Proofread by Thomas F. 2nd June, 2025.
"We need to put our plans of expansion forward," I said finally, looking up from the ashes of the contract I had burned recently.
I was going to wait until this month was over and I had a little more capital, but with this happening, I could not wait anymore.
"We do, but we have the fewest girls among all the high-class brothels. We need to increase the numbers before we do the expansion," she replied.
All the high-class brothels have at least a hundred girls, and that was when they started; they now have even more with the business booming.
I have big expansion plans, and they would require money. The four million would help, but not much; I need far more than that.
"Contact Valentina and get an appointment for tomorrow," I said.
"What about the girls? Are you contacting your brother?" she asked. "No, someone else will," I replied.
If I contact my brother, he will try to squeeze me, or might not even sell the contracts.
I am taking the girls from Carla's old brothel. While it would be easier to get girls from here, Deerpond, or even merchant cities, I like to get them from the old brothel, as these girls know each other and will work better.
Not to mention, those girls are good; my father was meticulous about each woman when he decided to open a brothel a few years ago.
"Do I ask for the appointment from Repose and Bulwark?" she asked. "Yes," I replied.
The expansion plans require huge money; I have a few million and four from the two girls, but it is far from enough.
So, it's time to hit the bank and secure that loan.
Carla left after taking orders, and a few minutes later, I saw the messenger leaving the establishment.
I turned back to my work, and now that I have started on the expansion plans, there are too many things to do.
I have already made a plan for the kind of expansion I need, but my new ideas require some changes.
Click!
A few hours passed as I worked and did some reading when the door opened, and Carla walked inside.
"You have an appointment with the bank at five," Carla said as she entered. "Good," I replied.
I have worked on the proposal and hope the bank will accept it. I am asking for a lot more money than last time, but unlike last time, my business is booming.
So even if they don't approve the full amount I'm asking for, a slightly smaller loan would still work. During the expansion, the business will keep generating income either way.
I worked till it was time for the appointment and left the establishment. Fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped, and I entered the bank.
"Remus Silver, I have an appointment with Mr. Shaw," I said to the receptionist on the third floor. "Mr. Shaw will see you in ten minutes," she replied with her usual professional smile.
I nodded and sat down while reading the magazine to pass the time.
"Mr. Shaw will see you now," she said, opening the door for me; I thanked her and walked into the office, where a big man was sitting.
"Mr. Silver, welcome," he said as I came inside and offered me a seat. "Thank you for meeting me quickly, Mr. Shaw," I replied as I sat in front of him. To that, the man smiled.
"How can I help you?" he asked, leaning slightly forward. I said directly, "I need a loan. "That's what we are here for," replied Mr. Shaw.
"So, how much do you need?" he asked. "Twenty-five million crowns," I replied, the same amount Lucas had offered me for the establishment.
I could see the faint spark of surprise appearing in his eyes before it disappeared.
"It is quite a large amount," he said a moment later. I felt a little relieved that he did not decline my request directly.
"It is," I said back.
"Well, your record is good; you paid our last loan in less than two months, but the amount you are asking is huge; we will need to look at all aspects before we sanction such a large amount to you," he said.
"It is fine," I replied, and in the next few minutes, I had signed the forms and submitted the proofs—all the things that I needed to do to apply for a load.
"It all looked very good; it shouldn't take long to study your profile," he said, looking at the papers before turning to me. "The bank will inform you of its decision in a few days," he added.
"Ok," I replied, and a minute later, I walked out of his office.
When I reached the establishment, it had already opened; I entered through the back entrance and watched from my usual place while taking notes.
I am quite relieved to see that business is going as usual; the girls' performance seems normal.
They are doing excellent, as usual.
I watched for an hour and checked other things before returning to my office, where I worked till ten, before going to my bedroom to sleep.
I have made a habit of sleeping at ten; it is a good habit and gives me enough rest to not get tired, with all the things I need to do throughout the day.
The next day, I woke up early, as I had been doing for nearly two weeks.
I freshened up before returning to the mansion and doing yoga for an hour before practicing with instructor David.
"You are doing well, Master Silver. If you impress me today, then I will increase the difficulty of your training from tomorrow on," he said as he pressed me, using multiple skills one after another.
Clang Thap Clang
I am also using my skills, the Quick Steps to move around and Consecutive Slashes, to attack rapidly when I can.
After training hard with instructor David for more than ten days, I have grasped my skills well.
I've even begun using Consecutive Strikes for defense. The resistance is intense, but I'm pushing through it.
While practicing with the instructor, I heard the steps and saw four people approaching us; one was Carla. Two of the other three were familiar, while the third was unknown to me.
I did not dare get distracted. Instructor David gets quite angry when I get distracted and hits places where it hurts the most; I don't want to experience that, at least not today.
Thap!
Finally, the two hours were over, and instructor David had ended the training by hitting me on the knee, causing me to fall to the ground.
Despite trying hard, he does that every day, and I could not stop him.
"Rest well today, Mister Silver. Tomorrow, I will increase the difficulty," said instructor David, walking to pick up his real sword.
After he placed it on his waist, he nodded at the four before walking toward the exit.
"Uncle Thompson, Captain Stephen," I greeted and nodded to one whom I didn't recognize as I got up slowly.
After practicing constantly, my stamina increased, so now I didn't have to lie on the ground for minutes to recover.
"Your Grandfather would be proud to see you picking up the sword again." Said the older man.
"Thank you for the kind words, uncle," I replied.
He is Roe Thompson, our "uncle"; even my father had also called him that, and so has every house member.
He is Grandfather's childhood friend, the person he trusts the most. He is sort of House Silver's fixer and cleaner.
I was genuinely surprised to hear he was coming—my report didn't include anything that should have warranted his arrival. But in hindsight, I shouldn't have been surprised.
I am sure I am not the only one he asked to report on what is happening in the barony.
"You should clean yourself; we will talk more comfortably in your office," he said, looking at my state.
"Carla, take Uncle and the gentlemen to my office," I said. "Yes," she replied and took them toward my office.
I walked with them till the stairs diverged; they moved toward my office while I walked toward my room.
In my room, I did not apply the muscle-numbing cream; I received much fewer sword slaps than on the first days of training, so the pain is manageable now.
So, I quickly showered, changed, and left my room.
When I walked into my office, I saw Uncle Thompson browsing through the accounting book and occasionally asking Carla questions.
I am not angry at him for looking at the files; I am happy instead. Whatever he sees and reads will be reported to Grandfather, and I want that old man to know how I am doing.
"You are doing much better than the best scenario your father had imagined for this establishment," he said as he put down the binder.
"Thank you, uncle," I replied.
"I am going to the barony, as you might have guessed." He informed. "Are you interested in coming?" he asked.
To that, I shook my head.
"I wish I could, but I can not; there is too much work to do here," I replied. "It is fine. Focus on your work; it is the most important thing," he said.
We talked about general topics for half an hour, mostly about my business and the city.
I did not ask him about his trip to the barony and why Grandfather had sent him; I am sure I will know when he returns.
One thing is sure: my brother is not going to be happy. People seldom are when he visits.
This is why I need to be as independent as possible from the house while still being a member. My father went the same way and was able to enjoy great freedom in his business that many others didn't.
"Uncle, I have one thing to ask of you; I hope you can help me with it?" I asked, "If it is in my power, I will help you," he said.
"It is nothing big; I hope you will be able to facilitate a transaction between Reed and me," I said, "He is selling the brothel, and I want to buy the contract of the girls in it."
"Sure, as long as you are willing to pay a fair price, I don't see him having any problem selling them to you," he replied.
Of course, he will have a problem, but with this old man in between, he will not dare to reject the sale.
They have already stretched the limit of the house's anger; after what they did to me, they will not want to do anything more, or they will have to bear the wrath of their grandfather.
I think that is why Grandfather sent Uncle to the barony; Edwin had crossed the limit.
"I am willing to pay fifty thousand crowns per girl," I said, which lit up a faint spark of surprise in his eyes for a fraction of a second.
"It is more than a fair price; I will write to your brother immediately after I leave," he replied with a smile.
"Thank you, uncle," I said happily.
He stayed a few more minutes before he left; I walked him to the gate and strolled back toward the manor with a smile on my face.
"I assume the sale is as good as done?" asked Carla. "Yes, the deal is nearly done," I said with a smile.
Carla looked like she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she did not. I did not worry about it, as I am happy.
I couldn't help but imagine my brother's face when he received the letter from the old man.
I am sure he will break a few more vases today. He does that when he is angry, and he says the sound of them breaking helps him calm down.