'Master Silver, Lord of Owlspring is here for you,' informed Jill.
Click!
A moment later, the middle-aged man came inside. He didn't bring his guards inside or his assistants.
Just came alone.
"Lord Verulus," I greeted, standing up. "Lord Silver," replied the man.
"Please, take a seat," I said as I sat. The man nodded and sat down with ease, while his eyes wandered around.
Stopping for a fraction of a second on Ina, Zela, and Jon. He was hidden, but the man was able to sense him rather easily.
"I hoped, you had a good rest, my lord," I inquired. "I slept like I am in my own city," he replied.
Hearing, that, a smile appeared on my face.
"I am glad and also happy, that you have decided to stay a few hours longer to enjoy the spa," I said, and a man shook his head with a smile.
"Mae, I could not refuse her," he replied. "You won't be disappointed, Lord Verulus," I said, and the man smiled before his expression turned serious.
"Lord Silver, you know why I am here," he said and looked at Ina and others.
A faint surprise appeared on his face, seeing me not asking them to leave.
"Yes," I replied.
"So, I will say it straight away. The city of Owlspring would like to buy the emotion essence and plant resources from you." He said, coming to the point directly.
"We are willing to pay you, above the market price to get them," he added.
It is expected, but I still took a pause of the moment, before speaking.
"How much, do you want?" I asked, directly as well. "Emotions essence. Three hundred bottles," he replied, and I laughed.
"My lord, you are asking for over half of the emotion's essence. That legacy will produce,"
"As you might have seen, the representative from the imperial house had already come and they want me to sign the contract of guardianship."
"It could become impossible to give you any," I replied, shaking my head.
The man smiled.
"According to your calculations. It is fourth at most. As for representative of the princes, we both know you are not going to sign the contracts with them," he said.
I could feel him using his skills.
Not an active still, but a passive skill, over which he had such control that I could only dream.
It feels like a feather, but its effects are as heavy as the boulder. I am starting to have a really hard in resisting it.
"You might be right, but you are not the only one, who wants those things,"
"There are representatives from your state and also other merchants cities, and states. There are also representatives from the imperil cities."
"I can't give you that much," I replied, declining his offer.
Three hundred is too much; not because it is a big number, which it is, but most importantly because there are many people who want it.
There are a few like him, to whom I cannot say no.
"You should make an exception for us, Lord Silver. We are your closest neighbor and have helped when you needed us and we will continue to do that," he said.
There is not a threat or implication in his voice. He wants a good relationship and so am I.
It benefits us both.
It was also true, that he had helped when we needed it the most. Giving us aid, intelligence, and weapons to defend against the undead.
"It is why, you're the first person, I am meeting, Lord Verulus," I replied.
There was a silence for a few seconds before the man opened his mouth again.
"So, how much you could give me?" he asked. "Hundred," I replied, and the man opened his mouth again.
"Please understand my predicament, my lord. This is the most I could do. Though, I promise you; we will discuss it again in half a year," I added.
The man looked at me, before sighing.
"Fine, a hundred bottles a month," he replied. "Thank, you for the understanding, my lord," I said.
The man nodded.
"So, what do you want in exchange? You wouldn't take money, would you?" he asked with hope.
Money would be the easiest thing for him to give, but unfortunately, for him. I do not want money, in exchange for my precious emotion essence.
I looked at Ina, and she placed the file in front of him. It had the list of things I wanted.
He took the file and opened it, before starting reading.
It didn't take him long to finish the file. There are only several pages in it.
"You want quite a lot of restricted things. For some, I would need permission from the state," he said, turning to me.
"I am sure, you would get it," I replied.
"I need those things to defend my city against the undead. It is to be a benefit of the empire and merchant state, that city to not fall into the hands of the undead," I added.
The man smiled.
"Fine, I will get you those things," he agreed finally. "Thank you, my lord," I said.
"Now the plants?" he asked.
"I am not very knowledgeable about them. I hope my people negotiate about them," I said, and the man nodded after a moment of silence.
The plants are more precious, and I need to be careful with each one of them.
"You have given me a lot of stress, Lord Silver. I hope, your spa, would be able to help me relive it," he said.
"Have no doubts about it, Lord Verulus," I replied.
A minute later, the man left. We didn't sign a contract, just shook our heads. The contract will be signed after our people negotiate.
His people will be here tomorrow to negotiate, and it won't be easy, but I am confident in my people.
Sigh!
I sighed and slumbered back in my chair, before closing my eyes to rest.
It might not seem much, but it was tiring. The skill was extremely powerful. He only used one, and it was a passive skill.
If he had used others; I wouldn't have been so composed as I had been.
"The man is powerful," said Ina.
"He is, and he had only used a single skill, and not its full power either," I replied.
If he had, I would have been able to resist it, but that would have the opposite effect. Here, both of us want to foster a relationship.
It is beneficial for both of our cities. Bulldozing me with power wouldn't have had helped.
"How much time, before I meet with the representative of Oksall?" I asked.
"Fifteen minutes," Ina replied.
A minute later, I opened my eyes. Making a decision on which I had been sitting for the past six months.
I cannot wait anymore.
It is a heavy decision, and it will change a lot of things, but I need to do it. There is no other choice.
"Send the letter to Masal," I said.
I am sending a letter to the Masal Colosseum through Synod officially as the host of Grade II Legacy. Asking them to release my mother as a favor to me or to negotiate the price of her release.
Whether they would accept or not. I don't know, but I will need to try it.
Children asked me about her, nearly every day and I don't want to lie anymore.
I hope they will agree. I am willing to pay quite a high price for it. She is my mother; the fact didn't change despite the anger I feel toward her.
Most importantly, I don't want the children to face, what I have faced.
I, at least, had the father. He was not perfect, but I know, he loved me in his own way.
The children didn't even have that.
"Done," said Zela.
They will receive the letter within an hour. I hope to get an initial response by evening.
'Master Silver, Madam Silver, is asking to meet you,' came a hurried voice through the intercom.
A frown appeared on my face. I didn't have a meeting with Madam. I am not even meeting my sister.
Though there is a family dinner to which she had been invited, along with Leila.
I wouldn't have, but since Gerald and Selina are in the city. I had decided to invite them to, along with a few other family members, that came.
Click!
I was about to reply to her when the door clicked open, and madam walked in.
'I had tried to stop her, but she didn't listen,' said Jill. "It's fine," I said, before turning to the madam.
Showing clear irritation at her conduct, but the woman didn't have even a hint of apology on her face. Instead, there is an anger in her eyes.
"Madam," I greeted and offered her a seat.
She might have forgotten her manners, but I didn't.
"Remus, you had not only not invited your brothers to the party, but you had sent back their representative," she said, with anger burning brightly in her eyes.
"Do you, how humiliating it was for them?"
"You have sent, nearly every important member of the family an invitation, except for your brothers."
"It was the greatest humiliation, they have ever suffered, and it was caused by their own brother!" She accused, with her voice reaching high.
Ina and Zela quickly walked out of the room, which was wise because now I was angry.
I have nothing but polite to her. Not just now, but my whole life. Hoping to earn their acceptance, which they never gave to me.
I have been polite even when they had tried to kill me.
Now, I had enough.
The dam of emotions I had been holding back all my life had finally broken apart, and all that anger hurt, and other emotions burst out.
"Humiliation? Do you know even know the meaning of humiliation madam?" I asked.
"Humiliation is the manipulation of your brother's fate,"
"Those people you are calling my brothers had conspired to change my class, made me a whoremaster. That was a humiliation!
"The humiliation was to steal what is rightfully mine and send me to a dangerous place with nothing but a brothel in my name,"
"Humiliation was finding than insufficient and trying to kill me!"
I was screaming at the end.
I had these things buried in my heart. They would bubble, whenever I saw their faces, but I always controlled them.
Now, I am letting them free.
Thud!
"So, don't come here crying humiliation, madam!" I shouted and hit the table hard, while the woman watched in shock.
She hadn't expected such a reaction from me. I had never raised a voice in front of her, but now I am screaming at her.
"Also tell them, they can forget about entering my legacy ever or even getting any benefits from it," I said, with an angry smile on my face.
The woman opened her mouth but closed it seeing the anger in my eyes that was a hundred times greater than hers. Instead, she got up and walked out.
Even hearing those words. There was not a hint of shame in women's eyes or apology.
"Message Baroness Leila and tell her, I am rescinding the invitation of madam for tonight's dinner," I said to Zela as she returned.
Her staff lit up, while I closed my eyes.
It was an unfortunate incident, but I am glad it happened. I wanted to say those words for a long time, and it felt good to say them out loud.
"Baroness Leila is asking about what happened," said Zela, a few seconds later.
"Tell her to ask her mother," I replied.
I have no politeness left toward them. Even for my sister, I still blame her for what happened to me. It might be her fault or not, but my heart still blames her for what they did to me.
A few minutes passed, and I started to take a deep breath to calm myself.
There is an important meeting with the representatives of the state of meldhorn, and I need to be ready.
Finally, I opened my eyes and saw, that only a minute had remained till I had to meet them.
"Masal had sent the confirmation, that they have received the letter," said informed Zela.
"Any response to the letter?" I asked. "No," she replied.
"Tell me immediately, the moment it comes," I said as I got up, before walking out of the room.