Proofread by Thomas F
Valentina Elar
I looked at myself in the mirror in a pleated emerald green dress. It fits me perfectly.
It is modern, but graceful.
I am not wearing any jewellery other than a bracelet with gold and brown crystals. It is not jewellery, but a focus. I am a mage, and mages never leave without a focus.
I am important, and important people were expected to look a certain way. Most mages dressed conservatively for good reason. Appearance shaped expectation, and expectation shaped whether people listened before you ever spoke.
Here, I have to be even more careful.
Not because everyone is gunning for my job and looking for my secrets.
There is no fear like that. I only need to care about one person's opinion for my job, and my biggest secret is a kind of open secret now.
Dressing appropriately is important because I am representing the city. My home, which I love so much.
"You look beautiful,"
I felt hands wrapped around my waist and lips on my neck, which made me shudder through every part of my body.
"I wish you didn't have to go to work," she said softly, while her hands roamed around me. "I do too, but today is important," I replied, barely controlling myself.
Thank god she removed them; otherwise, I don't think I could have stopped myself.
It had been years since we were together, but my attraction toward her had only increased.
"I will miss you," she said, lying back on the bed. I looked at her through the mirror, and my gaze fell on the table beside her, and my cheeks reddened.
She noticed my gaze, and a wolfish smile appeared on her face.
"I am going to the legacy to spar with Stana in the evening. I will meet Madam Dawnstar and thank her for this amazing thing." She said, looking at the harness on the table.
In the past few months, our sex life has changed completely.
Dawnstar had been sending us tools and taking our feedback. Like this harness. The leather on it wasn't soft enough, but now it is, and it's made a huge difference.
The others are also love them.
There is a group of us; it is so in every city. Hidden from the church and authorities. We didn't have to do that here, but we still take every precaution when we meet.
I adjusted my hair and turned to her before leaning down and kissing her deeply.
"I love you," I said.
"Love you too," she replied. After one last kiss, I walked out of my house and stepped into a carriage a minute later.
The carriage isn't taking me to my office, but to the outer ring. It will take some time. So, I opened the book that I had been studying for the past few weeks.
Composition of Earth Spell by Archmage Dhrasta.
He was a Zenidian Archmage of the previous era, who died in the last incursion.
He was an Archmage of Earth Element and a powerful one at that. He fought and killed Irad Queen, but also died in that very battle.
I got the book two months ago when Lord Rutto advanced. It is mist-crafted. It is why, despite having over two thousand pages. It looked like it was only three hundred.
It's not an easy book to read.
It is written for people like me, who are at the limit of High-Mage. It strengthens our concept of the advancements.
I may have stepped into the political arena, but I still consider myself a mage first and study at every bit of free time I have. I am making good progress, and this knowledge will be very helpful when the tower is completed.
Though it's going to take time.
"Chief, we have arrived." Informed my assistant, pulling me out of the book. I really want to study more. I couldn't; instead, I closed the book and put it out of my mind before stepping out.
"Chief Elar," greeted Trik. "Chief Trik!" I replied and turned to the man nearby.
A man in his late thirties, handsome with golden-brown hair and violet eyes. He is wearing an expensive suit, but it's clear he is a mage.
It's easy to recognize, we have that way about us.
"I hope you like the land parcel," I said to him, looking at a massive stretch of the plot. It's a hundred-acre plot that we are willing to lease to him for a hundred years at a nominal rent.
"It would have been wonderful if you could give us some land inside the city center."
Greedy bastard. I didn't curse that. Instead, I smiled. "We would have liked to, but there is no space in the city with legacy taking a large chunk of it," I replied, with a smile.
I have to play nice. If everything works, we will sign the final agreement.
The man is Carton Carlos, and his family runs academies in the empire. They have five academies, and if we sign today, they will build the sixth one in Greltheaven.
Their academies are not the best, but they educate competent people, and that's enough for now.
There are four more academies that I am negotiating with. There is a very good chance that I will succeed with the two.
I have been trying for years, but things suddenly changed in the past few months. Especially since we leaked the news about the grand scale of the legacy and what we plan to do in the park.
"Is there no chance? We will invest double if you give us the land in the inner city," he asked.
"As I said, there is no space," I replied firmly.
To be honest, a few months ago, I might have seriously considered giving him a smaller piece of land in the inner city, but not anymore.
The city is going to be transformed once the Legacy opens in a few months.
It is why I have reduced the sizes of the plots from one hundred fifty acres to only one hundred, and the number available to three from the original seven. It means there are only three free plots.
They have noticed that since I reduced it. The negotiations have become aggressive.
"This is a good plot," he said, and it is; it's the only riverside plot we are giving for the academies. "You have chosen well," I replied, and the man smiled.
"Since we are planning on doing it. I am hoping you would do us a favor and provide us with some emotion essence," he said.
That was also part of the initial package, but I removed it before we started negotiations. Remus didn't agree with that; he thought the incentive was needed.
I do not.
Despite disagreeing, he trusted me.
Our days of begging are over. I am even thinking about removing the free plots for academies altogether.
We do not need to give them any incentive. In a few months, they will come running to us; we will not have to chase them anymore.
"We do not have any essence, as you can see. Velvet Garden is closed." I replied, keeping my anger out of my eyes. He is asking for the essence; he is not even willing to pay, seeing how he used 'provide' instead of 'sell'.
"We do not want much, or even the highest grade. Just 100 vials of Grade III essence," he said, and I had a really hard time not laughing.
"The city cannot spare even a single vial," I replied, and my voice was firm as rock. Hearing that, his face hardened.
"We do not want essence for our personal benefit, but for research in our academies. It would help us tremendously if you spare even seventy vials of it," he stated, his voice turning harder.
"We came to an agreement because we believe it will be a partnership and your city will provide us with the essence."
"If there is no essence, we will have to rethink establishing an academy here."
I smiled, which seemed to surprise him, and I could see hope appearing in his eyes.
"Setting up your academy or not is your prerogative, Mr. Carlos, but the terms will not change," I replied, and could see the stunned expression appearing on his face.
His move to extortion was overplayed. Thinking that we are desperate. We are no longer; we are far from it.
"Have a good day, Mr. Carlos," I said and walked toward my carriage, while he watched, stunned.
"I should have guessed they would do something like this, given how they were always asking for emotion essence during negotiations!" Shaman Trik said.
"It's not your fault, Chief Trik. He was a greedy bastard; if we had agreed now, he would have found another excuse to extort emotion essence from us, in the future."
The old man sighed.
"I just hope it won't disappoint Lord Silver." He said, and I nodded. I am worried about it as well.
We need academies, but not as desperately as the other cities of our population would need them. Our school system is very strong, and Remus designed them as half academies.
There are professional and craft classes in schools. If they want to pursue it after school, we send them to a master.
Some of the lucky ones can apprentice in the Artifice Garden.
Still, it is barely enough; the academy would help tremendously to foster our citizens' talent. They are also more comprehensive and prepare one for all fields.
We need such skilled people in our city halls, armies, and other institutions.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of Remus's office, and we stepped out. My heart was beating nervously; I hoped he would not be too disappointed.
"Lord Silver,"
We greeted him as we stepped into his office, as always. There is a file in front of him. A moment later, he turned to us.
"Looking at your expressions, it seemed like it didn't work," he said, and I shook my head. "The bastard wanted essence, a hundred grade III vials of it," replied Trik.
His expressions hardened.
During the negotiations, we clarified that there wouldn't be any essence, but the bastard tried to squeeze us.
"You know what, Valentina, I now agree that you are right. It's time we stopped acting like beggars," he said, surprising me. It's not the words I expected to hear.
"Remove the free plots for academies and reduce subsidies for non-strategic industries,"
"Instead, focus on hospitality, small and medium businesses, and an agreement with other cities about mobility. The Legacy is our strength; we should focus on it."
"It is the thing that will make our city prosper; the rest of the things will come on their own."
I am sure my emotions are clearly showing on my face; saying I am shocked would be an understatement. "We should not be hasty about it," I cautioned. Although I agree with things he said, we should not do them hastily in the heat of the moment.
He laughed and shook his head. "It's not hasty; I have been thinking heavily about it for the past few weeks," he replied.
I looked at him and saw calmness; there was not a hint of anger in his eyes. Still, we should be cautious before making such big decisions.