CITY OF DESIRE [KINGDOM BUILDING]

Proofread by Thomas F 

Grand Duke Zedaris

Click!

The door opened, and I walked into the familiar hall. I had come here nearly every year for the past decade.

However, I have always met with failure. A few times, I have been close to success but have never achieved it. This time, I paid a huge price and hope we will get it.

Once we found it, and we killed her. Our house will be secure; there will be no more resistance.

I stopped in front of the man. He is an average-looking man with white hair. Nobody would believe this man is one of the most powerful on the continent.

He does not have combat power but something far more dangerous.

He is a Seer, the highest level on the continent.

“Sage,” I greeted.

“Did you bring it, Grand Duke?” he asked without so much as a greeting. The lack of courtesy grated on me, stirring irritation and anger, but I swallowed it down. Without a word, I produced the object.

I opened the heavily enchanted wooden box. Inside was a bar that seemed to change state every second.

“I offered them so much for it, but they do not want to sell,” said the old man, looking at it with undisguised greed.

We didn’t buy it. Just borrowing it for a very high cost.

“Will it be enough?” I asked, and the man turned to me and smiled.

“I am seer, but even I can’t say that for sure. Though, I will say this with it. Piercing through the power of that artifact shouldn’t be a problem,” he replied, which relieved me.

That artifact is one of the most powerful anti-scrying artifacts in the entire continent.

It was the only reason that she was able to hide for so long. Not anymore; today, she will be found, and we will send our most powerful assassins to kill her.

“I will start in the night. It is the most auspicious time,” he stated. I nodded.

…

Silver

“Panar,” I said as the city came into view.

Seeing it, I wanted to ride toward it faster, but I didn’t. Instead, I decided to take in the whole view of the city.

It is in the wasteland but not devoid of people. There are quite a lot of people moving around, actually. Because they go into the mines, there are even buildings near the city by the mines.

The mining industry is the lifeblood of the city. Contributing to over 80% of its economy.

I want to lower that while increasing the output of the mines. Diversifying revenue sources is good for the economy, but one should also focus on the core industries.

I am focusing on mining a lot, opening more and more mines and even trying to bring the refinement industry to the city.

In two months, the first refining site should be set up in the city.

Soon, I got close enough to see the city clearly, and what I saw made me smile.

The wall is completely fixed, and not even a crack on it has remained. It’s now in better condition than it had been in the time of the previous lord.

I have spent a lot on it. It’s crucial for its defense.

When I was here last time, the wild growth around it had been cleared, but now the whole area has been smoothened. There is not a single plant in there.

We wanted to plant things. It is a green space, a rarity in this wasteland.

It’s big and, if utilized well, could support the city to some degree. It was cultivated before the invasion of the undead and their mismanagement led to overgrowth.

Until I have full confidence in the city’s safety, I will leave it as it is. It is important that it remains as it is for the city’s security.

The city got closer and closer until we reached its gate. They opened fully for us.

“Lord Silver, Lord of Greltheaven, and Panar,” The herald announced as we rode through the gate.

There is a large crowd waiting for us. This time, the people didn’t look starved and sick. They look well-fed and vibrant, wearing clean clothes

“Welcome to Panar, Lord Silver,” welcomed Ina, with General Azalea and other important people beside her.

She has grown into her responsibilities. She was more confident than I had seen her last time. Now, she looked like a governor. She was wearing that position like a second skin.

I could feel it. Despite leveling up, she has not gotten the class yet, but that is only a matter of time before she gets it.

“It feels good to be back in this wonderful city, Governor,” I replied, looking around.

She smiled, and we began to ride toward the city hall while I smiled, nodded, and waved at the citizen.

The city looks good—clean, with repaired and rebuilt buildings. A big part of the city is still in ruins, but slowly, we are reclaiming it and settling more people in it.

The population is recovering fast. It had already reached sixty-five thousand.

That is even after I transferred over 70% of the children under eighteen and a large portion of the adult population from the city. Right, over 50% of the people living here came after we conquered the city.

The mines produced steady employment. Even those who didn’t have mining classes came here to work in the mines and gain classes.

The people are coming for the non-mining jobs as well.

The shopkeepers, carpenters, tailors, blacksmiths and others. Many of which are growing to support the mining.

I examined everything that was in sight. Later, I will tour everything in detail. I will be here for three days and I want to see everything personally.

It is for this reason that I came here.

I get reports nearly every day, and I trust them, but I also like to look at things with my own eyes.

Right now, I see things with my eyes, but I also feeling it with my class.

These feelings are tough to distinguish, and most people in the ruling classes learn to suppress them, but I am embracing them. I am slowly making progress in understanding them, with the help of Bell and my skill the Eye of Master.

That skill has been an incredible asset. It allows me to perceive emotions as tangible forms, linking feelings to the things they embody—almost as if I could see them with my own eyes.

Now, that understanding lets me sense the city’s pulse. It doesn’t beat as powerfully as Greltheaven’s, but it has a spirit of its own.

It is what matters the most in cities like this, as without spirit in their citizens, their hearts crumble to dust.

“The rebuilding is going well. I believe, in the next six to nine months, we will be able to restore the city whole,” I said, looking at the city.

I am spending a lot of money and effort on the city, which has also slowly started to pull its weight.

In the next few months, when a few more mines open and the refinery starts. It will be able to carry nearly all its weight.

“I want to do it in six months,” she said, determination burning in her eyes. That resolve made me smile.

Soon, we reached the city hall, where once more people were waiting. They were all members of the city hall staff. I spent time greeting them.

It took a few minutes, and we reached her office.

“Master Silver,” said Ina, offering me her seat. I shook my head and sat on the couch.

“General, how are the undead?” I asked.

I know I am safe for five more months, but complacency is a luxury I cannot afford. The undead have defied the commands of spirits and titans before. I made my decision knowing they might ignore the tower’s directive as well.

“Quiet, my lord. Not a single one has crossed our boundary in the past month,” she replied, her eyes searching mine for answers.

She knows there is a reason for that.

I can’t tell her. The fewer people who know, the better.

“Good, but keep a tight eye on them,” I ordered.

“I am, my lord,” she replied with a bow.

I asked her a few more questions before she left, leaving me alone with Ina.

“This is the information on the mines,” said Ina as Onaz placed a file in front of me.

I picked it up and began to read it.

Panar is an ancient city with mining that has been going here for thousands of years. Some of the mines are so huge that the city could be established down there.

We are mining in the old mines and the newer ones.

The output is sound and increasing by the day. If this keeps up, it won’t be a year before we gain the output that the city used to have before the undead attacked.

I read through all the files on the infrastructure, spending, and other things.

The auditors and other people are hired to keep the accounting. Look at these files every month, but I like to look at things myself.

It reassures me and fuels new ideas. It was evening when I finished with all the files.

“You should rest a little before the party, Master Silver,” advised Ina, and I nodded.

I rode from the Greltheaven. It was fun but tiring, even with the skill. So, I went to one of the resting quarters in the city hall.

It is smaller than a suite, but I am okay with it.

I lay down and closed my eyes. Despite wanting to, I didn’t sleep. If I sleep now, I won’t be able to sleep later,

I wish I had the rest skills that many of the girls have. Even Ina has it, and I want to copy it from her, but I already have the skill from Bell, and I would have to remove it to copy another from Ina.

I don’t want to do that. Seeing how important that skill is. If I didn’t have it, I would have died at the hands of mercenaries.

Hun!

I was resting when I felt something. It is from my legacy. I first thought it was an attack, but it felt more subtle.

I wanted to ask Caena immediately but stopped myself. It is risky to ask. The undead might not attack us, but nothing stops them from intercepting our communication.

Whatever it is, it is extremely powerful, but I could feel that it did not threaten my legacy, which relieved me somewhat.

An hour and a half later, I got up.

I didn’t leave. Instead, I freshened up and changed into a new suit, the one suitable for the party. Once ready, I got out of the small room.

“Lord Silver, Lord of Greltheaven and Panar!” The herald announced as I entered the hall.

This is not a party, more like a gathering.

Most of the people here are city hall officials and higher military command. There are a few businessmen, priests, and a few important people.

“Lord Silver,” they greeted. I nodded before looking at everyone.

“When I came here, I had expectations, but when I saw the state of the city. It was beyond them.”

“Governor, you have exceeded my expectations—and so have all of you—in turning the city around.”

“Now, I could say with complete confidence that you all will not only restore the city to its peak but also take height it had never reached in its existence,” I finished.

They applauded, and I took it gracefully before moving to mingle with the crowd.

I am going to speak to each one of them. It is essential to make them feel valued. This is why I read through their information earlier.

So I could talk to them more intimately.

“Mister Pascal, how are you?” I asked the middle-aged man as he greeted me. He is the man who is building the refining factory.

His is one of the two currently under construction. It will open in two months, while the other one will take some time.

The two will be far from enough to process all the crystals we mine, but bringing the processing unit here is problematic. Only desperate people were willing to invest in the city, and even then, I needed to offer guarantees on their investments.

“I am great, my lord. The work in the factory is happening steadily. I think we will be able to open it in time,” he replied.

“That’s good to hear,” I said.

I talked to him for about a minute more and moved to the other guests.

Hun!

Over half an hour passed when I noticed Ina beside me’s expression changing. She controlled it, but I knew her enough to know that something had happened.

If it had been regular news. Her expressions wouldn’t have changed. She is very good at controlling her emotions.

‘What happened?’ I asked telepathically. ‘Mines. Something had happened,’ she replied.

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