Urgent Summon

"Any new messages?" I asked Zela, to which she shook her head.

I was eating breakfast in my hotel room with Carla, when I got a message from the Count, asking me to come back to the city by night.

I don't know what the hell it is about, nor did he tell me about it, but it must be something very important. I just wished he would have given me a day and more.

I had come to Owlspring yesterday and planned to go to the Taveb and Ilaus, but that won't be possible now.

So, I had sent Carla there, while I was going back to Greltheaven. I am nearly there, in half an hour; the ship will reach the Greltheaven.

It had been one and a half months since the inauguration, and I was spending money like water. Everything I am earning is going to the three brothels I am building.

The one in the Owlspring will be finished soon. I am planning to open it on the first day of the second week of next month. Three weeks from today and there are a lot of things for me to do.

I haven't even chosen the girls yet and now, this emergency summons; I am not getting a good feeling about it.

Soon, the Greltheaven came into view, and it looked beautiful under the setting sun. Looking at it, all my worries seemed to vanish for a few moments. 

The ship stopped, and I got out of it and sat in the carriage waiting for me.

A few minutes later, the carriage moved through the bustling port into the city. The population of the city is growing fast; it has gone over hundred and fifty thousand, over four times in a year.

By the next year, it will reach three hundred thousand. The city had a capacity of around three hundred and fifty thousand and would be able to manage another hundred thousand if we were smart with planning.

Half a million will be a limit; it will be too crowded after that.

The number was unimaginable a year ago, but now, not even the Count has the doubts, that city will have half a million population in less than five years.

It is all because of the trade; there had been more trade than anyone had imagined.

Meldhorn is our biggest trading partner, but we are also trading hugely with Navr. Not only buy things but also sell a lot of them and I am planning on entering that field.

The trade with Oksall is also increasing by the week, and it has been extremely helpful in developing the Lauryl town.

There would have been no Lauryl without Oksall.

It is such a regret that the Count is not willing to act on my ideas, or the city would have been more prosperous. These ideas are not something, I have thought to myself, but the ones tried and tested on earth.

I shook away those thoughts as the carriage entered the Count's mansion.

Get Ready

I activated the skill and got out as the carriage stopped. In a minute, I was in front of Count Darrow's office, thanks to the Rapid Legs.

I looked at the secretory and she nodded.

"My lords," I bowed as I appeared to enter the office. "Remus, take a seat," said Count, and he sounded serious. Even Lancel looked serious, with some narcissistic joy in them.

"Thank you, my lord," I said and sat down.

"You must be wondering why I had summoned you so suddenly?" he asked, and I simply nodded.

"This had come from the trade office of Deerpond," he said and slid the letter toward me. 

They invited me to the meeting tomorrow.

It is surprising, their invitation for the meeting, but also because it is addressed to my office, but it is the Count who is giving me, and they want me so quickly.

Usually, such meetings are set a week before, not the very next day.

"Have you talked to the Lord of Deerpond, my lord?" I asked, and he simply nodded, but there was a smile hidden behind his series façade.

"It seemed like, he finally couldn't hold back," I said, and a smile finally cracked on the face of Count Darrow.

We are growing too fast and even though he didn't want to help us with our growth and even put us down with the cost of his own growth; he couldn't anymore.

Deerpond is the biggest city in Renwell region and had a population of three hundred thousand a year ago and now it is half a million.

The population of the Deerpond, grew by little less than 70%, while ours by over 300%. The same with the economy; our economy grew by more than three times compared to it.

However, it is also true that smaller cities grew faster. Still, we grew at incredible speed, which must have made them feel threatened. Especially with the trade we have established with Navr and Oksall.

They begin to understand it and know that they need to enter the game or might become as big as them and they won't like that.

"It is very important, Remus. I want you to succeed," said the Count. "I understand, my lord," I replied and cursed at my luck.

I have been trying to achieve this for months. Courting their merchants and lobbying through various means. That letter was due to my efforts, but I really wished it had come a month later or earlier.

Not now, when I am very busy, but there is no choice. Since it had come, I will try to make a deal and if I did, it is going to take a long, because it will not be Deerpond.

However, it is extremely important that Deerpond agrees. Without it, those fence sitters wouldn't come aboard.

An hour later, I came out of the office, feeling sad and angry, but also happy. 

"Send a message to Ida. Ask her to come to Greltheaven," I said. Zela looked in question for a moment but didn't ask any question further.

"Also asked Caena and Valentina to be in my office in fifteen minutes," 

I don't know how long it would take. I might finish tomorrow, or it might take a few days or a week or more. 

I am going to open a new brothel next month and it is not the only thing I am doing. There is also adding the new girls in the establishment; the one, I got over three months ago from Owlspring and a local contract sale.

I won't be sending the new girls to Owlspring; they will work in the establishment for a month at least before I send them outside of the city.

Fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered the establishment through the back entrance.

I am only staying here for an hour before I have to leave and prepare for tomorrow. The stakes are high, and I need to be as prepared as possible.

It would have been really great if Robin had come with me, but the Count had sent him to the mainland, and he wouldn't be returning for another two weeks.

Click!

This time, I directly went to my office, where two women were already sitting there.

"You have arrived early, Master Silver," said Margaux. "Yeah, something important had come up," I replied. 

"Tomorrow, I will leave for Deerpond; I might return tomorrow, or it might take longer."

"So, I want both of you to start selecting the girls for the Owlspring," I said, and a surprise couldn't help but appear on their faces; it is a pretty responsibility.

They need to select the girls best suited for Owlspring. While keeping in mind, they couldn't send all our best girls there.

It is a delicate balance; they will have to keep.

"Thank you for trusting us, with the immense responsibility, Master Silver," said Margaux. "You both more qualified for that than me," I replied, and she smiled.

"It will be 50%-50% right?" asked Caena, and I nodded.

Half of the girls will be of Level 20 and above, while the other half will be below Level 20.

It put us in the category of a mid-class brothel. In a merchant state, to be a high-class brothel, one needs to have 95% of all girls Lv. 20 and above.

I could meet that requirement, but as I had said, I do not want to send all my best girls there. 

"Also, start assessing the new girls. If I don't return on time, that responsibility will fall on both of you," I said. It shouldn't come to that, but I have to be prepared for everything.

Things happen especially at a time like this where there are assassinations happening left and right. 

There is even a bounty on my head in the dark guild, thankfully, it had not reached high enough that dangerous people would start taking interest in me.

The bounty is nothing surprising, many people have it.

Damon Hardt has it. So has Locke and many others. The trick is the amount; one will be fine, with small security till the amount becomes big enough to pose a danger.

Still, I am thinking about increasing my security. Stone and his team are stretched in protecting me and the girls.

While I have guards from the local mercenary company; I need a more trusted guard Stone and his company; I will ask Stone to do that.

Forty minutes later; I finished the meeting and walked out of the establishment, though not before taking a look at the floors.

There is not a single empty seat there. If it had been, the doors wouldn't have been closed.