City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Valorous Lord of Courage Lv. 32

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Hetaera of Lord’s Will Lv. 33

Hataera of Lord’s Will Lv. 34

[Skill Gained: Quick Execution]

 

There was a text in front of me when I opened my eyes.

I only glanced at them before turning toward the table, where the authority brooch was lying.

“It’s real,” I muttered.

It all felt like a dream even after seeing a brooch. I am having a hard time believing in it.

I am the Governor.

I was shocked when he asked me, just a few minutes before the announcement. Saying I was shocked would understate my emotional state at that time.

I accepted the job.

I didn’t say it or ever show it, but I wanted it desperately. Whenever Master the job of Governor; I want to say, I want it.

Despite wanting to say it thousands of times. I didn’t, and even yesterday, I wanted to reject it.

Because I understand the cost of it.

There wouldn’t have been any. If he had chosen anyone else but me, there would be.

The imperials will come down on him. So are the merchants and the lords. He will become a subject of laughter and cities might also suffer financially.

That I wished. I had rejected the offer, but I was weak. I could not resist it.

So, I will do everything I could lessen the pressure on Master Silver.

Repeating those words calmed me down from my worries and I turned to the texts in front of me.

I had leveled-up and did it twice and even got the skill.

There was no class change, which isn’t surprising given, that I had just got responsibility yesterday. It will take me months, if not years, to get the class.

I turned to my new skill and a smile couldn’t help, but appear on my face.

Quick Execution, as its name suggests. It will execute orders quickly. As for how quickly it will depend on the task, the people doing it and the difficulty they are facing.

It is a wonderful skill, that Master Silver desire it.

I looked at two new attribute points.

I added one to the Charm, taking it to twenty-two, and one to intelligence, taking it to twenty. Immediately, I felt their effects., especially of the intelligence.

Its power had increased by leaps reaching twenty.

As the effect wore off, I got out of the bed. Freshened up and showered before looking at the closet.

It is filled with new clothes and other accessories.

A crate had come yesterday. It was delivered to me after the announcement.

It’s from Carla.

She had been aware of the offer and sent clothes. I had clothes, but she said, they were not suitable for the Governor. I need to look at the part to do the part.

I couldn’t help but agree more.

My clothes had changed as my jobs. From the seductive when I was a whore to conservative when I become Master Silver’s representative and then assistant and adviser.

I looked at dresses before taking out a cream-colored one. I read the note attached to it, before wearing it.

The dress is beautiful. It had clean lines and minimal embellishment.

It fits me perfectly.

‘There is no need for it,’ I thought before taking out the thin green belt with a blue buckle, which the note attached to it said I should wear with it.

The belts are the new fashion. Carla likes them, and I can see why as I looked in the mirror.

I radiate authority with this dress and when I pinned the brooch on my chest. It seemed to solidify around me.

I looked like the governor and not some imposter that I am feeling like.

I adjusted my hair and did a small make-up from an expensive make-up kit that Carla had sent with the clothes.

Once I was done, I looked at the mirror one last time, before walking out of the room.

“My lady,” greeted Mage Osward and Astur Kruabur.

Onwards expressions are neutral; it’s hard to guess what she is thinking. However, one thing is clear; she didn’t seem very pleased.

Half-orc beside her had a polite smile on her face.

Both of them had been chosen by General Stone and Master Silver to be my guards.

“Any messages?” I asked. To which the mage nodded. “Yes, a lot of them,” she replied and gave me the stacks of cards.

I took them in my hand and began to read them with Fast Reading.

Most of them are from the Greltheaven. Many people I know have sent congratulatory messages.

Some are from Navr and merchant state. All of them are from merchants, that I did business with.

There are very few lords who sent the congratulatory message. Most came from the Baronies; nearly half of them sent the congratulatory message, including Master Silver’s sister.

There is also a message from Lord and Lady Blackwell. It’s a beautiful message that put a smile on my face.

Though, the one that surprised me had come from the Lord of Owlspring.

It was a simple message, but it pleased me. Most of the merchant lords didn’t send any messages.

Him sending the message is a big thing. He is the lord of one of the most powerful cities in the merchant states and holds a lot of influence.

I will have to reply to them. I planned to do that with handwritten letters.

Once I read all the letters, I handed back the letters to her. She burned them and put the ashes into the jar before handing them back to me.

Messages are sensitive, and it is standard protocol to hand ashes back to the Lord until one develops enough trust with their bodyguards to have them deal with it.

Click!

I walked out of the door, with guards ahead and behind me. I used to be the guard, but not this many or powerful ones.

Soon, I come across the first person. Two people are standing guard at the end of the hallway.

They looked at me, and I could see contempt in the eyes of one for a moment before hesitation took over.

He stared at me for a moment longer, before making a decision and bowed like the other guard beside him.

I saw similar expressions in every person I had passed by.

I am surprised. I thought more people would show contempt.

Some might be openly hostile, like they were when I started representing Master Silver for his business.

Soon, I reached my office, or rather, Master Silvers. It’s his office, till he leaves the city.

Click!

“Governor Knox,” said a familiar voice, and bowed. “Don’t,” I said to Lola.

“What? You are governor, and bowing to you is customary,” asked, and I just shook my head and walked toward my seat.

“Where are you going? This is your seat,” she said. Pointing to the seat behind the table.

“That’s Master Silver’s,” I replied. At least as long as he is here. “You are the Governor; it's yours,” she replied and looked at the nameplate, that was already on the table.

I hesitated and walked toward the light blue-colored chair, before sitting down hesitantly.

Master Silver had said yesterday that the office was mine and so are responsibilities. He said he would give me complete freedom to do the job my way.

As I sat on the chair, I felt the weight of responsibilities and they felt so heavy that I started shaking.

I wanted to give up. They are too much. I don’t think I could do it.

I was having a panic attack when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Relax. The responsibilities are huge, but there is no one better than you to handle them,” said the reassuring voice.

I felt my emotions calm down and my panic receded. Still, I could control my breathing.

“Thank you,” I said to Master Silver and tried to get up from the chair.

To that, she shook his head.

“It’s your chair now,” he said and walked toward the couch before sitting down.

“What should I do?” I asked as I fully calmed down. “It's for you to decide. Though, I will advise you, to choose your staff first,” he advised.

“Assistant, especially,” he added a moment later.

My eyes immediately went to Lola. My friend smiled before shaking her head.

“I am returning to Greltheaven with Master Silver,” she replied before I could even ask her the question.

I could see that she would not stay.

There is a raging fire of ambition in girls’ eyes. It had broken the supposed scale, that she had limited it to.

It is visible in her eyes that she wanted to be what I have become.

It’s so clear, and she is not even trying to hide it.

Staying here, wouldn’t help with that. It might to others, but not her, seeing she had replaced me as Master Silver’s assistant.

“Do you have any suggestions?” I asked. “That’s for you to decide, my governor,” he replied with a smile, before turning to the files, Lola had placed in front of him.

I know he wants me to make my decision regarding the staff. Even so, I had hoped, he would help me.

I calmed myself down and thought.

Many names floated in front of me. Most of them are girls; I will have to think about them carefully and make an offer.

I sighed and focused on the files in front of me.

I had read through them already, but I am doing it again. When I did it yesterday, I was an assistant, but now I am the Governor.

The position had changed and so was perspective.

There are a lot of challenges in the city. Dealing with them will be far from difficult.

From children to reconstruction to employment, and many others. I will have to handle them all and do a good enough job to be worth the risk Master Silver, had taken for me.

Soon, it was nine; time for my first meeting as Governor and it won’t be easy.

“Are you going to be attending the meeting, Master Silver?” I asked, hoping he would.

“No,” he replied without looking away from the file.

It sent a shudder through me. Yesterday, nobody said anything, because he was there, but it won’t be the case now.

Even if he had come with me, he wouldn’t be here forever. I will have to face them and prove myself to them.

Force them to accept and acknowledge me from their heart with my abilities.

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