City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 232: Back

“Welcome back, Master Silver,” said Lola as she opened the door of the carriage. 
 
“Thank you, Lola,” I said as I got out of the carriage.
 
I had left late last night and thus reached Castle Radcliff late; it is all the fault of Carla. 
 
That black thing she wore was a little too much and what she did after removing it, had kept me in the room for hours, longer than I had wanted to.
 
It took great willpower to leave the room. 
 
“How are things?” I asked. 
 
“Everything is great, Mr. Silver. We have done everything you have asked for, including the preparations for tomorrow,” answered Carlos.
 
This question was for Lola, but it’s fine.
 
“I have read the report, and the response has been good. Let’s see how many people come tomorrow,” I said.
 
Tomorrow is a huge plot sale, bigger than every other we have done till now. Most importantly, half of the plots have been reserved forced the merchant of merchant states.
 
The negotiations with them had been successful. I had to agree with some of their demands, like increasing the number of plots for merchants.
 
It is the thing I wanted to do and intentionally kept the number small at the beginning.
 
In exchange, we had got greater trade limit by month, which will increase with the business they do with Navr.
 
“How is the progress of the road?” I asked. “They will be finished in four days; Lord Blackwell had invited you for its formal inauguration on the 14th,” he replied.
 
The road is nearly finished; only a small part of it has remained. Despite that, a lot of caravans are coming, and their numbers will substantially after the road is complete.
 
Oksall is working day and night to finish the road. There is a huge pressure from the merchants to do that.
 
The route is proving far more beneficial than they had thought. So much so that now, there is one caravan coming every two hours and some small groups and lone carriages have also started coming.
 
Which is surprising as I had not thought. Lone merchants would come before the road was finished and sufficient security was established.
 
I have been out for nearly fourteen days and the town has changed tremendously.
 
More shops and other buildings had opened, and the population had increased further. Some of the laborers working here had shifted their families from the city.
 
It is cheaper for them to live here, and work is available everywhere.
 
It is also helping their employers and also the people who are building to house them. They are filling so quickly that the rent has begun to rise rapidly.
 
While I didn’t like to interfere in the market, I had to do it. I had restricted the rent.
 
It made some people angry. 
 
The problem would only last for a few weeks more. By then, we will have enough housing to house the ever-increasing population of the town.
 
The merchants from Oksall will also help with that, after tomorrow's auction.
 
I stepped into the office, where a pile of files had been waiting for me.
 
I got the reports when I was in the city, but they only cover a surface. These files contain the essence; I have to read through it all and then verify.
 
It is extremely important to verify. 
 
If one didn’t, it could give rise to many things. The most dangerous of them is corruption, which is a difficult thing to root out once it lays down its seeds.
 
I trust Lola immensely, but I do not trust others much, and even with Lola, I would still verify the things she had done.
 
It is quite tiring, but it is a prize of good governance.
 
I opened the file and activated Insightful Reading; the skill is really amazing. I could not only read fast with it but also understand things more deeply.
 
The level-up had made the skill even more powerful than before.
 
Within a few minutes, I finished with the file and started with another. It is not like, I am only reading, I also taking notes for the things, I have to check later.
 
It is a habit of mine that has served me great over the years and I am not going to change that unless I get the skill related to this and there are skills like that.
 
I finished two more files before I felt a rumble in my stomach. I stopped immediately and got out of my seat.
 
I went directly to the kitchen and ate the breakfast. I could do without lunch, but I need breakfast, especially at a time like this, when it becomes distracting.
 
After breakfast, I went back to the office and started with the files.
 
I would have eaten breakfast in my office, and I should have done that. In my hurry, I didn't remember it and am now feeling a little ashamed.
 
I pushed that feeling aside and started with the files again and it was late afternoon before I finished with all the files.
 
“You all have done a wonderful job,” I said to all three. I am especially proud of Lola for what she has done; this time, she was able to snatch some work from the two.
 
Last time, there was no work on her name, but now, around 20% of it has been done by her.
 
Those two are very territorial and want to have as much work on their name as possible. To prove they could do it. They both want the position I have and trying desperately to prove their worth.
 
I might not like them, but they are good. They would be able to fill my shoes without any problem.
 
“Thank you, Adviser,” both of them said in unison, while Lola nodded.
 
I got up, walked out of my office, and started checking things. I started with the keep and new development that is happening there.
 
I am creating the complex; the current space isn’t enough for administration. If I want more, I will have to destroy some suits, which I don't want to do.
 
Those spaces will be needed to host the important guests and there will be many. If the town kept prospering at the speed, it is right now.
 
Soon, I got out of the keep and saw Fang following behind me. He had jumped out of Lola’s arms and now walking with her; I didn't have to look at him to know where he was.
 
I could always feel his presence thanks to my skill.
 
In these two weeks, I hadn’t been able to train him at all and I planned to use this month to do it. Once I had returned to the city, I wouldn’t have such a huge area for the training, where we could move with no restrictions.
 
I looked at the town, bathing in the evening light. It looked beautiful, with more going their way.
 
The workers have ended their shift and many getting off, but others are replacing them. There is barely any pause in their work, after one completes their shift, the others will take their place.
 
Valentina’s company is working here; she has got quite a lot of business in the town. Her work is amazing, and it also helps, that it is known that she has a relationship with me.
 
It is not just her company building things, but others too.
 
However, the ones that captured the biggest market are small companies. 
 
They are offering competitive prices and quality work.
 
Valentina had even complained to me a few days ago that these people had formed a supply chain contract. Which is making them compete with middle-level companies.
 
I didn’t say anything and nor I will do anything. As long as it doesn’t become anti-competitive, I won't lift a finger.
 
They haven’t done anything wrong, by allying. I could even say they are helping the market by making middle-level companies feel threatened.
 
It is, in turn, making the middle companies up their game. Turning the market more competitive.
 
As I strolled through the market, some people would stop and bow. I used to stop that, but seeing there was barely any in their altitude, I stopped.
 
Though, whenever the Count came in, I would always spread the news to tell them the real boss was coming.
 
I don’t want them to bow to me in his presence; it will create a misunderstanding, that could have consequences.
 
I strolled, watched, and even talked to people. Some people had even talked to me on their own, which I tried to foster.
 
Usually, the people are too scared to talk to the big boss.
 
It helps to understand the problems that are not visible. Like the problem, one of the citizens told me a few weeks ago.
 
Some of the members of the army would ride too fast through the town. A few children and adults have been hurt by it.
 
There is a speed limit on how fast people can ride their beasts, but the army has an exception. However, it only applies when there is an emergency.
 
Some men were not following that. I had to make changes in the rules, so it could only be used during genuine emergencies.
 
It was the night when I returned to the keep, and I had started working with three for the auction of plots, that is tomorrow.
 
Most of the preparations have already been made, but some have remained, and seeing how important it is; I want everything to go perfectly.
 
It will help the town a lot.

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