[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-city-of-desire-kingdom-building":3,"chapter-city-of-desire-kingdom-building-city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-413":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","City of Desire [Kingdom Building]",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1846266,2449,"Chapter 415: Secret Agreements","city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-413",413,"\u003Cp>Rutto\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just keep your mouth shut and let me do all the talking,\" said the handsome man beside me as the carriage stopped at the city hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is Aubin Arledge, the fourth son of Count Arledge. One of the Emperor Inkav's biggest allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was supposed to be my job, I was to be the guardian of the legacy, but it all changed swiftly when Silver revealed his legacy to the Grade II and Amphitheater Class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man, who was in Inam, was quickly sent here to replace me to be the guardian of the legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reason, I had even been allowed to come with him, was because I had begged him to let me come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't know why I did that. It is just more humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess, I wanted to see the end with my own eyes for the position, I had spent all my fortune and favors for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened and he walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the young man in front of me and couldn't help, but feel jealous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aubin Arledge is young. Handsome. Ambitious. He is only twenty-six years old. Had a powerful house, that helped him in every way, he could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My house had been powerful once; only second to the imperial house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the centuries. We had lost everything; including the whole region of the empire we used to control. Now, we don't even have a territory and the title had been reduced to mere Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing we have is the name, Rutto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at city hall as I climbed its steps and the faces of people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are humans, but also a lot of orcs; I had even spotted a half-elf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is still quite a surprise to me. In my forty-one years of life; I had never seen so many non-humans as once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had once made a trip to the Namdar when I was young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had the blood of a non-human in me. She was the most illustrious woman. Second only to her husband; the founder of House Rutto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook those thoughts away and focused on the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They are vibrant, there is a vibrancy in them, that one wouldn't expect from the city, and they could be attacked by the undead at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first thing, I will do after I take over the city is to throw all these filthy orcs out,\" said Aubin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn't just want to become the guardian of the legacy but also become a lord of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which I think, is a thought out of the realm of reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mean, how he will do that? Silver won't just hand over the city. Even His Majesty wouldn't be able to make him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is busy, with all his forces. Fighting siblings, along with neighboring kingdoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is having a problem controlling the nobles under the territory he is controlling. It would be farfetched to say, his command would be enough for silver to hand over the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think it is a challenge to even sign the contract of guardianship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't say anything. I just followed behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, we reached Silver's office; the doors were closed. Aubin turned to the secretory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She is the youngest secretary; I had ever seen. She didn't even look eighteen. Though she is very pretty; it is why Aubin's eyes turned lecherous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am Lord Arledge. I have an appointment with Silver,\" stated Aubin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Silver will meet you at nine,\" she replied with a professional smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are twenty minutes before time. We had come early. I had told him, but he was in too hurry to become the guardian to listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could see her words made him angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed his hands on her table and leaned toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am Lord Aubin Arledge; envoy of Emperor and I want to see Silver now,\" he demanded before blasting the poor girl, with his skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought, she would squirm and sweat, but there was no change in the young girl's expression, other than sparks of irritation in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It couldn't help, but surprise me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aubin isn't weak. He is Lv. 20 and has a Lord Class. I was in my thirties when I reached the Lv. 20 in my Lord Class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That makes his skills quite powerful, but despite that, the young secretary seemed unaffected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Silver, will you see at nine Lord Arledge,\" she replied, and I felt Aubin move back, like he was pushed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shock flashed in his eyes before it turned to anger. I could his hands reaching his saber, but stopped as guards standing, not far away appeared beside the secretory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aubin's guards had also moved a step closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stalemate lasted for a second before he removed his hands from his saber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards returned to their places, and I took a sigh of relief. It would have been bad. if he had unsheathed the weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard Silver is particular about such things and very protective of his whores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's how, he had gained, the legacy, they said. He would have rather had his business destroyed, than have his whores disrespected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glared at the young secretary before walking toward the waiting room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She will be the first person to be punished after I take over the city. That makes whore get fucked by hundred people in public and then lashed till she is dead,\" he muttered as I sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shuddered when I heard that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had heard the things about him. The things he did in his territory, and I really hope, are not true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will you take any refreshment, Lord Arledge, Lord Rutto?\" asked a pretty woman in her early twenties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, thank you,\" I replied while Aubin remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She left, while I picked up the newspaper beside me. It had many pieces of news from local to international. Many things are happening, especially in the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His excellency's state isn't good, and this newspaper is stating that clearly without fear of repercussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He controls the territory more than double that of Princess Orlene, but she and her allies are slowly chipping away at the terrify held by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are also neighboring kingdoms, conquering the territories of the empire from Kalzan to Renha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Arledge, Lord Rutto. Lord Silver will meet you now,\" said the young secretary appearing in front of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked away from the newspaper and saw it was nine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got up with Aubin and walked toward Silver's office. The time didn't soothe his anger, but instead increased it even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really hope. He didn't mess things up. I really don't want to go back to his excellency with nothing to show; it will ruin me, more than I am already ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed that thought away and cast a spell. Connecting with Mage Bemelmans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is the protector of Marquess Hass; the prime minister of his excellency. He had asked for the live updates of the conversation with Silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door clicked open, and we entered the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is the biggest I had ever seen but isn't the smallest either. Everything is neat and clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are two people there aside from Silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One is his guard, a high mage, while the other is his assistant\u002Fadviser. She is also a former whore and is strikingly beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't help, but feel jealous of Silver. To be surrounded by beautiful women every moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was married once, but she had married me for my ancestors' treasures. Unfortunately, there were none left other than a medallion, I am wearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which is useless to anyone other than blood. Most importantly, it's forbidden for others to have it other than the head of the house of Rutto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything we had, had been sold by the previous generations. Not even our territory had remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little bit of fortune. I had accumulated through my own efforts. I had spent to get this job, but now it had also been snatched from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Silver,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I greeted the young man sitting at the table, who turned his piercing silvery grey eyes on us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't seem to be in a good mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Silver, you have to rein in your whore. If I were you, I would have fucked some sense into her,\" complained Aubin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed, immediately sending the recorded words to the person on the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feared. He would do something like this. It is not the first time he did it and nothing will happen to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father will protect him. Count Arledge is powerful and has the ambition to become a Duke. Which he might have if kept he succeeding in battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had sent the recording of the words to the other side when I heard the sharp sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw Silver beside me, with Aubin looking at him with deep shock. It had happened so fast, that I wasn't able to react at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hell, I didn't even see it. He was that fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aubin's cheek is all red and he is looking at Silver with deep shock before anger rages in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It scared me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew Silver was protective of his whores, but didn't expect such a reaction. A rebuke at most, but not a slap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubin is not a weak lord like me. He is the son of Count Arledge, who is one of the most powerful men under the emperor. Not to mention, he is an emperor's envoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You do not hit envoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would bear a disrespect toward me, but I couldn't bear it against my people,\" said Silver, and I felt his skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was powerful. More than, I had expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly controlled my shock and relayed it all to Bemelmans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Rutto, activate the Listening Link,' I heard the second voice. The prime minister's voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Yes, my lord,' I said and cast Listening Link. So, he could hear everything that was happening in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, I felt the eyes of the High-Mage. He sensed it and seeing the way, he was looking at me, he knew the kind of spell I had cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought he would break the spell. He could, for all the spells, I know; I am not a High-Mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To my surprise, he didn't. he just kept looking at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You, bastard!\" cursed Aubin, reacting finally. \"Do you know who I am?\" he asked angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Arledge, you came here sauntering. Didn't show respect to my employees, you disrespected me. For it, I am expelling you from the city,\" said Silver, once again shocking me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is an overreaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Aubin's attitude was discourteous, and his words were deplorable, but he didn't need to be expelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed that thought and looked at Silver, was relieved to see, the words are only directly at Aubin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels like, there is something going on. That, I am not understanding at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will pay for this. I will take my revenge for this disrespect, you have caused me,\" Aubin shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shaun, escort, Lord Arledge out,\" he said, and the mage moved, but Aubin didn't give him a chance and left after one burning glare at Silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My apologies. Lord Rutto. Sit, we have business to discuss,\" he said as he returned to the seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat down, before taking out the imperial contract from my bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed it in front of me, but Silver barely glanced at it before turning to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This the guardianship contract, my lord, that you will sign with the Emperor,\" I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could have slowly eased into it, but after what happened with Auburn. I plan to finish it as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My apologies, Lord Rutto. I am not going to sign the contract of guardianship. I will only sign it with the emperor of an undivided and unfractured empire,\" he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't expect him to agree readily, but didn't expect to disagree directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waited for the instruction from the Prime Minister Haas, but there was silence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Majesty Inkav is the emperor of an undivided and unfractured empire. The others are rebels, that he will deal with very quickly,\" I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I didn't believe these words coming out of my mouth, I needed to say them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prime minister is listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No contract,\" he replied, without commenting on what I had said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't fall into the trap, that I had laid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Ask him for a thousand vials of essence,' instructed Prime Minister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel relieved hearing his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like, I was walking in a swamp here. A mistake and I will become the target of the emperor's ire and I don't think, I could survive that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thousands essence bottles then,\" I repeated, what the Prime Minister said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's too much; I don't have that many.\" He disagreed immediately with the shake of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At most, I could give you two hundred and fifty bottles of essences,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fifty will be actual bottles of essence, while the rest two hundred will be in the form of emotion essence potions and other things,\" He stated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tha\" 'Agree with it,'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my mouth to disagree when the sound of Prime Minister rang out in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shocking me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We agree,\" replied Rutto with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kind of pity the man. He had become a puppet of the powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I talked with Marquess Hass last night. I had told him, I would not sign the contract. He asked for quite a lot of essence, but I shot that one down too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, we agreed to two hundred and fifty emotion essences. Fifty with emotions essence and two hundred potions and other stuff with emotion essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted all emotion essence, but I rejected it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the parties like merchant state and Namdar. The imperials aren't providing anything in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is tithe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have to give it because this bastard could succeed and become a true emperor. While they wouldn't harm me due to my legacy, there are many ways, they could make me pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tithe will help in keeping things smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crown Prince isn't the only one, I needed to give it. I will also need to give it to Princess Orlena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had a reach chance against the throne and was far more capable, than the Crown Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She will agree too, because if they went too hard. I might turn to the other party. Which they absolutely don't want, seeing desperately they needed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to take the risk for the agreement. He asked me to humiliate Aubin. For his political purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had thought about ways of doing that when he presented the opportunity himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was already angry by the letter of Masal Colosseum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His disrespect for Jill had fueled it. I had let my emotions guide me and slap the smug bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, it felt good to act on the emotions for once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is quite a risk, but I think it was worth it. The Prime Minister agreed to take two hundred essences in the form of potions, in exchange for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It will give me leverage with alchemists and merchants' states. It will also save quite many bottles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are also the secret agreements we agreed on. For it, I will pay him extra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, for your time, Lord Silver,\" said the man and got up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have a nice day, Lord Rutto,\" I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man smiled and walked away, with a faint bit of confusion in his eyes. He likely understood most things and will understand the rest soon enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's quite a regret, that he will be a scapegoat for the Prime Minister, if things go wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquess Haas is too smart to let anything fall on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap on thebelow to read20Advanced Chapters.\u003C\u002Fp>",2660,"2026-06-09T06:54:39.599Z",1,"novelbin.me","9cd8106efbb47fe0b5b6af7b6d306ea75b47f0a353fe228a7acaaf17d682ffe9","city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-414","city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-412",917,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcity-of-desire-kingdom-building-cover.jpg"]