The Canal

"The preparations have finished. They are ready to release the water in two hours," informed Zela.

"Good," I replied.

It was supposed to happen a week ago, but something had come up and we needed to delay it.

Today was supposed to be the opening for the establishment, before it was postponed. It was a wise decision. Despite everything being on schedule, it was hurried. If we had gone with it, the opening wouldn't have been as perfect as I wanted.

We were already seeing many mistakes.

The extra three weeks had relaxed everyone. They are working with calm minds; it didn't give me the feeling of impending doom anymore.

'Master Silver, Miss Maeve is here for you,' said Jill through the intercom. 'Send her in,' I said.

Click!

A second later, the door opened, and Maeve walked in. As I saw her, I couldn't help but become surprised.

She had changed, from her hairstyle to her clothes, everything was different from before.

"Lord Silver," she greeted.

"Miss Maeve, I had expected change, but didn't expect the change would be this big," I said to the woman as I offered her seat.

Her cheeks reddened.

"I am saying as a compliment; the new look suits you," I clarified and could see, relief on her face, but her cheeks were still red.

For the past five months, she had been overseas. At Nazhar, where she was training in the legacy spa.

Her focus was on the management, while the others who went with her learned the methods and techniques.

She had returned yesterday and even brought the few Nazarian staff of that spa. That spa is big and not everyone sees their future there and some were willing to come here when we offered them a job.

We didn't do it behind the back of the spa. They had given us the list of employees they are willing to let go, and we have approached those employees with the offer.

"How was Elysian Serenity?" I asked, and a big smile lit up across her face.

"Amazing." She replied. "Those people have created a heaven in there," she added with her eyes turning dreamy for a moment.

"I hope, we will be able to make our spa as memorable as Elysian Serenity," I said. "Definitely," she replied, with confidence burning in her voice.

There are only two legacy spas in the entire world. A few other legacies are doing, what I do by adding the spa, but those two are considered the best.

I have asked for their help. The first one gave nothing, but Elysian Serenity was very helpful. They had initially helped me with the tips and later with training and other things.

I had spent a lot on the spa, and Miss Rolgath had done a wonderful job in designing it. Yesterday, we added the last edition to the spa; it made it feel like heaven.

"You have a lot of tasks ahead of you. I hope you will be able to finish them before the opening," I said. "I will not give you a chance to complain, my lord," she replied with excitement filling in her eyes.

A few minutes later, she left while I focused back on the work.

For the past two weeks, a lot of people have returned from various places I had sent them. Including the new people; I had hired a lot of people, many having the experience of working on the legacy.

"The storm tower has acknowledged that they have received the invitation," informed Zela.

"Did they say who they will be sending for opening?" I asked. "No," she replied.

We have started the invitation to the opening a week ago. It is also my birthday. I am sending invitations to everyone important, from the princes to legacies to nobles and governors.

It is a great opportunity, and I want to milk it for everything it has.

I finished up the work and walked out of my office.

When I stepped out of the city hall; the carriage was waiting for me. The guard opened the door, and I entered inside.

Carla is already sitting there, along with the children.

"Are you guys excited?" I asked. Heron nodded while Josie looked at me, turning her face cute. I know what is coming. She had been doing that in the past week, in different ways.

"Will I be able to see the flowers?" she asked in her most cute voice, and I shook my head. Her expression turned like a big bright balloon getting punctured by the needle.

Ever since I took Heron to the greenhouses to see the plants. She wants to see them too, but she won't unless she shows the result.

"As I told you before, you need to do well in the school before I take you to see the flowers,"

"You only have a week. After that, they will go to the tower and you will see them with everyone else," I said, and the girl glowered at me before turning to Carla.

"Carla, please. I really want to see the flowers," she said cutely; even turning her eyes misty. It is having an effect as Carla turns to me.

"Let the girl see the flowers. She had been doing well in the school," said Carla. "Not well enough," I replied, looking at the girl, who had started glaring at me.

For the first few months, children had been closed and polite, but now nearly six months later, they have revealed their real personalities.

Heron is straightforward, honest, and hardworking, while Josie is lazy and willful. She is smart but refuses to use intelligence, where it is needed, and focuses more on manipulation to get what she wants.

It is important, that I remain strict with her.

She is my blood-sister and likely heir till I have children of my own. I haven't made it official, but I will in a few months.

I don't want her to turn like someone like Lancel; he was smart but too obnoxious and susceptible to the influence of others. It is not just him. More than half of the people born with privilege are like that.

I have seen it everywhere, here, on earth; in my own family and I will be damned. If I let my sister, turn like that.

Carla and I talked as the carriage moved toward the destination while the children remained quiet.

I could feel the angry eyes of Josie, but I didn't look at them and focused on my conversation with Carla.

"By the next week, all the girls will return to the city," said Carla. "Good, we will need them all here a week before the opening," I said.

We are going to open the college a week before we open the tower. Yes, we are calling the residence college now; we can't call it a circle, since there isn't a circle anymore.

It is like a collage, as it will be a place. They will stay and learn and work.

I plan to do a soft opening of the tower a week before the official opening with a limited number of people. It is not only for businesses but also for the girls; I want them to practice in the place before we open officially.

It will also act as publicity.

Soon, we reached our destination, and the carriage stopped.

Click!

A second later, the guard opened the gate, and I walked out, behind me came Carla and the children.

I am at the edge of the massive park. I could see the tower at a distance and in between them small hills of lush grass; trees and small gazebos, benches, and other things.

Surrounding the massive park is a large, dugged ring. Covering the entire park, which is circular in shape with a tower at its exact center.

It is massive and took a lot of mages, and workers, and now today, we will fill it with water from the river. The water will come through the tunnels, filling the large artificial canal.

It is as wide as the grand canals of Venice; it is from which it had been inspired.

The canal surrounds the whole park, and people will be able to ride the boats in it. They will be able to go to any section of the park through it.

It will be beautiful.

Thousands of people have gathered to watch it, and the heavy presence of police is keeping them back.

I could feel their emotions with the Mood Of The Subjects; they are excited and curious, while the police are stressed.

Josie got a little scared seeing so much people and got closer to Carla. She said something to the young girl and took her hand, before saying something, looking at the people, many of whom looking at her.

Carla's words seemed to Calm her down, and a few seconds later, she looked at the people and smiled as she had been taught.

I never took them in large public, fearing their safety. The undead are quite apt in using assassins and they are not the only ones that want to harm me.

If it was not under the legacy's domain, where me and Carla could summon tens of spells in an instant; I wouldn't have brought them out in front of such a large public.

I was looking at them when I saw Miss Ulaxasys, coming toward me with her sister, Lady Blackwell.

There is also Eudo, Valentina, and Shaman Trik with them.

"Lord Silver, we can start with your command," said Miss Ulaxasys, without wasting any time.

"Good. Fill the canal," I commanded and used my skill Every Ear Listens To My Words, so the crowd behind me could hear them.

Bmoooooo!

Her ring lit up, and a moment later, I heard the loud horn.

For a few seconds, there was nothing, before I heard a gentle tremor under my feet. Three seconds after that, I saw the water coming out in a large force from the tunnel, not far away from me.

There are several tunnels and all of them are pouring the water into the lake.

It looked amazing; it had attracted the complete attention of the children and the crowd.

It was not initially within a plan, but as the size of the park increased. We have decided to add it. It will mark the boundary of the park, presenting a beautiful scenery of blue water, boats, and bridges.

I could clearly imagine how it would look. The people enjoying themselves in the beautiful evening.

Minutes passed, and the level of water kept increasing, filling the canal.

"Halt!" ordered Miss Ulaxasys, and a few seconds later, the water stopped coming from the tunnels. Most of these tunnels will be closed or diverted; only a single one will remain open to fill the water in the canal.

This is enough, seeing there won't be any draining and refilling; the cleaning will be done through the spells.

So, aside from evaporation, there will be no loss of water.

"Would you like to be first, my lord?" asked Miss Ulaxasys. I nodded and walked toward the canal, where the boats were already waiting.

The boats were ready. The moment the canal was filled, the boatmen placed their boats into the water.

"Gently dear," said Carla when Josie excitedly tried to step into the boat and nearly stumbled. Soon we all sat in a bright, orias boat, a narrow and long type of boat, that bore a resemblance to gondolas.

As we sat down on the comfortable seats, the boatman dipped the paddle in the water and the boat began to move.

It is gentle and smooth, like the music, the musician started playing at the back of the boat. As I had said, I just didn't want to make the city prosper, but turn it into a cultural powerhouse.

I want it to attract people from all over the world, to experience its wonders.

We are not the only ones in the boats. Behind us, there are a few with Ulaxasys sisters, Valentina, and others.

"It feels good, calming," she said, looking around. Her gaze has stopped for a moment, at thousands of people looking at us. She is still not fully comfortable seeing me in public with me and avoids it when she can.

"It is," I said, dipping my hand in clear blue water.

Josie tried to do the same but was stopped by Carla. The anger in the girl's eyes had vanished; she was now enjoying herself.

Soon, the boat appeared in front of the collage.

In the earlier plans, the collage and legacy were apart, but the park had become so big that it had enveloped the collage in it.

The collage has its boat stands for girls to enjoy boating. A quarter of the canal in front of the collage is marked as being restricted. Only boats of the girls would be able to move through that area and no others.

The boat passed through another stone bridge.

The canal is wide. Bridges are necessary to cross it to reach the park. These bridges are designed with aesthetics in mind and are beautiful. It took thirty-six minutes for the boat to make a complete circle of canal, before stopping at where we started.

I would love to go for another round, but there is a lot of work waiting for me at the city hall.

"Thank you," I thanked the boatman and looked at the children, who also thanked him.

"Miss Ulaxasys, you have done a wonderful job," I praised the woman. "Thank you, Lord Silver," she replied.

"Now, only the small lakes have remained," I said. There are multiple lakes in the park that would need to be filled.

"We will finish them by tomorrow," she replied.

I talked to her for a few minutes before stepping into my carriage with Carla. Children aren't coming with us; they are going back home with their nanny, while we are going to the city hall.