Chapter 578: Leaving

Valorous Lord of Courage 37

Merchant of Desire Lv. 37 [Master of Legacy]

Skill Gained: Trendsetting

A smile appeared on my face when I saw the text.

I feared I wouldn’t level up since, despite doing so many things, I had not leveled up once after coming to the city, but I finally did.

In both classes, I even gained a skill I had desired for so long.

Masters of legacies gain a skill like this. Most of those who get it are Masters of Grade IV legacies, but many Masters of Grade III legacies have also got it in the past.

The skill is extremely powerful in the hands of legacy masters, especially those who understand its immense power.

It will help me shape my legacy but also the very culture of my city. The skill works as its name is. It helps in setting the trend.

With this skill, I can influence people’s choices, guiding them toward my desires. I’ve already begun by making the girls wear a particular style of clothing and accessories. As they do, the entire city follows. I’ve tested it, and it works.

It isn’t just working with the girls. I am doing it with the stores, too.

I told Gagarin to produce more Laskerian knives. These are kitchen knives considered among the best by chefs and home cooks.

Within a month, a third of kitchen knives sold in the city are Laskerian.

The effect isn’t just limited to the city. It is affecting things outside of the city as well.

I understand the power my legacy wields. As the city’s cultural center, I have been using it to create a distinct identity for my city.

The skill will help me tremendously with that.

I looked away from the skill and turned to the attribute point. Once more, I wanted to use it on the mental attributes.

These ten days proved how much I need strong mental powers, but I need to think about my own and my people’s safety.

We have a long journey before us, and anything could happen.

I want to be more prepared than last time. Stronger.

The level-up has already enhanced my strength, but now, I’ll push myself even further with this attribute point.

I used it on strength. Finally, taking it to twenty.

Immediately, I felt a massive change. Strength bubbled in my arms, making me feel like I could do anything.

At 20, an attribute’s power goes through tremendous changes.

It isn’t just my strength that has increased, but also my speed and agility have made tremendous progress.

These two depend on strength and vitality, and both increased my agility and speed massively at twenty.

It took a while for the buzz to wear off, and I opened the table.

I scrutinized them for a minute before closing it and getting up from bed gently.

I need to get used to the increase.

I walked around the room for a few minutes before entering the bathroom and coming out half an hour later after showering.

I changed into a suit and looked at myself in the mirror before walking out.

In an hour, I will leave the city.

When I made the trip, I planned to stay an extra day, but now I want to leave as soon as possible.

Many people are leaving on the same route as me, and I plan to follow them. I rather not face another attempt, and if I moved with more people, the chances of it would lessen a lot.

Thankfully, I had brought capable people with me. They had completed all the work we had to do in the city.

So, nothing is holding us back from leaving.

I left the bedroom and saw Margaux and Captain Bader talking in the living room.

“Is everything ready, Captain?” I asked the man. “Yes, my lord. We are ready to leave whenever you desire,” he replied.

I nodded in reply and sat down in front of them.

I reviewed the file with the daily briefing before breakfast; soon, it was time to leave.

I got out of my suite, and a minute later, I was in the lobby. Many people were there, all in the process of leaving.

I saw Miss Alina, Brock, and even that elf and his guardian. Looking at their body language, I didn’t think they had succeeded.

There is a less than 1% chance that someone would take their legacy.

It’s too much risk.

There is also alignment and many other factors. The masters like to ensure the subject’s legacy aligns with their vision.

I moved to talk to some and bid goodbye. As I was doing that, a familiar person approached me.

“Lord Silver, I wish you safety in your journey,” said Prefectus Prisca. “Thank you, Prefectus Prisca. I would need it,” I replied with a smile.

I talked to her for a minute before walking away toward the door.

She didn’t repeat the offer and didn’t have to; she had said it, and it was up to me to accept it. If I accepted, they would give me my mother.

If I didn’t, they would keep her.

In the past few days, I have often wished my legacy had been common. If it had been, they wouldn’t have been interested in it.

They would have still asked for the outrageous price for my mother, but not my legacy.

I sighed, shook those thoughts away, and stepped into the carriage waiting outside.

A minute later, the carriage began to move through the lightway while I looked at the city for the last time.

I don’t know when I will return to it, but I will miss this marvel.

The carriage moved in silence as everybody was busy with their thoughts.

Soon, we reach the enormous port, which is very crowded. Despite the crowd, everything is moving in order.

The golems are patrolling along with the city’s people and keeping everything in order.

There were lines for the ships, with people queuing, but unlike them, we didn’t stop. Our carriage moved near the yacht, waiting just for us before stopping.

We got out and walked toward the yacht, where I could see a few of my people.

“Lord Silver,” the captain greeted. “Captain Sils,” I replied.

“With you, all the members of the party have arrived. We are ready to leave anytime you desire,” he said.

He is trying to say that we should leave. The port is overcrowded, and I am sure he was asked to move the ship as soon as I arrived.

“Ok,” I replied.

The man bowed before walking away.

I turned and walked the deck toward the beautiful woman not far from me.

“I hope you are not having second thoughts, Miss Dawnstar,” I told the woman.

To that, she smiled, and it was melodious.

I was surprised when she informed me at the party that she would travel with me. I thought she would take a week or two, but I guess she didn’t need to.

I am glad she joined. The sooner she joins, the sooner she will be able to help the girls.

“The opposite, Lord Silver. I am quite excited,” she replied. To that, I smiled.

“I hope you have made arrangements for your business?” I asked.

She runs one high-class brothel and several mid-class ones. According to the city’s standards, even the middle-class are better than the high-class in most cities.

“Yes. I gave it to a capable person,” she replied.

She wasn’t the only one who was coming with us. There are eleven more people. All of them are non-combat, from enchanters, alchemists, beast carers, and others.

More will be coming in the month after they have dealt with things.

I wasn’t able to get people of her level, but I got a good number of them.

That will help the legacy and the city a lot.

Soon, the ship left the dock and sailed toward Irington. We will reach its port in a few hours and start our journey with the carriages.

I hope this time, there won’t be any attack.

We have lost many people, including Captain Zaris, and I don’t want to lose anyone else.

I was looking back at Archmage City, growing distant every second, when I heard footsteps approaching me.

They were from my sister and Baron Husk. They looked serious; I could already tell what happened.

“Horde attacked?” I asked as they stopped beside me. Yes, and it’s big. Bigger than we had ever faced before,” she replied, her expression somber.

“Maybe delaying it repeatedly was a mistake,” Baron Husk said, sighing.

They were able to delay it by ten days, which was quite a lot. Usually, they could only delay it for a few days.

A week at the most.

I have been getting reports about it from my people and them every day.

I increased the number of people we sent from a battalion of a thousand to a brigade of six thousand.

I wouldn’t have done that before my meeting with the archmage.

I secured favorable concessions from the baronies in exchange for the increased brigade of soldiers and mercenaries.

It will also give my people experience with the monsters.

Despite all the benefits, it’s a gamble—not just because of the sheer strength and numbers of the monsters they face. I’ve promoted an obscure individual to the rank of colonel to lead the force, something they’ve never done before. And the opposition has been fierce, with many questioning my decision.

Even though I’m not sure how they’ll perform, I’ve been watching them closely since the first battle of Greltheaven.

I planned to nurture them slowly, but Stone decided on a trial by fire.

If they succeed, we will gain another pillar for Greltheaven’s foundation. If they fail, not only will they lose their lives, but thousands will perish with them.

Over the past few days, I have considered replacing them with someone more capable, but Stone is right—this is the test they need.

We do not have time to nurture the pillars of dominion slowly.

We will have to forge them in the battle.

‘Lord Blackwell and Baron Harrods have made great preparations. They’ll be able to deal with the monsters,’ I replied, my voice steady, though a flicker of worry lingered beneath.

‘Let’s hope so,’ sighed Baron Husk, his tone betraying the same unease we all felt despite the outward confidence.

Note: The idea of skill is from Thomas F.

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