City of Desire: Chapter 791 Mask of Selves (Patreon)

Proofread by Thomas F

Carla Salt

“I believe it is by around twelve times,” I stated calmly, trying to hide the surprise I was feeling in my heart.

We had expected it would be by four times at max.

Those around me steadied themselves with deep breaths, but Vanis and Mariha looked around, their eyes unfocused and adrift.

“That’s not possible!” exclaimed Valtir, not believing it. “For other legacies maybe, but not for Velvet Garden,” I replied simply, feigning the confidence of someone who had expected this result.

“It seemed like I got the short end of this deal,” uttered Ralis Thorn finally.

“Far from it, Lord Thorn. Size isn’t everything. It is big, because of our vision, but that doesn’t mean we have a powerful enough core to harvest every bit of essence produced through it,” I replied.

One needs to be very careful in speaking with lords. That is why I told the truth, but it is not the complete truth.

The core of Velvet Garden is extremely powerful, but it couldn’t harvest all the emotion in its domain. Not even older Grade IV legacies do that.

Though they come very close to it.

They might possess truth skills or have a sense in their territories; even in the legacy that has now become our domain, one must be careful.

“Still, given this new size. I think we deserve more essence,” said Fisk.

“Five times what you collected before is a lot of essence,” I replied, turning my expression serious. We had been very generous in the contract. So, I wouldn’t bear greediness from them.

“Let’s check out the size,” said Lord Thorn, breaking the tense atmosphere.

I nodded and got up with him.

The legacy may have become the subject, but it will take another day before the changes are fully shown. However, many significant changes have already been noticeable.

The aspects aren’t clashing anymore. They are existing peacefully, with some power of Velvet Garden seeping through them.

Tomorrow, they will witness a real power change in Vanis’s Tavern.

We walked out of the building, and the power of the legacy didn’t disappear as it used to before; it remained the same.

I could see thousands of people outside the legacy’s compound. Now they, too, are feeling the power of the legacy. As I had said, it had covered a large area.

Not only the whole compound of Vanis Tavern, but also the street and parts of many buildings.

Seeing their lords, the guards push the people, but more people are arriving. Thankfully, the army had also nearly arrived.

We walked around the compound with the lord, while the arriving soldiers pushed people away, clearing the space.

I walked with him as he explored the whole range from all sides.

“It makes me wonder how big Velvet Garden has become after its advancement,” said the Lord, turning to me. I just smiled at that.

A few minutes later, he and his adviser left, while I walked back into the Tavern.

Now that it had become a subject. There are a few things I have to do.

…

Ralis Thorn

“He wasn’t being generous. He knew what he was getting,” said Valtir, and I wanted to sigh.

“So, he knew. What does it matter?” asked Fisk.

“What do you mean? What does it matter, uncle? If he had not hidden things from us, we would have had a better deal,” said my son, and this time, I sigh.

“We got the best deal, dear nephew. Because for us, there was no other option.”

“We would have accepted it, even if he had only just given us doubled the number of essence,” replied Fisk.

“Besides, a big legacy will be a good thing for us. Not only does it allow us to get the maximum amount of essence written in the contract, but it will also offer us many direct and indirect benefits.”

Valtir opened his mouth, but closed it a moment later.

“This size will make it the fifth biggest legacy in the whole continent. The biggest in the empire after Velvet Garden! We will have something that even Namdar did not.”

“It is going to bring us huge direct and indirect benefits,” Fisk stated.  But I know those benefits won’t be without a cost.

“Still, I believe. We deserve more,” Valtir complained, and Fisk shook his head. “The world does not give us what we deserve, dear nephew. It gives us what we can take,” he replied.

I didn’t say anything. I am more focused on the nagging feeling at the back of my mind.

“What is it?” asked my wife, sensing my mood. “There is this feeling. I can’t describe it, but I am not liking it one bit,” I replied.

Trying to sense it, but even the aura isn’t being useful here.

“It may be the legacy. It was under your control till a few hours ago. Now, it is both legally and magically out of your control,” my wife replied.

I nodded at that. I don’t see any other reason for this feeling.

“The legacy had become bigger than we had assumed. It is going to cost us a lot,” said Fisk after a moment, and it made me sigh.

The legacy is giving me essence and a small share of the mist plants he will grow here, but I will have to provide something as well, aside from the legacy.

A loan to build the new Vanis Tavern.

It won’t be just the expense of building, which will be expensive without a doubt, but also the cost of land reclamation and other things.

Many businesses will need to be relocated to make space for the legacy and garden.

At least, he is not going to stop giving me the essence, even if the legacy remains closed for the construction. However, he could stop the essence if I stop the payment or delay it, even a little.

It was a complex agreement, and Silver seemed to have thought of everything.

“If he is giving us so much, it would definitely produce more. Not to mention the Velvet Garden. We have to get it father,” said Viltar.

It was the first intelligent thing my son had said the whole ride.

I wanted Velvet Garden before, but I desire it even more now. Unfortunately, I can’t mobilize my army. If I do it, Tabes might come at me through the east.

Inam is strategically important. It is the reason why the imperials have left me alone.

They know I am capable of protecting it. If I moved my army, Tabes will swoop at Inam. Capturing it will give them control over a critical chokepoint.

The Imperials won't let me move. So, I have to increase my forces and hire more powerhouses.

Then, I can make them an offer. I will get Velvet Garden; they will get more essence. It's a good thing Silver provided me with exactly what I needed to start my plans.

…

Greltheaven

“Within just hours, it changed so much,” Caena said as we walked through the store's floors. They are crowded, but we could move through them.

“It has,” I replied as I felt the changes.

It might take Vanis Tavern a day to fully adjust to changes. We do not need that much.

The aspects of Vanis Tavern have seamlessly merged with mine. It changed the flavour of the Velvet Garden a little, made it more merry and mysterious.

The legacy is full, even at this time of day, but barely anyone was looking at us.

We are like anyone else who came to the legacy to enjoy it. I am not Remus Silver, and she is not Caena Aris.

Visage of Smoke covered one with a cloak of smoke. It makes it hard to see the person’s face and body, but now it is different, thanks to the changes in the skill.

Mask of Selves changes our whole selves, not just our faces, but also our bodies and clothes, so that nobody could recognize who we are.

One needs to be powerful to look through it. I mean, really powerful.

Even the staff couldn’t recognise us. Most didn’t even notice us as we had lowered the markers of our presence through the power of legacy.

It is an outstanding skill; amazing, marvelous, magnificent. I can’t help but praise this skill. That’s how amazing the skill is.

And it is going to help me tremendously with the idea I have, and it will help me with a few other things as well.

I plan to leak the news about this skill. There are many people who would sneakily want to visit the legacy and would not hesitate to pay a hefty premium for the anonymity.

This will provide a free advertisement for the new thing I am planning.

“We have got a good emotion scale from the tavern. Looking at things, I feel like it is going to increase the output of essence by around 20%,” said Caena.

An increase of 20% is truly massive, seeing the size of the legacy, and its effects will be even greater after we reconstruct it to its expanded size.

Compared to what I will gain, the essence I promise to Lord Thorn could be considered little.

It is all because of the aspect and emotions scale. I only got one new emotion from Vanis; I had the others already, but it is Mariha’s Inn that gave me a broader scale.

Her inn may have been small, but it has rare aspects and emotions.

Now, I've got them.

Many of them align with my own vision—especially the brothel, where there is excitement, shame, pleasure, guilt, and other emotions.

In the new legacy, I will make changes. So, I would be able to harness these emotions even better.

“Have you made the final decision on the kind of skills you are going to share?” she asked. I have gotten the legacy skills and shared mine with them.

The master skills remained. I will acquire all the master skills they have, and I have full authority to share the ones I possess.

They are my subject, and I have complete control.

“Yes,” I said. Tomorrow or tonight, if I sleep, I will get their skills. I am quite excited about it; there are good master's skills that they have.

Some will upgrade and change as they come to me, while mine will remain unchanged for them.

We climbed down floor after floor. It was when we reached the lobby that I saw some specific people there.

Danielle and Cath are with Stena. I could see the guards, both uniformed and plainclothed, waiting at the checkpoint strategically.

As we walked into the lobby, an orc man in a guard uniform stood in front of us.

He is Gokre, Stena’s lieutenant.

“Sir, Madam, could you please follow me?” he asked politely. “Why?” I asked.

“We just have a few questions, sir. I hope you will cooperate,”  he said with his voice firmer this time, leaving no question of refusal.

“What is it about?” Caena asked. “Please follow me, sir, madam, or I will be forced to use force,” he replied while two of his people moved close to us from behind.

“You better not waste our time,” I grumbled and followed him into a small security room in the lobby.

There is a table and three metal chairs, two in the back and one in front. We sat down on the two, but the man didn’t. He looked around and then walked out.

It was over a minute later that Stena walked in, along with Danielle and Cath.

They looked serious, and it is serious business. We have walked through the floors of the tower without anyone noticing. It’s quite commendable that they were able to notice us.

It is not safe for them to walk defencelessly. We could be really dangerous people.

It is why there were spells trained on us. Not just Grade IV spells, but also fusion spells; they are not taking any chances.

“I am Stena Carter, head of security of Velvet Garden, and I have a few questions for you both,” she said as she sat across from me. “There is no need for it,” I replied.

I would have played around a little more, but I have to return to the city hall soon.

Stena opened her mouth to reply, but a moment later, she froze as I deactivated the skill and revealed our true selves.