Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Liszt stood by the large window in his office, gazing out at the bustling scene outside.
Many buildings were under construction, some were still laying foundations, others had started building walls, and some were undergoing finishing touches.
He was located on a small peninsula extending from the southern territory of the Horns Bay Alliance, not far from the capital, Niceport, which could be reached in half a day's ride.
After receiving his appointment from Earl Paul Grayman of Alden, Liszt quickly began to fulfill his duties.
Using his official capacity, he approached Marcus, the Chairman of the Horns Bay Alliance's Council, and Joe Foster, an influential figure in the council, to request the purchase of a small piece of land for merchants from the Northwest Bay to use as a stopover, a supply point, and a place to dry their goods.
TLN: Horns Bay Alliance's Council, Council of the Highest Tribunal & Horn's Bay Council maybe used interchangeably.
Since the Horns Bay Alliance was busy with war, the impact on trade was considerable, and foreign merchants had been somewhat affected. Therefore, Earl Grayman's request did not surprise the council much.
However, they still refused.
The Horns Bay Alliance was quite wealthy, and despite being at war with the Horns Bay Church for a year, their finances had not yet run dry, so the council was not lacking in funds.
But what the Horns Bay Alliance always needed, especially in these circumstances, was weapons.
Liszt seized this point and, after repeated negotiations, promised the council a military supply worth about 500,000 Aldor Silver Shields, finally securing a small corner of land called Lion's Corner, which covered around 50 acres.
There was one imperfection, though—the land was technically leased for only thirty years.
After a series of surveys, the agreement was sent to Earl Paul Grayman in the capital, Crystal Glare.
The Earl responded quickly, agreeing and rewarding Liszt—something Liszt did not expect, as he thought he might have messed up—while urging him to sign a formal lease agreement with the Horns Bay Alliance as soon as possible.
The matter was soon settled, and this inconspicuous spot, Lion's Corner, became a small overseas territory of the Grayman family, at least for the next thirty years.
Friedrich Liszt, Dennis McFadden, and Jerry Elvin were appointed as the managers of this small territory.
Liszt was responsible for relations with the various nations of the Horns Bay Alliance, McFadden was in charge of the construction of Lion's Corner, and Elvin managed the mercenaries stationed there.
After several discussions, the trio decided to develop Lion's Corner into a small town with comprehensive functions.
Though the area was small, they carefully planned out a port area, administrative district, trading zone, residential area, warehouse zone, and military area, ensuring that every inch of land was used efficiently.
Lion's Corner was soon renamed Lion's Port, and it quickly became a large construction site, with buildings rising up.
The town hall and military barracks were the first to be completed. The mercenaries who returned from the Northwest Bay moved into the barracks and, under McFadden's command, took on the task of maintaining law and order and defense.
As news of the port's construction in Lion's Corner spread, a large number of merchants from the Northwest Bay who had been trading in the Horns Bay region arrived, buying property there.
They knew that Earl Grayman had stationed a mercenary force there, and the merchants had an inexplicable trust in the Grayman family's military strength, making them more willing to live under the Earl's protection.
The nascent port began to see merchant ships docking.
In short, this small piece of land, which had no fishing village before, began to prosper.
Liszt had just returned from a trip to the Duchy of Eaton, where he had gone to investigate the latest situation. The Duchy of Eaton had recently declared the legal status of spellcasters, causing a stir in the Horns Bay region. As a diplomatic representative of sorts, Liszt had to personally visit to gather information.
This was his second day back, and Lion's Port had already undergone new changes. Looking at the rapidly developing small place, Liszt felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
Knock knock knock! The door to his office was knocked on. "Come in."
A staff member from the town hall entered and respectfully said, "Lord Liszt, a lady who claims to be from the Asitini family would like to visit you."
"Asitini?"
A vision of a woman with chestnut-colored hair flashed in his mind.
"What color is her hair?"
"Chestnut, my lord."
It was indeed Sevya. Liszt felt a small surge of excitement, wondering why she had returned. Wasn't the Horns Bay region a place she wanted to avoid?
"Thank you for your work. Please, let her in."
"Yes, my lord."
A few minutes later, a soft set of footsteps approached. Liszt recognized Sevya's footsteps well, as they had once lived together for a while before she left the Horns Bay region. Of course, it had been strictly platonic; they had shared the same house but never crossed any boundaries.
The door opened again, and a familiar face appeared before Liszt.
Sevya looked fuller than before, her skin smoother, and her hair shinier. All of these changes made her even more beautiful and charming.
It seemed that she had been living well in the Northwest Bay, free from the pressure of the church, and naturally, she had become more relaxed and attractive.
Sevya stepped in and gently closed the door behind her.
"Perhaps…" Seeing Liszt stunned for a moment, the witch smiled, "I should now call you Lord Liszt?"
Liszt snapped out of it and smiled back. "No matter what my position is, we are still friends. Please, have a seat!"
He gestured for Sevya to sit down and personally poured her a glass of water.
"How is life in the Northwest Bay?" They wrote letters to each other every month.
"About the same. Sometimes leisurely, sometimes busy, but the most important thing is safety."
"Haha, I knew you and your companions went to the right place. Since you're so happy there, why return? Are you here to reminisce?"
Sevya's eyes glinted with a trace of sadness. "Can I not come and see you?"
"Oh, of course, you're always welcome here, Sevya. But I think you aren't here just for that, right?"
"Alright!" Sevya sighed helplessly. "I heard that the people of Eaton no longer persecute spellcasters. Is that true?"
Liszt nodded. "Yes, it's true."
"I want to go to Eaton and see for myself."
(End of the Chapter)
---
Read (FF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c818.
Early Access at $5.
Translated (5) Series, (2.2K+) Chapters, (2.9M+) Words.