Chapter 3 - New Plans

After waking up the next morning and having breakfast, Maximus had come up with what to do next. He planned to start a business that would start out as a simple tavern or pub, then eventually develop into a massive trading organization so that he would be able to have a steady flow of money coming in to finance his future plans.

It was obvious what he was going to do as he was granted the Kingdom building system by the Goddess so naturally, he would go down the path of conquest and form his own Kingdom or Empire in this world.

So, to get started he sought out Jaqarro whom he had found near the central part of the city. As he approached him, Jaqarro turned towards him and smiled. "Maximus how are you doing" Asked Jaqarro.

"I'm doing great, the city is as amazing as you said it was" Responded Maximus.

"That's good to hear, now tell me what brings you here" Asked Jaqarro as he knew that the two of them meeting was of no coincidence.

"I was wondering, if you knew of some suitable locations within the city, something big enough for a tavern but with potential for expansion," Maximus replied. His words were met with intrigue from Jaqarro.

"Ah, so this is your strategy…" he said, his grin wide and knowing.

"Yes, it's a long-term plan, one that would allow me to set up a business in Volantis" Maximus said confidently.

Jaqarro laughed heartily and clapped Maximus on the back. "I like your spirit, lad. It's not every day you meet someone willing to strive for such grandeur." After a few moments of contemplation, he motioned for Maximus to follow him.

They walked through the bustling city streets, Jaqarro greeting various vendors and townsfolk as they went along.

After a while, they arrived at a large, rundown establishment in the corner of a busy intersection. It was two stories high and had a large open space on the ground floor. Maximus could see the potential in the place, it looked run down, but with some work, it could be the perfect location to transform into his base.

Jaqarro turned to Maximus and gestured at the building with a flourish. "This used to be one of Volantis' most popular taverns, until its owner passed away a few years back. Since then, it's been vacant, waiting for someone with the vision to restore its former glory."

"It's perfect," Maximus murmured under his breath. The bottom floor could be turned into a pub where people could come and sit inside and enjoy food, alcohol, and entertainment.

The second floor could be remodeled into residential quarters for employees or a high-end inn for guests. Maximus could see the place being transformed into a popular location.

"I can see the spark in your eyes, lad," Jaqarro chuckled, "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Maximus nodded, "Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind."

"Good," Jaqarro replied, "I can help with negotiations to get the building and even arrange some trustworthy workers to help restore it, if you'd like."

"That's alright, you've helped enough, I'll find a way to restore this place" Maximus stated. He had a system that he could use to buy construction workers. His reasoning for doing this was that he knew that the people that Jaqarro would use would not be cheap nor would they be loyal to him. And he was sure that the design for the pub that he wanted would not be able to be constructed by the slaves that he knew Jaqarro would use.

"Suit yourself," Jaqarro said, "I'll be looking forward to seeing what you make of this place." Said Jaqarro as he left to finish his business.

The following day, Jaqarro had successfully negotiated to buy the building for 5,000 coins. Maximus agreed to this amount and had paid the 5,000 coins for the building. Once he bought it, he had received a system mission:

[Quest: Restore the Pub and turn it into a proper base]

Rewards: 1x Powerful Character summon

10,000 system points

Seeing the new mission and its rewards, Maximus was intrigued about what type of powerful character he would get. With that in mind he focused on buying the construction workers for restoring the Pub.

As he browsed the system, he found some stonemasons and carpenters that cost 5 system points for each stonemason and carpenter with an additional 10 system points to buy the necessary equipment that they would need. In addition to that, he could buy the materials that they would need to construct the Pub for a total of 800 system points.

Maximus brought 40 stonemasons and 20 Carpenters along with their equipment for a total of 900 system points. He also bought the materials needed for 800 system points and stored them within the Pub to keep from any prying eyes outside of the Pub leaving him with 17,750 system points.

He summoned the 60 people 10 at a time within the Pub and shared with them what their task was and how he wanted the new Pub to look. The stonemasons and Carpenters made sure to remember all that needed to be done while also offering a few tips for other improvements.

Once that was done the group waited until the next day to start working on the Pub just in case, they got questioned on how they got there, Maximus could use the excuse of bringing them in during the night.

The stonemasons worked on the building's exterior, repairing cracks and improving its overall look. The carpenters focused on the interior, reconstructing the worn-out bar counter into a grander and more exquisite one, and refurbishing the upper-floor residential quarters into comfortable living spaces.

As the days passed by, the stonemasons and carpenters worked on during the day on the building while during the night they slept within upper floor, some had to share rooms. They didn't have a problem with sleeping there, as they were kept well fed and were overall comfortable.