Arrival

Click!

I opened the door with a shaking hand and went inside. There, I removed my clothes before applying a numbing solution.

I had gone a little too hard on the practice. 

I had taken a break for a few days, before resuming yesterday. Then, too, I had pushed myself as hard as today.

The level-up had increased my strength, and I have pushed myself to test their limit and get control over them as soon as possible.

I need to use the strength I have as efficiently as possible with surgical accuracy and the only way I could do it, is by training hard. It will increase my chances of surviving any danger that befall me.

There are many, that sometimes, I feel really scared.

I finished applying the numbing cream and felt the pain lessening until it nearly disappeared. 

A few minutes later, I showered and changed into one of the suits I keep in this room before stepping out. I stopped in the kitchen for breakfast before walking into my office.

"It arrived," I said as I looked at the thick blue package on my desk. There is nothing written on it except for the single dark grey line in the middle.

I moved my index finger toward it, and soon the nail touched the string over the package. It immediately cut, before I begin to slide my nail across the wrapping of paper, cutting it smoothly.

The Sharpness could not be used only in fighting.

To get mastery over it, I am using it to cut things to eat and I have to say; it is a pretty useful skill to have.

It is a Warrior Class skill, and there is resistance when I use it like this, but despite that, it provides me with enough sharpness that I could use my nail as a medium to cut through things like normal strings and paper.

Inside the package is a thick stack of papers. On them too, there is a small grey line.

It is from the grey guild, information on the empire and world. It was very expensive, and I had asked for a city to pay for it, but the Count had refused; he said, to buy a lower-grade one.

So, I am paying for it with my own money.

I used to buy it before, but it was in the lower grade. This one had more secret news, and they were more detailed.

I didn't waste any time and began to read it and for a few minutes, there was no change, but as I started to read the information on the empire, my expressions have started to become serious.

'They are hurrying in their preparations,' I thought as I finished with the empire section.

I knew everybody was preparing for the emperor's death and making the preparations. It was clear as day, but it seemed like in the past few weeks, they had increased the pace of it.

The armies are shifting, more restrictions are appearing on the movements of people. Especially young or those with the desired class; the same with resources, like precious metals and resources of a magic nature.

No wonder the prices are increasing; they are becoming high, especially in the empire, that I begin to source more and more resources of a magical nature from the merchant cities.

Though not in enough quantity to arouse the suspicion.

Every faction was preparing, and it seemed like there were more factions willing to try for the throne than I had initially thought.

Though, I am sure, some are just flexing their muscle to get a greater advantage in negotiations. It has already begun; I have heard many princes and princesses are making deals and alliances.

The crown prince is ahead of all.

Prince Grelt is right behind, and his influence is growing fast. The man is charming and powerful. He had proven himself on the battlefield and arena of politics.

It is why he is getting much greater push back from the crown prince and the emperor.

Though it is clear as day that the influence of the emperor waned a lot. Nobody had defied him, but his commands and decrees weren't getting the reverence and obedience, that they used to get a decade ago.

He is not pushing hard either and using a soft approach more and more.

If he tried hard and people openly defied him; things would escalate rapidly, and the emperor would have a civil war in his hands.

He didn't want that. He wants to maintain his legacy and having a civil war at the end of his reign is the last thing he wants. Seeing his reign had been long and somewhat prosperous, at least until a few decades ago.

It is not just people in the empire who are making the moves for what is coming, but also of the continent.

Our enemies are preparing, seeing they almost stopped fighting. 

They are waiting for the emperor to die and once that happens. They will attack, the empire and it will be bloody.

I really hope there will be a consolidation of power quickly, or we will be in a shitload of trouble. If things turn worse, there won't be an empire in the next few years.

It is not just the doom thoughts. These things could really happen.

I read further. The more I read, the more worried I would become. Things are turning worse, and it is worrying people like me, because of the destruction that occurs during the war, any war is shuddering.

Here, people could cast destruction equal to the nukes; it is terrifying.

"Master Silver, they are here," said Jill through the intercom. "Send them in," I said and put the stack into the drawer.

They should have arrived yesterday but got delayed by the day.

Click!

The door opened and two people walked inside. One is a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties and the other is a man who seemed to be in his early thirties.

The man is in his mid-twenties and is tall and handsome. He looked quite similar to his father, but handsome. The man in his early thirties had an average face and height, but the eyes had intelligence.

It is a good thing, the family had sent him, because Rowen had a nearly similar business sense as his father, zero.

These two and me share physical similarities, all three of us have silvery grey eyes, the mark of silver.

"Cousin," said Rowen and sat down without me giving permission. "Adviser," greeted Graham, but didn't move from his spot.

"Graham, please take a seat," I said with a smile and turned to both of them.

"Welcome to Greltheaven, I hope you had a pleasant journey," I said to them. 

"It is a good thing, I had stayed Ubal for the day. It will be hard to get adjusted to this shithole," he said with a smile, I really wanted to slap the bastard and I could do it without consequence.

"It may be shithole to you, but it is home to me and I hope you will be respectful to it," I said with a smile, and Rowen's expression froze for a moment before anger appeared in them.

He opened his mouth, but closed it a moment later.

He is Rowen Silver, son of Uncle Raymond, and is as useless as his father, even more useless than him. He had turned three stables business into ruin and caused an incident, that his father needed to apologize for it.

This was the last chance; the family had given him, and they had sent Graham with him.

It may be Rowen in charge, but real authority is in the hands of Graham. Who is from a distant branch and had to work hard to reach, where he is today.

I have been asked to keen eye on him. They have plans for him and need to know whether he is worthy of responsibility, they are planning to hand him over in the future.

"It is a beautiful city and developing, far faster than family had predicted," said Graham, and I smiled.

"It is developing fast; the population has tripled in less than a year, going over a hundred thousand," I said. He seemed surprised by that, but quickly controlled his emotions.

"We will set our business here and hope you will help if there is any difficulty," said Graham.

"Sure, but don't expect any special favors from me," I said, and Rowen glared. "Of course," Graham replied with a smile.

It is a joke since I am an adviser, they have already had a huge advantage here. They wouldn't need any special favors if they worked with their brains. 

I would not help them if they got in trouble.

It doesn't mean, I won't help them. I will, they are family after all, but I won't be helping them at every step, only with something that they couldn't solve and genuinely need my help.

"There is a party at Vice-Guildmaster Soren's house today; I have secured the invitations for you both. It will be a great opportunity for you both to make the connections." I spoke.

"Thank you, Adviser," he thanked. "You can call me, Remus, Graham. We are family, after all," I said, and he smiled brightly.

We talked for a few minutes and discussed some important things while Rowen remained silent. 

He didn't speak even a single word.

"We will be leaving now. Thank you for your time, Remus," said Graham. "Any time," I said. He nodded and left with Rowen. 

Click!

A minute after they left, I walked out of my office. "They are waiting in the parlor," Jill informed.

These two aren't the only ones who came.

I stepped into the parlor and immediately seven people waiting there got up. All six of them are familiar, but I am surprised to see two; a young and a woman.

The old man said, he would be bringing his grandchildren, and he had eight of them. 

"Hendricks, I hope, the journey had been great," I said to the old man as I sat down and they sat down with me.

There seemed to be quite a change occurred in the old man, in the past year.

It is not surprising, seeing he had lost a job with my father's death, and not any of my siblings have offered him a job. If not for me, he wouldn't have the job he has right now.

"It was great, Master Remus," he replied. 

"It seemed like you have brought Ivan and Maria with you," I said, looking at his two grandchildren.

Ivan is a young man of seventeen years. He is of medium height with a handsome face in a scholarly way. His older sister, Maria, was in her early twenties; twenty-one if I remember right.

She was a warrior, much to her grandfather's chagrin. She is the only one, among his children and grandchildren, who has taken this path.

Looking at her expression, it didn't seem like she wanted to be here. 

"Yes, and I hope you will take care of them," he said, "Of course, that won't be a problem," I said.

The old man had helped me a lot in the past year. From sending the girls to bringing these four people here, he had done many things for me. I could do a few things for him in return.

"You have my thanks, Adviser," he said, and I smiled, before turning to four.

""Becker, Nina, Fuller, Taylor. All of you, welcome to Greltheaven," I said to them.

"We are happy to be here, Master Remus," said Becker with a smile.

Of course, all of them have come with their free will. I had asked the old man to approach over twenty people and of them, only these four were willing to come here.

I am familiar with their work, and they would be tremendously helpful to Carla. 

"Good, you will love the work here," I said to them and turned to the door with a smile. Their boss had arrived, and she was looking stunning, as always.

It had immediately charmed all of them, including the old man.