Proposal

"Yes, I have Arcane Foundation by Laeral Silverhand, but it is a priceless book. It can't be bought with mere emotion essence," said the man sitting before me.

Only a host of Legacy, like him, could say something about "mere" emotion essence.

The single most desired commodity in the world.

I am in the house of Lord Orion. Yes, that nervous man has a mansion here in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

It is also in one of the best areas. It costs a fortune, and I didn't even want to consider it.

Right now, the nervous man isn't anxious anymore. He is spirited and confident.

"Will this be enough, Lord Orion?" I asked, taking a colored book with some flourish from my bag and pushing it toward him.

Gasp!

His eyes widened, and he sucked a deep breath.

In an instant, the man's hand darted forward with such speed that it caught both me and the old man beside me entirely off guard.

"The Basics of Elements by Archmage Mordenkainen! I've been searching for this book for ages," he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming excitedly as they locked onto the precious tome.

"I'll exchange it for The Arcane Foundation," the man offered, turning his gaze to me.

I considered pressing for more but quickly dismissed the idea. The additional benefits I'd gain would be minor, and risking the chance to build a strong rapport with him simply wasn't worth it.

"Thank you, Lord Orion," I said before putting my hand into my bag and bringing out another book.

"I believe you have Four Elements by Aumir Volo," I said, sliding a crimson-bound book across the table toward him. "I want that in exchange for this."

This one is rarer than the last. The knowledge it contains is above the basic level.

Before departing, I convened a meeting with my most trusted mages, granting them access to all but one of the books Rutto had provided me.

Unfortunately, only one was about the aura. The rest are about magic.

They presented me with a list of books they required and selected titles we could trade for other valuable tomes. However, since I resolved to exchange copies of only two books, it sparked quite a heated debate.

With over twenty books in our collection, my decision to limit the trades to just two was met with resistance, but I stood by it.

If I reveal too much, it might draw attention to my source—the goose that is laying the golden eggs.

Only a trusted few are aware of the source, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible.

That is why all those who had access to the books have signed a strict contract to never discuss them with anyone without my permission.

To be cautious, I am only exchanging two books. It will be my loss, but I am thinking about the future.

"Ok," he said, putting a book down and looking at me expectantly.

"If you have any more volumes, I am more than willing to exchange for them, Lord Silver," said the man. I shook my head.

"If I come across them in the future, you will be the first I contact Lord Orion," I replied to the man.

A few minutes later. We signed the contracts, and I left his house soon after.

We have thousands more books to buy, but the staff will do that. If I succeed in my next meeting, the numbers needed could increase tens of times.

"Best of luck, my lord," wished Mage Aldridge.

My next meeting is crucial. It is one of the reasons I personally come here.

"Thank you, Mage Aldridge," I replied and entered the carriage.

The meeting is the most important. I will need all the luck I can get. If I succeed, it will help the city tremendously.

I have put in extensive preparation, meticulously micromanaging the proposal to the point of frustration—for both myself and those involved. Yet, in the end, it resulted in a proposal I am truly satisfied with.

Soon, the carriage stopped, and I got out.

I looked at the Archmage Tower and sighed before walking inside.

Yes, I proudly walked.

Today is my seventh day in the city—the first day without a wheelchair. I have been recovering fast since I arrived.

Now, I could walk without getting tired.

I'm not fully recovered yet, but I feel ready to use my skills. There have been many moments when I wanted to act, especially when others used their skills against me, but I held back.

I stepped into the tower and felt the power of the legacy.

It is still restricted, but I could feel its mightiness. On the first day, I didn't sense it so clearly, but my spirit has been recovering fast since then.

Slowly, I was able to sense things much better.

I immersed myself in it briefly before walking toward the teleportation gate.

"Library," I said to the attendant and stepped inside. A moment later, I appeared in the library.

There is one and a half hours before the appointment. I am not going to waste that precious time. Besides, if I waited, I would kill myself with worry.

It's better to spend my time productively, and there's nothing more productive than reading. I walked into the library, made my way to the shelves, and selected a book before settling into a chair. The book I chose was about history.

Most of it is hidden from the world. Even here in Archmage Tower, not many people could access those shelves. Only those with special access could get to these books.

Only Grade IV and above masters have this access.

I do not have the full access. Many shelves in here are restricted to me.

Still, I am genuinely grateful for the access I did get. It has allowed me to learn the things I was oblivious to.

History, artifacts, legacies, and many other things. That, I wished I hadn't been so busy here. If I hadn't been, I would have spent every moment here.

I am already doing that. When I have free time, I am here or at the library in the Lunar Palace.

The library there also has a great collection of books.

Soon, over an hour passed, and it was time for me to leave for the meeting.

I felt a wave of nervousness, but I managed to control it. I knew I needed to be confident so that she would feel confident in me as well.

I stepped out of the gate and appeared right before a desk. Behind it is a middle-aged man wearing a mage robe.

The gate had directly sent me to my destination.

"Lord Silver, Grand Mage will see you in ten minutes," he informed.

I nodded and sat down in a beautiful waiting room.

I didn't pick up any magazines or books from the small bookshelves. Instead, I just sat down and organized my thoughts.

I need this to go as perfectly as possible. So much is riding on it.

"Lord Silver, Grand Mage Asin is ready for you," informed the man. I nodded and got up before walking toward the door.

Click!

I walked through the door into a magnificent office. It is big and minimalistic. It does not need anything with the view of the city she has.

The office may be minimalistic, but every piece within it holds immense value.

Especially the three artifacts. She is using them like decorative pieces.

I looked at them for a moment before turning to the woman.

She looked to be a human woman in her early fifties, but it was rumored she had some elder blood.

She has a serene face that seems incapable of anger, and her amber eyes burn like a blazing fire. Her shoulder-length pale grey hair adds to her presence.

She is wearing a beautiful blue-violet mage robe and has a staff by the table with a silvery jagged crystal at the top.

Both of them are artifacts, and it is said. They are closer to relics in power.

"Grand Mage," I greeted with a faint bow. "Lord Silver," replied the woman before motioning for me to sit.

"Thank you, your majesty," I replied.

Mages of her rank are addressed as her excellency, however, given her position as the second in command of Archmage City. She is addressed as her majesty.

"Lord Silver, I thought you would be satisfied after we agreed to fund the bridge, but now you want more," she said with a small smile appearing on her face.

"For that, I am immensely grateful, Your Majesty. It will help the people of my city and cities around it tremendously." I thanked.

It is not a lie. It will help Greltheaven but also Lauryl, Panar, and Mirador Hold.

"But you still want more," she said, so a small smile appeared on my face.

"Though let me tell you. It is unlikely that the current council will agree to fund it." "You might need to try after the new council convenes," she added.

To that, I shook my head.

"The new council will take too long to agree to my proposal. I need the current council to pass it," I replied.

The new council was voted on the first day of the synod, and the result will be announced on the ninth day.

The new council won't accept my proposal right away. It will take them months to even consider it. My city, however, doesn't have that much time to waste.

I need to convince this woman. If she agreed, then the council would approve.

It won't matter, even if there are only two days for the new one to convene.

"So, what do you want?" she asked.

"An academy," I replied, and a faint surprise appeared in her eyes for a fraction of a second before it disappeared.

"Well, I am surprised," she said and looked at me.

"I have two cities under my domain, and they are growing fast, with many young people. I had opened schools, but they are far from enough."

"I need an academy in my domain to nurture those with potential," I replied and took out the proposal before placing it in front of her.

"I believe you have an academy in the region. In Deerpond city?" she asked, to which I nodded. "As you are aware, your majesty. We do not have a good relationship with Deerpond,"

"Even if they accept our people. There is a good chance they will poach them."

"We can't let other cities take our most talented people," I replied.

"What about Inam and Owlspring? They have academies, and you have excellent relations with them," she asked.

Hearing that, I smiled.

I knew getting funding for the academy wouldn't be easy, and looking at the way, she is asking the questions. She is aware of a lot of things and asks appropriate questions.

Synod may have their treasuries filled, but that doesn't mean they will just give me the money.

Especially when there are no immediate benefits, the value of essence will continue to rise, and the Synod won't suffer any loss, even if the essence remains locked away for decades—or even centuries.

"Yes, those cities have academies, and we have good enough relations, but they are far and, most importantly, expensive,"

"Less than 1% of the eligible people will be able to afford them," I replied.

"I had added the average income of a household in both of my cities and fees of the academies closer to us in the proposal," I added.

I have done the research. The data backs every word in the proposal.

She didn't say anything, and her expression was unreadable, but I felt slight hope when she picked up the proposal.

She opened it and began to read. Her speed of reading is extremely fast.

She is a Grand Mage with the power of spirit. It didn't take her long to read through the whole proposal before she put it down and looked at me.

Her eyes are a lot more serious than before.

"You have ambitions, Lord Silver. You want a magic tower in the academy but also to teach arts, politics, and other subjects," she said, to which I nodded.

"I feel a comprehensive academy is a better choice than a specialized one for my city," I replied.

I discussed it extensively with Locke, Valentina, Mage Aldridge, and others. Based on my research, I have decided that a comprehensive academy is best for the city.

"But the specialized one is considered the best," she countered.

"Yes, they are, and I dream of having them in my domain in the future, but right now, the city needs a comprehensive academy," I replied.

"The funding you are asking for is huge, Lord Silver," she said.

"I will not deny it, Your Majesty, but I am a member of the synod; I deserve it," I replied, taking a risk.

"You deserve to be heard, Lord Silver. It is the council's right whether to accept your request," she replied with her expression becoming stern.

"My apologies, your majesty. I misspoke in desperation," I apologized immediately, and her expression eased a little.

Those words were intended to elicit a reaction. They did. Let's hope they will give me the results I want. It could lead to the opposite of what I intend, with consequences far worse than I can afford.

"I will present the proposal to the current council. It will be up to them whether to accept it or not," she stated finally.

"Thank you, your majesty. I will accept any decision you and the council agree on," I replied with a grateful smile.

I didn't expect a direct yes, but I hoped for it.

Most of the work is done by meeting her, as her decision matters the most, but to show my sincerity, I will be meeting all the council members today to lobby for it.

It would help a lot if some of the council members accepted it.