I stepped into my office my sat on the chair gently. My body is still aching from the training I did.

I had applied the numbing cream, but it didn’t numb all the pain. I need to bear some of it too, especially when I move or sit in any place.

“Messages,” said Zela, as I sat down and placed the messages in front of me.

My eyes lit up and began to go through them one after another, but the more I looked, the dim, the light in my eyes would get.

Soon, I had read through the last message and the expression on my face became bad.

They are as bad as the two sitting in front of me. They have been sulking since yesterday; they had been hoping to get my position but didn’t.

Even, I couldn’t help, but feel sorry for a moment, seeing their faces.

I shook that emotion away and turned to my predicament. There is no reply to my applications. Not a single city has replied.

There should have been some sort of reply by now, but there is nothing, not even a rejection.

‘Do I really need to use the backup plan?’ I asked myself.

I wanted to start the expansion from merchant cities; it is much safer and more stable. On the other hand, the empire will become unstable soon, but with no reply to merchant cities, I will have an option, but start the expansion of the empire.

I will wait for their response a week before I will start with my backup plan.

I quickly finished with my work and turned to the three; with me being here once a day, most of the responsibilities will fall on these three.

It is important that I divide these responsibilities correctly. So, there won’t be interference in each other’s work.

After a few hours, we were finished, and their mood seemed to have improved a little.

We work for the noble and have to follow his every order, no matter how much we don’t want to. While sometimes we get what we want; it is not always the case; they understand that reality.

After I finished with them, I had lunch, before I came back to my office.

‘Master Silver, Mr. Ashav, is here,’ informed Jill through the intercom and a smile appeared on my face.

Many powerful merchant houses had started trading with Navr through the route, including the House of Ashav. Though, it is the first time Ethan is coming here, but wouldn’t be the last time.

Click!

“Let him in,” I said, and a second later, a handsome man walked into the room with a smile.

His smile froze when he saw Lola, but he quickly controlled his emotions. Though not before sneaking a look at her.

She has that effect on people. People get struck by her beauty. Once a merchant stared at her for an entire minute, before coming back to himself. In the whole meeting, he was quite embarrassed.

She dresses conservatively since taking this job, but doesn’t hide her beauty, nor she is trying to.

From the beginning, she knew she was at a disadvantage due to her formal profession, and thus willing to use everything she had the advantage of, including her beauty.

I have to say; she is doing a fine job.

“Look at you all in charge. I thought it would take a year to reach this level of trade and you had done it in four months,” he said and took the seat I had offered him.

“It is all thanks to your side; they worked quite fast,” I replied, to which he smiled.

I am not talking about them building the road fast, which is the most important thing, but also the merchants, who brought a lot of goods. While most are going to Navr directly, some are staying.

It is the same with the goods they are bringing back from the Navr; it is making the town develop at a speed that could only be said incredible.

“It is quite surprising; you have come here personally. I thought your family would be sending someone junior,” I said.

His family had been trading with Navr through the route, since the first month, thanks to him, but the trade hadn’t grown huge enough to make him come personally.

He may be young but is a senior member of the mercantile house of Ashav.

“We would have done that if the circumstances were normal, but the house has made a huge deal, and I am going there for the signing.”

“If things go well, we are going to bring a lot of things from the Navr,” he informed and a smile on my face couldn’t help but become bigger.

“I hope you will succeed then,” I said, and he smiled before a frown appeared on his face.

“I heard you are relocating back to the city, is it true?” he asked. To that, I nodded.

It had been a day since that happened and the news had already spread. It isn’t surprising, since I had informed this development to the Oksall, Blackwell, and all the nobles of baronies.

I was going to inform the merchants today, but it seemed like their sources had already informed them of that.

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“Yes, I am. Though I will be here once a week. In my absence, Lola and the other two will handle the things,” I replied and turned to Lola.

“Ethan, this is Lola Monet. If you or your people face any problem in my absence, you can contact her,” I said, introducing him to Lola.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ashav,” she said as she shook his hand. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Monet,” He replied with a smile.

The handshake lasted a moment longer than it should before they let go.

“So, when you are leaving?” I asked. “Immediately, I need to be in Jalrux by morning tomorrow,” he replied.

He stayed fifteen minutes more before walking out of my office. I stayed there, till it was late afternoon before walking into the administrative section, where the entire staff was waiting for me.

I appeared in front of them, with Carlos and Lola behind me.

“Most of you are aware already, but I will confirm it. Yes, I am shifting back to the Greltheaven,”

“The business would be as usual, with Becker Carlos being your boss in my absence,” I informed them.

Carlos will be responsible for the affairs of baronies and foreign relations, while Magnus will be responsible for the town. I didn’t hand over the responsibility of the trade to any of them and will not.

At least not officially.

Unofficially, Lola will be responsible for it. She will be staying here as my assistant/unofficial representative and will handle all the tasks related to the trade.

It is a gargantuan responsibility, with huge consequences, if anything were to go wrong.

It will be a huge test for her, and I really hope she does a good job. I had worked really hard to achieve it; it would be really bad if she were to mess it up.

It is a really hard job, and she had only a few months of training, but I am willing to trust her with it. She will make mistakes, but I hope she will learn from them.

It is not all bad. There will be me.

She won’t be taking any major decision without my approval.

I walked out of the administrative section with Lola and met Leblanc at the exit. He was waiting there as now, we were going to the town hall.

Carlos will work from the administrative section. Magnus will work from the town hall.

“I have read your ideas Magnus, and they are amazing, but unfortunately, we do not have a budget for that. At most, we will implement two.” I said to the man.

The responsibilities I am giving them aren’t empty. They have real powers to do things.

I am planning on acting as overseer; I won’t check every little decision the two of them make. I have huge responsibilities of my own and if I look at every little thing they do, I won’t even have time to sleep.

“Can’t you give me three, adviser?” he asked, with a hint of pleading.

I sighed.

“You are clearly aware of our budget, Leblanc, and know that even two is a big stretch,” I said and nodded unwillingly.

“I will float the tender after I make the decision,” he said, and I nodded.

It is one of the changes that I have made. No town contract will be given without a tender; it slows down things, but it is necessary.

It keeps the competition healthy and helps in progress.

We walked out of the castle and the town came into view and it became even bigger than it had been when I returned from the Greltheaven.

Now, there is a developed market area, residential areas, and other areas. The plot sales are continuing, with a lot of merchants from Oksall opening their business here.

It is not only merchants from Oksall, but also merchants from the city and some barons who had opened their businesses.

My sister and her consortium are one of the biggest investors in town. More than half of the bars and inns belong to them, and also a quarter of the small apartment buildings.

They were also building a manor in the luxury district.

As I entered the town, people came to talk to me on their own. I talked to them, answered their quarries and questions, and asked mine.

By the time I reached the town hall; it was completely dark.

A few more hours passed, and it was time for me to leave. I will come back soon, but only for a day.

From now on, my permanent residence will be in the Greltheaven.

“Thank you for trusting me with the enormous responsibility; I will not disappoint you,” said Lola with tears in her eyes.

“Have some confidence in yourself. You will do you great job. I wouldn’t have handed you this responsibility. If I wasn’t sure, you could do this,” I said to her, and she smiled through her tears.

“Have a safe journey, Master Silver,” she said finally.

“Thank you, Lola,” I said and stepped into the carriage, with a relieved smile on my face.