The World Dragon's Heir

Chapter 447: Dave On Parade

Seeing the armoured Trolls on the Manor walls brought many of the locals out to spectate. The quality of the armour was incredible, and the novelty of massive trolls with heavy shields and clubs gave them a sense of security, even though they didn’t live within the Manor.

If they could see it, then there was a good chance that they could get to it in the event of emergency, and many of them had done exactly that during the last attack.

There was an armoury warehouse there, technically a storage shed behind the barracks. If you were closer to there than to the training grounds and Sheriff’s office, where the other militia armoury was, it was the best option.

The farmers and hunters simply kept the spears at their house, but for the sake of safety and simplicity, those in town rarely did.

All that was left was to make improved weapons for Dave.

The trolls all had their spiked clubs, but Dominic knew that they should have an edged weapon as well. He had plenty of Minotaur blades, which were mostly common quality magical weapons, and the right size for the Trolls.

But they could do better.

The problem was that it took a massive amount of material to make blades for someone that strong.

That was why Dominic had put it off in the first place, and now that they had their shields, with the [Flaming Blade] spell on it, they didn’t desperately need high-quality weapons.

They could rely on the magic.

Perhaps he could make them better clubs? If he had the woodcarvers shape some logs and then drove Mana Steel spikes into them, along with some magitech circuitry, he could likely make them into a decent magical weapon.

A bigger, better bashing tool.

The carpenters were even at the Manor, watching the spectacle of the trolls on patrol, before everyone headed off to work.

Dominic waved them over, and met them far enough from the wall that Dave wouldn’t immediately hear his plans.

"Gentlemen, I have a rush project for you. How many trees can you cut me in a day? I want to make new clubs for Dave and Larry. That’s fifty in total, about the size of their current ones. I’ll upgrade them with metal spikes and then enchant them with a magitech buff.

It’s the last thing that they need to be fully equipped heavy infantry before the next attack." He quietly explained.

"There is another attack?" One of the men asked, slightly panicked.

"Most likely. There’s always another attack. Either it will be Dagos again, or wandering monsters, or someone else who wants our good stuff.

But there is bound to be another attack eventually."

The man sighed deeply and patted sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

"You had me concerned there for a moment. If it’s just the clubs, we can cut them and rough shape them for you today, no problem.

We’ve been clearing trees too close to the new developments anyhow. They’re all ash trees, nice hardwood to make clubs."

The other woodcutters nodded. "We can prioritize that for the day. Nobody will object to a small delay to get the Trolls what they need.

They saved a lot of lives during the last battle, and very few in town wouldn’t give them whatever they asked for at this point. Even if the only thing that seems to interest them is goats."

The locals chuckled at their various memories of the Trolls’ interactions with sheep and goats.

It was definitely goats or soup that they liked best.

Dominic was about to head back into the manor when Rill, the Merchant Guild’s Branch Leader, caught up to him.

"Your Grace, might we have a word in private? Business matters." He asked.

"Of course. Why don’t you follow me inside? We can bring the Duchess into the negotiations. She often has great insights into matters related to city development."

The Merchant followed Dominic into the Manor, while one of his daughters followed silently behind them with a briefcase in her hands.

That should be the business proposal that the Guild had prepared.

Dominic knew that once it was ready and prepared, they didn’t like to put it into a storage device so that it couldn’t be easily substituted. With the paper in a briefcase, more than one person could see that it was not being tampered with.

Both parties would read it over before signing, but it remained a standard practice.

Dominic grabbed Alexis on their way to the office, diverting her from wherever she had been heading.

"The Merchant has an idea," he explained, as the Merchant visibly paled.

Did Dominic have to drag the Princess away from other work for this? It certainly increased the stress that came with his proposal.

Dominic took a seat in the office and pulled Alexis down into his lap, while the Merchant smiled.

Perhaps the Duke had just been looking for a reason to flirt with his wife.

He hadn’t. Dominic had brought her because she really did have the best insights into business plans and practical implementation of new projects.

The flirting was just a bonus.

"What did you have for us today?" Dominic asked, getting down to business.

"I have a formal request and business plan from the Guild to open an airship manufacturing shop near Wistover. The logical spot would be near the existing docks, but I have a full business plan for you.

It came in with the caravan that arrived this morning, and if the response is positive, they can send experts with the next caravan to begin stocking the factory." Rill began.

"Experts from where?" Alexis asked.

Airship engineers were in extremely short supply everywhere, and if they were planning to poach them from another nation, it could cause issues.

"From the Guild. They have requested a transfer from the Kingdom of Hitchia. We’re not poaching someone who is gainfully employed elsewhere, if that was the concern."

"Excellent. That was my first concern."