Icarus was a master architect in Riverside City.
When Rowan found him, he was understandably nervous.
In the past, he had often neglected people from Crossbridge Academy.
But what could he do?
The two great houses always paid generously and promptly, often with large projects that would sustain him for a long time.
Meanwhile, Crossbridge Academy, being a small institution, rarely needed any significant construction.
Naturally, he prioritized the two houses, only visiting Crossbridge Academy when he had the time.
When news of House Windwhisper and House Lunastone’s downfall reached him, Icarus panicked.
He had offended Crossbridge Academy more than once over the years while currying favor with the two families.
Now, with both families wiped out by Crossbridge Academy, would they seek revenge on him?
For a moment, he considered fleeing Riverside City and starting anew elsewhere.
However, in the following days, he noticed that Crossbridge Academy seemed only interested in acquiring the two families’ properties, with no signs of seeking revenge on him.
Gradually, he breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed he’d worried for nothing, and he resumed his business as usual.
But he hadn’t expected Rowan to show up so soon.
Icarus knew Rowan well, and naturally, he was a bit on edge.
He greeted him with utmost respect, afraid that Rowan might bring up past grievances.
To his surprise, Rowan didn’t mention any past incidents.
Instead, he proposed a collaboration with Crossbridge Academy.
Crossbridge Academy had just acquired the territories of the two families.
A collaboration… it had to be related to renovating those properties, right?
Icarus understood the situation; with Crossbridge Academy now the dominant power in Riverside City, they would likely have more students in the future.
Expanding the academy or building a new campus was only natural.
So, Icarus agreed readily, even offering a slight discount.
However, when Rowan returned with a thick stack of blueprints, Icarus was taken aback.
Weren’t they supposed to tour the properties first, discuss ideas, and then come up with a renovation plan?
Why were they handing him the blueprints directly?
Taking the blueprints, Icarus asked, “Director Rowan, these are…”
“This is our plan for modifying Riverside City. Just follow the designs,” Rowan replied nonchalantly.
Though he was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of blueprints, he maintained composure before a master architect like Icarus.
“No problem?” Rowan asked.
“Of course not. This is my expertise…” Icarus replied confidently, taking the blueprints.
But as he began flipping through them, his eyes widened, and he barely dared to breathe.
A master recognizes another’s skill immediately, and Icarus knew upon seeing these blueprints that they had been crafted by a true master of architecture.
The level of detail was something only a true architect could achieve.
“Director Rowan, who created these blueprints?” he asked, astonished.
“Is there an issue? Can’t you build according to them?” Rowan replied, evading the question.
“Impossible! With plans this detailed, even my grandmother could build according to them,” Icarus retorted, his face flushed with indignation.
As a master architect, nothing stung more than Rowan’s doubt.
This was like asking a chef if they knew how to boil water.
“As long as you can. These blueprints are in your hands now. We’d like it done as soon as possible, but the quality has to be top-notch.”
“No worries. I won’t cut any corners on this,” Icarus assured him, knowing he couldn’t afford to take any shortcuts here—he had no doubt he’d meet the same fate as the two families if he did.
After Rowan left, Icarus eagerly examined the blueprints, page by page. As a master architect, he was highly attuned to designs.
From the first page, he knew these were crafted by a true genius.
His curiosity about the creator only grew, but with no answer from Rowan, he could only continue his inspection.
The more he studied, the more he realized this was no ordinary master’s work; this was a work of an extraordinary visionary.
The blueprints detailed everything, from the overall layout of Riverside City to the minutiae of each building.
As he pored over each page, a clear image began forming in his mind.
He had a premonition: if Riverside City were truly rebuilt according to these blueprints, it would be nothing short of breathtaking!
His admiration for the creator deepened.
The harmony between buildings, the intricate connections between structures, and the coherent city layout revealed a remarkable level of skill.
This wasn’t something achievable through mere imagination; it required immense spatial thinking and formidable mental power.
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…
Meanwhile, the architect causing Icarus such awe was seated in his office, accompanied by three other individuals.
One was Claire, the manager of Dragonscale Bank in Riverside City.
Unlike her usual confident self, she appeared visibly nervous.
In contrast, the other two seemed slightly more composed: Murdoch, the head of the Rhine Tavern in Riverside City, and the overseer of all brothels in the city.
Aside from Crossbridge Academy, these were the only non-local organizations with influence in Riverside City.
However, their activities leaned toward commerce—Dragonscale Bank handled transactions, Rhine Tavern catered to high-end clientele, and, well, the brothels were self-explanatory.
Daniel had summoned them to discuss Riverside City’s future following the demise of the two great families.
Recently, the Rhine Tavern had seized the opportunity, expanding aggressively and even exploiting loopholes in contracts to claim some properties from the two families.
Their actions had begun to infringe upon Crossbridge Academy’s interests, but with contracts in hand, Rowan had been unable to act directly.
That was why the three individuals found themselves in Daniel’s office today.
Daniel’s gaze first fell upon the woman who managed the brothels in Riverside City.
Her name was Rowena, a woman of about forty, with an air more akin to that of a teacher than someone in her line of work.
“Mrs. Rowena, I’d like to discuss a few matters with you,” Daniel began.
“Yes, Daniel, I wonder what you’d like to…”
Before Rowena could finish, the surroundings shifted dramatically.
She and Daniel were suddenly in a separate space, with Murdoch and Claire nowhere in sight.
“What is this…?” Rowena asked, alarmed.
“Don’t worry. I just need a private word with you.”