"Is your decision final?" I asked Lola as I stopped at the door of the carriage.
"Yes. Master Silver," she replied, and she was sure.
It was the second time I had asked her. The first time a week ago, even then, she had rejected the offer within seconds.
I had offered her something big, something she envied once, but now she had rejected it.
I looked at her and couldn't help, but feel surprised again, seeing how much she had changed in less than a year.
Lola, twelve months ago, would have jumped at the opportunity. She would have accepted it two and a half months ago, done it in a second, but now, she had rejected the offer.
There was no hesitation.
"Take care then, Lola," I said with a sigh.
"Thank you, Master Silver," she replied with her voice, a little emotional.
I looked at her for the one last time, before sitting in the carriage and a few seconds later. The carriage moved toward out of the gates of the castle toward the Greltheaven.
It had been eleven days since the attack of the monsters and I hadn't thought I would be able to return so soon, but things have turned to normal sooner than I had expected.
The thing the monster attack had affected the most was the trade.
For the four days, there was no trade caravan. I had feared that it might have done irreplaceable damage to it; not only me, but even Blackwell had hot worried, but our worries had been unfounded.
After the four days, the trade had returned, and it had returned at incredible speed.
In the past three days, there have been more trade caravans coming than, it had been before the monster attack.
Merchants needed to see the money. Once they did, even the monsters wouldn't be enough to stop them. It also helps that Oksall is rapidly making progress on the road.
The progress in town is a little slower to pick, but in the past few days; I have seen the vibrancy returning.
I have no doubt it would return, especially when I sell the next tranche of plots after I return.
This time, it is a little special because the merchant from Oksall could buy 25% of that.
It had not become certain yet. I am still negotiating the deal with Oksall. I want a certain privilege in return, but I am confident it will happen.
The merchants and Blackwell's have been pushing their leadership hard for it.
Soon, the carriage rolled out of the town and picked up the speed. I should be able to reach the city by dawn and this time, I am going to stay for quite a long.
I had asked for ten days, but I am already planning to make it, two weeks. I need the time for my business.
There are only five days before the establishment opened, and I have to stay there for at least two weeks more to see how it will perform. I am as excited as I am nervous.
Despite being here, I have taken all the important decisions, but nothing could be compared to remaining present there.
In these five days, I am going to spend all my time on my business. I need everything to be perfect for the opening.
'It will be perfect,' I said with nervous excitement.
I am also thinking about handing over the reins by the end of the next month. I want Lola to take over, but that is going to be impossible.
It needs to be between Carlos and Leblanc; they can handle the responsibility. The only thing I will need to do is take the trade to a certain amount, which I don't think will be a problem.
The road will be finished in the middle of next month and then the trade will increase further.
However, I will need to convince the Count. It won't be a problem, since Lancel will help me.
He hates that his father had given me the responsibility and a few nudges to him would be enough to push the Count in the right direction.
Not to mention, the Count had promised me. If he resisted, I would remind him of those words.
I took a deep breath, calmed my emotions, and turned to Zela in front of me. The battle seemed to have done something to her, she was studying like crazy.
I didn't disturb her and instead closed my eyes to sleep.
I also wanted to read, but I am tired.
Since I am taking a big leave, I had held meetings till day and till the time I left. Checked everything before handing the responsibilities to the three.
I was so tired that I fell asleep within a second and there was no monster in my dreams today; not even the leader, who appeared every night.
Knock Knock
I was in the sleep when a knock rang out on my window, and I immediately opened my eyes.
"We have reached the river, Mister Silver," informed Stone.
Only then did I realize that the carriage had stopped.
"Zela," I said to my guard, who had fallen asleep, with books on her lap. One book is even at her feet.
She didn't wake up, and I was about to call her again when she opened her eyes, cheeks flooding.
"My deepest apologies, Mister Silver. I shouldn't have slept on duty," she apologized.
"It is fine, Zela. Don't take too much stress, it makes things difficult, instead of easier," I said to her and gave the book that had fallen near her feet, before stepping out of the carriage with Fang in my hand.
It was still a night, but dawn will appear soon.
I looked at the sky for a moment before walking toward the boat with my guards around me.
I stared at Stone, who was walking ahead of me. He had quite scared me, after what happened to him in battle.
He had remained unconscious for two and a half days before waking up. He didn't tell me what happened, what he experienced during the elder blood reaction, nor, I had asked.
It is his personal business.
Though it had made me quite curious. Elder races are quiet mysteries and powerful, anything related to that evokes a great curiosity.
I pushed the thoughts away and stepped into the boat.
Soon the board began to move across the river silently. There is barely any notice at this time, even ships are moving silently.
The boat was halfway into the river when the faint rays of light began to pierce through the cloud.
It looked beautiful, and I watched it with a serene smile on my face, till I reached the other side and got off the boat.
The carriage was waiting for me, and I stepped inside.
Fifteen minutes later, the carriage entered the road, from which I could see the establishment and the circle.
The circle is being covered by large clothes. So, I couldn't see anything, while the establishment was being covered in the mist, that only its silhouette could be seen.
Soon, the carriage moved through the gates of the establishment and stopped.
The gates opened, and I walked out, only to see there was already someone waiting for me.
"You shouldn't have come so soon," I said to Caena. "No, I wanted to be here when they make these changes," she replied as she looked at the establishment.
There is some carving work going on in the building, and it is beautiful. It will be even more when they are finished with it.
"How are things?" I asked as I watched the artist's work expertly. The way they work looked mesmerizing.
"Very good; there were small hiccups, but we had managed to smooth them over," she replied.
For the past five days, she had been in charge of the girls and work here. Carla, Margaux, and Eudo, along with a few others, have gone to the merchant cities and then Namdar for shopping.
They have done a lot of shopping and returning at night.
I looked at it for a few more minutes before walking inside, and what I saw made me stop in my tracks.
It looked amazing, better than I had imagined, and it was not even finished. The people were still working, and the furniture had yet to be brought.
When it is finished; it will amaze everyone who will see it.
Eight million imperials; eight hundred million crowns. That is how much the circle and the changes in the establishment had cost me.
I have poured everything I have earned from both of my businesses into them. Taking a huge risk.
This is just the cost of these two things; I had spent another three and a half million imperials on clothing, jewelry, and other accessories, along with new staff and a few other things.
If it didn't work out. It will send me back months or years and even damage my reputation, with another risk, I will be taking in the day of opening, but if it works, then it will open completely new doors for me.
I looked at the hall, which had become even bigger than before, and it was not just the hall that had become bigger.
The kitchen had increased its size more than twice and now there were three bars in the hall. These are just minor changes compared to some of the really big ones I had made.
I looked around the hall before walking, taking the stairs, checking each room carefully.
The establishment is five floors tall, but in front; there were only four floors with really high ceilings and the artwork had done them, but I couldn't see it, since all of it had been covered in the papers.
Soon, I looked through all five floors and went to the underground, where there was the biggest change.
Till now, the underground had been the same. It had used to house the girls, but in a few days, the girls would shift to the circle; they would live and learn there, including magic, which had cost me a lot.
I couldn't let the three floors of the underground go to waste. I had created something here, that girls will love.
Soon, I finished touring the whole establishment and wanted to look at the circle, but it wouldn't be possible, seeing I have a meeting with Count Darrow in fifteen minutes.
I walked toward the carriage before stopping and turning to Caena.
"Prepare for the sacrifice ritual," I said to her, before stepping into the carriage, leaving her surprised.
One month had been a long time to think and find out about these things. I didn't get as much as information, I hoped to get, but got enough to make the decision.