City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

“Stop!” 
 
Shouted Senon Darius, and immediately both of them stopped fighting, while the crowd cheered madly.
 
Three hours passed, and they have become bloody and tired but would have continued fighting if Senon Darius hadn’t called the stop.
 
The dual was really amazing, not even for one second. I felt bored. The skills they used and the efficiency with which they have used them is simply amazing. 
 
Even if a hundred like me stand in front of them. It wouldn’t take them long to finish all of us off.
 
“Since there is no winner in three hours. I called the duel a tie.” He declared and looked at the combatants for objections. 
 
They nodded in acceptance.
 
Sonen Darius disappeared, seeing their nod. While the combatants walked back to the way, they have come from, without saying any words to each other or the crowd.
 
The only person who remained in the arena was half-elf in a white suit.
 
“What a duel it was. My heart is still beating hard even now,” he said, and the crowd laughed.
 
The crowd begin leaving after the half-elf said goodbye. We did not leave. It is crowded; we are staying till the crowd leave.
 
“The duel was great. It would have been even greater if they hadn’t held back,” said Irvin and sighed. I smiled hearing that, unlike him, there is not a hint of disappointment in my heart.
 
They had held back in the dual. It is not clear, but those with knowledge could tell.
 
They only used the skills and the strength that peoples are aware they have. As it is a dangerous world and those intelligent zealously guard their strength. 
 
If it had been a death dual. They would have used their strength, but it was not. 
 
When I think about it, I couldn’t help but think that there was more to the duel than simple honor. 
 
They might have used it to send the message.
 
The dangerous times are approaching. One of the most powerful players in the world and continent is on the verge of getting unstable.
 
If that happened, it would affect the entire continent and the entire world. History is an example of it, not only here, but also on earth.
 
Over fifteen minutes passed and 90% of the people had left. “I don’t think we will see any crowd now,” I said and got up. “I hope the carriages have left. I hate it when there is traffic,” said Irvin as we walked out of the seat.
 
Soon, we were out with our carriages in front of us.
 
I waved at Irvin and walked toward our carriage with Carla and Caena. A few minutes later, we were in a carriage moving toward the mansion.
 
“Tomorrow is the last day tomorrow and we have many things to do,” said Carla. “I think we will manage,” I replied. We only need twenty-some girls and do the shopping for accessories, and we will be done.
 
There are a few more things we need, but they will be coming from a different place.
 
Soon, we reached the mansion, and a few minutes later; I was in my bed, sleeping tiredly. I wanted to make love here with Carla at least once, but we have been so tired and busy that we did not get a chance at all.
 
At least, we have done it on the ship.
 
“Twenty-two girls,” said Caena, as finished selecting. “With these twenty-two girls, we have brought one hundred and thirteen girls.”
 
“I wonder how many will stay?” asked Carla, as she looked at me. I did not answer and instead turned toward the door of the small room.
 
Click!
 
“Mohar, we are finished,” I said and immediately a tall human man with a mustache walked in.
 
The third store we have walked into is human-owned. They had a good collection of pure humans. They have prided themselves on that. Of the twenty-two we have brought, nineteen are pure humans, while only three had the blood of non-humans.
 
A few minutes later, we walked out of the store, but unlike the past two days, we sat on the different carriages.
 
Carla and Caena are going shopping for accessories while I am going back to the mansion. 
 
Forty minutes later, the carriage had stopped in the mansion. “At four, gather all the in the hall,” I said Vikdyr. “Yes. Mister Silver,” he replied.
 
There are still two and half hours to four and Hanson indentured said they will send girls within an hour. So, they will have enough time to take a brief rest before I will give them the choice.
 
I hope, not many of them would leave. I need to bring at least eighty girls back. If too many leave, then I might be forced to buy more contracts.
 
In such times, I want to curse myself for this excessive mortality. It became a shackle, but if I did not do it, I cannot sleep in peace, and I really like peaceful sleep.
 
“Mr. Silver, Jonah Thomas, is waiting for you in the parlor,” informed Vikdyr. I nodded.
 
Soon, I entered the parlor and found Jonah waiting there. “Have you finished it?” I asked as I sat down in front of him. “These are the mercenary teams within your budget and rating you have asked for,” he said, and handed me the papers.
 
I have brought the twelve guards, but I do not feel it is enough. So, I had asked Jonah to go to the mercenary guild and find a small mercenary team with a good record.
 
I begin to look through the teams and couldn’t notice one thing. 
 
“There seemed to be many people from Mayhurst island,” I said. Many of the mercenaries are from Mayhurst island. “Condition is extremely bad there. Those who can run away, do it,” he said.
 
“Though very few could get past the blockade,” I said. The lich’s forces not only attacked all the kingdoms on the island, but also created a naval blockade around the sea.
 
It makes escaping every hard. Only a quarter of those who run away safely escape from the blockade.
 
Finally, I looked through all the thirty-one interested mercenary teams and selected the one.
 
It is fairly new, formed a little over two months ago, but their record is great. I wouldn’t have chosen them, if not for seeing the name of the familiar woman. She had used their services and rated them.
 
She did not seem like a person who would give such a great rating without a thought.
 
“Hire them,” I said and forwarded the page. “Stone mercenaries,” he said as he took the page.
 
Jonah left for the mercenary guild, while I had gone to my suite and worked a little, before resting.
 
At right four, I have walked out of my suite.
 
Click!
 
“Mr. Silver, they are ready.” Said Vikdyr as I reached the hall. “Thank you, Vickdyr,” I said and opened the door, and walked inside.
 
As I walked inside, I felt the eyes of a hundred people. One hundred and thirteen girls standing in a neat line. Looking at me with all sorts of expressions.
 
There are also four guards. As I entered the hall, two have appeared behind me. 
 
“Hello,” I greeted. There was no response. All of them just kept looking at me. “I will get directly to the point then,” I said, and my expression turned serious.
 
“There are two choices in front of you. First is to come with me to Greltheaven and work in my establishment, and second, leave.”
 
“Those who want to leave, I will release you from your contract with five thousand cro…elem as severance toward your future,” I state and immediately, great change appeared on every girl’s face.
 
“You are joking, right? I never get why you rich people like to play such sick games,” said blond hair woman in her mid-forties.
 
“I am not joking, and this is not any sick play. I am giving you the same choice that I had given to all the girls in my establishment,” I said.
 
“And you will pay us with five thousand elem on top of freeing us from our contract?” asked a dark-haired woman in her late twenties.
 
“Thanks, what I had said,” I said. 
 
“It is quite hard to believe,” said the young woman with red hair. I said nothing to that.
 
“You all have four hours to decide. So, think hard,” I said and walked toward the door.
 
“Are you a Silver from Greltheaven?” asked the voice, and I turned. It is a teen girl with curly green hair. She is one of the girls I brought today, one of the three with non-human blood.
 
“Yes. I am Remus Silver,” I answered and looked at the girl, but seeing she had no more questions, I opened the door and walked out.
 
….
 
Senar
 
“Why do you ask that question? Didn’t I tell you we were brought by someone from Greltheaven,” I said to the teen girl, who I had not seen in years.
 
She was so little when I had seen her for the first time, but in just five years, she had grown and become beautiful. 
 
“You didn’t say it was silver,” said Elah. “What does it matter? If what he says is right, then we are going to be free soon,” I said, with a big smile appeared on my face. 
 
I am so happy that I am smiling ear to ear, without caring for my canines.
 
“It matters. Matters a lot,” said the teen, and my expression couldn’t help but turn serious. 
 
“You aren’t thinking about staying, are you? You do remember saying you wanted to be free. What happened to that?” I asked, with hints of anger seeping into my voice.
 
This young girl was a light in a dark for me. Despite being born in a brothel, she dreamed about being free. Never losing hope, no matter how bleak things were.
 
“I have grown up,” said the young girl softly and turned to me. “Do you know what happened to us whores when we became free?” She questioned.
 
It is such a simple question, but it had filled me with sadness because I know. 
 
Most who became free came back to the brothel. Life is hard outside the brothel, so hard that many return to it. The same place they desire to escape.
 
“It will be still better than being in a brothel. Especially for me,” I said, and I could see hurt appearing in the teen girl's eyes.
 
One of the reasons I like this little girl is because she never pitied me. Even those who were disgusted by me pitied me. It is the emotion I hate the most.
 
For a minute, nobody spoke. We just stared at the garden ahead. 
 
I had been here for two days, and it is the most beautiful place I had ever been. I was a little surprised when those two women had told us we were free to move around the mansion, as long as we do not go few restricted areas.
 
Since the first day, except for eating and sleeping. I had spent nearly every minute here in this beautiful garden.
 
“Do you know why I had asked, if he was Silver from Greltheaven?” she asked. I wanted to reply with something snarky since I am still angry with her, but I controlled my emotions and shook my head.
 
“About one and half months ago, Liam Boris had come to the brothel for his monthly visits to Madam Lucy,” she said. Liam Boris is a powerful man who owns several brothels.
 
He is a violent man. I had been hit by him more times than I could count.
 
“I was there cleaning the room when he said some shocking things,” said the teen girl, with her expression becoming very serious.
 
“What sort of things?” I couldn’t help but ask, seeing such a serious expression on her face. “Things you will not dare to believe,” replied the young girl and turned to me with deep black eyes.
 
For a minute, she did not speak, but when she did, every word that came out of her mouth sent an earthquake into my heart.
 
I did not dare to believe it. I couldn’t. There is no way those things could be true.

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Chapter 85: River Bandits