City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 215: New Day

[Class Consolidation: Bravo Colonel + Carver + Leader – Brave Baron]
 
Brave Baron Lv. 28 
 
[Class Change: …”
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Spell Sword Lv. 26
 
[Class Gained: Baroness]
 
[Skill Gained: …]
 
 
Soldier Lv. 20
 
Spearman Lv. 19
 
Captain Lv. 24
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…
 
Masterful Administrator Lv. 19
 
There was a text in front of me when I woke; it surprised me. I had not thought I would level up with a Masterful Administrator.
 
I shouldn’t be surprised, seeing the work I did in the past two weeks.
 
It is a good thing my base class had leveled up to Level 19, a week and a half ago or I would have been in trouble. 
 
I might have needed to discard this level-up. I experienced the consequence when I let my other classes go above my base class.
 
It had slowed down my level-up for months, and I didn’t want to experience that again. 
 
I didn’t get any skill with this level-up, but I don’t mind. This level-up will increase the power of the existing skill and if I level up in it again; I will be reaching Level 20.
 
It is not easy to cross the second capstone. I will have to achieve something incredible for the next level up or it will take months or even years if things go slowly.
 
Though, once I did it. It will bring a tremendous benefit to me. 
 
I will get an attribute point and also a skill. There is always a skill and an attribute point when breaching the capstone.
 
I pushed away the notification after a few seconds and looked at the clock on the wall and my eyes flew open.
 
“Fuck!”
 
I cursed, seeing it was nine. I was supposed to wake up at five, to welcome the Count, who was coming.
 
‘I am fucked.’ I thought.
 
I got up immediately and wore the suit, before activating Get Ready. 
 
Immediately, a huge change occurred. The biggest I had seen, was the skill to do it and it is not because of the level, but because of the state I am in.
 
The dried blood, sweat, and dirt flowed down from my body.
 
More than half of the bandages had loosened and fell down, while the rest had tightened around me. 
 
I would have changed the bandages, but I didn’t have any time. Thankfully, the skill had cleaned them.
 
I looked at myself in a mirror, before stepping out of my suit. 
 
I used Rapid Legs to walk and felt the change in the skill. It had not just become slightly powerful, but some fundamentals of it had also seemed to change.
 
It felt smoother and more powerful.
 
As I had expected, the upgrade had changed the skill and I want to see how the other skills have changed too, but that won’t be possible today.
 
Within a few seconds, I reached my office and looked at the old woman waiting by it.
 
“You go can in,” she said with a smile. 
 
I nodded my thanks and pushed open the door.
 
As I had expected, the Count is sitting on my chair, and he is not alone, Commander Atticus is with him and Mage Beaumont.
 
There is also Carlos, Leblanc, and Lola. 
 
I am surprised to see her; I didn’t think the Count would let her be present in the office.
 
“My Lord,” 
 
“My greatest apologies for the disrespect,” I said and bowed, deeper than I usually do.
 
“It is fine, Remus; you needed the rest after the battle and the work you have done after,” he said and I couldn’t help, but feel relieved.
 
I have broken the protocol of not welcoming him personally. He would have punished me, but he is smart enough to not take offense at small mistakes.
 
Especially for the first time.
 
“Thank you for kindness, my lord,” I replied and took a seat he offered. 
 
“You have done a good job, Remus. I am not talking about you joining the battle, which I think was idiotic. A like of the leader is important and should only lead from the safety.”
 
“I am talking about the preparations you have made before the battle and the work you have done, after it,” he said looking directly into my eyes.
 
“Thank you for your praise, my lord,” I said, and he nodded, and his expressions turned regretful.
 
“We have killed a lot of monsters in yesterday’s battle,” “It is a quiet regret that we will be giving 65% of what we will earn selling the monsters to Blackwell,” he said, surprising me.
 
I had thought he would be showing regret about the death of the soldiers, but he is more worried about the money.
 
“Is there any chance we could challenge the contract?” he asked, and I could tell he was serious.
 
I wanted to curse him badly, but I controlled my thoughts. I have to be careful; there are skills, that might make him feel what I am thinking.
 
“We have some wriggle room that might give us a few more percent, but not over 5%. I think it wouldn’t be wise to challenge the contract.”
 
“It will harm our relations with Blackwell, and we need to have a good relationship with him for trade and to deal with the future monster attacks,” I cautioned, and a moment later, he nodded.
 
“Blackwell is going to get a lot of money,” he said before turning to me. “What are you planning to do with money getting from the monsters?” he asked. 
 
“Give a certain percentage to the pension fund of the soldiers, buy better equipment for them. Get defensive equipment like cannons and ballista’s and spend some on improving the medical infrastructure,” I replied.
 
I could see his expressions turning worse with every word I spoke.
 
He had said he would give everything from the monsters to me, but he didn’t give it in writing. 
 
Though he said it in front of the people.
 
“Fine,” he agreed, and I felt relieved. I had really thought he might ask me some of it.
 
The money would be huge, but it won’t be enough to do all those things I have listed. I would need to be selective, but still, with it, we would be better prepared against the next monster attack.
 
“As you command, my lord,” I replied.
 
He opened his mouth to say something when he closed it and looked at the door.
 
Click!
 
“Dane is here,” he said and a moment later. The door of the office opened, and Commander Dane walked inside.
 
“My lord,” he greeted and bowed faintly. 
 
“Dane, you arrived at the right time. We were about to go meet the injured,” said the Count and got up.
 
We walked out of the office, and the first place we went was the infirmary. Where the Count looked at the injured officers, but didn’t do much talking. 
 
It was Commander Dane and I, who pretty much did all the talking.
 
It seemed like the Count didn’t like the injured; he seemed to have a thing about them. I had noticed it before, but now I have become sure of it.
 
We didn’t stay in the infirmary for long and walked out of it.
 
“I have read the reports, Adviser. The strategy you have employed was great.” 
 
“The battle should have wiped you all out. Instead, you had not only defeated the monster’s horde but managed that with losing much fewer numbers than such a battle does,” he said; he seemed clearly impressed.
 
I don’t like what he said about the casualties. A lot of people have died, but he is right; we did manage to win the disastrous battle with fewer than expected casualties. 
 
I was about to thank him when Atticus opened his mouth.
 
“To me, the battle was a disaster; they could have done a much better job,” said Atticus and I wanted to curse the bastard.
 
I am extremely angry at him. It is because of his pettiness, that more people have died than they should. Even if he didn’t want to support me to get more resources from the Count, he shouldn’t have opposed me.
 
I wouldn’t have been angry if his opposition to my request had been based on the truth. No, it was to nurse his bruised ego.
 
I looked at Dane and thought he would be glaring angrily at Atticus since he was disrespecting his men, but I saw him smiling.
 
“I would really like to see how you could have been done better if you had been at my Major's place, Commander Atticus,” he said. Atticus opened his mouth to reply, but no words seemed to come out.
 
Seeing the smile on Commander Dane’s face became bigger, but he didn’t say anything further.
 
We walked out of the castle, and I saw a team of soldiers coming toward it. One of them is Eli.
 
He had been guiding the team to hunt for the monsters since yesterday. That little sparrow had turned extremely helpful in finding the stray monsters.
 
Till last night, they had hunted nine monsters, which is a lot for a team.
 
They entered the castle while we went to the hospital, where healers, including the clerics I have borrowed from Blackwell, are still working.
 
“It would have been great. If the church of the god of war had sent a few priests,” I said and immediately the expression of the Count had changed, and I was able to get a glimpse of his emotion for a brief moment.
 
He is angry, extremely angry, and I don’t think the church’s Greltheaven branch, not sending a priest, is a reason for that.
 
He is likely angry about the declaration that their pope had made a few days ago. That Crown prince is a rightful heir of the empire and has the blessing of God of War behind him.
 
Churches always support candidates, but they are never so direct, especially this early.
 
The emperor and the crown prince would have definitely promised them something huge, in exchange for that.
 
No wonder that bastard had been so daring in front of the Count in the past month. I may not be present in the city, but I know what happens there.
 
“He will be coming for the funeral in the evening,” said Count with a smile, but everyone could see how he was gritting his teeth in anger.

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