City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Proofread by Thomas F

Governor Knox

“Any update?” I asked Osward this question for the hundredth time.

She shook her head, offering no new answers.

I am worried about the army. It is the only thing between the city and the massive horde, and if the army is defeated, the whole city will turn undead.

Even thinking about it is unbearable, but I know it is a real possibility.

Master Silver had asked me to escape if that happens. He had even prepared the things, but I don’t know whether I will do it.

I had come to the city when it was at its worst.

Where children had flesh sticking to their bones, the smell of rotten bodies came out of their houses.

Things had improved tremendously since then.

We had focused on restoring people to their former selves, repairing homes and infrastructure, including building new ones.

Now, 80% of the city is occupied, and I had planned to finish that with the remaining 20% in the coming months.

We also had good money flowing in from the mine, and our budget was at its highest since I took the reins, despite Greltheaven reducing the contribution by over half.

I could have taken the city beyond its former height if I had had a few more months.

I will have a chance to do it as long as we successfully defend ourselves from the undead today, and we will. I have complete confidence in General Azalia.

In the past few months, I have come to know the woman a lot.

Our relationship is still professional, but I know the woman is capable; she will defeat the undead.

I helped as much as possible, but I wish I could have helped more. If I had skills that could affect the army, I would have been able to, but unfortunately, I do not.

Click!

I was in my thoughts when the door opened, and Argis walked in, and he looked a little stressed.

“Thoughts are spiralling out of control in Marston Hall. Your presence would help calm them down,” he said. Hearing that, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Sure,” I said a moment later.

I am currently cooped up in the city hall. The general had asked me not to come out until the battle ended.

It is protected by heavy guards. I understand why she did that, but I feel like the people would have been more useful on the battlefield.

Undead has a habit of sending assassins to kill the rulers while they fight the battle.

I need to be protected, not for myself but for what I represent. If the news of my death spread across the battlefield, it would help the undead a lot.

What would help even more is showing my dead body, which they had done many times.

It had collapsed the armies.

I left the chair and walked out of my office, with Osward behind and Kruabar in front. Aside from them, there are twelve guards around me.

I’m guarded on all sides—anyone who tries to come for me will have a hell of a time getting through.

These guards aren’t weak; all of them are between Lv. 20 and Lv. 30, and most importantly, they are not regular warriors but bodyguards.

Their classes specialize in protecting a person; it’s tough for anyone to harm me with them.

“Governor,” the guards guarding the door greeted and bowed before opening the door. I nodded before stepping inside Marston Hall.

‘I am governor,’ I said to myself, projecting the confidence I was not feeling.

I activated Impeccable Image, Governor’s Grace, and my newest skill, Governor’s Presence. I need to show them that I am not worried.

I need to project absolute confidence—like I believe, without a shred of doubt, that we will win.

I entered the hall. It’s a beautiful hall with a grand chandelier and murals with art pieces all over it.

Unfortunately, it’s quite beautiful. If we survive this battle, it will be demolished in a few months.

The city hall staff is increasing, and so are the departments. If that continued, we would need space; this is the only place we could demolish to make more space for them.

The hall is useful, but we do not need two; there is another one. That is more than enough for our needs.

“Governor,”

The greeting rang out as nearly a hundred people, sitting there, got up at once.

These are the most important people in the city: the merchants, the officials, and even a few academics, whom Lord Silver had sent to help me with some planning.

Many had run away to Greltheaven; these brave ones stayed, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful to them.

Aside from them, there are also guards. If panic were to ensue, these people would suppress it forcefully. I hope it won’t come to that.

These are just worried people who are feeling a little panicked. My presence alone eased quite a lot of it.

“Everyone, please sit,” I said, activating Hear When I Talk.

They all sat down, and I looked at them. I saw the familiar emotions in their eyes and felt them in my heart, but unlike them, I kept them buried.

They cannot see it; it will make them panic more.

“I know, you’re all feeling worried; I am myself quite worried myself,” I said, bringing some nervous smiles on their faces.

“It is natural to feel these emotions in times like these, but just as important, to not let them overwhelm us.”

“You have stayed in the city while many left; it is not just because you are brave, which you all are, but because you have confidence in our army and believe it will protect us.”

I paused and looked at them. Many of them were calming down. Some had calmed down enough to feel the familiar emotions toward me.

A few of disgust and many of lust. I could feel them quite clearly thanks to Maven’s Insight.

“We had won all the battles, we had fought against the undead, and we will win this one too; do not doubt it, because I do not,” I finished with all the confidence in the world.

I could see many; it relieved many. Seeing that, I felt relieved as well. Their panicking wouldn’t have helped anybody.

Clap Clap Clap!

I moved to talk to them individually, when I heard the claps; slow sharp crips claps.

They immediately attracted the eyes of all.

I turned and saw the woman beside the closed gate. She was short and covered her whole body in grey rogue armor.

She is a beautiful woman on the cuter side with a blond bun. Though right now, she didn’t look cute; she looked bloodthirsty, with hate burning in her eyes.

“What a speech; it is the best I have heard in quite a while,” said the woman as she stopped clapping.

My guards have already moved around me, and other guards in the hall are moving toward us while pushing the people into the same corner as they had practiced.

She looked at the guards coming toward her, and there was not a hint of fear in her eyes.

“Don’t approach her,” I ordered them before turning to her.

“Miss Blava, right?” I asked the woman, and she grinned. “Please leave, Miss Blava; with my guards here, you stand no chance of harming us,” I said calmly, despite my heart beating like war drums.

A mocking smile appeared on her face, hearing that.

We know about her; she is the assassin of the undead. If the intelligence is to be believed, she is around Lv.35.

She is part of the elite assassin organisation in the Vris’alud, which holds a lot of sway.

She has done this many times before: killed the rulers while the armies fought on the battlefield. Now, she has come here, and it is personal for her.

“We stand a pretty good chance,” she replied, and to my horror, people began to step out of thin air.

There are nine people, all of whom are masked, but I could feel their power, and they are powerful. All of them are above Lv. 25, and with a green-haired man beside the woman, it is Lv. 30.

There are two Lv. 30 assassins here; I have two level Lv. 30 guards, but these are elite assassins from Vris’alud organisation.

They are hard to deal with, especially in places like these.

“Brothers and sisters, leave no one alive. Slay her—and any who dare stand in our way. Tonight, we kill until the fire of vengeance within us burns no more.” She said and disappeared with her assassins.

Things changed so quickly.

A minute ago, there was nothing; the only thing I had to worry about was the battle outside the city.

Now, my very life is in danger. The undead had sent the assassins to kill us, and for the woman, it is personal; it is why she showed her face.

She is Blava Moor, the younger sister of Hanson Moor, the assassin who attacked Bell and Carla.

…

Blava Moor

I will kill them all, but first her.

When the story came out it was whores who have killed my brother and I wanted them all dead. First I will kill her and her whore standing beside her, before the whole hall.

No one will leave this place alive. This will be just the beginning.

We had sworn vengeance on behalf of our faction—the whores would die. At first, he resisted; they were of the Legacy, after all. But when the Nightmaster himself intervened, he relented. This wasn’t just about blood—it was about restoring the honor sullied when a mere whore struck down an elite assassin of Vris’alud.

He agreed; there is no choice; people listen once the nightmaster speaks.

I moved through the guard’s shadows. They are oblivious to my presence; I want to kill them, but they are not the target; the target is the woman.

I will kill them after I kill the woman.

I want nothing but to torture her, but Yark wants the quick death. So, the bastard could use it on the battlefield.

So, I will give it to him.

Soon, there was only half an orc in front of her. I activated Silent Rend and Heartpiercer and moved to attack.

This will be the end of her; there is nothing, and no one can stop me. To stop me, they will see me, sense me, catch me; they could not.

They would not, before I kill them all.

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