Chương 900: Chapter 899: Prismstroke

Beckette Reed"Guildmaster Reed," Hanzen greeted as I stepped inside the large hall. Sixty-two people are sitting there, all of them are from the empire. Attending the all-expense-paid trip from the Merchant Guild of Greltheaven Domain and the city. These people are small hoteliers; they own inns, taverns, and small hotels. We have invited them here so they would invest in the city. We have been doing the same with business in the merchant state.

Every week, a group of merchants would come to tour the city and explore its opportunities. Last week, it was members from the big business houses. Just thinking about them makes my head hurt. It is costing the merchant guild a lot, but the benefits outweigh the costs. Which is good, because this was my idea. If it had failed, it would have cost me a lot. My job would have been in jeopardy. I nodded at the leader of the Hotelier Guild and turned to the people.

"I hope you all had a good time in Greltheaven," I said, and nearly all nodded. Why wouldn't they? We have them tour around the city and even took them to the legacy. Something they had only gone to a few times. Even among them, a few had the privilege to visit a throne.

"Greltheaven is a land of opportunities," I took a pause, and looked into the eyes of all.

"I didn't have to tell you that, I am sure, you have seen, with your own eyes, how every hotel, inn is booked to the brim."

"So, I would say to you all. Don't hesitate. Don't wait, invest in the city while the prices are still affordable. Once this opportunity is gone, it will not return." I said. It's not a lie, the prices are increasing fast in the city. The inner city had already become very expensive. The expanded garden now covers 15% of the land, and they have slowed permitting for houses in the inner city. Now, only houses of certain sizes, styles, and costs could be built in the inner city.

Most of the houses are now built in the outer city, where construction is everywhere. I am glad I invested in the land. One of the houses I owned and a plot were incorporated into the garden's expansion. I got the compensation, which I used to buy a few large plots in the outer city. I did not touch my properties in the inner city, despite prices rising. Why would I? They are now providing me enough rent to live comfortably.

If prices keep increasing at this pace, in a few years, it will be enough to live in luxury.

"Everything looks good, but we heard the legacy is closing in a few weeks."

"It is what pulls the tourists into the city; once it closes, there will be barely any tourists," said a middle-aged woman. Hearing that, I smiled. It is a good question. Why wouldn't it be? I am one who had planted it.

"It is why you have one year; the legacy will open in a year and will be among one of the biggest legacies, not only on the continent, but the whole world," I replied, with a smile. I have been informed of a few things about the new Velvet Garden, and it has blown my mind. Some are for my knowledge only, while others are to share.

"What about the undead?" asked the thin man in late thirties.

"I heard that even other cities are eying Greltheaven. That is a lot of instability to invest in." I didn't let his words change my expression. This man had been a thorn since he came. I am pretty sure he is an agent of one of our adversaries. There had been cases like these in groups that came to Greltheaven.

"Yes, the undead are a problem, but we have dealt with them. Every time they had attacked us, we had defeated them. In the last battle, we have nearly wiped them out," I replied, looking into the eyes of each.

"As for the other cities of the region, as you may have heard, what happened after they attacked us," I added.

"I would not say it wouldn't happen again, but I would say, if it does, then they will receive the same answer they have been receiving until now." The hall quietened down; the reality in front of them. Yes, doing business in Greltheaven is risky, but so is doing it in the empire right now. Most importantly, Greltheaven is growing fast; if they invest, they could earn a large profit. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out of the room. I could see the sun had set; they are leaving today, not all of them, but a few.

The rest will be visiting Gailhorn, Panar, and Lauryl. Those cities and their merchants will finance that leg of their tour. These cities are growing as well, and they too need investments, and they are getting it, but nothing compared to what Greltheaven is getting. It is incredible, with the number of businesses investing in the city. The same with the population to support them. Every week, thousands of people. It had become much easier with our own seaport.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Now, we are not at the mercy of Inam. Unfortunately, it's going to slow down soon. The biggest attractor for business is going to be closing in the weeks, and it will remain so for a year. This period will be a test for the merchant guild. We will have to work twice as hard, if not thrice as hard, to attract investment, even half as much as we did. We have strategized and devised the plan.

It will be costly, but everything has a cost. Speaking of money, I want to massage my head. The merchant guild is rich, but we plan to take a loan. We are expanding—more like rebuilding, like everything around us in this central square. Lord Silver is overhauling everything. A few days ago, I was informed that the city's administration would be separated from the dominion. Every city has its own administration. In Greltheaven, it's a little different; it's all jumbled together.

Everything is running smoothly, but my contacts at city hall told me it is because of Lord Silver and Chief Elar. However, problems have begun to occur as the administration grows. Things are going be changed for the merchant guild as well. I don't know to what degree. It worried me a little, but I also know that Lord Silver will not do anything that would affect investment and business coming into the city, and for that, the merchant guild is necessary.

"Guildmaster," Greeted a woman, and I nodded as I walked toward my office. At least twenty people greeted me before I reached my office. As I had said, we need a new guild. There are a lot of people; it's very crowded. Some sub-guilds didn't even have offices in the guild; that's how bad things have become. When I first saw the merchant guild, I thought it was too big for the city, but now it is too small for it. We need a bigger one. I stayed in the guild until eight, before leaving for home.

I watched as the carriage moved through a crowded but well-managed street. Despite the crowd, there is barely any traffic, and if there is, the police move to solve it immediately. It is one of the things I love the most about the city. Not smooth roads, but efficient and honest police. It is accepted that guards are known to be corrupt—the only city, I heard of before, with barely any corruption in its guards is Namdar. Well, now there is also Greltheaven, and it wasn't easy to achieve.

They have arrested many police officers and imposed heavy punishments for corruption, not just within the police but also at city hall and in other departments. Even in the merchant guild. Those secret agents of Lord Silver keep an eye on everyone. I might not know, but I might be watched right now. I may be a merchant, but I have no interest in money. Well, that is wrong; I am not too greedy for it. What I desire most is power and position.

I was born in a slum and wanted to be a guard, but they never admit a slum rat. There was a choice join the gangs, but I knew I would never live a respectful life, I desired. I wanted one; I wanted to see the same respect. I would see people's eyes when they saw officials, merchants, or powerholders. Anything official was out of reach due to my background, and I didn't have enough appetite for risk to become a mercenary. So, I became a merchant.

Decades passed, and my small street stall became a store, but I didn't go further than that, and a few decisions and circumstances had put me in such a position that I had to sell everything and come to the nascent. After that, my fate had completely changed. Well, after Lord Silver took over. Prior to that, they had given me the position of deacon after much struggle, but it was a position of dedicated errand boy. It had no responsibility or power. Soon, I reached my house and the store.

The store is on the first floor, and my apartment is on the second.

"Guildmaster," said Vonas, the young man who mans the store. He left the counter and the customer and walked toward me. He doesn't do that.

"What happened?" I asked.

"A man had come here earlier, claiming to be the son of your friend. He said, "He asked you to be informed, as soon as you return from the guild," informed Jonas.

"Did he give a name?" I asked.

"Yes, Patrick Nivas," he replied, and I sighed. Little pat. He was such a good child growing up, but as he entered his teenage years, he got mixed up in bad company. We tried steering him to the right way, but we couldn't.

"Did he say why he wants to meet me?" I asked. I really don't want to meet him; that boy has never given his father anything other than pain. For a moment, I thought something happened to him, but soon shook that thought away. If something had happened to Nivas, his eldest would have already informed me.

"He said he has something you would be interested in," he replied. I really don't want to meet him, but those words have piqued my curiosity.

"Send someone to inform him that I had returned," I said, and walked toward the stairs. Soon, I reached the floor above. It had a living room and a bedroom; it used to be two bedrooms, but I converted one to the office a year ago. I bring work home, and sometimes meet people here. A dedicated office is much better than an extra bedroom that was lying in the dust. I freshened up and walked to the office before taking the file out of my bag. The first file concerns the guild's expenses.

I have to cut some, if we want to finance the other things we want; it is one of the things I don't like about my job, but it's part of it. Knock Knock! I was working on it when the knock rang out at my door.

"Come in," I said, and the door opened. Three people walked in: two police officers and a handsome raven-haired man in the middle. It had been a few years since I saw him; he changed, become a little rough around the edges, but I could easily recognise him and see the chubby little boy who used to play on my lap.

"Pat," I said.

"Uncle Beck," replied the man with the grin. I sighed and turned to the police officers.

"Thank you, officers," I said to the two.

"We will be waiting outside the door, Guildmaster," said the young orc officer.

"There is no need, officers; I trust him," I said. They looked surprised, but nodded before walking out. He may have strayed onto the wrong path, but he didn't stray too far. He remained in the realm of petty crime. Though I wish he would return to the right path.

"Why are you here pat?" I asked as the door closed. This boy is never up to any good.

"Dad mentioned, a few months ago, you were looking for some special things," he said, with his lips curling up in a smile. My friend works as a clerk in the mercenary guild. I had asked him to keep an eye on a few things. Particular gems, plants, tools, books, and many others.

"I am looking for a lot of special things," I replied, and couldn't help but be curious. He wouldn't have come all the way here if it were something good. He smiled at me, and I looked back at him. Seconds passed, and then a minute, when his smile finally dropped a little.

"You are no fun, Uncle Beck," he said, but I just kept looking. He sighed and took out a wooden box from his body. It's a simple wooden box. He placed it in front of me, before opening it with a flourish, while I activated True Worth. As he revealed it, my skill went haywire. It had never behaved in such a way, and I have looked at really expensive things with this skill. Especially since I became a Guildmaster. It has evolved with my class and upgraded the skill to what it is today.

"It's an artifact!" I exclaimed, looking at the most beautiful paintbrush I had ever seen.

"It's a trinket artifact to be exact, called a Prismstroke Brush." He corrected, but I barely listened as I was too focused on the delicate thing in front of me. Its handle is made of crystal, refracting the rainbow shards of light. Its bristles are like fine glass fibres, each catching a different colour of light, with a ferrule made of transparent metal with suspended colour flecks inside. He called it Prismstroke Brush; it's an apt name for the brush.

"I am hoping you will help me get a fair price for it from your lord, uncle," he said, and I could feel the desperation in his voice. I finally turned to him and looked at the boy, a man actually. Gone is the grin; now there is fear in his eyes and worry, along with desperation.

"Where did you get it?" I asked. I wanted to use 'steal', but I managed to control myself.

"Let's just say, I had gotten it from some very bad people," he replied, with the fear flashing in his eyes. I wanted to slam my fist on the table, but I controlled myself and turned to the man with all seriousness.