Chapter 1018: Arrived II

Proofread by Thomas F

Marchioness Arenthal

"Viscount Villdart is asking if you could meet with Summerfield," said Kadira, and I smiled.

"That man is relentless."

"If he had shown such relentlessness elsewhere, he wouldn't have been in this condition," I replied without looking away from the window.

Deerpond was once the most prosperous and populous city in the region, on a very important route.

The man could have used that opportunity, but he squandered it. Compared to him, Silver and Grimvale did a tremendous job in squeezing every advantage they could from this wasteland.

We studied every opponent, and he is the weakest, and I am not talking about the size of the army or the powerhouse under his control, but his mind.

Even Zanav is far better than him, despite all his flaws.

"That is right," she agreed.

He had been trying to meet me since I came to the city yesterday. Even sent his son to the manor where I was staying, but I did not meet him.

I mean, what's the use? Talking now would not be useful. We are going to talk very soon, after I finish with the first half of my plan for the region.

The carriage moved through the city. Seeing its prosperity, I couldn't help but feel envy.

I have never seen my house's territory; I was in Namdar since I was a child, but my father shared the vision with me, and it's beautiful and quite prosperous, but nothing compared to Inam.

I've traveled continents and seen many big, prosperous cities, and Inam could be compared to many of them.

It's becoming even more prosperous because of that legacy.

I was thinking about it when it came into view. "I have to say, it's one of the most beautiful legacies I have ever seen. Architecturally, it's most beautiful," said Kadira, looking at the large building blanketed in thin, colorful mist.

"Well, they built it," I replied with a smile.

Buildings turn into legacies after they are built and can be rebuilt only when they have the expansion skill. Even then, they have to keep the original structure intact.

Silver's legacy is unique; it's connected to the land, and since this tavern legacy had become its subject, it had inherited that trait.

Through which it had been completely rebuilt, like Velvet Garden.

So, every brick, drop of paint used in it was intentional. Making it beautiful, and it will become even more beautiful as it soaks up more mist.

The carriage reached the gate and passed through it with no obstruction.

As it did, a surprise appeared on my face, and I saw Kadira taking a deep breath. Kadira loves perfumes, not just perfumes, but all the luxury stuff; one could tell it easily by looking at her.

She spends an absurd amount on them.

Mages are the most rational beings, but when it comes to luxury goods, she becomes the most irrational person I know.

"A quick visit to the store won't affect our schedule," she said, and I turned and glared at her. It's not the first time she's said she wants to visit the store in Legacy.

"We do not have time, Kadira," I reminded her, to which she glared at me angrily.

I am leaving for the region in the afternoon; before that, I have a flurry of meetings, with this being the first.

The carriage stopped, and I stepped out with Kadira.

"Welcome to Twilight Hall, Marchioness Arenthal, Great Mage Kadira."

I looked at the man who welcomed me, and I recognized him instantly. He was the son of Mariha Baelir—one of the two masters of the Twilight Hall.

I only looked at him for a moment before turning to the plump woman beside him.

Arna Mads, deputy to the overseer; a Grade III. Same Grade as the man, but everybody knows which faction holds most power in Velvet Garden and the whole of the dominion.

I nodded at them.

"Thank you for honoring us with your presence," he said and led us inside.

The moment we stepped inside, I felt the power of the legacy, and I have to say, I am surprised. I had been to many Grade III legacies, and none felt as powerful as this one.

Kadira looked at me and nodded; she too had sensed it.

It's not the only thing I had sensed, or rather seen. It's a little past seven, quite early in the morning, but the legacy is full. However, there is not even a speck of surprise in my mind.

Legacies are the most desired objects; entry into them is a statement.

Even with a legacy as massive as this, people would line up to enter, and they do, and that brought another question to mind.

Essence.

Just how much does it produce? Nobody seemed to know the answer to that fundamental question, not even the Imperials. I heard they pushed Silver for the answer, but he isn't budging.

I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the legacy, admitting it.

It was beautiful—and so much more than that.

It's clear that every inch had been designed with painstaking care. Every glance inspired wonder; every piece adorning the walls stirred something within the heart, even when seen for only a fleeting moment.

The more I observed it, the more serious it made me.

I don't know the amount this legacy produces, but it must be immense to let him do what he wants, and the thing is, Velvet Garden hadn't even reopened yet.

Soon, we reached rose coloured wooden doors, carved by a master.

He pushed them open and led us into a beautifully decorated room. A single table stood at its center, surrounded by three chairs, one of which was occupied.

I had little time; I had only given half an hour when she had invited me for the breakfast meeting.

The woman was young and strikingly beautiful, barely past her mid-twenties. Looking at her, one would never guess her age, not after hearing all the things the city had been saying about her.

They are calling her the most desirable woman in Inam. The seductress; that's what they call her.

Seeing us, she stood up.

"Marchioness Arenthal, Great Mage Kadira, thank you for accepting my invitation," she said, getting up and giving a perfect, faint bow.

"Thank you for the invitation," I replied.

She smiled, and we sat down. As we did, the staff seemed to appear and begin setting our plates before us.

"I am glad you have made it to Inam safely, Marchioness," she said, while the staff efficiently lifted the napkin on the table, unfolded it, and placed it on my lap.

It was quick, graceful, and efficient without the slightest feeling of invasion of privacy.

"I would have made it to the city quicker and with much less stress if your Lord hadn't interfered," I replied. There was a faint surprise, but a moment later she laughed.

"Well, you can hardly blame us for that. If you had given us a clear answer of your intentions and signed an agreement, we wouldn't have done that."

A surprise couldn't help but appear in my eyes when I heard her openly admit it.

"That would have been giving away too much. Your lord isn't the only one in the region," I replied, and her expression became serious.

"Yes, we are not the strongest in the region, but we have advantages that others do not have," she stated, and this time I smiled.

The staff served breakfast, and it looked heavenly. It's quite hard to resist looking at it.

"I heard Count Summerfield had made an offer to sell Almin to your Lord?" I asked, ignoring the earlier conversation. She laughed louder than before.

"We have no desire for expansion. Our forces are already stretched as it is," she replied, once more surprising me with her admission.

"You have been quite open about things. Do you really have permission to speak as such?" I asked. These are not simple topics, but the woman is speaking openly.

Admitting things openly that lords didn't.

"Come, try this, Marchioness; it is my favorite," she said, ignoring the question and turning to the food on the plate in front of her.

It was a kind of bread, baked beneath a generous layer of fruit and a bright red sauce. It looked like a beautiful mess, and I could not identify either the dish itself or some of the fruits scattered across it.

I took a bite.

A sound escaped me—one I had never made before. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I silently chastised myself for such an undignified reaction.

I had tasted countless exquisite dishes, even within the Legacies, but this surpassed them all.

It was delicious, and it brought back memories of my family when they used to visit me on the island. I used to yearn for those visits, waiting all year for them.

"This is Gervise, right?" asked Kadira, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yes," replied the woman.

"It feels different. Especially the sauce. Is it because it is made with essence mist?" asked Kadira. "It's a classical benyv sauce; we didn't change the recipe, but we made it using the mist," she replied, and it surprised Kadira.

"From the basics?" She asked, and the woman nodded.

They talked about it while I took bite after bite, enjoying the taste as well as the emotions and memories it brought. Most of which I had forgotten.

This is the magic of the legacy; it triggers emotions that bring back memories.

I accepted the invitation to measure their strategy, but now I am glad I came. It is letting me enjoy the beautiful memories, painful as they may feel.

I finished the dish, and the staff promptly brought out another. Four courses followed, each more exquisite than the last, before the meal concluded with an exceptional tea.

"Thank you for the incredible meal, Overseer," I said. It was truly remarkable—the finest meal I have ever had.

"It was our honor, Marchioness," she replied, with a faint bow.

Two wooden boxes suddenly appeared before her. Beautifully crafted and adorned with the emblem of the Velvet Garden, she slid them toward us.

"Please accept these as my thanks for honoring me with your presence, Marchioness, Great Mage," she said, sliding the boxes toward Kadira and me.

A few minutes later, we reached our carriage and stepped inside.

"You can open it," I said. She had barely controlled herself from opening it when we got it.

We didn't reject a gift; only a fool would. If they have given something, then it must be good, something that wouldn't be a disrespect to our station.

She took out the box, opened it, and immediately let out a gasp.

"It's beautiful," she said, and a moment later, she took out a thing. A beautiful emerald mage belt with a delicate design of flaming vines, which are done with rubies and other gems.

"Mist crafted?" I asked, and she nodded.

"By Grade IV mist no less and with powerful, useful enchantments. It's better than all the belts I have," she replied, her expression turning serious.

"What did you get?" she asked, turning to me over a minute later.

I took out a thin, long box and opened it. There was a beautiful long knife with a turquoise blade and malachite handle, with a swirling gem in the middle.

I didn't need to use the skill to know that it was mistforged and had a powerful enchantment.

"They are really smart," said Kadira, looking at the belt longingly. I sighed as well. The knife would have been useful to me; the backup, I always keep.

The current one I am using is enchanted. I had a half-artifice one, but I gave it to one of my officers.

This is far better than it, but unfortunately, I can't use it, like she can't use the belt.

"They are," I agreed.

If we use it, people will see, and they could easily recognize what these things are. They will assume the things that we do not want them to.

"It's so pretty," she said, caressing the belt gently.

"Don't worry, you can wear it once we accomplish our aim in the region." It won't take much time, a few weeks at most.

We returned to the manor, where I had meeting after meeting. Once we finished, I got out of it once more; this time in full armor.

I stepped out of the carriage once it left the city and mounted the beast that was waiting.

I rode, activating skills, and a little over an hour later, I could see my army. They had been marching since the morning, and they had already marched into the official boundary of the Renwell Region.

A few minutes later, I crossed the boundary and looked at the vast wasteland that seemed to stretch forever.

I felt complicated. I am not a big fan of it, but it's the only place I could get the territory. I may have some reservations about it, but I will like it; I will have to, since it's going to be my new home.

"A lot of people are watching," Kadira said, her gaze fixed on the sky.

"Let them," I replied with a smile.

She could deal with them easily enough, but there was no point in doing so. I couldn't hide an entire army. There were a few powerhouses among my forces that I had kept concealed, but the beasts in the sky had no way of seeing them.

Besides, this played perfectly into my hands.

The sight of such an army would be terrifying enough on its own, and that was precisely the impression I wanted to create. If I were going to accomplish what I had in mind, fear would be a useful weapon.

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