City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Sansa Banes

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Laurance opened the door, revealing the shiny new lab, where everything was new.

It is the same size as the one where they tested our skills for the past three days, but a lot of the equipment is different.

The different ones are specialized for the beauty alchemists.

"This is your new lab," he declared grandly, and the lab is truly grand.

Better than the one we had. Some of the equipment here is really expensive and hard to get your hands-on.

"Remember, you two are on a probationary basis. If you don't prove yourselves in this period, the lab will be taken away and the contract will be terminated," he reminded.

There are only four such labs. Three for conventional alchemists and one for beauty alchemists.

I heard they were building a few more labs. Those will be for Grade III alchemists.

We got this lab because those were not ready, but now after seeing it. I don't want to leave this place. I want to kiss every piece of equipment and craft amazing things.

"We understand and wouldn't disappoint the city and Lord Silver," replied Leo respectfully.

"The lab is the property of the city, but the velvet garden would be your boss. Impress them and you will have a bright future ahead," he advised.

It had been three days since we had come here and while most of our time had been spent on tests, we did hear a few things.

The first among them was that velvet gardens had an oversized influence in the city.

People here say that you can get away with disrespecting the lord of the city, but not his whores.

"We will," I replied.

"You two look around till they arrive," he said and sat down on a chair.

We nodded and put down the boxes in our hands and looked at the equipment. The more we looked, the more impressed we would become.

"It is all new," said Leo, and I couldn't help but nod.

There is not a single piece of equipment I could see that looked old. More than half of the equipment in our lab was pre-owned; we couldn't afford the new ones with our budget.

With this shiny new equipment. We will be able to push ourselves even harder and do things we weren't able to do before.

The contract we had signed with the city is pretty strict, but it is also generous.

The city will provide the resources for us, and we have to produce what they want. In exchange, we will get a certain percentage from every finished product.

For Grade IV alchemist. The percentage is even higher, but unlike them, we are in a position to earn higher.

We are research types of alchemists.

Our formulas could be mass-produced by other alchemists. We might get a small commission due to it, but the sheer scale will help us earn higher.

"Don't dream too much. Remember what happened to our dreams," Leo cautions.

Throwing icy cold water in my daydreams.

It made me calm down immediately. We had a similar dream when we had started, but they were crushed. Here, we need to focus less on dreams, and more on work.

I looked around, checking every piece of equipment, before going out and bringing out boxes of our stuff.

The bank took nearly everything, but there are a few things. Even they didn't take.

Our books, research, which was exempted from the loan agreement, and a sample of things we had made across the years.

We were looking around when we saw Laurence getting up from his chair.

A moment later, two women appeared in our view.

Both of them are beautiful; one of the most beautiful I have seen.

Of them, one is familiar.

The curly red-haired woman is the one who gave me the scroll.

I barely looked at her when she gave me the scroll, but now I looked at her, I realized the praise I heard about her beauty wasn't an exaggeration.

The raven-haired woman beside her is a few years younger, with her eyes accessing us.

Carla Salt will be our boss, but it is Maeve Hanson we will have to impress. She is the director of the spa and the person who will decide our fate here.

"Chief Salt, Chief Hanson," greeted Laurence and we repeated.

"I am glad to see you both here," said the redhead. "Thank you for the opportunity, Chief Salt," replied Leo.

It is because of her we are here. If not for her, we would still be in Ertburn. Picking up the broken pieces of our life.

"This is nothing but a chance. It will be up to you both, what you do with it," she said, before turning to the woman beside her.

"This is Miss Hanson, head of Velvet Spa. She will be your boss," she introduced.

"Chief Hanson," we greeted.

"I have read your file. It stated that you are proficient in all categories of beauty alchemy, correct?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Leo specializes in oils and perfumes, while I am in skincare and body care," I replied.

"Will you two be able to craft massage oils and salves as well?" she said. "That wouldn't be a problem. We have done it before," replied Leo.

"Do you have a sample?" she asked, and we nodded before we opened the boxes and took out samples.

She looked surprised. Seeing the boxes' worth of samples. 

This isn't just two years of work. It has been seven years. We have been working on these things since our days at Alchemist Ferro's workshop.

"You seemed to have a lot of things," said Carla, with a surprise in their eyes.

There are a hundred and eight things. These are my proudest creations. From perfumes to aromatic oils to moisturizers to scrubbers and much more.

"What are they?" asked Maeve.

It's clear that she wants us to explain these things.

"These seven bottles are perfumes. These five are the aromatic oils. These nine are scrubbing creams, these th…" he stated all, but she kept looking at us.

It's clear, she wants us to explain in detail.

I smiled and took out a book and opened it, before handing it to her.

"This is a moisturizer, number seven; it is strictly for dry skin. It could reach the outer layer of the epidermis gently, and its effects last for a whole day,"

"It is best to apply at night," I explained and looked at her, before turning to a second moisturizer.

"This is…."

I explained the one-by-one order of the book, which she read while listening without any change appearing on her face.

When I finished with my things, Leo took over and began to explain his.

It took us a while to explain everything, while they listened without interfering even once. It made me and even Leo nervous.

It is never a good thing when people stay this silent.

"Almost all of your things seem targeted. Working on one type of skin, some are targeting subtypes?" she asked, and her words were the question that brought us on the road.

People like things that work with everything. Ours are not like that; they are target specific.

It brought us a lot of trouble. Including the sealing of our store.

I didn't answer immediately and even thought about lying, but didn't feel that would be wise.

"We did it intentionally," I replied and found no change in her expression.

"Targeting gives our products greater effects. It might work on fewer people, but their effects are more powerful than most things on the market," I explained hastily, and still, there was no change.

"Follow me," she said, while the guards behind them picked up our products.

"Where?" I asked, not moving.

"To test your products. I want to see whether they work as good as you claimed them to be," she said and began moving with the redhead woman.

We looked at each other before hurriedly following behind.

Outside the lab, a luxury carriage with the emblem and flag of the velvet garden is waiting.

The driver opened the door for them, and they went inside. After a moment of hesitation, we entered inside, and the carriage moved.

"Are you going to test all our products?" I asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Yes. We have girls of all skin types and subtypes needed to test those things and skills to handle any reaction that might arise from it," she replied.

I don't know why, I feel scared about it, but there is also excitement.

All of our products are tested. We never tested on people, but augur strips, which give better data, than testing it on real skin.

Testing on real people is expensive.

A few minutes passed in silence when the carriage entered the circle street.

Immediately, a surprise appeared in my eyes. Seeing where the carriage is going.

"Are we testing them in the legacy?" asked Leo as the carriage turned to the bridge on the canal, where people were seen on beautiful boats.

"Yes," she replied.

His eyes lit up. So, has mine, hearing that.

We wanted to go to the legacy like everyone else but didn't get a chance.

Our first day was spent with verifications and the next day. The store floors closed for refurbishment and would open with the rest of the tower on the founding day.

Now, we are going there, and the destination would be a spa, obviously.

I couldn't help but be excited, not just about the spa, but the entire legacy.

Soon, the carriage reached the tower cloaked in mist and stopped. The guard opened the door, and we stepped out, before walking toward its misty doors.

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