City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Proofread by Thomas F

Reja Harbale, Dustorn Fortress

“You will become a duke, formally after you reach Blackwell, but I will be forward and address you as your grace, Duke of Blackwell,” said Count Westerhall as Marquess signed the agreement.

It took nearly a month to negotiate a comprehensive agreement, but it is now complete.

With the agreement signed, our days here are numbered. We will leave in twenty-two days, in stages, with the first part of our army leaving in a week.

We would have liked to go immediately, but there are some challenges; besides, the person who is replacing us also needs time to gather his armies.

So, we will be staying for twenty-two days, with Marquess and me leaving with the final group.

“Marquess would do, till it formalised Count Westerhall,” he replied. The smile on the man’s face dimmed a little, but it returned just as bright a moment later.

The celebration lasted for a few minutes before the Marquess walked out.

“Have you informed them?” he asked. “Yes, I had sent the note to all the cities in the region,” I replied.

I informed them all, including the undead.

“Good, also inform Grimvale that I want the first batch of his men here within a week,” he ordered. “It will be done,” I replied.

We walked in silence, before a small smile appeared on his face.

“I am glad its Grimvale. He will not let this region fall,” blurted Marquess. “It’s a tall task, given Tabes and the undead. I would have been more sure if he had a bigger army,” I replied.

“Don’t worry, I have a feeling. He will not be bearing the load of the region alone; others will stand with him,” he said, but I shook my head.

“The strength of the undead is too high. If those two enter the battlefield, even Grimvale will need every ace he has to survive,” I replied, but the man only smiled.

…

Greltheaven

“Three weeks,” said Bell suddenly.

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but sigh. Yesterday, we were informed of the date by which the last forces of Marquess Gats will leave the region.

The day they leave, the undead would attack like they attacked Panar when the protection expired.

The time we have is often perceived as insignificant in preparation for the dangers that are coming, but it has been a great blessing.

We have accomplished a great deal, from recruiting and training more soldiers to acquiring additional weapons, among other things, which has significantly increased our preparedness.

There are still three weeks more, and a lot of things could happen in that time.

A few hours passed when Bell returned to the office, holding thick dossiers.

“The information has arrived.” She stated and placed the stack in front of me.

The stack is divided into three dossiers. The first one is the thickest, measuring larger than the other two.

I didn’t immediately touch them. Instead, I finished the work I was doing, which took me nearly an hour, before I turned to the stacks.

The stacks contain detailed information about the three people who will be my new neighbours.

I first took the thickest dossier and opened it.

It contains information about Marquess Lazren Grimvale of Tasalin; he will be the new commander of Dustorn Fortress and the Lord of Peguexe.

He is a Lv. 40+ powerhouse and a rich man.

He is maintaining a large army despite losing his territory over a year ago. It is wealth that he had gathered from fertile territory, which had also been endowed with mines.

His territory was one of the first to be conquered by the Geim.

He is not a standard noble, but a warrior who has proved his mettle in battle.

He also has another Lv. 40 under him.

“It’s surprising that he is coming to the barren wasteland. Given his prowess, I thought he would keep fighting in the front,” said Bell.

“The man is smart; he understands very well that it will be tough for him to get his old territory back.”

“It will be very hard to get even a quarter of the territory through merit. So coming here is a better choice, where he will control a far larger territory than his original,” I replied.

The Renwell region is the size of an average kingdom; although it is a wasteland, it is not without potential.

An intelligent man like him could accomplish a great deal here.

I flipped through page after page, reading through the information from his childhood to adulthood. Every battle he fought, every notable thing he had done.

He is a standard noble, born knowing he will be Marquess, and he is revealed in that role.

The more I read about him, the more serious I became. He may be good news for the region, but he might not be much good news for me.

“What is it?” asked Bell. “The man is ambitious and has the will and ability to accomplish it,” I replied.

His ambitions will not change once he arrives in the region. The region might fuel it even further.

“I will worry about him after we survive the undead,” I said, and focused on the reading.

Insightful reading is an amazing skill. It not only lets me read the texts, but also understand them. It is my most-used skill, and because of it, I was able to push it beyond its original capabilities.

It wasn’t easy, but I was able to do that, and right now, I am using aura to enhance it even further.

It is why I finished the thick document quickly.

Immediately, I turned to the second dossier. It is half as thick as the first. I turned the blank page and read the name of the person whose information it belongs to.

Countess Elaetha Velaniel.

She is not a warrior, but just as impressive as Marquess Grimvale. She is from a small noble family and was married into the House Velaniel.

Her husband died at the start of the war, but she was still able to maintain the title and hold over the army.

A few members of House Velaniel attempted to claim the title, but they had mysteriously ended up dead. She will now be a Countess of Brimbale.

I finished with her information, becoming more impressed with her than before.

I took the last dossier and opened it. It belongs to just as interesting a man as the other two.

Baron Robard Haldraven

A year ago, it was Robert Hald, but he changed it to Robard Haldraven.

Before the emperor died, he was a moderately successful businessman—a self-made one, not from any established merchant house.

“He kind of reminds me of you,” said Bell, to which I smiled.

As I was saying, he was a semi-successful businessman before the war, but as the war began, things rapidly changed.

The man took risks, massive ones. He made risky bets, did everything from supplying the weapons to trading prostitutes. There is even a rumor that he paid for a few assassinations.

He made connections and money, buying a lordship, which was later elevated to a Barony, two weeks ago. I heard that, along with a lot of money and resources, he also gave an artifact to obtain the new title and territory.

He is the new Baron of Wildhelm.

Like Countess Valaniel, he too is allied with the Marquess Grimvale.

“Marquess himself is powerful enough; these two are going to make things even more difficult.”

“As I had said, the undead are priority,” I replied as I closed the dossiers.

Right now, I do not care about Marquess Grimvale and others.

I had read the information because I wanted to know what kind of people would be my new neighbours and be prepared for any moves they might make.

The chances of that happening are small, before the undead arrive, but I need to be prepared, in case that happens.

Seven minutes later, I walked out of the office.

Hours passed, and soon, it was eight in the evening. I had just come back, finishing the last meeting; it was a pretty important one.

Click!

The door of my office opened, and Valentina walked inside. She didn’t say anything and just waited.

A few minutes later, I turned to her with a stack of files.

“These are the things you will need to focus on in my absence,” I said to her and forwarded the files toward her before getting up.

I am leaving for Fort Renin at midnight.

It is not a function to which I am going; I am attending that, but the primary purpose of my visit is my meeting with the council of the Nakar Baronies.

Dane had flatly declined to send any reinforcements. Leaving only the Nakar baronies.

There is hope there. So, I am personally going. It will be dangerous, but I need to take the risk. Even getting ten thousand soldiers would help me a lot.

“Thank you for trusting me with this responsibility.” She said softly in an almost inaudible voice.

I turned to her and saw her looking at me with misty eyes. “There is no one I trust more with this responsibility,” I replied and walked out.

Usually, I hand the responsibilities to Robin, but he isn’t in the city.

He is in the merchant states.

Soon, I walked out of the city hall and sat in my carriage. I watched the streets for a while, feeling a sense of sadness, before focusing on the aura.

It had been weeks, but things are the same.

I could form the fractal at a very fast speed, but I didn’t make the slightest progress in the essence. Now, I have only three weeks.

I want to learn the method. It will increase my chances against the undead.

Unfortunately, the method couldn’t be learned based on my want, but through my efforts and a little bit of luck.

Soon, I reached the mansion and quickly went to my room, freshened up, before coming back for dinner. The children are waiting for me.

Only three of us today, since Carla had gone to attend an event with the Ambassador of Kalgha dominion and wouldn’t be returning for a few days.

“I want to come with you,” said Josie suddenly. It surprised me. “You can’t; there are too many risks,” I replied.

I would have taken her, but as I had said, there are too many risks. People, monsters, and some, I don’t even know.

“Then why are you going?” she asked. “Because I have to,” I replied.

The girl looked at me, and it seemed she understood. She is a child, but I am trying to make her understand the harsh realities of the world.

If something happens to me, she will be the Lady of Dominion of Greltheaven. The responsibility of protecting hundreds of thousands of people will fall on her shoulders.

“How is school?” I asked them.

Since the battle of Panar, I was too busy to focus on them as I should. I feel bad, but I will make up for that after I deal with the undead problem.

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