at their uniform, and took me out and put me gently in a wheelchair. Yes, there was a wheelchair waiting for me, and it was ten times better than what I had in the Hershels. It is wholly made of steel and the only non-steel part it has is the cushion, which is softer than any chair I have ever sat. I moved it, and it was smooth. Unfortunately, I didn''t get to move it as Valsa put her hand on the wheelchair and pushed ahead. She knew I didn''t like to receive help when I didn''t need one, but girls have gathered in front of the gate and I have to reach it there soon. So, I didn''t complain. Though I have no doubt, my new wheelchair would have taken me there fast. "It is hard to believe. They had a wheelchair waiting, and it is such a nice one," said Valsa and I couldn''t help but nod. It is really good and smooth. Soon, we had to reach the other girls and turn to Margaux; the raven-haired woman seemed to have disappeared, leaving Madam Margaux alone. "Welcome to velvet garden girls; this is a circle, and it will be your new home if you decide to accept the contract," said Madam Margaux and the door behind her opened. She walked toward it, and we followed. Her words went through my mind, but I was soon distracted by what I saw. Even before we went inside, I heard gasps of shock and wonder and after we entered inside, the expression on the face of every girl had changed. "Is this heaven?" asked Valsa behind me in wonder. Even I couldn''t help but ask that question as I looked. I saw a huge place inside, with big pillars and beautiful tired. What attracted me was a beautiful garden in the center where light rain seemed to be falling and looking above, there were wine bridges, where I saw girls walking. However, the most interesting thing is the girls swimming in the ponds, barely wearing anything. It is hard to see them carefully, with wall mists covering the ponds, but it is clear they are swimming and playing there. I only got to watch for a minute, before we all led into the hall, where several girls waiting. However, I looked at the two women carefully, who appeared left and right of Madam Margaux. On her right side, is the beautiful woman in her fifties, and on her left was a young girl of sixteen-seventeen, who seemed to be trying hard to look serious. "Girls, you have a choice. You could stay with us or you could leave." "If you want to leave, we will release you from the contract, and even give you ten thousand crowns as severance," said Madam Margaux and looked at us. "I am not leaving this place, ever," said Ganee. "Me too, I don''t want to leave...." One by one, every girl declined the offer, including me. "Still think about it and give me your answer tomorrow," she said and turned to the teen girl to her left. "This is Asst. Madam Gloria. She will give you the tour of this place and the key to your rooms," she said and the young girl turned to us and there was no fear in the teen''s eyes. Though they were filled with nervousness. "Follow me," she said, and we followed. Aside from her, a few more girls had also joined us, most of them were teens, but there were also a few older girls among them. One of whom took my wheelchair from Valsa. The next hour was the tour of the circle, and there was one thing that came to my mind. Overwhelming. The magic, the spa, the lessons. Everything felt so overwhelming. I felt like I might faint if I think about it too much. So, I noted it all down in my Mind Diary and will think about it later. Soon the tour ended, and our ground entered the elevator; I was surprised to find how smoothly my wheelchair entered inside. It is not just an elevator, but other places. All of them could access it by wheelchair. It is clear that the designer of this place had thought about people like her when creating this place. The elevator ride was shorter than I liked to be before Loval, the girl handling my wheelchair, took me out of it on the second floor. "Is that teen girl really a madam?" I asked. "Assistant madam, but yes," replied Loval. "It is hard to believe," I said, and Loval smiled. "It is not when you got to know her. She is from the first batch and might get a little nervous sometimes, but that girl is exceptionally capable," replied Loval with a hint of admiration and stopped in front of the door. Knock! Loval knocked on the door instead of opening it directly. Click! A few seconds later, a beautiful woman in her early thirties opened the door. She had the shortest hair, I had seen on a woman; it barely reached her neck. "Breve, this is your new suite-mate, Rayna," introduced Loval. "Nice to meet you, Rayna," she said, shaking my hand. Her skin is so soft. "Nine to meet you too," I replied and went inside. "Currently, I am alone in the suit. Everyone is either at their interests or classes or establishment," said Breve as she led us inside. There I saw one room with beautiful sofas and everything. Around it were three doors; two doors had names of two each, while the third door only had one name, Breva. Click! Breve took me there and opened the door; giving me a view of the entire room that I had immediately fallen in love with. "Welcome roommate; We are going to have the best time," said Breve, taking me inside the room. Not satisfied. Click on PATREON below for More Chapters (10). Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Chapter 235: Road Chapter 235: Road ¡°O, wonderful, wonderful road,¡± I said, looking at the three carriages passing by mine. The two sitting in front of me smiled, but stayed silent. Nearly two days ago, the road was finished, and the result was in front of me. Thank god, the preparations had been enough to handle the rush. Barely enough. I thought I would need to interfere, but I didn¡¯t. Merchants understood it better than me and began to work immediately. Loads of building material came from the city, quarries began to run overtime and so many trees were being cut, that it felt painful to watch. It is a price for the development. Though, I am making the city as green as possible. When building the town, I didn¡¯t cut all trees; no, many had remained and planted even more. I wanted the town to look like it was a place in the embrace of the forest. It will not be just a trading town, but also a vacation town as well. It is the only place in the whole wasteland that has huge greenery, and it will attract people who want greenery and quiet. I had already designated areas for extravagant properties, like mansions and manors. Work on four had already begun and on a few more in a week or two. Of the four, two belong to a merchant from Oksall, and one each belongs to a noble of baronies and Vice Guildmaster Soren. It is a wise investment; the town is developing fast and intelligent ones, had already started investing. From Damon Hardt to Locke to Valentina, all of them had invested their personal money into it. Even Lola, Carla, and a few other girls also did it, and many others are thinking of doing that. I didn¡¯t tell them to do that. However, when they asked, I gave them my fair view about it, including the many risks, this place has. Soon, I reached the boundary of the empire, and security posts were built on both sides. My carriage didn¡¯t stop, but all the others that were coming and going were stopping to show their documents. Thankfully, the road is big enough, there is no holdout, and guards on it are experienced and fast. The carriage entered the boundary of the merchant state and moved toward Fort Renin. It is 14th and the road will be officially open today. I am excited about it. This road will shorten the time by a lot. Before the road was built, it used to take more than one and a half days; more than a day, if we excluded the snow, but now it will be eight hours. Eight hours to reach the lauryl town from the Amberhold. Less than six hours to reach Fort Renin. It will be less than what it takes to reach Greltheaven from Lauryl town. Soon, an hour passed, and Fort Renin came into view and everything around it. Including the town that is beginning to form around it. We are not the only ones who are developing the town, but also Blackwell. He hadn¡¯t planned on doing that but changed his mind. I didn¡¯t ask, nor I could, but I heard, the advice came from the Oksall Council. We are now in competition, but this competition is good and benefits both of us. Here, being the territory of the merchant state, the restrictions didn¡¯t apply, and a lot of goods were restricted. Goods that are not in our contract, came here without any problem. Our merchants are buying those goods and theirs are selling. With both parties receiving taxes from them. It is a grey area, but nobody has stopped it, and I don¡¯t think they will. It is profiting both sides. It is quite normal in trade, and unless there is a conflict or big disagreements, the trade of those goods will continue. Soon, the carriage passed through the town wall, and I have to say, the town looks beautiful. Unlike the lauryl, which is on the plain ground, it is on the hills. It is why there are over ten vacation mansions are being built. It is more scenic than lauryl, but lauryl also has its own charm and I am developing it in a way, that maximizes it. Click! The carriage stopped inside the fort, and a second later; the door opened. ¡°Welcome to the Fort August, Adviser Silver,¡± said August as he opened the door. ¡°Thank you, August,¡± I replied and stepped out of the carriage with Carlos and Leblanc. I usually bring Lola with me, but these two insisted on coming. They had been insisting on coming with me to a lot of things, from parties to meetings. It is not surprising. I had told them what I had told the Count, and they were trying to use every opportunity to prove that they were worthy of responsibility, that I am so impatient to get off me. I looked at the fort and once again, I couldn¡¯t help but get surprised. I have been to the fort several times already and every time I get surprised at the new changes that appear on it. It looked so different than the first time; I had seen it. Blackwell had spent a fortune on the fort; not only he had repaired it but also fortified it further with enchantments and defenses. They cost him more than what I had spent on the establishment till now. ¡°Lord Blackwell,¡± I greeted as I entered the parlor, where he was entertaining the several guests, including my sister. ¡°Adviser, welcome to Fort Renin,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Lord Blackwell,¡± I thanked. ¡°So, you are Remus Silver, who crafted the whole trade proposal,¡± said the cultured voice; I turned and saw a handsome middle-aged man with forest green hair. If the information is right, then he is also a quarter elf and a relative of Ignatius from his mother¡¯s side. ¡°It was Count¡¯s vision; I only helped in bringing it out, Vice-Guildmaster Thomist,¡± I replied, and his face twitched. He is an important man and a powerful merchant. A Vice-Guildmaster of Oksall City¡¯s merchant guild is no small position. He has the ability to do some serious things in the merchant-state. It is quite surprising he has come here since the real opening ceremony is being held at Amberhold. ¡°I was one of the opponents of the plan; I thought my cousin was wasting time and fortune on something that is doomed to fail, but it feels like I had been wrong in my assumptions,¡± he said with a small smile. ¡°You are not wrong in your views, Vice-Guildmaster; this was a risky gamble and still is,¡± ¡°There are many things, that could destroy this trade route,¡± I said, looking at Blackwell. Today, we are planning on dealing with one of the minor problems, let¡¯s hope we will be successful. ¡°True, there are dangers, but you all seemed to be handling them well enough,¡± he complimented. ¡°Thank you for the kind words, Vice-Guildmaster,¡± I said. He smiled and walked away. I turned to Ignatius, who introduced me to the other people, and there were a lot of them that came. Most are from Amberhold, but many had come from other cities, Oksall as well. Two hours passed, and we were out on the road, with a red ribbon across it and Ignatius holding a large steel scissor. ¡°To progress and prosperity,¡± he shouted in front of a crowd of thousands and cut the ribbon. We all clapped before stepping out of the road to let the carriages pass through. For fifteen minutes, we had to stop the carriages. So, Ignatius and others could give the speeches. Now, the road opened and the carriage waiting began to move through the road, while we entered inside the fort for the banquet. A few more hours passed, and the banquet was over, and we all went to the secure room. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± asked Leila. ¡°Good, we can strike at the decided time,¡± he replied. We are going to target the bandit groups; there will be simultaneous raids on a couple of bandit groups. We three are going to attack the biggest one. It was one of the most powerful groups during the attack and after it became even more powerful after absorbing members of other bandit groups. It is also one of the groups that had been nearly unscathed by the monsters. Its leader has shifted their hideout away from the extreme magic region before monsters started attacking them. It is also why we were able to find out their hideout, which we are going to target tonight. The bandits had been silent, but there was information they were ready to strike. We need to finish them before that happens. ¡°Then we should reach there as soon as possible,¡± said Leila, before turning to me. ¡°Remus, do you really want to come?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to miss the action,¡± I replied. She looked like she wanted to say something, but shook her head. I wouldn¡¯t have, but Jon said I need more battle experience. I might have a good collection of skills and enough talent, but that is not enough to survive in truly horrible conditions. I should gain it as much as I can. This is kind of paradoxical, considering I could die while gaining the experience, which I am trying to gain to survive conditions like this. Though what he said is true, considering his experience. Unlike Stone and others, who were part of the army or militia, Jon and Zela had different backgrounds. Zela was a scholar, working for a mage, while Jon was an enforcer of the gang in a small town. Before Vris¡¯alud¡¯s invasion, they had never fought in battle, much less a war, but the invasion forced them. It is either to fight or die. Thousands have died, but they have survived through grit and luck. I understood the reality well. In the place I am and the business I have, there will be many instances when I will be forced to fight, to protect my life and the lives of those I cherish. For that, I will need to be ready. It will also be a good chance to try out my new skills. I have been training with it, and I want to see how it does in the real battle. Not satisfied. Click on PATREON below for More Chapters. Chapter 236: Nipping Out The Buds I Chapter 236: Nipping Out The Buds I We walked out of the secret tunnel under the guise and mounted on the beasts that were waiting for us outside of the town, along with a small group of people. Immediately, I felt the effect of skills as we rode into the forest. These skills are oriented toward stealth. It is absolutely necessary that we remain stealthy. We are moving to attack the slither bandits. We had been planning for months, even before the monsters attacked. The monsters delayed our plans, but also helped tremendously in dealing with more than half of the bandit groups. Still, there are many dangerous groups that have remained and we are going to wipe them out. We had worked really hard for this and spent a lot of money. It is not easy to sneakily transfer forces, scout the enemies, and make other preparations. Tonight, we are not striking one group, but several of them. We want to nip this problem out of the bud. Monsters are already troublesome; we don¡¯t want another in our hands. Even with all the planning and preparations, we don¡¯t know whether we will succeed. The bandits could spring up any surprise, and while we have tried to minimize that with our preparations, nothing could be said. Our forces are at their places and at the right time, they will launch an attack; we are just extra help to them. We moved through the dense forest in the moonless night and soon reached the small, abandoned orc village. My people told me, this kind of scenery had become quite common here. Especially the small villages where the heads are not powerful enough to stop the people from migrating to places with better opportunities. That would be the Renin town; the small villages, where a number of people less than a hundred, had entirely migrated to the Renin town. The town has a lot of opportunities and steady work. There, they didn¡¯t have to face the uncertainty that came with the hunting-gathering. The medium and big villages are a little slow in joining. Their leaders are holding back the people, in order to not lose influence and for a few other reasons. Even there, the people are slipping slowly. They would commute before shifting to town entirely, which is like breaking the rules, but many of them do not care for it, seeing the work and money the town is providing. There is a shadow hand of Ignatius behind this. He wants everything in his control. which is a wise thing. Half of the orcs in bandit groups are from these villages. They constantly supply the groups with men, to break the cycle, he will need to bring everything under his control. Looking at the things, he is doing a damn well job. The town he created not only gave the orcs employment but also reduced the supply of men to the bandit groups. It is one of the biggest advantages he has over me aside from patrons like Amberhold and Oksall, who are willing to pour large money into every project of his. While I need to beg the Count for every penny. Two more hours passed, and we stopped. We silently handed the beasts to the people waiting to receive them and began the journey on foot in the guise of stealth. We didn¡¯t go together, Leila separated from us and moved with the other group, while I and Blackwell moved with another. Soon, we reached our destination, and a blond-haired man came out of darkness to greet us. ¡°Adviser, Lord Blackwell,¡± he greeted. ¡°How are preparations, Colonel Brigs?¡± I asked. I had borrowed the man from the Mirador Hold specifically for this mission. ¡°Good, adviser; we are ready to strike on the time,¡± he replied. We had surrounded the bandits from all four directions. There is no way, we will let this bandit group escape; they will either surrender here or will die. Nobody said anything other than looking at our clocks. There were eighteen minutes until the attack and so we waited. Minutes ticked as we waited in darkness, and soon, the eighteen minutes passed, and we moved without any words. Colonel Brigs and Ignatius are ahead while I am in the middle, protected from all sides. I do need to show needless bravado; those in front are powerful enough to deal with any threat, but I am not. It will be extremely hard for me to defeat someone with Lv. 20 and a good experience. Over fifteen minutes passed and suddenly a bow appeared in Ignatius¡¯s hand, and he pulled the string two times, one after another. I didn¡¯t see the bow light up or the arrows appearing on it, but a few minutes later, saw the body on the ground. There were no injuries on her and there was no sound, but it is clear, she had fallen from above, seeing her position. She is also alive. Unconscious but alive. I don¡¯t know what kind of attacks he used. It might be a soul attack or some kind of other attack; it is hard to say, with the artifact involved. We moved ahead without stopping and a few minutes later, Ignatius pulled the string twice, and once again we saw another unconscious body on the ground in a strange position. ¡°We are close,¡± said Colonel Brigs, and we become even more careful. Finally, we stopped and looked at our clocks. Three and a half minutes later, a voice rang through the silent forest. ¡°Bandits, you have been surrounded from all directions. Surrender and you will survive; resist and you will die,¡± shouted Leila from the other side. As her voice rang out, we moved toward the bandits at our full speed. I could feel skills activating and people turning serious as we moved. I gripped my rapier tightly and checked my potions everything; I needed to be ready to face the bandits. ¡°Never!¡± rang out from the bandit camp loudly and I heard the bandits moving. In less than twenty seconds, we could see the bandits. Ignatius and his archers in our group acted immediately and started shooting the arrows. Each arrow of Ignatius would reap a life, and bandits coming toward us slowed their charge. Some with shields came forward, but it was useless, as his arrows seemed to have torn through them. It surprised me; it seemed like Ignatius had improved since we had fought together last time. Maybe he had leveled up after the fight with the monsters or something happened with his artifact, but he had improved. It''s not like he wasn¡¯t able to breach the enchanted shields with his arrows before. He had and the only ones which could stop his arrow were the triple enchanted shields. Now, its arrows passing through the shields, more swiftly, that single person had stopped the whole bandits and now they were running away. We followed and soon saw the bigger group, with a few groups having already started fighting at the distance, including my sister, who was against several bandits. Ignatius immediately begins to release the arrows in that direction, forcing a couple of bandits to fight against her turn. One got killed, while two were injured, which my sister finished off quickly. The small group that ran away from us merged into the bigger group and turned to us. ¡°Kill every bandit that doesn¡¯t throw down their weapon,¡± roared Ignatius and began to shoot the arrows at the bandits at even greater speed. The bandits seemed to have gone crazy; they started coming at us, despite many of them falling at every step. They didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Someone used the skill,¡± said the soldier beside me, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. It is not a rage skill, seeing there is no burning anger in their eyes, but there is a lack of fear. I shuddered seeing that there are skills there, that could make an emotion disappear. Such skills are extremely dangerous. Especially in an environment like this where their emotions have roiled up. In an environment like this, it becomes easier for such skills to affect people. ¡°Die!¡± They roared as they came at us, and we met them. Their numbers are bigger than ours since we couldn¡¯t bring huge numbers without getting discovered, but we can deal with them. All the people chosen here are experienced with good gear; even the soldiers from our side are well equipped. Every penny gotten from the sale of monsters has been used to buy better equipment and other things that will help us deal with the enemy better. It took less than ten seconds for the enemy to appear in front of me; it was a thin human man with a saber. ¡°Die!¡± It screamed and attacked me, I moved back with Rapid Legs, dodging the saber by an inch, before moving ahead as fast as I could and attacking with Swift Blade. His surprise turned to alarm, and the bandit tried to dodge it, but he was slow, and I was decisive. My rapier reached his neck, and he activated a surprising skill. His neck turned stony. Stone Skin is a pretty rare defensive skill. He must have got it when he had reached the Lv. 20. My rapier didn¡¯t stop and instead moved with enchantments on it flaring. At the same time, I had activated the Sharpness. It flared with the power like it never did when I used it on other things. Pachac! My rapier touched his neck and finally, fear appeared in the bandit''s eyes. Even the skill couldn¡¯t suppress the fear when the death was so close. My sword cut through his neck swiftly and I moved sharply left, to avoid his saber coming at me. Dodging it at the hairbreadth. It was a risky attack, but it did the job. Jon had said I had a natural battle instinct, which is not new information to me. Old Remus had been praised for it hundreds of times and it had gotten over his head. It is one of the reasons he ended up losing his life. He had asked me to sharpen these instincts but also cautioned me to use my brain with it. He said he had seen many people depend on it too much and ended up losing their lives. There are people out there with enough experience and intelligence to manipulate the natural instincts of their enemies to their advantage. Jon shuddered when he talked about them.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 237: Nipping Out The Buds II Chapter 237: Nipping Out The Buds II Hun! A few seconds passed after I had killed the bandit, and I was moving toward another when I suddenly stopped and swung my sword to the left. There, from the darkness, an arrow came. It is fast and clearly has several skills; I didn¡¯t sense it, till it appeared in front of me. A skill to sense the projectile had been activated on the ground. It is a pretty useful skill that I wish I had. Clang! Finally, my sword met with the tip of an arrow with Swift Blade and Weighted Strike, deflecting the arrow away. I had just deflected the arrow when another appeared in front of me and instead of using my rapier, which I couldn¡¯t due to the speed and closeness of the arrow; I simply moved my neck to the right. Sup! I felt the sharp air in my ear as I was able to dodge the arrow by the centimeter distance. As I did, I felt my wet back; it was too dangerous. This was especially dangerous when I didn¡¯t have my guards. All three of them went to the different bandit groups; I could have kept them with me, but their help was needed to deal with the other groups. Though, it would be quite regretful if I died. When the guards would have saved me. I had prepared myself to face another arrow when I saw a couple of blue arrows going in that direction and knew without turning that they were from Ignatius. I looked there for several seconds before turning to the bandits, knowing the danger of the hidden archer resolved. I moved toward the group of three bandits who were fighting with the lone soldier. She is dealing with them with her sword and shields. There were fewer injuries on her than one would expect when one is dealing with such several enemies at once. As I had said, we had brought a small number due to the constraint of stealth, but all the numbers are good; each one with years of battle experience and at Lv. 20 and above. I had just reached the bandits and was about to attack when the orc turned to me and grinned. ¡°Your head is worth a lot, adviser,¡± he said and came and attacked me. He is fast, and the sword is faster, and I could feel the weight behind his sword. I attacked as well with Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. Our weapons reached close, and its sword tried to evade it, but I didn¡¯t let it happen. Clang! We clashed, and he parried it, flicking out of the way, before attacking me. He used the skill, a parry skill, and now his sword is coming at me, at a really fast speed. My rapier won''t be able to stop it; I did the only thing I could. I retreated with Rapid Steps, and he seemed to have expected that as he followed me, coming closer than I liked. The bastard was powerful, and he had come very close to killing me. If I didn¡¯t have a recent level-up, which enhanced the power of the attributes and thus the skills, I would have died already. I have to do something real quick, or I will find myself decapitated like I did to the bandit earlier. Half a second later, I suddenly stopped at its surprise and his blade reached really close to my head, barely inches away, when I suddenly bent backward. Dodging the attack by the mere inches, surprising even the orc. The only thing the attack had cut was my hair. In my training, I have been pushing hard on the Gymnasts Grace. Jon called it my best skill and wish; he has something like that. His sword passed over my head when I had kicked him in the leg as hard as I could with my current position. He tried to dodge it, but he was too close to me, and I used the Rapid Legs to do that. It is a speed skill, but it had still increased the speed of my leg. The kick was strong, but not enough to throw him back. Just enough to make him stumble, which is what I want. It immediately released what I was trying to do and tried stabilizing himself to retreat fast. Slice Pachack! Unfortunately for him, my sword had already reached him and sliced through his hand, before decapitating him. Piercing his chest would have been much faster and more efficient, seeing it is rapier I am using, but in the position, I couldn¡¯t bring enough stabbing force and it is also wearing the protection. So, I took the risk, and it was worth it. The only thing that was not was the blood that came, I tried to avoid it, but a lot of it had come on me. I looked around me for any enemy, only to see some bandits and soldiers looking at me with shock and surprise in their eyes. Unlike soldiers, I fight like a mercenary and take a lot of risks. It was dangerous, but it helped me defeat the enemies stronger than me; like the two I had fought, both of them were at Lv. 20. I shook, wiped away blood from my lips with my sleeve, and moved toward the bandit, not far away from me. ¡°I surrender!¡± said the bandit and threw away the weapon. A lack of fear doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be an emotion of self-preservation. Some had already started to feel it. Already, over twenty had surrendered, and more were surrendering. Why wouldn¡¯t they, when Ignatius is simply butchering them? My sister seemed to have disappeared, and I did not see the leader she was fighting not long ago. It seemed like she had gone after him. Which is quite risky, but she is a spell blade, more than capable of protecting herself. I moved toward the other bandit, and he saw me coming toward him. He also came at me, with rage in his eyes, which is his natural emotion, not the one created by the skill. ¡°Die!¡± It roared and attacked; I simply ducked the attack before appearing in front of him. Puch! My sword pierced through his chest, killing him. He was much easier than others, higher level than me in combat class, but not yet Level 20, likely Lv. 18, 19. I took out my sword from his chest and moved to the other bandits. A few minutes passed, and a lot of bandits surrendered, but many were still fighting and were now trying to run away. I saw one orc coming in my direction and it was big and fat. It was my first time seeing the fat orc, but it was not what had surprised me, while surprised me was his speed. Seeing it coming, I moved and appeared in front of it. ¡°Die, human!¡± shouted the orc and attacked me with its thick saber. The attack was fast and, seeing the thick enchanted saber, I instantly abandoned my plan to counter and dodged the attack. It was a wise decision, as suddenly the speed of the saber increased. If I had tried to counter, it; I would have been fucked. He would have been able to evade my sword and come at me. Sup! I was barely able to dodge the attack by less than an inch. ¡®Fuck, this bastard is strong,¡¯ I thought, looking at it and also looking at me, before looking behind me. It was clearly trying to escape before I stopped it. It looked behind me for a moment before turning to me with a grin. It didn¡¯t give me a good feeling. ¡°You are that adviser; if I have you, it will make my escape much easier,¡± he said and attacked. This time, the attack was even faster and stronger. The thing that is making it worse, there are three blades coming at me instead of one. I don¡¯t think two of them are fake; they are feeling dangerous to me. So, I moved to dodge; I first took a step back, before moving left and taking steps back again. Rip! It was not enough; the saber on the left end hit my shoulder, right below the guard, giving me a deep cut, and with it came pain that instantly made my eyes water. It was painful, more painful than the skill of Instructor David. Still, all the training he did with the pain skill helped me keep my mind straight in the pain and I moved to dodge the attack, using it to channel all the speed I could from the Rapid Legs to dodge another attack. I dodged it, barely by an inch, from my neck. ¡°You are good, but if this is all you have; then you better surrender. It will save you some painful memories and me time,¡± he said, and this time, it is my turn to grin. ¡°Not interested,¡± I said, and anger flashed in the fat orc''s eyes. ¡°Pain it is,¡± said the orc angrily and attacked. I saw the three blades coming and this time, there was a heat coming off them; I don¡¯t think it was an enchantment. It is a skill, and now it is attacking me with it. Rip! I moved to dodge the attack but wasn¡¯t able to. His blade cut my stomach, giving me a lacerating cut, that is hot as well as painful. It was unbearable, but I bore it and moved to dodge another attack, I dodged it and the one after that. I failed to dodge the one who came after that, and he gave me another lacerating cut on my arm. I really shouldn¡¯t have come in front of it. The bastard was stronger than I had anticipated; stronger than any enemy I had faced today, and he could really kill me. One part of me really wanted to surrender, but the other part was telling me, he was a bandit; I couldn¡¯t trust what he had said. Still, if I continue fighting it, I am going to lose. It is way too powerful and has a good collection of skills that are very hard to deal with. Now, I really wish I hadn¡¯t sent my guards away. I had hired them to protect me and instead of letting them do their job; I had sent them to kill the bandits. It was really idiotic of me. Though, I can¡¯t say, I regret the choice. It was necessary. Our forces were stretched thin; we had to keep a sizable force at the valley for the monsters and also keep an appearance in front of bandits'' spies. There are very few powerful people we could send. However, it would be quite regretful if I died at the bandits'' hands, and seeing the injuries piling on my body, that is likely to happen. Puch! I was thinking that when I heard the faint sound and saw a blue thing coming out of the bandit''s head. His eyes widened in realization, and he fell down dead. Sniped by Ignatius, who is coming at me. ¡°Thanks. If not for you, the bastard would have me,¡± I said as I took out the bottle of potion. ¡°This one was quite powerful, we didn¡¯t have any information about it,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°I noticed that too,¡± I said seriously as I poured the potion over my injuries before drinking the potion, while Ignatius continued killing the bandits. I moved a few seconds later. Others are fighting. I couldn¡¯t hide behind Ignatius just because I had faced someone powerful and barely survived. A few more seconds passed when a sudden change occurred between the bandits. The fear appeared in their eyes. ¡°I surrender, me too...¡± The first bandit surrendered and the second one, and after that third, and soon, the whole bandits surrendered. ¡°The leader,¡± I said, and Ignatius nodded. A minute and a half after that; Leila came through the trees; bringing the body of the bandit leader with her. ¡°What is the report on other raids?¡± I asked, after gathering all the surrendered and dead bandits. ¡°Eight were successful; the ninth one seemed to have gotten the wind. Their leadership had gone before our men attacked,¡± replied Leila and a smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. ¡°It had gone better than we expected,¡± said Ignatius, and I nodded with a smile. We had hoped to succeed in five and succeeded in eight. Eight and a half, considering only the leadership of the ninth groups had escaped. Today, we have weeded out the powerful groups. From tomorrow, our forces will scour the forest openly to hunt the small groups. ... The next day, I rode into the lauryl town, with dead and captured bandits amidst the crowd of cheers. I don¡¯t like to do this, but it is very important for the town. People need to know we are doing everything to keep them safe. It builds confidence and creates good business sentiment. Blade Warrior Lv. 18 Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 238: Compromise Chapter 238: Compromise Imperial Palace, Harsoth Empire In the huge opulent room, there is a grand bed made from the wood of an extremely rare tree. On that bed is a frail old man, who looked like he could die at any moment. There are two more people in the room. A middle-aged man who shares the features with a frail old man and a woman in a green-blue robe. If anyone were to see the woman in this room. The most secure place in the entire empire. In the company of the emperor and crown prince, they would be shocked. She is not human. It is clear with her gemmed horns and gemmed eyes. The emperor doesn¡¯t tolerate what isn¡¯t human; it had been the core laws of his rule. Intelligent and powerful ones would also be shocked, not by non-human woman, but by the woman herself. She is not a normal person, but someone important in the entire world. She has a small tray floating in front of her; on it are three things. A small unrefined blue gem, a red flower, and a tiny bottle with a glittering liquid inside. She took the crystal and placed it on the frail man¡¯s head, took the flower, and placed it on the man¡¯s chest. She opened the potion bottle next and poured it into the mouth of the frail man. As she did, thousands of runes came out of her hand like a flood and covered the old man; there was no single space on his body that wasn¡¯t covered by the runes. The runes stayed quiet for a moment, before blazing like a sun; so bright that they had alighted the entire room. The light blazed for three hours, and seven minutes before the bright light started to dim. A minute later, the old man is revealed, and the change in him is shocking. He is still an old man but doesn¡¯t look frail anymore. His skin is rosy red, and his eyes are filled with strength, he has lost ¡°I feel strong,¡± said the emperor as he sat up. ¡°The effects of it will last till your last breath, Your Majesty,¡± said the woman, and the old man smiled, but there was no mirth in it. ¡°You mean less than a year, Sage Emeradon?¡± asked the emperor and the woman smiled. ¡°Still, it is enough,¡± said the emperor and looked at his firstborn. There is joy, in the old man¡¯s face, but also some disappointment, that he needed to take such steps to help his son. It is necessary for the longevity of the empire. ... ¡°Welcome to the Lauryl town, my lord,¡± I said as I opened the door to the Count¡¯s carriage. ¡°It¡¯s good to be here, Remus,¡± he said as he got out, while I tried to hide the surprise, seeing he had not come alone. Lancel is with him. He had avoided coming to Nakar forest ever since that bandit incident. It is quite surprising that he had come. Though it didn¡¯t seem like he had come with his own will. ¡°My lord,¡± I bowed to the Lancel as he came out, but he barely acknowledged me and turned to look where his father was looking. ¡°So, this is the administrative section, you had spent so much money, on,¡± said Lancel snortingly. ¡°My apologies for disappointing you, my lord,¡± I said, bowed. The new administrative section had been finished, and all the staff had been moved here. Except for my office, everything is there, including the offices of two and Lola. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at it,¡± said the Count a moment later, and we entered the administrative section. We really needed it. The section is not to handle the town¡¯s business. No for it, I had built the town hall and separated the administrative staff there; this section is handling the business of the baronies. The baronies may be independent, but they are not separate. They work under the city and need permission for a lot of things. There is also other business, which require a dedicated staff. This staff used to be based in the city, but now more than half of it has shifted here, making the process efficient. ¡°You had done a wonderful job, Remus,¡± said Count as we finally entered my office, or rather, his office. ¡°It is all thanks to Carlos and Leblanc, my lord. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it, without their help,¡± I said and the two behind me bowed. It was the last day of the month, and the Count had come as he had promised. Let¡¯s hope he will take this responsibility from me. So, I can return to the city and my business. I looked at him hopefully, wishing he would bring up this subject, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he opened the files and began to read them. ¡°Well done on the bandit problem. Though you shouldn¡¯t risk your life like that, you are an administrator, you manage things,¡± ¡°Leave the brute work to the army,¡± he advised, as he turned to the bandit file. ¡°I will remember it, my lord,¡± I replied and bowed. I had gone to the forest several times but had fought only twice, once when we attacked the first time and second at the fourth time. Even at that time, I had only fought for less than a minute. We have wiped away most of the dangerous groups, but some have remained, and we have created a force to hunt them. The force will always be patrolling the forest, dealing with any bandit group that they find. We will not give the bandit, the slightest chance of growing back to their original numbers and threaten the trade route. There is even good news; in two months, a company of bandit-hunting soldiers is coming from the Oksall. With them, finding those hiding would be even easier. He turned to another file and asked questions related to it. I answered them, but perceptive people could sense a faint impatience in it. I could tell the Count had sensed it but wasn¡¯t commenting on it intentionally. So, I calmed my emotions down and answered all his questions. After he finished with the files, he made a round of the town, before coming back to the Castle and held the several meetings with the nobles, including August, that Ignatius had sent. Soon, it was evening, when the Count met with merchants, and then it was the dinner, which I could barely swallow. It is not just me, who wants the answer from him, but also Carlos and Leblanc. It is clear by their faces that even Lancel could see clearly, and it is making him angry for some reason. He had been angry the whole day, only speaking a few words, to whoever tried to talk to him. Soon, we returned to the office; the Count would leave in an hour. If he didn¡¯t talk about it, then I will ask him about it. I have waited enough; I don¡¯t have patience now. ¡°Remus, I would really like you to stay here; you are doing a fine job,¡± he said, and I wanted to curse the bastard. Instead, I have brought a small smile to my face. I sometimes feel ungrateful, and I am sure it definitely looks like it to the others. People will kill me for the position I have, but I really don¡¯t want it. I rather go back to the city and focus on my business, which needs me. ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, my lord, but I feel I will be able to serve you well in the city,¡± ¡°Most importantly, Carlos and Leblanc are ready to handle the responsibility and, with the experience, they have. They will do the job better than me,¡± I replied, declining the offer politely. He glanced at the two behind, before turning back to me with a shake of his head. ¡°I am not willing to trust anyone other than you with this responsibility,¡± he said, and I felt the anger rise in me; I had done everything he had asked and now, he was unwilling to let me go. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have done such a good job. I pushed that thought away and was about to open my mouth to ask him to reconsider when he spoke again. ¡°It is also true, that I had made you a promise and you have fulfilled every condition and more,¡± ¡°So, here¡¯s the compromise; you will remain my representative and in charge of this place, but will work from the city. You will only come here once a week to handle things personally,¡± he added. It surprised me, but soon calmed my emotions down and thought about it. A small genuine smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. This is the best result I could hope for, better than even giving this position up. This way, I will still wield the power in the baronies, which provide a lot of perks, but will also be able to live in the city. I will be able to focus on my business and official duties, which involve trade with Navr. The work will be heavy, but I will be able to do it. ¡°I accept, my lord,¡± I accepted. An hour later, I saw the Count¡¯s carriage leaving the castle under the protection of the heavy guards. I didn¡¯t leave with the Count. There are things to do, but seeing I had already sorted out most things, I won¡¯t need to do much. If everything goes well, I will be leaving for Greltheaven permanently tomorrow, while this place will become temporary. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 239: Permanantly Chapter 239: Permanantly I stepped into my office my sat on the chair gently. My body is still aching from the training I did. I had applied the numbing cream, but it didn¡¯t numb all the pain. I need to bear some of it too, especially when I move or sit in any place. ¡°Messages,¡± said Zela, as I sat down and placed the messages in front of me. My eyes lit up and began to go through them one after another, but the more I looked, the dim, the light in my eyes would get. Soon, I had read through the last message and the expression on my face became bad. They are as bad as the two sitting in front of me. They have been sulking since yesterday; they had been hoping to get my position but didn¡¯t. Even, I couldn¡¯t help, but feel sorry for a moment, seeing their faces. I shook that emotion away and turned to my predicament. There is no reply to my applications. Not a single city has replied. There should have been some sort of reply by now, but there is nothing, not even a rejection. ¡®Do I really need to use the backup plan?¡¯ I asked myself. I wanted to start the expansion from merchant cities; it is much safer and more stable. On the other hand, the empire will become unstable soon, but with no reply to merchant cities, I will have an option, but start the expansion of the empire. I will wait for their response a week before I will start with my backup plan. I quickly finished with my work and turned to the three; with me being here once a day, most of the responsibilities will fall on these three. It is important that I divide these responsibilities correctly. So, there won¡¯t be interference in each other¡¯s work. After a few hours, we were finished, and their mood seemed to have improved a little. We work for the noble and have to follow his every order, no matter how much we don¡¯t want to. While sometimes we get what we want; it is not always the case; they understand that reality. After I finished with them, I had lunch, before I came back to my office. ¡®Master Silver, Mr. Ashav, is here,¡¯ informed Jill through the intercom and a smile appeared on my face. Many powerful merchant houses had started trading with Navr through the route, including the House of Ashav. Though, it is the first time Ethan is coming here, but wouldn¡¯t be the last time. Click! ¡°Let him in,¡± I said, and a second later, a handsome man walked into the room with a smile. His smile froze when he saw Lola, but he quickly controlled his emotions. Though not before sneaking a look at her. She has that effect on people. People get struck by her beauty. Once a merchant stared at her for an entire minute, before coming back to himself. In the whole meeting, he was quite embarrassed. She dresses conservatively since taking this job, but doesn¡¯t hide her beauty, nor she is trying to. From the beginning, she knew she was at a disadvantage due to her formal profession, and thus willing to use everything she had the advantage of, including her beauty. I have to say; she is doing a fine job. ¡°Look at you all in charge. I thought it would take a year to reach this level of trade and you had done it in four months,¡± he said and took the seat I had offered him. ¡°It is all thanks to your side; they worked quite fast,¡± I replied, to which he smiled. I am not talking about them building the road fast, which is the most important thing, but also the merchants, who brought a lot of goods. While most are going to Navr directly, some are staying. It is the same with the goods they are bringing back from the Navr; it is making the town develop at a speed that could only be said incredible. ¡°It is quite surprising; you have come here personally. I thought your family would be sending someone junior,¡± I said. His family had been trading with Navr through the route, since the first month, thanks to him, but the trade hadn¡¯t grown huge enough to make him come personally. He may be young but is a senior member of the mercantile house of Ashav. ¡°We would have done that if the circumstances were normal, but the house has made a huge deal, and I am going there for the signing.¡± ¡°If things go well, we are going to bring a lot of things from the Navr,¡± he informed and a smile on my face couldn¡¯t help but become bigger. ¡°I hope you will succeed then,¡± I said, and he smiled before a frown appeared on his face. ¡°I heard you are relocating back to the city, is it true?¡± he asked. To that, I nodded. It had been a day since that happened and the news had already spread. It isn¡¯t surprising, since I had informed this development to the Oksall, Blackwell, and all the nobles of baronies. I was going to inform the merchants today, but it seemed like their sources had already informed them of that. ¡°Yes, I am. Though I will be here once a week. In my absence, Lola and the other two will handle the things,¡± I replied and turned to Lola. ¡°Ethan, this is Lola Monet. If you or your people face any problem in my absence, you can contact her,¡± I said, introducing him to Lola. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ashav,¡± she said as she shook his hand. ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Miss Monet,¡± He replied with a smile. The handshake lasted a moment longer than it should before they let go. ¡°So, when you are leaving?¡± I asked. ¡°Immediately, I need to be in Jalrux by morning tomorrow,¡± he replied. He stayed fifteen minutes more before walking out of my office. I stayed there, till it was late afternoon before walking into the administrative section, where the entire staff was waiting for me. I appeared in front of them, with Carlos and Lola behind me. ¡°Most of you are aware already, but I will confirm it. Yes, I am shifting back to the Greltheaven,¡± ¡°The business would be as usual, with Becker Carlos being your boss in my absence,¡± I informed them. Carlos will be responsible for the affairs of baronies and foreign relations, while Magnus will be responsible for the town. I didn¡¯t hand over the responsibility of the trade to any of them and will not. At least not officially. Unofficially, Lola will be responsible for it. She will be staying here as my assistant/unofficial representative and will handle all the tasks related to the trade. It is a gargantuan responsibility, with huge consequences, if anything were to go wrong. It will be a huge test for her, and I really hope she does a good job. I had worked really hard to achieve it; it would be really bad if she were to mess it up. It is a really hard job, and she had only a few months of training, but I am willing to trust her with it. She will make mistakes, but I hope she will learn from them. It is not all bad. There will be me. She won¡¯t be taking any major decision without my approval. I walked out of the administrative section with Lola and met Leblanc at the exit. He was waiting there as now, we were going to the town hall. Carlos will work from the administrative section. Magnus will work from the town hall. ¡°I have read your ideas Magnus, and they are amazing, but unfortunately, we do not have a budget for that. At most, we will implement two.¡± I said to the man. The responsibilities I am giving them aren¡¯t empty. They have real powers to do things. I am planning on acting as overseer; I won¡¯t check every little decision the two of them make. I have huge responsibilities of my own and if I look at every little thing they do, I won¡¯t even have time to sleep. ¡°Can¡¯t you give me three, adviser?¡± he asked, with a hint of pleading. I sighed. ¡°You are clearly aware of our budget, Leblanc, and know that even two is a big stretch,¡± I said and nodded unwillingly. ¡°I will float the tender after I make the decision,¡± he said, and I nodded. It is one of the changes that I have made. No town contract will be given without a tender; it slows down things, but it is necessary. It keeps the competition healthy and helps in progress. We walked out of the castle and the town came into view and it became even bigger than it had been when I returned from the Greltheaven. Now, there is a developed market area, residential areas, and other areas. The plot sales are continuing, with a lot of merchants from Oksall opening their business here. It is not only merchants from Oksall, but also merchants from the city and some barons who had opened their businesses. My sister and her consortium are one of the biggest investors in town. More than half of the bars and inns belong to them, and also a quarter of the small apartment buildings. They were also building a manor in the luxury district. As I entered the town, people came to talk to me on their own. I talked to them, answered their quarries and questions, and asked mine. By the time I reached the town hall; it was completely dark. A few more hours passed, and it was time for me to leave. I will come back soon, but only for a day. From now on, my permanent residence will be in the Greltheaven. ¡°Thank you for trusting me with the enormous responsibility; I will not disappoint you,¡± said Lola with tears in her eyes. ¡°Have some confidence in yourself. You will do you great job. I wouldn¡¯t have handed you this responsibility. If I wasn¡¯t sure, you could do this,¡± I said to her, and she smiled through her tears. ¡°Have a safe journey, Master Silver,¡± she said finally. ¡°Thank you, Lola,¡± I said and stepped into the carriage, with a relieved smile on my face. Become a FREE Member and enjoy maps and other stuff. Chapter 240: Approved Chapter 240: Approved City Hall, Owlspring ¡°What do we do about this?¡± said the middle-aged man to his superior as he opened the next file. It was not the first time he had opened the file but deferred the decision on it. Now nearly four weeks had passed, and they needed to make the decision. ¡°I have got the answer from my superior. We are approving the application,¡± said the old man in front of him, and the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help, but become surprised. The brothels are delicate subjects. Especially when those of foreign countries want to open them. It is a scarlet category business and could be used in information collecting. They cancel the licenses of those found doing that, aside from giving the heavy punishment. This one is from Greltheaven. They have an agreement with it, but having an agreement doesn¡¯t mean they will get automatic approval. It is a lengthy process, especially in the business of the scarlet category. ¡°It is quite surprising,¡± said the middle-aged man. A quota was decided for the cities, and Greltheaven had filled its quota. So, they shouldn¡¯t be given any more approval. ¡°Not surprising, given the man who applied for it,¡± said the old man. ¡°He is a small-time adviser, is it because of his family?¡± asked the middle-aged man. The house of silver is big, and cities of merchant states had a fondness for them due to their deep pockets. ¡°No, not the family, but the work he had done.¡± ¡°He is a capitalist, favors more open connection with merchant state, low taxes, and few other things we want,¡± answered the old man, and a smile appeared on a middle-aged man. He immediately understood the reason behind the special approval. The city and the state love these kinds of people who align with their ideology and give them favorable treatment. ¡°I will approve it then,¡± he said and stamped on the file, before placing it in the approved section. .... Agent of Experience Lv. 22 ¡°Mister Silver, we have arrived,¡± said Zela, waking me. I opened my eyes and found the words in front of me. A surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face seeing that. I had leveled up, and it is surprising, because, I had not leveled up when I had brought the record number of girls'' contracts. I had expected to level up that time, but didn¡¯t. ¡®Has something happened in the establishment?¡¯ I asked myself, or it may be, just the experience reaching the threshold and me getting a level. Whatever the reason may be, I am happy about getting a level up and the attribute point I am getting with it. I thought for a moment before adding it to the charm, taking it to the sixteen. Charm is the highest attribute point I have, higher by four points by the second highest intelligence, and it is necessary. Charm is the least important attribute; most people use the points on physical attributes. Even those with non-physical proportions didn¡¯t give charm the highest points; they kept it equal with intelligence. Only a few types of classes keep the charm above the rest, but these classes are less than 1% of all. Charms'' effects are more subtle than other attribute points, but I like it due to it and also because after crossing a certain threshold, it started to get really powerful. Not to mention most of my skills are mental skills and require charm. I smiled at the look given to me by Zela, walked out of the carriage, and stepped into the boat that was waiting for me. This side of the shore had been developing nicely. A few months ago, there was barely anything, but as the trade with the Navr began, we started to build the infrastructure. The baronies and lauryl had also benefited from it, as lots of good come and go to the city. I watched the night sky as the boat began to take me to the other side. A few minutes later, I reached the other side and stepped into the carriage, waiting for me. The girls wanted to come to receive me, but I had asked them not to; there was no need for that. They have better things to do than waste their time in coming to receive me. There is a still hour to dawn, but the port had already woken up, with ships coming and going. Loading and unloading things and betting on things that came out. Many things are happening, and I watched it all with a smile. Today is a special day for me. Exactly a year ago, I came to this city. I was angry, full of hate and disappointment, but a year later, there was hope and excitement in my heart. So much has changed within a year and I am confident, that next year same day. There will be an even more drastic change in me. Soon, the carriage passed through the gate and entered the city. It had started to wake up, with people and carriages could be seen walking on the streets. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the manor. I stepped out and entered inside; I could have gone to the establishment, but I wouldn¡¯t find anything interesting there. It is less than an hour before dawn; it is time we have the least number of patrons in the establishment. So, it is better; that I take some rest to prepare for what is going to be a long day. Click! Soon, I reached my suit and entered inside and directly went to my suit. Hun! There I received a surprise. I saw Carla sleeping, and she was not wearing anything; the thin silk sheet covering half of her enchanting body was proof of that. I slowly walked toward us and stared at her wonderful body, before gently removing the sheet off her, revealing her naked body in full glory. I wanted to rest, but seeing her, it is the last thought in my mind. I drank her beauty and crouched down and kissed her belly gently and breathed in her smell, before descending with the soft kisses. She had not woken up, but she was squirming under my kisses. Soon, I reached her delicious folds, and I wanted to taste them, but I controlled myself and kissed her thighs, breathing on them, making her squirm more, before finally going back to her pussy. I breathed on it before taking a gentle swipe of her delicious fold, waking her up instantly. She didn¡¯t say anything as she woke up. Instead, she squeezed my head with her thigh and pushed my head into the pussy. I didn¡¯t resist and gave what she wanted and soon the moans started. From low to high, till they were the only thing, I could hear. ¡°God!¡± Carla let out one last loud moan before slumping back on the bed as the last waves of orgasm washed over her. I wiped away my mouth with my sleeve and climbed over her before taking her delicious lips. The kiss lasted for a while before we let go. ¡°Thank you for waking me up, the best way,¡± she said with a content smile. ¡°My pleasure,¡± I said, and a smile on her face turned seductive. ¡°Not yet,¡± she said and rolled on top of me. The next three and a half hours passed too fast, that I was late a couple of minutes with my meeting with the Count. Thankfully, he was busy with something else, and my meeting began half an hour later. It would be quite regretful if I had known that I would have had another round from Carla. My meeting with the Count had lasted for over an hour, and I had spent another two hours in the office; setting up things and targets. Now that I have returned, I have a list of things I want to achieve as vice-director of trade. On top of the list is making other cities join the trade with Navr, especially the Deerpond. I will also be expanding the range; targeting cities out of the renwell region. It is a long shot, but I will have to keep trying. It will not only benefit the city but also me; the consulting business has started to pick the pace. It is all because of Ina and Andrea. They work hard, never staying in the city, more than night, whenever they come back to the Greltheaven. I feel bad working with them to death, but I have no choice. Those two are the only ones I could trust. The carriage stopped, and I got out before walking into the three-story building. Click! Soon, I walked into my office, and there was Carla, waiting there. It surprised me since she should be in her office; earlier, she was complaining about the work she had and now she is sitting in my office. She turned to me and saw a nervousness in her eyes, instead of the usual confidence. There is nervousness in them, and it is not light nervousness that sometimes appears before important meetings, but heavy nervousness. I looked at her in question and she simply pointed at five letters on my desk. Seeing them, I activated the Rapid Legs and appeared by the desk in a moment and saw the five letters. Each is of a different color and has different seals on them. They also have one common seal on them. The seal of a merchant state of Meldhorn. ¡°They finally came,¡± I said with the same nervousness. I didn¡¯t immediately open them and instead sat down first, before taking the first letter in my hand. It is from the city of Halda. I tore the envelope with my nails infused with sharpness and brought out the letter with the city seal as a watermark and began to read it. ¡°Rejected,¡± I said, and my expression turned worse. I reread the letter in case I had read it wrong, but I didn¡¯t. They had rejected my application to open the brothel in their city. I put the letter down and picked another letter. This one is from the city of Nalir. I tore the envelope and read the letter and immediately felt like vomiting. Even Carla didn¡¯t ask, seeing my expression; it was clear that our application had been rejected by both of the cities. I picked up the third letter; it was from Owlspring. I didn¡¯t have much hope for it; since the smaller cities had rejected my application, there was no way, the Owlspring would accept it. Still, I tore the envelope and opened the letter. I froze as I read it. I couldn¡¯t believe what was written on it. ¡°What is it? Did they approve?¡± asked Carla. I nodded and handed her the letter, in which they had accepted our application; permitting us to open the brothel in the city. ¡°They really did. We got Owlspring!¡± screamed Carla excitedly, and I couldn¡¯t blame her for the excitement. Owlspring is the most important. We wanted it more than the other four combined. It is the second biggest city in Meldhorn. There, we can serve the level of patrons, we can never in any of the four cities, five if we count Greltheaven, which is far behind them. It took me a while to calm my emotions, and I had picked up the envelope from Ilaus. I tore it open and read it. Immediately, my eyes lit up. ¡°Ilaus accepted,¡± I said to Carla, who was still staring at the letter from the Owlspring. She put that letter down and took one from me, while I tore the last envelope from Taveb; the city which Drev is from. I read it, and my shining eyes blazed. ¡°Taveb accepted it too,¡± I said and real shock appeared on my face. A minute ago, we were wallowing in back-to-back rejections, but now there are three consecutive acceptances. For a minute, nobody spoke, before she turned to me with the seriousness in her eyes. ¡°It will be very expensive,¡± she said, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. Greltheaven is a small city, with a round hundred and fifty thousand people. All three cities have a population over ten times that and all of them are in merchant states; an expensive place. It would be an understatement. If I say it won''t cost us an arm and a leg. ¡°It will be expensive, but it is a too big opportunity to pass,¡± I replied. These acceptances come with conditions. I have six months to start the business, or these permissions will be canceled. One month will be needed to get the various licenses alone. Such a time limit doesn¡¯t exist for all businesses, only for to that fall in the scarlet category. However, six months is short. I am confident, that I will achieve it, I will have to achieve it to realize my dreams. Chapter 241: Unreachable Chapter 241: Unreachable Rayna ¡°It will look good, right?¡± asked Breve, looking nervously at the mirror. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Varza looks good with her shining purple hair,¡± I replied to my roommate. She idolizes that younger woman; I mean, she is brave. She had cut her hair to an inch. That is less than most men keep. She had painted her hair purple, and it is a normal dye she had used, but an alchemical dye that lets hair shine in light. It made her look good. Especially good in dim light. Though it is great that it doesn¡¯t shine in darkness. It would be weird, and that type of dye is expensive, but if they want, the establishment might provide that to do them. The establishment provides a lot of things, expensive things. As long as they think it is necessary, they buy it for the girls. It took me days to get over that idea. ¡°I am going to it,¡± she said finally, with conviction, and turned to the tall woman. ¡°Hilva, color my hair,¡± The tall woman immediately begins to work on her hair. Her movements are smooth, but not as smooth as those work at the studio. They are best; the real miracle workers, who could transform anyone into a wholly different person. I have seen them work, and they have impressed me thoroughly. I was really shocked when I saw them prepare the girls for the work. I used to feel that girls were already beautiful and no makeup or expensive dresses could bring much change, but I was dead wrong. Hilva is new to this and has been learning only for a few months, but still, she is good. Good enough that she could leave this profession and find a job anywhere as a beautician. Though, I don¡¯t think she will leave the profession, or at least yet. She herself had said it. The woman is tall and thin with a beautiful, angular face. She is also on the third floor, above the second floor. There the patrons are better and richer than on the second floor. Though not as great as the top floor; those are the top patrons. Breve is also on the third floor, and she is trying to get onto the top floor, like many other girls. It is hard. There are only twenty-eight spots on a single shift. 60% of which are filled by girls Lv. 20 and above. Hilva is Lv. 2o, Breve is not; it is quite easy to tell. As those with Lv. 20 and above have a private room. Nobody would be idiot enough to hide levels and forgo that privilege. I also want it, and it is not hard to achieve as I had first thought on my first day here. Everybody seemed to be leveling up fast in this place. Since I had come here, my Listener Class leveled up twice. Though I had accepted it only once to keep parity with my Prostitute Class; it really hurt to let go of that skill, when the future is so uncertain in that class. I also gained a level in my Prostitute Class, which was a surprise for me. It had been years since that had happened. The most surprising is me gaining the new class. The Reader Class and it had already reached Lv. 3 in just thirteen days. It happened so fast and totally unexpected. Even after more than one and a half months of coming here. I still haven¡¯t decided which interest to pursue. I am trying, painting, knitting, sewing, and playing musical instruments. However, it is also true, that I have spent more time on reading than any other interest, and I love it. I had read very few books in my life, and so when I came here and saw thousands of them, which I could read without any restrictions; I couldn¡¯t hold myself back. I have started reading on the first day, and there hasn¡¯t been a single day when I haven¡¯t read something. Still, doing all this, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would become of this. Since I came here, they have treated me no differently from other girls. They gave me all basic etiquette classes; I attended classes of interest and even tested my mage talent. I have it, and I have been attending the classes of it for three weeks. Despite them treating me like any other girl, would they let me work in the establishment like other girls? I am a woman without legs; it is nearly unheard of for women like us working in business. Most of us die and some suffer a fate worse than death in the hands of a man like Lawrence Pen. Would I even be able to work if they let me do it? This is the question that has haunted me for a while. I have not slept with any man since I have lost my legs and shudder at the thought of it. Though sleeping with patrons isn¡¯t necessary. There is one girl, who has never slept with any patron since she started working here. I first didn¡¯t believe it, but it is true. ¡°Now, we wash,¡± said Hilva after an hour of break and took the chair near the basin and reclined Breve¡¯s head into it. There she carefully washed all the dye away, till nothing had remained in her hair and dried them by running her fingers into her hair. It is clearly a skill she is using, and I wish I had it. With it, drying the hair would become so easy. ¡°How does it look?¡± asked Hilva as she took Brene in front of the mirror. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Brene, looking at her short, blue dark hair. Which are silky soft and shining, making her look amazing. ¡°They are looking really good,¡± I said, and it was genuine praise. ¡°They are. Thank you Hilva, you have done the magic,¡± Breve said to the tall woman. ¡°I am glad you like it, Breve,¡± she said, and a few seconds later, we walked out of the parlor. ¡°Let¡¯s hope, Madam Caena didn¡¯t say anything about it,¡± said Breve, with a faint nervousness. ¡°I don¡¯t think she will, many girls have dyed their hair, and she didn¡¯t say anything,¡± I replied, and she smiled. We were walking toward the elevator when we noticed something. People are taking the furniture to the upper floor through the stairs, in the company of guards. ¡°Who is it?¡± asked Breve, seeing the furniture. ¡°Onaz Lount,¡± I replied, she immediately recognized the woman, she was one of the famous ones, the top-floor girl. ¡°She would be fifth, right?¡± Breve asked, and I nodded. Here too, levels are important, and privileges are given according to them. Those who reach Lv. 20 get a private room and those who reach Lv. 25 gets to privilege to change the interior of their room, with the establishment paying for it. It is not just the furniture, but also the color of the room and other things involved in it. At Lv. 30, one gets a suit, and they are amazing. I have seen the suites the madams have, and they are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. ¡°Ah, girls younger than me, are getting the private rooms. When will I get one,¡± said Breve in dreamy wonder. ¡°Got bored with me already?¡± I asked and immediately she sobered up with cheeks red. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t mean it in that way. You are the best roommate; I could dream of having.¡± She said apologetically. ¡°I know,¡± I said. Soon, we reached the elevator and pressed the key, and the elevator came down and it was not empty. A teen girl, with a big smile on her face. She was so happy; she didn¡¯t even have a serious face, which she always tries to keep in front of the girls ¡°Madam Gloria,¡± we greeted as she came out. ¡°Sisters,¡± she said and walked away. ¡°She is quite happy,¡± said Brene. ¡°She is going to Merchant State a day after tomorrow with Master Silver,¡± I replied. I had heard just it in the morning and couldn¡¯t help, but feel envious. In my whole life, I have been to only three cities. All were small and from the empire. ¡°I want to visit the merchant cities someday,¡± said Breve as stepped out of the elevator. ¡°You could, you know; you just need to ask for leave and go visit.¡± ¡°You even have money to do it,¡± I said to her, and she rolled her eyes. ¡°I could, but I have an eye on sweet investment, and I don¡¯t want to spend on anything till I buy it,¡± she replied. This is another surprising thing about this place. Here, whores do not save for rainy days, but invest in things. The girls have brought precious metals, gems, land, apartments, and many other things. They have freaking bank accounts, where 80% of their earnings are directly deposited there. ¡°Well, you might get a chance to visit the merchant state without spending a penny,¡± I said to her. ¡°I might, but I really don¡¯t want to leave this place, even for more money and a huge city,¡± she replied, looking at the garden. Master Silver was opening three new brothels in the merchant state, and he would need girls for them. He has the girls; the circle currently has nearly nine hundred girls. Only over three hundred and fifty are working and around two hundred are below eighteen; the rest are being trained. One and half months had already passed since I had come here. In two months, the girls of my batch will be ready, with such girls, he wouldn¡¯t have any problem in filling the establishment and another brothel. Three on the other will be challenging unless he starts with a few girls. Which will be an optimum strategy. Click! Soon, we reached our room. Breve begins to change for the dance class she has, while I sat on the chair and opened the book I was reading. I also have classes, but mine will start an hour later, and I didn¡¯t want to waste time resting when I could finish a few chapters of this wonderful book. Since I started reading the books, the pages of Mind Diary have been filling fast. I am not recording the entire book, just important parts. Thankfully, the Mind Diary had a huge capacity, and it increases with every level up and increases in the attribute. Soon, an hour passed, and I put the book down with a bookmark on it and walked out of my room. Hours passed, and I had finished with all my classes except for one, but that was after dinner. Thinking of dinner, my mouth couldn¡¯t help, but water up. I wasn¡¯t a fan of the food like some people are, but the food here is really good. I had never eaten as delicious food like this in my whole life. ¡°Rayna, going into a spa?¡± asked Arna as I took my wheelchair in the garden. ¡°Yes, I have an appointment,¡± I replied and moved ahead. Like everything in this place, even the garden is accessible through a wheelchair; I could take it anywhere without any problem. It is starkly different from how I needed the help of girls to move through the floor. Even accessing the toilet used to be a challenge. Here, everything is easy. A smile appeared on my face, but a second later, it turned somber when my gaze fell on a woman. To be honest, this place is so good, that sometimes forget I am in a brothel, but then I would see things, that would remind me of it, along with the worst pain of my life. Left of me, is Urval, a woman in her mid-thirties, sitting with her friend. Eight days ago, she suffered something horrific. A client had beaten her to the pulp. Madam Margaux had said, it was the most horrific incident a girl ever suffered in the establishment. It may be extremely rare in the establishment, but common outside. Urval was lucky to be here in the establishment. She was rescued from that man and brought back to the circle, where Miss Zela healed her injuries. The animal of a man was not only banned but also sent to jail, which seldom happened. The one who did it to me, walked free after paying a few hundred imperials to Hershel. Urval signifies the best outcome of such cases, while I was the worst. I had lost my legs because Hershel didn¡¯t even call a doctor, much less a healing mage and or spare a healing potion. He left me for dead. The only reason I had survived was because the girls pooled their money and called a doctor. He was an apprentice; the only one willing to come to the brothel to treat a whore, among many doctors that girls had pleaded. I was saved, but he had cut my legs. The injuries were bad, and it was already late when he had come to treat me. I still remember how the young man had said that it was a miracle that he was able to save me. If Hershel had called a doctor and spared a few bottles of healing potion. I would have been walking on my legs. Now, only a regeneration could bring my legs back, and it is an unreachable spell for a whore like me. That I won¡¯t be able to afford in a hundred lives. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 242: Path Chapter 242: Path ¡°He is waiting for you, adviser,¡± said the assistant as I reached the office. I nodded my thanks and stepped into the office. ¡°Hope you are fine, Mr. Shaw,¡± I said to the big man, who looked like a warrior but was a bank manager. He used to be a vice manager but got the promotion. ¡°I am a good Adviser,¡± replied the big man with man with a smile. A second later, the smile disappeared from his face and his expression turned serious. ¡°The bank has agreed to sanction the amount you want. I had to use my privilege for it, which I generally do not do, adviser,¡± he said, looking at me intently. As if trying to make me understand, what he had done. ¡°For it, I am infinitely grateful, Mr. Shaw,¡± I said to the man. I am grateful for what he has done. The man nodded and slid the contract toward me. ¡°Sign the contract and we will sanction the amount to you,¡± he said. I nodded and began to read the contract. The man waited patiently as I read through the whole contract before signing it. I have taken the loan again and this time, over hundreds of times greater than the first loan I had taken from them a year ago. This time, it is of twenty million imperials. Which is two billion crowns; I wanted more, but this was the highest they could give to me. ¡°Once again, thank you, Mr. Shaw,¡± I said to the man. ¡°You are a valuable client, Adviser. Hope, nothing will harm,¡± he said as he shook my hand. ¡°It will,¡± I replied. A few minutes later, I walked out of the bank feeling much relieved. It has been twenty-two days since I got the approval from the merchant cities and tomorrow, I will leave for them. I have to select the places for the branches of the establishment. It is going to be a long expensive process. I will be there for four to five days and will return before founding day. The founding day is going to be a big affair. Thankfully, I have few responsibilities for it. The others who are more proficient in it are handling the things. However, I have one great responsibility. An important person is coming; the chief guest of the founding day and I will chauffer them around. I hate such jobs, but seeing who the person is, I do not mind; with her, I might be able to break the capstone that had stumped me for over two months. I had done quite a lot of things, but it didn¡¯t seem to be enough to breach the capstone of the Masterful Administrator. I sat in the carriage and ten minutes later; the carriage stopped in the compound of the mansion. I got out and walked inside. In a minute I reached the door and turned to the secretory. ¡°You can go in, but be careful,¡± said the old woman, and my expression turned bad, before they turned serious, and I walked into the office. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted the Count; he is alone, Lancel is out, attending an opening of business. He didn¡¯t reply. He just kept looking down with clear anger on his face. ¡°The emperor had called the towering generals and made them swear fealty to the first prince,¡± he said a minute later. My expression couldn¡¯t help but change drastically after hearing that. The emperor had made many moves in the past few weeks to consolidate the power of the first prince. He had been doing that for a few months, but his efforts intensified in a few weeks. I heard the emperor had taken something that had made him decades younger and full of energy. Even our enemies had become careful as this news spread. ¡°How many?¡± I asked. ¡°All nine,¡± he replied, with a face that made it seem like he had eaten something nasty, and it was nasty news. The towering generals are the head of the empire''s elite corps. That every prince and princess wanted under their influence. ¡°Fealty is not absolute, my lord,¡± I said reservedly. They might swear it under the pressure of the emperor, but there are ways to get out of that. Though, the swearing fealty does make it, a little difficult to do that. Since there is a great pressure from all corners, including skills. Count''s mood didn¡¯t change by my words. He just stayed silent, looking worse and worse. I didn¡¯t say anything and stayed silent, knowing a single word could backfire majorly. ¡°She is not coming,¡± he said after over ten minutes, and I nodded. I had accepted as much. The queen was coming to attend the founding day, but now after this, it won¡¯t be possible. It is a good thing; I had asked him to not advertise it as he wanted to. I hadn¡¯t advised it blindingly; I had seen the things happening in the empire and knew it was a real possibility of this happening. ¡°You are leaving for a merchant state tomorrow?¡± he asked, and I nodded. ¡°I can delay my trip, my lord,¡± I offered. ¡°There is no need, just return in time,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. ¡°I will,¡± I replied. A minute later, I walked out of his office. I had a few important things to discuss with him, but he was clearly not in a mood. I will do it later. ... The day passed, and the next day came. After training and breakfast. I went to the Count; his mood was still bad, but not as bad as yesterday. I was able to discuss all the important things. I only stayed in the office for an hour; I did not keep any backlog of work, knowing I had to leave for a few days. As for my responsibilities, I had handed to others. With the favors they owe me, they were happy to do it. I stepped out of the mansion and a few minutes later; I walked into the three-story building. When I reached my office, I saw two women were already sitting there. One is Carla, while the other is her replacement, she will be here in her place, while Carla is coming with me to the merchant state. ¡°Master Silver,¡± greeted Andrea, as I entered my office. ¡°How was your trip, Andrea?¡± I asked. The last time I had seen her was over two weeks ago, when I had sent her on the task. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°We were able to finish with the cities of Halsad on time and the response had been good,¡± she replied. I had sent her to the Halsad region of the empire; it is a region neighboring to the Renwell. Inam is part of Halsad; though not its capital, despite being the biggest city. She had gone there with representatives of the city; we want the cities of Halsad to trade with Navr. While many of them bought the goods from our merchants that came from the Navr. We want them to directly trade with the undead kingdom; this way we will get more taxes and investments. ¡°Let¡¯s hope, the positive response transforms in some of them giving permission to their merchants to trade with Navr directly,¡± I said, to which she smiled. I talked to her for a few minutes before Carla took Andrea to her office, and I began with the work. There is not much since I had been planning for the trip and kept up with all my work. An hour and a half later, I walked out of my office and went to the establishment. There are a few things I have to do there. My carriage entered through the back entrance, and I got out. I entered inside but didn¡¯t go to my office. Instead went to the restaurant. The restaurant is full, and it remained full at twelve-to-twelve with over 90% occupancy. One cannot get in without a reservation or unless you are someone important, then we will make a table available for you. I talked with patrons for a few minutes and walked to the second floor, and it was filled with people. Even in the afternoon, all three floors above the restaurant are open. We had to do it since more patrons kept coming. I was against it, seeing we have a limited number of girls. Only Two hundred and eight-seven girls; there were two-hundred seventy-one when it opened last month, but sixteen more added in this month. The establishment could handle nearly five hundred girls, but we only have slightly more than half. So, opening three floors during the day puts quiet pressure on the girls. Giving them less time for classes and rest, but Caena and Margaux, said, girls want me to do this. They wanted me to increase their time on the shift. It is not surprising, seeing the money they earn, but still, I don¡¯t want them to suffer burnout. For another two months, they will be under pressure, before the new girls I had got last month, would finish their training and join the establishment. Though, it would be only for a few months, before I would need to shift some of the girls to the three brothels, I am planning on opening in the merchant state. It made me want to get more girls, and I could have, but there was no space in the circle to keep them. There are only four empty rooms that have remained, and they are filling fast due to the girls rapidly reaching Lv. 20. It is why we are asking the girls to shift to the underground; thank god, I had the foresight to build them. Currently, it is consensual and few girls have taken the offer, seeing the rooms underground are 25% bigger. They will also get a few perks, like extra massages and other spa treatments. Though not many girls have accepted; they love their rooms and the view those big windows provide. So, after all, the private rooms were filled. The new ones who reach Lv. 20 will need to shift underground; it will only be for a few months till new brothels are ready. By then a lot of girls will move. I could move the girls to other places, but that defeats the whole purpose. I want the girls to stay in a place where there are no restrictions. A place where they could live and learn without outside interference. Still, I hadn¡¯t expected that I would feel a constraint of space in less than two months of building a circle. I had thought I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about space for a year at least. I was so foolish. I already have a plan to expand the circle, but not now. I won¡¯t touch it, till I finish with three brothels and see the business. I am scared. I will be making a huge investment. Bigger than what I had spent on the establishment and the circle; the merchant cities are completely different, and it is hard to tell whether my business model will work there. I have to take the risk. It is the only way to grow my business. I climbed to the third floor, which is over 80% filled, and the top floor, which is 100% filled. I watched for a few minutes before going to my office and closing my eyes, sensing the feeling from the establishment, which had more than doubled in power. It had made the charms stronger, which are doing many things, and the one I like the most ambiance of the establishment. People often tell me how much they liked the ambiance of the establishment and how good the food and company I provide are. It makes them feel comfortable and lowers their inhibitions. They said they felt calm after the visit to my establishment. I love those compliments. It gave me affirmation that I was walking on the path I had envisioned.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Chapter 243: Property Hunting Chapter 243: Property Hunting ¡°Owlspring. It is more beautiful than you had described, sister Carla,¡± said Gloria as the ship sailed through the confluence toward the port of Owlspring in the light of dawn. It is a really beautiful scenery, that I really wish I could capture in the photo. Unfortunately, there was no camera; I could only capture it in my heart, and that seemed enough. A few minutes later, the ship had docked at the port, and we got out and stepped into the carriage waiting for us. The carriage moved through the port, while Gloria watched in wonder. The young girl had never been out of the empire and the only time she had traveled was between the cities when she had come to the Greltheaven with the girls. Carla talked with her, telling her about the things that had amazed her. She had been here four times already this month; she had needed to. The licensing process of the scarlet business is complicated. I had hired the firm to deal with them, but I still needed to make the trips twice. Forty-five minutes later; the carriage stopped in front of the huge hotel; it is fourteen stories tall, in the shape of a curved moon. The hotel''s name is the Almas. It is one of the best hotels in the Owlspring. We stepped inside its grand lobby, took our keys from the reception, and walked to the elevator. ¡°Rest a little, we have a long day ahead of us,¡± I said to Carla and Gloria before walking into my suit. There, I showered and read the research I did before having breakfast with Gloria and Carla in my suit. Two hours after that, we stepped into the elevator again. We had just walked into the lobby when a beautiful elf woman stopped in front of us. She looked to be in her early thirties. Tall with classing elvish features, green eyes, and long blue hair, which she had kept in a bun. ¡°Mr. Silver, I hope you had a pleasant journey,¡± said the woman in a beautiful voice, augmented by her skills. ¡°Thank you for asking. Miss Fahryce,¡± I replied. ¡°If you are ready, then we should leave now. We have a lot of places to look,¡± she said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t delay, then,¡± I replied, and we walked out of the lobby. The woman is Sumina Fahryce, the realtor. Her agency is one of the biggest in the whole Meldhorn and she had come highly recommended. Soon we were in the carriage, moving toward our destination. ¡°With the requirements, you had stated and the budget you have, we have selected two wards of the red-light district,¡± she said and activated the palm-sized stone disc appearing in her hand, which projected the map of the red-light district. It is divided into seven wards. ¡°These two wards house high-class and mid-class brothels along scarlet category business of the same classes,¡± she added, and two wards lit up. Three sections house mainly high and mid-class scarlet category businesses. I cannot afford a place in the most famous ward of Owlspring¡¯s red-light district. It was too expensive for me. I am talking about renting here and not buying. The prices of the property here are sky-high, it is out of my range. ¡°We will see 5th ward only,¡± I said to her, and she simply nodded. As if expecting it. 3rd ward and 5th ward are the only two wards that exclusively host high and mid-class brothels. The 2nd ward had some upper-low-class brothels, and I didn¡¯t want my business there. ¡°We will have seventeen properties to look at there,¡± she informed me, and I nodded. A little over an hour later, the carriage entered the red-light district from the entertainment district. The red-light district of the Owlspring is huge and strict. The merchants control every business strictly and they put a special focus on the scarlet category businesses. We are currently in the 3rd ward, and it is beautiful, with huge buildings, some going over ten stories tall. They didn¡¯t look like the brothels, but expensive hotels, but they are brothels. Though not all of them are brothels, many are erotic message centers, naked fighting rings, and other scarlet businesses. It is not just the buildings here, big and beautiful, but the streets are wider and greener, with a good presence of guards. One would also find the area extremely clean. If one didn¡¯t read signs on the building and roads; they would find it hard to distinguish it from the entertainment district. Not all wards of the red-light district are like this. Only three wards are like this, they are the ones that pay the city enough taxes to be worth their upkeep. There are wards that are similar to every other red-light district of this world. Especially, the 6th ward. I have come to Owlspring twice in the past month and seen quite a lot and, like all the cities, Owlspring also has an underbelly. Ten minutes later, the carriage entered the 5th ward and there was only a slight difference in it compared to the 3rd ward. Most people wouldn¡¯t even notice the difference. The carriage stopped a minute later, and we got out. ¡°This is a three-a-half thousand square-foot plot; perfect for a medium-sized building with a small garden around it,¡± said the elf as she led us into the plot, which is not even a third in size compared to an establishment plot. I want to build the branches of the establishment; I want them to have the distinct style that the establishments have. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I am seeing the plots only. There are three buildings in today''s, itinerary. ¡°The plot is not big, and we would manage, but we will be overshadowed by our neighbors, especially the building on the left,¡± said Carla, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°It won¡¯t be suitable for our vision,¡± I said, and the realtor nodded, without any hint of disappointment. ¡°We will see the next one,¡± she said with a smile and led us to the next plot, which was slightly smaller and had everything I wanted, but I didn¡¯t feel like it would be suitable for the establishment. One after another we saw plot after another and soon, we have finished seeing five and the carriage stopped in front of the sixth. ¡°This one is good,¡± I said as I stepped out of the carriage and Carla nodded. ¡°The neighboring buildings won''t shadow it and it got the street access on two sides,¡± said Carla. ¡°It is good. The thirty-eight hundred square feet will give you big freedom to build what you want, and two streets provide your business with greater visibility,¡± said the elf woman. ¡°It is good, Miss Fahryce, add it into the consideration,¡± I said to the elf, and she nodded with a smile. Half an hour later, we saw the seventh plot, and it was so-so. The eighth place we saw was a building; it was built in the harsothian style, and its size was also good, but as I looked at the building, I didn¡¯t get the feeling I wanted and the skill which I had used in the end gave me the similar feedback. After touring through it, we sat in the carriage and went to the eighth place, which is a plot, I added into consideration. ¡°No,¡± I said as the carriage stopped. In front of me is a white-colored building, a beautiful one, and even a small garden around it, but on the left and right of it are two even more amazingly beautiful buildings. Even my skill is telling me, that choosing the building wouldn¡¯t be a wise idea. The elf didn¡¯t try to pursue me and simply asked the driver to move to the next destination. Which is a plot, and it was so-so and one after that was good enough, that I had asked her to place it, in the consideration. The carriage stopped again, and what I saw made my eyes light up, not only mine but also Carla¡¯s. ¡°What happened to it?¡± asked Gloria, seeing the burned top floor of the building. ¡°A brawl broke out between the group of patrons and a fire spell is released. The enchantments weren¡¯t strong enough to stop it completely and causing damage to the entire floor.¡± ¡°The owner had got seriously injured and still recovering from it,¡± ¡°It had shaken him pretty hard, that he decided to leave the business,¡± the elf replied. The three-story building looked average; was average even when its top floor hadn¡¯t been damaged. There is good space around it, it is not big, but a good designer could create a beautiful small garden around it. What made my and Carla¡¯s eyes light up wasn¡¯t the building itself, but the greenery around it. On all three sides, there are three huge buildings, and these buildings are surrounded by huge greenery. It gives a feeling that this building is also surrounded by it. ¡°Let¡¯s go look inside,¡± I said, and the elf took us inside, giving us a tour of the building, which was not great. It had big potential; the past owner wasn¡¯t able to bring it out. ¡°Add it to the consideration,¡± I said. The elf nodded, and we sat in the carriage and moved toward another property. A few more hours passed, and we have finished looking at all the properties. ¡°I am sure you will need time. Contact me, when you have made the decision or need to see any more properties,¡± ¡°I can show you more if we loosen your criteria a little,¡± said Elf. ¡°There is no need for that. We have already decided,¡± I said, and the eyes of the elf lit up. ¡°Which one did you like, the plot on Norm Street?¡± she asked to which I shook my head. ¡°No, the burned building,¡± I replied and for a brief moment, a surprise appeared on her face before she hid it. Gloria¡¯s surprise is more pronounced. She hadn¡¯t expected I would choose the burned building. The only one who isn¡¯t surprised is Carla. ¡°Though, before we go further with the deal, I would need complete information about the building,¡± I said, and the elf smiled. ¡°It''s no problem, I have it with me. Mr. Silver,¡± she said and handed me a binder. I will have to know everything about it. So, I could decide whether to demolish it and build another one or refurbish it in my vision. The deal is expensive; I will need to pay around twenty-five million imperials for it and that will only be the deposit and rent of one year; I will need even more money to build or refurbish it. It will not be the only project I will be spending the money on. There are two more. Thankfully, they will be cheaper than the Owlspring, but more expensive than Greltheaven. I hope the fifty-one million imperials I have would be enough for the deals. As to build them, I will pay as I earn. Not satisfied. Click on below for More Chapters. Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 244: Finalising Chapter 244: Finalising ¡°...today, we celebrate the founding day of our great city. Greltheaven has come a long way since its humble beginnings, and we are all proud to call it home. It is a nightmare for the city guards, and there have been some hiccups in arrangements that made the Counts angry. Thankfully, I am not responsible for the management and saved from the Count¡¯s wrath. The Count finished his speech in a few minutes, and heads of the guilds began. It took another two hours before we were able to leave the stage. There will be a few programs for the public, while for the important people; a party at the Count¡¯s mansion. Last year, I did not get to attend his party. Neither my brother nor my uncle had taken me with them. This time, I am one of the important people here. It is still hard to believe, that so much has changed since the past year. ¡°Atticus, I am disappointed,¡± said Count, looking at Commander Atticus angrily. The crowd was really too much, and many were able to jump over the fence and run toward the Count before the guards have stopped them. It is a serious breach of security, especially at a time like this, where the assassination is happening everywhere in the empire. Atticus opens his mouth, likely to throw the blame at his underling, as he did earlier, but closes it a moment later, seeing the expressions on the Count¡¯s face. A few minutes later, we reached the mansion, and the party started soon after. A lot of important people have been invited and while they have not come personally, they have sent their representatives. Lord of Deerpond had sent his adviser, Marquess Gats, defender of Dustorn Fortress, had to send his son. Even Oksall and a couple of merchant cities had sent their people. I am meeting and talking to a lot of people and wish Carla would be here with me. It would have been great for her. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t come here. I had stayed until late at night; I didn¡¯t leave till the last of the guests had left for their accommodation or the suit they had been assigned. They are my responsibility and I think I have done a wonderful job. Tomorrow they will leave, and I will be free to focus on the important work. I only slept for three hours in the night, before waking up before dawn. From then, I made a couple of trips to the port and two to the city gates to drop off the guests. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted the Count as I and Lancel came back from dropping off the last guest. ¡°How was Russo Gats, has he said something?¡± he asked, with faint nervousness flashing in his eyes. ¡°No, the bastard didn¡¯t say anything other than the polite bullshit, even when I had prodded,¡± said Lancel angrily. Marquess Gats is an important man. He is the most powerful man in the Renwell region and has the biggest army, guarding the region against Tabes. ¡°Any hints?¡± he asked as he turned to me. ¡°A little, from what I could understand. His father planned to remain neutral in this conflict.¡± I replied. It is also the official stance of the Marquess Gats. ¡°The man is too smart.¡± Said the Count and sighed. He is not saying Gats will remain neutral, but the stance will change on the conditions. Marquess had a chance to lead the elite corps, but he had declined the offer and instead chose to lead the armies to conquer the renwell region. Which he accomplished, without using any elite legion. ¡°That is all for now, Remus,¡± Knowing I was dismissed, I bowed and walked out of his office and went to my manor, where I had dinner, before sleeping. I was so tired that I didn¡¯t even go to the establishment. There are a few things, I wanted to discuss with Caena before we meet with people coming from the merchant state. The next day, I woke up at my usual time before dawn; trained, and then went to the Count. After that, I went directly to the establishment. ¡°The new ritual charms seemed to be working great,¡± I said to Caena. ¡°Yes, I am hearing the praises of those dishes from every patron,¡± she replied. We are imprinting the very dishes into the establishment. Though, not all of them, just our signature dishes that Drev had designed. They are so good, that they didn¡¯t need the aid of anything, and it is why we are imprinting them to the establishment itself. It will not only make the food more sensory appealing but will also help the chefs in creating those dishes. Most of them are complicated; only a few are able to cook them. I had imprinted many things, from spa treatments to liquor to music and many other things, including the services, which I had planned to offer in the future. It is great that despite her responsibilities, Caena is still creating the charms and her speed has increased since I had given her access to emotions that the establishment gathers. Past month, she had crossed the target of a hundred, and this month; it had been one hundred and twenty-one. With such ritual charms, I am imprinting everything I can. It might seem like I might be struggling for things to imprint, but that is not the case, there is a long list. However, that list is filling fast, and I am starting to have difficulty coming up with a new thing for imprinting. The ritual charms are also costing me a lot, but given their value, I do not care about the money. I am providing Caena with everything she needs and more. ¡®Master Silver, they have arrived,¡¯ rang through the magical intercom and a smile appeared on my face. They have arrived. ¡°Sent them in,¡± I said. Click! A second later, the door opened, and Carla walked in, and with her was Margaux. These two are not alone. They have brought two more people, men. One is a middle-aged man with blond hair, while the other one is a tall man who is in his early thirties with elvish features. His features are heavier than Valentina''s. That one could tell with a glance that he is elf blood. Such people wouldn¡¯t be able to walk in the mainland empire, but here in Greltheaven, there is no restriction on them. ¡°Mr. Silver,¡± they greeted. ¡°Welcome back to Greltheaven, gentlemen,¡± I said. This isn¡¯t our first meeting, but I planned to finalize things today. They sat down in front of me, took out and roll, and spread it in front of me. ¡°According to your requirements and the designs you have provided, we have created several models,¡± said Ardin, the older man, and activated the tool. It took a few seconds, and he tapped on a few runes and soon, five models appeared in front of me. ¡°These models belong to the Owlspring building,¡± said Madrys, the younger man. All the models share similarities with the original building I had seen more than a week ago. Which I am planning to refurbish and renovate instead of destroying and building a new one in its place. A lot of work will need to be done, but it will be ready quickly compared to the buildings in two cities, which I am building from scratch. ¡°Third, one,¡± I said, and he tapped on the runes. Immediately, the third building became big, and I looked at it carefully. ¡°Expand the fifth one,¡± The fifth model appeared before the third, and I looked at them carefully through every angle. ¡°Make the shade of pink slightly lighter and take windows from the fifth,¡± I said, and he touched the runes and within a second, the changes appeared. I looked at it and asked for more changes, some tiny, some were big. They did as I had asked them and finally; I was satisfied with it. ¡°Good. Now, interior,¡± I said, and immediately five interiors appeared in front of me. I chose the one and started to change, add and remove the things I liked. I am making it in the shadow of the establishment, but I am not copying everything. The place will have its own identity, despite sharing the name the name with the establishment. It is why, I had added the uniqueness of the Owlspring in it and they have done a good job, in bringing what I had described in these models. I hope they have done the same in the other two designs. ¡°This is perfect,¡± I said as I looked interior and exterior of the model in front of me. ¡°Do you guys have anything to add?¡± I asked Carla and two. ¡°Yes, few things,¡± she replied, and all three started to give their opinions. I had accepted most of them, as they were good. They have been in business for decades and have their view on it. ¡°Should we finalize it, Mr. Silver?¡± asked Ardin after we had done with it. ¡°Yes, do it,¡± I replied, and he tapped on the few runes. ¡°Next is Taveb,¡± he said and a few seconds later, new models appeared on it. It was late afternoon when we finalized three designs and signed the contract. ¡°Hope your firm will finish in time,¡± I said, and both of them smiled confidently. ¡°Have no doubts about it, Mr. Silver,¡± said the younger man, before leaving my office. ¡°We have two months,¡± said Carla softly, and I nodded. In two months, they will be finished with the refurbishment and renovation of the Owlspring building. ¡°It is earlier than we had thought, but we can manage,¡± I said with a confident smile. They are not the only ones who are confident, but I am too; my girls are good, they will charm the Owlspring, and they had charmed the Greltheaven. The other two brothels will be finished in four months; they could be finished sooner, but I do not have money. The four months are good. It is much better than opening all three of them at the same time, which I was planning to do before. The opening of the Owlspring establishment in two months will give me a good idea about the merchant state and help the two that will be opening later. ¡°It is exciting. We are finally expanding,¡± said Carla as she took my hand, and I could see she was truly excited, seeing how her hand was shaking, just like mine. Agent of Experience Lv. 23Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 245: Urgent Summons Chapter 245: Urgent Summons ¡°Any new messages?¡± I asked Zela, to which she shook her head. I was eating breakfast in my hotel room with Carla, when I got a message from the Count, asking me to come back to the city by night. I don¡¯t know what the hell it is about, nor did he tell me about it, but it must be something very important. I just wished he would have given me a day and more. I had come to Owlspring yesterday and planned to go to the Taveb and Ilaus, but that won¡¯t be possible now. So, I had sent Carla there, while I was going back to Greltheaven. I am nearly there, in half an hour; the ship will reach the Greltheaven. It had been one and a half months since the inauguration, and I was spending money like water. Everything I am earning is going to the three brothels I am building. The one in the Owlspring will be finished soon. I am planning to open it on the first day of the second week of next month. Three weeks from today and there are a lot of things for me to do. I haven¡¯t even chosen the girls yet and now, this emergency summons; I am not getting a good feeling about it. Soon, the Greltheaven came into view, and it looked beautiful under the setting sun. Looking at it, all my worries seemed to vanish for a few moments. The ship stopped, and I got out of it and sat in the carriage waiting for me. A few minutes later, the carriage moved through the bustling port into the city. The population of the city is growing fast; it has gone over hundred and fifty thousand, over four times in a year. By the next year, it will reach three hundred thousand. The city had a capacity of around three hundred and fifty thousand and would be able to manage another hundred thousand if we were smart with planning. Half a million will be a limit; it will be too crowded after that. The number was unimaginable a year ago, but now, not even the Count has the doubts, that city will have half a million population in less than five years. It is all because of the trade; there had been more trade than anyone had imagined. Meldhorn is our biggest trading partner, but we are also trading hugely with Navr. Not only buy things but also sell a lot of them and I am planning on entering that field. The trade with Oksall is also increasing by the week, and it has been extremely helpful in developing the Lauryl town. There would have been no Lauryl without Oksall. It is such a regret that the Count is not willing to act on my ideas, or the city would have been more prosperous. These ideas are not something, I have thought to myself, but the ones tried and tested on earth. I shook away those thoughts as the carriage entered the Count''s mansion. Get Ready I activated the skill and got out as the carriage stopped. In a minute, I was in front of Count Darrow¡¯s office, thanks to the Rapid Legs. I looked at the secretory and she nodded. ¡°My lords,¡± I bowed as I appeared to enter the office. ¡°Remus, take a seat,¡± said Count, and he sounded serious. Even Lancel looked serious, with some narcissistic joy in them. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and sat down. ¡°You must be wondering why I had summoned you so suddenly?¡± he asked, and I simply nodded. ¡°This had come from the trade office of Deerpond,¡± he said and slid the letter toward me. They invited me to the meeting tomorrow. It is surprising, their invitation for the meeting, but also because it is addressed to my office, but it is the Count who is giving me, and they want me so quickly. Usually, such meetings are set a week before, not the very next day. ¡°Have you talked to the Lord of Deerpond, my lord?¡± I asked, and he simply nodded, but there was a smile hidden behind his series fac?ade. ¡°It seemed like, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back,¡± I said, and a smile finally cracked on the face of Count Darrow. We are growing too fast and even though he didn¡¯t want to help us with our growth and even put us down with the cost of his own growth; he couldn¡¯t anymore. Deerpond is the biggest city in Renwell region and had a population of three hundred thousand a year ago and now it is half a million. The population of the Deerpond, grew by little less than 70%, while ours by over 300%. The same with the economy; our economy grew by more than three times compared to it. However, it is also true that smaller cities grew faster. Still, we grew at incredible speed, which must have made them feel threatened. Especially with the trade we have established with Navr and Oksall. They begin to understand it and know that they need to enter the game or might become as big as them and they won¡¯t like that. ¡°It is very important, Remus. I want you to succeed,¡± said the Count. ¡°I understand, my lord,¡± I replied and cursed at my luck. I have been trying to achieve this for months. Courting their merchants and lobbying through various means. That letter was due to my efforts, but I really wished it had come a month later or earlier. Not now, when I am very busy, but there is no choice. Since it had come, I will try to make a deal and if I did, it is going to take a long, because it will not be Deerpond. However, it is extremely important that Deerpond agrees. Without it, those fence sitters wouldn¡¯t come aboard. An hour later, I came out of the office, feeling sad and angry, but also happy. ¡°Send a message to Ida. Ask her to come to Greltheaven,¡± I said. Zela looked in question for a moment but didn¡¯t ask any question further. ¡°Also asked Caena and Valentina to be in my office in fifteen minutes,¡± I don¡¯t know how long it would take. I might finish tomorrow, or it might take a few days or a week or more. I am going to open a new brothel next month and it is not the only thing I am doing. There is also adding the new girls in the establishment; the one, I got over three months ago from Owlspring and a local contract sale. I won¡¯t be sending the new girls to Owlspring; they will work in the establishment for a month at least before I send them outside of the city. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered the establishment through the back entrance. I am only staying here for an hour before I have to leave and prepare for tomorrow. The stakes are high, and I need to be as prepared as possible. It would have been really great if Robin had come with me, but the Count had sent him to the mainland, and he wouldn¡¯t be returning for another two weeks. Click! This time, I directly went to my office, where two women were already sitting there. ¡°You have arrived early, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux. ¡°Yeah, something important had come up,¡± I replied. ¡°Tomorrow, I will leave for Deerpond; I might return tomorrow, or it might take longer.¡± ¡°So, I want both of you to start selecting the girls for the Owlspring,¡± I said, and a surprise couldn¡¯t help but appear on their faces; it is a pretty responsibility. They need to select the girls best suited for Owlspring. While keeping in mind, they couldn¡¯t send all our best girls there. It is a delicate balance; they will have to keep. ¡°Thank you for trusting us, with the immense responsibility, Master Silver,¡± said Margaux. ¡°You both more qualified for that than me,¡± I replied, and she smiled. ¡°It will be 50%-50% right?¡± asked Caena, and I nodded. Half of the girls will be of Level 20 and above, while the other half will be below Level 20. It put us in the category of a mid-class brothel. In a merchant state, to be a high-class brothel, one needs to have 95% of all girls Lv. 20 and above. I could meet that requirement, but as I had said, I do not want to send all my best girls there. ¡°Also, start assessing the new girls. If I don¡¯t return on time, that responsibility will fall on both of you,¡± I said. It shouldn¡¯t come to that, but I have to be prepared for everything. Things happen especially at a time like this where there are assassinations happening left and right. There is even a bounty on my head in the dark guild, thankfully, it had not reached high enough that dangerous people would start taking interest in me. The bounty is nothing surprising, many people have it. Damon Hardt has it. So has Locke and many others. The trick is the amount; one will be fine, with small security till the amount becomes big enough to pose a danger. Still, I am thinking about increasing my security. Stone and his team are stretched in protecting me and the girls. While I have guards from the local mercenary company; I need a more trusted guard Stone and his company; I will ask Stone to do that. Forty minutes later; I finished the meeting and walked out of the establishment, though not before taking a look at the floors. There is not a single empty seat there. If it had been, the doors wouldn¡¯t have been closed. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Chapter 246: Six Cities Chapter 246: Six Cities ¡°Thank you for taking me with you, Remus,¡± said Locke as the carriage entered the bustling port. ¡°No need to thank me. There is no one better than you to take from the merchant guild,¡± I replied, and he smiled. He knows very well that I could have taken anyone from the guild, but I chose him. Aside from him, there is Ida in the carriage; she had arrived an hour before dawn and now coming with me. Her contributions are the greatest to what is happening. She is the one who had done all the courting and lobbying. It had finally born the fruit. I had let go of the resentment about the timing and got fully focused on accomplishing this task. I have been trying to achieve it since we started relations with Navr. It will help the city tremendously and also me. Especially me, seeing how much money I need for the expansions. Soon, the carriage stopped, and Captain Azalea opened the door. She will be responsible for the security. I thanked the captain and walked to the ship, where the familiar captain had welcomed us. This is official business, and thus, I am taking the official ship to Deerpond. The others were already there. So, in a few minutes, the captain undocked the ship, and we started to sail toward Deerpond. I watched till the Greltheaven disappeared before walking to the conference room and preparing for the meeting. We had prepared for this yesterday, but it was not enough. I am not getting a good feeling. I feel like, I am under-prepared to face things. So, I had prepared and prepared others, till the ship stopped at the port of the Deerpond. ¡°Careful, I am not getting a good feeling about this,¡± I said to the team, as we walked the deck. Some nodded, while others looked confused and looked for an explanation, but I knew nothing else other than this feeling and hope, this was just jitters and nothing else. I do not want complications in this important negotiation. We disembarked and stopped in front of people waiting for us. ¡°Welcome to Deerpond, Adviser,¡± said the middle-aged man, with blue hair. ¡°Thank you, Secretary Hawnes,¡± I replied. He works under the trade director. His position is below that of vice-director of trade; they should have sent a vice-director to receive me at least. I am not just a vice director of trade, but also an adviser to Count Darrow, and a noble from one of the most powerful houses of the empire. They are treating me as vice-director, sending a secretory. Locke, me, and Ida sat in one carriage with Hawnes and the rest with the other. ¡°It is quite rushed, don¡¯t you think, Secretory Hawnes; you should have given us a few days to prepare would proposals, instead of asking us to come the very next day,¡± I said to the man. He smiled. ¡°It is not rushed, Adviser. Our cities are close, and a man like you doesn¡¯t need any preparations,¡± he said shamelessly. That Locke couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. We talked through the way, but nothing in particular. I had tried to get information out of the man, but he was extremely tight-lipped, and he refused to talk when I had hinted toward negotiations. He is leveled enough that he can resist Persuasion. I looked at the city and could feel its age. Most buildings are new, but the ground they are built on is old. Like Owlspring and many old cities, it had been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Though incursion wasn¡¯t a culprit. At least, it didn¡¯t do it, as much as Navr did. They have done it many times in over two thousand years. Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the city hall; it was white and built like, how most city halls in the empire are built. They have to build it that way, it is the rules. It is also bigger than Greltheaven¡¯s city hall, which is not surprising, seeing the size of the city. ¡°Adviser, please follow me; there is someone who wants to meet you,¡± he said, and I arched a brow, but didn¡¯t receive any answer, other than a smile. ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a sigh and followed him, while the others went a different way. I could guess where we were going, but didn¡¯t voice it out. A few minutes later, we stepped out of the elevator and walked until we reached the office with an elaborate bronze door. ¡°You can go inside, Adviser,¡± he said, I nodded and walked inside. The office was grand, but my gaze fell on the man sitting behind the huge table. He looked to be in his early fifties. He has a lithe figure but is not thin and has a handsome face. Though, the most notable thing about him is his black eyes. They didn¡¯t hold any emotions despite the man having a smile on his face. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted and bowed. The man is Viscount August Summerfield, Governor of Deerpond. Though most people referred to him as the lord of Deerpond, he liked it that way. ¡°Hearing your deeds, I thought you would be older,¡± he said after seconds of silence. ¡°Thank you for praise, my lord,¡± I said, and the man smiled, but there were no emotions in his eyes. ¡°I have read your record and I have to say it is impressive. Especially the deal you have crafted for Oksall,¡± he said, and this time, I didn¡¯t reply; I had a feeling he was implying something about it. ¡°So, I have an offer for you, join Deerpond. I will give you the same position as the one you have with city hall,¡± ¡°If you proved yourself as good as you have been in Greltheaven. I will make you my adviser,¡± he said, and I smiled. ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, my lord, but I am happy at the Greltheaven,¡± I said, rejecting it immediately. The expression on his face had remained the same hearing that, but a spark of surprise lit up in his face for a moment before it disappeared. ¡°The offer is standing. So, think about it carefully,¡± he said, looking directly into my eyes. I didn¡¯t say anything to that. ¡°Speaking of today, I hope your lord will accept the terms we have. They are beneficial to both of us,¡± His eyes shone with mirth as he said it. I didn¡¯t like it one bit, but I maintained my expression. ¡°We will negotiate the deal that is beneficial to both of our cities,¡± I said, and the small smile on his face widened. He didn¡¯t say anything after that. I bowed once more and walked out of the office. Feeling even more uncertain than before. ¡®Something is really happening,¡¯ I thought. Earlier, it was feeling, but now, hearing what that man had said, I have become sure, and I am not liking this great uncertainty. It made me feel blind. ¡°Zela, send the message to Count...¡± I said through the guise of my privacy skills. I informed the Count about the offer, such things needed to be informed as soon as possible. If not, they fester and create suspicions. I have also told him about the feeling I am getting and the uncertainty; I felt from the Lord of Deerpond. Usually, I do not voice out my feelings, but this time, I felt like I should. Soon, we reached the place where Ida and the team were. They were eating; we only had breakfast, not lunch. I joined with Hawnes uttering the word. Usually, I am fine if I miss lunch, but in this uncertainty, I want to be prepared. Not to mention, the negotiations are going to last for hours. I don¡¯t want the hunger to distract me. As I ate, I once again tried to get information from Hawnes and tried hard, but the bastard didn¡¯t utter a single word, and that made me even more suspicious. ¡°If you are ready, we can go to the conference room?¡± he asked as we finished with the lunch. ¡°We have no problem with it,¡± I said and walked out of the room with the old man. Click! A few minutes later, Hawnes stopped in front of the door of the conference room and opened it. ¡°Please enter, Mr. Silver,¡± said Hawnes with a smile that felt too bright to be professional, and there was a hint of smugness in it. Once again, that feeling of uncertainty deepened. I nodded my thanks and entered inside and saw people were already sitting there. I walked a few steps and saw their faces and needed to fight hard, to keep my expressions under control. I didn¡¯t have to look at the name boards in front of them. I am familiar with them and have them, at least once. There are six people sitting there, belonging to the six cities. All of them are from trade offices holding the position of either directors or vice directors of the trade office. Six cities. Port Midlet, Gailhorn, Almin, Bilgas, Wildhelm and Deerpond. There are thirteen cities in the Renwell region, excluding the Nakar baronies, including Lauryl. Nothing there had become a city yet, though their collective power was much greater than most cities in the region. Of the thirteen cities, six trade with Navr, while seven don¡¯t. Here, six are sitting together in front of me. ¡®The bastards,¡¯ I cursed in my heart. Now, all of it becomes clear, the uncertainty. The smiles, the looks, everything had become clear in front of me. I am angry seeing this, but also impressed by what the lord of Deerpond had achieved. The Count is going to be angry; they have blindsided him. Done something he hadn¡¯t expected. Most importantly, the lord of Deerpond has shown his influence by achieving this. He had no idea that Deerpond had gathered five cities and now going for collective negotiations. This will put a lot of pressure on us and will force out a lot of concessions; the thing that the Count hates the most. ¡°It seemed like this one going to big negotiation. It would be wise, to postpone it at least for a week,¡± I said, and the old man in the middle shook his head. ¡°My apologies, adviser, we couldn¡¯t do that. These gentlemen here are busy. They want to negotiate today. Delaying is not possible for them,¡± he said. The short, old man with brown hair and green eyes is Will Statham. Director of the trade office of Deerpond. ¡®Wily old bastard!¡¯ I cursed. ¡°At least a day. So, we can be more prepared?¡± I asked, and the old man shook his head. ¡°They will leave for their cities if we don¡¯t negotiate today and might even lose interest in trading with Navr,¡± ¡°Most had reservations about it and wouldn¡¯t have come, if not for my lord promising them, that will be a fruitful endeavor for their cities,¡± he said and smiled. Of course, they will not lose interest. They are here because they want the trade route of Navr and even Oksall. It is the same for the Deerpond, but walking away wouldn¡¯t be wise either, because they will delay it and that wouldn¡¯t be good for us. ¡°Give me a few minutes. I want to inform the Lord Count, about this latest development,¡± I informed and walked out. They wouldn¡¯t stop me from contacting the Count. If they did, the negotiations were off; they too seemed to understand it as well, as nobody said anything. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Chapter 247: Hard Negotiations Chapter 247: Hard Negotiations ¡®That bastards!¡¯ cursed the Count from the other end, as I explained to him what happened. I could feel the anger in his voice, and it was bubbling. They played us, while Count watched. Forget finding out about this gathering. His agents weren¡¯t even able to catch a whiff of it. If we had, even a small hint, we would have been better prepared. ¡®Come back, Remus,¡¯ he said a second later. ¡®My lord, that would be a grave mistake,¡¯ I said in a calm tone. He is angry. This failure to anticipate had bruised his ego. He is also angry, seeing the influence of the Lord of Deerpond can project to bring five cities together for the negotiation. ¡®Why? They clearly played us. It would be shameful to stay there further,¡¯ he said, still angry, but not as much as before. ¡®Yes, they have played us and have a huge advantage with six of them being together, but my lord, it is we that control the route.¡¯ ¡®It is for this thing they gathered together. So, whatever their advantage may be, ours is greatest.¡¯ ¡®It is not like we have to agree with everything they asked. If their demands are too much, we will simply walk away and it will be detrimental to them, as it will be to us,¡¯ I said slowly. There was no response for a couple of seconds and that made me happy. ¡®The bastards will demand huge concessions,¡¯ said the Count, after over ten seconds of silence. ¡®Yes, they will, and we will have to give them some, but we will not go below our limit,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Go ahead with the negotiations, but remember our limits, Remus,¡¯ he said, and I really should. He will not like it if I go below them. Still, he gave me a bigger leeway than I had expected. With a limit, I have quite a lot of freedom. ¡®I will not forget, my lord,¡¯ I replied. A moment later. The spell disconnected. I looked at Zela, who was visibly sweating. Live Connection isn¡¯t an easy spell. It is not only heavy on mana, but it would require an immense focus. The spell is expensive, and this one is of the highest quality. It had come from the Count itself; I had asked him for it. He resisted at first, before giving it to me a day before inauguration, and today, it had proved its usefulness. ¡°How are you?¡± I asked Zela worriedly. ¡°It is a difficult spell. I should practice with it more,¡± she said, and I smiled, knowing she would be fine. Click! I walked back into the room, where six were already waiting and my team was also standing in front of them. They have not taken their seats. ¡°Thank you for waiting, gentlemen,¡± I said to them and took my seat, before turning back to Ida and motioning her to sit to my left. It surprised her and the rest, everyone knows what she is, and we have designated her as an assistant. Her place is behind with assistants, and should have been, if these bastards hadn¡¯t pulled the trick. Now, I need every help, I can get. There might be consequences of this, but I will worry about it later. It had made some of the people sitting in front of me angry, but I couldn¡¯t care less about it and made them understand my actions. I will be pulled till I want to. If you ask for too much, then there will be no negotiation. Ida hesitated for a few seconds before sitting to my left, while Locke sat to my right. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± I said and opened the file in front of me. Hun! I had just touched the file, when I felt powerful skills coming at me. Every person here is above Lv. 25 and I know for sure that old man Statham is Lv. 30 plus. He is one of the few people of that level in the Deerpond. All the people I have brought are Lv. 20+. Ida and I are not; I am not sure about Ida, her main class is at Lv. 25+ and mine over 20+, but both our secondary classes needed for this, hadn¡¯t reached even Lv. 20 yet. It would have been great if they had been at Lv. 20 because these negotiations would be the hardest, we had ever faced. These people wouldn¡¯t show any mercy. As their skills covered me; I felt the skills of my people also activate. Helping me control many compulsions, the six had put on me. ¡°Let¡¯s start with category 1A goods,¡± I said to them, and old man Statham smiled. ¡°We want 6% import and export tax on them,¡± said Statham, and immediately, four more skills hit me. They are so powerful, especially one from Statham, that I nearly opened my mouth and said, I agree, but I controlled myself, and a few more skills came at me, which helped me bear the compulsive thoughts. Still, it didn¡¯t make me feel good. Seeing they have barely started, especially the old bastard Statham. At Level 30+, one becomes quite powerful, and the bastard has barely started to use the power of his arsenal of skills. ¡°That is too low, Director Statham. 9% is the right amount,¡± I said, activating Persuasive, which seemed to surprise some of them, but it didn¡¯t seem like it had brought. ¡°You didn¡¯t tax even Norke and Brimbale that much. I think 6.1% would be right,¡± he said, increasing the power of skills further. I am not surprised; they know the terms of the contract; we had signed with the others, despite them being confidential. Deerpond had gathered the members of five cities; they wouldn¡¯t have any problem finding the terms of the contract. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be enough to pay salaries for the guards, much less the heavy infrastructure needs,¡± ¡°8.9% would be best,¡± I said, trying really hard to not scratch my head hard. Someone had activated the skill that made me scratch my head badly. If that was not enough, I felt just as strong etch on my ass and my groin. ¡°Do you really hate us, that much, adviser? You have given Norke 7.5% and want us to pay 8.9%?¡± he asked, and I felt the pressure of his and other skills increased, so I opened my mouth and twitched my hand to scratch. The colleagues had helped me with their skills, but these wily bastards were powerful. Not a single one of us, are high-leveled as them. The only one who could have helped me was Robin, but he was unavailable. I was struggling hard when I felt the soft hand of Ida''s on mine. Immediately, the mental compulsions become weaker, and itching becomes unconformable from intense. Hun! It surprised me because it is a skill not from her secondary class, but from the primary class. The skill wouldn¡¯t be this powerful if it had been from a secondary class. Even high attributes wouldn¡¯t help if the level of the class is low. Such skills are not rare for her past profession. Many girls have skills that help them relieve the tension and tiredness of the patrons they serve. Some of the girls have gained the skill that could even remove minor afflictions. I nodded at her gratefully before turning to Statham and others, who seemed to realize what had happened and increased the power of their skill. Ida did the same, but the effects of her skill lessened; she might match some of them, but there were six in front of us. It is hard for her, especially when she is trying to conserve power. ¡°I do not hate any of you and am willing to offer 7.4%, which is even lower than what Norke pays,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°If your offer isn¡¯t a hate for us, then what it is? Norke is smaller than any of our cities. Here we are, six of us, sitting with sincerity,¡± ¡°Show us some sincerity, adviser,¡± he said and increased the power of his skill, with others. The negotiations continued for another hour before we agreed on the tax, which is 7.15%, lower than any of the city, but above our limit. I could have gone low as much as 6.8%. Still, I am not happy, as this is one category of goods and has few goods in it. We took more than an hour to agree on it. If we take such time, then it is going to take days for us to complete the negotiations. That is not what made me unhappy. What made me unhappy, was that I was tired, just after an hour of negotiation. It is only an afternoon, and it will be hours before we will be finished. It will be unbearable, while I am not alone. There are Locke and Hanson, but I don¡¯t think, even those two would be alone. The others wouldn¡¯t be enough; they are barely above Lv. 20, and the bastards will eat them alive. The only reason I could even contend against those is because I have years of experience. The earth might not have skills, but we know out to use every work with surgical proficiency and employ psychological tricks. The negotiation continued. I led for three and a half hours before Rip Hanson took over and managed for four, before it was Locke, who continued for three. Before, I took over once again. ¡°2.2%, is the last we could give. We will not negotiate further about this,¡± I said with finality. Controlling myself not to grit my teeth and twitch my fingers, when I powerful compulsion to agree and scratch all over my body. The old man looked at me, before sighing. ¡°We will suffer a loss and agree with it, adviser,¡± said Statham and wrote down on the file, before sliding toward me. I read it carefully, despite the tiredness, which want to just sign it. It was really a limit; I couldn¡¯t go down further. Thankfully, it is the only thing they were able to push it to the limit,¡± ¡°The caterg,¡± ¡°We are finished for today. Mr. Regan. Me and my team are tired and hungry; we cannot continue anymore,¡± I said to the middle-aged man. We are not the only ones who have taken turns in leading. They, too, did it. Though they looked much better than us. ¡°Just one more thing, adviser, and then we will finish it for today,¡± Statham pressed, and I shook my head. ¡°No. Mr. Statham, we are done for today,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We will start from tomorrow, nine then,¡± he said and got up, before leaving with others, after shaking hands. The moment they walked through. All the effects of their skills disappeared, and we got visibly relaxed. We were under immense strain. So much, so that we couldn¡¯t even breathe normally due to their skills. ¡°It was the most stressful negotiation I had ever been in. Those bastards have showed us no mercy,¡± said Locke, as he slumped back in the chair. ¡°It will be even harder tomorrow. They know our strengths and weaknesses. They will hit where it hurts,¡± said Rip in a serious tone. ¡°We should be more prepared. Tomorrow is going to be a long day,¡± I said as I got up from my chair. A few minutes later, we were out of the conferring room and moving toward our hotel, which was thankfully quite close to the city hall. I am hungry. All the negotiations have taken quite a lot of energy from me and the rest. We all want to eat and then sleep. I hope they get a good sleep, because today, we have only been able to cover 14%. Usually, a day is enough, and many of the negotiations with cities have been finished at such time, but we are dealing with six cities who want to squeeze us with everything they have. I hope the negotiations will be finished today, but it is unlikely that it will happen.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Chapter 248: Hard Negotiations II Chapter 248: Hard Negotiations II Note: It is Ina, not Ida; I always seem to make this mistake. Ina ¡°...Grade 4 and Grade 6 addictive substances. Would need to be marked specifically and should be transferred in a separate carriage, with four guards guarding them,¡± said Master Silver. ¡°You are already taxing us heavily on the addictive substances and now you are increasing expense by adding nonsense conditions,¡± said Statham loudly. I could feel them increase the power of their skills further on Master Silver, making his hands twitch a little. I pressed my fingers to his hand tighter and increased the power of Madam¡¯s Relief by a little. This is a skill; I had got at Lv. 10. At that time, it was known by something else and worked a little differently. It had advanced with a class at Lv. 20 and once more when my Strumpet Class turned to Madam. It was a useful skill which has helped me a lot in the business. Unfortunately, it is the only one, I could use to help him majorly. I have two in my Loyal Handler Class. Focused Mind and Less Distraction, but their powers aren¡¯t as powerful. The class is at Lv. 14 and with high attributes thanks to my Madam Class, its power is close to Lv. 18, but even that is not enough. Still, I had used them. It is better than nothing. It was evening on the second day of the negotiations and the only thing, I could say was that Rip was right. Yesterday, they tested our abilities and today; we are being attacked by them strategically. Rip had suggested that we bring a few people from Greltheaven. Like his boss Oakley, but Master Silver rejected the idea. He said, it wouldn¡¯t look good in the city if we brought more people, but we are suffering here. We haven¡¯t suffered a loss, but are extremely tired. Master Silver had already gone one round lasting for three hours before Vice-Guildmaster Locke and Rip took over. Now, he is going again for an hour and a half and those bastards attacking him mercilessly with their skills. If one looked at him, he only looked slightly tired, but he was far more tired than he looked, nearly at the limit. He is looking like it, because I used My Team Always Looks Good on him. I had got the skill when I reached Lv. 10 in Loyal Handler. It is an excellent skill and helped me a lot. Seeing, we always traveling and sometimes we need to meet people or attend some meetings immediately, without any rest or time to freshen up. I wish I could help more, but I couldn¡¯t. It is also making me marvel at how he is facing those six people and is getting a better deal. I have seen what the other two are able to get, and it is clear that Master Silver is better than them. Despite being a lower level. Though he didn¡¯t look less experienced. It feels like, he is as experience as those two or even more. Seeing how in the element he looked and even seemed to enjoy it. If he had been as higher leveled as those six, he wouldn¡¯t have been under such immense strain. It pained me to see him like that, but I am already doing everything I can. Though, how much, I wish, I could do more to help him. ¡°No, different carriage, but we will mark the substance and there will be one guard watching it,¡± ¡°This is as far as we could go,¡± said old man Rowels. ¡°Fine, we agree,¡± agrees Master Silver. ¡°But we will not make any exception in punishment. If your merchants didn¡¯t follow the directions of the agreement,¡± he cautioned, and outrage appeared on the old man¡¯s face. ¡°Our merchants are honest, adviser. They wouldn¡¯t do such a thing,¡± said the old man, and Master Silver just smiled. ¡°Grade 7 prohibitive substances; we are willing to accept the same condition on them,¡± said the old man, but Master Silver, just shook his head. ¡°Orders from Count; there will be no discussion of Grade 7 and above substances,¡± said Master Silver. ¡°Adviser, please think about it. They are very lucrative substances. Our cities would earn a huge profit off them,¡± said old man Statham, using a skill that made his words extremely enticing. ¡°Even I want to do it, but it is Lord Count, who has forbidden it,¡± said Master Silver with a sigh of regret. Liar. It is him; he had himself told me, that he was successfully able to convince Count Darrow to forbid any kind of trading of Grade 7 and above addictive substances. He had even asked me to keep an eye on merchants who might try to sneak it inside. ¡°Let''s move on them. Category 1 liquor, everything is here straightforward, and we didn¡¯t want much, we onl,¡± ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Statham, I want to pass the charge,¡± said Master Silver, interrupting the old man. It is wise; he is tired. Rip and Vice-Guildmaster had enough rest that they could handle the negotiations till the dinner break. ¡°Of course,¡± said the old man with a smile and even looked smug about it as he looked at Rip and Vice-Guildmaster Locke. ¡°Ina will take charge,¡± said Master Silver, shocking everyone that nobody was able to keep their expressions calm, including me. I know what I am and could hear the whispers like ¡®silvers whore, filthy prostitute, dirty trollop,¡¯. Countless men had tried and the only reason they hadn¡¯t forced themselves on me was because of fear of repercussion from Master Silver. The guards also help a lot. It was my life''s greatest pleasure that I have been able to become more than a whore. Master Silver gave me his trust and entrusted me with responsibilities that no sane person would do with a whore. For that, I will be eternally grateful. It was a surprise when he asked me to come here with him and gave me a great honor by sitting beside him. Now he is asking me to take the lead in a negotiation. It is extremely risky. I may not know much, but I know enough to understand how risky it is. It would have a grave repercussion. He could lose his job, the Count could banish him out of the city and if he is very angry, might even jail him. ... I looked at the shocked expressions around me and the fear in Ina¡¯s eyes, not for her, but for me. Of course, I understand the consequences of my actions and even I am not mad enough to do something like this, without thinking through it. There will be risk, but I think I could spin it, thanks to what the Count had said in the morning. The risk is worth it. Ina is extremely important to me, and she has been traveling the countries for business, doing my bidding, but she has never experienced high-stakes negotiations like this. Here, she isn¡¯t negotiating with individual merchants, but officials, deciding the trade of six cities. It will give her perspective that even a thousand negotiations with merchants wouldn¡¯t. Till yesterday, I was satisfied to let her watch from the front seat, but the opportunity had presented itself in the morning and I decided to strike it. ¡°Adviser, this?¡± said Statham, barely containing the anger in his eyes. ¡°I hope you do not have a problem with it, Director Statham. We have accommodated many of your demands here and were polite to your surprise. Hope you will provide the same courtesy to us,¡± I said with a smile. Of course, I am angry at these bastards¡¯ subterfuge. I am not angry. They have called five cities, but angry, they have not allowed us to prepare, especially when they had called for a moment¡¯s notice. We were within our right to go back, and the Count had wanted us to, but I had decided to stay. ¡°Of course not, we were just a little surprised,¡± he said as the anger on his face disappeared. It had not vanished, but hidden in its eyes, and he will bring it out when the negotiations resume, when he will bring it out through his skills. The rest wouldn¡¯t hold for this supposed slight either. ... ¡°It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Give everything you can,¡± said Master Silver, has turned to me. ¡°And don¡¯t worry too much. I am confident you will do fine,¡± he added, seeing the hesitation and nervousness on my face. I still wanted to decline, seeing how risky it was for him, but seeing the trust in his eyes for me. I closed my opened mouth and took a deep breath, before turning to six men, who are looking like, they want to tear me apart. They will come to me with fury like they have before, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Though there is no fear in my heart for them. I have been beaten every inch of my life, raped, and abused with every word and way a man knows. These people wouldn¡¯t do any of that. They will use the full power of their skill, so much, I might bleed in strain and pass out. Still, as Master Silver had said, it is a chance of a lifetime. There will never be an opportunity like this, and I need to squeeze it with everything it has. Only then, it will be worth, the great risk he is taking for me. With that thought, I looked at six people and brought a smile to my face while activating the Madam¡¯s Charm, along with Focused Mind and Less Distraction, which I had focused on myself. ¡°Category 1 liquor; the c..city would like 10.5% for it,¡± I said, stumbling as they focused their skill. One skill made my tongue hard to move. If I hadn''t activated Lucious Tongue, immediately; I would have stumbled a lot more. ¡°That is preposterous! Much higher than any city, the 4% is a sensible one,¡± said Statham with his voice like thunder. That is making my head hurt and my back drenched in freezing sweat. If that wasn¡¯t enough, I had started to feel an itch all over me and I felt like the words slipping out of my mind. I held those words tightly and thanked, I Read, I Remember; a skill from my Learned Class. It is my second class, the one I have got after coming to the establishment. Unlike most girls, I didn¡¯t have one or two specific hobbies; I have dabbled in everything but focused on mathematics and reading at most. It is because of this scattered approach. It had taken me a little longer to gain the secondary class compared to the other girls. ¡°That is far too low. 10% would be best for both parties,¡± I said with Mellifluent Voice from Madam Class and Here When I Talk from Loyal Handler. ¡°Far too much. 4.5%, is the fairest for our cities,¡± said the man, and the power of his skills and others increased tremendously. I had felt a powerful itch all over my body like never before that if I scratched even a little, I would turn my body bloody with my nails. I had even felt so hot and cold that I wanted to remove my clothes and wear more at the same time. If that wasn¡¯t enough, every word from him was like a thunder, that was making my head heart badly, so that I could listen to the words he was saying, and I was struggling to take each breath normally. Every second is torturous. Mercenaries said fighting is the hardest thing. If they sit here and experience what I am experiencing, they wouldn¡¯t say those words to me. The six want to humiliate me, with the end purpose of making me lose consciousness; it happens when the power of the opponent¡¯s skills becomes too much for the mind to bear. Such skills could even kill. People have died during the negotiations. I am using every useful skill I have from all three classes and using them at full power, but I am one against six and I don¡¯t think I would be able to last long. I will have to last, not for me, but for Master Silver, who is taking an enormous risk in giving me this opportunity. ¡°9.5%, it is standard in many cities,¡± I said despite the immense strain of skill which increased with every word I spoke. I am using every fiber of my will to not twitch. I am not even curling my fist to manage the strain. I don¡¯t want to give even small victories to these six. Which seemed to be making them angrier, and they increased the power of their skills further, making it extremely hard, for me to even breathe and see. I don¡¯t want to bend to these bastards, but their overwhelming power will break me, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything else. ¡°It is not; 5% is standard,¡± said Statham, spiking the power of his skill further, that I felt I was losing focus and falling unconscious. I wanted to turn to Master Silver and apologize. He took a huge risk with me and I have failed him. Hun! I was seeping deeper into the unconscious abyss when I felt gentle winds, bringing me back to consciousness. The others began to focus their skills on me, and soon; I found myself back. These skills are not as strong as the six, but they are strong enough to keep me tethered to consciousness. Provide me enough support that I won¡¯t be falling into unconsciousness. I didn¡¯t think they would help me, but they did. Now, with their help, I could continue with negotiation, and I will give my all to get the greatest deal for Master Silver. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 249: Negotiations Finished Chapter 249: Negotiations Finished Greltheaven ¡°I had asked him to teach them a lesson; I didn¡¯t expect he would use his whore,¡± said the older man as he sat comfortably in his chair. ¡°Remus loves to use his whores everywhere,¡± said the young man, not as happy as his father. ¡°He knows where to use them and this time, he used one wisely,¡± said the man, with a smile on his face. Happy to be able to get back in some way. ... ¡®Well done with your whore,¡¯ said the Count, and the spell went silent while I removed my hand from Zela¡¯s, feeling relieved. I have been worried about it since the moment I asked Ina to take the lead. So worried that I hadn¡¯t even slept properly every minute, imagining thunderous anger from the Count. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t come. Instead, he is pleased as I had hoped. Yesterday morning, the Count had said, find a way to humiliate them. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have any idea, and nor I could, given the difference in level and preparation the six have. The idea of giving the lead to Ina came suddenly and, to be honest, I am feeling ashamed that I have to use such a way to give her this opportunity, but with my current power, I could only use this way. This will widen her perspective and give her a good idea of how real negotiations work. She had already got that idea yesterday. The six really didn¡¯t hold back against her, but she held on despite the pressure. ¡°There is a message from Port Midlet,¡± said Zela. I immediately perked up, upon hearing that. Half of the cities are trading with Navr, while the other half are negotiating. The only city that isn¡¯t on the table yet is Port Midlet; the city that had been controlled by the crown prince. It is a city where we always had a frosty relationship and traded minimally, despite being the third-biggest city in the region. It is growing fast thanks to the patronage of the crown prince and might be able to surpass the Ashton harbor in the near future. That¡¯s beside the point. The point is, that they have been cold toward our offers to trade with Navr, but when I informed them two days ago, us negotiating with the six cities. They have become receptive. I sent back and received a couple of messages from them and by the end, there was a smile on my face. I looked at the clock before turning to the documents in front of me. There are two stacks; the smaller one which we have negotiated, and the bigger one, which we have yet to negotiate. Two days had passed, and negotiations were going slow and hard. We are fighting on every point; even on that, those should be agreed, upon within a minute. They are hell-bent on getting as good a deal as possible and even angry after I had asked Ina to take the lead yesterday. If we negotiated at such speed, it might take a week. I don¡¯t know, but one thing is certain. We will not hurry; we need the best deal too. If we need to negotiate more than a week for that, we will do it. Click! I was looking at the files when the door opened, and Ina walked in. She looked radiant as always, but now that small smile on her face looks extra bright. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be too rigid in negotiations. Give them small victories, let them see their skill are working.¡± ¡°It will give you the chance to score the big victories,¡± I advised, as she sat in front of me. Yesterday, she did very well. She resisted and didn¡¯t even her opponent a victory with a single scratch and curling of the fist. Even I scratch now and then during the negotiation, despite knowing how dangerous it is. Like any druggie, the first dose is your choice, the next one after that is just an uncontrollable urge. It was extremely hard to stop after a single scratch. ¡°I will remember,¡± she replied, after a moment of silence. A few minutes later, the others arrived, and we strategized and had breakfast. At right eight-thirty, we left our hotel; at nine, the negotiations began. The third day of negotiations lasted till eleven-thirty-five at night, with all four of us talking lead. I gave Ina as much of a chance as possible and was glad to see her fight with everything she had. She is using skills in all three of her classes remarkably well. Especially in her main class, where there is barely any resistance from them despite using them in the conditions, she is not supposed to. When I gave her this responsibility months ago, I asked her to use her skills in every condition. Whittle down their resistance and she had done better than I had thought. It is her own hard work and also because the skills of her main class are very suitable for the job, I have given her. She is a fast learner, and even in this extremely stressful environment; she is learning fast. She is like a sponge, absorbing everything she is learning and performing better. She did better on her second day and even better on the third. The days passed, and negotiations continued. They are slow, intense, and hard; the skills of six were like a rampaging ocean, while we are a small dingy, that is doing it all not to drown. That made the ocean even madder, and they began to target us with everything they had; using the skills they had not used before. Currently, it is late afternoon on the sixth day of the negotiation, and it is going especially intensely. Well, are discussing the last point. ¡°Fine, we agree to twenty-six,¡± I said finally, and immediately all skills bearing down on me had simply vanished. I begin to hear, see, and smell normally, there is no itch and the sweat off my back feels normal, not freezing cold and steaming hot. ¡°You are one tough man to negotiate, Adviser,¡± said Statham, with a big smile on his face. It is not just him, but others are also smiling. They got a great deal compared to all the other cities, but we didn¡¯t lose either. In most conditions, we have stayed comfortably above the limit. Which is a great victory for us. When we started, I didn¡¯t think even staying at the limit would be possible. ¡°I should be the one saying that Mr. Statham; you have squeezed us with everything we have and even more,¡± I said and the old man grinned. ¡°There will be a small party in the night to mark the success of the negotiation. I am inviting you all to it,¡± he said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± I replied with a smile, shook the hand of the old man and others. Hun! I got very surprised to see him shaking the hand of Ina, and there was even a hint of respect in his eyes, when he did it. It is not just him, but two others have also shaken her hands before leaving the room. In these days of negotiations, she had proven her mettle. Now, even those who didn¡¯t shake hands with her didn¡¯t look at her like, she was a mere whore, like they did when she first time, entered the room. ¡°It is finally over,¡± said Locke with a smile. ¡°With this, all the cities of Renwell region except one will trade with Navr and even that remaining one will also do it in a few days,¡± said Rip and all members of the delegation smiled. ¡°You have really done something unbelievable, Remus. A thing that should have taken years, you have achieved it, in less than a year,¡± said Locke. ¡°It is all thanks to Lord Counts, directions,¡± I replied, and everyone smiled. We did achieve something incredible, and it will bring a transformative change, not only to the Greltheaven but also to the other cities. Let¡¯s hope the Count does his part and not be too miserly about it. A few minutes later, we walked out of the city hall and went to our hotel. The first I did as I reached my suit was to talk with the Count before taking a shower. It was completely dark when I came out and sent a few more messages. By the time I had finished, it was time for me to change for the party. I changed into the suit and prepared myself in front of the mirror before activating Get Ready. Immedicably, the changes began, and within seconds; I looked even better than before. I got out of the room and saw Ina waiting and she looked stunning in the black velvet gown. It is a simple gown with a conservative design, but she looked stunning wearing it. ¡°You looked beautiful,¡± I praised. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she replied, with her cheeks flooding. For a few seconds, there was silence before I opened my mouth. ¡°For me, the work had finished, for you, it had just begun,¡± I said, and her eyes turned excited. The merchants would be her responsibility, and many had already started offering us good money for our consultancy services. ¡°It is a tremendous opportunity for us; we should go aggressively at it,¡± replied and I couldn¡¯t help, but nod. Even with the establishment expanding and our profits quadrupling. The liquor business is earning more than the establishment and, with the pace it is growing, even after opening three new brothels, won¡¯t be able to compete with it. Still, I am focusing more on the establishment, because trade with Navr might earn me more money, but it is unpredictable. They are going to be our destroyers. Their hordes will come in a few years and destroy everything, and nobody will be able to do anything against them. Finally, it was time to leave, and we walked out of the hotel with rest and went back to the city hall one last time. ¡°Welcome, Adviser Silver and a delegation from Greltheaven,¡± said Statham, welcoming us to the door of the ballroom at city hall. ¡°Thank you, Director Statham,¡± I said to the old man, before entering inside. ¡°They said it was going to be a small party,¡± said Rip, looking at the large hall filled with people. Mostly merchants, not only from the Deerpond but also from five cities we have negotiated with and, of course, the Greltheaven. Locke and I smiled at Rip¡¯s words, and even Ina had smiled. You should never believe officials and merchants when there is huge money on the line. Eyes turned to us as we entered the hall. We separated and mingled. Ina knew many of the merchants here, but there were some whom she couldn¡¯t connect with, like vice-leaders and leaders of the merchant guild. I introduced her to them. It is not just merchants, but officials and other important people. Before I knew it, two hours passed, and I had left her to mingle on her own. I was with Locke, talking with a vice-head of a merchant guild, who is also his distant relative, when two men and a woman stopped beside me. The older man is in his late fifties. He is tall, with a fit body with pale blue eyes; he must scare a lot of people when he gets angry. The pretty woman beside him looks to be in her early fifties, with dark blond hair and blue eyes. The young man in his mid-twenties beside them had inherited features of both. He is as tall and strong as his father and has good facial features from his mother, making him look handsome. ¡°Adviser Silver, I have heard so much about you,¡± said the man with a smile. ¡°All good things, I assume, Lt. General Ronda,¡± I replied to the man and turned to the woman and young man beside him. ¡°Madam Ronda, Major Javier,¡± I greeted the two politely. This young man is the one who had hit on Maeve and when she didn¡¯t return to his advances. He framed her on false charges and sealed her business. Though, I didn¡¯t show any of that in my face. ¡°I heard you have given our people quite a challenge?¡± he asked, to which I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s an absolute lie, general. It is your people who squeezed us with everything we had,¡± I replied and that brought a smile to my face. However, a moment later, the smile disappeared, and his expression turned serious. ¡°Tell me, adviser, how is the undead kingdom?¡± he asked, and it is quite a common question that many people ask. Though, he is a little different. ¡°In what sense are you asking that, general?¡± I asked back, turning my expression serious, and the man sighed. ¡°I am planning on sending my son there and I hope you will shed some light on it,¡± ¡°I heard that you had experienced something uncommon and want to take your view about it,¡± he said, looking at me in the eyes. I didn¡¯t immediately answer. ¡°You are right, what I experienced is uncommon, but your son will be unlikely to face that. Aside from that, Navr is a safe country and one that everyone should visit at least once in their life,¡± I replied. The woman shuddered, while the man just nodded with a smile. The young man, on the other hand, looks quite excited. I talked to them for a few minutes before turning to other people. A few more minutes passed; when suddenly, the whole hall quieted down. The lord of Deerpond entered the ballroom. The man is dressed as he should and as he walks, people bow to him. I have to say; the man is better than Count Darrow at the show. The man stopped and turned to the people. ¡°Today is an important day...¡± Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 250: Hetaera of Master’s Will Chapter 250: Hetaera of Master¡¯s Will I am really sorry guys. It seemed like I had really messed up and not published Chapter 244. I had fixed that mistake now. Please read it. Shining Merchant Lv. 25 Skill Gained: ... Official Lv. 22 Lawyer Lv. 22 Skill Gained: ... Secretary Lv. 24 {Conditions Met: Lawyer¨CArdent Lawyer} Ardent Lawyer Lv. 26 Skill Gained: ... ... Loyal Handler Lv. 15 {Conditions Met: Madam + Learned + Loyal Handler¨CHetaera of Master¡¯s Will} Hetaera Of Master¡¯s Will Lv. 21 {Conditions Met: Madam¡¯s Charm + Seductive Walk + Mellifluent Voice- Enchanting Hetaera} {Condition Met: Fast and Slow + Seducing Glance¨CCarnal Maven} {Skill Change: Kiss of Erection- Kiss of Vigor} {Skill Change: Madam¡¯s Relief- Hetaera¡¯s Touch} {Skill Change: Luscious Tongue ¨C Unyielding Tongue} {Skill Change: Less Distraction ¨C Null Distraction} {Skill Change: My Team Always Looks Good- My Team Is Always Ready} {Skill Change: Photo Eyes + I Read, I Remember ¨C I See, I Remember} Skill Gained: Long Road Skill Gained: Missive To Master The level-up was expected, but not this. It is a complete overhaul of classes and skills. A consolidation. It had happened to any girl, not Carla or Margaux or even Lola. It is a big thing, a huge thing. Consolidations are rare; it is extremely rare when all classes are so different from each other to become one, but it has happened to me. I smiled mirthlessly at the name of my class. Hetaera; means whore in olden tongue. A powerful class for the whore; something that one only gets at Lv. 30 and even among it is rare. No, wonder it had regressed in levels. It is too powerful to be at Lv. 25, which my Madam class was. The levels might have regressed, but the power of the Class is far more than what Madam Class had. The class, is also a three-word class, making it more powerful than simple Hetaera would have been, and those last two words made me happy. The consolidation had also changed my skills to serve the purpose of my new class. Some had merged, while some changed, but all of them have become more powerful than before. I looked at the skill and couldn¡¯t help, but become surprised seeing how encompassing they are. They will help me tremendously in carrying Master Silvers. I looked at my two new skills and both of them excited me. The first is Long Road. It is a rare travel skill and a necessary one, seeing how frequently I travel. Since Master Silver had handed me the responsibility, I have never been in one city for more than a week. Deerpond is the first city where I stayed for the five nights straight. The second skill, Missive To Master, is just as important and rarer. Because it is a skill and not a spell. Unlike the message spells, it is hard to block it, with isolation or nullifying spells. I turned to the attribute point I got from this advancement, and I added it to the intelligence. Immediately, I felt its effects, my thoughts became slightly faster, and I could think more clearly. A minute later, I opened the window. Class: Hetaerae of Master¡¯s Will Lv. 21 Charisma: 17 Intelligence: 15 Vitality: 10 ¡¤ I See, I Remember ¡¤ My Team Is Always Ready ¡¤ Total Focus ¡¤ Hear When I Talk ¡¤ Long Road ¡¤ Missive To Master Attribute Points: 0 I looked at my skills; all of them have now changed to serve the consolidated class. Even those that didn¡¯t change actively, like All Night and Here When I Talk, had changed with class. All Night used to be my Strumpet Class skill, allowing me to continue through the entire night carnal activity. When I leveled up to the Madam, its name remained the same, but its working had changed. Before it was carnal in nature, but after the class changed, it began to help me stay up during the night, even with non-carnal work. The carnal part of its nature didn¡¯t go away, and won''t go away ever, but it will continue to do other things, too. Seeing all these wonderful new and old skills, a smile appeared on my face, and I activated my new skill. Long Road We are traveling, after all. .... Masterful Administrator Lv. 2o Masterful Administrator Lv. 21 {Skill Change: Privacy¨CPrivacy Sphere} Skill Gained: Instant Recollection ¡°I had leveled up,¡± I said, and there was a smile on my face. It is a not simple level up, but a breaking of capstone. I have gained two levels in my Masterful Administrator Class. One Skill advancement and a new skill. As I read the name of the new skill, I immediately activated the skill. The first thing I thought of was Carla, when I saw her first time, with her straight red hair, walking toward me like an enchantress. I have a memory of it, but with the Instant Recollection, it had become clearer. I tried to remember things that I don¡¯t remember anymore, but with this skill, I can remember them too. Though not as clearly as the one with memory. Since this is a skill of a Masterful Administrator; I tried to remember things related to that and, to my surprise; I am remembering things far more clearly. Like they had happened to me hours ago, instead of months. I tried on things I can¡¯t remember, and the results were good, much better than earlier. I expanded and tried to remember things from old Remus, like memories of Mom. She had nearly faded from the memories after more than a decade, but as I tried it, her face became clear. I felt emotions for her, that I had only felt for my parents, and I hurriedly cut the skill. For nearly a minute, I didn¡¯t activate the skill, before I started to browse through the aspects of old Remus life, the non-emotional ones. Though there was resistance, but not as great as I had expected. So, I focused on my own memories, the ones from the earth. My heart started to beat loudly, as I tried that and I almost felt relieved when I felt a fog over them, but a moment later, the fog began to disappear. The faces of my parents became clear. So, clearer, that I could see the expressions on their faces and the kitchen of my parents¡¯ house, where we all were sitting. I felt tears streaming down my face and felt an unbearable pain that I wanted to cut the skill, but couldn¡¯t for some reason. I watched a memory, a special one. It is on the dinner table from one vacation; I went home. My parents were teasing me about not bringing my girlfriend while I was making an excuse. I didn¡¯t tell them that we had broken a week ago; they liked her. I watched the memory for minutes before cutting it; it had become too much. This skill is going to be insanely useful to me; the knowledge I could bring from my earth life. It is not perfect, but it will get powerful as I level up and it might even advance, where I could recollect memories perfectly. I wanted to recall more memories, but I didn¡¯t; it had taken an emotional toll on me. I want to wait and calm myself down before using the skill again. At this advancement, I gained two levels, and one of my skills had changed. The Privacy Sphere is an advanced version of Privacy Skill, where snooping is even more difficult; not to mention more people could be added to it. Since I had breached the second capstone in it; I have got an attribute point. I wanted to add it to the charm or intelligence but stopped and turned my focus on the physical attributes. The last couple of attribute points have been spent on mental attributes. Even though I want to add it to them; I know it is not wise, despite knowing adding it to mental attributes will help in Port Midlet. I have to add them to the physical attributes. I thought for a while before adding the point into the strength, taking it to twelve from eleven. Immediately, I felt my strength increase and with it, the power of my skills would also increase. A minute later, I got off the bed and went to the tiny bathroom to freshen up and shower. When I came out, I changed into a suit and stood in front of the mirror. Get Ready I activated the skill. Usually, I do it when it is important, but I have leveled up and I want to test its strength. I am sure, that me breaching the second capstone, in Masterful Administrator. It didn¡¯t disappoint me. When the skill is finished, I look good. It worked better than it had worked yesterday. There is a noticeable difference between the power of the skill now and before. Seeing the power of the skill, a smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. All the skills in the Masterful Administrator had received a power-up. It will help me a lot in Port Midlet. I didn¡¯t stay in the cabin for long and walked out. Soon I was on the deck, with morning light streaming from above. I looked at the vast sea and my mood began to turn calm. Last night, we didn¡¯t go back to our hotel and instead went directly to our ship. Which immediately sailed toward the Port Midlet. We could have stayed the night, but I didn¡¯t want to waste any time and nor Port Midlet. We have already agreed on most terms through the messages and shouldn¡¯t take long to agree with the rest. If our luck holds, we will be finished with our business in Port Midlet tomorrow, and a day after that, we will be back home. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Chapter 251: Attacked At Sea I Chapter 251: Attacked At Sea I ¡°How long since we have passed Inam?¡± I asked Stone behind me. ¡°One and a half hours ago,¡± he replied. I would have liked to see it; it is a beautiful city. I will see when we come back. I was staring at the vast blue sea when Locke and two people came out to the deck and there was a smile on their faces. In the five days of negotiations, there has been only a person who had leveled up or told he had leveled up. If he was telling the truth, then likely nearly everyone had leveled up today. I wish I could use Sight Through Veil on them, but I couldn¡¯t. There is too much resistance. I had tried it and been training in it in the Lauryl. Many people don¡¯t mind such skills being used by them, as long as you pay them. So, I had quite a lot of subjects to test my skill, but since it was a skill from Agent of Experience, I faced resistance and could only see the classes that were below Lv. 10. Even if I could see their classes, I won¡¯t. It is rude. I could do that with girls because it is stipulated in their contract, but these people didn¡¯t work for me. However, since I am their superior, even if I do that, they won¡¯t complain. I won¡¯t. I was standing by the railing when Captain Perry, came walking toward me. ¡°It is quite a good travel skill you or one of your people have used; it will take us to Port Midlet, a little quickly,¡± he said in a good mood. ¡°Thank you, Captain Perry,¡± I replied. It is not me, but I am not going to tell him that. Though, I am surprised, not by someone using a travel skill. I am surprised by Captain Perry telling me about it, which means the skill is good. I wonder who it is? ¡°We should be able to reach Port Midlet by eleven, right?¡± I asked after a moment of silence. ¡°The wind is wind us, we might be able to reach before eleven,¡± he replied. We have a meeting at two with the trade department of the Port Midlet, and it made me relieved that we will be there well before time. I don¡¯t want this negotiation to be as stressful as the last. They won¡¯t be. We have already agreed on a couple of important things and their reception has been well about others. They don¡¯t have a choice; with six cities joining us, they are the only one who has yet to sign the contract. If they don¡¯t, they will miss the opportunity. So, they swallowed their hate for us and agreed to the negotiation. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said and. He smiled and opened his mouth when suddenly, he stopped and whipped his neck to the left toward the western side. ¡°What happened, Captain?¡± I said immediately, seeing the sudden change in his demure. The captain didn¡¯t answer immediately and instead took out the enchanted spyglass and began to look. We are sailing close to the coast. So, I don¡¯t think there is a danger; the coast is patrolled. Though it might not be heavily patrolled along the mainland¡¯s coast, it is secure. Considering, that the coast of the Renwell region comes in the middle of the coast of the mainland and the coast merchant state, two of the most secure coasts in the continent of Zenid. ¡°Captain, a ship is making a way toward us,¡± warned the watcher. Captain Perry didn¡¯t react, but others became serious. Some of the members of the delegation, who were on deck, gathered near the door, and even those coming out like Ina, had also stopped at the door, feeling the atmosphere. ¡°What is happening Captain?¡± asked Captain Azalea as she appeared by us. She had already directed her men to take positions, while the men of Captain Perry had also started to move toward their position. ¡°A ship is coming toward us, and its intentions don¡¯t look pure,¡± said Captain, with his expressions turning serious, while mine and Captain Azalea turned nasty. ¡°Pirates?¡± asked Captain Azalea, to which the older man shook his head. ¡°It is hard to say, seeing, they are wearing masks, but one thing is clear, they didn¡¯t look like they have good intentions,¡± he said, and his eyes turned sharp. ¡°Men, on position.¡± He ordered and seemed to activate some skills, before turning to me. ¡°Adviser, please go to a safe cabin; it might become dangerous here,¡± he requested. ¡°I will stay,¡± I replied, and he looked at me. He wanted to say something but stopped after seeing my guards appearing beside me. ¡°Everyone, follow the captain''s men to safety,¡± I said to Ina and others. ¡°Take care, Master Silver,¡± said Ina after a moment of hesitation before going inside the ship. There is one safe cabin on the ship, which is better protected; it can also eject people out if the ship drowns or burns. ¡°I had thought, after a week of intense negotiation. There will be some nice and quiet during the travel, but it didn¡¯t seem like, that is the case,¡± I said, with a mirthless smile as I took out of my saber. The people beside me didn¡¯t say anything and just kept looking. Soon, I could see the ship, and their target was us. They know who we are and targeting us. The flags of Greltheaven and the Count could easily be seen on our ship from the distance. I really hope it is nothing but a misunderstanding. If they want us harm, it could be solved with words and some money. The ship has come close to that. I could make out its size and tell the ship was smaller than ours Captain walked toward the railing, and I asked Zela to follow him. ¡°Halt and reveal your intentions,¡± said the captain. He didn¡¯t raise his voice much, but I do not doubt that with the skill he was using, the people on the other ship had heard it loud and clear. Boom! There was a response. A cannonball; seeing that, I cursed loudly. Boom Boom Boom Those bastards aren¡¯t even willing to talk; they have directly shot the cannonball, and it is only one; after the first one, they have released the volley. ¡°Fire at will,¡± said Captain Perry as he straightened, and I felt him activate his skills. Boom Boom Boom Like the enemies, our ship begins to fire the cannons, that begin to shake the whole ship. The cannonballs moved toward the enemy ship, as theirs came toward us. I begin to feel the sailor''s activating the skills. As they targeted the enemy with cannons. It took seconds for cannons to reach the ship; most were avoided with expert maneuvering of a ship under the captain''s order and the power of skills, but some still came at it. BANG BANG BANG ¡°Mages, shields,¡± said Captain Perry, and shields appeared in front of the cannons. These cannon balls are powerful. Seeing the first shields wasn''t enough to stop them, but the four mages on the ship were experienced and they cast layers of shields, which protected the ship from any harm. Usually, the ship only has two mages, but I had two extras for this trip; not to mention, there are three more in Captain Azalea¡¯s team, and they are all experienced in naval combat. She is standing by me with my guards. While she is responsible for the security of delegation, her priority is me. She has to save me, even at the cost of others. They are her exact orders. Count Darrow had said those words to her in front of me. I am scared, only an insane wouldn¡¯t be scared in this condition when an unknown ship came at them and started attacking us with a barrage of cannonballs. A single cannonball will turn me into a shower of blood and gore. What is even more worrying is that those who are attacking us are masked, which is not common, but isn¡¯t rare either. Some mercenaries also act as pirates to earn extra money and wear such masks for it. Hun! Our cannon balls have reached them, and the spells popped in front of the ships defending them. ¡°They have at least four mages,¡± said Jon. ¡°It is not a common attack. They have come prepared,¡± added Captain Azalea, and my heart skipped a beat. I had expected it, but I didn¡¯t feel good when I heard that. Cannons shot from both sides repeatedly but were defended by the skills and mages. Soon, the distance between the two ships, that of a few hundred meters and I could see the masked people on the small ship, which seemed to be packed. ¡°Mages, archers, attack!¡± ordered Captain Perry, before turning to Zela beside him. ¡°Mage Zela. I would really appreciate your help,¡± said Captain Perry, and she looked at me. I nodded, and a moment later, her staff lit up, and tens of lances formed from the seawater and shot toward the ship. Those twenty-four lances are four meters long and as thick as a man. They went toward the enemy ship, with a force greater than the cannonball. She is at Level 25+ Mage. For a water mage like her, the sea is the best battlefield. She could cast more spells without expanding, as much mana as she does on the land. The powerful lances reached the ship in less than half of the time. The lances, with the power they would, would tear through the ship if they hit them, and I hope they hit their target. The lances had reached the ship when suddenly a wall of water rose from the sea. It was big, that it had covered the whole ship, and thick as the length of the lances. BANG BANG BANG! The lances crashed against it hard and went inside. Seeing that, a smile lit up on my face. ¡°There is a powerful mage in there,¡± said Zela, freezing the smile on my face a moment later. The water wall fell like a curtain, revealing the ship that was completely unharmed. My heart sank, seeing that. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 252: Attacked At Sea II Chapter 252: Attacked At Sea II ¡°What is the progress?¡± asked the middle-aged man, looking at the map of Renwell Region, specifically at its thirteen cities. In front of him is an open scroll, on which are the names of forty-one people. They all belong to thirteen cities; important people. The people who could pose a threat to future plans that will commence after that event. They did not fear these people, nor he does he think, they and their puny little cities would be able to stop them, but they had learned a lot of lessons in their conquest and didn¡¯t want to make the mistake, they had in the past. Even a little ants could cause a lot of trouble. Finishing these people would make things go smoother. ¡°Thirteen successful, six failures,¡± replied the man with the white suit. The assassinations are tricky and expensive, and their result depends on the level of planning and the level of people. For this, they have used very few of their own people; most have been outsourced. It costs more money, but it will keep them in the shadows. ¡°68.4%, they are doing good,¡± said the middle-aged man, feeling pleased. They want a success rate of 60% at the least and till now it is good. In this hour, most assassinations are being carried out or finished. There will be some delays in places like the sea or forest, but by the end of the morning, everything will be done. ¡°Let¡¯s hope, it will be a huge success, especially in the first nine.¡± Said the man in a white suit. The first nine names on the list are written in the darker ink. They are the most important ones on the list. Some of them had abilities to become a roadblock, some were little stones, but had the potential to turn into boulders. Crushing them early will smoothen the path for our plans. ... ¡°Adviser, these people seemed to be professional. I think it would be wise for you to go secure a cabin,¡± said Captain Azalea. ¡°I understand, Captain, but I will not hide,¡± I replied. I would have hidden, but hiding would compromise the security of the others, and I can¡¯t have that. Still, I can¡¯t understand why they are attacking us. It is extremely risky, so close to the coast. We have already sent messages, and the rescue will come soon. There will not only be rescue but will also be a blockade. Every common pirate understood this truth and rarely came so near the coast, but these did, and they have come with all the preparations. Boom Boom Boom The cannons continued to ring, both ships got closer and closer. The rate of spells had also increased, and so had the attacks of arrows. Everyone who could attack was attacking, except for Zela, she had stopped after the first attack. I don¡¯t know why; she had stopped, but I hope, she had a good reason because the ship is coming closer and closer every second. ¡°Captain Azalea, ready your men for battle; there is a high chance that enemies will board the ship,¡± said Captain Perry, and Captain Azalea nodded. The woman just nodded and looked at her men, who were already in position, before turning to the ship coming at us. It had come quite close than now, less than three hundred meters have remained between us. I could now see everything more clearly. The men are packed in the small ship, wearing ceramic masks. Making it hard to discern their identity, but I could see there were not just the humans on the ship, but also orcs. One or two looked like elves, but it is hard to say, seeing they were wearing the caps that were covering their hair and ears. BANG BANG BANG Soon, there are a hundred meters between us, and the mages are finally showing their power, by defending the ship from the cannonballs, that are firing so close. Their mages also seemed to be quite good. Not a single cannonball or spell had hit them, but this was just beginning. It is the trailer for the real horror that will come soon. A few seconds passed when suddenly, the bombardment on the other side stopped and that exact moment. A large amount of water between two ships came up, forming water bridges to our ships. The same water formed the shields against the spells and barrage of the cannons; seeing that, a surprise flashed in my eyes and the eyes of others. Zela had also reacted, and a hundred and two lances came out of the water smoothly. She wasn¡¯t just standing there, watching. Hun! She didn¡¯t release them, instead just pointed toward the incoming ship. ¡°Gentlemen; I am sure this is some misunderstanding. We can solve it with dialogue, rather than the attack,¡± said the captain, under a barrage of spells. For a second, there was no reply. I didn¡¯t think the reply would come, but it did. ¡°There is no misunderstanding, Captain of the Constance. We have a mission to sink and kill all the passengers and we will do it,¡± replied the masked man in the front calmly. I had expected it, seeing how they had come guns blazing, but hearing that, my heart couldn¡¯t help, but sink further. The bastards want to kill us, and if I am right, kill me, specifically. Still, I am having a hard time believing that I am worth such a prize. Yes, I have been useful and done quite amazing things, but killing me isn¡¯t without consequences. There will be a prize to pay. It is not just the House of Silver, but also the Count and the Prince. You can¡¯t just kill an official and expect no reaction, especially at a time like this. ¡°Aboard the ship!¡± he ordered and jumped on the bridge. Immediately, the masked people begin to climb it fearlessly, without caring for the huge lances staring at them and cannons and spells shooting toward them. It seemed like they had complete confidence in their mages. Especially the lead mage, who I fear is stronger than Zela. I really hope they are not Lv. 30+ Mage or even she would be hard-pressed to survive against them, much less defeat them. Level 30 is different for the mages; it is where they gain the specialization. From a Mage, they become High-Mage. They are powerful, and it is hard for those below them to contend against them. ¡°Show the enemy what we are made of. Kill anyone that dared to aboard the ship,¡± said Captain Perry loudly, first time removing the sword from his sheath and activating many of his skills. Zela didn¡¯t wait either. Those water lances begin to shoot toward the people climbing on the water bridges, while more lances begin to form the water and shoot toward the target. The other water mage reacted immediately, and the shields appeared in front of the people. Guarding them against the water lances. It is not just Zela who is trying, but others too, but the enemy mages are countering, and they are good. Stone and Captain Azalea moved toward the bridges already. Only Jon and three men of Captain Azalea had remained around me. Finally, they crossed the bridge and were about to jump on the ship, where Stone Captain Azalea was waiting for them. It won''t be easy for them to enter the ship, a lot of people will die. Hun! I had just thought that when suddenly, my eyes widened. I saw a huge torrent of water coming at the ship. Its target is where Stone and others are. Zela immediately put up several shields in front of them. BANG! The torrent crashed through the shields, breaking them into pieces. Sending Stone and others a couple of steps back. The shields had taken nearly all the power from the spell. If the shields weren¡¯t there to defend against it; the torrent would have injured, even killed some of them, before throwing them into the sea. The huge torrent was enough to send everybody back and give the enemies the opportunity to land safely on the ship. They landed with their leader in the lead, while their main Mage had stayed on the ship. I was looking toward the enemy''s landing when I felt the eyes of an enemy leader on me. Due to the mask, I could only see its blue eyes; I don¡¯t know whether it is true eyes, or those glamoured by the spell, but as I felt those on me, all the hair on my body stood up. ¡°{Target To Kill: Remus Silver}¡± The enemy leader said, and it was a skill as the overwhelming feeling covered me. Suppressing everything, that I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. With the skill, also comes an understanding that they are here for me. I had already expected that, even so, hearing it feels surprising. Whoever wanted to kill me had a great intelligence network and money; these people wouldn¡¯t kill me so close to the coast, without a good price. The leader moved toward me, with its people, but was stopped immediately by Stone and Captain Azalea appearing in front of them. I heard him grin, and two people behind him moved, but at the same moment, a smile appeared on the face of Captain Azalea and Stone. Two people have come from behind them too. Captain Oliver and Hugo. It had surprised the enemy. Of course, given my luck with the travel; I decided not to take the risk. Hugo and Captain Oliver had been with us since we left the Greltheaven. They acted like a normal soldier from Captain Azalea¡¯s team; even soldiers with them didn¡¯t know who they were. They clashed with enemies, while Stone and Captain Azalea attacked the enemy leader, who didn¡¯t seem to have any fear in his eyes, seeing two of them coming at him. Instead, he grinned, and it didn¡¯t give me a good feeling. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Chapter 253: Attacked At Sea III Chapter 253: Attacked At Sea III Clang BANG BOOM! The enemies and our people met and began to clash while cannons and spells blasted from the ships. It is utter chaos, but those fighting seemed to understand it. Except for me and my guards, everybody here has a good experience the naval combat, including Captain Azalea and her men. They are going well, but my focus is on the enemy leader, who is responding to the attacks of the Stone and Captain Azalea. He seemed fearless with his cutlass. He dodged attacks Stone and responded to the attack of Captain Azalea, sending her back, before leaping at her with a lethal strike. Stone stepped in front of her and defended against the attack, shaking, before Captain Azalea attacked. They have only fought once together against the bandits, and their teamwork is better than I had expected. They are also fast, but the leader is faster and stronger, seeing how he is dealing with them. It is all blurry to me and even without suppression; I am feeling it would have been only slightly clear. It is kind of scary, considering they have been barely using any skills. They are not even using their speed skills; I know both Stone and Captain Azalea have them. There is a good chance that the enemy has it too. However, using a speed skill in a small space like a ship deck, is complicated. One needs to be quite agile. Clang! I was watching the battle when suddenly the blades clashed behind me. I turned and saw Jon clashing against a woman with daggers in both of her hands. ¡®Rogue.¡¯ I thought and shuddered. She had reached so close to me without getting discovered. If Jon hadn¡¯t been here, I would have had my head flying with my enemies cheering on the victory. The three people beside me got alarmed and I could see them activating more of their skills. Hun! A few seconds passed when suddenly, the ship began to rise. It immediately alarmed me. The sea is calm, but a wave has formed below the ship and taking it high. Since there are not any waves around me; the only thing that could do something like that, is a spell. I was panicking over it, when suddenly, the wave seemed to lose its power, and the ship fell; shaking everyone on the deck. The effects should have been greater, but it seemed like skills, had saved us. Captain Perry had kind of skills; almost all ships'' captains above Lv. 20 have such skills, especially those sails in rough seas or fighting naval battles. The fall wasn¡¯t as forceful as I had thought, but it still made quite a lot of people stumble in their places. These people fought through the stumble. Some even used this opportunity to injure and kill the ones they were fighting. Including the enemy leader, who was able to give a minor cut to Stone on the shoulder. He acted like it was nothing and went on to attack the enemy leader, who defended and attacked back. The way the leader is fighting, he is clearly experienced in the battles like this. It is clear by the grace; he is fighting with them, that Captain Azalea and Stone couldn¡¯t be compared to him in that. This isn¡¯t surprising, seeing they wouldn¡¯t hire land mercenaries when they want to kill the target at the sea. It might not look like it, but I am scared right now; more scared, than even when thousands of bandits attacked us on the snowy hills. The bandits attacked, but their target wasn¡¯t me and interrogation afterward was proof that they only wanted to kill Ignatius and capture everyone for the ransom. These people want to kill me; kill everyone on the ship and they have already made that obvious. They aren¡¯t weak. It is clear as day that they have made a preparation to achieve their target. I wouldn¡¯t let myself be a deadweight, when I had decided to stay on the deck, increasing the difficulty of people around me. Though hiding would have been even worse because they would only have needed to send one powerful person to secure the cabin and they would have been able to finish me and the rest that were hiding. Ejecting out of the safe cabin would have been a suicide; seeing how powerful the mage on the other side is. He would have drowned us to death within seconds. So, staying on the deck might seem idiotic, but it is the safest choice to protect most people. Though bad for my own safety, here, everybody could see me and target me as long as they breached through the line of guards. They are targeting me; the arrows and spells are coming toward me, but the mages are guards are defending against them. Still, I am ready and will fight the moment, I need to. I only hope someone would help me, with the suppression, I am feeling. Hun! Nearly a minute passed when something surprising happened. Zela, who was fighting against the mage on the other ship, jumped from the ship into the ocean in a barrage of cannons, that we were still firing. Some cannons didn¡¯t have people on them, but those cannons were still firing and targeting the other ship, keeping their mages busy. Captain Perry isn¡¯t a fighter. He specializes in ship control, and he is showing that. Still, I wished he had been able to move the ship fast enough that we would get away, but from the beginning, it was clear that we wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. The other ship was fast enough that even with the skills and aid of our mages, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get away. At most, we would have been able to buy a few minutes before the ship caught up to us. Zela jumped into the water but didn¡¯t drown and instead began to walk on the water, dodging and defending the cannons and spells, while at the same time casting her own offensive spells at the enemy. For a moment, I was confused why she had done that, before understanding, that it is better for her at sea, here, it gives her better freedom against the enemy, without any distraction. Here, it would be hard for even a rogue to sneak at us. It also had the disadvantages. Especially to me. If a powerful mage attacked me; she wouldn¡¯t be here to defend me. Though, I can¡¯t say her decision is wrong. From the ocean, she will be able to deal with that strong mage better. The mage is the greatest danger, more than the enemy leader, who has started to suppress Stone and Captain Azalea. He is definitely Lv. 30 or above. Stone is very good, but he is getting suppressed by the enemy leader. Though not as much as one would expect. While the ship deck might not be his favorite place to fight, he could fight in it. Especially with that sword, which is shorter than his other sword. I gave him another sword before we left Greltheaven. I had borrowed it from the armory of Greltheaven. It was wise on my part; with that huge sword, he would have been more restricted in fighting in this small space. The shorter one, gives him much greater freedom, with the same lethality. Hun! A few more seconds passed, when suddenly Captain Perry appeared beside me, and his speed was amazing. ¡°{Ward of Ship}¡± He said simply and tapped on my shoulder, and immediately, the restrictions of the enemy¡¯s skills had loosened. Not completely, but 80% of their power has gone. It made me somber, instead of joyous. As of now, I am completely sure the leader is Lv. 30 and above. The skill that Captain Perry used is ¡®Home-Advantage Skill¡¯, the type of skill that gives home-field advantages and is thus stronger than the skills of the same level. Captain Perry isn¡¯t a weak man. He might not be particularly talented, but he had swaths of experience. Had been part of the imperial armada and fought in countless naval battles and survived, luck alone isn¡¯t enough for that. ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± I said, and the man just nodded and moved fast, faster than anyone on the ship. It is clear, that he has a skill that lets him move fast across the ship and it is a very useful skill, in times like this where he needs to act fast, and he is doing that. He is the reason why, our cannons are still firing and keeping the enemy mages busy. The enemy is also firing their cannons, but their intensity is much weaker and more targeted. Unlike before, their people have boarded the ship. They couldn¡¯t attack, like before, or will end up killing their people and ours. Still, it is not enough. We are getting suppressed. Not heavily as enemies our enemies might have expected, but still. They have come with great preparations and the people they have brought are higher level, with experiences in battle like this and it is showing, seeing how they are fighting. It is not good for us, because the result of the battle depends on the people like Stone and Captain Azalea. If a single one of them had been killed; the enemy leader wouldn¡¯t have had any problem crushing the blockage and coming at me. Hun! I had just thought that when the enemies broke through and came at me, with murder in their eyes. ¡°Kill him; the leader said, whoever kills him will get the biggest reward!¡± shouted a man with dark green hair. For a moment, I panicked, but took a deep breath, before taking a step forward and attacking the first enemy that appeared in front of me. Get Exclusive Access to the new chapters ahead of everyone else on Chapter 254: Attacked At Sea IV Chapter 254: Attacked At Sea IV I stopped right in front of the enemy and swung my rapier at him using Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. The man who appeared in front of me was thin and tall, with sun-kissed skin. He had dark black hair and brown eyes that were oozing with confidence. He is feeling that killing me would be a piece of cake; a task he will accomplish within a second. My attack was sharp and fast, but I didn¡¯t see any fear in the eyes of the enemy, just a faint surprise before he swung his saber at me. His saber is fast, faster than the rapier, and it is coming directly from my neck. My rapier moved toward it when a single saber turned into the four. All of them feel very real. The way they are shining under the sunlight or how they are cleaving through the air. I couldn¡¯t find a single flaw in them and that made me panic, but I crushed that emotion immediately before it could fester my heart. Here, I couldn¡¯t afford to get wrong. A choice is a decision about life and death here. There is no one here to help me. Everyone is busy dealing with their enemies. The three guards who were around to protect me were fighting against the four enemies. Jon is keeping the rogue at bay, who is trying with everything they have to come at me. The same could be said to be true for Stone and Zela. Stone is stopping the leader, while Zela is keeping the enemy mage occupied. If I want to survive, then there is only me who could help me. I made the decision in a fraction of a second. Trusting my instinct, I moved my rapier to the second saber. Clang! My sword clashed against the saber, and I felt a shock in my arm. The power behind the attack had hit my arm hard. If it hadn¡¯t been a daily occurrence for me during the training. I wouldn¡¯t have even had a sword in my hand. Unfortunately, it is not the only thing that came with the attack. No, with it came a cold feeling. Like a silent blizzard on a moonless night. For a moment, it was refreshing, but it became rapidly colder. In less than a second, I began to feel like being encased in the ice. The enemy grinned, seeing me, shuddering, and attacked. ¡®It is all in the mind,¡¯ I repeated this sentence in my mind and moved my rapier to defend against the attack. Once again, a flash of surprise appeared on his face. To him, it seemed like it had barely affected me; except for making me shudder once, raising all the hair on my body up. The skill seemed to have barely done anything. Well, it is not true; the skill had affected me, but I am bearing its effects, thanks to all the practice I had. Instructor David and even Jon, made me train under these skills to make me get used to them. According to Jon, such skills are the easiest to deal with. As their effect is mental and not physical. I have an advantage, with my mental attributes being higher than normal and thus the only thing I need is practice. That is what I did. I practiced with every type of elemental sensation skill. From ice to fire to lightning. There are a lot of people in the army who have such skills and I have to take advantage of that and now, it is helping me to bear the effect of the skill. Clang! My rapier clashed against the real saber, and relief flooded into my heart, but it was short-lived. A moment later, I felt like a couple of hot knives pierced into me. It was extremely painful that I twitched all over and nearly screamed. If that wasn¡¯t enough, those invisible knives began to twist, giving me even greater pain. The pain from it made my world go blur, and the only thing I wanted to do was scream. The bastard is using the skill with the torturer¡¯s efficiency. The places it had put those mental knives, give the greatest pain. On top of that, it is squeezing them agonizingly slowly at speed. That gives me great pain, but also tells me, there is a lot of it that remains and it is better, I give up. Well, new flash. It is not going to happen. It attacked again, and I swung my sword in response despite seeing blurry, with teary eyes. Expecting death to take me in, the next second. Clang! My rapier struck the saber, surprising me. I had really thought he would evade my blade. C my head off and prepared to move back with the Rapid Legs, not that it would have helped me. ¡°The information had underestimated your abilities,¡± he said in a nasal voice. ¡°Thank you, and I would be really grateful if you stopped attacking me. I am willing to offer double what they are paying you,¡± I said, taking a chance. I really don¡¯t want to fight the bastard. It is stronger than me and experience seeing how it is fighting. Even with all my levels and talent, he has a high chance of killing me. I rather not take risks. The money I could earn, but not life, and if he is willing to listen, I will even give him the cores I have gotten in the dungeon. They are pretty expensive; the latest offer Ethan gave had enticed me a lot. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Adviser, but the only thing I am willing to receive is your head,¡± he said and moved at incredible speed. He appeared on my left and attacked me fast, faster than before. Hun! I didn¡¯t dare to take the attack so close and decided to dodge with Rapid Legs. Only to receive a surprise, the moment I took the first step. The ground is slippery. The only reason I hadn¡¯t fallen was a practice against such skill and the Gymnast¡¯s Grace, which advanced from the balance skill. Rip! I was not able to move as fast as I had liked to and received a cut on my shoulder. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed finally. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but the pain it caused was so much that I couldn¡¯t help but scream loudly. It is like someone had taken a fistful of the spiciest chilly and rubbed it on the world hard. Tears started to flow through my eyes again and nose, but before I could move to wipe them, another attack came, faster than before. Rip! Its saber hit me again, this time on my face. Giving me a cut across my cheek. Thankfully, I was able to dodge the wound in time and the wound he was able to give me was small. Still, like the previous wound, it begins to burn white hot, drawing out streams of water from my eyes. Clang! Another attack came, but I was able to defend against it, feeling a powerful shock on my arm, when the next attack came, I moved that same arm to defend against the attack. I have no choice; this pain is too much. I can¡¯t let myself have too many injuries; it will kill me. Using a hand isn¡¯t much better, but at least, this way, I will be able to live a few seconds longer. If I am lucky, then a few minutes. ¡°You know, you should give up. Throw your sword away and accept the sweet death.¡± He said in a voice sweeter than honey. I wanted to agree, because I know, despite my struggle, only death is waiting for me. It is better to accept it quickly than prolong it in the agony. I was about to throw away my sword. Suddenly, I realized what I was planning to do and my eyes before clear. I immediately moved my sword to defend against the coming attack, while my heart shuddered with fear. It was completely unexpected. I had not thought he would use a skill like that. ¡®Compulsion Skill,¡¯ I said and looked at the enemy in a new light. It is quite rare for a combat class to have compulsion skills. It is from his combat class; the flavor of it is clear as the day. These skills are common in legal and administrator classes. I have one, which is Persuasive, from my Masterful Administrator Class, but really rare in combat classes. ¡°It is you who should give up. I will pay you good money, more than what they are paying to kill me.¡± I said with Persuasive. There was no surprise in its eyes with me using my skill. He likely knows I have it, but I could feel they had become unfocused for a moment. I wonder what would have happened if the Persuasive would have been at the full power, without any restriction. Since it was an administrative class skill, I was able to harness less than a quarter of its power in combat. Though if I had survived this, I am definitely going to practice it in combat. This enemy had shown me a completely different path. That no one, not instructor David, Jon, or other sparring partners, did. Some old Remus instructors had said something about it, but I had forgotten, till now. With enough practice, I will be able to use more power of the skill. It will be hard, but it could be done. I had seen Ina do it. During the negotiations, Ina had used the skills of her Madam Class at full power, with barely any resistance. She had been whittling them down, using them at every opportunity she could in her job, till there was barely any resistance that had remained. Though her madam and business/admin class had better synergy than my warrior and administrator, it could be done with enough effort and practice. It will be very hard, but I will do it. The only thing I have to do is to survive; only by being alive, I will be able to achieve that. A monumental task, with heavy odds, that even I do not have confidence in, but I will give my everything for it. Not Satisfied. Visit for More.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 255: Curse and Opportunity Chapter 255: Curse and Opportunity Clang Clang Rip The enemy continued with his attacks, and I was defending with my all, using everything I had, but I was still getting injured. The talent alone isn¡¯t enough to bridge the gap of level and experience. Still, I have to survive, and I am pushing everything I have to the limit. It is the only thing; I could do to survive against this enemy. ¡°Stop resisting and give up or things will get far worse than they are right now,¡± he said with the compulsion skill, before attacking me, with an extremely fast attack. He has a skill like Swift Blade and when he combines that with an illusion attack. It made the deadly combination; the majority of the injuries on my body were a result of that. They are extremely painful; tears are constantly streaming down my face and my nose is runny, and the worst thing, I couldn¡¯t even wipe it away. I had never fought such a messy battle. Clang! I defended the attack, feeling the hammering blow on my wrist once again. The speed and pain aren¡¯t the only things he has, he also has the power behind his attacks. As I defended, he immediately moved to my right and attacked again, and this time, I decided to dodge, giving a little relief to my hand. Dodging of the attack came with the risk. The bastard had made the floor slippery with his skills. If I didn¡¯t have the Gymnast¡¯s Grace, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to move even a step. I dodged the attack successfully; other than my clothes, it wasn¡¯t able to tear, anything else. BANG! I had just dodged the attack and moved my rapier to counter another when the deafening bang rang through the ship, and with it came the sharp wooden shrapnel that blasted in every direction everywhere. Some of it struck me, including my head. The cannonball had struck the ship at the port side, taking a portion of it. The two people who were fighting near it flunked into the sea. It is a good thing; the enemy is targeting the ship with the aim of sinking it and thus targeting the bottom of it. If that cannonball landed on the deck; it would have caused more than mere injuries. Clang! I countered the attack while bearing the splinters. He seems to be used to using such things, there is barely any surprise in his eyes. He even moved his neck away smoothly to dodge the large piece of wood coming at him. He is experienced in fighting in an environment like this. It would be idiocy to even consider using such an environment against him. From the beginning, I have only one target, and that is to survive. I didn¡¯t even think of killing him; he is more powerful than me, more experienced and I am surviving till now, which is a testament to my own skill. I crushed every thought of adventurism in this battle. It might have worked in the other battle, but it won¡¯t work on this one. Ting! ¡°I am not going to ask who hired you, but tell me how much they paid you for this mission. You know, for future reference,¡± I asked it as his sword hit the chest place, I was wearing, taking a breath out of me. The enchanted light armor is the reason I am alive. If it weren¡¯t for them, my body would have been floating in the sea. Rip! The next attack hit me, giving me a cut across my stomach, and with it came a blinding pain. I bore it and moved my sword to defend against another attack. It is the only thing I could do. It is the only thing everyone here could do. I could see a glimpse of other battles. Zela is doing everything she can to stop the other mage from sinking the ships. Captain Perry and his men are steering the ship and attacking the enemy with cannons. I thought the number of cannonballs on the ship was excessive, but now, it didn¡¯t feel like that. Still, I could see Captain Perry lowering the intensity of them with the passing of time. The numbers might be large, but the way we were firing them, they would run out eventually. It is wiser to use them economically, especially when our enemy has run out of them. Now, it is firing energy blasts, and only two cannons seem to be capable of that. It is helping Zela a lot, as the Mage has to direct some of his spells to defend against the cannons. On the ship, the condition is the same. Captain Oliver is struggling against the enemy, who is stronger than him, but the young captain is putting up an impeccable defense. Stone and Captain Azalea are a little worse than him. Their conditions are similar to mine, with their bodies getting covered in injuries, while there is not a single injury on the body of the enemy leader. Even after exchanging hundreds of attacks; they were not able to bring even a single attack on him. It is clear that the leader either has some powerful class, or he is a little higher in the Level 30s. Stone is not weak; even bandit leaders weren¡¯t able to injure him as this man had done and he did it so quickly. Hun! The leader was in my line of sight when I saw him do something surprising. .... Azalea ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to do this,¡± said the leader with regret, and a moment later, a small silver scroll appeared in his hand. ¡®Spell scroll!¡¯ I thought and attacked to rip it apart; Stone beside me was the same, but the leader was fast. He unfurled it too quickly, and it shone in the dark grey light before the dark grey beam shot toward its target. ¡°Stone, watc!¡± I screamed in alarm, but the beam was so fast that it had struck him, before I could even form a first sentence. ¡°The curse beam of Htolon; powerful in its own right, but especially deadly to you with that curse, you are suppressing inside your body,¡± said the leader to Stone as he dodged my attack, before attacking with his. He was fast as a viper, and I moved to defend because Stone didn¡¯t seem to be in any condition to do that. The beam seemed to have frozen him, with blackthorns coming out of his body and spreading all over him. .... Ahhhhh.... I heard Stone¡¯s scream as the curse he had been suppressing had burst out with the full power, thanks to the attack that the enemy leader had cast on him. Zela had told me about the curse. It is a powerful curse that acts like a disease. When it is cast, it is very weak, so it hides and slowly grows stronger. Once it got strong enough, it started to restrict the body from using its full strength and flare to consume the body to make itself stronger. Jon and Zela were lucky enough to have their curse removed from the lich, but Stone and the other three still have it. Stone¡¯s is strongest; he had taken the brunt of the curse and only survived because of his giant blood. Now, it didn¡¯t seem to be enough, seeing how it had immobilized Stone. The curse had never done that, at least not in the midst of battle. I feel ashamed seeing him; the healing requires a Bishop at least, and even with my power and family''s name, I couldn¡¯t get their services to heal them. Most, I was able to get a special kind of holy water, which suppresses the curse and stops it from growing further. It also has a small effect of eradicating it but needs to be taken regularly for at least a decade. ¡°The giant blood is gone, and that woman poses no challenge to our leader. Soon, all of you will die,¡± said the man in front of me, grinning. Clang! ¡°Tell me that, after it happened,¡± I replied, and defended against its attack. It attacked again, and I moved to dodge while sneaking a faint glance at the enemy leader, who was furiously attacking Captain Azalea, who was trying to defend Stone. It is clear that alone, she is no match for the enemy, but she is still defending. I felt like her condition had become similar to mine, but the enemy she was fighting was stronger than mine, more experienced, and crueler, seeing the way he was injuring her. I wished I could help her, but my life depended on her. Once the energy leader dealt with her; it would only take him a moment to finish Stone off in his current state before coming at me. I am no match for it, even if I had used everything I have; I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid its attack, even if it was an attack where he didn¡¯t use even a single skill. Hun! A few seconds passed and her condition before worse, when suddenly something happened that attracted the eyes of nearly everyone on the ship. ¡®Did he want to drown us all,¡¯ I thought when I saw an enormous wave growing out of the sea. It grew bigger and bigger, till it had to take the whole ship under its shadow when suddenly it stopped as if someone had taken power out of it and started to fall Even my opponent seemed to be surprised by it but didn¡¯t move away to pick up the railing, as so many did. Instead, it turned to me and came at me, with a laugh. I moved to defend myself while my heartbeat was in fear. The wave is huge, but it won''t kill. It would have become a killing if it had grown even bigger, but it is still dangerous. It might kill to flip the ship. If it didn¡¯t do that, it would throw us into the sea, which is even more dangerous, as it would make us completely at the mercy of the mage, and I don¡¯t think there is any mercy in his heart. Clang! I defended the attack, but I came at me, and this time, the wave had come close. It is a moment away, crashing into the shop. Rip! His sword cut through my stomach once again, giving me a burning pain, but it was not the not the only thing I felt. I also felt the water. BANG! The next moment, the wave crashed on the ship hard; that I felt like, I had been hit by the sledgehammer. Hun! Though, the force didn¡¯t throw me away from the ship, as I had expected it to do. I found my feet sticking to the deck with surprising strength, that even such a powerful wave was only able to push me back. Which inadvertently saved me from the killing attack, which would have divided me into two. ¡°Lucky bastard!¡± cursed the enemy and came at me with another attack. As the water, begin to disperse from the deck. I didn¡¯t even see the effect it had caused. As I used everything, I had to push my sword forward to defend against the attack. BANG! I defended the attack and moved my sword again to defend another when I heard a deafening bang. A cannonball crashed into the ship. It crashed close to the deck, blasting a huge hole and throwing splinters of wood all over. Some pieces hitting with one especially long one buried itself in my thigh. I didn¡¯t even look at it, as my focus is something else I had noticed. The big piece of coming toward hard. It is coming directly at the enemy in front of me. He also seemed to have sensed it. He stopped the attack and moved to dodge the big piece of wood. BAM! Unfortunately, it came too fast and hit him hard. Breaking his bones and sending him stumbling forward. I was shocked to see the turn of events, but I instantly recognize the opportunity, it is and moved forward with everything I had, not caring about the pain I was feeling or even a large wooden splinter into my leg. I moved forward and swung my sword, harnessing every bit of power from Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. My sword moved with a speed it had never moved before and took only a fraction of a second, to reach the neck of the enemy. It was when his disoriented eyes focused and he saw my blade. His eyes widened in horror, but true to his experience, he reacted quickly. Unfortunately for him. Like that block of wood, my sword got too close, too fast for him to dodge. My sword reached him, and enchantments of my sword flared at full power. At the same time, I activated Sharpness and harnessed every bit of it. Pachack! A sharp wet sound rang out as my sword came out the other side, while the masked head of the enemy flew into the air.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 256: Giant Blood Chapter 256: Giant Blood Thud! The head fell to the ground and rolled beside my feet; I watched the masked head, unable to believe that I killed him. He was really powerful, and I didn¡¯t even think about killing him My only goal was to survive, but the freak chance provided the opportunity, and I took it, leading to the current circumstances. With him being dead, all the pain given from his skill vanished. Only the pain from the injuries has remained. I looked at it for a moment, before taking out the potion bottle. I might have killed him, but there are enemies everywhere around me. I have to deal with injuries as soon as possible and be ready to face the other enemies. There will be it will probably be an enemy leader, who will come at me after he has finished with Captain Azalea. It won¡¯t take him long. I took out the potion bottle and gulped it all down before taking out another and beginning to spread it to my injuries. Hun! I was amidst that when suddenly I noticed something from the corner of my eyes, before moving my head. And what I saw shocked me. .... Azalea Rip! Another bloody wound appeared on my stomach, and it was hurting like hell. I thought the bandit leader was bad, but this bastard is even worse than him, with more insidious skills. I don¡¯t think I could last long in front of him; even ten seconds would be a challenge. I am already heavily injured, and every fresh injury getting me closer to death. I do not fear death, but unwilling to accept it so quickly. It would be a good death, but I want it grand. I like to die on the battlefield, fighting against the grand enemy instead of on a ship in the sea. It is a regret that I couldn¡¯t show those bastards how big the mistake they have made sending me here. It is basically a punishment posting; most middle-level officers and some high-level ones have been sent to boundary regions because they have made some mistake or pissed off someone powerful. ¡°I think I have wasted enough time on you. It is time, I finished you and kill the target!¡± said the leader and attacked again, but this time, the attack was different. ¡®It is really an end,¡¯ I thought, seeing his blade. He had been hiding his skills; the attack coming was faster than any of his attacks. I don¡¯t think I would be able to defend against it. Still, I am not going without a battle and harnessed every bit of power I could from my skills. Pushing them for the one last defiance, before the death. My sword reached his, but it didn¡¯t clash. Instead, it evaded my sword gracefully despite my attempts and came toward my neck. Hun! Soon, the sword was right in front of me, and I looked at it directly and calmed my unwilling heart to accept death when something shocking happened. Another sword appeared in front of me. On the path of the one coming to kill me. This sword is familiar, but unfamiliar at the same time because it had a faint bronze energy covering it. Clang! Both swords clashed, and I felt some sparks hitting my face, but I didn¡¯t even notice them. As I am seeing, the man who is already tall and big, becoming even bigger, with bronze energy covering his whole body. Even the enemy seemed shocked at seeing the sudden developments. ¡°Giant blood,¡± said the enemy, looking at Stone covered in bronze energy. He is a giant blood, it is not a secret; one careful look is enough to tell one that, but what is happening to him is clearly shocking. He had awakened his giant blood, the blood of the elder race. No, not awakened. He is in the process of awakening. I am one of the few people who have seen a complete awakening, and it is not. Stone had only been able to bring out the energy and not marks, and his size only increased slightly. It is not easy to awaken the blood of the elder race; most people die in the process. Especially during the awakening of the giant¡¯s blood. ¡°Thank you for protecting me, Captain Azalea,¡± said Stone, before appearing in front of me and turning to the enemy leader, who was looking at him angrily. That only lasted for a moment before the emotions changed, and mirth appeared in his eyes. ¡°So, you have started the awakening. The extra payment would be good,¡± said the leader and attacked. His attack was fast. So fast that he turned into a blur, but even a blur, I could tell the incredible power his attack contained. My expressions couldn¡¯t help but become serious, seeing that. If he had used such power against me, he would have been able to finish me, in a single attack. ... Clang Clang Clang The enemy leader and Stone begin to fight at speed, which is completely a blur to me. I could only see their colors and nothing more. A few seconds ago, I was preparing for death, but now, I have hope, a real hope. I didn¡¯t feel that before. Stone is harnessing the power of his giant blood and it has not just made him bigger, but also stronger. He is still not as strong as the enemy leader, as he revealed his true power, but more than strong enough to keep him contained in his place. Captain Azalea had already drunk and applied the potion and now has moved to deal with a different enemy. Everyone noticed it, especially our people, and it had done wonders for their morale. It is so visible that even a dumb person will be able to see the changes in their fighting. Our enemies have also noticed, especially their mage on the ship. Whose spells have become stronger. I could see how Zela was visibly struggling against the mage, but she was fighting with the aid of Captain Perry, who was still attacking the enemies with the cannons. Though his attacks have become much more targeted, he has also started to use the energy cannons. Thankfully, all the cannons on the ship are dual-used. They could use the physical cannonballs, as well as the energy ones. Hun! I was watching that when I saw a spell coming at me; the wind blades and they encompassed by a large area. I immediately moved with the rapid steps. As I did, the shield appeared in front of me, and a second later; the wind blades crashed into them. All of them stopped by the shields; not a single one was able to touch me. If one asked me, who I was most impressed with in this battle, then I would say the mages. They are doing incredible; I have been attacked by hundreds of spells and arrows, but they have not let even a single one hit me. They have defended against all. Hun! I was feeling grateful for the mages when I saw Zela neutralizing hundreds of water missiles. It made me relieved; as those missiles would have torn through everyone on the ship. The relief was short-lived as a moment later; the wave began to form, getting bigger and bigger with every passing second. Soon, it had become as big as the last one, that crashed into the ship, earlier and still growing bigger and bigger. It grew so big that people fighting on the ship had slowed down. Everyone could feel, seeing how big the wave had become; it could really flip the ship and the thing is. It is still growing. It continued to grow, till it grew nearly twice as the wave before when it had suddenly stopped and started to fall toward the ship. Seeing that, nearly everyone separated except for Stone, Jon, and Captain Azalea; they kept fighting their opponents, without care for the wave. I am not like them; I am close to the starboard and quickly went near the railing and gripped them tightly with my hand while keeping the sword ready to deal with any danger that came at me. The last time, the captain''s skill had saved us, but this time, the wave was big enough that it could upend the ship. I need to be ready to face everything and this is a good spot, even if it comes with its own dangers. The wave got closer and closer till; I could feel the drops of water on my face. I could also feel skills activating and three of them were quite powerful that, I could tell, they were from the captain. BANG! Finally, the giant wave crashed. It crashed with such force that I felt like it would crush my bones. At the same time, I felt the ship moving to one side while I saw nothing but the water around me. The wave is huge, containing an enormous amount of water; it is a good thing, I had taken a deep breath. Still, it wouldn¡¯t be enough; the force of the wave moving the ship to one side and with the way it was moving, the ship would upend. The ship had reached a sharp angle, throwing a couple of people into the sea, and was about to upend, when suddenly it stopped as if something had blocked it before it began to fall back into its place. The water on the deck also came down, and I could see the sky again and breathe, but stopped breathing a moment later when I saw the scene on the ship. Third of the people seemed to have fallen off the ship, while those on the ship were able to stay on it by clinging to different things. Though three pairs of people are still fighting as if the giant wave that nearly tripped the ship into the water, hadn¡¯t affected them at all. They are fighting even more intensely, and it is all blurry to me, that I can¡¯t see any moves they are making. Though, that doesn¡¯t mean I am not seeing anything. I could still understand a few things. I can see, how Captain Azalea dominating her opponent, while Jon and the rogue seemed to be on equal terms. Stone, on the other hand, is slightly suppressed, but he is keeping the enemy occupied. I could see how the leader was trying to come at me, but Stone was blocking his every attempt. Though, if I am asked who I am worried about, then it would be Zela. The other mage is clearly stronger than her, and she is keeping him occupied, but the question is, how long will she be able to do that? Once she is defeated. I could forget about surviving. There is no way I could survive. There is a reason why the mages are so feared. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 257: Battle of Mages Chapter 257: Battle of Mages Zela {Shields of Ahasin} {Dispel} I cast the two spells again to deal with the barrage of water lances and water tentacles coming from below to at me. I cast the spells and moved with the Aqua Glide. Staying in one place is a mistake in front of an enemy like him. Countless times, he had nearly had me and would have, if not for my trusted dispel magic. It is the spell I had cast most of my life. The place where I learned magic wasn¡¯t a place specialized in it. It is an academy with a small magic program. I had to scrap for every morsel of magical knowledge, from those teachers, who didn¡¯t have much of a foundation themselves. The day I got the Scholar Class was the best day of my life. It is because of that; that I was able to get a job at Great Mage Ursula¡¯s tower. I was a lowly scholar and Dispel was the first spell I had learned there. It was to dispel the spell of novice mages when they got out of control. It was a boring job, but I loved it, because of everything I was learning. It is because of it; that I was able to advance my class to Magic Scholar and had a dream of becoming a mage scholar. Years passed, and I was making steady progress until that fateful day. I still have a memory of the burning tower; many of my friends and colleagues died there. Even the Great Mage Ursula had been slain by them; the only reason I had survived was because I was nobody and they had bigger targets to kill. After that day, nearly every day was a struggle, till we escaped from the island and reached the shores of Zenid. I had tried to forget what I had experienced, it was hard, and I had nightmares, but I had started to make progress till today. This mage attacking me had brought back the memories I had been trying to forget for the past year. The spells he is using and the way he is using them feel similar to the water mages that had attacked the tower. I am not saying he is in that group, but his style felt quite similar to theirs. The spells also bear a lot of similarities. The spells might be the same, but there is a difference between them. When mages reach Lv. 20; they start to tailor their spells based on their preference and environment. Tailoring the spells is one of the perquisites to advance after Lv. 20. It is through this manipulation; that we gain mastery of the element, and consolidate at Lv. 30, where we truly start the journey in our element. This tailoring becomes a signature of every mage, and it is present in every spell they use. His signature felt familiar. {Dispel} I cast the spell again to dispel the thorns coming from above. The Mage is more powerful than me; a true Lv. 30. The difference between our levels may seem short, but the gap between Lv. 30 Mage and those below is pretty big. Consolidation brings tremendous benefits. The only reason I am even able to defend against him is because of the experiences I had after that day. Where surviving every day was a struggle, every bottle of potion was scarce. One would need to rely on their own mana. They have and use it as efficiently as possible. It was hard, as sometimes, I would need to fight several battles with a horde. The hordes were relentless; there is no escape from them unless you truly destroy them. It forced me to utilize the natural mana around me more in my spells, which is far harder than using my own mana. Especially in an environment where there is no abundant mana like it is present here. He might be a Lv. 30 Mage, but I am better than him in utilizing the elemental mana and it is the reason why I am alive right as well. It was also because of my great familiarity with {Dispel} and the spells I have, especially the one Mr. Silver had given me. It is the first of three spells he had given me, which I am using constantly to defend the ship and myself from the enemy. I am defending, but I won¡¯t be able to do it forever. I won¡¯t be able to cast long if I keep casting the spell at this pace. I have already drunk the last mana potion; if I drink more, I will suffer the mana poisoning, but I don¡¯t think I will have any choice. In less than ten minutes, I will be completely empty and will need to drink a potion to sustain myself. I could forget about getting any help; there won¡¯t be any help, seeing everybody struggling on the ship. The only way this battle ends is if the enemy is also reaching the end of his mana reserve. The enemy, being a Lv. 30, has bigger mana reserves, but seeing how big spells he is using one after another; he is expanding that rapidly. Compared to him, my spells are more economical. It also helped that Captain Perry was an amazing Captain, who had made the enemy mage use lots of spells to defend against the cannons and saved the ship from drowning. Especially from the second wave, which I had thought would upend the ship. I have seen many ships being sunk by such spells, but Captain Perry stops his ship from sinking. However, he was not able to stop some people from getting thrown out of the ship. With these factors, there is a chance that he is also low on mana, as I am. However, I might be wrong, and he might have a mana absorption skill, that every mage desires or that priceless mana potion with emotional essence. Only one sip of it was said to be enough to fill the reserves fully, without suffering the burn. {Water Lances} I coordinated my attack with the cannon blasts from the ships and used Aqua Glide to move quickly across the water. Dodging the cage spell, appeared in the place where I was standing a second ago. ¡®Why don¡¯t you just accept my offer? The money I am offering is far more than what you will earn in a year,¡¯ he said. This is not the first time he has offered me money, and the amount is good. That some people in my place would have made the deal. The only thing I have to do is let the few spells hit the ship. This way, I wouldn¡¯t be implicated, and he would be able to achieve his target. ¡®Not Interested.¡¯ I said simply. The money was good, but Mr. Silver had spent more on the spell books he had given me. Not to mention, he had helped me remove the curse and helped others deal with theirs. Even if there weren¡¯t all these benefits; I wouldn¡¯t accept that. Once the job is accepted, I will give my everything to finish it. I could get out of here as my life was in danger and the contract stipulated that I could escape in such a condition, without facing any repercussions, but I would not. I like Silver and this job, despite the constant dangers me and my team face in it. ¡®Then don¡¯t blame me for doing this,¡¯ he replied after a moment of silence and my Dangersence warned loudly and I shuddered, but reacted immediately with Aqua Glide. I stopped one, and a half steps later, when I saw the spell materialize around me. ¡°Sphere of Daggers,¡± I muttered as the large sphere of watery daggers enveloped me. There are hundreds of daggers in it, all with icy tips; just looking at them, I felt pricks all over my body. It is a dangerous Grade 3 spell: a spell only High-Mage like him could use. Powerful enough to butcher a group of hundred in seconds. Showing me why people shudder in fear whenever a mage of his caliber enters the battle. ¡®Your senses are very good, able to sense all the spells I had attacked you with,¡¯ he said with mirth in his voice. Yes, I have good senses, but they can be fooled. He just did that. ¡®Die,¡¯ he said simply and cut the telepathic spell. Sup Sup Sup At the same time, the daggers in the sphere moved. They came at me with their icy tips, wanting to butcher me bloody. They will, and even the armor I am wearing won¡¯t be able to help me with it. Though he had made a huge mistake to assume that I would die by it. Yes, it is a powerful spell, and I am scared of it, but I am not defenseless. {Mirror of Sybaris} I closed my eyes and activated the spell; I had not thought I would use in this battle. It is a second spell Mr. Silver had given to me and not a defensive spell, but a show spell. I had only learned it because it is a free spell. The spell makes palm-sized beautiful mirrors of water. They shine beautifully and show one beautiful light. The girls of the establishment love it. As for why, I had used this spell instead of the conventional defensive shields, because those daggers are extremely powerful, and using conventional defensive spells would use a lot of manas. The structure of the spell is such that my defensive methods are weak against it. These daggers might pierce through them, with that second spell covering them. Not to mention, those daggers are highly maneuverable, and they will slip through the gaps. Mirror of Sybaris is a better choice. It is a modified show spell; those tiny mirrors are tougher than one would expect, and they are also highly maneuverable. Once that was done, I closed my eyes to focus on the passive skill Water Sense. I got it at Lv. 20. It is my most favorite skill. The mirrors materialized around me as the daggers reached me. The first dagger came, and I moved the mirror moved it. Ting Crack... It crashed against the mirror and the water mirror made a cracking sound like a real mirror. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, because the mirror was able to stop the dagger. I was thinking it might not be able to, but it did. I couldn¡¯t enjoy this small victory as tens of daggers came, and I moved the mirrors to defend against them and at the same time, while adding mana to heal the cracked mirrors. I began defending against every dagger that came at me with those beautiful mirrors. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful for those teens in the circle. Who constantly pestered me for this spell. It helped me a lot in getting familiar with this spell, which I had only learned to increase the number of spells in my collection. If I had survived. I will practice this spell with the same zeal as I practice other spells and also thank those girls. Puch! I defended more than a hundred daggers when one was able to evade the mirrors and hit me. It breached through the protective spell covering my body, before piercing through my shoulder. It went deep and cracked my bone. It was painful, but I barely focused on it. All my focus is on defending against the daggers that are still coming at me. They hit the beautiful mirrors, which stopped them. I didn¡¯t sense any daggers, and opened my eyes, feeling proud that I had defended against such a powerful spell, when suddenly, that smile on my face vanished. ¡°Bastard!¡± I cursed and moved toward the ship while pouring every bit of mana I had into my staff. Sphere of daggers was a distraction; it kept enough busy that it could cast that spell on the ship. I can¡¯t let him succeed or everyone will die. Mr. Silver and my friends. This spell isn¡¯t something they could defend against. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 258: Enemies Retreat Chapter 258: Enemies Retreat ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed seeing the spell and wanted to jump out of the ship, but staying would be even more dangerous. Above the ship, in the sky, is a giant spindle pillar made of water crystal. It is not the ice, but the water crystal. The shade and structure of water crystal are distinct from the ice, even if both looked similar at first glance. It had materialized a moment ago when the mist dispersed. It is coming down like a missile, with gravity increasing its momentum every second. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the water crystals were heavier than the ice. This is a torpedo spell; I don¡¯t know the exact name, but it will explode, without a doubt. I wanted to jump out of the ship. As many are doing, both our men and the enemies, but unlike them, I am the target. The moment I jumped into the sea; I would be in his domain and killing me would be a piece of cake. Still, if I felt like, the pillar would strike the ship, I would jump. I am already in position and could make a jump at any moment. There is certain death if it hits the ship. Everybody had stopped fighting, including Jon and Captain Azalea, but not Stone. He is still fighting against the enemy leader. Stopping him from coming at me, which he is trying constantly. Even now, I could see him trying to come at me. A second passed, and it got even closer, becoming even bigger; that I wanted to jump into the sea and nearly did. ¡°{Rotating Cannons} {One Target} {Reinforced Ship}¡± I was struggling to hold myself on the ship when I heard Captain Perry scream the skills. Immediately, I felt the faint change in the ship; at the same, I saw the cannons moving up toward the huge spindle pillar at the ship. Hun! If that wasn¡¯t enough; I saw another danger materializing. ¡®The bastard wouldn¡¯t let us defend his attack easily,¡¯ I thought, seeing the lances. There are hundreds of them, more than he had ever launched, and if they hit the ship, they will skewer it along with everyone else on it. A moment later, I felt relieved when I saw the shield appearing in front of them, but that relief was also short-lived. The number of shields there wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop all the lances. Fourth of them will be able to come to the ship. Which are over fifty lances. They are more than enough to finish the job. This two-pronged attack was too powerful, and my mind was telling me to jump out of the ship. The ones who had not jumped had already jumped out of the ship, including Jon and Captain Azalea, both of them walking on the sea. One doesn¡¯t need ocean walking skills to do that; one just needs to be fast enough. A speed skill is more than enough for it. Both of them are fast enough with their speed skills to break the surface tension and create a depression in the water, which will allow them to stay on the water comfortably. It is a simple physics. Soon, the spindle pillar had reached close enough that I could see clearly how massive the spell was. BANNG! I was watching when a loud, unified sound rang out from all the cannons on the ship, as they fired. All the cannonballs shot together and went toward the spindle pillar. As they did; I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the cannon balls weren¡¯t the usual grey. They are green and seeing that, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up. The man had kept the best stuff for the last. Hun! My mood was good, but once again, the enemy spoiled it. I saw the shields popping up in front of them. There is no way, the enemy mage, would let anything come in the way of his most powerful attack. Bang Bang Bang The cannons crashed against the shields and exploded with such power, that they sent powerful shockwaves. I nearly stumbled, but I kept looking up, where half of the cannonballs, moved toward the spindle pillar. The shields were not able to stop all the cannonballs, while some didn¡¯t form completely. Thanks to Zela. The cannonballs reached the spindle pillar, while at the same time, the water lances reached the shields in front of the ship. BANNNG! The cannon balls hit the spindle pillar, creating a massive explosion. So powerful it was dust went in all directions and covered the large area. The powerful shockwave from it hit the ship and swayed it to one side; I feared, it might upend into the seal. I don¡¯t know whether it would trip or not, but it presented the opportunity for me, and I fell to the ground and lay flat. The water lances crashed against shields, but not all of them. Fourth of them came at the ship, which had swayed it to one side. Bang Bang Bang Bang The water lances crashed into the swayed starboard to masts, tearing them apart, and sending the splintered wood everywhere. Some hit me hard, pierced my body, and broke my bones, but I didn¡¯t care about any of that. All I cared about were the water lances, which had hit the starboard. A few flew directly over me, before crashing into the sea. Some of them went to Stone and the enemy leader, both separated and dealt with lances, before fighting again. Even under such an attack; the enemy leader is still trying to kill me. In seconds, it was all over. I couldn¡¯t believe I had survived. I truly hadn¡¯t thought I would survive. I craned my neck and looked at the damage the spell had caused, and it made me shudder. There are tens of holes in the ship, with masks broken and sails torn. If the ship hadn¡¯t swayed by the shockwave; it might have not survived. I might have not survived. In this sense, it was the attack of the enemy mage that had saved us from his other attack. Hun! I heaved a big sigh of relief and was about to get up when I saw an enemy leader above me. I saw his amber eyes, filled with the desire to kill, with his cutlass pointed toward my chest. ¡°Die!¡± he said simply, and brought down his cutlass in swift motion, without wasting any time. I wanted to move my sword to defense, but I knew it could never reach the cutlass. Still, I didn¡¯t close my eyes and looked at the eyes of the bandit leader, who would reap my life in a moment. The cutlass moved swiftly till there was an inch between it and my chest when suddenly, everything turned black in front of me. A moment later, it cleared, and a smile appeared on my face. I am on the ship but in a different place. A place where Stone had been a moment ago and now, he is in the place, where I had been. I turned toward him and saw him fighting against the enemy leader. I hope the leader couldn¡¯t use skill twice or I would really be dead. As far as I know, Stone couldn¡¯t use the skill twice in one day. I looked at them for a second before getting up and expecting another barrage of spells coming at the ship, but there were none. The enemy mage is standing, and, for the first time; he doesn¡¯t seem to be casting any spell. He is looking at Zela, who is staring back at him. As if sensing me looking at him, he looked at me. Fearing he might attack me, I prepared to defend, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he looked he looked at away at the person behind him, before staring into the distance. I didn¡¯t know what he was looking at, but I quickly took out the healing potion bottle and drank it, before starting to apply it on the wounds. There are a lot of injuries on my body. I needed to heal them quickly, to deal with anything that came at me. ¡°Retreat!¡± He said, shocking me and everyone else. It is a word, I was hoping to hear, but didn¡¯t expect he would say it. His staff shone a second later, with water coming above from the ocean, forming a bridge. ¡°You are lucky!¡± said the enemy leader and hopped on the bridge, while I watched blankly. He reached his ship, and the other four people also appeared on it a second later, while the rest got pulled out of the ocean by the mage. Soon, everybody is back on the ship, but their numbers are less than they had when they first attacked. People died, our as well as theirs. The ship began to move, getting further and further till it became a dot in the distance. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked finally. ¡°The rescue,¡± answered Captain Perry from behind. I didn¡¯t see the rescue ships, but I accepted the answer and sat down. Zela appeared on the ship several seconds later and sat down, before closing her eyes. She seemed to have fallen asleep, which is not surprising, seeing how she was able to hold herself against a High Mage. Without her, all of us would have died. I looked at her for a moment before turning to Stone. Who seemed to have fallen unconscious, but the faint bronze light was still coming off his body. The power of the elder race comes with the price. The sooner he finishes awakening, the safer he will be, but that process isn¡¯t easy, more than half die. Captain Perry, on the other hand, is directing everyone who is in a good state. Taking stock of injuries and collecting the dead bodies. Everyone is silent. Even I didn¡¯t speak much, other than asking a mage to send a few messages. I informed the Count of the condition and his reply was, a little strange, but I am too tired to think about it. I am feeling very sleepy, but I am waiting for the rescue ships; that finally came into view. There are three ships; all of them are warships. It is no wonder the enemies retreated. Still Craving. Visit for More.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 259: Lv. 19 Chapter 259: Lv. 19 Steller Captain Lv. 24 {Skill Gained...} . . . Warrior Lv. 21 . . . Seaman Lv. 23 {Skill Gained...} . . . Blade Warrior Lv. 19 There was a text in front of me when I opened my eyes, but I slid it away. There is no joy in my heart seeing myself level. Instead, there is shock, pain, and grief. They had come for me specifically; sent two Lv. 30 powerhouses, along with a party of Lv. 20+ and Lv. 25+ powerhouses, all of them experienced in naval combat. It needs planning and a lot of money, and they are willing to spend it to kill me. They nearly did and the only reason I had even survived was due to the freaky luck and exceptional people around me. The gravity of it is weighing me down. I stayed staring blankly for a few minutes before getting up from the bed and walking out of the cabin. My body aches and my bandages feel itchy as I walk. The potions had done their job and now it was my body to do it. It will take a few days for me to recover fully. Though, I will need to see a healer. The ship''s healer had seen me but said I should see a higher-level one, in case he had missed something. I hadn¡¯t just suffered cuts, but wooden shrapnel had pierced me, and my bones were broken. It needs deeper care than simply drinking the potion. ¡°You should be resting,¡± I said to Jon, following behind me. Like everyone else, he had also suffered injuries, but his injuries were lighter compared to me and others. Still, he fought an intense battle and needed rest. ¡°I will after we reach Port Midlet,¡± he replied, and I shook my head, knowing he wouldn¡¯t listen, even if I pressed. Soon, I reach the infirmary, where two people standing guard. They opened the door and let me in. I walked into a small infirmary with seven beds. All of them are occupied by people who fought the battle, including Stone and Zela. I turned to Stone, who was still unconscious, with bronze light coming off him. Though it had become much fainter. It was not noticeable unless one really looked at him clearly. Like earlier, there are some people around him. He is a curiosity, an object of great fascination and research. He is an elder blood, who is in the process of awakening. People rarely get to see such things. ¡°Has he woken up?¡± I asked the healer, who was by Stone, and he shook his head. I nodded and turned to Zela, who had woken up. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked as I stopped at her bed. ¡°Other than tired. Good,¡± she replied. ¡°You should rest then,¡± I said gently. It hadn¡¯t been even five hours since we had come to the military ship and with the battle she had fought. She needs to rest for at least a day. She smiled, but soon, her expression turned serious. ¡°There is a message from Count Darrow; he wants to talk to you directly,¡± she replied. ¡°I will message him,¡± I replied, to which, she shook her head. ¡°He wants to talk to you directly. He said, it is extremely important,¡± she spoke, and I hesitated before shaking my head. ¡°Take a rest; I will talk to him after you wake up,¡± I said. The Count wouldn¡¯t like it, but he would understand. Currently, only Zela knows the spell; I don¡¯t know whether any shop mages knew, which is unlikely, but even if they knew. I wouldn¡¯t trust them in communication, seeing how Count had used ¡®extremely important¡¯. He doesn¡¯t use those words lightly. ¡°I can support the spell for a few minutes,¡± she said, extending her hand. I hesitated for a second before placing my hand in hers. There must be something really important. It might be related to the assassination attempt; he might be able to find out who was behind it. I really want to know who is that that wants to kill and is willing to spend huge money and have enough connections to make it happen. She picked up her staff, and it lit up. For a few seconds, there was nothing, before I felt something clicking. ¡®Mage Zela connecting to High-Mage York,¡¯ said Zela. ¡®Mage York connecting to Mage Zela,¡¯ said Mage York from the other side. ¡®High-Mage. I am still recovering and won¡¯t be able to support the connection for more than four minutes,¡¯ said Zela. ¡°Understood. Mage Zela,¡± said Mage York. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted. For a few seconds, there was no reply, before the sound of Count Darrow rang out and it was somber. ¡°Listen carefully, what I have to say, Remus,¡± said Count Darrow, without any niceties. He didn¡¯t even ask me about my health. ¡°In the morning, there are thirty-one assassination attempts across the thirteen cities of the renwell region.¡± ¡°Of which, nineteen had succeeded. Our city had three, if we count one, on you at the sea. The other two are on the Ulnas Regis and Beaumont,¡± ¡°Ulnas Regis is dead,¡± he said. For a few seconds, I wasn¡¯t able to process it all. It is like a powerful earthquake hit my heart. I had expected many things, but not this. The sheer scale of it was too big; the ones who did it are very powerful, with vast fortune and connections and I am one of their targets. It made me feel worse. Earlier, I had thought; I had been targeted specifically and now I realized that I am part of the list, which means it is very likely, that I will be targeted again. ¡°Is the information complete?¡± I asked. ¡°There are likely more assassination attempts. We will know soon enough, till then, take care of yourself, and don¡¯t go anywhere, without adequate security,¡± replied Count. ¡°What about the negotiations?¡± I asked. ¡°It is up to you,¡± he replied. ¡°I will come back after finishing the negotiations,¡± I said. ¡°Do that, but take extreme care and return safely,¡± he finished. ¡°Mage York, out,¡± said Mage York, and cut the connection. ¡°Take a rest,¡± I said to Zela, who obviously looked more tired than before. She nodded, before laying down on the bed. I talked to the other injured people, before walking out of the infirmary. When I saw the middle-aged man in a white uniform, coming toward it. He is a tall man, with sea-blue eyes and sandy brown hair and features, that made him look always serious. ¡°Adviser Silver, I hope you are feeling well?¡± asked the man. ¡°All thanks to your care, Commander Forson,¡± I replied, and the man smiled. He is Taylor Forson, commander of the ship I am on. ¡°Still, you should rest. The battle you had fought was quite tough,¡± he said, and I smiled. I talked to him for a few minutes before walking toward the deck. Which had a lot of men on it, ready to face any battle. Beside us was another ship, while the third one had gone to chase the enemy with another ship. Which they will be unlikely to find; I am now even more sure about it than before. Those people are with powerful backing and with that Aquamancer with them; it will be hard to catch them. It would actually surprise me if they were found. They might have if it had been on the coast of the mainland, where it is heavily patrolled and powerful people manned the ship, but here in this area, it is unlikely to happen. I walked to the railing, looked at the calm sea, and thought about my worries. Till the morning, I used to think, things were dangerous, but I didn¡¯t see the danger at all. Things are dangerous now and they will get even more dangerous. It is hard to say, who wants to kill us? If it had been only me, I have a list in my mind, but they have targeted people from all cities in the Renwell region. This means they are someone who had an eye on the entire region. The more I think about it; the more names appear in my head. Including that of Navr, despite knowing that assassination is not the modus operandi of the undead kingdom unless they are doing it for the powerful bodies and even that is rare. They prefer to take the bodies on the battlefield. If it had been Navr, the Count would have hinted it. I would need more data to make an educated guess. Currently, the only thing I know is that they have targeted people from all the cities of the region and three had been targeted at Greltheaven. There might be more, and I will know soon enough. An hour and a half passed and Port Midlet came into view. It is a big city, bigger than Greltheaven and the size of Deerpond, with walls and buildings made of sandstone and painted in beautiful colors. Port Midlet is said to be the most beautiful city in the whole region, and it is the truth. The colorful buildings look beautiful in the backdrop of wasteland and ocean. The city also had the blessing of the crown prince and bore good chances to dethrone to become the richest and most developed city in the region. It is one of the reasons why the lord of Deerpond agreed to trade with Navr after months of dragging his feet and due to that, Port Midlet also agreed despite them hating our guts. They couldn¡¯t afford to let Deerpond go far too ahead, that they couldn¡¯t catch up. I do not care what their reasons are, what I care, they agreed. I planned to finish negotiations here as soon as possible, before returning home. However, the first thing I am going to do after disembarking is hire the mercenaries for my protection. The assassins might come again, and I am going to get the best mercenaries the city has to offer. Many of our men are injured and even if they were not; I would have still hired the mercenaries. I am too scared and paranoid now to care about anything else than my security. This time, I didn¡¯t even have to care about the money, as the city will foot the bill.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 260: Return and Promotion Chapter 260: Return and Promotion ¡°Welcome home, Adviser,¡± said Vice-Guildmaster Soren. ¡°It feels good to be back, Vice-Guildmaster,¡± I replied to the man. It really feels good since the assassination attempt. I didn¡¯t sleep properly, had been paranoid every moment; it was really bad. Not that Greltheaven is safe, but it is a home. It has the inherent feeling of safety that I need very much. ¡°Adviser, since we have escorted you to the Greltheaven, our contract ends here,¡± said the burly curly-haired man with a black ax at his back. He is a mercenary I had hired in the Port Midlet. He and his team had been protecting me every minute since then. ¡°Thank you, Captain Rosenau, for your services,¡± I said. He nodded and walked away with his team, while I walked toward the carriage with guards surrounding me from all sides. Ulnas Regis had been assassinated right in the city; I didn¡¯t want to take any chances and requested extra security. This time, even Atticus didn¡¯t dare to drag his feet about it, seeing he was already facing quite a lot of heat about the assassinations. His deputy was assassinated right in the city. Whose security he is responsible for. People already raising doubts, saying if he can¡¯t protect his own people, how he will protect the public? There is also a murmur in the background about him being not targeted. When commanders of eight cities did. I sat in the carriage and watched the port, which seemed a lot more restrained than before. The security of the port had been tightened; now the goods and people were being verified more thoroughly. It is happening with all the ports of the region; they have tightened the security of their ports and cities, but other than Ashton Harbor, nobody was able to catch the assassins. The carriage got out of the port and entered the city. Here, too, there are more guards than usual, but it is not noticeable unless one looks at it clearly. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and I got out and walked inside while activating Get Ready. The changes began to appear on me; my suit straightened and the crinkle on it had vanished; all the dirt and sweat disappeared and my face became glowing with travel fatigue, lessening in my eyes. Soon, I reached the office, and the secretory sitting by it nodded. Seeing that, I entered inside. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted Count Darrow and his son. ¡°Remus; good to see you back safe and sound,¡± he said and motioned me to take a seat. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied, sitting in the chair. ¡°It was quite a journey for you,¡± he said with his expression turning serious. ¡°It was, my lord, but we had accomplished things far more than we imagined,¡± I said with a small smile. Assassination aside, I have accomplished great things. I have gone to Deerpond, thinking I would be negotiating with one city, but came back negotiating with the seven, and all successful. The negotiation in Port Midlet, finished quickly than anyone had imagined. Like us, they also wanted to finish the deal quickly and, except for four points, we were able to negotiate on everything. ¡°The things you have achieved are tremendous, and it wouldn¡¯t look good if I didn¡¯t reward you for this achievement,¡± he said with a smile appearing on his face, while I waited in trepidation. Not all things made him happy, made me happy. Sometimes, his rewards are akin to punishments for me. ¡°I am promoting you to be the director of the trade office.¡± He informed and my expression turned complicated. If it had been a week ago, I would have been ecstatic, despite the increased responsibilities. It is the promotion I have wanted; the power I will be able to wield through it will be huge, but now, I have complicated feelings about it. I am on the assassinations list because of my position in the city and not due to my business and now, with this promotion, I will have a bigger target on my back. ¡°Thank you for your trust, my lord,¡± I thanked after a moment of silence. ¡°I know, you are having reservation about it, after what you have suffered, but let me tell you, you will not regret it,¡± ¡°With this position, your security with be upgraded and so will your clearance,¡± he said. ¡°You are too generous, my lord,¡± I said politely. He didn¡¯t say anything, but his expressions turned serious. ¡°What do you think about the target of people behind the assassination?¡± he asked after seconds of silence. Hearing that, my expression turned hesitant, because the conclusion I had come to was dangerous. Speaking out loud might make the Count angry. ¡°Speak freely, Remus,¡± he said, seeing my expression. ¡°Invasion, my lord,¡± ¡°They want to invade. All the people they have targeted are cogs that make their cities run smoothly. They are especially helpful in times of crisis,¡± ¡°Vice-Commander Ulas was responsible for supplies; he was very adept in his job with great experience. The same is true for High-Mage Beaumont, she is a powerful mage, who has experiences with sieges,¡± ¡°These two are invaluable to the city and they already got one,¡± I said, looking at Mage Beaumont. ¡°The two are important, but I wonder why they targeted you. With your little power, you won¡¯t be able to do much, and your legal and trade expertise will also be useless in the crisis,¡± quipped Lancel. ¡°I am asking that question, myself, my lord,¡± I said mirthlessly. Lancel might have said that in poor taste, but the question is valid, even if I am asking that myself. I may have done wonders in the trade, but I would be pretty much useless when enemies attack the city. I wonder what they were thinking when they added me to their list to kill. Count turned and looked at his son, before turning to me. ¡°You are right, in your assessment. The enemies want to invade our region and they are already making a preparation for it,¡± he said and sighed. ¡°Were you able to find out who is responsible for it?¡± I asked. To that, his expression turned a little bad. ¡°I did not, but I have a few guesses.¡± He replied, without elaborating. For a couple of seconds, nobody spoke before I opened my mouth. ¡°My lord. My guards had done a good job of protecting me and everyone. Without them, I wouldn¡¯t have been alive, especially Mage Zela.¡± ¡°I hope, you will provide me a few spells for her; it will increase my chances of survival,¡± I requested, while the man looked at me without any change in his expression. ¡°You are one greedy bastard, Remus. She is your guard, protecting you. Why should we provide the spells for her? It is your damn responsibility,¡± said Lancel, while I just bowed at him, before turning to the Count. ¡°Fine, I will give you the spell. You have done something incredible this time, and this will be your reward.¡± He said and a moment later, a thin book appeared in his hand, which he slid toward me. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, my lord,¡± I said and bowed deeply before swiping away the book off the table, while barely glancing at the name of the spell. Luminous Surge A Grade 3 water and light elemental spell. A wide area spell, effective against the undead and minor curses, with healing properties. I wanted a more targeted spell, but I was also prepared to go empty-handed. So, I am happy to receive it and knew Zela would be able to learn it, despite it being a dual elemental one. She already has one with dual elements. It is also of light and water, a healing spell. A few minutes passed, and we discussed many things when the Count brought out another news. ¡°I have received the message from Count Zanav; his younger son is coming to the region, bringing his men with him for combat exercise with Mirador Hold and Dustorn Fortress,¡± he informed. Count Zanav, a powerful eastern noble. Far more powerful than Count Darrow. He is a warrior; a leader with a large, elite cavalry. He hadn¡¯t declared his allegiance, and I heard a lot of princes were trying to get him into their fold, including Prince Grelt. ¡°Taren is a bastard!¡± said Lancel and this time, when the Count looked at his son, there were sparks of anger in it. I am surprised, to see the open hostility. Lancel might hate nobles, but he didn¡¯t show such open animosity toward them. He mostly keeps them in his heart; his showing it means he really doesn¡¯t like this person. ¡°When he will be in Greltheaven?¡± I asked. ¡°By late next month, and I want you to be responsible for him. Make sure, he will want for nothing,¡± said Count Darrow, while Lancel snorted from the distance, ¡°I will start the preparations,¡± I said. A month is more than enough to make preparations. ...Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 261: Final Assessment Chapter 261: Final Assessment Margaux Whoosh! Barb exhaled, creating a magnificent stream of fire. She had been learning fire breathing for months and in the past week; she had become confident enough to show it in front of the girls. I really wished she didn¡¯t; it is dangerous, but she is an adult and could make her own choices. I still hope, she would take safety into consideration and use safe oils instead of alcohol, which I heard is a dangerous choice. This show of hers had also increased my headache; I had six applications from the girls who wanted to learn it. All teens. So, of course, I rejected it. They need to be eighteen years old before I give them permission. Thankfully, no older girl had asked for permission; they knew better than doing something this dangerous. Barb is old, as old as me, but sometimes she behaves like a teen. Clap Clap Chap A few minutes passed, and the girls clapped for the last time as Barb finished, before walking toward me. She talked to girls as she did, enjoying the attention and adorations which she came to love. ¡°Don¡¯t be so disapproving,¡± said Barb as finally stopped beside me. ¡°I didn¡¯t disapprove; I just hope, you take proper precautions while doing this,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°My skills are excellent and even if an accident does happen; I have a healing potion ready,¡± she said, and even took out the potion bottle from her pocket. I shook my head, seeing that, and decided to get on the business. ¡°Have you informed the girls?¡± I asked her, to which she nodded. ¡°Yes, they will be ready for the final assessment interviews,¡± she replied. We have chosen the girls for the Owlspring, and the Master Solver has reviewed them and approved the list. Everyone who is going is experienced. We are not sending any new girls. The interviews are for the new girls, the ones who will make the debut the next month. Even with the opening of a new brothel, Master Silver still cares more about the establishment, wanting to be part of every process. I sometimes pity him, seeing how hard he is working, with responsibilities from the city and business. Though he seemed to revel in it, and girls say, many patrons have become more careful since the new promotion. He was already one of the most influential persons in the city and now his influence had increased even further. I wish he hadn¡¯t taken the promotion. Carla had told me about mass assassination attempts that have been in the papers recently and the deeper reason behind it. The girl is worried. ¡°How many girls do Master Silver plan to choose this time around?¡± she asked as we stepped into the elevator, and she pressed the key. ¡°All those who are ready. He wants to have more girls ready for two brothels,¡± I replied. She nodded and there was a silence, till we reached the top floor and got out of it. ¡°And what about that girl, Rayna? Is he going to assess her too?¡± she asked with some hesitation, and I smiled. ¡°She is a girl of establishment, isn¡¯t she?¡± I asked back and the hesitation on her face disappeared. ¡°She is,¡± said Barb with a smile. ... Rayna ¡°Don¡¯t stress, it will be fine,¡± said Breve as she folded her clothes with me. I opened my mouth to say; I was not worried, but closed it a moment later. It would be a biggest lie, to say I am not worried; even a child would be able to see how worried I am despite my attempts to mask it. Since I came here, I have attended classes like every girl and even practiced with actors. They have treated me no differently from any other girl, but will they let me work like other girls? This question has been plaguing me since the day I came here and soon, I will have an answer. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to my roommate, who will not be my roommate anymore. ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡± she asked. ¡°No, but thank you for offering and besides, I don¡¯t want to you keep you away from all this,¡± I replied, looking at mess in our room. Especially on her side of room. Today, she had leveled up. Become a Lv. 20 and that came with the privilege of personal room, that every girl desires. I am going to miss her a lot. It is not like she is leaving the circle, and I can go meet her whenever I want, but it will be different. I am also worried about my new roommate; I don¡¯t know who that will be yet. A few minutes passed, and it was time to leave for the final assessment interview. ¡°Best of luck,¡± wished Breve and hugged me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said with my voice being more emotional than I like to be. I let go of the hug after few seconds and walked out of the room. I was feeling so nervous, so much, that I wanted to go back to my room and hide in the sheets. I didn¡¯t have to do an interview, Madam Margaux had hinted, that if I didn¡¯t have an interest in working in the establishment. This offer isn¡¯t special to me. It is an open offer for everyone. I got out of my suit and walked toward the elevator; some girls on my floor joined me. Nodding nervously; they too are going for the interview. Soon, I stepped into the elevator and a few seconds later, the elevator stopped at the top floor. The interviews are being held here and there are already girls there; not many, seven. The interviews are being conducted in batches; twelve people in each batch. As I moved toward them, the girls looked at me. Some waved, while others whispered among themselves. I listened to those whispers, even though I shouldn¡¯t. Not because it is bad to listen to the private conversation of other people, but because most of the whispers are about me. It would sour my mood. It is too late; I am listening, and it is not making me feel, but I don¡¯t care. I was in a sour mood when I saw a blond girl coming toward me. She is smiling as always, but since she came here, the smile on her face has been extra bright, like everything else about her, but now, I am also seeing a lot of nervousness on her face. ¡°Rayna, how are you doing? I am feeling really nervous; I want to be selected. I really hope Master Silver would select me; there are so many things I want to buy,¡± she babbled nervously. A few months ago, such a scene would have been hard to believe. People come to this profession in desperation, nobody want to be in it with their free will. Here they are and it is not that hard to believe, seeing the money. It is not just about the money. Here, the girls wore dresses stitched with magical threads, jewellery that they could never afford past and education they have only dreamed about, not to mention magic. These things have instilled the confidence in them, they never had. Making them feel like, they are more than whores. At exactly four, the door opened, and a teen girl walked out holding a clipboard and turned to us with serious expressions. She had become much better at them in the past few months. Now it is very hard to tell that she is acting. It also helps that that she is gaining the air of authority that came with responsibilities, becoming a proper madam, every day. ¡°Hope all of you are ready? If anyone is nervous, I can put you into the next batch?¡± asked Madam Gloria, but nobody said a word. ¡°Since everybody is ready, I will call the first name,¡± she said and looked at her clipboard. ¡°Arna Mads,¡± She called out Arna¡¯s name, and the blond girl shook, before taking a deep breath. ¡°Pray for me,¡± she said with a nervous smile, before walking toward the door. Click! The door closed behind her, and it remained closed for ten and a half minutes before it opened, and Arna walked out. ¡°Verni Husk,¡± Immediately, Madam Gloria called out the second name, while the girls asked Arna about what had gone there. Ours isn¡¯t the first badge that is going for the interviews. Eight had gone before us and I have a complete list of questions in my diary. 80% of the questions were the same for every girl and I have already prepared answers to them. ¡°How was it?¡± I asked as Arna reached me. ¡°I think I had messed up,¡± she replied in a small voice. ¡°I had stumbled a lot when I tried to give those memorized answers,¡± she replied. ¡°Did the Master Silver say you have failed?¡± I asked her, to which she shook her head. ¡°Then maybe you have a chance,¡± I said, which seemed to lift the mood of the girl. I talked to her for a few minutes before she left. Verni came out a little over ten minutes later and the name of another was called out and then another. ¡°Rayna Sable,¡± I was so engrossed in snooping that for a moment I wasn¡¯t able to react when my name was called out. ¡®Good start, Rayna,¡¯ I scolded myself as I moved toward the door before walking inside. Inside was a beautiful room, painted with a soothing green color. I only glanced at it, before focusing on three people sitting behind a long white table. There are two women and one man; the woman on the left, Madam Carla, the woman on the right, Madam Mena, while in the center is Master Silver. I stopped my wheelchair middle of the table; there were no chairs behind, they seemed to have intentionally removed them for my convenience. For which I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful; it also eased my nerves. ¡°Master Silver, Madam Carla, Asst. Madam Mena,¡± I greeted in a polite, but not subservient, tone, as that scary old woman taught me. Madam Barb had said that the interview starts the moment one steps into the room and our answers won¡¯t be the only deciding factor here. ¡°Miss Rayna, how are you?¡± asked Master Silver, who looked so young. I had seen him before, but from a distance. It¡¯s the first time I had seen him face to face. His accomplishments didn¡¯t match his age; they made him seem much older. ¡°I am good, Master Silver,¡± I replied and felt relieved that my voice came out even. I wanted to use my skill but decided against it. However, I heard many girls use it and Madams had said it would be our choice, if we wanted to use them or not, in the final interview. ¡°It seemed like you have varied interests. Reading, sewing, knitting, and even painting. Your teachers had praises for you and also Madam Carla,¡± he said, looking at the papers in front of me. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± I replied. He smiled before his eyes turned serious as he looked directly into my eyes. It is not a fake serious face like Madam Gloria, no, it is real. He is series. ¡°Tell me why you want to work in the establishment when you have the choice to serve your contract the other way?¡± he asked. This question could easily be assumed, that he is referencing my condition and implying I should choose to serve the contract another way. It is not. He had asked this question to others, word by word. I opened my mouth and read the answer I had prepared for Mind Diary, but stopped and closed my eyes. Seeing those dark eyes, I felt like they could see through everything; if I read the answer, he would know. I didn¡¯t speak for several seconds, and they didn¡¯t seem they were in a hurry; they looked at me, without even a hint of impatience. ¡°I have worked in a brothel, where we were treated worse than the animals. So much so that it is responsible for my current physical state. I want to experience the place where I am treated like a human.¡± ¡°I also want to work because I want to find my worth. My physical condition had imprinted me with a feeling of worthlessness. I hope to get rid of that,¡± ¡°I also want to earn money; I heard it is pretty good,¡± I answered, bringing a smile to their faces with a last sentence. ¡°You have heard many things and seen they with your eyes, but they can be deceptive, Miss Rayna. The establishment is not sunshine and roses,¡± ¡°Here too, you might experience things that you wish to forget,¡± said Master Silver, stating the reality of business in a few works. ¡°I understand the reality, Master Silver, but I still wish to work,¡± I replied.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 262: Responsibilities Chapter 262: Responsibilities ¡°It is enough for today, gentlemen, we will meet again in a week,¡± I said to the three people in front of me. They are Damon Hardt, Soren Arryn, and Charles Tilak; all three vice-directors of trade. Each of them was responsible for a different region, including me, who was responsible for the eastern region as well as their boss. It hasn¡¯t been long since I got the promotion and there are already a couple of people vying for the position. Not the position of director of trade, but of vice-director of trade. I had no interest in giving it up, at least for a few months or even a year. I have worked hard to achieve those things and unless I take them to a certain height and make them stable. I will not be handling them to others, only to mess it up. I have some people in mind, to which I wanted to hand it over, but the Count would never agree. They left the room after a short talk, and I followed after a few minutes. The meeting lasted longer, than I would like, but I had to sort things up. From tomorrow, I barely have any time for anything. Not that I wasn¡¯t doing anything, in the past few days. Since I have come back from Port Midlet; I have been busy. There hadn¡¯t been a single hour when I wasn¡¯t working. I walked out of the city hall and sat in the carriage. Before I took charge of the trade department, most of the meetings used to be held in the merchant guild, since all three of them were from there. I shifted them back to city hall. Count Darrow is a good leader but has flaws. His style of administration is not efficient and since he is doing that, the other officials also follow it at their convenience, whenever they can. It had decreased the administrative efficiency. I shook my head and focused on the list; I had in my hands. It is the list of girls who will be debuting tomorrow; there are three hundred and twenty-four. In total, there will be five hundred and eleven girls working in the establishment throughout the day and night from tomorrow. There would have been six hundred and eleven, but a hundred are leaving for Owlspring tomorrow; the new brothel at Owlspring will open on the first day of the second week of next month. Which is eight days away. Soon, I reached near the establishment and saw its gates close. It had been less than an hour since the establishment opened for the evening and the gates were already closed. The establishment is doing well and with more girls, it will do even better. With more girls debuting, the pressure on the girls already working will reduce significantly. Now, I could implement the proper shifts. I was doing it before but wasn¡¯t able to enforce it properly due to the limited number of girls and a very high demand. Which will also give them time to focus on their hobbies and interests. My research shows that giving them more time to pursue their interest makes them level-up faster. Not just in the class of their interest but also their classes and I want them to keep leveling up. Every week, there would be at least two girls reaching Lv. 20 and sometimes, the numbers would go as high as five. I am having a problem in housing all those girls, seeing every girl reaching Lv. 20 will get a private room. I have lots of rooms in the underground, but even that space will be occupied quickly with the progress of the girls. Tomorrow new girls are debuting and if the past data is right, then in the month, they will advance rapidly. All the knowledge and training they have received will help them with that. Many girls would gain two, three, or more levels and break capstones. Thankfully, the hundred experienced girls are leaving for the Owlspring, and it will open up a lot of space; especially the sixty-two private rooms of Lv. 20 and above girls. In two months, two hundred more will leave for the two cities. With this, I shouldn¡¯t be too worried, but I feel things aren¡¯t going to be this simple. I sighed and looked as the carriage entered through the back entrance. I walked out but didn¡¯t go directly to my office instead went to the floors first and saw each one was filled with patrons. It couldn¡¯t help but bring a smile to my face. Click! Half an hour later, I entered my office and a few minutes after that, Caena and Margaux walked inside. ¡°How did your meeting with interior designers go?¡± I asked as she took the seat. I wanted to be part of the meeting, but the Count summoned me; it wasn¡¯t an important thing, but it wasn¡¯t like I could skip the summon. Especially when I am taking the leave tomorrow for the debut. ¡°Good, they are confident to make changes within a day,¡± Margaux replied, and I felt relieved. With over three hundred girls debuting, we had to make some changes in the establishment. It will not be a big chance; a small one that won''t take more than a few hours. I had discussed that with the designers a few months ago during the chances I had made, and they have made a plan for that. We are now moving according to those plans. If I wanted to, I could have made big changes, so that the establishment could have been able to house all five hundred and eleven girls at once. I will not do that, even though it will help me earn more money. The money is important; it is the purpose of the whole business, but it will affect the brand''s image I had worked so hard to create. I will not do that, for a quick profit, that will bring me losses in the end. Despite being over three hundred new girls debuting. There won¡¯t be more than a 30% increase to their current numbers. As I had said, I won¡¯t be making them work like a bull. They will work in shifts. That way, they will have enough time to rest and pursue their interest. It will keep them happy and level them fast while providing patrons with the experience of their lives. In the long run, it will make me huge money. ¡°We only have a day. Let''s hope everything goes well,¡± I said. We discussed things for twenty minutes before Margaux left, leaving me alone with Caena. ¡°The enchantments seemed to be working great,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Yes, they are,¡± she replied. Every day, she adds new enchantments to the establishments and every one of them seems to be improving the establishment in a small way. ¡°What is the progress of the enchantments?¡± I asked. ¡°I was about to tell you about it. I have finished 80% enchantments on the list and would need a new one,¡± she said, forwarding the list toward me. I am surprised. I thought, she would need another month to craft those enchantments, but it seemed like she leveled up or became more proficient in crafting them, because looking at things, it won¡¯t take more than a week to finish the rest 20%. I looked list and the names she had marked; only 20% of them were unmarked. ¡°You see, I haven¡¯t quite finished with it,¡± I said with slight embarrassment and took out the list of my own. This is the list of enchantments I have been making to give it to her, but unlike all lists in the past few months, which had at least fifty or over names; this one had seventeen in them. I was barely able to create a list last time and this time, I wasn¡¯t even do that. I hate to admit it, but I am out of ideas. I have used everything I have in making the past lists. It is not like I could create enchantments on anything; it needs to be related to the vision I have for the establishment. I cannot ask anyone for help either, not even from Carla, considering what I am doing is quite dangerous and possibly illegal, depending on the interpretation of the law. I don¡¯t want her to know about it, because once she knows, she will become a participant in it. Now she could claim the deniability that would hold against even the strongest of truth spells. ¡°I am sure you will be able to finish it, in a few days,¡± she said, but to that, I shook my head. ¡°I am out of ideas. If you have any, you are free to contribute,¡± I said, shaking my head, while her eyes lit up for a moment before she controlled her emotions. ¡°I have few,¡± she said and took out a page and slid toward me. ¡®These are not few,¡¯ I thought, looking at a list of one hundred and seventy-two enchantments. As I began to read the list, my expressions couldn¡¯t help but become serious. She hadn¡¯t just written them out of nothing. Each one of them is well thought out and seems to fill the gap in the list I have created. ¡°It is good. I will order the things, you need to craft them,¡± I said after, looking through the list. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 263: Grand Ritual of Kama Rakalis I Chapter 263: Grand Ritual of Kama Rakalis I ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said to the driver as I took the last look at the ship sailing through the river toward the Owlspring. I had booked the whole ship to take them; the cost is slightly expensive, seeing the ship, I had booked, but it will be a comfortable journey for them. Carla will receive them, once they reach the city. She had been there for three days and will come back a day after tomorrow. She had been regularly making the trips to the merchant state, overseeing the progress of three brothels, while the city¡¯s business keeps me busy. Soon, the carriage reached the establishment, where there were few carriages in front of it. Loading and unloading stuff, mostly furniture. Today is the day the girls will make a debut and we are making the changes in the establishment for it. The seatings aren¡¯t enough to support the new girls. So, instead of adding more chairs and tables, I am changing the whole furniture. It is expensive, but the establishment could afford it. Especially now, when more girls will bring more money. ¡°The girls aren¡¯t happy with smaller shifts,¡± said Margaux as we entered inside. Caena had already told me about it; many girls had pleaded with her, to have the establishment run at maximum capacity or increase the capacity enough so that their hours would remain the same. Till yesterday, the girls used to work for nine to twelve hours, but now it would be six hours. Which is less than half of a normal brothel. Even in the red fragrance next street, the girls work for twelve to sixteen hours, and their workday isn¡¯t consistent. Everything there is dependent on the demand. If there is enough demand, they will wake up even a sleeping girl and make her serve patrons. Which is the case for almost all the brothels. Norman tried to copy the velvet garden, but couldn¡¯t copy them with its originality. If he had, along with the resources and connections he had, the Red Fragrance would have been the best brothel in Greltheaven. ¡°Six hours are good. It will stop the burnout while giving them ample time to rest and pursue their interests,¡± I replied, to which Margaux smiled mirthlessly. Our hourly rate is high enough that fewer hours won¡¯t affect their lifestyle. Not to mention, the gifts, which the establishment doesn¡¯t touch. ¡°I had told those silly girls that, but the girls are thinking nothing other than money, they will be losing, by working short hours,¡± she said, with her smile turning mirthful. Seeing that, I too smiled. Both of us understood how great the opportunity this is for the girls. If they use their time wisely, in a few months, they will be able to earn more money in fewer hours. ¡°How are your studies going? I heard quite good things about you from Mage Aldridge,¡± I said, and her smile turned small, but more genuine. ¡°They are going well,¡± she replied, with joy lighting up in her eyes. Aldridge rarely praises anyone, but he praised Margaux. She could become one of the first people to cast the spell and the time might come sooner than I had imagined. There is barely any change on the first floor aside from a few art pieces. It is a restaurant; I do not need to make any changes here. ¡°You can take a leave, you know. Others will be able to handle the work, even if you went out and took a break of a week or two,¡± I said, and she nearly stopped. I don¡¯t usually interfere in the personal lives of the girls, but I decided to say the words. In case this is what is holding her back from meeting her daughter. ¡°I know and I will take it soon,¡± she replied softly. The second floor has changed completely, from artwork to furniture, everything is different. It looks good, but I am more impressed with how they have added 35% more sitting, but one could barely notice that. The tables seemed the same size and the space between them seemed the same, despite not being there. ¡°The designers have done a good job,¡± said Margaux, sounding as impressed as I am feeling. We went to the third floor, where big changes happened, before going to the top floor. There are no changes on the top floor aside from a single painting. I do not plan to change anything; I wouldn¡¯t have even changed the painting, but it is one Margaux brought from Owlspring last week, and it is very good. Hun! I was talking with Margaux when I saw Caena coming with Barb. Like earlier, she was looking happy. So much so that it seemed like, she was having a hard time keeping her expressions straight. I am also happy, to see how everything is going. I hope the debut goes great as well. ... Caena I am happy, tremendously happy. Last night, I was able to see the central charm of the grand ritual that I had been imprinting on the establishment for a year. The resources I spent just to practice that single charm make my eyes water whenever I think about it and that would have been the tip of the iceberg if the miracle hadn¡¯t happened last night. The hardest part of the grand ritual I am trying to create is a central charm. It is level above the rest. I thought it might take me months or even years of constant practice before I gained the expertise to craft it. It was supposed to be yet another practice session, but as I started, I got the feeling that today was different. I took the risk and used the real resources, and to my greatest shock, I had succeeded. It was pure dumb luck. The central charm is so difficult that I couldn¡¯t craft it again. I do not have enough skills to do it. The central piece is the last piece of grand ritual, that had remained. I finished with the rest three and a half weeks ago. When I first started on grand ritual, I thought it would take years to achieve it, but with a constant supply of resources, practice, and finally permission to tap into the 1% of emotions absorbed by the establishment had changed everything. My current average is eleven charms a day, and that is with the responsibilities I have, which gives me a limited time. I am going to imprint this piece and complete the grand ritual. I wish my mother had been here, she would have been proud of me. Creating the charms had been the easiest part of the grand ritual; the hardest way to design it. Unlike the ritual that had been cast on Remus, the grand ritual I created didn¡¯t have a concrete design. It is more conceptual, and, through it, one needs to design it. My mother had achieved it when she was twenty-nine years old. Youngest in our coven in thousands of years. I may not compare to her, but if not for her record, I would be the youngest to achieve that in two thousand years. ¡°It looks good, doesn¡¯t it? It didn¡¯t feel like we have placed more chairs and tables at all,¡± said Barb and I couldn¡¯t help, but nod. It had been a few minutes since they had finished, and it looked like, two floors had been transformed. ¡°Let¡¯s look at preparations; it is only three hours before we open,¡± I said to Barb and both of us moved; there were a lot of things for me to do and I need everything to go perfect today. I need patrons satisfied and feeling lust, and a plan to wear a dress that leans on the scandalous side. Since I have become a madam, I have been choosing to wear clothes on the conservative side, but today is important and I will need to harness more emotions than I had needed to charge the central charm. I feel like, I didn¡¯t need to wear a scandalous dress and all. More than half of the patrons lust after me; I will get more than enough emotions from them to charge the central charm. Still, I couldn¡¯t take any risks, especially not today. Soon, the three hours passed, and there were only ten minutes before the gates opened. ¡°Are your floors ready?¡± I asked four people in front of me. There is Stavad, Barb, Danielle, and Cath. Ashton is responsible for the restaurant, Barb for the top floor, Danielle for the third, and Cath for the second. ¡°Yes,¡± they all answered in unison. ¡°Take charge of your floor,¡± I ordered, and they all walked toward their floor, aside from Stavad, who was on his floor. I looked around and saw the tables were perfectly set and servers were waiting for guests to arrive. I looked at the clock, before turning to the mirror surface by the door, and saw myself. Eudo had really done a wonderful job and also Elese; the dress I am wearing had been personally made by her. The gown is shimmering black with a deep v-neckline. The same v form on the back, exposing nearly all my backside. It is not as scandalous as I used to wear, but pretty close. My make-up is seductive as well; I had asked Eudo to make it more inviting, and he had done a wonderful job. Soon, the ten minutes passed, and it was time to open the gates. ... ¡°Open the gates,¡± I said with Reaching Voice, a new skill in my Madam Class. It had a range of three hundred meters; it let my voice reach the person far, without raising my voice. The only condition is that I need to see them. The guards heard me and opened the gates. In less than five seconds, the first carriage entered. I didn¡¯t stay on the first floor and strode upstairs before the gates fully opened. Four hours have passed since the establishment opened, and it was full. The gates have been closed once more and there is not a single place, that is empty on all three floors. The surprising thing is that the establishment''s gates closed a minute earlier than yesterday, despite the number of girls increasing. ¡°Mr. Koml, I hope you are having a good time,¡± I said, walking toward the man in his fifties who had been ogling me secretly. ¡°I am, but if you join me, I will have the greatest time,¡± he replied suggestively. To that, I smiled seductively as touched his and harnessed the lust he was feeling for me. ¡°I may not be able to join you, but Hilhan here will do,¡± I said as the green-haired woman appeared beside me. He turned to Hilhan while I moved to greet other patrons. Harnessing strands of lust from them. Not all felt lust for me. Some had eyes for those who were sitting next to them, and some didn¡¯t find me their type. Some didn¡¯t have an interest in the women at all. Still, more than half of them, are feeling the lust for me and I am harnessing it, before putting it into the charm along with emotions from the establishment. I have started since the first guest arrived, and till now, I have harnessed five to six regular charms worth of lust, but the central piece isn¡¯t even half-filled. I went to the top floor and talked to the patrons and Barb, who is amazing at handling the patrons. Her presence also increased the client''s liquor bill, which is great, as the establishment, earns the most through the liquor. I stayed on the top floor for a while, before going to Remus. ¡°It is looking good,¡± he said, sounding quite pleased. I didn¡¯t say anything other than smile; there was no need for me to say anything. Everything is clear as day to him, in this little watching room. ¡°Well, I will be sleeping early; I have a lot of things to do tomorrow before I leave the city,¡± he said and got up from his chair. ¡°Good night, Master Silver,¡± I said, and he smiled before leaving the small room. I watched him leave before going back to the top floor. I stayed there for a few minutes before walking to the third floor and then the second floor; the floor with the most girls. The new girls are doing well, and it is not surprising. Unlike the other girls, this batch of girls had the most comprehensive training yet. They were also the first batch to be completely trained in a circle, with envious facilities. Unlike us, they didn¡¯t receive their training in cramped spaces, which would become their place of work every evening. I looked at all the new girls. Especially the girl in the wheelchair. I got worried about her when, in the first half an hour, nobody sat at her table. I shouldn¡¯t have been. I should have had more faith in our training and the patrons we serve. Now she is talking with a handsome man in his mid-thirties, and they seem to be having a deep conversation. He is not the first man, who sat with her. ¡®It seemed like Remus was right again,¡¯ I thought and moved to greet the guests. I wanted to keep her third shift because of her condition, which might repel some clients, but Remus put her in the second, our most productive shift. The first shift is twelve to five in the day, the second is six to twelve in the night, and the third is twelve to six nights to morning. He was right. Yes, some patrons left seeing her, and some complained, but it didn¡¯t affect the business. In a few days, they will get used to her and we will have no problems, aside from a few complaints. Hours passed, and it was two and a half. The establishment is still filled. Though not as much as before, from two, the people would start to leave and by five, it would be empty. ¡°I hope, you had a great time with us, Mr. Fustalis,¡± I said to the leaving patron. ¡°I had a great time, Miss. Caena,¡± replied the man, with a smile, before leaving, with his friend. Half an hour passed when suddenly a smile appeared on my face. ¡°Danielle, I am leaving,¡± I informed her. Usually, I leave the charge at two and a half am, but I stayed a little late tonight. I talked to Danielle for a few minutes before taking the elevator to the basement. Click! I opened the door and went inside my suit. I have a suit in the establishment, and it is the one, I used the most. I live in a circle, barely two days a week; most of my time is spent here. I sat down on the chair and closed my eyes for a second, before taking out more charms from my purse. The center charms. The charm is different from all the charms; I had created. First, it is the size of my palm, second, it is made wholly of magical material; there is not a single mundane thing in it. When one looks at it; the first thing they would notice is thirteen gems. There are twelve gems; all of them are different, but each one of them is expensive. As for the blood-red ruby in the center. It is not ruby, but a blood gem formed from the master silvers'' blood. All of them are carefully wrapped in delicate and colorful vines, petals, and leaves; they look like a piece of art. I admired it for a minute, before closing my eyes and concentrating my craft on the ritual. ¡°Eraente,¡± I said gently and put the last piece of grand ritual Kama Rakalis in its place. The charm flared brightly, and I felt the heat on my hand for several seconds, before the sensation disappeared, along with the charm. ¡°Success,¡± I said with a smile. I had some fear that the final piece wouldn¡¯t be clicked, but it did. There seemed to be no problem with it. Hun! I was happily congratulating myself when suddenly I sensed something, and my eyes widened in fear. ¡°Eslaynde,¡± I said immediately, and a realm establishment appeared in front of me. My eyes immediately went to the twelve hundred and thirty-two enchantments. It is very hard to miss those dots. They are blazing, like an afternoon sun compared to them. The other charms are shining like a star. There is no change in them. As for the reason for their blaze, it is quite simple. These freaking enchantments are sucking the emotions from the core and the core is sucking them from the establishment. People produce a lot of emotions, but the establishment''s core absorbs less than 5% of them and can retain, even less than that. Now the sudden and uncontrolled absorption had started sucking the emotions from it. It is not liking it and in self-preservation; it begins to absorb emotions around the establishment. I am shocked. I had not expected this would happen. It should have slowly accepted the emotions from the core and not so suddenly, but it is doing that, and I couldn¡¯t do anything else. I am scared for the core. It is the core of the establishment and the speed with which the grand ritual absorbs the emotions, making me feel like it might destroy the core, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Once the final imprinting started, even Remus wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. The only thing I could do here is watch how the core is sucking every stray emotion present in the establishment. Minutes passed and the appetite for the grand ritual didn¡¯t seem to have been lessened at all. Instead, it seemed to have increased even further, forcing its core to expand its range, till it covered the whole plot of establishment. It covered exactly the range that the witch had used to bind Remus to it. Hun! I was watching with bated breath when suddenly; I noticed something. ¡°The other charms are also pulling power,¡± I said as I looked at the other enchantments. There are thousands of other charms, and they are also absorbing the emotions. Using the opportunity, that grand ritual had opened for them. What they are absorbing is much less than the grand ritual, but it is still increasing their power. This means their effects will also be going to get stronger as well. A few more minutes passed, and the appetite of the grand ritual increased further, that even the size of the core had started to shrink, while it now expanded its range underground and started to absorb the emotions from the building and soil itself. They had a lot of emotions stored in them and now this grand ritual absorbing it all. I only hope it spares the core. If it is consumed or destroyed; then everything is over; even the grand ritual, will only work for a few days at most before disappearing. If the core remains; it can be used in perpetuity. If the establishment ever turned into a legacy; this grand ritual will show its real power. Minutes passed, and I genuinely feared that it would be such the core itself, seeing every bit of emotions present in, around, and underground of the establishment had absorbed; that now only the core had remained. Hun! I was thinking that when suddenly, the grand ritual begins to slow down its absorptions before stopping. Seeing that relief flooded my heart. The grand ritual had sucked so much emotion that it had reduced the size of the core to the fourth. Buzz! I was looking at the core when the grand ritual buzzed, and for a moment, I felt a terror before I realized it wasn¡¯t trying to absorb the emotions again. No, instead of all the charms seemed to be moving toward the central charm, before merging with it. It is happening very fast, and within seconds, all the charms merge into a single point. The point blazed for a second, giving me another stare before the blaze began to fade and it revealed itself. A twelve-pointed star made of runes. Gasp! A gasp of shock couldn¡¯t help but come out of my mouth as I saw the twelve-pointed star. The same star, I had seen in the tome of grand ritual. Though it is more basic than what I had seen in the tome. I could still recognize those runes, which felt clear, but when one tried memorizing them, they turned hazy. Only after fully understanding the grand ritual is one able to see those runes in their realm form. All the enchantments are dots, but only the grand ritual is in the shape of the star; I could already imagine the things it would be able to do, just seeing it. I wanted to use it immediately, but seeing the state of the core, I decided against it. The size of the core had shrunken by a fourth and I could even see the faint instability in it. It would be a big mistake to stress it further. It might collapse. I won''t do anything until it stabilizes fully, including imprinting any new charms on it. I looked at it for a couple of minutes before finally deactivating the spell and returning to the real world. Unexpected things have happened, but no permanent harm has been done. However, one thing is clear, I will need to keep an eye on it for any irregularity and check the power of the grand ritual as soon as the core has stabilized. I never know when I might need to use it. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 264: Grand Ritual of Kama Rakalis II Chapter 264: Grand Ritual of Kama Rakalis II ¡°Open the gates,¡± I said with Reaching Voice, a new skill in my Madam Class. It had a range of three hundred meters; it let my voice reach the person far, without raising my voice. The only condition is that I need to see them. The guards heard me and opened the gates. In less than five seconds, the first carriage entered. I didn¡¯t stay on the first floor and strode upstairs before the gates fully opened. Four hours have passed since the establishment opened, and it was full. The gates have been closed once more and there is not a single place, that is empty on all three floors. The surprising thing is that the establishment''s gates closed a minute earlier than yesterday, despite the number of girls increasing. ¡°Mr. Koml, I hope you are having a good time,¡± I said, walking toward the man in his fifties who had been ogling me secretly. ¡°I am, but if you join me, I will have the greatest time,¡± he replied suggestively. To that, I smiled seductively as touched his and harnessed the lust he was feeling for me. ¡°I may not be able to join you, but Hilhan here will do,¡± I said as the green-haired woman appeared beside me. He turned to Hilhan while I moved to greet other patrons. Harnessing strands of lust from them. Not all felt lust for me. Some had eyes for those who were sitting next to them, and some didn¡¯t find me their type. Some didn¡¯t have an interest in the women at all. Still, more than half of them, are feeling the lust for me and I harnessing it, before putting it into the charm along with emotions from the establishment. I have started since the first guest arrived, and till now, I have harnessed five to six regular charms worth of lust, but the central piece isn¡¯t even half-filled. I went to the top floor and talked to the patrons and Barb, who is amazing at handling the patrons. Her presence also increased the client''s liquor bill, which is great, as the establishment, earns the most through the liquor. I stayed on the top floor for a while, before going to Remus. ¡°It is looking good,¡± he said, sounding quite pleased. I didn¡¯t say anything other than smile; there was no need for me to say anything. Everything is clear as day to him, in this little watching room. ¡°Well, I will be sleeping early; I have a lot of things to do tomorrow before I leave the city,¡± he said and got up from his chair. ¡°Good night, Master Silver,¡± I said, and he smiled before walking out of the small room. I watched him leave before going back to the top floor. I stayed there for a few minutes before walking to the third floor and then the second floor; the floor with the most girls. The new girls are doing well, and it is not surprising. Unlike the other girls, this batch of girls had the most comprehensive training yet. They were also the first batch to be completely trained in a circle, with envious facilities. Unlike us, they didn¡¯t receive their training in cramped spaces, which would become their place of work every evening. I looked at all the new girls. Especially the girl in the wheelchair. I got worried about her when, in the first half an hour, nobody sat at her table. I shouldn¡¯t have been. I should have had more faith in our training and the patrons we serve. Now she is talking with a handsome man in his mid-thirties, and they seem to be having a deep conversation. He is not the first man, who sat with her. ¡®It seemed like Remus was right again,¡¯ I thought and moved to greet the guests. I wanted to keep her third shift because of her condition, which might repel some clients, but Remus put her in the second, our most productive shift. The first shift is twelve to five in the day, the second is six to twelve in the night, and the third is twelve to six nights to morning. He was right. Yes, some patrons left seeing her, and some complained, but it didn¡¯t affect the business. In a few days, they will get used to her and we will have no problems, aside from a few complaints. Hours passed, and it was two and a half. The establishment is still filled. Though not as much as before, from two, the people would start to leave and by five, it would be completely empty. ¡°I hope, you had a great time with us, Mr. Fustalis,¡± I said to the leaving patron. ¡°I had a great time, Miss. Caena,¡± replied the man, with a smile, before leaving, with his friend. Half an hour passed when suddenly a smile appeared on my face. ¡°Danielle, I am leaving,¡± I informed her. Usually, I leave the charge at two and a half am, but I stayed a little late tonight. I talked to Danielle for a few minutes before taking the elevator to the basement. Click! I opened the door and went inside my suit. I have a suit in the establishment, and it is the one, I used the most. I live in a circle, barely two days a week; most of my time is spent here. I sat down on the chair and closed my eyes for a second, before taking out more charms from my purse. The center charms. The charm is different from all the charms; I had created. First, it is the size of my palm, the second, it is made wholly of magical material; there is not a single mundane thing in it. When one looks at it; the first thing they would notice is thirteen gems. There are twelve gems; all of them are different, but each one of them is expensive. As for the blood-red ruby in the center. It is not ruby, but a blood gem formed from the master silvers'' blood. All of them are carefully wrapped in delicate and colorful vines, petals, and leaves; they look like a piece of art. I admired it for a minute, before closing my eyes and concentrating my craft on the ritual. ¡°Eraente,¡± I said gently and put the last piece of grand ritual Kama Rakalis in its place. The charm flared brightly, and I felt the heat on my hand for several seconds, before the sensation disappeared, along with the charm. ¡°Success,¡± I said with a smile. I had some fear that the final piece wouldn¡¯t be clicked, but it did. There seemed to be no problem with it. Hun! I was happily congratulating myself when suddenly I sensed something, and my eyes widened in fear. ¡°Eslaynde,¡± I said immediately, and a realm establishment appeared in front of me. My eyes immediately went to the twelve hundred and thirty-two enchantments. It is very hard to miss those dots. They are blazing, like an afternoon sun compared to them. The other charms are shining like a star. There is no change in them. As for the reason for their blaze, it is quite simple. These freaking enchantments are sucking the emotions from the core and the core is sucking them from the establishment. People produce a lot of emotions, but the establishment''s core absorbs less than 5% of them and is able to retain, even less than that. Now the sudden and uncontrolled absorption had started sucking the emotions from it. It is not liking it and in self-preservation; it begins to absorb emotions around the establishment. I am shocked. I had not expected this would happen. It should have slowly accepted the emotions from the core and not so suddenly, but it is doing that, and I couldn¡¯t do anything else. I am scared for the core. It is the core of the establishment and the speed with which the grand ritual absorbs the emotions, making me feel like it might destroy the core, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Once the final imprinting started, even Remus wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it. The only thing I could do here is watch how the core is sucking every stray emotion present in the establishment. Minutes passed and the appetite for the grand ritual didn¡¯t seem to have been lessened at all. Instead, it seemed to have increased even further, forcing its core to expand its range, till it covered the whole plot of establishment. It covered exactly the range that the witch had used to bind Remus to it. Hun! I was watching with bated breath when suddenly; I noticed something. ¡°The other charms are also pulling power,¡± I said as I looked at the other enchantments. There are thousands of other charms, and they are also absorbing the emotions. Using the opportunity, that grand ritual had opened for them. What they are absorbing is much less than the grand ritual, but it is still increasing their power. This means their effects will also be going to get stronger as well. A few more minutes passed, and the appetite of the grand ritual increased further, that even the size of the core had started to shrink, while it now expanded its range underground and started to absorb the emotions from the building and soil itself. They had a lot of emotions stored in them and now this grand ritual absorbing it all. I only hope it spares the core. If it is consumed or destroyed; then everything is over; even the grand ritual, will only work for a few days at most before disappearing. If the core remains; it can be used in perpetuity. If the establishment ever turned into a legacy; this grand ritual will show its real power. Minutes passed, and I genuinely feared that it would be such the core itself, seeing every bit of emotions present in, around, and underground of the establishment had absorbed; that now only the core had remained. Hun! I was thinking that when suddenly, the grand ritual begins to slow down its absorptions before stopping. Seeing that relief flooded my heart. The grand ritual had sucked so much emotion that it had reduced the size of the core to the fourth. Buzz! I was looking at the core when the grand ritual buzzed, and for a moment, I felt a terror before I realized it wasn¡¯t trying to absorb the emotions again. No, instead of all the charms seemed to be moving toward the central charm, before merging with it. It is happening very fast, and within seconds, all the charms merge into a single point. The point blazed for a second, giving me another stare before the blaze began to fade and it revealed itself. A twelve-pointed star made of runes. Gasp! A gasp of shock couldn¡¯t help but come out of my mouth as I saw the twelve-pointed star. The same star, I had seen in the tome of grand ritual. Though it is more basic than what I had seen in the tome. I could still recognize those runes, which felt clear, but when one tried memorizing them, they turned hazy. Only after fully understanding the grand ritual is one able to see those runes in their realm form. All the enchantments are dots, but only the grand ritual is in the shape of the star; I could already imagine the things it would be able to do, just seeing it. I wanted to use it immediately, but seeing the state of the core, I decided against it. The size of the core had shrunken by a fourth and I could even see the faint instability in it. It would be a big mistake to stress it further. It might collapse. I won''t do anything until it stabilizes fully, including imprinting any new charms on it. I looked at it for a couple of minutes before finally deactivating the spell and returning to the real world. Unexpected things have happened, but no permanent harm has been done. However, one thing is clear, I will need to keep an eye on it for any irregularity and check the power of the grand ritual as soon as the core has stabilized. I never know when I might need to use it. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 265: Underhand Dealings Chapter 265: Underhand Dealings Those who are confused about the last two chapters. Well, I have written them as the one. Copied the second half and pasted it on another document, but forgot to delete it from the first copy. It is a simple mistake of using a copy paste, instead of a cut paste. Whore Lv. 15 Whore Lv. 16 {Skill Gained: ...} Prostitute Lv. 18 Trollop Lv. 17 {Skill Gained: ...} . . . Bell Prostitute Lv. 20 {Conditions Met: Prostitute - Prostitute of Riveting Voice} {Conditions Met: ...} {Conditions Met: ...} {Conditions Met: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} {Conditions Met: Prostitute of Riveting Voice + L} {Consolidation Rejected} I sighed with relief but also conflict as I looked at the texts. It is not the first time; I have rejected the consolidation. It is the second time since I came here and the fourth one since the first attempt, seven years ago. Many times, I wanted to accept and get done with it. If I had accepted the first time, my level would have been much higher. It is due to my primary class, that my level up is slow. The secondary class is more than ten levels higher than my primary class. I pushed the thought and focused on the Prostitute Class, which I hate so much, but also love it. It is the reason, I am alive. Now that it had finally reached Lv. 20. I could finally have a private room and be a person, who I really am. At least in its confines. .... Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 27 Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 28 Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 29 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} Madam Lv. 9 ¡°Three levels,¡± I muttered and not a one bit surprised. I have performed a grand ritual; something that is extremely hard. I gathered my craft, and a few seconds later, a smile appeared on my face. I had leveled up, three times in my primary class, but was not able to breach the capstone. Though I have crossed more than half of the distance into my capstone. It won¡¯t take me more than a few months to cross it. As for the first capstone of the madam class, I am not worried about it. I won¡¯t have much problem crossing it. I am most interested in whether it will consolidate into my primary class, before it reaches the third capstone or after it. If it consolidates before, my main class breaches the third capstone, it will increase the difficulty of breaching the third capstone. I could reject its consolidation when it appears, but I will not. Yes, Lv. 3o important, but not as important as it had been yesterday, before the grand ritual. I also want the elements of a madam class in my primary class before it breaches the capstone. It will increase the difficulty of advancement, but when it does, it will help me upgrade my primary class, which is more important to me. ... Agent of Experience Lv. 24 Agent of Experience Lv.25 {Skill Gained: Underhand Dealings} I woke up feeling the change and found the text in front of me. The texts were surprising, shocking even, but I didn¡¯t focus on it. Instead, focused on the thing that woke me up. ¡°Is that a dream?¡± I asked. Feeling the change in the establishment. It is too big to not notice, and it is strange. The power of enchantment charms had increased, I could tell that quite precisely. In these past few months, I have learned to gauge that by focusing on the comfort type of enchantment charms; that had been imprinted on the establishment. I could use the other types of charms, but found the comfort type most suitable. I will look at the effect of other charms, to complete, but I am already nearly sure, that charm power had doubled overnight. I have felt this change strange, not because of its sudden increase in charms powers, but also because of the feeling of establishment, which had decreased so much, that I had to concentrate to feel. It was not the case before. Usually, the feeling of the power and enchantment charms increased together. ¡°I will have to ask Caena what happened,¡± I said to myself, before focusing on another shocking thing. The texts in front of me. I was hoping for a level, but chances seemed small; a debut isn¡¯t enough to get a level, but I got two and even a skill. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help, but think, the changes happening might be related to the sudden changes that happened to the establishment. I am nearly sure of it and could even feel, whatever happened is important enough, that I had gained two levels from it. I looked at two levels and couldn¡¯t help but feel happy, but when I looked at the skill, my expressions turned a little strange. Underhand Dealings. My father used to say, this is a skill, that one needs to be clever to use it. Of course, all skills, when used aptly, show their real power, but one needs to be clever enough to use it. This is a skill that is informally known as grey skill or dark skill, depending on where you live. Its working is simple, it lets you help to hide traces of not-so-legal dealings. It is why, needs one to be clever when using it, because some people get too dependent on it and end up getting caught by the authorities. It is an unexpected skill; I had not thought I would get one, seeing these types of skills gained by Shady Merchants or Traffickers, but I am happy to get it. I am not an honest merchant, barely anyone is. Sometimes, I make deals that are not completely legal. Now, with this skill, I will be able to hide the traces of it better. However, if I depended too much on it; I would get caught like, so many people do. Class: Agent of Experience Lv. 25 Masterful Administrator Lv. 21 Blade Warrior Lv. 19 Trainer Lv. 07Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.coma: 16 Intelligence: 13 Vitality: 10 Strength: ¡¤ Swift Blade ¡¤ Lords Mood ¡¤ Privacy Sphere ¡¤ Command Projection ¡¤ Get Ready ¡¤ Quick Parry ¡¤ Sharpness ¡¤ Active Presence ¡¤ See My Vision ¡¤ Instant Recollection ¡¤ Underhand Dealings Attribute Points: 02 I summoned the table and realized it was the first time I didn¡¯t know where to spend the attribute points. One side of my mind, telling me I should use it on charm and intelligence as it will help me with my business and job, but the other side is telling me, that I should use it on strength and vitality after, what I had experienced, recently. I had nearly spent them before stopping myself. This won¡¯t do. I will have to decide soon. In a few hours, before I leave the city tonight. I thought for a while before getting off the bed and going into the bathroom. I got out ten minutes later and stepped out of the room, wearing practice clothes. ¡°The new skill. It feels pretty powerful,¡± said Jon from behind. I nearly stopped and stumbled, not by his sudden voice. No, I had got used to that months ago, but on what he said. People sense the effects of the charms; they are not idiots, but we always implied it to the skills. We cannot tell people that we had imprinted hundreds of charms on the establishment. That would be a sure way to get behind the bars. Even knowledge of Caena¡¯s primary class will put me in deep trouble. Thankfully, she had said that one would need to be pretty high level to see through her class, without her permission. ¡°It is,¡± I replied and continued walking without looking back. Soon, I walked out of the establishment. It is feeling slightly chilly, despite the winter being over. It is still dark, with the moon hanging in the sky. Not for long, in nearly an hour, the sun would come out and the moon would disappear. I reached the practice ring and started with yoga, while Jon watched. An hour later, I was finished, and we started with my training. I usually don¡¯t train in the establishment. I had created a nice space behind my manor. It had all kinds of practice weapons and instructor David used them to help me get used to fighting them. Still, I sometimes sleep in the establishment and maintain a practice ring here; it is useful in times like this. Two hours later, we stopped. I took my bruised body to my room and applied numbing cream, before showering. Click! It was eight when I walked into the office, and as usual, Caena was there, and she seemed to be deep in her thoughts. ¡°Good morning, Caena,¡± I said, which seemed to startle her before she calmed herself and looked at me. ¡°Good morning, Master Silver,¡± she replied with flushed cheeks. I sat down and touched runes below my table activating the privacy enchantment, while at the same time activating the Privacy Sphere, and turned to her. ¡°So, what happened?¡± I asked. There was no surprise in her face at my question; she seemed to expect that I would ask her that. Still, she didn¡¯t answer immediately and seemed to be thinking, collecting her words. ¡°Last night, after I handed the charge, I went to my suit and began imprinting the charms.¡± ¡°The first and second ones are imprinted as usual, but I had imprinted the third charm, and all hell broke loose. I thought they would destroy the establishment,¡± she said, with her eyes widening as if she were remembering what she had experienced. ¡°Does that charm was any special?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°No, it was one of the psychological charms to lower the aggression,¡± she replied, shaking her head. ¡°What do you think had happened?¡± I asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°As far as I could tell; the charm seemed to have triggered something and all the charms started to absorb the power from the establishment, at a rate of hundreds of times faster than they normally do,¡± she replied. In my dream, I saw that sun again and hundreds of twinkling stars on the thin strings. Suddenly, one block of stars blazed and started to absorb the power from the sun, and it seemed to have done that for quite a while, as when it finished, its size seemed to have reduced by less than half. After it was done, I saw that cluster of twinkling dots begin moving toward the single point and that point transformed into the twelve-pointed star. I don¡¯t know if it was true, but it brought a lot of questions. ¡°Is that all?¡± I asked, and she nodded after a moment of hesitation. ¡°To be safe, I won¡¯t be imprinting new enchantments till I am sure, it is safe.¡± She said. ¡°Do that,¡± I affirmed. I had my doubts about whether this was everything she knew or even the dream I had seen was true, but I had kept them to myself. However, I will be focusing more on the feeling from now on and the changes it brought. ¡°It might be unexpected, but it has brought a huge change,¡± I said, and she nodded, with a small smile. ¡°The power of charms has doubled; it happened so suddenly, the girls had been asking me if this was the skill I received after breaching the capstone,¡± she said. Nobody should know the real reason, or we will be destroyed. ¡°Let them think it is,¡± I replied, and she smiled. ¡°Then I should congratulate myself for breaching the third capstone and getting this amazing skill,¡± she said, and the smile on my face turned bright. The effects of the charms had become powerful enough that the host should be at Lv. 30 and skill be a capstone skill. Click! We talked for a few minutes and the girls came, bringing the file, of the night''s business. ¡°We did well; the sales of sample liquor also seemed to have gone well,¡± I said, looking at the figures in front of me. The numbers are great, and rising in categories, I want them to. ¡°It is. I didn¡¯t think these no-name brands would sell so much,¡± said Caena and turned to Barb, who smiled with a hint of pride. I had asked her and our bartending staff to find the hidden gems. Not all good liquors are famous, there are many good things hidden in the rubble. If we want to provide our patrons with the best experience, we will have to find them; not to mention, these gems are quite cheap, and we make massive margins through them. Barb is quite good at finding them and till now, she had found fourteen of such. We have been bringing one or two new ones, every week, but yesterday. We have brought all out; it was a risk to introduce so many unfamiliar liquors at once. Especially when liquor and food are responsible for most of our revenue, but seeing the result, the risk seemed to be worth it. It is only a day; we will be able to say for sure, when after a week or two of data. ¡°Keep an eye on it and if it seems to be working, give the big order,¡± I said to them. A few minutes later, the meeting ended, and the girls left; an hour later, I walked out of the establishment. There are a few things I have to do before I leave the city tonight. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 266: Trip Chapter 266: Trip Click! A young man walked out of the door with a huff. It is clear by his expression that he is not happy, with what happened during the meeting with his father. ¡°We will be late by only a week, my lord. The day the princess left, we can leave too,¡± said the middle-aged man. The young man had just been told that a princess was coming and till she left, he could not leave either. He is tired of them; she is not the first princess and prince, who came in the past year. There have been several, and they have spoiled his plans before. He wouldn¡¯t have minded if he had been Crown Prince or Prince Grelt or Princess Orlene, who has a chance for the throne. No, it is just a general critter from imperial litter. ¡°She has to come now, just when we were preparing to leave for Renwell!¡± asked the young man in indignation. The middle-aged man smartly didn¡¯t reply to that. ¡°I will be informing them of our delay,¡± he said a few minutes later, and the young man didn¡¯t reply. ... ¡°Give this to Dane once you reach there,¡± said Count, sliding the envelope toward me. I took it and placed it in my bag. ¡°Anything you want me to say to him, my lord?¡± I asked. ¡°No, I have written what I want to say to him in the letter,¡± he replied before his expression turned serious. ¡°Be careful, Remus; it is just a few hours ago, they killed someone in Almin.¡± He cautioned, and I shuddered. It is the first thing, he informed me about when I had come a few minutes ago. I had expected, seeing how he had called me suddenly, when we had already had a meeting in the afternoon. It is also very late. Count doesn¡¯t meet anyone this late unless it is important. ¡°I will,¡± I replied and got up before leaving the office. As I stepped out of the office, I added one point to the strength, taking it to thirteen, while the second into the vitality, taking it to eleven. Immediately, I felt the change; the others also seemed to have felt it since all three of them turned to me. I have been thinking about the attributes hard since I received them in the morning, but after I heard the news, I knew I had to add the points to the physical attribute. I cannot take the risk, when those bastards hadn¡¯t stopped killing. It is not the first assassination attempt after that day. It is a third one and the first that had succeeded; there might be more, and the cities hadn¡¯t shared the news. Soon, I reached my carriage. It is heavily protected; with two captains and twenty-four other soldiers surrounding it, all over Lv. 20. These are no normal soldiers, each one of them is proficient in protection. Not to mention my own guards. With such protection, the enemies will need to try very hard to kill me. They will either need a large number of people, or several powerful people if they even want to have a chance. Despite that, I want to run to the establishment and not go to the Mirador Hold, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t hide forever. It would be a sure way to lose the job I had worked so hard to get. I sat in the carriage, and it began to move toward the establishment. I am going to the establishment, just picking someone from there. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped at the gates of the circle. Click! A few seconds later, the gates opened and a young woman with thick blond hair, wearing a traveling tunic and pants, stepped inside the carriage. ¡°Master Silver,¡± she greeted. ¡°Varza,¡± I said to the young woman. The young woman is one of the few people I respect. She had brought a change in the establishment by her daring choice. She took a seat opposite of me and the carriage began to move. ¡°You can remove the wig; wear it when we reach the Mirador Hold,¡± I said, to her, seeing her unconsciously touching it, several times, despite it fitting her perfectly. If I did know, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that she was wearing a wig. Her original hair is cut into pixy cut and painted in neon blue. She is the reason why, many girls in the establishment had started cutting their hair short. She is Varza Steel; one of the assistant madams. One of the five girls was promoted to assistant madam with Cath and Gloria. She will be coming with me to Mirador Hold, before going with Ina. With Andrea helping Carla, Ina needs someone and Varza is perfect for that. ¡°It is fine, I need to get used to wearing it,¡± she replied with a small smile, and I smiled back, but there was no mirth in my smile. I hate that she is being forced to wear the wig, but the world is not accepting it as our den of sin. Soon, the carriage passed through the gates of the port and stopped at the river. We got out and sat in the boat, while the boat moved toward the other side. We are not the only ship that is moving. There are many. Due to the trade with the Navr and baronies, there were a lot of boats that moved across the river, and that disturbed the ships coming and going toward the merchant cities. We have controlled the boat traffic and moved them when the traffic of ships is less, but it is not a permanent solution. If the trade keeps increasing at current. Then, within a year, it will pose a real difficulty. A bridge would be a permanent solution; it would make things much more efficient, but the Count didn¡¯t want to pay for it. Even though the toll from it, will be enough to pay the debt incurred from it. It will take even less than that, if we count the ease and increase in trade it will bring. We reach the other side and sit down in the carriage that was waiting for us, before continuing our journey. Hun! A few minutes passed, when suddenly, my mind buzzed, and a small smile appeared on my face. I willed it and the missive opened, and I began to read. It is a lot like opening a mail but inside one¡¯s mind. This is a ¡®Missive,¡¯ the new skill of Ina and, according to me, the most useful. A hundred times more secure than the message spell. Ina sends a missive every day at eleven pm. Here, she could write things, that she couldn¡¯t in message spell, and I found it immensely useful. According to experiments we did; she could only be sent one missive at a day, and the limit of it was two thousand and five hundred words. It is why, she sent at eleven in the night, when she finishes with her day, and an hour later, at midnight, her skill refreshes. This means, that if there is any emergency, she could send the missive during the day, at any time. Currently, the distance didn¡¯t seem to be a problem, but Navr isn¡¯t that far, I don¡¯t know whether she would be able to send it. If she went to Namdar or another continent. We have also not tested whether the skill would work in ancient cities of Navr, which are laden with powerful magic. I had asked her not to use this skill in cities of Navr, who knows what kind of magic they have, I don¡¯t want them to know that Ina has this skill. We might be small players on big boards, but it always helps to keep one''s cards hidden. I finished reading the missive quickly; in it, she had explained everything that had happened in the past two days. She took merchants of Deerpond and other six cities to Navr three days ago and will be returning tomorrow morning. Those merchants have brought goods massively; they seemed to have wanted to make up for a year of lost opportunity. Count Darrow had been very happy seeing the number. It is a single number that made him happy, but how that number will repeat and rise in the coming weeks and months. It will earn him massive taxes. I closed the missive and saw it disappear; it would have disappeared on its own in twelve minutes if I had not closed it. I opened my eyes and saw Varza already sleeping, while Zela was still studying. She used to study the before, but after the attack, she had started doing that zealously. She would study and practice the spell; in every minute she has. ¡°Sleep, Zela. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,¡± I said. She didn¡¯t even glance at me, but I could tell she had heard me as she nodded faintly. I smiled and closed my eyes and within a minute; I fell asleep. Hoping that no assassins would come to murder me. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 267: Touch My People Again and I W… Chapter 267: Touch My People Again and I W... ¡°Mr. Silver, wake up,¡± said a gentle voice. I immediately opened my eyes and saw that it was still dark. ¡°We are a few minutes away from the mirador hold,¡± informed Zela. I nodded and straightened myself before looking out of the window. I could see the grand silhouette of the mirador holding in the distance. Lights on the massive fortress are shining through the dark; illuminating it, like a moon in a night''s sky. Even after seeing it, so many times. It still amazes me. It also horrifies me, when I remember, how many times the hordes of Navr break through it. When its walls were heavily enchanted and had ten times more men defending it. Now, they are just fixed, with barely a single layer of enchantment, and have men that might not stand again, even a single wave of the grand horde. The carriage moved quickly toward it through the paved road and power of the skills. The sun hadn¡¯t come out yet, but it will be in half an hour. We had reached pretty quickly and would have been reached even more quickly if the whole road was paved, but only one from Nakar baronies was. The rest, toward the city, was a dirt road. A well-maintained one, but still a dirt road. The carriage went inside through the massive door of the castle, before stopping. Click! ¡°Welcome to Mirador Hold, Adviser,¡± said the man in his mid-fifties, with the sandy brown hair. ¡°Thank you, Major Dicken,¡± I replied and got out of the carriage. ¡°How was your journey? Did you face any problems?¡± he asked. ¡°Thankfully, not; the assassins seemed to be too busy to target me,¡± I replied, bringing out a small smile on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore, Adviser. You are in the Mirador Hold now, no assassin will dare to attack you here,¡± he said, while I just looked at him. The man seemed to feel some embarrassment as his cheeks reddened a little. Both of us hadn¡¯t forgotten what happened a year ago and, I am sure, Viscount Atre and his men hadn¡¯t either. We talked as he took me toward my accommodations. Click! ¡°At eight-fifteen, I will come to receive your breakfast meeting with the commander Dane,¡± he informed and walked away, while I had stepped into my suit. I didn¡¯t stay in the suit for long. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out of the suit, wearing practice clothes. It is a great place to train against people of varying skills and great experience. Today¡¯s session is quite important. I had spent the attribute points and I want to get used to them and there is nothing like sparring. That will help with that. Soon, I reached the area, and within a minute; I had an opponent. It is not the first time I have come to the Mirador Hold. Every time I came here; I spar with the people. I sparred for one and a half hours, before walking back into my suit. There, I showered and changed into the new suit, and waited for Dicken. He didn¡¯t take long; at exactly eight fifteen, he knocked on my door. ¡°Commander Dane,¡± I greeted the man as I entered the room. He was sitting in a beautiful room, which provided a complete back view. If one concentrates enough, one could even see the verdant hills in the distance. ¡°Adviser, come take a seat,¡± he said and offered me a seat. ¡°Thank you, commander,¡± I thanked and took a seat. ¡°Congratulations on your promotion. I hope it will make the relationship between the city and hold, more productive,¡± he said. The man is equating the hold and city as the same when they are not. He is a subservient to the lord of Greltheaven. However, he didn¡¯t like when one pointed it out and I am not going to do that as well. ¡°Thank you, Commander,¡± I replied and took out the letter from my bag; seeing that, his eyes lit up. ¡°Count Darrow had asked me to give you this, Commander,¡± I said, handing him the letter. To my surprise, he tore it open in front of me and began to read it. There was a frown on his face first before his eyes lit up. After he finished reading the letter, he placed it on the table and looked at the butler, standing at a distance. The butler left, before coming out with two maids and the breakfast. ¡°Adviser, I am still waiting for those facilities I told you about. My men need them for effect battle readiness against the undead,¡± he said, as we started eating breakfast. ¡°I have relayed your concerns to the Count, Commander,¡± I replied simply. ¡°I have you have some budget, adviser; share a little of that with us,¡± he said, while I shook my head. ¡°Unfortunately, it is strictly for trade infrastructure. I cannot use it for any other things.¡± ¡°Besides, the measly budget I have was not enough for the facilities you want to build,¡± I replied. ¡°It is why I want you to convince the Count.¡± ¡°You have fought against the undead; you should realize how tough it is to deal with them. We need to be ready to deal with any unexpected attack and those facilities will help us in a big way,¡± he pressed. ¡°I understand, Commander, but there is nothing I could do other than relay your request to the Count,¡± I replied. He nodded and sighed. The rest of breakfast continued without much conversation. We talked, but not a lot and the things we talked about were inconsequential. Soon, we finished with the breakfast, and the maids cleared the table. ¡°I had heard you have been targeted by the assassins by coast?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, it was a nasty battle, and we have lost some good people,¡± I said, feeling sorrow for the deaths it had caused. ¡°It said there were two Lv. 30+, including a High Mage?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes; I have barely survived,¡± I replied, and his eyes twinkled. ¡°I have read the reports and I have to say, you have hit the goldmine, Adviser. A Giant-blood in the process of awakening and a Mage, who could keep the Great Mage occupied. Such people are extremely rare,¡± he said and didn¡¯t even hide his greed. It seemed like everyone had read the report and was now trying to poach my guards. Count Darrow is trying, as well as many other people in the city. Even people from the merchant states are trying. They have not accepted it and assured me won¡¯t do it, but reminded me, that I will also need to show my sincerity. Their contract ends in two months, and I am already preparing a huge offer; it is the least I can do. I mean, if they wanted to, they could have broken off the contract and gone to those who were willing to offer them huge money. More than I could even in my final offer, but they are staying. ¡°I am lucky,¡± I replied, and now, this bastard would also make an offer. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and closed it before opening it again. ¡°They have arrived,¡± he said. I didn¡¯t have to ask him who had arrived and turned to the widow, but I didn¡¯t see anyone and turned back to him. ¡°They have crossed the boundary of the empire; it will take them some time, to enter the hold,¡± he added. A few minutes later, the meeting ended. I didn¡¯t go back to my suit and instead went on the tour of the warehouses and other things we had built. Every month, we are building new warehouses to support increasing trade. It is not like a lauryl town, where we have started to let private players do the things. This is a military facility. Here we can¡¯t do that. Aside from warehouses, we have also built many other things. Like this big guesthouse, which is exclusively for the merchants. It took some convincing before the Count agreed, but it was the best decision. It is always booked and also increased the trade. The Count also understood that. He had permitted its expansion, without much convincing. Finally, the gates opened, and the carriages strode in, before stopping not far away from me. Merchants, with weary faces but bright smiles, started to come out of the carriages. It is clear from their expressions that the trip went very well for them. I am also happy; I have also earned quite a bit of money, thanks to them. These people belong to the seven cities that I had negotiated a few days ago. Seeing this, a big smile appeared on my face. I had worked hard for a year to make it happen and now it did; they had the first trip to Navr, and they will not stop. They might detest undead, but they will buy their goods. It is too irresistible with the rates they offer, and it will become even more resistible once the conflict begins. It is not just the merchants in there, but also people like Javier Ronda, who is also smiling, but when he looked at me, the smile vanished, and anger appeared on his face. It surprised me, but I only looked for a second before I turned to the person who appeared next to me. ¡°Master Silver,¡± greeted Ina. I opened my mouth to ask her about her trip when I noticed her expression. At one glance, they seemed normal, but I know her enough to tell. Something is wrong. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked her. ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied immediately, which made me even sure something had happened. So, I kept looking at her. ¡°It was a small thing. It was not something I hadn¡¯t experienced in my life,¡± she replied with a mirthless smile. Now, I knew it was something big and turned to the man behind him. ¡°Hugo?¡± I asked, activating Privacy Dome. He looked at her, before turning to me. ¡°That Javier Ronda had tried to force himself on Ina,¡± he replied, and my body shook, and rage, that I rarely feel burned in my heart. ¡°Exactly what happened?¡± I asked slowly. I didn¡¯t ask that to Hugo, but to Ina. She didn¡¯t say anything for several seconds before opening her mouth. ¡°He had been making advances since the trip began, but never crossed the line, till yesterday.¡± ¡°It was an hour before leaving when he knocked on my door and entered inside without being invited and forced himself on me,¡± ¡°If not for Hugo and others, arriving rightly, he might have¡± She was so shaking, by the end that she couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence. Thankfully, Varza was beside me and hugged Ina, which seemed to help her. It had been nearly a year since I had given her this responsibility, and many people made advances on her, more than I could count, but no one had crossed the line. Javier Ronda did, and he is quite infamous for that. Maeve had left Deerpond because of him, and she was the lucky one. Many other women were not. Still, nothing happened to him, because of his father. It took me a few seconds to control myself and looked toward Javier Ronda, only to see him coming toward me, with an old man in his early sixties. The old man is Irvin Hewett; head of Deerpond¡¯s delegation. ¡°Master Silver, don¡¯t do anything,¡± said Ina, as if feeling I might do something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said with a smile and turned to Javier Ronda, who had stopped beside me. ¡°Silver, this filthy whore of yours has some gal,¡± he said, with anger blazing in his eyes. ¡°I had just heard what happened. Can we talk in some privacy?¡± I asked gently, motioning toward the guard station. He opened his mouth, but the old man beside him cut him quickly. ¡°Privacy is good, adviser,¡± replied the old man. The young man glared, but followed me toward the guard station. We entered the guard station, where three guards were sitting. ¡°Gentlemen, could you give us some privacy?¡± I asked them. One was shaking his head, but the man with the mustache cut him off ¡°It won''t be a problem, adviser,¡± he replied and walked out of the room with others and closed the doors behind him. ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°As I was saying, your wh¡± his voice cut off and alarm flashed in his eyes, as I swiftly grabbed his neck and pushed him hard against the wall. It caught everyone by surprise and some gasped audibly. His guards reacted quickly, but before they could even take a step forward, Stone, Jon, and Hugo appeared in front of them, while Zela covered us, in a watery dome. Bam Bam Ban ¡°Y¡± he spoke, but before he could finish the word, I punched his stomach several times till spit flew out of his mouth, before kicking his groin hard with my knee, bringing tears to his eyes. ¡°Adviser, please cease what you are doing. You won¡¯t like, the consequences of what will happen next,¡± warned the old man. Bam Bam Bam Instead of replying, I punched Ronda again while not letting him breathe. He tried to resist and even used skills, but they were not enough to get him out of my hold. ¡°Touch my people again and I will carve you bloody next time,¡± I said and let go of him. He fell down and started breathing heavily while holding his stomach tight. I didn¡¯t use my skills, but I didn¡¯t hold back my strength either. ¡°You will pay for this, silver,¡± he threatened breathlessly as I opened the door. ¡°I will be waiting,¡± I replied and got out, with others following behind me. ¡°His father won¡¯t like it,¡± said Ina, looking very worried, but there was also a spark of joy in her teary eyes. "I will be fine,¡± I replied. His father could create some trouble, but I will handle it. No one touches my people and gets away with it. A few punches aren¡¯t enough, but doing more is not wise. There will be a day when I will have enough power and that will be a day when I give the bastard the punishment he deserves. A few minutes later, Javier Ronda came out of the guard station, and he didn¡¯t look like, he was beaten a few minutes ago. He is angry, but there is also fear in his eyes. I smiled at him, making him look away. The day passed as I mingled with merchants and at night left for the Lauryl Tower. I will be taking Ina back to Greltheaven despite her insistence on going to the merchant state. She had suffered something truly horrible, and I won¡¯t let her work in such a state. She will come home and spend some time with people who came about; it will help her process the trauma she had suffered. Masterful Administrator Lv. 22 Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 268: Edmor Amellus Chapter 268: Edmor Amellus Valentina Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 269: A Fine Opening Chapter 269: A Fine Opening Deerpond ¡°Your son is barely eating and sleeping. Will you not do anything?¡± asked the woman as she walked into the beautifully decorated room, with fury in her eyes. ¡°What do you want me to do? The Lord had forbidden any action that could jeopardize the trade,¡± asked back the man angrily. He is not just angry, but also frustrated. Despite all his power, his son had suffered great humiliation and he couldn¡¯t even take the revenge. ¡°I heard that bastard¡¯s whore is coming to the city tomorrow,¡± said the woman, to which the man shook his. ¡°I couldn¡¯t touch the whore. She is too important for the trade, she has all the contacts in the Navr that we need,¡± ¡°Just yesterday, Statham had told me that he had personally given assurance to Silver for the safety of his whores.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t want me to touch her until our merchants got completely familiar with Navr,¡± he replied, unconsciously crumpling the report, he was reading. ¡°So, we do nothing?¡± asked the woman, to which the man grinned darkly. ¡°For a while. It won¡¯t be long before we will be able to take revenge on that whore and after that, Silver,¡± said the man-like promise, making a small smile appear on the face of the woman. ... Mena I looked at the beautiful pink building with a big smile. It is smaller than the establishment, but enchanting in its own way. It may not have the charm of the establishment, but it is the first day. I have complete confidence; that this small building will develop its own charm in the coming days. I will make sure it does. As madam, it is my responsibility to achieve that. I looked at it one more time before I entered inside and looked at the preparation one more time. Everything is perfect; the girls sitting in their places wearing beautiful dresses; the bar is fully stacked, and the kitchen is running, ready to serve anything that patrons desire. Finally, it is six, time to open the gates. I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. I took a deep breath, and controlled my emotions, before looking ahead. ¡°Open the gates,¡± I ordered, and a moment later, the guards opened the gates. ... At Mena¡¯s command, the gates opened, but unlike the Greltheaven, the carriages didn¡¯t come rolling within seconds; nor they could. Here, there is no space for the parking inside the building. Thankfully, the city of Owlspring is beautifully planned; there are big spaces beside the road for carriages to parks and parking lots in every popular area. A minute passed, and nobody came. The girls sitting across three floors begin to get nervous. What is happening now is a foreign to them. In the establishment, the carriages come rolling the moment, gates opened and within half an hour. The gates would close because there would be no space in the establishment for more patrons. Another minute passed, and Carla turned to me, with nervousness evident in her eyes. ¡°Welcome to the big city,¡± I said with a smile. It is not like; I am not worried; I am, but not as much as her or Mena or every other girl. I understand very well the advantage I had in the Greltheaven when I first opened. Greltheaven was a small city of less than fifty thousand people. It was easy to advertise the business. It also helped that my brother had become noble. The newspapers didn¡¯t forget to point out that relationship explicitly. I heard Edwin had thrown a huge fit when read that in the news. Compared to the tiny Greltheaven, Owlspring is massive, with over five million population. Here, my brothel is a mid-class establishment; not a high-class as it is in the home. The building is also small. It might be eye-catching, but there are bigger and better ones around. The competition is hundreds of times greater here and most important of all, some people are being intentionally naughty. They had activated the skills that had made the establishment nearly invisible. These skills are so powerful that they had nearly completely suppressed Torch For Seeker, which I had activated on the building. Everything is hyper-competitive here, and every new business needs to face it to succeed. I welcome it because Owlspring isn¡¯t the only place where I want to open the brothel and what I learned from here, will help me thrive in the other big cities. It was in the sixth minute, after the opening, the first patron arrived. It is not a single person, but a group of three. Which finally seemed to put some relief on Mena¡¯s face. Two minutes after that, another person arrived, and a minute after that, another. Slowly, people started trickling in and with each person, a little more tension on Mena¡¯s face would disappear. Some people who came are familiar. They are the patrons who come to our establishment. We had made sure they knew; we were opening our first in the Owlspring. People are still coming like a trickle compared to the establishment, but this trickle has become faster. I could feel those naughty bastards increasing the power of their skill. That they had suppressed my skills and the skills of the girls. They are pretty powerful, and their number is also high. It didn¡¯t feel like a common suppression. They seemed to be using their skills, with the intention of crushing me. It made me worried, but I couldn¡¯t do anything else against it other than hope, that the preparation we had made would be enough to attract the patrons. It won¡¯t be the first will face it, but I am confident we will make it through it. Soon, it was ten and the worry on Carla¡¯s face had eased a lot while I was smiling from ear to ear. The patrons might come like a trickle, but they had filled the bucket. The brothel is full, not the way, the establishment is, but it could be said to be full. All the sixty-eight tables across the three floors are full. There are even four girls sitting at the bar with the patrons. There are many empty stools on the bars, on which the girls are sitting without companions, but that is normal, seeing it is a big city. It is working better than I had thought. I was expecting a 50% occupancy, but it is over 75%. Even if the business runs in this capacity, I will earn a considerable profit. Though, I am confident that the business will do much better; this is, after all, it is a first day. Hun! I was watching when suddenly one client shouted loudly, before standing up. The girl opposite to him is Adez, a blond woman in her mid-twenties. She is from the second batch and came with Della and others. Had been in the establishment for over a year. She stood up and spoke calmly to the man, which seemed to have made him angry, and he shouted with expletives. Adez¡¯s expressions changed for a moment before she controlled them and replied, keeping cool over her emotions. To which the man laughed and not nicely and replied with a sentence full of expletives. Now everybody who had tried not to look had to turn to look. Mena had arrived at the table and spoke to the man, and the man shouted again. ¡°They should throw him out,¡± said Carla, with clear anger; I am also angry, but like her, I have no intention of going there. We have full confidence that Adez and Mena are more than capable of handling that and they did, seeing as they kept their expressions neutral, while hiding the blazing anger beneath their eyes. The back and forth continued for a few minutes, before the man seemed to have lost control of his temper and tried to attack Adez when suddenly, two people appeared in front of him. They immobilized him immediately, and Mena told him he was banned from the establishments forever. The personals that are banned wouldn¡¯t be banned in a single establishment but in all establishments. We do not ban people forever unless they really break all the rules like this man did. He once again said something foul, but this time, both of them didn¡¯t even give him the courtesy of a reply and asked the guards to throw the man out. They did just that, not caring about the threats, he was spewing. The guards I had hired were from a top mercenary company. They are not powerful, just above Lv. 20, but their organization had enough cloud, that they will be able to bear the threats of most of the patrons. I didn¡¯t want any guards who would be threatened by the words of these men. Seeing how they didn¡¯t even blink at the threat. The money, I had spent on hiring them was worth it. Mina apologized to the patrons for the disturbance and sent free drinks across the hall. ¡°She did well. Both of them did,¡± said Carla, seeing the patrons focusing back on their company. ¡°They did,¡± I said and took out the diary and added the points to Adez. Every month, I remove some girls from the business. A week ago, I removed two. I will not let them work if they don¡¯t perform to the standard. It seemed to make many girls work harder. Especially those on the watch list; they were informed they were on the watch list and if they didn¡¯t perform well, they would be removed. Adez is on the watch list and eleven more girls. Eight of which I had brought here. Looking at how Adez did; it seemed like it was already working well. Sometimes, one only needs a change of scenery to bring out their worth. Let¡¯s hope the same result happens in other girls too. Soon, two hours passed, and the establishment was still holding a similar number. It had been a few hours ago. In the past hour, not many people had arrived, but not many had left either. Around 30% of the people still sitting, had been here for five hours and more. This is a great thing because these people are one of the first who came and still sitting here. They are 60% of the people who had come between six to eight. We are always looking for people like them. They are the ones who become our regular patrons. ¡°You should sleep, you have to leave early tomorrow,¡± said Carla. ¡°It''s fine; I will take a rest on the way,¡± I replied. I will be leaving in the morning; there are a few important meetings, I have to attend tomorrow. I barely got this one day, after so much begging. If it was not for the opening, he wouldn¡¯t have given me leave. Sometimes, the work is too much; I have to be always present. I couldn¡¯t even focus on my business properly, but it is the price of power. I have become one of the most powerful people in the city, and that came with responsibility. Hours passed and to my surprise; the patrons stayed longer than I had thought. The last one left at four and a half and not before speaking a few words of praises to Mena. ¡°It went far better than I had imagined,¡± I said as Mena and Carla sat in front of me, in a small office. ¡°It is, but we will need to work hard to take it to the height of the establishment,¡± said Carla, and I smiled. ¡°I will give my all to achieve that,¡± replied Mena, with resolve in her eyes. It will be hard, but I have confidence in Mena. It is the reason why I had chosen her, over all the assistant madams. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 270: Poach Chapter 270: Poach A robed figure entered the great dark hall and kneeled in front of a pale young man, sitting at the huge bone throne. ¡°Your, deathless,¡± he greeted. ¡°What is the great news from wasteland?¡± asked the young man directly. ¡°We have been wrong, your deathless. It is not moving as we had expected. It had already stopped in one place,¡± the robed man replied, and for the first time in a long while, he saw the slight change in expressions on the pale young man¡¯s face. ¡°Were you able to find out where it had stopped?¡± asked the pale young man, with interest evident in his eyes. To which the robed man, shook his head. ¡°The tools and spells are too visible. If we try to do that, we will get discovered immediately,¡± replied the robed man. ¡°Wait for a few months more; then you will have complete freedom to do what you want,¡± replied the pale young man, while the robed man bowed deeply. ... ¡°I understand. His father is powerful, but his actions are too brazen, without any consequence,¡± I read the report and turned to Lancel. It is one of the rare days that I am alone in the room with Lancel and talking civilly, which rarely happens. Most of the time, we didn¡¯t even talk when we were alone in the same room. ¡°He is brazen because the time is with him. If it had been before, he wouldn¡¯t be so daring, but now, everybody needs his father, and nobody is willing to offend him. Even if he destroys a city gate or two,¡± He replied. His face is quite bad; it is clear; that he hates the man. Taren Zanav is coming to the Greltheaven in two days and everything I had read about him, didn¡¯t give me a good feeling. On his journey, he destroyed many things, including city gates, a restaurant, a brothel, and the houses of the people who have offended him. He is being offended quite easily or rather the power is getting on his head. Count Zanav was powerful before due to his power of elite cavalry, but now he had become important. He had something that everybody wanted. If the civil war occurred; then his cavalry would become very important, seeing how the geography of the empire is best suited for his forces. ¡°Let¡¯s hope his time in the Greltheaven goes well. We don¡¯t want him to destroy, our city gate too,¡± I said with mirth and worry, but Lancel didn¡¯t take a joke as it intended. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare; he did those things, in small places with weak leaders. Here, it is a House of Ravenheart that rules; he wouldn¡¯t do such things here in his wildest dream,¡± said Lancel, glaring at me. I hope it is true or I would have a lot of trouble with my hand. Taren Zanav will stay in the Greltheaven for two nights before leaving for the Mirador Hold. He was supposed to come at the end of last month but is coming in the third week of this month. I didn¡¯t stay in the office for long and left after I took the signs from Lancel and went to the city hall. Within an hour, I finished with the work in city hall and left for the establishment. Soon, the carriage entered the establishment from the back and stopped. I walked out of it, before stepping into the building. I felt the strong feeling again and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. A month ago, after that incident; it had become so feeble that I had to concentrate to sense it. Not anymore. Now, it had become as powerful as before, making even enchantments stronger. The growth had surprised me; I had thought it would take at least three to four months to recover, but it did in little more than a month and the feeling was still getting stronger. I stopped and looked at the restaurant. It is full as it had been in the past few weeks. The sudden rise in the power of the enchantment charms had affected a lot of things. It sped up things for the establishment. I looked at the restaurant for a minute before checking about the upper floor. All three floors are reopened, including the middle. Now all three floors are open and filled in the afternoon. It is a good thing, the number of girls I have is sufficient and more have been added this month. It made me feel happy, but also worried, that I couldn¡¯t keep these numbers. Next month, the two new brothels are opening, and I would need to send the number of girls in there. I have already reduced the numbers to send there from two hundred to one hundred and fifty. Twenty-five of which will come from Owlspring. So, all three brothels will have seventy-five girls, each. I didn¡¯t want to do this, but I didn¡¯t have a choice; with the way business was going, I couldn¡¯t take out too many girls from here. It would have been great if I had more girls in training, but there is no space, not here in the circle or the brothel of Owlspring. It is why once Taren Zanav leaves; I will start the expansion of the circle. I wanted to wait for a month more and open the two brothels before starting on that. So, I could manage it better financially, but now there is no choice; I need more girls. Thankfully, my financial aspects have improved. I could now afford the expansion of the circle. I looked for a few minutes before going to my office. There, a file was already waiting for me. It is a weekly financial report of a brothel in Owlspring; Mena sends it end of every week. I opened it and began to read. Within a minute, I finished. The news is good; after a month, the brothel had started running at 85%-95% capacity. Mena is doing a great job. If we keep earning at this rate. Then it won¡¯t even take a year to earn back everything we have spent on it. Click! I was taking notes when the light on the intercom turned green, and the door opened. Caena walked inside, and her mood didn¡¯t look good. I could already guess what made her mad. It is a thing, that makes, makes all madams mad. ¡°How many?¡± I asked as she took a seat in front of me. ¡°Three.¡± She replied simply. ¡°Who didn¡¯t leave?¡± I asked. ¡°Merli,¡± she replied, and this time, it was my turn to be surprised. I didn¡¯t think it would be Merli, who would stay. Every month, after I remove the girls. Others tried to get them. It is not like they didn¡¯t try for working girls, but it is very hard for them to poach them. It had been a year since they were able to get a working girl. They only get the girls, that I remove. ¡°It was not Norman Lucas who took them this time. It was a brothel, from Owlspring,¡± she added, and I stopped what I was doing, and my expression turned serious. Eighty percent of our girls were taken by Normal Lucas, and it is fine, but a brothel from Owlspring. It is a serious thing. ¡°It seemed like, the big ones started to look at us seriously then. We should feel honored.¡± I said, putting a smile on my face, but her expression remained unchanged. Till now, the brothels from outside looked at us and even tried to buy us out, but they had never taken our girls. Now they did, which means they have now taken a serious interest in us. ¡°I know this would happen, but I thought we would have more time,¡± she said and sighed. ¡°We already got more time than we thought. We might not be completely ready for the competition, but we will give a fight to anyone who comes at us,¡± I said, and that finally eased her expression. There was silence when suddenly she decided to drop another bomb. ¡°I have finished with the charms,¡± she informed. It was not really a surprise, since she had kept me informed, but still felt like one. The last list was small, but she had a big one. Combining, there are over two hundred charms; she had crafted them all in a little more than a month and begun imprinting them after she said the establishment stabilized enough two weeks ago. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to think about them with all the work,¡± I said after a moment of silence. It is kind of embarrassing to lie. Yes, I have work, but I spent considerable time, in the past month thinking about charms and only came up with three. Even these three are part of the sets, that had been imprinted earlier and will improve their power slightly, if any. I have thought about hundreds of charms; imprinting to enhance every aspect of the business. Including those, I planned to add in the future, that now I am completely drained of ideas. Anything I could think about is already imprinted. ¡°I had time, but I couldn¡¯t think may. I only have twelve enchantments. We have already imprinted everything and anything in the establishment.¡± She said with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Still think hard. We have a wonderful thing here. We shouldn¡¯t let it go to waste,¡± I said, to which she nodded. Click! She opened her mouth to say something when suddenly the door of my office opened and the only person who could come without knocking had stepped in. She was looking excited, but also a little nervous as she took a seat beside Caena. ¡°Tomorrow. She will give her answer tomorrow,¡± said Carla. Give an answer, mean, she will come to the establishment. She is talking about Francesca Charlette, the madam of Red Fragrance, whom Carla had been trying to poach from Lucas for months. I was against it, but she had worn me down, till I agreed, saying it would be worth it. ¡°Do you think, she will accept?¡± asked Caena. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I hope she does. We need talented people like her in the establishment,¡± replied Carla. Still Craving. Visit for More. Chapter 271: Francesca Charlette Chapter 271: Francesca Charlette Francesca ¡°Madam Francesca, are you fine?¡± asked the red-haired girl. ¡°I am fine, Ress. Just a little stressed about the order; I don¡¯t want to make Mr. Lucas worried,¡± I replied, and the girl shuddered. Nobody wants to make Lucas worried. ¡°It is slightly late, but it will come before Mr. Lucas comes to the fragrance,¡± she replied. Putting a smile on her face, to mask her worries. I nodded and entered the hall on the third floor, talking with patrons, who were sitting across from the girls. It is so different from all the brothels, I had worked in. I don¡¯t know how Silver had thought of this, but it is working like a charm. It is not a unique concept, but the way Silver had done it made it exciting. Many of the brothels have already copied it from the Silver, including those controlled by the Lucas Family. Though not all worked for some reason; only 20% had seen a rise in earnings, while for the rest it remained the same or even deceased. Lucas is trying to copy Silver in every aspect, and the result is good, at least in the Red Fragrance. Our earnings have tripled. It should have made Lucas happy, but he is far from happy. Especially in the evening, when he saw people using his business as the rest stop and running to the velvet garden, whenever its gates opened. Even closing the windows, didn¡¯t much help. He shouldn¡¯t be angry; Red Fragrance is earning a lot. Especially now, we have also got the magical chef; she had cost a lot, but the increase in earnings had already made up for that. ¡°You whore! You should eat, what I told you to eat!¡± I heard a loud sound and immediately turned to the table, where I saw an old man pushing a piece of meat into the teen girl¡¯s mouth. I shook my head, seeing that; it was not the first time this thing happened. Some men are obsessed with forcing their will on women. Some do it in the bedroom, while some on the table in public. I moved toward the table with Feather Step and reached there in seconds. ¡°Is there a problem, Mr. Chiva?¡± I asked with a Calming Voice and wore a Disarming Smile. The anger in his eyes lessened as he turned to me, but there was still a lot more. ¡°Yes, this whore of yours refuses to eat this great dish,¡± complained the man angrily. Anger appeared on my face, and I glared at Junice, before I turned to the man, with an apologetic smile. ¡°My deepest apologies. Mr. Chiva, but Junice here, has allergies to meat. If she ate it, ugly hives would appear on her and she would start to vomit,¡± I said and the old man''s eyes turned suspicious. ¡°Really?¡± he asked, not really believing me. ¡°It seemed like you don¡¯t believe me,¡± I said with a disappointed sigh and took a fork from his hand and forced it onto Junice¡¯s lips. ¡°Eat it, girl,¡± I said strictly, and the girl opened her mouth unwillingly. ¡°There is no need,¡± said the old man, as Junice was about to take the bite. ¡°Just give me, another girl,¡± he added. I nodded and turned to Stev, who appeared beside me. ¡°Stev will join you. Mr. Chiva; she loves to take different kinds of food,¡± I said, and Stev took a seat in front of me. The old man muttered something before turning to Stev, while I took Junice away from me. ¡°You should learn to eat the meat,¡± I said to the teen. ¡°I tried Madam, but I couldn¡¯t. I hate the smell of it; even now, I barely holding off the vomit,¡± she said apologetically, and I sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to always save you, girl. If this continues, Mr. Lucas will find out and send you back to the mainland,¡± I said, and the girl shudder in fear. They don¡¯t want that, here they are earning a lot. Getting 5% of the commission and 10% of the gifts. It is pretty great, and they don¡¯t want to lose it. ¡°I will try,¡± she said the softly. I sent away before going to the floor above, where everything was going great. Managing the silver style of a brothel is harder, but it is also making Lucas more money. He is planning to expand the Red Fragrance further, which I don¡¯t think is a good idea, but Lucas never listens, nor he likes to hear anything from the whore. The only thing he wants from us is for his orders followed. I was watching the floor when a young brunette stepped beside me. ¡°Madam, the orders have arrived.¡± She informed me, and I heaved a sigh of relief before walking down toward the back exit, where two people unloading the goods from the cart. I am relieved they came on time. Lucas didn¡¯t like it when things didn¡¯t happen on time. It didn¡¯t matter. If it is not the fault of his staff, he will blame them. He gets especially angry when it happens with things, that we whores are responsible for. I checked everything they had dropped and went back to the brothel. Soon it was six and I could see some patrons on every floor leaving for the velvet garden. Seeing such a scene angered Lucas so much, that he had thrown a fit more times than I remember. I was so much relieved when he started coming late. Though even then, patrons still leave for the velvet garden; not like they are right now. Time passed, and the brothel got more active, till it was nearly full. The patrons kept coming, some only to wait till the gates of the velvet garden opened again. I don¡¯t mind such things. The purpose of business should be earning money, and we are doing that. I really wish that Lucas would stop, his hate for silver, gets in the way of his business. It would make the job of his staff quite easy. Soon, it was nine, and I prepared myself. Lucas will come soon, and I have an important thing to talk to him about. A thing that would decide my future here. With people who had been working for thirty-six years. Half an hour passed, and Lucas didn¡¯t come; I started to get nervous. With great difficulty, I had built the courage. If I hadn¡¯t asked for it today; I don¡¯t think, I would be able to do it again. A few minutes passed when I saw the familiar carriage enter the brothel. A few seconds later, Lucas came out, with chase and his assistant following a step behind. He liked to meet with me immediately after he came, but my feet didn¡¯t seem to move. It took a great struggle for me to list my foot and walk toward the office. Knock Knock I reached the door and nodded at the guards guarding it, before knocking on it gently. ¡°Come in,¡± said the familiar. I tried to move, but once again, my body didn¡¯t seem to move. I greeted teeth and took a step forward, as the guard opened the door of me. I entered the office, and Lucas was sitting on the chair, with a genial smile on his face, and a skill that made everyone feel comfortable in his presence. His nature is the opposite of what he shows on his face; one looks at his eyes and it becomes obvious. They are icy blue and with all emotions frozen inside them. However, those who don¡¯t know him for long will see his eyes filled with mirth and gentleness. Aside from him, is the assistant standing beside him and Chase, sitting opposite of him. I didn¡¯t take a seat, nor did he offer. The whores have no right to sit in front of him. It is not just him, but the rule of the House of Lucas for centuries. ¡°Mr. Lucas,¡± I greeted, as in a subservient tone he liked. ¡°Has the order come?¡± he asked, without even looking, his eyes focusing on the file in his hand. ¡°Yes, Mr. Lucas,¡± I replied. ¡°How is the business, today?¡± he asked. ¡°Good, Mr. Lucas,¡± I replied. ¡°Any problems?¡± he asked. ¡°No. Mr. Lucas,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t tell him about an earlier incident. He will punish, that young girl and his punishments are not nice. It is a risky thing to do. If he comes to know about it, he will be furious. I will bear it; I have done that many times already. He asked a few more things before turning to Chase. ¡°Those filthy whores were too greedy; they accepted the offer from those bastards of Owlspring, rather than ours.¡± ¡°You should have tried harder, Chase,¡± he said, looking at Chase accusingly. Lucas loves the girls from Silver¡¯s brothel, even if they are the worst of all, seeing they have been removed from working. Though here, they always become our top earners and level up quickly, too. ¡°As you had said, Mr. Lucas, they were greedy. They wanted three times more than what we were willing to offer and laxer conditions in their contract.¡± Replied Chase. Bam! ¡°Fucking silver!¡± he cursed, hitting the table hard with his fist. No one reacted or even blinked. We had seen it enough times to react to it. Still, I have to say, that Silver is good. The conditions the girls were asking, were told to them by Silver. It is his way of getting back to those who are poaching his girls. Which has made Lucas mad a lot in the past few months. ¡°What about the fourth one?¡± he asked. ¡°She said she is not interested,¡± Chase replied, which made him angry again, but controlled. ¡°Stupid bitch!¡± he cursed. ¡°Now that Owlspring has cast his eyes on Silver, we will need to be ready with bigger offers and more concessions, if we want to take any girls from the velvet garden,¡± said Chase, and Lucas, just glared at him. For a few seconds, there was a silence before Lucas spoke again. ¡°Tomorrow, Lord Zanav is coming, and I want everything ready for him,¡± he said, looking at me. ¡°All the preparations are being made, as you have desired, Mr. Lucas,¡± I replied. He had informed me of that weeks ago; all the preparations have been nearly done. ¡°I want everything to be perfect for it; I won¡¯t tolerate the slightest mistake,¡± he said, revealing his real emotions. ¡°Everything will be perfect,¡± I replied, barely controlling the shudder. ¡°You can go now,¡± he dismissed and turned to file. I wanted to leave and nearly turned before stopping myself. I have to ask for it. If I didn¡¯t ask for it now; I would never ask it ever in my life. He also turned toward me, seeing me not leaving and his eyes turned colder. ¡°Mr. Lucas, I have a request,¡± I said, feeling proud that my voice didn¡¯t break. He didn¡¯t say anything, and just kept looking with his eyes turning colder by the second, that I wanted to escape badly. ¡°My contract is ending soon, and I would like to have a raise of 15% a year in the renewal of my contract,¡± I said and felt so much lighter, but a moment later, I felt like I had been frozen seeing his eyes turning colder than ice. He kept looking before suddenly a smile cracked on his face, and it was not a nice smile. ¡°Hahahahah...¡± He begins laughing. First, it was low, but soon it became loud, and the tears started to stream out of his eyes. I shuddered because the mirth in his eyes was dark. He kept laughing before finally stopping. ¡°Oh, that was so funny. I couldn¡¯t stop myself,¡± he said, wiping his eyes, before turning to me. ¡°I think, I have been giving you too much freedom, that you filthy whore begin to think, you deserve more than I am giving you.¡± ¡°In the next renewal, your salary will revert to what it was before and the commission of other whores would be reduced to 2.5% and their commission on their gifts will be reduced to 5%,¡± he stated. Hearing that, I felt like, I had been hit hard by something physical. I don¡¯t know, why I had ever thought he would agree to the raise. I should have expected this. He is a member of the House of Lucas, after all. ¡°Even that is far more than you filthy whores deserve, but I am too generous to fault,¡± he added, shaking his head with a sigh. The scary thing is, he believes those words coming out of his mouth. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Lucas,¡± I said before walking out of the office with my decision made. I don¡¯t want to do it, don¡¯t want to leave people with whom I have been with for more than three decades, but he had left me with no choice. I went back to my job and handled things as I did, without any change. Soon, it was two, and I walked toward the blond girl, with a well of emotions, that threatened to burst out of my eyes. ¡°Donna. I hand the charge to you, I hope you will take good care of the girls,¡± I said, with emotions leaking from my voice. Silver had taught this girl well. I don¡¯t know why he removed her. Whatever his reason, she will be a great replacement. I hope she will take good care of the girls from now on. ¡°Are you ok, Madam Francesca?¡± she asked with concern. ¡°I am fine; just feeling a little under the weather,¡± I replied with a small smile, before hugging the girl, which seemed to surprise her. A moment later, I let go of her and walked away. She looked at me, before focusing on the hall in front of her. I descended down the stairs, and with each stair, I felt the memories of my life flashing in front of me. I was twelve when I first time entered the brothel. Since then, it had been thirty-six years and fourteen brothels; all belonging to House of Lucas. In these years, I had gained the freedom but wasn¡¯t able to do much, since the whore was all, I was. I want to change that; I want to become more than a whore. Finally, I reached the first floor, but I didn¡¯t go to my room, instead walked toward the gate. I nodded at them and walked out of the gate; they looked confused but didn¡¯t stop me. If they knew what I was planning to do, they might have. ¡°Madam Francesca, stop!¡± They finally seemed to realize what I was planning on doing as I crossed the road. One of them came at me, fast. I activate the Feather Walk and move toward the gates of Velvet Garden, which had opened, seeing me coming. I wish I could take the girls with me, but I couldn¡¯t. It is a huge risk; I am taking. I have been with the House of Lucas for over three and half decades, and know how they operate. I also know Norman Lucas very well and am aware that he might be sent as an assassin after me. I might die, but I am not afraid. I am afraid of dying as a whore; I don¡¯t want that. I want to die, more than a whore. Velvet Garden would help me with that. I walked through the gate and felt liberated, like never before. I didn¡¯t even care about the guards appearing behind me. However, I was surprised when I saw, the spell shield. It had stopped them, in their tracks. They shouted threats, but I didn¡¯t even listen. All my focus is on the beautiful redhead coming toward me. ¡°Welcome to the velvet garden, Francesca.¡± She said as she stopped in front of me. Still Craving. Visit Chapter 272: Zanav Chapter 272: Zanav Izmar, Oton Continent ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to go,¡± said the girl of five as she hugged her mother. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave too, honey, but you both need to go,¡± she said, with tears dripping from my face. They need to leave. Their claws had already started extending toward Heron. They might go for Josie too. She can¡¯t let that happen; she won¡¯t let her children suffer the fate; she is suffering. They will be safe with him. He might be angry at her and will be shocked to see them, but he will take them and keep them safe. She wiped her tears and looked at the blond-haired boy of eleven. Who had tears in his eyes, but trying so hard to not cry. "Heron, care of your sister,¡± I said and hugged him. ¡°I will not let anything happen to Josie, Mom,¡± said the young boy. ¡°I know, you will not,¡± I replied and hugged both of them tighter, breathing their smell to remember them forever. This might be the last day; she will ever see them. She got up and looked at a middle-aged man with a thick green mustache. ¡°Thank you, Emer. I will be grateful to you forever,¡± she said. ¡°What are you thanking me for? If not for you, I wouldn¡¯t have even been standing here alive,¡± he replied. He will be taking a long journey with children, to a different continent. She smiled and took out the letter from her bag with a shaking hand. A letter is far from enough, but it is the only thing, she could do. ¡°G..give this to him,¡± she said, with her voice shaking, before turning to the children. ¡°Heron, Josie, listen to Uncle Emer. Don¡¯t give him any chance to complain,¡± she said, and both of them nodded. Soon, it was their time to leave. I hugged them for the last time and watched them step into the carriage. The carriage moved and soon disappeared from my eyes. I wiped tears streaming out of my eyes and walked back toward the arena, praying to every god to make them reach safely to him. .... ¡°That bastard is making us wait intentionally,¡± grumbled Lancel, looking at the sun. Which will soon disappear. He is clearly angry and so am I; he should have arrived half an hour ago, but even now, there is no sign of him. It would have been fine if he had been a few minutes late, but he was half an hour late. Their mage informed us, they would reach the city, in an hour, but now it had been one and a half hours. If this isn¡¯t disrespect toward their host, then I don¡¯t know what it is. Taren Zanav is already proving to be troublesome, before even setting a step into the city. It is because of him; that I am working non-stop. Since yesterday, I have not gone home or even to the establishment. I didn¡¯t even meet Francesca Charlette. I stole from Norman. I wanted everything to be perfect; I did not plan to give Zanav any reason to complain. The stakes are too high. The Count also wants him, or rather his father, and wouldn¡¯t mind if he destroyed a building or two; he said those very words to me. In the whole empire, Count Zanav¡¯s name is on the list of every person who is vying for the throne. Hun! I was about to reply when suddenly, I felt a faint vibration under my feet, and every second that vibration began to get stronger. I immediately took out the enchanted spyglass and looked. What I am seeing through it, had blown my mind. It made me really understand why so many people wanted his father. Seconds passed, and the vibration got stronger and stronger, till everybody could sense it. Even the general public stopped in their tracks and looked. It took another four minutes, and the vibration became like an earthquake. The people, could finally, see the things that were causing it. ¡°My god!¡± People begin to gasp in shock, and it is a scene worthy of gasps. I had read reports of it, but it is entirely different from seeing it with one''s own eyes. From the south, a cloud of dust was created by huge two hundred amos rhinos. These rhinos are more than twice the size of those on Earth and they are completely red; with thick hides that make it hard to breach them with the common weapons. On each rhino are mounted two huge black cannons. Every rhino has it, including the purple one, that is leading them. This is the cannon cavalry of Count Zanav. Taren Zanav had brought only a small number, but this force was more than enough to shake the whole city. Those cannons possess the power to blast through anything, be it men or walls, nobody could stand in their way. I have read about their destructive power, and it is shuddering. ¡°I have fought in the battle where Count Zanav had personally led his cannon cavalry. He had decimated the enemies such that we didn¡¯t need to fight at all,¡± said Atticus admiringly, only to receive a glare from Lancel. We watched them get closer and closer, making the ground shake louder and louder. ¡°Show off,¡± Lancel muttered and descended from the barbican, with us following behind. Soon, we were in front of the gates, watching Taren coming riding us, with might that shook even experienced soldiers. Even I wanted to take a step back, seeing his cavalry, not slowing down, despite coming close. Lancel took a step back, before stopping himself and glared at the coming force, which, if didn¡¯t stop soon, would ram us and I don¡¯t know, even if High-Mage York would be able to stop them. I glance at Zela and Stone, not far away from me, and also the mages. I am not the only one; Atticus is also doing the same, asking them to be prepared. The earth begins to shake, high enough that some people watching are falling on the ground, but we don¡¯t move even when the huge beasts have reached less than two hundred meters away from us. ¡°Whoa!¡± commanded the young man in the front with the power of his skills and the huge rhinos began to slow down with amazing grace and discipline, before finally stopping three meters away from us in perfect unison. I saw the beasts and their cannons closely and couldn¡¯t help, but get scared. The numbers may seem small, but they have terrifying power. I forcefully calmed myself and turned to the man, who got off the purple rhino. He is a man in his mid-twenties. Tall, handsome with a straight face, deep blue eyes, and dark grey hair. He is wearing a riding suit with the emblem of the house, Zanav, and a confident smile. Hun! He walked toward us, with five people behind him. Four I had read about, and the fifth one surprised me. Javier Ronda. Reports have told me, he was following around Zanav in Deerpond, but it seemed like, he was able to bring himself here with him. Looking at his eyes, it is clear, that he didn¡¯t have any good intentions at all. ¡°Lord Zanav, welcome to Greltheaven,¡± greeted Lancel, putting a smile on his face. ¡°Lancel, my friend. It¡¯s been a while,¡± said Taren Zanav, freezing the smile on the Lancel''s face. Both of them are on the same social level; Lancel could said to be higher, with him from the House of Ravenheart and future lord of Greltheaven. With his standing, he shouldn¡¯t have to personally come here to welcome him. Atticus or me would have been fine, but Count had sent him. Now, Zanav, instead of appreciating the gesture, spitted on it, by not appropriately addressing Lancel. Everybody around him understood what he did, but nobody had said anything. ¡°My Lord; the Lord Count is waiting,¡± I said, breaking the freezing silence. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we didn¡¯t want to make father wait,¡± said Lancel curtly, and we walked toward the carriage. I noticed; that the rhinos were following behind. Twelve of them, while we have only given him permission for the six to enter the city, given their size. Soon, we reached the carriage, and I opened the door. Lancel entered first and then Taren, behind him Atticus and two people from Taren¡¯s retinue and then me. In the carriage, Taren and Lancel sat in front of each other, while we were behind them. Once again, there was a silence. I had to tap Atticus sneakily to speak because Lancel wouldn¡¯t speak. I would have spoken, but Atticus is more suited, being Commander of the city''s forces. ¡°Lord Zanav, how was your journey from the Deerpond?¡± he asked and a smile appeared on the Taren¡¯s face. ¡°Good, very good. The geography of the wasteland was perfect for my forces; here we could move at full speed, without any restrictions,¡± He replied, without looking away from the window. Though, a moment later, he turned and looked directly at Atticus. ¡°If I attacked your city now, would you be able to defend it?¡± he asked suddenly, making the eyes of everyone wide. Lancel glared at him but didn¡¯t say anything else. He is an idiot; he shouldn¡¯t let his anger come between his objectives. Which is to build the rapport with the Taren. It might make his father have a favorable view of Count and, by association, Prince Grelt. Count also wanted to find out where his father was leaning, but seeing how Lancel was behaving, he wouldn¡¯t be accomplishing any of that. Instead, he will make things worse. ¡°Of course, we will,¡± replied Atticus after a moment of silence. However, the sentence is lacking in confidence. ¡°You have an army of seven and half thousand people and five hundred more city guards,¡± ¡°It is not a big number. You also do not have a sufficient number of archers and cannons. The percentage of mages your army has is also lower than the average,¡± ¡°Taking a city would be difficult unless I have an army of three to four thousand, but crushing your defenses wouldn¡¯t be much challenge and it won''t take me long to achieve that,¡± he said. Every word from his mouth made expressions of Lancel worse and Atticus looked like he had eaten fly. They didn¡¯t like these words, not only because they were demeaning to their city, but also the truth. ¡°It won''t be that easy, my lord,¡± said Atticus defiantly. ¡°Tell me, how will stop me? You are all aware of the abilities of my cannon cavalry. The trenches won¡¯t work, nor would the blockades. My cannons and mages will crush through them.¡± ¡°Your High-Mages are the only ones who will be a problem and it is why I love my calvary.¡± ¡°I could operate from a distance and have enough mages to defend against the high mages while bombarding you constantly till your walls crumble,¡± he explained with confidence and smugness. ¡°What you said is true, my lord, but if we focused everything on defense, we will be able to, last, till you empty your supply of the cannonballs,¡± replied Atticus, to which Taren smiled, with even greater confidence. ¡°Even that won''t be en....¡± He begins to explain how he will do it, in vague terms. He didn¡¯t say what kind of cannonballs he would use. The kind of mages he had or how many he had. He seemed overconfident and was smug, but not a fool. I didn¡¯t say anything. Wars aren¡¯t my forte. Though, I listened to every word carefully and also observed how heated, the discussion was going. Lancel is getting angry and might burst out. That would be bad, not only for him, but also for me. So, when I saw a carriage turning from the road, into the compound. I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. ¡°My lords, we have reached the residence,¡± I informed, interrupting their discussion, and a second later, the carriage stopped. Still Craving. Visit Chapter 273: Party Chapter 273: Party ¡°Lord Count,¡± Greeted Taren as the winston hall; one of six places Count receives important people depending on their stations and his liking for them. Winston Hall came in the middle. If it had been Taren¡¯s father; he wouldn¡¯t have received him in this hall. Thankfully, here, Taren had followed the proper etiquette without the slightest disrespect to the Count. He understands with whom he could mess with and with whom he couldn¡¯t. It seemed to make Lancel angry, but he kept it to himself. ¡°Welcome to Greltheaven. Lord Zanav,¡± Count welcomed, shaking his hand. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± He replied and took a seat in front of the Count. ¡°How was your journey?¡± Count asked. ¡°Great, my lord. Especially in the wasteland. It is best for my cavalry,¡± he replied, and the Count smiled. ¡°Your Lord''s father had also said the same thing when I had met him last time,¡± said the Count. Their polite conversation continued. It is customary. The Count is not immediately going to ask the questions, he really wants to ask. It is not a time; they will ask them during the private meeting tomorrow, where nobody is allowed. We all remained quiet while they talked. They lasted for more than half an hour. ¡°Rest, Lord Zanav. Tonight, there is a party in honor. It would please me greatly if you would attend it,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it, for anything, my lord,¡± he replied. I took him toward his suit; it is a guest wing, where important guests stay. Even here, he is not staying in the best suit, but better than what his station would allow. On the way, we talked a little. It was mostly me, informing him of things he should know. He didn¡¯t listen; he seemed to be deep, in his thoughts. It was fine by me; this man is trouble and I want to talk as less as possible to him, in case he takes offense to something. ¡°I would come to receive you at nine, my lord,¡± I said with a bow. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge and entered inside after his guards gave all clear. I walked away as the doors of his suit closed. Till now, everything has gone well, not smoothly, but well enough. I have to keep it like this till tomorrow night. Once he leaves; I will be able to focus back on the things, that matter most to me. Soon it was eight, and the guests started coming for the party. Welcoming them wasn¡¯t my responsibility; it was Robin¡¯s. Though I am the one who planned it; added things he liked, and even the guests on the lists had been tailored to invite the type of people, he liked the most. I looked at all the preparations and changed my clothes before going back to his suite. I didn¡¯t immediately knock; I had come fifteen minutes early. I feared something might have happened, but it seemed like, I was worrying too much. Knock Knock Ten minutes passed, and I finally knocked. The door didn¡¯t open immediately nor, did I knock on it again. One and a half minutes later, the door opened, and Taren Zanav came out. I have to say; he is handsome and despite wearing a formal suit; the air of bad boy didn¡¯t leave him. It seemed to become heavier. ¡®No, wonder; women threw themselves at him,¡¯ I thought. ¡°Lord Count is waiting for you, my lord,¡± I said, and he nodded. I led him to where Count Darrow and Lancel were waiting for him, both dressed for the party. ¡°Lord Count,¡± greeted Taren. ¡°You look very handsome, Lord Zanav. Seeing you, I couldn¡¯t help but remember my younger days,¡± said the Count. ¡°You are still a handsome man, Lord Count.¡± Said Taren with a smile. ¡°It might not be true, but I like, what you had said, Lord Zanav,¡± said Count Darrow and laughed. ¡°Lord father, it''s time,¡± said Lancel, in a tone that tried to be polite, but failed miserably. Count nodded and turned to Taren Zanav. ¡°Lord Zanav,¡± said Count and walked out of the room with me and others following behind them. ¡°Lord Count,¡± Rang in unison when Count, Lancel, and Taren entered the ballroom, packed with people. It is more guests than usual, with half of them being a woman; beautiful women, dressed in finery. Just the way Taren likes it. I am a little ashamed, but I want everything to go perfectly and will do things, I wouldn¡¯t usually do to achieve it. ¡°Everyone, thank you for coming for the honor of Lord Zanav, who had graced our beautiful city with a wondrous presence...¡± He begins to speak, while I watch expressions on Taren¡¯s face, gauging his mood with my skill. Which is hard. Unlike Lancel, Taren is higher leveled and has a good grip on his emotions. Soon, the Count finished his speech and gave the stage to Taren. ¡°Thank you, Lord Count, for this honor...¡± he didn¡¯t speak for long, about half a time as Count, before starting to mingle with the crowd in the company of the Count. Hun! As I was walking behind them. I felt the angry gaze at me; I turned and saw Norman Lucas, looking at me like he wanted to bury a hundred daggers at me. Carla had told me that he had sent his man Chase to get back their madam. I really wish I had been there to see it, but unfortunately, I have been busy here. I couldn¡¯t even go and talk to Lucas, rub some salt on him. I have to follow around the Count. He has the skill to remember people''s names, but I provided him with other information about the guests. Like their personal life or their business, so he could communicate smoothly and project himself as a caring lord. He didn¡¯t care much about them, but cared about his image; it was the same thing for most nobles. They only care about one thing, and that is power in all its aspects. An hour passed, and then another. Taren seemed to be enjoying the party. Talking to guests and their wives and girlfriends. The hotter they are, the more he will talk to them. He had used Privacy to talk to a few and, looking at their expressions, many of them were interested in what he said, bringing seductive smiles on their face, but some had gotten angry. Though they didn¡¯t say much, understanding the gap between their stations and things, he could do if they were to escalate things. ¡°Lord Taren; it is getting late for this old man. I will call it a night, but Lancel and you enjoy the party,¡± said Count Darrow as the clock rang twelve. ¡°Good night, Lord Count,¡± said Taren as the Count left. The moment, Count disappeared; four of his lackeys appeared beside him, including Javier Ronda. ¡°Since the Lord Count had left; we can leave for some real fun. Lancel, are you interested in coming?¡± asked Taren. ¡°Where are you planning on going?¡± asked Lancel, irritatingly. ¡°To brothels, of course. They are the only things that could be enjoyed at this time,¡± Taren replied with a smile on his face. ¡°Not interested,¡± Lancel replied, and once again, I cursed the bastard. Seeing how miserably he is failing in the job his father had asked him to do. "You will be missing a lot of fun,¡± said Taren and turned to me. ¡°Which is the best brothel in this tiny city?¡± he asked. It is the first time; he has spoken to me directly. ¡°It''s Red Fragrance, my lord,¡± I replied, and immediately a mirth appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to Lord Zanav, Silver. It is your brothel. That is the best brothel in the city.¡± Said a familiar voice; I didn¡¯t have to look to know who this irritating voice belongs to. ¡°I am not lying, Major Ronda. I am just stating a fact; Red Fragrance is the biggest brothel in the city. Owned by the House of Lucas, which has the best brothels in the whole empire,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Is that velvet something, that you were talking about non-stop?¡± asked Taren to Javier. ¡°Yes, velvet garden, my lord. I had only gone there once, and it had given me an unforgettable experience,¡± he replied, and I wanted to curse the lying bastard. He had never come to the establishment. He wanted to, before leaving for Navr, but something had come up, and wasn¡¯t able to. The next day, he left for Navr. ¡°Since you have been praising it nonstop, we will go there. I hope it won¡¯t be as disappointing as the brothels of your city have been,¡± said Taren, freezing the smile on his face for a moment. ¡°I promise, it won''t be my lord,¡± promised Ronda and looked at me. I could clearly see the anger in his eyes. This bastard had planned this, his revenge for the beating I had given me. Taren walked toward the exit, and I looked at Lancel, hoping he would understand what I wanted. He did understand what I wanted, but had no intention of coming to help me. Instead, he is feeling the sick joy from my predicament. ¡®Bastard!¡¯ I cursed and followed the Taren. We appeared in the compound and sat in the carriage, and soon we were out, with six rhinos in front of us and six behind. Those rhinos create noise, and it is night, but he doesn¡¯t seem to care. It is not about the security, but a show. A High-Mage is responsible for his security, with many experienced soldiers and mages, covering every angle. We have no problem with him bringing his security. He can bring, however, a number of people he wants, but would have appreciated it if he had reduced the number of beasts to one or two. They chatted as the carriage strode toward the entertainment district. I remained quiet, speaking only when I was spoken to. Soon, fifteen minutes passed, and the carriage reached in front of the establishment. The feeling, I am getting worsened immediately. It was going to be bad; I could feel it in my bones. I just hope the preparations I made will keep it contained at bad. They should stop them from becoming worse. Still Craving. Visit Chapter 274: Enough! Chapter 274: Enough! Merry Christmas To You All. Still Craving? Visit Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Chapter 275: Blast This Den Of Sin Into Pieces Chapter 275: Blast This Den Of Sin Into Pieces ¡°Enough!¡± I heard a thunderous voice and saw the man appear in front of us. He looked at us and smiled reassuringly, before looking ahead. I saw the apology in his eyes and also his powerlessness. He is aware he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything and instead will suffer the consequences, but he still chose to protect them. It could have been very easy for him to just stand and watch. Others would have done it without a shred of hesitation, but he didn¡¯t. Seeing him standing bravely to protect them, all the fear disappeared from their eyes and now, there is strength in them. Strength to bear, every horrible thing these monsters might do to them. ... ¡°You have some courage to stop us, Silver,¡± said Ronda with a grin. He is happy; it is for which he had come here. To take the revenge for the great humiliation that Silver had given him and now he will have it. I didn¡¯t even glance at the smug face of Ronda and turned to Zanav. Till now, I watched them do one humiliating thing after another to my girls, and break the rules of my establishment, but I couldn¡¯t anymore. I know, there will be big consequences, immediate and lasting, but I couldn¡¯t care less about them at this moment. ¡°Silver, step away. Let them teach the lesson to these filthy whores,¡± said Taren, and anger blazed in me. ¡°I cannot do that,¡± I replied, and a surprise flashed in his eyes before he smiled. ¡°So, you will not stand aside?¡± he asked. ¡°I will not.,¡± I replied, looking directly into his eyes. ¡°Good, this will make things even more fun,¡± he said and turned to the bald man. ¡°Gars, hold down Silver. I want him to watch how I and others fuck these whores till all the pride bleeds out of their eyes,¡± he ordered and removed his jacket. ¡°Gladly, my lord,¡± said a bald man and came at me with a grin. Click! He had just taken a step, when the door opened, and four people came in and stood behind me. I am surprised. I didn¡¯t think they would come out to help me. Their contract clearly gives them an out, in conditions like this. Seeing them, the bald man stopped and turned to Taren. ¡°Do you think your little guards will be able to stop me, Silver?¡± he asked, with his eyes filled with mirth and anger. ¡°We might not, but we will try with our all,¡± I replied. He had more guards and there was also High-Mage York. I know the old man and Count Darrow enough that there will be no help from them. He might instead be ordered to help Taren. He seemed to realize what I was thinking and turned to High-Mage York. He may be more spoiled than Lancel, but also more intelligent; understands how to use people to his advantage. ¡°High-Mage, contain Silver and little guards,¡± he ordered, and the old man hesitated for a second, before sighing and raising his staff toward me. Hun! It lit up, and I prepared myself for the spell when suddenly, I sensed the change in the establishment. The old man and guards shook; Taren looked around with a spark of fear in his eyes. The sudden change confused me, but I decided to remain quiet. There will be a time to ask about it. For a few seconds, nobody spoke before Taren looked at me, with fury bubbling in his eyes. ¡°You have disrespected me over and over, Silver. If I didn¡¯t avenge it, then I wouldn¡¯t be the son of the House of Zanav,¡± he said before a vengeful smile appeared on his face. ¡°I am going to blast this den of sin into pieces.¡± I shuddered as I heard that because I knew it was not a mere threat. He had done it before and will do it here, and I am powerless to stop it. He is really powerful. Even if I fought with all my guards. There won¡¯t be stopping him. Taren gave me one last look before walking out of the hall and soon disappeared from view, along with his men. ¡°Master Silver,¡± said Grisel, with tears streaming from her eyes. ¡°There is no need to worry. It is just the building. If it is destroyed, we will build, a new one,¡± I said with a smile, before turning to Caena. ¡°Evacuate the brothel; patrons, girls, staff, everyone,¡± I said, and walked toward the elevator, before stepping into it. As the elevator descended, I saw the patrons escaping hurriedly; it was the same with the second floor and the first floor. ¡°That bastard¡¯s men are shouting. They are going to destroy the establishment,¡± said Stena. ¡°He may destroy the building, but he wouldn¡¯t dare to kill people. It is risky.¡± Jon added. They are right, even with all his courage; he wouldn¡¯t dare to kill people. It is already a huge risk for him to destroy the establishment. It is not just a brothel, but a brothel owned by the adviser of the Count and a member of the House of Silver. If he kills people on top of that, then there will be consequences that even wouldn¡¯t want to bear. I looked at people running out of the door and was glad to see, Stavad and the staff guiding them out properly. We had held many drills about it, and they were now being useful. I stayed by the elevator, letting the patrons leave first. They looked at me as they left. Many have pity in their eyes, some seem to be enjoying it. I do not blame them for feeling what they are feeling; I only blame my powerlessness. If I had been strong enough, the bastard wouldn¡¯t have been able to do what he planned to do. I would have been able to save my establishment. I was watching them leave when a man in his early sixties walked up to me. ¡°I feel pain for you, young man. There is nothing worse than watching everything you have built crumble, with no fault of yours.¡± He said and gently patted on my shoulder, before walking away. I don¡¯t know the man, but his genuine words touched me. There were so many familiar people, but not a single one offered me the kind words that this unknown man did. It didn¡¯t take long for all to evacuate, and I walked toward the door when Caena appeared beside me. ¡°All the girls and staff have entered the tunnel,¡± she informed, and I felt relief. They are the most important part of the establishment. As long as they are alive; it won¡¯t take me long to build the new establishment. ¡°You should go to circle too,¡± I said to her, but she smiled, and I didn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°They are really planning to destroy the establishment,¡± said Stavad, with his voice shaking as he looked outside. ¡°Go to the safety,¡± I said, walking out of the door. In front of the establishment, twelve huge rhinos are standing, with twenty-four cannons mounted on them pointing at the They have removed the seal from the mouths of cannons. Now, they only need to light the charge and turn my establishment into dust. ¡°It seemed like, there was no saving the establishment.¡± ¡°Still, Zela, send the message to the Count and request help from him.¡± It wouldn¡¯t affect things, but I didn¡¯t want to leave any space for the excuses for him. Not that he cares; knowing him, he probably wants something like this to happen, to get leverage against Taren. I walked toward the rhino, not caring whether they might shoot. They wouldn¡¯t, still seeing big cannons, all the hair on my body stood up. I stopped near the wall of the compound. Behind me on the road are hundreds of people, waiting to watch the crumbling of my dreams. It is dangerous in the compound, but I didn¡¯t want to leave the grounds of the establishment. I want to show, at least, this much defiance in my utter powerlessness. .... ¡°There is a message from Remus Silver, my lord,¡± informed Beaumont, while the Count nodded without saying anything. All his focus is on scrying the mirror, watching what is happening in front of the establishment. ¡°Nearly a thousand people have gathered on the street. It wouldn¡¯t look good on you if Lord Zanav destroys the Remus¡¯s brothel, my lord.¡± Said Robin. It is not the first time; he pleaded with the lord to save Remus¡¯s brothel. ¡°It will affect some things, but we will blame it on Remus for disrespecting the noble and even suspend him from his job for a few weeks,¡± replied the Count with a smile on his face. ¡°It is a great idea, Father; this way, we will show Remus his place and get leverage to ask questions to that bastard Taren,¡± said Lancel, smiling smugly. He hates both of them and wishes he had been there personally, instead of watching through the scrying mirror. He had already asked Mage York to capture a mage picture of Remus. He loves that filthy thing too much. He wants to see his face when the place he loves the most, turned into rubble. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that little bastard, destroys the brothel,¡± said Count, remembering the message York had sent not long ago, telling him about his dangersence blaring, when he was asked to contain Remus. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 276: Cannons Blazing Chapter 276: Cannons Blazing ¡°You and your whores have besmirched my honor, and pay for that with the destruction of your den of sin,¡± Taren shouted. Wanting the whole crowded street to hear. A lot of people have gathered there, at least a thousand and more are gathering every second. I could see many familiar people, including Norman Lucas, who was looking at it all with pure joy on his face. ¡°It is just a building. I will build a new one,¡± I replied with a shrug, making the smile on his face freeze for a moment. There is not a hint of respect in my tone; I even stopped using honorifics. This bastard does not deserve it. ¡°Then, I will singe the land so bad, that nothing could be built here,¡± he declared and turned to his rhinos. ... ¡°We have closed the gates,¡± said Della as she stepped onto the roof with Barb. ¡°Good,¡± I said and turned back to the establishment. Nearly every girl is present on the roof, looking at the establishment, with many having tears streaming down their cheeks. ¡°Are they really going to destroy it, Sister Margaux?¡± asked Gloria, with tears in her eyes. The girl, first time in months, showed her real emotions in front of all the girls. ¡°Likely yes, but you girls don¡¯t need to be worried about it,¡± I replied with a reassuring smile on my face. ¡°It is just a building. Even if it is destroyed, a new one could be built,¡± I added, which stopped the tears of many girls, but brought them to mine. It is not just a building for me. It is the first place I called home and now it is going to get destroyed. I felt pain, but there was nothing I could do other than bear it. ... Boom Boom Boom ¡°Fire!¡± Taren gave the command and a yellow fire burst out of the mouths of twenty-four cannons with deafening booms and behind it came black cannonballs, covered in fiery sparks. I watched the cannonballs roaring out of cannons and tearing through the air toward the establishment. I wanted to cry and roar; run and cut through these cannonballs, but I could do none other than watch in frozen horror as these cannonballs destroy everything I had built. They will not be destroying the building, but the representation of my dreams and will. It is the thing that saved me when I was betrayed by my family and sent here. I bet my everything on it and found a success for me and the girls. Now, a spoiled brat riding on his father¡¯s power is going to destroy it, while I watch helplessly. Hun! The cannonballs were fast and reached the walls in a second, and about to crash it when suddenly, I felt something from the establishment. The twelve-pointed star appeared in front of my eyes. It shone brightly and covered the establishment in its light. Bang Bang Bang The cannonballs struck the establishment, with everybody expecting the building to blow to the smithereens. Mages cast shields, including Zela, to save me from the rubble that came flying in, but nothing of that sort happened. The cannon balls exploded, but instead of blasting establishment into the pieces. They only made faint cracks appear on its walls. ¡°Impossible!¡± shouted Taren, with shock all over his face. It is not just him; everyone is shocked, including me. I controlled my shock and turned to Caena. I had felt the connection between her and the twelve-pointed star. She seemed to be expecting the question and faintly nodded with a look, saying, ¡®We will talk later,¡¯. I had my doubts since the dream incident, but now, I am sure. She had done something to the establishment. Something that just saved it from blasting into the pieces. She herself had acknowledged that, with the nod. She might also be the reason why Mage York stopped earlier, and fear appeared in Taren¡¯s eyes. Seeing these things connecting; hope rose in my heart. There is a chance that the establishment might survive. ¡°It seemed like, someone is trying to protect you and this den of sin,¡± said Taren and a smile appeared on his face. The smile didn¡¯t give me a good feeling at all. ¡°Load the berin rounds,¡± he ordered, and I shook. All the hope, that appeared in my heart vanished in an instant. I looked at Caena and found all the color drained from her face. Berin rounds, made from berin crystal. A crystal with immense destructive power, it becomes even more destructive when it is used to forge the cannonball. A round berin crystal contains the power to equal to Grade 3 wide-range offensive spell. It is the power of a single round, and he is planning to attack with multiple at the same time. ¡°My lord; your lord had stated, those are for emergencies only,¡± said a middle-aged man. Taren turned and looked at the man with all the fury. ¡°This is an emergency; the man disrespected me. He deserved to be punished!¡± he replied, nearly shouting. The middle-aged man seemed like he wanted to say something, but once again, he just sighed and took a step back, while Taren turned back to me. ¡°There is nothing that can save your den of sin; not even the bastard, protecting you from the shadows,¡± he said, and there was confidence burning his eyes. This time, I didn¡¯t reply, and instead just looked back into his eyes. I have felt the power of the star and the spell it had used earlier. It was barely a Grade 2 spell and the cannon balls that were used were common ones; they didn¡¯t even put skills behind them. Each berin round is compared to a Grade 3 offensive spell. That defensive spell would tear apart like paper. There is no chance it would stand against the rounds. Still, I am grateful. Like the girls, the establishment could also stand in defiance. It might get crushed today, but I will build it anew and make it powerful enough, that one day, it will crush this bastard. This is my promise. ¡°Fire!¡± He ordered, and the sparks lit up across the cannons. The bastard isn¡¯t holding back and launching the berin rounds from all twenty-four cannons. Those rounds are not cheap, even for him, but he is in no mood to care about the cost or consequence; the only thing he cares about is avenging his perceived disrespect. Boom Boom Boom A loud boom rang out, and yellow fire burst out from the mouths of cannons, and, through it, came blue cannonballs. A quarter of them were more than enough to turn the whole establishment into the dust, but he had launched twenty-four. There are skills attached to them, making them even more dangerous than they already are. I was watching the cannonballs when the twelve-pointed star appeared in front of me, and it shone more brightly than earlier. It is taking the power from the sun. Still, despite that, I don¡¯t think it is enough to defend against the berin round. If it had been one or two rounds; the establishment might have survived with some damage, but against twenty-four, only complete destructions waited for it. ¡°Hun!,¡± Even with the sound of cannons still ringing in my ears; I could hear, Caena crying. Tears have begun to drip down from my eyes too. I didn¡¯t want to show weakness in front of the bastard, but tears came out. This is a place, I had built with my blood and sweat, took risks, that would have ruined me, and made the enemies, that hate to the bones. I am proud of what I have achieved with it, and what it helped achieve. It is filth of society, but it had made my girls earn their self-respect, that they value enough to discard the thousands of imperials, that common people would kill each other for. So, when I saw the cannonballs roaring toward it. It felt like, they were coming for me. They reached the establishment, and the impact caused the reaction, bringing out the massive power that could tear apart any wall. Hun! I was watching it with horror when suddenly something shocking happened. The twelve-pointed star, which was shining brightly, burned with ten times greater brightness. At the same time, I felt a change in me. I found myself connected to the star at a much deeper level and thus sensed something that my mortal mind couldn¡¯t make any sense of. Though whatever it was; it shook me to my core. When I came to myself; I found the world had become colorful. I could see all types of colors around me. They are of every type and everywhere, and people are the source of them. Constantly emitting them out, like a breath. ¡°Emotions,¡± I said. They are not energies, but emotions that people radiate, and I am seeing them. Every person radiates them in different quantity and quality depending on their mood. Like right now, Taren, Caena, Stena, Lucas, and a few others are radiating them intensely. I was watching the colorful world when I saw these emotions moving, and they were moving toward the sun. I had seen it happen once, during that incident, but the scale of it was like comparing the drop of water to the plate. During that incident, emotions from the plot were pulled, but now emotions from the whole city and beyond are getting pulled. They are coming like a tide and coming from every direction and getting sucked into the sun. There were so many emotions coming that the whole area of the establishment got covered in dense emotions, but strangely, I could see it all clearly and what it was doing to the sun. The sun begins to swallow the massive amount of emotions from everywhere, becoming denser and bigger, every second. It is also releasing the energies into the shining points. The energy it is giving into them is also massive, tens of times greater than what the twelve-pointed star had sucked from the sun. Every shining point is blazing and getting bigger and strangely, the strings connecting them to the sun fade rapidly, till it completely disappears. Seconds passed and shining points got as big as pearls and got bigger. My connection with them seemed to be strengthening rapidly, I could feel what they could do. Though, not all; there are many which seemed too complex for me to understand. Gasp! I was thinking about her when I heard her take a huge gasp of shock. It seemed like she finally realized what was happening. The sun becoming bigger and bigger, as it absorbs more and more energy. It had already become as big as a soccer ball and getting bigger. The surrounding things take the massive energy from the sun and grow bigger. It is not the only change that is happening to them. I focused on one charm. From a shining point, it had turned blue marble, with a hint of green and purple. As I focused, I began to feel gentle, relaxing hands moving across my body, relieving me of the stress. The message charms. I looked at others, feeling what they do, but when I looked at some, all I got was a vague feeling. All these charms, which gave me a vague feeling, are part of clusters, with each having four to seventy-two charms in them. Not all charm clusters are vague like them; there are some clusters that give a definite feeling like the first message charm. It was also part of the cluster. Once this is finished, Caena will have a lot of questions to answer. Especially about the number of charms. They are far greater than the number I have in my mind. There are two thousand and sixty-one charms, when there should be only seven hundred and fifty-one. Hun! Time passed, and the tide of emotions kept coming when suddenly, I saw something appearing in the sky. A meteor, filled with such dense emotions, nothing my core absorbed had compared to it. It is not big, just the size of a volleyball, but packs a massive amount of emotions and they are extremely dense and powerful. It appeared beside the sun before getting swallowed by it. Immediately, the sun begins to grow fast. As it is happening, another meteor of appeared, and then another, and then another. One by one, they appeared in the sky and came at the sun, before getting swallowed by the sun. Hun! Their appearance confused me, and I thought about their origin, till I saw the ninth meteor and felt the familiar feeling. Immediately, I understood where these extremely dense balls of emotions were coming from. I also remember a thing I read in the book years ago and now seeing the meteors, I know it is true. {Conditions Met: L...} I was thinking that when the notification appeared in front of me. Making it official. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 277: Birth of Legacy I Chapter 277: Birth of Legacy I Imperial Palace, Harsoth Empire ¡°Emperor father, you have to rein House of Ravenheart. They are openly breaking the laws of empire by recruiting a massive number of people for their armies.¡± Said the middle-aged man, to the old man sitting across from him. There are many people in the room, some sitting on the table, some standing, all loyal to the crown prince. The old man looked at the middle-aged man, his firstborn, and regret couldn¡¯t help, but flash in his eyes for a moment. He made a great mistake, that will have far-reaching consequences, but things have moved too far to take the step back. There is no space for regret, only action. It is the only way; he could secure the future of his beloved empire. ¡°I have summoned the Duke o¡± the emperor was speaking when he paused with a shock in his eyes before a big smile appeared on his face. ¡°Father, what happened?¡± asked the Crown Prince immediately, feeling something had happened and since his father was smiling, meant something very good had happened. The emperor doesn¡¯t show his emotions. If he does, means it is important. ¡°A legacy had been born in the empire,¡± he replied after a moment of silence. Hearing that, the smile lit up the face of the crown prince and other people. Legacy means emotional essence; the most important material in the world that only legacy could produce. ¡°Where?¡± asked the crown prince immediately. Already thinking about the person, who he would send there as the guardian. The emperor turned and looked at the giant map of his empire and moved his eyes toward the newest region, he conquered, before focusing on the near edge of it. ¡°Greltheaven,¡± he replied. Freezing the smile on the Crown Prince''s face. .... Transcendent Pleasure, Port Belnin ¡°This will be e¡± a woman sitting behind a huge desk, reading the file, suddenly stopped as her legacy chimed in a particular rhythm. Immediately, her eyes went wide. ¡°Madam Ophelia, are you fine?¡± asked the man sitting opposite her worriedly. She didn¡¯t answer for a couple of seconds. Instead, she focused on sending the contribution to help the other legacy consolidate. It could be small or big, depending on her. She chose the amount that was neither small nor big. It will help the other legacy consolidate, but not as much as what will come from the Three Titans and Eight Spirits. ¡°Gandin, prepare; a new competition has appeared,¡± said the woman and grin, shocking the man. It took him more than a second to realize the meaning of her words, and his eyes went wide. .... Mirage, Jalrux City, Navr ¡°Inform the lord that a new legacy has been born, in Renwell Wasteland,¡± said Orc-blood man as he opened his eyes. ... Archmage Tower, Archmage City ¡°The new legacy had been born in the Renwell Wasteland. I want the information about its host on my desk by morning,¡± said the old half-elf as he opened his eyes. The woman holding the staff was shocked, but she bowed. ¡°As you command, Archmage,¡± she said and disappeared. .. Every legacy on the Zenid continent and the world realized a new legacy had been born. They sent their contribution as the duty demanded, but also sent messages and their people to find out more information about the host. .. {Conditions Met: Legacy Gained¨CDemesne of Desire} Legacy Skill: Master of Legacy Legacy Skill: Laws of Legacy Legacy Skill: Vault of Ru Legacy Skill: Grant Authority (4) I have gained the legacy, something I had dreamed about, but never thought I would get it. Desiring a legacy is common among merchants, everyone. In the whole continent of Zenid, there are not more than a hundred legacies. Many kingdoms don¡¯t have even a single one. In the empire, there are only six legacies; seven, counting mine. They are treasures that provide the most valuable thing in the world and that give them power. I have power. From now on, nobody would dare to trample on me. Like the bastard did, with it even if I commit the gravest crime; I would be, at most, confined to my legacy. I have become too valuable for them to do anything for me. Without me, there is no legacy. Hun! I turned to the skills and found; that I couldn¡¯t use them. For a moment, I panicked, but soon realized something. ¡®The legacy hadn¡¯t fully formed yet.¡¯ The emotions kept coming like a tide. Including the meteors of thick emotions. The sun had grown to the size of a carriage, and it was still growing. Suddenly, another meteor appeared, and it was bigger than any meteor till now. It is as big as a gym ball and blazing with multicolored emotions. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but become shocked. It is not the size had shocked me, but the sheer density of the emotions inside it. It merged into the sun and the size of the sun began growing rapidly. Within a moment, its size increased by thrice. It had just stopped growing when I saw seven more of similar size appearing in the sky, all dense with emotions. When the sun finished absorbing them; it became as big as the house. More and more meteors kept coming but were all pale in comparison in size and density of emotions. Not a single one of them could match the eight. Time passed, and hundreds of meteors came, but soon, their pace began to slow down till they stopped coming. I thought the sun would be satisfied by the sheer emotions the meteors provided, but no, its appetite, hadn¡¯t been satisfied. It seemed to have increased even further. It started to not only those emotions radiating from people, but those present on trees and ground. Time passed by, when suddenly three meteors appeared in the sky. They are as small as tennis balls. For a moment, I thought about them as common meteors before my eyes widened. When I sensed the emotions inside them, my whole body shook. Every single one of them contains more emotions than what my sun had absorbed till now. Those emotions are so pure and dense, that they feel solid. They stayed in the air for a moment before coming to the sun, before crashing into it. The moment they did, it shook and began expanding madly, while sending wild streams of power to the surrounding things. The rapid change begins to appear in them. The clusters begin to merge, and many lone charms begin to change their places. Even the twelve-pointed star, begins to change. I turned to the sun and saw it getting larger than the establishment and still growing and, within a moment, becoming as big as the red fragrance. Hun! I thought it would continue to grow, seeing it only absorbed 10%, when something shocking began to happen. It begins to shrink. I thought it began to release emotions it couldn¡¯t absorb, but no, instead it started to digest them faster as it shrunk. Making the emotions inside it, denser. The things around it also begin to get more emotion and they begin to change faster. The sun got smaller and smaller, till it finally stopped at the size of the carriage. At the same time, I felt the skills unlocking; I knew I could now use them. However, I am more focused on things in front of me. ¡®I had called it sun because it looked like it, but now it seemed like it become sun,¡¯ I thought, looking at the scene in front of me. The sun, the core of the establishment, is still multicolored, but the emotions inside are hundreds of times denser. I looked at it before looking at the planets revolving around it. Yes, planets. They are from the size of ping-pong balls to the gym ball. All of them revolve around the sun, in different orbits. The clusters have merged and turned into multicolored plants. Many have satellites the size of ping-pong balls. With a single glance, I could easily tell what they could do, but there was a minority of which seemed too complex. The twelve-pointed star also turned into the planet. It is the biggest one; the size of a gym ball, three times the size of the second biggest planet. A beautiful green-blue planet, with a silver twelve-pointed star painted on it. I looked at them, and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I wanted to laugh madly, but I controlled myself. Soon, my expression turned serious, and I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the establishment covered in a faint, colorful, shining mist of emotions. It made it look like it was out of a dream. The mist alone didn¡¯t do that; its elevation to the legacy improved every aspect. From walls of buildings to dirt under my feet to plants around. Everything had improved. Even those cracks seemed to bring a different charm to it. They are just faint cracks, even when berin''s round exploded, the twelve-pointed star also powered up, increasing the defensive power of it exponentially, saving the building from turning to dust. Now, even without the power of a twelve-pointed star; it would be very hard for my enemies to crush the building, even with berin rounds. Speaking of which, I could still see the crystalline smoke and feel the heat on the walls, like barely a minute had passed since the attack, instead of hours, that I felt. ¡°Th...this,¡± said Taren, looking at the establishment in utter shock. Everyone is shocked; there is not a single person who isn¡¯t. They couldn¡¯t believe the thing, that happened; some had even been slapping themselves. I looked at Taren and others and closed my eyes for several seconds, before opening them. ¡°Taren Zanav, Javier Ronda, Baspel...and the guards. You all had broken the most sacred rules of the Velvet Garden,¡± ¡°You humiliated its employees by your denigrating behavior and caused harm to the property and thus forbidden from it for life,¡± I declared and felt it clicking with the establishment. I used Laws of Legacy; the few seconds I had closed my eyes to lay down the basic laws. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. I am Lord Taren Zanav, of House Zanav; I will crush you and this legacy here and now!¡± he roared angrily, making the eyes of a middle-aged man go wide. ¡°It seemed like you are planning a rebellion against the empire, Taren Zanav?¡± I asked with a smile. A confusion appeared on his face, hearing that, and opened his mouth, when the middle-aged man stopped him. ¡°Adviser, Lord Taren, and House Zanav have the intention of rebellion; those words are spoken in anger and stress, and for it, I apologize to you, my lord''s behalf,¡± said the middle-aged man and bowed faintly. ¡°What the fuck, Grass! Why did you apologize to this son of a whore?¡± asked Taren in fury. ¡°Empire constitution, section seventeen, clause 1. A legacy is a personal domain of the emperor and the host of it is his envoy.¡± ¡°Any disrespect and harm caused to the host is disrespect and harm to the emperor and thus punished accordingly,¡± I said with a loud voice and power of skill so that everyone could hear. He heard that, and the expression on his face paled as he understood. The consequences he could face for his words. Though they are exceptions to the law. The emperor formally needs to decree it too, to make it official. He opened his mouth but soon felt something, not only him but also his lackeys, the rhinos, the men sitting on them, and the guards. I had not even spared Mage York. They all felt the effect and began to take steps toward the gate, unwillingly. Taren and the middle-aged resisted for a second, before starting to move toward the gate; they were unwilling, but they didn¡¯t have a choice. They are not powerful enough to resist the rules of the legacy. I wanted to do much more to the bastard than throw him out, and I could. Even if I slapped and kicked the bastard, or gave a cut or two. I won¡¯t receive any punishment other than having a slap on the wrist. Doing that would be letting him go quite easy. It will also lower the prestige of the establishment. I now have the real power that nobody could take away from me. I have to consolidate it and soon, there would be a time when I would be able to wield it, such that he would regret what he had done here, every moment of his life.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Still Craving? Visit Chapter 278: Birth of Legacy II Chapter 278: Birth of Legacy II Namdar Still Craving? Visit Chapter 279: Information Chapter 279: Information Wishing you all a New Year filled with joy, laughter, and adventures! Still Craving? Visit Chapter 280: Motive Chapter 280: Motive Click! I opened the door and walked inside my office, with Caena following behind me. My gaze fell on the window and couldn¡¯t help but become surprised, seeing the people. They have packed streets as far as I could see and there seemed to be no end to them. In just an hour, their numbers seemed to have quadrupled, and more were coming. It seemed like, I had underestimated the effect a new legacy would have. I might need to ask for more people. I also closed my eyes and wrote a few more laws. They will help those with trespassing. I gave one last look to the people before sitting down and turned to Caena. ¡°There are far more charms than there should be,¡± I said, and she smiled gently. ¡°I had started imprinting them the week, I came here,¡± she replied. I am surprised. I shouldn¡¯t have been I had expected the answer in this line, but it still surprised me. ¡°I had also understated my speed of crafting enchantments.¡± She added after a second of silence. This I had very much suspected. ¡°Were you expecting it to be turning into the legacy?¡± I asked. I could now tell the age of each charm when they were imprinted. The first charms aren¡¯t the vague ones, but the ones that increase the effects of establishments'' services. ¡°The ritual had formed a perfect bond. It never happens; the chances of it are less than a million in one.¡± ¡°Even that is not enough for legacy, but your vision and ideas propelled it toward it fast, while my charms also helped with their push,¡± ¡°Still, I had expected it would take decades at least, before it could light up the spark and become a legacy; you had achieved in one and a half years,¡± she replied with a clear surprise on her face. For a minute, I didn¡¯t speak, just looked at her. She is not as confident as she is trying to project. There is fear in her eyes, nervousness hidden deep within, which she was trying to hide. ¡°Were you able to see the legacy¡¯s core before?¡± I asked. To which she nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°Now?¡± I asked, and she shook her head. ¡°Everything is completely locked now, I couldn¡¯t even access a hint of emotions,¡± she said and sighed. It is no lie, not because I believe her, but because I could feel my total control over the legacy. The contract I signed with her, which gives her access to establishments'' emotions, is invalid now. Even if it had been valid, it wouldn¡¯t have given her access. The establishment is a legacy and unless I give her control through it, she will have no control over, even a single part of it. I waved my hand, and immediately everything had disappeared; the office, the chair we were sitting and everything else. The only thing there is the sun and planets orbiting around it. Master of Legacy is a passive skill, which gives me complete control and instinctive knowledge to control everything. Gasp! She gasped in shock as she looked. It is shocking. There is no one who wouldn¡¯t be shocked seeing it. ¡°The rituals have merged,¡± she said after a few seconds, looking at the planets. ¡°I can tell what many of them do, but some feel too vague or, I might say, talk in a language that I couldn¡¯t understand,¡± I said, and many planets disappeared, leaving only seventeen of them behind. ¡°I want to know what they do. Especially that one, I think, it is the one, which is most important,¡± I said, pointing at the biggest planet with a silvery twelve-pointed star. She smiled at my question and there was also an immense pride that appeared in her eyes. ¡°This is a Grand Ritual of Kama Rakalis,¡± she replied, and I shook. I have done my research on witches and know the kind of terror Grand Rituals are. Even Archmages fear them when they are cast by the witches powerful enough. ¡°Grand Ritual of Kama Rakalis?¡± I asked after calming down myself. ¡°In the common tongue, it is known as Grand Ritual of Imprint and Amplification,¡± she said, and confusion appeared in my eyes. ¡°It can imprint any spell and release it more powerfully,¡± she explained, and my mind went blank. Others may not be able to understand the gravity of it, but I do and the more I think about it, the more excitement and fear I would feel. ¡°The spell you used earlier?¡± I asked. ¡°Grade 1, Minor Strengthen,¡± she replied. The power the spell had reached was Grade 2, albeit barely, but that was before the establishment turned into the legacy. ¡°The imprinted spell could be used unlimitedly as long as there are emotions?¡± I asked, and she nodded, shaking my heart again. ¡°How many spells have you imprinted on it?¡± I asked. ¡°Just thirteen; it is very hard to make others use spells in the establishment, without arousing suspicion,¡± she replied with regret. ¡°I looked inside the planet and there were thirteen things inside. The Minor Strengthening had taken the form of rock with faint brown energy covering it. There is also a Fireball Spell, Ice Dagger, and other spells; all Grade 1. I could tell from whom these spells were imprinted. Minor Strengthening is from Shaun, the fireball is also from him. Ice Dagger is from Zela. I had seen them use these spells and were also written in their resume. ¡°How many spells could be imprinted?¡± I asked. She didn¡¯t answer the question immediately. ¡°I think, hundreds.¡± She replied, and I nearly sucked a breath. ¡°And their grade?¡± I asked. ¡°It will depend on the quality of emotions; the same for the number of spells it can imprint. Higher the quality of emotions; the more you will be able to imprint,¡± she answered. She is referring to the grade of legacy; yes, they have grades as well. It depends upon the quality of the emotional essence they could produce. Simply say, Grand Ritual gives me a magic scroll from which I can launch any imprinted spells, I want unlimitedly, as long as I have enough emotional essence. It is a terrifying ability, and it scared me. For a minute, I didn¡¯t speak, before I turned my gaze to the second biggest planet, with three moons orbiting it. ¡°This, what this one does?¡± I asked, and she answered, once again shocking me. One by one, I had asked about seventeen planets and she answered it all. I made everything disappear and slumped back in my chair. I had expected many things, but not this. She had planned it all, with the establishment turning into the legacy in mind. Aside from Grand Ritual, all of them would have been near useless if the establishment hadn¡¯t turned into a legacy. Those things are like skills for me; I could do many things with them. ¡°It is clear that you have ulterior motives for creating the charms,¡± I said after a few minutes of silence. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. Not denying; even the blind could see that she had done all this with motive. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± she replied, and a frown appeared on my face, along with anger. ¡°You might lose a job, if you didn¡¯t answer the question,¡± I said, and all the fear and nervousness hidden in her eyes seemed to vanish and a relief appeared in her face. Seeing that, I sighed with regret internally. This woman knows me too well. ¡°It''s not that, I didn¡¯t want to tell you; it¡¯s just that, it is not the right time,¡± she said, and I just looked at her. ¡°When will be the right time?¡± I asked, and she replied with a smile. ¡°I really want to fire you, you know?¡± ¡°No, you do not,¡± she replied with a bright smile. ¡°At least tell me, where did you send Jon?¡± I asked, and her expression turned serious. ¡°Remember that herbology teacher I had?¡± she asked back, I nodded as I paid for that class. ¡°She is a witch,¡± said Zela, and my eyes widened. ¡°Did you ask him to kill her?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. ¡°No, she will be asleep, till what she knows is not a threat to us anymore,¡± She replied, simply. It is akin to killing her because I didn¡¯t want anyone to find out about this, ever. ¡°She knows about the charms you imprinted on the establishment?¡± I asked her, to which she shook her head. ¡°No, but she knows I am a witch and your bonding with the establishment is common knowledge. She might be able to connect the dots,¡± she replied. The charms I understand are the greatest secret of my establishment. Especially, that Grand Ritual; it let me do what I heard, archmage tower does. Throw the spells by converting emotion into mana. The grand ritual is far different from the working of Archmage Tower. One is conventional magic while the other is witchcraft, but I will consider them the same for the sake of thought. What I mean is say, I couldn¡¯t let anyone know. If even a hint of it had spread, I would suffer a fate worse than death. Just thinking about made me shudder all over in fear. ¡°Ask everyone to sleep early. We will have a lot of things to do tomorrow,¡± I said, she nodded and walked out of the office, though not before giving me a look. She definitely wants some control. The door closed, and the imperial coin appeared in my hand before it disappeared and appeared again. Vault of Ra. The skill provided me with access to the vault, which is the size of the two rooms. I could access it from anywhere within the boundaries of the establishment and put anything in it. I didn¡¯t try to put people, but I knew instinctively that it wouldn¡¯t be possible. Still, I am glad to get a skill like this; it is useful. I got up and looked at the window, only to see, the crowd had swelled further. I looked at them for a few seconds before walking into my room. I am going to sleep, tomorrow is going to be a very busy day but before that, I need to talk to a few people. Some of them might get angry if I didn¡¯t talk to them. I don¡¯t want to make them angry, not yet. ... ¡°Good, a legacy. Another reward waiting for us in the wasteland,¡± said the man, with a grin, and erased the name Remus Silver from the list in front of him. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 281: Dealer of Desire Chapter 281: Dealer of Desire Witch of Fluke Lv. 23 Witch of Fluke Lv. 24 Witch of Fluke Lv. 25 Witch of Fluke Lv. 26 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} ¡°Ah!¡± A loud sound came out of Adra¡¯s mouth as she looked at the text in front of her. All the sleep vanished from her eyes as she stared line of texts. She had leveled up four times and even gained two skills. The thing is, she had something in the past few months to give her a single level, much less four of them and a skill. In the past few months, the only thing she had done was to create and sell some harmless charms, all legal. ¡®Is this a dream?¡¯ asked Adra, but she knew it was not; witches are more connected to the world. They aren¡¯t called the bane of illusionists for nothing. Bang Bang Bang ¡®Just what the hell happened?¡¯ asked Adra to herself, confusion, when suddenly, she heard a loud, forceful knocking. ¡°Adra Bass, open the door in the name of Lord Hegras!¡± said the loud voice, scaring the hell out of her. She is confused and scared but has a feeling that the text in front of her is likely related to that loud knocking. .... Whore Lv. 20 {Conditions Met: Whore ¨C Courageous Whore} {Skill Gained:...} ... Harlot Lv. 24 {Condition Met: Harlot - Harlot of Composure} {Skill Gained:...} ... Lady of Promise Lv. 10 {Skill Gained: ...} Prostitute of Riveting Voice Lv. 21 {Conditions Met: Lady of Promise + Prostitute¡ªRiveting Lady of Brothel and Promise} Riveting Lady of Brothel and Promise Lv. 12 {Skill Change: ...} {Skill Change: ...} . . . I watched my skills change and I could reject it all, like I did so many times. Not wanting this filth to touch my primary class, which I had inherited from my parents. Now, I do not have the will to do it or rather accept the reality, of what it is. For over a decade, I had rejected it every minute of my life, but that spoiled bastard made me understand deep in my heart what I am. When he asked his men to fuck me till I feel despair. A whore. I had heard it thousands of times, but it never hit it like, when he spoke. It brought down the last nail in understanding. Yes, I am a prostitute, but I am also a lady and I finally accepted that fact. . . . Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 30 Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 31 Witch of Luminescent Brothel Lv. 32 {Conditions Met: Witch of Luminescent Brothel¨CWitch of Luminescent Legacy} Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 24 {Skill Change: ...} {Skill Change: ...} . . . Madam Lv. 13 {Skill Gained: ...} I looked at the texts in front of me, and a smile appeared on my face, seeing me gaining the powerful class, but there was also some confusion. My base class had leveled up and upgraded. Its levels have regressed, but it is more powerful than before. The skills have also been upgraded, and I have received three new ones. Not to mention the attribute points. The regress in levels and change in class didn¡¯t take away the attribute points. The thing that confused me the most is that my Madam Class had only leveled up once and there was no consolidation between the Madam and Witch Class. I had expected it would happen after I breached the third capstone, but it didn¡¯t. I had gained only one level, and the class hadn¡¯t upgraded either. It took some time to understand the reason behind it. Yesterday, I acted more like a witch than a madam. I need to become a Madam as much as much as I am a Witch. ... Agent of Experience Lv. 26 Agent of Experience Lv. 27 Agent of Experience Lv. 28 {Conditions Met: Agent of Experience ¨C Dealer of Desires} Dealer of Desires Lv. 20 [Master of Legacy] {Conditions Met: Goods Sense¨CGood¡¯s Instinct} {Conditions Met: See My Vision - Vision Projection} {Skill Gained: Copy Skill} {Skill Gained: Telepathic Call} ¡°Wow!¡± I spoke. It was the only thing I could say about what I was seeing in front of me. The Grand Mage had informed me I would level up. My class would become good enough to hold the weight of the legacy, but I hadn¡¯t expected this. It is big, three-level ups before my class upgraded and then another level up. Two of my skills have been upgraded, and I have got two new ones. When I looked at them, my eyes widened. Both of these skills are something I had desired. Especially, the capstone Copy Skill; is one of the rarest and most desired skills there is. It is easy to understand, why people would want it. The second one will make things a lot more efficient. I wanted this since I saw Margaux use it. I calmed down and looked at my new class, Dealer of Desire. The Dealer is a low-level mercantile class, but it is the ¡®Desire¡¯ that makes it extremely powerful. It¡¯s an element that constitutes mortal desires; it is vast. This alone had to increase its weight and make it equal to the ¡®Lord Class¡¯, but it is not just that. It had [Master of Legacy] attached to it, which increased its weight even further. I don¡¯t know how powerful the class is with it, but it is more powerful than Lancel¡¯s, for sure. My upgraded skills, Goods Instincts, and Vision Projection will help a lot. The other skills, which are not upgraded, also become powerful with class upgrades and some have become even more powerful than these two upgraded skills. The last thing is attribute points. I have four of them. Like always, I wanted all to the charm and intelligence, but I controlled my urge and used one point on each attribute. Immediately, I felt the effect of it, and it was stronger than I had thought. I am surprised, but I shouldn¡¯t be I had read about it. It happens when one uses, use all four attributes at once. It took nearly a minute for the effect to wear off and when it did; I opened the table. Class Dealer of Desire Lv. 20 [Master of Legacy] Masterful Administrator Lv. 22 Blade Warrior Lv. 19 Trainer Lv. 07 Charisma 17 Intelligence 14 Vitality 12 Strength 14 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Instinct ¡¤ Active Presence ¡¤ Vision Projection ¡¤ Instant Recollection ¡¤ Underhand Dealings ¡¤ Copy Skill ¡¤ Telepathic Call Legacy Demesne of Desire Skills ¡¤ Master of Legacy ¡¤ Laws of Legacy ¡¤ Share Authority (4) ¡¤ Vault of Ru Attribute Points 0 The first thing I noticed was notice was my primary class and beside it, the title in blue letters; like they had when I received the legacy. There is also a separate row for the legacy''s name and its skills; they are in blue letters as well. I also didn¡¯t forget to notice that now my secondary class, Masterful Administrator, is higher level than my primary class Dealer of Desire. Normally, it is a worrying thing, but not in this condition. The exception works here. Here, the weight of my primary skill is much higher than the secondary one. It is higher than all secondary combines. Not to mention the title, which provides even greater weight to it. So, even if the Masterful Administrator had been much higher, it wouldn¡¯t have affected the things. I looked at everything before I closed the table and got off my bed. It was eight and a half; I had slept for five hours but felt like I had taken a seven-hour sleep. The sleep and rest charms were working better than I had imagined. Which put a smile on my face, because if they are working as such despite a quarter of power, then others would work at the same power. I quickly freshened up and showered. I didn¡¯t even eat breakfast before going to my office. Click! I entered my office and saw Zela waiting there. ¡°Have you slept?¡± I asked, to which she nodded. ¡°Better than I had expected.¡± She replied, giving me a knowing look. Likely thinking, the sleeping effect is part of the new skills. ¡°Master Silver, sister Lola has arrived. She had come with Mr. Ashav,¡± Jill informed through the intercom, surprising me, before I shook my head, with a smile. ¡°Your sister, Baroness Leila, is at the establishment and wishes to meet you,¡± she added. This didn¡¯t surprise me. ¡°Thank you, Jill,¡± I thanked and turned to Zela. ¡°Ask the Count to send Robin to finalize the list for tonight and politely ask him to suggest any names from the city, he like to invite,¡± I said. Tonight is a celebration; it is only for the people in the city. There will be another one after the guardian arrives; the guests from all over the empire and outside will be invited. It is a formality, that all the new legacies have to do. ¡°Adviser Robin will be coming at ten to discuss invitations. He will bring the Lord Count¡¯s list with him,¡± she informed. ¡°How far have Carla and others have reached?¡± I asked. ¡°Twenty-five minutes ago, Shaun had messaged me, that they had reached Fort Renin,¡± she replied, which means it will take Carla afternoon to reach the city. ¡°Mena and girls?¡± I asked. ¡°Their ship will reach the city by twelve,¡± she replied and nodded in relief. I had asked Zela yesterday to arrange for the ship for them to come back to the city. I will need her and the girls, especially the experienced ones. ¡®I should meet her before I start with work,¡¯ I thought and was about to touch the intercom when I decided to use my new skill. ¡®Jill, tell Baroness Leila that I am ready to meet her.¡¯ I said to her through a Telepathic Call. ¡°Y..yes, Master Silver,¡± she replied, surprised by my skill. Click! A minute later, the door opened, and my sister strode. Wearing a white shirt and black pants, with a sword hanging by her waist. ¡°Baroness Leila,¡± I greeted. ¡°Lord Remus,¡± she greeted back, with a small smile on her lip. ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± I said politely. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied as she sat. Once again, that awkward silence appeared between us. Nobody seemed to have an idea what to talk about. ¡°So, what brought you here to a humble establishment?¡± I asked finally, and her lips curved. ¡°Humble?¡± she asked back, and I smiled. ¡°The legacy had brought me here and also to give you a heartfelt congratulation from family to realize our greatest dream,¡± she congratulated, with her eyes turned a little emotional. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and an awkward silence appeared again. ¡°It is quite hard to believe that you have turned this place into the legacy,¡± she said, looking around. ¡°It is. I am still feeling like it is a dream,¡± I replied. ¡°Well, it is not. I had verified with a spell.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°Tonight there is a celebration of the legacy. I would like you to attend,¡± I said. ¡°I will be honored,¡± she replied with a smile. She left not long after, while I turned to Zela. There are a lot of people to talk to and send hundreds of messages. Zela wouldn¡¯t be enough; I will need to get help from High-Mage Beaumont as well. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 282: Gift Chapter 282: Gift ¡°The window offers some good view,¡± said Count Darrow, looking through my office widow. Outside of the window, there are thousands of people. Even now, at midnight, after the whole day, their numbers didn¡¯t seem to lessen at all. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. He kept watching for a few seconds, before sitting on my seat, while Lancel sat on the couch. ¡°Your legacy seemed a little stronger than the newly born one, I had seen in our territory. Alas, it didn¡¯t last for over three decades,¡± he said and sighed. The life of the legacy depends on the life host. The host dies, legacies disappear; there is less than 10% of legacies get passed to the second generation. The birth of a legacy is a joyous occasion, but the death of it hits even harder. ¡°You know you are the youngest in eighteen hundred years to gain the legacy. Second youngest, since the beginning of the new calendar,¡± he informed, and I put an appropriate surprise on my face. ¡°I had expected to be one of the youngest, but didn¡¯t expect to be second youngest,¡± I replied, and he smiled. I am the youngest in the eighteen hundred, fifty-seven years, five months and nine days. I was informed of this fact earlier. ¡°If you live well, the legacy will last for at least seven to eight decades. There is also a very high chance, that you might be able to pass it to the second generation,¡± ¡°The legacies born of the young hosts, tend to have greater potential. The legacy of the youngest person is still standing after over two thousand years and is a spirit,¡± said Count with his eyes shining. ¡°I will try to live up to your expectations, my lord,¡± I said. He nodded with a smile. ¡°You have planned the party well. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.¡± He said, pleased, but a moment later, his expression turned serious. ¡°I would have wished, if you had done away with the brothel and turned it into a full restaurant,¡± added and sighed. ¡°It is a brothel, my lord,¡± I said, and he nodded heavily. He also understood it was a brothel and the cost we might have to pay if I changed that. It is why, even when the party is going on the first floor; three floors above them are doing business. For a minute, nobody spoke. ¡°You are leaving in two hours, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, I would like to reach Inam by ten,¡± I replied. ¡°Vanis Lindgren¡¯s tower is the oldest legacy in the empire. He will guide you well,¡± he said. ¡°I hope so,¡± I replied, showing the nervousness I was feeling. The old man is my guide, host of the oldest legacy for nearly a century. There is not a single second-generation legacy in the Navr. There were two, but both of them died with their second-generation hosts. The latest one was just seven years ago; making the Vanis Tavern the oldest legacy in the empire. ¡°You will be taking my yacht. It is my gift for you, for the gift you have given to our wonderful city,¡± he said, and surprise appeared on my face, before it lit up, in a big smile. ¡°Thank you for this great honor, my lord,¡± I said, bowing deeper than usual. He never let anyone borrow his yacht which is the thing he loves the most after his children and territory. He is giving it to me and while it is only for one time; it is still a big thing. The man isn¡¯t an idiot. He had known what he had done and now trying to make do with these things and I will accept, while not forgetting he would have no qualms in sacrificing me for his gains. ¡°Go to Inam, but return soon. We have a lot of things to talk about.¡± He said and got up. I followed him out of the office and stepped into the elevator. ¡°My lord, do you know, who the governor would be?¡± I asked, and his lips curled up in a smile. ¡°The decision hadn''t been made yet,¡± he replied. I feel like there is something he isn¡¯t telling me, and I didn¡¯t ask. Instead, I joined the party with him. It is already past twelve, but it is packed, no one had left since coming here at six and nobody seemed to be in the mood to do that. Everyone who is something in the city is here, from the leaders of guilds to the higher-ups in the army. I had also invited the captains, who had saved me multiple times. However, they were only able to stay for an hour. Caena is moving around the guests, talking to them. The other madams were also there; I could see Lancel¡¯s face would sour, seeing them, and a small change would appear on Count''s face, but both of them didn¡¯t say anything. They understood it was a brothel. Though the Count had hinted I should keep madams limited to three upper floors like before, but I won¡¯t be listening to him. There are not only Caena and assistant madams but also Carla, Margaux, Lola, and Ina. Though, they are present as guests of the party. Many people glanced at them when they saw them, but soon began talking to them. Though the first one to do that was Valentina; she did it, the minute she came inside. Soon, it was one am, and the first person left the party. It was Count; he left. Though not Lancel, he is still enjoying the party. ¡°Good night, my lord,¡± I said as I sent him off to his carriage. ¡°Have a safe journey, Remus,¡± he said and sat in the carriage. I watched till his carriage rolled out of the gates before walking inside. There, I talked to people, from collogues to friends to people, I barely know, before I reach the person I have been wanting to talk to. ¡°You took a lot of time to come to your friend,¡± she said as I approached her. I had talked to her, before, but only a few words; I didn¡¯t get much chance to talk to her freely, with Count in the company. She is not alone, there is her girlfriend Lena and architect Davidson. The last one is her friend Ed. She is one of few people here, who was able to bring more than one person. Initially, I had only planned to invite her and the old man, but then, I found out, her girlfriend had returned to the city. She also wanted to bring her friend, Ed. I had to cut two people to adjust them. It is not a ballroom, there are much less people here. ¡°Who said I had come to talk to you, I had come for Lena,¡± I said and turned to her girlfriend. ¡°I hope you have been well, Lena,¡± I asked her girlfriend, who smiled charmingly. ¡°I am, and thank you for the invitation, Lord Silver,¡± she replied, while Valentina glared at us. ¡°Remus will do, Lena,¡± I replied, to which she smiled. A moment later, my smile muted, and I turned to Valentina. ¡°I am leaving for Inam in an hour, after I come back, we will have a lot of things to discuss about the establishment,¡± I said to her, and confusion appeared on her. ¡°Inam, why are leaving for Inam?¡± she asked. I smiled and was about to reply when her friend spoke. ¡°I think Mr. Silver is going to meet the guide, Valentina. I heard the new hosts of legacy go to old hosts to learn its ways,¡± he answered, and she looked at me in question. I nodded. I have the legacy and could control anything, but I barely knew of to run things with these new changes. The same for my people; they need to learn how to use the legacy. Like this party, everything is going great. People are enjoying themselves, but things could get better. Especially, with the most signature ability of the establishment, mixing the emotions with the food and drinks. I have not let them do that, not because I couldn¡¯t do that. I could provide them with the emotional mist they need, but they don¡¯t know how to use the emotions, use them properly. I am taking some of my staff with me as well; not just chefs and bartenders, but others as well. This is just a prelude to a huge celebration that will happen soon. Where the important people from the entire empire would come. I have to create something that will imprint this on their mind. It is not just them, but every person who comes to my establishment should leave with unforgettable experiences of their desires satiated. It is why I am going to Iman, just a day after getting a legacy. I am not enjoying it properly. I will do it after I come back. ¡°I will be waiting then.¡± She said, with her eyes shining. Valentina will be very important in that effort. I have plans, but before I can start with any of them, I have to learn the limitations and rules of the legacies. There are many, one of which you can¡¯t make too many changes to it. If you swerve it too much from originality, you will lose the legacy. I need to understand how to use it. Of course, everything could be used, even a disadvantage could become an advantage if used well, said one of my professors in law school. Ask anyone of my past profession and they will tell how true it is. I talked to a few more people before finally reaching the two. An old man and a raven-haired woman of the same age; are talking to each other with wonder in their eyes. They are the only people who are not from Greltheaven, but I have to invite them. ¡°Mr. Kadal, Mrs. Kadal, I hope you are having a good time,¡± I said to the old man and his wife. He is the man who spoke those words to me yesterday, and it turned out; he didn¡¯t speak to me alone, but also to Taren, saying it is not a good thing to crush the dreams of people, to satisfy one''s ego. He spoke to me when others avoided me like the plague. His words were somber, but they helped me when I was at my worst. ¡°The best time in our life. We never thought we would ever step into the legacy. Thank you for inviting us, Lord Silver,¡± said the old man, shaking my hand gratefully. ¡°It is my pleasure,¡± I replied. I talked to them for a minute more, before stepping into the elevator, with Caena and Carla following behind me. ... Are you really, not coming?¡± asked Carla to her friend, who shook her head. ¡°You know, she misses you a lot and if not for you stopping her, she would have already come here to meet you,¡± Pain and longing could be seen in her eyes. She is missing her daughter a lot and isn¡¯t going to meet her for some reason. ¡°I will soon,¡± she said, wiping the tears. The only thing Carla could do was sigh and hug her friend. ... ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± I asked to people standing in front of me. I am at the back of the garden, with Carla and Caena, along with twenty-three of the staff. Drev and three chefs were coming, along with four from the bar. Maeve also brought three of her staff, while the tavern didn¡¯t have a spa, I am sure, they will be able to learn something from it. There are many other people like, like our musicians. Charen is the only is coming from the band. He also had expressed a willingness to sign a long-term contract. I already had a five-year-long contract with him and will think about extending it further. It is the only reason I am taking him with me. The other three musicians are girls, including Della, who is wonderful with the flute. I am more than willing to girl''s chance, than the other people. It is why Cresa and Wanda are coming with us, despite there being more skilled chefs and bartenders working in the establishment. It is the same for Lenore and Asne from the studio and spa. I would have brought more girls perusing the different professions, but their skills have not reached high enough. They didn¡¯t need to be disappointed. We have a legacy. They will get more than enough chance to practice with emotions as long as they prove themselves. ¡°Let''s go then,¡± I said, seeing everyone nod and sit in the carriage with Carla, while others sat in carriages waiting for them. Of the madams, only Della and Gloria are coming. Caena, Margaux, and others are staying at the establishment. Caena wanted to come, but it was risky given her class. I invited Margaux, but she declined. As for Lola and Ina, both of them are leaving in the morning. Soon, the carriage walked through the establishment, and I felt like I was naked again. The establishment was like a blanket; I could feel it around me and now, there is only a string connecting me with it. I could still tug it to control a few things in the establishment. I wanted to go back immediately, but I controlled the urge. In the afternoon, when I went out of the establishment, it was so intense that I nearly asked the driver to go back. Now, it is a little controllable, but it would take a while before I would get complete control over it. ¡°It had been only a day, and the life had changed, so thoroughly,¡± said Carla and her eyes turned distant. ¡°The people who weren¡¯t even willing to talk to me are now fawning; those who said they don¡¯t deal with whores are now placing big orders,¡± ¡°You are not rejecting those deals, are you?¡± I asked, and somberness in her voice flew off, and a laugh escaped from her delicious mouth. ¡°No, of course. I am not an idiot to let ego come between the business,¡± she replied, and a pride couldn¡¯t help, but flash in my eyes, along with something else. ¡°Come here,¡± I said, and she smiled, before getting up and sitting on my lap. I looked at the amber eyes before I took her enchanted lips into mine. As those lips melded into mine, I finally got the nectar that I had been thirsting for long. We kissed gently and intensely with our hands, moving across the bodies of each other. The time passed so quickly that we reached the port before we knew it and had to stop. Click! A moment later, both of us walked out of the carriage, looking at our finest. There are no swollen lips or crinkled clothes. We looked good, too good, that some could tell what happened, but nobody said anything. ¡°It is really a beautiful yacht,¡± said Carla in wonder. I am going to buy a yacht like this one day, and it is not a dream anymore, I am going to do it. ¡°It is a good place to finish what we have started,¡± I said, and her amber eyes smoldered. ¡°Definitely,¡± she replied with a grin. I grinned back and took her hand in mine before walking toward the yacht. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 283: Guide I Chapter 283: Guide I The ship slowly moved toward the Inam¡¯s port; it was a busy place, as busy as the Owlspring or even more. The trollmouth river split here. One end goes toward the sea, while the other flows through the boundary, separating the Halsad and Renwell regions, before splinting in two parts again. ¡°Often, I wanted to stop at Inam, but never got the chance,¡± I said, looking at the city. It is a beautiful city, different from Ownspring and Namdar, with its own charm. ¡°It is a truly an empires city; it will remind you of the mainland,¡± said Carla. I don¡¯t like the mainland; it is too restrictive. I love our little border city, where the influences of all regions, including even Navr, merge with its essence. Still, I do miss the mainland sometimes. Finally, the yacht docked, and I got out with Carla and stopped in front of the group of people waiting for us. ¡°Welcome to Inam, Lord Silver,¡± said a middle-aged man, with short brown hair. ¡°Thank you, gracious welcome, Asst. Foreign Secretary Milgan,¡± I replied, while smiling internally, seeing the jealousy in his eyes. I have seen many people have that emotion since yesterday, including Count Darrow. Even a noble as powerful as him, desires it. ¡°The city of Inam, congratulates you on gaining the legacy. The empire will shine brightly with its light,¡± he congratulated. ¡°The empire is always shining brightly; the little legacy of mine isn¡¯t enough to affect the blinding brightness of it,¡± I replied, and the smile on the man¡¯s face turned brighter. Since being a border city, it has always been controlled by the men chosen specifically by the emperor, and they are a little too patriotic. The current governor is the same and he expects others to be the same. ¡°The Lord Governor had invited you to meet in the evening at the governor¡¯s palace,¡± he informed. ¡°It would be my honor,¡± I replied, and the man smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to your destination. I am sure you are excited to meet your guide and learn about the ways of legacies,¡± he said. ¡°You have no idea,¡± I replied, and he smiled before leading me toward the carriage. Hun! Soon, we reached the carriage, and the guard opened the door. I went inside and when Carla tried, the guard there stopped her, I looked at him with my eyes clearly showing what I was thinking. He looked at Milgan, who nodded after looking at me, and the guard removed his hand. Carla entered the carriage and sat beside me while he sat opposite. ¡°You have arrived sooner than we had imagined. It¡¯s not even two days since you have gained the legacy, and you are already here to meet your guide,¡± he said as the carriage began to move. Usually, new hosts take weeks, or even months, before they go to meet the guides, but unlike them, my legacy is different, and I have to know what is normal and acceptable before someone finds the strangeness of it. I know that if people even got a whiff of charms and rituals in the establishment. I will face things that are even worse than the deaths. ¡°I wanted to learn more about the legacies as soon as possible. I didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes, as you know, legacies are delicate things.¡± I replied. ¡°So, wise Lord Silver, no wonder you have gained the legacy while being so young,¡± he said in wonder. We chatted as the carriage took us toward our destination. He is a talkative man, but not once did he talk to Carla, he treated her like she didn¡¯t exist at all. So many things have changed, but some remained the same. Though I am not worried about it; It has been barely a day since the legacy was born. It had yet to start exerting itself. When it begins, these people will also come fawning over her. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I got out. ¡°Vanis Tavern; the pearl of Inam,¡± said the man as I looked at the tavern in front of me, covered in a beautiful swirling mist of emotions. It is a five-story tall tavern, made of timber and bricks. It looked beautiful, not only architecturally but also magically. It had a charm that only legacies have and would attract the attention of anyone who sees it. Right now, there are over a thousand people looking at it. Most of them are tourists; it is clear by looking at them. I looked at it for a few seconds before walking toward the gate, where there were already people waiting, but I focused on a young girl of seventeen to eighteen years. She is a teen girl with a small delicate face and blue eyes, that seem to be wise beyond years and also the innocence of her age. ¡°Lord Silver, welcome to Vanas Tavern,¡± greeted the young girl. ¡°Thank you, Miss Alina,¡± I replied. ¡°Come, Lord Silver, Grandfather is waiting for you,¡± she said, and we walked toward the tavern. The woman is Alina Lindgren, the great-granddaughter of Vanis Lindgren and his successor if the information is to be believed. Click! She opened the door of the tavern, and I entered inside. Immediately, I felt the powerful effect of the legacy. Just like what I had felt in a mirage. A thick cloud of emotions is covering the ceiling, while the faint mist is swirling everywhere. The tavern is full, every seat is occupied, with people dressed to their finest. It is not even ten, but nearly everyone is drinking and having fun. I looked at the bar; it is of old-style copper and wood. It is well used, but that is its charm, which had been enhanced by absorptions of emotions for nearly a century. The bar is amazing, but what is happening in it is even more amazing. The bartenders working on the drinks, with skills, and Skills are far above my staff. It is mesmerizing to watch. Though, the thing that mesmerized me the most was the way, they were mixing the emotion mist into the drinks. It is an art. ¡°Many of our staff have been working for us for decades; they are one of the best in the whole empire and even the continent.¡± Said the young girl proudly. ¡°I can tell,¡± I replied and looked at the bartender, mixed the thirteen different ingredients in the air, infusing it with a mist of three colors, before pouring the shining drink into the glass and serving it to the patron. ¡°The first-floor staff is of the lowest level, while the top floor is highest. When you see them, they will blow your mind,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± I replied. She didn¡¯t say anything and kept walking. We passed by the elevator and the stairs leading upstairs. It was clear; that we were not going up. Soon, we reached the kitchen and could see the same magic as the bar happening there. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to see it for more than a second, as the young girl opened the door opposite it. ¡°Grandpa, I had brought Lord Silver,¡± she said to the old man, sitting behind the beautifully carved table. The table feels a little strange compared to everything else in here, but I didn¡¯t spare it for more than a moment, before turning to an old man. He is really old. I shouldn¡¯t have been. I know his age, but I am. He is one hundred and thirty-one years old. This legacy is nearly nine decades old; eighty-nine years, to be exact. While humans in the world live longer thanks to stars, but minority of them cross the hundred. Though it is more common with holders of legacies due to their higher levels, but hundred and thirty is still quite rare. The old man shares quite a lot of things with his great-granddaughter. Especially the blue eyes and hair; they are the same as her. ¡°Lord Lindgren,¡± I greeted and bowed, while the old man waved his hand. ¡°Off with honorifics, young man. I am sure, with the position you are in, you should realize, it is more of a leash than an honor,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help, but be surprised, hearing his unfiltered words. ¡°Grandpa!¡± said the woman and glared at the old man. ¡°Do you think, he didn¡¯t understand that? He understood it better than me, don¡¯t you, young man?¡± he asked. I heard the old man had gone insane; it seemed like there was some truth in that. ¡°It is true,¡± I said with a mirthless smile, and sat down in front of him. I feel that strangeness from it once again. ¡°I have read about you, young man, and I have to say, you are quite driven to come to me, just a day after gaining the legacy. When I gained it; I had enjoyed the success for a month before I took the step out of the city to meet my guide.¡± He said with a smile, but it disappeared a moment later. ¡°That was the first mistake I had made regarding the legacy,¡± he added with his turning distant for a moment. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to be my guide and letting me bring my staff, Mr. Lindgren,¡± I said after a few seconds of silence. ¡°It is the least I could do and hope that you will learn enough to not make the same mistakes that I made with my legacy,¡± he said somberly. I could feel the truth from him and see the regrets in his eyes. ¡°I am grateful, Mr. Lindgren,¡± I said gratefully. ¡°Enough with Mr. Lindgren. We are peers. Call me Vanis or old man,¡± said the old and turned to Carla for a moment, before turning back to me, with his eyes twinkling. ¡°Say, young man, do you want to see the core of my legacy?¡± He asked and I couldn¡¯t help but get shocked by his sudden question; even Carla was shocked, while his great-granddaughter shook her head exasperatedly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the most sacred thing about the legacy? That we shouldn¡¯t show it to anyone?¡± I asked back. ¡°Bah! I already have half a foot in the grate and those bastards already know everything,¡± he replied and turned to his great-granddaughter. The deep regret once again appeared in his eyes, so deep that it felt painful to watch. ¡°It¡¯s not like I would be able to pass it, to second generation,¡± he said in a barely audible voice. Gasp! There was a silence before everything turned dark. For a moment there was nothing but darkness before a large pillar wider than my whole arm and as tall as a single-floor house appeared in front of me, blazing with colorful emotions. Gasp! I couldn¡¯t help but gasp seeing it. It is not the grandness of the pillar or brightness of it that shocked me, but the density of emotions, it is made of. They are far denser than my sun. ¡°Magnificent,¡± said Carla beside me in awe. ¡°As you have noticed, my core is bigger, and the density of emotions inside is much higher than yours. Like every new legacy, your legacy is Grade 1. Capable of producing only a Grade 1 emotion elixir, while mine is Grade 3,¡± he informed. Though he didn¡¯t feel happy about that fact for some reason. It is bigger and much denser than my sun, but there is one thing, in which my sun is better compared to the pillar. No, I am not talking about the ritual charms, but the number of emotions. My son had more emotions. The pillar is multicolored, like the core of nearly all legacies, showing emotions that it could absorb. Mine could absorb more and that is an important thing. ¡°How long did it take you to advance your legacy to Grade 3?¡± I asked, and he didn¡¯t answer immediately. I thought he wouldn¡¯t and opened my mouth to apologize, when he spoke. ¡°It took me nearly three decades, which is longer than most legacies.¡± He replied. ¡°It is not a hard thing to take the legacy to Grade 3. If you stay alive long enough, you will be able to do it,¡± ¡°The real challenge is taking it further. It is the greatest challenge that a very few are able to cross,¡± With those words full of sadness and regret, everything disappeared, and we returned to the office. ¡°Thank you for showing me your core, Vanis,¡± I said, feeling really thankful for what he did, because I don¡¯t think, I could show my legacy¡¯s core to others, even when I removed every charm orbiting it. The old man smiled and got up from his chair. ¡°I have a lot of things to teach you, young man, and have very little time; hope we will be able to finish with them before you leave,¡± he said and a few seconds later, he started guiding me on the ways of legacy. He started doing that the moment I stepped into his office. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 284: Guide II Chapter 284: Guide II Click! The guards opened the doors, and I went inside. It is huge, bigger than even Count¡¯s, with the best view of the city. ¡°My lord,¡± I greeted the man in his late fifties. He is of medium height, but muscular. He has short, black hair and dark grey eyes. That seemed to pierce through the soul. ¡°You are really young,¡± he said after looking at me for a few seconds. I smiled, without saying anything. He is Ralis Thorn, the governor of the Inam. ¡°Congratulations on gaining the legacy. Your contribution will be celebrated by the whole empire,¡± he congratulated. ¡°Thank you for the kind words, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°It is quite unfortunate that Greltheaven is a small city, at the boundary of the empire. Legacies grow well in big cities, not to mention the whole wasteland is a green field for the undead, to harvest when it is ready,¡± he said, shaking his head. I didn¡¯t reply, not because I didn¡¯t have an answer, but because it was true. He knows it; I know it. ¡°Well, you will be fine. Undead loves the legacies, even more than us, living,¡± he added, once again speaking the truth. ¡°Have you received the information about the guardian?¡± he asked, after a second of silence. ¡°I was hoping you would shed some light on that for me, my lord,¡± I said, and a small smile appeared on his face. ¡°From what I know, it is not decided yet, but I could already guess a group of people from which the crown prince will select the guardian,¡± he said. Till the day before yesterday, I was passingly aware of this information as it didn¡¯t concern me, but now it does. The crown prince had been changing, the guardians appointed by the emperor for the past year. Legacies produce the most valuable resource, and the crown prince would want his loyalists responsible for it. The guardian of my legacy would also be a crown prince loyalist and it should worry the Count, but he seemed strangely unbothered by it, even seemed happy. ¡°The reason I had called you here is to tell you, that I am willing to buy any emotion essence you sell at above market price,¡± he said, and I am not surprised. Everybody wants it. ¡°I have yet to extract a single drop, my lord,¡± I replied, to which he smiled. ¡°Remember, I will give you a better price than anyone and the transaction will be completely discreet,¡± he said, pressing the last word. I understood the meaning. He is willing to buy emotional essence; it doesn¡¯t matter if it is legal or illegal. ¡°I will remember it, milord,¡± I said, and the man smiled. A minute later, I walked out of his office. Though, it took me an hour and a half before I was able to leave the city hall. There were some people who invited me, and I couldn¡¯t refuse their invitation. ... ¡°Your chef is good,¡± I said, polishing up my plate. I am having dinner with Vanis and his great-granddaughter on the top floor of the tavern. He had emptied the entire floor, with only four of here and the staff serving us. ¡°Yours isn¡¯t bad as well. Adnis said he has real potential,¡± the old man replied with a smile before his expression turned serious. ¡°It is the same for every person you have brought,¡± he added, while casting a glance at Carla, sitting beside me. ¡°Thank you, Vanis,¡± I replied. ¡°You know, nearly every person who gained the legacy has the best people. It is our specialty; we are a magnet for them. It is after we gain the legacy that it becomes difficult.¡± He said mirthlessly. I looked at him to explain, but he just smiled. ¡°Now that we have finished with dinner. It is time, I teach you, the thing those vermin want me to teach you.¡± He said, not caring about the glare from his great-granddaughter. The old man really seemed to have gone insane; he had just called the crown prince and, by extension, Emperor, a vermin. A common man would receive death for such an insult, but he would be restricted to his legacy. Not that they are going to know about it, even if they have skills related to it; as long as it is spoken in legacy, it will remain in it. In the legacy, we are the Lords. Even emperor''s skills will have a hard time breaching our little domain. Once again, everything turned dark, and the blazing pillar appeared. ¡°There are nine grades of emotional essence. Grade 1 is lowest, which your legacy can produce, while Grade 9 is highest, that only three-titans are capable,¡± ¡°The emotion essence came from the core, and you only should harvest emotions on the surface, never go any deeper. Synod forbidden it and even the emperor couldn¡¯t force you to do that,¡± he said. ¡°Does synod, is really powerful as they say?¡± I asked the old man and his expression turned serious. ¡°More. Even an emperor at his peak wouldn¡¯t have dared to break the laws of synod openly,¡± the old man replied. Synod is a loose union of legacies, nearly all the legacies are part of it. It is headed by three titans and eight spirits; the most powerful of the legacies in the world. He said openly. This means a lot of things happen in the dark. ¡°To extract the essence, you will need control. More than, what Master of Legacy gives you,¡± he said and began to move his hand and the mist began to come out of the pillar. ¡°It takes months of practice. Some people take a year or more before they can harness the first drop,¡± he informed. ¡°How long did it take you?¡± I asked him and for the first time, I saw pride flash in his eyes. ¡°Three months and two days; I had broken a record of eleven hundred years on the continent,¡± replied the old man with a prideful smile. The dense mist came from the pillar and formed a ball, which he shrank, till, it became as small as a pearl. The colorful misty ball looks like a drop of liquid, but it is mist and looks beautiful. ¡°This is one drop of emotional essence,¡± he stated and brought it in front of me. ¡°As you can see, it is still misty and colorful. It is extremely hard for the host of the Grade 1 legacy to separate the mist by emotions. Grade 2 host of legacy could sort basic emotions and while Grade 3 hosts of legacies like me, could separate all,¡± he explained. The emotion essence of a single emotion is more powerful and valuable than mixed emotions. ¡°The form of essence changes after, every three stages, right?¡± I asked, looking at the colorful ball. ¡°Yes, the emotion essence from Grade 1 to Grade 3 is misty. From Grade 4 to Grade 6, is liquid, and Grade 7 to Grade 9 is solid,¡± he replied, and a tiny bottle appeared in his hand. He gently placed the tiny ball of dense mist into it and closed to the cap, before extending toward me. ¡°It is too precious,¡± I declined. It is really precious; even those with money can¡¯t get their hands on it unless they have some connections. ¡°Take it; it is a tradition, that we follow. My guide had given it to me, and I am now giving it to you,¡± he said strictly. ¡°Since it is tradition, then I will gladly accept it,¡± I said and accepted the small bottle. Vanis hosted us in his home despite us booking a hotel, and the next morning, he started teaching me again. This time, minor things with a lot of information. Some shocked me to my soul. It seemed like; the legacies are capable of far more than what everything thinks. No wonder the emperor keeps them on a tight leash. Click! The old man opened the door, and I walked inside, while Carla and his great-granddaughter walked away as he asked, them to. We took a seat, but the old man didn¡¯t speak immediately. Finally, the old man sighed and looked at me. ¡°I have many regrets in my life about my legacy, things I wish I could have done, and things that I shouldn¡¯t have. If I used a little of my brain and wouldn¡¯t have lost myself in the fame and wealth, my legacy would have been higher leveled,¡± he said with such regret that I wanted to look away. ¡°You still haven¡¯t died. There is still a chance,¡± I replied, looking directly into his eyes, but he shook his head. ¡°I have swerved away, far too much to advance further. My greatest regret is that I won¡¯t be able to pass this wonderful thing to my granddaughter. That precious girl would have taken it to a height that I could only dream.¡± He said with tears appearing in his eyes. I opened my mouth but closed it; I don¡¯t think anything I would say helped him in any way. ¡°There is one last thing, I have to tell you as your guide,¡± he said and looked directly into my eyes. ¡°Follow your path. That helped you birth the legacy. Don¡¯t get distracted by fame or wealth and just walk on that path.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but if you can do it, then you will easily be able to take your legacy further than I had,¡± he advised. ¡°Thank you for your advice. I will not forget it,¡± I replied, and the old man smiled. ¡°Now one last thing; with it, you will formally become a member of the synod,¡± he said and took out a wooden box. An hour passed, and now I am standing in front of the tavern, with Vanis and his grand-granddaughter. ¡°Have a safe journey, young man,¡± said Vanis. ¡°Thank you, for the guidance and hospitality Vanis. I will always, remember it fondly.¡± I said, and he smiled. This time without a hint of sadness. I waved at the young girl, before sitting in the carriage with Carla and soon, it moved through the gate, toward the port, under the protection of the guards. ¡°Legacies are amazing things.¡± Said, Carla. ¡°They are and we are going to make ours the best in the world,¡± I said, to that she smiled. ¡°It is quite a tall claim,¡± she challenged. ¡°And I intend to make it true,¡± I replied, and the smile on her face brightened. We didn¡¯t talk much and watched the city pass by. I wanted to explore it, but couldn¡¯t. There is so much to learn about the legacy and if I had time, I would have stayed longer. One and a half days is far from enough, but unfortunately, it is all I could spare. Still, the old man had been thorough and taught me what I needed to know. Now, I could see the path ahead of me clearer. Soon, the carriage reached the port, and a few minutes later, it stopped in front of the yacht. ¡°You go ahead. I will come in a few minutes,¡± said Carla as we stepped out of the carriage. She walked away, toward the guard, not far away, and he was not alone. Beside him is a young girl of around fifteen, looking around nervously. When she saw Carla, the young girl''s eyes widened in shock. ¡®She is beautiful, like her mother,¡¯ I thought and stepped into the yacht. A few minutes later, Carla followed, looking quite emotional. ¡°Little girl clearly missing her mother a lot, but that woman refusing to meet her,¡± said Carla angrily. ¡°She must have her reasons,¡± I replied, to which she glared at me, but I smiled. It is Margaux''s personal business; I am not going to interfere with that. A few minutes passed, and the yacht began to move away from the port in the night''s sky. I watched it, till the city disappeared, before taking out my diary and started working on my plans. There are going to be big changes in the establishment this month. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 285: Grant Authority Chapter 285: Grant Authority ¡°We have arrived,¡± said Carla, making me, look up from scattered pages toward the window. The port of Greltheaven. Seeing that, I stopped while Carla collected the papers. ¡°It is different from what you had planned earlier,¡± she said as she put on a stack in the binder. ¡°Risky, but that isn¡¯t surprising. All of your plans had been risky, but this time, the stakes are high enough to get you killed,¡± she said with concern in her voice. ¡°I am aware,¡± I replied. The legacy might be mine, but the Emperor is the one who owns it and if I end up losing it, he will kill me. I am not being dramatic; the people who foolishly lost the legacies have been killed. A few minutes later, the ship docked at the port, and I got out with Carla. ¡°See you at the establishment.¡± She said and walked toward the carriage waiting for her, while I sat in mine. I am not going to the establishment, even though I want to very badly. Soon, the carriage crossed the city gates, and I felt the connection with my establishment getting stronger by folds. Caena had said that the witch hadn¡¯t just bound me to the establishment, but also the city. I had seen that connection and understood. It is because of it I could exert some control over the establishment, from the city. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped, and I got out before walking toward the mansion. I could feel the gazes of others, the whispers, and the guards, who started to bow. I still haven¡¯t got used to it. Well, it has been only three days, I will get used to it, in a month or two. Hun! I was walking toward the office, when I saw someone familiar coming from the other side and his eyes became angry, as he saw me, but a moment later, there was a smile on his face. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± he greeted as he stopped. ¡°Mr. Lucas, it¡¯s nice to see to see you here,¡± I said. ¡°You too, Lord Silver,¡± He replied, and I was about to leave when he opened his mouth. ¡°Lord Silver, I have something important to talk to you about? Do you have time today?¡±. he asked. ¡°Unfortunately, I am busy in the next few days, but as soon as I have some time, I will contact you,¡± I said and a flash of anger appeared on his kindly face, which he suppressed. ¡°I will be waiting,¡± he said and walked away. I don¡¯t know what he wants and nor do I care. I am busy with my own things, to even think about it. ¡°He is waiting for you,¡± said the old woman as I reached the office. I nodded my thanks and walked into the office with Mage Beaumont. The woman is silent. She barely spoke any words to me in these past two days. Though I heard, she had quite enjoyed herself at the old man¡¯s. Her mood seemed better than I had seen in the past few months. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted and bowed as usual. There is no change in my behavior, even the dip of my head remained the same. He won¡¯t do anything, even if I don¡¯t bow, but I need to keep him happy to get the things I want. Especially today. ¡°Remus, welcome back. I can tell by your face that the trip went well,¡± he said. ¡°It was my lord. I had learned a lot,¡± I replied and took the seat he had offered. ¡°Then, I hope you will be able to start the extraction of the essence as soon as possible,¡± he said, barely hiding that greedy glint in his eyes. ¡°I will try, my lord, but as you might be aware, it is not easy,¡± I replied, shaking my head. It hasn¡¯t been even a week, and he is already asking about emotion essence. It isn¡¯t surprising, even if there was another person than this greedy bastard sitting in front of me, they would have said the same thing. It is too precious, even in the lowest grade. ¡°You are talented, Remus. I am sure, you will be able to do it sooner than others,¡± he said. ¡°I hope so,¡± I said, and he smiled before his expressions turned serious. ¡°I think it is time. I will tell you about the privileges you get from gaining the Legacy. Beginning with this one-time benefit,¡± he said and slid the check toward me. When I saw the amount, I couldn¡¯t help, but get surprised. I knew the number the city had decided, and it was huge, but the number on the check in front of me, is even bigger than that. ¡°It is bigger than, the stated amount,¡± I said, and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°The prince is pleased. Yours is the first legacy in his territory,¡± he said. ¡°Please, thank His Highness for me,¡± I said. I will be sending him a big thank you for this; it is going to help me, tremendously in what I am planning to do. ¡°Aside from that, the income you earn from the legacy will be tax-free. The city gives you the land surrounding your legacy,¡± he informed me, and a smile appeared on my face. I had nearly forgotten about it. No wonder Lucas wants to talk to me. ¡°Even the one owned by others?¡± I asked, and he nodded. ¡°Those occupied with the business will have six months to shift their business somewhere,¡± he replied, and the smile on my face became bigger. ¡°Aside from that...¡± he informed, more privileges; there are many of them. ¡°The last is big, that many spent their whole life to earn. A title of Lordship and special privileges attached to it for the hosts of legacy,¡± he stated. I know those privileges, many of which are equal to powerful nobles like him. Like the right to attend the Emperor''s council and prime seats in all imperial ceremonies. ¡°The hosts of legacies get privileges, but they came with the responsibilities,¡± he said, with his expression turning serious. ¡°The first is 99% emotion essence extracted from it will be a tribute to the emperor. Second, there will be a guardian who will be the liaison between you and his majesty.¡± ¡°Third, any changes to the legacy will need permission from the guardian and their absence, lord of the city, fourth...¡± One by one, he lets out all the responsibilities, or rather, the restrictions. The old man had already told me about them, but I listened carefully. Information is the key. ¡°Do you have any questions you have regarding these privileges and responsibilities?¡± he asked. ¡°No, but I have a request and hope that you will grant it, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°As long as it is within my power,¡± He said, with his face serious. ¡°I want to make changes in the legacy,¡± I said, and his expressions turned serious. ¡°How big?¡± he asked directly. ¡°Very,¡± I replied, truthfully. ¡°Then, absolutely not,¡± he replied. ¡°If it had been small changes, I might have agreed, but big ones are extremely risky. We might lose legacy, which we couldn¡¯t in a time like this,¡± he added, and a smile appeared on my face, which made him frown. ¡°Please, look at what I want to do,¡± I said and took out a stack of papers and pushed them toward him. He looked at me for a few seconds before turning to a stack of papers with texts and rough drawings. He looked at the first page and there was only a slight change, but on the second page, a huge change appeared. So much so that Lancel, sitting on the couch, appeared by his father. Even Mage York looked sneakily from the side. ¡°I didn¡¯t know, you have so much space there.¡± He said as he finished. ¡°I had to for the girls,¡± I replied. There was silence for a few seconds before the Count opened his mouth. ¡°While you are barely touching the building, these changes are huge. I need to ask, the prince for permission,¡± he said, and I smiled with relief. ¡°Why are you making such big changes, Remus? If you just place tables, you will earn far more money and harness more emotions,¡± he asked. ¡°I want to take my legacy higher, my lord, and all the hosts I had talked to, including my guide. All of them said to me, that it is not the quantity of emotions that matters, but the quality,¡± ¡°It is what makes the legacy advance and I have a great ambition for my legacy,¡± I replied, and a big smile appeared on the Count''s face. ¡°I will relay this to the prince. It will be up to him, whether to approve it or not,¡± he said finally. ¡°That is all, I want,¡± I replied. There is a trick to make the Count do things or nearly everyone, let them see their benefits into it. If my legacy advanced, the Count would be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He has a share in that 99% emotion essence. I could already see him dreaming about it. ¡°If His Highness accepted the request; then I might need to hire some people from a merchant state,¡± ¡°I hope, that won¡¯t be a problem?¡± I asked and for a moment, there was confusion, since hiring people isn¡¯t restricted, even to work on the legacy, as long as they are under surveillance. ¡°You mean the non-humans?¡± he asked as he understood, and I nodded. I don¡¯t know if I am going to need their services, but it is wise to ask about it beforehand when he is in a good mood. Usually, such requests are denied, but exceptions are made for legacies. Many legacies in the empire had non-humans, including the legacy of the old man. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, as long as they follow the rules,¡± he replied. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said and bowed. A few minutes later, I walked out of his office. ¡°Ask Valentina to come to my office in the evening,¡± I said to Zela before stepping into the carriage. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered the establishment through the crowd of people. There are no patrons in the establishment. It is only ten, there are two more hours before we open the gates for them. There is a waiting list of thousands and every hour, it is only increasing, but even then, we didn¡¯t change the timing. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to, but it is not the time. The timing will not change, till I am finished with those changes. They will be finished within a month, before the big celebration, which will be on the one-month anniversary of the legacy. It is a tradition that most legacies follow, and I will follow it too. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± Some staff greeted, even bowed. I am glad to see them bowing expertly without any awkward movements. Those lessons are helpful and now that the establishment has turned the legacy, they will need to use everything, they have learned. I turned to the staff, especially those I had taken with me to Inam. They are looking at expectantly. I know what they want, and they will get that soon enough after I meet with the madams. Click! Stone opened the door of my office, and I went inside, where Carla, Caena, and Margaux were waiting for me. All looked excited about what was coming; I didn¡¯t tell them, but they seemed to have guessed. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± I asked, and all of them nodded their heads excitedly. ¡°Then give me your hands,¡± I said and immediately, all three hands appeared in front of me. I took Carla¡¯s hand first. It was soft, and I wanted to kiss it, but I controlled my urge. Instead, I activated the legacy skill. [Grant Authority: Carla Salt] Gasp! A gasp rang out in her mouth before a big smile appeared on her face as she waved her hand. The emotion mist twirled around her, while the two watched wide eyes. I wanted to capture, that wonder in her eyes, but I watched as she tried different things. I watched try things with childlike curiosity before taking Caena¡¯s hand. ¡°[Grant Authority: Caena Aris] Like Carla, Caena''s eyes also widened, and joy appeared in her eyes. I smiled and took Margaux¡¯s hand, which was shaking. [Grant Authority: Margaux Swan] Shock appeared in her eyes, but there was no gasp, instead tears started to stream down her face. ¡°Thank you for the honor, Master Silver. I will not let you down,¡± she said. ¡°I know, you will not, Margaux,¡± I replied. There is one more authority, but I haven¡¯t decided who to give it to. There are too many candidates, that for the time being, I have decided not to give anyone, which is also wise. Usually, Grant Authority skill comes with only one authority. It is quite rare to give three authorities four is unheard of. ¡°The vault is amazing!¡± said Carla, as she made things appear and disappear from her hand. ¡°How big is the range?¡± she asked. ¡°Entire plot,¡± I replied, and her eyes widened. ¡°Amazing!¡± she said with glee and a moment later, I saw my whole desk disappear, making me glare at her. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 286: Chance Chapter 286: Chance Thud! The huge monster fell down hard on the sea floor. I controlled the skeletons and buried the body inside the seabed, like the army of undead. They cannot get discovered until it is time and that is an easy thing to do, seeing the monsters in the sea. ¡°These fucking monsters are not letting me hide in peace; every week, at least one would attack, and I would risk getting discovered,¡± I complained to the woman beside me. I am bored. There is nothing more to do on the seabed than hide. I cannot even work on the bodies of monsters I had killed. There is a faint chance that doing that might get me discovered. I couldn¡¯t afford that. ¡°A few months. We will move, the moment the old man dies,¡± she said, and I couldn¡¯t help but grin in joy and burning rage. ¡°I hope that old bastard dies quickly. I cannot wait for my revenge!¡± I said with gritted teeth. It is because of that bastard; that I had to suffer great pain and humiliation. If not for undying majesty, saving my soul from degradation, and giving me a suitable body, I wouldn¡¯t have been standing here. A strange expression appeared on the woman¡¯s face and there was a joy that I didn¡¯t like. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, seeing that despicable look on her face. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to kill him. It is forbidden now.¡± He said and I couldn¡¯t help, help but be shocked. ¡°Him, nobody?¡± I asked. He might be an official in a little city and a member of a merchant house, but it matters a little to them. They had killed the kings; a minor official is nothing. ¡°Not nobody, a host of legacy,¡± she replied, with joy dripping out of her voice. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± I said, not wanting to believe it. ¡°It is,¡± she said, and now she is grinning, seeing my expressions. I have been waiting for my revenge for a year. There was not a single minute where I wasn¡¯t thinking about killing the bastard as painfully as possible. I wanted to send a message to confirm, but it is not allowed. We might get detected through it; it is why this despicable woman is here, to bring the messages. It took me a while to calm myself down, and I turned to the woman. This time, there is a smile on my face. ¡°So, what he has the legacy, he will get what is coming for it. Just like, the host of Savors club did,¡± I said, and it was my turn to grin. .... ¡°Master Silver, Mage Valentina is here for you,¡± informed Jill. ¡°Send her in,¡± I said and activated Get Ready. I had taken a nap; I had been working since I had stepped onto the land. Especially after I had entered the establishment, where I granted Carla and others the authority before I met with the staff to take their view about the new plan. That meeting lasted for over five hours and left me so tired that I fell asleep. I had woken up, just a minute ago. As the skill washed over me, I felt good and alert. It also made me look more presentable, straightening my hair, and clearing the creases from my suit. The skill not only makes me look presentable but also makes me feel refreshed. That effect has become more powerful since the advancement of my primary class. Click! The door opened and Valentina walked in. She looks beautiful as always and is excited, but there is also nervousness in her eyes. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± she greeted and made a mocking bow. ¡°I will take offense, if you do this after, I formally granted lordship,¡± I said with a straight face, but she just smiled and rolled her eyes. ¡°So, what changes do you want to make?¡± she asked as she took a seat, before turning her eyes to the folder in front of me. I didn¡¯t slide it toward her, instead activated my skill. Vision Projection Immediately, her eyes dilated, before becoming distant for a couple of seconds. When she came back, there was shock on her face. ¡°They are some massive changes,¡± she said finally. ¡°It is why you should have brought Architect Davidson. I had told you to bring him,¡± I said. With my establishment turning to the legacy, I could get the services of any firm and higher leveled individuals. Some of them, had even contacted me, saying they and their firms were ready to offer their services to me, free of charge. They may be higher-leveled and have more resources, but Valentina is the one who knows the establishment and understands my vision. She is the one who built this place. There is no one better than her to do the job. ¡°You will need the permission to make such huge changes,¡± she said. It is clearly a question, not a statement. ¡°I am in the process of getting it,¡± I replied, and she still kept looking at me, but I didn¡¯t give her the answer to the question she was asking. Even I didn¡¯t want to think about that option and hoped, the Count would make the prince agree because nobody would like the second option. ¡°I have a request,¡± she said suddenly, and the nervousness hidden in her eyes came out. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked after a moment of silence, feeling it wouldn¡¯t be a simple request. ¡°I want you to hire Ed,¡± she said. Edmond Amellus; I asked about him when I helped Valentina to get a practice license for him, and what I heard wasn¡¯t good, but I did it because she is a friend. ¡°You are asking a lot, Valentina. The reputation of your friend isn¡¯t good, and it will make some powerful people angry,¡± I stated clearly. He had been sentenced for stealing the designs of his teacher. A powerful architect in Belnin, who is said to have the potential to breach the Lv. 50. Though, she had said. It is a false conviction and seeing how rushed the trial was, it likely was, but still hiring him comes with the risks. ¡°I know it is risky, but Ed is good. I can bet my reputation, that he is the best person to bring our vision out. Please give him a chance,¡± she said, looking at me with pleading eyes. I sighed. ¡°Fine, I will give him a chance, but I am doing this for you,¡± I said, reminding her of what a big risk it is for me. ¡°I know and I will be forever grateful for it,¡± she said and closed her eyes. ¡°He will be here in a minute,¡± she said as she opened her eyes. It seemed like she had brought him with her. I also closed my eyes and called the people. The meeting will be long. ... Ed ¡°Do you think Valentina will be able to convince Lord Silver?¡± I asked nervously to the old man, sitting in front of me. ¡°If anyone could convince him, then it would be chief,¡± said the old man Davidson. It had been a few minutes since we arrived. Val had gone to meet him, while the two of us had remained in the carriage. The wait is unbearable. It had been unbearable since the party, when Silver told Valentina, he had a work for her. I had literally begged her to ask Silver to give me a chance. It is an opportunity of the lifetime, that will leave the imprint for the generation. Most importantly, it will be a big step toward clearing my reputation. That bastard used to get called to work on the legacies. Only architects of his caliber were asked to work on it. Legacies are delicate, too much change, and the host might end up losing it. It is why an expert hand was needed on them and I hate to admit it, but the bastard was best at that kind of work. That is why I need this chance. To prove that despite everything he did to me, stealing my life¡¯s work, he had not crushed me or my ambitions. Working on the legacy is the best way to do that. I hope Silver gives me a chance, just one chance. I will not disappoint him; I will give him my everything. I am confident I can do this. If I was not good, that bastard wouldn¡¯t have stolen my designs and sent me to jail. Hun! I was in my thoughts when the ring on my finger lit up and a smile appeared on my face. ¡°She did it,¡± I said with tears coming out of my face. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, if anyone could convince Lord Silver, it would be Chief,¡± said the old man, and I smiled. ¡®Don¡¯t fuck it up,¡¯ it was the message from Valentina. Which was her way of telling me she had got me the chance, but also warning to not fuck it up. I could tell she had taken an enormous risk for me. If I fuck it up, I would be not only fucking up, the greatest chance I got but also Val and her friendship with Silver. Something she cherished, even before he gained the legacy. Click! The old man opened the door and got out; I followed behind him. We are at the back side of the establishment, where there is a small garden. It is normal, but it looks enchanting with the power of legacy. I looked at it all as I walked toward the door. We had just reached it when a beautiful woman with platinum blond hair appeared at the door. If I am right, her name is Margaux Swan. She used to be madam before leaving the position to run the circle. Val said she is one of the people that Silver trusts the most. ¡°Miss Margaux, you are looking charming as always,¡± said the old man, and a small smile appeared on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you for the praise, Mr. Davidson,¡± she said in a soft but clear voice, with a faint hint of authority in it. ¡°Master Silver had asked me to give you two the tour of the basement, before taking you to the office,¡± Hearing that, my eyes lit up. ¡°Chief had guessed right. She had said that the basement would be the target of Lord Silver''s changes,¡± said the old man, while the woman smiled and led us inside. The moment we stepped inside. The wonderful effect of legacy amplified tens of times, nearly stopping me in my tracks. It was so good that I wanted to stop and enjoy it. Unfortunately, that is not possible. I have to impress these people, and doing anything that will create wouldn¡¯t be wise. The staff moved around us. They barely glanced at us, but greeted the woman with respect. Soon, we reached the entrance of the underground. As for how I know? Well, I have been studying the blueprint since I left the party that day. Val had made me sign a contract and take a powerful oath before giving it to me. I had focused on the basement the most. Val told me, it would likely be the place that Silver would want to make the changes. It seemed like she was right. ¡°Miss Margaux, I want to cast a spell and use my skills to record and study,¡± I said as we stepped into the basement. ¡°You have permission.¡± She said after a second of silence. I cast Magic Pictures and activated Architects Eyes and Draft Blueprint. Valentina had already provided everything to me, but the data gained with my skills and spells, work the best for me. ¡°The basement had three floors and aside from the studio and few rooms, everything is unoccupied,¡± said the woman. I knew it already. I also knew what each room used to have. I was quite surprised when I read the information Val had given me. I mean, who provides the whores, with library, swimming, and even magic classes. No wonder, this place had turned into a legacy. She showed us all three floors, every room. I had even seen the studio, which Val had said, was a thing that would blow my mind, and it did. The thing that excited me is how big this place is. The underground covers 92% of the whole plot, that includes underground parking. It couldn¡¯t help but make me wonder how much area he wants to do the work on. Still Craving? Visit Chapter 287: Plans Chapter 287: Plans Click! The door opened, and Margaux walked in, bringing Amellus and Davidson with her. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± they greeted, while looking at the massive projection floating above my desk. ¡°Take a seat, gentlemen,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver,¡± they said and took the seat on Valentina¡¯s left and right. There are eight people sitting in the office, nine if I count myself. Aside from these three in front of me. There are Margaux, Caena, Maeve, Eudo and Mage Beaumont. Carla was supposed to be here, but she had to return to the office to meet with an important client. I looked at three in front of me, especially Amellus whom Valentina wants me to give a chance. ¡°As you can see, gentlemen. I want to make changes to the basement, big changes,¡± I said, looking at the large projection of the basement in front of me. It is huge, covering the whole plot. The things I will be able to do with such a huge space will be amazing and I hope the people in front of me will bring it to life. ¡°What is your plan for it, my lord?¡± asked Amellus. I smiled and closed my eyes, before activating Vision Projection and projected my vision into the mind of those two. ¡°I want to create a spa. It will occupy 60% of the space and 25% will be occupied by the private hosting rooms. The rest will be part of the studio and a few small things,¡± I said as their eyes cleared. ¡°What about the underground parking?¡± asked Amellus and the question put a smile on my face. ¡°It will be shifted to the plot left,¡± I replied. The plot left of mine belongs to Lucas, but since it is empty, the Count had promised to hand it over to me within a week. Lucas wouldn¡¯t like it, but he will have to give it. There is no other option. ¡°Do you want to create that in present architecture?¡± he asked. Indirectly, he is asking whether he could break things. In legacies, that is done with much deliberation. It could damage the foundation of legacy, or one might even lose it, but unlike other legacies, mine is different. ¡°We will have complete freedom to tear apart anything. The only restriction we have is to not let, the slightest harm, come to the legacy,¡± replied Valentina, casting a faint glance at Mage Beaumont. A few minutes ago, I received a message from Count Darrow. The prince had permitted me to do anything I wanted in the basement. The only thing the Count wants is to have his representative attend every meeting related to the change in the establishment. Amellus eyes lit up hearing that. ¡°What kind of spa it is? Healing spa, day spa, wellness spa?¡± he asked, surprising many people, including Valentina, who looked at him in question. ¡°I was on a team that built Radillium Spa at Port Belnin,¡± he replied, looking both proud and angry. He controlled his emotions and turned to me for the answer. ¡°It is a day spa,¡± answered Maeve. ¡°It would be completely on basement floors, right?¡± he asked me. ¡°Yes, with an entrance to outside the building,¡± I replied. ¡°W....¡± He asked more questions in detail than I had thought he would. I have done my research, but I am not a professional in the field; I cannot answer every deeply technical question about it. Though, I am impressed by his knowledge. It is a good thing, that Maeve is here. She is answering all his questions. It is not just Amellus asking the questions, Valentina and old man Davidson are asking them as well. Soon, they finished with the questions about the spa and turned to ask a question about the studio. I let Eudo handle the most; there are not many questions regarding it as the changes we want to make in it are not big. The questions about the last part came to me; I want a private hosting room. Some would be small enough to host a group of seven, while the bigger ones would be enough to host twenty-five people. I could charge a large amount of money for them. ¡°You want all to be finished within a month?¡± he asked slowly. To which I nodded. ¡°It is a good thing; I had asked for the best people our company has. They will be here by morning,¡± she said to Valentina. ¡°My company had asked me to tell you that it will be a pro-bono job, including the material,¡± she added, to which I shook my head. ¡°I am paying,¡± I stated. ¡°They will be angry at me if you don¡¯t accept,¡± she said, but there was a smile on her face. ¡°Tell them then, there are the best firms lined up to work on the establishment,¡± I replied. It is not like, I don¡¯t want free things and before the legacy, I might have thought about it, but not now. I don¡¯t want to give the opportunity to the company to say, they have done a work on my establishment for free. Especially when Valentina is going to leave it. She didn¡¯t say it directly, but she had implied many times, that she wanted to start her own company and, with the legacy, she planned to move those plans forward earlier than she had planned. ¡°You will also need the interior designer for the spa and other changes. The two are good, but not good enough to work on the legacy.¡± Valentina said. ¡°I know someone who might be suitable for the job,¡± said Amellus and Valentina just looked at him. ¡°She is great. You will be impressed by her work,¡± he added, and Valentina looked at me. ¡°Fine, call her to the city. I will decide whether to hire or not,¡± I said after a moment of silence. He nodded, but soon his expression turned a little conflicting. ¡°She is not human?¡± I asked, and he nodded. ¡°Orc,¡± he added with hesitation. Immediately, surprise flashed on the faces of many, including mine. People didn¡¯t think, Orc, when it comes to interior design. They think, of humans, elves, or even dwarves, but never an Orc. ¡°It is fine. Just give her information to Mage Beaumont. She will handle the rest,¡± I said, looking at Mage Beaumont, who nodded. ¡°You will also need a landscape architect,¡± said Valentina. ¡°I already have someone,¡± I replied. She looked at me in question, but I just smiled. An hour and a half later, they all left aside from Margaux. It is clear she has something in her mind. ¡°Why spa? Why not turn the huge space into a restaurant or more private hosting rooms? This way, we will be able to take more people, make more money, and gain more emotions.¡± She asked. The same question had been asked by the Count. I didn¡¯t give him a complete answer. ¡°It is my vision; I want to create a place where people get experience. They could remember for life. A place where their desires satiated and the spa perfectly fit that vision,¡± I replied. From the beginning, it was never about money, but about realizing my vision. The money will come automatically with success. It is what gave me the legacy, and helped me advance it further. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said and walked out of my office. I slumped back in the chair and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, before everything turned dark and the sun appeared in front of me, with planets small and big orbiting it. I looked at the stream of mist it was absorbing constantly. Becoming bigger and stronger. The old man told me many things, and it made me understand how strange my legacy is compared to others. The strangest thing about it is its core, which was already formed before it had even turned the legacy. It was thousands of times weaker than the core of the newborn legacies, but it had formed the core. Caena had said, that a seed of it formed in the ritual and I strengthened it, till it had turned into the core. So, when it birthed the legacy; it took extremely little time to absorb those tributes sent by other legacies. It turned it into a peak Grade 1 legacy. If I am not wrong, my legacy is very close to upgrading into a Grade 2 legacy. Newly born legacies take two to five years to achieve that, but mine might be able to achieve in a few months. It is a shocking thing, because the record is of eleven months, and I don¡¯t plan to break it. Undue attention isn¡¯t good, in this dangerous time. I looked at the sun for a couple of seconds before turning to one planet. Caena had really thought it would turn into the legacy and that planet would help me with its most desired ability. I wanted to use it, but I controlled myself. I couldn¡¯t before the guardian arrived. It is too risky to do it, without reading that contract. I looked at it for a couple of minutes before pushing it away and walking out of my office. It is a peak time, and all four floors are completely packed. It was the same before the establishment turned into the legacy, but unlike before, there wasn¡¯t a long waiting line of over ten thousand people, which is getting longer every hour. After glancing at the restaurant, I entered the basement. It is not empty, as one would expect, especially since the afternoon. The core staff of the bar, studio, and spa are practicing here. The kitchen staff is lucky because they have a building behind the establishment and since it is in the same plot, they can access the emotion mist there. I walked through the rooms and saw Cresa, along with other bartenders trying to mix emotion mist into the drink, but failing. The same is happening with Eudo. Despite his immense talent, he was not able to mix with the makeup and apply it to a teen sitting on the chair. Though, if anyone succeeds first, then it would be him. He is already quite close. Soon, I reach the hall where Maeve is practicing, and frustration is clear as day in face. Unlike Drev or Cresa, there was no one there who knew how to use emotional mist with messages and other spa treatments. There are two spa legacies in the world, but they are on different continents. One of them sent the basics a few hours ago, but it is still less than what others have got. Even Eudo had got to see how to use emotion mist with make-up from the staff of Vanis Tavern. The things aren¡¯t as simple as just mixing the emotion mist into the things. No, the emotion mist needs to suit that thing or things could turn horrible. It could injure one, not only physically but also mentally. They are dealing with emotions here and it is a dangerous thing. She and her team have to learn it on their own and do it within a month. It is a tremendous challenge, but Maeve is confident that she and her team will be able to do it. I really hope, they do. Still Craving? Visit Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com Chapter 288: Fair Chapter 288: Fair Sharn Rolgath I looked nervously at the small city that came into view. It is still hard to believe a small city like this had produced a legacy. legacies produced in big cities, like Port Belnin, Meldhorn, or even Owlspring, which is over twenty times larger than this city. Every second it got close; I felt more and more nervous. It still felt like a dream. Maybe it is a dream. Maybe I really died a week ago, and this is a test of the afterlife to send me to heaven and hell. A week ago, I sold the last of my possessions and paid my debtors and employees before letting them go. That night, I had tried to take my life, but my neighbor¡¯s cat broke into my room. It took a while to catch her and return it to its owner. When I returned to my room, I lost the courage to take my life. In the week, I had tried several times, but lost the courage every time. I was with my neighbor when a messenger from the message guild came, bearing a message from a person that I had nearly forgotten. I had heard about what he did, and he didn¡¯t seem like a person who would steal designs from other people, but he was convicted and was serving a term, the last I had heard about him. I was not planning on reading the letter immediately, but my nosy neighbor had torn it open. I still remember the expressions that appeared on her face. When I read it, the same expressions appeared on my face. I nearly tossed it away. It was not the first time, someone played a cruel joke on me, but my neighbor insisted, that we checked it out. I went to the messenger guild with her, and was able to confirm with the legacy. They had invited me to the meeting. I still wasn¡¯t able to believe it. I am called to the legacy. They are the place, where the most famous and powerful of the profession get to work. One call from the legacy and all the top firms in Belnin. Hell, the whole merchant states would come running. Unlike normal business, work on legacies is rare; they are delicate, too much change and they will be destroyed. It is why rarely any work comes up from legacy when it does. People lined up to do it. I hope I am selected. If I didn¡¯t, the river seems like a good place to die. Rawr! I was disturbed from my thoughts by a familiar cat growl, held by a twenty-year-old half-elf. The girl is Amryn and the devil cat is Sugar. Its name should be bitter. The cat is a white fluffball with dark blue ears and purple eyes. I have lost count of how many times this devil cat scratched me, ate my food, and sneaked into my apartment, despite locking the widows. It is freakishly strong that I suspect it had some monster blood in it. The young half-elf holding the cat is my neighbor. The young woman tagged along; she was also the one paying for the trip. I barely had money for my next few meals, much less this trip. She wanted to see the legacy. It was the only way she would be able to ever see one. She is not the only one; I am excited to see it too. It will be a great experience before the death. ¡°Do you really have to bring this devil cat?¡± I asked, seeing how she was trying to calm it down. ¡°I can¡¯t leave sugar alone for a few days. She hates the cat¡¯s inn,¡± replied the half-elf, gently petting the cat, while I rolled my eyes. This devil cat had scared the cats in the cat hostel so much that the owner, had refused to take it. Soon, the ship reached the port, and I adjusted my clothes, which covered everything, including my face. Greltheaven is an imperial city where non-humans are not allowed; wearing this constricting clothing is one of the conditions to come here. Unlike me, Amryn only had to wear a hat to hide her slightly pointed ears. A minute later, the ship docked, and guards entered the ship. They are looking around as if searching for someone. Soon, their eyes fell on me, and two of them walked toward us. Seeing them, I couldn¡¯t help but become nervous. ¡°Miss Rolgath?¡± asked the blond middle-aged human. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied after a moment of hesitation and gave my papers. He checked it and passed it to his partner, who nodded. ¡°We will be your escorts to the velvet garden,¡± he informed. They led us out of the ship, and toward the carriage, which is surrounded by the four more human guards on the horses. The middle-aged human opened the door, and we entered, and soon, the carriage moved toward the city gates. ¡°It went better than I had imagined,¡± said Amryn with clear relief in her voice. ¡°It did. To be honest, I was expecting them to haul us out of the ship and throw us in jail,¡± I said, to which she smiled and pulled that devil cat closer to herself. It seemed to have calmed down now that we were out of the ship and trying to scratch the window with those sharp claws. The carriage entered the city, and I was surprised, to see how developed it was. I had not expected that, even Amryn looked surprised. Being from Belnin, one of the wealthiest places on the continent and even the entire world, we tend to look down on other countries. Especially the Empire, which is still considered the enemy by most non-humans in the merchant states. Minutes passed, and we seemed to have reached the legacy, seeing people crowding on both sides of the road. A common scene around the legacies. ¡°It is really a legacy,¡± said Amryn, looking out of the window at the beautiful building, covered in a swirling mist of emotions. The signature of every legacy. Our carriage passed by the gate without entering and turned. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going into the legacy?¡± asked Amryn, with worry appearing in her eyes. ¡°We are through the back entrance,¡± replied the guards, making me feel relieved. Soon, we appeared at the back and, as the guard said. The gate at the back opened, and the carriage entered through it. Gasp! Immediately, the gasp rang out of Amryn¡¯s mouth and even the devil cat¡¯s expressions became pleasant as the effects we have heard so much about washed over us. They are far better than everything I had expected. Click! We were enjoying the effects when the carriage stopped, and the middle-aged human opened the door. I controlled myself and got out of the carriage and saw the emotion mist around me. The cat tried to lick but failed to get anything. A few seconds passed, and I looked at the middle-aged human, but there was nothing on his face. Click! I was about to ask him where to go, when the door of the building opened and a beautiful human teen walked, looking embarrassed. ¡°Madam Gloria,¡± the guards greeted, and she nodded at them, before turning to us, with an embarrassed smile. ¡°I am sorry. I was caught up with something,¡± she said, and I didn¡¯t know what to say, but I had to say something. This human teen is clearly important, seeing how the guards greeted her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Madam Gloria,¡± I said. She smiled and turned to Amryn, or rather, her cat. ¡°She is the cutest kitty I have ever seen. Can I pet her?¡± she asked and for a moment, a hesitation appeared on Amryn¡¯s face. I could understand it; the devil cat is feral. It had scratched countless people who tried to pet it. I don¡¯t want that. It might end the opportunity before I even got it. ¡°Be gentle, she gets startled easily,¡± Amryn warned. The teen nodded and slowly moved her hand, before started petting her, and to the surprise of both of us, the devil cat leaned toward the hand. I still remember the first time I had tried to pet the devil. It had bitten me. ¡°Such a good kitty,¡± said the human teen with a big smile, and a second later, took out a jerky that perked up the kitty¡¯s ears and fed it to her. ¡°Good, kitty,¡± she patted it final and turned to us, with once again embarrassed, expressions appearing on her face. ¡°Please, follow me,¡± she said, and we followed. The moment we entered inside, the real power of the legacy washed over us. It is far stronger than what we had experienced outside. It felt like we had entered heaven. ¡®No wonder people are crazy about the legacies,¡¯ I thought. They are like drugs but without side effects. I had read that people who visit Legacy daily for a month don¡¯t get addicted. Instead, it seemed to help them lose the other addiction. It is something to do with legacies ability to suck those excess emotions. As I followed her, I looked around and saw every floor was filled with people having the time of their lives with beautiful human girls, wearing beautiful dresses. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Madam Gloria, what is the work that Lord Silver wants to do?¡± I asked. Edmon didn¡¯t tell me. All he said was that I would be perfect for the work he is doing here. Which told me nothing, but I would be more than satisfied even if I got to work in a single room. It is a legacy; with this on my resume. My fallen business could be revived. ¡°You can ask Master Silver about that,¡± the young girl replied with a smile. Soon we reached the top floor and stopped. There was another pretty young human girl behind the table and guards guarding, who seemed powerful enough to kill me in a second. ¡°Miss Rolgath, Master Silver is ready for you,¡± she informed. ¡°You can remove the coverall, Miss Rolgoth. I am sure it is uncomfortable,¡± she added. I hesitated before deciding to remove it. It is not like he doesn¡¯t know; I am an Orc. I never hid my race from my clients and won¡¯t hide it now, even if it cost me business like it did so many times. It is the reason I am broke. People expect elves to be interior designers. They will take even humans and dwarves, but not Orcs. Even my fellow Orcs don¡¯t hire me; nobody expects Orcs to be an interior designer, much less a good one. Very few of us have succeeded in this field. I handed the coverall over to the young girl; Amryn did the same with her hat, before walking toward the door, that the guards opened. The moment I did, I was surprised to see the young man sitting behind the table. He is young. Younger than even Amryn. I wanted to buy information about him but didn¡¯t have any money. So, asked a few friends, who told me, he was young and from a powerful mercantile house in the empire. I had expected him to be over his thirties young, not even his twenties young. That, I started to doubt whether he was the host of the legacy. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± greeted Amryn, bringing me back to myself, and I hurriedly bowed while he looked at me with a small smile on his face, which flamed my cheeks further. ¡°Take a seat, Miss Rolgath, Miss Balib,¡± he said, in a gentle but firm voice, which felt good to ears, likely an effect of skill. The skill is good; more powerful than one would expect from a person of his age. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised; he is a host of the legacy. It would be surprising if he is at least, not this strong. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver,¡± I said, not daring to embarrass myself any further. I sat down to the left of a beautiful blond-haired human woman, while Amryn to her right. There are also three more people, sitting on the sofas, including that young girl. ¡°Have you worked on the legacies before, Miss Sharn?¡± he asked directly. To which a mirthless smile appeared on my face. ¡°No, my lord,¡± I replied, feeling where it was going. ¡°What is the biggest work, you have ever done?¡± he asked a second later. I didn¡¯t answer immediately and even thought about lying before deciding against it. ¡°It is a small armament store. These are the designs,¡± I said and activated Project Designs. Immediately, the designs appeared in front of him and others, surprising them. It is my most cherished skill; one of the rarest in the class. Most projections skills, project things in the mind, mine shows them in the open. It is a small shop, with glass windows and a wooden shelf. The budget wasn¡¯t huge, but I made do and was quite proud of what I had done. He looked at the designs carefully, without commenting. ¡°Can you show me your other works?¡± he asked, I nodded and other designs appeared in front of me. There are not many and all of them are small, but I showed him, every work, I had done. ¡°It seemed like. You have only done work on a small scale and most of it is non-magical.¡± He spoke. It didn¡¯t feel like a critique, but a simple observation. ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a crushing heart. It is where the people reject me. Even if their project is small, they want an interior designer with experience in big things. ¡°Show me your designs? I am sure you have created some. Show me the most ambitious ones; it didn¡¯t matter. If they seemed preposterous, over the top,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised. No one ever asked me to show my designs; most would just say thank you after seeing my work. Even those who hired me didn¡¯t show much interest in them, even when I showed them. However, the difference between designing a restaurant and legacy is greater than earth and sky. It is only natural that he will ask me to show them. I had selected my best designs and brought them out. He looked at each one of them carefully, before coming back to the spa designs. They were the part of designs; I had shown Amellus. Five years ago, I had just branched out on my own. When the firm Amellus used to work for posted an advertisement for needing outside interior design contractors to help them with Radillum Spa. Through a mutual friend, I was able to get to Amellus and showed him my design, and he was quite impressed by them. He had said he would take it to his boss, and he did, but the man rejected it. It was that time; I met Amellus first time and met a few more times over the years. He took my designs many times for different projects, but not a single one pan out. I even thought he was playing me till now. ¡°Show me more of the spa designs,¡± he said after a couple of minutes, looking at them. I nodded and made all the other designs disappear and brought out all the spa designs I had. There are a lot. I had not only tried for the Radillum Spa, but others too, but those bastards didn¡¯t even let me enter their gates, much less let me show them my designs. ¡°Amazing. Your designs are even better than the three I had met during the day,¡± he said finally and hope couldn¡¯t help but flutter in my heart. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver,¡± I replied. ¡°I am building a spa below the establishment, and I want you to show me designs for it. You have two days. Impress me and the job will be yours and remember, there is competition,¡± ¡°So, you better give your all if you want the job,¡± he said, and my heart couldn¡¯t help but beat up wildly. This is all I ever wanted, a fair chance. I don¡¯t mind losing. Yes, I would be very disappointed and sad, but it won¡¯t be soul-crushing, like it had so many times when I didn¡¯t even get a chance. ¡°I would need to see the place and the blueprints. Most importantly, your requirements,¡± I said, forgetting to thank him in my excitement, and opened my mouth when something touched my mind. Gasp! I opened it, and immediately pictures appeared in front of me. They are so different and amazing that I couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock at seeing them. ¡°These are requirements. Other things will be provided to you by Miss Valentina and Amellus,¡± he stated. A few minutes later, I walked out of the office with a silver blond-haired woman, with thousands of ideas flashing in my mind. I will be taking a break till 17th Jan for personal reasons. Will be returning on the 18th with regular updates.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 289: Invitations Chapter 289: Invitations I stepped into the underground and saw people working everywhere. Every single person here is experienced, with many Lv. 25+ and specialized classes. They all are from Nielson. They are working expertly and delicately, removing bricks, wood, and other things. These are the things that are going to be used back. Those that couldn¡¯t be used will be ground into the dust and become part of the soil. Every speck of dust here contains emotions and thus couldn¡¯t be thrown away. It had been nine days since the establishment turned into a legacy, and things have changed tremendously and changing fast. I have selected the people and the design. The designs aren¡¯t complete. Three days are far from enough, but we agreed on enough parts to work. I will have a complete design within a week; I have been meeting Amellus and Valentina regularly for that. Well, he is living in the establishment; he had chosen a room in the basement. With the time we have, it is the most efficient approach. Right now, he is talking with a group of people. There is also Sharn Rolgath and her half-elf assistant; they are also living in the establishment. The Orc is impressive. Of the four people who had come from the interview, she was the best of them all. The three that came were of higher level, and belong to the best firms, but I didn¡¯t see the audaciousness I had been looking for. Rolgath has it, the designs she showed were amazing. Even the work she had done was small stores and homes were better than most. However, what impressed me the most, was the design of a spa. It was incredible; it was far different from what I was looking for, but I could see the audaciousness, the vision she had behind it. As for the design, she did for my spa. It is phenomenal that I have no words for it. Only excitement to see her bring it out of paper into reality. Soon, I reached the section where no work was being done. There, the staff is practicing with the emotion mist. They are doing good, like Eudo, Lenore, Cresa, and a few others, have already started to get some success. Maeve and her people are doing better than I imagined. I had told them to focus on a single thing. If they tried to infuse emotion mist in every treatment, they wouldn¡¯t be able to succeed in the time, they have. So, Maeve created a spa package and gave each person on her team a single treatment to master. This way, we will be able a complete spa package by the time of the celebration. After that, they can work on the other treatments, and in a few months to a year; they will be able to infuse the emotion mist in every treatment we will offer in our spa. Maeve saw me and came toward me. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± she greeted. ¡°How are the things?¡± I asked. ¡°Good, the girls are making steady progress. I am now confident that we will be ready, for the celebration,¡± she replied, and a pleased smile appeared on my face. ¡°Have you made all the preparations?¡± I asked, and she nodded. ¡°I am ready to leave in the evening,¡± she replied. She is going to the merchant states with Margaux. There are two purposes. The first is to buy spa instruments and materials. We have both already, but their quality isn¡¯t on par with the legacy. The second is to hire a staff. We have more than enough staff, but since I am moving our best and most trusted to the establishment, we will need the staff to serve the girls'' needs and also to support the future expansion. I have also started building a new building to house them. It will not only house the staff of the spa, but other staff too. The staff live in a city, but some of these people wouldn¡¯t be able to. I plan to hire the best people and not all the best people going to be humans. Thus, a safe place to live. ¡°Tell me, if you need anything, before leaving,¡± I said. ¡°I will,¡± she replied and walked back to the room. She has become the busiest of all my staff. She not only needs to practice and direct the girls but also needs to consult with Amellus and Rolgath on spar design, and now she is leaving. It will give her even less time to practice with mist. Not that she would work on the patrons, she would lead the spa, but she wants to have knowledge and skill to use the emotion mist, in case she ever needed to use them. Hun! I looked at everything and was climbing the stairs, when I stopped. A fluff ball is standing in front of me, looking at me with those big, beautiful eyes. The cat belonged to the half-elf assistant of Rolgath; I had seen it in the hands of a few girls; they seemed to love it. Seeing the cat, I couldn¡¯t help but miss Fang more, but he is in baronies, training with a monster trainer. ¡°You are one beautiful cat,¡± I said as I walked toward it, before gently picking it up. The cat didn¡¯t resist and came into my arms. I began to pet it gently, before giving her the jerky, which it ate rather quickly. ¡°Sugar, here you are. I have been searching for you all ov. Oh, Lord Silver,¡± said the young half-elf, with eyes wide and flushed cheeks. ¡°Hello, miss Amryn. I hope you didn¡¯t mind me picking up your cat,¡± I said and handed the cat to its owner. ¡°No, I was just worried. Sugar gets angry quickly and tends to attack people,¡± she explained quickly, reddening her cheeks further. ¡°She was nothing but joy,¡± I said and walked away. Soon, I was back in my office, looking out of the window. The crowd of people is still there like they had been on the first day. I looked for a minute before focusing on the work. ¡°She has arrived; she will be here in fifteen minutes,¡± informed Zela suddenly. I nodded, without looking up, and continued with my work. She was supposed to come yesterday but was delayed. If she wasn¡¯t good and highly recommended, I wouldn¡¯t have waited. Every day is important. ¡°Master Silver, Ms. Ulaxasys is here,¡± informed Jill. ¡°Ask her in,¡± I replied. Click! The door opened and an enchantingly beautiful woman walked in. She is a picture that comes into everybody¡¯s mind when one thinks about the elf. She was a tall woman who looked to be in her early forties, with long green hair like a forest and blue eyes that of a lake. She had an angular face and a sharp nose, with pink lips, that came in dreams. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± she greeted in a melodic voice, like chirping in the forest. ¡°Ms. Ulaxasys, welcome,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver and Meria, please. Ms. Ulaxasys made me feel like my mother,¡± she said, putting a smile on my face. The woman is Merialeth Ulaxasys. Aunt of Ignatius Blackwell. He is the one who had recommended his aunt. I don¡¯t know who told him I needed a landscape designer, likely my sister. It is not the reason I had waited for her and would likely hire her. It is because of Ina. The woman had done extensive work on the Amberhold. All the gardens, including the one in the castle, had been designed by her and her sister, Lady Blackwell. She had worked on many big projects, but not on the legacy. This isn¡¯t surprising. There are few legacies out there and intense competition. Talent alone isn¡¯t enough to work on them, one also needs connections. Like the ones that brought her into my office. ¡°I assume you have seen the garden, Meria?¡± I asked, to which she nodded. ¡°Yes, the young girl, had given me a tour of it, before bringing me to your office,¡± she replied. ¡°What do you think? Will you be able to finish the job in time?¡± I asked, and she smiled. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± she replied in confidence before her expressions turned serious. ¡°What kind of garden you want, a flower garden, water garden, Aeryn garden?¡± she asked, her voice turning all business. An embarrassed smile appeared on my face, upon hearing the question. I have been asking it myself for the past few days. ¡°To be honest, Meria. I don¡¯t have a clue; I hope you observe my business and talk with my people.¡± ¡°Understand the essence of the establishment and create a garden. That will suit my establishment well.¡± I said and a big smile bloomed across her face, which she seemed to be having a hard time containing. This is the word that every professional like her wants to hear. I am giving her a free hand. I had not given it to Valentina, Amellus, or even to Rolgath, but I was giving it to her. It is not like; I don¡¯t have ideas about it. The file on my left is filled with rough sketches, but not a single one feels right. Thus, I have to trust her to create the right design; I don¡¯t like giving this much freedom, but I don¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Thank you for the trust, Lord Silver. I will not disappoint you,¡± she said, all I could do was smile. A few minutes later, I could see her walking around the establishment with Gloria and Barb, wearing a derby hat to hide her ears, but it could barely fool anyone. I watched her for a minute before turning back to work. The day passed, and evening came when I got out of the office and stepped into the carriage. Twenty minutes later, I was at the port, waiting for the ship; I was not the only one, Rowen and Graham were also there. I had to wait for a little over ten minutes when the familiar yacht and I got out of my carriage. Anger flashed in Rowen¡¯s eyes seeing me, before putting a smile on his face. He is angry since I restricted his entry to the establishment. After it has become a legacy, he has been coming daily and even bringing a group of people with him. I had restricted his entry by letting him visit only three times a month, and he couldn¡¯t bring many people. There are no such restrictions on Graham. That man is far more sensible than my idiot cousin. I nodded at both before turning to the hatch. From it, three people came out. ¡°Granduncle Everett, Grandaunt Thelma, Uncle Thompson. Welcome to Greltheaven,¡± I greeted the three old people. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come to greet us personally, Remus,¡± said the old man, but joy could be seen in his silvery grey eyes at that. ¡°It is my duty, Granduncle,¡± I said and led them to the carriage. Soon, all six of us sat in the big carriage, and it moved toward the establishment. For a minute, there was silence before the old man spoke. ¡°Our house had dreamed about legacy since its inception. It is the greatest mark of the merchant, but never thought we would get it,¡± said Grandaunt Thelma, with eyes filled with pride. I didn¡¯t reply other than smile. ¡°Your grandfather is proud of you, Remus,¡± said Uncle Thompson. ¡°I wish he had come,¡± I said. ¡°He will, during the celebration,¡± said Uncle Thompson. Soon, the carriage reached the establishment and entered through its front gate. Usually, I take the back gate when the establishment comes, but since the family had come, I decided to show them the legacy of its true regality. ¡°A legacy,¡± said Granduncle Everette as he got out of the carriage. The tears have started to come out of his eyes. It is not just him. Even the old woman begins to cry. ¡°Let''s enter,¡± I said a minute later. They nodded, and I took them inside. They are watching everything with pride and joy. It didn¡¯t seem to affect them; they were in a brothel. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered, even if there was an orgy in front of them. What matters is that the establishment is a legacy, and that is enough for them. Click! A few minutes later, I finished the tour and took them to my office, where nobody talked for a minute. ¡°Here it is, your delivery; they are crafted by the best stationer in the Namdar. Even the lady of storms also uses his services,¡± said Uncle Thomson and put a couple of boxes on the ground. They had not just come to the city to visit the legacy. They also brought the invitations, which I need to sign personally. The family will send them, with Grandfather, personally going to the capital. Usually, it is the Lord who sends the invite, but I had asked Count Darrow to give the responsibility to the House of Silver. He agreed easily. It surprised me, but I shouldn¡¯t have been seeing the strange things happening in the empire. The things are so strange, that they have not sent a guardian, yet. Which they do within a week. Forget sending him, they have not even released the name. For more, Click Chapter 290: Lordship Chapter 290: Lordship ¡°Greltheaven,¡± I said, looking at the tiny city in front of me. Many people in the capital still couldn¡¯t believe it had produced the legacy. Well, I am glad it did, because I am its guardian. I had to spend a huge amount of political capital and promised things I usually wouldn¡¯t. Sabotaged some people¡¯s bids and threatened a few to get this job. It will be worth it. Silver may be the host, but I am its guardian. Not even a dust will move it without my permission, and I plan to wield it with an iron fist to get the benefits I need. His Highness, the Crown Prince, wants 100% emotion essence and I am going to give it to him, after taking my cut-off course. The job is the most desirable. It gives one control over the rarest material in the world. Since my name had been finalized. I have been contacted by hundreds of people, powerful people. Lords, generals, and professionals like the alchemists and artificers, all of them want the emotion essence. The ship finally docked at the port, and I walked out, under the protection of the guards. These twelve are part of the Crown Prince¡¯s force; they are here to protect me and to keep an eye on me. ¡°Welcome to Greltheaven, Lord Rutto,¡± said the blond man. ¡°Thank you, adviser, Robin,¡± I replied. The man smiled and took me toward the carriage, without asking about my journey and other things that etiquette requires. I controlled my anger. Being a guardian isn¡¯t the only duty I have been given. The Crown prince had also asked me to poach people close to Count Darrow, to know his brother''s plans. He is the biggest threat to his accent to become emperor. Hun! Soon, we reached the carriage, and he opened the door. I stepped inside, only to see there were two people already sitting inside. Count Darrow and Nikos Schagen. I couldn¡¯t help but become surprised, seeing the old man. He was thought to be dead, but he was clearly not. I am going to report it to the Crown Prince. The moment I walked away from these people. ¡°Lord Count, Sir Schagen,¡± I greeted. Controlling the turmoil of emotions, I am feeling in my heart. The old man is Prince Grelt''s loyalist, while Count Darrow is his uncle and now both of them sitting in front of me. ¡°Lord Rutto, welcome to Greltheaven,¡± said Count Darrow. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said, glancing at the window to see the carriage wasn¡¯t moving. I could also see my guards trying to reach the carriage, but being stopped. ¡°I have a request, Lord Rutto. I hope you will hand over the imperial contract and the writ,¡± said Count, with a smile on his face become bigger. I had feelings but didn¡¯t expect him to ask for them directly. ¡°Lord Count, I have been appointed as the guardian of the legacy by his majesty, the emperor. It is my duty to present them to the host,¡± I replied. Hoping the name of the emperor would stop them. ¡°Sure, it is no problem. I just hope you will travel safely to legacy; there are a lot of assassinations happening in the city, Lord Rutto.¡± ¡°Just yesterday, an attempt was made at port. The port master was lucky to get away alive. You might not be able to,¡± he said with a friendly smile. I could see it in his eyes. If I didn¡¯t do what he said, I wouldn¡¯t be leaving the port, alive. My guards are good, but if he used that man, then even they wouldn¡¯t be able to do much before he separates my head from my body. ¡°The emperor wouldn¡¯t like this, my lord,¡± I said, hoping he would relent. ¡°You do not need to care about his majesty, Lord Rutto,¡± replied the Count, with his expressions turning serious. ¡°If this is what, my lord''s desire,¡± I said with deep unwillingness and took out the imperial contract and writ of lordship. ¡°Have a safe journey, back to the capital, Lord Ruttnis,¡± said Count Darrow, as took the things from my hand. ¡°I will, my lord,¡± I replied with gritted teeth and deep anger, which I didn¡¯t dare to show. I am in his domain; I don¡¯t want to make him angry. He might kill me. I wouldn¡¯t have thought that, but these people have become daring enough to break the emperor¡¯s command. They wouldn¡¯t have any problem in killing me. ... ¡°Best of luck,¡± said Carla as the carriage stopped at Count Darrow¡¯s mansion. ¡°I wish you could come with me,¡± I said to her, taking her hand. ¡°I will be there,¡± she said. ¡°You know what I mean,¡± I said, looking at her. ¡°I know, but me, being able to attend the party is already enough,¡± she said. I looked at her eyes, before taking her lips into mine and kissed her for a minute, before pulling back. ¡°One day, you will be there,¡± I promised to her. ¡°I know,¡± she said softly. I kissed her one last time before opening the door and walking out. The mansion of Count Darrow is lit up for the party; it is my honor. Today, I will be formally bestowed with the lordship. It took longer than I had thought, a month. It is supposed to have taken a week, but the times are different; many things are happening in the capital. I didn¡¯t walk toward the ballroom but to the office of Count Darrow. As I reached, the guards opened the door; I nodded at the old woman as I usually do and entered inside and was surprised, to see only three people inside. Even Mage York isn¡¯t present. Aside from Count Darrow and Lancel, there is an unknown old man with a head full of green hair. He looked to be in his seventies and standing straight like a stick. My gaze was immediately attracted to his black eyes. They were sharp as a sword, that for a moment, I felt like, they might cut me. He is not Joel Rutto, whom I had been informed of coming. Joel Rutto is a middle-aged man, while this is an old man. ¡°My Lords,¡± I greeted Count and Lancel. ¡°Remus, take a seat,¡± said Count. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I said as I took the seat. He smiled and looked at the old man, who nodded and placed a beautiful purple beast skin scroll that was clearly made by the high-level scrollmaker. However, what attracted me was the seal of the imperial house and the power radiating from it. ¡°Remus, this is the imperial contract that every host of the legacy signs with the emperor,¡± informed Count Darrow. It is a contract that is powerful enough to bind the hosts of legacy. They might resist other contracts related to the legacy, but not this one. The emperor has power over the land he rules, and that whole power binds the person to it. The binding is stronger if the person is a citizen of the empire. I nodded without looking and opened the scroll. The first thing I saw was a seal of the emperor and this one projected the power so strong that made me go weak in my knees. The emperor had used his skills on the contract, making it extremely hard to break. When I looked at the text below, I saw another thing that made it powerful. Blood ink. The ink used to write the contract had used the blood of the emperor. It increases the effect of the skills, making it nearly unbreakable. The emperor does not use his blood lightly, given the things that could be done with it, but he does it when it comes to the legacies. I am not surprised. I had been informed of this by an old man, Vanis, and others. I begin to read it carefully; not daring to miss a single word, a stop, or a comma. This text will decide my future, bind me. I need to understand it if I ever need to get out of it, It is one strict contract. The best I had ever seen, with extremely few loopholes, I could see and even those loopholes couldn¡¯t be used without getting discovered by it. The contract is the same word to word, what the old man had shown me. The only thing that is different is my name and the name of the establishment. Seeing that, I wanted to laugh with joy. To others, it is an unbreakable contract, but for me. There is a huge loophole. ¡°You will need to sign it with the blood ink,¡± said the old man and placed a kit in front of me. I nodded and punctured my finger with a sharp end and squeezed a drop of blood into the ink pot. I mixed it using the small glass rod twelve times, before dipping the pen inside. I took the pen to the scroll and activated my Contract Skill before signing at the end of the scroll. The scratching sound rang out, and I felt the power of the contract. It is as vast as the empire and if I break it, this power will come down on me. I didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what it would do to me. I folded the scroll and handed it back to the old man. It is his responsibility. ¡°Congratulations, Remus,¡± said the Count. I didn¡¯t know what there was to congratulate, I had just bonded myself to the emperor''s will with the near unbreakable contract. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± I replied. ¡°Now, it is time to give you the real prize,¡± he said and handed me another scroll. ¡°This is a writ of a lordship. With this, you have become a nobleman.¡± He said and I could see a mocking smile appearing on Lancel¡¯s lips. ¡°Welcome to nobility, Lord Silver,¡± he said. ¡°It is a great honor, my lord,¡± I replied, accepting the writ. Lord Silver. It feels so grand, but unfortunately, it is not. It is an empty title, a landless one. Some referred as a fake title. The real nobles are those who have the land attached to their title and could be inherited by their heirs. My children wouldn¡¯t be able to inherit it unless they inherit the legacy. They understand the legacies enough to not give an actual title. They give it enough to make it seem like a prize, but it is no price. It is an iron shackle in pretty wrapping. However, it did come with benefits that normal lords didn¡¯t have, but these benefits were useless in the coming times. The benefits the synod had provided are much greater than this. ¡°Remus, you must have already guessed, but let me introduce you formally. This is Sir Nikos Schagen, the guardian of your legacy,¡± introduced the Count. Imperial Knight Schagen. No wonder this man felt dangerous. He is dangerous, extremely so. ¡°I will be in your care, Sir Schagen,¡± I said to the old man. Not mentioning anything about Joel Rutto ¡°The honor is all mine, Lord Silver,¡± said Sir Schagen as he shook my hand. His hand is gentle but felt like iron, I do not doubt that this man would have any problem in finishing me within a second. I don¡¯t think, even Stone could last long in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I am sure the people must be waiting to meet the new lord in the Greltheaven,¡± said Count Darrow, and a second later, we walked out of the office and entered a ballroom packed with people. For more, Click Chapter 291: Harvest Chapter 291: Harvest Click! The door closed with a click as Valentina, and I entered the carriage. ¡°Throughout the party, you seemed a little hurried. As if you can¡¯t wait to get out of there,¡± she said. ¡°I was not. It was a party, in my honor. Why would I want to leave early?¡± I refuted unabashedly. She didn¡¯t say anything and just kept looking at me, while the only thing I gave her was a smile. She knows me too well. I wanted to leave the moment I finished reading that imperial contract, but I didn¡¯t. It was an important party, not only for me but also for Carla, where I introduced her to a lot of people. I offered some incentive to the Count for her invitation. They were big, but I didn¡¯t mind it. I would have offered those to him, nonetheless, to keep, to keep myself in his good graces. It now becomes even more important to be in his good graces with the thing I am planning to do because if I get caught, I will want a lighter punishment. ¡°You are a lord now. How are you feeling?¡± she asked, and a mirthless smile couldn¡¯t help, but escape from my lips. ¡°The same, even worse than before. I told you; it is an empty title to keep the power of legacies restricted,¡± I replied to her. ¡°If you get a class, it might not be so empty,¡± she said, this time, and I smiled. ¡°It is hard to gain a Lord Class through this empty title,¡± I replied. Though what she says is true, if I am able to gain the class, I will have some power, but it is far harder than one would realize. Hundred times harder than those with landed nobility. ¡°If anyone had a chance, then it would be you,¡± she said. I looked out the window, but there was a small smile on my face. Yes, I have better chances than most others, given the responsibilities I have, and I will try my hardest. The skills of Lord Class are powerful. It will help me tremendously if I gain the class. Though, I wonder if the Count would let me have the opportunity to gain the class. The man is not an idiot. He wouldn¡¯t want me to have more power, that he wouldn¡¯t control me. So, I have to achieve it, before he takes away the responsibilities. Not that I have a lot of time, with a deadline of synod looming. A month passed. I have five more months, before I need to make my decision. Soon, the carriage reached the establishment. It entered through the front gate and stopped. I had kept the establishment closed for the day. There were some minor changes I had to make in the establishment before the celebration began tomorrow. ¡°I had a surprise planned for you, but it is clear, that you have something to do. So, I will give it to you tomorrow.¡± She said and gave me a seductive smile, before getting out of the carriage. ¡®She knows me far too well,¡¯ I said once again and sighed. She guessed, I had something important to do and said that intentionally. Now, I will be thinking about her surprise every minute, while fighting myself not to go to her. It might seem like the secrets aren¡¯t bothering her, but they are, and this is her way of taking revenge. ¡°Meria did a wonderful job. Turning it into a piece of heaven,¡± said Carla, looking around, and she was not joking. That woman had surpassed all my expectations. Giving her free rein was the best thing I had done. She had transformed the whole establishment, turning it into its namesake. It is quite radical. My designs were pale compared to it. It is likely why I felt they were incomplete. Forcing me to give her complete freedom and she hadn¡¯t disappointed me. Others couldn¡¯t see the change. For the last few weeks, I had covered the area aside from the building in the mist. Tomorrow, most of the mist will be dispersed. Soon, we reached the door and walked inside, where I saw Sharn, Amellus, and Meria, with workers finishing the last of the work. They had finished the work in the basement three days ago. What remained was the establishment, which they had started since the morning. They should be finished by the dawn. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± they greeted, seeing me coming. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked, looking at the amazing change that happened on the first floor. ¡°Good. We will be finished by the dawn,¡± replied Rolgath. ¡°Continue then and tell me if you need anything,¡± I said and walked away, leaving Carla with them. Every floor had a big change; we didn¡¯t remove many things but added something, that completely changed the establishment. Count had problems, but when I promised him the benefits, he agreed. There are benefits for him, a lot of it. I don¡¯t like to give him that much, but it is necessary. Especially, when I think about the things, I will do in the next few minutes. Click! Soon, I reached my office and a minute later, Caena walked in, looking at me with excitement and nervousness. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked after a moment of silence. I didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, I activated the Privacy Sphere and used the privacy tool. I had even activated the planet with an isolation effect. It¡¯s better than privacy. Forget listening. Even divining into what happened here would become extremely hard. It may seem excessive, but with what we are planning to do, we need to be extremely careful. We are cheating the damn emperor. Sorry, I am not cheating. She is cheating; the contract forbids me from doing any cheating. So, I couldn¡¯t. She got her answer through my actions, and a big smile appeared on her face, with a hint of nervousness as she added her privacy skills and spells to it. ¡°Should I start?¡± she asked. I didn¡¯t answer, nor did I change my expression, anyway. That might show the accent. Showing the accent won''t trigger the contract, but I want to be careful. She received her answer, and she closed her eyes, muttering something, and a moment later, everything darkened. The sun appeared, with the planets orbiting it. This is the thing that could only be done by the host of legacies and its heirs. Caena is neither. She is an employee, but she had done things to the core, before it turned into a legacy that gives authority to summon the core, as long as she had permission. Which I had given her a month ago. ¡°This might get me executed if found out,¡± she said, but there was no fear in her eyes, only excitement as she touched the colorless planet, and activated it. The planet shone, and the thing happened. That would shock the host of any legacy or anyone who had the knowledge of it. The dense mist around the surface of the sun moved. Turned into a stream before it began to funnel into the planet. Inside the planet, the colorful mist begins to separate into individual colors and enter the pools. Filling them, slowly making the colorless planet colorful as more and more mist enter those pools. It continued for several minutes before stopping. Seeing that, a big smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. Caena had told me about it, but I didn¡¯t dare to believe it with how easy it seemed. After seeing it with my own eyes, I have a choice, but believe it. Caena looked at me before a wooden box appeared in her hand. She opened it and in that box were tiny glass bottles. She put them on the planet. Next second, the color begins to drain from the pools and stops when only a quarter of it remains. She touched the planet again, and the bottles began to come out. Each one is filled with a drop of emotion essence. The host of legacies takes months to learn to harvest the emotion essence. It is an exhaustive process and for Grade 1 legacy; it is a mixed emotions essence. Separating the emotion essence by emotions is very hard for them. Even the host of Grade 2 legacies couldn¡¯t do that. At most, they could sort out the basic emotions and not the complex ones; that could only be done by Grade 3. Here, that difficult process happened in minutes. A speed that not even a host of Grade 3 legacy could achieve. She had put all the bottles in a different wooden box, before that box disappeared from her hand. She had not harvested all the emotion essence. She had kept a quarter in the planet, which is more than what a normal new legacy would have produced by now. My legacy is not only at the peak level of Grade 1, but it could also absorb far more types of emotions than normal legacies. Its absorption and processing abilities are also better than most legacies. This means it could produce more emotion essence than other legacies of the same grade and level. What she had left behind would be for the emperor, or rather Prince Grelt. ¡°It is an enormous risk we are taking,¡± she said as the sun disappeared. ¡°There is no choice. Difficult times are coming, and we need to be ready to face them,¡± I said, and she laughed. ¡°It is said the safest people are hosts of legacies. Even their mortal enemies won¡¯t kill them, in fear of losing the benefits,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°You are aware of how safe we are,¡± I said, and she smiled back. Hosts of legacies are the safest people in the world, but my legacy isn¡¯t normal. Not to mention my establishment is in a place that could be attacked at any time. There are a lot of enemies, Navr, Tabes, and many others. I cannot depend on a legacy to protect me and my people. I need to make my preparations, too. She left soon, while I laid back in my chair. It is a massive risk, but I have to do it. As for what I am going to do with them, I have a plan. It will make one man very happy. Given his nature, he will accept it. It is an opportunity of lifetimes, which he would not dare to reject, even in his wildest dreams. He has the connection that will make this whole deal stealthy. If he doesn¡¯t accept, then I will have to take a long route, which is really risky, and I would rather not take it. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on tomorrow. The next three days will be a celebration; people from all over the empire and those outside of it will come. I had spent a huge amount of money on the changes, cashing the check without care. It was worth it and now I hope, it will give guests and patrons the experience of a lifetime.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 292: Celebration I Chapter 292: Celebration I Homers ¡°I wish we could bring Berry. She wanted to come,¡± said Uda, wishing her sister could come with her. ¡°You know, I had asked him in front of you yesterday,¡± said Elias. They were present at the ascension party of Remus Silver yesterday and he asked him for an extra invitation, but was politely declined. All the nobility of the Nakar baronies have been invited to the celebration, but he was one of three, who had the invitation for the two nights. The rest had been invited for one night. Only one had an invitation for all three nights. Two, if Baroness Silver were to be counted. . I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited and nervous. I am going to the brothel for the spa treatment, which is part of the celebration''s itinerary. I wouldn¡¯t have, it is a brothel for god''s sake, but three days ago, at Baroness Husk''s birthday party, I had seen Lola Monet, and she was looking radiant. So much that, every person, be it man or woman, was looking at her. People didn¡¯t invite Lola Monet before, aside from a few like us and Baroness Silver, who had a good relationship with Remus Silver, but since the legacy had been born a month ago, she had been invited to every party in baronies. She is a beautiful woman. Even in my younger days, I couldn¡¯t be compared to her, but that day, she had completely transformed. She felt otherworldly. Last night, at Count''s residence, I saw a couple of people, bearing that radiant look. The whore that Silver brought, Baroness Leila, Mage Valentina, and a few women I didn¡¯t recognize. All the eyes were on them, throughout the party. At the party of Baron Husk, everybody asked her about her radiant look. It was clear that it was not someone make-up had done; there is something about it, that couldn¡¯t be achieved by the greatest make-up artist. Lola hid nothing, but her answer was shocking. I didn¡¯t truly believe it till last night. Now, I do and want that radiance, like I had never wanted anything. ¡°Are you really not interested? You have seen those people, right?¡± I asked my husband. It is not just the woman who was looking radiant yesterday, but a few men who were looking extra handsome. I love Elias, but I did feel an attraction toward some of them. ¡°You must be joking, love? It is a place for you, women,¡± he replied, and I couldn¡¯t help, but glare at him. ¡°The invitation said, a couple could come,¡± I said. ¡°I am not coming,¡± he replied straightforwardly, and I know there is no arguing with him. He will not come; he will drop me off and leave. A few minutes passed, and our carriage entered the entertainment district. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. I have been to the Legacy only twice. Once to celebrate my birthday when I was a teen and once to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our marriage. Even for Elias and me, both of us belonging to powerful merchant houses, it was hard to get into the legacy, without booking months in advance. There are less than ten legacies in the whole empire, and everyone wants to get into them. It would be a little easier with Velvet Garden. We had a good relationship with Silver; he wouldn¡¯t deny us, we asked nicely. It is also close, not a region apart. Finally, we reached the Velvet Garden; only to see there were many carriages waiting. Some with the familiar crest. Hun! I turned to the legacy and saw it was covered in beautiful colorful mist, and only a faint silhouette of it could be seen. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t it opened?¡± I asked, looking at the closed gates. ¡°There are still four minutes before the gates open,¡± replied Elias, looking at his watch. I felt irked seeing that, since I woke up early for this but didn¡¯t say anything. Seconds passed and soon the clock turned eight and something amazing happened. The mist begins to part like a velvety curtain. Gasp! A gasp rang out of my mouth, before I realized; even Elias made the sound. It was so different from what I had heard about it. ¡°Beautiful,¡± I said, but even that seemed to be pale in describing what I was seeing in front of me. The first thing I saw was a pink building, with beautiful vines covering it like scarves. These flowery vines are covered in the colorful mist of emotions, which takes their beauty to a completely different level. Surrounding the building is a garden with enchanting flowers, with emotion mist flowing over them. It is the scenery that I want to keep looking at, but with some struggle, I moved my eyes and looked at two cute gazebos on the left and right sides of the building. They are completely wrapped in flower vines; so that nothing else can be seen. ¡°It is completely different from what we had seen when it had turned into the legacy,¡± said Elias. We were in the city, when it was born and attended the party in Zanav¡¯s honor. We wanted to visit it, but Silver had forbidden anyone important from visiting the legacy before the big celebration. He didn¡¯t even invite us to the party; it was only for the city. Still, we had passed by the street to see the legacy. It was beautiful then, but now, it had surpassed even that. Now, it truly looked like a velvet garden. Nearly everybody seemed to have been struck by the beauty of it, that we didn¡¯t notice the gates opening at all. It is the voice from the guards manning the door that woke us and the drivers, that carriages have finally, begun to move. The first carriage entered through the gates. However not before showing the invitations to the guards, which I noticed wearing different uniforms. There are four guards manning the gates and all four of them have different sigils on their uniforms. Each one had a sigil of Prince Grelt, Count Darrow, the City of Greltheaven, and Velvet Garden. No imperial seal. ¡°Whispers were true, it seems,¡± I said, and he nodded. Yesterday, we heard that Prince Grelt had taken command over the legacy. Sent away the guardian that the Emperor had sent and instituted his own. Till now, all his moves were subtle, but this one is clear. He is not willing to bow to his brother. Soon, our carriage reached the door and entered inside. Immediately, making our eyes go wide. I felt the power of the legacy that I had nearly forgotten. It is amazing, as I remember, even better than I had remembered. I wanted to close my eyes and immerse myself in this feeling, but I resisted it. Instead, focused on experiencing the legacy. The carriage stopped, and the door opened. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t coming?¡± I asked, seeing him getting up to step out and a slight embarrassment appeared on his face. ¡°I will just look around,¡± he said and stepped out, with me following behind him. ¡°Welcome to Velvet Garden, Baron Homer, Baroness Homer,¡± greeted the green-haired young girl. She is a beautiful girl, with professionally done make-up. She is wearing a white dress that fits her perfectly and a pin on her chest, with her name on it. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied while watching the beautiful garden around me. Especially, emotion mist, that seemed to swirl around me. , I wished, Kezan would be here to capture it in the mage picture. ¡°My lord, my lady, please follow me. I will take you to your appointment at the velvet spa,¡± said the young girl. To my surprise, she didn¡¯t take us toward the building, but toward the gazebo on the right, through the garden path. ¡®Velvet Spa,¡¯ read the board by the gazebo and it has guards on both sides who are unnoticeable. Not because they are using stealth skills or anything, but because of the beauty of this place, which captures so much attention, that it is hard to see anything else. I touched the flowery vines swirling around it; they felt soft as velvet, and I wanted to keep touching them. For a few seconds, there was confusion in my mind, but it disappeared. The moment I saw the stairs leading down. The girl began to climb down, and we followed behind. Hun! I noticed, that with every step I climbed down, the effects of legacy would become powerful. By the time we took the last step down the stairs, the effects had become very powerful, that I felt, I was swimming in them. This effect alone is making me feel better than, I had felt after coming out of the spa. I controlled my emotions and looked around. Seeing my eyes widen again; it is so beautiful. The waiting room is big with a round pool of water in the center, with pure white lotuses floating on it. The whole room is lit by the scented candles and with a dense mist of emotion everywhere. I have been to the hundreds of spas in my life, but nothing could be compared to the beauty of the waiting room I am seeing. It is minimalistic and projects serenity. Half of the waiting room is already filled, and many people sitting there are familiar to me. Some, I know very well. The young girl led us to the empty chairs beside the familiar couple, who seemed to be busy reading the cards in their hands. They didn¡¯t notice us until we were directly in front of them. ¡°Baron, Baroness Homer,¡± greeted Baron Husk. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t in coming here, Newton,¡± said Elias and Baron Husk smiled. ¡°I heard, someone saying the same thing,¡± replied the man, to which we all laughed. Elias was about to reply when another young girl appeared in front of us and handed us the itinerary cards. ¡°Hope, you will have a good with us, Baron Homer, Baroness Homer,¡± said the young girl with a smile, before leaving politely. I looked at the itinerary card I had been handed, which had a velvet spa heading in big, beautiful letters. Below is the name of our spa package and treatments I will be going through, along with their short information. Rebirth and Rejuvenation ¡¤ Gailis Massage ¡¤ Customized Facial ¡¤ Variacis Aroma Body Wrap ¡¤ Jukio Hydrating Hair Treatment ¡¤ Narthian Foot Ritual I looked at the spa package and the information about each treatment. I had some of these treatments and they are good. I turned it back and saw it blank. I looked at Elias¡¯s itinerary and saw its back blank, too. Though, when I looked at his package; I saw, it was different from mine. Only the first treatment is the same, while others are different. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Baroness Martha, and the young appeared beside her. ¡°My lady,¡± said the girl politely. ¡°There is only one package available?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. Currently, we only have two packages, one for men and one for women,¡± replied the young girl. ¡°It would have been great if there had been some choice,¡± said Baroness Husk in disappointment. ¡°We will in a few weeks, my lady,¡± replied the young girl. I didn¡¯t say anything, but I too would have liked, it if there had been more choice. Let¡¯s hope, it is good and will live up to the standard of the legacy. For more, Click Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 293: Celebration II Chapter 293: Celebration II Homers ¡°My lord, my lady. The therapists are ready for you,¡± said the green-haired young girl as she appeared in front of us. It had been a few minutes, and many who were sitting led away for their treatments and new people appeared in their places. Like an old couple sitting in front of us in a place where Huks had been. They appeared a few minutes ago and looked at everything with eyes filled with awe. ¡°Ok,¡± I said, and I got up and looked at my husband. He didn¡¯t move, seeing that, I glared at him. It would have been fine if he hadn¡¯t come, but since he did. He will have to get the treatments. Baron Husk is doing them; there is no reason for him to try at least one treatment. He got up after hesitation and it is a good thing he did, or he would have gotten an earful from me. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Mr. Kadal, Mrs. Kadal,¡± I said, before following the young girl with Elias. ¡°My lord, my lady, please change into the spa robes provided inside,¡± said the young woman as she stopped in front of the beautifully carved black door. I nodded and walked inside with Elias. It is a beautiful changing room, with wood shelves and mirrors. I took the robes under my size and changed into them. Elias did the same with some hesitation. ¡°I won''t be doing more than one treatment,¡± he said. Click! I didn¡¯t say anything and walked out of the changing room. The young girl took us down the stairs, before stopping in front of another beautiful wooden door and opening it for us. We entered inside, and I was surprised to see the whole room was made of stones. Even the two massage beds were made of stone. There is a diagonal slit in the back wall from which water came out and flows through the middle of the room through the curved ways. It looked beautiful and what made it even more beautiful was the blue and white emotion mist flowing over it. It looked beautiful and serene, and that sound of water, makes everything feel so comfortable when added with the effect of legacy. There are two women standing by the stone beds, wearing a white spa uniform with the spa¡¯s emblem. ¡°Baron Homer, Baroness Homer. I am Zaina and this is Rachel. It is our honor to serve you,¡± said a middle-aged heralden woman in a calm voice. ¡°We are excited for it all well,¡± I replied, and I am excited. I love messages. Unlike me, my husband is clearly uncomfortable. He hadn¡¯t had many messages before and never joined me on a spa day. Men rarely go to the spa and if it was not the legacy, he wouldn¡¯t have come here either. ¡°Do I have to remove all my clothes?¡± he asked, to which a small smile appeared on the face of the woman. ¡°Only if you wish to, my lord,¡± she replied, and I could the relief flooding into his eyes. They came toward us and took the robes off our bodies; I had worn nothing underneath them. Elias has his underpants on. ¡°Please, lay on beds,¡± she said, and I walked toward the black stone bed and expected to be cold, but to my relief, it was warm. Seeing that, I gently laid on it, with my face down in the padded cavity. For a few seconds, there was nothing but the sound of water, but soon I felt the warm oil on my back. It lay there for a couple of seconds before gentle hands began moving it across my back expertly. I felt comfortable and with it came a feeling I had never felt during the message. The scenery in front of me seemed to have changed, and I found myself in a colorful space where all my suppressed emotions began to come out with motions of hands gliding across my body. They were raw, but not uncontrolled, and began to flow across me. I had never felt something like it. Those emotions were suppressed for a reason, but now they are coming out, under the guidance of a gentle hand, without causing any destructiveness that I always feared they would cause if I let them come out. I don¡¯t know how long it continued, but I only came to myself when the hands stopped moving across me. I opened my eyes, only to see tears flowing through my eyes. I turned to my husband, only to see him, wiping his eyes. I am also lying on my back. I was on my stomach; I didn¡¯t know when she changed my position. I was so engrossed in it, that I didn¡¯t feel it at all. ¡°It is the best experience I had. Thank you,¡± said Elias to his therapist. ¡°It is my pleasure, my lord,¡± she replied and left the room with the other therapist. We lay there on comfortable stone beds for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling, before getting up. We wore robes back and walked out of the room, where two young girls, waiting for us. ¡°Baroness Uda, please follow me for your facial,¡± said the green-haired girl. I would have liked to talk with my husband about the experience we had, but he is not going to run away; nothing could be said about these spa treatments. The single treatment was enough to tell me, how amazing they are, and I am more than willing to forgo talking to my husband for an hour or two. He, who was only going to do a single treatment, was thinking the same, seeing how quickly he gave me a peck on my cheeks and walked away, with the brunette. Click! Soon, we reached another wooden door, and the young girl opened it for me before I walked inside. It is a small square room with a delicately carved wooden bed and wooden shelves lined with tools and bottles. A woman is standing by the bed. She is a petite woman with blond hair and a pretty face, with a girl-next-door look. ¡°My lady,¡± the therapist greeted. ¡°Hope, you will take good care of me, Miss Bevna,¡± I said to her, reading in her name tag. ¡°You are in hands, my lady,¡± the woman replied. ¡°So, what, do I have to do?¡± I asked. ¡°Please lie down on the bed and I will use my skills to test, which is the best facial for you,¡± she instructed. I nodded and lay down on the bed as she asked and a second later; I felt her hands on my face. ¡°For an oily skin like yours. Brin facial would be the best,¡± she informed me, and a small surprise flashed in my eyes. It is a facial I had before, but it is not what surprised me. What surprised me, is that it is the facial that suits me most. ¡°Ok,¡± I replied. She begins and within seconds; I begin to experience another, which I had never experienced before. This time, I didn¡¯t immediately close my eyes and saw her mixing different colors of emotion mist into things in her hand before applying them to me. It is like a work of art, and if I hadn¡¯t wanted to focus on emotions, I would keep watching it. I closed my eyes and felt the emotions filling me. It is a surreal feeling to observe the emotions so closely. I was so lost in the feeling that I didn¡¯t realize the time was passing and only came to myself after the facial was over. ¡°Give me, a mirror,¡± I said. I want to look at myself. I am sure from my heart that the facial had done something amazing to my face. Though, I understand, the bigger the change appeared inside. Still, I want to see how I look after the facial. ¡°Apologies, my lady, but the mirror isn¡¯t available,¡± I said and looked at her. I wanted to say ¡®really¡¯ but that would be insulting my intelligence. Some spas do not let their, clients see the mirror, till they are finished with the package. It seemed like it was one of those spas. I am not as disappointed as I would have been. As I could feel, the treatment had brought an amazing effect. I am feeling them, and I only need to wait to see those that appear on my face. Since I couldn¡¯t see my face, I touched my skin and was immediately surprised, at how soft it felt. I can¡¯t remember the last time; I felt my skin so soft. It felt as soft as babies¡¯ cheeks. I stayed in the room for a minute more before I walked out and went to another room, where I got veriacis aromatherapy body wrap. They covered me with a thick aromatic mixture of essential oils and then wrapped me in clothes. The treatment too invoked emotions, bringing them out like a flood in form of the tears. I felt every emotion from love to envy to joy to grief and let them all out through my tears. I am grateful that the therapist walked out after she wrapped me and came inside after I sufficiently calmed down. However, the treatment left me drained like never before. The fourth was the jukio hydrating hair treatment, and it was like a gentle embrace that healed my drained soul with warmth. By the time, I am done fourth treatment. I felt like, I was finished with the spa. The first treatment had brought out the emotions, the second treatment took it to the peak, the third treatment had drained it all and the fourth one brought my soul to the stability. It made me feel reborn. I don¡¯t know, how the fifth treatment could make it any better or might make it even worse. I don¡¯t want to lose the peace I am feeling right now and thus brought out the question to a young girl. ¡°It might feel complete, but it is not. You will understand it when you go through the last treatment, my lady,¡± replied the young girl, and stopped at the door. I was surprised to see the door. It is different. It is metallic, made of copper while all the doors before were wooden. It is also simple, without any design compared to others, which were painted and carved beautifully. The young girl opened the door for me and turned to me with a smile. I nodded my thanks and entered inside the room, which was simple, bereft of any decorations. In the center of it is a simple wooden chair and below it is a copper basic, with rose petals and emotion mist floating over it. Beside the basin is a woman of my age, sitting on her legs, with a small wooden box over it. It all feels very ritualistic, like the name of the treatment. It is not like I had not experienced things like this before, I did many times, and with a much grander scale, many spas do it, but I had never felt such spirituality, in any that as I am feeling right now. Which felt kind of ironic, seeing I was standing in a den of sin. ¡°Please sit, my lady,¡± said the woman. I nodded and sat down, without speaking a single word. The woman smiled gently and put the wooden box beside her, before pushing the copper basin toward my legs. As the basin appeared below my feet, she put my feet into it. A faint fragrance of petals came out of the water into my nostrils, making me comfortable all over. As she did, she opened the wooden box. From it, she took one of three small glass bottles with clear yellow oil and opened it, before dropping three drops of it into the water. As she did, a citrusy smell came out. That felt familiar, but better than what she had sensed before. She closed the bottle and took out the second with green oil. She dropped the three drops of it into the basin, and I felt that gorgeous, minty smell. It is my favorite smell; most of the perfume I have has this smell. She put the second bottle back and took out the third bottle with dark brown oil, with a hint of gold, and dropped a single drop of it into the water. It didn¡¯t have to smell to know it was sandalwood. It was a sandalwood, but not a simple one, but a magical one. A single breath, made me feel like, I was flying. She put the bottle away and swirled her hands across the basic, moving the water as well as the mist with it, before she began gently pouring the water on my feet in a rhythmic movement. Her movements are gentle and soft, and I got lost in them. I don¡¯t know how long it had lasted, but she stopped and opened that wooden box again and took out the black stone. She gently picked up my left foot and began to move the stone across it with the same rhythmic movement. Exfoliating never felt so good. I laid back on the chair and closed my eyes. Focusing nothing but on the movement of the stone. They lasted for a while before she released my left leg, picked up the right one, and repeated the same movements. It was wonderful that I had no words to describe it. Usually, I talk to the therapist during the treatments, but here, during these treatments, I barely spoke any word after the initial greeting. These treatments demand silence. She stopped, and I opened my eyes, only to see her wiping the stone with a simple white cloth before putting it back into the box and closing it. She brought her hands near my feels and moved them. As she did, steam came out of the copper basin, with emotion mist mixed in it. It enveloped her hands, with which she touched my feet and magic happened. ¡°Ahhh..¡± A soft moan escaped from my lips as she began to massage my feet. Unlike my husband, I do not make a sound during the message, but it is so good, that I couldn¡¯t help, but it. I felt embarrassed and tried to control myself, but the moans kept coming out of my lips, that I stopped resisting, seeing how futile it was. The hands worked on my feet, but I felt the effects of it all over my body. It is an experience that simply couldn¡¯t be described in the words. Like all things, it also ended, leaving me content. A moment later, I felt a soft cloth on my feet. She is wiping the excess moisture off my feet. She finished wiping my feet and put the cloth away before opening the box and taking out a small clay jar. She opened its cap, took a healthy amount of cream, and pressed her palms together before she applied it on her left foot with emotion mist. She did the same with my left foot before putting away the jar and sliding the basin away from my legs. ¡°Narthian foot ritual is finished, my lady,¡± said the therapist. ¡°Thank you. It is an experience I will never forget in my life,¡± I said, and the woman smiled. I was questioning why the fifth treatment was needed, but now that question was answered. It was in the name of treatment. The first four treatments made me go rebirth and the fifth one rejuvenation. Click! A minute later, I walked out of the room and a young girl was there, waiting for me as she did during all the treatments. ¡°Is my husband finished with his treatments?¡± I asked the girl. ¡°Yes, my lady. He is waiting for you in a relaxing room.¡± She replied. I was a little surprised to hear that, but followed the young girl. Soon, we reached the hallway, that is extra dim, but didn¡¯t feel gloomy. It gives the feeling of serenity. A few seconds later, we stopped in front of a wooden door, which had a circle carved on it. Click! The girl opened the door, and I walked inside, but just as I did, I stopped as I saw my husband. He seemed to have frozen too seeing me, even his breathing seemed to stop. Seeing that, my cheeks couldn¡¯t help, but get flushed and joy lit up in my heart. It had been decades since Elias had been struck by my beauty like this. ¡°You are looking as radiant as you did on our wedding day,¡± he said breathlessly and came walking toward me. ¡°You are not looking bad yourself,¡± I replied as he stopped in front of me. Elias is a handsome man, but now he is looking handsome as he never did, and seeing him like this desire wouldn¡¯t well up in my heart. He seemed to feel it too, as he took my lips. The kiss was gentle, but soon it turned passionate, with our hands moving across each other bodies through the robes. ¡°This place,¡± I said, as I broke the kiss and he smiled. ¡°We are doing what this place is for,¡± he said, and realization dawned on me, and I let go of all my inhibition and melded my lips into his. Feeling a desire that I had not felt in decades. We love each other, but our sex life isn¡¯t much. We do it, once a month at most and even that was average, but now, I felt like a volcano of desire had burst out from deep within my soul. Our robes had already fallen onto the floor, and he took me to the bed, where I began to moan loudly as I had never done in my life. Not even during our wedding night. ... ¡°Will you look at those emotions!¡± Caena exclaimed as thick, powerful emotions came in and merged into the sun. They are all coming from the spa. They are at the level of what the sex-room produced. In it, there are small wisps that are far denser than others and shining like stars. Those wisps of mist are the holy grail that the host of every legacy wants. They are coming from the relaxing rooms and looking at the type of emotions that are those wisps. One didn¡¯t need to guess what was happening in those rooms. They are different and have far better quality than what sex rooms produce. There is not just lust and desire in there, but also love, affection, longing, and other deeper emotions. These people have been together for decades, and love each other immensely. Their union produces far stronger emotions than what came out from the sex rooms. I am glad, Caena had imprinted charms to enhance the carnal experience. It will make their amazing experience even more amazing. These relaxing rooms weren¡¯t part of the plan until two days ago, but after seeing those people, I called to test things doing the deeds in temporary rooms and emotion the establishment get through it. I had decided to create them, and it seemed to be a good decision. The whole spa is a great bet. It is giving me far more emotions than I had expected. It is making me feel like a farmer, harvesting emotion, instead of crops. The spa treatment is draining the emotions of the patrons, which the establishment is absorbing. The harvest of emotion is so thorough that I feared I might harm, but it is far from the truth. The patrons liked it very much. They said that they had never felt so light in their lives. Maeve hadn¡¯t thought such a thing would happen when she created this package. She had chosen this because she and her staff were the most experienced in it. Because of the effects, we even changed the name of the package and it fit aptly. ¡°If we keep harvesting, emotions of this quality in such quantity. The establishment will advance sooner than we had thought,¡± said Caena, looking at the stream of emotions. Emotions alone aren¡¯t enough for advancement, but it is one of the two most important factors, along with vision and the spa is providing both. If I wanted to, I could have brought more clients, and fit more in each room, which most spas do, but it won¡¯t give them the experience of a lifetime. Most of our rooms are for the treatment of a single person. I want them to feel special and enjoy the experience without disturbance. It didn¡¯t matter to me if I earn less. What matters is I am achieving my vision. ¡°Good, because we are burning money here,¡± I replied. Running a spa isn¡¯t cheap. Those spa materials, from tools to essential oils, cost a lot. I wish I would have gotten those of the lower quality, but that would have defeated the entire purpose. The three days of celebration would be entirely free of charge. As for how much we are going to charge for our services later, I haven¡¯t decided yet, but seeing the response. I could definitely charge on the high side. It is not the experience they could get anywhere on the continent and already there is an enormous demand. Those who experienced it want to book it for their children, siblings, parents, and friends. Many had directly stated they were willing to pay any price for the appointment. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± I asked as I made the sun disappear. ¡°We are ready for the first night,¡± she replied. ¡°Good, I want it to be night, they will not forget,¡± I said. ¡°They will not,¡± she replied in confidence, before walking out of the office, while I walked out of mine. Only an hour had remained, and I needed to get ready, too. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 294: Celebration III Chapter 294: Celebration III Click! I woke up, and after a shower, walked out of my room. Today is the last day of the celebration, and it is going to be even more stressful. All the important people are coming today. From powerful nobles to hosts of legacies. My Grandfather and Gerald are also coming from Namdar to attend the celebration. The past two days have gone great, everybody was impressed. If I had not impressed them, even after spending so much, then I really would have been ashamed of myself. I do not care about the money; I will earn it back and it wouldn¡¯t take me that long. I have that much confidence in myself. Click! I entered my office and saw that Caena, Margaux, and Carla were already waiting there. I nodded at them and sat down. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked directly, there is no time to waste today. ¡°Till now, all good. Though, the Countess Wilstein would be coming an hour early at eleven, with Marchioness Gats and a few more ladies,¡± informed Carla. The nobles, never make things easy. Countess Wilstein is the wife of Count Darrow. She arrived yesterday, along with her daughter-in-law. Marchioness Gates should have arrived by now with her son from Dustorn Fortress. ¡°You handled it, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, the appointments have been adjusted,¡± she replied, and I took a sigh of relief. Till two days ago, not many nobles and other important people were interested in the spa, but now everybody wants to have an appointment. That spa is running constantly, without a single break. It was too good; I listened to the old man¡¯s advice and trained all the old of the spa. The old man¡¯s advice wasn¡¯t exactly about the spa. He just said, I should have more people in the field, which I think going to work. Because if it really worked, people are going to want it and nobles are going to be forceful. They were, and I couldn¡¯t decline the requests from powerful nobles like Countess Wilstein. ¡°Take good care of them. I want those women impressed,¡± I said to her. ¡°They will be,¡± replied Carla. It will be a challenge, seeing the Countess didn¡¯t want to see a face of a single whore while she was her. Those were her exact words, which I straight up declined, saying the establishment was a brothel. ¡°Have all the supplies arrived?¡± I asked. The cost of food and drink is enormous. In two days, those bastards had eaten and drank, more than I had estimated. ¡°Yes, a few hours ago. The special delivery will be brought by Mr. Lindgren, he will arrive in two hours,¡± replied Margaux. Old man Vanis had a legacy for nearly a century and has a large collection of great wines. With Legacy, I could get mostly all wines in the top hundred, but really aged ones are hard to get. I had asked the old man for a few, and he agreed. ¡°Are staff and girls ready for today?¡± I asked as I turned to Caena. ¡°They are ready,¡± she replied. They have done great in the past two days. Handling all sorts of guests, from angry to obnoxious. However, the guests also kept their behavior in control. This is a legacy and not a common brothel and I am sure they all must have come to know how the legacy is born and what would happen if you were too rude. Still, we had banned the one guest on the first day. A few minutes later, they left, leaving me alone in the office with my thoughts. I really wished the celebration had been only one day long. It was too stressful, but I had to follow the tradition and could understand its uses, but still, the pressure was too much. Thankfully, the family had sent a few people to handle things outside, along with three house council members. They are the ones, along with my sister, who is responsible for handling the guests. Which is good, because I wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle everything alone. A few seconds later, everything in front of me turned dark, and the sun appeared, along with planets and all. Once the guest arrived, I wouldn¡¯t be summoning it. There are a host of legacies, present in the establishment, and I don¡¯t want to summon it in their presence. Who knows the kind of abilities they have? Some of them might be able to see through my legacy, and I don¡¯t want to take the chance. I focused on the dense emotions coming into the sun from the spa. It was running all night and even running now. Many people wanted the appointment, but there were limited spots during the day. If you still want it, you will have to choose the spots at night and midnight and many important people didn¡¯t have any problem with that. Many didn¡¯t get even that. I was planning to keep the spa open from morning to evening, but seeing how many people are vying for the appointments, we will have to keep the spa open for longer or even all day and night. I might also use the trainees. The girls who are learning to be spa therapists and the new staff, I had hired. All of them are at the level of Maeve, with many better than her. It wouldn¡¯t happen for the latter despite their level and skills, before they prove their loyalty. Working with emotion mist is a privilege that only be given to those we trust. It¡¯s not like I need more spa therapists. The current numbers are enough to maintain the exclusivity of it and we could slowly train the trainees with emotion mist, who are ready to fully commit to it. I looked at the emotions that were pouring into the core, and it was in a big amount. Not as huge as it is during the day, but still big, and almost all of it is from a spa. Since nothing else is open. Hun! I looked at it for a few seconds and was about to close it when suddenly I stopped with my eyes wide in surprise. Since yesterday, we have been keeping the spa open all night, but I didn¡¯t notice it yesterday. I couldn¡¯t be blamed, because there were many couples yesterday morning, but right now, it is mostly women. ¡°Only two couples today,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t need to use Instant Recollection; I was there when Caena, Maeve, and others finalized the list last night. There are only two couples, the rest are women, but the emotions coming from the spa are just as intense. Some wisps of emotion seemed far more intense than yesterday''s. There is love, longing, desire, and affection, but there is also fear, desperation, and excitement of different flavors. I didn¡¯t have to think about what was happening there. There are two people in each resting room and most of them came in pairs. I had not issued extra invitations to the first two nights'' guests, but I had to do it one thirds of the nights. They are important enough that I couldn¡¯t reject them. I wish that I could see the emotion through the specific relaxing rooms. Currently, I couldn¡¯t do it. I could see the emotion coming from the specific sections, but not through the specific rooms. If I concentrate, I will be able to sense the presence in the specific rooms, but not the state of their emotions or what they are doing. To see what they are doing; I have to activate one of the planets and I have no wish to do that. What they are doing there is their business; the only thing I care about is the experience they are having and the emotions my legacy is getting. In that, they have made me happy. I looked for a few minutes more before coming back to the real world. More confident that it won¡¯t take even six months, which I had thought earlier for my establishment to level up. I did some work for a few minutes before walking out of my room. I looked at all the preparations that were happening and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. They are doing well and if preparations are anything to see, then this night would be better than the two nights. I was looking at the preparations when a carriage pulled in and two women walked out, and a young girl waiting greeted them, before leading them to the spa. It is not just the therapist raking in the money, but also these teens. In the past month, they have been trained extensively for it. I had brought special teachers to them for the training, and they have not disappointed the establishment. I had entered the garden when I saw a familiar man and walked into it. ¡°Sir Schengen,¡± I greeted the old man. He is a guardian; he could come and go to the legacy at any time. Though it was the first time he had come in the early morning. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± said the old man. ¡°I hope you like the establishment and our beautiful, so far, Sir Schengen,¡± I said, to which the old man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You are a visionary, Lord Silver. Anyone who sees your work from the inside and the efforts you put, they are will not be surprised, seeing you birthing the legacy,¡± he said, looking impressed. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Sir Schengen,¡± I said, and the old man smiled. For a minute, we didn¡¯t talk and just walked, when the old man turned to me again. ¡°I saw a training ring in back and heard from the guards that you practice daily?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I had too, seeing how danger seems to follow me around,¡± I replied, and the old man nodded. ¡°It is a good thing. People couldn¡¯t protect you forever. You need to have enough strength to protect yourself,¡± he said, and this time, it was my time to nod. I know how true it is. It is for this reason that I am alive. If I hadn¡¯t trained and was prepared, to fight, I wouldn¡¯t have been standing here. I would have been six feet under in the first danger I have come across. ¡°This old man isn¡¯t very powerful but had some ability to train. If you wish, my lord, I would be more than happy to train you,¡± he offered, and for a moment, I froze. The old man is joking when he said isn¡¯t powerful. He is very powerful and used to be a high-ranking imperial knight before he suddenly disappeared a decade ago during one of his missions and was thought to be dead. Only to appear in the Greltheaven. Training from him would be immensely helpful. It was the greatest dream of old Remus to be an Imperial Knight. He used to live and breathe for it and now an imperial knight is offering to train me. ¡°It would be my honor to receive guidance from you, Sir Schengen,¡± I replied. I know the old man had an ulterior motive. There are always, but that doesn¡¯t mean, I would let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I need to take this opportunity, now more than ever. I stayed with the old man for half an hour, before getting into the carriage. I am going to the port to welcome someone. He is the only one, who is important enough for me to go to the port to welcome him personally. For more, Click Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 295: Celebration IV Chapter 295: Celebration IV ¡°Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Viscount Moldt, Viscountess,¡± I said to a middle-aged man and a blond-haired woman. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Lord Silver, and regret from his grace, the Duke of Dawhall. He couldn¡¯t be here due to the important business,¡± he replied, and I smiled. ¡°It is regretting my lord, but I am glad that he sent you,¡± I said, he smiled and walked inside. Not a single powerful noble from the mainland had come personally. Usually, they throng to the places like this. It is not because it is a brothel, but because of the state of the empire. The emperor could fall dead at any moment, and they didn¡¯t want to be out of their territory during that. It is not just that, but also the assassination and other things. A few seconds later, another guest arrived, and then another. Soon, a carriage entered the establishment, bearing the two flags. One belongs to her, while the other belongs to the organization she was part of. I am also part of it and today, it will become formal. The carriage door opened, and the woman came out. She is tall, with strawberry-red hair. She is pretty, but not as strikingly beautiful as one would expect, seeing her race and position. The woman is a half-elf, and she is not hiding it. With the organization she is representing today, even the Empire wouldn¡¯t do anything to her except send her out politely. Soon, she has appeared in front of me. ¡°Lady Awyn, welcome to my humble establishment,¡± I said to the woman. She is Ophelia Glynrieth, the lady of Transcendent Pleasure. The most powerful brothel of the entire continent, but she had not only come as a lady of her legacy, but also as a representative of Synod. ¡°It is anything but humble, Lord Silver,¡± she replied and nodded at Leila, before walking into the hall where nearly everyone had turned to her. Her legacy is Grade 4, and she achieved that feat in a remarkable time. ¡°That woman will be your biggest competition when you decide to expand,¡± said Leila beside me. ¡°She seemed to consider me that already,¡± I replied and smiled. Ophelia may consider me as competition and one day we might be, but it wouldn¡¯t be soon. My legacy is different, and I need to focus on it first before I can think about expanding. Not to mention, doing that soon would be a mistake; my first focus should be on the establishment. Old man Vanis had straight up said I shouldn¡¯t even think about expanding before I take my legacy to Grade 4. Synod advises the same, but not many follow it due to the allure of wealth. Old man Vanis hadn¡¯t either. Ophelia Awyn had followed it, she hadn¡¯t expanded into the branches till her legacy had reached Grade 4 and when she did, her expansion was fast and sustainable. Now, she is the richest brothel owner in the whole of merchant states. Speaking of the old man, I saw his carriage stopping, and he came out, along with his granddaughter. Old man Varis doesn¡¯t travel, but he came here. ¡°Lord Lindgren, thank you for coming,¡± I said politely, to which the young man looked at me for a moment, before opening his eyes. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Lord Silver,¡± he replied unenthusiastically before his expression turned stern. ¡°You have made too big changes, young man. Didn¡¯t listen, to what I have said,¡± he said. I could feel the disappointment in his voice. ¡°I have listened to what you said, old Vanis, and these changes are a result of that,¡± I replied with a smile. The old man seemed like he wanted to say something, but decided against it, as he looked at the establishment. ¡°You are looking, Miss Alina,¡± said Leila to his great-granddaughter. ¡°Thank you, Baroness Leila,¡± replied Alina, looking slightly embarrassed. The young girl was already beautiful, and the spa had made her even more. The old man walked inside after the nod and entered inside. The guests kept coming, including the lords and governors of the cities of the Renwell region. All of them had come; the only one who didn¡¯t is Marquess Gats, but that is to be expected. The man is guarding the region against the Tabes. If he moved, Tabes might try attacking and nobody wants that. I welcomed the Lord of Inam and the son of Grand Mage Salazar. After that came the Lord of Ashton Harbor. People kept coming, and we welcomed them. All the important people have, aside from one. He took another twenty minutes to arrive, and he did so in style. Earlier it was not just his wife who had come to the spa, but he also appeared. Along with the bastard Lancel. I had invited both of them, but they declined and hadn¡¯t thought, Countess would be able to bring them to the spa. ¡°Count Darrow, Countess Wilstein, welcome,¡± I said and bowed with a flourish, before bowing at Lancel and his daughter-in-law. She is the wife of his eldest son, who is handling the Count¡¯s territory, with his father being here. ¡°Remus, you have made fine preparations,¡± said the Count, without addressing me with my title. ¡°It is all thanks to you, my lord,¡± I replied politely and turned to his wife. ¡°Countess Wilstein, Lady Rusar, you both are looking magnificent. Even my establishment is looking in front of your glow.¡± I praised, and a smile appeared on both women. Lancel¡¯s mother is a beautiful woman. Even at this age, she had kept herself in shape, unlike the bastard Darrow. ¡°You are too kind, Lord Silver,¡± she replied with a pleased smile. Maeve herself had worked on her and I had sent Eudo for her make-up. It was a wise move because she and her daughter-in-law are really glowing right now. I could clearly see the lust in Lancel¡¯s eyes for his sister-in-law. Leila and I took them inside; all the guests had arrived. Only Count and his family had remained and now they did. The real celebration could finally start, and I have prepared something special for it. Something that had never been done in the Greltheaven. Many people, might have seen the act, but a few had seen of this level, with the power of legacy mixed in it. I would have liked my girls to do it, but they are years away from achieving such a feat. So, today, it will be an outsider, that will show me a glimpse of my vision. I talk to Count and Countess for the minute, before taking the stage. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, Lords and Ladies, thank you for gracing me in your presence.¡± ¡°Exactly, a month ago. The legacy is born. It had been born, not only by efforts but also by the grace of the Lord Count and the blessing of his highness. Without them, there would not have been this wonderful and the city.¡± I said and could see a proud smile appearing on the bastard¡¯s face, hearing the unabashed praise. I would have really liked it. If I had honored my girls and employees, the real people who helped to make the establishment what it is, but that could only happen in an idealistic world. This is not that world, and thus, I need to praise the bastards, who wouldn¡¯t mind even legacy burning, if the benefits of it are high enough for him. I looked at the vibrant face of the Count, who was all ruddy and glowing. Thanks to the efforts of my staff. It is not just him, but many men and women are glowing, looking beautiful like they never did in the past few years. ¡°To show my respect for you all, I had prepared something. I hope you all will enjoy it,¡± I finished my speed and got off the stage. People looked at me in question, including Count and my sister. They do not know. Nobody knows, except for the Carla and girls; I wanted it to be a surprise. People looked around, and for a few seconds, there was nothing, before finely dressed men and women appeared on the stage, and recognition lit in the face of few people. Everybody understood what was happening as the wands appeared in their hands. At the same time, all the lights in the establishment dimmed until it was nearly dark. ¡°Honored guest, please enjoy the show,¡± said the beautiful elf with green hair, and her wand lit up and released a bright green fireball from her hand. The twenty-three followed right after. Soon after they released the fireball; their wands lit up, in other spells and golden ribbons began to come out from them, wrapping around each other. Soon, a golden lion formed above them. It is huge and majestic and looked really good. What made it look even more majestic was the emotion mist coming out of it. Making it look like the powerful aura it was said to have. It is a Frasrius Lion. If the Empire has any national beast, then it would be this. The frasrius lion was a beast founder of the imperial house; there is a massive statue of it in front of the gates of the capital. I could see the joy and wonder in the eyes of many. Even the Count seemed pleased. Everybody loves mage shows, and this group is part of one of the best mage show companies in meldhorn. They are the only ones who didn¡¯t offer their services for free. I paid them a massive amount of money for this show. The huge lion moved around the hall, creating ripples with every step it took, while guests watched in wonder. Roar! The lion returned to its place and roared loud, with mist blazing around it; like it was angry and about to attack people. It looked realistic but also felt realistic, with a red mist of anger blazing around it. People gasp in shock and surprise, before claps begin to ring out. That was just the start. For the next hour, different beasts came and performed different tricks, making the guests laugh, smile, and be awed. Cry! Finally, rang out from a huge purple-red bird and it exploded into a shower of purple and red feathers that went all over the hall. Clap Clap Clap A huge applause rang out for the half-elf and her team. ¡°It was an impressive show, Remus,¡± said Grandfather, as he appeared by me. He may have seen the mage shows bigger than it, but this one in the legacy, with emotion mist. It gave him the experience, he never had. ¡°Thank you, Grandfather,¡± I said. He is a tall man with thick raven hair and bright silvery grey eyes, that would attract the eyes of everyone. ¡°My lord, this is Edmond Silver, my grandfather,¡± I introduced him to the Count. ¡°We have met, Remus,¡± he replied and turned to my grandfather. ¡°How are you, Mr. Silver? How is your business?¡± asked the Count as he shook his hand. ¡°I am good, my lord, and the business is also doing good,¡± he replied. We talked to the Count for a few minutes, and I introduced him to a few people, like old man Vanis, Ethan, Rolgath, and Ignatius, before leaving him with my sister and going to mingle with other people with Carla. Time passed as people drank and ate, the food filled with the emotion essence, and enjoyed the music from the band, which utilized emotion mist. Making music sound far more incredible than it is. The bar is filled with staff working non-stop. They would mix drinks and add emotion mist into them, before serving it to the guests. The bar staff was able to learn it within a month and now, they are serving them rapidly, but the one, that impressed the most people is Drev. The food is being praised by everyone. He is a hugely talented chef and emotion mist gave him the wings to reach his full potential. The things he was able to do with it, were so amazing that even old man Vanis had praised him. He is the only staff he has praised. The celebration lasted past midnight, before the guests began to leave, one after another. Till only family had remained. ¡°You have made the whole house proud, Remus. If your father had been here, he would have been proud of you too,¡± said Grandfather, with watery eyes. ¡°I wish he had been alive,¡± I said, with my eyes turning emotional. ¡°Take a rest. You deserve it. We will talk more tomorrow,¡± he said and left with Gerald and others. I stayed by the door, till their carriage left the gate, before wiping my eyes away and turning to Carla beside me. ¡°She is waiting in the office,¡± she informed. I nodded and walked toward my office. Click! I opened the door of my office and entered inside. There is a woman, sitting. I would have liked to meet her tomorrow, but she was leaving tonight and insisted on finishing the formalities. ¡°Lady Ophelia,¡± I said as I sat down. The woman nodded and put the box in front of her. Seeing the box, all the irritation vanished from my eyes and changed into excitement. For more, Click Chapter 296: Training Chapter 296: Training Dealer of Desire Lv. 21 Dealer of Desire Lv. 22 As I opened my eyes, there was a text in front of me. I had leveled up, gaining two levels. It is my first level-up, since my class upgraded. I had thought I would level up in the month seeing the things I had done, but I didn¡¯t. Powerful the class is, the harder it is to level it up. I didn¡¯t get a skill, but got attribute points. I had decided not to use them immediately. I am not sure about them and wouldn¡¯t be using, them before giving them some serious thought. A moment later, I closed the window and looked at the clock. It is dawn. Usually, I woke up, before dawn, but yesterday, I had slept late. I had only slept for three and a half hours. I would have slept more, but I am excited about my training session with the Ser Schegen. I should have delayed it for a day, but I didn¡¯t want to waste even a single day of this opportunity. I got up from the bed and freshened up, before changing into the training clothes and walking out of my room. When I reached the training ring, there was no one. So, I begin to stretch. Hun! I had just finished it when I saw him coming exactly at six, as he had said he would. ¡°You seemed excited, Lord Silver,¡± said the old man as he stopped. ¡°I am Sir Schegan. I have dreamed about this opportunity since I was a child.¡± I replied, truthfully. ¡°I heard you were training to be an imperial knight, before changing the path suddenly?¡± He asked as he walked toward the weapon rack and picked up the spear. ¡°Yes, I experienced something, that forced me to think about the path, more clearly,¡± I replied. The old man didn¡¯t say anything other than smile before stepping on the ring. ¡°I have a skill that will let me lower my attributes'' strength to yours,¡± he informed. It is him asking the permission, as skills like this would require the permission of the other party. ¡°Ok,¡± I said, and immediately I felt the skill on me. After a moment of hesitation, I let the skill scan my attribute and could a faint surprise appear in the eyes of the old man, for a moment. I am higher leveled than an average person of my age, and my attributes are also strong thanks to my main class. It could be said that my current strength is slightly higher than the average Lv. 20 warriors. It is thanks to the upgrade of the main class, which had increased the weight of the attributes. ¡°Come at me with everything you have. Use every skill and technique, don¡¯t hold back anything.¡± He spoke. ¡°As you wish,¡± I replied. The next second, I appeared in front of him with the Rapid Steps and attacked with the Swift Blade and Weighted Strike. He didn¡¯t move for a fraction of a second and when did, his spear moved at a slow speed, I was confident that my sword would be able to avoid the attack rather easily, but I remained cautious, seeing I was not sparring with a normal person. Still, despite all the caution, I was not able to stop the old man from doing what he did. Clack! His slow spear had reached my sword really fast and hit the handle of my rapier, with the tip of his spear, without touching my hand. Clatter! There were barely two centimeters of distance between my hand and quillon, but the tip of his spear hit that space, touching my hand. Giving such a shock to my arm, that rapier flew away from my grip and clattered to the ground. I am shocked. I am not shocked because he was able to do that or didn¡¯t use his skills to achieve that, but shocked because of how easily he did it. It felt like it didn¡¯t take any effort from him at all, despite his strength being the same as mine. I knew I was not his match despite the same strength, but I didn¡¯t think, he would be able to do that, with such ease. In just one move, he had crushed all the confidence I had in me. ¡°You have left a big opening, anyone skillful enough would have exploited that and cut your arm apart,¡± he said. ¡°It was a small opening,¡± I said, feeling embarrassed as I picked up my sword. ¡°Sometimes, it is enough for the enemies to exploit,¡± he replied. Clatter. I nodded and went to him again and once again; he used the same move. His spear came at my sword and, being careful, I tried to avoid it, but it hit the handle and the rapier clattered on the floor. ¡°You can not close all openings. So, you have to take control of them and use them to your advantage,¡± he advised. Once again, I attacked. His spear effortlessly hit the hand, and it clattered on the ring, despite me gripping at it tightly. It happened four more times before I tried to use a different approach. ¡°Your spear is too slow. It won¡¯t be able to hit my sword this time.¡± I said with the full power of Persuasion. I couldn¡¯t use the skills full power, combat scenario, with it being an administrative skill. Still, I have been able to bring quite a lot of power. More, than I had, when I was fighting on the ship. I have been practicing it by using it in combat with instructors David and Jon. For a fraction moment, it seemed to work, seeing how his spear seemed to slow down. Clatter! I got happy too quickly and once again, my sword was clattered on the ring. ¡°It is a powerful skill, and you have used it well. They might work on the normal enemies, but it won¡¯t work on me,¡± he said with a smile. He is clearly advising me not to use such attacks on him, not because he is angry or doesn¡¯t like them, but because they are useless. He might have an attribute the same as me, but that doesn¡¯t mean, my skill would work on him, that would have worked on the people of my strength. If he has what I heard, he has. Then even if the Persuasive, is far stronger than this, it wouldn¡¯t have affected him much. So, I should focus on conventional attacks. I picked up my sword attack and once again it clattered on the floor. I did it again, and it clattered. I used different techniques, but every time, my sword would clatter on the ground. It was very irritating that I wanted to howl in frustration, but I controlled myself and kept attacking after picking up my sword. Without care of anything, especially my wrist. It is hurting. The shock is felt before the sword is released from my hand. Thwack! It continued till, the forty-ninth attack, when the blade of his spear, finally clashed against the blade of my rapier. Seeing that, a big smile appeared on my face, and I wanted to cry, but instead, I smiled with relief. ¡°This is the correct form. It gives the enemy less space to attack, while you a control over the opening,¡± he said. I looked at the form and was immediately surprised. To others, the form wouldn¡¯t look much different, but to me. It is very different from my usual, more comfortable with much greater freedom to act against the enemy''s attacks. The old man should have told me, but he let me find it myself. ¡°Now, the next step,¡± he said and moved his spear, locked with my sword, and tapped on my chest with its tip. It is not like; I didn¡¯t try to stop it. I did, but his spear had avoided that easily. Seeing the look on his face, I know it will be another frustrating round, but I am looking forward to it. I need to improve myself and this old man is my best chance, no matter how frustrating his methods are. Our two hours passed painfully, and we had finally stopped. When I looked at myself, I couldn¡¯t help but get surprised. My training clothes are clean, and not every movement of mine is giving me pain. Yes, there are a few points that are giving me some pain, like my wrist and chest, but they are not feeling as painful as they do when I train with Jon or instructor David. ¡°Thank you for the lesson, Sir Schegan,¡± I said and bowed slightly to the old man, while the old man smiled before opening his mouth. ¡°You are very talented, Lord Silver, but this talent is also your weakness. Talented ones pick things up quickly and not always good things,¡± ¡°You, Lord Silver, have fought against the mediocre enemies and learned some mediocre things. Once you remove them, your strength will increase drastically,¡± he said. I am surprised. I had not thought he would say something like it, because I have been thinking the opposite. I had thought I had improved fighting those strong enemies. I felt my technique was improving, becoming more efficient. Jon and instructor David had said the same, but the old man saying the opposite. I didn¡¯t want to believe him and wouldn¡¯t until I became sure of it myself, but I will train under him. ¡°I have to say, I am surprised, Sir Schegan,¡± I said, and the old man grinned without saying anything. I got off the ring and was about to invite him for breakfast when Stone stepped forward. ¡°Sir Schegen, I would be really grateful. If you sparred with me,¡± said Stone, surprising me, but I didn¡¯t say anything and turned to Sir Schegan. ¡°Sure, but you will have to use, that elder-blood strength to fight against me,¡± said the old man. The expression on Stone¡¯s face turned a little hesitant, upon hearing that. I am not surprised; he knows about Stone¡¯s elder blood. I am sure he had done his research before coming here. ¡°It is not a power I could bring out with will. It only came out, when I am in danger or desperate condition,¡± he said, and the old man nodded. ¡°You are in the process of awakening it. Only, fully awakened, control that power at will,¡± he said and took out a red enchanted spear from his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s see if this old man, could put enough pressure on you to bring out that elder-blood power,¡± he added. Stone grinned as he took out his big sword and stepped into the ring. I wanted to object, seeing them using a real weapon. Instead, I had enveloped the area surrounding the ring with even denser mist. Seeing that, Zela enveloped the entire area in a privacy spell. Now nobody would hear what was happening. ¡°Use everything you have,¡± said the old man, and Stone nodded and went toward the old man at a speed, that is blurring to my eyes. Thankfully, the attack of the old man was slow enough that I could see it and like how he did against me, he used his spear slowly toward the coming sword. Rip! A moment later, I heard the ripping sound and saw the long red line from Stone¡¯s chest to stomach. I nearly screamed but stopped noticing the wound was not as serious as it looked. It is deep enough to draw blood, but not deep enough. It couldn¡¯t be healed quickly with potion and spell. It needs serious control to achieve such a feat. Stone looked at the wound and launched another attack, and immediately got another wound on his chest and the second after that, one on the arm. He didn¡¯t stop attacking, despite every attack giving him a new wound. Within seconds, the bloody shirt was torn to pieces and fell to the ground. He didn¡¯t seem to care as he continued to go against the old man. Gasp! Seconds passed when suddenly, a loud gasp rang out. Stopping the spar momentarily. Carla and Margaux walked through the mist, and their eyes were wide with shock and horror. ¡°This,¡± said Margaux, with a shaking voice, seeing Stone¡¯s bloody body. Maybe calling them here was a bad idea. ¡°Relax, the injuries aren¡¯t as serious as they look,¡± I said, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. ¡°He is completely bloody, and you are saying, the injuries are not series?¡± asked Carla in horror. I opened my mouth, but Zela spoke before me. ¡°They are not, Miss Carla. They are superficial enough that, I would be able to heal them with my spell.¡± She said, and her words seemed to make them feel better. At the same moment, the spar resumed, and they swallowed all other questions as they watched the battle with horrified eyes. I couldn¡¯t blame them for feeling what they were feeling. They hadn¡¯t had much experience with battles. Obviously, such a scene would feel horrific. Seconds passed, and Stone began to receive injury after injury, turning even his legs bloody. That I had started to get worried, and even Zela began to get worried. When finally, the thing, we were all waiting to happen, happened. The bronze light begins to come out through the blood. As it did, Stone¡¯s speed became faster, and his strength reached higher. Clang! Finally, the old man clashed his spear against his sword, before giving him another bloody cut and then another and then another. It seemed like, he wanted to make Stone angry. Telling him, that even his elder blood is nothing. He achieved that because the faint bronze light coming out of Stone¡¯s body flared. Making him even stronger, that I begin to have a problem, seeing anything but a blur. Clang Clang Clang The real clash begins, and all saw was sparks of their clash, as they moved across the ring. It is the Stone that is moving; the old man had remained on his spot, without moving an inch. Stone wants to reach closer to the old man, but the spear will always keep him away. I wish I could see the battle more clearly, but I couldn¡¯t. Though I am recording it and will watch it later. Thud! The clash continued for more than an hour, when it suddenly stopped, with Stone collapsing on the ring. Gasp! Zela went to him first, casting healing spells on him. They also removed the blood, revealing the injuries that made them gasp again, but soon they calmed down, seeing how they were knitting together. Many of them were already healed, thanks to Stone¡¯s elder blood. I looked at Stone and was surprised to see him conscious, albeit barely. The previous times, he used his elder blood power. He had fallen unconscious. ¡°You are good, Mr. Stone, far better than what I heard about you. I really hope, you will survive the awakening when it happens,¡± said Sir Schegan, putting a small smile on Stone¡¯s tired face. For more, Click Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 297: Secret Deal Chapter 297: Secret Deal ¡°Master Silver, Mr. Ashav, is here to meet you,¡± informed Jill. I looked at Caena before turning to the door. ¡°Let him in,¡± I said, controlling the faint nervousness that I was feeling. Click! The door opened and Ethan walked in. Immediately, his expression changed. He seemed to have sensed air in the room and his expressions turned serious from casual. ¡°I thought it would be a casual meeting, but it clearly feels not,¡± he said and took a seat in front of me. ¡°No, it is not,¡± I said simply. ¡°So, what it is?¡± he asked directly. ¡°Your family has a good connection with the Alchemist Amherst,¡± I said simply, to which he nodded. ¡°Yes, our house is his prime supplier,¡± He replied. The House of Ashav is a powerful mercantile house, bigger than even the House of Silver. They have relations with many powerful alchemists, including Alchemist Amherst, the top alchemist of Oksall. Much better than the bastard Aryveson. ¡°If I give you something, that is not so legal. Will you be able to make a deal with him and keep the deal secret?¡± I asked and instead of anger and worry, sparks of excitement began to dance in his eyes. ¡°Yes, it will be completely discrete on our part, and I am sure Alchemist Amherst would only tell people who he needs to, but the news absolutely won''t leak to the people, who don¡¯t need to know about it,¡± he replied and there was confidence in his voice. I am sure, with what his house specializes in. They are used to such deals. No merchant house, including a house of silver, has become successful in following the law. Many of our dealings are in grey and many in dark. It is why, I had chosen him, instead of Ignatius or Valentina, who had some powerful connection in the merchant state. ¡°Good,¡± I said and turned to Caena. She didn¡¯t say anything, but a square wooden box appeared in her hand, which she slid in front of Ethan. Click! He looked at me, and I nodded. He turned to the box and touched it with the shaking hand, before clicking it open. Gasp! The moment he did, his eyes widened, and a gasp rang out from his mouth. He would have been expecting this, but still seeing the things in front of him, his eyes couldn¡¯t help, but wide up. The shock was even greater when he saw bottles inside containing pure emotion essence and not mixed ones that Grade 1 legacies could harness. There are also more than a few bottles that he might have been expecting. We extracted the emotion essence, a few minutes earlier. That box contained 75% emotion essence, that the establishment had produced to this day. It took a while before he calmed down, and when he did, he took out tools and started to examine each bottle carefully. I am a little surprised, but shouldn¡¯t be seeing the things we are dealing with here and the consequences we might face due to it. ¡°All of them are pure Grade 1 emotion essence, without the slightest impurity,¡± he said as he turned to me. The impurity he is talking about is other emotions. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡± he asked as he turned to me. ¡°Potions. Grade 1 and Grade 2,¡± I replied finally. ¡°What kind?¡± he asked. ¡°Healing, mana, stamina...¡± I gave him the list. There are other things I could demand too, but I need the potions first. I need them in enough numbers to feel safe, before I try for the other things. ¡°Rate?¡± He asked. ¡°20% above standard. It is a non-negotiable,¡± I replied, and he smiled. ¡°It is too much. He might not accept it,¡± he said. ¡°He will,¡± I replied. It is above the standard rate, but I am giving him in much higher amount than usually appeared in the market. Not to mention, they are pure Grade 1 emotion essences; in them not a speck of other emotion is mixed. Which only experience hosts of legacies could bring out. It is hard as there are always some other emotions snuck in despite one''s efforts and skills. I am sure, that not only Alchemist Amherst would accept it, but Ethan will also be able to earn some hefty commission, but it is not what he is after. These things build connections, and strengthen those who already are. Alchemists like Amherst or Aryveson do not work alone. They have workshops where hundreds or even thousands of alchemist¡¯s work, and they need a large amount of material that merchant house like the House of Ashav provides them. Sometimes, that is not enough. The alchemists require something extra. If they didn¡¯t get those things, then they would switch suppliers. If the big clients move away, then smaller ones also follow. It is why merchant houses need carrots like these. With this, they could keep their clients happy and loyal. Not to mention, if they have such things in enough amount, they could use it to train their own alchemists. From what I heard, house Ashav has its own alchemists, and every alchemist worth their salt would want to master emotion essence in their craft. These emotion essences will be especially helpful, because pure emotion essences are easier to work with than mixed ones, but they are also harder to get. Only those in Grade 3 and above could produce them, and they usually do not. Why would they produce Grade 1 when they could produce Grade 3? That makes these pure emotion essences even more valuable. ¡°Do you want anything other than the emotion essence? We could provide a lot of things. Things that couldn¡¯t be found outside, even with money,¡± he said, and the bastard used the skill. I have to say, his skills are powerful and would have affected me a lot if it had been before I got the legacy and my class upgraded. ¡°Currently, no,¡± I replied and could see a flash of disappointment appearing in his eyes, but he recovered quickly. ¡°Should we sign the contract then?¡± he asked. To which I smiled. So has Caena. ¡°There is no need,¡± I replied, and could see a surprise flashing in his eyes. ¡°It is quite a trust. You are putting in me,¡± he said after a moment of silence. ¡°If I didn¡¯t trust you this much, I wouldn¡¯t have given you this opportunity,¡± I replied, to which he smiled before his expression turned serious. ¡°The people behind you won¡¯t be happy about such an approach,¡± he said, and I wanted to laugh, but controlled my expression. ¡°You do not need to worry about it,¡± I said. It is the reason why; I decided to take the risk. Even if people found out about the deal, they wouldn¡¯t suspect, these essences are from me. They will think the other hosts of legacies are using me to make the deal. I am a host of new legacy and even with skills, could not harvest such pure emotion essence, not to mention in such an amount. If I get caught. They wouldn¡¯t punish me as harshly as they would have if they thought I was selling the emotion essence of my legacy. Currently, it is only a month since the legacy is born. There is no way I could harness the emotion, especially of this quality. It is not because of the trust that I am not signing the contract. I trust him, but not enough to not sign a contract, but signing the contract would leave a trail behind and I absolutely don¡¯t want that. ¡°Thank you for your trust. I will not disappoint you,¡± he said, and a few minutes later, he left the office. ¡®Jill, call Stone and others to my office.¡¯ I said to Jill through the skill. I had asked Grandfather for something, and he was able to do it. It is going to make them very happy. Click! A minute later, the door opened, and Stone and others walked inside. Except for Eli, everyone is here. Stone looked good. A little pale, but in a few hours, nearly all of his injuries vanished. Zela had said he would completely recover from the strain by tomorrow. ¡°The church of the sea god had agreed to help you remove your curse,¡± I said, and the eyes of Stena, Shaun, and Hugo lit up. The curse had been restricting them a lot aside from being life-threatening. It is because of it they couldn¡¯t use their full power and level up as they should be. ¡°Really, Lord Silver?¡± asked Shaun, and I nodded. ¡°You four will leave in the evening; I have already made the preparations,¡± I informed. ¡°Thank you for this great favor, my lord,¡± said Steven, with tears streaming down his face. ¡°My apologies, Mr. Silver, but I am not going to Namdar,¡± said Stone suddenly, surprising me and Caena. The others aren¡¯t, and even Caena seemed to understand something as her eyes lit up understanding. ¡°Is there any problem with Namdar? If there is, I could ask for an exception from Grand Mage Salazar¡¯s office. It will take a few days or even weeks, but I think, I will be able to manage that,¡± I said. ¡°No, there is no problem with Namdar,¡± he said, and the expression on the big man¡¯s face turned a little hesitant for a moment before they returned to expressionless. ¡°I want to use the curse to awaken the elder blood,¡± he informed, and finally, understanding lit up. I heard about elder bloods doing such things, but it is an extremely dangerous process. Many die. I opened my mouth to dissuade him from it, but closed it, seeing the look in his eyes. ¡°Just be careful,¡± I said after a moment of silence. This is the only thing, I could say, seeing he already made the decision. Nothing I say will make him change his mind. For more, Click Chapter 298: Inheritance Chapter 298: Inheritance ¡°Master Silver, your grandfather waiting for you in your office,¡± said Caena as I stepped out of the carriage. I couldn¡¯t help but get surprised. I was supposed to go to him, but now he is here. He didn¡¯t even inform me before coming, which he always does. ¡°When did he arrive?¡± I asked as I walked toward the establishment. ¡°An hour, ago,¡± she replied. ¡°You should have sent me a message,¡± I said to her. ¡°He asked me not to,¡± she replied. Which again surprised me; the man is punctual and didn¡¯t like wasting a minute, much less an hour. ¡°He has checked out the entire establishment, but had good words about it,¡± she added and that couldn¡¯t help but a smile on my face. Soon, I reached my office. Click! ¡°Grandfather,¡± I greeted as I entered my office. He was sitting in my chair, looking at the portrait of his son on the wall. ¡°Remus,¡± he said, still looking portrait. ¡°You should have informed me. I would have come sooner,¡± I said, and he shook his head. ¡°There was no need. It gave me the time to check out your legacy,¡± he replied, turning to me. ¡°I hope you, you liked it,¡± I said, and he smiled. A smile filled with pride, but it had remained on his face for a second, before his expressions became serious. ¡°Is this place safe?¡± he asked as I felt his powerful Privacy Skill covering the entire office. ¡°It is now,¡± I replied as I activated the isolation. A surprise flashed in his eyes, while I became even more confused. First is his unannounced visit and now this privacy skill. He seemed to feel that, as he took out a metallic box from his bag and slid it toward me. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Your inheritance,¡± he replied, with a sigh. It would be an understatement to say his words didn¡¯t surprise me and I looked at him in question and didn¡¯t receive any answer, so I opened the box. I am surprised. There is another box inside, but it is not what surprised me. Not what surprised me, is the string of charms attached to it. Those are clearly witches'' charms, and they felt very powerful. ¡°You might feel wronged by your father and family, seeing you have got barely anything in inheritance, but you shouldn¡¯t. Your father had left the best thing for you.¡± ¡°Before his death, your father had given me this for safekeeping. He felt his life was in danger and wanted me to give you this when you become capable,¡± he said. ¡°He was quite sure, that one day you would become capable,¡± he added. ¡°Am I become capable?¡± I asked, looking at the box. ¡°You have, but you are not ready for that thing. Wait till you become powerful enough before opening that box,¡± he replied. ¡°In what sense?¡± I asked, but he just smiled. I know, I wouldn¡¯t get an answer from him, and seeing the charms, I don¡¯t want to open it. There must be something important in there for them to protect it with the charms, and since he said, I am not ready, I will not open it immediately. The box disappeared, and with it, the heaviness and anger in my heart. I was angry at my father for not leaving me anything in inheritance. Those clauses were intentional on his part. He knew his other children would use it against me. The box made me feel better. It didn¡¯t matter, even if the box contained nothing. What matters is that he had been thinking about me and that is enough for me. However, it also produced many questions. ¡°Do you know who killed my father?¡± I asked, and the old man nodded, with grief and anger welling up in his eyes. I may have lost my father, but he had lost his son. ¡°They are very powerful people. That even the house of Silver couldn¡¯t do anything against.¡± He said, and this didn¡¯t surprise me. If they weren¡¯t powerful, Grandfather wouldn¡¯t have stayed so silent. ¡°Names, Grandfather?¡± I asked. ¡°I will tell you after, after you open the box,¡± he replied. I wanted to take out the box and tear open those charms, but I controlled my emotions. Once I know it, I will not unknown it, and sometimes, it is better to not know about those things. The legacy may have given me the power, but I am still not powerful enough. I am not even as powerful as the House of Silver. So, until I do, I won¡¯t be opening that box. They will pay for what they did. The memory of my father¡¯s death is vivid in my heart, and I will make sure, they will a price worse than that. .... Margaux ¡°Girls, you should be ashamed. You are adults, but are fighting like children,¡± I said to the two teen girls sitting in front of me. ¡°Headmistress, it is Alu¡¯s fault. She is the one, who took my headband without my permission. It is my favorite headband,¡± said the blond-haired girl, glaring at the raven-haired girl, sitting beside her. ¡°I did because you lost my earrings.¡± Replied the raven-haired girl, glaring back. ¡°And I told you, I will pay you back for it after I get this month¡¯s salary,¡± said the blond. ¡°Girls!¡± I said loudly. Stopping them immediately from fighting any further. ¡°Alu, you shouldn¡¯t have taken Nera¡¯s headband without her permission, and Alu, you should pay for Nera¡¯s earrings, as soon as you receive your salary,¡± ¡°Now, go back to your room and I hope there won¡¯t be any fighting or both of you won¡¯t like what happens next,¡± I said strictly. Both teens nodded and walked out of my office. ¡°Sometimes, these girls behave like children,¡± I said, messaging my head. ¡°This place gives them freedom to do that,¡± said Della from the side. I smiled hearing that, before turning to the things in front of me. I finished them quickly and with it, my work was finished, and I could finally do what I wanted to do. In this past month, I had been quite busy; I wasn¡¯t able to practice as much as I liked. I walked out of my office and could hear the work they were doing. There are two more floors building above me. Valentina had said, they would be finished by the end of the month. I took the elevator down to the ground floor before walking into the tunnel. It didn¡¯t take me even a minute to leave the boundary of the circle. I knew it, the moment I did it. The effects of the legacy are too powerful not to feel them. I took the familiar way, which was only accessible to the girls, and reached the turn, which would take me out of the basement. A few seconds later, I was out of the basement and saw the kitchen staff moving, holding different trays and carts. They nodded at me respectfully, before going to their ways. I look at the restaurant, and it is full. There is not a single table that is empty. Saying the establishment is full is a big understatement. There is a huge waiting line, that stretches for years and increases by the day. There is not a single empty place, and people are willing to pay a massive amount of money for the spa. Carla had told me, that a person for merchant stages offered an absolutely massive figure for the rent of the whole spa for a week. It is for the treatment of her and her bridal party. I was shocked when I saw the number. It was really huge. She was not the only one. There were other people, who were offering the massive money. Of course, Master Silver rejected the offer, but the bridal party was coming in four days for the treatment. They were offering a massive amount of money that even Master Silver couldn¡¯t reject. They got those VIP slots. The third of the slots are kept for the VIPs; the same is for private hosting rooms and floors above. The establishment needs to earn the money, and those slots are a good way to do that. With the establishment turning into a legacy, the earnings of the girls and the staff have skyrocketed. The payment of the staff had reached equal to what the legacies of the same level offer. Most new legacies take three months to a year to adjust to the new payment standard. Master Silver, did it from the first month. As for the earnings of girls. I will not say much, but will say, it has reached the sky. If I hadn¡¯t received a raise with the rest of the staff, I might have thought about returning to the business. I walked out of the establishment and entered the back garden. Meria had performed the miracle; the garden looked like a piece of heaven. Many girls are sitting on the benches there, enjoying the beautiful night. The garden is restricted to the patrons. Only girls and staff could come here. Many quieted down seeing me, but soon resumed their activities, seeing I had not come here for them. Soon, I walked into the area where the mist was exceptionally dense before stepping inside. The mist parted under my control before returning to its place. It took me a while to get a hang of it, but now I could control it like my own body parts. It is amazing; it is unlike anything I had sensed before. It is a thing a very few people have the privilege of controlling. Sometimes, I have a hard time believing that a whore like me is doing that. It all feels like a dream. I stopped, and in front of me was a stone disk covered in a mist of calmness. I looked at it, before sitting on it. I close my eyes and let the calmness affect me. A few minutes later, I opened my eyes and took out a small practice wand from my bag. Taking a deep breath, I begin to chant the spell. The sparks appeared in the air in front of me and hope lit up in my heart, but a second later, the sparks frizzled, and the spell collapsed. It had been over a month since I had been trying to cast the spell, but it was difficult, but I had to succeed. The other girls are quite close to succeeding and I want to succeed it first. This emotion of competitiveness is quite foreign to me. I was never competitive as far as I remember, but I started to feel it since Master Silver came here. I don¡¯t like this feeling much. It can be overwhelming. I tried again and once again, the sparks lit, before frizzling out. So, I tried again and again, and every time, the sparks would light up, before they would frizzle out. I am a little surprised, not by the failures, but by the sparks. In my earlier tries, they wouldn¡¯t always come out and here the sparks lit up at my every attempt. Feeling tired, I took a small break and laid down on the disk, and looked at the twinkling stars. They are shining extra brightly today. Seeing them, I couldn¡¯t help, but think about my star. I miss her a lot and wish I could go to her, and I could, but I won¡¯t. Not until I feel I am worthy, and I am not. I wiped the tears away and sat back on the disc before I began chanting again. ¡°Maen vord...¡± As I begin to chant, the sparks begin to light up again, but this time, the sparks don¡¯t collapse instead, they grow. Seeing that, my eyes lit up and my heart started to beat with excitement, but I controlled my emotions and kept chanting. With each word coming out of my mouth, more and more sparks kept appearing before they lit up and burst into the fireball. Seeing that, my eyes widened, and tears started to come out of my eyes. ¡°I succeeded,¡± I said, tasting my own tears. I had dreamed about this moment, since the day I had discovered the mana, but never thought I would be able to do it, but I did. Now, I could proudly go to my daughter and tell her that the mage talent she inherited was from me. It is from me, she got it, and not from a man who came to the brothel to vent his lust. {Class Gained: Novice Mage} For more, Click Chapter 299: Arrested Chapter 299: Arrested ¡°Greltheaven. It is a small city. Is it really a place, bis..mistress?¡± asked a blue-haired man as they stepped into the city of Greltheaven. They are a group of five, led by a woman with a beautiful violet hair. ¡°This is a place in the vision, the place that, will give us a chance of survival,¡± replied the violet-haired woman as she looked at the city, with desperate hope. ... ¡°...the choice is yours,¡± I said to the hundred and seventy-seven girls in front of me. These are the new girls that Carla had brought from the Meldhorn. I already have more than enough girls in girls in the establishment. That each one didn¡¯t need to work for more than six hours and even then, some didn¡¯t get a chance to work daily. It might seem excessive, but it is not, because these girls are different. More than half of them aren¡¯t humans; most of them are elves, but there are also a few dwarves. The rest of them aren¡¯t human either, at least not complete humans. They are human with blood of different races and this blood is more prominent, that the girls I have in the establishment. They can¡¯t be recognized at first glance, but these girls could. I wanted to bring the girls of other races for so long, but it wasn¡¯t possible because of the laws of the empire, and it is not possible even now, but because of the legacy, I got the exception. I looked at them one last time, before walking out of the circle. Like all the girls, they have a choice to stay or leave. Carla has already given them a choice in the Meldhorn, but I am giving them again. Though I like Meldhorn, I don¡¯t think, anyone could take it. For the first time, not a single girl had chosen the freedom. Soon, I reached the carriage and turned to the old man beside me. ¡°Thank you for coming with me, Sir Schegan,¡± I said, as stepped into the carriage. ¡°There is no need to thank me, Lord Silver. I wanted to see the baronies and fortress since I came here and decided to tag along with you,¡± he said as he sat opposite me. It had been over a month since, the celebration, two since the legacy was born. It will be my first time, going there since then. I wanted to go there sooner, but there was too much work. I am going there now, and I am glad the old man is with me. Things have become more dangerous in the empire and the emperor¡¯s protection is worth a shit. I have a Synod¡¯s protection, at least for four more months, but I don¡¯t want to depend on it alone. There are many people who want me dead. Now more than ever; I don¡¯t want to give them a chance to kill me with inadequate protection. With the old man, they will think twice about attacking me. Soon, we reached the port, where the boat was waiting for me. We sat on the boat, and it took us to the other side. ¡°It is a wasteland, but it has its charm,¡± said the old man. ¡°The place grows on you, the longer you stay,¡± I replied with a smile. It was supposed to be a temporary space for me for a few years, but now it has become permanent. It didn¡¯t matter. If it didn¡¯t remain in the hands of the empire or Tabes captured it. It is my home forever and I will not leave it. We reached the other side and stepped into the carriage. I opened the book, while the old man stared at the window as the carriage moved toward the Nakar baronies. It is quite late, nearly at midnight, but we should be able to reach by dawn. It would have been sooner if I had taken a new driver, but I trust Rosco. Hun! I closed the book and was about to sleep when I saw a large number of people coming from the other side. Not people, but prisoners, with hands and feet shackled. There are over two thousands of them, with most of them being orcs. They are the bandits, who have been caged in baronies; in the noble''s dungeons. For the first few months, the empire took the prisoners, but for nearly nine months, they have stopped. If they had been a human prisoner; they would have been executed, and they did, but rules are a little different for the prisoners of the other races. Count had been dragging his feet for a few months, before reaching the deal with baronies a week ago. I finalized the deal but didn¡¯t get all I wanted. All of them are going to be executed. Some deserve it, but many don¡¯t. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to change the Count¡¯s mind. It was not just the Count, I was against, but also the baronies and I do not have enough clout yet, to change their mind against who they consider the biggest danger to their prosperity. We passed through the chained bandits, and I closed my eyes, falling into sleep within seconds. When I woke up, it was still dark, and the carriage was moving through the forest, but looking at the clock, I knew we were close and would reach the town in half an hour. I was still sleepy but decided against it, instead watched the forest and was surprised to see carriages moving even at such a time. It had been two and a half months since I came to the baronies and heard, that quite a change had occurred in it. I want to see it, especially the two, which I built with my efforts. The rays of dawn had come out, the carriage came out of the trees, and I looked at the town. My eyes couldn¡¯t help, but light up, seeing it. Even from a distance, I could see how much it had been developed. I read the reports regularly and directed them, but still, the report couldn¡¯t describe what I was seeing. Soon, the carriage reached the gates, and they opened. We entered inside and, seeing the things close, the already big smile on my face became bigger. The changes were huge, but it isn¡¯t what made me happy. What made me happy was that they didn¡¯t divert from the design. I built the town, with a huge future in mind, and I didn¡¯t want anyone to mess with it and thankfully, they didn¡¯t. ¡°The town is bigger than I thought and looked prosperous. His Highness would be pleased, knowing it has progressed as such,¡± he said. I smiled but didn¡¯t say anything and continued to look at the town. We reached the keep, whose gates were already opened for us. ¡°Welcome to Lauryl, Lord Silver, Sir Schegan,¡± said Lola as she opened the door of the carriage. ¡°Thank you, Lola,¡± I said as I stepped out and was about to look at the keep when I saw something small leaping at me really fast. ¡°I miss you too, buddy,¡± I said as I caught Fang, who began to lick my face. ¡°He is usually very well-behaved, but seeing you, he has lost all control,¡± said Eli apologetically. ¡°It is fine,¡± I said as I petted him lovingly before looking around. There is not much change in the keep from last time, aside from being more people here. This isn¡¯t surprising, seeing the trade with merchant states and Navr is increasing by the day and that is bringing prosperity. Click! A few minutes later, they took me to my office. The three of them sat opposite to me, while Sir Schegan sat on the chair by the window. I have come here on a long trip; I will be here for three nights. Two will be spent in the baronies while the one in the mirador holds. Three days are far from enough, with the things I have to do, but it is all I can manage. There are a lot of things to do back in the city. Running a legacy isn¡¯t easy, and it isn¡¯t the only thing I do. Still, I will try to do things and gain that class. It will help me quite I lot, if I am able to get it, but is extremely hard, especially when I have less than four months to achieve that. After that, I have to make a painful choice, and I am not ready for it but will have to do it. It is the cost of legacy. ¡°Leblanc, you are doing a good job. I am impressed with the progress of the town,¡± I said to the man. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± he replied. I smiled and finished reading the file in a few minutes, before opening and reading the other files. ¡°I am pleased that you were able to keep the prisoners in the baronies for so long Carlos, it saved the city a lot of money,¡± I said, and the man bowed. Of course, the main reason the Count was dragging his feet with those prisoners was because of the cost of keeping them. With no signal from the capital or permission to execute them, the Count tried to keep them here as long as possible. Twenty more minutes passed, and I turned to Lola at last. ¡°You have done an amazing job, Lola You have surpassed my expectations,¡± I said as I closed the last file. There were no empty words. She had really done an amazing job of increasing the trade, even the Count had praised her. It was me, he praised, but the job had been done by her. The legacy had also helped her. Earlier, like Carla and Ina, many people weren¡¯t willing to engage with her, but after the legacy, it all changed. Now she is invited to every big function in the baronies, and powerful merchants meet with her. It gave her greater reach to do things, and she didn¡¯t disappoint me. Hours passed, and it was evening. I am now strolling down the down, with many people coming to talk to me like before. However, this time, they are getting whisked by the guards. I don¡¯t like it, but there is no choice. I explored the town with Sir Schegal, including the gated part, where the mansions are being built. They belong to barons, merchants from the merchant state, Greltheaven, and other cities of the region. When I came here last, there was a single mansion getting built and now there are over thirty. Like I said, so much had changed. It was completely dark when I returned to the keep and held a meeting with the staff, before going to my suit to change for the party. Looking at the mirror one last time, I got out of the room and saw Lola waiting outside and she was looking magnificent in the black dress. ¡°You look beautiful, Lola,¡± I complimented her. ¡°Thank you, Master Silver,¡± she replied. A few minutes later, I am in the carriage with Sir Schegan and Lola, with the carriage moving toward Baron Homer¡¯s. I will be spending the night with my Leila¡¯s. I initially declined it and only accepted it after she said, it was important. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I am quite curious. Leila isn¡¯t the one to use, that word, lightly. ¡°Lord Silver, there is a message for you,¡± said Zela from behind. I immediately turned to her, sensing the seriousness in her voice, and saw her face serious too. ¡°Miss Valentina is arrested,¡± she answered, without me asking. Hun! Saying, I am shocked would be an understanding. I am not shocked because she was arrested, but because I was not informed of it. She is not just my friend, but one of the most powerful mages that the city has. To arrest her, explicit permission of the Count would be needed. The count wouldn¡¯t have arrested her, without informing me first as a courtesy. I am very sure didn¡¯t arrest her and there is only one force, who could arrest her, without his permission. They had likely arrested her and didn¡¯t even inform the Count. ¡°Edmon is saying the grey cloaks barged into Miss Valentina¡¯s home and arrested her and Miss Lena for committing a forbidden crime,¡± she added and there was no surprise on my face. ¡°Inform the Lord Count about it and say to him, that I would consider it a special favor if he stopped it,¡± ¡°Also, inform Baron Homer and express my regret for missing his party,¡± I said to her and turned to the old man. ¡°My apologies, Sir Schegan, but I will be returning to the city,¡± I apologized. ¡°The church had been acting out of its boundaries, meddling in the matters where it shouldn¡¯t, accusing innocent people. They needed to be shown their place,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help, but nod at that. For more, Click Chapter 300: Emperor Is Dead Chapter 300: Emperor Is Dead I woke up again, it was not the first time, I had woken up in two hours. I did it several times. Every time, I would check my watch and look out of the window to see whether we had reached the city. The bastards of the church of God of War had played a dirty game. They have used the opportunity of me leaving the city to arrest Valentina and Lena. They knew I wouldn¡¯t let it happen if I were in the city. It didn¡¯t happen. The Count acted promptly. They are still arrested, but are not in the dungeon of the church. They are in the city¡¯s prison. This might not seem different, but it is because the church is a territory of its own. Kind of like an embassy, a high level of authority is needed to take the people out of there. Even the Count would have found it hard to get them out of it, unless he was willing to use force. Taking them out of jail would be easier. Though not much, it might be everything for Valentina. I will need to be very careful in dealing with things or I would end up destroying them, even if I could bring them out of the jail. I looked outside at the wasteland for a few minutes; it seemed to calm me, before closing my eyes. Hun! I don¡¯t know, how long I slept, but I woke suddenly and this time, it wasn¡¯t the worry about my friend that woke me. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it made me feel dread. My whole body started to shiver, but my heart swooned in joy. I lay confused before suddenly I remembered something that old Vanis had said, and my eyes went wide. For a couple of seconds, I wasn¡¯t able to calm myself and even now, I am not calm. The news is big enough to send shockwaves across the whole continent and the world. Still, I forcefully calmed myself and focused on the feeling. It took me a second to be sure. ¡°Sir Schegan,¡± I said in a voice barely louder than the whisper, but it woke the old man immediately. He opened his mouth, but closed it, seeing the expression on my face, before opening it again. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked directly, with his face becoming serious. ¡°The bindings of blood contract had vanished,¡± I said, and the old man shuddered. ¡°How sure are you?¡± he asked after a couple of seconds of silence. ¡°I think, I am getting the same feeling that Lord Lindgren had described, his mentor had got at the demise of Emperor Waynmerth,¡± I replied. This time, the old man didn¡¯t say anything, but the band he was wearing, lit up, forming an energy cover around him. I looked at him for a couple of seconds before turning back to Zela. She has a shock all over her face. ¡°Send the message to Count and use the exact words, I tell you,¡± I said to her. A minute later, I am talking to the Count, and I have never heard him as panicked as I am right now. He was not prepared for the news, nobody had. It is the reason why, blood contracts are rarely signed. Especially the high-level ones that the emperor signs with hosts of legacy. It can be muted, but unlike other people, who signed the same level contract. We, the host of legacies, are different, and far more sensitive thanks to our legacies. If I had been in my legacy, it would have been so clear, that I wouldn¡¯t have been confused for several seconds. ... ¡°Finally, he is dead. Begin the invasion,¡± commanded the pale man sitting on the bone chair. There was no one in the hall, but those who needed to hear it had heard it. ... Zela cut the spell, and I turned to the old man, who was still covered in the energy. Seven and a half minutes later, he opened his eyes with his eyes serious. ¡°Emperor is dead. The era is over,¡± he said. Lola gasped, while I just nodded, in a grim realization that chaos would become and even I as the host of legacy wouldn¡¯t be able to stay safe from it. ¡°May his soul rest in peace,¡± I said. ¡°We have to reach the city as soon as possible; the carriage is too slow.¡± He spoke. I nodded. ¡°Driver, stop the carriage,¡± I said and turned to Lola. ¡°I will be riding to the city with Sir Schegan,¡± I informed her. ¡°I am coming with you,¡± she said, and I opened my mouth, but stopped, seeing her taking out clothes from her bag and a second later, something incredible happened. The beautiful dress she was wearing disappeared and appeared in her hand, while the clothes she had in her hands appeared on her body. Riding Clothes; that fit perfectly to her body. The skill is rare, and I didn¡¯t know she had it. It is an incredible skill, that I wish I could have, but I couldn¡¯t, even with the Copy Skill. She is higher level than me. Click! The carriage stopped, and we got out. A minute later, eighteen of us rode toward the city, with skills covering us one after another. Making our journey faster. Hun! Still, I wasn¡¯t prepared for the last skill. Just feeling its effect, I know it is from Sir Schegan. He is a Knight and a conventional one at that, with horse and all. His information said he had Equestrian Skills but didn¡¯t say, they were group type, which are rare among the imperial knights. The night turned blurry. I had to use everything, I had to be on horse and glad. That gymnast''s grace and a few other skills that others added are helping me. Others are doing well. Lola seemed to be enjoying the speed, and it was at much ease than me. So is the little monster, sitting on top of its head. Fang has come, and since morning, is unwilling to leave even for a second. Thankfully, the horse I am riding is used to Nero and isn¡¯t spooked. Some horses get spooked by him. This isn¡¯t surprising, seeing he is a monster, while they only have a monster''s blood in them. Minutes passed and turned into an hour, and I could already see the silhouette of the city. In the carriage, we would have needed over four hours, but with horses and powerful skill. We had crossed the distance in the time''s fourth. In a few minutes, we reached the distance, where the boat was already waiting for us. We went inside without saying anything and it took us to the other side. ¡°It seemed like the news hadn¡¯t spread,¡± I said as we stepped out on the other side. Everything is silent. If the news of the emperor''s death had spread, the port wouldn¡¯t be so silent. ¡°By dawn, it will,¡± replied the old man, and we sat in the carriage waiting for us. We would have ridden to the city, but that would be suspicious, and it is the last thing we want. Still, the carriage moved fast, and we were able to reach the Count''s mansion in record time. ¡°My lord,¡± Sir Schegan and I greeted as I entered the Count¡¯s office and was quite surprised. Seeing there only Robin and Atticus are present, aside from Lancel, York, and Beaumont. I had thought all the advisers and advisory council would be present. ¡°In the morning, we will announce the death of the emperor and swear our loyalty to His Imperial Majesty Grelt, Emperor of Harsoth,¡± he said, and there was barely any change in anyone¡¯s expression. Till yesterday, the Count had addressed his nephew as His Highness, but from today he is His Majesty, not a Prince, but an emperor. Every city and region that is loyal to him will swear their allegiance to him. I wonder how many princes would proclaim themselves as the Emperor. Three are set in stone. Crown Prince, Prince Grelt, and Princess Orlene, but I am sure there will be more. While my loyalty lies with Prince Grelt, due to my association with the city and the Count, I would have liked the Crown Prince to become the emperor, unopposed or any prince or princess. It would have continued with the stability that the empire has, but it is wishful thinking. It won¡¯t have happened. There will be no stability in the empire. If things went far, there wouldn¡¯t be an empire any empire. The empire isn¡¯t as strong as it used to be, but still strong enough to defend against any threat, if united, but sadly, it isn¡¯t. Still, understanding this, I had kept the hope in me alive. ¡°Remus, you will be responsible for the message, while Robin, you will make the arrangements,¡± ordered the Count. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± we replied with the bow. ¡°My lord, I will be leaving immediately. Hope, you will make the arrangement,¡± said Sir Schegan surprising me, before a hint of despair hit me. The little bit of relief I had vanished. I thought the old man would be staying and with someone like him with me, I would be much safer, but now he said, he is leaving. ¡°The discreet ship had already been prepared for you.¡± Said the Count. The old man bowed and turned to me. ¡°It was a pleasure knowing you, Lord Silver. I wished I could stay and train you more, but alas, it is time for this old knight to return to his liege,¡± said the old man with a shake of his head. ¡°Thank you for everything, Sir Schegan. I hope we will meet again,¡± I said, feeling quite emotional. It had been a month since the old man had been training me, but what he taught me was impactful. So, much so that he had transformed my fighting style. The old man smiled and turned to leave when he stopped and turned to me as I raised my hand a little to stop him. ¡°I hope, you didn¡¯t need to use it,¡± I said and handed the old man a box. It is a tiny wooden box. For one little thing of immense value, it was a gift from Synod, that Ophelia had given to me. The help provided by the old man is so much that I wouldn¡¯t feel good. If I let him leave, without giving anything in return. The old didn¡¯t reject the box and took it. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver,¡± said the old man and left, while I turned to Count and Lancel, both of them had curiosity in their eyes but didn¡¯t ask openly and I didn¡¯t volunteer. Instead, I said the thing for which I had returned to the city. ¡°My lord, thank you for saving Valentina and her friend. Priest Harold had targeted them for their hate for me and my business.¡± I thanked. He is the only person in the city who hasn¡¯t come to the establishment despite being invited. He had even opposed the party and the celebration, writing letters to all those who had been invited to the celebration. He is also constantly opposing, every change, I bring to the establishment, including me bringing the people of other races into the city. ¡°These bastards of the church, are abusing their powers quite a lot in the past year,¡± he said with anger flashing in his eyes. He is angry, not only because of what they are doing here, but also because of the things they are doing in the territory of his house. ¡°I hope you will release Valentina and Miss Lena as soon as possible, my lord. They are not only respectful citizens but also powerhouses. Our city will be needing their help more than ever,¡± I said, and he nodded. ¡°I will,¡± he said, and I wanted to curse that bastard. I didn¡¯t miss the glint in his eyes. The bastard will release them, but it won''t be quick and without incentive. I didn¡¯t ask him when. Instead, I bowed. I need to be careful about it and put him in a good mood and then offer incentives to release them. For that, I will need to finish the task he had handed me. Twenty minutes later, Robin and I walked out the door with our commands. I immediately went out of the mansion and began my work. Which is familiar to me. I have done this many times, but this time, the situation is much bigger and needs to be handled with extreme care. I didn¡¯t even tell the callers'' guild about it and only asked to call their people and placed a few mages there, with an anti-message spell active to be cautious. The news shouldn¡¯t spread until it is time. Click! It was a little over two hours before I got back to the Count''s office. There was only Count and Beaumont, Lancel, Atticus, and York seemed to have disappeared. ¡°All done?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, my lord. I only need to send the message and the callers will announce it throughout the entire city,¡± I replied. The man nodded and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly Beaumont shook with alarm and horror on her face. Seeing the expressions, even the Count got alarmed, and I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. ¡°Beaumont, what happened?¡± asked the Count with worry written all over his face. ¡°The undead arma For more, Click Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 301: Undead Armada Chapter 301: Undead Armada ¡°The undead armada had appeared in front of the Ashton Harbor,¡± said Mage Beaumont. The moment I heard those words, the same horror as hers appeared on my face. ¡°Fuck!¡± Cursed Count Darrow loudly and I felt his emotions loud and clear. There is anger but also fear. He is scared and he should. An undead armada is no small thing; it is a genuine terror. What is even more terrorizing is that it had appeared in front of the Ashton Harbor so suddenly. Even the smallest armada is huge. Even for the undead, it is not easy to bring it to the shore of the empire without getting discovered, but they did. It is clear that they had been preparing for it, for months at the least, and the imperial navy hadn¡¯t discovered them at all. ¡°How big it is?¡± asked Count Darrow, after calming himself forcefully. ¡°Big enough, that Ashton Harbor might not be able to defend against it,¡± she replied, and a moment later, her staff lit up and projected the images in front of us. Seeing them, my whole body shook. The mage pictures are dark due to the night, but I could clearly make out the enormous ships and the skeletons, that seemed to be standing on every surface of them. The white emblem of Vris¡¯alud could be clearly seen on the masts of those massive ships. They have a huge number of undead, and I am not talking about it, seeing those skeletons. It is an undead armada, and they always have far more numbers than what is visible on the outside. It hadn¡¯t been even six hours since the emperor was dead, and the first enemy had already made its move. The others may have started to make their moves too, we just didn¡¯t know. ¡°Send a message to Dane, ask him to send ten thousand men to the city. I want them here by the night,¡± Count Darrow said after a minute of silence, before turning to me. ¡°The message to the public will need to be modified.¡± He said, and I nodded. A few hours passed, and it was morning. I am now looking at the city gates, where there is a large crowd. They want to get out and I couldn¡¯t blame them. Though, I am still surprised, seeing the numbers. They are not as much as I thought they would be. I thought that the whole city would want to escape, hearing the emperor is dead and the undead is attacking. I shouldn¡¯t have been. People aren¡¯t idiots. They understood, that with things not being under the control of the Crown Prince, there would be chaos in the empire. It had already begun. Edruin and Yressor had already attacked and soon the others will follow. The empire wasn¡¯t stable anymore, Crown Prince¡¯s and Princess Orlen¡¯s forces had clashed at dawn. It is a small battle, between the Viscounts of their camps, both calling others liege, the usurper. Prince Grelt and Princess Orlene had declared themselves emperor. There is also a Prince Samris, but nobody is taking him series. He will either die or join the camp of one of three. ¡°Any news from Port Ashton?¡± I asked Zela, to which she shook her head. The armada had attacked Ashton Harbor and sealed the communication so that no message could get out of there. They have even started hunting the surrounding mages, who are sending the messages. So, we are pretty blind to what is happening there. The count is offering a large amount of money for any news, but for the last two and a half hours, we aren¡¯t getting any. We might soon as we aren¡¯t the only ones, who are desperate for it, other cities too. The cities which are close to the Ashton Harbor had sent people. Mostly adventurers, as only they would dare to take such risks. Then the carriage stopped a few minutes later, and I got out into the compound of the fortified building. It wasn¡¯t used to be this fortified, but now it needs to be, seeing how many people we were keeping inside. Click! ¡°Lord Silver,¡± greeted the man as I got out of the carriage. ¡°Jailor Finnigan,¡± I said to the middle-aged man with sandy brown hair. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked as he led me inside a building. ¡°Bad, my lord. The cells are overcrowded and despite rationing our supply, we don¡¯t have enough to feed them for even a week,¡± he replied. Soon, I saw the cells and my expressions couldn¡¯t help, but change seeing the conditions of the cells. People, or rather the orcs filled cells to the brim. Each cell is holding three times more people than its capacity. To make matters worse, we have added even more prisoners. From what I know, there are three and half thousand prisoners, with three thousand being orcs. ¡°We really need to execute these bastards. Keeping them alive is a waste of space and food,¡± he said, looking at the Orcs angrily. I didn¡¯t say anything. These people are going to die, sooner rather than later. With undead knocking on the region, the Count wouldn¡¯t want another problem on his hands. I feel pity for them; they wouldn¡¯t be judged for their crimes properly, before getting executed. We stopped at the fourth floor and walked toward the thick iron door, guarded by the six guards. They saluted the middle-aged man and bowed to me. Click! Finnegan took out the keys from his pockets without saying anything and opened the door. ¡°They are inside, Lord Silver,¡± said Finnegan. ¡°Thank you, Finnegan,¡± I said and walked inside. It was a small apartment in spartan style, with thick warded grey walls. It is one of three fortified jail suits this prison has. I turned left and saw the people; I had come to see. Valentina is sitting on the couch with her girlfriend. She didn¡¯t seem surprised to see me; there was even a small smile on her face. ¡°It seemed like the news had forced you to cut your trip short,¡± she said. I didn¡¯t say anything, just sat in front of them, with a guilty sigh. ¡°I am sorry. You have to suffer this because of me,¡± I apologized. Of course, it was because of me she was here. If not for her close relationship with me, the priest wouldn¡¯t have targeted her and Lena. ¡°It was not your fault,¡± she said, and I smiled mirthlessly at her conciliary words. ¡°It was really not your fault, Remus. It was a Nielson Guild that informed the church,¡± said Valentina, surprising me, but also confusing me at the same time. Valentina is their best employee. She is one, that helped the guild to get the legacy job, which they had not got before. ¡°Why would they do that?¡± I asked, and she smiled, without any mirth in it. ¡°Because I had resigned from it,¡± she replied, surprising me. I knew she was going to resign to start her own company, but I thought she would wait for a few months before doing that. For a minute, we didn¡¯t speak, before I opened my mouth. ¡°I should be able to get both of you out of here in a few days,¡± I said, and it was their turn to be surprised. ¡°Church wouldn¡¯t let it happen,¡± said Valentina somberly, and I smiled. It would have been difficult before and I would have needed to give something good to the Count for their release, but now, I do not need to do that. ¡°Emperor is dead,¡± I informed, and shock appeared on their face, ¡°And there is an undead armada attacking the Ashton Harbor,¡± I added, shocking them further. If the death of the emperor had made, the Count feel the need for more powerhouses, the attack of undead on Ashton Harbor had forced him to do that. It is the reason why, he had asked for the ten-thousand men from Mirador Hold. In the minutes, he heard about the armada. By tomorrow, he will release both of them and even the church wouldn¡¯t do anything. They have been silent since the morning and, aside from organizing the service to pray for the emperor''s soul, they haven¡¯t done anything. They haven¡¯t even dared to declare the Crown Prince as the rightful emperor. The church may be powerful and actively supporting the Crown Prince, but they wouldn¡¯t dare to proclaim him as emperor, in the territory of Prince Grelt, who also proclaimed himself as the emperor. I didn¡¯t stay at the jail for long and walked out. From there, I directly went to the control room I had set up took the input, and then walked toward the Count¡¯s office. Click! I stepped into the office and moved to bow, when I suddenly stopped for a moment, seeing the expressions on the faces of everyone. They are somber, and some seem visibly scared. Lancel isn¡¯t even guarding his emotions, I could clearly sense the fear he is feeling. It gave me a terrible feeling. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted after a pause. ¡°Ashton Harbor had fallen. The undead had conquered it in less than six hours of attacking it,¡± said Count Darrow, despondently. I shuddered, hearing that. Ashton Harbor is no Greltheaven. It is a city of half a million people, with a powerful army. The armada was big, but it shouldn¡¯t have conquered the city so quickly. ¡°Are we sure about this news?¡± I asked, and Atticus turned to me with a glare. ¡°Yes, we are sure. Those damn undead had let the adventurers get close and even blasted the message spells all over the region, declaring their victory,¡± ¡°They have not only conquered the city, but also captured its lord and other important people, who were escaping,¡± he said and shuddered. He is not the only one, even Count Darrow shuddered visibly. I am not surprised. It is their signature; they need powerful people. Not to run the territories they conquer, but to turn them into the powerful undead. Every territory they conquer, they will turn all the powerful people into undead. They will start with the army and then turn to everyone with sufficiently high attributes. They rarely spare anyone.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 302: Immediately Chapter 302: Immediately ¡°Bastard!¡± Count shouted. Saying the Count is angry is an understatement. He is beyond angry and the reason for that is fear. I learned today that the Count isn¡¯t good at dealing with fear. Especially of the enemies who didn¡¯t follow the conventional rules of the world. They would kill even the noble of Count Darrow¡¯s standing, if they felt like it. There is a lot less protection for a noble like him, than a conventional enemy, who would ransom them for a large amount of money. I looked at the poor man at whom the Count had screamed. A raven-haired man in his late fifties with a thin pale body. He is Colonel Cardin, the man who had brought the people from the Mirador Hold. He is not a fighter. He used to be and quite a good one at that, but not anymore, since his injury. It is partially the reason; the Count is angry. The main reason, the Count, is angry, is because he had brought five thousand men, instead of the ten thousand, that he had asked for. Also, the men he brought were the new recruits. They were part of the ten thousand men, that came to Mirador Hold a few months ago. They replaced the more experienced ones in the hold that went back to Prince Grelt¡¯s territory. I felt quite bad for the man. Dane had intentionally sent him here. Dane didn¡¯t like him, always handling him the responsibilities that were below his rank. It could be said to be the first time, he received responsibility that is equal to his rank. Though not the one, he would like to have. ¡°I asked for ten thousand good men, with Liston or Briar leading them. Instead, I got five thousand inexperienced men, led by a man, who could barely hold the weapon,¡± said Count angrily. ¡°Apologies, my lord, but Commander Dane had said, this is all he could spare with the movement of undead from Navr,¡± replied the man in an even tone. Which seemed to make him even angry. Commander Dane had sent half of what the Count asked, and his explanation is that he had sensed the movements from Navr. It might be an excuse or a truth, nothing could be said be said without proof. ¡°My lord, there is no use in being angry at Colonel Cardin. We should instead assimilate the men he brought into the city¡¯s force and ask for more men from Commander Dane in a firm tone,¡± I advised. He is not the only one who is angry, everyone is. We all are worried about our survival, but letting this anger guide our judgment wouldn¡¯t help. We need to be rational when a dangerous enemy has arrived at our doorstep. The Count closed his mouth and turned to Mage York. ¡°Inform Dane that I want more men and tell him, he wouldn¡¯t like the consequences if he didn¡¯t follow the order properly this time,¡± said the Count. Mage York nodded and closed his eyes, while the Count had turned to us. ¡°The undead of Vris¡¯alud had captured the Ashton Harbor, and they have sent a message to all cities, asking them to surrender, but we will not surrender,¡± ¡°We will fight till our last breath and achieve victory against the damn undead,¡± said the Count, and everyone sitting across the table nodded. One by one, people left until only Atticus, and I remained. ¡°Atticus, absorb the numbers quickly. Remus, maintain contact with the other cities of the region and inform me if something has come up,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I and Atticus said in unison. I went back to the control room; I had set up and began to contact my contacts. This is the new responsibility I received, along with the ones I have. It is night, and I have not gone to the establishment. Since I came back from the baronies, there is no time. Undead had come to the region and captured one of our cities, and they are threatening to capture others as well. The damnest thing about it is that there is no help. Not from the prince, not from the empire, or any allies. This is the problem, we will solve ourselves and we are ill-equipped to do that. ¡°Any information on undead?¡± I asked, and there was nothing. The undead once again started hunting the mages and scouts and they were expanding the area every second, killing anything that came in their paths. We don¡¯t have powerful scouts that could evade them. Robin is negotiating with the adventurers of the merchant state, but it will take some time before we get any. Till then, we are completely blind to the movements of the undead and that is very bad. It allows the enemy to surprise us, and we do not want to get surprised anymore. The surprises we have received throughout the day, were already big enough that affected the city from which it would take weeks or even months to recover. Two and half hours passed, and I went to the Count¡¯s office again and reported my progress, before coming out a few minutes later. This time, I didn¡¯t go back to the control room and instead went out and sat in my carriage. The streets are emptier than normal; one should expect there would be more people running from the city and there would have been if the circumstances were normal, but they are not. The merchant states have closed their borders, and, except for goods, nothing is going in and out. The people didn¡¯t want to go to the mainland. So, people are staying in their homes waiting. They would bolt if more bad news came and even the gates wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them. The carriage got near to the establishment and the scene I saw there, surprised me. There has always been a crowd in front of the establishment since it turned to the legacy, but what I am seeing now is at a completely different level. There are far more carriages than there usually are. Hun! My carriage entered through the back gate, and immediately, I sensed the change. Usually, such a change is hard to sense, unless I see the core, but now I am sensing it clearly. I closed my eyes, and for a moment later; the sun appeared in front of me. I didn¡¯t look at it, I looked at the emotions and despite expecting it, I couldn¡¯t help, but get surprised, before a big smile appeared on my face. The emotions entering the sun are four to five times higher than then normal, but it is not what made me happy. It is the quality of emotions; the amount in which the establishment is getting is shocking. I didn¡¯t need to get shocked, seeing the conditions. The emperor is dead, and the undead are attacking the region. People are scared and want to get away, but can¡¯t. So, they come to the only place that will let them do that, even if it is for a short time, the establishment. I opened my eyes as the carriage stopped and walked out, before entering the establishment. I saw the restaurant and the bars on the first floors, and they seemed rowdy than usual. People are dancing on the floors and some even making out, without care for the world. Such scenes are rare on the first floor, they usually occur on the floors above. I watched for a few seconds before going to the floor above. I wanted to watch more, but I didn¡¯t have time. I want to finish a few things as soon as possible and sleep because getting it in the next few days would be hard. I was on the fourth floor when Caena came. ¡°Have you sensed it?¡± she asked, and I nodded. ¡°Such powerful emotions. If the establishment gets them daily, Ashav would be a very happy man,¡± she said, and I smiled. The deal I made with him had got a good response. I already gave him the second batch and got things in return. With the quantity and quality of emotions, the establishment is absorbing. It will be producing a lot of emotion essence this month. Which made me happy, because I am going to need a lot to survive, the times ahead. Click! I walked into my office with Caena, where Margaux was already waiting. ¡°How are girls?¡± I asked as I sat in my seat. ¡°Worried, but keeping themselves busy,¡± she replied. ¡°Does anyone want to leave?¡± I asked. ¡°Surprisingly, no,¡± she replied, and it surprised me. I thought many girls would want to leave, especially the ones we brought two days ago. It seemed like, they were trying the wait and watch approach like most people in the city. ¡°Let them leave if they want,¡± I said, and she nodded. I am not going to keep them here against their will in a time like this. If they want, they can leave, with complete freedom. A few minutes later, I walked into my room and lay on the bed to sleep. I was so tired, that I fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow. ¡°Mr. Silver, wake up,¡± said Zela, waking me from my sleep. ¡°Did something happen?¡± I asked as I opened my eyes and looked at her, hoping it was not the bad news. Thankfully, she shook her head. ¡°Count had summoned you. He wants you in his office immediately.¡± She informed and all the relief vanished. I looked at the clock and saw, it was a little past three in the morning. The Count wouldn¡¯t have summoned me at this time if it wasn¡¯t important or it would have been good news. He couldn''t wait to tell the good news. There is no such luxury when it comes to the bad news. For more, Click Chapter 303: Governor of Greltheaven I Chapter 303: Governor of Greltheaven I Hun! I stepped out of the carriage and was surprised immediately. Every reserved spot is filled; there is not a single one that is empty. Most of these spots belong to members of the advisory council and other important people. The Count hadn¡¯t called the meeting of the advisory council. Terming them useless in this condition, but now here they are, along with all the important people in the city. Some of them wanted to leave in the morning but had been forcefully stopped by the Count. I glance at the carriages for a second before walking into the mansion, toward his office. He had called me there, instead of the conference room, where usually the council gathers. Click! ¡°He is waiting for you,¡± said the old woman as I stopped in front of her. I nodded and walked toward the door. ¡°My lords,¡± I greeted the father and son as I entered the room, hiding the surprise I was feeling. There are only seven people in the office. Aside from Count Lancel, there is a Mage York and Beaumont, along with Robin and Atticus. However, the one that surprised me was the Priest Harold. Count hated the man, especially since he tried to trample on his authority by arresting Valentina and Lena, but now the man is here, and he is smiling at me. I am not liking the smile at all. ¡°You have called me, my lord?¡± I asked, to which the Count nodded slowly, but didn¡¯t say anything for several seconds. ¡°The undead are doing what they had threatened. They have sent their hordes to Almin, Bilgas, and Port Midlet.¡± ¡°It is very likely that they will send their forces to other cities of the region, including the Greltheaven,¡± he said, and I shook. I am shocked, not because the undead did what they had threatened to do. We already expected that, but we didn¡¯t expect, they would do it so quickly; less than a day after conquering the Ashton Harbor. Atticus predicted the undead would take at least a week to consolidate their gains before making any move. ¡®It seemed like Stone was right,¡¯ I thought. Earlier, I asked Stone for his opinion, and he said, it would happen much sooner than we expected. I didn¡¯t want to believe it, but what he said had happened. ¡°Are the hordes big?¡± I asked. It is the only question I could think of. ¡°If the information is right, then Almin and Bilgas would stand no chance against it,¡± replied Atticus, which once again shook my heart. ¡°What about Port Midlet?¡± I asked. ¡°The undead had sent the biggest horde there, but it is hard to say whether they will be able to conquer it. The city has a force nearly as strong as the Deerpond and young Zanav is also there with his cavalry,¡± he replied. I nearly forgot that bastard is there. He had left the Greltheaven the very night it turned into the legacy and went to Mirador Hold, where it trained with its forces, before going to Dustorn Fortress. He visited a couple of cities, before reaching the Port Midlet four days ago. It was supposed to be his last city, before leaving the region. ¡°It is very likely, that the undead will attack our city and we need to be prepared for that,¡± said the Count, and to that, I nodded. ¡°With our current forces, we are not capable of that,¡± I said and a faint, nearly invisible smile appeared on the Count and others'' faces. I didn¡¯t like that smile, I felt like, saying those words, I had fallen into some trap that he laid out. ¡°You are right, Remus. It is why, I am going to bring the aid that will help defend our precious city,¡± he said, and that hidden smile became visible. ¡°You are going to the hold?¡± I asked in surprise. Count isn¡¯t the person who would go into the arms of danger to escape another danger. Mirador Hold isn¡¯t as safe as it was till a few days ago. ¡°No, the forces of Mirador Hold are busy. A large number of undead had gathered near the fortress that Dane is asking us to return, the people, he had sent us yesterday,¡± he replied. It surprised me, as I thought Dane was making excuses to keep his forces with him, but it seemed like there was some truth in it. Though, I doubt, it is a complete truth; it is all feeling a little fishy to me. ¡°I am going to the Dustorn Fortress to get aid and in my absence, you will be in charge city.¡± I was expecting the first sentence, but the second one caught me completely off guard. It felt like, getting struck by lightning. It took me a while to come to myself, and when I thought about what he said, I didn¡¯t like it at all. It might not seem like it, but it is his presence that keeps everything calm in the city. Chaos would descend the moment news of his leaving spread. ¡°What about, Lord Lancel?¡± I asked, looking at Lancel, who was looking at me with a hidden smile, but the Count shook his head. ¡°Lancel is coming with me. He has good relations with the Marquess Gats'' son. I am also taking the Atticus and Priest Harold with me; they will help me make the case for the aid to Marquess Gats,¡± he replied. ¡®He is not leaving to get the aid, but escaping!¡¯ I realized. If he was truly leaving to get the aid, he would have kept his son here, whom he had been grooming for this responsibility, but he was taking his son with him. He is also taking the only man in the city¡¯s force with experience against the undead and also the man, who could effectively deal against the undead. The divine magic is the bane of the undead. ¡°My lord, I am incapable of handling such responsibility,¡± I said, rejecting the responsibility he was trying to throw at me. He shook his head at that. ¡°You are the only Lord in the city, Remus, and, most importantly, a person I trust the most to handle this great responsibility,¡± he said and the way he spoke, felt so genuine that I almost believed it. Of course, it is a lie; the bastard wants to escape and leave me behind to sort out the mess. ¡°Besides, it is only for a few days. I will be returning in three to four days,¡± he added and before, I could say anything, he placed the parchment in front of me. I looked at it, and it was what, I expected. It is a dictum pronouncing me as the acting governor of the Greltheaven. It is clear, that Count had prepared for it long ago, as only my name looked freshly written, while everything else is old. ¡°I think, there are many people in the city, more capable of handling this responsibility,¡± I said, really not wanting to take this responsibility, but seeing how they are all looking at me, I may not have a choice. ¡°It is an honor, Silver. You should take it,¡± said Atticus, placing his hand on the sword, while the Count watched without change in his expression. I wanted to laugh at the bastard. He wouldn¡¯t harm me, much less kill me, but he conveyed the meaning. I don¡¯t really have a choice; I have to accept the responsibility. I turned to the dictum and read it more carefully this time. It had been well crafted, with very few loopholes, that will be hard to exploit. So, I decided to change changed that. I touched the parchment and activated ¡®Flawless Edit.¡¯ I am glad, I didn¡¯t change the skill. As I activated the skill, the texts began to move, and some entirely disappeared and were replaced with others. The change is minor, but it has transformed the meaning of the whole document. The first thing I did was remove the word acting. Since he wants to give me the responsibility, then I will gain the complete title, not a temporary one. I had also replaced the word ¡®Governor¡¯ with a more archaic one. The word had a different interpretation, it means governor, but also lord and ruler. Its meaning depends upon the interpretation. I have also shortened the number of people who could take this responsibility away from me. I left the first two people unchanged, which is the emperor of the complete empire and Prince Grelt. The third one is the House of Ravenheart, with Count Darrow having the greatest authority. After him, it was his eldest son and brother, then it was Lancel and the children of his brother and a few other people. I only kept Count Darrow and Lancel and cut, the house Ravenheart as a whole. So, now only four people could take away this responsibility for me. I shouldn¡¯t have done that, but I did it to spite the bastard. I like to see what he will do now, because changing it going to make Lancel angry, seeing the Count had put his eldest son and his brothel above him when Greltheaven was supposed to be his. I looked at the changes before picking up the pen and signing it with the power of my skill and legacy. This is a responsibility, I don¡¯t want, but since he had forced it on me, I will make sure that I get what I want in return. As for what I want. The Lord Class. This responsibility will give me the greatest chance to gain that class. The Count seemed to understand it as well, as a smile appeared on his face, despite sparks of anger floating in his eyes. He took the parchment in his hand and read it, before turning to me. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said simply and walked out of the office with me and others following behind. I didn¡¯t even guess where he was going; it all became clear with the parchment. Click! The guards opened the door of the familiar room, and we entered inside. Immediately, the eyes of tens of people fell on us. There are over fifty people in the room, aside from the advisory council. There are heads of all guilds, powerful merchants, mercenaries, upper echelons of the city¡¯s force, and other important people. It could be said that anyone who holds the weight in the city is present here. ¡°My lord,¡± all of them greeted as we entered. They all are nervous, with many having fear in their eyes. It is a difficult time, and they are looking at their leader with hope; the leader who is abandoning them. Count looked at all of them as he walked to his seat, but he didn¡¯t sit. ¡°The scourge of Vris¡¯alud had attacked our region. They already captured one city and moved their forces to the other three. It won¡¯t be long before they turn their dark eyes on our precious city,¡± he said, and many shuddered. ¡°To prepare for it, I had decided to take a great risk and make a journey to the Dustorn Fortress to bring aid to our city,¡± ¡°In my absence, Lord Remus Silver will be in command of the city, and I hope, you all will give him, the support he needs,¡± he said to the surprise of many. He didn¡¯t give them any chance to speak and placed the parchment down before signing it and stamping it with his seal. Hun! I thought, he would pass it to others to sign as a witness, but to my surprise, he did something else. He took a small scroll, with a familiar seal of Prince Grelt and opened it. Immediately, the golden-purple light shone out from it, and I felt the clicking before I saw the seal of a prince appear on parchment. That was a sigil scroll. Only high-level ruler classes produce it. They only give those to people whom they trust explicitly. Now, the dictum is bound by the prince¡¯s seal. It is not a dictum of the Count anymore, who is the temporary ruler of Greltheaven. The real ruler is Prince Grelt, and he had just given me authority over the Greltheaven. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed hard in my heart because now all the hope I had had disappeared. He is really escaping and wouldn¡¯t be coming back at all. Leaving me responsible for the city, that could not defend against the undead. For more, Click Chapter 304: Governor of Greltheaven II Chapter 304: Governor of Greltheaven II ¡°Take care of my city, Remus. Don¡¯t let it fall,¡± said Count Darrow as he collected the dictum that everyone signed and handed it to me. ¡°I will not, my lord,¡± I replied with a bow. What else I could say? I can¡¯t curse at him, that I really want to do. The bastard is escaping, leaving the citizens of the city to fend for themselves against the undead. ¡°Everyone, support Governor Silver. As you have supported me,¡± he said to the people, before walking toward the door. I followed behind and noticed, that quite some people were also following behind, but as we reached the door. Many were stopped by the guards, only a few were able to follow the Count. Most are people from the army and mercenaries. ¡°The guards won¡¯t be able to keep them in the room for long, Remus. You should control them as soon as possible and don¡¯t hesitate to use the force,¡± he advised. I said nothing other than nod. He gave me a few more words of wisdom before we have finally reached the doors of the mansion, where three unmarked carriages were already waiting. ¡°Hold the city, till I bring the aid, Remus,¡± he said and patted on my shoulder before sitting in the carriage with Atticus and Priest Harold. With them entering the carriages, others didn¡¯t waste any time and sat on their carriages. All of them were powerful people who would have been a tremendous help in fighting against the undead, but now all of them are escaping, without care for the people of the city. The doors of the carriages closed, and they moved toward the gates, while I watched silently. ¡°He had made a grave mistake leaving the city,¡± said Stone suddenly, while Zela and Jon smiled in pleasure. ¡°Why?¡± I asked in question. This is the best time to leave. The undead had yet to attack the city, and with three High Mages, powerful warriors, and priests; it would be very hard for anyone in the region to stop them. ¡°Lord Governor, do you know how most nobles got killed in the first few months of the war on our island?¡± he asked back instead of answering my question. I wanted to say, that when the undead conquered their territories, but stopped, feeling this simple answer would be obviously be wrong. So, I simply shook my head. ¡°They were killed when they were escaping. Less than 10% of those who escaped were able to escape safely,¡± he answered. ¡°It has been only two days since they attacked. They couldn¡¯t prepare such thoroughly, not to mention the people that went with the Count aren¡¯t weak.¡± ¡°Even if the undead are lying in wait, the Count would simply tear through them,¡± said Robin, before I could speak. Robin didn¡¯t leave with the Count. He had left behind his most trusted adviser. The bastard only took people who could fight against the undead. Forget Robin. He had even left behind his secretary, who has been with him for decades. ¡°You are underestimating the Vris¡¯alud. Far too much Lord Governor. If you think, they arrived in the region only two days ago,¡± ¡°They have arrived a long before that and were only waiting for the emperor to die and now that he did, they are springing their net.¡± ¡°There is a very high chance that Count and all the men who had left with him, will be caught in their nets,¡± replied Stone, making me and Robin shudder. Stone looks sure of his words, but I am having quite a hard time believing them. Though, I didn¡¯t dare to discard them. He had fought against the Vris¡¯alud for years; he knew how they operated. It would be a grave mistake to throw away his opinions. For a few seconds, I didn¡¯t say anything before turning to Stone and others. ¡°I will be safe from the undead, but you are all, and the city won¡¯t be. I planned to open the gates of the city and let everyone leave. It will help, more people survive,¡± I said with a sigh. I don¡¯t want to do this, but I will. The undead won''t be able to catch them all. I am sure, many will survive. As for me, they won¡¯t kill me; I am a host of the legacy. Even the undead need the emotion essence as the rest of the people do. They need it more than other people if things I heard are true. ¡°You are once again wrong, Lord Governor. The undead will catch them all. I would bet my life to say, by the dawn, there will be blockades across the river and the other directions will be covered by them as well,¡± said Stone. ¡°This can¡¯t be!¡± said Robin, not wanting to believe what Stone said; he isn¡¯t the only one, I am also unwilling to believe it. ¡°What Mr. Stone is saying will probably happen, Lord Governor. I had read the reports from Mayhurst Island over the years, and it matches how they do things,¡± said Colonel Cardin, who had been silent till now. ¡°So, what do I do? We are far from strong enough to fight the horde, and if we don¡¯t do anything, the undead will capture the city, and we all know how that will end,¡± I asked. I could feel the panic in my heart, that I was having a hard time suppressing. Despite not seeing the undead, I could feel them closing on me from all sides, with no way against them. ¡°Fighting against them, will be difficult, but I think there is a better strategy to deal with them,¡± said Colonel Cardin. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, with desperation dripping from my voice. ¡°Negotiate. You have a unique advantage to do that because of your legacy,¡± the colonel replied. A smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face, but this smile has no mirth in it. I may not know much about war, but I know a simple fact, that negotiations happen when there is leverage. The city has none except for the legacy and even it won¡¯t work unless I threatened to blast it into the pieces. Which I won¡¯t do. It is the only thing that will keep me and my girls safe. The Count threw this responsibility on me not only because I am a lord, as he had said but also because I am the only person in the city, whom undead won¡¯t kill. Unlike most people, who might die in my place and revert to the blame on him. I will be alive and the blame for the city¡¯s capture would always be on my shoulder if it got captured by the undead. ¡°The legacy won¡¯t be a strong enough leverage; we can¡¯t depend on it. We need to be prepared to fight,¡± I said simply, surprising them. There is no other choice. We can¡¯t leave or run away since the undead would be hunting us and there is no way I would depend upon a single leverage. There is only one thing we can do, and that is prepared to fight. If I was able to show the undead that we are able to do enough damage to their horde; I might be able to negotiate a good deal to surrender. It is far from the ideal option, but will help to save many people. If we fight, then a lot more people will die. I turned and walked inside, with them following behind me. There are hundreds of thoughts running through my mind; some were good, some were bad. The one that is strongest is the thought of running away. I want to run away, like the Count did, despite knowing, I am the safest person in the entire city. The fear is too strong. This fear is what made the Count run away. I am sure, he is aware of how Vris¡¯alud does things, but wasn¡¯t able to control this fear and took the risk of running away. ¡°A blockade had appeared between Greltheaven and Deerpond,¡± said Zela suddenly, stopping me in my tracks. Stone had said it would happen, but it had still surprised me. They are acting faster than I imagined if they continue to do that. It won¡¯t be long before they appear on our doorsteps. Click! A moment later, I turned to the door and entered inside. Immediately, half of the people got up, while the other half took a moment more to rise. ¡°Lord Governor!¡± They greeted. ¡°Everyone, sit down,¡± I said as I sat down, before looking at each of their eyes. Everyone is scared, fear is visible in their eyes, and some are not even trying to hide it. For a few seconds, I didn¡¯t say anything. Letting the power of silence spread while pushing my passive skill as hard as I could. ¡°The undead are in our region and if they keep moving at the speed they are, then they will be at our doorsteps in a day or two,¡± I said, making many shudders. Some opened their mouths but closed, feeling my eyes on them. ¡°I will not stop you if any of you want to run away, but let me warn you, it is more dangerous than staying in the city.¡± ¡°According to the latest information, the undead had created the blockades between the Deerpond and Owlspring.¡± ¡°The scouts had also informed me of the undead hunting parties in other directions; they are killing everything, they see,¡± The sheer panic that appeared in the eyes of people was staggering. That I wish they were in the establishment. ¡°This can¡¯t be! How can they move so fast?¡± asked Irving Gagarin, leader of the Blacksmith guild, with a shaking voice. Seeing the big man, one wouldn¡¯t expect him to quiver in fear, but the conditions are, as such, that he is. It is not like they are worried about their own safety; they are also worried about the safety of their families. I could see the regret flashing in the eyes of many people. Many of them regretted coming here to this region. They knew the risk, but they thought it would come from the east instead of the west and would take at least five years. ¡°Even I don¡¯t know the answer to it. Guildmaster Gagarin, I am only stating what I know,¡± I replied. I lied a little; it is necessary to keep them in the city. They are the most important people. If they left, then all the citizens would want to leave, and I can¡¯t let that happen. ¡°What is your plan then, Lord Governor?¡± Finally, the most important question came, and it came from none other than Damon Hardt. ¡°Negotiate, but we will also be prepared to fight. If the undead didn¡¯t agree to our conditions,¡± I replied. The answer seemed to shock many people. ¡°You would surrender to the undead?¡± asked Jonah Ross, leader of the builder¡¯s guild in horror. ¡°Yes, I would, as long as they agreed to spare the people of the city. It is better than letting them turn into the undead ¡°They will not spare the city; it is not in their nature,¡± said Damon Hardt. ¡°It is why we are also preparing to fight. If turning undead is fate, then we won¡¯t be accepting it, without giving them a fight,¡± I replied. ¡°It is easy for you to say, Lord Governor. You are the only person the undead won¡¯t touch,¡± said Gagarin, to that I smiled. ¡°You are right, Guildmaster Gagarin, but rest assured, if we were to fight, I will fight with our men,¡± I replied. There was a silence for a couple of seconds before the big man opened his mouth. ¡°What will you do if we want to leave?¡± he asked. ¡°I will not stop you; the gates will be opened in the morning. Those who want to leave will be able to leave the city,¡± I replied, surprising many, including Stone and Cardin. Keeping the gates closed will create chaos, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will throw open the gates for everyone to leave. I will be opening the gates, but only to give a feeling of choice to the people. The measures will be like a pressure cooker. Seal it fully and it will explode, but have a small hole and everything will be in control.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 305: When Did You Find Out? Chapter 305: When Did You Find Out? Soon, the last person left, and the door closed. Leaving only Colonel Cardin, Robin, and my guards in the hall. ¡°Can we really fight the undead?¡± I asked Stone and Colonel Cardin. ¡°It is a complicated question, Lord Governor. The answer depends on the strength of a horde, the number of undead it has, the type of undead it contains, the pillars, and the people leading them,¡± replied Colonel Cardin. It is a technical answer, I do not need a technical answer. So, I turned to the person, who could give me the answer, I needed. Stone didn¡¯t speak, and I thought he wouldn¡¯t before he opened his mouth. ¡°The horde they would send likely be a grade 2 war horde. It will have hundred to hundred and fifty thousand undead, regular undead with zombies and skeletons, around ten to fifteen pre-Level 30 powerhouses, and with two or more Level 30+ powerhouse leading them.¡± ¡°To even have a small chance of victory against such force, we would need an army of twenty-five thousand. Around twenty pre-Level 30 powerhouses and at least three to five Level 30+ powerhouses,¡± he replied. For a moment, I didn¡¯t speak as I was busy cursing at my heart at the bastard who had run away. We might not have a required number in the army, but we wouldn¡¯t have had any problem with powerhouses. We had three high mages; they alone would have helped tremendously. The bastard had taken them all with him when he ran away. ¡°There is still time to leave, if any of you want to leave,¡± I said. Colonel Cardin smiled, while Stone and others remained silent without saying anything. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, before my expressions, turned serious. ¡°Zela calls every officer of the rank of captain and, above. Mercenary leaders, Mage Guild leaders, and every powerhouse that hadn¡¯t left. Also, see if there are any priests of the god of war had remained. If there are, call them; I want them all here by five,¡± I ordered. I thought for a moment and gave out another order, which alarmed Cardin. ¡°Lord Governor, that wouldn¡¯t be wise,¡± he said, sensing my intentions. ¡°I didn¡¯t like it either, but we need people. They are better than the people that Commander Dane had sent with you,¡± I said. ¡°They will not be controlled. Might even make things worse,¡± he advised. ¡°It could happen, but it is the risk, I am willing to take,¡± I replied. As I had said, I wouldn¡¯t have done it. If I had a choice, but now there is no choice. I have to do it despite the risks it poses. He opened his mouth to reply to that, but closed it a moment later. I didn¡¯t say a thing and walked toward the office, with them following behind me. My steps were steady and there was no emotion on my face, but in my heart, there was bubbling panic. I am not worried about my life, I am confident I will be safe, but I am worried about the lives of over two hundred thousand citizens of the city. It is weighing me down; wanting me to throw this responsibility to someone else and burrow into my legacy. That would be a mistake. I am the only person in the city who is fit for this responsibility. It is the reason, the bastard gave me the responsibility before running away. Not because I am capable, I could name ten people who would be better at it, than me, but because I am a Lord, this is not an empty title to the people, even if it is to me. It means something to people; it demands their respect. Even before gaining the title, I have proved myself in the city with my work and, after gaining the legacy, I have become a figure, that is second in respect after the Count. I walked into the office and sat on the chair, I had not before. I am in Count Darrow¡¯s office, sitting in his chair. He would be hopping mad if he came to know about it, but to be honest, I don¡¯t care. I turned to Stone, sitting in front of me. ¡°Tell me, how Vris¡¯alud does things,¡± I said. ¡°It is a complicated question, Lord Governor,¡± he replied. ¡°Give me a general answer in the simplest terms,¡± I said, and this time, he simply nodded. ¡°The Vris¡¯alud...¡± he begins, and I listened. Now and then, he would pause, when Zela would tell me the message and I would give her a few commands, but would resume when I turned to him. It is not like, I didn¡¯t read about them, but it was like reading a newspaper, just to be aware of things. If I knew, I might one day be in the command of the city and would be fighting against them, I would have studied them far more extensively. Soon, he finished with the short version, which wasn¡¯t complicated. It is like how most undead kingdoms fight. They attack in large numbers. Their target is to kill the leaders and break through the wall¡¯s city. Once they did it, they would slaughter every resistance they came across till there was none. Sometimes, if cities resist too much, they will slaughter it whole; not even sparing the children. Vris¡¯alud represents the worst of the undead kingdom in the world. Click! Stone left with Colonel Cardin on a short errand, while I turned to Zela. ¡°Any progress?¡± I asked. ¡°They are still moving,¡± she replied. The three hordes are moving toward the cities. Their speed is good and by late morning, they should be able to reach the Almin and Bilgas, which are about the same distance from Ashton Harbor. It will take a late afternoon to evening for the third horde to reach the Port Midlet. ¡°Any sighting of the new horde?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. The undead will attack us, Stone seemed quite sure of it and so is Colonel Cardin. It might take a day or two, but they will, and I need to be prepared for that. I asked her a few more things before taking out the files from the cabinet and started to read them. I need to know, every resource city has to use it against the undead if I need to fight them. ¡°They are here,¡± informed Zela. Click! ¡°Let them in,¡± I said and immediately, the door opened and three people walked in. Ina, Lola, and Bell. I called them here to help me. I trust, Ina and Lola more than I trust anyone here. They have talents that will help me manage things, as for the Bell; she has something I need. ¡°Lord Governor,¡± they greeted. Ina and Lola seemed faintly awkward at their address, while Bell was smooth. Which isn¡¯t surprising who she is. I could finally see her class after my level-up and legacy and I have to say, I am surprised. I had not let those people search the ship because they were disrespectful and didn¡¯t have permission, but didn¡¯t expect, I brought a person they were searching for. In the past two months, I wanted to inform those people because of the risk they pose to me if they found out, I was harboring her and nearly did, before stopping myself. It is an enormous risk, from which even Legacy wouldn¡¯t be able to protect me if found out. Especially now with the protection of the emperor gone. I shook those thoughts away and focused on the present. I will have plenty of time to think about it after I deal with the undead. I nodded at them, before turning to Bell. Covering us with a Privacy Sphere. ¡°Bell, I have a favor to ask of you,¡± I said and faint emotion appeared for a fraction of a second on her expressionless face. ¡°Anything, my lord,¡± she said, without the slightest chance, but I could see the gears shifting in her eyes. ¡°I want your skill,¡± I said, and her expression changed drastically, with various emotions beginning to appear on her face. A surprise appeared in Zela¡¯s eyes seeing her affected like this. Bell is a woman who always remained composed; she had remained composed when that bastard Zanav threatened to rape her, but here her expression changed. To me, it is not surprising, seeing what I had just said, referred to her greatest secret and she could suffer dire consequences if found out. ¡°When did you find out?¡± she asked as finally calmed down. ¡°The day establishment turned into the legacy,¡± I replied, and she shuddered, but relief flooded into her eyes a moment later. Usually, when intrusive skills like Sight Through Veil are used; the person on which it is used realizes it immediately. It used to happen and still happens if I use skills outside of the establishment. Inside the establishment, it is a completely different thing. In the establishment, people didn¡¯t notice me using intrusive skills. I could even see the classes and skills of people who are level or two higher than me, which I couldn¡¯t do outside. The legacy is connected to my class and thus powers it when I am in it. ¡°Will my skill disappear while you are using it?¡± she asked, to which I shook my head. ¡°No, I will only be copying it,¡± I replied. To which she nodded. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± she asked. She didn¡¯t ask, which skill I am copying from her. She had likely guessed it; it was the only skill, she had that could help me. It will aid me in fitting into my role more properly. It will aid me enormously, to convince the people who will soon be gathering. ¡°Give me your hand,¡± I said. She hesitated for a moment before pushing her hand over the desk. I took her soft hands into mine and closed my eyes, before activating my skill. I didn¡¯t immediately target her skill and instead removed the one, I had. The Flawless Edit was copied skill. I removed it and targeted the skill; I wanted to copy from her. {Copy Skill: Nobles Grace} I got the skill and the people around me felt it immediately. It is a passive skill and a powerful one at that. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to copy it if my class hadn¡¯t been as powerful as her ruling class and over Lv. 20. The skill had become even more powerful as it copied thanks to my higher level and suitability. This skill is also a high-level one, which means it could use the full power of my attributes. Some of the skills aren¡¯t powerful enough to bear the full power of my attributes and remain restricted in power. I don¡¯t want it restricted. For more, Click Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 306: Commander Stone Chapter 306: Commander Stone ¡°Thank you, Bell,¡± I said to her. ¡°It is my honor, Lord Governor,¡± she replied. ¡°If you allow me, my lord. I like to stay; I am sure, I will be able to help you in some way,¡± she added. Her request surprised me and opened my mouth to reject her, but I stopped and closed my mouth. I don¡¯t trust her, but I know she will not betray me. Keeping her close might be useful. If anyone has any experience with the ruling, then it is her. She might really be able to help me. I deactivated the Privacy Sphere and turned it to the three. ¡°Go through the files and make a list of the resources the city has,¡± I ordered. The bastard didn¡¯t make the list; he had a skill for that. It would have saved me a lot of time, if he had. The three took out the files and began to work immediately, while I turned to Zela to inquire about things happening in the city and the region. There is no change; the hordes are still moving steadily; nothing has come to stop them. There is one force that could stop them, but the forces of the dustorn fortress won¡¯t move from their place. At least till became really worse and till now, they hadn¡¯t. At least for them. I wish I had more information about the hordes, specifically about their strength. I only know, there are three hordes, one going toward Port Midlet is bigger, while the other two are going to the Bilgas and Almin. I don¡¯t know the numbers these hordes have and the type of undead they contain. All I could do was guess and try to make as best preparations as I could. ¡°They have arrived, Lord Governor,¡± said Zela. ¡°You three, follow me,¡± I said to them. If they were to help me, they needed to be present at every meeting. Ina and Lola were a little surprised, but followed me along with Bell. ¡°It is a very important meeting; I will be asking them to fight against the undead. Do you have any suggestions on convincing them?¡± I asked Bell in the sphere of privacy. ¡°You are the Governor of the city; it is their duty to follow you. Be a Governor, don¡¯t show any doubts or hesitation. Project confidence in every word, every action, even if you have none in your heart,¡± she replied. I couldn¡¯t help but smile hearing that. I am following the same thought. It is the reason why I copied the Nobles Grace from her. To make the people believe, I am the Governor and there is no one who could lead them better than me. Soon, I reached the door of the conference room and took a deep breath, smoothened my expression to impassive, and activated Get Ready. A second later, I stepped into the room, like I owned it. Immediately, every eye turned to me, with many having a surprise in their eyes. Even Stone and Colonel Cardin seemed surprised seeing me as I stepped into the conference room. Valentina looked like she couldn¡¯t believe she was seeing the person; she knew. As they looked at me, I looked at them and my heart couldn¡¯t help, but sour up when I saw the army ranks. ¡®A lot of people had run away,¡¯ I thought. In the city¡¯s army of ten thousand, there is one commander, which is Atticus. Below him are two colonels and below them are four lieutenant colonels. Then are the thirty-two captains. Commander Atticus and his two lieutenants left with the Count. Three lieutenant colonels escaped, along with the thirteen captains, taking several of their lieutenants and a few hundred soldiers. It was that bastard Atticus¡¯s doing; he had spread the news of his leaving the moment he left. So, in the city¡¯s army, the highest-ranked officer is Lieutenant Colonel Bradshaw. A useless man, responsible for the supply and logistics. He is not even capable of being a captain and the only reason he has this job is because his uncle is Kannan Bradshaw, commander of Count¡¯s forces in his territory. It is not just the people of the city¡¯s army who had left, but also the one that Colonel Cardin had brought. One of his deputies has escaped, as well as a few captains. The force that Dane had sent had inexperienced soldiers and its officers were useless ones, or the ones that Dane didn¡¯t like. I hope the ones who had escaped are the useless ones. The same thing had happened with the mage guild; of all thirteen core members, only one had remained. He is one of two vice-guild masters. It is quite surprising; he stayed when all those above and below him escaped without hesitation. As for the priests of the god of war, all of them have escaped. Not even an acolyte had remained. Not everything is bad news, there is one good news. Over 60% of mercenaries have remained. It would surprise anyone. People compared them to rats on the ship. First to abandon, when it sinks. They would have left if it had been a regular enemy like Tabes or even Navr, but these are the undead of Vris¡¯alud. Some of them have fought on the Mayhurst island and some even have members from the island. They are aware of how they operate and thus waiting for me. They will leave if I don¡¯t provide them with a good enough answer. ¡°Lord Governor,¡± they greeted. I walked toward the table without saying anything, before stopping at the head seat. ¡°Sit down, everyone,¡± I said and sat down. I paused for a second, before opening my mouth to speak again. ¡°The undead had attacked the region with the massive force. They already conquered Ashton Harbor and sent their forces to the Port Midlet, Almin, and Bilgas,¡± ¡°According to the information we have. We know that Almin and Bilgas will have a hard time defending against the undead, and once they are done with it, they will come at us.¡± Nobody is surprised by the information. All of them are resourceful. Gaining such information isn¡¯t hard for them. I didn¡¯t say anything further and just looked at them and finally, after several seconds, someone opened their mouth to ask the question. ¡°What is your plan, Lord Governor?¡± asked a thin man with a long scar running down from his cheek. The Ruses Vandal, captain of vandal mercenaries. The strongest mercenary group in the city, now that leaders of the first two escaped with Count. ¡°Fight, of course, Captain Vandal. We will try to negotiate first, but even with the legacy, we do not have enough leverage to negotiate with them.¡± I replied, without the slightest change in my expression. However, a big change appeared on their faces. ¡°They will slaughter us,¡± said Portmaster Black. I was quite surprised, to see the man here. He wasn¡¯t present at the meeting earlier and I thought he had escaped, but he clearly didn¡¯t. ¡°They would, but it is a lot better than surrendering and letting them turn us into undead,¡± I replied. ¡°It is easy for you to say, Lord Governor, since you are the only person whom they wouldn¡¯t kill,¡± said a muscled man, with a tattooed bald head. Hearing that, I finally let my expression change and brought a grin to my face. ¡°You are right, Captain Mass. I am the only person in the whole city they won''t kill, but that changes nothing. If you decide to stay, you will fight, because I will not surrender the city!¡± I said, raising my voice at the last sentence. ¡°What if we want to leave?¡± asked Ruses Vandal. ¡°The gates of the city will be open at eight; those who want to leave will be free to leave,¡± I replied straightforwardly, repeating the same words I spoke in an earlier meeting. Nobody spoke for more than a more than a minute. They just looked at me and I met their eyes. ¡°Who will be leading us, if we are to fight?¡± came the most important question; it came from the people, who are responsible for defending the city. Whose leader had abandoned them. The eyes in the entire room moved upon hearing Captain Azalea¡¯s question. Most heads turned toward Colonel Cardin, who is the highest-ranking member of the army in the room. Some turned toward Lieutenant Colonel Bradshaw, who seemed to want to disappear. The only reason this useless man hadn¡¯t escaped, was because everyone knew how useless he was and weren¡¯t willing to take the deadweight with them. ¡°Thaddeus Stone will be the new commander of the city¡¯s forces,¡± I replied, surprising all, including Stone himself, but I could see the relief appearing in the eyes of Captain Azalea and many others. Stone is the best choice to lead, not only because he has years of experience in fighting against the undead, but also because he is the choice most would accept. Colonel Cardin is the highest-ranking officer and the only person above Level 30, but he couldn¡¯t fight because of the injuries. A leader doesn¡¯t need to fight, they can direct and many of the world¡¯s best military leaders are strategists who didn¡¯t enter the battlefield personally, but he won''t be acceptable to all. I chose Stone because he is one, they will accept. Many, like Captain Azalea and Julian, had fought alongside him. They are the most powerful and influential among all the captains, and others will follow their lead. The mercenaries will accept him because he is one of them and also powerful enough to beat any of them. I looked at Stone and felt relieved, seeing that he wasn¡¯t rejecting the responsibility. If he had, then all would have gone down the drain. It might not seem like it, but I am doing a delicate dance here in managing all parties. I would need the support of all of them, to create an army, that might force the undead to negotiate and fight if they didn¡¯t. I turned to the mercenaries and other independent powerhouses. ¡°I want one single army to fight the undead. You all will be assimilated into it. Those who do not agree with it are free to leave the city,¡± I said and watched with the bated breath. Seconds passed and no objection came. Mercenaries reject such orders; they become mercenaries to be independent, but here they didn¡¯t have a choice. If they run away, there is a good chance, they will be hunted by the undead and they didn¡¯t want that. ¡°Commander Stone, you can start,¡± I said, handling the meeting to him. ¡°Thank you for your trust, Lord Governor,¡± he said, before turning to the people. Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 307: Promotions Chapter 307: Promotions ¡°Hope, you won¡¯t pay us off with pennies when this is all over, Lord Governor,¡± said Vandal as he got up to leave. All the eyes of mercenaries focus on me at those words. ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed by the payment, Captain Vandal,¡± I replied. Mercenaries don¡¯t work for free. If we survived, I would have to pay them; it could be their standard fees or pennies; it depends on the lord. He nodded and walked out. Stone is leading them out, where he will access their abilities and integrate them into the army. Soon, everyone left, leaving only three people on the table. Valentina, Lena, and Edmon. All three of them were powerful mages and thus were invited to the meeting. I had freed Valentina and Lena earlier. It was the first I did after I got this responsibility. Many had given them a strange look when they sat on meeting, but nobody said anything. To them, survival is more important than the supposed rumors they have heard. ¡°Thank you for staying,¡± I said to her. If she wanted to leave, she could have. Given her prowess and connection, she would have been able to convince a few powerful to leave with her. ¡°It is my city too, and it became more important to stay since you have become in charge,¡± she said, and I smiled. ¡°I am glad, you both have stayed,¡± I said gratefully. Both of them are powerful. I have seen with my eyes how powerful Valentina is and Lena is a mercenary. As for Edmon, I don¡¯t have much idea about him, but Valentina hinted that he was not weak. A minute later, they left. I had a few more things to talk to them, but they needed to go to Stone. ¡°Madam Caena is asking whether to keep the establishment open?¡± asked Zela, as the door closed. Last night, I told her to close the establishment in the morning, but today isn¡¯t yesterday. Yesterday, I wasn¡¯t the Governor, and it wasn¡¯t my responsibility to keep the important people in the city. ¡°Keep it open and tell her to use everything to make the patrons forget that the army of undead is coming to their lives,¡± I replied and opened the files that Ina and Bell placed in front of me. I had sent Lola with Stone; she will help him deal with some intricate things. ¡°The merchants have arrived,¡± informed Zela, an hour later. I walked out of the conference room and stepped into another. Every important merchant who hadn¡¯t escaped is present; there aren¡¯t many that escaped. It¡¯s not like many of them didn¡¯t want to escape. They do, but face similar problems that Bradshaw had faced. The mercenary doesn¡¯t want the deadweight. Unlike Bradshaw, these people could pay a massive amount of money, which made some mercenaries take them and escape, but these cases were in small numbers. Even mercenaries who would take any risk for money, know, how difficult it is to escape safely from the net of the undead. Many wouldn¡¯t take such risk, even if the merchants offered them, all their wealth. Only with life, they could enjoy wealth. I looked at the merchants and they didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, which isn¡¯t surprising seeing the undead are coming. It may be also because I have taken their guards and will now take their goods without paying. Merchants hate it when they don¡¯t get paid for their goods. It didn¡¯t matter, if the undead army was coming, what mattered was them getting the money. ¡°Lord Governor,¡± they greeted. The meeting started and lasted nearly two hours. It was so frustrating, that I wanted to hack a few of them to death, but controlled myself and used the approach of honey and stick. In the end, I got what I wanted. It would have been faster if I had just used the stick alone, but I didn¡¯t want to go that far unless they left me no choice. Fortunately, they agreed with my demands. After merchants, I met another group of stakeholders and by that time, I had finished with them; it was already eleven. I had two hours before I had to address the citizen. It is risky; riots could occur if something went wrong, but needed to be done. ¡°The horde had reached Almin,¡± Zela informed. The fork from which I was eating stopped midway. For the past two hours, there was no information about it. The undead had started hunting the scouts, and they began to run away from them. ¡°The information is sent by Meldhorn''s war office,¡± she added, and a surprise appeared on my face before it turned into a smile. ¡°Finally,¡± I said. Till now, the information had been patchy. The region didn¡¯t have powerful enough scouts that could eye on horde and send information without getting discovered. Now, the problem has been solved with the merchant state providing the information. I could rest assured of the regular information. Their people have reached near the horde, and it is one, that is dangerous to us. Stone had said this horde would likely be the one that could be at us after it dealt with Almin and Panar. I wished the two cities would deal with the horde, but seeing the state of things in those cities, forget about dealing with it; they wouldn¡¯t be able to resist for more than a few hours before it swept through them. The Governors of both cities have abandoned them. In Almin, the person who had the old Governor had appointed had also abandoned his post. The person, the second governor, left in charge had bolted the gates, and it made people angry. The last I heard, there were huge riots happening across the city, with the army unable to get control of the situation. It could be said, that Almin is good as gone and the undead won¡¯t even suffer any losses in conquering it. I am really hope, I am wrong. Panar on the other hand, is a much better state. The one who was in charge had also closed the gates but had enough control to apply a strict marshal law so that there were no large-scale riots. ¡°Did they inform about the size of the horde?¡± I asked, and she nodded. ¡°The horde has the strength of two hundred and twenty-five thousand undead. There are also twenty-two pre-levels 30 and five levels 30 and above in the horde, but they said, there might be more hiding,¡± she informed. See! I couldn¡¯t help but sucked a deep breath hearing that. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised; Stone had already guessed the number, and he is accurate. However, the horde that will come to our city would be around a hundred thousand. It would be split; some undead would stay in the cities conquered, while a large part of it would separate and move to attack other cities. Most likely Norke. They wouldn¡¯t attack Gailhorn with such numbers; it had a population of three hundred thousand and a better army and powerhouses than the Greltheaven. Stone said that if they were to attack it, they would either send a big horde, like the one they have sent toward the Port Midlet or attack it from the sea, like they did Ashton Harbor. This horde is for us. ¡°Thank them for the information; tell them we are grateful for it,¡± I said. She nodded and closed her eyes. Click! ¡°Master Silver Hugo is here,¡± said Ina. ¡°Ask him in,¡± I said, and a second later. Hugo walked in with two lieutenant-rank officers following behind him, holding a stack of documents. I turned to him and saw him looking at me with complicated emotions. He seemed to sense me looking and controlled his expressions. ¡°Commander Stone, need your approval, Lord Governor,¡± he said, placing a stack of documents in front of me. I nodded and took the documents in my hand and could feel the power of skills on them, but I was more interested in the content of the documents. They are promotion papers. A lot of people are getting promoted, to fill the gaps that those who escaped had left behind. The first person to be promoted is Captain Azalea. She had jumped a rank. Directly becoming a lieutenant colonel instead of a major. The same for Captain Julian and Captain Hiren. The rank is too high for them, but there is no choice, with the number of people they are going to lead, they need to hold this rank. They should have been promoted a long time ago. When they fought in Lockridge Castle against the bandits, while the Lancel escaped. Count wanted to do that, but Lancel stopped him. He felt angry and ashamed and tried to bury the incident whole. Stena, Hugo, and Lena had also been promoted to lieutenant colonels, along with two mercenary captains. Over a hundred were promoted across all ranks. If look carefully, one would see there are more officers than our army needs, but it is not. The number is perfect as more people going to be added to the army soon. I read each paper, before signing on it. Soon, all the papers were signed, making promotions official. ¡°Thank you, Lord Governor,¡± Hugo said and left with the papers. ¡°They breached the walls,¡± said Zela suddenly. I didn¡¯t have to ask her, what walls she was talking about. Almin had been breached, and the horde took only an hour to do it. It made me shudder and panic started to build in my heart before I controlled it. Now, that they had breached the walls; it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to get control of the city. I didn¡¯t say anything to that and got up. This time, I was going to any conference room but out of this mansion. I have been here since I was summoned last night. Everything I know comes from others. It is time, I looked at the things myself. Soon, I walked out of the mansion and sat in the carriage waiting for me. ¡°Any news from baronies?¡± I asked, and she shook her head. Not a single person is coming from the baronies. Instead, those nobles gathered their men together and formed an army to prepare against the undead. I wanted to curse the bastards, including my sister, but also understand why they were doing it. To them, their territories and people are more important, and protecting them is their priority, coming to the aid of Greltheaven is not. Still, it made me angry, and I am not the only one. Dane was also hopping mad at them, especially Major Jarvis, who had decided to stay in the baronies with his men. The streets are a lot emptier and there are a lot more guards than they were before. There is martial law in the city, and gatherings, moving without a cause, are not allowed. However, there are more people than one would find during the usual marshal law. I have no completely restricted movements, people could move, if they want to leave the city or gather in the square. Speaking of which, thousands have already gathered on the square, but my carriage isn¡¯t moving toward them. There is one thing I have to check before I address my people. Ten minutes later, I reached near the gate and saw a long line of people, many were children. I have informed them of the danger, but people still want to leave. It is a normal human reaction. Undead are big-bad horrors and they want to get away from them as far away as possible. The line is moving slowly, but not slowly enough to make people angry. I am letting the people leave, but not as much as people would expect. The guards are checking the documents of each person and most of them would be detained, especially those with children. It is a delicate process, but Steven seemed to be handling it. I watched for a few minutes and went to the port gate where the same thing was happening. I spotted a little chaos appearing, but the guards acted quickly and resolved it before it could turn into something more. I watched for a while before going to the square. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked Robin as I stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the podium with him. ¡°Good, but I still don¡¯t like what you are doing, Lord Governor. It is too risky,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. It is a powder keg. If people got angry and rioted, then it would very be dangerous. Even the heavy guards won¡¯t be able to control it. It is risky, but it needs to be done. They deserve it. I walked to the podium and turned to face thousands of people. I had faced such a crowd many times, but they had never been as focused on me as they are right now. I felt the weight of gazes and it shook my knees. I needed to take a deep breath to control myself. Hun! I opened my mouth and was about to speak, when suddenly, the feeling came over me and my eyes widened in shock before joy lit up in my eyes. It is so different, yet familiar. The same as the old man had described; similar to what I had felt months ago. { For more, Click Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Chapter 308: Forbidden Desires Chapter 308: Forbidden Desires Caena A few hours before. ¡°Are we really doing this?¡± asked Barb, worriedly. Usually, the woman isn¡¯t worried about anything, but now she is. ¡°It will be extremely risky,¡± said Mena. ¡°It is, but it is a good chance to test the things,¡± I said as I looked at the preparations. ¡°To me, it felt like a needless risk,¡± said Cath, shaking her head. ¡°You should have taken permission first,¡± said Onaz and sighed. Not all my deputies are against me. Onaz seemed to agree to the plan despite not saying it explicitly. She is right, I should have taken permission, considering it is a pretty big thing, but I don¡¯t think, Silver will have a problem. Especially now, given the current circumstances. The spa was closed in the evening yesterday and the basement was empty. I decided to do something with it, something risky. On the outside, it won¡¯t be risky, but if found out, what is happening here, it would be really risky. I might be arrested and even Silver, might get implicated. I wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk, but it is the only chance to safely test things. We might not get such a chance again. ¡°Are girls are ready?¡± I asked Della. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, with some hesitation. The girls will serve a different kind of patrons; the ones they have never served before, but many were excited to do it, despite their fear. I may not have taken permission from Silver, but I have gone to two most important women. Margaux was a little hesitant about it, but thankfully Carla had given me the go-ahead. So, there won¡¯t be a problem. ¡°We are done, Madam Margaux,¡± said Stan as he finished laying the chairs and tables in what was the lobby of the spa. They have been placed exactly according to design. Silver had asked Sharn to make alternative designs for the lobby. If he ever needed to convert to a restaurant or other things. They were only to be used, if the spa didn¡¯t work, but seeing how spectacularly it was working, nobody had thought about them, until today. I looked at the clock, and it was eight. In one hour, the patrons would be arriving. Each patron had been carefully chosen for this and they would be coming in unmarked carriages. So, even if people find out, that they came to the establishment; they could easily say they were on a floor above, in a special section that I had made for only them yesterday. Still, I never thought, I would be using it as the decoy to bring those selected patrons here. This plan had only been conceived at dawn when Silver asked me to keep the establishment open. It was a sudden idea, and I decided to act on it, despite all the risks it poses. Most of those patrons were already selected for the above, but now they will come below, I hope they liked the arrangement and we have been right about them. I checked the preparations one last time before walking out. Despite the morning, the establishment is filled. Every person here is important and invited. Silver had asked me to entertain these people, provide them with such services that they would forget the undead were coming to attack the city. All of them are important and powerful. Generating emotions in such quantity and quality that even Silver would be shocked. They are more than thrice as intense as yesterday. Till yesterday, people only knew that the undead had attacked the region, but now they know, they are coming to the city. A little bit of reservation they had kept back had all gone now. Even the people on the first floor begin to demand the rooms to have sex with their wives and spouses, which they usually do in their homes. Acting on their fantasies, which they usually wouldn¡¯t. Some even asked for the girls to join them and we obviously agreed. We are here to fulfill their desires; it is our sole purpose. It is a reason why I am taking such a massive risk. Soon it was nine and the first unmarked carriage entered through the gates and stopped at the dense mist. Nobody could tell, who had come out or what direction they had gone to. Even with skills, it would be hard. It is not just a mist that will block them, but also the enchantments. One would need to be really powerful to see through it and currently, there is no one in the city. Even those who run away, wouldn¡¯t have been able to see through it clearly, with all their spells and skills. .... Scala Hardt I closed the file as the carriage turned to the entertainment district. Honestly, I rather not be here, I have a lot of work to do. The city is taking a lot of things from us, and Damon is busy in the guild. Making it my responsibility to keep an eye on things. We won¡¯t be able to stop the city from taking our goods, nor do we have any intention of doing that, but it is important that we keep a record of everything they take. If, by the grace of god, we survive, we want the city to pay us back for everything, they have taken from us. The chances of us surviving are slim. I am glad, the children aren¡¯t with us. The place they are in isn¡¯t as safe as it was for a few days. Due to everything, that started happening after the emperor''s death, there is no threat to their life. At least, not yet. I looked outside the window and saw everything was closed. The usually bustling entertainment district is empty. I wouldn¡¯t have come here like many of the friends and colleagues are doing to forget about the undead, but seeing the madam of the legacy herself invited me with a handwritten letter, I decided to spare an hour. The language of the invitation also made me quite curious and hopeful. I hope I won¡¯t be disappointed, not that Velvet Garden, ever does. Soon, the carriage reached the velvet garden, and I was surprised to see the mist around it being denser than usual. Especially the one on the ground; it is so dense, that I could barely see the fountain and two gazebos. The carriage stopped, and the woman opened the door; a beautiful woman that I wanted to keep staring at. She is not the guard or one of the teen girls that usually welcome, but an assistant, madam. Assistant madams don¡¯t open the doors. This is no ordinary place, but a legacy, and these women rule it. ¡°Welcome to Velvet Garden, Miss Scala,¡± said the woman, addressing me by my name rather than my surname. ¡°Thank you, Miss Onaz,¡± I said after a moment of silence. ¡°Please follow me,¡± she said, and we moved through the thick mist. It was so thick, I couldn¡¯t see anything besides her, but I could tell we were moving toward the gazebo leading to the spa. I have been to the spa a couple of times. It is amazing. For most people, it is very hard to get an appointment, but Damon has some privileges, which let me get a spot, within a few days. I am glad, that I had advised him to look past the animosity. If he kept up with that, he might not have these privileges or the position. Silver was a host of legacies. Nobody could have forced him to give the head of the merchant guild special privileges if he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°I thought the spa had closed?¡± I asked. ¡°It is,¡± replied the woman without turning. I wanted to ask where she was leading me, but stopped. I like a little mystery and decided to enjoy it. Soon, we reached the gazebo and walked down the stairs. The mist had started thinning as we entered the inside. Gasp! In a few seconds, I could see the familiar waiting room, and what I saw made me gasp. It is covered in thick colorful mist, and this thick colorful mist contains nine huge colorful lotuses. Each petal was of a different color mist, and they looked like something came out of the dreamland. Soon, I reached the lobby, where the mist was dense again. It is dense enough, that I wasn¡¯t able to see the face of the person walking by me. She led me near the south side of the waiting room before she stopped in front of a huge lotus. Which is even bigger than it looked from a distance. ¡°I hope you will enjoy the company inside, Miss Scala,¡± said Onaz in a beautiful voice, before walking away, while I remained on the spot, feeling confused. I feel that the lotus has something that I always desired, but if I tried to get it, I might get burned. I wanted to run away and would have if the undead weren¡¯t coming. There is a high chance that I will die. So, it didn¡¯t matter if the inside had a thing, that could burn me as I was going to be dead anyway in a few days. With that thought, I took a step inside. Immediately, everything became clear and what I saw inside couldn¡¯t help, but surprise me. In front of me is a beautiful table with big scented candles burning in the middle, but it is not what I am looking at. I am looking at the beautiful young woman sitting in a chair. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, had shoulder-length raven hair and dark brown eyes, from which, she was looking at me seductively. It immediately becomes clear what it is. I had heard about the secret places that cater to the women. A few of such places cater to the forbidden desires. I wanted to visit them, but never dared to do it. The church actively hunts for those places and once found out, there is no absolution. I shook in fear at that thought, because if found out. Not only I will be destroyed, but so will my family. I have seen what happened to those who get caught in forbidden crimes, and I don¡¯t want my husband and children to suffer because of my forbidden desires. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think too much. It is highly likely, that you will die in the next few days,¡± said the young woman, in her thralling seductive voice. I don¡¯t know whether her words or that beautiful mouth followed her words, and I found myself. I still wanted to run away, but I controlled the fear. She is right, I might die in a few days and before dying, I want to act on the forbidden that I have been suppressing as long as I remember.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 309: Not Broken (18+) Chapter 309: Not Broken (18+) I looked at the beautiful young woman in front of me sitting confidently, looking at me seductively. She is a wearing black velvet dress, that has a deep neckline. My mouth couldn¡¯t help but feel parched when I looked at her breast. They are not big, but not small either. They are bigger than mine and perky and I want to feast on them. ¡°Like what you saw?¡± she asked with a smile on her face, getting brighter, while my cheeks flooded in embarrassment as I quickly looked away. For a few seconds, I was so embarrassed that I didn¡¯t dare to look at her. When I finally found the courage to look at her, I saw her looking at me with the same seductive smile that I wanted to look away from again. ¡®You are not a bloody teenager, Scala. Stop behaving like one,¡¯ I admonished myself. I felt like a teenager, with my heart beating wildly and my cheeks flooding with a forbidden desire. ¡°I am Scala,¡± I said, trying to control my emotions. ¡°Solene,¡± she replied. ¡°It is a beautiful name,¡± I said. It came out, before I could stop myself and felt my cheeks flooding again. ¡°I like, your name more,¡± said the young woman. ¡°Thank you, it is a family name,¡± I replied, but this time, I didn¡¯t even admonish myself. ¡°It suits you well,¡± she replied, looking at me, like she wanted to eat me. It made me embarrassed, but also ecstatic, to see the desire for me in the young woman¡¯s eyes. I know, I am beautiful and everywhere I go, I see men and sometimes women, looking at me in desire, but never give me joy as it is right now, seeing the desire for me in the young women¡¯s eyes. Slowly and surely, the embarrassment and fear began to vanish from my heart, and I found myself enjoying the company of the young woman. The woman in front of me was amazing. She is a reader and musician, the hobbies I share. So, I could tell, she wasn¡¯t lying when she spoke about them, and even if I didn¡¯t share those; I would be able to tell she is lying. The passion in which she is speaking about them is hard to fake and captivating. No wonder the men are crazy about these girls, willing to pay the high price for their company. I wouldn¡¯t mind doing that. ¡°I really would¡± Suddenly, I stopped as the mist around us got denser, and a moment later; I saw a silhouette appear beside us. ¡°You can order without fear. There are powerful skills working here; aside from me and madams, nobody could see your face and recognize your voice,¡± said Solene, before I could say anything. Hearing that, I felt much relieved and took the menu from her. We ordered quickly, and the server left, and we resumed our conversation without any awkwardness. A few minutes later, our server came back, bringing our orders. Since it was late morning, we ordered light, a single dish, and drinks. ¡°It is quite a unique drink,¡± I said, looking at her drink. All drinks are amazing, with drops of emotions, but hers looks different. I had never seen, on all my visits to the restaurant. It is blue colored with lemon, but inside, is a dark red ball that would burst and gather every second. ¡°It is from the Vanis Tavern. Our bartender had mastered it just yesterday,¡± she replied, before turning to me with mischievous eyes. ¡°Do you want to taste it?¡± she asked, and I found myself nodding. I thought she would slide the drink toward me. Instead, she took a sip from it and got up before appearing in front of me and bending down. Her face appeared directly in front of me with those lips, having a drop of blue liquid with a tiny red ball inside, I wanted to taste it from her lips. She seemed to get all the permission she needed as at the next moment; I felt her lips on mine with cold drink entering my through, making me feel warm in my stomach. I barely noticed it as I was wholly focused on kissing the most wonderful lips I had ever kissed. Not that I kissed many. I have only kissed two people in my life, one is my old boyfriend and my husband. I had never felt the spark, kissing them as I am feeling right now. I misspoke. It is not a spark, I am feeling, but an inferno. I had never felt such desire in my life, not even for my husband. I love him, but I don¡¯t feel any desire for him, not only him, but I never felt any desire for any man. It is always the woman. The lips of the woman, I realized, are so different from the man. They are soft and delicious. Sweeter than anything I had tasted in my life, and I fear I might get addicted to them. I sensed her moving without leaving my lips and a second later, I felt her weight on my lap. The kiss became more intense as she sat on my lap, and I felt her hands moving around my body. Ahhhh When her lips touched my breasts, I felt lightning shooting through my body. Making me a moan; a real moan, not a fake one, that I bring out when I do it with my husband. She broke the kiss, and I moved for another. The kiss made me feel things that I had never felt in my life, and I wanted more of it. Damn, the consequences of it. She placed a finger on my lips, stopping me. ¡°It is a little stuffy here. What do you think about going to a more private place?¡± she asked, with her eyes promising a thousand pleasures. She seemed to receive an answer from my eyes as she got up from my lap with a smile and took my hand. I got up and walked out of her lotus with her. I would never hold the hand of a woman, especially in a place like this, but the rational part of my mind seemed to be turned off; the only thing that is driving me right now are my desires. Click! Soon, we stopped in front of the door, Solene opened it, and we entered a beautiful room. She closed the door before pushing me against it and taking my lips in a rough kiss while her hands moved all over my body. Ahh Ahh Ahh All my senses were overwhelmed in an instant, and the only thing, I could do was moan, while her kisses ravaged me. Suddenly, she pulled her lips back, and I looked at her question. I didn¡¯t want those lips away from mine, even for a second. ¡°Your lips are sweet, but I want to eat something sweeter,¡± she said, licking her lips greedily, before bringing them back to me, but it was not my lips, she had kissed. It is my neck. She begins to shower with feathered kisses across my neck, making me squirm and moan. If not for her dainty hands holding me firmly against the walls, I would have fallen down. Her kisses descended from my neck to my collarbone, where I shivered. I am always sensitive there and her kisses make it even worse. It is also making me wet in places where I have never been before. She kissed every part of it, before descending on my breast. She didn¡¯t directly kiss them and instead kissed the small valley, before kissing the breast through the fabric. Unlike her dress, which is showing her ample bosom, mine is only showing a hint. I wanted her to tear apart my dress and have her way with me, and she seemed to understand that, but to my utter frustration, seem to have no intention of doing that. Her lips and tongue felt amazing as they suck my breasts through the fabric and would feel even more amazing if she did it with my naked breast. So, I tried to remove the obstruction, but she stopped me. ¡°It is not time, yet,¡± she said and started to go lower with her kisses till she reached my navel and then got even lower, before stopping and turning to me. She didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at me and licked her lips like a cat. A second later, she raised my skirt and put her face under it. Instinctively, I tried to close my knees, but she stopped me. For a few seconds, there was nothing, before I started to feel her hot breaths on my thighs and then the kisses, that made me squirm more than I had to hold on to her shoulders for support. Her kisses went higher and higher till, they reached the edge of my panties, which had become wet. I felt embarrassed, but I also wanted her to kiss me there. It frustrated me, that she didn¡¯t, instead her lips moved around my panties to torture me. She stopped, and for a moment, there was nothing, before I felt her hands on my panties, which she pulled down to my knees. Ahh I opened my mouth to ask her, to pull them all the way, when suddenly I stopped when I felt her hot breath on my folds and moaned. Feeling the things I had never felt before. I wanted to feel more, but she stopped again. ¡°Please,¡± I begged. I never begged, but I am doing it now. I want to feel it again. I had never felt the pleasure in my life, not by my husband or by my own hands. It always made me feel like, I was broken in some way. Ahhhhhh I opened my mouth again when I felt a softness against my fold. I felt the lightning of pleasure course through my body and I let out the biggest of my life. The moan hadn¡¯t finished when she licked my folds again and then again skillfully, while all I could do was moan loudly in pleasure. Her tongue was slow and fast, and every lick seemed to send a bolt of lightning through my body, making me feel things, I hadn¡¯t felt before. Seconds passed as I moaned louder and louder under her skillful movements when I started to feel something building inside me, and with every movement of her tongue, it was getting stronger and stronger. She seemed to feel that too, as her tongue got faster and faster, taking me higher and higher, till I reached the peak. There she stopped for a moment, and breathed on my fold, before biting me there. It surprised me, but I had no time to think about it as it seemed to give the final push against the dam, breaking it. ¡°GOD!¡± The tsunami of pleasure of colossal magnitude crashed into me, giving me such pleasure that transcended me from the world. My senses got overwhelmed by it, that it was the only thing I could feel. It overwhelmed my senses that I could think of nothing other than the pleasure that filled every part of me. It is indescribable, but I know one thing, that I won¡¯t be able to live without it from now on. It is the thing I had been missing in my life and a thing that makes me feel broken. I am not broken, never was. I deserve the pleasure, and I don¡¯t care if I have to commit the forbidden crime. I am already committing it; I will commit again. The waves of pleasure continued before they started getting weaker and finally stopped and I felt the peace with myself, I had never felt before. Solene got up, with her hands never leaving me, which is good because, I don¡¯t think, I have any strength to support myself. She looked at me, before taking my lips into her. I tasted myself on her lips and instead of making me dirty, I felt myself getting horny again. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as we broke the kiss and she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, this was just a small part of what is coming next,¡± she said, and her words were not a lie. A few minutes later, I started to moan again once again. We did it on every part of the room, from walls to floor to bed. She had pleasured me so many times that I had lost count of it. When she finally stopped, I didn¡¯t even have the energy to twitch. I fell into a blissful sleep immediately, with the peace, I had never felt in my life before. .... Caena Three small streams of emotion essence floated onto the huge planet covering me. Which had covered my whole body, with thousands of complex lines and runes flowing around them. I am crafting one of the most complex spells into the charm I have ever done in my life, and I am doing it, in a tight time. Thankfully, I have some help. The planet covering me is one of the most important of all enchantments I have imprinted on the establishment. It is helping me craft the enchantment. Every part of me is covered in the lines, with runes moving around them. A few of these malachite lines came out of my hands and moved around the charm and runes, imprinting themselves. This planet provides me with control, precision, and focus to do my craft. It is like having the power of tens of skills and is compatible with actual skills. I am using my skills with it to make my craft. I should have used it more in these past two and a half months, but I thought I had time before the danger came knocking. Unfortunately, I had been wrong in my assumption; a mistake I wouldn¡¯t make again. Time ticked as the lines, and runes moved across hundreds of things on the table. They are precious things, from gems to magical plants and I am infusing a real emotion essence into them. Usually, emotion mist is more than enough, but I am using the emotion essence and that makes it dangerous as well as difficult to craft. Also expensive, seeing as I need powerful things to hold the powerful spell, I am trying to craft. Finally, I finished with the charm and placed it with the six. It is a set-spell, that needed seven charms to contain it. Seeing them complete, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I have created two of these charms in a single sitting and I succeeded; I truly hadn¡¯t thought I would, but I did. I laid back on the chair tiredly and it was minutes before I deactivated the planet. The lines that were covering me flowed back to the planet, and it began to shrink till it shrank to its original size and joined the rest of the planets orbing around the core. I turned to the core and saw glowing as it accepted a massive amount of powerful emotions. People are scared and letting it all out without reservation. That in half a day since morning, the establishment had absorbed enough emotions, that it does in the whole week. I wish Silver could see it. He would be mightily impressed. I looked at the core before focusing on the particular spot from where especially powerful emotions were coming. Even when it was a spa; it was a place from where we would receive the most powerful emotion. Now, the emotion coming from there is many times stronger. The risky decision is already paying off. Though I didn¡¯t do it for the emotion; they are just extra rewards. It did it for the women who have been forbidden from getting the thing that is natural to them. I am glad, I did this, despite the price, I may have to pay for it. Hun! I stared at the core, for a few more seconds, looked at every section from which the emotions were coming, and moved my hand to close it, when I suddenly stopped. I felt something, that I had I felt it only one time. I didn¡¯t dare to believe it since it had been barely two and a half months, since the legacy was born, but when I looked at the core, I had no choice but to believe it. For more, Click Chapter 310: Grade II Legacy Chapter 310: Grade II Legacy {Demesne of Desire: Grade II} {Legacy Skill: Demesne Expansion} The text appeared in front of me a moment after I sensed the change. It was a great struggle to keep my expression contained with the thousands of people staring at me. I was about to swipe it away when suddenly things in front of me had changed and I saw my core appearing in front of me with the planets revolving around it. Boom! It was blazing brightly, absorbing the emotions around. Unlike when it was born, it is not intense that everybody could sense it, but it is still absorbing a massive number of emotions around the city and its range is spread rapidly. It covered the whole entertainment district and spread further. It didn¡¯t take long for it to cover the entire city when it finally stopped. Hun! It surprised me because it didn¡¯t happen during the advancement of the legacies. Once it is born, legacies absorb the emotions and store them. They use that emotion essence for their advancement. Here it spread the wave and absorbed the emotions of the entire city, which are filled with denser than usual emotion. Far denser than the day, it was born, thanks to the undead. The core is becoming bigger rapidly as it is absorbing these emotions. The people won¡¯t feel this absorption, unlike last time, when the power had covered the people themselves. Absorbing emotions as they came out of them; this time, it is only stray emotions that are getting absorbed. Like a tide, everything moving toward my core, and it is absorbing it all, growing larger and larger every second. At the same time, it has begun to pour massive power into the planets. Unlike when they birthed, there wasn¡¯t a huge change in them, but with massive emotions, they were changing. Finally, it cleared away all the stray emotions in the city and the massive sun began to shrink rapidly, till it went back to the carriage size. The size is similar to when the legacy is birthed, but the difference ends there. Because in terms of power and quality of emotions, it is far superior. Hun! The core had just stabilized when I felt another change. My legacy began to expand. Not the building, but the territory of it. It soon went past the roads and even began to cover, the area occupied by the red fragrance. It took a few moments before it finally stopped. I didn¡¯t have to guess to know, that territory of my establishment had increased by double. It is quite shocking. I am not shocked about the effect of my new skill, but the skill itself. It is a rare legacy skill and usually comes when the legacy breaks into Grade 4, while I got it in Grade 2. It is going to shock a lot of people. Hun! I thought the changes were finished when something began to happen. Something I hadn¡¯t expected. The twenty-four planets forming the outermost ring lit up. These twenty-four planets are enchantments at the walls of the city. They are part of the grand ritual that bonded me to the establishment. Caena had reinforced them with her ritual charms. Now they have lit up and I don¡¯t know why. Their function is simple, to reinforce my bonding with the city and establishment. So, this strange behavior is quite confusing. A moment later, I felt them exert the pull toward my new skill, Demesne Expansion. It is clear, they are trying to expand the territory, but the skill is obviously resisting. Seeing that, they pulled harder at the skill, that it became painful. The pull is increasing every second, increasing the pain. It is taking my willpower to not scream. I tried to turn off the planets, but they were not listening, and I don¡¯t think I would have been able to do much if I had been in the establishment. It begins to worry me because if it keeps pulling at the skill like that, it will break the skill. I don¡¯t want to happen. Expansion-type skills are the most desired ones because they expand the territory. It gives more area to harness the emotions, which in turn produces greater emotion essence. A few more moments passed, and I gritted my teeth as I watched the skill reach the limit, if more pull is applied, it will tear the skill apart. If this happened, not only would I lose the skill, but my legacy would also be damaged. Hun! I was worried to death and trying everything to stop it, when suddenly I felt the skill changing a little and a moment later, the pull stopped all of a sudden and instead all twenty-four planets poured their power into the skill. As they did, a silvery wave came out from all sides of the establishment and began to spread in direction. ¡®It is expanding,¡¯ I thought. This expansion is different. I could tell, that, the true territory of my legacy remained the same as earlier after the skill had taken effect; this new expansion is of the lower level. I am pretty sure, that I wouldn¡¯t be able to harness the emotions from this new expansion, which is spreading in all directions, but I am sure, it wouldn¡¯t be completely useless either. It continued for over a minute, before it finally stopped. It now covers a third of the city, with the establishment as the center. I was shocked to see that and still was processing it when I returned to the real world with thousands of people staring at me. Like last time, a lot less time, I passed than I thought. If I am not wrong, then less than a minute had passed, but I could see Robin and others have started to get worried. Even the people have started muttering among themselves. They didn¡¯t seem angry, and some of the thanks for that went to the establishment, which sucked all those gathered emotions that could light up the spark. The spark could still light up and explode into an inferno if I was not careful. So, I controlled my emotions before opening my mouth. ¡°My people, the great enemy is upon us,¡± I said, pushing Every Ear Listen to My Words. I didn¡¯t need to use the skill; the green crystal in front of me with runes would amplify my voice just fine. ¡°It is powerful and has no mercy.¡± ¡°I wish, I could say, I have confidence against such an enemy, but I didn¡¯t when so many have abandoned us.¡± I could see the dread appearing on their faces, hearing the grim truth, that they themselves have realized in their heart. I have also taken a dig at that bastard who abandoned us. He would be angry when he found out, but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°I want to open the gates and escape with you all, but they are hunting us, leaving us no choice but to stay and fight. We will fight,¡± ¡°I promise you all, that I won¡¯t abandon you, like many did. I will be here to fight alongside with sons and daughters of the city.¡± I stopped and let the silence do its job before opening my mouth again. ¡°There is a big chance that we all will die, but there is a small hope, that we might win, and I decided to put my faith in it, rather than wallow in defeat, before it came and I hope, you all have the same conviction in your hearts,¡± I said, and there was silence. ¡°Victory!¡± ¡°Victory, victory....¡± I don¡¯t know who shouted at first, but a moment later, more people started shouting the word, and within seconds, thousands began to shout. So loudly that the entire city could hear it clearly. Hearing them, tears couldn¡¯t help, but well up in my heart. They know the chances but still have hope in their heart. I really want to curse those bastards, especially the Count Darrow. He has such citizens, who have hope burning in their hearts, in such desperate conditions and he abandoned them. He truly doesn¡¯t deserve these. After an appeal, I walked off the stage. ¡°It was a great speech; very few could pull off a truthful one in such circumstances without causing a riot.¡± Praised Jon. I didn¡¯t say anything or even smile. A lot of people are going to die, but not fighting will kill even more. I desperately wish that negotiations could work, but the chances of that happening are extremely slim. Still, I will try, before raising my sword against them. ¡°To the establishment,¡± I said, surprising Zela, but she didn¡¯t say anything. The carriage moved and within a few minutes. It reached the outer range. I felt the change immediately and could guess the things, I could do. I thought for a moment, before closing my and activating my skill. A second later, a smile appeared on my face; I had guessed right. I opened my eyes a minute later and looked at Zela. ¡®She is going to know it eventually,¡¯ I thought and a moment later, a box appeared in my hand, a moment after that, it disappeared, while Zela watched with her eyes wide. The first skill I used was Telepathic Call. It used to work in the establishment only, but now it is working in the outer range. The same is true for the Vault of Ru; both of the skills could not be used in the outer range. Which occupies a third of the area of a gated city. I wanted to try the most important thing, but this time I controlled myself. The first two will only make others curious, but the third one will send the most powerful assassins at me; I can¡¯t risk showing it in front of the Zela. Though, I will need to show it in front of one person. Soon, the carriage reached near the establishment, and the second after that entered its territory. I am still on the road, but it has now become part of the establishment since its area has doubled. I looked at the road and was glad, that there was no emotion mist, or even the feeling, one gets the moment one entered inside the boundaries of establishment. If it had been the other legacy, it wouldn¡¯t have been controlled this quickly, but thanks to Caena¡¯s enchantments, everything is controlled. The legacy had advanced, but aside from three people, nobody had any idea. Carla and Margaux had also sensed it, because of the Share Authority. Click! The carriage stopped at the gates of the establishment and the door opened before Caena walked inside. ¡°Zela, follow us with guards,¡± I said. She nodded and walked out, and soon the carriage began to move again. Nobody spoke, till we got out of the establishment''s territory and entered the outer range. Immediately Caena closed her, and a moment later, a powerful isolation covered us. ¡°It worked,¡± she said with a gleeful smile. I raised my hand, and a moment later, a fireball appeared over it. It disappeared and a water blade appeared in my hand, and the moment after that, an acid ball. I tried one spell after another, and all worked. ¡°Let¡¯s try, Grade II,¡± I said, feeling slightly nervous. Till now, the establishment could only use Grade 0 and Grade 1 spells, but now with it reaching Grade II, we will be able to imprint and use Grade II spells. There is only one Grade II spell, imprinted in the establishment. It had been less than an hour since the establishment advanced to Grade 2. Caena was only able to imprint, one Grade II spell; it is from the guard. I activated it and immediately, a reddish energy armor appeared on my body. Much stronger, than the spell, that the guard had used. ¡°We might really have a chance of surviving with it,¡± she said, and I shook my head. ¡°If we had a month or at least a week or two to gather enough emotion essence to power the spells, there would have been a real chance, but now, it will only be helpful. It won¡¯t be enough to turn the tide,¡± I said with a regretful smile. ¡°It is still a Grade 2 legacy, and we will have a chance. If we do what, Regyn Sol had done,¡± I said with my expression turning serious. For a moment, she was confused, before her eyes lit up and then widened as she realized what I meant.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 311: Plan Chapter 311: Plan Raxtine Hotel, Greltheaven ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect things to get worse, so soon,¡± said the blue-haired man, looking out of the window at the square where the young governor had just finished the speech. All five of them sitting there in a room, looking outside. ¡°The chances of us surviving are pretty low,¡± said the raven-haired woman. Nobody said anything to that; they are here because they are desperate. Even if they escaped and survived; they will die in a few years. The vision brings the last hope for their survival. They need to believe in it, even if it will kill them, because if they succeed, it will provide the others with the chance of survival. For a few minutes, nobody spoke, before their leader got up. ¡°I am going to pray and after that, we will meet the governor of Greltheaven,¡± she said and walked out of the room. .... Click! I stepped out of the carriage as it stopped and turned to Zela. ¡°Ask Commander Stone to come here, immediately,¡± I said. It surprised her, but she nodded while I walked inside the establishment. ¡°He said, he will need an hour,¡± Zela replied. ¡°Tell him to come immediately, say it is important,¡± I said without stopping. I looked at the floors and saw people trying to enjoy themselves to their heart''s content before the undead came to reap their lives. Some are being excessive in their behavior, which we usually don¡¯t tolerate, but today we are doing. Still, there is a limit, and we already threw some people out, when they didn¡¯t listen to the warning. I could feel the emotions they were emitting. Which are quickly getting absorbed by the establishment. Now that it is a Grade II legacy, it could absorb the emotion, far more efficiently. If I had a week with such emotions. I could have been able to do some real damage to the undead. Click! Soon, I reached my office and walked inside. As I sat, I took out things from the drawer. I didn¡¯t think, I would need to use it this quickly, but glad, I am prepared for it. I mixed the stuff, before taking out a dagger, puncturing my index finger, and dropping a few drops of my blood into it. I mixed the things and turned to Caena. ¡°Can you strengthen it?¡± I asked her. She is a witch. They know, how to work with the blood and I need it as strong as possible for the strongest effect. She nodded, and I pushed the inkpot toward her. She took it in her hand closed her eyes and started muttering something. A minute later, I felt the stream of emotion essence mixing with the things. Not a Grade I emotion essence, but a Grade II. With the establishment turning to Grade II, all the emotion essence had turned to Grade II. We could dilute it to Grade I, if we require it, but currently, we don¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she replied and handed me the inkpot. I took it and dipped the pen in it before starting writing on the parchment, using the full power of my legacy. It took a few minutes before I finished. I looked at the finished work and couldn¡¯t help, but feel proud; it is simple but airtight. I thought for a moment, before taking out two more parchment sheets and beginning to copy the content of the first parchment. ¡°Master Silver, Commander Stone is here for you,¡± Jill''s voice rang out as I was writing the third parchment. ¡°Send him in,¡± said Caena. Click! Moments later, the door opened, and Stone walked in, and he didn¡¯t look to be good mood. If I had been in his place, I would have been angry too. He was there, preparing to defend the city, while I summoned him. Not in the mansion, but in the establishment. ¡°Lord Governor,¡± he greeted gruffly. I nodded without looking and continued to write. ¡°Sit, Commander Stone,¡± said Caena. He said down and waited. Finally, I finished with the parchment and turned to Stone. ¡°Thank you for coming, Stone,¡± I said to him. ¡°I was busy, Lord Governor. I hope it is important,¡± he said. His words could say to be rude, but I don¡¯t mind. ¡°It is extremely important, but before we discuss it, I want you to sign it,¡± I said and pushed the parchment toward him. The parchment is NDA; I already signed the NDA with them after gaining the legacy, and it was strong, but I needed something much stronger. This one is as strong as I could make. It is simple; he cannot disclose any of my, legacies or Caena¡¯s secrets. I could have added the others, but that would have stretched its power, and I don¡¯t want that. I want it as strong as possible. If he breaks the contract, all the power of my legacy will come down to kill him. I explicitly wrote down, that as long as it could kill him, legacy could even use its primal essence, which is damaging to the legacy. ¡°It is an unusually strong contract; a simple mistake will bring down the power of legacy on me,¡± he said, looking at me directly. ¡°It is, but necessary and temporary. If we survived, I would add a few clauses of exception to it,¡± I said. ¡°I hope, it is worthy of my blood,¡± he said and took a dagger and pictured his finger, before dropping his blood into the and mixing it. This contract will bind the Stone more strongly than normal humans, due to his elder blood. The elders are magical races and blood contracts are strong against them. He dipped the pen into the ink and signed it. Immediately, I felt it clicking. ¡°So, what is it?¡± he asked, and I smiled. ¡°Brace yourself, because it is going to shock the world out of you,¡± I replied with a smile and began. Within a second, his expressions begin to change massively with great shock appearing in his eyes. It shocked him so much, that his whole body shook; I had never seen him, like that, in his year of service. ¡°It could imprint any spell from Grade 0 and Grade II, and the spell will have power above its grade?¡± he asked. I didn¡¯t reply and instead showed him the spells, with his experience, he could easily tell the power of the spells with a look. ¡°We have enough emotion essence, but not enough to turn the tide of the battle,¡± I said to which, he shook his head. ¡°Even this little will bring tremendous help,¡± he replied. ¡°There is one more thing,¡± I said and spoke, and like Caena, even his eyes widened with great shock that he wasn¡¯t able to speak for an entire minute. ¡°You would do that?¡± he asked in a deep shock. ¡°Yes, I would,¡± I replied. It would pain me tremendously, but I would do it for the city, which had given me so much. ¡°If you make that sacrifice, then we might have a real chance of victory,¡± he said, with a smile finally appearing on his face. ¡°Then plan it,¡± I said. ... After Stone left, I didn¡¯t stay in the establishment for long. I left, after giving some orders to Caena and the girls. I looked out the window as the carriage moved toward the Count¡¯s mansion. I could feel Zela¡¯s eyes on me, thinking. She and Jon had also signed the contract, but unlike Stone, they didn¡¯t get any explanation. I explained it to the Stone because he needed to know to plan against the undead. It also helped that he had the elder blood. It is not like, I don¡¯t trust Zela and Jon. I do, but the risk is too big. It will not only harm me, but also Carla and the other girls. I could not take such a risk. It is for this reason; that I hadn''t even told Carla about those enchantments. The less she knows, the safer it will be for her. ¡°The undead had breached the Bilgas,¡± Zela informed. I sighed, there was nothing surprising about it. Like Alwin, it also stood no chance against the undead. They just took a few hours to breach its walls and now would be pouring into the city. ¡°It came from Meldhorn?¡± I asked, and she nodded. Their scouts have reached the Bilgas. So, we should be getting the regular updates from there as we are getting from the Almin. ¡°Any news from Port Midlet?¡± I asked, and she shook her head. The last news about the horde moving toward the Port Midlet was a few hours ago. They are maintaining their pace, which means, they will reach the Port Midlet in an hour or two; they might have already reached it. Though it is unlikely, Port Midlet is a big city, and has strong enough measures to resist communication blockade, till the undead got really close. Which will give the city, ample time for communication. Soon, the carriage reached the mansion, and I stepped out. I would love nothing more than to conduct the business in the city hall, but the Count had made people used to his home and if I change it suddenly, it will affect things. Things are already difficult; I don¡¯t want to make it more difficult. As I entered the office, there was a lot of work waiting for me. Thankfully, Bell and Ina had kept everything sorted. I sighed most of the documents after reading them; I had doubts about a few which I had kept aside, before sending them all. If we survived. I will need to do an audit. ¡°The horde is twenty-miles away from Port Midlet,¡± informed Zela. I stopped, what I was doing and turned to her. ¡°What is their strength?¡± I asked. ¡°Around three hundred thousand,¡± she replied. Which is as the information had said. If such a horde attacks us; there is no way, we will have the slightest chance of surviving against it. However, Port Midlet has a good chance. It had a big enough army and the last I heard; the bastard Zanav is still there. His calvary will be tremendously useful against the undead. ¡°There is a message from Commander Dane. He is asking you to send the armaments the city has,¡± said Zela. ¡°Ask him to send his men to discuss it,¡± I replied, without even looking. It was not the first time; he had asked for it since I had assumed the command and wouldn''t be the last. I gave him the same answer, send his men to discuss; I didn¡¯t even promise him those things. In this coming battle, we might lack men, but we didn¡¯t lack the weapons. We have enough to arm every man and more. There are a large number of weapons came from the merchant state, a few weeks ago. It was the first order of its kind and was for Prince Grelt¡¯s army. The empire''s agreement with Meldhorn explicitly forbids the trading of weapons, but that didn¡¯t stop Prince Grelt. I wonder how Dane got to know about it; very few people knew about it. The Count had hinted to me to not touch those things before leaving, and even Prince might get angry, but I don¡¯t care. Survival is more important than the consequences. For more, Click Chapter 312: New Allies Chapter 312: New Allies ¡°The undead horde had left the Almin. It is now moving toward the east,¡± said, stopping everyone in the office. The east means Panar, and from there, it would be Greltheaven and Norke. Norke is small enough that it won¡¯t need the whole horde. Stone had said that the horde would divide itself after conquering the Panar. One part would go to the Norke, while the other to the Greltheaven. ¡°Their numbers?¡± I asked. ¡°Two hundred thousand,¡± she replied, which everyone expected, but still turned everyone¡¯s expressions serious. For a few minutes, there was silence, when suddenly Zela¡¯s expression turned strange, and she turned toward me. ¡°There are five people claiming to be from the church of Cynvar and they want to meet you,¡± she informed surprising me. ¡°The goddess of Dusk?¡± I asked as I tried to remember all the details about it from instant recollection. ¡°Church of Cynvar; a church that was born around four hundred years ago. It was a low-level church that was inconspicuous until nearly a century ago when the Twilight Goddess wanted to bring it into her fold,¡± ¡°The Church of Dawn also tried to do the same, with both using not-so-fair means,¡± ¡°It is quite surprising, that the church of dusk resisting. Seeing they are reduced to a single region of merchant state and even there, their churches and numbers are rapidly shrinking,¡± said Robin, with pity in his eyes. It is a classic church politics. Powerful churches want those below them in their domain to submit them. Many churches that don¡¯t submit face hardship and some have even been destroyed. Most small churches ended up submitting. It is not just the survival of their church, but also of their god, who depends on them for their faith. ¡°Are they real?¡± I asked. I am right to be skeptical because no one in their right mind would stay here in the city when the undead are attacking. They should have already left before the undead created the blockade in the afternoon on the merchant-state side. Before that, the merchant state was letting its people in. Nearly all from the merchant state had already left the city. ¡°They are real. The guards have verified,¡± replied Zela. It is very easy to verify the people of the church; their divine power is obvious. ¡°Then let¡¯s see, what they want,¡± I said. I am swamped with work and have a lot of things to do, but they are people from the church. It might be a low-level church, but that didn¡¯t decrease their need for me. Click! It didn¡¯t take long, and the door opened. Five people walked in, wearing dusky black robes, covering their whole bodies; even their faces couldn¡¯t be seen properly due to the hoods. They stopped in unison and removed their hoods, before making a faint bow. ¡°Lord Governor,¡± they greeted, while I watched in surprise. It is not just me, but everyone in the room is surprised to see them. I looked at their leader and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She is a tall woman and looked to be in her early thirties. She has long violet hair and radiant skin with cheekbones that one would sell their soul for. However, it is her eyes that are the most prominent. They are black as in the night. When I looked at them, I felt like I was staring at the darkest night, without any light. I immediately looked away. Her black eyes are surprising. Humans have it and other races. Only one race didn¡¯t have them. The elves. As far as I could see, she is a pure-blooded elf. She may have a human or other race ancestor far back in her line, but I don¡¯t think that is a reason. Her eyes didn¡¯t feel like a normal black eyes. I quickly pushed those thoughts away and focused on the other members. There are four people behind her. One is a green-haired elf woman in her late twenties behind her is a muscled half-elf blue-haired man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. On the other side of the violet-haired woman are two humans. First is a beautiful blond woman in her mid-twenties and man short black-haired man in his early twenties. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± I said and offered them, the seats. ¡°Thank you, Lord Governor,¡± said the violet-haired woman and sat in front of me. She looked at the people in the office, before turning to me. ¡°I have to say, your appearance here at this time has surprised me, your grace,¡± I said, addressing her as per her title. Her robe had an emblem of her church and on the other side has a mark of her position. She is a bishop. ¡°Apologies for not following the etiquette. My lord, but we didn¡¯t want to waste the time when we have a great task ahead of us,¡± she said. ¡°And what would that be, your grace?¡± I asked with hope, beating in my heart. ¡°The undead, of course, my lord,¡± replied the woman with a small smile on her face, while my heart leaped with joy. The need for the clerics couldn¡¯t be underestimated. They bring a huge aid to the battle, especially against the undead. ¡°You are willing to aid us against the undead?¡± I asked, to be sure. ¡°Yes,¡± she affirmed. I wanted to shout loudly hearing that, but I controlled myself and thought about it rationally. I know they are not spies or people sent by the undead. They had their church and didn¡¯t tolerate any other in their domain. It could be said that they consider them their enemies. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean, they are without any intention. ¡°I know you want to help our beautiful city and we are grateful for that, but I wonder if you want something else too?¡± I asked her directly, and the small smile on her face widened. ¡°Yes, we want something, but that can be discussed after we survive the undead,¡± she said. ¡°That is fine, the undead are important,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Once again, I am grateful for the help you are offering, your grace, and will try my hardest to pay you back for this, but it will not be completely up to me. This position of mine is temporary,¡± I added. I could already guess what they want for me, and I don¡¯t think, I will be able to give it to her. The Count would never agree to it, nor would the prince. ¡°I understand,¡± she said, and I could see in her eyes, that she understood the things. There is a big chance, that even if we survived, this huge risk wouldn¡¯t give them anything, not even a simple thank you. ¡°Now that we have concluded the business, I hope, you will grace me with your name, your grace,¡± I said, and she smiled. ¡°I am Merial Alanis.¡± She introduced herself before turning back. ¡°These are our paladins, Alen Magleth and Lois Carr, and our priests Avna Kelryc and Fex Sutton,¡± It was a struggle to control myself when I heard the word paladin. The muscled half-elf man and beautiful blond-haired human woman are paladins, both of them looked to be in their mid-twenties. The young man in his early twenties and the elf, who looked to be in her late twenties, are priests. I thought all of them were clerics, but there were two paladins. They are a powerful martial class at the level of knights but with the extra boost of divine power. I don¡¯t know what their exact level is, but at every level, they are useful. ¡°With your aid, we are one step closer to being ready against the undead,¡± I said, and she smiled. She left soon after; she will go to Stone, who will be accessing their abilities. ¡°Try to find out any information you could about them,¡± I said to Robin. I trust that they are with us against the undead, but I would be an idiot if I didn¡¯t look them up to be sure. One can never be too careful in times like these. A few minutes passed, and another set of papers came for my permission. The battle isn¡¯t just swinging weapons and firing spells. It is also signing a lot of documents, giving out permissions, and meetings. Soon, I finished signing the papers and sent them away. ¡°Commander Stone had brought them out and was ready for you,¡± informed Zela. I nodded and got up, before walking out of the office. It is a huge risk; I will be taking it with them, but like many things, I have no choice. They will increase our chances against the undead. Soon, I walked out and saw the sun had already gone down. By late midnight, the undead would reach the Panar and then here. It is highly likely, that tomorrow, we will be fighting against the undead. It feels too soon, but compared to the other cities, we have more time to prepare against them. I sat in the carriage, and it moved toward the second garrison ground. On the way, I saw a large number of people, with their things on their backs and carts. Many looked angry, some crying, but walking to where the guards were leading them. I could also see, the people of the constructionist guild have started working, destroying the building, creating blockades, and other things. Moving the people is necessary. It will be very dangerous if they remain where they are and hard to protect. It is better for people to stay in a single place, where they would be protected properly from the undead. It is not without its disadvantages, but it is the safest option, with the plan, Stone has in mind. The carriage was moving when a small appeared on my face; the carriage had entered the outer range of the establishment. I closed my eyes and a few seconds later, the smile on my face became even bigger. Soon, the carriage entered the second garrison grounds. I t is big and there are a thousand soldiers, along with mages and archers, but my focus isn¡¯t on them. My focus is on the thousands of loosely standing bodies of grey and green. The carriage stopped and Lt. Colonel Julian opened the door and led me toward Stone, who was standing in front of the thousands of Orcs. The orcs that were prisoners till midnight and still are. They looked much better than yesterday. I have fed them four times already; it was helpful, that there were people among the orcs and some in the army, that had quick digestion and recovery skills. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked toward them, and I met those eyes without showing any fear. ¡°Lord Governor,¡± Stone greeted as I stopped beside him. ¡°Did you tell them?¡± I asked directly, to which he shook his head. ¡°It would be better if it comes from you,¡± he replied. He is right. It is better if I make the offer to them as the governor of Greltheaven. I turned to them and looked into their eyes. Especially the leaders, who are in the front. I also looked at the strange white orc, who was standing alone in the corner. Seeing the way, the orcs were standing; it seemed like, they wanted to stay away from it as much as possible. My eyes stayed on him for a moment, before turning to other orcs. ¡°I am Remus Silver, Governor of Greltheaven and the host of legacy. I have an offer for you all,¡± I said, and a surprise was clear in the eyes of many. It is not the word ¡®offer¡¯ that made them surprised, I am sure by now, they had been able to find out what was going on, and it didn¡¯t need the genius to figure out the rest. ¡°I am sure, you are all aware that the undead are coming and I want you to join us in the fight against them. In exchange, I will grant you all complete freedom without any restrictions,¡± I said, and many laughed. The guards moved toward them, but I raised my hand to stop them. ¡°Did I say something, funny?¡± I asked the old bony Orc, who seemed to be garnering the greatest respect. He is the Shaman Trik. Only Lv. 30, in thousands of orcs. There were a few more Lv. 30 orcs, but they were killed by the nobles, in not-so-legal ways, since higher permission was needed for their execution. They were too dangerous to keep in prison. They killed them, to deal with the trouble they might cause. As for how he survived, he was very good at talking and also bribed the Baron Harrods, his treasures, which saved his life. ¡°You are very funny, my lord. You want us to fight for you when you were going to execute us?¡± He asked, looking directly into my eyes and I stared back, before smiling. ¡°You are right, we were going to execute you, but since the undead are attacking, we need you to fight with us,¡± I said, not denying the thing, we were going to do to them. ¡°It will be more like using us as cannon fodder against them,¡± he spat, to which I shrugged. ¡°It is better than dying without fighting. I am sure, you know what the undead will do, once they capture the city,¡± I said, and many shuddered. ¡°Still, many of would prefer that, since you are going to break that promise, anyway. We had learned a long ago, to not trust the lords like you,¡± said the muscled orc. Even starving daily for months hadn¡¯t made him lose those muscles. He is angry, along with many others, but there are more who are willing to accept the terms. I could see in their eye; that the promise of freedom had made their heartbeat with hope. They wouldn¡¯t mind fighting against the undead for it. I am confident, that I could get more than half of them to fight for me, but I don¡¯t want half; I want all of them. So, I did what not any sane host of legacy would do. Old man Vanis would admonish me from taking such an enormous risk; it is one of the things he said, I shouldn¡¯t do. I was also not allowed to do according to the terms of the contract I signed with the emperor. He is dead now and with it, those restrictions. I raised my hand in front of me and gathered the power of the legacy in my hand. Many remained oblivious, not sensing anything, but the eyes of Trik and a few others widened as they sensed the power. ¡°I swear on my legacy, that as long as you all fight against the undead with us, following all the rules and commands; I will free you all,¡± I swore to all. There was barely any change in most people¡¯s eyes, but the eyes of shamans turned serious as they felt my words resonating with the world. They stared at me for a moment, before walking toward each. The guards moved once again, but I stopped them and watched, while the shamans and the leaders discussed. They took over ten minutes before turning back to me. ¡°We agree to fight alongside you, but we have a few conditions,¡± said the old orc. ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a smile. For more, Click Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 313: Strategy Meeting Chapter 313: Strategy Meeting ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have sworn the oath,¡± said Stone as we walked away from the Orcs after discussing the terms; some I had accepted, some I didn¡¯t. ¡°It was necessary to convince the leaders to fight for us willingly,¡± I replied. I could have easily made half of them fight for me. If I tried harder enough, 80% of them with many leaders or all of them, after some threats, but that wouldn¡¯t have made them committed. They still might find a chance to run away or do other things, that will be harmful to us, but the chances of that happening are less than before. Breaking the oath would make me lose the legacy and even they know I won''t do such a silly thing for a few thousand orcs. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that orc?¡± I asked. He remained confused for a moment, before understanding my question. I am asking about the strange lone orc. ¡°He is albino; orcs considered them impure and unlucky,¡± replied Stone. My expression turned strange for a moment before anger flashed in my eyes. ¡°Fucking idiots,¡± I cursed. Albinism is not magical; it is biological. In humans, it occurs because of the lower level of melanin. I am sure, there is a similar reason or the same chemical responsible for it in the orcs. I can¡¯t imagine what that poor orc must have suffered. Seeing those people, aren¡¯t even willing to be in his shadows. Hun! Suddenly, Zela stopped, making both of us turn to her. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. ¡°Panar had opened the gates and now people are escaping through it, in large numbers,¡± she replied. I couldn¡¯t help, but sigh, hearing that. Its governor had been under extreme pressure, especially in the past few hours since the undead horde, left the Almin. There have been huge riots, that he started to have a difficult time managing. Even the city guards have joined it, last I heard. The Greltheaven was in much better condition, and I could take some credit for that. I had worked hard on the messaging from the start; I didn¡¯t contain all the news and promptly dealt with any incident that occurred. It was not like everyone reacted peacefully. There are many incidents, but they have been handled peacefully and with force. Still, I have to be careful, anything could happen, and I don¡¯t want to give the city to the undead without even fighting the battle. ¡°It will be bad for them and us,¡± said Stone after a few seconds of silence. Bad for them, because the undead will hunt them, and bad for us because the few hours, they would have spent conquering it wouldn¡¯t happen. It is highly likely that even the leader would abandon the city. ¡°Then prepare; we need to be ready for them,¡± I said. He nodded and walked away, while I stepped into my carriage after talking to a few people. ¡°Is there any news of the Count?¡± I asked Zela, to which she shook her head. The bastard should have reached the Dustorn Fortress by now. He had said, he would contact me as soon as he reached there. There was nothing from the Count and the fortress didn¡¯t inform us of his arrival. I wanted to ask about them directly, but I don¡¯t want anyone listening to know that the Count is gone. Though, I think they had already guessed where he went; it is not that hard. There are only two places he could go, Mirador Hold and Dustorn Fortress. He wouldn¡¯t go on the hold; it would be like jumping from the arm of one danger to another. Dustorn fortress is the only choice, even at this time, where Tabes might attack, because even if we lost Tabes. The Count wouldn¡¯t die, they would just capture him and ransom him back to his family. While in captivity, he will be treated according to his station; undead don¡¯t follow such rules. Soon, the carriage got out of the outer range, making me feel a little naked. It had been only a few hours since the establishment had advanced to Grade II and I didn¡¯t stay in its range for more than two hours, but every moment I stayed, I felt safe. It wasn¡¯t just the feeling; I was safe. Safer than I was out of it because, at any moment, I could use the spell to blast anyone, meaning hard to me. Soon the carriage reached near the western gate, where all the buildings had been flattened and now the blockades were being created. Edmor is leading the whole effort of planning and leading, but Valentina is in charge of the name. I wouldn¡¯t have done that, but I need her name out as much as possible. I was quite surprised when Stone had made him in-charge; I thought there would be someone with more experience, but it seemed like the man had impressed him, and seeing, how things are going, I am impressed too. Click! The carriage stopped and Lt. Colonel Hiren opened the door with his one hand. The man had lost the hand to the bandits in Lockridge Castle and taken the retirement, but joined back as soon as he recovered. The retirement didn¡¯t suit him. ¡°How are the things?¡± I asked as I stepped out. ¡°Going great. We should be able to finish with our preparations by the morning,¡± he replied and seemed quite confident about it. ¡°Let¡¯s hope, we do,¡± I said with a small smile and walked out with him, looking at the preparations. Soon, we climbed up the city wall, which had more cannons on it, than it had been yesterday. These slim cannons were part of mobile artillery, but we made a few adjustments and mounted them on the walls. There are armaments in the city, but these armaments were brought in view to fight the armies, not the undead horde. The city didn¡¯t have many resources or, at all, to fight specifically against the undead. We had some, but the Count had sent them to Mirador Hold when Dane started demanding them. He didn¡¯t buy new ones from the city. The Count always had a plan to run away. He had no intention to stay and defend the city in any circumstances. We are using every resource we have, adjusting them according to our needs. I moved my gaze away from the cannons and looked ahead, where hundreds of people burying the mines. I could see Valentina and Edmon there, using their spells with other mages to expedite the process. I looked for a few minutes, before walking back into my carriage and going to other places to check the preparation. They are moving on time and should be finished by the morning. The carriage stopped at the mansion and I got out, before walking inside. I didn¡¯t walk to my office and instead directly went to the conference room, where merchants and other important people were waiting for me. The meeting didn¡¯t last for long. It was a courtesy meeting to allay their fears, after fifteen minutes, I was in my office. There is going to be one more meeting in a few hours with Stone and the other officers about the strategy. ¡°Any news on Count?¡± I asked again, as I entered my office. ¡°No, but there is one from Inam; it is about the Port Midlet,¡± she replied. ¡°Finally,¡± I said. Inam is the biggest imperial city closest to us. It is geographically part of the Renwell region, the last city in the wasteland, but part of the Halsad region. It is also close to Port Midlet; they had said, they would send the scouts, and it seemed they did. ¡°How¡¯s the Midlet doing?¡± I asked after a second of silence. ¡°Their army is fighting in front of the city against the undead,¡± she replied. ¡°Has Zanav, made a move?¡± I asked. ¡°He and his cavalry hadn¡¯t been spotted yet,¡± she replied. ¡°What is Inam is saying about the battle?¡± I asked, there is always commentary from the military brass. ¡°They said, Midlet¡¯s forces will fight the undead outside the walls for a few hours before fighting them from the walls,¡± she replied. ¡°It seemed like, they are doing better than I had expected,¡± I said. I thought the undead would have gone for the wall by now, but they were holding them back. It could be said to be the first city to stop the undead from touching their walls for more than four hours. Even Ashton Harbor hadn¡¯t managed to do that. She informed me of other news about Tabes, Edruin, and other kingdoms attacking the empire and other battles happening inside. I listened to them, before pushing them in the back of my mind. What is happening in the empire is not my concern, at least not till, I survive the horde coming for the city. ¡°They have arrived,¡± informed Zela. I stopped what I was doing and got up, before walking out of the office. It is a strategy meeting; Stone had already devised it and will be sharing it with the rest. Click! ¡°Lord Governor,¡± they greeted as I stepped inside the room. Every important officer is here, from Major to Commander. There are also representatives of clerics, and the orcs, with three of them sitting on the main table and four in the back. Many looked uncomfortable, with their presence, and some were even glaring at them. I am kind of surprised, that weapons hadn¡¯t been drawn, considering we have been taught to hate them and some had even fought against them in baronies. ¡°Everyone,¡± I said and sat down, with them sitting after me. ¡°I will not say much as it is, not my expertise. I will let, Commander Stone, explain, the strategy, he had devised,¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Governor,¡± said Stone and touched the table. Immediately, a projection of the city appeared above the table. ¡°The army we have assembled isn¡¯t as trained or cohesive as I liked. It is not capable of employing the intricate strategies,¡± He paused and looked at all; there was no objection to his words. Everybody understood, what kind of army, we had cobbled together. A large part of this army is inexperienced, with mercenaries and orcs mixed in them. They will never be able to execute a complicated strategy. Instead, will make things worse, if we try. ¡°Our battle strategy is divided into three phases. First, is engaging them outside of the walls, the second is defending from the walls and third is fighting inside the city, where we would end them,¡± he said. For the first two, there was barely any change in the expression of anyone, but hearing the third phase, everyone got alarmed. ¡°Letting the bastard inside the city would be a death sentence; we wouldn¡¯t last long,¡± said Major Hokan, while many officers nodded. The ones who remained calm were the orcs and the mercenaries. ¡°Letting them enter the city would be dangerous, Commander Stone,¡± said Colonel Cardin. ¡°It will be Colonel, but it is the only option, that gives us a chance of victory,¡± Stone replied. Many looked at me to object, but I remained silent without saying anything. ¡°It seemed like you have something that giving you confidence, Commander Eukrin,¡± said Shaman Trik. Eukrin is the orcish word for elder-blood; it is a respectful word. The orcs respect elder blood and their strength. His words turned the focus of all back on Stone. ¡°There is something that would give us a real chance of victory if everything went according to the plan,¡± he confirmed while looking at me. ¡°What is that something, Commander Stone?¡± asked Vandal. Stone didn¡¯t say anything other than smile. Some turned to me, but I kept my expressions neutral and didn¡¯t even think about it. ¡°The plan may be simple, but there are some intricate parts, that I will explain to you all,¡± said Stone after a few seconds of silence. It took over an hour to explain all the intricacies of the plan and half an hour to answer all the questions the people had before the meeting finally ended. Soon everybody left, leaving only Stone behind. ¡°Take a rest, my lord. Once the undead arrive, there won¡¯t be any,¡± said Stone as he got up after our discussion. ¡°I will,¡± I replied. Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com For more, Click Chapter 314: Request Chapter 314: Request Dealer of Desire Lv. 23 [Master of Legacy] Dealer of Desire Lv. 24 [Master of Legacy] Skill Gained: Energizing Essence Masterful Administrator Lv. 23 There was a text in front of my eyes, as I woke. I had leveled up. I barely glanced at the first two lines, before turning to the skill with eyes wide and heart beating in the excitement. Energizing Essence is a really powerful skill that is specific to the masters of legacies. It works as it states; it lets one use the emotion essence to energize. I wonder, what kind of variation it is. Some energize the mind, some the body, some both, and some specific emotions. It is an extremely rare skill to get before the legacy reaches Grade 4 and the one old man Vanis wants since he is always damn tired. I quickly controlled my emotions and focused on the last notification and a slight disappointment couldn¡¯t help, but appear in my heart. Masterful Administrator leveled up, but it didn¡¯t upgrade as I was expecting. Well, it is not easy to gain those powerful classes. One needs to work for months and years to gain them, while I am at the job for less than a week. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the important thing. The four attribute points I have stored. I got two from this level up and another two from the last, which I hadn¡¯t used, but now it had become clear where I needed to use them. I added two to the vitality and two to the strength. Taking the vitality to fourteen and strength to sixteen. Immediately, I felt the change. My skin had become slightly vibrant, and I felt more strength in my body. For a few seconds, it gave me a high, that made me feel like, I could do anything. It took a while for the high to vanish and for me to get control over my emotions. I got out of bed, feeling a slight regret, that I couldn¡¯t add some points to the intelligence and charm. If I had planned the lead only, I might have, but I planned to fight and body stats will help a lot with that. I quickly freshened up and changed into the new clothes, before activating Get Ready. I wanted to shower, but I already slept more than, I wanted to. I planned to sleep for three hours only but ended up sleeping four. The sun had started to come out and in a few minutes, the whole sky would light up. I walked out of the bedroom and saw Shaun and Lt. Colonel Julian standing in the bedroom. ¡°Any news?¡± I asked him. ¡°A lot; I have written it all down,¡± he said and handed me a stack of papers. I took it from him and walked out of my suite, with them following behind them. ¡°They are still in the Panar?¡± I asked, and he nodded. They reached the Panar three and a half hours ago. They entered the gates without any resistance since more than half of its population deserted the city, most of which undead brought it back. The undead were around the city, hiding before the horde even arrived. They have killed and captured most of the people trying to escape. I thought, they would leave the city by now for Greltheaven, but they didn¡¯t. It is good for us. It gives us more time. It is not the only good news; there is another about the Port Midlet, where the undead had yet to breach walls, even after twelve hours of battle and it seemed like, the big credit goes to that bastard. He had finally entered the battle and turned the tide. I hate the bastard, but couldn¡¯t help, but become impressed by his and his cavalry¡¯s prowess. These two are only good things because others are bad. The horde that captured Bilgas is now moving toward Port Midlet and there is another horde that has come out of the Ashton Harbor and is moving south-east. It is unlikely to be going for the Bilgas, since they already conquered it, and it is too small for the Deerpond. The only city toward which it could go against seemed to be Riverbell. It is one of the three cities by the river, with Deerpond and Greltheaven. It would be disastrous if they captured the Riverbell because it would cut our main trade route with the rest of the rest of the empire. I can not do anything, but I hope, the others would. Especially, the merchant states. The thing, they had been waiting for to happen had happened; the emperor was dead and wars were everywhere. Means more business for them and I am sure, they wouldn¡¯t want any harm to come to this precious trade route and would be pulling the strings in the background. By the time, I reached my office; I had finished reading everything. ¡°Any news about the Count?¡± I asked, before sleeping, I had asked him to keep an eye on that news. ¡°No, there was nothing,¡± he replied. ¡®Did they really capture him?¡¯ I asked myself. It might have happened, or he went to the place which I couldn¡¯t guess. There is also a chance, that he might have dug the hole and is hiding in the wasteland. Stone had said, it was the best option to survive the undead. One only needs good mages to hide the life signatures, and the Count had gone with three high mages. For a minute, there was a silence, before I turned to Bell and Ina. ¡°Have you two slept at all?¡± I asked. They have been here since I had gone to sleep and are still here. ¡°We did,¡± they replied in unison. They have skills that let them operate with less sleep. I know for a fact Bell has it and Ina has it too. I didn¡¯t say anything further and focused on the files in front of me. It is not all work, much of it contains intelligence; we have mages who are responsible for receiving it from the other cities. Yesterday, there was only a single file, and now there are tens of them. With each passing day, more and more scouts were getting closer to the cities and information was leaking from the cities where the undead were fighting or already captured. They may have sealed cities communications, but that doesn¡¯t mean, there would be a complete blockade of information. It would leak eventually. ¡°The horde had left Panar,¡± informed Shaun, stopping me and everyone. Turning the mood of the entire office somber. We have been expecting the news, but it still shook the hearts of many. Till now, the horde was coming, but not directly toward our city, but now it is. ¡°It had split into two parts, one coming for the Greltheaven, while the other is moving toward Norke,¡± he added, predicting Stone turned true. ¡°What is the number?¡± I asked and his expression turned bad hearing that. ¡°Around hundred and fifty thousand for us and fifty thousand for Norke,¡± he replied, turning everybody¡¯s expressions worse, including mine. We have been hoping for a hundred thousand to one hundred and thirty thousand, but this hundred and fifty is going to make things a lot harder for us. Still, it didn¡¯t change the fact, that we will need to fight them. There is no choice, other than that. Half an hour later, Stone came to discuss it and left a few minutes later. Like, I had said, it didn¡¯t change things. ¡°Lord Governor, they are here,¡± said the voice through the intercom. ¡°Send them in,¡± I said. Click! The door opened, and six people walked inside. They looked tired despite the sleep and pale; some even had bandages around them, with loss filling their eyes. There are six people, with the muscled middle-aged man in the lead. He is a tall man, with thick blue hair and green eyes. ¡°My lord,¡± they greeted. ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± said the leading middle-aged man. ¡°I am glad to see, you have survived. It wouldn¡¯t have been easy,¡± I said after a few seconds. ¡°We did, but we have paid a great prize for that,¡± he said, looking at people beside him. ¡°It would have been wise if we had prepared, like you are doing, instead of escaping. The result would have been the same or worse, but it would have been honorable,¡± he added and sighed. He is a Major Hunriet of Panar; one of few hundred that was able to reach Greltheaven, among tens of thousands, who had escaped. ¡°It is not your fault, Major. With how things were in your city, you couldn¡¯t have done anything,¡± I said, but the man didn¡¯t say other than shake his head. There was a silence for nearly a minute before the man turned to me. ¡°I have come here, with the request, that you would let me and the people from my city fight the undead with you. Our strength might not be much, but we want to take back our honor from the undead,¡± he said. ¡°It would be my honor, to fight alongside you and your people, Major,¡± I said to a middle-aged man. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± he said and bowed deeply. We need people to fight and some of the people who come from Panar are good. Stone had informed me, he would be enlisting them. So, even if he hadn¡¯t come to me for permission. He would have needed to fight, every person in the city, who could fight is doing. He left soon after and an hour later, I walked out of my office. I was going to do a thing, I wasn¡¯t planning to, but the nightmare I had changed my mind. It is extremely risky, for her, but if I didn¡¯t do it and something has happened to her, I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself. So, I would do it, even knowing, it might put her in danger if we survived, and the secret is revealed, but she will need to survive the undead to face that. That is all I care about, right now. For more, Click The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 315: Three Hours Chapter 315: Three Hours Lich Savais ¡®This is really a wretched place,¡¯ I thought for the hundredth time, looking at the vast wasteland. Except for the few pockets of green, there is nothing but the barren earth. People may assume the undead like us would like this place, but we undead hate it as much as the living. I was in my thoughts when suddenly I felt eyes on me and turned. I looked at the man, wearing green armor with the helm in his hand. He is looking at me with those emotionless dark green eyes. ¡°Savais, Greltheaven is the last city we are going to attack, and it is the most important one. It will give us the control over an important trade route and the legacy,¡± ¡°I really hope you would control your emotions once there,¡± he said, looking directly at the soul flames in my eyes. There is promise in those eyes of things he will do. If I didn¡¯t do what he said. ¡°I won¡¯t kill him, Knight Bartram,¡± I replied. Giving him the same answer I had given to the general when he had warned me while giving me the assignment. I couldn¡¯t kill him, which I desperately wanted to do. It is a red line, that I wouldn¡¯t cross even in my dream. The punishment for it would be worse than death. That doesn¡¯t mean, I won¡¯t have my revenge. I may not harm him, but I could still cause him the pain, that he would feel such a pain that he would want to die. I already gathered all the information about him and know the things he loves. I will be going after them. The bastard will pay for what he did to me. I will have my revenge. I had thought about it day and night for over a year; it had nearly consumed me. Now I will finally have it, in three hours. It felt painful to wait, and I wanted to order the horde to move faster, but that was not wise. This is the optimum speed of the horde. It didn¡¯t strain our horde and the pillars controlling them. It is important that our force remain in optimum shape as we are going to attack the city immediately as we reach it. Knight Bartram wants the city to be captured by midnight, which wouldn¡¯t be a challenge, despite the resistance, I heard, he is planning. We have crushed hundreds of such and will be crushing them too. ... Caena ¡°This is overwhelming,¡± said Carla with shock as she walked out of the basement, before leaving the establishment with Margaux. I watched them leave, before turning to Onaz. ¡°All well?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, everything is ready. We now only need to wait for the priest,¡± she replied with a smile, but nervousness and fear were apparent in her eyes. She isn¡¯t the only one feeling the emotion. Every person in the city is feeling it, including me. The undead are coming; they are only three hours away. I looked at the hall, which had been completely transformed. All the chairs, paintings have disappeared. So have the bottles of liquor and other valuables that could be taken away. Even the feeling of legacy had been lessened, and its area had been shrunk to the establishment. If one could walk on the floors above the hall; they wouldn¡¯t feel any power of the legacy at all. It is my doing; I had done it save the essence. Every bit would be required for what Stone had planned. We wouldn¡¯t have needed to take such extreme measures if we had at least a week. In the last two days, we had collected a massive amount of emotions, compared to other days before. If we had kept collecting as such for a week; I would have had much better confidence in our victory. Many things have disappeared and in their places came the other things. Mostly beds, a lot of them. They had filled all the floors. The legacy will act as the resting place for the tired officers and soldiers. It could provide better rest than any resting skills. Especially when we use the real power of those charms, which we never did. Since the legacy was born, we have never used over 25% of the power of those charms, and after it advanced to Grade II. That 25% shrunk even further; it helped us save a lot of emotion essence since the first day. I turned back to the girls; twenty-two of them. They are the only ones left in the establishment, and the circle, which had also been evacuated. There is only one area for civilians, and everyone needs to go there, and the girls of the establishment are no exception. Most girls went there, but many volunteered for the different jobs. Including these girls who decided to stay here and help. ¡°It is a courageous thing, you are doing, girls. I am immensely proud of you all.¡± I said to them. What they are doing may seem like the safest job compared to those fighting, but it is not. The undead kill everyone, who participates in the battle against them. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a fighter or the workers, who helped to create blockades. They kill all. I had made it clear to them when I had asked for volunteers. Even being an employee of legacy wouldn¡¯t save them from the undead, but they still did. I looked at all preparations once again, before walking to my office, where I summoned the core. It appeared, more magnificent than it had been a few days ago. Filled with such power, that it could vaporize the whole city and some more in an instant. I pushed those thoughts away and looked at the most colorful planet. Which had huge pools containing the Grade II emotion essence. I had confidence that if we had these pools completely filled. The undead wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. I am not joking, seeing emotion essence, had not even filled 1% of these pools, despite the massive number of emotions we have harvested. These pools have massive capacity, even if we harvest as much as emotions as yesterday. It would still take nearly a year to fill them to capacity with the Grade II emotion essence. ¡®Let¡¯s hope it is enough for what we are planning,¡¯ I thought, before closing it and walking out of the office. ¡°Madam Caena, Priest Sutton is here,¡± informed Onaz as I was coming from the floor above. I nodded and walked toward the man. I found him on the first floor, looking at the hall curiously. He is a young man in his early twenties, wearing the robes of a church of dust, and has a wooden staff with a dusky crystal in his hand. ¡°Priest Sutton,¡± I greeted the young man, making him turn toward me. ¡°Madam Caena, I suppose,¡± he said, and I nodded. ¡°Is it really a legacy? It feels so pale compared to the things I heard,¡± he said, looking slightly disappointed. A smile appeared on my face and a moment later, colorful emotion mist materialized, while the power of legacy concentrated on him. It shocked him immediately. ¡°Now, does it feel like a legacy?¡± I asked and removed all the effects. ¡°My apologies for the doubts, Madam Caena,¡± he apologized. ¡°You do not need to apologize, Priest Sutton. I am just conserving the emotion essence,¡± I replied and understanding appeared in his eyes. ¡°So, where do you want me to cast spells?¡± he asked. ¡°Follow me,¡± I replied and led him. I also went with him, while the girls stayed behind, despite their curiosity. Soon, we reached the entrance of the basement and entered inside, before finally reaching the lobby where there were also beds. These beds are slightly different than those above. ¡°This is the place,¡± I said, showing him the small water pool in the center of the spa¡¯s lobby. I had removed all the flowers on it and other things, leaving only water. That is all we will need. He looked at the pool before pointing his staff at it. It lit up a moment later, before dusky rays shot through its crystal toward the water, while I covered him with the power of one specific planet. The spell has already been imprinted. In just a single day, I had imprinted over a hundred Grade II spells into the establishment. Stone had shifted the mages to the second garrison ground, which was in the outer range. There Stone had made them show their spells, and I sneakily imprinted them. I also imprinted the clerics spells. Silver was shocked earlier when I told him that. He thought only mage spells could be imprinted. It is witchcraft, a grand ritual. He underestimated it far too much. Any type of spell could be imprinted, as long as they are created from power belonging to this world. That includes the divine spells. The spell stopped and a second later, another spells came in the form of dusky waves, which were also imprinted. The third spell was a dusky ball of energy. It was not a spell, he revealed yesterday, and I quickly imprinted it. He stopped after the three spells and looked at the water, which now shining in beautiful dusky light. ¡°I had enchanted the water with the divine spells. It will now be able to cleanse the small corruption of the undead and heal the minor wounds. It will last for twelve hours,¡± he stated. ¡°Thank you, Priest Sutton,¡± I said, and the young man smiled. I walked him out through the gazebo and watched till his carriage left the establishment before returning to the spa¡¯s lobby and stopped in front of the pool, which he had just enchanted with spells. ¡°Cleans Minor Corruption. Heal Wounds. Seal of Erasins.¡± I muttered and immediately dense dusky rays, dusky waves, and dusky balls of energy appeared above the pool before entering inside it. A couple of seconds later, the water begins to shine in densely beautiful, dusky divine light. I had used the same Grade II divine spells he used, but these spells are far stronger than his. Their power is equal to the Grade III spells. The grand ritual of kama rakalis, imprints and enhances the power of the spells. Though the grand ritual, didn¡¯t increase its power to this degree. It makes spells jump the grade, but at not this power. The thing that gave them extra power above the grand rituals is emotion essence. It is the strongest fuel there. These qualities made the establishment, the best place for a temporary hospital, and it would have if it had more emotion essence and didn¡¯t have a very important purpose to serve. We wouldn¡¯t have used the establishment at all. If not used, it would have made it more suspicious. Everything here is temporary. More temporary than other temporary places we have created for this battle. It is, after all, a fac?ade. To hide the most important thing it will do. The thing, that will give us a chance to win against the undead. For more, Click Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 316: Horde At The Gates Chapter 316: Horde At The Gates ¡°They came,¡± I said, with my voice quivering as I looked at the tide of undead, that seemed unending. My soul shook, and panic built in my heart. Till now, I had only imagined the scale of the enemy we would face, but I had far underestimated the horde and the sheer scale of it and it is only slightly bigger than the smallest war horde. The unending tide is making me want to throw away my sword and hide in my establishment, without care for the city. It took a lot of willpower for me to control my emotions and glad that binoculars were hiding my face. I remove them from my eyes and the tide becomes just a black spot. I stared at it for a couple of seconds, before turning back to the army gathered in front of me. There are twenty-four thousand people in front of me. If yesterday, someone had told me, we would be able to gather so many people. I would have slapped that person. In the army in front of me, nine thousand and four hundred are from the city¡¯s army, four thousand and three hundred are men Colonel Cardin had brought from the mirador hold. Nineteen hundred are mercenaries, four thousand and two hundred are volunteers. People of the city, who had chosen to fight to protect it. All of them have combat classes aside from their main classes. Some had combat classes as their main classes but were working in different professions. If we had taken everyone who had volunteers, we would have over thirty thousand volunteers, but we don¡¯t want people who never held the sword in their lives. We would have accepted them if we had a few weeks, but unfortunately, we do not. Untrained people are useless in the battle. Especially against the undead, where they might freeze in fear and demoralize the entire army. Three thousand and six hundred are prisoners, with over 80% of them being orcs. The last group is the smallest. It is only four hundred people. They are from the Panar, who volunteered on their own. I looked at them, before opening my mouth. This time, I didn¡¯t have a skill from Bell; I had replaced it with other skill. I didn¡¯t even hide my emotions. I showed them everything, I was feeling. From barely contained panic and fear to a kindle of hope. ¡°The enemy had come, and it is powerful. There is a big chance, we will not be able to defend against it and it will kill us all.¡± ¡°Well, you all; I will be fine, thanks to the legacy,¡± I said and regretted it instantly. I don¡¯t know why, I had said that. It is a thing, I shouldn¡¯t be saying. I need them to know; that I am in the same boat as them. Their fate is my fate, but those words have thrown a fucking wrench on it. It is not like they didn¡¯t know it; they did, but it was the back of their mind, and now my words had brought them to the front. I also said those words at the worst time possible. It was time they could desert and if one deserted. Hundreds and thousands would follow immediately. I looked at them and for a second, there was no change on their faces, before a small smile appeared on one person¡¯s face and soon, it spread across the whole army. It is not a laugh, but a small smile, filled with the understanding of reality. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. ¡°Yes, the undead army is huge, but we are not without hope. A small one, but it is there, and that is enough for us to face this colossal enemy. Show them, what a grave mistake, they made in attacking our beautiful city,¡± I said. Thud Thud Thud... Immediately, they started to kick the ground, till the earth began to shake under them. I smiled and turned to the undead. That dot had become bigger, and it was getting bigger every second. ¡°How do you think they will attack?¡± I asked Stone beside me. ¡°We will know soon enough,¡± he replied. He didn¡¯t answer the questions, which he wasn¡¯t sure of. There are two strategies that the undead could use. First is directly attacking the single point with the whole horde or dividing it and attacking the city from all sides. We have prepared for both. Whether what we have prepared will work or not will depend on how many Level 30+ powerhouses they have. According to the latest intelligence, there is at least a three-level 30+ powerhouse in the horde. They had kept at least one in the two cities they had conquered, and one was leading part of the horde toward Norke. The first of the three is a knight from the order of Ebon Veil; he is the commander of the horde. The second is Necromancer Esalya; Stone had seen her on the Mayhurst island. Though he never fought against her. The merchant state had provided a lot of information about them. Including their strength and the spells they use. The third is the lich and there is no information about it. It is very hard to keep track of them, seeing they change bodies as they die. It also didn¡¯t take any action since leaving Ashton Harbor. So, they couldn¡¯t guess its identity either. I know it will be dangerous. I still remember the lich; I had fought in the Namdar¡¯s island. We had needed a High-Mage and the knight to fight it and even then, it had nearly escaped. If not for a protective amulet. It would have escaped. It still did, since it is a lich, but with only a soul. Stone said that there might be more hiding. We didn¡¯t have a single Lv. 30 to fight against them directly. We are much better when compared to pre-level 30. There are, over thirty such powerhouses. From the officers, mercenaries, mages, clerics, orcs, and people from Panar. It is a number; I didn¡¯t even dare to dream about when I got this responsibility yesterday. ¡°If the Count hadn¡¯t run away, we would have a great chance of winning this battle,¡± said Colonel Cardin, without care for the consequences. I sighed hearing that; it is the truth. The bastard had escaped taking seven Level 30+ powerhouses with him. Three were the high mages, Atticus, and two mercenary captains. There was also his hidden guard, who was the most powerful of all. Aside from that, he took several pre-level 30 powerhouses. If we had them, we would have a huge chance of victory, but the bastard had run away. Taking those chances with him. Time passed, and the horde got closer and closer till we could see the huge number of it without needing binoculars. It was massive, that even men like Colonel Cardin shook, seeing them, before walking out of the gate. It is terrifying with zombies and skeletons as far as the eye can see. They are the stuff of nightmare that scared even a seasoned warrior like Colonel Cardin. He won¡¯t be fighting due to his weakness. He would have been a great help. He is, after all, a Level 30+ powerhouse. The horde stopped at nearly five hundred meters away from the city gates. For several seconds, there was no sound from it. It just stayed there and looked terrifying. It was over a minute later; a single rider came out riding a skeletal horse. It is an undead, and it is following the white line, the only place safe from mines. It is called the peace line. It is drawn for the movements of envoys. The rider came closer and closer, till it had finally stopped and craned its neck to look directly at me. I was shocked to see the face. The undead sitting on it is a middle-aged man with an expensive suit. I know the man; he had come to the celebration of my legacy. The Governor of Almin. Rupert Brass. It is for this very reason; the bastard Count had run away. Nowhere in the continent, anyone would do such a thing. If they captured a governor of the city, they would execute them or arrest them while providing them with respect according to their station. Vris¡¯alud would turn them into the undead. ¡°Governor of Greltheaven, greetings,¡± said the heavy voice through the undead mouth. He had not spoken loudly, but I could hear it as well as the thousands of people behind me. ¡°Greetings to you, Knight Commander Bartram,¡± I replied. The body may belong to Rupert Brass, but it is being controlled by the Scalis Bartram. ¡°Open the gates and surrender the city. I promise you, no harm shall come to you,¡± he said, and I could see many stirrings. ¡°I have no problem in surrendering the city Knight Commander. I will only need a lawful promise that you will not touch, even a single soul of the city, after its surrender,¡± I replied and immediately, I felt his eyes blazing in anger. ¡°You are overestimating yourself, Governor. It won¡¯t take more than a few hours for me to capture this city,¡± He threatened. ¡°You do that. Knight Commander,¡± I said. I could have discussed things further and tried to convince him, but I am already aware that it is useless. I won¡¯t give the undead what they want, and they won''t give me what I want. There was always only one option in front of us from the beginning. ¡°Since you want to fight. We will give you a fight you will never forget in your life, but before that, accept this small gift from me,¡± he said, and the undead took out a wooden box from the bag and threw it toward us. Mage Ravill caught the box in the air and cast a couple of spells, checking it for the traps before bringing it in front of me, encased in a shield. Click! The mage''s hands appeared and opened the box. Gasp! A loud gasp rang out from his mouth, while my eyes widened. The box contained a human head in it. Head of Count Darrow. He is dead. The head is real. Now, I could see why there wasn¡¯t a reply from him. The undead had killed him, which couldn¡¯t help, but make me wonder about the fate of his son and others. For more, Click Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 317: Horde At The Gates II Chapter 317: Horde At The Gates II ¡°Enjoy what little time you all have, because soon your heads will appear in a similar box,¡± said Knight Bartram, before the undead turned and rode away. ¡°Close the box,¡± I said after taking a last look at my boss¡¯s head. Strangely, I am not feeling any grief, not even the slightest. Instead, there is relief. I felt free, like a shackle that had been holding me, had been removed. I did what I needed to in these past two days, but there was always the thought of Count Darrow and the consequences he might bring, at the back of my mind. Now that he is dead, there is no such fear. As for Lancel and Prince Grelt. I don¡¯t fear Lancel, I know him enough that I will be able to control him. If he is still alive. The Prince, I am least worried about him. He is far too busy fighting for the throne to focus enough on this little city. With enough time. I am confident, I will be able to smoothen up any displeasure he has toward me. Mage Ravill closed the box and sent it down. I don¡¯t care where he puts it. I will care about it after I survive the undead. Hun! Suddenly, a change occurred in the horde; it began to separate. ¡®They are going to attack the different parts of the city,¡¯ I thought, seeing the separation. It made my face tightened. Stone had said, it would be good for us if the whole horde attacked at a single point. The undead seemed to think that too; it is why they are separating. The undead have an absolute advantage, but despite that, they are taking things strategically. ¡°Separate,¡± ordered Stone and immediately, the army began to separate. In a few seconds, the horde separated into three equal parts of fifty-thousand undead. Each one-for-one city gate. The undead horde is dangerous, but the ones leading it are the most dangerous. It is them, we will have to kill to survive. As the horde separated; a lone figure came out. The man is cladded in dark green enchanted armor and riding a big skeletal horse. That horse is a killing machine in itself and will be more dangerous to deal with the rider. He Knight Bartram; the real one. Commander of the horde. He stopped in front of the horde and stared at us. He didn¡¯t say anything and stayed there when his lips parted in a smile and the people from each separate horde; two from each part and they stopped in front of their respective horde. Seeing them, my whole body shook. Even Stone¡¯s expressionless face had changed. It was not just us, but everyone on the wall shook seeing those figures. They understand what they are and how bad it is for us. ¡°Seven Level 30+, we are dead,¡± said Mage Ravill with a shaking voice. ¡°Calm down, Mage Ravill,¡± I said, with my voice coming down surprisingly even, considering I was feeling more scared than the man. We had expected four or even five Level 30+ powerhouses, but there are seven of them. They will bury us alive. The small advantages we had in the numbers of pre-level 30 have disappeared. It was not an advantage if one looked at the horde. They had brought seven 30+, then there might also be far more pre-level 30 than we had already expected. Seeing it is already six, it might not even take them nine to capture the city. I pushed those thoughts away as soon as they appeared. Yes, the condition is bad, but so what? It is not like there is any other option in front of us. Whether we surrender or fight, the outcome will be the same, but with fighting, we at least have a chance. A small one but still a chance. I looked at the six people behind the Knight. Except for two, we have the information on everybody. I looked at the two standing in front of the middle part of the horde. The first one is a lich wearing a grey robe. It is the same unknown Lich, that the merchant state had informed us about. The one beside him is a man in his early thirties, wearing black light armor and a rapier at his waist. He is Nev Heartpeak, the battle fencer. The left part of the horde also had two people in front of them. First is a beautiful blond middle-aged woman, wearing a violet mage robe. She is Necromancer Esalya. Beside her is a man who looks to be in his late forties, wearing a blue-mage robe and has a staff in his hand with muddy black crystal. I tried to remember any information about him, but found none. I turned my eyes to two people standing in front of the right horde. First is the woman, who looked to be in her early thirties, with dark brown hair. She had grey armor covering her and a long sword at her back. Klia Lowgust; is a warrior who could cast spells, but she is not a spell blade. Beside her is an elf, who looks to be in his late twenties. He is a man who could be beautiful, with vibrant green eyes and long forest green hair. Athtar Zylna; necromancer. He is a real sadist according to his information. All of them aside from the unknown lich and man wearing blue mage robes are verified Level 30 and above but below Level 35. Vris¡¯alud didn¡¯t need to send those above Lv. 35 to fight. What they had sent, is already more than enough. ¡°It is one tough horde,¡± I said with a laugh. I don¡¯t know why I laughed; it just came out. ¡°All battles I had on the island; no horde of this size had over five Level 30+ leading them,¡± he replied. ¡°Then we should feel honored,¡± I said, and he smiled. I didn¡¯t ask him, about our chances against the horde. It is a useless question when there is no option but to fight. ¡°Charge!¡± Knight Bartram roared the command after more than a minute of silence. His voice was so loud, the entire city had heard it. With his command, the whole horde moved. It is the middle horde that came toward us, with Knight Bartram leading them, while the left and right ones moved toward the eastern and southern gates. Seeing that, I turned and walked down from the wall at record speed and appeared in front of the army waiting behind the gate. The other two armies also moved toward their destination. Lt. Commander Azalea will fight from the eastern gate, while Hugo will lead the defense of the southern gate. Both of them seemed unlikely choices to lead, with Lt. Commander Azalea, never fought undead at such a large scale, while not many people knew Hugo, but Stone selected them. They are capable, but there are other reasons besides that. Lt. Commander Azalea is from the army. The army needs at least one of its own to lead. While Hugo is experienced. He had fought more battles against the undead, than even Stone. ¡°Are you sure, you want to do it, Lord Governor?¡± I asked Stone. It is not the first time; he has asked me the question. I could feel the eyes, of the army on me. They might not have heard the question, but they are looking at me. ¡°Everyone needs to do their part to defend the city, including me,¡± I replied. He clearly wanted to object and did so many times, but this time, he just sighed and turned to the gates. ¡°Open the gates,¡± he commanded and immediately, the gates opened, and I could see the undead coming toward us in tide, with more than six times our numbers. Seeing the scene, I saw many soldiers taking a step back momentarily. Even the orcs shook before controlling their emotions. I looked at the people and saw not only humans but also the orcs and the elf. The man beside me is a young orc with the pinkish skin. He looked uncomfortable as other orcs around him. The man had been an outcast and never fought in a group, but he is strong and thus got the place, despite objection from the orcs. Hun! As were waiting for the command, Shaman Trik came with a bronze censor in his hands and ash paint across his body. The censor is releasing a thick aromatic smoke, which is spreading across the entire army. Some people looked uncomfortable with it, but they bore it. I looked at the bluish smoke and saw it lingering around our bodies; I could feel it was doing something, but the effects were too abstract. Soon, another shaman appeared in front of me. He is a short grey orc, who looked to be in his late forties and holding a bowl of yellow paint with herbs mixed in it. ¡°Governor,¡± said Shaman Krema and put paint across my temple and arms. It felt cold and uncomfortable, as I had never experienced things like this, but I didn¡¯t resist and let the shaman do his job. A few other shamans came and did their magic. We need all the enhancement we can for this battle, and shamanic magic is powerful. It is more abstract than normal spells, but just as effective or even more in some conditions. It is quite regretful that these Shamans are willing to share their magic with humans, but not their own. Aside from the Shaman Trik, no shaman had shared their magic with the young albino orc beside me. Trik only did it because there was no choice, given the type of spell he cast, which covered thousands, excluding a single wouldn¡¯t have been possible. I wish I could do something, but currently, I can¡¯t. It took quite an effort and some threats to let the young orc join the battle. The orcs spread across all three armies and also their shamans. The same with the mercenaries and volunteers; Stone had decided to mix all to create a force that augmented the weakness they had of never working with one another. We also have twelve pre-level 30 powerhouses. It will be up to them, not only to engage with the other pre-level 30 but also against the three levels 30+. It will be extremely dangerous, but they will have to do it. There is no other choice; we do not have any Level 30+ powerhouses to fight against them directly. For more, Click Chapter 318: Battle I Chapter 318: Battle I Bang Bang Bang The undead have finally entered the minefield, and the mines begin to explode. Which is also a signal for our cannoneers and the mages on the wall to begin. The undead army had been in the range from the beginning but with its strong mage support. It would have been harder for us to do considerable damage; it would have been a waste of ammunition. Now they are occupied with the mines. It is the best time for cannons and mages could strike. I watched as the mines explode left and right; not as powerful as they should, with half of them being diffused and suppressed by the spells and the skills. Sill with the sheer number of them we have placed there is doing considerable damage. It also gives us a glimpse of their mages, seeing the shields and other spells popping up everywhere across the horde. It is one of the reasons why, we have decided to clash directly, instead of defending from the walls, which would have been much safer. Stone and others are looking at every detail carefully. I am also trying, but I do not have enough experience to see what they are seeing. Hun! Seconds passed, and I began to notice things. I saw the group of skeletons and zombies moving ahead of the horde and falling on the mines. The controllers are using the undead as the mine diffusing measures. Sacrificing one, instead of tens. I am not surprised seeing it; the undead simply don¡¯t overpower the enemy with their numbers. They also used their brains, and, with the sheer number of battles they fought in Mayhurst; they have developed ways to deal with anything, their enemies throw at them. The massive undead horde is their main strength, but it is not the only thing they have. They have necromancers; the mages who make the horde, the sharp weapons with their control. These mages are called pillars in the horde. They control the undead and empower them, with necromancers having master control over them. People may call every mage, who knows death spells, a necromancer, but it is not a correct classification. Anyone below Level 30 is a mage, even those of the death elements. They become necromancers only after the specialization. Other elements also follow the same rules. Only after gaining the specialization, do they become a mage of that element, which usually happens at Level 30. The pillars empower the horde and our target in this battle is to kill as many pillars as possible. Along with the pre-Level 30s and Level 30s. As for the vast undead horde. They are the last in the queue. Without the pillars and necromancers controlling them, these undead are much easier to deal with. Soon, they have crossed half of the minefield and moving forward even faster, while defending against the cannonballs and spells. The archers have also joined and targeted the mages, but they are defending. Still, each defense is costing them mana. The more spells they will use to defend, the more mana they will consume. It is why they would use the undead as the meat shield at every chance they get. I looked at the horde and gripped my sword tightly. It won¡¯t be long before we will charge toward the undead. I am scared seeing the huge horde in front of me, but there is also strange excitement, which I didn¡¯t expect to feel, but it has begun to build in my heart. ¡®I must be crazy to feel it,¡¯ I said to myself. I didn¡¯t try to suppress or calm it down. It is helping me deal with the fear, which is also increasing with the excitement. ¡°Its time,¡± said Stone as the horde crossed the three-fourths of the minefield. ¡°Charge!¡± He roared and moved forward toward the gate with the heavy steps, while we followed from behind, with hundreds of skills and spells activating in an instant. Each one provides a tiny bit of enhancement, but with hundreds, their power increases massively. I could feel my feet becoming lighter, my body stronger, my thoughts faster. There are many protective shields around me, along with smoke from the Shaman Trik¡¯s spell, which is still lingering around the army. This is the advantage, that the horde didn¡¯t have. Unlike us, over 99% of their army is filled with the undead. There are not even five hundred living people in the horde. They are mages and warriors, but their number is far less to create such overlapping enhancement. I shouldn¡¯t be counting the advantage, seeing they have nearly all. The biggest one is the horde of undead. Over six times, our numbers They didn¡¯t feel pain or bleed or feel tired; they will fight continuously as long as keep receiving the energies. We charged out of the gates, and at the same time, the undead moved out of the minefield, with only two hundred meters distance between us. The horde looked massive, that I wanted to stop and run back to the city, but I kept moving along with the army. Hun! We had just stepped out of the gates when the spells came. The first one is the most powerful, likely from the necromancer. It is the only one who could cast this Grade 4 spell. The spells had immediately materialized hundreds of dark fire fireballs over us. These dark fireballs are the size of the tennis balls and extremely dangerous for the living. Hail of Fire It is a necromantic variation of the hail of fire. It is weaker against things but dangerous against the people. It is the first spell, that appeared, but not the last one. Dark blades, fireballs, and numerous types of rays, from a ray of fear to a ray of deafness. As the enemy spells appeared, the shields materialized around us to stop them, while at the same time, our offensive spells moved toward the enemy. They have mages and so do we. Stone had said, we have a good number of mages; most mages with the battle experience had joined the battle with us, while those without it are helping from the wall. Greltheaven may be a small city, but it had a higher number of powerhouses than a city of its size should have. Thanks to the closer vicinity of the merchant stage; trade brings money and money attracts powerhouses. Boom Bang Bang! The spells clashed against the shields, stopping them. Necromancer''s spell had also been stopped by the Mage Ravill. The man is the only one from the Mage Guild who hadn¡¯t escaped and even joined the battle, despite, not fighting for over a decade. He is scared and could not even hide it, but he is fighting. We are also lucky with him as the man used to specialize in shields. He had changed his expertise to communication and was responsible for it in the mage guild, but he didn¡¯t forget those shield spells and was now, using them aptly. He was able to defend against the hail of fire, but this was just the beginning. The real spells had yet to come, those are the real dangers and I hope, our preparations would be enough against them. We got closer and closer, under the defense of our mages, while the intensity of our spells, cannons, and bows from the walls increased further. They only have a few seconds more; once we clash, they will need to stop to avoid the friendly fire. Finally, there was less than ten meters of distance between us, and I could see, Knight Bartram readying for the clash as he increased his speed. He is the most dangerous man here and there is only one person we have, who could stop him. I had just thought that when I had sensed the powerful suppressive power. Bronze color begins to cover Stone, while he starts to get bigger. The loose armor got tighter and the huge tower shield and big sword in his hand didn¡¯t look so big anymore. They looked perfect for him. I am not the only one that Knight Schegen has trained. He also trained Stone. He seemed very knowledgeable about the elder blood. So much, that he had taught Stone to use his elder-blood powers at will. Usually, only those who awakened could do it, but a very talented few could do it before awakening. Seeing the change, the eyes of Knight Bartram had become serious, while the Nev Heartpeak grinned. There was no reaction from the lich, he raised his staff and a moment later, the dark translucent wave came out of it. Fear Wave I become worried about seeing the spell. It is a dangerous spell; it had collapsed the armies by amplifying the fear in the hearts of those fighting. Hun! I controlled my emotions to defend against it when suddenly the mist hanging around us moved and clashed against the wave. The humans looked surprised, but the orcs grinned at seeing that. ¡°Shaman magic,¡± I muttered as I saw the fear wave getting swallowed by the mist of Shaman Trik. I wanted to turn toward the wall at Shaman Trik, but I looked at the necromancer and saw the ghostly green flames in his eyes seemed to have got brighter in anger. Seeing that, a grin couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. Many consider shamanic magic weak and primitive. It is a gross understatement. It works differently than the normal magic and is weak compared to it in many areas, but much stronger in some. Like right now, the mist didn¡¯t fight the wave, instead swallowed it whole, before coming back to its place around us. Finally, we reached face-to-face against the undead, with Stone appearing directly in front of the Knight Bartram. ¡°Die!¡± Roared Knight Bartram as he swung his sword at Stone. The sword was faster than my eyes could follow and knew instinctively, that if I was against it, I wouldn¡¯t last even a single move. It will split me apart into two, without me seeing how. Stone reacted fast. He quickly brought his massive tower shield forward, covering it with his bronze power. I watched as the long green sword of Knight Bartram moved against Stone¡¯s shield, with blurring momentum and great power. That, I feared, might cleave through the shield and the man behind it. The Knights are known to make that happen. BANNNG! The deafening clash rang out as the sword of Knight Bartram struck against Stone¡¯s shield. It was so loud and powerful that the earth shook under my feet. I didn¡¯t care about it, and I looked at Stone, who stayed on its spot. He wasn¡¯t thrown back or even took a step back. The only thing the clash seemed to have done, is to shake him. For more, Click The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 319: Battle II Chapter 319: Battle II ¡°Destroy the undead!¡± Stone roared and moved his shield to ram against Knight Bartram, but Knight Bartram reacted fast. BANNNG! His sword moved with the power of a meteor and struck against the Stone¡¯s shield harder than before, sending him back a step, before attacking him again. Earlier, he had held back; didn¡¯t even use the skill, but now he did that. It will be hard for the Stone to fight against Knight Bartram, but if anyone could do this, then it would be him. He is the most powerful and has been trained by Knight Schegen. He knows how to fight against them. BANNNG! They clashed again, but I didn¡¯t see it. I focused on the tide of undead, which was about to hit us. It is huge and powerful. Also, smelly. I nearly forgotten how smelly these bastards are. This horde is far smellier than the undead, I had fought before. Clang Pachac Clang! The first line clashed against the undead, and it was loud, but they slashed through it. The undead were augmented, but the people on the first line were powerful. No matter how powerful their augments were; they were cut into pieces. As they did it, they wasted no time and moved toward their target. Lena, Paladin Lois Carr, and Orc Bilgud moved toward the Lich, with six mid-level 20s and twelve Level 20s. At the same time, Lt. Colonel Julian, Mage Osward of Panar, and Orc Vulrn are moving toward the Nev Heartpeak, along with five Mid-level 20s and eleven Level 20s. These two Level 30 needed to be contained. If possible, killed. Stone had planned for every little thing, but despite that, anything could go wrong. I still remember the Lich; I had fought on the island. Four people had gone after it, including two Level 30s. Though the High Mage was a scholar mage and Knight was without his armor. Lena, Paladin Carr, and Bilgud, all of them are steps away from Level 30. Most importantly, all of them are experienced and have magic suitable to deal with the Lich. Lena is a spell blade, with fire as her element. It is powerful against the death element. Paladin Carr uses divine power, which is an antithesis of the undead and as for Bilgud. He is a standard warrior, but his tribe¡¯s shaman has focused all his power on him. Giving him great enhancements. The same is true for those going against the Nev Heartpeak. Raas Raaa It took a second and a half before two zombies and a skeleton appeared in front of me. They are faster than the undead, I had fought and also feel stronger, which isn¡¯t surprising. The undead I had fought on the island had the lowest level ones and were being controlled by a single lich. While the Lich was powerful; he was not able to augment them well. Here, there are pillars, and above them is Lich, to control all. Making the horde powerful. Well, they aren¡¯t the only ones, who are powerful. I am too. On the island, I was not even Level 5, but now I have four times the levels and far greater strength than I had on the island. I looked at the attacks of zombies before moving forward. I dodged the spear from the middle zombie and moved one step left, dodging the attack from the skeleton, before taking a sharp turn and dodging the attack of the second zombie. ¡°It¡¯s my turn,¡± I said and attacked. Pachac! A moment later, my rapier touched the head of the zombie and cut through it, with faint resistance, before I took a step back and moved left, dodging the attack of the skeleton as I appeared in front of it. Khat! I swung my sword and its skull a moment later, activating the enchantments. Which immediately, made my sword cut through its skull smoothly. The fire in its skull''s eyes disappeared as my sword came out through the other side. I didn¡¯t get a chance to enjoy the kill and needed to move immediately to dodge the attack from the last zombie. Pachack! I swung my sword again and a second later, the head of the zombies was flying up in the air. ¡®These zombies are good,¡¯ I thought and moved toward the bigger group, which was going against the soldiers, who were already busy fighting against the swarm of zombies. Compared to these zombies, what I had faced on the island was absolutely trash. These have better muscle memories, and they are stronger with a better reaction. Not all of these come from the skills and augmentation. It is clear that I am fighting against the bodies of the former soldiers. The way they react, they swing their weapons, and the way, they move is how soldiers do. It made me worried, but I felt a little relieved when I saw our people were fighting well. Aside from the four and a half thousand who didn¡¯t have any battle experience; the others are good. Even the inexperienced ones seem to be doing better than I had imagined. They didn¡¯t freeze seeing the undead in front of them. I reached the group of three zombies and skeletons and avoided their attacks, with minimal moments, before launching my own. Khat! My rapier cut through the skeleton, and I moved toward the zombie, with the sword of one skeleton coming close to me. If I could use my skills, I wouldn¡¯t face any difficulty at all, but I will not. I need to refrain from using the skills as much as possible. I don¡¯t know how the battle will last and I need to conserve as much strength as possible. The battle might end quickly or take days. We prepared for both, but understand, that the chances of the latter are low. The latter option will benefit us. It will allow us to level up, which they absolutely don¡¯t want to happen. It is why the undead don¡¯t stop attacking until they achieve a complete victory. It serves two purposes. The first is to stop the enemy from counter-leveling and, the second makes them so tired, that they can¡¯t give their all. We will not give the undead a chance to make that happen. Pachac Pachack! I killed the two zombies in a single attack and moved toward the second skeleton. Hun! I had reached in front of it and swung my sword to put them out of their misery when suddenly, I noticed an energy Lance coming toward me from the corner of my eyes. I was about to use the Rapid Steps to dodge the attack when the shield appeared in front of the attack. Puchack! Khat! Feeling relieved, I focused back on the opponent and decapitated it, before turning to the skeleton and cutting its skull in two. Hun! I finished them, but only to see another group coming at me and the group isn¡¯t normal. The three zombies aren¡¯t normal; all three of them are big with mishappen faces and protruding bones through the muscled skin. ¡°The abominable zombies,¡± I thought. These were not normal abominable zombies either, but powerful ones. If I am not wrong, they were made from Level 20 warriors. They might not have their intelligence and skills, but they have the instinct and the raw power, that had been enhanced with this blasphemous transformation. They were sent to me as they didn¡¯t attack anyone, before stopping in front of me. Raaaa Raaaa Raaaa They screamed loudly with spit flying and four smells coming out of their mouth, that brought tears to my eyes. I bore them and watched the zombies coming at me. The first attack came from the zombie in front of me, with two others coming from two zombies on my left and right. It is as powerful as I expected and dangerous. I couldn¡¯t let the mace hit me; it would turn me into a porcupine if that were to happen. So, I moved and was barely able to dodge the attacks. I was about to launch my own after dodging it, but to my surprise, another sound of attacks came, without giving me a moment to launch the attack on my own. Rip! I once again moved and this time, the one of sharp spikes left spikes touched my shoulder blade, tearing the cloth, and giving me a scratch. Seeing that, I wanted to use my skills immediately, but I controlled the urge and calmed my emotions down, before moving to dodge the attacks. These are dumb monsters. They have the raw power and the instinct of their former lives, but nothing else. If I used the skills against them; then I would really let down the training that Knight Schegen had given me. So, I dodged another attack and then another, while studying my enemies, their movements, and limitations. It didn¡¯t take me long to understand them. These are powerful without doubt, and normal Level 20 wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything against them, without using the skills, but I don¡¯t think, I will need to use the skills to defeat them. I dodged another of their attack, sprinted forward, and leaned a little, before swinging my sword. Slice! The enchantments blazed, and it cut through the thick strengthened flesh and bones of a zombie¡¯s thigh like a hot knife does through the butter. As my sword came out, I took a sharp turn. Dodging the attacks of the two zombies before moving toward the left one. The attacks came at me, but the pressure had already lessened. The zombie of whom I had cut the leg hadn¡¯t fallen, but it had slowed down considerably. Its attack won''t reach me; I will need to be worried about only two attacks now. Rip! I avoided the attacks, at the cost of a minor scratch and appeared left of the zombie and attacked it, the same way I did to the first zombie. Slice! My rapier sliced through its thigh, and I quickly moved away, dodging its attack and toward the only zombie with two legs. Raaa! It seemed to sense something as it screamed with its foul mouth. I bore the spit and the smell before appearing in front of it. It attacked me, and I dodged, before attacking it. Pachack Pachack! I cut through its thigh, rolled over, and turned back, before cutting its second thigh. It fell, but I didn¡¯t attack it again. Instead, I quickly dodged the attack from the left one-legged zombie, before getting up behind it and finally attacking the neck. I hadn¡¯t been attacking the neck, because there was thick metal wrapping it, but now I could attack it because I have a small breathing space and would be able to manage it if cutting through it took a second extra. My sword touched the metal around its neck, and I was ready to use sharpness if I felt considerable resistance. Pachack! There was some resistance, but not as much as I had expected, and my sword cut through the metal, before cutting through the zombie¡¯s neck. As the neck of the zombie flew up, I moved, dodging the attack of a one-legged zombie, and appeared in front of the zombie without legs, which was struggling to get up. Pachack! I brought down my sword at it, cutting its neck, before turning to the last zombie, which was hopping toward me. If I had been alone and enemies weren''t everyone. I would have watched it as its was kind of funny in a depressing way, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time. So, I moved forward and appeared in front of the zombie. Raaa! It attacked me immediately with a foul scream coming out of its mouth. I dodged it by ducking and appeared behind it. Pachack! A second later, the head of the zombie flew up into the air. Seeing that, a small smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face and once again, I felt grateful to Sir Schegen. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the zombies, if not for his training. The attributes helped, but not as much as the training he gave me. For more, Click Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 320: Battle III Chapter 320: Battle III I saw the head flying off the third group of abominable zombies and quickly turned to look at the state of the battlefield. I first looked at the Stone, who is engaged with the Knight Bartram. It would be best to say, that he is keeping him in one place. Since the battle started a few minutes ago, he had been using only a shield. Not once did, he use that sword, which is wise, because the shield is the best weapon to help him do what he promised. Containing the Knight. Though I could see the injuries appearing on his body, with some of them, looking serious. I looked for a second, before turning to the Lich, which is being contained by the Lena, Paladin Carr, and Orc Bilgud. They are doing a good job; their powers match well to contain the Lich. I turned to third, Level 30+. He is looking to be the most dangerous of the three. He had turned the bodies of Captain Julian and others bloody. Even the mage, hadn''t been spared, with cuts across all her body. Nev Heartpeak, the battle fencer. He was fast, so fast, all I could see was a blur. He is the fastest of all Level 30 and that saber of his is like a piece of knife with those against him were wood. He is carving them all bloody. I was just when I saw him split a man into two from his waist, before clashing against Captain Julian and avoiding the spell from the Mage Osward Undead aren¡¯t the only ones dying. Our people are dying too. I took a last glance at the battle and stepped toward a group of abomination zombies that were approaching a group of soldiers. Hun! I had just taken a step when suddenly all the hair on my body stood up. I felt the danger that could take my life. My skills roared to life. I used Rapid Steps to turn and Quick Blade to move my sword toward the enemy''s attack. Clang! My sword clashed against the blade of the spear, parrying it away from the target, which was my chest. I could see a surprise in the man¡¯s eyes as he stopped his attack and pulled back his spear. If I hadn¡¯t, I would have taken the steps forward and buried my rapier into his chest. The man isn¡¯t the only one who is surprised. I am too; one clash was enough to tell me that it is not common level 20. I looked at the man. He is a tall, thin man, with a long nose. He looked to be in his early thirties and had the same, faint bronze skin that people of the Mayhurst island have. ¡°There is a big reward for capturing you,¡± he said and grinned. ¡°Can you?¡± I asked, and attacked him with the quick blade. There is no use in wasting time, especially against the enemies like him. The quicker I finish him, the quicker I will be able to focus on others. He reacted immediately and swung his spear at me, once again, but this time, it was no simple strike. It came like a snake, and I did not say that figuratively. The bastard''s spear had become fluid, with the tip coming like a snake to bite me. The skill had surprised me. This skill is rare and usually, only those at Lv. 30 and above have such skills. Those at Level 20, have a weaker version of it; it is clearly not the weaker version. I moved my sword toward it, but the bastard seemed to apply another skill, as suddenly the speed of his attack increased further. It avoided my sword and came at me. I moved quickly, but his spear was faster. Rip! It ripped through the clothes of my shoulder and gave a cut on my biceps, right below the shoulder guard. If I had reacted a fraction of a seconds later, he would have taken my whole hand. It wasn¡¯t satisfied with a minor cut, seeing the frown appearing on his face, and attacked me again, with once more his spear turning into the rubbery-bendy form. Clang This time, I was able to defend against it. Clashing my sword against its blade, trying to flick it away, rather than clashing against it directly, which would put more pressure on the fighting hand. The knight said, I am an agile fighter and shouldn¡¯t clash directly like a conventional warrior. I should focus on deflecting the blows instead of directly clashing against them. It is advice; I took to my heart. Clang! I defended another attack after that when suddenly it moved forward with its speed skill and came at me with another snake attack. Rip! It cut through my stomach, before going for my legs, which I had avoided, but he didn¡¯t give me a break and his spear moved toward my head. Clang! My sword clashed, but it moved left and tried to strike my shoulders again and I dodged, before taking steps back, to avoid another. Ting! It followed me with a snake spear and clashed against the enchanted breastplate. It saved me, but the clash was hard enough, that despite absorbing the force; some of still hit me, sending me back. Which kind of helped me as I drove myself left, a little unstably, before moving my sword forward to defend against another of his attacks. Rip! I stopped it, but his next attack hit me on me, just below the arm guards, before attacking again. This time, he added another skill, that multiplied the spears. I didn¡¯t panic and moved my sword as I was doing, trusting my instinct as well as my knowledge. Clang! I stopped the attack, but it came again, and I dodged, but the enemy continued, without wasting a second. Minutes passed as I dodged and defended against his attack, but many hit me. Till aside from my head, every part of my body was covered in the cuts. ¡°You are far more powerful than your information had said,¡± he said, with anger and irritation in his eyes as he attacked me again. Rip! Another cut appeared on me, and this one made my eyes widen as I felt the numbing effect of the skill on my back. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed. Till now, he had used many skills, but not this. This is powerful with the ability to bring my defeat. I have a high enough vitality and a powerful primary class. It didn¡¯t affect me as it should have, but I could see how dangerous it would be. If it hit my limbs. The numbness would slow me, and after that, it would be a simple job for him to finish me. ¡®It seemed like, I have to do it,¡¯ I said and breathed loud, leaning more on my instincts. Immediately, everything faded around me, leaving only my enemy and me. It is called a battle trance. Knight Schegen was shocked when I first time used it against him. A few have it and most got through the experience of hundreds of battles; there are extremely few who have it naturally. It is from old Remus. It is a doubt-aged sword, and he had asked me to not use it, till I had complete control over it, or was really desperate. I am desperate. I could use one other thing, but I rather not use it, seeing the type of skill it is. I had taken it for specific use and rather not use it before. ¡°Die!¡± He screamed and came at me. His speed is faster than before, and so is his attack. It seemed he stopped holding back against me. I moved my sword toward the fourth spear. It was fast, near the blurring speed, but it didn¡¯t affect my sword as it moved smoothly toward the real sphere. Clang! The blades clashed. A surprise flashed in his eyes, but he snorted and attacked me again. My sword moved with instincts and flicked at its spear''s blade. This time, there was no surprise, only anger, which he seemed to channel in his attacks. Clang Clang Clang I begin to defend against his every attack. There is not a single one, which I have not defended and with every defense, the anger in his eyes would increase further and further, which he would channel in his skill. The channeler. It seemed like, I was the only one, who was special here. Seconds passed, and he used every type of skill he had, while I did the only thing, defend. Using only two skills. I didn¡¯t use anything else, which seemed to make him even more angry. ¡°I will kill you!¡± he roared, and his attacks became stronger and his speed faster. That I needed to push, every ounce of my power in defending. Rip! His attack finally hit me, in my stomach. Filling it with the numbing sensation, which is stronger than I am feeling in my back. This finally, put a smile on his face, and he attacked again. I defended, but once in a while, his attack would hit me. However, they would always hit my stomach or the back. He seemed to feel, there was something, wrong, but couldn¡¯t find out what. This confusion fueled his anger, but small victories would bring it down, before it would go high again with a nagging feeling behind his head, about something really important, he was missing. Minutes passed, and my stomach and back were filled with bloody cuts. Ordinary man would have bled to death by now, but my high enough vitality was keeping them contained. Though not for long. I could already feel their effects and would have been even higher, if not for the numbing skill of the enemy working in my favor. A few more seconds passed, and my hazy eyes suddenly sharpened as my sword and his spear touched. Clang! They clashed and his eyes widened as his spear flicked away at greater force than it had been before in the battle. This time, there was the power of the skill. I had used the third skill, Quick Parry. I used that moment and spun, wanting to bring the greater momentum to my sword, for what I am about to do. At that moment, all the anger in his eyes disappeared as He brought his spear toward me. He finally understood what was happening, but was too late, unless he could increase the speed of his sphere, which I don¡¯t think he could. It didn¡¯t take a second for my sword to reach his head, at the spot below his helmet, and move through it. It touched the enchanted beast leather around his neck, but when my sword touched it, its enchantments flared at full power and finally, I activated my fourth skill. Sharpness. My sword cut through the leather, before touching his neck, which had another protection. The defensive skill but this protection was also begun to cut apart by my sword. Pachack! My sword cut through his neck, and his head flew up with eyes wide. I took a deep breath and looked around. Immediately was shocked to see, the change that appeared in the battle in a few minutes, I was in the trance. It is the greatest disadvantage of the battle trance. Except for the enemy, one forgot everything and that is terrible. In the battle, the enemy in front of them isn¡¯t the only person, that wants to kill them. For more, Click Chapter 321: Powerful Enemy Chapter 321: Powerful Enemy Volvru Garzong Slice! The saber cut through my armor, giving me another cut, that reached near the bone, before the bastard brought back his saber and defended against spells by Mage Osward. His saber moved fast and cut through all the spells, before meeting the attacks of the Julian. He moved to attack him but swiftly turned his saber at me, seeing me behind him. Grogor Protection. Absorb Force. Clang! I activated the skills, but they weren¡¯t enough. When the rapier struck my shield. I felt like, it was a strike of the hammer; it stunned me, not only with the force, but also with the skill. Rip! I activated Argin¡¯s Agility and Hare Steps to break through the stun and retreat, but the bastard saber got me in the arm before the barrage of spells and the bastard had to move and defend against the spells. The moment he finished dealing with them, he came at me again, with his blade turning invisible. Rip Rip A fraction of a second later, I felt the injuries on my waist and arm. I tried to dodge them, but like always, his saber hit me. However, I was able to defend and retreat enough, to not let them become life-threatening injuries. He went for the third attack at my neck but cursed inaudibly and disappeared and a moment later, with wind blades, passed through the place he had been. I looked at my new injuries. They are not the biggest of my injuries, but also not the smallest. One of them had touched the bones. I could feel the power of Shaman Orkrir filling that bone wound and stopping the bleeding. My shaman solely gave me the enhancement of healing; he was wise as always. Enhancements of strength and speed or mental defense wouldn¡¯t be as useful against this powerful enemy, which is carving us all bloody. When I saw the human and little saber; I was happy, that I had been sent to fight against the lich. They are the stuff of nightmare, but it seemed like, I had been happy too quickly. He defended against the spells, and Julian¡¯s attack followed. He gave him a cut across the neck before I arrived, and he moved his saber toward my shield. Clang! A clang rang out, and he moved to cut me again, but quickly stepped back as another round of spells came at him. ¡°You vermins are irritating,¡± he spat and sent back after the spells and attacked me. The man is powerful, that despite fighting for over an hour, we have not been able to cause a single injury to him. He dodged the swords and spells, without letting a single one touch him. Unlike him, we are bloody and battered. Even the armor, I am wearing is at the limit of breaking into the pieces. I have fought many battles, with a few against Level 30, but not in a single one, I had been as desperate as I am right now. Every second against him is a challenge to survive. I am using everything I have, pushing my skills to the limit, but still getting injured. There is not a single part of my body, that hadn¡¯t been touched by that cold saber of his. I had not imagined this, when I agreed to fight for the humans. I thought us orcs would be used as the fodders, to bear the brunt of the assault and would likely find my end with thousands of undead swarming at me. It didn¡¯t happen; they aren¡¯t using us as fodder but added us into the army to fight against the undead equally. I thought it would give me a greater chance of survival. I was so foolishly wrong. Against this bastard, every minute is a battle to survive. Yes, survive, this is the only goal I have aside from containing him. It is already a miracle, we have lasted so long. Seeing, individually, we would have lasted against the bastard for even ten seconds. Things are becoming harder with every new injury appearing on, my body, but I have to do it. Not for the humans, I couldn¡¯t care less about them, but for my people. There are a lot of them here and I would not let them down. If I am to die, then I will die like a true chieftain. Like my father did. Elephants Strength. Repel Shield. I added two more skills and pushed toward the enemy as he appeared in front of me, wanting to separate my head away from my neck with his bloody saber. Clang! I defended against the attack and the bastard jumped back, using the momentum of it, avoiding the spell barrage, that was about to hit him. Seeing the spot, where he had landed, my eyes couldn¡¯t help, but wide up. Not only mine but also others. I could see Julian¡¯s eyes widening and becoming desperate. He pushed himself harder than he had ever, but even with it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach there in time. They have seen it appear, two times already and were powerless to do anything. Rip! A ripping sound rang out as the rapier cut through the mage shield that appeared to protect her. The young human woman barely had a fraction of a second to realize what was happening before she was decapitated by the bastard¡¯s saber. I could see the horror in her eyes as her head began to fall to the ground. She is the third one to be killed by him. These people have surrounded us, keeping all the zombies and other interference at bay. So, we could fight against the enemy, without any disturbance, but we had failed so much that we were letting the enemy kill them. It made me feel ashamed of the deep within my heart, but we are powerless. The enemy is too powerful. ¡°I will kill you!¡± roared Julian, and I saw his face filled with rage. That woman was likely one of his officers; I had seen the woman earlier addressing him with the familiarity. The man grinned, seeing the rage in Julian¡¯s eyes, but the next moment, a small surprise appeared in his eyes. Even I am surprised, seeing him dropping his small shield and taking out the second sword. The shield is important in this battle to contain this enemy. Till now, I had not used my sword only a couple of times against the enemy but used the shield thousands of times. Julian is the same, with his small shield, but now, he has discarded it. He is committing suicide by discarding the shield. Making the enemy happy, who is now grinning as he attacks Julian. I wanted to close my eyes to not see what was going to happen, but I kept them open and moved forward, with everything I had. The mage had also cast a spell, but it wouldn¡¯t reach there in time, as I wouldn¡¯t, but I had to try because once the man died. There is no way Mage and I would be able to contain the bastard. Forget containing; it won¡¯t even take him, more than a minute for him to finish us off. Clang! I heard the sound of metal clashing instead of the sound of metal cleaving through the flesh. ¡®He defended,¡¯ I thought in surprise. Even the enemy was surprised, seeing the man defending against the attack, but soon, a flash of anger appeared in his eyes. He disappeared and appeared behind Julian, avoiding the attack that was sent at him and attacked him. Clang! Once again, there was a sound of metal instead of flesh ripping. Earlier may seem like a fluke, but the second time, it is not. Julian had let go of all his inhibitions, and it was finally letting him fight to his full potential. ¡°Bastard!¡± the enemy cursed and attacked again, this time, his saber becoming invisible. Clang Clang Clang! Their weapons clashed, and he attacked again, but they kept clashing. Julian is defending against the attacks, despite his strength being lower than the enemy. It shocked me, but I didn¡¯t waste any time and moved toward them. I am aware of the difference in strength between them, and now that Julian has discarded his shields; it will only take anyone, one well-placed attack to finish him off. I have to give everything to stop that, because once he is dead; it won¡¯t take long for our heads to fly too. Clang They clashed two more times before I finally reached the enemy. He immediately whipped his saber at me, that I needed to move my shield forward to defend myself. As I defended, Julian clashed with him. I didn¡¯t let go of the opportunity and attacked with my sword, instead of trying to push my shield toward him. The things have gone too far for me to keep defending. I need to move on to the offense despite the risk, it possesses. If I did not, then I wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to survive. Clang! He defended against my attack easily, sending me, before moving to defend against another attack of Julian. He clashed against them when the barrage spells came. Hundreds of light bullets and he moved his sword toward them, cutting through them expertly and efficiently. I hate to admit it, but the bastard is powerful as well as skillful. Hun! I was watching, waiting for the barrage to end, before attacking, when Julian launched the attack on the enemy without caring for his safety. The enemy glared at him but moved his saber to defend. The energy bullets are dangerous, but those two swords are more. Rip! He clashed against them, stopping the attacks and sending Julian back when something happened that had never happened before. One of the energy bullets hit him; dodged them, even defending against Julian¡¯s attack, but he missed one, and that passed through his shoulder. Receiving the first injury, since the battle begins. It is not a serious injury, but it matters a lot to us. Now, even if the death came; it wouldn¡¯t be that shameful. We are at least able to injure the enemy. Findd new stories at novelhall.com Still, Craving? Click Chapter 322: Complacency Kills Chapter 322: Complacency Kills Volvru Garzong ¡°You will pay!¡± said the enemy angrily, with his handsome human face turning ugly as he moved to defend against the attack of Julian. Yes, defend. Till a minute ago, it was us, who desperately defended against his attacks, but now, it is he, who is doing that. All of them are Julian¡¯s, who had changed. His strength remained the same, but the way he was using that, had forced the enemy to defend against the attacks. Leaf Blade. Heavy Slash. Wolf¡¯s Wound. Seeing Julian, I decided to take a risk and activate my offensive skills, before attacking him. He pushed away Julian¡¯s sword and whipped his sword at me. It is a powerful attack that is coming from my head. I panicked for a moment, but I pushed that away and moved my sword forward, using every ounce of the strength I had. Clang! His saber clashed against my sword, and I felt like, I had been hit by a big hammer. I felt the power through the shield hundreds of times, but the shield was enchanted to absorb the blow, the sword was not, and it pushed me back. It would have given the enemy the perfect opportunity to come at me and finish the job, and he took a step toward me to do just that. ¡°Bastard!¡± Suddenly he stopped and cursed, before turning. Julian had come at him with another attack. I quickly stabilized myself and launched another attack at him, which he quickly defended, before Julian attacked him again. He defended against the attack, about to attack him again, when I went at him. Clang Clang Clang He attacked and defended against us, trying to kill us at every chance he could get. He is just as powerful as before, and there is not much change in our strength too, but now he was not able to carve our bodies bloody like he was doing before. I have let go of my inhibitions. It is not like there is no fear in my heart; there is more than before, but I understand that there is no use, in letting that fear control my actions. This had freed me; letting me fight at my full potential. Clang! A few seconds passed, and he defended against another of Julian¡¯s attacks before I moved at him. Rip! He moved toward me when he dodged left fast, but not before the ripping around rang out. A bloody wound appeared on his back; it was not deep, and the blood stopped after a second, but it shocked me. We have injured him, once again. ¡°You wretched bastard. I will kill you!¡± he screamed with anger. He is angrier than last time. A few seconds ago, it was the spell, that had hit him, but now it was a sword and that is much worse. There is a bubbling in his eyes, and it is not because of the wound, but because of the pride. The one type of anger, my father had warned me to not have. With that scream, he went for Julian, before appearing in front of him. He attacked without wasting a second, and it was powerful. So, much, so that I feared, Julian might not be able to defend. Hun! I moved toward him, with all my speed, when something happened. Irony grey vines came out of the ground and moved toward his feet, trying to bind him to the ground. For nearly a minute, the mage hadn¡¯t cast a spell. If I hadn¡¯t been seeing her standing, I would have thought she had died. Sliceee! The man reacted fast and moved his saber down to cut the vines. Cutting tens of them single attack, before moving away from the spot to avoid the vines and attack from Julian and me. He was fast, as always, but before he could take two steps, something happened. Julian disappeared and appeared right in front of the enemy, with his swords, moving toward him at incredible speed. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help, but get surprised. That they reached inches away from the enemy. It is not a skill; he had used before. Clang! The enemy wouldn¡¯t let them injure him again. He acted fast, repelling the first sword moving toward his chest with his saber, but the second of Julian¡¯s sword reached his thigh and pierced through it. While it was happening, the iron vines had wrapped around his legs. He seemed to realize the trouble he was in, but it was too late for him. Julian attacked again with his one free sword; there was a huge Earth Lance from Mage. ¡°Die!¡± I screamed and swung my sword at him with everything I had. He turned with struggle, and I saw all the fear vanish from his eyes. His lips curved in a smile as the sabers appeared around him. It is similar to his own saber, which is moving, cutting the vines, but he isn¡¯t holding it. The one in front of me isn¡¯t the only saber that appeared. There is one that is moving toward the huge Earth Lance, while the other is moving to defend against the attack of Julian. Clang Clang Clang! My sword clashed against the first saber and while the second saber began to cut through the Earth Lance. The third one moved to clash against Julian¡¯s attack. Hun! They were about to clash when something happened. The speed of Julian¡¯s sword suddenly increased even more, avoiding the saber, and moved toward his neck. The alarm returned in the eyes enemy and this time, it was more intense. He reacted immediately and moved the flying saber to stop the sword, while the one in his hand stopped cutting vines, and went for Julian. First, he appeared in front of the enemy and now a sudden increase in the speed of his attack. If I didn¡¯t see the tiredness appearing in his eyes; I would have thought, he was hiding his strength. Whatever skill he used; it cost him a lot. If he didn¡¯t succeed, there is no way, he would survive with that tiredness. I had just thought that when the speed of his sword increased further, reaching the neck of the enemy. Horror appeared in his eyes; as he realized he could die. He wanted to retreat, but couldn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯t cut all the vines and now, they were stopping his retreat. He shouldn¡¯t have moved his saber toward Julian; cutting the vines would have given him a chance to retreat. Julian¡¯s sword didn¡¯t stop as it touched the neck and began to cut through it. He didn¡¯t care about the saber of the enemy, reaching his stomach and tearing him apart. It will be mutual destruction, but Julian doesn¡¯t seem to care as the sword moves through the neck of the enemy, who is trying everything to survive. Using every move and skill, he has, including a defensive one. If not for Julian using a strange skill, that has increased his power. The enemy would have been able to get away. Pachack! The sword came out of the other side, decapitating the enemy. Seeing that, a joy lit up in my eyes. If Julian hadn¡¯t killed him, he would have killed Julian and then me. Julian begins to fall down. The bastard had cut him so deep, that his innards had spilled out. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, with all joy disappearing from my eyes. I appeared beside him with Hare Step, catching him before he fell down. ¡°Is he dead?¡± asked Mage Osward, seeing the pale face of Julian and no breathing. ¡°Alive, barely,¡± I said, feeling faint breath, and quickly moved a hand toward his pouch. The woman glared at me but didn¡¯t say anything. He is nearly dead, every innards of his has been cut. It is a heavy injury, that kills within seconds. Normal potion is useless; a powerful healing spell requires, that only elf bishop is capable of casting, but she is on fighting on this gate. ¡°We will require taking him to a surgeon first,¡± said the woman. ¡°He will have to stay alive for that,¡± I said and finally found the thing I had been looking for. A small potion bottle with filled half with glittering healing potion. I had said, the healing potion is useless, but not this one. It is a potion that even money couldn¡¯t buy. I have only heard about it in my life, but never got a chance to even see it, but a few hours ago, got a half bottle of it. It healing potion crafted with emotional essence. In the afternoon, the governor of Greltheaven, handed half a bottle to every pre-Lv. 30. He gave it to us orcs as he gave to the humans and mercenaries. I opened the bottle and dropped a single drop on his tongue. Mixed another drop into an ordinary potion, and sprinkled it on his injuries. I would have added more, but the purpose isn¡¯t to heal. Those injuries, especially his innards, would need to be stitched before using any healing spell or potion. I only used the potion to keep him alive for longer. The result was immediate and shocking. I had expected it, seeing the things I have heard about these, potions, but it still shocked me. ¡°Take him,¡± I said to Mage Osward. She nodded and floated his body up. At the same time, three people, fighting against the horde, appeared beside the body and moved with it, while I drank ordinary healing potion and joined the battle. .... Lich Savais Blight Rays. Bone Lances. Hallow Screams. Three spells materialized and moved toward the three coming at me. They reacted instantly, the paladin moved her shield forward, glowing in the divine power of dusk, while the spell blade created the defensive shield of five. The Orc, on the other hand, dodged and defended. The bastard is too agile for his size; one rarely comes across, the orcs such as this. ¡®We have made a mistake,¡¯ I released a bit too late. We should have brought more pre-Lv. 30s with us, but we had kept them in the cities we had conquered. We thought it wouldn¡¯t take us long for us to conquer this small city. An hour or two at most, seeing this one had kept itself stable and was preparing to defend. We have been too complacent. Too sure that we would raze through the cities of Renwell without much resistance and that happened with the two cities we have attacked. We should have focused on intelligence as we do on the island. If we had done that, we would have known. There were a lot more powerhouses here than we had expected. On top of that, the bastard had recruited the bloody orcs, that were in his prison. There is nothing common in recruiting prisoners to fight. It is extremely common on Mayhurst, where our enemies use anyone who could fight. It didn¡¯t matter if they were criminals or saints. It is just that, we didn¡¯t expect it from the harsothian city. We forgot that desperation could make even the enemy, a friend. We have only brought fourteen pre-Level 30 with us, a quarter of the numbers, while the enemy has over thirty of them fighting across all three battlefields. It is because of them; that they have kept us Level 30s engaged. I wish I could blame Knight Bartram for oversight, but I agreed with the rest of Lv. 30 when Knight asked for our option. I hate to admit it, but these bastards are good. They have contained me, despite my efforts to kill them. It is the reason why; I couldn¡¯t go that wretched bastard to take my revenge. ¡°They killed him!¡± said the bitch with fire and for a moment, I was confused when I received the message. It shocked me so much; that I had nearly missed the lance from the paladin, before activating the bone shield to stop. ¡®They have killed, heartpeak!¡¯ I thought in shock. The bastard was Level 33 Fencer of Barren Field. He had fought against two-Level 30 and killed them, but now the message is telling me that a bunch of pre-Lv. The 30s have killed him. Heartpeak was egoistical and had too much confidence in his abilities, but he wasn¡¯t weak, and now, he is dead. ¡®It seemed like; I would have to use them,¡± I said and opened my bags. Immediately, pieces of bones came out; each piece was carefully crafted and belonged to a grade 4 monster. The three seemed to realize what was happening and came toward me, but I stopped their charge with the bone walls and barrage of Acid Balls. It gave me enough time, for three bone constructs to appear. All three are humanoids over two meters tall with huge round thorny heads and bone hands holding swords, spears, and hammers as weapons. They are dangerous and more than capable of killing anyone below Lv. 30. Bone constructs aren¡¯t my specialty, nor have I created them, but these are all I could buy with the savings I had. Coming here, was as much for revenge as for the good bodies and money. We have conquered two cities and while they were small. They had money and my share was quite good. I will be able to buy enough resources with them to construct a group of powerful zombies and I will start with bodies of these three. ¡°Kill them,¡± I ordered and activated the constructs. They moved toward the three while assaulting them with the spells. Within a few seconds, I suppressed them. They could do nothing but to defend. They are quite good, but I only need one spell to strike them, and it will be their end. Once one is dead, killing the two wouldn¡¯t be much challenge. I should have used these before; I might have finished them quickly and heartpeak wouldn¡¯t have died. It is such a regret, that his body is already claimed; I would have loved to get my hands on it. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on controlling the bone constructs. One had nearly hit the Orc, missing the head by less than an inch. I cast another spell and was about to release at the orc, when I received another message, and it shook me. Ford is dead. Still, Craving? Click Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Chapter 323: Mage of Intellect Chapter 323: Mage of Intellect Zela Two and half Hours Before. The gates opened and the army of seven thousand charged out, toward the undead with Lt. Colonel Azalea, leading them. Seeing the undead army, the old memories couldn¡¯t help, but appear in front of my eyes. I have fought many of such battles; too many, with some horde having over a million undead in them. I had never wanted to fight in my life. I wanted to study magic in peace and for a few years, I did. It was the happiest time of my life, until everything changed one day. Hun! My thoughts were interrupted by the materialization of the black tide in front of the horde. It was a huge of water, but not normal water, but black water. Dark Water Tide or Zarkill¡¯s Tide. A Grade 4 spell of water and death element; a powerful at that. It will be bad if it hits the army; I cannot let that happen. Luminous Surge My staff lit up, and immediately, a surge of radiant water moved toward the tide. It is a spell given to me by Mr. Silver when we had returned from the Port Midlet. He had gotten it from the Count; it is a pretty powerful spell. Especially against the wide-area spells of death element and the undead. Though it is a Grade 3 spell, the one coming is the Grade 4 spell. There is a clear difference in power between them. I was preparing to send more surges when the staff in the hands of the orc beside me lit up and the green light came out of it and went to the surge. As it touched it, a faint green color covered the surge. There was no other change in it, than that. The small surge clashed against the tide, and immediately my eyes widened. I glanced at the Orc beside me for a moment, before turning to the clash, where both spells were trying to push each other while consuming each other. They both started to whittle down, till the Radiant Surge disappeared, but the other spells weren¡¯t in much better shape either. Less than 20% of it remained. I looked at the man casting the spell. He is a man in his late forties, with blue eyes and green, holding a staff with a dark blue crystal, which looked almost black. He looked kind of familiar for some reason, but I don¡¯t remember him. I don¡¯t usually forget mages are so powerful. He didn¡¯t launch any attack and nor did I. He is the target, I have to keep occupied, kill if I can. I looked at the necromancer far behind in the horde; that woman was powerful. I had heard about her on the island and was worried about Lt. Colonel Azalia and Steven, who would be fighting against her with Aghed. The undead and the army met and started fighting, while I moved toward my target with Shaman Dul and Captain Vandal. Surrounding us are aground of Mid-Level 20s and pre-level 30s, who are clearing every obstacle in our way. There were a lot of obstacles and I wanted to help, but I kept focus on the enemy. He is the most important; I have to keep all my focus and mana for him. Soon, there was less than two hundred meters of distance between us. ¡°You will not be able to get away this time,¡± he said and a moment later, hundreds of dark water lances materialized over him, before they came at me. The water lances are huge, longer than me with icy tips. Even if the lance didn¡¯t do one; the death energies would by their corrupting power. I couldn¡¯t let these lances touch me or anyone. It would be a certain death if they did. Sup Sup Sup Shields Of Ahasin. I cast the spell, and tens of shields appeared in the path of the lances. They are not only targeting me but also others. As my shields appeared, once again the staff of the Shaman Dul lit up and the green light filled them. The young orc shaman beside me is a Shaman Dul, and he is a pure enhancer. Very few shamans were born with a talent for such magic. On the island, any of such shamans were highly regarded and fostered. Bang Bang Bang! The lances crashed against the shield and blasted them apart, but the lances had also lost most of their power. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. He clearly seemed to know me, and I felt familiar with him, but couldn¡¯t remember where I had seen him. He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, an enormous fountain appeared behind him, before separating into tens of large whips of water and coming at me. Captain Vandal moved away quickly while I remained in my spot with Shaman Dul. I remained on my spot and cast the shields with the light spell. Which once again, augmented by him. There are other spells, I could use, but that isn¡¯t wise. My experience taught me, that when fighting against an enemy with differences in strengths. It is important, that one should stick to what works and nothing works better than defensive shields. I am also quite good at them. Since they are the spells, I had cast the most in the war. It is the defensive spell, that kept me alive when I escaped from the tower. It was also because of this spell; that we were able to make that difficult journey to get out of the island. Bang Bang Bang! Whips crashed against the shields, and, after several strikes, they would be destroyed, but the next one would be ready to take their place. Finally, the whips lost their power and turned back to the water. There was no change in his expression like he had expected that my shields would be able to hold on against his spells. Which is why, the water of the whips hadn¡¯t even disappeared, when it transformed into a huge dark worm. Water Worm The spells will tear me apart into pieces if I get caught in it. Those black shards of ice are sharp and wouldn¡¯t have any problem cutting through me, even if I had a protective spell over me. Frost Shield. Freezing Mist. I cast three Frost Shields over each other before reinforcing them with the Freezing Mist to make it even harder. Shaman Dul further reinforced it with his magic, making it even stronger. BANNNG! The whirlpool crashed against the shield, before beginning to grind against it, till nothing had remained of it. It had also lost most of its power; still, to be careful, I had summoned another group of shields. A few seconds later, both spells disappeared, and immediately, he launched another attack and, once again, I summoned the shields to defend against it. I didn¡¯t try to attack him, I just defended. I am not going to take a risk by launching the offensive spell and giving him the opening against me. I have seen many mages die, by making that mistake. I didn¡¯t forget even for a second that he is a High Mage. He had many spells, and they were powerful. I am only standing against him before I am good; each of my spells had been modified extensively for my needs and style. I do not have a large collection of spells, but all those I have been modified. It is the reason; I am standing here alive, while thousands of mages, who learned from the prestigious academies and powerful masters, are ten feet under the ground. All mages are scholarly in nature, our class demands it, but some are more than the others. I am Lv. 29 Mage of Intellect. It is in my class, and I have skills, that let me learn fast. I love learning and if the undead hadn¡¯t invaded; I would have still been to Great Mage Ursula¡¯s tower, learning. I pushed away those thoughts away and focused on the man, in front of me. Distraction causes death and I don¡¯t want to die, so early. Puch Puch Puch! I just thought that when suddenly I saw thousands of dark, icy needles coming from behind and striking into the invisible shield. For the first time since we started fighting, a surprise appeared on his face, and couldn¡¯t help, but grin. Even Shaman Dul and Captain Vandal looked surprised. A pride rose for a moment. Refractive Veil, a Grade 2 light elemental spell. It might be a Grade 2 spell, but it is hard as the hardest as a Grade 3 spell or even harder. I had cast it over the Grade 2 Tarron Shield, hiding it. If I survive this battle, I want to focus on the light. I always liked the light element but didn¡¯t get a chance at it in the tower. Great Mage Ursula was a pure water elemental mage, while I knew a few mages used the light dual element spells, they would not teach the assistants. We were hundreds in number and were usually taught a few common water elemental spells. Not to mention, the light spells are notoriously hard to learn and expensive. I had learned them, after escaping Ursula Tower. All the icy needles clashed and disappeared, while I looked at the man. ¡°That Great Mage Ursula was good; she gave our leader, quite a fight. If she had known any light spell, she might have survived,¡± said the man and grinned. ¡°You were there?¡± I asked, and the man kept grinning. I felt the rage rising in my heart; the tower wasn¡¯t just a place of work for me. It was home; there I got the family never had, friends, and met the love of my life, who sacrificed himself to save me. I want to kill him and nearly cast a spell to attack before taking a deep breath and calming down. Anger is useless; it will help the enemy instead of helping me. If we were on the same level, I might have let the anger best out of me, but we are not. He is a grade higher and has the power to kill me. I could see in his eyes, that he had said those words to get a rise out of me. He is ready with spells. If I made a mistake, he would exploit and, given the difference in power, between us, I might not be able to survive it. ¡°You should be ashamed. You had let a measly scholar like me escape the tower. Well, that was not your fault, you were not a leader there, but you were at the sea.¡± The moment he said thing about the tower; I realized he was the man who attacked us at the sea. At that time, he was wearing a mask and only used pure water elemental spells. ¡°If I had been in your place, I would have died of shame. A High Mage like you couldn¡¯t even a kill simple Mage like me,¡± I mocked and there was no response, but that grin on his face. I could see the anger in his eyes, that is barely controlling. ¡°You were lucky at the sea; I had held back there, I will not hold back in here,¡± he promised with an angry grin, and his staff lit up. ¡°Fuck!¡± The spell materialized and seeing it, Captain Vandal cursed, while my expression turned serious. Still, Craving? Click Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Chapter 324: Killing High-Mage Chapter 324: Killing High-Mage ZelaFindd new stories at novelhall.com Still, Craving? Click Chapter 325: Retreating To The City Chapter 325: Retreating To The City Clang Clang Rip! I clashed hard against the women, dodging and defending while getting more and more injuries on my body. The woman has enough anger in her eyes, that I don¡¯t think, she is holding even the smallest thing back. All the people I had fought hadn¡¯t held back, but there was a realization, even in their rage, that they couldn¡¯t kill me. They could do anything else, but not kill me. This woman doesn¡¯t care about the consequences that might arise from that. ¡°You know, you will be in great trouble if you kill me,¡± I said with Persuasive as I parried her saber, trying to go for her, but she quickly brought her saber back and attacked me. Rip! Her saber came like lightning and cut through my shoulder, which has already received many injuries and is a mess. Every movement I make, shoots immense pain through several parts of my body. That I wanted to give us, but I kept fighting; there is no choice when others are more than pulling their weight, by doing the unexpected. We had killed two Level 30+ powerhouses. Stone thought it would be great. If we are able to kill a single one, but two had killed two, and that weakened the undead. They now have the five Level 30s, instead of seven, but it barely seems to have affected the battle, as they are still fighting as intensely as before. It could be said, they have become more intense. I catch a glimpse of the battles around me, now and then. I could see Stone being bloody to every inch of his life and how Lena and others were doing everything they could to contain the Lich. Even the people beside me are fighting the enemies, which is a level higher than them. The young albino orc is fighting against the two people, and both of them are pre-Level 30 warriors. It is clear by their speed and strength, but the orc has been fighting them for the past half an hour. It is kind of shocking to see that, seeing nearly anyone in his place would die, seeing the injuries on him, seemed worse than Stone, but he is still alive and fighting. I had noticed that his fighting style was also quite unique. There is primalness in it, that made me feel like, he is a wild beast. I am not trying to play into the stereotype of the orcs, but it seemed the essence of wildness in his fighting. Though he is not wild. There is deep intelligence in the young orc¡¯s eyes. Every attack of him is precise and efficient to the frustration of the enemies, that couldn¡¯t kill him. Instead, he would cop an injury or two, making them so angry that they had forgotten their purpose. They were coming at me when he stopped them. Rip! The injury on my leg brought me back to reality, and I focused on my enemy. She is a fencer and if I am not wrong, likely related to the Nev Heartpeak. She might be his student, lover, or relative; not that I care. The only thing, I care about is surviving because killing her would be hard. She is a fencer and thus faster. It makes it, very hard to use any tricks on her. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean I am not looking for the opportunity. I am looking at it every second. If I found it, I would not hesitate to use it, but it is unlikely that this woman would give me, even in the anger she is feeling. Hun! A few more seconds passed, and I saw another group of bone spears coming toward me. I didn¡¯t try to dodge it or move away. Did anything that will give the enemy, any chance against me. As for the lances, they will be dealt with. If not, then I will die. Bang Bang Bang! I had just thought that when the lances crashed against the shields and blasted into the pieces. Since the battle began, I have been attacked with hundreds of spells and, except for one, every attack had been dealt with. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you, just die!¡± she shouted as she came at me with another barrage, while I defended with the Swift Blade and Quick Parry, before dodging another with the Rapid Legs. I am only using these three skills and sometimes Persuasive. I am drained, and it is only the will that is keeping me on my feet. I had tried to be efficient, and I am still, but the enemies I had fought were difficult. Each and every one of them had the power to kill me, and I needed to use the skills to kill them. The red-haired woman in front of me is the most powerful of them all. I am barely holding on against her barrage, every moment trying to harness more power from these skills, so her saber wouldn¡¯t injure me more than I already am. It would be great. If I could drink a potion, to heal my injuries and recover my stamina, but she is not giving me the chance. If I tried, I might find my head flying in the air, but if I didn¡¯t, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to last much longer and suffer the same fate. Rip! I was just thinking that when she gave me another injury. This time on the check, on the small gap made by the man, I had fought before her. It is because of it; that I had been able to kill him. Ahhh! Suddenly, I heard a scream, not far away from me and I thought it was an Albino Orc. He wasn¡¯t, but he was responsible for it, as he had cut the arm of the enemy and would have killed him, if not for another person stopping his ax. I glanced at it for a moment, while taking a step back with Rapid Step. Dodging the attack by less than a centimeter. It is good because I wouldn¡¯t want more neck injuries than I already have. ¡°Retreat!¡± I had defended against the attack when the word I wanted to hear rang out through the battlefield. Stone had called the retreat. ¡°You will not get away!¡± said the woman as she came at me with another attack, and I moved my rapier to defend. Hun! Our weapons were about to clash, when the anger in her eyes despaired, and she took a step back and moved left, dodging the arrow by an inch. More and arrows as spells begin to appear from the wall to cover our retreat. Stone had kept enough mages and archers on the wall to help us in retreat. They are now doing the job. Clang! The woman came at me, right after dodging the attack, not even letting me retreat, even five steps. It was not just her, but the undead were also moved forward, stopping us from the retreat. It would be bad for them because if we retreated, they would need to break through the wall to enter the city. It would make their job much easier job if they were able to deal with us here. Clang Clang Rip! I defend and dodge her attacks before retreating step by step. It is slow, but it is the fastest I could retreat. More than a minute passed when the woman turned and dodged the attack from behind. ¡°Governor, leave this woman to me,¡± said the half-orc man with a ponytail and engaged with the woman. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to him and retreated. The woman wanted to stop me, but the half-orc kept her busy Pachak Khack Pachak I begin to retreat much more easily, but not without resistance. The undead are coming from every direction at us and we are killing them to clear our path. We have gathered as the skills activated and retreat forming the line. Even Lena and others have joined; they are in the last line, taking the barrage from the Lich and other mages, along with fighters and undead. Thankfully, they have support from the wall. Stone had intentionally planned the battle closer to the wall. So, we will get the support we need from it, during our retreat. From archers to mages to cannons begin to fire up, covering our retreat. Minutes passed, and the first line reached the gate, before getting inside, and then it was the second line and the third. I was in the fourth line and quickly went inside, and the first thing I did was to drink the potion. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it on me; there are others who need it more,¡± I said to the Priest when she moved her staff toward me. The paladins weren¡¯t the only ones who had joined the battle; the priest had also entered the battlefield. For it, I am extremely grateful; she had saved many people, including me. When I was fighting against the second enemy; I was heavily injured. Her spells, help me keep my injuries contained, till I killed the enemy and drank the potion. I was surprised when Stone informed me, all five of them were willing to join the battlefield. The priests usually wouldn¡¯t, unless they were offered something good in return or desperate. I threw away the bottle and walked down the stairs toward the gate, where Colonel Cardin was in command. He nodded at me, before continuing with orders. I looked ahead and saw the lines retreating; the undead were pressing with everything they could, but we were retreating. Though everything isn¡¯t smooth. ¡°Target the Lich,¡± shouted Colonel Cardin, and I felt his skills activating. Aiding in his command. Enhancing the powers and accuracy of the attack, among other things. Stone is in trouble, not only Knight is pressing on him, but Lich and the other mages have also started throwing the spells at him. Our mages are defending and now started attaching the Lich. The Lich seemed to be expecting that, as the mages around him brought tens of shields to protect him, while he targeted Stone. ¡°The southern army retreated!¡± informed the mage, and I felt relieved. It is Hugo, that leading it, there is also Valentina and Bishop Alanis. I wanted to ask about them but didn¡¯t. If something had happened to them, I would have been informed. Minutes passed, and only one line remained to retreat. The pressure on the undead had increased as more mages joined the wall and slung the spells at them, forcing them to defend. ¡°Stone is good; I don¡¯t think, I would have been able to retreat, even in my peak with my life in my hand,¡± said Colonel Cardin as Stone reached the gate. Now, it is the knight who is retreating as our mages and archers begin to target him. If we were to kill him; it would increase our chances of surviving by a huge degree, but it is a futile dream. The knight had retreated quite easily to his horde, under the protection of his mages, while I climbed down the wall toward Stone. Still, Craving? Click The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 326: Blockade Chapter 326: Blockade Lich Savais ¡°We have made a grave mistake, not bringing the pre-level 30s,¡± said Knight Bartram and sighed. He is regretful, but he is also extremely angry. Seeing how, how he is fisting fingers, it felt like even iron would bend easily under such force. If I had been in his place, I would have been angry too. I am angry. I was too part of the decision and like him, had been contained in pre-level 30s. The only difference between us is that I was held back by three people. He had been held back by only one. I had to give it to that elder-blood. He was able to hold back Knight Bartram, while many Lv. 30 died many times over in that time. It is an incredible feat that solely couldn¡¯t be achieved with the power of the elder blood alone. ¡°It is not your fault. Knight Bartram, we all agreed with the decision to leave most pre-Lv. 30s in the conquered cities,¡± I said to him. Though, I am going to throw all the blame for this on him, because there will be consequences. I sent the message to the command and received their replies. They had only inquired about the battle but hadn''t commented, which is not good, because it means they will take action once it is all over. ¡°It was a mistake on our part, which I will not make again. The city will be ours before dawn tomorrow and nothing, they do will stop that from happening,¡± he stated and looked at the walls, which were being attacked by our undead. ¡°That, I have no doubt,¡± I replied. I am not saying it to agree with him. It will happen. The mistake we have made being ratified. They have given us a surprise and in return we will give them the despair. ... I stopped beside Stone, who was bathing in the dusky light of divine spells. The half-elf priestess seemed to have cast, Clean on him first as all the blood had vanished, making all his injuries visible. Hun! They are everywhere. There is not a single part of his body that hasn¡¯t been covered by them, but they are not as deep as I had expected. ¡°Elder bloods are truly an amazing thing. Most of the commanders¡¯ serious injuries have been healed on its own and while these cuts are dangerous, they are not life-threatening.¡± ¡°The healing potion he drank, and my spells would be enough to heal them,¡± said Priestess Kelryc. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and she smiled before her expression turned serious. ¡°Your injuries are not light, my lord. You should let me heal them,¡± she said. ¡°I took the potion; they will heal soon,¡± I replied. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it a moment later and turned to her assistant. ¡°Heather cast clean on, Lord Governor. Ravin, bandage him,¡± she instructed. A few seconds later, all the grime vanished from my body and the man began to bandage me. Get Ready would have cleaned the blood, but I don¡¯t think I have the power to use any skills. I am extremely tired, and if I close my eyes; I will fall asleep, but I don¡¯t want to sleep. I turned to Stone, who had been sleeping, or rather fallen unconscious. He had used the elder blood power for three hours, highest than ever. Even when Knight Schegan had pushed him to the extreme, he wasn¡¯t able to go above hours and thirty-two minutes, falling unconscious right after. This time, he had stayed active with it twice as long and there will be a cost. It is regretful that we will need to forcefully wake him. It will be a few hours or a few minutes, depending on the undead. He is important and the only person, who could handle Knight Bartram. ¡°How is the condition of Lt. Colonal Julian?¡± I asked. He was heavily injured, nearly at death''s door, with his guts spilling out. ¡°The surgeons had done a wonderful job sewing him up. Now, Bishop is healing him and expects him to make a full recovery,¡± she replied, and relief flooded into my heart. I don¡¯t want to lose a man like him. I nodded gratefully and walked out of the room, not before noticing the dented shield. The clash was powerful enough that it had dented a Grade 3, triple enchanted shield. Thankfully, have a replacement, along with armor, which is in similar condition. I walked out of the room and went to another one, where there were patients on every bed. Being treated by the healers and doctors, most of them sleeping. Some who were not sleeping were made to sleep forcefully. Not only to rest but also to level up. Nearly all below Lv. 20 would level up and over 25% of Level 20¡¯s, given the intensity of the battle. It will be harder for most mid-Level 20¡¯s and pre-Lv. 30s to level-up, up before the battle ends. Most of the people are healing in the infirmaries near the wall. So, they could be called back at a moment''s notice, but some had been sent to the establishment. They are officers. We will need them well-rested and leveled. I check on the other injured, before walking toward the wall. Each step is painful, with injuries; they are healing, but not fast enough. They would have healed faster. If I had drank the pure healing potion with emotional essence, but I drank the regular one, which had a few drops of healing potion with emotional essence mixed in. In exchange for emotional essence, I got a lot of potions of emotional essence from Ethan. They are the reason, why so many officers are alive. They could literally bring a person to life, and one could drink a lot of them without suffering a mana burn. I felt the eyes on me as I walked the stairs. The soldiers are looking at me and there is a respect in their eyes, that was not there before. They had seen me fight like they did; bled like they did and had injuries to show, like they have. I had earned their respect and it gave me more joy than the title Count had given me before running away. I reached the wall, which was being continuedly attacked by the undead. ¡°Second load,¡± shouted Colonel Cardin. Immediately, oil mixed with crystals showered down from the pots before burning wildly and so hot, that some needed to take a step back to shield themselves from the fire, that covered the undead. The undead begin to burn, but not all; many attacked while burning, but got hacked quickly by soldiers and thrown back off the wall. Most of the people manning the wall had experience in fighting from the wall, but we have also mixed with some inexperienced people, like orcs, in between them as do not too many of such people. ¡°It seemed to be going well,¡± I said, but to my surprise Colonel Cardin¡¯s, expressions turned bad. ¡°It is not, my lord. Look at the undead, all of them are common undead; there is no single abominable one mixed in it. The tide is also weak and sparse, nothing like the unending ones that we had heard so much about,¡± he said, with a clear worry on his face. Hearing that, I turned to the undead and looked at them carefully. The undead are coming, but like he had said, there are no abominable zombies. It¡¯s not just that, even the mage attacks felt weak and there are no special undead or bone creations. The Knight and Lich seemed to have disappeared. Forget spells or skills from them, even their shadows have disappeared. Seeing that, a bad feeling couldn¡¯t help, but rise in my heart. All the information said that when they came in line unending tide, with bone creations and abominable zombies, backed with the powerful spells of their mages and the assault of their powerhouses. I am seeing none of that. ¡°Is the same on the other two gates?¡± I asked, to which he nodded. ¡°What can we do?¡± I asked. ¡°Nothing, considering our objective is to fight them inside the city. If we do something, they might suspect something and we don¡¯t want that,¡± he said while giving me a look. There are only three people who know about the complete plan. Stone, Caena, and me. We had hinted a few details to the important people, but not enough to guess what we would do. It is not like we don¡¯t trust them, but we need to keep the news the tight as possible. So, even if the information leaked, our enemies won¡¯t know what we are truly planning. It is a real conundrum. It is clear that our enemies were planning something, but we couldn¡¯t respond due to our plan. I wish that I could wake up Stone, but that isn¡¯t wise; I need him to be as rested as possible. ¡°My lord, you should rest. We will need you at your best when enemies launch their real attack,¡± he said, and I nodded before walking out of the gate. I am bone tired, but sleeping is the last thing I have on my mind. Though Colonel Cardin is right. I would need to sleep if I wanted to face the enemy at my best. I walked down the gate and moved toward the small white building, which was well-guarded. Click! I reached it a minute later, and the guards bowed before opening the door for me and took me to the basement. Where Robin is with visibly tired Mage Ravill and a group of people. ¡°My lord,¡± they greeted as I entered. ¡°Mage Ravill, you should sleep. We will be needing you soon,¡± I said to the man. ¡°I will, my lord. I only came here to see whether I could breach the curtain, but even with these tools, it is impossible,¡± he said and sighed tiredly. ¡°No response?¡± I asked, to which they shook their heads. ¡°They have sealed the communication too effectively. Their anti-communications skills are powerful enough to block all the communications skills. They had even killed three of our monsters and injured two,¡± replied Robins, looking at the monster scouts. Robin is responsible for the intelligence and all the people sitting here have skills or spells related to that, but their efforts are turning futile in front of the undead''s communication blockade. They even have control over the skies. Hunting down any monsters or animals that tried to fly through the clouds. They have created a complete intelligence blockade for us. We didn¡¯t know anything that was happening outside of the city. If we could breach it, we might have been able to tell what these bastards are planning. The scouts from the merchant states are close, and they have designated dropping points. Where they would place the information, we only need to reach there to get it, but that is turning out to be an impossible job. ¡°I could send Charlie,¡± said Eli. From the corner of the room, he is sitting alone with a little white sparrow in his lap. Fang is also in the city, but he is with the girls. They need him more for emotional support than I need him in the battle. ¡°Your bird is too weak, Mr. Gest. Even with cloud surfing sparrow¡¯s abilities, they will discover it and shoot it down,¡± said Robin, discarding the idea. The undead are very good at discovering life-signatures and there are bone constructs patrolling the skies that will stop anything that tries to reach the other side. ¡°Inform me as soon as you receive any information,¡± I said, before turning to the Mage. ¡°And Mage Ravill, please take a rest,¡± I added. ¡°I will, my lord,¡± he said, but a second later, a hesitant smile appeared on his face, and he got up, seeing me still looking at him. We both walked out of the room and used the tunnel to reach the protected resting place. There were already many people sleeping there, but it was not completely filled. There were three empty beds. Mage Ravill picked one, while I picked another, before laying on it. I closed my eyes, and a few seconds later; I was in a deep sleep.Findd new stories at novelhall.com Still, Craving? Click Chapter 327: Valorous Governor Chapter 327: Valorous Governor Blade Warrior Lv. 20 {Conditions Met: Blade Warrior ¨C Valorous Warrior} Skill Gained: Gymnasts Control {Conditions Met: Masterful Administrator ¨C Governor} {Conditions Met: Governor + Valorous Warrior = Valorous Governor} Valorous Governor Lv. 19 Valorous Governor Lv. 20 {Skill Gained: Governors Presence} {Skill Gained: March of Braves} {Condition Met: Contract ¨C Solid Contract} {Conditions Met: Swift Blade ¨C Blade of the Gale} {Conditions Met: Rapid Steps- Blitz Steps} ¡°Hu¡± Came out of my mouth as I saw the long line of texts in front of me. ¡°Is something wrong, my lord?¡± asked the guard by the bed. There are two of them, with each standing on one side of the bed. ¡°No,¡± I said and looked at the text in front of me. Yesterday, I was a little disappointed when the Masterful Administrator didn¡¯t advance to the Governor, but now it has not advanced to the Governor but also merged with my combat class. Giving me a Valorous Governor Class. It is a powerful class, far stronger than both classes combined. I could feel its power and a smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. I had not only gotten the new class but three of my skills had also advanced. There are also three new skills in my arsenal; all of them feel powerful. I turned to the first skill that I had I got from Valorous Warrior before it merged with the Governor. It is a passive skill like its sister skill, Gymnasts Grace. While the Gymnasts Grace had most of its focus on flexibility and balance, Gymnasts Control is all about control. As I moved my finger, I knew, I could now control my body more perfectly than before. The second new skill is Governors Presence, from the Valorous Governor. It is also a passive skill, similar to the one, I had borrowed from the Bell. If the city survives, the undead. That skill will be very helpful to me. The third is March of Braves. This skill excited me the most. It is the first army skill I got and a pretty powerful one at that. Level 20s usually get this skill, especially those of the Governor Class. It is usually got by those of the Lord Class or powerful General Class. The last three are my old skills, belonging to both classes, that had advanced. The Contract advanced to a Solid Contract, making it more powerful. Swift Blade had advanced to the Blade of the Gale, and Rapid Steps advanced to Blitz Steps. The two were powerful skills to begin with, and now they have become even more powerful. That is not all I have got from the advancement. There are also two attribute points. One, I had got, when Blade Warrior reached Lv. 20 and the second when merged Valorous Governor reached Lv. 20. I thought for a moment and deposited one point into intelligence and the other into the Vitality, taking both to the fifteen. I felt the wonderful effect of them on me. I wish it could last forever, but unfortunately, they had only lasted for a few seconds. Vitality is a wise choice, but adding the point into intelligence might surprise some, but they wouldn¡¯t be surprised when they will see the skill, I had copied through the Copy Skill. It runs on intelligence. I still don¡¯t know whether I would be using that skill or not, but if I did means, things become truly dangerous for me. I would need intelligence as high as possible, seeing there is going to be some resistance from the skill, for the purpose I am going to use it. ¡°My Lord, Commander Stone had asked us to take you to him, as soon as you woke up,¡± informed the blond woman, surprising me. ¡°When did he wake up?¡± I asked and looked at my pocket watch. It had been only three, and a half hours since I slept, and he retreated slightly more than four hours ago. ¡°Has something happened?¡± I asked as I got up and found myself quite springy, but in no mood to care about it, seeing Stone wake up. My orders were clear. They were to forcefully bring him to consciousness in six hours, or if something drastic happened. ¡°We don¡¯t know when the commander woke up my lord. He asked us to relay this message to you, twenty-minutes ago. As for what happened, we don¡¯t know, everything had been the same for the past few hours since you have retreated with the army,¡± replied the woman. I nodded and walked toward the door, with two of them following me. Mage Ravill is still sleeping, while most of the people have woken up and their place has been taken by others. They only need to sleep for a maximum of three hours to get the level up. If they don¡¯t get it within three hours, then there is no level-up from them. Click! Soon, we reached the door. The guards standing by it bowed, before opening it for me. I nodded and entered the room. The room, which was earlier filled with people, had only three people in it. Robin, Stone, and Ina. Most of his injuries seemed to have healed, leaving only marks behind, but tiredness was apparent in his eyes. The four hours of rest are far from enough to help him recover from what he had gone through. Hun! I was about to speak to him when I noticed a familiar feeling coming off him. It feels unstable; it is getting stronger and weaker. ¡®He hadn¡¯t activated the blood,¡¯ I thought. The feeling was weak, even at its strongest, but I had felt it enough times to recognize instantly, that it was from elder-blood. Though it confused me. This presence only appears when Stone brings out the power of elder-blood and currently, he has not. ¡°Congratulations, my lord,¡± said Stone, breaking the silence. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t have to think about even a second to understand why he thanked me. He clearly felt the power of my passive skills and interpreted what happened. ¡°We were able to get the information,¡± informed Robin, breaking me out of my thoughts. ¡°Really! How?¡± I asked but calmed down my excitement at seeing the worry on their faces. Whatever the information they have got is serious enough to make them worry like this. It is likely why; they had woken Stone forcefully and had guards inform me as soon as woke up. ¡°It was Eli and his little sparrow,¡± replied Stone, surprising me. Higher-leveled people had their monsters slain, while his little sparrow had not only been able to pass through the blockade but also brought back the information. ¡°He had got inheritance skill,¡± he added, seeing the surprise on my face. When I heard the words, the surprise disappeared, and shock appeared on my face. Saying inheritance skills are rare would be an understatement. These are skills that their ancestor had. The ancestor needs to be at least an s-class powerhouse; a person at Lv. 50 and above to pass his skills and the class. One needs to satisfy conditions to gain those skills. It is also become harder to get them with each successive generation. I heard from Eli and Zela, that his ancestor was the s-class scout who used cloud-surfing sparrows. Getting the same monster wouldn¡¯t be enough. There must be more he needed to do to get it. Whatever it is; the ancestral skill didn¡¯t disappoint us. He had brought us the information. ¡°What did the information say?¡± I asked, and their expressions turned even more serious. ¡°Another horde is coming. It had around fifty thousand undead. At least one level 30 and four pre-30 in it. It should reach the city within two hours,¡± replied Robin, and I shook. I wanted to scream hearing that, but I fell silent instead. More undead would spell a doom for us. We had fought the horde for three hours and were barely able to kill over 15% of it. Which had tired us out and killed and injured many of us. Now, another horde is coming toward us, bringing more undead. There will also be powerhouses in it, which will make dealing with it, even more dangerous. We will get slaughtered by them. It took me a few seconds to control my emotions, and I turned to Stone. ¡°What should we do? Should we bring our plan forward?¡± I asked. He didn¡¯t say anything and kept looking up for several seconds, before turning to me. ¡°The addition of the fifty thousand more undead will make things very dangerous, but it also provides us with the opportunity to execute our plan more smoothly,¡± he said, and I caught the hidden meaning behind his words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Robin. ¡°They had called the reinforcement because they didn¡¯t want any stone upturned. They want to crush us, absolutely, and with such a horde, they will have the confidence to do it, which will present us with a great opportunity to execute our plan, with lower chances of failure,¡± he replied. Robin just nodded and turned to me. ¡°I hope whatever you have planned is enough to deal with the horde,¡± he said to me. ¡°It is enough to give us a chance of victory,¡± I replied, with a small smile appearing on my face. Which brought a small on his face too, but soon his expression turned serious. ¡°There is another news,¡± he said somberly. ¡°What is it? I hope it is not another horde coming from the other direction?¡± I asked with nervous laughter. Hoping the joke wouldn¡¯t come true. Robin shook his head, and I felt relieved, but a moment later, he pushed a page toward me. I took it and was shocked immediately, reading the first line. The more I read, the more shocked I would become. ¡°Madman! He used a Grade VII empire protection spell. I thought, there are powerful restrictions around them, that even the emperor couldn¡¯t use them unless the empire is truly in danger?¡± I asked with every word filled with shock. I mean, what kind of spells are the Grade VII spells? They are called archmage spells, only archmages can cast them. In the past two thousand years, there have never been over nine archmages at one time in the world. Currently, there are said to be only seven in the world. An archmage is a walking nuke, powerful beyond comprehension. That madman had just used the spell, and he didn¡¯t do it to save the empire from danger. If I remember correctly; it is explicitly forbidden to use them for the purpose he did. The madman didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°That¡¯s what I heard, but he was somehow able to do it,¡± replied Robin. ¡°It will affect the Greltheaven greatly,¡± he added, looking worried. ¡°We will think about it after we defeat the horde,¡± I said, to which he laughed, and I turned to Stone with an important question. Still, Craving? Click Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 328: Assassin Chapter 328: Assassin Lich Savais ¡°These are your targets, kill them and bring their heads. I want to give the bastard a little gift before we enter the city,¡± I said and gave the man in front of me sketches of the target, along with information. I had planned on doing this after we conquered the city, but now I am doing it before that. I couldn¡¯t wait for my revenge. Earlier I tried, but couldn¡¯t because of those three bastards. ¡°Those three are secondary targets. Don¡¯t spend too many of your skills on them; your main objective is officers, start killing them when the panic starts,¡± said Knight Bartram and the man nodded. Hanson had arrived not long ago; he was close. Hunting the people who had escaped from Panar. He is not at Level 30 yet, but he is good. I would have preferred his sister had been here. She is coming with the horde, but it will take her another two hours to come here. We should have brought her, instead of Heartpeak or Ford. She wouldn¡¯t have gotten herself killed like, those two had. ¡°Wait for the heads,¡± he said, and a grin appeared on his face before he faded away. ¡°The man is too confident. If he had been like his sister, he would have reached Lv. 30 years ago,¡± said Knight Bartram. The man¡¯s sister is a decade younger but already reached Lv. 30, but the man hasn''t. ¡°Let¡¯s hope this will be the day. He takes that step,¡± I said, looking in the direction he went. ¡°It would be great news, if that happened,¡± said Knight Bartram at hope. We have lost two Level 30s; it will lessen the consequences, if the man reaches it. My staff lit up and the number of undead attacking the wall increased by 10%. It will attract the attention and help him cross the wall. Even without it, he would be able to do it. There are many weak spots through which he could enter the city, but I want to be careful. I don¡¯t want to make any more mistakes than we have already done. It had been hours since our undead were attacking the wall while they were defending. We could have waited and not wasted the undead, even if we were using the lowest-grade ones. We are doing it to keep our enemies occupied and tired. I wonder what kind of reaction they will have once they see the horde. I have seen people losing the will to fight, seeing the hordes, but I want them to fight. I want to crush these bastards, till they feel despair and the last shred of hope, disappears from their hearts. .... Margaux ¡°Thank you, Josh and Vrena,¡± I said to the two city guards as their people bound the three men and took them away. ¡°I had heard people become animals when they lose hope. It was my first time seeing it,¡± said the young man and sighed. These two are some of the city guards who had been guarding the establishment and the circle. So, when we came here, they came with us and now guarding the buildings where the girls are staying. Though their numbers are a fraction of what they had around the establishment. Every person who could fight is valuable and keeping these people here is already a big thing. Those three drunk men, they took had tried to break through the building, before being stopped by the guards. One didn¡¯t need to guess what they wanted to do. Due to the undead attack, the whole population of the city had shifted to a small area. It gave rise to fear and helplessness, making people act on their darkest urges. There are only one thousand guards and four thousand volunteers keeping an eye on things, but incidents are happening. Especially around the area, where there are women and children. ¡°Don¡¯t feel worried, Headmistress. We won¡¯t let any harm come to you and girls,¡± said Josh reassuringly. ¡°Thank you, Josh,¡± I thanked the young man and walked inside the building, which used to be a shopping complex. The floor is filled with mattresses, with girls sitting or lying on it. Some are trying to sleep, hoping when they wake up, everything will be fine. Some are talking in hushed tones; some are playing games. They are doing everything; they can to distract themselves from battle at the gates. Not all girls are here, many are outside volunteering for different things. Some are patrolling with the guards, some are helping with children, and some are working in the hospitals; most girls are there. Every girl knows first aid, and some have decided to learn further medical skills. Which is helpful right now. The city didn¡¯t have enough people to care for the injured. War requires a lot of people, and the city hasn¡¯t prepared for it, despite knowing we would eventually face the undead. However, the undead we are facing are coming from a different kingdom than we had expected. ¡°Headmistress, what happened? What did the guards say?¡± asked Revesa. I could see, silence descending with every girl turning their ears toward me. ¡°Nothing much. There was a bet among the guards about me knowing magic. I showed them the fireball,¡± I lied, and relief appeared on the faces of many girls. I know magic; even after a month, I am having a hard time believing the fact. I talked to the girls for a few minutes and tried to elevate their worries before walking to the floor above. Click! I reached the top floor and entered the room; there were four mattresses in there. Even I am not above sharing the room, at a time like this. The whole city had been shifted to a small area. We could be said to be one of the lucky ones as we have got the building. More than half of the people are staying in tents, where they are more vulnerable. There shouldn¡¯t be any threat unless the horde entered the city and attacked us directly. Master Silver said the undead wouldn¡¯t attack us before they dealt with the army. If some strayed here, the guards will be able to handle it; I hope, it didn¡¯t come to that. Currently, I am alone. Della is with the girls, while the other two are volunteering. So, I took out the spell book and my notes and started to study it. I am using every moment; I have to study the magic. It is a wonderful gift, that I will be damned if I didn¡¯t try to learn with my all. Knock Knock A few minutes passed, and I had got completely engrossed in studying. It took me several seconds to realize that someone had knocked on my door. ¡°Headmistress, it¡¯s me,¡± said the familiar voice from the other side. ¡®I hope, it is just drunk men,¡¯ I thought and walked toward the door. Click! I opened it and saw Josh, but beside him someone, I hadn''t expected to see. ¡°Eudo,¡± I said in surprise. He was with children, along with Lenore had others. He is quite good with children. When I went there earlier, I saw him doing make-up for a group of little girls. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± he asked, and his expressions were serious. ¡°I will wait here,¡± said Josh. Eudo, nodded at him, before coming inside the room and closing the door. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, feeling worried. I have never seen Eudo like this; there is a lot of pain in his eyes. Whatever he is here for is hurting him a lot. I hugged him before I realized what I was doing. Eudo is not comfortable with physical contact and is stiffened immediately. I opened my mouth to apologize when I felt him get relaxed. A few seconds later, I let go and turned to him. ¡°I have not been entirely truthful about my class,¡± he said. .... Carla ¡°Miss Carla, has our army made any progress against the undead?¡± asked the vice-guildmaster Soren, while other merchants looked from their comfortable seats. In the past few hours, I have been asked this question more than a hundred times. ¡°Currently, our forces are defending the wall, vice-guildmaster Soren. Killing the undead as they came,¡± I replied. I am sure, with the connection the old man has, he already knows as much as I do, but he is still asking if I know anything more. The merchants aren¡¯t wrong in thinking; they know about my relationship with Remus; it was never a secret, anyway. On top of that, the responsibilities and power he had handed to me; I could even make the officer responsible for protecting a safe zone listen to me. Which produced a surprising result. Jealously. It¡¯s not like I have not seen that emotion directed at me before, but it was always about my appearance, and it would be accompanied by pity about my former profession. It all changed from the day the legacy was born. The people had been jealous of my authority over it. Remus never hid the fact that he had given me the authority over the establishment. To them, I am the person with the highest authority over the establishment after Remus. They are a little wrong about that; it is Caena who has the highest authority after Remus; today, I have become sure of that. After he had become governor. The feeling of jealousy had intensified in their eyes. Now, it is not just women, but men also looked at jealousy and some wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill me. If it were to give them the power, I have. ¡°Let¡¯s prey, that our army wins over the forces of undead,¡± said the old man and everyone closed their eyes for several seconds to prey. This time, these bloody merchants aren¡¯t acting. They are scared and enough fear could make, even faithless, believe in the glory of god. I stayed there for a few minutes before I went to another group of merchants. This is a big mansion, with many merchants. They had formed their cliques, with one of them being led by Soren Arryn. It is my job to handle them, and it is harder than it looks. ¡°Miss Carla, I am really craving arais mar. Can you not send someone to my mansion''s cellars and bring it for me?¡± asked the middle-aged fat man with rosy cheeks. I wanted to massage my head, instead, I put a smile on my face. ¡°It is forbidden to get out of the safe zone, Mr. Davis,¡± I said, and the man opened his mouth. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be disappointed, I have one with me and it is from the establishment''s collection,¡± I added and took out a crimson bottle of wine from my bag. The man¡¯s eyes lit up as he took the bottle and kissed it, before turning to me. ¡°Thank you. Miss Carla, I will now at least die satisfied,¡± said the man, before walking away with the bottle, while I rolled my eyes at his dramatic words. ¡°Merchants,¡± said Bell, beside me. I didn¡¯t say anything; there was nothing to say. Yes, it is frustrating to deal with them, but I have dealt with worse. Still, I wished, I would be out in hospital or other places doing something more productive than nannying the merchants, but it is an important responsibility. Remus had trusted me with it, and I will not disappoint him. Soon, I reached the bathroom and entered inside with Bell. It is a beautiful bathroom, like everything in the mansion, with ashir marble flooring and huge mirrors. I looked at myself and moved to fix my hair. ¡°I miss the straight hairs. They were much easier to manage.¡± I complained, to which she smiled. ¡°The curly hair looks good, much bett,¡± she stopped midway, with her eyes widening. ¡°Assassin!¡± she screamed in alarm and did something that shocked me more than the word she had screamed. There will be no chapter tomorrow on Scribble Hub. There will be two on Sunday or Monday depending on your time zone. Though, if you still want to read it. It will be unlocked on for free tomorrow.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 329: Dead Chapter 329: Dead Carla ¡°Assassin!¡± The moment she shouted; a powerful invisible suppressive feeling came out of her like a tide. Thud! It slammed something into the wall behind me. I saw a man appear in the mirror in front of me, with shock written all over his face. Seeing how close, he had been behind me. A horror rose in my heart. If Bell hadn''t brought him out, that dagger would have reaped my life. ¡°Aura!¡± he said with a voice shaking. Yes, Bell had used Aura. It is a power as well as a symbol. It is a representation of the will, and the great hand has no control over it. It is a power that comes from the very core of a sentient being and is considered most sacred. Everyone desires it, but very few could awaken it. ¡°You have made a grave mistake, assassin,¡± said Bell, and I felt the invisible aura shifting. Rip! The ripping sound rang out and a huge wound appeared on the body of the assassin. It seemed to have to bring him out of his and he pounced. ¡°You will not!¡± I felt the aura moving again, but this time, the assassin was ready, and he moved. Khat! It shook him, but he avoided whatever, she used as the gap appeared on the wall behind him. Bang! ¡°Aura and aura skills! Just who are you?¡± he asked and flicked away, avoiding another attack, that smashed tiles beneath his feet. ¡°You do not need to know,¡± Bell replied and attacked again with her aura. He dodged the attack and tried to move closer to Bell, but retreating as she attacked. He did it over and over, while I watched in panic. My thoughts are a mess, each running in different directions. What is happening is just too shocking. First the assassin, then the aura, and now the aura skills. I don¡¯t know what aura skills are; I had never heard about them, but they looked powerful, seeing what they were doing to walls and the tiles. Remus said Bell was not what she seemed. Even Margaux had suspected something about her, but I am sure, no one had expected this. ¡°Hehe. You have mastered the aura skills, but don¡¯t have the experience to use them. If you had, then even my sister wouldn¡¯t be able to beat you,¡± he said, laughing; all the worry on his face seemed to have vanished. ¡°You are talking like you won already, but are dodging my attacks,¡± said Bell confidently, but I could see, a hint of worry appearing in her eyes. It seemed like what he said, is true. It reminds me of what Sir Schengen had said once when he was training Stone. He said an arsenal without experience is useless. If he wants to control the power of his elder blood, then he should use his elder blood as much as he can, till he becomes familiar with every aspect of it. Stone seemed to have listened, because every day, he used the power of elder-blood to spar against Sir Schegan. Bell intensified her attacks and within seconds, she had destroyed the whole bathroom, but except for the first attack, not a single one seemed to have hit the assassin. Worse, he was getting closer and closer to her, and Bell was barely able to repel him. If this kept happening, he would reach her eventually, and it would take a single attack from him to finish her. ¡®Why aren¡¯t they coming?¡¯ I thought. The noise was huge, and everyone in hallways should have heard it. Not just the guards, standing by the door. ¡®Has he killed them?¡¯ a question couldn¡¯t help but rise in my heart. ¡°You can¡¯t touch me, whore,¡± goaded the assassin as he appeared a meter in front of her, before disappearing to dodge the attack. Bell didn¡¯t rise to his goading and kept attacking, but the assassin seemed to have got better at dodging, seeing how close he was getting to her. I was watching him, when he appeared in front of Bell, before disappearing. I looked at the likely spots he would appear, but he didn¡¯t. Hun! Instead, I saw Bell whipping her neck toward me, with horror in her eyes. For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand, till I felt a cold sharp dagger on my neck. ¡°This delicate head will fly in the air if I feel the slightest change from your aura,¡± the assassin threatened. He is behind me, holding his blade to my neck. I could feel its sharpness and skills attached to it and knew how effortless it would be for him to kill me. ¡°I will kill you. If you harm her,¡± said Bell, and to that he laughed. ¡°There is no need for the threats. I am going to walk her toward the door, and you will stay at your place. Once I reach the door, I will leave, without harming this woman,¡± he said and slowly pushed me toward the door. He kept as much distance between Bell and us as he moved us. I am panicking like there is no tomorrow, but I controlled it forcefully. I am aware this assassin is for me, and once we reach the door, it is unlikely that he will leave me alive, despite what he had said. I have to do something before that happens, or I will die. I don¡¯t want to die. For the first time in my life, I am feeling true happiness. I want more of it; I deserve it. But what c I stopped the question mid-way. I am not powerless, at least not since the morning when Remus had come to the establishment and told me its greatest secret. That only Caena and he knew before. I was a little angry, that he Caena had known before me, despite understanding. It is she who is responsible for it. I calmed myself more and focused on what Caena told me. I reached for that thing with my authority, and I had it instantly. It seemed like, he didn¡¯t sense it, as there was no reaction from him. I didn¡¯t act immediately, which I really wanted to do, but waited as we moved closer and closer to the door. ¡®Now!¡¯ I said and acted when we were just a meter away from the door. Puch Puch Puch! Immediately, a clay-brown layer covered me, and I heard the wet sounds front and back of me. A faint sound came from the man holding me, but it had disappeared, just as it appeared. The dagger remains where it was on neck, but the blood started to seep down from the arm from several places. I am feeling wet on my back and wanted to move. Spiked Shell. I had used the spell, that Caena had asked told me about. She had given me a list of seven conditions and spells, I could use. If I found myself in those conditions; these spells are best in dealing with those conditions. According to Caena, Spike Shell is a Grade 2 Earth Elemental spell. It covers the body with light earth protection from which the spikes come out in all directions. A Grade II spell is not powerful enough to deal with assassins, but Caena said, all the spells enhanced when activated through legacy; their power jumped the grade. I still didn¡¯t understand most of it, but it seemed to have saved me. ¡°Is he dead?¡± I asked, to shocked Bell. She didn¡¯t reply for a second before nodding slowly. Clatter! I deactivated the spell, and the body of the assassin fell down with his enchanted dagger clattering on the floor. I looked at the body and saw tens of holes in the man, including three on his head. They are likely what had killed him. ¡°I have his blood all over me,¡± I said; I don¡¯t know, why, I said it, but I did. My whole back is drenched with his blood and also my chest. Click! She opened her mouth to say something, but at that exact moment, the door opened and two women entered inside with smiles on their faces, but a moment later, they froze with smiles on their faces transforming to horror. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The woman on the left screamed. ¡°What happened?¡± asked the guards as bolted inside and immediately alarm appeared on their faces as they saw my state, the dead body, and the state of the bathroom. ¡°The assassin,¡± I replied, with a surprisingly even voice. ¡°What were you doing? Have you not heard the sound of battle?¡± asked Bell, with her passive skill pressing on the guards, that seemed to make their knees so weak. Even both women were got surprised, seeing the power of her skill. Bell seemed to realize what she had done and immediately lowered the power of the skill, till it couldn¡¯t be felt. If I had not been in condition, I am. I would have marveled at her control over her passive skill. ¡°We didn¡¯t hear anything, Miss Bell. It was all silence behind the door,¡± the guard replied. The reply eased the anger in her eyes. As she seemed to understand, that the assassin must have used some skill to isolate the noise from the bathroom. There was silence for a moment as all eyes turned to the body and the blood that was spreading from it. ¡°Miss Carla, are you all right?¡± asked the woman on the right and walked toward me. ¡°I am alright Mrs. Hardt; all this blood belongs to the assassin,¡± I replied, and relief appeared on her face. Though I could see the questions on their faces, even Bell had questions. All of them are thinking about how the assassin got killed. They would never in their dream would think, the two whores have killed him, especially seeing the way he died and the blood all over me. ¡°I hope everyone will keep this news to themselves. We don¡¯t want to cause the needless panic,¡± said Bell, looking at the four people. ¡°Will more assassins come?¡± asked a blue-haired woman, who screamed. ¡°Unlikely. The assassin was for Miss Carla and since he was dead; they won''t send any, knowing she is protected,¡± replied Bell. I am so glad she is here; I don¡¯t think, I am in a state to answer any of their questions. ¡°Miss Carla, you have a skill, right?¡± she asked. I didn¡¯t have to know what type of skill she was talking about. Only one is needed here and I activated it immediately. Fresh As Morning. As the skill activated, the blood and sweat floated down my body, creating a small puddle around my feet. A minute later, we walked out of the bathroom. The guards locked it, while I went back to be my responsible, suppressing everything I had experienced deep into my mind. I have responsibilities. I wouldn¡¯t let what I had experienced come in between them. ..... Lich Savais ¡°My mark had vanished,¡± I said as I sensed it had disappeared. ¡°He is dead?¡± asked Knight Bartram with shock. ¡°Likely. Though he might have removed it on his own to reach near the target; it wouldn¡¯t be the first time he has done that,¡± I replied. The mark kept me in a loop of his state, but it is also a hindrance to the rogues. It makes magic sensing skills discover them. He had removed the mark many times due to it. ¡°Let¡¯s hope he is alive. I don¡¯t want another death in my name, and there is also his crazy sister,¡± said Knight Bartram and sighed. He was not Lv. 30, but one had a chance of becoming one. He and his sister also had connections back in the kingdom. They wouldn¡¯t like it if he is dead and will bring the consequences. Knight Bartram wouldn¡¯t be the only one suffering it. My reputation is already in the dirt due to the Namdar incident, and I already squeezed my backers for everything they had. They wouldn¡¯t help me. If those bastards tried to mess with me. ¡°It has become very important for us to capture the city, in a way, that impresses the higher-ups or there will be consequences,¡± I said after seconds of silence. ¡°There will be no further disappointment,¡± said Knight Bartram and turned to the wall, with fury blazing in his eyes. Still, Craving? Click Chapter 330: Nightquill Chapter 330: Nightquill ¡°Any sign,¡± I asked Captain Cardin, and he shook his head as he put down his binoculars. He had a skill that let him see far and, with the enchanted, he could see ever further. ¡°Till now, everything is clear,¡± he said. It had been nearly twenty minutes since I had been informed about the second horde. I didn¡¯t like it, but I have accepted it. We have also informed all the important people and the officers being informed. They must know about it before the second horde is spotted. The time will give them a chance to process the news and they won¡¯t panic, when they see the second horde. What happens next is extremely important, and I want everything to go as smoothly as possible. The undead are still attacking the wall and couldn¡¯t help, but feel genuine fear for them. If a warrior is doused in oil, burned. It will injure them and even kill them; they wouldn¡¯t be capable of fighting. The undead are not like that. Burn them, hit them, or cut them; the undead will keep coming unless one destroys them. Currently, we are doing fine, because our enemy is barely sending enough numbers to keep us busy. If they had truly attacked us; I don¡¯t think, we would have been here, defending on the wall. Though, I would have preferred that. We wanted that, but unfortunately, the bastards did something unexpected, called the second horde. It will make things more unpredictable and dangerous for us. ¡°Lord Governor, they are here,¡± informed a Mage. I took a last look at the wall, before climbing down off the wall. I rather not leave the wall. Seeing me here gives people confidence. I need to be as much in public as possible, despite the dangers, but they have come, and I need to meet them. I truly hope, what she said is true; I need, all the help, I can. Soon, I reached the white building and walked into the basement, before reaching the room, which was being guarded by the two guards. They bowed, opened the door, and I walked inside. In there are three people; all of them, I am very familiar with. There is Ina, and in front of her are Margaux and Eudo. I wouldn¡¯t want them here outside of the safe zone, where anything could happen at any moment. I wouldn¡¯t have those two come here if not for Margaux telling me. It is extremely important and could help me in battle. Margaux isn¡¯t one to make such a statement without substance. I turned to them; to Eudo. It is likely because of him. She had said those words in the message. The question is now, what he has, that could help me in this battle. ¡°Master Silver,¡± ¡°Lord Governor,¡± They greeted me as I entered the room. ¡°Please, sit down,¡± I said as I sat down, before turning to them. ¡°What it is?¡± I asked. Immediately, both of their eyes turned to Eudo, who took a deep breath, with a lot of pain appearing in those eyes. ¡°Have you heard of sabers of siamet, Lord Governor?¡± he asked finally. ¡°The elite group of powerhouses of the Siamet Empire,¡± I replied, and a small smile appeared on his face. ¡°An understatement,¡± he said, and this time, it was my turn to smile. It is truly an understatement to call them just an elite group. They are one of the most powerful units in the world, solely in command of the Siamet Emperor. Kind of like imperial knights, but far more powerful. They can chew the imperial knights and spit them out; only the kinds of Knight Schegan would be able to contend against those monsters. ¡°Do you know what the real name of the unit is?¡± he asked. ¡°Nightquill,¡± I replied, the book, I had read about them had their real name. ¡°Do you know why, they have that name?¡± he asked, and I didn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡°I read, that they covered their bodies with paints, which gave them the powerful enhancements and abilities,¡± I replied, to which she shook his head. ¡°It is not paint, but script,¡± he corrected. ¡°And you are telling me this because?¡± I asked. He smiled, and that smile was filled with such pain that made me want to hug him. Margaux seemed to see that, as she placed her hand on his shoulder. ¡°I was the member of Nightquill,¡± he replied, in an almost inaudible voice, that seemed to come out with all his efforts. I looked at him, not at his hands or not thereof, but at him. He is not a warrior; they are easy to recognize. If Eudo had been part of such a powerful unit; I would have seen the sign of him being the warrior. ¡°I was not a warrior, Lord Governor,¡± he confirmed, with a small genuine smile appearing on his face. ¡°Most people don¡¯t know this, but the Nightquill has two types of members. First are the sabers, the ones who fight, and the second is the quill. The ones provide them with the scrips,¡± ¡°I was a quill,¡± I didn¡¯t react for a few seconds. It took me a while to control my emotions and turned to him and there was excitement in my eyes. ¡°Can you paint the script on our people?¡± I asked with hope, and he smiled, without mirth, before shaking his head. ¡°I had lost that class, and the knowledge of quill scrips has been sealed. Even if I knew, it wouldn¡¯t have helped much. To use the scripts, one needs to have the classes of nightquill,¡± he replied. All the hope, I had in my heart was dashed, but I quickly controlled my emotions and turned to him. If it was just that, he wouldn¡¯t have come here. So, I looked at him and waited. ¡°I may not have lost that class, but I have gained another and crafted my own script. While my scripts aren¡¯t as powerful as nightquills; they would still be able to provide good enough enhancements,¡± he added and removed the wooden box from his bag. Once again, hope rose in my heart. Any type of enhancement is welcome; it will help us against the powerful enemies we will be facing. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have enough paint to lay the script on all your officers. This ink will be used on five to six people at most,¡± he said, looking at half-empty bottles of ink in the wooden box. ¡°We have some magical ink from orcs, will that work?¡± I asked, to which he shook his head. ¡°No, orcs use the different types of ink. This is a different ink,¡± he replied. ¡°Can it be enhanced?¡± I asked, that he began to shake his head, before stopping mid-way. ¡°There are some things that could enhance it, like the essence of startwhisper lily, bloodforge crystals, or emotion essence,¡± he replied. I thought for a moment before taking out four bottles with each holding a drop of emotional essence. ¡°I knew, I had sensed the change yesterday. I thought it was my mind playing tricks, but it seemed like it was true. The establishment had upgraded into the Grade II.¡± He said and took the bottle with the mixed emotion essence, while we watched in shock. Less than ten people are aware of the advancement of the establishment. I only told those who needed to know; even most assistant madam¡¯s aren¡¯t aware of it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be shocked, Lord Governor. I have been in the establishment from the beginning, and I have seen every change. It had also changed my class and my level was high enough that I could sense the changes happening in it,¡± he said. If I am not wrong, he should be the highest-level person in the whole damn city. I had nearly forgotten that he was at Lv. 30, that was when I had hired him. Since then, people working in the establishment have gained, tens of levels. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to assume he had leveled up a few times as well, and he said, his class had changed, which would have brought him closer to the legacy. While I was in my thoughts, he opened the bottle of the mixed essence and brought the drop of essence out, which transformed into a big cloud of dense essence mist. The emotion essence may look like liquid, it is a very concentrated mist. It will remain in a mist state until Grade III before the state change will occur at Grade IV. At the same time, the caps of paint ink bottles were opened, and the emotion essence began to funnel into them. ¡°I have the skill to let me do this, but it is such a waste to use emotion essence this way. In the capable alchemist''s hand, it would have been, a far more efficient process, with a power of ink, increasing more than, what it would now,¡± We didn¡¯t say anything and watched in silence and shock. Using the emotion essence directly is dangerous, but he has the skill and the way he is handling the emotion essence. It is clear, it was not his first time handling it. He was able to recognize, the emotion essence being Grade II at a single glance. Only those, who know it well, could guess the grade at a single glass. A little more than a minute later, the mist stopped funneling into the paint bottles. The remaining 10% of the mist, went back to its small bottle, which he gave back. I looked at the paint bottles and saw their volume had increased by more than twice; the paint also glittering like stars. ¡°Emotion essence is best,¡± he marveled and turned to me. ¡°I think I will be able to use it on ten to thirteen people, now,¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t you use, any more emotion essence?¡± I asked, looking at the bottles in front of me. I do not care about their value right now. I only care for the power; it could provide me. ¡°The ink could only bear this much of emotion essence,¡± he replied with a shake of his head. ¡°I will start with you, Lord Governor,¡± he said, but it is I, who shook the head. ¡°There are people who need it more than me. They will need the enhancements to fight the powerful enemies attacking us.,¡± I replied, to his surprise. ¡°Ina, call Stone, here immediately,¡± I said to her. She nodded and hurried out of the room. We didn¡¯t have much time; the enemies will be coming soon, and we need to be ready to face them. I hope Eudo is quick with quill, because we have one and a half hours before enemies arrive. I looked at Eudo, who was looking at me with various emotions. Some, I could guess. There is a question in his eyes and the answer is simple. Yes, I would love to have the enhancements, but I am aware, that it will be more useful to others. It would help them tremendously deal against those Lv. 30s. They will be fighting. ¡°Carla had asked me to give you this,¡± said Margaux suddenly and handed me the letter. I took it and looked at her question, but she also didn¡¯t seem to have an idea. What¡¯s in it. I tore it open and read the first line, which shocked me. The assassin had attacked her in the bathroom, she described what happened and how she killed him with Bell. There was anger in my eyes for a few seconds before I was able to control myself. I understand why, she didn¡¯t inform me about it immediately. It is useless, as even now, knowing the assassin attacked her, I couldn¡¯t send anyone to protect her. Some people earlier had suggested pulling out the city guards from the safe-zone and adding them to the army. That¡¯s how bad our conditions are, where every person has become important in the fight against the undead. I am glad, I was right in trusting my heart and told her about the secret and gave her access to it. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine, what would have happened. If she didn¡¯t have that, to protect herself. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Margaux, in worry. ¡°Nothing much; she is just complaining about merchants, acting like spoiled children,¡± I replied. She looked at me; it¡¯s clear she didn¡¯t believe me. I didn¡¯t lie to her; Carla complained about the merchants acting like children at the end of her letter.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Still, Craving? Click Chapter 331: Abandoning The Wall Chapter 331: Abandoning The Wall ¡°They have come,¡± I said as I looked at the tiny dot inching closer to us. The tiny dot is a horde, made of fifty thousand undead. It had been only an intelligence, but now it has become a reality. It has made things more difficult than before. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± I asked Stone as I turned to him. He is the first one to receive the script, but it is not visible. Eudo had hidden it and unless one has a skill or spell, that lets them see the hidden; they won¡¯t be able to see it. There are thirteen people who have got the script. Mages as well as warriors. They are so versatile, that it had impressed Stone. I wish, I could get them, but they need it more than me, and seeing the horde coming toward me; I have become even more sure, that I had made the right decision. ¡°We are ready as we could be,¡± he replied. Minutes passed, and soon, the horde had come close enough that, people could see it from the naked eye. ¡°My god, it¡¯s another horde!¡± screamed a soldier, fighting on the wall. He panicked so much that the burning undead were about to take a swipe at him when the officer quickly appeared by him and dealt with it. ¡°What are you all scared about. It is just another horde. We have been fighting one and will be fighting this one too!¡± screamed the lieutenant. Such scenes could be seen across the wall and the down. It was a great decision to inform the officers. They are scared, but knowing about it in advance has helped them deal with it. Now, they are helping the soldiers to deal with it; stopping the panic from spreading. It was going smoothly, but officers, Colonel Cardin, and others were keeping a tight eye on things. I have also made myself as visible as possible and my new skill, Governor¡¯s Presence, is helping me a lot with that. Hun! The horde was only a few miles away when the undead did something. They had stopped sending the undead and called them back toward them. It surprised me, I thought. They would intensify the attack with a second horde coming. ¡°The horde attacking the southern gate had retreated.¡± ¡°The horde attacking the eastern gate had retreated,¡± informed the mages a second later. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked. ... Lich Savais ¡°Call them back,¡± ordered Knight Bartram. Immediately, I sent the message to the two hordes. ¡°They acknowledged,¡± I replied. He nodded and turned toward the second horde. It will arrive in a few minutes. I am excited as we could finally attack. These past few hours were painful. If I were in charge; I would descend on the city with the whole horde, crushing everything that came in our path. It is the way of the undead and was our initial strategy, but it didn¡¯t work. We would have been able to manage it with the numbers we have, but our failure to kill their powerhouses and the death of ours have made Knight Bartram, hesitant. Now, we will try again with more numbers and powerhouses. The failure was not the knight''s fault. It was the first time man had got the command and was full of confidence after easily conquering the two cities before hitting the wall here. He had used the tried and tested strategy, but here, it had failed and the fall of that will go to him. I had already sent messages to the command; explaining what happened and shifting the whole blame on him. ¡°They are not panicking,¡± I said as looked at them with Sky Gaze. There is some interference, but not strong enough to stop me from looking. They don¡¯t have a strong enough mage or the powerful tools for that. ¡°They have a good leader,¡± replied Knight Bartram. I could see the bastard that I wanted to kill, standing beside the elder-blood. I want to cast the spell and snipe that bastard, but there is enough protection that it will be stopped. I wish Garzun had been with us; that bastard had good sniping spells. Finally, the second horde reached us and merged with ours, while three leaders came out through. I obscured them and other powerhouses with Sable Veil; we rather not give the enemies, the information on our powerhouses. While the horde merged, the two parts of the original horde had also come and merged back with us. Esalya joined us, and also Lowgust and Zylna. Unlike two parts of the horde, the third part didn¡¯t lose any Level 30, but both had said they had come close to it. I nodded at them and turned to the three people stopped in front of us. In the middle is the Necromancer Daril. He is a man in his early fifties, holding a slender staff with a grey crystal. To his right is a short-stocky middle-aged man in armor, holding a thick sword and a big shield. He is a Rovid Vansgart, a dwarf-blood warrior. On the left is a woman, who is in her late twenties. Wearing clothes and light armor, with two daggers on her waist and anger in her piercing blue eyes. She is a Blava Hanson. An assassin. ¡°Is my brother dead?¡± she asked, looking at me with her piercing blue eyes. ¡°We are not sure yet. He had removed his marker and there had been no response from him for the past two hours,¡± I replied, and could feel the anger in her eyes deepen. I do not fear her. If we were to fight, I have complete confidence in killing her, but I do fear the people behind her. The faction had a huge clout in the kingdom. ¡°You should hope, he is alive, or you won¡¯t like the consequence of it,¡± she said, looking at me and Knight Bartram. For a couple of seconds, there was a silence. ¡°What is the plan?¡± asked Necromancer Daril. ¡°We will attack the wall with the full force of the horde and crush through all the resistance until there are none,¡± replied Knight Bartram simply; making the grin. There are eight Level 30s now and three new ones that came at good. Hard to kill. ¡°That¡¯s how it should be,¡± said Vansgart with a grin, while others nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the plan in detail then,¡± I said, and my staff lit up, bringing the rough projection of the city. They had prepared for us, and we need to plan accordingly. This time, things will be much smoother, as we will not be blind to their powerhouses. We know who they are and what their strength and weaknesses are. ¡°Everyone understood?¡± asked Knight Bartram after he finished explaining his plan, and everyone nodded. ¡°CHARGE!¡± Roared Knight Bartram and the horde of hundreds of eighty-thousand undead charged toward the city like a tsunami. Every step of ours would shake the earth, and I could see the enemies on the wall shaking in fear, feeling it. Even the bastard shook as he saw us coming toward the wall. ¡°Ready for assault,¡± said Knight Bartram, and I sent the message to the mages and readied shield spells for the assault of the cannons and spells. Seconds passed as we got closer and closer, but not a spell came, or the sound of a cannon was heard. The last time, they had started bombarding us with both, when reached this close to the wall. I was thinking that when I saw them doing something unexpected. Abandon the wall. I saw them moving away from the wall, men disappearing, that within seconds, there was no one on the wall. It shocked me; this never happens, unless there is a panic, but there was none. The soldiers were scared, but there was no panic among them. They had abandoned the walls at the orders of superiors. This is shocking because this is the best way for them to defend against us. If they abandoned the walls and took the battle to the city, it would be advantageous to us. They had done just that. ¡°Have they truly abandoned the walls?¡± asked Knight Bartram, sounding as shocked as I am feeling. ... ¡°Retreat!¡± Ordered Stone and immediately, all the soldiers and officers began to retreat from the wall. ¡®We are not defending the wall,¡¯ It was never in our plan to defend it. It might feel idiotic. Seeing from the wall, we would be able to kill a large number of undead, but if our plan worked, we would be able to kill a lot more and would be much safer. It will also give us a chance to win this battle, which we wouldn¡¯t. If we fought from the wall. There are over a hundred and seventy-five thousand undead coming for us. We could not defend against such a large number, even if we use every soldier we have to man the wall. ¡°Move,¡± ordered Stone and we began to move. I could see the fear in the eyes of the soldiers, but they were following the orders of the officers. Moving at a brisk pace; we need to reach our destination before the undead catches up to us. ¡°They have reached the walls,¡± said Mage Ravill, and I turned back for a moment and could see the tide of them on the wall. A few seconds later, they opened the gates, and a large amount of undead poured into the city. It usually happens when the undead conquers the city, but now, they have entered without it. A few minutes passed, and the tide came pouring into the city. Seeing that, many soldiers tried to move fast, but lessened their pace. We are already moving faster than the undead; we do not need to go any faster. Six more minutes passed, and I had crossed the invisible boundary. As I did, a smile appeared on my face. Stone looked at me, and I nodded. We have entered the outer range, and now, I could do something. Though, now isn¡¯t the time. Soon we reached the entertainment districts. I could see the one army moving ahead of us, while the third one had reached the destination. They didn¡¯t stop for us, nor did they need to. ¡°Slow!¡± A few minutes passed, and we slowed down our pace. We had reached a very dangerous area. ¡°Separate, but walked within the white line,¡± ordered Stone as we reached near the establishment. There are mines everywhere, with only two hundred meters around the establishment is safe. We have created a circle of mine. Covering a large area with only an opening around the establishment. Half of all the mines we had have been placed here, creating a death circle. I looked at the establishment as I entered its inner range. To most people, the establishment starts from the compound, but its range has expanded and now are walking through its range. Here, I could control the mist; and make it denser or lighter. As such, even our enemies wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything if they walked down this path. Though, I have no plans to do that. We walked through the safe part, avoiding mines and then pitfalls, trenches, and other traps. Soon, we reached the center, where two armies had already gathered. I could see Zela, Valentina, Hugo, and even Lt. Colonel Julian, with cannons around them, targeting all 360 degrees. No matter, which direction the enemy decides to come; we will be ready to face them. The armies merged, becoming one again. Many people had died, but there were still over twenty thousand people standing, ready to face the undead. ¡°Lord Governor, Commander,¡± They greeted. I nodded and took my place, before turning to the horde. It is massive enough to put a fear in the heart of even a seasoned warrior and now our patched army is going to face it. The odds seemed impossible, but there was a chance. Let¡¯s hope, they come from the direction, we want them to come. The fate of the city depends on it. Still, Craving? Click NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Chapter 332: Establishment Explosion Chapter 332: Establishment Explosion Lich Savais ¡°These bastards!¡± cursed Necromancer Daril as he saw the projection. The whole circle is lit up with thousands of tiny dots. We have reached near the bastard¡¯s army and now stopped at the minefield circle. There are thousands of mines and other traps. If we are not cautious from here, we will pay a big price. The price that nobody wants to pay. ¡°They have created a circle of mines and put themselves in the center. It is big enough for us to fight, but we will need to be careful after entering inside. The minefield is like a cliff, and they will be doing everything they could, to push us toward it,¡± said Esalya, with a nasty look in her eyes. ¡°The bastard who planned this, knows us well,¡± praised Vansgart grudgingly. The minefield isn¡¯t to stop us; it is pushing us toward it when enter the circle to fight. There are also those cannons that will rain down their fury on us and the spells from the mages. Vansgart is right; the elder-blood knows us well enough to plan this. If it had been an army of living; they wouldn¡¯t have done this. It would be like handing the city to us and caging themselves in the circle. It would have been suicide, but it is different when it comes to us undead. Our objective is the city as well as the bodies, and the army has the best bodies. Whenever we attack any place, we go for their army. Here, we might have acted differently and taken control of the city and laid the siege around these bastards till they starved, but we were under pressure from the command. They want us to get complete control of the city as soon as possible. We will be attacking the bastards, and the question is from where. There are mines and traps everywhere and in enough quantity to kill a considerable number of us. There is only one gap, and that is by the legacy, but there is one problem and that is the legacy. We had strict instructions to not cause any damage to the legacy. The command wants completely unharmed, and it is one of the reasons why, they want us to gain control over the city as soon as possible. There is a whisper that merchants might play shenanigans. Not personally, but through the proxies. They have already started their plan, and we wouldn¡¯t want to give them a chance. They are not the enemies that we take lightly. ¡°Which route, commander?¡± I asked, and every eye turned to Knight Bartram. The man didn¡¯t answer but turned toward the army of humans. ¡°By the legacy,¡± he replied, before turning to me, with a bloody smile. ¡°They have forced us here and it wouldn¡¯t look good. If we didn¡¯t pay it back,¡± he said, and hearing that, a grin appeared on my skull face. ¡°As you wish, Commander,¡± I said, and my staff lit up. It is the least we could do to pay them back for this welcome they have given us. A moment later, a big chunk of the horde separated from the horde and moved away. They are going toward the safe zone. We wouldn¡¯t have done that, but we will be fighting inside a circle. We do not need a big horde in there; the numbers we are taking are more than enough to deal with the tiny army in front of us. They noticed it within seconds, and I could see the change appearing on their faces, with many panicking. That bastard seemed to have said something, which seemed to calm down, but there was still panic. Soon, we are going to turn that, into despair. ¡°Move!¡± ordered Knight Bartram, and we moved toward the legacy. Nobody said anything further, but I could feel the pillars casting spells to control the horde tightly. They understand well that no harm should come to the legacy, or it will be their head on the pike. I also cast master control to aid them as we reached closer to the legacy. Boom Boom Boom! We were just two hundred meters away from the legacy when their cannons boomed. The fire spewed from the mouth of the cannons and cannonballs came toward us, tearing through the air. Right behind them are the spells and arrows. ¡°They are not holding back,¡± said Zylna as his staff lit up and shields appeared above us. ¡°But they are also careful,¡± added Esalya, looking at how the cannons, spells, and arrows are only attacking the undead that are away from the legacy. They are not attacking the ones, that are closer to the legacy. Knight Bartram had expected that and kept the undead dense near the wall, while those further from it were thin. Like us, they don¡¯t want to harm the legacy. It is a delicate thing; damage it too much and it will disappear. Soon, I appeared at the gate of the legacy and could see the building. It is a beautiful one; though it looked paler than what I heard about it. There is barely any emotional mist covering it. ¡°Once we dealt with these bastards; we will party in here,¡± said Zylna, while the others nodded and even Knight Bartram smiled. Everybody liked the legacies. Even with their power, they only get to visit one or two times a year. It had been over two years since I visited one; I planned to after I finished the mission on the namdar¡¯s island, but this didn¡¯t go well. In the evening, I will be here, and I will make the bastard serve me personally. Hun! I was dreaming of the humiliation, I would give him when suddenly the attacks from the enemy stopped. From cannons to spells, everything had stopped as the bastard raised his hand. It surprised me, but it disappeared when suddenly my Dangersence blared loudly. It was as loud as the time when the bastard''s amulet reacted to my attack and destroyed my body. My staff lit up with the most powerful spells I had; the others were doing the same, activating their most powerful skills and spells. ¡°Fuck!¡± Even Knight Bartram had turned pale and cursed out loud. ¡®Just what the nine hells it!¡¯ I thought with horror as I turned to the legacy; the feeling was coming from it. ¡®Couldn¡¯t it be?¡¯ ¡®That bastard wouldn¡¯t be doing that. It would vaporize, not only us, but the whole city,¡¯ I thought, and it was the last thought before I saw the legacy turn red, the ground turned red, trees turn red. We watched in terror while trying to get away, as far away from it as possible. Despite knowing in the heart, it is already too late. ... Caena ¡°It is time,¡± I muttered as I looked at the horde getting into the place, we needed them to. I had just thought that when I felt him acting, and a second later; the entire legacy turned red. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, but tears started to drip from it. I had said to myself, that I wouldn¡¯t cry, but here, the tears are coming out of my eyes like a flood. I wiped them as I moved. I have a responsibility and I will handle it. Though, I would have wished, the numbers were as much as Stone had said. He said the undead would try to send some undead toward the safe-zone. It would be ten thousand, fifteen at most, but there are twenty-five thousand undead moving toward it. Even with all the powers of legacy and mine, killing them would be hard, but I am going to try with my all. I will begin as Silver is finished. .... I raised my hand up, and immediately the attack stopped. At the same time, I did, the that gave me the greatest grief. ¡°I love this city and its people,¡± I said, with my voice reaching to every ear; not just the army, but the entire city, including the safe zone. ¡°For it, I could sacrifice anything, including my legacy,¡± People looked at me in shock; the only one who wasn¡¯t shocked was Stone. I turned and saw the establishment turning bright red, not just the establishment, but the ground around it. I have used Master of Legacy to burn the emotions that were present in every brick, wood, plant, and even soil. I am burning it all and seeing it, the enemies are running. It is futile, they will not be able to run away. ¡°Farewell,¡± I whispered with tears coming out of my eyes and brought out a massive amount of energy crystals, I had stored the Vault of Ru and forced the burning emotions into them, causing the reaction I wanted. BOOOOOOM! The establishment exploded, and it did so with such power, that had shocked me. I had imagined many scenarios, but this was grander than anything I had imagined. The explosion spread, covering the whole horde in its embrace and still spreading and reaching us within seconds. Bang Bang Bang Its powerful shockwave crashed against us; there were shields and protective skills, but it broke through them and crashed against us. It was like being hit by a sleigh hammer; for a moment, I thought as I thought I would crash like a broken doll, but at that moment, I felt the hundreds of skills and shamanic magic, that kept my feet on the ground. I forced back a couple of steps along with the whole army, but that is all. Aside from small injuries and massive heat, we are fine. Our enemies aren¡¯t. This was the plan, burning the emotion power and creating the explosion by pouring that power into the crystal, creating the powerful explosion. It was more powerful than I thought and dealt massive damage against our enemies. I looked ahead toward the establishment, that no more. It had disappeared, leaving nothing but the dense smoke. ¡°Are they dead? I can¡¯t see anything,¡± NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Still, Craving? Click Chapter 333: Final Battle Chapter 333: Final Battle Knight Bartram ¡°We survived!¡± shouted Zylna, with clear joy and relief. I looked around and saw destruction, that made my blood boil. It was too sudden and powerful enough that it crushed layers of Grade 4 shield spells within a second. If not for the thing in my hand, nobody would have survived, including me. ¡°Artifact!¡± exclaimed Vansgart, with shock all over his face, as he noticed the thing in my hand. For a moment, he even forgot where he was and what he had just experienced. His eyes are seeing nothing other than halberd in my hand; there is a clear desire in them for it. ¡°A broken one and now with the defense; it had been spent,¡± I said. The fury raged in my eyes as I remembered the explosion. I didn¡¯t want anyone to find out about the artifact. I wanted to bring it to my order first, but I had to use it to save my life. It is going to cost me a lot; I might not be able to hold this halberd with that greedy bastard in command at Ashton Harbor. I hope the order will help me retain it. ¡°It is still an artifact and as long as its core is fine. Our legacies might be able to heal it,¡± said Esalya. I didn¡¯t reply, nor did I put it back. Instead, I looked around to assess the damage. I felt the raging anger, I had never felt before, but I had controlled it and let the rational mind take over. ¡°How many?¡± I asked Lich beside me. ¡°We had lost about 70% of our undead. We would have lost more, if not for me and others using Ulkam Funnels,¡± it replied. ¡°Good,¡± I said. The spell he and others used takes the power of one group of undead and adds it to the others. It gives the undead extra immunity temporarily while fully draining the group undead from which the power is taken. It makes them useless. It is a steep price but needs to be paid in conditions like this. If they hadn''t used that spell, we would have lost all our undead, and that would have been our end. We are powerful, but without the horde to support us. They would have been able to kill us through the sheer numbers. I looked at the undead, before my people. ¡°The enemy had taken a gamble to kill us all, but they had failed and now we will make them pay the price for that,¡± I said and the bloody-smiles appeared on their faces. Even Lich is grinning. The legacy is destroyed, and we will pay the price for that, but before that happens, I will make sure they pay such a price. That nobody would ever dare to do what they had done to us. ¡°Savias, you are free to take your revenge; I am giving you complete permission,¡± I said and the grin on the Lich¡¯s skull face got bigger. ¡°Thank you, Commander, I will make the bastard pay for what he did to us,¡± he said. I nodded and looked around me. ¡°Gather the horde,¡± I ordered, and staffs lit up and, a second later, the horde began together behind us. Hun! I activated Eyes of Far, but to my surprise, I couldn¡¯t see anything. The dense smoke is blocking the view; it had never happened before. My skill had been able to see through any smoke and dust before. ¡°My ocular spells aren¡¯t working properly; the residual emotion power seemed to be interfering with it,¡± said Esalya. ¡°Which gives us a great opportunity to attack them; since they couldn¡¯t see us too,¡± I replied. ¡°Ready yourselves,¡± I ordered and looked at the halberd in my hand. Things have gone wrong; the only thing, that had gone right is this halberd. I had not thought it would work. Its wooden haft is faded, and the blade is rusted. I had not thought it would work, since it didn¡¯t before, when I tried, but feeling the danger, I brought it out as the last option and it came out alive, creating a protection sphere. It is what saved us, and I will be going to use it to kill the enemies. Its power is all spent; I could feel it, nothing had remained, but it was still better than the enchanted sword. I am going to use the halberd to kill that elder blood and the rest, till not a single one has remained standing. I believe there is a purpose; I got this halberd. It is from the commander of Almin. It was a great surprise to me when he had taken it out to fight against me. Artifacts, even the broken ones, aren¡¯t something that someone like him should have. I didn¡¯t know where he got it; I killed him, the moment he had taken it out and put it in my bag, before anyone could see it. What matters is that I have it and I need to take it back to the headquarters of my order. As Esalya had said, if its core is good, it could be fixed. The order had promised to help me fix it. Second passed, and the undead gathered. Soon, there is a horde of fifty-thousand behind me. It is smaller than I had ever led, but it is all I have, and I don¡¯t want to call back the undead, I had sent toward the population. I want them to create destruction and despair. ¡°Charge!¡± I roared and rode toward the pitiful army of the city. We will kill them, leaving not a single one alive. ... ¡°They are coming,¡± I said. Stone nodded and turned to the army. ¡°Lord Silver had sacrificed the thing that is most precious to him for the city, and it is time for us to do the same. Kill the undead! Cleans the ground, till not a single undead had remained!¡± he said, with his voice booming across the whole army. Thud Thud Thud! There was silence for a second before the army began to hit their legs on the ground with affirmation. Stone smiled and turned back ahead. The enemies didn¡¯t take long to appear, a few seconds later. The horde came charging out of the dust with Knight Bartram riding the bone horse and rusted halberd in his hand. ¡®That is the thing, that had saved them,¡¯ I thought, looking at the artifact in his hand. I had already informed Stone about it. The explosion had been more powerful than I had expected, and I hoped that it would kill at least a few level 30s and it would have. I had felt, how the explosion had destroyed their shield, but at the last moment, the bastard had taken out the artifact. A broken artifact. If what, he said is true. It had spewed out a protective dome, that protected them from the explosion. Of course, I heard what he had said. He was standing in the range of my establishment. Not the outer range, but the real territory of the establishment; I heard everything he had said. I looked at Knight charging toward us and I wanted to hit the bastard with spells, but I know, he will survive. I have to conserve the emotion essence. This is not the only horde in the city. There is a horde of twenty-five thousand undead that Caena and others have to deal with. The more there is, the more it will be helpful for her. ¡°Attack!¡± Stone ordered, and we attacked begin. The cannons that were already aimed begin to shoot at them. The spells followed after with the arrows. The shields appeared in front of them to defend against the attacks, while they launched their own attacks. Here, we have the advantage. The explosion was not successful in killing the powerhouses, but it killed a lot of pillars. We now have more general mages than them, and we are using that advantage to our fullest. Stone had ordered them a minute ago to throw everything they had at the undead. Within seconds, our advantage begins to show. The enemy mages stopped with the offensive attacks and began to focus on the defense while we bombarded them with everything we had. Only the powerful ones continued with the offensive. I could see the Knight''s face turning bad and he increased the speed of his charge. Soon, there was less than a hundred meters distance between us and them when Stone moved forward. With each step, his body would grow bigger and denser the bronze on his skin would become. Hun! By the time he reached the Knight, the transformation was finished. Seeing him, my expressions turned serious. I had suspected it, but now, I have become sure. The awakening had likely begun. Since he woke up, I had been sensing a faint unstable feeling from him, which had been slowly getting stronger. Now, he had intentionally brought out his elder-blood strength and it became clear. He is slightly taller than before and the bronze color on him is deeper. Even Knight Bartram seemed to notice it, seeing surprise in his eyes. It is not good. The awakening should be done in quite a place, without any tension, but here it is happening in battle. It is extremely dangerous and most nearly all fail. I wish I could do something, but I can¡¯t, not when I need him to hold the Knight back, who now has an artifact in his hands. I turned to the undead tide and the eight Lv. 30¡¯s hiding inside. Three new ones had come with the new horde. I was able to sense them earlier, and it didn¡¯t make me feel good. We hoped, there would be only two of them, but there are three. Two were already more than we could handle, and three were huge threats. To handle, each Lv. 30, we need to have three pre-Lv. 30. If this was all, we would have been confident, but they have also brought a lot of pre-Lv. 30. There are at least eight, I had sensed, but there could be more. CLANNNG! I was watching the tide coming closer when I heard a deafening clash. I didn¡¯t have to look to know where it came from. There is only one battle that could produce such noise. Three seconds later, the tide crashed against us. It was powerful, filled with a large number of abominable zombies. The bastard''s transference spell took the energies from one group of zombies and inserted them into another. Almost all abominable zombies and powerful skeletons have been saved. Raaa! I had just thought that when two appeared in front of me. They were no common zombies, but abominable ones. They attacked, and their attack was fast and filled with power. This undead may not have the skills or the grace, but they have the muscle memories, retained by the undead magic, which also lets them use their physical power at limit. It is dangerous enough to kill me for a single attack. I moved forward, before taking a step left, avoiding the sword of the right zombie and then a sharp right attack of the left one, before attacking. Pachack! My rapier cut through the neck of the zombie on the left, before cutting into the neck of the one on the right. Seeing the heads falling, a small surprise appeared on my face. I had killed the abominable zombies before, but not at such ease. Gymnasts Control had made things very easy for me, far easier than I thought. With this skill, I could control, my every movement with precision, and that a lot of difference. When I got it, I was slightly disappointed with the skill. I wanted an offensive one, but it seemed like, it would probably provide me greater benefits than the offensive could. I glanced at their bodies and turned to look for other undead when I saw someone familiar coming toward me. The fencer woman I had fought a few hours ago. Even now, her eyes are burning with fury toward me. Hun! I moved toward her, before suddenly stopping, when I felt it. ¡®She had begun,¡¯ I thought and looked west for a moment, before moving forward toward the woman to finish, the unfinished battle.Findd new stories at novelhall.com Still, Craving? Click Chapter 334: Blazing Spells Chapter 334: Blazing Spells Caena Rup! Three charms burned in front of me, releasing the spells of power, through them, covering the whole horde within seconds. The mages they sent immediately sensed something had happened, but they couldn¡¯t find out what. There are only four Lv. 20+ mages; the rest eighteen are below Lv. 20. These people couldn¡¯t do anything against my spells, aside from strengthening the undead with their spells and skills. The spells are strong and strengthened further by the power of the establishment, but it is a horde dealing with not a few thousand undead. There are twenty-five thousand undead in front of me. The charms are far from enough to deal with them, but it is not all I have. Dusk Light X 10. Sticky Drizzle X 10 I took a deep breath and activated the spells. Immediately, the spells came to life above the undead. The establishment had self-destructed, not a legacy. For most legacies, it is the same thing, but our legacy is different. The core is fine, only the shell has been destroyed. If we had self-destructed the core, then the entire city would have vapored. The power contained in the Grade II legacy¡¯s core is truly massive. Even the Grand Mage would die, if they were caught in it, Dust Bright is a divine spell that enveloped a small area in dusky light. Sticky Drizzle, release drizzle, and this drizzle are stickly; it also has the side effect of absorbing the things around it. Both of them are Grade II spells, but their power is enhanced to Grade II, and I had activated ten each at the same time. The effect is clear. Ten Dusk Bright spells covered a large area and the divine energy of it began to attack the undead. At the same time, drizzle fell on their bodies and stuck to them while absorbing the dusky light filled with divine energy, which did double damage. The smoke had started to come out of their bodies as the light and rain fell on them. They are behaving like it is burning them, and it is. Divine power is the bane of the undead, and it is killing them. The mages tried to stop it, but there were too many spells; they The hundreds of undead fell down, and within seconds, their numbers reached over a thousand. It took a few seconds more before the spells finally stopped; killing over fifteen hundred undead. ¡°Leave and you will survive and stay and I will kill you all,¡± I said with my voice spreading across the horde. I could see the fear on the faces of mages. Some had stopped in their tracks before they resumed moving with the horde. ¡®They are not stopping.¡¯ I thought worriedly. We are less than five minutes away from the safe zone. I wanted to attack immediately after the horde separated, but I couldn¡¯t do anything, lest it spooked the commander and they change the strategy. The commander needed to lead the horde from the establishment. If he hadn''t, we would have needed to use spells against them, which wouldn¡¯t have much effective. Seeing there is a Lich and Necromancers capable of casting a Grade IV spell and tens of other mages casting a Grade III. I had only acted after the horde attacked the army, but that gave the horde a chance to get closer to the safe zone. I could see guards lined up to defend against the undead, and behind them were the volunteers. Their hands shook as they watched the undead with fear. If these undead had gone there with such numbers; there would be a massacre. There is a reason why Stone didn¡¯t use all the volunteers and only those who had the combat classes. These volunteers, who are holding the weapons in shaking hands, could barely fight. The guards could fight, but there are only a thousand of them. They are far from enough to deal with such a huge number of undead. ¡®Since you aren''t listening, you have left me no choice,¡¯ I thought and activated the spells. Dusks Brights X 10. Sticky Drizzle X 10 Once again, I released the spells in the same quantity, but mages seemed prepared to deal with it this time. Seeing that, a bloody smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. I had given them a chance, but they didn¡¯t listen. Earth Spike X 10. Earth Lances X 5 I attacked and a second later; panic appeared among the mages. The Earth Spike tore through ten mages and the Earth Lances from above killed two, while the three were injured. In just a second, I had killed ten below Lv. 2O mages and two Level 20+ mages, while injuring three. These are Valentina¡¯s spells; they are stronger than normal spells. These mages stand no chance against them. ¡°Leave, there is still a chance,¡± I said, giving them another chance. Immediately, three mages left, but the remaining two Level 20+ mages cast the spells and killed them. Their ruthlessness shocked me; that I wasn¡¯t able to react for a moment. ¡°There is no retreat, without a victory,¡± said shouted the mage. Seeing there is no way, they will leave. I resumed my attacks; it didn¡¯t take much effort to kill the rest of below Level 20 mages, but killing the two Lv. 20+ is turning out to be difficult. They had stopped resisting my attacks on the undead and focused on their safety. I continued with the attack on the horde and the mages, before finally, I was able to kill another Lv. 20+ mage, leaving only one mage in the whole horde. He is the same one who had shouted. I had also killed over ten thousand undead, but it wasn¡¯t enough, seeing there were less than five hundred meters remaining between the safe zone and the undead. They are moving fast toward them. When the lich separated the horde from the big horde. It had locked it on the life signatures of this place. So, even if I killed all the mages; the horde would keep moving toward it. Still, killing the mage is important and I am going to use more power than he deserves to kill him. Stone Bramble X 5. The delicate brambles of stone came out around the mage. He used the shield and defended against quite some of them before finally caught him and once they did, it was over him. ¡®He was one talented mage,¡¯ I thought. Few of his level would have been able to survive as long as he did, against so many spells. He defended against more spells, than his three counterparts combined. I didn¡¯t spend more than a moment thinking about him and focused on the horde moving toward the safe zone. I attacked them with spell after spell and killed nearly fourteen thousand of them when they had finally reached the guards. There is not only a hundred meters of distance between them. Bang Bang Bang! The mines blasted as the undead stepped on them. Of course, Stone had placed mines here. They and my spells killed thousands of them before they finally clashed against the guards. Hun! I didn¡¯t stop with the spells and continued to release them when I noticed two other hands pulling the power and joining me with the spells. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. A moment later, two groups of spells appeared. One had enhanced the guards, while the other brought bright radiant light on the zombies, killing them. .... Margaux Radiant Bliss X 3 The spell activated, and radiant light covered the undead. It began to kill the undead as it clashed against the death energy in the undead. Radiant Bliss, a Grade II light elemental spell. It only weakens the undead, but it is jumping from the grade. It was able to kill the undead. The number of undead are huge. They were so terrifying, that when I had seen it; I wasn¡¯t able to react for a few seconds. ¡°I am having a hard time believing that we killing these horrifying undead in doves,¡± I said as I activated the spells again. I want to cast more, but I am at the limit. Caena had informed me how much spells we should use when the three of us pulled the power. We need to keep some space open for Master Silver, who is fighting the other horde with powerful enemies. I was watching that battle with the Far Gaze spell, and it was terrifying. The powerful spells and skills flying there made me shudder to my core. I don¡¯t think, even with this power; I will be able to survive there. ¡°I had a hard time believing too, till I killed the assassin,¡± said Carla beside me; shaking in fear. Assassin had attacked Carla, and she killed them. I came to know, a few minutes ago, when we came here. We are on the roof of the tallest building near the guards. From here, we can target them better, while being safe and anonymous. ¡°I hope, I will be able to cast spells as powerful as these in my life,¡± I said with my voice barely more than a whisper. I had barely started casting a spell, and I was already dreaming of becoming a full mage. It is hard, most mages can¡¯t reach this level. ¡°You will,¡± said Carla, while throwing the spells at the undead. They are dumb, but they are horrifying. They will keep coming, no matter how many slashes one gives them or limbs, one cut. The only way to kill them is to cut their head or sap the death energy from their bodies. Though cutting their head is the most efficient approach or burning them, we couldn¡¯t use such a spell where our people are fighting. They are also not as efficient as the light spells or divine spells. ¡°We are slow,¡± I said after a minute, seeing many undead slipping through the guards. We are targeting them, but there are thousands and spreading in every direction. I could see the volunteers from behind moving at them. Some were able to kill the undead, while others got frozen in fear and got killed by the undead. These undead were said to be weak, but only to the trained warriors who had some experience in fighting. These volunteers knew how to swing weapons, but they never fought and didn¡¯t have the class. We killed and helped as many as we could, but more undead, are pouring inside the safe zone. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help, but feel horrified. I wish I had been a little more experienced in battle. I would have been more efficient with spells. I would have helped the guards better. Today is the day I got this access and now fighting against the horde of undead. They are terrifying me to the soul and, if not for me, wanting to protect my girls and other people. I would have been hiding in my room. ¡°I am going down,¡± said Carla and white mist covered her as she walked out of the roof, while I kept attacking from it. I wanted to follow behind her, but I needed to be here to deal with the undead attacking the guards. Thousands of undead are still attacking the guards, overwhelming them. Seeing them die, I wanted to close my eyes and cry, but I channeled it all and kept throwing spells at them. This is the least I could do.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Still, Craving? Click Chapter 335: Powerful Enemy Chapter 335: Powerful Enemy ¡°You will not survive this time,¡± said the red-haired woman, and attacked me without hesitation. Last time, there was no care for the consequences in her eyes. This time, there were no consequences. I had heard what, the Knight had said to Lich and understood the gravity of those words. The legacy is destroyed, and so is the protection that came with it. Many might have doubts about it, but they are angry enough to put that aside. Besides, the explosion gives them plausible deniability against the consequences that might come after killing me. By then, it would be too late to ascertain the facts. I didn¡¯t just watch the attack and launched my own with a new skill, Blade of the Gale. As I did, a surprise flashed in her eyes, but that surprise didn¡¯t stop her blade from coming at her neck and she had even increased the speed and power of her attack, but I am not the one, that will give her a chance. Especially now. Clang! Our blades clashed, and for a moment, the fury in her eyes vanished. ¡°You have leveled up,¡± she said, and the fury returned, burning even more brightly than before. ¡°Not just leveled up, but even got my class upgraded,¡± I replied and grinned, making her even angrier. ¡°It will not save you,¡± she said and attacked again. This time, her blade was faster than before and even used the skill, she hadn''t before; it released glare into my eyes. Eyes of Erenys. Immediately, I activated the spell and swung my sword. The spell is from Necromancer Esalya. Earlier, when they tried different spells to see through the dust. They used many ocular skills; I had imprinted them. I could imprint the spell from both the inner range and outer range, but in the outer range, I have to focus. In a range of my establishment, controlling the planets is far easier, including the most powerful one. Clang! Our blades clashed against them, but this time, she didn¡¯t say anything, instead charged forward and attacked me. I moved left with the Blitz Steps, surprising her once again. I am thoroughly impressed by the Blitz Step. it is an amazing skill, much faster than my Rapid Steps. However, it had some flaws, like the skill becoming short-range skills from medium-range ones that Rabid Steps had. I do not mind. I preferred it. With Rapid Steps, I could do many things. Walked a mile quickly, but also fought with it. However, it was not as specialized as the Blitz Steps, which is for the battle, and that was its flaw. With the Blitz Steps. It had been fixed. The range of Blitz Steps is around two hundred meters, and I could run these two hundred meters really fast. I dodged her attack and swung my sword with the Blade Of The Gale. My rapier reached really close to her; it was just an inch away from her waist before she was able to dodge it. ¡°You!¡± she said and in fury attacked, using more skills. Her movements become dizzying. At the same time, three more blades came out of her saber, targeting different parts of my body. ¡®She will have to do much better if she wants to kill me,¡¯ I thought and moved my rapier to defend. Clang Clang Clang We clashed, but it didn¡¯t stop her, and she attacked again and again. I defended and attacked her back. She may be powerful, but I am not weak. I will defeat her. Rip! I just thought that when her saber ripped through my sleeve and gave me a cut. I was able to dodge it in time, but the cut was still deep enough to draw out the blood. I didn¡¯t even react to it and moved forward before launching the attack. The new skills are excellent, but I didn¡¯t get much time to get used to it. My enemy is a powerful and experienced fencer who is at level 25 or near it. I am not blaming my skills. If I didn¡¯t have the level-up, I would have had far more injuries on my body or even been killed already. What I am trying to say, is if I had good control and familiarity over these new skills. I would have been doing better than I am. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean, I have given up on killing her, I have not; I will kill her, despite me admiring her skills. Rip! Another injury appeared to me, this time on my stomach. Like before, I bore it, like nothing had happened. While I was fighting against her; other attacks came at me. Spells, these spells are coming at less frequency than the first battle, but they are powerful. Not a single spell had been weaker than Grade III, and I felt two or three being Grade IV, coming from the direction of the Lich, which was once again being contained by Lena and her team. However, this time, they seemed to be having problems in containing it, and even their life, seemed to be in danger. Seeing how dangerous things are, I am keeping an eye on spells targeting me. Ready to defend myself against them. Rip! Once again, another attack of hers hit me, and another one, not long after. ¡°One of these attacks will kill you,¡± she said, looking at her bloody saber. ¡°Tell me, when that happens,¡± I said and launched my own attack, which she had dodged before coming at me, once again. Clang Rip Clang The blades clashed, with injuries appearing on my body. All of them were small injuries, only cuts; I was able to dodge them before they cut me deeply. I was not able to dodge so precisely before, but now with Gymnasts Control, I am. It is a wonderful skill as useful as the Gymnast Grace, or even better than it. The best thing about it is that it lets me control the tiny movements, which helps me avoid bigger injuries. If I had the skill before, it would have made things very easy for me. I dodged another attack by the centimeter and took a step forward before launching my own. Rip! It cut through her shoulder, and it was not a small cut. It was bigger than any injury, she had given me. I could see the fury blazing in her eyes, but I barely glanced at it as I moved for another attack. She countered, before attacking me, giving me another injury. Rip! A smile had appeared on her face, but the next second it disappeared when she received injury from me. The woman is good, but I am finally getting the hang of her fighting style and control over my skills. ¡°You are dreaming. If you think this will do anything against me,¡± She is not an idiot and seems to understand what is happening. She intensified her attacks, using skill after skill, while I only used the Blitz Steps and Blade Of The Gale to attack and defend. Sometimes, I would use Quick Parry, but that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not like, I don¡¯t want to use the other skills. I do, but in this battle of fast legs and quick swords; the other skills are unnecessary. Rip Rip Ting! Another injury appeared on her shoulder, and a few seconds after that, another one on her back before hitting her armor across her chest. The pace of my attacks is increasing, and it has become equal to hers, and it is making her angry, which makes her even angry. Her attacks were becoming stronger and faster, that I wanted to enter war mode, but I didn¡¯t. Instead, I kept fighting as I am. Defending most, but launching a few attacks of my own. It might look like disadvantageous to me, but it is instead helpful. She is letting that anger get the best of her and taking risks she would usually wouldn¡¯t. In doing that, she is making mistakes. Eventually, she is going to make a mistake; that will give me the opportunity I am looking for. Hun! I was thinking that when suddenly, I sensed something that raised all the hair on my body. Huge bone lances, covered in burning death fire, come toward me. The shields appeared to stop them, and some did, but a few broke past them. Reaching really close to me. That, if another powerful shield didn¡¯t appear, within a second, those burning lances were going to tear me apart. ¡®That bastard!¡¯ I cursed. I know it is the Lich; it is not the first time, the bastard had attacked, but most of the attacks would be stopped by Lena and others fighting him or Mage Aldridge fighting close to me, but this time, they were only able to stop half of the attacks. Aqua Shield. Frost Shield. Earth Shield X 2. I activated spells instantly, knowing I would need to protect myself. Shields appeared, layered over one another as I had expected them to. These spells are from Shaun, he is a generalist. They are good at layering spells of different elements. Bang Bang Bang! The burning bone lances covered reached the shield and crashed against them. They didn¡¯t have a problem piercing Aqua Shield, but it took some of their momentum and power before crashing into the hard Frost Shield. They blasted it into pieces, but it took a lot of their power. So, when they crashed into the Earth Shields; they had a lot less power, but it was still a Grade IV spell and crushed through the first Earth Shield. Finally, they crashed into the second Earth Shield and blasted apart. Still, the spell was powerful enough to make the shield crack near the breaking point before disappearing. Rip! The joy of defending against the attack was short-lived as the next second, I felt a deep cut in my stomach. She used the distraction of the Lich¡¯s attack to give me a deep cut. She would have cut my guts out or divided me in two, if not for me dodging the attack on time. ¡®I have to finish the battle quickly or I will end up, losing my life,¡¯ I thought. I am sure, the lich wouldn¡¯t stop attacking me. I might be able to stop this attack, but I won''t be able to stop the next one even if I did. This woman will make use of distraction and finish me off. I wanted to use that skill. It will make things easy, but I don¡¯t feel it is the right time yet. I had just thought that when another attack came from the lich. Fortunately, they were able to stop the attack. ¡°You will die soon,¡± she said, guessing what I was thinking. Rip! ¡°Not dead yet,¡± I replied and defended against her attack and launched my own, which she had defended and attacked again, which hit me. Seconds passed and more and more attacks of her began to hit me. They would hit more intensely when I was distracted by the attack of the lich. The attacks kept coming at me and causing a distraction. She is using that opportunity with everything she has. Over a minute passed, and more injuries appeared on my body. She used every opportunity to kill me; she hadn''t succeeded, but she had brought more injuries on me, while me only able to bring one. It is so small, that it wasn¡¯t even able to draw out the blood. It was a scratch. Hun! A few more seconds passed when another attack came. It was the most dangerous spell; he had ever used. I didn¡¯t even know, he had it. The spell is huge dark black lightning, shining powerfully in a bright moonlight. Zorrin¡¯s Lightning. A grade 4 spell and a very powerful one at that and coming directly at me from above. Seeing that, the woman leaped at me, with my head as the target. It was a big opportunity, she had been waiting for and wasted no time exploiting it. I seemed have to froze seeing the destructive spell; not caring about the lightning or the enemy coming toward me. To others, it looked like, I got overwhelmed. Aqua Shield. Taren¡¯s Radiance. Aqua Shield. Taren¡¯s Radiance. Earth Shield. It didn¡¯t, and the shields appeared above me; at the same time, I focused on the enemy. Who is in the air due to leap and her saber being just a few inches away from me. She felt my eyes and saw my lips curling and her expression changed immediately. Understanding what had happened. What happened is simple, she had fallen into my trap. I had her in the air, without much freedom to move. However, the fear had remained in her eyes for a moment before it disappeared and became a challenge. She is saying so what, she is in the air; her saber is just a few inches away from me. I wish I could tell how mistaken she is about that. I moved, and immediately, the challenge in her eyes vanished. My speed is greater than I have ever shown. However, even with the speed, her saber touched my neck and she tried to move it to cut me, but I was fast. Faster than her saber and was moved away, while attacking her with my rapier. I was not holding back on the Blitz Step alone, but also on Gale Of The Blade. My sword moved, but it didn¡¯t move toward her chest or neck but at her axilla; right below her underarm. It is a part that is not protected by an arm. She wouldn¡¯t be able to defend it with her saber. She tried to move away, but she was in the air, with limited maneuverability. She could do nothing. My rapier reached below her underarm and enchantments on it flared. At the same time, I activated Sharpness. PUCH! It entered inside, cutting the bone, before reaching her heart and piercing through it. She tried to get away till the end but failed. BANG BANG BANG! At the same time, Zorrins Lightning crashed against the shields above me. The spell immediately showed its massive power by destroying the first layer of Aqua Shield and Taren¡¯s Radiance in an instant, but it took longer to destroy the second layer. When it finally crashed on the Earth Shield, most of its power had been spent. What had remained had blasted the shield apart. Thud! The spell dispersed and the dead body of the woman fell down. I looked at her and felt relief. She was a powerful enemy; I rather not fight someone like her, on this battlefield. I might not survive. Still, Craving? Click The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 336: My Domain Chapter 336: My Domain BANNNG! I defended against another attack from the lich while cutting the head of another abominable zombie with my rapier. The attack had been the third in minutes that successfully came at me. The Lich had increased the intensity of the attacks and I fear, one of these times, I may not be able to defend against it. I am not the only one using the power of the establishment. Three more people are, and they are using it at a much greater intensity than me. The horde had reached the safe zone. I hope Caena was able to kill enough numbers. There were only a thousand guards and volunteers who didn¡¯t have enough experience to get a combat class. It will be a massacre. If a large number of zombies attacked the safe zone. I pushed those thoughts away; there was no use thinking about the thing I couldn¡¯t control. The only thing I could do was believe in the girls and the people defending the safe zone. Pachac Khat Pachac! My sword cut through the zombies and the skeletons. It didn¡¯t matter. If it was a normal undead or special undead, my rapier would cut through it. It had been a few minutes since I had killed the woman, and since then, I had not fought a single living person. It is all undead; there are not many people I could fight, since many died in the explosion and those remaining are fighting against the others. It is why we are doing good against the undead. Killing them rapidly; we might really be able to kill them all by the morning. We might be doing good against the undead, but our condition is not so good against the powerhouses. The explosion may have killed many undead, but almost all-powerful people of Lv. 25 and above have survived. That includes eight Lv. 30+ powerhouses; these bastards are powerful and killing a lot of us. If we don¡¯t deal with them; we will lose the battle. Everyone is fighting, trying their all to kill the enemies, but it is hard. These people are powerful, especially the Knight Bartram. That damn bastard is not holding back anything; making Stone bloody within a few minutes that he had in a few hours earlier. That artifact was something else, too. It looked like a thing that had been buried in the earth for a hundred years and could break at any time, but it was carving up Stone like a wood. The injuries, he is receiving are heavier than the last time, but they are recovering fast. He is going through an awakening. Every minute, the bronze skin gets darker and his strength is reaching higher. That instability is also getting stronger, and it is giving me a bad feeling. I felt like, it might kill Stone first, before the Knight. I have read about the awakening and could only imagine the pressure; he must be feeling. The awakening should happen in a peaceful environment, without any outside pressure, but here Stone is feeling pressure from the outside as well as inside. There were bloody battles everywhere, but the one attracted my eye the most. It is of the young albino orc; he is fighting against two enemies, both of whom are pre-Lv. 30. They are obviously stronger than him, but he is fighting them; like he did in the battle earlier. His injuries are heavier, but they seem to barely stop him. Even in the last battle, his fight attracted my gaze the most. I think it is because of the way he fights. He is obviously weaker than them, but he is fighting and even injuring them. I don¡¯t think, I would survive. If I fought against the enemies with such a difference in strength, while having such injuries on me, much less able to able to injure the enemies, I am fighting. I looked at his battle for a second before killing, the group of skeletons and then moving toward the zombies. I want to use the spells to wipe these bastards quickly, but I need to conserve as much emotion essence as possible. It is draining fast, as the girls are using it constantly to deal with the second horde. Every spell I use has a great cost; it is burning the emotion essence. The most precious material in the world. I do not care about the cost, but I have a limited amount of emotion essence. I am using it only when I need it. Hun! I was just thinking that when I saw another powerful attack coming toward me from the Lich. Immediately, shields appeared from Mage Ravill and Mage Aldridge, stopping the attack. I took a breath of relief and continued killing the undead while remaining alert to the attacks of the undead. They are stopping the attacks, but they are not stopping all the attacks. Some of Lich¡¯s attacks do come at me, and I need to defend against them. ¡°Lord Silver, watch out!¡± A familiar voice screamed at me from behind in extreme urgency. I reacted instantly, even before the surprise caught up to me. I activated the spells while turning to face the danger. Earth Shields X 2. Earth Shields X 2. Earth Shields X 2. Earth Shields X 2. I felt all the hair on my body stand up, the moment, I activated the spells. The danger is powerful, stronger than even Lich¡¯s spell. It would definitely kill me if it were to hit me. CLANG! A fraction of a second later, I saw something hitting the Earth Shields behind me hard, before materializing. A short woman, wearing a black rogue suit and having twin daggers in her hand, materialized and focused her pale blue eyes on me. Her whole face is covered except for her pale blue eyes, which are filled with grief and retribution. Her eyes met mine, and she attacked again. Her attack was so fast that I couldn¡¯t even see it. She would separate my head from my body before I could even activate the spell. She is too close and far too fast, which isn¡¯t surprising. Seeing she is a Rogue and they are fast. ¡®Fuck! Am I gonna die?¡¯ I asked myself as I tried to activate the spells. In a time, I don¡¯t have. CLANG! I was seeing my death floating in front of me when suddenly I heard a loud clashing sound. Only to see a familiar figure appearing in front of me, with his two swords clashing against the twin daggers of the Rogue woman. Seeing that, a relief flooded my cold, sweaty body. ¡°You should move away from here, Lord Silver,¡± said Lt. Colonel Julian, while looking at the Rogue in front of him. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I recovered and moved away with the Blitz Steps as fast as I could. CLANG! The Rogue disappeared and appeared a meter behind me, but Lt. Colonel Julian appeared once again and stopped her attack. I didn¡¯t look and moved away, pushing the Blitz Steps, as hard as I could. Mages are considered the most dangerous powerhouses in the world, but if you ask them, who they fear the most. Over 90% of them would say the Rogues; these are people who could get close to them and kill them fast enough that they couldn¡¯t cast the spell for their protection. Lt. Colonel is the only person on the whole battlefield who could fight against her. Stone might, but he won¡¯t be able to stop her, as Lt. Col. Julian is doing. He is the only Lv. 30, we have, and he seemed to have gained quite good skills after leveling up. There is a high chance that even his class has upgraded. It would have been great. If he had been fighting fully healed and rested, but unfortunately it was war and everybody was fighting, no matter their state. I got far away from the Rogue, but the fear of her remained. I suppressed it and began killing the undead again. I have to fight, even if I am scared shitless about my life. A minute passed and then another, when suddenly I sensed the danger, and without even looking, I knew it was from Lich. ¡®It just couldn¡¯t give me a rest!¡¯ I thought and turned toward the lich. Hun! As I did, shock couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. Yes, the spell is coming, but so, is the Lich. He had been able to escape from the containment of Lena and others and was now coming at me. I turned to Lena and others and saw them busy dealing with a different enemy. They are trying to come at the Lich, but being stopped by the powerful enemies. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed as the shields appeared in front of me and defended against the attack, before activating the Blitz Steps and it was not the only thing, I had used. I had also cast Minor Haste and Feather Light on me and moved. The Lich had been able to untangle itself from those he was fighting and while it was receiving the attacks; they were far from enough to stop it. The Lich is coming for me. I need to run. Those stopping him are level lower than him and also busy with their own battles. At most, they will be able to slow it down, I need to use that to gain as much distance between us as possible. I may look like, I am defending against the Lich¡¯s attacks just fine, but I am not. It is the attack; it is sneaking while others bombard it. If it attacked me with full power without anyone interfering; I wouldn¡¯t be able to last long. The spells I could cast through the establishment are Grade II with the power of Grade 3, while the Lich is a Grade IV. It is also old and experienced; I won¡¯t be able to last long in front of him. So, I am going to the place, where I will be able to last long against it. ¡°You will not run away. I will kill you for what you did to me at Namdar,¡± Lich¡¯s voice rang out in my ears as it followed me with the ghostly movements. It is faster than me and the only reason, he is not able to catch up to me, is because of the interference from the mages. ¡°Your spells will need to touch me for that,¡± I taunted and pushed myself even harder, nearly stumbling in the process. Blitz Steps is already fast enough and now, I have added Minor Haste and Feather Light. they had increased my speed further. So much so that, I barely control it and even with it all. I am slightly faster than the Lich, who is facing all that interference from the mages. BANNNNG! Another spell crashed into me. Thankfully, the shields have handled it. The Lich hadn''t stopped attacking me; it was doing that every chance it got and now more and more of its spells had been hitting me. Soon, I had reached the edge of the battlefield. The people have become space here, but they are fighting with the same intensity as those fighting in the center of the battlefield. I soon left them behind and so did the Lich. The intensity of his attacks has increased further. There is barely any interference, as all those stopping it are on the battlefield. Hun! I was running, pushing myself hard as Lich was rapidly gaining ground on me when suddenly, I saw a bone wall appear in front of me, and at the same time, Zorrin¡¯s lightning came from above. I wanted to curse, but I didn¡¯t even have time for that and acted on instinct, knowing even a second of delay would cost me my life. The shields appeared right below the lightning, while pressed my legs down before leaping forward. BANNNG! I jumped with a just force that I had never in my life and went high above the bone wall, while the spell crashed against the shield. Seeing that, a grin appeared on the Lich¡¯s face, and I was not surprised. I am up in the air, with little maneuverability; it is a place I like my enemies to be in. It makes attacking them much easier and now, I am in that space. Lich didn¡¯t waste any time and sent four Zorrins Lightning from all four directions and created a sharp bone below. Even if I defended against the spells; the bones would turn me into a porcupine the moment I landed. The panic couldn¡¯t help, but fill my heart. If it had been single Zorrins Lightning; I would have been able to defend against it. Even two but four are too much. I don¡¯t think, my usual spells would help me with that; they will be crushed by them. I bit down on the panic and pushed it far into my mind, I could and activated the skill. The one, I have so far resisted using it. I have kept it for the right time, and it is the right time. Focus. I activated Focus; a skill, I had copied from the Rayna. It is a single-name skill and doesn¡¯t look special, but it is very special. As I activated the skill. I felt all the distractions disappear, while my thoughts became clear and raced faster. I went over all the imprinted spells and magical knowledge, I had. I even activated Instant Recollection to aid it, which caused me a headache. I bore it, and soon, I got the answer. I didn¡¯t waste even a moment thinking whether it would work or not and simply activated the spells. Water Bubbles. Radiant Bliss X3. Frost Ball. Frarys Dust X3. Revolving Gale. First appeared watery bubbles, which got filled with the power of the light of Radiant Bliss, before Frost Balls entered inside, and shimmering Frarys Dust covered the bubbles whole. The last spell, Revolving Gale, had spun those bubbles around me. They looked beautiful, like something out of a dream that I forgot headache and terrifying lightning spells for a moment before they arrived. BANNNG BANNNG BANNNG! The huge arcs of lightning crashed against the bubbles, and they exploded. I thought it would come at me and turn me into ashes, but nothing like that happened. Instead, lightning exploded bubbles into the mist of water and ice. Each speck of mist is covered in Frarys Dust, which is metallic, and they sucked the lightning into them, and the light attacked it. The scene it created was beautiful, but also extremely dangerous. It burned me as I passed through the beautiful, shimmering mist. Turning my skin bloody and attacking it with residual death energy. Thud! It is extremely painful, but I bore it as I stepped on the Earth Shield in the air and leaped, before landing on the hot ground with the thud. Immediately, I turned to Lich and saw him coming, and there was shock on its bony face. ¡°The mage, where it is?¡± it asked as it stopped in front of me with less than ten meters of distance between us. ¡°You are really incapable if you couldn¡¯t even find her. No wonder you lost so badly to us in Namdar, that you had to escape, without your body,¡± I said and the dark blue fire in its skull eyes blazed. ¡°You bastard, I will kill you!¡± It roared, and attacked me with powerful spells. I looked back at it in the challenge. I am now not as scared of it as I had been a few seconds ago. We are in my domain. It understood it the moment, the spell came out. Still, Craving? Click Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 337: Flint and Fire I Chapter 337: Flint and Fire I Barb ¡°Close all windows. Bolt them!¡± ordered Lieutenant Vasquez; one of a few officers in the safe zone. He is the man responsible for the security of the hospital. This hospital is the biggest one in the safe zone and also the one, with the most serious patients. All the patients who have been brought here are from the battle a few hours ago. Many died, but most survived thanks to the doctors, healers, and everyone who is working, including us whores. ¡°H..has the undead truly attacked the safe zone?¡± asked one scared nurse. I could see everyone turning toward Lieutenant Vasquez, including me. ¡°Yes, but you all don¡¯t have to worry. My men and I will make sure, no undead enter the hospital,¡± said the raven-haired man and walked out of the door with his men. I could hear the alarms blaring across the safe zones. The undead are likely attacking the safe zone. Even entered inside, breaching the guards; I don¡¯t know and not knowing is scaring me. ¡°What did you think? Has the undead, really breached the safe zone?¡± asked Francesca. She looked calmer; calmer than anybody, here, including me. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied, shaking my head. Thud! I had just replied when the door opened loudly, and men came, looking tired and scared, holding people on the stretcher. The people are bloody, with various injuries across their bodies. From bites to claws to holes. Some are missing the libs and bleeding profusely. Immediately, the nurses and doctors moved, including a few girls. ¡°A few hours ago, they were shaking, vomiting, and falling unconscious, but now they are barely blinking, seeing all the blood,¡± said Francesca, herself shaking. I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud hearing that. The girls have really surpassed my expectations and even impressed the healers and doctors with their tenacity. A minute hadn''t over since the first group of patients arrived when the door opened again and people came in, bringing more patients. Seeing that, Francesca went toward them. The woman is good and very lucky. A day after, she came to the establishment; it had turned into a legacy. If she had been a day late, Master Silver wouldn¡¯t have accepted her. Many madams of brothels approached the establishment. Even willing to work as the common girls, but all of them have been rejected. We are now a legacy, and working in it is an enormous opportunity. Even if they work for a month and leave, they will not have to worry about work again. Every high-class brothel will accept them without hesitation. Francesca is good, she is milking every opportunity; the establishment is offering, and it made me feel a little ashamed. From attending classes to becoming a doctor to taking magical classes. I too have a magic talent, but I am one of those people who have no drive to learn it. Just like that girl Stena. I was in my thoughts when a young blond girl appeared in front of me. ¡°Madam Utsa; Doctor Kistoff is asking for seven Grades II and two Grade III healing potions,¡± said the girl. I nodded and took out the potions before handing them to her. It is my job to handle potions. The potions are expensive, and there are a limited number of them in the city. It is important that these important resources are kept under the tight eyes in war times and Master Silver had given that responsibility to me. The potions are effective but in the hands of the doctor, they become very efficient. Save the lives of multiple people instead of one. In the next couple of minutes, more and more patients came; most of them were in serious condition. The doctors and healers operated on them. Using potion only when it is necessary. Their focus is on stabilizing the patient, not healing; they could be healed when the battle is over, and we have more resources and healers. Till then, keeping them alive is more important. Hun! Suddenly, I began to hear the shouts before it turned to clashes. Nobody needs to guess what is happening outside. The undead had arrived, and they had started fighting against Lt. Vasquez and his men. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed and activated No Disturbance. Immediately, the chaotic noises outside become much muted, but I could already see the effect it is having on the people. They become more scared; some begin to even cry again. They were a minority; most focused back on their work; placing their trust in Lt. Vasquez and his men to protect them. Thud Thud Thud... For a few minutes, everything was good, when suddenly we heard loud noises from the wall. That even my skill couldn¡¯t mute. It scared many people, but they kept working. I walked toward the wall. As I got closer, I began to hear the clashing sounds of metal. The fight outside had become more intense than before. A sword appeared in my hand, and I cursed myself in my heart. I forgot to put my hand in my bag, as Caena had advised. The legacy had advanced, and its range now covered a third of the city; I could access its vault anywhere in that range. I got this access today, that only Carla, Margaux, and Caena had. I am not the only one; Mena had also got. It is to be secret, and I had just revealed it; I hope nobody had noticed. I looked at the wall and the sword in my hand. It had been decades since, I held one and it couldn¡¯t bring back old memories, that nearly faded. My da was a mercenary, and he taught me to use a sword since I could walk. I wanted to be a mercenary, and I still remember, he is telling me that he would take me with him when I get my class. He died when I was eleven, fighting for the local lord. It destroyed the family and brought us to the street. Dhud! The part wall suddenly collapsed, bringing me out of my thoughts and I saw three zombies coming in through it. Ahhhh Ahhh Ahhh Things clattered on the ground, and people began to scream. Their screams were so loud, they had drowned the noises from the zombies. The zombies came toward me while I remained frozen in fear. I could hear familiar voices screaming my name. Asking me to run away, but it seemed like something had cast a spell on me, that froze my very soul. It is no spell, or the skill that did it, but my fear. It gripped my mind so badly, that I couldn¡¯t move an inch despite trying with everything I had. Raa! The first zombie appeared in front of me and screamed before attacking me with the saber in its hand. It was going for my neck; it would kill me. The blade is rusted, but it has enough power behind it to do the job. I can¡¯t die! There are girls behind and defenseless healers and patients. They would go after them once they killed me. I can¡¯t let that happen; they are my responsibility, and I will not let these zombies harm them as long as I am alive. So, I mustered every speck of my will. I swung the sword, and, to my surprise, my limb moved and went toward the saber of a zombie. Clang! My sword clashed against the saber of a zombie, and I felt a powerful shock on my arm. It was so powerful that the sword flew out of my hand. There was no form or method to the swing; I had swung it brutely while the zombie had a greater brute force than me, along with muscle memory, which made its attack even more powerful. Clattered! My sword clattered to the ground while the zombie attacked again. The sword had brought me only a second, and now it was attacking again. I wanted to take another sword out, but I didn¡¯t think, I would be able to defend against it, and I was too close to use the rune bombs. Both options are worse, but seeing there is no other option. I chose the best of the two and another sword appeared in my hand. Hun! I was about to swing it again when suddenly an idea came into my mind. It was a strange idea and it might not work, but it gripped my mind, so tightly that I acted on it before I could even think about it clearly. I activated the Stored Sips from my Drunkard Class. It is a skill that stores a few sips of alcohol. It is a very useful skill. With it, I didn¡¯t have to take out the bottle to drink every time. It is especially good during meetings or when I am among the people. It is embarrassing to drink in front of people. A sip of twilight amber filled my mouth. I felt its smoothness and tasted its wonderful taste that I wanted to gulp it down and nearly did, before stopping myself. Instead, I pushed it out with a Powerful Breath and lit it up with Flint. Whoosh! Immediately, the alcohol burned, creating a large plume of fire that immediately enveloped all three zombies. They began to burn while I watched in shock. I had never used twilight amber whisky in fire breathing. It is a magical liquor, and Margaux had forbidden me from using them. She is already angry, seeing me using the liquor for fire breathing instead of special solutions, which are a lot safer. ¡®She was right. It is too dangerous,¡¯ I thought as I looked at three of the burning zombies. I am not the only one who is shocked, but also all the girls and healers and others. They have never expected to see such a scene. Thud Thud Thud! It didn¡¯t even take half a minute for the zombies to fall down and stop moving. Though they are still burning. I looked at them for a few seconds, before looking at the hole they had made. I could see what was happening on the other side and seeing it, my whole body couldn¡¯t shake in fear. I turned immediately and went toward the girls, who were still watching the burning zombies. I stopped beside Francesca and took out the wooden box from my bag. ¡°Here, take it; it is your responsibility now,¡± I said, handing it to her. Francesca is a smart woman. She immediately realized what the box was and what I am planning on doing after handing it to her. ¡°Don¡¯t do it; it is too dangerous,¡± she warned, with her voice shaking. ¡°There are more undead than the guards could handle,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t say what would happen. If those undead entered inside. Everyone could imagine what would happen. She opened her mouth but closed it, before opening again. ¡°Be careful,¡± she said and hugged me. It surprised me, but I returned the hug before breaking away. ¡°Take care of the girls,¡± I said to her and walked toward the hole. I don¡¯t want to do this, but there is no choice. There are too many undead, and they will enter the hospital. I will not let that happen as long as I am alive. Want, more? Click NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Chapter 338: Flint and Fire II Chapter 338: Flint and Fire II The foul smell of burned undead hit me hard. I almost vomited before I calmed myself and looked out of the window. It seemed like the condition had become worse since I saw it; not even a minute had passed since then. I am scared and didn¡¯t want to go, but understood the consequences of staying. I might not be able to do much, but even doing a little would make a huge difference. With that thought, I stepped through the hole and saw over a hundred undead attacking twenty-something guards and a few volunteers. Their condition is bad, with injuries all over. Some had fallen; whether they are alive or dead, is hard to know. ¡°Miss Utsa; go back inside!¡± shouted Lieutenant Vasquez as he noticed me, while he hacked two skeletons in a single attack, before moving to zombies. He is the only one among the people fighting, who is killing zombies at every attack. The others are having a hard time. They are not to blame; many of them had never fought in the battle. Raaa Raaa! I looked around before moving ahead toward the group of undead. They seemed to sense me as they came. I activated the Stored Sips again, and the whisky filled my mouth. I wanted to release it immediately, but I waited, till the group of zombies were only a meter away from me. It is far too close for my comfort, seeing they could reach me instantly, but it is necessary for the maximum effect. Whoosh! Finally, the zombies reached a meter away from me, and I pushed the liquor out with Power Breath and lit it up with the Fling, creating a plume of fire that was even bigger than before. The fire covered the three zombies and five skeletons immediately and burned them. I looked at skeletons and thought they would be able to resist it. They did more than the zombies, but they, too, were burning. The fire is killing them as it is killing the zombies. Twilight Amber is precious whisky; ranked in the top hundred liquors in the world. Expensive and hard to get. It is made in the Oton Continent using magical ingredients. The Number 37 bottle that I am drinking is advisable to drink only those at Lv. 20 with at least thirteen points of vitality. The undead burned, and the guards watched with open mouths. Even Lieutenant Vasquez seemed shocked, seeing it. I felt a little embarrassed feeling their gazes and decided to move to another group of zombies. As I did, I released my breath at them, burning them like I burned two groups of zombies before. Soon, I had already taken four more breaths and killed twenty-six undead. All the whisky in the Stored Sips had been spent, and I took out a bottle of twilight amber from my purse. Seventy percent of it is already empty. The whisky is too good; it was a challenge to make it last as much as I did. I opened its bottle and smelled that wonderful smell. If I was not in a hurry, I would have enjoyed it, before putting it to my mouth. As I did, I started to gulp it down, filling the Store Sips in two gulps, before drinking one. I tasted its wonderful taste on my tongue and felt it smoothly flowing down my throat like honey, before reaching my stomach, where it gave that familiar burn. I drank it not for the pleasure. Ok it was the reason, but there is also another reason; the most important one. Liquid Calm. It is a passive skill, I have; it worked with alcohol. It makes me feel calm as I drink. Which is quite confusing, seeing I also feel the buzz from it; that people do after drinking. With a faint buzz and calm mind. I walked toward the zombies, more confidently than before. Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh I released one breath of fire after another, burning the undead, and before I knew it, emptied the whisky kept in the Stored Sips and drank again, before burning the zombies with the fire breath, till I drank the last drop of the bottle. I may have finished the bottle, but I have burned more than half of the undead. I had just released my breath when I felt the movement from behind. Only to see Francesca coming out of the hole, with fear all over her face. ¡°Zombies are attacking the back wall,¡± she informed, and I turned to Lt. Vasquez. ¡°Mir, Gina, Smith; go with Miss Utsa,¡± said Lieutenant, and three people came toward me. He didn¡¯t stop me, instead giving me people. He might have if the conditions hadn''t been desperate. Now, he could use any help he can, even if it was from an important whore he had been specially asked to protect. There are still undead, and it will be a tough battle, but it won¡¯t be as bad as it would have been. If I hadn''t burned more than half of the undead alone. I nodded at three before activating the Graceful Walk and moving toward the back of the hospital. The three followed with their own speed skills. Their speed skills are faster than mine, despite me being higher-leveled. Which isn¡¯t surprising. Their skills are combat skills, while mine is not. Mine had specialties that theirs did not. ¡°You are amazing, Miss Utsa. I didn¡¯t know. A fire-breather could kill the undead so effectively,¡± said the raven-haired woman excitedly, with her eyes shining. My heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat seeing the look in the young woman¡¯s eyes. Nobody had ever looked at me like she was looking right now. They would always look down on me, because of my profession. When I came into the hospital, I heard many people saying words like ¡®prostitute¡¯ and ¡®silver¡¯s whore¡¯. ¡°They could not. It is the fire; It is much stronger than a normal fire,¡± replied the short man. He is right; the fire produced from magical liquor is much stronger; Margaux was wise to forbid me from using it. Hun! We were halfway when we saw a group of four undead moving toward the hospital. ¡°Let me handle them,¡± I said when I saw them moving toward the zombies. Whoosh! I stopped in front of the group of undead and released my breath. The liquor burned and enveloped the group of zombies. We didn¡¯t stay, to watch them die and moved toward our destination. Soon, we reached there, and seeing the undead, my expression couldn¡¯t help, but change. There are ten-something zombies and skeletons attacking the walls, but it is not what changes our expressions, but the several groups, combining into fifty-something zombies. ¡°Fuck!¡± cursed the bald man, while I shook in fear. ¡°You three handle the undead attacking the walls; I will deal with the ones that are coming,¡± I said to them, with my voice shaking faintly. ¡°Are you sure, Miss Utsa?¡± asked the woman worriedly. ¡°I am! Go to the wall before they destroy it,¡± I replied. The back wall of the hospital is thick, but the way, these undead attacking it; they will break it, if not stopped soon. The hesitation on their faces vanished while I moved toward the undead. Fighting the fear, I am feeling at every step I take. My legs aren¡¯t the only thing, that is moving fast, but my thoughts are also doing the same. I am thinking about the liquor; twilight amber had been spent and so is Stored Sips. It is not the only magical liquor I have, but it is the strongest one. The others are weaker and the fire they produce would also be weaker. I had just been thinking about that when I remembered something. The whole vault hadn''t been emptied to make room for the crystals. There was some space for some other things, including the bottles of liquor. I looked and immediately saw there was liquor. I even saw a couple of bottles of twilight amber. Immediately, one bottle appeared in my hand. I looked at the unsealed bottle filled with amber liquid and opened it, before starting to gulp down wonderfully smooth amber liquid. It felt different and more amazing, that I couldn¡¯t help but take a sip of it, which made my mind calm as the lake. It is the establishment''s bottle, which means it had the emotion mist in it. Making already great liquor, even better to drink. As for burning it, I don¡¯t know. ¡®I hope, the emotion mist didn¡¯t affect things,¡¯ I thought. If it had normal time; I wouldn¡¯t have dared to do this. Emotion mist isn¡¯t emotion essence, but it is still dangerous, and I rather not take a risk, but time is different right now. There is no other option for me than to take a risk. I slowed down my speed before stopping in front of a big group of undead. There were thirteen undead in there; I tried to find a small group, but there wasn¡¯t. Raa Raaa Raaa It is why I didn¡¯t get too close to them. It might lessen the effect of fire, but I like to be safe; I don¡¯t want to get mobbed down by the zombies before I can burn them. I pushed the liquor out with Powerful Breath and burned it with flint. Whoosh! The fire plume of fire bloomed, and it was bigger than I had expected. Seeing that, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen. The bloom of fire is double the size, and the fire is denser and hotter. So much so that I felt my face singing. Though, compared to me, what the undead are facing is a hundred times worse. The fire had covered them whole, and it was burning them. The fire is so strong, that the skeletons died as quickly as the zombies. Raaaa Raaa Raaa! I was transfixed by it when I was awoken by the voice of the undead and saw the two big groups coming from left and right. Seeing them, a grin rose across my singed face. Whoosh Whoosh! I moved toward the left group with my heart beating wildly and released the breath, burning the group of twelve undead before moving right, releasing another breath from burning sixteen zombies. There are seventeen in the group, and one is too far. That fire didn¡¯t reach it. Whoosh! It came at me, and I wanted to release a small breath, but seeing my skills and the power of liquor, I released the full breath, without holding anything back. It is extremely wasteful but better than trying something I had no confidence in. If I had failed, I might have harmed myself and the harm wouldn¡¯t have been small. It had been nearly half a year since I had started learning the fire-breathing and nearly two months since I had gotten the Fire Breather class. At that time, I had already reached Lv. 6 and had two skills. I am practicing, but half a year is not much; it is already fast that I was able to reach Lv. 6 within two months. If I knew, I was going to be using fire breathing. I would have practiced even more and focused more on control and techniques, rather than trying to blow the biggest fire plume as possible. Which is also helping me tremendously right now. The idea to learn fire breathing had been sudden. One time, I had gone to watch the circus with Margaux. There I saw a fire-breather. I got so enamored with her, that immediately I asked Margaux to hire an instructor for me. She got angry immediately, not because I wanted to learn the fire breathing, which is dangerous. It is the reason, but not the main one. The main reason was three instructors of different things, I had asked her to hire and left the courses within a month, losing interest. Margaux had warned me that it would last. If I didn¡¯t learn it for at least four months; she would cancel the privilege of personal instructor that every asst. madam has. I was planning to give up at that moment. Thank god, I didn¡¯t. Whoosh Whoosh! I didn¡¯t waste any time and moved toward the last two groups and released the breath one after another, burning them. Clap Clap Clap I was about to move when I heard the whistles before loud claps rang out. It surprised me so much, that I GOT alarmed for a moment before I saw the people, a large number of them. They are in tall buildings around the small squares, watching from windows, balconies, and roofs. Some were from the cordoned tents in the small garden. I felt tears coming down my eyes and I wanted to cry, but I didn¡¯t and instead moved toward the hospital. There is another group that joined, and the three are struggling to fight. Whoosh! ¡°Move!¡± I said, and they listened immediately. A second later, a large plum of fire came out, burning all the undead. Hun! Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, and I was turning toward the three when I saw a sword coming out of the fire. A skeleton threw its weapon at me, and it was fast. Rip! I moved at the last moment, but I was not fast enough. The sword cut through my waist before clattering on the ground. ¡°Miss Utsa, are you all right?¡± asked the three in alarm as they came at me as I looked at a big bleeding cut. It is painful enough that it is bringing the tears to my eyes. It took me a second to think through the pain and shock that I needed to heal the wound and quickly took out a potion and drank it while applying some to the wound. The short young man also helped me quickly bandage the wound. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as he finished. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t underestimate the undead. Sometimes, they behave unexpectedly,¡± he warned, and I nodded soberly. I never heard skeleton throwing their swords at enemies. At least not the ones that are not being directly controlled. Still, I should have been careful. I got too confident. If I had dodged it on time; it would have burrowed in my stomach and that might have killed me or been injured enough that I couldn¡¯t fight. That would have been disastrous. ¡°We should get going. Lieutenant needs our help,¡± said the young woman. I nodded and the four of us moved immediately. Every step I take shoots pain through my body, but I bore a reminder to be more careful and not get too confident. ¡°The undead are everywhere,¡± said a bald man as we moved toward Lieutenant Vasquez. The undead seemed to be everywhere, most of them moving alone, but some were in small groups. I wanted to burn them all, but the hospital was a priority. Soon, we reached the hospital and saw the undead had reached the previous numbers. ¡°My god!¡± exclaimed the woman, seeing the numbers, but didn¡¯t stop and soon we reached them. Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh They joined Lt. Vasquez while I moved back and started releasing large plumes of fire. Each of the plumes cost a lot of gold, but I decided to not think about it; I am sure Master Silver would forgive me for it. He personally said to me, that I could use anything I want from the vault to help people. I released breath after breath until I realized there was no undead left to burn. ¡°You are magnificent, Miss Utsa,¡± praised Lt. Vasquez as he stopped in front of me. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant.¡± I took the praise gracefully. He smiled before his expressions turned serious. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± he asked. ¡°There are a lot of undead,¡± I replied, looking around. ¡°Just be careful,¡± he said, and I nodded. A few seconds later, I was moving toward the big group of undead, with a small smile on my face. I am feeling something I had never felt before. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it gave me a sort of joy, I had never felt before and I want to keep feeling it. Want, more? Click Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 339: Courage and Sacrifice I Chapter 339: Courage and Sacrifice I Mena ¡°The undead; there are so many of them,¡± said Alva, looking outside from the small gap in the window. ¡°Alva, get away from the window; it is dangerous,¡± I said to the young girl. ¡°A minute more. Sister Mena. I want to see Sister Barb, once again,¡± said the young girl, with eyes shining. I am still having a hard time, believing what I saw, not long ago. A few minutes ago, a group of undead had gathered and were coming toward us. Fear filled our hearts, and I had even taken out the crystal bombs; ready to throw at them when suddenly, Barb came running. She went straight toward the undead while Alva and I shouted at her to stop. Fearing she would die. Even with the sword in her hand. She was no match for the group of undead, she was running toward. It was then she did the most shocking thing possible. She breathed out a huge plume of fire that enveloped all undead and burned them. It was a shocking scene; that I would never be able to forget in my life. I was in my thoughts when I saw the little one in front of me move. She began shaking like she was having a nightmare. I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand gently on her head. It seemed to help her, and the shaking stopped. I am at an orphanage. There are two of us girls and three carers, along with twenty-nine children aged two to nine. I grew up at an orphanage since I was five, and it was a horrible-horrible place. Things happened there, that I wouldn¡¯t wish on my worst enemy. It is that orphanage; that sold me to a brothel. ¡°Miss Mena, will undead attack us?¡± asked Karja, a middle-aged woman worriedly. It is not the first time; the carer has asked the question. Everybody is worried, especially since the guards around the orphanage left to fight the undead. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied and turned to the children. The carers have skills that have made the little ones sleep, but many older ones are awake. They didn¡¯t say anything; at most, they would talk in whispers with each other and stare at the elders. It is really dangerous outside; the undead are roaming everywhere, while guards and volunteers run around killing them. A few times, we saw mages, or rather spells appearing and wiping out the undead. Till now we have been lucky. No undead have attacked us, but I fear we won¡¯t be able to be lucky forever. Undead might attack us, and we would be powerless to do anything against them. I really wish I had learned fire breathing when Barb asked me and others, but we simply rolled our eyes at her. If I had, I might have been able to do something against them. I shook those thoughts as they came. I have no interest in a dangerous thing like fire breathing. Even if I tried learning it; I would have failed. Worse, I would have maimed myself. ¡°Gasp!¡± I was in my thoughts when I heard the gasp from the young girl and feared something worse. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked and moved toward her. ¡°Fang,¡± it is all she said. Her answer confused me and put my face beside her to see through a small gap. For a second, I saw nothing, before I saw a cute little white thing among the undead. Fang appeared behind the skeleton, and I was about to shout at him when the familiar claw of dark blue energy came out of his real claw and he swiped it across the neck of the skeleton, decapitating it. ¡°His claws seemed to have become longer,¡± said Alva, and I nodded. Fang is a good boy and if he is in a good mood. He will show you the energy claws if you ask nicely. Those claws are extremely sharp; I had not seen anything; he hadn''t cut smoothly with them. Now, the energy claws have become longer. The skeleton fell down, and I thought he would move toward another undead, but he went toward the skull of the skeleton and sucked out the fire from its eyes. ¡°Did he just eat that?¡± asked Alva and all I could do was nod at his strange action. I thought it would be a one-off event, but no. He went to the other skeletons and ate the fire from their eyes, till he finished all the skeletons and turned to the zombies. He didn¡¯t do strange things with zombies as he did with skeletons. He just straight up, decapitated them. Soon, all the undead around us were killed, and I saw him turning his little head toward us, before running away with his little legs until he disappeared from our eyes. ¡°First it is Sister Barb and now Fang. Strange things are happening through the night, good things,¡± said Alva. I smiled and walked back to the children while the young girl remained at the window. An hour passed, and Fang had made another trip; killing undead that once again gathered in front before leaving. Now, the undead once again gathered in the front and they are moving around. Till now, they haven¡¯t attacked us, preferring going to places where there are more people. This small have two hundred thousand people. They are in buildings and tents. Protecting them are a thousand guards and volunteers who had never fought in the battle. I don¡¯t know how many undead had breached the area, but their numbers should be in the thousands, seeing how they kept appearing, even after being constantly killed. Hun! I was thinking that when the group of guards arrived and killed the undead, while I watched in silence. I wanted to do something, but I couldn¡¯t. I am powerless. The guards were good, and they wiped out the undead before moving away. It didn¡¯t take long for the undead to appear again. ¡°You should sleep, Alva. When you wake up, everything will be better,¡± I said to the young girl. Everybody had fallen asleep, even the carers. ¡°Soon,¡± said the young girl and turned back to the window. I didn¡¯t press her. I am quite impressed with the young girl; many in her place would have slept or not decided to look at the horror outside. Gasp! I was in my thoughts when I heard the gasp from her. The moment I heard it; I knew it was bad; the horror in it was clear as the day. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as I moved toward her. She didn¡¯t answer, nor did she need to. I reached her quickly and saw what she was seeing, and it chilled my heart with horror. ¡°Everybody, wake up!¡± I said shoulder, immediately waking up the carers and the children. ¡°What happened, Miss Mena?¡± I asked Karga. I wanted to lie, seeing the children looking with muted fear in their eyes, but went with the truth. ¡°A large group of undead had appeared,¡± I replied, before turning back to the window and saw over a hundred undead appearing in a small and the big group. There were undead before, but their numbers have never reached over twenty, but now there are over a hundred of them. I watched them with bated breath and wished they didn¡¯t come toward us. Seconds passed painfully as I watched the undead take step after step and was relieved to see them going straight. Hun! The relief didn¡¯t last long. One group among the undead turned and to my utter horror. They are coming directly at us. ¡°Get away from the window!¡± I said to Alva, and the young girl listened without any resistance. Though, before leaving the window; she opened it a little. So. We could see what was happening outside from the distance. ¡°Everybody at the door,¡± I instructed. This is a single-floor small building; it used to be a small store and thank god for that. There are two doors here, one in the front and the other in the back. Everybody listened, and we moved toward the back door. Picking the small children in our arms, who are watching the horrified faces of adults with their innocent eyes. A little blond girl in my arms tried to look toward the window, but I gently turned her head away. The little girl didn¡¯t resist and put her head on my shoulder. I gave her a gentle peck and turned to the window. ¡°They are ing,¡± said Gensa, shaking in fear. She is not the only one; I found myself shaking in fear, too, as I saw the undead coming closer to us. I wished they wouldn¡¯t, but they were coming toward us. There are barely a hundred meters between them and the building. Raa Raa Raa They came so close that we started to hear their strange scary sound, which scared the people even more. These children are brave, not a single one screamed or cried. They just watched silently. It is not the same for the adults. Ahhhh! Norla screamed. I immediately activated the Privacy Circle. I don¡¯t want the undead to hear us. Though from what I have been informed. It is not the noise that attracts them, but the life itself. The more people there are, the greater life-signatures it would produce and will attract more undead. Thud Thud Thud! The zombies reached the building and started to hit the wall of the building hard, while the woman screamed again. I glared at the woman, but she didn¡¯t stop. Karga had to forcefully close her mouth with her hand to stop her from screaming. I didn¡¯t blame the woman. Even I wanted to scream, but I did not. There are children around us. These things will give them nightmares for months and years to come. Khik! The undead kept hitting the wall, till one of them hit the door and the ax pierced through it. Thud! It hit again, and another hole appeared. We were watching that when the brick fell down. The people around me started to scream. It filled my heart, but I forcefully controlled my emotions. I need to remain sane. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. It won''t take long for the undead to break through the wall.¡± I said, looking at bricks falling, and the door being torn apart. Click! ¡°Where would we go?¡± asked Karga. Click! ¡°I don¡¯t know, but staying here would be waiting to be killed by the undead,¡± I replied and turned to the door before opening it. There was only a moment of hesitation before others nodded and began to walk out of the door. They understand very well that staying in the building is waiting for the undead to kill them. I don¡¯t want that; nobody wants that.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Chapter 340: Courage and Sacrifice II Chapter 340: Courage and Sacrifice II ¡°My god! The undead are everywhere!¡± said Norla as she looked around and saw undead everywhere. The panic started to fill my mind, but I bit it down and looked around. Yes, there are undead, but most of them are alone or in a small group of two or three; there is not a single big group. Soon, I saw the best place that could give us the best chance of survival. ¡°We will move toward the tents in the east,¡± I said, finally. ¡°But there are undead there.¡± Said Gensa, looking toward the tents in the distance. ¡°Yes, but there are also guards,¡± I replied. On one side, a group of guards are fighting the undead, but the other side is open. It is the best place, as the undead are being kept busy by guards. ¡°Everyone, run with everything you have,¡± I said with Encouraging Words. It is not the best skill, for this, but it is the only one, which could help us in some way. At my words, we ran, taking the children with us. I could move much faster, but I need to move at a children¡¯s pace. There are a lot of children; we are carrying those we can in our arms, but most of them are running with us. They seemed to understand we were holding back our speed due to them and were running as fast as they could. We passed a couple of buildings when we turned and nearly skidded to a halt with horror appearing on our faces. ¡°Fuck!¡± Gensa cursed and did something shocking. She put down the child she was holding and ran away. She would not survive alone, with the number of undead, but her panicked heart didn¡¯t seem to understand that. ¡°Bastard!¡± cursed Norla. I didn¡¯t say anything, my eyes were on the group of fifty-something undead, not far away from us. We could not see them earlier, because of the buildings blocking our view. They are not the only undead. Not much behind them, three more groups, smaller them but combined, their numbers are close to a hundred. Seeing them, we ran even faster, when a thing happened, I desperately wished it wouldn¡¯t. The undead turned toward us, not one or two, but half, and soon, the whole group before moving toward us. ¡°We are dead. Nobody could save us now,¡± said Norla and I wish, I could ask her to shut up, but she is right. The group is big, and it is fast; much faster than us. They will reach us before we reach the tents. I could see the eyes of the guards looking at us, but there would be no help from them. They are busy with undead; they couldn¡¯t come to our rescue. I looked back the way we came, and, to my horror, I saw another big group coming. It''s not as big as this one, but it still has over thirty undead. ¡°We are going to die,¡± said Alva, and the girl seemed pretty calm about it. ¡°It is such a regret. That I won''t be able to learn magic; I wanted to cast at least one spell before dying,¡± added the young girl with a mirthless laugh. Hearing that, I stopped, and with me, the others. ¡°You will not die; no one will die,¡± I said and gave the child in my arms to her, while she looked at me in realization. ¡°Sister Mena, you can''t!¡± she said with tears appearing in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not die, without you all; I will be able to move much faster.¡± I replied with a smile. The girl is smart. The best assistant I could get. She could have easily stayed with the girls, but she followed me when I volunteered. I would not be able to forgive myself. If something happens to her. ¡°Now, go and run toward the tens!¡± I said, and she looked at me a moment longer, before following others who had already resumed their run toward the tens. ¡°Don¡¯t die, sister Mena!¡± she said, looking back. I smiled at her, before turning to the undead, with my heart becoming firm with resolve. I don¡¯t want to do this, but I need to. I have lived my life; it was full of struggle and sorrow, but there was also joy. Especially in the past one and a half years. It was the happiest time of my life. The young girl is only sixteen; there is so much for her to live. So are the children. Now that Master Silver became governor, he would keep them safe. At least, he will not let them suffer the horror, that I did. I am writing it all in the Madam¡¯s Message, as my last wish. ¡®I hope, this works,¡¯ I thought and activated, All Eyes On Me, before running away. It is the skill, that attracts attention and makes the people focus on me. It is a very good skill for the madam. Whenever I activate the skill; all eyes in the hall would turn toward me. Let¡¯s hope it works on the undead because if it doesn¡¯t, I will die as well as the Alva and children. A few seconds later, I looked back and saw the undead, who were after Alva and the group, coming toward me. Even the groups of undead behind them are coming toward me. They are fast. Seeing that, I activated the Shimmering Steps, and my speed increased. I wanted to activate the skill earlier, but I didn¡¯t want to go too far away from the undead, lest they focus back on Alva and others. I glanced at them and saw them running toward the tents. It will take them a while before they reach it and till then, I will have to keep them busy, until then. I started to push my skill hard, attracting even lone and small groups of undead that were moving toward them. It surprised me a little; I didn¡¯t think the skill would work so well. Maybe it is because of this extended range of the establishment. In the establishment, my skills are more powerful. Hun! I begin attracting the undead from every direction. Even those that were attacking the building. It gave a chance to people in those buildings and they, too, started to make a run toward the tents. The tens might not have the protection of walls as buildings have, but there are guards there, that could protect them. Now there are over two hundred undead and coming toward me. Even some of the undead attacking the guards are coming toward me. Though not all came toward me. Two undead caught up to Gensa, and it didn¡¯t take them long to kill her. I hated her for running away, but not for a second, I wished her dead. Seeing them killing her; I started to hate the undead more. ¡®I think it is time to use them,¡¯ I said, and a crystal bomb appeared in my hand. There were five boxes in the vault; three had already disappeared. Earlier, Barb had joked that each box was for one Madam. It seemed to be held true; seeing only one box had remained. It bombs appeared in my hand. It was red crystal with brown dots, with a single rune in the middle. It is also small, half the size of my thumb. I looked at it for a moment before throwing it toward the group of six undead. Boom! It went streaking through the air, before hitting the third zombie on the left and exploded. It was quite powerful, it instantly destroyed three undead and damaged the two on both sides. Boom Boom Boom! Seeing that, I threw the crystal bombs again and again. Killing zombies at every throw, but not fast enough. The zombies were coming toward me, and one group reached less than fifty meters. So, I changed the direction, while kept throwing the rune bombs now and then. There are too many of them, even with bombs. I couldn¡¯t kill them. They blocked every way, and I kept changing the direction, moving where there were fewer undead. Now that they are chasing me; I can take them anywhere. I want to take them, where there are enough guards to kill them. It would be great. If I am able to find a large enough group of guards. The number of undead behind me growing fast; making me feel, that I would truly die, and the death would be horrific. I don¡¯t want to die. I dared to dream after decades of despair. I would like to fulfill those dreams before dying. I will do it and the only thing I have to do, is to survive these undead. Finally, the group had reached the tents. Seeing that, I felt relieved. They are safe and now, I want to be safe. The undead are coming at me from every direction. There is not a single direction, where there are no undead, but I can¡¯t stop. I need to keep moving. I looked at my left. At the group of twenty-something undead. If I want to escape this siege, I will need to destroy them. The bombs appeared on both of my fists, and I threw them toward the group of twenty-something with all my strength while activating their runes with Switches Active. It is an amazing skill, especially to create an effect. I love to walk in the dark hallways, with lights lighting up with every step I take. I could activate any rune switch through it. The only condition is that I needed to be at a certain distance from the things, I am activating. Boom Boom Boom! The bombs exploded at once, creating a far more powerful explosion than I had hoped. It destroyed all undead. I didn¡¯t waste the opportunity and moved as fast as I could with Shimmering Steps. A minute passed, and over two hundred zombies were chasing me. They are fast, that I need to use everything, I have to maintain the distance between us. Hun! I made a turn and once again skidded to a halt as I saw a group of hundred-some zombies attacking another cordoned tent, with guards defending against them. More than half of those undead turned toward me. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed and changed the direction with two groups of zombies attacking me. I am really terrified and channeled all that fear to run away, while more and more zombies joined the groups. The number of zombies has already reached three hundred and increasing further, while I can run. Every second, I want to deactivate All Eyes On Me, which is attracting the undead, but the cost would be too high. These big groups will attack the buildings and tents. Kill thousands of people. They won¡¯t discriminate between adults and children; they will kill them all. A few minutes passed, and the number of undead had reached nearly five hundred. It is not just the skill attracting them anymore. I just think, it their own numbers are attracting them. Their numbers are getting higher. I am getting tired. Shimmering Steps aren¡¯t a long-range skill. It is not even a speed skill; it only contains a few elements of speed skill. I am using it as such despite the resistance. It is the only thing giving me the speed. If I didn¡¯t use it; the undead would catch me within a minute. I ran to another square as I reached it. Horror appeared on my face. There were hundreds of zombies attacking the building and tents on opposite sides. Seeing many of these undead turned toward me. It is not the number of undead that horrified me, but the direction of these two groups. With them coming from the two different directions; all roads for me had shut down. There are a few gaps, but zombies are coming from them too. If I had been close to the gaps; I might have been able to blast my way through, but they are far enough that by the time, I reach there; the big groups will fill that gap. ¡°This is it then,¡± I said in realization, while tears started to stream down my eyes. I knew I might die when I decided to attract the undead toward me to save them, but I still held the hope to live. A few minutes ago; I was almost sure, that I would survive. I controlled my emotions and turned toward the undead. There are no tears in my eyes anymore, but defiance. ¡®They will not kill me without paying a price,¡¯ This time, my purpose is not to get away from them but to get them as close to me as possible. I want all the groups to come close to me; this way effect of my last gift to the undead will be bigger. Raaaa Raaa Raaaaa I moved, changing direction every few seconds, whenever any group of undead got too close. It didn¡¯t take me long to achieve my objective, in less than a minute. Over seven hundred undead surrounded me, from all directions. ¡°I have been violated my whole life, but I will not be violated in my death!¡± I said in defiance as loudly as I could, using Madam¡¯s Voice Reaches All Corners, and sent my message to Master Silver. Most of my life; I lived with others will, but I will die on my own. The wooden box appeared in my hand, filled with crystal bombs as the undead had reached the five meters radius of me. Equal Spreading. I activated my gardening skills and spun, throwing the bombs in all directions around me. ¡°Farewell!¡± I whispered with a smile and activated all the bombs at once with the Switches Active. BOOOOOM! I heard the boom a moment later and saw the bright explosion that consumed me, along with all the undead.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Visit to read more than 10 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 341: Battles Everywhere Chapter 341: Battles Everywhere Safe-zone ¡°Whores are fighting, so are the common people. Even a small monster is fighting; I will be dammed if I Soren Arryn, just watch,¡± I said and took out the saber from my bag. It hadn''t been even five minutes since I saw that woman attracting a huge number of zombies, including those attacking this mansion, and using the rune bombs to wipe them out. She wiped out all the undead with the crystal bombs. Individually, those bombs are quite weak. Covering only a small area, but if used, in a large number at once; they create a powerful explosion. It was what happened. The explosion created by those hundreds of rune bombs was powerful enough to wipe out, over seven hundred zombies at the instant. It was sad but a glorious death. ¡°We have contributed more than enough by opening our warehouses, Vice-Guildmaster Soren,¡± replied Winston June, and many nodded. ¡°I am not asking you all to join me. I was just informing you of my decision,¡± I said with a smile and got up. I felt my body shaking, but also my heart beating in excitement. I had trained to be a warrior, but never taken a class, despite being offered several times. It is anathema in the family. There is a saying in the family. Why become a warrior when you hire hundred to protect you. ¡°Take care,¡± said Angela as I turned to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not die,¡± I said to her, kissed her on her cheek, before walking away, while the fellow merchants watched. Hun! I had just taken a step out of the hall when I heard the steps behind me and saw five people. Some surprised me, but I am glad they followed because the number of undead outside isn¡¯t small. The silver¡¯s whore had killed a lot of them, but more had gathered. Click! I opened the door and saw guards fighting the undead. It stopped us all in our tracks, some had never taken a step back. It is a sight that would put a fear in the heart of anyone. I wanted to run away, but I took a step forward and others followed. I could see the relief flooding into the eyes of the guards, seeing us not running away. There are too many undead. The guards are willing to take help from those they are supposed to protect. Such scenes are happening everywhere in the safe zone. Those who could fight begin to come out and fight the undead or help in any way they can to those who are fighting. Aware that if they didn¡¯t contribute; they would die. ... Lena Clang Clang! I defended against the three dark-ice spheres with my sword and dodged the rest. ¡°You are good, but I like to see how long you can continue to defend against my attacks,¡± said Necromancer Esalya and sent even more icy spiked spheres, covered in death energy. They are also big, each with a half a meter radius; it will only take one hit from them to finish one off. I was about to cast another defensive spell before dodging the attack when the familiar shields appeared in front of me. Bang Bang Bang The ice spheres clashed against the thick earthy shields. Which held on against the Grade 4 spells. Though the shields weren¡¯t able to defend against all of them; they had blocked enough that I could dodge the rest easily. I turned and saw Val coming toward me, along with Ed. They are chasing Rovid Vansgart, the dwarf blood armored warrior, who is looking quite worse. He soon joined Necromancer Daril and Esalya, while Val and Ed joined us eight. It is how that bastard Lich was able to get away. It had called its friend and two of them had helped it leave while keeping us right here and now another one had joined us. ¡°Looks like you were having a tough time against them,¡± said Val, looking at the two necromancers. ¡°They are powerful and now, with Vansgart joining them, they will be even harder to deal with,¡± I said, looking at them as they looked at us. ¡°Vansgart isn¡¯t strong. You and Major Hunriet, can better deal with him with your abilities while the rest of will handle the necromancers,¡± she said, looking at me and the orc. ¡°Those necromancers aren¡¯t easy,¡± I warned, to which she smiled. ¡°If they were easy; they wouldn¡¯t be High-Mages,¡± she replied and looked at two bone constructs and three big abominable armored zombies. There used to be two more armored zombies, but we had finished them. ¡°Fine; I will focus on Vansgart,¡± I said and turned to the man beside me. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Major,¡± I said, and the man nodded. A moment later, we moved toward the Rovid Vansgart. The spells came immediately from the necromancers, but Val, Ed, and other mages reacted immediately, putting shields and casting other spells. The necromancers are strong, but there are four mages against them. Val is very talented; it is not her first time, facing a high mage. If not for leaving adventuring after that incident. She would have become a high mage already. She has more than enough knowledge to become one and only needs the experience. Raaaa! The zombie screamed and tried to come at us, but was immediately stopped by Chief Garzong, Chief Bilgud and Captain Vandal. With the road cleared, we reached Vansgart. He was waiting for us and attacked immediately. He is a short man, but amazingly fast. I had caught a glimpse of his battles with Val and Ed. He is good; they were better. He had run away here to survive from them. The marks on his armor and shield were proof of the damage they had done to him. It was wise of him to run because they would have killed him. Though running away had only brought him a few minutes because I am going to kill the bastard. ¡°Die!¡± he shouted and attacked me with that thick blue sword. The attack is powerful. So much, that warriors like Major Hunriet couldn¡¯t take it directly, but I am not just a warrior. Blazing Sword. Aeraryns Armor. Fiery Strength. My sword lit up in fire, and fiery armor covered me. The third spell filled me with the strength, and I attacked with Searing Strike. Clang! Our swords clashed, and it shook me. If I had not activated the spells; it would have broken my bones and sent me back. Clang! As he clashed against me. He turned and defended the attack with Captain Hanriet, sending him back, before turning to me fast, to defend against the spell, I had cast. Bang Clang! My Fire Lance crashed against his shield before I attacked him right behind. Aiming for his head, but he quickly moved his shield forward to defend against my attack. Clang! As he did, he moved his sword back to defend against the attack from Major Hunriet without turning. He likely has a good flexibility skill, and he is using it, with all its worth. Despite defending at an odd angle, his sword had enough power to send the captain Hunriet back. Fire Burst! As he did, I activated the Fire Burst and the fire burst out of the ground. He seemed to sense the attack and moved really fast to dodge it, but some of the attacks still caught him. ¡°I hate mages!¡± he cursed and moved his sword to defend against my sword, but it is not the only attack coming at him. He dodged the attack by Major Hunriet by inch and moved his shield forward to defend against my spell, before clashing me with his sword and once again dodging the attack of Major, before defending against my spells. We are not planning on giving him a single second of rest. We are attacking him constantly every second, without any break. The bastard is good. He is flexible and fast, which one wouldn¡¯t expect from a man of his physique. He also had very good armor and defensive skills; he was able to bear a Grade 3 spell like Fire Burst. I am also grateful to Val and others, who had launched their offensive on the two necromancers. There were spells flying everywhere; some had flown past us. It had been over a minute since they started fighting and they had destroyed one bone construct already. I could see, the confident smiles on the faces of necromancers slowly disappearing. I launched a few more attacks and turned my gaze toward Commander Stone. I have to give it to that man; he is still alive and fighting. He is all bloody all over with armor, and shield dented, but still fighting hard against the Knight. He is also going through an awakening. He will die; there is no way he will be able to survive going through this process in such an environment. I had seen with my very eyes how dangerous an awakening could be. The leader of the first adventure group I joined had been Elder Blood. I was there when she had gone through the awakening; the woman had made all preparations, and we were at the most relaxing location, in the middle of a forest by a lake. It was her favorite spot. She wants to go through the awakening there. The whole team watched as she went through it and died, despite making every preparation. The powerful energies have started radiating from him, just like they did with her. Making Commander Stone stronger. It had made her stronger, that she broke half of her bounds, but there will be a time when he won¡¯t be able to hold those energies and his body will rupture till, he becomes a mess of flesh and blood. I looked at him for a moment before turning toward the legacy. The place where the legacy had been, before it was destroyed. Silver had gone there, with Lich following behind him. Earlier, he had told all the officers that if he went there. They shouldn¡¯t follow him. I wanted to follow him, but these necromancers have kept locked. It would have been an once case if the legacy had been standing. It had now been destroyed. It means all the advantages he could have there had disappeared, too. There was no way, he would be able to stand against the Lich, but more than an hour had passed since he had gone there, but he didn¡¯t return from it, and nor had the Lich. I tried to look, but strangely, the dust of the explosion still covered the area, and I couldn¡¯t see through it, no matter the spell, I used. Still, I will go there. Once I kill this bastard. Val likes him and owes him a lot of favors. I also liked him; he was one of the few people who had never judged. He looked at our relationship like it was a normal relationship. There is nothing forbidden about it. I pushed those thoughts away and was about to launch another attack when I suddenly stopped. It is just not just me, but others have also stopped, noticing the bright light. It was hard not to notice when Silver had lit up himself like a fucking torch. Someone had cast a radiance on him, making him shine like that. However, it is not what stopped us in our tracks, but what he is holding in his hand. It is too shocking to believe. ¡°Is that?¡± I asked and the dwarf-blood nodded. Though the question is for Major Hanriet, who is looking at Silver, in utter shock. He had done what nobody had expected him to do. Especially our enemies, who seemed even more shocked than us, seeing the thing in his hand. Some had even cast the spell to verify whether it was genuine or not. I didn¡¯t cast any spell; I felt it was real, despite having a hard time believing it. Visit to read more than 10 Advanced Chapters.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Chapter 342: End of Lich I Chapter 342: End of Lich I The Dark Beam came out of its staff, and immediately its expression changed seeing, that it was slightly less powerful than it should. Master of Legacy is an encompassing skill. It is capable of doing many things, including suppressing, the skills and the spells of the enemy. There is a reason why people say don¡¯t mess with the host of legacy in their own domain. Because we could do things; make you powerless if we wished it. When Legacy was a Grade I. I could suppress the power of Grade 1 spells or skills that are those below Lv. 10. I had tested it with a few girls. Casting a spell for a Mage below Lv. 10 was extremely difficult and even if they did. Its power would be weak enough, that it wouldn¡¯t even hurt a normal person. The same with skills. The legacy is now Grade II, but the Lich is a high mage, capable of casting Grade IV spells. The difference was huge and thus, I couldn¡¯t stop him with the power of legacy, but I could weaken his spells. Caena said the legacy will weaken the power of the Grade IV spells by about 20%. Which is huge. Aqua Shield. Radiant Bliss. Earth Shield. The death beam came at me, and I got up, while the shields appeared in front of me to defend against the beam of death energy. Bang! It crashed into the shield and broke into pieces, but in doing that, the spell had spent all its power. ¡°The legacy is still active,¡± it said, looking at me, feeling the power of the legacy. ¡°Wow, you are so, smart!¡± I mocked. I wanted to say ¡®No shit, Sherlock¡¯ but didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to say anything, that will even give it a hint of my previous life. It could not guess it, but I don¡¯t want to give any hints, seeing there is so much I don¡¯t know about this world. There are some skills and spells, I have heard about and they scare me. The less, I reveal; the safer, I will be. ¡°You must be really disappointed. Now, that you know, you can¡¯t kill me,¡± I said with a smile, but a moment later, a big grin appeared on its skull face. ¡°Nobody knows aside from me and as long as I kill you, nobody will know,¡± it said and Zorrins lightning came to me. Aqua Shield. Radiant Bliss Earth Shield X 2. The lightning clashed against the shields, while I moved back with the Blitz Steps, along with Minor Haste. ¡°You are so confident that you could kill me, but you forget, that you are in my domain,¡± I replied, dodging the bones spurting out of the ground. I could feel the spells; each bone spurt and could dodge them before they could impale me. ¡°The suppression is good, but it is not powerful enough to stop me. I will kill you and after that, I will go after everyone you care and love,¡± it said, with the fire its eyes blazing in sick light. ¡°I have a long list of people you love, and I am going to take my sweet time in torturing them,¡± he promised, and I have no doubt, it will do what it had promised. ¡°It is quite a big promise,¡± I said, and it laughed. ¡°Which, I will fulfill,¡± it said, and bones came out of its bag.Findd new stories at novelhall.com Visit to read more than 10 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 343: End of Lich II Chapter 343: End of Lich II Lich Savais ¡°How can this be?¡± I asked, as the revelation hit me. It is so, shocking that my soul begins to shake. Entertainment Legacies don¡¯t cast spells. I had never heard of one capable of casting it. The legacies that could cast spells are extremely rare. Most of them are magic towers and a few are arenas and some other things. They are extremely rare. In this entire continent of Zenid, where there are nearly a hundred legacies and only two are capable of it. The archmage tower is a prime example. It is a terror; it is considered the most powerful legacy, after the three titans. Now, this bastard¡¯s legacy is shooting the spells, and they are powerful, Grade III spells, despite their structure being a Grade II. They shouldn¡¯t have been able to jump the grade, but they are somehow doing it. I calmed my turbulent emotions and began to think rationally. A second later, a smile appeared on my face. Even, the powerful urge to escape had vanished my heart and also the feeling to kill him. I really like to kill the bastard, but him being alive is more important to me. His deathless would be extremely pleased by the news. I wanted to send the message immediately, but I did not. I am high enough in a hierarchy that nobody would read the message sent by me directly to his deathless, but there are always people taking risks and I have no dearth of enemies that would like to see me fall. The news is too big. Its value is immense. It would be a great idiocy to let others know of this news. I need to tell him the news personally to get the greatest benefits. If I played my cards right, then I might be able to get the specially forged body from his deathless; it will help me tremendously. I have to contain the news and defeat this bastard without killing him, which wouldn¡¯t be easy. Till now, it had defended against all my attacks. It seemed like, I would really need to use my trump spells. Which came with another problem, the energy to cast them. I am quite low on it. Less than 15% of it had remained. Usually, it is not a problem for me as I continue to get a constant supply of it from my phylactery. If I really need it, I could also pull it from the undead or the environment of heavy death. The bastard has used the power of his legacy to stop the energy coming at me. There is also a large of death mana here, but the bastard is denying it to me. He is also preventing me from taking mana from the undead. If I had access to energy, I wouldn¡¯t have been worried about using my trump spells. Hun! I was in my thoughts when suddenly I saw the ice spears coming, shining in radiant light. I was surprised to see the attack. It was the first time he had used an offensive spell; it seemed like he was getting desperate. He might not show it, but a person smart like him clearly understood the consequences of his secret. Dark Frost Shield My staff lit up, and the shield appeared in front of me. The attack is powerful for a Grade 3 spell, but I am High-Mage and even with suppressions, my spells are more than strong enough to effortlessly defend against it. Bang Bang Bang The spells clashed against the shield and scattered into the dust. I could see his expressions turning worse. I smiled, but a moment later, my expression turned somber, and cast, the first of my trump spells. Soul Freeze. It is a Grade IV spell of death and soul element. My most powerful spell, through which I had killed a Grand Mage. It is a spell exclusive to Liches. The necromancers could cast it, but they couldn¡¯t bring out the power as we could. We are experts in soul and our souls are stronger, with greater attunement to the death element. I am being extremely careful with it; I don¡¯t want to kill the golden egg. It seemed to sense it and tried to move, while defensive spells appeared around him. I was surprised to see, that they soul defensive spell. They are powerful and have enough numbers that they would have been able to stop the spell. If it had been cast by the necromancer, but mine is stronger. It was from his deathless¡¯s collection and all the spells in it are powerful. It is very good against such defensive spells. The invisible attack reached the shields and crushed through one shield after another. By the time, it had reached the bastard; it still had over 50% of its power. Hun! I could see the horror on his face as his face as the attack struck him. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, but it remained there only for a second before it froze when I saw the horror on his face turned to grin. ¡°I had expected the soul attack from the lich to be powerful, but it is just so-so,¡± he mocked, making my heart burn in anger. I was able to control it barely. ¡°How were you able to deal with the attack?¡± I asked, to which the grin on his face became bigger. ¡°You will know soon enough,¡± he replied, and I wanted to kill the bastard and this time, I didn¡¯t control my anger and cast my second trump spell. Soul Spikes! I saw invisible spikes of the soul element materialize. It is an area spell, but I am concentrating it all on him. This time, I didn¡¯t care whether I would seriously injure him. If he gets injured, his deathless will heal him. He sensed the attack, and the shields appeared around him to protect him, but the spikes tore through the shields around him, before reaching him. I watched him as the spikes hit him, but there was barely any reaction from him. ¡°It seemed like; I had underestimated you,¡± I said with my teeth clattering, looking into his smug eyes. The spells didn¡¯t hit him but ended up costing me a lot of energy. ¡°For it, you will pay with your life,¡± he said and began to take a step toward me. Till now, he had always maintained the distance between us, but now he is walking toward me with no fear in his eyes. I felt fear for the first time and that turned into rage. Now, I didn¡¯t care about the consequences anymore. I am going to use that spell despite the cost and dangers. It will kill him or turn him into a vegetable, but I don¡¯t care. The only thing, I care about is wiping that smug smile off his face. Soul Drain! I cast my strongest spell and immediately felt the weakness as a small part of me was cut by the spell, but it powered the spell. So much that the smug smile on the enemy¡¯s face had wiped out. Multiple shields appeared around him, but just as they appeared, they turned to dust. They had not even lasted for a moment before being destroyed. The spell hit him, and I saw his expression change to pain. I expected him to scream raw, but he just gritted his teeth and blood came out of his eyes and nose as he looked at me. ¡°I have to say; the spell is quite strong. It had injured me, and I will return the gift by reaping your life,¡± he said with a bloody smile, and something appeared in his hand. Seeing it, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen, and I cast Haste and Ghost Wind immediately to run as far away from that thing, as before he activated it. I had been an idiot; I should have guessed when he defended against my soul attacks. Only they are powerful enough to defend against our attacks. They are one of a few people that his deathless had warned us to be careful of. I need to get away from the bastard as soon as possible. I had even cast the message. I didn¡¯t even care about the news spreading, I needed to inform the deathless as soon as possible. Hun! I cast the message spell, and immediately my expression changed when I saw the message repelled back to me. ¡°Fucking witches!¡± I cursed and ran even faster when I felt something enveloping me. ¡°Oh, no!¡± I said with fear filling my heart as I felt my power decreasing. Grade 4 spells that were mine to cast felt restricted. I know, I would not be able to cast them in a short time and that scared me to death. I felt a genuine fear for the first time since I stepped into this wasteland. .... The charm burned with the activation and covered the lich. I felt its effect on the lich as it began to slow down rapidly. Its Grade 4 spells disappearing, and it won¡¯t be able to cast another one for a few minutes. There are three spells that Caena had given me. One, she had given me one while activated two with her own hands in the afternoon. The first spell is of the soul protection, which she considered paramount. According to her, my legacy is entwined with my soul. All legacies are, but mine is at a much deeper level. It is why, even if someone cast a Grade 6 spell on the establishment and turned it into dust. It will remain unaffected. It won¡¯t matter if the enemy destroys every inch of my legacy. It will remain as long as I am alive. No harm will come to it, even if my enemies had destroyed a hundred shells; it will not do anything. In her words. I am the true legacy. The second spell was the communication blockade. I had asked her to craft this spell. It is only covering the establishment. It is to protect my biggest secret. Enemies would only realize the truth here when I am against them alone, and that could only happen here. It is very hard on the battlefield with tens of mages; they would not guess even in their dreams that legacy is casting the spell. The third one, I had activated. It is a powerful suppression spell. Caena isn¡¯t weak, she is as strong as this lich. She had told me, she had crossed Lv. 30, before her class upgraded and regressed in level, but not in power. The Lich had turned to Mage from High-Mage. His spells are as strong as mine now. The reason I had waited so long and spent so much emotion essence was because Stone had told me, to do it after it had spent a lot of its energy. It will give me a better chance of killing it, compared to when it was at its full strength. Even at Grade III. Dealing with it wouldn¡¯t be an easy kill. It, being low on energy will make things much easier. Sup Sup Sup! The lich reacted immediately and sent bone lances toward me, while Bone Construct also came at me, but their speed was much slower than before. Bang Bang Bang! I looked at the lances, and the shields appeared in front of me and the smile on my face. I had fought with it, but I have not revealed my full spells and all tricks of my establishment. It is time; I show that, and I am doing it same time. Blessing of Dusk X 6. Radiance of Dusk X 6. Sword of Dusk X 6. I activated eighteen divine spells at once, and I activated it right at it, barely an inch away from its skin, or rather the bones. Me saying it is my domain; it is not just the pretty words. It is the truth. I could activate the spell at any place, by passing the field of presence. That is around every person, it is especially powerful among mages, and it is extremely difficult to cast a spell close to them, but I am casting it to an inch. Even that inch wouldn¡¯t have remained. If not for the difference in level. It sensed the attraction and was able to cast spells. The spells that hadn''t fully formed and were being suppressed. It didn¡¯t take much effort for my spells to break through them and strike the Lich. Ahhhhhh! The lich had stopped in its tracks and screamed. Eighteen divine spells are too much; a well-hit single spell could do good damage and there are eighteen. They are of the divine element, the anathema of the undead. Blessing of Dusk X 6. Radiance of Dusk X 6. Sword of Dusk X 6. I didn¡¯t waste any seconds, or care for the cost before I hit it with another eighteen spells. I don¡¯t want to take any chances; I like to finish the bastard as soon as possible. Hun! I reached close, but not too close as I watched the lich burn in the divine energy, when I sensed something. Its body fell down, but I am not looking at it. I am looking at the soul floating above. It had sacrificed the body to save the soul. The soul is invisible to normal eyes but in my domain. It is clear as the day. ¡®You will pay for this bastard. I will tell his deathless everything. You just watch how he will turn your life into hell!¡¯ he threatened in a ghostly voice and moved at incredible speed. ¡°You will not!¡± I said and an iron-grey planet, with faint translucent silver, appeared in front of me. I gently tapped on it. Immediately, the plant covered the whole territory of the establishment, before shrinking and appearing in front of me as before. Though now it is not empty anymore. There is something inside. I looked inside the planet and saw the lich bound by hundreds of iron-silvery translucent chains, screaming, struggling to get away. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Chapter 344: Two Kills Chapter 344: Two Kills The planet is called ¡®Prison¡¯. I was very confused when she told me about it. I mean, why would we need a powerful enchantment spell like this? But now, I am really glad, to have it. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch and imprison Lich¡¯s soul without it. It is a powerful soul, but powerless without a body. A soul cannot project power without a body. It will remain in prison, without ever hope of getting out. It seemed to sense me looking at him and stopped struggling. The soul of Lich is in the barren ground, bound in translucent silver chains. It looked at me and a grin appeared on its face, surprising me. ¡®I have to say, it is quite shocking. I had never expected something like this from the legacy.¡± ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t be shocked; I could feel the witch¡¯s magic all over it and it seemed to be imprinted on it before it turned to legacy,¡± It got shocked to hear that, but quickly controlled my emotions. ¡°I was quite shocked too,¡± I replied, and confusion appeared on its face, but it pushed it away, with the grin on its face becoming bigger. ¡°His deathless, going to love this,¡± it said, and I shook his head. ¡°You are not going anywhere from here,¡± I replied and it simply kept grinning. He didn¡¯t say any further, but I got the answer, I was looking for. I shouldn¡¯t have wasted the time, but I wanted a reason, seeing how huge the source of information the lich could be. Alas, it is too dangerous. I tapped on the planet and immediately, radiant lightning covered the sky of the whole planet. Seeing it, the grin on its face turned to horror as it realized, what I was planning to do. ¡®Please don¡¯t kill me! I could be a big he¡¯ its plea cut off mid-way, as the first arc hit its soul. Ahhhhhh It begins to scream in pain as more and more arcs of lightning fall down on it. They kept falling on it, even when it had stopped screaming. I thought ten bolts would be more than enough to finish up the lich, but it took a hundred and twenty-three before I felt it dying and true soul leaving. A soul couldn¡¯t be killed. It is eternal, what I had killed is just a shell. The true soul of it left; it wouldn¡¯t go to any divine domain, but directly to the universe''s quintessence. The lich had truly died, taking everything it knew with it. I hate what I did. Lich would have been a treasure trove of information, but Stone had warned me, that its phylactery isn¡¯t the only thing, that could pull his soul back. He had heard that the undead king of Vris¡¯alud was capable of doing that too and warned me not to give in to the temptation. If I am able to capture the soul of the lich. Legacy might be able to stop the phylactery, but it won¡¯t be able to stop the undead king. It is far too powerful. So, much so that even Helena Salazar isn¡¯t his match. Hun! Everything cleared on the planet, and I was about to deactivate it away when suddenly, I stopped. In the place where the lich had been, there is a puddle of black and transparent, translucent liquid. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± I exclaimed in shock. I am pretty sure what this is, and it is extremely valuable. As valuable as emotion essence and sometimes more, depending on demand, and now, I have a puddle worth of it in front of me. It froze my mind for a few seconds before I could think straight. ¡®I will deal with it later,¡¯ I thought and made the planet disappear. I quickly collected everything, the bone constructs and the body of the lich, including the bags. I put it all into the vault, before walking away. The battle isn¡¯t finished and till it isn¡¯t finished, I will fight, like the rest of my people are fighting. Soon, I walked out of the establishment and saw the battle, which had turned to become even more intense. Everybody is fighting like their life depends on it and it is not just theirs, but also on their families and friends in the safe zone. Many thoughts came to my mind when I thought about the safe zone, but I pushed them all. It is not a time, to think about them. My eyes fell on Stone, who is now covered in dense wisps of bronze energy. The energy coming out of him is powerful but really unstable. Anyone with even basic knowledge of awakening could tell how disastrous it was going for him. I looked for a second before I took out the body of the lich and radiance on me. I could feel eyes turning toward me and soon, more than half of the battlefield looked at me with shock in their eyes. I waited for the second more, before opening my mouth. .... Lena ¡°Lich is dead,¡± said Silver, holding the body of the lich in his hand, with radiance covering him. It shocked everybody, even our enemies. There is a question there about who had killed the lich. Nobody intelligent thinks, that Silver did it. It is nearly impossible for him to do that, and it would be harder, even if he had been at Lv. 30. Mages always have an advantage and Liches are especially dangerous. If the mage is good enough, then they won¡¯t have a problem killing several warriors of the same level in a short time. ¡°The undead is dead. It is time, that you die too,¡± I said to Vansgart and attacked. ¡°It will be you. Who will die, little spell blade,¡± he replied and moved his shield to ram against my attack. Clang! The shields crashed against my sword, shaking me, but at the same time, fire burst out of the ground. I have been observing him for an hour and know how he would defend against my attack. I time the spell perfectly, when we clash; it is time. He could not retreat fast, and he did not. The Fire Burst spells covered him, but it was not enough to kill him. His armor offers good elemental protection, but also has a good defensive skill. That attack, which would have killed a person or would gravely injure them, had just given him the small injuries. Clang! I attacked him again, and he blocked it with its sword while moving his shield to defend against the attack from Major Hunriet, before moving it forward to defend against Scorching Bolts, I had released. Major Hunriet tried to use that opportunity and attacked, but he defended with his sword, before attacking him, while defending against my attack with his shield. Rip! A wound appeared on Major Hunriet. It is not big, but it is bleeding; it is the sixth wound he had given him, and the skills make it really hard to heal. He came at me with the attack. I didn¡¯t retreat and attacked with the Fiery Strength and Blazing Sword. Clang Clang! Our swords clashed, shaking me hard before he turned to defend himself against Major Hunriet''s attack. I took the chance to drink, the mana potion. A tiny sip with a lot of unwillingness. My reserves are low, and I have drunk the three bottles of potion already since the battle began. Drinking more will cause mana poisoning, and the speed of mana recovery will also be slow. So, I took a sip of mana potion that silver had provided. As I drank it. I felt a burst of emotions, that made my tiredness go away and my mana, which had gone below 10% began to recover fast. fastest it had ever done. I was not planning to use the potion. I was planning on keeping it for an emergency; this is an emergency and showing it off to my teammates. It is extremely hard to get your hands on the potion with emotion essence, even with the money. I had taken one tiny sip, but I had ended up drinking a third of it from the half bottle. I turned to the enemy, feeling angry that he made me drink the potion. However, I didn¡¯t take any action in anger. Another injury appeared on Major Hunriet, and he was going for another attack when I blasted him with Fire Blast and a couple of Charge Fireballs. ¡°You are really annoying me,¡± he said angrily. ¡°What can you do about it?¡± I challenged. He didn¡¯t answer and instead came at me with a powerful attack. I responded and the third time, I didn¡¯t hold back at all with my reserves being full. Clang Clang Clang! My blade clashed against his sword and shield, while Major Hunriet provided the support. A lot of my spells are hitting him, but the bastard is too protected for me to cause any actual harm. He is also very alert against me. He would take a chance on Major Hunriet, despite him being covered in my buff spells, but never against me. Even when he attacked me; he would always be ready to defend against the spells I threw at him, which made it very hard for me to do considerable damage. If he had been on the same level as me. I would have turned him into cinders by now, despite the turtle shell he is wearing. He is a tough opponent, but I will kill him. I only need to find a chance. Clang Clang Clang! A few more minutes have passed, and we kept attacking. Major Hunriet is slowing down because of his injuries as the Vansgart isn¡¯t giving him the chance to drink the potion. The bastard seemed to notice that as well. He begins focusing on the man more. I am trying everything I can, and it is effective as the enemy also begins to slow down because of his injuries, but not fast enough. If this continued, he might be able to deal with Major Hunriet before I dealt with him. I looked around, and I saw the battles for me, become intense. Eight of them are attacking the necromancers with everything they have, and the necromancers are responding in kind. They are powerful and, if not for talented mages, like Val and powerhouses, like Paladin, Carr wouldn''t been there. Many would have died already, some seemed to be close to that. Clang! I attacked him with my sword, which he defended with his shield, and, like always, he moved at the Major Hunriet, while spells hit him. Hun! This time, it was different; I recognize it, the moment he took a step toward Major. He is faster than even at his peak. Clearly, the bastard had been holding back. ¡°Major!¡± I screamed in warning and saw the man moving. He had been holding back some power and with my buffs, retreated quite fast, but not fast enough as the enemy reached him. ¡°Die, you bastard!¡± roared Vansgart and attacked. His sword easily avoided Majors. He is going for wound for wound, but unlike him, Major Hunriet doesn¡¯t have heavy armor protecting him and while he has Aeraryns Armor covering him, it won¡¯t be enough. Puch! The sword of Vansgart was swift and pierced through the Majors chest, before coming out at the other side. Major watched him with wide eyes, before a grin appeared on his face, while blood spilled out of his mouth. Vansgart immediately sensed something wrong, but it was already too late. ¡°For Panar!¡± he said. Transfer Spell. Ignite. I activated my skill and attacked with the spell. Thud! Immediately, Vansgart''s eyes widened, and he took a step back, before falling on the ground with steam coming out of every gap in his armor. It is not Vansgarts sword that reached Major Hunriet; his sword had also reached Vansgart. Buried only a centimeter into his flesh through the gap of his armor. Which is enough to activate Ignite, through the Transfer Spell, which let me cast one spell through an ally. ¡°Major Hunriet!¡± I shouted and caught him before he fell. I removed the potion to feed him but stopped seeing the life had already left his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. ¡®He will be with his family!¡¯ I said and closed his eyes. His family had been killed by the undead. The few words, I had spoken with him in the morning were him telling me; that he would sacrifice his life to avenge the city and family, which the man did. I laid him gently and turned to battle; only to see a shocking thing. Thin diamond spikes pierced into the Necromancer Esalya''s face, before she got cut into two by Paladin Carr. The two Lv. 30s are dead and when I looked at third, I saw fear in his eyes. He knew, the kind of trouble he was in and began to run away, while we moved to stop him. There is no way, we are going to let him escape. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 345: Knights End Chapter 345: Knights End Bartram Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 346: New Dawn Chapter 346: New Dawn ¡°Stone!¡± I screamed, seeing him falling, but wasn¡¯t able to reach him quickly enough, before his whole body fell down on the ground hard. I had been following behind him, watching the intense battle that raised all the hair on my body. I don¡¯t think, I would be able to last against the Knight, even with the help of the establishment. Especially with that artifact in his hands. It would have crushed through every shield I put in front of him. I reached Stone and what I saw couldn¡¯t help, but scare the hell out of me. I wanted to get as far away from him as possible. His whole body turned purple with magic poison, and had dense bronze energies covering him, that even I didn¡¯t dare to touch him. However, the thing that scared me was the intensity of the energies inside him. They are powerful and unstable, I don¡¯t think. I would survive if those energies erupted out of his body. Hun! I was thinking about what I should do when I looked left and a couple of seconds later, a woman walked into the view. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in a safe zone?¡± I asked Caena, seeing her appear. ¡°Things have nearly stabilized there and besides, I feel, I might be more needed here,¡± she said, and she couldn¡¯t be more right. ¡°Can you save him?¡± I asked, with hope rising in my heart. ¡°I would have said no. if we weren¡¯t standing in the legacy, but even with it, the chances are extremely slim,¡± she replied, looking at Stone. ¡°Try. Even if it is futile,¡± I said, and she nodded and appeared beside me. I left him in his care and walked away. I want nothing more than to stay and watch, but there is a battle needed to finish. Soon, I appeared close to the battle, and the people turned to me. The enemies had already realized that winning wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Five of the eight of their powerhouses are dead, one has surrendered. Only two are fighting and they are doing that only because they are still thinking that Knight is alive. Well, it is time; I tell them the truth with little proof. ¡°The Knight is dead,¡± I said, and the head of the knight appeared in my hand, with radiant light covering me. The moment those words came out of my mouth; the vast change occurred across the battlefield. The enemies started to run away, and powerhouses stopped fighting. They started to retreat, but where would they retreat? We had already massacred more than half of the horde fighting there, with many pillars dead. They can not run anywhere since there are mines everywhere aside from the place I am standing. There Valentina and others have appeared, blocking that path too. ¡°Kill all those who do not surrender!¡± I said, with the sword raised, and ran toward the battlefield. The others moved, with their target being the two Lv. 30 powerhouses. They moved to escape, with our moving to stop them. It is really hard to stop them; especially the assassin who is avoiding every spell and skill being thrown at her. She is coming at me, and she is extremely fast. I looked at her and readied myself. She will not get to me without paying a price. ¡°You will die by my hand, just not today,¡± promised the assassin, before taking the sharp right into the minefield. Many others tried but exploded into pieces. There are a lot of mines; they would have survived it, but they are also needed to deal with the attacks from our powerhouses, which makes a journey through the minefield difficult. Many pillars begin to surrender, while some have led the suicide charge. We dealt with each and every one of them. I was able to snipe a few with my spells. Minutes passed, and the undead got killed, one after another. They are much easier to kill now. There is no direction from the pillars; the last necromancer, who had been commanding them, had also escaped. Making them even weaker. It took a while, but we had killed every undead on the battlefield. There were no cheers or claps. Just a relief mixed with joy and grief. We have defeated the undead, but the victory was not without a cost. If someone had told me the result of yesterday and given me the choice to surrender and fight. I would have chosen to surrender as long as the undead had accepted my conditions. ¡°Lord Silver; the enemy has been defeated,¡± informed Lt. Colonel Aazalea. After Stone, she is the highest-level officer on the battlefield, since Colonel Cardin is staying in the safe spot. ¡°Remove all the communication blocking tools. Send the scouts out. We need to know what is happening and see if you can catch those escaped,¡± I ordered. ¡°It will be done, my lord,¡± she said and left, while I went back to my work. I am casting healing spells on the two circles where they have placed the injured. Some are in critical conditions and need the spells to survive. I continued casting spells for nearly half an hour before I stopped and turned to three people in front of me. Zela, Stena and Shaun. ¡°Is Stone dead?¡± asked Zela, with a quivering voice and grief in their eyes. ¡°Not yet,¡± I replied, and a surprise flashed in their eyes. ¡°Will he survive?¡± she asked with hope filling her eyes. ¡°The chances are slim, but we are trying,¡± I replied. Caena is trying. The magic she is weaving is kind of scary. She is using one of the planets, but as supplementary aid, most of the magic is hers. They looked at me but didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Understanding, they wouldn¡¯t get a reply to that. ¡°The blockade had opened. There are a lot of messages for you,¡± she said, and the first news is confirmation of information that Eli¡¯s bird had brought. Though it is the second news that I didn¡¯t like. ¡°Another horde had come out of Ashton Harbor yesterday. It had divided into two after reaching Almin. Half of it had stayed there, while the other half is moving toward the Panar.¡± My expressions couldn¡¯t help, but turn bad hearing it. ¡°The merchant states had put out a notice that the traffic on the river will resume tomorrow,¡± she added before I could ask any questions. Hearing that, a small relief flooded my heart. There is a blockade on the river by the undead, but the merchant state has just declared that trade will resume from tomorrow. It means the blockage will be removed tomorrow, which will provide us with some breathing space. Merchant state isn¡¯t weak. It is as strong as Navr or more and Vris¡¯alud, won¡¯t try to antagonize it, especially when it is given a chance. They created a blockage, and the merchant state followed, and now, they want to open it from tomorrow. If the undead doesn¡¯t remove the blockage, it will be removed forcefully. The merchant state had said it publicly, and they won¡¯t have their words taken lightly. Besides, it is the best time for the merchant-state. Any delay and they will suffer the loss. The civil war has begun in the empire and the parties fighting need a lot of things from food to feed their people to weapons to fight their battle. The merchants could tolerate anything aside from loss of business. It is their red line. ¡°Has the battle at Port Midlet concluded?¡± I asked, to which she shook her. ¡°No, they are still fighting. Though the information states that, it is the final battle and will end by the late morning,¡± ¡°There is another battle being fought by Riverbell and the city is doing good, according to the information,¡± she replied. The horde that went for the south-east. I had expected it to attack Riverbell. As the horde was too small to attack, Deerpond. I truly hope they don¡¯t succeed. If I were to choose between the victory of the undead at Port Midlet and Riverbell. I would choose Port Midlet, because Riverbell is very important to me. The undead had nearly blocked the western land route with the capturing of Amin and Panar. That only leaves me the river route to reach the empire and other western kingdoms. If the undead have conquered the Riverbell. They would gain the ability to block this route whenever they please; they might keep it blocked, which nobody would like to happen. Nor me, nor Deerpond, nor the merchant states at the least. ¡°Inform our neighbors of the result of the battle, but keep information to the minimum,¡± I said to her. She nodded and sent the messages. I needed to reply to a few important ones, like those coming from the merchant state and Deerpond, but I let Zela deal with the others with Steven''s help. Soon, the healers and doctors arrived on the battlefield and began to operate on those who couldn¡¯t be shifted. The rest were shifted to the hospital. The army is working. A few thousand had gone to a safe zone, to kill any stray undead, while a few thousand began to scout through the city. I will not let the people out of the safe zone before we have the whole city safe. An hour passed, and I got to know many things that happened while I was fighting here. Some made me beam with pride, while others have brought tears to my eyes. I was still replying to the messages, when I saw Lt. Col Aazalia coming toward me, with Lt. Colonel Julian and Valentina; her mood didn¡¯t look good. ¡°My lord,¡± they greeted. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, feeling a little worried. ¡°The two got away,¡± she replied, and relief flooded into my heart. I was expecting something else, like a sighting of another horde, that we are in no condition to deal with. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself too much. Lt. Col. One was a mage, and the other was a rogue. Our abilities would have been far too shocking if we were able to catch them,¡± I said, which seemed to ease her expression. ¡°Everyone other than them has been killed or surrendered. It won¡¯t take us long to finish up the stray undead,¡± she informed. ¡°Good, finish as soon as possible. We need to bring the people out of the safe zone,¡± I said. It is too crowded and such places aren¡¯t good for the order; I need to let them out of there before any incident occurs. She left soon after, with Lt. Col Julian. Leaving Valentina, who sat beside me. ¡°So, the legacy?¡± she asked, sounding worried. ¡°It is fine. Though, I have to build it anew,¡± I said, with a sadness and excitement. ¡°I want the project,¡± she said, with her eyes shining brightly like a sun. I had never seen her as excited as I am right now. This is understandable; it is the opportunity of the lifetime, that extremely few had got it over the ages. Many have worked on the legacy, but a few have built from scratch after turning it into the legacy. For most, the building is a legacy. If it is destroyed, the legacy too would be destroyed. The idea had already begun to be developed in mind. It is something the world had never seen before. ¡°I am glad you are staying,¡± I said after a moment of silence, to which she smiled. ¡°This is my home; I am not leaving,¡± she said, taking my hand in hers. Convincing people to stay is going to be one of the biggest challenges in front of me. Many would want to leave after what they had experienced. I have some advantages, seeing what is happening in the empire, but I will have to play them well to make maximum people stay. It is just the one challenge. There are more from decrepit finances to rebuilding the parts of the city that had been destroyed. There is also the question of the army. The undead will attack again without a doubt, this time we were able to defeat them, but next time, they will be more prepared. I will need to be prepared to deal with that. I took a deep breath and looked up. The sun has started to come out of the clouds, erasing the darkness of the night. It is a new dawn for the city with me leading it, and I will not let it down. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 347: Victory Chapter 347: Victory Vris¡¯alud ¡°Savais is dead. I can¡¯t pull out his soul,¡± said the pale man sitting on a huge ivory throne before turning to a middle-aged man standing in the center of the huge dark hall. It shocked the middle-aged man. His deathless could effortlessly pull the soul of any lich. It didn¡¯t matter if it was imprisoned in a powerful spell or tool. If he willed it; it will appear. There are only a few exceptions, like artifacts or the powerful witches and shamans, but most of them don¡¯t interfere in the business of his deathless or not powerful enough to do so. ¡°I want complete details of the battle of Greltheaven,¡± ordered the pale man. There was a slight disappointment, but no anger in his eyes. The defeat did not anger him. If every small defeat had angered him, they wouldn¡¯t have conquered 75% of the island in less than five years. However, there would be some punishment for this defeat as there are rewards for the victory. ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± said the middle-aged man and bowed deeply. .... Meldhorn ¡°Well, it is quite unexpected. I truly had not thought that they would be able to defeat the undead,¡± said the man with a smile. ¡°It was unexpected and some of that credit goes to us. They used our intelligence and weapons, we had sold to the prince,¡± said the old man, making the blond-haired man smile. A moment later, his expression turned serious. ¡°Have you asked them?¡± he asked, and the old man nodded. ¡°Yes, my lord. All of them had confirmed, that they didn¡¯t sense the demise,¡± Just like the birth of the legacy; all other legacies sense the death of legacy. It cannot be hidden. ¡°A marked legacy. The only one on the entire continent, aside from that,¡± said the man, with his eyes filling with indescribable thoughts. ¡°Yes, they are extremely rare, and most of them cross Grade III with enough time,¡± replied the old. The man in the head seat nodded but didn¡¯t say anything. Though he turned his eyes toward the direction of Greltheaven; thinking only he knows what. ..... Lauryl Town ¡°So, he won,¡± said Baron Harrods with a smile on his face, with surprise hidden beneath. ¡°My sources say that they had killed eight of the ten Lv. 30+ powerhouses that attacked them and adviser Silver has personally killed the lich,¡± said Baron Homer, sounding pleased. He looked woman sitting beside him. She didn¡¯t say anything, but there was a small smile on her face. Snort! Though not everybody is pleased. The expression on the middle-aged man with the dark blue hair, which is almost black, is stiff as he snorts. Feeling the gaze of everyone, he loosened them and put a smile on his face. He is Baron Lockridge, and he is the one who had called this meeting. There are six barons here, each with considerable influence on the baronies. He had called them to discuss a daring proposal. Something which he wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about yesterday, but the developments that happened yesterday and the information he got today had forced him. He could tell some like an old man and the woman beside him already seemed to guess his intentions and felt receptive. ¡°Why are you called us here, Baron Lockridge?¡± asked the old man Harrods and nervousness flashed in his eyes for a moment. He is not a nervous man, but he is planning to propose something that could get him hanged. It is the risk he is willing to take for the massive rewards that it will offer. ¡°I have called you all here to present a proposal,¡± said Baron Lockridge. ¡°What proposal?¡± asked Baron Oliver immediately. ¡°A proposal to....¡± ..... ¡°Wait here,¡± I said and walked ahead, with every step I took, the surrounding mist got denser till there was nothing but dense mist before it parted into a circular shape. There is a square black stone-bed in the middle made out of spells and on it is Stone. Seeing the state he was in, a shock couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. He had nine palm-sized gem daggers buried in different parts of his body. They are burning like a lamp with a very dense bronze flame around them, which is being absorbed by the planet floating above. The whole body is painted with strange symbols and runes forming a star, with many herbs, roots, gems, and other things in between. They are shining in powerful energies roaring inside him and they are much stronger than before. Even now, I feel like, he could explode any time. The energies may be stronger, but they didn¡¯t seem to be doing damage. I didn¡¯t see rupturing and the purple marks of magical poisoning had also seemed to have gone paler than before. ¡°He looks good,¡± I said. Hearing that mirthless smile, appeared on her face. ¡°I did everything I could, but it, is very likely, he will die unless the elder-blood inside him calms down,¡± she said, looking at Stone. ¡°That is good enough. Let''s hope he survives.¡± I said and turned to leave. I could see she worked hard. What she had was quite shocking already. We can now leave everything to fate and hope, that he came out through it alive. ¡°Wait!¡± she said as I moved to leave. I turned back to her and saw the blackened bone in her hand. I recognize this bone; there are a huge number of them near the legacy. They are bones belonging to the undead. The explosion was powerful enough that it had charred the bones of the undead. ¡°When the legacy exploded, lich and necromancers drained the death energy from the undead to save themselves. Creating a temporary vacuum, which was immediately filled by the magic crystal energies and burning emotion power they were carrying,¡± she said. ¡°Meaning?¡± I asked, feeling confused. ¡°Everything that has the emotion is expensive. I feel like these will sell for good money,¡± she replied. Seeing that, my eyes lit up. Money is the thing, I need the most. I have to pay a lot of people. Merchants, mercenaries, soldiers, and many other people. If bones had value, I would sell them; I didn¡¯t have any inhibition against it as long as it gave me the money. ¡°I will ask them to collect it,¡± I said and walked away. Soon, I walked out of the mist, with Zela and Jon, other guards, waiting for me by the carriage. ¡°How is he?¡± asked Jon, worried. ¡°Alive,¡± I replied, before turning to Zela. ¡°As for them to collect all blackened bones around the establishment,¡± I said, and the questions appeared in her eyes. ¡°They have absorbed some of the burning emotions and might be worth something,¡± I replied. ¡°I will inform Colonel Cardin, immediately,¡± she replied. I nodded and entered the carriage. Lt. Col Azalea is still responsible for the army, until the Stone wakes up, while Colonel Cardin is responsible for supply and other things. The carriage moved; giving me the look of destroyed buildings. It is not the undead that did that, but us, and it worked. Now we will have to rebuild it all. ¡°I had looked at the damage and it is not big. The walls are relatively unscathed. The only damage is to buildings; it will be a costly affair, but not as much as we had expected,¡± Robin said. ¡°It is not the only thing, that we need the money for. The count had drained the whole treasury before escaping,¡± I said, feeling the anger rising in my heart. The bastard hadn''t only escaped, but taken all the money with him. The money belongs to the city. It was quite a lot since that cheapskate barely spent on anything. ¡°It will be hard, but I am confident that you will somehow be able to manage it,¡± he said. ¡°I wish I had the same confidence as you,¡± I replied, to which he smiled. Soon, the carriage stopped, and we walked out of it. It is not the mansion we had walked out of, but the city hall. I had said to myself, that if I survive, I will shift to the city hall. I am doing it; it is far more efficient than working from the mansion. Click! We entered inside and a minute later, into my new office. It is not empty; Ina and Lola were here and also the files and everything, that were in the office at the mansion. I nodded at them and focused my eyes on something else. I don¡¯t think, I could face those eyes; like me, they are too suppressing their emotions. Their friend has died. Someone they have known for years. ¡°Try to find out if they will forcefully remove the blockade if the undead don¡¯t remove it,¡± I said to him. ¡°I will,¡± he replied. We need the blockade to be removed, not only for the breathing space it will give us but also because we need resources urgently. Specifically, the healing potions. The bastard Count had not prepared for battle; there were barely any resources in the strategic stores. Though there is a question of paying for it, since we don¡¯t have any money. There are several options, including taking a loan and asking for the aid. Getting a loan would be hard, banks wouldn¡¯t give loans to a city, that could be captured at any moment by undead, but there was some positive response about the aid from our rich neighbor. I am even planning on selling the drops of emotion essence I have. There are a few drops, including the ones, I got as a gift. I don¡¯t want to do it, but there is no choice. ¡°Port Midlet had won the battle,¡± said Zela, bringing me out of my thoughts. ¡°Good,¡± I said, feeling relieved. Seeing the undead capturing one city after another made me quite scared. This is their second defeat after the Greltheaven. I hope they suffer the same fate, Renwell. There is a chance they will; I heard a few things that make me believe it might happen. However, I didn¡¯t dare to let my hopes go up. ¡°Any news on Lancel and others?¡± I asked. Count is dead, I have proof of that, but there is no news on Lancel. Though it won¡¯t matter if he is alive as well. He will not have the city, which we have defended with blood. Click! Soon it was afternoon, and the door of my office opened. Lt. Col Azalea entered with Colonel Cardin. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± they greeted. ¡°Sit, both of you,¡± I said, looking at faces that had a small smile. ¡°All the undead had been eradicated. We have also removed all the unexploded mines around the safe zone and entertainment district,¡± informed Captain Azealia, bringing a big smile to my face. ¡°Very good. Open the safe zone but in phases. We don¡¯t want any accidents in the rush,¡± I ordered. ¡°Will do, my lord,¡± she replied and turned her eyes toward Colonel Cardin. ¡°We had also found something in the place. You had asked us to look,¡± said Colonel Cardin, with a small smile on his face becoming slightly bigger. When the undead came into the city; they had slowed down for a few minutes. At that time, Knight, Lich, and Necromancer Esalya had entered one building for a minute before coming out. I had forgotten about it, but remembered before leaving for the city hall, and asked them to check it out. ¡°What did you find?¡± I asked, and both of them smiled brightly. ¡°It will be better to show you,¡± he said and turned toward the door. ¡°Bring it in,¡± he said, and the door of my office opened and nine people came in. Eight of them are holding the four big chests, while the ninth one is holding the box with several iles bags. Thud Thud Thud! They placed the chest down with heavy thuds, which made my heart beat even more wildly. ¡°Open them,¡± said Lt. Col Azalia, and the chests began to open one after another. Showing me shining imperials. It isn¡¯t just imperials, but there are also precious gems and other things in there. The last one contains potions and small wooden boxes, which are likely magical resources. ¡°There are more in the bags,¡± she added, and I turned to the box filled with the iles bags. ¡°This is a rough estimate, we have made of things we have found,¡± said Col Cardin and handed me the file. I opened the file and read it quickly before my eyes stopped at the final number. It is huge money. Not enough to solve all our problems, but enough to give us a good breathing space. They have likely gotten it from the two cities. It is unlikely from their treasuries. It is most likely from the people, they have killed and captured. I closed the file and turned to Zela. ¡°Contact Margaux and ask her to send the storages of Knight and Lich from the vault,¡± I said to her. She nodded and sent the message, while I turned to the two in front of me. Feeling much better now that I have some money in my hands. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 348: Even If He Is Alive Chapter 348: Even If He Is Alive ¡°There is a message from Dustorn Fortress,¡± said Zela, and I turned toward her from the window. ¡°Has he reached there?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. ¡°They are saying that it is High-Mage Beaumont, High-Mage York, and three mercenaries that appeared two hours ago,¡± she replied. They appeared two hours ago, and they are informing us now. ¡°Ask them about the Lancel?¡± I asked. ¡°He is not there, but a message from High-Mage York, states the same thing, we had got from our prisoner,¡± she replied. I didn¡¯t ask anything further; there is nothing more to ask. A few hours ago, our prisoner talked. He was in the group, that had killed the Count. When they come across them; the Count and others fight before scattering and running in a different direction. They were able to capture the Count, but Lancel had used the teleportation scroll to run away. The scroll was uncommon, as it had worked despite anti-teleportation spells blocking it. There has been no sign of him since then, and they were not able to track the teleportation location, either. It doesn¡¯t matter if he is alive. He didn¡¯t deserve this city that we had fought with our blood. He will not have it, even if he returns. I turned back to the window and saw the people going back to their homes. I could see, the multitude of emotions on their faces, from sadness to joy to relief. They are the last batch released from the safe zone. Now, only the people who have their homes in there are staying there or those who have no homes. We had destroyed quite a few buildings to make the way. Those people have been rehabilitated to other places. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I got out. In front of me is the hospital. This is not a temporary one; it is the biggest hospital in the city, holding the most patients. ¡°My lord,¡± The guards at the door bowed as I walked inside. The hospital is crowded, with patients everywhere and doctors and healers trying to heal. I could see many of the girls volunteering here. ¡°How are the things, Doctor Kistoff?¡± I asked the old man. ¡°Good. The potions you have sent in helping to save a lot of lives,¡± he replied. ¡°I am glad to hear that,¡± I said. The potions found in chests are tremendously helpful, but they won¡¯t last long. Two days at most. However, by then, most of the patients would be out of danger. Still, we need a lot of potions. This time, we were barely able to scrape by and were very lucky to find a chest full of it. The next time we won¡¯t be, I planned to fill the strategic stores as much as I could to be better prepared against the next attack of the undead. Though I really wished the undead had more money. We have got some from the undead, but more would have helped. I already spent a large chunk of it with the order potions and other resources we desperately need. They will come tomorrow afternoon as the blockade lifted at dawn. It could be opened by the undead, or the force could be used to open it. The merchants have hinted they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use the force to open a blockade. I heard there are massive orders of goods, not from us, but from parties on the mainland. The battle for the throne had begun, and all parties bought everything they could that could help them with the throne. I am glad, because every ship that passes through the water, gives us some money. The more ships passed, the more taxes the city would earn. I talked to a few doctors and healers and checked on the patients. Both the humans and the orcs. Half an hour later, I walked out of the hospital. Once again, feeling the anger at the Count. He really didn¡¯t spend much of anything; the hospital needs better infrastructure and more staff. I had seen how tired everyone was; it was not just doctors and healers, but also the guards standing by the door. They had fought the battle and were now guarding the hospital without rest. Many are still working after the battle. I could see the tiredness in the eyes of my own guards. I am no different, but all of us are just pushing. There are things to do, before the rest and I couldn¡¯t sleep, before finishing them. I sat in the carriage, and it moved toward another hospital. This time, the temporary one, is being handled by the priests of Cynvar. They had done an excellent job. Ten times better than I had imagined. It could even be said that they had played a pivotal role in our victory against the undead. I will need to pay back for that, and it will cost me, but I will do it. It is the least, I could do. Hun! The carriage was halfway toward the hospital when suddenly a smile appeared on my face. ¡°Turn the carriage toward the establishment,¡± I said. I could see, Zela''s face whipping toward me with eyes questioning. I didn¡¯t say anything and just kept looking outside of the window. Soon, the carriage stopped by the establishment. ¡°Follow me,¡± I said to Zela and Jon when I saw they were staying behind. They were loyal to me, and it is only fair that I pay back that loyalty with the trust. They quickly got over their surprise before following me quickly into the dense mist. The mist is dense enough that they can¡¯t look at what is in front of them, even with their abilities. I had made it a little thinner, so they could at least see my silhouette to follow me. Gasp! Soon, the mist parted, and we entered the dome. As we did, a gasp of shock came out of their lips as they saw the Stone. ¡°The elder blood had calmed down and now merging with him. He had succeeded,¡± said Caena. Hearing that, relief flooded in my veins, and a big smile appeared on my face. I truly hadn''t thought he would survive, but Caena managed to do so with her incredible abilities. I nodded at her gratefully and looked at Stone. He is the same as the morning, with daggers and pointed stars around him, but now the energy in him is no longer raging. It becomes as calm as the lake. The purple marks of magic poison could rarely be seen on him. ¡°When will the awakening be finished?¡± I asked her. ¡°It should be finished by dawn. He will wake up soon after,¡± she replied. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Zela, to that she smiled. ¡°Take a rest, Caena. I will ask Carla to watch him,¡± I said to her. ¡°I will,¡± she replied. I didn¡¯t say anything further and walked out, with Zela and Jon following behind me. Soon, I reached the carriage, but I didn¡¯t immediately walk inside. I looked around specifically at the circle, which too had been destroyed, like the establishment. A lot of things will be going to need rebuilding. Though, it will be much better than before. Not just the establishment and the circle, but the whole city. The bastard Count didn¡¯t listen to my suggestions, but now I am in charge. I will implement those solutions. The city has so much potential, and I will bring it all out. A few seconds later; I sat in the carriage, and it began to move. ¡°Are there any changes in the horde?¡± I asked. ¡°No, it is moving toward Norke without changing any direction,¡± she replied, and I felt a small relief. Earlier, the new horde reached Panar, where it had divided itself once again. With one part staying in Panar while the other moving toward the Norke. The undead are reinforcing their numbers in the conquered cities. This thing shouldn¡¯t be allowed to happen, but who could stop them? There are only two cities that have sufficient armies to even think about doing such a thing, but both of them are worrying about the undead sending a horde toward them. They wouldn¡¯t be sending an army anywhere soon. Every city, except for the two cities on the eastern side, is worried about the undead. They have close proximity to Dustorn Fortress and the undead might not want to attack them. The man at the Dustorn Fortress is the only person in the entire region capable of uprooting the undead from the roots. The undead wouldn¡¯t want to mess with him; at least this early. However, I really hope, those cities wouldn¡¯t depend on Dustorn Fortress too much and make their own preparation. If Dustorn Fortress got busy with Tabes and any of the three cities on the river fell; it would give the undead a clear road to them. Even without conquering any of us, they could move to those cities. I visited all the hospitals, before returning to the city hall, where I contacted the hosts of legacies. I assured them about the state of my legacy. Though most are already aware of it being fine aside from its shell being destroyed. The hosts become aware of the death of any legacy as they do of the birth. Assuring about the legacy isn¡¯t the only reason, I had contacted them. There is another reason, the most important one. Aid. The hosts of the legacies are rich, and I am one of them. Even if they didn¡¯t send much, a little would help. ¡°I am sorry. It is too much on you,¡± I apologized to Zela, who looked like, she could fall sleep anytime. ¡°It¡¯s all right, my lord,¡± she replied. Hearing that, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s time to call it a night. We all deserved it,¡± I said and walked out of the office with her and the girls. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 349: Advancements Chapter 349: Advancements {Conditions Met: Rousing Captain- Elder-Blood Commander} Elder-Blood Commander Lv. 30 Elder-Blood Commander Lv. 31 {Skill Gained: Battle Awareness} {Skill Gained- Co {Elder-Blood Detected: Initiate Equalizing} {Attributes Erased} {Skill Erased- Rousing Slash} {Skill Erased- Steps of Land} . . . {Equalizing Finished} {Class: Elder-Blood Commander} {Skills: Commanders Telepathy} {Skill: Battle Awareness} ... {Class Gained: Soldier} Soldier Lv.1 Soldier Lv. 2 . . . ... Warrior Lv. 20 {Condition Met: Warrior ¨C Ax Warrior} Spear Warrior Lv. 21 Spear Warrior Lv. 22 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} ... Wildlander Survivalist Lv. 26 {Class Gained: Soldier} Soldier Lv. 1 Soldier Lv. 2 Soldier Lv. 3 Soldier Lv. 4 Soldier Lv. 5 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} ... Shaman Lv. 17 Shaman Lv. 18 {Skill Gained: ...} .. Mage of Intellect Lv. 30 {Conditions Met: Mage of Intellect ¨C Aquamancer of Brilliance} Aquamancer of Brilliance Lv. 31 {Spell Gained: ...} . . . ... August Madam Lv. 26 Drunkard Lv. 16 {Skill Gained Lv. Hair of the Dog} Fire Breather Lv. 7 Fire Breather Lv. 8 Fire Breather Lv. 9 {Skill Gained: Wide Plume} A surprise and disappointment couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. Surprise because my main class had leveled up. I didn¡¯t think, I had done anything to make it leveled up, but it clearly thinks I did. If it had been yesterday, I would have been thrilled with this level, but things changed in the night. Now, I am feeling quite complicated about it. I pushed the feeling aside and looked at my second level-up. Drunkard had reached Lv. 16, and I have got the skill. The Hair Of The Dog is a good skill and a useful one, even for me who is quite good at dealing with alcohol. I looked down at three level-ups in my Fire Breather class, which I had been quite sure would reach Lv. 10, given the sheer number of undead, I had killed. There is even a slight hope, that it might merge with the drunkard class, but nothing of that sort had happened. I lay on the bed, feeling disappointed. It took a while to get control of my emotions and understand the reason why Fire Breathing hadn''t reached Lv. 10 and why there was no merging. There are multiple reasons I could think of, but two seemed more important to me. First are the undead I had killed. They were said to be the weakest of all in the horde. There was not a special undead among them or a single pillar, who wouldn¡¯t have had any difficulty in finishing me off. Sometimes, the numbers alone aren¡¯t enough to gain the level. The second reason is my own fault. I am not good enough in fire breathing. To be honest, since I had learned it; I only focused on making the plume as big as possible and nothing else. I didn¡¯t listen to the instructor when they had told me to focus on control and techniques. I had paid the price for that, wasted a lot of whisky. I had used a mouthful of whisky to kill a single undead many times when I could have finished the job in a fraction. I have already decided to focus on techniques and control. It is the only right path to advance further. There is also a decision for me to make. I pushed that thought away, the moment it appeared. I am not ready to even think about it, but I know, I will have to and very soon. ... Dealer of Desire Lv. 25 [Master of Legacy] Trainer Lv. 8 Valorous Governor Lv. 21 I looked at the texts in front of me and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. There is also a surprise. I thought blasting a legacy apart would make me regress in level in my main class, but here I leveled up and it is not the only class, I had leveled up in. I have also leveled up in the Trainer Class, which is a surprise because, in the past few months, I have barely trained Fang. If I had done it; I may have gotten more than one level seeing what he did. The last to level up was my Valorous Governor. It had leveled up three times in a single night, which is quite rare for a ruling class. I was hoping it would upgrade, but it is the ruling class. They are hard to level up and even harder to upgrade. There are no skills at this level-up, which is a little disappointing, but I am not sad. The last night, I have got pretty great skills. I turned to the attribute point I got and immediately added it to the charm, taking it to eighteen. I wanted to add it to the strength or vitality, but charm felt the right choice. I felt its faint high, which lasted for a couple of seconds. I calmed down and opened the window, which had grown slightly bigger than the last time with level-ups and skills. Class Dealer of Desire Lv. 25 [Master of Legacy] Valorous Governor Lv. 21 Trainer Lv. 08 Charisma 18 Intelligence 15 Vitality 15 Strength 16 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Instinct ¡¤ Solid Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Underhand Dealings ¡¤ Copy Skill - Focus ¡¤ Telepathic Call ¡¤ Energizing Essence ¡¤ Gymnasts Control ¡¤ Governors Presence ¡¤ March Of The Braves Legacy Demesne of Desire II Skills ¡¤ Master of Legacy ¡¤ Laws of Legacy ¡¤ Share Authority (5) ¡¤ Vault of Ru ¡¤ Demesne Expansion Attribute Points 0 New skills were added, and two classes merged. My legacy had upgraded into Grade II, giving me amazing skills. It had also increased the size of its vault and one more authority was added. Seeing that, my expression couldn¡¯t help, but turn somber. Four of these authorities were occupied. Carla, Margaux, Barb, and Mena; now that Mena is dead, her authority has returned. There are now two authorities that are empty. I looked at the window for a couple of seconds more, before closing it and walking out of the bed. I cast a glance at the clock and was surprised that I had slept for eight hours. I was planning to wake up at dawn but slept past it without hearing an alarm. I walked into the bathroom. Freshened up and showered, before changing into the suit. I looked at the mirror and adjusted the suit; I could easily use the skill, but there was no need for it. Click! ¡°My lord,¡± Zela greeted as I walked out of my room. She looked good. Rested. Happy, ecstatic even. ¡°Zela,¡± I said before a small smile appeared on my face. ¡°Or should I call you High-Mage Taras?¡± I asked. Her cheeks reddened, but I could also see the happiness and pride. Zela had been one of the few people who contributed the most to the battle. She was already Lv. 29 and had requirements of knowledge. The battle provided the experience she needed to take the next step. I don¡¯t think, she would be the only mage or the powerhouse who had taken that big step forward. There are many like Valentina, Captain Vandal, and others who have taken that big step forward. ¡°Zela, is fine, my lord,¡± she said with a smile. Hun! I walked out of the door when I saw six people with staff uniforms waiting at the door, including the head butler. I arched my brow at her. ¡°The staff will shift your belongings to the lord''s suit,¡± she replied. I nodded and walked here. It is obvious. I am the lord of the Greltheaven now. I couldn¡¯t stay in the wing of officers. ¡°Where is Jon, by the way?¡± I asked. ¡°I am here, my lord,¡± said Jon from behind, becoming visible for the second, before turning invisible again. Like, I had said, many had advanced. I am glad Jon got this skill; it is very useful for the bodyguards. I went to the kitchen; the main one, that was only for the Count and his son. I ate breakfast there, before walking out of the mansion. I have to say, working in the mansion is comforting, but it is not efficient for the administration and I plan to run the efficient administration. Soon, the carriage reached the city hall, and I walked out. Many people stopped and bowed. It felt foreign and uncomfortable, but I kept my expression pleasant-neutral and nodded at people who greeted me without stopping. I am just imitating the Count. The bastard had many flaws, but he also had many qualities. The good ones I am going to copy. Click! Soon, I entered my office. There were already people there, aside from Ina and Lola, there was a man, sitting in front of the table. When I saw him, I couldn¡¯t help, but get surprised. I have read about it. Still, seeing it with my eyes has shocked me. The change is too big, to not get shocked. In front of me is a man, barely six feet tall. He is fit, but not muscled, and has a thick head of blond hair. His eyes are bronze, and they seem to hold an enormous weight; normal people won¡¯t be able to look at them for more than a second. ¡°My lord,¡± he greeted. I am glad that his voice remained unchanged, still deep and commanding. ¡°Good to see, you alive Stone,¡± I said with a smile as I took the seat. Thaddaeus Stone, I knew, had been over six and a half feet tall and built like a mountain. He had an intimidating presence that came with size. Nobody would dare to underestimate after seeing him. The man in front of me is just an average man. Nobody would look twice at him or feel threatened. Though once they stared at those bronze eyes. Their knees would shake, and they would want to run away. Saying the change is drastic would be an understatement, but that is awakened elder-blood for you. His earlier size was due to his unawakened giant blood, but now it awakened, it is contained in the core. Just like the real giants. It is said that one would pass by the giant and wouldn¡¯t notice anything about them. They are normal-sized, until they activate their strength. ¡°It is all thanks to you, my lord,¡± he said, and I shook my head. ¡°I am many things, Stone, but not the one who saved you,¡± I replied, to which he smiled. A moment later, his expression turned serious. ¡°What is your plan for the army?¡± he asked. Hearing it, I too become serious. I thought about it a lot yesterday and the answer was simple. Despite many difficulties, it possesses. ¡°I want you to convince the soldiers who might be leaving to stay and also recruit the volunteers. Not only the ones who fought but also those who volunteered to fight,¡± I replied. I need the army and it needs to be sufficiently big enough to deal with the threat of the undead. Last time, we were not prepared for them, but next time, I like to be. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy and most importantly, we will need a lot of resources and money,¡± he said, looking at me intently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I will provide you with all the resources and money, you need,¡± ¡°What about orcs?¡± he asked. ¡°I am meeting with their leadership in the afternoon,¡± I informed. The questions of orcs are complicated. What makes it even more complicated is that they are prisoners. Were prisoners; they had fought for the city, and I will give them what I promised to them. Stone left in a few minutes, and I turned to the three newspapers in front of me. There are two big headlines covering the front of the pages. At is our victory against the undead, and at the bottom is the death of Prince Grelt. It is why, I have become a Lord from Governor. He died. Killed by his brother, the Crown Prince. Who used the kingdom protecting, Grade VII spells. Those spells had not only killed his brother but wiped away the army, he was traveling with. Even their bones hadn''t remained. It was still a mystery about how he was able to do it. Those spells have huge restrictions and can only be used when the empire is threatened. Now with Prince Grelt''s death, there are only two key players fighting for the throne. Crown Prince and Princess Orlene. Some small players have popped up, but they have yet to prove their worth. Most, if not all, will either swear allegiance to one of two key players or get killed by them. One thing is clear, the empire wouldn¡¯t be calm in the coming months or years unless, of course, the Crown Prince was able to wipe away every obstruction to the throne with Grade VII spells. It does not sound farfetched as it would have sounded yesterday. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 350: Adamant Chapter 350: Adamant ¡°The first ship had been docked,¡± informed Zela. ¡°Good,¡± I said with a smile. The undead had removed the blockade. There is no other choice in front of them. If they hadn''t removed it, they would have been removed and the undead wouldn¡¯t have liked the way did it. The information had said that a lot of big ships had sailed from the Owlspring. The bank had also informed us of the taxes being submitted by them into the city''s account. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± I asked Robin in front of me. ¡°Good,¡± he replied, before turning to documents in his hands. ¡°But I think, we are giving away too much,¡± he added. ¡°Trust me, it will be beneficial for us,¡± I said to him. The merchant state had agreed to give us aid and called us for the negotiations. Nothing is free in the world, not even aid. In the communications, they have hinted at the concessions they want. I have no problem agreeing with them. I have nudged the Count in that direction, but the bastard didn¡¯t listen. It will be mutually beneficial to us. More to us than them. Click! Robin left a few minutes later, and I focused back on what I was working on. Two more hours passed when the door opened, and Ina came in. ¡°They have arrived,¡± she informed. I nodded and walked out of my office. I am feeling a little nervous, but controlled my emotions. I held all cards here; there is no way, they wouldn¡¯t agree. Soon, I reached the conference room and the guards standing by it bowed. I nodded and entered the conference room, which was filled with people. Everyone is orc, except for Colonel Cardin. ¡°My lord,¡± they greeted. ¡°Everyone, please sit,¡± I said as I sat down. Every orc of importance is here. They are chieftains and Shaman¡¯s. Some still have the bandages across their bodies. I wanted to delay the meeting till they recovered, but they insisted on today. ¡°Let me first start by saying thank you to you all. The victory wouldn¡¯t be possible without you all and with that, you have fulfilled your end of the bargain, and now I will fulfill mine,¡± I said and turned to Colonel Cardin. ¡°We have already prepared what, his lordship had promised to you,¡± said Colonel Cardin and sent papers in front of orcs. Aside from freedom. I had promised them some food and money; it is not much, but enough to last them a week or two. I could see the faint hesitation appearing on their face. I didn¡¯t say anything, nor Colonel Cardin. We just waited. ¡°What if we want to stay?¡± asked Shaman Trik. I had to fight really hard, to keep my expressions neutral, hearing that. They have fought against the undead, not for freedom, but because they didn¡¯t want to die. The undead wouldn¡¯t have given them any mercy. The normal orcs might rejoice in the thoughts of freedom, but these leaders understood the realities. It is why, the shaman had asked that question. I am giving them what I promised. They are free to leave the city, but where would they leave? They are not innocent. They were bandits. This means, that even if they want to leave, they cannot; there is no way available for them. Their home was past Nakar Forest, but if they tried that route, the baronies and mirador hold would attack them. If they tried from a merchant state; they would be arrested. The merchants have no mercy for bandits. There is only Greltheaven for them. ¡°For the duty you did for the city. I will welcome you all,¡± I replied, and I could see, the relief appearing on some of their face, but few kept looking at me, as they had sensed ¡®but¡¯ in my words. ¡°But you all are former bandits; there will be restrictions on you. It won¡¯t be permanent. A year long, till we become sure, the compulsions of your former professions disappeared,¡± I added, and anger flashed in the eyes of some. ¡°We have fought for you. We have died for you. Isn¡¯t that enough for you to trust us?¡± asked the muscled orc loudly. ¡°It is for that. You are free and talking to me, Chieftain Hron.¡± I replied, putting a small smile on my face. It seemed to have made the man even angrier. ¡°Calm down, Hron,¡± said Shaman Trik, before turning to me. ¡°What will be of restrictions be, my lord?¡± He asked, and I turned to Colonel Cardin. ¡°There won¡¯t be restrictions on the movement of you and your people. If that is what you all are thinking. You can go anywhere you want and live anywhere you want. Will have same rights as any non-citizens,¡± ¡°The restriction would be mainly on the work, you all will need to serve the army for at least a year, after that. You will be free to do what you want and might even gain citizenship and become a full citizen of the city,¡± said Colonel Cardin. A few orcs smiled in relief. ¡°Given the threat of the undead. The city might not remain standing by then,¡± said Shaman Krema. ¡°Then we will die together,¡± replied Colonel Cardin with a laugh. For a few seconds, there was silence. I could see the Orcs talking among themselves with their skills. ¡°What position our people will get in the army and what will they be getting paid?¡± asked Shaman Tirk. ¡°The lowest would be common soldier, the highest would be the captain. As for the salaries, they will receive the same salaries as the other new recruits in their position,¡± replied the Colonel. It seemed to make them relieved. The posts would be low for many, especially those of Lv. 30 and above, but it is the test. If they prove their loyalty and worth, they will be promoted faster. ¡°And our tribal rights?¡± he asked and immediately the expressions of Colonel Cardin and me turned serious. It is the sourest subject. The orcs like to maintain their tribal structure. In the merchant stage, many cities and even the state offer special rights to them. ¡°No special rights; not even an exception,¡± said Colonel Cardin firmly. The tribal structure has its advantages, but I think, the disadvantages outweigh them all. It is not like, I am banning them from having a tribal structure. I am not just giving them the special rights. This will be better for their integration into the city and becoming part of the city¡¯s identity. ¡°We do not want much. Just a few exceptions that Meldhorn offers,¡± said Chief Garzong, looking at me. ¡°My apologies, but there will be no exception,¡± I replied. It made some of them angry, but they didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Give us some time to think about it,¡± said Shaman Trik finally. ¡°Of course. If you have any questions, please ask them to Colonel Cardin and Adviser Ina, here.¡± I replied and walked out of the office. ¡°We should be a little flexible, we need Orcs,¡± said Lola as we walked back to my office. ¡°Yes, we need them, but they need us more,¡± I replied. It is a calculated gamble with a long-term view in mind. These won¡¯t be the last orc, that I will take in the city, and I want the rules equal for them all. However, the restrictions on work would only apply to these orcs due to their former profession. The orcs or any other people of any other race that will come to the city won''t face such restrictions. ¡°By taking them, we will be breaking the biggest law of the empire. Even Storm-Mage didn¡¯t dare to do that,¡± she said. ¡°We also wouldn¡¯t dare to do that. If the Emperor is alive, but sadly, he has passed away and with the protection he officered. Now, the undead have conquered our cities and we will need every help we can.¡± ¡°The orcs are good, they have already proved their worth in fighting for us against the undead,¡± I replied. Orcs are strong and if not for them. We wouldn¡¯t have won the battle. I need them, especially now, when many of them have leveled-up. ¡°I wonder if the other cities will do what we are doing,¡± she said softly. I didn¡¯t answer that, even though I can¡¯t guess the answer to that question. Though, from what I know, the lord of Deerpond might do this. Man is not a speciest, nor he is religious; he will do what benefits him the most. He will not do it immediately. He will wait and watch how it played out for us. Just like, he did with trading with Navr. It offers the Greltheaven great opportunity. I have taken the first step with the orcs; they have not finalized the decision yet, but I know they will stay. They don¡¯t have any choice. ¡°Mr. Hugo is waiting for you, Lord Silver,¡± informed Jill, as I reached my office. It surprised me, as he didn¡¯t make an appointment. I looked at Zela and her expressions were complicated. She seemed to know what it was about, and I wanted to ask but decided not to. I will know, soon enough from the man waiting in office. Hun! ¡°Lord Silver,¡± greeted Hugo. He looked a little nervous, but there was a firmness in his eyes. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a casual visit?¡± I asked as I sat down. ¡°No, it is not, my lord,¡± he replied, shaking his head. ¡°So, what can I do for you Hugo?¡± I asked directly. ¡°I hope you can release me from your service, my lord,¡± he said, shocking me. I had expected many things, but not this. I had cast a glance at Zela, and she didn¡¯t seem surprised by it. ¡°May I know why?¡± I asked and his expressions turned a little complicated for a moment before he controlled them, but I had sensed an unmissable pain and some hatred in them. ¡°I had suffered greatly. From the hands of nobles and took an oath on the graves of those I had lost, that I would never swear fealty to them,¡± he replied, with each word coming out of his mouth felt like an open wound. It hurts to just listen to them. I knew the man was deep but never knew. He was holding so much pain in his heart. ¡°Is there nothing, I could do to convince you to stay?¡± I asked, to that he shook his head. I don¡¯t want to lose him. He is really good. So talented and experienced. Most importantly, loyal. But it is clear, that he had already made up his mind and holding him back would be wise. ¡°Fine, I will release you from my service, but can you at least tell me, what you are planning to do?¡± I asked, and his expression turned a little hesitant. ¡°I haven¡¯t truly much thought about it, but I will probably form a mercenary team,¡± he replied. I nodded and opened my mouth to wish him luck when suddenly an idea struck me. ¡°It is a great idea, Hugo and I hope, you will let me help you with that,¡± I said and his expression turned hesitant. ¡°You are aware, that how expensive it is to set up a mercenary team. Potions, weapons, armor, room. It is all very expensive,¡± ¡°I will be just an investor, without any control. We can put in it writing. The only thing I want is to make Greltheaven home for your company and give priority to the missions from the city,¡± I said. Hearing, that, some of the expressions from his face have eased. ¡°I will think about it,¡± he said finally. ¡°That¡¯s all I want,¡± I replied. He nodded and walked out of the room. ¡°We tried to convince him, but he was adamant,¡± said Zela. ¡°It is fine,¡± I said and looked at the door. I really hope he will accept. I don¡¯t want to lose a man like him. Visit to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 351: Allied Baronies of Nakar Chapter 351: Allied Baronies of Nakar Ashton Harbor ¡°Five wins and three losses,¡± said the man, holding a staff. He is looking at the map of Renwell Region; the complete renwell region. ¡°It had gone better than we had imagined, General,¡± replied the man in grey iron armor, standing behind him. ¡°How it had gone better, tell me?¡± asked the man with the staff gently as he turned toward the armored man. Feeling the gaze, the confident smile, on the armored man¡¯s face had disappeared. ¡°We had captured the five cities. It was better than our target of the three,¡± replied the armored man after a moment of silence. Mustering the smile on his face, that he had lost a moment ago. ¡°Yes, we have conquered five cities but failed at three. Losing powerhouses, especially at Greltheaven, where the entire horde had got wiped, with only two people being able to escape,¡± ¡°As for the target of capturing three cities; it was based on our enemies providing material and men support, which they didn¡¯t do. The only support, they have provided is information and despite that, we had failed to capture three,¡± ¡°So, tell me, Haiz, how is this better?¡± asked the man with the staff. The smile the armored man had mustered had vanished, and he felt cold sweat running down his back. ¡°My apologies; I was thoughtless with my words,¡± apologized the armored man and bowed. The man with the staff didn¡¯t say anything and turned back to the map. ¡°The merchants have acted. We will need more careful from now on, but it is fine. The small wait is favorable to us,¡± said the man with staff and shared a look with the armored man. Very few know the real reason behind the attack on the Renwell Region. Even the two, who are responsible didn¡¯t have a complete idea about it and they didn¡¯t ask. They know the cost of that. Instead, they focused on their orders, which are much safer. The order is to conquer the whole Renwell region, not just the part that is being controlled by the empire. It is an enormous challenge, but the man with the staff feels ready for it. He feels it is his destiny, that he will fulfill. ... ¡°Best of luck,¡± I said to the four in front of me. Robin, Valentina, Hardt, and Lola are going to Meldhorn. There are many things they have to do there, but most important of all is negotiations for the aid. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver,¡± they said and walked out of my office. This is the second step. The merchant states want things, and I will give them that. It is going to be extremely beneficial for the city and the quicker, I moved, the better it would be for me. I want to use the first mover''s advantage. Solidify the city¡¯s position before others make a move. It is why, I am not even waiting for a whole day since the blockade opened. It had opened at dawn, and I am sending them to merchant states in the evening. It is a little risky, but the risks I am willing to take. Many things I am doing are against the laws of the empire, but currently, the empire is too busy to care about what this little border city of mine is doing. The enemies are attacking the empire from all directions and even battles were fought between the princes for the throne. It will be a while before an empire with full control will return. Some even doubt if it will ever return. It is why it had become even more important for the city to be strong, to be rich. It is the only way; we will be able to guarantee our survival. I watched till the door closed before focusing back on the work in front of me. It is the third step; the most important one. I am amending the constitution of the city. There are many problems with it and currently, I couldn¡¯t make too big of changes, but I am making the small, but important ones. I have also removed a few complete sections. It would have been better to rewrite them, but I currently couldn¡¯t be due to the backlash that might happen. So, I had removed them, but didn¡¯t replace them with new laws and that would be chaotic. It is why, there will be an unofficial decree on how to handle these things. Once my control of the city has solidified fully and its culture moved in the direction of the way I want, I will make those things official, but it will take a lot of time, years. Decades, probably. I don¡¯t know if I will be alive by then. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean I won''t try. Miracles don¡¯t happen on a single night. It needs effort every day, and I will give that effort. I worked till midnight, before stopping. I would have continued as I genuinely liked what I was doing, but I needed to sleep. There is a lot of work tomorrow and I need to be rested to do it. So, I went to sleep, and it was in my new suit. It was Count¡¯s suit and now it is mine. They have done a great job in one day; taking out all the ugly art and changing those ostentatious blinds and curtains. They have also changed the bed. Which is the first thing, I had asked them to do. It was an abomination. The changes are far from finished. The suite was huge, and many things needed to be done, but they had finished enough, especially the bedroom. I fell asleep pretty quickly and woke up six hours later. I quickly showered and ate, before walking off the mansion into the city hall, where I had an important meeting. Click! ¡°My lord,¡± greeted Bishop Elena as I entered my office. She is with her two paladins; they are not wearing their armor, but I can tell they are ready to defend her against any threat. ¡°Your Excellency, Alanis,¡± I said as I sat down. There was a silence for a few seconds. I am going to do something, that will have a huge consequence, bigger than admitting orcs to the city. ¡°You have helped me, and it is time, I helped you too. So, tell me what you want?¡± I asked directly. There is no need to dally it and she liked it this way too, seeing the smile appearing on her face. ¡°We want permission to set up our church in the city and proselytize our faith,¡± she said. The request is what I had expected. ¡°There is no problem with that, but there are certain conditions. Two are most important. First, your church will need to aid us in every battle we fight like you and your people did against the undead,¡± ¡°Second, you will be forbidden to comment and interfere with the politics and policies of the city directly or indirectly,¡± I said. The bastards from the church of the god of war loved to interfere. I do not want another church in my city doing the same. ¡°We do not have a problem with the first conditions, but will need more clarification on the second. Sometimes a simple sentence might feel like a criticism or interference,¡± she replied. A genuine smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. The woman is smart; she had gone directly to the heart of the matter. ¡°Ina will inform of you that, along with other conditions,¡± I said and a few seconds later, Ina took her to the conference room, where our people have already been waiting for the negotiations. Ina had a lot of things to do; there were very few people, whom I could trust to do the job without messing it up. Aside from the negotiations, I had also asked her to convince people not to leave. I am meeting people personally to convince them, but I could not meet them all with the time, I have. People left yesterday, and they are leaving today. It is not an exodus as I feared, but their numbers are still large. It is not just the common people who are leaving, but also important ones of middle to high level. The people who keep the city running and it is hard to stop them. To be honest, I am glad, the state of the empire isn¡¯t good. If it had been, it would have been a true exodus of the people. I am making sure; the people knew what was happening in the empire, even exaggerating a few facts. I do not feel good about it, but it is working, and I will keep doing it. Hun! I was working, when I heard a strange noise from Zela and turned to her. She had had her eyes closed; she was clearly casting spells. I waited and had to wait for over a minute before she opened her eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. Feeling worried, while praying in my heart, that it is not the undead. ¡°There is an official released from Lauryl Town. The baronies formed an alliance, calling themselves United Baronies of Nakar.¡± She informed and my first reaction was a relief. ¡°Hahaha...¡± The second was the laugh. I begin to laugh hard. So, hard, that tears started to come out of my eyes. I could see Zela looking at me worriedly, but I kept laughing. It took me a while to stop laughing. ¡°Dane is going to lose his shit,¡± I said, feeling much better. In the past two days, I had exchanged a couple of messages with Commander Dane of Mirador Hold. He hinted to me to resign and give the command of the city to him. Even indirectly threatened, if I didn¡¯t listen. The man is powerful and has experienced an army under his control. It is big enough that he could defeat us. There was an even greater problem that many of my men, wouldn¡¯t fight against them. Many had worked under Dane. If I want to make them loyal to me; I need time and now with this, I will have time. Dane will be quite busy in dealing with this and those barons are not going to make things easy for him. ¡°Do all the baronies are part of this alliance?¡± I asked Zela. ¡°They are saying, they are,¡± Zela replied. ¡°Get confirmation from each one,¡± I said to her and turned to the map. With Nakar baronies allying together, they have created a powerful force. Individually, they are not a threat, but together, they will have a big army and powerful people like Baron Harrods and Baron Lockridge leading them. Most importantly, with Nakar baronies independent. It will affect the earnings of Mirador Hold. Dane had been eyeing the whole profit from the trade route he controls, but now he will need to share that or get the baronies under his control. It is the best news for me because now Dane won¡¯t turn his eyes toward me until he deals with baronies, and that wouldn¡¯t be easy for him. ¡°Is a Major Jarvis part of it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes, he is part of the seven-member ruling council,¡± she replied, and the smile on my face became even bigger. He must be furious. It would have been one thing if it had been barons alone, but his own man had turned against him. I really wish I could see Dane right now.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Tap on to read 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 352: Convince Chapter 352: Convince Valentina ¡°I have to say, this is the easiest aid, negotiations. I had in my life,¡± said the elf and closed the file in front of him. There are five people in front of us. Led by a blue-haired, handsome elf, who looked to be in his late thirties. I heard he is a tough negotiator, unfortunately; he didn¡¯t get a chance to show his abilities. ¡°That is because you are so good. Mr. Vasys¡± replied Robin with a grin. ¡°You will get a third of the aid tomorrow; the rest we will deliver in the next ten days,¡± said the man. ¡°We are grateful, Mr. Vasys,¡± said Robin, and we are. The aid is not small. It will solve a lot of problems for the city. The man smiled and shook our hands, before walking out of the conference room with his team. I quickly sent a message to Remus, informing him of the negotiations progress. ¡°I hope, Lord Silver, knows what he is doing. There is still time to back out,¡± said Hardt, looking at me. We have not come here for the aid, alone. If that had been the case, then Robin alone would have been fine. Remus wouldn¡¯t have been needed to elevate me to the vice director of trade for it. No, he wants the amend the deals we had signed with the Meldhorn in the past. Tomorrow, Robin will leave, while we will stay behind and renegotiate the terms. We will be here for a few days or even a week; I hope, it will be finished before the funeral. ¡°The conditions might seem good, but Lord Silver isn¡¯t the one to sell the city for short. There must be reasons behind it,¡± I said to him. It might feel rushed, but it is not. He had prepared for it for months, more than a year likely. Remus had discussed some of these things with me many times. Cursed that the Count was wasting the potential of the city with his regressive policies. Damon Hardt isn¡¯t the only one, who has the doubts. I too have doubts, but I decided to trust Remus. Soon, we walked out of the conference room but stopped seeing some familiar people. ¡°Director Statham, it¡¯s nice to see you here,¡± said Robin, and shook hands with the old man. The old man is Will Statham. Director of the trade of Deerpond City. ¡°You too, Adviser Robin,¡± replied the old man, before shaking hands with me and others. ¡°It seemed like, we weren¡¯t the only ones, who had come here,¡± said Robin as we walked away from them. ¡°Any idea on why they had come here?¡± asked Hardt, and Robin shook his head. ¡°It could be for the aid or some other business,¡± replied Robin. Soon, we were back in our hotel. Robin had gone to meet a few people, while Hardt, Lola, and me, along with the team, had come to my suite to plan for the negotiations for tomorrow. Today¡¯s negotiations offer temporary concessions, but the one that will start tomorrow will be the long term. They won¡¯t be smooth. We are willing to loosen a lot of restrictions, but we also want the investments. Which is much harder than getting the aid. According to Remus, if it is successful. It will bring the city a lot of trade and investments. I wish the undead hadn''t attacked us. It would have made things a lot easier, but then Remus wouldn¡¯t have been in charge. The Count might still be running the city, and I would be in jail with Lena. Two and a half hours later, Hardt and others left, leaving only Lola behind. ¡°There is a response from the alchemists and Artificers; all of them want the bones,¡± I informed her. We had sent a sample of bones to all the reputed alchemists and artificers of Owlspring and Meldhorn. I had tested the bones myself and knew there would be a good response, but still, I underestimated it. ¡°We are not selling them all at once right, right?¡± she asked, and I shook my head. Remus wanted to sell it all and I could not blame him since the city needed money, but I had convinced him to not do that. ¡°No, we will auction it by the load,¡± I replied. We have a huge number of bones. That explosion had killed nearly 70% of the undead. So, one could imagine, the number of bones we have. If we were to sell together, we would get a lot of money, but that would be a mistake. The bones are resources that had never appeared on the market. They contain the death energy as well as the emotion power. Everything with emotions is expensive and these bones are going to be even more expensive. ¡°You are waiting for them to find out, right?¡± she asked and the smile on my face, before bigger. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. She is a smart woman. She had figured out, what I was trying to do. Alchemists and artificers want the bones, but there is one more party that will want them, more than those two. I am sure, the sample of bones will reach them soon. If it is a thing, that turns out to be useful to them, then won¡¯t hesitate to pay a high price to get it. We won¡¯t trade with them directly; it is illegal and would empower our enemies. Still, they have claws everywhere and would get their hands on it. It will drive up the price and that is what we want. Though it will depend on whether they want it. If they didn¡¯t, then we will suffer the loss. It would be better to sell them all now. It is a huge risk, but Remus agrees to take it on my suggestion. ¡°When will we auction the first load?¡± she asked. ¡°After we return to Greltheaven. Samples should be spread around by then,¡± I replied. .... Ina ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming,¡± I said to nearly two hundred people in front of me. Their numbers are more than I had expected. I thought no more than fifty would come. Seeing many of them are busy packing their bags to leave. ¡°You have already guessed the reason, but I will say it. Lord Silver wants you all to be with the city like you all have been during the battle against the undead,¡± I said to them, and could see many of them shaking their heads. These nearly two hundred people are small business owners. Master Silver had called them, the lifeblood of the city. More important than the mid and big business owners. ¡°Lord Silver is asking too much from us. This time, we were able to deal with the undead, but the next time, they would be more prepared; we won¡¯t be able to deal with them,¡± said the bald man in his late fifteen. He is Beckett Reed. The leader of a small business group. ¡°You are wrong, Mr. Reed,¡± I replied with a smile and activated Dramatic Voice. ¡°The last time, the undead were prepared, they had brought a horde of two hundred thousand; that led them to conquer three cities without any resistance, but when they attacked our city, they met with the surprise of their life.¡± ¡°We had not just defeated them but wiped out every undead. Aside from two, not a single undead of over two hundred thousand undead hordes could escape,¡± ¡°Even the two cities, which had defeated the undead, didn¡¯t get the thorough victory like us,¡± I said. It stumped the man, but he was not to be undone. ¡°It is why the undead will be more prepared. This time, we won''t have as many powerhouses as the last time to deal with them as many are leaving and most importantly, there won''t be a legacy to wipe most of them out,¡± he said once again, I smiled. ¡°You are right, the shell of a legacy had been destroyed and some powerhouses leaving, but you are wrong to suggest, there won''t be many powerhouses.¡± ¡°There will be more powerhouses than before, as many had leveled up, including Commander Stone, who had awakened the power of elder-blood. Our army will also be bigger, as many volunteers are joining it,¡± ¡°So, even if the horde came; they will be destroyed and this time, they won''t be able to enter the city,¡± I replied with confidence. The confidence isn¡¯t fake. I truly believe we will be in a better state than last time if the undead came. The army will be bigger, more disciplined, and most importantly, it will have many powerhouses. There was a silence for a couple of seconds. Reed opened his mouth to speak but closed it. ¡°The risk of staying is too big, Adviser,¡± said the woman in her mid-thirties from the back. She is one of the few women sitting here. Not many women could independently own the business. Some regions in the empire didn¡¯t even allow that; compared to them, the laws of Greltheaven are liberal and they will become more liberal in the coming days. However, the woman isn¡¯t the business owner or hasn''t been before the battle with the undead. Her husband was and he died, killed by the undead in strange circumstances. She is Arlina Harlow. Her husband used to run a small construction firm. ¡°I will not deny the risk, Miss Harlow, but the risk is everywhere. In the mainland, the princes are fighting each other, while the enemies are attacking our borders from all sides,¡± I replied. ¡°Yes, there is a risk, but unlike the undead. The enemies won¡¯t kill us all once they conquer the city,¡± she countered, and I couldn¡¯t help hearing that. ¡°It is the risk, but there are also the opportunities. I think you can all see, the opportunities Greltheaven represents due to its unique location and laws.¡± ¡°The opportunities will become greater with Lord Silver leading the city.¡± They looked at me in silence, some talking to each other in the privacy skills. I could see some were being swayed by my words, and I had yet to reveal my biggest weapon. ¡°What you said is all good, Miss Ina, but the risk of staying is too big,¡± said Reed, and I smiled in my heart because now, I could use it. ¡°I will not deny it, but let me say it. There is no city better city better than the Greltheaven for the small business, and it is not just my mouth speaking.¡± ¡°There will be big changes in the coming days and weeks, that will benefit the small business owners like you a lot. The biggest one will be the change in the merchant guild.¡± I said and could see their eyes turning sharper. Especially of the Reed. ¡°Lord Silver is trimming down the merchant guild to make it more efficient. There will be one leader, four vice-leaders, and twelve deacons.¡± ¡°To him, small businesses are more important than the middle and big business. That is why, two of the four Vice-Guildmaster will be from small businesses. The same with the deacons, half of them will come from your numbers,¡± I said. The huge shock appeared on their faces, which isn¡¯t surprising. There were seven Guildmasters before and no one was from the small businesses, despite them having paid more than half of the taxes. Among the twenty-four deacons, only two were from them. Reed was one of them. It is all due to the influence. The small business may pay most taxes collectively, but they have the lowest influence. It is through this influence and a little money; that the people were able to get the position into the merchant guild. There will be a complete overhaul of the merchant guild, and many will lose their position. They will be replaced with the better people. ¡°You are not joking, are you, Adviser Knox,¡± said Reed, with his voice shaking faintly. He is excited, with his eyes shining with ambition. He is not the only one; many had that light in their eyes. ¡°I would never lie about what, Lord Silver says, Mr. Reed,¡± I replied with a smile, and the man nodded. ¡°Please, think about what I said and give the city another chance,¡± I said to them. The meeting ended and people began to leave one after another. Soon, there is only one person aside from me remained. ¡°It may seem forward for me to say, but I will say it. I want Lord Silver to consider me for the position of the Vice-Guildmaster,¡± said Reed, not hiding his ambition. Hearing that, I turned my expression serious. ¡°It is not beyond the realm of possibility for you to gain that position, but you will have to earn it, Mr. Reed,¡± I said, and the man smiled excitedly, understanding the meaning behind my words. ¡°Please rest assured, Adviser. I will try my hardest to make all small business owners stay,¡± he said and walked out of the hall, with fire burning in his eyes. I am too familiar with it. People, like us, got trampled too many times. Most gave up, but some did not. So, when they find an opportunity to rise higher; they will give their all for it. Still Craving? Tap on to read chapters ahead. Chapter 353: Preparations Chapter 353: Preparations ¡°This is only 50%, the other half you will receive within six months,¡± I said to a group of people sitting in front of me. Many of them have bandages covering their bodies. The serious injuries, some of them have suffered couldn¡¯t be healed within a few days, even with the potions and the spells. They would need time as well as the rest to recover fully. ¡°I have to say, my Lord, I am surprised. I thought you would give us, give pennies, instead of the standard rate,¡± said Captain Vandal. They all are mercenary group leaders, who had fought against the undead with us. I am paying them today and, like he had said, it is not a full payment. ¡°I wanted to pay you all the more for your contribution to the city, but the city doesn¡¯t have much money,¡± I said, and the man nodded. ¡°We understand and currently, it is enough to make me and my men happy,¡± he said, looking at the check in front of him. ¡°I am glad, and I hope you all will stay. I promise you will not suffer the disappointment.¡± I said, there was no answer, aside from a smile. A few seconds later, I walked out of the conference room with Ina. ¡°How many do you think will stay?¡± she asked. ¡°It is hard to say, but at least half. I am glad, that Vandal is staying,¡± I replied. I have got the personal assurance from Vandal that he is staying. It would have been great if I got it from others too. A few had already stated their intentions of going to the mainland. It is very risky there, but also a lot of opportunities, and mercenaries are attracted to those things. Soon, I reached my office, where the work was waiting for me. I have important meetings in fifteen minutes. It will overhaul one of the systems of the city and a few people are not happy with it. It is necessary to change to turn the city into the place, I want. ¡®Lord Silver, they are here,¡¯ said Jill through the intercom. ¡°Send them in,¡± I said and a minute later, three men came in. Stone, Colonel Cardin, and Lt. Commander Julian. Stone isn¡¯t in a good mood. He had let out his opposition to it clearly and I understand it, but this time, I will not listen to him. ¡°My lord,¡± they greeted. ¡°Everyone, please take a seat,¡± I said, and they took a seat. I nodded at Stone and Cardin, before turning to Julian. ¡°Has Stone, informed you of what I want?¡± I asked, to which he shook his head. ¡°No, but he informed me, it is a responsibility for which, I will have to resign from the army,¡± he replied. He had kept his expressions neutral, but I could see, he didn¡¯t like that prospect. ¡°He is right. I want you to leave the army and lead the city guards. Police, to be precise; I am renaming them.¡± ¡°You will be chief-of-police, Commissioner to be exact,¡± I informed. ¡°Please forgive me, my lord, but I would like to be in the army,¡± he replied, rejecting the responsibility. I can not blame him. The guards are on the lowest rung; even those responsible didn¡¯t get much respect, but they will not be the guards, but the police. It is not just a change of words, but a change of ethos. I am going to transform the guards from what they are right now. ¡°I am afraid I cannot accept your rejection. You are the only one I could trust to handle this responsibility.¡± I said and the man once again opened his mouth, clearly to reject. ¡°Give it three months, Lt. Colonel. After three months, if you want to return to the army, I will let you return.¡± I insisted. So, as little money as possible would get wasted. The man left soon, and I had to leave too, but I walked into the dense mist. Soon, I am centered with mist all around me. I waved my hand as soon as the sun appeared, with the planet revolving around it. I looked at it, before focusing on the one, that is holding the emotion essence. There is a little more emotion essence than yesterday. Every day, it is increasing little by little, and Caena is extracting it from the planet. It is the shell, that had been destroyed, but not the legacy and it is still absorbing the emotions. The legacy isn¡¯t guarded in every hour. Aside from three hours every day, we would let people inside. Letting them feel the faint effect of legacy and absorb their emotions. Even in times like this, a lot of people came. To most, it is the chance of a lifetime; they might never do it after it passed. I need every bit of essence, not only to cast the spells but also to buy things like potions. Those potions with emotion essence are a big reason why many of the powerhouses who had fought the battle are still alive today. I barely have any potions left, and I didn¡¯t ask, those I gave away back. I wouldn¡¯t get them back, anyway. It is too precious. If I tried to ask back, most would say, they had already used it. I didn¡¯t stay at the establishment long and returned to the city hall. Where I worked and met with the people and got the update about people leaving the city. The number is in the thousands, but less than a third of yesterday. In the first three days of the blockage, opening, the number of people leaving the city had reached over ten thousand. We cannot afford to lose people, but we can¡¯t forcefully stop them, either. The approach needs to be gentle, which is what I am doing. It seemed to be working seeing how the numbers are decreasing. Though it could go higher if the undead bastards attacked again, and they will. I just hope I will be more prepared to deal with them than the last time. I am trying. I had ordered the mines and other weapons needed. I am also recruiting people, which Stone is training every day. This time, the undead will fight one cohesive army that will work together. It will not be easy to achieve that, but I am confident, that Stone would manage, as long as we have enough time. ¡°We are doing better than I had thought. I have seen the cities getting emptied after the undead attack.¡± Said Zela. Yes, we are. I have been getting a report from the other cities. Thousands are leaving the cities like Riverbell and Port Midlet. Forget them, people are also leaving Deerpond and Gailhorn, which have yet to be attacked by the undead. Though people could understand those two will be targets. Both of them are the biggest cities in the region and are strategically important. The undead will attack them, and they might not wait for long. I shook my head at those thoughts and looked at the file in front of me. It is about the funeral tomorrow. Thousands have lost their lives and tomorrow, they will be buried with all the honor and respect. I have made all the preparations, I could with the money I have. It will be good, with thousands of people attending. Still Craving? Tap on to read chapters ahead. Chapter 354: Funeral Chapter 354: Funeral "Today, we stand together, our hearts heavy with sorrow, our spirits united in reverence, as we remember and honour the brave souls who laid down their lives in the ultimate act of selflessness and courage," I said to thousands of people gathered in front of me, while the tears drip down from my eyes. In the newly built cemetery. There are thousands of tombstones. Two thousand, one hundred and seventy-three to be exact. They include the soldiers, mercenaries, common people, volunteers, refugees from other cities, and a whore. Mena''s tomb was in the front, among the most elaborate ones; right beside Major Hunriet''s. Her sacrifice was, no smaller than his. "They faced the darkest moments with unwavering bravery, and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the city and its people." "Their bravery, their selflessness, and their sacrifice will forever be remembered and will be a beacon of light in the darkness, guiding us toward a future of hope and peace," I said and wiped my eyes as I finished the speech. There was a silence of a couple of seconds before I nodded at Bishop Alanis and she began the ceremony with lightning the censor. There are twelve priests with her. Two that had fought with us, ten that newly arrived. Most of them aren''t even priests; they are acolytes who aren''t even Lv. 10 in their classes. It is quite a risk to bring them to this city, which could be attacked by the undead again at any time. A few had objected to them performing the funeral since most were faithful to the god of war; the state religion of the empire. The bastards from the church of the god of war wanted to use the opportunity. Sent me letters to perform the funeral. When I rejected their request, they came forcefully. I had expected it and detailed them, before sending them back to the Deerpond. It will have a price, but I don''t regret doing it. I will never give this honor to the bastards who had run away. An hour later, Bishop Alanis finished, and I took the stage again. "Let''s remember them, not with grief, but with joy and pride. They deserve at least this from us," I said, bringing smiles to the faces of a few. I walked off the stage, but didn''t leave immediately. I talked to the loved ones of those who lost their lives. It is the least, I could do. I could only imagine what they were going through and providing every help, I could. "It was a great speech. She would have loved it," said Carla, wiping her eyes as she stopped by me. I didn''t say anything, just stared at the tomb, which was covered in flowers. There are so many of them. That is the tomb had almost got buried in it. It is not just the girls who had placed the flowers there, but also people. To save those she had sacrificed her life for. It is buried in flowers, but I could still read the tombstone. ''Mena Horn. Madam, Sister, Mentor'' there is also the emblem of establishment in the middle. She wanted it as such; it was written in her will. We stayed there for a few minutes in silence, before sitting in the carriage. Ten minutes later, the carriage stopped at the city hall and I got out. Today, I wanted to do nothing, but unfortunately, I couldn''t do that. There is a ton of work in front of me. Click! "They are waiting for you," said Jill as I reached my office. I nodded and entered the room. "Lord Silver," the four people waiting inside got up immediately. Aside from Valentina, Lola, and Hardt, there is Rip Hanson from legal. They had finished the negotiations last night and left immediately. They were barely able to make it to the funeral. "Sit down, all of you," I said as I sat down. "How were the negotiations? I asked. "Tough, but we are able to achieve, what you had wanted," she replied, with a look. Which is obvious to even the fool. It is a huge risk, I am taking, but there is no other option. It had been a week since the battle and a quarter of the population had left, which is fifty-thousand people. The battle had tattered the economy of the city. I had told the bastard, that the economy was too fragile. We need to diversify it as much as possible, but like always, he didn''t listen to me. I have to do something to invigorate it, or more people will leave. I need to bring the city back on track, fill its coffers to pay for the army, and city employees, and finance the infrastructure, among other things. I didn''t reply to her looks and picked up the first bunch of contracts and started reading it. It had already been vetted by the lawyers, but I like to look at them myself. I read every text and line carefully. I do not care about the time it takes. These documents will have a far-reaching effects and I want to be sure of every word before I sign it. It took a while before I finished reading and signed the documents, adding my own skills. I could feel it clicking and so are they. "This will usher a new era to our city," I said, closing the documents. "Let''s hope so," said Valentina. I smiled at her, before the lawyer. "Rip, you will resign from the merchant guild and take a position as a head council in the city hall," I said to the man. Shocked would be an understatement of the emotion he was feeling, seeing he had a sort of frozen. "I will not let you down, my lord." He said and bowed. The city hall had a legal department, but half of them had left and there was no one in the other half could lead it. "I know you will," I said. A few seconds later, the lawyers left, leaving only three in front of me. Rip isn''t the only one getting a promotion, but the next promotions are a little complicated and they might not accept, seeing the conditions attached to it. "Hardt, I want you to handle the trade office," I said, and the man''s eyes lit up. It was my department; I like it a lot and if not for the crazy responsibilities, I wouldn''t have given it up. "Thank you, my lord," he said, smiling widely. "Don''t thank me yet. There are serious conditions attached to it," I added, and his expression turned serious. "What conditions?" he asked. "You will have to give your position as the head of the merchant guild and will also need to step away from your business," I said and even Valentina''s expression turned serious hearing. "My apologies, Lord Silver, but I cannot accept the responsibility," he said, without wasting even a moment. His swift rejection didn''t surprise me. He would have agreed to resign from the merchant guild, but stepping away from his business is a red line for him. Let''s see if the allure of the power is big enough for him to break it. "This is the responsibility the position will have. Think about it, you have a day," I said and pushed the paper toward him. He opened his mouth, likely to reject, when suddenly he stopped and stared at the page harder. There was a shock appeared on his face and he read the page over and over, before turning to me. "The merchant guild wouldn''t like this," he said and I smiled. "The merchant guilds in the empire are too bloated. I am going to revert them to basic, where they will be able to run more efficiently," I replied. It is the perfect chance to do what I want. The undead attack and chaos in the empire had made the merchants weaker. They wouldn''t be able to put too big of the resistance. "I will give you my answer, tomorrow," he said and left, leaving only Lola, and Valentina in the office. "I am sure, there is something for me," she said and I nodded. "I want you to head finance," I said, and a surprise appeared on her face, along with disappointment. On Earth, finance is a bigger department than trade, but it is not here. Most of the responsibilities are taken by trade, interior, and other departments, making it an empty shell. A very few kingdoms here, that give the finance the weight it deserves. "You should read it before being disappointed," I said and slid the page toward her. She took it and began to read; the more she read, the more her expressions would change. "You are willing to give these?" she asked, shocked. "Finance deserves these powers," I replied. She will have many responsibilities, from budget to taxation, but most importantly. She will have control over the treasury. "I will to have step away from the business, right?" she asked. She obtained the license the day she left for a merchant state, but if she wants this job, she will need to step away from it. She could be a partner, but she could not run a business and take active parts in decision-making. "Yes," I replied. "Can you make an exception for me?" she asked, trying to act cute. "Rules are the same for everyone Valentina. If you want this responsibility, you have to give up your business," I said. She loves what she does and after a long time. She had finally started on her own, but now, I am asking her to give up. It is a massive responsibility. If there had been someone capable enough, that I trust so much as her, I would have offered that job to them. "Fine, I will accept. It will fulfill my dream of becoming an important person," she said, and I laughed. The smile remained on her face for a couple of seconds, before it turned serious. "Do you really think, it will work?" she asked. I didn''t have to ask, what she was talking about. "There are good chances it would," I replied. Signing a contract is just one part. I have to do many more things to make them have enough confidence in us to trust us with the investments. It will be easy when the undead are hovering over us. She left a few minutes later, and I turned to Lola. "There is no promotion for you, only learning opportunity. Start preparing for your trip," I said to her. She will be leaving in three days with whoever becomes director of the trade office. It will be a long journey and a dangerous one, seeing things happening in the empire, but it needs to be done. It is the best time to act when our competitors are worrying about the undead. "Any new intelligence on undead?" I asked Zela. "No, everything is quiet," she replied, which didn''t make me feel good at all. Instead, it made me feel more suspicious. It had been five days and there were no movements on their part. Even spies and scouts of the merchant state weren''t able to find anything. It made me more suspicious and scared of them. Soon, it was eleven, and I walked out of the city hall. In the mansion, I directly went to my suit, and freshened up, before laying on the bed. I fell asleep almost immediately, thinking about tomorrow which I am excited about. I will finally share my vision for the new legacy. "Lord Silver," I was in a deep sleep, having a pretty gruesome nightmare where my city burning and my loved one murdered when I heard someone calling my name. I opened my eyes immediately and saw Shaun and Lt. Col Hiren by my bed. They take the night shift from Zela and Jon. "What happened?" I asked as I got up, feeling scared. Something had happened; it was clearly written on their faces. ... Hendricks "The journey wasn''t supposed to last, more than two weeks, but it had been over two months and we still haven''t reached him," said the man in front of me and sighed. They are sitting at the restaurant window, watching the closed gate. They were supposed to leave today and reach Inam, in two days, before taking a ship to Greltheaven, but now it seemed like, they would have to wait for a few days at least. "Life is full of unexpected things, Mr. Emer," I said to the man in front of me, before turning to two children, who are eating quietly, while we have our conversation in privacy. If what Emer had said was right, they really had bad luck on their journey. Hope, we reach the Greltheaven quickly. Not only for the children but also for the man, who will get the answer to the question he had been asking for a decade. Still Craving? Tap on to read chapters ahead.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 355: Attack On Nakar Chapter 355: Attack On Nakar Scala "Have you decided?" I asked, as Damon sat in front of me. "No, it is too difficult," he said, shaking his head. I didn''t say anything, as it is indeed a difficult decision. Though, if I had been in his place. I would have made the decision within seconds. There is really not much to think about it. I have seen the paper and I have to say, I am kind of shocked. The powers are great; far more than when Silver had the job. I am not him, and while I am his wife, our priorities are different. A surprise appeared on my face as I thought about that. A thought like this never entered my mind before; since we wed, I always thought of us as one. "What happened?" asked Damon, seeing the change in my expression. "I had thought something I had never thought before," I replied, and he looked me in question, but I didn''t answer. Even I don''t have an answer to the thought, that had just come to my mind. The staff laid out the breakfast in front of us, and we started eating in silence. We were at the end of it when Damon turned to me. "What would you do if you were in my place?" he asked. "I would accept it," I replied without hesitation, surprising him. "It was quick," he said. "Not really. I have been thinking about it, since you told me yesterday," I lied. I had the answer the moment I read the paper. "Care to explain the reasons behind it?" he asked. I didn''t answer immediately. I thought about it for a few seconds before finally opening my mouth. "There are several reasons. First is that we have been forced to stay in the city, despite the obvious dangers, since the family bet on the wrong horse," They didn''t get a choice to even think whether to leave or stay in the city after the battle. The family wants them to stay. Prince Grelt, whom the family had chosen, has died and the second prince and his backers were moving toward the family like sharks. While the assets have been divided across the whole empire to manage the risk. Princess Orlene and others aren''t taking the revenge. It had diluted the influence of the family, which, till a week ago, was one of the most powerful merchant houses in the empire. Now, the family wants them to stay in the city, and gather more influence. So, they will have a safe harbor. "Since this is the place, we are making our home. We should drill down our roots as deep as possible, not only to protect us against our enemies but also against our family," His expression turned serious after hearing that. The family takes as much as it gives. We had no choice, but to follow the orders they had given us. If we had enough power, we would have been able to ignore those orders from them. "The last and most important. Silver is not asking to give up the business; he is only asking to step away from it. The business isn''t going anywhere," I said, and he sighed and took my hand in hers. "I know, but business is everything. We have been taught that, before we could even talk," he said and I couldn''t help, but nod. "It is a risky decision, but if the city survives long enough and Silver could make something out of it; it will give you an enormous influence," "Yesterday, we had invited Silver''s mistress to our women''s charity event. When we asked her about the legacy, she said Silver had a big plan for it. She said it would be unlike anything." Legacy is an important part of the city and a huge factor one has to weigh in their decisions. The cities are changed by the legacies, and Silver''s legacy isn''t like the normal legacy. My heart started to beat in anticipation. When I thought about its reconstruction. Whatever it is, I hope it will be soon. I still haven''t forgotten that day. I have dreams about it every day. Several times, I had pleasured myself, thinking of those moments and unlike before the pleasure came. Still, it couldn''t be compared to the real thing. I want to experience it again and crave it enough that I fear I might end up mistake, that will cost me dearly. "Since we are staying. We might as well take another risk. I will accept the job and as for the business, you will handle it," he said, bringing me out of my thoughts. It took a moment to realize what he had said, and when I did, my heart couldn''t help but flutter. "The family wouldn''t like it," I said. I am not talking about him accepting the new job. They will love it; I am talking about him handling the reins of the business to me. The family had rules and one of them was that they never let women lead the business. "They had forced us to stay here. They will have to accept it; it''s not like they could send anyone here to replace us or Silver will offer them a job, as he did to me," he said, bringing a smile to my face. It is one of the most dangerous places in the empire. No one in their right mind would come here. ... I woke up, slightly later than usual. I had woken up in the middle of the night and stayed awake for an hour, before sleeping back. Click! I got off the bed and showered, before walking out of the room. "What is the progress?" I asked Zela. "Still marching," she replied. I nodded and walked out of the suit. I had breakfast in the kitchen, before sitting on the carriage for the city hall. When I had reached it. I didn''t walk to my office, instead, I entered conference room 7. The people are already waiting there. Aside from Shaman Trek, Colonel Cardin and Lt. Colonel Azalea. There are Robin and Ina. "My lord," they greeted, and I nodded before sitting down. "I didn''t think, Dane would attack, so quickly and with such force," I said, looking at a map of the Renwell region in the middle of the attack. We knew it would happen, but the timing came sooner than we had expected. "It shouldn''t have surprised us. Commander Dane considers Nakar forest his turf. He had his men there, but now everyone turned against him, and a prideful man like himself, couldn''t bear that," "Most importantly, Nakar forest is important to him. The trade that will flow from there will sustain the mirador hold, now that the funding from the city has been cut. He needs to bring it under his control as soon as possible," said Colonel Cardin. At midnight, Dane declared that he was marching against baronies who had rebelled against the empire. He is attacking them to bring them back the empire''s fold; it is an excuse, of course. Excuse as it may be, but it would be a powerful attack. He is leading the army of twenty-five thousand, along with powerhouses. "What do you are his chances?" I asked. For that, I didn''t get the answer immediately. "It is hard to say. Commander Dane is powerful and has nine Lv. 30+ powerhouses under his command. The army he is leading is experienced and works together well," "The barons aren''t weak either. They have men like Baron Harrods and Baron Lockridge, both are veterans. There are also powerhouses like your sister, Baroness Leila, and Major Jarvis," "Their own army should have about twenty-thousand people; it might not be as well experienced as the holds, but there is some experience due to them fighting the monster horde," "Not to mention, the battle won''t be fought in plains; it will be in the forest, and they are prepared, " said Stone. Both sides have an advantage. I think barons have more Lv. 30 powerhouses. I already know eight of them and more will pop up. Dane, on the other hand, has a disciplined army. "Dane shouldn''t win. If he did, his next target will be us," I said. He didn''t hide his intentions to get Greltheaven under its control. "Dane wouldn''t attack us, even if won against the barons. If he did, we are more than capable of dealing with him," replied Stone. We have a big enough army and powerhouses. Our army may not be as experienced, but we have the greatest advantage in the river. He will need a really big army if he wants to come at us. "Still be alert; I don''t want us to make mistakes in our complacency," I said and went back to my office. A few hours passed, and I had several meetings. A few impromptu ones, most of them are merchants. Some had come to get the job, most to save theirs. The news of me overhauling the merchant guild had spread throughout the city. A lot of people are going to lose their positions, and some are seeing this as a chance to gain the position. I have let the news out, but won''t be making the changes quickly; at least not till, Damon Hardt and Lola return from their trip. He has accepted the job and leaving tomorrow with Lola and will be returning for around two weeks. He will be visiting a lot of cities, including Namdar. "It is time," I said after I checked Dane''s progress and walked out of my office, feeling excited. Click! It took me a minute before I reached the conference room, where Edmor was sitting with Davidson and three other people from Valentina''s new company, which she opened with Edmor. She is also sitting there, not as the owner of the company, but as my finance chief. "My lord," they greeted. "Everyone," I said and sat down, before turning to Ed. I have given their company their first job, which is to design and make an estimate of the reconstructions. Not just reconstruction, but the addition of a few new places, like parks, bigger military barracks, and many other things. "Have you finished it?" I asked him. "Yes, my lord," he said and placed the files in front of me, before spreading large parchment, which covered nearly whole the table. The parchment had a map of the city, and it was very clear; I could see every part of the city. It is even more detailed than the GPS maps. The three people sitting beside him also moved and placed the eleven display boards. They are showing the different things, I had asked him to design. I turned my eyes back to the map on the table and looked at things in blue ink. They are new things I had asked to design. They are the buildings, that got destroyed in the battle, but also the gardens, roads, and many other things, Though the biggest area of blue ink is around my establishment, anyone could notice a single glace. Though, unlike other places of blue ink. It is blank. There is no design. We haven''t started; today will be the first meeting we will have about the establishment''s reconstruction. I forcefully move my eyes away from it. It is not the time; I will need to finish the city''s business before I can conduct mine. "I studied the blueprints and files of the city, and one thing, had confused me a lot," said Edmor. "What is it?" asked Valentina. "The city is one of the worst places it could be. They are ten times better places, a few miles upstream and downstream," he said, surprising me. "Why do you think that?" I asked. Feeling curious. "The soil sample, the geographical markers, makes it one of the worst places to establish the city, but they did it," replied. "Has the Architect Raldin fooled the prince?" asked Valentina. It could be possible, though, the other prince''s influence, but Ed shook his head. "Unlikely. For this project, a man like Prince Grelt would have consulted many architects. They wouldn''t have had much problem finding it," he replied. "So, it is the intention," said Valentina, guessing what he was trying to say, and Edmor nodded. "Intentional or not. We do not have any time to think about it. Instead, we should focus on the work in front of us," I said. For a few seconds, there was a silence before Valentina spoke. "I had studied the cost. We do not have money to fund, even half of it," said Valentina. "We do not have to build everything at once; we will do it in stages," I said and opened the first file. I began to read it. Now and then I would look at designs and ask Ed and the old man questions. Even with the skill, it took me over an hour to finish reading through all and half an hour more to divide it into phases based on our needs. There will be three phases. It will involve the reconstruction, as well as building new things. "Release the tenders, for the first phase tomorrow," I said to Valentina. She nodded and turned to me. "What are these twenty-eight tiny buildings? You have been quiet about them, my lord," she asked. The other eyes turned to me, looking curious. I have told them about everything except for these tiny buildings. I had asked them to build it in every area of the city. "You will know after you built them," I replied. I could tell she wanted to glare at me, but she bowed, seeing the people around her. "Our firm won''t be able to bid on it, right, my lord?" asked Davidson, and I nodded. It is a big project, and even a small part of it will help them a lot, but they won''t be bidding on it. I feel bad and it is not fair to them, but I do not want to show favoritism, since they are my favorite. They will be building the new establishment, for which I had already received tens of letters and hundreds of messages from many firms from the merchant state and empire. Everyone wants to be part of it. "Now, that we finished with it. Let''s move on to the legacy," said Valentina, and the eyes of everyone in the room lit up, including mine. .... Barb "Thank you, Hugo. You will not regret this," I said and hugged the man, who seemed to be already regretting his decision. It is why, I didn''t give him a chance and walked away from his office. Hugo agreed, but not without condition. Now, I will have to convince the other man and I don''t know whether he will agree or not. I will respect his decision, but I truly hope, he agrees. I have finally found, the purpose in my life and I want to follow it, no matter how dangerous it is. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 356: Grand Vision Chapter 356: Grand Vision Click! The three people left and two came inside. The three people, were the ones who came with Ed and Davidson. There will be a few things discussed here, that I don¡¯t want anyone to know. ¡°Master Silver,¡± The two who came were Carla and Caena. They all took a seat at the table, before everyone turned to me, while I turned to Ina. She understood what I wanted and took out two contracts and placed them in front of Edmor and Davidson. ¡°Before we start, please sign these contracts,¡± I said to Edmor and Davidson. They were surprised, but quickly began to read it, while Valentina turned to me, with an arched brow. I trust her enough to not make her sign the contract. ¡°This is a very strict contract with high penalties.¡± Said Ed. It is not a normal contract, but one with the power of legacy. If they break it, the power of the legacy will go after them with the intention to kill. I didn¡¯t reply, just kept looking at them. ¡°Fine, it''s not like. I will share anything with others,¡± he said and signed the contract. Seeing that, the old man beside him also begins to sign, without saying anything. I am not going to tell them any secrets, but it might get revealed through the conversation, or they might figure it out through things they notice. I don¡¯t want those secrets out, till I reveal them in my time. The contracts clicked as they finished signing. ¡°I have a vision of how the new legacy should be and I am going to share it with you all,¡± I said and activated the Focus. With it, I had imagined the vision, I had in mind. I didn¡¯t project it immediately; I had noticed, in my experiments, that I would sometimes unconsciously imagine a few things from Earth. Like a person riding a bicycle or a bird, that is not present in the world or some other details. With focus, I could much get a clearer picture and remove any earth stuff. It took me a few seconds to create a perfect vision and after checking it thoroughly; I projected it into their minds directly with Project Vision. Gasp! Immediately, several gasps rang across the table. I had not thought about this in the past week, but since I had come here. It was something else at first, but morphed into a vision for the legacy, I have now. While they got engrossed in the vision. Ina placed the binders in front of them. It had sketches; they were realistic sketches. I did not make them; I hired a sketch artist to draw them. Along with sketches, there is information on measurement and other things related to the legacy. She had also placed a big sketch on the display boards. They show not only a new legacy but also the area around it. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Carla breathed as she opened her eyes. It is beautiful; it will be even more beautiful in reality. I am building it, not only for me but also for the city. I am confident, that once the establishment opens again; it will accelerate the growth of the city. People will come to the city, just to see it. It happens with most legacies, but mine is being specially built for it. It will be an attraction to and through. That will invoke the deepest desires of people. ¡°It is a tower,¡± said Valentina as she turned to me. ¡°It is,¡± I replied. She didn¡¯t say anything and turned to the binder. For a minute, there was a silence, before Ed turned to me. ¡°The legacy occupies the area of area of fourteen thousand, six hundred and twenty-five square feet, but you want your new legacy to occupy the area of the forty to fifty thousand square feet,¡± Hun! Her question stumped me for a second. I had thought about hundreds of aspects, but not this, I had always imagined it to be filled with people. ¡°Open, of course,¡± I said finally, after a few seconds of thinking. ¡°They you should make it bigger, much bigger than that. Quadruple its size,¡± she said, surprising all those listening. ¡°I think, it is already big enough,¡± I replied. To which she shook her head. ¡°Every day, there are always thousands of people, coming to look at the legacy,¡± ¡°If the city grew, as you are imagining it to be then, the people coming to look at legacy will also increase with tourists making a large part of it.¡± ¡°You need to make big as possible, so they drink, its beauty while sitting in a beautiful place,¡± she said, once again forcing me to think deeply. ¡°It is a valid point,¡± I said. I had seen the crowd around the legacies. In the Navr, Iman and Owlspring. Whenever there is a legacy, there is a crowd, and where there is a crowd, there is an enormous opportunity to earn money. For a minute, nobody spoke, before Ed opened his mouth. ¡°Do you want it just as it is or willing to use some freedom in design?¡± he asked, and the eyes of all three turned to me. ¡°You have the freedom. It is why, I had called all here, to share the ideas. What is in front of us, is basic, you are free to suggest any changes,¡± I said, looking at all, not just Edmor and Davidson, on whose faces the big smiles have appeared. I am not an architect. I have a vision, and I want them to maintain its essence while adding their own ideas. ¡°You want it all, within six months?¡± he asked, and I nodded. ¡°It is a very tough timeline to match,¡± he said. It is tough, but I have no other option. I need establishment standing as soon as possible. For me, for the girls, and most importantly for the city. ¡°Then you should start finding the partners immediately,¡± I replied, making the smile appear on their faces. They need partners to do the job. It is not a common tower, but a Grade III magical building. They do not have the experience, the men and the materials to build it. A partner will help them with all that. There won¡¯t be a problem seeing the number of people that had messaged me. ¡°Now, only the hostel had remained,¡± said Edmor. ¡°You will have to discuss that with Margaux and others,¡± I said. Margaux couldn¡¯t come, she is busy with the girls. He will need to set up a meeting with them to discuss it. I have a few ideas about it, but I want to hear what they have in mind. We discussed a few more things before they got up to leave. Edmor was walking toward the door with Davidson. When he suddenly stopped and turned to me, with his eyes emotional. ¡°Thank you for giving me the greatest opportunity of my life, Lord Silver,¡± he said and bowed before walking away. For seconds, nobody spoke. ¡°You will also need to contact that elf and orc; especially the elf, since you are planning to fit plants everywhere,¡± said Valentina, making everyone laugh. I didn¡¯t laugh, instead I turned to Zela. ¡°Ask Miss Rolgath and Miss Ulaxasys to come to the city for a meeting,¡± I said. She is right, I need to meet the landscape and interior designer; with a six-month timeline, they will need to start working as soon as possible. ¡°With undead, they might not come,¡± said Carla, but Valentina just shook her head with a smile. ¡°They will. This is the opportunity of ages.¡± ¡°They would be fools if they refused to come, fearing the undead. I don¡¯t think, those two women are fools,¡± said Valentina and walked out of the door, leaving me and the girls alone in the conference room. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 357: Dane’s Defeat Chapter 357: Dane¡¯s Defeat Click! "Negotiations failed. Commander Dane is attacking the Nakar," she said as I just stepped out of the conference room. "It took longer than I had thought," I said and walked toward my office. I had contacts in both mirador holds and baronies. I knew what both sides wanted, but they wouldn''t give each other that. Dane wants complete surrender, while baronies want autonomy. Both parties were willing to make some concessions, but they were far from enough to satisfy the others. "Keep me updated," I said and entered my office. A lot of it depends upon the battle. If the Dane won, he would cast an eye on the Greltheaven. The attack wouldn''t come immediately; it would be a few months before he had a big enough army and all the resources. The victory over the Nakar will help him with that. The baronies, declaring autonomy, are the best thing that happened to Greltheaven, and hope they survive the battle. It will restrict the revenue and resources for Dane, which will keep him restricted to his fort. Speaking of revenue; we were raking before the undead had invaded. All the cities of the renwell region were trading with Navr. The tax revenue coming from the trade was really good, but now it all stopped. We had to stop because of the undead, but now that we have dealt with them, at least temporarily. The trade should have resumed, but unfortunately, it didn''t. We didn''t restrict it, but no merchant wants to do it because of fear of backlash from the public. We had fought against the undead. If we start trading with them quickly, the people won''t like that and since people won''t like that, then merchants won''t like that. It didn''t matter if the undead that attacked us belonged to a different kingdom. I will have to fix that. It will be tricky to manage people''s anger against the undead, but it needs to be done. I cannot depend on trade with merchant cities alone. The undead are the enemy, but we need trade and taxes from it. Which will be even less, now that Nakar and the Mirador hold aren''t in the city''s control. The city will need to negotiate a new agreement with them. Two hours passed, and I continued to receive updates about the battle from my sources. They haven''t sealed the communication and quite a lot of them are willing to provide me with some harmless information. ''Lord Silver, Madam Barb wants to meet you,'' said Jill through the intercom. It surprised me. I didn''t have any meetings with her. "Do you know anything, about it?" I asked Ina. "You should meet her," she replied with a sigh. It is clear she clearly knows something but is unwilling to tell me. I looked at the clock, before turning to the intercom. Click! "Send her in," I said. I have only ten minutes to spare; I hope, whatever it is concluded by then. Click! The door opened and Barb walked in. She looked very nervous, which was unusual for her, seeing as she was usually confident. I am not even sensing that wonderful alcoholic scent from her. It is her skill, that turns the alcoholic smell into a pleasant scent. It must be really important to make her this nervous and come to me without drinking, which she never does. She always, at least a sip. "Lo...Master Silver," she said, bowed hastily, but neatly. All those lessons have ingrained the poise into the very cells of girls. It couldn''t help, but make me feel proud. "Miss Utsa, what can I do for you?" I asked as she sat down in front of me. I would have talked about other things and made her feel more at ease, but unfortunately, I didn''t have time. I have two important meetings back-to-back, with one starting in less than ten minutes. She seemed to become more nervous at my question and felt like she might bolt away any second before she took a deep breath and composed her expressions. "I want you to free me from my contract," she said. Saying, I am shocked, would be an understatement. I don''t want to Barb, she is one of the most capable girls I have, and I am not saying that because she had burned a few hundred undead. "Did someone poach you?" I asked, and a hurt flashed in her eyes for a moment. "I would never betray you or the establishment; no matter, how much money they offer," she replied with conviction. I felt relieved for a moment before the question returned to my mind. "Then why do you want me to free you from your contract?" I asked, feeling even more confused. If someone didn''t poach her, there is no reason for her to leave. "I want to follow my path," she replied and when she said it, her expressions were firm. "I know. It is a big ask, Master Silver. Especially at a time like this, but I finally found my life''s purpose and I want to follow it," she added with her eyes lighting up with passion. "What is it?" I asked, feeling more confused with every word she spoke. She seemed to understand, what I was feeling, as she quickly controlled her emotions. "I want to join Hugo in his mercenary company," she answered finally, and the shock that appeared on Zela''s face mirrored mine. "Miss Utsa, being a mercenary is not easy. It is a highly dangerous job," warned Zela. "I understand, but I want to do it," she said and turned to me. My head hurt and I was about to open my mouth to speak when Jon appeared. "Miss Utsa, I am going to be blunt here. Life of the mercenary is dangerous, and it is going to be extremely dangerous for you, under Hugo, who will be taking the dangerous missions," "You might feel like, killing is easy, after burning a few hundred undead, but those undead were the weakest ones." "They were also unguided; there was not a single pillar with them. If there had been, they wouldn''t have had a problem with killing you with a single spell," said Jon directly, without mincing words. I looked at him gratefully and turned to Zela. "We are not trying to scare you, but it is a reality. Forget a pillar, even novice mage or archer, a level lower than ten would not have any problem in killing you," I said to her. For a moment, there was a silence. "I understand the risks very well, Master Silver, but I want to do it. For the first time, in my life, I have found the purpose and I want to follow it, even if it kills me," she said, looking straight into my eyes. I opened my mouth to object, but closed it and sighed. "Fine, if you want to do it. Do it." I said. "I will not free you from your contract, but add a provision to let you do this," I added, and a big smile lit up on her face. "Thank you, Master Silver. I will not forget this ever," she said, with tears streaming down her eyes. "You will need to convince Hugo to join him. I will not help you with that," I said, hearing that she smiled. "He already agreed," she replied and got up, before leaving while I turned to Zela. "What was he thinking, accepting her?" I asked. I am not belittling her abilities or courage to follow her path, but it is going to be extremely difficult for her. She is over forty and learning to fight at this age isn''t easy. Not to mention the class and the attributes that needed to focus on combat. There is a reason why, people who learn to fight quickly in their lives, find greater success. For combat, one needs a different instinct. She will have relearned everything and it wouldn''t be easy. Breathing fire through the mouth isn''t enough to be a warrior. She needs to train to fight with other ways to defend against the attacks. "I am asking the same question," she replied. "Since she wants to do it, let her do it, but ask him, to train her hard. She needed to be able to defeat an experienced Lv. 10, before she will join him on any mission," I said, and Zela nodded. I want her to follow her path but also wish that she would give up. It is why, I had not freed her. I want her to have the option to fall back. She will have a job back, whenever she is ready, even if it takes months or years. Until then, I will support her in any way, I can. A few minutes passed, and the door of the office opened again. I met the person and the one, that came after him, before focusing back on work. "Dane has started to retreat," said Zela suddenly. I stopped what I was doing and turned to her, feeling relieved. "Contact all our sources, I want complete information of what had transpired in the battle," I said to her. I need to know everything, every detail of the powerhouses, and the strategies they used. There is a big chance that I will come into conflict with them. I am not just talking about Dane. Hours passed, and soon, it was a nine. I walked toward conference room seven. Click! "My lord," Stone and others got up as I entered. I nodded and sat down, before turning to all. "Dane had lost and lost badly," I said, and many nodded seriously, while Colonel Cardin had a smile on his face. "Lost, with four of his Lv. 30+ officers being captured by the barons," he said, with a smile on his face brightening. "I had expected the battle to be toe to toe, but baronies dominated it," said Stone, who seemed as surprised as I am feeling. "Commander Dane had an advantage with the army, but he lost in powerhouses. The barons had seventeen Level 30+, compared to thirteen that Commander Dane had revealed." Said Captain Azalia, looking at the papers in front of her. "Your sister was very good, my lord. She fought against three and captured two. She will be a substantial challenge if we ever came in conflict with them," said Colonel Cardin. I nodded somberly, but was surprised internally. There are three people, who fought outstandingly, Baron Harrods, Baron Lockridge, and my sister. The first two were expected, but Leila was surprised. I knew she was powerful and likely crossed Lv. 30, but didn''t expect her to be this powerful. It seemed like those trips to an extreme magic region had been more beneficial to her than I had expected. "The battle had been beneficial to us. It had revealed the abilities of people, we might need to face in future." I said, and everybody nodded. We discussed the battle and even played a scenario of what would have happened with the information we had. The meeting lasted for an hour before it was over. Everyone started to leave, till only Stone and I had remained in the conference room. "Stone. If you don''t go tomorrow, I will suspend you," I said sternly. He had disobeyed me enough; I will not have it anymore. "I am working on my power, my lord. I don''t think, I need anyone''s help, to get control over it, unless they are elder blood," he said, giving me a searching look. "Go there for a week. If you don''t like it after, I will not force you, but go tomorrow or I will do what I said," I warned and walked out of the conference room. It had been two days since I asked him to go to her, but he didn''t. The elder-blood is powerful, but he needs to have control over it to use it at its full might and she will help him with that. She has the knowledge to help him. Most importantly, she has the power, which is even more difficult to control than the elder blood. There is no one better in the city to teach him to quickly control his power than her. Hun! I had reached my office and was about to step inside it, when I halted. I felt something, I had not felt before, but I know what it is. I had been waiting for it. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 358: Death of Legacy Chapter 358: Death of Legacy "Contact old man Vanis. Ask if it is, what I am sensing it is," I said to Zela. She looked at me in question, but I didn''t answer. "He said it is," she replied. "Ask him, what grade it is?" I asked and walked with the Blitz Steps. "Grade III," she replied, and now the questions in her eyes deepened. "He said, don''t absorb it," she added. "Tell him, I won''t," I lied. Soon, we were out of city hall and sat in the carriage. Click! "To the establishment, be fast," I said to the driver before closing my eyes. I want to sense it better. I wasn''t able to till, we had reached the outer range, when suddenly my senses amplified. "What happened?" asked Zela, worriedly. "A legacy had died," I replied, before closing my eyes again and focusing. It is a sad thing, but it also gives me the opportunity, I desperately need. The hosts of other legacies could sense birth as well as death. As I focused, I was able to glean some information about the dead legacy. It was from Oton and as the old man had replied, a Grade III legacy. I would have very much preferred if it had been Grade I or Grade II. It wouldn''t have been as risky as it is going to be right now. Soon, the carriage reached the establishment, and I could feel it even more clearly. I could tell, it had been a bar and the type of emotion it absorbed. Most hosts of legacies are quite secretive about their slate. The type of emotions their legacies absorb. It is not they do it intentionally but asked by their Sovereign. It is a strategic resource and what type of emotional essence a legacy could absorb, helps enemies determine the type of essence-infused resources one could have. In alchemy, some emotion essences work better with some potions than others. There were people exploring the establishment. Watching the mist shows; that we do four times a day. I feel bad cutting it halfway and pushing people out of the legacy, but I need privacy, for the thing, I am planning to do. Click! I got out of the carriage, and the mist moved around me, becoming denser. Zela and Jon didn''t follow me, seeing I needed to be alone. I moved fast, and soon, I reached the center. Caena was already there, and she took out that expensive witch ritual. We had prepared for this event. In front of me is a circle of nearly a four-meter radius. Inside a circle is a thirteen-pointed star, both of which are made of runes. Covering different charms, crystals, plants, and a few other expensive things. It is very costly, every single one of the things magical and of Grade III. There are seven, that could be classified into Grade IV. I really hope, with all that money I had spent will be worth it. "Will it work?" I asked. "I don''t know. It is my first time trying the ritual," she replied, not moving her eyes away from it. If it had been Grade 1 or Grade II, the legacy would have died. We wouldn''t have needed the ritual but for Grade III. We need one; what we are doing is extremely dangerous to the legacy. It would destroy its potential and chances of advancement if we are not careful. There is a reason why the old man had warned me about it and to be honest, I wouldn''t have taken the risk, if I had a choice. "It had reached the continent," I said, and she nodded. The sun appeared and the planets. The twenty-six planets shone, while the other disappeared. One is our biggest the kama rakalis, and the second is one through which we extract the emotion essence. The last twenty-four are the twenty-four outer planets. Imprinted on the walls of the city. The extraction planet appeared above the center of a ritual star, while a big planet, appeared beside it, with twenty-four planets surrounding them and the blazing core right above them. In a few seconds, it will reach here, and we will need to be ready for it. Seconds passed, and finally, it appeared. The ball of prime essence of legacy, that had died. A part of its core. When the legacy dies. The core doesn''t just disappear. It gets divided into hundreds of parts and moves toward the different legacies, which are willing to absorb them. Most don''t, at those of the same grade or grade lower than them. Even if they absorb, they absorb only a small part of it. It is a prime essence, not an emotional essence. The prime essence is one thing, that not only has an extremely pure emotion essence but also contains a vision of a host of legacies. Their dreams and desires. No legacy is similar to one another, even if some of them might look similar. Their hosts have a different vision for their legacies, dreams, and aspirations, which are different from others. So, when we accept, this prime essence, we accept those too and they might contradict with vision we have. If the contradiction is high, they act like a virus, try to infiltrate it, change it, and that is good at destroying the future of the legacy. Our vision is what drives us; it is through which legacies advance. The old man had said, that one of the biggest reasons, he was not able to take his legacy to Grade IV, is because he was greedy. He was not careful with the prime essence of the other legacies. I think, my vision is vast enough to remain unaffected by others, but I will not take the risk of absorbing it directly. It is not just me who depends on it, but the whole city depends on it. I need to be extremely careful and hence these preparations. The ball of prime legacy appeared in the sky and was smaller than the first, but extremely dense and seemed to contain all the colors. I could have rejected it easily, and it will move away, but I didn''t. Instead, I let it come. Concentrating fully on my core. I can not let it merge directly; I will repel it if that were to happen. It had reached half a distance when the ritual lit up and with it, the core and the planet. As it happened, the prime essence changed its direction slightly. Instead of going to the core, it went to ritual and stopped atop of palm sized tarix crystal in the center. The planet of kama rakalis shone brightly and thirteen beams released from it and touched the thirteen points of the star, making the ritual flare brightly. The ritual was already powerful, but the power of the planet had made it even more powerful. For a couple of seconds, nothing happened before the concentrated colorful mist came out of the prime essence and went to the extraction planet, which blazed like a sun absorbing it and started shaking. I could feel its strain. It is so much that it took it near the breaking point, and opened my mouth, but closed it as the ritual projected its power into it and the twenty-four planets surrounding it. The shaking had stopped, but it was still blazing. It is still under pressure, which kept increasing as it continued to absorb the mist. Thirteen seconds passed, and it shook again when the mist started to come out of it. There are two types of mist; one that is very dense, is moving toward the core, while the other is moving toward the twenty-four planets. The core absorbed the mist without a problem and so did the twenty-four planets, which lit up as it did. I focused on them and when I saw them, they did what, I had expected them to do. A smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. My core is absorbing the prime essence, but not the vision, dreams, and aspirations, the host has. Those are getting absorbed by the twenty-four planets, which in turn release it to the city. The city had enough people that it would harmlessly absorb, everything I am releasing. Seeing that, I felt a huge load had come down from my heart. I needed this; my core needed it. Daily, the core is absorbing the emotions and growing, but not as much as it would have when the establishment had a shell, with patrons coming to fulfill their desires. This will help me tremendously. I could already see how it was benefiting my core, and it hadn''t even absorbed 1% of the essence. Hun! A few minutes passed, and I sensed another prime essence coming toward me, but I shook my head. When the legacy dies, the core divides itself into parts. The size of the share depends upon the grade of the legacy and its power. The shares also get assigned to each legacy, and only they can sense it. I could only sense the other shares when other hosts reject it. As I rejected it, it disappeared from my senses. I did it because the ritual could only support one prime essence share. There is another, bigger reason; I don''t want anyone to be suspicious of me. While the share is only sensed when it comes toward them. I do not believe it to be the whole truth. These are legacies on the continent, powerful beyond my comprehension. The archmages tower is the most powerful; it is said to be the most powerful among all the spirits, weaker than only titans. Absorbing one or two might not get me noticed, but if I absorbed too much. They will find out and I don''t want them to find out. I already have the eyes on me due to the type of legacy I have and that is more than enough attention already; I do not need it anymore. Half an hour passed, and the ritual was continuing. It will take a few more hours before it ends. It is working and by the end; I will have 80% of prime essence, while 20% spread to the city. It is good, better than our target of 60%. Next time, we will do better. Yes, there will be next time, and it will be sooner, rather than later. Every year, two to six legacies die. This is the first legacy, that died since I gained it and the second of this year. One or two might die by the end of the year and if they are in Grade 3 or below, I will absorb their prime essence. I took a last look at the ritual before I walked away, but not before turning the mist even denser. I don''t want anyone to cause a disturbance before the ritual is finished. For more, Tap Below.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 359: Threats and Opportunities Chapter 359: Threats and Opportunities "Have some confidence in yourself, Winfred. You will do well," I said to the nervous man in front of me. He is a friend and vice-director of trade, responsible for the eastern side. The old position of mine, before I got promoted. He is official and people like him, usually don''t get positions like these. These are reserved for powerful merchants or connected persons. It is how I and Damon Hardt had got it ours The man is talented and an excellent negotiator, who never got the chance to shine. I have known him for over a year since I went to Navr. He was part of that trip and several others with me. Though currently, he will handle the trilateral negotiations, we are having with baronies and mirador hold. It had been two weeks since the battle and they were coming to the city for the negotiation. They do not want to go to the hold or the baronies. While the city is dangerous, they decided it is the best place to do the negotiations. "Thank you for your trust, Lord Silver," he said and bowed, before walking out of the door. I won''t be the part of negotiations. I truly want to, but I need to delegate the responsibilities and trust that they will do the job. ''Master Silver, your eleven am appointment is here,'' informed Jill. There were still fifteen minutes, but since I had time, I might as well meet him. He had been trying to meet me for three days, despite knowing the answer. "Send him in," I said and waited. .... Yenrys Click! The doors opened the door, and I walked inside. I knew he was young, but still quite surprised seeing how young he was. The information said that he is not even twenty. He is the youngest host of legacy in nearly two millennia. It is why, I came here. If we got the opportunity to work on legacy, it would help us tremendously. Most importantly, helps us leave a mark on history. Master Nehdis wants it, and he is even willing to finance it all with his own money. Though it is not the main reason, I had sought this appointment and had been in this dangerous city. I had barely slept since I came here, whenever I closed my eyes. I had nightmares about the undead. If it were up to me, I wouldn''t have come here, but Master Nehdis sent me and there was no questioning his orders. "Lord Silver," I greeted. "Take a seat, Mr. Yenrys," he replied, offering me a seat in front of me. "Thank you, my lord," I said as I sat. "What can I do for you, Mr. Yenrys?" he asked, looking directly into my eyes. His gaze intense, that I forgot I am sitting in front of a man less than half my age. "I am working for Nehdis. The foremost architecture firm Belnin, which is being led by Master Nehdis, who is a step away from becoming a Grandmaster. We would be honered if you gave our firm a chance to build your legacy," "Our firm is willing to work free of charge and even foot the whole bill of the construction with Master Nehdis personally working on it," I said and looked at him, hoping to see a smile, upon hearing this wonderful offer, but found his expression unchanged. Master Nehdis is one of the best architects in the merchant state, on the entire continent. Lords and even kings wait for months and years for him to personally work on their projects, but here, he is offering his services on his own. "You should have followed proper procedure, Mr. Yenrys. If you want your firm to be considered, you will have to contact my chief of the project," he said with clear irritation present in his voice. ''This bastard!'' I cursed internally. Rarely anyone talked to me about such a tone, when I go with the name of Master Nehdis, but this little bastard is not only, not polite, but also got irritated with me. "You might not be aware, but your chief of project is a big liar and thief. He had stolen the designs of Master Nehdis and when he got caught claimed them to be his," "He is not the person to trust, my lord," I said. It is for this reason; that Master Nehdis had sent me here. He would be angry if we didn''t get the project, but it would be unmanageable, if Amelius stayed on his job. Others may see him as a criminal, but I know what he is. There is a reason, why he is made a criminal. Master Nehdis would not have him work again. Especially, on legacy, which is an opportunity of ages. It is so big; I dream about it every waking moment. "If I want the criminal history of my people, Mr. Yenrys. I will contact you," he said, without change in his expressions. "You should be careful who you hire, Lord Silver. Some people could make things difficult for you," I threatened before I could even stop myself. His expression finally changed. A smile appeared on his face. "Inform your boss, that your firm is out of consideration for being a partner in building my legacy," he said, and I opened my mouth with another threat, but closed it. He is lord of a small city; such people wouldn''t dare to cross Master Nehdis, given his influence, but he is also Master of Legacy and it is not a normal legacy. Those who have a legacy like him, won''t have a problem in taking their legacy to Grade III. If they live long enough, they have to good chance to take it to even Grade IV. Such people are valuable and what makes him especially valuable now, is that he is semi-independent. He has control over the emotion essence his legacy produces. A resource that everybody desires. "Apologies, my lord. I had no intention of threatening you," I said. If Master Nehdis came to know this, he would not leave me alive. It would have been fine if it had worked, but it is not, and he will not like that. "Get out of my office," he said, without even looking at me. Rage flared in my heart, but I controlled it. I got up and walked out. June was waiting outside; seeing my expression, she didn''t even ask me, just followed behind me quietly. I am angry but also worried. Master Nehdis didn''t like failures, and he liked to blame others for them. Hun! I was walking, when suddenly, I stopped. I saw a person coming from the other side; a person I had not seen in years and never expected to see. Once again, that feeling of inferiority rose in my heart, and feeling it, the anger burned brightly. "It" said June, but stopped. ''Edmor,'' I finished. He had also noticed me, and a small change appeared on his face, but he kept walking, talking with the old man and the woman. Soon, there were barely a few meters of distance between us, but he didn''t even glance at me. He just walked past. "Bastard!" I cursed. People around me stopped and looked at me as if I am crazy, which once again anger to rise in my heart, but this time, I controlled it and walked away. The next few days won''t be easy. I would need to be as calm as possible. ... "These people are really something," said Zela, as the half-elf left. He is not the first one to come to come to me directly or threatened. There were a few more who did that and all of them were shown the door. They and the firms behind them are powerful. Some of them could make things difficult, but not too difficult. If I had been only a lord of the city, I would have been a lot more careful in dealing with them, but I am also the host of legacy. They won''t go too far with me. Hours passed, and I met several people, including Edmor and Miss Rolgath, who reached the city, the day after I contacted her, while Miss Ulaxasys still hadn''t come after two weeks. She had asked for time to delegate the prior commitments she had. She wants to come here without any worry about the other work. I am not unreasonable. I like the woman and the work she had done, on the establishment before. This time it is a thousand times greater, and she is the best person for that. Her firm is big, and my job was the smallest she had ever accepted in her life. Now, she has got the biggest job. She is coming tomorrow, bringing her staff and a person whom she said, is just as good as her. I didn''t ask about that person; I will meet them tomorrow. I hope they are just as good as her. She needs to do better than the best, for this opportunity of ages. If I didn''t like her work, I wouldn''t hesitate to replace her, no matter how much I liked her as the person. Daily, I would get thousands of messages from the people who want to work on the legacy. I forwarded all those messages to Edmor, who was still in the process of selecting the partner. It is not an easy thing and usually takes months, but I am asking him to select within weeks. The establishment, needed to be ready within six months. Even the six months feel like a long time, but I cannot hurry them too much. It is not a simple tower, but a Grade III building. I thought for a while about it before pushing those thoughts away and focusing on the work in front of me. It was late afternoon when I finally got out of the city hall and sat in the carriage. It moved toward its destination, while I looked outside through the window. Everywhere, I could see. I would see people working. The reconstruction had begun; the first phase tenders had been awarded, and it had been a week since they started working. It seemed to give the people some comfort and also jobs as now, there are less than a hundred people leaving the city. Our condition is much better than other cities. I heard Deerponds population had slid below half a million and it hadn''t even attacked. They are trying different ways to stop people, but some of their ideas seem to make things worse than better. They shouldn''t force people to stay. It is the worst thing one could do to stop, these kinds of things. Soon, the carriage reached the wall and stopped. I got out and climbed the stairs before reaching the top. On the other side, I saw scenery, that made a smile appear on my face and gave me confidence in the city. In front of the city, an army is practicing. A professional army of twenty-two thousand people, wearing black uniforms. Following one order after another, their superior is giving it to them. It is an army smaller than we had gathered to fight the undead, but it is far more powerful than it and disciplined. The army has humans, orcs, and people with blood of other races. They are together, following the orders. In a few weeks, they will fight united against the enemy that seeks to destroy us. "They are learning to fight as one," said Colonel Cardin beside me. "Let''s hope, they have time to become one before the enemies come for us," I replied. Just this morning, we received intelligence from the merchant states. They asked us to expect another attack, within a month. It could come within a week or four, even if they are not certain. The only thing, they are certain, of is that the next attack will come within a month, and we will need to be prepared for it. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 360: Intense Familiarity Chapter 360: Intense Familiarity Hendricks "We have finally reached it," I said as the port of Greltheaven came into view. It was the most difficult journey; I had ever made. We were nearly killed several times. If not for the man beside me; we wouldn''t have survived it all. "It is small," said the man beside me. "Yes, it is, but it has the legacy," I replied with pride. I had thought it was fake news when I heard the legacy still standing, despite exploding into the pieces. If not for my grandchildren swearing on their lives; I wouldn''t have believed it. Even now, I still have some doubts in my heart. The ship came closer, and I could see the port fully. It was not as bustling as it was when I came here a few months ago but looked better than I had thought. I have seen how cities turn after going through the battle. Especially cities like this which are solely dependent on trade. I turned my eyes away from the port and looked at the two children. The little girl is sleeping on her brother''s lap, while the boy looks at the city with fear and trepidation. "Don''t worry. You will be safe here," I said to the boy and, as always, the boy''s expressions remained unchanged, but the emotions in his eyes changed. ... Click! The carriage stopped, and I got out of it. I didn''t return to the city-hall and instead to the site. In front of me, over a thousand people are working. Some are laying the bricks, while some mixing the cement and doing other construction work. Seeing me coming, Carla walked toward me. "It is hard to believe, the progress they have made within a week," she said, looking at the things in front. "It is good speed," I said, pleased, and walked toward it with her. It is not the establishment, but the hostel, or rather the campus. It will be a place for the girls to study and live. I am making it in the form of modern collages and reserved twenty-five acres of land for it. I had brought this land with my money. I had asked girls to go ambitious and added my own ideas to theirs. It might seem too much, but it is not. The new design isn''t a circle. The girls have decided to go traditional, but it would be no less amazing. It would also be much grander than the circle, with more facilities and space. Over a thousand people are working on it. Edmor is rapidly hiring people but has also taken help from the many construction firms in the city. These constructions are one of the reasons why, so few people are leaving the city. It had provided them with jobs and while it is dangerous. They are earning money, which is helping them feed their families, which for some people is a big enough reason to stay in the city. I strolled around for a few minutes and talked to a few people. Before sitting in the carriage with Carla and Zela. A few minutes later, the carriage reached another site. I decided to go with Valentina''s suggestion and agreed to build a park, rather than the garden that I had originally planned. It had increased the cost of the project, due to the large amount of land I needed to buy around the establishment. The bank had given a blank check, but the way I had spent in the past ten days would have definitely made them wonder. The land is very cheap right now. I had got in less than 30% of what it had been before the attack. I used my authority to readjust the boundaries of districts. Especially the entertainment district and business district. Now, the establishment will be in the middle of both. Half of it will be in the market district while the other half in the entertainment district. This way, the establishment, as well as both districts, will be able to make full use of each other. Click! A minute later, the carriage stopped, and the door opened. "My lord," said Davidson as I got out. "How is it going, Mr. Davidson?" I asked, looking at the fifty-some people working around the establishment. They are not working on the main ground of the establishment but around it. They had yet to find a partner for the construction of the establishment. So, the work couldn''t be started yet, but there is still a lot of work needed to be done. These people are sprinkling the crystalline powder around the establishment. It is to absorb the death energies of the surrounding area. A lot of undead had died here, making it dense with death energy. We will need to deal with that. If we want to build a park. It could be easily solved with spells from the establishment, but I can''t use them. Even if there was no fear of discovery, I wouldn''t have used them. It is costly and I wouldn''t spend essence on such things unless it is necessary. "Everything is going well, my lord," he replied and began to explain things to me as we walked around the establishment. "I hope, you will all start working on the building soon," I said to the old man, and he smiled. "We are nearly done choosing the partner, once that is done, and we get your approval, we will begin the construction immediately," replied the old man. It won''t be immediate, as the old man said. The agreements would need signing. Things and people will be needed to bring here, from a merchant state, and that will take time. Especially more, given the threat of the undead. Still, I want to start the work in this month. Thankfully, we are set on designing. I had a vision and Edmore helped me perfect it. In essence, it is still the same, but a new thing has been added to it, making it even more amazing. Edmor had thoroughly impressed me with the design, and it is far from finished, but it is finished enough, that we could start working on it. The old man left a few minutes later; he also took samples, that Edmor had sent for the experiment. He is bringing different types of materials used in construction to test with the emotion mist. Every material reacts differently and while there are proven materials that work well with mist, they need to be tested as the composition of every legacy''s emotion mist is different. Something that works with other legacies might not work with mine. The construction had not started, but the work had begun. Edmor and his people are doing hundreds of such things daily. "Mr. Hendricks has arrived at the port. He wants to meet you as soon as possible," informed Zela. The old man had been really unlucky. The journey, that is supposed to take a few days, had taken weeks. He had left Redfawn weeks ago, two days before the emperor''s death and only now reaching the Greltheaven. I didn''t think, the old man was exaggerating, when he said he had nearly died several times in messages. Serious things are happening in the empire. Till now, they have not affected us more than we had expected, and I hope, it will continue as such. The wasteland is not of the princes'' priority to conquer. If it had, they wouldn''t have just watched while the undead invaded. Though, that doesn''t mean, they are not keeping an eye on it. I have been contacted by the people of all princes and all those bastards are asking is emotion essence. Of course, I am not going to provide them with that. I even have a convenient excuse for a few months. I shook my head at those thoughts and focused on the old man. He had come, and he was alone. He had brought some people, he said, I would be really interested to meet. I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped for a moment. "Ask him to come here directly," I said. I first planned to meet him in city hall, but I think this will be the best place. It had a place where he had dropped me off and now, a year later, so much had changed. The brothel he had dropped me off had turned into a legacy before blasting into pieces, destroying thousands of undead. Now it is being rebuilt with a grand vision. I walked around the establishment with Carla with Zela, and guards following at a distance. Since the battle, I had rarely had to spend time alone with her. We are both busy with our work. "How are you? Is it the work being too much?" I asked her, to which she shook her head with a smile. "No, work is good. I am enjoying it," she replied. There are a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders. She is not only working with Ed in selecting the partners, since the establishment is her responsibility, but also with the girls. We are sending the girls out. They are going to different places, some to the legacies like Vanis Tavern, some to big hotels and places. Some are going to the institute and teachers to learn special skills. A few, like Maeve are going out of the continent. The legacy that will open six months later will not only be big and the epitome of luxury, but the girls working on it will be an on class of their own. I am sending them to different places to train. I have a vision in mind and to fulfill it, they will need to learn new skills and gain more experience. The places I had sent them will provide those things for them. A few minutes passed when the carriage appeared and stopped a few seconds later. Click! I turned to it as its door opened and a familiar old man came out. He looked tired but had a big smile on his face. Behind him came another man. He looked to be in middle age; he was handsome with a mustache that suited him well. He is a warrior; it is not the saber by his waist told me, but the way he held himself. He is also not weak; I could tell he was pretty strong; Zela also thinks so as she took a step closer to me. He is an Otonian. It is easy to recognize with dark skin and pale violet eyes. I was looking at him, when my eyes fell on the two people, or rather the children, behind him. The boy looked to be eleven or twelve and had the same bronze skin as Jon and Stena. I turned to the child beside him. She is clearly heraldan with light brown skin and looks to be about four to five years old. Her hand is clutching the hand of the boy, while the other holding a stuffed toy. She is looking around nervously before those big dark brown eyes of hers meet mine and instantly; I get struck with an intense feeling of familiarity. I felt like I knew her, felt a connection to her but I could swear, I have never met her. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 361: Siblings Chapter 361: Siblings Emer I looked at the young man, whom I had heard about for years. He is so different from what she had described him to be. She had said, he was the most gifted person he had seen and likely had joined the imperial knights. It was his dream. She had said. When I reached the Rendfawn, three weeks and a half weeks ago. I heard different things. He is a merchant and adviser to a noble in the frontier city. And a host of the legacy. Legacies. The most dangerous things in the world. After Oton, I had to swear, that I would never step into one, yet I am standing in another one. Destroyed to every inch, but not dead. I could feel its effects and see the mist. I am, surprised that it didn''t fill my heart with dread immediately. It used to be for years whenever I felt the mist against my skin. Now, he is a lord of the city. The one, who had fought against the undead and gained an impressive victory over them. I looked at him, and the similarities with the women I know are striking. The same facial structure, the hair; the only thing he didn''t seem to get from her was the color of his skin and the eyes. Those silvery-grey eyes turned to me. I felt wisdom in them, that a man of his age should not have. They stayed on me for a second before moving to the children behind me. When suddenly his eyes became intense, and a faint mist swirling around froze in its place. I followed his eyes and saw him looking at the girl. ''Blood recognizes blood,'' I thought and followed behind the old man with children. Soon, we reached the young man, who was still looking at her. Usually, she is shy and hides behind her brother, but now she is looking at a young man, without hiding. "Who is she?" he asked, without looking away from her. ... "She is your sister," replied Hendricks. "At least, it is what this man is claiming to be," he added, looking at the middle-aged man beside him. Strangely, I am not shocked or even surprised. "So, she is alive," I said after a moment of silence and looked at the carriage. I know it is empty. I am talking about my mother. The woman, I and everyone thought, to be dead. The young girl looked so much like her. "Mr. Emer saying she is," replied the old man. I turned my eyes to the middle-aged man. "Where is she?" I asked. "Masal Colosseum," he replied. The name is familiar; it took me a fraction of a second to remember all the information about it. It is shocking. Masal Colosseum is one of the twelve heavenly colosseums of Oton. It ranked fourth in the twelve. A legacy. "Is she, my sister?" I asked, looking at the girl. Though not before covering us with the privacy. I already know the answer, but I don''t want to let my emotions drive me. There is magic in the world, which affects these kinds of things and I want to be absolutely sure. "She is the daughter of Esa Raak," he replied. I didn''t say anything to that and turned to Zela. "Do a test," I said to her. To which she nodded; I didn''t have to tell her the kind of test, I wanted her to do. "Give me your finger," she said, and I did. She touched it with her staff, and it lit up. I felt a sharp pain for a moment before a drop of blood came out of my finger. She took a staff back with the drop of blood and took a step toward the child. The boy immediately stepped in front of her protectively. "Don''t worry, it will only hurt for a moment," she said to him. He kept looking at her a moment, before turning to a middle-aged man, who nodded. He hesitated for a second before stepping aside but still remained close to the child. "Give me your finger, child," said Zela gently. The girl obeyed after looking at the boy, and Zela moved her staff toward her finger. She didn''t immediately take the blood, but first covered her palm with icy mist, before drawing out the blood from her hand. There was barely any change in the girl''s face as she took her blood. Seeing that, I felt relieved. I don''t want to see her hurt. Zela closed her eyes and her staff lit up. A moment later, a shining watery string came out and pierced through the drop of my blood. It came out to the other side and moved toward the girl''s blood before piercing through it. For a few seconds, nothing happened, before the line of string between the two-blood turned red. Zela opened her eyes and turned to me. "She is your relative," she confirmed. "Call Bishop Merial. Ask her to come here as soon as possible." I said. She nodded, while I turned to the man with the mustache. "She had disappeared for over a decade. There was no message, no letters. So, why contact now and even send a child?" I asked, feeling really confused and a host of other strong emotions that I am barely containing in my heart. I am Remus, his soul had merged with mine. I am feeling all the emotions he would have felt if he had been in my place. "Only she could provide an answer to that question, but this letter may shed some light on it," he said and handed me the letter. I took it, but didn''t open. Just kept looking at it. "I may not know all the reason for her action, but I could tell you one. Masal Colosseum; is different from what you had heard about it. The masters love secrets and they will use each one against you," "In over a decade she had been there, she had revealed very little. I got to know her real name, the day, I left the colosseum," he said, smiling mirthlessly. I didn''t say anything and waved my hand. Immediately, several chairs and tables appeared around us, surprising them. It will take a few minutes for Bishop to arrive. There is no use to keep standing, especially for the children. "Please, sit everyone," I said, took a seat, and they sat after me. Carla sat beside the children and took out the snacks from the vault. They are bar snacks, like nuts and chips, but the children could eat them. They looked at the middle-aged man and only when he nodded did, they take the bowls of snacks. "When did you leave, Oton?" I asked, the middle-aged man. "About three months ago," he replied, surprising me. "It was pirates; it took quite an effort to get away from them," he added. "It wouldn''t have been easy," I said. "It was not, especially for the children," he replied, turning to the children. I didn''t ask him anything further and laid back in the chair in waited. There are a hundred questions in my heart, but no mood to ask them till, I am sure. Zela had confirmed it, but there are magics in the world that could manipulate such things. I need to be absolutely sure because I don''t think, that once I believe it, I will not be able to unbelieve it. I could feel the truth, but I don''t want to trust that too. Fifteen minutes passed when the carriage with the flag of the church of dusk came. It stopped and an elf wearing a priestly robe walked out. "Lord Silver," she greeted. "Your Excellency, thank you for coming at such short notice," I said gratefully, to which she smiled. "What can I do for you, my lord?" she asked. "I was hoping that you could do the blood test," I said to her. She seemed surprised and her eyes turned, before stopping at the child. "You and this child, I assume?" she asked, looking at the girl. I nodded and the drops of blood flew toward her from Zela. Dusky light covered the blood drops but covered our bodies. It is strong and since it is dusk, her spells are at the strongest. The shine lasted for a couple of seconds before he wore off. Her glowing eyes turned normal, and she turned to me. "She is your sister. Half-sister, technically. She and you share mother," she said, confirming what Zela had said. "Thank you, Your Excellency," I said to the woman. She smiled and walked away. The convention and divine magic had given the same answer. Now, the last one; the one, I trust the most. I turned to the drops of blood, enveloped them in a ball of mists, and sent them toward the center of the establishment. This test will be the hardest to manipulate; Caena is going to test the blood with the core. It is extremely hard to mess with the legacy''s core. Even by those with higher leveled legacies. It didn''t take long, and I got the answer; it was the same as I had felt. "She is my sister," I said with a sigh. I don''t know, what to feel about it. I never had a child and while I had a sister, she was older. "Both of them are your siblings. Your mother adopted him, nine years ago," he said, dropping another bomb. ''Of course, she had,'' I thought. I looked at the boy, who had been very protective of the girl. I should have guessed it. It is clear looking at them; they have a strong bond with each other. "Hello, I am Remus," I introduced myself. I tried to be gentle, but it felt awkward. I had never been good with children and never had much contact with them, other than with neighbors'' kids. "I am Heron. This is a Josie," the boy replied, while the girl kept looking at me. "Are you, my brother?" she asked finally. Her voice is soft, that it is barely audible, and there is a nervousness and fear in her eyes, but also hope and expectation. "Yes, I am," I replied and for some reason, tears welled up in my eyes for this admission. "Mommy said we will need to stay with you," she said. "You will," I said to her and wanted to hug her, instead I turned to the middle-aged man. "Thank you for bringing them to me," I said. "It is the least, I could do to repay all the favors I owed to your mother," he replied, I smiled and turned to Carla. "Take them home," I said to her. They are clearly tired, and I don''t know what to say to them. It is better for Carla to take them home and let them rest. It will also allow me to process all this. "Come, kids," she said to them. They once again looked at the middle-aged man. "You shouldn''t look at me for permission anymore. You are at your brother. He is your guardian now," he said. The children didn''t say anything and went with Carla while I turned to the middle-aged man again. "I have so many questions, but am in no state to ask them," I said to the middle-aged man. "I will stay in the city for a few days. Call me whenever you are ready," He replied. I nodded at him gratefully.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com For more, Tap Below. Chapter 362: Siblings II Chapter 362: Siblings II "I had checked them personally. They are good," said Colonel Cardin. "I am glad, those things weren''t cheap," I replied and closed the file in front of me. We had brought the mines from the merchant state. It is the third batch that came. Mines are important. It is not because of the damage they do. If the enemy leader is smart and has people with the required skills, they can avoid them easily. Their real use is the attention they capture. The battles are fought with mind as much as men and weapons. The mines are great against the undead and are a big part of our strategy to deal with them. They are coming for us, and we need to be ready to face them. Still, I wish, they would take their sweet time. A few months at least, but obviously it will not happen. They might come sooner than we might expect, and we will need to be prepared for that. Colonel Cardin left a few minutes later. It had been three hours since I had returned from the establishment and that enormous shock. I have been busy; it is not intentional, but I didn''t resist the work. I don''t know what to think about those two new people, I am now responsible for. I don''t know why she sent them here. Children should be with their parents; siblings aren''t a substitute for them. I am feeling a host of emotions and the most intense among them is anger. She was dead. We thought she was dead. She had gone for the mission and never returned. There was no news of her. She was there and like a poof; she had disappeared. My father had hired people; the one with the investigative classes, but they weren''t able to find anything about her disappearance. He had straight up told me she had died. I mean, what else couldn''t be there? Mercenaries die, many in such corners where even their bodies aren''t found. Now she had turned from the grave. Her letter is still in my pocket, but I am not having the will to open it. Instead, I am getting more angry. If she had sent one like this a decade ago, it would have spared me the agony of years. I took a deep breath and calmed myself before focusing on the work. I stayed in my office till eleven, before walking out. A few minutes later, I reached the mansion. Click! When I entered my suit, I didn''t find it empty as usual. A woman is sitting in a living room, with a bunch of files in front of her and one in her hand, from which she is reading. Seeing me, she put down the file. "How are you feeling?" asked Carla. "Fine," I replied, but she kept looking at me. "I am feeling a lot of emotions. Anger, betrayal, love, longing, and many more that I don''t know what to do with them," I said and sat beside her. "It is good you''re feeling those things. It means you care," she said, and it was my time to give her a look, but she just smiled. "I just wished she had sent a message. One message, you know. To tell me that she is alive," I said and once again tears welled up in my eyes and this time, I didn''t stop them from falling down. "Maybe she wanted to, but she couldn''t," she said, and I looked at her. "Have you read the letter? You should read it. It may have the answer, you seek," I didn''t reply to that, but I did take out the envelope from my pocket and tore it away, before taking out the letter. It is a single-page letter, smaller than I had thought. It made me angry once again. I mean, how you have only a page''s worth of things to say to your son, who had considered you dead, for over a decade. The first thing, I noticed was handwriting. It is hers. I recognize it. She used to send me many letters when she went on long missions; I have them in the safe. It is also written in heralden, instead of common. I calmed my emotions and began to read it, and before I knew it; I began to cry again. It was not even emotional, but it still made me cry. Soon, I finished reading the whole letter and laid against her, thinking. "What did it say?" Carla asked. "Nothing and everything. It is kind of vague, so much so that she didn''t even mention my name." I replied. She didn''t even write my nickname. "Could it be written by an imposter?" she asked, and I laughed, before shaking my head. "No, it is her," I replied. The vagueness is not surprising. It is in format; she used to talk about her missions. Many are contractually bound the person to not reveal any detail, but some details could be revealed vaguely. She had written in the style, she used to talk to me. There are many things in the letter, apologies, excuses, and promises, but nothing that would give me any details. As if she feared someone might read the letter or try to divine the information. Still, it had said many things, that forced me to think. "Now that you know where she is, will you be contacting her?" she asked. To which I shook my head. "Masal Colosseum is dangerous. I wouldn''t do anything before I know all the details," I replied. It is a legacy, Grade V one and not a normal Grade V eighter, but a colosseum class. The biggest class. There is a reason, the class is named after them, because they are the biggest and most dangerous. Two things make them dangerous. First is the sheer amount of essence they have emotions they harness, and second is the warriors they have. Even the weakest colosseum class legacy of any grade produces at least ten times more emotion essence than an average tavern class legacy. There are many complexities in it, but it is true. The Colosseum harnesses far more emotions than any type of legacy. Nothing needs to be said about warriors. It is the place, where people fight. There is no dearth to the powerhouses. It is why, each of the heavenly colosseums is strong as kingdoms. Nobody messes with them; it is they who mess with others. "That is wise," she said. We lay there without talking in each other''s comfort. She rarely stays here, despite me giving her a suit next to mine. She usually stays in the room behind or office. She had an apartment and a suit in the circle, both of which had been destroyed. Even before that, she used to sleep in the room most nights or with me. "How are they?" I asked after some time. "They are good children. Polite and obedient, your mother had raised them well," she replied. I just stared blankly ahead, thinking. "I don''t know what to do with them," I said and sighed. "Don''t worry about it too much. Take a step at a time and it will be fine." She said. I nodded and hugged her. A few minutes later, we went to the bed. It took me some time to fall asleep and it was without a nightmare. Since the battle, I have had them every day. I had woken up from a nightmare with a sword in my hand. I don''t want such incidents to happen, with Carla sleeping beside me. When I woke up, I was alone, which isn''t surprising She wakes up earlier than me. Though, this time, she had left behind the note. Reading it, I quickly got up from the bed and freshened up. After showering and changing into the suite, I walked out of the room. A minute later, I was in the kitchen, where Carla was waiting with two children. "Have you been waiting for long?" I asked, to which she shook her head. "No, only a few minutes," she replied. I took a seat at the head of the table and looked at the two children, who were sitting quietly. They looked nervous, and enamored; I could see their sneaking glances looking around. The mansion may not be the grandest out there, but it is pretty big and opulent. Impressive to children like them, even to me. I had lived in a big home, but the mansion was still the biggest, I had ever lived in. The change can be overwhelming, but they seemed to be handling it well. "Have you two slept well?" I asked. "Yes," the boy replied, while the girl bobbed her head a little. Even now, she is still holding that stuffed toy in her lap, with nervousness in her eyes. "If you need anything, you can tell me or Carla here," I said to them. "Ok," replied the boy, while the girl once again nodded. I wish I had a little more experience with children. It would have made the conversation, less awkward. Thankfully, the staff saved me from further awkwardness and began to put on a breakfast. I looked at dishes, before looking at Carla thankfully. There are more sweet dishes than normal, and the children like sweets. Even the boys, eyes lit up, seeing them. No matter how much, he tried to act like an adult. He is a child. Soon, we begin to eat. I also took a bite of some sweets. Usually, I control myself with sugar, but decided to eat today with the children. "I had called Selina for a nanny; she is sending one in a few days," I inform her. Selina is the only person, I trust. Rose had multiple nannies; she is going to ask one of them. If they don''t accept, then she will send several and I will ask Carla to interview them. "Also, see if any girls are interested in a job; they will need to be trained, of course," I said. "Will any come, seeing the state of the city?" she asked. "I am offering good money," I replied, to which she smiled. Money is a big motivator, and I am offering it enough to make a lot of them forget the danger of the undead. "I think a few girls will be interested in the job," she said. My position is such, that I need to select the people who work for me carefully. I rather have girls I trust to take care of my sister, than some unknown woman. However, they can''t simply start the job. It is a demanding job. One needs to be professionally trained for this. "I was thinking, whether it would be safe for the children to be in a merchant state. The city isn''t exactly safe," she said with hesitation. "It''s not like I hadn''t thought about it, and it will be an option, but they have traveled for months; they should stay in one place, at least for a few weeks," I said. The city is a dangerous place, but they are the safest people. Even if the enemies captured the city, they won''t kill them. They will be a leverage against me. It is why, I want to send them to the merchant state, but it wouldn''t be good for them. They need a stable environment and I think, I could provide that despite the state of the city. Still, if the conditions changed. I wouldn''t hesitate to send them to the merchant state. "Listen to Carla. If you need anything, ask her," I said as we finished the breakfast. I feel bad handling them to Carla, but she is the only one, I trust with them. She will be with them, taking them to her work. There are people in her office that would watch over them while she works. It is not an optimal solution, but only one I have till the nanny arrives. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 363: Ulaxasys and Blackwell Chapter 363: Ulaxasys and Blackwell Step! I stepped out of the carriage and walked into the city hall. A few minutes later, I was in my office. Looking at the list of people, I have to meet. Some, I really don''t like to see, but will have to meet. "Postpone Miller. I will meet him in three days," I said. I know why he wants to meet me. I am not going to give him, his job back. He is incompetent; he got that job because of his connections. The only reason, I am even willing to talk to him is because of his family. It is a big merchant house in the empire. A few minutes later, I had my first meeting. It was with Winfred. Who gave me the progress report of ongoing negotiations with Nakar baronies and the hold? It is tough negotiations, especially when baronies and holds want to kill each other. He is handling it well. It will take another two to three days before we will have a temporary agreement. Nobody wants a long agreement, especially hold. Dane still seemed to be dreaming of conquering the baronies, even after suffering a humiliating defeat. To me, it is good. His focus should be on the baronies, not on me. After he left, I met with one other person. The appointment didn''t last for over ten minutes. It was also quite disappointing, but I didn''t let it affect my mood and continue working. Two hours passed, and I was in a discussion with Ina when the intercom lit up. ''Master Silver, Miss Ulaxasys, and her associate are here,'' said Jill from the other side, lighting up my eyes. "Send them in," I said. I have been waiting for her for two weeks. I hope she will make up for that. I will also see the associate she had praised so much for her messages. Hun! The door opened, and she walked inside, and she was not alone, with her was a woman. Seeing her, my eyes couldn''t help but widen and I got up immediately. I never expected she would be the person, she is bringing. I thought it would be one of the partners in the firm, but not her. "Lady Blackwell," I greeted. The woman beside Miss Ulaxasys is her elder sister. Lady of Amberhold. Ignatius''s mother. I wonder, how he had let his mother come. Seeing the city isn''t exactly safe. Both of the women share the same features; they are beautiful with forest green hair and lake blue eyes, but the hair of Lady Blackwell is longer, and she looks more mature. She is also slightly shorter than her younger sister. "Lord Silver," said the elf in her melodious voice. "Miss Ulaxasys," I said and asked them to sit. "You have surprised me, Lady Blackwell. You should have informed me about coming," I said to the woman. She is a noble of the merchant state; there is a certain protocol I need to follow to deal with the people of her station. "I am here on a personal capacity, my lord. Not on an official visit," she replied. I smiled at hearing that but still decided to take all the precautions. She needs to be safe while here; it will cause huge trouble if anything happens to her. Her appearance had increased my worries, but it had also pleased me. There is a reason, she had brought her sister. It is not just to sightsee. Miss Ulaxis is a landscape architect, and her expertise is in designing, while Lady Blackwell is a gardener. Not a simple gardener, but a high-level one. She is an expert in the plants. I had seen Amberhold. Had been amazed by the work she had done there. "I am glad, you had come, my lady. With you, will be able to move faster," I said to her. "You want to finish the job in six months, right?" asked Lady Blackwell. "That''s right; I want to open the legacy as soon as possible," I replied with a nod. "Then we should start working as soon as possible," said Miss Ulaxasys, and I smiled. A minute later, they walked out with the Ina. They will study the designs and discuss things with Edmore. I had made up my mind about the park, but the approach will be dictated by them. I went back to work, and in the afternoon, I made a short trip to the merchant guild. Everyone is nervous in there as most of them are going to lose their job. I had already informed them about the trimming of the merchant guild. It will be smaller, but more efficient. Currently, the merchant guild is quite bloated; it can''t work as efficiently as it needs to serve the city''s needs. I have already decided on the two vice-guild masters, and seven deacons, and nearly sure about the Guildmaster. In a week or two, I will decide on all the vacancies. It is not an easy job, especially when nearly everyone is lobbying for it. I know capable people, but I also need to give the position to those with power. It may not perfect solution, but no solution is perfect, especially when ruling the city. Even I need to compromise on things. Soon, it was late afternoon, and I got out of my office with an excited smile on my face. Click! A minute later, I walked into the conference room, which was already filled with people. Aside from Edmor and Davidson, there is also Miss Rolgath, Valentina, Carla, and Caena, along with Lady Blackwell and Miss Ulaxasys. In the center of the table, there is a meter-tall model of a beautiful tower. It is going to be my legacy. "My lady, Miss Ulaxasys, I hope you had time to go through the designs and all the notes?" I asked the sisters. "Yes, we did, my lord," replied Miss Ulaxasys. "What do you two think about it?" I asked and smiles appeared on the two sisters faces. "It is amazing, and we have a couple of suggestions, but before that, we have a question, my lord," said Lady Blackwell. "Please ask, my lady," I said. "Are you planning on making it an urban park, one without restrictions?" asked Miss Ulaxys. "Yes, I had written that in notes," I replied with a smile. "We wanted to be sure," she said, apologetically, before her expression turned serious, like her sister''s. "The size of the park you want is too small for the purpose you want it to serve." "The legacies are the biggest attraction of any city, and you are designing your legacy to attract the crowd. It would have been enough if you wish to keep the numbers restricted, but you are making it like the public park," "We had read the numbers of people that came every day to see the legacy. It always had one thousand to fifteen hundred people. Even now, when there is nothing, there are three to five hundred people in there," "We were able to pull the numbers from other cities with legacies. Even in the smallest cities, thousands go to look at legacies and that is when it controlled, since most of the legacies are around the busy areas," "Our suggestion would be, if you want to create a park at the current size, then keep it as the private park or make it bigger, to keep it public," said Lady Blackwell. I could see every head turning to me. Valentina even had a smile on her face. I want to smile too, but I thought about it for a while, before turning to them. "How big will it need to be public?" I asked slowly, fearing the answer might crush me. "A hundred acres, at least," she replied, and my expression changed as if someone had pierced a dagger in my heart. The smile on Valentina''s face becomes bigger. Even a smile appeared on Carla''s face. First, I wanted a beautiful garden around the legacy. Where my patrons could walk around, but then it pivoted to the park, with its size quadrupling, thanks to Valentina. The idea felt good, and I had even brought a land. Now, these two women want me to make it even bigger. To be honest, a hundred-acre urban park isn''t that big. Most urban parks are hundreds of acres long, and the big ones span over thousands of acres. Though she hadn''t said a hundred acres. She said at least a hundred acres, they want it bigger. Just thinking about the cost, made my head hurt. "Show me what you have in mind," I said to them, and the sisters smiled. The next second, the leaf bracelet on Lady Blackwell''s hand lit up and beautiful colors came out of it. They gathered around the model of the establishment before spreading around it. It took over a minute before a circular park appeared with a tower at the center. "Wow," gasped Valentina. It is a gasp-worthy. She had not only projected the part but also added the things, that I wanted in the park including the figures of people. It looked so amazing, that I wasn''t able to think about it for a while. "Give me a few days to decide," I said finally. It is a really big decision and if I decide on it. It is going to cost me a lot, and the tower hasn''t even started. That''s what the bank is paying me for. "Let''s move on to the tower," said Miss Ulaxasys, and immediately, Miss Rolgath focused. It is her expertise, and she will be working with the sisters to fulfill the vision I have in my mind. "You every plant inside the tower an emotion absorption plant?" she asked. It is a category of magical plants; they are more expensive since they eat emotional mist to grow. "Yes," I replied. These plants are beautiful. Some release wonderful smells and some pleasing sounds. I have seen a few of those plants in the old man''s tavern, and I want them. "You want them on every floor, including on those, that won''t be covered in the power of the legacy?" she asked and once again, I nodded. "Given the size of the tower and number of plants you want; it is going to take a large amount of emotion essence; more than one comfortable with it," said Lady Blackwell. "As long as it is not more than a quarter of emotion essence, the standard grade I legacy produces, it will be fine," I replied, and her eyes lit up with excitement. "I think, it can be managed, but we will need to check," said Lady Blackwell. I want emotion absorption plants, not only because they look good and smell good, but also because the resources they produce sell at insane prices. I mean, they are really expensive. Then why, hosts of legacies do not plant them around their legacies in large numbers? Well, it is because of the vision; that the host of legacies follows their vision, and they don''t deviate from it. It is what makes their legacies advance. Not to mention, most legacies didn''t have enough space to do it, or sovereigns let them do it. My contract with the emperor had explicit instructions that I couldn''t have over twenty emotion absorption plants in my legacy. I also needed to take permission, before planting each plant. The emperor is dead, and the contract is null. I will do what I want. Like all the hosts of legacies, I have a vision for my legacy, and I will follow it. The discussion lasted for two hours more before I walked out of the office with Carla. I went straight to the mansion. I usually don''t go this early, but I am having dinner with the children. After that, I worked from my office in the mansion. I think this will be my new schedule, working on the city hall till evening, before coming to the mansion for dinner and working from the office here. It is also efficient; seeing I didn''t have any meetings after seven. Unless it is important or an emergency meeting.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com For more, Tap Below. Chapter 364: Partners Chapter 364: Partners Ashton Harbor The light on the staff muted, and the man opened his eyes. "The ships have left their places," said the man. "With them, we will be able to capture the Port Midlet and have enough forces to attack the Owlspring and other cities," said Haiz. "We need to be careful, this time, Haiz. We cannot make the mistakes, we had made last time," said the man solemnly. "We will not, commander," replied Haiz with a big smile. ... Scrach! My pen scratched across the paper as I signed before I turned the page again. I read it carefully, before signing again. I have studied the contract already; I had crafted it myself. Still, it is important, that I check every word; there are some nasty skills that I like to be careful of. The contract is pretty good. It gives me the power to fire them anytime, I want, without paying extra. They wanted a tougher contract, but I straight up declined. If they wanted the job, they had to agree to it and they did. They were willing to do the job for free, but I am paying them, what they would have gotten from the project. I don''t want anyone to say, they did the job on my legacy for free. I specifically mention that in the contract. Finally, with the last signature, the contract clicked. "I hope we will have a good partnership, gentlemen," I said to the two men and their teams. On my left is half elf in his late fourteen with deep blue hair that almost looks black while on my right. He is Carmen Syl, vice-direction Tanarys Construction from Belnin. On my right is a human, who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was of medium height with long blond hair and a handsome face. Hal Liow, head of liow construction material from Meldhorn. They are partners, that Edmor had chosen to build the establishment. Tanarys will provide men and skills, while Liow the materials. Both of the companies are over two thousand years old and trusted in the market. "We sure will, Lord Silver," said the half-elf. A few minutes later, I walked out of the conference room with a smile on my face. They have five and half months and seemed pretty confident, that they will be able to do it. That confidence would have been even higher. If not for the undead. Still, they didn''t seem unfazed by it; they do not same fear as the citizen of the city has for the undead. Their states have assured them, that they would try to save them if the undead had captured the city. The only thing, they have to do is not take part in any war-related things. This didn''t surprise me; this is an opportunity of ages, and any city wants its firms to be part of it. As for the assurance, it will work. The undead don''t want to mess with the merchant stage too much or they wouldn''t have removed the blockade. It is also the truth, that they are working on legacy, that undead are also very interested in. It is very likely, that even if the undead captured the city. They will let them do the work on the legacy. The same protection isn''t given to the people of the merchant state working on reconstruction projects and other things. They came on their own, there is no big powerful company seeking assurances for them. Still, I think, if the undead attacked, they would also be protected by the aegis of the merchant state. Click! "Tabes had captured Tismit," said Zela as I just sat down. I didn''t say anything and looked at the map of the empire. "Dawhall would be the next," I said. The victory over the Tismit will give the Tabes'' forces a clear road toward the Dawhall, the capital of the kalzan region. Nearly all the empire''s neighbors are attacking it. If I were one of them, I would have done the same. The empire is weak, right now, with princes fighting each other for the throne; it is an optimal time for them to attack. A few months ago, I had expected, the same thing to happen here after the emperor''s death, but it didn''t. The region got attacked, but not by the enemies, I had expected. A few hours passed. I met a few people and attended meetings, before walking out of city hall and stepping into the carriage. Soon, the carriage reached the place where thousands of people were working. Just a few days ago, there used to be buildings in here, but now all of them have disappeared. They have been demolished. Now in this place, there are only workers and mages here. The workers are over a thousand and around fifty mages; 90% of which have come from the merchant state. We do not have enough mages and most of them didn''t have spells and classes that require this kind of work. They are clearing the rubble and shaping the earth to make the park; it is really a massive operation, which is going over the budget. I had not given a budget to the bank, but I had one in mind, and I already spent more than it, before the construction of the establishment began. I had agreed with the ulaxasys sisters'' suggestion and brought even more land. It is now big enough, that the establishment and campus of the girls are going to connect. I had brought all the land that was in between them. I am getting nervous about the cost, which has just begun. I can''t imagine the final cost and how long it would take me to pay for it. Now that I think about it; I could tell those at the bank had been smart. It is a big money, but the bank is also big. Financing it isn''t a big thing for them. I thought the bank would say something, but they didn''t. They just gave me the money without a word. Earlier, I was quite confident in paying back the money on time, but now with increasing cost. I am not and that will give the bank the leverage over me; I would need to give them the benefits. Those people have played well. If I pay the loan on time, they will get a good relationship with me. If I didn''t, they would get those leverages, that will benefit them a lot. ''Let''s hope; the construction finishes in time and Legacy earns enough, that I could pay back all the loan on time,'' I thought. The carriage reached the establishment, but it didn''t stop there and went back toward the city hall. I had talked to ulaxasys sisters in the morning when she showed me the preliminary design of the park and it blew my mind. It was much better than the quick one, she showed on the first day. I signed the contract today. From tomorrow, the construction will begin. I am excited; not only about the construction, but for the help, it will give to the economy of the city. The construction will give the people jobs; the construction won''t require complete high-skill people, and there are many low-skill people that would be needed. Like in the garden, over 70% of workers are from the city. The new people coming from the merchant state will occupy houses and hotels; they will eat food and spend the money. Thus, helping the economy of the city. We have signed many agreements with the merchant state, and many are investment-linked, but not much has come out. It had been only a few weeks and also because there was less confidence in the city. It will take time to build confidence in the city for investments to come. The establishment would be tremendously helpful in that and, if I could construct sooner, I could have, but six months is already quick; I couldn''t rush it, even if I want to. Soon, the carriage returned to the city hall, and I went back to my office. ''Master Silver, Mr. Emer is here,'' informed Jill. "Let him in," I said and prepared myself. The man had been in the city for a few days, but he was leaving tomorrow. I am far from ready to ask certain questions, but I would need to. Click! The door opened, and the man walked inside. "Lord Silver," he greeted. "Take a seat, Mr. Emer," I said politely. "Thank you, my lord," he said and sat in front of me. For a couple of seconds, nobody spoke. There are hundreds of questions, but none want to come out. I don''t want to ask them. Fearing the answers I might receive. The man seemed to understand, what I was feeling as he sat in front of me, without showing any hurry or impatience. Finally, I took a deep breath and opened my mouth. "How long my mother had been in the colosseum?" I asked. "Eleven years," He replied quickly as if expecting this question. It had been eleven years since she had disappeared. I still remember the day, she had left. She had told me a week before leaving that it was going to be a long mission and she would be out for about a month. "Did she tell you the exact date she appeared there?" I asked, wanting to create the timeline. "It is eleven eyes, three months, and fourteen days," he replied, and a surprise appeared on my face. "I am the first person; she had fought in the colosseum. I had lost that battle and thus become the property of her master according to conditions of that battle," he informed, with a smile. Though there is not a hint of mirth in those pale violet eyes, only pain. There is a nearly two-month window between her leaving the Redfawn and entering the colosseum. Whatever happened, made her go there, had happened in those two months. "Is my mother a slave?" I asked hesitantly, and the man shook his head slightly. "No, a contract fighter, but those contracts are tough enough, that those signed it could be called slaves," he replied and sighed. I had expected the answer but still shuddered in my heart. In a few days, I was able to get a lot of information and know how the system works. There are many types of people who fight in colosseums. Slaves, contractual and independent. First, are slaves; they are slaves brought by the masters to fight in the colosseum. The second is contractual. They entered into a contract with the colosseum and masters are the handlers. The contracts are tough, but masters are enticing; they offer such conditions to the desperate, that they couldn''t refuse. Some enter for the big money. The third is independents. They fought match by match and weren''t bound by any contracts. "A decade is a long time. Why hasn''t she been able to free herself?" I asked, and he smiled again and there was a sick mirth in it. "There is a saying in colosseums. If the master''s like you, then you will stay in the colosseum, even if you are a step away from freedom," he said, sending another shudder into my heart. I know too well how few words in the contract could make one slave. Most kingdoms have rules against that kind of thing, but in colosseums, they are the rules. They could do whatever the hell, they can. "If you don''t mind asking. You had not contacted the colosseum, have you?" he asked. "No," I replied, and he heaved a sigh of relief visibly. "One of the reasons your mother had sent the children with me was because she feared the colosseum would try to bury their claws into children," "The master had already started to take an interest in Heron," he said, and my eyes couldn''t help but flash in anger. "Your mother had asked me to tell you, to never contact her. If they get to know about you, they will try to tangle you in their nets." "Now, with you being the lord of the city and a host of legacy. It had become even more important, that the colosseum didn''t find out anything about you. If they did, it would be bad for you as well as your mother," he warned. "I will remember it," I said after a moment of silence. I didn''t contact her immediately when I found out she was alive and the information I had read made me even more careful. Now, this warning. I will need to deal with it extremely carefully. If I made a mistake, I would cause trouble for my mother as well as me. I might be angry with her, but I still love her. A few seconds later, I opened my mouth for another question. This one is a little heavy. "Are you Josephine''s father?" I asked. I already know the answer to no. "No," he replied with a laugh. "Do you know, who it is?" I asked. "No, I don''t. Your mother never shared that detail with me," he said, and his expression turned heavy with deep anger and hate appearing in his eyes. People say that brothels are the filth of society. They should take a deeper look at the colosseums. Dealer of Desire Lv. 26 For more, Tap Below. Chapter 365: Deals and Delegation Chapter 365: Deals and Delegation "Lord Silver," greeted Hardt and others. "Welcome back. I am glad, all of you have returned safe and sound," I said to the group. It was supposed to take, two weeks, but ended up taking three. It is fine. They have gone to two more cities than we had initially planned and need to wait out in one city because of unforeseen circumstances. "It feels good to be back home, my lord," said Hardt. Hearing that, I smiled. The city is dangerous, and it could be conquered at any time, but it is home. "How was the trip?" I asked and the expression of all became serious. "We went to the cities and met all the important people, but didn''t get a single commitment from them, not even from Namdar," he said, looking disappointed. "We already knew we wouldn''t get any commitments, given the state of our city. Our purpose, was to show our faces, tell them our city is ready for them, and you all did that job, exemplarily," I said to them. It brought a smile to their faces. I talked to them for a few minutes before the team left. Leaving only Hardt and Lola behind. "Did they ask for it?" I asked, and the nod came from both. "Each and every one of them. They are willing to pay far above the market price for it," replied Lola. "We remained non-committable but hinted that if they made enough investments. Selling them emotion essence and goods wouldn''t be out of option," Hardt added. The legacy is the biggest asset of the city, and I am going to use it for all its worth. I won''t mind selling them emotion essence and its products. To me, getting a city back on its tracks and making it prosperous is a number one priority and there are very things I wouldn''t do to achieve that. I had already made a plan on emotion essence. Once the legacy opened and I got more emotions essence; I will begin selling it, but only to those who make the investments to my city. "Keep giving them hope, but don''t commit," I said to him so that he nodded. I could see the excitement in his eyes. I am given the opportunity to handle one of the most desired things in the world that everybody wants. Especially now, with conflict everywhere in the western part of the empire. A single healing potion with emotion essence could be a thing between life and death. They left a few minutes later, and I went back to work. I stayed in the city hall, till late after before I walked out to check the progress on establishment. What I saw there had made me happy; the construction of the establishment finally began. In the past three days, the ships have been coming every day filled with the people and the material. It is not a construction material for the establishment, but also for the park. In a week, they will start seeding the ground. However, not every plant will be grown on the ground. Many plants would need to be brought whole from the merchant states. Whenever I think about the cost of it, my head starts to hurt. I had asked them to buy as much as things locally as possible. Valentina had even set up a team, but less than 10% of the things are being brought locally; our merchants do not deal with those high-level things. Still, many are making investments and Valentina had estimated that in a few months, our merchants will supply 20% of the construction material. I hope it becomes true. I don''t want the merchant states to benefit from it alone. ''Master Silver, Mr. Ashav is here,'' said Jill, and a smile appeared on my face. ''Send him in,'' I said. Click! The door opened and Ethan walked in. He is smiling, but seeing Zela and Ina, that smile has dimmed, before disappearing. "Lord Silver," he greeted. His posture is immaculate, and his voice is smooth. It was a perfect greeting, but I could feel the teasing behind me. "Ethan, it''s nice to see you," I said. "You too, my lord. I wasn''t expecting, you would call me, so early," he said, sneaking a glance at Ina and Zela. Usually, when I make a deal. Only Caena is present. I keep my guards and everyone out. Now, they are present, along with Ina. "I needed to," I said and my turned serious as I looked at Zela. She seemed to understand what I wanted as she cast powerful privacy spells around the office. Ina added her skills to it, and soon Ethan and I joined. "Ina," I said and a moment later, she took a box and placed it in front of Ethan, and I could see the excitement blazing in his eyes. However, the next second, a surprise appeared on his face. As Ina placed another box beside, then another, and then another. Soon, he has four boxes in front of him and he barely controls himself from opening them. "You can check," I said, and he looked at me hesitantly, before it vanished. Click Click Click He opened all four boxes, one after another. All of it contains colorful bottles of emotion essence. "God," he said as he looked at them with shining eyes. This is 75% of the emotion essence. It had been taken from a legacy in the morning by Caena. The core was nearly drained at the end of the battle but in these four weeks. It had accumulated quite a lot of it. It is a Grade II legacy and could harness more emotions, than before. I wish I could have taken some of the essence from a dying legacy, but Caena advised me to merge it will core. All the bottles in the boxes contain Grade I emotion essence. I could have put a few bottles of the Grade II emotion essence in there and I wanted to, but I controlled that urge. I need to do this carefully. I will add the bottles of Grade II before the establishment opens, but not this time. He was looking at the bottles when Ina put a list in front of him. He moved his eyes away from the emotion essence and looked at the list. "You want quite a lot of things this time," he said, turning to me. "I want them as fast as possible," I said, and I could see the same question appearing in his eyes, that always appeared in his eyes during the deal. The question of whether these bottles belong to me or the others, but he is smart. He kept that question to himself; that question could change things and he doesn''t want the things to change. He like what is happening right now. He is getting an emotion essence, that is helping him and his house. It is not his concern to know, where they are coming from. "I will try to get them to you as fast as possible," he replied. A few minutes later, he left, and I walked out of my office into the conference room seven. "The merchant state had repeated their warning once again; they had given the same to Port Midlet, Deerpond, Gailhorn, Riverbell, and us," said Stone as I sat down. "How are their preparations?" I asked. "They are good. Port Midlet and Gailhorn had brought a lot of defensive equipment from the merchant state, while Riverbell and Deerpond, seemed to be housing powerhouses from the Dustorn Fortress," he informed. "Bastard!" I cursed. I am cursing that bastard at the Dustorn Fortress. I have sent letters and requests, asking him to send a few of the powerhouses to my city. He had sent them to the Deerpond and Riverbell, but none to us. Always, there would be a vague answer to our requests. I really hate that bastard right now, but also understand the reason for their partiality. They had sent men to the Riverbell and Deerpond because if they captured those two cities; the undead would have a clear way toward the fortress. Unlike Greltheaven. If the undead captured it, then they will need to pass the Brimbale, to reach the fortress. He had sent soldiers there, along with a few Lv. 30+ officers. I would have liked some of them too. "The attack will come and this time, it will be more powerful. I hope we are ready to deal with it," I said, with my voice heavy with worry. "We are making every preparation we can. They won''t gain the victory, they want," he replied with confidence. "I hope, it held true," I said. We are not sitting in our places, waiting to be attacked. We are making every preparation we can. The enemy won''t make mistakes this time and would be better prepared, but so would we. I stayed in the conference room for half an hour, before walking to another conference room. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Ladies and gentlemen from Teveb, thank you for coming to our beautiful city," I said to a group of people, that occupied a long conference table. There are over twenty people sitting at the conference table, including Valentina, Arryn, Robin, and Hardt, but most are the others from Taveb. It is a delegation from the city of Teveb''s merchant guild. It is being led by a deacon; not even a vice-Guildmaster, but I don''t mind. It is already a big thing, that they accepted the invitation to visit the city. I had sent to all the cities of state Belnin, Meldhorn, and Oksall, but only two had accepted my invitations. I need my city to be visible. So, I am sending people letters, inviting them with the perks and promise of an exclusive tour of my legacy which is being built. It is the only thing, that interests them in my city. Only three cities had accepted so far, with Taveb being the first to come. It may not seem much, but we had expected nobody to show interest. It was a surprise to use, when the three cities agreed to send the people. The meeting lasted for an hour before Caena took them on a tour of the legacy. It is a choreographed tour; they will only know the details; we want them to know. The rest will remain secret until the opening. "How are the preparations?" I asked. "The merchants didn''t hold back at the expense. They want to impress the guests," she replied, hearing that I smiled. The merchant guild is throwing the party for our guests. They have the money for it. The idea of inviting these people has come for them. I heard there are already a few deals signed by the merchants between them. It made me happy since the trip was a no-expectation one. "Still, keep an eye on everything. I don''t want anything to go wrong," I said. She nodded and walked away. For more, Tap Below.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 366: Undead Movement Chapter 366: Undead Movement Click! ¡°All the merchant vice-guild masters have been selected,¡± I said as the man left the office. ¡°Now, only four deacons have remained,¡± said Ina. We have finished deciding on the eight deacons. The last four are tough; there are so many to choose from. Many people are good, and many have great connections; striking a balance in selecting them is key. Five days from today, I am going to announce the new members of the merchant guild. It is going to disappoint a lot of people, some I consider friends, but I need to do it for the prosperity of the city. ¡°What should I reply to the invitation from Lord of Riverbell?¡± she asked. ¡°Tell them, we will send Robin,¡± I replied. It is a birthday invitation. I wanted to attend it personally; there are some people, I want to meet, but leaving the city isn¡¯t wise. It had been six, and a half since the battles, and the city had started to make a recovery with all the construction and other stuff. Some foreign investment had also started trickling in, which is helping a lot with the confidence. It is such great news, but there is also a big bad news, that is looming like a sky over us. There is nothing we can do about it, but prepare. We are not strong enough to go and deal with them. Though, one day, I would very much like to do that, but currently we are far from it. ¡°Has orcs reached it?¡± I asked Zela. She shook her head, ¡°No, they are still two hours away,¡± she replied. In the past two weeks, quite a lot of orcs have been coming. They are families of the Orcs that were imprisoned. I had signed a mobility agreement with the Nakar baronies. Through it, they will let the orcs pass through the territory without harassing them. Even Ignatius hadn''t resisted his people leaving the territory. To both baronies and the Ignatius. It is good news. The orcs are trouble for them; I am taking that trouble. It is good news for me too, with their families coming. The orcs would be more inclined to consider the city their home and fight hard for it. These new orcs are also filling the job market. They are unskilled, but there is a demand for them too. Not only in jobs in the city but also in the army; I am recruiting anyone fit and willing. It is not an ideal solution, but it is the only one, I have. Fifty thousand people had left, and I barely filled a fraction of those numbers. They left a huge hole population and economics of the city. I really wish we had time. Two hours passed, and I walked out of the office. I have a meeting with the heads of various guilds.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com I have replaced many of them but kept some. The guilds are the lifeblood of the city. I need to have the best people leading them. I think, I am doing a good job, but will not know, how much my changes affected things, till a few months. The meeting lasted for longer than usual, nearly two hours. They had a lot of questions, especially about admitting orcs as members. Many are still resistant to that idea. I didn¡¯t go back to my office, instead, I sat in the carriage and a few seconds later, it moved out of the city hall. A few minutes passed, and the carriage reached pinecrest. An area that is being preferred by the newly arriving orcs. The humans are still in large numbers, but orcs have started to increase in numbers. This is creating some friction since most of the humans are from the empire and we were taught to hate other races. The orcs wanted a different area for themselves; a suggestion, which I immediately rejected. It is creating friction, which is to be expected, but I have already prepared for it. I have selected community leaders, who swiftly handle angry troubles that appear. Still, more steps need to be done and I will take those steps, slowly according to the conditions. I looked at the new things that are being built, including the schools. Which is a domain of the church in the empire, but I am making it the city¡¯s business. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± the sister greeted. ¡°Lady Blackwell, Miss Ulaxasys,¡± I replied and noticed the hesitation on their faces. ¡°Lord Silver, we would like your permission to send the data on the tower to one of our contacts. They are also asking for a sample of emotion slate,¡± said Miss Ulaxasys. The contract is pretty tight; they could not divulge the information without my permission. ¡°You should know, Miss Ulaxasys; it is not the information, I want to divulge,¡± I said, and she nodded before her expressions turned serious, and privacy skill covered us. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help, but get surprised and the mist around formed a sphere, enveloping us. ¡°We have a collection of magical plants, including those that absorb the emotion mist, but it is not big. We had sent letters to the many who replied, and nearly all replied to us back, except for one,¡± said Lady Black. ¡°Could they solve our problem?¡± I asked, understanding what they were trying to say. The sisters nodded, a little too enthusiastically. ¡°For them, it is no problem. We should be more focused on the plants we could get from them. They have the biggest collection in the whole merchant state or even the continent,¡± she replied. This time, my expressions turned serious. There are extremely few people who fit into the category of what they have said, and all of them are extremely powerful. ¡°Who are they?¡± I asked and the expressions on the sisters became hesitant. ¡°They are from Nova Alyra,¡± replied Lady Blackwell. It is on the list of names; I thought. It still surprised me. I am not the only one, Edmore and the others too, turned serious. ¡°The hidden city?¡± I asked softly, and the sisters nodded. That place is a reason, merchant states are still standing and could be said to be one of the most powerful countries in the continent and world. With them, no power on the continent could destroy the merchant states, not even all the hordes of Navr. ¡°Let me think about it,¡± I said, after a few seconds of silence. That place is powerful. Those people are powerful. It is not always good to be noticed by them, especially with the secrets my legacy has. Still, the opportunity they represent is also massive. The problem we are having could be solved on our own and we could get plants from elsewhere, but they won¡¯t be as exceptional as those people could provide. The difference will be akin to planting a common mango and Alphonso. Those plants will not only be the best in class but will also provide me with huge money. The Alchemists will pay any price for them. Click! I talked to them for a few more minutes before sitting in my carriage. While it moved toward the establishment; I opened the diary. There is a big meeting with the girls tomorrow. We will be discussing the establishment. It will be now bigger, with more area and floor, we will have to de ¡°Lord Silver,¡± said Zela, interrupting my thoughts. I turned to her and was about to ask, what happened when I stopped, seeing the expressions on their faces. ¡°So, finally they made a move?¡± I asked and she nodded. ¡°The undead ships had been spotted near the coast of Port Midlet and Ashton Harbor,¡± she informed. ¡°Any movement from Panar and Almin?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head. ¡°Till now, nothing,¡± she replied, and for a moment, I felt relieved. Since they have decided to show the ships. There will be an attack; I hoped, I had more time to prepare than this. ¡°Send the message; ask them to initiate, the seventh protocol,¡± I ordered and closed the diary in my lap. I won¡¯t be opening it for a few days. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 367: Victor or Prisoner Chapter 367: Victor or Prisoner Click! The carriage stopped, and I got out of it, before walking toward the city hall. I looked around me and saw the people going on their ways, completely unaware of the danger, they were about to face. They will be informed of the undead soon enough. Let¡¯s hope, things work smoothly than the last time. They should. We had time to lay a complete protocol and put capable people in control. ¡°The horde had come out of Panar,¡± informed Zela. I didn¡¯t even stop hearing the news; I had been expecting it. They are clearly going to attack the Port Midlet again, and they have enough undead to launch an attack on us. It would be a waste of opportunity if they didn¡¯t attack us. The question is, who else they are going to attack? They have spotted the ships at the coast of Ashton Harbor and Port Midlet, but not Gailhorn. I can¡¯t think of any other reason. That is the cost of a merchant state of Belnin. The merchant state possesses one of the most powerful navies of the continent and they guard their territories zealously. Click! Soon, I reached the conference room seven, and several people were already sitting there. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± they greeted. I nodded and sat down, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for everyone before we start,¡± I said, and nobody said anything. Everyone either becomes quiet or begins to contact their sources. The people came in pretty quickly, and soon, the whole conference was filled. Everyone who needed to be here has arrived. ¡°The undead are coming,¡± I said to the entire conference room, which had turned somber. For several seconds, nobody spoke, before Stone opened his mouth. ¡°The information merchant state had provided us, states that the horde is consisting of two hundred and fifty thousand undead, with six Lv. 30+ powerhouses,¡± he said and looked across the table. ¡°There are going to be obviously more. The last time, there were ten Lv. 30+ powerhouses. So, we should expect more than that,¡± he added. ¡°Who is leading the horde?¡± asked Valentina. It is important to know the commander. As every commander has style. Knowing it, we could strategies better. ¡°They were not able to find that out yet. Of the six names we got, five we have information on, and they don¡¯t have any experience in leading the horde,¡± he replied. ¡°Have we got any information on the type of horde it is? Any special units?¡± asked Captain Garzong. His rank isn¡¯t high enough to participate in the meeting, but he is acting representative of the orcs, like the other four, and like the other four, he is also a Lv. 30 powerhouse. ¡°No, as far as the information provided to us; it is a normal horde,¡± he replied, making many people feel relieved. The horde is already bigger, bigger than what we had faced last time. The horde last time, was made of a hundred and fifty thousand undead. After it merged with the second horde, their numbers swelled to one hundred and eighty thousand before the establishment blasted it to pieces. The battle will be even more dangerous than last time. The horde is bigger and there will be more powerhouses.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com And unlike last time, the undead will be more prepared. They will also have information on us, like we have on them. Most importantly, they won¡¯t make the same mistakes, they did last time. They absolutely wouldn¡¯t go closer to the establishment, which I could blast again, and seeing new ones being built with magical material; the blast would be even stronger. ¡°Are we ready to deal with them? I mean, our army?¡± asked Robin, and every eye became focused on stone. ¡°Twenty-two thousand isn¡¯t far from enough to deal with a horde of two hundred and fifty thousand, but we might be able to,¡± he replied. Many looked at him with questions, but he didn¡¯t elaborate. The plan will be discussed in the strategy meeting. This isn¡¯t a strategy meeting. ¡°What about the city guards and new trainees we have recruited in the past two weeks? Will be going to use them?¡± asked the Shaman Trik. ¡°Unless we really have no choice, we will not,¡± he replied. I spent fifteen minutes at the conference, mostly calming them and giving them confidence in our victory. Last time, I had spent a lot more time on them. Well, last time, I needed them to open their pockets and warehouses. This time, I don¡¯t. I had filled the strategic warehouses. We have potions, rations, and other things that we will need for the battle. We will only be in trouble if the undead were to siege the city. We wouldn¡¯t let that happen. We need to be finished with the battle as soon as possible. Which is a monumental challenge, seeing the size of a horde this time. Unlike last time, those bastards aren¡¯t going to deliver themselves to the legacy. It was two hours later; I stepped out of the city hall and what I saw couldn¡¯t help, but break my heart. The city is empty, aside from the city guards patrolling the streets. There is no one in there. I sat in the carriage and a few minutes later, I saw a large number of people moving under the guidance of the city guards. This time, it is a lot more orderly than the last time. Soon, the carriage reached the establishment. There are thousands of people, most of them from the merchant state. Currently, tents are being laid out, and mages are creating temporary fortifications around the camp. There are a lot of mages, but they are not going to participate in the battle. It would have helped us a lot if they had. Click! ¡°My lord,¡± said Miss Ulaxasys and others as I stepped out. ¡°Everyone, I apologize for this inconvenience. I promise you, it will be over, before you will realize,¡± I said, to the crowd of people gathered around me. ¡°My apologies, Lady Blackwell. For these circumstances,¡± I apologized as I got away from the worried crowd. Her son had contacted me. Asking me to protect her. My sources said that he had come to the Nakar Baronies. He wouldn¡¯t come; the merchant state wouldn¡¯t let him come. They do want to draw themselves into the battles and also Ignatius is quite important to them due to that artifact. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, Lord Silver. I knew the risk, when I had decided to take the job,¡± replied the woman. I could see the worry and fear in the elf''s eyes, but there was also understanding. ¡°I promise you, my lady. That I will try my all to protect you and everyone,¡± I said, and the woman smiled. I talked to her for a few minutes before walking into the newly constructed first floor of the tower. Earlier, there was a building material all over, but now, in the center, there is a tent. ¡°Brother,¡± said a soft voice, before she hugged my leg. It surprised me, and I froze for a moment. In over two weeks, she had never called me brother or hugged me. Even the nanny seemed surprised by it. I crouched down and looked at the child. She is scared; it is clear in her eyes, but she is not letting it overwhelm her. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Nothing is going to happen.¡± I said to the little girl, who nodded, before hugging me again. This time, a proper hug. This time, I hugged her back. I still have complicated emotions about her, but I care for her deeply and protect her with everything I have. ¡°Listen to Miss Bell and your nanny,¡± I said to the little girl and the boy. Carla isn¡¯t with them. I would have liked her with them, but she is needed elsewhere. Thankfully, there is Bell, with her aura and with her in the establishment. There are very few threats that will be able to harm them. ¡°I will listen,¡± said the little girl. I patted her head lovingly before getting up and turning to Bell. ¡°Take care of them,¡± I said to them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to them,¡± she promised. I nodded at her and the nanny, before walking out of the tower. The next time I will come here; I will either be a victor or a prisoner. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 368: Charging Toward The Enemy Chapter 368: Charging Toward The Enemy Ardan Wayne ¡°Bartram went for complex and ended up making a lot of mistakes. We will keep it simple. Let the horde do what it does the best,¡± ¡°Overwhelm the enemy,¡± said the lean man, looking at the model of Greltheaven. ¡°Bartram was also this confident, but he had lost and lost badly,¡± said the woman, with grief in her eyes. ¡°Bartram was one good fighter, but he could not lead. I will not make the mistakes he did, which alone gives us a better chance against our enemy, who didn¡¯t have even a tenth of our numbers,¡± he replied and grinned. ¡°We have to win the city. The command wants control over the river route,¡± said an old woman with staff. ¡°The command will have what it wants by dawn,¡± replied the man. .... I turned and looked at the army gathered below me. The total twenty-five thousand, thirteen hundred and seventeen people. All armored to the teeth and ready to battle. Especially twenty-two thousand. All of them were in uniforms, standing in a neat line. Ready for the battle. I could see the fear and nervousness in their eyes, but there was also conviction and a will to protect the city. They will fight; they have been training for more than a month for it. They have become a proper army. I turned my eyes toward the mercenaries. Many had stayed; we also had newcomers. They are survivors from the other cities; they reached us after the battle was over. While many had left, nearly half of them have stayed. They had joined the army and mercenary groups, while few had picked up different professions. Now, they are volunteering themselves to fight. It would have been great. If those who left had stayed; it would have helped us tremendously. Still, the current army is much more powerful, than what we had pieced together last time. My eyes stopped on one mercenary. I had not expected her to join the battle and wanted to order her to go back, but I didn¡¯t. I need every person for the battle, even if that person is someone I care about. ¡°Is she really ready?¡± I asked. Barb is standing with her team. She is armored and has a red saber in one hand and a round blue shield in another. There are seven people on her team, all of them from Mayhurst. Unlike her, they are the veterans of many battles. Which is good; they will protect her, if she is in danger, which she certainly will. It is a battle, after all. Nobody would be safe in there; not even Stone or me. ¡°She is ready,¡± Hugo replied, sounding confident. ¡°She is talented and has been practicing nearly every hour, in the past month. I would be surprised if she didn¡¯t get the combat class after the battle,¡± he added. ¡°She will need to survive the battle first for that,¡± I said, to that he said nothing. She is not powerless. She is Lv. 25, and while she doesn¡¯t have a combat class or skills associated with it, her attributes make her strong. Not to mention, the fire, she could breathe. I hope it will be enough to help her survive the battle. I looked at the rest of the mercenaries and volunteers, before turning back. According to the latest information; the undead, would be here in an hour. ¡°Attack!¡± He roared, pointing his saber forward. The horde moved forward like a tide, but not a single one of us retreated, seeing such massive force. ¡°Attack!¡± roared Stone. Boom Boom Boom Immediately, the cannons begin to shoot the fiery death at the undead. We had replaced most of the cannons. The new mounted cannons are good; better than the ones we had used last time. Due to the big support, the wall provides; its cannonballs are bigger and thus provide greater destruction. Size isn¡¯t everything. There are cannonballs smaller than my thumb, which could bring a hundred times greater destruction. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have money, most of our cannonballs are standard. Still, they are creating quite a destruction. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Stone, and we climbed down the wall. Soon, Stone, Lt. Col Azalea, and me standing in front of an army of twenty thousand covered in a faint mist. Some even have their faces and hands covered in the paint. Not all twenty-five thousand going to attack the undead with us. Five thousand will remain to defend the wall. It is much less than we would like, but we don¡¯t have enough people. ¡°Three hours is all we have. If we don¡¯t defeat the enemy in three hours, then we will lose the battle, but we will not with the world''s bravest people fighting with us.¡± ¡°We had won the battle with a tenth of preparations last time and we will win it again, without a doubt!¡± he said. Thud Thud Thud! The soldiers begin to hit their feet on the ground in the affirmation. Stone smiled and turned toward the gate, while I and Captain Azalea took our place in the army. The gate is open, and we can see the undead are coming. They do not care about the mines we had laid out or cannonballs and spells showering on them; the only thing they care about is reaching us. Seeing them so close; I wanted to run away. I took a deep breath and steeled my heart. There will be no running away, we will fight the undead and we will win. The plan is rather straightforward. It was to kill their powerhouses and pillars, so one would remain to control the horde. It could either make them retreat or leave the horde on us, which we could deal with. If there is none one, to enhance and direct the undead. The plan may seem simple, but execution of it will be complex. We will need to stop the undead from overwhelming us, which will be a difficult task, seeing their numbers are over ten times of us. We will need to give our powerhouses a chance and time to kill the enemies¡¯ powerhouses. There is no letting the enemy inside the city. That would be our defeat. The undead won¡¯t make the mistake of coming close to the establishment. That is the only thing we have that could wipe out a large number of them. So, this will be the only battle, and our chances of winning are thin, but we will be going to try our all. The undead got closer and closer. The mines are killing a lot of them, but there seems to be barely any effect on their numbers. It didn¡¯t make me feel good, but I didn¡¯t move my eyes away from them. I watched it all. ¡°Charge!¡± Finally, Stone gave the command, and we charged out of the gate toward our enemies, with only victory in our hearts. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 369: Mistake? Chapter 369: Mistake? Utsa ¡®Maybe, it was all a mistake,¡¯ I thought as I looked at the colossal horde, which could sweep through our tiny army within a minute. They are getting bombarded by cannonballs and blasted by mines and spells, but it seems to be barely affecting them at all. They are coming at us like a massive tide in the ocean, and we are helpless ants in front of it. Seeing it, I felt my resolve shake. I wanted to throw down the saber and shield in my hand and run away. I don¡¯t know why in the hell I had felt this was my calling. It is not my fucking calling. It is suicide, that not even a single person would come out alive; the horde swallows the whole army, before swallowing the whole city. ¡°Calm down and control your thoughts,¡± said the familiar voice. I turned my head toward the young man. He is tall and handsome and barely twenty. He had come from a merchant state as five of the seven people on the team; they all knew Hugo from Mayhurst Island. This young man beside me had been fighting against the undead, before he had even received a class. ¡°It can be overwhelming, and it always will be, but don¡¯t resist it. Let them flow over you,¡± he said in his gentle soothing voice. His suggestion seemed counterproductive, but this young man had been my trainer for the past month, and I decided to listen to him. I stopped resisting this overwhelming feeling and let flow it through my breaths. To my surprise, I begin to feel better. I am still being overwhelmed, but it is not taking over my mind, like before. ¡°Feeling good?¡± he asked, so that I nodded. Feeling thankful, if not for him, those overwhelming emotions would have frozen me on my spot, which is a death sentence in a place like this. ¡°Good, because we are about to clash,¡± he said and grinned. I turned my eyes ahead and to my surprise; I saw we were less than three hundred meters away from them. The mages from both sides have already started to attack each other. There are spells everywhere, not just Grade 1 or Grade 2 spells, but also a lot of Grade 3 and Grade spells, any of which could kill me in an instant. I barely noticed it with all the overwhelming emotions. Hun! Soon, there was only a two hundred meters distance between us and the colossal undead horde, when I felt the suppressive ancient power and the change begin to occur in the Commander Stone. ¡°Elder blood,¡± said Hosk with awe and jealousy as the bronze light burst out of Commander Stone¡¯s body. As it did, he began to get bigger, and those loose armor and clothes began to fill him. The enemy, seeing that, intensified their attack on him, and shields appeared around to protect him. Seeing those attacks from the enemy, my eyes widened. They are powerful enough to kill the thousands in seconds, but unable to harm a single one. There were so many spells, that Commander Stone had disappeared. It made me worried, while the surrounding people seemed unfazed; they were more focused on the undead.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Hun! A few seconds passed, and the bronze arc of energy appeared. It cut through the spells and all, revealing Commander Stone. Seeing him, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen. Now, he is not a man, who is not even six feet tall. He is now a big man, seven feet tall with big muscles and a body shining in bronze light, that his clothes and armor straining to contain. He still has the tower shield on his back, but it doesn¡¯t look so big anymore. It looked small. ¡°Kill the undead!¡± Our small army clashed against the undead. My teammates, Ven, Hosk, and others move toward the undead roaringly, while I become slow in fear. The alcohol appeared in my mouth, and I want to spry it out, but that is not wise. I need to kill the undead with my saber and move with my company. The undead aren¡¯t the target; it is pillars and the powerhouses. Raaa Raaaa Ra The undead surrounded me, and if I didn¡¯t deal with them, they would kill me. Rip Pachak Rip! I was thinking that the attack of the undead got too close to me, but before it could reach me. The undead got cut in two and several others beside it. ¡°Focus! I won¡¯t be able to save you next time,¡± shouted Hosk, before dealing with another group of undead. I looked at all the people in my squad and how they were moving toward our objective, everyone killing the undead, that threatened to swarm them, and they would, if everyone didn¡¯t do their part. I need to do my part, no matter how scared, I am. I looked at the group of undead, in front of me. It didn¡¯t even take three seconds for the new undead to take the place of those who had been killed. I am scared. If I let it control me, I will die. I don¡¯t want to die. So, I took a deep breath and swung my swung my saber at the zombie. Rip! My saber avoided its rusted sword and cut through its neck cleanly, sending some fluid that smelled horrible, and I wouldn¡¯t have vomited if I hadn¡¯t felt the sharp pain across my shoulder. Rip! I moved with Madam''s Grace with another injury but stopped suddenly when I felt the attack at my back. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed and moved again and this time, I was able to dodge the attack, but another came and this time, it was able to injure me. I wanted to release the fire, but they were too close, and I didn¡¯t have enough control to not get harmed by the fire. I had practiced a lot in the past month, but that was far from enough. I do not have any confidence to do it, without harming myself badly. It is not fire breathers liquid; I am using, but magical liquor. A mistake and I will die. I don¡¯t want to die; there are things I haven''t achieved yet. Things I want to do. Ting! Another blade hit me, but this time, I was saved by the armor I was wearing. It is a good thing because the attack came at my chest, and it would have killed me. Rip Rip! I was thinking about it when two attacks hit me back to me. I felt the overwhelming panic; there were undead everywhere, and they surrounded me. I could see the members of the squad. They were far; they wouldn¡¯t be able to help me before these undead kill me. It is a mistake; I shouldn¡¯t have joined the mercenary company. I should have stayed in the establishment. I had respect there and authority. Most importantly, it was safe. I am not right now, and in the next few seconds, the undead will swarm me. There is nothing I can do about it, there is no help. They will kill me. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 375: Bladebound Officer Chapter 375: Bladebound Officer Lt. Colonel Hiren ¡®Now!¡¯ I heard the command as my squad reached the company of Mage Osward. It is in trouble; its leader especially. Mage Osward Is fighting the High-Mage Karlis and an Orc warrior, alone. She is barely surviving against them. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. My squad was to stay close to Lord Silver and move quickly if he needed any help, but the Commander had moved me here. It is a good thing he did because Mage Osward didn¡¯t look like, she would be able to hold against the two for long. ¡°Move. Help, the company,¡± I ordered the squad and moved toward Mage Osward, breaking the seals over my power. I had been asked to keep my advancement secret, which was kind of frustrating for me. Seeing Azalea and Julian didn¡¯t have to. It is hard not to get envious of the respect and adoration they have for colleagues and people. Till a year ago, I cared little about these things, but seeing how people looked at me, seeing my one hand, made these things important, despite not being. It made me angry and irritated when I was asked to keep my level-up hidden, while many of my friends and colleagues had not. I wanted people to see, I am not less of a man with only one hand. Now, I have got the chance to prove it. I have been training for months and the last battle made me gain confidence and this one will give me the respect, I deserve. I moved toward the Orc. It is unknown. We didn¡¯t have information about him, but I could tell he was strong. It would be a great challenge to fight such an enemy, much less defeat it. Hun! I was halfway toward the orc when I saw a man coming toward me. He is a tall man with a handsome face, with a rapier in his hand. He is coming at me with a big smile on his face. I hate this smile; despite all the advantages it provides me. People see the hand missing and automatically consider me weak. They completely ignore any other factors, which would tell them, that they shouldn¡¯t underestimate me. ¡°Die cripple!¡± he shouted and swung his saber at me. For a moment, I didn¡¯t move at all before suddenly activating the Swift Legs, not to dodge or retreat from the attack, but moving forward toward the saber. Immediately, the man understood what was happening and tried to move his saber defensively. T The man was good, but he had underestimated me too much. If he knew my power or had been slightly careful. He might have had a better chance, but he had literally thrown himself at me and I would be an idiot if I didn¡¯t take full advantage of this opportunity. I avoided his saber with an inch, before moving and swinging my sword. The horror appeared on the man¡¯s face, knowing what was about to happen, but there was nothing he could do. Pachac! A moment later, the head flew up, while I moved ahead toward the Orc, coming at me. The orc is a grey orc, with a bald head, which is a kind of rare in orcs. The orcs love their hair, and it is also important to them culturally. It is quite rare to see a bald orc like him, which is intentional. ¡°Lt. Colonel Hiren. I had heard so much about you,¡± he said, eying the stump on my left hand. Even after a year, it still made me uncomfortable when they stared at the stump. ¡°All the good things, I hope,¡± I replied, and the orc smiled. ¡°Many good things. Especially of the time when you had both of your hands,¡± he said, clearly mocking. I had gotten used to hearing it, but it was still hurtful. I didn¡¯t show it to my face. Instead, I smiled. ¡°Many had said the same things before they lost their lives to my blade,¡± I said, and sparks of anger appeared in the orc''s eyes before a big smile appeared on his face. ¡°You are quite confident despite being a cripple,¡± he spat and came at me like a viper. He appeared in front of me with his speed skill and attacked. His attack is fast and there is a weight to it. I reacted immediately and responded with the Power Slash. I tried to avoid a direct clash. Tried to go for his body, but couldn¡¯t, with his sword blocking mine. Clashing directly isn¡¯t wise. His blade is a big longsword, while mine is a light, short sword. I used to use, the bigger and heavier sword, but I changed the sword after I lost my hand. Clang! Our weapons clashed as I activated the Feather Parry. Swiftly diverting the force with the light skillful movement. One doesn¡¯t need to meet force with the force. Lighter, skillful movements are just as useful to deal with the heavy as the heavy force. In my case, they are much better. My last level-up wasn¡¯t just a big advancement into Lv. 30. It was a transformational advancement. Even bigger than what mages go, though, when they gain the specialization at Lv. 30. It had been more than a year since I had lost my hand and after the initial three months, when I had resigned from my job and grieved for my arm; I had been training. Dodging isn¡¯t ideal, but it is hard to counter him with him using that skill. Rip Rip Rip! Another cut appeared on my shoulder, as he flickered to the left. A second later, another, as he flickered, behind me. Flicker is an amazing skill. The instant burst of speed could do wonders for one both offensive and defensively. If one is in all in power, they can forget touching young. The speed of flicker-type skills isn¡¯t something normal speed skills could manage unless one is at a far higher level. His sword begins to carve my body, cuts begin to appear in every part of my body. From my neck to my legs, I was barely able to avoid heavy injuries, but if I kept receiving such; it wouldn¡¯t be long before he would cut my neck apart. ¡°You should give up, cripple, with this skill. You don¡¯t stand a chance at all,¡± he said, grinning. I didn¡¯t reply and continued with the battle. A minute passed, and the intensity of flickers had lowered a little, but even then, it didn¡¯t provide me much effort. He would still injure me with every flicker. Hun! ¡°It is time for you to die!¡± he declared and immediately all the hair on my body stood. I knew he was going to use another skill; one that might kill me. From my left, he appeared in front and with his sword already crossing more than half of the distance. It was not just Flicker, he had used yet another skill, that made his sword fast. It is coming for my neck directly. It takes seconds to reach my neck, till there is less than ten meters of distance between the blade of my neck. The Orc is smiling. There is a surety in his eyes. This is my end. I watched the blade as I tried to dodge it, but it was fast. The bastard had calculated my limitations well before using this skill. Soon there was a less than, five-inch palm distance between the blade and my neck, and the expression on my face became calmed. All the fear and horror were suppressed back into my heart. Repel. I used the skill, that I could use only once a minute, with the attack needing to be less than ten inches away from my body. At the same time, I used my second skill. It is not a new skill, but an upgraded one. Whirlwind Slash! I whirled fast and Orc realized the trouble, he was in and used Flicker. The Flicker isn¡¯t as fast as it was a moment ago, but it is still fast and if I couldn¡¯t go faster than it is, then I will lose him and lose the chance to kill him. Swift Legs. I activated the speed skill with full power and immediately the speed of the whirling increased before I reached him. Clang! Though the flicker gave him enough chance, to bring his sword forward to defend. It stopped my sword, and I could see the relief flooding in his eyes as I whirled again for another attack. I turned toward him and attacked again. This time, he is much better prepared and moves his sword to defend. He didn¡¯t seem worried about my speed, confident, that he would be able to defend against it. Clang! Our swords reached closer and closer, till they clashed again. This time, I failed to parry and my sword flew away from my hand due to the sheer shock of the clash. It grinned seeing that, but the next moment, his eyes went wide, when he saw me still moved toward him. He was so engrossed in looking at the flying sword that it had let me come closer to him. He used the Flicker once again, but before he could take a step, he found my sword cutting through his neck. The sword, that had been flying away a moment ago. Blade Recall. To a one-arm person, a weapon is most important. Without it, we couldn¡¯t defend or attack. We didn¡¯t have another hand, with a sword or a shield, that we could use; we only had one hand and one weapon. Now, with this skill, it always will. As long as my sword is at a certain distance from me; it will appear in my hand, as I willed it. Pachack! My sword cut through the neck of the orc, and it went flying. I looked at the head till it crashed on the ground before I took out the bottle of potion and drank it, before moving toward Mage Osward. I had killed the Orc, but it¡¯s far from enough. We will need to kill over 70% of their powerhouses if we want to win this battle and we will need to do it before the horde swallows us. It is a monumental challenge, but we will conquer it. For more, Tap Below. Chapter 376: Kill I Chapter 376: Kill I Ardan Wayne ¡®Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen,¡¯ I counted as more of the bastards have revealed their strength. ¡®I am going to kill the bastards at the intelligence department!¡¯ I cursed, seeing the number. One of the reasons for the last defeat was an intelligence failure. So, when I took command of the horde, I made sure to press for more intelligence. We didn¡¯t have the robust intelligence network here as we have on the island, but we have money and we spent quite a lot of it. The department had told me that intelligence is solid and there would be only a slight variation in it, but there was no variation. There was a fucking difference. There are over twenty-five Level 30+ powerhouses, I am sensing. Twenty-two on the battlefield, while over five on the wall, and they all are fighting against our powerhouses. It is a good thing; I had hidden some of mine. I have one more than them. Twenty-three. However, it would be trouble if those on the wall decided to enter the battlefield. I am not going to give them a chance. I will keep them busy with the undead, till the battle is over. ¡°You have planned well,¡± I said to the elder-blood and swung my saber in the air, sending waves of fire at him. At the same time, he was attacked by Mage Darya, with the Mud field and Earth Lances. The attacks, he had crushed through with his halberd, covered in the bronze energy. ¡°Thank you. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible without your intelligence failure,¡± replied the Elder Blood with an irritating grin, and attacked with the bronze energy arc. The gem on my saber lit up and flame walls appeared. Mage Darya had also put her Earth Wall in between for better defense. Fire is good at many things, but defense isn¡¯t one of them. Especially when defending against the attacks of the elder power. Bang Bang Bang! The bronze wave crushed through the shields by the time. It had reached the last shield; it had lost all its power, but right after, its halberd came and tore through it. Thankfully, I had already moved away with the Flame Blitz.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com I usually liked to clash directly against the enemies. It is why, I have become a spell blade instead of a mage, but the elder-blood bastard in front of me isn¡¯t someone. I like to get close. I had read the information about him. The battles he fought on the island and the enemies he killed. He knew how to fight mages and killed many of them. He is experienced in dealing with us and now he has awakened the elder-blood power, which made him a dangerous enemy of the mages. He is also controlling that power, far better than, I had estimated. We had elder-bloods, and I have seen the time it takes for them to control their power to such a degree. It takes months, and he did it in a month, despite all the responsibilities he has as the commander. There is that artifact that makes him even more dangerous. Even though it is broken; it is still an artifact. It is why, I am not facing him directly, but he is going to die. I had planned for it before I entered the battle and started the plan, the moment, I had begun fighting him. It is the reason why, I had chosen Mage Darya, instead of any necromancers. They would have been a much better choice, but she would be perfect for what I had planned for him. Nearly all the preparations are finished. I would need, less than ten minutes to finish up the rest. It will be a powerful attack; something even if it wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against, despite the elder blood power. I retreated once again as he moved for the attack and drank the potion, before sending another flurry of Mass Fireballs and cast the Flame Burst, but the bastard defended against them as he moved toward me. The Stone Wall and Fire Walls appeared to stop him, but he crushed through them. The spells delayed him enough to provide me with a safe retreat. I could see the frustration appearing in his eyes as he failed repeatedly to catch up to me. If it had been any warrior in my place; they would have been killed already. Elder Bloods aren''t simple enemies; only the mages could deal with them perfectly. I didn¡¯t let these small victories get over my head. I know how dangerous, these elder bloods are, and he might be hiding his power. I need to be careful every moment, till I burn him to ashes. Minutes passed, and the battle continued without any change, when suddenly my expression changed. As we retreated into the undead. Twelve undead moved forward; all twelve had red crystalline red plates on their chest, with runes imprinted on those plates. Those crystalline plates are Grade 4 flame crystals and the runes on them will make them even more powerful for my purpose. The idea of this attack had come from the enemies themselves. Just, as they blasted the legacy to kill more than half of the undead; I am going to use those Grade 4 flame crystals to kill him. As we retreated, I activated the runes. At the same time, I activated another spell. I have been laying its groundwork since the battle began. As I did, the pillars of flame shot out of the ground. The same, Mage Darya on the other side cast, Rysal¡¯s Dome. Covering the whole fiery space. The crystals had burst out with fiery power, turning the space inside the dome into a furnace. It is hot enough to turn the elder blood into the ashes. I had checked in with my master and she had said the plan was more than enough to kill an elder blood. He will die. In that dome, there is powerful enough to heal and kill me within a second. All the fire immunity, the protection spells, and the tools I have wouldn¡¯t be enough to save me from turning to ashes. Barely a second, had passed, and the dome had already turned bright red. It won¡¯t be able to hold the fire for long, but it would be enough to kill him, long before that. I wish I could have made his death longer and more painful to avenge the death of my friend, but it is a dangerous enemy. The sooner it is death; the better it would be. As for avenging Krugak''s death. I am going there after the elder-blood dies. I will kill that, one-handed bastard before going after the rest. We have won the battle already; it would take me an hour at most, to wipe away, all of them. Bang! I was thinking with sweet thoughts while watching the dome when I heard a loud bang and saw the elder blood blasting out of the dome. He is covered in flames with his skin burned, but I can also see the dense bronze energy, which is fighting the fire. He is injured, seriously, but he is alive, and he is moving extremely toward the Mage Darya, crushing through the undead, that came in front of him. She retreats and begins to throw spells at him rapidly, but the arcs of bronze energy are crushing through them all. Flame Blitz. Haste. I reacted instantly and activated the Haste along with my speed skill, before releasing the Mass Fireballs, Flame Arcs, and Fire Burst. I need to help her. If he reached her, she would die, and it would be terrible for the battle and me. He dodged and defended against my attack without slowing down. He seemed to deal with everything I threw at him before finally reached Mage Darya. The terror appeared in the woman¡¯s eyes as she cast more spells to save herself. ¡°Stop, you bastard!¡± I cursed seeing it, swinging his halberd at her and ordered the pillar to blast the undead around them. It is a useless spell in the circumstance given the time it took, but I want to do something to save her. The halberd blazing in bronze energy moved swiftly and tore through the Earth Walls, before reaching the Mage Darya, who had layers of Earth Armor covering her body. Pachac! It was not enough; the halberd cut through the armor, before cutting through her body, diving her into two. ¡°No!¡± I screamed as I stopped in my tracks. It wasn¡¯t long ago, I was thinking victory was minutes away and now, I saw him kill Mage Darya. I was watching when he turned and leaped toward me. I reacted instantly, turning in the opposite direction. I am not his match; I need to get away from him or I will suffer the same fate that Mage Darya had suffered. For more, Tap On Below. Chapter 377: Kill II Chapter 377: Kill II Captain Vandal ¡®Why, the fuck, do I always get the weird ones!¡¯ I cursed as I dodged the attack, which nearly decapitated me. The enemy I am fighting looked all normal, with a little bit of tattoos. I have some, not on the face like, but on my hand, chest and ass. The last one is due to the bet. I was young and an idiot. Confident that I would win the bed against the wizened old man, but the bastard had beaten me thoroughly, and I had to tattoo his face on my ass. The man in front of me except for one fact. He doesn¡¯t have an arm; he has an arm, but not a normal arm, but a bone arm, which has a bone blade attached to it. I had heard about them but had never seen one. They are rare, not only because they are expensive but also because they suit very few people. That bone blade is at the level of an enchanted weapon, and it grows as one level-up, becoming stronger. He had this arm for over a decade, and it shows, in the way, he is fighting. Clang Clang Clang! My sword clashed against its bone sword hard and fast. It had been over half an hour since we had started fighting and still doing. I am using everything I have, from Rapid Strikes to Lion Strength, but the bastard is powerful and skilled, defending and dodging, nearly every attack, I threw at him. Rip! I felt the cut across my stomach; a light cut, only a drop of blood came out, before it stopped, but there was a bloody pain. The bastard has a Pain Skill, and it is damn painful. Still, even with pain skill, it couldn¡¯t hide, the dose of poison, it had used on me. I was supposed to fight Har Scott, a warrior, but after this bastard had revealed himself, the Commander directed me toward him. Which is wise, because I am the only one, who has the arsenal to deal with him. I am a good fighter, not the best one, but I am the one who is very good at fighting and surviving. There are injuries across my body. Most of them healed, despite the poison. It had a poison skill and was a pretty powerful one if the information was to be believed, but I have a Poison Resistance. It is a skill that saved me many times. I also have a Fast Clotting and my newest skill, Twice Healing. It is a passive skill, that helped me recover from my injuries twice faster. I wish it had been active, like Rapid Healing; it would have been more useful. Still, with Fast Clotting, its effect is pretty fast. It is how I am still fighting. Clang Clang Rip! We continued to clash, and a minute later; I was able to score a cut. It is a minor one, across his waist. I was able to give him, fewer injuries than what he gave. If I had, the bastard would have been dead already. ¡°You should accept my offer, Captain Vandal. The money is great and so are the benefits,¡± said the man, while leaping at me with another attack. The leaping enemy had a lot of weakness and I had made a mistake, trying to exploit them. The deeper, cuts I had got, is due to them. Now, I just bring my sword forward to defend against them. Clang! I defended, before launching an attack of my own. As for his offer, I didn¡¯t even think about it. I detest undead. I want to kill as many of them as I can. They have killed my little brother. That greedy bastard went to Vris¡¯alud when the undead had launched their invasion across the island. He didn¡¯t return, nor did his body. The only thing, that returned was the news of his death. Every day, I regret not being there to stop him. He was recovering from the previous mission while I went for another. Seconds passed, and I thought of different ways, but nothing seemed viable, till I saw his piercing attack and daring plan came to my mind. It could kill me; it nearly did many times to my little brother. He was too dependent on that skill. It was the reason why, he was resting at home, while I had gone for the mission. In my advancement, I had got that skill of his, and now, I am going to use the way, he used to do it. I hated that, but now I am doing it. It is the only way; I could think of killing the enemy. I didn¡¯t wait. I could have, as he launches these kinds of attacks, a few times a minute, but I decided to act immediately. The decision was made, but there was no change in my actions. I moved my sword to defend as I was doing. The enemy didn¡¯t suspect anything. Our swords moved closer and closer, till they were about to clash, when he made a move and changed the direction a little, avoiding my sword, which he was able to do a few times. I moved to retreat with my speed, but he followed, and his bone sword swiftly reached my stomach to gut me. Puch! It touched my stomach and began to pierce through it. I could see a big smile appear on his face and it lasted for a moment before it froze when he saw me suddenly stopping. Pushing his sword forward, it came out of my back. It hurt like hell, but I bore the pain and moved as I had planned. He sensed something and tried to retreat, but my hand moved fast as lightning and grabbed the bone arm. The bone arm has many advantages, but it also has many disadvantages. Like right now, if I had been in its place, I would have abandoned my sword and retreated safely with my speed skill, but he couldn¡¯t do that, because that sword is his arm. ¡°Bastard, let go!¡± it screamed and tried to pull away the arm, but it was barely able to shake it. I am focusing on all the Lion''s Strength on it, while my left hand with the sword moving to kill him. He reacted fast and moved his other hand with a small shield forward. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my pain-filled face. I don¡¯t have a favorite type of sword. I could use nearly all aside from rapiers and great swords; I could use even those, but not with the expertise I like. I am glad I had chosen the gladius for today''s battle. The sword had a short range, but it gave powerful blows, most importantly. It gave me maneuverability; I needed it at such a close distance. Pachack! My sword moved fast and cut through the arm of the enemy. The blood spurted on me, but I didn¡¯t care for it and moved my sword forward. A terror appeared on his face as he finally released, death is coming for him and there was no escape. Puch! Finally, it reached his neck and began to cut through it. There is resistance because of the defensive skill, but the enchantment flared, and the sword came out from the other side. I looked at the flying head, before removing the bone sword from my stomach. It was extremely painful, but I bore it and removed the damn sword. I used Shift Injuries to avoid fatal injury to my internal organs and spine, but I was still seriously injured and this time, I didn¡¯t hesitate and took out, the healing potion before taking a very tiny sip. I closed the bottle before taking out another potion. It is a healing potion, in which I merged a drop of healing potion with emotion essence. I opened the bottle and took half of it in my hand, before applying it to my injuries. I felt my injuries closing and did the second most important job. Loot the enemy. I wouldn¡¯t be a mercenary if I didn¡¯t loot the enemy after killing it. For more, Tap On Below. Chapter 378: Kill III Chapter 378: Kill III Thaddaeus Stone Boom Boom Boom The undead explodes as I chase after Wayne. The bastard is fast and with all the undead, creating the blockades, it is hard to catch him. The explosions aren¡¯t a threat to me, and I am tearing through the blockades, but they are slowing me down. I have been chasing the bastard for ten minutes and I have yet to catch him. I wanted to give up and focus on other powerhouses. If I had done that, I am confident; I would have finished killing at least one, but doing that isn¡¯t wise. I cannot leave him, because if I join the battle. It will also join it and Ardan Wayne is no weakling. He will kill our powerhouses. So, whether I want it or not, I will have to keep chasing him. I waved the halberd, cleaving through as the group of undead came to stop me. There was a pillar, but I didn¡¯t touch him. I could have easily killed him, but didn¡¯t. There is an understanding. I didn¡¯t touch his people, while he didn¡¯t touch mine. Like me, he could also be people below Lv. 30, and being a mage gives him a greater reach to do that. Though I could not kill them, I am moving men toward them, but it is hard because of the sheer number of undead. A minute and a half passed, and I was still chasing him when a smile appeared on my face. ¡®It was the right decision,¡¯ I thought, seeing Vandal killing Payne Blav. I was sending him toward Har Scott, but when I saw Blav, I sent him toward him. Vandal has the most envious skills, in one of the most demanding types. His skills focused on surviving. From Poison Resistance to Shift Injuries too fast healing; having one of these skills makes one person feel jealous, and he has more than three. Such people are especially sought in the armies; they could survive battles. This means they could gather more experience and level-up. Giving them a better chance of reaching higher levels, than others. I had ordered him to move toward Har Scott; the enemy, I earlier sent to fight, before sending him to fight Blav. Rasal is having trouble with him. With Vandal joining, the battle would end quickly. It is the fourth powerhouse we have killed, and we have lost one, but it is far from enough. We need to kill more. At least ten more, or all five remaining necromancers to affect the horde, and we only have a little more than an hour to achieve that. It is a tall task, but we need to accomplish it to survive. Boom Boom Boom! Another group of undead exploded, shaking me. This explosion was more powerful than any other, I had experienced. They had gathered power from a large number of undead and focused on the small group. The moment I reached them; the pillar blasted them on me. My skin burned and death energy was trying to infiltrate my body, before being vanquished by the elder-blood power. These injuries are light, compared to what had suffered earlier. I really thought I would die and would have died, if I hadn''t used every bit of elder power, to protect myself from the fire. After the battle, I am going to thank her deeply. Without her help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to control such power effectively to protect against the fire. Even with the bronze energy, I had suffered scalding injuries and needed to drink the potion to help them.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com The elder-blood gives fast healing, but it would have taken time to heal those heavy injuries. The potions make it faster. Especially to me; the elder-blood processes the magical things faster than normal people. Once again, the undead exploded. I bore the injuries and continued to chase him. Unlike me, there was no resistance or interference for him; as he moved, a couple of ways opened in front of him. He could move in any direction he pleases. I am chasing him, with all my speed, and would have caught up to him despite his speed. If not for this interference, blast every minute. Hun! Another smile appeared on my face. It is a big smile as the most powerful mage in the army, had shown her worth. She had killed a powerhouse, not a normal powerhouse, but a necromancer. She was able to do that, despite the unsuitable element. The powerhouses of light, element, lightning, fire, and divine are best against the necromancers, earth is not so much. Valentina Elar is the most powerful mage we have. An Earth Mage and I called her most powerful because of her collection of spells. She is not as experienced as Zela, but she could defeat Zela. It was hard when they were pre-level 30, but after it, she gained a big edge over all the mages, that breached Lv. 30. She has the biggest advantage because of her spell collection. The mages are terror, but they have one weakness after they made big advancements. The spells collections: the mages receive spells from the great sky, but it is only one; it is rare to get two. The spells also rarely upgrade. It is why, our mages are purely on the defensive. I had asked them because they didn¡¯t have enough spells in their arsenal to contend against the enemy mages. Soon, there was less than a thirty-meter distance between us. He is trying to retreat, but the progress is slow; Bishop Merial has created walls and other blockades that have slowed his retreat. Hun! Suddenly, a change occurred. The bone constructs that were fighting against the pre-level 30s moved toward me. Bang Bang Bang! Bishop Merial reacted, but they had crushed through her walls as dark energy covered them. ¡®He is burning their core,¡¯ I thought, looking at constructs. It is not something the necromancers usually wouldn¡¯t do. These bone constructs are hard work and expensive to make. Burning their core means they wouldn¡¯t be used again. They surrounded me. When there were fifteen meters between me and the necromancers. ¡°Die!¡± He said, with an angry smile and a bone wall appeared in front of him, blocking my view. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ I cursed and bronze energy burst out of my body. At the same time, dusky armor covered me and dusky walls around me; the bishop also understood what the necromancer planned to do. I thought it was planning to use them to stall me, but no; it was planning to make them explode. It is dangerous, more dangerous, than even the furnace, that Ardan Wayne had trapped me. Boom! The bone constructs exploded in a shower of bones and death energy. I felt the sharp bones tearing through the dusky walls and armor, before coming at me. These constructs are laid with many enchantments including this self-destruct, which is designed in such a way, that it will do maximum damage to the person, who is being targeted. Puch Puch Puch I felt the bone shards piercing through me. Even armor and the elder energy weren¡¯t enough to stop them all. It lasted less than three seconds, but felt like minutes, with tens of shards piercing into me, forcing death energy into my body. I looked at the Necromancer Carcyne, who had turned toward me while retreating and held a shock on his face. He thought I would die, but I didn¡¯t; I am seriously injured, but not dead. ¡°It is your turn,¡± I said through a bloody mouth and leaped with all my power, feeling the shuddering pain with every movement. It would have been wise to remove shards and drink the potion before moving at the enemy. I didn¡¯t want to give the enemy a second more, to think of ways to escape. I may not have drank potion, but powerful healing spells covered me, the moment I moved. I am grateful for it. Bang Bang Bang! Necromancer released the spells crazily. Most of them were defended by Bishop Merial, and those came at me, crushed by my halberd. Thud! Finally, I landed in front of the Necromancer, who had covered himself with dark armor and then a huge bone armor and sent a massive lance with a crystalline tip, wreathed in death energy at me. It is powerful enough. If it hits me, it will tear through me. ¡°Die!¡± I screamed as I poured every bit of elder power into the halberd and swung it toward the massive lance. Krrrrr! My halberd clashed against it, before cutting through it. The halberd may be broken, but it is an artifact. Its edge is such, that it could cut through any magic, and it did. It didn¡¯t stop after cutting through the lance and kept moving. I could see the horror on the necromancer''s face. His last gamble had failed. Now there is only my halberd and him. ¡°I su¡± He tried to say something at last, but I didn¡¯t listen. Pachak! The halberd cut through his armor, before cutting through the necromancer, killing him. Immediately, I felt the change around the undead. They stopped exploding and slowed down their crazed charge. ¡°Three dead, three more to go,¡± I said to myself and moved toward the fourth necromancer. There is no time to waste. The sooner we kill them; the quicker we will gain victory. Saving people who are losing their lives every minute fighting the horde. For more, Tap On Below. Chapter 379: No Choice Chapter 379: No Choice Ardan Wayne ¡®Wayne, that bastard is getting close!¡¯ Came the panicked voice from the Tasmid; they had killed four necromancers already and now it is Tasmid¡¯s turn. I have no doubt that if Stone caught him, he would be killed. Tasmid is powerful, but the elder blood isn¡¯t weak. He is a monster, more powerful than we had predicted. He isn''t the only one calling me Arnv, and Jenna is also insistently asking for help. After Tasmid, it will be their turn. I don¡¯t know what to do. It is a fucking nightmare. Powerhouses are dying one after another. They are not weak; they are stronger than average powerhouses due to their experience, but unable to do anything. I was about to reply to him when I suddenly paused as I felt another death. Har Scott is dead. They had killed him and now they were moving toward others. Every death of my powerhouses frees up enemy powerhouses, that could target more of my people. I recognize the slippery slope when I see one. I have been part of many battles where this strategy had been used, by us and the enemies. Most of the time, it failed against us due to the large number of undead and the strength of our powerhouses. This time, it might succeed. It is solely on me, to stop them. There is no other choice than that. Defeat isn''t an option. Sup Sup Sup! ¡°Fucking hell!¡± I cursed as I dodged the sword''s arc and defended against the Stone Shower. These fucking bitches are not giving me even a moment of peace. Attacking me every moment, with all types of attacks. Especially that fucking Earth Mage, she wasn¡¯t supposed to be this strong. Once this battle is over; the one thing I am going to do is kill those bastards at the intelligence department. It is because of them, that I am in such a condition, if I had correct intelligence, I wouldn¡¯t be suffering as such. I calmed myself down as I dodged the attack. ¡®Keep running and send as many undead as possible to him,¡¯ I said to Tasmid, before addressing all the pillars. ¡®Start blasting the undead. Kill every enemy, you see; I want everyone dead!¡¯ I ordered. I will kill their army before they kill our powerhouses, without it, they will be powerless. It is not a strategy we usually use, given the large number of undead we lose due to it, but currently, I do not see any option to stop the slide. I have to do it, or we might lose. That would be bad for so many reasons. It would immediately end my career and there would be punishment. Boom Boom Boom! A second after my command, I begin to hear the blasting sounds across the battlefield. They didn¡¯t waste any time in acting, which isn''t surprising seeing they have been targeted by the enemy¡¯s killing squads, and now they are responding in kind. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. These explosions aren''t enough to kill the powerhouses, but they will kill the ones that are holding the undead back. Once they begin to get killed; the undead would easily be able to swarm the others. Sup Sup Sup! There is a powerful faction behind the bastard, and they will be angry if he gets killed. It will be bad for me since I owe them a favor; they had lobbied for me to get the command of the horde. ¡®The battle is nearly lost; I think we should retreat,¡¯ said the calming voice of Jenna, who became visible to my senses for one blinking moment, before disappearing. She is good at hiding among the undead. If I couldn¡¯t sense her with my skills and spells; there is no way, Stone would be able to do it. It made me a little relieved. I had nearly convinced myself of those words when I had sensed another death, the tenth one. It made me feel like dying. It is not something, I wanted to happen, and it will get worse, with enemies joining against more of my powerhouses. ¡®Wayne, call the retreat. We might suffer, even greater losses if we didn¡¯t soon,¡¯ said Arnv. ¡®I fully agree,¡¯ said Jenna. ¡®Me too,¡¯ added Bennis. Hearing that, anger couldn¡¯t flare up in my heart. It is not something I had throught. ¡®We have a fucking horde, and you are thinking of retreat?¡¯ I asked, with all the fury, I was feeling. ¡®It is not a desirable option, but it is the only option we have. If we don¡¯t retreat on time, then forget us. Even you will not be able to get out of here alive,¡¯ replied Jenna calmly, as always. Hun! Her words have made me even angrier, and I opened my mouth to reply when I felt another death. Killed by the second Paladin and the Orc. I stopped what I was saying. ¡®There will be a punishment and humiliation if we retreat now,¡¯ I said after a second of silence. ¡®Yes, there will be, but we will be alive with a chance of taking revenge on these bastards,¡¯ ¡®If we didn¡¯t retreat now, I am sure we will be killed. Even you will not be spared; that elder blood will come for you after he finishes with me,¡¯ replied Arnv. He is right. Jenna is hiding, and if he didn¡¯t find her, then the next target would be me. I don¡¯t want to die, but retreat didn¡¯t seem like an option either. I have seen the shame and humiliation of the commanders go through. It is fine if one loses against the big odds, but here we had all the advantages, and retreating means, losing. I have big ambitions, but retreat will destroy it all and I don¡¯t want to do it, despite the cost. I still believe we could win, and the win will come. We only need to keep fighting for an hour more. ¡®You have thirty seconds to decide, Wayne or we will call the retreat!¡¯ said Jenna, shocking me. It is not something I expected to hear. These are the words that no commander wants to hear. ¡®You wouldn¡¯t. I am the commander!¡¯ I screamed. They could do it. I may be the commander, but they are the necromancers; all the pillars are under their control. If they did it. It would be a humiliation, that is worse than death. They didn¡¯t trust me enough to lead the army, so they took the command from me. Commanders have killed themselves in shame when such things have happened. ¡®We will retreat,¡¯ I said finally, unwillingly, angrily. ¡®Though, before we do give me a chance to try one last thing,¡¯ I added. There is no other choice in front of me; the enemies and my own men left me without it, before I retreat; there is one thing I want to do and these bastards, are going to help me. If it worked. Then this supposed retreat will turn into a victory. For more, Tap On Below. Chapter 380: Last Gambit Chapter 380: Last Gambit Clang Rip Bang! My rapier clashed against the enemy while the powerful explosion rang around me. The enemy is powerful, and his sword is so fast, that he is giving me cut after cut. There isn''t a single part, where I haven¡¯t been cut. The enemy was strong and fast; the only thing, I could do against his attacks was to defend. The man in front of me is a half-elf with short green hair and green eyes. He is handsome and tall, with his left ear being cut in half. He gets angry when I look at it. The battle is hard. Hardest, I had fought in the battle, and I am not saying it just because I am having a hard time. Every enemy, I had fought in here was powerful and I had to fight them with my life on the line, but this one was the strongest of them all. ¡°You should surrender. It will make things much easier for you,¡± he said, coming at me with another attack, using a different skill. ¡°Not interested,¡± I replied, as his attack gave me another cut. I won''t surrender. It is not an option for me, because surrender will kill over half of the people in my city, and I won''t have that. It is for this purpose; that I am fighting the undead alongside the brave souls. If I wanted the safety, I could have easily got it. I am the host of Legacy. They won¡¯t kill me even now. If I had surrendered before, I would have had the privileges that would have made my life a lot more comfortable, but I didn¡¯t want that. I chose the hard path despite the cost of it because it is the right path. Things are going well, and there is a chance that we will survive out of it. We had killed a lot of their powerhouses and killed more. If we kept at such, especially with the necromancers, we would survive. Which is the aim of the battle. Seconds passed, and the battle intensified further. He begins to use more and more skills, and it becomes difficult to fight against him. Still, I gave my all; it was the only thing, I could do. I am not the only one doing that, others too are doing the same. They are in worse condition than me, suffering explosion after explosion, and mages and shield warriors are barely able to protect them. I am glad, there is a Shaun, who is not only fighting against the enemy mage but also defending the people with his shields. It is hard for him, considering he had only leveled up a month ago. He barely learned one Grade 4 spell and got one from the system. Thankfully, both of them are defensive-type spells. They are what kept everyone else in the company alive from the explosions. Puch! I was fighting when one of the bone shards from the explosion hit my leg. The shard itself isn''t dangerous, but nearly allowed the enemy to kill me. I was barely able to save myself from getting killed. It is the danger of the blasts. Even if the blasts couldn¡¯t kill you; the things it sent might, and we don¡¯t have enough mages to protect every angle from which such things would come. Ting! His sword clashed against my chest in place, knocking the air out of my lungs before coming at me with another attack. I was able to dodge it, barely by a centimeter, but it came at me again. It was the hardest battle, I had fought, and I don¡¯t think I could survive him, if we continued to fight. I am aware of my limitations and this enemy is much stronger than me. So, her confidence isn''t surprising, but I am not sending Jon to his death. He will kill her and of that, I am very confident. ¡°Vranalis,¡± I muttered, and the charm in my pocket activated. Immediately, surprise appeared in her eyes, before it turned to horror. The bone pearl which had lit up and about the release of the spell turned off. The charm didn¡¯t break her spell. She has just lost mana. The charm had just made all mana accessible to her, inside and outside of her. The charm is powerful, but it could last only a second against someone as powerful as her. There are also many conditions for it to work and the most stringent is that it only affects people and things within a four-and-a-half-meter radius. If she had been even a step out of the range; she would have been completely unaffected. Pachak! ¡°I surr¡± She took a step back and opened her mouth when Jon reached her. A moment later, her head flew up. Seeing her head falling, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. It may not look like it, but I was terrified. If it had failed, she had not only killed Jon but also taken me, hostage. They have would killed my army and my citizens, while I would have watched in captivity. Hun! I was thinking of the horror when the charm in my pocket heated up. It becomes a scalding hot. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed. This is not a thing, I wanted to happen, but it did. It will make things dangerous, especially after the incident with the lich, but there is no choice. I cannot let, people know, I have a witch. It might make me find out other things about my legacy, that I couldn¡¯t afford. I know very well. What would happen if the truth about my legacy came out. I took out a charm and looked at it. It is a beautiful charm, with precious gems, roots, and flowers. Though, the one thing that made it beautiful, is the translucent light around it. This is a prison charm, and it contains the soul of Necromancer Jenna. Unlike normal mages or necromancers. Her soul wasn¡¯t going to the divine but to the undead kingdom. She had a backup plan to turn into a lich, in case of her death. If that had happened. She would have told them about me having a witch, that I wouldn¡¯t want to happen. Though, with her failing, it would attract the attention of the undead kingdom, especially after the incident with Lich. Let¡¯s hope, they considered it a normal failure. Seeing, there is less than a 50% chance of the soul returning to become a lich. ¡°Jon, take this and go to the city. You have less than a minute to reach the walls of the city,¡± I said as I handed him the charm. ¡°What about you?¡± he asked. ¡°It is more important,¡± I replied, and he looked into my eyes, before taking the charm. The charm needs to be within the city¡¯s gates as soon as possible. Once it does, Caena will sense it and collect the soul before dealing with it. Rip! The next moment, a ripping sound rang as Jon cleaved the dome in two with his dagger and moved out, but nobody saw it; he had turned himself invisible right after. People looked at me and the decapitated body of the Necromancer Jenna. They are shocked, especially the enemies. They looked for a second before they retreated into the undead, while my company moved toward me, surrounding me from all sides. For more chapters. Tap On Below.Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 381: Undead Retreat Chapter 381: Undead Retreat ¡°They are really retreating,¡± said the man beside me, looking at the receding horde. They are retreating and like many, I had a hard time believing it. When I had seen the horde; I was pretty sure, that I would die in it, but Stone that bastard, had pulled a victory out of it. We are still careful with the company keeping me in the center. The priest in the company healing the injuries of people; everyone is injured, but he is focusing on the ones, who are most injured. The worse injuries belong to the albino orc, like last time; he had heavily injured himself and even then, standing tall, ready to deal with any attack that came at us. If not for those big cuts and body pale as paper, nobody would have guessed he was standing. I am dead tired and wanted nothing, more than to sit down, but I didn¡¯t. Instead, I remained standing with my back straight. It is necessary for my men to see me calm and resolute, and posture plays a big part in that. Finally, the horde had left us, and many companies and squads began to merge together. While the gates opened, people came with stretchers and healers and began to take back those who needed immediate medical attention. There are a lot of dead among the thousands of bodies of undead, but they didn¡¯t touch them. The dead will be moved soon. They will need to move before tomorrow night or they will rise up. There is heavy death energy with all these undead; it is enough to make thousands of dead rises. I looked up and it was still night. It will be a little more than an hour before dawn. The battle had lasted for only one and a half hours. It was short and intense and killed a lot of people. It was a regret, that these people didn¡¯t even receive complete training before we made them fight the battle. It will be another big funeral. Still, they were brave soul. It is due to their sacrifice, that city and people are safe. I turned to the horde, every second, it was getting further and further away from us. Making me, more and more relieved. Still, there is a fear in my heart, that it might come back; it wouldn¡¯t be strange for it to do that. ¡°My lord,¡± Stone greeted as appeared by me. ¡°How are things?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. We have come out better than we had expected. The enemy had suffered a loss big enough that they won¡¯t be coming back soon,¡± he replied, and a frown appeared on my face. ¡°Why? I think the next twenty-four hours is the best chance for them to come at us?¡± I asked, to which he shook his head. ¡°They will not come,¡± he replied, sounding quite confident. ¡°They have failed miserably. If they came back within a day, we will be ready to deal with them, with many of our powerhouses advancing in this battle,¡± ¡°Unless, of course; they bring out an even bigger horde and just release it at us,¡± he added, and my expression turned serious because they had done that, many times. The big horde is unlikely, the forces of the undead are tied up. We might have finished our battle quickly, but the battle at Port Midlet and Deerpond is still in full swing. However, I am more worried about what is happening at the Gailhorn. The third port city of the region. A small undead ship had suddenly appeared there an hour ago, and a few minutes after that, the city fell silent. There was no response from it; all the Shaun¡¯s messages were repelled. ¡°What do you think, happening at Gailhorn?¡± I asked, and his expression turned serious. He didn¡¯t answer for a couple of seconds, before opening his mouth. ¡°If I am not wrong, by morning, we will receive information that Gailhorn had signed some type of agreement with the undead kingdom.¡± He replied, surprising me. While I kept my face impassive, many behind me smiled and waved. Some even kissed the hands of the woman who offered. Soon, the army reached the city hall, and I rode inside with some men, while Stone, took the rest of the army back to the barracks. The people will need to be checked by doctors and healers, and their injuries dealt with, before putting them to sleep. Sleep is very important, not only for the rest but also for the level-up. Thud! I dismounted from my horse and turned to the two women in front of me. ¡°Both of you did a wonderful job, with the arrangements,¡± I said to them. The parade was their responsibility, and they did an excellent job. ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± they said. I smiled and walked inside. I didn¡¯t immediately go to my office, but the suite I have in the city hall. Click! As the door closed. I sat down; I wanted to sleep on the couch as I did, but I controlled myself and instead just closed my eyes. The images of the battle flashed in front of me. I got used to them seeing in my nightmares, but still, they affect me. A few minutes later, I got up and walked into the bathroom, before activating the Cleaning. Immediately, all the wet and dried blood, along with pieces of skin and bones, stuck to me came down like a tide. I opened the tap and let wash into the drain, while I removed my clothes, which was a struggle. My injuries hadn''t healed and every movement I made sent a spike of pain through my body. I should have used maids. It is common in many in my position to do that, but I am a little uncomfortable with it and even called prude by Carla. Finally, after much struggle, I removed my clothes and showered. It was another pain-filled experience, but by the time, I finished, I felt much fresher and a lot calmer. I changed into simple clothes, walked out of my suite, and entered my office, where Zela was waiting for me. ¡°What is the update?¡± I asked as I took my seat. ¡°The battles are still ongoing at Port Midlet and Deerpond.¡± ¡°The merchant state had informed us that we should expect the change in leadership at Gailhorn by the morning,¡± she replied. It is the same as earlier; the only surprising thing is the change in leadership. I didn¡¯t like the lord of the Gailhorn much, but he was the man, I could work with. I don¡¯t know who the next leader will be and how he will be, but it is likely someone the Vris¡¯alud chose. I am worried about the relationship with the Gailhorn. Before the undead invaded. We had a good amount of trade with the Gailhorn, but in the past month and a half, there was barely any trade. I had talked to the Lord of Gailhorn about it and planning on sending the delegation. We were supposed to talk tomorrow about it, but it seemed like with things changing, it won¡¯t be possible. I really wish Gailhorn hadn''t fallen. With it, they now control half of the region, more like a few days, if I exclude Gailhorn. It is a big deal considering the size of the region is comparable to a small kingdom and undead control effectively half of that. They might control more in a few hours if they win any battle. I really hope not. Especially not Deerpond. The river is the only stable trade route I have left; I want nothing to happen to it. For more chapters. Tap On Below. Chapter 382: Victory Chapter 382: Victory Sin Lord 382 Victory Ashton Harbor Thud! The man hits the table hard with his hand, shaking everything that was on it, scaring the man in front of him, which he liked. Though he is feeling too angry to feel any joy from it for more than a moment. The retreat had already made him angry, but now, seeing the list of casualties, the anger in his eyes blazed again. ¡°Twenty-one Pre-Level 20, thirteen Level 30, including five necromancers and nearly a hundred thousand undead. We have lost so much and didn¡¯t even attain the victory!¡± said the man with the staff. ¡°It is terrible. Wayne had messed up dearly,¡± said the armored man sitting in front of him. ¡°Do you want me to send him back to the island for the punishment?¡± he asked a moment later, but the man with the staff shook his head. ¡°No.¡± said the man with the staff. ¡°He deserves to be punished for this failure,¡± said the armored man. ¡°He will be and the punishment. I have something in my mind for him that will be worse than anything he would get on the island,¡± replied the man with a staff. The armored man wanted to ask him about it, but didn¡¯t. He will know when it happens. ¡°How are the things in Gailhorn?¡± asked the man with the staff. ¡°Very good. Our preparations were thorough; there was no resistance. Our man will declare himself as the lord of Gailhorn in a few hours and will start on our orders immediately,¡± replied the armored man. ¡°And the two battles?¡± he asked, and the armored man¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°There is a greater resistance than we had thought, but I believe our forces will prevail,¡± replied, the armored man. ¡°Keep me updated,¡± said the man with a staff. ... Owlspring ¡°Well, it is surprising,¡± said the lord of Owlspring. Looking at the report in his hand. ¡°Yes, our men didn¡¯t have to move to aid them,¡± replied the man sitting in front of him. They couldn¡¯t let the Greltheaven or any city on the river fall into the hands of the undead.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com It is the trade route they require and while the undead had promised them, they wouldn¡¯t impede the trade with the empire, but undead are not to be believed. They would prefer to have the people they could control. The conflict in empire had provided great provided a great opportunity to his city and he will be damned. If he lets anyone, mess with that. The leadership had given him, complete freedom to act as he pleased. He had used that authority giving them aid and weapons and keeping his men close to step in if they couldn¡¯t deal with the problem. He read the whole report, before writing a few names down. ¡°Triple the offer; I want them with our city,¡± he said, pushing the note toward the man in front of him. There are a couple of names on the list, with the first being Thaddaeus Stone. ¡°It will be done, my lord,¡± said the man and bowed as he took the list. ¡°What is the progress of the other battles?¡± he asked after a second of silence. ¡°It is hard to say, but our men are ready in Deerpond to assist, if they need any help,¡± replied the man. They care about the Deerpond, not much about Port Midlet. They only kept their scouts there, not men to aid. Those privileges are only for Greltheaven, Deerpond, and Riverbell. .... ¡°My lord,¡± ¡°There is a person in a hidden city of Nova Alyra, that wants to look at the emotion slate of establishment before deciding whether to sell us the plants,¡± I said to Bell as we walked toward the sisters at a distance. ¡°Hidden City has one of the best magical knowledge and goods on the entire continent. If they are willing to trade with you, and the price isn''t big, then you should do it,¡± she replied. I had already made a decision before asking her opinion. Her answer just enforced that. Soon, I reached the sisters, who were talking about the group of people but quickly excused them after seeing me coming. ¡°Congratulations on your victory, Lord Silver,¡± said Lady Blackwell. It is not a victory; the enemy just retreated. ¡°Thank you, Lady Blackwell,¡± I thanked. It is technically a victory, and I should accept, lest I sound like a humble brag. ¡°You have started the work early,¡± I said, looking around. ¡°We decided, is better to keep people busy with work, than their thoughts,¡± replied Miss Ulaxasys. ¡°Which is wise,¡± I said. I wouldn¡¯t want people to leave with their thoughts alone. It is a recipe for disaster. Keeping them busy will keep them away from their thoughts; it will make fewer people leave the city. We are already running on a tight schedule, and I don¡¯t want anything to delay it. I talked to them for a few minutes, before putting my hand in the bag and taking out a small box. ¡°This is the emotion slate of the establishment. Please send it to your contact in Nova Elyra,¡± I said, and the eyes of the sisters lit up in excitement. ¡°I will do that, immediately,¡± said Miss Ulaxasys. She is too happy; it seems like, their contact in the Nova Elyra is big enough to make her act like a teenage girl. I watched her leave and turned to the elder sister. ¡°Lord Ignatius would like you to be in Amberhold as soon as possible,¡± I said, and the woman smiled. ¡°He worries too much,¡± she said, waving her hand. She didn¡¯t have any intention of leaving, which made me relieved. If her people saw her leave, many would have left as well; it is the last thing, I want to happen. A few minutes later, I finished my business with her and walked toward Edmore. He had also joined the battle; he was on the wall, fighting alongside Colonel Cardin. They, too, had quite a battle. They had destroyed every undead who came for the wall, not letting even a single one pass through. The damage to the wall is also limited; it is less last time. This is good; the wall is damn expensive to fix as it is not just the wall, but also wards; they are what cost the most money. It had been three hours since the battle was over, and he was here. He hasn¡¯t slept; more focused on work than anything. An hour later, I was in my carriage again, which moved toward the barracks. It was an hour and a half more when the carriage finally stopped in front of the mansion. I got out and wanted to go to the suite directly, but went to the kitchen and ate something light. It is not good to sleep on a hungry stomach. It messes up the sleep. Click! ¡°Don¡¯t wake me up, unless it is something important,¡± I said to my guards as I entered the suite. A minute later; I was in my bed, sleeping. Praying that I wouldn¡¯t be woken up by any bad news. I had enough of them and don¡¯t want any more for a week or two. For more chapters. Tap On Below. Chapter 383: Valorous Lord Chapter 383: Valorous LordElder Blood Commander Lv. 32 Elder Blood Commander Lv. 33 ... Class Gained: Soldier Soldier Lv. 1 Soldier Lv. 2 Soldier Lv. 3 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} ... Ax Warrior Lv. 27 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Soldier Lv. 7 Soldier Lv. 8 Soldier Lv. 9 {Skill Gained: ...} . . . Bladebound Officer Lv.31 Bladebound Officer Lv. 32 ... Mystic Shaman Lv. 34 {Class Gained: ...} ... Fire Breather Lv. 10 {Skill Gained: Long Breath} {Conditions Met: Drunkard + Fire Breather- Blaze Imbiber} Blaze Imbiber Lv. 13 Blaze Imbiber Lv. 14 {Skill Gained: Minor Fire Resistance} {Skill Change: Stored Sip ¨C Stored Gulps} {Skill Change: Liquor Fragrance ¨C Intoxicating Fragrance} Class Gained: Warrior Warrior Lv. 1 Warrior Lv. 2 Warrior Lv. 3 {Skill Gained: Heavy Strike} {Skill Gained: Parry} When I opened my eyes. I saw a long list of words in front of me. Seeing them, a big smile appeared on my face. What I had wished had happened. My Classes Drunkard and Fire Breather had merged, giving me Blaze Imbiber. I also got new skills and many of my old skills upgraded. I had wanted, Long Breath for months. With Power Breath, I would be able to breathe fire for a long distance. The Store Gulps, on the other hand, will help in store more alcohol in me. The Liquor Perfume was an excellent skill, but it was not a skill I liked, while it made the smell of liquor pleasant; it announced that I was a drunkard. It was also a passive skill. I could control it, but couldn¡¯t turn it off. Now, I don¡¯t have to worry about that. It had advanced into an Intoxicating Fragrance and was not a passive skill anymore. I am quite excited about it and want to test it as soon as possible. Though, of all the new and advanced skills. There is one skill, that made me very happy. It is not a rare skill for those who deal with fire, but people usually get it after Lv. 20. Minor Fire Resistance. The last battle proved how important this skill is. I had fought on a crowded battlefield and had been burned with my own fire. This skill would help me tremendously in dealing with that. I looked at the new class I had got. Warrior. It is an essential class for me to survive on the battlefield. Fire breathing alone is far from enough. I need to fight with weapons and be good at it. The class and those two skills will help me a lot with that. There is an attribute; I wanted to use it immediately, but I kept it. I need to be very careful with the attributes; I had left the path of madam to peruse the other path, but August Madam is my primary class. It won¡¯t level up as fast as before. That means I will need to think about deeply, where I would put each of my attribute points. ¡°Looking at your face; it seemed like, you got a good level-up,¡± said the familiar voice. I turned and saw Cath sitting beside my bed, in the hospital. I have been heavily injured; those explosions hit me pretty hard. It is a miracle that I had survived, with so many bone shards piercing me. ¡°It is a good level-up,¡± I replied. She smiled, but a moment later, her eyes became worried. ¡°I really wish, you wouldn¡¯t do this. You had nearly died,¡± she said, before sighing, ¡°But I can tell, it is something you truly want. I just hope you will be more careful with your life,¡± she said, pressing her hand into mine. ¡°I will,¡± I said to my friend. I did not lie. I will be careful, but it is also a truth that, I will return to this place many times. Sometimes, in a worse condition, than I had earlier. It is scary to think about it, but I will not leave the path. It is what I had chosen, and I will walk on it till the end. ... {Conditions Met: Valorous Governor ¨C Valorous Lord} Valorous Lord Lv. 20 Valorous Lord Lv. 21 {Skill Gained: Laws of My Land} {Skill Change: Persuasive ¨C Silver Tongue} {Skill Change: Lords Mood¡ªMood of the Subjects} {Skill Change: Underhand Dealings ¨C Artistic Dealings} {Skill Change: Governors Presence ¨C Lords Presence} {Skill Changed: Weighted Strike¡ªMauling Strike} ¡°It had happened,¡± I said, looking for the advancement of the governor¡¯s class into the lord class. A true ruling class. The governor is a semi-ruling class, not a true ruling class like the lord is. My lord class is more powerful than the common lord class. It is a Valorous Lord, not a common lord class that Lancel has. It is a class that many desire, but a few have it. I have got the class, and even attributes since it had regressed in level. Though, what I am excited about are the skills. With lord class, the power of my skills has increased by a lot. Many had even upgraded. Persuasive becomes Silver Tongue, which is a passive skill. Far more valuable, than active Persuasive. As persuasion couldn¡¯t be used in all settings; it is considered rude to use it outside of a specific setting. I will not have such restrictions on the Silver Tongue. It is a passive skill; it will always be running. Nobody would find a fault in that. The Lord''s Mood had a reversal. It had changed into Mood of the Subjects; it is a rare skill among the Lord Class and a tremendous help to someone like me. I am quite excited about using it. The Underhand Dealings had turned into Artistic Dealings. It is more suitable for my current position. The Governor''s Presence had turned into the Lord''s Presence. It is a skill, that many Lords desire. It is the stamp of their authority, as this skill suppresses the lower-level classes actively. They aren¡¯t called ruling classes for nothing. The Weighed Strike is the only combat skill that had advanced. It had advanced to Mauling Strike. My expression turned a little strange when I looked at the skills. Usually, this skill is obtained by mercenaries or crime-related classes, like gang members or some. I hadn''t heard any lord getting it, but then again, no lord in the right mind would advertise having such skill. The last skill is the Laws of My Land. I sigh heavily when I look at this skill. It is a very powerful skill. Very rare among the ruling classes. Even when one gets this skill; they are usually at Lv. 30 or even at Lv. 40. It is not a powerful skill in a direct sense. It works more subtly, but its effects are big. For me, it is a perfect skill, seeing I want to shape the city culturally and economically. The laws will play a big part in that. My city is small with people lower level than the big cities. This skill will help tremendously, and its effects will become stronger and benefit greater as the city progress and prosper. As for what the skill does. It binds the citizens to laws; it creates a faint compulsion for people to follow them. It will help massively to enforce the changes I am making in the constitution. I turned to the attribute point. I wanted to use it desperately on the strength, but I put it on the charm, taking it to nineteen. I closed my eyes to feel its effects before opening them. Both the Dealer of Desire and the Valorous Lord deviate heavily toward charm. I need it as strong as possible because there are a lot of political challenges ahead and higher points in charm make my skills more powerful. Class Dealer of Desire Lv. 26 [Master of Legacy] Valorous Lord Lv. 21 Trainer Lv. 08 Charisma 19 Intelligence 15 Vitality 16 Strength 16 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Instinct ¡¤ Solid Contract ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Consecutive Strikes ¡¤ Copy Skill - Focus ¡¤ Telepathic Call ¡¤ Energizing Essence ¡¤ Gymnasts Control ¡¤ Lord''s Presence ¡¤ March Of The Braves ¡¤ Laws of My Land Legacy Demesne of Desire II Skills ¡¤ Master of Legacy ¡¤ Laws of Legacy ¡¤ Share Authority (5) ¡¤ Vault of Ru ¡¤ Demesne Expansion Attribute Points 0 I looked at the window for a while before closing it and getting off the bed. It is a late afternoon. I had slept for six hours; it was a good sleep without any nightmares. I feel rested. The injuries still ache, much less than before. Now, that my class had advanced. My injuries would also heal faster; the ruling class has much greater attribute weight than the other classes, making it powerful. It is why; I had faintly stumbled walking out of the bed. I didn¡¯t immediately go to the bathroom to freshen up. Instead, I stretched to get control over the new strength before walking into the bathroom. Click! Ten minutes later, I walked out of my room and saw Shaun sitting on a sofa alone. There is Jon, but he is invisible, and more guards outside of the door. ¡°Any news?¡± I asked. A surprise appeared in his eyes before he quickly controlled himself. ¡°Yes, many.¡± He replied. ¡°The old lord of Gailhorn had resigned; the new lord is Cleon Daphis,¡± he informed. Stone was right; they had changed the leadership. Cleon Daphis was the commander of the Gailhorn and, a veteran of the imperial army. He had participated in many wars, but now, he had allied with the undead. I am not angry at him. I am sure, he must have thought about it before switching allegiance. I am just glad, that his city¡¯s spared. If the undead had attacked it and conquered it, hundreds of thousands would have died. ¡°There is a message from him. He likes to talk to you,¡± he said. ¡°Did he inform about what?¡± I asked, to which he nodded. ¡°Yes, he said, it is about the subject. You were planning to talk to the previous lord,¡± he replied. It surprised me, but it also made me happy. ¡°Congratulate him in his new position and tell him, I am more willing to talk to him,¡± I replied. It is bad that he got allied with the undead, but there are some benefits that might come out of it and my city desperately needs all the benefits I can get. ¡°What is happening with the battles at Deerpond and Port Midlet?¡± I asked. When I slept, the battle was still being fought. I hope nothing bad happened, especially to the Deerpond. The river route is the lifeblood of the city. If something happens to it; the city will starve to death. Hopefully, nothing bad should have happened, otherwise he would have woken me up. ¡°The undead retreated from the Port Midlet, while the battle was still being fought at the Deerpond,¡± he replied, and I felt relieved. I opened my mouth to ask for further details on that when I saw him open his mouth again. ¡°The Lord of Port Midlet is said to be killed by the assassins. Taren Zanav had declared himself as the new lord of Port Midlet,¡± he informed. ¡°Bastard!¡± I cursed. I wanted the bastard to die, but he is thriving. I hate to admit it, but the bastard is good. The last time, the undead had failed to capture the Port Midlet was solely because of his efforts. Now, the lord of Port Midlet died. Killed by an assassin. If someone told me, he had some hand on it; I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. ¡°They are saying it is undead, who did it right?¡± I asked, and he nodded. It might be true, but it could also be false. ¡°Congratulate him on his ascension,¡± I said. A surprise flashed in Shaun¡¯s eyes, but he nodded. I hate the bastard, but civility is necessary, now that he becomes lord of Port Midlet. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 384: Training Chapter 384: Training Click! I passed through the door and entered the indoor training space. It is big, with several sparring rings, big weapon racks, and other training instruments. I had been here a few times with Lancel. It was funny to see the people fawning over him, taking hits and even losing intentionally. I didn¡¯t blame them, I myself did the same when he asked me for a spar. Lancel was a sour loser. He used to get angry when lost. I am here today because I am going to resume training. It will be the first time since the first battle. I have been trying to find time for training but have been extremely busy. Even now, I am, but that is no excuse. I need to be in shape and trained to face any challenges that would come to me. The last enemy I had fought had been very strong. If not for the retreat, he would have defeated me. I don¡¯t want to face such circumstances again. I didn¡¯t start immediately. Instead, I went to the center of the practice ring and started with the yoga. Hun! Within a minute, I was surprised. I shouldn¡¯t have been, but I am. It felt easy, too easy. The Gymnast Grace had already made it easy and now with Gymnasts Control, it had become easier. I stopped, took a deep breath, and concentrated on the skills. I breathed out slowly while doing that, I lessened the power of the skills. It is hard with the passive skill, but I have been focusing on learning to control my passive skills. Especially in the past three weeks, since I had got the Silver Tongue and Lord''s Presence. Those skills are very good and have a powerful effect, but there is a problem. Trustful Presence from the Dealer of Desire. The two skills work well together, but many times messes things up when I want to intimidate the person. I want them to fear me, but it is hard to achieve that when a Trustful Presence makes them feel peaceful in my presence. Trustful Presence is a skill that has grown powerful with the constant advancement of my primacy class. Currently, it is as powerful as the Lord''s Presence. More, seeing a Dealer of Desire is at a higher level than a Valorous Lord. I want the message to be clear, not confuse people with mixed signals. It made me refocus on passive skills again. I have been spending considerable time learning to control them. My focus had been on mind-attributed skills, not the physical ones, but control is control. If I can control one. I would be able to control others, not nearly as well, but still with sufficient mastery. By the time, I had exhaled, the power of both of the skills halved by nearly half. Which is good. It is not as good as some girls, I know, who could reduce the power of their passive skills to 20%. Margaux and Lola could do it to 10%. A master could control it to 1%. I have one person, who had such precise control. She had been training me and it was because of her that I have been able to make such fast progress. Though, it would take me years or decades of constant practice to reach close to her mastery. Once again, I began the yoga, and this time, things are much better. To make it more challenging; I had gone for the harder positions. Some, I had never thought, I could do in my life.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com Thud! I fell, nearly spraying my wrist. I had underestimated the difficulty of the positions too much. It didn¡¯t disappoint me. Instead, there was a smile on my face. I would have been disappointed if I had achieved it easily. I stood up and tried again, but fell down once again and got up a second later to try again. I kept failing over and over, but I kept trying again and again. Nearly an hour passed, and I hadn''t succeeded at all. ¡®Let¡¯s see what happened, with the full power of the skills,¡¯ I thought and let the control over the skills go. The Gymnasts Grace and Gymnasts control came back at full power, and I tried again. Thud! I lasted a few seconds longer before falling down once again. Hun! I walked out of the ring, only to see the children standing not far away from the ring. They didn¡¯t have their nanny with them; she was likely waiting outside. I had restricted this area when I was practicing. Only those very trusted could come in. ¡°When you do you come?¡± I asked them as I walked out of the ring. ¡°Not long ago,¡± replied the boy. It had been over a month since they came, but the slight awkwardness had remained between us. It is disappearing slowly, but it will take time. ¡°Do you like it?¡± I asked, and the boy nodded. ¡°I will arrange the trainers for you,¡± I said, and his expressionless face cracked as joy appeared on his face. Seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. ¡°Did you train before?¡± I asked, and the boy nodded again. ¡°Yes, Mom had taught me a few things,¡± he replied, and I smiled. She had trained me, since I was a child till the day she left. After that, it was trainers that father had hired. ¡°And you, Josie, do you want to train too?¡± I asked the little girl. ¡°I don¡¯t like, fighting,¡± she replied. I was surprised at such a blunt answer from a child. ¡°Mom tried to teach her, but she didn¡¯t have any interest in it,¡± he said. Lovingly riffling her hair, for which she glared at him. They may act perfectly, but they have their differences, which is normal for siblings. I was a little worried when I saw how perfectly they acted around each other. Siblings should have differences and rivalries. Love alone isn¡¯t enough for a healthy relationship. ¡°That¡¯s fine, too. You need to focus on your studies,¡± I said to the child, before walking out of the training hall. As I had expected, their nanny was waiting outside for them. Soon, I went back to my suite, removed my sweaty clothes, and showered. I didn¡¯t apply numbing cream; it is still hurting, but not as much as before. In an hour, every pain will be gone on its own. Fifteen minutes later, I finished with a shower and stepped out of it, and changed into a suit, before walking out. When I entered the kitchen, Carla and the children were waiting for me at the breakfast table, as always. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said and took the seat and soon the staff served us breakfast. ¡°Have you made all the preparations?¡± I asked, ¡°Yes, I have triple-checked everything,¡± she said, sounding faintly nervous. She is usually not nervous, but the place she is going to isn¡¯t normal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will not meet any elders,¡± I said. ¡°Even if you meet them, you won¡¯t be able to recognize them; those who came out of the hidden city are capable of casting a glamor to hide their features,¡± I added, and she smiled nervously. She is going to Nova Elyra with Lady Blackwell and Miss Ulaxasys for the business. Plants to exact. She will not go to the hidden city. That place is restricted, but Yaris. One of four cities of Nova Elyra. Of all the states of merchant states, Nova Elyra had the least population. It only had four cities. It is also a restricted state; even the citizens of merchant states would need permission to enter it or rather enter its cities. Anyone could travel through the river route. Docking the ship is an entirely different question. ¡°I had read about that place when I was a child. I had a book, which had a story about it. My mother used to say, that one day, we will visit this place when we travel the world,¡± she said, with tears dripping from her eyes. She had told me, a few things about her mother. One of which was that she wanted to travel the world. ¡°You will be fulfilling her dream by visiting,¡± I said, taking her hand in mine and pressed it gently. She nodded and wiped her tears. ¡°These are happy tears,¡± she said to the children, seeing them looking at her worriedly. ¡°I will miss you, Carla,¡± said Josie. ¡°I will miss you too, dear,¡± she replied and kissed the cheek of the little girl. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 385: New Job Chapter 385: New Job Step! I stepped out of the carriage and walked into the city hall with the Lord''s Presence while keeping the Trustful Presence down as much as possible. The people turned toward me, feeling my presence, and bowed. I have to say, the respect and prestige of it is a little addicting. No wonder the lords desire this skill so desperately. Click! ¡°Master Silver, your nine-thirty appointment is waiting inside,¡± informed Jill. ¡°Thank you, Jill,¡± I said and walked into my office. Ina is already there, along with the appointment. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± greeted the handsome man. ¡°Locke,¡± I said as he sat in my seat and looked at my friend, who did not seem happy to see me. ¡°What can I help you, my lord?¡± He asked, there was a faint bit of anger in there. He tried to meet several times in the past week, but I didn¡¯t give him any time. I knew what it was about and didn¡¯t want to deal with that before it was time. Today is the time. ¡°I want you to resign from your job, Locke,¡± I said to him, and could see a surprise appearing in his eyes before the hurt took over. I didn¡¯t have to tell him, what job I was talking about. It is the job of the vice Guildmaster. There is going to be a meeting at twelve in the merchant guild, where the guild leader will ask the whole council to resign. The guild leader will also resign from the merchant guild, along with vice-guild masters, deacons, and leaders of sub-guilds. Tomorrow, the new appointments will be made. Many are going to lose their job, some will be demoted, some will be promoted, and a few will be reappointed back to their position. I was going to do this in the week of the second battle, but the undead attacked and things got delayed. ¡°I really like my job,¡± he said softly, after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I know,¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°Am I now good enough for the guild?¡± he asked. I could see the hurt in his eyes and the accusation of betrayal. It pained me to see it, but it needs to be done; I need him somewhere else. ¡°You are, but I have a different position that, I think will be more suitable for you,¡± I said, and a surprise appeared in his eyes and then curiosity. ¡°Which is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Education. I want you to head it,¡± I replied, and his expression turned strange, and anger flashed in his. He opened his mouth immediately to say something, but closed it, before opening it again a moment later with a much calmer emotion. ¡°Apologies, my lord, but I am incapable of handling such a massive responsibility,¡± he replied, with clear sarcasm and anger. He felt disrespected, anyone in his place would feel the same. I mean, what is education? Most cities didn¡¯t have that department at all. It is the church''s responsibility to teach the children. The state only takes responsibility for education after they reach fourteen when they can be admitted into academies and less than 1% of people go to the academy. There are only a few countries that focus on education. Merchant States, are one of them, but I plan to go above them. I smiled and pushed a file toward him. ¡°At least read it before making up your mind,¡± I said. He didn¡¯t touch the file or even look at it. Instead, he kept looking at me. He was angry and considered this as a pity job, I am giving him, after taking ¡°That means hiring a hundred teachers and other staff. Buying all the furniture and the tools that are required, informing the parents about it, and other things. It is too much to do in a month,¡± he said, and I smiled. The buildings are nearly done, and I have done some work, but still much has remained. He had to achieve that in a month. ¡°I am confident, you will be able to do it,¡± I said. It is a big responsibility, but if anyone could do it, then it would be him. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he replied grumpily, but I could see, the faint excitement in his eyes. He already likes the job. ¡°I had prepared a space for your department in the city hall, including an office for you,¡± I informed. The education department needs its own dedicated place, but currently; I am trying to save every penny, I could and not spend any money on things that could be managed. Ten minutes later, he walked out of the office, and I went back to my work. The next couple of days are important. Tomorrow, the police will shift into their new headquarters and start to work in a way, that I had been training them for the past one and half months. All the new recruits and the old ones were being trained in a certain way. I had even taken help from the old woman to give them the etiquette training, along with a few other types. I want the city to prosper. The professional and approachable police will play a big part in that. ¡°Any message from Robin?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, he said, negotiations are going well,¡± she replied, and the relief flooded into my heart. He had gone to a merchant state for the aid. They have given us aid, but we want more. I don¡¯t like it, but I need it and am grateful for it. If it wasn¡¯t for the aid from the merchant state, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to recruit enough people for the second battle and buy the mines other armaments, and strategic resources for the battle. Every day the city is growing, and more people are returning. It is nothing compared to its peak, but it is happening. The activity was picking up, first, it was construction, but now the other business also slowly rising, creating jobs and attracting more people. Those who are coming to the city know, that things are dangerous, but they have no choice. Seeing the empire isn¡¯t in the best state right now. The civil war is spreading, and our enemies are also making progress. Making many people leave their homes. Most of them escaped toward the Namdar. Currently, it is the safest place in the whole empire. Everywhere in the empire, the prices of real estate are shrinking, but in Namdar are skyrocketing. The house of silver is raking in cash up there. Gerald had made a huge real estate investment; it was a risky bet, that if he had failed, would have cost him, his future as the successor. He succeeded, and the bed instead cemented his position further. If the undead hadn''t invaded, a good share of those people would have come to the Greltheaven, not only the peasants and poor but also the rich ones. We would have been further away from the conflict, but still in empire. It is also the place with legacy and a few hours away from merchant state; where they could run, if conflict arrived in the region. The undead had messed it all up. Still, I have not given up on those people, and they will come, but to bring them, I will need to make the city attractive and there are two things, that will do that. Security and legacy. They need to feel the city is safe. We have won the two battles, but it is not enough. We need to do something more and I already have a plan for that. It is Stone¡¯s plan and overambitious, to say the least, but if we are able to achieve that. My god, the changes will happen. The legacy will bring even bigger changes. The amount of loans is increasing every day. Going far beyond the initial budget. Though, I am not scared of it. I know, I am on the right path, and I will succeed. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 386: Merchant Guild Chapter 386: Merchant Guild Ina The guards bowed and opened the door to the merchant guild for me. I nodded at them and strode inside with my heels clicking loudly across the floor. I don¡¯t like wearing heels; the pain and uncomfortableness are too much, but I still wear them every day. I know what I am, and it will never change. Nor I am trying to change that; it may be dark, but it is what made me who I am today, and I am using what I had learned there. Beauty is a privilege. It makes a lot of things easy, and I used it every day to get things done like I did for the decades in the brothel. The merchant guild was filled with people, and I could see them looking at me. They are aware, of what I am here for today. Many nodded at me, but I could also hear their whispers calling me harlot and silver¡¯s whore behind my back. I got used to them a long ago, but they are still a little every time I hear them. Yesterday, the whole guild resigned to the order of Master Silver. Today, the new members will be chosen. Hundreds have lobbied for the positions; some were powerful and connected. It took us longer than we had anticipated, but we had chosen the members. As Master Silver said, the new merchant guild will be lean and mean. Its members have been cut in half, but it is good. Now, all the members will be able to focus on the job better, without interference from others. We have also cut many of the guilds'' powers. According to Master Silver, the merchant guild doesn¡¯t need those powers. They make the guild sluggish and inefficient. I didn¡¯t accept it till he showed me the actual proof and I understood, how bad the condition of the merchant guild was. It is not just the merchant guild of the Greltheaven, but also the most merchant guild in the empire. Only a few merchant guilds, like the merchant guild of Namdar, work efficiently. Soon, I reached the conference room. There is no one aside from the two guards at the door. The conference room is empty, aside from the old man. Mr. Oakley, the legal head of the merchant guild. ¡°I have prepared the contracts,¡± he said and looked at the contract in front of each chair, which had the name of the people sitting at the table and the position they would be holding.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com We have already sent them their new appointment letters and asked them to keep it silent until this meeting is over. I picked up the contract and began to read it. The old man is trustworthy, but there is no harm in double-checking things. I especially check the clauses that could mess things up. A few minutes passed, and I checked a few more contracts, before walking out of the conference room to check a few other things. Half an hour later, I returned and waited. Click! I didn¡¯t have to wait for long. The door opened, and the first person who came out was the old man. He was smiling when he came and the smile on his face became even bigger when he saw his name on the head chair. He had his eye on the chair since the merchant guild opened and in the past two months, he had sat on it as the interim head, but today the position became permanent. Soren Arryn is the head of the merchant guild from today. ¡°Adviser,¡± he greeted, ¡°Guild-master Soren,¡± I replied. He smiled and walked toward his head; he looked at the names on the table and his expression couldn¡¯t help, but change. He may have heard the rumors, but still, the man didn¡¯t expect them to come true. He had just sat down when the door opened, and another man came out. He is a short bald man in his late fifteen and when he saw his name with the vice-guildmaster below it, tears started to flow out of his eyes. It makes people see me more attractive and receptive to me. It doesn¡¯t suppress, like this new skill of Master Silver. I will never get it. It is a ruling class skill. ¡°Everyone, congratulations on your new positions,¡± he congratulated. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Lord Silver,¡± said Soren Arryn and others in unison. ¡°The merchant guild is now, smaller than before and it is not because of us losing a quarter of the population,¡± he said, drawing the laughs. ¡°It is because the old merchant guild was fat, with many responsibilities it could not handle. The merchant guild now is leaner, with focus responsibilities and people who are capable of achieving them,¡± ¡°I am confident in all of you. I know you will handle your responsibilities, exemplarily.¡± Many nodded with the smile on their faces. Especially the new faces, the ones who never thought, they would sit here one day. Every one of them is capable and has something to offer. If they were not, we wouldn¡¯t have chosen them despite the massive lobbying they have done. ¡°I will not say much, other than wishing you all good luck.¡± ¡°I am sure, under the leadership of the guild leader, you all will do well and help the city, its people, and your fellow merchants reach the height of prosperity, they have never seen before,¡± he finished, and people applauded. ¡°We will not disappoint you, my lord,¡± said Soren Arryn, and Master Silver smiled, but his skill became stronger. ¡°I know, you will, Guildmaster Arryn,¡± he replied before the power of the skill went back to what it was. He didn¡¯t talk about a single word of the consequence of failing, but with that skill, he told them, there would be. The city is in dire condition, and everybody needs to do their best to move it forward. We will accept mistakes, but they will need to learn from the mistakes they make. Those who do not will find that cushy position gone. He didn¡¯t stay any further and walked out with his guards following behind them. It is a busy day for him. He is inaugurating the new police headquarters and a couple of police stations today. There are also several meetings with people coming from merchant state. The door closed, and I sat in his seat, before turning to the merchants. ¡°Lord Silver is giving you complete freedom to do your job. That we will not select, who will do what job. It will be the responsibility of the guild master,¡± I said, and a surprise flashed in the eyes of many. Though joy had lit up on the face of Soren Arryn. Some powers may have taken away from the merchant guild, but in exchange, they got the freedom. It was not the case before; the lord and the advisers used to decide on everything. It used to depend on lobbying and connections, which is one reason why the wrong people were responsible for the wrong things and small business representatives were just figureheads without any responsibility. ¡°Though we will provide some guidance,¡± I added and opened the file in front of me. Half an hour later, the meeting ended, and everyone left except for the guild master. ¡°Please thank the Lord Silver for giving me this responsibility. I will not disappoint him,¡± said the old man. ¡°Lord Silver knows that already, Guild master. It is why, you were chosen,¡± I replied, and he smiled. ¡°Though he did want me to tell you something,¡± I added. ¡°I am willing to follow any order, my lord has,¡± he said. To that, I shook my head. ¡°It is not an order guild master, just a suggestion,¡± ¡°He wants you to distribute the responsibilities on them based on their capabilities, rather than the gender and the wealth they have,¡± I said. ¡°I understand,¡± he said. I smiled and walked away. I have a busy day today; there are several meetings I need to attend, one with Bishop. I also need to meet Director Locke. He said he needed my help with something. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 387: Silent Chapter 387: Silent ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking. Why did you spend so much on the new headquarters, when our former place would have been more than enough?¡± asked Commissioner Julian as stepped inside the building. We are walking toward the door of a five-story building with a large compound. It is a square-shaped building painted in grey color. It used to be an office building, looking better than it is right, but the police headquarters didn¡¯t need to look good. It needed to look like, it meant business. It is why there is a big stone board with police headquarters carved on it. ¡°It is a symbol and perception commissioner. It is important for people to not only feel safe but also see the city as safe. The police headquarters will help a long way with that,¡± I replied. Click! The guards bowed as we entered inside, where people wearing grey and black uniforms, men, women, orcs, and half orcs. I had hired orcs and half-orcs; they were not from the prisoners, but from new orcs that came to the city. Still, with many people, it looked a little empty, which isn¡¯t surprising. It is built to handle higher numbers than we have. If the city prospered; it won¡¯t take long for it to feel crowded. I checked every floor, till we reached the top floor, where his office was. It has a good view; I could see everything coming and going through the gate. It reminded me of the establishment. I was able to see the people coming and going. It is why, the windows of his office, have the enchantment that gives them a clear view of the ground. ¡°How is the job?¡± I asked as I sat down. ¡°A lot more complex, than I had thought,¡± he replied. ¡°There is a problem every day; the wars may stop, but crimes don¡¯t,¡± he added, with a smile. The job isn¡¯t as easy as he had expected, much harder than his previous job in the army, but the man likes it and doing a great job. ¡°How are the people from Owlspring?¡± I asked, and his expression turned serious. ¡°They are good. It would be great. If some of our people were able to gain those classes in a year,¡± he replied. I had hired a few detectives and instructors from the Owlspring to teach the police work. We had a few people with investigative classes, but those people left and they didn¡¯t train anyone. The people from the Owlspring are expensive, but they are necessary, just like this headquarters. The police are new; it is best time ingrain them with skills and professionalism and make it a culture. If I waited, and if they developed some bad habits. It would be hard to get rid of them. I asked a few more questions and looked at the files. Clean records are one of the things, I had demanded. It gives a clear idea of the state of crime in the city and the progress the police are making in dealing with them. Currently, it is manageable, but we could do better. I want them to do better; that is why, I am spending so much money on it. ¡°Let¡¯s go, check out the stations,¡± I said and walked out of the office. A few minutes later, we were in the carriage. We didn¡¯t talk much, busy in our thoughts. Though not for long, half an hour later, the door opened again and Stone walked in with Colonel Cardin and Colonel Azalea. I promoted her after the second battle. ¡°Any news?¡± I asked. To which he shook his head. ¡°No, everything is silent. There is no movement,¡± he replied, and I nodded. ¡°It is good news, but I am not feeling as happy as I should be,¡± I said. Feeling I shouldn¡¯t get too relaxed. It had been three weeks since the battle, and there was no movement from the undead. Aside from Gailhorn; they have lost all three battles. I thought they would be sent horde again, not letting us recover, but they are silent. ¡°It is wise; letting our guard down against the undead is a sure way to become a part of them,¡± he replied and I smiled. ¡°Still, it would be great. If we know the reason for the delay,¡± I said. ¡°It might be due to the new offensive they are pushing at Mayhurst,¡± said Colonel Azalea. ¡°It might be, it might be something else,¡± said Stone and sighed. It is really hard to know without concrete intelligence. The merchant state didn¡¯t inform us about it; they might not know it or they are not just telling us. As for the new offensive push in Mayhurst; I don¡¯t think so. There is always a new offensive push every few months, from the undead. They won¡¯t stop until they conquer the entire island. I think, it is something else or it might be the offensive push. Seeing the sheer number of undead, those bastards use on the island. It is a massive tide of millions of undead, where Lv. 30+ necromancers are the pillars, instead of command. I shudder whenever I think about those hordes. A single horde of such size is capable of sweeping through the whole region unopposed and those bastards have many of them. What they are attacking us is the weakest of their force, and I am glad. We are no match for even slightly strong. ¡°Still, keep your ears open for any news. Until then, we will keep recruiting more people and prepare. They will come at us again, stronger than before, and we need to be ready to deal with them,¡± I said, and the three of them nodded. Fifteen minutes later, they left. I stayed in my office for seven and a half, before leaving the city hall. I had dinner with my siblings, before going to my office, where I had a meeting with Lola and Hardt. They are leaving for the Gailhorn tomorrow night for the negotiation. It is dangerous, but we are desperate for the money. The trade Gailhorn could provide that to us. We are not the only ones negotiating, the people from Mirador Hold and Nakar Baronies are also coming. It was past ten when we were finished, and immediately, I went to my suite and slept. I need to wake up early for practice. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 388: Yaris Chapter 388: Yaris Kairos- The Hidden City ¡°No,¡± replied the younger woman. Her answer was resolute, as always. ¡°Sometimes, I really wish you hadn''t been as stubborn as my dearest sister.¡± Said the older woman and sighed. ¡°Well, I am her daughter, aren¡¯t I,¡± said the younger woman, sarcastically, while the elder one sighed once more. ¡°It had taken me a long time to convince the council to seal the other half of your magic, not to remove it entirely. You should accept it; it is the best offer you are going to get,¡± she said, turning to the younger woman. Her crystalline eyes, to be exact. One is green, like the most verdant forest; the very life is emitting from it. She had inherited it from her father; the man she once adored.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Her other eye is darker than the night. It opposes life itself. The death element. Cause of her nearly century of captivity. She had not inherited the magic from her mother, but she inherited her nature and that same headstrongness. ¡°I will not accept it. Death magic is magic and practicing it, I didn¡¯t break any law,¡± replied the younger woman. She hadn''t broken any law, but the practice of death element is a complicated subject. Especially given her mastery of it. The last person who had gained such mastery of the death element had caused irreversible damage to them, and the younger woman was the one who suffered the most. Her house is destroyed. She is the last member of it. ¡°Fine, do as you always do, but remember, the council wouldn¡¯t let you out until you seal it,¡± said the older woman. ¡°Thanks, aunty,¡± said the younger woman, while the older woman just rolled her eyes. There was a silence of nearly half an hour before the older woman opened her mouth. ¡°I heard you are doing some business with a legacy in the wasteland?¡± asked the older woman. They may have held the younger woman captive, but they didn¡¯t stop her from doing business or her research. They couldn¡¯t stop her, even if they wanted to. Behind her is the tower, the magic tower of the high house. Grand enough to make even the archmage envious. It is one of the oldest towers on the continent. Even the Council didn¡¯t dare to bring her out of its domain by force. They don¡¯t need to; her captivity is symbolic. It will stop others from doing what she has done. Everyone needs her help; the high houses, the council, and powerhouses from the other states. As long as she remained in her estates and tower, they wouldn¡¯t do anything to her. ¡°Yes. It is interesting,¡± she replied, and a surprise appeared on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t think, you would find anything interesting in the Grade 1 legacy, dear niece,¡± said the older woman. The younger one smiled and handed the emotion slat to the older woman. The same one Silver had given to the sister. ¡°Tell me what you notice about it?¡± asked the younger woman. The older woman looked at the slate. ¡°Aside from a large collection of emotions, I am not seeing anything special in it,¡± replied the older woman. She had already got information about it. Including the emotions present in it. Which has one of the greatest numbers of emotions she has seen. More emotions mean, the host could harvest more emotions essence. Still, it is not surprising for her. To others, it may be, but not to her. She had seen a few in her long lifetime. ¡°Look deeply, dear aunt,¡± said the younger woman and older one, looking at her for a second, before turning back to the slate, and a moment later a huge purple magical circle enveloped them. A few seconds after that, another bigger one appeared and another one after that. If anyone were to see this; they would be shocked out of their lives. It would make even the Grand Mage shudder in fear and excitement. The older woman is the leader of the high house and a member of the council that rules the hidden city. She is one of the most powerful people in the merchant state and the entire continent. ¡°Witchcraft!¡± said the older woman after over an hour, before looking at her niece, who was smiling at her, which dimmed her smile. ¡°You still missed one thing, aunty,¡± said the younger woman. ¡°No, I did not,¡± replied the older woman. The younger woman didn¡¯t say anything. Instead waved her hand, and the slate floated in the air, before a large green circle, with a layer of black runes, enveloped it. The expressions of the older woman changed a little after seeing the black runes, but she focused on the thousands of specks of emotions, that flying out of the slate. A minute later, those specks fall down back into slate, but not all. There are three specks remained and, seeing them, a surprise appeared in the eyes of the older woman. ¡°Grade II,¡± she said. Immediately, lightning the whole room. The runes become visible, and they are everywhere from the walls to the table, even the chairs we are sitting on are covered by them. They shone for several seconds before they dimmed and when it was, I saw a masked woman, appear in the room. She seemed tall with green hair and green eyes. That is the only thing I think is visible with the plain ivory mask. ¡°I am Janice Emerald, I will be negotiating the deal,¡± she introduced and looked at Daxyl, who immediately put the three stacks of papers in front of us. It surprised me, but I had opened the file. ¡°The deal is simple. I will provide you with plants without a charge, but in exchange. You will give me half of the harvest for the decade,¡± she said, stopping me in my tracks; the sisters were surprised too. There was nothing about the percentage in our correspondence. We had come with the intention of buying the plants with the money, not giving them a percentage of the harvest. ¡°My apologies, Lady Emerald, but we can¡¯t accept that,¡± I replied immediately. We are not going to accept it; I didn¡¯t even have to ask Remus to reject the deal. The woman said nothing to that and turned to Daxyl. He brought out the white crystal bar and tapped on it, immediately, it glowed, and a projection appeared over it. ¡°The bar contains the list of plants; all the plants here are beautiful as you require, but also expensive. Each one of them is in high demand from the alchemists and will sell at a high price,¡± she informed as if she hadn''t heard the rejection. We might have accepted the percentage. If it had been 5% to 10%, but she was demanding 50%, which we could never agree. Hun! I once again opened my mouth to reject the deal but felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡°It would be impolite to reject the deal before we fully look into it,¡± said Lady Blackwell gently. I nodded gratefully at her. If it had any other merchant, I have dealt with it; it wouldn¡¯t have any problem, but the person in front of me from the hidden city. The most powerful place in the merchant state and it isn¡¯t wise to reject the deal they are offering, without looking into it. The sisters turned to the crystal bar and began to operate it and within a few seconds, a surprise appeared in their eyes. That surprise becomes bigger till they see the vine, which turns into a shock. As the mask women had said, all the plants are beautiful. The magical plants are beautiful, but the beauty of these plants is on a different level. There are also a lot of texts around them; some, I understand, but much of what was written, I had gone over my head. There are names of plants, many of which are the old language that I couldn¡¯t pronounce properly. There is also efficacy value, which I know, but don¡¯t understand. It is things alchemists looked at when looking at resources. There are also many other things, which sisters are looking for. Seeing that, I decided to turn to the contract. It is what the masked woman had said but in much larger details. ¡°These plants are really good. I think you should inform Lord Silver about it,¡± said Lady Blackwell. I nodded and turned back. ¡°Lord Silver said that he will need some time to think about it,¡± said Aaron behind me. ¡°Lady Emerald, we will need some time to think about it, before we negotiate,¡± I said to the masked woman. ¡°There will be no negotiations. There is only, a yes or no to the deal. You have till six to answer,¡± replied the woman, and the projection disappeared. I felt irritated at her curtness but refrained from saying anything. Instead, walked out of the conference room. Half an hour later, we were in my suite discussing things with Remus, who was in contact with the alchemist. These plants aren¡¯t only for the show; Remus also wants to sell them. The resources produced from emotions essence are expensive, but they also provide strategic value. Remus wants to make the city strategically important enough, that others would be more inclined to help us, in these troublesome times. It is a double-edged sword. Seeing enemies would want to conquer us more, but Remus thinks the trade would be worth it. Seeing it will help the city prosper, which in turn will give us the ability to support a bigger army. At six, we returned to the tower and signed the contract. Remus had contacted many alchemists, and all of them were in favor. Those plants are extremely rare, and some even suggested, that we should agree, even if they demand 75% of the harvest. They have even offered us a massive amount of money, in exchange for resources, that hadn''t even been planted yet. Of course, we didn¡¯t accept. They are precious, which makes it even more important that we don¡¯t make any deal until we actually have those resources in our hands. It will give us a far greater leverage. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 389: Cartis Chapter 389: Cartis Cartis ¡°It¡¯s not good. You have made a mistake here and here,¡± I said as I looked at the chair, my employee was making. It is much easier working with only four employees, that I myself had trained, but now there are fourteen of them and some are not as good as I like them to be. They take longer to finish the product. Let¡¯s hope the five that arriving tomorrow will be good. I had received a large contract from the city to make tables and chairs. It is the biggest job, I have ever got, and I have to do it perfectly as possible if I want the contract from the city again. It is supposed to be for the schools that opening in the next month. The people from the city hall come every few days to check on the progress and the quality of things we are making. The contract wasn¡¯t this big, but some had failed, and their contract was awarded to me. I didn¡¯t want to fail when I had made such a big investment. I rented a warehouse and brought tools and more employees, along with other things. If I am able to finish the contract, I will get good money. Most importantly, more contracts from the city. It is hard for people like me to get them before I could never dream of getting them. They go to the big stores and those with connections. Here too, I had the same thought, and the only reason, I had applied was because Beckett had asked me to do it. When I received the acceptance proposal, I was quite shocked. I had never expected to get it. I checked the work of my employees before returning to my workstation. Every hand is required to finish the contract, including mine. I have been working late every day; the last time, I worked so hard was during my apprentice day. I was fourteen and a half when I finally was able to get the apprenticeship. I knew, I only had six months before I got the class, and I wanted the Carpenter Class instead of a peasant or serf. Hours passed, and I was working when I saw the carriage stopping in front of the warehouse with the flag of the merchant guild. I stopped working and looked at the bald man that came out of it. ¡°Producing crappy work, as always, Cartis,¡± said Beckett as he looked at the small table I was working on. ¡°Says the man who sells the spoiled goods,¡± I replied dryly before a smile appeared on our faces and I hugged my old friend. Intentionally, pressing myself on him, so that sawdust would stick to his suit. I want him to take out his little brush to clean that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said with a wave of his hand. A moment later, the sawdust falls down while I watch in surprise. The sawdust not only cleared, but all creases had also disappeared, and dirt cleared from suit and shoes. ¡°Quite a new skill, you got,¡± I said, and he grinned. ¡°Jealous, right?¡± he asked, and I nodded. Yes, I am jealous; I need cleaning skills; every day, I need to bathe after work to wash the sawdust and other things off.?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com ¡°It had been quite a while since I had leveled up, much less got a new skill,¡± I said and sighed. It had been years. ¡°Complete, this contract well and you might level up and even gain a skill,¡± he said as he sat down on the chair after cleaning it with his handkerchief. ¡°Inform me, when they reply,¡± he said and walked away. Soon, his carriage disappeared, and I went back to my work. I will go to the messenger guild in the evening. I wanted to send a message to my wife. I will send one to Haydens too. I hope they don¡¯t come here. I had stayed because I was desperate. The shop is my everything, and I had no savings. I didn¡¯t want to depend on the children, who had just started their own families. Still, I miss my wife, but I couldn¡¯t take the risk of her staying here. After the second battle, I want to call her back, but it is too dangerous. The undead have captured half of the cities of the region and they won''t stop till they capture all. It is pretty dreadful, but what I could do other than have faith in the city and the lord to protect the citizens. Hours passed, and soon it was five. I stopped the work and left the warehouse. I first went to my small apartment and showered before walking toward the messenger guild. I looked around and couldn¡¯t help, but get surprised seeing the changes happening around the city. It does not feel like the city is broke; it feels like the city has the money and being broke are rumors started by enemies. Even when Count Darrow was in charge; there weren¡¯t such big changes happening as it is right now or any changes in the city. Now, the roads are widening and the sidewalks getting built. The streets remained clean and there was proper security, even at midnight. Speaking of which, I nodded at the orc and the human man wearing a grey uniform passing by me. These city guards or the police they are calling themselves now are a lot more polite and respectful. It was the shock of my life when I heard them call me sir. The guards never refer to people like me, sir. They would shout and even hit if they were in a bad mood. These ones not; just yesterday, I had seen them bandage a small injury on a child, who had hit his head while playing. Soon, I reached the park and took a turn. It was an open space where young people used to drink, now, it is a children''s park, with slides and all. It had opened three days ago, inaugurated by the lord himself. Now, instead of drunk youngsters, there are children playing. Seeing them, I couldn¡¯t help but think about my grandchildren. It had been six months since I had seen my children; they had come to the city to visit me and their mother. We had gone to the Owlspring for a small family trip. It was a good trip. I sighed and pushed the memories away. It will be months before I will meet them, but first, I need to finish the contract and gain a few more. I need to have enough money to shift, along with my children. The place, they are at is not that safe. Merchant State is safe and Namdar, but both of these places require money, which I don¡¯t have. A few minutes passed, and I reached the messenger guild. There, I sent the message to my wife and Haydens. I told them about the help the city is willing to provide if they shift here and also the risks associated with it. Leaving, the decision to them. After I sent the messages, I went back to the warehouse and started working. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 390: Dropping off Chapter 390: Dropping off ¡°Are you excited, Josie?¡± asked Carla as our carriage left the mansion. ¡°Yes,¡± replied the little girls excitedly. I am taking her to school. Well, both of them. Today is their first day; they had come yesterday when I had inaugurated the schools and mingled with the children who would be their classmates. Today would be a proper school day. I had spent massive money on the schools. I needed to since there are twenty thousand children in the city, of which over 90% had been admitted to the school. I had made it compulsory for every child of fourteen and below to attend the school. Only those who are being tutored by private tutors have been given the exception. A lot of wealthy people had taken that exception. Most wealthy didn¡¯t have children in the city. They have sent them to safe places like Namdar and merchant states, but those that had only 10% admitted them to the school. Even they wouldn¡¯t have. If not for me admitting my own siblings. The schools are associated with poverty in the empire. Only the poor children went to the school. The wealthy ones have their tutors to teach them. I am not much worried. My target was the common people, and I achieved it. While I dislike the method I use, I am not ashamed of it. As for the wealthy children, they will come eventually. I looked at my siblings, both of them wearing the uniforms, which are perquisite. They will be going to schools, which I want to turn into most premier schools; I have spent more on those three schools than any other schools. A few minutes passed, and a carriage stopped in front of a big, beautiful mansion. It was one of the most beautiful mansions in the city. Designed by the man who had designed the city. It was a second home of Count Darrow, but now it had turned into Esanor Raak School. I had named it after my mother; the high school that Heron will go to is named after my father. The preschool after my grandmother. I got the thank-you message from my grandfather, last night, along with big funding from the house of Silver for all three premier schools. Some had suggested that I use silver as my mother¡¯s surname, but I didn¡¯t. The woman was quite proud of her name. She wouldn¡¯t like it. If she came to know, I had used Silver as her surname. She was never a Silver and didn¡¯t want to be one. Click! The door opened, and I walked out, with Josie coming behind, with her little bag on her shoulders. ¡°Come,¡± I said to Carla, seeing her still sitting in the carriage. She was surprised, but soon a small, but radiant smile appeared on her face as she came down. She appeared by me, and we walked Josie toward the gates. There are many parents dropping their children to school, but many come through the school carriages. It might be a premier school, but not all admitted here are rich; half of the pupils aren¡¯t rich. Most of the children are human, but there are also orcs. Soon we stopped by the gate, and I turned to Josie. ¡°Be good,¡± I said to her, the young girl nodded and hugged me before hugging Carla and walking through the gate nervously. Both their schools are in the range, and I have made enough preparations for their security. It would be really hard to harm them. We watched till she disappeared, before coming back to the carriage. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped again, and we dropped Heron to his school. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Carla as we sat in the carriage. I smiled and turned toward the window. She does not need to thank me; she has been taking care of the children since the day they arrived. She deserved to be there at their important moments as I am. She is doing great. I heard there was quite a disagreement going on with her and the sisters. It is a vision dispute, and nobody seemed to be backing down. I am not going to interfere unless it affects the work. ¡°How is the proposal?¡± I asked Carla. She turned to me from the file she was reading. ¡°You will have it on a desk in three days,¡± she replied. The establishment won¡¯t take up all the space in the tower. Half of the space would be open for the other businesses, but not every business will be able to get the space. We will only give space to those with the capability to generate greater emotions for legacy to harvest. In Grade 2, the establishment can only cover half of the tower, but I am confident once it reaches Grade 3, it will cover the whole tower. It will take a few years, but it will happen, and I want to be ready for it. The carriage stopped, and we got out. In front of me, is the tower, which had more than completed. I could already imagine how it could look and can¡¯t wait for it to be completed. I looked at it for a minute before looking around. There is a big garden being built around the tower. It was my original plan, before it became bigger and bigger, before transformed into the park. The plants are beautiful, that I just want to touch them. Some even had flowers on them, that many people are admiring. Though they are nothing compared to magical plants, that are coming from the hidden city. Currently, they are in a special greenhouse. Taken care of by the people sent by that person from the hidden city. Every week, I had to give them bottles of emotions essence to grow those plants. My heart bleeds with every bottle, but it is necessary. When I had made the deal, many wanted to me reject it, but all the alchemists I had talked to had asked to accept it. Even if I get 10% of the harvest, they said it would be worth it. Of course, I had not listened to them alone. Still, I got an estimate on the value of the plants from them and compared it to the other estimate, I had gotten from the sisters. The difference is massive. Even if I give 50% of the harvest; I would earn at least six times more. They also had a far bigger strategic value than other plants, I was going to plant. There is extremely high-demand for the plants grown using the emotion essence. Only legacies could grow them, and there are not many legacies that grew them in the large amount to satiate, the need to market. They couldn¡¯t satiate even 1%. The earlier estimate was conservative. The value could easily go above ten times. Alchemists are crazy about these things, and willing to pay any price. I have seen it, with the undead bones. Those mad bastards are willing to pay any price for them. There are also the hidden hands that want them. The bones turned out far more valuable than I had thought. Everybody is willing to pay a massive price for them. I am selling them every week in a small number, but sometimes, I want to sell them all, given the price they are offering. I needed money, and I could get a lot of it from it, but I did not. The bones value doesn¡¯t lie in only money. They offer a lot of more. Every week, I have been contacted by powerful people, not just alchemists. I was able to convince a few of them to make an investment in the city. The plants will have an even bigger effect. I will need to use those resources wisely for my benefit and the benefit of my city. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 391: Proposal Chapter 391: Proposal Lola His eyes fluttered open, and I nearly looked away, before smiling at his handsome face. We had slept late, but I am used to waking up early. I also have the Rest Skill. I do not need as much rest as he does. He deserves the rest, after what he pulled last night. ¡°Like what you see?¡± he asked while caressing my lips gently, which sent shivers of desire through my whole body. ¡°Yes, very much,¡± I replied and leaned for a kiss. It was soft and gentle and sent butterflies through my stomach, as always. I let go of the kiss and moved on top of him, wanting to go for another round, but he stopped me, which surprised me. He never seemed to control himself with me, but now he stopped me with his expression becoming serious. ¡°Marry me,¡± he said. It felt like lightning had crashed on me. The words froze my mind for a second. It was not something, I had expected to hear from him. I like him and even love him. However, I never let my thoughts go in those directions. Knowing that direction always causes pain. I looked at him and he was dead serious. I would be lying to myself if I said his proposal didn¡¯t make me happy. It made me ecstatic, but it also filled my heart with unbearable pain. I know what I am; a whore, this fact will never change, while he is a scion of a powerful merchant house and one of the heirs. The union is not possible. It won¡¯t be fair to him, and I will not become a mistress. ¡°No,¡± I said, and could see pain filling his eyes, but there was no surprise at my rejection. ¡°Is it because of the contract? I am sure, Remus will let you go,¡± he said, and I shook my head. ¡°No, it is not a contract. It is our worlds,¡± I replied with a small smile. If I didn¡¯t have the baggage of the past, I would have accepted instantly. I would have done, if it were me two years ago; that me was selfish and impulsive, but current me love this man and marrying him, would be doing him a grave injustice.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com It will ruin him. His family would never accept me; they would disown him, than accept a whore into family. ¡°Then why?¡± he asked, with pain dripping through every word. The silly man understood I would reject the proposal, but didn¡¯t understand the reason. There are several, the first being him and the second me. I don¡¯t want to marry. I had just taken a step toward becoming something more than a whore. I don¡¯t know what I want, but I know, I want to become something, reach the height where the whore does not feel an insult to me. I am not ashamed of my past. It is what saved me from the worse fate, I would have suffered, but whenever I heard the word ¡®whore¡¯ it hurts me. The day, it didn¡¯t. I will think about the marriage. ¡°Let¡¯s not ask why and enjoy ourselves. I have planned a lot of things for us,¡± I said and slid down on his member slowly and closed my eyes to forget everything else other than his love and pleasure. ... ¡°They are fattening us,¡± said Colonel Cardin. ¡°Letting us grow our army and population. So, when they attack this time, they will have a pretty good harvest,¡± he added. ¡°It is one possibility,¡± I replied, looking at intelligence files, which were telling us nothing. It had been four months since the first attack and two and a half months since the second and since then, there had been no movement from the undead. ¡°What else it could be? I have read what they have done on the island, and it is classic fattening,¡± he asked. Nobody said anything, but he is making a compelling point. Every city in the region is investing in security. The population had stabilized and, in some places, growing. Undead like such things, especially trained and leveled armies, that they could turn. ¡°It would have helped us. If we had some concrete information,¡± said Colonel Azalea. There is a clear frustration in her voice. ¡°Whatever their reason is, we need to be prepared,¡± I said and turned to Colonel Cardin. ¡°How is the factory coming?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t say anything and kept looking at him. Click! His eyes became hesitant, and he finally opened the box. Immediately, his eyes went round as the saucers were in shock. In the box are tiny bottles of the emotion essence; like the emotion essence, I had sold him before, this is not mixed emotion essence. Here, the essence of every emotion is separate and pure. Mostly importantly, it is Grade II. He has helped me a lot. Now, I am helping him. There is a vast difference between Grade I and Grade II emotions essences. What I provide is also pure emotion essence, without the faintest contamination from other emotions, which is hard to see in emotion essence by Grade II legacy. Grade III legacy could harvest as such, especially the old ones with experienced hosts, but they didn¡¯t. I mean, why would they, when they could harvest Grade III, which is even more expensive. ¡°I think, it would be enough to get me those things,¡± I said, and he smiled brightly. ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± he said. There was silence for a couple of seconds as he admired those tiny bottles before he turned to me. ¡°Have you thought about what I had said last month?¡± he asked, and I sighed. ¡°Ethan, I haven¡¯t even planted those plants yet,¡± I said. ¡°I know, but my house is bugging me every day. We want those things, and we will pay any price for it,¡± he said, and his eyes turned desperate. House of Ashav deals with magical materials. They are one of the biggest in Oksall. So, it is no surprise, that they want the plants I am planning on planting. He is one of the few people I had contacted, aside from the alchemists, before signing the contract. It would help, the house of Ashav tremendously if they were able to get a deal with me about those plants. ¡°Tell them, that I won¡¯t be making any deal about till I have the harvest in my hand,¡± I said. He isn¡¯t the only one, who has asked me about the deal; hundreds of alchemists and merchants have made the enquiries about it. ¡°Fine, I will tell that, but I hope, you will not forget me when the harvest came,¡± he said. ¡°I will not,¡± I replied. A few minutes later, he left. The moment he did, Zela turned to Ina, who without saying anything, handed her the thick book. ¡°Finally. I had wanted this spell for a long time,¡± said Zela, as she hugged the book, before turning to me. ¡°Thank you, Lord Silver,¡± she thanked. Every month, I am buying spells. It is costing me a lot, but I need it. Last time, we were lucky, that we had enough powerhouses and the only thing our High-Mages needed to do was defend. The only High-Mage who killed the enemy was Valentina. The next time, our mages won¡¯t be this lucky, they needed to be prepared with an arsenal of spells. We have a big list of spells from Grade 1 to Grade 4. There are a thousand spells on the list, and we have only been able to get one hundred and sixty-two. ¡°I am glad, you liked the spell, Zela¡± I replied and focused on the work. At six, I got out of my office and toward the conference room where Carla and others were waiting for me. The proposals had got replies. Far more than we had thought. I thought not many would want to bet such huge money which could be attacked by the undead, but it seemed like, I had underestimated the allure of the legacy. The businesses from Namdar to merchant states want the space in the tower and are willing to pay a good price for it. Now we have to choose it and it is not going to be easy. I know a lot of people who want the store. Many of them won¡¯t like the rejection, but I will do what is necessary. It is my vision, that matters and nothing else. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 392: Eva Charles Chapter 392: Eva Charles Eva ¡°It does not look good,¡± said Cara as we walked out of our suites. ¡°The city had fought two battles. I say it is looking better than I had imagined,¡± I replied as I looked at the port. The last time, I had come here was a little over six months ago; at the legacy¡¯s party. At that time, the city was growing with a lot of people and ships at its port. Currently, the number is half, which is better than I had expected. Though there are a lot more ships sailing through the river than before. Which isn¡¯t surprising given what is happening in the empire. I had seen, the cities of this size getting ruined by a single battle. It destroyed their economies, and it took them years for them to recover; some were never able to. Here it had been less than six months and the city seemed to be doing well. It is especially remarkable considering this is a wasteland with no natural resources. ¡°Mom, please think about it. Investing here is a risk; we have already suffered enough losses in the empire. We should focus on stores we have in safe places and expand there,¡± ¡°Instead of investing in places like which could be conquered at any time and cause us great reputational damage,¡± said Cara. It is not the first time; she has tried to dissuade me from it. ¡°It is the opportunity of a lifetime, darling. We are getting a space in the legacy,¡± I said, but the girl just shook her head. ¡°We are not getting a space in the legacy, Mother. We are getting space in the same building as the legacy. There is a vast difference between the two,¡± she corrected, using mother instead of ¡®mom¡¯. She does that when she is frustrated with me. ¡°Besides, the contract clearly states that he could remove us any time he wants. So, there is no chance of our store being part of legacy after it advances to Grade II and Grade III,¡± she added, displeased. ¡°Be that it may be, but I see a clear potential in the city,¡± I stated, and she just shook her head. ¡°We have to take the risks, dear daughter; everybody is moving to Namdar, and more stores are popping up, giving competition to established businesses like ours. If we don¡¯t take risks, we will regress and I refuse to let that happen,¡± I said. I understand her worries, but I feel like this is a wise choice. The competition in the Namdar is heating up. Every business in the empire is moving there, giving us tough competition. I am confident in our ability to compete, but that is not enough. We need to expand, and there aren¡¯t many places we could expand into the empire. Greltheaven had many risks, but it had enormous potential because of its close proximity to the merchant state and having our store in the same building as a legacy, which will give us recognition. ¡°Fine, mother,¡± she said. A few minutes later, the ship docked in the port, and we walked out. There was already a familiar woman waiting for us. ¡°Welcome to Greltheaven, Miss Eva, Miss Cara,¡± said the woman. ¡°Miss Cain, you didn¡¯t have to come to get us,¡± I said to the pretty redhead. ¡°I wanted to,¡± she said and took us to the carriage. Soon, stepped inside and it began moving through the port, which looked more orderly than before. It is not because of the smaller crowd I have been to sparse ports than this and there is always chaos. The best ports are those who could manage the chaos and they seemed to be doing that. ¡°How was the journey? Was there any trouble?¡± asked Miss Cain. ¡°It was a smooth. Though, every moment, I was worried about undead jumping on us from the water,¡± I said, smiling nervously. ¡°I know. We are living in the same fear, here,¡± replied Miss Cain. I read through the contract of the store. Cara and Miss Cain beside me are doing the same. Miss is my partner in the store. It is why, I got the whole damn floor; I am the only one to get that. Remus put a condition in front of me. I could get an entire floor if I partnered with Miss Cain. If I didn¡¯t. I will get the small part of the floor of around ten thousand square feet. Which is enough for a city of this size, and I would have accepted it. If not for Miss Cain being a partner. I have been selling her designs for the past few months, and they have become bestsellers. She is the fastest designer to reach it in my stores and I don¡¯t want to lose her, which I could. I know, the other store had approached her, including my direct competitors in Namdar and stores in merchant states. Her contract would end in a few months, and she had hinted that she would stay with me if I partnered with her for the store. Cara didn¡¯t think it was worth it, but I do. I have seen the evolution in her designs and am confident, that she could produce multiple bestsellers. I finished reading the first contract and signed it, before turning to the second contract. With this contract, nearly everything in our stores will be available to Silver without any cost. The things will be on loan and will be returned to us after a fixed time. It is a risk, considering I would be associating myself with the brothel, with the things I sell would be worn by the whores. It could damage the store''s reputation that, I might need years to recover from, but if worked in our favor, it will also provide tremendous benefits to me and the company. There is one entertainment type-legacy in the Namdar, and I have been trying to get a contract with them for decades, but it is damn hard. That is why, I decided to take the take the risk with Velvet Garden. Currently, the legacy is only in Grade 1, but I believe in Remus enough that, I am sure, in a decade or two, he will be able to take his legacy to Grade II and Grade III. That will be the time to reap the tremendous benefits of this partnership. I am so invested in it that I am designing a new collection of jewelry inspired by the velvet garden. It had been a long while since I had designed a complete collection. I planned to make the ladies of Velvet Garden wear it first, before bringing it to the stores. I brought the designs, which I will be showing to the Angestel in the evening with my meeting with him. He is the head stylist and the man responsible for the wardrobe. From what I heard, even Silver didn¡¯t interfere with the department, handling him the complete responsibilities. Scratch! I read the contract and signed it. Felt their strong bindings before they vanished. ¡°I hope we will have great cooperation, Miss Charles, Miss Cain,¡± said Carla as we finished. ¡°We will, Miss Salt,¡± I said and shook her hands. Half an hour later, I walked out of the building with Cara and Miss Cain. Our destination is the tower; there will meet with Miss Rolgath. She is responsible for the interior of the whole tower, including the legacy and my store. I have my own interior designer, but Remus asked me to use her as the primary. Mine is coming tomorrow and he will work with Miss Rolgath, in creating an interior that has the essence of both the Velvet Garden and Charles stores. As I had said, the man is a control freak. He is not giving me the freedom to decide my own store''s interior. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 393: Postpone Chapter 393: Postpone Rolgath ¡°Drink it,¡± said Amryn as she placed a steaming hot cup of tea in front of me. I looked at it before focusing on the designs; I have been working on. ¡°Stop, first drink the tea,¡± she insisted, placing her hand, on the design, I was working on. I sighed seeing, her acting like a child. ¡°There is a lot of work needed to be done, Amryn. There are only two weeks before the opening,¡± I said. There is a lot of work; I never thought I would have so much work in my life. I am responsible for the interior of the whole tower. Not just the legacy, but also every store, which is much harder than the legacy. Here, over half of the store owners have brought their interior designer, and working with them is hell, but it is also fun. I like the challenge and the different perspective, no matter how much frustrating it is. Though no one is as frustrating as the Ulaxasysis sisters. They are equal in authority; I can bully them into listening to me as I could the interior designers. I am glad I had left the work of the headmistress¡¯s domain after a month of working. I was regretting it, but it had been a wise decision. ¡°We are on time, I heard Lord Silver is postponing the deadline,¡± said Amryn, and I laid back on my chair. ¡°I really hope so,¡± I replied. I had also heard whispers that Lord Silver was planning on postponing the opening of the tower by a few weeks. I don¡¯t know the reason, but the extra three weeks will instantly relieve a lot of the load off me. ¡°I will not believe it until I hear it officially,¡± I said. ¡°You might, at today''s meeting,¡± said the half-elf. ¡°I hope so,¡± I replied. I am confident that I will be able to finish the work on the schedule, but it would be great if I had more time. Seeing we haven¡¯t even started shifting the plants yet, which could only happen, after the affirmation from Irgal. Even the sisters, who are responsible for the plants couldn¡¯t do anything about it. I picked up the steaming cup and took a sip while inhaling the wonderful citric aroma of it. The tea is delicious; its flavor is light, but filling. I gulped a lemony sip, which seemed to send a wave of relaxation through my body. In the past few months, I have been waking up at dawn and sleeping at late night. I used to sleep for seven to eight hours, but in the past three months especially, I don¡¯t think, I had slept for over five hours. There is too much work. It is why, I slept here most of the time; the legacy gives the relaxation of eight hours of sleep in the five. ¡°This tea is really good. You should ask Madam Caena for more,¡± said Amryn. I glared at her but didn¡¯t say anything. The tea blend was a gift from Madam Caena. I had nearly finished it, which is quite regrettable as I really liked the tea. I emptied the cup and focused back on my work. Fifteen minutes later, I was out of my office, or rather the tent, which I fixed on the sixteenth floor of the tower. As I walked out, the different sounds immediately hit me. I had covered myself with isolation skills to focus on the work; it is hard to work under all the noise. ¡°Jorah,¡± I called the man responsible. The man was talking to the artisan working on the wall, but came as I called him. He is a middle-aged man with a decade of experience, in the field. ¡°These are the new changes; I want them done today,¡± I said and handed the design to the man. ¡°It will be a challenge, Sharn,¡± he said, without looking away from the designs. ¡°I am sure, you and your people will be able to do it,¡± I said, and he turned to me. ¡°It will be hard,¡± he said with a sigh, before turning back to the design. Jorah and his people are capable. It is the reason I had chosen them, among hundreds of other agencies, that applied to work. He didn¡¯t answer and looked outside of the window. We need to be quite careful with the words, seeing the contract we had signed. It is strict, and the consequences are heavy. I had felt the power of the contract when small confidential information slipped through my mouth. I was really glad; Miss Carla was near and helped me to deal with it and also explained it to Lord Silver. I had thought the contract was excessively strict, but in these five months, I have made a few observations. One is most shocking; I am not completely sure about it, but if it is true, it will shock the whole continent and the world. I didn¡¯t dare to talk about it to anyone, to even hint at it. Including Miss Carla, who was safe from all secrets; I won¡¯t receive the punishment if I utter the confidential information in front of her. Though, I don¡¯t plan to. I don¡¯t want to do something, that will compromise this amazing job. It had changed my whole life. My business had gone from being broke to having the jobs, that I had only dreamed about. Since I started here, I haven¡¯t accepted any job, but there have been hundreds of inquiries about my availability. Enough that for a few years; finding work is the last thing, I will need to do. It is all thanks to a legacy for which I will be eternally grateful. I looked outside the window and at the huge park. I couldn¡¯t help, but feel envy for the sisters; they are amazing. In just a short six months, they were able to build such a big park. ¡°Those sisters are talented, but I wish, they weren¡¯t so challenging to work with,¡± I complained. ¡°They said the same thing about you,¡± He replied, smiling. ¡°I am not challenging to work with, they are. You know, I need to argue with them for every little thing,¡± I said. ¡°I am not saying anything,¡± he said and looked out the window as the carriage passed over the beautiful bridge. The next week is going to be challenging. They were bringing the plants inside and there had been a lot of arguments about their placements and there would be more when they actually came to the tower, which I am responsible for. Minutes passed in silence before the carriage reached the city hall and moved through the gates, before stopping a few seconds later. Click! We got out and walked toward the city hall, with barely anyone looking at me with an odd gaze. I still remember the first time; I had come to the city. I had to cover myself from head to toe; it was restrictive and slightly humiliating, but necessary given the political landscape of that time. Now, less than a year later, an orc is no strange thing in the things. I could see, a couple of them going in and out of the city hall. Soon, we reach the familiar conference room. The guards standing there opened the door, and we walked inside. There are already people there, aside from Madman Caena and Headmistress Margaux, there are Mr. Hendriks and Miss Ulaxasys. Madam Carla isn¡¯t in the city, and Lady Blackwell is returning in a few days from Amberhold. I nodded at Miss Ulaxasys and sat beside her. We have differences professionally, but personally, we are good. I talked to her others before stopping and getting up as Lord Silver walked in with Miss Valentina. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± we greeted. He nodded and sat down with sitting after him. ¡°I am sure all of you have already heard the rumors. They are true. I have decided to postpone, the deadline by three weeks, after looking at all the factors,¡± he said, and I took a visible sigh of relief. I am not the only one, Miss Ulaxasys also seemed quite relieved hearing it. I could finish the job on time, but an extra three weeks will give me a chance to do it better. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 394: Greenhouses Chapter 394: Greenhouses Ashton Harbor "Those bastards!" cursed the man with the staff. Though, he is relieved. It is a good thing. We had paused their secret mission, seeing the merchant state had started snooping. They seemed to find out that we were looking for something and sent their agents. "They are trying to catch the bastards. We might be able to do it," said the armored man, but the man with the staff just shook his head. "No use, but let them try," he said with a sigh. The agents of the merchant state aren''t easy to catch, but it would be great if they were able to do it. The bastards were able to find out, the last location, the secret mission, was looking into before the higher-ups paused it. The intelligence apparatus of the merchant state is powerful. Even on the island, we kept finding their spies. The secret mission is the reason we have come here in this forsaken wasteland, and now we couldn''t even do that as well because of the damn merchants. I couldn''t release the horde at the cities to elevate my frustration. We don''t have enough undead. We have enough numbers to attack all the cities, but not enough to deal with unforeseen things, like interference from merchants or even empires. So, unless the higher-ups sent more. There won''t be any attack. It is frustrating to just sit and do nothing, but it is also had advantage. The cities are fattening up, filling with people, and recruiting more into armies. We need that; the resistance on the island has slowed down our progress. The quality of undead made by the soldiers helps a lot; I hope they will build large armies because the next attack won''t be small. ... Step! I stepped out of the carriage and behind me came Heron. It was his first time coming here, he wanted to come here before but was not allowed. I had brought him here today as a reward for doing good in school. "There is a lot of security," he said, adjusting his clothes to protect himself from the snow. "It is necessary," I replied as I walked forward. In front of us is a group of greenhouses. There are a total of seven of them, protected with tight security, including a Lv. 30 powerhouse. I don''t think nobody in their right mind would dare to do anything here. Not because of me or the tight security, but the person who has half-ownership over the plants in the greenhouse. They belong to me as well as that person in a hidden city and nobody with little of a bit of intelligence would dare to do anything here. We entered the compound with thick snow crunching under my boots. There was a heavy snowfall since the morning. I thought it would subside by the afternoon, but it did not. The winter was in its full swing, which usually slowed things down a little, but it didn''t this time. The city is not stopping and will not stop, till it achieves its rightful place in the region and empire and the continent. We stopped in front of the central greenhouse, which is also the biggest greenhouse of the seven. There are guards at the entrance. One is the orc, and the other one is the elf. They aren''t my people, they belong to that person. The plants aren''t the only things that came from the hidden city. The guards bowed faintly and opened the door for us. I nodded and walked inside the greenhouse and instantly felt warm and humid, but I forgot all that when I looked at the plants and inhaled their mesmerizing smell. Every time, I looked at them. They mesmerize me. They are beautiful and their smell is enchanting. Gasp! A gasp of shock came out of the Heron''s mouth as he looked around with wide eyes. I couldn''t help, but smile seeing that. When I read it, my whole body shook. ''Fucking elders!'' I cursed before taking a deep breath. I knew it was a risk, and I took it fully, knowing it. It is clear they know it and I hope they will keep it to themselves. They likely would. It is the reason why I chose to take the risk. However, from now on, I will need to be far more careful in dealing with them. More than before. I took out the firestone and burned the letter to the surprise of Heron. It burned to ashes, which I collected in my hand, before placing them into my bag, which finally brought a faint change in Irgal''s face. I can''t take the risk; there are spells out there, that could read what''s in their letter, with the ashes of it. I turned to Irgal and sighed, before taking out the seven bottles of emotion essence. He recognized them, but there was no change on his face; he likely knew what was in the letter. "I hope, these will fasten the process a little?" I asked as I handed him the six bottles of grade two emotions essence. "It will," he replied. I know it will. The growth sheet he had provided me had clearly started the effect on plants if Grade II or Grade III essences were used. ''For the fast growth. Use Grade II emotion essence,'' is what is written in the letter. Caena had said it would be extremely hard for others to find out it is a Grade II legacy from the slate, but those people of the hidden city are not common. They are the elders and are known as the masters of magic. It is very hard to hide things from them and I truly hope, they haven''t found out everything about my legacy or I could be truly fucked. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the man. I talked to him for a few minutes more, before exploring the greenhouse with Heron. There are seven of them, all of growing different types of plants; the similarity, they share is that they consume the emotion essence. Their appetite is ravenous, and since I want to plant them across the whole tower, it is going to consume a lot of emotion essence. Though, I will gain far more in return. Even with the half of the harvest. Finally, we reached the last greenhouse. The guards guarding it opened it for us and we walked inside. Immediately, a surprise appeared on Heron''s face. This greenhouse is different from the six others. It only had one plan called network vine; it is a thin blue vine with crystalline leaves; it is beautiful. "This wine must be special to occupy the whole greenhouse alone," said Heron, touching the leaves of the vine lightly. "It is the most important of all the plants," I replied, and he turned to me in question. "The tower is huge, but the legacy only covers a third of it. We want to plan, these magical plants on each floor, but all these plants require emotion essence for sustenance," "This vine will absorb the emotion essence from the legacy and supply it to the plants outside the domain of legacy," I explained. "Amazing!" he exclaimed and looked at the vine with the shining eyes. It is amazing, this vine will act like a modern wire that supplies electricity to the appliances. It took a lot of emotion and essence to grow this vine, but it will be worth it. It is also the best among all the network vines, with a loss percentage of only 12%. It is very low, considering all the vendors we have talked about have network vines with the lowest 23% lows percentage. Supplying emotion essence isn''t the only it can do. Every part of it is valuable, especially the leaves, which are used in all kinds of potions and alchemical products. We spend a few minutes in the greenhouse before stepping out of it and walking toward the carriage. "When will I get to see the tower?" he said, looking at the tower. I didn''t reply to that. It is a little complicated seeing the business I run. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 395: The Canal Chapter 395: The Canal "The preparations have finished. They are ready to release the water in two hours," informed Zela. "Good," I replied. It was supposed to happen a week ago, but something had come up and we needed to delay it. Today was supposed to be the opening for the establishment, before it was postponed. It was a wise decision. Despite everything being on schedule, it was hurried. If we had gone with it, the opening wouldn''t have been as perfect as I wanted. We were already seeing many mistakes. The extra three weeks had relaxed everyone. They are working with calm minds; it didn''t give me the feeling of impending doom anymore. ''Master Silver, Miss Maeve is here for you,'' said Jill through the intercom. ''Send her in,'' I said. Click! A second later, the door opened, and Maeve walked in. As I saw her, I couldn''t help but become surprised. She had changed, from her hairstyle to her clothes, everything was different from before. "Lord Silver," she greeted. "Miss Maeve, I had expected change, but didn''t expect the change would be this big," I said to the woman as I offered her seat. Her cheeks reddened. "I am saying as a compliment; the new look suits you," I clarified and could see, relief on her face, but her cheeks were still red. For the past five months, she had been overseas. At Nazhar, where she was training in the legacy spa. Her focus was on the management, while the others who went with her learned the methods and techniques. She had returned yesterday and even brought the few Nazarian staff of that spa. That spa is big and not everyone sees their future there and some were willing to come here when we offered them a job. We didn''t do it behind the back of the spa. They had given us the list of employees they are willing to let go, and we have approached those employees with the offer. "How was Elysian Serenity?" I asked, and a big smile lit up across her face. "Amazing." She replied. "Those people have created a heaven in there," she added with her eyes turning dreamy for a moment. "I hope, we will be able to make our spa as memorable as Elysian Serenity," I said. "Definitely," she replied, with confidence burning in her voice. There are only two legacy spas in the entire world. A few other legacies are doing, what I do by adding the spa, but those two are considered the best. I have asked for their help. The first one gave nothing, but Elysian Serenity was very helpful. They had initially helped me with the tips and later with training and other things. I had spent a lot on the spa, and Miss Rolgath had done a wonderful job in designing it. Yesterday, we added the last edition to the spa; it made it feel like heaven. "You have a lot of tasks ahead of you. I hope you will be able to finish them before the opening," I said. "I will not give you a chance to complain, my lord," she replied with excitement filling in her eyes. A few minutes later, she left while I focused back on the work. For the past two weeks, a lot of people have returned from various places I had sent them. Including the new people; I had hired a lot of people, many having the experience of working on the legacy. "The storm tower has acknowledged that they have received the invitation," informed Zela. "Did they say who they will be sending for opening?" I asked. "No," she replied. We have started the invitation to the opening a week ago. It is also my birthday. I am sending invitations to everyone important, from the princes to legacies to nobles and governors. It is a great opportunity, and I want to milk it for everything it has. I finished up the work and walked out of my office. When I stepped out of the city hall; the carriage was waiting for me. The guard opened the door, and I entered inside. Carla is already sitting there, along with the children. "Are you guys excited?" I asked. Heron nodded while Josie looked at me, turning her face cute. I know what is coming. She had been doing that in the past week, in different ways. "Lord Silver, we can start with your command," said Miss Ulaxasys, without wasting any time. "Good. Fill the canal," I commanded and used my skill Every Ear Listens To My Words, so the crowd behind me could hear them. Bmoooooo! Her ring lit up, and a moment later, I heard the loud horn. For a few seconds, there was nothing, before I heard a gentle tremor under my feet. Three seconds after that, I saw the water coming out in a large force from the tunnel, not far away from me. There are several tunnels and all of them are pouring the water into the lake. It looked amazing; it had attracted the complete attention of the children and the crowd. It was not initially within a plan, but as the size of the park increased. We have decided to add it. It will mark the boundary of the park, presenting a beautiful scenery of blue water, boats, and bridges. I could clearly imagine how it would look. The people enjoying themselves in the beautiful evening. Minutes passed, and the level of water kept increasing, filling the canal. "Halt!" ordered Miss Ulaxasys, and a few seconds later, the water stopped coming from the tunnels. Most of these tunnels will be closed or diverted; only a single one will remain open to fill the water in the canal. This is enough, seeing there won''t be any draining and refilling; the cleaning will be done through the spells. So, aside from evaporation, there will be no loss of water. "Would you like to be first, my lord?" asked Miss Ulaxasys. I nodded and walked toward the canal, where the boats were already waiting. The boats were ready. The moment the canal was filled, the boatmen placed their boats into the water. "Gently dear," said Carla when Josie excitedly tried to step into the boat and nearly stumbled. Soon we all sat in a bright, orias boat, a narrow and long type of boat, that bore a resemblance to gondolas. As we sat down on the comfortable seats, the boatman dipped the paddle in the water and the boat began to move. It is gentle and smooth, like the music, the musician started playing at the back of the boat. As I had said, I just didn''t want to make the city prosper, but turn it into a cultural powerhouse. I want it to attract people from all over the world, to experience its wonders. We are not the only ones in the boats. Behind us, there are a few with Ulaxasys sisters, Valentina, and others. "It feels good, calming," she said, looking around. Her gaze has stopped for a moment, at thousands of people looking at us. She is still not fully comfortable seeing me in public with me and avoids it when she can. "It is," I said, dipping my hand in clear blue water. Josie tried to do the same but was stopped by Carla. The anger in the girl''s eyes had vanished; she was now enjoying herself. Soon, the boat appeared in front of the collage. In the earlier plans, the collage and legacy were apart, but the park had become so big that it had enveloped the collage in it. The collage has its boat stands for girls to enjoy boating. A quarter of the canal in front of the collage is marked as being restricted. Only boats of the girls would be able to move through that area and no others. The boat passed through another stone bridge. The canal is wide. Bridges are necessary to cross it to reach the park. These bridges are designed with aesthetics in mind and are beautiful. It took thirty-six minutes for the boat to make a complete circle of canal, before stopping at where we started. I would love to go for another round, but there is a lot of work waiting for me at the city hall. "Thank you," I thanked the boatman and looked at the children, who also thanked him. "Miss Ulaxasys, you have done a wonderful job," I praised the woman. "Thank you, Lord Silver," she replied. "Now, only the small lakes have remained," I said. There are multiple lakes in the park that would need to be filled. "We will finish them by tomorrow," she replied. I talked to her for a few minutes before stepping into my carriage with Carla. Children aren''t coming with us; they are going back home with their nanny, while we are going to the city hall. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 396: Seamstress Chapter 396: Seamstress Rustle! "It''s done," said Miss Rolgath as she adjusted the vine with tiny red flowers covering it around the column. It was the last plant to be planted in the tower; they had been doing that for twelve days. It was a complicated and complex job that required extreme care. "Many of the plants are sensitive, Lord Silver; I hope, your patrons will keep their hands off them," cautioned Irgal. He will stay for a week more before leaving, but not all of his people are leaving. Half of them are staying here to take care of the plants. According to the agreement, I will provide space and emotion essence while the person in the hidden city will provide the persons, expertise, fertilizers, and other things. They will also train some of our people. It is the only condition in which we had negotiated. I was pretty adamant about it. "You do not have to be worried about it, Mage Irgal," I replied and looked around. The plants have merged well with the interior, becoming one. Creating not just a visual feast, but also an olfactory one with their fragrance. "I think we should see how it feels under the power of the legacy," I said, and the eyes of everyone lit up. The power of legacy which had been at 5% of Grade 1 started to climb up. The mist appeared and got denser, forming a cloud at the ceiling, while its effects began to affect us. Soon, the effects reached 15%, 20%, and then 25% of the power. It was what I had been showing to the world before. I had never needed to use the full power of the legacy, seeing I had charms, and they acted with precision. Its effects were at 25%, but to others, it felt 100% because of the targeted approach. I could see the change in the expressions of people. Some even had tears appearing in their eyes. Some looked completely lost in the sensory overload. Finally, I stopped at 50% of Grade 1 and the effect is stronger than I thought. The beauty and fragrance of the plants mixed with the power of the legacy had created an effect far more powerful than I had thought. It mesmerized me, who is resistant to such effects due to being the host of it. It is only a 50% power of Grade 1, not full. I didn''t even touch the power of Grade 2, which I felt, might make people lose their minds. Even if I kept it at such power, it would get stronger over time as the power of the plants and legacy mixes. ''Should I change my plans?'' I thought to myself, before putting those thoughts away. "My god; it is stronger than I had thought!" said Miss Ulaxasys, gripping the chair to stabilize herself. Some, like her sister, sat down, while Mage Irgal had taken out the floating blue scroll and started to write fast. "You are a visionary, Lord Silver. You have created something incredible," praised Lady Blackwell as she got her emotions under control. "It wouldn''t have been possible, without your help, my lady," I replied, and the women smiled.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com It took them a few seconds to get adjusted to it before all of them started to look around, while I was thinking of what could happen when I took the power to Grade II. The effects would be far stronger. The difference between a Grade I and a Grade II is huge. It is not power, but quality that changes with the advancement of grade. I turned to the man, who was still writing rapidly on his scroll. It seemed like I would have to talk to him; not him, but his boss. They might be able to provide help with the questions I have. An hour and a half later, I walked out of the tower. It is ready for the soft opening tomorrow. People from the city, empire, and merchant state would be part of it. Tomorrow is also the day, the girls will move into the college, which will happen in the morning while the soft opening will be in the evening. ... Eliyen I walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower and immediately, other girl went inside. When I looked ahead, I saw a lot of girls waiting for their turn. I had never seen such a crowd, especially this early. I have also been able to level-up my prostitute class twice, taking it to seventeen. Both level-ups were a great surprise to me, seeing I haven''t fucked a single client since they brought my contract. I have made a lot of decisions about many things in the past few months, but one thing, I wasn''t able to decide. The magic talent; I have it. I have been learning the theory, but don''t know whether I want to peruse it. I heard they had built a mage suite, bigger with better facilities. Many girls are excited to learn magic, even those older than me. Everyone wants to learn to cast a spell, seeing Madam Margaux doing it. I can understand the appeal. Magic is a great elevator. Enough to wipe the make of a whore. Seven women, including Madam Margaux, could use the spells. Magic is great, but I want to keep myself focused on the Seamstress Class. Anything could happen; the circle was destroyed less than a week after I had arrived here. The legacy could also be destroyed. So, I want to keep my focus on the Seamstress Class. Learn as much as possible from the teachers. If I am able to take it to Lv. 15, then it will be enough to get hired by shops; it is high enough, that people will ignore my Prostitute Class. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the work I was doing. I am trying to learn the new embroidery technique and it is hard, even with skills like Steady Hands and Mend Threads. "Eli!" I was working on it when I heard my name called and looked up. "What?" I asked Ulban, the orc girl. "It is time for breakfast," she replied. Immediately, my eyes went to the clock. It is past eight. "Thank you," I said to her and put embroidery into my already packed bags before walking out of the room with her. Soon, we reached the cafeteria and picked up the plates before taking the food and sitting at our usual table. Two of our friends were already there, and we sat beside them. All four of us are new. Yani and I came two days before the undead invasion, while Uban and Sanja were after. None of us worked in the establishment. Though we will from the next week. All four of us have cleared our interview. The interview struck me as the strangest of all. These people had brought contracts, but if we wanted to do the job, we would have to do an interview and what is even stranger, is that we worked hard to pass the interview. The money is hard to resist. It is huge; I have seen the money, the old girls have, and it is eye-watering. If I had such money, I would have started my own business already. It is not just the money, but also the power. Forget Carla, the positions of Miss Ina, Miss Lola, Miss Andrea, and a few others were able to reach, were too hard to believe, and the story is that none except for Carla had slept with Silver. Which I find hard to believe, but most old girls seemed to be sure of that. "Today is the day," said Yani. "It is, and I am quite excited," said Ulban; she is the youngest; in her early twenties. "Fantasies are more beautiful than reality. Things we heard might not be as good as they seemed," said Sanja, cynical as always. "Shut up, Sanja." Said Ulban. "I am just saying when people stay away from the thing. They tend to forget the bad things and remember only the good ones," she replied with a shrug, making Ulban even angry. "You are a bitch, Sanja. I hope, you know that," cursed Yani angrily, before focusing on the breakfast. Of course, we know there are problems. No place is perfect, but it is a thousand times better than where we had been before. Even this place we are staying is a hundred times better than any brothel I had been to. So, even if the next place is only slightly better; I would be ecstatic. Soon, we finished the dinner. On the way back, I picked up the newspaper from the stand as I always do. Forty minutes later, I walked out of my room with Ulban with my bag in my hand. I had already sent my other bag yesterday. They said it will be in my new room, waiting for me. I hope nobody steals it; I don''t want to lose my things. They are the best things I had and losing them would be heartbreaking. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 397: Eliyen Chapter 397: Eliyen Eliyen "It seemed like, we are the last ones," said Ulban as we stepped out of the building and saw two hundred girls already there with their bags in their hands. Since the circle was destroyed; all the girls never stayed in the same place. Madam Onaz said, there was no place big enough in the city to keep us together. There is also, a thing about us needing different things. We have grouped here based on the hobbies we have selected, our levels, and a few other factors. Finally, the carriages came and stopped in front of us. Immediately, the girls rushed toward them. Forgetting all the lessons and discipline; they had been taught in the past half a year. "Don''t rush girls!" shouted Madam Onaz and a moment later, I felt her skill. I am not moving, but I felt the powerful compulsion. It hit the girls even harder as they slowed down. They moved slowly and in order. "She is Lv. 25+, might even be level or two away from the Lv. 30," said Yani. I couldn''t help, but nod. Madam class is hard to level-up, but every madam, I had come across here, seemed to be at Lv. 25 and above. The only one who is not is young Madam Gloria, but she is young. She is barely eighteen, but she has not only got the madam class but is also able to take it to Lv. 20. It is extremely hard to achieve something like that. First and foremost, such young girls, don''t get such responsibilities, and even if they do, most cave under the sheer pressure of the job. I wanted to take my Prostitute class to Lv. 20. It had many privileges attached to it, including the private room; Madam Onaz had said the rule that the private room would remain the same. The carriages filled one by one and the new ones took their place. Finally, the last carriages came, and we walked toward it. I didn''t rush toward the carriages. I didn''t see the point of doing it. We all were leaving for the same place; it didn''t matter if we reached there a few minutes later. The eight of us sat in the carriage, and the driver closed the door. A second later, it started moving. In the past few months, rapid changes have occurred in the city. From bustling, a growing small city to nearly deserted after the battle, to the bustling again. I read the newspaper earlier and the headline was the city''s population had reached to level. It had been before the battle. It shocked me because I know how hard it is. Cities like these get ruined and abandoned after the battles like those. It happened in my city. The name of the city was Ekri, and it was on the eastern side of the Oksall; one of the closest to the Navr. The undead attacked, and they had broken through the city like they did seven years earlier. I had lost them in that battle, I didn''t even remember them; I was three years old when it happened. Nineteen years ago, when I was ten. They attacked and broke through the city, once more. Oksall and the whole merchant state didn''t think the city was important and didn''t provide any reinforcement. The city and its people fought bravely but lost.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com The undead did what they always do; they took people. This time, it was my grandmother. I still remember as it was yesterday. The undead broke through our little house and dragged my grandmother away. I still hear her screams in my nightmares. The city tried to get on its feet after but failed and was abandoned. I had spent a few years in the orphanage and when I was fifteen. I had sold myself to the brothel. It is not like, I didn''t try. I did, for almost a year, do all kinds of jobs, including begging, but even in a place like a merchant state, it''s hard. Especially two decades ago, when the war against the undead got especially bad. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the garden surrounding the buildings. We nearly stumbled as I got out. "Thank you," I said to the driver in a hurry and moved toward the gate to the garden. Which is being guarded by the man and woman. They didn''t stop us as we entered inside, admiring the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. There were gardens in Oksall and other cities, but I never got to see one, other than the small one in Ekri. There are hundreds of girls, moving around the garden, looking at beautiful plants and flowers. Some didn''t even listen to signs and plucked the flowers. I wanted to do that too, but I controlled the urge. As I looked at the garden, I could imagine spending my days here. Studying, working on my stitching, under the shade of a tree or one of those beautiful benches by the fountains. It is truly beautiful and the more I look at it, the calmer, I feel. I looked at it for a few minutes, before turning to the buildings. "Classical Harsorthian mixed with Geasik. Architecture Amellus has really built a work of art," said Yani and I count help, but nod. There are four big buildings. I turned to the biggest one. It''s a seven-story building, and it is beautiful. It will take the breath of anyone, who would look at it. Especially those massive wooden doors. It will easily be able to hold eleven hundred and thirty-seven girls. It is bigger than the circle and will be our residence; the lessons will be held in other buildings. If I am not wrong, the five-story building of similar architecture is where the learning will happen. "It is a good thing; they have kept the residence and school separate. There is a need to be a space between them," said Yani. She is interested in architecture and has been taking classes. She had even gone to visit a couple of projects that Elar and Amellus were working on. "That should be a magic suit, right?" I asked. Looking four-story square-shaped building. It is the smallest of three big, but just as beautiful. "Yes," replied Yani. "I thought it would look more like a tower," I said. She turned and looked at me as if I had said the most idiotic thing. "The mage tower is only built when there are elemental pools. It is considered an affront to tradition, to build a magic tower without them. Mages took a great offense to that and destroyed such things," she replied. Her words left me bewildered. For a moment, I thought, she was joking with me, but she was dead serious. I turned to the last building. It is five stories tall and in the shape of a tower. It is the only thing, that didn''t follow the similar architecture as other buildings. It is a spa, and it is built nearly the same as the previous one in the building. Only bigger in size. There is a spa in the tower, but that is for the patrons. This one is only for us. I admired it for a few seconds before turning to the small buildings. There are several of them. I don''t know their purposes, but I will know soon. "There are pools, big swimming pools behind the building," Screamed some girl and many ran toward it. I didn''t move and explored the garden. I would have liked to enter inside the building, but the doors are closed. I explored the area and even checked out the pools; there are three of them and all of them are big. Far bigger than the ponds that used to be a small garden in the circle. Many girls have already removed their clothes and are swimming, not caring about the cold. The temperature may be cold, but the water is warm. I wanted to swim too, but I didn''t want to catch the cold. Especially not at an important time like this. It could derail my debut in the legacy. It is not a price, I am willing to pay for a few minutes of fun. Tap on the to read more than 15 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 398: Mena Horn College Chapter 398: Mena Horn College ¡®Girls, gather in front of the rose circle,¡± The familiar voice rang out in my mind, surprising me. It was the first time; I had heard it directly in my mind. The others seemed to have heard it too as they got out of the pool and dried themselves on the drying stations, before wearing their clothes. I didn¡¯t know about the rose circle is, but many did, and I followed them. It turned out to be the place, where there was a thing covered in black cloth, surrounded by rose flowers of all kinds. It turned out statue; they had not removed the cloth, but most girls are saying statue, and it feels like a statue. When I reached, I saw there were people standing by the statue. Important people, including Silver. I bowed as I had been taught before, standing in line and looking at people. It was not my first time seeing him, but it was the first time, I had seen him, so close and he was young. Though I heard about it, I still hard time believing it. Even now, I am having a hard time; it feels like he is an older man with high vitality. If it is high enough, it slows down, aging considerably. It felt especially true when I looked at his silvery-grey eyes; they looked older than he looked. He is talking to several people, including Carla Salt. The woman is responsible for all his business, including the legacy. She is also his mistress and the only whore he fucked, among all the whores, which I very much doubt.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com There is also the Headmistress Margaux, Madam Caena, Madam Della, and two other women, I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Who is that blond and brunette woman and middle-aged man?¡± I asked the short-haired girl in front of me. ¡°That is Ina Knox and Lola Monet,¡± replied the girl with an idealizing expression. ¡®So, they are the ones who are flying high,¡¯ I thought. I heard about them every day; the girls idolized them. More than Headmistress and Madam Carla. They are whores, that had reached high. So high, that even the ¡®Whore Classes¡¯ had left them, becoming something else. Seeing them, the admiration and jealousy couldn¡¯t help, but rise in my heart. ¡°And that middle-aged man?¡± I asked again, looking at the middle-aged in conversation with Headmistress Margaux. ¡°I think that is Commander Stone,¡± she replied, and a visible surprise appeared on my face. ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to be all muscly and big?¡± I asked. Giant-bloods are big; all giant bloods are big and tall. The middle-aged man was not even six feet tall, and I couldn¡¯t see any muscles through his clothes. I think I had seen Commander Stone once when Silver came and gave us a choice to stay or leave; he was his bodyguard at that time. He was a big man with a big sword on his back. ¡°I heard the awakening had changed him. Now, he is big only when he uses his powers,¡± the girl replied. I nodded and looked at other people, including assistant madams and even that young woman, Gloria. It seemed like everyone important was here. My eyes focused on the middle-aged woman, laughing as she talked with the madams. If I am not wrong, that is Barb Utsa; the woman who breathed fire. Many girls, had seen her breathing fire at the undead, burning. I would have seen it too. If not for being pushed away from the window. All I was able to see was burning undead. A few minutes passed, and everyone seemed to gather. Headmistress Margaux coughed gently, and everyone turned to her. ¡°From today, the new chapter of your life begins.¡± Said Headmistress, looking at every eye, looking at her. ¡°Many of us come here without our will and in despair, but I promise you all that you will leave this place, it will be with your own will and a great future,¡± Her words have lit up hopes in the eyes of new girls, while old ones nodded. They had benefits; they had the new classes and skills, that would help them live a respectful life and big savings for the twilight days. ¡°I hope, your time here will be joyful despite the nature of our business. We will make sure, you learn everything that will help you all live a respectful life, without the burden of our profession; it is our promise,¡± she said. Clap Clap Clap Immediately, applause rang out from a thousand girls and lasted for nearly a minute. It was not a great speech, but it told the girls what they wanted to hear. It is a good thing; I hadn''t touched those flowers. I like sweets; it would have been regretful if I had missed that. Krrrrrr! Soon, the older woman reached the enormous doors and pushed them with both of her hands, revealing the massive lobby. ¡°The envelope, you have received has the key to your rooms. The first number is the floor, the second number is the suite, and the third number is the room inside the suite.¡± ¡°I am sure, you are capable of finding it on your own. If you still have any problem, ask them,¡± she said, pointing at four teenage girls; wearing identical white dresses with name pin on the shoulder. I barely looked at them as I was busy being mesmerized by the huge lobby. It is beautiful, with murals on its domes and beautiful statues and paintings. There are also four elevators and stairs, with information boards everywhere. I took out the envelope and tore it open, revealing the key. Many had opened them yesterday when they received it, but I wanted to open a mine on time. I looked at the key, which had ¡®03-11-02¡¯ carved on it. It means I have to go to the third floor. I looked at the elevator; I loved them. The circle had them; on my first day, I had used them tens of times. I wanted to use one right, but seeing the crowd, I don¡¯t think. I would be able to. So, I took the stains, not immediately. I waited for a few minutes as they were too crowded, before walking on them. The stairs were beautiful marble, and I wanted to touch them with bare feet. They are laden with art like in the lobby, and it is good. It brings the life to the whole place. I looked at each one of them, till I reached the third floor, Each door is carefully marked, with many girls opening the doors of the suite, leading to their room. Soon, I reached the eleventh suite and saw a red-haired half-orc girl opening the door. I recognize her. She was in the same building as me, but we had never talked. ¡°Which room are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Second,¡± I replied, and the smile on her face became bigger. ¡°It seemed like we are going to be room partners,¡± she said, showing me her key, which is the same as mine. We entered inside the suite, and like the last time, each suite had four rooms with one private room in the middle. The suite is bigger than what was in the circle and has far more luxuries. From the quality of the furniture to the paint covering the walls, everything looks better. Click! This is our room, she said and opened the room, and we entered inside. ¡°Wow! It is better than I had imagined,¡± said the woman as she unlocked the room. It is amazing, slightly bigger than before, and has better furniture; there is also a window, providing a view of the park. ¡°You are from the latest batch?¡± I asked. She nodded as looked around the room and I looked at her. She is a half-orc, short of five-five, and has green skin, which is the same shade as the orcs, but she is slimmer like humans, with a round face and blue eyes. She is beautiful, especially when her canines come out. ¡°I am Eliyen,¡± I introduced. I know her name from the door, but an introduction is necessary. It creates familiarity. ¡°Batul,¡± she replied and shook my hand. ¡°Which side, do you want?¡± she asked, turning to beds. ¡°Anything is fine with me,¡± I replied. I don¡¯t have a preference. Though some like Ubal are particular about them. ¡°Then I am going to take the left,¡± she said and picked up her bags from the floor and put it on the table, before jumping on the bed. ¡°So, soft!¡± She cooed. I smiled, seeing that, and picked up my bag and placed it on the bed. I had just opened it when she turned to me. ¡°We can do that later. Let¡¯s explore this place first,¡± she said, getting up from her bed. I wanted to decline, but I nodded. ¡°Sure,¡± I replied. I am curious about this place too and want to see everything it has to offer. Especially look for the sewing room, the circle has it; I hope this place has it too. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 399: The Opening Day Chapter 399: The Opening Day Homers "Mom, I want to come too," said a young woman of fourteen.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com "You know, we can''t take you, honey. You have to stay in the territory till we return," I said to my daughter. She wanted to come, since we received the invitation; the last when I returned, she was shocked seeing me and wanted to go to the spa. We can''t take her, she is too young, also because she is the heir, and one will become a lady of territory. She needs to be here to take reigns of territory in case something happened to us, on the trip. It is not Silver or Dane we fear, but the undead. They had turned such parties bloody, but we needed to go. It will be the first exchange with Greltheaven, aside from various negotiations, that had been happening in the past six months. A few tidbits have leaked over the week, and that made me extremely excited. I want to see it with my own eyes, while Elias does his business. Though, I hope, he will find some time for the spa. The last time was memorable, especially the time after treatments; it had lighted up the fire in our sex life, that had been nearly dead. It will not be just a trip for pleasure. Elias and other members of the council are going to have a negotiation with Silver. It will be on many things, but one of the most important is emotion essence or rather potions with the emotion essence. Those things are lifesavers. We want them and have been asking Silver about it, but till now, he has not budged even an inch on that. We know his legacy is producing the emotion essence and selling them to merchant states for potions with emotion essence and other things. His army had used them in both of the battles; it is what saved many of his powerhouses from dying in the battle. We need them; the monsters are attacking regularly and also Dane. He had suffered a humiliating defeat in the battle against us and that only increased his resolve to put the Baronies under his thumb. Getting those things from silver will help our powerhouses against Dane. "Are you ready?" asked Elias as he walked into the parlor. "Yes," I replied. "Let''s go. We have to reach Lauryl in time," he said. A few minutes later, the carriage moved out of the castle toward the Lauryl. Silver had invited all the nobles, but the council had decided to send only six. They have also decided to not send the most powerful ones, seeing the state of baronies where we are keeping a tight eye on the monsters and mirador hold. Of six three are council members. Including its leader, Baron Husk, Elias, and, of course, Baroness Laila. She is becoming essential, one of the four pillars of baronies. She had become as powerful as the other three; unlike the three, she is a mage. She might be lower level than three, but equally powerful due to the spells. Silvers may be merchants, but they have produced two talented people. I heard Remus Silver was quite good at fighting too; he had fought both of the battles when he could have easily stayed behind. This is good news for us, the stronger these people are, the better our security of baronies will be. However, they shouldn''t become too powerful; we want baronies ruled by a council, not by a sole leader. Soon, we reached the Lauryl, and it was not the town it had been six months ago. It had turned into a city, with its population going past fifty thousand people and increasing faster. "Silver is really good; the plans he made for it will turn Lauryl into a prosperous city," I said as I looked around. The council had made only a slight change in the plans, that Silver had crafted for the city. They are so good, that they couldn''t find anything better and just rebranded it in their names. "If we kept growing as such; it won''t take us more than three years to catch up to the Greltheaven," said Elias. I couldn''t help, but nod at that. The Greltheaven has its advantages, because of the river, but it is a city without resources. Unlike it, Lauryl had the resources from mines to agriculture to trade links between Oksall and Navr, which is growing every month. There is also the rising industry of tanning and monster part packaging. Monster''s attack and we have created an industry out of it. Earlier, we used to sell it. Semi-processed leather, meat, and other things came from the monsters, but now we process every part of it from leather, bones, blood, and others before selling. It had brought a lot of people to the city and gave them the job. Not to mention the money. Soon, the carriage entered the hold, and we exited. Elias went to his meeting while I went to the parlor, where ladies were already waiting, including Mrs. Silver. She is coming. I heard she doesn''t like the bastard of her husband much. "Ladies," I greeted as I sat down. "What are you all talking about?" I asked, the eyes turned to Mrs. Silver for a moment, before turning back to me. When I got out, I couldn''t help, but become surprised. There is a pier in here; there was a pier before, but this one is much bigger, with boats carefully lined up. There are also uniformed guards that keep keeping eye on everything. I was looking when I saw the old man coming toward us, with four uniformed guards behind him. He looked familiar; I felt like, I had seen him somewhere. "Hendriks, he was a personal assistant of Silver Senior," Informed Elias. "My Lords, ladies, please," said the old man as he stopped in front of us, before leading us to the boats. The boats are beautiful, and one by one, we sat on it, before it began to take us to the other side. "It has been a while, Hendriks," said Mrs. Silver. "Exactly, two years, madam," he replied to the old man. A flash of guilt appeared in the eyes of Baroness Leila''s eyes, while sparks of anger appeared in the eyes of Mrs. Silver. "I heard you are working under a whore. Quiet a fall from the job, you had," she said, shocking everybody. Immediately, all the conversation stopped, and the eyes turned to her. Even she seemed to realize, she had said something she shouldn''t have. It is fine if she calls Carla a whore in front of us, but she is calling her whore, in front of her colleague, in the dominion of silver. Carla isn''t just the business head of Silver, but also his mistress. I heard he is quite smitten with her. This woman despite being intelligent wasn''t able to control her emotions and said what she shouldn''t have. "Mother," said Baroness Leila, and she was angry. There is a fire burning in her eyes. "My apologies, Hendricks. I misspoke," Mrs. Silver apologized. The old man didn''t say anything other than smile. It is wise for him to not say anything because it is not his place to forgive. It is his place to repeat what he heard to his boss. A good servant always reports to his masters. The rest of the ride went in silence. It was awkward. Nobody knew what to say. It''s all because that woman couldn''t keep her enmity at bay. Finally, the boat reached the other side of the river and what I saw couldn''t help but surprise me. The bustling port. I had heard it had reached its former peak, but still, I thought it was an exaggeration, but it didn''t seem like it. The port is far more bustling than its peak. I was here when it was at its peak and the port wasn''t as bustling as it is right now. "It''s likely because of the opening," said Elias. Even he and the other nobles were surprised by the bustle. We got out and saw three people waiting for us. The one on the left, I recognized immediately. Damon Hardt; the former head of the merchant guild and the new director of trade. On the left is the woman I didn''t recognize. She is young, in her early to mid-twenties, strikingly beautiful, with skin that seemed to glow in the morning sun. Every man, including Elias, had to struggle to move their eyes away from her. I looked at them focusing on the boy in the middle of them. He looks to be eleven or twelve with bronze skin; he is also quite handsome. Might even be able to beat Silver, when he reaches the age. Every eye had turned to him. "Welcome to Greltheaven, dear Lords and Ladies," said the boy and bowed faintly with grace. If I am right, then he is Heron Raak, Silver''s brother, who came out of nowhere. I heard he is not Silver''s blood brother; the other child that came with him is his blood sibling. Nobody knows where they came from. Only Baroness Leila seemed to know the answer. The council had asked her, but she replied it was a family matter. "Thank you, for greeting us personally, Master Raak," said Baron Husk, while Mrs. Silver, looked at him, like she wanted to bore a hole into him. The hate is evident in her eyes. Before them, if something had happened to Silver, everything he had would have been theirs. Likely Baroness Leila''s, but now with them, the chances of it happening had disappeared. Silver had hinted in the past few weeks that he was thinking of making his sister his heir, till he had his own children. We talked to the four before they led us to the carriages waiting for us, which took us to the city. Tap on the Patreon below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 400: The Park Chapter 400: The Park "The day is good," I said as I looked at the sky. I was worried that it was going to be another cloudy day as it had been for the past three days, but it was not. It is a sunny day, marking the end of winter. It is a comfortably warm day, enough to sunbathe. Which is good. If it had been cloudy, the experience of the park wouldn''t have been as good as it will now be. "I am leaving everything to you, Robin," I said to the man beside me. "Go, I will handle everything here," he replied. I nodded and walked toward the carriage. Today is the day of opening. I want to focus on my legacy and hand everything to Robin. The guests have already started coming in. The nobles of Nakar Baronies had come half an hour ago and more were coming every hour. There are multiple welcoming parties with Carla and Robin, along with Heron welcoming the most important people. Last night, I received the news of someone important coming. They were going to send the representative, but changed his mind at the last moment, likely because of his mistress who will be in Greltheaven in two hours. She is coming to the spa. She had come to the spa last time, a week before the undead attacked. She was thoroughly impressed, she had told me that personally. His appearance will bring a lot of confidence in the city. Except for the nobles of Nakar Baronies and him, everybody is sending their representatives. Even the princes have sent their representative; I had met one last night, and I wanted to punch the man. Click! I pushed those throught aside and stepped into the carriage. It got out of the city hall and moved toward the tower. Today, the city is feeling more vibrant. There are more people on the street than usual. I have been informed of the high number of people entering the city. They are from merchant states, but also from Deerpond and Inam. Even people from Gailhorn are coming and not the only ones I had sent the invitation to. The relationship with the Gailhorn is good. Trade with them is increasing every month; even our merchants have started to trade with Navr. Though nearly all things they are buying, they are selling outside. Mostly to the empire. The city and region are still not ready to accept the things coming from the undead kingdom. Soon we reached near the park, and this area was most crowded. The circular area by the canal had become the prime real estate. The prices had shot past what they had been in the peak and after the opening; they will increase further. The girls have made a lot of real estate investment and it has already started giving them great returns. I could see the crowd of people by the canals, waiting for the park to open, while many passing the time by shopping in beautiful shops by the canal and eating in the restaurant. The opening will be in phases throughout the day. The first one to open will be the park; it will open at one and half an hour later at ten. At twelve, the five floors will open, along with the spa, and at six, the brothel, the theatre, and Eva''s store. At nine, the top three floors will open; it is where the opening party is being held. The carriage crossed the bridge and moved along the beautifully paved road. A few minutes later, it entered a huge garden surrounding the tower, before stopping in front of its doors. Click! I got out and admired the tower; it was even more beautiful than the vision. One look and anyone would want to enter inside. There is also that faint fragrance that pulls one toward the tower. This is no normal fragrance. It comes from plants that consume emotion essence as food. Those powers of emotion essence, mixed with fragrance from plants, create a deadly combination. I have looked at it many times, but every time I look, I get mesmerized by it. I pulled myself a few seconds later and walked inside. It was when the real thing hit me. Outside, it is a faint fragrance, but inside it is a wave, that submerges you, the moment you step in it. In this vast lobby, there are plants everywhere, but they do not feel crowded. Each of these plants is beautiful, so much, one would get enamored by them instantly. Initially, I wanted to have the stores in the lobby, but I have decided against it. Aside from plants, there is beautiful furniture, from sofas to tables to chairs. Its walls have beautiful paintings. There are statues and other art pieces. All of them are loaned from different people and my house. I can''t put cheap art in my legacy. Every piece is beautiful and complements the plants to increase the beauty of the lobby. Which irritated Miss Cain, but the woman was as well as Eva at controlling her emotions. "Please reconsider it, My Lord. Twelve would be a great time for opening. There are important people coming for the spa," "It would help, the store''s reputation. If we got the patrons like them," she said. "You do not have to worry about that Eva. Six is better timing, believe me," I replied. She faintly opened her mouth to press, but closed it after seeing me expressions. I have made my decision, and I am not going to change it. "Thank you for your time, my lord," she said and bowed before walking out of my office. They might be angry, but in a few hours, they will be overjoyed. Click! Soon, an hour passed, and I walked out of my office and took the stairs to the roof. Carla and Caena were already there. I nodded at them, before turning to the city. From this place, I could look at the entire city and the river. Even the dots on it, which are the ship. The city is smaller than almost any city, I have even been in this world, but it has great potential. It is my duty to grow it to that. Minutes passed and soon, there was only one minute to ten, when Caena twirled her finger and immediately, the things from far began to get closer. Now, I could see the canal, the bridges, and thousands of people, waiting for the garden to open. If I concentrated, I could even see their faces and excitement in their eyes as they looked at the garden that was a few steps away from them. They are not just people from the city, but also from outside; they all come for the grand opening of the legacy. They are going to bring a lot of income to the city. Gong! Seconds passed and at exactly ten, I raised my hand up. The power moved around me, and a deep, sonorous sound rang out. It spread through the whole city. The guards also listened and finally moved away, opening the way for the people. Immediately, thousands of them rushed toward the three bridges across the park. There are four bridges, but one is only for the college. "They might crush each other if they move like that," said Carla worriedly. "They won''t. The guards have crowd control skills," I replied. The rush surprised me, but I had prepared for it. They are rushing, but there won''t be a stampede. I am looking at guards and they are doing a good job of managing the crowd. The crowd entered the parks and moved in different directions. Half of them walked toward the tower, while many went toward the boats. Some just found the spot and took out the blanket from the basket and the day down by the lake. The idea was of the garden, but it had turned into the park, before becoming even bigger. Now, the whole park covers two hundred and fifty-three acres of land. It had everything, gardens, lakes, hills, gazebos, and paved trails. There are also cute shops selling snacks and souvenirs. "It didn''t take even a minute, for all the boats to get into the water," said Caena. The people brought tickets so fast. That they got sold out, within seconds. There are a limited number of boats, for them to have a memorable experience. So, even if all boats entered the canal, like right now. It won''t feel crowded. "Those poor children; I wish, they could come in the park," said Carla, looking at me. She wanted access open to the children too, but I am opposed to it. The entry is fourteen plus. Though, the canal is accessible to people of all ages, including children. I would have liked to give them access to the park and tower, but I know, the business I am running. It might seem hypocritical, but I want to shield them. It is not the final decision. I might reduce the age by a year or two, but it won''t be lower than twelve. The rush continued for minutes. The people spread into every corner of it, that the massive garden begins to feel small. It made me happy, to see it is not overkill for a small city. We watched for half an hour, before walking out of the roof. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. The park''s opening was the easiest; the others won''t be as smooth as this one. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 401: Tower Chapter 401: Tower Click! The door closed, and the carriage began to move toward the legacy. There are ten minutes to eleven and we have an appointment of twelve-thirty at the spa. It is a little early, but we want to see things. We arrived in the city a few hours ago and held a meeting with a few people, but we were able to get one with Silver and his people. They do not have time till tomorrow. "Were you able to get anything from Gina Arryn?" Elias asked, and I shook my head. "That woman isn''t willing to let even a single word slip. She is my second cousin, and we had good relations. I wanted to find out what the merchant guild is thinking about our proposal. We sent one to them a few days ago and there will be negotiations with a merchant guild of two cities a week later. It is pretty important, and I hoped to gain some insight, but the woman isn''t willing to give even a single hint. "I didn''t have any success either; they aren''t willing to talk business unless it is in an official capacity," Elias said, and I sighed. "Silver is running a tight ship," I stated. It wasn''t so difficult when the Count was in charge. You could pretty much know anything as long as you know who to ask. Since Silver took charge, he has replaced nearly everyone, including those in the merchant guild, and now they aren''t willing to do something, that will cause them to lose their jobs. Many had lost their jobs due to the loose tongue. "Still, we need to try," said Elias, and I couldn''t help, but nod. There are people in the baronies providing Silver information. Not just the officials, but also the Barons themselves. Silver knows things he shouldn''t. It''s clear, that people are providing him with information. It had given him an advantage in the negotiations with us. We would like some advantages too and one of the objectives of this trip of cultivate the sources, that will provide us with that. Things are difficult, but we have several targets and I plan to succeed in at least convincing one. Minutes passed, and the park came into view. I have never seen it before, but there is only one place in Greltheaven with a canal. As we got closer, I saw the boats moving on it. There are people sitting alone, couples, families and friends. They even have a musician playing the instrument and singing. "I want to ride on those boats," I said. "We will," replied Elias with a smile. Soon, the carriage crossed the bridge. "Stop," I said to the driver, and Elias looked at me in confusion. "Let''s walk," He nodded, and we walked out of the carriage. It moved toward the tower while we walked on a beautifully paved road. There are people everywhere, sitting on the small hills. On benches, picnic tables, and blankets. There are lakes, walking trails, and cute shops, selling souvenirs and snacks. People seemed to having fun, seeing how their faces were glowing. "We need a park like this," I said. We have built a few gardens, but no park. It would be much cheaper in Lauryl, considering its soil is fertile. There is no power, like a wasteland, that stops anything from growing. This means the maintenance would also be cheaper. "Such an enormous expense wouldn''t be possible before we build the wall," replied Elias, and I sighed. Council had ambition for Lauryl and the first thing, they wanted to do was build a wall. We have a wall, but it is of the wood. We need a real wall, like the one Greltheaven, and other cities have. The tower is beautiful, but one would instantly notice a flaw. The pale yellow color feels odd to the beautiful architecture of the tower. It is the color of the wastelands'' soil, but when looked at it is long enough with the plants. The flaw becomes a become strength. The tower isn''t completely covered by them. Some of its columns are covered so thoroughly that one couldn''t see even a small part of it, but some columns are naked. Some floors are densely covered in plants, but others are sparse It creates a contracting visual. It fills one''s mind so that one can think of nothing other than it. There is also the faint smell. It is a mixture of hundreds of flowery smells that affect every part of the body and pull one toward the tower. "Silver had really created something incredible," said the familiar voice. I turned and saw Baron Husk, with his wife. There is also Baroness Leila and Madam Silver. She is looking at the tower with hate, but also admiration. "He has," said Elias, before we walked toward the door of the tower. Gasp! We stepped through the enormous doors, and I heard the gasps. Only to realize I was one of the people who had gasped. It is too shocking to not gasp in shock. Seeing the tower from outside, I knew inside, would be incredible, but what I am seeing is still beyond anything I had imagined. There are plants everywhere, beautiful plants like the work of art, releasing the smells that enthralled me. These plants, and the smells, released from them meld wonderfully with the amazing art pieces, that are placed around the lobby. "Luminous sylphwell, wyvern flowers, darkblo..." I was looking at them when I heard the faint voice. Only to see, Lady Husk naming the plants. The woman who only gossiped had effortlessly named these plants. I wouldn''t have been surprised if it was Baroness Leila, but very much with Baroness Husk. It seemed like, she was not a simple woman. Seeing us, looking at her, she stopped, with her cheeks reddening. "All of them are extremely rare plants. They consume emotion mist for food." She said, before walking toward the tree with dark flowers. She was about to touch them when she stopped and moved her hand back. She seemed to have felt something, seeing how her expressions changed. I am not surprised to see that. These plants are precious and there must be protection around them. "Silver is going to earn a lot of money and influence from these plants," she said and began to look at the other plants in the lobby. Of course, we knew that, and it was going to be one of the topics for the negotiations. We want some of it. A few alchemists in merchant states have contacted us. They are willing to sell us potions with emotion essence and other restricted goods if we are able to provide them with the resources produced by these plants. It will be hard to get them from silver, but if we did. Baronies will benefit tremendously. We looked at every plant and wonderful piece of art. Many of these are popular, like the kavas portrait, in front of me. It is from the collection of a house of silver. Their name was written on the metallic plaque below it. There are many other pieces, and they are different sources. Including the House of Ashav and the House of Blackwell. "He had turned this lobby into a freaking museum. Each one of these pieces is worth a fortune," said Elias, and I couldn''t help but nod. He is not talking about just the art, but also the plants. If anyone was able to steal, even a few of them; they would never need to work in their life. We looked at them before unwillingly walked to the elevator. We would have liked to stay further, but there''s only ten minutes to our spa appointment. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 402: Spa I Chapter 402: Spa I Rutto ¡°Greltheaven, once again,¡± I said as I walked down from the ship. I had come here nine months ago but needed to return immediately. Those bastards didn¡¯t even let me enter the city and sent me back from the port. It was embarrassing for me in the court. It had ruined my reputation and made me bankrupt. If not for that, fortunate incident, that brought me back to the good graces of his imperial majesty. I would have been still in that hellhole. Those months were the worst time of my life. Coming here is a dangerous decision. Seeing the undead could capture the city, but there was no future in the court. It is also not safe. Especially for me, who could barely protect himself. To me, this place will be much safer than the court. Prince Grelt is dead. That bastard Darrow is also dead. Without them, the old man is no threat. I would have really liked it if the old bastard had been here. I wanted to take the revenge on him. I looked at the city and the barely visible tower. Soon, I will be its guardian and all that emotion essence will be under my control. So are those precious plants, that his majesty wants. Not to mention the whores. I didn¡¯t get a chance at them last time; time, they will be mine. ... ... Homers Ding! The chiming sound rang out, as the doors of the elevator opened. We stepped out and immediately felt the familiar sensation of the legacy that filled our souls, and this time; it is far more powerful. I still remember the feeling of last time and what I had felt last time pales compared to what I am feeling right now. For a moment, I thought the legacy had advanced. Which is obviously not true. It is still Grade I, but more powerful than the last time. It is not just the power of the legacy, that overwhelmed me, but also the enthralling smells and beauty of the plants around me. I thought the plants in the lobby were the most beautiful, with the most wonderful smell, but I had been wrong. These plants are more beautiful and the smells coming from them had reached my soul. They have started to bring out emotions that I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. I looked at the beautiful plants and the emotion mist covering them. They look so beautiful like the parts of heaven brought into the mortal world. I found tears had started to come out of my eyes. I looked around and saw nearly everyone had tears in their eyes. The only one among us, that felt less affected is Baroness Leila. Even her eyes are misty. The woman is very good at controlling her emotions. I had never seen her show emotions when she didn¡¯t want to, but this place had affected her, too. ¡°Welcome to the velvet spa, ladies and gentlemen,¡± said a young voice. Only to see a young woman in a white dress standing in front of us. Mist felt strong, and I didn¡¯t forget the suppression that I felt here when I activated my skills last time. The three people shook as we did, but the woman helped them sit on mats before they could fall on the ground. Within a second, they begin to shake wildly. I was looking at them, when a woman in her middle age, with Nazarian features, wearing in spa uniform in fuchsia colors, stopped beside me. ¡°My lady. If you are emptied, I could take you to the waiting room.¡± She said, in a most soothing accented voice. I nodded and even took her help in getting up, which I wouldn¡¯t have if it had been under any other circumstances. She opened the door without any sound and took me out of the hall to the waiting room. It is huge and beautiful with plants, and the waterfall, which I think connects to all the rooms. They have built rooms around it. ¡°What was that? The sensory outburst was sudden and controllable,¡± I asked the woman. ¡°The legacies are places that harvest emotions. When it mixes with things that overwhelm the senses. It triggers the flood of emotions,¡± she replied in a calming voice. ¡°It was extreme,¡± I said, and the woman smiled. ¡°That is good. I am sure you have started to feel the benefits of it already,¡± she said and I couldn¡¯t help, but nod. I am feeling calm as I had never before; even calmer than after the spa treatment last time. She led me to a seat, and I sat down before handing me a catalog. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and the woman smiled. ¡°If you have any queries about any treatment, please ask any of the assistants,¡± she said and walked away. I watched her leave and look at the assistants. The teen girls strategically stood around the different parts of the waiting room. I turned to the catalog and started to read. The first time when I came, there were only two treatment packages. One for men, one for women; each one offering four treatments. Now, there are over twenty packages, offering every type of treatment possible. Hun! I was reading it when I noticed a woman coming and sitting by me. It is none other than Baroness Husk. She looked different; a few lines on her face seemed to have vanished, making her look a little younger. ¡°It had been a decade since I cried like that,¡± she said, with a small peaceful smile. ¡°But it feels good, right?¡± I asked, and the woman nodded. ¡°Like the load, I never knew lifted from my shoulders,¡± she replied. A few minutes later, Baroness Leila came, and then Madam Silver. Who, for the first time, looked calm since coming to the city. I wonder how long that is going to last. I was getting worried about Elias when I finally saw him coming, making me feel relieved. He sat down in front of me. Our eyes met before he turned to the catalog. We didn¡¯t talk, nor did we need to. I know he is fine, better than fine. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 403: Spa II Chapter 403: Spa II Homers Hun! I was studying the catalog when I noticed a striking half-elf coming out of the room. There are many come out, including two elves, but this one is special. Not only because she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, but also because, as she came out, Maeve Hanson walked to her with a big smile on her face. The head of the spa didn''t come to meet us, or even Baroness Leila, but she had gone to meet this half-elf personally. I looked at my peers to ask. If they recognized her, when I saw a surprise, on Baroness Leila''s face. "Do you know her Baroness?" I asked her and every head turned to her as she nodded. "Safmae Tylcharis. Mistress of Lord of Owlspring," she replied. Immediately, information about her flooded in. The woman is the bellowed mistress of the Lord of Owlspring. He is so smitten with her, that it is said, he had left his every other mistress. She also wields huge political power as much as his wife. More than her, seeing how much the Lord of Owlspring adores her. Which is quite surprising seeing, it had been barely three years since she had become his mistress. "Mistresses are the scourge. There should be laws like the Kingdom of Sukar in the empire," said Mistress Silver, drawing a glare from her daughter. Kingdom of Sukar, where infidelity is punished with burning one at the stake. I looked at the woman, who still had hate in her heart, despite the emptying of emotions a few minutes ago. "Have you chosen?" Elias asked. I nodded. It was a struggle, since everything looked good. Including the package I had chosen last time. I wanted to choose it again, but pushed that thought aside, no matter how enticing it looked. "You?" I asked, and he nodded too. Seeing that, I turned to the assistant, and immediately, the girl felt my gaze and walked toward me, while the other girl came out and took her place. I had looked over twenty packages before choosing one. It is quite expensive, but I know it will be worth it. Ethereal Bliss 1. Luminous Facial. 2. Oruan Hand and Foot Ritual. 3. Dreamweaver Hot Stone Message. 4. Serene Scalp Treatment. 5. Hydrating Masin Bath. The teen girl appeared and gave a graceful bow. She did it better than most of my staff. "Have you chosen your package, my lady?" she asked, "Yes. Etherial Bliss," I replied. "And you, my lord?" she asked, turning to Elias. "Hydrating Farer," he replied. "You two share two treatments. Would you like to do them together?" she asked, and I looked at Elias, who nodded. "Yes," I replied. A minute later, we changed into our robes and went for our treatments. Elias had treatment on the same floor, but I had needed to go floor below. As the girl had said, the waterfall did cover the entire four floors. We moved around it, before stopping at the room with a beautifully carved white door. Click! The girl opened the door, and I walked inside. The room is small but beautifully decorated. It has plants and shelves filled with different beauty products and tools. In the center is a black spa chair and beside it is a woman. She is an elf with aqua-blue hair and blue eyes. She is wearing a fitting fuchsia spa uniform, with a name tag on her chest. It is not a question of staff or money, I could afford it, but it is a damn legacy. It is what makes the whole experience special. The bath lasted for an hour and I wish it would have lasted more. Two women brought me out of the pool and wiped all the water away from me, before coating my body with a cream. It seeped into my skin, making my skin even more lustrous and vibrant than before. "Thank you for allowing us to serve you, my lady," said the woman. "It is I who should be thanking you. It was a wonderful experience," I thanked and both of them smiled. I walked toward the door and saw Elias was doing the same and once again, he was covered in mist and so was I. Click! We got out of the room and the girl was waiting for us outside. "My lord, my lady, have the treatments been to your satisfaction?" asked the young girl. "It was an experience I would never forget," I replied, and the young girl smiled. "Do you want me to take you to the changing room, or will you rest?" she asked. Elias turned to me as I turned to him before we turned to the girl. "We will rest," I replied. Silver had created a spa, but he kept the roots of the brothel intact. It wouldn''t be a full experience if it didn''t end with that. The girls nodded and took us to the elevator. This one is small and hidden; have a space for only four people. The door closed, and the elevator moved above. Soon, it reached the upper floor of the spa, but it didn''t stop there and kept moving up. Ting! It stopped at the floor above. The door opened and walked ahead, while we followed behind. As we were going toward it. I saw the people coming and felt a spark of fear, but there was also dark excitement, which surprised me. I had not expected I would feel such emotions. It would be embarrassing or even damaging if people recognized us, but that fear disappeared as I looked at them properly. The people are covered in the mist, and it is not light. One couldn''t even see their silhouette properly. I looked at Elias and saw the mist surrounding him had also turned denser. The mist was magical. Despite getting denser, it didn''t impede my vision, I could see everything clearly. Click! Soon, the girls stopped by the door and opened it. "Have a good rest, my lord, my lady," she said. I looked at the girl and entered inside the beautiful room. I looked at it, especially our clothes, which were hanging on a rack as if they were expecting us would be doing this. I was looking at the clothes when I felt an intense gaze. I turned to Elias, and my breath got stuck. All the mist covering us had disappeared. He looked handsome as the day, I first saw him, except for the glowing hair. He had that same intensity in his eyes that drew me toward him. Feeling those eyes, my cheeks reddened and my heart began to beat wildly. He kept looking at me for several seconds, before raising his hands up and pulling the sash of my robe, which fell to my feet. "I love you," he said breathlessly and took my lips for a kiss, making me feel like, the first time he kissed me. I melded into him, pouring all the love I have for him. A minute later, the gentle kisses begin to get passionate. I moved my hand toward his robe and pulled it. It fell down, and we moved toward the bed, without lips leaving each other. Soon, we were on the bed, with our bodies moving in rhythm. Gentle moans escaped from our lips, as we made love as we did the first time on our wedding night. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 404: Store Chapter 404: Store Click! I returned to my office after checking things. It is five, already, only one hour before the store and theater open and four hours till the party. Everything is ready. Still, I couldn''t help but feel nervous, but also excited. I took a deep and sat on my chair, before closing my eyes. They remained closed for over a minute before I opened them. I am not in my office, but in a dark space, with a huge sun in front of me. The core is shining brighter than ever before. It is absorbing a large amount of emotions. I had it earlier and now it is even greater. The amount of emotions is nearly as much as the day legacy advanced to Grade II. Where the people were scared of the undead, giving core to massive emotions to absorb. The day after that, the legacy exploded. It was the last time it had harvested such essence before today. I had expected a good harvest from the spa, but not this. The crying hall really worked. It is sensory therapy, and I wasn''t trying to create it, because it is damn hard to create something, that will affect all three senses and trigger the floor of emotions. It had occurred right after we opened the vortex waterfall. People begin to cry, inconsolably. Understanding what is happening. We removed what it was before and created the sensory therapy room. In that place, people release their emotions in flood and give them peace. The legacy absorbs those emotions and gives me emotion essence. We have also found out that people release emotions after that are less, but far purer. It is why. It is a mandatory spa policy to take every patron to the sensory hall before they start with the other treatments. It couldn''t help but make me ecstatic, because this was from the spa alone. When the other twelve floors of legacy open. The harvest would double, at least. Which will be greater than what I had estimated. The sheer amount of emotion and essence I will get from it. Even after spending on the plants; I will have enough to achieve a lot of things. I might not even need to wait for several months to start that plan. I looked at it, before focusing on the planets. These are getting strengthened by the emotion essence, which is the core sharing with them. They had absorbed a lot of emotions'' essence, becoming stronger. It is not only the emotion essence; the legacy harvested from people, that is strengthening them, but also the ones from two dead legacies. I wish I could have taken more, but I didn''t want to be suspicious. My legacy already is doing things that the normal legacy of Grade II couldn''t. A moment later, everything had disappeared. I need everything to go perfectly. The survival of the entire city depends on it. ... Eva "Enough mom, everything is perfect!" said Cara as I adjusted the mannequin gently.Findd new stories at novelhall.com I stopped and sighed. I always get like this whenever; the new store is close to opening. The store will open at six, less than an hour away. I am still a little irritated that it didn''t open at twelve, as they had said it would. "Where is Elese?" I asked. "There," Cara pointed, and I saw Miss Cain sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed. She is the opposite of me. Calm, with all worry and nervousness, buried in her heart. I looked away from her and looked around the store. We got the entire floor; the only ones who got that, and Miss Rolgath and Colt did a wonderful job of mixing Remus''s vision and mine. The Charles Stores are boutique stores, but this is Eva Cain, and it is a Couture Store. A level above. First, we decided to name the store Charles Cain, but I don''t want the store associated with the Charles brand. I had tried to venture into couture space before, but the competition was brutal, and I had suffered heavy losses. I had promised myself to never venture into that space again, unless I was really prepared. I felt I wasn''t, but Remus had forced me. Remus said he would only give me space. If it is a Couture Store. If I decline, he will find Miss Cain another partner. It was the biggest reason. Cara had intense opposition to the investment here. Here, all the clothes are designs of Miss Cain, while the jewelry is mine. The stuff like perfume, shoes, and other things are from our best in-house designers and exclusive partners. Everything here has never been sold anywhere, including our stores. All the designs are new, as Remus wanted. The demands of Remus were too much. Not any sane person would have accepted it. Especially in the city so small, that barely a hundred people could afford what we are selling here. Still, I had a gut feeling, and I took the risk. If it failed, it would cost me a lot. I am not worried about money, despite spending a substantial amount of it. I am worried about the reputation. I looked around the store and it felt like a piece of heaven. Our most beautiful pieces among the magical plants. It doesn''t just look like a piece of heaven but also smells like it, feels like it. It sold for exorbitant price; there was a bidding war for it. "Should we increase the prices?" asked Cara, understanding the value of mist. Both me and Miss Cain shook our heads immediately. Remus said it is an experience that he wants us to provide. Something people never forget. We have to follow that vision. He was not joking. When he said he would kick us out, it didn''t provide him with enough emotions. Besides, our prices aren''t low at all. He had asked us to set the prices of pieces as high as possible. Rejecting the prize charts twice before accepting. Now, our prizes are among the highest of couture stores. "What about changing the invitation-only policy?" she asked, and I shook my head again. Couture Store, invitation only, were his ideas. He would have told us if we needed to change that. Ting! We were talking when the elevator rang, bringing us the first patrons. It is a group of five; someone I know, well. "Ahhh!" They were frozen for seconds before a loud excited scream rang out and the triplet of girls of seventeen years came screaming into the store. They begin to look at the pieces with bubbling excitement and desire. I know these girls, and they are a handful. Their parents simply shook their heads before coming toward me. "Eva, you were so modest, when I had asked you about the store," said Waris. "Just a small couture store. You had said," added his wife as she looked around in marvel. "Well, I wanted to make it a surprise," I replied humbly, while husband and wife rolled their eyes. I knew Waris Scent in passing two years ago and didn''t like him much, but after surviving the undead together, we had become friends. "Your store is the most beautiful, thing I have ever seen in my life." "Looked at these dresses and these shoes, I don''t think. You are selling them in your store in Namdar?" asked Lori as she looked at the pieces. "They are couture designs; they are for this store only," I replied. The pieces aren''t just beautiful, but the material they are made of is expensive as well. Every piece had at least 25% material in them. "I had brought the dress, shoes, and everything from the city for the party, but they seemed pale compared to what you have here," said Lori, enamored. "There is a time to the party. If you buy it within time, we can help you get ready." "The beauticians we have are capable of using the mist," I said, and women''s eyes lit up. It is there, Remus had interfered again. I had trained beauticians, but he asked me to take three more, saying they were trained in the legacy. They were his whores, but I accepted it, seeing he presented it as a favor I will do to him. I thought he had sent them to learn in the store, but now I understand why he did that. Unlike the beauticians I have, his could use the power of legacy. He may have said it is a favor to him, but he is doing the favor to me. I am going to ask him to let my beauticians use the mist. While the store is part of the legacy. We wouldn''t be able to use the mist without his approval. It is not just staff; I will ask for myself too. I know things could be achieved with mist, and I want it. Ting! The elevator rang and three women walked inside. I don''t recognize them, but I know them; they are noble ladies from baronies. One by one, the elevator kept ringing, bringing more and more people in within a minute. There were people in every corner of the store. The staff moved to accommodate them while serving them with light liquor, which had aired with a mist of legacy. The invitation to the store had gone with an invitation to the legacy. This invitation is a membership card. There are three types of it: a single visit, a year, and a decade. One could also apply for them. They could get it within a day, as long as they satisfy all the conditions. The guests received the cards, but I had also sent them to the many people I know. A few came, but after today, I am sure many would. Some wouldn''t care about the undead. That could capture the city at any time. "How are things going?" I asked Cara. I am creative and good at conversations, while my daughter didn''t inherit even a hint of creativity, but she is good at business. "Great, our staff is barely able to keep up with the guest," she said, and I felt activating her skills. Shining Smiles. Spendthrift. I activated my own skills. I don''t think, I need to use it, especially Spendthrift, but I am a businesswoman and need to earn money. The rent isn''t cheap. "Still think, it is a terrible investment, daughter dearest?" I asked. The girl glared at me, before walking away without a reply, but I did catch a small glimpse of a smile on her face. The girl is good at business, but she needs to learn to listen to her guts. It is not all numbers and stats. They are important, I looked at them, but I placed equal importance on my inner voice. It had played an important part, in the success I have today. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 405: Theatre Chapter 405: Theatre Rosen ¡°How is it?¡± I asked nervously as a beautiful woman in a red dress came toward me. She is Audrid, my assistant. ¡°Seats are filling rapidly,¡± she replied. ¡°Good,¡± I said and looked at the chaos in the backstage. Controlled chaos. I have seen, how quickly it could turn into uncontrolled and mess things up. Actors are getting ready, stagehands moving the stuff, production manager throwing the orders. It is all happening in a small space. Thank god, there are not many plants in here. A few are in places where they couldn¡¯t be harmed. I would have hated it, if something had happened to the precious plants. I looked around and still couldn¡¯t believe, it was all true. A few months ago, I was living in a small room, working in a small town as a scribe. Nobody wants to hire the man, who cursed the imperial prince publicly and has imperial skill hanging on them. One had half a decade ago. I was one most recognized names in the theater in the empire, but one fateful night changed it all. I pushed the thoughts and looked at the performers getting ready for the play. That will start in half an hour. They had a smile, nervousness, and others¡¯ emotions on their faces. Some are reading their lines, while some playing with the mist. They are enamored by it, and I can¡¯t blame them. I myself am enamored. It has been my dream since childhood to perform at Akanar Theater. It is the dream that every theater person. It is one of the nine spirits, after all. I was so confident that one day. I would reach high enough, that a call from that theater would come for me until all changed. I had never thought, I would ever work in theater again. Much less in theater in the legacy. It is all because of Uncle Vanis. He sent me to Silver, once again saving me. I am scared. It would grand understatement to say I am not. I felt like I had lost my charm, and nobody would like my play. I wanted to use one of the old plays, but Mr. Silver had asked me to use a new one. I shouldn¡¯t have told him about them. I have new plays. I have written several in the past one and a half decades. There was too much spare time after I gave up the bottle. We have been rehearsing for one and half months, every day from morning to night. I had made sure every actor could recite their lines, even their dreams. Still, I am scared. If it didn¡¯t work, I wouldn¡¯t be able to work. People will know, I am not the Rosen, I used to be. I looked at them once again, before walking toward the small window, that gives the look of seats. Till now, I didn¡¯t dare to look, but I have to. So, I did and what I saw, made me take a breath of relief. Audrid had said, but I didn¡¯t dare to believe her, but now, after seeing my own eyes, I could. The theater occupies three floors and is the most beautiful one. It was designed by the foremost theatre designer of the empire. It had a classic imperial theater aesthetic; I am glad, Lord Silver had chosen this one over the softer style of merchant state. I hate the empire for what it did to me, but I also loved it. Like all the floors of the tower, it had plants, which I didn¡¯t think would suit a theater, but they enhanced the beauty of it further. They are special plants; I am not saying they are special plants because they are magical plants, or because they consume the emotion essence. I am saying this because these plants release fragrances that are affected by emotions. They evoke them. Though not artificially. The fragrances wouldn¡¯t affect the people if they didn¡¯t already feel those emotions. If they were the plants that artificially evoked the emotions. I would have tried my everything to ask Lord Silver to remove them. No actor, or playwright worth their salt would use such things. Those that believe in their art, would shun those things. The theater is spacious with comfortable seats. It had a capacity of one thousand and twenty with two floors of balconies. If Lord Silver wanted it; he could have easily added another two hundred seats and another balcony, but he didn¡¯t. I am glad, he didn¡¯t. Unlike most of the theater owners, Lord Silver¡¯s purpose in building the theater is purest. It is not praise, but priorities. For most theater owners, they want to earn money, but Lord Silver does not need money. He said he could give them all free, and it wouldn¡¯t matter to him much. What he wants is emotions. Or at least not big ones; it is going much better than I had imagined. The mist and plants are magic; the way they are reacting to emotions is simply unbelievable. They are enhancing the entire experience. I had seen it working when rehearsing, but not at this scale. The rehearsals had less than a hundred people watching, but here, there are thousands of them. The numbers have created quite an effect. I could see how the mist was reacting to emotions, like the notes of music, while the smells of the plants completed it, creating a surreal experience. I wish Lord Silver had been here. He had watched it during rehearsal, but it was a completely different experience now. Unfortunately, he is busy with opening, but he said, he will watch it this week. Minutes passed and soon everything turned blurry, and a face appeared in front of me. There is never a day when I don¡¯t think about her and wish she had been on that stage. She used to breathe life into the theater and bring out any emotions that scenes require. So, expertly, that one would forget anything but her. I left acting, seeing hers and focused on writing. Before I knew it, an hour and twenty minutes passed, and the play stopped for the intermission. I cleared my thoughts and looked at the people. Many are getting up to stretch and break, while others ordering food and drink. Soon, the break was over, and the play resumed. The second half is intense, and it affects the mist and smells heavily. The way it moves around the actors, and reacts to sounds with their emotions, is simply beautiful. What is even more amazing is that it didn¡¯t take the focus away from the play, but helped in attracting all their focus to the play. ¡°How were you able to make it past master of revels? Even with your abilities, it is quite a feat,¡± said Ota, seeing the scene, that would have been cut anywhere in empire. Even the merchant state, where they give little more artistic freedom, might not have been comfortable with this scene. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± I replied, and Ota turned to me with wide eyes. The same, expressions, I had when I looked at the script returned from Lord Silver. I had asked for an edit book. The list of edits I have to make. The reply I got was shocking. They said there was none. To be honest, I had edits ready. I had diluted many scenes. Made them acceptable. Lord Silver accepted the script as a whole. They never do. I had given the script to a master of revels and they came back with edits. Here, I got none and even asked Lord Silver personally, to be sure. He even said, he liked the controversial part. Seeing that, I made the changes to the script. Made it more daring and, once again, it came back without any edits. There was only one suggestion. It was about historical accuracy, where I needed to change the name of the year. ¡°Come again?¡± she asked. ¡°There were no edits,¡± I replied. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head, before focusing on the play. The play continued and soon, less than ten minutes remained before its end, when I got out of the box and walked backstage. I nodded at Zalis as the redemption arc played out. Clap Clap Clap! As it ended, there was a silence for a moment. I heard a sound for a second before the applause began. Seeing that, a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°You did it, Rosen.¡± Said Zalis, patting on my shoulder. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been possible, without your support,¡± I replied to my friend. Soon it was time for the curtain call. ¡°It was an amazing play. I hope I don¡¯t get assassinated for it,¡± said Marten, the lead. The man isn¡¯t joking. The scene was pretty controversial. A few actors had refused it before Marten accepted it. Some might take offense and assassinate him. Things like that, aren¡¯t rare. ¡°I hope not. At least not before your understudy is fully ready,¡± I said, and the man laughed before we stopped at the stage with other actors and bowed. Clap Clap Clap The people stood up and begin applauding loudly. My eyes begin to tear up. I didn¡¯t want to cry, in front of all these people, but tears kept coming as the applause continued. It continued for over three minutes, my longest ever, before it finally stopped. ¡®I am back.¡¯ I thought, before bowing again. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 406: The Opening Chapter 406: The Opening Ashton Harbor "I want every detail of the tower. Every plan, every floor," said the man with the staff. "I have already instructed our people. You will have completed the information by the morning," replied the armored man. He had received the message from higher-ups, and it made him excited. They are showing great interest in the legacy. More than before, which is good. The greater interest they show, the sooner, they send forces to attack. He too very interested in the legacy. The benefits he will get from it will help him a lot. Especially now with the plants, there have been many alchemists and other people from the island who have contacted him. Promising the high price, they are willing to pay and favors they are willing to do. He might not get anything out of the secret mission, but he plans to get many things from the legacy. Let''s hope, he gets the order to attack soon. He is sick of waiting and wants to conquer this damn wasteland. ... Eliyen "I want every one of you at your best behavior and remember you can always say, no," said the Headmistress to all hundred and sixteen girls. We are part of the night batch. There are two batches. A day batch and a night batch. The night batch is obviously the desirable, our work thrives in the night. There will be a total of nine hundred and eight girls working in the tower. Five hundred and eighty-two girls will work in the night batch, while three hundred and twenty-six will work in the day batch. I am in the night batch, while my roommate is in the day batch. The places in it are subject to change, on our performances and the opinions of madams. Four batches of hundred and sixteen had already gone to the tower. Ours is the last. The tower may be big, and the beauty studio is massive, but not enough to make nearly six hundred girls ready in record time. At night nine and a half, we will open. It is only for today. From tomorrow, we will open at six. "And be prepared for the surprise," she added. It was not the first time; I had heard of surprise. I have been hearing that for a few days. They are saying there will be a surprise and asked us to tell our patron about it as if it is a big secret. It will be revealed at exactly ten. "Now go and make the establishment proud," said Madam Della, and we walked toward the door. Not the one in the front, but the one underground. There is an underground tunnel beneath the building, leading directly to the tower. Soon we reached it, and the carriages were waiting there. We sat down and the carriage began to move through the lighted tunnel. I felt Yani''s hand gripping mine tightly; she also had her eyes closed. The human girl didn''t like tunnels; she had an unnatural fear of them. I gently messaged her hand, till the carriage stooped at the basement tower. Like the rest of the tower, this place too had plants. A lot of them. I heard there are plants on the floors below. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the beauty of these plants before walking toward the elevator. The groups have already formed on the floor they are working on, and each group begins to enter the elevators by their group. The elevator isn''t big, but it could still squeeze nine people easily. Most importantly, it is fast, really fast. Enough that few people vomited on the first day. It is why, there is an operator there with skills. He is good enough, that nobody has vomited since he had started. One by one girls entered the elevator and soon it was my turn. There are only four of us. We are the only ones on this badge, going to the seventeenth floor. The fourth floor of the Velvet Red. There are five floors of Velvet Red, formerly Velvet Garden. They changed the name because the tower is the velvet garden. The velvet red occupies the floor from the fourteenth to the eighteenth. The higher, one goes in velvet red; the more exclusive it is. Of five hundred and eighty-two girls, the top two floors will have only seventy-six girls. Twenty-four at the top floor, fifty-two at the second top, and the rest five hundred would be on the bottom floors. It was a shock to me today when I found out. That I would be working on the second top floor. I am one of only nine new girls, that will be working there. The rest will be experienced ones. Still, it is quite regretful; that I wasn''t able to get a slot on the top floor. There are only three slots for the new girls; I wasn''t able to get it. I will be trying, though. The higher, you go, the more money you will earn. There are also gifts. The older girls said the people on higher floors give more expensive gifts. The gifts that, the establishment never touched.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com The door closed, and the elevator moved. It moved fast, and in four and a half seconds, we were on the seventeenth floor. Ting! The door opened, and we got out immediately, after nodding. Old Samis; the old is an operator, and I heard, he had a good collection of skills. I looked around, at a space filled with plants densely. From below, this floor is one of the barren floors, but it is an illusion of clever architecture and mist. It is not barren, as it looked from below. It has as much as plants as on every other floor. I took a deep breath and smelled their beautiful smell but didn''t feel any power of legacy. It is a piece of heaven with mist everywhere. There is a modern-style bar in the center, with chairs and tables around it, with beautiful places of art on the wall and of course the plants. Some of the private rooms are completely covered by them. They are everywhere, but they do not feel excess at all. I felt like, it would have been fine. If there had been more plants. The most beautiful thing about this place is the chandelier. It is big with bright white crystals and a shining vine wrapped around it. I could see most of the girls were sitting at their tables. Seeing me, they smiled. "Don''t worry too much. If you are lucky, you will get someone who you will enjoy," said Calis. She has been here from the start. She came to the city with Carla and others. I nodded and walked to the bar. "Can you give me something to take an edge off?" I asked Jalir. "Sure. What do you want?" he asked with a smile. "Shimmering tide," I replied. I had tasted many drinks, but I loved the shimmering tide. Likely because it faintly smells like, the homebrew my grandmother used to drink. He began to make my drink, while I watched. He is a showman. The way, he played with liquor and mist is mesmerizing. "One shimmering tide for you," he said as he placed the drink in front of me. "Thank you, Jalir," I said and took a shimmering blue drink into my lips. "Ahhh..." I moaned gently as I took a sip of a delicious drink. Its taste filled me while my emotions moved like a tide. Before I knew it, I finished the drink. I am feeling much better now and returned to my table. It is only a few minutes before we open. "To your places, girls. We will open in ten minutes." Ordered Madam Jenna. She is a floor leader. Immediately, the girls who were not at their table moved back to their places. "This is an important day, and I am sure, many of you are nervous. Hell, I am nervous," she said, and many of us laughed at her admission. "Don''t let this nervousness get to you. You have a job to do. You have been trained for it and there is no one in the whole world is better than you at it." "So, conquer the night girls!" Her words rang through the hall, and they helped. More than the drink. I could tell, she truly believes in our abilities. Minutes passed, and we got closer and closer to the opening, till finally, the clock hit nine. ''Open The Gates,'' The commanding voice with the weight of authority filled the whole floor. For a moment, I didn''t recognize the voice at all. Madam Caena usually does not keep such authority in her voice. As her command rang out; the whole atmosphere changed. I could see, the girls becoming more confident and, the staff moving to their places. Ting! Seconds passed, and a familiar ting rang out. Four human men, who looked to be in their late thirties, came out. They are wearing fine clothes and have confidence in their eyes, but as they step out. A clear shock appeared in their eyes. The shock deepened when they looked at us before it got replaced with ecstasy. They looked, drinking the beauty. I could see, the familiar lust and desire in their eyes as they looked at us, but I didn''t see the usual degust and hate, that accompanied them. Instead, there is admiration and excitement. The emotions, I have never seen in the eyes of men for us whores. "Welcome to the Velvet Red gentlemen," welcomed Madam Jenna, bringing them out of their thoughts. They entered inside and looked, before taking the seats with the girls. I am a little disappointed, seeing not one of them came at me, but I didn''t show it to my face. They had just sat down when the elevator opened again, and three people sat down. With the passing seconds, more and more people kept coming. Sitting in front of girls; it took a while before a man appeared in front of me. Seeing him, I know, the wait was worth it. The man looked to be in his mid-thirties. with brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He is sporting a scruffy beard, that enhances his roguish look. "May I?" he asked, in a cultured imperial accent. Most people that came were from a merchant state; it is clear by their accent, but this man is from an empire. "Please," I said to the man. "Mathias," he introduced. "Eliyen," I replied. "You are a very beautiful woman, Eliyen," he said, looking at me up to down intensely, in a non-creepy way. "You are not bad yourself, Mathias," I replied, checking him out in the same way. A faint surprise appeared in his eyes before the smile lit up on his face. "Thank you. It means a lot from a beautiful woman, like you," he said, and my cheeks reddened despite the efforts. Minutes passed, and I found myself enjoying the conversation with the man. I didn''t even notice when the whole place, was completely filled up, nor did I care. I am completely focused on the man in front of me and the good time I am having. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 407: Party I Chapter 407: Party I ''Open the Gates,'' Caena''s voice rang out and I felt the doors of the velvet red opening. The patrons started coming immediately. Soon, they will fill the five floors, where the girls will be waiting for them with their beautiful smiles. I had spent a lot on them.Visitt for the latest updates Their training, their beauty and they didn''t disappoint me. From today, they will use the knowledge, those skills, they have learned. I do not doubt that they will provide every patron the experience, they will never forget in their life. Just thinking about it made a smile appear on my face. I shook my head and turned to the core, where the harvest was lessening as the play ended. The store and theater are doing just as great. Many were opposed to the theater; at least didn''t want to be on legacy. Which is understandable. Of all the sixteen floors of the legacy, the theater will be the only place that will be open for the shortest time. There will only be two shows, which means it is six to seven hours. Every other floor will remain open for at least eighteen hours. Including Eva and Miss Cain''s store. I created a theater, not only to give an unforgettable experience but also to bring a cultural shift to the city. Art is the greatest force of the culture. I might not have any interest in the theater, but I know, how effective it is in bringing the cultural shift. As for the emotions essence, I don''t think, we are not losing any. During the play, the harvest of emotions had tripled, while it was only for three hours. It is a lot; most importantly, it is not as bad as everything thought. The harvest of emotions was much better than any of us had imagined. Which made me relieved. The emotions essence is important and if possible, I don''t want to lose any of it. I moved my eyes away from the core and focused back on the most important floors. I may have added the other things, but the brothel will always remain the core part of it. It is what lighted the legacy. I could sense the guest coming. Feeling them moving toward the girls, who are shining like the beacons. It is quite regrettable, that I couldn''t completely focus on it today. I have a party to host. At nine and a half, the guests will start to arrive and at ten, I will have to make an entrance. It will be quite an entrance, that they will not forget in their life. "There is a message from the synods, representative," informed Zela. I opened my eyes, and everything disappeared. I am back in the real world. "The same question?" I asked, and she nodded. "Reply to them with the same answer," I ordered. The smart ones have already realized, and now they have questions. They have been bugging since the afternoon as they realized the anomalies. They will get the answer to that question at exactly ten. "Any intelligence on anomalies?" I asked. "No, everything is silent from the undead," she replied, and it made me take a sigh with relief. There will be nothing worse than the news of the undead attacking. It will spoil the entire party. Click! A few minutes later, I walked out of the office and stepped into the elevator. This elevator is a secret. It is for madams, a few important staff and me. I want to take a glimpse of the establishment before the party begins. Once it started, I wouldn''t be able to leave till midnight. Ting! The elevator stopped at the sixteenth floor, and I got out. I could staff moving around, some stopped and bowed, but I waved them away. I didn''t immediately check the halls. Instead, I went to the kitchen, which was very busy. The servers lay down the orders and the chefs cook them. Drev is also here, tasting dishes and giving out the orders. With the legacy expanding, his job had also changed. He is now an executive chef; the man responsible for the food and every aspect related to it. In addition to the development of dishes and menu creation which was part of his earlier responsibilities. Now, he has management, planning, budgeting, and guest relations, in his kitty. There are two main kitchens on the five floors of velvet red and three floors of velvet blue, along with three satellite kitchens. All the staff had been either from the establishment or trained in the legacy. I had trained my people in the legacy, but also hired a lot of people, that worked in the legacy. Most of them are guests. They walked into the tower before taking the elevator to the Velvet Blue. There they are welcomed by Caena, Margaux, and Carla. Last time, I had used my family. This time, I am keeping the distance, while Heron and Josie are too young to welcome the guests here. I watched the carriages for a few minutes, before changing into the suit. It is tailored for this occasion and is quite good. It felt so soft and light, that I wanted to sleep in it. I didn''t and instead returned to my office, where Eudo was waiting for me with his things. I sat down and began to do his magic. "You are really a magician, thank you," I said, looking myself in the mirror. It is not over the top; he had just enhanced what I have. Still, the effects are big; I have never looked as handsome as I am right now. "You are welcome, Lord Silver," he replied and left. Click! Minutes passed and when there were only five minutes to ten, Carla came in and I froze. She is blinding. So, much, I stopped breathing seeing her beauty. "You look" I wanted to say ''beautiful'', but that word felt insufficient to describe her. She seemed to like my reaction as a smile appeared on her face, making her look even more enchanting. She is wearing a shimmering back gown, made of all magical threads, and has work of thousands of tiny red rubies. It had a V-shape neck, that showed a glimpse of her bountiful breasts, but not scandalously. The dress was designed by Miss Cain and brought to reality by Eva''s people at the Namdar. Her heels were four inches high and if I had not been wearing shoes, she would have been as tall as me. I kept looking at her before walking toward her. I stopped, in front of her and took her lips into mine. The dress is beautiful, but I want to tear it apart and have her on my desk. Unfortunately, I will have to wait for a few hours for it; till then I will have to be content with her lips. "I have something for you," I said, and she arched her brow. A moment later, a beautiful jewelry box appeared in my hand, with the emblem of Eva Cain. Gasp! I opened the box and immediately a gasp rang out of her mouth. "It''s beautiful," she breathed out, before shaking and touching the beautiful necklace. I had asked Eva to design it for Carla and she didn''t disappoint. The necklace in front of big and elaborate. There are nine green diamonds in it, with the biggest one being as big as my thumb. "Let me put it on you," I said and took out the necklace, before putting the necklace on her and activating the mirror spell, so she could see herself. Tears appeared in her eyes as she looked at herself in the mirror. My own eyes were a little misty, seeing how beautiful and graceful she looked. She looked at the mirror for a while, before turning to me. "I took to have something for you," she said, and a small box appeared in her hand, with a familiar emblem. Click! She opened the box and inside was a brooch. It is rose-shaped, made with delicate white gems which are clearly magical. She took it out and attached it to my chest. "Happy birthday," she wished. "Thank you," I said as I looked at myself in the mirror. It really looks good; she understood my taste well. "It is time," she said as I was looking at us in the mirror. I looked at the clock, only to see there was only a minute to ten. We have to make an entrance at the ten. Immediately, we walked out of my office, and a few seconds later, appeared by the door. "Ready?" I asked her as I took her hand into mine. "Yes," she replied. This time, there was no hesitation, like the last few times, when she asked to make entrance alone. She knows I want her with me. Click! I opened the door and stepped into the other onto the shimmering rainbow stairs of light. They are not physical stairs, but a spell. I could see the heads turning on all three floors. Feel their eyes, including that of the Lord of Owlspring. I didn''t move and looked back at them, with a smile on my face. ''Let''s give them something, that they will never forget,'' I said to Carla telepathically and took a step down. Immediately expressions of everyone changed. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 408: Party II Chapter 408: Party II Blackwell Hun! I heard the sound of surprises as the power of the legacy increased as Silver and Carla took a step into the light stairs. I had doubts about my own and the insistent messages from a lot of powerful people and entities like Archmages City, had proved my doubts were right. Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to answer any of their queries. Nor I would have, even if I could. The contact is strict enough, that I couldn''t even discuss it with my sister or my husband, who looking at me with questions in his eyes. Hun! Thankfully, Silver took another step, and the power increased again. Making Silas, focus on him. It is not just the power that is increasing, but the emotions mist is also getting denser, which would create denser mist clouds at the ceiling. "What is happening?" asked Emmyth. Meria''s date. Both of us smiled and turned to Silver, who took another step, and the power of the legacy increased further. "Is legacy advancing?" Someone asked, and the intelligent one smiled. The legacy had already advanced. Silver is only revealing advancement now. In these past six months, I had seen enough to be sure, that legacy had reached Grade II. Currently, Silver is showing only the power of Grade I. "Its powerful, but still a Grade I," replied young voice. I turned and saw it is a young girl seventeen-eighteen years old girl. If I am right, that girl is the granddaughter of Inam''s legacy host. She had come to the tower several times, when it was being constructed. He took another step and then another with every step. The power of the legacy would increase. The people are watching. Even the lord of Owlspring had a great interest in his eyes. "It''s clear, that you know. You should have told your dear husband about it," said Silas, and I shook my head in regret. I really wish to talk to my husband about it. I rarely hid things from him, but this time I couldn''t. Not even a hint or a suggestion. It is hard. Weighing when speaking about the legacy, like walking on eggshells. "Contract," I replied. It is not a hint or suggestion, but the word, I am allowed to say, without facing the repercussion. Soon, Silver reached the end of the stairs and looked at all like he did on the first step before taking the step into the ground. GASP! I heard the clicking sound of their feet reaching the ground, when a massive change occurred, that made all the people gasp in shock. The power of legacy took a massive jump. It is not just the quantity of the power that increased, but also its quality. Not to mention the mist, it got denser. Its texture was smoothened, and it''s seemed to have gotten heavier with the power. Still, all these changes are nothing in front of how it is making me feel. It is indescribable. "Grade II, legacy," said people in shock as its power filled the hall. It enchanted the people, and mesmerized them. Turning this already piece of heaven, more heavenly. I couldn''t help, but be proud seeing that. As I am one of the people, who had helped in making it. "This is what I call an entrance," praised Silas and sighed. I don''t think, I would forget this entrance. People are still shocked, while intelligent ones are in deep thought. I could already guess they were thinking about when the legacy had ascended to Grade II. "Miss Tylcharis, I hope, you enjoyed our spa," I said to the woman, and a smile lit up across her face. "It was a wonderful experience, and I am hoping that Lord Caelus would join me tomorrow, in it." "He needs to stop caring about his people all the time and take care of himself too, time to time," she said, looking at him with frustration and love. Her is a nine-treatment plan. She had five treatments today; she will have four tomorrow. "The spa is really good, my lord; I hope, you will try at least one treatment before leaving," I said to the man. He didn''t reply to that, but smiled. I talked to him, before moving to the second important guest. The Lord of Amberhold, Silas Blackwell. He and his wife are talking to my sister and madam. Like the Lord of Owlspring, his appearance was also sudden. It was Ignatius, who was supposed to come. I nodded at my sister and madam, who had sparks of anger appearing in her eyes seeing me. I have been told by multiple sources that she had been angry since she had left the baronies. The woman was so good at controlling her expressions. I had never seen an ounce of enmity in her growing up, but ever since she came here, it had become more visible. So, much so that she is having a problem controlling it. Well, I don''t really care. I hope she didn''t cross a line, or I will have to do something, I really don''t want to do. "Lord Blackwell, thank you for coming," I said to the man. "I have to see it since my wife had praised it so much." He replied. "Is it good, as she said?" I asked. "She had grossly undersold it," replied the man. Hearing that, I couldn''t help but smile. "Your words mean a lot, my lord," I said to the man. "I hope, you would spend at least a day in the city, my lord. Explore what it has to offer," I added. "I very much planned to," replied the man. I introduced Carla to him and moved to the third more important guest. There are two people, who share that place. "Lord Rutto," I greeted the pudgy man. "His majesty, Emperor Inkav wishes you a long and prosperous life. Lord Silver," said the man. "Please, thank his majesty for his kind words, Lord Rutto," I replied, carefully avoiding the title. He is crown prince and should be an emperor as he declared himself, but more than half of the empire is refused to accept him. I need to be delicate about this since I know a lot of people are looking. The man had come to the city before when the legacy was born but was sent away by the count. He came again and had the same intentions. Unfortunately, this time, too, he will not get what he wants. "I will, my lord," he said before he turned his expression serious. "The emperor had sent me as guardian of your legacy, my lord. It would be wise, to make it as formal as soon as possible," he stated, casting a glance at left at the old man. Well, he didn''t waste any time. He had been trying for a meeting since he stepped into the city in the morning. He wants to become a guardian of the legacy. Well, it is not going to happen. "All in good times, Lord Rutto," I said to the man and walked away. He wanted to say something, but closed his mouth, seeing me walking away. He could have followed me. If we weren''t in the crowd and many people, sneakily looking at us. Soon, I stopped in front of the second, most important people. An old man, a head full of thick green hair. "Lord Thorsten," I replied. Thorsten is what Rutto is to the crown prince. He is sent by Princess Orlene or Empress Orlene, depending on who you ask. He wants to be a guardian of the legacy, too. These two aren''t the only ones who came. Every prince and princess had sent their people, with the sole intention of becoming a guardian. None of them will be. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 409: Night Chapter 409: Night Kadals "...that is Marshhunter isn''t it, Grandma?" said Maci excitedly, barely able to keep her voice contained. "Is it a Mistake to bring her?" I asked Linda. She shook her head. "It is her first seeing at such an opulent party. She is having a hard time controlling herself," said Linda. Not that we are used to it. We had only once attended a party, and that is also in this legacy, before it was destroyed. I didn''t think, Silver would invite me this time. It was a great shock, when my younger granddaughter informed me, that there was a beautiful woman at her door. This time, there were three invitations. Two by our names, one unnamed, but for only family members. There was quite a battle for it in our home. The little girl''s parent didn''t hesitate to pull their daughter down, even bribe her for the invitation. I was in my thoughts when I felt a pinch. I looked at my wife, who looked ahead sharply; I turned ahead and saw Silver coming toward us, with the same beautiful woman, that was at our front door, a few weeks ago. "Lord Silver," I greeted, while Maci became dumbstruck, with enamored eyes. "Maci!" said Lina in a sharp whisper. The little girl immediately understood and tried to bow, but Silver waved it away with a smile. "Thank you for coming Mr. Kadav, Mrs. Kadav," he thanked in a smooth voice. "Thank you for inviting us, Lord Silver. It is an absolute honor," I replied, and I mean it. Inviting us one time is more than enough, but he invited us a second time and it is not a small Grade I legacy, but a magnificent Grade II legacy. A lot of important people have come at this time, including our own lord and the lord of Amberhold, along with many important people from the merchant state. "You must be Maci. You look quite like your younger sister," said Miss Carla. When she had come, Maci wasn''t home. It was her, younger sister who had opened the door. "Y..yes, I am Maci," she replied, stuttering with crimson cheeks. "Please, enjoy the party," said Silver and walked away, while Maci watched, still enamored. I didn''t say anything and picked up a plate of delicious-looking rolls from the tray, that waited brought, before taking a bite out of it. It is delicious like everything. I have tested it so far. It is the best food; I have ever eaten. While Linda is a wonderful cook, nothing could be compared to the food from the legacy. I had just finished when I saw a blond-haired man coming toward me, before stopping in front of us. "My skill is telling me, that you are our member, but I do not think, we have met before," said the man and I nodded. "We have not, Vice-Guild Master Boyd," I replied, and a frown appeared on his face. The man is too high, that business owner like me could never meet him. The only reason, I am here, is because, of the few words, I spoke on that fateful day to a young man, who looked like, he was about to lose everything, but still standing straight. He reminded me of my dear mother. Of what she had faced when I was young. So, despite the hurry to escape, I went to him and spoke a few encouraging words before walking out. "So, how do you know, Lord Silver?" he asked, and isn''t the only person who had asked this question. "We had once met fatefully, and Lord Silver, hadn''t forgotten about it," I replied. He looked to explain further, but I didn''t and kept a smile on my face. "Here, this is the invitation for a party in the merchant guild. Please do come," he said and handed the envelope, with the emblem of the merchant guild behind it. He nodded and walked away, while I gave an invitation to Linda, who put in her purse with the other two. It is the third invitation we have received. The two were invitations to personal parties, this one from the merchant guild, and that party, that week later, was very important. People like me could never get into those parties. The last invitation helped me get some connections, which resulted in a few business opportunities. I hope, this one too will do the same. I was mingling, when I nearly froze when I saw the lord of Owlspring, coming toward me. "My lord," I bowed as the man stopped in front of me. "I heard about you. Your words are what helped Silver, light up a spark for the legacy," he said, looking at me with eyes, that made my knees go weak. There are lists, the creep list, best patron list, best-gifted list, good in bed list, and many other lists. These lists are important, especially for the patrons. These lists decide how quickly, you could get a reservation. The floor you could go to and the type of girls you get. If the person is high on good lists; the madam could add them to her list, which will give them access to the exclusive fourth floor. Where only those on Madam''s list could go. "Why? He feels like a creep and his word choice is also the same?" she asked. "He feels like it and sounds like it, but he hasn''t done anything creepy yet and unless he does, I will not add him to the list," I replied. "Good answer," she praised before turning to the three of us. "The lists have power girls and I hope, you will add the names in it only after careful consideration," "The feeling is important, but so is the proof," she said, before moving, while we followed from behind. ... "It''s going well and this time, we didn''t even need a show," said Carla as moved through the guests. "I told you, we do not need any show to impress people," I replied as I looked around the floor. Last time, there was a mage show. This didn''t, we didn''t have any, nor did we need it. Our preparations are more than enough. It had been three hours since our entrance, and the party was still going. Only a few guests like, Lord of Owlspring had left. He needed to, because of his mistress. She is pregnant. I don''t know. If she knows it; it is very early. Even spells weren''t able to discover it. Not to mention, the heavy protection, she had covered her. The only reason we did, is because of Naud. She is an expert in pregnant messages and used konis massage on her. A type of massage, where the steam of magical herbal oils is wrapped in legacy mist and sent into the body through waves. One needs decades of practice and appropriate skills to master the massage. She is one of the people we had, especially poached. I had to personally talk with the leader of Elysian for her and she is only here for a year. It is those waves that discovered, the faint-like. She is pretty sure, that Miss Tylcharis is pregnant. Aside from Linis, only three people knew about it. Carla, Caena, and me. Even Maeve didn''t know. Every therapist had been ordered. If they discovered something sensitive. They should report directly to that madam. We didn''t do anything, but tomorrow, we will tell Miss Tylcharis. Not Lord of Owlspring; it will be up to Miss Tylcharis to share the news. I pushed those thoughts and focused on the man and woman appearing in front of me. The man is in his early fifties, while the woman is in her mid-twenties. The woman isn''t his daughter or wife. "Lord Silver," greeted the man. "Vicount Maris, I hope you are enjoying the party?" I asked the man. I had met him earlier. He is a man sent by the Duke of Henar. "It is great, my lord," he replied, and I smiled. "I was hoping we could meet tomorrow?" he asked. "Tomorrow, I am a little busy, but I will have my office contact as soon as possible," "Don''t worry, my lord I won''t let you leave Greltheaven, without a proper meeting," I replied. The next two days. I am extremely busy. "That is all I want," he said. I talked to the man for a minute, before walking away. "Nearly everyone wants the same thing," said Carla with a sigh. "It is the most desired thing in the world. So, of course, they will want it. The question is, who we will sell?" I replied. Everyone wants the essence and the resources. From Lord of Owlspring of Lady of Storms. They are not above using political and economic pressure to get it. Which is good. I do not plan to hoard them; not entirely, at least. I am going to sell it as there are a lot of things I want; things only these people could provide. An hour passed, and the people finally began to leave. Though a trickle. There are many people who want to stay till dawn, and I plan to let them. I have even prepared a few things that will keep them entertained. "I am handing the party to you both. Take care of our guests well," I said to Caena and Margaux. It is mostly Margaux. Caena will retire soon. I have to wake up tomorrow for an early meeting with the Lord of Owlspring. "We will take care of everything, Master Silver," said Margaux and walked away with Carla. My heart began to beat wildly when I saw the blaze of desire in her eyes. I really want to sleep, but I don''t think it will be possible. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 410: Morning Chapter 410: Morning Prodigies Playwright Lv. 32 Prodigies Playwright Lv. 33 Prodigies Playwright Lv. 34 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} Clerk Lv. 13 {Conditions met: Prodigies Playwright + Clerk + Dung Carrier + Launderer + Laborer + Waiter¨CWorldly Playwright} Worldly Playwright Lv. 33 Worldly Playwright Lv. 34 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Change: ...} . . . I looked at the long line of texts, and tears began to flow through my eyes. It had been sixteen years since I had leveled up. Till a few months ago, I had no hope and didn''t think, I would ever level in my main class. I did, and the advancement was greater than I had thought. Especially my main class, eating all the other classes and becoming Worldly Playwright, which I think perfect class for me. Prodigious Playwright didn''t suit me anymore. It used to be, once upon a time, but not anymore. I looked at my classes, that had been eaten by the main class. These are just a few jobs in the past sixteen years. There were many more; these are the ones I had accepted. I had no choice. With Prince''s skill hanging over me, it was very hard to find simple employment. These are the ones who supported me in my most difficult time. Helped me from starving to death and I am proud of each one of them. Including the Dung Carrier. Now all of them disappeared. Eaten by my main class; the Worldly Playwright. It is a powerful class, more powerful than the Prodigious Playwright. It has given me new skills. Changed and merged, the sixteen of them. All of them are pretty good skills; they will help me become a better playwright. I looked at them before clearing the texts. There are attribute points, but I will think about them later. "I wish you had been here," I muttered. A face appeared in front of me, but I shook it away immediately. It is too painful. ... Actress Lv. 19 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Set Designer Lv. 28 Set Designer Lv. 29 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Lady of Verdant Gardens Lv. 34 Lady of Verdant Gardens Lv. 35 {Skill Gained: ...} ...?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Aesthetic Architect Lv. 35 Aesthetic Architect Lv. 36 {Skill Gained: ...} {Skill Gained: ...} ... Prostitute Lv. 18 Prostitute Lv. 19 ... Graceful Whore Lv. 23 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Wall Artist Lv.28 ... Dealer of Desire Lv. 27 Dealer of Desire Lv. 28 Dealer of Desire Lv. 29 {Skill Gained: Mark of Mist} Valorous Lord Lv. 22 Valorous Lord Lv. 23 {Skill Gained: Fast Reflexes} When I opened my eyes. I had texts in front of me. The advancement is better than expected. It had taken a long, but gave me a reward for it. ¡¤ Gymnasts Control ¡¤ Lord''s Presence ¡¤ March Of The Braves ¡¤ Laws of My Land ¡¤ Mark of Mist ¡¤ Fast Reflexes Legacy Demesne of Desire II Skills ¡¤ Master of Legacy ¡¤ Laws of Legacy ¡¤ Share Authority (5) ¡¤ Vault of Ru ¡¤ Demesne Expansion Attribute Points 1 I closed the window and looked around. It was as bright as I expected. I looked at the clock and sighed. I had only slept for two hours; it was nearly morning when we had slept. It was a good, thing; I had the rest charm from Caena. It had given me rest as if I had slept for ten hours. It is not all just the charm, but also the power of legacy, which enhances the effect of it further. A similar charm is imprinted on it. I took a deep breath, smelling the fragrance of Carla and the slight musk of sex, that is lingering in the room. A smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. I could still hear, the moans Carla had made last night and if we both didn''t have important meetings in the morning, we would have continued making love. I sighed, before getting up from the bed and walking into the bathroom. I have a meeting at forty-five minutes with the Lord of Owlspring. It''s a very important, meeting. The fate of the city depends on it. So, I quickly freshened up and showered, before changing into the suit. I didn''t even eat the breakfast. Though I checked the core before walking out. It had put a smile on my face. Click! The carriage was already waiting for me when I got out. I sat down and it moved toward the city hall. I watched through the window and was surprised immediately. There are people in the park. More than I had thought. Some taking a stroll, while others are walking their pets and monsters. There are dedicated zones for that and with extra security. We wouldn''t want monsters getting out of control and harming people. There are restrictions; the monster needed a certain level of training and a certificate from the registered trainer to show it was trained enough. Soon, the carriage reached the canals, and I saw boats moving on it. I had even spotted a few familiar people on them. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped at the city hall, and I got out. Immediately, I felt a change. The people felt more respectful. They are bowing more deeply than usual. I don''t know if it is because of the skills whose power increased because of the level-up or the opening yesterday. I could also feel the increase in reverence and respect for me through the skill. Click! Soon, I reached my office. Ina was already there. She just nodded and put a file in front of me. When alone, she didn''t put a display of respect. We both respect each other enough that she didn''t need to show it when we were alone. "All our inns and hotels are fully booked. Even the apartments are booked. We had to place a lot of people in the tents," she added. I had spent quite money on the advertisement, and it worked like a charm. It had brought many people to the city yesterday. "I have received information that more people are coming today. Both from the Owlspring and other merchant cities, but also from Inam and other close cities," she informed. It didn''t take long for the information to spread about the tower, and it was attracting the people. We have prepared for it, but it seemed like, we had underestimated the interest. Yesterday, there were 55% more people, than we had expected. More will be coming in the next few days. "Make the preparations and keep an eye on the hotels and stores. Make sure, they don''t overcharge," I said to her. I know very well how the cities could spoil a big opportunity like this. Earth is filled with such examples. Many cities get chances, like a big popstar concert or some viral festival attracting tons of people, but they can''t use that opportunity well. Some cities do it well and reap its immediate and following dividends. I don''t want my city to fall into the former category. "This is your itinerary for today," she said and placed a page in front of me after I read the file. Just saw the sheer number of meetings. I felt the great effects of sex and charm disappearing rapidly. The first meeting is, of course, with the Lord of Owspring. There is another with the representative from the state of Meldhorn and two more with the state of Oksall and Belnin. I also have to meet with a representative of Inam and Namdar. It is only for today and tomorrow it will be representative of the princes, baronies, other cities, organizations, and people. Everybody wants the same thing. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 411: Letting Out Chapter 411: Letting Out ''Master Silver, Lord of Owlspring is here for you,'' informed Jill. Click! A moment later, the middle-aged man came inside. He didn''t bring his guards inside or his assistants. Just came alone. "Lord Verulus," I greeted, standing up. "Lord Silver," replied the man. "Please, take a seat," I said as I sat. The man nodded and sat down with ease, while his eyes wandered around. Stopping for a fraction of a second on Ina, Zela, and Jon. He was hidden, but the man was able to sense him rather easily. "I hoped, you had a good rest, my lord," I inquired. "I slept like I am in my own city," he replied. Hearing, that, a smile appeared on my face. "I am glad and also happy, that you have decided to stay a few hours longer to enjoy the spa," I said, and a man shook his head with a smile. "Mae, I could not refuse her," he replied. "You won''t be disappointed, Lord Verulus," I said, and the man smiled before his expression turned serious. "Lord Silver, you know why I am here," he said and looked at Ina and others. A faint surprise appeared on his face, seeing me not asking them to leave. "Yes," I replied. "So, I will say it straight away. The city of Owlspring would like to buy the emotion essence and plant resources from you." He said, coming to the point directly. "We are willing to pay you, above the market price to get them," he added. It is expected, but I still took a pause of the moment, before speaking. "How much, do you want?" I asked, directly as well. "Emotions essence. Three hundred bottles," he replied, and I laughed. "My lord, you are asking for over half of the emotion''s essence. That legacy will produce," "As you might have seen, the representative from the imperial house had already come and they want me to sign the contract of guardianship." "It could become impossible to give you any," I replied, shaking my head. The man smiled. "According to your calculations. It is fourth at most. As for representative of the princes, we both know you are not going to sign the contracts with them," he said. I could feel him using his skills. Not an active still, but a passive skill, over which he had such control that I could only dream. It feels like a feather, but its effects are as heavy as the boulder. I am starting to have a really hard in resisting it. "You might be right, but you are not the only one, who wants those things,"Findd new stories at novelhall.com "There are representatives from your state and also other merchants cities, and states. There are also representatives from the imperil cities." "I can''t give you that much," I replied, declining his offer. Three hundred is too much; not because it is a big number, which it is, but most importantly because there are many people who want it. There are a few like him, to whom I cannot say no. "You should make an exception for us, Lord Silver. We are your closest neighbor and have helped when you needed us and we will continue to do that," he said. There is not a threat or implication in his voice. He wants a good relationship and so am I. It benefits us both. It was also true, that he had helped when we needed it the most. Giving us aid, intelligence, and weapons to defend against the undead. "It is why, you''re the first person, I am meeting, Lord Verulus," I replied. There was a silence for a few seconds before the man opened his mouth again. "So, how much you could give me?" he asked. "Hundred," I replied, and the man opened his mouth again. "Please understand my predicament, my lord. This is the most I could do. Though, I promise you; we will discuss it again in half a year," I added. The man looked at me, before sighing. "Fine, a hundred bottles a month," he replied. "Thank, you for the understanding, my lord," I said. The man nodded. I wouldn''t have, but since Gerald and Selina are in the city. I had decided to invite them to, along with a few other family members, that came. Click! I was about to reply to her when the door clicked open, and madam walked in. ''I had tried to stop her, but she didn''t listen,'' said Jill. "It''s fine," I said, before turning to the madam. Showing clear irritation at her conduct, but the woman didn''t have even a hint of apology on her face. Instead, there is an anger in her eyes. "Madam," I greeted and offered her a seat. She might have forgotten her manners, but I didn''t. "Remus, you had not only not invited your brothers to the party, but you had sent back their representative," she said, with anger burning brightly in her eyes. "Do you, how humiliating it was for them?" "You have sent, nearly every important member of the family an invitation, except for your brothers." "It was the greatest humiliation, they have ever suffered, and it was caused by their own brother!" She accused, with her voice reaching high. Ina and Zela quickly walked out of the room, which was wise because now I was angry. I have nothing but polite to her. Not just now, but my whole life. Hoping to earn their acceptance, which they never gave to me. I have been polite even when they had tried to kill me. Now, I had enough. The dam of emotions I had been holding back all my life had finally broken apart, and all that anger hurt, and other emotions burst out. "Humiliation? Do you know even know the meaning of humiliation madam?" I asked. "Humiliation is the manipulation of your brother''s fate," "Those people you are calling my brothers had conspired to change my class, made me a whoremaster. That was a humiliation! "The humiliation was to steal what is rightfully mine and send me to a dangerous place with nothing but a brothel in my name," "Humiliation was finding than insufficient and trying to kill me!" I was screaming at the end. I had these things buried in my heart. They would bubble, whenever I saw their faces, but I always controlled them. Now, I am letting them free. Thud! "So, don''t come here crying humiliation, madam!" I shouted and hit the table hard, while the woman watched in shock. She hadn''t expected such a reaction from me. I had never raised a voice in front of her, but now I am screaming at her. "Also tell them, they can forget about entering my legacy ever or even getting any benefits from it," I said, with an angry smile on my face. The woman opened her mouth but closed it seeing the anger in my eyes that was a hundred times greater than hers. Instead, she got up and walked out. Even hearing those words. There was not a hint of shame in women''s eyes or apology. "Message Baroness Leila and tell her, I am rescinding the invitation of madam for tonight''s dinner," I said to Zela as she returned. Her staff lit up, while I closed my eyes. It was an unfortunate incident, but I am glad it happened. I wanted to say those words for a long time, and it felt good to say them out loud. "Baroness Leila is asking about what happened," said Zela, a few seconds later. "Tell her to ask her mother," I replied. I have no politeness left toward them. Even for my sister, I still blame her for what happened to me. It might be her fault or not, but my heart still blames her for what they did to me. A few minutes passed, and I started to take a deep breath to calm myself. There is an important meeting with the representatives of the state of meldhorn, and I need to be ready. Finally, I opened my eyes and saw, that only a minute had remained till I had to meet them. "Masal had sent the confirmation, that they have received the letter," said informed Zela. "Any response to the letter?" I asked. "No," she replied. "Tell me immediately, the moment it comes," I said as I got up, before walking out of the room. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 412: Esa Raak Chapter 412: Esa Raak Raak I closed my eyes, blocking every noise around me. Remembering the face of my child. It''s his birthday today. He had already celebrated it yesterday, in Zenid. The time in Oton is thirteen hours behind Zenid. It made me happy that Josie and Heron were with him. He would have his family with him on his birthday. I wish I didn''t have a fight today. Usually, I am lucky; I didn''t have any fights on this day, but today I am not. I have a fight. It is in fifteen minutes. "Anna," I heard the familiar voice calling my name and opened my eyes in irritation. "I had told you many times to not disturb me during my meditation before the battle," I snapped at Master Lar. The man might be my master, but he had no right to disturb me before the battle. Especially when he wants to win the battle on this day. "The match is canceled. Praefectus Prisca had summoned you to her office," he informed, surprising me. That is when I noticed. The uniform of two guards behind him. They are not usual colosseum guards, but Praefectus Guards. The most elite of all. Even I couldn''t deal with a single one of them, with the power of legacy supporting them. "Why?" I asked a moment later. "I don''t know," he replied. Sounding as surprised as I was feeling. Praefectus are the most powerful people in the whole arena, the city, and its dominions. There are only four of them with Grand Praefectus as supreme authority. I have never been summoned by one. For a moment, my heart skipped a head, before I pushed the thought away. It wouldn''t be about the children. It had been over nine months since I had sent them away. They wouldn''t be angry about it.Visitt for the latest updates Lar was angry about it, but couldn''t do anything other than be angry. Unlike me, they were free and could leave this dammed place. "Follow us!" I was in thought when the guard ordered and began to move. I got up and followed them to Lar. "Why did they summon you?" asked the master. "Why are you asking me that?" I asked back. "You really don''t know?" he asked, looking at me suspiciously. This time, I didn''t even reply and walked behind the guards in the grand misty hallways. It is a beautiful place. I hate it from the bottom of my heart. It has taken everything from me. My freedom, my children. Every day feels painful here. Sometimes I want to die. The only reason, I am living is my children. Soon, we reached the elevator and stepped inside. The door closed and it began to move up. I watched the views through it; the fight that is happening and the hundreds of thousands watching it. The number never lessened. Going over a million on the special days. One would expect it hard for hundreds of thousands of people to watch the battle in the colosseum every day, but it is not when it is a legacy. People do anything to experience the power of legacy. People come from far, some from out of the continent, to experience the colosseums of Oton. Ting! The elevator stopped at the top floor, and we got out and walked through the beautiful hallways before we reached the end, where there was a big bronze gate. There are no guards guarding it. There is only one person, a middle-aged secretary. "Go in," said the secretary, without even looking at us. As she said, the bronze door began to open, but I couldn''t see what was behind them. There is something, blocking the view inside. "Only her, not you," said the secretary, surprising me and Lar. He is my master, the handler. Every decision, I take in the arena is his; I have no will regarding it. If he said it.; I will have to follow it. I remember the day; I signed the contract. I was extremely desperate; there was no option but to sign the contract. "This is a velvet garden." He said, pointing at the tower. Speaking an unfamiliar name. "The legacy. It was born nine months ago, and the host of it is Remus Silver, your son," he added, and my heart shook. I had expected many things, but not this. "It had advanced to Grade II," "Most are saying, he had achieved it within six months, which is shocking enough, but there is a whisper, that said he had achieved it in three months," "If it is true, he would be the first to achieve the feat, in this era," His eyes were searching, but I didn''t know anything. He wouldn''t find anything in my eyes other than sheer shock. ''Remus has a legacy,'' This sentence revolved around my mind. It took me a while before I was able to get out of it. "Are you going to release me?" I asked. I kept the hope to a minimum, but it couldn''t help, seeped into my voice. It had been over a decade since I saw my sweet boy. My heart aches every minute in his memory. I want to see him, hug him, never leave his side. "I thought about it and decided not to." He replied, crushing all the hope I had in my heart. "If it had been a common legacy, I would have, but the velvet garden was clearly a special legacy and that makes you an asset to us," he added. He wouldn''t have let me. Even if it was a common legacy. No mercy exists in the hearts of heavenly colosseums. "But don''t worry, seeing you are the mother of a fellow Synod member. We will promote you and give you access to the things, you didn''t have before," "We are also suspending the Patrons Prize. So, you won''t have to sleep with patrons that sponsor you from now on," he said. The more I heard. The angrier I got, but I said nothing and drank down the emotions. "You can now even contact your son without any worry," he added with a smile, and all those buried emotions once again threatened to burst out. "Thank you," I said. Once again, drinking down everything I was feeling. "I am going to write to your son, the response now. He would be happy, seeing the privileges we are going to give it to you," he said. "Can I go now?" I asked. "Sure, and take this," he replied, before sliding a silver medallion toward me. A surprise flashed in my eyes. I know what it is; every fighter, gladiator, and warrior longed for this thing. "You have the potential to earn it, but you are getting it early, thanks to your son," he added with a smile. The champion''s medallion. Only those of Lv. 40 or powerhouses of great prowess get it and he is giving this to me. It also means Lar can''t control me anymore. I am now directly under the prefect''s control. "You will have to add a drop of blood on it to bind it," instructed Praefectus Prisca. I nodded and took my dagger and pierce my finger with it, before dropping the blood on the silver medallion. Immediately, the surrounding mist moved onto the medallion, and the emblem of the area flashed in it. A moment later, it came out of my card and stuck on the back of my hand. It flashed there for a moment before disappearing. Click! A few seconds later, I walked out of the office. Lar was waiting there, looking confused. "What happened? I felt the power of your contract taken from me?" he asked. "Fuck off!" I cursed, shocking the man. I had wanted to say those words to this bastard for a long time and now I finally said it. He was shocked, but the familiar anger appeared in his eyes. "You bitch! You dare to talk to me like that!" he screamed and raised his hands. Slap! A loud slap rang out, sending him flying, crashing into the wall. I waited for the punishment from the contract, but it didn''t come. I have the privilege of champion. Aside from Praefectus, nobody can do anything to me. "If you ever dare to lay your filthy hands on me again. You will see the slap with mercy," I promised. I looked at his snotty face, before walking away. I have things to do. First and foremost, find out if this is all true or one big nightmare. I am still having a hard time believing. It is all truth. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 413: Invitation Chapter 413: Invitation "Thank you, Lord Silver. Have a nice day," said the orc in his early forties, shook my hand. "You too, Lord Orag," I replied. The man smiled and walked out of the conference room with the rest of his people. Immediately, the vibrant smile on my face disappeared, and I nearly shook with deep tiredness appearing in my eyes. I became a balloon that lost all its air. The bastard did not show mercy. They wanted everything I had. I would have been grateful if they had behaved like a lord of Owlspring. "With two hundred bottles promised to the state of Oksall. The tally had reached seven hundred and eighty," said Valentina. A hundred bottles were promised to the Lord of Owlspring. Two hundred and fifty to the state of Meldhorn. One hundred and fifty to the state of Belnin. Two hundred to the state of Oksall, twenty to Amberhold. Sixty to the city of Inam. Except for the representative of the Amberhold. I met the representative of all of them. There are many more had remained. The imperials, the city of Namdar, houses like the house of Ashav. Alchemists, artificers, and many other people. Lord of Owlspring had estimated, that the legacy would produce twelve hundred bottles of emotions. Larger than most Grade II legacies. He had underestimated it. I had looked at the core and how much essence it had produced. I divide it in half and multiply it by month; the establishment would produce slightly over two thousand bottles every month. This is a conservative estimate, seeing a legacy opened in the afternoon, it was at night all sixteen floors were opened. From today, it opened in the morning, and while there wouldn''t be as much as patrons on the blue as there were the guests yesterday The patrons on the floors below it will remain the same or even increase. Still, seeing the number of people that want the emotions essence. Even two thousand bottles of emotions essence seemed less. I wish I could say no, but I couldn''t. I need things from them, as well as the support. I will need to give the merchant stage. The same for Inam; it could cause me serious harm. So, I need to keep them happy too. I had to give something to even Amberhold, because they have the trade route and orcs. In exchange, I am not only getting things. That merchant state keeps restricted but also the influence. That will translate into friendly policies and investments. To me, the merchant state is more important than even an empire. My survival depends on them. "It is slightly over what we had expected, but we will manage. I hope, all of you and your people will negotiate, the best deals for us," I said, looking at the people around me. Everyone is here. Valentina, Hardt, Arryn. There are also Carla and Margaux since it is the resource of the establishment. Today we have agreed on only the number of bottles of emotion essence. The teams will negotiate, what we want in exchange for them. It will be a busy week seeing the sheer number of parties. They will have to negotiate with. I wouldn''t have needed to be here. They are capable of handling the people on their own, but emotion essence is the most precious resource and I want to maintain control over it. It might seem like, I am controlling anything, but it is a start. Things will improve with time. That is why all the contracts have a validity of six months. After that, all of them will need to renegotiate. I stayed there for a few more minutes before walking out. I will return here for one more meeting. It is with the city of Namdar. It will be the last meeting before I retire today. I am thoroughly tired; couldn''t continue, even if I wanted to. I want to cancel the last meeting, but that wouldn''t look good. "Baroness Leila, is waiting for you in the waiting room," informed Zela. Leila had been wanting to meet me since morning, but I delayed it till now. I didn''t want to meet with her, but also didn''t want to make dinner awkward. It is better to make things clear, before that. Soon, I reached my office and saw my sister waiting in the waiting room. "Leila," I said, and she got up and followed me into the office, while Ina remained behind. Zela and John followed. It had happened once a decade in archmage city. The place of the most powerful legacy on the continent. All the hosts of legacies on the continent are invited. Also, the head of state. Powerful organizations and high-level people. It is the thing where everyone desires to get invited. Last time, the hHouseof Silver had paid enormous money for the slot of a single person. "I gladly accept the invitation," I accepted. "We hope you will personally come, Lord Silver. The Archmage, had a desire to meet you," he said, and surprise couldn''t help, but appear on my face. The leader of the Archmage Tower is notoriously hard to meet. Even the head of state, fault for getting his appointment. "It is my honor, Great Mage, but I can''t promise personal attendance, given the condition of the region," I replied. "We understand, but we would still be happy if you came," he said. "I will try," I said, and the old man smiled. The great mage left a moment later, while Zela''s eyes still following him. I could see the hope in her eyes, the desire to reach the height, he had reached. I didn''t say anything and turned to the box with a big emblem of the Archmage Tower. The spirit. It is for that reason alone; that many people want to visit it. I don''t plan to go despite very much wanting to, but it is three months away and anything could happen. I could feel their eyes on the box. They are very curious, so I am. There isn''t only an invitation in the box, but also a gift. They send it with an invitation. It is only for the legacies. It could be anything, a rare resource, emotion essence, or anything else. However, it is said; that the archimage tower gives what one needs. So, I am quite curious, about the gift the box will have. Click! I clicked open the box and immediately the mist came out. Filled with such power, that I froze for a moment. When I came to myself, I saw the projection in front of me. The projection of Archmage. "Lord Silver host of the Velvet Garden. You are cordially invited to the continental conclave of legacies." Said the archmage, before the mist dissolved and the contents of the box appeared in front of me. The first is the envelope. It was blank, but the moment I touched it. The emblem of the archmage tower, archmage city, and archmage appeared. As I opened it, I found the formal invitation. It''s so beautiful, that I want to frame it. Many do. It sells for quite a good price. It is a collector''s item. It is not only beautiful but also valuable. Everything is magical, from ink to paper; one could feel the power emanating from it. I placed the envelope down and looked at the other thing. It is a book. I could see Zela shaking, seeing it. She had already guessed, what it was. I touched it and the beautiful cover revealed itself. "It is indeed a spell book, with the spell, you had wanted," I said, handing the book to her. It''s true what they say. I had been searching for a good defensive spell and they have provided me with one. The spell is Light Sphere. It creates a sphere of light around the caster or person, it is directed. It''s a Grade 4 light elemental defensive spell. A powerful defensive spell, especially against dark elemental spells. Zela is a water elemental mage, but she is also perusing the light element. It will be a tough spell to learn, but if anyone could do it. It would be her. In the past few months, she had been focused on offensive spells. This spell will bring balance to her arsenal. "It is a single learner''s spell," said Zela, a few seconds later. It means only one person could learn it. It couldn''t be copied or shared or sold once it''s open. "Good, you are a perfect person for it," I replied, turning to her. "Thank you, Lord Silver," she thanked with misty eyes. She doesn''t need to thank me. The more powerful she is, the safer I will be, and I need her to be powerful to face, the challenges that will soon be coming to our doors. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 414: Resign Chapter 414: Resign Click! The door opened and a handsome man walked in with an older woman behind him. I wanted to meet them in the conference room with others, but something had come up. They are busy dealing with it, while I deal with these people. ¡°Lord Silver,¡± said the handsome man in his thirties. ¡°Lord Salazar,¡± I replied. He is Artur Salazar, son of Helen Salazar. He seemed a little displeased. Likely because I didn¡¯t stand up in respect. Why should I? He isn¡¯t Lord of Owlspring. ¡°Thank you for meeting us. I am sure you are extremely busy,¡± he said, with a faint hint of sarcasm. The expression on the woman behind him had changed a little and a moment later on, Salazar¡¯s. A faint irritation appeared in his eyes for a moment before he controlled his emotions. ¡°I am, but there is always a time for you, Lord Salazar,¡± I replied, which pleased him a little. ¡°I will get directly to the point, Lord Silver. We want the emotion essence and are willing to pay a fair price for it,¡± he said, and I smiled. ¡°Of course. How much do you want?¡± I asked him. It surprised him a little. They hadn¡¯t expected me to be so direct about it. Getting to the point directly is always great. Weaving flowery words to pass the time before getting on to the point is simply a waste of time. ¡°Five hundred at least, but we would be pleased. If you were able to give us more,¡± ¡°We will pay you handsomely for them, of course,¡± he said, and there was not the slightest change in my face. The smile remained hanging in there. Though my eyes turned serious. ¡°I don¡¯t think, I have that many, Lord Salazar,¡± I replied, and the man laughed. ¡°Come on, Silver, we know you have it,¡± he said, in a tone louder than what was polite. ¡°According to our calculations, your legacy would produce thousand to thousand five-hundred bottles each month,¡± he added a moment later. ¡°You are correct, Lord Salazar, but I have already promised a large number of them to merchants states,¡± ¡°There are also imperials that I will meet tomorrow,¡± I replied, in the same tone as I spoke before. ¡°You are giving essences to the bloody merchants, who are our enemies, rather than your countrymen. I didn¡¯t think, you were a traitor, Silver!¡± he said, nearly shouting at the end. He leveled such a grave accusation, so casually. Alarming the woman behind him. I wanted to laugh, hearing this. I mean, the sheer entitlement this man has, it¡¯s really something. Even Lancel was smarter than this bastard. He was intelligent enough not to use such heavy words in the conversation. Especially against the people from whom he wants things. ¡°Lord Artur didn¡¯t mean to accuse you, Lord Silver,¡± clarified the old woman. Even he didn¡¯t apologize for the insult. Yes, that was an insult. If I didn¡¯t need Namdar. I would have kicked him out of my office and banned him from the city for it. Unfortunately, I cannot do that. So, I drank my anger and only showed the displeasure on my face. ¡°Lord Salazar, the merchant states for you are calling me a traitor for is the reason this city is standing right now,¡± ¡°They have provided the intelligence, weapons, and aid. We desperately needed it. Which we asked Namdar for, but didn¡¯t get any,¡± ¡°Most importantly. They are the reason why, the man in Ashton Harbor is staying there.¡± ¡°If he hadn¡¯t, the entire region would have been in control of the undead right now!¡± I replied without raising my voice. Yes. I had asked for aid, but didn¡¯t receive a single penny. Nor did I receive any intelligence or a single weapon to fight against the undead. They might have their own reasons for not providing my little city any help, and I did not begrudge them for it, but I won¡¯t stay silent when they disrespect me and the people who helped me. Merchant states are no saints. They are squeezing me for everything, I have, but their part in the survival of the city is also undeniable. Namdar is a powerful city but unlike merchant states or even Inam. They can not do anything directly. It would be fine if I didn¡¯t give them a single bottle of essence. They could create some trouble, but I can deal with the help of merchant states. As I said, influence and besides, they wouldn¡¯t do that. Artur Salazar may be an idiot, but his mother isn¡¯t. She wouldn¡¯t do anything to the opportunity that could provide her with the resources, she wants. As for my family. She wouldn¡¯t touch them. House of Silver is rich, and it provides massive taxes to the city. If she harms the family because of me. Then it would spook the other houses, and they might start to find other places for their wealth. I also want things from Namdar. It is the reason why the man is sitting in front of me. I am meeting him before the imperials because I also need things. It is not resources, some, but it is something more. Something, that will help me create a firm foundation for my city. The merchants wouldn¡¯t provide that, but the empire and the Namdar could. The man was angry, but a few seconds later, he got his emotions under control. ¡°It seemed like, I misspoke a little,¡± he said, but didn¡¯t apologize, nor did he lessen the power of his skills on me. ¡°I am willing to provide for the city of Namdar. Seventy-five bottles of emotions essence a month, but I will need a few things in return,¡± ¡°Most importantly, I need agreements. Don¡¯t worry, they are minor agreements. They will help Namdar elevate some of their worries,¡± I replied. I could see the anger in his eyes flaring again hearing my words. The idiot didn¡¯t seem to have heard anything besides the number. The nanny brought the children, and we started to eat. Keeping the conversation light. ¡°The spa was a really great, idea, Remus. It made me feel alive all over; even Everett had enjoyed it,¡± said grand auntie Marta, while the old man''s cheeks reddened. ¡°I did not. I had only gone there because you had forced me,¡± he said, glaring at his wife. Making everyone laugh. ¡°Remus, I have a young lady, that I want to bring to the spa with me. Would you mind giving me an extra pass?¡± asked Rowen, always one to spoil the mood. ¡°Has the family found someone for him?¡± I asked, and they shook their head. ¡°We had tried to set him up, but he rejected her,¡± said Selina. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have. If she could talk more than replaying to my words,¡± Rowen said angrily. ¡°I had told you, she is a silent type,¡± replied Selina. He didn¡¯t reply to her and turned to me. ¡°Will you give one to me?¡± He asked, turning to me. ¡°I had already given you two passes, Rowen. I am not going to give you, more. If you want more, make an appointment like everyone else,¡± I replied. It made everyone laugh. Though they tried to hide it. I wanted to give the bastard only one pass, but gave two like everyone else. It was a mistake. ¡°It is only a pass, Remus. It is not a big thing for you,¡± he said. I stopped and turned to him. ¡°It is not, but I am not going to give it to you, Rowen,¡± I said directly. He turned red but didn¡¯t open his mouth, seeing no support. Granduncle is even glaring at him. There was a silence for a minute before the conversation returned. No family dinner completes without some drama. No matter how distasteful it is. Soon, the dinner is over. ¡°Remus, Leila. Come, there is some family business to discuss,¡± he said, and we walked toward my office. I took Carla with me; she was a little hesitant but came. They looked, but no one said anything to her presence. Rowen followed but stopped at the glare of the Granduncle. Soon, everyone except for children, Rowen and Graham, entered my office, and the doors closed. We were all seated, with Granduncle sitting. ¡°Leila, Remus; the head wants both of you to resign from your house council seats,¡± said the old man. Everyone looked at us, with grave faces. There is always drama when things like this happen. It had happened when Grandfather asked Granduncle Roger to resign from his seat, to make space for Leila. He had lost his shit. I heard, there was quite a scene. Though there was not a hint of anger on my face. Instead, there was a smile. ¡°It came later than I had thought,¡± I said. ¡°I had expected it to happen three to four months ago,¡± added Leila. There was a big sigh of relief and also surprise on their face. It¡¯s not that hard to guess. Leila and me both are lords, and our decisions have consequences. It is the same as House; being too close to them will have an effect on us. It is only right to have distance. It will protect both of us. ¡°Both of you represent the future of the house of Silver. If something happened to us. We want your branches to survive and thrive.¡± ¡°You both represent a great future and being separate from the house, will give a great freedom to reach your potential,¡± added Gerald. ¡°I understand,¡± said Leila. ¡°It¡¯s a wise decision,¡± I agreed. I have no hard feelings. I was already on the way to do that. Seeing how, I had kept the family separate from the legacy, during the opening this time. ¡°Leila, give us a few minutes to talk to your brother,¡± said the old man. She nodded and walked away. ¡°Remus, the house would like some emotion essence,¡± said Gerald with a faint hesitation. ¡°How much?¡± asked. ¡°Fifty,¡± he replied. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± I said. I could see the relief on their faces. I am relieved too. I thought they would ask for a hundred and was willing to give it to them. ¡°You have received an invitation to conclave, right?¡± asked the old man, and I nodded. ¡°We would like, to have two slots in your delegation.¡± He spoke. ¡°The slots are yours,¡± I replied. ¡°Thank you, Remus. Your help means a lot to the family,¡± said Gerald. ¡°There is no need to thank me. We are a family,¡± I had not said these words lightly. They are my family and they have played a huge part in my success. If I had not been a member of a house of silver. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do the business safely, nor would I have got the job in the guild. There were also many little helps they had provided. That helped me reach the height, I am today. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 415: Secret Agreements Chapter 415: Secret Agreements Rutto "Just keep your mouth shut and let me do all the talking," said the handsome man beside me as the carriage stopped at the city hall. He is Aubin Arledge, the fourth son of Count Arledge. One of the Emperor Inkav''s biggest allies. It was supposed to be my job, I was to be the guardian of the legacy, but it all changed swiftly when Silver revealed his legacy to the Grade II and Amphitheater Class. This man, who was in Inam, was quickly sent here to replace me to be the guardian of the legacy. The only reason, I had even been allowed to come with him, was because I had begged him to let me come. I don''t know why I did that. It is just more humiliation. I guess, I wanted to see the end with my own eyes for the position, I had spent all my fortune and favors for. Click! The door opened and he walked out. I looked at the young man in front of me and couldn''t help, but feel jealous. Aubin Arledge is young. Handsome. Ambitious. He is only twenty-six years old. Had a powerful house, that helped him in every way, he could. My house had been powerful once; only second to the imperial house. Over the centuries. We had lost everything; including the whole region of the empire we used to control. Now, we don''t even have a territory and the title had been reduced to mere Lord. The only thing we have is the name, Rutto. I looked at city hall as I climbed its steps and the faces of people. There are humans, but also a lot of orcs; I had even spotted a half-elf. It is still quite a surprise to me. In my forty-one years of life; I had never seen so many non-humans as once. I had once made a trip to the Namdar when I was young. I had the blood of a non-human in me. She was the most illustrious woman. Second only to her husband; the founder of House Rutto. I shook those thoughts away and focused on the people. They are vibrant, there is a vibrancy in them, that one wouldn''t expect from the city, and they could be attacked by the undead at any time. "The first thing, I will do after I take over the city is to throw all these filthy orcs out," said Aubin. He doesn''t just want to become the guardian of the legacy but also become a lord of the city. Which I think, is a thought out of the realm of reality. I mean, how he will do that? Silver won''t just hand over the city. Even His Majesty wouldn''t be able to make him. He is busy, with all his forces. Fighting siblings, along with neighboring kingdoms. He is having a problem controlling the nobles under the territory he is controlling. It would be farfetched to say, his command would be enough for silver to hand over the city. I think it is a challenge to even sign the contract of guardianship. I didn''t say anything. I just followed behind. Soon, we reached Silver''s office; the doors were closed. Aubin turned to the secretory. She is the youngest secretary; I had ever seen. She didn''t even look eighteen. Though she is very pretty; it is why Aubin''s eyes turned lecherous. "I am Lord Arledge. I have an appointment with Silver," stated Aubin. "Lord Silver will meet you at nine," she replied with a professional smile. There are twenty minutes before time. We had come early. I had told him, but he was in too hurry to become the guardian to listen. I could see her words made him angry. He placed his hands on her table and leaned toward her. "I am Lord Aubin Arledge; envoy of Emperor and I want to see Silver now," he demanded before blasting the poor girl, with his skills. I thought, she would squirm and sweat, but there was no change in the young girl''s expression, other than sparks of irritation in her eyes. It couldn''t help, but surprise me. Aubin isn''t weak. He is Lv. 20 and has a Lord Class. I was in my thirties when I reached the Lv. 20 in my Lord Class. That makes his skills quite powerful, but despite that, the young secretary seemed unaffected. "Lord Silver, will you see at nine Lord Arledge," she replied, and I felt Aubin move back, like he was pushed away. A shock flashed in his eyes before it turned to anger. I could his hands reaching his saber, but stopped as guards standing, not far away appeared beside the secretory. Aubin''s guards had also moved a step closed. The stalemate lasted for a second before he removed his hands from his saber. The guards returned to their places, and I took a sigh of relief. It would have been bad. if he had unsheathed the weapon. I heard Silver is particular about such things and very protective of his whores. It''s how, he had gained, the legacy, they said. He would have rather had his business destroyed, than have his whores disrespected. He glared at the young secretary before walking toward the waiting room. "She will be the first person to be punished after I take over the city. That makes whore get fucked by hundred people in public and then lashed till she is dead," he muttered as I sat down. I shuddered when I heard that. "You will pay for this. I will take my revenge for this disrespect, you have caused me," Aubin shouted. "Shaun, escort, Lord Arledge out," he said, and the mage moved, but Aubin didn''t give him a chance and left after one burning glare at Silver. "My apologies. Lord Rutto. Sit, we have business to discuss," he said as he returned to the seat. I sat down, before taking out the imperial contract from my bag. I placed it in front of me, but Silver barely glanced at it before turning to me. "This the guardianship contract, my lord, that you will sign with the Emperor," I said. I could have slowly eased into it, but after what happened with Auburn. I plan to finish it as soon as possible. "My apologies, Lord Rutto. I am not going to sign the contract of guardianship. I will only sign it with the emperor of an undivided and unfractured empire," he replied. I didn''t expect him to agree readily, but didn''t expect to disagree directly. I waited for the instruction from the Prime Minister Haas, but there was silence "His Majesty Inkav is the emperor of an undivided and unfractured empire. The others are rebels, that he will deal with very quickly," I said. Even though I didn''t believe these words coming out of my mouth, I needed to say them. The prime minister is listening. "No contract," he replied, without commenting on what I had said. He didn''t fall into the trap, that I had laid. ''Ask him for a thousand vials of essence,'' instructed Prime Minister. I feel relieved hearing his voice. I felt like, I was walking in a swamp here. A mistake and I will become the target of the emperor''s ire and I don''t think, I could survive that. "Thousands essence bottles then," I repeated, what the Prime Minister said. "That''s too much; I don''t have that many." He disagreed immediately with the shake of his head. "At most, I could give you two hundred and fifty bottles of essences," "Fifty will be actual bottles of essence, while the rest two hundred will be in the form of emotion essence potions and other things," He stated. "Tha" ''Agree with it,'' I opened my mouth to disagree when the sound of Prime Minister rang out in my mind. Shocking me. ... "We agree," replied Rutto with shock. I kind of pity the man. He had become a puppet of the powerful. I talked with Marquess Hass last night. I had told him, I would not sign the contract. He asked for quite a lot of essence, but I shot that one down too. Finally, we agreed to two hundred and fifty emotion essences. Fifty with emotions essence and two hundred potions and other stuff with emotion essence. He wanted all emotion essence, but I rejected it. Unlike the parties like merchant state and Namdar. The imperials aren''t providing anything in return. It is tithe. I have to give it because this bastard could succeed and become a true emperor. While they wouldn''t harm me due to my legacy, there are many ways, they could make me pay. This tithe will help in keeping things smooth. Crown Prince isn''t the only one, I needed to give it. I will also need to give it to Princess Orlena. She had a reach chance against the throne and was far more capable, than the Crown Prince. She will agree too, because if they went too hard. I might turn to the other party. Which they absolutely don''t want, seeing desperately they needed it. I needed to take the risk for the agreement. He asked me to humiliate Aubin. For his political purpose. I had thought about ways of doing that when he presented the opportunity himself. I was already angry by the letter of Masal Colosseum. His disrespect for Jill had fueled it. I had let my emotions guide me and slap the smug bastard. To be honest, it felt good to act on the emotions for once. It is quite a risk, but I think it was worth it. The Prime Minister agreed to take two hundred essences in the form of potions, in exchange for it. It will give me leverage with alchemists and merchants'' states. It will also save quite many bottles. There are also the secret agreements we agreed on. For it, I will pay him extra. "Thank you, for your time, Lord Silver," said the man and got up. "Have a nice day, Lord Rutto," I said. The man smiled and walked away, with a faint bit of confusion in his eyes. He likely understood most things and will understand the rest soon enough. It''s quite a regret, that he will be a scapegoat for the Prime Minister, if things go wrong. Marquess Haas is too smart to let anything fall on him. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 416: Access Chapter 416: Access Ashton Harbor "Finally, they are coming," said the man with the staff, with joy all over his face. He had just got the confirmation. They are sending the ships, filled with the hordes of undead and powerhouse.?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Their numbers are big, enough for not only sweeping the three cities but also the entire region. "The wait is nearly over," said the armored man. In a few weeks, when the time is right. They will send the horde; it shouldn''t take more than a month. If it had been six months ago. It would have been a lot quicker, but the imperial bitch had galvanized the imperial navy. It isn''t as strong as when the emperor was alive, but still strong enough to create trouble. There are also the bastards merchants. Their navy had heightened their presence. Those bastards aren''t weak; they had defeated the imperial armada of Harsoth, so badly that they weren''t able to recover fully, even after a decade. So, we will need to be very careful. I am still angry at higher-ups. They should have let me attack with the force we have here already; at least Greltheaven. If they had. We would have the legacy in our control and all the I had every detail about it, including the guess of essence it could produce each month and the value of the plants. I think it''s the reason why, they are finally sending the hordes. If they capture, the Grelheaven; they will have the biggest legacy by size under their control. We have legacies on the island higher in grade, but smaller in size, than the velvet garden. ... Eva "So, you are really staying?" asked Cara, and I smiled at my girl. She already knew the answer. It had been ten days since the opening, and we were still here. I will be here, but she is leaving. "I will miss, you, Mom," she said and hugged me. "Me too, sweet child," I said and hugged her back with tears dripping from my eyes. I am going to miss her, a lot. It is the first time; I will be staying away from my children for a long time. I didn''t like it, but I need to. It was a chance; I had been waiting for all my life. "You are going to ask him today?" she asked, and I nodded. "Will he agree?" he asked. "I don''t know," I replied. "There is also a question of whether he will be able to do it or not," I added, to that she nodded. Every legacy is different and has different rules. He might want to give me the mist, but will he be able to? The beauticians, the chefs, and the girls could use the mist, but they were part of the establishment when it became the legacy. A jeweler was not. Even if it didn''t happen. I don''t plan to return. Since I came here, my mind is bubbling with inspiration. It had been a long time since I had been inspired as such. She turned to the store and sighed. It is full. It''s always full, even at midnight. Most of them were men at that time, unlike now when most patrons are women. More than half of our patrons are from the merchant state, but there are some coming from Inam and other close cities of the empire. Many had come specifically to shop at the store. There are also more men than there are at the store like these. 90% of the things we sell are for the ladies. We would have sold more for the men, but the designs aren''t good enough. It needs to be good enough, before we bring it to the store, especially now. I am searching for them and even trying to poach some designers from the other boutiques. I could see the look in the eye of customers; the same look when they see the prominent boutique stores. I wanted it. I craved for it. I had failed, but now I had succeeded. I reached the elevator that led to the top floor. There were guards there, but they didn''t stop me. The elevator is only for Silver and important people like Carla and others. Ting! The door opened, and I stepped out, before walking toward the office. Silver only stays two days a week in the legacy. The other five days, she stays in the manor with his siblings. Today is one of two days. I reached his office and turned toward the tiny but luxurious waiting room. As there are still ten minutes to the meeting. In the legacy, everything is a pure luxury, but the waiting room is clearly something. Miss Rolgath had done a wonderful job. Cara is in talks with her for renovation for our stores. We have an interior designer, but Miss Rolgath is better. "Miss Eva, you can go in," said the secretary, surprising me. There are still over ten minutes before the appointment. Click! I nodded and walked toward the office, before stepping inside as guards opened the door. "Lord Silver," I greeted, the young man sitting behind the table. I also nodded at Margaux and Ina, sitting there. "Eva," he said and offered me a seat. "What can I do for you, Eva?" I asked, with a faint smile hanging on his face. It made him look quite handsome. I couldn''t help but feel attracted to it. He is younger than my children by a good decade and I shouldn''t feel attracted to him. I never get attracted to the younger men, but I do toward him, I have been since that incident on the island. I quickly pushed away thoughts and cleared my mind. It''s very important; I can not let myself be distracted by useless thoughts. "I was hoping. If you could give me access to the mist?" I asked. There was no change on his face, not even a surprise, as if he expected it. "I want to work on jewelry; the mist will help a lot with the new ideas, I have in my mind," I added after a moment of pause, but there was no change in his expression. "The emotion essence is valuable Eva. I am giving so much to the plants. To a lot of people, that there barely remained anything for me," he said. I felt relieved. It''s not an outright rejection, nor did he say, he couldn''t. Now, I have to make him an offer, he can''t reject. Thankfully, I have prepared for it and it''s quite good. "I know, but I will make it worth it. I am quite good at what I do. I am one of the best in the whole of Namdar. Most importantly, you''ll get half of every piece sold," I said, looking. There was no change in his face. I opened my mouth to put up the offer. It is not something I want to do, but I need the mist. I am willing to suffer the loss if needed to be. I was about to speak when a smile appeared on his face. "I can give you the mist, but with conditions," he said. I just nodded and waited for him to lay them all out. I hope they are not beyond, what I could give. "First, every piece, that you make will be sold in the store in the tower. Second, every piece will need to pass through us before being sold," "Third..." He laid out seven conditions. The way he laid them out; it''s clear, he had already thought about them. "I agree," I agreed after a few seconds of silence. Some of them are tough, like every piece passing through his eyes before being sold, but they are not as harsh as I am willing to go. "Good. Give me your hand," he said, and I did. My body shuddered as his hand touched mine. It took all my will to keep my face straight. "Done, now you will be able to control the mist," he said, releasing my hand. It took me a moment for me to control myself before I bowed. "Thank you, Lord Silver," I said with joy. "You can call me Remus when we are alone, Eva," he said, and my heart fluttered. "Thank you, Remus," I said. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 417: Plans Chapter 417: Plans Deerpond "Silver is growing his army at alarming speed. Look at this information milord, these weapons, that merchant state providing him," said General Silva as they turned to Greltheaven. Everybody in the meeting turned serious. Greltheaven''s rise had become serious enough, that they had added them in a list of threats. "It''s all because of that damn legacy. He is selling the essences and getting those weapons from the merchants!" said Lt. General Ronda, who hates Silver the most. Lord of Deerpond didn''t say anything, but read the file in front of him, that had the latest information on Silver. His army grew at incredible speed in the past seven months, but it''s what happened in the past month, that made them worried exponentially. The numbers in his army grew faster, but it was weapons coming from the merchant state, that had made them worried the most. Weapons, the types of which the merchant had stated, had refused to sell to them. "It is indeed worrying, but there is nothing we could do, should do about it. At least temporarily." "The undead are coming and we should be prepared for them, because this time; the attack would be more powerful than the last time," said Lord of Deerpond. Everybody nodded. "We are prepared to deal with them, my lord. When the division arrives, we will be in an even better position to deal with them," said General Silva. "We need them to reach the city fast. I need them here, before the undead attack us," said Lord of Deepond. They understood the hurry. The twelve thousand soldiers will be tremendously helpful to them in dealing with the undead threat coming at them. "We are trying, my lord, but the conditions are such that it is taking time," replied General Silva. They are using both diplomatic and financial means to smooth their journey, but it is hard to see what is happening in the empire. The meeting ended an hour and a half later and everybody began to leave, till only three of them had remained. Lord of Owlspring, his son, and General Silva. He activated the privacy wards to their full power and added, their own skills into it. "How is the progress?" asked the Lord of Deepond. "In a week, our people will reach the load," replied General Silva. Hearing that, a smile appeared on Lord''s face. "Silver has a legacy, but so what? In a week, we will have something, that everyone needs. Merchants will come to us for it, and so will everyone else." "It will provide us with enough money, to fund a big army. Fend off the undead, and then move to conquer Greltheaven to get that legacy," said Darius. General Silva nodded. It''s their plan. They want Greltheaven, want it for the legacy, and to control the river route. They only need Greltheaven for it. Getting, Riverbell wouldn''t be a problem. ... Hun! My eyes flew open as I sensed something, I had never sensed before. Though it had been explained to me. "What happened?" asked Carla. Sensing me waking up. "A new legacy has been born," I replied. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Where?" she asked. "I think, it''s herald continent," I replied, before closing my eyes to sense it clearly. Soon, I got a glimpse of the place. It is a small place, intimate. I could see a raven-haired woman in her middle-age, looking around in shock. She had a paintbrush in her hand and a canvas with a half-finished painting. Around her are people, young and old, with paintbrushes and canvases in front of them. Some looked confused, while others were in shock. ''Master Silver,'' said Caena telepathically. ''In my office.'' I replied and walked out of the bed. Click! I opened the door and walked into my office, with Carla following behind and Caena, coming in a few seconds later. "Lord Silver, there is a message from Synod," said Shaun with a surprise on his face. "Who is it?" I asked directly, knowing it was about the legacy. "Sarkis Mael. She is the owner of a painting club, in the kingdom of Seirnol, Herald Continent," he replied. When I walked into my office, I saw that Caena was already there, along with Carla. I nodded at her and sat down, before opening the file in front of me. It is the daily financial report. It is a rough estimate; I get the accurate one every week. This report didn''t just have the finances of the velvet red, but also the blue and other floors of the legacy, except for the store. A minute later, I closed the file with a smile on my face. It''s expensive to run the tower. From the salaries of the staff to food and drink. Everything costs a lot of money. "I will be submitting the first installment today," informed Carla. I nodded. A month had passed since the legacy had opened, and it was time for us to start repaying the massive loan we took from the bank. It is massive, but the establishment is also earning a lot. More than we had estimated, and that is excluding the essences and the plants. We are using only 5% of the monthly earnings to pay the loan. It will take me ten years to pay to pay off the massive loan. I could have used more, but why should I? Dept isn''t bad. Especially one of such low interest. Besides, I need money. Except for keeping some 20% for myself. I am loaning everything to the city. The city is still desperate for every penny. To run a city is a massive expenditure. Our tax collection has made a big leap in the past few months and so has the traffic of goods on the river, but also the expenses. It is not cheap to build roads, parks, police stations, and hospitals and maintain them with sufficient staff and resources. If it was all, everything would have been golden, but no. There is a defense. The true guzzler, There is a reason, the war bankrupts the countries. The salaries, pensions, equipment, and other things cost massive money. I had spent as much as I could, but it was not enough. It never is, but I will keep trying. It''s the only thing I could do to keep my city safe from the clutches of the undead. "It''s time," I said as the nine ticked in. A moment later, everything turned dark, and a magnificent core appeared in front of me. It''s not alone, there is a colorful planet orbiting the core. It is said that the core becomes what the host desires. Mine is the sun, charms turning into planets, which Caena had stemmed from my desires. I admired it for a few seconds, before turning to business. A box of tiny bottles appeared in my hand before the bottles flew toward the planet. A moment later, the planet begins to shine, and colorful flares begin to come out of the core like the sun and funnel into the planet. As it happened, the planet became more colorful. It continued for nearly half a minute before it stopped and the color it had gained began to drain from it, before stopping twelve seconds later. The planet had turned back the same as it had been when I summoned it. I waved my fingers, and the bottles returned. They are not empty, anymore. All of them are filled with the emotion essence. They went back to the big box and, the second after that, we returned to the real world. "No matter, how many times, I looked. The process enamors me," said Carla. "It is an enamoring process," I said and looked at its architect. It wouldn''t have been possible without her. "How many had come?" asked Caena. "All of them," Carla replied. Yes, all of them had come for the essence, that I had promised them. I have the essence for all of them. I turned to the box in front of me. We have been harvesting, this amount of essence every day, for the past month. A hundred bottles. We have thirty-three hundred bottles of essence and we had only promised fourteen hundred of them to others. In a month, I had become sure, that my legacy could produce such an amount continuously. More than it. We are only harvesting a hundred bottles a day. That means, I could start on my plans, for which I am giving the essence to the Namdar, Imperials, and the other stakeholders. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 418: Not Good News Chapter 418: Not Good News Click! The door of the conference room opened and three people walked in, with a raven-haired half-elf at lead. It is rare to see black-haired half-elves. It is not a natural hair color; it is likely he had inherited that from his human half. "Lord Silver," he greeted with a faint bow. "Mr. Marysel, I hope the journey has been well?" I asked the man. "It had been my lord," he replied, before sitting down. Everyone is present, Stone, Cardin, Izalia. It''s an important meeting; I had asked my top military brass to be present for this meeting. "What is the intelligence the silent forest got for us?" I asked. The silent forest is what the intelligence agency of the merchant states called. It is not an official name, but everyone referred to it as such, including their own people. "Not good news, I am afraid," the half-elf replied. Immediately, two people behind him took out the files and began to distribute them throughout the table. "We have a solid intelligence, that ships carrying hordes of Vris''alud will reach the Renwell''s shores within a week," he said, turning everyone''s expressions serious. We were already informed that they were coming within a month two weeks ago, but now that estimate has shrunk to a week. "How many undead they will have?" asked Stone. "One point five to two million undead," he replied. Turning the atmosphere serious. There is barely any surprise in the numbers. Stone had said since the undead didn''t send any undead in over half a year. We should expect high numbers of around two million; we would be powerless against such numbers if they came. There are already one and a half million undead in the region. More of such numbers will give the undead an absolute edge. They would be able to sweep through the three cities and, if they combine, the hordes later. Might even present a threat to Marquess Gats. "What about the powerhouses, special undead, and other weapons?" asked Stone. "We know, they are at least sending at least forty powerhouses above Lv. 30. At least a hundred below Lv. 30." "As for the special undead and weapons. We do not have any intelligence about it, but we guess there will be some, at least more than last time," he replied. There is a difference between the common undead and uncommon ones. If there are a large number of them, in the horde; it will be more dangerous. The same with weapons; yes, the undead use weapons, like cannons, catapults, and others. They do not use them as much as others, but they use them. "With such force, they could conquer every city in the region," said Valentina. "It is why, we have increased our naval surveillance and even shared the intelligence with the imperials," he stated. Surprising a few. I am not. Most of the animosity merchant state and the empire disappeared after the death of the emperor. Now, the merchants only want profit, instead of revenge, while the imperials want goods instead of avenging the humiliation. If the undead controlled the renwell region, especially the three cities on the river. They would control the lucrative trade route and merchants'' states wouldn''t want that. Especially the Meldhorn and Oksall. As they will be dependent on the sea route through the Belnin. It will increase the expense and restrict their choices. These are the things the merchants hate the most. "We will not let them touch the zenid''s shore as easily, as they had before," he said. I had heard the same words from the other people of the merchant state. Their language is vague and their response is measured when asked to explain it. So, we don''t really know. If they would attack the undead ships or just warn them. The merchants have no intention of having a war with Vris''alud, but they don''t want to lose the trade route and influence, it provides them. I waited for his skills to come, but they didn''t. Last time, the bastard had nearly crushed me. This time, I want him to use his skills. I took my charm to twenty, which made it leap in power. I had tested it against people, but I wanted to test against him. Unfortunately, the skill didn''t come. "It is not discrimination, Lord Orag, but distribution based on the reciprocation and supply," I replied, without a change in expression on my face. "To us, it feels like discrimination. Since we too can offer you, what the state of Meldhorn is offering you," he said, and I smiled. "It is not discrimination, my lord, but if you feel like it is. You will have a chance to make your point when we renegotiate in five months." I replied. "I will," he said, not pressing it further. He left a minute later, and I met a few more people. All of them had come to the city to collect the essences. We are asking all the people we gave essence to send their own people to collect it. Emotion essence is precious, we cannot guarantee a safe delivery with our people, nor do we have a people. Soon, it was evening, and I walked out of my office. I went to the barracks to check on the army. Their numbers had swelled since the second battle. There are a lot of orcs in the army, but humans are still more than twice in number. Most of them are from the empire, but we have also recruited many refugees from Mayhurst Island. They are experienced and have a fire of vengeance burning in their hearts. Seeing them, I felt the fear in my heart lessen. We have a chance. These people will fight and win against the undead. "The batch from Owlspring, will be in the city by ten," informed Colonel Cardin as he stopped beside me. "What about those in other cities?" I asked. We had sent people to different cities, to train. Merchant states usually do not offer such training to the forces that are not their allies, but there is always an exception. "All will be in the city, by tomorrow evening," he replied. It made me relieved. These people are very important. The enemy is strong this time and we will have to give our all to deal with them. "Did you get any response from your contacts?" I asked, and he sighed. "A few are coming, but not in the numbers we want," he replied. Hearing that, I sighed too. When I say, I am trying everything to increase the city''s preparedness against the undead, I am not joking. Cardin''s had connections in the army. His whole life went there; his family also served in the army, his father, and grandfather. For a few months, he had been contacting his connection. Poaching people. He had had success there, seeing he was able to get nearly four thousand soldiers. It has been especially good in the past month. He was able to bring two Lv. 30+ officers, seven pre-Lv. 30 and over a hundred soldiers of Lv. 20 and above. It''s his effort and legacy''s fame, that made them come here. It is why, we wanted the time. I was hoping, we would be able to poach a brigade. In peacetime, it is hard, but now it is very much possible, seeing a number of battles going around the empire. There are always soldiers willing to move for better pay. We are even trying for the prisoners of war. We had just gained some influence. If had more time, we would have managed that. Now we will have to do with what we have. It is not bad. We were able to make one fine force, which I have complete confidence to show, the undead their place. Valorous Lord Lv. 24 Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 419: Battle At Sea Chapter 419: Battle At Sea West Zenid Sea "Fucking imperials!" cursed an old man, activating the Reinforced Ship and Absorb Explosions. It was still enough as the cannonballs hit the ship, with wood flying everywhere. On top of that, enormous waves are crashing against the ships hard. making it even harder to control. The imperials weren''t supposed to attack them. There is no benefit to that. Attacking them is making another enemy. After the death of the emperor, the imperial armada had scattered. Princess Orelen had gathered what she could, but she only had a quarter of what it was. They weren''t supposed to be here, much less attack them. "It''s the merchant!" spat Captain Versuna. The tall, dark women, holding a saber, looking at enemies with anger and frustration. Her ship had sunk a few minutes ago. She was barely able to save her life but wasn''t in good shape. "Those bastards!" the old man cursed. They had seen the merchants'' ships earlier. They followed us but didn''t do anything. They didn''t enter the imperial waters as we had expected, but who would have thought the imperial navy would have been waiting for us? Till now, they have sunk eighteen ships and are still attacking. They are responding to imperials attacks with cannons and mages, but the bastards are prepared. They shouldn''t have been this prepared or willing. This is reeking of the smells of merchants. The bastards would never get their hands dirty. Instead, they would provide money and resources to others to do the job. They are doing the same ship on the island. It is one of the reasons, why they had difficulty in conquering the entire island. Bang! The cannonball hit the ship, not far away from the old man. Blowing tens of undead and people to pieces; the only reason, the old man survived was because of a shield appeared in front of him. Hun! The dust hadn''t disappeared when he heard another bad news; another ship had been sunk. This is the fourth submerged ship, that had sunk. It is much harder to achieve than those on the surface. "Another load ship had been sunk," informed Versuna., taking the number nineteen. "Were you able to find out, who is leading the fleet? Is that Anderson?" I asked, naming the Grand Admiral of the imperial navy. Though, I heard, he is with a Crown Prince. This is also not his style. He likes to fight bloody, ram the ships, occupy them, and massacre anyone on the enemy''s side. The old man shudders whenever he remembers that battle. The one who attacked us didn''t get close. They are maintaining the distance. Bombarding us with spells, cannons, and ballistae. "They are saying, it is someone called Rear-Admiral Medeiros," she replied. Saying, an unfamiliar name, that he didn''t recognize. He was about to ask for details when he saw a huge ballista bolt appearing in front of them and immediately tear through the shield spells that appeared to protect them. A horror appeared in their eyes. He knew the ballista bolt well. That fucking purple tip tore through his superior six years ago and gave him command of the ship. It''s from a merchant state, the purple tip is proof of that. If he focused, he would even be able to see the familiar emblem on it. It tore through all three shields and reached Versuna. She is directly in front of me; it will be my turn after it tore through her. "Water Swerve!" She screamed and the water came from the wave crashing against them. It formed a kind of slide, on which the ballista faintly changed its direction. Rip! He felt the sharp cut on my shoulder as the bolt moved past me. Boom! It might not seem like it, but the woman who is plucking the flowers is a Lv. 30. Four of sixteen people are that level, while others are pretty close to it. According to the agreement, half of the people, that will work on the plant will be mine. It will be their responsibility to teach them. The timeline is five years, as these skills couldn''t be easily taught and also because I couldn''t get them to take the timeline any lower. One by one, she had plucked all eighteen flowers. Half she gave it to me, while the other half went to Mage Irgal. He was supposed to leave, but he decided to stay or ordered to stay, I don''t know. I don''t want him here, given his power, but also glad he is here, given his expertise. I looked at the flowers. They were beautiful. They are also expensive, but I am not going to sell them. I am only selling 20% of plants. The rest, I am keeping it for myself. These plants would play a big part in my plans. They were about to start two days ago, but got delayed by the intelligence brought by the merchant state. "Lord Silver," I was admiring the plants when Zela called my name. I turned to her and the smile on my face vanished. "There is a news?" I asked, and she nodded. I sighed and turned to the man beside me. "Take care of plants, Mage Irgal," I said to the man. "Best of luck, Lord Silver," he wished, understanding what was happening. "Thank you," I thanked with a smile and walked away. Ting! Soon, I was in the elevator, going down. A few seconds later, it stopped in the lobby, and I walked out. I could see the people around me. The lobby is the most crowded space in the whole tower. It is an art gallery, with many famous pieces. After the opening, many offered the pieces from their collection. Including those who had rejected my request first. Some bowed as they saw me and I nodded to them, before walking out calmly out of the lobby. There is no need to scare them. It won''t be long, before they know, what is happening. Till then, let them enjoy themselves. Click! The carriage was already waiting for me, and I sat down in it. "Have they reached the continent?" I asked. She shook her head. "No, they are currently engaged with the forces of Princess Orelen," she replied, surprising me. "Her forces are fighting against the undead?" I asked to be sure, and she nodded. This shouldn''t have been happening. She wouldn''t fight the undead; it didn''t suit her plans. It will embolden her in conflict, she could easily stay away from it. She wouldn''t do it to protect the region. She has bigger priorities. As for the duty? No. From what I know, the woman is pragmatic. She wouldn''t let her sense of duty come between her goals. Unless someone had offered her something, that would make her take such risks. She could do it for the essence, but I am not giving her enough to make her to do it. There is only one other reason, I could think of them. "Merchants," I muttered. They love to pull strings from shadows. They hate Vris''alud. Not because they attacked the neighborhood, but because they destroyed the trade with one of the lucrative markets for them. The mayhurst island. The merchants love money and are rational, but they can be petty and vengeful, at times. I might be wrong, but I don''t really care. I care about what is happening in the sea. "Is it a big battle?" I asked. "The imperial navy had sunken twenty-three ships. That undead decided to split into several parts and move toward the region. "How many ships are there?" I asked. "They were saying, it was around hundred and fifty," she replied. If it had been people, it would have taken over a thousand or two thousand ships to carry numbers of the undead they are carrying. With the undead, it is much easier. They can be stuffed with any clothes; they do not feel discomfort or pain or anything; they are undead. If the necromancer is powerful enough. He could disassemble all the skeletons and assemble them after reaching the destination. It''s one of the things that makes these undead dangerous. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 420: Half Million Undead Chapter 420: Half Million Undead Click! The guard opened the doors of the conference room seven, and I entered inside. "Lord Silver," they greeted. I nodded and sat down. "What''s the update?" I asked. "The imperial navy is chasing the scattered ships of the undead," replied Cardin. "What is the number of sunk ships?" I asked, while reading the file in front of me. "Thirty-one. More might be sunk during the chase," replied Cardin. "This is the best news we could hope to hear," said Stone, and I couldn''t help, but nod at that. "It is, but the undead are coming and we will need to fight them." "The imperials had made, things a little easy for us," I said. I liked to believe it would affect things tremendously and it would if enough of the ships sank. If not, it might not change things at all, given the sheer size of the horde, that is coming. In the past seven months, I read a few things. History, strategies, and one thing, I had learned, is that I shouldn''t make huge assumptions. The help from the imperials is definitely positive, but how much it will help remains to be seen. Half an hour later, the meeting ended. We will meet once again, at ten. I returned to my office instead of going home; there will be no family dinner today. I contacted both the imperials and merchants, and thanked them first, of course, before trying to get greater clarity. I may have tempered expectations earlier, but I did that. So, my people wouldn''t become complacent, but those words were also not a lie. Time passed, and soon it was a ten. I went back to the conference room. "The imperial navy had done the job; they are supposed to. They had attacked the undead, sinking thirty-nine of their ships," said Cardin. The numbers are better than we had thought. They had sunk, nearly a third of the undead ships. There is a problem with the undead. If you sink the ship, that does mean you kill them. They survive, but they need someone to guide them or a powerful undead. They also need to do it fast; the sea isn''t kind to undead. It whittles away their power. It''s short term, it didn''t matter to us. Even if they survive; they will take a week or more to reach the region and I don''t think, the undead would wait for that long to attack us. Or wait at all. "The ships have started to dock at regions shores. At Ashton Harbor, as well as the Gailhorn," "The intelligence said, that within the next hour, all the ships would reach the region," he stated. Nobody said anything for several seconds. Till a few hours ago, the undead were at the sea, but now, they had reached the shores. "The question is now about the attack. When to be specific. Will they attack immediately or wait?" I asked.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) "They are keeping an eye on the undead. We are getting updates on their every move," he replied. The meeting ended a few minutes later and, once again, I returned to my office. I looked at the file in front of me; the top-secret one. It had information on the exact number of army and the weapons we have. It''s always with Ina. The numbers are good. So are the weapons, but it is undead we are dealing with; they will not make it easy. "The undead started moving," informed Zela. "Where?" I asked. I knew where they were moving, but I still asked to make sure. "East," she replied. "The estimated numbers are fifty-five hundred thousand. It is not just the numbers are greater, but the quality of undead is also better," "Not to mention the powerhouses; I am sure there would be more than the last time." They looked at me, with varying emotions. Some are scared, while others have a fighting spirit burning in their eyes. Whatever they are feeling, they are ready to fight. It is the reason why they decided to stay in the city. "It is the greatest challenge our city has faced till now, but I am grateful for all of you to stand against them with me," "I am not omniscient to tell you that we are going to win the battle, but I am going to tell you that we are going to give the undead such a battle, they had never fought before," I said. Thud Thud Thud! There was a silence for nearly ten seconds before they began to thump the desks hard. Seeing that, a smile couldn''t help, but appear on my face. Half an hour later, I walked out of that meeting and entered another. It is of the civilians, and they are scared, and worried, which is natural. I spoke with them, gave them hope; it''s the only thing I could do. It took me two more hours, when I was finally able to get out of city hall, only to see a deserted city. We have informed them of the undead last night. At four, when the undead left, the Panar, we shifted them into a safe zone. It happened quickly and more efficiently. We had seven months to prepare for it. It pains my heart to see my city, like this, but there is no option. We can play around with the safety of our citizens; a safe zone is the best place for them. Soon, the carriage reached the gates, where there was large activity going on. We had outfitted the walls with new cannons in seven months, but in the past month. We had got some restricted things, and we were outfitting the walls with them. They were expensive, and I had to use the essence to buy them. The bastard merchants weren''t willing to sell, them to me for money, nor did I have money. They have given me these in advance. I had only paid, the first installment two days ago. It is a trade many would do These weapons are hidden in spells and witchcraft. The spies and scrying spells will have a hard time breaching this protection. Click! I got out of the carriage and looked at preparations, before climbing on the wall. "Everything is looking good," I said, looking at the preparation. "It is, but the enemy isn''t weak. Especially that necromancer, leading the horde. He is good at dealing with the decapitation strategies," he replied, sounding faintly worried. Necromancer Methum. He is an experienced necromancer. Fighting since Vris''alud invasion. He has been leading for a few years and is quite good, especially against the decapitation strategies. The one we had used, in the last battle and planning to use on this one too. Fighting asymmetrically is the choice we have, given the enemy, has ten times a number than us. Wayne was overconfident, which gave us a chance last time. This strategist wouldn''t make that same mistake. "I have confidence in you. I am sure, you will bring our city to a victory," I said. The man didn''t say anything to that. He just looked ahead, where mine being laid out. I didn''t say anything and watched quietly for a few minutes before walking away. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 421: Undead At Gates Chapter 421: Undead At Gates Aston Harbor "Bring the glory to the Vris''alud," commanded the man with the staff. Immediately, the horde standing in front of the gates of Ashton Harbor begins to move. It is a massive horde. Containing a million undead and it is moving toward the Port Midlet. "It''s such a regret, that we couldn''t attack the Deepond," said the armored man beside him. The man with the staff didn''t say anything, but it''s clear, that he is angry. Not at him, but what happened yesterday that poured water over their plans. The attack was unexpected. When they came to know about it; they were shocked. They had not expected for imperial navy to attack their ships like that. Its merchants. The weapons the imperial had used to attack their ship had come from the merchants. For it, they will soon pay a price. "We will after, we conquer Greltheaven and Port Midlet. The victory here will give us the freedom to attack both Deerpond and Riverbell," said the man with the staff. "Then, we can make the merchants pay," he grinned with joy and anger. He has a reason to hate the merchants. Not because of yesterday''s attack, but for nearly taking his life; the sling is wearing is because of that. He was barely able to save his life from the assassin of the merchants. He had dared to take a risk, seeing there was no movement from merchants, but he was wrong and paid a price for that. "Do you think, Greltheaven will be conquered by the evening?" asked the armored man after a few seconds of silence. "Unlikely. They had made preparations and got some weapons from the merchants." "The elder-blood leading is also good. So, it should take around ten before we receive the news of the victory," replied the man with the staff. They have no doubts about the victory. Especially in the Greltheaven. All the powerhouses supposed to go there are there and so are special undead. Yes, they have lost ships, but the ones going for the Greltheaven only lost the common undead, which they had gotten from Panar. "I hope, they will do it sooner. I want the legacy under our control as soon as possible," said the armored man. The man with the staff didn''t say anything to that, but his lips had quirked up in a smile. ... Wayne "Everybody understood?" asked Necromancer Methum after he explained the plan in detail. "It''s a great plan, Commander. Just like Hasit, here too, we will completely dominate the enemy and force them to surrender within an hour." "If they didn''t, we will wipe them all out," said Xander, Methum''s lacky. He had been with him for years. "What do you think, Wayne?" asked Necromancer Methum. There is no mockery or ridicule hidden in his question; it feels like a simple question. "It''s a brilliant plan. If you are willing to listen, I have a small bit of advice," I said. "Necromancer Methum doesn''t need some advice from a loose like you," Xander barked. I felt a deep rage for the bastard, but no word came out of my mouth. I had lost the battle and lost it badly. Since then, I have been suffering humiliation after humiliation and there is nothing I can do because it''s the truth. I had thought about the battle thousands of times and realized what an idiot, I had been. Suddenly, a horn rang out, and I turned toward the wall before walking toward it. The horn means the undead could be seen. I reached the wall and looked through the spyglass. I could see the undead; they were in a small spot, which was getting bigger by the second. It won''t take long for them to reach here. "They have come," I said. "They have," said Colonel Azalea, bringing her spyglass down. We watched them come closer and closer, till they started to look like the unending tide they are. "It''s time, Lord Silver," said Stone. I nodded and climbed out of the wall with him and the other officers. Soon, we are standing in front of the army of fifty thousand people. There are forty-nine thousand seven hundred and twenty-two people, to be exact. It took a large effort, but I am proud of what the city was able to achieve in these few short months. I took a step forward and looked at my army. "The enemies have come. They have come to take our city, our way of life. They want to conquer us, turn us into the undead," I said, using my skills at full power. "But we will not let that happen. We will resist, we will defeat them, like we did last time. That they will think about twice, before attacking our city again!" I was shouting at the end, but it worked. Thud Thud Thud! The next moment, every solider in the army begin to hit their legs hard on the ground. It begins to feel like the earthquake has come. It stopped a couple of seconds later. "Follow me," commanded Stone and began to lead the army outside of the gates. In the past battles, we had charged out the gate when the energy came in front of the city. Now, we are more confident in our abilities, but also because the army is big will need some time to charge out. Which the enemy might exploit. It is hard, but there are many skills and weapons. We don''t want to take any risk, regarding it. Soon, the entire army stood in front of the gates, looking at the enemy, which was barely visible to the naked eye. "It is one massive horde," I said, as I looked unending horde through the spyglass. "If it had been my first battle, my lord. I don''t think I would have the courage to fight it," said the half-orc beside me. The orc beside him snickers, but doesn''t say anything. "I don''t think, I would too, Major Kruabur," I replied. My heart is shaking in fear. My body would have to, if not me, control it. It wouldn''t look good to see the lord of the city scared. I put a spyglass down and waited. I didn''t have to wait for long before I could see the massive unending horde with my naked eyes. It is massive and getting bigger by the second. I could see some of the people beside me shaking. Some even took a step back, when the enemy''s fear skills started to affect them. A moment later, waves of skills activated from our people. Resisting the fear skill of the enemy. We might have been able to resist it, but we were not able to wipe the fear from our eyes. Which is natural. If one is not scared of seeing such force, then they aren''t human at all. The massive horde came closer and closer, before stopping at a mile away from us. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 422: Encircled Chapter 422: Encircled Methum "Why waste time? He is going to reject it," said Xander and I smiled. "Because we are civilized people. We don''t want to fight when the job could be done with the words," I replied. I rode my skeleton horse ahead. The horde parted, for me, till I reached in front of it. It is dangerous in the front; they could try to snipe at me. A few did in my past battles, but they wouldn''t succeed like those before they didn''t. It may not look like it, but there are invisible shields all around me. The enemy is a mile away, with the men, less than ten times mine. They become clear as I cast the Far Eyes. I could see the defiance in the eyes of some, especially the leader, but most were scared. It is a natural reaction, seeing there is a difference of over ten times, between the two armies. This is the highest difference in the number of battles, I had ever fought. The greatest difference I had was over six times, which I had won. I had won all the battles that had our numbers over five times.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) It is not hard. I don''t know why idiots leading the battles before me did not win. I am just talking about the Greltheaven, but other cities as well. I shook those thoughts away and looked ahead at the enemy. "Lord Silver, surrender, and you will be spared. Resist and there will be consequences," I said. I didn''t offer to spare anyone. Why would? We are going to win this battle and I had done this courtesy because he is the host of legacy. The higher-ups had placed great importance on him. Saying he could take the legacy to Grade III in a decade. Some are even saying it could happen in five years. "No," Came a reply to a moment later. It was curt. It irked me and made me angry. He could have used a few more words and a better tone to reply. I will make him pay for this disrespect. I heard he likes his whores; I will turn them undead. Especially his mistress. It will fit with what higher-ups want. They want to punish him for the resistance. No one should resist Vris''alud; they should bow and accept their fate. Because if they did not, we would make them suffer a fate worse than death. "It is war then," I said, and my staff blazed. "Charge!" I commanded, and the horde of half a million undead moved forward toward the enemy. "Charge!" A vast roar came from the energy, and a tiny army charged toward us. Seeing that, a smile couldn''t help, but appear on my face. The horde would swallow it and it wouldn''t take long. The battle would be over, while still the sun shining in the sky. "They have made good preparations," said Wayne, looking ahead. "The mines. The bastards had spread them everywhere," said Xander. I couldn''t help, but nod. There are a lot of mines; more powerful than those of last time. If we want to avoid them, we will need to move the horde through the narrow strip, through which the energy charging toward us. Why would I do that? The undead will sweep through them. We will lose some undead, but that''s fine. "Activate Anti-mine measures," I ordered and cast Yiran''s Dampening. I felt the skills and spells next moment, sweeping toward the mines. They will weaken the explosion, and some won''t explode at all. Boom Boom Boom Usually, I fight alone, but in this battle, I will have Wayne and Xander with me. You can not underestimate the elder bloods and seeing, that I had never fought one, I rather not take a risk. Wayne might have had a humiliating defeat, but he is powerful. Strongest beside me in the army, who also had experience with the elder blood. I would be an idiot, not to use him, despite the distaste I feel for him. ... "They are enveloping," said Major Kruabur, seeing the horde bending toward us from the edges. Forming a semicircle, which turned into a circle Methum is doing what he does when he has a massive edge in numbers. It is not a unique strategy among the undead. They are known to use it, with murderous efficiency. They have slaughtered whole armies with this strategy. We want them to use it on us because, like them, we too have a plan. It was extremely risky, but we did not have any other choice. We could have fought from the wall, but that would have resulted in the victory of the undead. Here, we have at least some chance of victory. They are moving, and at every step, the circle becomes more and more complete. They are not caring about the mines, that are blasting undead or cannonballs coming from above. They only want to surround us. "Halt!" Ordered Stone and the army followed immediately. I felt relieved because it was important that the army stopped at this spot. The army had followed the command, they were trained to do so despite the emotions they were feeling. "Circle thorn formation," The second command came, and people moved, including me. T The undead had their plan while we had ours. The circle thorn formation put our most powerful forward as the thorns. The complete circle will bear the pressure, but the thorns will be bearing the most. I am not the thorn, but I am in the front. This formation will be able to help us last longer as we will be able to change places, with those behind. Though, it is not the reason, we had chosen to use it. Encircling is a great strategy, but it has its flaws, like the circle thorn formation we are using. The undead enveloped us from all directions. Everywhere I looked, I saw the undead, coming toward us through the blasting mines. Finally, they stopped when there was only a ten-meter distance between us. Necromancer Methum, stepped forward with a big smile on his face. "Your lord had made a grave mistake. We would have given you a quick, painless death, but now you will have a painful death." "We will massacre you all, till not a single one of you survive," he said with a joy written all over his face. "Kill them all!" He roared, and the undead tide moved toward us from every direction. Hun! "It''s not common undead anymore," said someone behind me as she noticed the uncommon undead among, the tide. Big zombies, huge skeletons. I had even spotted an animalist skeleton, at a distance from me. However, the things that attacked my gaze were the cannons. The undead had brought the freaking cannons with them. Fitted on the skeleton beasts. Methum is confident because it is a large number of undead, he had brought, but also the powerhouses, uncommon undead, and weapons. All these things combined will give him an absolute victory. If I had been in his place, I would have thought that too. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 423: Encircled II Chapter 423: Encircled II Cardin "Should we begin, Colonel?" asked the Hewett. Seeing undead moving to attack the encircled army. "Orders Major, we haven''t received them yet," I replied to the man beside me. We could only begin after receiving an order from Commander Stone. Till then, we will continue with this normal barrage of cannons. "There are too many undead in there, Colonel. The army would be swallowed by them in a minute," said the blond man with a clear fear in his eyes. "They won''t be, Major," I replied. The man had never fought the undead before. He is a veteran of many battles and a brave man. He was my junior, and we had fought in many battles together; he was there where I got afflicted with that skill. He had come four months ago. An excellent officer with amazing skills. They are going to help a lot when we begin. ... Orok Uram The undead came toward us in the tide. There was nothing but the undead. I had fought with them twice. Despite that, my heart couldn''t help, but shake seeing them coming toward me. The Rhythm Of Wild begins to sing through my body as the earth shakes with the feet of the undead. It didn''t sing as loudly as it used to be in the forest, but I will take any advantage I have when fighting against the enemy, that could bury us with sheer numbers. Boom Boom Boom! I gripped my ax tightly and readied myself to face them when I felt as if the sky were ripped apart. Cannons mounted on the skeleton beasts breathed fire and fist-sized balls came out of them, shooting toward us at blurring speed, holding incredible power. I know very well what it could do to me. They had trained us for it. Showed us, the damage it could do to us if we were caught in its blasts. I have a very good defensive skill, but it didn''t help in elevating the fear of the cannons. Despite the danger, I only glanced at them. I am keeping my eye on them, but not focused on them. My focus is locked on the undead and the powerhouses hidden deep in them. As for the cannonballs, it''s not my responsibility, unless it comes really close to me. The undead were less than five meters away from us when the mages acted. Bang Bang Bang! Their shields appeared in front of the cannonballs. Stopping them. It made me feel relieved, but I quickly focused on the undead in front of me. There are a lot of them, half a million. We could not kill them all and it''s not a plan either. The undead had surrounded us as such, that we couldn''t use the targeted strategy, we had used last time. If we tried. They will swallow us. They have enough numbers and a powerhouse this time. They could stop any group, no matter how big it is. We wouldn''t be able to move much deeper into the undead before they swallowed it. Fighting from here isn''t much better either; they will tire us out, before swallowing us. I really hope, Commander Stone has a plan. I came to love the city; I don''t want to lose, the life, I had built here. The first time, in my life. I have a friend. People talk to me. "I am breathing," said the woman beside me and a moment later. The plum of fire released from her mouth. It went straight at the undead, before spreading. Covering over twenty undead. The fire burned brightly as it had covered the undead. It is burning them as if the undead are dried parjis leaves that burn brightly by even a touch of spark. She shouldn''t have done that. Now those fire-covered undead are coming at us. They will cause more damage to us, than we have caused to them. There are about fifty of them. Raaaa! I let them move toward me, before leaping toward them. They sensed me as they let out the strange noise. I didn''t care, I moved as Rhythm of Wild sang in me, and swung my ax, flashing with the power of the enchantment. I am not using my skills, but I am using the enchantment on my ax. I could have done without them, but the enchantment would make it easier. Help me conserve my strength for the powerful enemies. I felt their attack through the Rhythm of Wild and saw there was no place for me to dodge. So, I made the space. I kicked the dead undead I had decapitated and stepped into their place before swinging my ax toward those who attacked me. The same thing happened, and I moved into the place of the dead undead and killed them. It''s quite easy, compared to foes I had fought before. Freyis wolf pack is the most dangerous. They aren''t the most powerful of the monsters, I had fought, but they are the most difficult to deal with. In nearly every fight with them, I had come out worse. They are fast and have an impeccable teamwork. Their claws, sharp as these enchanted blades, could tear through the flesh like soft clay. The uncommon undead, on the other hand. May attack with the same physical power, but they are slow. They had moves and some finesse in them, but I had found monsters used them with more intelligence than them. Rippp Rippp Rippp! Finally, I crushed through the last of the undead and moved back to my company. "Not even a single injury; you are really a monster captain," said the blue mustache man. "Focus, captain, we are in the battle," I replied as I killed another group of undead. They are everywhere, endless. Supported by the mages and the cannons, that are ringing non-stop. Our mages are defending, but they couldn''t defend against all. I saw the damage, that cannonball did; it killed a group of humans and orcs along with undead. They do not care about the undead; all they care about killing us. Hun! A minute passed and another. We kept killing the undead when the Rhythm Of Wild changed. Immediately, I saw the powerhouses emerging from the undead. Lv. 30+, pre-Lv. 30 and more. Warriors, mages, necromancers with special undead around. "Fuck!" cursed Captain Donil, seeing them. The large number of the undead aren''t as scary as these powerhouses. There are a lot of them and the most dangerous of them all is the old man with the grey crystal staff. He moved toward the Commander Stone, followed by two men. One, I had recognized. He was the commander of the last horde. Now, he is following behind the old man. Commander Stone moved toward him. He too, had two people behind him. One is a Paladin Carr, and the other is Garzong. I quickly looked away, when the song spiked again and saw five people coming toward me. I opened my mouth to give the orders when I had received the message. ''Fuck!'' I cursed and turned to the enemy. All pre-level thirty, from what I could guess, with two mages. "Lieutenant Donal, you will handle the black armored man." Lieutenant Azika, you will deal with the old man," "Lieutenant Hasid. You will fight the mage with the fiery crystal," I gave the commands. I could see the relief in Mage''s eyes at command. He only needs to fight one mage. "Commander, what about the Necromancer and Warrior?" Hasid asked, already guessing what I was planning to do. "Leave them to me," I said and moved toward the enemy. I have no choice, but to engage with necromancer and the warrior beside it. The message states, I won''t be getting extra mage to deal with the necromancer. I will have to deal with them with forces, I have. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 424: Target Chapter 424: Target Valentina ''Gently, gently,'' I repeated in my heart as I started to bring those things from underground. They are extremely sensitive and expensive. The slightest mistake and they will explode, and we didn''t want them to explode before they came out. I buried them last night and now bringing them out. Some would ask me, why we can''t just throw them like the cannonballs. Well, we can''t. They are extremely sensitive and need to be handled with extreme care. It also gets quickly discovered by the skills and spells. Especially the Dengersense, which would start blaring in its presence. I had brought them close enough. That their skills should have started reacting, but they aren''t. ''It seemed like whatever Remus did to make it invisible to skills and spells is working.'' I thought. I have a few guesses; some seemed preposterous. A few are illegal and some are in the realm of reason. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. Remus said, I will have around forty-five minutes from the army entering the range. I will have to finish the task in that, or the enemy will sense it. It had already been ten minutes. They have surrounded us, and we have around half an hour at most. Those four things are the most expensive weapons Remus had brought. I myself had gone to the Meldhorn to pick it up. We had paid a massive price of two hundred and forty Grade II essence bottles for them. I had only got these things, after handing over the essences. If I failed, all would go down the drain, but if I succeeded. The chances of our victory would increase by a huge percentage. I have to finish it quickly. The longer it will take, the more casualties our army will suffer. I could see the enemies had brought their cannons and powerhouse. Their numbers are really high, that people are hard-pressed against them. I could hear cannonballs coming down from above, stopped only by the shields. They are not only targeting those in the front, but also at the center. More cannonballs coming at the center than the front. There are enough people protecting me, that I don''t need to worry about any threat. The only thing, I have to worry about is my task. ... Orok Uram The enemies grinned at me, seeing me walking toward them. Especially the necromancer. She is a tall human woman with purple hair and a grey robe around her. There is a script on her robes. It is not common, which I had learned to read, a few months ago. I don''t like mages, no warrior does. The mages are the most dangerous opponents for us warriors, our bane. A same level mage could kill ten of us. If skilled enough and have good enough spells. I had never fought mages before coming here. I had heard about them from my father. He shuddered whenever he used to talk about them. I thought he was overestimating them until I saw their power myself. Now, I would need to fight one myself and it is not the only one. There is also the warrior; a bald, bronze-skinned human of medium height. Sup Sup Sup! I had not even taken three steps when Bone Spears materialized in front of the necromancer and shot toward me. There are ten of them; each one of them is sharp. So, much, they would be able to pierce through my body without any problem. I reacted immediately and activated the skill from my main class. My speed increased with Wild Dash. Like all my skills, it is also suppressed in this environment, but this one is one of the less suppressed ones. There are also the four special undead she had kept around herself. As long as she kept attacking me. I wouldn''t be able to deal with the warrior and they will eventually kill me. I cannot let that happen. The necromancer had launched another attack, at the same time, the warrior had swung his saber at me. His attack is much faster than before, with more power. I wanted to avoid it, but couldn''t. Seeing more than half of the Bone Spears will hit me. That will give the opportunity to the bald warrior to finish me off. Clang! My ax stopped the attack, but the very next moment, those Bone Spears came at me. Puch! I moved my body, but the spears still hit me. My armor was able to stop the two, but one pierced through my lower back. Though not as deeply as the necromancer had expected, as the frown had appeared on her face. Hun! The warrior attacked me again, when the Rhythm of Wild spiked again, in familiar fashion. I leaped into the air to avoid it despite knowing, it might make me a target in the air. I dodged the attack of the warrior, but I didn''t leap for it. There is something more dangerous and painful. I have experienced it many times and don''t want to do it anymore. The moment after, I dodged; the sharp bones spurted out of the ground. If I had stayed there, I would have been porcupines. I remember well, what the spikes could do. Earless bone rats had the ability to create Bone Spikes from the earth. I had suffered so deeply from them; that rhythm of them had imprinted in my mind. The necromancer had failed in her attack, but now she had got me in the air. The place that restricts my mobility. She didn''t waste any time and attacked me with the Bone Spears. They took all but a second to reach me, and I was ready. Clang Clang! I moved my ax to defend against them, but I know very well, that I couldn''t defend against all, and I didn''t. I only defended against those, that could strike undefended parts of my body. I didn''t defend against those that would be stopped by my armor. The armor alone isn''t enough to stop the attack, but there is also the defensive skill. The bone spears crashed against my armor. Dented it and hurt me, but wasn''t able to pierce through it. The necromancer frowned but wasn''t done. She had the Bone Spikes, ready on the place, I am about to land. So is the bald warrior with his saber. It is a perfect trap that would be hard-pressed to get out of, but I am not without an option. I had taken the jump in the air, with all the options in the mind. Ariel Adjustment. I activated another of my skills from my main class and was able to adjust the landing spot. From in front of the enemy to behind him. Rip! The warrior reacted quickly and turned back to an attack, which I dodged with Wild Dash. Though not successful, I received another cut. I would have been able to defend against it. If I had used the ax, but I didn''t want to. He isn''t my target; the necromancer is. As long as she is alive, I won''t be able to fight him. They will kill me, like right, the attack coming at me. If I had moved to defend attacked them. Those Bone Spears would have skewed through me. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 425: Slaying Chapter 425: Slaying "No, you won''t!" Screamed the bald warrior as he came at me, while the necromancer smiled with mirth. She isn''t thinking of me as a threat, unlike the bald warrior. He attacked me from behind. It was swift and reached me in an instant, when my speed suddenly increased, and I dodged the attack, surprising the man. I used the full speed of Wild Dash and the top of activated Soldier''s Run. The speed skill from my Solider Class, while pushing my body hard. Which gave me a boost in speed. I had truly considered myself cursed, and the feeling hadn''t vanished even now. One thing, that reinforced that belief further in me is that I didn''t get the class when normal people do. I didn''t get it at fifteen, I had got it at eighteen. It made me push myself hard. Depends on my body alone to face those monsters, always ready to kill me. I wasn''t the only one hiding my speed. He, too, was doing the same. He increased his speed to follow me but found himself slower than me. Every step I took me further away from him. Since he appeared, I had never considered him a genuine challenge. It was the necromancer I had feared and were wise to do that. He had attacked me again, with Bone Spears, and behind them was a grey wave. The attacks reached me quickly, and I reacted without stopping. I used the Wild Swing to defend against the Bone Spears and let the other be defended by my armor and Survivalist Protection. I had activated its full power, which barely let the Bones Spears touch me. They didn''t even dent my armor when they crashed against me. I didn''t have time to take joy in successful defense when the black wave hit me. It was weak when it hit me as 75% of its power, had been taken by the Survivalist Protection. The skill is all-encompassing. It defends from physical attacks, but also elemental, shamanic, and mental attacks. I had been warned by Colonel Azalea to never speak about my skills to anyone. Especially two of them. She had called them inheritance skills when I informed her about how those two skills feel different from the rest. I didn''t even know their names or color; the names appeared in the past three months. When I learned to read, before that, they were in the form of feelings. It had turned out, some ancestor of mine had been a very powerful powerhouse. A Lv. 50 at least and these two skills are from them. It''s the reason, they are so powerful and will become more powerful in the future. The grey wave hit me, and the fear in my heart amplified suddenly. Just like, it used to when looked into the eyes of Grey Eyed Owl. I took a deep breath and controlled this fear and turned back to the enemy. Only a see-bone wall appeared directly in front of me. I activated the Lion''s Strength and swung my ax with everything, I had. Bang! A loud bang rang out and my ax tore through the bone wall, and I moved forward. Only to be attacked by the special undead right after. There are four special undead. Two zombies and two skeletons. Seeing them, I grinned as the Rhythm of Wild spiked. The special undead are powerful, as powerful as the warriors of Mid-Lv. 20. I have to finish them before the warrior behind me catches up, and the necromancer puts a distance away. She had already started to move away. Once she had enough distance between us; I could forget ever reaching her. She will swarm me undead, that I will never be able to reach her. So, I used the skill. It''s not an offensive skill, but more useful than one. It is the last skill; I received from my main class. Predator''s Gaze. As I activated the skill, everything became clear and faintly slower. I could see the specks of dust and alarm in the eyes of the mage. Her shining staff and the Dark Bolts released from them. I focused my eyes on the special undead and saw them coming at me. She hadn''t finished her shout when I felt the ghostly hands around me. They felt cold and made all the hair on my body rise up. It''s so different from the woman who had frozen me. I felt the dark frost covering me, slowing my movement, while the necromancer retreated. ''I can''t let her get away!'' I know, if she got away, this time, I won''t be able to chase her again. Instead, she will attack me, from the distance and kill me. I cannot deal with a mage while fighting the warrior, who had once again reached me. "Ahhh!" I roared and leaped forward, harnessing every ounce of strength I had from my body and my skills. Avoiding the saber of the warrior, which was less than an inch away from my neck. The leap took me to the necromancer, and I swung my ax at her. This time, I didn''t make the mistake of stopping attacking. She is no warrior, but a mage who should be killed without wasting even a fraction of a seconds. The rhythm roared in my heart, like it had never before outside of the forest, while the necromancer watched in horror. She might be scared, but she showed her experience in reacting quickly. She cast one defensive method after another around her and the bone wall between. Bam! My ax crushed through the bone wall and went for the other defensive spells behind. The enchantments on the ax burned with their full power as they moved forward. Cutting through one defensive spell after another before reaching her body. I looked at her terrified eyes, which were more scared than any monster, I had seen as the blade of my ax touched her. She understood she was going to die and was terrified of it. Which strikes me strange. These are people who practice the death magic. They should be more understanding of it, instead of being terrified. Maybe Kalsar''s is right; the better understanding of death makes them more terrified of it. Pachack! The next moment, the head flew up, and I heaved a sigh of relief. "Bastard!" I heard the curse from behind and turned to see the bald man attacking me. I stepped forward toward him. He instantly understood what I was trying to do and retreated, but it was already late. He shouldn''t have come so close, but in a bid to save the necromancer, he had ended the road for himself. Rip! I dodged the saber, not fully. It cut through my arm, but not too deeply. It is a price well paid, for the clear swing. He moved to retreat while bringing his saber forward, but he was slow, while my ax was much faster. Pachack! My ax reached for his head and cut through it like butter. I saw his head flying through the air but didn''t wait till it fell down. The undead begin to gather around me. I had to go back to my circle before the undead swarmed me. I didn''t. The first I did was to remove the spikes sticking into me and apply the potion to them before drinking it. I hope, no internal organs are damaged. If it is, it will affect me heavily, which I don''t want, before the battle is over. I threw away the potion bottle and sped toward the circle, toward my company. Hun! I moved, cutting through the undead, and nearly reached the circle, when the rhythm spiked with danger, like never in this battle. It made all the hair on my body stand up. I didn''t have to turn to my left to see, that I had been targeted by a powerhouse; someone of Lv. 30+. I had been targeted by them in the last battle and barely came out alive through it. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 426: Powerful Enemy Chapter 426: Powerful Enemy Caena "People are fighting outside with their lives on the line, while these people are enjoying themselves," said Caena, looking at the hall filled with people. "You can''t blame them, Onaz. They are scared and want to forget what is happening outside." I repliedThe? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) "Besides, it''s not like, they have not helped. They have helped, just by just staying in the city." I added and looked at the bustling floor of velvet blue. Like all the floors, it is packed. We have made several exceptions today. We had not only closed the legacy but also increased the seating, making it look like other legacies, which are always crowded. Despite the increasing seating, it is not crowded like Vanis''s Tavern or Brock''s. "You are right," she said and sighed. We mingled around the hall. Talking to patrons, providing them with such a service, that they would forget the battle raging outside. I am constantly receiving updates on the battle, and it is making me feel worried. The things weren''t good; the undead had surrounded the army and began attacking them. A minute ago, the powerhouses had come out and their numbers were greater than the intelligence had stated. It''s all up to Valentina now. I have woven a powerful spell to ward off their discovery, but they are against a lot of skills. They won''t be able to last more than an hour. Those things are really dangerous. When I saw that alchemical liquid in round glass containers with runes all over. I shuddered and took a step back in fear. Valentina would need to bring them out carefully, but quickly. It will give us a big chance of victory. I pushed those thoughts away when I saw Cath coming toward me. "All the rooms are full. A lot of them are waiting for them," she said. I could see that, too. Usually, the rooms are around 65% filled at this time of the day and around 90% at night. There is always an empty room for those who want the private time. Now it is 100% filled. "Use the skill," I ordered. The next moment, I felt her activating her skills. Its name is Cordial Clearing. The power of these skills is enhanced in legacy. I also activated the charm, with a similar spell. It''s the first time, we have been using this skill in months as there is always room, but now with a horde attacking the city, many of them let go of reservation and started acting on their desires. It is not just the men, but also women. They will now feel a subtle compulsion to leave the room after they are done. I feel bad for doing this, but it needs to be done. I stayed on the floor for a few minutes before going to my office. As the door closed, the office disappeared, and the core appeared in front of me. Harnessing a large amount of emotions at thrice the rate of our best day. We will need these emotions, seeing how much we owe to the merchant state. A few seconds later, I closed the core and sat down at my table. As I did, a couple of things appeared on it, expensive things, including resources from three plants we had harvested from the legacy. I am going to craft the charms. If things went as Remus wanted. He will need the charms, a lot of them. ... Boom Boom Boom The cannons boomed continuously, while the enemy''s powerhouses came out of the undead. Their number repeatedly kept climbing in my head, till they reached above what we have. We have a good number of powerhouses, both Lv. 30+, pre-Lv. 30, mid-Lv. 20, but the enemy seemed to have learned the lesson from the last battle and brought out more numbers. Zagash Soribak I know him, had all the information about him. Including his level. He was stationed in Panar for the past few months and loves to hunt people, that try to escape the city. He is a pre-Lv. 30. Likely Lv. 28-29. He is coming toward me, and I will have to fight it. There is no one else, everyone is busy. He will be the strongest opponent, I will fight. By level, we are similar, if I count my main class. Even with the Lord Class, I am close, but my attribute points are more inclined toward mental rather than physical. If I had strength at twenty, rather than the charm. I would have been far more confident, in fighting it and even defeating it. Currently, I am not, but I will fight, and had been training for it. I have trained nearly every day in the past six months. I believe I have made good enough improvements to fight against the enemies like this. At least survive against someone like him. I have gained excellent control over my strength and skills. I will use everything; I have on him. There is no other choice but that. Soon, there were less than five meters of distance between us, when a faint change appeared on his face. At the same time, it appeared on mine and became bigger. ''Well done!'' I said. It is about Orok. He had killed a necromancer and the warrior, he was fighting. I am not one bit surprised about the warrior. In the last battle, he had fought against the Lv. 30 and survived despite being at mid-Lv. 20. He had killed a mage. A necromancer, which is notoriously hard to kill, especially when they are part of the horde, but he did while being a mid-Lv. 20, A feat even powerhouses of Lv. 30 struggle to do, given how slippery these bastards are. He should be proud of himself. He has two inheritance skills, but they are not the sole reason for it. Stone had called him the most experienced person in the army, despite being only twenty-two of age. More than him, Cardin, and others, as they didn''t fight for survival nearly every day like he did. It is why, despite having an average talent. He could defeat anyone on the same level and even above it. I have seen him fight and I don''t think I am his match, even when he does not use his inheritance skill. I pushed his thoughts away and focused on the enemy, who had entered the attacking range. I didn''t waste any time and activated Focus from the copied skill. It is still the best skill from the girls I could use in the battle. There is one other skill, that I wanted to use. It is an amazing skill but after much thinking. I decided to stick with Focus for this battle. "You are outmatched, and there is no one to help you. It will be a lot less painful if you surrender," he said with his words infused with the skill. It is mental skill, that amplified the suggestion. I could see myself outmatched against him and no one coming to help as he carved my body bloody. It is quite a rare skill. Very helpful in cracking the willpower of the enemy. "No, thanks," I replied with a grin. He shouldn''t use mental skills on me. My main class and the lord class give me good mental resistance, not to mention my high mental stats. There is also a charm from Caena, which protects me from such skills. "Then be ready for my ax, as it is going to carve your body bloody in a minute," he said. Putting a vivid picture in my mind, through his suggestion skill. It is also quite a good distracting skill. A few girls have a skill like that, but they are not suited for the battle. There is heavy resistance from them when used in combat settings. "I am and I hope, you are capable of doing, what you say," I replied. The half-orc didn''t reply with words. He grinned, before leaping at me in attack. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 427: Waiting Chapter 427: Waiting Methum Clang Clang Clang The elder blood cut through acid balls, before defending against the attacks of zombie warriors. He is good. Fast as well as strong with good experience in dealing with the undead. "You have lost the battle; you should just give up. I promise; I will spare you and a few of your men," I offered before attacking him with Zorrin''s Lightning. He moved his halberd swiftly and cut through the lighting without any effort. I had killed many Lv. 30+ with this spell, but he had effortlessly neutralized the spell. The artifact, even if it is broken, is a powerful weapon. I don''t know what that bastard Bartram was thinking. He should have sent the artifact back to the island the moment he found it. It should be in the hands of people who could use them. "Why should I? When we are going to win this battle," the big man replied and tried to come at me, but the zombie warriors stopped him, and I attacked him right after. "You have quite a confidence," I said, attacking him with another spell. He didn''t reply to that, instead grinned. I am aware that he isn''t using everything. There are powerhouses hidden in the circle. There is also a powerful ammunition they have not used yet. They may even have one or more surprises, which are to be expected, and I am fully prepared to deal with them. There is a powerhouse inside that is ready to fight against the powerhouses of the enemies and powerful ammunition, they might throw at us. I even have people with powerful danger-sensing skills. I am also casting scrying spells every few minutes. I have all the advantages, but I am being careful. Only, a fool becomes careless in the battle. If there is a danger, I will know and will deal with it. I have enough forces, to deal with anything they could bring out. Even if it is another army. I have orders to conquer the city and I will do it. Clang Clang Clang! He broke through my Bone Lances and leaped toward me. I cast Dark Frost Shields and Haste on myself. When he finished with the bone walls. The distance between us went back to the same. I have the confidence to defeat the elder blood, but that doesn''t mean, I will take the risks. I know how powerful these bastards are, especially the one, I am fighting. He is holding an artifact; that would tear through my defenses if I gave him the chance. Once dead. It might be truly over me. Aside from conquering the city and taking control of the legacy. There is another mission, I have received. It is to find out, how they are stopping the soul from returning to the island. First, it was Lich Savais and then Necromancer Arza in the second battle. Lich Savais'' soul should have returned to its phylactery. It didn''t. The same happened with Necromancer Arza. She had prepared to turn into a Lich after death. Her soul should have returned to the island and prepared to go through the ceremony, but it didn''t. She had truly passed away. It scares me because I too had made a preparation. If I die, I want to turn into a lich. My halberd tore through the Dark Frost Shield, only to see two Zombies Warriors attacking me. Clang Clang Clang! I defended against their attacks when I sensed something and retreated fast. Sharp bones spurted out of the ground, where I had been. If I had stayed there, even a moment longer, they would have torn me apart. I had barely stopped when I saw the Zorrin''s Lightning in front of me and moved my halberd forward to defend against the attack. The necromancer is the most powerful opponent, I had ever fought. Also, the most experienced one. He is barely giving me a chance to attack. Attacking me every second, with perfect timing. Stopping me before, I could even take a step toward him, and when I managed to close some of the distance, the spells would intensify. I would stop, while he would widen the distance between us once again. It is not even his full strength. He is not using, his most powerful spells. I had read about them in the intelligence, the merchants had sent us. It''s clear, that he is hiding his strength. If I had been in his place, I would have done the same. I am doing the same. My strength is only 10% greater than when I had fought against Wayne, seven months ago. Since then, I have improved by over 10%. While others are fighting with their full strength, we are not. We are saving it for the time. Waiting, He is waiting till the army gets tired, before swarming us with the undead. It might look like, we are being swarmed by the undead now, but we are not actually. When the undead swarm. It''s really hard to stop them. Currently, he is maintaining the pressure. It is more mental than a marshal. He wants to make it seem like the horde is unending. No matter how many, we kill; it wouldn''t affect the horde. It works. I have seen the armies losing their morale. Throwing their weapons and running away. Even if one doesn''t run, morals affect energy, which affects the battle. It is a classic strategy of undead, that rarely disappoints. Though he isn''t the only one waiting. I am waiting too. Waiting for Valentina. There is a massive responsibility lying on her shoulders. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn''t have even thought about it. I only agreed because it''s her. The woman has amazing control over her spells, and that is what it requires. She has a finesse even greater than Zela and that woman is obsessed with it. The job requires a great finesse; a slight mistake and they will explode underground. Harming us more, than us undead. It might result in our defeat if that happens. It''s not my plan to use those things, but it''s me, who had mentioned those things to Lord Silver when we were brainstorming. Though, I can''t fault his reasoning behind using it. If it worked, it would save a lot of lives and increase the chances of our victory by far. I have seen those things once used successfully on the island and could never forget the destruction they had caused. I also didn''t forget, the damage it did to our forces. I was barely able to survive in there. So, I really hope; nothing goes wrong with it. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 428: Succeeded Chapter 428: Succeeded The half-orc came at me fast and swung his, lighting with enchantments. I could feel the skills behind the attack and knew it would be powerful. His information says he is a classic strength fighter. Quite good at dealing with someone like me, who uses the speed and the light weapon.T/his chapter is updated by Hun! I moved to dodge the attack but felt the resistance. My eyes widened in surprise. I didn''t think, the bastard, have such skill. They are rare; it is hard to get them even after reaching Lv. 30. They are called battle law skills or battle restrictions skills or simply restrictions skills. He had used a skill like ''No Retreat'' on me. I could resist the skill, but not enough. It will slow me down, allowing him to strike at me. That would be bad. So, I did the opposite and swung my sword forward toward the enemy with Blade Of Gale. The grin on his face widened, seeing that. He has me, with such a distance, I can not even avoid his ax. I need to clash against it and braced for the powerful impact. Clang! I activated the Quick Parry, the moment our weapons clashed and to my surprise, parried his ax. He seemed to be surprised too, but reacted quickly by retreating, before moving his ax in front of him to defend. Clang! He stopped my attack, before attacking me. His attack is faster and stronger than the last time. There is also heaviness in it, that I didn''t sense before. I countered, using the Blade of Gale. Clang! Our weapons clashed, and I felt the power of his attack. He had used that made his attack heavy. I didn''t let the heaviness come at me. It would break my bones, instead used the Quick Parry like earlier to redirect the force. He tried to stop but failed, and I moved toward him. Like the last time. He reacted quickly and defended against the attack. "The information had underestimated you," he said after a moment of silence. "It always does," I replied. It does, but this time it didn''t. It is kind of accurate; I estimated my strength at the same level as they had said, but now, I am thinking, I might be a little wrong. "Still, you are weak, and I am going to make you realize it," he said and attacked again. Hun! I was hit by the mental skill. Not the one he used last time, but a different one. Scatterthought or similar, that scatters the thoughts. Distract one from what they were focusing on. I wanted to laugh. This is the skill; he shouldn''t have used on me. Forget the high mental stats I have. I am using a skill that is the antithesis of what he had used on me. Focus. It neutralized the effects of the skill he had used on him. Clang! I parried his attack, before going at him, but he was much better prepared and defended quickly before attacking. He changed his tactics and came from the left. I didn''t move, I just turned and defended against his attack with my rapier. Snort! He snorted and attacked again, with his ax being much faster than before. I used more power of Blade of Gale and defended against it. Clang Clang Clang! Our weapons clashed hard and fast. He attacked me from every angle and side with increasing power, but I defended against his attacks without a retreat. When I first saw his attack, my instinct was to retreat, but here I was fighting without a moving. At most, I am turning to defend against him. I am surprised and even shocked, seeing how I am fighting against him. Forget the injuries. His ax wasn''t able to enter my inner range. It was stopped by my rapier every time. It frustrated him and made him angry before questions rose in his eyes. "How are you doing this?" he asked, finally. "Skill," I replied, before defending against his attack. "Die you bastard!" he screamed and attacked back, with all his fury. I grinned and swung my sword in repones. Clang! I stopped his ax and parried it despite his efforts, before moving to attack. Rip Rip He responded immediately, and his ax cut through my stomach, while my rapier gave him a cut across his army. The battle became bloodier after that as we started trading injuries to finish off each other. Injuries begin to appear in every part of us. Arms, legs, chest, back, except for head every part of us had become bloody, but it didn''t stop us. It made the battle even more intense. "I have to say, you are quite strong, but you will lose this battle. As you can see my injuries are healing, but yours aren''t," he said and attacked. He is right about that. His injuries are healing, mine are not. Healing skills are really rare; in my army of over fifty thousand, only two people have healing skills. "We will see about that," I replied as I defended against his attack and moved at him, getting a cut on my chest, while giving another cut on his clavicle. He attacked again, going for my chest, with enchantment blazing. I swung my sword to counter. There is nothing special about it. It looked like, hundreds I had tried before, but the enemy was alert as always, to defend against my tricks. There were no tricks this time, till our weapons were inches away from each other. When I activated, my second offensive skill. Clang! Our swords clashed, as always, but this time, his eyes widened in a big surprise. I used Mauling Strike, which I have been saving, till now. I have a few offensive skills. Three to be exact, four if I count the Sharpness. Of the three, Consecutive Strike is nearly useless; that leaves Blade of Gale and Mauling Strike. I wanted to use it earlier, but I didn''t, because it was the only thing, that would give me a chance to kill the enemy. The enemy was surprised, by Mauling Strike. It sent his ax away, further than he liked. Seeing that, I smiled and blasted him with the full power of the Lord''s Presence and moved forward with every bit of power, I could harness from the Blitz Steps, before attacking him. His eyes widened in alarm as he tried to retreat and bring his ax forward to defend, but he was slower. The earlier attack had provided me with a precious fraction of seconds, and I was going to use them. My rapier reached his chest, and its enchantments flared as it reached his chest. There used to be a chest place, the enchanted one, but I had broken its straps, making it hang around his stomach. Puch! He looked at me in horror as my rapier touched his chest, before piercing inside smoothly and tearing his heart apart. "No!" he screamed, while I moved, dodging his ax. Rip! Though not completely. It had given quite a big cut across my back. I stopped and looked at him, taking a step toward me, before stopping as the light in his eyes began to disappear. Even skill can''t heal the torn heart. Pachack! Seeing that, I felt relieved, but the next moment. I decapitated the body; I didn''t want him to rise as the undead in the battle. As I did with it. I quickly took out the healing potions and spread them across my injuries before dealing with one. Hun! I had just finished dealing with injuries and was about to move toward the undead when I felt all the hair rise across my body. I quickly turned and saw three Magic Bolts coming toward me. Rip Rip Rip! I reacted immediately and swung my rapier toward them, cutting three of them. It immediately broke their structure and turned them into energy. The mages. I don''t like them. I had trained against them, but I rather not fight against them. Thankfully, the mage who attacked me was already fighting against our mage and used a moment of distraction to attack me. I looked at him, before moving toward the undead, when I nearly stopped. There is a message from Valentina. Message I have been waiting desperately for. It had the words I wanted to hear. She had succeeded. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 429: Alchfire Chapter 429: Alchfire Valentina ''They are in the place,'' I informed, Remus and Stone. It was an immense struggle, but I managed to do it. I had brought them to the place. The places weren''t decided. It was up to me; I had to do it based on the position of the horde. Now, all I need is the command to blast those things. Creating such destruction, that no mage or weapon on this battlefield is capable of creating or stopping. ''Ten seconds.'' came the voice a moment later. ... Stone ''Form sealed circle formation!'' I commanded. Immediately, the change appeared in the army. The soldiers and powerhouses begin to move from the circle thorn formation to the sealed circle formation. "What are you doing?" asked Methum immediately, noticing the change. He isn''t the only one who has the question. Even Carr, Garzong, and others have them, seeing the sudden change. In the entire city, only five people are aware of it. Lord Silver, Madam Caena, Miss Valentina, Cardin, and me. We had intentionally, kept the information to limited people. If it had been leaked to the enemy, it would have all gone down to waste.T/his chapter is updated by "You will know soon enough," I replied to Necromancer. He looked at me for a moment, before his staff lit up. I could see him casting spell after spell; I could also feel the investigative and danger-sensing skills activating throughout the battlefield. I used this moment to move toward him, but the bastard reacted fast. Attacking me with Bone Lances and Zorrin''s Lightning. Unlike my forces, I am not retreating. It is just a precaution; those things aren''t stable. One can''t be completely sure, they will work as it had been intended. Hun! Five seconds passed, when I noticed the change in the undead. They moved to swarm us. The Necromancer is smart. He isn''t trusting only his skills and spells but also seems to trust his instinct as well. Unfortunately, he took the wrong decision. Sealed circle formation is good at holding the swarm. They would be easily able to hold it for more than a minute, rather than the five seconds we need. It will work in our favor, given the position those things are in. Most importantly, he had just made his undead denser. They were sparse before, but now they are jammed-packed to swarm toward us. Necromancer looked at my expressions, and a hesitant frown appeared on his face. "Whatever you had planned would not work, Elder-Blood." He said, and I said nothing. "I have half a million undead, without any powerhouse. I will be able to defeat your army and conquer the city," he added a moment later, but once again, I said nothing. There is no need for me to say anything. He will know about it soon. Two seconds. ... Pachak Khat Pachak! A huge tight circle formed. I am one of the people in the first line, fighting against the assault of a massive number of undead, which are trying to swarm us. This is the best outcome we hope to have. Tighter undead will cause greater destruction while providing us with protection. ''One second,'' I heard in my mind and prepared myself. I am scared. It is wise to be scared, seeing how those things go wrong. "Alchfire Orbs," answered High Mage Ravill, looking at destructions. "I had seen them only once when I was young and use of them was so flawed, that we had suffered in it as much as the enemy did," "Here, the execution is textbook perfect," added the old man in a barely audible voice. "It is perfect," I replied. I had never seen them work. They were rarely used in the empire. They are expensive and unstable; empire rarely use such things. Those who use it are the private armies of the rich nobles. A few seconds passed, and the fire began to disappear rapidly. It didn''t even last for ten seconds. It had lasted for six seconds, half a second, more than what the alchemist had told us. "My god!" Gasped the soldiers around me as they looked at the destruction, it had brought. It is massive. I looked at it before activating Casualty Estimator. A moment later, the numbers appeared in front of me. They started from the thousand and began to climb rapidly, reaching ten thousand a second later. Hundred thousand a few seconds after that and soon reached two hundred thousand. Our most optimistic estimation was two hundred thousand, but we wanted to kill at least one hundred and fifty thousand people. The numbers have reached two hundred thousand, and they are still climbing up. It was only after reaching two hundred, and thirty thousand, did it slowed down a little, but still kept climbing till finally slowing down at two hundred, thirty-four thousand. It is still climbing, but by tens, not by hundreds or thousands, like before. I immediately informed Commander Stone of the numbers. ''Begin,'' replied Commander Stone, and I turned to Hewitt. "Major, begin," I said, and the man recovered his shocked expression and grinned. He had been waiting for this since the battle began. "Only cannons, Major," I added. "As you command, Colonel," he replied, and the commands began to come out of his mouth as well as the skills began to get activated. Ammunition Accuracy. I added my skill; the others did the same as the real powerful cannonballs began to enter the cannon. Boom Boom Boom "Shoot!" He commanded, and the cannons spewed out the fire, before releasing the cannonballs. Tens of cannonballs shoot toward the energy, reaching them within a second. The shields appeared above the undead, but their numbers were less than earlier. Many mages had died; the alchfire had burned them to ashes. Bang Bang Bang They begin to land on the shields and the undead, before exploding in a powerful blast. Seeing the destruction, a relief appeared on my face. "It seemed like, the Lord hadn''t spared any money in the city''s defense," said High Mage Ravill as he too started to release the spells. I nodded at that. He really didn''t spare any expenses. Buying the weapons and ammunition without caring for the cost. We haven''t even paid 20% of the cost of these things we are using. "Shoot!" commanded Major Hewitt, and another volley of cannonballs flew toward the undead, who had begun to swarm our forces. Though unlike before, I feel no fear for our forces. The alchfire had wiped out half of their numbers, along with many of their powerhouses. Now it is up to the army and us to wipe the other half. If the enemy had any brain, they should have sounded the retreat. It is good for us, because now we can wipe them out. We will wipe them out. We need to wipe them out to send the message. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 430: Terror and Relief Chapter 430: Terror and Relief Methum ''Commander, we had lost a lot of our forces and powerhouses. We need to retreat!'' Wayne''s voice rang out in my head. He is right; we have to retreat. The enemy had wiped out, half of the horde with alchfire and took a lot out of our powerhouses. If that wasn''t bad enough, their powerhouses hiding in the circle had come out and they had also started blasting us with powerful ammunition. It is not a wise decision to stay here, especially given the record, of the past, two, battles, but I don''t want to retreat just yet. I don''t want to retreat at all. The alchfire had given us a big setback, not a defeat. All I have to do is kill the commander and capture the lord. If I kill the elder blood; I won''t have a problem catching the lord and victory will be mine. ''We will in five minutes,'' I replied and turned to the elder blood, who once again crossed more than half of the distance between me and him. It had become really hard to stop him since he had revealed his strength a few seconds ago. ''It seemed like, I need to stop holding back myself,'' I thought, and my staff lit up. Doom Bolt The spells shot out of my staff; it was a bolt of dark lightning. A single bolt. It looked similar to Dark Bolt but contained three times more power than the Zorinns''s Lightning. The elder-blood felt the power as well and realized the threat from it. The bronze energy burst out of his body and concentrated on the blade of his halberd, which he brought toward the bolt for a direct clash. Bang! The explosion rang out, but a moment later, the elder blood burst out of the mist, bronze and black. ''Good,'' I grinned in my heart. The next moment, the bone lances materialized around him. The twenty-four lancer covered him from all directions, leaving him no space to dodge. These are no common lances, that I used before. No, it''s a completely different spell. The lances are longer and denser, and most importantly, they have tips burning in necrotic fire. The spell called Farizan''s Lances; is a very powerful spell, hard to learn. I have used it for only two people and both of them died by it. "Die!" I said, and the lances moved toward the elder-blood. These lances are very powerful. They can tear through the shields of mages. He will stop them, but how many? Two, three, four, six at most, but there will be eighteen more that will go at him. Sup Sup Sup The lances moved toward the elder blood from all directions. I could see the fear of appearing in his eyes. The two of his allies, fighting not far away, tried to come to rescue him but were stopped by Xander and Wayne.ViiSiit for latest novels There is nothing, that will stop him from getting killed. The only thing that could be is the artifact. I have heard that Bartram had used its defensive ability to protect him and powerhouses when the legacy had exploded. However, it is said that even he was surprised when it was activated. It is a broken artifact; it would be hard for him to activate, the defensive method. The lances reached him, and he didn''t make any move. He didn''t leap or anything that would have been useless. The spell is maneuverable; it would target him, no matter where he moves. They moved closer when I saw his lips curled up in a smile. The bronze energy around him rumbled and moved around him. Forming semi-transparent walls of bronze energy around him, including the top. My eyes couldn''t help but widen seeing that. It is definitely a skill, not from a great sky, but from lineage. They called him methods. According to the intelligence we had. The elder blood only knew one method; the energy arc, but now he had revealed another one. It is more complex than the arc attack. He shouldn''t have been able to learn that. The newly awakened elder-bloods take at least a year to learn their first method. He had two in less than a year. I had expected to see it as had learned method in a month''s awakening, but I didn''t expect it would be a defensive method; they far are more complex. Bone Walls. Dark Frost Shields. I cast the Bone Walls and Dark Frost Shields one after another while casting Haste on myself and moved away. I am too close to the bastard. I should have moved when the coffin enveloped him, but I was too confident. Bang Bang Bang! The shields begin to blast apart, one after another. I cast more of them while launching the Bone Lances and Dark Bolts. The bastard is like a charging beast; it is coming at me. Dispite the Haste, the distance between them is, shrinking, instead of increasing. ''Bastards! Where are you?'' I asked Xander and Wayne. I had asked them for help, but there was no sign of them. I would have asked others, but all of them are occupied by the enemies. It wouldn''t have been the case. If those bastards, hadn''t burned powerhouse to death. ''I am trying commander, but this bastard orc isn''t letting me leave!'' came the reply from the Xander. ''Same here, Commander. The Paladin and Mage, are keeping me occupied,'' added Wayne. "Useless bastards," I cursed and cast Bone Spikes through the ground, but the bastard crushed through them. Bang! Seconds passed, when I heard the loud bang from the Bone Wall in front of me and elder-blood appeared in front of me like a phantom. "Shit!" I cursed and cast Xalyns Nails. It brought him pain and made blood leak out of his orifices. It didn''t make him stumble or unconscious, as I wanted it to happen. "Die!" he screamed and swung his halberd at me. Fear rose in my heart before my eyes hardened and I casted my most powerful spell. Spectral Scythe. I did, and a huge scythe materialized in front of me. It is spectral, but one could feel a dark cold radiating from it. It is cold enough, to freeze any normal person. It is also massive that it even dwarfed the elder blood, who is the biggest person here. "Ahhhhh!" The elder blood didn''t retreat as I expected, instead screamed loudly and poured more power into the halberd, making it stronger and faster. Seeing it, I felt scared for a moment, before controlling myself. I didn''t call it my strongest spell for nothing. It is really powerful, that casting it nearly drained me. I don''t use the spell unless my life is in danger. Clang! The scythe clashed against the halberd. Stopping it, seeing that I felt relieved, but the very next moment, the relief disappeared from my eyes and transformed into terror. Rip! The halberd begins to rip through the scythe, begin cutting through it, before coming out the other side. To my horror, the elder blood didn''t stop. He moved toward me with his halberd. He wanted to kill me and wouldn''t stop till he made that happen. I cast the Dark Frost Armor with all the mana I had and retreated, but I could see the halberd coming at me even faster. ... Stone Rip! My halberd touched the Dark Frost Armor of the necromancer before cutting through it. Unlike the scythe spell, it didn''t resist for even a fraction of a second and cut through it before reaching the body of the necromancer. Pachac! The flesh is cut like there is nothing. My halberd came out of the other side, dividing the necromancer into two. Hun! Relief flooded in my heart, but it only lasted for a fraction of a second, when I realized, I didn''t cut the body of the necromancer, but the undead. "Substitution skill," I muttered and turned back to the presence, I am sensing behind me. I saw the necromancer standing in a place, a zombie warrior had been. Looking at me with the eyes filled with terror and relief. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 431: Dead Chapter 431: Dead "Damn!" I cursed. These bastards have really rare skills. I am a substitute is one of the most desired skills out there. It is like having a second life. Not like. It is having a second life. It is the only reason; the necromancer saved himself. After the alchfire, the undead had swarmed us, and we had let them. There was no resistance from us, as it was what we wanted. Now, they are everywhere, and our people are fighting for them. Not just the undead, but also their powerhouse. There are no enemy powerhouses, that are not engaged. We have moved everyone to fight, even Valentina, who had joined Paladin Carr against Wayne. The bastard is strong. Only Methum is stronger than him. I killed the undead while looking at the necromancer, whose eyes focused on the Stone. Our victory depends on the defeat of the necromancer. Until we have it, we will not stop. "Retreat!" Came out from the necromancer, surprising me. ''Bastard!'' I cursed. I didn''t want, the enemy to retreat. If we let them retreat; the same thing will happen again. I don''t want that. I want to wipe them out. If we let them retreat, we will fail with the message and plans after. We cannot let that happen; the undead need to die, every one of them. ... Stone He shouted retreat and began to run. I could see, his horde already started to adhere to his command. ''Stop the enemy''s retreat! Kill every undead!'' I ordered, and the reacted instantly. Lord Silver wouldn''t like the enemy retreating. He wants to wipe the horde and he might say, it is for the message. It is not, not all; there is a plan and for it, the horde needs to be wiped out. I agree with him wholeheartedly. I knew very well how important the city was for the undead. The trade route, the legacy; they want it and wouldn''t stop coming until they get it. I once fought in the city of Hedin. Important city with Grade III, legacy. The undead attacked it thirteen times. They failed twelve times from retreat to complete wipeout, but they kept coming, till they attained victory the thirteenth time. The undead are like that. The plan wouldn''t stop them, but it would create a small block in between. Most importantly, it will break their aura of invisibility. We are also fortunate, that we are not on the island, where there is a constant supply of undead. They need to cross the sea to come here. If it had been an island. I would have advised, Lord Silver to just surrender. The host of legacies are only people undead listen and give relative freedom. Though, Lord Silver, here passed that. If they get their hands on the city, they will make him pay. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on Methum, who was running away. "Elder-blood, I am retreating. You do not have to go any further," told Methum as I followed after him. "Surrender, necromancer and I will stop!" I replied and cut through the Bone Lances, he sent at me. "Never!" he replied, eyes blazing with anger. I didn''t say anything to that and pushed myself harder. The necromancer is a powerful opponent. I had spent more than half of my energy on him. Unlike him, I can''t charge fast. I could see him, sucking energy from the undead around him. Though, the rate of it is less than half of what it had been; it seemed like, he too reaching the limit. No wonder he is not attacking me with those powerful spells, anymore. They were really dangerous; the coffin and the dark chains had nearly killed me. ''Leave him, go to necromancers,'' I ordered Carr and Valentina. I want Wayne dead, but he is one tough bastard. The way, he is moving, even I might have a problem in stopping him from leaving. It''s better to let him leave and focus on more important targets. Necromancers. I begin to order, other powerhouses, mostly spellcasters toward the necromancers. Killing them is most important, more than any warrior or the mages. Bang Bang Bang Cardin is supporting well with the wall in dealing with the horde. Finally, there was less than five meters of distance between me and the necromancer, when the Bone Wall appeared in front of me. Bang! I brought my halberd and crushed through it. Only to see Dark Frost Wall behind. I could have easily crushed them with the arc, but I am conserving the energy. The necromancer is a powerful energy and I, rather conserve the energy and use it, when it uses those powerful spells. He won''t be using many of them; the necromancer is also within its limits. He isn''t using any draining spells on me. Bang Bang Bang! The shields appeared in front of me, one after another, and I crushed through them. It was frustrating, that I wanted to finish them with the arc, but I had to conserve the energy. It''s not like, the necromancer is getting away. Bang! My halberd tore through it, only to meet with the attack of the zombie warrior. I didn''t engage and ducked its massive sword when suddenly all the hair on my body stood up. I felt a great danger brought out my energy and formed a basic defensive measure against it. I would have activated my defensive method, but I didn''t have the energy for it. Boom! I heard a boom as the zombie warrior exploded, hitting me with his blood and bones that had pierced into me, breaching the defense of energy. "Fuck!" I cursed but didn''t stop. It is a good thing, I am wearing armor, and a helmet. It saved my head and critical parts. The attack was able to dent the enchanted armor. They did it after breaching the energy layer. It was his special zombie, made by the body of the Lv. 30 powerhouses It''s hard to survive, their explosion while still able to walk. I had taken a few steps when I noticed two more warrior zombies coming toward me. ''Not now!'' I said and moved, curving my path a little, to avoid them, but a few seconds later, my expressions turned back. "Shit!" I cursed when I saw the necromancer increasing the distance between us. Me diverting from the straight path to avoid zombies had given him an edge. "Fuck it!" I said and moved straight. The zombie warrior came at me immediately. If they want to explode, I will let them explode. I have survived one explosion; I will survive another. I wouldn''t have taken the risk, but I really don''t want to let this necromancer escape. I could see the necromancer glaring at me. He didn''t want them to explode; it was due to them, that he was gaining distance, but if he didn''t, I would gain ground on him. Even these undead won''t be able to catch up to me. They appeared in front of me and attacked, but it was faint. I could feel the rumbling of energy, they were going to explode. Boom Boom! They did, and the explosion was powerful. More than the one last time, but the damage it did was less than the last time. The last time, it had caught me by surprise. This time, I was prepared. I had activated the full power of my armor and also created a denser layer of energy. Still, I didn''t come out unscathed. There was damage, with many bones sticking into me and necrotic energy trying to infect me. "Now it''s only you and me, necromancer," I shouted. I got no reply other than glare and Dark Frost Wall in front of me. Every step, I took brought me closer to it, till we went back to five meters. I have pushed myself with everything, I have, crushing through every wall, and every spell, it throws at me. This time, I have not held anything back. Bang! Finally, less than three meters of distance remained between us, and I poured everything, I had into my halberd. It is time to finish off the bastard; the necromancer is thinking the same as he turned. Hun! What I saw couldn''t help, but surprise me. "I am glad, I had held back this spell," he said with a bloody smile. In front of him was a spindle. It is black with a golden tip. It didn''t look like a threatening attack, but it was. I felt all the hair on my body rising seeing it. It is as strong as the scythe attack but more targeted. "Now die!" he screamed and released the spindle toward me, with my heart as the target. "It will not!" I roared back and pushed my halberd with everything I had. I didn''t use any method or ability. Just pushed my weapon, harnessing every bit of energy, I have. My halberd got covered in dense bronze energy as it moved to meet the spindle, which will take my life, if not stopped. Clang! The stake clashed against the halberd, and I felt the immense power of it. "Ahhhh!" Seeing, that, I screamed and pushed, halberd forward, harnessing the strength from deep within, but the spindle was powerful. It started to shake, and a shudder spread through, I knew, it was about to explode and if it did, it would be terrible. ''Should I '' I was debating about using the final move when I felt the vibration running down the halberd. Rip! To my shock, the halberd which was stalemate against the spindle had torn through it and moved toward the shocked necromancer. He reacted quickly and tried to retreat faster, but this time, I did not give him the opportunity. I reached him with a halberd and cut through his defensive spell before reaching his body. Pachack! The blade came out of the other side a moment later. Diving the necromancer in two. Unlike before, this time, no substitute had changed places with him. It is a necromancer, and he is dead. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 432: Victory Chapter 432: Victory Ashton Harbor "Those bastards, merchants! It is them, who provided the alchfire making us lose the battle," said the man with a staff. Saying he was angry right now would be a grave understatement. He is beyond angry. So much, that he wanted to go there alone, but that would be beyond dangerous. Merchants might make him disappear before he even reaches the city. There is even a rumor of a few of the emperors'' dogs being in the region. He does not think it is true, but be careful against it. They have attacked the city thrice and failed all three times. They were defeated by the enemy, despite having ten times more numbers than them. The news had already reached the island, and they were blaming him for it. He will not deny his fault, but it is not completely his fault. If they had sent the people, he wanted. There wouldn''t be such a humiliating defeat. He had told them that. Damn the consequences. "Should we divert our horde?" asked the armored man. "No, they had asked me to keep it on the way to the Port Midlet," he replied. There was a question in the armored man''s eyes, but when he looked at the angry face of him, he understood the reason. He didn''t ask about it. It''s wise; It''s above our level. If we had been on the island. We have diverted our forces, despite it being nearly reaching the city. People need to know, that Vris''alud never stops. If you beat us once, we will come a second time. If you beat the second time, we will come third and keep coming, till we conquer you. We have come here to conquer the region but have no intention of making it a dominion of Vris''alud. There is a different purpose. Something even he didn''t know; the only thing he knows is that it is extremely important. More important, than conquering the city with a legacy in it To them Port Midlet is important. It will give them control over the coast. From it, they could move deeper into the region to conquer the other cities. There are still half of the cities, they have yet to conquer. ... ''Halt, retreat to the city,'' I stopped, before turning back toward the gate. It had been half an hour since I had killed the last undead. We had killed nearly all of them, that barely 1% of them had escaped. Five thousand from the five million, that came to conquer us. It took me a few minutes to reach the gates, thanks to the horse, that was brought to me. Thud! I dismounted and walked toward the stairs of the wall. Reaching the top, a few minutes later. "How much ammunition did we use?" I asked, "Less than we had expected to use for such victory," he replied and then showed me a figure.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) It is around 30% less than we had estimated. "The alchfire orbs did their job too well. The quick retreat had also helped in saving the ammunition," he added, and I couldn''t help but nod at that. "It''s such a regret; it is a not weapon, we could use at every battle or reliable to be used," I replied, and I sighed, while the man smiled. I had learned that lesson the hard way. It was around four, that I had returned to city hall. It is full; the employees were the first to allow out a safe zone along with healers stationed there. Click! I walked into my office and saw, Ina already there. "These are the numbers from hospitals," she said and placed the file in front of me. It is the thing; I had asked her to prepare before the battle. I opened the file and there were the approximate numbers of soldiers each hospital had. Their condition, their estimated healing time, and other details. I finished the file, and there was a relief on my face. The percentage of casualties was much less than in the last battle. The fight didn''t last long. Most importantly, the circle formations had kept over 90% safe, half of the battle. They fought only when the undead swarmed. That took half an hour before the undead retreated. Then it was a chase and kill. It gave me more hope for the second part of the plan, but nothing is decided until I meet Stone and others at five. "Zela, ask Mr. Marysel if he is free to talk to me?" I asked. She nodded and closed her eyes before opening it a few seconds later. "He is," she replied and raised her hand toward me. I took her hand and within a second, I got connected to the intelligence officer. I talked to him for about ten minutes, and he provided me with the current intelligence. After I finished with him. I focused, I focused on the work; the intelligence confirmed, the intelligence we had earlier, there was no change in it. Which is a relief. I got busy with work and before I knew it; it was five. ''Master Silver, they are here,'' informed Jill. "Send them in," I said. Click! The door opened, and Stone, Cardin, and Azalea walked in. Stone and Azalea looked good. Stone isn''t pale anymore and there are only half of the bandages remain on Colonel Azalea''s body. "Lord Silver," they greeted as they entered inside. "Take a seat, you all," I offered. They sat down but didn''t talk. There was a silence that seemed to stretch forever. There are thousands of things to talk about, but all the people in the room are thinking about only one thing. "So, can we, do it? The important question is, should we, do it? Given the risks it has," I asked, and their eyes turned serious. I didn''t get a reply immediately. Stone stayed silent for a couple of seconds before finally opening his mouth. "If we had the casualties and injured as much as the last battle. I would have discouraged it," he said, and paused for a moment, before speaking again. "Now, I think we should do it. It is the best time. We have men in good spirits after the victory and our enemy is busy, fighting another battle," "Yes, it has the risks. We might be completely routed, but if we succeed, Panar will be ours and it will make the city more secure with it between," he replied. The first half of the plan is to win a decisive victory. The second half is to attack the city of Panar. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 433: Preparations Chapter 433: Preparations Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 28 ... Warrior 16 Warrior 17 {Skill Gained: ...} ... ... Soldier Lv. 10 {Class Change: Soldier ¨C Officer} Officer Lv. 11 Officer Lv. 12 {Skill Change: Soldier''s Run - Officer''s Run} {Skill Gained: Rallying Cry} Texts were waiting for me as I opened my eyes. Seeing, them, a smile appeared on my face. My Soldier Class had advanced to Officer. It upgraded my one skill and gave me another one. I would have liked to have an offensive skill, but Rallying Cry would be more useful, given my position. I am not in a forest alone, fighting the monsters, but in the army. I am an officer, with a people under my command. I need such skills to effectively lead them. This time too, my main class, Wildlander Survivalist, didn''t advance. It only advanced once since I came to the city in the first battle. Likely because it was wildland to me; I had never been to the city, never fought against such people or undead. Colonel Azalea said it would be harder for me to level up my main class. Its advancement would be very slow. It''s made for a different environment. The only way, it would advance smoothly, is when it would merge with the secondary class. However, that would bring different troubles for me. The inheritance skills and future inheritance class might be affected by that. I had gained those two skills because I had followed a similar path as my powerful ancestor. If I followed the path they had, I would gain more of their skills and even class. The more I diverged from it; the lesser the probability would be for me to gain more. There is even a chance, I might even lose the two inheritance skills I have. I didn''t think about it, nor did I care as much. The only, I know, is that I like it here. I love the friends I have made, and the colleagues I have. The church, I go to weekly. I don''t want to be alone anymore. If I lose the skills, it will hurt me, and my strength will be reduced, but those things I could bear. What I couldn''t bear is to lose what I have here. ... Sharp Cannoneer 23 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Aquamancer of Brilliance Lv. 33 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Shaman Lv. 8 Shaman Lv. 9 {Skill Gained: ...} ... Valorous Lord Lv. 25 Valorous Lord Lv. 26 Valorous Lord Lv. 27 The text was in front of me as I opened my eyes. I had leveled up and three times, at that. I am not surprised by it. If I had my old Warrior Class, I might have. It''s hard to gain, three levels after crossing Lv. 20. It is especially true with Lord Class; the ruling classes are notoriously hard to advance. That doesn''t mean, they couldn''t be advanced fast. These three levels are rewards for the planning I did, and the efforts I had made in the past seven months, that resulted in the victory against the undead. I am not talking about the strategy. Here, that was the army''s department. I am talking about the things; I did as the ruler of the city. Politics. The officers and soldiers from the empire didn''t reach the city automatically after they accepted Cardin''s offer. The same with alchfire orbs; essence alone wasn''t enough to get them. The rest of the dinner went silently. I talked to Carla and the children for a few minutes, before walking out of the mansion. I would have loved to spend more time with them, but I have things to do. A lot of them, seeing I will be leaving with the army in a few hours. The carriage stopped at the city hall, and I stepped out of it, before walking inside. There are still some people in it, and they stopped and bowed. Even now, many don''t have any idea what will happen in a few hours. There is martial law across the city, a very few people could move around. Even soldiers don''t know what is going to happen. They are currently resting under; I hope they rest well because it will be the last rest before the battle. "Lord Silver, Lord Janice is here," Jill informed. "Send him in, after a minute," I replied and walked. I had already spotted the man. I had called him, for a meeting. Click! A minute later, a blond-haired man, who looked to be in his late forties, walked inside. "Lord Silver," he greeted. "Please, take a seat, Lord Janice," I offered. "Thank you, my lord," he replied. "Congratulations, on your victory, my lord. I heard that you had wiped out a whole horde of undead," he congratulated. "Thank you, for your kind words, Lord Janice," I replied before turning my expression serious. I would have talked to a man more, but I don''t have time. "Have you brought it?" I asked directly. "Of course," the man replied and took out a blue scroll from his bag. He was in Owlspring in the morning. I had called him, right after the battle ended. I thought the man would send someone with a scroll, but he came personally. It isn''t surprising when thinking about it, seeing what I am offering in exchange. He placed it in front of me and took it in my hand. Feeling the power of class and skill attached to it. It suppressed my class. It''s not because the host of it is high-level. He is not even Lv. 20, if intelligence is to be believed, but his class is high in the hierarchy. Here, in this world where you are born has a much greater effect on one''s destiny than on the earth. The one who provided the scroll got such a powerful class just on the basis of birth. I opened the scroll and read it. It''s written exactly as I had asked for it; there is a not even word change. It seemed like, a threat of reducing price, had worked well. "I hope, it is to your liking?" asked the man as I closed the scroll. "It is," I replied with a smile. At the same moment, Ina placed a wooden box in front of the man. The man opened the box and his eyes lit up seeing the content inside it. "This is a half price; the half will be paid the next month," she said. "Certainly," replied the man and walked out of the office, a few seconds later. I looked at the scroll for which, I had paid a high price. It won''t help me win Panar, but it will help a lot after. I had asked for it weeks ago after I discussed various things with Stone. I thought it would take me months or even years before I needed to use it, but if I succeeded, I would use it in days. "Zela, ask for the secure connection from Meldhorn," I said. A few minutes later, I was talking with the Prime Minister of Meldhorn. The person right below Lord of Meldhorn. I informed him of my plan to attack Panar. After him, it was Councilmember Yirstone of Oksall and the Foreign Secretary of Belnin. Finally, it was a Lord of Owlspring. It is important, that I will inform my unofficial allies about it. Given the help, they have provided and will continue to be providing. After that, I contact the office of Princess Orlena. I would have kept her on the list of people, I would contact, right before leaving, but she had provided instrumental help against the undead. Her intervention in the sea against the undead, which might be due to merchants, had helped me tremendously. If not for her, we wouldn''t have been able to achieve such a victory today. The response from all of them was measured. From Princess Orlena to merchants. They didn''t discourage me from the attack but also didn''t encourage me, either. I think, the merchants have a plan for the city, but that plan will only come into motion after my defeat. They have a plan not just for Greltheaven, but also Riverbell and Deepond. They will let us do what we want, but the moment we fail. They will act. I do not have proof, but I am pretty sure about it. They will not let the second undead kingdom take root in their backyard. The one that could obstruct the lucrative trade they were having with the empire. It is such a regret. They will do it after my defeat, not before it. Till then, they will provide help with intelligence aid and a few other things. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the work in front of me. I finished it quickly and walked out of the city hall. I went to barracks and then hospitals. By the time I returned to the city hall, it was ten. It is time I inform the people of my plan. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 434: To Panar I Chapter 434: To Panar I Click! The guards opened the door, and I walked inside and saw people sitting behind the huge conference table. There is Stone, Cardin, Azalea. Along with four Lt. Colonels, Commissioner Julian, and Bishop Alanis. Port master Black, Valentina, Robin, Hugo, Captain Justine, and Shaman Trik. He is the only person from Orcs, who is invited. I wanted to keep the people to a minimum. There will be another meeting, at twelve, where all important would be invited. It will be held by Robin after I leave with the army. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Take a seat, everyone," I said. They hesitated before sitting down while I remained standing. "I am sure, many of you have a question about the sudden summon?" I asked, looking at each one of them. The questions are apparent in their eyes. "We are going to attack, Panar. The army will leave for it in two hours," I announced, without wasting time circumventing the subject with flowery words. Immediately, the environment of the whole room had changed. They might have expected many things, but not this. "That''s what I am talking about!" said Captain Vandal. Smiling like a mad, while many others had much somber reactions. "Isn''t it too dangerous, my lord?" asked Shaman Trik. "It is, shaman, but we have no choice. If we don''t do it, the undead will keep attacking." I replied. "Even if you succeeded, the undead won''t stop," said the man, and I smiled. "They won''t, but it will send them a message," I replied. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it a moment later. "If we go by the current numbers, the undead have in Panar." "Capturing it wouldn''t be a problem, but the undead won''t fight with such numbers. They will send more before you reach the city," said Valentina. She is aware of the intelligence and smart enough to guess what would happen if we attacked. "We know, we wouldn''t be that lucky. There will be more undead waiting for us in Panar than it is right now," I replied, with a smile. Of course, I understood the reality and planned according to it. Panar had sent a lot of undead and powerhouses with the horde. If we were to fight, what is present in Panar; conquering it wouldn''t be a problem, but that wouldn''t happen. The undead have spies and they will know the moment the army leaves the city. They will be sent the reinforcement. The question would be how much? If it is beyond what we could handle. We wouldn''t hesitate to retreat. We want to conquer the city, not get wiped out by the enemy. "I think, it is risky. We should wait, before attacking them," advised Hugo. He is the one who hates the undead the most, but he isn''t letting his hate cloud his judgment and he isn''t wrong in his advice. "I wish we could, but this is a rare opportunity. We might not get another one," I replied. The opportunity is better than I had thought. In my plans, they weren''t using the forces of Panar to reinforce themselves, but thanks to battle in the sea, a lot of their ships had sunk, leaving them with no choice but to do that. A few minutes passed, and I answered, the questions others had. "Now, the last thing," I said, and Ina placed a box in front of me. "By my authority as the Lord of Greltheaven, I promote Thaddeus Stone to the General," I said. "It is my honor, my lord," replied Stone as he saluted me. "You earned it, General Stone," I said and pinned the stars and badge to his uniform. A few minutes passed, and the people slowed down, to around thirty-three thousand. Thought people kept coming for a few minutes more before finally stopping. "Thirty-five thousand," said Asit, and I nodded. It is big enough, but I would have liked it. If it had been bigger; the undead wouldn''t let their city get conquered without the resistance. ''At your positions,'' A command rang out in my mind, and I moved toward the position, that was projected in my mind. I am Major and like most mages; I didn''t have a direct command. It is a warrior''s job. I could get the command if I wanted, but like most mages, I am satisfied with the rank and higher salary. Mages have higher salaries than other people of the same rank. Most mages dislike commanding. We will fight, but won''t waste our time with other intricacies of it. We would rather focus on spells and research. We need to advance in our class. We can''t simply fight the battle and advance. I reached my spot and stopped beside Major Garzong. I have been paired with the man since the first battle and I have to say, we worked well together. It did not feel strange to be in the company of the orcs anymore, before coming here in the Greltheaven, I had only seen orcs in cages. I nodded at the man and turned to Lord Silver, who had finally made the entry. He is wearing light armor and has a rapier at his waist. It seemed like, he planned to come to Panar with the army. I turned to Commander Stone behind him and was surprised immediately. ''The stars,'' I thought. It should be General Stone, now and he isn''t the only one, who seemed to be promoted. Colonel Azalea had been promoted to Major General, if what I was seeing was right. So, were the Lt. Colonels behind her. I didn''t see Colonel Cardin and Lt. Colonel Hiren, but it seemed like they were not coming. I wonder whether they are promoted like these people. They stopped in front of us, and everybody became quiet. My heart started to beat wildly, and I hoped, the whispers I was hearing were true. "My people, you all have fought bravely today. Wiped, the enemy, that has over ten times more numbers than us," said Lord Silver, with his eyes moving around the army. "I wish this would be enough to stop the enemy," he paused. "Unfortunately, it is not. The enemy will come and keep on coming, till we teach them a lesson, send them a message." "If they attack us, we will not just defend. We will attack as well." "Tonight, we will march toward Panar and conquer it. To make the enemy, understand, that there is a cost of attacking us!" he thundered. His speech filled everyone with purpose, even I felt all the hair on my body rise up. "So, who is with me?" he asked. Thud Thud Thud The group began to shake as our legs hit the ground hard. The response is stronger than even earlier. His speech had fired up everyone. It was not just the speech; it was also the belief in the young man. He had earned respect. That if he asked the army to jump into the fire. It will do so without hesitation, as they know, he will be there with them. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 435: To Panar II Chapter 435: To Panar II Ashton Harbor "He is attacking. He is attacking us!" said the man with the staff laughing. It is funny to him. Also unexpected. He didn''t think, any city would dare to attack them, but it is happening. He laughed for a few seconds more, before quieting down and turning to the armored man. "Does he not understand, what he is doing?" he asked. "I believe, he understands well. It is why he is attacking," replied the armored man. The man with the staff didn''t say anything and turned to the map. "We can not send forces from Norke; they will intercept it." "If we do it from Gailhorn, the imperials might try something. After what happened in the sea, I don''t think, we should take a risk underestimating them," The man with staff nodded at hearing the words and focused on the city with green text. "We will send undead and the powerhouses from Almin to reinforce Panar." "At the same time, send the forces from Ashton Harbor to reinforce Almin. We cannot leave it, unprotected," said the man with staff, before turning to the armored man. "Rynra skill should be ready to be used again, right?" asked the man with a staff. "Yes, the cooldown had finished," replied the armored man with a smile. "Good, she will bury them in Panar, and then we will send our force to conquer Greltheaven after they finished conquering the Port Midlet," said the man with a staff. Making the smile on the armored man''s face wider. ... Nakar Baronies Jarvis, Harrods, Lockridge Click! The door opened, and Baron Homer entered the conference room. Others of the council had already gathered there. Usually, three or four people of the council stay in Lauryl Town, but today, all had come. It was because of the battle at Greltheaven. They needed to be ready, in case, the undead conquered the city and moved toward them. Half a million, undead are no jokes, but Silver not just defeated them. He wiped them out and did in less than three hours. If their contacts are right, then they have attained the victory in one and a half hours; the other one and half hour was spent in chasing and killing the enemy. "Is it true?" he asked as he sat down in his chair on the council. "It''s true. We had received an official response," replied Commander Jarvis. "He really is attacking, Panar. I don''t know whether it is daring or foolhardy," he said. "Daring," "Foolhardy," He got the two opposite responses, while the only woman at the table, remained quiet. "It''s clearly foolhardy. The victories had gotten into Silver''s head. If he thinks, the undead won''t reinforce their numbers in Panar." "He had set himself for a huge defeat in there. The undead will wipe out his army like he wiped out theirs in the morning," said Baron Lockridge. He seemed quite pleased with his assessment. "I don''t know about victory or defeat, Baron Lockridge, but I know one thing. That man isn''t an idiot." "Lord Darius is right, my lord. This is a golden opportunity. If we get hands on the legacy. Combining that with mine will bring our city tremendous fortune and power." "We will be able to build enough force to repel the undead and conquer the whole region," added Lt. General Ronda. The lord of Deerpond didn''t say anything for a few seconds before turning to his most trusted man. "What do you think, Silva?" he asked. "This is without a doubt a great opportunity, my lord. That we might not come again, but attacking Greltheaven also comes with risks. "If the undead conquered Port Midlet, there is a chance, they will come for us and we will need all our forces to defend against them," he replied and paused before opening his mouth once again. "Though I agree with Lord Darius, this is too big of an opportunity for us to ignore," he added. The lord of deerpond sighed. "It is a difficult choice and risky, but it would be idiotic if we didn''t use this opportunity that fell in our lap," he said, before turning to the people in front of him. "Silva, prepare for the attack on the Greltheaven," ordered the Lord of Deerpond. "It is a wise decision, father. You will not regret it," said Darius with joy lighting up his eyes. ... I watched the city disappear from my view as I marched away with the army. I could barely see it with the binoculars. It had been over an hour since we had left the city and now are moving toward the Panar. Our speed is fast, but not too fast and we are using the marching skills. We don''t want to be tired when we reach the Panar. It is very likely, that we won''t be getting any rest tomorrow. It is a good thing; we have a lot of people with marching skills. Including me. I had activated March of Braves. It is an amazing skill and quite a powerful one, now that I have reached Lv. 27 in my Lord Class. It is one of the most powerful skills here. It would have been the most powerful. If I had been a Lv. 30. The skills from Lord Class are very powerful and they become more powerful, when I use them for lordly things, like leading the army. "Any movement?" I asked Shaun. Zela had stayed back in the city. I wish she would be here, but she needs to stay in the city to guard it. She would have been more suitable here, but she is one of the people, I trust the most and would need to be in the city. It is for the same reason; I had also kept Valentina in the city when the Geomancer of her strength would have been tremendously useful in Panar. I had left Robin in charge of the city, while Cardin of the security. Zela, Valentina, and a few others, I trust, would be a counterweight to them. I trust them Robin and Cardin. It is the reason why, I have left my city to them, but I am also being careful about it. "No, aside from Almin and Ashton Harbor, there is no movement," he replied. He isn''t just talking about the movement from the undead cities alone, but all the cities. That includes Baronies, Mirador Hold, and other places. I am not an idiot to think, only the undead are my enemies. Everyone is and one of them or all of them might try attacking me. I hope no-one will attack, but if someone does, they will receive quite a rude surprise. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 436: Trap Chapter 436: Trap "We are making a good time," said Stone, looking at the dark sky above. It is near dawn, and we are just an hour and a half away from Panar. "The moral of the army is good. They are not tired," I replied. Mood Of The Subjects is an amazing skill. It helps me sense the mood of the public. "We will take a break in half an hour. Let the army rest and eat. It will be the last chance; they will get of that." He said, and I nodded. A few minutes passed, and we were riding in silence when Shaun came forward. "The army had come out of the gates of Deerpond," informed Shaun, and there was not a hint of surprise in mine, Stone, and Azalea''s faces. We had expected it, seeing the city had sealed off the communication two and a half hours ago. "They are really attacking," said Major General Azalea. "It seemed they are," added Stone. There is a large difference between expecting and seeing it happening. I am angry at the bastard. Instead of supporting me, he is attacking me. This attack, I am doing, will benefit him too, but instead of appreciating it. The ungrateful bastard decided to attack me. "What is the strength?" I asked, calming my anger. "Forty thousand, with Darius and Ronda leading it," he replied, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Deepond had an army of slightly over a hundred thousand. If they had sent over fifty thousand. I would have been really worried. Forty thousand is within our projections. "Our army will be able to manage it, right?" I asked Stone. "They should," he replied. He didn''t say it with finality, because even he wasn''t sure. A battle couldn''t be predicted well when the strength is close. The result would depend on the strategies and the number of forces used each. The powerhouses and weapons they have. I have left a good people in the city. There are also a couple of surprises that the enemies wouldn''t like. Still, I had hoped, no one would attack, but that is too much to hope, seeing how juicy pie the city is. "Did the Lord of Deerpond give any reason for the attack?" I asked. "No, they are silent about that," He replied. I want to see, what excuse? Those bastards give to attack my city. I asked a few more questions before riding silently. If I wanted. I could have ridden in the carriage and slept, but I wanted to march with my men. They have followed me in this battle, where many would lose their lives. This is the least I could do for them. Soon, the first light of dawn filtered in through the clouds and within a minute, the whole sky brightened up, showing the wasteland in all its glory. "Halt," Stone commanded. "We will rest for two hours before resuming the march," The ration is served within minutes. By then, the people are finished with their morning business. All of them ate quickly, before closing their eyes to sleep. "Arlievus," I activated the charms and felt their power spread across the army. Mixed with the resting skills, enhancing their effects. I have used all the resting charms; I have in one go. The attack on the undead will last for the day. If we don''t breach the walls by tonight, we will retreat back to the Greltheaven. "That only makes things slightly easier. We still have to deal with three hundred thousand undead waiting for us," said Stone. The city of Panar had three hundred thousand undead stationed there. Till two hours ago, it was only a hundred thousand, but two hundred thousand, along with the powerhouses, had come from Almin as the reinforcements. Taking the strength of the horde back to three hundred thousand. It is a massive number, nine times than us, not to mention. The advantage of defending from the city, while we are in the open. I wonder, the kind of strategies they would use. We had discussed and planned for everything. Including the direct confrontation, but surprises could come. They always come. ... Rynra "They have arrived," I said and deactivated the spell. The enemy is less than ten miles away. It is a small army of thirty-five thousand. Far cry from the million strong, I had seen on the Island, but this army had defeated our forces constantly. Including one yesterday. "I could see elder blood and paladin, but I did not see geomancer, aquamancer, and a few other people. They might be hiding, or they haven''t brought them here," said Wayne. I looked at the man, who had lost twice. He was supposed to leave for the Ashton Harbor but stayed because of the attack. I hate his guts, seeing how he lost so badly against the enemy, but also need him. He will be a big help in wiping them out. "How are the preparations?" I asked Yegson. He was responsible for the Panar until I took over two hours ago. He does not like it one bit, but accepting the orders without much resistance, which is all I want. "Good, but I need two hours more before I finish with them," he replied. "That wouldn''t be a problem," I replied, before turning to the enemy. "Keep anti-scrying measure active. Shoot any animal or beast, that tries to cross the sky. I don''t want the enemy to see what is happening," I ordered. There are preparations being made to wipe out the enemy. I do not want a simple victory, but wipe them out, like they did with our army twice. Though, I would not let even a single person escape. Especially not that host of legacy. The higher-ups want him, and I will deliver. If I do well enough. I might be able to return to the island. I had stayed long enough, in this punishment posting. They should have let me lead one of those battles. If I had been to their places; I would have given them the victory, instead of defeat after defeat, they had got. It wasn''t truly my fault for what happened on the island, but got blamed for it. The ones whose fault was that, had died. Leaving me to take the blame. "It''s quite a plan. You had thought, but I will give you the same warning as I gave Methum. Be careful, these bastards have a habit of springing out surprises," warned Wayne. "Don''t worry, no surprise of theirs would work, once I sprung them into my trap," I replied. Of course, I am being careful. They have won three battles, but their streak will end here. They will be defeated. Wiped out of the last man. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 437: Attacking The Wall I Chapter 437: Attacking The Wall I "Halt," Ordered Stone as we reached the mile away from the wall. I could see everything clearly. Thanks to the spell Shaun had cast on me. Even without it, one could see what was in front of us. The cracked walls, burned vegetation and people standing on the wall. Everything is clear. If they wanted to, they would have stopped us from seeing everything so clearly, but they didn''t. They seemed confident in their ability to ward us off. "Forces of Vris''alud, surrender and I pro" Boom Boom Boom They didn''t even let me finish before launching the volley cannonball toward us I didn''t move and instead turned to the woman, who had given the order of attack. The woman is clad in black armor, with a sigil skeletal blade covered in a shroud. The woman is Rynra Throne from the knight order of Sable Shroud. The most powerful of the knight order in Vris''alud. She looked to be a woman from early to mid-thirties, with bronze skin. She had dark raven hair on her shoulders and pale blue eyes. Her ears are faintly pointed because of her elven heritage. She is said to be a one-sixth elf. Feeling my gaze, she smiled, and the smile was full of confidence. I couldn''t even see, the slightest worry on her face. The women had been in charge of Almin, but now she had been sent here. We have information about her, and I didn''t like what it said. The woman is an experienced commander and a powerful fighter. She had fought an elder-blood before and killed her. If the information on her strength is to be believed. Then there is no one besides Stone who could fight with her. "Well, there goes our chance to make, the undead leave the city peacefully," I replied, making my army smile. Bang Bang Bang The cannonballs reached us and shields appeared below them. Stopping them from reaching us, but another volley shot out, right after. These aren''t the cannons undead brought; they are from the city. The forty-seven cannons kept shooting the volleys of cannonballs while we defended. Nearly a minute passed when the army parted in several places and our cannons came out. Of course, we brought cannons and not only cannons but some other stuff too that our enemies would experience soon enough. "Cannons ready, fire!" Stone commanded, and immediately, a hundred and seven cannons roared in unison, sending a large volley toward the enemies. The volley is spread out. If the enemy wants to defend, then they would need to use a lot of spells to defend against them.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com If they didn''t. Then these cannonballs would fall on their walls. These are no common cannonballs, we are using, special types that help break the walls. Over 50% of the supply of the cannonballs comes from the Prince''s catch, just like the cannons. Prince Grelt had brought a lot of things from the merchants for his efforts to gain the throne. Unfortunately, he was vaporized by his brother, before he could use them. Within seconds, the lines of soldiers formed. With soldiers in the front holding the shields, while those behind holding the weapons. "Charge!" he ordered, and the force of twenty thousand moved forward. Our purpose is to capture the city, and it wouldn''t be possible to just fire the cannons. We actually would need to attack, and we are doing that now. I didn''t march with twenty-thousand. I followed behind with the twelve thousand. We won''t fight till ordered but remain close to support Stone. He is leading it; there is no one better than him. He had experience of these kinds of things. Most importantly, he will need to be there to deal with that knight. Without him, stopping her, she would slaughter my officers. As they marched, siege towers began to rise up. For over eight months, they were soaking dust in the warehouse. Now, we are using them. I watched with my heart beating. It will be a bloody battle and I wish, I could be there, but I cannot. I will be a distraction. Soon, there were less than three hundred meters remaining between them when the enemy acted. They started attacking with spells and aimed the cannons at them. In response, shields moved forward, and defensive spells appeared in front of them. The most guarded are the siege towers and ladders. They need to be protected. While there are spells, that could create ladders and skill, that could make one jump into the wall. They are still useful and stronger than most spells. Most importantly, the physical thing brings more confidence than the thing made of magic. Seeing the enemy had started using spells, we also intensified our support. Sending the volleys at greater intensity toward the enemy. I looked toward the wall and saw it filled with the undead. Their numbers seemed to have increased. I couldn''t tell properly. They have started using skills and spells to ward off investigative skills. It is all blurry when we try to look at them. We are doing the same Shaun and others activated skills, that make the enemy hard to see us. Skills are really terrifying things. There are skills in the world that make the armies blind. Some make them fight each other. Though for such massive effects, the commander needs to be really powerful, and the world has such people. Compared to them, we are nothing. Vris''alud is one of the forces, which had such people. If they sent even a single one of them; they would destroy us. There are some of those people in the region itself. In Ashton Harbor and Dustorn Fortress. The man in the fortress is really powerful. Even the two in the harbor won''t be his match. He had been completely silent since the death of the emperor. He didn''t make any move other than dealing with small attacks from Tabes. There is also a thing about him sending some reinforcement to Deerpond and Riverbell, but not to me. I didn''t dare to make any noise about it, but it displeased me greatly. A little bit of reinforcement would have helped my city tremendously. He is a factor that worried me as much as the undead, even more so sometimes. I tried to find out what his plans were. There are plans. I do not for a moment believe, that he doesn''t have plans. I only hope, that whatever his plans are, doesn''t intersect with mine. He is not someone, I could deal with in a few months to years. I sighed and focused on the army. It had reached the wall. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 438: Attacking The Wall II Chapter 438: Attacking The Wall II Rynra Throne Seeing siege towers rising. I couldn''t help, but get surprised. Ladders, I had expected, but the siege towers had caught me off guard. The intelligence didn''t mention anything about the siege towers. There were some whispers about them having catapults, but they had crossed that off, seeing they didn''t use it yesterday, but here, they have popped out. They didn''t use it yesterday, because they felt like, they could win without it. They were absolutely right. The siege towers will make things slightly difficult, and I asked my mages to target them. They are, but the enemy had good mages. They are defending against every attack; we are throwing at them. I took out my sword and swung toward the siege tower closest to me. Shadow Cleave! Immediately, a bronze arc shot out of the army in response. Clang! It clashed with my attack, destroying it. I looked at the elder-blood. There is a lot of intelligence about him. I also grilled Wayne for every piece of information, he had about him. He is powerful, but I feel like, I could kill him. I will kill him. It would make him second elder blood, I kill. I will definitely level up if I manage to do that. I really needed a level-up; it had been nearly a year since it last happened. I looked at him, while his army moved siege towers across the walls. The army came out, but we were ready for them. Our undead met them with greater zeal. The elder blood didn''t move to attack; he was standing with his eyes locked on me. If I attack, he will respond. Wayne had told me about his strength. I hate to admit it, but he will be able to kill as much of my people as I begin to target his. I am not in a hurry. I will get enough chances once he falls into my trap. Till then I will have to make sure, he doesn''t do any mischief. The whole wall was filled with bodies of men and undead, trying to kill and push each other off the walls. It is bloody and the enemy is dying by minute, but not without the cost of the undead. Seeing it, I wish I could begin with my plan immediately. It would have helped us a lot if we got to know about their attack, but before their army got out of the gates. I acted quickly, within a minute, I received orders to march to Panar. I would have preferred if the orders had come sooner, but here, our intelligence network isn''t strong. The current preparations are enough to defeat them, but that is not enough. I want to wipe them out. The orders state the same. Minutes passed, and the enemy tried to push through the wall. They had even destroyed a good part of the wall, but my undead are keeping them in their place. They are stronger than any walls and do not let the enemy move an inch forward. However, it is not without a cost. I am losing the undead every minute. The undead, I could have used in the trap. It is not just the undead. My mages are also losing a lot of mana in defending against the cannonballs. The enemy had brought greater firepower, than I had estimated. Especially those catapults. They are capable of huge destruction. Hun! I was thinking about the catapult when one of its ammunitions was able to move closer as the shields stopping it flickered away. The enemies cast disruption on them. Since they started attacking the wall, the catapults had targeted behind the wall, where the undead had gathered. They had not targeted the wall, since their own people were here. Bang! My shield appeared and stopped the catapult ball. It exploded in the air, sending shrapnel, that were to stop by my shield. I moved around the battlefield, with my eyes always on the enemy leader. We are the only two people on the battlefield, that aren''t fighting. We will. The battle won''t end, till we do it. Hun! A few minutes passed when I noticed something. The more, I looked, the surer, I became. ''Careful, they are trying to move us into the center,'' I said to the powerhouses before started commanding them. Their powerhouses are pushing us, to a certain place. It is not good, that means they are planning something, and I would be dammed if I let that happen. I begin to move the powerhouses, but the enemy is also good. It is responding, countering fast. I wanted to retreat immediately, but that wouldn''t be wise. We would lose the edge we have got; they would destroy our siege towers. Without them, it will become more difficult to breach the wall. That doesn''t mean, I will let my people die, needlessly. I moved my powerhouses, trying to spread them further to thwart whatever the enemy was planning. "It''s too late, elder-blood," said the leader, shaking her head. Speaking to me for the first time, before waving her hand. Immediately, a bone sphere with runes on it appeared in the sky. My eyes widened as I saw that ivory ball. It looks delicate and smooth, but it is extremely dangerous. "Fuck!" I cursed loudly without care. I know, what the thing. I have seen it many times and two times nearly got killed by it. The thing is called the bone bomb. One of the most dangerous weapons of the undead. It is made by necromancer alchemists. It''s very stable and destructive. Unlike Alchfire, which is unstable. Though it is not as powerful as it and its range is less than half, it is more than enough to cover a small area, we are occupying. "Calm down. Shields Up!" I ordered my people. Controlling the panic, I was feeling in my heart. I was relieved that the army followed my command immediately, with mages casting defensive spells, while the bone bomb lit up. In less than a second, it will explode, with its power covering a large area. I had not expected that she had this thing or she would use it here. It is not cheap and the undead is only used in important battles, but it seemed like after experiencing destruction by alchfire. They want to send the message to us and everyone watching. It is what they do. They put fear into the hearts of their enemies. So, they would never do anything daring against them. "Die!" said the leader, as retreated from the wall, along with her powerhouses. While the undead formed a wall of protection to defend against bomb power, that might come at them. I didn''t even glance at her, all my focus on my halberd and bomb, which was about to explode. BOOM! Finally, it blasted sending a dark shockwave and thin dagger-like shrapnel, burning in dense black fire. These shrapnel look delicate, but they are capable of piercing through most Grade IV defensive spells. They have a powerful necrotic poison that will act, the moment it touches the blood. It kills the people within a minute and the death is horrible. The poison is so powerful. That normal potion is useless against them. It had killed many of my good friends. I too had suffered it, but survived, thanks to the elder blood inside me. Which kept them alive long enough to be fed an antidote. These daggers will kill a lot of my people. I can''t let that happen. So, I brought my halberd down on the stone floor of the wall, with all the hope in my heart. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 439: Capturing The Wall Chapter 439: Capturing The Wall "Bone Bomb!" said Shaun with a shudder, seeing the white ball appearing above the wall. As it did, the enemy leader and their powerhouses fell back, while the undead restricted the movements of our powerhouses. Without the support of their powerhouses. They won''t be able to stop us for long, but they only need to stop us for only a second. BOOM! The bomb exploded. Not giving even a chance for our people, to move a few steps. Its blast immediately covered the entire area with the white wave, while we all watched in horror. I thought something would happen. Some skill would work and stop the explosion, but it didn''t. The bone bomb exploded as the enemies intended it to. "We need to prepare for immediate retreat. If Commander Stone and our powerhouses suffered, the fatalities," advised Azalea, rational even in horror. I didn''t reply to her and kept looking. Hoping they would survive. Seconds passed as Azalea gave various commands, while I kept watching the wall. Hun! Finally, the white dust began to clear up, and I noticed something that made hope leap up in my heart. A second passed, and it became clear, and a big smile appeared on my face. ... Wayne "Fuck!" The pillars cursed around me, seeing the bronze dome, covering the large area. Protecting the elder blood and every person in the dome. The protection is strong enough that not a single shard was able to pierce through it. It is a powerful protection, considering how easily those shards pierce through the Grade IV shield spells. The dome had come out of the halberd in his hand. The broken artifact, that Vris''alud had officially declared their property. I cursed with the people around me, but in my heart. I am relieved. I don''t want the enemies to suffer losses and be defeated. Till a few hours ago, I wanted the same thing, but now things have changed. I have received a message from my contact, that Carmen has been caught. Within an hour of that, I received a summon to come to Ashton Harbor. They might say, the summon is for punishment of losing the battle, but I know better. I can''t go there, once I did. It will be the end of me. I know, what they do to the spies. I would rather die than experience that, but before I do, I must try different routes of survival. Earlier, when I had received the message. I had been planning to escape. I knew Yegson had started keeping eyes on me, but I was still willing to take the risk, I had stopped, upon hearing the news of the enemy coming. Escaping during the battle is much easier. They won''t be able to dedicate much force to chase me while fighting with the enemy. Though, that bitch Rynra, is being careful. There is always Lv. 30s around me; even the position I got is with the Lv. 30''s. I have enough confidence, in my abilities, that I would be able to escape successfully, but then what? I am surrounded by the enemies. It will be really hard to hide from them. Surrender is a better option, and it might work. I have information, they desperately need to win this battle. ''Let''s hope, it works,'' I thought and sent a secret message to elder-blood, with the hope, that he would believe me. ... Stone "That leads us to Wayne''s offer," said Azalea. "Who we couldn''t trust," I added, but felt the eyes of the two of them on me. Wayne had offered us intelligence. Information about Rynra''s plan, which he thinks would wipe us out. He is willing to give us intelligence, but in exchange. He wants immunity from persecution and also a few other things. The things are big, but we could provide them. The question is whether this is a plan of the enemy or a genuine request. If we make a wrong decision, we might pay heavily for it. I thought for a few seconds before sighing. "Contact him, tell him. We agree with his conditions," I said. Stone nodded and moved to contact him. He had left elaborate instructions on how to contact him. Messages could be detected and read. Wayne is being extremely careful about this. It will take a few minutes. Seeing that, I looked at the preparations but didn''t dare to walk down the wall. We have taken control of the wall, and some areas close to it, but it is far from enough. The enemy is still capable of launching a swift attack on us if they want to. They had been occupying the city for over eight months and I hope, they had been as careless with the other parts of defenses as they were with the walls. The intelligence did say that everything was unchanged, but things might have changed in the past few hours. Nothing could be said when it comes to the undead. Their massive numbers allow them to do anything. They did something. Even an idiot could see when looking at the city. Many had underestimated them, but I wouldn''t take such risks. I wouldn''t mind retreating. If I had felt like, we would not win this battle. Everyone is alert, doing the job they had been assigned. Like the group of people, trying to convert the space for the cannons. We would place our cannons here if we decided to attack the city. Their support will be invaluable. Currently, only the arrangement is made for the cannons. If we decided to attack, they would bring the cannons to the wall, which had already been brought to the base of the wall. ''The reply had come,'' Stone''s voice rang out in my head. It is not leveled as it usually is; it must be really serious. "So?" I asked as I reached him. "According to Wayne, they had created a net across the city. If we attack, they will envelope us in hundreds of little nets," he replied, and a frown appeared on my face. "This isn''t news. We had expected it," I said, and he nodded. "There is skill involved. A powerful one; it will give them a massive advantage," he replied. "What skill?" I asked, and the name rang out in my mind. As I heard it, my eyes widened. It is from the wish list of any commander. I wish Stone or I had such skill. It would make a huge difference in the battle. "Can we believe what he is telling us?" I asked. "It would be a mistake to completely believe it, but not believing it would be just as big a mistake," replied Stone. "It will make things a lot riskier than we had expected. Cutting any way of retreat; will be either victory or complete defeat," I said. He is a general. It is up to him to decide, whether to attack or not. "We should attack." He replied finally. "The skill will affect them as it would affect us. Now that we know about it, we will be better prepared to deal with it if she uses it," "Good, prepare then," I ordered. Placing the full trust and lives of my army, into the hands of my general. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 440: Null Zone I Chapter 440: Null Zone I Cardin "Now, I am relieved," said Colonel Hiren, as he opened the crate of ammunition smoothly with his one hand. They had just been delivered from the port. We had ample ammunition, but Lord Silver had taken a lot of it with him to the Panar. The city still had enough to sustain itself, but we couldn''t take a risk when an army is coming to coming to conquer us. It is not just the ammunition, that had come, but a few other things that will help, in dealing with enemies. I checked every crate personally. Ammunition will play a big part in the battle and being careful about it is a wise choice. "Send them to the wall," I ordered and walked out of the warehouse before stepping into the carriage. "How far are they?" I asked. "About five hours," replied Mage Zela. Lord Silver had kept his trusted mage and friend in the city. He is a smart man; not many would make such a decision when they are moving to conquer another city. "Any news from the Lord Silver?" I asked. To which she shook her head. It had been nearly an hour since they sealed off communication after getting control of Panar''s wall. The communication isn''t completely cut off. We could still contact people, that they kept outside the wall, but could not contact Lord Silver or General Stone directly as before. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I walked out, checking the preparations. Everything is good. Now, we are waiting for the enemy, and I wish, they could come sooner. After years, I will command the army once again, and I want to prove to the world that I am still capable. My weakness won''t stop me from attaining the victory. ... Rynra ''Everyone in their position?'' I asked. ''Affirmed,'' ''Affirmed,'' ''Affirmed,'' I got the reply one after another. I had spread the horde all over the city. People may consider this as the net, but it is not. Every unit is independent and will have no connection with others. They couldn''t when I used my skills. Every time, I used my skills. I had attained the victory, and it is a reason why, I have received only a punishment posting, rather than actual punishment. Though what happened was no fault of my own. If that bastard, had listened, instead of undermining me, we would have succeeded in that mission. My heart still burns in anger whenever I think about it. I pushed those thoughts away and looked at the enemy. They are ready. They could enter the city at any moment. It had been an hour since they had got control of the wall. Now, their soldiers are occupying them, with the cannons pointing inside the city. The elder blood had spread the army across the city, covering all sides. If he had doubled the numbers, he had brought. It might have helped him survive, but with such numbers, not a single person would survive. I wouldn''t let them survive and wouldn''t care if I needed to sacrifice half of my undead. I had planned as such, that a lot of undead would be sacrificed. The higher-ups don''t have any problem with that, the only thing they want is absolute annihilation of the enemy. I didn''t know him on the island, but Shaun does. From what I had seen till now and his performance in yesterday. He is one capable mage. He needs to be capable because those two sides of the enemy leader are powerful. I moved deeper into the city, sensing undead at every turn, that had started to attack my people. Though they are attacking with a fraction of their forces. The enemy had nearly ten times our numbers. They could easily swallow us all. "These bastards! They are not even sparing the poor souls," cursed Paladin Carr. The undead are using the people of the city. Keeping the undead in the same place as the people. It would make it hard for us to attack the undead directly, without harming people. Especially with the long rang spells and cannons. The leader had planned it well. She is using every advantage, she has. "The undead efficiency," I replied. Rynra Throne is a true member of Vris''alud. Using the cold-blooded strategies, that they are so famous for on the island. Minutes passed, and I saw the undead moving not far away from me, but not a single one had attacked them. They didn''t even turn so much turn. Soon, the square came into view, and I could see the enemy leader standing in front of the horde of ten thousand. I walked into the plaza with my men, before stopping a hundred meters away. I had come to Panar once with Lord Silver. It was a bustling city, not prosperous, but bustling, thanks to the employment and income provided by the mines. This plaza, which is cracked and blackened, used to be pristine. Filled with people. There used to be a big statue of Emperor Hamzas; the father of the last emperor, which seemed to have to have disappeared too. "Last chance, elder-blood, surrender," she said as she unsheathed her sword. I felt all the hair on my body rise. She is dangerous, more dangerous than Bartram, Wayne, and Methum. "No," I replied, and she grinned. "Now, I can kill you and sell your body to the highest bidder," she said and came at me. She was fast, much faster than the Wayne, who had been the faster enemy, I had faced here. I didn''t stay on my spot and moved forward with elder energy bursting out of my body. It took a near an instant for us to appear next to each other, and she swung her sword, burning with the dark flames while my halberd was covered in bronze energy. Clang! Our weapons clashed, deafeningly with shockwave black and bronze spreading in every direction. A surprise flashed in my eyes, not because of the sound or shockwave, but how her body didn''t even shake, with a direct clash with mine. Even Wayne didn''t dare to clash directly with me due to the massive physical advantage. My elder-blood gave me, but it didn''t seem to affect her at all. I didn''t use my full strength, but I am sure, she is not using her peak strength either. I had expected the battle would be hard against her, but now I know it will be. It would be hard to defeat her, much less kill her. She pulled her sword back but didn''t attack, instead looked at me with a smile. "You know, you have already lost the battle. The moment, you decided to enter the city," she stated. My heart skipped a beat, but I didn''t show it to my face. "I am alive, and so is my army. We are far from losing the battle," I replied. To that, the smile on her face widened. "Oh, you have, dear elder blood," she said, with voice bleeding with confidence. "Null Zone," she declared. I felt the power of the skill spreading from her, covering the entire city. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 441: Null Zone II Chapter 441: Null Zone II ''Null Zon'' Stone''s voice cut off before he could finish fully.unication down," informed Shaun, I looked at others, and they nodded as well. Wayne didn''t lie, after all. Rynra Throne activated ''Null Zone: Communication'', covering the whole city, in it no communication spell or skill would work. She had made us effectively blind. Communication is one of the most important elements of the battle. With one skill, she cut it off. ''Null Zone,'' skills are extremely rare. They came in all types. Rynra Thrones ''Null Zone,'' is a communication type, but there are also magic, spells, and skill type. There are even some specific types, like nulling offensive skills or spells. It is powerful, but we didn''t have much information other than its name and what it could do. Wayne didn''t inform us, how long its runtime is and how it could be broken. It would have helped if he had done that. Still, Stone is expecting it to last for around three hours. As for breaking it, the most effective way would be killing the host of it or making her unconscious. We could also try to make her deactivate it on her own, but no way in hell, that would happen. I could see there was a faint panic in my people. Fear and uncertainty had filled their eyes. Communication is important. Especially in city battles, which are chaotic. The enemy could come from any side and any number. Without communication, it becomes harder to ask, for reinforcement or inform allies. "Don''t be intimidated. We had planned for this," I said to my company, with the Lord''s Presence enveloping them. It had become a powerful skill as my class reached Lv. 27. Powered by the charm at 20. It had started affecting even those of Lv. 30. My words eased the worries, and we moved forward. The communication is down, but other skills are working well. Dangersence, Enemy Presence, and every other skill is working fine. This will be our biggest advantage, a thing that will help us with this battle. The null zone had affected us, but also the enemy. This means, just like us, they will not be able to communicate with each other as we could not. Not to mention, the skills advantage had lessened with us having prior information regarding it. That doesn''t mean, we won''t get wiped out if we are not careful and fight with everything we have. "Yellow House, seven o''clock, has fifty-seven undead with three pillars and five civilians," said Lieutenant Krygis, before noting down the numbers on the wall. We didn''t move inside to attack, nor did we cast any other spell. I could see many of my people want to go inside the house and deal with it, save the people inside, that are with the undead. They didn''t and instead moved forward with me. They are not the only ones who want to save the people. I wanted to barge into the house and kill all the undead and pillars controlling them, but we couldn''t. It will be deviating from the strategy. It will make us lose, the battle. We cannot lose the objective to save the few. We have to control our emotions to win this battle. "My lord, the enemy had started to gather on the streets," informed Shaun. "Be ready, they might attack us, this time," I said to my men. For a few minutes, the undead are gathering into the houses from the little tunnels they have made around them and now they have started to come out of the street. They first thought we would come at them. Like a few of our units did, before the skill, but it was a ploy. "Their numbers have reached a thousand," said Shaun and a smile appeared on my face. "To the enemy," I ordered and led the company toward the enemy. Our plan is not to attack the enemy unless we are attacked, but that is when the enemy is hiding inside the houses with people and in small numbers. When they are out in high numbers. They are open game. This is a battle, after all, and we won''t be winning it by just moving around. It will be won by killing the enemy. Soon we crossed the street and saw the enemy. The undead, filing the street, with many streams of it joining them from the different houses. "Attack!" I roared, and the company moved toward the undead. All of them had been waiting for it, and now, they got the chance, they were moving enemy battle spirit burning in their heart. It is not just the battle spirit; they have burning in their hearts. There is also hate and will liberate this city from the clutches of the undead. They have killed two-thirds of the city, nearly a hundred thousand people. Turned them into undead, some being family members of people fighting with me. Some of these undead might be them. I could see the trepidation and fear in their heart, but also know, if they see the person they know. They will not break down, instead kill it and free them. The skills activated one after another, covering me and the entire company. However, their effect isn''t as big as it used to be. My strength is increasing faster and unless the buffs are from someone of my level, it didn''t affect me much. That doesn''t mean, I won''t take the buff. I will take, every bit of them, no matter how small they are. I may not have much experience, but even with a little, I have. I understood very well, how every bit of increase helps in the battle. The enemy reacted immediately. The pillars attacked with the spells, while the undead moved to envelop us. Coming from every alley and street around us. The only direction they are not coming from is from back, but they are moving to close that off too. The undead are needlessly worried. We have no intention to retreat, not until we wipe them out and we will, despite the disparity in the numbers. I have two hundred and thirty-two people, while the enemy has over a thousand and more are gathering. I am scared, but we had expected it. It''s not like, we are facing such odds for the first time. We had faced, even greater odds and came out winning. This time, too, it will be no different. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 442: Inside The City Chapter 442: Inside The City Osward "It happened," I said as I felt my message spell breaking. I tried casting the spell again, but nothing happened. "We are blind. It has suppressed, even shamanic communication," said Urag, seeing my efforts. I nodded and didn''t say anything further and moved toward the target. I had marked the enemy with the Seeker''s Mark and could sense his direction. He didn''t try to remove the skill, which means, he is prepared for me. General Stone was opposed to letting me fight him. I had to beg him to let me do it. He didn''t think, I could be able to deal with him and asked me to focus on containing him, instead of trying to kill him. Which will get me killed. I wish I could say he is wrong about that. We both may be a high-mages, but there is a difference in our abilities, not to mention, the levels, but I am still moving to fight him. I need to fight him. It is the only thing I want to do since I escaped from Panar. My heart pains when I looked at the state of the city, where I had spent years. It was never a prosperous city, but it was a lively one. The people here were hardworking and good-natured. Most of them have died. The ones that had remained are now hiding in their houses, with their hearts filled with fear. I could sense them with ''Detect Life,'' I could also sense the undead that is hiding with them. I wanted to barge into the house and kill the undead, but that would be a mistake. I had fought city battles before. The first one was a decade and a half ago when I was not even Lv. 10. I was still in the academy and needed spells, but didn''t have money to buy them. So, I joined the army, like many poor students like me, during the vacation. I had barely survived it and promised myself to never do it again, but did it the next year and the year after that. It was the quickest way I could get the spells and the money I needed. I pushed those thoughts away and moved with the battalion. Soon, barely a mile had remained between us, and I could already see the large numbers of undead gathering. up!" commanded Asit and the battalion became disciplined as we moved toward the undead before finally reaching Nadir Square. It is on the eastern side of the city, where most working class used to live. It was the liveliest place, with all types of shops and businesses. Now everything is either destroyed or shuttered. It felt painful to even look, but I kept looking, before turning to my target. Koris Yegson. The leader of Panar. He is the man who had led the horde to Panar and conquered it. He had not just captured but also sent his undead to capture the people who were running away. Many of my friends and colleagues were captured in front of my eyes. Asit and I were barely able to save our lives from him. I looked at him as he looked at me. He is a man, who looked to be in his early forties. Handsome in a rugged way and well-built like a warrior, despite being a mage. He is a wearing grey mage robe with an emblem of Vris''alud on it. Around him is the horde of undead. There are over five thousand undead behind him and a few thousand in streets and houses. He has been prepared. "It shouldn''t take much to finish you all off," he said, in a casual tone, without any hint of worry. "Don''t be too confident," replied Urag. To which he smiled. "Attack!" he ordered, and the horde moved toward us. Not just the horde, but also the warriors and pillars. The division only has two Lv. 30, warriors, but the enemy has three. Two are moving toward Urag while one is toward Asit. Yegson kept looking at me for a few seconds, before raising his staff at me. My tribe was opposed to me joining the army. They are opposed to any woman joining the army. Some of the tribes are letting their women join it, but most are still opposing it. I didn''t have much of a choice; it was either that or marry. It is my first battle, and I was quite excited till an hour ago, but now there is only a horror in my heart. Rip! Another attack hit me. I wasn''t able to dodge it, due to being frozen on the spot. "Focus soldier!" shouted a familiar woman. Next second, I saw Sergeant Dina, killing the group of undead coming at me, before moving away. I felt relieved before shame filled me. Everyone is fighting. There is not a single person, who is standing frozen like me. I should be fighting. I have trained for it, but I am so overwhelmed in fear, that I couldn''t even move, much less raise my sword to fight. Seconds passed and undead kept coming at me, but killed before reaching me. Till two of them came at me. I looked around but found no one there to help me, everyone was busy with enemies. I tried to open my mouth to scream for help, but whether it was in fear or shame, my mouth wouldn''t open. I watched skeleton and zombie come closer to me, till they were right in front of me. Unlike me, they had no fear in their eyes and attacked immediately. I tried to retreat but found my back hitting the wall of the house. In my panic, I pushed my hand forward, to save my face from the sword. Clang! Rip! The handguard had stopped the zombie''s sword, but the skeleton''s saber had cut through my waist. The attack is deep and would have gone deeper. If I hadn''t dodged it on time. Gaaa! The zombie screamed and attacked again, this time, I wouldn''t be able to save myself. I have to act, be a soldier, that I had sacrificed so much to become. If not, I will be killed in this attack and become another dead body, that might rise to become undead. I don''t want to suffer fate, after I had paid such a big prize "Die you bastards!" I screamed with everything, I had and swung my sword toward the undead, channeling every bit of fear, I felt toward them. Activating, Strong Strike. The only skill, I have got from my Soldier Class. For a moment, everything was a blur, before I felt myself hitting something hard. It was the neck of the skeleton, my sword had cracked it, before started breaking through it. I had used the sword wrong. If I had used it right away; the way, I had been taught. I would have been able to cut through its neck smoothly. Khat! Finally, the sword came out from the other side. Seeing the head of the skeleton flying. A smile couldn''t help, but appear on my face. I had done it; I had finally killed the undead. I wanted to jump into a job, instead, I stumbled to my left to dodge the attack of the zombie. Rip! It gave me a cut on my art, but it''s not deep. The armor saved my arm. If not for it, the zombie would have taken it whole; the attack was powerful enough to hack it apart. Gaaa! The zombie screamed and attacked again. Once again, my heart was filled with fear, but this time, it didn''t freeze me. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 443: Difficult Enemy Chapter 443: Difficult Enemy Margaux "It will be fine," I said, seeing my friend looking south, toward Panar. "I am worried," she said after a few seconds of silence. We have received a message not long ago. Lord Silver had entered Panar to root out the undead. "Me too, but there is nothing we could do. Here, we might do something, if the walls are breached," I said and looked toward Deerpond. In less than five hours, they will be in the city. She didn''t say anything to that, nor did I speak anymore. Instead, I turned to the beautiful city. The view from the tower is amazing; one could get an idea of how the city is growing. I have been coming here every week and always see something new. If Master Silver had waited for a few months. He would have been better prepared, with the bigger army, but wouldn''t have had such a chance, Stena had said. "What do you think about his words?" I asked. Her expressions become serious, understanding what I am talking Before he left, he said something and asked for our opinions on it. It will shock, the entire city, the entire region, and even the continent. "He needs to conquer the city first," she replied. I didn''t say anything more and turned back to the city, with the hope, that it would survive, what was coming for it. It needs to, till its lord returns. ... Stone Clang Clang Clang! Our weapons clashed hard as they met each other at the blurring speed. Rip! She is fast, and she is a mage. It is why, I dodged her sword at the cost of the injury and defended against the Bone Lances, before moving to defend against her sword. She was the most difficult enemy; I had ever faced. Also, the most powerful, but that is not important. I had killed those more powerful than me, but those difficult had nearly killed me. They are the dangerous kind, and she is the most dangerous, I had ever fought. "You are good. better, than the elder-blood, I had killed," she said and came at me with another attack. At the same time, two more attacks came from spectral hands, holding the bone swords. Rip! I dodged her attack and the bone sword but was cut by another bone sword. Which she controlled, finely enough, that it had cut the small, unprotected part of my arm. It hadn''t been even fifteen minutes since we had started fighting and she had already injured me all over my body. It is a good thing, that my elder-blood is good at dealing with magical injuries or it would have been troublesome to deal with. "I heard, you had some methods. Why aren''t you using them?" she asked as she came at me with another attack. "I will, it is not just the time," I replied and defended against the attack. Using this method would be a bad idea. Especially this early in the battle. I have to conserve my strength and use it as sparingly as possible. I know they are capable. The enemy might be suppressing them now, but it won''t be forever. Not again this enemy, which barely has any chance to prepare. If the enemy, like her, had even a day to prepare. It would have been terrible. I wouldn''t have attacked the city, even in my dreams. By attacking, in the twelve hours of fighting battle; at the time, they have least expected had provided us with an opportunity, that we might not have got ever. So, many things have lined up for this attack; that I couldn''t just say no when Lord Silver asked, despite the innumerable risks. Including leaving Greltheaven with less force, than we had brought here. Which made the people, who should be our allies, attack us. I clearly thought and focused on the enemy and needles she had attacked me. These needles aren''t normal. They are covered by the fire, her sword coming at me. The energy came out and covered me, while I moved my halberd to deal with her attack. Ting Puch Ting! The armor and energy saved me, but some still pierced into my body. I quickly pushed them out with the energy, but they had already done the damage. I proactively moved the energy into my body to deal with the damage. It is hard to control the elder energy, but I have an excellent teacher. It is because of her; that I have become so good at controlling the energy. She is the reason I was able to get more than one method in less than a year of awakening and was also proficient in using them. "I have fought many giant-bloods; even spar against an old one, but you are the most impressive one," "It seemed like, they are right, what they say about the bronze giants," she said and cast another group of needles. I didn''t say anything to that. I had heard a few things, but not enough to comment concretely. I have just awakened and barely started receiving things. The elder blood provides a lot of things, but one needs to be worthy of it. More than half of the elder blood didn''t progress much, but some were able to reach, heights beyond imagination. It is just like the class and levels. How high, one could go depends on her individuals'' efforts and luck. Hun! Suddenly, a shudder rang through my body, and I saw her sword coming at me, but I brought my halberd down, toward my legs. I cut the translucent binding moving to surround me and retreated. Rip! She used the chance to give me the biggest injury. A long cut across my chest, that runs bone deep. It is serious and painful, but better than the fate, I would have suffered. If I hadn''t acted on time and given that translucent binding opportunity. It would have slowed me down enough to give her the opportunity to push that sword into my chest and it would have been game over for me. "It''s the attack, I had used to kill the elder-blood; it didn''t work on you," she said. "It would have, if I had reacted even a fraction late," I replied, looking at my bloodied chest, which is throbbing painfully. She didn''t say anything to that, but came at me with a powerful attack. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 444: Survive Chapter 444: Survive Ronda "Four and a half hours more," said Lord Darius, looking at his watch. "Don''t worry my lord, we will reach there on time and conquer and nothing and no one could stop us from that," I said to the man, who was clearly nervous, but hiding it with skill. It is his first time leading the battle. However, he won''t fight, nor does he need to. He is a lord; his presence alone is enough. "Father is right, my lord. With the force, we are bringing; Greltheaven would have no choice, but to bend its knee in front of you," added Javier. Lord Darius nodded, with a pleased smile on his face. "Any reply on our newest offer?" he asked a moment later. I had told him, not to do it, after the first offer. Knowing it was useless, but the man didn''t listen. "Rejected," I replied. We had offered Cardin a deal. If he surrenders the city. He rejected it. "Have our spies found anything?" he asked with worry, returning to his eyes. I shook my head. There are a few things that have made me worried. The most being that bastard keeping, his trusted mages in the city. Especially that Geomancer, that brought out the alchfire. It is the thing we fear the most. If they have it; then it could wipe out our army. That would be terrible. We had asked the merchants about it, but the bastards are mum. They have stated directly; that they wouldn''t share any information with us unless it is about the undead. "I will keep asking," I replied after a few seconds of silence. It took quite an effort to place the spies in the enemy''s army, but even they didn''t seem to know anything. Silver is good at keeping important information contained. We tried to breach it, but not a single person in his inner circle responded to our advances. "You do not need to be worried, my lord. Even if they have more alchfire orbs; we have made enough preparations to deal with them," for new novels "We have brought the geomancers with us and have people, with danger sensing skills," "With such preparations; they wouldn''t be able to blindside us," reassured Javier. "Let''s hope, so," replied Lord Darius and sighed. A lot of it riding on the success of this mission. If they were able to conquer Greltheaven. They will get a legacy and control over the river route. It will be like controlling half of the region, which will provide them with wealth, influence, and safety. They wouldn''t be reliant on the one city alone. Most importantly, if I am able to give, the lord Greltheaven. He had promised me Riverbell. He said that, just before, I left the city with the army. I want Riverbell; it will make me a lord. I pushed those thoughts away and turned to Laris beside me. "Any news?" I asked him. "The battle in Port Midlet is still continuing. Silver''s army, had entered the Panar to fight the undead," he replied, and a relief flooded into my heart. That boy in Port Midlet is doing good. Keeping the horde of million undead at bay. I hope he will wipe them out, like how Silver did yesterday. It would be great if he was able to wipe out even 60% to 70% of them. The rest of them, even if came at us, we will be able to deal with them. As for Silver, it won''t matter, even if he retreated safely from Panar. As long as I got control of the city, he wouldn''t be able to do anything. Instead, he will have to do what we want. Since his legacy would be in our control. Just thinking about it, makes me want to smile brightly. I didn''t, of course. I am the leader of the army; I need to maintain my composure. ... The pillars also revealed themselves and our mages moved to fight them, while I and others hacked the undead as we moved forward. There are a lot of enemies, but we are killing them. Still, I could see my people were suffering. Getting injured and dying. The rate feels greater than in the last two battles. My heart pained, seeing that, but I controlled my emotions and kept killing the undead. Hun! Minutes passed when the warriors started to come out. Seeing their numbers, my expression couldn''t help but turn serious. "My Lord, I think you should retreat," advised Lt. Ross "Thank you, for your advice lieutenant, but I will stay," I replied. The man opened his mouth, but closed it, seeing the expression on his face. Retreat isn''t an option. I have to fight, for myself. For these people, I am leading. A few seconds later, he walked ahead to fight against the enemy coming toward us. One by one, the officers moved to fight the enemy powerhouses, till only I had remained. Hun! Another minute passed when two more warriors came out of the undead and they were coming directly toward me. It''s clear; that I am their target. The officers noticed them instantly and tried to stop them, but couldn''t. The enemies, they were fighting held them back. The same happened with Shaun. He attacked them with the spells, but the enemy mage reacted and protected them with the defensive shields. He might have been able to do something. If he had been fighting with the mage alone, but he was also holding back a Lv. 30 warrior. A few seconds passed and the undead fighting me began to retreat. "You guys retreat," I said to the soldiers around me. "Lord Silver, the enemies are strong," said the young orc, looking at two people coming at me. "Don''t worry about them; I will be able to handle them. You guys just make sure, that no undead would come to disturb me," I said. Hesitation appeared on their faces, but they nodded and retreated. Leaving me alone. I turned ahead and looked at the enemies, who had entered the empty space. There are two of them. One is human, while the other is an orc. The human man looked to be in his early thirties. He is tall, over six and a half feet tall, wearing light armor and having a straight sword in his hand. He is an agility fighter; it is clear by his physique and weapons. The grey orc beside him is shorter, with a classic orc physique. He looks to be in his late thirties. He is heavily armored, from helmet to shoes, and holding a saber thinker than my arm in one hand and shield in another. I would need to be really careful in fighting against him. These two are pre-Lv. 30. They were part of Panar''s forces and had been here for over six months. Saying fighting with them would be hard, would be an understatement. There is a good chance; I would be pinned to the ground within seconds. Yesterday, I had fought against one pre-Lv. 30 and barely able to defeat him. Today there are two of them. While I had gained three levels. They did not give me the confidence I would like to have, but it didn''t matter. They are the enemies, and I will have to fight them. If I did not, they would attack my officers, who were already busy fighting. So, dying or getting captured isn''t either; I will have to kill them, or at least keep them occupied. It is the only way; my men and I will survive. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 445: Fierce Clash Chapter 445: Fierce Clash "Little lord, any interest in surrendering?" asked the tall man, whose name was Guilo Falls. I didn''t reply and kept looking at them. "I guess, it''s no," he said with a grin and came at me with a speed skill. It''s not a normal speed skill. It had made, his movements sort of ghostly, which made it hard to track. Now, I am slightly regretting, removing the focus. I did it in favor of other skills, which I had thought would be more useful here. Till now, I didn''t get a chance to use it and I hope, I never do. His movement is confusing, but I could see it. My mental stats are high enough, that such skills couldn''t confuse me; not to mention, that I had leveled up and had an actual battle experience. It could be said that today I am in a much better position to fight an enemy like, him than I was yesterday. I would have been fearful of such a skill yesterday, but today, I am not. He stopped in front of me and attacked. His attack was fast, with mist covering his sword, made me feel like, my head was spinning as I looked at it. I didn''t look away and instead swung my rapier in response, with the power of Blade of Gale. Clang! Our swords clashed surprising, the tall man. Forget his sword hitting me, I didn''t even so much shake, which was surprising even to me. It seemed like the level-up had given me a greater boost than I had thought. I didn''t have time to enjoy the surprise as I dashed to my left with the Blitz Steps. Rip! I was able to dodge it, but an attack from Rolno Orac had torn my sleeve, with a blade of his saber, nearly touching my skin. Thankfully, it had only cut the sleeve, not the hand he was targeting. for new novels Hun! I was feeling relieved when I saw another attack coming toward me from the front, by the tall man and his sword had already crossed half of the distance. I reacted immediately, with a rapier whipping toward it without wasting any moment. I could feel his attack was more powerful than the last. It is not only fast, but there is also weight to it. Clang! I was right, I felt it the moment, my sword touched his and activated a quick parry, to divert the force. That would have numbed my hand, at the least. He tried to stop the parry and press ahead but didn''t succeed. Hun! It presented me with a golden opportunity to move at him and hack his neck, but I had to move to dodge the attack from the orc. "Bastard!" I cursed the orc as dashed left. If not for it; I would have a good chance to kill him. The confidence surprised me, but it is the truth. There is a good chance I would have been able to kill him or at least injure him seriously. The battle yesterday had given me the valuable experience of fighting the pre-Lv. 30. I had sparred with them, hundreds of times, but I didn''t have the confidence till yesterday. Yesterday''s battle had given me the confidence, and experience, to fight foes like these. Now, I am not just fighting with the intention of surviving, but to kill. "Not interested," I replied as I dodged another attack from the orc, which severed a few pieces of the tattered sleeve. Minutes passed, and the fight continued. Everyone is fighting. I don''t know how they are doing; I am completely focused on the two enemies. They are so powerful, that I didn''t let myself get distracted, even for a moment. I cannot afford, to even look around for even a moment. Rip! I got another cut on the back by the orc. It is light like the most, but their numbers are piling up across my body and also the pain they are giving me. I wanted to kill the bastard, but Orc wasn''t the target, nor I could kill him with the tall man on my tail, who is attacking me constantly every second since the battle begins. Their plan is good; they are attacking me constantly, not giving me even a single chance to attack. I do not mind it, to be honest. I like such battles. I thrive in it. A few more minutes passed, and we were still fighting. I could see the frustration and anger in their eyes, but they were experienced and kept it under control. They had not expected this; they might have thought about the two of them together, it wouldn''t take them more than a minute to finish me off, but it had been over ten minutes. Though, it''s also true, that I am bloodied and battered, while there is not a single injury on their body. Rip! Another cut appeared on my leg as I dodged the saber of the Orc when the sword-tall man came at me as usual. I moved my sword to defend against his attack, using Blade of Gale, which I had using since the start of the battle. Clang! My sword clashed against his, and I parried with a quick parry as I did hundreds of times. It is why, he already started moving, pulling back his sword for another attack, while the orc, attacked from behind. The attack, I would dodge and then move my sword to defend against the attack of a tall man again, but I didn''t do that. Instead, I move forward like a bullet, without care for the attack of the Orc coming from behind. A surprise flashed in the tall man''s eyes, but he reacted fast by retreating and bringing his sword forward to stop me. Clang! My sword clashed with his and could see a relief appeared in his slightly panicked eyes. I grinned at him and pushed myself forward. This time, I held nothing back. Immediately, my speed more than doubled, and appeared beside him with our shoulders touching and the sword locked. "Wha" He opened his mouth, looking at our locked sword, when his eyes widened and panicked, which had just disappeared, returned with a hundred times more intensity. Rapier isn''t the only weapon, I have. There is another one, that is moving toward him. I sparred with Jim the most; the third of the sparring, I had done was with him. So, it is obvious, I would learn some tricks from the rogue. The dagger reached him when I felt a defensive method activated on him. It surprises me, not the defensive skill, but the one it belongs to. It didn''t belong to a tall man but to the orc. That didn''t stop my dagger, it flared with the power of enchantments, and I activated Sharpness on top of it, making the attack even more powerful. Puch! It touched the tall man''s neck and pierced inside despite the defensive skill, before tearing his neck apart with the power of Mauling Strike. Killing the man. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 446: In Cold Blood Chapter 446: In Cold Blood The warm blood splattered on me from a gruesome hole in the tall man''s neck, but I bore it as I spun to deal with the attack of the orc. "Falls!" Orc screamed as he looked at me in fury, while my eyes were on his saber. Clang! My rapier clashed with his saber. I parried it but still felt the shock in my arm. Making it numb for a moment. "It''s your turn," I said and whipped my sword toward him, without wasting any time. He didn''t try to defend it with the saber and moved his shield forward. The orc is furious, but he is experienced. He reacted pragmatically despite the grief he was feeling. He had seen my speed and, using a saber, would have given me a chance to kill him. It is why, he had brought forward his shield to defend against my attack. Clang! My sword clashed against his shield. Immediately, feeling the shock, that had numbed my arm. I bore the numbness and appeared to his left and attacked him once again. Clang Clang Clang! He quickly moved his shield forward to defend against it. So, I moved behind him and once again moved his shield and defended against it. I rather not hit the shield and suffer the attack from the skill, but I need to do it to kill him.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com I begin to fight like a true agility fighter, moving around him. Attacking him from all sides and angles, and he defended against all attacks with his shield. "Why are you being a turtle? Fight me like a man!" I challenged, but there was no response from him. I wish I had a taunt; it might help against this turtle. I have a few strategies to deal with him, but first, I will have to know his limitations. I already have a pretty good idea, but I want to be sure. I continued with the attacks, testing his responses to different types of attacks. I even took the chance to drink the potion. The bastards have carved me up good and they are painful; the pain skill from the orc is still active. Hun! Over a minute passed, and I kept attacking when I heard something behind me. I turned and saw the house collapsing. It is not the first house to collapse, but the one close to me. The houses are fragile, in front of the spells and attacks, that are flying around. I was about to turn to the opponent when I saw something that turned my expression bad. People had started to come out of the house. The last few came out, with the house collapsing on them. Thankfully, someone cast a spell on them. Saving them from being buried, seeing that I felt relieved, but soon my expression turned bad again. There are thirteen of them, with two being children, not more than two years old. There were even three children, five to ten years old, and they looked scared as adults. One of the adult men had simply collapsed on the ground in fear. It is horrifying for them, everywhere they look. They saw the undead. There is no way for them to get out. The undead surrounded the area, with them being in the near middle. I was distracted by them, and the orc used that chance and attacked. His fast and strong; he seemed to have used everything he had. Rip! I reacted quickly, but he was able to able to give me a big painful cut across my back. ''No more waiting,'' I thought and moved to orc with the attack. Those people will die if they don''t receive help anymore. Currently, they are in space, where I am fighting. There are no undead there, but some undead might slip through my men. Seeing how scared these people are, a single undead would be more than enough to kill them all. Clang! The orc defended with the shield like before, but the very next moment, his eyes widened, when my sword slipped through his shield and attacked his hand. Rip! I do not blame my mages for failing to protect me. There were several enemy mages who had attacked me seeing me about to kill their powerhouse. Most of them were stopped with the shields appearing around me. Only the frost spears were able to move past the shields. I turned back to the Orc. "You are one lucky bastard," I said, and he grinned in response. "I am and my luck, has just got even better," he replied and looked past me. A shudder spread through my body, and I turned, with my heart beating wildly in fear. I saw a bronze-skinned man coming toward me, making my heart, stop for a moment. He is a raven-haired man of medium height and build. Wearing light armor, with a long sword in his hand. His pale blue eyes are focused on me, with his intentions visible in them. I know the man; his name is Curtis Orsini. He is a Lv. 30+ powerhouse. He was in Almin since they had captured it and came here with Rynra Throne. "Shit!" I cursed and heard a sharp whistle. He turned a little but didn''t stop. The whistle was a help whistle, since we knew the communication could go down. We had improvised, and the whistles were part of it. I hope, the help comes and comes fast because I am not a match for a Lv. 30. The undead parted with his every step; a few brave officers tried moving toward him but were stopped. So, are the spells of our mages. I watched him and realized, to horror. That the group of civilians are in his way. "Move away," I said to them and half of them quickly moved, but the other half remained frozen. They were already scared, and the man''s suppression skill seemed to have affected them even more. Freezing them on their spot in fear. "Fuck!" I cursed and moved toward them, seeing they were not moving, even when the enemy had reached a few steps away from them. I moved with everything I had and soon reached close. That''s when the man, who was simply walking toward me, raised his sword and winged it. "No!" I screamed in horror. Pachac! A wet sound rang out a moment later, and the man in front of him split in two, with blood spraying everywhere. Some had sprayed on me as I stopped. He killed the man. A defenseless man who was frozen in fear and meant no harm to him, but he killed him, in cold blood. If it had been a soldier, it would have been within his right, but a defenseless man? "Why?" I asked. The man stopped, and confusion appeared on his face for a moment before the smile returned. "He was in a way," he replied simply, with his tone clearly stating, he felt he did nothing wrong. Seeing that, the anger, I had never felt exploded in my heart. "It seemed like me, killing an ant has made you angry," he said, seeing the burning anger in my eyes, which burned even hotter hearing his words. The grin on his face widened seeing that, and he raised his sword before swinging it again. Not toward me, but toward the woman frozen in fear, with a child in her arms. "No!" I screamed and leaped with everything I had. I pushed myself as I had never done. I have come to the city to liberate it from the undead. Save these people, but now, in front of my very eyes, the enemy had killed a person, I had come to save. Now, he had swung his sword to kill the defenseless woman and a child. If I had let it happen. I would never be able to forgive myself Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 447: Not A Good Feeling Chapter 447: Not A Good Feeling Osward Bang! Lightning arcs crashed against my shields, breaking one while the other one had cracked all over the place. It had been over twenty minutes since we were fighting. The enemy is powerful. I had been expecting it, but he turned out to be stronger than my expectations. I wouldn''t have been his match half a year ago when I had become a High-Mage. The half a year had given me time to study the new spells. "I thought you would be a challenge, but you are only so-so," taunted Yegson. His words hurt, but I didn''t let them get into my head. I know how powerful, this bastard is, and I have to be careful every moment. The slightest mistake and his spells would hit me before I knew it. Forget me. He would even kill Asit and Urag. If I am not careful. I may be far away from killing him, but I am doing the job that had been assigned to me. Keeping him contained. I have been doing that for over twenty minutes. I have stopped him not only from harming him but also from harming others. He would attack others as well as me, and it is my job to stop those attacks. Like right now, he had attacked Urag with Bone Spikes and I had cast a stone skin on him. In case any of them were to pierce him. He had a powerful defensive spell cast on him by his shaman. Stone skin worked well with it. It is better than casting a shield, seeing the spikes coming from the ground while stopping them with a shield possible, but it is a versatile spell. If the mage is good enough, then they could move it around it, and Yegson is good. I could see, he was getting angry, despite showing a smile on his face. A lowly, generalist, he planned to quickly finish before moving toward another battle is keeping him contained. I had asked General Stone for this, but he wouldn''t have given me. If I didn''t have the ability in me. He isn''t the man, who will listen to requests that are detrimental to battle. I have been training hard for the past half a year. I had studied countless spells and sparred with multiple opponents, including General Stone. That man is a monster; no spell could stop him. Hun! Suddenly, he used another spell. It is not targeted at me or Asit or Urag, but at soldiers. Drasis Wave. A variation of Necrotic Wave; will affect the common soldiers, who, like us have held the undead back, while slowly killing them. It would be bad. If the spell hit them; it would be terrible. This spell is a Grade IV spell; it will inflict them with weakness and ailments. Radiant Wave. I activated my spell and, to the surprise, of the enemy. The light wave was released from my staff and clashed against the necrotic wave. I am one of the few people who could use the light elemental spells. Before coming to Greltheaven; I only knew one light spell. They are rare and the one, I know, was small and nearly useless at my level. I kept the affinity secret; the churches hound those with such affinities. I had only revealed it to General Stone who had provided me with the light elemental spells. Mage Zela''s help was also instrumental in learning them. Though I could use the offensive and defensive spells, but couldn''t use the healing ones. Crack Crack Crack! Seconds passed, and I saw the cracks appearing on the finger. Seeing that, I finally took a breath and drank the potion, which quickly began to replenish my mana. Bang! A few seconds later, a loud sound rang out. The finger exploded, but also the shield. As it did, I saw the Yegson, closer to me than earlier, but I didn''t have time to think about it as the Spectral Blades coming at me once again; they had already crossed more than half of the distance. Aeryn''s Wall. Garion''s Curtain. I immediately cast spells, and I was relieved to see, the spells materialized just as the blades reached me. All that battle experience in my younger days coming to use. I had learned to cast the spells faster when I was still a student. I had seen mages, higher level than me getting killed by weaker enemies who could cast the spells faster than them. Here, in the battle. Even a microsecond could decide the life and death. Bang Bang Bang! The shield defended against the attacks, but another was ready. It was the lances with a tip burning in fire; they came at me from all sides. I once again cast an omnidirectional defense, which is different from Hatsal''s defense. Snort! He snorted and sent another spell at me while taking a few more steps closer. Mages fight from a distance; it gives them greater freedom. The closer they get, the more that freedom shrinks, and the battle becomes dangerous. I wanted to take a step back, but I didn''t. I stayed on my spot, which surprised even the enemy. He likely thought I would retreat seeing him advance. I may not be as strong as him and have as powerful offensive spells as him, but I am good at defending and casting faster. I will be able to defend against him. Most importantly, him being closer, might give me a chance to kill him, which I didn''t think I would have when he started revealing his power. I want to kill him, now, even more than before, seeing how strong he is. He is an enormous threat and would become even bigger. If left alive, but killing him isn''t going to be easy, there is a big chance of me dying, than him. Every spell, he is casting, he is taking a step toward me. It also forced me to cast the spells faster. I didn''t try to attack him at all and focused purely on defense. I have read the information and know how powerful his defensive spells are. I won''t attack unless I see the chance. Hun! Time passed as he continued attacking me with his powerful spells, while I defended, drinking potion after potion. He didn''t drink even a single drop, and why would he? When he could suck the mana out of the surrounding undead like he is doing right now. Hun! I defended against his spells and moved to another group of spells to respond to his attack when I noticed something. Asit and Urag are closer to me. They were quite far away from me just a few minutes ago, but now they are less than a hundred meters away from me and seem like coming even closer. They are not coming closer to me on their own, but being pushed by their opponents. I looked at the necromancer, and he grinned. It''s clearly his doing; he is planning something, and it involves all of us. It did not give me a good feeling at all. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 448: Betrayal Chapter 448: Betrayal Yegson This bitch is too good at defending; nearly as good as the aegismancers. Her information had said she was an average generalist mage. In the past battles, including that of yesterday, she didn''t show any abilities as she is showing right now. If she had. I would have been better prepared to deal with her. BANG! My spell crashed against her shields and cracks appeared on them, but as always, it was unable to break them. She is good, a fast caster. As fast as me, responding quickly against my spells despite coming from so close. I cast another spell while taking another step forward toward her. She defended before gulping down a bottle of potion and casting shields again to defend against another attack. She is defending, but not without a cost. Every shield spell she is using is powerful, and she is casting at least two defensive spells at once to defend against each of my attacks. Those spells use a lot of mana. To supplement it, she had drunk four mana potions. They are the reason; she is even alive. If they were normal potions, she would have the mana burn, but they are not. The potions she is gulping down one after are not normal mana potions. No, they are mixed potions. Regular Mana potions with drops of mana potion of emotion essence mixed in them. Depending upon the quantity of emotion essence- mana potion mixed in them. She could easily burn two or even three times the number of normal potions before she would feel the burn. These damn potions of emotions essence are one of the reasons we have lost, the battles. Normal armies didn''t have those; only after earning a great merit were those bestowed. Here, nearly every powerhouse above Lv. 30, has them. I sent another spell to her and activated Mana Siphon. Immediately, the dark mana begins to come to me and fill my reserves. I have the skill to absorb mana from the undead. It is more efficient than the spell; very few necromancers of my level have this skill. The skill is one of the reasons, why I have survived tens of battles, while those stronger than me have died. It is fast and efficient, but it couldn''t provide me with unlimited mana. There is a limit to it and also the cost; the immediate one being, the undead getting weaker. I could see, enemy soldiers getting an edge over my undead as they got weaker. I am not too worried about it; I will deal with them after I deal with the mage and the orc. They are going to die soon. There is no way for them to survive. I am using a time-tested method to kill them. It has helped us win many battles and it will help us win this one too. ... Osward BANG! Another big bone finger clashed against me and nearly broke the shields.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com The finger was more powerful than the first one, but I was able to defend against it. However, there is no joy on my face regarding it. He had already launched another spell while moving even closer to me. He is now less than a hundred meters away from me and I wanted to run away. His spells are so fast that I am at my limit. I am pushing myself, which is extremely risky. If I didn''t cast well, the spell would collapse and that would be the end of me, given how powerful his spells are. As the spell crashed on my shield. I cast a glance at Asit and Urag, both of them have come close to me. There are less than twenty meters remaining between us. ''What is he planning?'' I thought, looking at the necromancer. It is a question I am asking myself repeatedly. He is planning something, and I wanted to move away and create a distance. That would be the wisest choice, but one wouldn''t consider me a wise person, seeing the questionable decisions I took in my life. I do not have a death wish. There are reasons for me staying. The greatest being, that I felt like; Asit and Urag would be safer with me closer to them than far away, despite Yegson planning something for us together I cast as I never did in my life; I forgot all the precautions and cast as fast as I could, not caring about failure. Failure would kill me, but failing to defend would also kill me. So, rather choose the option, that gives me a chance of survival despite the risks. Hatsal''s Defense X 3. I was able to cast three layers of Hatsals Defense before the fingers reached them. I know it is not enough, but nine spells seemed to be my limit, which is double my usual speed. It also made me extremely tired, that I wanted to collapse and let myself fall in a sweet embrace of death. "Huge Shield!" shouted Urga and the shield he raised above us became bigger. Seeing that, I felt relieved, before turning to massive bone fingers crashing on my defensive shield. BANG. Loud bangs round out as the first layer is crushed to pieces by the fingers. I could see pieces of plates and chains scattering around before dissolving. Though it was able to dim the fire covering those sharp nails. BANG! The second layer shattered the same, but it made that dangerous fire completely disappear. It made me feel relieved. That fire was extremely dangerous; it needed six defensive shields to whittle it away. The huge bone fingers crashed into the last layer but unlike the two layers. The fingers couldn''t shatter it immediately, but the cracks began appearing on plates and chains immediately. A moment passed when I saw faint cracks appearing on the massive finger. BANG! It pleased me, but the next moment, that feeling vanished as the last layer shattered, and the fingers moved toward the massive shield of Urag. I cast Stone Aegis on the shield. It nearly made me faint, but it least, I could do with the time I had. It is not as strong as a single layer of the Hatsal''s Defense, but it will offer some protection. BANG! The fingers crashed on the shield, breaking the defensive spells I had cast. I could feel Urag shaking, nearly falling with the stone beneath his feet cracking and him bleeding through all his orifices. "Ahhhhh!" Despite that, he didn''t fall down, instead, he roared as bore the fingers. The cracks spread on the fingers, till they had fully covered them. I wanted to help him, but I didn''t. Instead, I turned to Yegson. Who looked as tired as me or even more. Despite that, he is alert, ready to attack me. BANG! A second passed, and the first exploded, seeing that faint relief appeared in my heart. BANG! The second exploded right after and when the third exploded a second after that. I finally heaved a sigh of relief and a small smile appeared on my face. The plan of the bastard was amazing. He pushed us together and tired me out with constant attacks of spells while coming closer before finally using his most powerful spell. Thank the gods, Urag had excellent skills and enhancement from his shaman, or we will never be able to survive. I was smiling with relief when suddenly my Dangersense blared. It blared with such intensity; it had never been in my life. Not even when I had come close to death before. It overwhelmed me, but I controlled the feeling, looked at Yegson, and saw him with a smile when I felt the attack. It didn''t come from his staff as I had been expecting but from the back. The sword had pierced through my chest and came out the front. I could see it, blooded with my blood. I looked at before turning and saw the man holding a blade. A man I considered a friend, a man I had gone through life and death and trusted with my life. That man had just pierced his blade through my chest. Tap on the below to read Advanced Chapters. Chapter 449: Why? Chapter 449: Why? "Why?" I asked Asit. My dearest friend and lover; the loss had brought her closer. Gave us the strength to move forward, but now all have shattered. "I want to live," he said, stone-faced. There is remorse in his eyes and guilt, but there is also resolution to live. He is going to do anything for that, including killing his friend. ''I had been so blind,'' I thought, looking at the blade buried in my chest. I should have seen it. There were the signs, but I had chosen to ignore them. I shouldn''t have and it would have saved me this pain. Azure Arc. The spell materialized directly in front of him. His eyes broadened in shock. He reacted as fast as he removed his sword, but by the time he did, the arc had reached him. He might have some chance if he had removed the sword from my chest immediately. Even then, the chances were low given the distance and the spell being a Grade IV. It might not be as powerful as others, but it is enough to kill a traitorous bastard like him. Pachac! The wind arc reached his neck and decapitated him. I saw his head and shock in his eyes. Tears streamed down from cheeks. I wanted to, but I controlled my emotions. It is a battlefield, not my home where I could let go. I turned and saw the Yegson, who had a shock in his eyes. "I didn''t expect you to have a death-evading skill," he said, and I smiled. I wish. I didn''t have a death-evading skill. I would have really liked one, but unfortunately, I didn''t. What I have, however, is a heart on the right side of my chest instead of the left. Nobody knows about it, and I would rather not tell anyone. It''s the reason why his skill didn''t work. Asit had rare sealing skill; it would seal people''s power as long as he pierced his blade into one of five vital organs. His blade pierced my chest, not my heart. Making the skill useless. Still, the injury is serious and currently, the shamanic magic holding it back. It activated on its own as I received a serious injury, but it wouldn''t be enough. I would need to drink the potion to control it. Though it will come later; there are enemies to deal with. "No worries; I will finish the job," said Yegson, and his staff lit up. He is less than five meters away from me; it would be hard to defend against his spell, especially in my condition. However, I am not worried as much as I should be. My staff lit up at the same time and this time, I didn''t wait for his spell to reveal to cast an appropriate defensive spell. I had got the signal. This means, there is only one spell, I need to cast and hope it will hit. The necromancer''s spell is nearly ready when his expression changes, and I sling the spell at him. It is a spell, that usually does not work. It is the first spell mages are trained to guard against, and most mages can do it easily. Hun! Though, this time, it worked. The necromancer''s staff dimmed as the spell broken, while the man in all black clothes appeared beside him with a dagger crossing half a distance toward his neck. There was fear in Yegson''s eyes, but not terror, and I didn''t take long to realize why. The Azure Arc cut, the burly man into two while Urag stunned him with the shield. "I surrender," "Me too," said the man and woman, one after another. I am surprised. They might have kept fighting if there had been two more Urag''s, but with me and no mage of their own, they know how small their chances of survival are. Mr. Jon stopped. He took out a small dagger and cut it. They didn''t resist it. That would be utterly idiotic; they understood it. With me, there is no escape. Their veins began to turn dark purple, but I didn''t much glance at it. My thoughts were on the dagger, or rather, the things attached to it. I saw something. He tried to hide it, but that thing was big, and I had Clear Eyes cast on my eyes. It shocked me, but I controlled my emotions. If it is what I see it is, then it seems like, the young aren''t as simple as he seemed to be. He has secrets, big secrets. I put that information in the secure compartment of my mind and closed it. Deciding to focus on the battle, which is far from over. More enemies decided to surrender, while some fought. They were killed within minutes. As for those who surrendered. Mr. Jon nicked them and made them unconscious, before throwing them into a house that looked to be in good condition. "The poison?" asked Urag as we gathered, and our men bandaged and healed themselves. We have a priestess with us; she is a young girl of around twenty. It was her second. She was scared, but held on and was now healing people. "It had a validity of eight hours after that. They will die if not fed the antidote," replied Mr. Jon. "What about enemies feeding them an antidote or using a skill or spell to heal them?" I asked. "Only we have an antidote and as for skill or spell, it needs to be powerful enough and very specific to deal with this poison," he replied with a faint inside smile appearing on his face. A moment later, he turned into a shadow and merged with mine. "It''s really a great skill; even I can''t sense him despite being so close," said Urag and I couldn''t help but nod. He had merged with my shadow, and I could barely sense him. That would become faint until I couldn''t sense him unless I concentrated. This is a skill that enhances stealth with passing time. Still, that wouldn''t have been enough to keep him undetected from powerful necromancers like Yegson; they are good at detecting life. It was because of my spells. That didn''t let even a single investigative spell touch me. "What''s the plan?" I asked. The moment our people finish with healing, we will move. It will be Urags'' decision where we will move. He is the leader, now that Asit is dead. It hurts to think about him. He was a traitor, but also a friend, whom I am going to miss a lot. "To the closest whi" He was saying something when he suddenly stopped. I stopped, and everyone stopped as a feeling spread over us. Some shook visibly, and to some, it affected them so much that their knees started shaking. Two collapsed on the group, while others looked in fear. Some seemed to understand what it is and the fear in their eyes amplified, but there is also a question in them. "It is what I am, thinking it is right?" asked Urag with his voice shaking. To that, I nodded. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 450: Awakening Chapter 450: Awakening Rynra "Bastard!" I cursed as I felt Yegson''s death. I do not like that bastard, but I do not want him dead. He is a powerful necromancer and one of the fastest casters, I had seen on the level. Its why, he would love to get closer to his enemies to finish them off. He had killed casters more powerful than him through that method.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com His enemies tried to use that, but he was good at defending, too. He could have said to be too confident, with that protection tool, he had. Even I wouldn''t have been able to break through his defensive tool within a single attack, but the hidden assassin had somehow done it. "How did you kill him?" I asked elder-blood. The skill told me about Yegson''s death and who killed him, but it didn''t tell me how. "How should I know? I am here with you," replied elder-blood. Though looking at the smile on his face, it''s clear he knew how. He is likely the one who planned it. Anger burned in my heart. I wanted to use the strongest attack and kill him, but that was not wise. He had proved to be a tough enemy. Since the battle began, I had used a plethora of spells and skills, but he defended against them all; not a single one was able to hit him. He is powerful as well as experienced; unlike the other elder blood, I had killed. They didn''t have much experience despite being older and were too confident in their abilities. The man in front of me is grounded and cautious. I have to be the same and find his limitations, before attacking him with everything I have. Until then, I will keep fighting as I have been doing. I moved at him and attacked him with my flaming sword. He moved his halberd forward smoothly. Clang I tried to avoid it, but he didn''t let me, and my sword clashed against his halberd. The bronze energy clashed against the necrotic fire, and they canceled each other, but a moment later, returned to my sword, and I attacked again. He defended it, but I kept attacking. These attacks are not only helping me gauge his limitations, but also making him spend his energy. Which will help me a lot, when I use my full power. Minutes passed, and I continued with the attack, using my skills and spells together. It keeps the expenditure of the mana low. I could absorb from the undead; it is the main reason I had kept them so close, but I would rather not absorb the energy until I needed it. I still have enough mana in me to fight and with the undead, I could fight for a long time. The elder-blood could not. Hun! The anger in my heart burned brightly as I noticed another three powerhouses disappearing from Yegson''s battle. He had died along with the pawn and now another of our powerhouse died, while the other two seemed to have surrendered. In the next few minutes, I felt many people below Lv. 30 dying or surrendering. It is not a small number, but still, every powerhouse we lose will affect the battle. My skill reduces that by the third, but still losing powerhouses isn''t good. I do not want a pyrrhic victory; it would be shameful for me. Clang! Our blades clashed again, and I pulled it back and moved to attack again, this time activating the skill I hadn''t used before in this battle. Hun! I was about to swing my sword with enhancement from the skill when I stopped. Even elder-blood''s eyes widened in surprise before shock appeared in his eyes, which mirrored mine. A feeling spread through the city, disrupting the skills, everywhere. So, powerful, that it touched me, I shook in my heart, while people around me shook visibly. It shocked me. It is not something, I had expected to happen on this battlefield. Clang! I stopped with a rapier, feeling such pain that made me nearly throw my rapier. Rip Ting Rip! I was in those thoughts when I felt a cut across my body. Those eight swords, which I thought turned out to be capable of minor damage. Cry! That''s when I released something, and horror appeared on my face when I heard the cry behind me. I looked and deep cuts on the woman, but also her child. His back had turned blooded. The horror in my heart deepened and the rage that was already burning in my heart exploded. "You monster!" I roared and moved toward him without caring for anything. I cannot just defend or wait for reinforcement. He will kill them; those injuries they got are like threatening. If they don''t receive treatment soon, they will die. I have to kill him. It is the only way they will be safe. It is a monumental, nearly impossible task, but I have no choice but to attempt it. If I wasn''t able to save them, then how am I going to save hundreds of thousands of my citizens from the undead and other enemies? "Hehe, the little Lord got angry, but what can little lord do?" he mocked as he raised his sword casually toward my attack. Clang! He defended easily against the rapier, breaking another of my bones, but I didn''t care and attacked with the dagger. Clang! He repelled my rapier with sheer force and defended against my dagger, but saw my rapier coming at him again. Clang Clang Clang! His sword moved with grace, and he defended my every attack when suddenly a surprise appeared on his face. He moved to dodge it, but my kick still hit the bastard. Sending him a step back. Clang! I tried to use this opportunity to attack when he moved forward with anger in his eyes. All the mirth and play had vanished. There is now only anger left in his eyes. Clang! I was barely able to defend the attack with my rapier and dagger, which sent me back a couple of steps, hitting the wall of the collapsed house. I thought he would use this opportunity to finish me off, but he didn''t. "You want to save them, right?" he asked, and a nasty smile appeared on his face. "Save them, then," he said and moved toward the woman and child. I pushed Blitz Steps hard and moved, but he had already appeared beside them and swung his sword while they watched in horror. "No!" I screamed as I released as I would be able to reach them in time. Some of my mages reacted but were quickly countered by heartless enemy mages. His sword kept moving closer and closer to the child. I pushed the Blitz Steps, harder than ever, and I felt its speed increasing, breaking fast at its limit, but that speed wasn''t enough. His sword had reached near the child''s neck, just a few inches away from it. I screamed in my heart as the helplessness filled it. If he killed them; I would not be able to live with myself. All the confidence I have will shatter into the pieces. Why it would not? When I couldn''t even protect a helpless woman and child, then how I am going to protect hundreds of thousands of people, I am responsible for protecting? I screamed in my heart in helplessness and pushed myself harder, while extending my sword, hoping it would reach there despite knowing it would not. Hun! That is when I felt something breaking out from deep within me. It flooded my body, before bursting out. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 451: Aura Chapter 451: Aura Orok "What is this?" I asked in alarm, as the feeling that suppressed the very soul of me washed over me. It''s a power I had never felt before but understood deep in my heart that it was stronger than any skill I have. It had stopped my company, which was moving to help those who asked for help. We have doing that since the battle begins. It''s a job that is assigned to us. "Aura!" said Rev. From Mr. Hugo''s mercenaries. "Someone awakened it?" asked Lt. Hasid, and he nodded. "Yes, I hope, it''s not the enemy," replied Rev with a heavy nod. "We should be able to know soon; it seemed to have originated from the direction we are moving," said Lt. Hasid. To that, I nodded. "Company move!" I ordered and moved, but stopped soon after when I realized some were not moving.ViiSiit for latest novels Some are shaking so much that they sat down. "Give them some time; it is not easy to bear the aura," advised Rev. The man is experienced, and I decided to listen to the suggestion and waited for a few seconds when I felt movement from the feeling. It seemed to be moving back to its source, and within a second, it disappeared completely. "Company move!" I ordered again and this time, people moved. We moved fast in a formation to deal with any attack that came at us. We got closer and closer, till we reached the battle; that made nearly everyone''s eyes widen, including mine. "Its Master Silver! He awakened the aura!" exclaimed Barb with joy as she looked at the battle. ... My enemy froze as that feeling burst out of me. It took me a moment for me to realize what this feeling was. As I did, my eyes widened. If not for feeling every part of it; I wouldn''t have believed it either. It''s aura. I had awakened it in my moment of desperation. If it had any other moment, I would hop in joy, but now there is not a hint of joy in my heart, only the rage. I looked at the frozen energy and swung my rapier toward him, not caring about the pain, feeling in every fiber of my hands. He had frozen under the power of aura, but self-preservation and experience made him react quickly. Clang! He defended before taking a step back. His expression recovered, but deep shock remained in his eyes. I looked at mother and child. It made me relieved to see them covered in dusky light. The priest had reacted quickly, sending the spell to heal their injuries. The enemies'' mages reacted quickly when the priest tried to target me. Stopping the healing spell from reaching me. It would have been a manageable problem if the priest had experienced it, but he hadn''t. It''s his second battle, with yesterday''s one being his first. I turned to the enemy, still shaking, when the aura began to return to me. It took a second for it to return to my body. "A..aura, you awakened it," he said with a shaking voice. As if I could not believe that I had awakened the aura. "It didn''t matter. You have just awakened it; you have no control over it," he said, more to reassure himself than to threaten me. His expression recovered with those words, and he came at me, with him being faster and stronger than before. Earlier he was playing around, now he is using every bit of his power to kill me. If I had been to a place, I would have done the same. Those who awakened the aura become really dangerous. Injuring a Lv. 30+ powerhouse. "See that blood coming out of the wound? It is just a starting, soon, it will come out from every wound of your body," I said and attacked him again. Clang! This time, he defended. "What the fuck are doing standing like a fool? Come and help me!" shouted the man to the armored orc, who was not far away from us. The orc hesitated, and faint hesitation appeared in my eyes seeing him coming, when I saw something coming from behind. Orok came running from behind at amazing speed and swung his ax toward the armored orc wildly with incredible momentum. Clang! His ax hit hard against the other orc''s shield, sending back a couple of steps. He didn''t give the enemy a chance and swung his ax at him before the other orc even stabilized from his attack. This young man is incredible. Stone had praised him like no other and those words had rung true in the battle yesterday, when he killed a Lv. 30. "See, there won''t be any reinforcement for you. You are alone and you will die. This is an undeniable fact," I said and attacked again. Rip! Another cut appeared in his arm, but it was small. The bastard dodged the attack on time. I have to kill him quickly as I feel the aura slipping through my fingers. I am having a hard time controlling it; a minute at most, before it will go back to my body. "Give up," I said and attacked again. Clang! He defended by looking at me with fear and panic, but there was also an unwillingness to die. "I will not!" It roared and attacked while taking a step toward me. His attack is fast and powerful, and I want to dodge it. "You will!" I roared back and attacked while pushing as much as my aura at him. Clang! Our swords clashed, and I felt pain. That made me cry. It put a smile on the man''s face, but a moment later, an alarm appeared as he tried to take a step back. Puch! He was slow as my dagger, on the other hand, reached him and pierced through his neck. I had kept him focused on my sword and rapier, that he forgot about the dagger, I held in my other hand. He opened his mouth, but instead of words, blood came out of it. Pachac! I removed the dagger and blood from his sprayed on my hand, but I didn''t care. Instead, I slashed the dagger at him again, decapitating him. Destroying all the chances of survival of a monster like him. Some of the blood spread on me, but I didn''t care. I looked at Captain Orok, who had killed the enemy in four attacks, before turning to the woman. Only to see Barb taking her to the side. She had fed them a potion and bandaged their wounds. I took out the potion and drank it. Immediately, I felt it working on my injuries. I took out another potion and drank it. I felt my stamina recovering, but the tiredness remained. Likely because of aura. It couldn''t be recovered by any potion or spell. Only the rest could help in recovering it. I sat down on pieces of broken wall my men dealt with the enemy. Many had started to surrender, which we accepted, but not without precaution. "Congratulations on awakening the aura, Master Silver," said Barb as she appeared in front of me. "Thank you, Barb," I replied tiredly, before getting up. The battle is yet to be won. I cannot rest until we do. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 452: Survive I Chapter 452: Survive I Glass Clang! "Do you know who awakened the aura?" asked Wayne and attacked me with flaming lances. I shook my hand as I defended the attacks with the flame shield before moving to attack him. It seemed like an actual attack, like his attack earlier, but it''s not. Though I am still careful of the bastard. The surrender could be a plot. Though it seemed less likely, given the information he had provided had been true so far. That doesn''t mean we could trust him explicitly. We could never trust me. Though we could be relieved after, we have him in our custody. The bastard had declined to surrender unless we won this battle. Till then, I will have mock-fight him, which is a kind of frustrating. I wanted to take part in a real battle, but here, I am babysitting this bastard, whom I can not defeat. I have made a good advancement in the half year and even got new spells. Courtesy of Remus, but it is still not enough to deal with this bastard. He is not only higher leveled but also more experienced and has a greater collection of spells. Since both of us are the blade mages of the same element. It became much more difficult for me to stand against him. I would be hard pressed if he moved to kill him. Val had fought with him before and praised him to a tough enemy, that she cannot fight alone. She needed to work with Paladin Carr to effectively deal against him. "I wonder who it is? It must be a bastard with the tough will," he commented, defending against my attacks. The aura is said to be a manifestation of will. Only those of the strong will awaken it. I could see longing in his eyes; the same one was present in mine. Aura is an amazing thing; I have seen the aura masters do terrifying things. The warriors who usually see us mages become capable of fighting against us. Us mages benefit no less, especially the blade mages like us. Which I think are the best users of aura, who could augment our spells as well as our blades with it. He isn''t the only one having that question. I too thinking about the person who had awakened the aura. "I hope, it''s not Rynra or all of us are dead," he said, shuddering. I had read the information about her. She was a powerful dark spell blade. She will become even more dangerous if she awakens the aura. I am not her match; I don''t know if I will be able to fight against her, even if I work with Val. I sighed internally as her beautiful place came into my mind. Ever since that incident, we have been living apart. It is hard; I love her, but can''t live with the love of my life. We still go on date and most of the dates are in legacy. It helps to have a master of it as a friend. Thanks to Val, I have an open reservation in the legacy. I could get a table in restaurants any time I wanted and the same with the spa, to which I had become a kind of addicted. However, for the most exclusive top floor, I have to inform Madam Caena, a few days before. Val didn''t even need to do that. If there isn''t a table available for her, they will add it. Suddenly, all the hair on my body stood up, and I activated the method without a thought. The next second, the defensive method covered me. Bang Bang Bang! The thick tendrils with sharp ends struck against the defensive method hard, before he came across her blade, covered in thick fire. Bang! It hit hard enough to make cracks appear on the shield. I sighed internally, seeing that. The woman is too powerful, and it was a wise decision, to fight against her defensively. I might have gone offensive if she didn''t have a tap of mana in the form of the undeads. If we were fighting far away from them, I would have attacked her as she is attacking me. I cut the energy for the defensive method right after her attack to save it as much as I could and attacked her. Clang "So, you do know how to attack," she said with a smile. Though it''s without a mirth; all there is an anger. So, much of it, I am impressed that she is able to control it well; I wouldn''t have been able to if I had been at her place. I didn''t say anything to that and just watched her. It would be hard for me to kill her. I am looking for the chance every second, but I know very well, it is unlikely that I will get it. It is why I am keeping her here. It''s my only job in the battle; the rest would be handled by my people. I have to trust them to do the job without me and till now; they haven''t disappointed me at all. Still, the battle is far from over. There are many powerful people in the enemy''s army that could change the fate of the battle. Including Wayne; It''s why I sent Glass to handle him. She will not be able to defeat him, but she will be able to keep him contained. Thankfully, we have defeated the third most powerful enemy. Osward and Jon did a good job finishing him despite the appearance of the traitor. Currently, only one traitor appeared from the ranks of Lv. 30, but I had asked others to be careful. Seconds passed, and nobody moved when suddenly she turned into a puff of smoke and all the hair on my body stood up and I turned. There was nothing, but I swung my sword with everything, I had. Clang! My sword clashed: at the same time, I felt file tens of nails buried in my heart. It''s her first mental attack on me and it''s powerful enough to shake my soul and bring the tears out of my eyes. That is, after my elder-blood defenses whittled away quite a lot of its power. It''s a powerful attack. The most powerful mental attack I had expected from Lv. 30, but I had survived worse. The most terrifying had been an attack by Great Mage Lich''s area wide attack. It had made me fall to my knees and had blood run out of all my orifices. I really thought I would die. Many levels above me died, but I somehow survived It was at that battle; I reached Lv. 20. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 453: Survive II Chapter 453: Survive II Rynra Throne ''Piece by piece, they are taking my horde,'' I thought as I looked at things getting worse from bad. It didn''t happen suddenly, it was slow, and it''s why, I failed to notice it. Especially when many of my powerhouses surrendered instead of getting killed. Such things happened much less in a direct battle because of pressure and support. Here, every unit is independent, and I couldn''t direct them unless I break my skill. I need to do something quickly, and there is only one thing I can do, and that is to kill the elder blood. It''s the only way, I could win this battle, but it''s far from easy. I had been using my most powerful spells on the bastard, but he was defending against all. If one looked at him, light now; they would see he was near defeat with his body burned and blackened and him not using over a certain amount of energy. He is in such a state for over half an hour. Earlier, I had mistakenly thought, he was close to defeat, but he was able to defend against my every spell. That doesn''t mean, he couldn''t be defeated. He will be defeated; I will defeat him. With that thought, I cast my strongest spell. Ivory Reaver. I cast, and immediately a layer of bones covered my sword. The spell looks like a regular Grade I Bone Cover, but it is not. It is not flashy like many of my attacks, but it is powerful and lasts long. I moved toward him with speed skills and activated Mass of Hammer and Suppressing Blade. It was already a powerful attack, and it became even more powerful with enhancements from the skills. I have full confidence if the elder-blood had used his square defensive method. My Blade would be able to cleave through it. The Elder Blood seemed to have sensed the power of my attack as his expression turned heavy. He brought out bronze energy and covered his halberd with it. The energy he had brought was greater than he had in the past hour. He understood the power of the attack, but that didn''t mean he would be able to defend against it, even with more elder energy. Clang! My sword clashed against his halberd, and his eyes went wide. A moment later, blood came out of his mouth, and he started to take a step back. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, and I moved forward with all the speed Knight''s Blitz could provide me and even cast Haste to make myself fast. I need to be fast and quick. He reacted fast despite moving back and brought his halberd forward in defense. Clang! My sword clashed against his halberd, sending him back again with more blood coming out of his mouth. I moved for another attack and even cast Diasas''s Lightning on my sword. It is hard to cast, two powerful spells together. Also, have skills and spells like Haste and Mana Harvest active. Clang! He defended again, with lightning covering my sword, moving to his halberd before covering his body. The bronze energy came energy and resisted, but not fully as lightning began to attack him while he took a step back. Clang! I didn''t stop even for a moment, and once again cast Diasas''s Lightning. The elder blood power in my blood is resisting hard. It is the reason I am still standing, when all the energy, I had been spent. This woman had turned out to be more powerful than the intelligence about her had stated. I had seen many of the people of order fight but on her level. She is the best. The spells she has, and the way she melds them with skills and forges them in her combat style, are truly amazing. I fear such enemies from the bottom of my heart. It was really smart to be cautious against her. It had helped me survive this long, but surviving further is in doubt. My elder blood is resisting, but it has put it under a heavy strain and even burning it. Forcing it to harness more power from deep within it. Still, not every drop of elder blood is bringing out the power from deep within them. Some couldn''t. Those are getting burned like my skin had. Clang! I defended another of her attacks, and more dark lightning covered me when still from the earlier spell covering. I screamed louder, while the faint blood fog covering me became denser. It is blood that is burning. I am in extreme pain, and my very blood is burning. Giving me such weakness that I wanted to let go, but I could not. My men are trusting me with their lives; the people of the city are waiting to be rescued. As I thought of reasons, the face of the woman appeared in front of me. She is the greatest reason, I can not die. So, I bore her attack even when she burned every part of me from hairs to nailed skin to my very blood. I kept fighting her. Seconds passed and anger in her eyes. She used that in her attack, channeling it to strengthen her attacks, but never letting it out of her control. Clang! I defended once again, and lightning covered me. Going even deeper, reaching to my very bones. I could see it was affecting them, while the elder power present in them fought back. It is fighting back, but a lot of it is burning. Only those who kept harnessing more and more power are alive. I am alive right now, but won''t be forever. I don''t have to survive forever; I need to last longer than her. The way, she is using the spells, she won''t be able to last long. "You are the most frustrating enemy I have ever fought. It will be a big milestone to kill you!" she said and launched another attack. I defended while vomiting the blood, which burned away by lightning. Like the blood coming out of my orifices are burning. The more blood came out, the weaker, I was getting, but I was fighting. There is no other choice than that. Giving up means death and I don''t want to die. If it had been a few months ago, I might have, but not now. I will not die. I will survive. I have survived far, worse, and I will survive this too, no matter what happens. Hun! Seconds passed, and her attacks kept coming when suddenly a frown appeared on her face. I had also noticed it, and it brought a small smile to my face. ''I might be able to survive,'' I thought, but a second later, that smile vanished. I turned to the enemy with fear as she attacked me with her most powerful attack yet. It feels so powerful, I fear it might be the attack, that finishes me off. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 454: Skill Broken Chapter 454: Skill Broken Rynra Thorn ''They are coming,'' I thought, sensing two mages, a warrior, a shaman, and an assassin coming toward me. It is a combination, that I don''t want to deal with. Especially when there is elder blood in the mix. It could make things really dangerous for me. With the speed they are coming, I have a minute and a half at most. If I killed him, I would engage against them. It will be challenging to kill them with my reserves, but I will manage. I will also break the skill. The whole reason for it is to stop him from commanding the army. Once he is dead, I will be able to deal with the enemy, even with the diminished force. I looked at giant blood, burned with every inch of his life. There is not a single part of his body, that isn''t burned by the lightning. Others in his place would have died, by a sheer amount of necrotic power in lightning alone. He is standing, even when his very blood is burning. I could see the crimson steam coming out of him as lightning ravaged his body. I plan to do what I have never done before to kill him. It is not something I had before, but I need to try it. It is the only way, I might be able to kill him. So, I cast the spells; it is not a unique spell. I had been using it against him, but this time, I am casting it in higher quantity. Diasas''s Lightning X 4 I cast Diasas''s Lightning one after another, with each cast covering me with more and more lightning. It is not a common Grade IV spell. Which I could easily cast, over five times in sleep, but one of the most powerful spells I have in my arsenal. By the time of the fourth cast, the blood had started to come out of my orifices because of the sheer pressure. It also drained me of mana. I do not mind it as I did better than I had thought. The pressure always pushes me further. It is why, I want to return to the island and take part in battles of the conquest rather than stay in this wasteland. The four cast was beyond my imagination. I didn''t think I would be able to cast over three, seeing there are spells and skills active, but I did it four times. This will increase the power of spells tremendously, as he will feel the power of the four spells together. I couldn''t help, but feel proud of this moment, and sure, the energy will die. It is a big thing for me; something that will earn me a level. If I kill him and win the battle. Getting two levels would be set in stone. Not to mention the prestige. I will be able to go back to the island. "Die!" I roared as I swung my sword at the elder- blood with everything I had. He moved his halberd forward defensively, as he did hundreds of times. One would not expect anyone in his condition to move, much less fight, but his halberd moved as fast as before as if he was suffering no injuries. Clang! My sword clashed against his halberd and all the lightning covering me went to him. It had covered him so fully, that he couldn''t even be seen in it. ... Stone "Ahhhhhhhhhh...." I screamed as I had never done. Dark lightning had covered every part of me; it was so dense, that I could see anything. It is drilling inside me; a bolt had even come into my mouth and singed. Making my screams go hoars. I had never thought I would experience something like this. Something that will burn my very blood. Even the drops of elder blood that harvest the power are burning. Very few of them are resisting this lightning, which has begun to hit bones and internal organs. If there wasn''t elder blood. I wouldn''t have been able to bear it, but this attack had brought even that elder blood to the limit. I wanted to let it all go, but I didn''t. I have to survive only for a minute; they will be here soon. I will be keeping an eye on elder blood. If I sensed he was dead or out of fighting; I would launch my last offensive. There is a still good chance, that will be able to win the battle. ... Stone "Stone!" I heard my dearest friend''s voice as he appeared beside me. "Don''t touch me," I warned hoarsely, as the lighting was still moving around me. "I am going to kill that bitch!" said Jon, with deep anger in his eyes. "Don''t, you are not her match. Even in her weakened state, she can kill you in a minute," I said. I want to do nothing more than to kill her, but I know, how powerful she is. Even when she is drained. She can kill them. As I waited for mages to arrive, I started to command the army. She had broken her skill, which meant the communication skills and spells could be used again. The first thing, I did was evacuate the forces from the southern gate. She will not retreat. Half of her horde is still standing, but I want to keep the door of retreat open for her. I want nothing more than to kill her, but it''s not possible. It is wise to let her have a chance to retreat, but to make that happen, I need to show her, that she can not win. She can not wait till the reinforcement arrives. I will kill her horde, her powerhouses till she will have no choice but to retreat. She understood that too and commanded her horde, while I had responded, commanding mine in kind. Unlike before, we have an advantage now and I will exploit it to the fullest. "Stone," said Shaun as he arrived with the Osward and rest. "Jon, Osward, move east. Shaun, Kruabu go south, but stay clear of Rynra," I ordered while they watched in shock. "Shaman, Kremi, I hope you deal with this bloody lightning," I said to the man before turning four. "What are you all waiting for? Go!" I snapped. They were hesitant for a second before moving. Acting fast is important; I need to strike her weakness as fast as I can when I have a chance. There were still undead around me fighting, but my men could handle them. A few seconds passed and Shaman Oris threw purple powder with herbs mix on me. immediately, I felt it having the effects, while casting more shamanic spells on me. It is his area of expertise. It is a good thing; I had brought him here. His spells begin to rapidly eat away the powerful lightning. Not only the one, that covered me outside, but also the one harming me inside. At the end of the minute, all the lightning disappeared. "Thank you, shaman," I said to the man gratefully, before I took out a small pouch, hidden under my armor. It was painful to remove as the leather stuck to the skin, but I ranked it out and was relieved to see that the bottles were safe especially the green ones. It is the only bottle of Grade IV essence healing potion we have in the city. It was one of the rewards, Lord Silver had got as the host of new legacy. There are Grade III essence healing potions in a pouch, but I need to heal my injuries fast, and seeing how grave they are, Grave IV is the best option. A wrong move and the enemy will gain the chance to win, and I cannot let that happen. I took it out and opened it, before taking a sip of it and then another after some thought. Immediately, I felt turning it into a flood of energy and spread through my body. Healing my injuries at a visible speed. Within a second, charred skin began to fall down, and new pink flesh started to start to appear. The same is happening internally the damage to bones and internal organs healing. As it heals, I begin to feel the heavy tiredness. It is not healing tiredness but from the elder blood. It is compelling me to sleep. I resisted and took a Grade III essence stamina potion and drank it all. Minutes passed before, and finally, the power of potions disappeared. On the surface, I seemed healed. The only sign there about my injury is the loss of my hair on my body and the paleness of my skin. I am healed, but also not healed. I don''t know whether I will be able to recover from it. Nor do I have the energy to care right now. The only thing, I currently care about is the battle that I have to win. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 455: Retreat Chapter 455: Retreat Stone Thud! I landed on the roof of the house, which is in front of the gates of the city, on which Rynra is standing. I didn''t move any further. I just stood there, watching her, despite every part of me wanting me to sleep. The compulsion is so heavy, that I would fall a speed standing if I kept my eyes open for more than a second. Her horde is around me, but so are my people. If they move toward me, my people will stop them. The only person who could stop me and that Rynra Throne. Also, Wayne, but currently, he did truly seem to break off with the undead. I hope she didn''t attack. My injuries may look healed, and they are in common sense, but I am not capable of fighting her. Her conditions aren''t that good either. She is completely drained of her reserves, and she has used that spell to the limit, absorbing mana from the undead. This means now, unless she drinks a mana potion of emotion essence, she will not be able to fill her reserve. She likely won''t do that. The potion of emotion essence is rare even for her and powerhouses drink it only when their life is in danger. It is a thing that could help them cheat death. Here, her life isn''t in danger, but if she uses that potion, she might have time to get her hands on things that produce key ingredients for that potion. So, it is hard to predict what she will do, and her expressions didn''t make it easy to see that. I also kept my expressions unreadable and looked directly at her with the halberd in my hand while my army fought against the horde. The armies are now concentrated on the southern side, both horde and my army moved the battle here. She had a good plan. Cutting communication, hiding the undead in houses and sewers. I don''t want to say it, but if not for Wayne, we wouldn''t have been able to do so well. We might have lost the battle. It was the information provided by Wayne, that had helped us. Still, it didn''t seem to be enough to make her retreat. She is still fighting with us. It''s why it''s important to tell her, that she won''t win this battle. No matter what she does. Minutes passed, and sides were fighting, with people being killed every minute. A lot of people died already, not just soldiers, but also officers. Even the powerhouses of Lv. 30+ aren''t spared. A smile appeared on my face suddenly, while her expression turned bad. A level 30+ died, and it had been killed by none other than Orok. The young man is really good, despite his state and difference in level, he is killing them. He is heavily injured, but the priest is helping him as he kills the enemies. It was a wise decision to give his team a healer. I was not sure about the decision, seeing the few priests we have. We had an advantage in the battle, and the death of every enemy powerhouse increased that advantage further. I have divided powerhouses as such, that, it is harder to kill them. Setting them to fight against the enemies, that they could kill. The traitor had not only detected. He is now attacking the people that used to be on his side. He had just killed a Lv. 30 warrior. Something, I had not thought he would not dare to do. By doing it, he had crossed all the lines. The undead kingdom would not leave him alive. "Retreat!" I commanded. There is no other choice than to do this. The traitorous bastard joining the enemy, immediately made things dangerous. Not only for the horde but also for me. He is the only person aside from elder-blood, that could survive against me. Unlike elder blood, who will fight and survive. This bastard will run and survive. Though if he joined elder-blood. Things could turn tricky for me. The horde began to come toward me and the elder-blood did the smart thing I had expected. He made his army stop attacking, giving the horde a clear road to retreat. Shame filled my heart for calling a retreat, but I had no choice. Though I have good reason to blame someone, and I am going to do it. The moment I got out, of this communication, a blockade covered the city. It is not strong, I could break it, but I rather not waste mana on it. I will need it. Since I planned to return very soon. .... Stone "I will be returning very soon, elder-blood," Her declaration rang through the city before she humped from the gate. Her horde had already got out of the city, and she was the last one and that threat was very real. She could return to the city in a few hours with the new horde coming and I will have to make sure, to them see that it will be a futile attempt. Till then, I am not allowed to sleep. I hope I will be able to hold it back. The compulsion from the elder blood is getting stronger by the minute, but I will resist it. I have to resist it for the Lord, the city, my men, and especially for her. "I asked them to come and also this is the latest intelligence," said Jon as he appeared beside me. I had sent him out of the city toward the mages we kept outside of the communication blockade. Something, I don''t want to remove, for at least an hour more. The first is to call our people. The healers, priests, administrators along with other people. We had brought them, but they were behind. They couldn''t fight and bringing them wasn''t wise. We had kept back, but now we defeated the undead. We need them. Especially healers. There are a lot of injured people; some are in serious condition. We are stabilizing their conditions with healers and potions we have, but we need them as, unlike the healers in the city. They are not tired and would be able to save a lot of lives. I turned to intelligence and except for one thing, everything else was within the expectation. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 456: Offer Chapter 456: Offer ¡°It was unexpected,¡± I said as I read the intelligence. That bastard at Ashton Harbor is still fighting the undead. I thought that battle would end by now, but it won¡¯t be seeing how things are going. ¡°Unexpected, but the best news we could hope for,¡± replied Stone. To that, I couldn¡¯t help, but nod. It is an enormous risk we have taken attacking the city and even now we are not out of danger. The hordes are still moving. If the undead horde, that attacking the Port Midlet, had joined it. Things could get worse. We might not even be able to handle, the joining of the three groups. The fourth one is as big as three, and right now would spell danger, we have no ability to handle. If that happens. We will have no choice but to retreat. There is also another problem and some even say, the thing I should be worried about. The attack on my own city. Deerponds forces would reach the city in a few hours. I am worried, but not as much as I should be, despite knowing that anything happens in the battle. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked Stone. I heard he had been heavily injured. He still is. He is showing the people he is fine. This is good because our enemies need to have the same perception. ¡°Tired, but I will manage,¡± he replied before a small smile appeared on his face. ¡°Congratulations my lord. Very few people across the years had awakened an aura so young,¡± he congratulated. Yes, I look young, but I am old. Not that old, it is at that age that the talented awaken the aura. There is one person, I know, who had awakened the aura when she was even younger than me. ¡°It still feels like a dream,¡± I said while looking down at the steps. I am sitting on the steps of the city hall; one of the few places they didn¡¯t fuck up. Looking at the state of the city. It¡¯s clear, they didn¡¯t care for it. Nearly all the essential services, like food, water, and medicine, are out. People struggled for them. It¡¯s so different from the island, where they would properly manage the conquered territories. ¡°What do you think, they have come here for?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not for conquering, that¡¯s for sure,¡± he replied. It makes things difficult for us. If they didn¡¯t want to conquer, they wouldn¡¯t have to lay waste to the city. They are already doing that, by not properly caring for the cities, they have captured. I heard the sound behind me and turned. ¡°We had inspected thoroughly, my lord. There is no danger inside.¡± Informed Major Das. ¡°Thank you, Major,¡± I replied but didn¡¯t go inside and turned to Stone. ¡°Will hordes attack?¡± I asked. To that, he sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but if they attack, we will be ready to face them,¡± he replied. We have already made preparations. We had put over twenty thousand people to sleep. When most of them wake up. They will be higher leveled, than when they were before sleeping. There are other preparations that are going on, like fixing the wall and creating other defenses that will help us fight against the undead. Let them come. We will face them with greater fury. Even if our numbers are less than before. This time, we have an advantage; we have a city in our control. For minutes, nobody spoke, before his expressions changed and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°They have arrived,¡± I had guessed it even before he spoke, but I was relieved to hear that. It used to be a merchant guild, but now it is a makeshift hospital. There is a crowd. We have already sent patients inside, but soldiers are bringing the stuff inside. Like beds and other things for the injured. We brought the priests, healers, doctors, potions, and tools, but we couldn¡¯t bring the stuff like beds. We are arranging that here. The city used to have hospitals, but all of them were shut. We are using the buildings that could be used and scavenging everything else from that we couldn¡¯t. If the city becomes ours. I will send everything that, it requires from the Greltheaven. I walked through it and talked to injured and healers. I have spotted many familiar people. Including Francesca, who is assisting in healing. Carla had poached her from Norman and her luck was so good, that next day. The establishment ascended to the legacy. It was quite a surprise to me, that this woman chose to be a healer, rather than a madam of the legacy. Caena had offered her job to be a flood reader, but this woman declined to practice the healing arts. I didn¡¯t interfere with it and instead provided all the help. I need healers, and this woman could be trusted. A few minutes later, I checked another hospital and then another and another. There are a lot of people injured with many dying. We have suffered the second-worst casualties in this battle. Right behind that of the first battle. When I finished with the last, I rode toward the wall. ¡®Its condition had become even worse,¡¯ I said, looking at the wall. It will be a thing, that I will be fixing first. We already started filling it with quick cement. It is a temporary solution. In a few days, we will bring the experts to fix the wall. I climbed the wall and appeared beside the stone. He is looking at soldiers laying down the mines. It is a good thing we had brought them. I just wished we had brought them in a greater number than we had, but they were all we could bring. ¡°It will be finished by the time the undead came,¡± he said. Currently, the horde is still coming. They are less than two and a half hours away from us. ¡°Good,¡± I said and turned to cannons. We didn¡¯t use it despite pointing them toward the city earlier. It was just for intimidation, but we ordered them to use them as if there was a chance. There wasn¡¯t. The bastards moved around the houses. Never coming out in the open. ¡°There is a message from the undead. From Necromancer Irtis,¡± informed Shaun. Saying, I am surprised would be a statement. ¡°What does he want?¡± I asked. Irtis is a necromancer, who leading the horde. ¡°What does he want?¡± I asked, and a faint uncertainty appeared in his voice. ¡°He said, he will pull back his horde as long as we hand over those who had surrendered and captured. Especially Wayne,¡± he replied. I looked at Stone before turning to Shaun. ¡°Tell him to come and bring his horde. We are ready to face him,¡± I said. We are not going to hand over the prisoners and those who surrendered. Especially not Wayne. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 457: Relief and Worries Chapter 457: Relief and Worries Rynra "Apologies Dame Rynra, but I can''t do it. I have to follow the orders," said the bloody man in front of me. His tone was respectful, but I could see the hidden contempt in his eyes. This bastard should have been there; he wouldn''t have survived. They had killed Yegson; he had the same strength as him. At least Yegson had guts. This little bustard didn''t even have that. He is a complete coward. Still, I didn''t show that on my face and kept my expression and voice calm. "Once a horde from Norke merges with us. We will have enough numbers and experts to launch a powerful attack against the enemies," "They are tired and lost a lot of their numbers. They won''t be able to fight us; it will be an easy victory," I said and contempt in his eyes deepened. My hands moved toward my sword, but stopped halfway. Fear appeared in his eyes and even staff lit up. A moment later, embarrassment appeared on his face, and he cut off the spell, he was casting. A smile appeared on my face seeing. I have recovered quite a bit of mana, which would be enough to kill this bastard if I wanted to. "Dame Rynra, I am just following the orders. If you want me to lead my horde to Panar, then I will need an order from Ashton Harbor," he said, voice more polite than before. It also slammed all the doors. At least temporarily. It''s not like, I didn''t try to contact the higher-ups. I did, many times, but they didn''t respond after the first call. Their intention is obvious. They don''t want to attack Panar. At least not now, before the battle at Port Midlet ends. Still, I tried with this man, if he was willing to bend the rules, but he didn''t have that much of a spine. Instead, he contacted the enemy and tried to be a hero by getting the prisoners and traitors, but failed spectacularly, when the enemy asked him to come to fight. Which instead of making him angry, had made the coward more cautious. "I will be in my carriage," I said and walked away. The horde had turned. It is returning to Almin instead of attacking Panar. I wish they listen to me. I am confident of the victory if we attack them with the force we have, but unfortunately, they are not willing to listen to me. Though it''s not over yet. ... Owlspring "Didn''t, I tell you, he will conquer, Panar," said the Lord of Owlspring to the old man in front of him. "Yes, he did, but I am concerned about the other thing," said the old man. "Aura, you mean?" asked the Lord of Owlspring, and the man''s expression turned serious. "What do our sources say? Is it true, my lord?" asked the old man. "Everyone inside had sensed it, including our person hiding in the city," replied the lord of Owlspring, confirming the intelligence he had received. "Awakening an aura for twenty years. He would be trouble for us if the empire was able to get itself out of this trouble," said the old man. Lord of Olwrping smiled. "I think the opposite because the empire is gone. It will never be what it was," said the lord of Owlspring and smiled. A smile is full of secrets. Thud! A few minutes later, I dismounted in front of the city hall and walked toward it. This city hall is big, bigger than the one in Greltheaven, and also old. Over a thousand years old; it survived, the empire''s attack and countless undead scourges of Navr. It is the only city hall. In all the cities of the region that had survived for more than a thousand years, where many city halls have been destroyed and rebuilt. The former governor may have spent little on anything, but he spent good money on the city hall. Not only did he repair the damages, but also renovated it. So, when I walked inside. I saw it as a completely different thing than the rest of the city. It is clean, without a speck of dust, and walls laden with art pieces on beautifully painted walls This man had good taste, unlike Count Darrow. The bastard was only attracted to ostentatious things. Soon, I reached the office of governor, which will act as my office, before I appoint the governor. Then this office will be theirs. The guards bowed and opened the door for me. "Master Silver," she greeted and bowed. I nodded and sat down. "How bad are things?" I asked directly. There is no need to sugarcoat this question. "Very," she replied simply. "Water, sanitation, health, food, waste management, and everything is down. The people here are not even living, they are barely surviving," she spat. There is great anger in her eyes. Even I am angry at seeing the state of the city and its people. "Any money?" I asked. "Surprisingly, yes. It is a share of Yegson and what he looted from people, before turning them into the undead," she replied, holding the anger in her eyes. "How much?" I asked, and she opened the file in front of me and pointed at the number written in big bold letters. I have to say, it''s not a small number at all. It is far from enough to deal with the city''s problems, but it is big enough. That we could start, with it. A lot of it would be needed to do, and the first thing would be starting those services. It wouldn''t be cheap, and I would need to bring a lot of people from the Greltheaven to aid with that. Including the police, who will be responsible for the security. I could send a few hundred of them here, without compromising the security of the Greltheaven. The first batch of police is graduating in a week. They are the first that have been formally trained as police officers. Some talented ones had even got the classes. "Grill everything from officials and ask our people to look at things with their own eyes. I need a detailed report of things by tomorrow," I ordered. "It will be done, my lord," she replied. I nodded and turned to the file. It is short, which isn''t surprising, given she didn''t have any time. She was able to gather this much in a such time is a testament to her abilities. Still, my expressions couldn''t help but turn bad as I read through it. The little bit of joy, I had about the money had vanished immediately after reading the information in the file. If I didn''t retreat from the city, I would need to spend a lot of money on it. Seeing that, I almost started to wish, that the undead attack us with a big horde and make us retreat from the city. A minute later, I closed the file and shut my eyes, thinking. "Lord Silver, the enemies have reached the city," informed Shaun, making me open my eyes. "Finally," I said, with a smile appearing on his face. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 458: Enemy Attacks Chapter 458: Enemy Attacks Cardin "There is a clear order from the Lord Silver. Teach the enemy such a lesson, that they would never dare to attack us again," I said to the army of thirty thousand in front of me. Twenty thousand were our own forces, while fifteen thousand were the volunteers. We have no plan to use them. It is just for the intimidation. We have an army of around fifty-five thousand. We had used the fifty-thousands of them in the yesterday''s battle. Five thousand were hidden. It is the most we can hide without letting our enemies know about them. It''s very hard to hide the actual army, especially the places like the cities. Which are filled with the spies. Why did we hide it? It is always good to hide our strength. Even if it is a little. Still, we could have used them yesterday. If we needed them, but didn''t, given the type of strategy we were using; fifty thousand was a perfect number. "Lord Silver had achieved the victory in the Panar, and we will do the same here," I shouted. I didn''t have to with a Loud Voice, but sometimes, you can only express emotions through loudness. Thud Thud Thud! The army begins to hit their legs hard on the ground. The enemy is only ten minutes away, and we will be ready for them. We were ready now; the only thing had remained was shaman spells. The shamans are casting them around the army right now. These spells are quite useful. Their effects are not as pronounced as skills and spells, but they are terrifying with enough preparation. Lord Silver had paid a lot of prices for those resources they were using for the spells. I know it because I am responsible for the acquisition and logistics. It''s why I know we are going to win this battle. Those bastards will regret coming here to attack us. Minutes passed, and the shamans finished with spells. "On your places," I ordered, and the army moved toward their assigned place. In a minute, the entire area becomes empty. I turned and looked out of the city. I could enemy with Far Eyes. I could even see them with the naked eye. Every second they got closer and closer till they were only a mile away from us. It is when they stopped. A few seconds later, a young man in his early twenties came forward with a milk-white horse. Behind him were Ronda and his son, with the protection of twelve mages and warriors behind. They stopped two hundred meters distance from their army and turned to me. "Commander Cardin, surrender. It will save your men from needless death and the city from unnecessary damage," "If you surrender, I promise you, I will not harm any of your men or citizens. We would peacefully occupy the city without a drop of blood." "But if you resist us, I promise you, I will make trollmouth turn red with the blood of your men," said the young man. Hearing it smile couldn''t help, but appear on my face. It''s not just me, Colonel Hiren and Mage Valentina beside me had also smiled. Her laugh wasn''t quiet. She is quite loud; it has made the young man angry. "Greenhorn, who never seen a war, talking about blood?" I asked with a chuckle. They got angry but turned alert the next moment as I raised my hand. Immediately, the mages reacted, and the shields appeared around them, covering them from all sides. "Attack!" I ordered. This time, the enemy reacted fast. Though they were able to slow the army. Which is good enough; it will give cannons more time against the enemy. Making them, use more of their mana in dealing against them. Minutes passed, and soon the army had reached the wall. "Cardin, you have made a grave mistake by resisting us. You will pay for this with your life!" raged Ronda from below, but I responded with a chuckle. BANG! Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out. The ground below one siege engine exploded. Shattering it to pieces, while sending tens of soldiers and a few mages flying. Most of them above the explosion died. Only the mages who reacted in time survived, but most went out of commission. They won''t be fighting this battle anymore. I looked at High Mage Valentina; she is really something. Her control over the spell is unmatched. I have never seen a mage of her age with such control over her spells. There had been enemy Earthmages scanning every inch of the ground, but they were still not able to able to detect the mine, she had been hiding with her spell. Unfortunately, she could do this with only one mine. She had even said, the chances of success are less than 20%. Enemy mages could have detected and dealt with it, but they didn''t, and we succeeded in blowing one of their siege towers. It didn''t matter if she won''t be able to do it again. The blast had to create a magnificent scene of destruction. It will affect the morale of the enemy when the news of alchfire is still fresh. It didn''t stop the energy, and they continued moving toward us. They may have decided to attack in a short time, but they have come prepared, and I could see a good number of powerhouses. So, it is only wise, we would bring out our own powerhouses as well. The biggest surprise that Lord Silver had prepared for the enemies, that might attack the city in his absence. "Come out, you all," I ordered and immediately. Immediately, nearly a hundred people wearing mercenary clothes stepped forward. There are all sorts of people here, warriors, mages, rogues, and others. They are night seven people, made of eight mercenary teams. In them are nineteen are Lv. 30+ powerhouses, while the rest are Lv. 20+. All of them experience battles like this. It costs a lot to hire them. I had opposed the decision to hire them. Especially when our purpose is to use them when the army leaves the city. It''s not a good idea to have so many foreign mercenaries without an effective force to control them, but now I am glad they are here. Ronda seemed to have sensed them, and his eyes moved up. A shock is apparent in his eyes. In the second, the balance of powerhouses becomes nearly equal in powerhouses and, since we are defending from the wall, we have the advantage. As the mercenaries came out, they began the attacks. The mages fired the spells, while the archers released the arrows. One was even able to snipe the mage. Piercing the arrow through the head, killing him in a single attack. Thud Thud Thud! A minute and a half passed, and the siege towers had finally crashed into the wall. It''s time for the actual battle to begin. I am slightly disappointed that it is going to end quickly. I wish I could take part in it. I can''t, I will have been satisfied with commanding. It''s good too; this way, the victory will be more enjoyable and painful to the enemy. They are going to lose to a cripple and going to lose it in the most humiliating way. Tap on the below to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 459: Enemy Retreats Chapter 459: Enemy Retreats Ronda "Board!" I ordered with General''s Orders. Immediately, the orders followed, as the soldiers and powerhouses moved into the siege towers. The battle had got a bad start and a few surprises, but it won''t stop us. I will conquer the city. We still have the numerical advantage, and we just need to show them, that we will win this battle absolutely and their biggest surprises will be useless. Mercenaries, especially foreign ones, will run like rats, they are. If we showed them; there is no chance that they will win. The mercenaries were a surprise. Merchant States had told us that their mercenaries and adventurers wouldn''t take part in the conflict of the region. Whether it is against the undead or people. They wouldn''t send their mercenaries in here, aside from a few exceptions. So, they must be from somewhere else, not that I am much interested. The only thing I am interested in is a victory. After I attain it, I will execute that bastard Cardin and all mercenaries remain in the city. I want to imprint the facts on their mind. That nobody should stand against Deepond. Those who do will turned to earth. The soldiers reached the wall with eleven siege towers and began to fight the enemy on the wall. Cardin is there, but the cripple bastard isn''t finding himself. I wonder what Silver thought by giving the command to a cripple. He wouldn''t be able to motivate the army properly, which is a good new for us. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the siege towers. I didn''t go up in there, nor did I let my son go in it. He wanted to, but it was too dangerous. I will not risk my son''s life or mine. I am the commander, and my job is to command, not fight the battle. It''s the job of soldiers and powerhouses. Still, I might have gone there. If Silver had been there; it would have been worth the risk, but since he is not there. I rather would not. Hun! Suddenly, I felt my Dengersense ringing up faintly, and a moment later; I saw a whole wall burning in a green fire. "Its Alchefire Run!" People shouted, and I could feel the panic spreading among the soldiers, with the morale depreciating fast. It''s bad, considering their morale had already dipped slightly because of our slow response to their huge barrage and explosion of the siege tower. It scared them so much, that many soldiers and powerhouses had jumped from the siege towers. Most didn''t know what alchefire was till yesterday. When it had wiped away nearly half of the horde of two hundred and fifty thousand. Seeing it even, I took a step back, before my eyes widened in realization. "It''s not Alchefire!" I informed through Army Telepathy. BANG BANG BANG! I had just done, and they started to react to the information. When suddenly my Dangersense buzzed, and I saw three siege towers exploding one after another. Laris cast a shield and saved me from splinters while I watched in shock. I quickly got control over my emotions, seeing the state of my army. I directed the army and defended against spells and cannons. Which they seemed to have in unlimited numbers, seeing their pace had not slowed down since the battle. Minutes passed and the battering ram continued to ram at the door and, aside from small progress, they were able to move far, even with spell join. Bang Bang! I was thinking about diverting my army when I heard the last two back-to-back explosions. Two more siege towers have burst into flames. Leaving only the four. BANG! I was looking at the flames when I heard the explosion close to me. I was so powerful that, it had broken through two of Laris''s shields, even cracked the third one. I looked toward the gate and saw the battering ram burning. With the burned, broken, and bloodied bodies of my soldiers everywhere. Many are dead, while others screaming in pain. I looked at the severed hand, that had struck against the third shield before falling down. Bang! I was processing it, when I heard yet another powerful explosion and, without turning, I knew that another siege tower had been destroyed. The morale is down with many of the powerhouse injured and with few dead, while the enemy looks energetic. They looked like, they could fight for a long time. They barely suffered any casualties while we were reeling in them. Our numbers are not that good, that we could absorb it without suffering any consequences. "Retreat!" I ordered and immediately the army retreated, but the enemies didn''t stop attacking us. Instead, they have intensified their attacks. "We are retreating. Stop attacking us!" I shouted at the bastard. There was no reply from Cardin, other than that irritating chuckle and ... Cardin I looked at the retreating army, and the burning siege towers before turning to Mage Zela. The cannons that blasted the siege towers were under her control. They were the only things that I had no control over, and they blew eight siege towers. The cannons couldn''t do that with really powerful cannonballs. They were powerful enough to destroy the siege towers, but they needed to reach there first. The enemy had capable mages and there were tens of shields, but those cannonballs broke through all and destroyed those towers. Feeling my gaze, she looked at me. "Should I inform the lord about the situation, Commander?" she asked. She didn''t have to ask me about it, but it felt good she asked. "Yes," I replied and turned to the enemy. They are retreating, but whether it is a temporary retreat or a full retreat, I don''t know. We will not be attacking with our soldiers. Given our numbers, it''s risky. It might look like they had suffered big damage seeing the destruction, but most of the enemy''s army is intact and they didn''t lose many powerhouses either. They could attack us again, but we were ready to face them and this time, their losses wouldn''t be small. Tap on the to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 460: Battle Ends Chapter 460: Battle Ends "The enemy is retreating from the Greltheaven," informed Shaun. Finally, I sighed. We won, but it had been an expensive victory. Those mercenaries cost a lot, but the witchcraft that Caena had weaved had cost more than that. Those cannonballs didn''t hit those siege towers because they were powerful, and our mages had cleared the way for them. No, it is because of witchcraft, that Caena took months to weave and cost a fortune to me. Those spells weren''t normal, and they were hidden in the twenty-four pillars of the grand witch spell, that bound me to the establishment. It''s why nobody discovered them. Even the witches, that might come to Greltheaven, wouldn''t have discovered them. It costs a lot, but it''s worth it. It had protected my city. "Ask them to start loading the patients, I want them to leave the city within an hour," I ordered. We have been making preparations to send the heavily injured back to the Greltheaven to heal. We have found the carriages and modified them for the risky patients. It helps, that we had a few soldiers with Carpenter Class. There are even civilians with Carpenter Class in the city. We have announced that we needed the people of the certain profession and many people have come forward from the civilians. We found doctors, nurses, and people of needed professions. It''s not become clear yet whether we will be able to keep the city. It will all depend upon the battle at Port Midlet and what the undead do after, but we have started with our work. "Inform me as soon as goods and men leave the Greltheaven," I added. There will be soldiers coming to the Panar, while the injured will leave. I had asked Cardin to send them as soon as he can.Upstodatee from We need to have Panar well-defended. Though it would come at the cost of Greltheaven, it''s a risk I have to take. If a large horde or army moved toward Greltheaven, I wouldn''t hesitate to abandon Panar. I have measures prepared, but these measures won''t be able to handle a horde more than of two hundred and fifty thousand. I pushed those thoughts away and got up. I walked out of the office and silently walked. There was a high security, but as I crossed the hallway, it had become even tighter. So much, so that even a small communication blockade is set up, and no one is permitted to even take a step out, for any reason. Click! Soon, I reached the door, and two guards bowed, and Shaun released his spell from the door before opening it. Maximum precautions needed to be taken. I cannot let the enemies get an air of this. I entered the room, and Shaun cast another spell, which made everything visible. Especially the man, sleeping on the bed with his eyes closed. Bronze energy covered him and with every breath he took, it would send a ripple across his body. The energy is suppressive, but I bore it. I still remember during the awakening process, it was hard for me to stay close to him, but now it only feels suppressive. It might be because of the level, but I think it''s aura. "There is no need to think about that. You only need to focus on your recovery," I replied to her and turned to a middle-aged human man beside her. I talked to a few patients and healers before walking out of the hospital and visited a few more before sitting in my carriage. On the way, I saw a few groups of soldiers and officials entering the houses. I even saw a few people moving toward the hospital on the stretcher. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I walked out and stepped into the city hall. Soon, I was in my office; I wanted to close my eyes, but I didn''t. Even now, I am tired and if I close my eyes for too long, I might fall asleep. I plan to sleep early today, but before that, I have a few things to do. "Let''s talk to the rest of the people," I said to Shaun and talked to people from lords to governors and other people, I didn''t talk in the morning. I find it tiring, but it needs to be done and needs to be done now. I could make some calls tomorrow, but I want to finish today. Tomorrow, we might need to escape or there will be so much work that I won''t have time. It took over an hour before I finished speaking with all and focused on the things in front of me. I might not have the complete information, but I have some and that is enough to start. "My lord, the battle of Port Midlet has ended," informed Shaun, and my pen stopped on the paper. I gently put it back with my heart beating wildly and turned to Shaun. "What is the result?" I asked. "Port Midlet defended successfully," he replied, and I felt relieved. I hate the bastards'' guts, but I needed him to win the battle. "What is the size of the retreating enemy?" I asked the most important question. Our next step would depend on the answer to this question. "They are saying it is less than a hundred thousand," I said and slumped on my chair hard, with relief flooding all over my body. If it had been more than three hundred thousand. I would have abandoned the city. Now with a hundred thousand. I didn''t have to worry. The undead are unlikely to attack me because I am not the only one here. There is also Deerpond and, to some degree, even Port Midlet. Though I know what their losses are in this battle. It is especially Deepond; it will try to attack the city if they sees the chance. They might not have before, but they will now that I have done it. They have enough forces to do it. They didn''t lose much in battle against us. ''Less than a hundred thousand.'' I thought. The bastard is good, reducing their number by nine hundred thousand. It''s not a small feat. "Call General Azalea," I ordered. Now that I am pretty sure, the city will be ours. It''s time we start. It''s going to take a lot of money, but I will forge this city into the shield. That will defend Greltheaven from at least one side. It took me two and a half hours to finish my meeting with Azalea and talk to a few people. By that time, I had finished; I was thoroughly tired. Thankfully, I am sleeping. Taking the rest, that I desperately need. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 461: Schemes and Politics Chapter 461: Schemes and Politics Ashton Harbor "I understand, I will not disappoint you," said the man with the staff respectfully. He had been talking since he received the news of their loss but in his eyes. There is not of speck of anger. Instead, there is a joy, which he has a hard time containing. A moment later, the spell was cut to the other side, and he turned to the armored man with a big smile on his face. "Have you succeeded?" he asked and the man with staff nodded, with a joy on his face. After over half a year, he got what he wanted. "Yes. I now have complete command of our forces in this continent," replied the man with the staff. Earlier, he was only in charge of the name; most of the important commands were taken on the island. Now, they have decided to finally give the command. A complete command with minimal interference. There was no choice, seeing the repeated losses If they had given me a complete command from the beginning, they wouldn''t have suffered so many losses. Its good they fixed that mistake. Now that, I have the command and I will conquer this whole region and put under the foot of his deathless. "So, what is our plan?" asked the armored man. "Organize our forces, make them akin to the hordes that had swept away everything in their on the island, and wait for more numbers to come," replied the man with a staff. "That will take some time," said Armored man. "It''s fine; I rather hope, it takes time," he said with a mysterious expressions appearing on his face.Upstodatee from The armored man wanted to ask about what he was thinking but thought better of it and remained quiet. .... Damon Hardt "So, you have decided?" asked Scala, to which I nodded. "It will be hard to get it and even if you did; it will be very dangerous," she added. "I know, but it is also an opportunity to rise," I replied and looked out at window, seeing the tower distance away, bathing in lights. Even during the battle; the legacy didn''t close. I was there and one of the few people allowed on the roof to watch the battle. It was terrifying and mesmerizing; the enemy had no choice, but to retreat. It had been an hour since I had got the news of the undead''s defeat at Port Midlet. It made Panar safer than before. Silver won''t be there forever, and he will have to leave. This means he will have to keep there someone in charge of things, a Governor. I want to become Governor of Panar. It is dangerous and I might die, but I know, Silver will do everything to keep the city safe and there are always ways to get away before danger touches you. There is also one rumor, I heard about Silver awakening the aura, but I wasn''t able to verify it. Given they are keeping a tight lid on the communication. When Prince Grelt got the dominion here, the family was thinking about buying a barony, but I was opposed to it. It will separate me from the family and power. I didn''t want that and resisted that decision, but the Governor of the city is a completely different thing. It is a big responsibility with far more power than the tiny baronies. Most important; the condition of the family is different than it was seven months ago. Becoming governor will help them and it will help me as well gaining more power in the family. "Please take a seat, Chief Hardt," he said. "Thank you," I replied and sat down in front of me. "What can I do for you Chief Hardt?" he asked. I could already tell, he had guessed for what I had come for. I am sure, he must be contacted by a lot of people. "I will come directly to the point, Chief Robin. I want you to recommend me to Lord Silver for the position of Governor of Panar," I stated. "Sure, not a problem. I will write the letter of recommendation for you," he said and it surprised me before I wanted to curse the bastard. "How many people, have to agree to write the recommendation for, Chief Robin?" I asked and the man smiled. "I only agreed to recommend those who are capable," he replied before his expression turned serious. "Before leaving he discussed a few names with me for the position. The list had ten names and your name was one of them," he added. My heart filled with elation but soon calmed down. So, Silver had my name on the list, he was discussing, but there were ten other people''s names, he was discussing. It won''t be easy to get the job. "Who else was on the list?" I asked and the man smiled. He is not going to tell me. "Thank you for the recommendation Chief Robin and I hope, you will prepare that letter before midnight; I planned to leave for Panar with it," I said, and a surprise flashed in his eyes. "You are planning to leave at midnight?" he asked. "Yes," I replied. I have noticed a few things about Silver in the past few months. He likes those who take initiative and risks. So, if I want the advantage over the others. I will have to leave for Panar and convince him personally for the job. "Thank you for your time, Chief Robin," I said to the man and walked out. Lola followed behind me. I had worked with enough, that we could communicate with expressions. I am going to ask her for a recommendation. She knows Silver well and I know he listens to her opinions. It would be helpful if I have her support. True support, not the one like Robin is giving. ...... Carla "Thank you for your time, Miss Carla," said Harrison and walked out. He is going to leave for Panar soon. The old man is ambitious. Even tried for my job. I sighed and looked at the list of people, I had to meet. My schedule is full till midnight. Till an hour ago, I was planning to sleep early. Yesterday, I was barely able to sleep. I was all worried about Remus, but now that won''t be possible. Everyone wants to become a Governor. I wish, I could tell them, that Remus had already made up his mind. He didn''t say that directly, but I could tell when I met him before leaving. It would be quite a shock when he will make that announcement. Click! ''Sister Carla, I am sending Mrs. Hardt in,'' said my secretary telepathically, and a second later, the door opened, and Scala Hardt walked inside. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 462: Valorous Lord of Courage Chapter 462: Valorous Lord of Courage [Class Gained: Soldier] Soldier Lv. 1 Soldier Lv. 2 Soldier Lv. 3 [Class Gained: ...] [Class Gained: ...] ... Swift Officer Lv. 22 Swift Officer Lv. 23 [Skill Gained: ...] ... Shaman Lv. 7 ... Priest Lv. 7 Priest Lv. 8 [Class Gained: ...] ... Mercenary Warrior Lv. 18 ... [Class Gained: Traitor] Traitor Lv. 1 Traitor Lv. 2 Traitor Lv. 3 Traitor Lv. 4 [Skill Gained: ...] [Skill Gained: ...] I rejected it as I saw the texts appearing in front of me. I didn¡¯t accept Spy Class, nor I would accept Traitor Class. Seeing it appear as a class, my mood worsened further. I was born in the undead kingdom, studied there, and became a mage warrior I am. I made good progress, and I had got chance to lead the horde. The battle which I had lost. The only thing, I did wrong was make a mistake. They were able to know it somehow and exploited it by blackmailing me. I had to become a spy, because if some powerful people got to know about it. I would have suffered a fate worse than death. Since that incident, I have been providing information to undead kingdoms'' enemies. The information that made it lose a lot of battles. I had never gotten caught when every month several spies did. There are two reasons for that, first I had never accepted the Spy Class despite the advantages that it would have given me. The second, I had never considered myself a spy. If my handler hadn¡¯t been caught, I would have celebrated the victory with Rynra. I believe with my help; she would have had a good chance to win the battle. Now, I had truly become a spy and traitor. There is no going back. It¡¯s terrible, that some people will pay the price. My organization will be investigated, and the slightest fault will be punished to make an example. So, will I; there will be a huge bounty on my head, and they will send an assassin after me. From now. I will be in danger of assassination every minute. I hope those bastards will keep their promise. It will make things easier for me. Easier, but one without ambitions and dreams. I can never be able to show myself openly, in fear of the undead kingdom knowing my place and sending assassins to kill me. .... Blaze Imbiber Lv. 17 Warrior Lv. 8 Warrior Lv. 9 [Skill Gained: Stance] I looked at advancement and a smile appeared on my face. Three more levels and Blaze Imbiber will reach Lv. 20. One more and reach level 10; both of which will give me an attribute point. I need them desperately. Since I had decided to follow my heart. My main class had advanced only twice. Which is a Suprise. I didn¡¯t think, it would level up at all, but it seemed like, the missions and tasks given by Master Silver, helped with the class. Still, the level-up up is too slow. If I had been madam; I would have reached Lv. 30 by now. Others have already reached it. I do not regret my choice; I love what I do, despite the dangers of it. There is also another reason. I still have my madam privileges. It¡¯s like, I had never left. I could go to the Legacy without restriction and also the college. I still have a place on madam¡¯s floor. I told Margaux, I do not need it. I have my own apartment. It¡¯s not rented either; it¡¯s my own. It¡¯s one of the properties, I had brought after the battle when its rates were dirt cheap. In just a matter of months, my investment had multiplied by several times. So, so much so that, I could live off on rent from them. Earning more, than I am at my current job. Whenever we meet; she asks me to come back. Its why, I avoid her. I sighed and looked texts in front of me. It would have been wonderful if these classes merged with my main class. My strength is severely restricted despite the high attributes of Lv. 27. Once these classes merge with my class; I will be really powerful, but it won¡¯t happen soon. Class Dealer of Desire Lv. 29 [Master of Legacy] Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 30 Trainer Lv. 08 Charisma 20 Intelligence 17 Vitality 17 Strength 16 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Goods Instinct ¡¤ Lord¡¯s Contracts ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Rapid Strikes ¡¤ Blitz Steps ¡¤ Insightful Reading ¡¤ Price Is Right ¡¤ Mauling Strike ¡¤ Silver Tongued ¡¤ Gymnasts Grace ¡¤ Sight Through Veil ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Blade Of The Gale ¡¤ Mood of the Subjects ¡¤ Privacy Sphere ¡¤ Command Projection ¡¤ Get Ready ¡¤ Quick Parry ¡¤ Razor Edge ¡¤ Active Presence ¡¤ Vision Projection ¡¤ Instant Recollection ¡¤ Artistic Dealings ¡¤ Copy Skill - Graceful Repel ¡¤ Telepathic Call ¡¤ Energizing Essence ¡¤ Gymnasts Control ¡¤ Lord''s Presence ¡¤ March Of The Braves ¡¤ Laws of My Land ¡¤ Mark of Mist ¡¤ Fast Reflexes ¡¤ Public Works ¡¤ Appointment Legacy Demesne of Desire II Skills ¡¤ Master of Legacy ¡¤ Laws of Legacy ¡¤ Share Authority (5) ¡¤ Vault of Ru ¡¤ Demesne Expansion Attribute Points 0 I looked at the table and couldn¡¯t help, but sigh. My secondary class had surpassed my primary class once again. It will bring some trouble, but I could take it. I need this level up. I looked at the table for a minute before gently getting out of bed. Aware of my increase in strength. I moved around the bedroom for a few rounds, before finally walking into the bathroom. Hun! When I came out; I noticed the clock and surprise couldn¡¯t help but flash in my eyes. ¡®It seemed like, I had been too tired.¡¯ I thought to myself. I had overslept by hours, but seeing my Shun didn¡¯t wake me up. There¡¯s likely won¡¯t be any new emergency waiting for me. It made me feel relieved. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls o/n n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(c/o/m) Chapter: 463 Elderblood General Chapter: 463 Elderblood General Click! I walked out of the bedroom and saw Shaun waiting outside. "Congratulation, Lord Silver," he congratulated. "You too Shaun," I replied, and man the man smiled. I am not the only one who had leveled-up. He too had leveled, and his smile proves I am right. A moment later, my expression turned serious. "Has he woken up?" I asked. To which he shook his head and disappointment couldn''t help but fill my heart. Stone is important; the sooner, the woken up. The more relieved, I would feel. I hope the enemies didn''t get to know about it, but I won''t be able to hide it for long. I will be able to hide it at most for today before the enemy gets a whiff. "Any messages?" I asked, to which he smiled and handed me the stacks of it. I took the cards and began to read them one after another. The skill makes reading really fast and with the level-up. I could now, read even faster. Most of them are Greltheaven, but some are from the other cities. I read through them all and handed them back to Shaun, who burned them immediately and put the ashes in his bag. Click! With the messages read, I stepped out, but I didn''t walk toward my office, but instead to the wing where the stone was. The guards stopped as we reached the boundary, and only Shaun and I moved ahead. Click! A few seconds later, he opened the door and cast a spell that made everything visible. Hun! As I looked at Stone. I couldn''t help, but become surprised. The bronze energy is covering him far thickly than yesterday. So, much so that not a single part of his body could be seen, only the bronze energy. I stayed there for a few seconds, before walking away with a sigh. Soon, I stepped into my office; Ina was already there, working. "Master Silver," she greeted. I nodded before turning to my desk, where there were a lot of files waiting for me. "We have gathered and compiled all the information on the state of the city and its people," "Two batches of goods have also arrived, and the third one will reach the city by the afternoon." "There are also, Mr. Hendriks, Chief Hardt, and others who have come from Greltheaven. They all are seeking your time," she informed. I am not surprised about them coming. I was informed of their intension by Carla and Robin, last night. "I will meet them this evening, but won''t give them more than ten minutes on each of them," I replied after a moment of thought. I wanted to go out and check the things that had come personally, but I decided to look at the information first. It will give me a clear, idea of what I am dealing with. So, I turned to files. There are a lot of them, but I know, I have to pick the yellow on the top. She knew my priorities and laid out the files that way. I picked up the yellow file and opened it. It had started with demographic details. The population of the city is forty-eight thousand seven hundred and thirty-two. If the undead had attacked, we wouldn''t have been able to attack them as we did when we attacked the city. A few minutes later, I walked out of the warehouse and checked other places including the hospitals where more healers have appeared, along with resources that will help them heal better. Soon, the carriage had reached the main square of the city, where there was a long line of people with soldiers handing them the food. Most of them in the line are children. We have set up camps in all areas of the city to provide food. There is barely any food in the city. A few months ago, things were a little better, before the undead cut the food nearly every week; in the past month, most people ate barely once a day. "Lord Silver, Stone had woken up," informed Shaun suddenly cutting me from my thoughts. The tension, I didn''t think, I was holding disappeared from my body. He is the strongest powerhouse, I have, and I need him. Without him, it would be hard to hold back the undead. Especially here in Panar, where there are no hidden preparations that could save the city against the powerful enemies. I wanted the carriage to move faster, and it could, but I didn''t. The streets are bad, with holes and trash everywhere. In some places, sewage is leaking through the streets. Amellus is coming tomorrow, and he isn''t coming alone. He is bringing workers and stuff, that will be needed to fix the city and its infrastructure. The first one will be the wall, obviously. I need it fixed as soon as possible. I wish I would be able to see it happening. See how my skills work with my own eyes, but it won''t happen. My skills will remain here, but I will leave. I am here for two days, three at most. I need to return to the Greltheaven. It is not wise to stay away from it for too long. If everything goes smoothly, I am going to announce the name of the Governor tomorrow. They will be responsible for all work and well-being of the city and its citizens. Finally, the carriage reached the city hall, and I got out. "He is waiting for you, in your office," informed Shaun. I was surprised but didn''t say anything and walked toward my office. Click! "Lord Silver," Stone greeted me as I walked into my office. I looked at the man and saw all the paleness had vanished. So is tiredness that was flowing out of eyes yesterday. I couldn''t even see the slightest weakness from him. He is looking vibrant like a fountain of youth. Even slightly younger, with a faint bronze sheen coming off his skin. "Stone, how are you feeling?" I asked. "Good, my lord. I have completely recovered," he replied, and making me feel even more relieved. I had expected him to recover fully, but him saying, made it a truth. "Good, with you by me. I am confident to face any enemy," I said, and the man smiled. [Class Change: Elderblood Commander- Elderblood General] Elderblood General Lv. 35 Elderblood General Lv. 36 [Skill Gained: Generals Command] Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 464: Governor of Panar I Chapter 464: Governor of Panar I "I have been loyal to House Silver, all my life." "I have worked for your father since, he was even younger than you and was his most trusted man, and after his untimely death, I have been working for you." "I hope, looking at my serve, you will give me a greater opportunity to serve you, by making me governor of this city," said Hendriks. I kept my expression neutral as he pleaded his case to become governor. "I do not doubt your loyalty, Hendriks, but I have already chosen the governor," I replied to the man. My voice is gentle, but firm. Leaving no space for the doubt. His expression changed and disappointment appeared in his eyes, but the man had recovered it quickly. There is no anger or visible rage. The old may feel some, but he is good enough to hide it. He understood that this was just one opportunity, many would come in the future. If he reacted badly and displeased me. He could forget about getting those opportunities. "May, I know, who it is, my lord?" he asked after a moment of silence. "You will know when I announce it," I replied. Less than five people know about the person, I had chosen. Even the person, I had chosen isn''t aware of them becoming the Governor. He left a few seconds later, and Hardt came. After him, another and then another; soon all six of them have come and met me to plead their case to become governor. "It had taken only half of the time," I said. I had given an hour; ten minutes each, but I had finished in just twenty-six minutes. I stayed in my office for half an hour more, before going out. The sun had set and there was a moon in the sky, but the city did not feel beautiful despite bathing in its light. It''s not a physical beauty, but a feeling. There is too much pain in the air. As the carriage moved through the city; I saw the lines of people for the food, like the morning. They will continue for a while till we make the places for the children and provide the jobs for the adults. Arranging the latter won''t be a problem. There would be a lot of jobs in the most, that we would need to bring the people from the outside Nearly 70% of the adults here are miners. I plan to open the mines in the next ten days. The other 30% could work in construction and other things. The problem is the care of children. It''s not an easy problem to solve. I checked the things that came from the Greltheaven, in the past few hours, before going back to city hall, where I worked till midnight, before sleeping. Hun! Once again, I was late when I woke up. I quickly freshened up and showered before walking out. "Any emergency?" I asked Shaun. "No, but there are a lot of messages," he replied and handed me the stack. I read through them one by one, before handing them back. He burned them before following behind me as I stepped out of the suite. Click! "What is the solution?" I asked after a few seconds of silence. "We will start what you had thought. We will select a few areas of the city and work on them." "As you feel more secure with finances and more people come, we will slowly expand the repair to the other areas." He replied, and it made me relieved. "Its good. Look at all things carefully and give me a quotation, but first start with the wall." "I need it fixed as soon as possible," I said to them, to which they smiled. "We will start on it in a few hours. We have brought the men and required material, to last us for a day. The second batch had already left the city," replied Amellus. I cannot stress the importance of the wall. Without the wall, it would be hard for us to defend against the undead if attacked. "Have you talked to General Stone and General Azalia, taken their opinion?" I asked. "Yes, we have discussed the things with them, they agree with our plan for the wall," replied Davidson I already knew that; they had informed me earlier about it. "I hope, you will be able to finish it quickly," I said at last. "We will and with your skill; the repaired wall will be better and more powerful," replied Amellus. As I had said. People could sense it, especially like them. They are Lv. 30 and above and have classes sense these things easily. They left while I focused on the work. I didn''t walk out of my office, even when the sun went down. "Lord Silver, Kelgir had fallen?" informed Shaun suddenly. I stopped immediately and sighed. Kelgir is the second largest city in the Angeltar region and now it has been conquered by Edruin. They have been resting it, but now they couldn''t. "It is General Kalmazar, right?" I asked, and the man nodded. There are three huge armies of Edruin attacking the empire. Kalmazar is the most aggressive of the three and also the most powerful. It is not just Edruin capturing our territories. There are Tabes, Yressor, and Geim; all of them have aggressively moved into the territory of the empire and captured more and more territories by the day. "If they kept fighting among themselves; it won''t take long before our enemies capture half of the empire," I said. I am worried about it, but that danger is far from me. There is the Kingdom of Tabes, but Dustorn Fortress is handling it. There had not more than a few small incursions which were easily dealt with. Tabes didn''t care too much about the wasteland. It is more interested in capturing the juicier territories. Only when they are done with that, they will turn their eyes toward us. I didn''t say anything further about that subject and kept working. Click! The door opened, and Lola walked inside. "Master Silver, they have gathered," she informed. The important people have gathered. It is time, that I announced the Governor of Panar. "It''s time," I said and got up, activating Get Ready. Immediately, the wrinkles and dirt from my clothes disappeared. The tiredness from my face lessened, and I looked like, I just came out of the shower. I looked at myself in a small mirror on the wall and smiled before turning. It''s time I ask the question. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 465: Governor of Panar II Chapter 465: Governor of Panar II Senar "How are you, Mr. Kralys; I hope you are having a good time?" I asked the middle-aged half-elf, who was sitting with the lovely Lavani. "The best time, Madam Senar. The tower never disappoints," he replied with a big smile. It is its fourth time since opening. This means he is important. Only those important could come to the legacy four times within a month. He belongs to one of the most powerful merchant houses of Belnin and is quite rich. He is also on the gifter list; the people who gift the most. This is also one of the reasons why, he gets reservations quickly. Those on the good lists are given priority. Over the same person with equal power and influence. "I am glad," I replied with a smile and walked away from him. I looked at the clock. It was near eight. I have been looking at it constantly, since the meeting earlier. ''Master Silver will make an announcement in a few minutes, be ready for it,'' The voice of Madam Caena rang out through my mind. Master Silver was going to announce the Governor of Panar today, and Madam Caena had asked all the floor leaders to announce it to their floors. There will also be free drinks in the new governor''s honor. Which is an expensive expense, that is will be funded by our fund. 1% of our earnings goes toward that fund. It is for the welfare of the girls, and now Chief Carla, Headmistress Margaux, and Madam Caena are going to use that for their political purposes. Quite many girls were displeased by it, but didn''t say anything to their faces. Here, if one of three, leaders had presented it. Some girls might have objected. Those three take the criticism well, but since all three of them have made a decision, nobody dares to say anything against them. I am not pleased about it either, but I too remained quiet like the others. Though, I wonder, who Master Silver will choose. It is the main topic of today''s conversations in the hall. I heard there was betting going on there, with old Hendricks and Chief Hardt leading. I hope it''s someone good. I heard horrible things have happened there in Panar. Thousands of children have been orphaned, with their parents dead. I knew very well what happens to such children. I hope Master Silver and the new Governor will take wonderful care of them. "You, dirty whore!" I was in my thoughts when suddenly, I heard a loud shout. I turned and couldn''t help, but sigh as I walked toward it. The mercenaries that Master Silver had hired are a handful. Though it seemed like now, they have crossed the limit of what we could bear. I moved with Flowing Grace, with eyes turning to me. Within seconds, I was there and when I saw what he is doing, anger rose in my heart. The bastard is holding Sua''s hand tightly while she is trying to pull it back. I was going to be polite to him, but not anymore. "This is quite disrespectful Madam Caena. It might make us leave your city," he said, a smile appearing on his face. I shook as I heard that. The mercenaries are one of the reasons why the city was able to defend itself so successfully against the enemy. It would be bad if they left. "Then you or anyone else are welcome to leave," replied Madam Caena simply, without change in her smile. "You are expendable, Mr. Akir. If you leave, we will hire someone else." "With the money we are paying, many mercenaries would be more than willing to come to us, in moments, notice," she added. It''s an insult. The man''s expressions were already bad and hearing that, it had turned worse. "I would like to see how your Lord would react to that statement, madam," he said angrily with gritted teeth, while madam let out a chiming laugh, before turning to guard behind her. "Yarisa, dear, ask Master Silver what he thinks about that," said Madam Caena to the young mage. She closed her eyes and her staff lit up. She opened them several seconds later. "My lord is saying the mercenaries are welcome to leave if they want to," the mage stated. Shocking the mercenaries and many others, but didn''t seem shocked at all. Madam Caena looked at the mercenary leader, who was so angry that he was shaking. All the mercenaries seemed angry. I began to feel scared that they might do something in anger; they are known for that but when I looked at Madam Caena, there was not a hint of smile or fear in her eyes. "Mr. Kell, you have broken the laws of the velvet garden and thus are forbidden from ever entering it," she declared, and I felt the change in legacy as she spoke. "Guards, take Mr. Kell out," she ordered. Immediately, guards moved and picked up the middle-aged man and took him away. ''Apologies everyone for the disturbance. Don''t let it mar your experience in the velvet garden," said Madam Carla and walked away. ''You did good; I am proud of you,'' she said telepathically a moment later. The mercenaries kept staring, shocked, before they recovered and sat down. Even those who came from the floor above returned there, including the leader, walked to the floor he came from. Not a single one of them had left in anger. Many seemed to be expecting that, including me, but they didn''t. People shook their heads, seeing the shameless of the mercenaries. If they couldn''t follow the threat; they shouldn''t issue it in the first place. I was quite grateful mercenaries for protecting us, but now, I want them out of the city. I hope Master Silver will quickly return to the city and throw these bastards out. The legacy had been peaceful, even when the battle was raging outside. These mercenaries created a ripple, and I am kind of glad they did. It reinforced the belief and confidence in girls'' eyes. They know, that if anything happens, the Madam and the Lord are with them. They will not throw them to wolves when trouble appears. In a few seconds, everything returned to normal. I began to make the rounds when I had stopped suddenly. Chief Carla''s voice rang out in my mind. ''Master Silver had declared the Governor of Panar; it is...'' she informed, leaving me shocked and frozen in my place. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 466: Governor of Panar III Chapter 466: Governor of Panar III "Mercenaries," I muttered. I looked at the two, still shocked, before walking toward the door, with them following behind me. Mercenaries shouldn''t be trusted. There is, at least, a need for a weight to suppress them and keep them in the line. It''s another reason, I need to return to the Greltheaven as soon as possible. I took a deep breath and calm myself. I need to do this perfectly. There shouldn''t be a single voice against my decision. Soon, I reached the door of the conference room and the Lord''s Presence spread out of my body. It froze the guards at the door of the conference room. The skill is powerful, but not enough to freeze guards like it did right now. Lord''s Presence couldn''t do that, even at Lv. 30. It is the aura, I had spread out with the power of the Lord''s Presence merged in it. Making it focus on them absolute efficiency with natural suppress of the aura. Click! Seeing them like this, Jon becomes visible for a moment and opens the door. I nodded at him and the guards before walking into the conference room. Spreading my aura through the entire room. Many had already heard about the aura. Those that had doubts, they had instantly disappeared. Stone, Bishop Alanis, and Azalea were the first to get control over their emotions. It had affected them for a fraction of a second. The others got up as they controlled their emotions in this suppression. "My lord," they greeted. "Everyone," I replied and pulled half of the power of the aura as I sat down. I looked at the name tent in front of me, which stated my name and position. There is another one directly opposite to me on the other side. It didn''t have a name, only the title ''Governor of Panar,''. I could see how people, casting a glance at it. Some even looked at each other. Gauging their expressions; they are very sure, that whoever the governor is. They are in the room; they are right. "Governor of Panar," I said. There is a no need to wait any further; it''s time, I reveal the person I had chosen. People began to look at each other, but soon some noticed the movement and shock appeared in their eyes. That shock spread into the eyes of everyone as Ina stood in front of me. "My lord." She bowed. The shock of earlier had disappeared from her eyes. So, had the tears; the only thing that remained there was conviction and belief in herself. Lola put the intricate box down and opened it, before taking out the brooch. The brooch is round and made of precious metals and gems. That is a crafted into floral shade with expert skills. In the center of the brooch is the crest of Panar. "There is one more announcement. I have to make it," I said and turned to Azaelia. She got up and walked toward me. Lola put another box in front of me that had stars, stripes, and medals in it. "I promote Maj. General Azaelia to Lt. General Azaelia for her bravery against the undead in battle of Panar and give her the command of the second army," "From today, she will be Defender of Panar," I announced and appointed her as ''Defender.'' With the Appointment. "Thank you for your trust, my lord," she replied with a bow. There were big smiles and loud congratulations. Unlike Ina, there is real support for her. It is going to be a tremendous challenge for her to win such trust and support, but if anyone could do it, then it would be here. ... Senar "Sister Senar, are you all, right?" asked Denlin. Looking all worried, seeing me frozen in shock with tears flowing out of my eyes. "More than fine," I replied to the young woman and wiped my tears away, before walking toward the band with purposeful steps. Seeing the signal, the server came with a glass of golden liquid. The other servers moved swiftly and began to serve golden drinks. It was quite expensive, and I was displeased. They are using it instead of some cheap one, but now, I wish, they could have used the most expensive one. I wouldn''t have minded. If they had used all the funds. People were surprised seeing the drinks appearing in front of them. They sensed something and turned toward me. The band stopped as I reached them. I climbed the small stage and turned toward the hall. I looked at every person looking at me. I felt nervous, but I bore it down and smiled radiantly before opening my mouth. "Today is a wonderful day. The one that will be remembered for years," I said and paused for a moment. "Lord Silver, the lord of Greltheaven and Panar, had chosen the Governor of Panar." I informed and there is a barely any surprise. They already know he will name the Governor today," "I hope you will raise the glass in her honor," I said and raised my glass up. They raised it with me, with anticipation burning in their eyes. "To the Governor of Panar, Lady Ina Knox," I shouted and drank the wine, while the entire hall fell in complete silent. Some were confused and didn''t recognize the name. Many did were shocked, not willing to believe it. The most shocked are not patrons, but girls, themselves. They could not believe it. Even I couldn''t believe it. The girl who was a prostitute like them, till less than two years ago, had become a Governor today. The girls recovered quickly, and tears started to flow through the eyes, while they blazed with light dreams, and ambition. Lady Ina, becoming a governor, had lighted up dreams and ambitions they had buried deep in their hearts. They aren''t the only ones. I am feeling the same. The dreams that seemed impossible a few moments ago. Now felt like they were within reach. I feel like, I could just grab them as long as I worked hard enough. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 467: Governor Knox Chapter 467: Governor Knox Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 32 ... Hetaera of Lord¡¯s Will Lv. 33 Hataera of Lord¡¯s Will Lv. 34 [Skill Gained: Quick Execution] There was a text in front of me when I opened my eyes. I only glanced at them before turning toward the table, where the authority brooch was lying. ¡°It¡¯s real,¡± I muttered. It all felt like a dream even after seeing a brooch. I am having a hard time believing in it. I am the Governor. I was shocked when he asked me, just a few minutes before the announcement. Saying I was shocked would understate my emotional state at that time. I accepted the job. I didn¡¯t say it or ever show it, but I wanted it desperately. Whenever Master the job of Governor; I want to say, I want it. Despite wanting to say it thousands of times. I didn¡¯t, and even yesterday, I wanted to reject it. Because I understand the cost of it. There wouldn¡¯t have been any. If he had chosen anyone else but me, there would be. The imperials will come down on him. So are the merchants and the lords. He will become a subject of laughter and cities might also suffer financially. That I wished. I had rejected the offer, but I was weak. I could not resist it. So, I will do everything I could lessen the pressure on Master Silver. Repeating those words calmed me down from my worries and I turned to the texts in front of me. I had leveled-up and did it twice and even got the skill. There was no class change, which isn¡¯t surprising given, that I had just got responsibility yesterday. It will take me months, if not years, to get the class. I turned to my new skill and a smile couldn¡¯t help, but appear on my face. Quick Execution, as its name suggests. It will execute orders quickly. As for how quickly it will depend on the task, the people doing it and the difficulty they are facing. It is a wonderful skill, that Master Silver desire it. I looked at two new attribute points. I added one to the Charm, taking it to twenty-two, and one to intelligence, taking it to twenty. Immediately, I felt their effects., especially of the intelligence. Its power had increased by leaps reaching twenty. As the effect wore off, I got out of the bed. Freshened up and showered before looking at the closet. It is filled with new clothes and other accessories. A crate had come yesterday. It was delivered to me after the announcement. It¡¯s from Carla. She had been aware of the offer and sent clothes. I had clothes, but she said, they were not suitable for the Governor. I need to look at the part to do the part. I couldn¡¯t help but agree more. My clothes had changed as my jobs. From the seductive when I was a whore to conservative when I become Master Silver¡¯s representative and then assistant and adviser. I looked at dresses before taking out a cream-colored one. I read the note attached to it, before wearing it. ¡°That¡¯s Master Silver¡¯s,¡± I replied. At least as long as he is here. ¡°You are the Governor; it''s yours,¡± she replied and looked at the nameplate, that was already on the table. I hesitated and walked toward the light blue-colored chair, before sitting down hesitantly. Master Silver had said yesterday that the office was mine and so are responsibilities. He said he would give me complete freedom to do the job my way. As I sat on the chair, I felt the weight of responsibilities and they felt so heavy that I started shaking. I wanted to give up. They are too much. I don¡¯t think I could do it. I was having a panic attack when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡°Relax. The responsibilities are huge, but there is no one better than you to handle them,¡± said the reassuring voice. I felt my emotions calm down and my panic receded. Still, I could control my breathing. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to Master Silver and tried to get up from the chair. To that, she shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s your chair now,¡± he said and walked toward the couch before sitting down. ¡°What should I do?¡± I asked as I fully calmed down. ¡°It''s for you to decide. Though, I will advise you, to choose your staff first,¡± he advised. ¡°Assistant, especially,¡± he added a moment later. My eyes immediately went to Lola. My friend smiled before shaking her head. ¡°I am returning to Greltheaven with Master Silver,¡± she replied before I could even ask her the question. I could see that she would not stay. There is a raging fire of ambition in girls¡¯ eyes. It had broken the supposed scale, that she had limited it to. It is visible in her eyes that she wanted to be what I have become. It¡¯s so clear, and she is not even trying to hide it. Staying here, wouldn¡¯t help with that. It might to others, but not her, seeing she had replaced me as Master Silver¡¯s assistant. ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s for you to decide, my governor,¡± he replied with a smile, before turning to the files, Lola had placed in front of him. I know he wants me to make my decision regarding the staff. Even so, I had hoped, he would help me. I calmed myself down and thought. Many names floated in front of me. Most of them are girls; I will have to think about them carefully and make an offer. I sighed and focused on the files in front of me. I had read through them already, but I am doing it again. When I did it yesterday, I was an assistant, but now I am the Governor. The position had changed and so was perspective. There are a lot of challenges in the city. Dealing with them will be far from difficult. From children to reconstruction to employment, and many others. I will have to handle them all and do a good enough job to be worth the risk Master Silver, had taken for me. Soon, it was nine; time for my first meeting as Governor and it won¡¯t be easy. ¡°Are you going to be attending the meeting, Master Silver?¡± I asked, hoping he would. ¡°No,¡± he replied without looking away from the file. It sent a shudder through me. Yesterday, nobody said anything, because he was there, but it won¡¯t be the case now. Even if he had come with me, he wouldn¡¯t be here forever. I will have to face them and prove myself to them. Force them to accept and acknowledge me from their heart with my abilities. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Chapter 468: Returning To Greltheaven Chapter 468: Returning To Greltheaven A few minutes after Ina left; I walked her out of her office. I could have eased her up and helped her a little, but it''s better, that faces these things head-on. I will be leaving in a few hours, and after that, she will have to deal with these things herself. So, she should start facing them directly while I am here. Whether I am in the city or out, no one will impede her work. They understand it''s a bad idea. If they went against her, then they will be going against me, but that doesn''t mean, they won''t create the roadblocks in front of her. There will be a small one, like not following orders as they should or doing it late. Such problems are more difficult to deal with than the bigger ones, but she can deal with them. I have a confidence in her. Soon, I got out of the city hall and stepped into the carriage. As the carriage got out of the gates. I saw people working; there were some constructions happening around the city hall. It''s the most important part of the city and needs to be repaired first. They are Amellus''s people, but soon, in a few days, we will issue the tender for the other works. There is a lot of work needed to be done, and giving it all to one company isn''t wise. They will still do the emergency work, but the general work will be handled through the tender. I wonder how many companies will apply for it. Soon, the carriage reached the wall, and I saw the train of carriages moving out of the city after a careful inspection of each one. We are sending the first badge of children to the Greltheaven. Most of them are small children of ages one to five. They need immediate care and we have made preparations for that in the city. It''s going to cost me a lot, but I can''t leave those children here. Currently, this city isn''t a place for them to live. I looked at them before turning to the wall. They have already started working on it. The first thing, they did was remove the temporary fix we did. It was an expensive fix, but I didn''t regret using it. If the undead had attacked, it would have helped us tremendously against them. The damage to the wall isn''t small. It takes time to fix the wall and lay out the enchantments. Which is going to be really costly and something which I cannot skim. "Lord Silver," greeted Davidson, as he stopped beside me. "How are the things?" I asked. "Good, my lord. Our people have started working. We have even called more enchanters today, to fix and embed the new ones on the wall," he replied. "We need the wall fixed as soon as possible. Use, your best people on it," I said, looking at the wall. "We are doing that, my lord," he replied. I talked to him for a few minutes before walking to the wall. A few hours passed, and I checked everything in the city, before going back to the city hall. "I wish you had stayed a few more days, Master Silver," said Ina as she had come to drop me off. "With you here, there is no need for me to stay here anymore. I trust you completely to do the job well," I replied a little loudly, so everyone could hear. She smiled and looked at me gratefully. The city is in dire need of priests. Not only to deal with physical well-being, but also mental and spiritual. There are many people, that are broken mentally and near breaking limit. The church will be helpful in dealing with that. Though, I had asked Lola and Azalea to keep a tight eye on them. A church without restriction is not a good thing, despite how good the church is. The sun was beginning to get down when the city came into view. Seeing it, a smile couldn''t help, but appear on my face. Every second we got closer and closer, till we reached right in front of the gate, before entering it. "Hail, Lord Silver. The Lord of Greltheaven and Panar!" A loud shout rang out, announcing my entry as I entered the city, and flowers began to shower on me and party. There are people everywhere, held back by lines of police. They are cheering, throwing flowers, petals and even coins. "They said it was going to be a small parade," said Lola as she took her horse back. I led in the front, while others followed behind as people cheered. There are thousands and thousands of them on both sides of roads, on roofs of houses and stores, and they are cheering loudly. Robin said some preparations were made, and I had expected some, but not at such a grand scale. ''I hope they didn''t spend too much on it.'' I thought while waving and releasing my aura with Trustful Presence, with a small hint of Lord''s Presence. It awed them. I saw many familiar faces, especially the girls. They are quite easy to notice with my class. The horse moved slowly, I moved street after street, waving at people non-stop, smiling at them. It took me over an hour to reach the city hall and by that time, my body was smelling like flowers. "Welcome back, my lord," said Robin as I dismounted off the horse and bowed. The people behind him bowed as well. Including my siblings, Valentina and Zela. "It''s good to be back," I said and walked with them toward the city hall. There are a lot of things waiting for me, including a meeting at night. Before that, I have to make a short trip to the legacy. Carla had asked me to come. Even if she hadn''t asked, I would have gone there. I miss her and miss my legacy. "Congratulation, on your victory brother," said Heron. "Thank you, Heron," I replied. It had been only a few days since I had seen him, but the changes seemed to have occurred to him. He seemed to have matured. "I missed you, brother," said the small voice. "I miss you too, Josie," I said, petting her head gently. I had missed them a lot and had been really worried when the Deepond attacked. "You two go home. I will meet you tomorrow, at breakfast," I said to them, and I could see the disappointment appearing in their eyes. I felt bad, but I had a lot of things to do. I won''t be able to give them the time. Their nanny came and took them with guards following behind, while I walked into the city hall with others. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 469: Oath Chapter 469: Oath Carla Click! "It didn''t look crowded at all," said Margaux as she stepped inside through the door and looked ahead at the girls. All the girls are here, from those who work to those who are training. Even the teens and team leaders and the madams. Every girl who is present in the city is here. I gave her the look and her cheeks reddened. I know where she had gone. "I had told you. It might look small, but it''s space. Even if the number had quadrupled; it wouldn''t have been crowded," I replied, not teasing her about the person she had gone to meet. "I hope, Master Silver won''t mind it," she said, and I shook my head. "He won''t. A little embarrassed, he might, but he won''t mind it," I replied. I know him enough to say that with the confidence. "He had done so much for us. It''s time, we show, a small appreciation for it," I added. She nodded with her eyes turning emotional. ... Click! The guards opened the door of my office and I entered inside with only Zela, Robin, Cardin, and Stone following behind. There is also Jon, but he is hiding. "Many people contacted me. Some even suggested they would support me if I took over," said Robin as I sat down in my chair, "I thought it would take a few days before such offers were made," I replied. Though, I am not surprised. Such machinations are common in politics, especially in cities like mine, which had a great treasure. The legacy. "Anyone powerful?" I asked. "They themselves are not, but those pulling the strings are," he replied, sending me a paper with the names of the people. I read through it, with some names surprising me "You have done a wonderful job, Robin. General Cardin. For that, I am grateful," I said to them. There was a surprise on their face, but soon it turned to a smile. They really did an amazing job in protecting the city, and I want them to know how grateful I am for it. "Thank you for the praise, my lord," said Cardin. "It is not a praise general, just a fact," I replied simply. In the next hour, they updated me on all things, before leaving my office. "You are leaving right away?" I asked Stone. "Yes, after I finish some business," he replied. "Be careful, there might be assassins of undead waiting," I cautioned. He has recovered. Even his strength seemed to have increased, but the undead had powerful assassins. They have killed a people far more powerful than him. "I will," he replied, before walking away. I stayed in my office for fifteen more minutes before walking out of it. There is a meeting in an hour and a half, but that''s more than enough for me to go and return from the legacy. Ten minutes passed, and the tower came into view. It looked magnificent, especially on this dark night. There might be no moons and stars visible, but the city is shining brightly. Especially the tower and the area surrounding it. I wanted to look away, but I didn''t. I met their eyes and took the weight of their expectation. It started as a business to me with little humane and nai?ve touch, but with time, I genuinely came to care about them. "Well, it''s a delightful surprise," I said, and they laughed. The smiles remained until Margaux stepped forward and everyone turned serious. "Margaux," I said, and the woman smiled a little before her expression to have turned serious. "Master Silver, you have done things for us, that no-one had ever done," she said. Her voice is soft but spread through the entire roof. "You have helped us gain a self-respect that we had long lost. Provided us income, that will set us up for life and skills that will never keep us hungry at night," "Most importantly, you have given us hope. Hope to fulfill the dreams, we had long buried deep in our hearts. Dreams that we had never thought we were able to reach," "Those dreams that seemed impossible to reach now felt like, they are in front of us. We just have to reach for them to fulfill them," The girls listened to every one of her words and many had tears started to flow out of their eyes, while the hope blazed in them. It is not just them affected, but also me "You all already had the abilities to fulfill your dreams. The only thing gave you all a little push," I stated, to which many shook their head. "You have done far more. Everything we are right is because of you," she said, and her eyes were extremely serious. "You have moved the mountain for us, shifted a river by making, took the wrath of all by making one of us a Governor. Something, even emperors and archmages, never dared to do," The air seemed to have gone still as she stopped and looked directly into my eyes like all the girls present. "Us, the whores, have little to give. The only we have to give is our loyalty." '' "From today, every girl of Velvet Garden will be eternally loyal to you, in both life as well as in death," she stated and kneeled in front of me. With her, every girl kneeled with such conviction in their eyes that it shook the legacy. Roiled the mist like a storm. Tears streamed down from my eyes as I looked at their kneeling figures. "I will take your oaths of loyalty and give an oath in return as well," I replied. "From today, you all are mine and I am yours." "I will protect you from every harm. Even if the one doing the harm, is the god itself. I will fight, him for you," I promised, with my voice reaching every ear and bringing the change in the faces of kneeling girls. At that moment, the legacy shook like the wrath of god, had felled upon it, hearing the blasphemy from my mouth. Though there is no hint of fear in their eyes. Instead of trust as they looked at me. Hun! I smiled at them and was about to speak. When the tower shook again, making my eyes widened. This shake is different. Carla, Caena, and other Madams seemed to sense it as well as the shock appeared on their faces and their eyes widened before big smiles appeared on their faces. The other girls seemed to understand what was happening and smiles spread across their faces, till everyone was smiling joyfully. It is a joyous occasion. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 470: Grade III Legacy Chapter 470: Grade III Legacy [Demesne of Desire: Grade III] [Legacy Skill: Instant Restoration] I was watching in shock, not daring to believe, when the words flashed in front of me. This is not a dream. The legacy has truly advanced to Grade III. Something that took decades had been achieved in less than a year. A thing, that only happened once in this era. "The establishment had advanced," said Caena and every eye turned to me. I opened my mouth to respond when everything disappeared in front of me. For a moment, I was in absolute darkness, before the multicolored sun appeared in front of me and the moment after that, the planets materialized in front of me. As all the planets appeared, another change started. This one was expected. The tides of emotions came toward the core. The tide is dense with emotions and gets denser every second as the wave spreads from the legacy. There are massive emotions in the city. Since the last advancement. There had been four battles, and many different things that brought out intense emotions from the people. The tide contains much denser emotions than the last time. This isn''t surprising; a Grade III legacy is capable of absorbing more powerful emotions. The core begins to get bigger as it absorbs the massive emotions the tides are bringing it. Soon, it reached the size of a truck and began to pour the power into the planets. They ate it like they had been hungry for years. I could feel the small changes happening in them. Caena had been making the changes to these charms. She could not make big changes, but an even smaller one was enough to upgrade them. It cost me a lot of money and I hope, the cost will be worth it. Till now, the upgrade wasn''t active as it needs enormous power. Such an amount of power could only be gained in advancement. If I took it from the core, it would weaken it and take years to activate all the upgrades, but a breakthrough could be done in seconds. Soon, the core had become as big as the house and still getting bigger, absorbing more emotions. The wave had only spread to the third of the city. It is spreading further and further. Hun! I was looking at the planets when I turned to specific ones. The twenty-four especially. These twenty-four are absorbing the largest amount of emotions from the core They are the ones, that nearly broke my skill last time. The benefits it had provided had saved my life and the life of everyone in the city. If it wasn''t for that; I would have been killed by the lich and thousands of people would have died. The city might not have been standing as it is right now. It had created the outer range, which aided me in using the spells outside of the legacy. This time, I had asked Caena to make preparations. I want at least half a city to be covered by it, more if possible. Last time, it had nearly broken the skill, but seeing the tremendous benefits, the outer range provides. I took the risk, once again. It covered more and more stress and squares. Soon, it covered half of the half of city. Taking city hall into its domain. It made me feel relieved. With the city hall covered, it will make things much easier for me and also safer, than I would be able to use the spells from there. I thought it would stop at 50%, but it didn''t and soon, it had covered the lord''s mansion and kept spreading even further. Within a second, it had covered 75% of the area of the city, while I watched in shock as it continued to spread. Seconds passed, and it had finally stopped. I remained frozen with deep shock in my heart. The outer range had covered the entire city. This means I could use the skills of legacy from any part of the city. I could throw spells from any part of the city, including the wall. Hun! I was watching in shock when the twenty-four planets hummed and suddenly increased the flow of emotion power into the skill. It made my eyes widen. Something like this hadn''t happened last time. The skill resisted the power, but the twenty- four planets shoved it into the skill forcefully. For a moment, I didn''t understand what was happening, when suddenly my eyes widened, and I saw the expansion again. It''s not the outer range, that is expanding, but the core domain of the legacy. It began to expand, spreading foot by foot, while planets poured more power into the skill. It lasted for several seconds before it suddenly stopped, and I heaved a sigh of relief. The skill had reached the breaking point, that I felt like cracks would start appearing on it. The legacy calmed down, and everything disappeared, but I didn''t react. I am staring at the legacy, not daring to believe, what I am seeing. The legacy now covers all sixty thousand square feet of area that the tower occupies. It had also spread vertically, approximately five and a half floors. This means now, I could build five and a half floors more, but I won''t do that. I already have the five floors and with my intentions. Five underground floors were covered in the domain of legacy. As for the half-floor, it covered the roof. I could see the instant reaction from the girls as the colorful mist appeared on the roof. "Congratulations, Master Silver," said Caena, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Congratulations, Master Silver," the girls echoed. "Thank you all. It wouldn''t have been possible, without all of you," I said to them, and I mean every word of it. Such advancement is extremely rare. It is their belief in me, that made it happen. "Girls, go back to your shifts. Floor leaders, return to your floors and announce the advancement of the legacy. The rest, return to your dorms," ordered Caena and immediately, the girls began to leave. They looked unwilling but followed the order immediately and began to leave. Within a minute, only Carla, Margaux, Caena, Bell, and Zela remained. "My lord, there are inquiries from the lords and the legacies," informed Zela. I could have made the advancement silent like last time, but I let the other sense. I need others to know; it will help me deal with the pressure I am in. "Conform it," I ordered. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 471: Colosseum Class Chapter 471: Colosseum Class Owlspring Knock Knock! The knock rang out of the door, a smile on the face of the lord of Owlspring disappeared and he looked at the door irritatingly. He is on the top floor of Karon; his favorite restaurant. Its only two of them celebrating the special day. Mae''s birthday. There will be a grand party at the end of the week, but today, it''s only two of them. "I had told them not to disturb me unless there was a Level 50 come to attack the city," I said irritatingly, to which Mae smiled. Her smile is beautiful. She is beautiful, but it''s her mind, that made me fall in love with her. "Open it; they wouldn''t have knocked. If it wasn''t important," she said gently. Click! I sighed and used a sliver of my aura to open the door and open a way through the aura dome. So, Nathil could walk inside. "My lord," he greeted. "It''s better to be something important, old man," I said, looking at him angrily, but the man smiled without a hint of fear. "It is, my lord," he replied, irritating me further. "Out with it," I ordered impatiently, and the old bastard smiled. He only takes his sweet time when the news is important. "Velvet Garden had advanced to Grade III legacy," he replied finally. I froze hearing that. So had Mae. She doesn''t show emotions when she doesn''t want to. She had great control over it; I have seen it only a few times, her losing control over it. "That''s not possible. It''s not even a year old!" I exclaimed, not daring to believe it. "It is truth, my lord. A few of our people are in the legacy; had sensed the advancement." "Lord of Grelthevean, himself had confirmed it," replied the old man and bowed before walking away, while I remained in my place, still shocked. "Now, thank me," said Mae after a few seconds of silence. "Thank you. Your advice, wise as ever," I said with a sigh and took her hand and kissed it. Yesterday, I was angry, when I came to know. Silver had chosen his whore as governor. It felt like a slap on my face. We have provided him with tremendous help. From intelligence to aid. So, when he chose the governor, he didn''t inform us beforehand and even chose his whore. I wanted to contact the bastard and curse him, but Mae advised me to do the opposite. Congratulate the whore. I didn''t want to do it, but I had listened to her. It was a wise decision because now I will be able to get more benefits by leveraging that. ... Namdar "It had reached Grade III and its domain had spread through the whole tower," said the woman, fifteen sitting in a stone chair. "Yes, mother," replied the woman, who looked like a younger version of the older woman. "At that size, it could be said to have the peak of theater class or even colosseum class," said another woman, bearing the similarities between the two women. The classes of the legacies aren''t recognized by great sky but were made for the people to understand. There are three classes of legacies, Tavern, Theatre, and Colosseum. The class of the legacies is dependent upon their size. With Tavern Class being the smallest. Around 90% of the legacies are of that size. The next is Theatre Class. They are bigger at least three to four times bigger than average Tavern Class legacies and around 9% of the legacies are of that size. The rest of Colosseum Class. Most of the legacies of this class are Colosseums, hence the name. They are the fewest in numbers and massive. Capable of hosting, tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands to over a million people. The size of the legacies is as important as the spectrum of emotions they could harvest. The bigger the size, the more people it will host and the greater the emotions it will harvest. Everyone wants Colosseum Class legacies, and they are equal to multiple Tavern Class legacies. "We will need to act quickly, especially about the threatening we did earlier," said the youngest woman, and looked at the lone man in the room, sharing similar features as them. He glared at her, before turning to the older woman in the chair. "Congratulations, Lord Silver," they congratulate. I nodded, before controlling my expressions. "It''s an important time for us and we need to use this opportunity to its maximum. I have a task for each one of you, I hope, you will be able to do it with maximum effort," I said to them. "Arryn, communicate with your contacts." "Tell them the opportunity the city represents and offers we are willing to give it to them. If they invest in the city," I ordered and slid the page toward him, before turning to another person. "Hardt, contact the people, who are thinking of shifting; tell the advantages of moving to Greltheaven," I gave one order after another. It''s not like, I hadn''t tried this before, but unlike before, I didn''t conquer another city and didn''t have a Grade III legacy. There are tens of thousands of really rich people in the empire. Who wants to get out of it and diversify their business. They could safely move to Greltheaven. It is part of the empire and not in the jurisdiction of any prince. So, if they could move here without incurring the wrath of any party. Till now, Namdar has been the biggest beneficiary of this migration and I want a little slice. Even the little one would be tremendously helpful to the city, but achieving it would be difficult, with the shadow undead blanketing the city. Still, now the chances are better than ever. "I hope, everyone will do their best to achieve the tasks they have been given," I said as I finished giving tasks to everyone. They are big, most will likely not be able to sleep today. Some, like Robin, are leaving the city tonight. They nodded and got up, before leaving. The one who didn''t leave is Valentina. "No orders for me?" she asked with an arched brow. "You already finished the task," I replied, and the smile on her face widened. She is a person, who knows me the best aside from girls. The moment she found out about the legacy had advanced. She acted, knowing this is what I would want to do. "How long will it take for them to come to the city?" I asked, and her expression turned serious. "Ed will leave Panar in a few minutes. Our construction partners from the merchant state will leave in a few hours. They will be in the city, before the afternoon," she replied. I had also called Miss Rolgath, Miss Ulaxasys, and Lady Blackwell. We need to make changes to the tower. When the legacy was Grade II; it used to cover fourteen floors, but not the entire area of it. Just twenty-nine thousand square feet of it, in the middle. The rest were the domain of plants, but now at Grade III. The legacy covers every inch of the tower. So, I need to make the changes. So, I could use more than half of the area, that had been the domain of the plants till now and I have to do it in twenty-five days. Twenty-four since this day is nearly over. The next month is the founding day of the city. The same day, the establishment had opened two years ago. It is a massive change, especially for the legacy, and would have taken much longer than twenty-five days. If I had made the preparations for it already. When I was building the tower. I was not building it for a Grade II legacy, but for Grade III. However, I didn''t expect my legacy would advance to Grade III, just a little more than a month after the opening. I had expected it would take years or even decades. So, there is not as much as work, one would expect, but there is still a lot, and I would need to close all fourteen floors until it is finished. Thankfully, the whole tower wouldn''t close. Unlike the sixteen floors, the other five floors wouldn''t close. The lobby and four floors house the stores. Unlike the fourteen floors that are made for the legacy. The other five are using every inch of the space. Now that it has turned into a legacy, I would be able to harvest emotion from a large number of people who come to visit those floors, making no changes to them. "The whole twenty-one floors of the tower are in the legacy. It''s really close to reaching Colosseum Class," said Valentina, and all of us smile. Lola, Zela, and me. "What?" she asked, looking confused. "Twenty-six and a half floors, Chief Elar. The velvet garden had become a Colosseum Class legacy," replied Lola, shocking Valentina. It took her a few seconds to calm herself before she turned to me. "Are you building five floors?" she asked. To that, I shook my head. "Underground?" she asked, and I nodded. "What are you going to do there?" she asked, and I smiled. There are two options in front of me to use that space. I have to choose one and I plan to make the decision before the sun comes up tomorrow. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 472: Merchant of Desire Chapter 472: Merchant of Desire [Condition Met: Dealer of Desire ¨C Merchant of Desire] Merchant of Desire Lv. 30 [Master of Legacy] Merchant of Desire Lv. 31 [Master of Legacy] Merchant of Desire Lv. 32 [ Master of Legacy] [Skill Gained: Eyes of Master] [Conditions Met: Good''s Instinct¨CMaster''s Instincts] "Fuck!" I cursed out loud, with shock and joy. My eyes fixed on the single line. It is not the change of class, nor it is the three levels I gained in it, but the skill. Eyes of Master. This freaking skill. It had changed everything. Eyes of Master is the skill that nearly every master of legacy has. Especially those with their legacies in Grade III and above. It is the most common skill. Along with the vault. The skill lets them see what is happening in their legacy. The masters do not like the skill much and prefer any other in its place. Because if they concentrate enough, they can feel what is happening in their legacy, which is nearly as good as seeing. Unlike them, this skill is tremendously useful to me. Even that isn''t enough to describe it. I didn''t dare to think about it much and instead activated the skill. Hun! I tried to use it, but it didn''t work. I felt worried before hitting my head. "I am such an idiot," I muttered and powered the skill with essence. Immediately, the skill roared. With my will, I focused on the lobby, and instantly the lobby appeared in front of me as I was standing in there, but unlike watching from eyes, that only provided a limited angle. Here, I could see everything in the lobby, every corner and angle. There are heavy guards present in the lobby and outside of it to manage the heavy guards. Because of the advancement, everyone wants to visit. Before it was, only those with reservations could enter the legacy, but with the whole tower turning into the legacy, everybody wants to enter to experience the legacy. Many had been here, since the last night. We needed to up the security to manage the crowd, but it''s not a permanent solution. We need to find a better solution for it. A few advised to me charge fees to visit the store floors, but I shot that down. There will be no fees; the store floors will be open to the public, at no cost. I wasn''t able to do that with fourteen floors, but I will do that with the store floors. It is my wish that every person in the city takes the pleasure of legacy, but for that, a sustainable solution would be needed. I changed the focus to the first floor, and the first floor appeared in front of me. It''s crowded; more crowded, than the first day of the tower opening. I could feel the emotions they were generating. If I kept getting such an emotion. I will get a lot of emotion essence and it will be a Grade III. I looked at one floor after another. Till I reach the top floor, I am in. This is what every Eyes of Master could do, but now, I am going to do that only my Eyes of Master could. It is for this reason, that I got shocked by getting skill and became ecstatic. Some might even say, it might make me near omniscient. Though, I do not agree with it. I focused and immediately; the garden came in front of me. The quality of vision had lessened. From like 8k to HD, but it is still very clear. I could see everything, people eating, walking, smiling. I could see the crowd and faces of people as they looked at the tower with awe and longing. I willed it and the vision moved out of the garden. I could see streets, squares, and everything else. There is nothing that could be hidden from me. I could even see in the homes of people and other buildings. Though, in there, quality lessened. From colored to grainy black and white. It depends upon what sort of building it is. If it is public and belongs to the city, the quality would be greater. If it is private, then the quality would lessen. I will have to see the intricacies of it, but one thing is clear. I could see everything in my city. Nothing is hidden from me. This skill is too dangerous. I can not let anyone know about it. If the news of it spreads; it will affect many things. Nobody wants to live in a city where a lord could see everything. Especially the higher leveled people. It is also in my best interest. If nobody knows about it, it is hard to hard to guard against it. I feel slightly complicated with this skill but in this dangerous world. It will help me tremendously to protect me and mine. I only have one skill at this level-up, but I don''t mind. This one skill is equal to ten to me. ¡¤ Quick Parry ¡¤ Razor Edge ¡¤ Active Presence ¡¤ Vision Projection ¡¤ Instant Recollection ¡¤ Artistic Dealings ¡¤ Copy Skill - Focus ¡¤ Telepathic Call ¡¤ Energizing Essence ¡¤ Gymnasts Control ¡¤ Lord''s Presence ¡¤ March Of The Braves ¡¤ Laws of My Land ¡¤ Mark of Mist ¡¤ Fast Reflexes ¡¤ Public Works ¡¤ Appointment Legacy Demesne of Desire II Skills ¡¤ Master of Legacy ¡¤ Laws of Legacy ¡¤ Share Authority (7) ¡¤ Vault of Ru ¡¤ Demesne Expansion ¡¤ Instant Restoration Attribute Points 0 ''There are really few skills from the Merchant of Desire,'' I thought, looking at the table. Which isn''t surprising. Merchant of Desire had been a single class from the beginning. Unlike many classes, that made the Valorous Lord of Courage. I looked at the table for a few seconds before closing and got out of the bed. I had slept quite late, nearly an hour away from dawn, and had three hours of sleep, but I am feeling great and well-rested. Before sleeping. I had focused on the full power of the Rest Charm on me. With Legacy reached Grade III; its power had also increased tremendously. I quickly freshened up and showered before walking out. Click! Soon, I stepped into the office, and there were only Lola and Andrea. Since Carla and Hendriks are out; she has left Andrea in charge of her duties. "My lord," they greeted. I nodded and sat down, thinking. I already thought about it and made the decision last night after considering the pros and cons of both choices. "Casino; the five floors underground will have the casino," I said, surprising them. There were two options in front of me. First is a casino, and second is sports. There are indoor sports similar to bowling and a few unique ones, that didn''t have similarities on earth. Both options bring large numbers and greater emotions, but after thinking about it. I decided to go with the casino; it suits my vision better. It will also help with attracting new people to the city. A Legacy casino is always attractive, especially when there are only five of them on the continent. It will be four. I heard the master of one is near death and won''t even survive a year. "I will issue the notification," said Andrea, and I nodded. It will be issued in empire and merchant states. I will see the offer and make my decision. It won''t be ready by the founding day. We might not be able to get all the offers by then, much less select them and begin the changes to house the casino. I am not going to hurry. There are five floors at the stake, with a tremendous impact on the city. I need to make the best decision without bowing to the pressure of time or the people. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 473: Equalising Chapter 473: Equalising [Condition Met: Witch of Luminescent Legacy ¨C High Witch of Luminescent Legacy] High Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 30 High Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 31 High Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 32 [Skill Gained: Upgrade Charms] [Condition Met: ...] [Condition Met: ...] [Condition Met: ...] Madam Lv. 18 Madam Lv. 19 Madam Lv. 20 [Conditions Met: Madam- Madam of Radiant Legacy] [Skill Gained: ...] [Conditions Met: ...] [Conditions Met: ...] I looked at the long texts in front of me. ¡°I thought this would be the time,¡± I muttered, looking at the lines of text. My main class and the madam class hadn¡¯t merged. I thought the chances were good this time, but it seemed like I hadn¡¯t satisfied all the conditions yet. I do not mind it much. I am getting more skills and extra attribute points, now that the second class has reached level 20. Both of my classes were upgraded as well. My Witch Class had upgraded to High Witch, and I got the skill, that will make a really hard job slightly easier. I may have used a grand ritual, but my understanding of it is low. It was enough until Grade II but needed to upgrade it for Grade III. I will have to begin upgrading again. This time, it will be far more difficult. Grade IV wields significantly more power than Grade III. Whether it is witchcraft, alchemy, or spellcraft. It happened every three levels. A High Mage is significantly more powerful than the Mage. The last time, I had six months to upgrade. It was easier, with the few responsibilities. Seeing the tower being constructed in that period. Now, that wouldn¡¯t be care with the whole tower turning into the legacy. Last night is an example. There was so much work that I had slept past dawn. There will be a lot of responsibilities. It will be a challenge to find time to study the craft and work on upgrades. Not to mention, really expensive. I don¡¯t know how much time I have. I thought it would take years for a legacy to advance to Grade III, but it had happened in less than a year. Most legacies take at least a decade to reach Grade IV from Grade III, but this isn¡¯t a normal legacy. I will need to work thinking it will take less. If someone hears my thoughts. They would call me mad. Every legacy could reach Grade III. Their vision that sparks the legacy is enough to take them to Grade III with sufficient time, but Grade IV is the real challenge. Unlike the essence, the plants will take time to grow, and there are risks involved with it. Like someone destroying them with a spell or disease. ¡°I will contact the mistress, then,¡± he said. A few minutes later, I walked away from him. A lot of things will need to be discussed, like the kind of plants that will need to be planted. The plants I planted in the legacy were to give patrons a sensory experience. Every plan in the legacy is beautiful and releases wonderful smells that are better than even the most expensive perfume. The garden would be different. Here, commerce will be a priority. The plants will be beautiful. Every plant is, especially those that absorb the emotion essence, but these plants will be planted with money in mind. I want to sell the plants to the alchemist, but I also need them for my own purpose. It would be incredible if I had succeeded in it. Click! ¡°There is a message from Archmage City. They have upgraded your invitation,¡± said Zela as I stepped back into my office. ¡°They acted fast,¡± I replied as I sat down. The grade of the invitation depends on the grade of the legacy. Now that the legacy had reached Grade III; they upgraded the invitation as well. The upgrade comes with many benefits. Including the larger entourage. ¡®Master Silver, come to the roof, please.¡¯ I was working, when a familiar voice of Caena rang out. I was about to ask her reason, but hearing the gravity in her voice, I decided not to do it. Three and a half minutes later, I finished what I had been working on and walked out of my office. Click! Soon, I stepped onto the roof, where there is only Caena was present. I looked at her, but she didn¡¯t reply. I felt her accessing the most powerful planet and a moment later. A yellow fireball materialized in front of her, which rapidly started getting bigger. It only stopped, till it became as big as a gym ball. Made of dense fire. Siege Fireball. A Grade 3 spell. ¡°What we had expected had happened,¡± she said, and my expression turned serious. I hope it would not, but the laws of the world couldn¡¯t be bent for long. ¡°Still a Grade III,¡± I said, and she nodded. ¡°Its power had been amplified and some could say, it has a weak Grade IV power, but it¡¯s still in the realm of Grade III,¡± she replied. ¡°Equalizing,¡± I muttered. Because of the grand ritual and power of legacy, we used to power. The spells used to jump the grade, but they couldn¡¯t anymore. The world had taken notice and suppressed the power of the spells. Their power is still amplified, but they cannot jump the grade like before. Caena had already told me it would happen. The world would take notice and balance things out. ¡°What about Grade I and Grade II spells?¡± I asked. ¡°They can still jump the grade,¡± she replied. Those who can cast Grade III spells are mages, while those who cast Grade IV spells are high-mages. There is a huge power difference between them. In the first battle, we needed three powerhouses and a lot of luck to keep the high mages contained. The equalizing made me disappointed, but I am happy with the fact that the outer range covers the whole city and Grade III spells could still be amplified to near Grade IV. If we ever fall into a desperate state. We could use the spells from the wall. Bury our enemies with so many spells. That breaching the wall would be the last thought in their mind. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 474: Risk Chapter 474: Risk Everything turned dark, and a moment later, the core appeared. It is blazing brightly with dense emotion power, while witchcraft while the planets revolved around it. It''s really a beautiful scene. Though I had not summoned it to admire its beauty. A pack of bottles appeared in my hand A moment later, a dense mist came off from the core, entering the planet. Filling it with beautiful colors that I wanted it to continue, but unfortunately, it could not. It stopped after a few seconds. A moment after that, the color begins to drain. Within seconds, all the color got drained from it. Leaving it just as before. I raised my hand, and twelve bottles came flying. Unlike before, they are not empty. I looked at the mist inside them. It looked at such, that they are the building blocks of the world. Some say they are. It''s so dense that it feels like liquid, but it''s still a mist. It would turn to liquid in Grade IV. I sighed, and everything disappeared, including the twelve bottles as I appeared in my office. I smiled and resumed the work. It''s a new store-floors policy. Now that the whole tower had turned to the legacy. I have to make changes in the policy of operating them. There hadn''t been even a full day since the legacy started, and we have already seen stone owners increasing the prices exorbitantly. We put a stop to that immediately and closed two stores. They had crossed the limit. It''s clear that the existing policy wouldn''t work anymore. Thankfully, I know what I have to do. I have nearly finished with the proposal. It is a basic one; it will work till I create a comprehensive one by the opening day. ''Master Silver, they have arrived,'' informed Lola. Hearing that, I had stopped and got up. Click! I was out of the door a second later. Lola, standing in front of the conference room opened it for me. I nodded my thanks and stepped inside. "Lord Silver," They greeted and bowed; the only one who didn''t was Lady Blackwell. I nodded at her, before turning to the rest of the table. Everyone is there, Valentina Amellus, Miss Rolgath, Miss Ulaxasyn, and our construction partners. "It wasn''t a long ago; I had told you all that I would like to see you all under my legacy''s roof once again. I thought it would take a few years for that to happen, but it happened in less than forty days," I said, and all of them laughed. "I for one glad for that," said Lady Blackwell. "Congratulations on the advancement of your legacy, Lord Silver," she congratulated. "Thank you, Lady Blackwell," I thanked, before making my expressions serious. "So, will you all be able to do it by the founding day?" I asked the question directly instead of ordering them to do it. If they say, it''s not possible. Then I will postpone the opening. I want the changes to be perfect I don''t want the rushed work. "It will be challenging, but the interiors will be done by the timeline," replied Miss Rolgath. "So will be the plants," added Miss Ulaxasys. I turned to Amellus and the construction partners. "It will be done," he said finally. "Good," I replied. "You will begin the work immediately and will have ten more days to tell me. If it could be finished within a time," "Five extra floors and he wants to open a casino in it," he said, with his voice shaking. He knew the legacy had covered twenty-one floors of the tower, but now there are even five floors. The domain of it shocked him. He understood well how much the size of the legacy matters. They have the second biggest legacy under Grade II and the twelfth biggest in all the legacies of the continent. He didn''t say anything reading it, but the ring on his finger lit up as he contacted his contacts and information came soon. He digested it, before turning to his mother. "What do you want to do with the information mother?" he asked slowly. He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her. "I want us to apply for that space," she replied. I expected it, but it still shook me. We have a legacy, and we open many branches of our business. Accumulating a lot of wealth and influence. If it had been any other place. I wouldn''t have been surprised, much less shocked, but it is a legacy and one with a bright future. In the morning grandfather had that as long as Silver didn''t die in the next few decades. Its ascendant into the throne is all but guaranteed. "This offer is only for the merchant state and empire. I don''t think, Silver will not want to bear their wrath choosing us?" "He wouldn''t choose us, with conflict in vision for our legacy." "There is also a reason being Ilden allied with Geim, and they are attacking Harsoth. Not to mention, the undead, that could capture the city at any moment," "Most importantly, I don''t think it is wise. We are critical time, we should focus on grandfather and getting our hands on the most lucrative branches," "Uncles have already good, many of the good branches," Grandfather is dying. So is legacy; the moment he dies, the legacy will disappear as well. The thought is terrifying. The that brought us so much wealth and influence going to disappear, so suddenly. "I think, this is the right time, my son," she said and sighed with her head filled with worries. It had been for years. There was a hope, that our efforts will succeed, and some throne will agree to make our legacy a pawn. It failed, just as it failed to make any of them its heirs. "The legacy is our shield. It''s going to disappear and with it most of our influence," "It is what protected us. Once the shield disappears, no one will protect us; the vultures will eat our flesh bit by bit, till nothing remains," She understood well what would happen to them. It had already started happening. Her father had been a merciless businessman. He had made a lot of enemies, not just of merchant houses, but also of noble, powerful nobles. They will not let us live in peace. She looked at her son, who was deep in thought. She too is having hundreds of thoughts, but she is clear about one thing. Ilden isn''t safe for them. They won''t die; the king will make sure of that at least. Not because he cares, but because he will need to for the other legacies in the kingdom. There will be restrictions. They won''t be able to do the business as they had been and many other things. It''s better to start a new one. Use Velvet Garden as the springboard to enter the new market. It won''t be easy and there will be danger to life, but it won''t be as much restrictive as it will be here. They won''t die a slow death. "It''s too risky Mom. There are undead and I don''t think it is viable, even if Grandfather somehow accepts it. The kingdom won''t, nor would Harsoth or merchant''s states," "Even Silver won''t accept it," he said, and I smiled. "He might, because there is something only, we could offer to him," she said. He was confused for a moment before the understanding dawned on his face and his eyes widened. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 475: Policy and Access Chapter 475: Policy and Access Eltson "No, they should be on the upper shelf," I said to my son. He removed the shoes and put them on the upper shelf, where the blue and red mist floated, making one feel like they were in heaven. Everyone is here helping me. My son, wife, and two assistants. Usually, my son doesn''t like to work in a shop. He rather fool around with friends than help his old father in the store, but since yesterday, he had not left the store even once. He had even slept here last night. I am still shocked by what happened two nights ago. I had discussed with my family and friends about legacy turning into Grade III, but that should have taken at least a decade, not more than a month. Things have changed tremendously since it happened. Everything in my shop had been sold. Last night, I visited all the shoe shops and cobblers and bought their best stock. I had even placed an order in Owlspring, which will be coming by evening. I craft most of the shoes I sell in my workshop above my house. I had huge stock, that would have lasted me a month, but it didn''t last a day. It''s not just with my store; it has to happen with every store on the four floors. Ting! I was in the midst of adjusting the shelf with my assistant when the door opened. I was about to say we were closed. When I had stopped; seeing who had entered. It''s Irving and his daughter. "It''s time," he said, and my expressions turned serious. "Already, I said and looked at the clock. It''s only ten minutes till seven. Sana came toward me and touched my clothes. A moment later, the dust and other things rolled out of my clothes. "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine," she said. "Thank you." I really needed to hear those words. Lord Silver had called the meeting at seven, and I am fearing the worst. I really hope he didn''t remove the stores. "Relax, it isn''t going to happen," said Irving as I reached him. "Really? Did he say that?" I asked. He had been called to meet Lord Silver last night. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "There will be a lot of changes, but no removal," he replied. Hearing that, relief flooded in my heart. "At least not now," he added. Immediately, a bit of that relief evaporated. I looked at him for an explanation. "I already told you more than I should," he said and walked out of the store, while I followed behind. Irving Gagarin is Lord''s most trusted man, among the store owners. He had earned that trust with his blood; he had fought in the first and second battles against the undead. Hun! We passed by his store. When I noticed something, and stopped in my tracks. "Is that a furnace?" I asked. There was a limited space in every store. We manage every inch carefully, but now I am seeing a furnace at his store. Right in the class window, where everybody could see him. Is it aura? I couldn''t help, but ask myself. I have never felt an aura, but I heard so many things about it. It is said, Lord Silver had awakened it in his battle in the Panar. "The whole tower had turned to the legacy, the policies need to be changed," he said. I felt relieved, hearing that. Irving had said, but hearing Lord Silver not talking about removing us had made me feel relieved. "The first thing that will change is policy on pricing. It needs to be in a certain range, and you all will need to follow it strictly." "Those who will disregard it will face punishment from fine to expulsion from the tower," he stated, looking at two, who looked down in shame. "The second, there will be a stricter oversight on the stores." "Mr. Hendricks will remain an authority on store floors, but now there will be the floor leaders," he stated, looking at the four people behind him. I felt relieved. I do not mind restriction and Mr. Hendricks is a good man. He does weekly meetings and many of his suggestions helped my business a lot. I looked at four people, behind him and couldn''t help, but wonder who would be responsible for my floor. "The third change will be access. Those loyal will get access to the legacy''s essence for their crafts," he said, and the earthquake went through the store owners. Every store owner is professional. They make and craft the things they sell. It is one of one of the requirements to get the store in the tower. I was confused about it, but now it become clear. The man planned it before the legacy had reached Grade III. No wonder he was able to advance his legacy so fast. He is something else. I turned and saw Miss Eva; everyone was looking at her. Only her store had access to the essence. "Guildmaster Gagarin," said Lord Silver. I cleared my thoughts and looked at Irving. He got up and walked toward Lord Silver. "My lord," he said, before kneeling in front of him. Lord Silver looked at him, and at that moment, I felt something. I felt as weight as heavy as the mountain and light as a feather; it suppressed my very being. I looked at Lord Silver and felt him become tall and large as a legacy itself. "Guildmaster Gagarin, you are the true son of the city and shed blood to defend it from our enemies. You are also a blacksmith who had served his city faithfully." "For your service, I, Remus Silver. Master of Velvet Garden, grant you access to its essence and hope, that you will take your craft to the next level and make your city proud," He declared with a voice that seemed in my very mind. I felt the change. I cannot describe it, but I felt it and I want it. I may be nothing but a humble shoemaker, but I feel the essence could help my craft reach a completely different realm. "Thank you for this great honor, my lord, I will not disappoint you," said Irving, with tears streaming from him. I now understood the furnace in his shop. He knew he was going to get access to the essence, which he could only use in the legacy and thus, the furnace. "I know you will not," replied Lord, and helped him get up, while we applaud. I could see the fire in the eyes of every store owner. Like me, they want what Irving has got. It''s going to be very interesting to see what they will do to gain it. That is the question, the lord didn''t explain. What will we need to do to get access to the essence? Lord Silver had been vague about it. "There will be more policy changes in the coming weeks till the opening." "I hope, you will follow them as sincerely as possible and not bring shame to Velvet Garden and me," he said and left with Madam Caena and his guards, while Mr. Hendriks stepped forward, with four people behind him. I felt relieved seeing that. There are a lot of questions I have to ask this old man. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 476: Offer Chapter 476: Offer "How about this, my lord?" asked Miss Rolgath as her assistant flipped the page on the board. Immediately, another interior design appeared. It is rough, without any colors, but as I looked at it. It begins to fill with colors and soon, the entire image comes out of the page. As it did, I did not see the image, but the entire fifteenth floor in these interiors. It''s an amazing skill. If I didn''t have a Vision Projection; I would have desired it. "It''s good. Add it to the list," I said after a few minutes. She nodded and turned to her assistant, who flipped the page once again. All the interior ideas are based on the current interior theme we have, but we are going to expand it to the whole floor and enhance it. It had been six days since the legacy had advanced to Grade III and every floor aside from the underground, lobby, and store floors were being renovated. Temporarily, most of the plants have been moved underground where Mage Irgal and his people taking care of them. A lot of things have been broken and are being remade. On every floor, people are working on different parts and among them, not a single person is below level 20. A third of them are over twenty-five. We need people with a good level for the fast and quality work. A week had nearly passed, and now there are only two and a half weeks before we open again. Looking at the pace, they are making progress. We will be ready to open on the founding day. One by one, I checked all eight designs and turned to Miss Rolgath. "Make changes to the sixth one; add the color scheme of the third and lightning of the ninth," I said to her. "I will ready the design by afternoon," she replied. A few minutes later, she left, while I remained thinking. I stayed in my office for half an hour more before walking out. As I did, I immediately began to hear the sound and soon, saw people everywhere working on different things. Big changes are happening on the top floor and all around the tower. Including a direct elevator to the roof from the lobby. We are changing the entire system of the elevator. Bringing a more expensive, but efficient one. I didn''t choose it last time, because it was seven times more expensive to build and just as expensive to manage. We didn''t need that, but we need it now. I knew I would need it for Grade III, but I thought. It is years away. If I knew it was going to be a little over a month after the opening, I would have chosen this expensive one. The new system is going to be faster and will take less space. Most importantly, it will be able to ferry a large number without any problem. It is not just the elevator, I am changing the way people come to the legacy. Like before, the girls couldn''t come through the underground floor. It is going to be a casino. So, we designed a different and more efficient route for them. I walked around, looking at the changes happening. The people looked at me but didn''t bow. I had forbidden it to the people working. Seeing how many times I came out through the day. It wastes a lot of time of these people and there has been even an accident. I could watch it with my new skills, but it didn''t give me as satisfaction as I get watching with my own eyes. "Master Silver, it''s eleven," said informed Lola. I nodded and turned toward my office. As I reached it; I saw seven people in a waiting room. I sat down in my chair, and Lola placed the file in front of me. I read through it quickly before turning to her. "Send the first one," I said to her. Click! A few seconds later, a woman in her thirties walked in. She is a redhead with pale blue eyes and a round face, that anyone would fall for. She is a Celah Poots from Namdar. Eva had recommended her. "What do you think?" I asked. "We should take it," she replied directly. I thought there would be a hesitation or a few seconds of thinking, but there is none. "They will milk it before it comes to us," I said, and she smiled. "They won''t be able to milk it for over 25%, which is the highest they could. The condition of the master isn''t good. He won''t be able to milk it over 15% before he dies," she replied. "The imperials and the merchants won''t be happy. They are already lobbying hard." I said. I am not overestimating their reaction. They really want those five floors for their business. There are casinos in the city, and they also want the space, but their business is not mature enough compared to the best. The ones who sent the letter are the best on the entire continent. Onix Halcyon. Is the legacy casino in Ilden and unofficially, the empire considers them the enemy. They are allied with the kingdom of Geim and provide them arms and other others in their war against the empire. This is another factor making the negotiations complicated, but they are offering a real prize. The core. When a legacy dies; its core is divided into hundreds of parts and goes to different legacies, but if the host willed it. It then goes to a specific legacy. It is called the first bite. The specific legacy can absorb the elements they want before releasing the core, which will then be divided into hundreds of parts, which will be divided into the legacies from the world. There is also milking. A humiliating process that fills my heart with rage. "Then we will give them so much emotion essence that anger is the last emotion they will feel toward us," she replied. Making Lola surprised. Now, she will know some secrets; that very few people are aware of. "How much we could harvest from it if we got the first bite?" I asked her. The core contains a true essence of legacy. It''s precious, but taking the true essence directly is dangerous. It has a vision of an original master, which could corrupt their own vision. It is why, even when one gets the first bite. They didn''t absorb over 1% of it. Extremely careful. That they wouldn''t don''t get polluted. It''s why many hosts of legacies don''t even accept the essence of a deal legacy. "If we made the right preparations. Then around 6% to 8%," she replied, and I nearly sucked a breath. Sup! Lola did. It might seem much, but it is massive. She had come to know about a few things. She understood well how much emotion essence the core contains. Even I didn''t dare to believe it and looked at her. "If we accept their offer, then we will not only take the essence, but the whole legacy, the casino. Absorbing their vision into ours. Which will make harvesting the core much smoother," she replied. ''Witchcraft.'' I thought. It is a concept magic. She explained it to me, and it is a dangerous thing. Because of her, I know a lot about witchcraft, and I would rather face a powerful mage, than a witch of the same level. They are terrifying. "So, we should accept it?" I asked once again. "Yes," she replied. I will need to send people for the negotiations. There are a few things that need to be sorted out. The question is who to send. Carla and Robin are unavailable. So is Hardt. Arryn is busy with the task, and I would need Valentina in the city. I could have sent Andria, but she needs to handle the business side of things in Carla''s absence, and Varza isn''t good enough yet. That leaves Margaux and Hendriks. They too are busy with their responsibility, but they will have to do it since I don''t trust any other people that are available. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 477: Daughter Chapter 477: Daughter Margaux Swan "Inam," said Hendricks, as he appeared by me at the railing. Looking at the city. I had passed by it a few times but never dared to take a step in it. There was always an excuse, but the real reason was that I wanted to keep her away from me. Not let the taint touch her in which she had grown. Today, I am going to meet my daughter after three long years. Every day had been unbearable, but now I will finally see her, hug her, kiss her, without fear of tainting her. I have become powerful enough to not let the taint ever touch her. I thought I would never accomplish it, and I was fine with that. I just wanted her to be happy in her life, away from me and my shadow. Now, that fear is gone. ... Ella Swan "Stop," said the guard as we tried to pass through the gate. "This is a reserved pier. Do you have permission?" he asked. "No," I replied nervously. "Mr. Guard is right. This is a reserved pier for the most distinguished guests of the lord. I think your mother made a mistake, El," said Magda. She is my roommate of three years and best friend. She is the only one, I had talked about my mom and what she does. I looked at the letter, and the number of the pier was written on it. "We will wait for a few minutes before going to another pier," I said. She wanted to say something but didn''t and instead sighed dramatically. "Fine," she agreed. A few minutes passed, and no ship appeared. I didn''t think, my mother''s ship would appear here, but I am staying, despite it might be a mistake in writing the pier''s number. I was thirteen when I left redfawn and now, at sixteen, I am going to see her finally. I miss her dearly and in two years. I wanted to go to Greltheaven to meet her, but she forbade me from coming. "Step aside," said the guard suddenly, and moved us aside with his spear. "Rude," Magda muttered. A few seconds later, a luxury carriage bearing the city''s flag appeared and began to move through the gate. The carriage stopped not far from us, but no person got out. Minutes passed, and I was about to leave with Magda when a ship appeared. No, it''s not a ship, but a yacht. Far more beautiful than the one Magda''s father rented for her birthday last year. "It''s beautiful," said Magda as it reached the pier. That is when the doors of the carriages opened and people walked out of it and went toward the pier. "Someone important must be coming for so many of them to come to welcome them," I said, looking at an important-looking group of people. "Really important. See those flags on the yatch; the right one is the flag of the city of Greltheaven." "The left is the flag of the velvet garden; the legacy that advanced to Grade III, a week ago while the one in the center is the flag of a noble house of silver," "So, whoever is coming is pretty important. Might be a Lord Silver himself; I heard, he is quite handsome," he said, with a dreamy look in her eyes. We moved toward the pier where the ship at when I nearly stopped, seeing the woman talking with the group of people. She looked like my mom, but didn''t look like a woman I remember. She is very beautiful. Far more beautiful than I remember. Her make-up is perfect. So is her hair, and she is wearing a dress and jewelry that cost a fortune. I was looking at her, when she turned to me, and the smile on her face froze. Tears started to stream down her face, while the people beside her went quiet and turned to me. "My child," she said, and a moment later, she appeared beside her. Moving so fast that I only saw the blur. A moment later, I found her arms around me with her tears streaming down my dress. Tears coming out of my eyes too and they are falling on her expressive dress. She may look different and feel more powerful, but she is my mom. "I missed you so much, that every day had been painful without you," she said with a voice hiccupping. "I missed you too, Mom," I said, hugging her tightly. She may look different and wear expensive clothes, but she is my mother. The woman who sacrificed so much for me. We finally let go and he looked at me with her hand on my cheek. "You have grown taller, but you should eat more, dear. You look thin," she said, caressing my cheek gently. "I am eating, Mom," I said, with my cheeks flooding. She smiled and turned to Magda. "You must be Magda. Thank you for being so a good friend to my daughter," said Mom. Magda, who liked to talk so much, went quiet for a second. "We are friends," she replied nervously, in awe. Mom smiled, seeing that before she turned back to me. "Dear, give me a few minutes and then we will leave," she said, I nodded, and she went to talk to the people. "Who is your mother?" asked Magda in a whisper-scream. "I told you already," I replied, and she glared at me. "You told me, your mother is, was a p-word. Does the woman talking with Adviser Fisk and Vice-Guildmaster Madden look a former p-word to you?" she asked once again in a whisper-scream. "I am as confused as you," I replied truthfully, looking at my mother. A few minutes later, she walked toward me, with Aunt Cath and others. "Ellie, this is this is Chief Hendriks. He worked with your aunt Carla," she said, looking at the old man. "And this is Mr. Fisk, adviser to Lord of Inam and Vice-Guildmaster Madden of Inam''s merchant guild," she introduced. "Hello, I am Elanor Blank," I introduced myself, biting down the heavy nervousness. They all shook my hand, before turning to my mother. "Miss Swan, you should have told us. Your daughter studies in our city. We would have taken better care of her," said Adviser Fisk. "She is a shy child adviser, and I wanted her to focus on her studies," he replied. "It''s such a regret that you won''t attend the party. Well, we will meet you at the venue," he said, and mother smiled. Soon, he left with others and Aunt Cathy. Leaving my mom with me. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 478: Daughter II Chapter 478: Daughter II Margaux Swan "You two have a pleasant time; I will meet you, both at the dorm," said the violet-haired girl and walked away, before I could say anything to her. Ella had written a lot about her friend a lot. She and her family gave her a normalcy I had never been able to give her. I feel bad seeing her leaving. I wanted to thank her, but also grateful that I will be able to spend some alone time with my daughter. ... Ella Swan I watched Magda leave and couldn''t help, but feel bad. We are inseparable, but now she left to give me some alone time with Mom. "Let''s go. We have only a few hours and a lot of things to do," said Mom and walked toward the black carriage, which had the flags of the city of Greltheavena and the velvet garden. Click! The driver opened the door for us, and we stepped inside. The carriage is a luxury one and feels better than the one Magda''s parents have. "What do you do, mother?" I asked as the carriage began to move. Mother didn''t tell me much about her job. Other than saying, she didn''t sleep with people anymore. Maybe I should ask around, but I didn''t listen much to anything that was happening around me. My only source of information about current affairs is Magda and her information most of the time is gossip. "I told you, dear; I am in charge of things that happen in the background. My responsibilities lie in managing the girls," she replied, smiling. "It''s like a Madam?" I asked. "Kind of," she replied, with a smile. "Enough about me. Tell me about yourself. How is school? Your studies? Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked one question after another while taking my hand in hers. Her eyes are inquisitive. She wants to know everything. "School is good. I only have one exam remaining in this academic year. I have prepared for it and won''t have a problem in clearing it," I replied. There is one more thing, but I am debating whether to tell or not. Telling her would be useless; it''s not like we can afford it, despite her new standing. "And boyfriend?" she asked, and a face appeared in front of me. I pushed it away quickly. "No boyfriend, mom; I want to focus on my studies first," I replied. "It''s good you are focusing on your studies, dear, but don''t always stay in your dorm. Enjoy the life a little," she said. "I am, Mom," I replied exasperatedly. It''s not the first time she has said something like this; she always says this in her letters. We talked for a few minutes when the carriage stopped. "We are there," said Mom and I was about to ask, where we were when the door opened, and I saw the familiar building. "Come out, dear," said Mother as she got out. I nodded and stepped out hesitantly. This is a collection that is not open to the public yet. It will be sold next month if what Magda said is right and she is telling me everything is free. There was barely any change in Mom''s face hearing that. "Choose any dress you want and don''t worry Miss Eva won''t be angry if you choose everything," said Mom, while the saleswoman smiled nervously at that. It''s a joke. I chose the first dress. The black dress and went to the changing room, before coming out. "It looks beautiful, dear," said Mom, and it does. It fits me perfectly and would be suitable for any formal occasion. Seeing myself in it, a smile couldn''t help, but appear on my face. "Try another, dear." She said, and I did, and then another. One by one, I begin to try many dresses. There seemed to be never the end of them. There will always be more dresses to try. I finally stopped, and we immediately moved to the shoes. The shoes are just as beautiful as the dresses. "We have to go to the academy soon, Mom, before the visiting hours end," I said as the woman removed another pair of shoes from my feet. She sighed. "Which pairs do you want?" she asked a moment later. "The green and red one," I replied. A few minutes later, we were walking out of the store with three dresses and two pairs of shoes. "I wanted to buy you everything, but there is no time," she said with regret. "It''s fine, Mom, this is already more than enough," I replied, and it is. "They will do for now; I will buy you more stuff when you come to the Grelthaven," she said and I couldn''t help, but become surprised. "Are you finally allowing me to come visit you?" I asked, and she smiled. "It is a wonderful city. You will love it," she said. I smiled joyfully. Finally, I will be able to spend days with my mother. Soon, we were in the carriage, and a few minutes later. It reached the academy. I was about to ask the driver to stop and took out the visiting card Magda helped me get when I saw the carriage directly entering the academy. The guards didn''t even stop it. They let it pass through without even checking it. I looked at my mother with a question, but she simply smiled. Soon, the carriage stopped, and we got out. I begin to show my mom the academy. From the classrooms too to the library to the garden where I like to study. People would look at us whenever we go. Some openly, some covertly. Mom seemed used to it. Seeing, she barely batted an eye. Finally, we walked into my dorm building, where everyone began to look at us. Some looked surprised, while some looked confused. Well, to them, I am an orphan girl who hangs around with Magda. I didn''t have any friends or talk to any people. Click! Soon we reached the third floor and stepped inside my room, and I finally felt relieved. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 479: Daughter III Chapter 479: Daughter III Ella Swan Magda was reading a book, or rather a magazine, as we stepped inside the room. ¡°You guys came earlier than I thought,¡± she said, with her cheeks flooding as she tried to fix her messy bed. ¡°I wanted to spend more time with her, but I have an important meeting in less than two,¡± replied Mom with a regretful sigh. Before she turned to us. ¡°Girls, go ready yourself. I will take you both to lunch,¡± said Mom. ¡°You guys can go. I have some things to do,¡± said Magda, making an excuse. ¡°Nonsense, you are coming with us,¡± said Mom and her voice booked no argument. ¡°Ok,¡± Magda agreed after a moment of silence and took out a dress from her cupboard before changing behind the dividing curtain of the room. She came out, wearing a red dress. She looked beautiful, as always. I walked behind the curtain. A minute later, I came out, wearing a black dress and green shoes. ¡°Is that dress from the newest collection at Charles? I thought they aren¡¯t selling before twelve next month,¡± she asked, looking surprised. I sighed and took out the purple card from my bag and gave it to her. She looked shocked, as I had never seen her. ¡°Let¡¯s go girls,¡± said Mom and we were out of the door. ¡°How do you get this?¡± asked Magda in a whisper as she got control over her emotions. ¡°The owner is Mother''s friend,¡± I replied. This is what she said when I asked earlier. She seemed to have a hard time believing it. So am I. Everything feels like a dream. Soon, we got out of the dorm, and the carriage was waiting in front of the dorm. The carriages weren¡¯t allowed in the front, but this one did, and the guards weren¡¯t doing anything. The driver opened the door, and we stepped inside. ¡°Where we are going, Miss Swan? I can suggest a few places. We can also go to the restaurant that El likes a lot,¡± asked Magda as she finally calmed down. ¡°It¡¯s a good one. We will go to Ellie¡¯s favorite one next time and stop calling me, Miss Swan. You can call me Margaux,¡± said Mother. Magda nodded when suddenly her eyes went wide and her whole body shook. ¡°Are you perhaps, Headmistress Margaux?¡± she asked a moment later with her voice shaking. I felt like, I heard that name before, but never really focused. Seeing how much, Magda talks. Mom didn¡¯t say anything, but she smiled. This is answer enough and conformation shocked Magda even more. ¡°Headmistress?¡± I asked Mom. ¡°It¡¯s just the title, dear, nothing else,¡± replied Mom. Knowing, I would not get a proper answer from my mom. I turned to Magda. She didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds before opening her mouth. ¡°It is said that the triumvirate of women runs the legacy of Greltheaven.¡± ¡°Carla Salt handles the business side of it, and she is also said to be mistress of the lord of Greltheaven.¡± ¡°Caena Aris, is the madam of the legacy, it is under her command and Headmistress Margaux handles the pros, girls,¡± she replied, not moving her eyes away from Mom. I turned to my mom in shock. I am not that clueless about the world. I know about Aunt Carla; we write letters, but she never told me about what Mom does. Whenever I asked, she told me to ask my mom. I turned to my mother, and she didn¡¯t say anything other than smile. I was about to press her when something came to my mind. Something I read about a few days ago, but wasn¡¯t able to make the connection. ¡°Then, Aunt Ina?¡± I asked. ¡°Is Governor of Panar,¡± finished Mom, with pride flashing in her eyes. I am shocked. So much, that I couldn¡¯t even think properly. So, I slumped in my chair and closed my eyes to calm all the jumbling thoughts coming to my mind. I only opened my eyes when I felt the carriage and the door open. Mom walked out, then Magda and then me. When I saw where we were, my mind couldn¡¯t help, but freeze. ¡°I think, I reached the limit of shocks in one day,¡± said Magda with a sigh and followed behind my mom. ¡°I think I have seen someone familiar earlier. I will go meet them,¡± said Magda suddenly and secretly touched me while giving me a look. She wants me to talk about it. I thought about a moment, before turning to my mother. ¡°Mom, there is something. I have to tell you,¡± I said and worry flashed in her. ¡°What is it? Is someone doing something to you?¡± she asked, all worried. She was always worried about that and used to keep me hidden place while she worked. ¡°No, nothing like that,¡± I replied, before taking out an envelope from my bag and placing it in front of her. She looked at the letter before a surprise flashed in her. She took out the letter from it and the surprise turned into shock. ¡°Honey, congratulations,¡± said Mother, with her eyes blazing with joy and pride. The letter is from archimage city. Its acceptance letter from Archmage Academy; is one of the best mage academies in the entire world. I didn¡¯t think, I would get seeing how behind I am compared to students of a real magic academy, but I did. However, I wasn¡¯t good enough to be offered a scholarship. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a scholarship. The fees are too high, Mom,¡± I said, shaking my head. No matter how much, my mother is earning now. She couldn¡¯t afford to pay for a single year, much less the whole degree. It is the place where the most talented, smart, privileged people come. It¡¯s very competitive, that is less than 1% who applies gets the admission. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Your mother is here. She will pay for it,¡± said Mom, and tears couldn¡¯t help streaming down my eyes. I got off my and hugged my mom while crying. She had said the same thing when I got accepted three years ago. The academy was nothing special, and I got a scholarship, but money was needed. It was far more than what, she had saved, but she still managed to get it. ¡°Thank you, mom,¡± I said. I wanted to accept it, but I never could. Now my mom and made it possible, like she did years ago. ¡°Why are thanking me? I am a mother. It¡¯s my duty,¡± she replied. She had done so much. From changing my name to making me an orphan. I had seen the pain in her eyes when she saw my name and the orphan beneath it. She couldn¡¯t give me her name and have her as my mother officially. Nobody accepts the daughter of a prostitute. Even a common academy would have rejected my application. ¡°This is cause for a celebration,¡± she said a few seconds later the waiter came and a less than minute later, he brought the cake. It¡¯s beautiful. ¡°It is a one delicious looking cake,¡± she Magda as she returned. She also saw the letter and mouthed congratulations. We ate the cake, despite being full and, as Magda had said. It¡¯s really delicious. Soon we finished it when mom took out something from her bag and gave it to Magda. It looked like an invitation. The most beautiful, I had seen. ¡°This!¡± Magda said, shocked. ¡°An invitation to celebration at velvet garden. It¡¯s for you and your family,¡± replied Mom. Tears appeared in Magda¡¯s eyes. It''s a big thing, I heard her talk about Velvet Garden and opening night one and half months ago. Even her father praised it a lot and lamented that he could never invitation to function like that. Even to get a reservation there, he would need to wait for months. ¡°Thank you. My parents would be ecstatic,¡± thanked Magda, wiping her tears. ¡°This is the least I could do for what you and your family had done for my daughter,¡± Mom replied with her welling up. A few minutes passed, and Mom looked at the clock before sighing. ¡°I wish, I could stay with you with you more, my child, but there is an important meeting in a few minutes,¡± she said with a word filled with regret. ¡°We will meet after you finish, right?¡± I asked, and a faint hesitation appeared on her face. ¡°At least for a few minutes,¡± she replied after a moment of silence. ¡°That is enough. In two weeks, I will come to Greltheaven, and we will spend all the time together,¡± I said, and she smiled. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 480: Understanding Chapter 480: Understanding Aman Halcyon Click! The door opened and three people walked inside the small conference room. The man and woman are in front, while the second woman is behind. The man is Vaz Hendricks. He knew Silver from childhood and assistant to his father. He is loyal to the house and Silver said to trust him a lot. However, I have been advised to focus on women. It them Silver said to listen to most. He even made one governor of the city, he conquered. Both of the women are beautiful, as I heard. The older one is important; she is one of the three pillars of a triumvirate that runs the legacy. The younger is an assistant, madam, a position level down. "Margaux, Chief Hendricks, please take a seat," said old man Vanis. "Thank Lord Lindgren," the woman replied with a perfect bow before sitting down. "Margaux, Chief Hendricks, this young man, Aman Halcyon, is a grandson of my good friend Theus. The gentleman beside him is an honorable Lord Danis, the crown''s man," he introduced. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Halcyon, Lord Danis," she said and shook hands with the Danis and mine. "Now, the introduction is over, let''s begin," said the old man and turned to me. Every eye turned to me. I felt a little nervous; it would have really helped if Mother had come, but she was handling the things on her end. "I want to start with the question. Does Lord Silver is interested in our offer?" I asked, and the woman smiled. "Lord Silver is interested. Though he is more interested in the casino than the core," she replied. "So, you have no interest in the core?" asked Danis, using his skill on them. I had hinted to him to let me the lead, but the dog of the crown wasn''t listening. His master wants to squeeze every drop of the legacy before it dies. Hendrik''s expressions changed, and he activated the skill to counter that, while the woman''s expressions remained unchanged. She didn''t even activate her skill. "We didn''t say that, Lord Danis. It''s just that Master Silver wants to be careful with the core." "Velvet Garden has a huge potential. I might even say it will be a Grade IV legacy one day and my lord wants to be careful, lest it taint his vision," replied Hendriks, a loyal dog. Though he is right. Grandfather had said, there is a good chance that the velvet garden will reach Grade IV in the coming decade. There was a silence for a second before I opened the file. "We want the space in the legacy. We will prefer the upper floors and be willing to take even four floors," I said, and the woman shook her head. "Only underground floors are available," replied Hendriks matter-of-factly. "Then we want complete control over the five underground floors. From interior to staff," "We also want access to the legacy''s essence for our games, machines, and food and drinks," I said with a poker face, while deeply nervous inside. Mother had staked everything on it. We need them to agree with it. "Then it is regretful. That we will not be coming to the understanding." The woman replied firmly. Shocking me; even Danis looked shocked. "We will agree with three thousand," said Danis, but both of them shook their heads. "We have come here to discuss with Onyx Halcyon, because it is one of the best casinos on the continent, not because of its legacy." "A big risk for us given the relationship between our countries," "The velvet garden could only afford seven hundred bottles. If the crown wants more, then please approach the other legacies, because Velvet Garden cannot give you what you had asked," said Hendriks. Tremor rang through my heart, hearing that. This bastard Danis is really too much. The standard rate of Grade III Legacy''s first bite is five hundred essence bottles, and he wanted ten times. The core is precious, but because of corruption, not many people take it. To them, a small part is more than enough. Even the dying ones wouldn''t absorb, as it will quicken the death of the host. It is why the crown had been focused on the miking and had kept a physician and augur in legacy. The moment they felt grandfather could die within a week. The crown will order for the milking. The silence stretched as nobody spoke. We may have the legacy, but this bastard master controls it. Whether to agree with it or not will depend on him. Our future depends on him. "Give me a minute," said Lord Danis finally greeted teeth and walked out. Click! It took five and a half minutes before Danis finally returned. He didn''t look good; there were even sparks of anger in his eyes. "The crown agrees, but we want all seven hundred bottles within six months. With a hundred bottles minimum per month," he stated. Hendriks looked at the woman, and a hesitation appeared on his face. "We agree," replied the woman without hesitation. Grandfather had said such an amount would be a problem for the Velvet Garden. Which had become the biggest legacy in Grade III and under. "We would like it if the velvet garden reduced the profit share to quarter instead of third," I said. They didn''t want the rent, but a third of the profit. Which isn''t strange. Seeing we are getting space in a legacy, not in some common building. "No," she replied, and I sighed internally before moving next point. One by one, we have gone through all, before finishing. "Please state the points we agreed to, the Lord Silver. If he agrees, we can take the next step," I said. They are just staff; the decision to agree or not is on Silver. It made me nervous, and I hoped the answer would come soon. "There is no need. Lord Silver agrees," she said, shocking me. ''Is it a skill?'' I thought. It likely is there is no way she would make such a big decision on her own, without getting permission from her master. "Then we will leave for Ilden by evening," I said, and she nodded. A few minutes later, after talking to old man Vanis, I walked out, feeling a new hope. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 481: Panar Chapter 481: Panar Ina Knox "A week more and the wall would be fully ready to deal with any danger that came at it," said Architect Harrison. "Let''s hope so," I replied as I checked the wall. They are making progress fast, but I hope, they will be faster. Our patrols have spotted the undead, and that is making me worry. We didn''t attack. They have kept their distance. If they had got closer and crossed into the boundary of the city, we would have attacked them. Still, to be cautious, General Azalea sent the teams. Including the earth mages and a few specialized officers to check the underground. The undead are notorious for attacking through the underground tunnels. Getting caught off guard was the last thing I wanted to happen. I got off the wall and saw a few carriages leaving the city. They had minors in them. We are slowly taking infants and children out of the city. We are also making progress for the ones that are in the city, especially the schools. Seven schools will open at the start of next month, along with the three hospitals. It is far less than what the city needs, but it is all we can currently manage. I stepped into my carriage, and it moved, while I watched it through the widow. A lot had changed in the past twelve days since we had conquered the city. There is no trash on the street or sewage floating out in the streets. Unfortunately, it is not the state of the entire city, but we are making progress. We have chosen three areas for the reconstruction. The market area, residential area, and central area, that houses the city hall and other official buildings. Covering a fifth of the city. We have shifted 70% of the people into them and plan to shift the rest of the 30% as well by the end of the month. Every day, more people are coming to the city. Most are temporary, like workers working on the reconstruction. They will leave after their work is finished. Though some are here to stay permanently despite the risk. Like that group of orcs walking by the road. They are miners; they came here to work in the mines. We need miners, a lot of them. There are good mines in the city. The sooner we start them, the sooner economic activity will return to the city. Currently, the economy of the city is completely ruined, but mines are things that could fix it. We are very close; I have a meeting with a man responsible for fixing the mines in a few minutes and I hope, he has good news for me. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped at the city hall, and I got out. People stopped as I walked toward the city and bowed, but not as deeply as they would to the Master Silver, and many had contempt in their eyes. I could hear them whispering ''whore'' and ''prostitute'' now and then and it hurts, but I do not hold it against them. They are part of my identity and will be with me as long as I will live. The only thing I hold against them is they not doing their work. They may hate me, feel jealous, or have contempt, but they should do the work that had been assigned to them. Most are doing their work as they have been ordered, but a few are creating some problems. The warnings had been given. If they don''t listen, they will be thrown out. Master Silver had given me complete freedom to deal with them as I see fit, within a reason. Soon, I reached my office, and the guards bowed, before opening the door for me. I entered inside and nodded at Anika. Carla had sent her from her office. She is temporary, till permanent replacement comes. I would have liked to have Andrea or Varza, both of them are capable and I have trained them myself. Andrea is busy handling things in Carla''s absence, while Varza declines the offer. She would have come if I had insisted, but I didn''t. Seeing the new responsibilities she had got. She had gotten the promotion and taken the post that Lola used to have. She had already gone to the empire with Hardt a week ago. I have asked her to stay with me. It gets lonely, and the company of friends helps a lot, but she is busy with her job and can only do one dinner weakly, which I cherish a lot. "There is a message from General Azalea. She wants to meet with you," informed Mage Osward, bringing me out of my thoughts. "When?" I asked. "Now," she replied, and a frown couldn''t help but appear on my face. She didn''t ask for an emergency appointment unless it was important. The last time, she did, when our patrol spotted the undead. "Ok," I replied, wishing it wouldn''t be something serious. I will know when she comes, and with that, I focus on the work in front of me. ''Governor, General Azalea, is here for you,'' informed Elah through the intercom. "Send her in," I replied. Click! A moment later, a raven heard a woman come inside through the doors. "Governor," she greeted with a bow. "General, please take a seal," I replied. Our relationship isn''t warm, but it''s cordial. That''s enough for now. "What happened?" I asked. "Our people engaged in a small skirmish with the enemy," she replied, and I sighed internally. "What did the undead do?" I asked. "They crossed the boundary," she replied. We are adhering to the boundaries that the empire had drawn for the domain of each city. We had clarified that to the undead. We had warned them we would attack if they were across the boundary, and now, we did. "Any casualty?" I asked. "No, but there are a few injuries," she replied. "Thank you for informing me, General. Don''t hesitate to ask, if you need anything," I said to her. The conflict with the undead is the last thing we want. We have a good army and even Commander Stone is in the city as a deterrent, but it might not be enough if the undead attack. Though we will respond to any aggression. Whether it is crossing the boundary or attacking the city. "Thank you for your support, Governor. I will send you the detailed report of a skirmish in a few hours," she said and got up to leave. "General, how is the response to the recruitment?" I asked the woman. We are recruiting people for the army. Today is the first day to receive the applications. "Immense, we have already got three thousand applications and more will come in the coming days," she said with an expression on her face lighting up. There are a lot of young people in the city. We had hired many for different jobs. Not the heavy ones, Lord Silver is very adamant about it. Just like how he is adamant about recruiting only sixteen and above for the army. They will only see the combat after they reach eighteen. It is one thing General Stone, and the army disagreed with Master Silver. I am also with them, in that opinion. Fifteen is the norm in recruiting people for the army, some countries recruit at fourteen and send them to fight the battles at fifteen, but Master Silver vehemently disagrees with it. He loosened a little. Listening to his trusted people and seeing the needs of the city. Before the age of recruitment had been seventeen and above, but now it is sixteen. However, the recruits, won''t be sent to combat, till they reach eighteen. In that, he is inflexible as an iron rod. I finished my last meeting and compiled the missive before sending it to Master Silver. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 482: Aura Training Chapter 482: Aura Training Click! I opened the door of the roof and stepped inside. I activated the spells and charms, not only on the door but also on the mist roof. I don¡¯t want anyone to get a hint of what I will be doing here. It will be dangerous for me and especially for her. ¡°Bell,¡± I greeted the beautiful woman. ¡°My lord,¡± she replied. ¡°So?¡± I asked a little awkwardly, and she smiled, before walking toward the center of the roof and sitting on the square black mat. ¡°Please sit, my lord,¡± she said, and I sat on the black mat in front of her. For a few seconds, there was a silence, before she opened her mouth. ¡°Aura is a representation of will; only those of the powerful will be able to bring it out.¡± She said slowly and her aura gentle as the water came out of her. It''s invisible, but suppressive. I wanted to bring out mine to protect myself from it. ¡°There are many ways to understand and control it. My mother used to say, aura is an extension of self; it is a limb that could take any shape and give one a great reach,¡± As she said those words. Her aura became like a limb, and it carefully plucked the few leaves of the plants over twenty meters away. ¡°While to my father, it¡¯s energy that could take any form to suit one needs,¡± she explained, and a moment later, cast a water drizzle spell x 3 and water drops began to fall down. As it did, her aura turned into a massive saucer and captured all the water, while I watched in awe. I had read about the aura, and after I awakened it. I read it even more. The control she had just shown now is extremely high. People need to practice for decades to gain such control, while she had awakened it a decade ago and practiced in a place where she couldn¡¯t be found out. If she had not been hiding and could practice without fear, her control might have reached a terrifying level. She might have even taken the next step. As her mother said, supposed to have taken and there are rumors that her father had taken that too. Her parents were one of the best aura users of the entire continent. Especially her mother. ¡°I prefer my mother¡¯s way, but I will teach both ways of my parents. You can choose the way you feel the most affinity with,¡± she stated, and I nodded gratefully. ¡°We will start with the most basic exercise,¡± she said. ¡°My lord, bring out your aura and swirl it around yourself like a wind,¡± she instructed. I did what she had asked. I brought out my aura and swirled it around myself. ¡°It may have come from you, but you do not know it well. You need to understand it well to control it.¡± ¡°It is where the power of aura lies; the control,¡± she explained. In an aura, control is everything. Aura is something that becomes more powerful, the finer you control it. It is only when one gains sufficient control over it, that they could use things like aura methods. That only happens through understanding, and once it reaches the cusp. It transforms the aura into something greater. Soon, I reached the top floors, where the people were still working. Their progress is visible, and I am confident that they will finish on time. I watched them for a few minutes before walking into my office. ¡°There is a message from Headmistress Margaux and Chief Hendriks. They are starting the third day of negotiation,¡± Zela informed. It is the third of Margaux and Hendricks in the Ilden and they are still negotiating. They have been doing that for over twelve hours every day. The understanding is different from the negotiations. In understanding, we agree on rough points, but we deal with nuances in negotiations, and they are official. In the Ilden, they are negotiating every little thing. The old man, Halcyon, himself is taking part. He is one mean negotiator, according to Margaux, but I trust her to not give up a single inch on our demand. There will be no compromise on them. ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, Prince Declan says, he awaits your contribution,¡± she replied. Hearing that, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh and curse at that bastard. I really hope I will get enough benefits from it because I have already promised around five thousand bottles of Grade III essences to various parties who were displeased by it. The imperials, the merchants, and a few other people. I need to absorb enough essence to at least break even. Caena is quite confident of it. ¡°Tell him, we are happy to hear that,¡± I replied. Usually, I do not care about two imperials, but Declan had joined his sister''s camp, and she was helping him defend against the forces of Geim and Yressor. Since Geim is allied with Ilden; the bastard had been asking for a contribution. I had to agree with it, despite already promising his sister a substantial number of emotion essences. I am sure it is her that instructed him to pressure me. It¡¯s a delicate balance to manage the imperials. The civil war is helping me remain independent, but at the moment, one defeats the other. They will turn their eyes on my legacy. So, I need to accumulate enough power. To not get suppressed fully when they turn their eyes at me, have the power to negotiate. It¡¯s in my interest that they keep fighting, and I am doing my little bit to make that happen, by helping both sides. Though, I am being extremely careful. Traitors pay a heavy price, and there are ways to punish the host of legacies. I took a deep breath and focused on the work in front of me. I worked for about an hour and a half before I stopped and brought out my aura and swirled around me like Bell instructed me earlier. I am still tired, but I am pushing that tiredness away. I need to learn to control it as soon as possible and most importantly; I am very curious about it. This is the closest. I would ever get to shooting spells and I want to master it enough, that I would be able to do that. I practiced for about fifteen minutes before I stopped because of tiredness and to focus on the work. Throughout the day. I did it a few times; it made me exhausted, but I pushed that away and focused on it, till I became so tired in the late afternoon, that I fell asleep. When I woke up an hour and a half later. There was good news waiting for me. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 483: Halcyon I Chapter 483: Halcyon I Margaux Swan "No, we cannot agree with this. There will be no compromise on it," I replied, and the power of the whole legacy bore down on me. It felt like there was a massive mountain over me, and if I even shook a little. It will crush me with every ounce of weight it has. I wanted to kill the old man as he had made my life hell. In the past two and a half days. People come here to the legacies to relax, but since I came here, I have felt nothing but the stress from here. "Fine, we will agree," said the half-elf with a sigh. "With this, the negotiation concluded," said Chief Hendriks, sounding relieved. Only six people are negotiating. Theos Halcyon, his daughter, and his Grandson. On our side, it is Hendriks, Cath, and I. It was the third day of the negotiations, and it was hard. I am so tired, I have never been and don''t want to do this again, especially in the legacy. The old bastard had used the power of the legacy to press us. Made us tired; it was hell. "Please send the draft for approval to Lord Silver. If possible, we want to finalize the agreement today." "That won''t be a problem," I replied and got up with Hendricks and Cath. "Miss Swan, can I have a word with you in private?" asked the old man. He didn''t talk much in negotiations. He had let his daughter handle it, but he used the power of the legacy on us, and quite mercilessly at that. It was hard for us. It would have been harder, if not for the protection of our own legacy. I fared a little better. Since I had little extra protection with the appointment as ''Envoy'' which increased my stats further. "Ok," I said, despite not wanting to. He smiled and turned to his daughter. "I will give you some privacy," said the half-elf, and she left with her son. Hendriks and Cath had also left after giving me the look. Soon, the door closed, and the old man turned to me. "First, let me begin by apologizing for my conduct. It was beyond appropriate," he apologized. Saying I was surprised, would be an understatement. An apology would be the last thing I had been expecting. I thought there would be some outrageous demand from him. "I wanted to make sure. I would be handing my legacy to the right people," he explained, and his eyes kind of become lost. I don''t think the ''legacy'' he referring to is this magical building, but his name. "I don''t think, you have anything to worry about, Lord Halcyon." "Your casinos are the best on the continent. Even without the legacy, your business will thrive without a doubt," I said, to which he laughed. It is full of mirth. The dark kind. "I have a been a successful businessman man, Miss Margaux. I had used my legacy to build an extensive business empire. Which is the biggest flaw of business," "The legacy is base, the moment it disappeared. The entire business would start to crumble," he said in such a way, that it made me shudder. It kind of reminded me of something. Lord Silver had said a few months ago. It is about the business of the legacies. He said the influence of the legacy is so strong that the moment they die; the business built on it also starts to disappear. It is not the fault of business, but the privileges the legacy had provided them. Most heirs couldn''t handle the loss of privileges and end up making a lot of poor decisions. Along with external factors, the businesses sink. Every plant we planted is expensive and sold for massive money. It hasn''t been two months, and we haven''t even harvested 15%. Over 70% of the plants hadn''t even matured. A year from now, it will be a completely different story. Master Silver does not want to sell plants and the resources they produce. He thinks that is the most inefficient; it is like handing the fruit of our labor to others. It''s why only 30% of our share of the harvest had been sold, while the 60% is carefully stored. There is a plan for them, a grand plan. When I heard it, I was shocked. It''s the same for the access of essence to Miss Eva and Guildmaster Gagarin. Everything crafted using the mist will be the property of a velvet garden. At least 50% of their sold value would belong to the velvet garden. It''s the reason every store owner in the tower crafts their own stuff. We could have chosen better stores; there were a lot of them in the city and outside, but we chose them. They are quite talented, and the plan is to give them access to the mist. Which they will have to earn. There is an outrageous demand for the stuff forged with the mist. People will pay any prize for those things, and we have already been contacted about it by hundreds of people. It will take time, years before what Master Silver had envisioned comes out, and when it does. There will be no legacy of the same grade would be able to compare us. This legacy is seven floors tall and occupies an area of a hundred thousand square feet. It used to be the biggest legacy under Grade III before the velvet garden took its place. We have already explored the legacy. So, we simply walked toward the bar, the most exclusive one to relax for a while. Any bar would have been fine, but we are on the top floor. Which is the most exclusive one and everything here is exclusive. Soon, we reached the entrance of it, and the guards opened the door. "Miss Swan and Miss Arga," Stanol greeted us at the door as always. He is a middle-aged man of about my age. He is a tall, handsome man with thick blond hair and green eyes. "Mr. Stanol," I said with a smile. "I believe, the negotiations are complete?" he asked as he led us toward our usual place, while many people watched. Some sneakily, some openly. I could even feel some snooping skills targeting us. Wanting to hear, what we were talking about. "Thankfully, yes. Your lord had been a tough negotiator," I said, and the man smiled. "I heard that you were the tough one, Miss Swan," he said, and I laughed. I played along with him as showered me with compliments while Cath watched in mirth. He is spending his effort on the wrong person. He should focus on Cath. He will have to convince her to be hired in the velvet garden. We are allowing them their staff, but it will be up to us to choose them. It is one of the points on which, we negotiated the most. Master Silver interviews every person. From the manager, to cleaner. He likes to control everything. Since he isn''t here, the job will fall on us, or rather Cath, and two more people, who will be coming tomorrow to help us. Over thousands of people work in this legacy, while only 30% will be hired. We have made only one exception. We have given them twelve slots; they can choose any twelve people and we won''t reject them. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon to One Advance Chapter and other stuff. Chapter 484: Halcyon II Chapter 484: Halcyon II "Please enjoy and if you need anything call me," said Stanol as sat us at our place, before walking away. A few seconds later, the server came, bringing our usual order of drinks. "Have you talked to Carla?" asked Cath. "Yes, just before I left my room in the morning," I replied. "How is she doing?" she asked. "Some success, some failures," I replied. Carla is in the empire. To most, she is delivering the invitations personally, but there is another thing she is doing. It would help the legacy if they were able to get those things. "I wish, she had been here," said Cath, with her shoulder hunched. "You will not be alone. I will be with you and help is coming tomorrow," I replied to her. Selecting the staff is a tremendous responsibility, but Master Silver had chosen wisely in sending her. The girl may not have the confidence in herself, but she is good. She will excellent job. We were talking when suddenly a raven-haired woman in her mid-twenties, wearing a maid uniform, appeared beside us. We stopped and turned to the woman. "Apologies, respectful misses, but my mistress wishes to talk to you both," said the raven-haired woman. "And who would that be?" asked Cath. "Countess Rochefort," replied the woman. Cath''s expression changed faintly, while curiosity appeared in mine. She looked at me, and I turned to the maid. "Sure," I replied. If the information I read is right. Then her husband is Count Tarum, and their territory lies in the east of Beyhelm duchy. They are one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom. The maid nodded and walked away toward the group of three men and two women. As the maid reached there, the older woman said to the group before getting up with the younger woman. Soon, they were beside us and we got up. "Countess, my lady," we greeted the countess and her daughter, while people watched, including the three they were sitting with. The Countess Rochefort is a beautiful woman in her late forties, with pale skin and coppery red hair. She had a delicate face, a small nose, and blue eyes. That seemed to hold more intelligence than one would expect from the beautiful woman. The young woman beside her was in her early twenties. She is taller than her mother, but inheritance her coppery red hair and delicate face and has a youthful charm. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Miss Swan, Miss Arga," said the countess in a husky voice. "It''s no bother, my lady," I replied as we sat down. "This is my daughter, Lady Karin, and the reason I wanted to meet you both." She said. We didn''t speak and just looked at the women. "In half a year, she is going to be countess of her right with her marriage with Count Darsil," she informed with joy lightning on her face. It''s a good match. We have heard it since we came. The territory of Count Darsil may not be as powerful, but it is big, and the man is related to the crown. Everyone is related to the crown in a kingdom like this, but his connection is closer. Count Dasil''s mother is a king''s illegitimate sister. "Congratulation, my lady," we congratulated, and the young woman smiled shily. "My daughter is born with good looks, but I need her to look even better on her wedding day. So, I hope to book your spa, for her and the wedding party." "I hope, that would be possible?" she asked politely. I am not surprised. These nobles would talk, if they needed something and the things they need are in the legacy. "How big is a wedding party?" asked Cath. "Around the fifty people and we would want the best treatment you have; the best one will be for my daughter, of course," she replied. "The spa is booked for years," I replied, and their expressions changed a little and the woman opened her mouth when I spoke again. "But of course, we will make an exception for the beautiful bride." "I can''t promise you the booking, since it is not department, but I will put a good word to Miss Hanson. I am sure, you will be able to get the booking," I added. The spa is really booked for the years, but there is space open for people like them. They are rich, and they do not have any problem with paying for the most expensive treatments, but it''s not the main reason, we always have space for them. The main reason is their appearances provide the advertisements. I was confused when Master Silver told me that. Seeing we do not need an advertisement. We have the legacy and with years a long waiting line. He used the small knife to puncture his finger and draw out a drop of blood into the ink bowl and mixed it, before dipping the pen and signing the scroll. He passed it to his daughter. She read the scroll carefully, before signing it with the blood. The third was his grandson. Then the scroll came to us. I signed with my blood and also added the power of the velvet garden to it through the authority I have. It would have been fine. If I didn''t do that; the scroll had a drop of the core essence of the velvet garden in it. Hendriks signed the next and then it was Cath, before finally it went to Danis. The man took his sweet time in reading the scroll, despite already reading and approving it. It took a while before he finally signed it. "I will put in the legacy," said Lord Halcyon with his eyes becoming watery. Seeing that, his daughter took his hand in hers and pressed it. The old man smiled, before everything turned dark, before a massive gambling chip appeared in front of us. I am not surprised; it is in the form of a chip. The core represents the legacy and since it is a casino; it''s a chip. The core of the velvet garden is the sun, and I still don''t understand what it means, but I felt the grandness of it. It is smaller and weaker because of being newly advanced, but gives a feeling like it could take the entire world. It''s likely why, velvet garden could do so much. Have a brothel, restaurants, and stores, and now it will have a casino, without any restriction, because its vision envelopes it all. The chip is massive with each color on its boundaries. They do not move or mix with each other, unlike what happens with the velvet gardens and sun. The colors are always changing, mixing, and merging. It''s amazing to watch. This core is also beautiful, but not as the core of the velvet garden. It is also the waning core. The faint greyness around the core means it will truly die. It cannot be a pawn of the throne legacies, nor it could merge with other legacies. It is quite sad to see it. The pain in the eyes of the old man is unbearable to watch as he looks at his legacy. "Miss Swan, what is the core of your legacy?" asked Danis. The man is really rude. This is one of the secrets of the legacy; the hosts don''t tell others. Especially not someone from a different kingdom. Even Lord Halcyon looked angry at that. "I will place, the contract inside now," said Lord Halcyon with tears streaming down on his face. A moment later, the scroll flew away from his hand and entered the chip. A whole chip core shone, while a faint confusion appeared in the eyes of the old man as if he sensed something, but couldn''t put his mind to it. However, a moment later, he just shook his head and turned to me. "My legacy is in your lord''s hands now, I hope he will take good care of it," said the old man. ....... "It''s done," informed Caena as the phantom scroll appeared inside the colorless planet. It''s an enormous risk with the scroll. It not only has a drop of core essence but also Caena''s spell. The whole scroll is a witchcraft spell. If found out, it would bring me a lot of trouble. I just hope that drop of the core essence would be able to hide it. Even from Halcyon, which is difficult considering the core has connected to him and he could sense all the changes. We wouldn''t have taken the risk, but it''s the core of the biggest Grade III legacy on the continent. It contains a massive essence, that will help me and my legacy tremendously. Madam of Grace Lv. 35 Painter Lv. 18 [Skill Gained: ...] ... Merchant of Desire Lv. 33 Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 3 Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 485: Intricate Chapter 485: Intricate Caena I stepped into the underground floors where people were working day and night. There is not even an hour of break. One shift ends and the other one takes over. These people are preparing the underground floors for the changes that are going to happen to it soon. The younger Halcyon is coming tomorrow with his people, along with their interior designer. They will work with Miss Rolgath to fuse the style of Velvet Garden and Halcyon. It''s a good thing I had finished on time. I nodded at the people, and looked at me, while charms would appear in my hand, and I would activate them. Those spells would then fuse with this space. I have crafted the intricate spell; the most complex I had ever done on my own. It involves two legacies and a lot of emotion essence and core essence. Yes, we are trying for that stuff too. Till now, we never did. When the parts of legacies core came, we would take only emotion essence. Which is a diluted core essence. This time, we not only want the emotion essence, but we want to merge the core essence of Onyx Halcyon into the Velvet Gardens core. It''s an extremely dangerous thing. It''s could corrupt vision and if one is not careful. It''s why, the intricate spell. I want to make Onyx Halcyon as a part of the velvet garden conceptually. Once that is done, Onyx Halcyon''s core essence wouldn''t offer any resistance, and the velvet core would be able to consume it smoothly. "I have may said, the target is 6%-8%, but I am aiming for 10%. 12% if possible. It would be very hard, and a lot of conditions needed to be met. The first one being the old man needed to be alive, till the opening of the casino. I would be satisfied. If he would be able to stay alive for a week after the opening. It will help my charms to absorb the concept of Onyx Halcyon through the casino. It would be best if he stayed alive for a month. Then, the whole concept would be absorbed. I climbed downstairs, before finally reaching the minus-fifth floor. "Madam Caena," greeted Miss Rolgath as she turned to me from the people she was talking to. "I am surprised to see you here, Miss Rolgath; I thought you would be busy studying the designs of the casino," I said, and the woman sighed. "I was. I came down here to check the progress," she replied. "It seemed to be going well," I said, and she nodded. "Yes, they will be finished by tomorrow," she replied with a smile. "Casino is good, Miss Rolgath, but the tower should take priority," I reminded her There are only eleven days till opening. The casino will take a little longer to open. "I know, Madam Caena, and I am not getting distracted," she replied. I know she is not, but words help. Eleven days is not much, there is so much to do. ...... "What is the progress of the other tribes?" I asked, and I was not talking about just the mining tribes. I need people to work in the cities and join the army. The humans are coming, and their numbers had increased rapidly since the legacy has turned to Grade III, but it''s not enough. I need more people. Especially now that I had conquered the new city. It is a city with the capacity to hold half a million and there are not even fifty thousand people in there. If I were to exclude the army. I need to fill the city with people. Especially miners. We have opened two mines already and, in a week, three more will be open. If I open all the mines. I would need around sixty to seventy thousand people to work in them. Even the dead lord of Panar wasn''t able to bring that many people, but I plan to. If there are more people, I will open the new mines. The renwell region, might not have anything, but it sure has loads of crystal. It''s regretful that mining the crystals are not largely profitable. Like the mines of other things. Especially when most crystals mined through them needed to be sent out to process. I am working on bringing the processing to the territory. I am in contact with a few businesses in the empires that deals in it. Earlier, my proposals failed as I didn''t have much to offer them, but now with the condition of empire worsening and mine getting better, those people are being receptive. I hope to convince at least one of them. Hours passed, and I focused on work and meeting people. I am meeting a lot of people, but I need to for things, I am planning. Click! Soon the evening came, and Lola walked inside with three men. "My lord," they greeted. "Take a seat, gentleman," I said, before taking the contract from Lola. She had been negotiating with them for the past few hours. I begin to read it. I even activated the focus. It is a really important contract and I need to see if everything is perfect before signing it. A few minutes later, I had finished and turned to the three people. "I hope, both your businesses and the city of Greltheaven prosper by this agreement," I said and signed it, with my contract skill on it. These three are from a Belnin based luxury yacht company. The agreement is about the transportation of high-net-worth patrons. If someone wants to come to Legacy, spend a big on limited time. Their yachts will be available to them. I need this service for my patrons. Especially now, that legacy had become bigger with the whole tower as its domain. There will be more people coming to visit the legacy. The travel of high-net-worth will increase even further after the casino opens. They loved it. As I finished signing. A tray with five glasses filled with wine, and a swirling mist appeared in Lola''s hand. It surprised them, but they accepted. Clink! "We will toast to that, my lord," said the blond man, and we clinked our glasses before taking a sip, which made their eyes widen as a surprise. Since the outer range is covering the whole city. The vault could be accessed from anywhere. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 486: Mist Work Chapter 486: Mist Work Eva Charles Clang Clang Clang! The hammer, covered in the mist, hit the heated metal. Shaping into the shape, while infusing it with the colorful mist with each blow. He learned fast. It had been two weeks since Remus granted him access to the mist and he is doing better than I had thought he would. The man is good, and now, with the mist, he will become even better. I turned to his daughter; she was also working. A week and a half ago, the lord had granted her access as well. She is talented and I wish I could have her. I had made the offer, but she declined. She is not a blacksmith like her father, but an engraver and a talented one at that. The way, she is infusing the mist into the engraving she is doing on the knife is amazing. A few minutes passed, and he stopped as he let the piece cool off and turned to me. "What do you this, Miss Eva?" he asked. "Guildmaster, you do not need my guidance anymore," I told him. Remus had asked me to instruct them. I have been doing it since the day, he got the access. "Thank you, Eva. You have really helped us a lot," said Atil. "It was my pleasure to instruct you," I replied to his daughter. "Especially you, dear; it''s such regret, that you aren''t joining me. With me, you could work on metals better than the iron," I added, and the young woman rolled her eyes, with a smile. "Will Lord Silver give the access to my students now?" he asked and the eyes of five people that are watching lit up hearing that. There are three men and two women. The woman in the black dress is Silver''s. It''s one of his conditions. If you want access, you will have to train his people. I have four with me; there were six, but two were not good enough. I had sent them back. "It shouldn''t be a problem," I replied, and a big smile appeared on my face. Remus had stated, that as long as he gains the basic mastery over mist. He will share the access with his staff. The orders are big; a single person is far from enough to do that. He was about to say something when he closed his mouth and looked behind me. I turned and saw a blue-haired young man walking in. "I hope my order is ready?" he asked. One of his students got up and picked up the box not far away from him, before handing it to the man. "I was able to make extra Cocotte oven," said Irving, and the young man''s eyes lit up and he opened the box. "You are a lifesaver guild master. There had been a bloodbath in my kitchen for these things," he said, with relief palpable in his voice. I heard about the incident. There is even some blood involved. The young man is the chef de cuisine of the legacy. The food is his responsibility and everything that is being produced here is going to the kitchens of the legacy directly. His people work with mist. To them, having knives and other tools forged with mist is useful, just as it is to me in my work. "Miss Eva," he nodded and walked away. I didn''t stay for much longer and walked out of the workshop and then the store. Currently, it is hidden from the public''s view, but it won''t be after the opening. The store floors are crowded as usual, but thanks to the guards. I didn''t have any problem in reaching the elevator. "Devin didn''t let me," she replied simply, and I sighed. "This legacy is good. Feels stronger than, the brocks bar," he said, trying to touch the ribbon of mist. I waved my hand and a delicate ribbon of mist formed and twirled around his hand, surprising him. "It''s a lot stronger than the Brocks bar," I replied. They may be in the same grade, but they couldn''t compare to the velvet garden. Brocks''s bar is tiny in front of the velvet garden and despite being new, its power is much heavier. Currently, it is not even at its peak since most of the plants have been removed. When they come back, it will be amazing. Click! He looked around before opening the door to the workshop. "Selah, I didn''t think, I would ever see you working in such a small space," he said to my best jeweler. "I would have if you had the ability to turn your store into the legacy, little Devin," replied the other woman, without missing a beat. She has known him since he was a child, and they always make fun of each other. "Let me show you around," I said to him and began to show him around. "This space is enormous. Both floors of Brock''s bar could easily fit in here and leave some more space," he said, feeling enamored by it. "Both of the floors of Brock''s bar do not cover over forty-thousand square feet, but the tower is built in sixty-thousand square feet," I replied to him. A few minutes passed, and I took them to my favorite place on the floor. After advancing into Grade III. It had become even better. "The view is amazing," he breathed as he looked at the city from the edge. The whole view of the city is visible, not just the city, but the river and the wasteland past it. "Don''t you fear I will jump from here, Mom?" he asked, turning to me. I glared at him, and his sister walked a little closer to stop him, in case he tried. The memories of those years couldn''t help, but flash in front of my eyes. He had tried to kill himself. Several times. "You can not dear. There are powerful protections that will stop anyone who falls from dying," I replied after a moment of silence. Caena had said, there is an invisible net. She didn''t explain whether it was an object or a spell, but said, nobody would die. They had tested it a few days ago. I sat down in the chair, and he sat opposite me with his sister beside him. A few minutes passed in silence. When the server came holding a try. One bar is open. Though not for the public. "Really Mom. Tea?" he asked, seeing it. "It''s an excellent tea dear, with good detoxing effects," I replied. I didn''t miss the alcoholic smell coming from him. "Well, at least, it is made with mist," he said, taking the cup in his hand. I hope he will stay with me here. I am not going to force him. He does not react well to that. I just hope he loves this place as I come to love it. I could really use him here. My son is really talented and if it had not been for his difficulties, he would have made a huge name for himself already. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 487: Changed Chapter 487: Changed Aman Halcyon The ship stopped and a few minutes later, the men begin to bring out the huge crates and load them into the cargo carriages. I didn''t have to be here, but I wanted to. Each of those crates contains the casino games. The very games that would be used by the Onix Halcyon are being brought here. Each of those games cost a lot and after spending decades in the legacy, had made them even more expensive. Every part of them contains the power of the legacy. There was resistance, not only from the kingdom but also from my uncles, who wanted these things for their casinos. Thankfully, Grandfather helped, and his words are the last, but still my uncles might to do something, and we have to be careful. It is not just the games we are bringing out, but also the art and other things that become a signature of the Onix Halcyon. Though this ship only brought the casino games. Mom is still in the Ilden, handling the things at her end, while I am handling the things here. There are a lot of things to do. That since I had come here, I didn''t sleep for over five hours each night. "I will handle the things here, Aman. Go to the legacy," said Carnes. The man had been working in the halcyon since before I was even born and is my mother''s most trusted man. "Ok," I said and walked to the carriage. I would have stayed, but I have a lot of work to do. A few minutes later, the carriage reached the garden and moved toward the tower. Silver had really made something beautiful. The tower looks simple and even ugly at first glance, but the more one looks at it, the more one falls in love with it. It had rough beauty to it, that will remind one of the wastelands around us. The tower wasn''t fully visible; only the store floors looked visible, while the rest were covered in a mist. The mist isn''t dense, but it''s dense enough that one couldn''t see through it. The mist will thin and the whole tower became visible at the opening a week later. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I entered inside. I didn''t walk through the lobby, but through the south side of the tower; the service entrance. As I entered inside, I felt its power, and it was amazing. I have been through too many legacies, but the Velvet Garden impressed me the most. It''s not the strongest of the Grade III, but the feeling it gives is better than any legacy. I will not say it openly, but it felt like, it was as comprehensive as Thrones. If I am wrong; its emotion slate must be quite wide. The feeling from it isn''t as strong as the most powerful Grade III legacy, but the legacy is new. It hadn''t been even a month since it had advanced. It will grow powerful in a few years. It might be as powerful as Onyx Halcyon. I wouldn''t have said those words. If it had been any other legacy, seeing the legacies take decades to reach that power. Most don''t. Onyx Halcyon had been the biggest Grade III legacy and one of the most powerful. Another thing, that is frustrating is that. It is hard to sense when the madams are using the skills. The legacy hides it, like how the casino hides us using our skills. It also amplifies the power of the skills and suppresses the others'' skills. We used to do that to others, but now it is being done to us. It''s not a good feeling, I hate it, but there was nothing I could do about it. As I looked at her, I couldn''t help, but wonder whether my class would change according to the legacy. It will depend on Silver and my own efforts. Mostly on Silver. If he didn''t want us to be part of his legacy. Then, no matter the feat, we achieve, we will not gain authority. In the legacies, the will of the master is absolute. I stayed in the legacy for half an hour more, before walking out. I have work and a few people to meet. Soon, it was five, and I walked out of my office and went to the warehouse, compound, which was being guarded by the private mercenary group we had hired. There are also police, that are patrolling around. Keeping an eye on things. Silver had also said that few of his people were keeping an eye on it in secret. If someone tries anything, they will act immediately to deal with it. Click! The door opened, and I walked inside the warehouse, which was filled with crates. "Open them," I said. The men moved and began to open the crates. The first that opened had the card table and its parts. The second one had the same and so was the third. After several crates, it is a roulette and then other things. Hun! Another crate opened, and a surprise appeared on the faces of everyone, including mine. "As expected," I muttered. Instead of a slot machine which I had expected. There are blocks of wood. Someone had changed the things. "Keep opening," I ordered, and the crates opened one after another. The next five crates also had the wooden blocks, that game they were supposed to contain. Soon, the last of the crate opened, and Carnes turned to me. "What do you think?" he asked. "You already know," I replied, and he simply nodded. The best chance to replace the boxes would be at sea, but I don''t think that happened. We have trusted people here; some even Carnes doesn''t know about. The ship didn''t stop anywhere since leaving the port of the Beyhelm. That means only one thing. The boxes had been changed in Beyhelm. There are only two people who could do that, and we had already expected they would do it, but hoped in our hearts that they will not. They have got so much more than us; the entire business empire, but they still did this. "Carnes, inform my mother," I said and walked toward the crates. We had hoped, they wouldn''t do this, but since they did, we will act on our preparations as well. We truly didn''t want to make such moves, but they had left us no choice. Tap on to read 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a free member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 488: Invitation Chapter 488: Invitation Ashton Harbor "Yark, welcome to Renwell," said the man with the staff. "Thank you, my lord," replied Yark, and bowed deeply. "How was the journey?" the man with the staff asked. " I wish, I didn''t have to come so sneakily," replied Yark, with a sigh. "It is temporary once we capture the region. Moving openly through the sea won''t be a problem," replied the man with the staff. His enemies are recruiting forces, but he is not standing still either. He is bringing people from the island. People he trusts, while sending back those he did not. The third of the people he wants has already arrived and the rest won''t take time. It wouldn''t have taken more than a week. If they had a safe route, but the imperials and merchants are patrolling the sea like sharks. It was wise to not bring them together. One of the ships bringing a group had simply disappeared a week ago. There is no response from them. Its complete silence. One didn''t have to guess for long to know what had happened. So, caution is necessary. It will only be a little longer, till then, I will let my enemies enjoy the little time they have. Who knows, the one in the Greltheaven might take his legacy to Grade IV. That would be wonderful. ...... Carla Salt "I want to, Miss Carla," said the middle-aged man in front of me. It is the words I had heard from the tens of alchemists I had met in the past few weeks, but it is what comes after, that makes me so angry and frustrated. "I mean, who doesn''t want to work with the emotion''s essence? It is a dream of every alchemist, but I can''t come to Greltheaven for it," he said, shaking his head. I could see him glancing at the doors. Behind it are my guards, but also the person sent by the city to show me around. I have been dropping the invitations around the western empire while trying to poach the alchemists. It is hard because they want to come, but they can''t. Alchemists are war assets. The potions and other things they craft are instrumental to the wars. No, lord would let them leave, especially at a time like these. "Thank you for your time, Alchemist Nahil," I said and got off my chair. "If you change your mind, remember the doors of Greltheaven are always open to you," I added and walked toward the door. I am not surprised by the results. Remus had already told me to expect it. He said we aim to meet them. Tell them our doors are open for them. If somehow, they were able to slip through, they would think about us. It will also spread the news across their connections. Still, his rejection couldn''t help, but disappoint me. Especially when every single alchemist, I had met across the cities had said the same thing. Click! I opened the door and walked out of the, with my guards and Najin following beside me. "I hope, you had a good meeting, Ms. Carla?" asked Hejin. He was polite, but I could see the mirth in the eyes of the blond man. "It was excellent, Mr. Hejin; it went better than I had thought," I replied smoothly, and the man smiled. "What is happening?" I asked Hejin. ''Those two are beauty alchemists. Quite talented, but uncontrollable. Their wares had harmed a lot of people; the red face is a mild case," "One of their potions had left a people in pain for days and another woman paralyzed for a month with their salve," replied Hejin with a shake of his head. People began to walk away, and I wanted to do that too, but those expressions stopped me. I had been too familiar with it. Saw it far too many times on my friends and family, and experienced it myself. ''I shouldn''t do this,'' I thought, but sighed and walked toward the two. They are slumped by the wall of their workshop wall, with tears streaming down their eyes. I appeared beside them, and they turned to me. I took out a delicate scroll from my bag before handing it to them. "Think about it," I said to them and walked away, while they stared at me in confusion. That scroll was for the alchemist we have chosen. The ones we thought were skilled enough to use the emotion essence. I could have given them a card and asked them to come to the Greltheaven, but I gave them that scroll. I don''t know what I was thinking, but I don''t regret it. Hejin looked at me, but I didn''t say anything to him. Soon, an hour and half a passed, and I explored this beautiful city before my carriage entered the city hall again. I got out and followed Hejin. A few minutes later, I reached the place with golden doors and a beautiful waiting room. A little ostentatious, with too much gold, but it looks good. "Carla Salt, I have a meeting with Lord Raul," I said to the redheaded receptionist. She looked at me with contempt and jealousy I was too familiar with. That I had started ignoring it. "He will see you for fifteen minutes," she replied curtly. I nodded and walked into the waiting room. I sat down and picked up the weekly newsletter. I didn''t get a chance to read it earlier, with a busy schedule, I had since I came to the city in late afternoon. "Miss Swan, Lord Raul will see you now," said the receptionist. She was still sitting behind her table, but her voice felt like, she was right next to me. It is a skill; a few girls in the legacy have a skill like this. I got up and walked toward the golden door. Click! The guards opened the door as I reached, and I stepped inside the office. It is big and beautifully decorated. There are a lot of beautiful art pieces and tables, that Remus would envy. Behind the table was a handsome man, who looked to be in his early thirties. He is well-built, with a thick platinum blond and a piercing blue eye, that are now looking at me shamelessly with a clear lust in his eyes. He isn''t even trying to hide it. Seeing it, I couldn''t help but sigh internally. I have come across many people like him and know how to deal with them, but it is always tricky. Dealing with this one is going to be the trickiest. I heard a thing about him. Bad things that his house tried to suppress. It didn''t matter to me. I am going to hand him the invitation and get the hell out of here. Tap on to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 489: Assault Chapter 489: Assault Carla Salt "My lord," I greeted the man and bowed. A moment passed, and there was no reply from him, but I could feel his eyes on my body. They have become even more intense than before like he wants to see through my clothes. It made me feel naked. I used to do it, but I didn''t like it; I never liked it, but I bore it. Now, I don''t want to do even that. There is only one person who had a right to look at this way and this man isn''t him. Despite hating it from the bottom of my heart. I bore it; there was nothing, I could do other than that. "Sit," he said finally, nearly a minute later. "Thank you, my lord," I replied and sat down in front of him, before turning to him. Seeing his eyes turning even more intense with lust. I hadn''t noticed it before, but this man was drunk. A faint smell of alcohol is coming off him. ''I should hand it over and get out of here,'' I thought and took out the invitation from my bag and placed it in front of him. "This is an invitation for the founding day celebration. Lord Silver, hopes, that Lord Count and you will grace his city with your presence," I said. He didn''t even glance at the invitation. His eyes remained focused on me. I didn''t get a good feeling about it and opened my mouth to get permission to leave when he spoke. "Does Silver satisfy you?" he asked. Saying I was shocked by his question would be an understatement. I was so shocked by the question, that I wasn''t able to react at all. Many had looked at me as he did in the past few weeks, but no one had brazened as he is right now. "He young. He can''t satisfy a whore like you. Who had a habit of doing with tens of people every day?" If his earlier words had stumped me. These had brought clarity into my mind. "Lord Silver, satisfy me a lot, my lord. Like no man ever did and no man ever could," I replied finally, looking directly into his eyes. He was surprised for a moment before he grinned and got up. "It seemed like, you''ve never been fucked by the real man. If you had, you wouldn''t have said that," he said, licking his lips. Hearing that, I felt fear for the first time and stood up without hesitation before running toward the door. I have seen that look countless times in my life and know, I have to get out of here. It had brought a stark realization to my heart. That I would never be able to run away from my past, no matter how much, I wish to do it. Sometimes, I forget, I was a whore, but people like these breaks that paper wall and bring me face to face with my past. This man didn''t just want to remind me of my past. He wants to make me relive my past. I had met thousands of people since I became head of Remus''s business, but nobody had been as brazen as this man. They may have called me a whore to my face and made an indirect suggestion that I sleep with them, but none had ever crossed a red line with words or action. Hun! I reached the door and felt relieved. I was about to pull it when I felt the hands on me. Making me shudder in terror. "Today, I will give you the pleasure of being fucked by the real man," he said into my ears with the heavy smell of alcohol coming from his breath. I tried to push him away, but he gripped me such, that I couldn''t move even a step. "Let me go," I shouted with panic filling my heart. "Damn, you are strong!" he cursed. I struggled even wildly hearing that when I felt him grabbing the back of my dress and yanking it violently. It froze the man, and I used the opportunity to get away from the bastard. I wanted to kill the bastard with the knife, I had in my bag, but even in this state, I knew, it was a bad decision. For me. For Remus. I am willing to suffer any consequence for it, but I am not willing to let him suffer any. I picked up my bag and took out the coat, before wearing it, while I typed the sash. The power, that burst out of me and returned to my body. Click! I opened the door with saw Hugo right in front of me, while my guards, were in front of his guard. He looked at me, before looking behind me, and a shock appeared in his eyes. "Red," I said. He turned to the mage immediately while I moved ahead, wanting to get away from the man and the city as soon as possible. I moved while people watched. They seemed to be frozen in their places, with shock in their eyes. I felt like, I knew the reason for it, but it was at the back of my mind, and I didn''t think about it. The only thought I have in my mind is getting out of here as soon as possible. "Lord Silver wants to talk to you, Miss Carla," said Mage Cliff, raising his hand toward me. I didn''t want to touch any man, but I took his hand and immediately connected with Remus. "Carla, what happened?" he asked. I could feel the worry in his voice. It made me feel relieved, knowing that he would be with me. Even if the entire world went against me. I told him what happened, while people around me watched in shock. I could see the rage burning in Hugo''s eyes and he moved close to me but moved back, seeing the change in my expression. The emotion I saw in his eyes is nothing compared to what I am feeling through Remus''s voice. It brought relief to my heart. Instead of making me feel worried. Hun! I was talking to him when suddenly the connection cut off. "They have activated anti-communication measures," informed Mage Cliff. I simply nodded and kept walking ahead before finally reaching the doors of the city hall, when I suddenly stopped seeing the lines of guards waiting outside. ....... A man in his late fifties was talking to two people in front of him when suddenly something hit them. All three of them stopped in shock. "Aura," said a younger man with platinum blond hair, similar to the older man sitting in front of him. "It''s from the city hall," replied the older man as the powerful aura burst out of him. For a moment, there was a joy in his eyes. Thinking it was his son who might have awakened it, but a moment later, he shook his healing. Feeling it too different. Aura''s have personality, especially when they awakened, and the user didn''t learn to hide it. This one is gentle but strong as steel. Much different from the personality of his oldest. He was thinking, who might have awakened it, when it disappeared. The older man pulled back his aura as well. "Lord Count, wh" the raven-haired man opened his mouth to speak, when he closed his mouth, seeing the drastic change appearing on the face of the man in front of him. "Seal the city hall and take them into custody," ordered the Count with gritted teeth and got up. Click! A moment later, he turned blur and got out of the office. The two looked at each other before following the older man. Tap on to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for map and other stuff. Chapter 490: Anger Chapter 490: Anger Shaun Carter "Nothing gives more joy than a drink after a hard day of work," I said as I took a sip of my favorite drink. It is the only bar that is open in the tower. There are a few people aside from us, including Miss Eva''s son, who had become regular. "Hard, my ass. You do nothing, but lounge around every day," said my sister. Taking a sip from her own drink. "It is at least better than walking around the tower day and night," I replied. Hun! She glared and opened her mouth to counter when suddenly the atmosphere of the whole tower had changed. The whole tower shook like an earthquake had come, before it roiled aggressively with the power of aura and volcanic anger. It''s was so overwhelming that it froze us while many people around us begin to fall unconscious. The anger is so intense, that it has overwhelmed people. Forcing their support system makes them fall unconscious to shield them from damage. It took me seconds to recover from it and shield my mind. A time, more than enough to kill me in ten different ways. I turned to my sister and saw her looking at me with her expression serious. Something terrible had happened. To make Lord Silver radiate such rage. I have been guarding for months and I know how good the man is at controlling his emotions. He rarely let his emotions out of his control. I didn''t waste any time and got off my chair, cast haste on myself, and moved toward the floors above with Stena beside me with her speed skill. "This is terrifying. He has amplified the power of his aura and spread it into the entire legacy," whispered Stena, shocked. She isn''t the only one. I had seen the aura work. This is not the strongest one I experienced, but the most terrifying one. Such power from an aura is rare. Especially from the person, who had awakened it less than a month ago. The most terrifying thing about it is that such power is felt across the entire legacy, targeting thousands of people in the legacy. Not a small area size of the room, with all of them feeling similar overwhelming rage as us. "That''s the masters of the legacy for you," I said to her. ..... Senar "Madam, what happened?" I asked Madam Caena as I reached the top floor. There are already a lot of people have gathered. Assistant madams, guards. There is even Miss Rolgath and Lady Blackwell. All of them looked at the door with deep shock and fear. The storm of rage and aura is pressing on me like a mountain. I am barely holding on again it. I have seen people fainting on my floor. I had asked those conscious to get those unconscious people out before coming here. He could crush me personally, and his army would decimate mine in minutes. His son will remain unharmed, despite the heinous crime he committed against my love. "The prime minister, Haas, and Aralis want to talk to you. There is also Salazar and Lord of Inam and Owlspring," informed Zela. "Connect me with Haas," I said, and she raised her hand toward me. I took it, and around ten seconds later, we connected. "Prime Minister," I greeted. ''Lord Silver,'' the man with a deep voice said from another end. There was a silence for a moment before I spoke. "I hope, you will help me. Prime minister," I said to the man. ''Of course, Lord Silver, but such things take time and patience. You cannot rush these things riding on your emotions." He replied. "You need to be patient, such things take time,'' he added a moment later. He even used the skill, but I resisted with my aura and the legacy. ''I am not in a patient mood, Prime Minister." "If they don''t release my mistress, and do it by the morning, I am going to contact Viscount Larnis and offer him the complete support of my legacy.'' I replied. I especially said legacy instead of Greltheaven or me. He should understand, I mean, the essences. Implying the emotion essence that I was going to supply to them will go to him. Viscount Larnis may be saying he is neutral, but he aligns with Princess Orlene. The Crown Prince wouldn''t want me to give my support to him. Especially when the man is preparing for another attack on Ertburn. There was a silence for a moment from the other side, before the man spoke again. "You shouldn''t make a hasty decision, Lord Silver," advised the Prime Minister, with a clear hardness in his voice. A warning and with it came the power of his skill. Much stronger than before. I resisted. "It is my decision, and I will do what I had said. I hope his majesty will support me for it," I replied with a voice even harder. I am not going to change my decision, and he better not press me. "I am only asking for my Mistress back, Prime Minister. I am not saying anything about avenging her honor, I understand it is not a time for that." I added, softly. I will avenge her honor. It will take time, but I will do it. "We will talk again in a few hours when you calmed down enough, Lord Silver," he said and cut the connection. He didn''t say anything about talking to Count Raul, but he will. He just didn''t say it, because if the man didn''t agree, it would look bad on him. "Viscount Laris wants to talk to you," said Zela. "Set the call for an hour later," I replied. There are a few more people, I need to talk to first before I talk to him. He is my last card, and I don''t want to use him as there will be consequences. Currently, I do not have the power to bear them without coming out of it unscathed. Tap on to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 491: Threats and Offer Chapter 491: Threats and Offer Mardel City "Your majesty, he isn''t willing to listen. Saying, he will announce the support for the Marques Laris, tomorrow," said the old man in his sixties. In front of him is a woman in her early forties. Looking at the mess of papers in front of her. "Mother, I think we should let him support Laris. If he conquers Ertburn, we will gain one of the prosperous cities in the empire," said the man, in his early twenties, excitedly. The woman stopped as she heard that and turned to the young man. "And what about Silver?" she asked gently. "What about him? Isn''t he the one harping about supporting the Marquess Laris? We are just letting him do what he wants to do," replied the young man. The woman didn''t say anything and simply kept looking at her son. Seconds passed, and confidence from his face began to slip away, till the uncertainty appeared on his face. "Is it not wise, mother?" he asked. To that, she didn''t say anything, just kept looking at him. "Brother dearest, we need Silver. We need him more than we need, Marquess Laris right now," "The emotions essence, he had planned to supply us before it was suspended, would have been 60% of our emotion essence supply," "It is more than all the legacies in our control give us. Our powerhouses are dependent on the potions made from them," "If the supply is suspended, even for a month. It will affect us deeply," replied the young girl of twelve-thirteen. "He won''t dare to do that. He knows the consequences of that," said the young man angrily, but the teen girl only smiled and looked at her mother. "Call, Count Raul, and tell him to release Silver''s mistress," said the woman, before turning back to the papers in front of her. ... Warsteel "That little bastard, I will kill him!" cursed a man in his mid-fifties, while his advisers watched silently. Keeping control of his emotions wasn''t the strong suit of the crown prince. "Haas, tell the bastard. If he didn''t give us emotion essence on time. We will declare him the enemy of the empire," ordered the crown prince. The advisers looked at each other in disagreement but stayed silent and turned to the man in his mid-fifties. "That would not be wise, Your Majesty," said the man, and the anger in the crown prince''s eyes intensified. "Why? He dared to threaten the supply of emotion essence. He had already committed a grave crime by giving that traitorous bitch the essences," said the Crown Prince. "It is all true, Your Majesty, but we can''t do that. We are facing the enemies from all sides and forces are stretched." "We need to swallow our anger and call the traitor our brother. Once we have the empire in our control. We will deal with every one of them as they deserve," replied the prime minister. It had lessened the anger but didn''t make it disappear. "I propose we tell Raul to release his whore. It wouldn''t be wise to delay it. Silver might make a deal with Laris and that wouldn''t be good for us," advised the Prime Minister. "Traitors. All of them are traitors," cursed the crown prince, but didn''t object to it. He might be angry and not like it, but he understood the need for it. If he wasn''t that smart, he wouldn''t have been in this position. "She is the mistress of Remus Silver. The lord of Greltheaven," he replied, and a surprise couldn''t help but appear in my eyes. I heard that name; a little too much in the past few months. A master of legacy, which he was able to take to the Grade III in less than a year. It is said that the velvet garden had become the biggest legacy, on a continent in Grade III and below. "What did she want?" I asked, looking at the scroll. She said, ''Think about it,'' but I didn''t know the context of things to think about. He handed me a scroll, and I opened it. Within seconds, a surprise appeared on my face. "Is this for real?" I asked as I finished reading. "It is, and while it is for the Grade IV alchemists. They were willing to give us a chance when I described the woman who gave us the scroll," he replied. I looked at him, before turning back to the scroll. Reading it again. The scroll had information about their offer, which is quite generous and also strict. They are providing the workshop with all the equipment and even the resources. There is even a line mentioning that they will give us an opportunity to work with emotion essence and resources grown in essence if we are good enough. In exchange, we will sign a strict contract with them. What made it interesting is that there is a special mention of the beauty alchemists. "What do you think?" he asked. "Greltheaven is far and dangerous. It had been attacked several times by the undead," I replied, to that he smiled. "We will not die. They do not kill alchemists," he replied. Not the undead or anyone would kill alchemists. We are strategic resources, everybody needs us. We might not seem like it, but both of us are Grade III alchemists. Making us more valuable than most other alchemists. That doesn''t mean we will be free. We will be captive, crafting whatever they desire. "We will need to decide quickly; there is only one position for us," he informed me, and I sighed, before shaking my head. "It''s not like we have any other choice," I replied. He smiled before his expressions turned serious. "Something related to that woman happened in the city. I heard a large number of guards have escorted her earlier out of the city hall," he informed. "What happened?" I asked. "No idea, but the city is aggressively suppressing the news about it," he replied. Hearing that, a few thoughts rose in my heart, but I crushed them. As I had said, we do not have any choice. "Then we should get out of the city as soon as possible, while the suspension is still fresh," I said, and he nodded before getting up. If we want to leave. We have to leave as quickly as possible before they find a use for us. There is always a use for us. Tap on to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 492: Released Chapter 492: Released Ertburn "Are we really releasing that whore father after what she had done?" asked Kanas, not daring to believe what his father had just said. It hadn''t been even five hours since they arrested that whore and now, his father is planning to release her. He was planning to fuck the bitch after leaving this meeting before throwing her to the other prisoners to have their way with her. Father turned toward him, and there was a deep anger in his eyes. "I have told you many times to keep your cock in your pants, but you never listened," he said. "Now, you have made a needless enemy, as if we didn''t have enough of them already," he added with his whole body shaking in anger. "Have we become so weak that we are scared of the little lord?" I asked angrily. I am the heir of Ertburn and I had enough of my father treating me as a child. It seemed to make Father even angrier, and the aura burst out of him. Making me nearly kneel on the ground for a moment. "He is not a little lord, but master of Grade III legacy." "The biggest one on the entire continent and he had suspended the supply of the emotion essence to imperials," "Now both of them are pressuring me to release his whore," replied father. I was shocked, but soon, I controlled myself. "So what? He won''t be able to do that for more than a week. We can easily bear the pressure, till then," I said and heard my brother snicker, while same time, my father got even angrier. "Then what about Laris?" he asked, and I shuddered to hear the name of that man. "He threatened me. If I didn''t return his whore, he will support Laris with the full power of legacy." "Do you know what that means? He will use the essence of his legacy to support Laris. The legacy with the capacity to produce more emotion essence than all seven legacies," he said with gritted teeth. I shuddered at hearing that. I know how important; the emotion essence is. It is what saved my life, in the last battle. Powerhouses want them. Some leave the service, if the liege can''t provide life-saving resources like that. "He can''t do that. Talk to imperials. Tell them to stop him," I said with panic building in my heart. Silver is a minor lord. He didn''t even have an army of a hundred thousand, much less a powerhouse of father caliber. The only thing the bastard has is his legacy. Still, it shouldn''t be able to pressure us enough to release his whore. "Hahahaha..." I laughed derisively. So angry at this idiot son of mine, that I wanted to bring out my saber and cut him into two, but unfortunately, I can''t do that. He is my blood. "You have made a mess with a single action. How foolish can you be?" I asked, barely controlling the anger, I was feeling. I know he will never learn and might even bring bigger trouble than this. If he continued acting like, he had today. "My lord, this is the best I am able to achieve," said Nadim. Interrupting my thoughts. A moment later, a contract projected in my mind. "Only for a year and a half?" I asked after I read it carefully. Nadim sighed tiredly. "He isn''t willing to listen unless we agree to take a decade less for the house," he replied. I focused back on the contract and a few minutes later. Turned back to him. "I agree," I said with a sigh, and he raised his hands toward me. I took it and a moment later, I felt the contract clicking. "Release her," I ordered. ... "I agree," I said with gritted teeth and felt the contract clicking. The contract has the conditions for Carla''s release. I had been negotiating it for two hours. It is a humiliating contract, but I am weak. If I had power, I would have been to make them release Carla with just the word alone. The contract had many conditions, but three were most important. The first condition was that I could not intentionally take any direct or indirect action against House Raulim and the territory of Ertburn for two decades. They wanted it to be perpetual and then moved to five decades, but I didn''t agree. The second condition is that I couldn''t intentionally make a direct or indirect move against Kanas Raul. At first, I simply declined to agree with it, but they were too adamant about it. I had to agree, but I brought down the time to one and a half years. He is going to pay for what he did to Carla. There will be no escape, and the punishment would be such, that he will regret it for every second of his life. The third condition is silence. I could not talk about what happened, for a period of two years. This was the most humiliating contract I had ever signed, but I agreed. Without it, they would not release Carla. ..... Carla Salt The pen in my hand scratched across the paper, and the contract clicked as I signed on the last page. "You are free. Our people will escort you and your people to the port," said a balding man in his early fifties. He is Halis. Commerce adviser to Count Raul. I had met with him in the morning. He is one of the people from the Ertburn, that''s been invited to the celebration. I didn''t acknowledge his words, but got up and walked toward the door of the jail suite. I had been here since they arrested me a few hours ago. I thought I would be here for weeks if not months and years, but I am leaving within hours. I want to leave. I don''t want to stay in this city, even for a moment. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 493: Company Chapter 493: Company Rosen "Take a break. We will start again in ten," said Loughty as the scene ended. The actors moved to rest and read their lines, while the stage mages cleared their spells. "How was it?" asked Loughty, as he stopped beside me. "Good, they are nearly ready," I replied to the middle-aged man. "The performance would have been even better. If we didn''t abruptly stop last night," he said softly and shook visibly. The incident last night was shocking and terrifying. The rage that I had felt had nearly brought me to my knees, but also reminded me of the worst time in my life, when I had felt such rage. "Don''t worry, we have enough time," I replied to him, and he nodded. I have distributed some of my duties. Like directing to others. Focusing on managing the theater and refining my plays. Like every part of the tower, the theater had also been expanded. It became bigger with its capacity reaching three thousand seats. The stage is also bigger now, which will help us create complex sets. The changes to the tower hadn''t been finished. Only the stage is finished. There is work happening everywhere, but it will be done before the tower opens. I hope it does. A lot is riding on it. Soon, ten minutes passed, and practice began again. They have time till twelve before actors for another play will come for their practice. There will be three plays playing in the legacy. Two of them are mine, while one is from the playwright of the merchant state. Usually, only two plays are performed in the theater in a single day, but the response for plays has been great, with long waiting lists that go over a year. The three plays are going to make a logistics hell. I wish I had a few weeks with a complete theater to train the staff, but I don''t have a single day. So, I am making my people work, while the work is being done in the theater. The good thing is that we have experienced staff; the new people we hire are at a good level. I am still amazed at how easy it is for the legacy to attract great talent. Even at my peak, it was hard for me to recruit the best stage mages or directors, but here, we only needed to post a single recruitment letter, and hundreds would apply. Soon ten minutes passed, and the practice started again. I watched for a while before walking away. Crossing the mist curtain, that is near the stage. As I did, I entered a completely different world. I saw people everywhere, doing jobs. Some are working on the seating, some working on the balconies, and some on the lights. As I had said, the work was yet to be finished. Soon, I walked out of the theater and entered the lobby, which had now become bigger, with a different waiting area for the commons and the VIPs. There was a separate area for the VIPs before, but the new common waiting area had expanded and swallowed it. So, they made it new, and it is bigger and much fancier than before. It now even has a bar. Most people in there are going to be snobbish bastards, but these people also have huge money and have the greatest influence in society. They also patronize the arts, which helps us artists a lot. Hun! I flipped to another page, and a surprise appeared on my face. When I saw the long list of names, as I read it, I realized these are the names of people working on the play. From stage mages to make-up artists to backstage crew to stage cleaners. Everyone working in the play has their name written on it. This is shocking. Nobody does that, but here every name is present. I read it twice before turning the page, which had an acknowledgement and special thanks. There are five names. Including Uncle Vanis''s. After it, what seemed like an advertisement. I looked at it, before turning the page. Which has the information about the other two shows and one show that will start in two months. The booklet ended, and I saw its back. Which has a beautiful drawing of the velvet garden. "Will this be given at every show?" I asked. "Yes, to every person," she replied, and it couldn''t help but surprise me. The booklet isn''t cheap, but that''s not a problem. The ticket is expensive enough that they could bear it easily. Most importantly, it will help a lot. Not only to the audience coming to watch but also to the people making the play. Especially those working in the background. Having a name listed will help with their careers. "It will be loved by all," I said, and she smiled, but a moment later, her expression became serious. "It will, but it is not for this that I called you," she said, and I waited. "Master Silver wants to form a theater company," she stated, and surprise couldn''t help, but appear on my face. We already have a theater company in a semi-official capacity, but forming an official one will require a lot of funding and other things. Currently, half of our members are freelancers, while the other half borrowed from other companies. "It will make the present things complicated," I said after a moment. "It won''t have to be. We will continue with the present system while forming our own company." "It will be focused on recruiting and nurturing the best talent. With 50% recruitment from Greltheaven and Panar," she replied. Sliding the file toward me. I opened the file and began to read the terms and conditions. Some conditions surprised me. Like no restrictions on the races. I have been given the freedom to recruit the best talent without thinking about the race they belong to. ''Wow!'' I said when I looked at the budget for the company. It is huge, much bigger than I had thought. They are also giving us the building. It will be bigger and more official than the one we occupy now. Currently, it is being constructed but will be ready in a little over a month. "It seems like Lord Silver''s plans don''t just involve velvet theater?" I asked, and she smiled. Our present system works just fine, but it''s clear the man had ambitions greater than this and is willing to spend huge money on it. It has also made me excited. It is something I had wanted to do, but bad things happened before I could. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 494: Return Chapter 494: Return The carriage stopped at the pier, but there was no ship there. It will be a few more minutes before it arrives. I had been waiting since last night and had barely been able to sleep. Now, I am waiting again. Minutes passed painfully before the ship finally appeared in my view. Click! Seeing that, I stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the pier before stopping near the edge. The ship came closer and closer and soon, I saw Carla on it with her eyes searching. Our eyes met and the mask of expressionlessness on her face cracked and tears started to stream down from her eyes. Seeing that, I wanted to jump into the water and leap at the ship. I controlled myself and waited for the ship to dock, while not letting my eyes move away from her, even for a moment. It took a painfully long time for the ship to dock at the pier and ramp to come down. As it did, Carla came down running without care for the world. Soon, she appeared in front of me, and a hesitation appeared on her face. Seeing that, I took her in my arms. She froze for a fraction of a second, which she had never done before relaxing into me. I hugged her tightly while she cried. Harder with every passing second. She is usually mindful of the public display. Always maintains distance with grace and poise, but now it is the last thing she is thinking about. "You are safe now. Nobody could do anything to you," I said and patted her head gently. It took a while for her to calm down before I led her toward the carriage. Click! Soon we stepped inside, with Carla sitting beside me instead of the opposite. The carriage began to move, and soon it was out of the port and inside the city. Immediately, the tightness in her relaxed. Now, it would be really hard to do anything to her. The outer range covers every part of the city except the port. It is out of the city walls, but Caena is working on a way to bring it under the city''s influence. Even if she succeeded, the legacy would need to advance to Grade IV for that. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the woman. She is holding me tightly as if fearing I will leave her. I leaned closer, seeing that. "We aren''t going to the tower?" she asked, looking out of the window. "No," I replied. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn''t and instead just watched the road quietly. Soon, they reached a mansion, before stopping a few seconds later. Click! The door opened before I walked outside and raised my hand. She took it and stepped outside, before walking toward the mansion holding hands. "I am sorry for what you have suffered, and I promise you. I will never let it happen again," I said, with guilt in my heart coming out with every word. "It''s not your fault," she replied, looking directly into my eyes. A moment later, she stopped. "Promise me one thing," she said with her voice strong as steel. "Anything," I replied. "I want you to avenge my honor," she demanded. "I know we do not have the strength right now, but promise me, when we have the strength, you will," she added, showing me her heart. I could see everything she was feeling right now, and my heart was pained seeing it. She is hurt. Vulnerable by what she had suffered. "I promise," I replied. She doesn''t have to ask for it. That bastard will get what he deserves , and nothing will stop it. She looked at me, before taking a step forward, till there were only inches between our faces. I looked into her eyes before taking her lips into mine. I need investment, a lot of it. Since the legacy advanced. The speed of migration had increased as well. A lot of people are coming to the city, joining the workforce. We need people. The current pace is barely enough to handle the vacancies. I had sent my people to the empire to bring the workers. They had gone to big cities, mostly to port cities, and cities closer to the ports. It is much less complex to bring people from there. It is hard; the lords are keeping a tight leash on the movement of people. I have been signing individual contracts with the noble territories. Usually, they hesitate to sign such a contract, but I have the most delicious carrot in the world for them. Negotiations are also going on with the imperials about it, but the chances of succeeding are quite low. "Lord Silver. Mr. Hanson and Mrs. Hargreaves are here for you," said Jill through the intercom. "Send them in," I replied. Click! A second later, the door opened, and Rip walked in, beside him was a green-haired elf-blood woman in her mid-thirties. She is a beautiful woman with perfectly coiled hair and manicured nails. She is a type that uses every advantage she has. From her beauty to her intellect. With it, she was able to rise through the ranks in her house. She is from the mercantile of the house of Hargreaves. They are in hospitality. From hotels to casinos to bars; they have fingers everywhere. They are one of the top three players in Oksall. They also have business in other merchant states and kingdoms. The city had already gotten investment from the mercantile houses, Raxtine from Empire, and Almas from Owlspring, but Hargreaves was a bigger player than both. Their investment is also big. "Lord Silver," they greeted. I nodded and asked them to sit. "I hope, the journey has been well. Mrs. Hargreaves?" I asked the woman. "It was my lord," she replied with a professional smile. I smiled back and turned to Rip, who slid into two files toward me. I opened the first file and started to read it. It had already been read by city hall, but it didn''t hurt to double-check. I put the file down and picked up the second file and read it, before putting it down and signing it both. Immediately, three glasses of mist-led wine appeared in Lola''s hand. Clink! "To success and prosperity," I said, clinking the glasses. They will build the biggest hotel in the city. We really need it. For the opening, everything had already been booked, even the empty apartment and mansions were not left unoccupied. The problem won''t be solved after the opening. Instead, it will get worse. We need more hotels; the current capacity is far from enough. After the tower opens; the daily traffic would be in the tens of thousands. Nine thousand would be brought by the theater alone and 150% of that by the store floors. We estimate the traffic of twenty-five to thirty thousand people. A shocking number for most legacies, but I had planned for such a number. More people mean more emotion essence. Still, the traffic would be huge. It would be around 7% of the city''s population. People will be coming from all over, from the Empire, Merchant States, and even Navr. The lack of accommodations will force many of them to leave within a day. I don''t want that and I''m working on fixing the problem as soon as possible. The longer they stay in the city, the greater the boost they will provide to the economy. I need to fix it before I open the casino, or I will not be able to take complete advantage of it. I cannot afford to make that mistake. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 495: Dinner Chapter 495: Dinner Blackwell ''You worry too much, my son. I will be fine,'' I replied to my son. ''I hope nothing happens, but if the undead move. You will leave the city. You will not stay there, like the last time,'' he said from the other side. "Fine," I replied. ''Take care, Mom,'' he said. "You too, my son," I replied, and cut the call. "He worries too much," said Meria, and all I could do was smile. "Speaking of calls. I got a call from my mother this morning. She is coming for the opening; she asked me to arrange for an invitation for her," I informed, and Meria''s expression turned bad. "You have declined, right?" she asked turning to me. "As if I could," I replied, and she sighed. Our mother is something else. Meria looks for every chance to get away from her, even at this age, "I hope, she doesn''t bring any other man than father," she replied. I pity my sister. She had to suffer mother at home and work. It''s why, she liked it a lot when she came here. It gives her space from their mother. We walked in silence while watching our creation. The park isn''t the biggest, they had designed it, but it is one of the most beautiful and the one that brings the greatest joy to the people. There are people everywhere. They are always here from dawn when it opens to late at night when it closes. A few minutes passed, and we entered the restricted area of the garden. It is in the domain of college and its entrance here is highly restricted. It was the most secure area in the whole of Greltheaven, aside from the legacy itself. Soon, we could see the greenhouses; tens of them. Far more than they had been two months ago. Most of these greenhouses are growing the plants that will replace the garden around the legacy. The number of plants there will be far more than the plants in legacy. We had tried to keep a close lid on the news, but such types of news rarely remained hidden. I have been contacted by various people. From lords to alchemists to help them get these resources. Even the alchemists and businesses from my city had contacted me. Unfortunately, I cannot help them. Silver is keeping a very tight grip on these resources. It had become even tighter as he started to hire the alchemists. One didn''t need to use too much of their mind to know what he was planning with it. Our destinations aren''t those plants. It will be another month before we would start to plant them. We are here for the plants that we had brought here from the legacy. They were kept here, while changes were being made in the tower. Today, they are going back to the tower. Soon, we reached the big greenhouse and entered the house. There are all sorts of plants, but all of them have only one similarity. They looked beautiful and smelled great. "All the plants are ready for the legacy," said the voice as we were looking at the plants. "Mage Irgal," we greeted. The man, I couldn''t help but feel slightly jealous of. He is in the service of the house, which is more ancient than any kingdom on the continent. "When can you send them to the tower?" I asked. "Any time you want," he replied. Hearing that, a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. Silver wants these plants to the tower as soon as possible. Every hour, they stay here. They consume more emotions'' essence. They do it in the legacy too, but there it is more efficient as it is direct. Here, it is done through the bottles of the emotion essence. "Lord Silver," I greeted. "Lady Blackwell," said the man, getting up and inviting me and the rest to the table. As we sat, drinks appeared in front of us. It is our favorite drink. It is likely one of the madams who had used the skill. It is impossible to tell who it is in the legacy. Its power cloaks their skills. "As I was saying, with Geim and Yressor forces engaged," "It is giving Prince Declan a breathing space. I think he will be able to engage with whoever is the winner and hold them back," said Mr. Elar. Chief Hendriks shook his head. "I think the prince will have a hard time doing that. Their armies are bigger, even with loss. One of them will still have enough strength to break through the walls of Bertown," counter the old man. The battle of the southernmost region of the empire is quite intense from what I had heard. The forces of the kingdom of Geim and Yressor are engaged in it, while Prince Declan of the empire reinforces his position as the capital of the region. Those two kingdoms have already captured half of the region and would have to capture more. If not for Princess Orlena sending the reinforcements. A lot more of the region would have been captured by these kingdoms. "What do you think, my lord?" asked Chief Hardt and every eye turned to Silver. "The question is too complex, and I didn''t have all the facts, but I will say one thing. It wouldn''t be easy, for Geim and Yressor to capture Bertown," he replied. "It''s enough for serious talk. Let''s have the dinner," he said a moment later before anyone could ask him to elaborate. It''s like the kitchen staff had heard his order. As he second after he spoke, they came in holding different dishes and began to set them on the table. The invitation was out of sudden. I had been informed in the morning that there would be a dinner at the legacy. The invitation didn''t mention the occasion. Only an invitation for the dinner. Soon, the table to set with the most delicious-looking dinner. Its smell is so great that I am having a hard time controlling myself. The sommelier filled our glasses with wine, and Silver raised his, with us following his lead. "To velvet garden," he toasted, looking at Carla. "To velvet garden," we repeated before taking a sip of delicious wine, which took me on an emotional ride. Still, nothing could have been prepared for me for the food in from of me. "This!" said Chief Valentina, with her eyes wide. My eyes are wide too and so are Merial''s and others. The taste was unlike anything I had experienced before, and I had eaten in Grade IV legacy and even it couldn''t compare to what I had eaten just now. The only one who didn''t look surprised was Mage Irgal. It took a few seconds more. I might have realized it early. If not, the taste overwhelmed my senses so much. "The chef had used them, didn''t it?" asked Meria. To which he smiled. The assistant madams remained confused for a while before their eyes lit up in understanding, while others watched in confusion. "It''s such a regret, we have them in a very small amount," said Silver. The plants that had been planted didn''t have just pretty flowers and vines. There were some herbs and spices as well. Some of them have been matured, which they have used in these dishes, which took them to different heights. I could already tell that people will pay any price to taste these dishes. Unfortunately, the number of them is small. Only a few people will be able to enjoy them. More such spices are being prepared to be planted in the garden, but it will not change things much. It will only be for a few people. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 496: Alchemists Chapter 496: Alchemists Sansa Banes Click! Laurance opened the door, revealing the shiny new lab, where everything was new. It is the same size as the one where they tested our skills for the past three days, but a lot of the equipment is different. The different ones are specialized for the beauty alchemists. "This is your new lab," he declared grandly, and the lab is truly grand. Better than the one we had. Some of the equipment here is really expensive and hard to get your hands-on. "Remember, you two are on a probationary basis. If you don''t prove yourselves in this period, the lab will be taken away and the contract will be terminated," he reminded. There are only four such labs. Three for conventional alchemists and one for beauty alchemists. I heard they were building a few more labs. Those will be for Grade III alchemists. We got this lab because those were not ready, but now after seeing it. I don''t want to leave this place. I want to kiss every piece of equipment and craft amazing things. "We understand and wouldn''t disappoint the city and Lord Silver," replied Leo respectfully. "The lab is the property of the city, but the velvet garden would be your boss. Impress them and you will have a bright future ahead," he advised. It had been three days since we had come here and while most of our time had been spent on tests, we did hear a few things. The first among them was that velvet gardens had an oversized influence in the city. People here say that you can get away with disrespecting the lord of the city, but not his whores. "We will," I replied. "You two look around till they arrive," he said and sat down on a chair. We nodded and put down the boxes in our hands and looked at the equipment. The more we looked, the more impressed we would become. "It is all new," said Leo, and I couldn''t help but nod. There is not a single piece of equipment I could see that looked old. More than half of the equipment in our lab was pre-owned; we couldn''t afford the new ones with our budget. With this shiny new equipment. We will be able to push ourselves even harder and do things we weren''t able to do before. The contract we had signed with the city is pretty strict, but it is also generous. The city will provide the resources for us, and we have to produce what they want. In exchange, we will get a certain percentage from every finished product. For Grade IV alchemist. The percentage is even higher, but unlike them, we are in a position to earn higher. We are research types of alchemists. Our formulas could be mass-produced by other alchemists. We might get a small commission due to it, but the sheer scale will help us earn higher. "Don''t dream too much. Remember what happened to our dreams," Leo cautions. Throwing icy cold water in my daydreams. It made me calm down immediately. We had a similar dream when we had started, but they were crushed. Here, we need to focus less on dreams, and more on work. I looked around, checking every piece of equipment, before going out and bringing out boxes of our stuff. I explained the one-by-one order of the book, which she read while listening without any change appearing on her face. When I finished with my things, Leo took over and began to explain his. It took us a while to explain everything, while they listened without interfering even once. It made me and even Leo nervous. It is never a good thing when people stay this silent. "Almost all of your things seem targeted. Working on one type of skin, some are targeting subtypes?" she asked, and her words were the question that brought us on the road. People like things that work with everything. Ours are not like that; they are target specific. It brought us a lot of trouble. Including the sealing of our store. I didn''t answer immediately and even thought about lying, but didn''t feel that would be wise. "We did it intentionally," I replied and found no change in her expression. "Targeting gives our products greater effects. It might work on fewer people, but their effects are more powerful than most things on the market," I explained hastily, and still, there was no change. "Follow me," she said, while the guards behind them picked up our products. "Where?" I asked, not moving. "To test your products. I want to see whether they work as good as you claimed them to be," she said and began moving with the redhead woman. We looked at each other before hurriedly following behind. Outside the lab, a luxury carriage with the emblem and flag of the velvet garden is waiting. The driver opened the door for them, and they went inside. After a moment of hesitation, we entered inside, and the carriage moved. "Are you going to test all our products?" I asked after a few seconds of silence. "Yes. We have girls of all skin types and subtypes needed to test those things and skills to handle any reaction that might arise from it," she replied. I don''t know why, I feel scared about it, but there is also excitement. All of our products are tested. We never tested on people, but augur strips, which give better data, than testing it on real skin. Testing on real people is expensive. A few minutes passed in silence when the carriage entered the circle street. Immediately, a surprise appeared in my eyes. Seeing where the carriage is going. "Are we testing them in the legacy?" asked Leo as the carriage turned to the bridge on the canal, where people were seen on beautiful boats. "Yes," she replied. His eyes lit up. So, has mine, hearing that. We wanted to go to the legacy like everyone else but didn''t get a chance. Our first day was spent with verifications and the next day. The store floors closed for refurbishment and would open with the rest of the tower on the founding day. Now, we are going there, and the destination would be a spa, obviously. I couldn''t help but be excited, not just about the spa, but the entire legacy. Soon, the carriage reached the tower cloaked in mist and stopped. The guard opened the door, and we stepped out, before walking toward its misty doors. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 497: Devolopement Chapter 497: Devolopement "We shouldn''t have dallied," I said with a sigh and madams sighed. We are in a small conference room. Discussing a very important problem on the agenda. "We thought we had years. We didn''t even have months," added Margaux, shaking her head. We are talking about the girls. We don''t have enough of them. Currently, the velvet garden has eleven hundred and thirty-seven girls. Of them, eight hundred and eighty-two are working. Which isn''t enough. We need more. We were planning to recruit the girls after the opening two months ago, but many things happened, like the attack and advancement of the legacy that pushed it back. "We will have to start recruiting after the opening.," I stated. "The same criteria?" asked Caena. "There will be a change in this time. We will recruit from the city and Panar, as well," I replied. A surprise appeared in their eyes. Till now, we preferred to get our girls from a merchant state and Namdar. There was a reason for competition and spying, but we didn''t have to fear that anymore. Everybody knows our methods and how we work. As for spying, there is nothing we can do other than be careful. There are going to be spies. We have to find them and keep an eye on them. Like we are doing with the seven girls, who we identified as spies. We didn''t arrest them; that would be throwing away the wonderful assets. By keeping them, we are in control of the information they provide to their masters. Information is powerful and controlling it provides immense benefits. "Numbers?" asked Caena. "A round thousand," I replied. This time, we are going to select the girls carefully. Verifying information and background of each girl we select. We didn''t have the resources to do that before, but now we have, and we will use them. The meeting lasted for twenty more minutes before it was over and the girls began to walk out of the conference room, before only Margaux and I had remained. "You said you needed something?" I asked. Before the meeting started, she had said she wanted something from me. "Yes, a favor," she said and put a file in front of me. I looked at her before taking a small file and reading it. In a few seconds, a surprise couldn''t help but appear on my face. "It''s an extremely large amount of money. Are you planning on investing in something big?" I asked as I closed the file. The file is a bank document. She wants me to act as a guarantee for the loan she is taking. It is not a small loan. She shook her head. "No, it''s for my daughter," she replied, and I arched my brow. That is a massive amount of money for the teen girl. "She got accepted into the academy of archmage city," she replied proudly. I have to say, I am surprised. I had not been expecting it. The academy of archmage city is one of the best academies. It is considered the best academy in the world, with the most powerful magic tower. Which is also the most powerful of spirits. Just below the three titans. "Congratulations," I said, and a moment later, the file began to burn. "You do not need the loan. I could recommend her from my quota; her education will be free," I replied, and her surprise turned into shock. Archmage tower gives a quota to every legacy on the continent. It depends on their grade. Since I have a Grade III legacy. I could recommend three people. "Truly?" she asked, her voice thick with emotions. I nodded. "Though it wouldn''t be without conditions," I added, and she nodded a moment later. I have been contacted about it by many people. Including the imperial, but I had refused to even negotiate. The quota is for my citizens. I had asked someone to look for the best people to be sent to the academy. It is not without a cost; they will have to serve the city after they are done with their education. "My lord," port master Black greeted. "Port master," I said, before looking ahead. "It seemed to be going well," I said as I looked at the work that was being done in front of me. I am expanding the port as well as its staff, along with bringing new equipment to modernize it. "It is. In a month, it will be ready," he replied. I had hesitated for a few months for expansion because of the undead and other enemies, but the way the traffic was growing; I am left with no choice. I need to be ready to use every opportunity. That comes my way, despite the risks and cost. The revenue of the city is rising every week, but so is the cost. That the city is still balancing on the edge of bankruptcy. If the problem of one city wasn''t enough, I had gone and conquered another one. It had strained the finances of the city even further. It is a good thing the legacy had advanced to Grade III or the city would have been in even deeper financial trouble. "Ask your men to not be so zealous in their inspections. There have been some complaints from the merchants," I advised him. Two weeks ago, some unsavory things were found in the cargo of the ship. Hidden in the fruits. Since then, he has increased the inspections. "I will keep it for ten days more, before lowering it," he replied. A moment later. I thought for a moment before nodding. There will be a lot of people and things coming to the city for the founding day and we will need to be careful. The gangs in the city are always looking for such opportunities to slip things in the city. The high growth is good, but it also has consequences. One of them is the gangs. The police have them on a tight leash, but we need to be careful, as always. They are like weeds. You cannot pull them out as another will grow in their place. The best option is to manage them; never let them grow over a certain level. I stayed in port for half an hour before sitting in the carriage. I visited a few more places before going to city hall, where I stayed till seven and a half before returning home. I had dinner with the children. Today is only me and them. Carla had gone to Owlspring a few hours ago. I wanted her to stay, but she wasn''t one to get dragged down by what she had suffered. Instead, it motivated her to work harder. "It needs your signature," said Lola as the file appeared in her hand. She put it in front of me, and I opened it. It is from Maeve, about two Grade III alchemists. I read it and couldn''t help but be surprised by her assessment. She had tested the samples from the two alchemists from Ertburn and they are good. Better than good. They are specialists. Many employers don''t like such things; they prefer to have those that work with everything. Unlike others, we didn''t have a problem with that. Instead, we prefer it. The goal of the spa is to provide highly personalized care for our patrons and for that using things that are targeted to each of them specifically is the best. She is going to test those samples further and if they perform well, she is going to choose them for the spa. It seemed like they were really good. Maeve doesn''t praise lightly. If Maeve thinks some might make the cut, speaking about the abilities of those two alchemists and with the instinct of the woman who has chosen to give them a chance. Then the two might be worth it. The file isn''t just about the assessment, but also about the funding. There is already an amount earmarked for it, but she is asking me to increase it to the level of Grade IV. Which isn''t small. I have to know every detail before I can approve these funds. So, I contacted her. I spoke to her for nearly an hour and asked for every detail. "I hope they are as good, as she is saying," I said as I cut the telepathic call and signed on the file. Approving the funding for their research. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 498: A Day Before I Chapter 498: A Day Before I Magda "It''s bigger than I thought," said El nervously, looking at the city that came into view. "It''s growing fast. When I passed by it a few months ago. It wasn''t so big," said my brother from behind. "It''s the legacy. Its advancement is bringing businesses and people in front of the city," explained my father. The invitation from Margaux is for the whole family. My parents and even my brother had come. I still remember the day when I showed them the invitation. Father thought it was a joke and even contacted the Greltheaven to verify. Since then, I have found out a lot of things about El''s mom. She is one of the most powerful people in the city and has a lot of influence on the legacy. She is one of the triumvirates who controlled it. A few minutes passed, and the ship was finally docked before the ramp went down and guards came up, followed by a beautiful half-elf, who seemed to be coming toward us. She looked to be in her early twenties with really short sea-blue hair, that was even shorter than fathers. It is my first time. Seeing the woman with such short hair. She is tall, taller than me with those elvish cheekbones and blue eyes the same shade as her hair. She is wearing a beautiful cream-colored dress, hugging her body perfectly. Seeing how guards were following her, she seemed to be someone important. She stopped in front of us and smiled. "Miss Swan, Pearsons, welcome to Greltheaven," she said to our surprise. "Thank you?" replied father. "I am Eryna. Headmistress sent me as your chauffeur," she said and looked at two guards behind her. Headmistress. El''s mom. They came forward and took the bags from my parents'' hands, while we kept watching in befuddlement. "Please follow me," She walked down the ramp with a grace I couldn''t help but envy. It was effortless. It looked like she was walking on the water. It''s not a skill. She had been trained for it. I have also taken the classes, but couldn''t manage such effortless grace. A moment passed, and we hurriedly followed behind her. The guards didn''t stop us or even asked to check our documents. The carriage was close to the ship. They do not let them park so close, but here, nobody is doing anything. Click! "Miss Swan, please," said Eryna as she opened the door for El. She hesitated. Overwhelmed by such service. Ever since her mom came, she found a lot of things about her, making her question whether it was all a dream. Noticing we all were staring at her, she quickly entered inside. We followed after and a few seconds later, the carriage began to move. "Where are you taking us?" I asked. "First to your hotel, where you will rest for a few hours. Then to the velvet garden," she replied. Hearing that, the eyes of my parents and brother lit up. We already knew about the hotel. A letter from El''s mom had informed us about it, but there was no mention of the chauffeur and legacy. "I thought the legacy won''t open before tomorrow?" asked Father. "That is true for most people, but open to special guests like you," replied the half-elf. Hearing that, a big smile appeared on my parent''s face. Father wanted to come to the legacy. Even had a reservation made, but that is a year away. It is difficult to get a table. Even in a legacy as big as this one. I looked around and saw the port bustling, even in the morning. With ships docking and leaving the port, more ships are sailing straight past. Two years ago, the trade between the empire and merchant states was non-existent. Now it is growing every month. Breaking the records of trade before the conflict. We rested a while before going to brunch with my parents. It was all paid for by El''s mom like the hotel. We came back and I took a small nap. It was hard, with all the excitement about the legacy, but I calmed myself and rested. El did the same. Knock! We had just woken up and freshened when a knock rang out our door. "Ready?" asked Eryna as I opened the door. My parents and brother were already beside her. "Yes," I said while El nodded and stepped out of the room. A few minutes later, we were in the carriage. Nobody is talking, but excitement could be seen in everybody''s eyes. We are going to the legacy. The biggest legacy of Grade III and below and one of the biggest legacies in the whole continent. Since I got the invitation. I am dreaming about it and now, I am going to be in it. Soon, our carriage took a turn and the tower came into view. Surrounded by a huge park. The carriage took another turn to bridge on the canal, with crystal-clear water. "It looked empty," said my brother as we entered the park. "It is normally filled with thousands of people, but today, it is closed. There are a few things that are being added to the park," replied the half-elf. I could see a group of people in a few places across the park. Working on things. Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the tower, and I got out. Immediately, smelling the most wonderful mix of fragrances I had ever experienced. If it wasn''t for the half-elf, I would have stayed and enjoyed these wonderful scents. I followed her and stepped inside the tower into the massive lobby. As I did, I stopped. More like, frozen in my place. I knew immediately that Vanis''s Tavern couldn''t compare to it. The first thing I felt was the wonderful feeling of legacy and with it came the fragrances. The wonderful fragrances of the flowers I had smelled before seemed pale compared to what I am covered in right now. These fragrances seemed to enter, my very soul, with the power of the legacy. It makes me feel like I am in heaven. I looked around and saw beautiful plants everywhere. In the lobby. They looked beautiful with colorful mist dancing over them. I looked at the plants, before focusing on the things that were covered in the dense mist. There are tens of such things, with the centerpiece being truly massive. I can''t even see the silhouette of it. "My god, look how big you have grown!" I heard and saw a beautiful woman behind a huge reception platform getting up and walking toward El gracefully, before hugging her. "Sister Lorle," said El to the raven-haired woman. "You have really started to look like your mother," said the woman. It made El smile before a slight disappointment appeared in her eyes. "Is mom here?" she asked, and the older woman shook her head. "No, she is at the college." "It is unlikely you will be able to meet your mom today. She is very busy with the opening tomorrow," she replied. The letter from El''s mom said. It would be hard for her to meet her, given the responsibilities she had. She has a lot of things to do for tomorrow. "Don''t worry, after the opening. You will have all the time in the world with you with your mom," she added, and El smiled faintly. They talked a little before she introduced us to the beautiful woman. "Miss Lorle, if you don''t mind me asking. Why are so many things covered in the mist?" I asked, and the woman smiled. "They will be revealed tomorrow," she replied with a mysterious smile. "Can you show us now?" I asked. "No," the woman replied simply. It made me a little disappointed, but I will see them tomorrow. We have an invitation to the party. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 499: A Day Before II Chapter 499: A Day Before II Magda "Go, you have an appointment, and you won''t want to be late for it," said Lorle. El nodded before following the half-elf. Soon we are in the elevator, and it begins to move up. Showing us each floor, covered in beautiful mist. They are beautiful, that I wish. I could go out and explore every one of them. I hope I will be able to tomorrow. We have an invitation, which came with access to the entire legacy. "First floor to the fourth floor are the store floors. They sell nearly everything, from kitchen tools to ivory art," informed the half-elf. "What is the requirement to get space on these floors?" asked George and half-elf smiled. "There is no requirement; it is up to Master Silver, who wants to give it but if I were to say, then it would be loyalty," she replied, wiping the expectation out of his face. He shouldn''t have asked for it. We already knew that over 75% of the stores here are owned by the locals. Even among the remaining 25%. Half of them have become local. Soon, the elevator crossed the four floors and reached the fifth one. The theater looked incredible, making my heartbeat wildly. I want to become an actress. I have wanted to be since I was a child. I am leaving the academy this year and already started applying to the theater companies. My focus is on the Eckels, a theater company based in Namdar. It is one of the best ones in the empire and the oldest. It had sent many of its people to the spirit. It is difficult to get into it. So, I applied to the other theater companies as well. Including the few in the merchant states, who are accepting applicants from the empire. I heard quite a lot of praise about the velvet theater and its director. He was quite famous before his fall from grace. Now, he has started to get famous again. His plays are wonderful; one of the best, that even my teacher had given an example of it openly. Which they didn''t dare to do before. The elevator moved up, and the store appeared. Not a normal store, but Eva Cain, that everybody is talking about. I wish the elevator could move slower, but it didn''t. It passed through it, before finally stopping. As the energy screen disappeared. Another type of fragrance hit us. They seemed more powerful but also had heavy calming effects. We stepped out of the elevator, and immediately, the effect amplified. I looked around and felt tears in my eyes. This is not a spa in front of me, but a freaking forest. I could see trees everywhere. From the flower trees to trunks of trees to greens and shrubs; there was greenery everywhere. So much so that they masked the walls of the spa itself. They seemed to have spared no expense in making it seem like a forest. They even created mini-streams. One of them is passing beside me. It''s so beautiful. I looked around and saw my parents and even El had tears in their eyes. One can''t help it. "Welcome to the velvet spa," greeted the teen of the same age as El and I. "Please follow me," she said and led us to the changing room. Where robes are neatly placed on stone racks. I chose one of my sizes and changed into it. The robe is a cream color and light as a feather. It feels amazing against my skin. I looked at myself in the mirror one more time and came out and the same teen was waiting for me. "Miss Pearson, would you like me to lead you to the waiting room directly or through the memory sanatorium?" she asked. "Sanatorium," I replied, and she nodded and moved with me following behind. There is a huge article about the memory sanatorium of a velvet garden in the papers. The author expounded in great detail about it. I want to experience it. Just like the author it did. She stopped and opened the door. Leading me to the beautiful cove filled with heavy greenery. There are stone circles in between. Which are the straw mats. A lot of people are sitting there. I could only see a silhouette as they were covered in a light mist. I looked at them, before focusing on the massive vortex waterfall. Thousands of droplets filled with colorful mist are swirling, making a beautiful sound. I heard it earlier. It was faint, barely audible, but here it was louder. Hearing the sound, smelling a wonderful smell, and seeing beautiful scenery, a quake rang through my soul. I shook, before gently sitting on the round mat, beside the small stream, while tears flowed down my body uncontrollably as the memories flashed in front of me. I am experiencing memories. Good and bad, some I had forgotten a long time ago. All of them are flashing in front of my eyes. There is no control over it and I have not tried to control it. The memories are beautiful. I do not like all of them, but it is a blessing to enjoy them. I am relieved once again as I felt the same emotions near the same intensity as I felt in the past. I don''t know how long it had lasted, but soon the memories started to disappear. Soon, I gained control over my emotions and felt so light and free, like I had never felt before. I smiled and looked around. "Have you chosen the treatments?" the woman asked, to whom El shook her head. "It''s too hard. Everything is great," El replied in indecision. The woman smiled and raised her hand toward her, before stopping, seeing El, shaking a little. El didn''t like people touching her. "May I?" the woman seemed to understand that as she asked. El hesitated for a moment, before nodding and the woman took her hand. A few seconds later, she let go. "You have the same wonderful skin as your mother. The most suitable for you would be the ardent radiance package," she replied. "Thank you," replied El. "There is no need to thank me," she replied with a smile. "Miss, can you help me too?" I asked. Before I could stop myself, and felt the eyes of my parents on me. "You must be Ella''s friend?" she asked, and I nodded. The woman smiled and took my hand. Immediately, I felt like I was naked. Different sort of naked, where I didn''t feel shy or ashamed. I felt like this woman could see every part of me, both inside and outside with those powerful skills. They are the most powerful skills I had felt used on me. A few seconds passed, and a woman withdrew her hands. "You have drier skin. Aqua rejuvenation would be perfect for you," she replied, before turning to El. "Don''t worry about anything and enjoy the spa," she advised El before walking away. "Do you know who that was?" asked my father in a hissing voice. "Someone important," I replied. I gathered as much. "That''s Maeve Hanson. Director of the spa," he informed me, and my eyes widened. "Oh," I said. I turned a moment later and saw her talking with important people. Including Lord Silver''s sister and elf from the merchant states. Soon my parents and brother chose their treatment as well, and the staff took us to the treatment. Hours passed, and I went through one treatment after another. It was a trip to heaven that I will never be able to forget in all my life. Click! "You seem happy," said El, as I entered a beautiful room. "I am. I don''t think I have ever been so happy and relaxed," I said as I sat down beside her. "Me, too," replied El. "I will be sure to thank your mother for it," I said, and her cheeks reddened. It was amazing. I wouldn''t have been able to experience it so soon. The waiting line is years long and treatments are expensive. A few minutes later, my brother came, while my parents took more than an hour to return. When they did, they looked kind of ashamed, with their cheeks red but their eyes were filled with joy and some other things I wasn''t able to tell. A few minutes later, we all changed back into our clothes before stepping into the elevator. Ting! The elevator rang as its door opened, revealing the most beautiful store I had ever seen. It is also the most artful and opulent. It had plants, but it didn''t feel like a forest. Instead, these plants feel like they are here to make already beautiful stores even more beautiful. "Welcome to Eva Cain," greeted the attendant as we stepped into the store. My eyes instantly got focused on the tree in the center. Unlike all the surrounding plants, the tree isn''t real. It seemed to be made of metal and had colorful mist dancing around it, making leaves on it chime beautifully. "Look at these dresses. Jewelry, they are beautiful," breathed Mom, nearly gasping. Everything is beautiful. Dresses, shoes, jewelry. I wanted to buy them all, but when I looked at the prices, I couldn''t help but get somber. They are expensive, really expensive, but people are buying them. There are a lot of people in the store despite it being a silent opening, and they are rich. My father is looking at them. Informing us about them with privacy. Hearing their names, it seemed like. We are the poorest people here. We are actually compared to these people. We were looking at things when I saw El beside me freeze and I turned to see where she was looking. Someone is coming toward us. Someone beautiful, with the air of command, that the very mist seemed to part as she walked. "Dear child," said Margaux and hugged El. "Mom," said El, with tears appearing in her eyes. She had been missing her mom. She thought she wouldn''t be able to meet her today, but she came. A few seconds later, Margaux let go and turned to me and smiled, before turning to my parents. "Mr. Pearson, Mrs. Pearson, thank you for taking care of my daughter, all these years," she thanked, bowing faintly. "You don''t have to thank us, Miss Swan. Elanor is family," replied father. Making Margaux smile. "Ella is lucky to have you," she said, patting her head. "It''s not her, but us, who are lucky to have her in our lives," replied father. His words might be corny, but it is true. El is a friend that a few have a fortune to have. "I hope you have liked the spa?" she asked. "Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you for it, Miss Swan," replied Mom, with a big smile on her face. "I am glad," said Margaux and turned to the store. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 500: Open the Gates Chapter 500: Open the Gates "The day has come," I said as I woke up. Today is the opening, and everything looks perfect. I know it. I could see it all. Every inch of the tower is visible to me. The work is finished. The only place the people are still working is the underground. The work there is going on with full force. I watched it all before going to the bathroom to freshen up and shower. Usually, I train first before showering. Since I came back from Panar, this would be my second day of skipping practice; the first one being the day Carla returned from the Ertburn. I came out and changed into a new set of clothes before sitting down. Just moments later, a steaming breakfast appeared in front of me. It is a simple breakfast; it doesn''t have mist or any special ingredient. I cannot eat those daily. Once I finished. I walked into my office, where everyone was waiting for me, and they had serious expressions on their faces. "Why so serious?" I asked, but no one smiled. "Deerpond has released the news that they have opened the mine with Grade VI crystals," replied Lola. Immediately, the smile on my face disappeared, and serious expressions appeared on my face. "Grade VI, hun," I said and sat down. It is definitely bad news for me and the entire city since Deerpond is an enemy. If they had found the biggest mine of Grade III crystals and below, I wouldn''t have been worried, but above grade III, the energy crystals begin to get rarer with each level. Grade VI crystal mines are rare and expensive. They are going to boost the economy of the Deerpond, without a doubt. Which will translate into a bigger army, better weapons, and more powerhouses, among other things. They have attacked us once and with this, they could attack us again. I am confident they will attack us if they think they could win. Last time, they suffered a defeat, but didn''t lose anything important. Only a few people died; so that they had come out unscathed militarily. I will have to increase my forces and not just numbers, I would need more powerhouses and experienced soldiers. He has that advantage over me. Thanks to the forces coming from his territory in the empire. It is really unexpected. I had heard about the new mine and was aware of the experts he hired from the merchant state, but never in the dream, I had thought, the mine would be a Grade VI. At most, I thought it would be Grade IV. "They had done it intentionally. Releasing the news on the day of opening," said Hendriks. "It''s fine. It won''t affect the celebration," I said, and it is the truth. He might have done it intentionally, but it will not even dent the celebration, not even a bit. "Today is important. I want everything to go as we had planned. We have to make a grand impression, something they will never forget," I stated. "Everything will be perfect, Master Silver. We will make sure, it is," replied Caena. They stayed for fifteen minutes, before the meeting ended. One could see the pure joy on their faces. They are experiencing the legacy, something they had never thought they would be able to in their life. To them, the legacy is for the rich, and powerful. Common people have no business in it. Here at Velvet Garden, this is not the case. In the tower, everyone could enter. Whether they are rich or poor. I have also reserved tickets and tables for regular citizens at the theater, spa, and Velvet Blue. There will be a need to pay a nominal fee, to be able to enjoy the things that the rich and powerful do at a fraction of the cost. With Legacy advancing into Grade III. I increased the number of those tickets as well. I am not losing much doing that. As it is not the money, I seek the most. I looked before focusing on two stores, Gagarin''s and Sagra''s. I have given access to three stores. Eva''s, Gagarin''s, and Sagra. Sagra is a woman in her fifties and an ivory artist. Both her son and husband are in the army and have fought in all the battles of Greltheaven. That is her loyalty. So, after some thought and a few interviews. I gave her the access and a few days later, to her staff like I did with George. I could give access to all stores, and it wouldn''t be too heavy on the core. It would also make me earn more money and gather more emotions essence, but I am not doing that. I will not sacrifice long-term benefits for the short term gain. They need to understand that access is a privilege. They will get it through their work and loyalty. It is a lost opportunity in the short term, but it will provide an incredible windfall in the long term. Not to me and the legacy, but also the city. Soon, it was nine, and I had to leave for the city. I wish I could stay, but there are things I have to do. A few important people I have to meet. Including, Lord of Inam. He had come this time, and so had the lord of Owlspring and a few city lords of merchant cities and nobles from the empire. Click! The door opened as I was in my thoughts and Caena walked in. "How is it?" she asked, and she wasn''t asking about the flow of people. "Let''s see," I replied with a smile. Everything turned dark, and a moment later, the core appeared. As we took in the scene, both of our eyes widened. For a few seconds, nobody spoke. "You are incredible," she said, with wonder looking at the core. "It wouldn''t have been possible, without you," I replied. The core is surrounded by the great multi-colored flood of emotions that are coming at it from the legacy, and it is absorbing it all. I thought the core would have a problem doing that. Even legacy cores have a limit. They could only absorb a certain amount of emotions, but it seemed like the limit of my core is greater than I had thought. Currently, it is having no problem with absorbing emotions coming from the thousands of people, These emotions are from only six floors. There are fifteen more floors that have yet to be opened. My mind began to contemplate how much emotions there will be for my core to absorb, after all the floors open at night. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 501: Deals and Decisions Chapter 501: Deals and Decisions Arad Vaughn "Look at the sheer size of this crowd," said Samson in a near gasp as we came out of the carriage. My expression turned serious as well before I focused on the beautiful woman in front of me. She looked to be in her late twenties, with blond hair, and green eyes. She is standing there gracefully with a light smile on her face and wearing an expensive dress. It would be hard for anyone to believe that she was a whore. "Lord Vaughn, welcome to the velvet garden," she greeted. "Thank you, Miss Kala," I replied. "I hope your journey has been well?" she asked. "It was, thank you for asking," I replied. "Shall we?" she asked, looking at the tower, and I nodded. We begin to walk toward the massive crowd, all wanting to get inside the legacy. I have never seen such a large number entering Grade III legacy, except for the Colosseums. Even then, those people have to have tickets, here they do not. These are common people, and they are entering legacy without paying a single penny. There is not a legacy anywhere that common people could enter without paying. It happens with some on special occasions, but it is not permanent to my knowledge. There is a huge crowd, but thankfully there is a special way for people like me. We could enter the tower directly without lining up in long lines. I reached near the door and smelled the plants I had heard so much about before stepping into the tower. I nearly stopped. It surprised me. I am the scion of a Grade IV legacy. Have visited tens of legacies of all grades. I didn''t think it would surprise me, but it did. The feeling of legacy is denser and affects one deeply when it mixes with the fragrance of those plants. It creates an effect that moves the very soul. I controlled myself and looked around. Before I knew it, I found myself being amazed. The plants are beautiful, and so is the art. The most amazing thing is the centerpiece. When it all combines with the power of legacy. It brings out a lot of emotions. That the legacy consumes. "Do you mind telling me, miss, how much your master had paid to get that thing from old Marcell?" I asked the woman, without taking my eyes off the centerpiece. Wyrm. It''s the skeleton only and it is magnificent. It''s massive, over fifty two feet long, but it is coiled with its mouth opened in a fiery roar. That would make anyone feel scared. There is a hole in its head and cracks in some parts. Those are not cracks of age, but injuries along with the hole in its head, the reason for its death. This is a beast of the incursion, a lesser dragon. It might be lesser, but it was powerful enough to chomp a Lv. 50 to death. It attracted the eyes of everybody who entered the lobby. Seeing it, I couldn''t help but be jealous. We had money to buy it too, but we couldn''t. The legacies have freedom, but also restrictions. Though Silver seemed to be excluded from them. "We didn''t buy it, my lord, but only are renting it," she replied, and I couldn''t help, but nod, in thought at that. People threatened that old man with a sword at his neck, but even then he didn''t sell it. It is the only thing that remained of his once glorious house. He is so weak that his neighbor had taken it, while laughing at the pittance of ten thousand crowns paid as annual rent. I couldn''t help but wonder how Silver had gotten it from him. That man has means and isn''t someone who would give it easily, but Silver isn''t someone without means as well. He had shown what he could do with the incident in Ertburn. "Bringing it here wouldn''t have been easy," I said. "It was a logistical nightmare," agreed the woman. I walked toward it and examined every part. It is not just the skeleton I examined, but also the other pieces. They were all wonderful art pieces, all of them famous, borrowed from many nobles from empires and merchant states. The names of the owners are written on beautiful name plates below them. I watched every piece, before taking the stairs to the floor above. It is crowded, but they are managing it well and my guards also made things a little easier. Soon, we reached the fourth floor and went to the blacksmith store. Like the store on the third floor, this one too is the most crowded, both outside and inside. The people are looking at the blacksmith through the window. Like the ivory store below, the wall is made of glass for people to look in. The glass is also special. It gives them a better view and if I am not wrong, there are a couple of skills used on it to enhance the experience. There are seven people working on the mist inside. Four are blacksmiths, while three are carvers. They are doing a wonderful job. I stayed there for ten minutes before I took the elevator to Eva Cain. I have a meeting with Eva Charles and Elese Cain. It is not just for pleasure, that I came here to Greltheaven, but also for my business. Let''s hope Silver will give me what I want. .... Rutto Mindstone of Memory I deactivated the skill as I wrote the last letter and also deactivated, Transcribing Quill and Quick Dry, a moment later. I looked at the book I had just written. Copied exactly from the original with my skill. I placed it on top of the two books that I had already transcribed. They are three volumes of a single book. That I had copied from a book stored in the skill. Not a regular skill, but an inheritance Skill. It had been centuries since someone from my family got inheritance skills. It is my most guarded secret. When I got it, I had not left the house for nearly a month. I was scared that someone would find out about it and then I would be captive forever. Being milked to copy spellcraft and other knowledge. If it had been any other inheritance skill. I would have even shown it to others, but this one is dangerous. It will make you a captive. Like a cow, to be milked of everything that the skill has. Mindstone of Memory; a skill of Lv. 60 powerhouse. It is not just an inheritance skill, but the skill that my ancestor chose to pass down to his descendent intentionally. It is also why it''s filled with knowledge, or rather books. It opens a new book on every level I gain. Until now I had twenty-two, twenty-three counting this book, one for each level. All the other books were of spellcraft. This one is related to the aura. When I got the skill. I had promised myself to never reveal it, knowing the consequences of it, but now I am desperate. I do not have any money left. Everything I had was sold to get this position. The rent is up, and I am not getting any money from that bastard prince. Instead, I am hearing news that the bastard is thinking of replacing me, once again. I don''t want that. It had been two months since I came to this city, and I liked it despite the dangers. It''s not like the mainland was any safer. In some places it is more dangerous than this city for me. Here, I have a standing reservation in the Legacy. I could go there anytime I want. I get invited to parties and all the important meetings in the city hall. Most importantly. I love the free spirit that this city is gaining. My future is here, and I could feel it in my bones. Leaving this place wouldn''t be wise. Thus, the books. I am going to gift them to Silver, for the occasion of the founding day. I had thought about it, long and hard before deciding on it. Even in my worst state, not once I had thought of doing this in the empire, but here, I felt like I could do it. Though, there is a chance. Silver might take me captive and milk me for everything I have. That would be terrible, but it''s not like I have a choice anymore. If I didn''t do this, I might be replaced and would need to beg others. Seeing I have nothing but my name. I sighed and placed the books in the box and wrapped it carefully, before sticking the letter to the top. Hoping this wouldn''t be the worst decision I had made in my life. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 502: Founding Day Chapter 502: Founding Day Magda "I want to wear it now," I said dreamily, looking longingly at the purple-red dress. It is the most beautiful dress and most expensive dress I have ever seen. It is not only including magical material but is a mist-crafted dress; crafted using the mist of legacy and now it is mine. These dresses are really expensive and near impossible to get your hands on. I have seen people far richer than us asking for them, but not eligible to buy them. There is such a limited stock of these dresses, and very few people, like the sister of Lord Silver, would be able to buy them. I got it because of El''s mom. It is a wonderful gift from her. "You only need to wait for a few hours," replied El, as she came out wearing a beautiful green dress. Her mother had bought her an entire wardrobe of dresses. It is not just dresses, but also many accessories. All of which were made for her. This is not possible for most people, but for her, it now is. Click! "Girls, are you ready?" asked my mom as she came inside with Eryna following behind her. "Yes," I replied. Looking at the mirror one last time. El''s mother had sent a person to prepare us. We are attending the founding day function at Central Square. Soon, we stepped out of the room, before getting out of the hotel and into the carriage waiting for us. "There is a lot of traffic," said El, looking at the lines and lines of carriages in front, with the central square as the destination. Nobody is surprised. There is always traffic with functions like this in a city. I don''t mind it, seeing I am getting to look at this beautiful city carefully. In just one night, they have adorned the city as beautiful as a bride. It looked beautiful yesterday, but now it is looking even more magnificent. "It''s like a festival," said George, and I couldn''t help but nod. It took us a while, but we finally drew near the central plaza, and it was packed. "It seems like the entire city had gathered here," said Mom, looking at the crowd as we got out of the carriage, which quickly moved away. There is no space to park here. I could only see a few carriages, which I am sure belong to important people, like our Lord of Inam. I heard he had come to Greltheaven to attend the functions. There is heavy security at every turn. We were led through the cordoned area before we reached the seating in front of the enormous stage. There are twelve rows of seats with the capacity to seat at least a thousand people. We were in the fifth row and when we reached there, we found a familiar person was sitting there. "Vice-guild master Benil," father greeted the man. "Pearson, it''s nice to see you again," replied the man, with only a small change in expression, before looking at El for a moment. We took our seats, with my father sitting beside Benil. It''s a good thing I am sitting on the other end. I don''t like that man. A few minutes passed, and more seats filled. Soon all the seats in my row had been filled, leaving only two beside me. I walked on to the stage with Ina and the children. Wishing Carla had been here. She isn''t. She is in the legacy. I had asked her, multiple times, but she didn''t come. I sighed internally and looked ahead toward the people. There are tens of thousands of them. More than double of the last celebration. So much so that there is barely any space in the central square, despite me expanding it a little after the first battle. A lot of important people have come to the city. Lord of Inam, Lord of Owlspring, and other nobles from empire and merchant states. Far more than the last time. I know that they didn''t come out of their respect for me. Some might, but it''s not the main reason. Especially the nobles from the empire, who are busy dealing with civil war, foreign enemies, and other troubles. Their time is precious to them. They wouldn''t have come if it was not important to them. It''s the essence, and the tower is producing a lot of it, because of the sheer size. Those with even little brains understand that and they want it, and I am going to give it to them. A resource that can''t be used is useless. I am going to use the essence. There are a lot of things I want, and these people will give them to me. Till now, I have focused on the merchant states, the most, but now, I will focus on the empire as well. Grade II essence provided me with a level of influence, but not as much as Grade III could. They want the Grade III essence desperately, and I am going to fill that need. I am going to make them addicts. Something they couldn''t live without. They have a lot of things I want, and Grade III essence will give me the ability and influence to get those things. I need that level of influence. The incident at Ertburn had proven how much I needed it. I shook those thoughts away surveying my citizens and guests, I felt all of them looking at me, with eyes filled with hope and expectation. It made me scared. I don''t want to disappoint them. "My citizens, what a year it has been!" I said dramatically. At first, there was confusion, but a smile appeared on their faces before laughter began to escape their lips. I didn''t want to give a serious speech today. They need mirth and optimism after the year it has been. "We have experienced things in one year that most do not in decades." "Our lord ran away. We got attacked not once, but three times, and recently even got stabbed in the back," Excluding the last sentence about the Deerpond where expressions soured, many were attentive and nodded along. "But we preserved! We fought tooth and nail and won when everybody expected us to fail," "It was not without cost, we lost many good people." "To them, the dominion will be eternally grateful," It is risky to use that word, but I have remained cautious enough. It brought immediate reactions. Many like the Lords of Owlspring and Inam smiled grinningly, while nobles of the Nakar forest and others turned serious. It is a calculated risk. It could go either way, but now, I have the power to bear the consequences. "The coming year will be even more challenging, but it will also be filled with prosperity," "I promise you, my dear citizens, I...." Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chaper 503: The Ship and The Forge Chaper 503: The Ship and The Forge Aston Harbor The man with the staff looked out with a smile as the large ship without masts rose from the sea. Water began to flow out of it like a fountain, and in a minute, all the water was out of the ship and his staff glowed with a spell. If anyone could sense it. They would notice a big movement on the ship. Inside the ship, the boxes begin to open one after another. The skeletal heads begin to come out of one box, the legs come out of the other, and many other parts come out of the other boxes. They begin to snap together. Forming complete skeletons at a rapid pace. A few seconds later, the line of skeletons marched out through the ship''s ramp and entered the port while the people watched. Today is special, and it''s why he showed the ship. If it was not, it would have been docked underwater and emptied their cargo there, before leaving the port just as sneakily as it came, without anyone knowing. "Our forces are steadily increasing," said the armored man. "It''s far from enough to capture the entire region," replied the man with the staff. Ships like this came many times in the past months, bringing more and more undead and powerhouses. Increasing their numbers. It is slow, but slow is fine. It is much better than rushing and getting destroyed by the enemies like the last time. A group of ships is easier to track. The intelligence about them spread much faster. On the other hand, it is much harder to track a single ship. In these two months, the merchants and imperials had been able to destroy only three ships. Little by little, their forces are increasing. It won''t be long before they accumulate the required forces, and then there will be reckoning. The entire continent will know the power of Vris''Alud. ... Gagarin I stepped into the tower, and it seemed to be even more crowded than before. There are people everywhere, looking at everything, but most are captivated by the massive skeleton of the Wyrm. It is really something. Despite being dead for thousands of years, it fills the hearts of people with dread. I glanced at it, before stepping into the elevator. I stepped out onto the fourth floor. It is crowded with most of the people around my store. "Guild master," Some people recognized me and greeted me. I nodded at them, but only spoke a few words before walking into the store. Six people, including my daughter, are already working there. Four of them are my disciples, while the fifth person is someone I hired. He is an engraver like my daughter, and we need them. My daughter and Baur aren''t enough. I nodded at them before walking deeper into the store, which was crowded like outside, with the lines at the two billing counters. The goods are selling like hotcakes. Much faster than we had anticipated. It made me happy, but also a little worried. Click! It is only the order of legacy we are trying to complete. There are other orders we have yet to take. I have been contacted by hundreds of people. These are big merchants, willing to make big orders and ready to pay instantly. Some offered to build me a bigger workshop with more expensive equipment. Everybody wants the mist crafted goods and are willing to pay a tremendous price for them. Far more than what legacy is paying for them. Some even hinted their willing to buy under the table. I shot down those proposals immediately. I understand very well. What I have is because of legacy and Lord Silver could take it away just as easily as he had given it to me. I am controlling my greed, but one of my apprentices couldn''t. I fired him, despite it only being a knife, that he tried to steal. I need to be harsh; I can not let anything happen, that will risk this place. Finally, the metal bar is ready. I didn''t even look at it; I know it through the Blacksmiths Sense. I brought it out and put it on an anvil, before activating Malleable Metal. A moment later, I started hitting it with the hammer, activating Rapid Hammering. With every strike, the mist covering the hammer thickly would flow inside the metal, little by little. It is difficult, considering the more mist that enters inside the metal the harder it becomes to forge. The first thing Miss Eva told me was to find the balance with the amount of mist I need to use. If I use too much, I will end up tiring myself and the power of my skill, too quickly. Which is bad considering I forge for at least twelve hours every day. I need myself and my skills to last that long. I still remember how quickly I used to get tired. Even now, I still get tired, but I am learning to manage it. I am forging the skewer rods. I have to give twenty-four of them to the legacy by the evening, along with many other things. If only the seven of us worked, then it would take over a month to finish the order. Though it will change with the new people. Hours passed as hundreds watched us from the window. Some, if important enough, can watch from close up. Like the four people are doing right now. I recognize one of them; he is a vice-guild master of the enchanter guild from Namdar. I wonder if he will be the man. It is unlikely, given his position. Lord Silver is hiring the enchanters. With enchantments, the mist-crafted goods would become even more effective and valuable. Time passed, and I finished a skewer rod, one after another. I hope to finish the order of the legacy as soon as possible and hire more people to finish other orders. So, I can do those things I am thinking about. There is a particular type of forging I want to do. It is difficult and requires a lot of resources and training. I could afford those resources now and someone promised me the guidance as her field of work intersects with it. I had never thought this day would come, but it did, and now I want to start as soon as possible. I only need to wait for a little more time before I can start it. The thought put a smile on my face before I focused on the work. Soon, it was five and a familiar woman appeared. "Is it ready?" she asked. "Yes," replied Atil, and handed her the box. It had the skewers they ordered, along with the other stuff we had crafted in the past few hours. She checked the box and nodded before walking away, while I focused on work. I want to finish the knife before I go home to get ready for the party. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 504: Worry Chapter 504: Worry The people started to arrive, just a few seconds after eight, as the gates of velvet blue opened. "Another ship; they are increasing their numbers fast," said Ina as she closed the file, and I turned off the skill and turned to her. "Yes," I said with a sigh. I may have shown bravado and optimism in my speech earlier, but I am worried. This is not the first ship that had come bringing the undead from the island. It is only the first ship they are showing openly. They did it intentionally, and it is working. It''s not like I am unaware of them building up their forces. I know it very well, but them showing the ship so openly had made me more worried than before. It''s a signal to me and other lords of the region. That they are here, and they will conquer it all. Truthfully, their signal is working. "The recruitment is going fine in both of the cities. We are also getting experienced soldiers and powerhouses from the Empire and other places," she said after a moment of silence. I nodded. I am working hard toward that and a large part of the next few days is focused toward making that smoother. "I wish it could be faster. I want to fight with better odds than we had before," I replied. All the battles had been hard, and we only gained victory because of an amalgamation of many factors. It is good. It showed our ability and resolve, but for once, I want to win the battle with the sheer number. It will be a long while before that happens. "I think the speed is good. Too many people at once and the city won''t be able to support them," she replied, and this time, I sighed. We need money, a massive amount of it. The army takes the biggest share, and it continues to increase every month as we recruit more people, but as she had said, the recruitment should be gradual. Our finances aren''t good enough to handle the sudden surge of numbers. Although, that might change a little from this month onward. "Let''s hope, the re-opening of the legacy will give an enormous boost to our economy," I replied. I have a big hope from the legacy to boost the economy of the city even more than it has. I need it to support the army, infrastructure, and other things. "How are the mines?" I asked. She had arrived just an hour before the function. After that, we went to the city hall and entertained and held meetings with important guests. We didn''t have any time to talk. Only now we could, but that is till the party starts. After it is ended, she is going to leave for Panar, not even able to stay the night. "Good, all but two have been opened," she replied. We have intentionally kept the two mines closed. We do not have people to work in the mines. Even the mines that we had opened are not running at their full capacity. "I need people," she requested. Her demand isn''t small. She doesn''t need a few thousand people, but tens of thousands. That''s how many we need to make the mines run at full capacity. Only after that. We would think about opening the other mines. Panar was a mining city. Its economy is dependent on it, despite the paltry profit it used to get from it, under the old governor. I am planning to improve that by building the refining business. She wants investments for Panar. I am also trying, but it was different with her. She is the governor of the city. It creates a different impression. "You can leave, Lola. I am sure you would like to enjoy the party," I said to her. "Thank you, Master Silver," she said simply, and walked away. She usually stays, but today is different. There is an hour more before I have to make an entrance. Till then, let the people enjoy the fruits of legacy. I focused on the work. Even summoned a few files from my office. Which isn''t difficult for me; the entire city is my domain. I have to focus on something, and the thing would enter the vault. From the vault it would appear in my hand. Things are becoming chaotic in the empire. The civil war is intensifying, while the other kingdoms attack the empire with greater forces, which the imperials are barely keeping at bay. It is somewhat good news for me. Especially now, with the advantages I have. I am going to fish in these troubled waters. However, how well I do it will depend on the success of the coming days, when I will be negotiating with a lot of nobles from the empire and their representatives. Until now, I have only sold essence to a select few, but now I will sell to many more. It is the greatest weapon in my hand, and I want to use it. This time, I have enough power to bear the pressure from the imperials. Soon it was nine-ten, and important people started coming. The first one is the lord of Owlspring with his mistress. Ina is welcoming them, along with Heron and Josie. It is an important day for them. I got up and walked to my room before changing into a suit. It is from Eva Cain. They have included menswear, and this one was designed by their new chief designer of menswear. Knock Knock! "Come in," I said and Eudo came in. "My lord," he greeted. "Keep it simple, nothing too over the top," I said to him. "Noted," he replied and began to work on me, while I waited. It didn''t take him long, and fifteen minutes later. He is done; making me look good. He is really something. It is why he is the highest leveled person, in the legacy. Just step away from Level 40. He didn''t tell me about it, but I could feel it. "Thank you, Eudo," I said. "It''s my pleasure, my lord," he said and walked away. I watched him through the mirror. Thinking about the gift, I had ordered for him. It cost me a fortune, but he is worth it. He played a big hand in turning the establishment into a legacy. It is the least I could do for him. Click! Soon, there were only five minutes left for us to make our entrance when Carla walked in. When I saw her, I froze for a moment. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 505: Party Chapter 505: Party Magda "Welcome Guests," said the man in his mid-to-late thirties. Wearing an impressive suit; I could tell with a single glance that it was mist-crafted. I could tell that, because I am also wearing a mist-crafted dress myself. "Thank you, Chief Robin," replied Father. The man nodded, before turning to El. "Welcome Miss Ella," he said to her. "Thank you," she said nervously before we walked inside into the most beautiful grand hall I had ever seen. We are on the nineteenth floor of the velvet garden. The first floor of velvet blue, where the party is being held. The hall is huge and has a heavenly garden in it. The beautiful plants are covered in colorful mist with the rapturous fragrance. The staff wearing high quality, tailored uniforms are moving everywhere, with trays filled with food and wine. It is shocking but all of the uniforms were made using the mist. I looked around and saw amazing magical plants everywhere and lavish art pieces. There are huge paintings, statues, and other art pieces. Many of which are covered in the plants. The biggest and most eye catching piece is the beautiful statue of the orc woman. It is nearly five meters tall and in the center of the hall, that everybody could see. It''s so beautiful that I wasn''t able to take my eyes off it for several seconds. This is the case for most art pieces here; they all are enthralling. "I thought we had arrived early, but it seemed we were not," said Mom, looking around. There are people all around us mingling with smiles on their faces and drinks or food in their hands. Many eyes turned toward us, before focusing on El and me. They are focusing on our dresses; they can tell that they are mist-crafted. We were watching when a young woman came toward us with a big smile on her face. She is beautiful and looks about only a year or two older than us, but there is an air of authority around her. She was also wearing a mist-crafted dress, and her jewelry and accessories also looked mist-crafted, seeing how the mist was acting with them. El seemed to recognize her. There was a surprise on her face before a huge smile appeared on it. "Ellie, I missed you so much!" said the young woman as she appeared in front of her, hugging El. "Me too, Gloria," El replied and hugged her, ''So, she is Gloria,'' I thought. El had told me about her. She is her friend and now, an important person in the legacy. Father had told me in the morning that this woman is a madam, the youngest. "Gloria, this is my friend Magda, and this is her family," she introduced us. "I have heard so much about you. Magda," she said as she turned to me. "Same here," I replied. "I hope you will stay in the city for a few days. I have to ask you about all the gossip on Ellie here," she said, and El glared at her. I smiled at that. The academic year is over. So she is going to stay here with her mother, until she leaves for Archmage City. Her mother had told her that she was able to manage the finances for her education. I will be returning to Inam to prepare for the interviews. There are a lot of them. "It''s so nice to see you again, Ellie. We will talk more tomorrow," she said and hugged her once more before she walked away. Over the next few minutes, more beautiful women came to meet her. Most of them are madams and all of them were wearing mist dresses. Especially in a place like this, where the person has absolute control over the space. It is why I didn''t use any of my skills. This is a legacy; a host could sense the skill and feel the class they belong to. Which makes many people use skills to block others from sensing things about them, but I controlled that urge and didn''t use the skill. That will give him and his people an idea about my class or the job. It is the most exciting place; I have infiltrated in the past few years. Making my heart beat wildly. I am also scared and that is what makes it even more interesting. There is a good chance I will die here or get captured and tortured after. Despite it being a diplomatic mission. Sort of. It is a risk of a job. The invisible scars across my body are proof of that, but it needs to be done and besides, I liked it. When the mission came. I accepted immediately. I moved around, looking at the people. Most of them, I could recognize with a glance. I had memorized a large amount of information. I was good at remembering things, but Diplomats Memory makes things much easier. I placed an empty glass on the tray and picked up another. I have only one vice, and that is to drink. I loved to drink, and this place had the best drinks of all the parties I had attended. The liquor is expensive and most importantly, it is mixed with mist. I had visited the legacies. The perks of the job, but this is one of the best. It is as good as the many Grade IV, I had visited. This means I need to do the job well. Make such an impression that he will think about the offer. Our gift had already made him think about us. The offer will make him think deeply. Though, there is no doubt in my mind. That he would reject it, but despite that, I will accomplish my mission. "Eric Mercen," introduced the middle-aged man as he appeared in front of me. Clearly from the merchant states by accent; Manris city to be specific. "Lau Tamasin," I introduced myself in an imperial accent. "It''s quite a party, isn''t it?" he asked in a slightly tipsy tone. "The whores are also beautiful," I replied, and the man''s eyes lit up. The information of the man appeared in my mind. He is married but has two mistresses. He also likes to visit brothels every week. "It''s unfortunate that we can''t have them," he said with regret. Looking at the Madams mingling around the hall, with his eyes staying on Ina Knox a moment longer. "They might be untouchable, but there are more beautiful whores below and there are no restrictions on them," I replied, licking my lips. Mercen grinned, hearing that. "Let''s hope Silver comes quickly. So, we can go to the floors below and enjoy the whores," he replied, and I nodded to that. We talked for a few minutes before I moved to meet other people. There are a few important people here that I have to get a sense of. We have information about them, but getting a sense of them personally is useful as well. Hun! Time passed, and I was talking to one of the important people when the mist around the hall began to get denser. I didn''t have to ask what was happening. It''s clear, Silver is about to make an entrance. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 506: Party II Chapter 506: Party II "You look," I said. I wanted to say beautiful, but it felt inadequate to describe her right now. She is wearing a beautiful white gown with a short rail, with a red brooch on her chest. A tiara would have completed her, but there are complications with that. So, they used gemmed clips, and they looked, really beautiful. "Ready?" I asked, raising my hand. "Yes," she said after a faint hesitation. She had declined earlier; I would have loved it. If she had been with me, when I was addressing the citizens earlier, but I also understand her worries and hesitation. Click! I took her hand and kissed her gently, before walking out of my office with her. Soon we reached the hall. Covered in the dense mist, where people could only see the silhouette of each other. Last time, we had made a grand entrance through the shimmering staircase, but this time, we were straight walking inside. Though none of them were able to see us. I had not only made the mist denser, but I had also cloaked our presence and used a couple of spells. Only a powerful people like the Lord of Olwpring could sense us. I could see his eyes following us. There are a few more people like that and some surprised me. I noted them. Soon, we reached the place, and I looked at Carla before facing people. I have sent invites to thousands of people. It might not look like it, but there are ten thousand people here across the three floors of velvet blue. All of them are important people. Not only from empire and merchant states, but also from other countries like Ataren, Nezdar, Tezir, and others. I have also invited the people from Navr, Tabes Edruin, Geim, and the city of Gailhorn. These people are empire enemies, but I had invited them. There are many reasons, but the foremost are the trade and diplomacy. The Greltheaven is a small city, but the legacy has been brought on the map of everyone. Because of that, it becomes important that I establish relations with them. These relations foster trade, which we need. It had made many people unhappy. Imperials and nobles from the empire to be specific. As these are the people, that are attacking them, and I had invited them here. Clap! I looked at them for several seconds before clapping. The clap released the shockwaves that pushed the dense mist out in a beautiful wave. Revealing us to all. With my projection appearing on every floor of the legacy. I had hired the special mages for that and like all people with special skills and spells; they are expensive, but I could afford them. They are worth it, especially when we can copy their spells. "Thank you for joining me on a wonderful occasion," I said, looking at all the people. "It is my honor, that you all accepted my invitation and come to my legacy to celebrate its ascendence," "It g...." I spoke, looking at the faces of each of them through my eyes and skills with my voice spreading through all floors of the legacy. I could see people on every floor looking at the projection as I spoke through it. The speed continued for nearly seven minutes when a glass of golden liquid appeared in my hand. "To velvet garden!" I said, raising it. "To velvet garden!" they repeated, before taking the sip from the wine. "There is one thing," I added, and Josie and Heron appeared beside me. I also activated a few charms. The next announcement will ring through the entire city. "The heart of his Majesties is magnanimous. They have recognized my siblings as part of my house and granted them the lordship," "They are from today, Lord Heron Raak and Lady Josephine Raak." I introduced them. There was a surprise among the crowd, but they bowed. I had asked for the ''lordship'' for my siblings before, but both of the imperials had refused. I could have gotten them from other princes, but it wouldn''t have that weight. I talked to him for two minutes more and moved to the other guests. There are over ten thousand guests in here and I have to meet and greet important ones at least. Thankfully, I know where each of them is. The absolute control of the legacy is helping me move smoothly without people stopping me. It also helps that Madams are here. Our least experienced madams are holding the floors below, while the known faces are handling the guests. Each of them has a list of people they have greeted. Not just madams, but everyone important. Me, Robin, Hardt, Valentina, Arryn, and others. All the important officials are busy greeting the people and talking with them. It is one of the reasons why, many wanted a shorten the invitation list, along with the accommodation nightmare and expense. Still, I went on with a big list. The more people experience the legacy, the more will help us. Each of the people is important or they know someone important enough to get the invitation. Speaking of which, I had asked my people to find out how Tamas got the invitation. I met one important person after another. Lord of Inam, Salazar''s daughter, other nobles, and powerful people. "Lord Silver, Miss Salt," greeted the middle-aged man. "Thank you for coming personally, Mr. Havel," I greeted the middle-aged man. He is not as important as the other people, I greeted. Not as important as the representative that his house had sent, but I still kept him on my list. He is Jasper Havel; the owner of a liquor store in Jalrux, Navr. The first merchant from Navr, that did business with us. We still order some of our liquor from him. Two months ago, I had not invited a single person from Navr, but this time, over three hundred invitations were sent there. I need the trade, and Navr is a powerhouse. Till now, they haven''t done anything other than use some scare tactics. Speaking of it, I moved toward the most pitiful person. Who is glaring at the pair, Baron from Nakar baronies passing by him. "Commander Shaw, I hope you are having a good time?" I asked the man. After suffering defeat. He had been silent. He is increasing his army, but not at a pace to become a threat to us. According to our intelligence, which is pretty accurate. He has an army of around fifty thousand. It had reached below thirty- five thousand after the battle in Nakar forest, but he recovered and increased it. A year ago, that army would have posed a threat to us or Nakar baronies, but now, it does not. Mirador Hold is raking money through the trade that passes between his fortress, and it is huge, but he has an army of fifty thousand, which isn''t cheap to manage. He has a fortress, but he has no cities from which he could revenue or recruit force. He tried to rectify that by attacking the Nakar baronies, but failed miserably. He then tried to set villages and towns in green spots, but that did not work too well. Most of the people living there are the families of soldiers. Quite a lot of their families are living in the city. He forbade that first, before dropping the opposition, seeing it was affecting his men. It all made him seem quite pitiful, because if he didn''t do something soon, within a year or two. The nakar baronies will eat him alive. They want the fortress, not because of its defensiveness, but because of trade. If they got it, they would have complete control over that trade route. Which, of course, I will not let that happen. The baronies have huge potential, and they could become a real threat to me with a fortress in their hand. "I am fantastic," he replied with a smile. Though it didn''t reach his eyes. The man didn''t like me, and I don''t like him either, but there is business to be done. There is a reason he personally came. If we succeed, it will benefit us both. "I hope, you liked my gift," I said and a smile on his face became genuine. I had sent a little something he wanted. He had been bugging me for the past few months. It was a gift after we agreed on the revised contract. "Yes, I appreciate it," he replied, and I smiled. "Please enjoy the party, Commander," I said to the man and walked away to meet the other people. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 507: Keeper of Secrets Chapter 507: Keeper of Secrets Merchant of Desire Lv. 34 [Master of Legacy] Merchant of Desire Lv. 35 [Master of Legacy] [Skill Gained: Keeper of Secrets] Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 33 There were lines in the big bold letters as I opened my eyes. Seeing them, a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. "It seemed like the party had the big impact I was shooting for," I said to myself, seeing I had leveled up twice in my main class, which doesn''t happen unless it is an impressive feat. Especially now, after I crossed Lv. 30. I had also got a skill that made my eyes lit up. Keeper of Secrets. It is a very rare skill and an elusive one. It could do many things, but one of its greatest uses is giving a sense of the verity of secrets. A moment later, a stack of documents appeared in my hand, and I began to read them. As I read it, a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. The skill couldn''t tell whether the information is true or lies, but it gives me a better ability to deduce that. This stack of documents had the information that the girls collected. We never stopped doing that, but we also never aggressively used that information. We mostly used it differently as research to spot the trends and moods of people. People talk a lot in the company of beautiful women. Not everything they talk about is truthful, but there are many things that could be learned from it, even if it is a lie. It helps even more when our girls can carry on intelligent and engaging conversation. We have specially trained them to ask the right questions. Most people that visit the legacy are rich and many have important positions. They are what set the trends. Knowing the direction they are moving is very helpful. It had helped me tremendously in the decisions I had made. I am tremendously happy with my skill. It is going to help me a lot. I moved down from the skill to my Lord Class. Which, too, had leveled up. With the two levels, I have two attribute points. I had already used the one attribute point I had from my last level up on intelligence, taking it to eighteen. So, I used one attribute on strength, also taking it to eighteen, and one on vitality, taking it to twenty. Class: Merchant of Desire Lv. 35 [Master of Legacy] Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 33 Trainer Lv. 08 Charisma: 20 Intelligence: 18 Vitality: 20 Strength: 18 Skills: ¡ñ Trustful Presence ¡ñ Master''s Instinct ¡ñ Lord''s Contracts ¡ñ Torch for Seeker ¡ñ Rapid Strikes ¡ñ Blitz Steps ¡ñ Insightful Reading ¡ñ Price Is Right ¡ñ Mauling Strike ¡ñ Silver Tongued ¡ñ Gymnasts Grace ¡ñ Sight Through Veil ¡ñ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡ñ Blade Of The Gale ¡ñ Mood of the Subjects ¡ñ Privacy Sphere ¡ñ Command Projection ¡ñ Get Ready ¡ñ Quick Parry ¡ñ Razor Edge ¡ñ Active Presence ¡ñ Vision Projection ¡ñ Instant Recollection ¡ñ Artistic Dealings ¡ñ Copy Skill The spa never closes, but stores have closing times. They close at midnight and open at six. It is a legacy, and keeping it closed is considered anathema. That''s why there is a plan for it too. I am going to grant access to the mist to more people. Not only more stores but also more people from each store. Gagarin''s store had seven Mist-Artisans but I am planning to increase it by over ten or even twenty. There is no space for them to work in the store. They will work outside. Thanks to the vault, we could transfer the supplies anywhere from the city into the legacy. Though, stuff will be kept in an underground warehouse, under the park. These people will work after midnight, until a few minutes before opening. I will do this for many shops, till every open space is used in the legacy. Though it''s not free. For it, they will need to make an investment in the city and also take the apprentices from the schools. Which isn''t very risky for them. If they don''t act like idiots they will gain the benefits. Having a store in the legacy and mist access, gives them enough fame, that they will be able to sell what they make inside and outside of the legacy. Gagarin accepted and in two weeks. His new store and workshop will be ready. Along with expert blacksmiths, he is hiring. There is no decision from the second store. I am not forcing them. If they can''t see the opportunity, then they don''t deserve it. Ting! The elevator opened, and I walked out into the crowded lobby. Though a path had already been made for me. I nodded at the people who greeted me, before walking out of the tower. Even in the morning, there is a huge crowd around it. All wanting to get inside the legacy. Twenty minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the city hall, and I got out. Click! Soon, I stepped into my office, with Lola already there. "Today is going to be busy," I said as I sat down. "That is the greatest understatement I have heard today," she replied. My first meeting is forty-five minutes later. It''s not important, seeing as our people have already agreed, and I signed the deal yesterday, but the man is important. He will leave the city directly after meeting me. She had placed the files in front of me, and the first one was about the legacy. My hands shook a little before I opened it. This file is about the expense of the party. As I begin to read it, my expressions become worse and worse. There were over ten thousand guests. The food and drinks flowed freely, and there were also other expenses like the special accommodation for some important guests, along with other minor expenses. "Those bastards didn''t hold back at all," I cursed at my guests. Seeing how much they drank and ate. The liquor wasn''t cheap and ran like a river at the party. "It was within our estimate," she replied coldly. Yes, we had expected it, but still seeing it made my heart bleed. We spent massively on it, and I hope it will be worth it. I closed the file and opened another one and then another. Reading through them fast with my skills. "Lord Silver, Lord of Inam, had arrived," informed Jill. Click! A moment later, the door opened, and the familiar man walked inside. "Lord Thorn," I greeted as I got up. "Lord Silver," said the man, and we both sat down. "I hope you had a wonderful time yesterday," I said. "It was more memorable than I had expected. Especially for my wife; she got enchanted with your spa," he replied. "I am glad," I said. "I hope you could stay a day more, my lord. Let me host you properly," I added, but the man shook his head. "Unfortunately, I can''t. If it had been any other time, I would have jumped at the opportunity , but now, I really can''t," he replied. "The next time you come to the city. I hope you stay longer than one night," I said to him. I am just being polite, but I wouldn''t mind if he stayed for a few days, either. "Have no doubts about it, Lord Silver," he replied. For a moment, there was a silence, before he opened his mouth with a serious expression. "Lord Silver, I was hoping you would increase the quota of essences," said the man, and I shook my head with a hint of regret. "I can''t Lord Thorn. I had already promised you as much as I could," I replied. "I am at the limit, my lord. I had over promised and I don''t know if my legacy will be able to produce the essence that had been promised to many people," I added. He already received what we agreed on yesterday. "Fine, but if your legacy produced more essence than your estimate. The city of Inam will pay more than a fair price for it," he said. "Of course," I replied. "There is one more thing. My niece will be coming to visit your city next week. I hope you will give her your time," he said, with a smile appearing on his face. "It would be my honor," I replied. He isn''t the only one sending his relative or daughter to the city. There are many of them. They have already inquired with Robin. He is responsible for it and currently, we are taking a non-committal approach to most proposals coming toward us unless, of course, there is someone with enough political weight. I don''t want to marry, but I will need to for the sake of my people and dominion. Tap on to read up to 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member on Patreon for maps and other stuff. Chapter 508: Route Chapter 508: Route Viscount Kasis Click! The carriage stopped at the central building of Greltheaven, and the door was opened. "Viscount Kasis," greeted a blond man with a bow. "Please, follow me," he said a moment later and led me into the building. I followed after him, into the bustling city hall. It is smaller than my city''s, but seemed more vibrant, despite having less than half of the population. People could be seen coming and going, with each one busy with their own work. As I walked through the city hall, it looked average. There are barely any art pieces, paintings, or beautiful tapestries. Though, what it has is tasteful. Soon, we reached the office of Silver. It is easier to recognize, given the security. There is also that teen assistant of his, who I had seen following behind him at the party. "Viscount Kasis, Lord Silver is ready for you," she said, getting up. I nodded and walked toward the door. I am irritated with Silver. I wanted to meet him yesterday, the day after the party, but he didn''t give me an appointment. I have come personally. I could have sent my son, but I didn''t and hoped to get respect for that. And also, for those things. I need them, desperately. The guards opened the door, and I walked in. Seeing me, Silver got up. "Lord Silver," I greeted the young man. "Viscount Kasis," He replied. "Please, take a seat," he said. "Thank you," I replied and sat down in front of him. "I hope you are enjoying the city, my lord?" he asked, and a smile appeared on my face. I loved my time here, more than I had expected. Yesterday, I was in the legacy from the morning to the night. Tasting every fruit. From the spa to the theater and, most importantly, the red. I am really glad now that I didn''t bring my wife. "Yes, your city is beautiful," I replied. I did a little sightseeing today, while I met some people in this city, and I have to say. It is more beautiful than I had thought. Beautiful buildings, gardens, wide roads without any filth and high security. "I am glad," he said. A silence hung between us; it was not uncomfortable, but not comfortable either. "I am sure, you know why, I have come here my lord. I would be grateful if you provided me with some emotion essence," I said finally. I wanted to use my skills, but I uncovered that Silver likes things discussed without skills. It''s not because he isn''t powerful enough. I had heard plenty of speculation about his probable level. Though it would have helped. If he had showed off some at the party. "I do not have much essence, Viscount. Most of which I had, have been promised to imperials, Namdar, and others," he replied with a pained smile. My heart skipped a bear hearing that. I need emotion essence. I need it desperately. Some of the powerhouses under me had threatened to leave if I didn''t provide them with it. So, I opened my mouth to beseech him, with an offer that pains me, but for essence, I will not hesitate to sacrifice those things. If it had been a peaceful time. I wouldn''t have thought about it, but now it is not. Enemies aren''t far. I needed to be ready to defend my territory against them. "Still, given our family''s relations. I am willing to spare some essence potions," he added, just when I was about to offer him some of my family jewels. I knew his uncle, but not deeply. He is just another merchant for me. Still, I nodded. "Thank you, Lord Silver," I thanked. Silver smiled before his expressions turned serious. The archmage city had already made arrangements. I only needed to request the kingdoms from my end. The Baxzar Dominion had already agreed to the safe passage. So has Tazir, and now with Mahal, the road has been cleared. I would need to approach the individual lords and cities, but that won''t be a problem. I have decided that I am going to the Archmage City to the continental synod conclave. It only happens once in a decade. It is for the hosts of legacies where every kingdom sent their representatives. It is not the right time for me to leave my dominion, but the synod conclave is too much of an opportunity. The synod conclave will be like a big trade conclave on Earth. Where the who''s who of the continent and a small group of the other continents will come. A moment later, I closed my eyes, and an aura came out of me. It didn''t spread, instead, it remained around me, before it started swirling. It is slow and gentle, unlike a few weeks ago. My aura didn''t spill out of my control. At least not enough for a person to notice. Slowly, the speed of swirling got faster and faster, till it began to swirl very fast, like a storm. Lola quickly took steps back, while Zela readied her spells. Not every time did the training go smoothly. There are signs around my office of things turning bad, which have been fixed, but one could still see them. If they looked carefully. Seconds passed and turned into minutes. I kept trying to spin as fast as I could. Sweat started appearing on my brow and soon my whole, but I didn''t stop and continued, till I couldn''t. It finally begins to slow it down gently. It is a challenge, given how tired I am, but I am doing much better than the first week. I wasn''t able to do what I just did now. It would have forced me into unconsciousness because of the shear strain. ..... Onaz Click! The guard opened the door, and I walked inside. The woman sitting behind the desk looked up and waved me at the chair asking me to sit. "So, have you decided?" asked Carla. Have I decided? It is quite a question that I wasn''t able to reply to it even now, despite knowing there are girls who would kill for the opportunity. The only reason she gave me time to think about it is because Ina wants me. There are others ready for it on one foot. Jenna and others would pack their bag instantly if given the opportunity. "I agree," I replied finally, steeling myself after a moment of silence. "You might want the city hall, but Panar is better. Here, you will need to start working from a much lower position despite your advantages." "There you will directly work for the Governor. That is a far more powerful position, and it will become more powerful as the city grows," "It will also provide you with experience. That will help you gain a better position in the future," said Carla. I know that, but I still wished I could work in this city. I am old, over forty-five, and a whore. I need to do everything to rise fast, so I can achieve my own dream. I have worked hard to be recognized. I focused on my lessons, I studied day and night and after becoming an assistant madam, I worked even harder. Still, I know, I do not have much time nor the luxury to reject it. If I reject it, others will take it in a heartbeat. If I stayed and joined the city hall. It would be years before I might get a chance to work directly for Master Silver. I don''t know why I didn''t accept it right away when she asked. I had wasted precious days overthinking it. "Thank you," I thanked. "Pack your stuff, you will be leaving for Panar in the evening," she instructed. "Thank you for the opportunity," I thanked her once again and walked out of the office. Feeling grateful and extremely lucky for this and all the other opportunities, I have received here. I know this is the only place in the world, such things can happen. Experience the journey before everyone else¡ªsupport me on and enjoy exclusive early chapters and bonus content. Chapter 509: Growth Chapter 509: Growth Paschal "Look at this city, it is depressing," said my son. Hearing that, I couldn''t help but sigh. He doesn''t like that we are investing here. He didn''t even want to come here. His opinion was that we should invest in the Deerpond, where there is a Grade VI crystal mine, but the offer was too amazing to decline. Silver is funding a quarter of the expense for the refinery and sweeten the deal with a personal promise from Silver himself. If the city is reconquered by the undead in two and a half years. He will return the invested amount with the interest. "It is looking much better than the cities that went through a harrowing war," I said, looking around the city through the window of my carriage. I had come here two days ago, while Jorus had come today. I had inspected the mines and the quality of crystals that were coming out of them, along with other things. Most of the crystals are average, except for one mine, which is producing the above-average crystals. "We should have tried, Deerpond," he said. This time, it made me irritated. "Do you know why, I didn''t try Deerpond?" I asked. I didn''t explain things before. Wanting him to learn from observation. It is how I learned the business from my father. Lester is smart, but his eyes are too focused on the Grade VI crystal of Deerpond''s mine. That he couldn''t think about anything else. "It''s because there a no benefits there," I replied. With unbelief on his face, he asked back, "It''s Grade VI, crystals father. How can there be no benefits?" To that, I laughed. "Because, my son, the lord had no intention of giving a slice of that pie to us." "He may have sent notice for interested parties to apply, but he is not going to give everyone that juicy Grade VI crystal. Especially not us," I replied, with a mirthless smile. "Only big players are going to get a slice of that pie. The players like us will only have a vague promise and common crystals," I added. There is a surprised look on his face. These are the tricks of the nobles. My father had been burned by them, and nearly went bankrupt, when I was the same age as Lester. They were terrible days and required us years to get out of them. I don''t want my son to suffer the same things, I did. It is why, it''s important, that I be careful with my investment. Our refineries at, Jeril and Vastin are in trouble because of the advancement of the Tabes and Edruin. They are quite close and might capture those cities. I didn''t shut down the refineries, but I am cutting my losses. Silver had promised to help me bring the equipment and people from there, which had become a nightmare because of attacks from the enemies and ongoing civil war. "Still the investing here is dangerous. This city, Panar, could be reconquered by the undead at any time," he said, and to that, I smiled. "So is Deerpond, but it is the risk, we need to take," I replied. I could have invested in Greltheaven, but Silver was only willing to fund 15% of it and there was no promise, which wasn''t surprising, given it was his main city. If the undead were to take it, he would have nothing to give to me. Lester opened his mouth to say something but closed it. I didn''t say anything either and looked outside the window at the city. My experience tells me, it is not that depressing. Lestor hadn''t seen the cities ravaged by war. It is doing much better compared to those cities. Some are scarred as such, that they never recover, but I think, this one will pull through. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the city hall, and I turned to my son. "Behave yourself," I said to him, before getting out, with him following behind. Lester is a teenager and got his class just a few months ago. The Governor is a beautiful woman. The mines have started, and we are mining the crystals and selling them, but they are contributing only a fraction to offset the city''s expenses. It might be small, but it is a start. We need more. More people, more crystals, more refineries and we are making progress toward them. We do not have any intention of keeping any of these mines in our hands. We are going to sell them, but not now, not until we have the city on its feet and refineries active. It is when we will get more interest and a fair price. It is not just mines we have to focus on, but also trade. People might not expect it, but we are doing the trade. It stopped for a few weeks after we took the city, before resuming two weeks ago. Now, it is picking up speed every day. Lord Silver invited everyone. Even those we have an acrimonious relationship with. Gailhorn, Deerpond. We had invited not their leaders or officials, but merchants. We did the same with Navr; invited hundreds of their merchants. It is through them that over half of the trade is coming from, and it will increase every week. The orders are from Gailhorn. For the undead captured cities. They may be keeping the cities destitute, but those cities still have needs. Whatever food storage they had, the cities had consumed after a few months after their capture. If they desire to keep some population alive they will need food, along with many other things. Many people have stated their opposition against trading with enemies, but Master Silver''s decision is final, and I agree with it. We need trade. Even if it is with our enemies. Time passed and it was nine when I had finished with the last meeting and got out of my office. I have a suite here, but there is an official residence for the governor. Along with city hall, it is one of the few buildings the undead took great care of. The carriage was waiting for me outside the city hall and I stepped inside it. Soon it was out of the city hall and into the big plaza in front. There is a heavy police presence patrolling, but also people. We have relaxed the curfew until ten. In the next week, we are planning to relax till eleven. However, the plan could change depending on the condition of the city. We are taking things slowly. We do not want to be hasty and make mistakes. All the buildings around the square had been fixed. Even one restaurant had opened. It is one of the four restaurants in the city. Three of them were opened by the locals with a loan from the city. All their owners were running the restaurant before the undead captured the city. We are providing aid to the many locals to open the businesses. From restaurants to stores to carriage repair shops. The businesses are slowly opening up. The money from the Velvet Garden charity auction is very helpful. We have got more than expected. There were thousands of guests and people from floors below had also donated. We are using that money wisely for the city. The investments are coming from the Greltheaven too. I got commitments from many at the party. Even if the fifth of them materialized, it would be tremendously helpful to the city. Slowly the city is standing up, but it is still far away from walking on its own feet, but every day, we are making progress toward it. Soon, the carriage turned and entered the compound before stopping at a huge mansion. I got out and walked toward it. "My lady, there is news from outpost seven," informed my mage. "The undead attacked?" I asked. They are attacking several times a week. We have created seven outposts and placed a company of soldiers at each one of them. This way, If the undead crossed into our side from any direction, we could deal with them quickly and efficiently. "Yes, but this time their numbers are thrice that of usual," she replied, and I stopped in my tracks. Experience the journey before everyone else¡ªsupport me on and enjoy exclusive early chapters and bonus content. Chapter 510: Scout Chapter 510: Scout Eli Gest I finished my dinner, thankful it was not a ration again. For a week and a half, after this outpost had been setup. We needed to make do with rations. Things have changed in the past four days. We now have fresh food and three new soldiers, with Cook as a secondary class. It had made things much easier. Though the danger is everywhere, it is my job to spot it and warn others. I am one of three monster scouts in the seven outposts. There were five of us, but the undead had sniped those monsters dead. The two scouts were now back at the Greltheaven, training with the new monsters that the army had got for them. It hurts losing the monster. Every time, I sent Charlie and Mishka out. I fear something might happen to them. I went to the roof and nodded at the people before sitting in my usual spot. I do not need to sit on the roof. I could sit inside safely, but I like the roof. Here, I felt a little more unrestrained, like I am with my birds. Especially when I activate the skill. As I sat down and activated Share Eyes. Immediately, an aerial view of the outpost appeared in front of me. I could see my little figure and the figure of the guards under the protective barriers. That is Mishka. She is keeping sentinel around the outpost. I am really glad I got Night Vision. It had made things easier. Cloud Surfing Sparrows have good eyes, but they can¡¯t see through the dark. Especially from high up. I looked for a few minutes and scanned every inch for the undead. These bastards have dug tunnels in their territory, making things harder. Unfortunately, I do not have any skills, that would help me detect movement underground. After confirming there is no danger. I turned my vision to Charlie. Immediately, the scenery changed. The quality lessened, but I could still see the units of undead patrolling on their sides. I looked at the clearly and made notes in the file, under this hour, before focusing back on the undead. Charlie flew high in the sky under the protection of the Shroud of Limitless Sky. It is my inheritance skill, a very powerful stealth ability. It makes them hard to discover. An hour passed, and I once more noted the position of the enemies. Charlie is circling the whole boundary, the outposts share with the dead. She might not be the most powerful of the monsters, but she is the stealthiest one. She could get close to the undead, which no other monster could do without getting discovered. Another pass, and then Charlie flew back toward me, while Mishka moved to take her place. There are other scouts in the area around the outpost, but not in the enemy¡¯s territory. It took some time before I saw Charlie and a few seconds after that, she flew to my lap. Immediately, I took out a small can and opened it, before adding a few drops of thick green liquid to it, before giving it to her. I saw what I had expected and even saw the faces of a few people, which turned my expressions bad. I was looking at it when suddenly a man looked up and said something to the woman beside him. Immediately, Bone Bullets formed in front of the staff and shot toward Mishka. She is quite high, but Bone Bullets are not the Grade I spell. It is modified to Grade III, to a special undead elemental spell made to snipe the target in the sky. ¡®Mishka dodge!¡¯ I shouted. I didn¡¯t have to say it. She flapped her wings fast and flew toward the clouds fast. It is where she is the safest and the stealth strongest. She was halfway to the cloud when the Bone Bullets reached her. The mage was good as they moved to target her while she flapped her little wings to avoid them. Rip! She avoided all of them except for one, that scratched through her, cleaning a few feathers off her wings. I sighed, seeing the damage isn¡¯t big, but the danger isn''t over. More Bone Bullets came, along with real and energy arrows and other spells. Seeing the mage, they have reacted as well and are now attacking Mishka with everything they have. ¡®I shouldn''t have used the skill,¡¯ I thought, but soon crushed that thought. There are more undead than I had thought. Using the skills was necessary. It provided me with the necessary information, not only about their numbers but also about their members. There are powerful people in the group including a level 30. For those below; it is extremely hard to sense. That Level 30 must have the powerful sensory skill to sense her so quickly. Rip Another spell hit it, this time on the stomach. It is scratch too, but it had drawn out the blood. Cry! Mishka cried out but kept flying toward the clouds. This is the time; I hate the most. Here, I am powerless to do anything and wish I had those abilities of my ancestor, that would have made avoiding such attacks easier. I stayed with her, encouraging her to fly faster. It is the only thing I could do. Seconds passed painfully as Mishka flew with everything she had while dodging the barrage of attacks coming at her. Now, I am really glad. I had pushed her in the training. I had asked the mages to attack her while training her to dodge those attacks. My original plan was to wait till she had finished with the phase of training she was going through, as I had done with Charlie, but I am glad I listened to my heart and gave her defensive training earlier. It¡¯s the reason, she is still flying. Finally, after what seemed like hours. She had reached the clouds. The attacks kept coming, but here she avoided them more smoothly, than before. She is in her element. There is a reason why Halmks are called the cloud surfing sparrows. She flew away from the danger while I got up and moved downstairs fast. Nobody asked me what happened, but all of them became alert. They will need to be more alert than they had before because the enemy is powerful and coming in large numbers. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 511: Bad Odds I Chapter 511: Bad Odds I Orok Uram "And their numbers?" I asked Eli as he came down to inform me he spotted the enemy. "Around two and a half thousand," he replied, and everyone turned serious. It is ten times our number. Usually, only six to eight hundred undead cross the boundary, but this time. The numbers are three times that. It seemed like they didn''t want to suffer a defeat again. "One Lv. 30 and four Lv. 20+ Mages?" I asked, and he nodded. "What are the orders?" I asked Hasid. "They have left that to us, but they are saying, we might not be able to reach the other outposts before the undead catch up to us," she replied. It is the same story for the arrival of reinforcements. The undead will arrive in about fifteen minutes here, while the reinforcement from the closest outpost will take an hour. If the officers rode beasts they could arrive sooner. However, they won''t be able to spare many as they must also protect their area. They can''t leave it unguarded. "Inform the neighboring outposts. Tell them to reinforce us as soon as possible," I ordered before getting up. It might not be much, but it will help. I glanced at the book I was reading before walking out while the bell rang around me. When I entered the compound, the soldiers were forming ranks, and soon, two hundred and forty-six people stood in front of me. "The undead are coming, and this time, they came in large numbers," I could see the expressions on the faces of many changes. "We have fought such odds before and won, and this time, it won''t be any different!" I said and for a moment, there was silence before they began to hit the ground with their feet. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. A moment later, I gave a few orders before turning to my lieutenants. There are five lieutenants, two mages, and three warriors. Two are below Lv. 25 while three are above it. "The numbers are huge. We will need to use everything we have, including those things, we are hiding. It''s time, we use them," I said. I don''t want to use them, but the numbers are high enough that we will need them. I might not show it to my face, but the odds are bad. The enemy has four mages of Lv. 20+, while we only have two. They also have more mages below Level 20. More than us, without a doubt. "That is wise," replied Azika, while the rest nodded. "We need to end the battle quickly, given powerhouses and their numbers, but we will be on the defense. Only I and my group will go after the leader," I stated and hesitation appeared on their faces. "That would be very risky, Captain. There is a Level 30, as well as the mages; you will not survive dealing with both," said Hadis, while I shook my head mirthlessly. "Don''t worry, I am quite good at surviving," I replied with a knowing smile. My class is Wildlander Survivalist. It is focused on survival. Just a moment later, I ran toward the enemy, with my men behind me. I wanted to wait till they got close and barrage them with the cannons, but seeing that they too have cannons. It is best to attack them as soon as possible. The undead canons are not only targeting us but also targeting the outpost. If we let that happen for long. There won''t be an outpost for us. Also, the cannons are placed there; it would be bad for us if they stopped. From what I could see, we have more cannons than them. It is providing us with cover and importantly keeping their mages busy. Soon, there were only two hundred meters of distance between us when their spells came. There are a lot of them. "Follow my orders exactly," I said. The spells came, and many of them were coming directly at me. I had ordered the Mages not to defend me from the Grade II spell or below, only defend the Grade III. All of the lower spells I will handle on my own. I only have two mages above level 20. The one with me is Lieutenant Sarsyr. The half-elf is the lowest leveled and also the youngest among the lieutenants. She looked as young as me. She is from Mayhurst and fought the undead. It is why, I kept her with me instead of Hasid. Hasid is needed with another platoon. He is powerful and the only one capable of keeping his platoon alive. The other two platoons were led by Donil and Azika. The people I worked with the longest while I was here were Sarsyr and Dina. Dina is local and has been defending the city since the first battle. She is the second lowest level and is quite good, but it is not because of that I have chosen her to be in my group. I had chosen her because of her skill. She could form the network, which makes it much easier to give a command in the chaos. I may be going against the highest number of enemies with the lowest numbers, but it''s not because I am brave or a fool. Every person here was chosen by me. They have the talent and, most importantly, the skills required to make this daring strategy work. I knew such a thing would happen. Both the command and people from Mayhurst, that I have in my company had warned me about it. I had prepared for it. Practiced it, and now, I am going to use the strategy to defeat the undead. My axe moved and cut through the spells. One after another. They are never-ending, but every single one of them is being cut by my ax. I am looking at the spells, but my focus is on the man in the middle of the undead. He is the target, and he is being there intentionally. He understood very well that I would need to kill him to end the battle. He is staying there despite the advantage of the levels. He is using our desperation well. Soon, the undead are on us, with less than a meter away. That is when I activated my latest skill from the Officer. Barrage of Steel. The skill that enhances the power and efficiency of weapons. Others also activated their army skills. Covering everyone with all kinds of enhancements. "Kill them all!" I roared with Rhythm of Wild singing in my heart. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 512: Bad Odds II Chapter 512: Bad Odds II Orok Uram Rip Ting Rip! My ax ripped through the undead. I took a step forward and killed another group of undead, while Rhythm of Wild sang in my heart. I didn''t stop and took another step forward, and then another, killing any undead that came into my path or spell moving to stop me. I could feel my energy men are moving behind me. Cutting through the undead, that are coming to swallow us. Within seconds, the undead had completely swallowed us. Now, there is no way to get out, nor do we want to. There are only two options in front of us. One is to kill the leader and every enemy powerhouse or get killed by them. We are getting attacked from all sides, and my people are getting injured. It is why, we aren''t stopping even for a moment. We are killing everything that comes our way. We will not stop and kill anything that will come to stop us. Hun! Seconds passed and turned into minutes when one spell avoided Sasryn''s shield. There are seven sharp bone spikes covered in deathly fire. I don''t know the name of the spell, but I know, it is Grade III, and I have to defend against it or it will kill me. I wanted to dodge it, but there were too many undead around me and the spell was too close and coming too fast. I swung my ax toward it without hesitation, activating the Lion''s strength and Wild Swing from Wildlander Survivalist and Keen from the Officer. Immediately, the power of the strike increased exponentially. At the same time, the spells struck the undead around. Seeing that, I felt pleased to see the training was working. Clang Clang Clang! The enchantment on my ax flared, and it began to cut through the spikes one after another, till all seven of them turned to dust. I deactivated the skill and swung my ax again, killing the undead that had taken, the place of those dead. We kept moving, and soon, there was around only five meters of distance between the Lv. 30+ and me. Seeing me, he grinned and moved away from his place. While more undead came at us. "Coward!" cursed people from behind. I shook my head internally and followed behind. It is not cowardice He could come at me any moment he wants, but the man is smart. I am sure, he had read the information about me as I had about him. It is why, he isn''t engaging against me. He wants to tire me out, before facing me. I kept following him, but he would simply move away whenever we got close to him. Clang Clang Clang! Another group of Grade III spells came, and I destroyed them. They are coming every few seconds and I am defending against them. Sasryn is working hard, but she is dealing with two mages. They are higher level than her. It isn''t just her, but others are also under immense pressure, with injuries piling around on their bodies. "Coward!" I screamed. Seeing him moving away once again, hoping the taunt would work, but it didn''t. Seeing the man grinning instead. I didn''t say anything further and kept following him. Another minute passed, and I reached where I had wanted to. ''Left!'' I said and a moment later, I leaped high toward the left. It is dangerous, but I am taking the risk. I looked toward my target. It is not a Lv. 30 warrior, but the mage. The blond woman is one of the two mages; she is powerful and has been harassing us. Taking her out would help us a lot. Seeing me coming at her; there was no fear on her face. Instead, her lips curved in a smile. Which did not give me a good feeling at all. I am in the air, where maneuverability is limited, and the distance between us is small. Making defending and dodging the attacks hard. Mages don''t like when warriors come closer to them, but she is happy, seeing me coming closer to her. She will die today. Bang! Rhythm of Wild spiked, and I moved my axe. Clashing against it as it materialized, before starting to tear through it, with the power of Sharpness, enchantment, and Keen skill. Like the lightning earlier, some of the flames touched, and they were even more painful, but I bore it and continued with my attack. Rip! My axe tore through it and I poured more power into my attack, as the shield was right in front of me. Bang! My axe crashed against it before tearing through it and moving ahead, but there was no mage. She avoided my attack by a few steps. I cannot let her get away. I could already see the undead moving forward. If that happens, it would be hard to capture her and it would be me that would be in danger. I could see the Lv. 30 warriors moving toward me. He is close and once he arrived, I could forget about killing her and him. So I leaped toward the mage Wild Dash as the Rhythm of Wild rang loudly. Immediately, two spells materialized. First are bone spikes, sharp spikes that would tear through me; it is a good thing, I leaped, not ran. My feet aren''t touching the ground. It is the second spell that raises all the hair on my body. It is a translucent crescent, and it appeared in front of my ax and passed through it before appearing in front of me and striking my head before I could do anything. "Ahhhhhhhh!" I shouted in pain, that is worse than the shock of silver-eyed cats. It felt like something was cutting the very soul of me. It made me powerless, as I had never felt before. I know it is a soul attack. The worst kind of attacks from necromancers. They are extremely powerful and warriors like me are powerless against them. My screams became louder as the pain increased even further. "No!" I roared. I cannot let this pain consume me. I need them to kill the enemy. If I did not, she would kill me and then kill my men. These people had trusted me with their lives. Walked into the jaws of enemies without a single word of complaint. It is the first time someone ever did that, and I will let them down. Hun! So, I roared even louder and felt the crescendo of Rhythm of Wild breaking through the veil of pain. It came and became louder. Drowning the pain from the soul attack. My eyes became clear, and the first thing I saw was the relieved smile on the enemy''s face and then the Dark Lightning. I am air, not in the ground as I had expected. It might seem like an hour had passed because of the sheer pain, I felt, but barely a moment had passed since the soul attack struck me. Bang! I crashed my axe against the lightning. Making the enemy''s eyes go wide. My ax tore through the lightning. Reaching the enemy, this time. She will not be able to get away from me. Horror appeared on her face, but that didn''t stop her from reacting. The thick bone wall appeared in front of her. Bang! My ax tore through it. Only to see the enemy covered in bone armor in her midst of casting another spell. This time, I will not let her get away and pour everything. I have it in my store. BANG! The ax tore through another defensive spell, that was materializing, before finally crashing against her. The bone armor was strong, but it was only able to stop my ax for a moment before it tore through it. Reaching the body of the enemy while she watched with terror. Ripp! A sharp, wet sound rang out as my axe cut through her chest before I pulled it back fast and swung it again. The next moment, the head flew up. Killing her for good. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 513: Retreat Chapter 513: Retreat Orok Uram "You bastard!" I heard the loud curse and turned my eyes away from the flying head toward the next enemy. "Good, you are coming. I thought you never would," I said. This made him stop short as uncertainty appeared in his eyes. Seeing that, I turned toward the second mage. This one is a Mage. Not a High Mage in hiding. He had attacked me several times while I had fought the High Mage, but all of his spells were Grade III, which, thankfully, Sasryn stopped. If he had been High-Mage, he would have attacked. He had a perfect chance to kill me. I grinned, seeing fear appear in his eyes before looking at my people. They had already formed a half circle around me and were moving to make it complete. The enemy''s eyes moved toward them for a second while thoughts spun in his mind. I kept my eyes on him; my axe moved ready to deal with any undead or spell coming at me while the Survivors Healing recuperated my injuries. It is a powerful skill, that saved my life many times. It is an Inheritance skill. Not a primary inheritance skill like Rhythm of Wild, but one with a fraction of inheritance healing skills power. General Stone had said that there was a good chance it would advance to a complete inheritance skill if I leveled up to Level 30. It was healing my injuries, but I still drank the potion while moving my axe with one hand to kill a skeleton. The enemy seemed to finally make up his mind and walked toward me. At the same time, I sensed the change in the undead. They have intensified their offense. Skeletons and Zombies begin to move aggressively, with many exploding. Worry flashed in my heart, but I controlled myself. I trust my men to do their jobs while I have to do mine. I need to kill the enemy; it is the only way they will retreat. He charged and in a few seconds, he was in front of me. He is a human man in his early forties or late forties. It is hard to tell with humans. The elves and half-elves are even more confusing. He is a tall man with a muscled physique and has a similar shade of skin as those of Mayhurst Island. He has charcoal black hair and even darker eyes. His nose is small, with a scar running through it. His name is Javar Neris. He is a native of Mayhurst, but not of the undead kingdom. He defected to them in the first year of the war. "You have made a great mistake killing Lilya. I pl.." He stopped midway as I attacked him. Javar''s eyes flared in anger. I don''t have time to hear his bullshit. My people are getting injured, some have died. I cannot waste even a second; I have to deal with him as soon as possible. For it, I will not hold back anything. I used the Wild Dash to move at him and activated Wild Swing as I slashed along with the Lion''s Strength and Keen. A surprise appeared in his eyes seeing my attack, but he reacted fast and swung his black saber toward my axe. He tried to move his saber past my axe, but I didn''t let him. He is faster than me and stronger, but nearly every other Lv. 30 I had fought was. I am used to such power. It didn''t scare me now as it used to. Though, I am still cautious about it. I understand clearly how a single mistake could send me to the underworld. Clang! Our weapons clashed, and I shook a little under the force, which surprised him. It does to many. He had a strength skill with his attack skills. Many think that with such power, they would push me back, but it''s not easy. Even though my skills aren''t at full power. They are powerful; my body itself is powerful. They had tested it. I am 30% stronger physically than the average orc of similar strength and attributes, that is, after applying the weight of my class. It is not something I was born with but something I gained unknowingly. Since I was born, I lived alone. First, there was only my father, he died. I ate what I could. Wild plants, monsters, and many other things. Add intense physical exertion due to the monsters that nearly killed me countless times. It all made my strength increase. Since coming here, the people have taught me to use this strength with razor efficiency against people and the undead. It is why, despite barely leveling up in my primary class my strength had increased. I controlled my body and attacked again. There is no need to stop or hold back. The only thing I have to do is deal with this enemy in front of me. He attacked again, and this time, his attack was stronger than earlier. Hun! He used the skill that made glare from his saber shine into my eyes, obstructing my vision. It''s a good thing I have Predator''s Gaze. It didn''t completely protect me against the glare, but it didn''t leave me blind, either. Clang! Our weapons clashed, and I shook again, feeling the powerful shock against my body, but I bore it and attacked almost immediately after pulling my axe back. I have borne shocks worse than this from the monsters. This is one of the things they didn''t have to teach me. Clang Clang Clang My attack was halfway to him when a protective bone layer appeared around him. The mages had cast the defensive spell, but it wouldn''t help him. My sword reached him and struck through the bone layer. Shattering it before hitting his armor. My axe pushed through it, before reaching his body. Bang! A ''bang'' sound rang out instead of a flesh-tearing one. He flew back instead of getting cut apart by my axe. He might have survived the death, but not without heavy cost. The attack had seriously injured him, which is a small price to pay, seeing it had saved his life. Such skills are extremely rare. I dashed forward, seeing him flying back broken and bloodied, but just as I did, the bone wall appeared in front of me. Bang Bang Bang! I crushed through the wall and another in front of me and then another, I crushed through five of them. As I did, I saw the enemy running away through only the gap that nearly completed the circle my men had made. "Follow!" I commanded and moved toward him. He turned and looked at me with fear in his eyes. I am not the only one after him. My mages are also going after him while he is defending against the spells. I am going to kill him. Bang Bang Bang! Undead appeared in front of me and exploded. I moved through them. I didn''t care if the bones and other stuff stuck to me, all that mattered was killing the enemy. Only with his death will they retreat. So, I moved through the exploding undead while he ran away. I could see him drinking the potion, which isn''t good, but I have time. I don''t think it is essence potion. They are extremely rare and expensive. He wouldn''t have taken such a big gulp of it. Rip Rip Rip! I cut the undead. Moving closer and closer to him while my people protect me from the spells of mages that are coming at me. I gain the ground. Getting closer and closer to him. Soon, there was less than five meters of distance between us. He turned, and there was a deep fear in his eyes. "Retreat!" He shouted, surprising me, but I stopped. I looked at him and looked at the undead. A moment later, the undead stopped attacking and began moving. Enveloping their mages and their leader while my men came toward me. "This might be a ploy," said Lt. Dina as they left us. "It is why you should drink your potions," I replied and took out potions of healing and stamina before drinking. These are normal Grade III potions. If I saw the undead returning, I would drink the essence one. Yes, this might be a plot, but I don''t have much choice. My people are injured, and some are dead. A retreat is the best choice for us, too. I want to kill the enemy, but I need to think about my forces too. If I had pushed, it would have been mutual destruction. Which I would not accept. I have already done significant damage to them by killing the High Mage. If he returns, this time, I will kill him. "The other groups are also retreating," informed Sasryn. I turned and saw other undead groups retreating, too. It was only when the pain disappeared I shuddered in relief. The bastard hadn''t deactivated the skill, despite retreating. "How is Azika and others?" I asked. "Currently stable, but they need medical attention," replied Hasid as he stopped beside me. He, too, had suffered injuries but stayed by me, keeping an eye on the undead. "Seven companies aren''t enough. We need more people to guard against the undead," said Donil, and I couldn''t help but nod. The undead had upped the ante, and we need to respond to it. The first stage will be increasing the forces on the boundary. "It is the first thing I am going to request," I replied. We watched till the undead disappeared from our eyes before turning to the outpost, which wasn''t in the best shape. A few cannonballs had hit it. Making a few walls collapse. When I reached there, the first thing I saw was dead bodies in the compound. We have lost some good people in the battle. Seeing them, tears started to stream from my eyes. I controlled my emotions and sent a prayer to the Goddess of Dusk before walking inside to see the injured. Desiring, the healer to keep them alive till help arrived. Officer Lv. 17 Officer Lv. 18 {Skill Gained: Thunderous Charge} Battle Mage Lv. 23 Soldier Lv. 10 Soldier Lv. 11 {Skill Gained: Heavy Strike} Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 514: Sage of Thousand Blades Chapter 514: Sage of Thousand Blades Conference room 7 "The undead had escalated, and we need to respond to it," said Cardin. We are meeting to discuss the skirmish that occurred an hour ago. The undead came with unexpected numbers; it was a battle with the worst odds we had fought, but our people had repelled them, barely and not without a cost. "We will. I am signing off on three battalions and five more companies," I replied, and the eyes of many lit up. We have only seven outposts, each housing a company, but within a month, twelve companies and three battalions will be stationed at the boundary. One battalion will leave for the boundary before midnight from Panar. We discussed a few more things before coming to the topic. We had postponed last time. "He did good. Killing a High-Mage, despite below Lv. 30. Even those of Lv. 30 and above couldn''t do it," said Cardin, and many nodded. I couldn''t do it. It requires specific skills and talent to go against the mages. Even with the aura, I am sure of my limit. "Well, we can''t hold it off anymore. If we didn''t give it to him now, it would be a disservice to his loyalty," I said. I am talking about his promotion. Which he deserved to get after the battle of Panar, but I held it off. I wanted to send him into the wild to advance his class, but that young man wasn''t willing to listen. He wants to stay here with his men. It is quite unfortunate. He has a powerful class and inheritance skills. I wanted to foster them. I could force him, but that would be counterproductive. So, I am going to give him his well-deserved promotion. Along with the thing. I had been planning. I could not think there was a better person for the responsibility than him, and the result of the battle proved it further. "I am signing off for the promotion of Captain Okor Uram to Lt. Colonel," I proclaimed, and they nodded in acceptance. He deserves it. No one would refute it. "He will command the seventeenth battalion," I added, and a shock appeared on the faces. Including that of Cardin. "My lord, I don''t think that is wise," said Colonel Vihra. "Orok is powerful and talented to lead, but he is young, and advancement to his class is blocked. I think we should give this responsibility to someone experienced," added Major General Hiren. I smiled and turned to Cardin. "The orcs wouldn''t be happy with it," he said. To that, I smiled. Yes, the orcs wouldn''t be happy. They would have been ecstatic if any other orc were given this position, but they would not be with the albino orc. "They will have to deal with it," I replied. Lt. Colonels'' command battalions and nobody would have said anything if it had been any other battalion, but the seventeenth battalion is different. It is special because it doesn''t exist. It exists only on paper. It is an idea, a plan. A plan for an elite battalion. We formed the plan for it after the battle of Panar. It is designed to be a force that could tear through the enemies to reach their critical targets and kill them. It will be the tip of the spear. The battalion will get more funding, better equipment, and greater training. A few names have been suggested for it, but they didn''t feel right. Orok feels right, despite his main skill suffering from the block. Elite armies are special, not only in name but also in power. Some could reach a height where they gain their own unique classes. Gaining those unique classes is extremely rare, and it needs to be very distinct and good to awaking that. It is hard to attain that gift. "My decision is final," I stated. Many still wanted to argue and even opened their mouths, but closed them, seeing my expressions. A few minutes later, everybody left, leaving only Cardin. "That young man has huge potential, but he will need to unblock his class," said Cardin. To that, I couldn''t help but nod. "He does," I replied, to the man. That man has the most powerful class in the entire army. Even the classes'' of Stone and Azalia couldn''t compare to his. Even in the city. His class is most powerful, after mine, Caena''s, and Bell''s. It has the same weight as the Lord Class but has a pure martial focus. It is why, despite being unable to use it fully, he killed the Lv. 30 High mage. However, if it is just class, I wouldn''t choose him. I will meet them a few minutes later when I will make rounds. Click! I entered my office and sat on my chair, before closing my eyes and looking through every floor. Nothing is hidden from me. I could see everything. I opened my eyes a few minutes later and looked at the files waiting for me. ''My lord, can you spare a few minutes?'' came a voice in my mind. ''Sure,'' I replied. I didn''t ask why she wanted to meet me, but I knew it must be important for her to ask to meet me suddenly. Click! A minute later, the door opened, and Bell walked inside. "My lord," she greeted. "Bell," I replied and asked her to sit. "So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked. "These," she replied, and three books appeared. "Gifts?" I asked and she nodded. I had given the responsibility of the gifts to her. Given the number of guests, we had invited. There were a lot of gifts. They needed to be opened and ''thank you'' notes to be sent to the givers. "Are they special?" I asked, and she nodded heavily. There was a silence for a moment before she looked at Lola and Zela. I looked at them. They both nodded and walked out, along with Jon, who was invisible. The door closed, and I turned to Bell. "As you might have heard, my house loved books," she said, in response, I nodded, it was well known. It would be an understatement to say, her house loves books. People used to say, her house fucks books. They love books more than their spouses and children. It is also said the leader of her house gets a class that has an academic element. "We had one of the best collections of books on the entire continent," she added, with her eyes turning distant. She piqued my curiosity, but I waited. It took nearly a minute for her misty eyes to clear. "There were not many books we didn''t have, but there were still some we wanted. My parents had made a list of the books that they most wanted," "These books were on the list and very high at that," she replied. Hearing her words, I couldn''t help, but turn curious and look at the books. To be honest, they didn''t look very impressive or old. "What are these books?" I asked. "Basics of Aura Manipulation by Arasin Kalid," she replied, and I was a little disappointed by the title. It is quite simple and has ''basic'' in it. The author felt familiar and when I used the skill to find where I read it, my eyes widened. "Yes, written by the sage of thousand blades himself. It is considered the best book on Aura of our era," she replied. Sage of Thousand Blades. He is one of the greatest powerhouses of the last incursion. His power was beyond comprehension, and he was considered the greatest master of aura of the era. "These must be particularly valuable?" I asked. "Extraordinarily valuable. We only know of seven people who have this on the continent," she replied. "Most importantly. It is a fountain of knowledge." "As for the word basic, it is for the sage. For people like us, it is a sea of knowledge. A few gulps of it would be more than enough for us to reach the pinnacle of the world," she said philosophically. I wanted to read them immediately, but instead, I turned to her with another question. The most important one. "Who is the one who gifted us such treasure?" I asked. My curiosity was palpable. "You would not believe it, but when thinking about it. It is believable, given his ancestry," she said and I kept looking at her. "Alex Rutto," she answered. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on Patreon by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 515: Cartas Luskin Chapter 515: Cartas Luskin Cardin The door opened, and a handsome man in his thirties entered wearing a khaki uniform. "General Cardin," greeted the man. "Commissioner Julian," I replied and asked him to sit. "I hope you have been well, general," said the man. "I am well commissioner," I replied with a professional smile. I don''t like the man. It has nothing to do with his personality. He has an excellent personality, but his jurisdiction irks me. His police have complete control over the law enforcement in the city. Usually, the city guards are under the army, or the army has powers over them. Here, they are completely independent, answerable only to the lord. The only things in the city we control are our barracks and the gates. Even the security of the city hall is under the police. In this city, the army is there only for support in case something happens. "What can I do for you, commissioner?" I asked. When he asked for the meeting. He said it was important. He didn''t mention, what he wanted. Though, I could guess it, as there could only be a few things. He would need from me. "I need three level 30s. Two mages and one warrior," He replied. It surprised me, he was not asking for my help, but asking directly for three Level 30s. Usually, he requests one or two Level 30 powerhouses, but now he wants three with two mages specifically. The city police have Level 30s of their own. He is one himself and there were two more; one of them is a mage. That man was someone I had poached. Instead of joining the army, he joined the police. "It seemed serious," I said. "Yes. It is Ermes ''blue eyes'' Bilbo; a captain of the white crows'' gang, has come to the city and we want to capture him." He replied. "He is quite slippery. Evaded arrests tens of times," he added a moment later. The name of the gang felt familiar, but I can''t seem to remember more details about it. ''White crows, one of the biggest gangs of Belnin. Their leader is White Gyrge and they deal in narcotics, kidnapping, and extortion, the usual gang stuff,'' informed Kans, my secretary, telepathically. "He is a big fish," I said. "He is, and the gang sent him here to establish a branch. We want to crush their attempt before it even begins," he replied, and I couldn''t help but nod at that. The gangs are nasty business. I had seen them controlling the cities and lords. Greltheaven has gangs, but he and his people manage them well. I hope they will be cautious because those vermin grow fast. "You will have them," I said after a moment of silence. "The police appreciate the cooperation, General," he said, shaking my hand before leaving. "He is doing a good job, but I would have done better if the police had been under the army''s control," said Kans. I didn''t say anything to that. Instead, looked at the clock. Someone important is coming today. Someone I know personally. "What is the progress on splinters of Bastiv?" I asked. "Still trying, but there is progress. We might be able to get two to three officers," he replied. Bastiv is the city in Rohm that Tabes had captured a few months ago. It had a strong army, most of which retreated after the defeat. The majority of the army was incorporated into the imperial army and the armies of many nobles, but a significant number remained independent. They are working in mercenary companies and other ways. "Language!" admonished the woman beside him. "Let him talk, Vena. It is the only way he could hide his jealousy," I replied, and the man smiled before hugging me. The man is Cartas Luskin. My childhood friend. We joined the army together, but our paths were different. I chose the infantry, while he chose the cavalry. He reached the rank of Colonel. "It''s nice to see you again, old friend." He said as he let go. I smiled and turned to his wife. She too is an old friend. "You look radiant as always, Vena," I said as I hugged her. "You are still a sweet talker, as always. It''s a mystery to me, why haven''t you gotten married yet," she said as she let go. I didn''t say anything to that and turned to their children. The two are fourteen-year-old twins. They got blond hair from their father, and amethyst eyes from their mother. "Children, greet your, uncle," said Cartas to his children. "Uncle Leonas," they said in unison. It''s clear, they didn''t recognize me, which isn''t surprising seeing how long it had been since I saw them. "Yord and Nell, the last time I saw you two. You were barely five years old," I said. The children nodded awkwardly. "Come, let''s go. I am sure, all of you are tired from the travel and want to rest," I said and opened the door. They have been travelling constantly for over a week. I tried to make their journey as comfortable as possible, but no matter how comfortable, it was a tiring journey. Especially for the children. We sat in the carriage, and it began to move toward the city. "I heard so much about the city. Especially the legacy," said Vena, looking out of the window. "Is it true that it has a large skeleton of wyrm? And that it''s covered in exotic plants that feed on the essence? That anyone could enter inside it?" she asked showing her excitement. Even her tired-looking children looked excited, hearing their mother talking about it. "You will know when I take you all for dinner there in the evening," I replied and her eyes lit up, but soon they became somber. "You don''t have to, Leonas. I heard it is very expensive," she said, shaking her head. "It is expensive, but being a general, comes with privileges," I replied, grinning at her husband. "You are only a lieutenant general, Nas," said Cartas dryly. To that, I grinned even more widely. A few minutes passed, and we talked. My eyes fell on his leg, but I didn''t say anything. However, I will send him to the doctor tomorrow for a check-up. "How are things in the empire?" I asked. He was on the front lines until a few weeks ago. "Still bad, but better than before," he replied sombrely. Things were pretty bad right after the emperor''s death. The enemies were ready, and they attacked the moment he died. The emperor had prepared for it, and our forces had been more than ready to deal with any aggression from our enemies, but the civil war happened. It is still happening, but the princes and other nobles have started to get things under control. The enemies are still advancing, on more fronts than before, but their progress isn''t as swift as it was in the months after the emperor''s death. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on Patreon by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 516: I Want You To Work For Me Chapter 516: I Want You To Work For Me Rutto The carriage passed through the gates of the city hall and moved toward it. Click! I looked at the box in my hand and opened it ever so gently. Not fully, even now, I am scared that someone might see it and kill me for it. People have been killed for far less. This box came three days ago, along with a handwritten ''thank you'' note for my gift. Throughout the week, I have been thinking about the gift I gave Silver at the party. Worried, but also disappointed that there was no reply to it. I knew they were worth something. If they weren''t, they wouldn''t have been in my inheritance skill, but never in my dreams, I had expected to see the things when the thank you note came. I looked through the small gap, and inside it were the tiny bottles. Filled with colorful mist. When I opened the box. I was expecting something good. Hoping it would be a mist-crafted thing, but to my utter shock, I saw bottles and bottles of emotion essence. I thought they were Grade I at first, but I realized they were Grade III and the shocking amount of a hundred of them. Their value is astronomical. I have people who are willing to pay a massive price for them, far above the market rate. I thought it was a mistake. He had mistakenly sent me these, but I didn''t contact him to correct it. I need this. It will solve all of my problems. Click! I closed the box in a hurry as my driver opened the door. The driver, I was barely able to pay this month''s salary by selling the celebration invitation from Silver. People were willing to pay a good price for that. The money will help me with this month, but I am completely broke next month, without anything valuable to sell. I got out of the carriage and entered the city hall. I hope Silver didn''t call me to say it was a mistake. I am hoping this is not the reason for the meeting. I need them and the money they bring. Soon, I reached his office and could see a few people in the waiting room. "Alex Rutto, I have a meeting with Lord Silver," I said to the beautiful teen secretary. "Lord Silver is ready for you, Lord Rutto," she replied with a professional smile. It surprised me, but I thanked her before walking to the door. The guards opened it as I reached it, and I stepped inside. "Lord Silver," I greeted the young man and was relieved that he was alone. If read the atmosphere correctly he has some questions for me. I don''t think I would hide the truth. If I am forced. Though, I hope, if I am forced to tell the truth, it will be for his ears only. "Please take a seat, Lord Rutto," He said. "Thank you, my lord," I replied and sat in front of him. There was a silence, and I started to sweat. Especially when I saw him looking at me with a smile on his face. I don''t like to be in such a situation where others hold all the cards, but it has been the reality of my life. "Thank you for the gift, Lord Rutto," he said finally. "I should be one thanking you, my lord, for what you have given me. It was truly generous of you," I replied, but the young man shook his head. "I had paid you only a fraction of what they were worth," he said, it utterly shocked me. I expected them to be valuable but never expected to be worth a hundred Grade III bottles and now he is telling me, they are worth far more. I had read those books, and they didn''t feel any different from the other books on the aura we had in our library before my father sold them all. He seemed stunned by it and took a while to calm himself down. "Can you give me some time to think about it, my lord?" he asked. "I will give you a week, Lord Rutto," I replied to him. The man nodded and got up before walking out of the office. I hope he agrees. I need him in my control. If he has the kind of inheritance skill that Bell suspects. Then he would be tremendously useful to me. A job will keep him in my control and will also give him opportunities to level up. If he accepts, I am going to give him some responsibilities. The man is a little demure, but he can be spontaneous and has the guts to take risks. He demonstrated his spontaneity when he sold everything to get the guardianship job. The risks, he took with the gift of the books and the contract he signed instantaneously. It would be unwise to let go of such a person. Hours passed as I met a few people and attended meetings. "Connect me to him," I said to Shaun as the clock ticked four. It had been four days with my people talking to him, but nothing came out of it. Instead, the man went out and captured a second group of people. I am talking about Count Igalad. I took Shuans hand, and after a few seconds, the spell connected with the other side. "Count Igalad," I greeted the man. There was absolute silence from the other end. If I hadn''t been feeling the mana, I would have thought the spell had been deactivated. ''Lord Silver,'' spoke the man finally. "I hope you are well, Lord Count," I said. I wanted to move directly to the main point but decided to do a simple pleasantry before that. ''I am Lord Silver,'' He replied curtly. Hearing that, I sighed internally. This won''t be easy, but I need him to fall in line. "I hope you will release the people you have captured from Viscount Taris and Baron Lomivas'' territory," I requested politely. ''I can''t do that. They are runaways.'' The man replied. "They are not runaways, Lord Count. They were from the territories of two nobles whose territory had been captured. I am within my rights to hire them," I refuted. ''To me, they are runaways and I will deal with them according to the laws of the empire and my territory,'' he said. "Can I not do anything to make you release them?" I asked. ''Unfortunately, you cannot,'' he replied with a derisive chuckle. Hearing that, I sighed visibly. "Then you left me no choice, Lord Count," I said, and he laughed. "What are you going to do, little lord?" he asked, insulting me. I am not angry. Why would I be? When I have something interesting planned. "Poach your men, of course," I replied, and he laughed loudly. "Be my guest, but let me tell you, no men of mine will come to your territory. No matter how much money or emotional essence you offer," he said, with clear anger in his voice. He is fearful of that and already taking precautions. Keeping eyes on people who could leave. "I may not, but your enemies could. I am going to sell them a lot of essences and going to do it cheaply with the condition, that they poach your men," I threatened. "I am very sure, they will be more than ready to accept these conditions. Some had already contacted me about that on their own," I added a moment later. The reply came immediately. He cut the call. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on Patreon by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 517: Churches and Politics Chapter 517: Churches and Politics Alanis "Welcome to Panar, Bishop Alanis," greeted Fex as I stepped out of the carriage. "Thank you, Priest Sutton," I replied and looked at the building behind him, which was now complete. We didn''t build a full church but modified the dilapidated building. It used to house the offices of the mining company, but now, it is our church. We would have opened it a few weeks ago, but I decided to expand it. It will be formally inaugurated at dusk with the sermon. "Mr. Amellus had done a wonderful job in the church," praised Fex as he led me toward the church. He opened the gates, and we entered the church. "Good space," I said, looking at rows and rows of pews with a lot of space behind them to stand as well. "It could house three hundred faithful easily," He replied, and I nodded and turned to the big altar. On it is a huge symbol of the goddess of dusk carved from the grey rock. It is carved by the Cardinal herself. To the left is a choir platform, and above are beautiful lights. That will create dusk even in the day. He showed me the other parts of the church before we walked to the hospital, which was a separate building beside the church but within a church compound. "There seemed to be a lot of patients. I don''t think there had been a skirmish in the past two days?" I asked. A little confused. The injuries of these people didn''t seem that serious either. "They are the people of Lt. Colonel Uram," he replied, and I armed a brow. "His training isn''t for the faint-hearted," he added, shuddering. Orok Uram. One of our most faithful and also the highest ranked in the military we were able to get. It is hard to get orcs because of the shamanic belief system, but here we are, getting a lot of them. Especially those without tribes. We are even getting the people from tribes as well. We are also getting a lot of humans. It helps a lot, for being the only church in the Greltheaven. It is the first time something like this has happened to us. In other places, there are always churches. "Despite the danger. It was a wise decision of us to come to Greltheaven," said Fex. "Goddess is wise," I replied with a smile. It is not like the other churches aren''t trying, but conditions to come into the Greltheaven are tough. Not everyone is as desperate as we are. Though, as the greltheaven grew. The inquiries had begun to increase. It won''t be long before other churches start coming, but we have an advantage and will prove our worth to the city. It will take others a long time to achieve. As Fex said, it is a wise decision to come here, and we are seeing the benefits of it. The faithful are growing, and those who took risks to come here have benefitted as well. Both of the Paladins had gone past the Lv. 30. The priests have reached near it. Fex is quite close to Lv. 30. Normally, he wouldn''t get the responsibility of a church of this size. It is the reward of the risk he had taken in coming with me. There was resistance to it from the higher-ups, given his age and experience, but I pushed his name forcefully, and the higher-ups had to accept. "Incoming," said the loud voice. The next moment, the people came, holding men and women on the stretchers. They quickly placed the beds, and within seconds, nearly all beds were full. Though he is loosening up. If we prove our worth in a few more battles and provide something extra, we might be able to get the permission. It will help us tremendously. Soon, General Stone came with Lt. General Azalea. I welcomed them personally before other guests and faithful began to come, including Lt. Colonel Uram. I will talk to him later, after the sermons are over. There are a few things I want to talk to him about. Finally, the whole church is filled with people. There is not a single seat that is unoccupied. Hundreds of people are standing in the area behind the pews. We have gained a lot of followers here after Greltheaven conquered the city. Those poor souls needed hope and support, which the church had provided to them. ''It is time,'' I thought and opened the holy book. I didn''t have to. I remember every word by heart, but it provides an effect and reassurance. Serene Voice. Glory of Dusk. Faithfuls Home. I activated my skills and began the sermon. "Brother and sister, we gather today in the soft glow of dusk as the sun surrenders to the embrace of night. In this sacred hour, we honor the Goddess of Dusk, She, who reigns over the threshold between light and darkness. "Dusk reminds us that life is filled with transitions. As the day ends and the night begins, so do we face moments of change¡ªsometimes quiet, sometimes uncertain." "Yet the Goddess of Dusk teaches us that these transitions are not to be feared. They are sacred pauses where we can reflect, release, and prepare for what lies ahead." I continued with the sermon while they listened. I could feel their faith in people like Orok Uram is shining the brightest. It is a wonderful thing to see, and made it all the hard work and sacrifice we made worth it. ....... Church of God of War, Inam. "Your Excellency, Archbishop Kraniz," greeted the old man as a red-haired, middle-aged man walked inside. "Bishop Song," replied the man and sat down before placing a note in front of him. He read it, and anger flashed in his eyes. "Those whores of the goddess of dusk had captured Silvers''s heart with their dark arts," cursed Bishop Song. "They are growing in Greltheaven and opened another church in the Panar today," archbishop Krazis said, looking at the old man pointedly. He shuddered internally. "We wanted to bathe the Greltheaven with our lord''s merciful light. Purify the evils of his sin of the den had spread to his city, but the bastard isn''t even letting our priests enter his city," "And he even dared to place wretched conditions on us to reestablish our church there," the old man replied and was seething by the time the last word came to his mouth. On the other hand. Middle-aged man''s expressions remained unchanged. "Agree to his conditions and reestablish the church as soon as possible," ordered the Archbishop. It surprised the old Bishop. No, shocked him. It wasn''t long ago that these people were cursing Silver and talking about finishing him off. "Your excellency, those conditions," said the old bishop hesitantly. "Yes, I read them, but Silver has shown potential, and his city is growing fast. Ignoring it would be a mistake," replied the archbishop. He is unwilling, but the archbishop''s word is final. "As you will it, Your Excellency," agreed the old bishop finally. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me on Patreon by Tapping on Below and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 518: Cavalry Chapter 518: Cavalry "By my authority, as the master of velvet garden. I grant Dranis Eltson access to the mist," I said and placed the mark of mist on him, before granting him access to it. Mark of Mist is an extraordinarily useful skill. I could use it on things as well as people. For me, it had become a lesser version of Share Authority. "Thank you, my lord, for your trust in me," replied the cobbler with tears streaming from his eyes. "You have earned it," I replied to the man turning to the second person and giving him access to the mist, while thousands watched. We are in the lobby with store owners sitting on chairs while visitors observe with a vast variety of expressions on their faces. They beam with delight to witness this spectacle, adding to their emotions. "Best of luck, both of you. Work hard to make the legacy and the city proud," I said to them and walked away while others watched these two, with longing and envy. The rest will need to prove their worth and loyalty to gain access to the mist. There are now five stores with access to the mist, counting Eva Cain. They are doing remarkably well. Yesterday, I had given access to the twelve new blacksmiths. They are from Gregor''s store, which he opened yesterday in the city, along with the big workshop. From today, they will start working after the stores closed at night. I am especially excited about it. There are huge orders for mist goods. The legacy needs them and also others. Currently, we are not selling any. Every mist good that is forged in the store is destined only for the legacy. Though we have gifted a few mist-crafted items to others. We need them to produce more and, most importantly, we need enchanters. Only with the enchantments, will those mist-forged goods show their true power. I stepped onto the elevator, and it moved fast. Reaching the top floor within seconds. The door opened, and I walked out. I watched the patrons of the blue, it is always full. Every table has been booked for years; currently, there are two parties going on different sections of the top floors. The top floor is huge, covering over fifty thousand square feet. We have divided it into seven sections of different sizes and styles. The parties are happening in the two biggest sections. The people who booked it are from the merchant states. They have come here on their yacht and will return after the celebration. I opened the door and walked inside. Only to see that Caena is waiting there. "I finished the first one," she said, looking at the book. She had placed in front of me. It is not one of the books that Rutto had given. The first volume is copied into this book. Whose paper is made from a really rare tree and binding done by a bookbinder of Lv. 35+. The cover was painted by Margaux since I couldn''t hire anyone else because of the secrecy of the books. It is beautiful. Most importantly, the book had been heavily enchanted by Caena. This means anyone who reads it will remember the contents but wouldn''t be able to copy or narrate to others verbally or telepathically or distribute it through any other means. It might seem too much, but the books are really rare. I need to protect them. It is why they will not be brought out of the legacy. Till now, only three people have read it. Bell, Carla, me. All of us experienced a huge change in our expertise in our aura, and the thing is Carla and I didn''t even read half of the first book. Only Bell had. Those without an aura could read it directly, but they will have a problem. You need to experience it as you read it. They are called Dustgale. One of the monsters that the merchant states use for its cavalry forces. From now on, Greltheaven will be using them, too, in its cavalry. I am in the wasteland, and cavalry is the best force for it. They could move on vast ground at their greatest speed with nothing to stop them. I have always wanted the cavalry but didn''t have a budget. The monsters the merchant state was offering were not that good either. It took months of negotiation, along with a lot of essence, for them to agree to sell these. They are not the best of the horses the merchants'' cavalry has, but they are not the worst either. These horses were better than most speed-type horses used in the empire''s cavalry. Today, a hundred and fifty horses came. It is the first batch; there will be six more to form a complete regiment of thousand troopers. "The real challenge in front of us now is recruiting the people," said Cardin beside me. We have two hundred people from the cavalry that we had poached around, but we need at least eight hundred more. "It is a good thing. We have a lot of young recruits," I replied. To which he smiled. "Young ones are best. It will take time to form the size of cavalry we need with them, but the result we will get would be much better," He said. We could use the experienced people we had, but their classes had already reached high enough and had skills suited for infantry. It will take quite a lot of hard work and time for those classes and skills to change to suit cavalry and they wouldn''t be as good as those with the cavalry classes from the beginning. "I take it the response is good?" I replied. We have already started the process of recruitment among our young trainees. "Better than we thought," he replied. "Lt. Colonel Luskin will begin aptitude testing and training in three days," he added. To that, I nodded and looked ahead. The cavalrymen, including Lt. Colonel Cartis inside the fence. Testing the horses with his men. These aren''t monsters they use in the empire. I hope he will be able to work with them. He better be. Maintaining a cavalry is damn expensive. The feed, the grooming, the training, the equipment, and everything else cost a lot of money on top of buying these damn horses. They aren''t cheap. A few minutes passed when Luskin came toward me. "Lord Silver," he greeted. "Are the monsters to your liking, Lt. Colonel Luskin?" I asked the man directly. "They are better than the ones we used in the empire, but also harder to control," he replied with his face serious. "I am sure, you will be able to manage it," I said, to which he smiled. "My lord," he replied. "I have been wanting to work with monsters like these for a long time. It is a dream come true," he added with his eyes shining. He stayed for a few minutes before walking away. Seeing him walk, nobody would guess, he had a prosthetic on one leg. "Have you taken the measurement?" I asked. "Yes, and had sent them to Belnin. The prosthetic will arrive by the end of the month," he replied. I discussed a few more things with him, before sitting in my carriage and going to the city hall. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 519: Event Manager of Dream Mist I Chapter 519: Event Manager of Dream Mist I Celah Poots "This is teal, I said we wanted emerald," said the man in frustration, looking at the stage. People say it is brides that turn into monsters at weddings, but the grooms are just as bad. "We will change it to emerald," I replied. "I want it the color of Sarkos emeralds, not a common emerald," He said. "We have that shade, Mr. Alister. It will be done," I replied with a smile. I could tell he wanted to say something. Likely an insult, but he controlled himself. "I hope you don''t make another mistake this time," he said snidely and walked with his bride and the guide from the legacy, which took them to the spa. "He controlled himself," commented Yalis as they walked away. The snide comment might seem like an insult, but in my profession, it is praise, especially from people like him, who have enough money that they couldn''t spend it all in their lifetime. He only controlled himself because it was a legacy. Here, his father''s influence didn''t work as much as it did outside. "How are carriages? Have they arrived?" I asked. "They are an hour away," I replied. There will be two and a half thousand guests, and we do not have enough special carriages to ferry them all. These carriages are distinct. They are expensive and used for functions such as weddings. I had given the order for them in the very first week I had joined Velvet Garden. They have been delivered in batches since the start of this month. They are expensive, but the legacy has money. They have made a huge order. It is not just the carriage, but for many other things as well. Today''s delivery will make it the fifth batch. It will be enough to ferry two and a half thousand guests for the wedding. I looked around me watching the nearly fifty people working on the venue setup on the roof. Some are working on the plants, while others are on the decorations, seating, and tables. This is a massive roof spanning over fifty-thousand square feet. With its redesign, it could accommodate ten thousand people easily. The plan is to have several functions at once here. Its open design allows many ways that it could be configured by moving around the plants and mist, which could form the walls. Currently, we are taking it slow. The Velvet Garden is a big enterprise with tens of thousands of people visiting it daily. So, every step needs to be careful. I am really glad about it. If they had asked me to manage several functions daily, I don''t think I could have done it right now. I had done that in Namdar. There, I worked for pretty big clients, but still, the legacy is in a completely different league. I looked around and sighed. The place is covered in colorful mist and plants that cover it in wonderful fragrances and looked like they came out of dreams. It had been a month since they had hired me, and even now, I am still enamored by it. It is a freaking legacy. It is hard not to get enamored by it. I don''t think I will get used to it or ever get bored by it. Before coming here, I had only visited Legacies three times and was blown away every time, but those Legacies are nothing compared to the mammoth that is Velvet Garden. To be honest, I wasn''t much interested in the job because I knew I wouldn''t get it because of the sheer competition. People more experienced and at higher levels than me came to interview for this job. I came in only because I didn''t want to disappoint Eva, who had recommended me. She had been my best client. Though, when I stepped inside the tower. I knew I wanted the job, despite running my own successful business in Namdar. Though, I didn''t think I would get it. It shocked me that I had got the job, beating out those talented people. These things happen as there are always better clothes than they have. The bride and groom had already brought their clothes. They were specially designed for them by one of the best designers from the merchant state, but now, they have gone to Eva Cain. Their designs are some of the best I have seen and made even better as they are mist-crafted. It makes the clothes from Eva Cain irresistible. That is why I asked my people not to let them get close to the store. "They tried, but someone from their party went there and raved about it," he replied while I massaged my head. The wedding has just six hours to go. This is the last thing I want. "Driver, go fast," I said to the driver. Immediately, the driver increased the speed of the carriage. I also attached my skills to the carriage. To Clients Need. We reached the tower in record time. I stepped out before walking through the direct entrance. Even at this time, there is a line to enter the legacy. I entered the lobby feeling the power of legacy and those wonderful smells. They calmed me, but not enough, to slow my rush toward the elevator. I stepped inside it, and a few seconds later, its doors opened on the store floors. "No, I want the mist-crafted wedding dress!" I heard a loud cry just when I was about to ask the staff where the bride was. I rushed toward the store, heard the voice, and saw the bride. She is beside the groom. There are also the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom beside her. They are all focused on one person, Byron. The store manager. The bride seemed to notice me. She turned toward me, and hope seemed to light up in her angry eyes. "Harold chose the mist-crafted suit for the wedding. I want a mist-crafted wedding dress, too," she said with her pale green eyes boring on me. There is also the power of skill. It is familiar. I had seen many with Heiress Class. "Ms. Alda, you have a wonderful wedding dress crafted by the famous Lynavis. It makes you look like a princess," I said, activating the Pacifying Client. "No, I want a crafted dress," she insisted. Intensifying the power of her skill further. It didn''t affect me much because of her being lower level than me. Besides, its power is suppressed by something greater. The skills are suppressed when they are used against the employee of the legacy. Seeing her eyes. It''s transparent that she will not listen. So, I turned to Byron. "I have told them. We do not have wedding dresses," he replied simply. They do not have wedding dresses. Eva had told me that Miss Cain had designed some, but they won''t appear in the store for another two months. They haven''t even started working on them yet. I turned to the woman. "I want a mist-crafted dress," she demanded. ''This spoiled brat!'' I cursed in my heart, but a small polite smile remained on my face. "This is a big day for our daughter. Arrange a mist-crafted dress for her. We are willing to pay any price for it," said the mother of the bride. "I will see what I can do," I replied, before turning. An idea formed and I am hoping it would work, and the bride will agree. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 520: Event Manager of Dream Mist II Chapter 520: Event Manager of Dream Mist II Celah Poots "Where is Miss Eva?" I asked Byron, activating Privacy around us. "Her favorite place," he replied after a few seconds of silence. Likely asking his boss for permission before answering me. I nodded my thanks and walked toward Eva''s favorite place. It is a spot by the pillars, nestled in plants with a splendid view of the city. I reached there and saw her sitting in her usual place. There is her son Devin and, to my surprise, Miss Cain. It is very rare to see her; she is always working. Beside her is another person, I am surprised to see here. Madam Cath. "Having a problem, Celah?" asked Eva with a smile. "Yes, the client wants the mist-crafted wedding dress," I replied to her. "The store doesn''t have any," replied Devin, and, as always. There is a drink in his hand. "Please help me, Eva. I don''t want to mess up my first job in the legacy," I requested almost begging. "This is the velvet garden. Their money will take them only so far. Here, we don''t have to accept their unreasonable requests," said Madam Cath. They are powerful people with all the money in the world. People like us are at their beck and call. Fulfilling their every wish. "Madam Cath is right, just tell her it won''t be possible," said Eva matter-of-factly. I am surprised to see them speak like that. I have been taught for clients like those, saying no isn''t an option. If they want something, you get that for them. It isn''t hard to get things if you know people and are willing to spend enough money. However, it appears I have a lot to learn. First is understanding that with the power of the Legacy, you can reject the unreasonable demands. Both Chief Carla and Madam Caena had told me to reject any unreasonable demands from the clients confidently. "I want to, Eva, but this is my first job. I want it to be as perfect as possible," I replied. In the future, I will certainly say no to the impossible demands of clients, but I do not want to do that in my first job. "Can you do something, please?" I begged, and they laughed. "Tell them to choose any dress. I will have June convert it to a wedding dress," said Miss Cain with a smile. It is not a complete wedding dress, but it''s something. "Thank you, Miss Cain," I thanked and thanked before walking back toward my clients. "Have you got the mist-crafted wedding dresses?" the woman fired the question as I reached her. Sometimes, these spoiled brats baffled me. They think the stuff just fell from the skies, and they just had to say the words to their servants to make it happen. "Unfortunately no. But, they are willing to convert any of these dresses here into a wedding dress," I replied, and her eyes flashed angrily. "No, I want a real mist-crafted dress!" said the woman, stomping her foot on the floor like a child. "It won''t be possible," I replied firmly. If I had been home, I would have had to use more words to convince her, but as Madam Cath said. This is Velvet Garden. It is a privilege to have a wedding here. They could go to the other legacy with their money. They might be able to rent one for a few hours, but they will not get one similar to Velvet Garden in size and power. "Then I won''t have a wedding!" she snapped back. Immediately, I felt a couple of privacy skills activating. Enveloping those six. I can''t hear what they are talking about, but I can tell they are talking furiously. There seemed to be some screaming going on, with tears starting to stream down the bride''s face. I genuinely wanted to hear what was going on, but I stayed at a respectful distance without showing any emotions. It continued for a few minutes before the Privacy skill disappeared, and the bride turned to me. "I will take that red dress," said the bride. Pointing at the red dress with the golden borders. The choice isn''t a surprise. They are the colors of the church of the goddess of wealth. "It is a beautiful choice," I praised, while Byron looked at the store assistant. She quickly removed the dress and took it away while another store assistant placed another just as beautiful white dress in its place. I stayed there for a few minutes as they shopped for jewelry and other accessories before walking away to check on other preparations. Thankfully, they are all going well. Hours passed, and soon, it was seven. I am on the roof, looking at a beautiful venue that looks like paradise. The staff came and moved people to their seats and removed those who sat on the wrong seats, intentionally or unintentionally. There is a delicate balance to that, but the staff is more than experienced. Soon, everybody sat down in their seats. There is not a single chair, that is empty. Finally, it is eight. "Sent the groom," I said and looked at the mist curtain behind the stage. This entrance is going to be amazing. Thud Thud Thud! A loud, shaking tread rang out like a giant walking when the mist parted, and truly, a giant made of mist stepped out of the curtain with a huge leg forward. People gasped, seeing it as the mist giant fully revealed itself with the groom standing proudly on the giant palms. He looked happy. Grinning excitedly as the people watched. The weight of the mist is light, but it doesn''t look like it, seeing how dense the mist is made of. The sound is also artificial, but one would have a hard time believing that. The giant took one step after another before it reached the stage, where it kneeled on the ground, placing its hand on the stage for the groom to step out. Clap, Clap, Clap! People clapped loudly, and the groom soaked it in with a big smile on his face. I watched it, but my focus was on the clock. Soon, it is time for the bride. "Send the bride," I instructed and turned back toward the mist curtain. Seconds passed, but the bride didn''t come out. I was about to move toward the curtain when I felt a powerful gust of wind. It attracted everyone''s attention, and they turned back. Only to see the bride in the sky with massive, colorful mist wings. As these wings flap, a large amount of air is sent forward, but nobody seems to mind that, especially not the bride, who is gracefully flying toward the stage. Her face is hidden because of the veil, but anyone can feel her overflowing happiness. It took a lot of effort to manage it, with the Madam herself controlling this mist. The bride landed on the stage opposite the groom, and the priest of the goddess of wealth stepped forward. The ceremony began a minute later. I watched every little thing. If I saw any problem, I would have fixed it immediately, but there wasn''t any. Before I knew it, it was past midnight when the bride, groom, and immediate family and friends got out of the legacy and stopped at the canal, where they boarded the boats to circle the garden. These boats are beautiful. They were specially brought for the wedding. Covered in lights and with captivating music they completed the circle, signifying their marriage ceremony completed. "Miss Caleh, thank you. The greatest day of my daughter''s life went better than I had ever thought. I will never forget this moment, for as long as I live," thanked Mr. Mastin. This was the first time the man had spoken my name. Till now, he never referred to me by my name. "It''s our pleasure, Mr. Mastin," I replied. It is not just me, but the whole staff and, of course, the legacy, who helped create this memory that they will never forget in their life. The man smiled before walking toward his carriage. Seeing that, I finally relaxed. "You did good," said the voice, surprising me. I didn''t sense her at all as she appeared beside me. "Thank you, Madam Caena," I replied as I turned to the woman. The woman smiled and walked toward the legacy. I walked beside her. There were a few things I needed to do before I could go to the apartment and sleep. Event Manager of Good Times Lv. 30. {Class Change: Event Manager of Good Times - Event Manager of Dream Mist} Event Manager of Dream Mist Lv. 31 {Skill Change: ....} . . . Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 521: Bridge and Other Things Chapter 521: Bridge and Other Things "Thank you, Your Excellency. I am truly grateful for your support," "Please thank, His Majesty, the archmage for me," I said. ''I will. I hope you will use it well, Lord Silver,'' replied the woman from the other side before cutting the call. "So, what did she say?" asked Valentina as I let go of Zela''s hand. "She agreed to support the proposal," I replied, and a big smile bloomed across her face. "So, it is happening," she said. "Yes, the bridge is happening," I replied, with the smile on my face becoming as big as hers. We are building a bridge on the Trollmouth River. We need to. The trade with Navr and the baronies with the extension of the merchant state is increasing each week, and transporting goods through the river traffic becomes inefficient. We need a bridge, but given the size of the trollmouth. The bridge will need to be big. This means it will cost a lot of money. More money than what even the tower had cost me. I built it using special materials, but the bridge will make up for the material cost with its sheer size. There are only two ways to finance it. Pay for it ourselves, which we cannot. It is not something small. Besides, even financing a small bridge would be hard for the city in its current state. The city is growing, earning it more taxes, but also increasing its expenses. It is not just one city I am in control of, but two. Making things doubly difficult. Which led me to the second option. Private financing. I went to the banks, that''s where the money is, but even after surviving so many dangers and proving our abilities so many times. They weren''t willing to finance it. None of the banks in Greltheaven, the empire, and even merchant states. So, I went to an unlikely source. Synod: Zenid Synod, to be exact. It is filthy rich It is rich, with all of us paying our membership, in essence, every year. There are over two thousand years'' worth of essence in the treasury of the zenid synod. It is spent on the well-being of legacies. From lobbying to giving grants to those who need it, among other things, but that costs only fractions of what it collects. It never loans them to kingdoms and territories. Synod''s constitution forbids it from doing that. There are a few exceptions, but I didn''t qualify for any. They just sit on it, and since it is the essence, not the real money. There is no pressure to invest. Seeing the value of the essence increases over time. The point is, that my territory couldn''t get it according to Synod laws, but I am not just a noble, but also a Synod member with a legacy. Two weeks ago, I was reading the constitution of the synod to prepare for the conclave when I found something. A loophole. However, it is not easy to get it, even with loopholes It requires 60% of the votes of the council, and nearly all of them opposed it. Some of them don''t like me, while others are simply opposed to the idea of funding the infrastructure of a domain''s noble. Some were asked to oppose it by their kingdoms. Thankfully, I only needed to convince one member to get all the votes. It is the most important member. If they agree, then everyone would agree, no matter how much they hate it. It was the archmage of the archmage tower. The biggest legacy on the continent and the most powerful one after the three Titans. I was able to convince Grand Mage Asin. She represents the archmage''s tower and is responsible for all the decisions of the council. It took some convincing, but she agreed to support me. Having their name also helps a lot, because every year you could ask them for the money. Even if they die, you can ask their families for the money. That is why I am selling to the named houses with long histories. It will help these schools a lot in the long term. However, not all the names of the schools are being sold. Many schools are named after people who have done great work or made sacrifices for the city. One of the schools that will open next month will be named after Mena. I cut the ribbon and toured around the school. This is a big school, with a capacity of two thousand students. It will elevate the burden on other schools. The population of the city is rapidly increasing. Many are coming here bringing their families and children. To meet that demand. We are opening new schools every month. Soon, it was time to leave, and I walked toward my carriage when Locke said something to his wife and came toward me. "I will ride with you, I have some business in city hall," he said. "Sure," I replied. That is just an excuse. He likely wants to talk about that. We stepped into the carriage, and the doors closed before we began to move toward the city hall. "Have you made any progress on the proposal?" he asked, wasting not even a second. "Locke, we don''t have money," I replied with a sigh. "Remus, you should understand. We need the Academy. Talented young people are leaving the city, going to the academies in empire and merchant state," "We need to retain that talent. We need the academy," he said forcefully, with eyes filled with passion. He is the same man who didn''t want the job but is now loving it. "I know it, but the academy costs a lot of money," I replied. An academy is different from a school, which gives them basic knowledge and guides them toward their future path. In the academy, they walk on that path. It gives them classes and guides them for greater progress. Students of the academy get better classes than those without it, and I want to build it, but there are so many things to do. There is a military college, a second park, and even a mage tower. All of them are necessary, but we didn''t have money to build them, but we need to. Since I had got the funding for the bridge, I could now build the military college. Which we will have to fund ourselves. There is also the mage tower, which my mages, including Valentina and the old man, are badgering me about, but those things cost massive money. Though we need it. Magic tower helps mages advance faster. It will be tremendously useful to the city. It will help our mages. Make new ones and attract others. It is a magnet for them. "Please think about it, Remus. The academy will help the city tremendously." "The old man had even talked to me about setting up a magic department in there," he said, with his eyes shining. "Our young ones might not get ''Mage'' as the class, but the magic department will help them gain ''Scholar'' or ''Magic Learner," "Which will be able to upgrade to the mage if they work hard enough," he added. I was about to stop him from pressing me further when I remembered something and an idea came to my mind. Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 34 Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 522: Offer and Tribal Politics Chapter 522: Offer and Tribal Politics Ashton Harbor "Did they agree?" asked the man with the staff. He was activating all his privacy and non-interference spells. "A lot of money and a binding contract of protection would make anyone agree to do even the most unthinkable things," replied the armored man. It was hard negotiations and very secret. Even A hint of this spreading will have massive consequences. On their own, they wouldn''t have dared to take risks. It only happened because of the higher-ups. By doing this, they will be bending, at best, the rules of the most powerful legacy. Everything needs to work as planned. If they make the slightest mistake, they will turn the most powerful of the seven spirits into an enemy. Which even his deathless didn''t want. They are taking such risks because the stakes are so high. Personally, he didn''t think they were high enough to take such massive risks, but he wouldn''t be the one questioning those orders that came from above. His job is to follow them. ... Garzong "Can I have time to think about this, Lt. General?" I asked the man in front of me. "You have till evening. Lt. Colonel," replied the man. It was much less time than I liked, but I nodded. "Thank you, Lt. General," I replied and got up and exited his office. Soon, I walked out of headquarters and sat in the carriage. It wasn''t the official carriage. Lt. Colonels don''t get the carriages. It is from the tribe, the privilege afforded to the leader. The carriage began to move while I evaluated the offer that Lt. General Cardin had said. It was unexpected. It was never a possibility in my mind when I received the summons in the morning. I thought it would be about my battalion going to Panar or something related to the army, but it was something else. It is an offer, and it''s huge. Something I didn''t believe they would give to a former bandit, or even an orc, no less. They did, with the half-orc, but his condition was different. He was a supporter that the groups tolerated because of his power while I was the leader. It is a great privilege to be considered for it, but I don''t know if I want it. Knowing the thing, I have to give up to take it. I sighed, massaging my head. Soon, the carriage took the last turn and entered Scales Borough. This area is predominantly occupied by orcs. Over 80% of the population in the borough are orcs. Soon. the carriage stopped, and I stepped out of it. In front of me was a large compound with a three-story building. The area also includes four more single-story buildings. Orcs could be seen moving around within while others came and went. All of them belong to my tribe, and the whole compound is the tribal ground. The tribe isn''t officially recognized, but we have registered ourselves as a social and cultural organization. This status provides us with certain privileges under the laws of the city. We are the second one to do that after that old bastard Trik. "Chieftain," the guards greeted with a bow before opening the door. I walked inside, and many greeted me. A large number of them are wearing their army uniform. I have brought my entire tribe to the city. There was no choice. Even the most stubborn had agreed to come, seeing the number of monsters that increased so suddenly. Most fighting-age adults of the tribe had joined the army. It''s a great job and pays well. We have even started to let our women join the army. The first tribe to officially do that. "It will provide us with a lot of soft power. Most importantly, thwart any challengers against your authority in the tribe," said the old man. It is one thing to be called incompetent by my sister. I have been used to it since childhood, but when the old man said, I couldn''t help but get angry. I might not be a good war leader as others, but I like to believe I am above average. However, he is right about the challengers. There are a few in the tribe. Two are very close to me; they have already become captains, and the way they are progressing. It won''t take them long to become Lt. Colonel like me. "There is a condition attached to the offer," I said heavily. "What condition?" asked the old man as his joyful eyes became serious. "He wants me to give up my position as leader of the tribe," I replied. "Fuck!" cursed my son and sister together. They are learning a lot of words from humans, many of them being curse words. The silence descended. It is a big predicament. If I leave as the tribe leader, others will swoop in. My son is in the army, but he is barely at Lv. 10. He couldn''t deal with those challenges. "There might be a way to accept it with minimal risk," said my wife. Making everyone turn to her. "We can make deals with challengers," she said slowly. "What sort of deal?" asked Jrana. "We will ask them not to challenge the leadership of Radba. In exchange, we will increase their privileges and admit them into the council," We didn''t have a council in the tribe, but we needed to have it in the social and cultural organization. "They will also get the opportunity to vie for the position of leader, but only at the totem festival." "Where, if they beat Vulvru, the position of clan leader will be theirs," she explained while we listened dumbfounded. "It will be unofficial, of course. Since husband won''t be leader," she added with a smile. She is the smartest person in the tribe. It is why I married her when everyone opposed it because of her social standing. "There are problems with it." "The first is that the tribe wouldn''t accept it, and the second, they might go back on their words and challenge Radba for leadership when Vulvru isn''t present," said the old man, but she shook her head. "The tribe will accept as we are not stopping the challenges to the leadership," "Though we will need to change the rules of the tribe. That challenges to the leadership will be made only at the totem festival," "As for them going back on their word. We will tell them, if they do that, Vulvru will leave his job as Lord''s bodyguard and challenge them," "They are still not powerful enough to challenge Vulvru," she replied. "They are in the army, with dangers surrounding the city. There will be battles, and they will grow powerful," said Jrana. "So will my husband. Lord Silver fights in every battle, and so do his bodyguards. They fight the most dangerous battles, making them the strongest people in the city," she replied. Making everyone look at her. The old man sighed before nodding and turned to me. "What do you think? Do you want the job?" the old man asked. To be honest, I don''t. I like the army; I like to lead people, but accepting the job is wise. It comes with risks, but it will also help the tribe a lot. Most importantly. I will be protecting the man who is responsible for the future of the tribe. I know very well how an empire sees us, and with the things happening in the forest, we have nowhere to go. The city is our only safe harbor. It is paramount that he remains alive as only under his shadow will my people have safety and live in prosperity. "Yes," I replied. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. chapter 523: Last Day chapter 523: Last Day "Lord Silver, thank you for giving us a spot in your entourage," said Baron Husk. "We are neighbors, Lord Husk. We look out for each other," I replied to the man who was sitting beside my sister. The time had passed too quickly, and the day had arrived. I didn''t want to leave, but I didn''t have a choice. Going there will help me and my city a lot. I couldn''t delegate this place task to anyone. Not all things could be attended by my representative, like meeting an archmage. Every host of new legacy gets to meet the archmage. It is a great privilege. I gave the baronies two spots. I gave one to the Mirador Hold and two to the Dustorn Fortress. I didn''t want to give them. Seeing they didn''t provide me with support, which they did to the Deerpond and other cities, but rejecting their requests isn''t an option. They are the most powerful force in the region. If they wish, they could crush the undead. I also gave three each to both imperials and two to the family. Leaving only eleven for me, which is less than I like, but that is politics, which is less than I like. Seeing the things I have to do. Some of the merchant cities wanted it, and so did Inam and Namdar, along with other princes. "You are absolutely right, Lord Silver," agreed Husk, with a big smile. I am very well aware of the number of times they discuss the possibility of attacking me. They still haven''t shelved that plan. They would attack me without hesitation if the undead made me too weak. I am thinking the same. I want their territory, too, but I have no plan of attacking them in the short to medium term. I am far too busy with the undead to even think about that for more than a second. Only when I get a breathing space from them and a large enough army that I will do that, but that moment is years away. At that time, there was a very strong possibility that the undead would conquer the Greltheaven. "I hope you all have made the preparations. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask me," I said. "We will," replied Leila. They stayed for a few more minutes before leaving while I focused on the work. There are a few more things that remain before I will be done with it. Hours passed as I read through file after file and met some people before finally, I finished it all in the afternoon. "I will be leaving the city in your hands, Robin. Take care of it," I said to him. I already did the formal ceremony in the morning in the presence of the Cardin and other important people. So, now I just handed him the seal and the keys. "I will," he replied simply. I smiled and got up before walking out of the office. Leaving him responsible for everything that will come after. I sat in my carriage, and it moved toward the legacy. There are a few more things I have to do in the legacy before I can leave the city. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I got out. I walked the guarded area as there was a still line to enter the legacy, even after nearly a month. I don''t think it is going to go away. I entered the lobby, and it was crowded, as usual, before entering the elevator. It didn''t move up. Instead down. A few seconds later, the elevator stopped, and I got out of it and into the huge hall, where over fifty people were working on different things. "Lord Silver," I was looking around when I heard the familiar voice and turned toward the half-elf coming toward me. "Miss Halcyon," I greeted the woman. "What do you think?" she asked, looking around. "It seemed to be going well," I replied with a smile. "A little slower with these guys, but we have time," she replied, looking at people who were working on walls carefully. Not just walls, but many other things, doors, ceilings, and columns. They are all artists, each one of them over Lv. 25, with nine of them being at Lv. 30 and above. They are not cheap, but from what I could. It will be worth it. Earlier, it wasn''t planned. We had different designs that would have taken less time, but I have decided to postpone the opening. It was going to open on the 12th of next month, but now, it will open on the 4th of the month after that. "I had told Robin to see you. If he faced a problem, he couldn''t solve on his own," I said. She didn''t say anything to that other than smiling. I sought her counsel when I came across problems that I couldn''t solve. She is intelligent and, most importantly, understands how politics works. "I have a favor to ask," she said. Hearing the heaviness, my expression turned serious. "Find a person named Artin Kalos. He used to live in the archimage city. Should still be there," "Here is all the information you will need to find him," she said, forwarding a letter. "Just find him and nothing else?" I asked her. To that, she shook her head. "Yes," she replied, and I heaved a sigh of relief. "Ok," I said. I was worried that she would ask me to send the message. That would have been extremely dangerous. The legacy is powerful, but there is a kingdom of Lomeir on the other side and I have no desire to mess in its business before I become capable enough to bear its wrath. Even finding that person would be dangerous, but I decided to take the risk after all the help she had provided. "I am grateful for you doing this despite knowing the risk," she said, with her voice filled with gratefulness. She left, and another hour passed when I finally finished with the work. ''They have gathered,'' informed Carla a few minutes later. I thanked her and got up, but didn''t move and instead looked at my office. It will be the longest trip since I came to the city and I am going to miss it. I looked at it for a moment before everything turned dark, and the core appeared in front of me with colorful planets revolving around it. Every second. It is consuming a massive amount of emotion essence that would shock even the host of legacies. There are over ten thousand people in my legacy. So, the supply of endless emotions isn''t surprising. I never thought the core would get such emotions before opening. It took me days to get used to it. The core absorbed it all, with a faint amount of it going to the planets. They need to get powerful, too, as the core gets powerful. The legacy this core is powering, and the essence it is producing has become a fuel for the city''s growth. As long as it remains burning, nothing and no one will stop the city''s rise. A few seconds later. I disappeared, and I returned to my office. I took one last glance at it before walking out. The next time, I will come here. It will be weeks later. A minute later, I stepped into one of the super-exclusive halls of the legacy. "Lord Silver," they greeted. All the madams and assistant madams are here, along with important employees of the legacy, like Rosen and Celah. I looked at them, looking at me with all kinds of expressions, the oddest being the ones that were crying. Though, it made me gratified. "I am leaving for Archmage City, but there is not a hint of worry in my heart because I know you all will do an excellent job in my absence," "I gathered you here to tell you to do your job without worry." "I may not be here physically, but I will be here in spirit," I said to them. Making many of them laugh. A few minutes later, I was walking toward the elevator with Carla. "It was nice to touch with spirit," she said as we stepped into the elevator. To that, I smiled before turning to her. "I wish you could come with me," I said. "Me too," she replied with a sigh. While I may want her to come with me, she isn''t coming. She needs to stay in the city to handle things. I have given her complete authority over the legacy and related things. I am not worried about the legacy. I am fully confident of Caena, but Carla needs to stay here. She might not have an official position in the city, but her presence alone will give Robin the legitimacy to make certain tough decisions if it comes to it. Her presence alone helps the city remain peaceful because of her connection to me. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 524: Journey Chapter 524: Journey The carriage entered the port and moved toward the ship, before finally stopping. The large crowd had already gathered there. "Don''t focus too much on work in Archmage City. Enjoy yourself a little there," said Carla. "I will," I said and got out when she did behind, I took her hand in mine and walked ahead. There was resistance for a moment before she walked with her hand in mine. I looked at the crowd and smiled before reaching the people that gathered. Everyone important is there, including Robin, Cardin, and Stone. He returned yesterday; I won''t leave the city without him watching over. The army there is now bigger than before, and there are also many powerhouses with warded walls and a lot of cannons and other things. The city is now more than capable of defending itself from threats without Stone being there personally. "Have a safe journey, my lord," wished Robin and others. "Thank you all," I replied and walked toward the yacht while waving at the crowd. The others followed behind me. There are eleven people in my entourage. Twelve counting him. Each one is carefully chosen. First is Soren Arryn, the head of the merchant guild. Second is Mage Ravill, the head of the mage guild. Shaman Trik from the orcs and Mage Aldridge. There are two people from the city hall. Their help will be needed to coordinate with other lords and important people. I had invited Eva as I needed her help to get me a few things. Margaux, who I will need to deal with people of the other legacies. Eudo because he requested, and I found his request important enough. Though it will cost me a lot. Even if he hadn''t requested it. I would have brought him with me. I had prepared a gift for him, which I will give him in Archmage City. Varza is coming into an official capacity; filling in for her boss. Hardt cannot come, as he is busy with the important work. The last is Zela. There are more people, but these eleven are with special entourage access. They will attend important meetings, markets, and other things. They have access below mine, and it is a big thing. My family is going with the entourage of Namdar. The same with the other people I gave access to. There is another person following behind me. He is not part of the entourage, but he has access to a greater than them. It is nearly to my level. Alex Rutto. The head of the house of Rutto. Because of his ancestor, he has that access and will be as long as the bloodline of House Rutto lives and the archmage tower remains standing. I had brought three of my personal guards, John, Zela, and Garzong; there is also Lena. Along platoon led by Lt. Colonel. I will also be hiring mercenaries from the countries we passed through for smoother travel. We are taking three yachts. The middle one is mine that Counts Darrow so graciously gave to me; it had returned just last week from the merchant state. I have made modifications to it. It cost me quite a lot, but now it is truly mine. The second yacht is the one I rented for others. The third one is rented by my sister and Baron Husk. I offered to take them with my yacht, but they refused. It is fine by me. I reached the ship and walked the stair-ramp with Eva, Eudo, Margaux, and her daughter following behind. Yes, her daughter is also coming. She will be joining the Archimage Academy. I didn''t enter inside and watched the crowd as the ships began to move from the port. Aura is powerful but tiring. That is why I need to practice it constantly. Till it becomes effortless to use; it is hard but achievable. Bell is capable of that. Knock Knock! I was lying on the bed resting when a knock rang out. "Lord Silver, dinner is ready," informed Zela. I nodded and got up before activating the Get Read. I am tired and sweaty. Immediately, my clothes straightened and dried sweat and dirt rolled down, while the glow returned to my face. I looked at myself in the mirror, before walking out of my suite. When I reached the kitchen, I saw everybody already sitting there, including my sister and husk. "Lord Silver," they greeted. I nodded and sat down. "The great journey ahead of us. An exciting one, where we will see new places, experience new cultures, and many surprises," "It makes me happy that I have you all with me to experience it," "As I once read in the book. To travel is to live, and I hope we all live a lot on this journey," I said, quoting Hans Christian Anderson, before raising my class. The dinner began, and it was great. I had brought a chef from the legacy who had experience in cooking on ships. However, the most interesting was the conversation. The dinner finished in an hour, but people stayed for another hour before they started to leave. Till only Leila remained. "How are the things with the monsters?" I asked as we stopped at the railing. I have received the reports that they sent and also got my hands on the secret intelligence they had collected through my sources. Still, I like to hear things from her. "Bad and, from the way, things are going, they might get worse," she replied with clear worry in his voice. Monsters in moderation are good. It fuels their monster material industry, but too many, and it becomes bad. Monsters are like waves. Small ones are enjoyable, but huge ones could crush you and everything that comes in their path. It will affect everything. Most importantly, trade between merchant states and Navr, which is their lifeline. "You all have seemed to be managing it," I said, and she smiled. I heard she alone had gone into the forest to kill the leaders. Collapse, the horde before it could form, but that only delayed it. The monsters had formed the hordes and attacked them. "We might need your help if things become bad," she said turning to me. They have asked for help. To let the adventurers and mercenaries in the city accept the jobs from them, which I had restricted. It''s not like I don''t want to help them. The halt in trade will affect me too, but I can''t. The undead have me on edge, and besides most of the mercenaries in the city, they are busy working for the city. "I will see what I can do," I replied, not promising anything. She didn''t say anything to that and stayed silent for nearly a minute. "Thank you for dinner, Remus," she said and jumped into the water. Ice formed under her feet as she landed and began to walk on it. Her movements are graceful, making it look beautiful. I watched her, till she reached her yacht and jumped on it, before disappearing. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 525: Elite Chapter 525: Elite Karsa "Faster! Even toddlers could run faster than you lot!" shouted drill instructor Merxin as the sun rose behind him. His shouts and insults affected us the first day, but after that, we barely listened anymore. We all focused on running, which was the easiest part of the training. There are sandbags on our backs and metal plates attached to our limbs. I am dead tired. Every part of me is screaming to stop, even if just for a minute. I didn''t, if I stopped, it would all be over. I will not be able to get back up and run. I experienced it once, and I don''t want to experience that pain again. The consequences of that are worse than what I am experiencing right now. Hun! Suddenly, the person in front of me fell, and I avoided him by inches and continued running. When I first joined the army, it was rare to see a person falling after training, but here, it is common. I have learned to avoid them. This training is much harder than the army training. It was like a breeze compared to it. This is the training of the seventeenth battalion. The elite battalion of Lt. Colonel Uram. It had been nearly twelve weeks since it began, and thousands of tried. More were trying every day, but most of them would give up after the end of the day. Four days ago, nearly everyone who attempted had given up. The recruitment is still active. Anyone from the army could try, including their recruits, as long as they fit the physical requirements. The most important is the age limit. For humans, it is twenty-seven, orcs thirty, and for half-elves, thirty-five. Elves and giant bloods, it is forty. I have seen thousands struggle before giving up in an hour. Still, many others are trying. Arriving from Greltheaven, including a large number of orcs. I was one of the few forest orcs in the company. Most of the orcs, with me, are from the island. It didn''t matter to them what the color of his skin was. What matters is strength and ability. There is respect for the name "Elite." I have seen how the orcs from the island talk about the elite armies. Just the mention of an elite group lights up in their eyes. There are additional allures of higher pay, better equipment, and the chance for faster level-ups. It had been eleven days since it had started. I am part of the first batch. Every day, a new batch would join and most would give up. They then would be assimilated into another batch. No matter what one''s batch is, they will need to survive this training for thirty-two weeks. Only those who stayed by the end with adequate performance would get recruited into the elite battalion, and that would be probationary. The recruitment training time is long. It''s made even longer by the training hours. They train us for sixteen hours every day. It isn''t just endurance and fighting. There are also lectures and other stuff. The thing is, this is the first course of training. There are five phases, the first course being the easiest. "The bastard craizan, he wants to kill us!" cursed the orc beside me. ''Craizan'', the insult for Lt. Colonel. He is not insulting but cursing. Bakre is the best in the batch; we both joined the army at the same time and were part of the company. I was surprised he stayed in the company. He is from the biggest and most powerful orc tribe and also the scion. Shaman Trik is his grandfather. He curses but moves without stopping while others fall down. Seeing him moving, I pushed myself hard. Crushing any thoughts that want me to stop. "At ease," she said before turning the board. "Today, we will learn about the inception of iron fangs," she said as she wrote the name of one of the most famous legions of the continent. She started, and I listened while taking notes. When it was over, we moved again toward the weapons training. I entered one of the training rings, and opposite me was a man nearly twice my age. He is a human in his mid-thirties with a bald head and a scar running down his neck to his chest. He is holding a practice saber while I have a practice sword in my hand. "Begin!" The order came, and I moved toward the man with the Quick Steps before swinging my sword with my newest skill. Heavy Strike! Clang! The man stopped it almost casually before swinging his saber at me fast. Clang! I countered with my sword, activating Parry as they clashed, but it didn''t work. The man countered the skill before swinging his saber at me. Pach! I was unable to dodge it, and he hit me hard across my shoulder with the back of the blade before attacking again without wasting a second. I countered immediately, but the saber had hit on the other shoulder and attacked again. Clang! This time, I was able to defend, but the next one hit me again. I didn''t focus on the pain and only fought him with the ultimate goal of landing the hit. Which is very hard. Near impossible. This is the most painful training. They made us fight, people, of Lv. 20 or closer to twenty, and those people are merciless. They did not hold back, and by the time sparring was over. I couldn''t even sit without screaming in pain. Merciless this training might be, but it is effective. The whole training, not just this one component. I had observed that my stamina had increased while my combat style had become more refined. My skills have become more efficient than before. It is only a start. I don''t want to get washed out. I want to stay and complete the training. I want to join the elite battalion. The weapons training lasted for two hours before the bell rang, and I sat down, with every part of my body screaming in pain. I only got five minutes of rest before I went to take the ice bath. After that, it was another class. Then, formation training, field training, and obstacle course. All of them make the morning drill a breezy walk. After it was over, it was dinner time, and then an hour of study before sleeping at nine. I watched the lights go off and closed my eyes to sleep. I need to sleep fast to get as much rest as possible to repeat this hellish training. Which is going to get worse as the days pass. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 526: Yolmin City Chapter 526: Yolmin City Ashton Harbor "He will cross the boundary of the merchant state in a few minutes," informed the man in armor. "Good. The sooner we have him in our hands, the better it will be," replied the man with the staff. "Are the other preparations in place?" asked the man with the staff. "Yes. Once we got him, we will whisk him away to a place where not even the archmage tower will be able to find him," replied the armored man. "When he reappears again. He will be a loyal soldier of Vris''alud," added the armored man with a smile on his face. The man with the staff didn''t say anything to that, but his head bobbed faintly in affirmation. ...... I looked at Marim, disappearing from my eyes, and turned to the fast-appearing boundary between the merchant state of Oksall and Tezir. We didn''t stay in any city of the merchant states despite getting an invitation from all the cities we had crossed. Though, I will make a brief stop at the Yolmin. The second biggest city of Tezir for a short time. Fifteen minutes later, we reached the boundary. As we did, the nine mercenaries we had hired had left the boat and jumped into the one following behind us. Another group of mercenaries will join us soon in Tezir. The merchant state was pretty safe, with high-traffic boats and heavy patrolling, but I still hired them. I had hired the mercenaries in each kingdom. All of them are experienced and highly rated. It might seem unnecessary because of the number of guards I have, but I don''t want to take any chances with my or my people''s safety. The mercenaries will not only act as security but also as guides. Till we reach Mahal, there is no need for the guides since all we need to follow is a river, but having them is comforting. The border guards talked to the captain from their boats but didn''t board us. We have immunity. They cannot set foot on our boats without our permission. The yacht crossed into Tezir while I watched from the railing. It is a kingdom famous for its four spices and heavy infantry. There are only two legacies here, which are about average. Merchant states, Baxzar Dominion, Navr, and Harsoth empires, have the highest number of legacies. The other kingdoms have around two on average. I watched it for a while before returning to my suite. There, once again, I practiced the aura. It was the only thing I could do here. Since I couldn''t spar and there was not much work. I had finished it all before coming. After the practice, I had lunch before I came back to my suite and practiced the aura again. Took a small break and practiced again and then again. I usually snuck two or three short practice sessions during the day but never got a chance to practice as I am doing right now. It is a great opportunity that I will use wisely. Soon it was evening. Click! I was resting on the floor. Still taking deep breaths when the door opened. "Lord Silver, we will reach Yolmin in half an hour," informed Zela, before closing the door. I have been invited by Lord Galil. He is the master of the Legacy. A Grade III like me. To be honest, I rather not stop. It''s not because I don''t want to; I am genuinely interested. It is a unique legacy, but I also want to reach Armchamage City as soon as possible. There are so many things I have to do there. However, I must stop. Politically it wouldn''t be good. If I didn''t, at least visit one of Tezir''s cities. I stayed down a few more minutes before getting up shakingly and walking to the bathroom. I could use the skill, but I didn''t want to make myself more tired than I already am. Ten minutes later. I came out of the shower feeling much better. I took out a suit from the cupboard and dressed before stepping out of the suite. Soon, I reached the deck and saw most of the others were out on deck. In a few minutes, we will reach Yolmin. "You looked tired, my lord," said Eva with a hint of worry in her eyes. "I was practicing," I replied in privacy. There was confusion in her eyes before her eyes lit up in the understanding. "I am excited, mom. I heard a lot of amazing things about the whimsical wonder," said Margaux''s Daughter. "Have you seen their shows?" asked Eva to that I shook my head. The whimsical troupe does shows all over the continent and outside it. They are considered one of the best in the entire world. Old Remus had once got a chance, but that idiot was too busy training. So, my father gave the ticket to my brother. "You?" I asked. "Once, when they had come to Namdar," she replied with a smile. It will be the only third legacy, I will see, after the one in Jalrux and Vanis Tavern. I haven''t got out of the city since I became the lord. The only place I had gone to was the Panar, but that was for the attack. So, saying I am excited, would be an understatement. A few minutes later, the city was in front of us. We are technically in it since the river flows through it, like many cities we have passed through. It is a huge city. The second biggest city in Tezir, with over ten million population. Finally, the ship docked at the port, and the ramp was lowered. The guards moved forward before I took a step toward it, with my heart beating wildly. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 527: The Pawn and The Throne Chapter 527: The Pawn and The Throne "Welcome to Yolmin, Lord Silver," said the half-elf, who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He is a handsome man. Tall with blue hair and green eyes. "Thank you, Manager Ulfys," I replied to the second in command of Whimsical Wonderland. "The ringmaster is waiting for you," said the half-elf. "We shouldn''t keep him waiting then," I replied, and the man smiled before leading us to the carriage. Soon, the carriage moved, and in a few minutes. It was out of the bustling port. I didn''t talk to the half-elf much. I focused on the city. Yonlin isn''t the most beautiful or prosperous, but the city is well-managed with a good economy and a big part of it goes to whimsical wonder. I wonder whether I will be able to make my city as big as this one. It is a daunting challenge, but I believe the Greltheaven has the potential to become a city of this size or even bigger. The only thing it needs to do is survive against the undead and the other enemies. It is for that very reason I am going to the archmage city. Minutes passed, and the carriage turned. A few minutes later, appearing in front of the large gate with a whimsical wonderland written on it. The carriage entered inside. "The wonderland is the most joyful place on the continent. Here, you will find every oddity and act. From the fortune tellers to the exotic shops," the half-elf informed. I barely nodded as all my focus was on the vast carnival around me. It has everything the carnivals are known for. Jesters, jugglers, games of luck and chance, and everything else. Its scale is huge, and the quality seems much better than any carnival I could see from Remus''s memories. I am not surprised. This is a place that is famous across the continent. People from all over it come here. "The whole carnival is tax-free, right?" I asked. It seemed to surprise the half-elf. It isn''t the question many would ask. "Yes," he replied after the moment of silence. The carnival is massive. It''s open year-round, like amusement parks, and has a similar scale and size. Forget the legacy; even the earnings from this carnival are enough to make one massively rich. It could hold around seventy-five thousand people. There are fifty thousand people here every day. In the weakened, it becomes hard to get a ticket here. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I got out. "Lord Silver, please," said the half-elf and led me toward the beautiful tent, which was a few hundred meters away from the legacy. I kept looking at it, wanting to go there, but I controlled the urge and forced my eyes on the beautiful tent as I reached it. He opened the flap, and I entered inside. I have to say, I am surprised. It is the most beautiful interior of a tent I have seen. There are beautiful carpets and sofas that I want to sit on, along with tasteful art pieces. I looked at it all before turning my gaze to the middle-aged man sitting behind the table. The man is good-looking. Albeit slightly overweight, which seemed to suit him. He has dark hair and deep blue expressive eyes. "Ringmaster Galil," I greeted the man. "Lord Silver," he replied. His eyes focused on me, and there was a surprise, likely because of my age. Many people are surprised to see me. They shouldn''t be. I am a decade older than I look. Soon, we reached our seats, or rather the mini-tent or suite. "These are the best seats in the house. From here, you will be able to see every act," said Ulfys as we entered inside. "Amazing," said old Ravill as he looked ahead. Seeing every part of the stage. There are magic and skills involved. Without it, it wouldn''t be possible. "Thank you, Manager Ulfys," I said, and the man smiled. I sat in my seat, and immediately, I felt like I appeared in front of the stage. As I moved my eyes, the parts I wanted to see became clear. It is better than even the arena. Others gasped as they looked around. It is amazing, this alone impressed me. I would be fine if I didn''t watch the show at all. "I wonder how many of its abilities have come from the Master Legacy and how many from the throne," said Margaux, with Privacy covering us all. "The increase in size is from the throne. So is the greater emotion scale. I don''t think the abilities we are experiencing are from the throne," "Though their power had certainly amplified by it," I replied. I am the host of Legacy, and I could feel the changes well, especially when I bought out the aura around my skin. Sensing the things more clearly. I could feel what belonged to it, what was from their throne. "Lord Silver, apologies to be blunt, but did you get any offers?" asked Baron Husk. I didn''t have to ask him to understand what ''offers'' he was talking about. Margaux and Varza immediately turned to him with a not-so-friendly expression, but I smiled. "Yes, some," I replied. There is a reason why the legacies of Grade IV to Grade VI are called the thrones they have a subject, or rather a pawn, as most people call it. Here, one legacy submits to another and becomes its pawn. In exchange, they get many of the throne''s abilities, from their skills to emotion slate to a higher emotion absorption rate. The throne could also increase the grade of pawn legacy forcefully if they are powerful enough. They could also live as long as the throne. As long as the throne is alive, the pawn legacy will not die, either. It is the biggest reason why the pawn legacies accept to become the pawns. It''s a near-complete submission. The master of legacy will not be the master. It will be the master of the throne who will have complete authority over it. The only thing they couldn''t do was remove the original master. Though they could remove the legacy as the subject. That would make the pawn legacy die, but thrones rarely do that. It cost them too. It is why this decision is big for the pawn and the throne. As I had, I had got many offers to become pawns. Including from the throne, whimsical wonder is subject to. Of course, I rejected it. Even when they promised to pull my legacy to Grade IV within a year. My vision has potential; my legacy will advance to Grade IV. All I need is time, and I don''t think it would be more than a decade. I am confident about it. Experience the journey before anyone else¡ªsupport me by Subscribing to and enjoy 20 exclusive early chapters along with bonus content. Chapter 528: Prophecy Chapter 528: Prophecy "It''s starting," said Mage Aldridge excitedly, seeing the mist thickening. I am surprised, sensing the excitement in the old man''s eyes. He is usually stoic. Always serious, but now there is a smile on his face and childlike joy in his voice. I am not the only one surprised. Even Mage Ravill and others seemed surprised, too. It seemed like the old man had a soft side, too. Dum Dum Dum! For a few seconds, there was a silence when the loud drums began to ring out. They are loud but rhythmic and begin to affect my heartbeat. The drummers are, without a doubt, high-level, and with the power of legacy, their skills are even more powerful. As the drums rang out, the mist began to disappear section by section. One moment, it was there, the next moment. It was not. Finally, the last drumbeat removed the mist in the center. Revealing the ringmaster in his beautiful regalia. He is wearing bright red shoes, black pants, and a red ruffled shirt with a black tie. Holding a black staff with a round red gem on top of it. However, what attracted the eyes of all was the colorful tailcoat and the top hat. They are made of the mist. "Is he flying?" asked Varza, surprised. He is standing in the center of the tent. In the air. "It''s too stable," replied the Mage Aldridge, shaking his head. "It is the string. The ringmaster is standing on the string," replied Ulfys with a smile. It surprised many, including me, and I focused. Soon, the strings become visible. It shocked me because these strings are very thin. Thin as the strings, my clothes are made of. The man is standing over them without any problem, like he is standing on the ground. With my skills, Gymnasts Grace and Gymnasts Control. I could walk on the rope easily, but I wouldn''t be able to do what the man is doing. Especially so high, where a fall could result in the death. He stayed there for a moment before a spotlight fell on him, and he made a round bow with a flourish. His movements were smooth, and there was not the slightest hint of imbalance. He looked at all the people watching, with his eyes staying in our tent a moment longer. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the most extraordinary spectacle on the continent! The greatest show under the big top!" He spoke with flair, with every word from his mouth, taking the expectation higher and higher. "Prepare to be amazed as we journey into a world of wonder, a realm where dreams take flight. Tonight, you will witness the extraordinary, the unbelievable, and the utterly fantastic." "From the highest heights to the lowest depths, our performers will defy gravity and bend reality. You will see feats of strength, agility, and grace that will leave you breathless. "So, let the magic begin! Let the curtain rise on a night of pure excitement! "Get ready to be amazed, astounded, and absolutely captivated!" he finished and jumped. BANG! A loud explosion rang out as he exploded into the bomb of thick mist, which once again covered the dense mist. I am watching with excitement. He has taken my expectations to a completely new height, and I hope he won''t disappoint me. The mist didn''t remain long, soon, it thinned. Revealing the twelve clowns. I don''t like clowns, but I watched with excitement as they began the act. For a minute, my expression barely changed before I let out a loud laugh. From then on, my expressions never remained the same; I laughed, laughed, and laughed till the act was over. The ringmaster returned and introduced the second act. The acrobats. "My god, I have never seen acrobats move like this," gasped Rutto. There is magic here, and these people have skills, but they also have skills, they have gotten through the hard work. Seeing them, I couldn''t help but feel inspired and a little ashamed. I have such amazing skills, but I am not using them to their full potential. If I had half the grace and control they have, my prowess would have been more than it is. "I wish you could stay the night, Lord Silver," said the Ringmaster as the banquet was finally over. "Me too, Ringmaster," I replied with the regret. "Since you are leaving. I hope you will follow the tradition of this place," he said. "Tradition?" I asked. I didn''t read about it in the large stack of information. I had got from the grey guild. "It is nothing much. Just a small patronage to any business in the carnival," he replied. "It is something that helped me when I had started over. I want to pass that on to others," he added with a genuine smile. "What do you have in mind?" I asked him as we got out of the tent. "It''s your choice, Lord Silver," he replied, to which I arched the brow in question. "You could ride on one of the rides or play a game to win the prize. Anything," he added. I looked around, and soon, I saw something and walked toward it with the Ringmaster and others. "Fortune tellers. It''s been years since the guests have chosen them," said the man, surprised. There is no reason for me to choose it other than that fortune-telling would be quicker than the rest. It will be finished in a minute. There are tens of fortune tellers. Some have big elaborate shops, while others are sitting behind a simple table, but all of them are looking at me with hope in their eyes. I looked at them, before my gaze stopped on the teen girl with curly green hair. She looked to be around fifteen-sixteen. She is sitting behind a simple table. Which only had one simple crystal ball and nothing else. I walked toward her. Seeing that, her eyes become excited but also nervous. I stopped beside her table. "Mind telling me my fortune?" I asked the young girl. "Sure," she said with nervousness, looking at Ringmaster and the other people around me. I kept looking at her and even arched a brow when she didn''t speak. "Please place your hands on the crystal ball," she instructed hastily. I smiled and did what she had asked me to do. She placed her hands on top of mine hesitantly before closing my eyes. She was nervous. Her hands were shaking. It seemed like she had started doing it not long ago. Usually, those with Charlatan Classes have a little more confidence. Maybe it is because of me, the ringmaster, and other important people staring down at her. It didn''t much matter to me. I just wish that it would be over soon and I would return to the ship. I was thinking that when I felt her hands go warm. She opened her eyes, and they were white. They stared at me dead in the eyes before her lips parted. "Under the sun''s unyielding gaze, In green depths thick with woven haze. A brazen foe will make its stand, And fate shall turn in jungle''s hand." She said in a deep, hallowed voice that shouldn''t come from a person so young. It sent a chill through me. I looked at the teen girl and saw her eyes turning to normal before she removed her hands while everyone watched in surprise and shock. "Wow," I said, and others laughed. The girl is good. Her performance was amazing. As for her prophesy, nobody believed it, including me. It''s not like they are not real diviners in the world. There are, but it is hard to divine my future. It is a known truth; the masters of legacies are harder to divine. I also have a Lord class, which also produces a lot of resistance. On top of that, Caena had woven a witchcraft spell around me. Making such things even harder. Still, I would have taken things a little seriously if she had been a woman of sixty instead of sixteen. The girl barely got class. She isn''t powerful enough to divine my future, even if she had been a Diviner instead of a Charlatan. "Thank you, Miss," I thanked. I took out the money pouch and placed it on her table. I was only going to pay her a fraction of the money in the pouch, but she had impressed me a lot. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month of Advanced Chapters. Chapter 529: Land Journey Chapter 529: Land Journey "So obsessed," I said with a smile as I pulled my aura back inside my body. I had just finished the practice of aura and learned the lesson that the Sage of Thousand Blades mentioned over and over. The prophecy I heard last night affected me despite knowing it was an act. The teen girl couldn''t predict my fate. She is not powerful enough for that. What she is, though, is a very good actor. Good enough that she had put a fear in my heart. Not just me but also my people. It is why the security around me has become much tighter. It is for this reason. I hadn''t pushed myself intensely today, as I had been doing on the ship and in the city. I don''t want to get too tired. I want to be ready for any danger. To be honest, I shouldn''t have trained so intensely. This isn''t a vacation. Prophesy or no prophesy, I need to be ready to deal with any danger. I pushed those thoughts and smiled. I had learned the important lesson the sage of the thousand blades was trying to teach in his books. The balance. Since the morning, I have practiced moderately, never letting myself get too tired. To my surprise, I have found that I am improving, just as I improve when I push myself to the level of getting unconscious. Both of those things work and help with different aspects of the aura. I shouldn''t just use one way. It would be more harmful than helpful. I rested for a couple of minutes before walking out of the sun and stepping onto the deck. It is afternoon, and the ship is sailing through the river in the dense forest of Mahal. It is a common scenery. Unlike the Renwell, there is a greenery in other kingdoms. A lot. It made me a little jealous. "The leisure travel will end soon," said Eva as she stopped beside me. I didn''t say anything other than nod. One and a half hours later, the yachts will reach the town called Oble. It is where we will disembark. End our journey by river and travel by land. "It won''t be that bad. The carriages are good," I replied. I rented the best carriages that would make the journey as relaxing as possible. "It won''t be bad, but the carriages couldn''t be compared to yachts," she said, turning to me. "Very true!" I replied with a smile. There is nothing that gives as much comfort as the ship. It is big and spacious and also safer with the security we have brought. Unfortunately, we will have to leave its comfort soon. A few minutes later, I returned to my suite and practiced before resting. I came out only when Zela informed me that there were ten minutes to reach Oble. When I came out, nearly everyone was out. Hun! Soon, I got lost in my thoughts when I sensed something familiar and turned. "You can liquify gems, too?" I asked in surprise. A ruby-red liquid is covering her hand, flowing around it beautifully. To my knowledge, I thought, she could only liquify metals. She used that ability to fight the undead on the island. She was a terror with it. "My skill advanced after reaching Lv. 30," she replied with a smile. I watched her as the ruby liquid moved her hand. It is not just ruby in there; I could also feel the power of legacy. She had infused the mist in there. I watched for a while before bringing out a faint stream of aura in my hand. It immediately distracted her, making ruby liquid nearly fall down before she solidified it. I felt the aura and tried to make a string of it. Not a fine string, I am still far away from such control. A thick string. It''s hard and takes a lot of concentration, but I have been training. I create a sting little by little and wrap it around my hand. It looked simple but extremely hard. I am fully focused on it, with a sweat dropping from my brows. It''s hard, but I have to do it. I needed to have at least an intermediate level of aura control before I could start learning the aura methods that Bell had promised. I pushed that thought as it came to my mind. I am far away from reaching that level. If I am being generous, then I would say my mastery is at a basic level. To reach an intermediate, people take years and more. I didn''t let myself think too much about it and focused on training. If I did it every day, I would reach that stage eventually. Until then, I will do other amazing things with the aura. Soon, the string reached my elbow, and I stopped before taking a deep breath. "How does it feel?" asked Eva, and I looked at her question. "The aura," she clarified. I didn''t answer immediately. It is not the first time I have been asked the question, and I gave the simple, conventional answer, but Eva is a friend. So, I thought about it for a while before opening my mouth. "To me, it is like sand that is always slipping away," I replied. "Carla told me the opposite. She said it was like a vast sea," said Eva, and I smiled. She told me the same. Aura is different for everyone. To me, it is sand. To Carla, it is an endless sea, while to Bell, it is a gentle wind. Our perception of it told a lot about us. It represents my need to control everything around me. Thus, the sand. The more I try to control it, the more it slips away from my hand. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s worth of Advanced Chapters. Chapter 530: Recruitment I Chapter 530: Recruitment I Nas Caskheart "Get inside fast, girls," said Bumi to the women streaming out of the ship into the carriages. There are eighty-two of them. All of them were selected in the first round. The final selection would be held at the velvet garden, or rather, the college. It is the first time they are doing this two-tier interview. Not that I mind. I have already been contacted by over ten brothels. Saying they would buy the contract of any girl that Velvet Garden would reject and are willing to provide triple the price. Velvet Garden is buying their contract at the market price. We will give them free, but they rejected the offer. Them being our clients, had helped our business tremendously. Since the velvet garden has become a legacy, our sales have skyrocketed. They increase with every advancement the legacy made. So, I want to foster the relationship. It''s such a regret that Velvet Garden has rejected all our proposals. They have even paid for the travel expenses. There is also that strict contract. We had signed that with since Velvet Garden became a legacy, with the latest one being the strictest. One of the strictest provisions is that we can''t advertise them being our client openly. The girls sat in the carriages one by one till all the carriages were filled. "All counted and verified," informed Bumi with the board in his hand. I could see the check mark on every name on his board. "Good, let''s go then," I replied and sat in the carriage with Bumi. It is my first time coming to the Greltheaven. Also, to the empire. The empire before wasn''t so welcoming to the dwarves or any race other than humans. I heard a lot about the city and how silver is transforming it. Its growth is visible, with a lot of business from merchant states investing in it. The presence of a powerful legacy had made it all enticing, despite the dangers of the undead. A large number of people come from merchant states every day to experience the legacy. It is only here that one can step into the legacy without paying a single penny. Something unheard of on the continent. For common people, legacy is something out of reach, but there is an open entrance to the velvet garden and people are flocking to it. My friends and clients had told me how hard it was to get a hotel room because of this craziness. Though they said, the condition is improving slowly. I am not going to be staying here. I will leave with the girls that aren''t selected. "How many do you think they will select?" asked Bumi. "I hope, all of them," I replied to which, he grinned. Minutes passed in silence before the carriage took the turn. "The legacy," he said with a sigh as the tower came into view. We could see the legacy from our ship, but now it is clear that our carriage is moving on the road by the canal. I hope I will get to visit it. An hour would be more than enough. A madam had mentioned that to me, but the plan is still in the nascent stage. Even if they do it, they won''t use it to fill more than a fifth of their needs. Though, I would prefer it if they don''t. The more dependent they are on us. The better it will be for our business. Soon, we reached the three-story building, and the guard opened the door. I thought we would be going to be in the big building, but I was wrong. ''There are a lot of guards here,'' I thought. I saw them at every turn as I had. Soon, we reached the top floor, where a woman in her late teens was sitting behind the table by the door. "You can go in, Miss Caskheart," she said before I could say anything. As she said it, the guard opened the door, and I walked inside. At first, my gaze fell on the long table, with three chairs behind and one ahead. It is clearly for the interview. I turned my gaze away from the table to the three people sitting on the sofas. Two are women in their thirties, while the third one is an old woman who looks to be in her seventies. I had never seen her, but I had heard about her. She is one of two vice-headmistresses. The one who wasn''t a whore, but joined as a teacher. "Miss Carla, Madam Caena. Vice-headmistress," I greeted. "Miss Caskheart," replied Carla. Smiling as beautifully as ever, but now this smile didn''t feel harmless. There is a weight that was not before, and I don''t think it is because of the level. Maybe those rumors about her awakening an aura are true. It is hard to believe a whore of having an aura, but it has happened before. The one in Belnin awakened it. "Thank you, Miss Carla," I replied. "How was the journey?" she asked. "It was well," I replied, to that she smiled. "Are the girls rested enough for the interview?" she asked. "Yes," I replied. They have explicitly requested the girls to be well rested and even paid for better transport. "It''s good to hear," she replied. "Have you brought out what we had asked for?" asked Madam Caena. "I did," I replied with a smile before taking out stacks of documents. It is the background details of the girls. It is a little deeper than what we had initially provided them. Our customers usually don''t demand such things, but these people want them. It is a good thing. We keep detailed records. Better than our competition. They asked a few more questions before getting up and walking toward the table "Send the girls, Miss Caskheart," said Carla. I nodded and got up before walking out. Hoping they would select all the girls, it would help us a lot. We might not be allowed to advertise their name, but people are looking. Some had even followed us to the Greltheaven. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s worth of Advanced Chapters. Chapter 531: Recruitment II Chapter 531: Recruitment II Adul Karos "Come out," said the young dwarf as the guard opened the carriage door. The girls began to step out, and soon, it was my turn. I stepped out immediately, and my eyes fell on the most beautiful place I had seen. I had heard so much about it. There is not a single whore in Owlspring that doesn''t know about the velvet garden. Every whore knows someone who is in the velvet garden. Six women I had worked with are in a velvet garden. They are who I am aware of; there might be more. I didn''t know any of them personally. Many nights, I wished I knew them. Some of the girls working in the velvet garden have brought their friends'' contracts and got them jobs in the city. "That''s Beka!" I was looking around when Tamsin nearly shouted in recognition. I looked at her before following her gaze to the woman she was looking at. A beautiful woman in a blue dress with the guards behind them. "Do you know her?" I asked. "Yes, we worked in the same brothel five years ago," she replied with a clear look of envy. "She changed so much that I almost didn''t recognize her," she added softly. I looked at the beautiful woman and not in any way; I could think that she was a whore. She looked like she was some rich merchant''s daughter. It is not just how she is looking and dressed but the very way she is standing and talking. There is a cultured grace that even the whores with Grace Skills didn''t have. Some other people seemed to recognize her, and a few even called her out loudly. She looked at them but didn''t respond. "Line up," ordered Bumi. A minute later, we are standing in neat lines. "Follow me," said Beka and walked toward the gate. We followed behind, and soon, we stepped inside it. I looked around and saw the girls. They are the girls of the velvet garden. Looking at us from a distance, some girls recognized them and called them out, All of them looked beautiful, with radiant skin and shining hair. Their eyes didn''t hold the bleakness that is so common with us whores. Instead, there is a light. Like Beka, they looked but didn''t respond. Some opened their mouths but closed them a moment later. "Arrogant bitches. Thinking they are better than us just because they work for the legacy. They are still whores, like us," said Temsin angrily. I don''t think they are not talking to us because they are arrogant. Some seemed like they genuinely wanted to talk. Seeing how they had opened their mouths before closing them. But I might be wrong. Condition changes people. They are working for the legacy, earning the amount of money that we couldn''t even dream of; it is more than enough to change people. Soon, we reached the three-story building on the left side, and Beka opened the door. She stepped inside, and we followed. Soon, we appeared in the hall with cushioned chairs. There are also beautiful paintings in here and a bookshelf. "All of you sit," she ordered. "When will the interviews begin?" asked someone from the front as we all sat in the chairs. "At eight," she replied, and my heart started to beat in nervousness as there were only fifteen minutes to it. I need to get into the velvet garden, not for me, but for my child. It is hard. Seeing they have interviewed over a thousand before, selecting eighty-two of us. I am not as beautiful as the other others. Nor could I laugh like them; I didn''t even have a seduction skill, which is most common among whores after Lv. 10. The only reason I am still in a brothel is because some people prefer my body type. "A breakfast arrangement had been made in the other hall. There are also washrooms where you can all freshen up," We did, and the water came out. "Enchantment," I said. It could only be possible through enchantments, which made me sigh in wonder, given the money it has to spend on enchanted taps. I looked in the mirror and shook my head. Compared to Tamsin, I am average. My shoulders are too wide, and I have a stocky build because of the dwarfish ancestry. It is only one-eighth, but I still inherited the features. However, the dwarf blood isn''t obvious due to my tall stature. "Your class has the same feel as us. Why are you working here?" asked Tamsin, confused. To that girl smiled. "I am not eighteen yet. So, I can''t work in the legacy," she replied to our surprise. "Besides, I don''t want to work in the business. I am learning magic. I want to be a mage," she added with her eyes turning dreamy. I had heard about them teaching magic but never heard about anyone being able to cast a spell. I heard it is very hard. "I hope you will succeed," I wished, and the young girl smiled. "Any tips for the interview?" asked Tamsin as we were about to leave. "Be truthful. If you lie, they will know it," she replied. We thanked her before walking out and, a minute later, entered the cafeteria. Seeing the food, my eyes couldn''t help but widen. There is a buffet of food staged beautifully. Everything I can think of is here. Fruits, bread, eggs, desserts, juices, and things I couldn''t even recognize. Additionally, two chefs are making fresh omelets, creps, and other things. "I don''t think I have been as hungry as I am right now," she said, looking at the food. A few minutes later, we sat with our plates filled with every kind of food. "I wish Avi had been here," I said. My son, he is in Owlspring. "Don''t worry. If we get selected, this kind of food won''t be just a one-off thing," she replied. To that, I smiled. I don''t want much. Just not the life I and my child are currently living. We finished breakfast. It was the best thing I had ever eaten. I wanted to eat more, but I controlled myself. Overeating wouldn''t help with the interview. Soon, I returned to the hall and sat down in my chair with Tamsin. Hours passed as one girl went after another called out for the interview. I had passed the time talking to Tamsin and reading the book in my hand. Which is much better than the last one I had read. "Tamsin Veylis," Tamsin''s name called out. "Wish me luck," she said as she got up. "Good luck," I wished. I don''t think Tamsin needs luck. She is a beautiful woman with her secondary class above Lv. 10. As long as she controlled her mouth. There is a great chance she will get selected. Soon, she disappeared with the guard. Minutes passed, and I waited for her. Soon, fifteen minutes passed, and there was no sign of her. I didn''t get worried. The interviews of some girls lasted for half an hour. So, there is nothing to be worried about. It was nearly twenty-five minutes later she came back. "I think I blew it," she said dejectedly as she sat beside me. It affected her a lot, her whole body was shaking. She might act tough, but she is sensitive and soft. The whole persona of toughness is to protect that side. I didn''t say anything; I just took her hand in mine. "I shouldn''t have responded so angrily to that old woman''s questions," she added after seconds of silence with tears welling in her eyes, which she tried to hide. Once again, I didn''t say anything other than press her hand against mine tightly. "Adul Karos," Time passed, and more girls went for the interview when my name was finally called out. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s worth of Advanced Chapters. Chapter 532: Recruitment III Chapter 532: Recruitment III Adul Karos "Best of luck," wished Tamsin. "Thank you. I will need it," I replied and got up. I followed the guard out of the hall like the girls before me and began walking up the stairs. Finally, the guard stopped at the top floor, where two more guards were by the door. There was also a beautiful woman sitting behind the table. "You can go inside, Miss Karos," she said with a smile. I am not surprised that she called my name; I am sure she has the name list, but I am surprised that she called me ''miss.'' It had been years since someone had called me that. Knowing I am whore. "Thank you," I said a moment later and walked inside. My eyes immediately fell on three women sitting behind the table as I entered. The one in the middle with curly red hair is the prettiest. I also know her as the most important one. Carla Salt heads all of Silver''s businesses, including the legacy. She is also said to be his mistress. The one on the right is slightly younger. Her looks are above average, which surprised me. I shouldn''t be. It is not the face of the madam that is important, but their ability to manage, and this woman manages the colossal legacy. She must have some real ability. The third is an older woman who looked to be in her seventies. She isn''t a whore, but she is the one I have to be more careful of. Tamsin wasn''t the only one. This older woman had brought many girls to tears. "Miss Karos, take a seat," said Carla. "Thank you," I replied and sat down. I felt three sets of eyes on me and started feeling anxious as if a mountain was weighing on me. I tried to control it. I need to be in control to ace this. Getting into the velvet garden is extremely important to me. It will help me give my child the future he deserves. "Miss Karos, tell me about yourself?" asked Carla. It was surprising to me. I had not heard this question, nor had anyone ever asked me. I was about to open my mouth and state my name and other details but stopped myself. They have this information, so they aren''t asking for it. "I am a woman in her mid-twenties with a child. Whom I am motivated to give a more stable life." "I am not pretty, nor do I have any seductive skills that are common at my level, but I am good at talking and could hold the patron once he came to me and have been an above-average earner in brothels; I had worked with," I replied. It is not precisely the answer they might seek, but I could only think of this. I looked at them, but there was no change on their faces. "Why do you want to work in the velvet garden?" asked Madam Caena. "Money," I replied simply. Money is the reason I want the job. It will provide a better life for my child and me. "Why should we take you? Your face is average, and your skills are below average, and you don''t even have a secondary class," asked the old woman. Her words sting and tears threaten to emerge before I calm myself. "You are right. I am not as pretty as others or have good skills, but I am hardworking, and if you take me, I will be forever loyal to the velvet garden," I replied. There was no change in their expression. They have likely heard it tens of times from the other girls. I am very serious about loyalty. That is why I rejected yesterday''s offer from the strange man. He had offered money in exchange for information about the velvet garden. The money was so substantial that it pained me to reject his offer, but I did. "Finished finally," Elme tiredly said as the last girl left the room. It has been a tiring day. This time, we have gone beyond the usual questions and dug deeper. The legacy has become big. We have to hire every person carefully. That is why we have done our own background checks and will monitor them after hiring them. We can not afford to be careless. These girls will become pillars of the Velvet Garden and the dominion of House Silver in the future, and if we choose the wrong people, it might shake the institutions, which is a mistake we can''t afford to make. "What about her?" I asked as I did after the interviewee left the room. "Yes," affirmed the old woman. "Yes," seconded Caena. I nodded as well and added her name to the list. "Now, the undecided," I said as I picked up the list of eighteen names. We have selected some girls and rejected others, but there are some we haven''t made up our minds about. We will discuss them before making a final selection list. "The first is k...." ... Adul Karos Over an hour had passed since the last girl returned when the three came in. Immediately, all the girls fell silent. Beka and the other two got up and greeted the three. The three nodded before handing Beka the notepad. She looked at it before turning to us with her face serious. "The velvet garden has its decision. We have selected the forty-three among you. I will state the names of those selected," she informed. My heart started to beat wildly, and I began to pray to every god I knew. "Heriz Maz, Tamsin Reylin, Vel..." I turned to Tamsin as her name was called out and saw her shocked before a big smile appeared, and tears started streaming down from her eyes. "Congratulations," I said. Feeling happy for my friend but also envious. "Thank you," she said sobbingly. I smiled and focused on the names. She is calling one name after another. Already, she has spoken out twenty names. She was bringing reactions from shouting to crying from the girls. More names were being called out, and soon, the names reached thirty, but my name didn''t ring out. It started to make me really nervous, especially seeing how the interview went. My feelings begin to sink. ''There are still over ten names,'' I said to myself. As I heard, the names kept coming out of her mouth. Soon, the fortieth name came out, and it wasn''t mine. My whole body shook, and tears started to stream down my face. I want to be selected, but now only three names remain. There is barely any hope; it is non-existent. The forty-first name called out, and my hope sank even further, and the forty-second took out all the hope I had in my heart. "Adul Karos," I was deep in sadness when I heard my name like a lightning bolt. I didn''t dare to believe it, thinking it was a hallucination. "Adul, you are in!" Tamsin said loudly. I believed it only then, and tears started streaming down from my face even harder. I calmed down and looked around. The girls'' faces showed different emotions, from bursting joy to deep sadness. I feel bad for those who weren''t selected, but there is nothing I can do about them. "For those who hadn''t been selected, we will grant you freedom and jobs if you wish to have them," Beka informed the girls, to the shock of the girls listening. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s worth of Advanced Chapters. Chapter 533: Jorston Fortress Chapter 533: Jorston Fortress "It''s enormous!" gasped Eva. "It is," I said as I looked out the window at the fortress encompassing several hills. It is massive and imposing. Just looking at it would make most enemies give up on attacking it. However, the enemy it was made to defend against would not hold back. "It seemed bigger than even Mirador Hold," said Jill. Looking at it, awe-filled eyes. "No, it isn''t bigger than Mirador Hold." "It is about the same size. It looks big because of its height," stated Zela, shaking her head. It surprised me when I thought about it and recalled the information I had read. It is about the size of Mirador Hold. The Mirador Hold is an over thousand-year-old fortress made to stop the undead of Navr. It had been destroyed many times and rebuilt, with many parts lying on runes. The empire had only patched up the wall and fixed the needed parts. It is a Jorston Fortress. It is the immense fortress of Mahal. It is at the boundary. I have to pass through it to cross to the other side. We had left Karzan before the sun had even risen. Thanks to the good roads, our journey had been fast. Now, it is only ten and a half. If everything goes well, I will be on the other side before the afternoon starts. Minutes passed, and soon, we were in front of the massive, dark gates of the fortress. The lieutenant colonel moved and showed them our documents. I could feel the eyes on the carriage and the skills they were using. I could repel them, but I didn''t. However, I moved instantly when the skills moved toward me and others¡ªrepelling them with the weight of my class. Surprise flashed in their eyes. Some even took a step back in backlash. I am fine as long as the skill looks at the carriage, but targeting us is crossing a boundary. A few seconds later, we got the go-ahead, and the carriages entered the fortress. At eleven, I will meet with the second in command of this place before leaving. It is a courtesy meeting that will last only a few minutes. After that, I will leave this fortress and move to the Baxzar. The carriages stopped, and I got out. Immediately, I saw the man coming toward me, and when I saw his rank. I couldn''t help but get a bad feeling. ''It seemed like I might not be able to leave quickly,'' I thought as the man stopped before me. "Welcome to Jorston Fortress, Lord Silver," greeted the man. "Thank you, Colonel Strack," I replied to the man. "Our General is having a small gathering and hopes you and your entourage will join him," he requested. "It would be my honor," I replied since declining isn''t a choice. The man smiled and led us to the main building of the fortress. I talked with him while looking around the stronghold. Mirador Hold and this might be the same size, but that is the only similarity. Unlike Mirador Hold, this fortress is very well-maintained, well-staffed and well-armed. I could feel the wards they had around the fortress. They are powerful. It must be robust to hold back the Baxzar''s armies and monsters. Dane would need massive money if he tried to take the Mirador hold to this level. He doesn''t have even a fraction of that money. Nor is he trying to. His immediate concern is building his army. "You shouldn''t have done that, Marcis," said Count Wathall. Every word came out of his mouth slowly and dripped emotion. It was clear that he was really angry. "He challenged me," replied Viscount Luran with a shrug. Seeing that, the Count had finally lost it, and a powerful aura burst out of him. The pressure instantly made many people fall to their knees, while some took support from the walls and columns. The aura burst, surprised me, and it tried to suppress me before I released my own aura. I covered myself with a layer of aura I had practiced daily before extending it over my entourage. Most of them were behind me, but some were far away, and it was a considerable effort to cover them with it, but I somehow managed it. Immediately, their shaking stopped. Margaux, my sister, Zela, and others were fine, but the rest were heavily suppressed. Margaux''s daughter would have fallen. If not for her mother stopping her. "He will be in bed for months!" said Count Wathall, taking another bold step toward the Viscount Luran, increasing the might of his aura. However, it didn''t seem to affect the Viscount. Unlike him, I am doing everything I can not to let my aura collapse. I had born a weight more significant than it, but then, I only needed to protect myself. Here, I am protecting over ten people, and it is demanding. It is necessary to use every bit of my will to do that. "Good. It will be a lesson for him not to challenge his betters," replied the Viscount. It made Count Wathall so angry that he began to shake, but the next moment. He took a deep breath, and anger seemed to vanish with a smile appearing on his face. Though, he didn''t retract his aura. "Enjoy the week you have because you will suffer the same fate as my cousin," promised the Count, making Viscount Luran smile. "You are not that powerful," replied the viscount. Anger flashed in his eyes again, but he didn''t say anything. Instead, I watched him for a moment longer before he turned and stopped with his eyes on me. "You are Silver, Master of Legacy," he said. "Count Wathall," I replied, looking into his eyes without any strain. Instead, there is a small smile, which seems to surprise him. Bell pressed me with her aura daily, asking me to keep my expression unchanged. She says composure is a sign of a proper lord, and one should maintain it, even if walking on the blades. On the first day, I sweated all over and nearly collapsed. "It''s nice to see you. We will talk more in Archmage City," said the man, walking away. He looked at the whole hall before finally pulling back his aura. I did the same. I was feeling relieved, as it was very straining. He talked with the General for a minute before leaving the hall. "You have impressive control over your aura for someone who awakened it less than two months ago, Lord Silver," said Viscount Luran, his eyes serious. "Thank you for your kind words, Viscount," I replied. He had a lot of questions; I could see it in his eyes, but he didn''t ask them, and I wouldn''t have answered them. The party continues for another hour, but the mood has shifted. Now, more people are looking at me and speaking with much greater respect than before. I mingled with them before bidding goodbye to the host. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s worth of Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member for Character Arts and other stuff. Chapter: 535 Under The Sun’s Unwavering Gaze Chapter: 535 Under The Sun¡¯s Unwavering Gaze The serene atmosphere of the carriage broke like a glass ball falling on the floor. I felt myself getting covered by the spells of Zela. At the same time, the two gemmed bracelets that Eva was wearing melted fast, and they began covering the carriage. As they were covering it. I heard the sound of arrows streaking through the air. The next moment, I heard different sounds, including metallic, as the arrows stopped. "I am going out!" I said. "Lo," Zela opened her mouth, but stopped seeing my expression. She knows I will not listen to anyone once I make up my mind. Most importantly, she is one of the few people who are aware of my power. Since I leveled up to Lv. 30 and gained the aura. I had not fought publicly. I am now at Lv. 34, with a powerful Lord Class. I moved toward the door while Eva formed the protective enclosure of metal and gems to protect me. Staying in the carriage would be a safe choice. Since it is heavily enchanted, it could bear Grade III and even some Grade IV spells. I don''t want to. It is too restrictive. I can not do anything while my people fight. I stepped out of the carriage under the unwavering sun, and what I saw had shocked me. I saw the arrows coming at me from all directions. There are at least ten archers, and looking at the speed and power of these arrows, they are all over Lv. 20. They are coming from both sides of the road, with my men defending against them with shields and spells. Lt. Colonel Zaris is commanding the men. Forming the two circles around me quickly, with mercenaries forming the third one. I looked around and saw my sister coming out of her carriage with her sword in hand, from which the freezing mist was coming out. "My lord, you should have stayed in the carriage," said Lena as she appeared beside me with Garzong. "I a" I opened my mouth to reply when I saw enemies coming out of the thick forest covered in camouflaged paint with enchanted weapons in their hands. Their eyes were on me, and a moment later, I felt their skills. Immediately, I brought out my aura and merged with the power of my Lord Class before striking those skills hard. Destroying them. It brought shock to the eyes of the enemy, and some stopped in their tracks, feeling the backlash. I didn''t just defend their skills but broke them as they touched me. The enemies are coming from all sides, and their numbers are high. I could already count forty-one of them, including the archers they are forty. Our numbers are less than them. Thirty-nine, counting me, my guards, my sister, and the mercenaries. The enemies reached the mercenaries occupying the first circle. I waited for them to engage. I want to see their strength. They might have large numbers, but that doesn''t mean they will win. I have brought in pretty powerful people and am quite confident about my victory. Hun! These were the thoughts running through my mind. When unexpected happened, that sent a shudder through my heart. The mercenaries. Instead of attacking the enemies, they embraced them. Soon, he breached the first circle and moved to the second. Colonel Zaris moved toward him, but two people came from behind and stopped him. "It is not giving me a good feeling. Be careful, Lord Silver," said Lena and moved toward the enemy. Immediately, a thin man with a forgettable face came out with a dueling rapier and moved toward her while another one attacked from a distance. ''They had planned for everything!'' I thought. They might have been caught off guard by our strength, but they have come prepared to deal with any surprises, and they are doing it with masterful efficiency. He has our information and brought people according to it. Seeing the way his people move to stop mine. He kept moving toward me without stopping, and soon, there were only ten meters of distance between us. When Zela finally acted. Immediately, a man and a woman holding staff stepped forward. The man cast a shield while the woman attacked her. Leaving only three people behind him. That was when my sister flashed in front of him in an icy mist and attacked. Once again, the man didn''t move. Instead, two people came out. Orc and Dwarf, holding a great sword and the hammer, with magic flashing on them. They were spell blades, and they attacked her. The enemy moved with his gait, becoming even more confident. "Die!" Garzong roared and moved toward the man. As he reached close, the last man behind the leader. The huge orc stepped forward and attacked Garzong. While I watched in shock, seeing the level of preparedness they had come with. Gathering so many powerhouses isn''t easy. These aren''t just common powerhouses. Each one of them is uncommon. It could be clearly seen in the way they were fighting. I gripped my sword tiredly as he took a step closer and closer to me until there were only two meters between us. It is when Jon finally attacked. Clang! A moment later, I heard the clashing sound, and Jon pushed back. A woman appeared out of thin air, holding a dagger, and moved toward me. Immediately, Jon leaped forward to stop her. "It''s not too late. Surrender, and we will leave as we came," he said. "No," I replied. Surrendering isn''t an option. I would have at least thought about it if they had attacked me anywhere else other than on the way to the synod. Here, it is not an option because they will not leave anyone alive. They will kill everyone and clear the battlefield of anything that could be traced to them. "Since you want to do it the hard way. I will do it the hard way," He said and moved toward me. Seeing his speed, a shock spread through my heart. I knew he was powerful. If he wasn''t so powerful, people wouldn''t have followed him in this daring endeavor, but seeing that power, I shuddered in fear. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s Worth of Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member for Character Arts and other stuff. Chapter 536: In Green Depths Thick With Woven Haze Chapter 536: In Green Depths Thick With Woven Haze He flashed in front of me like a ghost before swinging his dark blue saber at me. It is fast. Extraordinarily fast. I reacted instantly and swung my rapier toward it with a Quick Slash and Mauling Strike. I even activated the Rapid Strike a fraction of a second later. I needed every advantage I could make to fight the most powerful enemy I had ever fought. Clang! Our weapons clashed, and I tried to block his weapon with Quick Parry, but he broke my skill and shook me such that the rapier nearly flew out of my hand. Since I had leveled up, nobody managed to shake me like this. Even Garzong, the strongest of all my guards in raw power, was merely able to shake my hand a little. The thing is, I didn''t hold back as I do with my training. I know this enemy is dangerous. I threw everything I owned at him, but his attack broke it all. I quickly moved back with Blitz Steps to manage the force and looked ahead. Only to see him in front of me with his saber slashing toward me. ''Fuck!'' I cursed but didn''t panic. Instead, I became calmer, and an aura came out of me. It didn''t come out like a blast, but gently. It constructed a dome, covering him within. As it did, I activated the Lord''s Presence and focused on its power on him through the aura. At the same time, I merged the aura into my offensive skills and swung my rapier toward him. My head begins to hurt from using the aura to enhance many skills. Suppressing him with aura or just enhancing my skills fighting him would have been better, but seeing the difference in power. I don''t want to take that chance despite the cost. Unlike the last enemy, I had fought. The aura didn''t stop him but changed his expressions and body language. The bandit leader''s expression became serious, and his body language no longer radiated confidence. Clang! Our weapons clashed, and I felt the shock in my hands once more, but not enough to force my rapier from my hands. "Aura is an amazing thing, but it is not going to save you," he said and attacked again. This time, he became more robust and faster, with his blue saber becoming hard to follow. I leaned into the aura and pressed it for more power as I swung my blade to defend. Clang! I stopped the attack, nearly taking a step back, but that was just the beginning. Abruptly, he appeared to my left and attacked. Rip! I moved to dodge but wasn''t fast enough, and he was able to cut across my shoulder. The cut was small, but it began to bleed rapidly. This red-haired orc used anti-clotting skills during the attack. Seeing that, I attacked the skill with my aura. Immediately, the pain in my head jumped even more, but I didn''t stop and broke the skill. At the same time, I turned and moved my blade to defend against his attack. I defended the attack when another attack came, not by the enemy in front of me but by a shamanic spell. Without caring about the strain, I pushed my aura against the spells. I know how nasty the shamanic spells could be. I had practiced a few times against them, and it was a good I did. Given the number of shamans, the enemy had brought. I can''t depend upon the protection I have. I need to be proactive and deal with them as they come. Rip! While I successfully defended against the spell, I failed to protect against the attack of the orc in front of me. Another cut appeared on my waist. He attacked again immediately, and at the same time, I felt the shaman attack¡ªnot just one, but two of them. I defended against them, but it put so much strain on me. That I had started to bleed from my nose and also a new place on my chest as the saber cut me again. I needed to grit my teeth to push the aura into it. I had just done that when I felt the shamanic spell again, and I defended and got cut across the stomach, and the cut was more serious, deeper. ''I need to do better!'' I screamed at myself. I am getting cut at every attack. If this kept happening, even if he didn''t land a hit, these cuts would be enough to weaken me. That would be bad. I am fighting him because I am pushing myself every second. If I become weak, even so slightly, it will be the end for me. Rip, Rip, Clang! Time passed as more and more cuts began to appear on my body under the intense attacks of the orc and the shamans. I could be doing better. I began to wonder how others were doing. I am so focused on my battle that I cannot look at any other fight. However, I see Jon now and then, and he doesn''t seem to be doing well. I could ask Margaux telepathically, but I don''t want to distract myself. Clang! Finally, I was able to defend myself against the attack after taking tens of cuts, which are now covering every part of my body. Clang! A moment later, I defended against another or three as the shamanic attacks were still targeting me. The headache had worsened as I used the aura more and pushed it further. I started to bleed out from all my orifices because of the sheer strain of it. But as the seconds passed. I am getting used to this strain and learning to use the aura better. It is hard, and I want to stop every second and let the sweet oblivion take me, but I can''t. If I stopped, the others would die, and the lives of hundreds of thousands would be in jeopardy. I understood clearly that once I was captured, the enemy wouldn''t have problems capturing my cities. I can not let that happen. So, I pushed myself more despite feeling the level of pain I had never felt before. It''s the only way I can do my duty to protect them. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s Worth of Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member for Character Arts and other stuff. Chapter 537: A Brazen Foe Will Make Its Stand Chapter 537: A Brazen Foe Will Make Its Stand Torug Yregh Clang! He defended again, but I attacked again, pushing Strong Arms, Phantom Blade, Searing Strike, and Bane Eyes to their limit. He defended with his whole body shaking. Looking at him, he feels like he could drop dead at any moment. My cuts are covering every part of his body. Even his head felt the touch of my blade. He is also bleeding from all his orifices, his complexion turning pale as paper. Despite all that, he is fighting back with his aura, having me in its iron hold. It is suppressing my power. I hate aura. It makes the enemy unpredictable, but he shouldn''t have been this unpredictable. The information provided stated that the enemy is between Lv. 30 and Lv. 35, with a strong Lord Class but balanced attributes. There was also information about his awakening aura less than two months ago. I have also studied his past battles and understood he is a very talented fighter capable of fighting people levels above him. He is a talented fighter. He was more powerful than I had thought, but I could have dealt with him, and it wouldn''t have taken me more than a minute. I am Lv. 37 Gambler of Blades. My class is powerful and becomes more powerful when the stakes are high. It is as powerful as the Lord Class, and I feel it will upgrade and become a class as powerful as this man before me. Still, it wasn''t enough to kill the bastard. "You have already reached your limit. Surrender Silver; it will save you a lot of pain," I offered, activating the Gambler''s Charm. "You should be the one to surrender. You might be able to save your life if you do it now," he replied, using a similar skill that is more powerful than mine. It nearly distracted me. Silver might have had a chance to attack if not for shamanic protection. ''Never compete nobles with charm,'' I remember a famous saying before attacking again. Rip! He kept defending, and I attacked again until finally, I could cut him again at the ninth attack. It is a small cut on the back that has barely breached his skin. I could feel him destroying the Bleeding Edge as it activated on the wound. Before, it used to take a second, but now, it is almost instant. ''He is improving at a shocking speed!'' I thought with concern. He is not just destroying my skills with his aura but improving the use of his aura with his skills, which are becoming powerful. Seeing it, I wanted to use my trump card. If I used it, no matter how good or fast he is improving, he would die, but I can not. If I use it, it is my life that will be in danger. The people that are fighting with me will kill me for it. Even the employer wouldn''t hesitate to use the contract''s loopholes to get it. Since I got it, I have used it only when I am alone. When I did, I killed the people and wiped out the traces of it. ''Haste, we won''t be able to last much in front of this bitch. Send us reinforcement!'' said Fodulir telepathically. I am one of many having problems with the mark. Others are having problems, too, and Fodulir and Strad face the biggest one. Two of them are fighting against Leila Silver, and she is suppressing them. Those two aren''t weak; both are Lv. 35+ spell blades with one focusing on defense. Those two are the strongest of the spell blades, but that human bitch is beating them. From the information we had, we knew she would be the trickiest to deal with, but her strength was beyond what the information had said, just like the man in front of me. What is more concerning is that the two Silvers and the other enemies are doing better than expected. I want to curse my employer for providing the old information. We built the plan on the information provided. If I had the accurate information, I could have planned better and finished this already. ''Velha, finish off the rogue and help me here!" I told the rogue. ''I am trying, but this bastard is like a cockroach!'' replied Velha. There was information about her, too. They have said she could use her abilities in combat, but what she is doing is on an entirely different level. That dome defends them from Grade IV spells¡ªsomething the information never mentions. A few more minutes passed, and Silver looked whiter than the dead, but he was still fighting and fighting well. His control of aura is increasing by the minute. Now, I couldn''t even shake him. He is defending every combination of mine. Not a single attack is touching him. Worse, he is destroying the shamanic attack before they even touch him. He would destroy it the moment they touched his aura dome. ''How is he even standing?'' I keep asking myself this question. He should have fallen already, but he is still standing. He has to be very tired. His eyes are red, and he is bleeding from his orifices, but he is still fighting. I expected this man to collapse at every moment, but he was getting more powerful. If this continued, he might be able to fight back, not just defend. Clang! I had thought that when he defended against my attack before attacking me. It is the first time he did that. Clang! I defended and felt his power. It shook my heart, and I wanted to put that thing and finish him off, but I controlled myself. I can''t do that. ''Yregh!'' suddenly, a painful voice rang into my head, and it was from Bror. A blood slash appeared on his chest; the attack by the leader of the guards, Zaris. ''Yregh, these bastards are too tough. It''s time; we should use the backup plan!'' pleaded Fodulir as he defended arcs of ice and icy sword. I wanted to reject it. That is an essential tool. I want to keep it to myself as it could help me escape the danger. ''Velha?'' I asked the only person I trust. The others aren''t part of my group. They were hired only with a mission in mind. Only Velha and Fodulir were part of my group. ''Fodulir is right. We should use the backup plan,'' she affirmed. I could feel the unwillingness in her voice. How much she hated to say that, but she said it based on how she could see it. The backup plan will massively increase the chances of success, but I get a heart attack when I think about using it. However, when looking at things, there is no choice. I don''t know how long the dead-looking bastards could continue. If it lasted till the bitch killed Fodulir and that leader killed Bror and Tust, it will be very bad. We will die instead of our enemies. So, I gritted my teeth and leaped back before removing the scroll and unfurling it immediately. ...... I saw him removing the scroll and unfurling it as he leaped back. Immediately, a bad feeling came over my heart. I understood; I could not let this enemy use the spell on me. So, I gathered all my aura from what I was using and attacked the scroll. "Ahhhh!" It gave me such pain that I wanted to scream, and I did, but I pushed the aura at the scroll; at the same time, it shone in silvery translucent light. The light moved and passed through the aura and covered me. It was a powerful spell. It resisted my aura. Seeing that, I focused on the spell. With only one will to change the destination. The scroll is a teleportation scroll; it wants to send me somewhere. I must prevent it before it sends me to their prepared place. These are my last thoughts as everything becomes dark in front of me. Experience the journey before anyone else. Support me by SUBSCRIBING to and enjoy a Month''s Worth of Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member for Character Arts and other stuff. Chapter 538: And Fate Shall Turn In Jungle’s Hand Chapter 538: And Fate Shall Turn In Jungle¡¯s Hand Uloth Gul ''Fuck, it''s grade IV''s, leading the group!'' I said telepathically as the group of monsters came into view. Eleven crimson-tusk hogs are in a group, two of which are Grade IV. ''The bait worked better than we had thought,'' replied Aya, with her eyes focused on a group of monsters before us. It is our third year hunting here. Although this is the first time we''ve reached this deep, we came to hunt monsters for their parts, with crimson-tusk hogs being one of the top three targets. Their tusks sell for quite a good bit of money. Alchemists want them, and so do the artificers. Our last time here, we earned a satisfactory amount of money through them. ''You are not thinking of attacking them, are you?'' I asked my friend, and her eyes became hesitant. She was thinking just that. ''They will tear us apart!'' I added in all seriousness. The monsters were too powerful. We might be able to handle Grade III, but Grade IVs are out of our league. Even dealing with so many, Grade III is dangerous for us. Her condition is getting bad, requiring more and more money, which makes her desperate. It is forcing her to take significant risks. She had nearly died two months ago if I hadn''t saved her that time. We all could have died. Last year, I decided that it would be my last time. I have a comfortable job at the mage guild. It didn''t pay as much as adventuring, but it was safe. The only reason I joined her this time was that I was worried about her, that she would take a foolish risk. It was a wise choice. Over the eight days we have been here, I have seen her on the edge of making foolish decisions over and over. I know she would have made them if I hadn''t been here. I didn''t even dare to imagine what would have happened to everyone. ''No,'' she replied defensively. I knew she was lying, but I didn''t call her out. ''We will wait out till they leave,'' I said. ''We are doing well. We do not need to take needless risks,'' I added encouragingly. She nodded, but I could feel the unwillingness in her body language. I didn''t say anything and turned to crimson-tusk hogs. We are hiding well and have our bodies covered in anti-smell solution. It''s a cheap one. So, it''s a little itchy, but it does the job. There is also a stealth spell. So, even Grade IV monsters won''t be able to sense us. Thud! A few minutes later, monsters begin to turn to leave. A relief started to appear in my eyes when something suddenly fell in front of us. Not a something, but a man. A human man. It would be a grave understatement to say that it shocked us. One moment, there was nothing, and the next, he was directly in front of us. He turned, and I saw his dark eyes, which were red around them, and his pale face, which resembled that of a vampire. There are injuries all over him. He looked at us. His eyes were surprised but also cautious and heavy with fatigue, and I felt like he would fall down at any moment. "Roar!" We were looking at each other when the monster''s roar broke the atmosphere. "Shit!" I cursed, hearing the roar, and saw that the monsters that had been moving away a second before had now turned toward us. "Run," I said to Aya, casting haste on us. I took a step to run when I suddenly stopped. I saw my friend appear in front of an injured man with a shield forward instead of by my side. They are two young women in their early twenties. The orc holding the mage staff has a muddy green complexion. The other woman is human, slightly thin, but wearing thick mismatched armor, a red metal shield, and an enchanted sword whose enchantment is nearly faded. They are both looking at me with wide eyes, like seeing a ghost. I am injured and look quite pale. I drank the potions, which helped with injuries but slightly alleviated the tiredness. I fear that I will fall asleep if I close my eyes for a moment too long. When I appeared, I thought they were a threat. The people, my enemies, had been stationed at the landing point, but I had not appeared at the landing point. I had veered away from it. Not by much, but away. There is also the fact that these two move to defend me instead of attacking. However, the one fact that genuinely convinced me they are not enemies is their strength. They are far too weak. The orc mage was casting only Grade II spells and seeing her efficiency and power. She is a Mage closer to Lv. 20 while the human woman is above Lv. 20, near Lv. 25. I think they are unrelated to enemies that attacked me, but I am still cautious of them. "What is this place?" I asked. "Dominion," replied the woman with the staff. I wanted to roll my eyes hearing that, and I did. "Where in the Baxzar?" I asked. "Vradis Valley," she replied, and the name felt familiar. I activated my skills, and I remembered. "South of Bor extreme magic region?" I asked. "Yes, we are around a hundred miles from it,'' she replied. I nodded and took out the map of Baxzar Dominion. It was the best one I could get and also big. It didn''t take me long to find the Bor extreme magic region. "Can you point me exactly where we are?" I asked them, and they looked at the map in surprise. They controlled her expression and looked at the map before the human woman walked forward. "Here," she replied, pointing at the spot. I looked at the spot and place from which I had teleported. They cannot track me. I didn''t let any of their skills touch me when the spell activated on me, but they could still track me in other ways. Not me, I am still protected, but the spell. They have mages, and I am sure with the preparation they have made. There is at least one among them capable of calculating the landing point of the teleportation spell. I hesitated a moment and thought about it before turning to the two. "How much time would a group of people need to reach here from here?" I asked. Their expressions became severe, and they looked at each other hesitantly. "It will depend on their levels and classes and whether they are traveling by foot or using the beasts," replied the woman with the staff. "A group of Lv. 30 and Lv. 20+, with mixed classes of mages and warriors. Local with terrain knowledge and the best monsters," I replied. This information makes their expression turn even more serious. "Around seven hours," replied the woman with the staff. I sighed upon hearing that. I thought it would be more, but I was not just that lucky. I need to move as soon as I can and fast. They can not track me personally, but I am sure they have trackers. I hope my people reach me first. They could calculate the landing point, and, most importantly, they can track me. Margaux could track me. She is connected to me with the legacy and feels my location as I sense her location right now. It is faint right now, but as she gets closer, it will become stronger. When she is close enough, she will be able to connect to me telepathically. However, I plan to reach a safe location first, which is a big city. This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our Patreon with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! Chapter 539: Coming True Chapter 539: Coming True Zaris "Stop!" I ordered as the enemy rapidly retreated into the forest. Following them would be foolish. We need to be careful. Immediately after Lord Silver disappeared, all the bandits began retreating. He is still their target; getting him is more important than wiping us out. I turned and looked at the battlefield. It couldn''t help but make me sigh and feel ashamed. I had failed. "You do not have to blame yourself, Lt. Colonel. They were far too prepared," consoled Miss Glass. Like me, she has injuries all over her, but unlike mine. Hers seem much lighter. "Mage Aldridge, Lady Silver, please track the spell," I requested. I didn''t have to tell them; they had started before I even said that. My men began to deal with their injuries while those in good condition formed a circle. We have learned never to be too careful. I looked at the bodies of the three dead of my men. They were good men. Two had served with me for decades. I am the one who had brought them to Greltheaven from the empire. "Are you alright, Mr. Jon?" I asked the rogue. He is one of the most injured. He has some serious injuries and has minor wounds all over his body. One of the three doctors in our company is working on him. "I will be fine," he replied a moment later. That woman he fought was one of the worst of the lot, but he still kept her away from Lord Silver. Though with a steep price. I nodded and walked away while drinking a healing potion. Everyone did well¡ªbetter than I had imagined we would, seeing how prepared the enemy was. They brought people specifically tailored to deal with each of us. Still, we held them off, and Lady Leila was even able to kill one. Both of these siblings were more powerful than I had imagined. Our internal intelligence stated that Leila Silver was the most powerful member of our group, but the power she showed was beyond expectation. However, I was even more surprised by Lord Silver. I had sparred with him and felt his aura, but the power he used today was on a completely different level than the one he used in our spars. ''Azalea was right.'' ''She had said he shows his true power in battle, which is not his martial strength but the ability to improve.'' I shook my head and stopped beside the dead. The cloth now covers their bodies. I will send them to the city, where they will get a funeral with all the honors they deserve. "Lt. Colonel," called Mage Aldridge. "Have you traced the spell?" I asked. To that, the old mage nodded. "Just south of the Bor Extreme Magic Region," he replied. "Around here," he said, pointing at a place on the map floating in front of him. I looked at the other two, and they nodded. I turned to Vance. He is a ranger and studied the geography of the Baxzar. "If we move fast. We should be able to reach the place in eight hours," the ranger stated. I nodded and thought for a while before turning to Dan. "Captain Bader, you will take the most injured, non-combatants, and dead; continue with the journey while the rest of us move toward Lord Silver," I ordered. "Yes, sir," he affirmed. "Shall we contact the authorities, Lt. Colonel?" asked Captain Sand. To that, I shook my head. "No, Captain. They might intercept our communication, or they may be involved in it. We will keep this to ourselves," I replied. A few minutes passed, and I checked everything. When the door of the blue carriage opened, Miss Margaux walked out; she had changed her clothes. Others looked surprised. The only ones who are not are the three guards of Lord Silver, Miss Lena, and me, I didn''t have to ask her. She understood the job she had to do. She is the advantage we have over our enemies. She could sense Lord Silver''s location. Lord Silver had informed me about this a day before we left. "Mom, are you leaving with them?" asked the teen girl, her voice shaking. It might be the first time the young girl witnessed the battle of such powerhouses. It shook her. One needs standing and connections for it. "Also, you will buy us top a Grade III mage staff, a good offensive type Grade III spell of my friend''s liking, and an Iles bag," added Aya, to my surprise. I looked at the man, and there was no change in his expression. "Fine," he replied, and a moment later, he took out an inkpot and scrolled. Both of them looked expensive. He began to write the contract while I turned to my friend. "Thank you," I said under my Privacy skill. Grateful for what she had done. "Of course," she replied. "Though, I will say, we have chewing at more than we can swallow by accepting this job," she added. To that, I couldn''t help but nod. Without a doubt, it will be dangerous. If those chasing this young man caught up to us, there might be death, but if we succeeded. Aya will have a good chance of being cured, and I will get what I have wanted for a long time¡ªthings that, on my meager salary, might take over a decade. A few minutes passed, and finally, he put the quill down. "Sign it," he said, handing me the scroll and quill. We will not sign it unless I read all the conditions and am satisfied with them. I took the contract and began to read it carefully. It immediately surprised me. I assumed it would be a rough contract, not this professionally crafted one with all the legal jargon. I know contracts. I work in a mage guild. I looked at the conditions, and one of them is that we not only guide him but also fight. But the following clause surprised me. We have the option to run if we feel the enemy could kill us without a doubt. For the healing, he offered to pay for the first treatment, but within a certain amount. Though, when I looked at the amount, my eyes couldn''t help but widen. It was massive. He had also agreed to give a staff, Iles Bag, along with a spell. The value of all is far exceeding what we could make in years. With this amount, the young man could have hired a bigger mercenary team with higher-level people. I noticed one odd thing. His name is never mentioned in the contract. Instead, he referred to himself as the person who drew the contract. "There is one problem," I said, but he shook his head this time. "There will be no change. Either you sign it or not," the man looked at me and replied straightforwardly. He is desperate and needs the guide, but so are we. We need those things; this is the quickest chance we will get them. Not to mention. Declining isn''t a choice. We had seen his face. If we didn''t sign, he might kill us, and that thought wouldn''t be farfetched. "Fine," I replied after looking at my friend and signed on the contract. Just as I did, I felt something I had never felt before. A silhouette of a tower loomed over me, radiating a feeling heavier than the mountain. It lasted a fraction of a second, but I understood I could not break the contract. It will kill me. "Who are you?" I asked with my eyes wide. Earlier, I felt we had chewed more than we could swallow, but now I became sure. "You can call me John," he replied, which is so obviously not his real name. Aya looked at me worriedly, and I opened my mouth to ask her not to sign the contract when I shook. The contract warned me against doing that. If I still did it, it would act. Still, she understood what I was trying to say. It was evident in her eyes, and despite that, she sighed the contract. ..... "Let''s hope this journey goes well without a hitch," I said as I took the scroll from the two women while the prophecy rang again in my mind. ''Under the sun''s unwavering gaze, In green depths thick with woven haze. A brazen foe will make its stand, And fate shall turn in jungle''s hand.'' It had come true. Everything it had said had happened. The enemies attacked under the afternoon sun in a thick forest, and it was brazen without fear. Now, I have teleported into this jungle, which holds my fate in its hands. ???? This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! ???? Chapter 540: Chase Chapter 540: Chase Wishing you all a joyful Christmas! "Let''s go," said the human woman, whose name I now know is Aya, as I emerged from the trees after changing my clothes. Now, I am wearing nondescript adventurer''s clothes, different from the tattered suit earlier. They are well-worn and have old-looking swords. I had also dyed my hair blond with a quick dye and used the alchemical drops that changed the color of my eyes. I need to make it as hard as possible for my enemies to track me. The two women looked at me, and shock appeared in their eyes at the changes. I looked like an adventurer, which was the part I was trying to play. Since the dungeon incident in Navr, I have gone everywhere prepared. I have clothes, a tent, spare weapons, local currency, and other things. I walked to join them, and we moved quickly. We were not exchanging words. Our first destination is their camp. It is where they have kept their beasts. The priority is speed, not hiding our tracks. I would have tried that if these two had been high-level enough, but they are not. So, it''s speed. We have a seven-to-eight-hour lead on the enemies, which is significant considering we plan to travel nonstop until we reach Vudiz City, which will take a day and a half. We should arrive at near dawn of the day after tomorrow. There are two small cities and several towns in between, but staying in them would be risky. Different tribes control them. It is easier for some to make them look the other way if something happens within them. Manipulation wouldn''t be possible in Vudiz, a city as big as Owlspring that is not controlled by a single tribe. It is also the city with an office of the archmage city. These two are moving fast. Aside from the speed skill, they have cast haste on themselves. I am following them without using a skill. I can''t use my skills. I get terrible pain when I use them like I did when I used skills to fight against the monsters. I am tired. So much so that I would fall asleep if I laid down on the ground. Sleeping is the best thing I could do right now. I needed it after seeing how I had pushed myself to survive. I had never pushed myself like that, not even in training. It''s why I survived, but now I am enduring the consequences. Minutes passed as we moved through thick hills. They are everywhere, as far as my eyes can see. It is also beautiful but dangerous. In the first half-hour, we avoided two monsters. They were weak, but fighting them would have wasted too much time. "We are here," declared Uloth. As we reach another hill, like the many we have crossed. She moved toward its base and pushed some vines. She revealed a cave. As I entered, following them, I found it was bigger inside, with two blackish rhino beasts sitting. They opened their eyes but didn''t do anything. "Pack what is essential. Leave the rest behind," I said to the mage. Who was trying to hang a big leather bag on the rhino. "This is worth quite a bit of money," she said. "I will pay for it," I replied simply. Time is precious. I had paid them far more than they were worth. She dropped the bag and picked up other things. "It is a good thing. We have brought the double-seat saddle. It had become useful now," said the mage, securing a double seat saddle on one of the rhino beasts. The other girl secured the single seat on the other rhino. "It would have saved us a lot of trouble. If one of the tracking skills had struck him," said Fodulir with a sigh. That is the thing. I am most frustrated about it. It would have made things much easier if we could track him, but now we must do things the hard way. First, we will have to track the landing point of the spell and then hunt our mark. Thankfully, we have made preparations. "I had contacted our sources. They will inform us immediately if they spot the young man," he informed. I had kept people in settlements and cities around the original landing spot in case the first plan didn''t work and problems occurred in the second. This preparation proved to be a wise move. We have now sent them the information about the mark. The moment they spot him, they will inform us. If we are lucky, they might inform us before we reach the landing point, saving us time. "Good," I replied. An hour passed, and we moved through our established path. We were getting closer and closer to the mark. He might be moving now, but we will reach him soon. When we do, nothing, and no one, will save him from us. If push comes to shove, I might even use that thing because not completing the contract is a certain death. ... Zaris "There is now a gap of nearly three hours between us," replied Eli, our ranger. Our slower speed and different routes had created a gap between us and the enemies. "Everyone, it''s time to move fast!" I ordered, and the skills rumbled around us, and we began to move fast. Our beasts are good, and we are used to such terrain. There is a reason they chose me to lead Lord Silver''s guard, even though there are more loyal people in the city. It is because I have experience in every geography. I have been a part of the imperial foreign corps and served many kingdoms in different environments. Every soldier here has the same experience and skills related to it. We have taken the gamble of moving slowly because we don''t want the enemies to chase us when we finally begin moving toward the Lord Silver. They might not be aware of our ability to track him and them. If we had moved faster, they might have followed us and might now try and follow us. That is why we have taken the gamble of moving slowly. As of now, we are three hours apart. The monsters we ride are slower than the enemies, but they have greater stamina for long travels, which will play a big part in this race. Immediately, we increased our speed and slowly changed our direction. We are no longer moving toward the landing point. We are moving further south, which is where Lord Silver is moving. I know his destination. It is Vudiz. The man is wise. He knows the enemy''s reach in their kingdom and wouldn''t take chances in outlier settlements and smaller cities where controlling tribes could be persuaded. Something like that would be difficult to achieve in a big city like Vudiz. ???? This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! ???? Chapter 541: Bandstone Chapter 541: Bandstone Aya Bandstone "The beasts are yours," said the old, wiry orc, handing the reins of the three beasts to Ulo. They are Rycas horses, thinner than most horses but fast and agile¡ªthe perfect beasts for moving through the thick forests of Baxzar. "Thank you," she replied before mounting her beast. I did the same, and so did John. A minute later, we were out of the tribe''s compound under the moonlit sky. I activated Smooth Travel once again. It''s not a powerful travel skill, but it does help, and I feel we will need all the help we can get to finish this contract that we had entered into. It had been five hours since we signed the contract, and since then, we had stopped only twice: once for a small break and the second to acquire these beasts. As for our old beasts, we set them loose before we walked here. We could have bought them from a town, but he wouldn''t let us approach it. So, we had to settle for the tribes and the small ones at that. The beasts we obtained are fantastic. They have the blood of the crorus in them. The tribe trains them specifically before selling to towns and cities. I glanced at the man beside me. His eyes are darting around, looking for danger that is hunting him. We have not seen anyone, but he seemed convinced that eyes were everywhere. He dyed his hair and wore clothes that made him look bulkier. He even wore worn-out, mismatched light armor, but unlike mine, which is genuinely mismatched and worn out, his only "looked" worn out. He had done an excellent job of making it look worn out with runes and all, but I had been staring at it for hours and noticed things. ''Have you found anything?'' I asked Ulo. ''No, there is no news about him,'' she replied with telepathy. She couldn''t send the message without his permission but could receive mass messages flying around from people and guilds. Her reply made me relieved but also worried. I am relieved because the guilds and tribes are openly looking for him, and I am worried because the enemies who are looking are hidden in the shadows. They would not spare us if they located us. He didn''t hide that fact. He had implied that through his words and the contract. Not that this fact would have changed my mind. My condition is getting worse. I need to see a higher-level healer to find a cure for my condition, and he is the only one who could make that happen. ''Who is he?'' is the question I have repeatedly asked myself. I have noticed a lot of things about him. Foremost is that he is rich and influential. He didn''t even bat an eye when we asked for those things, including access to a Lv. 40 healer. So, I assume he is a noble. He had kept his class guarded. He could also be a warrior, but I didn''t think so. Warriors carry themselves differently; even in the most dignified ones, there is a ruggedness. He looked refined but sharp, like a well-maintained blade. His every movement and word commands obedience. The night had become fully dark, but we were moving through the forest, and seeing that we were taking a shortcut through a dangerous route, things might get troublesome. There are monsters and some bad people. Their numbers increase, and they become daring at night. The thing is, there will be no rest. We will continue with our travel tonight and into tomorrow. We will only stop to rest after reaching our destination. Once again, I turned to him and saw his eyes moving as always. He saw me looking but didn''t say anything. His injuries have healed, and the redness in his eyes has disappeared as well. He looked well; there was barely any tiredness in his eyes. Soon, I saw seven people coming out. Some are male and some female, with six orcs and one man, either human or elf. It is too hard to see because of the face covering he is using. Half of them showed their faces openly, and I recognized two immediately; their faces were plastered across the taverns. Gorgo Zutag of Zutag Bandits. As I recognized them, I couldn''t help but shudder. They are a small but dangerous bandit group with a hefty bounty posted on their heads. They have killed a lot of people, including several Lv. 30s. Their leader, Zutag, is a known Lv. 30+ powerhouse. I looked at the leader, a tall man with a stocky body and a blood-red axe in his hand. "Oh, it seemed like you are quite powerful, young human," said Zutag, looking at John. "I don''t want to fight. Just let us go, and I will forget everything," said John in common, surprising Zutag and his bandit group. "Hahahaha..." It surprised him, but it only remained momentarily on his face before he started laughing with his men. It took them a while to calm down. Zutag wiped his tears and looked at John. All the mirth there was a moment ago had vanished. Now, there is only cruelty. "Unfortunately, it''s not going to happen. We will kill you, take your stuff, and sell your bodies to the undead," Zutag replied with a grin. John just sighed, and the next moment, he leaped off of his beast at blurring speed. The speed even seemed to surprise Zutag. "Kill him!" Even surprised the bandits acted fast. His two archers and two mages attacked John while he and the other two moved forward. Seeing the attack, I opened my mouth to call out as I leaped off the horse. When I saw the young man''s sword moving again, it cut through the arrows and repelled the spells. As he did, he appeared in front of the shocked Zutag. "Die, you bastard!" shouted Zutag and swung an ax on a massive strike that would split him apart. John stayed in his place like he was frozen, not moving even when the ax had crossed more than halfway toward him. He was about inches away when I saw him turning into a blur. Pachac! The next moment, I heard the wet sound and saw Zutag''s eyes turning wide. A red line appeared on his neck, and a second later, his head slid down by that time. I heard that wet sound once again, and another head began to slide down the neck. It is when the rest have come to themselves and begin to run. Even the mage capable of casting a Grade III spell is running away. There is terror in his eyes. They ran into the forest, but he chased them. I heard the sounds for a while before it all quieted down. A few seconds later, he returned. I watched him in shock. He had killed a whole bandit group in seconds. The man had killed the bandits that had killed several Lv. 30s, and it didn''t even take a full minute. "Here, the bag and staff. I think these are good enough to satisfy the condition of the contract," John said, throwing the bag and staff at Ulo. "Can I have a head of some bandits?" asked Ulo. "Suit yourself," he replied. She quickly took a sack from her normal bag and collected the heads. She collected three and put them into her new iles bag before hurrying back to the steeds. He had already mounted the beast. Seeing that, we mounted and resumed our journey a second later, knowing we were still in a race. We didn''t clear the battlefield. It would be useless unless we are willing to put in a lot of time to erase the signs from a good tracker not to notice. Which we could not. It would be wise to use that time to cover more ground. ???? This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! ???? Chapter 542: Chase II Chapter 542: Chase II Zaris "Left," said Truku, our guide, as the light of dawn began to clear the dark sky. We have picked up several guides on our way. They are necessary to travel through these thick forests, where the routes are like puzzle pieces. Even with a precise map, we can''t move as fast as we are without their help. They are allowing us to make good time toward Lord Silver.No?v(el)B\\jnn If he had stayed in his initial location, we would have caught up with him hours ago, but so would our enemies. He is moving to where I expected him to go, and his speed is also better than I had thought. Given his speed, it is very likely that he has found the guides. "Anything?" I asked Vance with concern. "No," he replied. We haven''t been able to sense our enemies for the past two hours. In this game of cat and mouse, it is not just the distance; they also hide their location, making them harder to track. In return, we are hiding our location from them. Three hours before the game started, we would get their location now and then. "They had likely understood by now where Lord Silver is moving toward," said Miss Glass, to which I couldn''t help but nod. Given the way the enemies had made the preparations. They have clearly shown that they are very intelligent. They likely comprehended Lord Silver''s destination, which would complicate things as they would mobilize more people to find him. We are doing that, but it is their kingdom. It is making things much easier for them. "Let''s hope Lord Silver keeps ahead of them until we reach him," I replied; she smiled at that. Soon, I allow a quick stop. Immediately, everyone drank the potions and did their business before eating the rations as fast as possible. We didn''t have the luxury of taking too much time. We need to win this race. I looked at Miss Margaux and Miss Charles and couldn''t help but sigh in concern. Even with the potions and the skills, their condition could be better. Miss Charles is handling the strain better, but Margaux is not. She is sleepy, tired, and sore. We have been traveling nonstop since yesterday afternoon. We didn''t even sleep for an hour; it takes a toll on people. If she wasn''t as high-leveled as she is, she wouldn''t be able even to stand, much less walk around. This chase isn''t an ordinary journey. We are moving through the forest in uneven routes. It is tiring, even for experienced soldiers, much less for people who didn''t ride more than a few hours a day in all their lives. "Let''s move," I ordered the moment we finished and mounted on the beasts. A few hours passed, and it was now early afternoon. We had just changed our beasts. We had no choice; we had been traveling with them for more than a day without giving them rest. We could have pushed them through the evening, and they had the stamina to do that, but we exhausted that, and they were slowing down, which was not what we wanted. Thankfully, one of the guides we picked knew a tribe with fast, high-endurance beasts. I like these Red Beruz Zebras we are now riding. We needed to pay them more than the market price, but nobody said anything. Without hesitation, we would have paid double, even triple, what they had asked. The most important thing to us was reaching Lord Silver as soon as possible, not the costs. We were getting close to him, but at this rate, it would still take us until midnight to reach him. "I found them," said Vance as he appeared beside me. "Where?" I asked immediately. "Here," he replied, pointing at the map. Now aware of the enemy''s location, my expression couldn''t help but become serious. Not that it would make a difference to those dead-brained idiots, but I hope, at least, some of them would listen. ....... Margaux I saw the sun going down, turning everything dark. We moved through the dark toward Master Silver, who I felt was getting closer. From what I hear, so are our enemies. As we move closer to Lord Silver, we are also getting closer to our enemies, which is making Lt. Colonel Zaar push us even harder. This pace is not making things easy on me. Saying I am tired would be an understatement. Even in the past, the worst days with animalistic men didn''t make me as exhausted as I am now. I am drinking the potions that are keeping me awake. Without it, I would have fallen asleep by now. Still, the tiredness remained. I could drink another potion for that, but I am refraining from taking too many. It may help now, but there will be consequences later. Still, I kept them ready. If the need arises, I won''t hesitate to drink them. "Miss Margaux," said Ranger Vance. I smiled at the man and raised my hand toward him. He took it, and I activated the Madam''s Projection. I didn''t have to touch him. Close distance is enough, but I am tired, and touch makes the connection much smoother. I projected Lord Silver''s location as clearly as possible so he could deduce it from the map. A few seconds later, he took back his hand and moved toward the Lt. Commander Zaris. He accompanies me every half an hour to get updates on Lord Silver''s direction. Or, I call him out when I notice Lord Silver suddenly changing his route, which he has done a lot. I can''t stop worrying about him. The enemies are beyond strong, but Lord Silver and others have fought them off. A dread fills me whenever I think about what would have happened if they hadn''t. Soon, it was nine, and we stopped for just ten minutes to eat dinner. I ate while walking to free up my muscles. The potions have dealt with the soreness and pain, but some discomfort had remained. "This journey reminds me of adventures I did in my younger days," reminisces Eva as she appears beside me, taking me out of my worried thoughts. She looked much better than me. Tiredness hadn''t marred that beautiful glow on her face. "It must have been quite an experience," I said, to which she smiled. It was and is one of my most precious memories," she replied, her eyes turning distant. I didn''t say anything, but I couldn''t help but feel jealous when I looked at her. She is far more powerful than I had imagined. I had heard the stories about that battle she had fought alongside Master Silver against the undead in Namdar. I didn''t think of it much until I saw her power now. I was in that dome she had created and felt the power of the spells that crashed into them. They were extremely powerful¡ªenough to kill everyone inside¡ªbut the dome she had created defended against the attack. I know two defensive spells, but they are Grade I, while her dome was more potent than the Grade IV defensive spell. It would be hard to gain such power, but I will try. I never want to feel as powerless as I did in that dome. I have the tools to achieve it. The only thing I have to do is work hard. This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! Chapter 543: Chase III Chapter 543: Chase III Pachak! "I su," my saber cut his head before he could finish that sentence. I had offered them a choice to leave at the start, but they didn''t take it. So, no one can blame me for killing them. I looked around and saw the dead bodies around me. It was the third bandit group that had attacked me in less than a day. I had killed six members of this group, while eleven ran away. I could catch up to them. I would have done that if it had been yesterday, but not today. I walked toward my beast with whom I had projected calmness, using Command Projection. The skill turned out to be more beneficial than I had thought. I used it on all three monsters, and they remained calm in front of the bandits and the monsters. The two were looting the bandits as I appeared. These two thoroughly changed their gear, gaining a lot from the bandits. Everything they have now, from weapons to armor plates, is looted from bandits. I gave them a minute before we mounted on our beasts and resumed the journey. It is around eleven, and if these two are correct, then we should be able to reach Vudiz City in four hours. It wasn''t much time to work with. My people are getting close. If they kept moving at the same speed as they were accomplishing right now, they would reach me within two to three hours. In one to two hours, Margaux will be close enough for me to communicate with her. "These bandit attacks feel targeted," said Aya softly. "Because they are," I replied. Both of the women looked at me in surprise. "The enemy is tracking us. Sending bandits in our way," I added. I thought the first two were random, but this one confirmed my suspicion. They had an idea about my strength and were cautious. Though not cautious enough. If they had been, they wouldn''t have made the mistake of attacking me. "So, what will we do about it?" asked Uloth. "Nothing. We will keep moving," I replied. They wanted to say something about it and even opened their mouths, but they closed them a moment later. They had no other choice, and they knew it as well. We need to keep moving and crush anything that comes our way. We only need four hours, and then it will all be over. Hun! Minutes passed when I sensed the monster. It was coming toward us. The bear monster is huge¡ªbigger than even the beasts we are riding¡ªwith red fur and red eyes. Roar! It roared as it appeared in front of us. I projected calm into my beast and the two beside me before focusing the power of my class on the monster. Since the aura training began, my control over my class has dramatically improved. I could now focus on it without people beside me sensing it. It suddenly froze in its tracks before running away when I focused the power of my class entirely on the monster. I only used the power of Lord Class, not aura. I haven''t used even a speck of aura since the teleportation spell had thrown me here. There is no need to use it. Two of my deputies, Lord Silver''s guards, Miss Glass and Lady Leila, are connected. Most of us are quiet; only Miss Margaux, Vance, and the guides speak. They are guiding Master Silver toward us. We are guiding him toward us as fast as we can, but not fast enough, seeing the enemies covering the ground quickly toward him. His safety is paramount. Nothing can happen to him. I understood well that if something had happened to him. If the enemies got him, then cities would collapse. He is the glue that is keeping it all together. It is why we didn''t even report what had happened, even to Greltheaven, not directly. If the message came, we replied as we usually do. However, we used the codes. The higher-ups are aware of what has happened. Everything is currently under control; the news is contained but will not last long. So, we must have Lord Silver with us, safe and protected, or things will start happening in the cities. "The enemies had noticed," informed Vance. I just nodded. It wasn''t a surprise, seeing they were tracking our every movement. .... Torug Yregh "Fuck!" I cursed loudly, without care. "Everybody, push your skills as hard as you can. Mages, don''t hold back on the spells!" I ordered. The enemies are moving toward each other, and we must stop that. It''s a regret that we are coming from the opposite side of the mark''s entourage, with the mark in the middle. If we had been from the same direction. We might have intercepted the enemy while sending a group after the mark, but it''s impossible with where we are positioned. I could feel the existing skills getting powerful and new ones activating. The same goes for spells. I could see them covering the people and the beasts. Our speed increased, and I hoped it would be enough to reach the mark before the enemy. It would be fine. We reached him even a minute before his entourage. Even seconds would be more than enough. Once we have him in our hands, I have complete confidence in our abilities to take him away. I had made all the preparations. The only thing I need is the mark. Minutes passed, and we got closer and closer to the mark, but so did his entourage. The more I heard about the update on their locations, the madder I got. I controlled myself and pushed the beasts into this thick forest as fast as possible. I have already decided to use everything I have, including the things in my storage. It is nearly midnight. We have four hours to get to the mark on our hands, or we all die. I am willing to use that thing in my storage for it. It will also kill me, but at least it will give me time, which will be enough to find a way out of the predicament. A half-hour passed, and we were less than ten minutes away from the mark. We are pushing ourselves as hard as possible, and I will not allow his entourage to reach him before I do. "Ahhhh!" "They have reached the mark," informed Fodulir, and I let a roar of rage fill the forest before pushing my beast harder. This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! Chapter 544: Enemies Arrive Chapter 544: Enemies Arrive Aya Bandstone He stopped. I pulled the reins of my mount and stopped as well. We followed him for nearly an hour without question as he moved backward through a different route. It was strange, but we followed. "What is happening?" I asked finally, and there was no reply. I turned to Ulo and saw her expression become cautious, with a grimace emerging on her face. "A group of people are coming toward us," Ulo said openly. A moment later, I heard the faint sounds, which became louder every second. I looked at him and saw no worry in his eyes. Instead, he looked relieved. He looked back at me before dismounting from his beasts. I did the same after looking at Ulo. Less than ten seconds later. I saw a group of creatures, tens of them, coming out toward us through the darkness, with people riding on them. Most of them are humans, with a few orcs mixed in. Leading them is a man in his early forties. He is a soldier. They are easily recognizable. Beside him are two beautiful women. They are wearing expensive light armor and blades at their waists. One on the right looked similar to the original appearance of the man beside us with the same silvery grey eyes, while the other was a blond woman with deep blue eyes. "My lord, it fills me with relief to see you unharmed," greeted the leader, bowing once he dismounted. So, he is a noble. "It''s good to see you too, Zaris," he replied before his expressions became grave. "How far are they?" he asked. "Around five minutes," he replied. "Then we should prepare," he stated. The man called Zaris nodded and began to give orders while the young man walked toward the other people. A few seconds later, I saw the bracelet of an older, beautiful woman turning to liquid and turned into a whip. As the whip moved, the trees began to fall apart cleanly. A moment after that, the others used the spells. Upon seeing those spells, my eyes couldn''t help but become wide. ''Those are Grade IV spells,'' said Ulo in shock while all I could do was nod. People are moving around us. They glanced at us but didn''t say anything. They simply followed the orders while the young man talked to person after person. We tried to remain close, but two people appeared beside him¡ªa good-looking woman in mage robes and a muscled armored orc. Suddenly, he turned and looked at us. "I would advise both of you to leave immediately. It''s going to get dangerous here," he suggested. "As for what I promised. I have informed my people, you will get it at the Archmage city," he added. "I will stay," I replied before I could think, surprising him. ''Aya!'' screamed Ulo telepathically. She is not happy. ''Look at these people, they are strong, but there is still fear in their eyes.'' ''Whatever enemy is coming is powerful; we should get out while we can,'' she said, and she was undoubtedly correct, but I don''t want to leave. ''We were not taking advantage of him. He is rich and alive because we have helped him.'' ''So, there is no need to feel indebted to him,'' she said, and she is correct, but I don''t want to leave. ''You are sick, Aya. It would be bad if you stayed here,'' she pleaded. ''I know,'' I replied, understanding what she was saying. I do not have a death wish, nor do I feel that much indebted to him, but I want to stay. Even I don''t fully understand the reason for this foolish decision. ''You leave. It will become very dangerous here,'' I advised my friend. It had an ivory handle with a beast pommel. A thick bronze semi-transparent coiling knuckle bow protects the fingers and joins the guard. The saber''s blade is dark red, and when I saw it clearly, I noticed the scaly pattern, like it was forged out of scales instead of metal. However, the most prominent part of it is the big ruby on a protecting langet on one side. No, not ruby, but faceted diamond, and it is captivating. "The answer is the same," replied the young man, but with a far more severe expression. The enemy grinned in the subsequent moment. The diamond shone brightly before a dark red fire came out of it. It was unlike any other fire I have seen before. A fire of many facets resembles a living gem, an intricate blaze that dances with myriad hues and patterns. It is a diamond fire, and it looks like millions of micro diamonds are burning inside it. The flames'' movement is hypnotic: sharp, angular leaps and mingles with pale, rounded flickers that radiate heat and hunger. The crackling sound of the fire mirrors its geometry, a symphony of sharp pops and low growls as if each flame sings its own crystalline note. It is as enthralling as it is horrifying. "Since you want to do it the hard way, I will show you the hard way," he said, raising his fiery saber. "Attack!" he ordered and slashed his saber in the air. Immediately, a vast arc of fire came toward us, and behind it was a shower of spells and arrows. Overwhelmed by the site of it, a horror couldn''t help but rise in my heart. This attack is too powerful. I know there is no way they could defend themselves from it. ''I made a mistake,'' The thought rose in my heart, and I stepped back before stopping and looking around in surprise. Ulo and I were the only two who had taken a step back, while all the others remained in their places. Every soldier, woman, and, most importantly, those three in front remained where they were. That young man had even taken a protective step forward. At that moment, I understood why I had stayed. I had joined the army at fourteen. I was excited but became disenchanted with its politics, pettiness, and betrayals; I suffered under it. Most importantly, I had never seen loyalty in the eyes of any soldier like I am seeing in these people. I had never known such loyalty. It made me curious. Desperate for answers, I decided to risk my life for it, and now I got the answer, seeing that this young man took a step forward toward the arc. The fiery arc arrived quickly and crushed through everything. The wooden spikes, the earth wall, and everything else in its path before reaching the young man. His eyes became unbending, and in the next moment, a suppressive atmosphere filled the battlefield. I could see Ulo''s eyes mirroring mine, once again in shock at this man, as we felt it. It is Aura. This very young man had awakened the aura. The feeling only lasted for a moment before receding, but I could still feel it faintly. As it happened, he acted. He slashed his rapier toward the attacking arc. It was not a blade he used when fighting against the bandits and monsters. That was a sword; this is a rapier. Bang! The rapier clashed with the arc of fire and, to my repeating shock. It stopped it. The arc of fire struggled against it for a moment before it was repelled back toward the enemies while everyone watched in shock. ???? This holiday season, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! ???? Chapter 545: Battle In The Forest I Chapter 545: Battle In The Forest I Wishing you all a Happy New Year! Bang! A deafening roar shattered the night as my blade collided with the surging arc of diamond fire. It was powerful. So much so that it threatened to push me back. I did not let it. Instead, I drove more of my aura against the attack. Finally, it snapped. The diamond fire recoiled, its predatory light twisting as though in pain before hurtling back toward the enemy ranks. For a breathless moment, silence hung heavy in the air. Then I saw it¡ªthe widening eyes of my enemies, their expressions twisting from smug triumph to raw disbelief. The arc tore through their defences like a vengeful spirit, obliterating the volley of arrows and spells they had unleashed, leaving only destruction in its wake. Graceful Repel. It is a skill from Bell, and since it''s from her Lord Class, I am glad I had copied this skill instead of Focus. It helped me a lot in the battle of Panar, but I don''t know how much it will help me against the elemental artifact. That artifact is powerful and unlike Stone''s. The saber is not broken, making it far more dangerous. "I have to admit," he drawled, his smirk cutting deeper than his blade ever could, "your little show of skill is... surprising. Really, it is." His steps echoed as he closed the distance, slow and deliberate, like a wolf savoring the scent of cornered prey. "But let''s not kid ourselves¡ªit won''t save you." His steps were slow, but his people moved fast. They cast spells that destroyed every obstacle before attacking my people. Clang! The clash of steel rang out, far too close for comfort. The rogue struck, her movements a blur, but Jon was there to meet her blade. She had seriously injured Jon last time; this time, it would be even worse, as she knew everything about him¡ªhis every skill while she might be hiding some of hers. It wasn''t just Jon. Now, it was all of us. They knew our every move, every weakness, every one of our skills. It didn''t stop us from forming our plans, and one of them was to have Leila, Lena, and Zela finish their opponents as soon as possible and come to help me. We know that task wouldn''t be easy. Still, I am keeping hope because I don''t think I can handle him with that thing in his hand for long. In the last battle, I was barely able to survive. I might have lost it if it had lasted for a minute or more. So, the bandits using a teleportation scroll was a blessing for me. Though he will not make a mistake now, in this attack, he took out the artifact to finish the job. "We shall see," I said, forcing every ounce of defiance into my voice, To which he grinned and appeared in front of me before swinging his saber. It blazed with living diamond fire cascading along the blade in a brilliant, searing dance, making my heart lurch and shudder. I controlled my emotions and swung my rapier with the power of Blade of The Gale, Mauling Strike, and Rapid Strikes. I powered them with my aura because without it. I won''t be able to last even a single exchange. Clang! Our weapons clashed, and I activated Quick Parry, but he broke it and sent the diamond fire toward me. Bang! Immediately, I activated Graceful Repel with the power of aura. The fire resisted and repelled it while I stepped back to manage the force. I didn''t hold back on my counter. Using the full power of the aura on me and my skills, he was still able to push me back. It might be an elemental artifact, but it still offers other enhancements. The cut isn''t as big as earlier, but the attack has more blaze, and now it wants to spread over me and burn me to ashes. I moved my aura to stop it but saw another attack approaching me. Clang! I stopped it, but I had to move two steps back, and he used that chance to attack again even faster. Bang Rip! He cut right below the chest armor with his saber, cutting through and touching the bone. I moved the aura toward it immediately and went to defend against another attack coming at me. My head had started to hurt terribly as I began to use the aura to manage the artifact''s power into my wound, the skills, and the suppression of him. With the last battle, my aura control had improved significantly. I used the day and a half to digest the concepts of aura control that I had read about and improve them further. I had confidence that if we fought again. I would be able to defeat this man, but the artifact had changed things completely. Now, I am at a more significant disadvantage than I had been at the first battle. More wounds tore across my body, each one burning. If this kept up, it wouldn''t just be pain¡ªit would be my undoing. The energy trapped within one of those wounds was already unstable, and the moment it slipped free, it would end me. I could feel the power of the artifact in the wound. It is hazardous; the slightest slip-up will kill me. I want to destroy them, but I am focusing on the aura of so many things that it has become more challenging for me and will become even harder. Bang Rip! I had just thought that when a cut appeared on my shoulder, I had moved the aura toward it. It increased pressure and intensified the headache I was feeling. Clang! While retreating, I defended the next attack and used this chance to appear behind the tree. His saber cut through the tree cleanly, giving me the chance to dodge the attack successfully. Bang Rip! I wasn''t so lucky the next time. The enemy was able to cut me at the waist, increasing the pressure on me further. He is too powerful. It is too hard to defend against his attacks. I am pushing an aura into my body and my skills and onto him, but this time, it barely affects him. The artifact is providing him protection against it. I want to move my aura from him, but it''s not just suppressing him. It also showed me his every moment, helping me react faster to his attack. Though not fast enough, even though I have the skill of Fast Reflex, It will be challenging to increase my power further with aura. I will try; it will help if I can react faster than I am now. I do not want to kill him, nor do I believe I could, but it would make defending easier if I could react faster. It would be enough to defend, but I am already reacting with Fast Reflex. If I want to react even faster, I must boost the Fast Reflexes'' power. It is hard. I use aura on every skill except for the passive skills. It''s beyond hard; there seemed to be a wall stopping it. Many times, I tried to breach it but failed. Bell had said I would need at least a year or more to achieve that. With how things are going, I don''t have a year, I don''t even have a minute. I will have to do it. Make it stronger. It was the only way I could survive against this powerful enemy. This New Year, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! Chapter 546: Battle In The Forest II Chapter 546: Battle In The Forest II Torug Yregh Bang Rip! ''Eleven,'' I counted, giving another cut across his stomach. One was all I took to deal with 90% of the enemies I had used the artifact against. Five was the highest. All those enemies were stronger than me. It''s the reason I used the artifact against them. Killing them all without exception, but here, despite cutting him eleven times, he is still alive. The reason is aura. It made things harder last time and is making them harder now. I didn''t think he would be able to survive for so long, but he is. I am in a precarious situation, teetering on the edge of failure. Time was slipping through my fingers like sand, and I needed to capture him¡ªnow. Every second wasted was a step closer to losing my chance to deliver him to the designated spot before it was too late. The contract is rigorous. I have read it a hundred times, and there is no exception. I will have to do what it had asked or suffer death. I moved again, and he retreated, using the thick trees around us. Bang Rip! I cut through them before attacking him. Giving him another cut across his stomach. Anger surged through me, hot and blinding, as I watched him still standing. My attacks, which should have torn him apart, barely scratched him. This artifact had split others clean in two with a single swing¡ªyet against him; it was as if I were striking stone. "Resistance is futile. Just give up, Silver," I said. It is clear that it is futile. He might be resisting now, but he won''t be for forever. I could see in his face how hard it was for him to dodge my attack. If it hit him, his difficulties would increase further as he had to deal with the artifact''s energy. "I will give up IF you will defeat me; you haven''t yet. You haven''t yet!" the young man replied defiantly. I didn''t say anything to that and attacked again. He dodged it and then another before I touched him again, bringing his injuries to thirteen, and attacked again without wasting any time. I have to deal with him fast before diving into the battle to kill all of his entourage. It will be troublesome if I leave them alive. Besides, the employers added extra benefits to the contract with the death of each one. So, there is another reason for me to kill them. There are a few tricky ones among the enemies, but once I joined my people. They will all be burned to ashes without any exception. Especially that ice elemental spell blade. This time, three mages and spell blades are dealing with her, and she is still giving them trouble. I pushed those thoughts and attacked again, going for his chest. Clang! He defended it. Something he didn''t manage to do since I increased the power. His power didn''t increase, but he defended it with a smile appearing on his face. "A fluke," I told myself, gripping the weapon tighter. With a snarl, I launched another attack, determined to prove that he wouldn''t escape unscathed this time. He moved his blade, and its speed did not increase. It was at the same speed as before. Hun! This relieved me, but a moment later, I noticed something. His blade moved according to mine, which it does every time, but it followed my saber eerily accurately this time. Soon, my saber reached his blade, and I activated Weaving Evasion despite my strain. He took the short sword from his waist and moved toward the fire arcs defending against them. Bang Bang Bang! It surprised me to see how efficiently he is defending the diamond fire attacks with it¡ªnot awkwardly, as I had expected from the non-dominant hand. Clang! His rapier stopped my attack before taking a step back. I didn''t immediately follow and sent the arcs, bigger ones with greater power, before following behind. Bang Bang Rip! He defended the fiery arcs again but couldn''t defend against my saber. I cut him across his waist, and this time, the cut isn''t small. I could see him turning even paler. It is not just this cut, but all the cuts, and, most importantly, the strain he is feeling must be extreme pressure. I read about aura and even talked to a few who have it. They have described its power but also the strain it put on them. It could be reduced with practice and experience. This man, however, was a novice¡ªhe had barely wielded it for two months. His inexperience was evident, the strain already starting to show in the way he moved, how his grip faltered, how his breath came in ragged gasps. Bang Bang Rip! I once again released the arcs and attacked; this time, I touched him again. However, after I attacked him again, he defended and defended again. I kept attacking, and I could see him getting paler and paler with each attack. Soon, he had become even whiter than last time. He might defend, but for how long? I don''t think he will be able to do this for long. I just need to keep pushing. Increase the pressure until it becomes so great that he will fall dead. Still, I would prefer to deal with him first before that happens. I need to help others. I kept attacking from every side, taking advantage of my speed. He reacted fast, defending against all my attacks so that I couldn''t cut him. Every moment of it was maddening, and the anger simmered just beneath the surface. But I forced myself to keep it in check, focusing all my energy on the task at hand. I couldn''t afford to let frustration cloud my judgment¡ªnot now. Letting my emotions get wild wouldn''t be wise, especially when I am holding the thing in hand that had killed its previous owner. Using the artifact isn''t without a cost. It is powerful but straining-like aura. Using it, I need to keep my emotions under control, or it will make them burn like the fire it has within. The man who owned it before let it consume him, and the artifact fed. I still remember its destructive power. It had wiped out everything in its path, including the man holding it. When I reached the place of destruction, I saw nothing but charred bodies, including the person holding the saber. He had turned ashes when I removed the saber from his hand. I pushed those thoughts and focused on attacking the man before me. Seconds passed and turned into a minute, and he was still defending. He looked like a dead body, but he was still fighting. Hun! I had appeared behind him and was about to attack when I sensed something. ''Hortu is dead!'' informed Fodulir. He did not have to tell me. I had sensed it. The enemy looked at me while I took a deep breath. "You have forced me!" I said, and the next moment. The strain on me increased while the fire on my saber exploded wildly. I did not want to do this because of this strain and backlash; I would suffer, but seeing one of my core people die, I have to do this. Finish him and rest, or we will join Hortu in the afterlife. This Holiday, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! Chapter 547: Battle In The Forest III Chapter 547: Battle In The Forest III "You''ve forced my hand," he growled, and before I could react, the fire along his saber erupted into a feral blaze. Damn it! My heart clenched, dread clawing its way up my spine. This was bad¡ªreally bad. I''d barely survived last time, defying all odds by accomplishing in days what Bell claimed would take a year. But now, that victory felt like a curse. I was able to push the aura on the passive skill, Fast Reflexes, and its effects were better than I had thought. My reaction became faster than my body could follow. This was not the case before. When I acquired the skill, it wasn''t difficult for my body to follow it. My training and skills helped me in the past, but I have to face this new problem now. I had pushed more aura into my body to synchronize it with the fast reaction. Still, I could barely move fast enough to match my reflexes, but thankfully, it was just enough to defend against his attacks¡ªeven when he started unleashing the arcs. Now, he had brought out a power that terrified me to my heart. "You shouldn''t use such power. The backlash wouldn''t be nice," I said, pushing more aura into charm. He had unleashed more power than his body could handle. It was written all over him¡ªthe bulging veins snaking across his massive frame, pulsing with a dangerous intensity, threatening to tear him apart from the inside. Making him look scary. "I will pull back power. If you surrender," he said with a grin, hoping I would comply. "Do your worst!" I challenged him to bait his anger even more. I really shouldn''t have done that¡ªbut of course, I did. And wouldn''t you know it? My success only cranked up his anger to a whole new level. "Die!" he said and swung his saber. Immediately, the sparkling faceted wave of fire came at me. It wasn''t just an arc this time¡ªit was a wave, a surging, all-consuming force that rippled through the air with terrifying intensity. The arcs he''d flung at me earlier, even the largest and fiercest from the beginning of the battle, seemed insignificant now. ''It will kill me!'' I thought in panic. I can''t dodge it. It is too fast and big. It will catch up to me. My only option is to defend, but it''s too huge. Still, I have to stop it if I want to survive. I have to survive, not only for myself but also for the people fighting to save me and my cities. If I fail, they will all die; my enemies will not let them live. As I accepted that, the realization hit me like a steadying hand in the chaos, sweeping away the panic that had clawed at my mind moments before. The fear, the racing pulse, the suffocating weight in my chest¡ªall of it dissolved. In its place, a profound calmness settled, like the eye of a storm had opened in my heart. I reached for Graceful Repel, attaching it to my short sword. I can not see it, but I could feel it. I have read about it and know it very well since I have used it many times, but now I will do something I have never done before. I know it could happen; I have seen Bell do it. Graceful Repel shook before it moved, by my will, with a life of its own. It detached itself from the blade and flew forward. The skill typically needs to be attached to something. It could be a body or weapon, but it is in the air, moving forward right now. The skill isn''t breaking the rules. It is attached to something: my aura, which I push in front of me. It didn''t only move, but it also began to stretch. With each meter forward, it grew, stretching even bigger. I understand it as a force field. It could take any shape. I had seen Bell forming it into different shapes, from spheres, cones, pyramids, and many others.No?v(el)B\\jnn I cannot do those complex shapes, nor do I need to. He attacked again; I dodged it, and the wave moved, burning everything in its path. Only the sound of pops and the growl of Diamond fire touched me. I am moving through the fiery ground as everything around me is burning. I am thankful that our duel has moved further away from the ongoing melee, or things would have been dangerous for my people. Even the terrain is becoming dangerous for me. This magical fire is hazardous, not to mention the smoke, which can kill before the fire does. I may be stronger than regular humans, but the smoke would still kill me if I had inhaled it too much. I dodged another wave and was delighted to see its effect on him. He was getting paler, with his veins popping up. That is why he changed the strategy after I dodged another attack. He stopped the range attacks and moved toward me. His speed is incredibly fast; he hasn''t just drawn the elemental power from the artifact but its physical enhancements as well. Increasing his speed, which is unsettling for me. He was slightly faster than me, and he slashed his saber forward as he came close. Immediately, another wave of fire came toward me, which couldn''t be avoided. The distance is too short. I slowed down and again poured all the aura into the Graceful Repel. Bang! The fiery wave clashed against it, and it stopped it, but soon, I realized another danger. "Now you are dead!" he said as he flashed in front of me like a ghost and attacked me with a sword blazing wildly. I moved my rapier forward, as before, I was slower. A fraction of a second later, it had become really fast. Making his eyes widen. I used the force field to repel the attack. Immediately, I pulled the aura back into my skills. Clang! I was barely able to move the rapier forward to stop his saber. It shook me, and I needed to step back to manage the force. I didn''t even pull half of the aura from the force field. It only took time before shrinking it and bringing it onto my rapier. However, lowering the power to force the field is not without consequences. Some of the power of the wave had leaked through the force field, burning me. It is affecting my body. Especially my hands; it feels terrible. Still, stopping isn''t an option. I have to kill my enemy, or he will kill me. "Why aren''t you giving up? You should know your life isn''t in danger. You are the host of legacy; they will not kill you." "Why struggle so much?" he asked. "Because I can," I replied, thick with defiance, pushing the aura further into my skill and attacking. Surprising him. It was the first time I did it. Since the battle started, I had either defended or dodged, never attacked, but now I did, despite it making me feel my soul was tearing apart. I didn''t pull out more aura for this. I don''t think there is anything more to give. No, I had just fine-tuned it. I am gaining more control over it than I had before. ?????????This Holiday, enjoy 50% off on our with code HOLIDAYFIFTY¡ªdon¡¯t miss out! ????????? Chapter 548: Fire and Ashes Chapter 548: Fire and Ashes Clang! He defended quickly before attacking. It was a powerful attack filled with all his fury. Seeing me attacking him. I defended the attack, but he repeatedly attacked with the glittering fire burning wildly across his saber. This fire was leaking through the force field, burning me! I defended seven times before I was able to attack once again. Unable to breach his defence, he struck me four times before I attacked again. I am constantly shifting my aura around my skills. Before, it was like a thick rope, but now it is slimming down without losing the power. I''m controlling the aura with greater precision and moving it swiftly simultaneously. I use more aura on my offensive skills when attacking, but as the blades clash, I shift more aura into the Graceful Repel. This approach has reduced the strain it was putting on my body. As the seconds ticked by, a small smile crept onto my face. I had accomplished something extraordinary. I had succeeded in chipping away at the artifact''s power, starting from the first wound it inflicted on me. The aura it had bound was now finally freed. I moved that aura immediately into the skills. Strengthening them a little more. Clang, Clang, Clang! We moved in our own personal hellscape as our blades clashed fast and hard. Every attack would send out more scorching fire around us, making things harder on me. My eyes have already started to tear up, but unlike me, he is protected from fire, and the smoke also doesn''t seem to affect him much. However, his condition deteriorates as he draws more power from the artifact than his body can endure. Yet, like me, he continues to bear it, refusing to relent. We are both nearing the limit, but we are pushing ourselves. Another wound cleared, and like before, I shifted that aura into the skills. The whittling is happening much faster than before because I understand what I have to do to remove it and also because of my improving control. With an aura, control is everything. How finely one controls one''s aura determines one''s power. My control is visibly improving as I fight, enhancing my attacks and defense. Clang, Clang, Clang! The tone of our battle has changed with the clashing of our blades, and now every other strike is from me. Somehow, we are now fighting on equal terms. Which isn''t making him happy. There is a raging anger in his eyes, which is making the sword blaze even more wildly. It is likely that this artifact emotionally synchronizes with its user. These kinds of artifacts are powerful, but they are also a double-edged sword. The user must maintain control over their emotions, or else they will be consumed by them. There is a long list of users that such artifacts have consumed. His artifact is likely affecting him, amplifying his emotions. This is why the fire is getting wilder and more consuming, making it hard to gain an edge. "Your emotions are getting messed up by your artifact. If this keeps up, it''ll consume you," I said, launching my attack. "So what? I''ll die if I don''t take you down first," he shot back, laughing like a maniac. A second later, his veins were pulsating, turning a sickening red, and bloody mist started seeping from his body. His eyes glowed a deep crimson, sparkling like the fire on his saber. I froze, every hair on my body standing on end. ''Well, that backfired,'' I thought. Should''ve kept my mouth shut! My words have taken him over the edge. He has let the artifact take hold of him. Artifacts aren''t alive, but some are made of things that were once alive. Those original emotions remain, and they can affect users if they don''t guard their minds well. I grinned, bloody, and attacked while he raged. He might have lost his mind, but he could still see the things that were bad for him, and that made him even more angry. CLANG CLANG CLANG! We clashed, and he shook, making my grin even wider. I attacked again, pushing him back a step. A shock appeared in his eyes. "Ahhhhhhh....." At that moment, he had wholly lost it. There is no hint of sanity in his eyes, only rage. The fire flared across his saber and covered him. Making him a being of fire. "BURN!" He let out a roar, but it wasn''t his voice¡ªno, it was something far more monstrous, as though the very essence of the artifact had taken over him. With a swing of his saber, he unleashed a fierce power that would instantly shatter my skill. I felt the urge to retreat, the survival instinct screaming in my mind. I almost did¡ªalmost. But I knew that retreating meant certain death. Staying in my usual response would lead to the same grim fate. Another second, a daring idea flashed into my mind: reckless and dangerous. Without a moment''s hesitation, I acted on it, throwing caution to the wind. I gathered every ounce of aura I had left and shoved it into Blitz Steps, propelling myself toward him with everything I could muster. In mid-air, I shifted all that energy into Graceful Repel and Razor Edge, molding them together with a raw, unrelenting focus. The control wasn''t there¡ªnot at first. But I willed it with sheer force, bending the Graceful Repel into a sharp, powerful wedge. I wrapped Razor Edge around it, creating a deadly shield with me standing just behind it, the blade positioned at its very edge, ready for the strike. As I flew toward him, he saw me coming, and just as I had anticipated, his saber shifted, the fire flaring in response to my move. The bandit may have lost his mind, but his instincts were still sharp, his deadly precision intact. He swung his saber in a way that would exploit my every move, positioning himself to take full advantage of my strike. In the blink of an eye, I reached him, the wedge of Graceful Repel cutting through the thick fire that had enveloped him. Our weapons finally collided in a deafening clash. Just as I had anticipated, the full power of the artifact surged to try and break the wedge, its overwhelming force transferring solely upon it. It was the only way he could burn me¡ªchanneling all its power into one last, desperate attempt. But as the fire surged forward, I shifted with it. My short sword, wrapped in the deadly Razor Edge, drove toward the enemy with swift, lethal precision, its edge gleaming as it closed in. Crack Crack Crack Another second passed, and it happened: I began to hear a faint crack in my mind. The fire was too much for the skill, and it had started to crack. "Ahhhhhhhh...." Each sound felt like someone hacking my soul with a blunt ax. It was beyond painful, with the promise to take me to oblivion. I bore it and didn''t stop what I was doing. The enemy finally noticed and reacted instinctually, but it was too late. The short sword was now so close that there was no time for him to evade it. Yet, even in that split second, he made an effort¡ªan instinctual, desperate attempt to shift and avoid the strike. But he saw it too late. I had pushed myself, my body moving with a force I hadn''t thought possible, driving the sword forward with everything I had. Puch! At last, the blade struck true, driving into his skull with unrelenting force. It tore through flesh and bone, emerging clean on the other side, a grim testament to the sheer, unyielding power behind the strike. I released my grip, my gaze locking onto the enemy¡ªand my breath caught in disbelief. He was still alive. A cold shudder shot through my chest, but before I could react, something changed. The searing fire that had been consuming me moments before began to fade, its blistering heat vanishing into thin air. No¡ªnot vanishing. It was being drawn into the saber, the flames swirling toward it like a ravenous vortex. As the last ember disappeared, the enemy''s body began to darken, its flesh turning an unnatural, ashen black. A dreadful silence fell, the air thick with an eerie, foreboding stillness. He was still alive. Slowly, he opened his mouth, his cracked lips trembling as if summoning every ounce of strength he had left. "Y..." The single sound escaped him¡ªa fragment of a word, a question, a curse¡ªI would never know. Before he could finish, his face darkened, the ashen blackness consuming him entirely. Then, with a brittle, hollow crack, his body crumbled, collapsing into a mound of ash that scattered into the wind, leaving nothing behind but the echo of his final, unfinished word. New Year, new perks! Get 50% OFF your first month on ¨C join now and unlock exclusive content for half the price! Chapter 549: End Chapter 549: End The mound of ash smoldered in the dim, suffocating air. Relief coursed through me, bitter and fleeting¡ªI had survived, but I wasn''t whole. My body screamed in protest, every muscle fraying under the weight of what I had endured. I knew I had pushed too far, too hard. There would be a reckoning for this. I swayed on my feet, teetering on the edge of surrender. The thought of letting go whispered its dark promise, almost tempting me to collapse. But the acrid heat of the inferno clawing at my skin jolted me back to harsh reality. If I lost consciousness now, I would never rise again. The world around me was still aflame, a ravenous beast devouring everything in its path. My people were out there, still fighting, still believing. I couldn''t abandon them. The enemy... they wouldn''t relent. They had signed their death contract, bound by their ruthless creed. They would fight until they were destroyed. That left only one choice for me. I staggered forward, each step a battle against the heavy air and my heavier limbs. My hand brushed against the artifact, now safely stashed in my bag¡ªmiraculously intact. A faint surge of resolve pulsed through me. I reached into the bag, fingers fumbling before closing around something smooth and fragile. I withdrew it¡ªa glass orb filled with swirling, colorful liquid, the hues shifting and churning like a storm contained. Charms dangled from its surface, tinkling softly in the chaos. This fragile object held power. "Itestem," I activated it and dropped the ball on the ground. Hun! I was about to walk away when a powerful feeling came over me. It is vast and suppressive. Bearing the power to crush the mountains and drain the seas. It had been described to me, but it was the first time I had felt it. Aura Awakening. Someone had awakened the aura. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, sharp and electrifying. But when I saw who it was, my heart jolted with surprise. Of all people, it was one of mine¡ªsomeone I never would have expected. The shock froze me for only a fraction of a second, a fleeting moment of disbelief and wonder. Then instinct took over, and I surged forward. My Blitz Steps ignited, fueled by the aura now thrumming through the air, a cascade of power propelling me forward in a blur. There was no time for hesitation¡ªonly action. It is extremely painful to hold my aura, but despite having the edge, the condition of my people isn''t good. The enemy they faced was terrifying in their resolve¡ªwarriors bound by a contract that left no room for retreat. Death didn''t scare them; it was their only escape if they failed. They fought like cornered beasts, throwing their lives into every strike and every step, making them almost impossible to defeat. It took me only seconds to reach the battlefield, my aura-enhanced Blitz Steps guiding my movement. But when I arrived, the scene before me froze me in place, my eyes widening in shock. I saw my people, battered and bloody, fighting with everything they had. Some seemed barely able to stand, yet they refused to fall, their determination as unyielding as the battlefield itself. The air was thick with the metallic taste of blood and the crackle of unleashed aura, each moment a desperate struggle for survival. Zaris caught my eye first. His condition was dire, his body bruised and bloodied, yet he pressed on. My sister was at his side, her face a mask of grit and pain, her movements relentless as she fought off three enemies at once. Two had already fallen, their bodies broken and motionless, but the remaining pair were just as battered as she was. Every strike she delivered seemed pulled from the depths of her will. Then there was Jon. He was a shadow of himself, his body covered in wounds, each movement a testament to sheer willpower. Yet, even in his state, his opponent hesitated, stepping back with wary eyes. The shimmering aura enveloped Jon, flickering with raw power¡ªa warning that he still had fight left in him. Jon was not the worst off. All around me were warriors whose conditions were even grimmer¡ªfaces pale with blood loss, limbs trembling with exhaustion, and yet they kept fighting, refusing to yield. Some had fallen with weapons still clutched tightly in their hands as if refusing surrender, even in death. My people had died; more would follow if this battle dragged on. The only way to end this was to end them. Every single enemy had to fall. There was no other path, no room for mercy. Resolve hardened within me like steel. With a deep breath, I surged forward, my steps driven by purpose. This fight would end¡ªno matter the cost. ...... Uloth "Monsters, these people are monsters," I said as I looked at the battlefield. It is not just the enemies but also those from John''s people; that name isn''t right... I thought. I had witnessed many battles, but none as brutal as this one. The air was alive with chaos, powerful spells tearing through the battlefield like storms, leaving destruction in their wake. Blood stained every inch of ground, a grim testament to the ferocity of the fight. Then, my eyes rested on him¡ªthe man who had awakened the aura. He moved with a speed almost impossible to follow, a blur of raw power and defiance. I had thought he would be the first to fall, one of the powerful who would succumb too quickly to his mounting injuries. His body bore the marks of countless blows, wounds that should have broken him. Yet, against all odds, he awakened. The aura around him blazed like a second skin, his injuries no longer a hindrance but fuel for his resolve to survive. It is different from the aura I sensed from John. No, it is Silver. I had heard some call him by his true name. I feel Aura again; this new aura makes me shudder, while the one from Jon makes me weak to my knees. I was looking when I saw another figure appearing through the forest, and I shook with fear. The enemies are already too powerful. One more, and it will tip the scales against us. I fixed my gaze on him, my eyes narrowing to take in every detail. Then it hit me¡ªa jolt so sharp it felt like lightning striking my chest. Shock rippled through my heart, cold and unrelenting, as the realization set in. I saw the man burned to the inch of his life. His skin is blackened, and even his clothes and hair have burned. I wouldn''t have recognized him without the rapier he is holding. "Aya!" I screamed as I caught her and began hearing that dreadful cracking of bones. They were louder and sharper than the last time I had heard them. She had nearly lost her life at that time. If it was not that we were in the city and close to her healer, who was treating her for years. She would have lost her life. I immediately opened my new iles bag and took out her medicine. I always keep one batch with me. I opened it and took the spoon full of powder before feeding it to her. It didn''t seem to affect her. Her bones are still cracking. "Help!" I called out as loudly as I could. A few seconds later, I saw a woman appear before me. Not a healer, but the water and light high mage. "What is happening to her?" she asked. "Aya has a bone-breaking disease. It attacks her whenever she exhausts herself," I replied quickly. "Please call the healer," I pleaded, but the woman didn''t move. Instead, her staff lit up, and a moment later, a water and light elemental spell covered Aya. Immediately, I know that it is a healing spell. Seeing that she had healing spells, my eyes couldn''t help but widen. These are the two most powerful healing elements, and she has both. ''Why was she fighting, then?'' I asked. She will earn far more by being a healer. Healers at the High-Mage level are highly valued. Those thoughts remained only a fraction of a second inside me before I focused on my friend and saw a Grade IV healing spell had only slightly slowed down the bone breaking inside her. "It''s not working," I said, pleadingly looking at her. She sat down beside me and cast another spell. It''s not a healing spell, but a different one. "Her bones are breaking, but they are not moving out of their place," she said with a frown appearing on her face. "Aya has Bone Alignment skills," I replied. It is the best skill for someone like her. Healers don''t need to align her bones before healing her. Her skill will keep them in their places even if they break. It makes healers'' job much easier, but they are breaking intensely right now. If this continued, she wouldn''t be able to survive for more than a few minutes. The breaking is moving quickly toward her spine from her limbs. "Please save her," I pleaded. She is my best friend. My sister, I will not be able to bear her loss. "Have you fed her potions?" she asked. "Yes, but it''s not working," I replied. She nodded, put her hand into her bag, and took a potion. I was about to say the potion wasn''t working when I stopped in my tracks. The potion is a glittering solution. Seeing it, amazement couldn''t help but appear in my heart. When I joined the guild, I saw this thing. The guild informs the recruit about many things, and this is one of them. This was one of the few things they had shown us physically, not just their pictures. It was one of the guild master''s proudest possessions. Emotion essence potion. She opened the bottle and dropped a few drops on Aya''s tongue before closing the bottle. A moment later, the breaking slowed down, and within a second. It stopped with the color, returning to Aya''s face. "It worked," said the woman while I was still stupefied. Emotion essence potions are expensive. One couldn''t get them, even when one has the money. People need to have a connection as well. People use them in the direst conditions when their lives are in danger. They didn''t use them on any Lv. 20. Especially not on the mercenary they hired. ''Who are these people?'' I couldn''t help but ask before focusing on my friend, who had opened her eyes. "Thank you," she thanked weakly. "You don''t have to thank me. You deserve it," "Rest and don''t strain yourself. Amazing as this potion is, it only solved the problem temporarily." She replied with a smile before getting up and walking away. I helped Aya lay down on the ground properly from my lap. "Sleep. I will watch over you," I said, and this time, she didn''t argue and closed her eyes. Time passed as I looked around with healers, healing people and covering dead bodies. Many of his people died, including an important one. Hun! I was half asleep. I felt it before I released it. When I opened my eyes, I heard the new sounds. I saw men standing on alert when a group of people appeared on the beasts. Led by a half-orc man in a mage robe. Seeing him, I couldn''t help but be surprised. I know him. He is one of the most important people in Vudiz City. New Year, new perks! Get 50% OFF your first month on ¨C join now and unlock exclusive content for half the price! Chapter 550: Waking Up Chapter 550: Waking Up Ashton Harbor "They failed," said the Armoured man with his expression terrible. Months of preparation and a lot of money had gone into this, but despite that, it all failed. "It has," replied the man with the staff before turning. "From now on, focus on our preparations. The enemy has been lucky, but no matter how lucky he is, we will have him and his cities as his deathless desires." the man with the staff added. "Yes, my lord," the armored man affirmed, his voice cold and unwavering. Inside, a dark promise brewed: This humiliation would not go unpunished.No?v(el)B\\jnn ... Frostblade Baroness Lv. 35 Wandering Captain Lv.27 Wandering Captain Lv. 28 {Skill Gained: ...} {Condition Met: Novice Mage- Mage} Mage Lv. 10 Mage Lv. 11 {Spell Gained: Phantom Hand} Scarlet Headmistress Lv. 35 Gilded Jeweller Lv. 36 {Skill Gained: Gleaming Infusion} ... Bell Guide of Shining Adepts Lv. 16 Guide of Shining Adepts Lv. 17 {Skill Gained: Meditative Touch} Riveting Lady of Brothel and Promise Lv. 27 I looked at the text, and a surprise couldn''t help but appear on my face. I had slept late after we received news about Silver''s safety. I was one of the few people who knew the secret about what was really happening. I was in that super-secret meeting, where only an exclusive group of people, Silver Trust, were explicitly present. It was a bloody battle, and they lost many of our people, including one pretty important one, but thankfully, Silver survived. His condition is severe, but he will survive. My eyes returned to the text in front of me, and once again, I couldn''t help but be surprised. Guide of Shining Adepts is the class I got after I started guiding General Stone. It is a powerful and hereditary class, enabling the teaching of powerful individuals. My mother had it, and so did my grandfather, Great-Grandmother, and so on. When I got it, I cried for an hour. Even with this long history, it is not an inheritance class; it would never reach Lv. 50. We would merge it with our main class before that. Mom said the best way to do that was when it reached Lv. 30. That is why I did not let it merge with my primary class at Lv. 10. By Lv. 30, I will gain enough skills to guide any powerhouse expertly. My family taught me that the merger strengthens our core class immensely. By mentoring influential figures¡ªwhether they are powerhouses or lords¡ªwe not only impart knowledge but also forge powerful relationships. These connections are crucial, expanding our reach and solidifying our influence. With every alliance, we grow stronger and more entrenched in the fabric of power. I am now the youngest one to get it. All my ancestors were forty or above when they got it, including my mother, who was the youngest to get it before me. This class helps us teach aura control to others. Therefore, we need to master the aura before teaching it to others. The class had reached Lv. 17. It had leveled up twice, which is a surprise. It had yet to do that since I crossed Lv. 10. He must have done something extraordinary with his aura. The sheer magnitude of it was enough to push me beyond my limits, making me level up not once but twice. Unofficially, of course. The old man opened his mouth and closed it before opening it again. "The Archimage asked me to convey that he is glad you are safe and sound," said the man. "Please thank the Archimage from me," I replied. There was silence before the older woman stepped beside me. "Your physical injuries have been healed. We could remove the bandages now, but your spirit is still healing," she said. "Do not use your skills for at least ten days and aura for two weeks," she instructed. "I will follow your advice," I replied. I don''t think I could even use my skills or aura. I feel that if I tried, I would feel something I wouldn''t like. The old lady smiled before slowly and expertly starting to remove my bandages. She started with my right hand, which suffered the most burn damage. When I looked, I saw the damage had healed. There is not a single burn mark. Most of it looks to be healed, but not all. "Try moving your fingers?" she asked, and I did. The control was fine as before, but it was a concern after seeing how injured I was. My body will return to normal in a few days. I am more worried about my spirit. The attack proved that my enemies were targeting me, and they were willing to pay an extreme price for me. "Done," she said as she removed all the bandages. A moment later, she took a salve and applied it to my body. "Please follow my instructions for your quick recovery. I have given the medicine to your people and will come to check on you tonight," She left. The man seemed to think we wanted to discuss something, but he decided to do that later. Soon, they had left, and I felt the privacy skills and spells activating. "What are the casualties?" I asked. I have seen dead bodies. I also know some of my people were in the serious condition. "Total nine people in both battles," replied Zela. I had never suffered such a percentage of casualties. A third of my people died, which is enough to show how dangerous the enemies were, and that is after all the preparations we had made for the journey. Even with the preparation of carefully choosing the right people, despite that, so many had died. "Lt. Colonel Zaris didn''t make it," she added. Hearing that, I sighed. I remember the last time I saw Zaris, his condition was terrible, but he was still fighting. "He was a brave man," said Margaux. "He was," I replied. There was a silence for nearly a minute before Jon became visible. He looks good, a little pale, but no visible injuries are remaining on him. "Congratulations, Jon," I congratulated. "Thank you, my lord," he replied before placing the bag in front of me. "Is everything in there?" I asked. I am asking about the artifact specifically. "Yes," he replied. "Good. Keep the bag; I am in no condition to have it on me," I replied. He nodded and took the bag before disappearing. "Has anyone been asking questions?" I asked. "The city has, but the stationmaster has kept them away. This manor we are staying in is their property," she replied. These stations belong to the Archmage City. They are quasi-embassies and are present in every major city on the continent. They have a lot of power, given that Archmage City is the most powerful entity on the entire continent. Even Baxar Dominion, with all its might, doesn''t go against them. It isn''t just because of their power but also the services they offer. Their stations have become integral to every city they are in. "It should be Friday, correct?" I asked, looking at the clock, which was telling me that it was morning. "We will leave tomorrow morning. We have to reach Archmage City before the opening," I stated. "Healer Gulfim has said that you should rest for a few days," said Margaux with concern. "I can rest while traveling," I replied. I would like to rest and recover before I leave. It is wise to do this with enemies who want to kill me, but unfortunately, I don''t have time. I need to reach Archmage City before the opening. New Year, new perks! Get 50% OFF your first month on ¨C join now and unlock exclusive content for half the price! Chapter 551: Open Brothel Chapter 551: Open Brothel "Let''s go," I said as I finished the lunch and swallowed my medicine. Jill pushed my wheelchair toward the door. I could not walk for more than a few minutes before it would tire me out. As I had said, I am not as healed as I looked. We stepped into the elevator, and it descended. It stopped, and we got out. As we exited the elevator, I saw two people waiting there. One is a dwarf, and the other is an orc. The dwarf man looked to be in his early thirties. He had bronze skin, earth-brown eyes, and a luxurious beard that would make any lover of beards envious. I am sure the man is spending quite a lot of money on maintaining it as such. He is Hekhal Hardhelm. He is from the station. Beside him is the orc in a suit. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. Tall with blue eyes and a brown hair bun. His name is Rog Ushnar, and he is from the city hall. Both of them would serve as my guides to the red-light district of Vudiz. While the red-light districts of Baxzar are well-known, they stand out as something unique. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Thank you for being my guides, gentlemen," I replied. A faint surprise flashed in their eyes before they smiled. "The pleasure is ours, Lord Silver," they replied. My wheelchair stopped beside the carriage, and I got up before stepping inside with Garzong''s help. The carriage moved, and soon it was out of the compound. I looked around and saw streets lined with massive mansions and for these mansions. An impressive amount of wood was used, giving them a more organic feeling. I have read about unique architecture and seen photos, but seeing it with my own eyes is an entirely different experience. "They are beautiful," I said. "The dominion has mastered the art of combining wood, bricks, and marble, creating structures that are uniquely ours¡ªones that have stood the test of millennia," replied Ushnar, the man from the city. Soon, the carriage moved out of the high-end street and into the ordinary streets. I could see the people, most of them orcs, but there are also humans, elves, and the occasional dwarf. The city is bustling, which isn''t surprising. Vudiz is as big as Owlspring and as prosperous. I looked at the scenery and felt its vibrancy. I am feeling it in my veins. It is not a simple impression but also a response from my class. I have a Lord Class. As it advances, it becomes more powerful. Its power goes beyond the classes and attributes; it senses and affects the things around me. It is now letting me feel the city is at a deeper level. If it rises high enough, it will start to influence the very domain I rule¡ªaffecting everything from the people and their classes to every other aspect of life within it. Much like in Namdar, the number of people with mage talent here exceeds the national average, with many possessing a strong affinity for the lightning element. In Baxzar, the dense forest isn''t just a result of the natural environment¡ªit''s also shaped by the classes of the powerful, their influence strengthening the land itself. Minutes passed, and soon, we reached the red-light district. They didn''t tell me, but I could feel it through my other class¡ªthe lust, the desperation, the exploitation. It seeped into the very air, as palpable as the tension surrounding me. It bombarded me. I looked around it and couldn''t help but get surprised. It isn''t just simple sex. Many girls are tied with ropes. Others are bound to wooden blocks. There is switching, hitting, and whipping, which even draws out blood. It is one big S&M club but without real restrictions. It is what drew me here. I wanted to see how it works. I could see the disgust clearly on the faces of the Dwarf and Orc, their expressions twisted with contempt. Meanwhile, flashes of anger flickered in the eyes of Margaux and Varza, their usually calm demeanor replaced with a quiet fury, especially when they looked at the people whipping the girls. While we looked at them, many looked back at us with astonishment and surprise in their eyes. Though not one had called out to us, they just scrutinized. "The life was bad for us, but this is terrible," said Margaux, shuddering in Privacy. "They should shut down this place," added Varza. Hearing that, I shook my head. "It isn''t easy," I replied. "This is part of the culture; it has broad support in the Dominion." It''s similar to bull-baiting sports and whale-hunting festivals back on Earth¡ªcontroversial, yes, but governments allow them to continue because they are seen as cultural traditions. Though this isn''t some festival, it happens every day, and many women die as a result. Some governors have tried to ban it, and a few cities have succeeded, but they are in the minority. As I mentioned, most of the tribes of Baxzar support it, and that influence outweighs any opposition. We were strolling when a fat orc flanked by two guards came running toward us. Ushnar waved at guards as they moved to stop him, and the fat orc slowly approached us. "Lord Silver, Cubab Gnorth. He owns many of the open brothels here. You can ask him any questions you have," introduced Ushnar. "My lord, it''s an honor to meet you. I had heard so much about you and your magnificent legacy," said the man fawningly. I nodded at the man and turned to Ushnar. "I would prefer someone with personal experience," I replied, surprising the fat Orc and others. They opened their mouth when I looked around and pointed at the half-elf woman standing in front of the group of girls not far away. She looked in her early fifties and better dressed than most girls¡ªlikely the madam. "Her," I said. Ushnar sighed, hearing that, before turning to the guard. "Jrav, bring her," he ordered. The guard nodded and walked toward the woman. I only chose her randomly, but when I looked at her clearly, I got a good sense from my class. It''s such a regret that I couldn''t use my skills. It would have helped. The guard reached her and said something that seemed to surprise the woman, but she followed the guard after some hesitation. As she came toward me, a surprise flashed in my eyes. She looked like a human but had elf ears and a light complexion. It is why, I thought, she was a half-elf, but after looking at those broad shoulders and a few other things. I don''t think she has the blood of only two races. I am sure there is some orc blood in her. Humans have broad shoulders, but such silhouettes of shoulders are common to orcs and dwarves. There is no dwarf blood. It is orc blood; other signs are all over her body, and my class laid them all open in front of me. New Year, new perks! Get 50% OFF your first month on ¨C join now and unlock exclusive content for half the price! Chapter 552: Veseraona Law I Chapter 552: Veseraona Law I Veseraona Law "Look at that carriage. It''s from the station," said Larmi as the beautiful carriage stopped beside the gate. I turned, and surprise couldn''t help but appear on my face. The carriages are magnificent, almost like the ones used by the influential people of the city. Carriages like these never come to the darkest part of the red-light district, especially one belonging to the station of Archimage City. "This didn''t look like a healer''s carriage," said Bulak. The only fine carriages that came here were from the healers. A few times a year, the city and station sent healers here to cleanse diseases we might have spread. Even their carriages seemed plain in front of this one. This one was guarded from all sides by powerful-looking bodyguards, who appeared braced for danger, their vigilant eyes scanning every angle, ready to defend against any threat that might strike from any direction. "Look at the guards¡ªthere are three groups. One is from the city, another is from the station, and the third group is unfamiliar." "Whoever it is, they must be pretty important for the city and station to send the guards for their security," said Arom, observant as ever. Soon, the door opened, and people began to step out. Among them were women¡ªstrikingly beautiful women. The sight caught me off guard, their presence unexpected and almost surreal. Women never come here. The only women that came here other than the whores are the healers, and they are never as pretty as these women. One of the women came out supporting a young human man. Who sat in a wheelchair, with guards surrounding him from all sides. "That''s Hekar Hardhelm; he is from the station," said Bolar, pointing at a dwarf wearing a beautiful mage robe. I recognize him, too. He sometimes comes with the healers. The beautiful teen girl pushed the wheelchair. The young man in it is handsome. He would have been more attractive if he had hair on his head.No?v(el)B\\jnn His eyes moved as he looked around. They never stopped in one place for more than a second. I was watching him when I saw Gnorth running toward the group with his two lackeys behind. I had never seen him run like this with his flesh jiggling. "I didn''t think the fatso could run," a girl muttered under her breath. "Quiet!" I snapped, my voice low and urgent. "There will be a terrible price if he hears you." My warning hung in the air, heavy with the weight of real fear. The girls shuddered and quieted down. Nobody wants to make Gnorth mad. When he is mad, bad things happen. He isn''t a man who can control himself when he is angry. The guards stopped him before letting him close. He directly walked toward the young man in the wheelchair and bowed with a fawning smile before saying something I couldn''t hear. The young man turned and looked around before his eyes locked on me. I thought he would look away, but he didn''t. He kept looking before uttering something. A moment later, I saw the guard coming toward me. "Aunty, he is coming toward us," said Kansa with worry. The guards are never a good thing. They are the worst of the worst people. However, this time, he didn''t seem to come toward me to satiate his deviant urges. He stopped beside me. "Come," he said, looking at me. Like I am the filthiest thing in the world. I am used to such gazes. Nearly all the people looked at us with the same gazes, but it didn''t stop them from using us to satisfy their deviant urges. Gnorth looks mad. There will be consequences for this. I am scared, but I push it away and look at the young man, who is looking around inquisitively. "Aside from hitting, whipping, canning. What sort of other plays happen here?" he asked. "Many," I replied, but he kept looking as if he wanted a detailed explanation. "Choking, drowning, hanging," I added. Naming the three that killed the girls here the most. I have seen many girls die by them, including my sister, with the man killing her and walking away without the slightest punishment. All they do is pay the negotiated price. This is the only value the girls have here, unlike other whores outside of this place. We are not people, only prizes that tribes conquered and sold here. "A lot of times, they turn fatal, I assume?" he asked, his eyes turning serious. I didn''t even utter the word. I simply nodded. "The girls who work here must get different classes from those who work outside?" I asked. "Yes," I replied. My class had changed within a month of coming here. I am glad it did because those skills saved my life more times than I could count. Though, they couldn''t save my sister. "Are all the women that work here conquered and sold here by the tribes?" he asked and looked at the woman with a staff. The staff lit up, and I felt something invisible. "I cast Privacy," informed the beautiful mage. It relieved me. Answering this question could really cause me trouble not only with Gnorth but also with the city. "Most, but some girls are from brothels outside, and some are criminals. They are sold here by the jailer," I replied. He continued to ask questions, all of which were surprising; many of them had never been asked to me by anyone. I answered them and was grateful for the privacy they activated. Those were questions that could cause me great trouble. Soon, we reached the end of the open brothel. "Thank you for satiating my curiosity, Miss Law," he thanked. I don''t know how to reply to that. So, I just nodded and looked at Gnorth, hoping he wouldn''t be too angry. Unfortunately, he was; I could see it in his eyes despite his smile. "I want her. What''s her contract price?" he asked, to my shock. Gnorth looked surprised. So are the people beside him, but not the women. "The city has jurisdiction on all the contracts here, Lord Silver. The city willing to give her to you free," said the orc man from the city, cutting Gnorth off. ''Lord!'' Saying, I am shocked. That would be an understatement. I have seen his class''s power, but it didn''t feel like the other lords. It had the flavor of the business. "Thank you, Mr. Ushnar, but I am planning to get a few more contracts and will pay market price for their contract," replied the young man. "As you wish, my lord," replied the man from the city. The young man smiled and turned to the two strikingly beautiful women beside him. "What are the requirements?" asked the older one before the man could say anything. "Not on levels or age, but selected those who experienced all the plays," he replied, and the woman simply nodded. A moment later, the young girl pushed the man toward the carriage, which had already arrived. Leaving only the two women and a few guards behind. New Year, new perks! Get 50% OFF your first month on ¨C join now and unlock exclusive content for half the price! Chapter 553: Veseraona Law II Chapter 553: Veseraona Law II "You have heard Master Silver''s requirement. Show us the best girls in that meet them, Miss Law," said the older woman, turning to me. "Who are you?" I asked instead of doing what she asked. I am now incredibly curious about these people. I thought these two women were mistresses, but the way the man looked at them did not suggest that they had that kind of relationship. The woman smiled before I felt her power. She is a whore! It made my eyes wide but also confused me extremely. This lady didn''t look like a whore, but she was. Looking at them, a whore would be the last thought in anyone''s mind. They looked like the wives and daughters of wealthy merchants. Nobles even. It isn''t just the looks and beautiful clothes and jewelry they are wearing, but also the way they talk and carry themselves, which is so unlike any whore I have ever seen. She is a whore. Madam, to be exact, and more powerful than I had ever sensed. Over Lv. 30. It also differs from all the Madam Class I had seen, including mine. Suppose we had been at the same level. I know she would be more powerful. "I am Margaux Swan, and this is Varza Steel," she introduced herself and the younger woman beside her, who, too, had flashed her class at me. She is a whore, too, and a powerful one at that. Definitely above Lv. 3o, with a vastly different class than the woman beside her, but it also has an element of Madam. She is weaker than the older woman, but it didn''t surprise me. "We should hurry, Miss Law. We have less than a day, and I want to choose some good girls," she said, walking ahead. I hurriedly followed. "Are you a Madam?" I asked as I appeared beside her. "Yes, kind of one," she replied with a smile. Which confused me, but I didn''t press her on it. "Where are you from in the West?" I asked as I led them toward my girls. Their accents made it clear that they were Westerners. I had heard it many times here. Many people from the West came here to satiate their deviant desires. "Greltheaven," she replied. "Harsoth Empire," she clarified, seeing the confusion on my face. "I heard big wars are going on in the empire. Including a civil war," I said, and they nodded. Soon, we reached my girls, and they looked at me in question. "Only half of them are present; the other half are working," informed her. She nodded and turned to Gnorth. "Mister Gnorth, bring the girls who are working and arrange the room for us," she said, with a tone that didn''t book any argument. It felt like the voice of a person who is used to having authority. "If you have the details of the girls, that would be much appreciated," she added with her words feeling like an order, and Gnorth isn''t the one to take orders from the whores. To my shock, a smile appeared on his face, which was his fawning one. "Of course. Miss Swan," he replied and said something to his two lackeys, who nodded and walked away. "What kind of room do you want, Miss Swan?" he asked. "Somewhere, we could sit comfortably and ask the girls a few questions," she replied. "My office would be the best choice. It is also where the details of the girls are," he replied and began leading the way. Soon, we reached a three-story building. It is where we stay. We might work openly, but need a place to eat and sleep. We entered inside and soon reached Gnorth''s offices on the top floor. "I am sorry for the mess," said Gnorth embarrassingly and cleaned up the mess at surprising speed before placing another chair behind the table and a stack of papers in front of them as they took the seat. "It''s in Brdus," said the woman, looking at the stack. "I could translate them for you, Miss Swan," offered Gnorth, hiding the lust he was feeling behind the fawning smile. "There is no need," she said before sliding the stack toward the younger woman. She looked at the stack before nodding. Margaux nodded and wrote it down in the diary. "Have you experienced every act that goes down here?" she asked. "Yes," affirmed Arom. This isn''t a question she should ask. Every girl here had gone through all the devious acts and nearly lost their lives. It is not their choice. If the clients want it, they will have to do it. "How many languages do you know, Miss Varguk?" they asked, surprising me. Even Arom looks surprised. It is a strange question. Nearly everyone knows the common, and that is enough. "I know common. Letis, Brdus, Rasalian. I also know Vastri, but not good enough," she replied, shocking me. Even those two look shocked. I have known the girl since she appeared, but I never knew she understood so many languages. "It''s quite a collection of language, you know, Miss Varguk," praised Margaux, with a slight smile on her face widening. "Thank you, Mistress," she replied. "Have you learned them here?" asked the younger woman. "No, father was a traveling merchant. I have traveled with him, learning the languages," she replied. "Do you have any other class than your main class?" she asked. "No," Arom replied. The response surprised me. I thought she would have classes like Learned or Scholar, but she was telling the truth. She had learned those languages before coming here. She had got the class a year after coming here. They asked more questions, and most of them seemed irrelevant to the business, except for the first few. "The last question. If you had a choice to pursue any passion or hobby, what would it be?" asked Margaux. It is her most irrelevant question ever. "Travel and reading," she replied after some hesitation, with hope flashing in her eyes for a moment. "Thank you for your time, Miss Varguk. That would be all," said Margaux. "Thank you, Mistresses," replied Arom, getting up before opening the robe sash. "Return that to me later," said Margaux, stopping her. Arom nodded, her eyes tearing before walking out of the room. "Do you have anything to say about her?" asked the older woman, surprising me. "She is a smart and observant girl," I replied. The woman nodded and scribbled something in her diary. As Arom left the room. Gralise came inside, and the human woman was wearing clothes. They begin again, asking the same question and taking notes. I looked at them sneakily, but she was writing in the language I couldn''t read. More and more girls appear before it''s my niece. She looked at me, and I wished I could tell her to do well. I want them to select her. I don''t know what the future holds, but I am sure whatever it is. It''s better than the hell we are in. I wish I had telepathic skills like Gnorth, but I did not. So, I tried to convey my meaning through my eyes. She seemed to understand it. She sat down, and they asked questions, and she answered them all. However, compared to the girls before her, she feels average. The only surprising thing about her is her second class. It''s her mother''s class. She taught her daughter her trade before she died. She had taken it over level 14, which was commendable in this hellhole. Soon, it was evening, and interviews continued. They asked questions and made notes without indicating their decisions. The interviews lasted until late at night when they stopped and discussed the list for an hour in privacy before finally presenting it. Subscribe to to unlock over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Chapter 554: Crossing Baxzar Chapter 554: Crossing Baxzar Merchant of Desire Lv. 36 I saw the text, and a smile appeared on my face. I needed it. The level-up was great yesterday, but I needed an attribute point. I wanted to use it for charm. Instead, I put it on strength, taking it to nineteen. I would have put it on the vitality, but it was already at twenty. I aim to take strength to twenty before I use any attribute points on mental attributes. Although mental skills would be more useful in Archmage City, after what I experienced, I want to increase my physical attributes.No?v(el)B\\jnn I won''t assign any points to mental attributes until I take strength to twenty. I pushed the text away and slowly got up from the bed. I am feeling better than yesterday, but I am still weak¡ªenough that even a level 10 wouldn''t have any problem defeating me. I quickly freshened in the shower before carefully walking out and sitting on the bed. Even these simple movements have left me exhausted. I looked outside. It was still dark, but just before dawn. In a few minutes, the sun would start to come out. After a minute of rest, I got up and changed into a suit before leaving the bedroom. Only to see Margaux and Varza sitting there. When I returned from meeting the Governor of Vudiz last night, they hadn''t returned; they were busy with their work. I didn''t want to go through with the meeting, but I had no choice as a matter of noble formality. Thankfully, having the stationmaster by my side spared me from facing a barrage of probing and politically charged questions. I have also used many methods to mask the artifact''s traces, including that charm Caena had made. It was a very expensive one. Made with Grade IV emotion essence. The charm was designed to create confusion, obscuring the things I wanted to keep hidden and making it significantly harder for anyone to uncover them. The curious will need very competent people with specific classes to discover what happened there. "You should have rested more. We have a long journey ahead of us," I told the two ladies as I slowly sat down. "We have, Master Silver," she replied. They have rest skills. Even when I use one of Caena''s charms, I do not feel as rested as these two are looking. A moment later, Varza slid a file toward me. I picked it up and opened it. When I stopped myself, I nearly activated Insightful Reading. Using my skills had become an instinct. It is my most used skill. Although my reading speed is noticeably slower, it is still much faster than when I first came to this world. Although I may not use skills, I still have powerful, high-mental attributes. The file had information about the girls we had selected. There are a total of thirty-nine of them. Including the woman I had chosen. Even before I had gotten into the brothel business, I had a plan that would require these girls with skills and experience. I read the book till we stopped for lunch near a settlement. We intentionally did that in case there is an attack. Even with the addition of the station''s escort. We do not want to take any chances. After eating, we resumed our journey while I slept more. When I woke up, it was an evening. "Where are we?" I asked as I adjusted the seat. "Near Nadra," replied Zela. It is a city near an extreme magic region. Five cities surround it. Baxzar has the highest concentration of EMRs. They are the source of the greatest danger¡ªgreater even than the undead¡ªbut they are also the foundation of immense wealth and the rise of unparalleled powerhouses. This balance defines their strength and resilience, a point of pride for the Dominion. We didn''t stop for dinner and continued traveling until we reached a medium-sized city at eleven. We have already made arrangements. We rented the whole inn and hired local private security. Seeing what had happened with the others, I was uncomfortable with it, but there was no other option. We had a quick dinner before going to our rooms to sleep. I lay on the bed and closed my eyes to sleep. It will be my last night in Baxzar. Hereafter, it will be south into Rasal and Archmage City before dawn the day after tomorrow. I have to be there before the opening ceremony¡ªthere''s no room for delay. It''s absolutely crucial to my plans. I fell asleep and woke up at dawn. Click! When I stepped out, I saw Jon sitting in the living room with his eyes closed. "You are doing it too fast. It is creating instability. Take it slower," I advised gently, sensing the flow of his aura. He is practicing it every morning and night, as it is the only free time he has. He doesn''t do it during the travel. There, he only focuses on his job. This made me feel bad. I knew how much I wanted to practice it when I awoken the aura. I watched him while I read through the city''s reports. Most of it isn''t secret and wouldn''t affect things, even if it were leaked. Soon, Jon opened his eyes, his exhaustion evident in every aspect of his body language. "It is so hard. I can barely practice for a few minutes, which makes me dead tired," he said. "It will get better as you practice more," I replied with a smile. I also desperately wanted to practice my aura. In the battle, I pushed myself hard and made progress that would have usually taken me a long time to make. I want to consolidate that progress and try new things. Unfortunately, I can''t use aura until I recover. I can''t even use the skills I have become so dependent on. A few minutes later, we walked out and had breakfast with everybody before leaving the inn. Soon, our carriages reached the city gates and passed through them. This is the last city of Baxzar we will enter. After we cross it, we will move to the fortress at the boundary. Hours passed and in the late morning. We had crossed into the Kingdom of Rasal. We will be in Archmage City before sunrise tomorrow if everything goes well. Subscribe to to unlock over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Chapter 555: Plans and Politics Chapter 555: Plans and Politics Baron Homer Council Hall, Lauryl. "The past two weeks have been a little calm, but their attacks increased further this week," said General Jarvis, sending the documents to us. I activated Fast Read and reviewed them all. After reading them, my expression turned serious. There have been seventeen attacks on the territories in the past week. Half of them were in the territories of Baroness Silver and Baron Harrods. One had occurred in mine, but thankfully, my men had dealt with it without casualties. "The attacks are growing and becoming increasingly dangerous," said Baron Rose. "I hope the council will agree to release more funds for the fort to speed up its construction and increase recruitment by 20%," requested General Mark. "Council is in a tight spot, General. We cannot release any funds," rejected Baron Lockridge. He is leading the council in the absence of Baron Husk. I couldn''t help but feel a spark of anger at hearing that. Lockridge''s territory is on the southern side, opposite of us. The monsters must go through nearly all the baronies to reach his territory. I wish I could object, but we had already made a deal over the finances, so there isn''t much I could do. "Though, when the council convenes in full. I will support the increase in the recruitment," the baron added. Of course, he will support that. His territory is no less at risk than ours, though the threat takes a different form. Dane''s gaze remains fixed on us. But if he were to return, Lockridge''s land would likely be among the first to fall under attack. "The next agenda is orcs. Six hundred and thirty-seven orcs are leaving for Greltheaven, and seventy-nine are leaving for Deerpond," stated Baron Rose. We have agreements with both cities¡ªto send the orcs to them. It is a good agreement. We get a lot of money in exchange for that. Most importantly, we do not have to bear the burden of taking them in or repelling them. It could have been disastrous for the baronies if Silver hadn''t had the foresight to take them from the start¡ªand now, even Deerpond has followed suit. Deerpond uses them for mining, but unlike Silver, they are not integrating into their societies. That''s why the majority of orcs still go to Silver rather than Deerpond and other cities. However, that broad policy creates a problem for us. "There are a lot of excellent warriors among them. Most with a lifetime of experience in fighting the monsters," said General Jarvis. Turning expressions on everyone''s faces sour. There is a provision allowing us to try to recruit the best ones, but they need to agree with it. Our contract with Silver is pretty strict, making recruitment harder. There is a provision there. If we make an offer to the orcs, his men need to be present and have the opportunity to make their offer, and most of the time, the orcs choose them despite the dangers of his territory. It doesn''t feel good to give Silver such power since it is from our territory, but we don''t have a choice. He has the things that we desperately need. Emotions essence potions. Those are important and have become even more critical with the monsters attacking. It had saved the lives of Baroness Leila and even Baron Nightingale many times when they had gone against the monsters. Even so, in the next meeting. We are going to be changing that. "Silver is growing too powerful for our comfort," I said. They nodded. Monsters and Dane are the most significant dangers, but Silver and undead aren''t far behind. The young man is a good neighbor, but even the blind could see the ambition rising in his heart. We need him just powerful enough to hold back the undead. Once they deal with him, they will come for us, which creates a delicate balance problem. "The only thing we can do is become powerful enough that Silver would think a hundred times before attacking us," replied General Jarvis. That would be wonderful. It will give us all the taxes and a more significant edge in negotiating with the merchant states. Before long, we arrived at the site where the wall was under construction¡ªa proper stone barrier. The work is progressing at full speed, driven by necessity. The threat of monsters made it imperative. We already had a wood wall, but now we''re building it bigger and stronger. When it is complete, the outer wall will be as tall as Deerpond''s. If everything fails, this city will be our bastion. We need it to be as defensive as possible to protect us from any threat. Be it the monsters, Dane, Silver, or even the undead! The carriage crossed the gate and moved along the road, with carriages coming and going from the city. I could see many carriages from the merchant cities. They are easy to recognize with their business''s emblem and city and state''s flag. Two hours passed, and the carriage took the turn from the main road. A few minutes later, long farms appeared in the view. It used to be a forest, but now the nobles have reclaimed a large amount of land. More farmland is being recovered every month. The majority will be recovered in a year, at most two. I am saying "recovered" because it wasn''t virgin forest as its name suggests. There had been cities and towns here before they were destroyed by the undead and monsters countless times over the millenniums. Mostly undead of Navr. It is one of our most significant priorities because it is the only thing we have that is unique in the entire region. We are close to becoming self-sufficient in food, but that''s not enough. We need to grow more to sell it to the region. We might be unable to match Navr''s prices, but we can provide a stable supply. Greltheaven and Deerpond had hinted they would sign a long-term contract to buy it from us. Knock Knock! Suddenly, a knock rang out, bringing me out of my thoughts. "My lord, Baron Harrods had sent the message that another monster tide was building," informed Ulik. Hearing that, I nearly cursed out loud but stopped myself and sighed. "Send him my thanks for the news," I replied. This is the fourth in a month. The beast''s intensity increases by the month, making things extremely dangerous for us. Usually, when things happen, Baroness Leila and Lord Blackwell sneakily try to break it by killing the leader, which is extremely dangerous, but right now, she isn''t present. I hope Lord Blackwell will be able to do it. It usually does not stop them, but it delays them. "We shouldn''t have let Leila go to Archmage City," said Uda. I shook my head. Most of the council and nobles were opposed to her going but also understood that it was important for her. She and Baron Harrods are responsible for the northern front against the monsters. Currently, Baron Harrods is alone, while Lord Blackwell is also there with that artifact of his, but his priority is his side, not ours. We need her, but we also know that for a mage like her. Archmage City is extremely important; this time, she isn''t just visiting but part of the Synod entourage. There, she will have access to resources and opportunities that are typically out of her reach. These are things she wouldn''t normally encounter in her usual environment¡ªtools, knowledge, and connections that could significantly broaden her horizons and open doors for growth. "It is going to help us all if she gets what she desires in Archmage City," I replied. This is the only thing I could say, other than hope, that the tide would collapse. If it didn''t, I pray it wouldn''t be too strong. Last time, we were barely able to handle it. Subscribe to to unlock over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Chapter 556: Archmage City Chapter 556: Archmage City "Irington," I said as I looked at the city coming closer. It is one of the unique cities in the continent and even the world, as it is between two kingdoms. Half is in the Kingdom of Rasal, and the other half is in the Kingdom of Ilazad. It is also a city without city walls. We will enter from the Rasal side and exit from Ilazad. On the other side, we will reach Lake Valefrost, a massive lake. Archmage City isn''t a city you approach by land. It is on an island in the middle of the lake. Lake Valefrost is the largest lake on the continent, and its origins are even more remarkable¡ªit didn''t form naturally. Instead, it was created during the continent''s most catastrophic battle in the last incursion. This violent clash caused the land to shift and the lake to form, and as a result, the water remains perpetually near freezing, no matter the season. Soon, we reached the wallless city, and it was beautiful. It is larger than Inam and more prosperous. The city does not have walls, but it does have checkpoints¡ªunlike others. They didn''t stop us, quickly allowing our carriage to move forward. We move along the main road. If what I read is correct, then we don''t need to take any turns to reach our destination. This road will lead us straight toward the lake. The carriage moved fast through the great avenue while I admired the beautiful city, which looked even more captivating on this starry night. If I hadn''t felt the urgency to reach Archmage City, I would have slowed down to enjoy the city more. Soon, we crossed the city''s internal dividing boundary. Although clearly marked, there were no checkpoints or restrictions as we entered the Ilazad side. I could now see the lake. It was blurry to me, but I could see it. As my spirit and body heal, my passive skills strengthen with each passing day. Still, I wish the recovery could be faster. That said, I''m fortunate to recover as quickly as I am. If someone else with my level and classes had been in my position, it would have taken them a month. The legacy is influencing my recovery, and if I had been entirely in its embrace, my healing would have been even faster. Legacies are truly powerful¡ªfar beyond what most can comprehend. They don''t just absorb the emotions that people radiate; they can shape reality itself, influencing the very fabric of existence. This weakness will make things difficult in Archmage City, but I must endure it. Soon, our carriage reached the gate of the port, and it was crowded. "It''s crowded, even at this time of night," Eva said, gazing at the bustling port. People are everywhere, and it''s nearly midnight. This isn''t surprising, given that the continental synod is the biggest gathering on the continent. This is why most people we could see were well-dressed and looked wealthy, with many of them radiating power. It is the same with the ships. Most of them that are anchored are stunningly beautiful as they navigate the crowded port. A new ship docks immediately as one leaves. Everything unfolds with precise efficiency, with each movement and task flowing seamlessly into the next. Our carriage didn''t stop where others were required to. It continued moving, and thousands of eyes turned toward it. This is a privilege most nobles never experience, one I''m granted because of my legacy. After all, this synod is for the legacies. The carriage stopped in front of the most captivating yacht on the pier. Its sleek, gleaming hull shimmered under the moonlight, reflecting a spectrum of colors as it rocked gently in the water. Elegant, intricate carvings adorned its sides, showcasing master craftsmanship. The flag of the Velvet Garden fluttered proudly, its rich colors standing out against the evening sky." The carriage door opened, and I got out on my own, but I sat down in a wheelchair as there was some distance to the ship, and I would rather not walk. People''s eyes turned toward me, and I met them as Jill pushed me toward the yacht. Soon, we reached the vessel, and Jill pushed me onboard it. "Welcome to the Syrvin, Lord Silver," greeted the middle-aged elf. "Thank you, Captain," I replied. "If there is some time before your yacht arrives, you can travel with us to Archmage City," I offered. The yacht is big enough, and the journey is short. "Thank you, Lord Silver. We appreciate it," replied the senior Ashav. A minute later, the yacht began to move. We will take less than two hours to reach the Archmage City. I am excited. It is why, despite feeling sleepy, I am not resting. I want to see the most fantastic city on the continent with my own eyes. I felt the cold across my body. Thanks to the water, it was shivering cold, but it felt good. Jill would bring me a blanket if needed. A faint mist rose, making the yachts sailing on it look even more beautiful as they drifted through it under the stars. There are a lot of yachts around us¡ªhundreds of them, maybe even thousands. Many are massive. The superyachts. Archmage City is a playground of the rich. It is one of the most prosperous cities in the world, ranking in the top three. Its heart is the most potent legacy behind the Titans. Some even say it has the power of a titan. Considering it is a magic tower. The more I think about it, the more my excitement builds. It bubbles up inside me and ignites a restless energy, making me eager not to miss a single moment. An hour passed, and I began to see a cluster of lights. Every minute, they got brighter and wider until the buildings started to take shape and soon, the whole city came into view. "Beneath the stars where magic swells, A city thrives on whispered spells. Its towers gleam with arcane light, A haven born of mistful might." The words hung in the air like an enchantment, resonating with a power that drew every ear. It was none other than the old man, Ravill, his voice commanding attention as he recited the famous poem of the Archmage City¡ªa timeless tribute to its mystical grandeur. It is an apt poem to describe the marvel revealing itself in front of me. The Archmage City sprawls across the island. A breathtaking metropolis where magic fuels life itself. Its skyline is dominated by colossal towers that pierce the heavens, their heights vanishing into ethereal clouds. These skyscraping edifices are more than mere magic towers. They are the last walls of the continents'' defense and stand against the incursion armies. There are over a hundred magic towers, but one is acknowledged as the greatest of them. It is not the most enormous magic tower in the city. It is slightly over a hundred stories tall. There are magic towers that are more than twice its height. It was not the most beautiful tower; most towers looked more beautiful than it, but it was magnificent. When one looks at it, everything feels pale. The magic tower is simple and made of reddish stones but covered in a swirling mist. Even from a distance, the mist of my legacy seems pale in front of it. There is a feeling coming from it, which feels like a warm blanket on a cold night. One looked at it and would feel everything would be all right. That tower stands as the greatest defense of the continent. It has withstood countless incursions, remaining steadfast and unyielding while everything around it was reduced to dust. Subscribe to to unlock over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Chapter 557: Mars Tower Chapter 557: Mars Tower My eyes stayed glued to the city, refusing to waver, even when the ship moved to dock at the port. What I watch is too absorbing to see anything else ¡ªundeniably irresistible. I couldn''t tear my gaze away, not now. There are a lot of them at the piers. Working as porters, operating things. They are magnificent. The smallest, no larger than an adolescent child, and the tallest stood over seven meters high. "Some of them are thousands of years old," said Rutto. To that, I nodded. I love golems. They represent everything that I love about this world. I wanted to buy some to act as guards at the tower''s doors before discarding that idea. It wasn''t an easy decision to make. Soon, the ship docked, and we exited. People are waiting for us. Three people. One woman, two men. All three wear mage robes, but they are not the same type. Archmage City has a strict code about the robes. One could tell the mage they were just by looking at their robes. "Welcome to Archmage City, Lord Silver, Master of Velvet Garden," said the green-haired woman. "Thank you for the kind welcome, Great Mage Stoneheart," I replied. The woman is a great mage. An Lv. 40+ mage, and since she worked in The Archmage tower. It means she is exceptional¡ªbeyond just good. I am surprised they have sent her to welcome me. All the Masters of the Legacies were greeted with strict ceremony¡ªwelcomed by none other than a grade of Great Mage, as was befitting their stature. I have a list of those mages; she isn''t one of them. Mage Stoneheart is responsible for welcoming the masters of the Grade IV legacy¡ªonly a Master of Grade IV or Grade V is received by Great Mage Stoneheart. My legacy isn''t Grade IV. It''s Grade III, but she is here to welcome me. "''All the accommodations have been arranged for you and your entourage, but in light of your condition, I would suggest you go to the Mars Tower first,'' she said, her voice calm yet edged with something I couldn''t quite place. "I want to attend the opening tomorrow and have other engagements, Great Mage," I replied. I planned to visit that place, but I would not risk missing the opening of the conclave and the other things I had intended. "I don''t think that would be a problem. The opening ceremony is at ten," the Great Mage replied. I considered for a moment before finally nodding. "Ok," I agreed. It''s in my favor to visit Mars Tower. I will need all the help I can get for tomorrow. "Mydir will take you there," she ordered to the elf. A few seconds later, I was in the carriage. Moving toward the Mars Tower. I looked outside the window and saw Golems patrolling the streets. People were riding their monsters, which were not allowed in other cities. I myself have restricted many monsters. Those who have them need special permission to bring them into the city. Because these monsters possess the sheer power to maul through dozens of people, leaving carnage in their wake long before the guards can even mount a response Some feel powerful enough to kill even the guards with a swipe of their claws. "I heard there has not been a single monster accident in the past century?" I asked. "In three and a half centuries. It had been more than a millennium since a person died," "The person who died twelve hundred years ago died due to his own fault instead of the monsters'' fault," replied the elf, his pride clearly evident in his voice. "These collars must be the reason?" I asked, and the man nodded. Soon, the carriage changed lanes and began to move fast. It had shifted to the Lightway. In huge cities, there are one or two streets with Lightways. Here, every big street has one, and to use it, one only needs to shift the lane. The carriage is moving fast. Faster than cars inside the city. Cars move at an average of thirty miles per hour in the city, but the carriage is at least moving at forty. Still, I could see everything. Thanks to my new eye skill and the more I looked. The more enamored I have become. The city is a magical metropolis. Click! Soon, we stopped by the door and entered the room, where there were different types of tools. We stopped beside the metallic bed. Covered densely in the runes. "I am going to place you on this bed for the exam," he informed. However, he didn''t act until I nodded after a second of silence. To be honest, I don''t want them to scan me. He will see what I don''t want them to see, but I want to recover fast. Seeing me nod. The bracelet with the green gem lit up, and I found myself floating up. A moment later, I was on the metallic bed. I thought it would be uncomfortable, but it is surprisingly soft¡ªsofter than a mattress. Buzz! A second passed, and the buzzing sound rang out. As it did, the runes lit up and moved over my body. It made me panic a little, but I remained calm. Seconds passed when a green light dot appeared over me. Soon, that dot expanded, forming a magic image of me, and it was beautiful. Every vein and bone, along with my beating heart, is visible here. I could see my blood going in and out of it and many other things. Mage Domaris tapped a few runic buttons, and the scan changed slightly. Something translucent was added to it. "You have heavily overexerted your spirit, Lord Silver, but you are recovering incredibly fast," he said. His eyes never leave the scan. "I don''t feel like it," I replied. "Well, you are," he said and said something to the young mage beside him in privacy. She nodded while he turned back to the scan. "So, can you help me recover faster?" I asked, and the man smiled. "Spirit is the most delicate part of people to deal with. Pushing it will only harm you, but this is Mars Tower." "We have something that helps you to recover. At least enough that you will be able to use your skills and aura before leaving the city," he replied. Hearing that report, a small smile appeared on my face. Healer Gulfim said, I will be able to use my skills and aura in two weeks, but won''t be at full power. Here, in ten days, I might be able to. Click! He looked at a few other things when the young woman came holding a tray of medicines. "These will expedite the healing of physical injuries and soothe the spirit," he said, looking at the medicine. The next moment, I took the medicine. Some were good, while others made me nearly vomit. Afterward, I got out of bed and back into the chair as the young woman pushed it. We came out of the room and kept moving until we stopped at the far end of the hallway, where Mage Domaris opened the door. We entered the room. It is not big, but it isn''t cramped either. There is nothing else besides the block of jagged purple crystal, which is smooth on top. "This is an otolis crystal. Made from bones of an otolis beast. It has spirit nourishing properties." "It''s uncomfortable, but if you spend a night on it. It will expedite the recovery of your spirit," informed Mage Domaris. "Do I have to sleep naked?" I asked, and to my surprise. He nodded. I asked it as a joke, but it turned out to be true. A minute later, everyone left. Leaving me alone in the room. I stayed in my wheelchair for a few seconds before sighing and getting up. I slowly removed my clothes and carefully folded them in my wheelchair. Completely naked. I climbed on the purple crystal and lay down. It was cold and uncomfortable, but I bore it and closed my eyes. I don''t know whether it is the tiredness, the medicine, or both. I fell into a deep sleep within a minute. Subscribe to to unlock over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Chapter 558: Lunar Palace Chapter 558: Lunar Palace When I woke up, it was bright. The crystal was still cold and uncomfortable as last night, but I nearly forgot about that, given how I was feeling. It is much better than I had thought. It is far from my peak, but a lot better than yesterday. I sat up and looked at the beautiful view behind the glass wall. It is a vast sky. The floor is above the clouds. I wish they would disappear so I could see the city. I could still see some parts of it, but most of it was hidden by the cloud. I watched for a minute before I got down from the crystal. I looked at the time and quickly put on my clothes before walking out. Click! ¡°Lord Silver,¡± the young woman greeted, beside her was another wheelchair. I wanted to walk, but I sat down. I will need all the energy I would need today. It is an opening day, and it¡¯s going to be a busy day. Soon, she took me to the elevator, and we stepped inside. A few seconds later, the elevator stopped at the lobby, and I got out. Only to see my guards were waiting there for me. ¡°Thank you, Mage?¡± I thanked. ¡°Beadhammer,¡± she replied. A minute later, I was in a carriage; There were only two hours before the opening, and I had to return to my stay, freshen and change, and then go to the Archmage Tower to attend the opening. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste time with me. Every hour is important here. Davis would be more than enough for me,¡± I said to Zela. I had spent my entourage slot on her. This means she has access to a lot of things that a mage like her could only dream of. Since it is an archimage city. She didn¡¯t have to worry about my safety. My enemies would be utterly mad if they decided to attack me here. Even if they tried, they wouldn¡¯t succeed. Still, I will keep my guards as a precaution. Davis will be her replacement. We took the lightway and reached the place in record time. When I saw it, it took my breath away. A grand palace. It is made of white marble without a single embellishment. It is adorned with intricately carved domes, spires, and archways, each detail reflecting the skill of the people who made it. A massive central dome, inlaid with delicate gold filigree, dominates the skyline, creating a balance with the spires. The palace is surrounded by a lush garden with manicured lawns, fountains, and marble pathways. Reflecting pools mirror the palace''s beauty, amplifying its ethereal charm. Its name is Lunar Palace. Designed by Hollis Gladstone for his wife, Kyr Gladstone, the archmage of moon fire. Seventeenth archmage of the archmage city. I wish it was night. It is said that the palace became the most beautiful at that time. It is one of the most palaces in the city. It is classified as heritage. Usually, the heads of state and other powerful people stay here, but every decade during the synod, it becomes a place where the masters of legacy stay. Click! ¡°Welcome to Banaras Palace, Lord Silver,¡± greeted the half-orc woman as she opened the door. The woman looked to be in her late sixties. Wearing a beautiful dress. ¡°Major-domo,¡± I replied and sat down, wheelchair beside her. The staff pushed my wheelchair while she led me toward the palace. Informing about its history with grace. Soon, we passed through its gates into the grand hall. The grand hall is breathtaking, with its soaring ceiling painted with celestial frescoes. Crystal chandeliers hang gracefully, scattering light across the polished marble floors I could see the people sitting on couches. Talking with each other. Many looked at me. Some were surprised; some had questions. I recognized a few among them and nodded. They nodded back. The synod is a rare opportunity for masters of legacies. As it was only time, their sovereigns would let them leave the kingdom. Still, only around half come, which is still a big number. Seeing how Sovereigns treat hosts of a legacy like precious treasures or caged birds. Never let them leave their cages. They pushed me toward the elevators when one of the elevators opened, and a woman walked out. She is a tall woman, lean, with the body of a warrior. Her skin is a glistening black, and she has thick, curly violet hair, that reaches her neck. Eudo worked fast, but he was smooth as always. He is the highest-level person I have. He is just a step away from reaching Lv. 40. It isn¡¯t easy to reach that level. People stayed at that level all their lifetimes, but I have confidence in Eudo. It might take him some time, but he will reach it. He soon turned to my eyebrow. The hair on them had grown a lot through the medicine, but not enough. Thankfully, Eudo did his magic, and now, it looked like I had never lost them. The battle had been truly horrifying. It had burned every part of me. I am extremely lucky to be alive. I wouldn¡¯t have been if not for several factors lining up. ¡°Done,¡± he said finally, and I have to say, I look good. ¡°Thank you, Eudo,¡± I thanked. ¡°It''s my honor, Lord Silver,¡± he replied and walked away. I followed a few seconds later. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said to Jill as I sat in my wheelchair. ......... Simar I took a bite of my food and looked around. It is only morning, but the floor of the legacy is full. Most people are eating a brunch like me. I have not been here to eat lunch or enjoy the legacy. I have been to many legacies, and every legacy is different, but the Velvet Garden seemed to be on a different level. It¡¯s better than every Grade III legacy I have visited. It is just ambiance and beauty, but also the feeling. It affects more deeply than Grade III. It feels similar to Grade IV in some aspects. This is kind of shocking, given it is only a few months old in this grade and just a year old. I was nearly finished with my brunch when I saw the man I had come to meet. ¡°Simar, it¡¯s been a while,¡± he said and took a seat in front of me. ¡°It is Drev,¡± I replied. ¡°How are you?¡± he asked, looking at me worriedly. ¡°Good,¡± I replied, trying to smile as brightly as possible, and there to see, it was only worry. Not pity. I have seen too much lately. I am not fine. I had just gone through a nasty breakup and came here for a fresh start. This man could help me with that. ¡°So, were you able to do it?¡± I asked, feeling the nervous anticipation. ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult. The tower is looking for people like you,¡± he replied. I felt relieved hearing that. ¡°Thank you,¡± I thanked. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I was only able to get you the interview. You will have to get a job on your own,¡± he replied with a smile. I smiled back. I still remember the last time I saw him. He was so different, so broken. He was crying as he burned down another restaurant, with Liam consoling him. Now, he had become one of the important members of this powerful legacy. Even Liam seemed surprised by the influence he wields. I didn¡¯t know him too well. It was through Liam that I met him. Liam offered me a job, but I declined. Liam is a friend, and I don¡¯t want to burden him. Besides, taking me will have consequences. It is the reason why I came here. ¡°I will,¡± I replied. I am a green mage and am applying for the job they have advertised. I could have gone through the formal route, but I didn¡¯t have the time or the money. It was a mistake to trust the man. He gave me everything, but just as easily took it all away. Leaving me with nothing. ¡°Still any suggestion?¡± I asked. ¡°Be truthful and don¡¯t hesitate to show all your abilities,¡± he advised. ¡°With how much, Liam, praise you. I don¡¯t think you will have any problem getting the job,¡± he added. ¡°Thank you for saying that,¡± I thanked. It feels good to hear that. In the past few years, all I heard was being called useless. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 559: Archmage Tower Chapter 559: Archmage Tower The carriage stopped, and we got out. The man who opened the door had said something, but I was too occupied staring at the wonder before me for it to register. It is the Archmage Tower, the oldest mage tower in the city and its most powerful legacy. It is also the oldest occupied building on the entire continent. Over the past ten thousand years, every other building has been destroyed at least once in incursions. During the incursion, the city became one of the world''s safest but also one of its most dangerous places. It hosts one of the incursion gates. They looked at the tower at first glance. It didn''t look as impressive as the other towers, but as one looked further. One would see how impressive the tower is. The magical red stones do not look special until one focuses on them. Then, they would see a thick layer of mana covering them. It is not normal mana, but the one formed through an emotional mist that covers it beautifully. It took me a while to avert my eyes away from it, and I looked around it. The massive preparations have been made for the opening. The grand opening would be in the evening, with millions of people watching. I am going inside to join the address of the archmage. It is an honor that is only for the masters of legacy. So, even sovereigns or nobles wouldn''t participate in it. It is the synod of legacies, after all. I watched as Jill pushed my wheelchair toward the tower. "Lord Silver, welcome archmage tower," greeted the elf woman as we reached the gates. Three people are welcoming the guests. All three of them are Great Mages. If I had a single one in my service, I would have been able to sleep more soundly in my city. "Thank you," I replied. They smiled while Jill pushed me inside the tower. As she did, the feeling of one of the most potent legacies came over me. It was light but filled every part of me like a blanket. Making me feel as safe as I had before. It gave me a vision of standing in the center with thousands of mages protecting me. "It''s different," said Garzong. "Only for us," I replied, looking at Jill and Davis. Their eyes are a little cloudy. It looked like they were having some kind of epiphany. Garzong looked surprised. So is Jon. "The recreational and entertainment types'' legacies are different," I replied to his question. "It''s a spirit. One of the most powerful legacies in the world. I thought its effects would be stronger," said Jon, making my smile appear. "Who says it''s not?" I asked back, looking at Jill and Davis. Its effects are powerful but not to all people. It is a legacy born by a mage. The purpose of the archmage tower is magic. It helps the mages research, teaches them, and becomes a focus from which they can launch spells. It is different than the recreational legacies. That focuses on making their patrons feel better. We also do not feel its full effects because we do not have mage classes or talent. On top of that, its effects are being restricted. If we encountered the Towers full power. It would have overwhelmed us. It''s a spirit, after all. As legacies reach the level this one has, they become more than what they seem. Such legacies have many secrets. Some are open, but many remain carefully hidden. I pushed those thoughts away and took in the impressive lobby. It exhibited many things, both old and new. The older ones were more than ten thousand years old; the new ones might be as recent as a few months old. The archmages make changes according to their preferences. The current archmage makes changes every year. Announced the herald as I stepped inside a grand hall, which is richly decorated. I felt the eyes of hundreds of people on me. Each one of them is important. They are masters of legacies and representatives sent by them. There are rows and rows of seats, with half already filled. I could see many familiar faces. People I have met before, people I have only read about. Many of them turned toward me. I nodded at some and smiled and soon reached the rows. A surprise appeared on my face when my guide turned in the second row. I am not the only one surprised. Many reacted with surprise. The first rows are for the masters of Grade V, Grade VI, and above Masters of Legacies. The second row is for the Master of Grade IV legacy. Now, the guide is leading me there with more and more people watching. It would have been much easier. If the seats had our names, the Archmage City likes to keep people guessing. My name won''t appear unless I sit on it. "Here is your seat, Lord Silver," said the guard as we stopped near the middle of the row. I looked at my seat and looked at the person sitting beside me. "Thank you," I said to the guide, sitting in my seat. As I did, my name flashed above me. They had really put me in the second row! "Lady Ophelia, it''s been a while," I said to the woman beside me. She is Ophelia Awyn. Master of Transcendent Pleasure. A Grade IV legacy. She considers me her competitor despite us being in different countries. I don''t know why she thinks that. She has a higher-level legacy than me and is also very rich, with brothels all over the merchant state and a few other kingdoms. She had even poached my people, and more and more girls were getting approached by her people every month. "It has, Lord Silver," she replied pleasantly with a smile. "How are the girls adjusting?" I asked. The woman is so good. Upon hearing the question, not even a hint of surprise appeared on her face, and her pleasant smile remained unchanged. I am not angry at her poaching. It is just a business; I have done that myself, but that doesn''t mean I like it. Given the work I put into training them, it had irritated me immensely. "Very well, to be honest. You have trained your girls well, and I wanted to talk to you about it," she replied while I arched my brow. "I am hoping you would sell the contracts of some of your girls. I am willing to pay good money," she stated, and I have to say, I am surprised. I didn''t expect her to be so audacious and make an offer to me directly. "My apologies, Lady Ophelia, but their contracts aren''t for sale," I replied. The woman seemed to be expecting the reply, as her eyes showed no surprise. "As you wish, Lord Silver," she said simply. I know she will not stop. The girls inform us every week that they have been making an offer. Unfortunately, I couldn''t do much about it. I can not directly bar it, as there are always ways around the contract, no matter how tight it is. All I could do was make it complex and costly for the poachers. These hurdles are not necessarily enough to stop the people like her. Her legacy is extremely rich; she could afford to poach my people, even at that price. So, the only thing I could count on was loyalty. It is what kept my girls to me. Only a few girls agreed and were poached despite hundreds being enticed by the substantial offers. This is what made me most proud. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 560: Archmage’s Address Chapter 560: Archmage¡¯s Address Hun! I watched people entering the room when a guide brought a man in his early fifties. He is a short man with thick brown hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a slightly loose suit and has faint nervousness in his eyes. The man is uncomfortable and looks out of his element. Seeing him, a smile appeared on my face. He is one of the people I had planned to meet and have already fixed a meeting. The guide stopped at the empty seat beside mine. A second later, the man he brought sat beside me. "Lord Orion," I greeted the man. "Lord Silver," he replied with a smile. However, there is also a surprise in his nervous eyes. "I didn''t think you would come. Given what is happening in your territory," he said, but the next moment, he seemed to realize it was too direct. "My apologies for being blunt, Lord Silver," he quickly apologized a moment later. ''The information about him seemed to be good,'' I thought. The information said he is an anti-social, anxious person and dislikes being in with a group of people. This personality is considered strange, given that masters of legacy can only thrive in the company of others. It is that connection with people that makes them give birth to it. It is his nature, but the man is intelligent and was able to do what very few masters could achieve. "No need to apologize, Lord Orion," I replied. "As for your question. Well, the synod is important; besides, I have left my territory in capable hands. They will deal with any problem they come across," I added. "It''s good to hear," he said a little awkwardly. The man is Janeth Orion, Master of Orion Library. It is the only library-type inheritance on the continent. The man was able to advance the legacy to Grade IV from Grade III. It is rare enough to advance and even rarer after it is inherited. Once the original master dies, most active legacies remain at the same level, but once in a blue moon, the inherited master can advance them. It happens less than 1% time. So, it''s pretty amazing when it happens. I have a business with him. It is personal and professional. I need the books for my personal collection and for the city, and his library is one of the biggest vendors of them. More and more people came as time passed, including Prefects Prisca. Her eyes found me, and her lips curved into a smile. I smiled back.No?v(el)B\\jnn Earlier, she had the edge. I don''t want her to have that. Soon, there was a minute before the ceremony started. The archmage himself will address it. Seconds passed, and I could see people stop talking one by one. By the last second, everyone stopped talking and looking at the stage. Soon, it was ten, and Archmage stepped on the stage. Yes, he didn''t appear but stepped on it. There is no magic or fanfare. Even the herald didn''t call to announce him; the man didn''t need an announcement. The Archmage is a man in his early sixties. He isn''t tall but isn''t short, either. He has short brown hair and pale blue eyes. It is very difficult to get a meeting with the Archmage. Only he decides who he wants to meet. He is going to meet me. I was informed of that a few weeks ago, but I thought it would be after three days. It is rare for an archmage to meet people of my level in the first three days. It is exceptionally unusual to meet the Archmage on the first day. Only a host of powerful legacies of Grade V or Grade VI, representative of those above them and the sovereigns, do. I don''t think I had ever heard of them meeting a master of Grade III in the past century before the 3rd day. I opened the letter and took out the card. It had no words, only time. He will meet me at two. "Congratulations, Lord Silver. You are the first one in two and a half centuries to get this honor," congratulated Orion. "Thank you, Lord Orion," I replied to the man. A few seconds later, I got up and mingled with other masters of the legacy. Even here, it is a rare opportunity to interact only with Masters and their representatives. There are no sovereigns or nobles or protectors that rarely leave the master''s side. Here they are on our own, and they are relishing it. "Lord Silver," I heard a familiar voice and turned to the teen who appeared beside me. With her is a middle-aged man. I recognized him. I had seen him once in the storm tower but never was able to talk with him. "Miss Lindgren," I replied. She is Alina Lindgren, Vanis''s Granddaughter. "I heard something happened to you on the way to the city, my lord?" she asked. The young girl was worried, and her worry wasn''t fake. I like this young girl. Carla said the girl was quite smart and had high potential. It is unfortunate that her chances of inheriting the legacy are growing smaller. "It was a small skirmish, Miss Lindegren. Nothing for you to be worried about." I replied with a smile before turning to a middle-aged man beside her. "Lord Silver, I have wanted to meet you for a long time," said the man. "Me as well, Lord Gale," I replied, smiling while shaking his hand. He is Raul Gale¡ªthe Master of Gale''s Bar, a Grade II legacy in Namdar. "When you visit Namdar, my lord, please come to my humble establishment," he invited. "Of course. I just hope I will get a reservation this time," I replied smoothly, with a teasing smile. A faint surprise appeared on the man''s face before he controlled himself. I tried to get a reservation when I went to Namdar last time. I knew I wouldn''t get it, but I tried my luck, and as I had expected, I didn''t get in. I was a nobody at that time. "This time, you will have the biggest booth," he replied, recovering smoothly. "I will hold you to that, my lord," I replied. I talked to them for a minute more before walking away. I mingled and talked to many people, but I was only able to talk to the master of one Grade V legacy and not a single Grade VI. They didn''t stay after the Archmage left. I mingled around for an hour before people started to leave. I left, too, but not the tower. I will stay here until I meet with the archmage. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 561: Meeting Archmage Chapter 561: Meeting Archmage Step! I stepped out of the teleportation formation, and what I saw made my eyes wide. A massive library is in front of me, lined with tall, ancient carved shelves. It is filled with books and ancient tomes, their weathered covers and fragile pages hinting that their age predates the very walls of the tower itself. It encompasses shelves and shelves filled with thousands of books. With hundreds of people sitting there reading silently. Lost in the panorama, I kept looking before finally stepping into it. The library covers the whole tower floor; given how massive each floor of the Archmage Tower is, it is a substantial place. Although it may not be as large as some other libraries in the city, it boasts the most unique collection of books, and I have exclusive access to its rare titles. The masters only get access for ten days. I walked inside and immediately spotted Orion. He sat at the table with a pile of books beside him. He is one of the few people who left right after the archmage. He was so absorbed that he didn''t notice my gaze. I didn''t watch him for long; I shifted my attention to the shelves instead. I have come here to investigate specific things. Soon, I reached the shelves of books that contained the information I needed and began examining the titles. Quickly, I found a book I was looking for. I didn''t leave right away. Instead, I grabbed two more books before settling at a table in the corner. I sat down before opening a book. As I did, I once more nearly activated my skills before stopping myself. The legacy skill has filled my body with vitality, but it''s magical and temporary. My spirit is still healing, and I wouldn''t be able to use my skills. I sighed and began reading. In just a few seconds, my eyes widened. ''A spirit legacy is something else,'' I thought. I am reading quickly¡ªmuch faster than with my Insightful Reading. I am achieving reading speeds at least five times greater, all without feeling any strain at all. If I could fully harness my skills, I would have transformed my pace, devouring the pages with an almost supernatural speed. I pushed these frivolous thoughts and focused on reading, and soon, I found some information I was looking for. I set the bookmark down and opened the second book. After flipping through it, I realized it didn''t contain what I was looking for. Therefore, I moved on to the third book, finally finding what I needed. With those discoveries, I explored the shelves to add more. I obtained some of the needed information, but I sought more detailed insights. After searching for a few minutes, I found the other books containing what I was looking for. As I sat down, I could barely contain my excitement¡ªthough I''m pretty sure the chair creaked in protest, sensing the sheer force of my enthusiasm. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves, and turned to the section that promised answers to my search. Two words stood out like a beacon: Valrose Halberd. It is the actual name of Stone''s artifact. Named after its first wielder, Vassilis Valrose, a duke of the long-forgotten kingdom that once thrived where the bustling merchant state of Nereim now stands. It has a long history, around four thousand years old. It had changed quite a lot of hands. Disappearing for centuries, now and then, before appearing again. The last time it appeared was nine hundred years ago, in the Renwell region. That is when it disappeared along with its host. The book stated that I was its current owner, with Thaddeus Stone as its user. The more I read about the halberd, my excitement surged with each revelation. This weapon was no ordinary relic¡ªit brimmed with extraordinary abilities, each more astonishing than the last. The shield dome, impressive as it was, seemed almost mundane compared to its other legendary powers whispered about in the annals. The book also has a picture of it, and it looks beautiful and quite different from its looks right now. As long as it recovers. It will regain its original grandeur as well as abilities. Once that happens, Stone will rise to unparalleled power. I devoured every word, drinking in the knowledge with an insatiable thirst, before closing the book and eagerly reaching for the next. It''s about the saber¡ªZmeycleave Saber, a legendary weapon of the famed Zmeycleave Set. The set comprises three awe-inspiring artifacts: a lance, a hammer, and the saber itself, each forged from the body of a Zmey, a type of fearsome dragon, and the rare, unbreakable Orocos diamond. These weapons are more than mere tools of war; they are artifacts of unmatched power, surpassing even the Stone''s halberd. But then, how could they not be born from the essence of a dragon? Anything forged from dragons is powerful. As I read about its abilities, a sense of wonder washed over me. The sheer power it commanded was staggering, and with every revelation, I realized just how incredibly lucky I had been to survive that battle. That mercenary wasn''t capable of unlocking its true power. If he had even harnessed a fraction of it, I''d be a dead man. The artifact isn''t something easily wielded; the emotions of the dragon that forged it seep into the user, shaping their every action, their every thought. Its history has shown it had killed a lot of its hosts, burning them as it had burned the mercenary leader. One needs a powerful will to not be affected by it. They also need to be powerful. Having an aura helps tremendously in controlling its side effects and bringing out its true power. "Your Supremacy, please forgive me for asking. Why have you let the undead attack the mainland?" I asked. "They have an entire island to do what they want. They shouldn''t spread to the continent. Especially when we already have one undead kingdom." I waited for the anger or even irritation. Instead, there was a sigh. "I don''t like it any more than you do, but there''s a reason for it¡ªa very important reason," replied the Archmage, his voice heavy with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of unspoken truths. It irritated me. It made me angry. "So, we just let them conquer us. Turn our people into undead?" I asked. Letting out what I am feeling. I shouldn''t be doing this but as the guardian of the continent. He needs to answer for it. "Of course not. I truly hope you will become strong and expel them from the continent," he replied, shaking his head. "Since we both want the same thing, why are you not expelling them?" I asked. "I told you, young man. There is a reason for it," he replied. "What is the reason?" I asked. To which he smiled. I have already guessed there must be some reason for them to stretch out of their island, and the Archmage had just confirmed it, but he isn''t willing to answer. "It must be tremendous for you to let them attack the mainland?" I asked. Wanting to get as much data about it as possible, but like before, the old man smiled. Which itself is an answer. "Enough of these questions. Let''s talk about your legacy. It is quite interesting," he said, changing the question. In the next few minutes, we talked about my legacy. He didn''t ask any invasive questions, but each one of his questions was deep and made me think before answering. Before I know it, half an hour is over. "It was nice chatting to you, young man," he said. "It''s kind of you to say that Archmage," I replied. "As you might be aware, I give a gift to every new legacy master, but before I give you your gift, will you answer a query from this old man?" he asked. "Anything, archmage," I replied, not promising. "Will you be using that saber?" he asked, and again I was surprised by his insight. "No," I replied after a moment of silence. I had considered it, but I didn''t think I''d make a suitable master. However, there is one person I have in mind who would be perfect for it¡ªsomeone whose strength and resolve would truly honor the role. The old man smiled and next moment. A rapier appeared in front of me. It''s beautiful. It had a green blade that looked almost carved out of jade, with a beautiful illustration of flowers on it. It had a black leather grip and a delicate brown loop guard. All in all, it is a beautiful weapon and a very expensive one. This rapier isn''t just an enchanted weapon. It is above that. It''s what we call a half-artifact. Though these weapons barely possess a fraction of the formers'' power. My sister has one. The family had paid a high price to get it. "Thank you, Archmage," I thanked, taking the shiny new rapier into my hands. It felt good. He gives gifts to every new legacy master, but he rarely gives over such expensive gifts. It might not be because of the attack. He had already seemed to pay them back for it and provided me with six months of breathing room. That is more than enough. So, there must be another reason, but I didn''t think about it too much instead, I focused on the shiny new thing in my hand. ....... Top Floor, Archamage Tower. "He does have potential," said the old man. "There have been many with potential far greater than him across the ages, but they all ended buried in the earth," replied the younger-looking man dryly. "Yes, but that doesn''t mean we can''t hope. That is what made us survive across the ages," said the man. The younger-looking man didn''t say anything to that other than smile. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 562: Opening Ceremony Chapter 562: Opening Ceremony Step! "Wow," gasped Eva, momentarily stunned by the grandeur of the scene unfolding before us as we stepped out of the carriage. It was evening, the sky ablaze with hues of crimson and gold, as I returned once more to the towering silhouette of the Archmage''s spire, However, tonight, the tower''s shadow will stand as a mere backdrop to the spectacle. The grand opening ceremony will unfold outside its majestic gates beneath the evening sky. This grand stage, crafted entirely of magic, every shimmering detail seemed alive with arcane brilliance. Just beholding it was enough to leave one breathless, overwhelmed by awe. The sheer magnitude of the event was staggering¡ªmillions of people filled the arena, itself a masterpiece of magical construction. It was a feat of such immense scale and complexity that only a select few could hope to achieve. The entire venue was jam-packed, a sea of anticipation and excitement. Tickets for this extraordinary event had been sold out years in advance. "Lord Silver, please," said the guide team leader. We followed her, bearing the weight of millions of people looking at us. It felt overwhelming. A staggering two and a half million people filled the arena, seated on intricate chairs crafted entirely of shimmering light. I wanted to laugh at the sheer absurdity of the crowd. The thought struck me like a jest of the universe¡ªhere sat a gathering so vast that even a fifth of their number would outmatch the entire population under my rule. I watched them as they watched me. The sheer weight of their gazes was overwhelming. Yet, amidst the pressure, I couldn''t deny it¡ªI liked it. Soon, we begin to climb toward the reserved suite. Passing rows of other suites. They are for masters of legacies, powerful nobles, powerhouses, and other notable people. I saw many familiar people. Miss Lindgren, Gale, and even Viscount Luran. I am excited about his upcoming duel and have already booked seats. "Lord Silver, your suite," said the guide as we reached the destination. Despite being made of magic, it''s beautiful and has all the finest amenities, including catering. Unlike the halls earlier, the suites are named here. The text ''Velvet Garden'' is floating over it in bold letters. Also, all the people from my entourage were sitting there, including my family and the spots I had given to others. "Lord Silver," they got up and greeted me as I entered the suite. "Everyone," I replied, sitting on the red chair, with Margaux sitting to my left and my sister sitting to my right. Unlike the common seats, which are made of magic, the seats in the suite are real ones, and they are comfortable. The red one for the masters is big and very comfortable. I needed it; the exhaustion of the long walk weighed on me. A wheelchair would have made things easier, no doubt, but with millions of eyes upon me, I couldn''t allow myself such a concession. Despite the weariness, the pride and honor of standing tall demanded that I push forward. "I hope your journey has been well, Granduncle Everette, Selina?" I asked with both curiosity and concern. They came with the party of Namdar through the sea route. "Our journey was smooth, but I heard yours was not," Granduncle Everette remarked, his gaze shifting between me and my sister. "It was just a slight hiccup, nothing more," I replied, brushing it off. He turned to my sister, seeking clarification, but she simply smiled at him. Reading the conversation, Selina changed the subject with enthusiasm. "Archmage City is truly amazing. I leveled up just by being here," she said, her voice brimming with awe. She was likely referring to her mage class. It may be strange outside, but not here. Some lucky mages get epiphanies just experiencing it. "Congratulations," replied my sister. I congratulate her as well. I made small talk while looking at the people still arriving. Lots of important people have come. Powerful nobles, kings, and figures of legend filled the arena. I even caught whispers in the air that the mistress of the Melodious Coast, the Archmage of the Herald Continent, had arrived. "These pitiful souls, visiting continent to continent to save their legacy," said Margaux, looking at a familiar elf in his mid-thirties and entourage. "Why pitiful, Miss Swan? He has a legacy," asked Granduncle. I smiled. So, has Margaux and Varza. "Tranquill Bathhouse, a Grade III legacy, which became subject to Wander''s Inn, a Grade IV legacy, hundred and forty years ago," "It is a beneficial arrangement for both. Tranquill Bathhouse got a long extension, larger emotion slate, and other benefits," "While Wander''s Inn and its hosts got Tranquil Bathhouse and its Masters Skills, along with its abilities," she replied before pausing. "They had a good run of one and a half-century, but now the Master of Wander''s Inn is feeling his end and wants to cut off Tranquill Bathhouse to lessen the pressure," She is a dwarf woman with thick blond hair. Her age is hard to determine, but she looked to be in her late forties to early fifties. "Mistress of Melodious Coast, she did come," said Leila, looking at the Archmage of Herald Continent. She is a true Archmage. Unlike the Archmage of Archmage City, it is the title the master of Archmage Tower gets. He might not be a true archmage, but he isn''t weak. The subtle entrance wasn''t as grand as one would expect from one of the world''s most powerful people. She has the power that doesn''t need a grand entrance. Additional people arrived and sat beside the Archmage¡ªthe representatives of Spirits and Titans, along with a Masters of Grade VI legacy. There was a silence for a few seconds before the band began to ring out through the arena. "His Majesty Caius Magnus Lysander, King of Ilazard," A herald announced as the King of Ilazard made his entrance. He is a middle-aged man, handsome but slightly overweight. He is the most relaxed king in the world, as no enemy has ever attacked his kingdom. Kingdoms disappeared, and boundaries changed for thousands of years, but Ilazard never did, after the Archmage Tower rose. Not because it is powerful, but because they are the puppet of the most powerful. The Kingdom of Ilazad is controlled by Archmage City. It always has been. The man walked over and sat beside the archmage. A few minutes later, two more kings and one queen came. Filling all the seats beside Archmage. A minute later. It was seven, and the loud drums rang out. At that exact moment, the archmage tower lit up. A hundred and two human-sized balls of energy shot out from it. I know the exact number: the number of legacies on the continent. They reached the arena and spread to all sides before transforming into massive flags. Each flag shows the emblem of the legacy. "There is ours," said Varza proudly, pointing at the flag of Velvet Garden. It is massive and beautiful. Every person could see them clearly. These flags will remain there till the end of the synod conclave. I turned to the other flags. Each flag is the same size and shape. Here, they have not been divided by grade. I was looking at the flags when the bright light rose in the center. When it disappeared, the Archmage was standing there. Right at seven. "Dear members of the synod and guests from near and far, I welcome you all to Archmage City," the voice resonated, calm yet assertive, echoing through the arena. "This is the Conclave¡ªa meeting of minds, a forging of destinies." "Here, amidst these hallowed grounds, we do not celebrate individuals. We celebrate the legacies¡ªthe lifeblood of our world, the force that binds us to one another, the land beneath our feet, and the stars above." "The Conclave is more than an assembly. It is a reminder that no legacy stands alone. That our differences¡ªof language, tradition, and belief¡ªare not barriers but strengths," he proclaimed, his voice filled with such conviction that it seemed to pierce through the crowd, reaching into the very core of each listener''s heart. "Yet I will not stand here and claim that the path ahead is free of shadows," he continued, his tone deepening with gravity. "Forces that seek to unravel what we have built will rise. They will try to divide us, pit us against one another, but I tell you this," he said, pausing for effect, his gaze sweeping across the assembly, "So long as we stand united, so long as we hold true to our shared purpose, no darkness can extinguish our light. No matter how great it is!" The words rang out, powerful and unwavering, like a rallying cry that resonated deep within the soul. "Today, we gather. Tomorrow, we ascend. The world is watching. Let it witness our greatness!" The declaration echoed through the air, a promise that transcended time, carrying with it the weight of a legacy that would not be so easily undone. He finished with a roar, his voice so powerful that every hair on my body stood on end. The energy in the air seemed to crackle, electrified by his words. Immediately, the entire arena rose to its feet, a thunderous applause cascading through the crowd. The sound was overwhelming, a unified expression of admiration and respect for the man who had stirred something deep within them all. His speech had elements of the earlier one¡ªthe warning, the insinuation of looming threats¡ªbut there was something else, something brighter¡ªa deep sense of optimism. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 563: Twin Forts chapter 563: twin forts barb utsa "finally, we have reached it!" i said as our beasts passed through the gates. in front of us is a defensive fort still under construction. rows and rows of tents surround it. alongside the constant construction, the area buzzed with activity. soldiers were everywhere¡ªtraining rigorously in organized drills or moving swiftly through the grounds with purpose. as we moved through the bustling grounds, many eyes turned toward us. some gazes were warm and welcoming, offering subtle nods of acknowledgment. others were sharp and hostile, their scrutiny heavy with suspicion or disdain. and then some simply looked neutral, curious, or unreadable. we have come with the battalion from greltheaven. we aren''t the only group of mercenaries. there are three more groups, but we are the smallest. only fourteen of us, others, have brought twenty to thirty people. i am surprised that i have been ordered to come here. my team and i usually stay in panar, but we shifted to greltheaven before master silver left. i wish i could have gone with him. i wanted to see archmage city, and margaux offered to ask master silver, but i declined. my job here is more important, and i am sure i will get the opportunity to visit archmage city eventually. i am certain that opportunity will come. i hope it does. "don''t worry. this amount of roughing it won''t wear off your spa glow," teased hen while others laughed. i glared, but it only made them laugh even harder. i don''t enjoy flaunting special privileges¡ªat least, that''s what i tell myself¡ªbut, god, i love them. the spa, in particular, is my sanctuary. it''s my favorite indulgence, even more than the bars of the velvet garden with their opulent charm and endless allure. i am still technically a madam, so i didn''t have to pay. this is good because most of my money is invested, which means it gets constantly reinvested. so, i have to sustain myself on a meager mercenary salary¡ªnot exactly low, but a far cry from the wealth i once commanded as a madam. luckily i am still a madam. i still have access, but not the salary. i could even return anytime i wanted to. velvet garden is still my home, and my family is there. this is why, despite finding my path, i do not want to resign ever. it''s likely why my main class actively levels up. august madam is now at lv. 28. however, it is notably lower than my peers¡ªcarla, margaux, and lola. my juniors, like cath, have advanced to level 30 in their madam class. i might have reached that level, too, if i hadn''t left. i pushed those thoughts aside, refusing to linger on what could have been. instead, i focused on the present, tightening my grip on the reins of my beast. as the battalion stopped, i pulled my mount to a stop, aligning myself with the others, ready for what lay ahead. i dismounted, my boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. my attention was drawn to three individuals who stopped beside lt. colonel rakgu, each taking turns shaking his hand. one turned toward me, their gaze lingering momentarily before offering a subtle nod. i nodded back. i don''t know the man, but he seemed intelligent. i sneakily glanced at my people, just as i had expected. they were watching me. their sharp eyes, honed by countless experiences, missed nothing¡ªnot even the smallest gestures. they had witnessed moments like these far too often, and their attention, though discreet, was unwavering. nothing ever escaped their notice. "mercenaries, please follow me," said a blond lieutenant as he appeared before us. he showed us where our assigned tents were, the latrine, and other key things. "now, i am feeling good," i said, settling beside my team under the vast, star-strewn night sky after freshening up. i was still tired, but i was feeling better by the minute. the team members are all sitting on cut stones to build the fortress. "what do you think of the preparation?" i asked old elis, my voice steady as i turned to him. he was one of the most experienced among us, a veteran who had faced the undead, battled monsters and fought against men. hugo recruited him three months ago. all the people here are new. only hugo and i remain from the original team. the rest have joined since, swelling our ranks as the group grows rapidly. these are built as twin forts. one is on the other side, with a dam-like wall between them. the other fort is located in the merchant''s state territory. it, too, is incomplete, but in many ways, it''s more finished than the one we''re staying in. the twin forts are the defense designed to stop monsters before they enter the territories and hurt the trade route and the baronies. trade is their lifeblood. they are spending a lot of money on protecting it. hun! i was watching the beautiful view when i turned and saw the burly blond man emerging from the trees. seeing the look in his eyes, i couldn''t help but sigh internally, annoyance creeping up. "you are a whore," he said, his words thick with the faint smell of alcohol wafting off his breath. "tell me something i don''t know," i replied dryly, already feeling the weight of his presence settle on my nerves. it''s not something i will ever be able to erase, nor do i want to. i''m not ashamed of it. "mind having a little quickie? i could pay you," he added, stepping toward me with a smirk that only deepened my irritation. "you cannot afford me," i replied with a smirk of my own, my voice dripping with sarcasm. it''s not a lie, either. his lieutenant salary couldn''t afford me. the moment the words left my lips, his face flushed with anger, his pride wounded by my response. "you whore," he spat, his voice rising with fury. "i was planning to be gentle, but now? i''m going to fuck you hard, like the whore like you deserve!" his words barely registered before he lunged at me, but i did nothing¡ªuntil he was just a meter away. then, i breathed in deeply. as i activated fast breath and flint, followed by wide plum, a stream of fire erupted from my mouth, creating a plume of fire that surged forward. despite being drunk, he reacted fast, but not fast enough, and my fire swallowed him, with horror and regret appearing in his eyes before they disappeared into the fire covering him. "ahhhh!" he screamed loudly as the fire covered his whole body. "fire off!" i said five seconds later, and the fire covering him disappeared. i looked at his state, with his hair burned and burned marks all over him. it looks bad and would have been if he had been a regular person, not lv. 20+. besides, i used regular alcohol. this fire is my weakest. if i had used the best ones. those five seconds would have been more than enough to kill him. i looked at him and saw him looking at me with a mix of fear and hate. i met his eyes before walking away. soon, i reached the camp and spent a few minutes with my teammates before walking into the tent. i spread my bedding over the mat. it''s one advantage of being a mercenary. soldiers can''t bring their own stuff into the tents, but we can. with that done, i took out my medicine. i have a bottle named sherhon. it is from a small brewery in the empire that varza brought for me during her travels. after tasting it, i recommended it to the velvet garden, and they placed a big order. i opened the bottle and took in its tantalizing aroma before taking a gentle sip. i enjoyed it in my mouth before finally gulping it down. i didn''t have to take more than a sip, thanks to lasting buzz. "do you guys want some?" i asked my two tent mates, holding up the bottle with a grin. hen shot me a look before shaking her head. "i told you before, you shouldn''t ask such a question, barb," she said, with a mock sternness in her voice. but that didn''t stop her from taking the bottle out of my hand. "you''re lucky i like you, or i''d be offended," i said with a smirk, watching her take a swig. she gave me a knowing look. "oh, i''m sure you would''ve been real heartbroken." she took a generous gulp before handing it to yora, who did the same. i lay down and closed my eyes. falling asleep within seconds. subscribe to to read more than 20 advanced chapters, character art, and maps. become a free member and enjoy the character art, maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 564: Scouting Party chapter 564: scouting party barb utsa the next day, i woke up before dawn. most of the camp had already woken up. i could even see the soldiers running in formation. it still made me wonder how quickly these people could wake up. i am even surprised at how early i woke up. i was never an early riser, even as a child, and later, my business was that of the night. it is during the day when i used to sleep. it took considerable effort on my part to develop the habit of waking up this early. despite that, i still woke up last within my team. i freshened up and took a quick bath. the arrangements are meager, and i miss the city the most at times like these. i have a fully accommodated college suite and my own home in the city. however, these inconveniences are worth it, as i am walking the path i desire. it is filled with danger, but it is my choice. i will not have any regrets, even if i die today. when i finished, i moved toward the sheltered area for practice. hun!no?v(el)b\\jnn suddenly, i stopped and turned. there was a man who looked to be in his late twenties¡ªa captain, looking at his uniform. he is a tall man with a chiseled jaw, deep blue eyes, and green hair. he is quite handsome, and his brooding, angry expression makes him even more so. "captain," i greeted. "mercenary," he replied. "what can i do for you, captain?" i asked. he hesitated, his jaw tightening as if the words were caught in his throat. it seemed like he was on the verge of saying something important for a moment, but then he pulled back, letting the silence stretch between us. finally, he took a deep breath, recovering his emotion before opening his mouth. "you shouldn''t have burned my lieutenant," he said with sparks of anger flashing in his eyes. "he shouldn''t have come at me bearing those intentions," i replied, and the anger in his eyes intensified further. i thought he would come at me, and i prepared myself. he didn''t, and the anger in his eyes cooled just as quickly as it flared. "there is a procedure in the army. if you had faced a problem, you should have complained to the competent authority. "instead of taking action yourself," he said, with a tone softer than before. i had misjudged him. he seemed sensible. "i didn''t have any chance, captain. he came at me. i don''t know what would have happened if i hadn''t responded when i did," i replied. i may have been at a higher level than him, but my main class isn''t a combat class. he was much higher than me, with better skills and more significant experience. i didn''t want to take risks. "still, there are procedures. you didn''t follow them," he repeated. "am i being arrested, captain?" i asked, wanting to leave. so i could practice. "no," he replied, deflated, with complicated emotions in his eyes. i couldn''t help but feel sorry for the man. he seems like the sort of person who wants to follow the law. he wanted to arrest me, but he couldn''t. if it had been anyone else, i would have been arrested within an hour of doing the deed, but it is me. if they did it, there would be a political mess, which they want to avoid. for the first time, greltheaven had sent the forces to aid them, and the man in charge knew how sensitive it was to touch me. an hour passed, and then another, but we did not encounter any monsters. "there was a monster here about an hour ago," said lieutenant karo, looking at marks of monsters on the tree. it is the sixth time we have seen fresh marks but no monsters. "don''t be disappointed. monsters aren''t something you should desire to fight," cautioned hen, sensing the disappointment on my face. she is right. so, i calmed myself and tried to learn as much as possible. another hour passed, and we tracked one monster but found another team had already dealt with it. one thing i noticed is how efficiently these people work. each team had a mage, and they were always in contact. this way, they can cover more ground and deal with the discovered threats faster. soon, it was afternoon, and we penetrated deeper into the forest. slowly, i heard the sounds of monsters, but we didn''t encounter one. hun! we were moving when suddenly, our mage stopped. "scout team 32 is coming in our direction. a group of monsters is chasing them," he stated. "how many monsters?" asked lieutenant karo immediately, with his whole self becoming alert. "sixteen," replied the mage, and his expression turned sour. "the other teams are coming for reinforcement, but we, and team 17, are closest to them," he added. he looked at us¡ªespecially me for a moment longer. "let''s move," ordered lieutenant karo, and we moved forward. soon, elis and the other scout joined us. a few minutes later, a team of seven appeared by us. led by a brunette woman with a saber in her hand. "they are less than three minutes away," informed the mage. we moved fast; i used the graceful walk. i could not use it at its full power, as it was madam class''s skill, but i had been practicing it, using it in sparring and battles, and stretching it. that now, the speed i could harness from it. it is nearly double that of before; that is a massive improvement. i am now fast enough to move at the rest of the team''s speed without any problem. "everyone, be careful. all the monsters coming are grade iii," informed the other teams'' leader. grade iii means. every monster coming has the strength between a lv. 20 to lv. 29 powerhouse. they are faster and stronger than us, but they are monsters. monsters are dumber than people but not as dumb as one would think. they can be extraordinarily cunning when it comes to some things. a minute passed, and then another, when i heard the sounds. "spread out, they are coming!" ordered lieutenant karo, and we moved. a second later, we saw people running toward us. they are bloodied and broken, with one of them seeming to be holding his torn arm in his hand. behind them is a group of monsters. subscribe to to read more than 20 advanced chapters, character art, and maps. become a free member and enjoy the character art, maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 565: Monster Slaying chapter 565: monster slaying barb utsa when i saw the monsters, i froze, panic surging in my chest like during my first battle. but unlike before, i crushed the fear instantly, stamping it out before it could take hold. the forest teemed with all manner of monsters, each more nightmarish than the last. a massive panther prowled with predatory grace, its eyes glowing like embers. packs of wolves and hyenas slunk through the shadows, their snarls sending chills down my spine. "roar!" the monsters roared, a deafening cacophony that rattled my nerves, before launching into an attack. their movements were shockingly swift¡ªfar faster than when they had been chasing the fleeing people before. the monsters are not as dumb as one would think. these monsters have intentionally chased them. instead of killing them, which they would have with numbers and strength. they hadn''t been satisfied with just a few helpless prey¡ªthey hungered for more. and now, with us before them, they had exactly what they wanted. roar! the monsters roared as they came at us, with killing intent in their eyes. that chilled my heart and made my panic rise again before i crushed it. i still remember the first time i faced battle¡ªhow i froze, paralyzed by fear. back then, someone came to my aid, pulling me back from the brink. but now, there would be no such rescue. everyone was locked in their desperate struggle, too occupied to save anyone but themselves. a blue wolf emerged before me, its sheer size matching my own. its thick, shimmering coat of fur rippled with every movement, and its glowing eyes locked onto mine with a predatory intensity. it will have no problem tearing me apart with those long claws and eating me with those teeth sharper than the enchanted blade. it is good that it had presented itself to me on a silver platter by leaping at me. whoosh! the liquor appeared in my mouth through stored gulps. i waited momentarily and activated the powerful breath and long breath before breathing out the liquor. the liquor shot out in a spray and blazed as the flint lighted it up. as it did, i activated the wide plume. the fire spread and reached the surprised wolf monster. covering it entirely within a moment. the liquor i am using, i had never used before. i have liquors for the undead and people. i had also chosen different liquor for the monsters. this liquor didn''t produce the most vigorous fire. instead, it produces thick, sticky fire, which, according to the people i asked, will harm the monsters the most. roar! the monster roared through the fire and continued with its leap. seeing that, i adjusted my stance with stance and brought my shield forward. the shield is another change i made against the monster. i usually rely on a buckler, but this time, i wielded a round shield¡ªa bit larger than i was used to. its surface gleamed faintly, enhanced by a powerful force absorption enchantment, ready to withstand the onslaught. it is the best enchantment to counter the strength and impact of the monsters for someone of my level and abilities. the monster reached me, and i activated my final skill. the shield brace. it is my newest skill in warrior class, a defensive skill. i got it when the class reached level ten. bang! a deafening sound rang out as the monsters'' claws struck against my shield. despite my shield, preparation, and skills, the power shook me and pushed me back, with a cracking sound coming out of my hand. it broke my bones and sent a shock throughout my body. whoosh! the impact forced me to release the liquor i had readied in my mouth. thankfully, i quickly controlled things and took the steps back rapidly while releasing the liquor in my mouth at the same time. turning it into a blaze and covering the monster with another layer of fire. roar! the monster boomed, with deep anger in its eyes. ''the monster is still standing!'' i thought in horror. a person of a similar level would have been screaming, but the monster just roared. i looked at it and saw fire covering it, but its hair wasn''t burning. i wasn''t smelling that overwhelming stench of hair and flesh burning when i noticed it. it''s there but is faint. the monster resists the fire, and the degree to which it resists is surprising. i was shocked to see how rapidly the fire was weakening. it made me panic, but i crushed it before activating the liquid calm. it made my nerves settle down. ''it could work,'' i thought. there is one skill that might work despite it not being a fighting skill. it is originally from my drunkard class but upgraded when drunkard and fire breather merged and became blaze imbiber. intoxicating fragrance. it''s a skill that intoxicates. it is a mental skill powered by charm, but the intoxication effect depends on one''s intoxication and will. i used it in battle against people, but it was nearly useless. it is unwise to go into battle drunk. however, it might be useful against monsters. they don''t have robust mental defenses and will, as people do. as soon as the thought crossed my mind, i acted without hesitation and took the last gulp i had saved for emergencies. it is thick and burned in my stomach. it''s a potent liquor, and i was already a little drunk. since blaze imbiber descended from drunkard, my skills work better when i am drunk. within seconds, i began to feel even drunker, but i had a calm mind because of liquid calm. though the skill won''t last long, only a little bit of alcohol remains in me; that''s what powers the liquid calm. a minute passed, and i became enough drunk that i focused the power of the intoxicating perfume on the monster. it is hard. seeing i am drunk. although the skill covers a wide area, its full power is focused on a single target. it''s not easy, but i am good at controlling skills. it is one of the things i used to teach in the circle. bang bang bang the monster''s attacks continued, but as the seconds passed. i begin to notice the effects of the skill on the monster. its movements aren''t as smooth as before, and its eyes become slightly unfocused. it took less than a minute. i was surprised, though i shouldn''t have been. i was a whore, with charm being my highest attribute, and it is the highest among all of my stats right now, despite me not using any attribute points on it since i changed profession. half of the power of the skill comes from the charm. rip! finally, i was able to land the attack on the monster. my blow landed on its back. i was going for its neck, but the wolf moved, and i needed to settle for its back. roar! it roared, and it felt drunk. it''s not as sharp as before. it attacked me while i once again defended. i didn''t attack immediately. instead, i kept defending while focusing every bit of intoxicating fragrance on the monster. i only have one chance, and i want to make it count because once the power of liquid calm disappears. intoxicating fog will also cover my mind, which would be dangerous. i have another skill that will remove the effects, but it will also remove the effects on the monster. half of the power of the skill depends on how intoxicated i am. i am already having problems with fighting. liquid calm keeps me calm, not focused. i am still drunk, and the only reason i am fighting as i am is because i am used to it. also, my class descended from drunkard, which provided me with certain benefits. rooaar! ''now!'' i said as i saw the perfect opportunity. the wolf leaped at me with a slurry roar. as i always do, i moved my shield forward to defend, but i kept my sword right behind it this time. the monster came closer and closer till it was barely a hands distance away when i moved my sword toward it. for a second, the monster didn''t realize what was happening. when it realized, it moved its flexible neck and opened its mouth. puch! my blade pierced through the eye of the monster. going all the way inside using its own momentum. seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. bang! it lasted for a fraction of a second as the next moment, the monster crashed into the shield, and i needed to take a couple of steps back. ''it''s dead!'' i said, looking at the monster. i find it hard to believe it is dead, but the proof is right before me. i looked at it momentarily before turning to the rest of the battle. the monsters are still alive, and they have already killed one person. seeing that, i rejoined the battle after drinking the potion and gulping down alcohol until i refilled my reserve. warrior lv. 13 blaze imbiber lv. 19 subscribe to to read more than 20 advanced chapters, character art, and maps. become a free member and enjoy the character art, maps, and other interesting things. enhance your reading experience by removing ads: remove ads now Chapter 566: Become A Subject Chapter 566: Become A Subject Secret Place, Archmage City. Two people appeared before a massive gate that made them look tiny. One is a human man, and the other is a dwarven woman. "You said it shook again," said the woman, looking at the massive gate with her staff shining. She is one of the strongest people in the world, but a flash of fear appeared in her eyes momentarily when she stared at the gate. "Yes, three and a half months ago," replied the man. "That would make it the fourth time in this century," said the woman, and the man nodded. "In the last century. It only shook three times, but now this century isn''t half past, and it is four times already," replied the man with worry all over his face. "You had met the guardians of the seventh gate. What did they say?" asked the man. "It only shook once at the start of the century. It had been silent since then," replied the woman. For a minute, nobody spoke. They just kept looking at the gate. "I was really hoping it wouldn''t come for a few centuries. By then, my bones would be buried deep in the sea," "But the chance of that happening seems lower and lower," muttered the woman. "An Archmage is scared?" asked the man with a smile. The woman smiled back, but there was no hint of mirth in her eyes. "Very much. Those on the other side eat people like us alive," she replied, turning away from the gate. ... The elevator door opened, and Jill pushed my wheelchair onto the seventh floor of Lunar Palace, where I would meet her. The Lunar Palace serves not only as lodging for masters of legacies but also as a hub for commerce and diplomacy. It''s where many masters convene for meetings, negotiate terms, and strike deals that shape the future. I had come here for the very same purpose. The meeting was initially set for the fifth day, but she abruptly changed the timing. I needed to reschedule some of my appointments to make time for this. Soon, Jill stopped in front of a long wooden door. It has a beautiful carving of people worshiping the sun. "Lord Silver," I looked at it when the greeting of an Otonian man standing by the door brought me back to the real world. I nodded at him and got up while he opened the door for me.No?v(el)B\\jnn I walked through it, entering a beautiful parlor with a great view of the garden outside. However, I barely glanced at it before focusing on the woman sitting longingly on the sofa. She is wearing a white toga, but this one is a little scandalous. She has the same golden belt, while her other artifact, the falchion, is lying on the table. Thrown casually like car keys. I had read about both of these artifacts. They are powerful. "Prefectus Prisca," I greeted the woman. "Lord Silver," she replied, waving me to sit before her. I nodded and sat in front of us while she remained in the same position. "Tea?" she asked. "Sure," I replied. I do not fear that she is going to poison me. Even the members of the Heavenly Colosseums aren''t that mad despite having the power to go against the Archmage Tower. A moment later, the teapot moved and poured into the cup. Soon, I returned to my suite, where Margaux was waiting for me. "How is the academy?" I asked. She had gone to the academy in the morning to register for her daughter''s admission. "Magnificent," she replied with a smile. I felt bad. She should be spending the days with her daughter, which she hadn''t seen for a year, but she spends most of her time working. "This arrived for you," she said, sliding the envelope across the table toward me. I opened the envelope and read it. When I looked at the number, a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. "Let''s hope the bids won''t go too high," I replied before putting the invitation down. "I had looked at the numbers of past auctions. They will be in range; not many legacies want them," she replied. "Let''s hope so," I said. ... Myrathra Dawnstar "Are you really doing this, boss?" asked Halbis as he read the letter that confirmed the meeting. "Yes," I replied. "Why?" he asked. "You do not need it. You had built the business in the most competitive city. It is more than enough to live your life comfortably," he added. He is angry. Worried. He doesn''t like my decision. "I have to do it. It had been years since I had leveled up. If this continues, I might be able to advance a few more levels in my lifetime, but it won''t be enough to reach Lv. 50," I said. I am currently at Lv. 42; a very high level. There are only a few people in this great city who have reached this level in the class I have. It''s not enough. I want to reach Lv. 50. Only at that level will I be able to leave my mark, or I will be another whore forgotten by history. I do not want that. "So, you are willing to leave it all?" he asked. To that, I smiled. "Of course not. You will handle the business here after I am gone." I replied, and a surprise appeared in his eyes. I have a hands-on approach to business and use Halbis as my assistant. "Me?" he asked, surprised. I had never hinted that I would hand over my business to anyone. I didn''t plan to; I thought I would be in the city forever, but after everything I had tried failed to level up my class, I finally decided to leave the city to find opportunities. "Of course you. You are the only one I trust to handle my business in my absence," I replied confidently. It took him a while, but he finally nodded, with excitement flashing in his eyes. "Why Harsoth? It is dangerous with civil war and undead. The one in a merchant state would be a much better choice," he asked. "Yes, it''s dangerous, but Harsoth feels right," I replied. I trust my feelings. It helped me survive the harsh world where it left many in our business broken. It hasn''t been confirmed yet, but it will happen. The meeting is just a formality. Given my level, there is no way he will reject me. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 567: Artin Kalos Chapter 567: Artin Kalos Jon Sands I inhaled, feeling the air''s weight fill my lungs, and then exhaled slowly and deliberately. I shifted my aura with the rhythm, a subtle ripple that responded to each breath. The trick is synchronization. I had to use each breath to release and absorb the aura, which is much more difficult than it looks. To me, my aura is like moonlight in the starless night. It is faint but everywhere. It is hard to gather it in a stream, but that''s what I am trying to do. It isn''t easy to bring it out of my body in a controlled stream. I didn''t think control of the aura would be this hard. Experiencing it myself, I have a newfound respect for him. He used to practice it at every free moment, between meetings, in the evening, and at dawn, and even while traveling. For the past two days, two and a half since it is evening, I have been trying to practice in every free moment I have, but it is incredibly tiring, and I have shown nearly negligible progress. I couldn''t even practice for five minutes before I got tired. Still, I have to push through. I have seen first-hand the things aura could do. On the island, it had saved us and crushed us. Even in the latest battle, Lord Silver''s resilience was nothing short of remarkable. That artifact would have claimed his life without question if he hadn''t possessed an aura. His mastery of the aura¡ªa testament to his unwavering discipline and strength¡ªgave him a fighting chance and ultimately ensured our survival. It is that trait that made me follow him. I pushed myself until I couldn''t support it anymore before collapsing on the floor. I wanted to last at least five minutes but couldn''t even achieve that. I hope things will be better after we return home. Lord Silver said there would be someone to teach me there. He said they are a master of it. He didn''t tell me the person''s name, but I could already guess who it was. She is the one teaching Lord Silver in secret and also instructs Stone. They have kept her secret, but I am his bodyguard. I noticed things, even when they were secretive. Still, it is hard to believe, and I still have my doubts about whether she is that person or if he is referring to someone else. I rested for a few minutes before getting up and leaving the room. I have to meet with Lord Silver. He said he had a job for me, but I was curious and didn''t ask. Soon, I reached his suite, and the guards opened the door for me. I entered and saw him sitting in the living room with Miss Margaux. Judging by the way he''s dressed, he must be heading to the party. There is a party every night. Yesterday, it was at the headquarters of the enchanter''s guild, and today, it was at the palace of the King of Ilazad. "Lord Silver," I greeted. "Jon, you have come right on time. This has just come for you," he said, pointing at a wooden box in front of me. It is a big box, the size of my hand. Made of wood, with delicate work done on it. "Daggers?" I asked, and "Yes," he nodded. The last battle had damaged my daggers. I gave them for servicing the day we came to the city and had been using a temporary pair. I am surprised. They finished it in two days, whereas it usually takes over a week because they were not normal daggers but triple-enchanted ones. Top of their grade, at that. I appeared by it and opened the box. What I saw were not my old daggers. "T..this?" I asked with my voice shaking. "I hope you like them," he said with a warm smile. Inside the box lay two black daggers, their sleek forms seemingly carved from polished obsidian-like bone, exuding an aura of elegance and menace. They are dark as night, with swirling patterns carved across them. These weren''t just enchanted weapons¡ªthey were far beyond that. These were half-artifacts, tools of immense power. Not only were they more potent than any enchanted weapon, but they also required no regular maintenance. They were insanely expensive and nearly impossible to acquire. He didn''t reply. Instead, he came at me at such speed that I didn''t think was possible for a man of his weight. I was cautious and reacted fast. Bringing my daggers in my hand, only to see him in front of me and throwing a naked punch. I looked as if he was mad. He was more powerful than me, but a naked punch against the blades was a mistake. I am sure he could see the blades they are. They will sever through his advantage, but he didn''t seem to have any fear toward them. I was thinking about that when I saw something. It made my eyes widen in deep shock. A faint green gauntlet appeared above his fist. Anyone looking at it would think it is a skill. No, it is not; it is a method. An aura method. The man''s control is so fine that I couldn''t feel even the slightest of his aura, but I know its aura. Seeing it, all the hope I had disappeared. There is no way I could win against him. I wanted to avoid the attack. Seeing it, but I know, even with my speed. I won''t be able to dodge it. The only way to defend it is to attack. So, I did. I slashed my blades toward him with Night Slash and Precise Strike and activated Crushing Dagger to strengthen it further before activating my aura. For the first time since he appeared. I saw a ripple of emotion appearing in his steady blue eyes. I didn''t think about it and focused on the aura. I am trying to force it into my skills. When he taught me the exercises, I asked Lord Silver how I should incorporate aura into my skills. He said I don''t have enough control, but I should force the aura into my skills if I ever found myself in a bind. It is hard, but I pushed into it with everything I have. Some of it went inside, increasing the power of the attack. Clang! My dagger clashed against his first, and I felt shock before I was thrown back and crashed hard against the wall. Hearing some of my ribs cracking. ''Who the fuck is this guy?'' I thought. I should have asked. I thought he would be a merchant or something. Since Lord Silver was always trying to bring those people to the city, I never thought I would be searching for a powerhouse at this level. The man was no beginner¡ªat least Level 40, possibly closer to Level 50. His mastery over his aura was evident, each movement sharp and precise, demonstrating fine control that only comes with experience and a deep understanding of one''s power. I groaned in pain and was about to get up when I found the man in front of me, and he had my neck in his hand. "Why are you looking for Kalos?" he asked, gripping my neck with his aura gantlet, but not hard enough I wouldn''t be able to speak. "I have been asked to do it," I replied. "By who?" he asked. "Find out yourself," I replied, and he pressed my neck harder. I didn''t hide my tracks. When Lord Silver asked me something, he specifically asked me to be stealthy. When he doesn''t, it means he wants to show my face. It''s why I only hid it with my cloak. I didn''t even use the skills. "You know, I could break your neck quite easily," he said. "I know, but you won''t. The moment you do, the tower will know," I replied confidently. However, I do not feel as confident as I sound. This man is powerful. I am not his match; not even Lord Silver or Stone could match him. "There are ways around it," said the man with a smile appearing on his face. It made me shudder deep inside me. "There always are, but there will be a price to pay if you do it," I replied, and this time, I was completely confident. Lord Silver and others will take revenge. They might not be able to do something to him right now, but I am confident they will in the future, and it won''t be very far away. He pressed my neck even harder. Near breaking level before letting go. I took a slow, deep breath and looked ahead. I saw an empty alley; the man had disappeared. "Fuck!" I cursed and messaged my neck before leaving the alley and thanking the gods for that monster for not killing me. Subscribe to to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 568: Golden Scroll Chapter 568: Golden Scroll ¡°You don¡¯t have to come, my lord,¡± said Vance. ¡°I want to,¡± I replied. It is one of the things I am excited about. Even Margaux and Zela are coming, despite having a busy schedule. We sat in the carriage, and it moved. Soon, it had moved to the lightway, and its speed increased. I watched the city through the magic road. Taking in its marvels, admiring it. It¡¯s the fourth day, and I am still in awe of it. There aren¡¯t just sky-breaking towers and lightways, but gardens, museums, and other things. Yesterday, I attended the party thrown by the king of Ilazad in the historical district. The place was beautiful; I will try to visit it more before I leave the city. A few minutes passed when the carriage stopped in front of the large building. It is a large blue building about twelve stories tall and wide. Taking a large block in itself. I could see the excitement in the eyes of everyone. However, the one that is most excited is definitely me. Jill pushed my wheelchair forward, and soon we reached the door. ¡°Welcome to Daryan¡¯s Emporium, Lord Silver,'' welcomed the elf in his early thirties waiting for us. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied. A surprise flashed in his eyes, but he recovered quickly and let us inside. The moment we did, I heard the gasp. Even I was barely able to stop myself from reacting. Everywhere I look, there are monsters. Small baby monsters of species and traits. From pure to mixed blood to dilute, they are here. The most amazing thing is. They are not in cages; they are on the platforms. They remain there because of training and the skills applied to them. It is another type of cage, but better than normal cages. ¡°The emporium has one of the largest collections of monsters and beasts.¡± ¡°We had nearly everything on your list and a few of those we didn¡¯t have. We have something or better,¡± informed the elf. They really seemed to have everything, and I wanted to have a few for myself before pushing that thought away. It was painful to give Nero away. I don¡¯t want to do that with another monster. We have a lot of monsters and beasts to buy. One group is for the army, while another is for the girls. Many want the pet, seeing Gloria, and could afford to have them. ¡°I will take you the first items on the list. Halmks,¡± he said, and we moved toward the section where the birds were. Soon, we appeared in front of the cloud-surfing sparrows. ¡°As you can see, we have all three types of them,¡± he said as he stopped in front of three stands. Each one holds a type of Halmk.@@@@ ¡°They are so cute,¡± said Margaux, looking at the birds flying in their stands. Three types of cloud surfing sparrows exist in the world. It is quite rare in species. As they are the same species but faintly different. Their genetic code is nearly identical. It is why all three are referred to as Halmk or cloud surfing sparrows. All three Halmks are three different sizes. The two Halmks Eli have are the skyseeker category. Skyseekers are the birds that are less than a meter long. They can be used for medium-range reconnaissance. A group of them flying in the middle platform. Currently, they are babies, but a projection of an adult is floating in front of the platform. These birds will not grow more than fifty inches long. Eli has two of them. So, we are not going to be buying them. I turned to the stand on the left. The one holding skywhisperer cloud surfing sparrows. Skywhisperers are birds that do not grow over ten inches long. Seeing us like this angers people. They believe that if they had been to our places and had ancestry, they would have done much better. Soon, the elevator stopped, and we got out. We walked until we stopped in front of a huge bronze door. ¡°The Yatgar Hall,¡± he said and pushed open the massive doors. ¡°I will be waiting outside,¡± he stated. I nodded and walked into a huge hall. It is big, and at the end of it is a huge statue of a burly bearded man wearing a mage robe and holding a massive sword. Yatgar Rutto, Archmage of Cleaving Earth. I am the descendent of Archmage. One of the founding members of the Harsoth Empire and one of three true archmages produced by the Zenid in this era. The entire region of the empire was named after him. ¡°Your supremacy,¡± I said, kneeling in front of the statue with a heart filled with shame. The man has risen from nothing. His parents were porters. He joined the army at fourteen and got Soldier Class when he was fifteen. He wasn¡¯t a mage, as one would expect. No, that talent was discovered when he was twenty-three. Despite the difficulty, he rose to become an archmage while having the advantage of his bloodline; we couldn¡¯t even become High Mages. Like all the people in the house, I had the dream to follow in his footsteps when I was a child, but the reality dawned on me despite all the advantages we possess. Even after over a thousand years. Every descendent of House Rutto is born with a magic talent, but couldn¡¯t go above the mage. It¡¯s not a restriction. Members of the house have become High Mages and even Great Mages centuries become, but not in recent times. He stayed in here for a decade before disappearing. Leaving a legacy big enough that they had named the entire floor of the Archmage Tower after him. I stayed kneeling for a few minutes before getting up and walking to the statue. I stopped close to it and placed the medallion between the feet of the statue. The archmage had left things for his descendants. Sometimes, they came out. These are the things that kept our house from dying out. A month ago, I was desperate to come to this place. Hoping to get something, but now I am here just to pay my respect to my ancestor. I am rich. Have more wealth than I know what to do with it. Silver had kept his promise. He had paid in emotion essence for each book I had given him. He didn¡¯t jail me or torture me. If he had, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist. Till now, I didn¡¯t use even a single bottle of essence. Though, I am planning to use it. I have contacts, and they are willing to pay a high price for it. I am being smart about it and cautious. I plan to sell only a small amount every month and invest that money in other things. Hun! I was in my thoughts when I saw the medallion shining, and a moment later, the whole statue began to shine in an earthy golden shine. It is not a light, but an aura. It is as vast as the continent and sharp as the blade, but as it enveloped me, all I felt was the warmness. ¡°Archmage,¡± I said, with tears streaming down my face. There was no reply, but I felt the aura entering me, scanning every part of me before the golden light came out of me. It didn¡¯t go back to the statue. Instead, it gathered and formed into a golden scroll. The scroll floated in front of me before turning into a golden beam and entering my head. Subscribe to to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 569: First Bite Auction Chapter 569: First Bite Auction "We should be able to get at least one," Margaux said as the carriage approached our destination. "Getting one wouldn''t be a problem, but getting them isn''t exactly risk-free," I replied. "There will abe competition since it''s an auction, but we have a good chance. However, I wouldn''t wager on it if the price exceeds the range we''ve set for each piece." A few minutes passed, and the carriage stopped before a small but beautiful building. I am saying "small'' by the city''s standards. The building is five stories tall and made of beautiful blue stones, with a spire rising from the middle. "Welcome to August Hall, Lord Silver, Headmistress Swan," greeted the House Staff as he opened the door. We stepped out and were promptly escorted inside. Many other locations are better than this building, but it is tradition to host it here. It has happened for thousands of years, and nobody wants to break the tradition. Soon, he opened the door and let us into a grand hall. There are hundreds of chairs, with more than half occupied. I looked at the people and found most of them familiar. I had been introduced to or talked to them at least once in the past four days. Soon, the House Staff led us to our seats. It''s in the first row. This time, I am not surprised. Here, I mostly saw people from the Grade III legacy. Those from Grade IV and above rarely showed any interest in this place. Their auction will be held tomorrow. I have no interest in them; they are too big for velvet garden to take a bite of. If I tried, they might change the Velvet Garden. "Lord Silver," greeted Elf, sitting beside me. "Lord Aardwyn, Lord Constance," I greeted the elf and the man beside me. "Lord Aardwyn is my father, Lord Silver. Call me Rylan," the elf corrected. "Rylan," I said. The elf is the same elf we have seen in the opening ceremony on the first day. His father is a master of Tranquill Bathhouse.@@@@ The man beside him is a guardian from the Grade IV Wander Inn, the master legacy of Tranquill Bathhouse. I am surprised they are here. I saw them in the morning, talking with Prefectus Prisca and another Master of a Grade IV legacy. "Forgive me for saying this, but I didn''t expect to see you here, Lord Silver," Constance said. "I could say the same to you, Lord Constance," I replied. "It''s a risky bet you''re making, my lord. You''re on the list of legacies with the most potential." "Taking the core essence of another legacy, especially one that''s waning, is dangerous for the future," he responded, and he was right. However, he doesn''t know that I can take only the part that aligns with my vision. The rest of the bite would be purified and converted into pure essence. So, unlike other legacies of my level, I am in a much better position. However, it is not without risk. I could absorb the core, but only the part that aligns with my vision. "If I become greedy and absorb more than I should, it will taint the vision. That would be catastrophic for the growth of my legacy, and the consequences could be irreversible." "Why are you here, Lord Constance?" I asked. "We are looking for the bite for the Tranquill Bathhouse. We want to strengthen it before the separation to increase its survival chances," he replied. Yes, the separation. Wander''s Inn would have helped, but it would need all its strength to survive the separation from Tranquill Bathhouse with as little damage as possible. As he had warned me, it is a risky bet. Taking the essence of a waning legacy could seal the Tranquil Bathhouse''s fate, making its demise all the more certain. "I wish your legacy had been Grade IV, Lord Silver. We would have asked you to take us," said the elf. "You would not need to say it, Mr. Rylan; I would have requested it myself," I replied, and the man smiled. I am not saying that out of politeness. Tranquill Bathhouse is an amazing legacy, even without that artifact they have. It''s such a regret that I can''t have it. I wouldn''t have even minded it being on another continent. Minutes passed, and the people kept coming until nearly the entire hall was filled with people. The essence didn''t just go for creating the life-saving potions but also for recovering of artifacts and other things. That gives the Sovereigns the influence over the nobles and other powerful people. "Anyone for four hundred and thirty?" asked the auctioneer, and sweat began to appear on the man''s head. As he realized the trouble he was in. "Four hundred and thirty, once. Four hundred and thirty, twice..." "Four hundred and fifty!" said Margaux smoothly before he could say the third time. I could see the great relief appearing in the eyes of the man, and he slumped for a second before recovering quickly, feeling eyes on him. "Taurus Theatre goes to Lord Silver. Master of Velvet Garden," said the auctioneer, banging the gavel. "You had scared that poor man, Miss Swan," said the elf. "I didn''t, Mister Rylan. I only delayed because I was thinking about whether to go further," "We have a limited budget, after all," she replied sheepishly. The elf and the man beside him just smiled, seeing her lying through her teeth. The auction continued as a new legacy coming under the hammer. Soon, another legacy came on the table, and this time, we bid. It''s a bar. We bought it for five hundred and twenty and the tavern after for five hundred and forty. After that, more legacies came until we reached the last legacy. "Now, only the one had remained. Taril''s Smokehouse. Its Grade III, Tavern Class waning legacy," "The bid for it will start at Four hundred emotion essence," said the auctioneer. It is only a legacy started at four hundred, and there is a reason for that. "Five hundred emotion essence," said the elf beside me. Betting for the first time. "Five hundred and twenty," came another bid immediately. "Five hundred and fifty," said another. The bids soon reached the six hundred. Everybody loves to smoke. One might wonder how it aligns with the bathhouse, but it does. Smoking is quite popular in the bathhouses. Just as it''s popular in taverns, bars, and every other gathering place. I dislike smoking; I cannot even bear the smell of smoke. I have a smoking area in my establishment, but that is only because patrons want it. I will not focus on smoking like the others, as it goes against the direction of my vision. So, we didn''t bid. "Seven hundred and thirty, once. Seven hundred-thirty, twice, seven hundred-thirty, thrice." "Sold!" "Smoking bar goes to the Tranquill Bathhouse," announced the auctioneers. ''The elf isn''t too happy at such a price,'' said Margaux, looking at the painful smile on his face. ''It is more than it is worth, and people knew he wants it. So they pushed him hard,'' I replied with a smile. We paid a similar price for the casino, but that is a casino. It''s big, a theatre-class casino, while all the legacies here were tavern-class. It''s not like those legacies aren''t dying. They are, but most are making deals internally. Besides, the casino wouldn''t have much of a price. Because of its class, its weight would have been enormous. There would have been very few Grade III takers for it. Considering the chances of pollution would be higher. "Thank you all, Masters and Guardians, for giving August Hall this honor; we will always be grateful for it," he said, walking off the stage. We talked to the people for a few minutes before walking out. "There was no store legacy or forge," said Margaux. I wanted them so much, but they were hard to find. If I want them, I will have to approach them individually. Scarlet Headmistress Lv. 36 Skill Gained: Empathetic Bond Subscribe to to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 570: Myrathra Dawnstar Chapter 570: Myrathra Dawnstar Myrathra Dawnstar The lunar palace comes into view. It''s beautiful, one of the most beautiful in Archmage City. I have come here many times. I am one of the highest-level whores in the city. My clientele stays in places like these. Although, it had been several years since I stepped away from these clients to focus on my business. Now, I am taking another step and plan to leave everything I have built and move to another city. I don''t want to leave; this is my home, where my heart feels rooted. But for the sake of my growth and future, I know I must. I refuse to fade into obscurity¡ªI want to leave a mark, to have at least one page of history that tells my story. Velvet Garden might make that happen. Transcendent Pleasure and several other renowned brothels on the continent have extended job offers to me. Additionally, there are intriguing opportunities from prestigious brothel legacies beyond the continent. All offered a high position and big money, but I have those things already. Soon, the carriage came to a halt, and a man opened the door. Beside him stood a guard clad in Greltheaven''s uniform. "Miss Dawnstar," he greeted with a polite nod. A flicker of displeasure stirred within me. I had expected him to send one of the three whores he parades around or at least one of his personal guards. Instead, he had dispatched a no-name guard. Technically, the man before me was a captain, but still¡ªjust a guard. The subtle insult grated on me, igniting a spark of anger. Yet, I forced myself to remain composed. I couldn''t afford to let my emotions undermine the meeting''s success. Calmness was essential. Still, I resolved to bring up this slight at an opportune moment¡ªit would not go unaddressed. The guard led me inside, his steps steady and practiced. The palace''s grandeur was nothing new to me¡ªI knew its halls and chambers well. I had even walked into the domes, exclusive sanctuaries where even those of Silvers'' rank were denied entry. Soon, the elevator came to a smooth stop on the sixth floor. This level was typically reserved for Grade IV legacies¡ªa place of prestige and exclusivity. Yet, they had placed Silver here. Through my connections, I learned that the Archmage Tower offered Silver with special treatment. Remarkably, he had received the invite to meet the Archmage himself on the first day. Rumor had it that he also was presented with an expensive gift, an honor that spoke volumes about the Tower''s regard for him. Knock!@@@@ Soon, we reached the suite, and he knocked on its door. A moment later, an armored orc opened it. "Come in," he said, leading me inside a living room before stopping in front of the teen girl sitting behind the table. She is pretty, wearing a white collared black dress that fits her perfectly and her hair in a bun. She looked more professional than my secretary. Who is a real secretary, with secretary school training and all while this young girl is a whore, who later becomes a secretary. Seeing her, I couldn''t help but smile. I could feel her class. She was one of us¡ªsomeone who had risen from the same circumstances¡ªyet she had managed to carve out a place of significance for herself. One of the reasons I chose the Velvet Garden over other legacies was that He gave us a chance, saw our potential, and didn''t let the world''s prejudices define us. Unlike others, who viewed us as tools to satiate their desires before discarding us, the Velvet Garden placed people like her¡ªand me¡ªin positions that mattered. "It''s an honor to meet you, Miss Dawnstar," she said, her voice warm and steady, her shining eyes meeting mine as she rose gracefully to her feet. The movement is not a skill but a practice. I didn''t fail to notice the way she spoke, either. Whores do not speak like that. "Thank you, young woman," I replied with a smile. She smiled even more brightly before her expression turned serious. "Please," she said, motioning to the door where I heard the clicking sound. I nodded and pushed open the door before walking inside the office. It''s a beautiful office, but I barely glance at it. My eyes focused on the young man sitting behind the table. I had seen him before in the opening ceremony, but it was the first time I had seen him so close. He isn''t alone; a platinum blond-haired woman is sitting on a sofa not far away from him. "Lord Silver," I greeted the young man. This young man elevated his legacy from Grade I to Grade III in just a year¡ªa rare feat. "Miss Dawnstar," he replied. His voice was polite, yet not overly so¡ªbalanced and respectful. Most importantly, there was no trace of the snideness or superiority that was all too common when others looked at people like us. Despite that, they don''t hesitate to use us to satiate their lust. Even after reaching such a high level. I still get the same looks I used to get when I was a common whore. "Please take a seat," he said. "Thank you, my lord," I replied and sat before him. "I must say, I am pretty surprised by your offer to work for me. With your level, you could work at any brothel legacy and many other legacies," the young man said. My eyes instinctively locked onto the source of the aura. I had assumed it was Silver, but no¡ªit was his guard, standing by him and exuding that strange, powerful presence. He didn''t seem to have much control over it. He likely awakened the aura in a month or two. ''That makes it three people.'' I thought. It is known that Silver has awakened the aura, and I heard that his mistress had also awakened. Now, this rogue guard as well. A small city has three people with an aura. That is very rare. Cities much larger than his didn''t have a single person with an aura in them. "My apologies, Lord Silver. I had lost control of my emotions for a moment," I said, my voice steady as I composed myself. Despite the anger simmering beneath the surface, I knew I had to regain control. "No need to apologize, Miss Dawnstar. If I had been in your place, I would have reacted the same way," he replied without any hint of anger. Instead, there seemed to be an apology on his face. "I had meant no disrespect with my offer, Miss Dawnstar. I do not feel it would align with my vision for you to work with my legacy the way you want," he explained. "Offering you the position to teach was no disrespect." "It is the college of whores, but we teach not only the girls that will work in the Velvet Garden but also the ones that will work for the city. The ones that might become the governors and madams," "It''s why many of the teachers that work in the college are leveling up fast." "Many among those that work in college. Especially the ones that have been with us from the beginning and taught Margaux and Ina, who are closer to Lv. 40, that Lv. 30," His words went deep and, going by what I know, seemed plausible. I knew the whores of Velvet Garden worked for the city, and one had even become Governor. The news had spread like wildfire through my circles, creating quite a stir. It wasn''t just the position that shocked people¡ªit was the audacity of it. It had made a massive impact, and everyone was talking about it. When I first heard. I sent my people to fact-check it with the information guild. Pupils'' accomplishments affect the teacher, and the teacher''s class works like this. This is why teaching positions in famous academies are so competitive. They kill for it. Still, I wanted to reject the offer outright, but despite myself, I found my thoughts drifting back to it. It''s a job that felt far beneath me and my level¡ªfarbeneath. "What will I be teaching? What position will I have?" I asked before I could stop myself. The words slipped out, and I couldn''t take them back. "The position will be head of the department," he replied without hesitation. "As for what you''ll be teaching..." He turned to the woman with platinum blonde hair¡ªThe Headmistress. ... "Seduction," replied Margaux, which seemed to surprise the woman in front of me and even myself. The offer I made to her came all of a sudden, unexpected even to me. I was still torn when she arrived, unsure whether to let her work in Velvet Garden. I realized I couldn''t allow it a minute after she stepped in. It didn''t feel right. The weight settled on me like a burden I couldn''t shake. Giving her the position of assistant madam might disrupt the chain of command, causing a ripple in its carefully balanced structure. Yet, I couldn''t bring myself to let her go. She was incredibly high level¡ªone of the select few who could reach her status. Losing her would be a tremendous blow, a loss I couldn''t afford. I knew I had to convince her, and that''s when the idea struck me. The more I thought about it, the more perfect it seemed. Even Margaux agreed with it, and her approval only solidified the plan in my mind. "I must say, it''s not something I ever envisioned before I came here," she laughed. Her laughter was light and beautiful, echoing in the room like a melody. She is a beautiful woman. Elves are stunning, and she isn''t more attractive than most. Instead, she has mastered her body, and every movement she makes carries a beautiful and seductive grace. Even the faintest shift of her posture seemed carefully crafted to captivate. The woman in front of me looked to be in her mid-forties, about Margaux''s age, though her appearance held a timeless quality. Her dark green hair framed her face in soft waves, and her almond-shaped green eyes seemed to shimmer with a quiet intensity. She possessed the high cheekbones typical of elves, their sharpness only enhancing the elegance of her features. Her long, delicate, graceful neck held a subtle allure that almost begged to be kissed or bitten. She wears a black dress that fits her beautifully and shows enough skin to leave one wanting more. "The choice is yours, Miss Dawnstar," I said. I cannot force her. Only try to convince her. She is ready to give up her successful business and life for a chance at progress. However, she will only change if it feels right for her. "I want to reject it, my lord, but a small part of me is considering it. Please, give me some time to think it over," she finally said. I felt a sense of relief, as I genuinely believed she would turn it down. She didn''t accept it, but she didn''t reject it either, which gives me a glimmer of hope. This trip will be a resounding success if I can win her over. Subscribe to to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 571: Proposal Chapter 571: Proposal "Yes, I have Arcane Foundation by Laeral Silverhand, but it is a priceless book. It can''t be bought with mere emotion essence," said the man sitting before me. Only a host of Legacy, like him, could say something about "mere" emotion essence. The single most desired commodity in the world. I am in the house of Lord Orion. Yes, that nervous man has a mansion here in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It is also in one of the best areas. It costs a fortune, and I didn''t even want to consider it. Right now, the nervous man isn''t anxious anymore. He is spirited and confident. "Will this be enough, Lord Orion?" I asked, taking a colored book with some flourish from my bag and pushing it toward him. Gasp! His eyes widened, and he sucked a deep breath. In an instant, the man''s hand darted forward with such speed that it caught both me and the old man beside me entirely off guard. "The Basics of Elements by Archmage Mordenkainen! I''ve been searching for this book for ages," he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming excitedly as they locked onto the precious tome. "I''ll exchange it for The Arcane Foundation," the man offered, turning his gaze to me.@@@@ I considered pressing for more but quickly dismissed the idea. The additional benefits I''d gain would be minor, and risking the chance to build a strong rapport with him simply wasn''t worth it. "Thank you, Lord Orion," I said before putting my hand into my bag and bringing out another book. "I believe you have Four Elements by Aumir Volo," I said, sliding a crimson-bound book across the table toward him. "I want that in exchange for this." This one is rarer than the last. The knowledge it contains is above the basic level. Before departing, I convened a meeting with my most trusted mages, granting them access to all but one of the books Rutto had provided me. Unfortunately, only one was about the aura. The rest are about magic. They presented me with a list of books they required and selected titles we could trade for other valuable tomes. However, since I resolved to exchange copies of only two books, it sparked quite a heated debate. With over twenty books in our collection, my decision to limit the trades to just two was met with resistance, but I stood by it. If I reveal too much, it might draw attention to my source¡ªthe goose that is laying the golden eggs. Only a trusted few are aware of the source, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. That is why all those who had access to the books have signed a strict contract to never discuss them with anyone without my permission. To be cautious, I am only exchanging two books. It will be my loss, but I am thinking about the future. "Ok," he said, putting a book down and looking at me expectantly. "If you have any more volumes, I am more than willing to exchange for them, Lord Silver," said the man. I shook my head. "If I come across them in the future, you will be the first I contact Lord Orion," I replied to the man. A few minutes later. We signed the contracts, and I left his house soon after. We have thousands more books to buy, but the staff will do that. If I succeed in my next meeting, the numbers needed could increase tens of times. "Best of luck, my lord," wished Mage Aldridge. My next meeting is crucial. It is one of the reasons I personally come here. "Thank you, Mage Aldridge," I replied and entered the carriage. The meeting is the most important. I will need all the luck I can get. If I succeed, it will help the city tremendously. I have put in extensive preparation, meticulously micromanaging the proposal to the point of frustration¡ªfor both myself and those involved. Yet, in the end, it resulted in a proposal I am truly satisfied with. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I got out. I looked at the Archmage Tower and sighed before walking inside. Yes, I proudly walked. Today is my seventh day in the city¡ªthe first day without a wheelchair. I have been recovering fast since I arrived. Now, I could walk without getting tired. I''m not fully recovered yet, but I feel ready to use my skills. There have been many moments when I wanted to act, especially when others used their skills against me, but I held back. I stepped into the tower and felt the power of the legacy. The new council was voted on the first day of the synod, and the result will be announced on the ninth day. The new council won''t accept my proposal right away. It will take them months to even consider it. My city, however, doesn''t have that much time to waste. I need to convince this woman. If she agreed, then the council would approve. It won''t matter, even if there are only two days for the new one to convene. "So, what do you want?" she asked. "An academy," I replied, and a faint surprise appeared in her eyes for a fraction of a second before it disappeared. "Well, I am surprised," she said and looked at me. "I have two cities under my domain, and they are growing fast, with many young people. I had opened schools, but they are far from enough." "I need an academy in my domain to nurture those with potential," I replied and took out the proposal before placing it in front of her. "I believe you have an academy in the region. In Deerpond city?" she asked, to which I nodded. "As you are aware, your majesty. We do not have a good relationship with Deerpond," "Even if they accept our people. There is a good chance they will poach them." "We can''t let other cities take our most talented people," I replied. "What about Inam and Owlspring? They have academies, and you have excellent relations with them," she asked. Hearing that, I smiled. I knew getting funding for the academy wouldn''t be easy, and looking at the way, she is asking the questions. She is aware of a lot of things and asks appropriate questions. Synod may have their treasuries filled, but that doesn''t mean they will just give me the money. Especially when there are no immediate benefits, the value of essence will continue to rise, and the Synod won''t suffer any loss, even if the essence remains locked away for decades¡ªor even centuries. "Yes, those cities have academies, and we have good enough relations, but they are far and, most importantly, expensive," "Less than 1% of the eligible people will be able to afford them," I replied. "I had added the average income of a household in both of my cities and fees of the academies closer to us in the proposal," I added. I have done the research. The data backs every word in the proposal. She didn''t say anything, and her expression was unreadable, but I felt slight hope when she picked up the proposal. She opened it and began to read. Her speed of reading is extremely fast. She is a Grand Mage with the power of spirit. It didn''t take her long to read through the whole proposal before she put it down and looked at me. Her eyes are a lot more serious than before. "You have ambitions, Lord Silver. You want a magic tower in the academy but also to teach arts, politics, and other subjects," she said, to which I nodded. "I feel a comprehensive academy is a better choice than a specialized one for my city," I replied. I discussed it extensively with Locke, Valentina, Mage Aldridge, and others. Based on my research, I have decided that a comprehensive academy is best for the city. "But the specialized one is considered the best," she countered. "Yes, they are, and I dream of having them in my domain in the future, but right now, the city needs a comprehensive academy," I replied. "The funding you are asking for is huge, Lord Silver," she said. "I will not deny it, Your Majesty, but I am a member of the synod; I deserve it," I replied, taking a risk. "You deserve to be heard, Lord Silver. It is the council''s right whether to accept your request," she replied with her expression becoming stern. "My apologies, your majesty. I misspoke in desperation," I apologized immediately, and her expression eased a little. Those words were intended to elicit a reaction. They did. Let''s hope they will give me the results I want. It could lead to the opposite of what I intend, with consequences far worse than I can afford. "I will present the proposal to the current council. It will be up to them whether to accept it or not," she stated finally. "Thank you, your majesty. I will accept any decision you and the council agree on," I replied with a grateful smile. I didn''t expect a direct yes, but I hoped for it. Most of the work is done by meeting her, as her decision matters the most, but to show my sincerity, I will be meeting all the council members today to lobby for it. It would help a lot if some of the council members accepted it. Subscribe to to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 572: Recovery and Regeneration Chapter 572: Recovery and Regeneration You have nearly recovered, Lord Silver, and are free to use both your skills and aura once more. "Though, I would advise you to take it slow for a few days," said Great Mage Domaris, looking at the scan above me. Once more, I am back in the Mars Tower¡ªthis time for the check-up. "Thank you, Great Mage. I wouldn''t have recovered so fast without your help," I thanked. I am truly grateful. I am determined to make a full recovery before leaving the city. With my luck, who knows what dangers might await me on the road? I will need to be prepared for anything. It is the eighth day. Only two more days remained before the synod ended, and I was to leave for home. "I would have claimed full credit, Lord Silver, but most of the work was done by you," the man replied. At that, I smiled. A few minutes later, I walked out of his office. "Anything?" I asked Davis. "There are a few messages, but not from the one you are looking for, my lord," he replied. Hearing that, I sighed internally. I am waiting for the message from the Grand Mage Anis. It had been only a day since I gave her the proposal. So, I shouldn''t expect them to approve it immediately, but I need them to, as I only have a day. The results of the new council elections will be announced tomorrow, and I need my proposal approved before then. I had met all the council members yesterday. Ophelia and others. Two had even explicitly promised me support, which was better than I had expected. Still, there is much opposition to it. That is why I had put all my hopes on Grand Mage. A few minutes later. I walked out of the examination hall and stepped into the elevator. Soon, the elevator stopped, and we got out. It''s not the lobby, but another floor; there are two people I have to see before leaving. We reached the room, and I entered inside with Margaux. Eudo was standing with various things in front of him, including the children''s toy, and an orc woman instructed him in his therapy. "Lord Silver," he greeted, seeing me. "How are you feeling, Eudo?" I asked him. Looking at his hands. He had regained his hands. A Grand Mage had cast a regeneration spell. Restoring his hands. It happened yesterday morning, right after the spell. Eudo quickly became unconscious and only woke up late last night. The spell takes a toll on the body. "Good. Ecstatic; I didn''t think I would ever see this day," he said with tears streaming down his face as he glanced at his hands. This treatment wasn''t cheap¡ªit was extremely expensive¡ªand the most expensive thing I did here in Archmage City, but it was worth it after seeing his joy. He is an integral and foundational member of the Velvet Garden¡ªit might never have existed without him. Therefore, doing this for him is beyond question.@@@@ "What did the healer say?" I asked. "They said the regeneration has been successful." "As long as I followed the regiment. In a few months, I would gain similar control over these hands as I had with my old hands," the man replied, his joy never leaving his face. It made me relieved because regeneration is only a first step. One can''t just gain the lost body part and hope it will work fine in a day. "Miss Bandstone, Miss Gul," he said as he stepped beside the bed. "Lord Silver," we greeted. I still can''t believe he was the same man who had fought like a demon a week ago. I remember how he came out of the forest, scorched almost to the bone. His appearance in battle was so unlike the man we had guided. That man was powerful, not the demon who emerged from the forest. He came out and started to reap lives like a death god. Even the strongest didn''t last for more than a few seconds in front of him. What is shocking is that he is only twenty years old. Younger than me, but so strong and even has an aura. "How are you feeling, Miss Bandstone?" he asked. "Never better, my lord," I replied truthfully. "I am glad," he replied. There was a silence for a moment before I opened my mouth. There is something I need to say to him. "Thank you, Lord Silver, for helping me," I said. There are many ways he could have backed out. A lord like him has different ways, but he has followed the contract in spirit and the word. "You do not have to thank me, Miss Bandstone. I did what I had agreed to in exchange for your help," he replied with a smile. "For that, we are very grateful, Lord Silver," said Ulo. For a moment, there was silence before he turned to me, with his face serious. "There is another reason I have come here other than to check on you," he stated. "What is it?" I asked. Feeling worried. Hoping he wouldn''t cut a year of treatment. "An offer. I want you to work for me. The Greltheaven army," he said. Surprising me. I once worked for an army but didn''t have a pleasant experience. I believe his army would be better, but I can''t accept it. I need money for my treatment. The salary of the army would be far from enough for it. So, I opened my mouth to reject, despite wanting to accept his offer. "Will you fund her treatment while she works for you?" asked Ulo before I could utter a word to reject his offer. "She will get free medical, as every person in my army does. So, yes, the dominion will fund her treatment, as it does of every person," he replied and turned to me. I am ecstatic but also surprised. He should know the cost of the treatment. It is massive. If I calculate it, it will be worth the salary of over a dozen people every month. I am talking about the salary of a Captain, who is not a common soldier, but he is still willing to do that. "It will be my greatest pleasure to work for you, Lord Silver," I replied. There must be some intentions behind the offer. No matter how generous he is, Lords wouldn''t have offered me the job without it. I would have considered the reason if I hadn''t been sick, but my current condition prevented me. I know very well that it will be hard to support myself after two years. I was barely able to afford the medicine I used to have. I would not be able to afford this new medicine even if I reached level 30. Accepting the offer is a wise choice, no matter the strings attached to it. Subscribe to to read Over 20 Advanced Chapters, Character Art, and Maps. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 573: Meetings and Deals I Chapter 573: Meetings and Deals I I walked out of the shower and wore a suit before looking at the mirror. The paleness and weakness had vanished. I now feel fine and complete. I had nearly recovered; the small part won''t stop me from projecting my full strength. Still, I am refraining from using the skills and the aura. I won''t use them unless necessary, at least until I leave this city. Archmage City is the safest place on the continent. It is a thousand times safer than my city. If it had been Greltheaven, I wouldn''t have been able to control myself for more than a few days before activating the skill. Still, it made things more challenging, especially when the other party used the skills. Here, I interact with powerful people. Without Jon and Margaux, I would have had no choice but to activate my aura and skills to defend myself. I glanced at the mirror, adjusted my suit and hair, and headed downstairs. Twenty minutes later, I found myself sitting in a parlor with the two men¡ªone the host of the legacy, the other its guardian. "Sure, the mist-forged goods won''t be a problem. I can sell them to you, complete with enchantments and all, but..." I replied, leaving the sentence hanging. The middle-aged orc with dark hair was Dular Stonemaw, Master of Maw Grill¡ªa Grade IV legacy. The blue-haired half beside him is its guardian. They are from Navr. They want everything¡ªgrill grates, knives, tongs, trays, and anything else we could offer them. "We can pay you above the market price," said the half-elf, but I shook my head. "I do not want the money, Lord Jarys," I replied. "We cannot give you essence. It is off limits," he said, to which I shook my head. "I don''t want the essence either. I have my own legacy," I said. "Though, I would accept it if you offered it¡ªafter all, it''s a Grade IV essence. But that won''t happen." So, I want something else. Something I''ve desired for quite some time. "I want liquor¡ªthe aged ones. You''ve been holding back on that," I replied, and a smile spread across their faces. Since the Velvet Garden ascended to the legacy, I''ve had access to the finest liquor. I''ve amassed bottles from the top hundred liquors, some of which are incredibly rare. Even among them, there are distinctions¡ªcertain ages or batches are considered the best. I''ve managed to get my hands on liquor aged up to a hundred years, but nothing older. Even for a hundred-year-old bottle, I had to pay a steep price. Money isn''t an issue. As long as I have the liquor, there will always be people willing to pay for it. Most importantly, it will help me advance my vision of providing the best experience to my patrons. "I think that shouldn''t be a problem, Lord Silver," said the half-elf. "Good. Please send your people to Greltheaven to negotiate," I replied. Such negotiations are complex. We can only initiate things; others will handle the actual negotiation. "Lord Silver, the higher-ups have asked me to inform you that we are interested in essence and are willing to exchange rare items in return," he said.@@@@ I smiled at that instead of replying. The merchant state had asked me not to sell a single drop to Navr. I plan to follow it because Navr is an enemy who will eventually attack, and I need the merchants and don''t want to displease them yet. A minute later, I walked out of the parlor with a smile showing on my face. I have made many such deals with other masters of legacy. "The second is that I will need the position of the vice-headmistress." "Third, I want my..." I listed one condition after another, and he listened without interrupting me¡ªnot once. I looked at him once I finished and saw him deep in thought. "I could agree to the termination clause, but it would only apply for the first six months. You can leave if you don''t feel it''s the job you want." "As for the termination due to danger, I will only add a war clause." "As for you getting the position of vice-headmistress, the answer is no. The position needs to be earned; the head of the department is the most I can offer," he said. "I will accept your condition on housing, but..." He responded, accepting some terms outright, modifying others, and rejecting a few altogether. I countered them, and he countered back. The back and forth continued for over twenty minutes before we finally agreed. "You will not regret this decision. Miss Dawnstar," he stated. "I hope so, my lord," I replied. "I will have a contract drawn and sent to you this evening," he said. "I will be waiting," I replied. "I know, I should be saying this after contracts are signed, but welcome to Velvet Garden, Miss Dawnstar," he warmly stated. "Thank you, Lord Silver," I replied and shook his hand. This decision is daunting and scary, but I have to take it. I hope it will be worth it. ... I watched the woman leave, and a big smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. Getting her is a significant victory. "There is a response from the office of Grand Mage. They want you to meet Great Mage Xarafis at twelve," said Davis, and the smile on my face grew even bigger. Great Mage Xarafis is Grand Mage Asin''s aide and secretary of the synod council. If the council had agreed to my proposal, then Xarafis would be the man I should meet. So, it is very likely that they would have accepted it. Still, I did not let myself get too excited. "Inform, Lady May. That I will not be able to attend her soiree," I said. A few minutes later, Oakley came, and we drafted the contract. I had prepared contracts, but given her level, we would need to craft one suitable for her. It might take some time. Thankfully, I had kept the morning free. I had done that intentionally. I knew if I got a response. I must meet in the afternoon before the council election results are announced. "Done," he said as he finished drafting the contract. I read through it once more carefully. Looking at any flaw that might come to bite me. When I saw there was none. I activated the power of legacy and Lord''s Contract, using a skill for the first time since coming here. I wouldn''t have, but this contract is too important. "Sent it to Miss Dawnstar in a few hours," I said before getting up. I would have liked to send it now, but I don''t want to seem desperate. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 574: Meetings and Deals II Chapter 574: Meetings and Deals II At eleven and a half, I stepped into the carriage, and it moved toward the Synods Headquarters. Archmage Tower may have all the spotlight in this conclave, but its headquarters is where all the work is done. Most of the less glamorous events are happening there. Ten minutes later, the carriage entered through the gates of a large building. It is an imposing building with tall columns and extended arches. Even giants could comfortably walk through it. The building may look new, but it''s pretty old¡ªnearly as old as Archmage Tower. Throughout the millennia, it was damaged to various degrees before being rebuilt. Even the archmage tower, with all its power, hadn''t been entirely undamaged in thousands of years of its existence. The carriage stopped, and I stepped out before walking inside the building. I marveled at the building, its murals, and frescos, telling significant moments of history. I have been here every day, and it mesmerizes me every time. This building has thousands of years of history and has experienced every catastrophe that has fallen on the world. Soon, I reached the office of the Great Mage Xarafis, which is on the top floor. Same floors as the offices of the council members. "Lord Silver," greeted the secretary, wearing a mage robe. "I have an appointment with the Great Mage Xarafis," I stated. "Yes, my lord. He will see you at twelve," she replied. I nodded and sat down in the waiting room.@@@@ There are still fifteen minutes to twelve. I could have come later after spending some time looking around, but I didn''t. I wanted to play it safe; I didn''t want to be even a moment late. This is too important for me. I cannot take any risk. I looked around at the beautiful waiting room before picking up the newspaper. Many wars are happening around the world. While there are always wars, the world seems to be getting covered in its shadow right now. Especially my dominion, which is covered by threats from all sides. Many times, I wish. Things would have been less dangerous. If the undead hadn''t been hellbent on conquering my cities. I wouldn''t have spent so much on the army as I am doing right now. That money could have been spent on other things. I shook my head and pushed those thoughts. I am dreaming of things that couldn''t happen. Even without undead, I would have needed to spend considerable money on defense. They aren''t the only enemy I have in the region. There is Deerpond, Navr, and Tabes, some of whom had yet to attack, and others. "Lord Silver, Great Mage Xarafis will see you now," informed the secretary, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded, walked into the door that opened on its own, and stepped inside. Inside is a half-orc older man who looked to be in his early seventies. He had thick white hair and a white beard that made him look scholarly. He looked up and waved his hand for me to sit down. I nodded my thanks and sat down. From what I heard, he is a man of a few words¡ªspeaking only when necessary. It kind of made me nervous. He might be silent because it is unwelcome news. "The council has accepted your request to fund the academy with some amendments," he stated, making my heart leap joyfully. A minute later, I walked out of his office. "Call Locke and ask him to connect with people from Synod," I told Davis. Mage Aldridge is in the city. He is an academic and familiar with every word in the proposal. I would have asked him to handle things while he was here, but given those conditions, Locke would have been the best person to handle things from the start. It was his idea, and he and Mage Aldridge drafted most of the proposal. Most importantly, Locke is a businessman and grew up in a powerful merchant house. He knows how to deal with such a problematic contract. "Lord Silver," I was busy with my thoughts when I heard the familiar voice and looked ahead. There she is, standing with a knowing smile¡ªthe one who was likely responsible for at least a few of the challenging conditions in the contract. "Lady Ophelia," I greeted. "I must say, you are the luckiest master here, Lord Silver." "You got massive funding to build the academy, but Dawnstar is a real prize," she said, with a sugary voice and a smile. And like sugar, which is not suitable for health. This woman isn''t good for mine. "It wouldn''t have been possible without your help, Lady Ophelia. Thank you," I replied with just as sweet of a smile. Yes, I had been lucky, but not as fortunate as her. She has a Lv. 40 girl working for her and a couple that are very close to reaching that level. Her legacy is on the list of the ones with the most potential. There is also the election. I have complete confidence that she will retain her seat. The election is about the legacies, but the political weight also matters. She has the weight of the Belnin and merchant state behind her. If I had that, I could get the Great Mage, enchanters, and a few other people to come to my city. I got a few people, but not the high-level ones I wanted. "It is the least I could do. Lord Silver," she said. "I appreciate that, Lady Ophelia," I replied. "Take care, Lord Silver," she said. "You too, Lady Ophelia," I replied and walked away. Soon, I was out of the headquarters in my carriage. Moving toward the hospitality guild. I already met the representatives of the big hotels. The ones I will meet now are from small hotels. These people are rich, unlike the small hotel and inn owners in other cities. It would be a tremendous help if I could get some of them to invest in my city. God knows we need it. The shortage of hotel rooms is narrowing as new hotels open every week, but the city still needs more. Especially with the casino opening in a few weeks. The legacy is drawing more and more people each week¡ªfar more than I had anticipated. I shouldn''t have underestimated the allure of the legacy. It''s not something that normal people could ever visit, but in Greltheaven, they can experience it without any cost. What makes me happiest is that so many people are returning. It means they love what they experienced in the Velvet Garden and want to experience it even more. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 575: Duel I Chapter 575: Duel I "I can''t believe it''s the tenth day already. Time had passed so quickly," said Baron Husk. "I wish I could stay longer, but responsibilities await us back home," Leila sighed as she looked out the tram window. Yes, we are riding it. It is my third time doing it, and I can''t seem to get enough of it. I might have had enough if it had been a regular earth tram, but it is a magical one. Sadly, this is the last day of the synod. The days flew by too quickly. It feels like just yesterday, this stunning city first came into sight. I looked outside the window, watching the scenery passing by even faster as the tram moved on to the lightway. Yes, there are lightway trams, too, and they are expensive, but this city is filled with rich people and has tourists all year round. I don''t think they suffered any loss operating it. The speed may be fast, but I could see everything with exceptional clarity: the buildings, the monuments, and teens with wands practicing the spells. The archmage city has the highest density of mages in the continent and one of the highest in the entire world. It''s not just the environment that gathers the vast multitude of those classes; it is the legacy and the formidable presence of the Archmage that profoundly shapes and elevates them. The city is a forge of mages. The sheer number of mages it produces is genuinely shocking. The legacy gives the city power, even if they didn''t use the Towers'' ability. They have enough powerhouses to conquer any kingdom and empire on the continent.@@@@ Hun! I was looking when I sensed something that brought a large smile to my face. ''She had finally signed it,'' I thought. I sent the contract yesterday, but she still suggested a few changes. I agreed to some of them and returned it to her an hour ago. Now, she had signed it. Making it official. She will be the city''s highest-level powerhouse, and her presence will greatly benefit the college and the girls. When we reached our destination, I was still thinking about her. The tram stopped, and we all exited. "It''s huge," said Margaux. "It is as grand as those colosseums of Oton," said Eva, looking at the massive arena before us. It''s truly massive, and a large crowd has gathered around it. They all came to watch the duel that the entire city had been discussing for days. It is built of pale blue stones and has an elliptical shape like most colosseums. It is truly massive, tens of times than the Colosseum of Rome. Just seeing it would make one sigh in awe. I admired the massive building before entering inside. "My god!" gasped Selina, seeing its sheer scale. It is vast, with a capacity to seat over a million people¡ªten times more than any arena or stadium on earth. Over 80% of it had already been seated with people. More are coming in every second. There had been duels in the past ten days, with people of higher levels than the ones who would fight in a few minutes, but people were excited about this one. It is a duel of the nobles, the ones with aura. It carries the weight of a story: the drama. It all excites people so much that they don''t hesitate to buy the tickets, which are sold at a premium price. Soon, we reached our suite. The existing ones can be upgraded when legacy advances, which could happen tomorrow, in the next decade, or the next century. Nothing could be said with certainty. So, I want everything to be ready before that happens. "The others are doing the job well enough," I replied, shaking my head with a smile. "Yes, others. That girl used to do the job alone," she said. Rayna was amazing. Despite her difficulties, she quickly climbed the ladder and became an assistant madam, but Master Silver took her from Velvet Garden. She is now working for the army, and based on the praises I heard from Lord Silver, she is doing an impressive job. "Still, the job is being done on time," I replied, and to that, she nodded. "They will receive their class schedule letters in a few hours," stated the old woman. It had been a few days since the girls from Baxzar had arrived. Those poor girls. When I looked at their state and heard what they had gone through. Rage burned through my heart. All those who chose to stay¡ªevery single one of them¡ªhad been thoroughly tested, filled out the necessary forms, and are now ready to begin their classes tomorrow. "Good, I¡ª" I began, only to pause mid-sentence. A smile crept onto my face a moment later as something caught my attention. The older woman arched a brow, her curiosity piqued. She wouldn''t ask outright¡ªsuch things were considered impolite¡ªbut the question lingered in the air. "She''s coming," I said, my smile widening. "She signed a contract?" she inquired, her tone both cautious and intrigued. "Yes," I answered, still smiling. "It looks like I''ll need to work even harder," she said with a light chuckle, but I noticed the faint worry hiding behind her mirth. "Or that high-level madam might take my job." I smiled seeing that, but the older woman did not have to worry. The new teacher might be high-level, but she is no threat to Elme. She is a founding member who has made a great contribution. Of all the teachers, she has made the most outstanding contribution to girls and the Velvet Garden. There is not a single girl that she hasn''t taught. After becoming vice-headmistress, she continues to teach while handling the other responsibilities, which she is doing excellently. Half an hour later, I walked out of her office. "Madam Caena," The girls greeted me as I walked. I nodded at them before stepping into the elevator. It reached the ground floor, and its door opened. Revealing the three women. My eyes immediately fell on the green-skinned orc-blood girl. The witch. She is a witch, one of the girls who came from Baxzar. I sensed her the moment she used her craft. There had been girls with the potential to become witches but not actual witch. This one is true, witch with class and all. I want witches; it will help with many things, but the risk is too huge. I cannot do anything that will reveal the true abilities of the velvet garden. That is why I didn''t pursue those with potential. However, I manipulated things, making them learn things that would help them become witches if someone showed them the path. It is precarious, and I am taking every step carefully. Velvet Garden needs the witches for its growth. It''s not time for them to appear, but they will one day. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 576: Duel II Chapter 576: Duel II ''They are not holding back at all!'' I thought, seeing their auras clashing. Their invisible clash of the aura has produced a wall of sparks. I could see the runes across the arena lighting up as the aura washed over the people. Making them shudder from deep within. I didn''t bring out my aura to protect my people. The arena''s protection is more than enough; the little bit they feel will thrill them, like the over a million people sitting with us. In a heartbeat, they closed the distance, their weapons slashing through the air in arcs of steel and fury, destined for an earth-shaking clash. I could feel their skills activating. Strengthened by the power of aura. Clang! They clashed with such power that they sent a powerful shockwave of aura through the arena, making people inhale in shock. Lv. 40. Viscount Luran had broken through to Lv. 40. It is visible through the power of his skill. They seemed to have equal strength, but I had noticed the faint shaking from Viscount Luran. "You had a chance to accept defeat gracefully, Luran, but now you will get a humiliating defeat," said Count Wathall and attacked again. This time, with even greater power and more skills. Viscount Luran didn''t reply with words but with the blade. Clang! Count Wathall defended and attacked, which Viscount Luran defended, but the count attacked again. Their blades danced at incredible speed. I watched the battle, but I focused most on their aura. I saw how they used their skills and understood they were amazing. I am far behind them in my mastery over aura. Yet, watching them now, I feel a clarity sharper than their blades. My goal burns within me, and I''m channeling every ounce of focus, every shred of determination, to absorb everything I can from them. ''They are evenly matched,'' Granduncle declared with an air of finality. But Leila''s voice cut through the murmurs like a blade. ''No,'' she said, her tone unwavering, ''Viscount Luran is at a disadvantage.'' The crowd stilled, eyes snapping to her, startled by her bold assessment. Only a few have noticed the minor disadvantage he is having. It is not much but at their level. It could become the decider of victory or defeat. Count Wathall is pressing hard, using skill after skill, and he has impressive skills. It isn''t just him, but also the Viscount. My skills are powerful, but they are simpler. They have visually enticing skills, some with a layered effect. If I ever reach level 40, I hope to acquire some of them. Minutes passed, and nothing but a clash of blades rang out. They moved with such blistering speed that even the arena''s enchantments struggled to keep pace. Some spectators squinted and leaned forward, their eyes straining to follow the blurred whirlwind of motion. ''If I ever faced an enemy like that, survival wouldn''t even be a question,'' I thought, my chest tightening as I watched the battle unfold, their every move a reminder of my fragility. They are too powerful. Their mastery over their aura is at such a level that they could kill a person without a weapon or skill; their aura alone would be more than enough. Hun! Time stretched on, the air thick with anticipation, until something unfolded that jolted the crowd to life, their collective gasp echoing through the arena. As the Viscount Luran moved back to dodge the attack. Count Wathall slashed his saber in the air, and a moment later, a blue arc came out of it, moving toward the Viscount at incredible speed. It''s not a spell, even if someone who has never seen them could tell it was something else. "Aura Method!" Someone said, but I didn''t even think about that person. My focus is entirely on the arc. It is long and thin, but I could feel the aura it is made of and its sharpness. Without a doubt, it could cut a person apart if they didn''t defend it with something powerful. The arc reached halfway when Viscount Luran slashed his sword in the air. A similar arc of red aura came out of Viscount Luran''s sword. It is frustrating the Count Wathall, but the man is a veteran of man''s battle and knows how to control his emotions. He might taunt and mock, but every move was calculated. His attacks were sharp, yet there was caution in every strike¡ªnever revealing too much, never opening himself up to give the Viscount a chance to retaliate. He has the edge, and he wants to maintain it. The battle continued, and a few more cuts appeared on the Viscount. Some cuts are shallow, while others are deeper but insufficient to hamper his fighting ability. Such injuries might stop others, but not him. Hun! A few more minutes dragged on, the battle intensifying, when¡ªsuddenly¡ªsomething unexpected happened. It was a moment so surprising that it froze the crowd, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Rip! Viscount took a step left and moved his sword forward as usual, but this time, his sword was able to avoid the saber of Count Wathall and cut him across the stomach. "Finally, he cut him. It wouldn''t have been fun if he had lost the dual without giving his opponent a single cut," said Baron Husk, striking his thigh excitedly. Others laughed with him, but a few had serious expressions on their faces. "That attack was strange!" said Jon. The old man, me, and a few others couldn''t help but nod. "He seemed to change during that attack," said Zela. Baron Husk opened his mouth when Viscount nearly gave another cut to Count Wathall. He had dodged in time. All Viscount''s sword was able to cut was his cloth. He moved to attack again, and Count defended before trying to attack but saw Viscount''s attack coming. ''What is happening?'' I asked. Viscount''s power didn''t increase. His speed and strength remained the same, but something had changed. His movements become more refined. His attacks are sharper. ''Is it a skill or something else?'' I asked myself. Clang Clang Clang! Just seconds later, the tide shifted. With a surge of power and precision, Luran took the lead in the battle, forcing Count Wathall to take a wholly defensive stance. I focused my everything on the battle. I''m trying to find out what this change is. Rip Rip! Two more cuts appeared on Count Wathalls body, one after another. The man is trying to claw back the edge. Using the skills and moves he hadn''t used before and even the aura methods, the Viscount seemed to have turned into a terror. He is cleaving through them all. A few more seconds passed, and the Count had finally pushed back against the Viscount and launched the attack when he froze. Viscount was before him, with his sword on Count Wathall''s neck. It was so sudden and happened in such a way that people didn''t react for a minute before a massive cheer rang out through them. "The winner is Viscount Luran!" announced the referee as the crowd calmed down. Hearing that, another massive cheer rang out through the crowd''s mouth. Viscount Luran and Count Wathall stared at each other before Viscount Luran put down his blade and walked out without saying a word. It made the expression on Count''s Wathall face even worse, seeing Viscount didn''t speak even a word from start to finish. He kept looking at him for a moment more before walking away. "Ah, what a duel it was!" sighed Viscount Husk. "The conditions changed so suddenly. Even now, I don''t know how he won." He isn''t the only one; others too are thinking about it, including me. I have many questions, and I could only think of one person who could answer them. "These two are already this strong in the dual. I wonder how strong they would be in battle with their full abilities and artifacts," added Captain Davis. Yes, they have used many skills and even aura methods, but not all of them. I am sure of it. Not to mention the artifacts. So, it is hard to say who will win if they fight using skills, methods, and artifacts. However, seeing the dual. Especially the strange last bit. My money is on the Viscount Luran. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 577: Last Night of Secret Chapter 577: Last Night of Secret Proofread By Thomas F "Welcome, Lord Silver, Baroness Silver," greeted the Great Mage as we appeared by the bronze doors.@@@@ "Thank you, Great Mage Stoneheart," I replied and walked inside the grand hall of the Archmage Tower for the last party. The closing ceremony had finished an hour ago. Now it''s time for the party. With it, the synod will end, and we will return to our homes. "Lord Silver, Master of Velvet Garden. Lord of Greltheaven and Panar," The herald announced. Thousands of eyes turned toward us. Everyone who is someone is at this party. Not only the masters of legacies but also sovereigns, powerful nobles, and powerhouses are present here. "Looks like nearly everyone has come," said Leila, looking around. "Yes," I replied. Not everyone had arrived yet, but nearly the entire group was already present. We started to mingle immediately, going from one person to another. It is the final opportunity to meet important people I haven''t had a chance to greet yet. Minutes passed, and more people kept arriving, but the herald only announced the Sovereigns or their representatives, aside from masters of legacy. We were mingling when a familiar raven-haired woman suddenly stopped and turned toward us with her partner. "Leila?" said the woman in surprise before turning to me. "Lady Harley, it''s been a while," greeted Leila before turning to the blond man beside her, who looked to be in his early thirties. "Count Harkis," she said. "Baroness Silver," he greeted, surprising the raven-haired woman before turning to me. "Lord Silver," he greeted. "Count Harkis," I replied with a smile. "Lady Harley," I said. "Baroness? I didn''t know; you gained a title," said the woman. "I inherited it from my dear brother. May god rest his soul," she replied, putting a hand on her chest. "And Lord Silver is also your brother?" she asked. " Younger brother," Leila replied with a smirk. "Lord Silver, we have finally met. I have heard so many things about you," she said, turning to me. "It''s nice to see you again, Lady Harley," I replied to the woman''s surprise. "Have we met before, Lord Silver?" she asked. Trying to remember where we had met before. "Yes, in Navr. At Jalrux City, I was with Lord Lancel there," I replied. She was his date for the day. He introduced her to us, but she only nodded without any interest. "Yes, now I remember," she said with a smile. She is a good liar. She didn''t remember me, and I can''t fault her. I was a nobody then. A minute later, we walked away from them. "How do you know her?" I asked. "I had worked for her," she replied. Leila had done mercenary work for a few years. I didn''t ask further, and we mingled around as more guests came. At precisely nine and a half, the King of Ilazad made his entrance ''He holds a position that every king outwardly scorns yet secretly covets,'' Leila remarked in the hushed confines of our privacy skill. It had happened once in the synod in the previous century. I don''t know if the same thing is happening, but I hope it is. I have heard and read so much about those things. I would really love to see it. I stopped beside Ophelia at the gate. Soon, the other masters and heirs appeared, but not the representatives. Heir is an official position within a legacy, appearing in Grade IV legacies. However, it''s not a given in every legacy; in some, it only emerges later. This distinction means people like Miss Tavern couldn''t enter the gate. "Enter," said the archmage, and the people began stepping inside the gate. Soon, it was my turn, and I stepped inside. It was dark for a few seconds before everything cleared, and I found myself in front of the genuinely massive gate. It is at least eighty meters tall, likely more. It was red, gleaming as if crafted from some rare metal, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that something was off. The surface seemed too delicate, too intricate. Tiny strings shimmered along its frame, making it feel less like a gate that had been forged¡ªand more like one that had been painstakingly woven. It had a swirling pattern all over it. When I followed the pattern with my eyes, I felt my head spinning hard. I looked away from it and looked around. There are hills and trees around the gate. I had expected powerful spells. Magic towers and weapons, I had only read about. I didn''t expect the trees and hills, and I felt something different about them when I saw them. I don''t know what it is, but I felt the strangeness. I turned back to the door and noticed another abnormal thing. The frame of the door isn''t attached to anything. It was just standing. I pushed those thoughts and looked at the gate with all the gravity it deserved. It is the most dangerous thing in the world, the source from which they come. Gates aren''t the only means of passage, but they are by far the most stable¡ªand they love to use them. "I am sure all of you would have guessed what this is," said Archmage with his voice somber. ''Incursion Gate!'' Ophelia exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of wonder and dread. The words seemed to hang in the air, heavy with the weight of their meaning¡ªan ancient name for a force that could unravel everything. "The things that come out of it represent the greatest danger to our world. This danger, we fear, might come in this century," Archmage stated, making everyone shudder. Although the last incursion occurred over two thousand years ago, it is still an integral part of world culture. Whenever the incursion comes, it doesn''t just threaten¡ªit obliterates. At least half of the world''s population is lost, and that''s considered a favorable scenario. This one isn''t the only gate; there are several worldwide. It is said that there are grades to the gates. The gate in Amberhold, though powerful, is a level lower than this one. "I have brought you all here in the hope that you will shape the preparations for what is coming," said the archmage. Many smiled at those words, yet their smiles held no joy, only a grim understanding of the storm ahead. "I know many of you feel powerless. Slaves to your sovereign, but you have more power than you realize," he added. To that belief ¨C I agree. The legacies have the power to shape the opinions. It is second only to the Sovereigns. Some legacies bear power even more significant than the Sovereigns. "Will the incursion truly happen this century, Archmage?" asked Lord Orion, and he wasn''t as nervous as usual. "I am not sure, but the signs we are seeing make it likely," replied the Archmage and the tremor spread through my soul. I hope it doesn''t come to that. I''ve read about them¡ªmore than I should¡ªand it terrifies me to my core. Even the Elders and the gods aren''t guaranteed to survive when they appear. What chance do mortals like me stand? Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 578: Leaving Chapter 578: Leaving Valorous Lord of Courage 37 Merchant of Desire Lv. 37 [Master of Legacy] Skill Gained: Trendsetting A smile appeared on my face when I saw the text. I feared I wouldn''t level up since, despite doing so many things, I had not leveled up once after coming to the city, but I finally did. In both classes, I even gained a skill I had desired for so long. Masters of legacies gain a skill like this. Most of those who get it are Masters of Grade IV legacies, but many Masters of Grade III legacies have also got it in the past. The skill is extremely powerful in the hands of legacy masters, especially those who understand its immense power. It will help me shape my legacy but also the very culture of my city. The skill works as its name is. It helps in setting the trend. With this skill, I can influence people''s choices, guiding them toward my desires. I''ve already begun by making the girls wear a particular style of clothing and accessories. As they do, the entire city follows. I''ve tested it, and it works. It isn''t just working with the girls. I am doing it with the stores, too. I told Gagarin to produce more Laskerian knives. These are kitchen knives considered among the best by chefs and home cooks. Within a month, a third of kitchen knives sold in the city are Laskerian. The effect isn''t just limited to the city. It is affecting things outside of the city as well. I understand the power my legacy wields. As the city''s cultural center, I have been using it to create a distinct identity for my city. The skill will help me tremendously with that. I looked away from the skill and turned to the attribute point. Once more, I wanted to use it on the mental attributes. These ten days proved how much I need strong mental powers, but I need to think about my own and my people''s safety. We have a long journey before us, and anything could happen. I want to be more prepared than last time. Stronger. The level-up has already enhanced my strength, but now, I''ll push myself even further with this attribute point. I used it on strength. Finally, taking it to twenty. Immediately, I felt a massive change. Strength bubbled in my arms, making me feel like I could do anything. At 20, an attribute''s power goes through tremendous changes. It isn''t just my strength that has increased, but also my speed and agility have made tremendous progress. These two depend on strength and vitality, and both increased my agility and speed massively at twenty. It took a while for the buzz to wear off, and I opened the table. Class Merchant of Desire Lv. 37 [Master of Legacy] Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 37 Trainer Lv. 09 Charisma 20 Intelligence 18 Vitality 20 Strength 20 Skills: ¡¤ Trustful Presence ¡¤ Master¡¯s Instinct ¡¤ Lord¡¯s Contracts ¡¤ Torch for Seeker ¡¤ Rapid Strikes ¡¤ Blitz Steps ¡¤ Insightful Reading@@@@ ¡¤ Price Is Right ¡¤ Mauling Strike ¡¤ Silver Tongued ¡¤ Gymnasts Grace ¡¤ Sight Through Veil ¡¤ Every Ear Listens To My Words ¡¤ Blade Of The Gale ¡¤ Mood of the Subjects She didn''t repeat the offer and didn''t have to; she had said it, and it was up to me to accept it. If I accepted, they would give me my mother. If I didn''t, they would keep her. In the past few days, I have often wished my legacy had been common. If it had been, they wouldn''t have been interested in it. They would have still asked for the outrageous price for my mother, but not my legacy. I sighed, shook those thoughts away, and stepped into the carriage waiting outside. A minute later, the carriage began to move through the lightway while I looked at the city for the last time. I don''t know when I will return to it, but I will miss this marvel. The carriage moved in silence as everybody was busy with their thoughts. Soon, we reach the enormous port, which is very crowded. Despite the crowd, everything is moving in order. The golems are patrolling along with the city''s people and keeping everything in order. There were lines for the ships, with people queuing, but unlike them, we didn''t stop. Our carriage moved near the yacht, waiting just for us before stopping. We got out and walked toward the yacht, where I could see a few of my people. "Lord Silver," the captain greeted. "Captain Sils," I replied. "With you, all the members of the party have arrived. We are ready to leave anytime you desire," he said. He is trying to say that we should leave. The port is overcrowded, and I am sure he was asked to move the ship as soon as I arrived. "Ok," I replied. The man bowed before walking away. I turned and walked the deck toward the beautiful woman not far from me. "I hope you are not having second thoughts, Miss Dawnstar," I told the woman. To that, she smiled, and it was melodious. I was surprised when she informed me at the party that she would travel with me. I thought she would take a week or two, but I guess she didn''t need to. I am glad she joined. The sooner she joins, the sooner she will be able to help the girls. "The opposite, Lord Silver. I am quite excited," she replied. To that, I smiled. "I hope you have made arrangements for your business?" I asked. She runs one high-class brothel and several mid-class ones. According to the city''s standards, even the middle-class are better than the high-class in most cities. "Yes. I gave it to a capable person," she replied. She wasn''t the only one who was coming with us. There are eleven more people. All of them are non-combat, from enchanters, alchemists, beast carers, and others. More will be coming in the month after they have dealt with things. I wasn''t able to get people of her level, but I got a good number of them. That will help the legacy and the city a lot. Soon, the ship left the dock and sailed toward Irington. We will reach its port in a few hours and start our journey with the carriages. I hope this time, there won''t be any attack. We have lost many people, including Captain Zaris, and I don''t want to lose anyone else. I was looking back at Archmage City, growing distant every second, when I heard footsteps approaching me. They were from my sister and Baron Husk. They looked serious; I could already tell what happened. "Horde attacked?" I asked as they stopped beside me. Yes, and it''s big. Bigger than we had ever faced before," she replied, her expression somber. "Maybe delaying it repeatedly was a mistake," Baron Husk said, sighing. They were able to delay it by ten days, which was quite a lot. Usually, they could only delay it for a few days. A week at the most. I have been getting reports about it from my people and them every day. I increased the number of people we sent from a battalion of a thousand to a brigade of six thousand. I wouldn''t have done that before my meeting with the archmage. I secured favorable concessions from the baronies in exchange for the increased brigade of soldiers and mercenaries. It will also give my people experience with the monsters. Despite all the benefits, it''s a gamble¡ªnot just because of the sheer strength and numbers of the monsters they face. I''ve promoted an obscure individual to the rank of colonel to lead the force, something they''ve never done before. And the opposition has been fierce, with many questioning my decision. Even though I''m not sure how they''ll perform, I''ve been watching them closely since the first battle of Greltheaven. I planned to nurture them slowly, but Stone decided on a trial by fire. If they succeed, we will gain another pillar for Greltheaven''s foundation. If they fail, not only will they lose their lives, but thousands will perish with them. Over the past few days, I have considered replacing them with someone more capable, but Stone is right¡ªthis is the test they need. We do not have time to nurture the pillars of dominion slowly. We will have to forge them in the battle. ''Lord Blackwell and Baron Harrods have made great preparations. They''ll be able to deal with the monsters,'' I replied, my voice steady, though a flicker of worry lingered beneath. ''Let''s hope so,'' sighed Baron Husk, his tone betraying the same unease we all felt despite the outward confidence. Note: The idea of skill is from Thomas F. If you have any ideas or art to share. Please mail me at . Tap on below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 579: Monster Horde Chapter 579: Monster Horde Proofread by Thomas F Barb Utsa I was awakened by the power of the warning skills and the loud bells ringing across the fort. ''They''re attacking,'' Yora said sharply, rising to her feet and swiftly beginning to don her armor. I did the same and checked my bag of liquor. Most of the liquors I had brought when I first came here were now different. In the past nine days, I have learned a lot. Every day, I went out with scout teams. I didn''t have to, but I volunteered. I needed the experience¡ªto hone my skills and sharpen my instincts. When the horde finally came, I wanted to face them at my peak, armed with the best preparations I could muster. My readiness isn''t as complete as I''d like, but it''s leagues ahead of where I stood on the first day. We got out of the tent, where it was still dark. We gathered with our team and formed two groups. We already know our assignments, and the skill leads us toward our position. We''ll face the monsters beyond the fort''s walls, battling them head-on with the massive army they''ve gathered. Archers and ranged weapons will support from the walls. A steady stream of soldiers marched through the gate, their movements precise and calm. There was no panic¡ªonly the practiced efficiency of an army trained for this moment every day. Soon, it was our turn to pass through. Once outside, we split into Rev''s and Hosk''s teams. Both are seasoned leaders at Level 30, ready to command their forces in the battle ahead. I am on Hosk''s team, and we moved to the left while Rev led his team to the right. I could see the lines and lines of soldiers. Mainly wearing three colors. The ones wearing green are of the allied baronies. The ones wearing blue belong to Amberhold. Both have about similar numbers of over twenty thousand. Third is a small group. There are only six thousand of them; they are wearing the brown of the dominion of Greltheaven. Colonel Axseer is leading them. She is an orc woman, not a warrior but a shaman. She was only just promoted to colonel before being sent here. From my contacts, I learned that she had never led such a large force and that many people opposed it. Even General Cardin seemed to oppose her sudden promotion and deployment here, but General Stone was adamant, and Master Silver agreed. Even people here aren''t that pleased. Including many of those she is now leading. I looked around as the army quickly fell in line. Soon, we reached our position, which was adjacent to the forces of Greltheaven. There is a barely visible cloud of dust over the forces of Greltheaven. Vibrating in some strange rhythm, it would release some dust that would fall on the soldiers. "I hope she wouldn''t embarrass the city," said Maliv. Looking at the center of the Greltheavens forces, where a woman is dancing. The woman stood proud in her officer''s uniform, her body adorned with intricate patterns of painted colors that seemed to tell their own story. Her eyes, sharp and unwavering, were filled with a deep concentration. She has a staff in one hand, and with the other hand, she is throwing the powder from the pouches hanging by her waist. The woman is relatively young, in her late twenties, and so thin that it feels like she is a half-orc. From what I had heard., she isn''t The woman is Colonel Rahzira Axseer, the leader of Greltheaven forces. "Even her men looked embarrassed by it," snickered Hen. "Don''t underestimate shamans. They are one of the most terrifying classes out there. If General Stone had sent her here, it means she has some abilities," cautioned Hosk. That statement wiped the smile from their faces. I didn''t say anything; I just looked at the woman. Her dance is beautiful. It is wild but also graceful. Even some of the dance teachers in the college didn''t have as much grace as her. I watched her for a few minutes before looking around the army. It had fully gathered, readied with their weapons sharp and cannons pointed ahead. It was when the first light of dawn breached the sky that we saw the monsters. "The avians," I said, looking at the large number of them in the sky.@@@@ "There must be thousands of them!" said Yora, her voice quivering in fear. They appeared to blanket the entire sky ahead of us. They approached but kept their distance, staying just out of range of most attacks. Though they cried and roared. Invoking fear in our hearts. These monsters won''t strike until those on land make their move. Since they''ve already shown up, it won''t be long before the others appear as well. Soon, over half an hour passed, and the horn rang out. "Monsters are close," warned Hosk. I saw Baron Harrods taking steps forward while Lord Blackwell stood on the wall with a bow out. "Warriors, hear me!" The voice of Baron Harrods rang through the whole battlefield. "Careful," warned Hosk. The flying monsters came, and when they entered the range, a storm of arrows, ballistas missiles, and even cannons began to hail down on them. Many monsters began to fall one by one, their bodies crashing to the ground in a grim display. Yet, despite the losses, they seemed undeterred¡ªrelentless. They surged forward, undaunted by the fallen as if nothing could slow their advance. Soon, they closed in, and the mages began to cast their spells while medium-range archers unleashed their arrows. The air crackled with magic and the sound of strings drawn tight. As I watched, my eyes were drawn to something that made my heart skip a beat. Above the forces of Greltheaven, a faint cloud¡ªonce barely noticeable¡ªbegan to shift and swirl. It gathered and took shape, growing larger and more distinct. A massive head emerged from the mist, its features regal and terrifying. It was no mere lion; it was the head of a lioness, fierce and commanding. And it hovered ominously above Colonel Axseer. Despite the chaos unfolding below, she didn''t falter. She didn''t stop dancing, her movements fluid and graceful, even as her army surged forward to meet the oncoming monsters. She danced as she moved with the army. The head of the lioness is as big as me and looks majestic. "A spirit shaman," said Yora in surprise before turning to the avians above us. Thousands of them are diving to kill us, but the mages and archers are sniping them. It is why most of the avians are targeting the wall behind us, where the majority of the archers and half of the mages are. "They are coming," Hosk warned as a group of palm-sized birds came diving toward us in the hundreds. I took a bottle from my bag and gulped it. The ones I had stored in my skill and put in my mouth were different types of liquor. It took the monsters less than three seconds to appear right above us when I breathed out with Long Breath and Powerful Breath and lighted up with Flint. Whoosh! The stream of fire shot up before spreading into a large plume¡ªthe largest I had used in the battle. Covering a large number of birds, burning them brightly. They died within a second. The liquor''s name is Gartin Ven. It burns very hot for a very short period, hotter than usual because it contains some emotion mist. The burned bodies fell from the sky while I took another swig and breathed out again. Once again, the monsters were consumed by fire. The remaining birds attack, but not us. I had cleared the sky over us while others fought them off. I saw one of the people falling, with a cut across his neck, but I didn''t know if he was dead or alive. I don''t know, as we are moving toward the monsters, just a few hundred meters away in front of the army. "Kill them all!" roared Baron Harrods as the land monsters crashed against the army. I readied myself as it wouldn''t take monsters long to breach the army''s front rank, nor are they trying to stop them all. A few seconds passed, and the monsters came inside. The people moved to encircle them. Some died while others turned them. I saw one rhino tearing the head from a man''s body and munching despite it having a helmet covering it. People and the monsters died, but they kept coming and soon reached us. Roar! A massive blue cat monster appeared before me, its roar echoing through the air as it lunged forward, mouth wide open, intent on biting my head off. Instinctively, the liquor surged to my mouth. I inhaled deeply, releasing the Long Breath followed by Power Breath, lighting it with a spark from the flint. The pale yellow flame shot toward the cat, moving precisely despite its desperate attempts to dodge. The fire wrapped around it, engulfing the creature. I advanced, stepping forward with Graceful Walk, my movements fluid and deliberate. As the fire shifted to a darker hue, thick black smoke billowed, clouding the cat''s vision. It thrashed, but the smoke and flames held it in a vice grip, overwhelming its senses and vision as it tried to find a way out. This liquor creates a smoky fire. The smoke isn''t to kill it but simply block its vision. The monster''s vision was sharp, and its senses keen, but the smoke billowing around it wasn''t just thick¡ªit was laced with a dense mist. The mist obscured the cat''s vision, making everything blurry and disorienting. Despite its incredible sight, the mist twisted everything around it, making it hard for the creature to track its surroundings. I chose it over the powerful fire because the monster''s vitality is too powerful. Also, in crowded battles, it could be harmful to allies. This gives me a much better chance against the monsters. Roar! It roared, finally seeing me coming, moving its head to bite mine. Bang! I bashed my shield against it, nearly stepping back, but forcefully stabilized and attacked it with my sword. Puch! The monster saw the sword, but it was too late. The sword reached it before piercing inside with the power of Heavy Strike and enchanted sharpness. It took several seconds to die. In that time, I burned two more monsters fighting my allies before taking my sword out of the beast. I was about to move toward another monster when I saw a sizeable blood-red lightning bolt striking the massive rhino monster fighting against Greltheaven''s soldiers. As the blast struck the rhino, I watched it tremble violently before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. What struck me was that the blood-red lightning, despite its terrifying power, left no scorch marks or burns behind¡ªnothing to show the sheer force it had unleashed. I traced the blast''s path and followed it upward, my gaze landing on the massive lioness totem spirit hovering above Colonel Axseer. The once pure white figure had transformed, glowing a deep, menacing blood-red. It was an unsettling sight, far more intimidating than before, its aura now radiating a terrifying power. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 580: Axseer Chapter 580: Axseer Axseer Roar! The monsters clashed against the first line, with Baron Harrods splitting the leading grey-horned bear in two. ''Battle Command: Lieutenant Colonel Rakgu, hold the line. Let the monsters move only through the gaps we dictate,'' I commanded, striving to project confidence. I hoped they didn''t sense the doubt stirring in my heart. The others moved swiftly, with Lieutenant Colonel Maris, Lieutenant Colonel Driga, and the shieldmen falling into position. They were stopping the monsters before the rest were moving to attack them. I didn''t use any skills to support them or cast any spells. There are only two skills I am using. Battle Awareness, which gives me information on the battle as it happens, and Battle Command, which lets me project commands like previously. I have skills I could use and spells I could cast, but I didn''t. The only thing I did was dance. I could stop the dance, and the spell was complete, but dancing helped me stay focused and more attuned to my magic. I could feel their eyes on me, weighing me, judging me. That feeling has been with me ever since I received the promotion and was handed this monumental task. The promotion itself was sudden and utterly shocking¡ªa leap I hadn''t anticipated. It had been three months since the Battle of Panar, where I went from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel overnight. Since then, I haven''t fought a single battle. Aside from a few minor skirmishes along the border, there hasn''t been one. So, one can imagine my shock when I was summoned to General Stone''s office and got promoted before receiving this commission. Something that many were eying. I heard there was a lot of opposition to my promotion, but it was General Stone''s decision, with Lord Silver agreeing to it. I still don''t understand why they gave me this promotion. Compared to the others, I''m just average. I''ve never led more than two hundred fifty soldiers in battle. After Panar, they gave me command of a battalion of twelve hundred. Even then, I never had to lead them in a real fight. And now, here I am, leading six thousand. I wanted to decline the promotion but accepted it for my children and tribe. We''re a small tribe, fewer than two hundred people. A few years ago, things grew desperate, so much so that, to avoid starvation, we turned to banditry. In the first attack, I lost my husband, the tribe leader. Becoming its leader after many challenges. The banditry kept us alive. People died, but the tribe didn''t starve. Things became better when humans started trading with the merchant state. We robbed a small merchant. Things were good until they weren''t. We were captured by mercenaries playing merchant. They were too powerful, and they killed anyone who didn''t surrender. They barely gave any of us a chance to surrender. I survived because I was far away and lay down in surrender in time. The year I was captive was worse, not because of all the starvation and torture but because I was away from my children. Then came the day of redemption, fight or die. I fought and somehow survived. Since then, I have fought every battle despite pressure from the bigger tribes to resign. I level up with each battle, finally breaching level 30. I sensed the first drop of blood bled by my men, and I took it. More bled, and I took their blood while commanding them. It is hard. There are too many of them. Soon, the first person died, and guilt flooded me. It''s not like he is the first person who died under my command, but I could have saved him. I had the power to do it. It shook me; it brought tears into my eyes. The old human Lt. Colonel in front of me turned. He is from the island. General Stone had recruited him personally. "You are a colonel now, not a common captain. Here, single lives didn''t matter. What matters is the whole group," advised Lt. Colonel Yard and looked ahead toward the group of monsters. His words brought me back to reality. I controlled my emotions and focused on the battle and the dance¡ªthis time, not from the captain''s perspective but from the colonel''s. I have to think about the whole army instead of a few. Immediately, the pressure on me lessened, and I began to command with new vigor, but soon, different kinds of pressure began to fall on me. The spirit of the lioness has started to absorb the blood. The blood that my men are shedding. It is absorbing that with me as the conduit while turning more and more red. Because of this pressure, I am not using any spells or more skills. I need my spirit to be as free as possible to bear the pressure from the blood. It will increase as the monsters spread across my army and fight my men. Soon, the monsters reached me. Lt. Colonel Yard and others moved to fight against them. The monsters are powerful, but they are the old enemy. I do not fear them as I fear the undead. I know the kind of danger they represent; I have seen what they could do since I was a child. Hun! They also have pointy beaks and sharp wings. That could tear through armor and bone. I have seen them when I was a child. One had attacked our tribe; it had taken the lives of four people before the elders were able to kill it. We have to kill them before they reach us. Two high mages were nearby, but they were occupied with their own tasks. I needed to deal with the Grade IV monsters myself and, if possible, take down a few Grade III as well. As the monsters reached two hundred meters, the spells and arrows from Mage Group Three and Archer Group Seven shot toward the sky. At the exact moment, the lioness spirit opened its mouth, unleashing a ring of bloody lightning that shot upward. The birds¡ªthose monstrous sky predators¡ªmoved to dodge the spells, but at the speed they were diving and the remaining distance, it gave them little enough space to maneuver. Still, some can dodge it, while other spells hit them. They injured a few of the monsters and killed some. Finally, the ring of red lightning reached the monsters and expanded suddenly. Instantly covering the three large Grade IV monsters and several Grade III, not giving them a chance to dodge the attack. Cryyyy! The painful cries rang out through the birds, and the light of life began to disappear from the monsters'' eyes. Grade III died quickly, but Grade IV''s resisted. I didn''t attack them again and aimed to strike the last of the Grade III, which had reached close. Bang Bang Bang! The birds crashed on the ground so hard that their bones cracked on impact. The Grade IVs that had been alive until that moment breathed their last, falling from the sky like broken giants. The soldiers killed the remaining while I turned to the battlefield. Only to see a coalition of cheetahs coming in my direction. ''Who says the monsters couldn''t coordinate?'' It is a coalition of around twenty cheetah monsters with metallic scales covering their bodies. They are moving fast and gracefully dodging attacks. Even those that hit them didn''t seem to injure them as seriously as we wanted. "Be ready, Colonel. Some might slip past us," warned Lt. Colonel Yard. I nodded and shot the lightning bolt at the leader for the first time. The monster dodged it. The lightning wasn''t elemental; it was the spirit lightning of blood, a force bound to its target. It locked onto the enemy with unyielding precision, making it nearly impossible to dodge. Yet, despite that, this monster managed to evade it. It was swift, a blur with its cold, grey eyes locked on me. The monsters reached us in mere seconds, but Lt. Colonel Yard and the others, alongside the mages, quickly moved into position. The monsters were powerful, but Lt. Colonel Yard was seasoned and experienced. They had managed to stop all of them¡ªexcept for the leader. The leader leaped upward toward me, effortlessly dodging every attack that came its way. I turned my gaze to the steel-grey monster. It was as if it had been crafted from steel itself, its metallic form gleaming as it closed in. It''s not the biggest one, but it''s the most dangerous one. Its speed is terrifying. ''Don''t attack it. It''s mine,'' I replied to my bodyguard, who moved in front of me with a shield forward. Hesitation appeared in his eyes, but he moved away. Warden''s Field. I activated the skill and felt the increase in pressure. I bore it and looked at the monster, which had become clearer. Warden Field. A skill that gives me an absolute sensory advantage. In a field that the skill covers, I could see everything. Sense everything. It might not seem like much, but it is an outstanding skill. Warriors love them. Even General Stone had told me that it was the skill he wished he had. As the perception became clearer, I gripped my staff tightly as I danced, and my lioness spirit shrunk until it became the size of an orc''s head and appeared on the top of the staff. Roar! The monster roared and came at me while I swung my staff toward it, activating the Staff of Shaman. My enemy almost seemed to smile at seeing it. Its power is compared to the powerhouses in the middle of Lv. 30, while the swing I took had the control of those at early Lv. 30. So, there wasn''t much fear in its eyes. It''s a little cautious of the totem spirit, but I could see the confidence in its eyes. The steel cheetah came closer and closer until its mouth was next to my staff, and it moved and crunched down. Bang! My staff clashed against its teeth, and I could see victory in its eyes, but the very next moment, its eyes widened as blood from the lightning spread around its body. Thud! A moment later. The monster fell, dead. I didn''t celebrate and turned to the others before I started attacking them. Soon, all the steel cheetahs in this attack were dead. Roar! It relieved me, and I was about to move to the other monsters when I heard the roar that shook me to my soul. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 581: Grade V Chapter 581: Grade V Proofread By Thomas F Barb Utsa Bam! I defended the attack with a Shield Brace before breathing out the fire, covering the monster with it. Puch! Before materializing to its left with Madam''s Grace, I thrust my sword into the Hyena monster''s head, delivering a devastating blow with the force of a Heavy Strike. I removed my blade before taking out a bottle and gulping it down in rapid swigs. I put the bottle back and breathed out the fire. Covering the three Grade III monsters fighting Hen and Yora. The monsters are everywhere, and they are a terror. I had fought them nearly every day, but fighting a small group of them and fighting a massive horde is vastly different. They are more organized. I need to fight them with a different strategy. When I was fighting a small group, I would use Intoxicating Smell, which made the monsters drunk before killing them, but I can''t do that here. The skill also requires me to be drunk, which is terrible to be on a battlefield with tens of thousands of monsters. The battle rages, with monsters attacking us from the ground and the sky. Still, we are killing them, but it is not without a cost. Our people are dying too. Barely a second had passed since I killed the monster when two more came at me. They are two ferret monsters. They are slightly bigger than regular wolves, with dark blue coats and long, sharp claws. They are such cute animals, but these monsters are fucking terrifying. Seeing them, I moved toward them. Doo Doo! They noticed and let out a sharp noise and increased their speed. Whoosh! When they had reached the range, I breathed out fire, with Wide Bloom covering both monsters, increasing my speed to its highest with Madam''s Grace. Clang!! I appeared beside the monsters and bashed my shield against the nearest monster before dodging the second one''s fast attack. Whoosh! As I did, I released another breath of fire at the first monster before attacking it with the sword. Puch! My enchanted sword pierced through its head. Killing it before I turned with my shield forward. Clang Bamm! I raised my shield in defense, exhaling a torrent of fire before smashing it into the monster''s head. With a surge of power, I attacked with my sword, pouring all my strength into the strike. Puch! The sword pierced through it. Killing the second one.@@@@ I was still reeling from the artifact''s power when a new sensation washed over me, one that shocked me even further. An aura¡ªradiating from Baron Harrods. He had attacked the monster with it. As his energy surged, I sensed another aura, and in the next moment, a massive arrow streaked toward the Akarin Tiger. Saying I was shocked would be an understatement. Baron Harrods and Lord Blackwell had awakened auras¡ªsomething I hadn''t heard a whisper of in any of the intel. They have hid it well. Clang! The monster defended the attack of Barron Harrods with its claws before leaping back to dodge the bright azure arrow from Lord Blackwell. The Akarin Tiger barely managed to dodge, the arrow grazing its side by mere inches. Roar! The monster roared its frustration and attacked them again, and once more, the bald man moved to defend while Lord Blackwell and Barron Harrods attacked with their auras. They could defend the Grade V monster''s attacks, but the beast also defended and dodged their attacks. I wanted to watch more, but I noticed a monster nearby before moving to kill it. "They are coming," I had just finished killing it when I heard Hosk''s somber voice and saw the group of Grade IV monsters that came behind the Grade V entering the battlefield. They breached through the front line, attacking anything in their paths. A group of them had gone straight toward Colonel Axseer, while another toward a group of powerful Blackwells and Baronies'' army officers. The last group of two came toward us. "Fuck! Why us!" cursed Host a few seconds later as the massive figures of the powerful monsters drew closer. We were already dealing with the ones we were fighting, and now these new, terrifying creatures were heading straight for us. "I will deal with the lead one. Yora and Barb, you both deal with the other," He ordered. He is alone, and it is a Grade IV. He feels the monster''s presence. Even he will have a problem dealing with what is coming toward us. My mood couldn''t help but turn somber, and I vomited the liquor I had stored. It is not powerful enough to deal with what''s coming. As I vomited the liquor, I took out another bottle. It is the same one I had brought first to deal with the monsters, but I changed it. The only difference with the last one is that it had only been aired in the mist. This one had a mist artificially inserted into it as much as it could hold by Cresa. It made the liquor very powerful but very dangerous to me. In the last practice session, I had used this; I had nearly killed myself. It is oversaturated with the power of emotions. This means I need to keep my emotions calm, or it will be affected by those emotions, making the liquor unstable. They nearly did when I was practicing in a stress-free environment, and I barely managed to keep control. Now, I am in the chaos of battle. The emotion mist may provide immense power, but it could also spell doom if not handled well. I opened it, took gulps until full, and kept some in my mouth. Usually, I filled my mouth with it, but this time, I had only filled half before putting the bottle into the bag. The lightning wolf approached Hosk while the four-meter-tall red bear approached us. The bear is big, and its whole body is covered in a hard clay-like cover. As I understood its natural defenses, my expression darkened. It was going to make things even harder. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 582: End Chapter 582: End Barb Utsa Roar! At last, the monster emerged before us, letting out a bone-chilling roar, its teeth bared and drool dripping from its maw. Then, it charged toward us with a speed far greater than I had anticipated. I felt Yora casting spells on me. Including defensive cover spells on me and one reinforcing my shield. And haste, which I will very much need. She also attacked the bear monster with Sharp Bolts and Earth Spikes. To our surprise, the monster swatted the bolts away and moved through the spikes as if it didn''t affect it at all. Seeing that, I want to run away, but that is not an option. If I gave ground, it would go after my teammates, who are busy with the other monsters. Whoosh! Soon, it appeared in my range, and I pushed the liquor out with the Power Breath and Long Breath and lit up with the spark. As I did, the fire bloomed brighter and thicker than others earlier. I could feel the power and comprehend it very well. If I got caught in it, I would not survive.@@@@ I wanted to feel the emotion and mist in it, which made it harder to control, but I kept them as calm as possible. The monster seemed to sense the danger from it and moved to dodge it. Despite its size, its speed was fast, faster than I had expected. Thankfully, I took the risk and waited until it got close to me. The fire reached it instantly, and I activated the Wide Plume. Immediately, the plume got bigger and enveloped its huge body. I moved back with the Madam''s Grace, hoping it would be enough. "Roar!" Unfortunately, it was not. The bear monster, who had stopped as the fire enveloped it, moved again with fury in its eyes. It came fast, seeing that I moved back with Madam''s Grace and Haste covering me. At the same time, Yora cast the rock walls. Bang Bang Bang! The bear monster crushed through them with its thick paws as it barreled at me. Whoosh! Half a gulp of liquor came into my mouth, and I pushed it out. I shouldn''t be in such haste with the emotions I am feeling, but I need to douse this monster with as much fire as possible. The liquor burned, and I could feel the instability in it. Still, it moved toward the bear. As it reached it, it covered it whole, like before. Roar! It roared once more, with anger in its eyes, intensifying further. Which increased its speed further as it reached me, but before I could release the third breath. It swung its massive paw at me, and I had no choice but to move my shield forward to defend. I was grateful that Yora had another spell on my shield to stop it. Bam! It crushed through the spells and hit my shield hard. I felt a bone in my arm cracked on impact, and I vomited blood as I rapidly took a step back, using the momentum to disburse the force and create a distance. It is a good thing I had swallowed the liquor. If I had brought it to my mouth, I would have thrown it out with blood. Roar! It roared and chased after me while I brought the liquor back into my mouth. Whoosh! I released it toward the monster without care for the consequences. This monster is too powerful. If I didn''t kill it, it would kill me. So, I took the risk, and to my surprise, the fire breath seemed more stable than earlier. It covered the monster again, but it didn''t stop despite that. The fire created from this liquor is very powerful, but the monster is Grade IV. It is a powerful and defensive class, even in the Grade IV category. Making things even more challenging for us. It appeared before me, swatting away the spells and crushing every obstacle before attacking me once more with its paws. Yora cast a spell on me and my shield while I stopped in my place and activated the stance. Bam! Its paws hit my shield hard, crushing through the spell and making me feel the blinding pain. The Brace helped, but the difference in strength between us was huge. Once more, the pain shot through my arm as the bones ground together where it cracked earlier. Whoosh. I bore it as I took steps back before bringing the liquor into my mouth and breathing it into the monster''s face. Bam Bam Bam! Time passed, and it attacked me three more times. I am sure my arm is broken, and I no longer want to defend with the shield anymore. The fire is burning densely across it, turning the clay skin red, but despite that, it is moving like it''s not affecting anything. Roar! Instead, it raged, and that seemed to increase its speed and strength even more. "The fire doesn''t seem to be working," said Yora as she cast more Rock Walls with Stone Spike in between. It slows it down a little. "I know," I replied with gritted teeth. It is hard, but I am doing what I can. Still, it is not enough; if this continues, I will die. Bam! Once more, I defended and felt the explosion of pain as my bones cracked further. The shock and pain nearly threw my shield away from me. "Why don''t you try the trick you used to deal with the monsters in the forest?" asked Yora. "It''s too dangerous!" I replied immediately. She is talking about the Intoxicating Fragrance. I used it to make the monster drunk with it before killing them. I didn''t use it here because it was a battle. Monsters are coming from the left and right, but now, after she said it, I think about it again. I am only fighting this monster alone. No other monster is interfering, but unlike before, the liquor stored in me has the oversaturation of mist mixed in it. The sword isn''t enough to deal with the monster. Its defenses are strong enough; it had defended the Earth Lance with it. I need to weaken them more with fire. Burn it again like before. Whoosh! I threw the empty bottle away and breathed out the liquor. Not a half gulp, but a full one. I wouldn''t do that. If I was sober, but I am not; it is why I am laughing as the stream of volatile fire went toward the monster before forming a plum that enveloped it. Roar! It roared as the fire surrounded it once more and came at me in an animalistic attack. I dodged it and released another breath, and then another and another, until I used all the liquor I had in me. Now, it is a burning torch that is moving drunkenly. Even the pain from fire isn''t enough to bring it out of an inebriated state. It is very drunk and will get even drunker with time. I didn''t immediately go in for the attack. Even my drunk mind understands it''s not the time. The bear needed to get drunker, so I waited while it burned. We didn''t have to wait for long, and soon, it reached the level of drunkenness I needed. It attacked again, and this time, I dodged, but unlike before, I dodged to the left instead of back before attacking it. Rip! A ripping sound rang out as my blade. Gave a massive cut across its paw. If I had been sober, the cut would have been deeper and would have landed where I was aiming. Roar! It roared and attacked me while I dodged before attacking again, while Yora harassed it. Rip! Another cut appeared on its body. This time, on its chest. The fire had weakened its defenses greatly. I could see it cooking the flesh beneath the hard clay skin, but its high vitality kept it standing. Even now, with relatively deeper cuts. It was not bleeding. Rip, Rip, Rip! I cut it more and more. Attacking its weak spots, but it kept fighting without stopping. Roar! Once more, I attacked its leg. It roared and came at me, crushing through the stone spikes when something happened. One of the thick spikes made it stumble. Thud! It fell hard on the ground. Something I had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that, I activated Hair of The Dog to clear the drunkenness. I need to be as clear-minded as possible to use this opportunity. Immediately, I felt a terrible headache, and the drunkenness was lessening at a slower pace than I had thought. The mist had made the liquor powerful and the side effects worse. Despite that, I quickly appeared beside the bear monster with Madam''s Grace and brought down my sword. Puch! It pierced its back toward the heart, but I pulled back my sword a moment later and dodged its hand. The side effects will not make it easy, and the headache isn''t, but I appeared on the other side and brought down my sword. Puch! Yora is also helping, using the binding spells, which are breaking, but they are slowing it down and stopping it from getting up. Puch Puch Puch! I kept attacking, and it barely had any effect, but I still did. Finally, I saw a chance, and I appeared beside its head. I brought down my sword, and its paws came toward me. Puch! I pierced the sword thoroughly into its head. This time, I didn''t stop to defend the claw coming toward me. Bang! Its paws struck my leg hard, sending me through the air backward. I landed with the sound of bones breaking. Though the impact was powerful, it was not as much as I expected. Yora''s spells slowed it down, or the damage would have been more significant. "Is it dead?" I asked as the Yora appeared beside me. "Yes," she replied as she helped me get up, which brought me such pain that my eyes teared away. I looked at the bear, who was still twitching. I brought out the healing potion and drank it before walking toward the bear, retrieving my sword, and picking up a shield not far away. Hun! I had just done that when I saw a massive blood-red lightning. Bigger than the monster I had been fighting struck the arakin tiger. I thought it would die, but it came out roaring. It is bloody all over, but it is still fighting. The three of them, plus Colonel Axseer, aren''t enough to kill it. I only looked at it briefly before moving toward Hosk, who was still fighting against the wolf. Roar! I was halfway toward him when a massive roar came out, and the monsters, who were fighting, froze for a moment before they started to retreat. Roar! The tiger roared once more at those it was fighting before returning to the forest. "I didn''t think they would retreat," said Yora. "Monsters aren''t idiots. They understand when to retreat," replied Hosk. I didn''t say anything; I just looked at the retreating monsters. I wanted to sit down, but I didn''t. I watched the monsters only when they retreated entirely out of the battlefield. I sat down and took out the bottle of wine. The good one and started drinking. "Give me some. I need it!" said Hosk, and I handed it to him. He took a few gulps and passed it around the others till all of us were drunk. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 583: New Legacy Chapter 583: New Legacy Mystic Warden Lv. 32 Mystic Warden Lv. 33 Skill Gained: ... ... Warrior Lv. 15 Warrior Lv. 16 Skill Gained: Shield Bash Blaze Imbiber Lv. 20 Blaze Imbiber Lv. 22 Skill Gained: Gut Alcohol Skill Gained: I Know My Liquor When I opened my eyes, a long text floated before me. "They didn''t merge," I muttered, disappointment heavy in my voice. I had been hoping for a fusion. If not all three classes, then at least two. I would have been thrilled if my Warrior Class and Blaze Imbiber had merged. It would be even better if my August Madam Class had combined with either of them. It would have instantly made me powerful with the level and weight of my August Madam Class. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened. I shook my head and pushed away those thoughts. I focused on the text, and a moment later, a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. The classes may not have merged, but I made a good advancement. I had leveled up twice in Warrior and even gained a skill. It was the skill I had wanted. Shield Bash. This will be a tremendous help, and now, with my experience and strength, I can bash monsters with my shield without worrying about breaking the bones in my arm. I had leveled up twice in Blaze Imbiber, reaching Lv. 21. Very few people ever reach this level in a single class, and I had managed it in two. Though I felt a twinge of disappointment that my main class didn''t advance, it wasn''t entirely surprising¡ªBlaze Imbiber was already an exceptionally powerful class. Reaching the milestone of Lv. 20 had granted me two new skills, and to my surprise, both were entirely unexpected. They are also rare and made me excited. Gut Alcohol. It is a passive skill that will make my body produce its own alcohol. With it, I won''t be entirely dependent on outside liquor. It was one big drawback of Blaze Imbiber. I have read about it in a book about drunkard classes and skills. It is a very rare skill, even at Lv. 30, but I got it at Lv. 20. The second skill, I Know My Liquor, is intriguing. It allows me to understand the properties of any liquor I drink instantly. This will be incredibly useful, especially since I''m always on the lookout for liquors that can give me an edge in battle. Interestingly, I didn''t gain any offensive skills from Blaze Imbiber this time. Both skills come from the Drunkard aspect of the class, but I don''t mind. These two abilities will still prove invaluable in the long run. .... Silver "Set sail, Captain," I ordered. "Yes, my lord," replied Captain Perry with a bow, and a minute later, the yacht began to move. On the fourth day of our return journey, it was a little past midnight when we finally reached the town of Mahal, where our ships were docked. Quickly, I reinforced my hold over the previous layers, covering them carefully before channeling my complete focus back onto the sixth. Using everything I had learned from my battle against the mercenary and the duel I had watched in the archmage city. The pressure is immense. I began to feel a powerful headache, which made me want to give up, but I didn''t. I moved the layer further and further. No matter how much it started to hurt me. Finally, I created the sixth layer. A smile appeared on my face. Maintaining all six layers was incredibly straining, as I was under a lot of pressure, but I did it. Something that I thought would take a lot of time, I had managed to make significant progress in just a short period. Eighteen more steps, and I could begin learning the aura methods. But I needed sufficient control before diving into them. Bell had told me I''d need to form twenty-four layers before she would teach me, and I was determined to reach that point. It will be tough, but I''m determined to work toward it, especially after seeing what the aura methods could do. If I mastered them, I wouldn''t feel so desperate against people wielding artifacts as I had been in my last battle. I didn''t release the layers. Instead, I felt each one and every layer and began to make subtle adjustments, fine-tuning my control to ensure they remained solid. Forming the layers is one part of the exercise. Maintaining it is another. The small changes begin to help. They reduce the current strain, but it increases the longer I keep the layers active. I stopped glancing at the clock. Instead, I closed my eyes and focused on breathing to calm myself as I worked on the layers. I continued adjusting the layers until I could no longer maintain my focus. Seeing that, I didn''t let go of the aura. Instead, I methodically dissolved one layer after another. It was challenging, but I endured it. Soon, all the layers had dissolved, and I lay on the floor, drenched in sweat. I stayed there for half an hour, catching my breath, before finally getting up. Using Freshening Up, I walked out of my suite, feeling the weight of my efforts. Hours passed as I practiced, creating six layers every few hours. Before I knew it, the evening had arrived, and I found myself on the deck, watching the sunset. The view was breathtaking¡ªthe river flowing peacefully, the forest stretching out on the horizon. It felt beautiful, almost calming. "We will be home by tomorrow," Margaux said, and I could hear the longing in her voice. I shared the same feeling; I had missed home more than I realized and couldn''t wait to return. But I knew there was a lot of work waiting for me. The casino''s opening is in a few weeks, along with the bridge project and, most importantly, the undead. Those bastards didn''t leave me alone, even after I left the city. ''We wil...." I was speaking when I suddenly stopped midway, sensing something. It was faint, but I recognized the feeling. It was very intense in the legacy, but here, I could only barely feel it. "What happened?" Margaux asked, her voice laced with concern. I could feel my guards shifting, becoming alert. "There is a message from Madam Caena. A new legacy has been born," Zela informed me before I could respond. "It''s close," I said as I closed my eyes and concentrated. I could feel its general location, and it was very close. "Ask Caena where it is," I stated. A few seconds later, Zela replied, "Hyriv city. " "It''s just an hour away," said Margaux, and I couldn''t help but nod. It''s on the bank of the river; the ship will reach it in less than an hour. Hyriv isn''t a big city, which makes the legacy even rarer. Seventy percent of the legacies are born in cities with a population greater than five million. Hyriv barely has a population of two million. It made me wonder about the legacy. I ask them to gather the information. Half an hour passed, and I learned everything about the new legacy. "There is a message from the synod," informed Zela, surprising me. "What do they want?" I asked. "They want you to visit the legacy and congratulate the master on behalf of the continental synod," she replied. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 584: Harrick’s Pub Chapter 584: Harrick¡¯s Pub Proofread by Thomas F I watched the ships sailing away from the port of Hyriv. Unlike the yacht, they didn''t stop. My sister and others are leaving. The new legacy is interesting, but there are responsibilities waiting for them. Especially my sister and Baron Husk; their territories had just fought a huge battle against the monsters. The monsters had only retreated and seemed to be preparing for another attack. To help with that, the brigade under the lead of Colonel Axseer is going to be staying there. They aren''t the only people left. Even my people left. Margaux, Varza, and others. "I am surprised. You didn''t leave," I said to Eva as we walked toward the carriage. Led by the son of Viscount Lost. The lord of the city and surrounding territory. Today is the luckiest day of their lives. The legacy was born in their territory. While most of the essence goes to the Sovereign. Some percentage of it goes to the lord, and it gives them a lot of power. Not to mention. The tremendous boost to their economy by tourism and investments. "The legacies interest me. I dreamed about it since I opened my first store," she replied. I wanted to say, ''Who doesn''t,.'' Instead, I had just smiled. Every business owner wants their business to turn into a legacy. It is a golden ticket that will keep them prosper all their lives. Soon, we reached the carriage, and the door opened before we stepped inside. "I am surprised by Synod''s quickness, Lord Silver. It hadn''t been two hours since the legacy was born and they had already sent you," said the man in front of me. He is a man in his mid-twenties. Green hair, green eyes, and a square jaw that anyone would dream of. "It''s not a surprise, Lord Lost. That''s the reason they sent me; I was closer. Closer than Lord Castle of Circus," I replied, and the man smiled. We talked as the carriage moved into the city. The city isn''t that special. It could even be said that it is poor. I hope the lord will make, the great use of this golden chance that had fallen in his lap. The legacies don''t just provide the essence. They b beacons. They bring rich people, massive tourists, and many other things that make the city rich in money and culture. It is the reason why, I use my legacy for everything it could give it to me. A few minutes later, the carriages moved into the area where the streets were small and houses were small and packed. It is a working-class area. The effects of the legacy had already been. I could see the soldiers at every corner while the people cleaned the streets. With many guards, shoving the people inside their houses. Seeing that, I couldn''t help but sigh. The man saw my expression changing but didn''t say anything. I could see there were some questions in his eyes, but he remained quiet. I wouldn''t volunteer on my own. Besides, the man won''t like it. If I say what, I am thinking. ''What is that sigh about?'' asked Eva; she isn''t the one to hold back on the questions. It isn''t a skill, but a spell. She could cast spells, the basic ones. It has a wooden sign with a figure of chicken on it; that looked faded. It is like any other pub in a working-class district, but it has become a legacy¡ª. Even the faded sign looked beautiful, with a barely visible mist lingering around it. I looked around it and saw mages demolishing the surrounding buildings. There is one man crying loudly while being held back by his wife as they destroy what seems to be his store. This time, I wasn''t able to stop my head from shaking. These sorts of things happen when a legacy is born. Everything around it changes, and many people pay the price for that. ''I hope, they will offer a fair compensation for it at the least,'' I thought as I moved toward the door. Click! Soon, we reached the door, and it opened immediately. A man appeared. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with sandy brown hair and green eyes, that looked overwhelmed. He seemed to be wearing a new suit that didn''t fit him well and looked awkward and out of the element. "Lord Lost," the man greeted the man beside him with an unpractised and deeper-than-required bow before turning to me. "Lord Silver," said the man and, once again, bowed awkwardly. "Lord Harrick," I greeted the man, the master of this legacy. The Harrick''s Pub. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, seeing he was keeping us standing at the door. "Please, come in," he invited us hastily. As I stepped inside and felt the power of the legacy immediately. Along with signature colourful mist. I closed my eyes for a moment to feel it more clearly. Every legacy has a signature. I could feel the merriness, mix in the wildness of the dance and comfort of homeliness. I opened my eyes and saw a well-worm pub, with walls laden with worn paintings and trophies. Patrons had given it overtime when they couldn''t pay with the money. There are many things here, including a fireplace which I could barely see. This place is packed with overwhelmed staff doing everything they can to serve the clients. It must have a capacity of fifty people, but right now there are at least a hundred. All of them were well-dressed, not the common folks that had been patrons of this place. I am sure, till a few hours ago. Not a single one of these people had taken a step into this pub. Even raised their noses high at the prospect of it. Even after turning to legacy. Some people are still looking down at it. Though right now, they all have turned to us, or rather me, with many having recognition flashing across their eyes. I nodded at them before walking toward the booth, that is guarded by the guards. I would rather talk to the Master, but it is noble. I have to deal with it first. They are parasites for the legacies, one of the biggest thorns in its path to progress, but it is the way of the world and not even titans and spirits with all their power were able to change that. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 585: Words of Wisdom Chapter 585: Words of Wisdom Proofread By Thomas F "Lord Viscount," I said with a respectful nod. The man appeared to be in his fifties, his features bearing a striking resemblance to his son''s. However, unlike his son''s piercing blue eyes, his were a warm, steady brown. "Lord Silver, take a seat," the man said, gesturing to the chair across from him. "Thank you, Lord Viscount," I replied, settling into the offered seat with Eva at my side. His gaze shifted to her, lingering for a moment as if assessing her presence. "I am glad they had sent you, Lord Silver. If Harrick was able to learn something from you, he might be able to advance this legacy in a few years," he said, glancing at the man standing beside him. The legacy had just been born, and the bastard was already thinking about the advancement. I wanted to shake my head. Instead, I laughed. "I will try my all, Lord Viscount," I replied, and the man smiled. "I believe you have been returning from Archmage City. When the synod directed you here?" he asked. To that, I nodded. "I wish the legacy had been born a month earlier. I would have loved to visit the Archmage City," he said with a wistful sigh. "It''s a wonder," I replied, and he smiled. Though a moment later, his expression turned serious. "I heard you will be opening a casino in your legacy next month?" he asked. "Yes, and you are invited, my lord. I hope you will grace my city with your presence." I replied, and a smile on his became bigger. The man is a gambler. I heard he has a class for it too. "I will very much try. It''s been ages since I had gambled in a legacy casino," he stated. We talked about the legacy and other things for a few minutes. "I hope you will permit me a few minutes alone, with Lord Harrick," I said and hesitation appeared on his face. These bastards never let the masters be alone. Lest they might do something they won''t like. "It will be just talking, my lord, and nothing else," I reassured, and he relaxed a little. "Fine. I hope you will tell Harrick the secret of advancement, Lord Silver," said the man. "Absolutely, Lord Viscount," I replied and got up. I walked alongside the man as he introduced me to his wife and two children, each offering polite smiles and brief pleasantries. Click! "My apologies, Lord Silver. It''s a little small," he said as he opened the door of his office. "It''s fine, Lord Harrick," I replied as I entered. "Please," he said, asking me to sit in his chair. I shook my head and sat down on the opposite chair, while he sat down on his with some hesitation. As he did, I activated the Privacy and reinforced it with a faint amount of aura. That noble bastard had used some skill on the man in front of him. It is some sort of skill that puts a sort of mark on Harrick. It is one sneaky skill that I wanted to destroy, but that wouldn''t be wise. "I wish you would allow me to host you for the night, Lord Silver," the Viscount said as the evening came to a close. "I appreciate your generosity, Lord Viscount," I replied, offering a small smile. "But I''ve been away from my territory and legacy for nearly a month now. I''d like to return before the undead decide to visit in my absence." The room chuckled at the remark, and with that, I took my leave. Moments later, I was seated in the carriage with Eva, the road ahead stretching into the night. I talked with Eva and the man while looking at the city. My eyes fell on the armored woman riding beside the carriage, not far from the window. Aya Bandstone. I had paid a massive price to get her. I could get a dozen at her level for that price. The reason is simple¡ªher potential. I had heard about her battle and the way she fought. She impressed some of my people, but that wasn''t enough to pay the price that I did. The thing that convinces me to pay the price is her medical reports. I have read what her disease does to people. It would weaken people such that they can''t use even half of their power, but this woman uses her power to its limit and can even defeat those with higher levels and greater experience. So, I decided to take the risk with her, and I hope it will be worth it. Little over half an hour later, we returned to the port. "There will be a celebration in a few weeks. I hope you will attend, Lord Silver," said the man as we exited the carriage. "I will try, Lord Lost. If I can''t, I will surely send my representative," I replied with a smile. I won''t be able to attend, but I''ll send someone. These types of parties are good opportunities to meet new people and make connections. After a few more words, we walked to our ship and boarded it. "It was a good legacy," said Eva as the ship began to sail through the dark. "It was," I replied, looking at her beautiful face. "You are looking at me awfully a lot today," she asked, surprising me. I didn''t think she would be that direct. "Not just today," I replied, and it''s the truth. She is a beautiful woman. It would be a crime not to look at her. "It does not seem like you have good intentions," she said, and there was a challenge in her voice. "I do not," I replied and stepped closer while drinking in her sight. I didn''t move further. I have shown my intention, and it is up to her now. I wanted to make a move on her a long time ago, but I was hesitant due to several factors. I did today because I felt she wanted this, too. She kept looking at me for several seconds with those deep eyes. Searching for something, which she seemed to find, she finally took a step forward. The next moment, our lips met. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 586: Tour Chapter 586: Tour Proofread By Thomas F Mythara Dawnstar "It''s more vibrant than I had expected," I said as I looked at the city through the carriage. I had read about it, but I had my own preconceived motions. I had expected this city to be the wasteland, that had been attacked by undead several times, to be somewhat desperate and poor. I had seen how the cities after the war were, but this one is the opposite. There is energy here and vibrancy in the people. I could see the hope and dreams in the eyes of people; these are the kinds of emotions, the big cities have. It isn''t just the people that surprised me, but also the city itself. The buildings are small and beautiful. The streets are wider and clean, with gardens and parks everywhere. ''Where did he find such money?'' I couldn''t help, but ask myself. War isn''t cheap; it is an ever-hungry beast that consumes every penny a city can produce. It had been nearly a year since the city had been dealing with the undead. Most cities go bankrupt or raise taxes to an unsustainable level in conditions like, but looking at, the city. That did not seem to be the case. I watched till the carriage took a turn, and the park came into view. It''s not the biggest or the most beautiful I have seen. I had seen much bigger ones; the ones that had been designed by the archmages, but it''s different. "Is that?" I asked. I didn''t have to ask about it. I could feel it through my class. "Yes," replied Swan with a smile as she looked at the tower. "It''s big," I said. I have been to the many legacies, including the Archmage Tower. The biggest legacy on the continent, but is a spirit, while this is just a Grade III legacy. "It is the third biggest legacy on the continent," informed Miss Swan, reading what I was thinking. I know that. There are around a hundred legacies on the continent, and it is the top three. It occupies a space of over ten legacies easily. I wonder how much emotion essence it harvests. The size isn''t everything; it''s the core, that matters. Still, such size had massive advantages. The sheer amount of money he would earn should be huge. "Do you want to see the legacy first or collage?" asked Swan. "Collage," I replied, surprised. If Silver had accepted my offer, I would have said about the legacy. I am excited about it and can feel it, but I will be working in the college. That is why I declined to go to the house in the city they had prepared for me. They have prepared two accommodations for me. One will be in the city and another one in the college. I have come here to this dangerous place with a purpose. To level up. I will focus only on that and nothing else. The carriage took a turn at the bridge and entered the park, which houses the collage and the legacy. I looked at it, and I have to say it''s beautiful. I provided the girls work in my establishments a good housing, but it''s not as beautiful as this one or as expansive. However, what surprised me was the girls. I could see them. Many are walking and sitting in a garden. Some are alone, some with friends. They looked happy. Our business isn''t the one that brings much happiness. Especially at their level and age, where one needs to struggle for every penny. I remember the days when I was as young as them. Those were the most difficult days in the business.@@@@ I was hungry more times than I remember, beaten to every inch of my life, and suffered the humiliation that made me want to kill myself. Click! I pushed those thoughts away and turned as the carriage stopped and its door opened. Swan stepped outside. I followed behind. "Welcome back, Headmistress," said the woman, who looked to be in her early fifties. Beside her are two more women; one looked to be in her teens, while the other was in her early thirties. "It''s good to be back," replied Margaux. She smiled and turned to me. "Welcome to Mena Horn Collage, Miss Dawnstar," she welcomed. "Thank you, Miss Della," I replied. I know she is a vice-headmistress, but it feels weird to say it. However, I will have to say it after I officially start. "Della, please give, Miss Dawnstar, the tour of the collage," said Swan. "There is no need for trouble, Miss Dela. I am sure she has important things to do. Just give me any girl, that knows the campus," I said. All four of them smiled. In so many words, I had said I did not want the choreographed tour. "How are you adjusting so far?" I asked, turning to the woman. She seemed surprised by the question. "It''s very different from what I had expected, but heaven compared to hell we had been in," she replied with her eyes becoming distant for a moment. A few minutes later, we walked out of the suit. "I thought, those of Lv. 20 and above, get their own personal room?" I asked. That''s what Swan had told me. "They do, but all the new girls. Irrespective of their level, they have to live in sharing until they complete the first semester," replied the woman. We climbed floor after floor. I asked the questions and looked at the girls, till we reached the top floor. The sparsest of all the floors. Two people saw me and came. One is a teen, while the other is a woman in her late thirties. "Miss Dawnstar," they greeted. The woman beside me looked surprised. "Ladies," I replied. "I hope, you will love it here," said the older one. "I hope so too," I replied. They smiled before extending a small box. To that, I arched my brows. "It''s the key to your suite," replied the younger one. "Thank you," I thanked. "Have a good evening, Miss Dawnstar," they said and walked away. "They were madams," said the woman beside me before turning to me. "Who are you?" asked the woman, turning to me. "Same as you. I have taken a teaching position here," I replied, to her surprise. I opened the box, took out the key, and walked toward door number seven this key belongs to. Click! I stopped beside it and entered the key, before opening the door and stepping inside. "A four-room suite. Only vice-headmistress has it," she said, looking at me intently. I didn''t say anything to that and explored the suite. It has a living room, a bedroom, a guest room, and a workroom. The furniture is beautiful, but the thing I like the most is the view of its huge balcony. It gives me a clear view of the park and the legacy. I stayed there for a few minutes before I stepped out and got out of the building. "What do you want to see next, Miss Dawnstar?" she asked. "The academic building," I replied. The place, I will spend most of my time. She nodded, and we walked toward the five-story building not far away from us. Soon we reached it and stepped inside. What I saw couldn''t help but surprise me. There are people, a lot of them. "I didn''t expect to see so many girls at this time," I said, looking at all the women. "Since a lot of us worked in the legacy. The timing of the classes adjusted according to it," she replied. I nodded and walked ahead. Looking at classes that are happening right now. I didn''t do the classrooms, but I watched for minutes through the windows. I saw girls learning instruments, literature, pottery, along with so many other things. It shocked me because despite reading about it. I thought they would be most focused on the things that would help them bed more people, but here I saw very few classes related to that. "It feels like the real academy," I said as I reached the top floor, looking at everything. "It is," replied the woman. She believed that, and seeing it, I believed it too, and it is making my head spin a little because I don''t think. This should help Silver. He should have focused on teaching them classes that would help the girls get better in business. Here, he is teaching them things. That will make them independent. Making them leave after their contract is over. The whores stays in the brothels despite gaining their freedom, because there is no other choice. Nobody other than brothels would hire them. Here, they are learning skills that will help them after their contract is over, which couldn''t help, but make me think, why Silver is doing this? Many will leave. To some, it won''t matter if it is a legacy and huge money. To some, the hope to gain a self is more than enough to abandon anything. I am going to ask him that question. I looked at my office on the top floor before getting out of the academic building and walking to the magic suite. I lived in a city where there were hundreds of magic towers. So, a mere suit didn''t impress. Though, what impressed me is whores learning magic. Swan could cast a spell. I have seen it and she isn''t the only one. One of my mage clients had told me I have a magic talent, and they even unlocked it, but that mana attribute remained the same. I had never got a chance to learn the magic, nor I ever thought it was a possibility until now. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 587: If That’s What You Want Chapter 587: If That¡¯s What You Want Proofread By Thomas F Onyx Halcyon, Beyhelm. "The kindness of his majesty has its limits, Lord Halcyon," said the man sitting across from me in my office. "Father, you shouldn''t overuse his majesty''s magnanimity," added my ungrateful son.@@@@ "I know, Lord Guardian Danis. The opening is a few weeks away. This old man can live at least that long," I replied with a smile despite the rage I was feeling in my heart. I had given these bastards so much for decades, but despite that, they were not willing to even let me die with dignity. They''ve grown even greedier, trying to squeeze every last drop out of me. "Please ask His Majesty for just a little longer. A day after the casino opening, His Majesty will have what he wants," I replied. "I will try, Lord Halcyon," the man said before leaving the office. They will never get what they want. I''ve given them enough, and I won''t sacrifice my dignity in death. "Father, why are you making His Majesty wait? You''ve given my sister what she wanted¡ªmore than you''ve given us," he accused. He and his brother had received more than their sister, yet they complained that I had given her more. "Do you want your father to die so quickly?" I shot back angrily. What the king is asking will, without a doubt, kill me. Not that I have much left¡ªmy small heart attack nearly took me two days ago. That''s precisely why these bastards are clamoring for it. But they can''t force me. If I don''t want to, they won''t be able to do a damn thing. ... "We are nearing the city," said Eva, looking through the window of my suite. It is where we had spent most of the time in the past one and a half days. "We have a few minutes more," I said, kissing her chest gently before going down slowly. "Stop, haven''t you had enough already?" she asked, resisting, but her eyes were filled with the desire. "No," I replied, grinning at her. In the following minutes, the familiar moans rang out through the suite. We only stopped when the port came into view. "What are we going to do once we reach the city?" she asked, putting on her clothes. "We''ll do what we have been doing," I replied, appearing beside her and taking her lips in mine. "I''m an old woman. People will talk, and there''s also Carla," she said, finally meeting my gaze. "You are not old. As for people, let them talk." I said, shaking my head. "As for Carla, she is the last thing you should be worried about," I added. She looked at me intently, and I smiled before kissing her neck; it was her sensitive spot, which was why she pushed me away immediately. "Can we keep it secret? At least for a while?" she asked, and I was about to shake my head, wanting to reassure her not to feel ashamed. But when I saw the emotion in her eyes, I hesitated. "If that''s what you want," I replied. I had harbored a crush on her for a long time, and after spending more time together, I realized just how much I liked her. As for her age¡ªit didn''t matter. She may be a little older, but I thought that only made her more intriguing. Soon, we finished putting on our clothes, and I activated Get Ready to wipe away the lingering scent of sex that clung to me. Click! We stepped out of the room and onto the deck. "They''re working fast," she said, looking ahead. "They are," I replied, surprised. I''d been getting daily reports, but seeing it with my own eyes really highlighted just how much progress they had made on the bridge. Trollmouth is a wide river. It would have taken two years to build it on Earth. Here, six months will be enough. The magic makes even the most time-consuming tasks feel incredibly short, especially here, where we''ve received a considerable sum from the Synod. I read them while closing my eyes now and then to examine the progress personally with the Eye of the Master. The skill is amazing. It lets me look at nearly everything in the city. I don''t have to visit them personally to see their progress. Soon, I finished and put the file down. "How are the orcs doing?" I asked. While the huge tide was building and even after the battle, a large number of orcs were coming to the city. Even the tribes that were safe so far begin to have the monster problem. It isn''t just on the Baronies and merchants'' sides but also on Navr''s. This tragedy is giving us a lot of people¡ªthe people we need. "Good. The people from the resettling office are doing a good job," she replied. We have learned much from the orcs'' migration and created a sub-department to help those orcs settle in the two cities. They will provide them with housing and quickly find them a job. With the speed, the city is growing. There are a lot of jobs in the city. Still, despite their increased numbers, they aren''t even half of the new people settling within the city. Many people are coming from the empire. The conflict has been spreading, displacing people, some of whom are coming to Greltheaven despite the risks. I asked a few more questions before readying for my next appointment. Click! The door opened, and General Stone and Cardin walked inside. "My lord," they greeted. "Stone, Cardin. Take a seat," I replied. "Thank you, my lord," replied Stone, and they sat before me. "Have the undead made any movement?" I asked. "No. They had not crossed their boundary even once," replied Stone. "Have you heard any whispers about that incident from your connections?" I asked, and he sighed. "Too many. Some say it is a move from the undead to confuse enemies, while some say it was triggered by the dungeon." "Some are even saying it is a grand spell," he replied, shaking his head. On Mayhurst Island. A massive horde of undead had simply disappeared, along with a Lv. 40 commander. The only thing that remained was an enormous crater. It had made quite the news. I had my suspicions about the incident as it happened at the same time I was meeting the Archmage. I didn''t believe for one moment that it wasn''t related. I smiled internally. "What are the recruitment numbers?" I asked. "Very good," replied Cardin with a smile and forwarded a file. I opened it and read through it swiftly. "The orcs didn''t disappoint," I said as I finished with the file. "They do not," replied Stone with a smile. The newly coming humans pale in comparison to orcs when joining the army. Human numbers are greater only because they have the advantage of sheer population, but when counted as a percentage, Orcs surpass them. Over 50% of newly arrived Orc men enlist in the army. In the forests, most of them are warriors by necessity, constantly facing the myriad threats that lurk there. The army offers them the best path forward¡ªnot only for protection but for opportunity. I ensure they''re well-compensated and provide them with additional benefits to make it worthwhile. I''m pouring a significant amount of money into the army. A large portion of taxes, along with many of the resources I acquire in exchange for essence, is funneled directly into it. It''s essential. For the next six months, we''ll push recruitment and preparation harder than ever because when those six months are over, the undead will come¡ªand they won''t come in small numbers. "Your gamble with Axsteel paid off," I said, praising Stone as we wrapped up most of the discussion. "It was risky, but that woman has the potential and power we need," Stone replied with a confident smile. "She''s already being headhunted," added Cardin. Baxzar, Kalgha, and even some non-Orc states had already approached her. She''s a spirit shaman¡ªthe kind highly sought after by many. Honestly, even I''m surprised by her performance. It wasn''t just the power she demonstrated but the authority with which she commanded. I haven''t read the full report yet, but even old man Harrods called me personally to praise her. "Then we will have to make sure she doesn''t leave," I replied. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 588: Night Chapter 588: Night Proofread By Thomas F It was late at night when I finally left the city hall after a long, intense meeting with the city''s key figures. I hadn''t even left for dinner. Instead, like before, the children had come to the city hall, and we shared a meal there. As I stepped outside, I took a moment to observe the city. Even at this hour, it was alive¡ªpeople heading to restaurants, dance bars, and other places. Getting things to this point had taken a tremendous amount of effort. The influx of tourists played a significant role, and with the infrastructure in place, everything began moving in the direction I had envisioned. A lot of these people are tourists; it is easy to tell with my class. It''s still a work in progress, and there''s so much left to do, but I will lead this city to where it needs to be. Soon, the carriage rolled into the beautifully lit park, its path leading straight to the tower, while my eyes lingered on the people enjoying the night. Even at this hour, the park was alive with activity¡ªpeople walking, sitting, eating, and simply enjoying themselves, doing whatever they pleased. The carriage stopped in front of the tower, and I stepped out. "Welcome back, Master Silver," Lorle greeted me warmly at the reception. "It''s good to be back, Lorle," I replied, glancing around the lobby. It, too, was bustling with people. Some people were coming in and out of the lobby, while others lingered, admiring the art and the massive skeleton on display. I watched them for a moment before heading to the elevator. I wanted to check on the casino, especially since it would open in just over two weeks. But there was one thing I needed to take care of first. Finally, the elevator stopped at the top floor, and I walked out. Click! I reached the office and entered inside. Caena was already waiting there. "How is it?" I asked as I stepped inside. Immediately, the office faded away. Everything went dark momentarily before the sun appeared, faintly bigger than the last time I''d seen it. Soon, the planets materialized, and my focus shifted to the one¡ªthe planet I used most of the time. The planet extracts emotion essence from the surface of its core. It''s bright and vibrant, with pools filled with immense amounts of essence. But right now, the planet holds something more than just emotion essence. In the center, floating above the surface is a red saber. I had sent it to her the moment I entered the city. She spoke: "It''s in good shape. Its true power had been spent, but not by much. The emotion essence was able to replenish it." "So, it''s in perfect shape?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. Hearing that, a smile appeared on my face, and the next moment. The saber appeared in my hand. I could feel its power, the desire from it that wants me to bond with it. I sighed and put it away in a wooden box. Storing it in the vault. "You are not going to use it?" she asked with a clear surprise in her voice. To that, I shook my head. "There is someone better," I replied with a sigh. I very much want to use it, but it will serve a bigger purpose in that person''s hand. I pushed those thoughts away and looked at the core. The sun is absorbing a massive amount of emotions every second. She wants to. I want that, too, but other preparations also need to be made. Next month isn''t just the casino''s opening but also the legacy''s first anniversary. It will be a big celebration, and a lot of people will come to the city. I need the whole city to be ready for that. "Good, means we have time to look at every single mistake we could make before we open," I said, as I walked inside, looking at everything. I have already started bringing things. Setting them, in their places. I want everything to be perfect. The day will be very important and will be important for the future of the casino and its legacy. I looked at all the floors and other things before entering the elevator. I didn''t go up, but a floor down. The elevator opened, and I got out. I saw men and women working at tables with tools and resources that cost arms and legs. These enchanters meticulously carve enchantments onto the mist goods using the mist itself. At the moment, the power of the legacy is only covering half of this floor. I am moving that half floor to the roof and the lowest floor in the shifts. When there is a function, the power of legacy will occupy the roof. When there is not, it will occupy this enchanters'' floor. I would also use the theatre''s legacy space when it is not open. It is the only floor that has remained free space for over three hours. The rest now remained open, including the store floors. "Lord Silver," greeted the old man with pale blond hair, slowly turning white. He looked to be in his late sixties, with a round face and a small nose. "Edger, How are things going?" I asked. He isn''t an enchanter. He is more like a manager with decades of experience working in an enchanter''s workshop. His job is to handle the enchanters and their needs, and it is much more demanding than one realizes. The one who handled things before didn''t do a very good job. "Very good, my lord. Especially now that you have bought the tools and the inks we needed," he replied. We have bought a lot of tools, really expensive ones, and inks. We are trying to produce the inks that we want here, but we do not have the capacity to create some. I need more space! I want to create more than just spaces where things are forged and enchanted; I want to craft the very ink itself. By using mist, all three processes¡ªcreation, enchantment, and inscription¡ªwill enhance the quality and longevity of mist goods. But right now, it isn''t possible. There simply isn''t enough space. However, we will have the capacity one day. I talked to Edger and a few enchanters before stepping into the elevator. I came out on the store floors and walked through each floor, checking things with my own eyes and talking to the staff and the patrons. By the time I reached the top floor. It was late, so I didn''t return to the office and went directly to my bedroom. I tried to sleep, but it seemed to elude me. ''Come to me?'' I asked as I connected to Eva. ''We have decided to keep it a secret for a while, remember,'' she replied after a moment of silence. ''Don''t worry, nobody will know,'' I replied, controlling the mist on her floor. ''Give me a few minutes,'' she answered finally. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 589: Mounted Chapter 589: Mounted Proofread By Thomas F I stepped out of my office and found the entire top floor bustling with activity. It''s rare to see it empty or even half-empty, and this morning was no exception. The space was filled with people, most of them enjoying breakfast. Over 70% of them were non-locals¡ªsome visiting Greltheaven for business, while many others paused here on their travels to experience its rich legacy before continuing on their way. Velvet Garden is unique. It is a brothel, which means it remains open the entire night, and it has restaurants, theatres, and stores, so it also stays open during the whole day as well. No matter when the people come. There is always something for them. "Soon, I saw the person I had come down to see. She is sitting with her husband, and Carla is talking to them. "Lord Blackwell, Lady Blackwell. I hope you both are having a good time?" I asked as I stopped beside them. She is working in the tower garden while her husband has come to meet her. "We are, Lord Silver," replied the man. "I am glad, but if you need anything. Don''t hesitate to ask," I said. "We will not," replied Lady Blackwell. I talked to them for a minute before walking away with Carla. "When are you leaving?" I asked. "In the evening," she replied, and I sighed. It had been only a few days since she had returned, and she was leaving again. I wish she could delay the trip, but I know she couldn''t. It is an important trip. "Don''t worry. You''ll have Eva to keep you company," she teased with a sly grin. I raised an eyebrow and shot her the look. She seems lighter now, freer¡ªthe worry that once lingered in her eyes has vanished. There''s always been a strange tension, a quiet fear about our relationship. A fear that something will happen to our relationship. Many times, she pushed me to take one or more lovers, and now that I did, that worry seemed to disappear. It is the opposite of most women ¨Cthey don''t want to share their partner. On the other hand, she does, and it seems to reinforce her trust in me.@@@@ I had tried to understand it, to make sense of the unease in her eyes, but I couldn''t. Her experiences are different, shaped by a world unlike the one I once knew. Even after more than five years in this strange place, so much about it remains a mystery to me¡ªits people, its customs. Soon, we stopped near the outer pillar, where the plants were denser than usual. The harvest is happening right now, and our people and Mage Irgal''s are performing it. They are training the people we hired in everything from caring for the plants to harvesting them. It is all part of the agreement. "She is doing good," I said, looking at one of our new hires. The green mage. "She is a very talented and hard worker," replied Carla. She came with a complicated history, but that relationship had ended. The harvest, as usual, would be divided into two parts. One will go to the hidden city, and the other will go to us. Even now, I keep most of what I harvest to myself and sell only a small portion. I am hiring the alchemists, and they are doing well. In a few months to a year, they might become good enough that I will have them working with these things. I stayed in the legacy for only an hour before leaving it. I have an important meeting at city hall in a few minutes. Soon, I found myself in the carriage, gazing out the window. The view outside felt oddly unfamiliar¡ªwhere the lush tower garden had once stood before I left for the Archmage''s city, there was now nothing. It had vanished, leaving behind only space. It reassured me. Others may win the tenders, but we''ll be the ones pulling the strings. This is ours, and without us, they won''t be able to accomplish a thing. The meeting stretched on for an hour before I finally stepped out of the conference room. "Miss Jenna and Lord Rutto are waiting for you," said Jill, looking at the waiting room. "Send them in," I replied as I entered my office. "Master Silver," "Lord Silver," A few seconds later, they walked inside and greeted me with a bow. "Take a seat," I offered. "Thank you, my lord," they replied as they sat before me. "Have you made all the preparations for your trip?" I asked. "Yes, my lord. We have prepared the gifts and made the other arrangements," he replied. I nodded and turned to Jenna. "I had prepared the things Harrick had asked us for," she added. They are leaving for the celebration of Harrick''s Legacy tomorrow. I thought it would be in a month, as that is the most common timeframe, but the Viscount Lost decided to do it in two weeks. That''s fine as well. The sooner this hubbub settles, the sooner Harrick can shift his focus back to his legacy. I''m sending two people for this. Jenna will represent the Velvet Garden, while Rutto will act as my representative, officially tied to the city. I am glad he accepted the job offer, and he is good at this sort of thing. He might look like a good-for-nothing, just living off his ancestor''s name, but the man is intelligent. It''s just that the weight of the name had kept him down. Nothing he did was good enough to match the name he was born with. It was a blessing, just as it is also a curse. I hope he succeeds and levels up¡ªit''s crucial, both for me and for the city. His advancement will grant the city a powerful asset; for me... it will mean a book. Every book he has provided so far has been both expensive and rare. Most importantly, they''ve proven to be incredibly useful. Even the lower mages aside, figures like Aldridge, Zela, and Valentina have all admitted that these books have been helping them immensely. "Best of luck. Both of you," I wished. The celebration isn''t the only thing they are going to do. I had asked them to do some other important things. I hope they will succeed. A few questions later, they bowed and left. Hours passed. I worked, met some people, and attended a few meetings before walking out of my office at the same time as I did yesterday and for a few days before. I sat in the carriage, and soon, it reached the compound of the cavalry. "Lord Silver," greeted a white-haired man in his sixties. "Captain Clarence," I replied before walking into a small building, coming out, wearing the gear, and walking toward the training yard, where familiar beasts and people were waiting for me. I am in training for mounted combat. It is not something I wish to use in battle, but it is a necessary skill for a lord to have. Besides, I''m well-suited for this, thanks to the skills I''ve gained from the Trainer Class. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 590: Spell Check Chapter 590: Spell Check Proofread By Thomas F Caena The elevator door opened, and I stepped out onto the casino''s first floor. Tomorrow, it opens, I thought, a surge of anticipation coursing through me. I''m not talking about the casino opening. I''m talking about the big spell¡ªthe one I''ve created and refined countless times since I first began. Remus is pushing for 10% of the core essence, but I''m holding firm at 15% at the very least. The spell isn''t just for the casino and its legacy¡ªit extends beyond that. It covers all the floors and even connects to people. Some of our people have been training in Onyx Halcyon, and I made sure to include them in my crafting. When they returned three days ago, they seamlessly connected with the rest of the spell, just as I''d intended. Their return has made the spell even more powerful. Ideally, I would have had at least a month of an active casino to fuel the spell fully, but at this rate, we''d be lucky to get more than a few hours of it. Lord Halcyon''s condition is dire¡ªhe''s barely holding on and could pass at any moment. He''s managed to keep himself going until tomorrow, but beyond that, it''ll be nearly impossible for him to hold them back. The king is eager for the milking to begin as soon as possible, leaving little time to prepare. Everyone understands if the man dies before that. He is not going to get anything. That''s why I sent Danielle and the others to Halcyon, casting the complex craft on them to draw out as much of Onyx Halcyon as she could. She even managed to get the blood of the man¡ªhow she did it, I''m not sure, but it''ll be valuable. It''s the first time I''ve used people as pieces in a craft, and I don''t know if it would even work. But I''m desperate, and there''s no room for failure. We''ve poured massive resources into this¡ªmore than just the essence. We paid a lot for the first bite, spells, time, and everything. I had to dedicate much of my time to these spells¡ªthe time I had planned to spend upgrading the enchantments imprinted on the legacy. If it succeeds, I will gain the knowledge I need to make this spell even better for the future. There are more first-bite contracts Remus had signed. It would be tremendously helpful if we could harvest a large amount of core essence from their cores while minimizing the risk. "Madam Caena," I heard a familiar voice and saw the mother and son duo approaching me. "Miss Halcyon, how is your father?" I asked. She had gone to see her father. We didn''t stop them despite the opening being so close. It''s her father, after all. I would have given everything to have had one more minute to be with my mother. "He is not well," She replied, nearly choking. "I am going to leave once more after the casino has opened," she added, her eyes tearing up. "You should be with your father in his last days," I replied. I could see the relief in her eyes as she nodded. "It is not just the legacy¡ªthough that plays its part¡ªbut also your dedication, professionalism, and genuine care that has transformed this place into a sanctuary. A stay into a lasting memory, and a visit into a story worth telling." "Tomorrow, we will welcome dignitaries, luminaries, and distinguished guests from across the continent." "They will come with high expectations, and rightly so. But I do not doubt that we will exceed them. Why? Because I have seen the passion with which you approach your work, the pride you take in your roles, and the teamwork that binds us together." "You are the reason the Velvet Garden isn''t just a legacy but a transcending experience," I finished. They clapped, and some even had tears in their eyes. Tomorrow is a big day. I need them to be as motivated as possible, not only for the opening but also for the spell I had weaved. "As we prepare for tomorrow. I want to remind you of a few key principles that will guide us," I begin with the business. This meeting is only for the madams. Remus will address another one in the evening for the entire staff. Forty minutes later, the madams begin to leave one after another. "You run a pretty good ship, Madam Caena," said Miss Dawnstar as she appeared beside me. "It''s because the girls are capable," I replied, and her expression turned complicated. I am not denying my contribution, but the girls are good. They work hard and learn fast. "You know, despite being a whore and accomplishing things, only a few could. I had never given my fellow whores a true chance; I have unconsciously thought them lacking," she replied, with shame welling up in her eyes. "It''s not your fault, Miss Dawnstar. The world considers us worse than animals, and they impose that view upon our very thoughts." "It is extremely hard to break through that shackle," I replied. She nodded sombrely and walked away while I stopped at the bar. "Madam Caena," greeted the woman. "Cresa, have you considered my offer?" I asked the girl. "Yes," she replied, her expression turning serious. "And?" I asked, with hope, despite knowing the answer, looking at her expression. "The position is great, but I like working at the bar," she replied. Hearing that, I couldn''t help but sigh. She is the second person who has rejected the offer to be a madam. It''s a prestigious position with a lot of power, perks, and an excellent salary, but it doesn''t have that much allure for those who have found their own path. I wish there had been more candidates, I could have asked, but there aren''t any. The madams don''t only need to be capable but also loyal. Loyalty is most important, given the secrets we dealt with and the kind of responsibilities and power madams are gaining in the city. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 591: Clayhill and Haywood Chapter 591: Clayhill and Haywood Proofread By Thomas F Baron Haywood "Let''s hope the undead don''t attack and kill us all," Viscount Clayhill said, his voice laced with mock concern as we walked down the ramp of the yacht, docking at the overcrowded port. "Don''t worry, Viscount. If the undead does come, I''m sure they''ll make a special exception for you," I replied with a smirk. He grinned back, though the underlying tension was evident. It was a valid fear, but we were here to enjoy ourselves. We deserved it¡ªafter everything we''d endured over the past six months. The enemy had overrun our territories, and what was left of our armies was quickly absorbed by the imperials and other nobles. We came here to escape the nightmare that started the moment the emperor died. However, it isn''t the main reason we have come here. We have come for the business that could tremendously affect our future. "Welcome to Greltheaven, Viscount Clayhill. Baron Haywood." greeted a young, attractive woman. She is beautiful, tall, with deep blue hair. She is wearing a red dress that fits her perfectly. Seeing her, Viscount Clayhill licked his lips lecherously. Besides the woman, there are two men, both belong to the city. ''We are being welcomed by a no-name whore and minor city official. ''It wouldn''t have been the case. If we had our territories,'' said Viscount Clayhill, with privacy. "The dominion of Greltheaven is honored by your presence. We hope you will enjoy your time here," she added, leading us toward the carriage. We stepped inside, and the carriage began to move. I looked at the port; it is small but very crowded, likely only because of the opening. "The nobles from Orlena''s side have also come," I said, to which Clayhill laughed. "This bastard is playing both sides and doing it well," he replied. "It is only until one of them wins. After that, Silver will have to submit," I replied, and Clayhill sighed. We have chosen our sides, and I can only hope it''s not the wrong one. However, if we still had our territories, we would be in much better condition than we are right now. We could only hope that our side won, that they would appreciate our loyalty, and that they would return our territories to us instead of granting them to others. However, the chances of that are slipping with every passing day. With what remains of our armies are being cut away, little by little. Already, more than half of the men in our armies have been taken by others. Soon, the carriage entered the city and began to move. "You know, I came to its inauguration two years ago. The city then and now is starkly different," said Viscount Clayhill, looking out the window. I had an invitation but didn''t come. I wanted to, but the crown prince''s people warned me. "So many orcs. Does the fool not fear the chaos that they might create?" I stated that when I noticed the orcs everywhere, Most of them seemed to be in the army and city guards, looking at their uniforms. There is a reason why the emperor expelled these filthy non-humans. Especially orcs; they are chaotic. Always hunger for conflict. Soon, the legacy comes into view. We had heard so much about it that we instantly recognized it. The vast park with a tower in its centre. "Silver is extraordinarily lucky with this legacy. Nothing will harm him, no matter what he does," said Viscount Clayhill, with an apparent envy. He is a man who was barely able to escape from his castle before the enemy''s attack. If he had gotten caught, the consequences would have been terrible. The masters of the legacies are the safest people in the world. People will kill the kings, but not the masters of the legacy. Especially someone like Silver, who is the master of this massive legacy. I''ve heard Silver''s legacy is vast enough to swallow over a dozen common legacies whole. There''s been no shortage of rumors about it. The carriage took turns and soon entered the circle park, filled with people and orcs. I also saw a few elves, half-elves, dwarves, and giant bloods. "Silver is doing everything that is anathema to the empire," I said, my voice laced with disdain. I don''t like orcs and other races. Even those elves are vicious and bloodthirsty. They wouldn''t hesitate to stab you after they fuck you. "Stop the carriage!" called out Viscount Clayhill. I looked at him in confusion, but he didn''t answer. Instead, he got out of the carriage. I followed behind and was about to ask him a question when my eyes widened. "My god!" I cursed with my eyes wide. "I had heard about this a few days ago but didn''t truly believe it," he said, with a barely audible voice. The tower garden was shrouded in a light mist of emotion essence, radiating from eerie, beautiful vines that clung to every surface. The plants that fill it are the most exquisite I have ever seen. There are different kinds¡ªnot just flowering plants but all kinds of trees. One seemed like a sapling or cedar tree, while the other looked like wheatgrass stalks. Despite the variety of plants and the chaotic mix of colors, the garden looked stunning overall. Not all plants in the tower garden are beautiful. There are some really ugly ones, but even they looked lovely in the legacy''s colorful mist. He was good at making connections and connecting people with the right people. It is how he had built enough political capital to get the position of guardian. He resigned from that position to work directly for Silver, and quite a lot of people were shocked by that. The other two had also activated their skills. Theirs were not weaker than Rutto''s. Significantly, the one-handed man''s skill suppressed ours. They are above Lv. 30, but the one-handed man should be in the middle of it. It''s very hard to reach that level, and according to our information, he is not even in the top three in Greltheaven''s army. He is the fourth-highest ranked if the information is to be believed. "Then I will be clear," said the one-handed man. "The dominion of Greltheaven will hire your armies. They will become part of the dominions'' army; we will fund their salaries," "When you need it, you will have a chance to get them back as long as they agree to return." "If you provide us enough numbers. The dominion will sell you the essence potions and other mist goods," he laid out clearly. They want what''s left of our armies, what remained after the imperial forces and other nobles took their share. Just thinking about it fills me with rage¡ªmy heart burns at the thought. But the truth is, we''ve lost our territories, and it''s become nearly impossible to sustain our forces under our command. We can''t keep them for long. They''re draining us dry, costing a fortune every single month. "Sell us?" Viscount Clayhill asked, his smile turning into something far more dangerous, his skill growing in intensity. "We''re handing over our armies, and your only offer is selling us the essence potions?" The man remained unfazed by the outburst, casually sipping his drink as if unaffected. "The essence potions are rare, Viscount Clayhill. Even being given the chance to buy them is an honor, especially in times like these," the man replied coolly, as if stating an undeniable truth. His words dripped with arrogance, but unfortunately, he was right. The essence potions are rare and expensive. Even for us, getting our hands on them was hard, but the war made it even harder. Getting your hands on a single bottle had become harder despite our connections and standing. "Besides, you can take back your army whenever you are ready to liberate your territory, as long as they are willing to go with you." "You do not have that chance with the other nobles and the imperial army, who have taken your men," he added before taking another sip of his drink. The bastard is right. Every week, more and more of our people leave. Joining the imperial army or the armies of various nobles and mercenary companies. Not that we put much effort into making them stay. Watching them leave had actually lessened the financial strain on us, but if they all left, we''d be left with nothing. No weight, no influence. It would make it nearly impossible for us to contribute to the liberation of our territories. Even if the emperor handed them back to us after reconquering them, our titles would be demoted, and our territories would shrink, along with everything else. "Still, that doesn''t make it a better deal," I said, forcing myself not to glance at the orc, my frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "It is, Lord Baron. Please look at these conditions; they are quite good," replied Rutto, who forwarded us the two stacks of documents. I picked it up and opened the file before activating Fast Reading. I turned page after page. Reading every line carefully. They stated everything clearly here, including the number of emotional essence potions they are willing to sell us for the number of men we will give them. There are conditions such as level, rank, and experience. They are also willing to incur all the traveling expenses and solve the political roadblocks we will face. It is clear they have given it a lot of thought and are willing to spend a lot of money on it. I am sure we aren''t the only ones; they have called in for this. When I was in Warsteel a few weeks ago, I heard over ten other nobles were invited. It is from the emperor''s side only. I am sure they have also called nobles from the Princess''s side as well. "We will need some time to think about it," said Viscount Clayhill as he closed the file. "Of course," agreed the one-handed man. A few minutes later, we walked out of the room and saw a familiar noble walking toward the room led by the same woman who had led us here earlier. "What do you think?" asked Viscount. "It is good, but I am not going to do it. I can''t have my army fight beside these filthy orcs; I will become a laughingstock in the empire," I replied. I didn''t even think about the undead. Fighting them is glorious, but not beside the orcs. Hearing me, the expression on his face dimmed a little. "You can''t be seriously thinking about it?" I asked, shocked. "You know how the emperor will act. If he reclaimed all the territories, he would not give us ours back unless we contributed, and looking at how things are going, that is not going to happen soon," "I won''t be able to sustain my army for that long. There is no help from the emperor." "Instead, he is taking bites of our armies and insistently asking us for money and the things we hold dear," Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 592: Anniversary Chapter 592: Anniversary "This is the latest figure," informed Lola, passing me a slip of paper. I opened my eyes and took the slip. "It seemed like I underestimated the allure of the legacy casino," I said, looking at the number. It is over three times more than what we had estimated. The figure is the money guests are transferring into the casino''s accounts. It is massive, and it''s only the afternoon. The casino will open in the evening. The day had finally arrived. A year ago, this place became a legacy, and my life was forever changed from that moment. Since then, I''ve faced it all¡ªthe triumphs, the trials, the victories, and the losses. I handed the note back and closed my eyes. I am currently listening to Rutto and Hiren''s conversation with the noble from Princess Orlena''s camp. He is the thirteenth noble; they had met since yesterday. I want their armies, but it isn''t my only desire. I want them as well. These people may have lost their territories, but they have not lost their fortune. If they came here, the others would come with their wealth. While I want them, I do not ask them to live in the city directly. That will make things worse, as it would make me look desperate. Asking for the army is one thing. It is the thing people always desire, whether it is in war or the piece. Asking for nobles is another. But they will live here, wanting to be closer to their armies. To keep their loyalties from shifting. I have no plans to return the armies they''ll so generously provide. That''s precisely why the clause includes their soldiers'' families¡ªleverage is a powerful thing. I''m offering them even more benefits¡ªif their men bring their families along. The nobles, of course, see right through my intent, but the choice is neatly wrapped within the contract. Unlike in the empire, where their armies and wealth are simply taken, here, they get the illusion of control. I''ve even heard both princes have started demanding artifacts from them¡ªthe most prized possessions of any noble house. Parting with those? That stings more than gold or men ever could. The Imperials won''t allow those with artifacts to leave¡ªor even allow them to bring them into my territory¡ªbut that''s fine. Right now, artifacts aren''t something I can openly claim anyway. The Imperials won''t be pleased with how I am dealing with the nobles, so I extended them the same offer¡ªon my terms. Their share depends on what people the nobles provide. As for the emotional essence, I''ll sell it, not hand it over for free. They didn''t take kindly to that. Their response, laced with stern words, made that clear. It''s a dangerous game, one I wouldn''t have played if not for the mounting pressure on the empire. The enemies have been relentless these past few weeks, but their momentum has begun to falter with the chaotic empire regaining its footing. It might allow them to send an army to subjugate me, but it is unlikely to happen. Things have become more complicated than they were a few months ago despite their slowing down the enemies. The enemies have come closer, and if one side moves at me, the others will move to stop them. Most importantly, the Imperials are too consumed with their enemies¡ªand each other¡ªto spare an army. Without one, they have no means to subjugate me. And I have no intention of making it easy for them without one. I still don''t know whether the imperials will let them come to me. They could stop it, as they could have stopped more than half of the people I am poaching, but they didn''t. They need me strong¡ªstrong enough to hold the line against their enemies, especially the undead. That necessity binds them, whether they like it or not. If the undead seize control of the city, they''ll possess this massive Legacy¡ªone they will never relinquish. The Imperials understand that all too well. They might not support me, but they are letting me build my force to defend myself and my legacy. However, gaining nobles is a different subject. It will certainly complicate things. But if nothing else, I am adaptable and always willing to negotiate. We are currently investigating. I want to unearth the whole thing and catch everyone involved. I shook those thoughts aside and looked around me. Many people had come and could be seen filling the store floors. There was always a long line outside the legacy. The tower garden is also crowded with a lot more people than usual. The legacy has its own security under Stena, but today, the police are also helping. It is a significant day; we can not afford to be complacent. As night fell, the tower and garden came alive with light, casting a mesmerizing glow that made the entire scene feel like something out of a dream. "You look beautiful," I told Carla as Eudo readied her. "Thank you," she replied, turning to me. She is wearing a long black gown and a large pink diamond necklace that Eva designed. The necklace brightens up her amber eyes. I wanted nothing more than to keep my eyes on her, but the anniversary party was calling, and I couldn''t ignore it. A lot of important people have come. Merchants, Lords, and even Masters of Legacys''. "Ready?" I asked, and she nodded. I took her hand and walked out. Soon, we reached the door and stepped out into the grand hall while everyone watched. This time, I didn''t use aura. There is no need for that; I have already shown I have it. Using it now will give the enemies the information on my level of mastery. We stopped and looked at all the guests. I could see the nobles of the Nakar baronies: merchants, lords, and Masters of Legacys''. "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed Lords and Masters," I said, looking at all. "Welcome to this momentous occasion! Today, we gather to celebrate not just the anniversary of Velvet Garden but also its incredible journey," "To most, it seemed to have appeared only a year ago, but its foundations were laid long before that¡ªeven before I ever set foot in this city." I spoke and looked at Carla with a smile. "The Velvet Garden began as a dream¡ªto be more than what society conforms it to be. Over the years, it has grown into a place where people connect, celebrate, and make memories." It was not easy, and I wouldn''t have been able to do it without Carla and the others. "Today, we''re also thrilled to mark a new chapter with the grand opening of our casino! This addition reflects our commitment to giving you that experience that you will remember your whole lives," "None of this would have been possible without you¡ªour patrons, tenants, and dedicated staff. Thank you for your support and for making Velvet Garden what it is today." "Let''s celebrate the past, enjoy the present, and look forward to an even brighter future together. Thank you, and enjoy the festivities!" I finished. "Your words reminded me of the first day I saw you," she said, looking at me. "It was quite a day," I replied. Remembering the first time I saw her. "I thought you were too nai?ve and idealistic," she said. "Now?" I asked, flashing a grin. "You''re still nai?ve about some things, still idealistic," she replied, her eyes locking onto mine. "But that''s a good thing. It means you still have those same convictions you had when we first met." I raised an eyebrow. "So, in other words, I''m still a work in progress?" She smirked. "Something like that. At least you''re consistent." I wanted to kiss her, but I moved to greet the first guests. I am excited about greeting all the important guests before the casino opens, but I am also worried. A lot is riding on it¡ªthough, considering it''s a casino, I suppose that''s just irony at its finest. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 593: Velvet Casino Chapter 593: Velvet Casino Proofread by Thomas F Onyx Halcyon, Beyhelm. "We will start in an hour, Lord Halcyon," said the detestable man. I wanted just a day more, but they were only giving me an hour. After giving them so much, that''s how they are paying me back. "Of course, Lord Danis," I replied with a smile. I have opened many casinos, both in the kingdom and outside of it, but none has excited me as much as the one opening in the Velvet Garden. I wish I had been there. I had asked the bastards to allow it, but they quashed my request. It had been a year since they had confined me to the city. Even before the deal with the Velvet Garden, I had already planned to do precisely what I''m doing now¡ªdespite their pathetic warnings about the consequences. They think their threats carry weight, but they''re mistaken. They don''t have nearly the power they believe. If they dare do that to me, it will send a shockwave through every master of legacy in the kingdom for generations. There are far too many examples of what happens when people like them make that mistake. ... Halcyon ''We are ready,'' I said. I am at the casino, leaving the party half an hour after it had started. My heart is beating wildly like a drum. I am excited, and I wish my father had been here with me, but those bastards didn''t permit him. Even when Silver personally requested. The bastards have made my father a prisoner in the city for years. Not letting him leave and making excuses about his health and safety. I took a deep breath and smiled as the first guest exited the elevator. "Welcome to Velvet Halcyon, Baron and Baroness Lockridge," I welcomed with my son and Madam Margaux. I thought it would be Madam Caena with me, but that woman liked to remain in the background. Soon, more and more guests appeared and walked inside. They were checking the various games but not yet playing. They won''t be able to until we open. It is only a few minutes away. A few minutes passed, and finally, Silver entered with Chief Salt. They are one beautiful pair. The children they will produce will make even elves envious. "Lord Silver, Miss Salt," I greeted. "Miss Halcyon," He replied. I turned and looked at my son, who tapped on his glass. Soon, the people gathered in front of us. I glanced at Silver, and he gave a subtle nod. I was taken aback when he told me it would be my role to address the opening. Typically, someone like him¡ªa noble¡ªwould never pass up the chance to step into the spotlight. They thrive on stoking their egos and taking every opportunity to level up. "Ladies and gentlemen, Lords and Ladies, thank you for joining us for the grand opening of the Velvet Halcyon," I began. My father is about to die¡ªand those bastards aren''t even waiting long enough for me to say my goodbye in person. "He is not accepting," Lirav informed me, making me cry even harder. Please keep trying." This is all I could say, before I hugged my son and cried even harder. ... Caena As the people began to gamble, the spell activated on its own. Seeing that, a relieved smile spread across my face. If it hadn''t been triggered, everything would''ve been for nothing. But it did. Hun! I was basking in the relief when a surprise appeared on my face. Seeing how fast the spell is charging up. It''s happening so fast! Much faster than I''d anticipated. The people I had sent to the Halcyon Legacy lit up, their bodies sparking to me as the spell on them completed and seamlessly connected with the primary spell. I thought it would take hours, but all it took was seconds. It was the first time I had ever used a spell like this¡ªself-created, untested. I knew what could happen, but I wasn''t prepared for the sheer intensity of what was unfolding. It wouldn''t have happened anywhere else. The Velvet Garden is special. Witchcraft laid the very foundation of it, making it holy ground for witchcraft. It''s a good thing¡ªit''s hidden so well within the legacy, or witches would be flocking to this place in droves. Powerful witches, the kind who could send even sovereigns into nightmares. That''s why I tread so carefully. I wanted to coven. It would have magnified the power of my craft, but despite a few girls having a mind for it, I didn''t recruit members. I am still testing them through various methods. I need them to be absolutely loyal to Velvet Garden. Minutes passed and turned into an hour. The spell is blazing now in power. If anyone could see what I was seeing, they would get completely mesmerized by it. Still, despite that, I don''t know whether it will work or not. Such spells are complex and need to fit like a perfect puzzle. Any slight discrepancy and everything collapsed. I pushed that worrying thought and focused on the spell while mingling with people. I want to do nothing and focus on the spell in a quiet place, but I am The Madam. I have to do these things. "Madam Caena, will you join me for the game?" asked a middle-aged blond man. "You already have Balis, Mr. Carson. You do not need me," I replied, looking at the girl in his arms. We are letting patrons take the girls to the casino. The company of the beautiful girls enhances the patron''s experience. This service isn''t available to anyone¡ªonly to those on a trusted list favored by the girls. It''s costly, but those with access can easily afford it. ''In Miss Halcyon''s office, now!'' I was mingling with the guests when I suddenly heard Remus''s voice in my mind¡ªfilled with urgency. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 594: Halcyon’s Core I Chapter 594: Halcyon¡¯s Core I Proofread by Thomas F Onyx Halcyon "Goodbye, my dearest daughter. I hope you will gain all the happiness in the world," I wished, tears welling up in my eyes. I want to talk to her more, but I do not have the will to hear my daughter cry. ''Papa, p'' I heard her pleading scream as I removed my hand from Horish''s. It was the most painful thing I did. I wish my daughter had been here, but it''s for the best. "Empty the casino. I need to concentrate." I said to the man in front of me. The things have gone so far that I couldn''t even command my own staff. A month ago, the king decreed that the staff would only listen to the commands of guardians. "It''s done," he replied. He didn''t have to say it. I could feel the souls leaving my domain. "Do you really not want your children and grandchildren to be with you at the last moment, Lord Halcyon? They''re waiting just outside," he asked, feigning concern. He didn''t care about them¡ªor me. He was hoping that, with them there, I''d hold back from doing anything they didn''t want. "Milking is painful. I wouldn''t want them to see me like that," I replied with a smile. They all are greedy bastards. Milking is a process of forcefully extracting the core essence from the very heart of our legacies. It''s excruciatingly painful for the masters¡ªlike carving pieces from our very bodies. It''s humiliating and undignified, especially after everything we''ve done for them. "His Majesty appreciates your sacrifice, Lord Halcyon. He asked me to tell you that he will not forget it," the man said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "Please, thank His Majesty for me," I replied, my smile masking the fury beneath. Over half an hour passed before the entire casino was emptied. Only the guards and the two of us remained, the silence settling in. Silence has no place in a legacy. This emptiness is unnatural. Not even in the dead of night did it ever fall quiet¡ªit always thundered with the pulse of a thousand cannons. "I will begin," I stated, and the man nodded with a smile. A moment later, the mist drifted into the casino. His smile widened as he watched, holding for over a minute¡ªuntil his expression shifted. A frown crept onto his face. He had finally realized what I was doing. I was supposed to reclaim all the mist into the core, refining it into emotion essence before it could be transformed into core essence. But that wasn''t what was happening. I am not doing that. Instead, I am infusing this mist into the walls, chandeliers, furniture, and everything else. "Cease, Lord Halcyon. The consequences of this will be grave for your family," he threatened. Understanding what I was planning to do. "Fuck you and that ungrateful little king!" I cursed. I wanted to do that for a long time. He, too, the king, would be powerless to do anything against them. It isn''t just about the precedent but also The Synod: the spirits and the titans. The descendants are protected, especially those who are dying with dignity. Even with all his power, he won''t lay a finger on my children and grandchildren. "You are making a grave mistake, Lord Halcyon," warned the man and unsheathed his sword when his expression changed drastically. "Get out, you little bastard! I won''t have your filthy corpse buried alongside me!" I snarled, my voice ringing with fury. I didn''t flinch or fear that sword¡ªlet him try. I could see the battle raging within him¡ªhe wanted to kill me, desperately so. But he also wanted to live. His hands trembled ever so slightly, his grip uncertain. He knew that if he struck me down, his own death would follow, swift and merciless. Even in its final moments, even at the edge of death, it blazed with overwhelming power. The power it contained is far more than even Velvet Garden''s core. That is not surprising. This core is old¡ªnearly a century old¡ªand at the peak of Grade III. It is my first time seeing the core of the legacy other than the Velvet Gardens. The parts of dead legacies that came before were just parts that lost their shape and were divided into a hundred pieces, while this one is complete. "So, the old man decided to die with dignity," Remus said, his voice resonating in the room, laced with respect. I did not notice his arrival. The dignified death. The old man had opposed the sovereign''s will and decided to do without tearing his core apart for the benefit of his king. ''Then we should honor it,'' I replied, activating the spells. Immediately, the spell covering the casino activated, and the circle I was sitting in ignited with the raw power of witchcraft, flames of the arcane swirling around me. A moment later, everything turned dark, and the core of the Velvet Garden appeared, with two planets revolving around it. One is the planet Harnesser, the one we use to harness the emotion essence. The second is Holder or Prison, depending on one''s persuasion. It is where we trapped the liches and now where we will take the casino''s core. The planets are connected with spells. Those violet, golden lines forming a complex diagram on it are the spell I had crafted. Still, it won''t be easy. I had created this spell with a weak, milked core in mind. Not a whole one, which I heard is tough to break apart. The holder planet reached it and expanded rapidly until it became five times as big as before, moving to swallow it. I braced myself for the resistance. Even with this spell, I knew it would be difficult. A small piece of core posed significant resistance; this one would be immense. "Hun!" A moment later, astonishment washed over me. The planet absorbed the core, enfolding it without so much as the faintest hint of resistance. "No resistance?" questioned Remus, in surprise, while I was shocked. The resistance is from the will of the masters. Their residual emotions, but here, there is none. "Maybe this is what gift the old man was talking about," said Remus softly, barely audible. ''Gift?'' I wanted to ask him about it, but focused on the core. Since there is no resistance, it is imperative that we get as much as we can. We don''t have much time, a few hours at most, before the pull from the other legacies becomes strong enough that they pull it toward themselves. I took a deep breath and activated the extraction. ''There is still a resistance,'' I thought. It is a different kind of resistance. This resistance is the core, trying to maintain its identity despite its death. Still, the resistance would have been much greater if the master''s will had been added to it. The holder planet began to glow, radiating outward with its energy. A moment later, two streams¡ªdense as liquid¡ªpoured forth from it, swirling with raw energy. One stream went to the core of the velvet garden, while the other went to the harvest planet. The first stream going to the core contains a vision that aligns with the vision of the Velvet Garden. The second core essence stream going to the harvest planet is an essence that does not align. It will be tremendously helpful to us. The Core Essence is far more valuable than the emotional essence. It can be used for many things, including this spell. I used the core essence of parts of dead legacies we had already harvested. "It seemed you have everything under control," Remus commented with relief before leaving the room. I planned to use him and other girls who have command of the legacy, but since there is no resistance. I do not need to use him or the others. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 595: Halcyon’s Core II Chapter 595: Halcyon¡¯s Core II Proofread by Thomas F "I hope you are having a good time, Lord Lindren," I asked old Vanis as he enjoyed baccarat. It took quite an effort to convince the Lord of Inam to send him here. They don''t let the masters leave their cities easily, especially to the place where the undead could attack at any time. He came only because of the goodwill I had accumulated with the Lord of Inam by selling him a large amount of essence potions. He has come with heavy security and will leave right after he walks out of the legacy. It is quite a regret. I like the old man and would have liked it if he had stayed in the city for the day. "I am, and I would have been happier if I had won more than once," he replied grumblingly. "That will depend on your luck, Lord Lindren," I replied. Baccarat is a game of chance rather than a skill. How one does depends a lot on luck. However, many professional Gamblers have come here. Thankfully, the staff is excellent. They worked in Onyx Halcyon for decades and are experts in dealing with the Gambler Classes. "Halcyon has died," I informed him a moment later. A surprise flashed in his eyes. Usually, the masters of legacy sense such things, but he is in my domain right now. Making sensing such things difficult. "How?" he asked. He isn''t asking the reason for the death, but one of the two options he chose. "With dignity. More than that, actually. The man had gone down with his legacy. Burning it in a glorious blaze," I replied, and a moment later, I shared the image of the blazing casino with him. A smile appeared on his face. It was the biggest one I had ever seen. "That is the only way a master should die," he said. He is right about that. If my legacy won''t go beyond Grade III and I reach old age, I will die with my legacy; there is no way I will be forced to milk it. I can''t even begin to imagine how the King of Ilden must feel right now. He openly declared his plans for the core essence a month ago before the court. This¡ªthis was a slap in his face. I exchanged a few more words with the old man before moving on to the other guests. The casino was alive, all five floors filled with people lost in the thrill of gambling, indulging their desires¡ªparticularly the ones who had our girls by their side. The girls were doing what they did best¡ªcheering them on when they won, offering comfort when they lost, and keeping the game alive. It is a very expensive service, but they are worth every penny. I didn''t plan to do that, but Carla and others wanted me to, saying it would give the girls more chances to earn money while providing our legacy to harvest more emotions. My reason is that we don''t have enough girls. We hire every month, but those girls are in training, and it will take a while before they can work. While that happens, it will put more pressure on the girls that we do have working. They don''t mind it. Aside from the good money, their hours will still be less than they used to work in their old brothels. ''How is the spell?'' asked Carla. ''Good,'' I replied. I could feel everything that was happening. My core and the harvest planet absorb a large amount of core essence from Halcyon''s core. I am keeping a sharp eye on my core. "It''s fine, Lord Silver. My father has chosen a dignified death, and it is an important night. He wouldn''t want us to spend that crying," she said, looking at her son. Their eyes are filled with the pain and the grief, but there is also some joy in them. "As you wish," I replied. It is up to her how she deals with her father''s death. The only thing I could do here is support whatever decision she makes. I mingled with the guests until I sensed the change in the stream''s core essence going toward my core. Sensing that, I excused myself from the party and took the elevator to the top floor. ... Caena An hour had passed, and the stream of core essence increased. I am tinkering with the spells, making changes as I observe things. Extracting as much essence as possible is necessary before the legacies pull the core to them. I looked at the core of the velvet garden. It absorbs the core essence as it comes. It feels almost ravenous. It wasn''t the case before with the pieces of legacies we consumed. It''s because of the spell. The spell has absorbed the understanding of the casino, and this understanding is helping the core absorb the essence of Halcyon quickly. Without it, it would have been much slower. Slower than harvesting the pieces of the dead legacies. Another hour passed, and then another. I could feel the pull of the other legacies getting stronger while the flow of essence reduced until only one stream remained. The stream to the Velvet Garden''s core had ceased. The Garden had absorbed everything from Onyx Halcyon''s core that aligned with its vision. I could easily force the core to absorb more essence, but that wouldn''t be wise. It will corrupt the vision, which is the last thing we want to do. Another hour passed, and the core of Halcyon was now shaking. The pull had become strong enough that I wouldn''t be able to hold it for much longer. Thirty-seven seconds passed when the pull had become too powerful. Seeing that, I had let go. The core flew away, immediately dividing itself into hundreds of pieces. It then moved toward the legacies, pulled by them. I looked at the core. It had grown in size considerably, and the planet now held massive reserves of the core essence. I have harvested more than I had thought¡ªmore than double. The total of 31.4% is massive, considering I was only hoping for 15%. Hun! I was about to inform Remus about it when I heard a gasp of surprise from him. I turned and saw a look of shock and delight on his face. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 596: Patrons Haven Chapter 596: Patrons Haven Proofread by Thomas F [Legacy Skill Extracted: Gambler''s Haven] [Legacy Skill Changed: Gambler''s Haven¨CPatrons Haven] I looked at the text before me, and my mind shook deeply. I extracted the skill from Onyx Halcyon. It is an extremely rare one. As such, this only happens during the merger or subjection of the legacies¡ªliving legacies only, never with a waning legacy like Onyx Halcyon. The waning legacies couldn''t be merged or subjected, with death as their only option. My core didn''t just extract the skill¡ªit reshaped it, adapting it to fit my legacy and making it uniquely mine. The Gamblers Haven is a skill that enhances gamblers'' experience in casinos. It amplifies the physical and mental stimulation. It naturally happens in the legacies. It is for which people come in them, but this skill will amplify it even further. This was the best skill I could have hoped for¡ªperfectly tailored and a true asset to my legacy. My vision is to provide an experience they will never forget, and this skill will help me take that vision to the next level. "What happened?" asked Caena. I didn''t answer. Instead, I opened the skill to her. Making her eyes widen and gasp in shock. "A legacy skill," she whispered, and I nodded. "It''s an amazing skill. It is very suitable for our legacy," I stated, unable to contain the joy I was feeling. "It is also extremely rare," she added. Her words had sparked an idea in my mind. I tried to shake it, but it stuck. The more I tried to shake it away. The more it spread inside. "What are you thinking?" she asked. "Tranquill Bathhouse," I replied, and a surprise flashed in her eyes before she shook her head. "It''s too dangerous. It''s a living legacy and old," Caena warned immediately. "Most importantly, it is stronger than common Grade III because of over a century''s worth of connection with a Grade IV legacy," she added with the warning. "It will also be unstable and weak when its connection breaks with the Grade IV legacy," I replied. "That bathhouse aligns with our vision. It will help the spa and the entire legacy tremendously," I could see her considering, but a few seconds later. She shook her head. "It is too dangerous. Don''t forget what happened with Amaras Inn," she warned¡ªnaming that unfortunate legacy with a bright future. It is precarious. As Caena said, if we try to swallow them, they will also try to swallow us. This provides them with the spark of life that they desperately need. Once its connection with the throne breaks, the legacies have a mere few hours to live. If it could consume my core, it would spark a new life in it. It has happened many times, which is why the risk of doing that is massive. With Tranquill Bathhouse, the risk is even greater because of certain factors, but the benefits are just as great. ... Caena "Tranquill Bathhouse," He wants to absorb that legacy. It will be a tough thing to do. It is a living legacy instead of a waning one, although it will only have a few hours of life after it breaks its connection with the Grade IV legacy. Such things happen, and a few times, things have really gone bad. The latest was about two decades ago in the continent of Herald, my native continent. I still remember my mother talking about it. Amaras Inn''s legacy had signed a contract to swallow the Yort''s Tavern, which were both Grade III legacies. The Yort''s Tavern was subject to a Grade IV legacy. The Grade IV released the Yorts Tavern, and Amaras Inn moved to consume, but the opposite happened. It is Yort''s Tavern that consumed Amaras Inn. A lot of things were involved, including the artifacts and kings, along with other hidden things. The same could be said for our plans with the Tranquill Bathhouse. If we succeeded, however, the rewards would be immense. The bathhouse aspect would enhance our spa beyond what we could imagine and significantly boost the emotion slate. And the skills¡ªfar more than just legacy skills¡ªwould be unlocked. Unlike waning legacies, where the host eventually perishes, with a living legacy, there''s much more to be gained. The potential is limitless. We could gain legacy skills as well as the class and skills of the master. Those things are connected. The stakes are higher, but so are the benefits. If I want to succeed, I must craft more substantial and comprehensive spells than the one we just used. The thing is, I now have data on how to deal with such cores. I already have ideas about the spell, but I want to create something new for it. It will be based on this spell but grander. It will also be expensive and will require much greater preparation. It scares me and excites me because it will be challenging, but Tranquill Bathhouse will be worth it. I smiled before closing my eyes, activating Witch''s Grimoire. It is a skill that lets me note down ideas, but it is far more complex than the basic notes skills. It records my emotions itself. When I look at entries, I will feel the very emotions and thoughts I am feeling right now as I note down the things. Soon, I noted down all the ideas and everything I had learned during this spell before getting up. I had to check on a few things before I could rest. The casino and more than half of the legacy are still open, but capable people are overseeing them. I do not have to go there personally, but it is important that I do. I am the madam, after all. High Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 34 [Skill Gained: Witch''s Field] Merchant of Desire Lv. 38 Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 597: Back Again Chapter 597: Back Again Proofread by Thomas F "Thirteen hundred and twenty girls; that''s not enough; we need more," I said to the people before me. I am sitting in a small conference room in the tower with Caena, Margaux, Carla, and Hendriks in front of me. "I know it''s not enough, but we are trying," replied Carla, and I sighed. They are making an effort, but recruiting the girls is challenging due to our higher standards. While our expectations remain unchanged, we evaluate the girls more thoroughly. We increased the evaluation of their potential and their drive. We also do background checks and other things. "It''s a good thing. We are opening the recruitment office tomorrow. I hope it will help," I said. The initial target is sixteen hundred. Once we reach that, we can ease up a bit. "That should help," replied Caena. The recruitment office will be outside of the college, and it will be only for prostitutes. At first, it will be for the dominion''s prostitutes, but then it will expand to other areas. The working of it will be simple. Girls who have been released from their contracts can register at the recruitment office. Once that happens, we will interview them in three stages. Those who pass all three stages of interviews will be recruited into the velvet garden. I am also considering getting more girls from Baxzar, but I delayed that plan for a month or two. I want to examine the ones we have more deeply. Those poor girls have a lot of psychological burdens. Most importantly, I don''t have a spare madam to send to the Baxzar for the recruitment. "We were managing, but the escort plan messed it up. Who would have thought it would be this successful?" said Hendriks, still confused. While all three madams wore knowing smiles. It had been a week since the casino opened, and the response had been far beyond what we had imagined. Every day, rich and powerful are coming to the city. Many merchants from the empire and merchant states have started stopping at Greltheaven more than they used to before to enjoy the legacy. The girls are helping tremendously. The demand for their company had caught all of us by surprise. Everybody wants them to take into the casino, but they are now limited to only those on a trusted list, which we have expanded twice in the past week. "I think we should remove the list. The girls are staying in the tower. There is no threat to them. The escort service will allow them to earn more," said Margaux. "I agree," added Caena while Carla nodded, but I hesitated to do that. "We will put a limit on the number of girls working as the escort." "So, it wouldn''t affect their work in the velvet red, and their collective working hours would be limited to ten," proposed Carla. I want to reject it, but she is making a satisfactory proposal. My little snooping also tells me the same: the girls want it. "Fine," I agreed. Currently, we have nine hundred and eighteen girls working, with a slight increase this month. It might seem enough, but it''s not when counting on all the floors of velvet red and the casino. Considering that they work in three shifts. If I had more girls, I might have increased the occupancy of the lower floors of the Velvet Red and done a few more things, but I couldn''t. I do not have enough girls. "We have to do something about the poaching. The first week had barely passed, and five of our girls had been poached already," said Hendricks angrily. I sighed, and so did the others. "Right now, we can''t do anything," I replied, defeatedly. I don''t like it, but I understand my condition. If it had been from the empire, I might have done something, but it is happening in the merchant state, and that woman is powerful and has a lot of political influence. Even if I want to do something, my options are limited. For a few seconds, nobody spoke. "We need more madams urgently," stated Caena, and I nodded. I want more. Given the challenges, it won''t be easy, but it is achievable. I reached the city hall and stepped outside before walking inside. There is an essential meeting in fifteen minutes. Soon, I was in my office. ''Master Silver, they are here,'' informed Jill. I turned to the clock and saw them arriving right on time. "Send them in," I replied, putting away the file I was reading. Click! A moment later, the door opened, and an old man in his sixties wearing priestly robes of the Church of the God of War came inside with two people behind him. He looked at me, and I looked back at him. I could hear the anger and gate. The man didn''t like me at all. Well, I don''t like him either. "Lord Silver," he said finally. "Bishop Song," I replied, waving at him to sit before me. "The church agrees," he stated, and a smile appeared on my face. For over a month, even before I left the city for the Synod. We have been negotiating their entry into the city. They were surprisingly docile this time. Though they remained adamant on some conditions, so have I. "Good. The citizens of the dominion will be happy to have churches of the God of War back again," I replied. They will build the church in the Greltheaven and Panar. After we agreed on the initial conditions, they have already started building it. "The people would have been more happy. If you hadn''t been so adamant, Lord Silver," he said, and I only smiled. I got what I wanted¡ªespecially the three things. First, they will have to get permission from the city for every member they bring into the cities, and those members should only be priests. Not its sentinels or those hounds. The second is that they don''t have to participate in the war, but they do have to participate in healing the soldiers. They will also need to build a hospital that will heal a certain number of people free of cost. The third and final condition is that they do not publicly criticize the city''s policies without permission. It is the strictest one, and I threatened to throw them out if they did not follow it. Words are the most dangerous weapon, and the church of God knows how to use them well. They are a human church and the first one to support the former emperor when he started his ultra-human views. Creating cohesion between the races has taken a lot of effort, and I don''t want these bastards to mess it up. It could bring real trouble to the dominion. "Our priests will be coming in a week and will remain in our old building until the new church is finished," he informed. "That wouldn''t be a problem," I replied. They are building churches in both the city and, to show their might, the churches they are building are grander than the Goddess of Dusk despite having fewer staff. They wanted to have as much staff as the church of the Goddess of Dusk, but I declined. I won''t let them bring in those numbers unless they prove themselves. Besides, the smaller numbers are easier to control. Tomorrow, we will sign the contract officially. "Keep an eye on them. I want the report of everything, where they go, and who they met." I said to Lola as they left. I do not trust them and wouldn''t have let them in if the Church of God of War hadn''t been so powerful and the city hadn''t already had many of their faithful. The church of the Goddess of Dusk converted quite a lot of people, but many are still faithful to the church of the God of War. "Our people are on them," she replied. The city will have two churches with them, but not for long. Other churches have expressed their desire to set up their shops, and I have been receptive. I don''t have a favourable opinion of the churches, but I need them¡ªespecially their cleric spells. Nothing is comparable to them. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 598: Seer Chapter 598: Seer Proofread by Thomas F Grand Duke Zedaris Click! The door opened, and I walked into the familiar hall. I had come here nearly every year for the past decade. However, I have always met with failure. A few times, I have been close to success but have never achieved it. This time, I paid a huge price and hope we will get it. Once we found it, and we killed her. Our house will be secure; there will be no more resistance. I stopped in front of the man. He is an average-looking man with white hair. Nobody would believe this man is one of the most powerful on the continent. He does not have combat power but something far more dangerous. He is a Seer, the highest level on the continent. "Sage," I greeted. "Did you bring it, Grand Duke?" he asked without so much as a greeting. The lack of courtesy grated on me, stirring irritation and anger, but I swallowed it down. Without a word, I produced the object. I opened the heavily enchanted wooden box. Inside was a bar that seemed to change state every second. "I offered them so much for it, but they do not want to sell," said the old man, looking at it with undisguised greed. We didn''t buy it. Just borrowing it for a very high cost. "Will it be enough?" I asked, and the man turned to me and smiled. "I am seer, but even I can''t say that for sure. Though, I will say this with it. Piercing through the power of that artifact shouldn''t be a problem," he replied, which relieved me. That artifact is one of the most powerful anti-scrying artifacts in the entire continent. It was the only reason that she was able to hide for so long. Not anymore; today, she will be found, and we will send our most powerful assassins to kill her. "I will start in the night. It is the most auspicious time," he stated. I nodded. ... Silver "Panar," I said as the city came into view. Seeing it, I wanted to ride toward it faster, but I didn''t. Instead, I decided to take in the whole view of the city. It is in the wasteland but not devoid of people. There are quite a lot of people moving around, actually. Because they go into the mines, there are even buildings near the city by the mines. The mining industry is the lifeblood of the city. Contributing to over 80% of its economy. I want to lower that while increasing the output of the mines. Diversifying revenue sources is good for the economy, but one should also focus on the core industries. I am focusing on mining a lot, opening more and more mines and even trying to bring the refinement industry to the city. In two months, the first refining site should be set up in the city. Soon, I got close enough to see the city clearly, and what I saw made me smile. The wall is completely fixed, and not even a crack on it has remained. It''s now in better condition than it had been in the time of the previous lord. I have spent a lot on it. It''s crucial for its defense. When I was here last time, the wild growth around it had been cleared, but now the whole area has been smoothened. There is not a single plant in there. We wanted to plant things. It is a green space, a rarity in this wasteland. It''s big and, if utilized well, could support the city to some degree. It was cultivated before the invasion of the undead and their mismanagement led to overgrowth. Until I have full confidence in the city''s safety, I will leave it as it is. It is important that it remains as it is for the city''s security. The city got closer and closer until we reached its gate. They opened fully for us. "Lord Silver, Lord of Greltheaven, and Panar," The herald announced as we rode through the gate. There is a large crowd waiting for us. This time, the people didn''t look starved and sick. They look well-fed and vibrant, wearing clean clothes "Welcome to Panar, Lord Silver," welcomed Ina, with General Azalea and other important people beside her. She has grown into her responsibilities. She was more confident than I had seen her last time. Now, she looked like a governor. She was wearing that position like a second skin. I could feel it. Despite leveling up, she has not gotten the class yet, but that is only a matter of time before she gets it. "It feels good to be back in this wonderful city, Governor," I replied, looking around. She smiled, and we began to ride toward the city hall while I smiled, nodded, and waved at the citizen. The city looks good¡ªclean, with repaired and rebuilt buildings. A big part of the city is still in ruins, but slowly, we are reclaiming it and settling more people in it. The population is recovering fast. It had already reached sixty-five thousand. That is even after I transferred over 70% of the children under eighteen and a large portion of the adult population from the city. Right, over 50% of the people living here came after we conquered the city. The mines produced steady employment. Even those who didn''t have mining classes came here to work in the mines and gain classes. The people are coming for the non-mining jobs as well. The shopkeepers, carpenters, tailors, blacksmiths and others. Many of which are growing to support the mining. I examined everything that was in sight. Later, I will tour everything in detail. I will be here for three days and I want to see everything personally. It is for this reason that I came here. I get reports nearly every day, and I trust them, but I also like to look at things with my own eyes. Right now, I see things with my eyes, but I also feeling it with my class. These feelings are tough to distinguish, and most people in the ruling classes learn to suppress them, but I am embracing them. I am slowly making progress in understanding them, with the help of Bell and my skill the Eye of Master. That skill has been an incredible asset. It allows me to perceive emotions as tangible forms, linking feelings to the things they embody¡ªalmost as if I could see them with my own eyes. Now, that understanding lets me sense the city''s pulse. It doesn''t beat as powerfully as Greltheaven''s, but it has a spirit of its own. It is what matters the most in cities like this, as without spirit in their citizens, their hearts crumble to dust. "The rebuilding is going well. I believe, in the next six to nine months, we will be able to restore the city whole," I said, looking at the city. I am spending a lot of money and effort on the city, which has also slowly started to pull its weight. In the next few months, when a few more mines open and the refinery starts. It will be able to carry nearly all its weight. "I want to do it in six months," she said, determination burning in her eyes. That resolve made me smile. Soon, we reached the city hall, where once more people were waiting. They were all members of the city hall staff. I spent time greeting them. It took a few minutes, and we reached her office. "Master Silver," said Ina, offering me her seat. I shook my head and sat on the couch. "General, how are the undead?" I asked. I know I am safe for five more months, but complacency is a luxury I cannot afford. The undead have defied the commands of spirits and titans before. I made my decision knowing they might ignore the tower''s directive as well. "Quiet, my lord. Not a single one has crossed our boundary in the past month," she replied, her eyes searching mine for answers. She knows there is a reason for that. I can''t tell her. The fewer people who know, the better. "Good, but keep a tight eye on them," I ordered. "I am, my lord," she replied with a bow. I asked her a few more questions before she left, leaving me alone with Ina. "This is the information on the mines," said Ina as Onaz placed a file in front of me. I picked it up and began to read it. Panar is an ancient city with mining that has been going here for thousands of years. Some of the mines are so huge that the city could be established down there. We are mining in the old mines and the newer ones. The output is sound and increasing by the day. If this keeps up, it won''t be a year before we gain the output that the city used to have before the undead attacked. I read through all the files on the infrastructure, spending, and other things. The auditors and other people are hired to keep the accounting. Look at these files every month, but I like to look at things myself. It reassures me and fuels new ideas. It was evening when I finished with all the files. "You should rest a little before the party, Master Silver," advised Ina, and I nodded. I rode from the Greltheaven. It was fun but tiring, even with the skill. So, I went to one of the resting quarters in the city hall. It is smaller than a suite, but I am okay with it. I lay down and closed my eyes. Despite wanting to, I didn''t sleep. If I sleep now, I won''t be able to sleep later, I wish I had the rest skills that many of the girls have. Even Ina has it, and I want to copy it from her, but I already have the skill from Bell, and I would have to remove it to copy another from Ina. I don''t want to do that. Seeing how important that skill is. If I didn''t have it, I would have died at the hands of mercenaries. Hun! I was resting when I felt something. It is from my legacy. I first thought it was an attack, but it felt more subtle. I wanted to ask Caena immediately but stopped myself. It is risky to ask. The undead might not attack us, but nothing stops them from intercepting our communication. Whatever it is, it is extremely powerful, but I could feel that it did not threaten my legacy, which relieved me somewhat. An hour and a half later, I got up. I didn''t leave. Instead, I freshened up and changed into a new suit, the one suitable for the party. Once ready, I got out of the small room. "Lord Silver, Lord of Greltheaven and Panar!" The herald announced as I entered the hall. This is not a party, more like a gathering. Most of the people here are city hall officials and higher military command. There are a few businessmen, priests, and a few important people. "Lord Silver," they greeted. I nodded before looking at everyone. "When I came here, I had expectations, but when I saw the state of the city. It was beyond them." "Governor, you have exceeded my expectations¡ªand so have all of you¡ªin turning the city around." "Now, I could say with complete confidence that you all will not only restore the city to its peak but also take height it had never reached in its existence," I finished. They applauded, and I took it gracefully before moving to mingle with the crowd. I am going to speak to each one of them. It is essential to make them feel valued. This is why I read through their information earlier. So I could talk to them more intimately. "Mister Pascal, how are you?" I asked the middle-aged man as he greeted me. He is the man who is building the refining factory. His is one of the two currently under construction. It will open in two months, while the other one will take some time. The two will be far from enough to process all the crystals we mine, but bringing the processing unit here is problematic. Only desperate people were willing to invest in the city, and even then, I needed to offer guarantees on their investments. "I am great, my lord. The work in the factory is happening steadily. I think we will be able to open it in time," he replied. "That''s good to hear," I said. I talked to him for about a minute more and moved to the other guests. Hun! Over half an hour passed when I noticed Ina beside me''s expression changing. She controlled it, but I knew her enough to know that something had happened. If it had been regular news. Her expressions wouldn''t have changed. She is very good at controlling her emotions. ''What happened?'' I asked telepathically. ''Mines. Something had happened,'' she replied. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 599: What do you think? Chapter 599: What do you think? Proofread By Thomas F Rylan Aardwyn "I understand, Royal Adviser," replied Lord Constance before the band on his hand turned off. He turned to me and didn''t speak. Instead, he took out a privacy plate and activated it. I activated the privacy skill and cast privacy spells. He is a cautious man, and we are in a foreign country and continent. There might be people watching us; it did not hurt to be wary. Especially in hotels, where many staff have eavesdropping skills. "What did they say?" I asked. "They want us to go to the Greltheaven," he replied, and I was not surprised. For months, we have been traveling constantly, going continent after continent. We went to every throne we could and received the same answer. "So, we are going to let them consume the bathhouse?" I asked. I don''t want it; it would make us lose everything¡ªthe title, the respect, and everything else. "What do you think?" he asked, his smile laced with something unreadable. Seeing that, a smile of my own tugged at the corners of my lips, but beneath it, curiosity stirred. It was my first genuine smile in months. ... Bell Bam Bam Bam! The Earth Spears came coated in the power of Arax''s Cover and Perus''s Thunderbolt. The combination is called Yirtaz Spear''s. A generalist, Mage Irkal Yirtaz, created it when he was a simple Mage. Not yet an Archmage. They came with the Sar''s Arcs, the frost arcs covered in wind and metal elements spells. There are tens of them, and they are coming at me from all directions. The legacy could only imprint and cast Grade III spells. Those spells are the strongest in Grade III. The attacks that are coming at me have the power of the Grade IV spells. The mages are always inventive. They have long ago found a way to surpass the power of their grade through the combination spells. A few mages could achieve such a feat. It is complex and requires massive control. The failure had killed many mages. The legacy does not have that problem. I pushed those thoughts and looked at the spells coming at me. All of them have the power of Grade IV, while I had not even reached Lv. 30. I looked at them and expanded the forcefield of Graceful Repel. I used to do the dome, but now I spread the field over my body, creating armor. It''s tricky, but it''s within my control. A year ago, I only needed a week to achieve it. I have become much better at it, and that is why I expanded the field and created a layer of armor and then another. It is a real challenge. Especially to achieve it in the blink of an eye. Three layers created a strong protection, but not strong enough. So, I reinforced it with the aura. Once that happened, I turned to spells. They have advanced very close to me. I do not plan to defend against them with the armor. It is just a precaution. I looked at the spells and swept my hand at them, activating the Graceful Sweep with the power of aura, and immediately, the seven spells in front of me were swept away. They are still coming, some reaching meters away from me, with more materializing behind them. So, I activated Silver Glide and reinforced the Noble Eyes. My vision became clearer than before, and my steps were faster. I avoided the attacks while using the Graceful Sweep to sweep them away. My mother used to say that the Graceful Sweep was the most underestimated skill of the ruling classes. I didn''t believe her¡ªuntil she casually swept that S-Class powerhouse out of the window. It was like watching a cat flick a toy mouse off the table. I moved through the spells, sweeping them aside with practiced ease, until the rock sphere, crackling with undead lightning, materialized just a meter away from me. I stopped in my tracks with no fear and panic. Instead, my aura moved, and a beautiful purple blade materialized in front of me before shooting the sphere. Rip! The next second, the ripping sound rang out, and the whole sphere was cut cleanly into by the aura method. Clap, Clap, Clap! A sphere crashed to the ground just as the clap rang out, and Carla stepped in. She''s the one who''s been attacking me. "Amazing. No wonder even Remus couldn''t defeat you," she said, her voice dripping with admiration. I couldn''t help but smile. Remus is powerful, and growing too fast, but so have I. After that assassination attempt on Carla and me, I knew it was time to start training. I was strong enough to kill the assassin instantly, but the bastard nearly took me out. I had all the tools, but I didn''t know how to use them. Since that day, I''ve been learning. Now, I''ve mastered all the basic aura techniques of my family¡ªon both sides. I practice fighting every day. Especially since Remus came back with that "wonderful gift." Before he left, I had only Remus, Stone, and my spells to rely on. But now, with Jon awakening the aura, I''ve gained the Rogue as well. With him by my side, I''m covering all the bases. "Continue with the practice as you are, and you''ll be able to do it too," I replied. At that, she smiled. Remus isn''t the only one advancing quickly with the aura. The woman in front of me is as well. Both of them train with a drive that pushes them beyond exhaustion. Remus''s motivation is joy. Seeking mastery and power are secondary, despite his claims to the contrary. For him, it''s the joy of learning¡ªthe childlike curiosity that fuels him. Carla, however, seeks pure power. She''ll never experience what she did in Eartburn. "Shall we begin?" I asked. "Yes," she replied, determination in her voice. I reached for the legacy and summoned the spells. They materialized, crackling with energy, and I launched them toward her. She has a few skills¡ªones that can be used for dodging, defense, and offense. I''m using these spells to push her to integrate her aura into those skills. I had planned to wait until she had mastered her aura more fully, but after hearing what happened with Remus, I decided to accelerate the process. The spells I''m using are Grade 1, and I''ve cast Grade II protection on her¡ªbut that''s just for defense. There''s a vast collection of spells at my disposal, and I''ve chosen those that will be blocked by the armor, but will still send a sharp pain through her whenever the spell hits the protection. She''s fusing the aura with her skills now. It''s not truly a fusion; it''s more like forcing the aura into the skill. It''s less brute force than it used to be, but she''ll need more finesse to make it smooth and natural. Remus is already ahead in this. In a few months, he''ll be able to fuse the aura with his skills seamlessly, without any resistance. Fusing is far superior to forcing. It amplifies the power of the skills in ways brute force never could. A minute passed. Then another. She dodged, defended, and counterattacked the spells coming at her, but many still managed to land. Each one made her grit her teeth, the sting of the hits sharp with the force of the aura''s backlash. I kept up the attack, even as she grew tired and struggled to maintain the aura. One doesn''t always need to push themselves to their breaking point, but sometimes, one must. To truly grow, it''s a balance of practicing gently but also forcing oneself to the edge. Ting! The last Stone Dark spell struck her temple. She nearly toppled but managed to stabilize herself, sitting down slowly as she let the aura ebb away, exhaustion taking its toll. For a few minutes. She lay down before finally opening her eyes. "I could only dodge and defend barely 10% of the spells," she said. Clearly, she is not satisfied with her progress. "It is much better than the first time. When you were only able to dodge a single spell," I replied. The woman is progressing fast. Just a few weeks ago, she was able to defend only against a single spell, and now she is doing it against 10%. "I just want to progress enough to make this training worthwhile," she replied, sighing. It is a privilege to train like this. Seeing every spell cost, in essence, but we don''t have much choice. Especially me; I can not let others see my abilities. Thankfully, Remus trusted me enough that he had given me access to the spells. If the news of it leaked, the trouble it would cause would be immense. He might not even be able to survive it. She got up, and we walked out of the training hall. It is underground, and a few people are aware of it. It is also protected by the power of legacy and Caena''s spells so that even Earth Mage couldn''t find it. ''Bell, come to my office.'' I had just walked out when I heard the voice in my head and turned. I took the elevator to the top floor before walking out. It is night, and people are enjoying themselves. One birthday party is happening on the top floor. They booked it whole. Usually, Silver only does this on this roof, but Noble is from the Empire, and Silver needs him. I watched it as I walked toward Caena''s office. "Madam is waiting for you," said Caena''s secretory. I nodded and walked inside. "Thank you for informing me," said Caena, before cutting the spell and turning to me. "What happened?" I asked as I took a seat in front of the woman with whom I shared so much. Our circumstances are nearly the same. We are from ancient families that were destroyed and have a vow of revenge in our hearts. I pity her enemies. They shouldn''t have messed with the witches, especially of her lineage. She has descended from the ones that had gone against the archmages and buried the enemies that even archimages would shudder to fight. "Why do you call me?" I asked, and her expression turned serious. "Do you know anything about the rituals of Lorus Mavgalkam?" she asked, and it felt familiar. I used the skill to remember. "The grand ritual of Witch of Wails?" I asked back as I remembered. To that, she nodded. "Just the basics. My father had put the book about the event on my reading list, but I never got a chance to read it," I replied. It was the last reading list he gave me. I had only read three books before the incident happened. Hearing that, she sighed. "Is it about the spell you are crafting?" I asked. To that, she nodded. She had told me about what Remus wants, and I have to say he has ambition, but this time, he could very well lose his legacy. My parents had commented about it when it happened last time. They would have advised against it, despite their short life after breaking the connection with the thrones. Those legacies are too strong. Because of their connection to the thrones, they could be said to be above Grade III. There are also other things that make it tricky. Especially for Silver, given the disadvantages he will have compared to the other legacy. Despite the risk, he has my support. Velvet Garden is no common legacy, and there is also Caena. It wouldn''t be easy for them to swallow us. They are for a big surprise, if they think, it will be anything but easy. Seeing she does not need me anymore. I got up and walked toward the door. Hun! I was about to open it when I sensed the familiar feeling descending on me. More powerful than I had ever sensed. It immediately brought terror to my face. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 600: Shardmaws Chapter 600: Shardmaws Proofread By Thomas F Ina Knox ''Go, handle it. I will entertain these people,'' he said. Making me relieved. I barely got the news. It should be contained until I know what is really happening. Given the state of the city, any adverse news could cause panic. A moment later, I walked out of the party along with General Azalea, other officers, and officials. We didn''t go to the office but to a control room while Colonel Trask had gone to the mine to take control of the situation. "What do we know?" I asked. "Monsters have appeared in Varus mine," informed General Azalea. "We had done a sweep a week ago. How can monsters appear so quickly?" I asked. The mines are the monster problem¡ªespecially the old ones like Varus. It is the oldest and the biggest active mine of Panar. We need to do the sweeps every month and post men from the army in every section to deal with any monsters that might appear. "We did, and it was thorough," she replied. I could feel some self-blame in her voice. She shouldn''t have felt that way; she had done a thorough job, but we will need to find out how we missed it. "Do we know what kind of monsters these are and their numbers?" I asked. "Not yet," replied General Azalea. Hearing that, I thought for a moment. "Start the evacuation," I ordered, looking Osward. "Governor, we should first find out about the danger. It might be just one or two monsters," advised Maknok. He is a mine adviser. He is right, and I might have done that. If it had been other mines, but nasty things have come out of that mine. Though it had been decades, something threatening had happened, and I didn''t want to take the risks. People''s lives were at stake. Protecting them will be worth the loss, even if the danger is nothing serious. "It might be, but we can''t take the risk," I replied. "Send the medical carriages to the mine and ask the Church of Dusk to send some priests there with them," I ordered. I could tell many of the officials thought it was excessive. However, nobody had expressed it. They might have if it had been any other day. Today, they are not that willing. Master Silver is here, and they are being cautious. They didn''t have to be so reserved. I would appreciate them speaking out even if I didn''t agree with it. Minutes passed, and soon it was half an hour. We are waiting for the news. Till now, there is none. I wanted to go to the mine myself, but it wouldn''t be wise until I knew more about it. Even Lt General Azalea is staying put. If this is a significant change. It might be a ploy from the undead, so it''s better that we remain as cautious as possible. Click! Another twenty minutes passed, and the door opened. Master Silver walked in, and we all moved to get up. He waved us down. "Anything?" he asked. To that, I shook my head. I have been keeping him informed about what is happening. He knows everything that I know. He didn''t say anything and sat down with worry in his eyes. Osward informed me, "The medical carriages and the priests had reached the mine. " This relieved me, but I still wanted to know what was happening. Soon, an hour passed, and there was no information. Sup! We were all waiting when Osward sucked a deep breath, and the expressions of the mage behind General Azalea changed drastically. "Its Shardmaws!" informed Osward, making the expression of everyone change immediately. Instantly, Lord Silver and General Azalea got up. "General, you stay. We can''t have the city unprotected," commanded Master Silver. General wanted to object but nodded a moment later. She understands the reason; she needs to be ready to deal with any trouble that might come. He was out of the door in an instant. "Shardmaws are among the most dangerous mine monsters," said Maknok, and the man looked scared. "They shouldn''t be here. There was no record of them," added General Aazlea. I nodded at that. I have read through the record and know all the monsters that roamed these mines by heart, but Shardmaws are not mentioned in it. They are lizard-like mine monsters that live in groups. Because of their robust defenses, they are extremely dangerous and hard to kill. I ordered, "Alert all the hospitals to be ready. Ask them to send more medical carriages. " Then I turned to General Azalea. "General, I am activating. Taurus protocol," I informed her. "Accepted," she replied and turned to the man behind her, who nodded. It is my authority to activate the protocol, but I will need her acceptance since she is the general with the responsibility to defend against external threats. Taurus Protocol is for the threats arising from the mines. "They have started finding bodies. Pieces of them...," informed Osward, and I simply closed my eyes. I had been dreading this news, and it had happened. I hope it is contained in a single section, or would be terrible. Even a single section is awful. It is the biggest mine and also employs the most people. There are thousands of miners working on it at any given time. If those monsters let loose, there could be massive casualties. I hope we responded swiftly enough. I believe we are acting in the moment¡ªwe received the news and took action, but we must continue to assess the situation. That will be after this disaster is over. ... Silver I rode out of the gate with my guards and the soldiers. They are the ones that came with me from the Greltheaven. They are strong and can fight in any environment. I activated the Command Projection on the beasts. Commanding to gallop faster. Learning to ride with the skills is much different than learning to ride without one. The finesse at which I could control the beast is impressive. I have been learning horseback combat only for a few weeks, and it has improved my riding skills tremendously. The mine isn''t far from the city, and we are moving as fast as possible. Our speed is enhanced with skills and spells, but it will be a few minutes before we reach the mine. As I ride toward the mine, I receive updates, including the number of monsters that appear and how they behave and fight. It didn''t make me feel good, given the number of people working in the mine. I am committed to ensuring we get there in time. Minutes passed, and finally, the mine came into view. There are buildings around it, but the soldiers have cordoned off the whole area right now. Soon, we passed through the compound, and I saw the preparations. There are soldiers, as well as medical carriages and healers. I saw more of them coming from the city. She acted quickly. I would have waited for more information before taking such action. I looked at the mouth of the cave and saw miners streaming out of it. The mine is vast, with people in distant, deep sections. It will take another hour to evacuate them all. "Lord Silver," an orc with the uniform greeted me as I stopped. "Lt. Colonel Mazorn," I replied and got off the beast before appearing beside a group of beasts waiting for us. They are artus. They are horse beasts with red coats and black starburst patterns. Unlike the horse beasts, we rode here. That would even scare the stallions on earth; these ones are small. They are shorter and leaner, able to see more clearly through dust and dark. They are part of the mining beasts I bought. They are mine beasts but aren''t used to haul the load. They are enforcement types. The beasts for the guards in the mine. "Let''s move, Lt. Colonel Mazorn," I said, my voice firm as we advanced toward the cave''s dark maw. Every step felt heavier, the air thick with anticipation. Within seconds, we reached the entrance and slipped inside. The cavern swallowed us whole. Its sheer size was staggering¡ªvast enough that, at another time, I could have navigated it easily with my old horses. But this place was deceptive. Deeper in, the space expanded further, revealing a labyrinth of smaller caves, each twisting into shadow. And within those shadows, these beasts would prove invaluable. ''Fast!'' I said as I activated Command Projection on the beast. We moved to where Colonel Trask was with his men. He had found the tracks of the monsters and was now tracking them. Another cart passed by us with scared people in it. Seeing them fine. It relieved my heart because what Trask had found had chilled my heart. Minutes passed, and we got deeper and deeper into the mines. Coming across dense fauna and even a massive lake. This mine is old. It had many such lakes and thick fauna across many parts of it. It costs a lot to maintain such a mine, and if it did not have a lot of material to mine, it would have closed a long time ago. According to our estimate. We could mine it for at least centuries; that''s how much crystal this mine has. "The monsters had attacked Colonel Trask; he is saying they come in large numbers and need reinforcement immediately," informed Lt Colonel Mazorn. Immediately, I felt the skills roaring in full power and spells covering the beats. "How many?" I asked as we sped up. Over two hundred," replied the man, making my expression worse. I could hear the curses behind me while my expression turned serious. The lieutenant colonel left with fifty men, but that is far from enough to deal with the monsters. I had only brought three squads, a total of thirty-six plus the lieutenant colonel, but all of them were above Lv..20. "Call for reinforcement," I ordered. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 601: Divination Chapter 601: Divination Proofread By Thomas F Bell "Divination!" called out Caena. She is a witch, and the legacy is her domain. Most can''t even sense it, but she did it at the same time as me, as the power of divination covered me. It''s powerful. Far more than a last attempt, which was the strongest. However, nothing compares to this one. It is strong, and its power is increasing by the second. Since my escape, they tried every year. Only this time, they had waited for over a year, and it seemed like this power was the reason for that delay. It horrified me as last time. They were able to divine my location in the red-light district. This time, they didn''t need that broad of an area. As long as they were able to confine the search to Greltheaven. They will know where I am. Last time, I was able to escape due to sheer luck. Remus had stopped them, and the red-light district of Oksall was massive. Thousands of whores come and go there every day. Still, they had investigated me there, but I was able to fool them. In my over ten years in Oksall, I have weaved an identity that is very hard to see through. It''s not hard to do if one understands the process. Especially when it comes to whores. There are thousands of them, with many having similar stories and origins, making it easy to meld in. However, this time, it will not work. As long as they discover Greltheaven, it is over for me. I will have to run away immediately and hope they will never find me. It took a moment for a pendent to become visible and blazing brightly. Echovoid Amulet. It is one of the strongest anti-scrying artifacts on the continent. My mother''s family has had it for thousands of years. My mother has sacrificed her life by giving me this artifact. If she had used it herself, she would have been able to escape. It is powerful. More potent than the saber Remus had brought. It is me that is weak and can''t harness the full power of it. I poured my aura inside it to power it further. Taking me in an envelope of its power. It relieved me, but it did not make me feel good. I saw how fast the power of divination is rising. If it continues to rise, the power will break through its defenses, and they will find me. ... Caena "Divination!" I called out. I recognize it. I felt it many times as a child, as people always tried to find the location of our coven. Mom had made me feel it many times. Most attempts were weaker than this one¡ªexcept for one, which was even stronger. Even after years, I remember the feeling of it clearly. This one is getting stronger but won''t get as strong as that one. I had sensed. However, one thing is clear. The one who divined is very close to Lv. 50; there are only a handful of them worldwide. Bell had informed me about it but said she had the means to deal with it, and looking at a dense invisible power enveloping her, I have to say, I had underestimated her means. If I had not been standing in legacy and its domain. I wouldn''t have been able to feel that artifact''s power. It''s powerful. As powerful as some of our ancestral artifacts had been. Even with an aura, she isn''t powerful enough to bring out the true capability of the artifact, while the power of those scrying her is getting stronger. I could feel those people were also using the artifact, not just one. ''They really want to find her,'' I thought. It is obvious, considering who she is. With her dead, there will be no harm to their rule. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on her. At the same time, I began to make the preparations. She can not be discovered for her sake and for Greltheaven. We are far too weak to deal with the trouble her enemies could bring us. "The power is getting stronger. I won''t be able to hold back for much longer," she informed, with her eye searching for hope. I didn''t answer for a moment. "There is one option, but I don''t know if it will work. If it didn''t, they will discover you within a second," I stated. I have created ways against divination. These powerful ways could have helped us, even if the diviner had been at Lv. 40, but it is Lv. 50, and on top of that, they are using artifacts. There is no way my legacy and my craft would be able to stand against this humongous power. "They will discover me if I don''t do anything. So, if there is hope, even the small one,... do it," Bell replied, looking at me intensely. I didn''t say anything, but the office disappeared. We had told Bell many things, but there are still many things we have kept from her. I would have liked it if Remus was here, but he is not, and contacting him about it isn''t an option. Soon, the core appeared, and the planets. Not all of them. Only twenty-six. The two close to the core are multi-colored harvesters, and beside it is a translucent violet one. It is a planet with an anti-scrying spell. The remaining twenty-four are the outer planets of the city limits. I could feel Bell''s eyes and shock within them, along with a lot of questions. It only lasted for a fraction of a second before she turned to me. "Place your artifact in the violet planet," I instructed. Giving her the access she needs. There was only a fraction of hesitation in her eyes before she took out a pendant of immense power and sent it to the planet. It entered inside, and immediately, the whole planet lit up as the artifact''s power merged with the anti-scrying spell imprinted on it. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. It worked, but a moment later, my expression became serious. "It is going to bring massive pressure on you," I informed her, spreading the artifact''s power into the twenty-four planets. The artifact is too powerful. Anti-scrying planet couldn''t bear it alone. Even if it could, I would use the twenty-four planets. They represent the domain of the legacy. With them, the scryer will need to go against the power of the whole domain. However, the maximum pressure would fall on her. The artifact is connected to her; even now, she is powering it with her aura. The twenty-four planets lit one after another, and soon, all of them lit up. At the same time, the harvest begins to release the essence to the anti-scrying planet. Bell is far from powerful enough to support the coverage of the artifact''s power in the whole domain. So, I am using essence, and it isn''t the emotion essence but the core essence. The artifact''s power enveloped the whole domain, and the scrying power clashed against it. I could feel the users'' skills and the artifacts they were using. It is immense; the only reason we have not been found out is because of Bell''s artifact. It is immensely powerful, and I could see it working as it we bore the onslaught, which is getting stronger. "Ehh!" I heard the sound and turned to Bell. She is shaking and gritting her teeth while the blood seeps out of her nose and eyes. The pressure she is feeling is inhuman. If anyone had been in her place, they would have fallen unconscious already. I would have fallen unconscious if I had been in her place. I appeared beside her, and she immediately placed her hands on me. She would have fallen if I had not appeared beside her. A minute passed and then another. More blood had leaked out of her orifices, and she became pale as paper, but she held on even when the pressure had reached a colossal degree. She understands she cannot afford to go unconscious. It will weaken her connection with her artifact. It would still protect her, but not strong enough to resist this. It wouldn''t have been a problem. If the legacy had been a Grade IV, but it''s not. Another minute had passed, and her condition became really bad when the power stopped increasing. It had reached its peak. It gave me a slight relief. ... Grand Duke The blood started to come out of the eyes of the sage. It has never happened before. I looked at his student, and he also looked shocked by it. The two artifacts hovered before him, enveloped in the raw energy of his aura. The sheer force radiating from them sent a chill down my spine¡ªa power so intense and overwhelming that fear gripped me instantly. Despite not having a combat class, the man is dangerous. It isn''t just about the aura but the influence he wields because of his class. This also makes killing him even more difficult, as even the most powerful remained cautious of him and those who shared his class and level. Minutes passed, and blood began to come out of all his orifices, and he became pale. I felt the change in his power, and a moment later, his aura receded, and he opened his eyes. "Did you find her?" I asked immediately. The man didn''t reply immediately. Instead, drank the emotion essence potion before turning to me. "No," he replied. "Is she still in the Oksall?" I asked. This will not help us much. The man told us she had been there for decades, but it is a vast city. Despite using all our resources. We weren''t able to find her. "I don''t know," he replied. I felt anger rage inside me. I had been coming to him year after year, paying a massive price for his services, but he had never been able to find her. I am so angry right now. I wanted to unsheathe my saber and decapitate this man. "The success was guaranteed this time, but she had support. ...She never had that before," he added a moment later. Hearing that, my heart skipped a beat. Despite over a decade of rule. We haven''t been able to deal with all the sympathizers and loyalists. There are more of them than we like. Some are still in the kingdom, while others are outside of it. Many of them are powerful enough that we are still constantly hunting them. There are also the opportunists. Those bastards won''t hesitate to make a move if they see us weak. "Support? What kind of support?" I demanded, my voice edged with urgency. I had to know¡ªhad to understand¡ªso we could crush it before it had the chance to rise and threaten us. The sage hesitated. "It''s... confusing," he admitted, his brow furrowed. "The artifact stopped the attempt, but it was backed by something. Something vast." His words sent a shiver through me. That made no sense. And yet, their weight only deepened my unease. I needed answers¡ªuncertainty was a weakness we couldn''t afford. "What does that mean, Sage?" I pressed, with my pulse quickening. "I don''t know," he said simply. For a brief, terrifying moment, frustration and fear nearly drove my hand to my saber. My fingers twitched toward the hilt before I forced myself to still. The sage must have sensed it. His gaze snapped to me, and in an instant, the confusion melted from his face, replaced by something colder¡ªsomething more knowing. "The attempt has tired me out. I will be resting," he informed me. He got up with the help of his student and walked toward the door while I watched with rage seething in my heart. I took a deep breath and calmed myself before collecting the artifact. ''He will not like it, but I have tried my all. What happened next will be up to him.'' With that, I got up and walked out the door. ... Caena The power stopped, and Bell collapsed. Falling unconscious instantly. I stopped her fall and sat her on the chair before taking out a spirit-healing potion. They are extremely expensive, and I only have one, but Bell needs it. A few seconds later, I felt her condition stop worsening. It made me sigh with relief. This girl had fought a war with a man over twenty levels higher and survived. Even if they had help, not everybody would survive it. A few minutes later, I took her to Remus''s room and put her on the bed. Nobody should know what happened; she should rest here till she recovers. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 602: Shardmaws II Chapter 602: Shardmaws II Proofread By Thomas F "These fucking monsters!" Cursed a soldier behind me as we reached the area, where the signs of carnage were all over. Some people were able to escape. We saw them in the carts earlier, but not all of them. Many had died, and the number wasn''t as small as I had wished. I saw bloody marks on the ground and wall. The miners had struggled, but they were not a match for the monsters. They had torn them apart and killed them, leaving nothing but blood and torn clothes. They didn''t kill and eat them all; I could see the signs of them dragging some with them. "His condition is getting bad," informed Lt. Colonel. "Ask him to hold on. We will reach there soon," I replied. We are close, but it will still take a few more minutes before we can reach there. We were moving as fast as possible and would have crashed into the wall several times while turning if not for the skills and spells the cavalry members in our groups were employing. The more I practice with them, the more I will learn and realize what a valuable force they are. I had already increased their budget, understanding this. It did not come without cost, as I had scratched it out of others, but it is something I need. They are well suited for the wasteland. Because of this advantage of cavalry, the bastard in Port Midlet was keeping the undead at bay. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on riding. I am constantly using the Command Projection to control the beast. Usually, they do not need such control. They are trained for this kind of thing, but we are moving too fast in this place, and it becomes necessary. A minute passed and then another. We rode through the caves, small and big. "We are just seconds away," informed Lt. Colonel Mazorn. "Everyone, prepare yourselves. Mages prepare spells. We will attack them immediately, hard and fast," I commanded, and I felt the skills and spells activating. They covered me and also the beats we were riding. The monsters we will fight are dangerous, while the ones we are riding aren''t precisely the fighting monsters. They are mine monsters; they are the ones that mine guards used. They are trained with monsters and could be used in mounted fighting, but they are not as effective as those explicitly bred for mounted combat. So, I hope the skills will work. In Colonel Trask''s position, we will need these monsters to reach there. We took turns, and I saw a glimpse of the monsters behind the entrance of the other end. There are a lot of monsters. So many that I couldn''t see any people. Beast also seemed to sense them, and I could feel them shaking. Seeing that, I brought out a faint aura before adding the power of Calm Touch in it and covering all the beasts with it. Immediately, the calmness took over them. It made me relieved, and I looked ahead. Finally, noticing Colonel Trask and his men. It didn''t make me feel good. Within seconds, we reached the massive entrance and plunged into the cavern beyond. Its sheer scale was staggering¡ªso vast that an entire village could vanish within its depths. The air was thick and heavy with unnatural sounds and dust clouds that quickened my pulse. Then I saw them. Near the center, a writhing sea of horrors¡ªhundreds of them¡ªShardmaws.Their hulking forms twisted and swirled in a chaotic frenzy, their jagged maws snapping at the air, each movement echoing with the sound of grinding stone and tearing flesh. There were easily over two hundred of them, a tide of nightmares coiling in the dim light. These are reptilian monsters, as big as carriage horses, with stone scales of black and grey. They have thick limbs with sharp black claws and teeth like long shards, which is how they got their names. Roar, Roar, Roar! They saw us and roared. I could see their long mouths and sharp teeth. That could cut through the rock like butter. "Attack!" I roared and activated the March Of The Braves. It is a skill that works better with infantry, but even with the lesser boost, it is a powerful skill, and we need all the advantages we can get here. Roar, Roar, Roar! They roared, and a group of them came toward us. I unsheathed my rapier and felt its power coursing through me. Its beautiful blade gleamed sharply. This will be the blade''s first blood. The spells flew toward the swarm of monsters. Some died, but many came bellowing wildly in rage and bloodlust. Finally, our charge reached the monsters, with one coming to attack me, or rather my beast. I could see it wanting to bite its head. I leaned forward and brought my sword down with the Blade of The Gale. The monster seemed to understand the danger and tried to dodge the attack, but my sword was too fast and reached its neck in less than a second. The blade reached its neck, and I was about to activate the Razer Edge when I stopped, realizing that I did not need it. Rip! My rapier cut through its neck and decapitated it cleanly. The smoothness surprised me, but it only held my thoughts for a fraction of a second as another monster came. I attacked it with my rapier and used Graceful Repell to stop another monster from attacking from the left. Rip! Bang! I killed the monster and defended against the second one before moving to kill it. Rip! I split its head from the front without decapitating it. This wound makes the monster scream out strangely before falling to the ground in pain. Beastback combat has its advantages, but there are also many disadvantages. Here, I am restricted by the beast. I controlled the beast and pushed forward using Calm Touch and Command Projection. I have my aura active around all the beasts. Without it, they would have bolted the moment they sensed the danger, scattering into the darkness, and we couldn''t afford that¡ªnot now. Not when Colonel Trask''s group was trapped, surrounded on all sides by monsters, their survival hanging by a thread. We moved forward. Killing any monster that came our way. Roar, Roar, Roar! We killed the monsters that came our way¡ªgetting closer and closer to a group of larger monsters when the guttural roar rang out. From the center of the mass, a group of monsters came toward us, and this group had Grade IV monsters. We have been dealing with Grade III, and now elder Grade IV has come. These are bigger, stronger, and, most importantly. These Shardmaws possess Elemental energy. I could see the earth''s elemental energy shining through the scales and covering their claws. Sup, Sup, Sup! Soon, it gathered in front of their mouths. Forming Earth Lances before shooting toward us. Seeing that, I let out a breath, and with it, I brought out my aura and pushed inside it the skill. It went inside the skill more smoothly than when I had fought against the bandit. I expanded it at the same time. Creating a rectangular forcefield. Bam, Bam, Bam The lances crashed against the force field, which was powerful, but I had experienced worse. The force field stopped the attack and repelled it toward the monsters. We used that opening to charge toward them fast. Rip, Bam, Rip! I decapitated and defended against the monsters before finally coming across the first elder Grade IV monster. Roar! It roared at me before attacking, unlike the Grade III monsters. Who attacked with their mouths, this one struck me with the claws. Its claws had extended with the earth''s elemental power, becoming nearly half a meter long and very sharp. I didn''t react other than increasing the power of Calm Touch to calm the beast before commanding it to move forward with Commanding Presence. At that exact moment, I slashed my sword forward with the Blade of Gale and Mauling Strike without caring for the claws that would rip me and the beast apart. Bam! The claws struck an invisible force, and the monster shook as it tried to deal with the recoil. It was stabilizing itself when it saw the rapier in front of it. It reacted fast, trying to summon an earth lance, but my rapier reached the beast just as the lance started to form. Rip! I activated the Razor-Edge, and the sword ripped through its neck and came out of the other side. It was a Grade IV monster, and I just killed it. I didn''t stop and killed two more Grade III juveniles and defended against the attack of an elder Grade IV before killing it. It wasn''t as easy as it looked. Every moment, I defend against the attack and fight the monsters while at the same time keeping the beasts calm. They want to bolt at every moment and, if not for me, forcefully keeping them calm and suppressed with my aura. They would have bolted away already. Rip! Finally, the last monster of the group died, and now only one group remained. The biggest. "Arrow formation!" I commanded, and they arranged themselves into the arrow formation. "Cover the sides," I instructed the mages and the next moment. I poured the aura into Graceful Repel and shaped it into a triangular shape like an arrowhead. It''s hard, and I had never managed to make one so large, but I didn''t have a choice here. If we fought our way there, it would take a lot of time, and we don''t have time. Colonel Trask and others are barely holding on. Every second we lose, there might be a person dying there. Powerful monsters are attacking them; one radiates power enough that I felt scared of it. So, I have to get there as soon as possible, not only to save him and others but also to gather our numbers together. This will give us a greater chance to deal with the monsters. Finally, I formed the wedge shape, which took all of my effort to maintain, especially when keeping a Calm Touch and Command Projection on beasts. "Charge!" I shouted with everything I had, commanding the beasts to move as fast as they could with the Command Projection. They are scared, but I forcefully suppress their fear with my skill. The beasts galloped fast, and their speed increased further with the spells and the skills others had cast. Raor, Raor, Raor! The monsters roared and launched their charge at us with fury. The wall of scales and teeth was a scene that created fear in my heart, but I didn''t stop¡ªinstead, I pushed my beast to move even faster. Bam Bam Bam! The Shardmaws roared and launched their earth lances. My aura shield blocked them, but I nearly lost control over my skills. I held on with everything I had. The worst is about to come. Bam Bam Bam! Finally, the monster''s charge battered against the wedge of my aura shield, each blow threatening to shatter my focus. The impact was unlike anything I had ever felt before¡ªnot the ferocity of the elder Shardmaws'' attacks, nor even the relentless barrage of Earth spikes. It was something raw, mountain-like, a force that seemed to ripple through the air, shaking my control to its core. The pressure was overwhelming, pushing me to the brink of losing control, but I clung to every ounce of strength I had, refusing to give in. It made me bleed out of my nose and ears and shook my aura, but I didn''t let it slip through my hands. Instead gripped it even more tightly. Bam Bam Bam! The monsters and their attacks kept clashing against us, trying to stop us from reaching our people. Monsters aren''t idiots; they know that we will be harder to deal with together. So they came, not just at me, but also my people. Our sides were fortified with powerful defensive spells¡ªGrade IV and Grade III barriers. My mages worked tirelessly, weaving their magic to sustain the shields while simultaneously launching devastating attacks at the advancing monsters. We charged forward, killing or trampling any who tried to stop us. Seconds passed, and then another. We got closer and closer to our people until we finally reached them. "Lord Silver!" they greeted in relief. I saw their bloody faces and dead bodies at their feet. "Spread out," I commanded, and people moved around, joining them to fight the monsters coming from every side. "My lord, watch out!" I had just given the command. When I heard the warning, I turned. Only to see the most oversized claw of a monster I had seen here coming at me. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 603: Shardmaws III Chapter 603: Shardmaws III Proofread By Thomas F Ina Knox "The evacuation is complete," informed Osward, and it made me relieved but also surprised. I am not the only one. "It seemed like those drills have been useful, Governor," said Maknok. Yes, the evacuation drills turned out to be more valuable than I had thought. We simulated the fake attack and other emergencies to prepare our people and calculated our response. Every part of the mining operation participated: the miners, supervisors, guards, and army. We did the drills and fixed our mistakes in each attempt. It wasn''t my idea. It was from Lord Silver. What I did is that instead of doing it once a month. I did it twice; we suffered some monetary loss, but this time, it saved lives. The miners had escaped in a record time. "Any response from Lord Silver?" I asked. To that, she shook her head. He is fighting the monsters that came out in considerable numbers, almost out of nowhere. We regularly checked the mines with specialists and the Earth Mages for any trouble. We did it just a week ago, but there was no danger. Now, we have encountered these monsters. It''s not our mages'' fault; Shardmaw are monsters that dig fast. In a single day, they could dig through an area larger than we could sense through our spells, skills, and wards. It is hard to detect them unless one is looking when they are digging. Still, after all, this is over. I will look for every mistake we make and fix it. "How far are the reinforcements?" I asked. "They will reach there in ten minutes," she replied. That is too much, but there is nothing I can do about it. I could do other things, and I will do them. ... Silver I looked at the claws and felt its power. It couldn''t help but make my heart shudder. The monster is the most enormous Shardmaw here, with nearly all its scales are grey. There are very few black scales that remain on its body. This means that it is very close to leveling. Grade V Shardmaws have completely grey scales. Still, that didn''t stop me from reacting fast. Graceful Repell appeared before the claw, and I powered it with my aura. Bam! It crashed against it hard, and there was no repel. It didn''t affect the monster. The one affected is me, who is nearly flung off the horse because of the shock. I would have. If not for my training for the past few weeks. Roar! The beast bellowed, and a huge Earth Lance materialized in front of its mouth and came at me fast. I immediately swung my sword toward it with the Blade of The Gale. Rip! My rapier ripped through the attack, but that time, the colossal monster appeared to shift surprisingly fast and attacked me. Bam! I defended once more and moved to attack it when another lance came. My rapier ripped through it, but when I moved to attack. It was already attacking me, which I defended with the Graceful Repel. Once more, it attacked me with Earth Lance when I moved to attack. ''It is not giving me a chance to attack!'' I thought. I am restricted when on the beast; I have limited mobility. Besides, half of my focus is on controlling the beast itself with my skill. The poor guy was terrified. It wants to bolt away from the battle. I am fighting like a sitting duck. My abilities are suited for ground combat, and the same is true for my weapon; for mounted combat, spears, and sabers are the best weapons, not rapiers. I have only learned mounted combat because I wanted that skill. Bam! I defended once more and made the decision. The next moment, I acted. I leaped off the beast, dodging the Earth Lance, but the monster reacted instantly and sent another Earth Lance toward me. It isn''t the only one who attacked. Two more Earth Lances came toward me. I looked at all three attacks and changed nothing. My rapier is still focused on the most powerful one coming toward me. Rip! As it came here, my rapier sliced through. The weapon is impressive. Much smoother and far more powerful than the enchanted weapon I used to have before. Bam Bam! The other two attacks landed on the shield before being repelled back towards the monsters, while the most powerful attacked me with its sharp tail. Most have a small tail, not enough to be used to attack, but this one is close to Grade V. Its tail is growing. The tail has a sharp end like a blade and thick earth elemental power covering it, making the attack even more powerful. Clang! My sword clashed with its tail, making me shake hard. Pain appeared in the monster''s eyes, and cracks appeared on its sharp tail. It surprised me. I thought it would slice through the tail, but the monster''s defenses are robust enough to defend against the blade laced with aura. "Roar!" It roared angrily and launched another Earth Lance, which I had defended, before landing on the ground. At that exact moment, it attacked me with its massive claws. That is nearly a meter long. I wanted to defend with my rapier, but that would be an idiot. The weapon is powerful, and my skills are good. With an aura, they become even more powerful, but still, doing that would be bad. The raw disparity in physical strength was insurmountable and coupled with the elemental power at play, it made the situation incredibly perilous; it would break my stance and leave me exposed. I brought Graceful Repel up to block its crushing claws, the weight of its force shaking the air around us. In that split second, I activated Blitz Steps. Bam! Its claws collided with the shield, a deafening impact that rattled my bones, but in the same breath, I had already flashed to its left, closing the distance with lightning speed. Rip! The monster reacted fast, and it moved while attacking with its tail, but still my attack landed before I dodge the tail with the Blitz Steps. My eyes widened at what I did. It might not seem like much, but amazingly, I did it. I powered the Blitz Steps with my aura. It is not just a speed method I used but also Lord''s Eyes and Fast Reflexes, both powered by the aura. It let me see the monster''s smallest movement and react faster. During an earlier attack, I dodged by inch. Roar! It roared, feeling the bloody cut across its body, and attacked with Earth Lance, before swiping at me fast with its claws. Like before, I brought the Graceful Repel in front of the claws and appeared to the side with the attack. Bam Rip! The monster seemed to learn from that and tried to dodge, but it wasn''t fast enough, and I was able to bring another cut on its body. It didn''t land as deeply as I wanted, but it drew blood. Bam, Rip Bam! It attacked me again, and I defended before attacking it. Seconds passed, and more cuts appeared on its body, but not a single one was able to go deep enough to be life-threatening. Its vitality was such that most of them had already started healing. There was no reduction in its strength. I could keep fighting, but the longer this drags on, the more my people suffer. Monsters are tearing into them from all sides. The sooner I end this, the sooner I can turn the tide and join the fight to protect them. Time is slipping away, and every second counts. Roar! Just as the thought crossed my mind, the monster let out a deafening roar. In the next instant, I sensed two attacks coming from behind. It wasn''t just a claw¡ªit struck with the force of a lance, aiming straight for me. I parried one with and dodged the other, just as it shot past me and pierced the creature not far away. A quick exhale of relief escaped me. Hun! A grin tugged at my lips, but it faded the moment I saw them. Two elder Grade IV monsters were charging toward me. "Fuck!" I cursed under my breath. This was bad. The monster had known its position, and now it had called for backup. Roar! All three of them roared as they launched an attack with Earth Lances before coming at me with claws. Bam! I stopped the massive Grade IV with the Graceful Repel before moving to dodge the Earth Lances and the claws of the two monsters. I pushed as much aura as possible in the Blitz Steps, Lord''s Eyes, and Fast Reflexes. Given their strength, it had become very dangerous for me. I could not afford to have their attacks land on me because a single direct hit would be game over. Rip! I dodged the attack, claws, and lances before splitting the other into two and again using the Graceful Repel to stop the leader. It is my focus and the one I have to kill. Once I finish it, the other two won''t be a problem for me. Rip! I was thinking that when its broken tail cut me across the shoulder. I tried to dodge, but I was dodging so many things. I decided to take the attack and covered the place with an aura right before the tail struck to protect against the elemental power. It would have been bad if it had entered inside me. They attacked again, and I moved once more. Pushing even more aura into my skill. Against one, I was only slightly worried, but now it is the battle of life and death for me, and I have to win. It is the only way I would survive. Rip, Bam, Rip! I dodged and defended the attacks but also got grazed by one. It''s either the tail or the Earth Lances. I never played around with the claws. I either dodged them or defended with the Graceful Repel. Any other way is too dangerous. Seconds passed, and cuts appeared on several parts of my body, with the latest being on my neck. The three swamped me, attacking me every moment without a moment of break. It is hard, but things are slowly improving as I understand their pattern. Seconds passed, and finally, I decided to make a move. I used my speed skills and moved toward the leader directly, avoiding the lances and claws by inches. I used the Graceful Repell to defend against it before I appeared on the spot and brought down my sword. The monster reacted fast, with a tail coming at my head. This time, I didn''t move to dodge. Instead, I only bent my neck back, avoiding the tail by a centimeter. Rip! At that very moment, my sword cut across its back. Giving it a deep cut but retreating in a zigzag, avoiding the claws and Earth Lances. Roar! The monster roared and attacked in fury, but there was less fear this time than before. My movement became confident as I dodged the monster''s attack. By inches to centimeters before appearing beside the leader and giving another cut. Seconds passed, and I gave it more and more cuts, some lighter and deeper, but not a single one at its fat spot; the monster is careful. It was when I saw something. One of the underling is coming from the other side. Seeing that, I didn''t waste any time and moved, dodging and defending the attack before appearing in front of the leader right when it was underling right behind it. Roar! The leader roared joyfully as it moved its colossal mouth to chomp on me at incredible speed. Seeing that, I brought the sword forward. Bam! It reached me instantly and was about to chomp down when it clashed against the Graceful Repel, and its eyes widened. Even the monster understood what was going to happen. I had never used the Graceful Repel against its mouth. So, it wasn''t guarded against it. My rapier thrust forward while it tried to dodge. Crashing against its underling behind it, giving my rapier a chance to reach its eye. Puch! It closed its eyes, but that didn''t stop my sword from piercing through the left one. Bam! At that exact moment, I had brought Graceful Repel to my left. Expanding it to defend against its underling, which came at me in fury. The Graceful Repel was the key. It only stayed on it for a fraction of a second, till its mouth crashed against it, before I moved to my left, faster than I had ever done. So, if the leader had tried to chomp at me again, it would have been able to since the Graceful Repel was not there, but it did not. It thought the force field would be there, but I moved it, right after it crashed against it. I needed to defend against the second monster. It was a significant risk, but it had worked. I saw the shine disappearing from its remaining eye, so I withdrew my rapier and turned to its underling on my left, which was looking at me in shock and fury. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 604: Grade IV Chapter 604: Grade IV Proofread By Thomas F Rip! The leader died, and I killed the monster beside me; suddenly, while it was in shock, the remaining monsters began to run. "Kill them!" I roared and moved with everything I had and began to kill the monsters. We killed them as much as we could before they escaped into the shadows. Nobody chased them, given how strong these monsters were. Chasing them without preparation is suicide. "Patch up the injured and rest. The reinforcement is just a few minutes away," I ordered. I was tired and wanted to sit down, but I didn''t. Instead, I looked at the injured and distributed the healing potions while Zela and the other healing mage began to cast healing spells. Both of them are focusing on the most injured. Keeping them alive until the healers and doctors came. We had killed more than half of the monsters. Of a little over two hundred, barely a hundred escaped, and we will deal with them. They are a threat to the mine, and I won''t be going back until I deal with each one of them. I looked at the injured before turning to dead bodies. They were good soldiers. I silently prayed to their souls and talked to a few people. Time passed, and six minutes later, I heard the sound. A few seconds later, the orc in his late thirties arrived with the company of men. They stopped and dismounted. "Lord Silver," he greeted with a bow. "Colonel Irab," I replied before turning to the priests, healers, and doctors. They immediately moved toward the patients. "Colonel, gather the men. We have monsters to hunt," I ordered, and the man began to throw the orders. A few minutes later, one hundred fifty men gathered. Most of them were from what he brought, while the rest were from my team and Colonel Trasks. One hundred and fifty are staying here to protect the injured. "We are ready to leave, Lord Silver," he informed me. Let''s go then," I replied, and we moved. The scouts and trackers are in front while we are behind. The signs are clear, but there are other signs, too, like torn clothes, small body parts, and other things, most of which belong to the miners. It made me sigh in grief, but I controlled my emotions. I need to be calm; I don''t know what we might face. There could be anything. This shouldn''t be happening¡ªnot at this level of a mine. Most of the monsters we encountered here, in person and recorded history, were Grade III or lower. But earlier, we had faced nearly twenty Grade IV creatures, one of whom had been dangerously close to Grade V. Thankfully, it was not a full Grade V. There is a vast difference in strength between Grade IV and Grade V. If there had been Grade V, then people would have been massacred. It is why those in front are armored soldiers with tower shields. A few minutes passed, and we came upon the body of a monster. Our people had killed it. This made everyone serious, and our steps became cautious. We stopped three and a half minutes later as we reached a dead end in the mine. All sides were sealed off, leaving only the massive hole in the ground as the sole exit. The way it had been carved¡ªdeep, jagged, and unnaturally precise¡ªleft no doubt in my mind. This was the work of the monsters. "Jon, be careful," I cautioned while others looked around in confusion. He was in stealth and now had entered the hole. He is the highest-level rogue with powerful stealth skills. There is no one better than him to explore than him. While he went inside, we waited. A minute passed, and then another, and then another, before I knew it. Over fifteen minutes passed, and I started to get worried. However, I didn''t show it to my face. Jon is good; unless the monster is a Grade V Shardmaw, it would be hard to detect him. Another ten minutes passed, and I was about to turn to Colonel Irab, when I sensed him and heaved a sigh of relief. A second later, he becomes visible. "Well?" I asked. "You are not going to believe it, my lord," he said, turning to Zela. Immediately, she covered the officers and me in the privacy spell. He spoke of what he saw, and it was shocking to us all. "It makes sense, given their level," Colonel Irab said, his voice steadier now that he had regained his composure. But I couldn''t calm down. This news wasn''t just significant¡ªit was monumental. It would send shockwaves through Panar and ripple across the entire Dominion. "How do we deal with this, Colonel?" I asked. "We will have a shield lancers forward with mages behind," he replied. "Our current mages didn''t seem enough," I said, and he nodded. We have enough mages, but we don''t have enough High Mage, and we will need them. So we sat down while Jon went on another trip into the tunnel. We had to wait an hour and a half until the required mages and shield lancers arrived. The colonel then arranged them into the formation. "Let''s move!" commanded the Colonel, and the people moved inside the hole. The hole is big, but not as big as we want. It isn''t smooth, and you couldn''t simply walk in some parts. The monsters make it for the monsters, not people. That is why only thirty-eight people are moving into the hole. The rest will stay out. We try to hide our movements with the spells and skills as much as possible, but it won''t be long before the monsters sense us. We will have to be ready, seeing as we are in a compact space, and trouble could come from any side. If not, for the large number of mages we had brought. We wouldn''t have dared to come here. Minutes passed, and we kept walking, climbing, and doing whatever we could to move toward our destination. The mages helped. They build bridges, stairs, and other things we need. "They are coming." Warned our earth mage, and a few seconds later. We saw a group of monsters in front of us. Our strategy isn''t to just kill them, at least not here, as their bodies would block our way. We want to push them back toward the hollow space, which Jon said is at the end. That would be the best place to fight the monsters. Roar Roar! The monsters'' roars shook the air as they charged forward, their fury reverberating through the battlefield. The mages unleashed their spells, raw power crackling through the air. But these weren''t cast to kill¡ªonly to wound. It slowed them down, but they still came forward. It''s when I pushed my aura toward them with Lord''s Presence. It is a powerful skill¡ªone that embodies the full extent of my abilities. Within my domain, its strength is amplified, It made the monsters stop¡ªonly for a second¡ªbefore they came again. Four of them were in front; that was all they could have in the tunnel. Roar Roar! They roared and attacked us. The shield lancers brought the shields forward. Bam Bam Bam! The claws clashed against the enchanted shields before we attacked them with spears. Once more, with the intention to injure, not kill. I oversaw it, ready to defend with Graceful Repel. If any claws or Earth Lance moved to kill soldiers. The mages are doing a fine job defending against them, but it helps to remain careful. Bam Bam Bam! The skills roared, and shields crashed against the monsters. Driving them back. They do not have enough physical power to do that, but the skills are connected. Giving the shield warriors enough boost to push the monsters back before attacking. They attack, and we defend and push them back. It is slow and grueling, but we are moving forward. "They are coming from under the ground!" warned the earth mage. Immediately, the spells and skills covered the ground. If they tried to collapse it, we would be fine if the area wasn''t too wide. A few seconds later, the ground begins to collapse under our feet, but the stones also start to fall from above. These monsters are protecting their den, which had their young and eggs, but we also need to reach there and remove the threat of the monsters. I don''t like it, but I must do it for my people. Bam Bam Bam! The earth collapsed under our feet, and stones fell from above, but mages handled it. There is a light path formed under our feet and earth shields above our heads while we push the monsters back little by little. Roar, Roar, Roar! Minutes passed, and the monsters roared in desperation to stop us, but we kept moving forward, dealing with everything they sent at us. Soon, half an hour passed by, and their attacks became intense. Things have become dangerous for us, with massive stones falling from above and giant holes collapsing under our feet. It''s a good thing we came in small numbers. We would have suffered some casualties if we had brought a large force. "We are close," informed Jon nearly an hour later. It gave our efforts new life, and we pushed the bloodied monsters back with greater zeal. A few minutes before, the sizeable carved space appeared before me. The moment my eyes fell upon it, a grin spread across my face. Crystals¡ªcountless and radiant¡ªfilled the space, their glow pulsing with raw energy. They were everywhere, shimmering with a power, unlike anything I had ever sensed. Not even the finest energy crystals harvested from the mines of Panar could compare to this. These weren''t ordinary. They were Grade IV crystals. Grades I to III are common. We barely break even with them, but we will earn money from this. The money will help the dominion and its people. As for how much, it will depend on the size of this lode. I hope it is significant. "Kill the monsters, but don''t kill the young. They will benefit us," I ordered, moving with my men toward the monsters. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 605: Big Load Chapter 605: Big Load Proofread By Thomas F Ina Knox I walked through a small tunnel and once more saw the mage turning the large stone into the gravel and filling the hole. There are a lot of them. Many are larger than the one he is filling. They aren''t just on the ground, but also on the roof. Mages and professionals are dealing with them at the quickest speed. We had even called mages from the army to help here. "Governor," he greeted like many others on the way. I nodded with a smile and walked ahead. I wish I could move faster to reach the thing on the other side, but Alluring Stride isn''t the skill I would like to use in a place like this or anywhere else. I had barely used that since I had taken the position of governor. I am a whore, but I do not show it. Even without it, I am moving faster. I am at Lv. 37; my physical attributes are good enough that I could walk as fast as normal people run. Soon, we come across another large hole. Osward created a way, and I walked over it. My heart is filled with grief, but there is also excitement. The vein on the other side could ease a lot of my worries. When I heard about it, I didn''t dare believe it. Even now, I am having a hard time believing it. I will only be convinced when I see it with my own eyes. Deep down, I know it is the truth. I had seen the proof of it¡ªthe dead bodies. A lot of people died because of the monsters. I have seen the injured and dead bodies of the soldiers. A lot of miners are dead, with their bodies taken by monsters. Finally, we reached the other end, and I saw the crystals. They are dirty blue but glittering in the darkness, bringing a big smile to my face. "They are near the highest purity," said Maknok as he touched the crystal and closed his eyes. He is right; the crystal''s purity is good. This makes refining them cheaper, thus giving us better margins on them. With them, we could earn profit with good margins. Even if we didn''t refine them, we would still be able to earn good money through them. Maknok and a few earth mages begin their job to look at the load while I walk toward Master Silver. He is talking with Colonel Irab and others. "Governor," they greeted. "Lord Silver," I said as I turned to him and was relieved to see that he had no injuries. "How are the injured?" he asked. "Good, they are getting treatment," I replied, and I could see the relief flashing in his eyes. "This is huge for the city and the whole dominion. I would have been happier if we hadn''t paid the price we did," he sighed. To that, I nodded. "The cost is heavy, but this mine will help us fund greater security, reducing the chances of such an incident in the future," I replied, and he smiled. The mine will bring money, but it won''t be able to fund all the expenses of dominion. Still, its help will be tremendous, especially to Panar. It will accelerate its progress, and if it is a big enough load, we might be able to finish many of our targets before the deadlines. ... Silver I talked with Ina briefly before turning to the group, which returned through one of the rough passageways. This place is enormous, a maze of twisting burrows carved by creatures unknown. I sent teams into the depths, unsure of what they would find¡ªor if they would return at all. Now, at last, the first team has made it back, and I can''t wait to hear what they''ve discovered! "Did you find anything?" I asked the orc captain. "No, everything is clear," he replied, which relieved me, but this was only one team. Let''s hope the others won''t find anything as well. I talked to the people and looked around this large area. It is very big, and that is good because everywhere I looked, I could see the crystals. Soon, an hour and a half passed when the first carriages came in and started loading the bodies of the dead monsters. We will be sending back to the city a lot of bodies and living monsters. So much had happened in the past few hours. It had made me so tired that I wanted nothing more than sleep. Instead, I had just sat down on a huge crystal It took another hour before the last team came back. "Captain?" I asked. "Clear, my lord, but there is a lot of rubble down there, and it''s spread in a large area," he replied, confused shown in his eyes. Jon went there before everyone else and looked. The things are confusing but not dangerous¡ªat least, not immediately. "Right now, it''s enough," I replied. There is a complex path of tunnels with a fraction of them open. They are blocked with rubble, which had been solidified after the millenniums. So, they were quite old. One of the most obvious answers is that they were mine. They closed it after it was harvested. The signs prove that much, and I hope it is only that. Excavating them would require a lot of manpower, and I don''t know whether I want to do that. Right now, I am not even thinking about it. Twenty minutes later, Ina came with her geo-source advisor in tow. "So?" I asked. The load looked big, but it might be on the surface only, which would be terrible for us. "The preliminary result shows that the load is big. As for how big, only the expert would be able to tell us," he replied, making me relieved. He isn''t an expert in this field but understands the basics. Tomorrow, we will contact the expert and have them analyze the reserve. I want to start mining it as soon as possible. A few minutes later, we walked out of the place. Once we reached the other side, we rode beasts. It was past three in the morning when we got out of the mine. When we reached the city, despite wanting to, we didn''t immediately go to sleep. Instead, we went to the hospital to see the injured. "They will recover in a few days," informed the Priest. Looking at rows of patients that the priests, healers, and doctors were working on. "Not all of them. Many will be unable to work on jobs they were used to before," I sighed. Many had lost their limbs or received serious injuries. It would take them a long time to recover, and not entirely. I talked to other healers and doctors as I examined the patients. They were miners and soldiers; these were the lucky ones. Very few miners were able to survive against the monsters. Most of them were killed. Not a single person taken by the monsters had survived. We were too late; by the time we arrived, there weren''t even bones left behind. Soon, my eyes fell on someone familiar. She is changing the patient''s bandages. She noticed me but didn''t turn. Her complete focus is on the patient. I waited until she finished, and she turned toward me. "Lord Silver," she greeted. "I was going to ask you to consider returning, but seeing you do your job. I don''t think that would be fair to you," I said, shaking my head. The woman is Francesca Charlette. A Madam, we had poached her from that bastard Lucas. We had asked her before if she considered returning to the Velvet Garden. We need people like her, the ones we can trust and who are able to do the required job. She had declined. She liked her current job better than Velvet Garden, which would have given her a much higher salary and authority. "Thank you for understanding, Master Silver," she thanked. I am glad you have found your purpose, Francesca," I said and walked away from her. I could see the genuine joy in her eyes. It is now her purpose: I will not take that from her. Though, I really wished she would return. We need capable, experienced people. "What did she say?" asked Ina. "I didn''t ask," I replied. She nodded in understanding. "I could send Onaz back," she offered. To that, I shook my head. That girl is very talented. She needs to learn as much as she can from Ina. We looked at more patients and talked to more people before leaving the hospital and entering the carriage. It is past four in the morning. A lot of people have started waking up. "Sleep, Ina. You can do the work tomorrow," I said as we exited the carriage in front of the mansion. It is nearly morning; it will be dawn in less than an hour. "Ok," she said after a moment of silence. With this new find, the next few days are going to be busy for her, and she will need ample rest. Skipping sleep wouldn''t help her productivity much. Soon, I went to my suite and lay on the bed without changing. The only thing I removed was the armor I was wearing. It didn''t take even seconds for me to fall asleep. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 606: Allegiant Governor Chapter 606: Allegiant Governor Proofread by Thomas F [Hetaera of Lords Will- Allegiant Governor] Allegiant Governor Lv. 32 Allegiant Governor Lv. 33 [Skill Merge: Kiss of Vigour + Hetaerae''s Touch: Governor''s Blessing] [Skill Merge: Null Distraction + Total Focus: Quite Mind] [Skill Change: Carnal Maven: Maven''s Insight] [Skill Change: All Night- Lucid Vigilance] [Skill Change: Quick Executions- Governor''s Orders] [Skill Change: My Team Is Always Ready-Impeccable Image] [Skill Change: Alluring Walk: Governor''s Grace] [Skill Change: Missive To Lord: Brief Call] [Skill Gained: Vassal''s Privilege] When I opened my eyes, long texts were waiting for me. Seeing it, tears couldn''t help but flow out of my eyes. "Finally!" I exclaimed, my voice bursting with triumph. After months of work and pushing myself to the limit, I had grown and leveled up repeatedly¡ªyet the ruling class had always remained just out of reach. But now? I had done it! It might feel like a long time, but it was actually quick. People take years before they get into the ruling class, but my path was different; I was closer to it. My class was Haetaera of Lord''s Will. Because of Master Silver, it had the elements of ruling in it, and now, with the Allegiant Governor, I have a complete ruling class. The class that millions dream of but that few could get. Most get through the bloodline, and a minority achieve it through their efforts. I worked hard to nurture it, but those efforts would have been in vain if not for Master Silver''s belief. It took me a while to control my emotions, and I looked at the long lines before me. The change in my class had been transformational. The last time such occurred was after the negotiations in Deerpond when all my classes merged, and I got Haetaera of Masters Will. This time, it is even more significant. Not only has my class been upgraded and leveled, but my skills have also been upgraded and merged. I received only one skill, but it is the one that will make many new to ruling classes jealous. Hetaera of Lords Will was Lv. 37, but the Allegiant Governor is regressed to Lv. 33, but is far more powerful than the old class. I looked at skills; the first is Goverenor''s Blessing. It is made from the merge of Skill of Vigour and Hetaerae''s Touch. Both had origins as carnal skills, but now they are different. It still has its carnal element but also different functions. It is an enhancement skill. It''s like the one Lord Silver has, but it''s slightly different. However, unlike his skill, those whom I would use this skill on will get enhancements in bed, their official work, and the battle. The second skill is Quite Mind, a combination of Total Focus and Null Distraction. It works differently than both of those skills. The skill does not remove unwanted thoughts like Total Focus or mute distractions like Null Distraction. It lets me focus on the thoughts I want. It might look downgraded than Total Focus, but it''s not. The skill is more powerful and much more productive than the two it is made from. Carnal Maven became Maven''s Insight, a powerful skill in carnal classes. Most get at it, Lv. 40; I got it because my carnal class upgraded into the ruling class. Carnal Maven itself is powerful and made from several of the Strumpet Class skills. It provided me with knowledge and the instinct of sex. Now, it could also let me see carnal desires in others. All Night is an endurance-type skill of Strumpet Class, which swerved toward general endurance as my classes upgraded. Still, its night element remained. Now, that''s not a problem with Lucid Vigilance. It gives me endurance like All Night, both day and night, but it also gives me greater rest while awake. It is the best upgrade I could hope for All Night. Quick Execution got the most straightforward upgrade. It is a skill of the Hetaera of Lords'' Will. After it becomes Governor''s Orders, it becomes more powerful. The Allegiant Governor now suppresses most classes; the suppression is more significant for officials working under me, making the compulsion of the skill even more powerful. My Team Is Always Ready has changed to Impeccable Image. It used to be a group skill, but now it is focused on me. The group element is still present, but there is more focus on me. It''s not surprising, seeing I am not the traveling official anymore. The requirements were different at that time. I used to travel with my team, negotiate with them, and do other things. I do not do that anymore. Being a Governor puts me in the center. I am in charge of a city. If it succeeds, I will be praised; if it fails, I will be blamed. Alluring Walk, another skill from my carnal class, which now had turned into Governor''s Grace. It''s an invaluable skill, more than people realize. Like earlier, when walking through the cave, I wanted to use the Alluring Walk, but it didn''t feel suitable. That won''t be a problem with Governor''s Grace. Missive To Master is now Brief Call. I will be able to talk to Master Silver directly instead of just a written missive, it will also be much more protected. Because both of us have ruling classes and due to our relationship of liege and subject. This strong relationship is what gave me my first ruling class skill, Vassal''s Privilege. As I had said, many people in the ruling class''s desire for such a skill. It is a skill that lets them copy a skill from their liege, who almost always has a better class and thus better skills. It''s a scarce class skill. One only gets it when there is absolute trust between the two parties. I feel highly honored to get the skill. I already know which skill I want from Master Silver. With that thought, I got up from the bed. There are two attribute points, but I am a little conflicted about them, so I decided to think about them later. There are a lot of things I have to do. ... Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 38 [Class Change Trainer- Rider] Rider Lv. 10 Rider Lv. 11 [Skill Change: Active Presence- Presence Mark] [Skill Gained: Swift] "It happened," I said as I looked at the text. My class had changed from Trainer to Rider. Even their skill changed. It was only active with Fang earlier, but I could not keep or remove it from any beast or monster I wanted. The new class had leveled up twice. I even gained a skill. Swift is a basic rider skill, but it is very useful. It will let me ride the monster faster. I wish it had been changed into Beast Rider or another powerful variation. Instead of a simple Rider Class, although I am not surprised by it. I didn''t have enough mastery over it to achieve that. It might happen after I gain enough mastery and accomplish something. I''m thrilled with this upgrade and even more relieved that my Lord Class didn''t consume it. Till yesterday, I would have been happy. Seeing how powerful these skills would have become. Now, I want to gain more mastery and accumulate a few skills in Rider Class before Lord Swallows it. Since Rider had reached Lv. 10. I got an attribute point and wanted to use it on charm, but my eyes focused on Intelligence. The last attribute point I got. I used it on Intelligence as well. Taking it to the nineteen, but now, I am thinking whether to use it for charm or intelligence. After some thought, I used it for Intelligence. Taking it to twenty. Immediately, I felt the change. My thoughts got faster and clearer, with my perception getting sharper. The effects lasted for a while before I got used to them. Now, all my attributes are at twenty, which is not optimal. The focused attributes should be higher and the less focused lower, but things happened such that I needed to put points on both. Now, I will only have one point at Lv. 39 of my Merchant of Desire class. After that, I think I will first reach Lv. 20 in my Rider Class and then Lv. 40 in both of my classes. I pushed those thoughts away and got up. "There is a message from Madam Gloria. She had said Fang behaved erratically, which he never did," informed Zela as I walked out of the bedroom. It made me stop in my tracks. "Is he still behaving erratically?" I asked. Fang is powerful and a mutt. Those are prone to getting out of control. "No. She was able to calm him down," she replied. It made me relieved. "Tell her it is because of the change in my skill," I replied. Active Presence had turned into Presence Mark. I had removed the mark on him, likely making him panic. After I return, I will need to spend some time with the little guy. A few minutes later, I was in my carriage, moving toward the city hall, watching the city and feeling its pulse, which had become slightly clearer, thanks to intelligence. The carriage entered the city hall, and I got out. When I suddenly stopped, sensing something. A moment later, a smile appeared on my face as I walked into the city hall. Soon, I reached Ina''s office and walked inside as the door opened for me. "Master Silver," she greeted as she got up. She only uses master when she is alone. Right now, she is not; there is Onaz, but she is a girl of the Velvet Garden. "Congratulations, Governor," I congratulated. To that, a smile bloomed on her face. "Thank you, Master Silver," she replied. However, a moment later, her expression became serious. "I have a favor to ask of you, Master Silver," she said. It surprised me. She didn''t have to say that; she could ask me directly. "As long as it is my power," I replied. "I need Public Works," she stated, and I sighed. "I can''t give you that, Ina. Greltheaven needs it more," I replied. There are many big projects going on, and there will be more. I will not remove the skill from the city for at least another year. I was expecting her to be disappointed, but there was a smile on her face. "You do not have to activate it on Panar," she said, and for a moment, I was confused before my eyes widened. "Don''t tell me!" I gasped at that. She nodded and extended her hand. I gave her my hand, and I felt her skill a moment later. I didn''t resist it and let its power move toward what it sought. Public Works. The skills power enveloped it before the power disappeared. Ina let off my hand and closed her eyes. A second later, I felt the activation of skill. It immediately enveloped the city. The skill feels the same as mine but less powerful. I have no control over it. The only thing I could do was remove the skill from her. It is a rare skill. While I would have hoped she would have gotten other skills, it is also a great skill, with one condition: she could only copy my skills. It is easy to tell. If it had been like my Copy Skill or some others. She would have needed those she took the skill from to be at a lower level than her, but I am not. "Congratulations. This skill will help your city a lot," I congratulated. Witch of Luminescent Legacy 35 Madam of Radiant Legacy 24 Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 607: Lady of Velvet and Vow Chapter 607: Lady of Velvet and Vow Proofread by Thomas F "She is not in harm''s way?" I asked, looking at Bell sleeping in my room. To that, Caena shook her head. There is a faint translucent energy covering her. It may be faint, but it feels extremely powerful, and I don''t want to touch it, not even with my aura. However, I am not surprised, given the artifact that she is wearing. I had read about it in the Archmage Tower. It''s a very powerful artifact, one of the best of its type on the continent. "I thought she would wake up the next day and that she would bear the injuries. Now, however, when she wakes, she will be fully recovered," replied Caena. I nodded and walked out of my room with Caena walking beside me. Soon, I stepped into my office, which was as I left it a few days ago. I had returned from Panar in the afternoon and had been busy in city hall. I sat down in my chair while she sat in front of me. She said, "This is a list of the girls we selected for the interview. "Then she handed me the file. There are the names of thirty-two girls. As I read the list, a surprise couldn''t help but appear on my face, and I turned to her. "There are some new girls here," I stated. The new girls whom we hired after the establishment turned into the legacy. It might seem like a long time, but after training, the new girls have only been working for just over two months. They were in training when the legacy shell was destroyed to save the city, and they only started working after the tower was opened. Which was only a little over three months ago. "They are capable; besides, we can''t entirely base the loyalty question just on how long they have been here." "If that were the case, what is happening on the in-store floors wouldn''t have happened," she replied, and I sighed. Only four new girls are on the list. The rest were from before the legacy. Even among them, most are from the first three batches. Two batches are from Redfawn, and a third is from Namdar, of which Caena is a part. "Schedule the interviews for tomorrow evening," I said. I would have done it in the morning, but I had to meet the protector and member of Tranquill Bathhouse. They are coming from Belnin and will be here a little past midnight. We are going to do it. Although it will be extremely dangerous, the benefits will make it worth it. "Dawnstar wants to meet with you," informed Caena as she finished the briefing. "About?" I asked. "Curriculum," she replied, surprising me. "Do you have any clue of what she wants to discuss in the curriculum?" I asked, feeling curious. That woman intimidates me. It isn''t just her level. While that is a big part of it, so is her experience working in the most prosperous city on the continent. "I think it''s better if she tells you herself," Caena replied with a smile. That smile was wide¡ªtoo wide¡ªmaking it clear that this wouldn''t be a comfortable topic. "Fine, call her," I said. She is already here in the tower. Talking with Miss Cain and Eva''s son. Click! A few minutes passed when the door opened when Dawnstar came in, and she wasn''t alone. There is also Margaux with her. However, unlike Caena, she was reserved as always. "Lord Silver," she greeted. "Miss Dawnstar, Madam Caena is telling me you have something to talk to me about regarding the curriculum," I asked. Her expression turned hesitant for a fraction of a second before it recovered, and she nodded. It must be something important to make a woman of her experience and level hesitant. It made me curious, and my eyes turned expectant. Seconds passed, and the woman finally opened her mouth. "Everything in the curriculum is combined with the practice. The singers sing, and the painters paint. We teach the girls seduction, conversation etiquette, and other things, all supported by the practice." "We add the practice with everything except for one thing," she said, looking directly into my eyes. "The sex." I was expecting many things, but not this. I am genuinely surprised by it. "We don''t do that because it is the thing the girls already know. They have done it for years," I replied, to which she shook her head. "They know how to do it but could do it better! It is just like the conversation and seduction, which are the necessary skill every whore needs to know to get more guests to become patrons," "They had that, but you taught them. It helped them refine their conversation and seduction skills, making them the force they are right now. I want to do the same thing for sex," she explained. Her words stumped me. I was prepared for the argument, but she had effectively destroyed every argument I had considered. She is right. The seduction and conversation are a part of the prostitute''s job. It plays an essential part in bringing clients and keeping them coming. They are as important as the sex, and I focused on them but not the sex itself. It''s not like we didn''t teach it. We do extensively, from technique to positions, but Miss Dawnstar pointed out that it is all in theory. "Do you think the girls of the Velvet Garden are lacking in the art of sex?" I asked, too, and she smiled. "No, they are excellent, actually. Better than even my girls at Archmage City," she replied, and it confused me even more. If they are good, then why is she here? She seemed to read what I was thinking as a smile appeared on her face. "They are good, but I believe they could be even better. They should be better. We owe that to our patrons, who pay a massive amount for the experience of a lifetime," she replied. Her words struck the point. The Velvet Garden aims to provide the best experience for our patrons. Listening to her words, it seemed like because of my reservations, I wasn''t able to do that. I see the problem. I want to fix it; maybe then one of the girls will be able to get that class. Even Tara, our best girl, wasn''t able to get it. I pushed those thoughts away and turned to the woman before me. "I believe you have a plan?" I asked. She smiled at that, and a moment later, she took a file from her iles bag and slid it toward me. I thought she would tell orally, but it seemed she understood how the Velvet Garden works. I opened the file and began reading it with Insightful Reading active. Within a minute, I was surprised to see its detailedness. She brought out every point. Here, she answered. Even the questions I didn''t even think about. I finished reading the file a few minutes later and turned to her. "So, we will be using the patrons. Instead of a male prostitute," I said. It''s not a question; she explained the reasoning well in the file. "Using the patrons is better, as they are our targets. Male prostitutes are too experienced. Too methodical with carnal skills like us whores," "Using them will be more detrimental than useful," she explained, and I agreed with the assessment. "Well, it''s going to make a lot of patrons very happy," I said, and they all smiled. We won''t have any problem getting the patrons to agree to it. Many would pay considerable money for that. "Thank you for agreeing. Lord Silver," thanked Dawnstar. "You do not need to thank me, Miss Dawnstar when it comes to the benefit of Velvet Garden," I replied. "Though, please be careful. We can not afford to make mistakes here," I cautioned a moment later. Margaux will monitor it. Every change will go through her. I cannot take a risk with the girls and patrons. "Be assured, my lord, I will be careful," she replied. They left soon after, while I worked for two more hours before leaving the legacy. I would have slept in my room, but Bell is occupying it. ... [Riveting Lady Brothel and Promise- Lady of Velvet and Vow] Lady of Velvet and Vow Lv. 30 Lady of Velvet and Vow Lv. 31 Lady of Velvet and Vow Lv. 32 [Skill Change: Silver Glide- Velvet Glide] [Skill Change: Graceful Repel ¨C Velvet Repel] [Skill Change: Carnal Touch ¨C Velvet Touch] [Inheritance Skill: Palace of Erudite] [Inheritance Skill: Iron In Silk] When I opened my eyes, I saw the text. A moment later, tears started to flow out of my eyes. I had acquired the inheritance skills¡ªnot one, but two, one from each side of my family. The Palace of Erudite is the inheritance skill from my father''s house. It is a very powerful skill that ignores the restrictions on restricted knowledge. Be it books, the voice, or the visual, any restricted knowledge could be stored inside and then shared if we willed it. It helped us collect a lot of knowledge. However, it is not the most valuable thing about the skill. I closed my eyes and activated the skill. Immediately, I appeared in the massive palace¡ªa towering structure over a hundred floors tall. Each generation dreams of adding another level, carving their legacy into its ever-reaching heights. Rows upon rows of books stretched endlessly before me¡ªmillions of them, their presence almost suffocating in their sheer magnitude. The skill had only been described to me before, but standing here now, I realized¡ªit''s far grander than I ever imagined. It has books on everything¡ªnot just the books, but recordings of the conversations that changed the world and visuals of the battles that decided the fate of the world. Nearly all of it is locked. Even my father, reaching the level he had, could only access a quarter of the books here; the rest was restricted even to him. To me, only 1% of it is open. I looked at the palace before my eyes turned to the massive portraits¡ªportraits of the people who had the skill before me¡ªthere were many of them. Finally, I reached the latest one. My father, seeing him, I deactivated the skill and began to cry even harder. The palace of Erudite is a skill only the head of the house gets. Me getting the skill destroyed the last hope in my heart. Irrational as it was. My father is truly dead. If not, I wouldn''t have gotten the skill. It took me a while before I turned to the second inheritance skill. Iron In Silk. It''s from my mother''s side. She used to call this skill her sharpest blade and hoped I would get it. It is only inherited by female members of her house and is very hard to get. Before Mother, it skipped three generations of women. It is a passive political skill. It helps one see subterfuge, machination, and ill intent and gives one the confidence to counter them. It is a powerful skill, but even it couldn''t see through the thing that brought our destruction. I looked at my class, which had now become Lady of Velvet and Vow. It had advanced three levels and also advanced my skills. All of them had a velvet in them, the essence of a prostitute. I was a prostitute, and I accept that fact. I am not ashamed of it; I was once, but I am not now. It is what saved me. Without it, I would have died. Click! I was looking at my skills when I heard the door opening and saw Caena walking in. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "Good," I replied. "How long was I out?" I asked. "For three and a half days," she replied. Surprising me. I thought it would be more. Maybe it''s because of the potion she fed me. I remember her feeding me something. "Thank you for saving me. I will forever be grateful to you." I thanked her. I understood very well; without her spell and legacy, I would have been discovered and died already. "You do not need to feel grateful. I am sure you would have done the same thing to save me," she replied with a smile. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 608: Negotiations Chapter 608: Negotiations Proofread by Thomas F Rylan Aardwyn ''Silver is smart. Use every word wisely.'' ''We do not need to hide our intentions. He is smart enough to understand our intentions, but we need to hide the cards we will have. He shouldn''t even get a hint about them,'' cautioned Lord Constance. It was a warning. That I shouldn''t blabber; I am sure the bastard wouldn''t even let me enjoy the velvet garden and its whores. ''I understand!'' I replied. I hate the bastard, but he is right. The fate of Tranquill Bathhouse depended on it. If I want to become the master of it one day, then I will have to do what he said. A few minutes passed, and the carriage stopped before the small city hall. ... ''Lord Constance and Mr. Aardwyn are here for you, Lord Silver,'' informed Jill. ''Send them in," I replied. Click! A second later, the door opened, and two people walked inside: Constance, the guardian of the Wander Inn, and Rylan, the heir of the Tranquil Bathhouse. "Lord Silver," they greeted after a short silence. "Lord Constance. Mr. Rylan," I replied. A moment later, they sat in front of me. "His Majesty, the Dictator of Dorus, and Lord Aardwyn, Lord of Tranquil Bathhouse, have accepted your offer in principle." "After the connection with the Wander Inn is broken, Tranquill Bathhouse will be one with Velvet Garden," he stated, and I smiled. The man didn''t use absorbed or swallowed but used ''one with,'' which will leave much to interpretation. I am not surprised. They want my legacy as much as I want theirs. If they succeed, Tranquill Bathhouse will be given a new life. Making it more than what it is now. This is an offer of their dreams, the chance they have searched the continents for. "The Velvet Garden will be honored to make Tranquill Bathhouse part of it and my legacy going forward," I replied. They may be vague, but I am clear. It is for which I had called them. "The honor will be ours, Lord Silver," said Rylan. To that, I smiled. We talked about it for a few minutes. We didn''t negotiate. I will not negotiate; Carla and others will do that. Here, we just talk while trying to gain as much information as possible about each other. "Do enjoy the city and the Velvet Garden. It might not be a throne, but it is still good enough to make one have a good time," I said as I got up to leave. "We will, my lord," replied Constance before leaving my office. They will start negotiations in the afternoon and stay in the city until they finish. I don''t know how long it will take; it might take days, weeks, or more. I don''t care about the time it takes. I care about getting what I want. Carla is a skilled negotiator and will handle the details. If they aren''t willing to meet our terms, then I will call off the whole thing. I want Tranquill Bathhouse, but not enough to lose my legacy. Three hours passed. I met a few people and attended a meeting before leaving my office. A few minutes later, my carriage entered the bustling port. It was nothing compared to Archmage City, with its magic golems and other magical constructs. Soon, the carriage stopped, and I stepped out. "Lord Silver," greeted Amelius. I nodded and turned to the river. "How is it going?" I asked. "We have just started on the cofferdams, my lord," he replied, looking at the river. "It is happening a week before the timeline," I said, and the man smiled. "Yes, we are making good progress," he replied as we walked toward the river''s edge. A week might not seem enough, but they began working on it over a month ago and are progressing well. "I want the bridge to be finished soon. Trade is increasing with Navr, baronies, and merchant states. The bridge will help tremendously with that, "I expressed, my anticipation palpable. However, there is one item for which it will help the most. Without the bridge, we won''t even be able to start working on it. I pushed those thoughts and focused on what was happening before me. It is a marvelous thing to watch. I would have spent hours here if I didn''t have so much work. Here, they build cofferdams much faster. Using tools as well as the mages. However, mages with particular spells are required for it. We have them, but not in enough numbers. We had hired some from the merchant state. It wasn''t that big of a problem¡ªjust a little expensive one. I watched them create cofferdams and talked to Amellus and others before sitting back on my carriage. Soon, I returned to the city hall. I attended a meeting and snooped on the negotiations. They didn''t sense me, which isn''t surprising. Constance may have a Lord Class, but he is weaker and lower level than mine, and this is my territory. Most importantly, they are in the domain of my legacy, and I am using the legacy''s skill and power to make them very hard to notice. They are negotiating intensely. I watched for a few minutes before focusing on the work. "There is a message from Archmage City. Grand Mage Asin wishes to talk to you in an hour," informed Zela, surprising me. I am shocked. A Grand Mage doesn''t just contact you without reason. "Did she provide the reason?" I asked. To that, she shook her head. I hope it''s not about the academy. We have already received a first bid for the tender. "Tell her I am available," I replied finally. An hour passed, and I could barely do any work and even postpone one meeting. "The call had connected," informed Zela, and I put my hand on her. "Your Excellency," I greeted. Lord Silver, how are you?" asked the voice from the other side. I replied, "I am good, Your Excellency. Thank you for asking. " There was a silence for a moment before the woman spoke again. ''I have called to remind you, Lord Silver, how fragile the legacies are and how important it is that their vision remains incorruptible.'' ''I hope you will keep that in mind in everything you do,'' the woman''s serious voice advised. ''So, this is why she called me,'' I thought. She has learned what is happening, which isn''t surprising. They are a spirit, and it is their job to monitor such things. However, I am grateful she called me and my legacy. I want to see it go forward; swallowing another''s core is best to stop that. Many with potential had made such mistakes and ended up destroying that potential. "I am careful, Your Excellency, and I do everything with utter caution, keeping the purity of my vision in mind," I replied as seriously as possible. ''I am glad to hear that, Lord Silver, and wish you the best of luck,'' she replied, cutting the call while I slumped back in my chair with my eyes closed. I opened my eyes a minute later but didn''t return to work. Instead, I brought out the aura. I practiced for fifteen minutes before focusing back on the work, which I did till the evening before leaving the city hall. A few minutes later, I went to Calvary''s barracks. It is my second day of training after I returned, and things are already different. While only one of my skills changed after the class, the other skills melded to suit my new class. Now, Calm Touch and Command Projection seemed to work better, and it wasn''t just because of the level-up. They are helping me train better. I need to get better. Click! It was later when the door of the home office opened. Carla came in with Hendriks and Taurus. "Those bastards want to eat our legacy," cursed Hendriks as he sat down before me after the greeting. "We already knew that," I replied with a smile. "Still, it makes my blood boil," he stated. He was unable to control his emotions well during negotiations. Although this is not usually wise, I asked him to let his emotions show. Let them see how desperately I want to consume the tranquil bathhouse. Make them know that my people oppose it and only do it because of my orders. "Have you dangled the carrot?" I asked. "Yes, I offered them the core essence," replied Rip. We have no intention to give them the core essence. We just brought it up for negotiation as another tool. We will offer it to them if they do not resist the absorption, which they will never do since they want to eat us as well. "We are desperate, but they are a hundred times more desperate than us. Their very survival depends on it," stated Carla. "Yes, it does. That is why, in exchange for removing those tough conditions, we ask for the things we need," I replied. She smiled, and the other two remained slightly confused. Though they know what we did and did not ask for. We intentionally do not add tough conditions that would force them to stop resisting our absorption, which they would not accept. So, in exchange for that, we are going to ask for other things, like having our people work there in the legacy for months. Getting the parts of tranquil and other things will strengthen Caena''s spell. If they are unwilling, we will end the negotiation. I know the danger we are putting ourselves in by doing this. The core of Tranquill Bathhouse would be extremely strong, but that is the least of our worries. They will have an entire kingdom''s power behind it, while we only have two cities. We will limit their powers through the contract, but we won''t be able to restrict them too much, or they will call off the negotiation. Carla and others must strike a delicate balance between gaining the concession we want and giving them too much. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 609: Mirador Hold Chapter 609: Mirador Hold Proofread by Thomas F Lt. General Lawson, Mirador Hold. "Of course, I didn''t forget Lt. General," replied the whore and put a box in front of me. I took it in my hand and opened it. ''Bastard!'' I cursed. Seeing only twelve bottles of emotion essence potions in it. We wanted at least two dozen; we deserved it, but the bastard only provided us a half dozen. I wanted to fling it back at the whore. We have provided Silver with many concessions but are not receiving the same courtesy in return. "The numbers are not even half, Miss Hillcrest. We have been expecting more." I said with a smile. I wanted to use my skill, but it was useless against this bitch. She is Jenna Hillcrest, and beside her is Rutto, a courtier living off his family''s name. Two years ago, I used to suppress her as such that she used to shake in front of me, but now she has become powerful enough to repel my skills. I am Lv. 34 Administrative General. A powerful class, but that was not enough to suppress her. "We want to give you more, Lt. General, but Velvet Garden''s essence expenditure has increased tremendously in the past month." "The stores and the new garden consume vast amounts of essence." "We also have obligations to the empire and need to tithe them considerable emotion essence," she replied, her face full of regret. ''This fucking whore!'' I cursed once more. Yes, those things take essence, but Velvet Garden has more. It wouldn''t hurt them much if they gave us a little more. They are doing it intentionally, and seeing that, my hate for that bastard Silver increases further. I hate the bastard with the burning passion. I still remember the words he had spoken to me in Lauryl over two years ago. It was because of it that the commander had demoted me. I had lost respect and had become a laughingstock, but I took it as a lesson. Now, I hold a much more significant position. "It''s just we have provided you with so many concessions and hoped you reciprocate it," I said, and the whore smiled. "We do appreciate, Mirador Hold. It is why we provide you with emotion essence potions every month," replied Rutto with a smile. I want to threaten them with cutting their concessions, but that wouldn''t be wise. Yes, it would hurt Silver, but it would also hurt us, as trade is our only source of revenue. Silver increases trade every month, helping us reap massive amounts in tax revenue. If we did something, he might try to lessen the dependence on this route, and he could. It will be painful for him, but not as painful as it will be for us. He can bear that pain, but we can not. "If you don''t mind me asking. How long will you be in Navr?" I asked. I changed the subject; I had already expressed my displeasure. Pressing them further would not help Mirador Hold in any way. "This time, it is a little longer. It might take a little more than a week," Jenna replied. "Is this about the Maw Grill?" I asked. People from that legacy went to Greltheaven to negotiate for a few weeks. "Yes, and more," she replied. A few minutes later, they left the office, and the door closed. "Bitch!" I cursed loudly before getting up and walking out of my office. I could see the whole fortress, especially the entrance and exit. Over a thousand carriages passed through Navr every day. The fort became an important trade route. Making the fort a vast amount of money helped us solve many of our problems, but there are still more. Soon, I reached the office of Commander Dane. "He is waiting for you," said Thales, his secretary. I nodded and went through the door. "Lord Commander," I greeted. "How much?" he asked. "Just twelve," I replied, placing the box before him. His expression remained unchanged, but I could tell he was angry. "You must have told them it is only half of what we had asked for?" he asked. I nodded. "They made excuses about that," I replied. Thud! The next moment, the whole table shook as he hit his first across it. I could understand how he was feeling. I feel the same way, but as I said, we are powerless to do anything unless we are willing to bear the pain. "We have given him so much, but he is supplying those bastards more than us and even sent a brigade to reinforce them with the monsters," I said. I am talking about those nobles in Nakar Forest. Our spies are providing us with a lot of information, which is worrying us. The emotion essence is a small part of the problem; the biggest worry is their growing army. Silver isn''t the only one who is growing their army fast. The bastards of Nakar are doing it as well. Their army isn''t growing as fast as that of the Silver, but faster than ours. They had even started admitting the wild orcs. Silver and those bastards should be ashamed of admitting the empire''s enemies into their armies. "I will talk to Silver about it, but in the meantime, keep an eye on the whore," he ordered. "As you command, Lord Commander," I replied and left his office. ''Carson,'' I said, activating General''s Telepathy. ''All eyes on the target, general,'' he replied. ''Good, don''t let them out of your eyes even for a second. I want a complete report of what they do and whom they talked to,'' I ordered. ''Yes, Lt. General,'' I cut the call and walked toward my office. Every time the whores come, we keep a tight eye on them. They are dangerous and have quite a lot of people infatuated with them. Silver has people in the hold. The bastard seemed to know about almost everything we do here. We also have people in Greltheaven, but ours couldn''t reach as deep as he has here. We had offered so much to that bastard Cardin, but he is unwilling to turn. We''ve found some spies, but there are still many more we haven''t. His whores played a significant role in that, and we would have banned them, but we don''t have any solid proof. What little we have isn''t enough to implicate them. Silver could easily dismiss it if we showed it to him. We have restricted many areas of the fort for his whores, and they always have escorts. However, we still can''t prevent them from meeting people. The high-level officers, those of my level and below them. These whores always spent a night whenever they came. Plan a soiree and invite important people and high-ranking officials, including me. It is hard to resist the invitation when they bring the most wine and food from the legacy. We attempted to limit the giving of emotion essence potions, spa packages, and other gifts to the officers on their birthdays, but it only worsened the situation. We received numerous complaints. Even two lieutenant generals opposed it, and they had to roll back those restrictions within a week. It was when we became aware of the significant influence the bastard wields here. To manage this, we established strict gift policies. We didn''t prohibit them from accepting gifts, especially the life-saving emotion potions, but we required them to inform us. We also heavily control their visits to Greltheaven and send only trusted ones for the official visit there. Whenever a high-ranking officer visits Greltheaven, Silver opens the doors of the legacy for them. They could visit the spa. Fuck whores and even buy stuff with a heavy discount that is almost free. Forget others; even I couldn''t resist the charm of the legacy, despite all my hate for Silver. Whenever I go to Greltheaven, I visit the legacy. I am a man, after all, unlike that bastard Maras. Nothing seemed to tempt him; he didn''t even visit the legacy when he went to Greltheaven for business. When he does, he stays for a few minutes with the officers and returns to his hotel. I was thinking about him when a tall man in his mid-forties approached me. "Lt. General Lawson," he greeted coolly, as always. I nodded. Lt. General Maras, everything is good with the undead?" I asked. He is responsible for the undead and usually stays at the border. "Yes. It is calm as always," he replied and walked away. He always acts cool. Nothing seems to unfazed him until the name Jarvis'' is mentioned. That bastard under him suggested that we send him to the Baronies. He betrayed us and became their general. Soon, I reached my office and began to respond to messages. I had. Many are coming from the empire. With the answer, that is making me mad. Similar to what they''re doing in Greltheaven, we''re also trying to recruit people from the empire. Every officer was tasked with doing that, and I was responsible for it. I have contacted everyone I know, those I served with, my juniors, and even seniors, but all I have received is a no. Some of the bastards who turned me down had joined Greltheaven and Owlspring. We need the city; it would be fine if it were smaller. We would have grown it like Silver had, but we didn''t have it. We tried to build the town, hoping to turn it into a city like Laurel did, but it''s not working. We need the city that already exists. We attempted to acquire it in Nakar, but we failed spectacularly. We aren''t powerful enough to pursue Grelthheaven and Owlspring. As for the Brimbale, we didn''t even think about it. That bastard in Dustorn Fortress controls it and other cities. He would destroy us if we looked at it so much. We do not want to antagonize him. It is good that he remained in his fortress. Although he might not be around for long, the Lord Commander had discovered some shocking information. If it were to happen, it would change the region. I hope he does not. He is the reason the undead are only focusing on river cities. They did not dare to go beyond it or attack our side. Not to mention Tabes. While the kingdom concentrated on the empire, it maintained a presence at the border. Skirmishes occurred monthly, but nothing significant happened. However, once they finish their campaign on the mainland, I have no doubt they will shift their focus here. The man in the Dustorn fortress also seemed to understand that. That''s why he has started listening to offers from the empire. Those offers are really good. They had made the Lord Commander red with envy. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Hey everyone! To ensure your support goes further (and avoid Apple''s 30% fee!), please subscribe through a Web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.). You can absolutely still use the App after subscribing¡ªit doesn''t change anything about your membership! Thank you. Your support means the world to me! Chapter 610: Stalled Chapter 610: Stalled Proofread by Thomas F "Thank you, Lyra," I told the young girl and made notes in my diary. "Thank you for the opportunity, Master Silver," she replied, walking out of the room while I turned to Margaux. "She has grown a lot. I believe she is ready for the big responsibility," stated Margaux. The girls of the velvet garden are mentally mature, even the teenagers. Given their world, they have no choice. Lyra is the same age as Gloria and is part of the founding group. I have been grooming her since the beginning and would have chosen her along with Gloria, but she lacked the same perspective that Gloria had back then. Now, she has gained it through hard work. The girl did every job. Over two years, she had been a cleaner, helper, desk girl, assistant, clerk, and a few others. She has done every job well that she has been handed and is now ready to become a madam. Lyra will start as a trainee; I don''t think she will have any problem advancing to Madam. "I agree," I replied, adding her name to the list. There are two more teenage girls; one has an interview tomorrow, and the other has hers two days later. I have been conducting interviews for three days. Every day, I interview three girls, which is the most I can manage with all my other work. "Who is next?" I asked. "Eliyen," replied Margaux. A second later, the door opened, and the elf walked in. The elf is good. In just a short time, she had left behind hundreds of girls. She is now among the top twenty earners, and the way she is going, she will breach into the top ten in a month or two. It isn''t easy; over nine hundred girls are working in Legacy. Getting to the top isn''t easy, and she isn''t just the best earner; she is also very talented in other stuff. "Master Silver, Madam Margaux. Madam Caena," she greeted. "Take a seat, Eliyen," said Caena. "Thank you, Madam Caena," she replied as she sat down. There was silence; she looked at us, and we looked at her. I could tell it made her uncomfortable, with nervousness that she could barely keep at bay. Despite that, she maintained a neutral expression on her face while sitting in a perfect posture. It did not crack, even when silence stretched to the minute. Finally, I opened my mouth, glancing at the information before me. "Why should we offer you the position, Eliyen? What can you provide to Velvet Garden?" I asked. Usually, I ask this question after I ask them a few other questions, but I know everything about her. Her background, her academic information, and I had even spied on her. I don''t need to ask her questions about the answers I already know. I would instead ask her about the things I don''t know. The elf didn''t immediately open her mouth. I could tell she was thinking about it deeply. It took us several seconds, but finally, she opened her mouth. "It is up to you, Master Silver, whether I deserve the position of the trainee or not." "As for what I can provide... Velvet Garden is nearly perfect, but if I were to be bold, then I would say we need to make changes in store floors," she replied. My heart leaped a bit, and I resisted the urge to turn to Margaux and Caena. We are keeping everything we are doing secret to see how deeply the rot has spread so we can clean it up thoroughly when the time comes. I hope nobody has found out about our efforts, because those working have already proved how smart they are. "As an artist myself, I''ve observed that in the past two months, the stores haven''t made any artistic progress. They are using the same designs and mass-producing them." "If I were selected, I would ask to post there and work on improving the artistic progress of the stores," she replied. Saying I am surprised would be an understatement. I had not expected this. Margaux and Caena also seemed surprised when I looked at them. "Which stores do you think do that?" asked Caena with a smile, hiding her surprise. "Nearly all of them. Especially the mist ones. Eva Cain is the only one that is creatively active, but it''s not part of the store floors," she replied. The mist stores are one of the legacy''s signatures, and now, they are disappointing me as well. ''It seemed like there were more problems on store floors than we had thought,'' said Caena. ''It is like Herus wood; on the outside, it''s beautiful, but inside, it is filled with worms, mold, and other nasty stuff,'' replied Margaux. These comments affected Margaux a lot. She is a Madam and a creative person, but she wasn''t able to see it. She shouldn''t blame herself. It''s not her responsibility; besides, given her workload, I would have been truly surprised if she had noticed a thing like this. Using the same designs isn''t a problem; it is good, as it would create a brand, but they need to work on improving and using them differently. That is an alarming trend; for a legacy, creativity is extremely important. It is what elicits the emotions and fuels its growth. I closely monitored the store floors but didn''t notice it. I am not creative or knowledgeable about art, which is likely why I didn''t understand the problem. Another reason I didn''t notice was that I didn''t sense any change in the emotion emanating from the store floors. Although they are increasing every week, so is the crowd. I will now look more carefully, though. It might be just her opinion, and I hope it is. I do not need another problem with the store floors. "Suppose you are right, but how will you improve things? You can''t just give orders. Creativity doesn''t work like that," asked Margaux. We asked her more questions and were impressed by her critical thinking. She is the best of all; I had interviewed this time in critical thinking. It is one of the qualities I looked at in the girls. It is a must to have to advance in Velvet Garden and other paths that open through it. Soon, we finished with our questions and thanked her. She walked out, and after a few seconds, Rexy, the half-orc girl, stepped inside. The girl is Bell''s friend and from her batch. She recommended her, and even if she hadn''t done so, we would have called her for the interview. She is a bright girl that we have been keeping an eye on for some time, Her interview lasted as long as Lyra, nearly an hour before she walked out the door. "Investigate what she said; I want to get to the bottom of it," I said to Caena. "It will be done," she replied before leaving my office with Margaux. I felt frustrated to see another problem arise from the store floors, but I''m glad it did. If it''s true, I will be able to contribute to the overhaul of the store floors. The scale and speed of it are shocking. Such things take time, but here, it took little. I bear a great deal of responsibility, and because of that, I take everything personally. But when it comes to my legacy¡ªeverything is personal. I will let no one interfere. No one will take from me what is mine. Nothing else matters. A few minutes passed. I busied myself with my work, but my mind remained sharp, always watching. I spied on a few targets¡ªsome confirmed spies, others merely suspected. I observed the negotiations still unfolding, even at this hour, each word and gesture a delicate game of power and survival. It is intense; both sides are fighting for every small part. Both parties want to eat the other, so they will obviously try to gain as much leverage through the negotiations as possible. "Master Silver, Chief Elar is here," informed Jill, bringing a smile to my face. "Send her in," I said. A second later, the door opened, and Valentina walked in. "My lord," she greeted, but the greeting had an unmistakable mirth. "Stop that," I replied, and the smile on her face became brighter before she sat in front of me. "Have you found anything out?" I asked, and her expression became serious. She shook her head. "No, the only thing I could find out is that the rubble runs deep and is old. Thousands of years old," she replied. Making me sigh. Valentina is one of the few people I trust completely. She is not only my most reliable ally but also the most powerful earth mage under my command. I had sent her to Panar to examine the things below the load. They worried me, and I even had a nightmare about them. "The most likely explanation, which most of the signs point to, is that. It is an ancient mine. It was not part of varus mine and likely started from another place." "It is rare, but such things happened," she added. "Most things?" I asked, and it was her turn to sigh. "It might be nothing. Weird things happen in an energy-rich environment like that," she replied. I didn''t press; she would tell me if she found something concrete. "By the way, the Shardmaws didn''t come from those levels. They were always there and entered the mine when they sensed the vibrations; we started mining close to their den," she informed. Immediately, relief flooded my heart. I was worried sick about them coming in from those caves. If they came from the caves below, I would be worried about more of them. The Shardmaws are dangerous monsters that quickly grow powerful. The most powerful among them was very close to Grade V. If they had come after it reached that level, we would have been the ones who were wiped out. "What are you going to do about it?" she asked. "Right now, nothing," I replied. "I don''t have enough people to deal with it. It might be nothing, but there might be something. If we got occupied by it. Our enemies could use that opportunity to attack us," The undead aren''t the only enemies we have. Deerpond also has an army that is growing fast. They had attacked me, and I have no doubt they will not hesitate to attack Panar, if they see the chance. I don''t want to give them that chance until I am sure I can handle it. "That is wise," she replied seriously before a smile appeared on her face. "Congratulations; the vein is huge, and they are starting mining it in two days," she congratulated. "Thank you," I replied. It is the only good news that came out of the event. I asked them to work fast on it, and they didn''t disappoint me. The energy crystals that will come out of it will help us tremendously. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Hey everyone! To ensure your support goes further (and avoid Apple''s 30% fee!), please subscribe through a Web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.). You can absolutely still use the App after subscribing¡ªit doesn''t change anything about your membership! Thank you. Your support means the world to me! Chapter 611: Signed Chapter 611: Signed Proofread by Thomas F Click! The guard opened the door, and I entered the city hall conference room. The mood is a little heavier, especially for Amelius and Valentina. They didn''t like what was happening, nor did I, but we had no choice. "Have all the bids been studied?" I asked. We received the bids a few days ago, and they were studying them. "The result?" I asked. "Nehdis. For the academy and the magic tower," replied Amelius, with an expression like he had eaten the thorns. That was the firm that betrayed him and jailed him for years. It has bid on both contracts, and its bids are the best. If things had been in my hands, I would have selected others, but that is not the case. Synod has also received copies of the bids. They suggested I choose them. If I tried to choose someone else, Nehdis would complain, and they would win. So, it''s better to choose them as their bid is the best. "We will send them the letter of acceptance. We want the work on the academy and the mage tower to begin as soon as possible," I stated. Things do not always work as one wishes. That doesn''t mean things are bad. Besides, Nehdis is a top architecture firm in the merchant state and the whole continent. They do amazing work, and I am sure they will remain professional here. Soon, I returned to my office and heard laughter before seeing Lola''s hand caressing a man''s shoulder. The laughter stopped, and Lola''s expressions reddened as she returned to her spot while she tried to school her expressions. "Lord Silver," greeted the handsome man. "Ethan, how are you?" I asked. "I am great, my lord," replied the man. "You must be. I heard your family acquired a large stake in the Varys Farms," I said. He smiled. "It took years, but we finally got the controlling stake in it," he replied. Varys Farm is an agricultural company specializing in planting magical plants, which will significantly benefit their house. A few minutes passed, and his expression turned serious. "I have gotten the Kinler diamond you wanted," he said, opening a tiny box. Inside is a tiny diamond the size of a rice grain, glowing in translucent light, that appears to flicker brightly every few seconds. I had asked him to look for it over a half month ago. I searched for it in Archmage City, but the bastards who had it weren''t willing to sell it for what I was offering. I didn''t want to pay their price, but I would have needed to in a few months if I hadn''t found it through my connections. It''s essential for the Velvet Garden. That is why I immediately informed Caena. I was right to ask Ethan to look for it. Old merchant families like his have connections all over the continent and beyond. "You have done me a favor, Ethan," I replied as I took the diamond to my hand before sending it to Caena. "Then I hope you will give me a little more emotion essence than usual this month," he said. It''s the thing I like about this guy. He is straightforward. If he wants something, he asks for it directly. Besides, keeping a favor would be bad for the relationship, as it would make it transactional. So, he cashed it immediately. "I am going to give you something even better," I replied, tossing a small vial with a shining drop inside it. "Don''t tell me!" he said, his voice filled with profound shock. "This is core essence," added Lola, surprised. The emotion essence would have been fine, but I wanted to reward him. He has been invaluable, and with the direction I am moving in, I will need his help even more. "Thank you, Remus," he thanked after controlling his emotions. A few minutes passed, and he left while I focused on my work. There was too much work, but I didn''t mind it. I enjoyed it despite the pressure. ''Its done,'' I was working when a familiar voice rang out in my mind. Hearing that, a smile appeared on my face. After nine long days, the negotiations were finished. I talked to Carla for a minute before focusing on the work. However, I only did it for a few more minutes before taking a break to practice aura. I do it daily without missing a single day. The danger is everywhere. Even in Panar, which I thought would be safer, seeing the undead wouldn''t be attacking me for months, but the monsters showed up, and one was powerful enough to kill me. So, practice is necessary because this protection will disappear in a few months. It''s not like it''s the only danger. I have other enemies, and they are getting powerful. I need to be powerful to deal with them. Soon, it was late afternoon, and I went to the cavalry grounds for training before returning to the city hall. "Lord Silver, they are here," informed Jill. ''Send them in,'' I replied. Click! A second later, the door opened and five people walked in. Carla, Hendricks, Rip, along with Constance and Rylan. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "It''s finally over," I said as they sat down. "Your people have driven a hard bargain, Lord Silver," replied Constance. "I heard that it was you, Lord Constance," I said to the man, and he smiled. He seemed pretty happy, and he is because the contract does not mention Velvet Garden eating the Tranquill Bathhouse. The word we used is ''becoming one,'' which can be interpreted however one likes it. I talked to them for a few minutes before picking up a contract. We wanted the signing done in the legacy, but they insisted on the office. It didn''t much matter. The whole city is the domain. I began to read the contract and felt every skill attached to it. There are many skills attached to it, some of which are powerful. I felt them and crushed their effects as I read through the parts they were trying to make me not focus on. They didn''t have to go through the effort. I am aware of every line in the contract. I kept a tight eye on their negotiations and would study their progress every night. We have gotten everything we wanted and more because we gave up the most essential point. Still, eating up Tranquill Bathhouse wouldn''t be easy. We will be facing a powerful legacy with the kingdom behind it. There is a good chance they will swallow us, but we must risk it. If we succeed, it will provide us with massive benefits. Finally, I finished reading the contract and signing it with blood ink. I finished signing both copies of the contract soon, but the contract didn''t click. It will only click after their Sovereign and Master of Tranquill Bathhouse sign it. "To the fruitful cooperation," we cheered as Lola served us with the glasses filled with golden liquid and mist. The glasses clinked, and we sipped while we talked and laughed. I could tell they were happy with the contract¡ªtoo happy. They have advantages, but they will find it difficult to swallow the Velvet Garden. It is like a beautiful flower that one couldn''t take their eyes off, but if they try to pluck it, they will feel its sharp thorns. A few minutes later, they left, along with Rip and Hendricks. Leaving only Carla in the office. "How are preparations?" asked Carla. "Caena had already begun," I replied, and I was not talking about the spells. "So, who are we sending?" she asked, with a serious expression. We are going to send the people to Oton, where the Tranquill Bathhouse is. The girls and spa staff will be there, but she is not asking about them. She is asking about the girl who will lead¡ªthe one responsible for the whole mission. Its success will determine whether we eat the Tranquill Bathhouse or it eats us. "Barb," I replied, and surprise appeared on her face. Even Lola seemed surprised. "I thought it would be Jenna," she said. I shook my head. "No, her calendar is full. Besides, I would need someone with more worldly experience, the one who can deal with any problem that might come her way," I replied. Barb may have chosen the path of a mercenary, but she is still a madam¡ªone of the very few capable of completing such a complex mission. "I am also thinking about sending Gloria. She needs such experience, but I feel like it is too dangerous for the young girl," I added, looking at her for advice. "Yes, it will be dangerous, but she needs it. It is the only way she will learn," replied Carla. Still, I am conflicted about it. "This will also be a challenge for our seductress," she added, and my expressions turned serious. She is the highest-level non-madam member of the velvet. We offered her the position of madam directly without an interview, but she declined every time we asked her. She will be the most essential part of the mission. "We haven''t asked her yet," I informed. She smiled. "You do not need to be worried about that. She will agree," replied Carla, sounding confident. "Now that you have finished with the Tranquill Bathhouse. I want you to focus on Taurus Theatre," I said. In the first bite auction, I bid on three waning legacies, but of the three, I am most interested in the Taurus Theatre. It''s the sole legacy for which I am planning to pay the core essence for an unharvested core, like the one I got from Halcyon. I don''t think the king will have any problem with it. They will let the legacy die peacefully; it will also make the master happy as they won''t go through a humiliating, painful process. They could die peacefully. Once they do, we will get their core. The core essence is exceptionally precious, but I need to use it to get the theatre. Taurus Theatre is a common theatre legacy. It didn''t have a special skill, like Onyx Halcyon had, which I had gotten. It is also small, with a capacity of only five hundred people. The capacity of my theatre is much greater than that, but it is a theatre legacy. This means that if I successfully take even 10% of it, the velvet garden will gain the theatre aspect. It will immediately increase the harvest of emotions through the theatre. Core essence will be worth it, which I might get back if the spell worked as it did with Halcyon. I will only take the core essence of theatre, which aligns with my vision. The rest will be harvested. I did the same thing with the Halcyon, and I will do the same with other legacies. Including the Tranquill Bathhouse, despite its being a living legacy. Instead of a waning one. I do not want to corrupt my vision; rather, I want to enhance it by incorporating elements from other legacies. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Hey everyone! To ensure your support goes further (and avoid Apple''s 30% fee!), please subscribe through a Web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.). You can absolutely still use the App after subscribing¡ªit doesn''t change anything about your membership! Thank you. Your support means the world to me! Chapter 612: Rohdam Chapter 612: Rohdam Proofread By Thomas F Sewal Nehdis "The letter of confirmation came. I thought it would take a while," said Sokol, putting the letter in front of me with the emblem of the city of Greltheaven. "Why?" I asked. The man hesitated. "Their past treatment of us, thanks to that bastard!" he replied after a moment of silence. I hate Greltheaven and Silver. I am at level 49 and have been at this level for years. I am trying to reach level 50, which will change everything. If I did, I would instantly become the greatest architect of the merchant state and the entire continent. One opportunity would have helped me in that way¡ªthe legacy. I wanted to design and build it and was willing to pay the total cost, but that bastard Silver didn''t give me the opportunity. "He needs an academy and mage tower. In his city as soon as possible. So, it''s no surprise that he sent the confirmation letter to us," I replied, with a slight smile on my face. I am surprised. I thought he would choose someone else and been prepared to fight for it, but the man is intelligent. He knew it would delay it, and he didn''t want the delay. The contract states that we must build the academy within a year and the mage tower in one and a half years. I heard Silver wanted the timeline even shorter. He could forget about getting this done quickly. We will take longer, much longer, than the contractual timeline. We will use all the exceptions, and there are many of them in the contract. People want us to delay it as much as possible and have told us they have our back. "Who will be responsible for it?" asked Sokol. "Hardman," I replied, and he grinned. Silver and his whole city will pay. He will regret giving refuge to that bastard, Amelius, and he will regret not giving me the opportunity with the legacy. ... Rodham The carriage turned and moved toward the bridge. To the place where no man, aside from those approved by Silver, had been able to enter. I will be the first non-member of Velvet Garden and Greltheaven Dominion to enter inside it. I had to sign a strict contract with the power of the legacy embedded in it. I can''t believe I am doing this. I want to ask my driver to turn and leave, but this is a novel opportunity to experience something I had never considered. However, the main reason I agree is the connections. This will help me deepen my connections with Velvet Garden. I have connections in the Velvet Garden, which is why I didn''t have to wait months and years for the reservation. This helped me a lot, impressing the buyers and furthering my business. However, I want to deepen them further. Getting same-day reservations in the most exclusive places in the Velvet Garden and even the Emotion Essence. I reflected on my encounter a week ago when Madam Cath presented me with a unique proposition. She asked me if I would be interested in becoming part of a lesson. I was surprised, as I was curious; I know they taught different things to their whores, but didn''t expect they would ask me about it. I am a merchant. I have a warrior class, but it is at Lv. 7. I had trained for it when I encountered a nasty incident but didn''t follow through. I didn''t have much time for it because of the work. I focused on my business while leaving the protection to the mercenaries I hired. However, I still wear a fancy sword at my waist; it impresses people and makes a good story when I have a class to back it up. So, I didn''t think I had much to teach unless it was about business. If it is about business, then there are people much better than me, like Silver himself. It was about the sex. I was shocked when I heard it. It was the last thing I had expected. Of course, I have sex in the Velvet Garden; it is the reason I went there for the first time, but after that, it was for company and good times. Even before, it had turned to legacy. It was unique. The girls there were not dumb whores. It provided such an experience that other brothels felt pale in front of it. That was before it had become a legacy and was only a tiny brothel, in a tiny city. I didn''t even want to go there the first time I went there. My meeting ran late, and I was feeling hungry. My assistant suggested it since it was the only place open at that hour, and they had heard good things about its food. Now, the sex. I will have to do it in front of people. They are using me to teach their whores how to fuck. I don''t think they needed it. Every whore I had slept with was good. Better than any whores outside. If what Madam Cath said is to be believed, I am the first person they asked; it made me feel good. This is the Velvet Garden. If they asked, hundreds would line up instantly. The carriage stopped at the garden gate, and a young guard approached the window. I am alone, as they had asked me to be. "Clear," he said. A moment later, the door opened, and the carriage moved inside. My heart began to feel wild as my carriage entered inside. I have heard so much about it. Yes, people talk about the college. I had asked the whores I spent time with, but other than the few basic facts, they remained tight-lipped about it. The carriage moved, but it didn''t turn toward the dorm building. It kept moving. I thought it would happen in the dorm, but I guess it will not. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the five-story building. Click! The door opened, and I saw a young woman standing before me. She looked young, about seventeen¡ªan orc blood with dark green skin and pale blue eyes. "Welcome to Mena Horn College, Mr. Rodham." She welcomed. Hearing that name brought back some old memories. Mena was one of my favorites. She died in the undead attack; the girls of Velvet Garden always seemed very proud of her whenever her name came up in conversation. "Thank you," I replied as I got out. "Please follow me," she said, leading me toward the building. Many girls are coming and going inside the building. Many seemed familiar, and a few I recognized. They smiled at me, and I nodded. They seemed to know what I was there for, and it made me a little uncomfortable. ''I hope the secrecy they promised will be there,'' I thought. They have promised secrecy. They told me that only members of the Velvet Garden would know about my involvement, and they were all bound by the strict contract. The girls of the Velvet Garden are notoriously tight-lipped. They will talk about everything, but not Velvet Garden''s secrets. I have heard that even people with persuasive skills have failed to get them to do that. Even my skills, which helped me tremendously, did not work as well on them as they do with others. Though I am well aware that nothing remains secret, especially in a legacy like Velvet Garden, I hope that I will be one of hundreds by the time it spreads. They had said they were planning to do it regularly, with a lot of people. Then, it will help me, especially when I tell them I was the first. I plan to use the information strategically. It helps with the business when people know you have connections. Though, if it spreads before that, it will harm me. I might become a laughingstock. That is why I thought about the offer all day, considering all its pros and cons, before accepting it. It''s a risk, but the rewards will be worth it if it works. "This is like a school," I said, surprised, actually shocked. "It is a school," replied the young girl. Everywhere, I could see. I saw rooms with girls in them. Learning different things, from painting to music to math. I was aware of this, but I assumed they would emphasize aspects like communication, elegance, and etiquette. These are qualities that girls excel in, yet here they are, absorbing everything. Soon, we reached the elevator, which stopped at the top floor, before we got out. We walked for a few seconds before entering through the door. There, we saw a beautiful woman with blond hair, who looked to be in her early twenties, sitting behind the table. "Mr. Rodham, Department Head Dawnstar, is waiting for you," she said and opened the door. I nodded and walked toward it. I have seen the woman several times and heard many things about her. A Lv. 40+ whore from Archmage City. The one said to have slept with the kings. Even in the merchant state, there are a few women of her level. Their numbers didn''t exceed ten, and half of them were in Transcendent Pleasure. She is one of the reasons I agreed to this. Despite my wealth and connections, it''s rare for me to interact with people of her level. Once one reaches Lv. 40; the skills and the classes started to become really dangerous. These people are scary but also exciting. Every meeting I had with them was memorable, and I felt this one would be the most memorable. Click! With that thought, I opened the door and entered inside. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Hey everyone! To ensure your support goes further (and avoid Apple''s 30% fee!), please subscribe through a Web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.). You can absolutely still use the App after subscribing¡ªit doesn''t change anything about your membership! Thank you. Your support means the world to me! Chapter 613: Carnal Studies Chapter 613: Carnal Studies Proofread by Thomas F Note: Content may depict sexual and traumatic themes. Reader discretion is advised. Myrathra Dawnstar ¡®He is here, chair,¡¯ informed my assistant. ¡®Send him in,¡¯ I replied. A moment later, the door opened, and a handsome man in his mid to late thirties stepped inside. ¡®No wonder he is at the top of the list,¡¯ I thought, looking at the man. There are lists, and this man has topped many. He is handsome, with sandy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He is tall and has a ruggedly handsome face. He walks confidently and purposefully. I felt faintly attracted to him despite having no interest in the men. ¡°Department Head Dawnstar,¡± he greeted in a smooth, hard voice. Thank you for coming, Mr. Rodhan.¡± I thanked him and offered him a seat. ¡°Please call me, Chair Dawnstar,¡± I added as he sat beside me. ¡°Thank you, Chair Dawnstar. It would be awkward to keep calling you Department Head Dawnstar repeatedly," he joked and I laughed. I like the man. He is charming and funny. ¡°I believe, Madam Cath, has informed you about what we want you to do?¡± I asked. ¡°Use my poor body for the sex,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°It is more nuanced than that,¡± I stated sombrely. His expressions turned serious and he arched a brow in question. Cath had given him the basics, enough to understand what we want him to do. I didn¡¯t explain. The basics provided him with enough information. He will learn the rest during the process, and he seems like a man who finds more joy in the journey than in the destination. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, getting up and walking out of my office with him beside me. My assistant walked behind me. She is new; she has been trained for it but has no experience. I didn¡¯t bring my assistant because I wanted to start the new chapter fresh without any influence from life in Archimage City. Sometimes, I miss the life of an archmage city, but that feeling occurs less frequently now. I like this small city, and if I¡¯m honest with myself, I am starting to love my job. It felt like I had found something I had been searching for all my life. I don¡¯t know if it will give me what I want, but I am willing to stay here just for the contentment I feel here, which sometimes is more precious than the levels. We didn¡¯t take the elevator, but the stairs. We are going to the floor below. I had shifted the classes held there to the lower floors for the privacy. Click! We reached the fourth floor and the guard standing by it opened the door. We entered inside, and there were seven girls dressed beautifully. Three teachers and Madam Cath. She is here to watch and report to the headmistress and Silver. He agreed with this, but with strict conditions. The most important one is one that any girl could leave if they feel uncomfortable. Though, I don¡¯t think that would be a problem. These seven work in the velvet garden and were chosen by me after the observation. I have been in business long enough to bet that none would stop the lesson mid-way. Some of them looked excited as they looked at Rodham. These seven girls are between twenty and twenty-five years old. They are at or above Lv. 20 but below Lv. 25. I wanted to get those below Lv. 20, but getting them among the working girls is hard. The velvet garden accepts girls from levels 14 to 16. At the end of the training, those girls easily reach levels 18 to 19, and when they enter the velvet garden, they reach Lv¡ª20 within the first month. Over 60% of them reach it in a first week. Reaching Lv. 20 is hard. I know many whores, I had worked in my life, who still haven¡¯t reached it yet, but here it feels easy. I have never seen whores levelling up as quickly as they do here. It¡¯s even faster than Transcendent Pleasure, and that¡¯s Throne. I could get those below Lv. 20 among the trainees, but Silver had asked me to start with those working. So, I am doing just that. If it works as expected, I will work with the trainee, who will benefit the most from it. They will enter the velvet garden with a better foundation. ¡°Chair,¡± they greeted. I nodded at them. ¡°Everyone, this is Mr. Rodham. He graciously offered to be first to test our new curriculum,¡± I introduced. ¡°Ladies,¡± he greeted charmingly. Making them smile. I looked at them all and the power of Enchanting Presence spread. It is a passive skill, but the one I had learned to control it precisely. That is why I had only released half of its power, which is enough here. ¡°Our curriculum already covers nearly all things. So, we will move directly to practical, that was not part of curriculum before¡± I stated and walked toward the door. Click! I opened the door and stepped into the room. It¡¯s a replica of the room in the velvet garden, complete with furniture, art, and, of course, a beautiful bed. ¡°Mr. Rodhan, please come forward,¡± I said and the man walked forward, standing beside the bed. Although his posture was confident, I could see the nervousness he was trying to hide. This is unsurprising; I would have been surprised if he had not been nervous. ¡°Veleryth, you will be first,¡± I said. The half-elf girl with blue hair, in her mid-twenties, stepped forward. She is a beautiful, confident, and ambitious girl. She reminded me of myself, but I had kept those things hidden when I was her age. Here in Velvet Garden, they are encouraged to show them. Have dreams and ambitions. She appeared beside Mr. Rodham, with a seductive smile. Activating her skills. ¡°Begin,¡± I ordered. ¡°Remember, you are not fucking the man. If he wants the fuck, he could fuck his wife, maid or anyone else.¡± ¡°You are also not a vessel to satiate his lust. You are the carnal incarnate. You are in control. It is the greatest blessing of his life to have sex with you,¡± I said to her, activating Privacy. So, only she and three teachers could hear my words. I have read the girl''s profile. She is a dominant type and likes to be in control. These words are only for her. I wouldn¡¯t have used them on Ondelle or others; they have different personalities. The girl smiled, which was filled with seduction, and walked toward the Rodham, before appearing in front of him. ¡°Sit,¡± she ordered and pushed him gently, activating a skill that made her movement more seductive. She didn¡¯t take a step toward him, nor did she speak. She just looked, and before she removed the pin, she held her luscious blue hair. The action is seductive and I could see the lust in Rodham¡¯s eyes intensifying while nervousness receded. She took a step forward and then another before stopping directly in front of him. She smiled and seductively moved her hand across her dress. A moment later, it slowly slipped off her body. It is a good skill. I always wanted it. As the dress fell, she revealed herself in black lingerie. Intensifying the lust in his eyes. He moved to stop his hands toward her. ¡°Stop him. Remember, you are in control,¡± I instructed. She gently pushed his hands away and seductively shook her head. Us whores, even when we are dominant. Hesitate to act on our nature. We have been taught to be submissive, because it is safest. If your actions make the clients angry, then you will be beaten. I have seen many whores. Some of them were my dear friends; even I had been beaten to the inch of my life several times. Even in my brothel, I advise girls to play safe, but here in Velvet Garden, I want to do the opposite. I want to teach the girls to follow their nature because I know Silver will protect them. This will help the girls level up faster and bring greater emotional harvest to the legacy. Most important, being true to themselves will provide them a peace, that us whores often struggle with. She stepped out of the stress and pushed Rodham onto the bed, allowing him to lie on it and climb over it. ¡°Do it slowly, let him enjoy the moment,¡± I instructed. She adjusted her pace, becoming slower, more seductive. She climbed over him before taking his lips fiercely. ¡°Move your hand over his hair,¡± I instructed, stepping to the left for a better view. I looked at them, before turning to six girls and three teachers. These three used to teach sex. I am training them to teach it through practices. A single person like me is not enough, I need to train people to teach. After I have established myself enough and proved my worth a little, I will ask Silver to hire some of the people I know. They would be very good at the jobs that colleges need. Many people have contacted me. Powerful individual and whores. Some of them are my peers. The whores of my level; it is small group and we maintain some contact. Many of them are asking about the job. Many think I have made a mistake by leaving my profitable business, but some are curious about my job. I didn¡¯t try to poach any of them, and I don¡¯t think Silver is ready to do that. I found the teaching offer to me had been sudden. He didn¡¯t want a powerful individual, fearing that it would change the values of this place. He would like to do that, when this place develops further. From its identity, it already did, but some more work and time are needed. ¡°Good,¡± I praised as she bit his lips as she stopped the kiss. He wanted to continue with it, but she pushed him down and got up, before removing her panties and throwing them seductively and sitting on his face. This is something he likes. The velvet garden has a huge dossier of information about him, as well as information on thousands of its patrons. New people are added to it every day. It is common in the high class and even the lower class. Even I have, but not this detailed. Here, they are contacted immediately after they finish with the client. Which is to be noted by dedicated staff. This information is then provided to the girls, when the client approaches them. It is a very efficient system. Even the best brothel, I had worked in the most prosperous city continent, didn¡¯t have a system as proficient as this. ¡°Ahh Ahhh Ahhh...¡± She began to moan as Rodham ate her. ¡°Adjust your moans to his pace and rhythm,¡± I instructed. This is a two-way street. The man reacts to her moans, but she must also react to his movements. More than him, because he is a patron, our job is to give him the best experience. It is how I work. I have no sexual feelings toward men. So, I read them as I fuck. I think this disease of mine is why I have reached this height, as to me sex with men is clinical. I do not get distracted by the pleasure. My focus is giving the man, I am fucking the best time. So, he would return to over and over. I withheld information from her about what kind of moans he reacts to. She needs to read it from him. Most feel good hearing the loud moans; it strokes their masculinity, but a few like him, like the breathless. He likes to read, the body language than the moans. Over a minute passed, and she read what I wanted her to. Her moans became low and her body language more pronounced. Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face. Soon, she had an orgasm and kissed him hard, before she started undressing him gently, while showering kisses as she did. I guided, corrected and praised her as she continued. She took step after step, reaching the penetration, which I think is less important. To me, foreplay is the most important part of sex. It is where, the whore needs to work hard. If one builds enough anticipation in that stage, then the penetration stage is a piece of cake. Minutes passed and he finally orgasmed. I looked at expressions and a smile couldn¡¯t help but appear on my face. ¡°I hope you are not fully spent, Mr. Rodham?¡± I asked as he finished riding through the waves of orgasm. ¡°Far from spent, Chair Dawnstar,¡± he replied, looking at six girls. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he was spent and couldn¡¯t go further. My skills are powerful enough to turn him into a bull that could go all day. Tap on to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Hey everyone! To ensure your support goes further (and avoid Apple''s 30% fee!), please subscribe through a Web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.). You can absolutely still use the App after subscribing¡ªit doesn''t change anything about your membership! Thank you. Your support means the world to me! Chapter 614: Important Job Chapter 614: Important Job Proofread By Thomas F "They are growing well," I said as I looked at the plants in the greenhouse. "Yes, they will be ready to move in around forty days," replied Mage Simar. She is one of my mages: a green mage, and a good one at that. She genuinely had an interest in the plants. Even Irgal had praised her. "Good," I replied as I walked around the garden with my siblings and Carla. This was our last day; she would leave for the Kingdom of Hevial to make the deal with the theatre. It''s not a complex deal, but there will be challenging negotiations. Since the core essence is involved, they will fight for every drop. "I can''t wait for the day when these plants will be in the Tower Garden," said Carla. She moved her hand toward the beautiful plant that was shining with a faint light but stopped before she touched it. It is a sensitive plant. There is also a plaque with a warning not to touch them. The garden already covers twelve acres, and these plants will cover another three. The Tower Garden will be beautiful, but it will also consume a massive amount of emotion essence. Those plants covering the twelve acres consume more essence than a regular-size legacy could produce. The expenditure is massive, and the pressure on the legacy is great. Seeing those plants won''t start giving me a harvest for another half a year. I could have chosen the plants for a quicker harvest, but I chose those based on my needs and the market. It will benefit the city a lot, as well as the Velvet Garden. We roamed around the greenhouses for a few more minutes before walking out and sitting in the carriage. Soon, the carriage moved out of the park and moved toward the city hall. I closed my eyes, and the room appeared before me. There are eleven women there and one man, who is having sex while others watch, and one woman instructs. Today is the first day of a new addition to the curriculum, and it is going well. Dawnstar is good but very technical. I can''t hear what she says in private. Still, seeing the girl''s changes after hearing her instructions is easy to tell, albeit a little frustrating. Her Privacy skill is powerful; I might be able to breach it, but she will sense it. I could see the girl''s every movement and expression become seductive under her instruction. Like the woman who has a mind for nothing but worshipping the man she is having sex with. The woman is Ondell; she is submissive in nature. The first one was a dominant. It is in their profile, but one could easily see it through the act. Miss Dawnstar is helping them to be true to their nature and refine their act. Ondell is doing very well, which is why the man''s attention is entirely focused on her, not the surrounding people who are watching with a clinical gaze. It isn''t easy for a typical person, including me, to have sex while people watch. I don''t think I could do it; I wouldn''t be able to perform well, but these girls are good enough to make the man forget everything other than them. ''I think this will benefit the Velvet Garden,'' I thought. That is my opinion; it might differ from the result, and it will take months to appear. The Velvet Garden has over nine hundred working girls. Not all students would need the same number of lessons, but the sheer number will take time. Miss Dawnstar is the only teacher. If we count the three, she is training, but it will take at least a few weeks before they can start teaching. There are also the stallions. It is what we are calling the "Volunteers," like Rodham. Today is only Rodham; starting tomorrow, there will be two people. Their numbers will increase after we train our staff. Many people are willing to volunteer for this. So, I don''t think we need to worry about that. I saw a slight frown on Dawnstar''s face, and she looked around momentarily. She did it earlier, and whenever I looked in on her. She is Lv. 40+, even in my domain. She is powerful enough to feel something. She cannot feel it in the legacy but could feel it outside. She might not know I was looking at her, or there wouldn''t just be a slight frown on her face, but she could feel something. A moment later, I opened my eyes. Carla looked at me curiously, but I just smiled. Soon, the carriage stopped in the city hall and stepped inside but didn''t walk toward my office. "Lord Silver," greeted Robin''s secretary with apparent surprise in her eyes. "Is Robin inside?" I asked. "Yes, my lord," she replied. I nodded and walked toward the door with Carla and the children. The guards at the door bowed and opened the door. "My lord, you should have summoned me," he said, getting up before nodding at Carla. "I wanted to do it personally," I replied with a smile. He nodded, and his eyes turned to Heron. "Lord Heron, I hope you will enjoy working with me," he said to Heron. "He will be working for you, Robin, not with you. Treat him as you would any assistant," I corrected. Heron is thirteen, and it''s time for him to start working for his class. I want him to gain Lord Class. It is better than the Warrior Class he wants. If he wishes to pursue it. He will mold it into Warrior Lord or other combat Lord Class. Being an official Lord increases his chances of getting those classes, and working with Robin will further increase those chances. However, the class only has a secondary purpose. I want him to gain experience in administration. If something happens to me, Josie will become the lady of the dominion, and he will be the person she relies on the most. "Thank you for taking me, Chief Robin," thanked Heron before turning to me. "I will not disappoint you, brother," he said. "I know you will not," I replied, ruffling his hair. A few minutes later, I walked out of the office. Carla went back with Josie while I went to my office. "Chief Elar is waiting for you in your office," Jill informed me. I nodded and walked inside. Valentina was sitting there, and I knew why she was there. She is even holding¡ªthe letter. "I don''t like this," she said, putting a letter on the table. "Me neither," I replied as I sat down. The letter is from Nehdis. It informs us that they accept the contract and will formalize the signing in two weeks. We wanted to do it in a few days; two weeks is too long. We insisted they do that, but they disagreed. If it had been the city''s contract, they would have listened to us immediately, or I would have threatened to terminate them. Unfortunately, the contract is from Synod. They will pay for it and even have control over it. Nehdis is well within its rights to take two weeks to study the project''s details before officially signing it. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said. I didn''t respond. I''m hoping for the best. The academy and the mage tower will benefit the city. So, I will wait and not think too deeply about it. The project is complex, and asking for fifteen days isn''t much, even though they studied its intricacies before bidding. She left a minute later, and I turned to work. Hours passed as I met a few people, attended a few meetings, practiced with aura, and looked into the college. ''Lord Silver, Commissioner Julian is here,'' informed Jill as the evening rolled on. "Send him in," I replied. Soon, the door opened, and Julian walked inside. Behind him was an orc man and a human woman. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Commissioner," I replied and nodded at two. They sat down, and there was a silence for a moment. "We have gathered nearly all the evidence and witnesses. I want to inform you that by the end of the month, we will be finished with the investigation and ready to make the arrests," he informed. He is talking about the matter on the store floors. It is big enough that the police are involved, and there will be arrests. Every time I received a brief on the investigation, I felt as if someone had buried a dagger in my heart and was twisting it. It was painful, given the people I had trusted who betrayed me. It is a vast scheme. That is done masterfully. I couldn''t help but feel impressed by it before rage burned in my heart. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a small scheme, but it was thorough, and I was shocked by what I found. I could have arrested them earlier, but I wanted to set an example. I followed the methods and gathered all the proof before releasing it. Now, it is nearly done. "Thank you, Commissioner," I replied. A few minutes later, after sharing the new information. He walked out of the office. It was also time for me to leave, and I was about to when something came to mind. I was planning to do it after I cleaned the corruption on the store floors, but it would have been better if I had started the preparations earlier. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and turned to Zela. "Ask Vice Guildmaster Reed to come to my office," I told her. She nodded and closed her eyes while I focused on the work before me. I could have done this tomorrow, but now that I thought about it, I want to do it today. ''Master Silver, Vice-Guildmaster Reed has arrived,'' informed Jill. "Send him in," I replied. Click! A second later, the door opened, and a bald man in his fifties walked inside. He looked worried, with sweat appearing on his brow. A sudden summons had scared the man. He didn''t have to be scared. He is one of the most useful people I have. He has proved his worth, and today, he will be rewarded with an important responsibility that will make even his boss jealous. "My lord," he greeted. I nodded. "Vice-Guild master, take a seat," I offered. "Thank you, my lord," he replied. He is the vice-guild master Beckett Reed of the merchant guild. I appointed him to that position because I wanted him to represent small businesses at the highest level. I have to say, giving him that position is one of the best decisions I''ve made. He had brought many small businesses to the city, crushing all my expectations. He even created a special group in the merchant guild on his own, which is responsible for bringing small businesses to the city. The group is doing so well that I have funded it through the city''s budget. However, he is not here for that today. "I have an important job for you, Vice-Guildmaster, but I need you to do it in absolute secrecy," I said, and I could see relief flooding the man''s body. "It will be my honor, my lord," he replied. Tap on below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 615: I am a Madam Chapter 615: I am a Madam Proofread By Thomas F Myrathra Dawnstar Siren of Sensual Nights Lv. 43 [Skill Gained: Siren''s Chains] [Class Gained: Teacher of Temptation] Teacher of Temptation Lv. 2 Teacher of Temptation Lv. 3 Teacher of Temptation Lv. 4 Teacher of Temptation Lv. 5 [Skill Gained: Guided Passion] [Skill Gained: Correction Touch] When I opened my eyes, a text was in front of me. When I saw it, the dam of emotions broke through. I started crying, with uncontrollable tears streaming out of my eyes. I tried to control my emotions, but it only made things worse, and I started crying harder. I don''t consider myself emotional, but these tears won''t stop. It took minutes for my emotions to settle before I calmly turned to the text before me. "I had leveled up," I said. I didn''t care if someone heard me. After years, I had leveled up. It happened less than two months after I arrived here. I hoped I would level up. That is why I came here. I thought it would take me a year, but it only took a little more than a month for it to happen. I can''t describe the emotions I am feeling. I have not only leveled up but even gained a skill. It is a very powerful skill. Siren''s Chains. I know the skill. A very powerful one and versatile; I could use it in sex, as well as when I am in danger. Though it comes with conditions, that wouldn''t be a problem. Even the people who hate me wanted to fuck me. So, not a problem. I wanted such a skill for a long time. Siren of Sensual Nights is a carnal class. It is not a combat class, but like any class, if it reaches a high level, its skills become powerful enough to be used for a purpose other than its original. Siren''s Chains will be more useful than all others in protecting me. I stared at it for a while, not believing that I had leveled up. Even now, when I see it, I have a hard time believing it is true, but it is. I took a deep breath and looked at my new class and the five levels I got with it, which is quite rare. It is not a beginner class. It is a class that is powerful for even Lv. 20+. It''s not surprising. People at my level get powerful secondary classes; another reason is that they are related to my main class. I have all the knowledge regarding the profession of a second class. Although I have not taught professionally, I have instructed my girls and have deep knowledge of what I teach. I have spent my whole life studying it, which is why I have reached my heights. The final reason is the place I am in. I have noticed that the members of Velvet Garden have potent classes. It is not just whores, but also the other staff, including the guards. It is not surprising with a legacy, but here, classes are stronger than the members of other Grade III legacies. Margaux''s class is as powerful as mine. Carla''s felt slightly stronger than mine. It was quite a shock when I felt their classes, especially Carla''s. I didn''t feel Caena''s class, or rather not the main class, but for whatever reason, I felt scared, despite knowing her main class hadn''t reached Lv. 40. All three of them hadn''t breached Lv. 40, but have classes as strong as mine. I can''t envision how powerful their classes would become after reaching Level 40. I pushed those thoughts away and looked at the text before me. The new class. This is my first time taking the new class; I have rejected it every other time. I wanted to focus on a single class, and that strategy served me well. Now, I am taking a second, changing the stance I had held for decades. I had dissuaded the girls under me from taking a second class, advising them to focus on their main class alone. I am taking the way of the Velvet Garden; they encourage their members to take secondary classes. Mainly related to their passions, hobbies, and jobs. The result is remarkable. The girls level up fast and merge their classes, making them even more powerful. Levels aren''t the only thing I have. I also have powerful skills¡ªGuided Passion and Correction Touch. I have not heard about Guided Passion, but seeing the name and the feeling I am getting from it. It is likely an instruction-type skill. Correction Touch is a familiar skill. I could correct the students with just a touch. Both skills are powerful. Most importantly, the class is powerful. With my high attributes and the weight they possess because of my main class, I will use these skills with a power far beyond their level. These skills will have the power of Lv. 25 or even Lv. 29 in my hand, which is more than enough to serve my purpose. I watched for a few minutes before finally closing the table and getting up. Two volunteers are coming today. One will arrive in the morning, about an hour later, and another in the late afternoon. I have to teach the girls and train the teachers. The new class and the skills I gained from it will aid me tremendously. ... Barb Utsa "I hope the bridge is finished soon. I enjoy the boat, but I would prefer a bridge to get to the city directly," said Hen, looking at the columns rising out of the river. "It would be efficient," added Rev, and I couldn''t help but nod at that. Work is progressing quickly. They mentioned that they might even finish it before the scheduled time. Soon, we reached the other side, mounted our beasts, and rode them toward the gates. A few minutes later, I said goodbye to my teammates and rode toward the college. I have my apartment, but I like the college. So, I divide my time between the college and my apartment in the city. Whenever I come to the city, I usually spend the first night in my apartment, but this time, I was called back from the Nakar forest. I have to meet Master Silver tonight. A few minutes later, I rode into the college. As I reached the garden gate, the guards took my beast, and I walked inside. "Sister Barb, I thought you would be in Nakar Forest for a few months?" asked the teen girl as she appeared beside me. "I was called back, Lyra," I replied. She looked at me, but I had no further explanation. They didn''t explain; they just called me and my team back to the city and sent our replacements to Nakar. I didn''t want to leave the forest. I was improving there, fighting against the challenging monsters and earning quite a lot of levels in both of my classes. Though there was no merger, it was the only disappointment. "How was the interview?" I asked, knowing that the girl had been called for the interview. "I thought it went well, but now I am having doubts," the young girl replied nervously. "Don''t worry too much, you will get it. Even if you didn''t, you are only eighteen, and the job will eventually be yours," I replied to the girl. I talked to her briefly before she walked away while I went toward the dorm. I had reached when I saw my friend. She is half my age, but I consider her a friend. I remember the day she entered the brothel; she was fourteen and crying. I took her under my wing and looking at her now, I couldn''t help but feel proud. "Barb," she said. "Cath," I replied, nodding at the three women beside her. The fourth, the enchanting half-elf, I have never seen before, but I know who she is. "Barb, this is Chair Dawnstar. Chair, this is my friend and mentor, Barb Utsa," she introduced Cath. "I have heard so much about you, Chief Dawnstar," I said, and it''s not a lie. "So have I of you, Madam Utsa," she replied as she shook my head. "How is your new project going?" I asked. I know all about it, and I can''t say I agree with it. We are whores, there is no one better than us when it comes to fucking, but now she is teaching us to be better. It is my opinion that Master Silver and others must have thought that it is important enough to let her do this. We talked as we walked, and soon, the elevator reached the top floor. Miss Dawnstar went to her suite while Cath followed me to mine. "How are you? I heard monsters are attacking constantly, and you are even going to the forest to fight them," Cath asked, worried. "I am good, and you don''t have to be worried. I know what I am doing," I replied, hugging her. "I couldn''t help but get worried about you," she said softly. I know," I replied. "Do you know why Master Silver called me back?" I asked as I let go. "He called you?" she asked back in surprise. I nodded. "I don''t know, but it must be important," she replied. She stayed for a few minutes before leaving. She had work to do while I showered and went to the cafeteria for the late lunch. I could have eaten in the Legacy¡ªI am a madam, after all¡ªbut I had a few things to do in college and met a few people. Soon, it was evening and then night, and I took the carriage through the tunnel to the Legacy before taking the elevator to the top floor. The elevator stopped, and I stepped out of it before walking toward Master Silver''s office. I am curious about why he called me, and I will know soon enough. "Sister Barb, you can go inside," said Jill. "Thanks, Jill," I thanked and walked inside as the guards opened the door for me. I saw Master Silver inside, but Madam Caena was also there. Both had solemn expressions. "Master Silver, Madam Caena," I greeted. "Take a seat, Barb," he replied. I thanked him and sat down in front of him. He didn''t say anything, nor the madam. They just looked at me. "Do you still consider yourself a Madam, Barb?" Madam Caena asked. The question surprised me and also made me angry. "I am a madam!" I replied, with the fire I breathed out. I expected to see a flash of anger and irritation in their eyes, but there was a smile. ''What is happening?'' I thought. I could feel something, but I couldn''t tell what. Hun! I was trying to find the answer to that question when I felt something¡ªnot something, but the access. It shocked me. I have privileges of the madam, but not the access; the high access. I got lower access through the mark, which let me manipulate the mist, but not the high access that Carla, Margaux, and Caena have. I once had it but had to give it up after becoming a mercenary. Now, it has been returned to me once again. Feeling it, tears couldn''t help but well up in my eyes. "We have an important responsibility for you, Barb," said Master Silver. I could feel the heaviness in the words; whatever it is, it''s essential. "Anything for Velvet Garden," I replied with emotion, and I guessed right as the smiles appeared on their face. It is about the legacy. "We want you to lead the mission to Vethe Island," he stated. For a moment, I was confused before recognition flashed in my eyes. "Tranquill Bathhouse?" I asked, and they nodded. "You will be responsible for both the mission and the girl''s safety," Madam Caena said, and my expression became serious. I will lead them to Oton. The routes are safe but not secure enough for me to be completely careless. Although, I am most worried about the objective of the mission. I have been feeling that it isn''t simple. If it were, they wouldn''t have called for me. Other madams are capable, and they could send powerful mercenaries or people from the army for security. "What is the objective?" I asked. Master Silver smiled while Caena''s expression turned serious. "Do you know my main class, Barb?" asked Madam Caena instead of answering my question. The question confused me, but I shook my head. Click! A few minutes later, I walked out of the office with a massive weight on my shoulders. I thought I knew most of the secrets of the legacy and its people, but I was wrong. I felt honored that they trusted me, but I felt inadequate for the task. However, they have chosen me. I have to do it and succeed; the very survival of the Velvet Garden depends on it. Tap on below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 616: Guests Proofread By Thomas F Clang, Clang, Clang! I felt the pain in my arm as I defended against the purple fists. There are only three fists, each the size of my head, and they are coming at me from all sides at a speed I could barely see, even with my Lord''s Eyes. These fists are aura methods that Bell is attacking me with. They are intentionally weakened, but I could barely defend against them. Bam! One of the fists slipped past my sword and hit my body. Crashing against the layers of spell armor and destroying them while sending me back. "Seventh," counted Bell and kept with her attacks. This marks the seventh time I would have been slain¡ªor at least gravely wounded¡ªif this were a real battle. The spell armor again appeared on me as I kept dodging and defending against her attacks. My focus is on my target, not her attacks, but she isn''t letting me get any closer to her. Each fist hit like a cannonball, but are also unlike cannonballs. When I was using a half-artifact and covering it with an aura, these fists couldn''t be ripped into two. It is a full-fledged aura method. It''s tough to defend against them, even with the powerful weapons. I sharpened my aura on the sword and tried to control it finely to harness even greater power. I am making progress, but not enough to get closer to her. She is very good and improving fast. Over a year ago, she could barely attack the thief with her aura. Now, she could kill ten of them within a second. She is sparring with me, Stone, Jon, and Carla, who employs aura and the spells. She has improved so much that even Stone can''t defeat her anymore. He did a few times at the start, but not anymore. This is good because it forces him to work hard on his elder power. Earlier, he trained a few times a week, but now he trains every day. Bam! Once again, a fist hit me. This time, it struck my shoulder, nearly knocking me off balance, but I managed the impact and stepped back as new armor materialized on my body. Every part of my body is screaming in pain. She might have lowered the power of her aura method and lowered it further when it was about to hit, but despite that, it''s still powerful. I wanted to use the healing spells, but I controlled myself and kept on fighting. Time passed as I continued sparring. I pushed myself, even when I felt tired, because I knew I would need to push myself in battle. My enemies are strong, and they want to destroy me and everything I hold dear. Bam! Once more, the fist hit me. This time, squarely on the chest, sending me crashing against the wall, hard. We started in the middle of this underground sparring field, but she slowly pushed me back until I crashed against the wall. "Twenty-fifth," she counted. A moment later, the healing spells covered me. It was a combination of divine and mage spells that healed 90% of the damage while letting my body deal with the rest on its own. "It was as bad as last time," I said as I got up once the healing spells took effect. "No, you were a little better than the last time," Bell corrected. "It didn''t feel like it," I replied, shaking my head. I might have said that, but I could feel my subtle progress. Last time, I didn''t last this long or dodge and defend this effectively. The next time, I will try harder. I walked out of the sparring ground while Bell remained with Jon. I didn''t go to the upper floors but to the underground room, which they had finished a few days ago. This made things easier, as I didn''t have to go to the top floor for a shower. Though I use my skills, nothing can refresh me like a shower does. Once I had showered and put on a clean suit, I rested before taking the elevator to the top floor. "They are waiting for you," informed Jill. I nodded and entered the conference room, where Caena, Margaux, Maeve, and our guests were seated. "Lord Silver," they got up and greeted. "Everyone," I replied and sat down before turning to the three elves. I looked at the leader, the middle-aged elf with ocean-blue hair and greenish-brown eyes, the shade only elves have. He is a Tyxanil Saltyr, husband of Aelys Saltyr, master of Aelys Sanctum¡ªthe legacy spa. The green-haired elf was in his mid-thirties to his left. Sera Chance was the official from the Elven Glade, the Elven Kingdom. The old elf with greying hair is Carter Hall, one of the spa managers. "I hope you had a safe journey, Lord Saltyr?" I asked. "It was, Lord Silver," he replied. "I''m glad. These days, even the safe routes aren''t safe anymore," I said, shaking my head. "You''re absolutely right about that, Lord Silver," the man agreed. "How do you like our legacy so far?" I asked. They arrived yesterday afternoon and will sign an agreement on resources, expertise exchange, etc. "Amazing! I had heard so much about the Velvet Garden, but every word paled when I saw the real thing," he replied, looking around. "Good. I have asked Madam Caena to provide you with everything you require. If you need anything more, don''t hesitate to ask me," I said. "Of course," he replied. A few minutes later, the meeting ended, and I walked out with Caena and Margaux while Maeve led them to the spa. "They are willing to offer many things," informed Caena. "Really?" I asked. These snobs weren''t so willing when I first asked for their help. However, they have straightened up and are now willing to give us nearly everything we requested. "Yes. As long as we provide them with enough resources," she replied with a smile. "There it is," I said. Unlike us, their spa has been around for decades. They are almost entirely self-sufficient, handling everything from staff training to producing the products used in their spa. If they could get the resources that I have. They could improve their spa even further. We have also been trying to achieve that, but our legacy is barely a year old. Still, we are progressing in every aspect, including crafting our spa products. We have found gifted alchemists who are leading those efforts. Still, it will take time before we can become as self-sufficient as they are. We will be one day. Soon, we reached one of the most exclusive halls on the top floor and entered the hall. There were people in it, not the patrons but the girls. "Master Silver," they greeted in unison. Thirty-two girls had completed the interview, but only fourteen had been accepted. We wanted to take more, but the others weren''t ready. In the coming months, we will establish a leadership program to train the next generation of Velvet Garden leaders. They will be trained in college as well as being sent abroad. I did that earlier, but only a small number of trusted people were sent out due to the risk of them being poached or turning into spies. The risk is there, but we must take it. I need more leaders from the legacy. "Congratulations to you all." I congratulated the fourteen, the youngest of whom is eighteen, and the oldest is forty-four. They belong to all races. For the first time, we have full-blooded elves and orcs, as well as half-elves, half-orcs, and those with the blood of the races in ancestry. "Your journey hasn''t been easy, but the true challenge begins now. From here on, you will be tested at every turn and entrusted with responsibilities that demand excellence." "It is fine if you make mistakes, but we expect each of you to learn from them." "I fully believe that you will. It is why you have been chosen," I finished, looking at the faces. "We will not disappoint you, Master Silver," they replied. Margaux and Caena also spoke a few words before we left them in Senar''s care. She will be responsible for the trainees. It is an enormous responsibility, but she is capable. Margaux went toward the elevator while I went toward my office with Caena. ''They had found and sunk the undead ship,'' informed Shaun. The undead may have paused their attacks against us, but they are still building their forces. They are also very sneaky, but the merchants'' states'' spy network is one of the best on the continent. They still found the ships, and the empire sunk them. This means I will have to send a bit extra emotional essence to the princess and the merchant state. It is an unspoken agreement we have. I recognize my fragile situation and must ensure the backers'' satisfaction. The emotion essence does that. Soon, we reached my office and discussed a few important things. ''Master Silver, Sister Tara is here,'' Jill informed. "Send her in," I replied. Click! A moment later, the girl walked in. She looked to be in her twenties, with flowing raven hair and dark eyes. She is pretty but not as strikingly beautiful as Lola or Andrea. At first glance, she is nothing worthwhile until she turns to you. On the first day, I came to Greltheaven, I asked Carla to give me a list of girls ranked from highest to lowest potential. This girl was at the bottom. She changed, and her change was transformational. If anyone had absorbed lessons better, it would be her¡ªespecially regarding etiquette, communication, and seduction. She had utterly transformed herself through them. From the bottom of the list, she had reached the top. We call her ''Seductress'' not because of her class, which is also her class, but because of her ability to seduce; she can seduce anyone. She captivates and enthralls people, leaving them so obsessed with her that they send gifts for months, even after spending only a few hours in her presence. She is one of the few girls who is free from a schedule and can work at any time she wants. She only works two to three days a week, and even then, she spends time with patrons if she likes them. "Master Silver, Madam," she greeted in a smooth, flowing voice. "Take a seat, Tara," I replied. She thanked and sat down with effortless grace. "Have you made the preparations for the trip?" asked Caena. "Yes, and I am excited about it," she replied, a bright smile appearing on her face. However, our expressions turned serious. "There is something we haven''t told you. Something we want you to do," I said. I don''t like what we''re about to ask her. We''ve never done this before, but this time, we''ll need to ask her for the survival of the Velvet Garden. "I had expected that much, or you wouldn''t have been sending me there," she replied, her expression turning serious. I sensed her gaze and the heaviness of what I was about to ask her, but I knew I had to. "I want you to collect the blood of Master of Tranquill Bathhouse. A drop would be enough," I said, and a smile appeared on her face. The one that enchants everyone. "So, I will have to sleep with him?" she asked, looking at her nails. We can''t just take the blood directly. He is a master and is well-protected. We must find a novel way to obtain his blood, which is crucial for the spell. "Yes, but if you feel uncomfortable, you don''t have to," I replied, feeling Caena''s eyes. I wanted to finish with just the ''yes,'' but I couldn''t stop. "I think it is the first time you have asked that of any girl," she said with a smile that would charm anyone. "I wouldn''t have if not for the very survival of the Velvet Garden, depending on it," I sighed heavily. "I would even sacrifice my life for you and the Velvet Garden. This is just a small thing, and I think it will be interesting," she replied with a grin. All I could do was smile in gratefulness. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 617: Taurus Theater Proofread By Thomas F Carla Salt I looked at the beautiful view of the city in front of me. Khartan is a beautiful city and the capital of the Hevial Kingdom. Filled with ancient monuments, beautiful buildings, and Hevial lamps, they are everywhere. These are large flower-shaped lamps made by masters of the craft. They are the specialty of the kingdom. I enjoyed the view until the clock ticked ten before leaving the hotel suite. My guards were in front and behind me, but I could feel the other eyes. They have been on me since the moment I entered the kingdom. It is not surprising. It happens when one becomes important enough or in a place for an important job. I took the elevator and appeared in the lobby a few seconds later. "Chief," greeted Rip, and we walked toward the exit. We are going to the Taurus Theatre to negotiate. These are simple negotiations with a clear-cut demand, but they won''t be easy like all crucial negotiations. We exited the hotel and entered the carriage with Greltheaven and Velvet Garden flags. The carriage moved through the city, and we watched it through the window. We didn''t talk, and there was a real risk they would hear us. "It''s a beautiful city," praised Rip. It''s also ancient, older than the kingdom itself, which came into existence well after the city was founded, like most other kingdoms in the world. A little over ten minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a small but beautiful building. It''s a two-and-a-half-story building, and beautiful work has been done on it. The mist swirling around it enhanced its beauty the most. This is the Taurus Theatre. It''s small, but it''s a legacy. The place used to be a theatre for working-class people, as most small theatres are, but it has since become a legacy. It has become something only the rich and powerful can enjoy. The door opened, and I got out of the carriage. "Welcome to Taurus Theatre, Miss Salt," greeted the middle-aged man with short blond hair. He is a son of Arta Taurus, the Master of Taurus Theater. "Thank you, Mr. Taurus," I replied. He led us inside, and I felt the power of the theatre. It differed from the Velvet Garden and the legacies we had visited. We want this, the aspect of the theatre. Since we got the casino aspect, essence generation has increased by 20%. That is not just from the casino floors but also from all other floors. It will pull the emotions as long as they are related to betting, chance, and other elements. That is part of the aspect of the casino. The theatre aspect will be just as beneficial, or even more so. In the Velvet Garden, we asked the girls to consider their job as a performance, with patrons as admirers. It is an act for a single person, an act that makes them feel special and the most fortunate in the world. It will be enough, even if it only affects the theatre, given its capacity and three shows that run every day. We will be more than happy to harvest the extra emotional essence with the aspect. "It''s a beautiful legacy you have, Mr. Taurus," I praised as I looked around a beautiful theatre. There is a show going on. It is always during the day and at night, which is necessary to harvest the maximum amount of essence. There is only a ten-minute break between each show with the large assembly of actors, stage managers, and other staff to run it efficiently. We want to bring our people here, and some of their people, to the Velvet Theater. It is for Caena''s spell and because there is so much to learn from this legacy. Soon, we reached the top floor and took a few turns before appearing in front of the simple wooden door, which the man opened. I thanked him and entered the small room. Seeing the people, I was shocked. There is Arta Taurus, the master. She is ancient and looks like she could drop dead at any moment. Though her body is frail, her eyes are strong and sharp. She isn''t what surprised me. It is the man in his fifties who did; he is one of the most powerful men in the kingdom of Havail. Since the Taurus Theatre is in the capital, the territory of the royal family. It doesn''t have a guardian. So, I didn''t know who would be there from the kingdom, but I didn''t expect him. "Your grace, Lady Taurus," I greeted with a bow. Duke Dorin Kaldis, who looked to be in his fifties, had dark blue eyes and a sharp face. He is the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Havail, a childhood friend of the king, and his brother-in-law. "Miss Salt," he replied, offering me a seat. "Thank you, your grace," I thanked as I sat down. "So, why did the Velvet Garden request this meeting and call it important?" he asked, his tone laced with concern. "We already signed an agreement for the first bite. I don''t think there is anything more to discuss, much less important things," he added, looking directly at me. I could feel the weight of his gaze. He wasn''t using any skills, even his passive ones, which were tightly controlled, but it made me feel suffocated momentarily. "We want the complete core of the Taurus Theater," I replied, and I could see shock appearing in their eyes. The two hid it immediately as it had never been there, but it took the middle-aged man a moment. "The deal was for the first bi," said the middle-aged man, but he stopped as his mother and the duke glanced at him. "And what is Velvet Garden willing to offer in exchange?" asked the man. "Core essence, of course," I replied with a smile. The smile and surprise appeared on the man''s face as well. However, the woman was the most surprised. She has the most significant stake in it. If the negotiations were successful, she could die peacefully. "I had a feeling this meeting would be important. I was right," said the Prime Minister before his expressions turned serious. "You have to offer a substantial amount to get the complete core," he stated. Seeing that, I took a letter from my bag and placed it before him. "This is what we are willing to offer. There will be no negotiations on it," I replied, sliding the letter to him. He took it and tore it open before reading the number inside. He was good because his expression did not change as he read it. "It is not enough," he replied and turned to me. For the first time, I felt his class, which was powerful and had a weight of aura on it. "Velvet Garden will get a complete core and aspect of theatre like you got the aspect of the casino from Halcyon. That will help your legacy tremendously," "So, I hope you will give us a better offer," he said with each word, the power of skill getting stronger and making it harder for Rip even to breathe. He is one of the most powerful people in the kingdom, so I am not surprised by his power and knowledge of the velvet garden. Clear Mind. I activated the Clear Mind in response and filled it with aura, before spreading it to Rip. I could see the shock appear on their faces. They might have heard about me having an aura but not honestly believing it. To most, I am still a whore and always will be. My control isn''t as good as the man''s, but because of Bell''s training or hammering attacks, I could defend myself and others enough not to get heavily suppressed. "The offer will not change. It is the most we could offer," I replied with a smile that was hard under the power of his aura, which he increased even more. "Velvet Garden will lose a chance to get a theatre aspect," countered the duke. "Yes, we will, but there are other theatre legacies. It might take some time, but I am sure someone will eventually accept our offer," I replied, brightening my smile even more. Of course, there are other theatres, but only one is waning. It will be a few years before another one enters the waning. We want the theatre''s core at any price and would increase the offer if they remained adamant, but I don''t think that would happen. They need it more than us. It might not seem like it, but they are talking. I am sure the older woman is pressing the man to agree. The aura kept pressing me harder before suddenly disappearing. "What other things do you want? I am sure you have not come here for the core alone," he asked. He didn''t say it, but he agreed with it. I am not surprised, and the offer is generous. It is 20% of the core essence of the core, the size of the legacies Taurus Theater has. The biggest reason he agreed was his fear that the older woman might choose the dignified way to die. That would not be good for the kingdom. With us, they don''t have to fear it. There is also another advantage: she will be able to die peacefully. Given her age, they would have asked her to milk the core in one or two months. That would have killed her and made the legacy disappear. With us, they don''t have to worry about that. The master could live for months or even years. That would help them gain more emotional essence and aid the economy. Legacies are significant drivers of tourism and culture. "You are right, your grace. We want other things," "First is the exchange between our legacies. We want the theatre company of the Taurus to come to Greltheaven to perform at our theatre while our people come to Taurus to perform," "The second, we want to hire some of your people; they will come to us after the legacy''s demise, of course," "The third..." I stated the other things we wanted. "Some things are going to cost you, Miss Salt," said the Duke. "And we are willing to pay for it. Your grace," I replied. Those things won''t cost much, but I am sure they will try squeezing us as much as possible. A few minutes passed, and the duke left. The negotiations will start in the evening, but seeing how things went, I don''t think they will take over two days. If I am lucky, we will be finished tomorrow. "Sarus, give us some privacy," said the old woman. Yes, mother," he replied. As I looked at Rip, he nodded and walked out. Soon, only two of us were left in the room. "If the Velvet Garden is willing to give my son the theatre of your legacy. I will give you the core without any payment," said the Master of Taurus legacy. She meant I didn''t have to pay the core essence for the core. "The circumstances were different. We cannot offer you the same deal we did to the Halcyon," I replied, noticing her disappointment. When the velvet garden reached Grade III, we didn''t have a casino. However, we did have a theatre, which was run by a very capable administrator, so we did not need their help. "Though, as a personal gift from Lord Silver, we are willing to give. Thousand drops of Grade III emotion essence to your descendant as long as the core we get does not bear any resistance," I added. It surprised her. A thousand drops is a massive amount. This legacy would take months to produce, and we are willing to give it to them, not the state. It is a massive amount for us as well, but Caena said it will be worth it as long as we get to the core without resistance. "I believe it won''t be in a contract?" she asked. To that, I shook my head. It depends on the core, its resistance, and our intentions afterward. She will have to trust us for it. Castellan of Mist Lv. 38 Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 618: Store Scandal I Proofread by Thomas F Senar Olgard "Mrs. Yarte. You are late," I said as I greeted a familiar middle-aged woman and three colleagues. I had read about two of them, but the third one clearly had come here for the first time. "The meeting lasted longer than we had thought," Mrs. Yarte replied with a tired sigh. I hope you have a table for us, Madam Senar," she stated. Although we are usually strict about timing, we make exceptions for patrons like her. "For you, of course," I replied and turned to Lyra, the trainee who had started working a few days ago. "Please follow me, Mrs Yarte," she said, leading them toward their table. I watched her and how she interacted with the patrons. I am in charge of them. It''s a massive responsibility; I thought they would give it to someone more experienced, but they gave it to me. I am grateful for the trust. However, I have to say that I didn''t like the new fourth tier. Although the girls are talented, they should be trainee madams instead of trainees. I hope they have a good reason for making the system more complex. I glanced around the hall, finding it packed to the brim. Every table was taken, chairs filled with guests deep in conversation, their voices blending into a steady hum. Not a single empty seat remained. Like all restaurants, we have a system. We request confirmation one day and one hour before their reservation. If they do not respond, someone else will be given their table. A line of people is always willing to take it within a minute. Soon, Lyra returned, and I did the round with her and the other trainee. Talking with patrons and instructing them, before I knew it, it was twelve. "Take care," I said as I handed the charge to my replacement. My shift had ended. The trainees will be there; they are trainees and will be working longer hours. It wasn''t the case before, but now, with the new tier, it is. I took the elevator, and it descended before stopping soon. I am not going back just yet. I stepped into the expansive Eva Cain store. Unlike the other levels, where multiple shops crowded for space, this store commanded the entire massive floor, its vast layout stretching in every direction. Rena told me how many store owners complain about it, saying it helps to be Silver''s friend. Yes, being a friend of Master Silver helped Miss Eva get to the store, but that isn''t the only reason. She runs a large business and has massive capital. The fact that the legacy needed a store like this also helped. Eva Cain is a beautiful store; even now, it is bustling with people admiring beautiful designs. Many of them had traveled from the merchant state specifically to shop there. I glanced around, my gaze stopping at a beautiful metal and gem tree covered in a light mist, which made it look even more beautiful. It''s crafted by Miss Eva herself. It made me feel envious of her talent. "Miss Senar, how can I help you?" asked the green-haired half-elf sales girl. "I need earrings," I replied. "We have a large collection of them. There are a few I think will suit you well," the sales girl said, and I shook my head. "I need it for a friend,'' I replied. Tomorrow is Elah''s birthday, and I want to give her something good. I could afford to shop here; there is also a 25% discount for Madams. The goods here are investments, but I prefer real investments. I have invested in many things, and many have already given me good returns. However, my investments are dwarfed by those from the first, second, and third batches. They are really rich. Soon, we stopped in front of the large table. Although it was beautiful, it contained only nine sets of earrings. "This is our Avas collection. Designed by Miss Eva herself and made using the mist with enchantments that will keep them beautiful for a long time," she informed. The earrings are beautiful. Made of gems and metal, they are also costly. Thankfully, three of them are in my budget. "Attention all customers on the second to fourth floors! Evacuate immediately. Move quickly but stay orderly. Security will guide you to safety!" I was about to choose the earrings when a booming voice rang out. It was Stena, the head of security. "What is happening?" asked the sales girl. Everyone seemed to be asking the same question. "I have no idea," I replied, walking toward the exit. There, I saw the group of guards stopping the store patrons at the gates. "Sir, the legacy isn''t in danger. We have just evacuated the store floors for our internal business," replied Gokre, one of the Stena''s deputies. "You have heard the security team; there is no threat. Therefore, I kindly request that you return to the store and enjoy shopping. I''m sure we will find out what''s happening in just a few minutes," said Devin, Miss Eva''s son. He looked at me in question, but I shook my head and walked ahead. The guards hesitated for a moment and stepped aside. I thanked them and stepped into the elevator. ''It is happening on every floor,'' said Jenna through the link. Hearing that, I tried to talk to the Madam, but that channel was silent. I am not feeling well, but I controlled my emotions before tapping on runes. The elevator started to descend immediately. I wanted to go up, but seeing the silence, I decided to go to the store floors and see what was happening. A few seconds later, the elevator stopped, and the doors slid open. I stepped out¡ªonly to freeze in shock. The police were there. There are a lot of them. "Ma''am, you can''t go any further," a young guard said. "I''m a Madam," I replied instinctively as it opened most of the doors in the city. "It didn''t matter who you are. It is a crime scene/sealed area; nobody is allowed in until we are done,'' he replied. I opened my mouth and closed it a moment later. I turned to the floor and watched the guards guide the people out while the police checked everyone leaving. I could see the worry on many store owners'' faces. Some even stopped working. I was watching when I saw a familiar blue-haired woman coming toward me, but she was stopped by the guards mid-way and received the same answer as I did. They are not letting anyone enter, but also not letting people leave other than customers. "Senar, what is happening?" Madam Rena asked worriedly. "I don''t know," I replied, just as worried as I am. "Can you contact Madam Caena?" she asked. "No, it''s silent," I replied, shaking my head. Still, I tried again, but again, I was met with silence. Some store owners and staff came, but the police had stopped them. Hun! I was watching when the elevator opened behind me, and two people came through it. "Madam," the police greeted. She nodded and stopped. She didn''t try to go further; she just stopped and watched the store floors with unreadable expressions. "Madam, what''s happening?" I asked Madam Caena. She and Mr. Hendricks had come down together. "You will know soon," she replied with the same expressionless face. I wanted to press her, but looking at her expressionless face. I decided against it. Something profound is happening. They wouldn''t have emptied all three store floors if it weren''t serious. A minute passed, and then another, before finally, the last of the people were evacuated. Now, only the store owners, staff, and police remained. "Begin," ordered the orc police officer, who had been talking to Madam Caena in Primacy. Immediately, the police moved toward the stores, not all of them, but some. An Orc officer walked toward Rena, who turned. "Rena Doves, you are under arrest for charges of embezzlement, fraud, and extortion," he stated, and two police officers moved and cuffed her. I watched in shock, so much that I couldn''t react to it all. Embezzlement? Fraud? These words shook me. Yes, I have seen her wearing expensive jewelry and buying a few apartments, but that''s not surprising. She is from the first batch; these girls are seriously loaded. Rena is one of the girls who has invested her money wisely. "Madam Caena, I didn''t do it. I was forced," she pleaded with tears streaming down her face. She tried to come toward Madam Caena. "If you were forced, you could have come to me!" Madam snapped, her voice sharp. "But you didn''t. Instead, you chose to embrace it¡ªto lean into the deception. You betrayed the trust Master Silver placed in you." Her eyes burned with disappointment. All the thoughts of it being a misunderstanding had disappeared. She did do it, whatever they were arresting her for. I looked at her crying face and turned to the stores. The police brought people out of them¡ªstore owners in cuffs and some of their staff in cuffs like Rena. That wasn''t the end, a few seconds later. They brought out people from the floors below, and to my shock, I saw Madam Esther in cuffs, along with a few store owners. Seeing it, I couldn''t help but feel pain. They did something they shouldn''t. We have been warned about it many times. There are many chances for the Madams to earn money. Getting priority appointments could make one really rich in a short time, but there are also consequences. Today, I am seeing it. Soon, I saw Madam Revina, Vina, as she liked to be called. I expected her to be cuffed as well. The guards let her pass when she reached us, and she appeared beside us. I wanted to ask her what was happening, but she started talking with Madam Caena in Privacy. "Madam, please, just let us talk to Master Silver," pleaded Esther, but Madam Caena didn''t react aside from a single tear dropping out of her eyes. "Madam Aris, we are finished," the police officer informed her. "Take them, inspector," she replied. Rena and Esther struggled and pleaded, their eyes filled with dread, but nobody moved to stop them. They took them into the elevator and disappeared from our sight. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 619: Store Scandal II Proofread by Thomas F They put them into the police carriages while people watched as the carriages moved away. I didn''t watch any further and opened my eyes. I am glad Carla isn''t here. She would have been hurt seeing her friend in cuffs. Rena is her friend; both have known each other for two decades. "I still remember the day when your father found out his accountant was embezzling the money." "It had hurt him very badly, but he always said he had learned a lesson through it," said Hendriks as he returned with Caena. He told me that story many times. It hurt him, not because of the money, but because the accountant was his friend, the man he trusted. In the same way, I had trusted the girls. Now, they will face the consequences of their crimes. I already told the police and judges to treat this case like any other¡ªno special treatment just because they are from the Velvet Garden. "It''s hard to believe how deeply it went in such a short time," said Caena. Even now, she is having a hard time believing. So am I. The scheme was too elaborate. Even with professional guidance, it went too deep and spread too fast. "It was fast, alright, but nothing special when they had help. It is making me so damn angry that it took me so long to find it out!" replied Hendriks, fisting his hands angrily. The scheme was complex and running at different levels. It started from underreporting the sale of goods. They''ll be able to save on taxes and bypass the establishment, but as the stores grew quickly, thanks to their fame in the Velvet Garden and my encouragement, the amount only widened further. I helped some of them get a loan from the bank. I had crafted rules to avoid exploitation, but they broke through them. They took kickbacks from their employees, at least half of their salaries, and some even took whole salaries. Saying working in a legacy is a privilege enough. There is also the smuggling of mist-crafted goods. This wouldn''t be possible without a Madam; their influence had made it possible. Its Landen, the store owner, and his friend with Swindler Class, who guided them. His guidance made it difficult to catch them sooner. The one who is most responsible is me. I forgot the girls are people, like everyone else. They can be greedy, influenced, and do bad things. So, from today onward, I will treat them like people. Three of the two-floor leaders had been caught up in it. The third one, Revina, was the one who noticed the strangeness and alerted Hendricks. When I was alerted, I handed the investigation over to the police. Based on what I see, Rena is likely headed to jail. Esther, on the other hand, will probably avoid it thanks to her cooperation and the names she''s provided. "Seven stores; we are going to need to replace them and fast," said Hendriks. We are shutting down seven stores, which means we will have to replace them. This time, I have a coherent concept about the kind of stores I want. "I already have a person working on it," I replied to their surprise. That is why I called Reed to my office. I gave him the task of finding the type of stores I wanted. A few minutes later, I walked away to my office. I had a few things to do before I went to sleep. "I sent the drafts for newspapers," informed Lola. The news will be in tomorrow''s papers. I could have kept everything silent and had been advised to do that, but I declined. I want the rule of law to be the same for everyone, even for the legacy¡ªat least the perception of it. Soon, I went to sleep and woke up at dawn. I usually sleep for five hours when I am in Legacy, which is like ten hours of sleep. So, even after four hours of sleep, I felt just as good. However, my mood had only improved slightly since last night. Still, that didn''t stop me from doing everything I usually do daily. I will not let the incident change me. Click! After training, I showered and ate breakfast before entering my office. Lola is there with Zela, who is reading a book in the corner. It''s the latest one we have gotten from Rutto after he leveled up. Every level-up provides him with a new book. I wonder what will happen after he reaches Lv. 30. He is leveling up fast, but Lv. 3o is a big deal. It might take him years, or he may never reach it, but I could dream. "The newspapers," said Lola, handing me the three newspapers. All three had big headlines about last night''s incident. There are also a few opinion pieces. They are in the direction we wanted. I finished with them and focused on the other work. ''Master Silver, Miss Eva is here,'' informed Jill. ''Should I send her back?'' she asked. I stopped and looked at the clock. ''Let her in,'' I replied. I know why she is here, and the woman wasted no time. She came in, looking as beautiful as always. "Lord Silver," she greeted. "No," I stated. She didn''t even say anything; she smiled and sat before me. "You should at least look at my proposal," she said, making her face cute. "You have the whole damn floor, Eva, and you still want more," I replied. "I just want one more. One would be more than enough for me; I just need a place for my enchanters to work," she requested. "No," I replied. "Can you at least think about it?" she asked. "No," I replied. I am not going to give her more space. I already know what kind of stores I want. She could help me with some, but I will not give it to her. She has a whole floor; others deserve a chance. "Please think about it," she said, placing a file before me before walking away. I opened the file; when I read it, I wanted to curse and kiss her. I had discussed some of my ideas with her, and that woman crafted a proposal based on them. It is very detailed. It is not a single night''s work; it took her days or even weeks. I read through it, and it is good. That''s why I will steal some of the ideas Eva has written here. "They have gathered," informed Lola, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded and walked out before taking the stairs to the roof. It''s the only place left that''s free. All the rooms are reserved, and the store floors are packed with people. So, the roof it is. ... Eltson "We could see the whole city from here," I said. Looking at the city around me. It has grown tremendously over the years, especially this year, and is growing even faster. Every day, I see more people coming into the city. "What do you think will happen?" asked Gagarin. Ignoring the question, which I tried not to focus on. "I am trying not to think about it," I replied. Focusing on the city in front of me. Despite that, the memories of last night flashed in front of me. It was a terrible shock when I saw the police entering the stores and bringing out Landen and other store owners and staff in cuffs. "I still can''t believe it happened. Maran did something like that; I had talked to that man a few minutes before police descended," said Gagarin. It''s shocking, but when I think back about it. I felt that many conversations with Landen and Madam Rena had been strange. I now feel like they were testing me. I am delighted I didn''t respond to it, or I would have been in jail with them. I don''t want to be in jail. My business is growing; I have opened a large workshop to support the store, and we are about to open a big store in the city. My investors are even pushing me to open the store in the merchant states. Gagarin is in the process of doing that. I don''t want to go that fast. I was a simple cobbler with simple dreams. I may now have big dreams, but I need to be careful about how I achieve them. Especially after last night. Click! I was in my thoughts when the door opened, and Lord Silver walked onto the roof. "Lord Silver," We greeted him. The man looked around but didn''t say anything. He just kept looking at us, and when I felt his eyes, I couldn''t help but shudder. "After last night, things will need to be changed," said Lord Silver. Many nodded affirmatively; we need to because there is no choice. We will have to do what he says. "From today, I am giving all the stores access to the mist," he stated to the shock of us all. I thought he would impose strict rules, but here, he is giving us what we have wanted for months. I have access to the mist, but many don''t. "You will also gain access to the night''s plots," he added, another good news. The night''s plots are open spaces in the store. There, we would work and craft mist goods until the floors opened. "I am giving you the privileges, but they are coming with new rules," he said, and our expressions turned serious. "From today, your books will be audited every month. There will be an increase in unannounced inspections and mandatory seminars that you and your staff will need to attend," "You all ..." He stated nine new rules; hearing them, my heart couldn''t help but tighten. We did not want to hear these things, but we knew they were coming. "Most importantly, we will start the creative checks. We have noticed many stores lagging in creativity, and Velvet Garden will not accept it." I was not feeling good already hearing the rules, but these words made me feel even worse. "Creativity fuels emotions; that is the food of legacy, and I will have nothing come in its way," "So, be creative; hire people if you are not. If your store doesn''t elicit enough emotions from the patrons, your store will be expelled from the tower without any exception," he stated. His voice was soft, but it felt like thunder to my ear. Creativity is subjective, and usually, there is no way to measure it, but here. In the legacy, it is. It''s not the perfect measurement, but it is for the legacy. I could say it is what scares people the most. Some, including me, are already thinking of a solution. I cannot lose the store in the tower. Because of it, I got investment, and people visit my store. I would be destroyed within a day if I didn''t have it. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 620: Alchemist and Conversation Proofread by Thomas F Sansa Banes "The number four is providing the best results," informed Chief Hanson as she appeared beside me. There are twelve women on twelve stone beds behind the massive glass wall. All of them have applied the twelve versions of the Earthen Silk Elixir that I had crafted. We had brought all of them in for testing. I didn''t have to be here, but I like to see how my creations work. It inspires me. "I thought it would be number six," I replied. It is one I have worked on the most. "It is good, but number four is about 9% better," she stated. "So, should I keep working on it?" I asked. It has been nearly three months since I came here, and a lot has changed. We have become a team of seventeen from a team of two, all working under Leo and me. We work daily on our old formulas, the ones we thought of but never got to work on, and the new ones. I am in the lab fifteen hours a day, and I wish I didn''t have to sleep so I could keep working. They provide us with all the resources and equipment we ask for and any staff we need. The only thing they ask is that we keep producing the items. We focus on designing. There are others to produce them once the formula is perfected. "No need; the current efficacy is great," she replied, which relieved me. It''s the best I could produce, and improving it further would take a lot of time. I''d rather work on the other projects; there are a lot of them that require time. "Come, Madam Caena wants to meet you," said Chief Hanson. It immediately made me nervous, as things had changed three days ago. They have made lab conditions stricter, placed more guards on the premises, and introduced new rules. I heard it''s because of what happened in the tower. Even after three days, everybody is still talking about it. They had put the Madams in jail. In this city, they were considered invincible. People thought that if they did something, it would be swept under the rug, but surprisingly, they were openly arrested. If they could do that with Madams, others would not doubt it could happen to them. In the lab, I noticed that people followed the rules more strictly, not daring to do something that would put a lens on them. I even began to follow some protocols that I used to ignore. I walked with Chief Maeve, looking around the spa. Unlike the store floors, it was not crowded. There were not many people, but every room was occupied, and no room remained unoccupied for more than a few minutes. It didn''t even close at night. People are willing to make the appointments even at midnight. There is a long, years-long waitlist. Many people have contacted me, some whom I had not talked to for years, and some who didn''t respond when I needed help. Now, they all want an appointment at the Velvet Spa. Which isn''t surprising; it''s a legacy spa, the only one on the continent. "Chief, if you don''t mind me asking. Is Velvet Garden going to make changes in the spa?" I asked. Over the coming months, I have met some people from the spa, and a few like to talk. "Yes, we''re going to build a bathhouse on the spa''s bottom floor," she replied. It surprised me. The entire floor is vast, and they are going to turn a whole one into a bathhouse. It seemed excessive to me, but I didn''t voice that out. Soon, we stepped into the elevator, and a few seconds later. Stepped out of it. It''s my first time coming to the top floor, and it''s beautiful. It''s so different from the spa and store floors. Soon, we reached our destination. It''s enchanting, especially in that small waiting room. "Chielf Hanson, Alchemist Banes. "Madam is waiting for you," said the beautiful teen. Thank you," said Chief Hanson before walking toward the beautifully carved door the guard opened. We stepped inside the most beautiful office I had ever seen. It''s not the most oversized but has the most stunning view of the entire city. Behind the table is the woman, I have heard so much about but only seen a few times. Unlike most Madams, who are visible, she isn''t. She is said to have not attended any parties in the city and is rarely seen even in the legacy. Preferring to do her job in the background, which added mystery to her. "Madam Caena," greeted Hanson. "Take a seat," she said. "Thank you," I thanked and sat in front of her. I am very nervous right now, and I hope it''s not about the funding or staff cuts. I am doing good work, and those two things are necessary for it. "Miss Benes, Lord Silver is pleased by the work you and your team are doing," she said, making me take a huge sigh of relief. I was so relieved that I wanted to slump back on the chair but controlled the urge. "It''s all because of the support of Lord Silver and Velvet Garden," I replied. "To show his pleasure. He decided to give you this," she said, and a wooden box appeared before me. "Gasp!" When I opened it, I couldn''t stop gasping. Inside were twenty-four small vials, each containing the colourful drops. I have never seen them before, but I know what they are. I was planning to ask for them, but that day was at least a year away when Leo and I proved ourselves enough to get the courage to ask for one of the most precious substances in the world. Even then, we were only going to ask for a single vial. If we had more courage, we would have asked for two, but we wouldn''t have asked for two dozen of them with all the courage in the world. "This is Grade I emotion essence. We want you to start working with it." "If you provide us with good enough results, we will provide you with more. Even Grade II emotion essence wouldn''t be out of the question," she stated. "Thank you," this is all I could say. "This is just the beginning. Even these plants aren''t out of your reach; the only condition there is your work," she said, motioning toward the plants in her office. She isn''t talking about the plants in her office but the plants in the legacy and the Tower Garden. Velvet Garden is very protective of those plants. I heard they are only selling a fraction of them. Other than the essence of emotion, the plants are what the other alchemists who contacted me want. I dreamed about getting my hands on them. These are the plants that grow by absorbing the essence of emotion. They process it and create something even more precious than the emotion essence. This is why alchemists are obsessed with them and why so many people have attempted to steal them. Jails are filled with them, and their numbers have significantly increased since the garden opened. It''s not easy to steal. Despite not having any visible defense, the security is tight. The moment one took the plant, they were after you. Before that, one needs to bear touching the plants. I heard that one receives a powerful shock as one handles them, and the power of it increases rapidly the longer one keeps their hands on them. "I will not disappoint you, Madam Aris," I replied, pushing the distracted thoughts away. She didn''t reply other than smiling. Knowing I had been dismissed, I left the office with a box full of essence in my bag. It''s going to make a lot of people happy, but I am also worried. It''s a hot potato, and I hope the safe and new guards will be able to guard this treasure well. ... Rylan Aardwyn. Vethe Island, Oton. "...Velvet Garden is powerful. It won''t be easy for us to swallow it," I finished, explaining everything to my father, who listened without interruption. I returned home in the morning but spent the entire day in meetings. It was the first time my father and I had the opportunity to discuss things alone in private. "Indeed, Velvet Garden is powerful, but we will swallow it. We need to swallow it. We deserve a second chance after being the slave of Wander''s Inn for over a century," he replied. I couldn''t help but nod at that. Wander''s Inn is a master of Tranquill Bathhouse. Father may be the master, but the throne controls things. We are not only the subjects of a monarch but also of another legacy. Despite being a master of legacy, there is no free will. Father couldn''t even make the decision about the employees. Our condition is even worse than the people who work in our legacy. The word he used might seem strong, but it accurately describes our condition. I can''t remember the number of times. We had been humiliated by the master of Wander''s Inn, and that bastard Constance, and the only thing we could do was smile through it. "Velvet Garden is enormous and powerful, Dad. If we could swallow it fully, it would light up a spark of life and take us closer to Grade IV," I said. I went to the Velvet Garden, and it''s an amazing legacy¡ªthe best Grade III legacy I have ever seen. Better than ours, even better than many Grade IV I had visited. One of the things that excited me was its sheer size. If we get that size, the money we will earn will be massive, not to mention the emotional essence share. Even our 1% share would be massive. "Don''t worry, son, it is set in stone. The dictator had promised to provide all the help we need." "We wouldn''t even need that; our artifact alone would be more than enough to handle any resistance they bring," he replied with a confident smile. Yes, our artifact. It was gifted to us over one and a half centuries ago. It''s very suitable for the legacy; it enhanced the experience we provide, bringing a greater emotion harvest. Over the past century and a half, it has become part of the legacy. Legacy is its master, not any other person. It''s a fact that not many people know. "You are absolutely right, father," I agreed. No matter what Silver does, we will eat Velvet Garden and breathe a new life into our bathhouse. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 621: Sailed Chapter 621: Sailed Proofread By Thomas F I watched the two ships sailing away through the spell I activated at the wall. Barb and others are on the ship going to the Oton Domain and the Tranquill Bathhouse. The preparations took some time, but they are finally leaving. They will be there for three months. The staff will learn the ways of Tranquill Bathhouse while Barb and Tara will finish their objectives. We haven''t fixed the date for the merger, but it would happen on the day the Wander Inn broke the connection with the Tranquill Bathhouse. I wanted an exact date, but I agreed to be informed ten days before they broke the connection after they made some favourable concessions. However, one thing is certain¡ªit will happen within the next nine months. It will be enough time for us to prepare to succeed. It won''t be easy, but their legacy will be powerful due to their over a century of connection with the throne. Not to mention, their sovereign will provide all the help they need. Even the artifact they have in the legacy might create some trouble. ''Master Silver, Adviser Nathil has arrived,'' informed Jill. Bringing me out of my thoughts. "Send him in," I replied. A moment later, an older man with long white hair and deep blue eyes walked inside. Seeing him, I got up. He deserves this respect; this is a right-hand man of the Lord of Owlspring. "Lord Silver," greeted the old man. "Lord Nathil," I replied before asking him to sit. The man was going to the Empire and stopped here to pay me a visit. He will leave within an hour, which makes this stop even more curious. I hope it''s not about emotion essence. I am giving them quite a lot of it¡ªnearly twice as much as Inam. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Lord Silver," said the man. It is the least I could do," I replied, waiting. I could tell he wanted something, and I had an idea. "We want the store slots. My lord hopes you will allocate some to our city''s businesses," he said. I sighed and rubbed my temples. It hadn''t even been a week since the arrests, and hundreds of store owners had contacted me. It isn''t just the businesses that did, but also the Lords and the cities. Inam has contacted, and so has Namdar. Even the bastard at Deerpond had made the inquiries. They wanted it before, but this time, they want it more. I gave the mist access to all the stores, which means the new stores will also get it. I used it as a privilege before, but I changed my mind. I now decided to use it as a tool. The mist is tremendously beneficial. Most importantly, working with emotions strengthens the artist''s connection to their art. Which in turn levelled them up faster. "Of course, Owlspring will give you access to the things you wanted," he added, and I removed my hands from my head and smiled. "One. I could only spare one store space for Owlspring," I said. Owlspring had also asked for the stores and other cities. When he asked for a visit, I understood he would want it. "Give us at least two, Lord Silver," he requested, but I shook my head. "Fine, but when your legacy reaches Grade IV. We hope you will give us at least a few floors for our city''s business," he said. Once more, I didn''t say anything. I am not promising something that might happen in years or may never happen, but their demand reveals their interest. A few minutes later, he left, and a big smile appeared on my face. I would have given his city one store even if he hadn''t asked directly for it. I want one business from him, not only from him but also from Inam and Namdar. I have a concept in mind and want to use these stores to help realize that. If I get the stores I want, I can provide a complete set of the mist goods, making them even more enticing. Four of the stores will be selected from the city. While I could find better options elsewhere, supporting local businesses is essential. Increasing the number of city-based stores will also encourage more companies to establish themselves here. Reed has already finished the job and will present the list to me in the evening. Soon, it was twelve, and Lola walked out. I practice my aura every day at noon unless something important comes up. Even then, I never skip¡ªI train before or after if there''s a conflict. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. A moment later, the aura emerged smoothly and contained it so those at the door could not sense it unless they concentrated. Bell''s control is such that even those beside her can''t sense when she brings out the aura. As the aura emerged, I folded it into layers and began spreading around me. Within seconds, a layer of aura formed around me. I didn''t stop and moved the aura again. I quickly formed the second layer and then the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth layers; the sixth layer took me less than a minute to form. Two months ago, when I returned from the Archmage City. It took me all my ability to form the sixth layer. Now, it didn''t take much effort. However, I had to slow down for the seventh and the eighth. When I reached the ninth layer, I moved slowly, sweat spreading on my brow. It took me over five minutes, but I completed it. I rested for nearly a minute before starting on the tenth later. I had to use every trick and ounce of control I had learned, carefully holding each layer and gradually moving them upward. After great effort, I finally completed the tenth layer¡ªmy current limit. I am trying for the eleventh layer, but it is demanding. Still, I will keep practicing. I need to; my enemies won''t wait for me until I am ready. I held the layers for as long as I could, nine minutes and seventeen seconds before I let go. After resting for a while, I had lunch before resuming work. Before I knew it, the day had passed, and it had become fully dark. Click! My door opened, and the man walked inside. "Lord Silver," he greeted. I nodded. "I have compiled the list of people according to your directions," he replied, putting a file in front of me. "Thank you, Vice-Guildmaster," I replied before grabbing the file in front of me. Only twenty-one names are in it, with their complete information, including predicted levels and other things. Twenty-one are not many, but ours is a small city, and my requirements were high. I didn''t need high levels¡ªI would choose them even at Level 10. What mattered was their potential, their creativity, and their ability to evoke emotion. Create goods that are good enough for everyone to want to buy them. I flipped page after page until I finally finished with it and turned to the man. "You have added your friends," I said, and I could feel a faint surprise flashing in his eyes. However, it had disappeared as soon as it appeared. He added two of his friends. I have information about all the people holding high places in the city. "Yes, Cartis and Hayden''s are my friends; I''ve known them for a long time, but they are also capable people," he replied. I didn''t say anything; I just tapped my fingers on the table. "Cartis Villin is an average Carpenter," I stated. I may have asked him to gather information on stores suitable for the legacy, but I also have my own sources. I wanted to foster those talented people, but Cartis is average. "Yes, but he is a great manager. The staff he hired is talented and producing good work," he replied. I know about his work. We contracted him for the school''s furniture and used some of it in the legacy. Still, I will have to think about it, but I am sure about the ceramicists. He brought them to the city, and we helped them start over. They barely had anything and came because we promised to help. It''s a family-run store, and their work is good, so we use some of their pieces. I had already chosen them, leaving only three stores for the city, and the choice was difficult. I will have to consult with others and even conduct interviews before deciding. I will have to do it quickly. The closed store isn''t helping the legacy. It had lessened the output of the emotions from the store floors. "That will be all, Vice-Guildmaster," I said. The man bowed and walked out of the office. I stayed there for a few minutes before leaving the office and stepping into the carriage, waiting for me. As it moved toward my home, I watched the people and buildings, both steadily growing. The city''s population grows each week, and construction is ongoing everywhere. Just yesterday, I set aside space for a large garden, ensuring it won''t be used for residential buildings. The population will soon reach four hundred thousand, and it wouldn''t take long to teach half a million from then. It is the maximum of what a city can handle. Shifting some population to Panar elevated some pressure, but not much. We cannot slow the population growth. We are trying to increase it every day. We need people for our economy and our army. Soon, we will be left with only one choice. Expand the city beyond its wall. I am preparing for it because it will be the city''s most expensive infrastructure plan. I started preparing months ago, but given the rapid population growth, I might need to start working on it sooner than I had thought. Just thinking about it gives me a headache¡ªit''s going to be extremely expensive. The benefits would be just as great, but I need the funds. Right now, what I have is nowhere near enough. Tap on below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 622: You want to resign? Proofread By Thomas F Click! The door opened, and I walked inside the conference room, which was filled with people. Everyone is there: Locke, Amellus, Valentina, and the older man, along with Mr. Faris from the synod and four people from the Nehdis. A middle-aged man with blond hair is in charge of them. He is one of the people who has a smiling face, and he is smiling. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Everyone," I replied and sat down. "We had discussed everything; the only thing that remained was a signing," said Locke. I nodded and turned to the middle-aged man. "Mr. Hardman, I hope Nehdis will be quick with the work," I told the middle-aged man. "Of course. We will be quick but also the best. I am sure Mr. Amellus would have told you how good we are with the projects we have," he replied, looking at him from the corner of his eyes. He didn''t react. His only reaction was a faint twitch when the man spoke his name. "He did," I replied, turning to the contracts before me. Amellus has a burning hatred toward them but also praises their work. I had already read the contract, but I read it again before taking a pen and signing it. When I finished signing the contract on the last page, I felt the contract click. "With this, our relationship began, and I hope it will last as long as the city remains standing," said the man, clinging to the misty glass with me. "It will be," I replied with a smile. However, a moment later, I turned my expression serious. "I hope we can start designing as soon as possible. We already have designs for the academy. I hope Nehdis will accept them so we can begin building it." I requested. The smile on the man''s face didn''t change, but he shook his head. "Nehdis had taken the contract for designing the academy, Lord Silver. Our designs will be much better than what you already have," he replied politely. I genuinely wanted to punch the jerk. If Nehdis accepted our designs, it would save us a lot of time. I wanted the synod to remove the design contract, but they didn''t. Nehdis could still accept the designs, but they are unwilling to do that. I wish I could force them, but I couldn''t. "We will be sending our design team to Greltheaven in the next week to ten days. Our design department is excellent, mentored by Lord Nehdis himself," he said, and I wish I could have beaten him to death. "Can they not come sooner, Mr. Hardman? We want to start with the academy as soon as possible," asked Locke, and a man turned to him without changing his expression. "Your city is getting the services of Nehdis, Chief Locke. It might seem a little slow, but we are going as fast as possible." "We want this project to be the best and need to be as meticulous about every detail," he replied. I am angry, not at this man, but at myself. If I hadn''t been desperate, I would have kicked this bastard out. I left the conference a few minutes later but didn''t go to my office. Instead, I walked toward the exit. As I walked, I couldn''t help but notice the city hall was getting crowded. We are hiring more people, expanding, and opening more departments. Another problem has raised its head. There seemed to be no end to them. Soon, I walked out of the city hall and into the carriage. A second later, it began to move toward the legacy. "A message from Madam Jenna and Lord Rutto; the negotiations are successful," informed Zela. "Congratulate her from me," I replied. They had gone to Mok''s, one of the legacies I had successfully auctioned in the first bit. Now, we will have to send the people there. A Tier III madam and key bar staff will lead it. I would have preferred to send the Tier II, madam, but I have only a few of them. Barb and Gloria were sent to Oton, while Jenna and Rutto will move on to their other task. There are only four Tier II madams in the tower. Gloria left with Barb, leaving only Cath, Danielle, and Senar. Those three are handling everything since Caena is busy with witchcraft. She has a lot on her plate, including the spells for the legacies we were planning to swallow and take the first bite of, along with upgrading the establishment''s witchcraft charms. I had advised her to slow down on them since we would not reach Grade IV so quickly or ever, but she wanted to be done with them. That leaves me with no choice but to give this responsibility to Tier III madams. It is a massive responsibility for them, but if they do well enough, I will promote them to Tier II. Sometimes, I wish to call Andrea, Varza, and Onaz back, but I can''t. They are essential to where they are. I need more girls in leadership, but I can''t just wave and make it happen. It is a long process, and incidents like store floors happen if I don''t do due diligence. So, I become more careful with the new trainees. Soon, the carriage turned and entered the park, a place that never fails to impress. As always, it was alive with people¡ªcitizens and tourists alike. No matter the time, the park remained a vibrant hub, a testament to the city''s charm and appeal. Their numbers are increasing each day, and so is the capacity of the hotels. The problem isn''t as severe as it was and will become manageable as more hotels open up. Even now, new hotels are opening, easing the situation little by little. It made me feel relieved because tourism provides good revenue. I am using this money to build more roads, gardens, hospitals, and, of course, the army. It is a beast, and it is only getting bigger every month. Finally, the carriage stopped. I got out and entered the legacy, feeling its power and the smell. Most importantly, I had absolute power here. "Master Silver," The girls at the reception greeted me. I nodded and took a step into the elevator. Lorle used to work here, but she has now been accepted as a trainee. She''s doing well¡ªactually, she''s with Carla. Carla informed me of her decision to take the madams and trainees on trips to give them experience and test their skills. As the door closed, the elevator began to rise. Moments later, the store floors came into view. As always, the area was bustling with a large crowd, but I noticed many eyes drifting toward the closed stores. They wouldn''t stay closed for long. I had already selected two stores in the city, and their owners had been notified. Miss Rolgath will arrive at night, and the people who specialize in creating the interiors of specific stores will take over those places. The selected stores can''t just move their goods here. A lot of preparation is needed before that could happen. Take Hayden''s Ceramics, the ceramic shop I had chosen. The kiln is one of the most critical parts, but we can''t use the bulky one they have in their store. The space is limited, and the shop needs to be both a workshop and a store. Most importantly, they must create a show for patrons to see. The equipment they will use will be top-of-the-line, and the tower will finance it. So, even if we want to reopen those spaces quickly, it will take some time, but I will ask them to make it quicker. Thankfully, when the master of a legacy tells them, they do it. Still, it might take this whole month before the stores open. Carla has already confirmed the store in Owlspring. She will visit Inam to see another store and then go to Namdar, where she will see several before choosing one. Let''s hope they are what we want them to be, or we will find someone else. ''I am in the office with Senar. She wants to talk to you about something important,'' informed Caena as I stepped out of the elevator. ''I hope it''s not something important.'' I thought. I don''t want to deal with important stuff; I have enough of them already on my plate. I walked toward my office, looking at patrons enjoying themselves. It gives me great joy to see them like this, and it validates the work I am doing. Click! Soon, I reached my office, and as Caena had said, she and Senar were there. When I looked at them, I couldn''t help but sigh internally. I know it''s important. It''s clearly written on both of the women''s faces. "So, Caena said there is something you want to discuss?" I asked as I sat down. I would have talked about something else if it wasn''t important, but whatever it was, I wanted to get on with it. "Yes. I want you to relieve me of my floor duties," Senar replied. Shocking me. "You want to resign?" I asked. I really hope she isn''t saying that. We already had too few Tier II madams, and she has proven herself. In a short time, she has ascended to Tier II. "No," she replied, shaking her head, making me relieved. "Then?" I asked. "I want to focus on trainees full-time. I want them to be the best leaders. I want to instill the values and principles of Velvet Garden. So that incidents like on the store floors do not happen," she replied. The incident had shaken everyone, but it shook the girls the most. "I know I may not have as much experience as the other madams, but I have no doubt that I can do the job," she declared with unwavering confidence. "I will train the finest future leaders of Velvet Garden," she made her case. I have to give it to her guts. The woman is intelligent enough to understand that what she asks for is risky. Right now, she is split between the floor and the training but wants to focus solely on it. This means she will bear full responsibility for any mistakes they make. Previously, managing the floors served as a shield, but now she stands on her own. I looked at Caena before turning to the woman in front of me. "Give me some time to think about it," I told her. "Thank you for your consideration, Master Silver," she thanked and bowed before leaving the office. "She is a brave girl. Taking a job with massive responsibility and risk," said Caena. "I think it is necessary. We need a structured training for the trainees. Following around madams isn''t good enough," I replied. It''s not like I haven''t thought about it. I have thought about it a lot. Too much, actually. "I agree, but that will leave only Cath and Danielle, Tier II, madam''s, handling things in the tower, and they already have too much on their plates," she replied. "I think it''s time to give Stavad the big responsibility. The whole of Velvet Blue," I stated. "I am also thinking about hiring other people with extensive experience in their fields," I added. Our girls have too many responsibilities, and we need experts to handle them. I have hired a few, but we need more. We can''t always give every responsibility to the girls. "The girls should be responsible for the floors," she said before sighing. "But you are right; there is too much responsibility on the girls," she replied. "Stavad?" I asked. I understand her desire to keep the girls in all critical positions. They worked hard for it and deserved it, but so did the others. They had proved themselves and deserved to be promoted for it. "He will do a good job at Velvet Blue," she replied finally. She may want the girls, but she understands they can''t do all the jobs, and Stavad deserves it. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 623: Art Collective Proofread By Thomas F Carla Salt "We excel in every type of art: painting, sculpture, drawing. Many of our pieces are in the storm tower and other important places of the empire," said Yaltir as he showed us around the massive studio. We are in Yaltir Studio, one of the premier art studios in Namdar. I looked around and saw many beautiful art pieces. I wanted to buy them, but I pushed that thought away. It is not for this reason that I came here. "Even we have your pieces. Mr. Yaltir," I replied. We have four pieces from his studio, all of them borrowed. Two were from the house of Silver, one from old man Vanis and the other from a noble from the empire. At first, we had to ask others for pieces, but after reaching Grade III, they began offering them to us willingly. They wanted good connections with the Velvet Garden, and most importantly, they desired the art to absorb the mist. The emotion essence enhances the concept the art tries to convey. It also strengthens colors and everything about them, so it could last longer, to say nothing about its value. "If you gave us a chance, we will make Velvet Garden greater than it is," he said, looking at me expectantly. I didn''t reply other than smile. After the studio, he took me around the workshop. It is massive and magnificent. I could see artists working on different things in different sections, with their eyes filled with concentration. We looked at every part of the studio before returning to the front. "I hope you liked what you saw, Miss Salt," he said. "You have a beautiful studio, Mr. Yaltir," I replied, and he smiled. However, it was easy to see that, like the other four studio owners, he was expecting a different answer. A few minutes later, I stepped into the carriage with Devin and the others. "So, which one will you choose?" asked Selina. Remus''s sister-in-law and Devin, Eva''s son, are with me. "I like Yaltir or his scale, but Kasiv also has just as talented artists at his studio despite being a little smaller," said Devin as he and Selina looked at me. It''s my decision, and Remus will accept it. I know his vision better than anyone else. "They don''t have what Velvet Garden needs," I replied simply. Based on their stunned looks, saying they were surprised would be an understatement. Even though I was also shocked by what I had said, it was the truth. I don''t think they are suitable for the Velvet Garden, and I feel very strongly about this. "We can look at other studios; there are many in Namdar," said Selina after nearly a minute of silence. Namdar always had a flourishing art scene due to the laws being less restrictive than those of the rest of the empire. After the emperor died, many artists fled here. The carriage moved, and I looked at the beautiful city. Namdar is massive and prosperous. After the emperor''s death, Namdar became even more prosperous. Many had fled here, bringing all their wealth and experience. We wanted some of that prosperity, but until now, we haven''t had much success with that. We are trying with nobles, but only two agreed. We are still negotiating with some, but it is slow and will remain sluggish until we prove we can deal with the undead. Till now, we could not, even after surviving and winning several battles. Even conquering a city isn''t enough. The large numbers will only come when we at least survive against the big bosses in Ashton Harbor. That is impossible, at least right now. The undead would have conquered us and nearly the whole region without the threat of the merchant states that kept their most powerful powerhouse in Ashton Harbour. Soon, the carriage stopped before another studio, and we went inside. Two hours later, we checked another and then another. It was evening when we came out of the seventh one. "This one?" Selina asked, and I shook my head. "They didn''t feel right," I replied, with the same reply. It wasn''t this hard in Owlspring and Inam. I knew the one in the Owlspring; I had met him several times, and we had obtained his works for the legacy. The old man had suggested the excellent store in Inam. When I saw the woman and her staff working, I knew she and her store would be a perfect fit for Velvet Garden. "It seemed like we will have to look at others tomorrow," said Selina. I would have liked to finish it today, but there are things I have to do. This is important for the legacy and the city. I won''t leave it until I have finalized or looked through all the studios in the city. A few minutes passed, and the carriage took its turn. Entering what some called a poor art district. It used to be a low-income neighborhood, but now it has been occupied by new artists coming into the city. It''s close enough to the art district but far cheaper compared to it. It is the best place for the poor artist to live in a community of peers without paying exorbitant rent. I heard even a few studios had popped up here. "Those houses are strange," pointed Lorle, and I turned. I saw three houses painted in layers of neon-like paint. "It looks like someone vomited the colors on the buildings," commented Selina. I could see people sitting in front of the houses, lounging by the fire, but some seemed to be working on the pieces, from wood to stone. A few are painting on canvases and statues. One shirtless man seemed to be painting a beast skeleton. "Driver, take the carriage to those houses," I said, and everybody looked at me in surprise. "You can''t be thinking them," said Selina, looking like I was mad. "I was not thinking anything. It just looked interesting, and I wanted to check it out," I replied. She looked like she wanted to say something but did not. Soon, the carriage stopped by the fence covering the three houses, and they felt all eyes on it. I didn''t take the official one holding the Greltheaven and Velvet Garde flag, but it still attracted the eyes. We exited the carriage and walked toward the trio of houses before stopping at the fence. I wanted to open the fence, but Hugo stopped me. "Can we come inside?" I asked. There was no reply until I saw a short brunette wearing a tunic and black pants rush out of the middle house, looking all worried. She had a worry on her face, but as she looked at us, that seemed to disappear¡ªthough not fully. "What do you all want?" she asked as she stopped by the gate. She is a woman looking to be in her late twenties. She is short, barely five feet tall, with deep brown eyes and a freckled face that makes her look cute. However, right now, she looks serious. Her eyes moved around at Hugo, Me, and the others. "We want to look around," I replied. It seemed to surprise her. "As long as you promise to buy one of our pieces," she said. "Sure," I replied with a smile after a moment of hesitation. She opened the fence, and we walked inside. "Can you keep your guards out? I don''t want them to step on any work accidentally," she asked, looking at the woman working on what seemed like a large puzzle. "No," replied Hugo. I looked at him, and he sighed. Since that incident, he has become very strict about my security. "Three with me; the rest stay here," he ordered. "Do you want to see our pieces?" she asked, her expression guarded. I replied, "I want to see everything, but first, I want to know what this place is. " A frown appeared on her face, but a moment later, she sighed and loosened her expression. "It''s an art collective. Artists come here and work; we provide them tools to work on their art and also a way to sell that art," she replied. "You run it?" I asked, and she nodded. "Show us around," I said, and she began to walk. She didn''t take us toward the middle house in front of us, but the one on the left. Soon, we reached the door, and she opened it. There, I saw people working on different things: painting, sculpting, and carving. I even saw a naked man and woman posing for a painting. I''m not looking at them directly but at the art in which they are the subject. There is a classic style, but also strange ones, like the colors in the house. Like a young man carving a marble block, it''s a person, but unlike the classical, this person is made of sharp angles only. The woman painting the couple isn''t painting them realistically but through weird, swirly circles. They didn''t look like people at all, but strangely beautiful. "This place is an abomination," said Selina, looking around. There is even mild horror in her eyes. "I think it''s beautiful," replied Devin. Immediately, she turned to him with even more horror. "How can you call this beautiful?" she asked, looking at the painting. "Art is subjective, Mrs. Silver. What might be an abomination to you is beautiful to me," he replied. Thankfully, they are arguing about it with Privacy. The young woman was already guarded, and I didn''t want her to throw us out. "The art here is different from other places," I said, seeking clarity about this strange yet fascinating place. "The art reflects how our artists perceive the world," they replied. "Here, we let them unleash their imagination without limits." "We don''t restrict their art or force it to society''s confining way," she replied. "There is reason; it is restrictive. It is to stop this kind of blasphemy," muttered Selina. Soon, we reached the house''s second floor, where we saw a man attacking a wooden block with a sword, working on it, to be exact. We finished the first building and moved to the middle one, which was even more extreme than the first. The one on the right is milder than the other two, but a few things still made Selina mutter, ''Abomination.'' We finished the tour of the third building and moved to the back, where a few people, including one bald woman, were working. "Which piece did you like?" asked the woman, turning to me. Looking at her expressions. She expects me to keep my word. She didn''t have to worry about that; I knew what I wanted, and it wasn''t just a one-piece. Hun! I opened my mouth to reply to her when the door suddenly opened, and a shirtless man rushed in. He is a man who was painting the skeleton on the lawn. "They came!" he said, and her expression turned worse. "We had one more day!" she replied before rushing out. We waited for a few seconds before following behind her. We walked through the house before opening the door onto the lawn. I saw the short woman arguing with the middle-aged man, who had city guards behind him. "You can''t do that. We have till tomorrow to pay you," said the short woman. "Look at the contract; it states that we could evict you a day before the deadline with proper cause, which we have," he replied, pointing to the contract. Seeing it, she looked like she wanted to cry. "Just give us a few hours at least. To move our stuff," she pleaded. To that, the man shook his head. "We already gave you enough time. It is time for us to throw you out!" he replied, turning to the city guard. When he stopped and turned to me. There was a surprise before a big smile appeared on his face as he came toward me. However, he stopped when Tars moved forward. "Miss Salt, it''s been a while," greeted the man. I didn''t recognize him; I don''t think I had met him before, or my skill would have recognized him. "My apologies. Have we met before?" I asked. To that, he shook his head. "No, we have not. I am Lorin Hath; I work for my cousin, Sibas Hath," he replied. "Ah, Mr. Hath. I met him just a few weeks ago in the merchant states," I said, and he smiled. The man is a merchant of building materials, including rare ones. We bought a few of them for the tower and other buildings we had built in Greltheaven. "If you don''t mind me asking. What are you doing here, Miss Salt?" he asked curiously. "Oh, we needed a few pieces for the tower; this place has many," I replied. "Why are you here?" I asked back. There was some hesitation on his face for a moment. "We are in the process of evicting these people. Despite many warnings, they had damaged the properties and hadn''t paid rent in several months," he replied, looking at the woman. "Can you give them a day? I have something to discuss with this miss and would like to do it peacefully," I requested. He hesitated, but a moment later, he turned to the man beside him and said something. The mage closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening and replying. "Since it is you, Miss Salt. The boss agreed," he replied, while the short woman and others watched dumbfounded. "Please tell Mr. Hath I will remember this favor," I said, and a big smile appeared on his face. "I will," he replied before walking away. "Thank you," thanked the short woman. "I hope you won''t force us to buy the stuff now?" I asked, and the woman smiled for the first time. She is cute when she smiles. "I am Carla Salt," I introduced. "Meryl Rove," she replied. "I like what you are doing here, Miss Rove, and would like to offer you an opportunity," "How would you like to move your collective to the Velvet Garden?" I asked, and there was confusion on her face; she didn''t recognize the name. Which was surprising¡ªlately, I haven''t met anyone who didn''t know about the Velvet Garden. "Carla, you can''t be serious! These people are creating abominations here!" said Selina, shocked. This time, she didn''t activate the privacy. Their art isn''t an abomination. It''s different from what is conventional, which isn''t a bad thing; I think it would be great. The same goes for the levels. Most of the people here are young, and their levels are much lower than those in the other studios. I offered them a place because of the rawness and freedom I am feeling from their art. This is what Velvet Garden seeks. Remus would love that. "Velvet Garden, as in the legacy?" asked the shirtless man, and I smiled. I could see the shock appearing on the short woman''s face. "Recently, some store spaces have opened. We want your collective to occupy one," I said, laying out more details and shocking them even further. However, a moment later, they began to chat furiously, talking to the woman, who seemed to be getting overwhelmed by all this. "I heard you guys provide access to the mist to every store. Will that be true for us?" the bald woman asked. "Yes," I replied. They asked questions, and I answered. By then, the woman had finally got control over her emotions. "Why us? I am sure there would have been many top studios dying for this opportunity?" she asked, and I couldn''t help but smile at that. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 624: Day Chapter 624: Day Proofread By Thomas F I watched the practice of the recruits with the sergeant leading them. "So, young," I said as I looked at the children marching in perfect order. Yes, they are children, a few months to fifteen. It is the standard recruitment age in this world. I resisted it a lot and was still uncomfortable, but I needed to do it. However, these children will not see combat before they turn sixteen. Recruiting them at this age is necessary before they manifest the class. In three to six months, we will train them so they can gain the Soldier Class directly. This is better than recruiting people who already have classes such as Serf or Citizen, which then change into the Soldier Class. "We are following the convention," said Stone, with his eyes focused on the marching. He and others had whittled me down. I am not proud of what I am doing, but as he said, it is normal, and I need it, with my enemies sharpening their blades to finish me off. "They will get a good class. Now that you are closer to Lv. 40; it will start to influence their classes," he added. The power of the Lord is critical. It affects the things in their domain; the stronger they are, the stronger their influence will be. Usually, one would need to be at Lv. 40 to influence things, but there are exceptions, like having the powerful Lord Class. The Lord Class affects things, but not as much as my Primary Class. It had started affecting things like it is at Lv. 40. The Carnal Classes and others related to it had started showing the change. The most significant change is in Velvet Garden, but other brothels also show a noticeable change. They are getting better classes and good skills. Merchant of Desire is as powerful as my Lord Class, but it isn''t the reason alone. The biggest reason is the legacy and its domain. Those in the business noticed it, and there is a movement to leverage that, which I am closely monitoring and manipulating. "How are the new weapons?" I asked as I walked out of the practice ground with Stone. "As good as those that we are getting merchant state and empire, but we need them in greater quantities," he replied. We''ve begun producing our own weapons since we can''t always rely on buying from others. However, production remains low. It''s difficult to attract any business¡ªarms included¡ªwhen you''re constantly living under the shadow of a looming threat of the undead sword. If not for the constant threat of the undead, major merchant houses would have already set up shop in the city, and the population would have at least doubled by now. The city is growing fast. It''s faster than anyone had thought, but that sword is holding back its potential. It will keep holding it back until we can prove we can stop the threat. He requested, "We hope you''ll increase the budget by 25% for the next three months." "I''m already pushing it at 16%. I can''t go even 1% higher," I replied. I wanted to do it, but I really could not. I gave them every penny I could and more. "We would barely be able to manage with 16%," he forced, but I shook my head. "You will have to," I replied. I inspected other things in the next hour before returning to my carriage. As I watched the city, it shifted and grew. Development is moving fast, but I refused to sacrifice its beauty in the process. Every change is being made with aesthetics in mind. The establishment had made it a tourist city, but I don''t want it to be the lone attraction. If people come to the city, I want them to enjoy it as a whole. People visiting the city aren''t just visiting the legacy¡ªit is the main attraction¡ªbut they are also exploring the city and providing it with an increasing monthly revenue stream. I didn''t go to the city hall directly but went to the port first to see the progress on the bridge. I could do it with the spell, but I want to show my presence. Amellus is doing a good job and fast. I am now entirely sure the city will get the bridge before the deadline. I want it soon, not only because it is important for trade but also for the security of the city and its expansion. An hour and a half later, the carriage stopped at the city hall. I walked inside and soon stepped into my office. Hun! I had just sat down and opened my mouth to ask Lola for something when I stopped. "What happened?" she asked. "A legacy died," I replied. A few die every year, and new ones are born. This one that died came from Nezhar. It''s a rare one: an arcade. I would have loved to consume it. The aspect it had given me would have helped me tremendously in the future. It didn''t take long before our share appeared over the legacy. I felt Caena''s spell activating, capturing that small part of the core into the planet. We didn''t use to do that before; we only started it after the Halcyon''s core assimilation. Once inside the planet, they could forget about escaping from it. We used to let some escape, but not anymore. The spell begins to work on it, with two streams coming out. One went to my core; it is another thing we started since Halcyon. Now, my core is absorbing every part of the dead core. Not entirely, but the part that is suitable to my vision. However, unlike with Halcyon Core, I am not going to get an aspect here. The part is too small; I need at least 7%- 8% of the legacy''s core to get an aspect. The rest of it went to the second stream, which is gathering in the second planet. The spell was powerful enough that it didn''t take even twenty minutes. In the end, I had a good amount of core essence and emotion essence. I just wished that I wouldn''t get a tiny part of it, but the whole core. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the work before me. Right now, I am dealing with the funding requests; everybody wants more. Except for two, I decided to reject every request. Most of those requests are valid, but the city didn''t have the money they wanted. They will have to make do with the money they have. Click! The door opened, and Lola walked in before placing a thin file in front of me. "Rayna," she said. I nodded and picked up the file before starting to read through it. There were only a couple of pages, but what I had read made a smile appear on my face. It''s good, really good! Sending her there was just an experiment. I did it to see whether it worked, and my god, it worked spectacularly. She is doing a fantastic job. I will ask her to train others, but not too soon. I want her to refine her methods before teaching them to others. "Ask General Hiren to send this to the silent forest," I told her. Then, I practiced aura for the second time in my office before focusing on the work again. Soon, it was seven, and I walked out of the office. Shortly, I am in my carriage, but I am not alone. Heron is there; he comes to city hall after school and does a good job. I know because Robin had said so and because I looked in on him myself. "How was your day?" I asked as the carriage began to move. "Good. I was able to observe Chief Robin and Hardt''s meeting with the Manris''s representative," he replied. "What do you think about it?" I asked. "They are tough people, but I think we might be able to sign the agreement with them," he replied. Manris is in the city-state of Oksall; I went there once, on the way to the Amberhold for the first time. It is one of the top three cities in Oksall. It is now openly signing agreements with us. It was unofficial before, but Oksall is slowly loosening up. More for Renwell region than the rest of the empire. The carriage stopped at the house a few minutes later, and we went inside. "Welcome home," said Carla, welcoming us. "It''s good to be home," I replied, kissing her. It was a deep, long kiss. She hadn''t been in the city for more than one night in the past month. "I am delighted you are not going anywhere for the week," I said. "Me too," she replied, and we walked inside. I went to my suite to freshen up and showered before coming to the dining room, where the staff had already set the table. I sat down, and the staff served us. "Do you want to tell your brother what happened in school, Josie," said Carla. "What happened?" I asked my sister, curious. "I have auditioned for the play," she answered. I was surprised. Although I knew that there were functions in her school, she had never participated in them. However, I am glad she is doing it. "That''s good," I praised, and a small shy smile appeared on the girl''s face. "I am going to write to Mom about it," she informed. She looked delighted, but my emotions were more complex. "You should," I replied. It is the only thing I could say. I could bring her mom; I only had to accept their offer, but I could not do that to my people. Dinner ended, and after a few minutes, the children retreated to their rooms, leaving Carla and me alone. "She is very excited about the play. She will be disappointed if she doesn''t get the role," said Carla as she put her head on my shoulder. "Then she will have to try better next time," I replied. I am not going to help my sister. It took quite an effort to convince her teachers to treat her like any other pupil; it would jeopardize that. Carla looked at me, and I shook my head. Asking her not to do what she is thinking of doing. Carla loves them more than me. There aren''t many things she wouldn''t do for them. "Fine," she agreed. However, it''s evident in her eyes how unwilling she is to accept it. Tap on below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 625: So, kindly get the f*ck out of my city! Proofread By Thomas F The elevator stopped, and I walked out. Looking at the large store floor in front of me. It was morning, dawn actually, so the store floors hadn''t opened yet, but despite that, there were people everywhere. Some are forging the metals, while others are carving the bones or making shoes. When the store floors close at midnight, the craftsmen come and start working on the items. Because there is limited space in the stores, only a few people work there. So, we utilize this open space to work whenever we can. It is necessary, given the sheer number of orders we have. Everybody wants the mist forged goods. Today, though, I have not come to watch them craft. I am here to see the stores being readied for opening; I have selected them all and want them to open on the first day of next month. Soon, I reached the store, and two stores had become one. I planned to give each owner a single store slot earlier, but like all good plans, I had to change them as the conditions changed. In this case, the collective changed things. I have given them two stores, demolishing the wall between them, creating one ample space. "Lord Silver," greeted Miss Rolgath. The short woman beside her bowed as well. "Miss Rolgath, Miss Rove," I replied as I stepped into the expanded space. "How are things?" I asked, looking around. Her people are working day and night, along with artists from Miss Rove''s collective. There is some friction between them; I didn''t interfere in it as I found it productive. They are also not letting it interfere with the deadline. "They are moving on time, my lord," replied Miss Rolgath. I walked around and saw many people working on different things in the store, including people of Miss Rove. She wanted them to work on it, and I agreed. I gave them such a large space because the people of her collective are good and multitalented. Eva and others had already hired six of them as freelance and permanent employees. A few minutes later, I walked out and checked the other stores before going to my training. Soon, it was ten, and I was in the carriage, moving toward the city hall. Every day is busy, but today is busier. People from the Nehdis design department had come to the Greltheaven. My people are talking to them. I will join them after they are done. Nehdis is intentionally delaying it; I could feel the invisible strings but I am desperate. I need the funding to build the academy and the tower. They understand it as well and are taking complete advantage of that. I shook my head at those thoughts and looked at my beautiful city. It''s truly beautiful and becoming more so by the day. Soon, the carriage reached the city hall, and I got out. I nodded at people and talked to a few more before finally reaching my office. My first appointment was already sitting in the waiting area. A meeting lasted twenty minutes before I worked for an hour and then met another person. Before I know it, it''s the afternoon. "They are ready for you," informed Zela, and I got up. I looked at what they were doing and didn''t like it, but as I had said, we were desperate. So, when I reached the conference room, I drank down every emotion I was feeling. "Lord Silver," they greeted. Every stakeholder, including the representatives of Synod and Hardman, along with the design team, is already there. "Everyone," I replied and sat down on the chair. "This is the information your people have provided us. Please look at it, my lord, and add or correct anything you feel," said Hardman, putting a file in front of me. These bastards didn''t even bring out the Heavencraft parchment. This time, they will only take down the requirements. I nodded and opened it, reading it page by page, reviewing everything I had discussed with my team about the academy I wanted. I even shared the vision with Amellus and brought it out on paper. It''s a fantastic design. If these bastards had taken it, it would have saved us a lot of time. Finally, I finished reading. They have added everything; I have nothing to add. "In the next meeting, in a week to ten days, we will study it and bring our suggestions to you," informed Hardman. I frowned at hearing this. "Our requirements are complete enough to create an initial design," I stated, turning to him slowly. I explicitly asked Ammellus to be as detailed as possible so we could move quickly through the design phase. Thousands of children in the city have finished their schooling and want to study in the academy. Those with means had admitted themselves in the academies of empire and the merchant states, but that is a fraction of them. Most are not that fortunate. We provide some of them with a scholarship, but the city doesn''t have enough for everyone. So, we need the academy as soon as possible. Every day we lose, we deprive them of the opportunity to reach their highest potential. "It doesn''t work like that, Lord Silver," Hardman replied with that irritating smile. "This is the first step; the next step would be for us to offer suggestions to you. If you accept them, we will once more ask for your requirements in greater detail and offer suggestions, and only then will we bring it out on paper." "There, we will go through several levels of refinement before we finalize the design and start working on it. This is a standard practice," he added. He is not wrong; it is standard practice, but they speed it up if the payer demands it. If the money is good enough, they finish it in a week, and here the money is very good, but the thing is, I am not the one paying them. "How long will the design phase take?" I asked. "Three months," he replied instantly¡ªthe maximum time allowed for the design under the contract. "But given how we are commuting and the danger your city is in due to your neighbors, We might use section 8C to extend it a little further," he added with a smile. Section 8C allows them to extend the phase by three more months if the place they are working in is in danger of being attacked, which Greltheaven is. They could stretch the design phase to six months, which is the time we want the first phase of the academy to finish so we can start accepting students. That is just the shortest phase, the designing phase. There are many more exceptions in the building phase. People are pulling strings from behind the scenes, but I hadn''t expected them to go this far. No¡ªthat''s not true. I knew they would, but I refused to accept it. I was desperate. I am desperate, but I could not bear it anymore. So, I smiled. "Mr. Hardman, I am terminating the contract. So, kindly get the fuck out of my city!" I said to shock of all, and it felt good to say it. Everyone was shocked, including my own people, but the most shocked was a smiling man whose smile had frozen. It took a while for him to collect his emotions. When he did, that smile was gone. "Lord Silver, you can''t do that. The contract was won by us fairly. If you award it to others, we will sue you!" he threatened. "I am not terminating the contract with Nehdis. I am canceling the whole damn contract. The city of Greltheaven will fund the academy with its own money!" I replied. Shocking them further. Faris from Synod opened his mouth but closed it, seeing my expression. I had read the contract multiple times. It is airtight and made to screw with me, but I could cancel it; I will have to pay the price, but not as much as I would have needed to if I had done that after only a month from signing. "Lord Silver, don''t do this. Synod had been very accommodating toward you; you are throwing it in their faces by doing that," said Faris finally. "Hehe," I laughed. "Don''t tell me what Synod will do, Faris. You are just a staff; I am a member. I can bear what my organization throws at me," I replied to the man. Nehdis aren''t the only one that was unbearable. This bastard was as well. There will be some consequences, but I will bear them as they will be much easier to do than suffer through these humiliating contracts. "Lord Silver, think ab..." "Get out, Hardman!" I barked before he could finish. The sparks of anger lit up in his eyes. However, in the next moment, his expression steadied, and he strode out alongside Faris and his team. "I will not say I am not pleased seeing those arrogant bastards leave, but with us terminating the contract, we will have to build the academy and tower ourselves with the money we don''t have," said Valentina, looking at me. Everybody is looking at me. We were frustrated by them but desperate. Now, our condition become even worse. However, I feel much better than when I came into the meeting. The load of humiliation had disappeared from my shoulders. Replacing it with another weight, but this one is familiar. I have been dealing with this one since the moment I stepped foot into the city. "I will find the money," I replied and turned to Ammellus. "I will release the first tranche of funds. Start working on the academy as soon as possible and find a good partner for the tower," I ordered. "As you command, my lord," he replied with a grin blooming on his serious face. I can''t conjure money out of thin air, but I can redirect the funds I had set aside for the city''s expansion. Now, they will be allocated to the academy and the tower. It is not exactly money, but an asset that I will liquidate. We discussed a few more matters before I left the city hall, a smile on my face. What I did may not have been wise, but I have no regrets. I would do it again even if someone sent me back in time. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 626: Sable Proofread By Thomas F Nehdis "You had overplayed your hand, Hardman," I said, angry at the man before me. I had asked him to handle things delicately. He was good at these kinds of things, which is why I chose him, but this time, he made a big mess of it. I needed precision¡ªa scalpel''s edge, a surgeon''s touch. Instead, the bastard brought a sledgehammer. "I did as you had requested, Lord Nehdis, but didn''t expect he would react this way," he replied¡ªonly fueling my anger further. Our goal was to make Silver suffer and delay the project. Those behind wanted the same thing. We had not wanted Silver to break things so abruptly. It is not a suitable result for us or those behind us. We cannot afford a complete breakdown of relations. Our ties with Silver were never strong before the contract, but there was no outright hostility. Some of his people despised us, but he did not. Now, he hates us and those behind it. It''s not good. He is an influential man. Silver''s legacy might be a Grade III legacy, but its influence is equal to that of Grade IV due to its sheer size and the emotional essence it provides to the states. If it ever reaches Grade IV, his power and influence will explode¡ªfar surpassing every other Grade IV legacy on the continent. We are powerful, and Silver won''t be able to do anything meaningful to us, but it''s not good to be enemies with legacies. Especially the ones like Velvet Garden. ... Rayna Sable The carriage moved through the city while I read the stacks of information. I have read it several times, but I am still doing it. The man I am meeting today is the most powerful and intelligent man I have been assigned in nearly three months. I don''t want to want to make a mistake. If I did, it would all go down the drain. A few minutes later, we reached the place. Seeing my carriage, they opened the entrance but didn''t let me in directly. The driver stopped the carriage while the guards looked inside it. I could feel their skills and their eyes as they looked over the carriage. "Clear," they said a few seconds later, and the carriage rolled forward. Security is a necessity¡ªafter all, this is a jail. Click! The carriage stopped, and the door opened. I unlatched my wheelchair from its place and moved toward the door, where the ramp was connected. The wheelchair was enchanted, but it still took some time before I could learn to get out of it alone smoothly. "Miss Sable," greeted Captain Bari. I nodded and pushed my wheelchair toward the leftmost building. Soon, I entered inside, and I climbed up. I am glad all the new buildings are wheelchair-enabled; I can get anywhere in them without any help. I arrived on the heavily guarded fourth floor. The cells here were fortified¡ªthick walls, a narrow slit for viewing, and a small, high-set window that barely let in any light. This floor has the highest-leveled prisoners captured in the battles against the undead. Captain Bari stopped in front of the cell, took out the keys, put them inside the lock, and twisted them. Click! I heard the clicking sound, and the door opened. Inside is a small room with a table and a bed on which the man is lying. He opened his eyes and looked at us before focusing solely on me as he got up. "Oh, I was wondering when I will be lucky enough to be visited by the crippled whore, I heard so much about," he said, getting up. The man''s name is Haris Bath. He is in his early forties, with blond hair and pale green eyes. "I hope it was all good things," I replied. To that, the man grinned. "You will be temporarily handed to Miss Sable. If you try to do anything to harm Miss Sable or try to escape, we will kill you," stated Captain Bari. "Don''t worry, little captain. With the alchemy sealing, I could barely do anything. Even without it, running wouldn''t have been possible," he replied before walking beside me while stretching. He is a tall man and quite handsome. He is also powerful, a Lv. 30+ powerhouse. "Follow me, Mr. Bath," I said, pushing my wheelchair forward. He briefly looked at the Captain and the jail guards before following behind. "So, we will be alone?" he asked with a suggestive smile, but I could see the cold calculations behind it. This man is one of the smartest. Our people weren''t able to get anything from him, so they are letting me try with him. Still, I couldn''t help but wish for someone of a lower level. This man is too powerful. "Yes, but I would advise you not to try anything. The last two didn''t fare well." I replied, and the man grinned. "I have some advice for you all as well. Don''t expect to get anything from me. You will get nothing like the people before you," he said. "I do not need you to tell me anything. I know everything, everything about you," I replied. "Like what?" he asked with a grin. I turned him with a serious face, activating Impactful Words and Insightful Eye. "Your full name is Arthur Daniel Haris Bath; you were born in the Kingdom of Vris''alud. In the province of Reih, in Lalkin city, but raised in a Karn city," "You joined the army after you came of age. Trained at Rismar Military Academy. Your first battle was at Jarin Hill against the Kindom of Edulia, where you were seriously injured," "Two months later, you fought another battle at Iker Pass, then at Feban City, where you caught the attention of your superiors," I said. "You kept fighting, advancing until the Battle of Jarva¡ªyour final stand on the island before they sent you here." The grin on his face faltered, if only for a moment. The way I spoke, it sounded as if I knew everything about him¡ªbut in truth, I only knew what I had just said. Here, the trick is to make them think we know everything about them. This will lead them to let their guard down while giving me a chance to influence them with words and skills. I am using many skills. Impactful Words create greater impact, while an Insightful Eye lets me notice the changes in his expression and body language. There are also two passive skills I am using. Madam''s Presence is the only skill I am using in the madam class. It is a strong skill with a powerful presence. I am hiding the Comforting Presence of my Listener Class inside it. Though, my greatest asset is me. I am a poor cripple; he could squish in an instant. These strong men, even those who didn''t underestimate anyone, unconsciously let their guard down before me. It isn''t unique to prisoners. Even in the brothels, girls used to tell me things. In Velvet Garden, it was the patrons. That''s why I''m the only one still here working¡ªof the six girls sent, the others have all returned to the Velvet Garden. The silence lasted until we started to descend floors. "If you know so much, then why are you here?" he asked with a grin returning on his face, but he was a lot more serious than before. "Assessment; they want me to assess you." I lied. Of course, it is for interrogation. We descended more floors in silence; I had no desire to break it. In my experience, silence is the most effective tool¡ªpeople can''t help but fill it with words. Especially someone like him, who spends most of his time locked away in a cell. The quiet also keeps me from appearing desperate. Today, I have no expectations other than to build the connection. Once the connection is built, I could begin extracting the information. We reached the ground floor in silence and walked out of the building. His eyes moved to the guards, but not one moved toward us. "So, you won''t listen to any information I will give you?" he asked with a smile. "Of course, I will," I admitted. "If your information is good enough, we will shift you to a better cell with a big window. Better meals, more books; even a day out in the Legacy isn''t out of the question," I added as I led him forward. "Nice offer, but not interested," he replied. I didn''t say anything about that; these things had been offered to him, but he had kept his mouth shut. I said nothing further and moved my wheelchair forward. Soon, we reached the jail gates and passed through them without guards stopping us. He looked around cautiously, but nothing happened when we crossed the street and reached the other side. On the other side of the jail is a garden. I moved my wheelchair toward it. The man moved with me, looking at the people. There are no guards here, but I know nothing will happen to me. First, his power is suppressed with an alchemy solution, and second, there is a protection I couldn''t see. The two had previously tried to escape and paid a heavy price. This one is smart enough not to do that. A minute passed and then another. We moved through the park in silence. "In Karn, we had a garden not far from our house; I used to go there with my mother," he stated. "Barti''s garden; it''s about the same as this one, right?" I asked a moment later. He turned to me with a surprise but hid it quickly and nodded. As I said, it''s essential to create a perception that we know everything about him. We didn''t know he used to visit the garden, but we knew where he lived and the places around it. There was only one garden near his childhood home. It''s not there anymore; it was destroyed, along with a block he used to live in to make a mansion for the city official. I may have just come to him now, but I have been researching everything about him for two weeks. As I said before, the more knowledge I have about the mark, the greater my chances of getting intelligence from him. "It was a beautiful garden. I have very fond memories of it," he said, his eyes turning, reminiscing. "I had never been to a garden before I came to Greltheven. I tried to enter one as a child, but the guard shooed me away," I replied, remembering the old memory. "You will never face such things in Vris''alud. In the kingdom, everyone is equal before the law," he stated, with quite a pride. "Is that why the governor''s cousin demolished an entire city block overnight for his mansion without any warning?" I said. His smile vanished, replaced by a sharp glare. Vris''alud projects itself as a utopia but suffers from the same problems as the other kingdoms. A few minutes passed in silence when we stopped by the fountain. He sat on one of the unoccupied benches beside me. "There is a city in the kingdom of Brarod with wonderful fountains. Especially the grand fountain. It''s massive and beautiful," he reminisces while I smile internally at the information I have gained. Getting information is challenging. It is locked in a weave of skills and contracts. There are skills and other ways to counterattack it, but I didn''t have any. This is why I focused on manipulating perceptions to gain information. Here, I didn''t ask him any questions, nor did I lead them toward it. Instead, I remained silent most of the time while replying to his words. At the same time, I brought him out of jail. Giving him a false sense of security. He knew people might be watching him, and he couldn''t escape, but he slightly laid down his guard. So, when we sat here by the fountain, around the people talking with each other, he couldn''t help but open his mouth and remember that important battle. The raid in Vamil City happened at night; the powerhouses of Vris''alud infiltrated the city while the horde attacked from the outside. We didn''t know he had participated in that battle. The undead had killed nearly everyone who fought in that battle. So, barely any information leaked outside. "You guys took only six hours to conquer that city. It was quite a feat," I replied. Leaving the bait with the praise. To that, he shook his head. "Three hours and seven minutes. It took even less than Varima had predicted," he corrected. Giving me another vital name. I instantly noted it in my Mind Diary. "That makes it one of the shortest battles fought in Brarod," I replied; he nodded proudly. He didn''t speak further, nor did I ask him anything. I have gotten more than I had expected. Today was only to make the connection. If I pushed harder, he would put his guard up, messing things up. As the sun dipped below the horizon, it vanished within minutes¡ªbut darkness did not follow. Soft lights bathed the garden, casting a warm, enchanting glow. "You are good; I heard quite a lot of things about you. It will be such a regret that once the kingdom conquers this city, you will be turned into the undead," he said, looking at me. "Though, you can avoid that fate. If you turn," he added a moment later. "The undead will never capture Greltheaven," I replied. Evading the question about the turning, which made a hope flash in his eyes. He didn''t press me further. I am sure he has received training about it and will not press me at once but slowly. Most others are doing the same. "It''s time," I said a few minutes later as I moved my wheelchair toward the garden''s exit. Soon, we reached the exit and walked through it before crossing the road and entering the jail''s compound once more, where Captain Bari was waiting for us. "Thank you for the time, Miss Sable. I enjoyed it a lot," he thanked as he stopped beside the captain. "Until next time, Mr. Bath," I replied, smiling before turning my wheelchair toward the carriage. It went better than I had imagined. In the next meeting, I will lead him toward the seeds I had planted in his mind. I hope to gain something. I certainly will. Listener of Secrets Lv. 28 Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 627: Tranquill Bathhouse Proofread By Thomas F Barb Utsa "Vethe Island," I said as I looked at the beautiful island in the turquoise sea. We are just a few minutes away from it. "It took us a long time, but it''s worth it, " Tara said beside me. I nodded. The journey had been long and difficult, but as the island came into view, its beauty made every moment feel justified. We exchanged smiles, but beneath them lay a quiet, unspoken seriousness. Our journey is not a vacation but a mission with very high consequences. The survival of the Velvet Garden depends on it. Minutes passed, and the port came into view. It was neither large nor small, but the sleek presence of yachts made it clear¡ªthis was a place of wealth. Vethe had once been just another holiday island, unremarkable and quiet. But the birth of the legacy had changed everything, altering the island''s fate forever. Soon, our yacht docked at the port, and we got out. "Welcome to Tranquill City, guests from Velvet Garden," welcomed Rylan Aardwyn. Surprisingly, he came himself to greet us. "Thank you for the welcome, Mr. Aardwyn." I thanked him. We introduced our party members before walking toward the carriages. I stepped inside one with Rylan, and it began to move toward the city. "It''s a beautiful city," I said as I looked through the window. It''s stunning, with most buildings made of limestone. Many of these buildings are old but look new like they were built only a few years ago. Many of these buildings are big, with many of them being villas and mansions. The best ones are overlooking the sea. The information said the city is a playground for the rich and powerful. The fate of the legacy could change that very quickly. The city is also in the sovereign''s direct control; it didn''t use to be but became so after the legacy was born. According to the kingdom''s laws, the place automatically becomes the sovereign''s personal domain if a legacy is born in the city. "It is a piece of heaven," he replied. I looked at the people and saw many wearing that Otonian robe called a toga. However, most are wearing regular clothes. Like all Otonians, they have dark skin, but there are people of different skin tones and races as well. I could see the people''s races¡ªelves of all skin colors, dwarfs, and some giant bloods. I didn''t spot any orcs; they are rare here. Minutes passed as the carriage moved, and we made small talk until, finally, the carriage entered the compound. "Welcome to Tranquill Bathhouse," announced the half-elf as the carriage stopped. A moment later, he got out, and I followed him. "Wow!" gasped Gloria while I sighed, looking at one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Nestled along the rugged coastline, the grand bathhouse complex sprawls gracefully, its elegant arches and tiered terraces blending seamlessly with the cliffs. Each section is designed to offer a breathtaking panorama of the endless turquoise sea, where waves crash gently against the rocky shore, their rhythmic song adding to the air of tranquil luxury. White marble colonnades frame a vast open-air swimming pool, where the water glistens under the vibrant sun. Intricately paved misty walkways lead to the heated chamber, its steaming pools infused with aromatic herbs. The warm hall offers a gentle respite beneath vaulted ceilings adorned with celestial mosaics. At the cliff''s edge, a cascading aqueduct fills the cold plunge, its cool waters pouring into a circular pool that reflects the sky. Secluded gardens, shaded pergolas, and private bathing chambers provide spaces for quiet indulgence, while lively courtyards echo with the murmurs of merchants and nobles alike. Here, where luxury meets the sea, the bathhouse is not just a place of cleansing but a sanctuary of relaxation, culture, and timeless grandeur. It is massive, covering nearly twenty-five thousand square feet. If it were in Zenid, it would make this bathhouse one of the biggest legacies of the continent, but Oton is a continent of power. It has the most legacies of any continent, and they are powerful. It has a titan, heavenly arenas, and the most powerful incursion gate in the world. "I will first give you the bathhouse tour before taking you to meet my father," he said, and I nodded. I first wanted to meet the Master of the Legacy, but I also wanted to see this fantastic bathhouse before doing anything else. We walked toward it and climbed on the first step. I felt the power of the legacy. It''s powerful¡ªmore powerful than what one feels after entering the velvet Garden. It''s not surprising that it is a pawn of the throne legacy; it shares some of its power. It relieved me because it''s not more powerful than the Velvet Garden. The power we show to others and the power we have are entirely different. Very few people know about it. Even I didn''t, despite being a madam for so long. It is one of the most guarded secrets of the Velvet Garden. I was shocked when they showed it to me after Caena told her class, and it took me quite a while to recover. ''It''s so different than the Velvet Garden or Vanis''s Tavern. It was lighter and gave the feeling of refreshment. That seemed to open every pour of my body just by entering the domain of the legacy.'' said Gloria. To that, I nodded. "It''s wonderful," I praised, and the man smiled. We entered inside and walked toward the large pool, where both men and women were present¡ªenjoying the bath and swimming. Some are smoking by it, drinking and eating fruits and cheeses. These are considered classical bath activities in the Oton. I could feel their eyes on us. Some smiled, and I smiled back while watching everything. "This is a natatio, the communal pool. As you can see, both the men and women enjoy the bath in it," he said as we walked by the large pool. I looked at it but also admired the beautiful mosaics. "Is it true that this bathhouse has been in your family for generations?" Gloria asked. He smiled. "It''s been in our family for over five hundred years," he replied with pride. We reached the other side of the pool and took a turn by the small garden. All the plants here have grown in the mist since it became the legacy. Like most legacy masters, they didn''t make any changes to it after it had turned into the legacy. They will give us these plants. Carla told me they had resisted quite a lot, but they agreed in the end. Soon, we reached the other section of the complex. It consisted of a collection of small pools, each with a misty privacy screen. Some had only men, some had women, and some had both. "These pools are caldarium, tepidarium, and frigidarium; the cold pools, warm pools, and hot pools," he informed us as we walked by. I looked at everything, including the beautiful ocean view this bathhouse provides. He showed one section after another of the bathhouse complex, including the herbal pools, the bath halls, and the very private section reserved for the most important guests. Finally, we reached the place guarded by powerful-looking guards with the insignia of the royal family. "They are guests from the Velvet Garden," he informed them. They kept looking at us for several seconds before opening the door. "Thank you," I replied, and we entered the room. Gasp! The moment we did. We gasped, all four of us; it was too grand not to gasp in the shock. "This is Rhidon''s Vitae," he declared with a flourish. And indeed, it was magnificent. In front of me is a well or fountain, depending on how one perceives it, and it is massive¡ªas big as a house. At the heart of the chamber stands a breathtakingly carved well, its grand structure commanding attention. Within it, a second, smaller well rests¡ªits intricate carvings even more exquisite, as if crafted by divine hands. Suspended above, a mesmerizing water swirl defies gravity, cascading down in an endless, shimmering cycle. Encircling the well, towering columns rise, each adorned with lifelike figurines of animals so meticulously sculpted that they seem ready to spring to life. Their watchful presence adds an air of reverence to the scene. And behind it all, a magnificent arch looms, its surface adorned with a tapestry of intricate artistry, telling stories long forgotten yet eternally preserved. This is the Rhidon''s Vitae¡ªan artifact of beauty. It is grander and more beautiful than I heard. It is also very old, over ten thousand years old. It had passed through the hands of many people before it ended up here. It isn''t just water that comes out; mist also comes from the animal''s mouths. It is a rare healing artifact; the water flowing out of it has healing, cleansing, and energizing properties. Master Silver had said this artifact would be one of the biggest blockades in our quest to swallow the Tranquill Bathhouse. "It''s beautiful and massive; I didn''t think artifacts could be this huge," said Gloria, playing the awestruck part well. She is awestruck and enamored, actually. I can''t blame her; I am feeling the same emotions. "There is no limit to the size of the artifacts, Miss Gloria. In the world, there are artifacts far bigger than this," replied Rylan without looking away from the artifact. "It must have taken quite a lot of effort to bring it here. Does this artifact change its size? I heard some do," she asked. He smiled at that. "It took a lot of effort to bring it here; the forces attacked in a bid to steal it when his majesty had sent it here," he replied. I read about that. It was quite a battle. It''s an artifact, after all. Even if it is not an offensive type, it is still very valuable. Especially here, in Tranquill Bathhouse, where its abilities complement the abilities of the legacy. "It must consume a lot of emotion essence?" I asked. To which he sighs. "It does, even when we limit water use from it in only one section of the bathhouse, but it''s worth it," he replied. A few seconds later, he turned and walked toward the door. I would have liked to stay for longer; the artifact is too beautiful to leave so quickly. We walked out of the door and, a few minutes later, stepped out of the domain of legacy toward the six-story building in the compound. It''s beautiful, with large limestone columns. We entered inside and took the elevator to the top floor. "The view is magnificent," said Tara as she looked at the vast turquoise sea. "It''s the most beautiful place in the world; nothing could compare to it," he proudly replied. "I respectfully disagree," I replied. Surprised, he didn''t say anything and walked toward the large wooden doors. The guards standing by it opened it, and we walked inside. "Lord Ardwyn," we greeted the handsome middle-aged elf sitting behind the table¡ªthe master of Tranquill Bathhouse. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 628: Big Party Chapter 628: Big Party Proofread by Thomas F As far as my eyes could see, people were hard at work. Mages dug into the earth, workers carefully laid stones, and enchanters meticulously inscribed runes. The academy''s construction was in full swing, a relentless force of progress. Ammellus wasted no time. Construction began within two days, and more hands joined the effort each day, pushing the project forward at an astonishing pace. I asked him to do it in full force. I need the academy to be standing as soon as possible. However, unlike the academy, The Mage Tower''s progress hadn''t even started. We don''t have the necessary expertise to build a Mage Tower. It is why we are searching for a partner to build one. The company we partnered with to build the legacy builds the towers, but they are not right. The conditions were beyond what we could agree on. However, the biggest problem is the finances. What I had allocated will last for two weeks at most before I need to allocate more money for them. "Tomorrow, another group of workers will join. It will speed up the progress," Amellus said. I nodded and walked around the site. The population of the city is increasing, but so are the jobs. It might be hard to believe, but there are more jobs than those occupying them. I am paying a good amount to employment guilds across the empire and merchant states to post the openings. My people are also using their connections to bring in more people. There is a huge need for construction workers. We are pulling in the forest orcs who didn''t join the army or have a unique talent. They help a lot, especially the women. In the forest, there is always work for them to do. Here, too, there are things to do, but the convenience of the city helps them do them in a few hours, which used to take a day. The biggest problem was and is cultural, but things are improving. Many tribes and orc men are letting women work. We have also opened schools for them to foster their talents. It is producing a good result. That is why the academy must open as soon as possible. We need it to foster the young generation of the city to turn them into the pillars of tomorrow. An hour later, I was moving toward the city in my carriage. The days pass quickly, and the month is nearly over. The new stores will open in three days, and I am excited about it. I have already given their members access to the mist, and Eva and others have taught them the basics of using it in their craft. The rest of the improvements were in place. I glanced out the window at the blocks where the collective''s artists, actors, and performers had settled. The energy of creativity was already taking root. I wanted this area to become a proper artist district¡ªand I was determined to make it happen. From subsidizing rent to providing spaces for them to work, most of all, they have the freedom to work on whatever they want. Art is the lifeblood of culture, and I would see Greltheaven rise as a beacon of creativity. Let it not be merely a city where one views art but where one is consumed by it. The legacy might not be there tomorrow, but I want the city to be. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped, and I got out before walking into the city hall. "This has come from Barb," said Lola, putting a file in front of me. They had reached the island two days ago and were very impressed by it. I opened the file and began to read. Although it was thick, it didn''t take me long to finish. There is nothing secret about the information. Those with enough connections could access the information presented in the file, but Barb wrote it, and many normal sentences contain secret information when viewed through the lens of Velvet Garden. "It will be very challenging to swallow the Tranquill Bathhouse. I would suggest we give it up," said Lola. I didn''t say anything to that. We knew it would be challenging to swallow it, and now, after reading the information, we understand it would be more challenging than we initially thought. The legacy is as powerful as ours. We do not show the full power of the Velvet Garden; it is always at 50% or less, and even then, we are more powerful than nearly every other Grade III legacy. The witchcraft made it very powerful, but we lost that advantage against the Tranquill Bathhouse because it was a pawn of the throne for a century and a half. There is also that fucking artifact. Barb and others had seen it, and they had nothing but praise coming from their mouth. From what I heard about it. It''s an ancient artifact, over ten thousand years old. It is considered an artifact of average power but an old artifact. There might be something we don''t know about it. I wish I had read about it in more detail in Archmage Tower, but I was more focused on offensive and defensive artifacts. I contacted my connections for more information but couldn''t get more than I had. I requested the Archmage Tower, but there is little hope. They don''t usually give that information. Synod conference was one unique opportunity. There are other difficulties as well. This is why, despite making all the necessary preparations, I am not fully committed to it. The contract states that both parties can break it at any moment. This is also why Constance is still contacting many thrones to make Tranquill Bathhouse the pawn. It is the safest choice because a lot of things could happen when we try to swallow each other, including both legacies dying in the process. It had happened many times. I want the Tranquill Bathhouse very much, but I would not sacrifice my legacy for it. Still, I am not without options. I wouldn''t have made the move if I didn''t have hope. Still, there is a deep fear that will not go away until I call it off. Hours passed, and soon it was evening. I got out of my office and sat in the carriage. It is going directly to the legacy. Today is an important day for the legacy and the city. A grand gathering of the merchant guild of Owlspring is being hosted on the Legacy''s roof. Thousands of their members have descended to the city. Carla pursued it, though she doubted we''d succeed. Yet, a week ago, word arrived¡ªwe had secured it. A week was little time to prepare, but we managed. Now, I can only hope they will be delighted. Soon, the carriage reached the tower, and I stepped out of it and walked toward the door. Even now, in the evening, there are lines of people wanting to enter the tower under the long banner. A huge banner also flows down the tower, announcing the six new stores. Of course, I am publicizing their opening. I put in a few stores from other cities, such as Inam and Namdar. It is a great opportunity; I would be an idiot if I didn''t take it. I entered the lobby before taking the elevator. A few seconds later, I stepped onto the top floor. The girls used to run it, but now Stavad had taken control of it and Velvet Blue. Today, the merchants of Owlspring are in every part of the legacy. They have booked the Velvet Blue, the casino, and the spa. They have also booked Velvet Red; only merchants from Owlspring are in there, but it is unofficial. It would be a scandal if they booked officially. Bringing the merchant guild here is quite a coup that Carla had made happen. They are the most desired group; they are rich and don''t hesitate to spend their money. If they celebrate here once, there is a good chance they will celebrate here the following year. Seeing them, the merchant guilds of other cities and guilds might also decide to celebrate here. It is a legacy, after all, and the one that provides for all their desires. Soon, I will be in my office and begin to work on things. I will need to finish before ten before joining the party. The first thing I did was talk to Barb. It is morning there, and there are a few things I need to discuss. Zela connected me with her, and I spoke to her briefly before focusing on work. Nobody has come to my office since everybody is busy with the merchant as I want them to be. Click! I was looking through the expense report for one set of gardens we are planning to build in the city next month when I heard my door open. When I looked, I froze for a moment. "You look beautiful," I praised Carla. She was wearing a violet embroidered gown that hugged her perfectly like it was made for her, and it was. "And you are not ready. It is past nine and a half already," she replied. I looked at the clock and saw it was really past nine and a half. The time flew by without me realizing it. "Give me a few minutes," I said, getting up from my chair. I went to my room and quickly freshened up. When I exited the bathroom, I saw Eudo waiting for me there. I nodded and sat down. This was the first time he had used his hands. Even after gaining them back, he kept using the telekinesis. "Thank you," I thanked. He smiled and walked away. I returned to my office a minute later, where Carla awaited me. "Let''s go," she said. I smiled and took her hand before walking out of the office. "Lord Remus Silver, Lord of Greltheaven and Panar. Master of Velvet Garden," announced the Herald as we stepped out of the elevator onto the roof. There are thousands of people here. Some are alone, with their wives, partners, and girlfriends. Over half of the madams are here, including Margaux and Della. Miss Dawnstar is also present, as are officials like Robin, Valentina, Hardt, and others. I am using everything I have to charm these merchants. I need their money and investments and a stronger connection with the guild. I had just stepped out when a man in his fifties with a goatee and sandy brown hair approached us with his wife. "Thank you for gracing our party with your illuminating presence, Lord Silver," said the man. "It is my honor, Guildmaster," I replied to the man. He is Kallan Fraser, the Guildmaster of Owlspring merchant guild, the man we must impress. We talked with the man for a while before meeting the vice guildmasters. "You have done an amazing thing bringing them here," I told Carla. "It wasn''t easy," she replied. "I never said it was," I said, kissing her cheek gently. Tap on below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy the Character Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 629: New Stores Proofread By Thomas F Meryl Rove "Ms. Rove, the pieces are absolutely gorgeous," a blond, middle-aged man praised. Looking at the abstract painting with a faint human outline in it. It''s a beautiful painting that shows the longing for a parental figure who was never present in life despite being present. "Thank you, Mr. Yales," I replied. "Then I hope you will sell me this painting," he asked. I sighed in regret. "Unfortunately, I can''t sell it to you directly. Like the rest, you will have to bid," I replied to the man with a smile. He is a merchant and a prominent collector from Namdar. He also owns a gallery. I have often requested him to show the pieces from my collective, but he has never accepted. Now, he wants to buy the pieces, like so many others. "It''s a regret, but I hope. It will be enough," he replied, showing the folded paper the man inserted into the box. I walked away from him and looked over this ample space. It is space for two stores they have given us. They have never given it to others. Eva Charles is the only person with a larger space than us. The space serves as both a gallery and a workshop, where completed pieces are displayed while new creations take shape. Saranil stands at her easel, brush in hand, bringing color to the canvas with careful strokes. Nearby, Voren carves into a block of wood¡ªnot with chisels but with his sword, each precise cut shaping the raw material into something extraordinary. Both of them are working in a privacy cube. It is made of enchantments and is fully transparent, allowing those watching to see in but not allowing the artists to see out. To them, it is a small private room where they can focus without distraction. It took them some time to get used to it. Velvet Garden wants the show, and my artists are giving it to them. However, not all want privacy. Matis delights in attention. He is painting a monster skeleton while talking with all who approach him. He likes attention, and his work often gets him in trouble. People don''t take kindly to working with a skeleton. It is taboo; those scars on his body are proof of that. Even Namdar, with its creative freedom, required a lot of permissions, which he would need to renew with every new piece he worked on. Here, there were no restrictions. When we asked Madam Revina who could procure a complete monster skeleton for us, she asked what type we wanted. Hearing our requirement, she sent Matis to Lauryl. When he came back, there was a big smile on his face. The skeletons he brought were not only complete but also undrained. This means there is magic in the bones of the skeleton. In Namdar, there were strict conditions for using skeletons. One of them was that the skeleton needed to be drained. So, it can''t be raised as undead. I saw him talk to people while his brush moved gently on the skeleton, which was covered in paint and mist. After the inspection and background checks were completed, the artist had access to the mist within ten days of arriving. The other store owners and staff taught them the basics. I wasn''t granted access; I am not an artist. Still, a hint of jealousy lingers whenever I see them wield the mist. It enhances their art, drawing out deeper emotions, memories, and imagination in ways I can only admire from a distance. As I walked through the beautiful space, I spoke with people, taking in the energy of creation around me. This place wasn''t easy to bring to life¡ªthere had been countless clashes of opinion with the interior designer. Yet, in the end, it became something remarkable. Thankfully, it''s over, but she isn''t leaving. I heard they are turning the lower floor of the spa into a bathhouse; she will be working on that, with architects coming from Oton in a few days. "I knew you would do great things, but my god. This is incredible," I heard a familiar voice and turned. I saw a woman with whom I shared many features. Though, I wish I had her height. She is a head taller than me. "I thought you would never come," I said, turning to the woman. "We wanted to come sooner, but there was work," she replied before hugging me. "It had been only a month since you left, but I missed you," she said. "I miss you too, Aunt Belis," I replied and turned to my uncle and teen cousin; he looked at everything with enamored eyes. Just like I had done on my first day in Greltheaven. "Your parents would be proud when they see this," she said as she looked at the space. She still thinks they are alive. I have hope, too, but I have tried to find them. Still using every bit of money, I have to find them. They have disappeared after Edruin captured Kelgir. There was no sign of them. It was a bloody battle to capture the city, and many had died. People suggested my parents might have died in it as well, and they likely are, but I won''t stop searching for them until I do. "I hope they will see this," I replied with hope. I opened the collective in their memory; they used to run one in Kelgir. However, unlike me, both of them were outstanding artists. She didn''t say anything and hugged me tighter before letting go. I showed them around but could only give them a few minutes before I had to mingle with the guests. The legacy is enormous; they could have a good time without me. I have booked them a spa and a table at Velvet Blue and got them tickets for tonight''s play. A theatre company from Taurus Theatre is performing today. It is their first show in Greltheaven. It is not easy to get an appointment and ticket here, but I asked Chief Salt for a favor, and the woman made it possible instantly. I would have liked to show them the tower myself; it is a beautiful place, but I have to be here. It is a special showing; many important people from the empire and merchant states have come. It isn''t only for the gallery. It is also for the other five stores. All five stores are amazing and so different. Each one of them is an artist at their core. There is a ceramicist, a glass smith, a light smith, a weaver, and a carpenter in the five stores. I wonder what other store they would have chosen if they hadn''t given us the two spaces. "How are you doing?" I asked Matis as I walked away from the guest. "Very good. It is the first time people aren''t cursing me and want to buy my art," he replied. I couldn''t help but smile at that. The art world is different. It is filled with snobs and connoisseurs, who are usually the same. It is hard to make them change their minds and words, but it could happen if the artist works in legacy and uses mist. Till the last month, nobody was willing to buy his pieces. I needed to find the peculiar ones willing to take it for their secret collection, but now everybody wants it. It''s not a taboo anymore. Here, people didn''t just want their pieces but also them. Matis is also working with the ivory store on the floor below. Three of my artists had been hired by Miss Eva, two by the lightsmith and carpenter each¡ªa few more different stores, including ceramicist. It made me very happy as these people were outcasts of society. Many could barely follow their passion and used to do other jobs to support themselves. Not anymore. "I am glad," I said before returning to mingling with the guests. ''Master Silver is coming to the store with important people,'' a familiar voice said in my mind. It was Madam Revina who was responsible for the store floors. "Please enjoy the gallery, Mr. Kalv, Mrs. Kalv," I said to the guests I was talking to and excused myself. The boss is coming, and I have to welcome him. He is my boss, more than the other store owners. As the gallery or workshop, whatever one calls it, is not my collective. It had been dissolved. Instead, this is a venture of the city''s department of art. Any artist who is good enough can come here. I and two others from the art department and I will choose them. I am the head of the venture, but I have less control than I did when I was the leader of the collective. I don''t mind it, and I am very happy with it. I founded the collective to give the artists a chance¡ªespecially the non-conventional ones. Looking around, I felt I had achieved something important today. I cleared my thoughts as I saw Lord Silver coming toward the store. He isn''t alone; there are a lot of people with him. Chief Salt, Madam Revina, and important people from the other cities that Madam Revina informed me about. "Welcome, Lord Silver," I greeted the young man as he appeared in front of me before greeting others. "Miss Rove," he replied politely, as he usually does, before entering inside with me. ... Carla Salt I sat down on the chair. Feeling a little tired, the day had been a long one. A lot of important people had come¡ªnot the lords, but important ones from many cities¡ªand all of them wanted the pieces. They could not pressure Remus about it too much, but they could pressure me. We had prepared the whole collection for them, but they still wanted more. Everybody wants more. In the past few months, I hadn''t visited a place that didn''t desire the mist goods. They are incredible, and most importantly, they are crafted with the mist. The six new stores have been specifically chosen and are already a hit. ''Chief, he is here,'' informed my assistant, bringing me out of my thoughts. Hearing that, I took a deep breath and controlled my expression. ''Send him in,'' I replied. This is a very important meeting with far-reaching consequences. Click! The door opened, and the older man walked inside. Lord Nathil, the adviser of the Lord of Owlspring. "Lord Nathil," I greeted, getting up from my chair. "Chief Carla," he replied and sat in front of me. "So, what is the important business?" asked the man. We had invited him to the city, and the opening of the stores was not a big enough reason for him to come here. I didn''t reply to his question. Instead, I tapped on the desk. Immediately, over a thousand vials of the emotion essence appeared on the desk, surprising him. "I am listening," he said with his expressions turning serious. "We want the standard rate and a promise that this will directly go to vaults and won''t come out for at least three years. We also want nobody to be aware of this deal besides you and your lord," I stated. We need to build the academy and tower but don''t have the money, so we are selling them. We were saving them for the city''s expansion, but now we must use them. It is only part of what we had saved, but we didn''t want to sell any because the purpose for which they were saved would need a lot of them. "And?" he asked, and I smiled. Of course, we are not idiots to sell the emotion essence just for money. If that were the case, we would sell it to some prosperous merchant at a greater price. No, we want other things. Things that only the Lord of Owlspring could provide. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 630: The Blood I Proofread by Thomas F Barb Utsa ''He isn''t interested in the girls,'' informed Tara. I could feel the deep disappointment and a little bit of the self-blame in her voice. The girl prides herself on her seduction prowess, but she can''t do anything when the man is not interested in women at all. ''I suspect that much,'' I replied. For us whores, it''s not difficult to see it. Even those faithful to wives and girlfriends will show attraction to us; it is a natural reaction. Take Master Silver. It''s easy to see in his eyes but not in the man she wants to seduce. Caena didn''t say it in words, but I could feel with her words how vital blood is. Since we can''t get it through the planned way, I have to think about how to get it differently. I only have two months; over a month has already passed since we came here. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a huge manor. It is blue and white with large white carved columns. It is also by the sea, providing a fantastic view. We were invited here; we got many invitations from places like this, but we chose to accept this one. Click! The guard opened the door, and we walked out. "Welcome to Porcia''s Heaven, Madam''s the of Velvet Garden," greeted the woman. The woman is beautiful. She looked in her late forties, with smooth, ebony skin, long, straight crimson hair, and bright blue eyes. "Madam Porcia, thank you for the invitation," I replied. Yes, this is a brothel, one of the best on the island. This woman is an owner and the madam of it. This is the sole reason we accepted the invitation. The others invited us, but they were owned by the powerful, not one of our own. There was another brothel owned by the madam running it, but we did not hear good things about it. She is worse than the bad masters. "I should be the one thanking you. I didn''t think you would accept my invitation and come with the full party," Madam Porica said, looking at Tara, Gloria, and Rexy. "We had heard a lot of things about your establishment. We couldn''t resist," I replied. She smiled and led us to the door. Soon, we reached the large doors, which she pushed open, leading us inside. Immediately, I felt the eyes of people who shared the same classes and skills as me. They are beautiful, and all of them are above Lv. 20, which isn''t surprising, given that it is a high-class brothel. "Girls, I present you, the madams of Velvet Garden," introduced Porcia before turning to us. "The girls are excited to meet you all. They might cross some boundaries of politeness in their excitement. For that, I want to apologize at the beginning," she told us. "You do not need to apologize," I replied. To that, she smiled gratefully. We stepped into the party, and I walked alongside Madam Porcia while the other three wandered off¡ªonly to be immediately swarmed by the girls. I felt a twinge of pity for them, but I made no effort to intervene. The girls were just curious, after all. There are more brothel legacies in Oton than in Zenid. Two among them are Thrones, but Velvet Garden is different, not because it is big, but because of what its girls have achieved. "Madam Utsa, this is Garina and Albyna, my deputies," she introduced to two women. One is a purple-haired human girl, while the other is a haired elf. Both of them are Lv¡ª30s, with Madam Class. "Madam Utsa," they greeted. "Madam Garina, Madam Albyna," I replied. "We have heard so much about the Velvet Garden. Some things seemed too outrageous to believe," said the elf, Albyna. She isn''t the only person had said those words to me. Since I came here, I have attended many parties and met many people. Many of them have asked me this question. "Ask me, and I will tell you if it is true or false," I replied, and a smile appeared on the faces of the two of us. "Is it true that the Master of Velvet Garden had made the a whore a governor?" asked the older woman, Garina. It is the most asked question. It''s very shocking to people. Forget the people of Oton, a continent separated by the sea. Even people of Nakar baronies had a hard time believing it. "It''s true," I replied, and they gasped; even Madam Porcia looked surprised. "It''s so hard to believe," the elf said softly. "It is," I agreed, "but it shouldn''t be. We are people, just like those who rule us. And we have every right to reach that position, just as they did." I had been like them once¡ªdoubting my worth because of my profession. But not anymore. I am a whore and will always be. I am proud of it. I could have become a thief or something worse, but I became a whore. I didn''t take anything that belonged to others. I earned what I have through hard work. There was a silence for a few seconds. "You are absolutely right, Madam Utsa. We are people, like everybody, and nobody has a right to look down on us. Including us," said Porcia. Time passed as we mingled with the girls before Porcia began to show me the brothel. "It''s a beautiful establishment, you have Madam Porcia¡ªespecially the view. Even Master Silver would be jealous of it," I praised as I looked at the vast turquoise sea before me. "It took a lot of hard work to accomplish this," she proudly replied. She should feel it; it is not easy for a whore to achieve it, but she did. We didn''t talk for a minute before she turned to me, and her eyes were serious. "If the Tranquill Bathhouse disappeared, it would affect our livelihood, but I couldn''t bring myself to root for it with my whole heart," "Even seas apart, when we heard things about Velvet Garden and accomplishment of its whores. We feel hope and pride, such we never felt before," "I will be relieved if Tranquill Bathhouse survives but pleased if Velvet Garden does," said the woman softly. I could see the struggle in the eyes of the woman¡ªthe contradictions. Tranquill Bathhouse is the most important thing for the island. Once it disappears, it will be just another beautiful island of Vethe. It will affect the island and them enormously. "Thank you; your words mean a lot," I thanked her. It is hazardous for her to speak those words for herself. If someone heard them, it could bring her a lot of trouble. "I have a question. It is a little invasive, so you don''t have to answer it. I am only asking it because I couldn''t control my curiosity," she said. "Ask it. I will decide whether to answer it or not," I replied. To that, she smiled before her expression was serious. "Your class is powerful, but you are not Lv. 30. Those two are Lv. 30, and even that young girl feels as powerful as you," "Why? I mean, given what you told me about Silver. He is very good at choosing people, and he chooses you, which means you must be good, but you are not Lv. 30?" she asked. I couldn''t help but laugh hearing her question. It is a good question. "That''s because I chose a different path," I replied, revealing my other two classes. "So, you are really a mercenary? With weapons and all?" she asked, and I took the sword out of my bag. I have always kept my sword on me but have kept it in my bag since I came here. People like defenseless whores; it lowers their inhibitions. So, that''s what I have become. "Do you want to see something interesting?" I asked. "Sure," she replied. "Call all the girls to the courtyard," I said. She arched a brow in question, but I only smiled and made my way down. A moment later, she followed. Before we even arrived, I could see the girls filing into the courtyard. By the time we stepped into the beautiful open space, a large crowd had gathered, their eyes filled with curiosity and silent questions. Madam Porcia turned to me. "What is this about?" "Give me some space," I replied. Her confusion deepened, but she gestured for the girls to step back, and they did. She might have read information about me, but most of it states only that I am a mercenary. Only the most detailed and expensive information states how I fight. To that, that isn''t important. I am. How dangerous an whore could be? Especially someone like me has become a mercenary so late in life. I must keep looking at them until they create a significant enough distance from me. It is going to be dangerous, and I don''t want to risk their lives or their bodies. It is the most important thing for their trade. I smiled and focused before craning my neck up. Whoosh! I activated Power Breath and Lord Breath before exhaling and spinning, activating the Flint. Immediately, a plum of fire came out of my mouth, forming a large, fiery ring that flew up. Gasp! I heard the loud gasps, but I didn''t stop spinning. I breathed out once more, forming another slightly smaller ring of fire. Then another and another. I kept breathing out until nine rings of shining yellow fire materialized in the sky, forming a concentrating circle of nine fiery rings. Mastering this trick and a special type of liquor to move the rings up in the sky took quite a lot of practice. Clap, Clap, Clap! Madam Porcia clapped, and a moment later, the girls burst into applause, which lasted for over a minute. "Amazing, Madam Utsa; simply amazing," praised Madam Porcia. "Thank you, Madam Porcia," I replied and graciously absorbed the girls'' compliments. Two hours passed, and we remained in the courtyard before it was time for us to leave. "Thank you for honoring us with your presence, Madams. You have made my girls really happy," said Madam Porcia as we returned to the villa. "The honor is ours, Madam Porcia," I replied. "I have something for the Velvet Garden, I hope. You will accept it," she said, but she didn''t give me a chance to reply. She looked at two girls bringing a large painting of the woman. She is pretty, not beautiful, but she seems to be a carnal incarnation. I am not interested in women, but seeing that, I couldn''t help but feel attracted toward her. "Drusila Aventina," she said. "She is an idol," I replied. The woman was the most powerful whore of Oton, but that''s not what she is famous for. She is famous for destroying a kingdom. "I, too, have something for you and girls as well," I said, but the woman shook her head. "There is no need. Your presence alone was enough of a gift for us," she replied, but I smiled and took out a box from my storage. It is a large glass box containing confections. Each one is decorated beautifully, making it look like a work of art. Seeing that, the woman stopped and licked her lips. "It looks delicious," she said, eyeing the box hungrily. "A confectioner from the Velvet Garden made it," I replied. "Magical ingredients and the mist of legacy were used in its creation." Master Silver gave me a lot of things to grease some wheels to achieve our objective. These confections are very expensive and take a lot of time and effort to create. I didn''t plan to give it to them, but after spending time here. There is no one better to deserve this than them. There are also enough in it for all the girls here. "Thank you," she thanked as she accepted the box. A few minutes later, we were in the carriage. Moving back toward the bathhouse. "The woman runs a good brothel. I wish we could recruit her and her girls," said Gloria, but I shook my head. We could not. We might have a good feeling about them, but it might be a lie. We cannot trust anyone here; doing it would be very dangerous. Still, it is regretful. I really liked the woman; she would have been a good addition to the Velvet Garden. Silence enveloped the carriage, everybody with their own thoughts. ''Have you got any idea about how we will get the blood?'' asked Tara. ''No, but I am thinking about it,'' I replied. Even in the brothel, this question was spinning in my mind, but I couldn''t think of a non-suspicious way to get his blood. Soon, we reached the bathhouse compound and went to our accommodations, a beautiful villa overlooking the sea. I changed and rested. I had to meet Lord Aardwyn in the evening for our weekly meetings. When it was ten minutes to six, I left the villa. I reached the bathhouse and waited by our usual spot near the common bath, which men and women still occupy. It is occupied at every hour. It''s a legacy; people are willing to come here anytime. A few minutes passed, and I spotted the man. He is coming toward me with his son and guards. He is a handsome man. More attractive than regular elves with high cheekbones and deep blue eyes, any woman would fall for him at a glance. Unfortunately, he is uninterested in women, or Tara would have already finished her mission. "Lord Aardwyn. Mr. Rylan," I greeted them. "Miss Utsa," he replied, and we began to move. "Lord Silver had asked me to thank you. He had received the cargo you had sent him," I said. The cargo contains small pieces of legacy¡ªnot more than one-meter square, which is nothing for this massive legacy. It also includes plants, water, and a few other things. "I am glad," he replied. A few minutes passed in a general conversation. He doesn''t like meeting me, but it is in the contract. It is for me; Master Silver and Caena want me to get an idea of the man. He does that while he makes his rounds around the legacy. "I have to inform you of something important," he stated. "His Excellency Prince Lucidian is coming to the legacy at the end of the month," he informed. I am not surprised. It is a legacy, and princes visit it every year. A few days before we came, another prince had visited it. "The dueling prince?" I asked, and "Yes," he replied with a smile. "The prince is very good, but every time, he comes. He gives the father the honor to dual with him," informed Rylan, and the smile on the man''s face grew. Hearing that, an idea came to my mind. "It is a great honor," I praised with a big smile. "I wonder if the lord would give me the honor to spar with me?" I asked, surprising both father and son. "You are a mercenary," said Rylan, snobbishly. "Yes, not refined as the Lord Aardyn, but Master Silver had praised me that I was good with the sword whenever I spar with him," I replied and saw hesitation disappear on the man''s face. "It won''t be a problem. It''s been a while since I fought with a basic warrior," he said. The nobles are the creatures of ego. He didn''t want to spar with the mercenary until I told him I used to spar with Master Silver, who he considered an adversary. He will be fighting a great battle with him in a few months. Defeating me in a spar will give him a huge ego boost. "Thank you for the great honor, my lord," I thanked and bowed. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 631: The Blood II Proofread By Thomas F Ralis Thorn, Inam "Lord Thorn," greeted the old man as he entered inside. "Lord Vanis," I replied and asked him to sit. "Thank you, my lord," he thanked. "So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked. He asked for the meeting yesterday. He doesn''t usually do that, and that made me worried. He is the second most important person in the city after me. The emotion essence his legacy provides helps the city tremendously. The moment the emperor died. I kicked away the guardian and took control of it. Now, 75% of emotion essence comes directly to me, while the other 25% goes toward the imperials. They want more, but they always want more. They even eye the good amount of essence I get from Silver. Those greedy bastards have no limits. "So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked. "Waning, it is coming. Soon than I had expected," he replied sombrely, and it shook my heart. It is the worst news I could hope to hear. I still hope Vanis''s Tavern will leap and become a throne. "I thought we have three to four years," I said, but the old man shook his head. "A year at most before it entered the waning," he replied with a sigh. Once the legacy enters the waning, it is over; its essence output will lower, and in a few years, it will die. I could see the pain in the older man''s eyes. It is far greater than mine. I don''t want it to happen. It will affect the city and me tremendously. There are only two ways out: one is to advance to the throne, and the second is to become a pawn of the legacy. Both are massive challenges. I have no control over advancement, but I requested the emperor to make it a pawn of one of the throne legacies we had in the empire, but he rejected the request. The thing is, Vanis Tavern is a common legacy. Its size is average, and it does not have any special skills. Most importantly, its emotion scale is small. Making emotion essence output average. Still, I can''t let it die. I have to do something, and there is only one thing I can do: find a throne to make it a pawn. I was trying before, but now I will try hard. ... Barb Utsa "It''s time," I said as I looked at the clock, took a couple of sips of twilight amber, and closed my eyes for a minute, enjoying the buzz. When I opened my eyes, I got up from the chair and walked out. Tara was waiting for me. I didn''t invite Gloria and Rexy; they didn''t need to be there. They are not aware of the actual mission. If there is a fallout, I want to save them as much as possible. ''How confident are you?'' asked Tara. ''A little,'' I replied. I would have been able to say it with confidence if I had a clear idea of his strength. Unfortunately, I do not. The last public duel he had was decades ago when he was young. He rarely duels. It is said the master practices a few times a month and duels with the prince whenever he comes to Legacy. The information states that he is not above Lv. 30, but I don''t know what level his Duellist Class is or whether it has merged with his primary class. His main class, that is, connected to the legacy, is powerful. It is at the level of the Lord. So, if he is closer to Lv. 30 like me, I will be at a significant disadvantage. My main class might give me the advantages of powerful attributes, but it could not compared to his primary class. I also don''t know what level his Dueller Class is; I hope it is not over Lv. 20. There is another disadvantage. I will be fighting with handicaps; I will not be able to breathe fire. We didn''t talk about it, but I will not be breathing fire unless he uses spells, which he could not. I have one advantage that he didn''t: battle experience. I fought with my life on the line, which refined my combat style. So, even if I only held a sword for barely a year. My real battle experience would help against someone who only fought the safe duels. Duels can be dangerous, but his were not. He was his parents'' only child, the heir to the legacy. He was protected from the moment he was born; he had royal guards as protection, and he still has them. Soon, I reached the villa. It is small compared to a palatial manor in the city. The guards let us in and led us to the back, where there was beautiful sparring ground by the cliff overlooking the turquoise sea. Aardwyn and Rylan are there, as is his mother, a beautiful woman with long raven hair. Three other people and four guards, all of them above Lv. 30, are also present. "Lord Aardwyn," we greeted with a bow, and the man smiled, to my surprise. Unlike yesterday, he seemed excited for the spar when there was a reluctance. "Miss Utsa, Miss Tara," he replied. "It''s a beautiful practice place you have, my lord," I praised, and the man smiled. "It is," he replied, looking at the turquoise sea. A few seconds later, he turned to me with his face serious. "Shall we?" he asked. I nodded. He picked up a practice dueling rapier from the weapons rack while I picked the sword and the shield. They are excellently made and are better than any practice weapon I have held in my hand. We went to the sparring circle. It is made of blue tiles, which are enchanted with force absorption and other enchantments. As we took our places on either side, the bald guard appeared in the middle of us. He was incredibly fast; I have only seen a few people move as fast as him. "It is standard spar. It will last for half an hour or till one party gives up," stated the bald man. Both of us nodded at that. "Begin," he said, and immediately, Aardwyn came at me, and he was fast, and his speed skill was unlike anything I had seen before. He moved like he was gliding on water. His movements are smooth, flexible, and fast, which isn''t surprising since they are a skill from its main class. Each skill has a feeling, but it doesn''t give the sense of the combat class. It also didn''t give a feeling of Lv. 30 and above, which relieved me. I wanted to move at him but didn''t. Instead, I activated the Stance. He appeared in front of me and swung his sword forward. He is fast, with a clean strike enhanced by the skills he had activated. I was relieved when I felt his combat skills; his Duellist Class is below level 20. Same as me with my Warrior Class. Still, it had the advantage of the powerful attributes. I could already tell that makes his skill stronger than mine. It will be a challenge for me to get what I want from him, but I have to¡ªthe survival of my home and my family dependent on it. I reacted immediately to its attack and moved my shield forward to defend against it. He tried to dodge the shield, but I moved it to the path of his rapier. He might be fast, but I had fought the faster monsters; I knew how to keep myself guarded. The sword clashed against the shield, and I felt the blow, but I bore it and attacked with my sword, Heavy Strike. He dodged the attack back before appearing to my left and attacking again. Once more, I moved my shield forward and defended against the attack, but he appeared behind me, attacking once again. I turned fast and defended, and once more, he moved. I was about to activate the Madam''s Grace to defend against the attack when he stopped to my right and attacked again. He moved fast, never staying in one place for more than a moment and not giving me a chance to attack him. He is a duelist who fights like one¡ªusing speed and precise strikes to keep me on the defensive. I wanted to do more than just defend, to counter his attacks, but I couldn''t. Madam''s Grace does not give me as much speed as his skill gives him. He is likely at the same level in his main class as I am, but there is a difference in power between us. August Madam is a powerful class but not as powerful as the Lord Class. I can''t be hasty. I need to think about my goal, which is different from his. I have no interest in winning the spar. I won''t care if I get beaten badly. I will be fine as long as I get the things I need. It would have been a little easier if we had fought with the actual weapons, but I could barely convince him to spar. I didn''t think he would have agreed to a duel with a whore. A minute passed and then another. I kept my defense against his relentless attacks, not letting one pass through. I didn''t want to defend or attack, but I controlled my emotions and kept defending against the attacks. Slowly, I could see my defense was irritating him. He was making riskier and riskier moves and wanted to finish me as soon as possible. He didn''t think I would be this difficult to defeat. I am, after all, a whore while he is a lord and master of legacy, no less. Not to mention, I am sent here by the man who he will have to fight for the fate of his legacy. So, he wants to defeat me, and every minute, he can''t. This irritates him more and more until irritation gives birth to sparks of anger. Hugo says emotions can be the greatest tool and most significant weakness in the battle. The key is to control them, not be controlled by them. He was getting angry and irritated while I kept myself calm despite every passing minute making me worry. "You are good, Miss Utsa," he praised, bringing a smile to his face and a skill that made me feel comfortable in his presence. "Thank you, my lord," I replied, activating the Madam''s Smile. He didn''t say anything, but I felt him activating the skill. It made me so comfortable all over that I wanted to lie down and rest. The feeling is compelling. ''Since he used such skill, I might as well use mine,'' I thought and drank all the liquor I had stored in the Stored Gulps all at once. Feeling the familiar burning heat in my stomach. As I did, I activated Lasting Buzz and Intoxicating Fragrance. I wanted to use it earlier but feared the guard might stop the battle. However, seeing that over ten minutes had passed and he had used the skill, I could now use this. Intoxicating Fragrance is a double-edged sword, as I need to be drunk to be able to use it. Also, people are more resistant to it than the monsters, but I have become quite good at using it against the monsters, and in the weeks in the sea, I have solely focused on practicing this skill. Now, I hope. I am as good at fighting drunk as I believe myself to be, or it will end pretty quickly. I begin to get drunk fast. This is because I am using the liquor I produced through the skill Gut Liquor; I should be resistant to it, but I am not. It affects me, and it will affect my opponent just as severely if I keep it focused on him. "Have you gotten drunk, Miss Utsa?" the man asked, surprised. So much so that he stopped attacking; the other looked just as surprised as him. "It''s just a skill, my lord," I replied, and I could hear people muttering ''drunk whore,'' ''whore will be a whore'' under their breath. Even the man didn''t look pleased either, and when he attacked again, it was powerful. Seconds passed, and I kept defending when his sword finally moved around the shield and came at me. It was fast. If it hits me, it will be game over for me. I am Drunk and could feel the effects of it, but that''s nothing new, and so is the attack. That is why I instantly activated Madam''s Grace and moved stumblingly. To their surprise, I dodged the attack by less than an inch. Seeing that, he attacked again, and I moved my shield forward, but he was able to move his rapier around it and came at me again. Rip! This time, the blade touched, but not me. It touched the sleeve of my right hand as, once more, I dodged drunkenly. Attacks came, and I dodged each one drunkenly. People watched, shocked and stupefied, while the man got angrier. Seeing that, I laughed. I hadn''t meant to, but it slipped out. It only made him angrier¡ªlike I was mocking him. And, in a way, I was. After the first big battle against the monsters, I completely embraced fighting drunk. It is dangerous and foolish, but I am good at it. I practiced it for hours, both in Nakar and on the ship, and I gained more and more control over it despite it not seeming like it. No matter how unconventional, every combat style¡ªeven something as foolish as drunken fighting¡ªrequires practice to be perfected. A minute passed and then another. I dodged his attack while getting more drunk. At the same time, I kept Intoxicating Fragrance locked on him. Which is hard in this state, but I am managing it. If it had been a monster, they would have been affected now, but this man is resisting. It isn''t a surprise; he has a class as powerful as Lord Class. Also, the skill I am using is Lv. 23, while his main class is higher level and powerful. It would have been a great surprise if it had affected him, though it had started. I don''t need him as drunk as me. I need him enough to act on his emotions further; the liquor is very good at making that happen. Another minute passed, and I smiled to myself drunkenly. The man is fortunate; I had drank every bit of liquor I had stored in me. If there had been some, I don''t know whether I would be able to stop myself from breathing out at him. If this had been a life-and-death battle, I would have killed him within seconds with my fire. The man is blessed with powerful attributes but couldn''t use them well. If I had, I would have ended the battle within a minute. A few minutes passed, and slight drunkenness covered his eyes. He is now attacking me wildly, using risky moves, while I dodged drunkenly. I even stopped putting my shield forward to defend, which seemed to make him even more angry, like I was showing off. Another minute passed, and he attacked once more. He is getting closer than he should to attack me. An attack came like tens of them before it, and I moved to dodge, but this time, I dodged differently. I moved to my left, with Madam''s Grace, before shooting forward drunkenly. The man was surprised, but despite that reacted fast. He didn''t move back, instead putting a rapier forward to defend against my sword coming at him. The weapons clashed, and I could feel slight relief in his eyes, but a moment later, his slightly drunk eyes widened when he saw the shield coming toward him. He tried to dodge, but it was fast with the momentum of the speed skill and my newest skill of Warrior Class. BAM! A loud bam rang out as my shield crashed against his face hard with the power of Shield Bash. I heard the crunching of bones, and he stumbled back while I moved forward and put my sword on his neck before laughing drunkenly despite not wanting to. Rage burns in the man''s eyes, and he raises his sword forward. "Miss Utsa, win," the guard declared, and the man stopped. Drunk as I am, I knew it was time to sober up and activate Hair of the Dog. Feeling that terrible headache that came with it. At that moment, I wiped the blood from my shield with my sleeve. A brief silence hung between us before Aardwyn turned to me. He had sobered somewhat¡ªa skill in itself¡ªbut it did nothing to quell his anger. "You''re a damn good mercenary for a whore, Miss Utsa," he sneered. I saw Rylan''s eyes widen, along with the others. Including Aardwyn''s adviser, a royal agent who acts as an unofficial guardian. "Thank you for the praise, my lord," I replied with a smile and bow. Making the man even angrier, he opened his mouth but closed it as his adviser appeared before him. "I believe the spar has tired out both my lord and you, Miss Utsa. Why not take a warm bath in the bathhouse? It will wash away all your tiredness and make you feel rejuvenated," suggested the man. "You are right, Adviser Flavius," I replied and walked away. I barely got out of the circle when the spell''s power covered me and wiped away all the sweat and grime, including the blood on my sleeve and shield. I could feel the hidden alarm in Tara''s eyes, but I smiled. I got the blood. It had touched the beautiful gemmed bracelet I am wearing. I felt the warmness from it, which meant I succeeded in the mission. I got the blood of the master of Tranquill Garden. August Madam Lv. 29 Warrior Lv. 18 [Skill Gained: Feather''s Grace] Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 632: Two Months Proofread By Thomas F Ashton Harbor "Two months. We only need to wait for two months," said the man with the staff, looking at the map in front of him with profound impatience. Especially the tower representing the city. He heard new things about it every week, making him want it even more. "Have patience, commander. We have waited long enough; two months will pass smoothly," the armored man replied. "I just wished we could attack it now," said the man with the staff before shuddering in fear. They had paid a massive price for what they did. It even scared the high command as swiftly it happened while they watched powerlessly. There is nothing they could have done that would have stopped that. Even if they could, they wouldn''t have. As it would have made them pay a higher price. ... Clap, Clap, Clap! I cut the ribbon, and people applauded. "Let this be the first step to Panar becoming a prosperous, industrious city!" I declared before entering Pascal Refinery. I have come to Panar again, this time for the inauguration. Yesterday, the Church of the God of War opened its church in the Panar, and today, we opened this refinery. It is the only refinery right now, but that won''t be long. Two more will open next month, and we are in advance talks with four more businesses. The space in front of me has a large, three-story-tall cylindrical structure standing in the middle. It is a furnace that will refine the crystals. Around the space, there are large loads of unrefined grade IV energy crystals. What is here is a fraction of what we have mined in the past few months. I barely sold 10% of it. I''m keeping most to be refined, as that is where the money is. We already have merchants ready to buy the finished product from the empire and merchant state. Finding buyers is a problem with Grade III but not with Grade IV. People will buy it as long as there is a supply. They are used in everything: forging, enchantments, alchemy, and other things. There are a few things in which the energy crystals aren''t used. "Start the refining!" ordered Pascal. A moment later, the runes lit up across the large space, with runes lighting up the whole furnace. The runes light up under the loads of crystals as well. They begin to move the crystals toward the furnace like the conveyor belt, but here it is being done with the enchantments. "These crystals will enter the furnace and go through the seven stages of purification," "The final product that comes out will be a 98. 6% pure energy crystal," he informed. "My other furnace didn''t give me over 94%, but this one is 98%," he added with a smile on his face. This furnace is new; I helped him buy it from a merchant state. They don''t usually sell outside the States, but they allowed me to purchase it. This isn''t the only furnace here; it is only Grade IV. There are four more furnaces, and they are refining the Grade III crystals. I want every crystal out of the mines to be refined in the city. It will happen with Grade IV since only one mine produces that grade. But it''s not the case with Grade III and below. There are several mines of it. Many are still closed. If I get enough miners, I will open those mines as well. There is only a tiny profit in the Grade III and below mines, but I am focusing on them, including putting conditions. They will refine the Grade III and below if they want Grade IV crystals. Although their profit might be low, they generate significant employment, which in turn makes the economy flourish. I watched the process for a few minutes before I walked away. I checked other furnaces, which were older and smaller; they had come from the empire. "I wish you all the success and fortune, Mr. Pascal," I said as we finished with a tour of the facility. "Thank you, my lord," he replied. A minute later, I was in the carriage with Ina. The last time I was here was three months ago, and so much has changed since then. The first was the city''s population, which had crossed a hundred thousand. The discovery of the mine had built a lot of confidence in the city, bringing more people. We also intentionally sent a lot of people here. The Greltheaven had reached near the limit; its population had reached over four hundred and fifty thousand. I need to start the expansion so it will not be overcrowded. I don''t want that. I pushed those thoughts and looked outside of the window. I could see painted houses and stores with people coming and going out for their business When I conquered the city six months ago, I thought it would take over a year, but now, it will take two more months, and it will reach its former peak. I said two months because that is all I have before things slow down or go downhill. In two months, the protection of the archmage city would disappear, and the undead would attack again. They will not wait, I am very sure; they will attack within a weak. They had been accumulating forces. The merchants and imperials had destroyed many of their ships, but many had survived. Now, there are millions of undead people ready for the attack. These bastards could have attacked others, I am not the only one in the whole damned region, but they couldn''t attack Dustorn Fortress even in their dreams. That man there would eat them alive, but there is still Deerpond and Port Midlet, but they didn''t touch them. They will first come at me before they move to the other cities. I am the biggest prize in the whole region. The second biggest. There is something they want. I don''t know, but Archmage Tower does, and it was not doing anything against them. They only helped me because the undead broke the game''s rules, which I don''t understand. I don''t know much about anything, including things happening in the Dustorn Fortress. Something is going on there, with the envoys of both princes going there. It isn''t simple recruitment on their side anymore. It is frustrating when I don''t know things. If I had the information, I could plan accordingly. "Many people are voicing concern about our trade with Gailhorn," said Ina. The concern isn''t about the current trade but one that will increase after the bridge is built. It is nearly finished; it will be finished in the next two weeks¡ªa month before the deadline. "I am sure, those with the concern aren''t the merchants?" I asked, and she shook her head. "The officials and citizens," she replied. "We need to, not only for the general people in the city but also because. If we don''t supply them with those things, the others will," I stated. To that, she nodded. "I told them as much, but they are worried," she replied. "They have every right to be," Gailhorn is an ally of the undead; it is more like a puppet. People are worried about that, even though I received concerns about it from the officials and citizens of Greltheaven. I make an effort to make my people understand its necessity. Still, many people are against it. I could not do anything against it other than try harder to convince them. Soon, the carriage stopped at the city hall, and I got out before stepping inside. We didn''t go to her office but to the meeting. It was a meeting with officials and important citizens. It was the last meeting before I left the city at night. The meeting lasted for an hour before I disappeared. In those three and a half hours, nobody other than Ina and the person I had been with knew where I was. It happened last time and this time as well. It is very necessary; it was the main reason I visited, and I will visit once more before the safety of the six months is over. "I heard Barb delayed her trip?" asked Ina as we left the party. I am leaving for Greltheaven. I would have liked to stay for a few days more, but things are waiting for me there. Most important of all is the core of Mok''s Tavern. They are going to milk it the day after tomorrow. It would take a year at least, but this is the thing with a waning legacy. Their masters are frail; they could die at any moment. If the Sovereign feels the master won''t live for long. They could milking. "Yes, the prince had delayed his trip, and the master of Tranquill Bathhouse asked them to delay it since the prince wants to meet them," I replied. I would rather have them return to the city as soon as possible since they had achieved their objective, but I couldn''t reject the request without displeasing the master of Tranquill Bathhouse more than I already did. The incident with Barb made him unhappy. I am not upset with her; she did what she could to complete her objective. Besides, it will be a good opportunity for them. Meeting royalty is an experience, and they should have it. Soon, we reached the carriage waiting outside, along with the company of guards mounted on the beasts. "Have a safe journey, Master Silver," she wished. "I will, and you will take care of yourself," I replied, walking toward my carriage before stepping inside. It is dangerous to travel at night. Undead isn''t the only danger, but if someone is there who could pass through the guards and kill me, it won''t make a difference to travel day or night. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 633: Risks Proofread By Thomas F "I am stuck!" I said in deep frustration as all twelve aura layers collapsed around me. After I left Archmage City, I made rapid progress, but over the past two months, I slowed down before stopping at this level and couldn''t move forward. I have reached a roadblock not only with the layers but with the other aura exercises as well. ''I had told you before. The first half of the twelve layers are the easiest; the other twelve are the real challenge." "You will need to have a leap in understanding and control of the aura to make further progress,'' informed Bell telepathically in a soothing voice. She is not here with me in the mansion but in the legacy. We communicate telepathically while she sees my progress through the skill. She could have come here, but we are maintaining distance. Her identity is extremely sensitive. I cannot let people be interested in her and dig around. She teaches me in person when I am in the legacy and uses the skill when I am in my house. Still, I wish she were here so that she could feel my frustration, not just my aura. "I know, but it''s been weeks since I made any progress!" I replied, with my voice reeking in desperation. "Don''t be too hard on yourself. You''re making incredible progress, and I''m confident this setback won''t last forever." "Till then, just keep practicing without pushing yourself too hard,'' she advised. "Fine," I agreed. I meditated with the help of skill and resumed practice again. This time, I didn''t push. I just practiced while feeling the aura, trying to understand it. Soon, the practice was over, and I walked into the shower. Twenty minutes later, I left the room and headed to the kitchen, where Carla was already waiting for me. A few minutes after that, the nanny arrived with the children. After breakfast, I walked out of the mansion and entered the carriage while Carla took them to school. I usually go with her, but not today. I arrived from Panar at dawn and returned to my house. I wanted to go to the office directly, but it was too early. I didn''t go to the Legacy. I will go there at night and stay there the whole day. The core of Mok''s Tavern will be harvested tomorrow, and our method to accomplish that requires me to be there; I will likely be very tired when I am done. The success of it is essential. My decision on Tranquill Bathhouse will depend significantly on what will happen tomorrow. I looked out of the window and saw people everywhere. The city had become crowded¡ªnot overcrowded, which would be bad¡ªbut crowded. Expansion had become necessary, but I didn''t have enough money. Carla will soon go to the merchant states and Namdar for the money and offer the same things for sale as we did to Owlspring. I had hoarded the essences for the expansion, but I needed to use some of it for the academy. There wasn''t any choice. I could not continue with the contract, and nobody was willing to give me a loan, so I had to fund it with my own money. I don''t want to sell the essence because doing so might give others an idea of how much essence the establishment produces, but as I said, there is no choice. This time, however, we''re going to try a different approach¡ªCarla''s idea. If it works, it will be a tremendous help; if not, we''ll sell the essence as originally planned. Fortunately, another source of income has emerged: the mist goods. They''ve been generating significant revenue, especially after the new stores opened two months ago, driving up demand. Panar will also contribute¡ªnot by giving money directly to the city, but by using its own resources, which will ease my financial burden. I want it to be self-sufficient, and it will be. I just need to wait a little for it. Soon, the carriage reached the city hall. I got out and stepped inside. I nodded at the people as I walked inside before finally reaching my office. "Has anything serious happened while I was gone?" I asked Lola as I sat down on my chair. "Yes, General Stone will tell you about it," she replied. I knew the general subject, but I did not know all the details. I didn''t ask about it further and began reading through the files. Soon, I had read all three days'' worth. ''Master Silver Chief Elar, Mr. Ammellus, and Mage Aldridge are here for you,'' informed Jill. "Send them in," I replied. Click! The door opened, and three of them came inside. "We will be done with the bridge in nine days," said Ammellus. He seemed confident about it. "So, can we schedule the bridge opening for the 17th?" asked Lola. "Yes, we will be done by then," he replied, and she noted it down. "Good. We need to open the bridge as soon as possible; the city needs it," I said. There was a moment of silence before Amellus spoke. "I have selected the partner for the tower," he informed me, and my eyes lit up. We have been looking for a partner for over two months. We wanted to choose wisely, and I didn''t push hard because of the money crunch. "Who is it?" I asked. "Seville Mora," he replied, and a surprise appeared on my face. "They had never built a tower before," I said. I read a summary of every meeting and the portfolio and history of the companies we are interviewing. Seville Mora is a new firm that is barely a decade old. They had never built a magic tower. They had assisted, and the leaders worked for one of the premier tower-building firms before branching independently, but they had never built a tower. "Yes, they never did, but they have assisted in many. Mora had built it when she worked at her old firm but didn''t get credit for it," he replied, but I shook my head. "It''s very risky," I declined. I wanted to close the topic and ask him to choose someone with experience, but I stopped seeing his expressions. I took a deep breath. Edmor is anything but an idiot. If he has chosen them, there must be a reason. "Why do you think they could do it?" I asked finally. He didn''t answer immediately. He thought for several seconds before opening his mouth. "They cannot do it fully. Seville''s forte is an elemental foundation, while Mora''s is lay-line conducts. I, on the other hand, specialize in design and grid," "The three of us have enough knowledge to manage the rest of the small parts," he replied. His eyes burned in excitement. This is what he specialized in. He used to work in Nehdis''s magic tower division. Tower design and magical configuration are his specialties. Magical configuration is also called grid. Most tower designers specialize in it as it is intricately connected. Valentina had told me he was very excited about it. He can''t use Nehdis'' designs or what they stole from him, but Valentina said he produced better ones in jail. "You should understand the city barely has money. Giving them the project meaning would be letting the first timers build the world''s most complex structure." "The structure that is very complicated, expensive, and dangerous." "It is a massive risk. You are asking me to take Edmor," I said to him in all seriousness. I am deadly serious about it. The tower will cost more than the academy. Seeing the sheer amount of magical material they use in building things makes it very dangerous to create. Those structures have exploded in times, more times than I could count. Killing hundreds and thousands of people. The latest one was just a few years ago. "I understand the risks associated with it, but I ask you to give me a chance. I will not disappoint you," he said with his eyes begging. It is extremely important for him. To prove himself after what had happened to him. He built the legacy, but it was just a building with magical material and more than average enchantments. The mage tower is the real test. If he did it, he would regain his self-respect and prove to the world that rejected him. "What do you both think?" I asked Valentina and Mage Aldridge. "At least let them work on the plan," said Valentina. "Their ideas are sound. It is a risk, but give them an opportunity," added Mage. "Fine, Edmor. Design a plan," I said. Thank you, my lord. You will not regret it," he replied, tears welling up in his eyes. I would still shut it down if I did not feel confident. I want to help him, but it is too much of a risk. I will not commit to it unless I really think that he could do it. "How is the progress on the expansion plans?" I asked a few seconds later. It is the city''s expansion plan. Designing a city isn''t his forte, but he didn''t have to work on that much since we have the plans of Grandmaster Raldin, the original architect of the city. Prince Grelt had ambitions for the city. He wanted it to expand beyond what he had built and made plans for it. I was surprised to see those plans a few days after becoming Lord of the city. I thought it would be years before I even considered using them, but all it took was a single year. "They are nearly ready. I will hand them to you in a week," he replied. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 634: Spy Service Proofread By Thomas F Reja Harbale , Dustorn Fortress "General," the guards greeted and opened the greenhouse door. I nodded and walked inside. A man was alone there. He was wearing dirty clothes and holding garden tools as he cleaned the weeds between the plants. He looked unassuming and forgetful. He was short and average, and nothing remarkable was about him. Even his eyes were dull. People would look at him and think of him as a gardener. He looked like one, and he is one, but that is not all he is. Countless people made assumptions about him, and they are now lying six feet under the ground. He is a dull man until he enters the battlefield. That is when he turns into a fiend. "Marquess," I greeted with a deep bow. "What did they say?" he asked without turning from the weeds, working on them with the practiced grace. "The same offer, with 15% more territory," I replied. There was no change in him, hearing that, "I had told them you would only accept the offer. If it came from both princes together," I added. He finally nodded. They had come to us countless times with requests and threats. They want him to join the war and be willing to offer a large territory in exchange. The one he has barely fits his title. Of course, it is impoverished, one of the worst in the empire after this wasteland. There is nothing worse than this. It''s not the territory he wants, but agreement from both princes. It is the only way he will not break his oath to the emperor. It is not bound in skill or contract, like oaths of other powerhouses in the empire. The emperor knew him well. He understood that a simple oath would be more binding than the one with the skills and contract on Marquess. The man wants to join the war to defend the empire from the enemies and has his own plans. I don''t know what they are, but I am willing to follow him to the end. "It''s not long before they will come back again. The war may seem to have reached a standstill, but far from it. The enemies are preparing, and soon, they will launch an even stronger attack," he said and turned to me. "There is no murmur about it in the intelligence," I said. To that, the man only smiled. ... Soon, it was evening, and I returned from my mounted combat training. I am progressing well with it and even gained a level. The Rider Class is at Lv. 12 now. It makes me happy seeing how stuck I am in my aura. I practiced in the afternoon twice, but I didn''t make any progress as always. Bell said I would need a leap. Which could have taken a lot of time; I didn''t have the time. I have two months before the enemies descend on me, and I am scared. The undead have accumulated a lot of force, and I do not have the confidence to stop them. ''Lord Silver, they are here,'' informed Jill. "Send them in," I replied. Click! The door opened, and three men walked inside¡ªStone, Cardin, and Hiren, the whole military high command. The thing that happened while I was gone was severe enough to bring all of them in. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Take a seat," I replied. "The spies, we have quite a lot of them," I said as they sat before me. "Eleven, but we believe we haven''t caught all the members of the spy chain," replied Stone. He looked like he ate something bad. We have never caught so many spies at once. He put a file in front of me, and I began to read through it. The more I read, the worse my expressions would become. It is really terrible. We have been alert about the spies, but the enemies were able to covert our people, and some had infiltrated the city. They have converted humans and the forest orcs under our noses. We are finding them, but the enemies are producing more, which is bad. The undead might not be attacking us, but they are doing other things. It isn''t just them; Deerpond, Port Midlet, and our allies are spying on us. We have measures against it, but looking at the things, they aren''t sufficient. "Our counterintelligence group is far from enough. We need to establish an intelligence agency," said Cardin, and I couldn''t help but sigh before turning to stone. He is right; things have reached beyond the limit. We need a dedicated intelligence agency. "Do we have someone?" I asked Stone. "A few had worked as spies but are not good enough to lead." He replied. "I know a few people, but they live in the merchant state," he added. To that, I shook my head. "No, we need our own people to lead it," I replied, looking at the three. "I tried when I was young, but they said I didn''t have what it takes," said Cardin, shaking his head. "Since that''s the case, get the most qualified among the people to lead it on a interim basis. We will watch them while searching for the better candidate simultaneously," I ordered, to which all of them nodded. "I''d like to be considered for the position," said the voice from my left suddenly. The three and I turned to the voice and looked at Shaun. "You, spy chief?" asked Stone. He was so surprised that a smile couldn''t help but appear on his impassive face. Even I couldn''t help but smile looking at the handsome man. Handsome people didn''t make spies; they are too memorable, despite what television and books let us believe. He was a Mage¡ªa true High-Mage, no less. While anyone could be a spy, mages were a rarity in the world of espionage¡ªunless the mission involved stealing research or spells. In that realm, none could rival them. "I have been a spy. I have a class," the man retorted defensively. A moment later, we all felt it¡ªthe weight of his class pressing against us. Our smiles vanished, frozen in place. It is a Spy Class, and it is over Lv. 20. Which means he was very good at his job. "So, first time we met?" asked Stone. It is clear he did not know about it. I looked at Jon, the most perceptive, but he also shook his head. "I was on a mission," he replied. "When did you become a spy?" asked Stone. "I was recruited by the service when I was in the academy," he replied. "So, you were a spy before the war?" he asked, and Shaun nodded. "Does your sister know about it?" asked Jon, but he shook his head. I wanted to ask if he is still faithful to the kingdom. However, There is no kingdom to speak of. The king is dead, and the kingdom has been conquered by the undead. "You think you will be able to lead the spy agency?" I asked after a second of silence. "Yes," he replied. I didn''t say anything further and turned to Stone. "Alright then, you''ll lead it on an interim basis until we''re certain of your abilities," I replied. Despite everything¡ªeven after he revealed his class¡ªI still preferred him over anyone else. I trusted him. The question is, will he be able to lead it? "Thank you, Lord Silver. I won''t let you down," he thanked. I nodded and opened my mouth when something occurred to me. "Take Rayna under you. She will be an asset," I ordered. Hesitation appeared on his face for a moment before he nodded. I am not giving her to him because I don''t trust him, but because I genuinely believe that she will be an asset to him. Forty minutes later, they left while I slumped back on my chair. "Will he be able to do the job?" asked Lola, the question I had been thinking. "I don''t know," I replied. I genuinely don''t know whether he will be able to do it. I will see it in his work. "Now that he is gone, I will have to find another mage," I said. Mage is necessary for me, and it should be someone that I trust explicitly. Zela is a primary mage, but I need another when she is unavailable. Like today, she is on leave. She has a date with her boyfriend. She didn''t tell me; I just looked. I stayed at the city hall for three more hours, even having dinner there. I wanted to finish all the work since I won''t be available tomorrow; Mok''s Tavern is dying. After they have milked it, they will send its core to us. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the tower, and I got up and walked inside. A minute later, I stepped into the top floor and saw Caena was already there. She didn''t get up or speak as I entered. The only thing she did was nod. She didn''t have to follow the rules when we were alone. "Has all the preparations been made?" I asked. I am not just talking about the spell, but also other things, like certain people, that need to be in the legacy tomorrow. They will be part of the spell we will test tomorrow with the Mok''s Tavern''s core in preparation against the Tranquill Bathhouse. "Everything is ready. All we need is the core to begin," she replied. They have informed us of the time they will start that detestable process. After they are done milking it, they will send it to us for the first bite. "Good, I am going to sleep early. I will need to be well-rested for tomorrow," I said. A few minutes later, she left the office. I didn''t stay for much longer, either. I went to my room and practiced the aura as I do every day before falling asleep. Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 39 Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 635: Mok’s Core Proofread By Thomas F "It had begun," informed Zela, right at ten. I nodded but didn''t walk out of my office. They had started milking the core, and how long it would last depended on the master. It could last for a few minutes to hours. The moment the master dies, the milking ends. The life of the legacy and masters are inescapably connected. This connection is so strong that the process is excruciating for the host. It is why I hate it so much. It is despicable and disrespectful to the Master and legacy that gave their kingdom and sovereign so much. Despite providing those benefits, the sovereigns don''t even let the legacies die in peace. It makes me angry whenever I think about it, so I took a deep breath and calmed down. I cannot do anything about it other than control my actions. If I become powerful enough, I will do something, but until then, I will only bear it. Hun! I was looking through the casino''s finances when I suddenly stopped and looked at the clock. Mok''s Tavern is dead. I had sensed it. ''Seventeen minutes,'' I thought, a little surprised. I thought it would continue for an hour, but it didn''t last for a third, which is good news. I didn''t waste any time and got up immediately. I had just stepped out of the office when I felt the core of Mok''s Tavern appeared over the establishment. It looked like the core of the Velvet Garden. It is round and made of essence, but it''s not. It had lost its shape; the core that loses its shape turns round. My core is a sun, not a round blob like this one. As it appeared, I saw it entering the domain of establishment, where the planet swallowed it immediately. Click! I opened the door and saw Caena sitting in the middle of the spell with her eyes closed. She focused on the core, which she had started harvesting. The core is inside the planet, with two streams coming out of it. One is going to the Velvet Garden core; this essence contains the vision that aligns with mine. The other stream goes into another planet, the storage planet. This will be our harvest. "We will get an hour at most," she informed. She didn''t have to inform me; I could sense the pull of the other legacies on it. If it had been a complete core, we would have had more time, but the bite had already taken from it. The bite was relatively small, barely over 1%. We harvested 17% of the Halcyon''s core before it lost its shape. Shape maintenance depends not on the harvest size but on how one does it. In this case, the master had intentionally made it lose its shape. It makes things less painful. We, on the other hand, prefer it to retain its shape. As it has the full vision of the legacy, losing the shape scrambles it, making it challenging to harvest. The shape is more important, but it has already been destroyed. This is going to make things difficult for us, especially me. Caena had said she had improved the spell compared to the last time. It is visible, given the speed of the harvest. It is faster than I had thought it would be but slower than Halcyon''s. Unlike with the Halcyon core, we didn''t have a casino operated by his blood connected to it. We could only form the connection by sending the girls to the legacy. There is also resistance from the core. There wasn''t any from the Halcyons. Still, the spell is working far better than I had thought. It isn''t easy to harvest the core, but we are doing much better than others. We are doing through the spell rather than pushing our will into it. The spell isn''t even at full power yet. This time, it is more complex. We will see whether it will work. If it does, I will be committed entirely to swallowing Tranquill Bathhouse. If it does not, there is a good chance I will not go ahead with it. I had spent too much on it, but I will back down because nothing is more important than my legacy. The other party is powerful with artifacts and other measures. I am also preparing my own measures, but this spell will be the greatest. They are my greatest strength, and I would trust no one other than them against the Tranquill Bathhouse. "The spell is ready," she informed, and I sat down. "Activate it," I replied. I felt its power as she did. It is overwhelming. This is why doing something like this is highly discouraged by the synod. Masters have turned mad due to it. Everything disappeared around me. Suddenly, faint images and ideas that were not mine surrounded me. I connected to the core and experienced its vision. It is overwhelming and chaotic. It would have been overwhelming if it had its shape, but losing it added chaos. It is vast and chaotic. It felt like I was experiencing thousands of things overwhelming me. Even in this situation, I could feel the vision of Mok''s Master, who birthed the legacy out of a humble tavern. He had a beautiful vision, and I felt it; I couldn''t help but feel respect for him. However, I kept a strong wall between me and it as I fought and experienced this chaotic overwhelmingness. It was hazardous as it could corrupt my vision. That is why, the next moment, I reached for my anchors¡ªthe people who gave me the confidence to face any problem. I felt them, and the spell connected me to them through the strings of the spell. Cath, Revina, Drev, and others. Soon, the strings connected to forty-eight people. There are hundreds, even thousands, but it is an experimental spell. We need to be cautious; besides, I don''t have the capacity to handle that many. Each of these forty-eight people is part of the establishment. They understand my vision well and will keep me anchored in this storm. "I am ready," I said. "Begin," she replied, and I felt the second part of the spell activating. As she did, I brought my aura and connected it to the power of my legacy. We had practiced it. So, unlike the first time, my aura would not shake the entire legacy. It remained contained in a small room. Once I became one with my legacy, I forced my will onto the broken core with my aura and power of the legacy. It was resisting, but I pressed my will harder on it. It kept resisting as before, but finally, I could see the gap and move into it. Immediately, I gained control over a tiny piece and began to expand it while removing the essence from the core. It kept resisting, but I kept pushing harder and harder, slowly expanding my area of control bit by bit. Time passed, and I pushed and pushed. I felt tired; I was using my aura. Even with the legacy''s support, it is very tiring, but I am not letting go. So, I continued pushing despite getting tired. I kept going, pushing myself. I had never extended so much before in the practice. I could feel the size of the core shrinking with my efforts, but I couldn''t tell by how much. If I focus a little bit on it, maybe I could, but I will not spare even a moment of focus on anything that is not 100% necessary. I don''t need to know right now. Caena will tell me after I am done. So, until then, I will need to keep pushing myself, and I just did that. Hun! Minutes passed when suddenly, I noticed the core shifting some of its power toward my anchors. It alarmed me. The spell protects me, but not them. If it reaches, it would be disastrous. I cannot let that happen. So, I pushed half of my aura along with the power of the legacy to block them but immediately realized the problem. They are strings. I can''t spread aura on them like a surface; I will need to split it and form the protection around them. I immediately split my aura into two, four, eight, sixteen, twenty-four, and thirty-six. Then split to thirty-ninth. The fortieth was hard, and it took me quite an effort to manage it. I split into the twenty-ninth part and the thirty-sixth but faced difficulty at thirty-seventh, but I did it and then split it at eighty-eighth. I looked at the building power of Mok''s core, and it was coming. Right now, I have created walls of aura that are stopping it, but not for long. I need to create the protections around those connections, or it won''t be good for them. So, I gritted my teeth and split the aura into another part and then another. I felt like I was breaking my soul and wanted to stop, but I couldn''t. If I stop, these people would be in danger. The people I care so deeply for. So, I kept splitting my aura, no matter how painful it got or how much I began to bleed through my orifices before finally I split it into the forty-eight parts and covered those connections with it. As I did, the last wall broke through, and the power of the Mok''s tavern slammed into strings. "Ahhhhh!" I screamed as it happened but didn''t let go. Covering the strings is the only part. I have to maintain it while conquering more of Mok''s core. It prevents me from harvesting more core essence and weakening it further. It''s hard. It was harder than even when I fought against the bandit with the artifact, but now the stakes are even higher. Not about this, but with Bathhouse. If I couldn''t bear this small spell. How will I be able to bear the big one with my battle against Tranquill Bathhouse? So, every moment, the thoughts of giving up rose. I crushed them, held on to my aura, and spread it around the Mok''s core to get more essence. I don''t know how long it has passed, but I felt the resistance waning before the broken core shook hard. A moment later, it broke away from the shackles of the planet holding it and moved out of the domain of the legacy. As it did, it divided itself into hundreds of pieces, and those pieces flew toward the legacies all over the continent and the world. While I slumped down on the ground with my consciousness slipping away, I didn''t even care about my clothes, which were wet with sweat and blood. I fell into unconsciousness before my head hit the ground. ... Eudo "What was that?" I asked myself as the feeling of heaviness disappeared. "Have you felt something?" I asked Devin beside me. "Were you feeling something?" he asked, sipping his glass. "Yes, some strange heaviness. It was light but powerful and seemed to hover over my very soul," I replied, activating my skill, but it left no trace behind. "Maybe you imagined it?" he asked, but I shook my head. I did not imagine it; this is not something I could imagine. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 637: Incentive Proofread By Thomas F Carla Salt ''Five minutes more,'' I thought as I looked at the clock. I have been sitting in Ms. Sonya Salazar''s waiting room for ten minutes. I have a meeting with her and hope it will be successful. There are a lot of things riding on it. I received a rejection from the merchant states, so I came here. I am not alone. Officials from the city hall have also come, but I am here personally for this meeting. If I succeed, they will take over. If I return with them, there is another place we will go to, but we know we will be rejected there. We are going there to show, we have options. If they don''t take the offer, someone else will. "Miss Salt, Mage Yatra is ready for you," said the secretary, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded and followed her out of the waiting room. I am in the Storm Tower, one of the top floors. I could feel the powerful crackling energy that raised all the hair on my body¡ªwalls of grey stone veined with glowing blue crystal and floors of polished obsidian. It is not obsidian but an extremely expensive marble. That is capable of storing large amounts of mana. It is why it''s so damn hard to control my emotion here. Every moment, I felt like that roaring power would strike me. Turning me to ashes. I have been to the tower several times, but not on this floor. Usually, I deal with officials; this time, I will deal with one of the most important people. The daughter of Grand Mage Salazar. When I reached the greyish-blue metal doors, they opened on their own. I stopped for a moment before walking inside. There are two people there. One is Sonya Salazar, whom I have come to meet, but there is also her brother, Artur Salazar. Remus and I didn''t like the man, but that doesn''t mean we will not deal with him. "Lord Artur, Lady Sonya," I greeted the two. The beautiful blond woman looked at me impassively with her pale blue eyes, while the man looked at me with disgust and equal measures of lust. "Take a seat, Miss Salt," offered Sonya Salazar after a second of silence. "Thank you, my lady," I thanked and sat down before them. "Silver had asked for a meeting from us. I hope it is not for some frivolous reason," said Artus, turning his expression contemptuous. "It is for a genuine reason, my lord," I replied with a small smile. "What does he want? Silver had been vague in the letter," asked Sonya. "The City of Greltheaven would like a loan for its expansion," I stated. "Hell no! It is a wasteland pit that will be conquered by the undead soon!" declined Artur immediately with a rude and dismissive voice. I didn''t say anything to that and turned to his sister. It made him irritated and angry. "You should understand, Miss Carla. It is very risky to give your city a loan." "As my brother had stated, it could be attacked by the undead at any time. If that happens, we will lose the money we might give you," she replied, shaking her head. "It is why we are willing to provide you with an incentive," I stated. "What incentive?" asked Artur immediately, with greed flashing in his eyes. "Emotion essence, of course," I replied with a smile. "How much?" he asked excitedly. Further irritating his sister. "It will depend on the loan amount you are willing to provide us," I replied. Earlier, we used emotion essence the wrong way. We shouldn''t have sold it. We should have used it as an incentive instead of like a good. If they give us a loan, we will sell them more emotion essence. We will repay the loan with money, while emotional essence will be used as barter to obtain things that couldn''t be obtained with money. "How much of a loan do you want?" she asked. I didn''t reply immediately to that. Instead, I placed the file in front of her. "It''s too much!" said Artus. Yes, we want a massive amount as the expansion won''t be small. Remus has ambition, and it is my job to get him the money required. "We do not want it all at once," I replied with a smile. "It is truly a massive amount. You will have to sell a lot of essence for it," Sonya said, putting the file down. I shook my head. "We will be paying you with the money. Emotion essence will be an incentive," I corrected. "Then it is not worth the risk," said Artur, and I smiled. "That is your decision," I replied, and I could see the surprise appeared on his face. Showing desperation is terrible. I have to show it as if I have an option. That is why I have created an itinerary of places I will visit after Namdar. If their spies are moderately good enough, I am sure they have already learned about it. "How much incentive in emotion essence are you willing to provide?" asked Sonya again, and her expression changed ever so slightly. They desperately want emotional essence despite having three legacies in their city. When I went to merchant states before, they declined to give me a loan. They wanted far more and many other things that we cannot provide. They could negotiate that way because they have the ability. Namdar does not. The Empire is in shambles. If any threat came, they would have to fight it themselves; they could not count on empire. Namdar is strong, with Grand Mage leading it, but Vris''Alud has killed a Grand Mage. It is a powerful country, and if they try to come to Namdar, it will need everything; it has to fight it, and it isn''t the only enemy they have. "For each tranche of the loan, we will provide eight times the current emotion essence we provide you as an incentive," I replied, and I felt them activate the skills to control their expression and guard their emotion. I felt Artur project his skills toward me, but it was immediately repelled back to his shock. A moment later, a spark of shock appeared in the woman''s eyes, though it disappeared almost instantly. I didn''t have to use my aura; he may have a powerful class, but so do I. Castellan of Mist is a level class and a powerful one at that. I had felt it was only slightly weaker than Remus''s Lord Class, which is the most powerful Lv. 30 class. "The amount is too low; its value is only a small part of what we will give you as the loan. If your city gets conquered, we will lose a massive amount of money," she stated. "As I had said, it is an incentive, but you are also right my lady; it is a massive amount of money and a big risk for you," I agreed, repeating the essence as an incentive. "It is why we propose that the contract will be signed with the city and the Velvet Garden, and it will be placed at its core." "So, even if the city gets captured. Velvet Garden will pay back the loan," I replied. It is a massive amount of money. Even Namdar wouldn''t risk losing that much money and would want the guarantee. "What would happen if the legacy itself is destroyed? I heard there will be a clash of Velvet Garden and Tranquill Bathhouse," she asked. A small smile appeared on my face hearing that. It is not easy to hide such things. "It is a risk that you will have to take, but let me assure you, the Velvet Garden is very well prepared to deal with any challenge, including Tranquill Bathhouse," I replied confidently. Caena and Remus succeeded with better results than we had expected. However, it pushed Remus so hard that he needed a whole day to recover. "The amount is still low. We cannot offer you that much money for such a small amount of emotional essence," she said, and I smiled internally. They were willing, and it excited me, but soon, I controlled my emotions and sighed visibly. "We cannot offer you more emotion essence, but we will add something more precious to sweeten the deal," I replied, and I could see their eyes turning curious. "We will provide you with three drops of core essence with each tranche, that is, on condition that you provide us with things we need in exchange that you declined before," I added to their shock. "Ten drops. We want ten drops," said Artur hurriedly, to the irritation of his sister. It is a good game they are playing. He acted greedily and aggressively while she remained calm and irritated. They will have to do better to fool me. The emotions they have are real. He is greedy, while she is irritated by him, but it is also a play, and quite a good one at that. "Three drops is the most we could offer," I replied, with a tone of finality. We have the core essence, and Mok''s Core gave our reserves a big boost, but it is precious, and we have our plans for it. "I will take this to The Lady of Storms. If she accepts, we will start negotiations, and let me say it already: you will need to offer more if you need that amount," she stated. I didn''t say anything to that, and a minute later, I was out of the office, with hope burning in my heart. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 638: That Man Is Good! Chapter 638: That Man Is Good! Proofread By Thomas F Clang, Clang, Clang! Jon came at me with furious strikes. He is agile and fast, coming at me from all sides. Each of his attacks was amplified by aura. It wasn''t just his attacks but also other skills. It made him faster, stronger, and a lot more agile. He is using everything he has against me, but even then, it''s not enough. "Don''t push the aura so hard. You have enough control to get the same power with finesse," I advised as I kept defending against his attacks. It wasn''t too long ago that he advised me when we sparred, but now I am doing that. His aura had calmed down, and his attacks weakened as he tried the controlled approach. Force is only valid when one lacks enough control. Jon is gaining control over his aura. He even practices it more than I do. I do it three to four times daily, while he does it five to six times, which is paying off. The power of his attacks increased steadily, and soon, they became as powerful as his earlier attacks. "I will attack now!" I said. I stopped being defensive and moved to the offense. I didn''t increase my power. I only shifted from the defense. Clang, Clang, Clang! He began to defend against my attacks while trying to attack me, but I didn''t give him a chance and continued with the attacks. I may only have a few combat skills that I like, but they are good. I especially like the Lord''s Eyes and Fast Reflexes; these are outstanding skills for dealing with an opponent like him. Clang! Minutes passed when I was finally able to parry his dagger and took my rapier to his neck. "You have become stronger, my lord," praised Jon. It is not empty praise; I have gotten stronger, and it isn''t just because of the recent level-up. I smiled and looked at Garzong and Zela, who were watching from the distance. "Three of you come at me together," I told them. These three are formidable opponents, and together, they are even tougher. They are nearly the same level as me and have much more experience. Since they got better at working together, fighting them has become even more challenging. Soon, they picked up their weapons and got into formation. Jon and Garzong are at the front, while Zela is behind. "We are coming!" said Garzon, moving the shield forward toward me. At the same time, Jon disappeared while Zela had launched a real Grade IV spell. I moved toward them with Zela as my target. When against the group, deal with the mage first. They are most dangerous once they are out. It became easier to deal with the rest. "It is getting harder and harder to stand against you, my lord," said Garzong tiredly as we finished. "You three are getting difficult to fight as well," I replied, shaking my head. When I first fought them, it was easy to exploit their teamwork, but as more sessions went by, they became better¡ªturning into a well-oiled machine. It became harder to fight them than before. Thankfully, I am improving as well. I have leveled up, and most importantly, I have crossed the blockade that has kept me stuck for weeks. The harvest of Mok''s core brought the core essence and helped me progress significantly in my aura. In my aura exercises, including layers exercises, I achieved the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth layers. Now, I am very close to the sixteenth. I will accomplish it in a week or, at most, two. I stepped out of the training arena and showered before walking directly to the carriage. I do not need to return to the tower; I have finished all the work there. "Has Carla sent any updates?" I asked. "Nothing, other than she is going to the negotiations," she replied. It is the fourth day of the negotiations in Namdar. It is tough, but we are making progress. I still can''t believe it worked. I thought I would need to sell the emotion essence, but Carla advised me to use it as leverage instead of an asset. Merchants declined to give us the loan; they wanted to continue with the current system. Thankfully, Namdar is more desperate for emotions'' essence, and they have money. Namdar has always been rich, and chaos in the empire made it even richer, with whole merchant houses and nobles moving in. A single tranche is more than all three of their legacies produced in the month. However, according to the estimate, every tranche of money will be huge and will last us for around three to four months. Even then, it is massive. The carriage came to a halt, and I stepped out. As my eyes settled on the buildings before me, I couldn''t help but smile. Dozens of structures stood tall, with more rising steadily from the earth. In just under three months, they had made remarkable progress. "If nothing unexpected gets in the way, we''ll open right on schedule," Locke said, appearing at my side, his voice calm but confident. I am looking at the academy and its campus. Many buildings are popping up from the ground and getting taller and broader daily. I could see many of the buildings taking their designated shape, like the administrative building, library, dorms, and other things. Hundreds of workers are working on them day and night. The academy will still be a few months away from being ready. "How is the recruitment going?" I asked. Opening an academy involves more than constructing buildings. We will also need a staff. He and Mage Aldridge are responsible for it. They focused on the empire; the war affected many academics. Especially those that focus on non-war-related courses like arts. Making a lot of experienced people available. Many are desperate enough that they will come to Greltheaven without any enticement. I walked inside and looked at the construction. It is even bigger when looked at closely. "We are receiving a better-than-expected response from the empire. We are also headhunting the talent," he replied, looking excited. This is his baby; he worked hard to achieve it. I did well in giving him the responsibility. I turned my gaze to the sparser section of the grounds¡ªonly a handful of buildings were under construction there, and the most important one remained in the planning stage. It would be a while yet before work could begin on it. I took a brief walk around the campus, surveying the progress with quiet satisfaction, before returning to the carriage and settling back into my seat. A few minutes later, I reached the city hall and stepped inside. Soon, I reached my office and saw a familiar person sitting in the waiting room. "Send him in," I told Jill before entering my office. A few seconds later, the man walked into my office. "Lord Silver," he greeted. "Lord Rutto, take a seat," I replied to the man, who had become slightly thinner. Travel can do that for you. It had been a few months since he had started working for me and doing an excellent job. That is why I gave him the task, and if the expressions on his face are any indication, he completed it. "I have found what you had asked me to, my lord," he said as he sat down. "So, is it more to it than each of them trying to bring him to their side?" I asked. I had asked him to find out the imperial plans for Marquess Gats. This man has many connections in both camps. "It is, but with a lot higher stakes," he replied, his expression turning serious. "Each of them is offering him a title of duke and territory at the size of the imperial dukedom," he added, and I couldn''t help but be shocked. Getting a title of Duke isn''t a joke. Before the war, there were only seven non-imperial dukes. It is a powerful title that hasn''t been offered to anyone in the past three hundred years, but right now, they are offering him not just a title but massive territory. "They are planning to give him a new territory, right?" I asked; he nodded, which was even more shocking. Seeing his current territory is one of the worst. Expanding it would have made sense, but they are giving him the new one, which would obviously be better than his old one. Anything other than Renwell region is better than what he currently has. "Were you able to find out who he is leaning toward?" I asked. Of course, he will want those things. Yes, he is honorable, but the man isn''t without ambition. "That''s the thing, he isn''t leaning toward anyone. He had clearly stated that he would accept the offer only when it came from both of the princes together," he replied, and for a second, I froze. "My god, that man is good!" I said, slapping on the desk hard. "Why?" asked Lola. "It is an excellent opportunity. He should choose the side quickly before the offer disappears. It will likely disappear, given how things are moving in imperial favor recently," she added, but I shook my head. "I can''t tell what he is thinking or what his plan is, but I know it is the best thing he did," "As for the lull in war, don''t think too much into it. The empire is a delicious pie; enemies would never return it to the table. They will try to take a bite out of it as long as possible," I replied. I don''t know many things, but I know for sure the enemies won''t stop. No matter what is happening on the frontlines or what intelligence is saying. "I hope this will stretch out as much as possible. Marquess Gats leaving the region would be the worse news for us," said Rutto. I nodded at that. The bastard didn''t help us as much as he helped others, but he helped. His presence alone is a massive help to Greltheaven and the whole region. He is keeping the region safe from Tabes. Though they might not be interested now because they are busy with the mainland, they will come back after they have finished with it. There is also the undead. He is the reason why they have not crossed the river. Once he leaves, the region would be in even greater trouble. We already have more than we can handle, and we don''t want to deal with anything new, but it will happen. "Were you able to find out what will happen to Dustorn Fortress? Will he be keeping his son here? Or leaving with everything?" I asked. It is the most crucial question. Whoever takes over the fortress will have a duty to defend the region from Tabes. "I don''t know about Marques''s plan, but his imperial excellency had planned to divide it and auction it to the largest size," he replied. I smiled hearing that, but also got angry. It is an intelligent plan. Many nobles have lost territories and are not contributing to the war. He could divide the cities Marquess Gats controls here and sell them to the highest bidder. The Renwell region is the size of a standard kingdom, and many desperate nobles who lost their territories in the war would pay any price to acquire a new one. It won''t matter to them, even if it is in the middle of the wasteland. Chapter 639: Seductress I Proofread by Thomas F Tara Veyrault "He came, finally," said Barb as a large entourage of people entered the legacy compound with a large carriage train. There were so many people I could barely see him. "Thankfully, we will be able to leave now!" I replied. The Bathhouse is a beautiful place, a heaven no less, but I miss home badly. We have been here for months, and due to this prince, the trip was extended further by a few weeks. Now that he has come, we will attend the party tonight and leave tomorrow. Although, before that, I have to do something. Something perilous. We had finished all our objectives, including the most important one: the master''s blood. It still made me ashamed. It was my responsibility, but Barb had to finish it for me. It is why I have to be successful today. It is not part of our mission but something I am doing on my own. Extreme caution is necessary, and Madam Caena personally warned me not to do it if I felt the slightest doubt. "I will see you later," said Barb before walking to the exit of the villa''s roof. I nodded and turned to the sea. It''s beautiful, and I will miss it a lot. I stayed on the roof for an hour before climbing the stairs to my suite. I have done everything here. I have explored the island and shopped. I have bathed in nearly every pool of Tranquill Bathhouse and taken every type of bath. I even visited a few neighboring islands and spent a few nights there. It is a paradise, but I am getting bored of it. It''s not home. Greltheaven isn''t big, and there are not as many things to do there as there are here, but it is home. There is always something to do there. Girls to talk to, people to seduce. I love what I do. Watching the men who had barely any interest in me become obsessed with me gives me a thrill and makes me feel powerful. For this reason, I have not accepted the position of Madam. I will one day, but not right now. I want to keep seducing the most challenging. Maybe, and maybe, find love. It''s hard for a whore, but I kept hope in my heart. With nothing to do, I closed my eyes, with the beautiful view as a backdrop, and fell asleep. Knock Knock! I was woken up by the knock. I immediately got up and opened the door. The other side is Rexy, the trainee. "Madam Barb had asked me to wake you up," she said. I looked at the clock before turning to the woman before me. "Thank you, Rexy," I thanked. The woman smiled and walked away while I turned back to my room. It is past five, and we must be at the party at eight, but Barb knows very well. That, when I sleep in the afternoon, I remain sleepy for hours after waking up. She sent Rexy at the right time. By eight, all this sleepiness should disappear. I went to the bathroom and showered before coming out. I nearly stumbled over one of the gifts. I have received a lot of gifts, and I already packed, but these are different. They are the most expensive ones, but they come from a single person. I am conflicted about whether to take these gifts home and have them returned to the person after I leave. I shook my head of those thoughts and lay on the bed. I stayed there until seven when I got up and walked toward the make-up studio on the villa''s first floor. Click! When I arrived, I saw all three of them already there. Mrs. Rand and her three assistants were working on them. Mrs. Rand is below Eudo. She handles a whole floor, but she was sent here with us. It is a critical mission, and looking beautiful is one of our greatest weapons. I removed my clothes and wore a robe before letting them work on me. "I have never seen a prince. I am very excited," said Gloria, and the girl looked as excited as a girl her age should have been. In brothels, girls mature early. Gloria did, too, but since Master Silver took over, she has let her child self out more. Even after she became madam, she let it out now and then. Though mostly spontaneously, she quieted down as she did and put a serious expression on her face. "So are we," replied Barb. We are whores, we have no business with princes. A few princes had come to cities I had been in, but we never got a chance. First, the madams would rarely let us leave to see the prince, and more importantly, the city guards would throw us away when they sensed our class. "I was lucky enough to see four princes. Including the emperor," added Mrs. Rand. She didn''t seem too impressed by them. For people like us, princes are far above us; we have no relation to them, but tonight, it will change. "Remember, you all are representing the Velvet Garden. I want you all to behave at the party in the best way," advised Barb. Soon, I got out of the chair and removed my robe. Miss. Rand''s assistance begins to apply shimmer across my body. Others didn''t do that. They applied it, but not to the whole body. I need it, especially today. Makeup and clothes are my armour. They give me the confidence to walk into the world, and today, I need to be the most confident person I can be. Soon, she finished with makeup and brought out the dress. It is bright red, seductive, with a deep neckline and beautiful lacework that shows hints but doesn''t reveal everything. Men liked it. It makes them want to see everything. Unlike me, Gloria and Barb had worn the toga, while Rexy wore a fusion of dress and toga. I wore the dress, and she put jewelry on me. It was a beautiful diamond necklace and earrings. In my hair, she put pins of realistic-looking roses made of ruby and other precious gems. I turned to the mirror as they finished. Teachers say seduction should be subtle, like a gentle wind in the moonlight. I disagree. To me, it is like shining the sun on the brightest day. It should be direct. Bright enough that one would feel it even with closed eyes. I never hid my intentions when I seduce. It is more challenging but also enjoyable. "Let''s go," said Barb, as the clock reached near eight. I felt them activating their skills, making them more beautiful and graceful. Drape of Seductress. I also activated my skill, which I got when I reached level 30. It enhances clothes and makeup, which, in turn, makes me more confident in myself. Soon, we reached the venue. It is the bathhouse. "Welcome, members of Velvet Garden," welcomed Lady Aardwyn. Rylan is here, along with his mother and the bathhouse manager. His father isn''t here. This is good because, since that incident. Things have become tense with him and Barb. He declined to meet with her at his weekly meetings, so I replaced her with all our interactions with him. Still, some encounters were unavoidable and made things awkward. "Thank you, Lady Aardwyn," replied Barb, and we entered inside. I immediately felt hundreds of eyes. Thousands of people were invited; many had come to the island, especially to attend this party. I could see a lot of familiar faces, but many unfamiliar. We had just walked inside when a man in his early fifties approached us. He was handsome, with an enviable physique and large dreadlocks hanging to his shoulders. "I was waiting for you to descend to the party, Miss Utsa," he said to Barb with a smile. "Madams," he greeted us before turning to her. He is Malanth Drakon, a mercenary leader and a Lv. 40+ powerhouse. He came to the island a little over a month ago to rest and relax after a mission. "Mr. Drakon, it is nice to see you again," replied Barb with a smile. He is an important man. He is not the kingdom''s citizen; nobody knows where he is from. He has been a mercenary from a young age and is based in Oton, but he also does missions on other continents, including Zenid. He has been there many times. He offers the services of a large mercenary company that many kingdoms desire. "It is I who is happy, Miss Utsa." He replied before putting his hand in his bag. "I even got this for us," he added, and a clay bottle appeared in his hand. Seeing it, Barb''s eyes lit up. The man is interested in Barb, but he is more interested in her ability to drink. They had even sparred; Barb came back with broken bones and a smile on her face. Seeing him taking out glasses in the middle of the party, I shook my head and walked away. The others separated as well. Going to a different way. "Miss Tara," I had just walked away when I heard my name being called out. Hearing the voice, irritation flashed in my eyes, but I stopped and forced a smile as I turned. Soon, a man appeared in front of me, about my age. Handsome, with thick curly hair. "Lord Myrrwa," I greeted the man. "I have told you many times, Miss Tara. You can call me Laodis," said the man, wanting to come a little closer but stopping when he saw me ready to step back. "You are a Lord, my lord; I cannot do that," I replied politely. I love to seduce and revel in their worship, but not in infatuation¡ªespecially the kind this man has. I had ways to deal with it, but this man''s father is powerful, and I am in a foreign land. I would rather not do something that would displease him. "Did you get my present? I had it made, especially for you," he asked. "It''s a beautiful gift," I replied with a small smile. It is indeed a beautiful gift, and I love gifts, but seeing his obsessive infatuation. I returned his first gift, but he sent it back. I sent it back again, but he once more returned it to me. Since then, I simply accepted the gifts and avoided him as much as possible. I could do it during most days since we have our own guards aside from those from the kingdom. They can make excuses, but it is hard at the parties. "Miss Tara, I am throwing a big party on my island. I want you to attend," he invited. Till now, it was an invitation to the parties in his manors here on the island with the Bathhouse, but now he had invited me to his island. Yes, he has an island and more than one. His family controls one of the most prosperous islands in Dorus''s dominion. "I can''t, Lord Myrrwa. I am leaving tomorrow," I replied, and the way his expression changed was genuinely satisfying. We have kept the date of our leaving secret. Very few people know about it. "So early!" he said, with his voice reaching higher. "Miss Tara, you must stay! I can provide you with everything here. You will want for nothing and have every luxury for yourself," he insisted, and I wanted to roll my eyes. The man is so infatuated that he even contacted Velvet Garden to buy my contract. Sister Margaux said he had offered a lot of money for it. I was shocked by the amount, but not the length, of his willingness to get what he wanted. Extreme infatuation is like that. It is what makes it so dangerous. "Thank you for the kind offer, Lord Myrrwa, but Greltheaven is my home, and I am already missing it dearly," I replied with a smile. "Miss Tara, I." He aggressively came close, and I finally had enough of it. I was about to use the skill when Barb arrived beside me. "Lord Myrrwa," she greeted before turning to me. "Tara, come. I have to introduce myself to someone," she said, and we moved. He watched with an open mouth and was about to follow but stopped, feeling a few eyes on him. "Thank you for the rescue," I thanked. "Of course," she replied with a smile. As I said, the man is powerful, and I wouldn''t want to use that skill on him. It would have displeased him, and that is a bad thing. I heard things about him, and those things were not good. True to her words, Barb introduced me to someone important and then another person before we separated again. I kept an eye on him, never letting him get too close. I am very good at it, especially in the legacy. It might not be a velvet garden, but I still know how to hide in the mist. Soon, it was nearly ten, and a drum rang out. It immediately silenced the whole party, and we turned toward the entrance. The prince is about to make an entry. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 640: Seductress II Proofread by Thomas F Warning: This content may contain material of a sexual nature and is intended for mature audiences only. Viewer discretion is advised. "...Dux of Azol, Princep Rohykos," The herald announced, and the man entered with a large entourage behind him. He is in his mid-twenties, about the same age as me, with a tall, lean body of a duellist and straight raven hair. He is a handsome man with deep grey eyes. He is the second person I have seen other than members of Master Silver''s family to have grey eyes. His eyes are pure grey. Master Silver''s eyes, on the other hand, are silvery grey. "Your Excellency," We all bent our knees with our heads down. I had been made to practice this Otonian greeting to royalty, and I am glad I could see myself doing it more smoothly than most others. "Thank you, everyone, for this gracious welcome. Especially, Lord Aardywn," "It is always a pleasure to visit this wonderful legacy, and I hope I will continue to do that for years to come," he said, and I felt his eyes on us for a moment. At that moment, he looked at Barb, Gloria, Rexy, and lastly me. As his eyes fell on me, I brought a seductive smile on my face and activated I Want You. Immediately, I felt eyes on me, and some of those eyes made me shudder from the deepest part. There are people here who are Lv. 40 and above. At least one of them is with the prince. I just used a skill on the Prince. People would say, "I am mad." Some people are saying it audibly. Even Barb looked shocked, but she hid it well and stayed by me. She even came a little closer and looked at the people looking at me. A moment felt like an hour before he looked away and resumed with his speech. ''Thank you,'' I thanked Barb. She stayed by me when she could have easily created a distance. ''What you did was very dangerous,'' she replied. There is no anger in her voice. It was just a comment about my actions. I know what I did was extremely dangerous, and there could be consequences, such as Master Silver being unable to protect me, but I needed to do it for Velvet Garden. "...Tranquill Bathhouse prosper," he finished, and people applauded. He smiled and began mingling with the crowd. "Everyone is excited by his presence, wanting to meet him," said Rexy. Looking at the people literally lining up to meet him. "He is a prince, after all," replied Barb. We didn''t. We mingled with people. We have a list of people we want to focus on. While we did that, I saw a prince now and then. A few times, he looked at me, and I smiled. I did not use a skill again; once is more than enough to show my intentions. It was direct; that is my style and subtly has no place here. We are leaving tomorrow, and there is not enough time to weave a subtle net, even if I wanted to go that way. Soon, an hour passed when Lord Aardwyn came and, with him, the Prince. The elf didn''t look happy. Usually, he is cordial with me, but now he is angry. He is not even trying to hide it. "Your Excellency," we greeted the prince in unison. "Your Excellency, these are members of the Velvet Garden." Aardwyn introduced, casting a quick glare at me. I didn''t even look at him; my eyes were on the prince alone. He keeps his expressions unreadable, but I can see the sparks of desire in his eyes, which he is trying to hide. He may be a prince, but he is also a man. "I hope you are having a good time. Guests from the Velvet Garden?" asked the prince. "The best, Your Excellency. Your kingdom is a heaven in the mortal world," I replied. Making a smile on his face a little brighter. "It is indeed, and I hope you will think about shifting here in a few months, " he said. This surprised me; even Aardwyn and his son looked surprised. It is a direct invitation. It is the first time they are so direct. Till now, they were subtle. It seemed like they were quite confident about their chance to swallow the Velvet Garden. It didn''t make me feel good, but I didn''t let that affect the smile on my face. It is not a seductive smile. I could see him searching for the desire, but he only got a polite smile. "Thank you for the kind offer, Your Excellency; we will think about it," replied Barb. He didn''t say anything to that and walked away with a smile on his face. "They are confident," said Rexy after some hesitation. It''s clear she wants to use different words but is being very careful. That is wise. "So are we," replied Barb confidently. She might not be feeling it in her heart, but she is showing it. Once more, we move to mingle with the crowd. It is a considerable legacy, and people are in every corner of it. In a few months, I have been here. I have come to love Tranquill Bathhouse and hope Velvet Garden will swallow it. It will enhance Velvet Garden further. Another hour passed, and the party was going in full swing. Some who get a little drunk are enjoying themselves in pools. I also wanted to jump in; some invited me, but I declined. I may be a whore, but I am Velvet Garden''s whore; I need to act accordingly. "It''s quite unfortunate that you are leaving so soon. Miss Utsa, Miss Tara. I would have loved to invite you to my birthday party next month," said the red-haired man with a hint of regret. "It is indeed quite regretful, Mr. Veibos, but I have a feeling this won''t be the last time we will meet," replied Barb. Barb might not seem like much; she isn''t the most beautiful or striking, but there is a reason: Master Silver had sent her here. She is very good with people. "You are absolutely right, Miss Utsa," replied the man. A minute later, we walked away from him when Barb turned to me without a change in her expression. "He is coming," she informed and gracefully changed the direction. Myrrwa had tried to approach me several times, succeeding in two. I didn''t want to deal with him, so I looked around for people to talk with¡ªnot any person he could intimidate, which is how he approached me the last two times. I want someone who couldn''t be intimidated by him. There were very few people like that at this party. I was looking around when I felt Barb stiffening and her hand moving toward her bag. I turned and saw a man flashing in front of me. He is a middle-aged man wearing armor with a royal insignia. "Tara Veyrault," he said, turning to me. Before I could reply, he handed me a letter and walked away. I looked at the letter with the royal seal on the back and Prince Rohykos''s seal on the front. Seeing it, a smile appeared on my face. As I had said, it always works. I was looking at the envelope when the seal opened on its own. It means only one thing: I must read it now; I was planning to do that either way. I could see many eyes on me. Myrrwa had been frozen in his place, with raging anger in his eyes, which he was trying to control. I took out the letter and read it before putting it back into the envelope. A second later, we mingled as if nothing happened. Many were curious, but they didn''t ask. However, I could see the knowing look in their eyes, and it was what they thought it to be. Half an hour, we reach the spot by a small garden where the mist is dense. "He is a royal," said Barb. It is a warning from her to be careful. "I know," I replied and walked into the mist. When I came out, I was near a restricted section of the legacy. As I reached it, I flashed the letter without stopping while the guards moved away. A minute later, I stopped in front of the large, familiar gate. Although I had been here only once, it left a deep imprint on my mind. Click! I flashed the letter to the guards; they looked at it expressionlessly before opening the doors. I nodded my thanks and stepped inside. Once more, coming face to face with the magnificent artifact. It was as magnificent as the first day¡ªin fact, it looked even more majestic than the first day. I admired every inch of it this time, and it was beautiful. It is the most beautiful thing in the world. I could admire it for days without getting bored. I admired it for a minute before my dress fell off my body, and I walked forward. There are pools around the artifact where water from the fountain gathers before it flows into the bathhouse. Though, I don''t want to step into the pools. I walked between the pools before stopping in front of the well. I looked for a moment before I stepped inside the outer well. It is safe, as Rylan had mentioned. It will only become dangerous if the master of it willed it, and they will not. Not today. He might get angry, but I don''t care. I am leaving tomorrow, and there is nothing he can do. As I stepped inside the crystalline water, I felt its effects, stronger than those I had felt outside through its water. It immediately refreshed me, and I felt like it was entering every cell of me, healing my injuries while sending calming waves to my deepest. Doing that, along with many other amazing things, made me feel like I was in heaven. "Ahhhh!" A moan couldn''t escape my lips as I felt its effects, and the thing is, it was not running at its full power. According to Rylan, they use the artifact at a quarter of its power. Using more power costs more emotional essence, which they couldn''t. 99% of the emotional essence this legacy produces goes to the kingdom. So, they are forbidden to use more than a quarter of their power without permission. I stayed in my position for a few minutes before rolling on my back and swam around in it. The outer well is the size of a small swimming pool. I could swim comfortably in it, which is what I am doing. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I want to enjoy it with everything I can. Click! I don''t know how long it passed, but I heard the door open, and the prince stepped inside. He came alone; I could not see any guard or adviser behind him. I didn''t stop, nor did I greet him. I simply swam around, but this time activating Seductive Movements. It makes my movement more seductive. He stopped near my dress and looked at it before turning to me. There is a smile on his face, but it is filled with deep lust. The man wants me. I could see his hunger, which was becoming intense by the second. "You seemed like you are having a good time," he said after nearly a minute of watching. "Not yet," I replied with a Seductive Smile. To that, he laughed, but a moment later. He begins to take off his clothes. Soon, he was wearing nothing but his briefs. There is also a bracelet artifact, but it will not affect things; that is an offensive artifact. I am more worried about the rings he is wearing. I pushed those thoughts away and looked at him. With a lean body without an ounce of excess fat, it isn''t surprising that he is a dualist. Seeing me looking at him admiringly, he grinned and appeared beside the well. "I have seen many whores in my life, but not one as daring as you," he said. I didn''t get angry at him calling me a whore, that''s what I am. I smiled and went close to him till there was a few inches of distance between our faces. "What are you going to do about it?" I challenged, activating the Seductive Challenge. Instead of being subtle and demure, I went straight for the target with confidence. There are several reasons for that; some like powerful women who take charge, while others want to tame them. The point is that it works very well. "I can think of a few things," he replied with a grin and took my lips into his. ''Got you!'' I cheered and activated Lustful Lips, Carnal Embrace, and Fever Touch at once. The skills affected him. He is a prince with one of the most powerful classes in the world, but I am Lv. 34 Seductress, while he is not even Lv. 20. It is hard to advance his class; it is said he is at Lv. 19 but has power equal to a general Lv. 30. I am not joking when I say he has one of the most powerful classes in the world. Though, I am not weak. Seductress is powerful. He intensified the kiss like he couldn''t get enough of my lips. Like they were the air he needed to breathe, I matched his hunger and pulled him into the water. He didn''t resist. Instead, he came willingly. As he entered the water, the kiss became fervent, and his hands began to move all over my body. I begin to respond to them. I have passive skills for it, but I would have been fine even without it. I have been a whore for nearly ten years. I know the sounds to make and react to. I also attended Miss Dawnstar''s lessons, which helped tremendously refine my art. "You are one delicious whore!" he said as he broke the kiss, before going down kissing my neck and then collarbone, before moving to my breasts, which he bit. "Ahhh!" I moaned as he did, which excited him further. He is an experienced man but lacks refinement and control. Being a Prince doesn''t make him great at sex, even if he had fucked hundreds of women. He is also young. At this age, they just want to fuck; they learn later. Rip! He tore open my bra and began to devour my breasts. I moaned and moved my hands around his body. I could see him getting hard, and I touched his member, but only for a moment before moving away and touching it again. I am teasing him, building the anticipation, and it is working, seeing how wild he has become. Seeing that, I activated another skill. It is a unique skill, a rare one. It doesn''t target me or the person I am having sex with. Watchers Pleasure. It targets the one who is watching, and someone is watching! I can''t sense them, but I know there is someone. He is a prince, and even if it is legacy and I am whore, they will unlikely to leave him unprotected. A moment later, the skill found the target, and a small smile appeared on my face. ''I hope he enjoys the show,'' I thought. He needs to so he can''t look too deeply at things and consider everything I do as a part of sex. "I can''t wait anymore!" I said huskily, with my voice dripping with need. "Me, too," he replied, with his eyes filled with intense lust. That is why, the next moment, he tore through his briefs before tearing apart my underwear. He lifted me and placed me on the wall of the well before putting his member at my entrance and thrusting in. "Ahhhh!" I let out the loudest moan while gripping his shoulder tightly. "So good!" he said and started thrusting. I met his thrusts with my movements. Making it even more pleasurable for him while letting out loud moans. A few seconds into sex, I activated¡ªmy most important skills for this mission. Nails of Pleasure. I activated it and dug my nails hard into him. Enough to make one scream in pain, but he moaned in pleasure and intensified his thrusts. "You are so good. The best!" I said between moans. Men love affirmation, and the prince is no different. "Then take some more," he said and thrust even harder. A kin to a bull. It was not that good. There was not any finesse, but I moaned like it was the best sex I was having. At the exact moment, I dig my nails even harder into him, taking his pleasure to an even greater height. To one who is looking, I must look like a whore that lost itself in sex but far from it. I am most clear-headed, and everything is planned. The seduction. He brought me here, which I knew he would. I am not the first woman he had sex with in this place. This artifact is the best place to have sex. It suppresses other things, including his protection. Aardwyn might sense things if he is looking deeply, but I am sure the man who doesn''t have any interest in women would be watching us having wild sex. Outside, I wouldn''t have dared to take such risks as I am here. "Ahhhhhhhhh!" I let out the loudest moan, activating Fake Orgasm, digging my nails deeper and, puncturing his skin and drawing out the blood. As I did, some blood touched my bracelet, and my heartbeat quickened. If something was to be triggered, it would be now, but even as the moment passed, nothing of that sort happened. Instead, I felt the warmness of the bracelet, which put a smile on my face. ''I success!'' The master''s blood was the most important, but the blood of the royal was just as important. It is their domain, and having their blood will be beneficial. I could not get the master''s blood, but I did get the blood of the royal. It made me feel good. Most importantly, I finally did something to pay Velvet Garden and Master Silver for all they did for me. "I am close," he informed and started to thrust violently, and a few seconds later, he shook. I activated the Fake Orgasm once more and came with him. They liked it when women orgasm with them. When he finished riding through the waves of orgasm, I shook tiredly and grabbed him harder for support. I am not tired; it is he who is exhausted, but I need to affirm his dominance. Let him feel he had conquered the lowly whore, that dared him. "You are the best fuck, I had. Better than even Lv. 40 whore, I fucked," he stated, breathlessly. "You praise me too much, Your Excellency," I replied. To which he shook his head. "It is the truth," he said. To that, I smiled. "I want you. I am going to contact Silver for your contract," he stated. "It would be my honor," I replied, lighting up my eyes. A whore of royalty is a dream come true. Women will kill for it, but I do not want it. I like my life in the Velvet Garden; I am free there. That I value more than anything he could give me, though I didn''t say that on his face. "Let''s go for another round. I am not satisfied; I want to fuck you until you can''t stand!" he said sometime later, and we began once more. Seductress Lv. 35 Seductress Lv. 36 [Skill Gained: Moans of Pleasure] [Conditions Met: Seductress ¨C Seductress of Velvet] Seductress of Velvet Lv. 33 [Conditions Met: Seductive Movements + Seductive Smile- Seductive Grace] [Skill Change: Seductive Challenge: Seductress''s Challenge] . . . Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 641: Deals and Preparations Proofread by Thomas F I stepped into the city hall and walked toward my office. It was evening, and I had gone to practice before going to the bridge for the last inspection. Tomorrow, I will inaugurate the bridge and announce the biggest infrastructure project in the city and region. Carla had performed a miracle in Namdar. They gave us a massive loan. The interest rate is slightly higher than we wanted, but it is still acceptable. "Lord Silver," greeted Jill as I reached my office. I nodded and stepped inside. Lola was there; I nodded and sat down. I took a deep breath and used the legacy skill a moment later. Four beautiful and extremely dangerous glass orbs appeared before me a moment later. It had been less than an hour since I had got my hands on them. The things are four hand-sized glass balls with dense green liquid mixed with blue drops. "It is hard to believe, these little things, capable of massive destruction," "A single one is more than enough to wipe away the city hall and everyone in it," said Lola, looking at the orbs with an evident fear in her eyes. "These are more powerful ones; they will take the city hall and everything else around it as well," I corrected. These are the Alchfire Orbs. The things that helped me win the battle against the undead. I wanted to use it in the battles after but couldn''t. The enemies are better prepared; they would sense it immediately. Most of the time, these things harm the user more than the enemies. They are too unstable, and I had no intention of using them since the enemy is aware of them and is prepared against them. However, things changed a few months ago. Also, I had become desperate. I have been buying them for the last few months, paying a massive price, in essence, as these things couldn''t be purchased with money. They could only be bought with things as precious as the essence of emotion. These four are different from the ones I used in the battle. They were obtained from the merchant state; these are not. They are from the empire. The Empire rarely used them due to their expense and instability. It is an empire. They have the expertise to make it. However, these are not specially ordered. Instead, some nobles got their hands on them through not-so-legal means and wanted to sell them. They contacted Rutto, and we made a deal. However, bringing them to the city took more significant effort than buying them. They are unstable and trigger skills left and right. It wasn''t easy, but we had succeeded. These will help me defend Greltheaven from the undead, and I want as many of them as possible before the undead come for my cities. Using them will cost me and create massive destruction, but it might be the only thing that will save my city from the undead. "Rutto is proving to be very useful," said Lola, and I couldn''t help but nod at that. It was he that the seller contacted. When I hired him, I asked him to connect to his contacts in the empire. We wanted things: spells, rare materials, knowledge, and even artifacts. He turned out to be more useful than I had thought. We had bought the spells, knowledge, and even intelligence through his connections. He even helped us headhunt a few talented officers. His success caused me to hike his salary twice in just a few months. The money was more to show my appreciation than anything because the man didn''t need it. He had become wealthy by selling books to me. I had paid him well. The job I gave him also helped him level up. He said he had leveled six levels in six months, which is extremely fast, seeing that he has a Lord Class. Now, it is at Lv. 29, just a step away from Lv. 30. I cleared the stray thoughts and looked at the orbs before me for a few seconds before sending them back to the vault, where I kept the rest. "This had come for you from the baronies," said Lola and placed a letter in front of me. It''s a letter from the council; they object to the city''s expansion. I couldn''t help but laugh reading that before throwing it into the trash. I informed them of my plan like a good neighbor. I did not need their permission. I will do what is best for my city; it''s not like they can do anything about it. With that, I focused on the work. I do not have any meetings; I only need to sign a few things, and I will be done. It was a little past seven when I finished my work and left my office. Today is a legacy day. So, I am going directly to the legacy, but before that, I had to go somewhere else. Soon, the carriage reached the park but didn''t move toward the legacy. Instead, toward the right. Toward the new big five-story building. It is beautiful, with large glass windows and beautiful lights. It is restricted to the general public and open only to important people with influence and deep pockets. The carriage stopped before its doors, and I walked inside. Feeling like I had entered one of the high-end stores. It is more than a store. It is an experience center. All things one can see here are crafted using the mist. They are made in the legacy but will be sold from here. The stores produce mist goods but sell non-mist goods so ordinary citizens can buy them. It gives them the satisfaction of shopping in the legacy and creates loyalty to the city. It also provides the legacy with more emotions. This store, on the other hand, is for those with money and influence. More people are here than I had thought, exploring and trying things. However, unlike the store. They can buy anything they desire. They make a list of things they want. It is up to us to sell it to them. We produce the mist goods rapidly, especially at night, but not fast enough. So, we must be very careful about how much we sell and to whom. If we didn''t do such things. It won''t even take a day before everything we have gets sold. There are a lot of people who are willing to pay any price for the mist goods. Most of the people I see here represent the influential people. They are personal shoppers of a kind, but some people come to shop personally. I talked to them as I climbed the floors. I looked at things, and everything was here. The six new stores made things even more complete. That is why I chose them. There are six new stores. The furniture store, the light store, the ceramic store, the glass store, the linen store, and the art store is a jack of all. These stores provide nearly everything that a house needs. Furniture, lights and chandeliers, fine tableware, linens like napkins and bedsheets, glasses, and other glassware. The art store provides art, but artists are the main assets. Many of them have started working for other stores. We made a model of the kitchen, living room, and other things. People can see themselves and experience these wonderful things here. I climbed the stairs, and on the third floor, I spotted someone familiar with two unfamiliar people. "Lord Silver," greeted the woman. She is as beautiful as her mother, looking like her younger version. "Miss Charles," I replied. She is Cara, Eva''s daughter. "When did you arrive in the city?" I asked. "Just a few hours ago," she replied before looking at the man and woman, who looked around her age. "This is my friend Veracina and her fiance? Tans. She had come for the fitting for her wedding dress. I tagged along with them," she added. "Congratulations," I congratulated. "Thank you, Lord Silver," they replied. "Enjoy your time in the city, Miss Charles. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask," I said and walked away from them. Soon, I reached the top floor, which is a model of a complete apartment. It has the best things. Our collection isn''t complete yet; many things are needed here. There is no space for new things in the legacy. I am already using every inch I have. I am thinking about something but don''t know whether I will go through with it. As I said, I am still thinking about it. I got out of the store and went to the tower, which was crowded as usual. Click! I opened the door of my office. There are already people waiting, the triumvirate and Jenna. I nodded at them and sat down. "Have you made all the preparations?" I asked Jenna. "Yes, the trainees are also excited," she replied. She is going on a long trip with Rutto to Archmage City. For the legacies business and dominions. "The batch has a space for around a hundred girls; half of them should be from Baxzar," said Margaux. She will also be recruiting the girls. She has complete prerogative over this. We didn''t mention the kingdoms and cities from which she would have to recruit the girls. The only place we mentioned is Baxzar, but it is a vast place. She could choose to recruit from any city or place. There are two reasons for that. First, we trust her, and second, we want this to be as random as possible. To decrease the possibility of others planting spies in the Velvet Garden. The route she will take will be different from mine. She will take the southern sea route as she will be visiting a few coastal kingdoms, but she will return through the route I took. We currently have fifteen hundred and thirty-seven girls and are creating another batch of a hundred. She will be choosing more than a hundred girls. We will be choosing around a hundred among the girls she will bring. "Do you have any questions?" asked Caena. "No. Madam Margaux had already filled me in on everything," replied Jenna. "Good," said Cena. Knowing she is dismissed. She nodded at three and bowed at me before leaving the office. "How is the leadership program going?" I asked. "Good. In two months, I will provide you with a new list of girls for the interviews," replied Margaux. "How are the trainees doing?" I asked Caena. "Good, actually better than I expected. Senar has a talent for it," she replied. I am also tracking the trainee''s progress. I already had a few names. If they continue to progress, I will promote them to madams. The trainees relieved some pressure, but we need more people in the leadership. It will take some time, but I am confident that this won''t be a problem by next year. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 642: Inauguration and Expansion Proofread by Thomas F "A lot of people had come," said Carla, surprised, looking at the people as the carriage entered the port. "There would have been more if we hadn''t restricted the people''s entry," I replied. It was a weekend, but we still didn''t expect this many would come. The carriage moved through the guarded road before finally stopping. "Ready?" I asked Carla. She nodded, and we stepped out of the carriage. As my feet touched the ground, I activated the Lord''s Presence with a faint aura. It produces suppression but is light as a feather. Tens of thousands of people were waiting; the whole port seemed filled with them. It is not; the police strictly contain the crowd in a designated area and did not let them interfere in port operations. I could feel the eyes of thousands of people on me. It is enthralling as it is addicting. Today is an important day. We have finished the most important public infrastructure, and today is also the day we will start another project that will dwarf everything else in the region. "Lord Silver, Lord of Greltheaven, and Panar. Master of Velvet Garden," announced the herald as I stepped onto the stage. Everyone who is important is here¡ªRobin, Valentina, Hardt, Stone, Trik, Amellus, and others. There is also another thing on the stage. It is large and covered in a cloth; I could see many curious gazes toward it. I stepped on the stage and looked at the crowd. In front are a few hundred, sitting on the chairs. They are important people, merchants, officials, and guests from afar, including a few officials from Namdar. Behind them are people, tens of thousands of them. I looked at them as they looked at me. I smiled and activated Every Ear Listens To My Words before opening my mouth to speak. "My dear citizens," "Today, we gather not merely to admire stone and spellbound steel¡ªbut to witness what our unity can shape. Before, you is more than a bridge. The bindingconnects the two sides, a silver thread across the lifeblood of our land." "This river¡ªonce a boundary, a challenge, a whispered limit¡ªhas now been embraced. Not by conquest but by craft. By your hands, your minds, your patience. This bridge stands because we stand together." I paused momentarily, looking at my people and feeling their emotions through the Mood of The Subjects. "It is woven with enchantments from our wisest enchanters, strong enough to carry a thousand hooves, light enough to hum under the moonlight." "Merchants shall pass freely. Messengers shall ride swifter. Lovers shall meet at its center, and stories shall be born from this crossing." A large gust of wind came as I spoke, making the bridge hum lightly. "So, today, we will celebrate the bridge that will change our lives forever," I said, and the crowd applauded loudly and cheered. The bridge is finished, and I am opening it to the public today. It will transform the city''s economy, but that isn''t the only thing I am doing today. I raised my hand, and the applause stopped. "But this is not the end, my people. This is the opening line of a new chapter." "Today, I proclaim the beginning of the Second Ring!" I announced, and Amellus pulled the cloth hard, revealing the huge model. The model had a beautiful replica of Greltheaven, but this is not all there is. Covering it is another ring, a massive one. It didn''t just cover Greltheaven, but the whole damn river and enormous area of the other side. I wasn''t joking when I said it is a colossal project. The second ring will be able to hold four million people¡ª five million at Greltheaven''s current density. It is ten times bigger. People advised me that I was going too far with a considerable project that covered both river shores, but I had ambition for it. I need the city to be this big, at least. I could see the gasp coming out of the mouths of those sitting in front. Very few people among them knew about it. I had kept it secret. Those who knew only knew because I had asked for their opinions and ideas. Which helped a lot in finalizing the project. "The second ring shall rise around the city and beyond this river, encircling it like a jeweled clasp around a sacred gem. Homes will flourish on the far banks. New districts of wonder and trade will rise like dawn. And in time, children will forget there ever was a time our city did not embrace the river." "Let this ring be shaped not just in stone, but in spirit¡ªbound by justice, lit by learning, and open to all who dream." "Let the bridge stand as proof: what we dare to build together¡ªno current can tear down." "To the Second Ring. To the future!" I shouted and then waved my hand. A glittering large wind blade materialized and moved toward the massive ribbon covering the bridge before slicing through it. Immediately, a raucous applause rang out. Far louder than earlier, I could feel the people''s excitement; the bridge had made them happy, but the city had turned ecstatic. I will drip-feed them information about it in the coming days and weeks. This will make them more and more excited, and they will think about moving to it. I need them to move there before we even finish building the wall. This is not going to be easy for people who like to live in the safety of walls. I looked at people before walking toward the carriage by the wall and stepped inside with Carla and others. The carriage moved, and soon, it was crossing the bridge. I have done it many times in the past week, but I still feel the same joy as I did the first time. It is wide and long but also taller. Even the biggest ship on the continent could easily pass through it. The bridge is a marvel and will bring great economic prosperity to the city. "I thought it would happen, but I didn''t expect it to happen this soon," said Valentina, looking out the window. "This is just the beginning. First of many wonderful things that will happen to the city," I replied with a smile. "Yes, but it will not be without challenges," added Robin, making everyone serious. The first challenge is, of course, the undead. Six months of protection will pass in a little more than a month, and the undead will attack. The moment they do. It will affect everything. The confidence in the city, the arrival of new people, investment, and everything else. If we survive that somehow, we will think about the second challenge. That challenge is Marquess Gats''s eventual departure. He will leave, without a doubt; the question is when? I want a few years, at least. It will be enough for us to build a powerful enough force and economy to sustain it, but that is unlikely to be the case. The bridge is wide enough that several carriages could move on either side. Finally, the carriage reached the other side and stopped. "Soon, this vast wasteland is going to be transformed into a big city," said Hardt, looking at the vast empty wasteland in front of him. I nodded, hearing that. Construction will begin on this side. Starting around the city would have been more cost-efficient, but we must consider the conditions. If we start building on the city''s western side, it will be destroyed when the enemies attack. The river protects the eastern side. Enemies won''t come here unless they conquer the city first, so there is less chance of it getting destroyed. When things improve and we have confidence in our security, we will start the construction on the west side. There are only small ports and warehouses on this side, but that will change soon. "Today, the people will come and start working on expanding the port. Tomorrow, we will begin working on underground sewage. "From next week, we will start the preparations for the wall and barracks," informed Edmor. "How long will it take to pick up to the full speed?" asked Cardin. "Two to three months at least," replied Edmor. We have funding, but that doesn''t mean we can start at full speed immediately. We do not have enough labor, people with expertise, construction materials, special tools, and many other things. Edmor has begun, and workers will start coming to the city from today itself, but it will take time. We are lucky to be in the best geographical position. Merchants and Empire are among the most powerful countries on the continent. They have the people, expertise, and materials we need, while we have money and incentives to get them. Despite all that, it will take time. "It won''t be swift, and there will be challenges to make things difficult, but we will pass them as we did all those challenges that we had faced before," I said as I took it in a wasteland before me and imagined the city rising from the very ground. The second ring is ten times bigger than the current city¡ªenough to fulfill all my ambitions. There will be huge parks, boulevards, artificial lakes, and other infrastructure. With the second ring, I am getting the opportunity to start from scratch. Make my mark on every inch. ....... Conference Room, Castle, Lauryl City "He announced the city, and it is bigger than we had imagined," said Baron Husk with a sigh. Every council member had been called from their territories for this meeting. "He didn''t heed our opposition," remarked Baron Lockridge angrily. Silver had informed them of his plan a few days ago. They didn''t have any problem as long as the expansion stayed on his side of the river, but Silver isn''t anything if not ambitious. They opposed vehemently, but Silver had gone through it nonetheless. "The question is, where is money coming from for it? He can''t finance it. Even if he had far more emotion essence than he shows, it won''t be enough to finance this massive project," asked Baron Homer, looking around the table. Everybody thinks the same question and asks for their sources, but nobody seems to know about it. "It is the merchant state or Namdar. Only those two could give him the money for it. It is also where his whore went," replied Baron Lockridge. Everybody went silent hearing that and didn''t speak for several seconds. "He is building it, and we can''t stop it, but we can prepare for what is to come." "His ambitions are rising. There will be a day when he will move his eyes toward us, and we need to be ready for that and any other danger," said Baroness Silver. Hearing that, the expressions everyone turned serious, and they nodded. "The dangerous times are coming, and we are grossly unprepared for it. We need to be prepared, or we won''t exist," added Baron Harrods. His words might be grim, but it is the truth. Everyone understood what was at stake. They are in danger, even more so than Silver. They face the same dangers as Silver but also something extra. The monster tides from the extreme magic region and also Navr. Both have the power to destroy us. Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 643: Turbulent Sea Proofread by Thomas F Barb Utsa "You should at least take a break for dinner," advised Hen. "I will," I replied, but continued moving across the ship''s deck. The sea is turbulent today, making it the best time to practice my latest skill. Feather''s Grace. It is a balance plus movement skill. It is a rare skill among the Warrior Class, usually. Only those of Lv. 20 and above, get it. It is a fantastic skill, but I wish I had a pure movement skill since I already have Madam''s Grace. These two skills are different; Madam''s Grace focuses on flexibility of movement. It works very well with curved, serpentine paths. Feather''s Grace, on the other hand, works best on the straight path. Madam''s Grace has mental aspects. It charms and speeds up my thoughts a little, ¡ªbut Feather''s Grace is really a physical warrior skill at heart. It boosts balance and, when I choose, lets me reduce five pounds of weight at will. I am using both of my skills together, on top of being very drunk. I need to practice these skills while intoxicated. I fight best in this state, and practice will strengthen me. Bam! Once more, I crashed against the pole. Hitting my head hard. "Fuck!" I cursed and massaged the spot. It would have really helped if I had skills like Rock Skin or Hard Body. I massaged the spot for a while before practicing again. It is much harder to practice the skills in a turbulent sea than in a calm one, but it is where I will learn the most. I have been at sea for two weeks. It is a great time to practice my skills, and I have been doing that daily, incorporating the lessons I learned on this trip into my practice. Especially the tips I got from Drakon. That man is a truly powerful but also a great drinking partner. He is interested in me, which he never hid, but I didn''t sleep with him. I liked the man and wanted him to be a friend. Sleeping with him would have only made things complicated. Minutes passed, and I practiced under the turbulent sea. The ship became tipsy, shifting its floor and sending water waves onto the ship''s deck. Some directly crashed on me, and a few waves had nearly dragged me into the sea. The only thing that bothers me is the cold. The water is colder than when we journeyed over three months ago, and I am getting wetter, making things even more difficult. I braved through it. I need to get used to it. My chosen path will make me fight in conditions worse than this. "Sister Barb, it is getting dangerous. You should stop for today," said Gloria through the door to the deck. Hearing her, I stopped. I have been doing this for a while and am tired. She is also right about the danger, but there is a mage. If I slipped into the sea, she would haul me out. If it had been a calm sea. I wouldn''t need the mage''s help. With Graceful Madam, it may not be pure speed skill, but it has another element. That helped me walk on water using it; the result was even better when combined with Surefooted. I had tried it many times in the calm sea. I am very good at it. I walked toward her, watching the turbulent sea on this dark night. The only light I could see was from a convoy of ships around us. We are traveling in a protected convoy, with mercenary ships protecting us. It cost a lot of money, but Master Silver paid unhesitatingly for it. He shouldn''t have; the trade route is relatively safe, and naval agreements between several kingdoms protect this vital trade route. I entered inside, and it was a lot better than the outside. It is warm and comfortable; many staff members sat in the common area. This ship is bigger than the one we came to Oton on. Currently, we have not only our people but also a good number of staff from the Tranquill Bathhouse. I looked at them before turning to my suite. It is the biggest on the ship and has a great view. However, the only thing I could now see was waves crashing on the window. I quickly removed my clothes and showered before walking out. The dinner cart was already waiting for me. I ate before sitting on the chair and watching the waves crashing against the large window. I am tired and want to sleep, but I have a game of cards with my teammates. It had taken me a lot of effort to create a bond with them, but this mission had produced some distance. I tried to fix it but realized we would always have some distance. I will always be a madam, but I am also a mercenary. I will need to learn to live in both worlds. Knock Knock! A hurried knock appeared on my door suddenly. A frown appeared on my face, and I appeared by the door by the Madam''s Grace. "What happened?" I asked as I opened the door. The other side is Hen and Rev, and they have their business faces on. "We have received the message from security that a group of ships is coming in our direction," replied Hen. Making my heart skip a beat. "Hostile?" I asked. I genuinely hope it is not; the naval battles are dangerous, especially in weather like this. "They don''t know for sure, but they had asked to be prepared," she replied. It made me want to curse hard, but I took a deep breath. "Ask them and also inform Lord Silver," I said. "I already sent the message to Greltheaven," she replied. Since we are in the middle of the sea, it will take some time for the message to get delivered. I nodded and stepped back into my room. I picked up my sword, shield, and bag and left my room with them. "Barb, what happened?" asked Tara, seeing me hurrying. "I hope it''s nothing, but it could be pirates," I replied in Privacy. "Pirates!" she is shocked. "We don''t know yet, and it might be something else, but stay down here," I advised, moving quickly to follow after my team. "Be careful," she said from behind. I nodded and kept moving. Soon, I reached the door, and the spell covered me before I stepped onto the deck. The heavy rain crashed against me, but it didn''t wet me. A pale blue energy layer around my body protected me from it. I looked around and saw a turbulent sea, with lightning flashing every few seconds. It had become wilder than before, with waves crashing against the ship and splashing the water on the deck. I looked around for the pirate ships when I saw the captain approaching us. He is an older man in his seventies with a crooked leg, but that didn''t stop him from moving smoothly across the deck. He is a naval veteran who fought in many battles before joining the private shipping company. He stopped beside Rev and me with a bad expression. "Pirates?" asked Rev. "Worse, it is the bastards of Severfang Alliance," he spat. "Shit!" I cursed. Before leaving, Master Silver had provided me with an extensive dossier of information. It had the information on the Severfang Alliance. It is a small alliance of pirates, but powerful, with every raid of them having at least ten Lv. 3o with them. They are also one of the worst. They murder, ravage, and rape. They take hostages, but rarely, preferring to loot and disappear. There is a bounty on them, and many pirate groups in the alliance have been hunted and executed, but they fill back their numbers pretty quickly. There is no dearth of people wanting to join them. "What is the command planning to do?" asked Rev. "Right now, they are negotiating, but I am not putting much value in it," he replied before suddenly whipping his head to the left. "Bastard!" he cursed. Looking at the two ships on the left, they are moving faster than the rest. It''s clear they are running away. "Shouldn''t we be doing that as well, captain?" asked Rev, but the old man shook his head. "It''s the worst thing we could do right now," "Those bastards have surrounded us and are coming from all sides," he replied. He had just done that when I finally noticed things in the distance as the lightning brightened up the sky for a moment. I immediately whipped out the spyglass and looked. I could see the three ships, but I saw more of them as I moved the spyglass. These are small ships called cutters; pirates love them. They are fast and nimble, easy to loot and run. Boom, Boom, Boom! "The negotiations failed!" the captain informed me, and at the same moment, I heard cannons from the mercenary ships. The mercenary company that the convoy hired is large and famous. They know how to deal with the pirates. "Miss Utsa, please get back in the safety of the cabin; it''s going to get ugly very soon," the Captain advised. "Then I better stay here," I replied while Rev laughed. I took out the armor pieces and began wearing them a moment later. "There goes my night in the legacy," he muttered under his breath and walked away before shouting orders to the crew. The mercenary ships have started arranging themselves around the ships. Two of them have arrived to our left and right, with mages forming a bridge and sending mercenaries to our vessel. Soon, a middle-aged bald man came toward us, with rain striking across his body. He had no spell or skill active against the rain and didn''t seem to need it. "Captain, Mr. Rev, I am Garid Cabe; I am taking control of the ship''s security," he informed in all business voice before turning to me. He looked like he wanted to say something but simply sighed, seeing me ready to fight with armor and weapons in my hand. After a few words, he begins ordering men to their position. The cannons blasted toward the pirate ships, which were getting closer to us. Two of them had even reached the ships, which sailed faster in a panic, and I could see pirates boarding them. I looked at pirate ships coming at us; nineteen of them were coming at us from all directions. We have more ships than them, but pirate ships are densely packed with men. Some don''t even have guns to manage the weight of the boats. Cannonballs soon approached us, but mages defended while we waited for the pirate ships. Soon, the first pirate ships reached the convoy and went for the merchant ship. The security ships stopped it, but the pirate ship behind it moved ahead. There are only seven security ships, so they can''t stop all pirate ships. That''s why they sent mercenaries to each ship. More and more pirate ships approached the merchant ships and began boarding them. I could see many pirates falling into the sea and getting killed in the process, but more were boarding the boats. "It''s brutal out there," said Hen. She is a veteran of many battles, but the naval battle is entirely different, especially when heavy rain and waves crash against the boats. Nobody on my team other than Elis and Yora has any experience in a sea battle. Minutes passed, and the pirate ship closed on us. It is crammed with people hollering and roaring madly, making killing gestures. Seeing it, I couldn''t help but shudder. "Mages and archers attack. Do not let the pirates board us," he roared while I readied myself. Drinking all the alcohol, I had stored in me before taking it out of the bottle and gulping it down. I have the feeling that this will be the most brutal battle, I have ever fought. Surviving will be challenging, but that is not the only thing I must do. I have to make sure none of my charges die, not the girls or the other staff. I could feel the people looking at me strangely, but I didn''t say anything and gulped the alcohol as much as I could with the Stored Gulp before taking the last of it in my mouth. Seconds passed, and by the minutes, pirates reached us, ramming their ship against ours. "Board!" Tap on Patreon below to read over 20 Advanced Chapters. Become a Free Member and enjoy theCharacter Art, Maps, and other interesting things. Chapter 644: Severfang Alliance Proofread by Thomas F Barb Utsa "Board!" A loud command rang out from the pirate''s ships, and the pirates began to jump into our vessel. The bridges of spells formed, and pirates began to move over it. The archers and mages attacked intensely while the warriors moved to stop them, but their mages and archers provided the cover. Still, many fell or died, but most began to land on our deck and came at us. "The captain says, this ship has the whores of the legacy. Whoever kills the most will have a chance to fuck them first!" said the thin blond man with the red cutlass in his hand as he landed on the deck. Hearing his vile words, fury erupted in my chest like wildfire¡ªI wanted to scorch every last bastard where they stood. But I clenched my fists, forced the fire down, and held the storm back... for now. They boarded, and our people met them, including Rev, who had gone for the man with a red cutlass. "Their number seemed to have no end," said Hen as she launched spell after spell at the pirates coming at us. She is right; the pirates keep coming. Their numbers are more than I had thought. If this kept going on, their numbers might overwhelm ours. I pushed away that worry and looked ahead at the group of five pirates coming at us. "Boys, don''t kill the whore; we will need them alive to fuck!" cautioned the leader of the group as they came at me. I looked at Hen and moved toward them with Madam''s Grace and Surefooted while heavy rain crashed against me. Immediately, the arrows and spells came at me, but defensive appeared in front of me. The pirates don''t seem threatened by me running at them. They are laughing. "This bitch is drunk!" some of them shouted as they smelled the Intoxicating Fragrance. Finally, when there was only a meter distance between us, I suddenly stopped and opened my mouth, breathing out all the liquor I was holding in my mouth, activating the Power Breath and Long Breath before lighting it up with Flint. Immediately, the fire bloomed out of my mouth, widening with a Wide Blume as it moved toward the surprised pirates. Saying pirates were surprised would be an understatement. They reacted fast, but my fire was faster, and it reached them before enveloping them. Their mage tried to interfere, but it was busy dealing with Hens Barrage. "Ahhhhh!" The screams rang out through the whole deck as the pirates burned. They burned despite the heavy rain crashing against them and the protective spell covering them. The liquor I drank was potent and had been infused with mist. Making it even more powerful. It could affect even Grade IV spells, much less the Grade III. I moved again and appeared in front of them before decapitating the first before burying my sword in the head of the second. I removed the sword and decapitated the third and fourth in a single strike before chasing the fifth one. He was running away madly, but I appeared behind it and buried my sword into the scum''s chest. I removed it and activated the Fire Off; the bodies immediately stopped burning. It is dangerous to use fire on ships despite the enchantments and the skills that protect them. I looked around, saw the eyes on me, and saw pirates approaching me, with spells and arrows coming toward my direction. Hen and other mages are protecting me. Still, things will be difficult. I have the kind of power that makes me get noticed in battle. It is the one I had chosen, and I learned to live with. I didn''t waste any time and immediately moved toward another group. These bastards are moving toward the door. Heavy guards surround it, but they are quickly overwhelmed by the large number of pirates moving toward them. As I moved, I noticed something. I am moving faster than I usually do, with less effort or rather less strain. It happened earlier, but I didn''t notice. The skill of Madam''s Grace isn''t resisting as it always does. It took my drunk mind a second to realize the reason, and I laughed when I did. I am Madam, and I am doing what a Madam should do: protect their charges. So, it didn''t matter; I was fighting, and what matters is that I was trying to protect my charges. It didn''t happen during my first battle. I was trying to do the same, but things are different here. Like the skills, one could also take the class in a certain direction. It is much harder, but it can be done. For over a year, I worked hard to push my class toward a particular aspect. I am still an August Madam, but now it is different from what it was when I first got the class, It took a lot of effort, but it worked. I was able to move it toward protection from control. The protection now occupies a space similar to the leadership. Whoosh! I reached close to them and breathed out, but the pirates were prepared this time, and a large Water Wall appeared before them. My fire crashed against the water wall and began to vaporize it while I released another breath of fire behind it. It passed through the wall as it vaporized. Hitting the three pirates behind it. I had practiced with my fire and understood the power of each one and also the power of the spell. I timed my second breath; right at that moment, it vaporized the water wall. It is hard to do it with an intoxicated mind, but I had practiced it over and over till even my drunk mind could do it instinctively. "Ahhh!" the pirates burned, and I moved to finish them. Seeing the pirates coming toward me, they stopped in their tracks. The fire was able to put fear in the hearts of these daring pirates. I am getting attacked by the spells and archers, but I am well-defended. Hen and the other mages of the team understood my fighting style and could protect me. I didn''t waste a moment and breathed fire on the pirates fighting near the door. After that, those fighting them finished them, and I moved to other pirates burning them. I am like a mage, but I can get close, and my fire is very powerful. ''Behind you!'' I was in my thoughts when I was warned, and I was sloppy but fast when I saw an arrow coming toward me. Immediately, I activated the Shield Brace as I put my shield forward. "Clang!" The arrow clashed against my shield before I turned to pirates coming at me, took advantage of the opportunity, and breathed out. They moved to avoid it, but the fire plum was wide, and the deck limited them; it covered them all. I have been constantly practicing my skills, understanding them, and pushing them beyond their limit. It is the only way to increase the strength other than level-ups. I moved toward another group of pirates and burned them and another, killing them, but there were more, and they were still coming. I have the advantage here with the mages protecting me, but the numbers are making things difficult. Soon, nearly all the liquor in Stored Sips was gone. I immediately took the bottle and started taking fast gulps. "Barb, watch out!" I heard the Rev''s warning, filled with alarm. Even drunk, I reacted immediately and turned. Only to see the blonde man with red cutlass coming toward me. He is barely a meter away from me. It is good; I am drunk because I am now scared. Despite that, I acted fast. I released the bottle from my hand and moved my shield forward while simultaneously releasing the breath and targeting him. Whoosh! The fire moved fast, and it bloomed before swallowing the man. A relief filled me as the man was a Lv. 30; he will kill me if I let him get close to me. "Hehe, nice fire!" I heard and saw a man coming toward me, bathing the bright fire and attacking me with his cutlass fast. Clang! Its blade crashed against my shield, and I felt the blow. It felt more like a blow from a hammer than a blade; it nearly broke my stance and made me stumble on the ship''s deck. He could do that despite my having Shield Brace active and a shield with force absorption enchantment. He was still able to push me back. He shouldn''t have; he is still burning, but from his posture, it''s clear that the fire isn''t affecting him. "I have to say, this is the strongest fire I have experienced," he said. "How are you, not burning?" I couldn''t help but ask. The fire affects even the Grade IV shield spell, but it doesn''t seem to affect the man at all. "Skill, of course!" he replied, attacking me again. He is fast, really fast, and his blade felt nearly invisible to my eyes. Still, I moved my shield forward with what I could see. Clang! Its blade hit it again, filling me with relief, but the next moment. I saw him appearing to my right and attacking me. The shield was too far to block it. So, I moved my sword to defend against his attack. Clang! I defended but felt his powerful blow. The sword didn''t have force absorption enchantment, nor could I use the defensive skill with it. It sent me back stumbling, and I didn''t fall only because of Madam''s Grace and Feather''s Grace. ''Where is a Rev?'' I couldn''t help but ask. I am not a match for the Lv. 30, especially the one in his element. I glanced toward Rev, only to see him bogged by two pirates and a mage. They are not Lv. 30, but good enough that they had held him there. ''Fuck!'' I cursed and saw the blond man appearing in front of me like a phantom once more. The fire covering him had lessened but did not go out. Now, instead of blazing, only tiny embers are covering him. I hastily put my shield forward while taking steps back, avoiding those around me who were fighting. Rip! This time, his blade was able to avoid my shield, reaching my body before cutting me. He cut me across the stomach. It''s not a deep cut, but it''s not shallow, either. "Almost had you," he said with a grin and attacked. At the same time, I moved back to dodge while putting my shield forward. Clang Clang! This time, I was able to defend against it, but he came at me again, and I defended once more. His attacks are relentless; they come at me every second, and I can only defend. They are too powerful. There is no one to help. All of them are busy; Hen is trying to help me, but her spells are getting countered by the enemy mages. Rip! He dodged my shield again, and the cutlass cut against my shoulder again. "Hehe!" He laughed and came at me again. I defended while stepping back, but he came at me once more. He is relentless and fast. I felt like I could not do anything against him. Even my drunken state couldn''t fully blunt the panic I was feeling in my heart. Clang! I defended another of his attacks, but I have reached the deck''s edge this time. There is no railing to stop me and turbulent waves crashing on the ship. "It is the end for you whore," he said and attacked. It is faster than all other attacks and stronger. Clang! I moved my shield forward on instinct, and to my surprise, I was able to defend against it. However, I nearly stumbled into the sea before stabilizing myself quickly. It relieved me, but that relief was short-lived as I saw him grinning. I was thinking about what he was planning when I saw his leg. It came like a flash, and I moved left to dodge, as it was the only direction I could move in. Bam! I had just taken a step when I felt a hard kick across my stomach that sent me flying into the sea. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 645: Inheritance Skill I fell toward the sea, toward the waves that were constantly crashing against the ships. I could feel the skills enveloping me, trying to pull me back on the deck. I grasp for them with everything I have. I must be on the ship, protecting the girls and my charges. They are my responsibility; I cannot let anything happen to them. My descent toward the water slowed until I was suspended in the air before moving an inch toward the ship when the barrage of skills hit me. They broke the hold of the skills and sent me crashing toward the sea. ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed. I wouldn''t have been afraid if it had been a calm sea, but it is a turbulent sea with large waves. It would be hard for the little me not to get swept by it. They will send me away from the ship. Not to mention the icy coldness of the water. It would kill me if I stayed in the sea too long, especially when no water protection spell is protecting me now. The pirates skills destroyed it and every other outside protection I had on me. Now, I am on my own. It made me panic; even Liquid Calm wasn¡¯t enough to keep me calm. Still, I forcefully calm myself enough to think in this drunk state. As I did, I leaned on the two skills that could help me. My feet touched the sea a second and a half later, and I moved immediately. Madam¡¯s Grace and Feather¡¯s Grace would help me move on the water, but I need to keep moving my feet, or I will be submerged. Right now, things are even more tricky since the sea is turbulent. It is the worst environment in which to walk on water. The sea is turbulent; lightning cracks and the rain is pouring down intensely. All of it makes things difficult. Its why I moved straight toward the ship, running on the wave. I was doing it when an arrow came flying toward me from the ship. Immediately, I put my shield forward to defend against it. Clang! I defended it with my shield but released the problem soon. My feet are getting into the water. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed as I pushed the two skills with everything I had, trying to pull them out of the water. If I were submerged, it would be very hard for me to walk on it again. Thankfully, I could do that, but another arrow was approaching me. It had reached very close to me. Seeing that, I swung my sword toward it. I might be unable to move my shield fast enough to defend against it; the sword is my only choice. Clang! My sword hit the arrow and deflected it while I moved my feet, which nearly submerged again. I only got a moment before another arrow came, and I prepared to defend against it when a shield appeared before me and stopped it. I felt relieved seeing that and moved toward the ship; it was in front of me, and I needed to react. The people are still trying to help me; I could feel skills, but just as they came. The skills of the pirates would neutralize them. I moved toward the ship and climbed onto the wave. I needed to reach the top of it before I could jump onto the ship. It will be dangerous, but I have faith in my people. It¡¯s not like I have a choice; I could see the pirates gaining a hand. They have the advantage of the numbers, and they are powerful. Given enough time, there is a good chance they will win, and that will be terrible. They know the girls of the Velvet Garden are here. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what would happen if the girls fell into the pirates'' hands. So, I climbed half of the wave when I saw something. I saw the blond man thrown out of the ship, and he was coming toward me. It was a spell that hit it, a Grade IV spell, but he survived that without much damage aside from getting thrown out of the ship. I was watching him when I saw him adjust his position in the air before landing on the top of the wave. When he did, there was a surprise on his face as he looked at me. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t drowned,¡± he said a moment later. He is standing on the wave without moving. It seemed like the water didn¡¯t affect him. ¡°It¡¯s not easy,¡± I replied, moving around the wave. It might not affect it, but it does affect me. ¡°Good, it saved me hassle to collect to collect your head later; someone is paying good money to see you dead,¡± he said and came at me fast. For a moment, I wasn¡¯t able to react at all. The words shocked me too much before putting my shield forward. Clang! I defended before taking a rapid steps back. ¡°What do you mean someone is paying good money to see me dead?¡± I asked. I thought this attack had nothing to do with us; we were just unlucky party to it. ¡°Not just you,¡± ¡° Someone posted the bounty in Sea City. They want the head of you and two of the whores, while the third one is named Tara, alive,¡± he replied and attacked. Tip! I couldn¡¯t dodge the attack, but my armor saved me. I couldn¡¯t focus on the battle, hearing that. There is a bounty on our heads; someone wants to kill us, and they want Tara alive. I immediately thought of Aardwayn, but I immediately shook my head. He wouldn¡¯t want me dead; he would not do anything that jeopardized his legacy; he had no interest in Tara or any other girl. Prince? I immediately shook my head. He slept with her and might have got a little infatuated, but he wouldn¡¯t do this for the same reason as the Aardwyn; the legacy is more important than any whore. That leaves only one person; he is the only one with the power and money to post a bounty in sea city. A titan. ¡°You attacked us for that?¡± I asked, to that, he laughed. ¡°No, you whores weren¡¯t that important to be solely attacked by the alliance, but the big bounty on your heads played a bit part in making this raid happen,¡± he replied and attacked. Rip! He was able to cut across my hand. It¡¯s not a shallow cut. ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. The only thing I care about is money, which I will get after I get your head,¡± he replied, launching another attack. I defended, and he attacked again, and I moved back toward another wave. It is moving forward, and it¡¯s very hard not to slip, even with the skill. I am defending his attacks with everything I have while my mind is focused on the words he has said. He wants me dead. Most importantly, he wants my charges dead and Tara alive. That is not a good thing; I knew what happened to the girls who fall into the hands of men like that. They suffer a fate worse than death; I have seen it with my own eyes and wouldn¡¯t even wish that on my enemy. I cannot let that happen, but here, I am powerless. I barely survive; I don¡¯t know how I will help my girls, whom I promised to protect. Clang Rip! I defended another attack, but the next one gave another cut across my stomach. It was hard to defend against his attacks. He is too powerful, and that is making me feel helpless and causing panic in my heart. I am not worried about death but the girls under me. I could see how large a number of pirates gathered around the door, with guards barely holding them back. Rip! His cutlass cut across my thigh, but cutting across my hand. My vitality is my highest attribute, with Warrior and Madam Class providing resistance to bleeding, but if I kept getting cut as such, I would feel consequences. I have ready started feeling a little weakness. It has not affected me yet, but it will very soon if I get cut as such. Rip! Another cut appeared, and this time on my neck; a little further, and his cutlass would have cut my artery. ¡°For an whore, you are quite a fighter,¡± he said as he came at me for another attack. Clang! I defended with my shield. As for his words, I decided not to focus. I need to survive and keep him here with me; it is the least I could do for the girls. ¡°Your resistance is fruitless. You should surrender; I promise I will give you a clean death,¡± it added a moment later. ¡°Never!¡± I replied, but the very next moment, I got cut across my stomach once more. He didn¡¯t say anything and kept attacking me, making me push myself and my skills beyond the limit to survive his attacks. Seconds passed, and more cuts began to appear on my body. They have started to affect me finally. I thought I had more time, but there are too many cuts. There is also skill affecting things. His attack skill has a secondary non-clotting effect, which is making me bleed more. If I didn¡¯t deal with this problem or him. I will die. ¡°They have gone inside. Your whores will be dead soon!¡± he said suddenly, and I saw the door of the ship open and several pirates going inside. ¡°No!¡± I screamed as the horror filled my heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t kill the whores immediately. They will kill others, but not the whore; we will be enjoying them first before killing them,¡± he said with a grin and came for another attack. The rage I never felt burned in my heart. I had never felt the rage I am feeling right now. I activated the Stored Sips, and liquor appeared in my mouth, which I immediately breathed out with the Power Breath and Long Breath before lighting it up with the flint. I didn¡¯t use the liquor, seeing it having skill against it, but feeling the rage in my heart and weakness in my body. I am willing to use everything I have. The fire came out and covered him fully. ¡°I told you; it does not work on me,¡± he said as he came at me with fire burning over his body. The fire didn¡¯t seem to touch him; even his clothes were unharmed the last time. It shouldn¡¯t be possible; the fire is strong with the power of mist. It is powerful enough to burn even a Grade IV spell, but it is not burning his defensive skill. ¡°Inheritance skill!¡± I realized, and it filled my heart with shock. If I hadn''t been drunk, I might have realized it sooner. I may have realized it, but it made my expressions worse as it made me understand how big of a trouble I was in. The enemy is already more powerful than me, and Inheritance Skill makes him even more powerful. I might even say, invisible against me. ¡°You are a one-smart whore,¡± he affirmed with a big grin on his face. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 646: Awakening In The Sea Proofread by Thomas F "You are one-smart whore," he affirmed with a big grin on his face. Inherited skills are extremely rare and extremely powerful. Master Silver had straight-up said I should run if I came across the enemy with inheritance skills. They are too dangerous. I shouldn''t engage with him, but as I had been saying, there is no choice. I cannot run away from him. The only thing I could do was fight him. Clang! I defended the attack and breathed another breath of liquor at him. I didn''t even light it up this time with Flint; there was no need since the fire was already covering him. "Give up whore; my defensive skill had withstood even a Grade IV spell." "I am invincible at my level, and you are not even at my level," he declared and attacked me again. I got cut, but I breathed out liquor once more. I am breathing liquor on him at every moment, and it is burning so hot that it is vaporizing the rain that touched it and scalding me despite my Minor Fire Resistance. I defended and kept breathing out the liquor on him. Hoping that it would affect him, but even when I was left with only one last gulp, he remained unaffected by my fire. Even Intoxicating Fragrance didn''t affect him even one bit. It seemed like his skill was protecting him from all of it. Now, there is only a single gulp remaining once I breathe out. There will be nothing. ''arb, they have broke the doo'' I was preparing to breathe out the last of the gulp when the broken, horrified voice of Tara rang out. Her words came in fragments, scattered by the wind¡ªbut I understood her meaning. They were hiding in a secure room, just like they were supposed to. But now, the pirates had broken through. It chilled me to my soul. I do not have to imagine what they will do; the man clearly stated it not long ago. "They have reached your whores," he said, laughing as he attacked again while I watched him with a chilled heart and decided to do something I said I would not. I had used all the liquor my body had produced with Gut Alcohol, but since then, my body had made a few drops of it. I brought those drops to my mouth, mixing them with the liquor I had. Something I was forbidden to do by Hugo and Master Silver when it nearly killed me last time. The alcohol I produce has a unique property¡ªwhen mixed with other magical spirits, it destabilizes their structure, Last time, I used a single drop and mixed it with a potent liquor, but not infused with the mist. This time, I mixed several drops with a powerful magical liquor that contained legacy mist. It didn''t even take a moment before I felt it becoming unstable. I don''t have much time, nor do I need it. I breathed out the liquor like I had many times, and he didn''t move to dodge it. Like before, he came straight into its path while I moved back with everything I had. I pushed my skills beyond their limits, because what would happen would be very dangerous. He has a skill, while I only have resistance, and it didn''t help me last time. The first drop of unstable liquor touched the fire covering him, and purple fire exploded out of it. The same thing happened with other drops as they came into contact with the fire. In an instant, the deep yellow fire disappeared. Now, there is a dense purple fire covering him. I have created some distance, but I felt the scalding heat even from a distance. The fire is so hot that the wave he is standing on begins to vaporize around him. "Ahhhhh!" A long second passed when I heard the painful scream from the burning man. It is loud and filled with deep pain. Hearing that, I felt relieved. Even the Inheritance Skills have a limit. They are very powerful, but he is in early Lv. 30s. If it had been mid or late, I don''t know whether it would have affected him. I heard its scream and moved, not toward the man, but the ship. The girls are my priority, not this man. "You filthy whore, I will kill you!" a mad roar rang out, and I saw him coming toward me. I pushed myself faster, beyond the limit of my skills and power. Still, it was not fast enough as the burning man appeared before me. Bringing such heat that it had started to burn me. "Die!" he roared and attacked. The attack was fast, faster than before, and powerful. I immediately brought my shield forward. Clang! His cutlass clashed against my shield with great force. Cracking my bones. I bore the pain and used the momentum of the attack to create as much distance from him as possible, as even staying close to him would burn me. It was burning me; it has burned my skin and even my clothes. He followed me, madly attacking me once more, with even greater power. I am not the only one harnessing power beyond my limits from my skills. He is doing the same; his very survival depends on it. That is the reason why he is attacking me. Because once I am dead, the skill will turn off. It is what convention states, but it''s not the case here. The fire will not disappear after I die, at least not entirely. The instability in it makes it difficult. I couldn''t make it disappear with Fire Off; it is what makes it extremely dangerous. If I cover myself with it, there is a good chance I will die. Last time, I might have. If not for the availability of powerful healers and potions. Clang! I defended again, feeling the burn, but he came at me again. It was when I noticed something. I should have noticed it earlier, but I have seen it now. The pirate''s cutlass isn''t as agile as before; it''s not moving, responding to my shield. He is likely not seeing me well. The fire is injuring him, including his eyes. Clang! I defended the attack and tested my theory in the next attack. ''I am right!'' I thought as I defended against another attack. His vision is affected by the injuries he is suffering. How much? I don''t know. Still, that is not stopping him from attacking me. He could still see me, and he also has an ocular skill. That means his vision is at least good enough to see my form. Clang Clang Clang! I defended his attack, and again, suffering more and more injuries every second, but even burning with purple fire, he is still attacking. If there had been anyone else at this level. They would have died, but he is still standing and even fighting. I want to finish him off as soon as possible and go to the ship. Every second I lose here is another second the girls are at the mercy of the pirates, but this bastard is attacking me constantly, not giving me any chance to attack or slip away. Seconds passed, and I continued to defend his attacks, which were becoming increasingly varied with additional skills. He is also desperate. It wants to kill me as soon as possible. Hun! Once more, he attacked, and I moved to defend with my shield when I noticed something in his attack. Immediately, I took the risk and moved to my left with everything I had instead of backing away as I usually do against his attacks. Rip! There was a ripping sound as his sword cut down my arm. Giving me a long, painful cut across my arm. It made me hiss in pain, but there was a joy in my eyes. The next moment, he attacked, and I moved to the right with everything I had. For the first time since I got thrown into the sea. I was able to dodge his attack. "You fucking whore!" he screamed in a loud raspy voice and attacked me again. Once more, I moved to dodge it and succeeded. I dodged another one and then another. He could barely see me and had a hard time seeing the movements. He kept attacking, and I dodged again and again. It isn''t just me whose movement he couldn''t follow. He is even having problems dealing with waves. They are crashing against, vaporizing on contact. The only reason he hadn''t drowned in the sea is that he has an inheritance skills and, like me, he is moving constantly. I dodged a few more attacks but finally decided to attack. Bam! I attacked him and felt his defensive skills as my blade reached him. It stopped my attack; it was only when I pressed more power that it broke through. My blade cut the skin a little, but I had to bring my sword back as he attacked me. "I will kill you, you whore!" he roared and attacked once more. I was barely able to dodge, but he struck again. I kept dodging while thinking about his powerful defensive skill. It had stopped my attack. If I launch another one, it will stop again. I need an attack that will go through his body. That is impossible; I only have Heavy Strike, and it isn''t powerful enough to give me the power I need to breach his defensive method, but dodging and defending isn''t an option. I need to make the most of what I have. If I didn''t have the power, I would need to think of something that would work. Seconds passed, and everything I thought about would not work. I am getting frustrated when I notice something. He is doing something with the shield. I didn''t react and just kept dodging until I was sure. If he is doing what I am thinking he is doing. It will make things difficult for me, but also easier. Bam! I attacked to test it; this time, my sword couldn''t get past the shield, even using greater power than last. I attacked the other spot a moment later and got the same result. It is the same with the third attack. "Whore, I have survived enemies far stronger than you. You can''t kill me!" he said with a laugh and attacked, which I dodged and attacked again. Now, I am sure that he is doing what I was thinking. I didn''t act on it; I will need a perfect chance. If he knew I understood what he was doing, he might change things, which I don''t want. This is my one opportunity, and I need to make the most of it. I didn''t have to wait for long; the opportunity came in the form of a wave. The wave was big and came toward us; like the waves before, he didn''t show any fear toward it. I continued to attack while I moved back, climbing on the wave as I dodged its attack. Reaching higher while he is below me and in a perfect position. I dodged his other attack before bringing down my attack. My target isn''t his chest or head, like before, but something else. However, it did look like my sword was moving toward his head. He saw my attack and reacted as he usually does. My sword reached near his head when it changed direction and moved toward his shoulder. He seemed to realize my target as I could feel the change in the shield, but my sword was faster and reached his shoulder. As it touched it, I felt his powerful defensive skill. The enchantments of my sword flared to all their power, and I pushed with all my might, finally piercing through it. It is strong, but not as strong as before. He is concentrating more power of the skill on his fatal spots, leaving the rest of the places less protected. Rip! My sword touched his shoulder, and went inside. He does not want his arm cut off. No, that might let him survive. I will only have one chance and want to make it count. So, I took my sword deeper, not caring about the burning or the flaming hand reaching for my neck. I pushed my sword deeper and deeper. Cutting through the bones and skin before finally stopping when it reached that soft part. I immediately let go of the sword and moved back while observing the blade of my sword impaled inside his body from the shoulder to his chest. He tried to follow but stumbled and stopped before turning his burning head toward me. I could not see his eyes with the flames covering him, but I could sense hatred. "You may have killed me whore, but you will not be able to save your whores. I had just ordered my men to massacre them all; not a single one of you will leave alive," he said in a gurgling voice. The purple fire blazed high the next moment as the shield disappeared. The fire started burning him. I didn''t stay and watch the death of the most powerful enemy I had ever fought. Instead, I am moving at the greatest speed I can harness. Pushing skills beyond the limit as I ran toward the ship. The pirate wasn''t joking; I could feel the truth in his voice. I need to save the girls before the pirates do anything to them. I am trying to contact Tara, but the connection is weak. Various skills are interfering with it. While I did, I took out a bottle of potion. I drank the whole bottle of health potion, not caring about its expense, before drinking the bottle of stamina potion. I am weak, with all the fighting and bleeding wounds. The potions begin to heal my injuries while filling me with energy. The injuries are healing at a much slower pace; the cuts are healing well, but the burns are not. I am not surprised. Last time, it took me a while to recover. This time, it will take longer. With the potions, I took out the liquor from my bag to fill my storage. The most powerful one I have is very dangerous. It is also misted. It was making it even more dangerous, but I didn''t care. My only priority is saving the girls, and if I have to sacrifice my life to do it. I will do it without hesitation. The ship had gone far while I fought the pirates. I ran and jumped through wave after wave, getting closer to the ship with every step. It was difficult, but I fought against a mighty enemy in this sea. They had not been able to drown me then, and it will not drown me now. I reached close to the ship, with barely two hundred meters of distance between us, when they attacked me. A large blue lightning bolt came streaking toward me. Bam! I immediately moved to dodge it, and it struck the wave behind me. "Shit!" I cursed. I didn''t expect it would be easy, but I hoped for it. I didn''t stop and moved ahead, but another bolt came just two steps later as I dodged it. I saw two arrows coming toward me, not from my ship, but from the pirate ships. I dodged them and the arrows, but they were too close for comfort. They also made me stop, and I needed to take two steps back to dodge them. I moved forward once more, and their attacks came at me. I looked at my people for support, but they were busy; there were too many pirates on the ship. The attacks came, and I dodged them, but they came again and again. They are keeping me in my place, not letting me move closer to the ship. The worst thing was that I couldn''t use my fire against them. They are too far. "Fuck!" I cursed as I defended against the arrow with my shield while dodging the second arrow and the Earth Spear. These bastards are holding me in my spot, without support. I will not be able to reach the pirates. ''Barb, they have..Rexy!'' screamed Tina. Hearing that, my heart shook, and I stopped myself from thinking the worst, but I couldn''t. ''Tara, what happened?'' I asked, but there was no reply from her. It made my thoughts go even darker. "They are my responsibility!" I said with gritted teeth and pushed forward with everything I had. The Wind Arc came, and I dodged, moving left, before defending the arrow with a shield and cutting another with my blade as I moved forward. Immediately, another spell came, and several arrows, one after another. A few spells struck the arrows, which relieved me, but more arrows appeared, and this time, there was no support. Clang Clang! I dodged and defended as I pushed forward. Right now, it is the only thing I care about. Puch! I moved through the spells and arrows when one succeeded in avoiding my sword and lodged itself in my shoulder. "Ahhhh!" I screamed in pain as the skill attached to it blazed, giving me torturous pain, but even that didn''t stop me, and I moved forward. I will not stop, no matter what these bastards do to me. Clang! Another arrow struck me, but my armor protected me. However, the blow stopped me for a moment, making me nearly lose my grip on the water before I took a step forward. Puch! It was when another arrow struck me, and this time, it hit my leg. It is buried inside it. "It is over for you whore. You have killed our leader, and we will kill you and your whores for it!" said the Pirate from the ship before another barrage came toward me. My heart shuddered to hear this, but it also made me push myself, taking my skills beyond the limit they had started to shake. I would not give up. I will protect my girls. "You will not!" I roared at the pirates and felt something breaking out of me with it. Something grand, something vast. It is not foreign; it is me. I could feel every part of it was filled with the convictions I had forged my life with. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 647: Burning Ship Chapter 647: Burning Ship Proofread by Thomas F It exploded out of me, spreading far and wide. As it did, it seemed to freeze the battle to a standstill, with many heads turning to me a moment later, looking at me with deep shock in their eyes. I understand what happened. I would be a fool if I didn''t. I had awakened the aura. Saying I am shocked by it would be an understatement. The aura is a sign of potential, the strength of the will, while I am a middle-aged whore, with barely any potential. I never thought I had a will as strong as a rock, much less that of steel. This self-doubt is why I''m having a hard time believing it, but it is the truth. The aura returned to me a second later, and I immediately moved toward my ship. My purpose hasn''t changed. It is to save my girls. That''s why¡ªeven after awakening my aura¡ªI kept moving toward the ship. I had to save my girls. I poured my aura into my skills, but the moment I did, a fierce resistance hit me. Like I am holding a heavy bottle of liquor with hands wet with oil and forcing it into the mouth of a person who has already drunk to the limit. When Carla awakened the aura, it shocked the girls, and they asked her many questions. One of them is how to utilize it in skills. There is only one answer to it: control. The better control one has of their aura, the greater the power they will be able to harness from it. When the girls asked. What if one doesn''t have any control? Then she replied that one should just push it with everything one has. That is what I am doing. It is far from efficient, but it is the only choice I have. "Kill the whore!" A loud command rang out through the pirate ship, and the next moment, I saw tens of arrows coming toward me with several spells. Seeing this attack, my heart shuddered, but it didn''t stop me. It might seem like suicide, but there is no other choice. I need to reach my girls, and if I have to cross a barrage of spells and arrows, I will do it. Still, I do not wish to get killed before I save my girls, and thus, I push the aura harder into my skills. I funneled all the fear I was feeling for the girls and my safety, along with the blazing pain of the arrows buried in me. My desperate push created small crack-like openings. I pushed my aura through those openings with all my will. Immediately, I became faster than before, reaching speeds that surprised me. Even with the burst of speed, dodging every spell and arrow flying my way would be nearly impossible. But that didn''t matter. I''d give it everything I had¡ªbecause I had to. Hun! I was thinking that when I saw the defensive shield spells appearing in front of me. I could see Hen''s familiar defensive spells, but many others belonged to others. They all appeared in front of the spells and began to stop them. However, there were too many attacks, and the shields were not able to stop all of them. Clang, Clang, Clang! I put my shield forward and moved my sword as I began to defend against the attacks. However, my focus is on dodging them. Bam! The lightning bolt crashed against my shield, and it pushed me back. If there hadn''t been an aura covering me, it would have done a lot more to me. I stopped and moved forward. Dodging and defending the attacks. Some of the people had jumped into the sea to protect me, but the pirates jumped in to stop them, not letting even a single one of them come toward me. I was closing the distance fast when the pirates pulled a move that ignited pure fury in my eyes. They swerved their ship directly in front of me. At first, I braced for a relentless barrage of attacks, expecting spells and arrows to rain down like hellfire. But it didn''t come¡ªat least, not in the way I thought. Instead, they''d positioned themselves squarely between me and my ship. A bold move... and a stupid one. They''d made themselves a target. My ship wouldn''t hold back. Still, the intensity of their assault did spike, and the shrinking distance only made dodging harder. Every step closer turned the battlefield into a storm of chaos. It gave me less space to dodge their barrage of arrows and spells. Rip Rip! I was barely able to defend against their attacks¡ªsome of the arrows and the spells cut through me. The aura is powerful, but its strength lies in control. Currently, I have none. I am pushing the aura harder into my skills to get more power. With things getting difficult, I forced the aura even more. Soon, there was barely fifty meters of distance between the pirate ship and me, but it was not my target. I need to reach my ship, and I moved left. I will need to go around, and it won''t be easy. A second later, the pirates reacted, and a group of seven jumped into the turbulent sea and came toward me fast. "You can forget about reaching your ship, whore!" said the bald, middle-aged leader as he came toward me. I didn''t stop and moved toward them. Stopping isn''t an option; I need to keep moving even if there is a group of pirates coming toward me. I am scared, but they should be more terrified. If they had some sense, they wouldn''t have done what they did. Puch! I continued moving, and soon, there was only a meter distance between us when an arrow slipped past and lodged itself in my other leg. It sent fiery pain all over my body and nearly made me stumble. I bore through the pain and kept moving forward, dodging and defending against the incoming attack. "Kill the whore!" roared the bald leader and moved toward me with his group. Whosh! As he did, liquor appeared in my mouth, and I breathed with a Long Breath and Powerful Breath before lighting up with the Flint. The fire is extremely potent, and if not for me, pouring aura into Minor Fire Resistance. I would have been terrified. The fire bloomed out, and their mages reacted immediately. The shield and protective spells appeared around them. I could see the confidence in their eyes. I don''t know whether these pirates are stupid or if some skill is affecting them. They had seen their leader burned to ashes not long ago, and they are still coming confidently at me. The fire touched the wall of the shield and began burning immediately. It made the confidence in their eyes crumble, and they took steps back, but it was already too late. Whoosh! It took all but a second for the shields to burn when I released another breath, which went at them while they tried to run in terror. The pirates on the ship provided support with defensive spells, but as I said, it was already too late. "Ahhhh!" They screamed as they burned while I moved past them. Not sparing them even another glance. I could see the pirates that were about to jump from the ship stop in their tracks, but a moment later, the intensified barrage came toward me. Puch! Puch! Another two arrows lodged themselves in me. Making me grit my teeth tighter as torturous pain filled me. It also made me understand that pirates wouldn''t let me go to my ship. One of these times, an arrow will lodge itself into my head, sending me to the underworld. Puch! The closer I got, the more intense the attacks became. I needed to push my aura into my skills harder and harder for greater speed. I need speed to dodge these attacks; without it, I will have turned into a porcupine. However, even with it, I am having difficulty dodging and defending against this attack. One of which went past my eyes, giving me a small cut above my eye. If it had been a little closer, it would have pierced my eyes and killed me. There is only one way I could stop this: to burn the whole thing. Burn the pirate ship. As I thought about it, I turned toward the ship but understood it wouldn''t be easy. Even the most powerful liquor in my arsenal isn''t enough to burn the damn thing. ''I hope this won''t kill me,'' I thought as the four drops of alcohol my body produced merged with the liquor I had in my mouth. I am already using my most powerful liquor; it is powerful enough to burn Grade IV spells, but that is not enough. The ship has various protection enchantments. There are also skills attached to it and spells. I need something powerful to deal with it. The moment those drops entered the liquor in my mouth, I felt a powerful reaction. The liquor is magically dense, and the drops have an effect on them. I know, I didn''t have time. If I didn''t push it out of my mouth, the next second. It will be me who will burn to death. I pushed my aura into my skills and breathed out the liquor with Power Breath and Long Breath. The liquor came out with force like never before. I felt like I was shooting a cannonball from my mouth instead of unstable liquor. As it came out, I lit up with Flint before activating Wide Plume and pushing a massive aura into it. A massive plume of dense blue fire erupted before me, towering and roaring with raw power. To my amazement, it was over three times larger than the biggest one I''d ever conjured. It is burning me despite pushing more aura into Minor Fire Resistance, but I did not care about it, seeing the massive plume, which is now moving fast toward the pirate ship. I could see the alarm appearing in their eyes as they threw spell after spell at the plume, but not a single one could stop it. It burned through them, moving closer and closer to the ship. Hun! It had almost reached it when a large water shield appeared in front of it Grade IV spells. This ship didn''t have a High Mage. I turned toward the pirate ship at a distance; there was a High-Mage there, and they had made a move to protect it. Unfortunately, it will not work. As I had thought, the fire engulfed the shield, vaporizing it at a visible pace until nothing remained. I could see the terror in the pirates'' eyes as Plume moved toward their ship before crashing hard against it. Bam! The ship shook as the plume crashed against it. For a moment, there was nothing; the skills attached to the vessel held it back, but only for an instant. As the moment passed, the plume incinerated the skills and covered the ship in the blazing fire. Burning it. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 648: Over Proofread by Thomas F Note: I made a mistake. The skill''s name is Graceful Walk, not Madam''s Grace. I will be fixing it in other chapters soon. ... The ship is burning. The enchantments on it flared to protect it, but the second layer of defense weakened as they started to abandon it. If they had stayed, they could have defended against the fire with their skills, but they decided to abandon the ship to save themselves. "You whore, you will pay for what you did!" said one pirate, suddenly appearing in front of me from the water and attacking. I dodged his saber and appeared behind him before attacking. Pachack! My sword cut through his neck, making it fly in the sky while I moved forward. Seeing the pirates abandoning their ship, the people from my ships jumped into the turbulent sea and started to fight pirates, while others sniped them from the boat with their spells and arrows. I moved, and for the first time, the pirates seemed more focused on their survival than targeting me. Still, some came at me, and I killed them. The aura had increased my power, and there was also the suppression by it, which helped me kill anyone coming into my path quickly. Soon, I reached the ship; there were only a few meters between it and me. "Barb, watch out!" I was preparing to jump into the ship when I heard the warning and turned. Only to see a huge Water Lance coming toward me. Grade IV spell. My expression changed drastically. The shield spells appeared to protect me, but they were Grade III. The lance tore through them before appearing in front of me. Even though I moved to dodge, the moment I saw it. If it hits me, there is a certain death. I will not die; I have done impossible things to reach this far, and this spell will not stop me. So, I pulled the aura from all my skills and pushed it into the Shield Brace and Shield Bash while moving my shield toward the huge Grade IV Water Lance with all my strength. Bammm! The water lance struck against my shield, and I felt a blow so powerful I had never felt before. It immediately broke my bones and sent me back with blood coming out of my mouth, but despite that, there was relief on my face. I survived. I defended against the Grade IV spell and did it head-on. I looked toward the pirate ship, expecting another spell, but it didn''t come. Seeing that, I moved toward the ship. If the spell comes, I will defend, but I will not wait for it. I have to save my girls. I neared the ship, and a spell bridge appeared. I was planning on jumping, but the bridge is much safer. I will be able to protect myself better. I was targeted the moment I took a step on it, but I defended with a shield and dodged some. Each movement is painful, as their arrows are still lodged in my body, but I bore through it before finally reaching the deck, where the raging battle is being fought against the pirates. "You whore!" A pirate screamed and came at me with his saber raised. Whoosh! I didn''t reply, nor did I stop. The only thing I did was send a small stream of fire into the pirate''s face. "Ahhhh!" The pirate screamed as he started to burn in a blue fire. I could have killed him with my sword, but fire created a greater effect. Master Silver says showmanship is a big part of the battle. If your display of strength is grand enough, then the enemies would think ten times before coming at you. I moved forward and could see that many pirates wanted to come at me. Instead, they took steps back. Though the arrows and the spells still came, I didn''t have to raise my shield. This time, defensive spells popped around me. Soon, I reached the door, and the pirates fighting near it moved away. I could kill them easily, but they are not a priority. My girls are. So, I opened the door, which was splintered and barely hanging by its hinges, and moved inside. What I saw inside made my stomach churn. There was destruction everywhere, but the sound of battle made me relieved. It didn''t take long before I reached it, and when I saw what was happening. My blood couldn''t help but boil. I spotted a group of over ten pirates locked in combat¡ªfive guards holding the line, backed by a monster. Fang. He darted around the battlefield like a blur, slashing through pirates with his long, razor-sharp energy claws. His movements were a deadly dance, precise and relentless. Bodies littered the ground, and it was clear¡ªmore than half had fallen to him alone. I moved and saw the girls and staff; they were behind the guards. I could see them scared, with their clothes bloodied. Seeing that rage boiled in my heart, and I never wanted to breathe out the fire more, but this is the last place I should do it. I moved with rage powering my movement. I want to do nothing more than kill these filthy pirates. "Barb!" The pirates finally noticed, and so did the girls, who called me out. "Good, all whores are together. It will make things a lot easier," said the short, bearded man with a grin, and he came toward me. I didn''t reply. I just moved ahead until I was face-to-face with the man. "Die whore!" he shouted and swung his sword at me. I took a step left before moving forward with my sword swinging forward. Pachack! My sword cut through his neck while I moved forward without stopping. The pirates, who were laughing, immediately turned serious. "Kill her!" shouted a red-haired woman pirate as she approached me with two other pirates. It took me a second and a half to appear before them, and they attacked. They seemed accustomed to working together, as evidenced by how they attacked me from all three directions. Seeing it, I pushed more aura into my Graceful Walk and Feather''s Grace. So much that my head started to hurt, but I didn''t care. I just pushed and moved, avoiding the woman''s saber, before avoiding the man on the left''s cutlass, and launched my attack. Pachack! My sword went through the neck of the man on the left, and his head flew away before I moved right. I avoided the man on the right''s attack and pushed my sword forward. Puch! It pierced through his head, killing him instantly, and turned to the woman who was looking at me with shock. I appeared in front of her, and she brought her shield forward. Pachack! A moment later, her head flew away in the air, and I turned to the pirates watching me in shock. So are the guards and the girls. The only one who isn''t is Fang. He was still attacking, and I saw him burying his claws in the man''s head, killing him before moving toward another target. The monster didn''t care about anything other than finishing those who came to harm those he protected. Like him, I didn''t waste any time. I moved toward the pirates. As I was doing that, I heard a loud horn, which changed the expression of the pirates, but it did not change anything for me. "It is over, the ho" The tall pirate was trying to say something, but my sword decapitated him before he could finish. There is no mercy, only death for these pirates. I immediately turned to the other pirate beside him. His attack had already reached me. I dodged his cutlass when it was just inches away from me before burying my sword in his neck and moving toward another pirate. Puch Pachack Puch! I killed one pirate after another until I appeared before the guard with my weapon raised for an attack, and I stopped. I could see the relief on the poor guy''s face before he shook and fell on the floor. "Barb!" Tara called out. I turned to her and, a moment later, appeared beside her. "How are you all? Rexy?" I asked. "We are safe; the guards and Fang protected us, but Rexy, her condition is bad," she replied with her expression turning serious. The people moved away till I could see Rexy. The orc-blood is lying on the floor with her head on Gloria''s lap. Both of them are bloodied, with Rexy''s stomach wet with blood. I feared the worst till I noticed the faint movement of the chest from the bloodied girl. "She protected me!" said Gloria, tears streaming down her face. "We did what we could, but her injuries are heavy. She needs a healer soon, or she won''t be able to make it," informed Tara. The girl is unconscious and pale; she has lost a lot of blood and is barely breathing. "I will bring the healer," I replied, turning toward the door. I could see the hesitation appearing on many faces; they wanted me to stay. I also want to stay, but Rexy needs a healer, and I will bring one to them. I moved as fast as I could and burst into the deck, only to see the tide had turned, and not to the benefit of the pirates. They are running away, with many in the water being sniped and killed. The pirates are running away. "Healer, I need a healer," I shouted, but I saw no reply until the injured captain appeared before me. "Our healers themselves need a healer," he said, looking at a bloodied mage lying on the floor not far away. "We have asked for one from another ship, but it might take some time for them to arrive," he added, looking at the injured. "I really need a healer. Is there no one here who could help?" I asked desperately. I need to save Rexy and am willing to pay the price for it. "My first mate has Healthhand Class, but he is busy; many need healing," replied the captain. I turned to his first mate, working on the man. Seeing it, I put my hand into my purse, took a handful of potions, and handed them to the captain. "Use them to save lives. Just give me your man!" I said, but the older man shook his head. "Potions will not be enough to save them," he replied. "These are not normal potions," I stated, and a surprise flashed into the man''s eyes, and he looked at the potions in his hand. A moment later, a shock appeared in his eyes. These are essence merge potions. In each potion, there is a drop of essence-infused potion. Making them far more potent than common potions. A second later, the older man controlled his expression, and a struggle appeared in his eyes. "Rocke, go with Miss Utsa," ordered the old man. "But Captain, we need him for our people," said someone. "These potions that the Miss has provided give our people a better chance of survival than Rocke," replied the old man. His first mate was hesitant momentarily as the older man turned to him, but a second later, he nodded. He picked up his kit and got up before following behind me. I don''t want to take him from here; many people need him, but Rexy needs him too. I will do anything to protect my girls. We moved fast and reached the girls within seconds. I could feel a mix of hope and confusion as I appeared with him. "The healers are on other ships until they come, Mr. Rocke, is all we have," I stated and turned to the man. Who had already crouched beside Rexy and cut her clothes around her stomach with his scissors. I saw the gruesome wound; the pirate must have buried their sword in her. "It''s a good thing you had not applied the potion directly," he said. The girls aren''t idiots; they know the potions do more harm than good in such conditions. Every girl needs to take an introductory medical class; they are taught what to do in conditions like this. In such cases, when there is no healer or doctor. Very few things could be done, but those few things could result in life or death. We watched the man work on Rexy; he cleaned the wounds first before starting to work on the injuries. A few minutes passed in silence, and then the man stopped and turned to us. "I have done what I could, but she needs a real healer as soon as possible," he informed. "Thank you," I replied; the man nodded and turned to me. I need attention, too; there are several arrows poking into me. The man worked fast; it didn''t take him long to remove all arrows and dress the wounds. After he did that, he left. I didn''t stop him; he had other people to heal. I can''t keep him here. "Contact the command for the healers; tell them we need one as soon as possible," I ordered the mage. "How are you?" asked Tara as she appeared beside me. "Good," I replied, and she just looked at me. "You need rest," she said, and to that I smiled. "I am going to the other ships; waiting for the healer would not be wise," I said and walked away. I wanted to do nothing more than rest, but I couldn''t until Rexy''s life was no longer in danger. It was a good decision because it took me over an hour to get a healer. "Her condition is serious, but I think she will make it through," said the healer as he came out of the ship''s only undamaged cabin. Hearing that, I heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, healer," I said, and the old man smiled before walking away while I slumped down. There is still some worry, but now there is hope. Rexy will make it; the woman is tenacious. An attack from the filthy pirate isn''t enough to end her amazing life. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 649: Merryfire Mistress Proofread by Thomas F Warrior Lv. 19 Warrior Lv. 20 [Conditions Met: Warrior ¨C Iron Warrior] Iron Warrior Lv. 20 [Skill Change: Heavy Strike ¨C Iron Strike] [Skill Change: Parry ¨C Quick Parry] [Skill Gained: Swift Blade] Blaze Imbiber Lv. 24 Blaze Imbiber Lv. 25 [Skill Gained: Liquid Remedy] [Conditions Met: August Madam ¨C August Mistress] August Mistress Lv. 30 August Mistress Lv. 31 [Skill Change: Last All Night ¨C Mistress''s Endurance] [Skill Change: Madam''s Smile: Mistress''s Charm] [Skill Change: Bendy Madam: Flexible Mistress] [Skill Change: Madam''s Rest: Mistress''s Rest] [Skill Change: Madam''s Guidance: Expert''s Lessons] [Conditions Met: August Mistress + Blaze Imbiber + Iron Warrior ¨C Merryfire Mistress] Merryfire Mistress Lv. 30 [Skill Change: Swift Blade ¨C Flame Blade] [Skill Change: Iron Strike ¨C Fire Strike] [Skill Change: Stored Gulps ¨C Stored Bottles] [Skill Change: Minor Fire Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance] [Skill Change: Mistress''s Rest ¨C Merry Slumber] [Skill Change: Quick Parry ¨C Fire Parry] [Skill Change: Stance ¨C Burning Stance] [Skill Change: Seductive Touch ¨C Fire Touch] [Skill Change: Wide Plume ¨C Flame Tricks] [Conditions Met: Long Breath + Power Breath + Sultry Whisper ¨C Breath Control] [Conditions Met: Graceful Walk + Feathers Grace: Gracefire Glide] [Skill Gained: Power Brew] When I came to consciousness, I saw the incredibly long text before me. I had never seen such long texts or even heard about them. There is so much that I am having a hard time believing as I read line after line. Gasp! All three of my classes advanced, but it was the merging of all three that made me gasp with shock. I had waited for this moment for a month, and it had finally happened. What I got was beyond what I had dreamed. It had entirely changed my class. Not only the class, but also my skills. Over 70% of skills had upgraded and merged, becoming way more powerful than before. There are only a few skills, such as Gut Alcohol and Liquid Calm, that haven''t been upgraded, but these are well-suited to the current class. They didn''t need to change, and while they may not have changed, the class merger did bring changes to them. The changes had occurred in the skill that I had with this level-up, before the classes merged, like Swift Blade upgrading to Fire Blade and Mistress''s Rest upgrading to Merry Slumber to suit the new class. I read every skill and felt them. Many of them have fire and flame in their names. I am getting a feel of what they could do, but how they would work will only be known when I test them. They feel powerful yet different; they have undergone a thorough transformation, and when I focused on them deeply, I felt something that shocked me. "Oh, sweet velvet!" I exclaimed, and intense excitement burned in my heart. My new class is far more powerful than I ever expected. It''s incredibly rare, and its strength is undeniable¡ªbut here''s the strange part: it''s even stronger than it feels. I have read about such classes, which are very rare but powerful. It took quite a while before I calmed down and looked at each skill more carefully before turning to the attribute points; I have four of them. I didn''t even think for a moment and poured them into the Mana. It had now become my most powerful attribute. A few minutes later, I opened my eyes and saw myself in an infirmary. A ship''s infirmary, and it''s not my ship. It didn''t have an infirmary this large. The last thing I remember was slumping by the wall. I don''t know when I fell asleep, but I am unsurprised. I had been exhausted. Although I feel good now, I don''t even feel a shred of tiredness. "Congratulations," Tara said with a smile. She is sitting beside my bed with the book in her hand. "Thank you," I said. "How long have I been here?" I asked, looking at the bright day outside through the glass windows. "One and a half days," she replied, and a surprise appeared in my eyes. I thought it would be a half day at most, seeing the daylight outside, but more time had passed than I had thought. "How is Rexy?" I asked, and her expression turned serious. "Same; Master Silver has arranged a special healer for her. They have already left the port of Barus and will meet us tomorrow morning," she replied. I didn''t like that news. I thought she would have woken up by now, but her injuries were severe; she had lost too much blood. "Is she here?" I asked. To that, she shook her head. "No, she is on a different ship," she replied. A few minutes later, I walked out of the infirmary and reached the deck. I could feel the eyes on me, with people talking and whispering to each other. I could hear the familiar ''whore'', but there was also the words ''aura'' and ''Unkillable Ranis,.'' That is the name of the pirate with the inheritance skill. It had really made that bastard unkillable. If I hadn''t created that dangerous brew, I might not have. Even that wasn''t enough. I had to finish him off with my sword. I didn''t even glance at their whispers and walked through the deck before I reached the railings and climbed on them. The sea is calm, and there is not a single wave I can see. Soon, I saw the ship where Rexy is. Tara told me about her condition, but I would like to look at her myself. I activated the Stored Bottles, and liquor appeared in my mouth. I gulped it. I feel the comforting buzz of it despite it burning in my stomach. I deactivated the skill and took a deep breath before activating Gracefire Glide. The moment I did, the fire lit up under my feet, and I jumped into the vast sea. ... City Hall, Greltheaven "The healer had reached the ship and started working on Miss Rexy," informed Zela. Hearing that, I took a sigh of relief. The pirate attack was shocking. I had made arrangements to minimize the chances of such a thing happening. From choosing the longer, safer route to having the ship in a protected convoy. The attack still happened, and the pirates nearly killed the girls. Still, Rexy''s life is in danger, and I hope this healer will be able to save her. At least keep her alive till Namdar. Once there, I will be able to get the best services from the best cleric. I am paying the healer a lot of money for it. She should be able to help Rexy; it is her expertise. The attack changed many things. One is most particular: Barb. She had awakened the aura, immediately entering the ranks of the elite. Very few people manage to do it, and what makes it special is her former profession. No one expects whores to awaken aura, but two have done it from Greltheaven. The entire Velvet Garden was abuzz with the news; last night, the floor leaders of Velvet Red even announced it and sponsored free drinks to celebrate. This was something that thousands have witnessed. We couldn''t hide it, even if we had wanted to. So we just announced it openly. We had even published it in the paper. It is the front page news. She has now become a pillar of the city, as well as of Velvet Garden. First Carla and now her; this is enough to make people understand how special the girls of the Velvet Garden are. It is them that make Velvet Garden what it is. ... Transcendent Pleasure, Port Belnin A beautiful middle-aged woman sits in her office, reading the file in her hand with complete concentration. Every few seconds, she would turn the page until she finally finished it all before putting down the file and turning to the man in front of her. "I want her! Increase the offer. Tell her I will give her the position of the Vice-Madam," said Ophelia. Yesterday, she received the information about the second whore from the Velvet Garden to awakening the aura. She decided to make an offer immediately. In Transcendent Pleasure, many whores have high levels, but only one has an aura. That is she. She wants another person with an aura, and there would be no one better than a whore. It is a brothel, and having a whore who has awakened aura and could fight will only help without clashing with the vision. For her, she is willing to make an offer she had thought of making to only one other person. She wanted to offer that position to Carla Salt, but she didn''t. She understood very well that Carla Salt would not accept the offer. That woman has everything she could offer, and on top of that, she has Silver. Barb Utsa, on the other hand, is a completely different matter. The woman is only a madam, but here she is, offering a position that is just below her own. It is a compelling position, as the Transcendent Pleasure is no common legacy but a throne. She could feel in her heart that if she got Utsa, it would help her take her vision forward. So, she needs to get her and thus give the most outstanding offer she can. It is one thing, she learned, the whores of Velvet Garden would not accept an offer if it wasn''t worthy of their value. "I will," replied the man in front of her, before his expression turned serious. "The adviser had met me in the morning. He is pressing about it," he said, and she sighed. He is talking about pawns. It had been years since Transcendent Pleasure became the throne, but it didn''t have a pawn. It is powerful enough to take one, but she is waiting. She doesn''t want just any pawn; she wants the one that will help her with her legacy. She has eyes on one. If she gets it, she does not doubt it will help her legacy. It might clear the way for Transcendent Pleasure to become a Grade V legacy. "I will talk to the governor about it," she replied. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 650: A Month Proofread by Thomas F Step! I stepped out of the carriage and watched people carrying the large boxes out of the city hall. They are shifting to another building. The city hall didn''t have enough space to house its ever-increasing staff and departments. To solve this, we had two options: one was to expand the city hall, and the second was to shift the people and offices. I chose the second one. The reason is simple: money. We didn''t have it, and right now, I am spending all the extra money I had on defense. I had even cut a few things I was planning to do. Only a month remained before the protection of the Archmage City expired. After that, it would be an open season for the undead. I am making as many preparations as possible, but I am dealing with the undead; anything could happen. I am scared but will fight the bastards with everything I have. If they want to conquer the city, I will make them pay such a price that they will regret even thinking about it. Click! Soon, I reached my office and stepped inside. Lola was already there; I nodded at her and sat down while she was silently putting files in front of me. "I have confirmed your meeting with Baron Husk tomorrow," she informed. "Good," I replied. He is coming tomorrow to sign the agreements we had negotiated, but the main reason for his visit is the forces I had in the baronies. I had steadily increased my forces there in the past few months. There are now two brigades and a battalion of cavalry in there¡ªa total of thirteen thousand soldiers. It is a considerable number that helped them tremendously against the monsters, but now I am bringing them back to the city¡ªall of them. They had gone to help the baronies, but the real purpose was to train. They have trained well, with many of them leveling up, but it''s time for them to return home. In a month, the undead would attack, and I would need them to defend their homes. I had already fixed the date of their return when I sent them, but the baronies have been requesting that I keep them there. If the undead hadn''t been coming, I would have kept them and even sent more to help, but unfortunately, I can''t. I stayed in the office for an hour before attending the meeting in the conference room. It was with Hardt and members of the merchant guild. I am planning to change some rules and would like to ask for their opinion on the matter. The meeting got quite heated. Half of them supported it, while the other half were against it. When I returned, I rested for a while before practicing the aura. Soon, it was evening. Usually, I leave at this time, but I have a meeting. I could have met them at the legacy, which would be the right place, but they aren''t staying in the city. "The news from Tekhat is surprising; four people have awakened the auras at once, and it happened at the party," said Lola, making me stop what I was doing. I smiled upon hearing that. She had been talking about aura a lot in the past few days. Since Barb had awakened it. She is envious; she is not even trying to hide it. She wasn''t jealous when Carla awakened it, but she was with Barb, likely because both hold the same position in Velvet Garden. By levels, Lola is much higher. She is Lv. 38, while Barb was not even Lv. 30, when she had awakened the aura. "The fountain events are rare, but not that rare. The event in Tekhat was more complex than it looked," I replied. It may have happened at the party, but it wasn''t a normal party. It was a bloodbath; a quarter of the people who had attended had died. "I wonder if I ever will be able to awaken the aura," she said with hope-filled eyes. It was the first time she had said it out loud. "Everyone has potential," I replied. I don''t know whether she will be able to awaken it or not. A strong will is necessary, and she has that, but the right conditions are also needed, as well as the right class. Half of the people who awaken their aura are nobles, with over 80% of them awakening during the conflict. During the conflict, the conditions presented required one to push oneself beyond one''s limit, thus awakening the aura. "Lord Silver, they have arrived," informed Jill, breaking us out of our reflections. Click! A second later, a man in his mid-thirties with sandy brown hair appeared. Beside him is a teen girl. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Lord Thorn, Miss Lindgren, welcome to Greltheaven," I said, offering them a seat. The man bore a resemblance to his father, standing tall with a handsome face and a warrior''s physique. It is said he is quite an artist, which his father did not like. He is Valtir Thorn, Son of Ralis Thorn, Lord of Inam. The teen girl beside him is Alina Lindgren, Vanis''s Granddaughter. "How was the trip?" I asked. They had gone to Lomeir, to the throne. "Disappointing, to say at least; they are not even willing to hear our offer," he replied, with a voice full of defeat. I am not surprised, even a little bit. Their chances of success had been small from the beginning. "It is only the first throne; there are more of them," I stated. They are searching for the throne to make the Vanis Tavern a pawn. A monumental task, I would say. The sovereigns decline such offers from the legacy of the different kingdoms. They only agree if there is a lot of pressure or the legacy is special. Unfortunately, Vanis Tavern isn''t special. It is the most common legacy. In terms of size, it is a Tavern Class, like the majority of legacies, and its emotion scale is average. Also, the legacy and Master didn''t have any special skills that would entice the Master of a Throne. "You are right, my lord, but still, we had some hope," he replied with a mirthless smile appearing on his face. They have been searching for the throne for years, but have intensified their efforts in the past few months. Likely, the waning of Vanis''s Tavern is near. I tried to find out, but I failed. However, it shouldn''t have too much time left, or they wouldn''t have intensified the efforts to such a degree. Not to mention that offer from the Lord of Inam. If I could help him make a deal with the throne, he would pay me a tremendous amount of money. The amount is significant enough that I seriously considered it, but I didn''t commit. There is no use because no throne is willing to accept them. It would have helped if Vanis Tavern had been special in some way. I shouldn''t be saying it. Every being an legacy is special. If it weren''t, it wouldn''t have been a legacy, but Vanis Tavern is average among the legacies; that is the truth. "Have hope, Lord Thorn. Who knows, the Vanis Tavern might become a throne tomorrow," I said. The man and the teen girl shook their heads mirthlessly. The closer the legacy gets to the waning, the harder it is for them to advance. Very few can advance at this stage of their life. A few minutes passed, and we discussed the things and thrones they should focus on before I turned to the teenage girl. "I won''t be able to attend your birthday, Miss Alina, but I have prepared a gift for you," I said, and turned to Lola, who waved her hand. The next moment, a mannequin appeared in the office, and a beautiful red-green dress appeared on it. It is one of the most detailed works I have seen and was designed by Miss Cain. It is made with magical threads and crafted in the legacy using mist. The dress isn''t the only thing. It features red shoes adorned with tiny rubies, as well as an emerald necklace and earrings crafted by Eva herself. "I hope you like it?" I asked. It was expensive, but that old man had helped me a lot and continues to assist me with many things. I wanted to show my appreciation. Since I am feeling guilty about not helping him much with this problem. If I could, I would have truly helped him find the throne. I am still asking around, despite knowing no throne will take the Vanis Tavern. "I love it," said the teen girl with her eyes shining as she got up and walked toward the mannequin. "It''s stunning; I hope you will be able to help get something like this for my wife. Her birthday is coming in a few months," said Valtir. "Of course, Lord Thorn," I replied with a smile. A few minutes later, they left, and I walked out of the office soon after. I stepped into the carriage, and it moved toward the legacy. As the carriage moved, I watched the city. A smile appeared on my face, but after a moment, I sighed. The city is currently experiencing rapid growth. The six months of peace had brought it rapid growth. People seemed to have forgotten the danger of the undead. This was great news for me as it helped the city grow; the hard work I had done to create that perception had paid off. It would all change when the undead attack. If the city survives, I will have a massive task in front of me to bring it back to its current level of growth. "Lord Silver," said Zela, interrupting me out of my thoughts. I turned to her and found her expression serious. "The Kingdom of Geim had attacked the empire from all three fronts," she informed. Hearing that, my expression turned serious before I sighed. I knew the lull was temporary. As I said before, as long as the empire is this delicious pie. The enemies will not stop trying to take the bite out of it. "They had also discovered the movement from Tabes and Edruin," she added, and a smile appeared on my face despite there being no joy on my face. I am feeling a little scared, actually. "It is a coordinated attack. I wouldn''t be surprised if Yressor pressed on with the offensive as well," I replied. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 651: Spell Proofread by Thomas F Caena Aris "It is happening quite fast," I said as I looked at the buildings that started popping up from the ground. It is a new military training ground that will be significantly larger than one located within the city. It isn''t the only thing; when I turned toward the river, I saw hundreds of people working on the new port. We are constructing another port on this side of the city, alongside the administrative building, guardhouse, and other necessary infrastructure. "It is just the beginning; the progress will be even faster as the weeks pass," replied Architect Harrison. I sighed in my heart, hearing that. This will continue for three more weeks before the protection expires. After that, the undead will attack, and that will affect everything. Including this construction. I will be surprised if things continue at half the current speed. "I am glad," I said, and talked to the man for a few minutes before sitting in my carriage. The driver followed the predetermined path and soon arrived at the designated spot. A charm appeared in my hand. It is a beautiful work, made of intertwining delicate wood and flowers with costly gems infused with a drop of Velvet Garden''s core essence and Remus''s blood. I don''t usually use the essence of Velvet Garden. Each drop is precious, but this spell requires it. ''Ireszae Ver,'' I chanted under my breath, and the charm in my hand turned to smoke¡ªthe last and forty-eighth piece of the powerful spell. It is one of the most powerful spells I have ever crafted. It is not a complete spell but a part that will be attached to the bigger spell. I had planned to do this two months ago, but I waited and worked on it until I became satisfied. Now they are ready, and I am merging them into the wall of the second circle. I had done this now because the spell was ready, and also because it was the only time I had. Barb will be returning next week and will be bringing the blood and charms. From then on, I will be swamped for the following weeks, working to integrate those things into the spell. Mok''s Tavern had helped me a lot in gaining the necessary information, but the spells against the Tranquill Bathhouse must be grander and powerful. It needs to be because we are against the living legacy that wants to eat us. The power of the whole kingdom will be used. That includes powerful classes, artifacts, and other things. We are taking massive risks that even Archmage Tower warned us about doing, but it is necessary. It will take Velvet Garden to greater heights. Tranquil Bathhouse has emotion reserves on a scale that we didn''t. That is a big incentive to do this, but there are also skills from the legacy and its master. There are a few more things I am interested in, like the essence of Grade IV legacy. The legacy that had been bound to the throne for over a century. It might even have a few qualities of the throne that will be a tremendous help, but it will also pose the most significant challenge for swallowing it. The carriage moved around for over an hour. If anyone was watching, I didn''t want them to have any suspicion. Finally, the carriage moved to the bridge and, a few minutes later, reached the other side. When the carriage reached the gate of the city, I relaxed. Once in the city, I am safe. It isn''t just the imprinted spells I could command, but also witchcraft. A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the tower, and I got out. "Madam," greeted the girls at the reception. I nodded at them before stepping into the elevator. Soon, the elevator reached the top floor, but it didn''t stop. It kept moving before finally coming to a stop at the roof, and I got out. Remus was there, and I opened my mouth to speak when I stopped, seeing the worry on his face. "What happened?" I asked after a few seconds of silence had passed. "Yressor is moving toward Haltav," he replied. The name felt familiar, and when I remembered it, a surprise appeared on my face. Haltiv is a port city of the Renha Region, and there is only one way for Yressor to attack it. "Naval attack?" I asked, and he nodded. "They are coming with a great force. The crown Prince''s navy had moved to engage with them, but if intelligence is correct, it won''t be able to hold them for long," he replied. These past few days have been crazy. All four kingdoms launched their new offensive on the same day, overwhelming the empire''s forces. They have captured many cities and are advancing within the empire. Although it may be happening on the mainland, it affects things everywhere. First and foremost, it pressured us to supply them with more essences. We will be sending a large amount of it to both princes in a few days. We are doing this not only because the imperials need this, but also because we have promises in return to help against Dorus'' dictatorship. "Will they be able to capture the city?" I asked. Haltiv is the biggest port city of the Renha region. It is a commercial center and, most importantly, the regional supply point for the empire''s forces. It would be terrible if they were to capture it. "I don''t know," he replied and sighed while looking toward the mainland. For a moment, nobody spoke before he turned to me. "Have you finished?" he asked. "Yes, all that remained was connecting it to the central spell," I replied. "Do it," he ordered. A moment later, everything disappeared, and a sun appeared with numerous planets revolving around it. I looked at twenty-four planets at the outermost layer. They are planets representing the boundary of the city; within them is the domain of the Velvet Garden. I looked at them and took a deep breath. "Arente," I chanted, and immediately, the twenty-four planets lit up. The light around them began to grow brighter and brighter before it started blazing in a dense yellow light. As they did, the blazing threads came out of them. Each planet released two threads and moved toward the great dark. They kept moving for two and a half seconds before stopping as if they reached their destination. They did. As they stopped, a pale forty-eight points appeared at the end of the strings; these points were the charms I had imprinted in the second circle. These pale points became brighter as the strings poured the energies into them. Those forty-eight points are the new spell, and these twenty-four planets aren''t just feeding them with power but also connecting with them, making them part of the grand spell. The points begin to get brighter and brighter till they start to shine brightly, It is when the strings returned to the twenty-four planets while the forty-eight points blazed like the stars. "Succeeded?" asked Remus. "Yes," I replied. "They just connected to the spell. Now, the challenge would be to become a true part of it; it will only happen during the advancement," I added. "That is a long time away," he replied with a smile. With this spell, I connected the second ring with the domain of the legacy. The actual connection will happen during the advancement. I did it to expand the domain of the Velvet Garden. Even with all my preparations, I''m not sure if it will happen. The magic I am playing with is beyond my level, but I have to do it. If the domain expands into the second circle, it will be of tremendous help. The second circle is massive, nearly ten times the size of the current city. Even after the legacy advances to the throne, it would be foolish to expect it to cover the whole second circle given its sheer size, but Remus wants it to cover at least a third. He had even made changes in the second circle according to it. The critical parts will be in that area. I will try to let the domain cover at least half of the second circle wall, but it would be difficult, given the size of the second circle. I looked at the fourth-eight points and twenty-four planets. Feeling there was no problem, I turned it off and looked at Remus. "Now that that is done. I am ready to focus on Tranquill Bathhouse fully," I said. "You shouldn''t have wasted your time on this. You have years, decades, or never before the legacy advances to the throne," he said. "Our priority should be Tranquill Bathhouse. If we didn''t put all our effort into it, we might end up losing our legacy," he said, his expression turning serious. "It won''t happen. I am focused on Tranquill Bathhouse," I replied. I understand the stakes here; Velvet Garden needs to survive and thrive. It is for this reason that I focused on this formation. Unlike Remus, I do not have a single doubt about Velvet Garden''s advancement. It will advance, and I have a feeling it won''t be decades or even a decade before it happens. I need to be ready as if it might advance tomorrow. That is why I was zealously focused on upgrading the charms, and I have already finished with over 70% of them. Most importantly, I had finished the difficult ones. The rest are easier, and I will focus on them after we finish swallowing Tranquil Bathhouse. "Good, because without the legacy, we are nothing. We won''t survive, even a month, if it dies," he said and walked away. High Witch of Luminescent Legacy Lv. 38 Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 652: Return Proofread by Thomas F The elevator stopped, and we stepped onto the bottom floor of the spa. "It''s beautiful," breathed Eva beside me, taking in the whole floor. It is beautiful, too beautiful. "How does it look compared to bathhouses in Oton?" I asked. Yes, I had converted the whole floor into the bathhouse. It took a long time, as making the bathhouse was not a simple task, but rather something entirely different. However, it was completed just in time. Barb and others are coming tonight, and in three days, we will be opening the bathhouse. "It''s gorgeous, better than even the luxurious bathhouses I had gone to in Oton," she replied, looking at the floor with awe before her eyes stopped at the turquoise pool. It''s the largest pool in the bathhouse, every part made by an expert; one could see it with a single glance. The whole floor is gorgeous; I have brought in the designers and architects from Oton. It is built in classical Ototian architecture, with a hint of classic imperial style. It features large columns that reach the ceiling, as well as mosaics and frescoes on the walls. Not to mention the statues, most of them came from Oton, with three being from Tranquill Bathhouse itself. There are also the plants; half of these plants were from the bathhouse. They were once common plants, but after nearly two centuries, they had fully transformed into mist plants. Carla had to negotiate hard to get them. However, the most incredible thing about it is how much we utilized the Velvet Garden to produce the materials used in the construction of this bathhouse. The tiles we walked on and the mosaics that littered the wall are all made in the Velvet Garden. Our ceramicist and glass master had crafted these tiles and carved the pieces of colorful stones. We ground the stones we acquired from Tranquill Bathhouse and used them to make tiles, glass, and other things. The same applies to the cement we used; it all came together in this very room. These things contain parts of the Tranquill Bathhouse and the Velvet Garden. We needed to do it because it would strengthen the spell and make swallowing easier. "Though, I wonder if it will work as it does in Oton¡ªespecially this big communal pool. In the Oton, it is their culture, but it''s not in Zenid; we are a little more conservative," she said, looking at the large pool. She is right; the communal pool didn''t work in Zenid. Many Otonian bathhouses on this continent were segregated by gender. It is much easier that way. "If it had been any other business, it wouldn''t have, but this is Velvet Garden; here, it will work," I replied, and she smiled. "The legacy," she replied simply. Yes, the legacy. People want to experience it, and they will do anything to make it happen. The communal pool won''t be a problem. Like all things, there will be a waiting list stretching for years for this. I am confident of it. Aside from this large pool, nine additional pools offer a range of water temperatures, from hot to cold, and a variety of aromas, from herbal to aromatic. Some of those pools would be designated for specific genders. The floor doesn''t just have pools; it also has small gardens, baths, and massage rooms, where we will offer different types of Otonian baths and massages. It is a complete package. There have already been many inquiries about it, but we have kept everything silent. We will open the booking on the day of the opening, with the first day being the invitations only. We toured the whole floor before appearing in front of the pool. "It''s such a beautiful pool; it would be a shame if we didn''t enjoy it," said Eva suddenly, and a moment later, the dress slid off her body, leaving her in nothing but beautiful black lingerie. I watched her body as she walked into the pool, step by step. She didn''t look at me, but her movement was seductive. Making it impossible to look away from her. "Are you coming?" she asked as she entered the water. I wanted to decline it since I have to leave the legacy in a few minutes. I was planning to exit after giving Eva the tour of the floor, and I should; I am truly busy. "Yes," I found myself replying, and started removing my clothes. I could never resist her when she did something like this. "You are really something," I said tiredly. "You are not bad yourself," she replied, just as tired. She had really tired me out in the two hours. She always does. She might look like an elegant lady, but she is insatiable once she begins. That is why I prefer the night. Then I could restfully sleep. "I think it''s time. I opened the store in Namdar," she said. It surprised me that she was not talking about the Charles stores; she already has a flagship in Namdar. No, she is talking about Eva Cain. "You do not have enough inventory," I replied. I had given over a hundred of her people access to the mist. They work during the day in their workshop, but even more at night after many floors in the legacy close. They use every space they can. Even the theatre isn''t spared. We need every space from which they could draw the mist and craft their wares. There is tremendous demand for it, but there is not enough supply to meet it. People are willing to pay vast amounts of money for them, but we could not meet even 1% of the demand despite that. "It is why we will do it slowly. Take a year to open it; it should give us enough time to produce the required inventory," Eva replied. "No," I said, shaking my head. "Unless you are planning to do it with non-mist goods," I added. Mist goods are the signature of the Velvet Garden and Greltheaven. There are a few legacies that can be compared to ours in that regard. It is something only my city has, and I will not move them to another city. The mist goods not only brought me a lot of money but also brought people to the city. People with money, I will not let mist-goods move to another city. Greltheaven needs them here. "Eva Charles needs more stores," she said, tilting her head cutely. "I agree with that, but mist-goods stay here," I replied firmly. When the store opened over half a year ago, less than 5% of the inventory was mist-crafted, but after over half a year, it is around 90%. It had elevated Eva Cain to an entirely new height, above that of the luxury boutiques. The only thing that can be compared with them is store-type legacies, and not all of them. Even among them, a minority produces their own goods. In a year or two, that number is going to decrease. A Grade IV will be dying. The point is that mist-crafted goods stay here. "Please, I am not asking for all. We will only take 25% of what we produce here to the new boutique," she begged, bringing her lips closer to mine. "No," I replied straight. I like Eva and might even love her, but the city and half a million people are more important. I can''t do that, even for the person I love. She wanted to say more, but when she saw my eyes. She just sighed. "Your designs are exquisite. Your store will succeed without mist-goods," I said. To that, she shook her head. "I will give you a few showpieces," I added, but her expression didn''t change much. "Do you know the waves Eva Cain had made?" she asked. "Everybody wants our pieces, the rich merchants, nobility. Just a week ago, we got the order from the Princess of Mahal," "It is all because of the mist-craft," "Eva Cain became synonymous with mist craft. Without it, there is no Eva Cain," she stated, looking directly into my eyes. I smiled at that. Of course, I know. Everybody is talking about her store, not just in merchant states and empires, but also throughout the entire continent and beyond. Many wealthy and powerful people only come to the city to shop in her store. This fame is helping her other business. While businesses in the empire focus on shoring up and cost-cutting, she is expanding her ''Charles'' stores. "I will not press you further, but I hope you will let me open more stores when Velvet Garden becomes a throne," she said. I couldn''t help but smile at that. "It will take years or decades. It might not even happen," I replied. "Maybe, but when it does, I want you to let me expand with a full mist-crafted collection," she asked, with her eyes boring into me. "I can''t promise you that, but I will let you do that if conditions are favorable," I replied. To be honest, I just wanted to say, ''I promise,'' but I am a lord, and I need to think like a lord whenever I deal with important things that could affect the city. I cannot let my emotions guide me. I need to be rational. "I guess that is the most I am going to get from you," she said with a smile and kissed me. It was a slow and gentle kiss that lasted for a while. When it ended, she got off me. We stepped out of the pool and changed into our clothes. I stepped into the elevator but didn''t go to my office. The elevator went down toward the lobby. A few seconds later, I stepped out of the lobby and stepped into the carriage, which was waiting for me in front of the tower. "Anything?" I asked Zela as I sat down. Since the four kingdoms had launched their renewed offensive, things were changing every hour, and not in a good way. Every day, those bastards are capturing more and more of the empire''s territory. The only good news I got in the past few days is the retreat of the Yressor''s Armada. It was massive and powerful. They had destroyed the Crown Prince''s defensive fleet in less than an hour. Indeed, it was not at full strength, but it was powerful. However, an hour after that, they retreated as the lightning clouds appeared. The armada was powerful enough to take Haltav but not enough to go against the person who was warning them. Soon, I reached the city hall and got busy immediately, so much so that I skipped lunch and had only practiced my aura once. At eight, I left for the legacy. "They have arrived," said Caena, sitting in front of me in my office while we viewed the ship in front of us, with its ramp lowered and four people walking through it. We are using the spell. It makes it much easier. However, it couldn''t be compared to the Velvet Domain; there, I could see everything. The three look good, but Rexy is pale. "Safely," I replied. It makes my heart tighten when I look at Rexy. She was vibrant when she left, but now she could barely walk on her own. The healer has healed her. However, she will need to rest in bed and receive some care to recover fully. I turned to Barb and could feel the change in her. This trip had changed her. It is not just level-up and the aura, but something more profound. It seemed like she understood herself on this trip. "They had done their job, and now, I will start with mine," said Caena as their carriage passed through the gates and charms appeared in her hands. She didn''t even wait for them to come to the tower. She just took them the moment they entered the domain. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 653: Seventeen Proofread by Thomas F Orok Uram "... we need to be prepared because the enemy will be prepared when it comes for us," said General Azalia. I am in a weekly meeting called by the General. As usual, I am the only Lieutenant Colonel in the meeting; the rest are colonels. This is a privilege due to leading the first elite battalion. I may have privilege and position, but I do not have strength. All of these people are stronger than me, with much greater experience. It always makes me feel lacking. "We seemed to have credible intel of the undead attack?" asked Colonel Axseer. She had been in the Nakar forest until last week before being sent here. In the past few months, there has been quite a lot of talk about her. Her promotion had caused quite a quake, more than mine. However, it died down as instantly as she proved her mettle in the first battle and the battles after. "Yes, the undead are going to attack in the next three weeks," she replied, turning everyone somber. The shadow of the undead attack has been there for the past half a year. The general''s words about them not attacking were as certain as she is right now about attacking. "They have been steadily building their forces in the past half year. So, when they attack, it will be very powerful," said Colonel Trask. "Their attacks were always powerful, but we dealt with them every time, and we will deal with them this time as well," replied Colonel Irab. Everyone nodded, but I could feel the weight behind their eyes. They are worried. I am worried. I understand that the attack will be the strongest to date, and I wish I had more time to prepare for it. The meeting lasted for forty more minutes before it was over. "Lt. Colonel," I was about to leave with the rest when the General called me. I turned to her and sat down. Soon, only two of us were left in the conference room. "How is your battalion?" she asked. "They are ready for the war, general," I replied. I have been training them hard for half a year. Battalion 17''s official training period is nine months, but my people are ready. I have been training them for it every day for over six months, though a few more would have made them even more ready. "The army has invested a lot in your battalion, Lt. Colonel, and we will be expecting the results in the coming battle," she said. "You will have it, General," I replied. "Good," she said, lifting a wooden case before sliding it to me across the table. "The headquarters had sent this for you," she said. I looked at her for more explanation, but she said nothing. Seeing that, I turned to the case. It is long, with a clean finish. I could tell by the look that it was made of rolan wood, which is rare, even in the forest. Click! I admired it before opening the case. To my surprise, I saw an axe there. It is a long ax with a blue metal handle and a dark red moon blade attached to it, both of which are covered in runes. "This?" I asked, turning toward it. This is an enchanted weapon, but it feels more powerful. The blade looked so sharp that I felt it would cut through me with the touch. "They had especially made it for you," she replied. I wanted to say that I already had an enchanted weapon. It is one of the best, with three enchantments, but this one feels even more powerful. I picked it up and felt its weight, which was perfect. It is also long, which is the way I like it. It is likely why they asked me so many questions about the weapons and tested me a few months ago. I thought it was about the enchanted ax they had given me the next day, but it seemed like it was for this. "Thank you," I said. To that, she smiled. I nodded and walked out of the conference room. Once more, I left confused by the feeling I was getting from her. I do not have dangerous skills, but my instincts are very good. Until half a year ago, I had a feeling that if I fought a General, I would last at least a minute, but things have changed drastically in the past few months. Now, there is no chance against her. She will crush me instantly. Since then, I have thought about the reasons a lot, but I haven''t been able to see the reason for such a threat. Still, I became more cautious of the woman. I got out of the admin building and mounted on my horse. I have been a carriage and driver, but I like to ride. It makes things faster. Soon, I reached the section of the base that is designated for Battalion 17. "Lt. Colonel," greeted Ben, casting an eye on the box. The human old man is an adviser. He used to be a member of the empire''s most elite region in its younger days before the emperor had split it. He then becomes a war historian. Lord Silver had sent him to me within a week of giving me the responsibility of creating an elite battalion. He is the one who designed all the training. "Ben," I said as I dismounted and walked toward the large training ground where several groups were training. Some are running with weight plates attached to them, while others are sparring with bloody marks appearing on their bodies. The training is harsh, but it is effective. Ben designed it, but I have added some things I learned in the forest. I believe some of it could be valuable to the battalion. "The undead are coming in the next few weeks," I informed him. It is confidential information; the General had asked us to inform the officers under us. "They could fight, but I wished they would have gotten the full nine months of training." He replied, looking at them. "All of them," he added and sighed. Not all of them started training at once. We recruited them in batches. So, some have been training for over six months, while others have been for only two, but they will all fight when the enemy comes for us. We had a sanctioned strength of twelve hundred, but I only have one thousand and twenty-one people. These are the only ones that could pass the tests. I am training them to be the best warriors, using the same standards as the best elite forces in the world. I could have used the imperial standard. They are one of the best, but not the best. If I had used them, I would have chosen two thousand already. The general indicated. If enough met the requirements, I could take the numbers to sixteen hundred. With lowered standards, at least four thousand would have made the cut, but I didn''t. I want the best and, most importantly, small numbers suitable for the strategy I plan on using. The number of enemies would be at least five to ten times larger than ours, even more. With such a difference, a slightly bigger size didn''t matter. Besides, I do not need the bigger numbers with the strategy I chose for my battalion. Thousand to twelve hundred would be more than enough. "Yes, more time would prepare us better, but we had more time than we had expected," I said to the man, smiling. I had thought I would get three to four months at most. "That''s true," he replied, but his expression turned serious a moment later. "You should have listened; it would have made us more ready," he said, and his voice pointed. He is talking about the offer the General had made to me a few months ago. She wanted to send me and my forces to the forest to give the battalion a fighting experience. 70% of the people had battle experience but had never fought as an elite unit. I had considered the offer, but in the end, I rejected it. This was out of selfishness, but also for the battalion''s future. If I had taken the battalion in the forest, there would have been a good chance that I would have reached Lv. 30, which I desperately wanted, but it would have taken my main class in a direction I didn''t want. I love the Dominion¡ªthe order, the people, my church, and everything else¡ªand I want to protect it. I cannot do that if I take my class in the direction it wants. In it, I will constantly face resistance as I face it now, and I wouldn''t be able to use my full power outside the forest. This is not what I want, and I am willing to give up my inheritance skills for that. I could already feel my men getting affected by my Officer Class, even when it had not reached Lv. 20. Some had even started to get the same skill as me, with a similar flavor. If the Officer Class is swallowed by the Wildlander Survivalist, a very powerful class. Then, it will begin to affect the classes of others, and those classes will begin to suffer from the same restrictions as I do. Some people prefer that, and I had been advised by some to pursue that path because environment-specific classes are powerful in their environment. A whole battalion suitable for that specific environment would be a great asset, but I don''t want it for myself or the battalion. I want my battalion to be capable of dealing with any threat from any environment. So, there is no way I would take my class in that direction. I didn''t reply to him and walked toward my men. Watching their progress, noting things. Soon, it was two in the afternoon, and I could feel the spells and tools activating around the ground while the battalion gathered in front of me. All of them are equipped with the best armor and weapons. This is an elite battalion; it had the best equipment in the whole army and the highest percentage of enchanted weapons. They are expensive to buy and to maintain. On the other side is an army of ten thousand. We practice against the army twice weekly under the powerful protections of anti-scrying spells and skills. Ten thousand isn''t big, but it is enough for us to practice. I took my position, which was in the lead. It is the most dangerous position, but I am the leader and need to lead from the front for it to work. As I did, the shamans moved forward, and the power of shamanic spells and rituals began to cover us. I have shamans, as I have mages and warriors. They are a necessary part of the battalion. Half of them are from Mayhurst Island. To them, the colour of my skin didn''t matter. The other half are from the forest; they greatly cared about my skin color. So, I was quite shocked when they came for the recruitment. They are the ones who hate me the most. These aren''t the old ones; these are new shamans. Most are in their teens and twenties and belong to small tribes. They hate me, but they like the salary and prestige of being part of the elite battalion, which is enough for them to look past their hate. Soon, they are finished with their spells. I could feel their protection on me and the whole battalion. "Attack!" I roared and activated the Thunderous Charge as I moved toward the army of the ten thousand. My people moved with me, while hundreds of spells activated around me. The enemy didn''t waste any time launching the mock spells, arrows, and even cannonballs, but our mages reacted swiftly. They began dealing with the arrows, cannons, and spells as we approached the target. "Wolf Lance formation!" I commanded, and immediately, my people acted like a well-oiled machine. They began to move smoothly without affecting our charge. It took mere seconds for my men to form the wolf lance formation. Half a minute later, we clashed against the army. We practiced for three hours, reviewing every aspect and fixing the problems we saw. There used to be hundreds when we began, but now there are barely any. After the practice, they dispersed while I gathered my officers to discuss the finer points before going to my own class. There is a class for the officers. I attend the class with Lt. Colonels and a few Colonels. Learning history, etiquette, strategy, and other things. It is mandatory, not only for the forest orcs but also for many island orcs and human officers. However, they have to attend fewer classes than we do. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 654: Velvet Bathhouse Proofread by Thomas F Barb Utsa "Madam Utsa, you are looking ravishing," said a Middle-aged man with long red hair. "Thank you, Mr. Tareli," I replied with a smile. I am at the party, the opening party of the bathhouse. It had started less than half an hour ago, and most of them had already arrived. A small fraction of them are from Greltheaven. The majority are from the empire and merchant states. I talked to the man for a minute more before walking away from him. "People are lining up to talk to you," said Cath as she appeared beside me. "No, they are not," I replied. It is a party, and people talk to each other; that is its purpose. I could see people talking with other Madams. "Let me correct myself. Rich and powerful people are talking with you. The people who usually talk to the triumvirate only," she corrected. I nearly shook my head when I stopped and went over the people I had talked to. "Realise that?" she asked, and I smiled. People want to talk to madams because of our influence in the legacy and the city, but not everyone. The significant people speak just to the three. The madams may have influence, but these people are also powerful. Commons madams aren''t important enough for them to talk to; it is only the three that are. Now, as she had said, they are talking to me. The reason for that, I didn''t even need to think about it. Aura. Since the day I woke up after that battle, I have been getting inquiries and offers not just from the Empire and Merchant State, but all over the continent and outside of it. Some of them are so ridiculous that they tempted me for a moment. I rejected them all. Greltheaven is my home, and Velvet Garden is my family; I will never leave it. "The bathhouse is incredibly beautiful," said Cath, looking around before turning to me. "How does it do against the Tranquill Bathhouse?" she asked. "Better," I replied, without having a single doubt in my heart. When I first saw it, I was shocked. I thought we might not be able to do it. Even matching Tranquill Bathhouse would be a feat, but they surpassed it. It made me feel a little more confident about our victory, because swallowing the Tranquill Bathhouse will be a challenging task. Time passed, and I mingled with a crowd. Most of them were important people I had never met before, but I also made time for those I knew. Soon, an hour passed, and suddenly everything went quiet. I didn''t have to turn to know he had appeared. .... The herald announced my name as I stepped into the bathhouse with Carla. "There are a lot of people," said Carla with a smile, looking at the people who filled the floor. She looks surprised. Bathhouses are a significant feature in Oton, deeply rooted in their culture. In Zenid, not much. "They''re here for the legacy," I replied. If it had been just a bathhouse, I don''t know if so many would have come. It is why I want to see how many would enjoy the bathhouse. Currently, they can''t. The pools are currently restricted, but that will soon change. I looked at the people before walking inside and stopping near the big pool. "Citizen and honoured guests, thank you all for coming to the opening of this wonderful bathhouse," I said, and people just smiled. "I understand that many of you see this as a waste of the legacy''s valuable space¡ªbut I assure you, it''s anything but." Many of them looked surprised. They didn''t expect me to say what most of them were talking about. Yes, I snooped, and many of them thought. This is a waste of the precious legacy space. "It will be a place of rest and conversation¡ªa place where burdens will be washed away and where laughter, stories, and warmth may rise with the steam." "The bathhouse has long been a symbol of a civilized society. That conveys we value health, community, and moments of peace as much as people and wealth." I paused and looked at the changing expressions on the people''s faces. I need to make them understand why I am doing this. The main reason is Tranquill Bathhouse, but there are other reasons as well. The bathhouse will be a great addition to the city''s culture. Helping it forge its unique identity. This is why I have enveloped the whole floor in Trendsetting. The moment I had stepped inside. "Here, troubles may soak away, and friendships may be forged. And perhaps, on occasion, someone may even leave cleaner than they arrived!" "So I say, with great pride: let the waters run, let the fire be stoked, and let this bathhouse serve as both sanctuary and hearthstone to all who enter it." "Let the baths be open!" I declared, and the layers of energy covering the pool had disappeared. In its place, the colourful mist appeared floating gently over it, making the pool look heavenly. It isn''t just the pool, but also the whole floor, as the mist got denser at my command. With my speech finished. I moved to mingle, looking to see if anyone was entering the pool. They did not, not a single person had even moved toward the changing room. "Should we use them?" asked Maeve a few minutes later, seeing nobody was entering the pool. "There is no need," I replied to the worried woman. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she nodded, seeing the smile. I am not worried. I know why they had not entered the pool. It''s me, which is why, after I met the last important person, I turned to Carla. "I am leaving," I said to her. "Go, I will handle everything," she replied. I smiled and walked toward the elevator. I am leaving not only to make people feel at ease but also because I am busy. Only two weeks remain until the protection disappears, and there are manythings to do. Soon, the elevator stopped and I stepped out of it. A few seconds later, I am in the carriage moving toward the city hall. It is afternoon. Usually, I would open the place at night, but I would open the bathhouse in the morning. This is the only time I have since I will be meeting an important person in the evening. I also wanted to open it as soon as possible. It had been over three months since the floor was closed. It had barely made any essence. I want essence, I need more emotion essence. Given the speed, I''m spending it. "Goltan mercenaries had hiked the price," informed Zela. Hearing that, I sighed. Goltan mercenaries are a powerful mercenary company in the merchant state of Belnin. A Lv. 40 powerhouse leads it. I cannot hire the mercenaries, but they have something I need. "How much?" I asked a moment later. "By 25%," she replied. "Tell them, we are willing to agree to a 10% increase, not a drop more," I replied. I am making a deal for Alchfire orbs. I am buying them left and right, not only from the cities and states, but also from individuals and organisations like mercenary companies. People noticed and began jacking up the prices. It''s not surprising, but it''s very frustrating. Other than setting a limit, there is nothing I can do about it. Alchfire orbs aren''t a thing that many people buy, due to their instability and cost. The process of crafting is hazardous, and only a few alchemists have the ability to craft them. So, when someone like me started buying them like crazy, people took notice. I hope my enemies are noticing as well and thinking really carefully about attacking me. They should really think about what happened the last time I used them. This time, the destruction will be far bigger and costly, but it is a price I am willing to pay to protect my city. I closed my eyes and activated the Eyes of Master, and what I saw put a smile on my face. I saw people in the pool; ten people to be exact, and all men. I could see a man trying to enter the pool, but the guards stopped him. It is a communal pool for both genders. I need a ratio of at least 10:5. Until at least five women enter the pool, only these ten men will be able to enjoy it, and they are thoroughly enjoying it. Swimming, laughing, and talking. Even eating fruits and smoking. I detest smoking, but I can''t let my personal opinions get way into the business. It is an activity that many love. This is why half of the people smoke while others watch in envy. Soon, I arrived at the city hall and proceeded directly to the conference room for a meeting. It was short, but I needed to be there. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out and used Eyes of Master. What I saw made a smile appear on my face. I saw five men and a woman walking out of the changing rooms and walking toward the pool. A few seconds later, they stepped into the pool with a self-conscious nervousness, but soon smiles appeared on their faces. When I looked again, a few minutes later, I saw there were more men and women in the big pool. "The big pool had completely filled," said Lola. There was some surprise in her eyes. She didn''t expect, like many. It is why I had not used the girls. People could sense their classes, and it would set the trend. That the pool is for whores; no woman would put the foot in the big pool. It would have affected the whole bathhouse. I had actors ready, but I''m glad I don''t need to use them. The real people are the best. Now that the precedent is set, the women will use the big pool with men, along with the whole bathhouse. I would still need to do a few things, but I believe it won''t be a problem. Seeing the enjoyment of the bathhouse made me feel good, and I was able to focus on the work without any distractions. Although I would look at the bathhouse now and then. Time passed, and soon it was night. I walked out of my office for the important meeting with a hopeful heart. "Thank you, Mr. Marysel. Please tell your superiors that I appreciate all the help your agency is providing us," I said to the half-elf. "I will, Lord Silver," replied the man before leaving the conference room with his people. "The news isn''t good," said Stone. The city''s top brass is sitting in the conference room: three from the army. Robin, Hardt, Valentina, and Shaun. "We have never expected it, but hoped for it," replied Robin with a mirthless smile. "Just a small bit of good news would have helped. Every day, something bad is happening; I wanted to hear something that is not bad news," added Valentina, and sighed. Forty minutes later, I am in the carriage moving toward my house. It''s late, and I''m tired. Nearly every day, I am bombarded with bad news. Like my people, I had been hoping for some good news, but there is none. The enemy is waiting with massive numbers. Once the protection wears off, they will come at us like a tidal wave, numbering in the millions. Powerful enough to easily swallow the force, more powerful than what we have. Still, we are going to fight them and we will defeat them. The carriage turned and entered the compound, then came to a stop. I got out and stepped inside the mansion. When I reached my suite, I saw Carla reading a book. "You shouldn''t have waited," I said to her. "I wanted to," she replied, with a slight smile, before her expression turned serious. "I guess it''s not good news?" she asked, and I nodded. "At least it''s not another bad news," she said, making me smile. She is right, we could have received horrible news. That would have been disastrous. I changed and freshened up before lying down on the bed. "Good night," I said, kissing her neck, before closing my eyes. I was tired enough. That, I fell asleep immediately, but it wasn''t a smooth sleep. Knock Knock! The knock woke me up, and I saw that Carla had already woken up. "It''s Jon," she informed. Click! Hearing that, I got up and appeared beside her before opening the door. "Shaun is here; he wants to talk to you," he informed. "Did he tell why?" I asked, but walked out the door without waiting for the answer. If he is here in person, it means something significant has happened. I moved fast with my skills, with Carla and Jon following behind me. It took me a few seconds to reach my office, where I saw Shaun as well as Stone, Cardin, and Hiren. All four of them had serious expressions on their faces, and not a good kind. "Duke of Blackwell is dead!" Shaun informed. Making me feel like the earth is collapsing under my feet. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 655: Death of Duke Proofread by Thomas F Lord of Deerpond "The god of war, help us!" I swore and placed my hand on the wall of my bedroom as I felt the earth collapsing under my feet. My general had just woken me up, and I expected the bad news, like I had been receiving every day, but not this. These bastards are conquering city after city since their offensive began. They had even attacked from the sea. Destroying the Emperor''s fleet. If not for the lightning clouds appearing over the sky. They would have captured Haltiv as well. After all, the Emperor''s navy couldn''t hold them for even an hour. It wasn''t at full strength, but it was a powerful force, but it was not enough. "It is terrible," said Silva, my general. He didn''t have to tell that. I know it''s terrible; it''s even worse news than the news about losing the last bit of my territory. All the news has been bad until five days ago, when Tabes captured the last of my territory. Though my army, people, and everything valuable had already left before they attacked, I had lost the territory. I only have Deerpond, but this will worsen things for us. It was as if things weren''t bad enough. There are the undead ¨Chell bent on swallowing the whole region, Silver with his growing strength, and now this. Losing the last bit of territory was the worst news, but this is terrible. Duke of Blackwell was fighting on the mainland, but his death would affect us just as much as the mainland. The man was a military leader; he didn''t choose a side, but was handling a front alone and had the support of both sides. Now, with his death, there is no effective leader to hold that front. Those who are powerful and capable are busy with the other fronts. That means they will need someone to handle it. Someone who is just as powerful, capable, and not already leading a front. In the whole empire, there is only one person of that power ¨CMarquess Gats! The imperials had been trying to get him, but seeing the way negotiations were going. The region would have at least two years if we were lucky. I had planned to use that time to build an army big enough to resist the undead. Now, I won''t have that time. I was thinking what to do when I noticed a change appearing on Silva''s face, and I looked at him. "Both of them declared the truce!" he informed. "Fucking hell!" I cursed loudly. My voice was loud enough that all the guards heard it, but I don''t care. The Emperor and the Princess''s declaration of a truce is good for the empire, but it is bad news for the region because it reveals the dire state of affairs. They didn''t declare the truce, even when the new offensive of the four kingdoms began, but they did now. If they could declare a truce, they could work together to bring Marquess Gats into an empire. That is the condition the man had. Once he leaves, it will be an open season for the undead, and we are far from ready to deal with them. ... Ashton Harbor "Hahaha..." The man with the staff started laughing as he heard the news. When he heard it for the first time, he couldn''t believe it. He had contacted his sources and the island to confirm, and they confirmed. The Duke of Blackwell is truly dead. It was a massive battle, and the other party was barely able to survive, but he killed the duke, one of the pillars of the empire. Making the empire even weaker. "Now, it won''t be long before the region will be ours," said the man with the staff as he finally stopped laughing. There is no doubt in his heart that the bastard at Dustorn Fortress would leave soon. Once he does, there will be no one in the whole region capable of stopping them. He is the reason I had not dared to let my forces cross the river. He is powerful enough that even if I personally led with every undead and powerhouse under my command, I would receive a swift defeat. Even coming out alive will be a distant possibility. I was warned to stay on this side of the river as long as he was in the region. "Yes," Said the armoured man, before sighing. "It''s such a regret that we won''t be able to lead the armies ourselves." He added Hearing that, I sighed as well. We are still trapped here and unable to go out. "Not for long. I''ve heard that secret negotiations are underway with the merchant state. If they succeed, we will get a free hand in the region," I replied. "Really?" he asked, and I nodded. I didn''t tell him that merchants are demanding a lot in return, but the region is critical for some reason, and the higher-ups are willing to agree to many conditions. I hope they succeed. I want to lead the armies and crush everything that comes our way till we conquer the whole region. ... Port Midlet Bam! The vase crashed into the office wall hard and loudly, shattering into hundreds of pieces. It was an expensive piece of art, but now it lies in ruin. The mage in the room looked hesitantly at it. Wanting to cast reconstruction, but didn''t. It is better to lie quiet when the lord is in his moods or there are consequences. "We are fucked!" cursed Zanav as he calmed down. "Soon, Gats will leave, and we will be alone with the undead and at their mercy," he added. For a minute, nobody spoke before his most trusted adviser stepped forward. "Yes, the conditions are terrible, but not as much as we think them to be." Replied the middle-aged man. "How is this not terrible? It is so terrible, I am thinking of escaping," said Zanav. "Because, my lord, it will take time for the Marquess to leave, even if negotiations begin immediately. Which is enough time for us to get the forces that your father had promised," "Besides, we won''t be the first target of the undead. It will be Silver, and seeing how madly buying those bombs, he might make the undead pay a little," "Even after they captured his cities, I don''t think we will be their second target," "They will go for Deerpond first before coming at us. That gives us enough time to prepare. Think deeply about that alliance proposal with Deerpond," he said. It made the man somewhat relieved. "The undead could divide the forces and come all of us at once?" he asked, and a middle-aged man smiled. "They could, but I don''t think they would do this; they had failed the last two times with that strategy," replied the man. To which the man couldn''t help but nod. "Still, we are in grave trouble," he said, and the middle-aged man smiled. ... Reja Harbale, Dustorn Fortress "They had finalised the negotiation team; they will be here in a week," I informed. It had been a few hours since the Duke of Blackwell died, but the effect was such that they had declared a truce and formed a negotiating team. I looked at the Marquess. He was silent. He is a man of few words, but in the past hour, he barely spoke. "Who are they planning to use to lead the front temporarily?" he asked after a few seconds of silence. The Duke of Blackwell had died; someone must temporarily assume his role. They do not need to be as powerful as the duke, as the victory came at a cost to the enemies. It would take them at least a few months to recover, especially General Kalamazar of Edruin and another Lv. 50. Both of them had been seriously injured. It would take at least a few months before they would return to the battlefield. That doesn''t mean enemies remain idle. "It''s either General Lyndom or Count Norvin," I replied, and he nodded. "Tell them to select Bass. He isn''t as powerful as Lyndon, but he is an excellent defensive general," instructed Marquess. "As you command," I replied and immediately sent the suggestion. Hun! I had just done it when information came, surprising me. "It seemed like Tabes had started pulling back their forces?" he asked, and I smiled. I didn''t even ask how he knew, because he had not received the message. "Yes," I replied. The action has a clear meaning; that we could leave without worrying about them attacking us. If the negotiations are successful, then the likely front, led by the Marques, would be the one that the Duke of Blackwell had been leading, which is against Edruin and Geim. It is what Marquess desires. Those two may be allies of Tabes, but it will help Tabes a lot if Marquess keeps Edruin and Geim busy. With us leaving, Tabes wouldn''t have much difficulty capturing the region if they committed the serious forces. "I have been receiving messages from the people. They want you to suggest their names for the fortress and the cities," I informed. We hadn''t even started the negotiations, but people had already started eyeing the fortress and the cities we controlled. Some are willing to pay a massive price for it. "Leave that to the imperials," he replied. " I would have liked us to have a say in who replaced us here, but since Marquess said, I will not do anything. Still, I pity those people. Even if they get it, it will be hard to keep it. We are the reason; the undead hadn''t crossed the river; they wouldn''t have been so hesitant after we left. There is also Tabes. Sooner or later, they will come for it. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 656: Six Days Proofread by Thomas F Whoosh! I pushed her back and took a step forward to finish her off when she opened her mouth and breathed out the fire. It''s not a wide plume of fire that came out of her mouth, but a blast of thick fire that is barely a meter wide and fast. Her skill, Wide Plume, had advanced to Flame Trick¡ªa control-type skill. It''s not as versatile as Flame Control, but it gives her freedom to shape the fire. Her second skill, Breath Control, which was created by merging three skills, aids her in that and speeds up her attacks. It would be very nasty if it hit me. The fire blast is powerful, but it also contains the aura. She could barely control it, but it is an aura, and any attack that contains it is dangerous. The Blitz Steps roared, and I moved just before fire was about to touch me, and I appeared to her left. She reacted fast despite being tired, with fire lighting under her feet and a flaming sword swiftly approaching me. Clang! Our blades clashed, and once more, she breathed out the fire. It is now even more concentrated and faster than before. She is improving as she fights, making her attacks more powerful, versatile, and harder to dodge. Immediately, I moved back, before taking the left, avoiding the fire coming at me. Barb expected that as she released another breath. The Blitz Steps surged once more, and I dodged the flames before appearing behind her. She reacted fast, but she is tired. My blade was able to avoid her sword and stopped at her neck. "Incredible! Simply incredible," I praised, still amazed even after over two hours of fighting. "I had only read about such a transformation. It is the first time I''ve seen it." "It was a surprise to me as well," she replied as she sat down on the stool that appeared behind her. She is so tired that she can barely stand. I had pushed her hard to train her and test her abilities. She had arrived more than a week ago and was training constantly. Everybody had been praising her abilities, and I could see why. "The advancement has granted you extraordinary powers¡ªthere are few who could even come close to matching you," I said, unable to hide the twinge of envy her newfound abilities stirred in me. "Even your dependence on liquor had lessened," I added, to which she nodded with a smile. The advancement had fixed many of the limitations of her class. It had also lessened the effects of her most significant limitation, the liquor. It is not like the class isn''t without weaknesses, but she could deal with them. "I have a request, Master Silver," she said. "Yes?" I asked. "I want to go to Panar," she stated. Immediately, this made me serious. There were six days before the protection expired, and Panar would be the most dangerous place. I already bit the bullet and evacuated the children to Greltheaven. It caused a minor panic and caused a lot of people to leave the city. We had expected that, but doing that was necessary. I can''t let the children suffer as they did last time under the undead occupation. If they capture the city again, history will repeat itself. There is a chance that it might happen. Panar doesn''t have the advantages that Greltheaven has, mainly the legacy. It will still play an instrumental part in the battle against the undead. "It will be perilous," I replied. "I know, but I want to be there for my friend," she said, and I opened my mouth to decline, but closed it. There is a space for the powerhouse on her level. I was going to send another High-Mage, but I could send her; she is no less powerful than the High Mage. "If that''s what you want," I agreed. I don''t want to send Barb, but I will let her go since she wants to. Only in the fires of battle are the best warriors forged. ... Half an hour later, I am in the carriage moving toward the city hall. Only six days remained, and the effects could already be seen. We could have kept quiet, but we are making big and small changes. Thank God. I had planned for it since the first battle. The significant changes had happened slowly enough; people didn''t think about them much. We also revealed that the undead might attack in a few days. I had done that several times in the past few months. So, there was no big panic, but one could see indecision and a little bit of alarm in people''s eyes. The smart ones have seen what I am doing in Panar and the changes I am making here. Some of them had left the city. It didn''t surprise me, though it made me sad. Soon, the carriage stopped at the city hall, and I got out. "Do you have any messages?" I asked Lola as I sat down on my chair. "Nothing important," she said and placed the cards before me. I read them all and asked a few more questions before focusing on the work. Soon, it was eleven when I got up and walked out of my office, reaching the conference room a minute later. Click! As I stepped into the conference room, everyone in their seats immediately rose to their feet. All of them are orcs. "Lord Silver," they greeted. "Sit down, everyone," I replied and sat down. Every important non-military orc is present¡ªshamans, chieftains, and other powerful figures who command respect without wielding a sword. Since yesterday, I have been meeting with different city stakeholders to inform them of the issues and challenges we will be facing. "The undead are coming. There is a very good chance that they will attack at the end of the week," I informed them. They had anticipated it, but the moment I confirmed it, their expressions turned grave. "We are hearing their numbers will be millions?" asked Shaman Krema. I didn''t disclose that information. The undead did; they may have yet to launch the physical attack, but they have also started waging the information war. "Yes," I replied. There is no need to lie; I might have said something to soften if it had been anyone else, but with the Orcs. It is better to remain as straight as possible. "How are our chances against them?" asked Chieftan Hron. "Around 50% in Panar and around 75% in Greltheaven," I replied. It surprised them. Even Trik, who knows more than most, looks a little surprised. "The chances are better than we had expected," said Shaman Krema. "We have been preparing," I replied, with a smile. These numbers didn''t come out of the blue. Stone and a few trusted ones who know our complete strategy have deduced them. "It is without their chief right?" asked Hron. He meant the Great Mage; Lv. 40 Mage, the leader of the undead in Ashton Harber. "Yes," I replied. "But they won''t be participating," I added. The merchants have their sharpened blades and are ready for those two. If they dared step out of the city, merchants would kill them. "If they did?" he asked. "Then zero in Panar and less than 10% in Greltheaven," I replied truthfully. The Great Mage is no trivial threat¡ªespecially one who commands the death element. And then there''s the Knight: a true powerhouse, an aura master armed with a formidable array of aura-based techniques. If any one of them came. I might give up. "The enemies are coming and want to destroy everything we have built here. I will not let them, I will fight till the last drop of blood in my veins," "But that is far from enough; I would need your help. I hope you all be with me, standing shoulder to shoulder against the undead," I said, looking at the assembly. Over 80% of the Orcs who participated in the first battle are still with the army, but some, like Krema and Hron had left it after a year. They are powerful. Especially the shamans; I will need them when I face the undead. "You will have our support. We will fight shoulder to shoulder with you against the enemy that comes for our home and everything we have built here." Replied Hron, bringing a smile to my face. "With you all with me, the undead and every other enemy could forget ever conquering Greltheaven," I said. A few minutes later, I walked out of the conference room. Feeling more assured. "There is a message from Chief Valentina; they have reached Dustorn Fortress," informed Zena. I sent her and Robin to Dustorn Fortress to see if we could get any help. This time, they will help us. The Marquess is preparing to leave the region, and it would reflect poorly on him if the cities here fell under enemy control. That''s why he''s heading to the mainland¡ªto prevent exactly that. We had also prepared a generous offer. I know I will have to face the undead eventually, but it would help me greatly if I could stop them from attacking for a month or two. The negotiating team from the Imperials will arrive at the Dustorn Fortress in the evening. Negotiations will take time, and so will moving his entire force and replacing it with others. Even if it went quickly, it won''t be finished before a month. "Anything from our neighbours?" I asked. I shouldn''t hope, but I am hoping. For weeks, I have been sending alliance proposals to everyone, not only to the Nakar Baronies and Mirador Hold but also to Deerpond and Port Midlet. Willing to look past all the enmity, but there wasn''t a favourable response. They know I will be the first to be attacked and don''t want to help. They should understand. Once the undead finish with me, they will be next. The undead aren''t going to stop until they capture the whole region. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 657: Protection End Proofread by Thomas F Ashton Harbor "One more day, and we could finally attack," said the man with the staff. One could feel the joy in his voice as he spoke. "We have waited too long. It''s time to attack!" the armored man said with a smile. However, a moment later, his expression turned serious. "Any movement from Dustorn Fortress?" he asked, and the man with the staff shook his head. The island had asked them to be careful. There is a high chance that the man in the fortress might interfere this time. Even if he personally didn''t come. He has people powerful enough to deal with them. That is why they are extremely careful. They wouldn''t want to do anything that would provoke that man. Vris''alud is powerful, but so is the empire, even in its current state. The man didn''t interfere in their business except to provide small help, but he is leaving the region now, and that changes things. That is why, out of caution, they will take back Panar first; they have already sent the force in Almin, which will attack Panar when the protection expires. Once Panar was conquered, they would move Greltheaven and the jewel of Renwell. Velvet Garden. ... City Wall, Greltheaven. "We are ready. If the undead come, we will fight them," said Stone as he appeared beside me. I didn''t turn. I kept looking at soldiers outside the city laying out the mines. We had not sealed the city yet; people were still coming and going, mostly going. Though they are using the port, a minority of them use this route. Still, we had marked the boundaries and kept the soldiers on watch, so none would accidentally wander into the mines. "Let''s hope Panar is also ready; they will be the first to fight them," I sighed. We have received intelligence that they will first attack Panar. The horde that will do it is building at Almin, while the horde that will attack Greltheaven is in Ashton Harbor. "We are taking too much of the risk with Panar; we shouldn''t keep our best people there," said Cardin. It wasn''t the first time he said it. "We should at least call back, Colonel Axseer," added Cardin. He is right; Axseer, Barb, and Uram are there. All three have great potential. It is risky to keep them all in Panar, but we are doing that. "Let them bathe in the blood of the enemies; it is the only way through which they will reach their greatest potential," replied Stone. Stone and Cardin are so different from each other. One was a regular guard before he had to fight with everything he had and survive the undead invasion that took everything from him. At the same time, the other was a lifelong officer who preferred a cautious approach. "I would have liked at least one of them in the city, but they are needed at Panar to have the hope to defend it," I said. I don''t like this, but I know it is necessary. Most of our powerful are in Grelteaven, along with powerhouses like Stone, Trik, and others. I want Panar to fight the undead and survive. If I didn''t have confidence, I would have emptied the city already. I captured Panar to become a wall between Greltheaven and its enemies. I had prepared for it, investing innumerable resources. So it could stand strong when the enemies come. I turned toward the east, the other side of the river, activating three spells. Instantly, the blurry becomes clear, like I am standing on the other side. The construction activity was booming a week ago, but now there is none. I closed it down yesterday. It is too dangerous, especially when there is no army to protect it. I have focused all my efforts on protecting the city. I wish I had half a year more. It would have been much better then. I had not even opened the plots to sell. It would have generated money for the city. Valentina had asked me to open them a few weeks ago, but I held off until certain infrastructure was in place. Now, completing that task will be much more difficult. I pushed those thoughts away and turned off the spells before leaving the wall. Soon, I was in my carriage, moving toward important places. I was moving toward the barracks, and then it would be hospitals and a few other sites. I have time till the afternoon before I will get swamped by the meetings. "Anything?" I asked. To that, Zela shook her head. Valentina and Robin have been in the Dustorn Fortress for days, lobbying for protections. There is some progress, but not as much as we would like. They are keeping us hanging. I would have liked to have Valentina back; she is an excellent asset in the battle. Although our chances of success are small, we need to keep trying. Time will give us a greater chance of survival. Hours passed, and I completed the checks of the barracks, hospitals, and a few other things before returning to the city hall. "Ask Ina to call me," I said to Zela. A few seconds later, I felt her connection. She has an amazing skill called Brief Call. It lets her talk to me live, and using the skill for communication is more secure than using the spell. ''Master Silver,'' she greeted. "How are things, Ina?" I asked. The name of the skill is a Brief, so we didn''t have much time for pleasantries. ''Good. We are ready for the enemy,'' she replied. I could feel the steel in her voice. I didn''t ask her to come back to the city. She is the governor and needs to be in her city, but I wouldn''t have stopped her if she had asked to return. She didn''t; I don''t think it even came to her mind. "Have you checked everything?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. "I personally inspected the supplies and made rounds at the hospital. Everything is as it should be." Hearing that, I couldn''t help but smile. I trained Ina well; she verified everything with her own eyes. In the war, even a small thing could result in countless casualties. "Good, be careful," I said. "Thank you, Master Silver," she replied, cutting the call while I lay back on my chair with my eyes closed. I want to practice the aura, but I barely have a few minutes before I have to leave for the meeting. "Deerpond and Port Midlet had finalized their alliance," informed Zela. I didn''t open my eyes as I heard that, but I sighed. In the immediate term, the alliance is useless. They can''t send their forces to each other; that would be suicide. They will not help if one gets attacked because the undead have enough force to send another horde at them. The locations of the cities and the distance between them also make things difficult. That doesn''t mean the alliance is useless; it''s far from it. It would help them tremendously in the medium to long term. They could share information, practice together, and share resources, which would be very helpful. I am surprised that they could sign the deal so quickly, given that they are not friendly to each other. Everybody has ambition. Lord of Deerpond had publicly stated that he wanted the whole region under him. Zanav replied with similar words, albeit using crass language. It created a short diplomatic incident between the two cities not long ago. I opened my eyes and stepped out of my office; the next few hours were a whirlwind of meetings after meetings. It was past ten, and I had some free time when Carla appeared. "You didn''t have lunch today," said Carla as dinner appeared before us. "I was busy," I replied with a smile. "Avoiding lunch wouldn''t help you much. You need to eat to be in a perfect state to fight against the undead," she said, her gaze pointing. I didn''t reply to that. Since I am wrong, arguing wouldn''t be wise; besides, I want to have a peaceful dinner because I don''t know what my next meal will be like. I finished the meal and talked to her for a few minutes before she left, while I, too, had left for the meeting. Time passed, and soon, it was only a minute to midnight. I am sitting in a conference room with the military''s top brass, waiting with bated breath. Nobody spoke; everyone looked at the clock as the seconds ticked by until it was twelve. "Protection has expired," I stated. ... Reja Harbale, Dustorn Fortress Click! As the guards opened the door, I walked inside and saw the Marquess standing at the window. "The preliminary agreement is finished," I informed him, and handed him the file. I have been negotiating it with Imperial''s teams for the past four days, spending nearly fifteen hours on it. Both parties want it finished so Marquess can return to the mainland as soon as possible. The Marquess and Imperials need to approve this. If they do, it will be signed tomorrow, and we will move toward the main agreement. I don''t think that would be a problem. "It''s good," he said a few minutes later, and I felt relieved. Though I knew he would accept it, there was a worry in my heart. I took the file and looked at him. He is looking toward Ashton Harbor. The undead are attacking today before dawn, if the intelligence is to be believed. "The region''s cities are waiting for your response," I said. The city representatives had been in the fortress for a couple of days. They all want one thing: to stop the undead. While some want Marquess to vanquish them outright, others just want him to stop them from attacking till he leaves the region. Vanquishing is out of the question. We could do that; Marquess didn''t even need to lead the army personally, but the consequence of doing that would be grave enough that even Marquess wouldn''t be able to bear it. Vris''alud is not to be trifled with. The second option is much easier; the undead would be wise to listen if he spoke. "You should stop the undead; it wouldn''t look good on us if they captured any city," I added. It was fine since they didn''t cross the river, and our responsibility was against the Tabes, but now things are different. Soon, we''ll be entrusted with defending one of the empire''s most critical fronts. If he allows even a single city to fall to the undead, it will reflect poorly on him. Some mainland people are already accusing him of inaction against the undead threat. Even the crown prince had said that to his close advisers. "We will, but first, they have to show us they are worthy of our protection," he replied finally, while I just shook my head and sighed. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 658: Movements Proofread by Thomas F Ashton Harbor "Yark, go ahead," I ordered. A few seconds later, I saw the doors of the Almin opening and a horde coming out of it, with Yark leading it. Yark didn''t hide himself; I told him not to. The enemies should know what is coming for them. "Yark is making good progress in his aura; it might not even take him a year to learn aura skill," said the armoured man with a sigh. "It''s fine, his current control is more than enough. There are only two people here who could fight him. Silver and his giant-blood; and they are not in Panar," replied the man, with staff, with a laugh. The armoured man laughed as well. Yark is powerful; he knows that because he has been training him in aura for the past few months. It is why, he would say, he is powerful enough to kill Silver and that giant-blood. Though a moment later, his expression turned serious. "Anything from the fortress?" he asked. "No," replied the man with the staff. It made him feel a little relieved. "Maybe he is going to continue with his non-interventionist stance," I said. "Let''s hope so," replied the man with the staff in a hopeful voice. ... Lord Ardwyn, Tranquill Bathhouse. Click! "The communication arrived from his majesty," said Constance, as he barged into my office without informing me. I pushed the anger and irritation away and focused on his words. Those words could only mean one thing. "Let''s inform Silver then," I said as he sat before me without invitation. It made me angrier, but once more, I focused on what was happening. "I already did," he replied. It should be me as Master of Legacy, doing that. "In ten days, from today. The inn will break the bond with the bathhouse." "His Majesty will provide you with all the help you need. His Excellency will be here personally to support you." "The only thing you have to do is swallow the Velvet Garden," he stated. "I will," I replied. I need to. Once I become a true master, without any shackles of the throne, I can show this bastard his place. "So, the undead attacked?" asked Rylan, sitting by the window. To that, Constance grinned. It was always planned to initiate the process during a battle in Greltheaven. This is when Silver would be busier and not in the right state to protect his legacy. "It''s such a regret, that bastard had asked for a ten-day window. He was adamant about it, not lessening even for a day." "It would have been great. If we could do it instantly," said Constance, and I couldn''t help but nod. Rylan had informed him how difficult it was to reduce Silver to ten days from the month he wanted. He would not budge beyond that. "Let''s hope the undead won''t capture the city by then, or it would make things tricky." Said Rylan, while Constance and I nodded. "The undead are greedy, but they will not let Silver take such a risk, said Costance. "He might, just do it to spike them," replied Rylan. To that, all of us grinned. Given his nature, he might do it, unless the undead thoroughly suppress him. "He might do it, but for our sake, let''s pray that city remains in Silver''s hands until we swallow the Velvet Garden," I prayed. ... Ina Knox "They are coming," informed General Azalia. Immediately, the mood turned sombre. We knew it would happen, but confirmation made it real. They did it right at midnight when the protection expired. The bastards didn''t wait for a minute more. For a second, nobody spoke; everyone''s head turned toward Almin. The horde would be coming in a few hours; by dawn, they will reach the city. "What is their strength?" asked Colonel Trask. "Same as intelligence had stated," she replied. "Half a million?" Colonel Axseer asked. She confirmed with a nod. The number is ten times ours; here, we only have fifty thousand men. It is a terrifying number. The horde could swallow the whole army up. "Who is leading?" asked Irab. "Solivos Yark," she replied, and immediately, the mood turned heavy as a mountain. I was wishing it wouldn''t happen, but it did. Rynra Throne was the strongest below the two in Ashton Harbor. General Stone was barely able to fight her. She left for the island, which relieved us, but soon Yark came, filling people with dread. He has an aura. On top of that, he is at Lv. 39. Just a step away from Lv. 40. "General, I think we should go over the strategy. You alone cannot face him," said Colonel Iraz. "I agree with Colonel Iraz, General," added Colonel Trask. They''re right to be concerned. She''s lower level than Yark, and her strength lies in team combat. She''s skilled, no doubt¡ªbut going solo against him is a dangerous plan. "Thank you for your worries, but I''ll be fine," she said calmly. They looked like they wanted to argue, but instead turned to me, their expression pleading. It''s clear¡ªthey''re hoping I''ll be the one to talk her out of it. "Have faith in your general," I said to their shock. Usually, I am the first to object to things like this, but here she is right. The group will only impede her battle against Yark. There were many questions in their eyes, but smart ones like Axseer nodded, keeping their questions and curiosity to themselves. A few minutes later, the colonels walked away. Leaving only two of us on the wall. "You should take my offer. You will need all the help you can," I told her. I am talking about my guard. Osward is a High Mage, and Kruabar is a powerful Lv. 3o+ warrior. They would help her tremendously in the battle. I do not need guards; others will protect me in the city. "You are the governor, symbol of the city. You need to be protected," she replied. I wanted to argue, but I knew she wouldn''t listen. So, I just sighed and descended the stairs. ... Solivos Yark The city disappeared behind me as I led the horde toward Panar. I wouldn''t want to do anything that leads to Greltheaven. I have confidence that I could conquer it with the half-million-strong horde that I am leading. It won''t be quick, but I would be able to do it. I had been here for months, doing nothing other than focusing on aura training and studying my enemies. I now know everything about them. Their skills, the way they fight, their weapons, and their strategies. "How long do you think it will take us to conquer the city, Commander?" asked Kola. "Time doesn''t matter, victory does," I replied. I am going to finish the battle as soon as possible. If they fought me outside the city, I would finish it in two hours. If they fought from the wall, it would take longer. The objective is a total victory. I will not let a single person escape. I am not just talking about the army. The army has the most desired bodies, but people are inside the city. Miners, especially, have good physical stats and are desired by the kingdom. Many necromancers and leeches had asked for good bodies. Some had even named the ones they wanted. The most desired among them are Lv. 30s, but they also want that young orc named Uram with the inheritance skill. Though if he were captured dead, his body would go to the island. This is the case for all those with inherited skills. He is more valuable alive; they also want that spirit shaman and fire-breather alive. They are high-potential targets; they will try to convert them to our cause. Honestly, I want to kill them personally. I have seen how such people grow on the island. It is better to finish them off. That''s why not all three of them will be captured alive. I won''t be the one handling them¡ªthey''re far too weak to warrant my attention. No one is my match, I wish Silver would come or his elder blood. Aside from them, some mages might prove tricky; they are always tricky for warriors. Although now, I have the aura, my skills could tear through their spells. My control had improved even further after months of training since coming here. I had sparred with mages, and none lasted more than ten minutes before me. I am little bummed about fighting the general; there won''t be any challenge. That''s why I really want to lead the horde toward Greltheaven. Unfortunately, I do not have a death wish; there are some dangerous people in this region. I''d rather not fight them, especially when I can''t use aura methods. My control is improving, but it hasn''t reached the level where I could begin learning the aura methods. "Lomos, you had fought against them. Do you have any advice?" I asked. I didn''t need any advice, especially against these enemies, but I am a commander and must take the view of those below me. At least, make a show of it. He was not part of the horde, but they sent him from Ashton Harbor. He arrived, less than an hour before we were about to leave. "You are wise, Commander Yark; I do not think I could give you any advice. The only thing I have for you is a suggestion," said the armoured man. "Suggestion?" I asked. "Yes. Don''t underestimate these bastards; they have a habit of pulling out a victory, just when we think the victory is ours," he replied. I looked at him while laughter escaped from the people around me. "Thank you for the suggestion, Lomos," I replied and looked ahead, with a smile escaping from my lips. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 659: Horde Had Arrived Proofread by Thomas F Archmage City "The undead are attacking," said the handsome man as he appeared before the archmage. "I can see," replied the old man, turning toward Renwell Region. "Given their forces, it wouldn''t be considerably difficult for them to conquer Greltheaven," he said. "It wouldn''t be that easy either," replied the archmage with a smile. "Are we not going to do anything?" asked the young man. To that, the archmage shook his head. "The undead are the best choice. If young Silver wants that place, he must earn it himself," replied the archmage. Making it clear, there wouldn''t be any help from the archmage''s city. ... Greltheaven "Any movement from Aston Harbor?" I asked. "No," replied Zela. It relieved me a little. Though the protection had expired only a few minutes earlier, the attack could still come, and I would face it. I was about to ask Zela to contact someone when I saw her expression changing. "There is a message from the Tranquill Bathhouse through the synod channel. They have activated section seven," she informed. "Bastards!" I cursed. Activation of section seven means the countdown to swallowing had begun. It will happen in ten days. It was clear the bastards had been waiting for this opportunity. The moment the undead came, they activated the section. Looking at the time it takes to reach the messages. These bastards didn''t waste any time; they decided in less than a minute. "It won''t matter; I will swallow the Tranquill Bathhouse," I said after I calmed down. The Velvet Bathhouse is thriving¡ªmore than thriving, in fact. It''s become a destination of choice, with a waiting list that''s been growing steadily for years. It makes me desire Tranquill Bathhouse even more; it has great potential, and most importantly, it will aid my bathhouse and the spa with its aspect. ... Orok Uram "Half an hour," The voice called out; the enemies will reach the city in half an hour. It is an hour away from dawn, and we are waiting for the enemies behind the gates. The shamans had already started working with their spells and rituals. Our battalion shamans had begun with their spells. I could already feel their effects. They are all types, from enhancement to protection to healing. There is also an element of aggression and elemental synchronisation. I turned back and saw my battalion standing in a neat order, ready for the battle. ''I think it''s time to give a speech,'' I said, and looked at Hasid. He activated the spell. I don''t like speeches; I don''t know how to give them, but it is a part of my job. I need to inspire my people. Raise their morale. I stopped in front of the people and opened my mouth. I didn''t use the words Hasid had written; instead, I spoke through my heart, as my priest had advised. "It had been over seven months since our battalion formed, and I could proudly say that you all have exceeded our expectations," I said, looking at them all with all the emotion I was feeling. "You all are ready. Ready to face the enemy, ready to kill the enemy!" "And you will!" I finished, and my people began to thump on the ground hard. I did not lie; they are ready, and the enemies will soon know how ready they are. ... Aya Bandstone "Fifteen minutes," the call rang out. I wish I were on the wall. I would have been able to see the horde. I have never seen one, only heard of their terror. I am scared, but I am also excited. I have been training since I came here six months ago; I have also trained with the elite battalion. I couldn''t even dream of doing such intense training before coming here, with my condition. Since I came here, I haven''t felt the slightest pain caused by my condition. With the medicine, I could push myself as hard as I could, and I did. It''s quite a regret that I couldn''t be part of the battalion. I was never part of it; I was only asked to be trained with them. I am an armoured fighter, quite fast and agile for it, but they did not feel that I would be best used there. The young lieutenant colonel is training his battalion to be a windstriker force with elements of shock troops. It is a precarious combination. Windstrikers attack from outside; they never breach inside the enemy''s army. That is the domain of shock troops, but they need a much larger number. With only a thousand in numbers, the enemy could easily swallow them. "Nervous?" asked Trobo, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked at the man beside me. The man is at the same level as me and has the same lieutenant rank, but is a few years older. He is an original resident and has fought every battle the domain has fought. "A little," I replied truthfully. "Don''t worry, once the battle begins, you will not even have time to be nervous about it. The undead will come from the left and right." "Killing them will be the only thought on your mind!" he said. "Trobo!" Captain Galin admonished. "I am just telling the truth, Captain," replied Toro innocently, getting an even bigger glare. I miss Ulo; she is at Greltheaven working in the mage guild. She loves it there; the guild leader has taken a liking to her and is teaching her things. That helped her breach Lv. 20, which would have taken her years on her own. I am happy for her; she has suffered a lot over the years because of me. Nearly lost her life a couple of times, but still, I wish she had been here with me. It is good she is not; the battle with the undead will be dangerous. I had even heard murmurs about the General facing the undead commander alone. He is said to be stronger than her and even has an awakened aura. I know the aura is terrifying. I remember Lord Silver fighting against the bandit leader. Although Lord Silver was a lower level than him, and the bandit had the aid of the artifact, Lord Silver was still able to kill him. Despite all the disadvantages, not a single person backed down from this battle. Despite knowing the odds, these people have confidence in their army and the General. It surprised me because I had been part of one of the strongest armies on the continent and understood how difficult it is to foster such confidence. A few minutes passed, and I looked at my armor again. Moving my armor and legs to see if it is loose in places it shouldn''t be. I didn''t have to; the armor is a perfect fit. I also have a skill called Good Fit. It gives a perfect fit. This skill was instrumental when I wore smaller and bigger armor. I am wearing new armor with new weapons. Unlike the mismatched ones I had looted from bandits, this one fits perfectly, and its enchantments align well. The medicine, training, and artifacts. It all cost a massive amount of money. He gave me that, and I must prove I am worthy of it. No matter how generous he is, he will cut the support if I don''t give him the expected result. It is what keeps me going. I need it until I reach a point where my skills are enough to support me. So, I will fight and fight with everything I have and beyond that. It is the only way to prove my worth. ... Barb Utsa "Ten minutes," The enemies are ten minutes away, and it is making me scared, but also excited. It made me want to drink more, but I controlled myself. I have already drunk a little and will drink some more before the battle begins. I am standing here with my team¨Cthe whole team, including Hugo. He usually is with Carla, but the undead are his greatest enemy. He will fight every battle against them and intends to return to Mayhurst to fight against them. I shook my head and looked around before stopping at Colonel Axseer. The woman is dancing; she has started her ritual. Many are looking at her seriously, with some laughing. That laugh will disappear when they see this woman sending lightning bolts across the battlefield. I was looking at her when I felt eyes on me. When I looked, I saw Colonel Trask looking at me. Our eyes met, and he looked for a moment more before looking away. A few hours ago, he and several colonels met me and gave me a task that broke several rules. They want me to move closer to the General once the battle begins. To support her and protect her with my aura. I don''t know whether I will do that because when I talked to Ina about her facing the powerful enemy commander alone, she told me not to worry. I could tell there is something she isn''t telling me, something that even the top brass of the Panar army isn''t aware of. It is why I will first look at things before abandoning my position. "This battle could kill us all," said Hen beside me. "Then it would be a glorious death," replied Rev, looking at her evenly. She always talks about death before the battle, and it''s not unique to her. I saw many people do that before the battle; it is sort of their coping mechanism to deal with the stress of the fight. She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped, seeing the General. A few seconds later, she stopped in front of the army, with her eyes looking at all. "The undead are coming with a huge horde ten times ours," she said and paused. "These are massive odds, but they always were. Since the first battle, we have fought against the enemies with grave odds but have always attained victory." "It won''t be different this time, we will be victorious, and not even the horde with ten times the numbers will be able to stop it!" she roared. Thud Thud Thud! The moment later, the legs begin to hit the ground hard, and the earth begins to shake under it. It lasted for nearly a minute before it quieted down. Though it didn''t remain quiet for long, as the next minute, the cannons roared. The horde had arrived. author] [/author]Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 660: Clash Proofread by Thomas F Solivos Yark "Charge!" I roared as the cannons of the enemy began to fire against us. The enemy didn''t even try to communicate. They simply started shooting, which is good because if they had informed us of their surrender, I would have been obligated to accept it. Thankfully, they have no interest in it. Boom Boom Boom! Cannons were released from our side, shooting toward the enemy. There is no sign of them, and they are blocking our spells, so we can''t see inside the city, but I know their little army is behind the gates. We move closer and closer, making them intensify their attacks. Mages defended them, despite the large barrage. Not a single cannonball was able to hit the army. It isn''t the only thing they are doing. They also use many earth elemental spells to destroy the mines and, most importantly, alchfire orbs. Those are terrifying things that are unstable but powerful. The bastard had been buying them like crazy. A quarter of them would be more than enough to decimate the horde I am leading. It is why, along with spells, we are also using the skills. Several people with specialised skills and classes are here in the Horde to detect those things. They have been specially brought from the island for this. Till now, they haven''t discovered anything other than mines. "They are coming," said Lomos as the gates opened and the enemy poured out. They did not come at us. Instead, they gathered in front of the gates. "How many?" I asked through the link. ''Forty-six thousand,'' came the reply. The intel had said the enemy had an army of 50,000. This is true, considering that the rest would be on the wall. I thought I would need two hours to finish them, but now, I don''t think I would need that much. An hour would be more than enough if I finish the commander within a few minutes. That wouldn''t be a problem. ... General Azalea I watched as the enemy came closer to us every second, with their steps shaking the very ground we are standing on. Defending against the shower of cannons that we were attacking them with. I could see everything with the General''s Eyes and couldn''t help but be impressed with their mages. We are not holding back anything on the cannon bombardment, but the enemy did not let a single one hit them despite that. We are doing the same thing with their cannonballs, but the difference is that they have other options. "The enemy is confident," said Irab, and I nodded. Usually, the undead do not defend against all cannonballs. This is a waste of mana; letting some of the cannons hit the undead, losing some undead, didn''t affect the battle that much. I could see the man. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties with bronze skin like General Stone. He is bald, with a handsome face, and is now focused on me. Feeling my gaze, he grinned, his eyes blazing with confidence. He is powerful, and his aura has made him even more powerful. So, it is not surprising that the man would feel such confidence. Finally, there was only a mile between us, and I could see the massive scale of the horde. They were as far as the eye could see, and the scale intensified the fear in my heart. I could feel the fear from the men behind me, but not a single one had taken a step back. "Charge!" I ordered and rode my beast toward the enemy, activating Battle Charge. I felt the skills roaring to life as I ordered, and my people moved behind me. It is dangerous to lead from the front. A mage or archer could snipe at me, or an assassin could kill me, but it is necessary. My army is facing a force ten times our size. They are scared but brave. I need to lead from the front to show that I am also unafraid. "Range attacks, begin!" I commanded, and immediately, the spells and arrows released from the wall. A few seconds passed, and the enemies began attacking us with their spells and arrows. My mages and archers responded in kind. Their numbers are higher than ours, but I was relieved to see my people defending well. The army is well-trained, and many have fought against the undead before; just as many have battle experience against conventional enemies. However, around 20% of the people here are fighting the battle for the first time. We have trained them well, and they will show their worth in the battle. The spells intensified as we got closer and closer to the massive horde, with many of them focused on me. Tens of shields appear in front of me every second, defending me against every enemy attack. I could feel my men''s worry for me, but they do not need to be worried. I will deal with Yark; they must deal with the rest. Soon, only a few hundred meters remained between Yark and me when a black spear with a white tip appeared in his hand. A grin appeared on his face, and a vast aura blazed, which made my whole army skip a beat. It only lasted for a moment before it was concentrated on the spear, which he threw toward me. The spear blazed with power and enchantment as it came toward me, with a large number of spells in front of it. Bam Bam Bam! The shields appeared one after another, but the spells destroyed them, clearing the way for the spear, till there were only one hundred ten meters between us. More attacks remained around it, and they destroyed the shields that came to stop it. Finally, when it was only three meters away, the last of the attacks disappeared, leaving only the spear. The shield appeared in front, not a normal shield, but a Grade IV, earth shield, but to my surprise. The spear cleanly pierced through it and another Grade IV shield after, and then another, without even losing momentum. He is powerful enough to make such a powerful attack to destroy these shields, but they should have been able to stop it by now. The spear is still coming without losing momentum. That is the power of aura. "General!!" I heard the warning as the spear appeared in front of me. I looked at it and understood, I have to stop it or it will kill me. I exhaled and unsheathed my sabre. As I did, the glittering fire burst out, burning up the cloth covering its handle, revealing a red blade with diamond fire swirling around it. ... Solivos Yark Seeing that I had reached close enough to the enemy, I took out the spear. As I did, my aura burst out of me, suppressing everything and everyone. Even the very beast I am riding is suppressed. At first, the beasts used to freeze with my aura. I am riding this pure blooded monster, but even it was not immune to aura, and I need to make it used to it before I can ride like this. I looked at the enemy and activated Bane Throw, Pinpoint Cast, and Crimson Line one after another. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed the aura into skills as much as possible before throwing the spear toward the enemy. The spear moved fast with the attacks; they destroyed everything in their path, till the last of the attack disappeared. Leaving my spear to fend off the shield. It pierced through one shield after another, without losing power. I am Lv. 39 Bane Commander: a powerful class. My skills are mighty. Capable of making my spear pierce through the Grade IV shield, but with aura, its power is enhanced even further. I wanted to fight the general, but it''s a battle, and I need to finish it as soon as possible. So, I attacked with my spear. If it could take out the General, it would finish the battle quickly; it might do it in a minute. Most battles collapse with the general dead, and I want to kill her. My spear killed people of her level, and seeing her frozen, I added another name to my kill count. I was thinking that when she finally moved. Hun! She unsheathed her sabre, and I shook my head. When I froze, seeing the glittering fire coming out of it, burning the cloth it was covered in. Seeing that, my eyes widened in a deep shock. "Is that?" asked Lomos, just as shocked as I. "Artifact!" I finished. Not daring to believe what I am seeing. ... General Azalea The glittering fire roared as I unsheathed the beautiful blade. Zmeycleave Saber. I got a precious artifact five months ago. I still remember that moment when Lord Silver put a box in front of me, when he came to Panar after his trip from Archmage City. When I asked him what it was. He stated it is a weapon. I thought it was a high-quality enchanted weapon, hoping for half-artifact, but never in my dreams did I expect it would be an artifact. That he would even give it to me. Besides keeping it for himself, there are many people to whom he could give this saber. General Stone also has an artifact, but it is broken. There are also General Hiren and General Cardin, but Lord Silver gave it to me. Since the day I got it, I have been training with it. It is a very powerful weapon. It is beautiful but just as dangerous, with the ability to influence emotions. When I used it for the first time, it had quite the effect on my emotions. It had taken a lot of practice to control my emotions while using it. I had also trained with it; every time Lord Silver came, I fought and sparred with him using the artifact, and did the same with the General Stone. However, the one who helped me most was the invisible person. When I arrived in Greltheaven, they guided me to a place. It was a place where I learned a lot about myself and my limits. The person I couldn''t see pushed me to a level where I nearly lost control of myself. The artifact had nearly consumed me. It would have, if not for me coming to a realization about myself. I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the spear before me. It will kill me if I don''t stop it. Understanding that, I swung my blade toward it, activating General''s Cut. The blade moved fast and reached the spear almost instantly. Clang! My saber clashed against the spear, and I felt its power. It is immense, which is why it stood against my saber for a fraction of a second before flying away. I watched the flinging spear before turning to Yark. He looked at me in shock, but a moment later, a big smile appeared on his ugly face. "Thank you in advance for the greatest gift I have ever received!" he said and came toward me, his eyes burning with greed. author] [/author]Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 661: Undead Everywhere Proofread by Thomas F Greltheaven "They are attacking," informed Zela. A moment later, a few mage pictures appeared before me, the images of Panar''s army charging fearlessly toward the massive horde. The difference in size is menacing, but they are still moving toward it fearlessly. I looked at the woman leading it, and I couldn''t help but feel proud. I had chosen wisely, not only to select her to lead the army of Panar, but also to give her the artifact. She is not the highest-level warrior I have, nor the most talented fighter, but she is the most emotionally stable. The woman has excellent control over her emotions, better than Stone, me, or anyone else in the army. That makes her the best person to control that weapon. Still, we trained her; using that artifact is no joke. I sparred with her whenever I went to Panar, and Stone did too. When she came to Greltheaven, I had asked Bell to test her limits. She pushed her so hard that Nicolle nearly lost control due to the artifact. That experience helped her a lot in understanding herself and her weapon. It also further reinforced our faith in her. She could harness more power from the artifact than its host before her. That is quite surprising, given she only had it for five months, but that alone will not be enough. Her opponent is more powerful than the bandit I had faced. Her enemy''s control over aura is also much better than mine, while fighting the bandit. He will be a very powerful enemy, and she must go beyond her limits, even with the artifact, to defeat him. Not just defeat him, but also the horde. She is a General. Stone had praised her a lot; it is one of the reasons why I gave Panar to her. I don''t know whether she will be able to defeat the horde. This is the first time she has led the army. I have done what I can, and now the only thing I can do is hope. If she does not win, then the whole army and most of Panar''s citizens will become undead. ... Barb Utsa "Artifact, that is definitely an artifact!" shouted the old man beside me, shocked. I am no less shocked myself; I had expected many things, including her having an aura, but never this, because having an artifact felt too far-fetched. I looked at the artifact, which was beautiful, one of the most beautiful things I have seen. The only thing that could be compared is the Tranquill Bathhouse fountain. I looked at it briefly before focusing on the undead approaching me. We have started to receive commands, and we have already got targets. However, before that, we will have to clear a large number of undead between us and them. Finally, there was only a ten-meter distance between us and the horde. So I sped up and appeared in front of my group. As I did, liquor appeared in my mouth from the Stored Bottles, and I pushed it out hard with Breath Control before lighting up with Flint. The yellow fire with white whisps burst out, and I activated Flame Tricks and willed it toward the shape. The flame widened as it moved forward, spreading as it moved toward the undead. Shields appeared in front of the fire, but it began to burn them. The fire is now more powerful than before, as it isn''t just liquor that powers it; it is also Mana. It is the same for every skill. If there is a fire, Mana will power it along with the liquor. The fire reached the undead and began to burn them wildly, like they were drenched in oil, and I had just lit the match. It is because of the liquor. It is a liquor with a light element called ravian. I had it before, but couldn''t use it fully because it was quite powerful. Now, I can. The undead burned brightly and started to fall down. I was surprised to notice some undead moving, flailing, crashing against other undead, and burning. Such things had happened before, but it was rare. The fire or light elemental energy disrupts the connection with its master. Making them move around wildly, and in conditions like this, it''s advantageous. We reached the undead, and my sword moved, cutting through the undead''s path. I didn''t use any skill; no skill is necessary. I just used my sword to cut through them; I didn''t use the liquor to burn the undead. I used to do it, but wasn''t as strong as I am now. Rip Pach Rip! We cut through the undead as we moved forward. They are coming from all directions, making me feel like there is no way we could defeat this foe. We have to do it; there is no other choice. Whoosh! "Barb, clear the field," said Hugo. I nodded and released my breath. Whoosh! I released my breath, burning those under it, not the ones in front of us, but those grouped behind them. The fire went over them before descending toward the undead behind them. I couldn''t do this before, but now with the Flame Trick. I loved this skill, along with Breath Control. I could do things that were impossible before. We cleared the undead in front of us and moved forward. Things were a little easier for a few seconds before they became harder again; the undead were coming from all directions, bogging us down while their powerhouses would snipe at us. It is their strategy; they want to tire us out with the undead before finishing us off. "Fuck, these bastards are everywhere," cursed Rev as he killed several with a single attack. Even Lv. 3o Warriors like him are not immune to the numbers. "Everyone stepped back a little," I told my team, and they immediately understood what I had planned. I told them about my abilities, and it was time I used one of them. The liquor appeared in my mouth once more, and I activated my Lv. 30 skill. Power Brew It is the only skill I got from my class, Merryfire Mistress; the other new skills I got were upgraded from the skills of three classes and merged skills. As I had activated it, the drop of alcohol produced by me mixed with the liquor. Immediately, the change occurred in the liquor in my mouth. The magic was charged and vibrated at the edge of instability, but didn''t become unstable. Power Brew makes the process much safer. Earlier, if I did something like this, I barely had a second to push the liquor out before it would explode in my mouth, but now, it is stable. I could now have nearly a minute before it posed any threat to me. The skill also increases the power of brew; it is what I want. Whoosh! I didn''t breathe out immediately; I waited for a few seconds till I found the perfect chance before breathing out in a large arc. Creating the wave that fell on the undead behind the ones we are facing. As the fire fell down on the undead. It lit them, and they blazed, and this blaze spread into other undead so that within seconds, hundreds were eliminated. "I am really jealous," muttered Hen as she defended us against the attacks as we moved quickly through the path we had cleared. We only got a few seconds before we were once more swarmed and bogged down by the undead. This is the reality of the horde; their numbers are their most significant advantage, and they know how to use them to their maximum benefit. This time, their attacks seemed more intense. It is why we have an hour to finish the battle, two at most, before these numbers swallow us. It will happen if we do not defeat them. We will defeat them. ... Orok Uram "Fanged Snake Formation!" I commanded through the Officer''s Command as we were about to clash with the horde. The battalion reacted to the command immediately, and by the time we were a meter away from the undead, we were in formation. Rip Clang Rip! We crashed into the undead, my ax tearing through the five undead in front of me in a single attack. I did it without stopping and moved forward before attacking again, cleaving through another group of undead. My people did the same as I drilled through the horde without losing our momentum. As we moved inside the horde, the undead approached us from all directions, while their mages attacked us. My mages are defending, but many attacks are passing through them, and I am defending while clearing the undead. We already have the targets, but must go deep inside the horde to deal with them. That wouldn''t be easy, but this is what I have been training them for. So, I led them deeper and deeper into the horde, killing the undead as they came. Still, they kept coming while our targets moved around, with mages and archers sniping at us. It injured a lot of my troops, and by the end of the minute, we lost a soldier. In the past battles, they actively came to kill us, but here, they are burying us with the undead. Even their warriors aren''t coming toward us. Whenever we got close, they would move away. "Fuck, there are too many undead!" cursed Lartim. He is new; he has fought many battles in the empire, but this is his first time fighting against the undead. Yes, there are too many undead people, and they are coming at us intensely. Usually, such a thing only happens in the past battle when their powerhouse tries to run away, with the undead providing the cover. It will only make things difficult because we will need to cut through a lot of undead to reach them, and we will. To kill them, we will cross through this sea of undead. ... Aya Bandstone Rip Clang Rip! My sword cleaved through the undead group, but another group immediately took their place. They are everywhere, and the only thing I am doing is cleaving through them, but no matter how much I kill, they are endless. I had fought in the armies before, but never against such enemies. Whenever we fought, our enemies had around the same number as us. Most of the time, we had the numerical advantage, but here, things are different. The numbers were over ten times ours, and we could kill a group in a single attack. The others would take their place immediately. "Move faster; targets are getting away once more!" ordered Captain Galin and led us forward. It was the third time the targets had moved, and we were chasing them. We aren''t the only company doing that; others are doing the same. Moving through the dense forest of undead to reach the enemy. Honestly, I felt we would never be able to reach our target, but these people do not seem to feel that. They purposely cut the undead, each step taking them closer to the targets. I decided to erase the doubts in my heart and focus on killing the undead with the same zeal. I have to prove myself; this battle is the best opportunity I''ve had in the month. author] [/author]Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 662: Intensified Proofread by Thomas F Solivos Yark "Thank you in advance for the greatest gift I have ever received," I said as I looked at the beautiful saber in the woman''s hand, before jumping off the beast. I could fight on horseback, but given the blazing fire swirling around the saber, it would be better to fight on the ground. I would have been able to defend the beast, but given the artifact, I would rather focus on myself and getting that artifact in my hand. I am not a saber user, but I am not worried about that. As long as I have it, I will exchange it for spear artifacts; there are a couple of them in the kingdom. She dismounted as I did and came toward me, with glittering fire blazing across the saber. "Hehe!" I laughed. I pointed my spear forward and shot toward her, activating Spearman''s Surge. It is one of the best skills I have in my arsenal. It is made from merging the two skills. It increases my speed and reflexes. It is aligned with the weapon; it gives me a boost when I use the spear. The skill isn''t the only thing giving me a boost. The weapon is also doing it; it is a half-artifact. Taken from a noble spearmaster, I had killed. That was the most difficult battle I had fought. It nearly killed me, but I succeeded. As a reward, I had reached Lv. 30 and got this powerful class. I have a feeling that killing her would be even more rewarding, and I am not talking about the artifact alone. I appeared in front of her, but didn''t attack immediately. "Give me the saber and I will spare your life," I offered to the woman. She didn''t reply. Instead, the glittering fire on her saber burned brightly, and she swung it toward me. It immediately made me serious as I understood I had underestimated the artifact''s power. I thought I could defeat her without aura, but feeling its power, I know, doing that would be a massive mistake; the artifact is powerful. I made the decision instantly, and my aura burst out of me, and I attacked. Activating Iron Thrust and Piercing Point, before pushing the aura into them, to amplify their power. Instantly, my attack became a lot stronger. Clang! My spear clashed against the saber, sending a fiery shockwave that shook me and made me take a step back. I am not the only one who did. It sent her back as well. Two steps, actually. I didn''t waste even a moment and moved forward with the Spearman''s Surge, powering it with aura. I appeared behind her and attacked her swiftly with the Iron Thrust and Piercing Point. The woman turned fast, her saber creating a fiery arc before meeting my spear. Clang! The weapons clashed again, but this time, I was more prepared and was only shaken a little while she took a single step back. I used this opportunity to move forward and attack again. Clang Clang Clang! Our weapons clashed hard, one after another. She is at a disadvantage against me, but it is very small and shrinking fast. "They have trained you, Hun?" I asked, surprised. The way she is fighting me, responding to my attacks. It''s clear that she had been trained. Our intelligence about her stated that she is an above-average fighter; this is not above average. She responded, adjusting her attacks based on mine. "Do you think they would have just given the artifact without it?" she replied with a laugh and, for the first time, launched the attack. It is an arc of fire; so powerful that I know, I could not let it hit me. So, I moved to defend against it using the Intercepting Strike, powered by the aura. Bam! The fiery arc exploded as I defended against it. Shaking me, the opportunity she used to launch another attack. Clang! The next moment, I stopped her attacks. "I am far from that easy," I replied with a grin before attacking her again. Our weapons clashed once more, and they clashed again and again. I am trying to understand her combat style and weaknesses. She is not a talented fighter, but is very good at defending her weaknesses. The glittering fire is unlike any fire I have ever seen. It had physical force, making her attacks more powerful. If I didn''t have the aura, I wouldn''t have lasted even a minute in front of her. I continued with my attacks while also leading the battle. I studied the battles we fought and learned that engaging them was the greatest mistake we had ever made. I had brought the powerhouses, but I had told them not to fight unless they had no other option. I focused more on bogging down the enemies with our most significant advantage. The undead. I had commanded all the pillars to focus the undead on the enemies. I told them not to care about the undead. Once we win the battle, we can salvage most of the parts. Besides, we will get many fresh bodies after our victory. Time passed, and I continued with my battle, when I started to notice things. The enemies are moving through the undead at the same speed as before; it seemed like they weren''t able to tire them out. Giving me a feeling like the armies of that wretched Kalgha Dominion. That thought didn''t give me a good feeling. ''Four of you, what the hell are you doing? Slow down the enemy, blast the undead, if you have to!'' I commanded the four main pillars controlling the horde. "It will destroy a lot of the undead?'' came the reply from Hanby. ''So what? I want them dead," I replied. Yes, we do not usually blast the undead as that makes them completely useless. If they kill the undead, it could still be salvaged later; that is not the case with the blasted undead. Bang Bang Bang! A moment later, the blasts began to ring out throughout the battlefield. ... General Azalea Bang Bang Bang! "See, these blasts are the herald of your defeat." The bald man said as the blasts rang out through the battlefield. They are sounding from everywhere, and they are doing damage. I could feel my people dying. ''Plated Sprint!'' I commanded through General''s Command and activated Enhanced De?fense. "If this is all you have, then it is best that you give up," I replied, and anger flashed in his eyes for a moment before he controlled himself and launched another attack. I moved my saber with the Swift Saber and defended against the attack. It is what I am doing the most, defending. I know my limitations. I am not as good a fighter alone as I am in the group. I am mostly focused on defence, using minimal skills. The aura isn''t infinite; it has a limit. Once he reaches it, I will go on the offense; until then, I must preserve as much strength as possible and keep my emotions calm. The strategy isn''t as flashy as my saber, but it is the best one, and I am good at it. It will put immense pressure on my men, but it is never easy to fight an opponent like him. He is very experienced, finishing him is the dream. "You should be the one who gives up. You have a choice right now, and in a few minutes, you won''t,'' he said, flashing to my left, and attacking. I didn''t reply to that. I am worried about my people; these explosions are dangerous for them. We have prepared for this, but like the undead, we too will bear the cost. I am directing my people, taking in all the information coming at me every second. He is using a different strategy from others. He lets the undead attack us while keeping the powerhouses away. He wants to tire us out before letting his powerhouses loose on us. This is the strategy they use against the forces of the Kalgha Dominion. He was stationed there before coming here. This strategy isn''t without a cost. It destroys many undead, and they can''t be recovered. However, it also presents us with the opportunity if we play our cards right. Thankfully, we have a strategy for it; General Stone devised it based on how the Kalgha dominion does. The plated defense is designed to minimize casualties while maximizing speed, allowing us to reach the enemy more quickly. The undead have already cleared the path ahead in the wake of the explosion. In this strategy, the units are covered in protection spells to protect against the explosions, while speed skills roar. Commander Stone seemed to have expected it. Seeing that he had increased the number of mages in the army a few days ago, we already had more mages than Greltheaven''s army. Panar''s army has double the number of mages per unit than the Greltheaven. They have taken massive risks in sending more mages here, but I am glad. It saves many of my people''s lives, but we have to use this to reach our goal. The enemy had started killing us faster with this strategy, but they have also created a way toward their powerhouses for us, and we will use that. "It''s a good strategy, but it won''t work," he said and laughed; the next moment, explosions intensified. Seeing that, my expressions turned ugly. author] [/author]Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 663: Pieces Moving Proofread by Thomas F Orok Uram Bang Bang Bang! "Fuck, it intensifing!" cursed Lt. Dorv as the more undead begin to self-destruct. One undead blast alone lacks force¡ªbut when dozens detonate at once, they unleash a storm of bone shrapnel, slicing through the air like blades of death. This is happening everywhere: the undead explode, sending a shrapnel blast. My mages have created a defensive shield around us, but some of the shrapnel and, most importantly, spells would go through them. The bone shrapnel is deadly, but even more dangerous are the enemy mages. They are using this opportunity to snipe at us. I could feel my people getting injured and some dying, and the anger burned brightly in my heart. I didn''t calm myself down; instead, I used it to push the Advance Together beyond its limit. It is only a skill I have acquired in the past six months from the single level up in my Officer Class. The skill is good, but it is not that powerful. I am only a Lv. 19 Officer; I have accumulated a lot of experience in it, like my Wildlander Survivalist. Enough to reach Lv. 20 and go beyond it, but it is stuck. It needs something that I haven''t provided yet to level up to Lv. 20. I pushed the skill further, while the Rhythm of Wild sang inside me. It is singing, louder than it had ever been since I had left the forest. I have worked really hard to meld my skills over the past seven months, but it has been an extreme challenge. This isn''t some low-level spell¡ªit''s a powerful inheritance skill. Even so, I managed to make some progress. In fact, I went even further. I stopped trying to control my emotions. The wildness couldn''t be tamed, and it refused to be suppressed. It is who I am; changing it would fundamentally change myself. So, I used a different approach; I started channelling it. This allowed me to remain rational despite the wild emotions running through my heart. Hun! Suddenly, Rhythm sang in the warning, and I turned to see a thick bone spike covered in black fire approaching me. Grade IV spell. The rhythm sang of its danger. I could recognise this spell and understand its dangers even if it didn''t. It is coming at me, tearing through all the spells and exploding undead. I want to dodge it, but that''s not an option. I must defend against it, or it will tear through my people. ''Don''t waste mana on it; I will deal with it!'' I commanded my mages, and immediately, the shields stopped appearing in front of it. The mages are under extreme strain because they are responsible for protecting the battalion from the exploding undead around them. I don''t want to add this to their strain. It took barely a second to reach me, and I reacted. The Lion''s Strength filled, and I swung my ax with the Wild Swing. Clang! My axe clashed against the spike, and I felt the immense force against it. Even with the force absorption enchantment, it sent me a step back. Bam! A moment after that, it exploded, sending shrapnel covered in a black fire toward me. They tore through the defensive spells covering me, before reaching my body, before clashing against the Survivor''s Protection. Most was stopped by it. It is a half-inheritance skill, as powerful as a Lv. 30 protection skill. It stopped most of the shrapnel; a few pierced me, and black fire wanted to spread inside me, but Survivor''s Healing stopped it, and a few seconds later, shrapnel began to be pushed out of my body. "Advance!" I commanded and pushed Advance Together even harder. We moved while the undead exploded around us and enemies sniped at us. I trained them for it, and they are doing well, but we are still losing people. We pushed ourselves toward our targets, which are taking us on a merry chase. Never staying in one place, continually moving. It is frustrating, but they won''t be doing this for long. They are in control right now, but they won''t be for long. A minute passed, and then another, and we kept following them while thousands of undead exploded around us, trying to stop us. Instead, they have only made us faster. Finally, the expected note appeared in the rhythm, and I smiled. ''Steel Ants, variation III,'' I commanded. I could see the surprise on my men''s faces, but they had immediately followed the orders. A few seconds later, the battalion was separated into twelve platoons of forty to fifty members, each led by a lieutenant. They moved, while I also moved forward, alone. It is extremely dangerous for me to move alone, but it is needed for the strategy to work. I didn''t plan to do this, but plans change according to conditions. In these conditions, I need to go alone. ... Barb Utsa Bang Bang Bang! I moved my shield forward to defend against the shrapnel coming toward me. They broke through the defensive spells and came at me, while I dodged and defended while still moving forward. "Rev move to rear, Barb to the left," ordered Hugo. We changed our places immediately and moved forward without stopping for even a second. Hugo is commanding actively as he pushes us toward our targets. Many here had fought against this strategy of the undead; they knew how to deal with it while suffering minimal damage. The explosions made the fire-breathing near obsolete, as there is nothing to burn. These undead would explode as we reached them. They would blast themselves before my fire could even light up. Knowing that, Hugo had ordered me to stop breathing fire the moment the undead began exploding. We moved through the exploding undead, with Hen and other mages defending us. They are using Grade II spells to defend against the explosion. It stops most of the shrapnel; as for those that get past, they lose most of their power doing that. Making it easier to deal with; the hardest thing about it is the sniping mages. Hun! Another spell came toward me, and this made me serious. It is not Grade II and Grade III spells that I had been defending against, but Grade IV. Bone Spear Barrage. It is a Grade IV spell, and it is coming toward me. "Barb?" asked Hugo. "I will deal with them," I replied and moved forward. Shields appeared around me; they were not for the spears, but the explosion of undead that intensified around me. These bastards are coordinating well; they intensified the explosions as Bone Spears came. The Bone Spears came, tearing through the shields protecting me from the explosions. I didn''t look at them; all my focus was on the lances as they appeared before me. I exhaled and stepped forward before swinging my sword, activating Flame Strikes. As I did, the fire appeared behind the sword, moving fast. It was too fast, actually; when I first got the skill, I couldn''t control it at all. I needed to practice for weeks to gain control; I have it now. The skill has been advanced from Swift Blade; it makes the attack faster. Earlier, it was physical, but now a jet of flame, powered by liquor and mana, is behind it. Clang! My blade crashed against the first bone spear; it was a mighty clash, my blade was fast, and most importantly, it became heavier with enchantment. It sent the lance flying away toward the undead before I moved to clash against the second spear. Clang Clang Clang! It clashed against it, moved toward another lance, and clashed against it before swiftly moving to another one. It clashed against one spear after another, before I knew it, my sword had dealt with all seven lances; I didn''t even have to use the shield in the other hand. I may have defended against the lances, but exploding sharpeners still had struck me. Thankfully, Hen had cast a defensive skin around. A few could go past it, but my armor defended against them. Leaving only three that struck my skin. I removed the two with my own hands. I left the one; it was too small, and I didn''t have time to remove it. "Let''s move!" ordered Hugo, and we moved ahead. More attacks came, but we had defended against them and continued to move forward. Our enemies moved around while the undead exploded, but that couldn''t stop us. We continued to move according to the commands we were receiving. Minutes passed, and I saw a smile appear on Hugo''s face. "Vandal and Along had reached their place. It''s time to move swiftly!" he said, and we all grinned. Our speed skills roared the next moment, and dense protective spells appeared around us. The fire lit up my feet, and I moved forward with my team. We moved fast. Even the explosions began to have a hard time catching up to us. Vandal, Hugo, and Alog are the most powerful mercenary companies in Greltheaven. Now, three of them had formed a triangle and were moving toward the enemies at the same time. With triangle forces enveloping them, it will be tough for enemies to escape. This time, there will be no escape! ... Aya Bandstone I moved my shield forward, defending against another explosion as I moved with my company. I am glad I chose the tower shield. I had done it within days of arriving in the city. I used to use the round shield because it was the only shield I could use with my condition, but now I can use the Tower Shield, which I like so much more. Hun! "Left!" called out Trobo with a fear in his eyes. I turned and saw long bolts of black lightning coming toward us. "Fuck!" I cursed as I saw the big bolts. It is Grade IV spell, without a doubt. I could feel it could kill me if it hit me. I don''t know whether the armor I am wearing would be able to help me survive this. Our mages cast shield after shield in front of lightning bolts, but they were destroyed instantly. Captain appeared beside me with his sword forward. A moment later, I felt his skill. An enhancement skill that increases the defences. I controlled my fear and moved my shield forward, before activating Brace and my new skill Shield Wall. After a moment of hesitation, I activated the Cover Ally. Immediately, the captain turned to me. "Don''t do it, it will kill you," he warned. "I will be fine," I replied, flashing him with a smile. I''m one of the highest-ranking shield warriors in the company¡ªonly one person outranks me, standing just to the captain''s left. And even then, my gear is superior. It is comparable to the captains, who are Lv. 30. Silver isn''t holding back in fostering me, from the weapons to the potions to the training. He is providing me with everything I need. It is the first time anyone other than Ulo has shown faith in me, and I don''t want to disappoint him. He looked like he wanted to say something, but closed his mouth. He understood that three of us aren''t enough to stop the bolts unless one takes the larger load. I have the skill and tools required. Still, I am grateful for the increase in his skill''s power over me, which further enhanced my defense. A second later, the lightning was in front of us, with more than half of the black lightning bolts in front of me. Bam! The first lightning bolts hit my shield, and I felt like a Warhammer had hit me. The enchantments on my shield lit up brightly. It shook me from head to toe, nearly caused me to step back, before pushing Brace hard. I felt a powerful shock, which made me want to release my shield. Instead, I gritted my teeth and pushed my skills harder, enhancing the defence. I understood the first bolt was just a trailer for what was coming. Bam Bam Bam! The next moment, five bolts crashed on my shield nearly simultaneously. I felt like a Carom Biron crashing into me with its rage and nearly throwing me back like a broken doll. It would have, if not for me, immediately taken the steps back to manage the force. It is powerful enough that Brace cannot bear it, even when I pushed the skill beyond its limit. A Grade IV spell is no joke. Especially for someone like me, in the Mid-Lv. 20''s. I may have dealt with the force, but the lightning is still there; the bolts transformed into hundreds of tiny bolts and are now all over me. They are passing through my armor''s defenses and hitting me. Making the smoke from the burned flesh rise out of my armor. Puch! I finally stopped and vomited up the blood. I nearly fell to the ground due to the powerful weakness that enveloped me. I shouldn''t have done that; it was too much, and I could barely keep myself up. Hun! I was struggling when I felt the spells. They were gentle, like dusk; they began to deal with the small lightning bolts while healing my injuries. Returning my strength to me. "Thank you," I said as I turned to the priest of dusk a few seconds later. "Can you move?" Captain Galin asked. I nodded, "Good, the companies are getting into their places. Soon, these bastards won''t be able to run," he stated, and a moment later, we began to move. author] [/author]Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 664: I Will Kill You All Proofread by Thomas F Solivos Yark She swung her saber several times, sending arcs of the glittering flames toward me. Bam Bam Bam! I pushed the aura into the Intercepting Strike and defended against it before moving my spear to protect against the saber coming at me. Clang! I defended her attack before attacking with my spear. It had been minutes since the battle began, and I could forget about killing her quickly. I had not even been able to bring a single injury to her body. ''It seemed like I wouldn''t be able to kill her without using my real strength,'' I thought, and made up my mind the next moment. The horde is doing its job against the enemy; it''s not as good as I liked, but it''s still good enough. It''s time I did that, too, and finished her up. I can''t keep blowing the undead. I am losing a lot of them every minute. If I want to end the battle, I must finish her; it is the quickest way. I activated the Spearmaster''s Presence and powered it with aura before pushing it onto the woman. I could feel the alarm rising in her body, and saw it in her eyes as she moved to defend against my attack. Clang! It surprised me when, once again, she defended the attack. It is a powerful skill that suppresses the enemy. Its effects are especially powerful when used with aura, but it feels like it didn''t affect her at all. I had killed the enemies with this powerful skill before coming here. In the months after coming here, I had trained my aura and improved my control tremendously. So, it is even more powerful, but despite that, it didn''t affect her. "It''s the artifact," I said. It protects her against my aura; every artifact offers some protection, and seeing that there was no change in her other than surprise, its protection was excellent. ''What the hell is this artifact?'' I asked. I had asked this question to my people; I had memorised hundreds of artifacts, but this one was not on any list they had given me. If I had known about it, I wouldn''t have dealt with it so badly. Still, it didn''t matter; it would not change things. I deactivated the skill. It''s quite a regret; it is a fantastic skill. It not only suppresses the opponent, but also gives me an edge depending on how much I suppress them. I attacked again using the Iron Thrust and Piercing Point, but also activated Reach Advantage, Crimson Flow, and Mirage Assault, before pushing my aura into them. This is me, serious¡ªand I''m using my true strength. She reacted instantly as I noticed her moving her saber into a defensive stance. Clang! Rip! She defended against the attack, but the next moment, a cut appeared across her arm. Mirage Assault is a fantastic skill; combining it with the other three makes it even more powerful. It becomes tough to stop. She had dodged it on time, or it would have taken her heart. "You had the chance, but you didn''t take it," I said, and moved with another attack using Spearman''s Surge. Clang! Rip! She defended, but I appeared behind her and attacked again. Giving her a cut across the back. I moved again, and fire surged across her saber. I could sense her activating skills, bracing for the strike¡ªthen I laughed, already at her left. Rip! Another gash¡ªthis time across her stomach. She was skilled, no doubt. Any one of those strikes could''ve run someone through, but she deflected them all with sharp instinct and grit. But it didn''t matter. I only need to land one clean hit¡ªjust one¡ªand it''s over for her. Clang Rip Clang! I struck again and again. She blocked what she could, but blow after blow landed, carving fresh wounds across her body. There would''ve been more¡ªif not for that armor. It''s decent, sure. But against my spear? It won''t hold. Her artifact may outclass my weapon, but her armor doesn''t stand a chance. Keep pressing. Keep hitting. It''ll rip apart soon enough. Hun! Minutes passed, and then another; the bloody cuts had appeared all over the enemy''s body. ''This damn artifact!'' I cursed, seeing them. I may have filled her body with the cuts, but they are not bleeding. They should be; I am using Crimson Flow, and with every attack, the aura has powered the skill even further. The enemies stronger than her had bled dry with fewer cuts than this, but she is fine. I forced myself to calm down, eyes locked on the next strike. The reality hadn''t changed¡ªI still only needed one clean hit to end it. But she wasn''t giving me the chance. I poured more aura into my skills, pushing harder, faster¡ª Still, the bitch held her ground, defending like her life depended on it. Because it did. At most, I was able to cut her, and all those cuts are shallow, and she had protected her veins. This means she is fighting without much blood loss. I didn''t let it anger me, and I fought calmly for a minute and managed to rend through her armor. Hun! For a few fleeting seconds, I felt a rush of satisfaction¡ª But then I noticed it. And just like that, the calm in my heart evaporated. "You''re better than I heard," I said, smiling through clenched teeth. "You''re not bad yourself," she replied smoothly, stoking my anger. She had made her move¡ªright under my nose. Her army wasn''t in disarray because of me. She had intentionally broken it apart, scattering her forces across the field. I thought I was in control. Seeing how these pieces seemed so random as they chased around my powerhouses, while the undead exploded around them, bringing casualties. They weren''t random; she was intentionally moving them in a pattern I couldn''t decipher. She did it without the aid of commander skill. I would have detected it with the Enemy''s Pulse much faster if she had. Enemy''s Pulse is a rare commander skill. It had helped me win many battles, but this skill aligned with the enemy''s usage of the skill to change the strategy. If it is true, this is a talented general, and it made me want to kill her even more. I channelled that rage into Tactical Disruption, another rare skill, before starting to guide my people. At the same time, I attacked the woman in front of me. She is reacting to my commands and changing her strategy in real time. It is frustrating. I am a good commander, I had won countless battles, while this bitch, who is first time leading the army is going against me. I wanted to blast the whole horde and bury her little army in it, but I controlled my emotions and thought carefully before making a final decision. "Irivar! Take command of the horde for a minute¡ªI''m finishing this bitch myself!" I barked, activating the skill to seal the command¨C formalising it. Horde Command: Temporary Handover ''I will not disappoint you, Commander,'' he replied. I didn''t respond to that and focused on the woman before me, with the weight of the command lifted from my shoulders. "It''s time for you to die bitch!" I spat and activated my most powerful skill. Skewerstorm. I powered it with Aura along with the other five skills. It made me feel like my head was about to explode, but I bore it as I moved toward her attack. Clang! She defended the first attack, and I smiled. This was a building storm, and it was weakest at first. Clang Clang! I moved my spear again with the second, slightly more powerful attack, and she defended it, along with the third, which was even more powerful. She defended the fourth one and the fifth, but at the sixth, my spear avoided her saber and moved toward her. Rip! It cut across her neck, creating a red line across her white skin. Had it been slightly deeper, it would have been the end of her. She survived, but not for long. She barely blocked the seventh strike, stumbling back a step. I didn''t let up. My next attack tore across her chest, ripping deeper into her armor and leaving a fresh gash beneath. ''We have reached inside, now moving toward the city hall,'' a voice rang within my mind. A moment later, a grin spread across my face. ''Blava, kill her quickly. You can torture the other whores, but I want her dead quickly,'' I ordered. It is personal for her, but not for me. For me, the battle is more important. I need that whore governor dead. Once she is, I could use the news to collapse this little army. ... General Azalia Rip! His spear tip made another cut across my armor, which had already turned into a mess. It''s barely hanging together on my body, yet, despite its state, it still offers crucial protection. Without it, I''d probably be dead by now. But his attacks have shifted¡ªstronger, faster¡ªso fast, in fact, that I can barely track them. The mirage weaving around each strike only makes it harder to defend. He shouldn''t be this strong, but he is, and his attacks are getting stronger. Forcing me to harness more power from the artifact. I''m channeling so much of it¡ªnot just the fire, but the enhancements and healing as well. The reason the wounds appear without blood is because of it. But this power comes at a price. The artifact''s emotional influence grows stronger with every bit of power I draw, pushing me closer to the edge. "If I lose control of my emotions, there will be consequences¡ªdire ones. But I need more power to counter his increasingly vicious strikes. The saber is a powerful artifact; it offers a wellspring of energy I can harvest. More power, healing my wounds, halting the blood¡ªthey all come at a price, a terrible one. The dragon''s voice rumbles through my mind, urging me to take more, to embrace the fire. I haven''t forgotten how I had nearly lost control of the artifact in Greltheaven. I am already feeling immense strain due to the artifact and the battle; I am guiding every part of it. I needed to, seeing how this bastard was keeping his powerhouses away and blasting my men with the undead. So, I had devised this complicated strategy because he was quickly adjusting to my previous attempts. Once it had finished, my people could engage with over 80% of his powerhouses. It is nearly finished; they are very close to engaging them. Once that happened, I could fight this monster with more focus. He attacked me with even more powerful attacks. Seeing that, I harnessed more power from the artifact to defend against them. Our weapons reached close and were about to clash when his expression changed, and a grin appeared on his ugly face. Clang! I defended, while taking the rapid steps back to manage the force, and he followed as always. Though this time, there is a nasty grin on his face. "I told you, I will kill you all, and it will begin with your whore Governor," he said, making my heart skipped a beat. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 665: Assassins Chapter 665: Assassins Proofread by Thomas F Governor Knox "Any update?" I asked Osward this question for the hundredth time. She shook her head, offering no new answers. I am worried about the army. It is the only thing between the city and the massive horde, and if the army is defeated, the whole city will turn undead. Even thinking about it is unbearable, but I know it is a real possibility. Master Silver had asked me to escape if that happens. He had even prepared the things, but I don''t know whether I will do it. I had come to the city when it was at its worst. Where children had flesh sticking to their bones, the smell of rotten bodies came out of their houses. Things had improved tremendously since then. We had focused on restoring people to their former selves, repairing homes and infrastructure, including building new ones. Now, 80% of the city is occupied, and I had planned to finish that with the remaining 20% in the coming months. We also had good money flowing in from the mine, and our budget was at its highest since I took the reins, despite Greltheaven reducing the contribution by over half. I could have taken the city beyond its former height if I had had a few more months. I will have a chance to do it as long as we successfully defend ourselves from the undead today, and we will. I have complete confidence in General Azalia. In the past few months, I have come to know the woman a lot. Our relationship is still professional, but I know the woman is capable; she will defeat the undead. I helped as much as possible, but I wish I could have helped more. If I had skills that could affect the army, I would have been able to, but unfortunately, I do not. Click! I was in my thoughts when the door opened, and Argis walked in, and he looked a little stressed. "Thoughts are spiralling out of control in Marston Hall. Your presence would help calm them down," he said. Hearing that, I couldn''t help but sigh. "Sure," I said a moment later. I am currently cooped up in the city hall. The general had asked me not to come out until the battle ended. It is protected by heavy guards. I understand why she did that, but I feel like the people would have been more useful on the battlefield. Undead has a habit of sending assassins to kill the rulers while they fight the battle. I need to be protected, not for myself but for what I represent. If the news of my death spread across the battlefield, it would help the undead a lot. What would help even more is showing my dead body, which they had done many times. It had collapsed the armies. I left the chair and walked out of my office, with Osward behind and Kruabar in front. Aside from them, there are twelve guards around me. I''m guarded on all sides¡ªanyone who tries to come for me will have a hell of a time getting through. These guards aren''t weak; all of them are between Lv. 20 and Lv. 30, and most importantly, they are not regular warriors but bodyguards. Their classes specialize in protecting a person; it''s tough for anyone to harm me with them. "Governor," the guards guarding the door greeted and bowed before opening the door. I nodded before stepping inside Marston Hall. ''I am governor,'' I said to myself, projecting the confidence I was not feeling. I activated Impeccable Image, Governor''s Grace, and my newest skill, Governor''s Presence. I need to show them that I am not worried. I need to project absolute confidence¡ªlike I believe, without a shred of doubt, that we will win. I entered the hall. It''s a beautiful hall with a grand chandelier and murals with art pieces all over it. Unfortunately, it''s quite beautiful. If we survive this battle, it will be demolished in a few months. The city hall staff is increasing, and so are the departments. If that continued, we would need space; this is the only place we could demolish to make more space for them. The hall is useful, but we do not need two; there is another one. That is more than enough for our needs. "Governor," The greeting rang out as nearly a hundred people, sitting there, got up at once. These are the most important people in the city: the merchants, the officials, and even a few academics, whom Lord Silver had sent to help me with some planning. Many had run away to Greltheaven; these brave ones stayed, and I couldn''t help but feel grateful to them. Aside from them, there are also guards. If panic were to ensue, these people would suppress it forcefully. I hope it won''t come to that. These are just worried people who are feeling a little panicked. My presence alone eased quite a lot of it. "Everyone, please sit," I said, activating Hear When I Talk. They all sat down, and I looked at them. I saw the familiar emotions in their eyes and felt them in my heart, but unlike them, I kept them buried. They cannot see it; it will make them panic more. "I know, you''re all feeling worried; I am myself quite worried myself," I said, bringing some nervous smiles on their faces. "It is natural to feel these emotions in times like these, but just as important, to not let them overwhelm us." "You have stayed in the city while many left; it is not just because you are brave, which you all are, but because you have confidence in our army and believe it will protect us." I paused and looked at them. Many of them were calming down. Some had calmed down enough to feel the familiar emotions toward me. A few of disgust and many of lust. I could feel them quite clearly thanks to Maven''s Insight. "We had won all the battles, we had fought against the undead, and we will win this one too; do not doubt it, because I do not," I finished with all the confidence in the world. I could see many; it relieved many. Seeing that, I felt relieved as well. Their panicking wouldn''t have helped anybody. Clap Clap Clap! I moved to talk to them individually, when I heard the claps; slow sharp crips claps. They immediately attracted the eyes of all. I turned and saw the woman beside the closed gate. She was short and covered her whole body in grey rogue armor. She is a beautiful woman on the cuter side with a blond bun. Though right now, she didn''t look cute; she looked bloodthirsty, with hate burning in her eyes. "What a speech; it is the best I have heard in quite a while," said the woman as she stopped clapping. My guards have already moved around me, and other guards in the hall are moving toward us while pushing the people into the same corner as they had practiced. She looked at the guards coming toward her, and there was not a hint of fear in her eyes. "Don''t approach her," I ordered them before turning to her. "Miss Blava, right?" I asked the woman, and she grinned. "Please leave, Miss Blava; with my guards here, you stand no chance of harming us," I said calmly, despite my heart beating like war drums. A mocking smile appeared on her face, hearing that. We know about her; she is the assassin of the undead. If the intelligence is to be believed, she is around Lv.35. She is part of the elite assassin organisation in the Vris''alud, which holds a lot of sway. She has done this many times before: killed the rulers while the armies fought on the battlefield. Now, she has come here, and it is personal for her. "We stand a pretty good chance," she replied, and to my horror, people began to step out of thin air. There are nine people, all of whom are masked, but I could feel their power, and they are powerful. All of them are above Lv. 25, and with a green-haired man beside the woman, it is Lv. 30. There are two Lv. 30 assassins here; I have two level Lv. 30 guards, but these are elite assassins from Vris''alud organisation. They are hard to deal with, especially in places like these. "Brothers and sisters, leave no one alive. Slay her¡ªand any who dare stand in our way. Tonight, we kill until the fire of vengeance within us burns no more." She said and disappeared with her assassins. Things changed so quickly. A minute ago, there was nothing; the only thing I had to worry about was the battle outside the city. Now, my very life is in danger. The undead had sent the assassins to kill us, and for the woman, it is personal; it is why she showed her face. She is Blava Moor, the younger sister of Hanson Moor, the assassin who attacked Bell and Carla. ... Blava Moor I will kill them all, but first her. When the story came out it was whores who have killed my brother and I wanted them all dead. First I will kill her and her whore standing beside her, before the whole hall. No one will leave this place alive. This will be just the beginning. We had sworn vengeance on behalf of our faction¡ªthe whores would die. At first, he resisted; they were of the Legacy, after all. But when the Nightmaster himself intervened, he relented. This wasn''t just about blood¡ªit was about restoring the honor sullied when a mere whore struck down an elite assassin of Vris''alud. He agreed; there is no choice; people listen once the nightmaster speaks. I moved through the guard''s shadows. They are oblivious to my presence; I want to kill them, but they are not the target; the target is the woman. I will kill them after I kill the woman. I want nothing but to torture her, but Yark wants the quick death. So, the bastard could use it on the battlefield. So, I will give it to him. Soon, there was only half an orc in front of her. I activated Silent Rend and Heartpiercer and moved to attack. This will be the end of her; there is nothing, and no one can stop me. To stop me, they will see me, sense me, catch me; they could not. They would not, before I kill them all. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 666: Pieces Chapter 666: Pieces Proofread by Thomas F General Azalia ''Assassins, they ar...he..'' The cut, scratchy voice rang through my head. It''s unclear, but it clarified that what he said a moment ago is true. "She will die in a minute, and there is nothing you could do to stop it," he said, and his spear came at me with an even faster and stronger attack. I wanted to refute him, but no words seemed to form in my mind. It is the truth. I did what I could; I couldn''t do anything else. I informed the police chief that the governor was in danger. He is on the way toward her, but it will take him a few minutes. That is enough for the assassins of their level and pedigree to finish off the governor. I hope her personal guards and bodyguards can keep them engaged for long enough, till help arrives. Rip! One more attack hit me, and this time, my shoulder blade. Exploding in massive pain. I bore it and harnessed more power from the artifact to destroy the power of skill and aura attached to the wound before it stopped bleeding. I am under immense pressure from him; the attack on the Governor has added to it. I exhaled and moved to defend against another of his attacks, which was even more powerful than before. I needed to focus on the battle, and thankfully, there was some good news. The pieces are nearly in their places; they will soon begin the engagement with the enemies. ... Orok Uram "Nearly there!" I said to myself, and the explosions rang out around the battlefield and near me. Sending powerful, gore-filled, death energy and bone shrapnel. I do not have a shield in my hand, nor are there any defensive spells around me. The only thing protecting me is the Survivor''s Protection and Survivor''s Healing. I am alone, charging headlong through a relentless sea of the undead. I pushed the Officer''s Run harder¡ªso hard that the skill is shaking, and I fear I might break it. I hope it didn''t happen. I have two speed skills: Wild Dash from my main class and Officer''s Run from my Officer Class. I cannot use Wild Dash because it would limit me to short dashes. Officer''s Run is a much better choice because it is a skill that focuses on running and, most importantly, doesn''t require as much power. This is important as I am using powerful skills left and right when the real battle has yet to begin. These useless undead are no enemy; the powerhouses and the pillars are. Hun! I had just thought that when I sensed the spike in the Rhythm and turned, only to see a large Ice Lance shooting at me. A High-Mage and Lv. 30+ powerhouse had been chasing me since I left the battalion. I am running away from the battle, because it''s not a place to fight the battle. There are undead everywhere with no protection. I will die within a minute if I fight them. Still, I need to defend against the spell. It is a powerful spell; the lance is long and coming toward me while spiralling through the air. If it hits me, it will kill me without a doubt. I ran till I jumped and spun back with Ariel Adjustment in perfect position, before bringing my axe down toward it, with Wild Swing and Lion''s Strength. Bam! I defended against attack, but felt the powerful shock and shards of Ice Lance coming toward me. I moved my ax toward them fast, defending the shards as much as possible. Targeting those that will hit the area, that will target parts not covered in my armor. At the same time, I used the force of the attack to push myself back. Though it wasn''t without a cost, blood leaking through my lips is proof of that. The spells came as I was in the air, and a few arrows; I defended against them before landing on the ground, and started running again. Thud! A minute passed, and I finally reached my people. Most of them have reached the place, with the rest close by. I would have liked to wait for them, but there is no time. "Hundred snake formation," I commanded, and they moved, while I turned to face the enemy. This time, I didn''t move and just waited for them. I didn''t have to wait for long, six seconds later. The ones chasing me had appeared in front of me. "You will pay for all the chasing you had made us do, little orc," said the red-haired man in his late fifties. He is a tall man with a thick red beard. He is a little thin but fit. He holds a long green sword in his hand and has deep anger in his eyes. "You a Lv. 3o, who wasn''t even able to catch me, wants to kill me?" I asked with a laugh, while keeping an eye on the High-Mage, who had already cast the spell to hit me. Dealing with one of them is already a challenge for me, but it''s not like there is a choice in front of me. I am the only one who could fight them in the battalion; the others aren''t their match. ... Barb Utsa "We are close," said Hugo as we reached near our targets. My heart started to beat wildly because we wouldn''t be dealing with the regular powerhouses, but with the most powerful of them all. These bastards have formed the group. There are nine Lv. 30 in there and a lot of pre-Lv. 30. It will be a massive challenge even for the three strongest mercenary companies of Greltheaven, but it is the order from the general. The undead had brought a lot of powerhouses, and despite Lord Silver''s sending more Lv. 30s here; the army is stretched thin in dealing with them. So, this dangerous task, as always, fell on us mercenaries. I could see the powerhouses. They are slinging spells toward us as we move toward them. This time, they didn''t run away. They know they can''t avoid fighting anymore. The general had devised such a strategy that left them no choice but to engage with us. This chase was not a victory in any sense. We are at a clear disadvantage. They have made us work hard to reach this stage. Now, we are spending more than they are and have already used many of our skills and spells. Unlike us, they are in much better condition, making defeating them even harder. We will because, if we do not, we will lose the battle, and they will turn the whole army and people of Panar into the undead. It is too heavy a price to pay for the defeat. "Hen, cover me," I said, and immediately, the shields appeared in front of me one after another. As it did, a bottle of liquor appeared in my hand, and I started to gulp it down fast. A few seconds into it, I saw three Grade IV spells coming toward us. Immediately, Hugo moved to defend against one; Rev moved to protect against another. I kept drinking and soon, all my storage was full, but still I continued. I feel the smooth liquid going down my throat, creating fire in my stomach. I gulped it down to the last gulp and looked at the spell that appeared before me, tearing through all the defensive shields that Hen had put around me. It is Yamanom''s Disk or Bone Disk, as it is commonly known. The spell is a thick bone disk over a meter long, with fine edges as sharp as a sword. If it touched me, it would cut through me, like it did, the couple of undead that were unfortunate enough to be in its path. I looked at it before swinging my sword toward it with Flame Strike. The fire jet appeared behind it as my sword moved toward it. It is a powerful spell; the speed and enchantments won''t be enough for it. So, I activated another skill. Like the Flame Strike, it is an old skill upgraded with the class. Flame Blade My sword began to burn in a dark yellow flame, which was extremely hot¡ªso hot that even with the Fire Resistance, it was burning my skin a little. Stored Bottles is a fantastic skill. It not only lets me store the alcohol, but also different types of alcohol. There are three bottles containing three types of alcohol. A minute ago, I had spent all the ravian, the light elemental alcohol. Replace it with a different one to help against the enemy I will be fighting. Now that I have reached the targets, there is no need for a light element. The flaming sword burned brightly and moved toward the Bone Disk before reaching it. Rip! Finally, my sword touched the disk and started to tear through it. The bone disk is of dense bone, but my sword is fast and burning, with the sharpness enchantment of my sword; it cut through it like butter. My sword came out on the other side a moment later, cutting the disk in two. "The necromancer in mine," I stated as I appeared beside Hugo. "Are you sure?" he asked as we approached the targets. "Yes," I replied. I would have liked to take the Fire Mage or Generalist, but had to take the Necromancer. They can''t handle the mages, and our team does not have the High Mage. The other two teams have, but that still left us with one High-Mage for my team to deal with, and I decided to take it on. He didn''t say anything, other than nodding. He, too, understood it and was also aware of my abilities. He knows that, on the team, I have the best chance to take on the high mage. It''s not like Hugo isn''t powerful; he is and very experienced, but he''s a pure warrior. They are disadvantageous against the mages, and Necromancers are the worst. Unlike him, my abilities give me a better chance, but still, it will be dangerous for me. Soon, the team began to separate, and we moved toward our targets, with me moving toward the Necromancer. She is a half-elf woman who appears to be in her late thirties. She has deep purple hair and forest green eyes. She is beautiful, and her smile makes her look even more beautiful. "You are brave to come against me alone," she said from a distance, but she felt like she was talking next to me. "It is I who should say that to you, to face against me alone," I replied, and she grinned, which made all the hair on my body stand up. As it happened, I sensed something on my left and, without hesitation. A liquor appeared in my mouth, and I pushed it with breath control, before lighting up Flint and widening up as much as with the Flame Trick. As the fire burst out, a figure became visible. A figure clad in grey armor became visible. The figure that is now sprinting away from the approaching wall of fire closing on him. Assassin and Lv. 30+ at that. ... Aya Bandstone "Everybody, best of luck in dealing with your targets," said the Captain, sprinting toward the strongest. Leaving us to deal with the rest. I looked at the enemies; I will fight a strong one, but not too strong. I was thinking that when I noticed a man coming at me, when I saw him, my expression couldn''t get worse. I wanted to run away immediately. He is a tall man in his early thirties with thick, long raven hair. His face is average, and one would easily forget it until one looks at his deep blue eyes. They are the eyes of the killer. He had killed a lot of people with that rapier of his. His eyes met mine, and the man slowly licked his lips, grinning. I shuddered. It''s not his action that made me shudder, but the information I had read about him. He is strongest, pre-Lv. 30 here and killed a group pre-Lv. 30''s within a minute. There is a difference of several levels and also of power between us, but it is the enemy I have to fight. He is fast, and it didn''t take him long to reach me, and when he did, he swung his sword at me. There was no word spoken or change in his expression. He simply attacked. He didn''t consider me an opponent. To him, I was something; he just needed to finish off before moving to kill another person. Seeing that look, something burned in my heart. I am not someone he could kill with a single attack. He will not be able to kill me with a hundred. He will realise that soon enough! Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 667: Overwhelming Proofread by Thomas F Solivos Yark Clang! She defended against another attack. It wasn''t like that till a few seconds ago; I was able to hit her with most of the attacks, but now, despite them growing stronger, she is defending against them. That damn artifact; she is harnessing more power through it. I could feel her doing it with every attack to match me blow by blow. It is frustrating! What is even more frustrating is that these bastards had started engaging with my people and not getting killed; they should be, after losing people and spending a lot of energy defending against the undead. People are still dying, but not at the pace and not the ones I want. ''Blava, are you hearing me?'' I inquired through Battle Connections, but received no reply. It is the most frustrating thing; it had been a minute, and Blava and her team should have finished by now, but there was no reply. She usually does quick work; it usually takes seconds, but a minute had already passed here. I need that confirmation. It would help me with this bitch and most importantly, the battle. Once she is dead, they will fall like dominoes. I pushed those thoughts and focused on the enemy. "You are harnessing so much power; there must be a cost, right?" I asked. The artifacts are amazing, but using them is not without a cost. Especially after people started to harness the power beyond their limits. It harms them as well as the artifact. "It is, but I am more than capable of dealing with them," she replied, before defending against another of my attacks. I am using several skills at once, powering them with the aura, but I couldn''t kill her even then. I didn''t think it would be this hard. It had been minutes since the fighting, and I was starting to feel the drain. I have a few minutes at most to defeat her, or it will be I who will die. The aura isn''t limitless with the control I have, and I have been using it since the start of the battle. I have never fought anyone this long with the aura; I never needed to. I am the strongest, under Lv. 40; there are a few that could be compared to me. So, it does not take long for me to finish the enemies, including those of my level. It is why I wanted to fight, Silver. I had never gotten a chance to fight someone of my level with the aura. I would have loved to fight him; fighting the lords has always been fruitful to me. I have broken into Lv. Thirty after fighting the lord, and awakened the aura while fighting the lord. The class is powerful, and only by fighting powerful can one gain a class powerful enough to match them. My class is very powerful, nearly at the level of the Lord. When I reach Lv. 40, I will have the class; that will be more powerful than the common lord. It will happen; I will make it happen. Time passed, and I continued with my attacks. She defended most of them; some that hit her could only give her minor cuts. I launched another attack, the forty-seventh in the Skewerstorm. Feeling the tremendous pressure from the skill. I didn''t call this skill the most powerful in my arsenal for no reason. It is a broken skill and has barely any condition, which is why I have many ascending power skills. It is a little slow at first, but it becomes stronger as one moves further into it. It has no limits; the only limit it has is the body. At the forty-seventh attack, I felt immense pressure on my body. Forty-eighth was the most I could do safely; that is why I broke the skills the last three times and started again. I hate to do that, but the immense strain it puts on my body is too much. Clang! She defended the attack once more, and I attacked again, feeling the massive pressure from the skills. So much so that I''ve stopped pushing Aura into the other skills right now, it''s too much; already, I''m having a splitting headache. If I try to push into more skills, I won''t be able to bear it. The forty-eighth and final attack of the Skewerstorm moved toward her. It is fast and powerful, the last strike before I break the skill and start over again. I could see her eyes tracking my spear with her sabre moving slowly. Though only for a moment, before the fire rippled, it became fast. I didn''t have to think to know that she had harnessed more power. Clang! She defended the attack, and it shook her from head to toe, before she stepped back. This is where I break the skill and start again, but seeing the fire burning on her sabre and even brighter in her eyes, I decided to push myself. There wouldn''t be without a cost, but I will bear it. There is no choice in front of me; I need to kill her. So, I gritted my teeth and pushed the aura into my body, before moving forward with the forty-ninth attack of the Skewerstorm. Immediately, I felt like there was a mountain on me. It affected me physically as my orifices began to bleed out, but I didn''t care. This bitch had made me angry and I have to kill her; for that, I will bear the pressure. "Die!" I gritted my teeth as my spear moved toward her. I could see the surprise appearing in her eyes, but she reacted quickly and harnessed more power from her sabre. Though this time, she wasn''t able to stop my spear. It was too fast for her. Rip! It cut through her cheek, creating a deep red line, but not a drop of blood came out. "Lucky," I said, and attacked again. Immediately, the pressure on me increased even further as I attacked with the 50th attack of the Skewerstorm. She harnessed more power, but it is not enough like last time. It seemed lower than the previous time. Clang! My spear clashed against her broken armor. It is already broken in many places, but the attack was the last straw. It broke her breastplate into pieces, and it fell to the ground. Though it had saved her from my attack, it won''t save her from my next one. I could see that she is pushing herself hard, and in the last attack, she could barely harness the power from her attack. I launched the fifty-first attack of Skewerstorm; it had increased such pressure that veins had popped on my head, but despite that, I attacked. The attack was the strongest I had ever cast. It was such that it could go against an Lv. 40. The way her expressions changed proves that she is thinking the same. This is not something she could defend against easily, even with that artifact. She harnessed more power, but it was barely anything. Seeing that a smile couldn''t help but appear on my face. She is dead, and there is nothing that could save her. It relieved me, because every second is hell with this pressure, and I won''t be able to bear it for long, even with the aura. The spear reached close to her chest and was a moment away from skewering through her, when I saw the saber blaze like never before. That very moment, mist came out of her¡ª blood red mist. ... General Azalia It''s coming, and I couldn''t defend against it. My armor crashed to the ground, and I was too slow to move. I reached deep for more power, but there was nothing left. I''ve pushed beyond my limits... and there''s nothing more to give.. I need more power; without it, I will die. It is a fact that nothing could save me. The attack is powerful enough that even if a couple of Grade IV shields appeared in front of me, that attack would tear through them. I could feel its power, the suppressing aura powering it. Even the artifact wasn''t enough to stop me from shuddering under its strength. I have to defend. It is the only way I would survive. There is only one option in front of me to do that: harness the power that lies beyond the wall, but it didn''t come without a massive cost. I had only once tried to harness that power beyond the wall and nearly lost control of myself. However, if I didn''t do that, there would not be a me to lose control of it. Most importantly, if I die, we will lose the battle. Once that happens, they will turn my whole army and the city I was to protect into the undead. I cannot let that happen. So, I went for that power, that Lord Silver had said, only to go to when I could see only the death of me and everything around me. Because if I lost control, I would not be able to distinguish a friend from a foe. ''Then I damn, make sure, that I do not lose control!'' I thought, and the power began to fill me; at the same time, came the emotional assault. Things changed as they did. My vision changed; it became more fiery as yellow, red, and dark blue colours descended. At the same time, fire filled me, making me nearly scream. It is like a literal fire, but they are the energies of the artifact. As they entered me, they began to burn my blood, and the bloody mist started to come out of the cuts. The same is happening with my emotions. I felt an overwhelming urge to burn everything. These emotions were like a storm, while my psyche was a small dinghy. I must keep it floating, not let it be swept into the storm. If I did, it would be terrible. It all happened in an instant. My saber, which was slow before compared to his, moved incredibly fast, appearing in front of his spear. Clang! The weapons clashed, creating a powerful shockwave that sent the undead surrounding us back, before they began to burn like someone lit a match on them. Though my focus is on the man in front of me. Who, for the first time, took a step back. I didn''t waste the opportunity and leaped forward. I need to finish him first, before the artifact''s power consumes me, and it will, if I use it long enough. I immediately appeared beside him, swung my saber, and saw his eyes widen. For a moment, I thought he was surprised by my attack, but his reaction was late. That''s when I sensed it, and my eyes widened as well. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content! Chapter 668: Battle Is A Play Proofread by Thomas F Note: There will be a chapter tomorrow. Aya Bandstone His rapier came toward me, and it was fast ¡ªreally fast. I reacted instantly against this opponent. I will need to respond fast, or I will have my head separated from my body, before I know how. My shield moved forward while I activated Brace. He sensed it and smoothly moved his blade toward my head, while I pushed my sword up with all my strength. It is why I had not activated the Tower Shield. That skill works well; the shield is in one place, and here it is not. Clang! His rapier clashed at the edge of my shield, and I felt the shock. Although the weapon was small and slender, it possessed incredible power. It is a skill. A surprise appeared on his face, but the next moment, he disappeared, and I felt all the hair on my body stand up, and my Danger Sense blared. Without wasting a second, I half turned and saw him appearing behind me and his rapier approaching me faster than before. I could not bring my shield to defend myself, and I didn''t plan to. The tower shield had many uses, but it also had many drawbacks. It is heavy and restricts mobility, but its superior defense makes up for this. Clang! I moved my sword to defend with the Edge Blade. He tried to avoid my sword, but I moved it according to it. He is several levels higher than I am. Stronger and faster, but that is not something new for me. I always fought enemies stronger than me. It became a necessity after the treatment expenses increased. There is also the thing about my condition, not letting me use my full strength and making me tired quickly, but despite that, I fought and survived. So, he might be stronger than I, but I am in much better condition than I have ever been. It might not seem like an advantage and is not compared to others, but it is for me. My body is brimming with strength, and even after cutting through the undead and suffering their explosions, I feel no fatigue at all. Clang! Our blades clashed, and I felt the power, which shook me, but it was not enough to make me step back. "I should have expected that you wouldn''t be easy to deal with, based on the gear you are wearing," he said, looking at my armor and weapons. "I am not easy even without them," I replied, looking straight into his eyes. "We will see," he replied and attacked. His attack was stronger than before, and I could see him using more than three skills in that attack. Immediately, I brought my shield forward and activated Brace. Clang! His sword hit like a hammer against my shield. Despite the force of the absorption enchantment, I felt like my bones would break as I took the steps back. He followed and appeared to my right. Too close to me. The shield is in my left hand, and I couldn''t maneuver my long sword. It''s why he dared to come so close to me. He grinned and attacked, going for my head directly. His sword moved fast, and he would have taken my head if I hadn''t defended. My fingers adjusted my sword, and I moved my right hand forward in the sword''s path. Clang! His sword clashed against the vambrace with great force. It has the enchantments, but not as strong as the shield, and that force passed into the arm. One could imagine what would happen when such a great force enters the fragile arm. "Now, you will die!" he said, attacking with the mist coming out of his blade. Which, as I inhaled, amplified the pain I am feeling in my arm. It is so intense that Ulo would have screamed, feeling it. Clang! He looked so sure that this attack would kill me, but the next moment, a surprise appeared in his eyes as he saw my sword stopping his attack. "Not yet," I replied and grinned. If he wants to use the broken bones to kill me, then he is sorely mistaken. Fighting with the broken bones was the norm for me. Here, only the bones of the arm had broken, not of the body, which used to happen. I fought with those conditions and even gained skills like reinforced bones and natural healing. It is why my bones didn''t break despite the great shock. They had only cracked and were already starting to heal with the Natural Healing. "You are good. I had been searching for someone like you; the single attack killed all the others I had fought," he said. "That won''t be happening anymore," I replied, and he grinned once more before attacking. I could feel two more skills activating, one affecting my focus on him. It''s making it hard to focus on him; it''s a rare skill I had encountered only once, and that time, it nearly killed me. Clang! I defended with my shield, but he moved and attacked from behind almost instantly. I defended that with my shield, and he moved again, and I defended with my vambrace, which cracked my bones once more, but I bore through it. I focused on him and his sword; I watched his every movement and skill he used as I defended with everything I had. His attacks become faster, making me push myself and my skills harder to defend against them. I have healing skills and even armor, but I do not want his blade anywhere near me. I knew how such a rapier needed a single well-placed attack to finish one off. I thought that when his sword became even faster, it moved past mine. Clang! It clashed against my chest hard. My armor saved me, but the rapier contained the power of a hammer. It was unable to absorb all, and some went inside, cracking the bones of my vertebrae. Puh! I vomited blood while he attacked me once more, which I defended with my sword. He started to use his full power, and it''s getting harder to defend against his attacks, but I am doing it and pushing myself as much as possible. "You should give up and embrace death instead of suffering this pain," he said as he launched another attack. "You have only caused me a few injuries and are already talking about death," I replied as I defended against his attack, but another came. "Yes, but you also know that all I need is a well-placed attack to kill you," he said and attacked once more. I didn''t reply to that and moved my shield forward to defend against it. Clang! His rapier clashed against my shield as it had many times, but this time, a surprise appeared on his face as he sensed the skill I had activated right before his attack. Iron Rebuttal. I felt the power it gave me and swung my sword at him, attacking for the first time. I got the skill after fighting the bandits, who came to kill Lord Silver. It was a battle that nearly killed me; it would have if they hadn''t healed me that time. The skill gave me half of the power of the attack, I defend. There are various conditions; it should be a non-spell attack with a weapon. I must have enough capacity to bear that power and a few other things. Still, despite that, it is a fantastic and a very rare skill. I pushed everything I had in the attack and added Heavy Strike and Edge Blade. He reacted instantly, bringing his rapier forward as he stepped back. Clang! He defended and nearly attacked, but stopped. The man is intelligent; he understands that new skills are the reason for my power. It didn''t matter. I have learned long ago not to depend on one skill. I attacked, not because I felt his attack was the strongest yet, but because I was ready to attack. It is the reason I had only defended. I have been studying him, his skills, and limitations. I now understand nearly everything about him. I launched another attack, pushing my body and my skills to the limit. I am getting used to this. Before, with my condition, I struggled to use the strength I had, and since I came here, I have focused on pushing my strength to its limit. Clang! He defended, but I attacked him again. He could have attacked, but I could feel the uncertainty in his eyes. I attacked again, and he dodged. He is quite fast, but I followed after him with Steel Steps, moving my blade toward him. Clang! I forced him to defend. If he hadn''t, my sword would have reached him. "Bitch!" he cursed angrily and attacked. Immediately, I moved my shield forward to defend against it. Clang! I defended, and once more, I gained half the power of his attack. I pushed myself toward him and attacked. Clang! He defended, shaking before taking the step back, which I used to launch the attack, but he defended and attacked repeatedly. "It is a very nice skill you have," he said as he defended against another of my attacks. "Thank you," I replied, and attacked again as he defended against my attack. The bastard had stopped attacking. He was focused on defending and dodging. I am not letting him dodge the attack, but that is all I can do, and it is not enough. I want to kill him, and if this continues like that, I won''t be able to. "I had heard so much about you. It is said that you had once killed several people of your level within seconds." "It is quite like the lie you had made. If you had such power, you would have shown it already and wouldn''t have been only defending against attacks of a girl like me," I taunted using Taunt. "Your taunts won''t work on me," he replied. To that, I smiled. They are working alright, given the anger burning in his eyes. It is not a skill I use regularly, as it does not work on everyone, but it is useful for roiling the emotions. "I guess not. I am sure you have been defending against my taunt with mental skill, like you are defending against my attacks with that rapier," I replied, deadpanned with Taunt. The anger burned even brighter in him, and he opened his mouth, but closed it a moment later and defended against my attack. "Oh, so scared. That you cannot even speak?" I taunted once more. "Bitch, I will kill you!" he roared and finally attacked, bursting out with the greater power, than he had shown in our battle. Emotions are powerful. They can help one win the battle, but could also become the reason for defeat. I roiled his emotions, forcing him to attack, but that also made him channel those emotions in his attacks, making them stronger. Clang! I defended with my shield before attacking with Heavy Slash and Edge Blade with the power from Iron Rebuttal. Clang Clang Clang! He defended and attacked me once more, which I defended before attacking. Steel clashed as we tried to kill each other, but we both failed, until finally, he had succeeded. Rip! His rapier cut through my hip. The bastard made an accurate strike at a gap in the hip plates. "This is just the beginning," he said with an angry smile, before attacking again, and I defended myself and attacked him, before he attacked me. Clang Clang Rip! I defended and attacked several more times before his rapier was able to get past my weapons and cut across my shoulder. A few seconds later, he did it again and again. I begin to bleed through the armor; one could see the blood flowing down through the gaps. "Now, taunt me again!" He challenged as he launched another attack. "You haven''t killed me yet!" I replied with defiance. That brought a grin to his face. "Oh, I will very soon," he said, and a moment later, I began to bleed from my back. He is getting better at targeting me. As he took more and more risks, getting into positions that he would not have before, he was rewarded with the injuries piling up on my body. As time passed, the injuries started to affect me. My speed becomes slow, my attacks weaker. Making him more daring with his attacks. Clash! His rapier clashed against my leg, cracking more of my bones. Even if he wasn''t able to cut me, he was able to break my bones, and as time passed, I got weaker. "Relish the moments, because it is all you have," he said as he appeared before me and thrust his rapier. I moved my shield to defend against it, but he flicked his wrist a little to avoid my shield. My shield isn''t fast enough to do that; he will avoid it. He did that tens of times. So, there wasn''t any worry, until his rapier, a few inches away from my shield. It is when my shield moves fast and appears in front of me. A surprise appeared in his eyes, and he drove the rapier, but the distance between his rapier and my shield was too close. Clang! It clashed against the edge of my shield, and his eyes widened as my shield didn''t stop. It moved toward him fast, while he remained in his place momentarily as I activated the Shield Clamp. Another rare skill, I got it at level 10 and upgraded it at level 20. This skill has been extremely helpful, saving my life countless times by helping me kill the enemy. It does a simple thing: it clamps onto the weapon that hits it. It works more like a magnet, making it hard to remove the weapon stuck to it. The clamp is powerful, but not strong enough that one couldn''t pull away their weapons. Especially someone of his level, but the surprise bought me a moment, and that was all I needed, as by the time he removed his sword and moved to dodge, my shield had reached him. Bam! I bashed my shield on him with Shield Bash, along with all my strength and boost from the Iron Rebuttal. It was so powerful that I heard a crunch. It was satisfying, but I didn''t spare a moment to savor it. Instead, I swung my sword the moment my shield hit him. It took him a moment to see my sword, and the horror appeared on his face when he did. He was trying to stabilise himself from the bash and now tried to retreat while bringing his rapier forward, but it was already too late; my sword had reached him. Pachack. His rapier was just a centimetre away from mine, when my sword reached his neck and a moment later, cut through it. The head with eyes full of unwillingness and hate flew up, while a shower of blood spurted from it. I didn''t move back; I didn''t have that much energy. Instead, I released the hold on the Natural Healing; let it heal me at full speed. My first sword teacher used to say, Battle is a play, and you are the lead. Control what the enemy sees. Shape their perception. Let them see things you want them to see; once you do that, the battle is yours. That''s what I did, from the start. I defended before being attacked. I let him bleed me and showed the weakness that came with it, which was real. What I didn''t show was my ability to utilize my full strength and even exceed it, despite the weakness brought by the blood loss. I have grown accustomed to it, lived through it, and used it to my maximum advantage in battle. Thud Thud! The head and body fell down, while I gulped the potion. It is a regular one, not the precious essence drop; that is only for emergencies. I possess a healing skill, which is a slow, passive ability. Adding a little potion complements it and heals the injuries faster. I barely took the sip when my Danger Sense blared, and I turned. Only to see an Earth Spear coming toward me. I put the bottle away and moved my shield forward to defend against it, when I sensed something. It shook me immediately and made my eyes widen. Tap the Patreon link below to unlock 20+ advanced chapters, or join Free to enjoy character art, maps, and more exclusive content!