City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

When I walked through the hall again, Elme was still teaching in the hall, but this was a different batch of girls, with her teaching different things than the morning.
 
The hall is not as silent as before, with tens of small crates going inside the rooms behind the hall to the kitchen and wine storage. 
 
The bartenders have come early today to arrange the new wines we have brought and change the list of wines we are offering.
 
The chef is doing the same.
 
I watched them for a few minutes before walking toward my office.
 
Closing the door behind me, I sat on my chair and looked at the three letters in my hand. They have come in when we were out. 
 
The guards handed them to Carla, and she to me as she began directing the people that brought the new stuff, including wines and food and other things. 
 
We could not just sell good services and liquor, other things needed to be at the same standard as them, like food and music.
 
There were a few hours before the establishment opened today, and I am very excited. It will be different from the past night, as the musicians will be at a higher level, and so is the food, and there is no question about the girls' ability to entertain.
 
The first letter I opened was from the merchant guild. I opened it and began to read; immediately, my eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on my face.
 
I have got the job; I knew I would get it, especially after I had helped Soren Arryn. Still, the confirmation made me very happy and ecstatic.
 
They did it fast, I thought they would take at least tomorrow, but it happened in just a few hours.
 
It will be hard managing my business and working at the guild together, but I will do it. It is for my future and something I truly enjoy.
 
They have asked to appear in the guild tomorrow; if they had asked me to come today, I would have done that too.
 
I opened the other two letters and wrote a reply before taking out a stack of papers. 
 
Looking at them like they might burn me, and they will if not handled carefully. This stack of papers contains the information; I should quickly read through them.
 
I did not waste time; I read paper after paper, writing down what I feel is important in my diary in english; by the time it was five, I had finished reading through them and burned them to ashes.
 
The information was good; I found some interesting things about a few important people.
 
Click!
 
I had just finished reading when the door opened, and Carla walked inside, “Is everything good?” I asked, “Yes, bottles have been loaded into the bar, the chef already begin his preparations, and the new band is adjusting themselves,” she replied.
 
I had not heard the band, but if Carla had let them set up, then they must be good.
 
She stayed a few minutes, informing me of a few things, before walking out of the room; the establishment would open soon, and she needed to be prepared. 
 
Soon, it was six, and the gates of the establishment opened, and within a few minutes, the carriages began to roll inside the gates.
 
A few hours pass, and at ten, the whole establishment is filled with people who are laughing, eating, and drinking the expensive liquor I have brough. It is clear, looking at their faces, that they are having a good time, and the girls are happy too.
 
They are earning quite a lot; in these eight nights, they have earned more than they would have in years at their past brothel.
 
I am not exaggerating; it is not just the cut they get from the hours they put in but also the gifts their patrons give them. I did not take a single penny out of it; it’s all theirs.
 
It has made them richer than they had ever thought they would be, and every day, their wealth is growing as a business is increasing.
 
I watched all through the small window before walking back to my office; I stayed there till eleven before going to my room and sleeping.
 
I am not tired, but I need to sleep early if I want to wake up early. 
 
I woke up at six and freshened up before eating the hot breakfast, which was by my table. After I finished eating, I did not walk to the office as I usually do, instead walked out manor into the back garden. 
 
I spread the mat on the circle of blue tile and started doing yoga.
 
Since I have come to this world, I have been doing it; it is the only type of exercise I have done, but since the will reading, I have nearly stopped. Since I came here, I did not do it for even ten minutes, but it is all going to change today.
 
I have learned my lesson in the blain; I need to be in my perfect condition to deal with any threat that came in my way.
 
So, I begin.
 
I had started doing yoga after having a bad accident; my physical therapist had suggested it. I continued doing it for a decade before coming to this world.
 
It is much better than the gym, and I could do it in a small space; I used to do it in my office when I worked till morning, but mostly in my apartment.
 

Time passed as I continued; when I heard the footsteps, I glanced at the person but continued for ten more minutes before stopping and turning to the middle-aged man who had appeared.
 
The man is tall with short black curly hair and brown eyes; he is fit but not muscled, with a really long sword and practices sword at the waist
 
“Mr. David?” I asked, “Yes,” he replied. “You have asked for Sparring Partner, Mister Silver?” he asked, to that, I nodded.
 
Yesterday, I asked Jonah and Dan whether they knew an effective trainer; they referred me to him. They praised him and said sometimes, even their mercenary company hired him to train their people.
 
He is a little expensive, but I can afford him with the money I am earning.
 
“Shall we begin then?” I asked as I picked up the practice rapier; old Remus was good at all sorts of swords, but like his mother, he liked the Rapier and was more proficient in it.
 
“Ok,” said David, as he placed his sword on the stone tool and picked up and took out the practice sword.
 
“I am sure Jonah and Dan had told you, but don’t hold back from hitting me if you think it will help me,” I said, and I could see a faint spark of emotions appearing in his impassive for a moment before disappearing.
 
“I will remember it,” he said and leaped toward me suddenly; I reacted instantly as my moved my rapier to defend.
 
Clang!
 
Our swords clashed, and I felt like I had been hit by a shock as the sword released from my hand. He had used his skill at strike, though the power of it had been toned down a lot, but still forced me to throw down my sword.
 
“Nice,” I said as I picked up my rapier, and a moment later, he attacked once again, forcing me to throw my sword away.
 
Thap!
 
It had happened six times, one after another, before I finally was able to bear the shock when he used another of the skills; his sword moved fast and stuck to my shoulder, making me feel like he had touched my shoulder with a hot iron.
 
This again made me throw away my sword unconsciously.
 
As time passed, he used a plethora of skills, each one forcing me to throw away my sword. He seemed to be teaching me to always hold on to my weapons, no matter what, just like some instructors had taught old Remus.
 
Many of these skills were painful; some made me disoriented and even made me vomit, but despite suffering, I did not stop.
 
I kept going till it was time to stop two hours later.
 
“Jonah and Dan were right, your base is extremely strong, and you are also quite talented in the sword; the only thing you need is experience with it,” he said.
 
“Thank you, instructor David,” I said, and he nodded. “We will meet at the same time tomorrow,” he said and left through the back entrance while I sat on the bench for a few minutes, resting before I took my tired body upstairs.
 
I saw Carla watching me through the door, but she did not say anything, nor I.
 
The first thing I wanted to do was numb these screaming muscles; while he had used the skill, he had also hit me hundreds of times, leaving marks all over my body, which made taking every step quite painful.
 
Soon, I reached my room, and the first thing I did was to use the numbing cream; unlike the healing potion, it did not heal the strained fiber but just numbed the pain.
 
While the healing potion did give me relief, it was not wise to use it regularly, not only economically but also in view of training. It healed the muscles quickly, which is not the purpose; the muscles need to heal slowly to strengthen.
 
I lay naked for five minutes; by then, all the pain had vanished, and I slowly walked into the bathroom and showered before coming and wearing a new set of clothes.
 
A minute later, I reached my office; Carla was waiting there as usual.
 
“Has something happened in the barony?” she asked with worry flashing in her eyes. “Yes, one should never be depended on anyone for their safety,” I replied, to which she arched her brow in question, but I did not explain.
 
Instead, I took a file from her and began to read it, and the more I read, the bigger the smile on my face became.
 
The establishment had made three hundred and twelve thousand crowns, the majority of it made by the food and drinks.
 
Sometimes, I feel like I am running a restaurant instead of a brothel.
 
“Its good,” I said as I put the file down, “Yes, these merchants do not hesitate to spend big,” she replied.
 
Our clientele had shifted drastically; in the first three days, our clients were a majorly from the empire, but after the prince left, that began to change rapidly, that now over 60% of our clients are from the merchant cities of Meldhorn.
 
Knock Knock
 
I was talking to Carla when a knock rang out on my door. “Mister Remus, miss Cain, had come for her appointment,” said George from the other side.
 
“Let her in,” I said, and a second later, the door opened, and petite woman walked inside holding a big bag.
 
“Please take a seat, miss Cain,” I offered, “Thank you,” she said softly and sat down before turning to me with anticipation.
 
“You have called for me, Mister Silver?” she asked, calming her emotions. “I have a business for you, miss Cain; I hope you will be able to do it,” I said to her and could see her anticipation turning into excitement.
 
“You can count on me, Mister Silver; no matter how big the order is, I am confident I will be able to complete it,” said the small woman with excitement burning in her eyes.
 
Seeing her, a smile couldn’t help but appear on Carla’s face.
 
“We will discuss it later, but first, let’s see your designs, the best ones,” I said, and her expression turned serious as she stared at me for a moment longer before she began to take out the folders from her big bag.
 
Of all over twenty folders she had brought, she placed four in front of us.
 
“These four folders have my best designs, and I am capable of making them,” she said; I nodded and picked up the folder while Carla picked another.
 
I open the folder and begin to look at her designs, and I have to say, they are good, very good; better than what she had sold us a month ago
 
I put the folder down and picked up another, one by one; Carla and I looked through all the folders, and after she did, she gave me a subtle nod, meaning she, too, had been impressed by the designs of miss Cain.
 
“So, you can make them?” I asked though she said it; I wanted to be sure, as this order is big and also important.
 
“Yes,” she said, putting more emphasis on the answer.
 
“We have a big order, miss Cain, of about one hundred and twenty dresses, and each one needed to be custom-made for every girl,” I said, and the look this short woman gave made me miss my phone so much.
 
If I had it in my hand, I would click her picture; the meme made from it would have definitely gone viral.
 
“How much time will I have to complete it if I take this order?” she asked; a small on my face couldn’t help but brighten up a little.
 
Most people would have asked how much I would pay them for it; she asked how much time she would have.
 
“Two months, but sooner will be preferable without compromising on quality,” I replied, and she nodded. 
 
“I will need to hire people, but I can do it,” she said softly, likely to herself, before turning to me. “These designs are not cheap, mister Silver; they will cost you a lot,” she said.
 
“Roughly, over five thousand crowns per dress,” she added and looked at me. 
 
“I am sure we can agree to the five thousand crowns, miss Can,” I said with a smile; she opened her but closed it.
 
I know the value of the dresses; my father had made sure I know the value of the things I see. The price I quoted would benefit us both.
 
“Five thousand per dress it is,” she said after a few seconds of silence. “You can start today, and before we move to the final contract, I would like to see at least three samples.”
 
“If they are to my satisfaction, we will sign the full contract,” I said, to which she nodded. 
 
I will be paying more than double for the dresses than the last time, but seeing the design, it is very much worth it, and I will require it as my business grows.
 
I am taking a big risk here by giving the contract to an unknown woman without any reputation in the business, but I am also getting benefits from it.
 
I am getting dresses much more cheaply, such as a job making dresses by the requirement of each girl is expensive, outside, I would easily need to pay six to eight thousand crowns for it.
 
It is a big investment, and, with it, each girl will have three dresses, and Carla around ten, that are tailored solely for them.
 
While most dresses could be worn by most girls with the power of skills, the custom dresses, which are only made for them, will create a completely different effect.
 
Eudo had given me the idea a few days before opening; he said I should try it a few months later, but after researching it. 
 
I decided to do it as soon as I got the money.
 
If I had the money, I would have ordered at least ten dresses for each girl, but I did not. 
 
Though I am not worried, if my business keeps growing at such a speed, then I will extend the order further.

 

Thank You My Patrons:  John Waddell, Marco, FIOdis, Andre, Falls, Hakan Olofson, Mark Mollegaard, Bjorgy, LemonOx Kaine, Funki, Loise Taylor, Olaf Dahlstrom, Chuck Sleeve, Ray George.