Proofread by Thomas F
"Take care of the legacy and the children," I said to Carla, before turning to the children, standing beside her.
"Be good, both of you. Listen to everything Carla says," I instructed. Especially Josie. Heron is a good kid, but Josie likes to instigate trouble.
"I will be a good brother," promised Josie cutely. Seeing that, I wanted to shake my head.
She will be naughty, and it is my fault. I am not giving her the attention and love she needs, since I am spending most of my time in the legacy and the city.
I am busy, and so is Carla. We both try to give them everything they need, but what we provide isn't enough.
"If you behave, I will take you to the baronies next time," I said, and her eyes lit up.
"Promise?" she asked. "Yes," I replied.
I would have loved to take them with me, but the conditions aren't stable right now. Grimvale is ready to attack the moment he gets the chance.
There are also the monsters, and not to mention the other enemies, that might try to assassinate me.
So, it is better for me to remain careful and vigilant. I will take them to the baronies when things stabilize there and everything is entirely under our control.
I patted them on the heads and turned to the armored man.
"I will entrust them in your care, Sir Schengen," I said to the man. "I will protect them with my life, my lord," he replied, with a faint bow.
They are well protected, but it is always good to have extra protection. I am not worried about Carla; aside from a massive arsenal of spells, she also has the aura methods.
I am relieved that she is now also able to understand the defensive method.
One would need to be very powerful to kill her.
I am worried about children.
When I am in the city, I can see them instantly. I had placed a mark on them. So, I could sense immediately when they are in danger, but I am leaving the city now.
I wouldn't be able to protect them instantly. So, I have to hand over their safety to someone.
There is no one better than the man in front of me.
A minute later, I am in the carriage moving toward the port gate.
"All the barons affirmed their attendance for tomorrow's meeting," informed Varza. I am taking Varza with me, while Ares is staying in the city.
"Good," I replied.
I will be meeting with them to push the tax codes and other vital laws I want to bring to the baronies.
Making them more aligned with the Greltheaven policies.
They might have more resistance to the tax code, but they are also showing resistance to the other laws I am bringing. I need those laws enacted.
I will try diplomacy, but I will not hesitate to go high-handed either.
I am their lord, and they are now subjects of the Greltheaven dominion. They will have to follow its laws.
The common laws in all dominions help not only cohesion, but also with my power. The skill Laws of My Land works better when there are identical laws everywhere.
Soon, the carriage passed through the port gate, but it didn't move toward the bridge. Well, technically, it is moving toward a bridge, but not the one I usually take.
Soon, it stopped, and I stepped out.
"Lord Silver," greeted Valentina and Amellus. I nodded before turning to the bridge under construction.
Even at this late hour, work on the bridge is still ongoing.
"One more month and it will be finished," informed Amellus as he walked under the bridge.
"Told you, we will be needing it," I said to Valentina. "You were right," she replied. Hearing that, I smiled.
I didn't expect the population to increase so swiftly. The main reason I wanted another bridge was that I was fearing an attack from the enemies.
I wanted this bridge as a backup, in case they had destroyed the first one.
It had become one of the most essential part of the city. If anything happens to the bridge. It could make us suffer massive losses.
The trade is increasing by the week: the merchant state, Navr, and Baronies. We are trading with everyone, and it will be very hard to move those quantities of goods as we used to before the bridge.
Not to mention the northern outer ring. Which has become a city.
There are already massive warehouses, and more are being built; the same goes for businesses and, most importantly, people's homes. Every week, thousands of them are settling there.
"Keep up the good work. We need it ready on time," I said. "It will be," promised Amellus.
I smiled and turned to Valentina. "I will leave the city in your hands," I said.
"You will not be disappointed," she replied. I didn't say anything to that and hugged my friend before walking toward the carriage.
Soon, the carriage reached the first bridge.
I looked at the eastern ring. Every week, more buildings are being constructed, and more people are moving in—more business openings, helping the city's economy.
This construction boom is helping the city immensely. It created a new cycle of growth in the city.
First, we sell the plots and earn money from that. Then people build things, and we get taxes on the materials used for that and on the salaries of the people who are building it.
Those people also need to eat and spend money on essentials, which support businesses and generate more revenue for the city.
It is due to this cycle of revenue that I could build the necessary infrastructure, pay for that insatiable beast of an army, and do other essential things.
Though real estate and construction aren't the only things increasing their share into the city's economy.
The biggest one is the trade.
It is growing rapidly, especially from the Navr. Our immediate outreach had been tremendously helpful in increasing the trade.
Not just with Navr, but also with the merchants of the empire.
Greltheaven is becoming a focal point of trade with Navr. The merchants didn't even have to go to Navr or even Mirador Hold. They could order everything from Greltheaven itself.
The city has created intermediary merchants who are ready to get them anything from Navr.
Grimvale is trying the same things, but Greltheaven has the first-mover advantage. However, our most significant advantage is Mirador Hold.
It is where all the trade with Navr goes through, and since I took over. I made every change and built things to make that trade as smooth as possible, and I have started to get great dividends from it.
Though this is just beginning.
War is an ever-hungry machine, and it is everywhere in the empire. To feed it, they need things, and I want to provide them with that.
Whether they want it from Navr or the merchant state, I will provide it to them.
It is my dream for the Dominion to produce those things, in time. I am making efforts, but it's going to take time, a lot of it.
I am poaching talent, providing capital, and connecting supply chains. However, it will still take time before I can contribute meaningfully to the hungry beast of war with goods produced within my dominion.
I do not like war, but this is the reality of the world. There is war everywhere.
Given how things are going, another war on the continent is imminent. This is nothing surprising, on earth a century and a half ago. Peace was just a time before another war.
The carriage left the bridge and began moving through the outer ring.
A lot of houses are being built, but given its sheer size. It is only a fraction. The outer ring holds the capacity of five million people.
The eastern ring could hold over two million, and currently, there are only a fraction of that number, but given the speed at which people are coming to the city, I have high hopes for it.
This is just the eastern ring. I haven't even started on the western outer ring.
It will be some time before I do that.
It is connected to the city by land, and that is the side from which enemies attack me. I would need the wall and other protections before I start settling people there.
It is the main reason why I chose the eastern side. It is much safer.
I looked at buildings, many of which are completed, though most are still under construction. Many among them still have people working on them.
There is a high demand for housing. The work on them is going on nonstop.
I turned my head and saw the things that made me sigh. "There are too many tents," said Varza.
Due to the housing shortage, we are keeping people in the tents.
"They wouldn't have to bear the cold nights. If they move to Panar or Gailhorn," said Locke.
He is coming to Nakar as well, but it is not his first trip, since we conquered it more like the seventh one.
"These people have come here running from danger. Living in border cities is the last thing they want to do." I replied, shaking my head.
Still, many had moved to those cities, and we are working to convince more to move there as well.
"We should use force," he said, looking at me pointedly, and even Varza nodded at that.
I don't want to use force, but I would need to. I would have used it by now to shift them forcefully to Panar and Gailhorn, but I am waiting for the baronies.
I plan to move many of these people into the baronies.
Though if the barons disagreed. I will shift them to the Panar and Gailhorn. It would not please me, but it would need to be done.
Soon, we reached the wall. In a few months, it will be finished.
It had already become quite tall, but it will rise even higher. It's going to be even taller and thicker than the walls of the inner city.
There are some people working on it. Though not as much as the morning.
Since most people working on it are soldiers. We keep most shifts during the day. So, they could return home to their families by evening.
Even with soldier labour, the wall had been a very expensive project, and it is far from finished.
It's not like I have any choice. The wall is necessary; it gives citizens the confidence they require and the protection they need in this dangerous world.
The soldiers removed the barricade, and the carriage passed through it along with a company of cavalry.
The carriage began to move toward the baronies. I will stay there for 10 days to 2 weeks and will visit not only Lauryl and Bram Valley but also Mirador Hold.
…
Knight Marshal Liorian
"Silver has left the city," informed Lomos.
Our intelligence had been right; he left the city. Now, we can move forward with our plan.
"Are the blades in place?" I asked. "Yes," replied Elmid.
Six months had gone by since the battle that crushed us, the one where he didn't just win—he humiliated us so completely we still flinched at the memory.
It's time we give a little payback for that. Only an interest; the rest will come later.
It's an order from the higher-ups; we've been preparing for months, and we will succeed. Given the preparations we have made.
I looked at targets on the board—the targets of the three cities.
The targets of the outer two cities are their Governors, while the targets of Greltheaven are five military and civil officials.
We are not going for Silver's whore and family; they are protected very well, but we are going for the pillars of the city. Once they are dead, it will plunge the city into chaos.
The same thing will happen in Panar and Gailhorn.
The purpose is simple: brew the chaos before attacking with the full force.
We learned our lesson; we are not going to attack Greltheaven, but other cities of Silver one by one before we will siege Greltheaven.
We will even let others exploit it. We will encourage it, like Silver did, to attack our cities when he defeated us so thoroughly.
"It's such a regret that we can't attack Silver," complained Lomos.
"One Lv. 40 assassin is not enough to kill him," I replied. I have seen him killing the Necromancer, and I wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating him again.
This time, we will use the tools efficiently. Weaken the enemy first, before moving for the kill.
It is why we are not targeting Lauryl. We have enough forces to target three; we could have stretched to four cities, but I didn't want to weaken the assault.
We didn't have to target every city. If we succeed at even just two, it will be a success.
"Tomorrow, it will be a completely different region than it is right now," said Elmid with a big smile. I didn't reply to that. I have learned the hard way not to hope too much before results appear.
"Give the go-ahead to all three groups. Operation Night Skewer will commence at midnight," I ordered.
This time, we will succeed.
We had planned every aspect, and most importantly, we had not underestimated the enemy. This time, there is nothing that will stop us from succeeding.