'Fucking bastard!'
I cursed in my heart as I got out of the office. He could do more, but he is unwilling to do it.
Instead, he asked me to use the money; I had got from plot selling plots in the town. Of which, he had taken the half.
If that money had been enough, I wouldn't have come here begging.
"Send a message to Vice-Guildmaster Arryn, and ask him if he has time to meet with me," I said to Zela.
I was so excited an hour ago, but now that bastard Darrow threw cold water on all, with that sorry excuse of the city being a tight spot.
I have seen the taxes and our spending. The city has a lot of money, but he isn't willing to spend any.
If he could get out of his miserly attitude, he would be able to see with some spending. He could increase the revenue further, but he isn't willing to see it.
It is he, who is single-handedly holding back the city from growing into its full potential.
"He can meet with you immediately if you want," Zela replied after a few seconds.
"Tell him I am coming," I said.
One and a half an hour later, I walked out of Arryn's office. I didn't suffer the disappointment there.
I stepped into the carriage, and it moved toward the establishment; once again, the excitement had started to build in my heart.
It had been more than a half month since I had seen my business. I missed it a lot and I am going to finally see it.
Time passed slowly before finally the establishment and circle appeared in front of my eyes and the joy burst out in my heart.
They are cloaked in the pink mist, especially the circle. Other than the silhouette, nothing could be seen about it.
The carriage went through the gates of the establishment and stopped.
"Welcome back, Master Silver," said Margaux as I walked. "It is nice to be back, Margaux, Carla," I replied.
My gaze lingered on Carla for a moment longer before turning to the establishment, covered in the mist.
"How is the progress?" I asked. "They are waiting for us to shut everything. So they could start the work inside," Carla replied.
I nodded and walked toward the establishment, which had now become even bigger and taller. It will be five floors tall, just like the circle beside it.
This plan I conceived months ago, and wanted to wait for a year, but after the Oksall trip, I realized, I was wasting a precious and decided to take the leap.
Looking at the changes. I became even more sure, that it had been a wise decision.
I looked at every part before walking inside the establishment, and immediately I felt that familiar feeling.
It had become even stronger. It is not a faint feeling anymore that I would need to concentrate to feel it.
Now, I could see easily sense it, without focusing.
I will have to ask Caena whether others would be able to feel it. I hope they do not; I need to keep this secret of the establishment to myself.
In the hall, various teachers are taking the classes. It is the last day; this will happen in the establishment.
Tomorrow, they are shifting to a different place and a month later, to the circle, which will be their permanent home.
Soon, I reached the place where my office used to be; it had gone and now there is a whole floor.
Tens of people could be seen working around, doing all sorts of things.
We tip-toed, seeing there was a lot of stuff lying around, including the nails and other sharp things.
I looked at everything before walking to the temporary office on the fourth floor.
"How is the business?" I asked as I sat down. "Good, very good," replied Margaux.
"We are doing this expansion at the right time. I would have suggested if you hadn't started."
"The carriages lined to enter the establishment," added Carla.
She is not lying; the popularity of the establishment is shooting through the sky, not only city but even outside of it. So much that the gates would close within half an hour of opening.
Till the midnight, they will only open for a minute or two before closing.
The wonderful ladies and our stellar service are not the only thing responsible for it.
"Let's hope our patrons won't forget us when we open after a month," I said.
"It won't happen," replied Carla with quite a confidence in her voice.
I smiled at that, before taking the first file and started to read it. It didn't take long for me to finish reading them all. There were only two files, and both of them contained only this week's reports.
Every week, Carla would send the reports to the Castle Radcliff.
I talked to them for a few more minutes before Margaux left, leaving me and Carla alone in the office.
A minute later, we were doing the things that this room had been used for the past ten months.
It was about two hours before we stopped, with our bodies being all sweaty and tired.
I want to continue, but there are things I have to do. I can't spend more time with her, even when I want to.
"I missed you," I said, looking at her. "I missed you, too," she said, and we kissed.
We are lying on the floor naked with our sweaty bodies and the scent of sex around us, and it is amazing.
"Your hair looked beautiful," I said, caressing her soft, curly hair. "Thank you," she said with her cheeks flushing.
We lay there for a few minutes, soaking in the after-sex feeling before getting up and wearing our clothes.
Get Ready.
As I finished wearing the clothes, I activated the skill, and immediately, my clothes straightened, and creases vanished. The sweat disappeared from my body and so is the smell of sex.
Looking at me; no one would guess I was having sex a few minutes ago.
"Nice skill," said Carla, who also has a similar skill, and hers is better than mine and more powerful.
"It is really amazing," I replied, smiling.
A few minutes later, Carla left, and I focused on the work.
Thankfully, there is not much. Carla and Margaux left me none, but as a boss, I have to look at things they have done and see if there are any mistakes.
I trust them, but even they could make a mistake. So, it is better to verify everything.
'Master Silver, Madam Caena here,' said the voice through the intercom, and I looked at the clock.
She had come right on time; I had asked Carla to send her.
"Master Silver," she greeted. "Caena," I said, offering her the seat.
"How are things?" I asked. "Good. I am ahead with charms and should be finished with the list you have provided within a month," she said and slid a few pages in front of me.
On it is a list of charms I had asked her to create, and she had marked ones, which she has created and imprinted on the establishment.
I looked at the list, and a surprise couldn't help but appear on my face.
Once upon a time, she was barely able to create a single charm a day, but now, she is creating three.
I looked at the list before taking out another list and started making the changes. I had erased a few and added some more.
I had given her an old list a month ago. Since then, I have had more time to think about the changes I am making in the building and business model and which ritual charms would be most suitable for it.
The books on hospitality helped a lot; I would need to read more to enrich my knowledge.
The only reason I could even create such a long list of charms is because of them.
"Will I need to get more resources for them?" I asked as I slid the pages toward her.
"We have most of the resources, but I will need these few," she said, looking at the list, before taking the pen and writing it down, before sliding the list of seven materials toward me.
"It will be done," I said and put the list in my bag, before turning to her.
There was a silence for a few seconds before I asked her about the important thing.
"Have you purified them?" I asked with a hint of excitement.
Ashav is still asking me about them, willing to pay a high price. It is not just him, but many times, the Count has hinted that he is willing to buy them, but I always decline.
I don't know what I will do with them, but I do not plan to sell them.
At least not yet.
"Yes. All of them have purified," she replied, and her expression turned hesitant.
"I wanted to talk to you about them," she said after some hesitation.
"Is there any problem with them?" I asked, to which she shook her head. "No, they are completely. It is something different," she replied, and I kept looking at her.
"The thing is. The cores are special. They contain a life-and-death element. The ritual was done on you to bond with establishment had been done with the basis of that duality," she said with hesitation.
"What are you trying to say?" I asked her.
I understood the meaning of her words, but I didn't understand the context in which she was speaking.
"What I am trying to say is that we should sacrifice the core to the establishment through a ritual," she explained.
For a moment, I didn't understand what she was saying, before I was able to make a sense of it and even then, I didn't understand more than the basic meaning of the sentence.
If it had been a magic system of mages, I would have understood it clearly. It had clear rules, but the magic system of witches was completely different.
It works on a completely different set of rules.
"What it will do?" I asked after more than a minute of silence.
"It will strengthen the bond you have with the establishment. Which in turn would increase the absorption and storage of emotions, thus increasing the power of ritual charms imprinted on the establishment," she replied.
I didn't talk for a few minutes.
She had said some heavy stuff. I had not expected her would say something like this.
It had shocked me to my deepest.
"You have given me a lot to think about," I said finally. She didn't say anything other than to give me a small smile.