City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Proofread by Thomas F

Caena Aris

“He is asking you to deal with it,” informed the mage.

Click!

I nodded and opened the door of the room. Bell was already there waiting. It will take some time for others to arrive, but it would be fine if they didn’t.

This time, I am confident enough to finish the job alone.

I was working the spell when I sensed it. I was really focused and wished it had happened an hour later.

It happened. So, I stopped what I was doing immediately and came here.

“It happened earlier than we had expected,” said Bell. “I thought the woman would live for another year,” I replied. She didn’t.

The woman was very old and could have died at any moment.

Once the legacy enters its waning period, it becomes increasingly complex to predict when it will come to an end. They could die in a day or ten years.

A decade is very rare.

On average, the masters of Grade III and below legacies die in three and a half years of waning.

I activated the spell, and nine seconds later, the core of Taurus Theater was above us.

Its form is a picture, showing a play. The characters inside it move when one looks at it.

A moment later, everything turned dark, and then the sun appeared, along with two planets. The holder planet shone and swallowed the core.

Immediately, aura blazed out of Bell and focused on the planet, along with the weight of her artifacts.

I pushed the essence into the Rhidon’s Vitae and put its magical weight on the core.

It’s much heavier than the weight of Bell’s artifacts. It’s not because it’s more powerful, but because it’s part of the legacy and could bring all its weight down ideally.

At the same time, the spell in the theater was activated.

It might not have been the right time for me, but it is the right time for the legacy, as the play is running in the theater, with people from Velvet Theater and Taurus Theater working together.

It is the best scenario we could hope for the spell.

“The spell is quite powerful. I don’t think we need anchor strings,” said Bell, to which I smiled.

I could have used Bell as the substitute for Remus for the anchor strings. She would have needed to form many more connections to achieve even half of the result.

One cannot simply replace the master.

Thankfully, the spell is powerful enough that we do not need the anchor strings.

Three seconds later, two thick streams of essence came out of the core. One went to the extraction planet, while the other went to the core, where it was quickly absorbed.

The core had become powerful after absorbing the core of Tranquill Bathhouse and that Grade IV essence in it.

My spell has also become quite effective, especially since we were using a different spell when we dealt with the Tranquill Bathhouse.

We wouldn’t have faced the difficulties we had.

The tome is helping me tremendously. It contains immense knowledge of witchcraft. Additionally, knowledge of the legacies is significant for us witches, as it is the most potent source of our craft.

After the first time, I limited myself to opening it in the presence of Bell. I cannot be too careful with it.

Click!

Half a minute had passed when the door opened and Eudo walked inside.

He didn’t say anything, just sat in his place, and a moment later, he brought out his aura. Putting even greater pressure on the core.

Immediately, the flow of the essence increased.

Two minutes later, Margaux came with Barb, and both of them sat down. Increasing the flow of essence out of the core even more.

The last one to arrive was Lola.

She looked around before sitting on the knot and adding her aura, creating a surge.

“It’s very fast. I don’t think it will take us long,” said Barb, looking at it in wonder. She wasn’t present here last time, or there wouldn’t have been the wonder.

“It’s such a regret that we can’t harvest more than half of it,” replied Lola, sighing.

We could harvest the entire core at the speed we are moving, but we have to follow some unwritten rules that state you should leave at least half for the other legacies.

It wouldn’t be much of a problem to break it, but it will needlessly put focus on us.

Besides, 50% wouldn’t be bad. I am sure the core wouldn’t consume that much, and the rest will go to the harvester. It will be enough for our current needs.

Still, we are considering making agreements with the other legacies, but not immediately.

There is already too much attention on us. Therefore, we will not do it unless it is a legacy aspect that we need.

…

Remus Silver

‘They had begun,’ I thought. I could sense it.

My core and I are connected. I could feel things happening to it. With what Caena had told me about the upgraded spell, it shouldn’t be a problem for them to take 50% of it.

It will help me a lot, especially with the aspect and emotion scale. With them, I will be able to harvest even more emotions.

I pushed the thoughts of legacy away, since I couldn’t do anything from here, and focused on the party.

I talked to a few more people before appearing beside the Blackwells.

“How bad is it?” I asked, and the smiles on their faces slipped for a fraction of a second. Lord Blackwell opened his mouth, before closing it, and then opened it again a moment later.

“The tide is coming in; it will reach them in an hour,” he replied.

I wish I could say I am surprised. I am not. If the tide had been gathering, he wouldn’t have left so quickly; it takes time for it to form.

Even the quick ones.

“It’s coming from the deep, correct?” I asked, and surprise appeared on their faces, but they nodded.

I have been here and know the monsters. While the condition then wasn’t as bad as it is now. I have read everything about it.

I had said it is coming from deep because they have scouts spread.

If the tide begins to form, they will know quickly. The only reason they came to know so late was that the tide formed deeper into the region where scouts couldn’t reach.

When they found out about it, it was already too late.

“Don’t worry about it. Lord Ignatius and others are used to dealing with the tides. Dealing with this one wouldn’t be a problem,” I replied and walked away.

The monsters are bad news for me, but it is a force of nature; I couldn’t do anything other than adapt.

Time passed, and I could see the fear and nervousness in people’s minds disappearing. They are relaxing and enjoying themselves.

I enjoyed the party with them, but one of my eyes would always be on Blackwells.

I could see Lady Blackwell casting spells every few minutes.

Over an hour passed, and I was looking at her with the corner of my eye, when I noticed a sudden change appearing in her face.

I could see the deep fear appearing in her eyes, which she hid quickly, and she talked to her husband in private.

His expressions turned serious as well. They talk for a minute before I notice guards entering the ballroom, causing the whole hall to fall silent.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” said Lord Blackwell. He already has everyone’s attention.

The moment the guards appeared, everyone turned to them.

“The information from the scouts had come that one group of monsters had splintered from the main tide and was coming toward us here,” he said, immediately shocking everyone.

The Fort Renin is quite far behind the fort of Bram Valley. It didn’t give much ability for monsters to splinter, unless, of course, they did it quite early.

“They have moved to stop them, but some might come toward the city. “So, to be safe, please follow the guards. They will take you to safety,” he added.

Immediately, guards came and began to guide people. They didn’t come toward me or a few others.

It seemed like things were really bad.

Soon, only seventeen guests were remaining in the hall: me, Lord Kadyz, and a few mercenaries.

“How many?” I asked, and the expressions on the man’s face turned painful. “Around five thousand,” he replied, making everyone’s expressions change.

It is not a great number when considering numbers in monster tide, but this one came from deep, and that makes things very dangerous.

It makes things more dangerous when considering the army that will be fighting them.

“Any Grade V,” asked Lord Kadyz. “Currently, we have not sensed any,” he replied. That made everyone’s expression heavier.

“How many men do you have?” I asked. I already have an idea, but I want to be sure.

“Fifteen thousand,” he replied with a sigh.

The numbers aren’t good. They have good numbers here, but they usually remain entrenched at the Bram Valley, where they fight monsters.

“I will not ask you all to fight for us, but if you do, we will owe you a favour,” he said, looking at Lord Kadyz and me, and turned to the mercenaries. “And a good price,” he added.

“Monsters aren’t my forte, besides, it’s bad odds,” said a middle-aged man with thick hair, and he walked out.

A few followed behind him, leaving only seven people. It made the couple’s expressions bad.

He needs powerhouses. Most of their powerhouses, including his son and Commander August, went to Bram Valley. Leaving only Commander Wildewood.

“I hope you have enough ammunition in those big cannons on the fort?” I asked. “We have more than enough,” he replied, with a slight smile appearing on his face.

“The artifacts, you have brought them, right?” asked Lord Kadyz. “Yes,” replied Lady Blackwell.

It made me relieved.

House Blackwell may be weak right now, but it was once one of the strongest in the merchant state. The progenitor of the house was also a founding member of the country.

They have a lot of artifacts. If the information is correct, they have four in their hands and another five in the custody of the merchant state.

I didn’t count the relic that Ignatius has.

Currently, it is an artifact. It will become a relic with those gems, which are said to be deep in the amberhold and will only come out in great need.

“Let’s go then,” I said.

“We are grateful for your help. We will not forget it,” promised Lord Blackwell.

I didn’t say anything and just walked out, when a smile appeared on my face, with a bit of surprise.

I didn’t think it would be this soon. It seemed like the new spell was more powerful than I had thought. It made me very happy, but it won’t be the last core we will swallow.

…

Rosen

“It’s done,” informed Audrid.

I didn’t open my eyes and just felt the changes that were happening around me.

I am not the only one; everyone sitting could feel it.

The theater had become more pleasant, resonating with emotion much better.

The feelings it evokes become finer, to the point where it is tailor-made for the theater. It was made for the theater; they call it an aspect.

Every legacy has an aspect, according to Madam Caena.

Now, Velvet Garden had swallowed the Taurus Theater, taking its aspect.

I have underestimated the change it could bring. I felt it from the casino and the bathhouse, but I am not very interested in them.

Theater is my blood and soul. I feel the tiniest changes, and this is massive.

It is going to transform the whole experience.

I looked at the actors playing and those working in the background. Especially the people from the Taurus Theater; they understood their theater was dead, but still kept acting.

Those who have finished the part are crying in the corner. They have just lost their home.

Taurus Theater will still be a theater, but not a legacy. It is from where its prestige used to come.

“Madam wants you to recruit as many of them as possible,” informed Audrid.

In Velvet Garden, there is barely any restriction on art, but it’s a work, and sometimes, you have to do some uncomfortable things.

I would have liked to give them time to process the loss, but I couldn’t.

I want the same thing as the madam’s. These are very talented people, and they would take the Velvet Theater to the next level, but I just wanted to give them a little time.

Still, I will do it. It is an order, and also because it benefits my theater.

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