Chương 32: Chapter 31: Offer

Thud! I fell down in the most awkward position. Instructor David's skill stunned my whole body before he gently tapped on my chest, and I fell to the ground like a log.

"Just how many skills do you have?" I asked in exasperation. He did not answer; instead, he smiled and walked toward the stone stool where he had placed his real sword.

"Same time tomorrow, Mister Silver," he said as he picked up his sword and walked toward the exit. I stayed in my spot for a few more minutes before slowly getting up and walking toward the mansion. I went directly to my room, applied the numbing cream, and stayed on the floor while the ointment took effect. The training session was more brutal than yesterday's, and since I asked, he has not held back. Five minutes later, I showered and changed into new clothes before walking to my office.

"Good morning," I said as I entered the office and sat in my chair before taking the file; in a few minutes, I put the file down with a big smile on my face. Three hundred and seventeen thousand crowns. The numbers have been good and were greater than yesterday. I plan to reach four hundred thousand crowns in the next ten days and half a million by the end of the month. It is an ambitious target, but I will try my best to achieve it.

It was my target from the beginning, but the time limit was longer; I had planned to achieve it by the end of the year, not the end of the month. Carla left, and I continued working until it was time to go to the merchant guild. Soon, I was in the carriage, moving toward the merchant guild while I read the book with my skill despite its resistance. Now and then, I would look outside and marvel at the changes the city was going through.

Before the inauguration, construction was happening around the city, but now it is everywhere; the trade with Meldhorn turbocharged everything. Trade is increasing by the day, and more and more ships are coming, and they will increase even more now that the prince has gone to Meldhorn. The papers indicate that negotiations are progressing well, and we can expect to see the results soon. I would also need to move forward with my plans as the city developed.

If I fall behind, I will lose, and I cannot afford that, especially now, as it is the prime time. I shook my head of those thoughts and focused on the book; it is about incursions, the events that change the world every time they appear. Around twenty minutes later, the carriage pulled into the Merchant Guild, and I got out and walked inside. This time, I did not even have to flash my badge; my name had appeared in the large silver stele in the lobby, which notes all the positions, from guild masters to advisers.

Click! Soon, I reached the third floor and walked to the legal department. I walked into my office and was about to call Kevin when the knock rang.

"Come in," I said, and the door opened, and Mister Oakley walked inside.

"Mister Oakley," I said as I saw the old man enter, "you did a wonderful job yesterday, Mister Silver," he said, and put the pile of contracts down.

"These are for today, and they are pretty important; I hope you will be able to find the flaws and any other discrepancies in them," he said, looking at the contracts.

"I am sure there will not be many," I replied humbly.

"I am sure you will be able to find some," he said, smiling, and walked out of the office with Kevin while I focused on the contracts before me. I pulled them closer and, before taking the first one out, began to read it and immediately couldn't help but become surprised. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. It is no simple contract but an intraguild contract for Deerpond, the capital of the Renwell region. It is also rather important.

I thought they would still hand me the basic contracts, but I impressed them enough that they gave me the important contracts. I checked others, and to my surprise, all of them were important. However, I noticed one thing: all these intra-guild contracts are with the guilds of the Renwell region. They did not give me the contracts of the guilds of the Empire mainland or Meldhorn, but I am not worried. It's only my second day, and I already have these important contracts; with time, I will obtain others as well.

Not to mention, these contracts are also important, enriching me with knowledge that I would not have otherwise acquired. I chose the first contract and began to read it; I could read it at thrice my normal speed and understood it just as fast. As I read and studied them, I would occasionally take notes. These contracts are way above what I had looked at yesterday, crafted even more meticulously, so I had to look through them carefully.

I soon finished the first contract and started on the second and third; it was a little after three by the time I had completed all twelve contracts. Yesterday, I finished at the same time, but I started late and did not have fast reading skills then. The difference between the two contracts is vast; they are not only bigger but also more complicated, thus requiring more effort and time. Still, it's good that they don't include distraction skills, or I might not have finished with only two contracts by now.

After that, I brought the typewriter in front of me, loaded the paper, and started typing; twenty minutes later, I finished.

"Kevin," I called out, and a few seconds later, the door opened, and the young man walked inside.

"Take these to Mister Oakley and bring me Marmot's laws of Harsoth number thirty-seven," I said.

"Yes, Mister Silver," he said, picking up the contracts and leaving. A few minutes later, he returned, bringing a thick book to me. I thought of some things when reading the contracts and wanted to check them. The laws of the Empire are excessively complicated, and one could interpret them in numerous ways. It should be easily simplified for the good of the people and the Empire, but there is always resistance.

It is not surprising that few countries have laws that are consistent across the globe; politics makes everything more complicated than it should be. Knock Knock I was reading the book when a knock sounded on my door.

"Come in," I said as I put the book down. The door opened, and a person walked in, but not the one I had expected. I had thought it was Oakley, but a younger man had come in.

"Mr. Remus, I hope you don't mind me coming unannounced to meet you," said the man in his early forties. He is a short man with thick black hair and a genial smile that will make anyone feel comfortable. Of course, a skill is involved; without it, I wouldn't feel so comfortable with anyone, especially with this man.

"Of course not, Mister Lucas; you must have something important for you to come to meet me unannounced here," I said with a polite smile. He is Norman Lucas, owner of Scarlet Pleasure, one of the high-class brothels. He is a member of the Lucas family, who runs thousands of brothels around the Empire.

"Yes, I have something important to discuss," he said, and I arched my brow a little in question.

"The House of Lucas is interested in buying your establishment," he said, and I couldn't help but be surprised; I had not expected him to say that. Still, there was no change in my expression; I kept a slight smile on my face without any change in it.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Mister Lucas, but I am not interested," I said; he seemed to have expected that as his smile had become a little brighter.

"We are willing to offer twenty million crowns for it; it is more than double what you have invested," he said, and I could feel the power of his skill, so intense that I felt like the smile on my face was slipping away.

"Not interested, Mister Lucas," I replied, and I could see a faint surprise forming in his eyes.

"Twenty-five million,""Think about it, Mister Remus; it is enough to open a good brothel in any city of the Empire," he said, intensifying his words so much that I stopped trying to maintain my fake emotion and showed what I was feeling on my face. A pure irritation.

"Even if your house offers me fifty million, I would still not be interested in selling my establishment," I said. His expression stiffened momentarily, and I could see a hint of anger appearing on his face before he controlled it.

"Still, think about it, Mister Remus, and contact me if you feel interested," he said.

"You will be the first person I contact if I feel like selling my business," I replied, smoothing my expression.

"It's great talking to you, Mister Remus. Have a nice day," he said, getting up before leaving my office. As he left, my expression became serious; the people from Lucas's family were dangerous; they had a relationship with gangs and assassins and dealt in information. If I had been any powerless business owner, he would not have been this civil. He would have threatened me with consequences if I had not sold my business. They have done that many times; it is their business style.

Fortunately, I am not a normal businessman but a member of the House of Silver. Still, I have to be careful. They wouldn't hesitate to use underhanded tactics if the establishment became too successful. Currently, they have one high-class brothel and a couple of mid-class and low-class establishments, but I heard they are opening another high-class brothel in a month, along with a few more mid-class and low-class options.

It is not just brothels; a couple of new casinos, hotels, and inns are opening, and other businesses are also expanding, especially from the big business houses of the Empire. I hope nothing bad happens to jeopardize that. A minute after Norman Lucas left, Mr. Oakley came; he wanted me to stay to review more contracts, but as I had said, I would not stay more than five hours. I couldn't spend all my time working in a place that pays me no money; I have to work on things that actually generate income.