Chapter 349: Many Good Years
Dominic patted the Elder on the shoulder. "Don’t be too harsh on yourself. I’m sure that you’ve got many good years left ahead of you."
Elder Manif smiled indulgently. "Soon, my level will start to degrade. But it hasn’t yet. Fortunately for me, with my mixed bloodline, I have made it to level thirty. At the usual rate of a year or two per level, I’ll have decades to pass on my wisdom before it’s my time."
The elderly woman beside him gave him a sly wink.
"At least now that we’re settling in a civilized city. No need to fear ambushes by bandits or wild monsters here. Letting declining Elders be the rearguard is all well and good in the desert, but we shouldn’t have to do any running away once we get a tower built.
Tell me, Duke Dominic, did you have a particular spot in mind?" She asked.
Dominic took out his map of the village. "I actually do. There is a nice hill, just outside the town’s main residential zone, and it’s all stone.
No matter how good our Millie is, she can’t grow crops on bare rock, and it’s higher ground, so there is little to no chance of flooding. Well, this river rarely floods to begin with, as you can see by the state of the grounds after a decade left unattended.
But it’s an excellent spot for a mage tower and school.
It’s easy to find, far enough from town that you can build outdoor training areas without feeling cramped, but close enough that kids from town can walk back and forth every day.
They might not like walking most of a kilometre in the rain, but they’ll get used to it eventually."
The Elders smiled, while the maid laughed softly. Getting stuck out in the rain while working was an essential part of nearly every job that most commoners would have. Whether you were walking to and from work, or actually working outdoors, you had to learn to get used to the weather.
Jobs like the blacksmith, who lived in his nice warm forge, were exceedingly rare.
Just the fact that their homes were going to have constant heating, without worrying about the cost of wood, was going to change lives in Wistover.
Normally, when times got tough, there was a choice between being warm or being well-fed. But with a magitech fireplace, the dilemma was just about how well fed you could be on a limited budget.
The Elders examined the map, with its markings for what fields were currently worked, and what farm houses were occupied.
"The area around town is coming along quite well. But can I ask why you chose to put the closest Barons so near?" Elder Manif asked.
"Practicality. We’re under threat from wild monsters, and there are no nearby cities or forces to assist us most of the time. So, I had them settle where they were within easy rescue range.
Their holdings might be rather small, but that’s the size they were under Wavemates leadership, and it was enough. If it’s not enough now, we can expand them outward to cover more territory, while the core of the Duchy’s income will be the town itself."
Manif nodded and examined the map again.
"That makes sense. I had forgotten how remote this region was. It’s a bit like being back in the desert, with nobody for dozens of kilometres in any direction, except that the land is so much more fertile.
I see elevation marks for a large terraced hill here. What are they growing? Rice?" He asked.
"Wine grapes. We have rice fields down by the river, where they can be deliberately flooded with the irrigation canals. But it’s not one of our primary crops. Most of the farmers are growing grains and potatoes to go with their vegetables."
The other Elders nodded and mumbled to themselves as they examined the area.
"Yes, this will be best. Our school won’t bother the farmers, as none of the crops are ones that react negatively to nearby mana use.
It will take us some time to build a whole school complex, but we have the talents ourselves, if you want to leave it to us." Manif suggested.
"I will send some men from the Royal Infrastructure team with you. They are experts in the field, and they can assist, while also relaying any updates on the school’s likely requirements.
I know that the King has standards for schools in Cygnia, but I don’t personally know what they are." Dominic explained.
"Right, it wouldn’t do for us to be accused of substandard education or facilities. We wouldn’t turn down the help of experts anyhow. While we have the spells to build a home, none of us have much experience with it.
The mages only learned it to repair damages that they have done during a fight so that their intrusions aren’t immediately detected."
That was one way to use construction magic, for sure.
The logic of nomadic mercenaries wasn’t the same as that of the Infrastructure Group, so letting them both work together might just lead to something wonderful. Even the strangest of new ideas could lead to innovation, and having so many mages in town at once was going to save them months or years of work.
"This should work out nicely. I will have someone come over to show you the location in the morning, and the Sect can get started on the tower.
But for tonight, enjoy yourselves. The Elders are invited for dinner in the Manor, but we unfortunately don’t have the seating for the whole Sect." Dominic offered.
"That is more than generous. Thank you, Your Grace. We will humbly accept your invitation. The Sect is fast to get settled, and most of us will turn in early tonight, after such a long journey.
Might I ask what the dress code will be?" Elder Manif asked.
"Noble Casual. Just put on your better robes, and you will be fine. We don’t stand on ceremony. In the Wavemates tradition, there are both common men and Royals at the same table, so you won’t be under dressed."