"I understand your request," Chataya said.
"But what is in it for me? By doing so, I would only be increasing the competition for my own business. The number of people who can afford high end brothels like this is limited. By helping another to spring up, I am essentially taking the food from my own plate."
"You have it wrong," Lucas said with a shake of his head. "I am not opening a brothel in King's Landing. These ladies will be traveling to different parts of Westeros. You do not need to worry about your competition here."
A small amount of surprise flashed across Chataya's face.
"And secondly," Lucas continued, "I am not asking you to do this for free. You will be rewarded enough."
"Oh?" Chataya said, a glint of greed in her eyes. "And what do you have to offer me?"
"You know that King's Landing is about to be rebuilt?" he questioned. "And a new city is being built?"
She nodded.
"And you know I am the sole person who decides who is allotted shops and establishments?"
Chataya nodded again. She was well connected with the wealthy. She knew exactly how much power he held over the city's reconstruction.
"Then how does a new establishment, located wherever you desire, sound to you?" Lucas proposed.
Chataya's eyes bulged in shock.
"I think we may have a deal," Chataya said after a few moments of silence. "But do not expect me to personally train them every time. I will send my most experienced ladies and will maintain an overview of the entire process."
Lucas shrugged. "I do not mind, as long as the job is done well."
"Someone from my side will contact you very soon with the details," he said, rising from his seat to take his leave.
.
.
.
Departing from the brothel, Lucas left King's Landing and arrived at the new town currently under construction. The construction work was in full swing, with thousands of laborers working relentlessly. These were the people who had gotten employment thanks to Lucas and they were too grateful for it.
Although a great deal of the project remained unfinished, the progress was already undeniable.
The walls surrounding the city were beginning to take shape, rising visibly in various sectors. One area close to the sea was being developed more rapidly than the rest. The Commercial Street of the city.
Lucas planned to inaugurate this district within a year at most. Though his coffers were deep and he was rich, even he could not fund a project of this magnitude indefinitely. The opening of Commercial Street and the revenue it would generate would provide much needed financial relief. And it would serve as an example to all the people who had been in anticipation of what was happening in both cities.
Followed by his guards, Lucas rode along the main road connecting King's Landing to the new city. He passed through the massive main gate and continued forward until he reached a second gate, which led into an enormous compound. A nine foot rectangular wall ran along the perimeter of the entire enclosure, with two heavily guarded gates allowing entry. No unauthorized persons were permitted inside.
On one side of the compound, more than two dozen buildings had been constructed. Some were permanent stone structures, while others were temporary. Even so, the laborers were working at a steady pace to replace the temporary buildings with permanent ones.
In the future, this entire compound would serve as the primary garrison for the City Watch. When it would be fully completed, which was going to take a few more months, it would have the capacity to house ten thousand soldiers. A second, similar garrison was also planned for King's Landing itself. For now, however, these buildings served as a temporary shelter for the rescued women and the additional five hundred men Lucas had recently recruited.
Despite possessing immense wealth, power, and influence, Lucas still lacked the one thing necessary to truly cement his control over Westeros. A dedicated network of spies and informants. He needed eyes and ears that could bring him news from every corner of the Seven Kingdoms. That could keep him updated on everything that was happening around Westeros.
For most matters, he could rely on the Lannister network. However, that system was ultimately controlled by Tywin Lannister and the loyalty of those people ultimately lay with the Lannister Lord.
Any information Lucas received had to pass through Tywin's ears first. It gave Tywin the opportunity to manipulate or tweak the intelligence as he saw fit. And it was something Lucas could depend entirely on.
It was therefore vital for Lucas to establish an independent network of spies loyal to him alone.
Deploying the rescued women to various parts of Westeros as high end prostitutes was the first step in this grand design. Thanks to his taming powers, he had full certainty of their absolute loyalty. Furthermore, under the guise of nursing them back to health, he had been providing them with nutritious food while subtly using his power of purification on them.
As a result, their physical health, mental acuity, and beauty had been significantly enhanced. With glowing skin and sharpened features, they would easily insinuate themselves into the hearts of lustful merchants and powerful nobles, feeding precious secrets back to Lucas.
The second prong of his strategy was the same method he had successfully utilized in Lannisport and Casterly Rock. Which was recruiting the poor, the desperate, and the orphaned. Just as he had recruited two thousand men to serve as his personal soldiers, he had shortlisted five hundred men here in the capital.
In reality, like the women, they were to be deployed across the realm under various guises. Through the rigorous physical and educational training Lucas provided, many of these men would be capable of securing permanent employment within the households of the Great Lords. This was only the beginning. With time, Lucas was certain his web of influence would span the entire continent.
To the public, these men were being trained to serve in Lucas's expanding trade operations and business ventures. But in reality, they were also being trained to be fearsome warriors and using his taming and purification powers they were just turning out to be what Lucas died.
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