City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Proofread by Thomas F

Lord Aardwyn, Tranquill Bathhouse

“Your excellency,” I greeted as the young man walked into my office with Constance.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat in my seat. “Good, better than good,” I replied. I had never felt so good as I did in the past few hours since I received them.

” Not many people of your level would say that while wearing two artifacts,” he said. To that, I smiled.

“There is a strain, but the legacy is helping me nullify it,” I replied.

I have two artifacts on me: the bracelet and the studs in my ears. They had given them to me after we had activated section 17.

They are mental/soul artifacts. They will not only help cushion the backlash of breaking with the throne but also give me a huge boost against Silver.

That is most important, Silver has an awakened aura, and he is a higher level than I. He might even have an artifact as well. He had revealed one in the battle; he might reveal another during the swallowing.

Though nothing will help him.

These two are good artifacts, but the one that will truly help me is The Well. It had become part of the legacy, and I will be able to use it against Silver.

It is not an offensive, defensive, or protective artifact, but it is a powerful one, and I will be able to use its weight against Silver.

The prince is here; he will lend me his help. So, will the dictator. Not to mention, the bathhouse itself. It is not a common Grade III legacy; it is above that.

It had been a subject of the throne for a century and a half. Making it very powerful.

The only disadvantage we have is the moment the connection with the throne is broken.

The legacy will begin to lose its essence; it will not pass away like a waning legacy, but rather it will undergo a slow demise. Taking hours.

It will be at its strongest power at first hour. Therefore, we will need to deal with Velvet Garden within the first hour.

At least consume a large chunk of it, which will weaken it and strengthen us.

“Good. His Majesty has high expectations of you. I hope you won’t disappoint,” he said, and I shudder internally at the veiled threat.

“I will not,” I replied.

…

Greltheaven

It is dawn and I walked out of my room after freshening up.

I usually go to the practice at this time, but now I will be going to the other place beforehand.

It is located on the top floor.

Click!

I reached one of the private rooms and opened the door, but it was no longer a private hosting room; instead, it seemed like a hospital room.

A woman is standing there by the bed. I nodded at her and turned to the woman lying on the bed, bandaged from head to toe.

It is General Azalia. Covered in herbs, flowers, crystals, and other things.

One could feel the heavy power of witchcraft on her. We have placed it here in the legacy because it boosts the power of the witchcraft that is trying to heal her.

“How is she?” I asked. “Uncertain,” replied Caena. “The damage she had suffered is too great. It is a miracle that she is alive.” She added.

We had brought her to the city yesterday after the ceasefire, with Caena immediately working on her.

She is heavily injured in both body and spirit. She had pushed herself beyond the breaking point in the battle yesterday, more than the bandit had.

The only reason she is even alive is the aura she had awakened and the preparations we had made.

“She seemed better than yesterday,” I said as I focused on her. “Only by a little,” replied Caena with a sigh.

I didn’t say anything and looked at the woman, who was still holding the saber in her hand. It is helping her, keeping those energies inside her calm.

If we remove it from her, those energies of the artifact would rampage inside her.

She will not survive even for a minute.

“That’s progress,” I said after seconds of silence. I hope she survives. If she got a little better, I could send her to the merchant state.

There is a healer who could help her, but with her current condition, we cannot even do that.

Hun!

We were watching in silence when we sensed something. It’s powerful enough that even a child would have sensed it.

She had activated her aura. There were reports that she used to fight against the energies in her body, but we didn’t sense it when she came to the city.

It’s not surprising.

One couldn’t do it for a long time; she was able to continue for hours after the battle was shocking enough.

“Gently, General. Treat it like water,” I advised.

There was no change, and I thought she didn’t hear me, when a few seconds later, I felt a change in her aura.

“Is it wise for her to use the aura in this condition?” I asked a few seconds later.

“No, but getting rid of the artifact’s energy is the biggest challenge. Once we do that, dealing with the rest will only take some time,” she replied.

Hearing that, it made relieved.

I stayed there for a few minutes before heading to practice and then returning to my room.

Click!

When I entered my office, the three were already waiting for me there.

“I fear we rushed into it. We should have waited,” said Margaux. I didn’t have to ask what she was talking about. “The spell is ready and charged; there is no reason to wait,” I replied.

“Besides, we need the core essence. The sooner we get it, the more it will help us,” I added and turned to Caena.

“Except for one cog, everything is ready.” She said. “She will be here on the day,” I replied. She is talking about Ina; I will need her for the spell.

Now, she will play an even greater part, with her aura.

Tranquill Bathhouse, without a doubt, had made preparations to swallow us.

I don’t have any new intelligence, but seeing that they only have two legacies, the kingdom would do everything in its power to preserve them.

“The prince is there,” said Carla, clearly worried, so am I.

The Prince Rohykos isn’t high-level, but he is a Prince.

I had specified in the contract that no outside person above Lv. 30 should be in the legacy, but it is not the level of the prince, but rather what he represents, that worries me.

He will be an anchor to the kingdom; that will make things difficult.

I also know that the artifacts would be involved. It’s not intelligence, just the facts based on the data. Legacies are essential, and sovereigns provide all the help they can for their legacies.

I could even tell which artifact the sovereign might give to Aardwyn. They would be spirit-based, which would help them bear the backlash and provide the boost against me.

There is also that artifact that is bonded with the legacy. It would be the most troublesome.

“It’s not like we haven’t thought about these possibilities. We have thought about every one of them before making that decision,” I replied, and they all nodded.

Of course, I didn’t wake up one day and say, let’s swallow the Tranquill Bathhouse.

I had looked at all the aspects and studied the past swallowing deeply before making the decision. I know how risky it is, but I also know that I need it.

If it succeeds, the benefits of it would be tremendous.

“Seventeen of our girls had been contacted yesterday with the offers. Eleven of them were from Transcendent Pleasure,” said Caena.

Immediately, the mood had turned sombre.

“They understand it’s a rare opportunity and are taking the prospect for it,” added Margaux with a sigh.

I had expected it. People aren’t idiots; they could recognise this opportunity and know how to take advantage of that, especially people like Ophelia.

“I have increased the vigilance and banned people from the legacy who tried to poach our girls, but I fear this time, we might lose some girls,” stated Caena.

“Good, continue to resit the poaching,” I replied, though my tone was grave. “Because this time, they’ll come at us prepared. Ruthless and ready.”

We invest a great deal in training each girl, not just financially, but also in terms of effort. So, every girl who leaves has a profound impact on us and Velvet Garden.

Though I tried not to be affected by it.

Velvet Garden is a business, and employees leave. I need to ensure that the important ones do not go. If they leave, I have people to replace them.

A few minutes later, they left after discussing everything. Only Carla had left.

“These negotiations that are happening between the undead and the merchant states. Are they serious?” asked Carla after moments of silence.

I could tell she is very worried. It made me anxious as well, so much that it gave me a nightmare last night.

“It’s not the first time it’s happening and might fail, or it won’t be as comprehensive as we fear,” I replied, hoping that it is not.

It is only due to the fear of the merchant states that those two remained in the Ashton Harbor. If they get the freedom to move, then nobody will be able to stop them in the region after Gats leaves.

“I heard through my contacts that merchants and undead are very keen to make a deal this time,” she stated, and my expression became serious as well as I nodded.

The realities have begun to bite both the undead kingdom and the merchant states.

The deal between them won’t cease hostilities or lift embargoes, but that leaves a lot of space for the other things. The things that affect me, my people, and the whole region.

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