City of Desire [Kingdom Building] - Chapter 906: Nightingale

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Baron Nightingale

“You are quite ambitious, Yar,” said the man in front of me, using the name I didn’t like.

He knows it, but still uses it; never once did he use my title to address me; the only time he does is when we are in public; even then, he has that smile on his face.

“It’s not an ambition, cousin, but a necessity,” I replied, keeping my voice even.

“Other barons are doing the same, with their houses helping them. If we couldn’t make use of this opportunity, they will, and I wouldn’t want us to lose it,” I added.

The man said nothing, his eyes focused on the large blueprint in front of us.

It’s the blueprint of the small city; it is based on Lord Silver’s blueprint for Lauryl. It is 75% the same as the architect’s original, with 25% changes according to my requirements.

Everyone is planning to build their own little cities, with Silver promising as many people as our territories require.

Something we never thought we would have. People are a precious commodity, and when the council used to run. It is the thing we spent a lot of money on to bring here and fight like cats and dogs.

It supercharged the ambitions in the hearts of the nobles, including mine.

I want to build according to plan; all twelve villages in my territory and the settlement around the keep are well planned, and so will be my city.

The only thing I need is money, which only my family could provide.

“You are asking for quite a lot of money from the house,” said the man. “I am, but it will benefit the house as well. You can see all the benefits I had laid out here,” I replied, pointing at the file.

“It will, and I would have agreed with it, but your voting in favour of the laws had displeased the house,” he said, looking me accusingly, and I sighed.

I knew I would pay the price for that.

“As I had said, my communication with the house. There wasn’t really a choice. He had all the votes; if I voted against it, he might have held a grudge against me,” I replied, and he nodded.

“I understand, but many on the council didn’t.”

“I tried to convince them, but couldn’t. You will have to do it yourself when you come to the conclave.” He replied, shaking his head.

Then what the hell did you come here for?

“I will,” I replied, bringing a smile to my face.

He is a member of the House Council. If I need money, I will have to win him over and half of the others who sit on the council.

“Speaking of which, there is one thing the head asked me to tell you,” he said, turning his eyes serious. “Anything for the head,” I replied.

The head is his father, my uncle.

“He wants you to designate Arthur as heir,” he stated and handed me the envelope.

I opened it and read the order. Yes, it’s an order from the head of House Nightingale. He is asking me to name his grandson as the heir.

The son of the man in front of me.

They have given me the position of the baron, with an unsaid understanding that after me, it will not be my daughter inheriting the barony.

The position was more or less forced on me. My line was in such a terrible state that I didn’t have any choice but to accept it.

From the beginning, I was a placeholder and disposable.

If the gamble paid off, they’d simply replace me. If it failed and I died, the house wouldn’t care. I agreed because there was no alternative.

It’s been over three years since I came here.

I gave my blood and sweat to this place. I had faced the bandits, who nearly killed me, and monsters that ravaged my land to take my territory this far, and now they want me to designate the heir.

It isn’t as simple as naming an heir, because once it happens. They will force me to give up the title.

It will happen within a year or two, or even sooner.

I opened my mouth to reply to it.

“I have already fixed a meeting with Silver tomorrow; we will talk to him about it, and I am sure he wouldn’t have any problem with it,” he added before I could say anything.

I feel crushed, just as I did when they told me I was going to become a baron of the territory that the undead could swarm at any moment.

Like that time, I didn’t have a choice.

Since he already fixed the meeting, the head would probably have talked to Silver and made a deal.

It made me feel crushed, and the man in front of me could see it. Seeing how his lips curled ever so slightly in a mocking smile. Seeing that, rage couldn’t help but build in my heart.

I will not accept it!

I am sixty-two years old, and until a few years ago, I had achieved nothing worthwhile in my life. I squandered opportunities in my youth and didn’t fully commit to anything in the years after.

This barony is the only thing I have given my everything to.

It is a thing that helped me feel like I am doing something worthwhile. It is because of this that I could finally connect with my wife and daughter.

I will fight for this territory; I will fight for my family. I will not let them take it.

“Oh, there is one more piece of good news. The house has found a groom for your daughter; you can meet him in the conclave,” he informed.

I never wanted to hit someone more than I wanted to right now, but I controlled my emotions.

Acting on them would be terrible.

“That’s good. I have been searching for a suitable groom for my daughter,” I replied, putting a smile on my face, which is the most difficult thing I have ever done.

“Good, we will talk about it more at dinner,” he said and walked out of my office.

While I sat down on the chair, tired and worried. Earlier, I had motivated myself, but now that I think about it, I see no other way in front of me.

Everything is closed.

I am a Baron, but powerless before my family. I could not reject it because I know what my family is capable of and what they would do if I did.

It overwhelmed me, making my thoughts spiral.

“Papa!” I heard a loud shout and saw my daughter looking at me with deep worry in her eyes. ‘Sorry, I was just thinking,’ I replied. I didn’t want to say that I nearly lost myself in a panic.

“What did he say?” She asked as she sat beside me. “He asked me to name Arthur as heir,” I replied.

I could see her expression becoming heavier. It pained me.

“Did you agree?” she asked. “What choice do I have?” I asked back, a mirthless laugh coming out of my mouth. “The head had already decided and likely had talked to Silver about it.”

Seeing that, I could see her losing hope, but a moment later, her eyes firmed up.

“It is likely why Lord Silver wants to talk to you,” she said, and I turned to her with a question in my eyes. “His office informed me a few minutes ago that he will talk to you at four, which is ten minutes away.”

I sighed, hearing that.

“You know, what will happen after you name him the heir. You have to convince Lord Silver to give you at least some time,” she said.

Yes, time. It is all I need.

Silver values results. If I have enough time, I will give him the results. My family may be powerful, but it’s Silver that holds all the cards.

“I will!” I replied with hope rising in my heart.

Though I know very well that the chances of that are slim, my house is powerful, and unlike many houses, we didn’t lose much despite being a little closer to Prince Grelt.

The house helped both princes and is now even rising.

With the financial muscle and connections, it wouldn’t be much of a problem for them to convince Silver. Still, I would not give up without a fight.

Now, I have to convince Silver to bet on me or at least give me some time to prove myself.

Minutes passed agonisingly slow, and I had paced around my hall until finally the band on my daughter’s hand lit up and I appeared beside her.

She extended her hand, and I took it, and a few seconds later, it clicked.

“Lord Silver,” I greeted. ‘Baron Nightingale,’ he replied.

‘How are things, Baron?’ He asked a moment later. “Very busy, my lord, thanks to you, sending me the people my territory desperately needed,” I replied.

It’s the truth; things are very busy, but despite that, I was happier than I had ever been.

As I could see the territory flourishing, not only because of the people coming in but also because of the security. In the past two months, not a single monster had entered my territory.

Silver had tightened the territory protection, even after that massive horde a few weeks ago.

We did not come across a single monster.

‘I am glad to hear that,’ said the man. There was a silence for a moment as I collected my thoughts. I have to be very careful; it is my only chance.

“Has the head of my family talked to you, my lord?” I asked finally. ‘Yes, it’s why I had called you,’ he replied.

It nearly made me curse, but I managed to control myself. I need to be calm.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth. I resisted the urge to use my skills. No, doing that would make things worse, and that is the last thing I want.

“It’s been over half a year since I became your subject. I have been loyal to you.”

“I have provided the soldiers to fight against the monsters, contributed to the domain, and even voted in favour of the laws. So, I hope you take that into consideration and help me, your subject,” I said with my heart beating wildly.

I calmed myself forcefully before opening my mouth once more.

“I do not want much, but time to prove myself to you. If you help with this, my lord, you will have my eternal loyalty,” I requested.

I did not say directly what I want, but he is intelligent enough to understand what I meant.

A moment passed and then another, but I didn’t hear his reply. I felt as if the ground were sinking beneath my feet when I felt my daughter’s hand on my shoulder.

‘You are my Baron, Baron Nightingale, not someone sitting in the empire,’

‘The new laws state only barons could choose their heirs and no one else,’ he replied, in his firm tone. It filled me with relief.

People can bend laws when incentives are high enough. It gave me great relief and confidence that Silver did not bend them to my family’s will.

Now, the hardest part.

“It means a lot to me, my lord, and I hope you will do me a favour and buy me some time from my family,” I requested. I am asking him to put himself between us.

It will bring him into odds with my family. It’s not something anyone wants to do when allying with the house could bring more benefits than being against them.

So, I waited, hoping he would agree.

‘That’s not a problem. I could do that for you, but do you want to do that, Baron Nightingale?’ he asked.

‘You know your family better than I do,’ he added, and I could see deep concern appearing on my daughter’s face; she understood what Lord Silver meant.

It’s an extremely risky thing I’m doing.

The least bad outcome would be my family cutting the connection between us.

I will be on my own.

It is going to happen if I go against my family, but that is the least bad outcome. The worst is much worse; I have seen the limits my family would go to in order to achieve their objective.

‘I am sure, my lord,’ I replied finally.

They have forced me to make this decision. They shouldn’t have, and we could have had a good relationship that would have benefited them, but no.

They wanted my territory. I will never give it to them, much less make that bastard my heir.

‘Good, then I would wish you the best of luck, Baron Nightingale, because you are going to need it,’ he replied before the call was cut.

“Do you really want to do this, Papa?” asked my daughter, worry written all over her face. “Do I have a choice, my daughter?” I asked back.

“We built this with our blood and sweat; we risked our lives to take it where it is.”

“Now that it is doing well, they want to take it; I will not let that happen. If anyone is to inherit the barony, it will be you, my daughter, and no one else,” I stated.

She had suffered her whole life because of me; to make it up to her. I want to leave her with at least one good thing.

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