City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 61: Responsibility

I watched through the window as the familiar carriage of Valentina entered the establishment before she came out of it with the chief architect Davidson.
 
She did not walk toward the door and instead went to see the progress of construction. 
 
Knowing it might take some time, I focused on the work; the list of new requirements I have. Most of them are not major but complicated and time-consuming; I hope she will be able to do it within a time.
 
Click!
 
It was about fifteen minutes when the door of my office opened, and Carla walked inside, bringing Valentina and Davidson.
 
“I heard you had quite an adventure in Namdar,” said Valentina as she entered inside. “Yes, it was quite an episode,” I replied as I offered her and Davidson the seat.
 
“You even killed a lich,” she said to which I just rolled my eyes. “No, I did not. I only aided; it was others who killed it,” I said.
 
I had read the papers, and for the past few days, the same news had been running; printing that Captain Julian and I had killed the Lich, it had wonderfully omitted the mention of the other three.
 
It is all politics; Count Darrow wanted to make the citizen of the new city feel proud and increase his popularity. It wouldn’t take him long to send us to the gallows for a small mistake if it benefitted him.
 
“So, you want to make further changes,” she said with all the smiles on her face disappearing and her expression becoming all serious.
 
“Yes,” I said.
 
She did not say anything and just spread the sheet on the table, and soon, the projection of the mansion appeared. Not of the current mansion but what it will become few weeks.
 
“What are the changes?” she asked. “Most of them are small, better enchantment and higher quality aesthetics in the rooms,” 
 
“Some require a little more work, like expanding the make-room further and turning it into a studio. A couple of small buildings in back, a slight expansion, and a few other things,” I said with a smile despite her serious expression.
 
“And you want me to do it all by the existing deadline?” she asked slowly; the way she asked had kind of scared me, but I nodded.
 
“It is going to cost you a lot, Remus; if you don’t want that, given me another month, and you will only need to pay less than half,” she said to which I shook my head; it would cost me more if I extend the deadline by the month.
 
“No, I want it all within the existing deadline,” I said, and she sighed. “Let’s go over them, then,” she said, and we started.
 
The biggest expense of the changes is enchantment; they are expensive. I am adding more of them and replacing earlier ones with advanced ones; these enchantments will turn the establishment even more amazing.
 
After that, we moved to small changes like the expansion of the make-up room; it needs to be big, with space for hundreds of dresses, jewelry, accessories, and other things and also sufficient room for makeup and change.
 
I have a vision, and I am describing it to Valentina, and she is making it appear in front of me.
 
“Perfect,” I said as I watched the studio's projection; it looked really amazing, and seeing Valentina’s work, would be even more amazing with the reality.
 
With it done, we moved toward the different things; it took nearly two hours to state all the changes and a few more minutes to sign the agreement and make the payment.
 
I watched Valentina’s carriage leave through the window and the payment slip in front of me. I had more than twenty million in my pocket, and now, I have less than one.
 
I would have saved a few if I could wait, but I did not want to. It would have been a loss instead of a saving; I want it to be finished by the deadline.
 
Soon, the carriage disappeared, and I focused back on my work.
 
….
 
The girls left one by one for the make-up room till only two have remained, Margot and Ina.
 
“What do you want to talk to us about, Carla?” asked Ina as she sat down beside Margot.
 
“Opportunity,” I replied, and I could see their eyes lighting up brighter than the light above. 
 
“What opportunity?” they asked in unison before looking at each other, smiling. 
 
They won't be smiling at each other after hearing my words; just thinking about it makes me smile brighter.
 
“Handling everything is too much for me, and so I decided to fully focus on being an assistant to Master Silver, while the responsibilities of madam will be handled by a different person,” I said and could see their eyes becoming sound in surprise before blazing like the sun.
 
“I have referred both of your names to Master Silver, and you both have an interview tomorrow,” I informed and immediately saw cogs in their mind spinning as they looked at each other.
 
In a matter of seconds, they turned competitors from friends.
 
“Both of you want to apply it, right?” I asked, “The money won’t be good as you earn now or what you will earn in the future after the changes, as it will be a fixed salary, not the percentage,” she added.
 
Money is a big factor, especially for Margot.
 
“Yes, I want to apply,” said Margot, while Ina, beside her, nodded. 
 
“As for money, I am sure, you are earning more than us right now, without even counting percentage; I have seen how patrons fawn at you and shower you with gifts,” said Ina with narrowed eyes.
 
She is right; even without the percentage, I get from the establishment, I earn more from the gifts.
 
I truly did not think I would get them, as I am not sleeping with them as these girls are, but those people did not seem to mind it.
 
Remus said it was a chase they were after, and the more they thought they couldn’t get you, the more they would try for it.
 
Well, I am not sleeping with any of the patrons; as for the gifts, I will take them. Which whore would refuse the gifts?
 
….
 
The next morning, I woke up early and freshened up before walking out of the mansion.
 
The workers are still working, and there seemed to be more of them; a few days ago, another batch of people came from the mainland branches, and she is diverting some of them here.
 
I only spent a few minutes looking around before I went to my usual spot and began the yoga as I was doing before leaving for Namdar.
 
It was my first time doing physical activity since the battle; while I had healed fully within three days, I decided to take the rest, not just physically but also mentally.
 
The battle was tiring.
 
It had been barely a few minutes since I finished when I heard the familiar footsteps and saw instructor David coming toward me.
 
“Killing a lich, you made this instructor proud, Remus,” he said as he put down his real sword and took out the practice sword.
 
“Instructor David, please, you know better than to believe the bullshit in the paper,” I said, and I picked up my new practice rapier.
 
This one looked the same as my enchanted sword and was exactly of the same side and weight, but it was a practice sword.
 
I ordered it in Namdar.
 
“I met Dan yesterday; he told me what happened, and while you may not have killed it, you have aided greatly in killing it,” 
 
“Not to mention the fight you had put up against the undead; even experienced fighters cower in those conditions,” he said as he stood in front of him.
 
“There was no choice,” I replied with the same answer I have given so many times. 
 
“It’s good you understand it, and do not let the glory of the single get in your head,” he said with a smile before suddenly coming at me like a viper, with speed faster than he had used against me before.
 
I reacted far faster than I would have before I fought against the undead.
 
I moved with the greatest speed my Quick Steps could provide me, and balance was given by Sure Foot and swung my rapier with the combination of Consecutive Strikes and Weighted Strikes.
 
I am meeting offense with the offense, with the most powerful attack I had ever made.
 
Clang!
 
His sword clashed against my mine hard that even with increased strength and hard grip, I had nearly thrown it away; it was not the only thing he did; he had sent a powerful shock that numbed me.
 
If that was all not enough, he attacked again without giving me even a second of rest. I had to push through the numbness and move my sword to defend myself.
 
I defended it, albeit barely, before getting numbing shock again, and this time, when the attack came, I dodged. 
 
If it had been only a Quick Steps, I wouldn’t have been able to dodge it with all numbness, but Sure Foot had helped me keep the perfect balance.
 
The victory was short-lived, as the next moment, his sword hit me hard at my back, with blinding pain that I just wanted to collapse, but another attack came, and I knew I have to defend myself.
 
Given instructor David’s habit, this one would give me even greater pain if I did not dodge or defend.
 
Time passed, and I continued fighting him without stopping as the instructor pushed me with every attack. He did not hold back against me; whenever his sword hit me, I would get a nasty surprise.
 
Finally, three hours passed, and he finished with the last attack, which always made me collapse to the ground; this time, I did not.
 
“Battle is the best teacher, especially the one that fought with life on the line; in less than three hours, it had taught you so much I wasn’t able to in weeks,” he said, and all I could do was smile.
 
Though he is right, it has taught me so much; without it, I wouldn’t have been able to fight against the instructor as I did today.
 
“The amplifier and balance are good skills; train them till they become your second nature,” “They will be a tremendous asset if you are able to do that,” he advised. 
 
“I will,” I replied.
 
He gave me a few more tips before leaving while I rested for a few minutes before slowly making my way toward my room.

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