City of Desire: Chapter 586 Tour

Proofread By Thomas F

Myrathara Dawnstar

“It’s more vibrant than I had expected,” I said as I looked at the city through the carriage.

I had read about it, but I had my preconceived notions.

I had expected this city to be the wasteland that had been attacked by undead several times, to be somewhat desperate and poor.

I had seen how the cities were after the war, but this one is the opposite.

There is energy here and vibrancy in the people. I could see the hope and dreams in their eyes; these are the kinds of emotions the big cities have.

It isn’t just the people that surprised me, but also the city itself.

The buildings are small and beautiful. The streets are expansive and clean, with gardens and parks everywhere.

"Where did he find that kind of money?" I couldn’t help but wonder.

War is never cheap; it’s an insatiable beast that devours every coin a city can muster. Nearly a year had passed since the city began its struggle against the undead.

Most cities either go bankrupt or resort to raising taxes to unsustainable levels in situations like this. But looking at this city, that didn’t seem to be the case.

I watched until the carriage turned a corner, revealing the park ahead.

It wasn’t the biggest or most beautiful park I’d ever seen. I’d witnessed far grander ones, those crafted by the hands of archmages. Yet, this one evoked a different feeling entirely.

"Is that...?" I asked though I didn’t really need to. I could feel its presence with my class.
"Yes," Madam Swan replied with a smile, her eyes fixed on the tower.
"It’s... big," I said, struggling to find better words.

I had visited many legacies before, including the Archmage Tower—the largest legacy on the continent, but it is a spirit, while this is just a young Grade III legacy.

“It is the third biggest legacy on the continent,” informed Miss Swan, reading what I was thinking.

I know that.

The continent has around a hundred legacies, and it is in the top three.

It easily spans the space that could fit over ten tavern-class legacies combined. I couldn’t help but wonder how much emotion essence it must harvest. But size isn’t everything—it’s the core that truly matters.

Still, such size had massive advantages. The sheer amount of money he would earn should be huge.

"Do you want to see the legacy first or the college?" Swan asked.
"The college," I replied, a bit surprised by my own answer.

If Silver had accepted my offer, I would have chosen to see the legacy first. I’m excited about it—I can feel its pull—but my work will be at the college. That’s why I declined the house they prepared for me in the city.

They’ve arranged two accommodations: one in the city and another at the college. I chose the latter.

I have come here to this dangerous place with a purpose. To level up. I will focus only on that and nothing else.

The carriage took a turn at the bridge and entered the park, which houses the college and the legacy.

I looked at it, and I have to say it's beautiful.

I provided the girls who work in my establishments with good housing, but it’s not as beautiful or expansive as this one.

What truly surprised me, though, were the girls.

I could see them—many of them—walking or sitting in the garden. Some were alone, while others chatted with friends. They looked happy.

In our line of work, happiness isn’t something you see often, especially at their level and age, where every penny is earned through struggle and hardship.

I remember the days when I was as young as them.

Those were the most difficult days in the business.

I was hungry more times than I remember, beaten to an inch of my life, and suffered the humiliations that made me want to kill myself.

Click!

I pushed those thoughts away and turned as the carriage stopped and its door opened.

Swan stepped outside. I followed behind.

“Welcome back, Headmistress,” said the woman, who looked to be in her early fifties. Beside her are two more women; one looked to be in her teens, while the other was in her early thirties.

“It’s good to be back,” replied Margaux. The woman smiled at that reply and turned to me.

"Welcome to Mena Horn College, Miss Dawnstar," she stated formally.

“Thank you, Miss Della,” I replied. I know she is a vice-headmistress, but it feels weird to say it. However, I will have to learn to speak it after officially starting.

“Della, please give Miss Dawnstar the tour of the college,” said Swan.

“There is no need for the trouble, Miss Della. I am sure she has important things to do. Just give me to any girl that knows the campus,” I said.

All four of them smiled.

In so many words, I had said I did not want the choreographed tour.

I want to see the real college.

I would have preferred to look at it alone, but that wouldn’t be polite.

Swan looked around before her eyes stopped on the elf woman sitting on the bench, working on what seemed like an embroidery.

“Eliyen, come here,” said Margaux. Hearing her name, the woman looked and put the things she was working on in her bag, walking toward us.

“Headmistress,” she greeted as she stopped beside Margaux, with her eyes moving at me momentarily.

“Are you free for a while?” Swan asked. “Yes, it is my free day, and I don’t have any classes in the evening,” she replied, turning curious.

“Good, then please give Miss Dawnstar the tour of the college and the tower,” said Swan before turning to me.

“Miss Dawnstar, I will see you after you are done,” she said before leaving with Della and others.

I turned to the blue-haired elf beside me.

“What do you want to see first, Miss Dawnstar?” asked the woman.

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I looked around for a while before turning to the woman.

“Let’s see the hostel first,” I replied.

“Please,” she said, and we walked toward the seven-story building before us.

Soon, we passed through the gate and entered a grand lobby with elevators leading in all directions.

I have to admit, it was beautiful. The art pieces—although simple—carried such raw emotion that I felt an immediate connection to them.

"All of these pieces were created by the girls of the Velvet Garden," she said, surprising me.

I am even shocked.

I know art. I’ve seen the best pieces the world has ever produced. They are far from that level, but they are good.

These pieces could speak.

Which is the most essential thing that art should have.

I looked at them, and my eyes fell on the largest painting, which is nearly four meters long.

It is of a woman with steel in her eyes. She is standing in the square surrounded by the undead, with tens of burning crystals around her.

“That’s sister Mena,” she said, her voice becoming somber.

“The one this place is named after?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied.

I had read about her, the woman who sacrificed herself to save the orphaned children.

People would typically just laugh. If they heard, a whore did something like that. To most, we are the vilest people. Lesser than even animals.

I turned to the woman, and we began to walk up the stairs.

“Do all the women who work in the Velvet Garden live here?” I asked as I looked at the women passing by us; I could see many were looking at me curiously.

“Yes, except for Headmistress and Vice Headmistress. They have houses, but Vice-Headmistress Della lives in the suite at the top,” she replied.

Margaux had informed me about it. The three have houses on the campus, while the assistant madams and the rest reside here.

Soon, we reached the first floor. I could see many girls there, coming and going out of their rooms, chatting in groups. Many looked at us with surprise in their eyes.

“This is the first floor. On this floor, the trainees live; those who are new or in the first level of their training,” she informed.

“How is their living arrangement?” I asked.

“Each floor has suites. The suites have three or four rooms along with a common room. Each room houses two people,” she replied.

“Can I see one?” I asked. She nodded and turned toward the door.

Knock Knock!

She knocked on the door.

It was opened by a beautiful woman of the same age as me a few seconds later.

She is half-elf but also has orc blood in her.

She is also from Baxzar and that place. It is easy to see from her class.

“Yes?” the woman asked with a familiar accent.

“The headmistress has requested that I give Miss Dawnstar a tour. Would you be fine if I showed her your suite and room?” asked the girl.

The woman nodded and entered inside.

The first thing I saw was the common room with three girls sitting inside; they all turned to us.

It surprised me, as my assumption was incorrect that they would also be from Baxzar, but no. Their classes are regular, not the Baxzar variation.

The suite has six doors: two bathrooms and four leading to the bedrooms.

The woman from Baxzar opened the door to her room, the first on the left, and we could see inside.

I saw it was divided into two parts inside; both sides had beds, a table, and a cupboard.

One side looked more lived-in as if that person had been here longer than the one on the other side. That is likely the woman beside us.

The group from Baxzar had arrived here just a little over a week ago.

“How are you adjusting so far?” I asked, turning to the woman. She seemed surprised by the question.

"It’s very different from what I had expected, but it feels like heaven compared to the hell we were in," she replied, her eyes growing distant momentarily.

A few minutes later, we walked out of the suite.

“I thought those of Lv. 20 and above, get their own private room?” I asked.

That’s what Swan had told me.

“They do, but all the new girls. Irrespective of their level, they must live in shared rooms until they complete the first semester,” replied the woman.

We climbed floor after floor. I asked questions and looked at the girls until we reached the top floor—the sparsest of all the floors.

Two people saw me and came over. One is a teen, while the other is a woman in her late thirties.

“Miss Dawnstar,” they greeted. The woman beside me looked surprised.

“Ladies,” I replied.

“I hope you will love it here,” said the older one. “I hope so, too,” I replied.

They smiled before extending a small box. To that, I arched my brows. “It’s the key to your suite,” replied the younger one.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Have a good evening, Miss Dawnstar,” they said and walked away.

“They were madams,” said the woman beside me before turning to me.

“Who are you?” asked the woman.

“I am the same as you. I have taken a teaching position here,” I replied, to her surprise.

I opened the box, took out the key, and walked toward door number seven, to which this key belonged.

Click!

I stopped beside it and inserted the key before entering the door.

“A four-room suite. Only vice-headmistresss’ have this,” she said, looking at me intently. I didn’t say anything to that and explored my suite.

It has a living room, a bedroom, a guest room, and a workroom.

The furniture is beautiful, but what I love most is the view from the huge balcony. It offers a perfect, unobstructed view of the park and its legacy.

I stayed there for a few minutes before we stepped out and left the building.

“What do you want to see next, Miss Dawnstar?” she asked. “The academic building,” I replied. It is the place where I will spend most of my time.

She nodded, and we walked toward the five-story building not far away from us.

Soon, we reached it and stepped inside. What I saw couldn’t help but surprise me.

There are people, a lot of them.

“I didn’t expect to see so many girls at this time,” I said, looking at all the women.

“Since most of us worked in the legacy. The timing of the classes adjusted according to it,” my guide replied.

I nodded and walked ahead. I am looking at classes that are happening right now. I didn’t go into classrooms but watched for minutes through the windows.

I saw girls learning instruments, literature, pottery, and many other things.

Seeing its reality shocked me despite reading about it.

I had expected them to focus mostly on things that would help them attract more clients, but to my surprise, I saw very few classes related to that.

"It feels like a real academy," I said, taking in the view as I reached the top floor.

"It is," the woman replied.

She believed that, and seeing it, I believed it, too. It makes my head spin slightly because I don’t think this would benefit Silver.

He should have focused on teaching them classes to help the girls improve in business.

Here, he is teaching them too many things which will make them independent. He will make them leave after their contract is over.

The whores stay in the brothels despite gaining their freedom because there is no other choice. Nobody other than brothels would hire them.

Here, they’re learning skills that will serve them long after their contracts are up. It made me wonder, though—why is Silver doing this? What’s the real purpose behind it?

Many will leave. To some, it won’t matter if it is a legacy and huge money. To some, the hope of gaining self-worth is more than enough to abandon anything.

I am going to ask him that question.

I looked at my office on the top floor before leaving the academic building and walking to the magic suite.

I lived in a city where there were hundreds of mage towers. So, a mere suite didn’t impress. Though, what impressed me was whores learning magic.

Swan could cast spells. I have seen it, and she isn’t the only one.

One of my mage clients had told me I have a magic talent, and they said I even unlocked it, but that mana attribute remained the same.

I had never had a chance to learn magic, nor had I ever thought it was a possibility until now.