Step!
I stepped out of the carriage and walked into the city hall.
A few minutes later, I was in my office. Looking at the list of people, I have to meet. Some, I really don't like to see, but will have to meet.
"Postpone Miller. I will meet him in three days," I said.
I know why he wants to meet me. I am not going to give him, his job back. He is incompetent; he got that job because of his connections.
The only reason, I am even willing to talk to him is because of his family. It is a big merchant house in the empire.
A few minutes later, I had my first meeting. It was with Winfred. Who gave me the progress report of ongoing negotiations with Nakar baronies and the hold?
It is tough negotiations, especially when baronies and holds want to kill each other. He is handling it well. It will take another two to three days before we will have a temporary agreement.
Nobody wants a long agreement, especially hold. Dane still seemed to be dreaming of conquering the baronies, even after suffering a humiliating defeat.
To me, it is good. His focus should be on the baronies, not on me.
After he left, I met with one other person. The appointment didn't last for over ten minutes. It was also quite disappointing, but I didn't let it affect my mood and continue working.
Two hours passed, and I was in a discussion with Ina when the intercom lit up.
'Master Silver, Miss Ulaxasys, and her associate are here,' said Jill from the other side, lighting up my eyes.
"Send them in," I said.
I have been waiting for her for two weeks. I hope she will make up for that. I will also see the associate she had praised so much for her messages.
Hun!
The door opened, and she walked inside, and she was not alone, with her was a woman. Seeing her, my eyes couldn't help but widen and I got up immediately.
I never expected she would be the person, she is bringing. I thought it would be one of the partners in the firm, but not her.
"Lady Blackwell," I greeted.
The woman beside Miss Ulaxasys is her elder sister. Lady of Amberhold. Ignatius's mother. I wonder, how he had let his mother come. Seeing the city isn't exactly safe.
Both of the women share the same features; they are beautiful with forest green hair and lake blue eyes, but the hair of Lady Blackwell is longer, and she looks more mature. She is also slightly shorter than her younger sister.
"Lord Silver," said the elf in her melodious voice.
"Miss Ulaxasys," I said and asked them to sit.
"You have surprised me, Lady Blackwell. You should have informed me about coming," I said to the woman.
She is a noble of the merchant state; there is a certain protocol I need to follow to deal with the people of her station.
"I am here on a personal capacity, my lord. Not on an official visit," she replied. I smiled at hearing that but still decided to take all the precautions. She needs to be safe while here; it will cause huge trouble if anything happens to her.
Her appearance had increased my worries, but it had also pleased me.
There is a reason, she had brought her sister. It is not just to sightsee.
Miss Ulaxis is a landscape architect, and her expertise is in designing, while Lady Blackwell is a gardener. Not a simple gardener, but a high-level one. She is an expert in the plants.
I had seen Amberhold. Had been amazed by the work she had done there.
"I am glad, you had come, my lady. With you, will be able to move faster," I said to her. "You want to finish the job in six months, right?" asked Lady Blackwell.
"That's right; I want to open the legacy as soon as possible," I replied with a nod.
"Then we should start working as soon as possible," said Miss Ulaxasys, and I smiled.
A minute later, they walked out with the Ina. They will study the designs and discuss things with Edmore. I had made up my mind about the park, but the approach will be dictated by them.
I went back to work, and in the afternoon, I made a short trip to the merchant guild. Everyone is nervous in there as most of them are going to lose their job.
I had already informed them about the trimming of the merchant guild. It will be smaller, but more efficient. Currently, the merchant guild is quite bloated; it can't work as efficiently as it needs to serve the city's needs.
I have already decided on the two vice-guild masters, and seven deacons, and nearly sure about the Guildmaster.
In a week or two, I will decide on all the vacancies.
It is not an easy job, especially when nearly everyone is lobbying for it. I know capable people, but I also need to give the position to those with power. It may not perfect solution, but no solution is perfect, especially when ruling the city.
Even I need to compromise on things.
Soon, it was late afternoon, and I got out of my office with an excited smile on my face.
Click!
A minute later, I walked into the conference room, which was already filled with people. Aside from Edmor and Davidson, there is also Miss Rolgath, Valentina, Carla, and Caena, along with Lady Blackwell and Miss Ulaxasys.
In the center of the table, there is a meter-tall model of a beautiful tower. It is going to be my legacy.
"My lady, Miss Ulaxasys, I hope you had time to go through the designs and all the notes?" I asked the sisters.
"Yes, we did, my lord," replied Miss Ulaxasys.
"What do you two think about it?" I asked and smiles appeared on the two sisters faces. "It is amazing, and we have a couple of suggestions, but before that, we have a question, my lord," said Lady Blackwell.
"Please ask, my lady," I said.
"Are you planning on making it an urban park, one without restrictions?" asked Miss Ulaxys.
"Yes, I had written that in notes," I replied with a smile. "We wanted to be sure," she said, apologetically, before her expression turned serious, like her sister's.
"The size of the park you want is too small for the purpose you want it to serve."
"The legacies are the biggest attraction of any city, and you are designing your legacy to attract the crowd. It would have been enough if you wish to keep the numbers restricted, but you are making it like the public park,"
"We had read the numbers of people that came every day to see the legacy. It always had one thousand to fifteen hundred people. Even now, when there is nothing, there are three to five hundred people in there,"
"We were able to pull the numbers from other cities with legacies. Even in the smallest cities, thousands go to look at legacies and that is when it controlled, since most of the legacies are around the busy areas,"
"Our suggestion would be, if you want to create a park at the current size, then keep it as the private park or make it bigger, to keep it public," said Lady Blackwell.
I could see every head turning to me. Valentina even had a smile on her face. I want to smile too, but I thought about it for a while, before turning to them.
"How big will it need to be public?" I asked slowly, fearing the answer might crush me. "A hundred acres, at least," she replied, and my expression changed as if someone had pierced a dagger in my heart.
The smile on Valentina's face becomes bigger. Even a smile appeared on Carla's face.
First, I wanted a beautiful garden around the legacy. Where my patrons could walk around, but then it pivoted to the park, with its size quadrupling, thanks to Valentina. The idea felt good, and I had even brought a land.
Now, these two women want me to make it even bigger.
To be honest, a hundred-acre urban park isn't that big. Most urban parks are hundreds of acres long, and the big ones span over thousands of acres.
Though she hadn't said a hundred acres. She said at least a hundred acres, they want it bigger. Just thinking about the cost, made my head hurt.
"Show me what you have in mind," I said to them, and the sisters smiled.
The next second, the leaf bracelet on Lady Blackwell's hand lit up and beautiful colors came out of it. They gathered around the model of the establishment before spreading around it.
It took over a minute before a circular park appeared with a tower at the center.
"Wow," gasped Valentina.
It is a gasp-worthy. She had not only projected the part but also added the things, that I wanted in the park including the figures of people.
It looked so amazing, that I wasn't able to think about it for a while.
"Give me a few days to decide," I said finally.
It is a really big decision and if I decide on it. It is going to cost me a lot, and the tower hasn't even started. That's what the bank is paying me for.
"Let's move on to the tower," said Miss Ulaxasys, and immediately, Miss Rolgath focused. It is her expertise, and she will be working with the sisters to fulfill the vision I have in my mind.
"You every plant inside the tower an emotion absorption plant?" she asked. It is a category of magical plants; they are more expensive since they eat emotional mist to grow.
"Yes," I replied.
These plants are beautiful. Some release wonderful smells and some pleasing sounds. I have seen a few of those plants in the old man's tavern, and I want them.
"You want them on every floor, including on those, that won't be covered in the power of the legacy?" she asked and once again, I nodded.
"Given the size of the tower and number of plants you want; it is going to take a large amount of emotion essence; more than one comfortable with it," said Lady Blackwell.
"As long as it is not more than a quarter of emotion essence, the standard grade I legacy produces, it will be fine," I replied, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
"I think, it can be managed, but we will need to check," said Lady Blackwell.
I want emotion absorption plants, not only because they look good and smell good, but also because the resources they produce sell at insane prices.
I mean, they are really expensive.
Then why, hosts of legacies do not plant them around their legacies in large numbers? Well, it is because of the vision; that the host of legacies follows their vision, and they don't deviate from it.
It is what makes their legacies advance.
Not to mention, most legacies didn't have enough space to do it, or sovereigns let them do it. My contract with the emperor had explicit instructions that I couldn't have over twenty emotion absorption plants in my legacy.
I also needed to take permission, before planting each plant.
The emperor is dead, and the contract is null. I will do what I want. Like all the hosts of legacies, I have a vision for my legacy, and I will follow it.
The discussion lasted for two hours more before I walked out of the office with Carla. I went straight to the mansion. I usually don't go this early, but I am having dinner with the children.
After that, I worked from my office in the mansion. I think this will be my new schedule, working on the city hall till evening, before coming to the mansion for dinner and working from the office here.
It is also efficient; seeing I didn't have any meetings after seven. Unless it is important or an emergency meeting.