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Perhaps Nilfgaard, then? No, probably not. Emperor Emhyr would, no doubt, dismiss his little northern kingdom, even if he had heard of it, purely on the fact that the man would be arrogant enough to believe himself completely untouchable by something so new, so small, and so far away.
Hmm. It was clear he would not find out the truth right now. But perhaps, Harry thought to himself, a slow, cunning smile beginning to form on his lips, perhaps he could take advantage of this particular situation.
Ever since his rather unpleasant, and lengthy, run-in with Vilgefortz, he had made some… new precautions, to prevent himself from ever being so easily, and so completely, taken out of the game again. Specifically, a defense for when, not if, he was ever knocked out or captured again.
It had actually been a rather painful, and highly complex, defense to create and implement, but it would be, in his opinion, more than worth it in the end.
With that said, Harry didn't necessarily fear having another, unknown sorcerer here in his city. In fact, it could even be… beneficial. Mainly, it would help to further promote the fact that anyone, even a powerful and potentially suspicious magic-user, could be accepted here, could find a home here.
Plus, the sorcerer could perhaps handle some of the more minor, tedious magical tasks that he was simply too busy to do himself these days.
"How… convenient," Harry finally said to the man, his voice a low, thoughtful drawl. The sorcerer, Asal, seemed to micro-fidget at his words, a barely perceptible twitch of his fingers.
"And what services, exactly, could you provide for me and my city?" Harry asked, his tone now a little more polite, a little more welcoming. It seemed his attempt at civility worked, too, as the man seemed to breathe out a little easier, the tension in his shoulders lessening slightly.
"While I am certainly not an expert in advanced spellcraft, my lord," Asal said, his voice smooth and practiced, "I am quite accomplished in the art of alchemy, and I have brought with me many of my personal tomes on the subject, which I would, of course, be more than willing to share with you and your people."
Harry had to hold himself back from scoffing out loud. If this man was lacking in spellcraft, then Harry himself was a baby bunny rabbit.
The man was clearly, and rather clumsily, trying to make himself look weak, non-threatening, but still useful enough to be kept around. A classic spy tactic.
"Very well," Harry said, deciding to play along for now. "You are welcomed into our growing little city, Asal. As long as you follow our laws, you will continue to be welcomed here." Harry said, his voice laced with a subtle, but unmistakable, warning.
Asal smiled, a look of genuine relief on his face, and nodded his head eagerly. "Of course, my lord. Thank you. Now, if I may ask, how is it that one… 'signs up' for lodging here?" Asal asked politely.
Harry didn't respond immediately. Instead, he waved his hand, a silent, clear signal to his guards. They took their hands off their blades, albeit reluctantly, and walked slowly out of the office, throwing a few final, suspicious glares at the sorcerer on their way out.
"Come here," Harry said, as he reached into one of the large drawers of his desk. He pulled out a big, rolled-up piece of fine parchment.
He unrolled it, and it covered the entire, wide surface of his desk. On it was a complete, intricately detailed, and magically updated map of the entire city.
The various buildings on the map were separated into several different colors, consisting of red, blue, green, and yellow.
Asal approached the desk confidently and peered down at the magical piece of paper with a look of genuine interest.
"The buildings that are colored red and blue are the available homes," Harry explained.
"The ones that are red have already been chosen and are currently occupied. The ones that are blue are the ones that are still available for you to choose from. When you are done choosing, simply place your index finger on the house you would like, and I will have it magically registered to your name."
Asal nodded as he looked around the map with keen interest, clearly taking in his various choices. "May I ask what the benefits of the different locations are?" Asal asked, his eyes scanning the layout of the city.
Harry thought for a moment. "I guess most people just choose based on where their jobs are located," he said.
"Hunters and farmers, for example, tend to live closer to the outer walls, for easier access to the forests and the fields. Miners tend to do the same. Most of the craftsmen, on the other hand, tend to live closer to the center of the city, where the main marketplace is. The roads I have in place, however, make it much, much easier to get anywhere in the city, especially with its efficient, grid-like pattern, so where you live hardly matters in terms of travel time. Your own, unique alchemy ability allows you a bit more flexibility, of course, since you can contribute in many more ways than just physical labor."
Asal nodded again, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "And can you… commission your own, custom type of house, if you have the money for it?" he asked, another probing question.
"You can," Harry confirmed, "although there are strict regulations on the overall sizing of custom-built homes. I'm not going to be letting anyone build a massive, sprawling manor within the city limits. If you want to do that out in the countryside, however, that's perfectly fine, assuming you have the money for it, of course," Harry explained, giving the sorcerer a pointed, knowing look.
It was a well-known fact that most sorcerers, with any actual skill and power, tended to like the finer, more opulent things in life. Or, at least, they used to.
Asal seemed to nod at that, taking the hint. "I was simply curious, is all," he assured Harry. "I have seen the model house you have set up for viewing, and I am quite sure that your standard houses will be more than fine, space-wise, for me."
"Good," Harry said. "Feel free to take your time with your decision, then."
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