City of Desire Novel Chapter 889: Mirador Hold

Tempest stopped as we reached the massive gates of Mirador Hold.

"Welco to Mirador Hold, Lord Silver," welcod General Cardin. I looked at the man I had not seen in a month, and I have to say, he had changed and changed a lot.

There is more invisible authority to him; his words seed to contain more weight.

The man also looks happy, which isn't surprising. This is an important position, more than that. It is from this place that he was sent to Greltheaven to die in the defence against the undead, but he has now returned as its leader.

"Thank you, General," I replied, before turning back.

"Ask your n to prepare food and so potions for the beasts," I added, looking back. He looked confused for a mont before he seed to see it.

"Kales," he said. "It will be done, General," replied the man mid-thirties.

I dismounted, feeling the cramps; sitting without a saddle cos at a cost. My vitality is high enough that pain will disappear, but it will take so ti.

"Don't go too far, stay close," I said to him. He neighed and shot away like lightning.

He is not satiated; he still wants to run, while those beasts that ca with us look like they could collapse at any mont, seeing their shaking legs as I turned off the skill.

He neighed and shot away, while I walked into the fortress with Cardin and Hendriks.

"It had changed a lot from the last ti I had been here," I said as I looked around. The last ti I was here, Count Darrow still ruled Greltheaven, and the emperor was alive.

"It is, we had spent a lot of money and resources on this place," replied Cardin.

That would be an understatent; all the money this place earns is spent here, and the dominion also funds it.

As the months pass, it is pulling more and more of its weight through increasing trade, but it will still take a few months before it becos fully self-sufficient.

I want more than that; I want it to help the dominion to elevate the financial pressure.

It is the only place that could do it. It will be a while for Nakar, Gailhorn, and Panar to do that.

"Count Darrow and then Dane didn't take care of this place as they should have. Both cut corners, sealed many areas, and there was even corruption."

"It was quite a challenge to work through it all," he added.

Yes, he had told

all about it in his report. This place is massive and requires a lot of money and resources to maintain, not to ntion the big expenses that co every few years, like enchantnt maintenance.

I looked at things as we walked, and it looks great, much better than the last ti I had been here.

The walls are painted and clean, and I could not spot a single crack or any dust in the corners. The soldiers looked professional and alert.

I walked with them, seeing only soldiers. There is not a single rchant or civilian as far as the eye could see.

It is one of the changes Cardin had brought.

Oh, there are rchants here, more than there had been in the ti Darrow or Dane, but not here. They are not allowed to step into these areas, as so of them used to be.

Soon, we reached the top and entered Cardin's office, which had been Dane's before.

I have been here a couple of tis, and it looked much different. The only thing that remains the sa is the vast view the office's large windows offer.

"How is our neighbour?" I asked, looking at the camp of undead on the other side.

Its size is nothing compared to the fortress, but the undead don't need a big camp to keep their forces, which are not visible. They will, if an Earth Mage casts a seismic spell near their camp.

Even after so long, we don't know how many forces they are keeping underground, but one thing is clear: it's a lot.

"They are good; I have monthly etings with their commander, and officers et every week to keep things smooth," he replied, before his expression beca serious.

"A little too smooth," he added.

"Do you think they are up to sothing?" I asked. "I don't know, but it's been a while since they tried sothing," he replied with a sigh.

He is worried, and I am too. Navr isn't sothing we could deal with.

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It's like a massive shadow with an invisible weight. It's so powerful that it could crush us; we are growing stronger, but not strong enough to deal with a kingdom like Navr.

I hate to admit it, but if it releases its horde tomorrow, we will be nearly powerless to stop it.

The only thing that relieves

about this whole thing is that it's not ti yet. There are still a few hours before they will release their hordes on their neighbour.

Though they have broken the pattern more tis than I am willing to offer.

"Well, if they do, we will fight," I stated.

Surrendering in front of the undead isn't an option. It's not about principles. No, their hordes are big people capturing nets. If we surrender, they will capture and turn our forces into the undead.

So, it's better to fight against them until the last breath. This way, there is so chance.

"How are our people doing?" I asked. There is a large force of fifty-five thousand stationed here. It's much lower than I'd like, but we don't have large numbers.

Recruitnts have slowed considerably, and we have the numbers we can sustain.

Now, I will only increase forces when the financial condition of the dominion becos better. Well, that's going to take ti, a lot of it.

Aside from Navr, we have enough numbers to deal with other threats, unless they gang up on us.

Currently, there are enough divisions in the region to prevent that from happening, but it might in the future. Besides, threats are not confined to the region.

"Good, they love the dominion and would lay down their lives to protect it," he replied. I smiled.

I replaced most of Dane's people. Now, there are barely ten thousand of them here, while the rest are spread across the dominion.

"I hope you have thought of my proposal?" he asked. "I cannot increase the forces, you know how stretched we are," I replied, shaking my head.

The man nodded.

"I know, but I need my n to have a fighting chance, if Navr attacks in any case," he said.

"I understand, and I will provide you with more cannons and other things, but it will take so ti before you get the number of n you want," I replied.

He isn't the only one who wants more n; everyone does.

Leila, Harrods, Azalia, and others; everyone had genuine concern, but our army is limited, and we have to use the numbers we have as wisely as possible.

A few hours passed, and we discussed many things. I also freshened up and had a late breakfast.

Now, I am walking with Hendriks through the fortress. The man didn't beco Governor as he had wanted, but he did get a very important responsibility here.

He is the most important person after Cardin here, though many soldiers would disagree.

Soon, we reached the western section of Mirador Hold, and the town ca into view; yes, a literal town. It is a rcantile town inside a military fortress.

"Destroying the wall and opening the small western gate had been ga-changing," he said, looking at the town in front of him.

The small western gate had been closed for decades. Tabes had closed it after the earthquake caused the damage. We repaired and opened it, and it wasn't cheap.

We had to fill the cracks and lay down a complete set of enchantnts, which took months.

But now, rchants have their own exit on both sides of the fortress. It is heavily guarded with multiple checks, but the town is much freer than it was under Dane.

The military is responsible for the security, but they act like the police and don't interfere, unless they have to.

"Seven new inns are going to open in the next month; also, three business houses from the empire and two from the rchant state are opening their offices here."

"We have also opened new warehouses; the ones we have are rapidly filling up," he inford.

I listened and looked around; there are thousands of people. From the empire, rchant state, but also so from Navr. Their movents are highly restricted.

This is a comrce town; there is not a single house here, only inns for short stays.

People co here and place orders for goods in Navr without even going there. There are all sorts of interdiaries that will complete orders quickly and at competitive prices.

I had suggested the basic form of this plan to Count Darrow, but the man hadn't listened.

Even Dane, in desperation, opened it more, but never gave the business the freedom it needed. I am giving it, and the result is in front of .

It had been barely two months since the new changes, and this place was developing rapidly.

I had signed an agreent with Navr and Renin and made arrangents in Lauryl. I want the trade to flow as smoothly as possible.

It is why I had not restricted rchants from Grimvale or Deerpond.

All of them are welco here to spend their money. First, there was hesitation and even restrictions from their Lords, but those are loosening rapidly.

It had beco a desirable place, and as it developed and matured, it has beco better.

I have to say, the old man did a quite good job of bringing my vision to reality. If this kept growing, I can't imagine how far it would reach in a year.

"Have you talked to Lord of Inam about opening his city's office here?" he asked as we walked through a street filled with stores.

Yes, there are stores here, but they operate under strict rules, and each one is heavily vetted. We are allowing only trusted Dominion rchants to open stores.

"He will not do that; he is still skittish about having close contact with Navr," I replied.

The man is not stopping his rchants from trading with Navr, but he will not open an official centre here to trade with Navr. It's not going to happen.

"It's such a regret." He replied.

"Well, at least Amberhold had agreed," he added, and I smiled. They are the first to agree; we have already allotted them a space, and construction will start in a few days.

I am in contact with the other rchant cities and a few in the empire, but it will be a while before anything materializes concretely.

Still, it is progress enough, and as long as rchants see benefits in it, their cities will open up. Unlike cities of the Empire, the rchant States are not skittish in trading with the Navr, despite all their enmity.

This place has massive potential. It is why I had said it would be able to help the dominion sooner than any of the cities, and after looking around, I had beco even more sure of it.

Soon, we reached a four-story building that was in the middle of the main square.

It's his office; he is like a Lord here, but with more restricted powers than the other three and a far smaller area, but this is perfect for him.

The man had worked in a rcantile house all his life. If he knows anything, then it's business.

Soon, we entered the building and stepped into his office on the top floor, where I began looking through the files. I trust him, but that doesn't an I will not verify things.

I read file after file, asking questions now and then.

Though few, the man had worked for my father, and he liked things ticulously. Everything is clear and concise, but there are still so things I didn't understand, which I asked about.

"Lord Silver,"

Zela called; there is sothing in her voice that made

turn to her imdiately.

"The undead had closed the border," she inford.