Chương 11: Chapter 10: The Inauguration

"Ok, once more!" I ordered loudly as I clapped my hands. The girls changed places, and the actors I had hired walked out the doors before coming inside one by one, with intervals of seconds to minutes.

"I am speechless. I did not think the practice would bring such a change," said Carla, in awe. We have been doing this for five days. She was pretty opposed to it, saying it would be a waste of money, but now she is impressed. I couldn't help but feel grateful to Mage Valentina and her guild. They finished the work five days before the agreed-upon deadline, which gave me enough time to make the girls practice my business methods.

All of them, including Carla, got offended when I suggested it, but as they practiced, they understood the reason behind it. What they are doing now is different from what they have done before; this practice, the teachers, the clothes, and everything else were for a reason. My establishment will not sell just sex; it will sell desires, and the sex will be just part of it.

"Has my suit arrived?" I asked as Carla appeared beside me, "Yes, a few minutes ago," she replied. Today marks the day of the grand inauguration, set to take place in the evening. Dignitaries from across the Empire, as well as esteemed guests from foreign kingdoms, have already arrived. Every inn, hotel, and private residence in the city has been overflowing with visitors for over a week, and businesses—especially the brothels—are thriving. Watching my competitors rake in profits made my heart ache.

If only I had opened my establishment a month earlier, I, too, would have reaped the rewards of this lucrative occasion. While I feel the pain of losing such a massive business, I am not sad. I am perfectly aware that if my business works as I expect, I will earn everything I could have in a month within a matter of days. I sat on the chair and watched the girls practice, and unlike the first three days, I did not have to correct the girls.

It is not surprising that with their experience and the help from teachers, they have all the necessary skills; I only taught them a different way to use them. I am glad I listened to Eudo's suggestion. Initially, I planned on hiring different actors, including low-level ones, in larger numbers, but Eudo suggested that I hire the high-level ones. The company of actors I had hired had actors as their base class. Each was at least level 15, with seven actors above level 20.

They have done a fantastic job, far better than I had thought they would. Three hours passed, and I finally got up from my seat with a bright smile on my face; "Everyone, stop!" I said, and all of them stopped and turned to me.

"The practice is over," I declared, bringing a smile to the actors' and girls' faces.

"Mr. Keys, your company has done an outstanding job; if I had any jobs in the future and money in my pocket, I would hire you and your people again," I said to the impeccably dressed man in his early fifties.

"Thank you, Mister Silver." He said with a faint bow.

"It is one of the best jobs I have ever received, and the girls have been wonderful company," he added, slightly bowing toward the girls, who returned it gracefully. A few minutes later, he and his people left, leaving me alone with the girls.

"All of you have done a wonderful job. Even with the strict schedule, you have learned everything I have asked of you and more," I told the girls.

"Thank you, Master Silver," they replied in unison. The establishment's gateswill open today in the evening, so rest, as you all won't be getting any until the morning," I said, and all their faces cracked in a smile. I nodded at them and walked toward my office when I suddenly stopped at the stairs and turned to the girls.

"Sex is your choice; if you do not feel like it, you can refuse it," I stated and walked toward the office, leaving them shell-shocked. What I have just said could be self-suicide of this business, but that thing had been eating me for days, and I finally said it. I have come from a place where I had a right to choose, and I wanted to give them that, or my conscience would not let me sleep in peace. Soon, I reached the office, but I did not work; my nerves were too antsy to let me do anything, so I read.

I have made a big list of books I will read this year and was quite ahead of schedule until last month, but now, I have fallen behind. This month, I barely had any time to read a single page, much less a book. Two hours passed, and I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the suit one last time before walking out of my room.

"Remove the covers at five and open the gates at six," I told Carla. Even now, I have kept changes hidden, from the trees to fountains to the whole mansion covered in clothes; I did not want anybody to take a glimpse of it. It was done less with intention to hide and more with creating an interest. There are a couple of high-class brothels. If I opened mine simply, it would be no different than them, and I want it to be different. I want people to feel curiosity about it.

So, when they choose the brothel, I want them to choose mine.

"Yes," Carla replied. I looked at the cloth-covered mansion with expectations. I had worked hard, taken an enormous risk, and hoped it would succeed. I honestly did not want to attend the inauguration and miss my business's opening. Still, this inauguration is extremely important, not only to make connections but also because not going would have consequences. It will seem disrespectful to the prince, especially after getting the invitation, and I want to avoid that in any way possible.

"I hope everything goes well," I said with a sigh.

"It will," Carla replied with the confidence that I was not feeling in my heart.

"Good luck," I said to her. I then walked to the carriage with George closing the door behind me. A minute later, the carriage was out of the manor's gates, turning toward the grand plaza, where the fourth prince of the Empire, Magnus Grelt Alnwick Mediaen of House Solndam, would inaugurate the city he had built. Many important people came throughout the month, especially the past week; their numbers were so large that all the hotels, inns, and guesthouses were filled.

I even had to give my rented house to someone I used to know in Redfawn City. In addition to my elder brother, the House of Silver had also officially sent someone; it was one of my uncles. He is a detestable man, my father didn't like him, did I. Thankfully, I would not need to meet him; he had not replied to me, even after I had sent him a letter as a courtesy. Hun! I was reading a book when I felt a very faint sensation, but I knew it was real and came from my base class.

It was not a feeling I had ever experienced before, but my father had described itmany times. The ambassadors of the Emperor succeeded, not wholly, but they achieved some success. Through my mercantile class, I could feel the restrictive effect of the trade war against merchant cities loosened up. Now, there would be trade, and I hope it is the city-state of Meldhorn or Belnin. The chances of it being them are much higher than others due to the border we share with them.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The Greltheaven city and the entire Renwell province will benefit tremendously if it is Melhorn or Belnin, with all the trade from them flowing through the Trollmouth River. I shook my head and stopped thinking about it further. Things will become apparent soon, but until then, I have to be calm. It took me over an hour to reach the central plaza, four times more than I would typically need to get to this place.

The security was tight, and on top of that. There was heavy traffic; all the skills in the world could not prevent it. I got off the carriage and saw the central plaza packed with people. The whole city seemed to have gathered in the square; there was barely any place to stand. Thankfully, I had an invitation, which gave me a clear path guarded by the fourth prince's personal guards.

"Invitation," said the knight at the final checkpoint; there were twelve knights at the final check, all of them wearing thick-red metallic armor and a sigil of burning rose imprinted on their chest. These knights belong to the Order of Burning Rose, a powerful knight order allied with the fourth prince. Each of these knights is powerful; even the weakest of them could hack me into two without me knowing how.

"You can enter," he said as he returned my invitation. I nodded in thanks before I took back the invitation and walked inside. The place is big, and while the general public has no choice but to stand openly in a crowded space, special arrangements are made for important guests and invitees. A huge stage was set up in the square, and a seating arrangement for more than two thousand people was in front of it. The seats on the first row looked like thrones.

I had heard that four dukes were coming, along with various other nobles and important people. Even Marquess Gats, the commander of the Renwell region, who is only loyal to the Emperor, had come. Nearly all the seats at the back were filled except for the first five rows, so when I went in, I attracted quite a lot of attention. I had thought I had left early, but it seemed like people had arrived earlier, and now, I feel awkward with all these stares.

My place was quite far behind; I had to cross over half of the rows before I found my row and went inside. Soon, I was at my seat beside a fat older man and a couple in their mid-thirties. The woman had an average face but, like most women sitting here, was dressed extravagantly. On her lap was a cub of a green-eyed panther with an enchanted gemmed collar. It became alert as it saw me, but the next second, it closed its eyes languidly as the woman gently patted its head.

"Sirs, madam," I said politely as I took my seat.

"I did not think I would have the pleasure of sitting beside a Silver," said the older man beside me. He was slightly fat but had a pleasant face, which looked even more likable when he smiled.

"My apologies, sir, but you are?" I asked the older man.

"This old man is Javier Santos; you probably have not heard of me," he said, waving his hand.

"How could I not have, Mr. Santos? Your house made the carriage I used to own in Redfawn," I said. This older man's merchant house specializes in making carriages. They are prettyexpensive, especially the enchanted ones, which I will definitely buy when I have enough money.

"Your house is a big customer of ours; just a few months ago, we completed the big order of enchanted carriages for your house," he said. To that, I smiled. I made small talk with the older man and a couple beside me who were from a small noble house in the Kalzan province. Soon, the important people kept pouring in, from representatives of knight orders and merchant houses to important nobles, each person with great power and wealth.

Finally, when there was half an hour to six when the first duke appeared, Markus Vinwayne, the Duke of Dawhall. He is the small man who has one of those smiling faces, but as he appeared, his aura of authority spread across the plaza, silencing all those who were speaking. The aura of authority is one of the enviable things of the ruling class. Although itis not unique to the ruling class, it is very hard for other classes to have it, and even among the ruling class, it is rare.

The higher one's class, the better one's chances of awakening it. Class or no class, he is a Duke and controls the vast power, whose support the fourth prince will need in his fight for the throne. Until now, he had kept his decision hidden from all the princes; his presence at the inauguration could only be taken with a grain of salt. As this could be a courtesy or a feint or him choosing a side, nothing could be said to be certain.

He stopped his aura when Count Darrow welcomed him and sat a few minutes later; it was the Duke of Blackwell, and after him was the Duke of Henar. The last among the Dukes was the Duke of Valeshire, the fourth prince's maternal uncle and older brother of Count Darrow. The only duke who has already taken his side, which is unsurprising, seeing the fourth prince is his nephew. The last to make the entrance was Marquess Gats, the commander of the Dustorn Fortress.

He is effectively the most powerful man in Renwell province, more powerful than the Governor of Deerpond. He controls the imperial army stationed at Dustorn Fortress, which guards the border against Tabes, from whom the Empire had taken this region. He looked to be in his early fifties. He was neither tall nor short, handsome nor ugly. He looked like any other ordinary man on the street, with an easily forgettable face.

He also has an active aura of authority, which is no less weaker than the dukes, which is unsurprising. While the Duke is considered a higher-level title and class, it is not that simple when it comes to classes. He turned off his aura as he sat down while I focused on my pocket watch, which had an hour marked as six. I asked Carla to remove all the clothes covering the establishment. She must have started doing that now, and in an hour, she would open the door. I wish I had been there.

I have worked very hard on it for the past month and would have liked to see how it went from the first minutes, but I can't. I will have to remain here till this damn function is over. Ruu Ruu Ruu I was busy thinking when I heard a sharp bird call and saw dots in the sky. Theyrapidly started growing bigger and bigger until I saw them as birds. Five flaming red giant birds pulled on a golden-violet carriage in the sky; the birds looked dangerous, and the carriage was magnificent.

The carriage is called Visma's Gale. It was one of the imperial artifacts given to the prince after his first victory in battle. The artifact had been in the House of Solndaem for over a thousand years. Thud! The carriage elegantly circled in the sky before smoothly descending and landing on the ground, barely making any sound. A few seconds later, the door opened, and the man in his late thirties walked out of the carriage; the moment he did, all the people got up in unison and bowed.

Even the powerful dukes bowed their heads as he appeared.

"His Imperial Highness, Prince Grelt Alnwick Mediaen of Imperial House Solndaem. Grand Duke of…" The herald called out his name and the various titles he had been bestowed by the Emperor. Aside from the first prince, he had the most titles, which showed his power.

"At ease," he said, and we sat down. It is my first time seeing the fourth prince; I have only seen one prince before, the first prince. He had come to Redfawn two years ago, and my father had taken me to the banquet held in his honor. Fourth, Prince Grelt, as he likes to be called, is a handsome man in his late thirties with fiery blue-red hair that only members of the imperial family have.

"I, Magnus Grelt Alnwick Mediaen of Imperial House Solndaem, welcome you all to this wonderful city of Greltheaven," He said in his smooth, cultured voice. He did not speak loudly or use any artifacts, but everyone heard him clearly as if he were speaking in front of them, which was, of course, due to his skills.

"I have built this city to make our Empire even more prosperous; its proximity to merchant cities will bring immense trade and wealth, and the lion's share would belong to this great city of Greltheaven and its citizens," he said, and crowds cheered loudly. He is a great orator with excellent skills that imprint every word of his into people's minds and sway their hearts.

It took quite a lot of effort to understand the things he expertly omitted in his speech, while everything he said was the truth, but not a complete truth. He is right about prosperity, but he smoothly omitted the danger of Navr, whose undead horde could lay waste to the city and region. Not to mention Tabes; they had vowed to take back the region.

Thankfully, the Emperor had placed an enormous force here in the Dustorn Fortress under Marquess Gats, who was instrumental in winning this region for the Empire three years ago. The prince's speech continued for more than half an hour before it ended; it was then Marquess Gats' turn, who read out the Emperor's words and gave a little speech of his own before the Dukes took a turn after another. Some took a long time, while others finished early.

The sun had completely gone down, and now there was only moonlight from the three moons lighting the sky, while the ground was lighted up by the lights as the words of influential people rang out. Halfway into the Duke of Valeshire's speech, I looked down at my watch. It is already five after seven; Carla would have opened the doors by now. I wonder whether any clients have come; there are still many people in the city, including friends and family, who are not attending the inauguration.

My heart beats wildly in anticipation and nervousness about how the establishment would do. Many nights, I thought my changes would be too different and that people would reject them; I even had nightmares about my failures. I shook my head at those thoughts and focused on speeches. I had done everything, and now everything was beyond my control, so I should not think about it too much. The Duke of Valeshire had finished his speech before his brother took over. Count Darrow will be the Lord of Greltheaven.

I heard he is pretty unhappy about this, given that he is a count and controls a much bigger territory than this little city, but Prince Grelt somehow convinced his uncle. This is excellent news for the city. While Count Darrow might be greedy, he has extensive administrative experience, and the city should flourish under his stable hands. Cheer Cheer Cheer The crowd cheered as Lord Darrow finally finished his speech, which lasted longer than Prince Grelt's.

There are cultural programs, but I do not have to stay for them, nor will many important people. They will be attending the party that the prince is hosting. I was not invited to it; only important and influential people were invited, like my uncle, who came as a representative of the House of Silver. I was hoping he would take me with him but seeing how he had not even answered my letter, there was no chance. He would likely take my brother, who would be bequeathed the title and the deed tomorrow.

The people sitting begin to leave one after another. Not all are leaving; some are staying to watch the performances. The city had spent a lot of money on it, having brought artists from not only the Empire but also other countries—all humans, of course. I would have stayed, too, if not for this being the first day of the establishment.

"It was nice to meet your Mister Santos," I said to an old man as I stood up and turned to the couple, "A pleasure, sir Jacques, madam Serina." The people in charge of security kept everything in order, so there was not much of a crowd when I walked out, and soon, I was in my carriage.

"To the establishment, James, and a little faster," I said as I sat down in the carriage, "Yes, Mister Silver," he said, and the carriage began to roll through the streets. The traffic was still there, with people leaving, but it was much less than before, so we reached the establishment within thirty-five minutes. After looking at the establishment from outside, I said, "James, to the back entrance." From what I saw, it was better to enter through the back.