City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 25: Scheme

 Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.

Knock Knock
 
I was sleeping soundly when I heard the knock on my door. I looked at the watch first before getting up and walking toward the door.
 
I had slept for two and a half hours, which calmed my anger a little as I was only planning to sleep only for two hours.
 
Click!
 
I opened the door, and to my surprise, I found it was tony, my uncle's assistant. Once again, the irritation flared in my mind, but I calmed it down as I opened my mouth.
 
"Tony, does my uncle want something?" I asked him, with a voice calm as possible, but some of my irritation still seeped inside it.
 
Though, he acted like he did not hear it, as there was no change in his expression.
 
"Yes, he requires your presence," he replied, hearing that I just looked at him without any reactions. 
 
I will not run to my uncle whenever he calls me, especially after what he did.
 
Silence stretched between us as we looked at each other before, finally, irritation flashed in Tony's eyes before he opened his mouth.
 
"He is with people who need legal advice on the contract," he said finally, but hearing that frown couldn't help but appear on my face.
 
"You are a lawyer; I am sure you would be able to give them all the legal advice they need," I said. He is a lawyer, not to mention those people who need my supposed legal advice would have brough their own lawyers.
 
This is, without a doubt, a scheme from my uncle.
 
"It is vice-head of merchant guild Soren Arryn," said Leon finally, and it couldn't help but surprise me. 
 
"I will be ready in five," I said, and I could see that hateful knowing smile appear on his face before I closed the door on his face.
 
I quickly freshened up and changed into a new set of clothes before walking back toward the door.
 
I opened the door and found Leon standing at the same spot as before; seeing me coming, he began to walk without a word. 
 
I followed behind him.
 
The place we are going to is two floors above; it is a place where normal people couldn't go, even I couldn't book a place there. It is for imminent people; my uncle was able to get it, but only because he is a representative of the house.
 
Soon, we stopped in front of golden doors with an elaborate design, and Tony knocked.
 
Click!
 
A short raven-haired girl who seemed to be in her late twenties opened the door, invited us inside the suite, and took us to where my uncle and vice-guild head Soren was.
 
The suite is quite good that one would not think it is run by the military; it is opulent with all the amenities and expensive enough that I wouldn't stay in it, even if it were available to me.
 
Soon, I reach the room where my uncle and vice-guild head are; they are not the only ones, there are also four more people, but seeing how they are sitting, they are obviously staff.
 
“You have asked for me, uncle, vice-guild head Arryn?” I asked directly as I appeared. “Yes,” he said. 
 
“Your uncle had praised your legal talent a lot, that even the leader of your house had praised it; I hope you will do little something for me,” added the old man as he looked at me with a smile.
 
His presence had surprised me; I thought he would not leave Greltheaven till all the important guests left, including the prince, but it seemed like something important had come up to make him come here.
 
“It is mediocre, vice-guild head. My father had praised me beyond my abilities,” I said politely. 
 
Yes, my Grandfather had praised me openly, but it was only because my father began to write down good things about me to him. 
 
Though he had reason to since I had gotten the law certificate, I began helping him, and he was doing a better job than the lawyers he had.
 
“See, Soren, didn’t I tell you my nephew is humble, despite having a great ability,” said my uncle as he looked at me with affection and pride.
 
This bastard surely has an Acting Class; it is not me who is saying it, but even my father had said it, given how he could change his colors at a moment’s notice.
 
“Remus, I want you to look at this contract. If you find some problems with it, even a single one, I will back your position as legal adviser in the guild,” he said as he motioned toward the small pile of papers.
 
I could see a hint of mirth appear in the eyes of a couple of people, including my uncle and his assistant, as they heard that.
 
The bastard had set me up well; I could not reject it, and if I did not impress him in some way, not only this old will not support me, but he might as well block my position as the legal adviser in the guild.
 
If he had not done this, there was an 80% chance I would have gotten the position I wanted. 
 
The letter of recommendation from the head of the house of Silver is no common thing; he is a powerful man nobody wants to upset
 
Especially if it is a harmless position, but here, if I failed, they would have enough reason to reject my application.
 
“Thank you for the kind opportunity, vice-guild head,” I said as I walked toward the table, lifting the contract, and immediately felt the powerful skills that are attached to it.
 
My hands shook, and I nearly dropped it; I gripped it tightly and sat down on the empty chair.
 
“What do you want me to find in it exactly?” I asked vice-guild head Arryn. 
 
His words were too broad; there are tens of things in such a contract. I need to know the specifics; otherwise, even the rest of the day and night won't be enough.
 
As he heard my question, his expression became serious, and now looking at me with a more than favor my uncle had called.
 
“I want you to find ways for the person to cancel the contract,” he said; hearing that small smile couldn’t help but appear on my face.
 
“It is too broad; I am sure the contract has more than ten ways; both parties cancel the contract,” I replied, and finally, a small genuine smile appeared on the serious face of the old man.
 
“I want you to find out if there is any way the other party could cancel it without paying any price, despite me fulfilling all obligations correctly,” he said, informing me the thing he wants, and it will be tricky.
 
Such things are hidden very expertly.
 
“I will do my best,” I said. 
 
“You have till seven, Remus; I have to sign it by eight,” the old man said and got up before leaving the room with my uncle, who looked at me and gave me his most wicked smile.
 
Now, there is only me, and the young woman who opened the door had remained in the room as also the heavy contract.
 
It is around three-thirty, and there is a forty-page contract. If it had been a normal contract, it wouldn’t have been a problem for me, but many skills are attached to it, and that will take a lot of time.
 
I put a notepad on my thigh and started to read the contract.
 
It is a standard bill of the sale contract between the Mirador Hold and the mercantile house of Soren. It is about five thousand armor cleaning kits that house Soren would provide to Mirador Hold every three years.
 
It is a big contract, but not as big as those huge contracts, like supplying weapons and all that, not that I had expected to get a read of them.
 
Those contracts have secrets of the house; they will not let anyone read them, especially not a person from another powerful mercantile house.
 
The power of skills is too heavy; it is forcing me to read and also making me forget what I read. I had every line couple of times and wrote down its main points just to understand it.
 
It was frustrating when I first time started reading them; I tore my hair apart in frustration. 
 
The dead bastard used to have fun watching me like this, always throwing contracts with powerful skills at me.
 
It is a little better now, with my Lawyer Class providing me with some resistance and Contract Skill, helping me understand it a little better. The Contract Skill is not useful in forming a contract but also aids in understanding them.
 
It was frustratingly hard, but I continued reading, double reading, triple reading till I understood everything the line said and what it didn’t say, and what it implied.
 
“Can I have some water, please?” I asked the woman two hours later. She nodded and poured me a glass.
 
“Thank you,” I said as I took a glass from the tray and drank it whole before focusing back on the contract.
 
It was five minutes to seven when the vice-guild head Arryn, returned with my uncle. Seeing them, I closed the contract.
 
“So, do you find anything?” asked vice-guild head Arryn. “Yes,” I replied, and he sounded surprised while the middle-aged walked behind him, walked up, and sat beside him. 
 
“It is section seven, subsection d, that gives the authority to cancel the contract without paying any price or giving any valid reason,” I informed; vice-guild head turned to the middle-aged man, who was looking at me with a barely hidden mocking smile.
 
“The three clause of section nine nullifies it,” said the middle-aged man with a smug smile, which he is not even trying to hide.
 
“Yes, it did, but when you added clause c of section thirteen and clause f of section sixteen, it will give them the power to cancel the contract, after one year, without any penalty or reason,” I replied, to which the middle-aged man shook his head.
 
“No section nine nullified them too,” said a middle-aged, refuting. “Check it again very carefully,” I said with a smile.
 
“Herman, check what Remus said,” said the vice-guild head when middle age man opened his mouth to refute again.
 
The middle-aged man took the contract from me grudgingly and began to look with confidence in his eyes, but a minute later, the confidence began to slip up, and his expression turned serious.
 
In the contracts, every comma and every dot are important; you change them, and the whole meaning of the contract will change.
 
On earth, where there is no skill and magic, we have to do things with ingenuity.
 
Companies pay lawyers millions to create loopholes that no one can find or fine the loophole the contracts have.
 
“Well?” asked the vice-guild head with a slight hint of irritation, “I think what mister Remus said is right,” he said after a moment of silence.
 
Vice guild head sighed, while the smile on my uncle's face froze, and he looked as if he had eaten a fly and wanted to vomit but could not.
 
“Is there any way they could cancel the contract within a year?” asked the vice-guild head as he turned to me.
 
“If there is, I did not see it,” I replied. I did not directly say no, even though I am sure they could not, but it might be possible, and I might not have seen it.
 
“Good, thank you, Remus, and as I had promised, I will give you my backing for the position of a legal adviser,” he said.
 
“Thank you, vice-guild head,” I said. He nodded, but suddenly his expression changed. “Are you leaving with your uncle the day after toward with fortress’s peoples?” he asked.
 
“Yes, it is the safest way,” I replied. “Well, if you want to return early, you can come with me. I am leaving in a few hours after I finish with my business here,” he offered, and my eyes lit up, hearing that.
 
“I would be grateful,” I replied quickly, seeing my uncle open his mouth; I am sure he would have objected in some way.
 
“Good,” he said and turned to my uncle, “Your nephew is good, as you told Raymond. It seemed like I do owe you one,” he said, and my uncle smiled, which obviously looked very forced.
 
The bastard had tried to scheme against me, but instead, it ended up benefitting me. He must be feeling quite angry right now.

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