The World Dragon's Heir

Chapter 749: Alexis Won’t Go

Once the planting season began to end, so did the heavy workload.

So much so that Dominic wasn’t even concerned about leaving for a while to go attend the coming of age ceremony in Castle City. An event that Alexis had absolutely no intentions of attending.

"It’s not appropriate to reveal a Princess so young, and I’m not leaving her at home for days without either of us around. That’s a security risk. So, you will go, make your excuses to the other Noblemen for not bringing your lovely wife, and make new friends.

The Mayor of Castle is a decent enough sort, and as I recall, you once pretended to be the Earl Totbu while we were sneaking across the border.

If nothing else, that should make for an entertaining story."

Dominic sighed. He was used to using her status as a shield when people near his own Rank got annoying.

"Fine, I will leave you here with our Princess, but know that I will be missing you both all day."

Alexis rolled her eyes. She knew perfectly well why he would be missing her.

But this was part of Dominic’s duty now. He had to make friends with the other high Nobles, and integrate somewhat into their social circles. It was essential to the development of Wistover as a Duchy, and to keep others from becoming suspicious or envious of their success.

It was true that the King favoured them, and that the Duchy of Wistover was doing incredibly well. So, some level of envy was unavoidable.

It was how it was managed, and whether Dominic could convince everyone else that it was in the public’s best interest, that made the difference.

"Go, take your guards on an outing, let them meet the people, get to see the standard of the other Nobles’ guard forces, and make friends.

They might not have official Noble titles here, but I’m certain that we can find them suitable matches if they’re after them.

Even common born, a Duke’s Guard is a high station," she insisted.

Dominic laughed. "I might actually have fun with that. However, as they’re all Battlemages, I suspect that they’re actually looking for a mage of their own, not a Noble lady from a good family."

There was some overlap to those two categories, but not as much as one would have hoped.

Benedict cleared his throat. "As my team is going to be going on an outing, I have a question. How is it that the Nobles are not the ones with the strongest magic?

I might have read something wrong in the history books, but I am almost certain that a few hundred years ago the Cygnian Academies only took Noblemen, as they were the only ones with the magic to actually pass the classes.

It was a rare thing for a commoner to get in."

Alexis laughed. "It still is. But that doesn’t mean that the commoners don’t have magic. Most of the Techno Witches, Techno Wizards and Sorcerers are Common born.

That leaves just the mages as Nobility, and with all the younger daughters who married into wealthy business families over the last few centuries, it’s no longer uncommon for those families to have mages as well.

They just send them to different Academies."

Benedict nodded. "I see how it is now. The magic wasn’t hoarded, it was spread. But when you stop marrying for magical power, the bloodlines get diluted. I was informed that there were only a few Techno Witch families that can trace their lineage back even four hundred years now."

Alexis nodded. "One of them is an advisor to the Necromancer King. Another is an advisor to my Royal Father. They both have Techno Witch born spouses and children. But not so many that they are considered common.

There are only a few families of them, for certain."

"Techno Wizardry seems to pop up without as much history." Dominic noted. "Many of the ones I’ve met with great skill at the art have no other magic users in the family. It’s a first generation trait that seems to have been prompted by exposing humans to Techno Magic.

If you want to study it, there will be chances while we are at the birthday party."

Benedict shrugged. "I suspect that I will be too busy for much investigation. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that there is an ulterior motive in calling you to such a packed schedule."

Dominic frowned. "They are technically the closest city to ours, despite the distance. It’s only natural that they would send the invite.

I could have declined, as we are still building the city.

It just didn’t seem right when we also need them as allies to keep our goods moving. There are three hundred thousand people in Castle City. That’s at least fifty thousand households who are going to need a new lamp, stove, fireplace insert, or even a vehicle.

Plus the surrounding farms.

Compared to them, Darden, Skipington and Burton are much smaller cities. Even Lympsbury is nearly a third smaller. Technically, Causter is larger, and we need to work on that market as well. That comes after we have finished the first road, though.

Now, where is my mage?

Someone tell her to put on the disguise as the Young Miss of Skipton River, and she can accompany us as Princess Alexis’ representative."

The Guard Commandant chuckled. "You really are easily amused, aren’t you? Someone is eventually going to realize that you’re having a Doppelgänger Assassin pose as a Lady’s Maid."

Dominic winked at him. "I’m counting on it. Once someone realizes and starts spreading the rumour, everyone will think that they’ve got us all figured out, and they’ll stop suspecting all the other maids of being assassins."

Alexis nodded. "It’s a beautiful thing, really. There are no members of the staff that couldn’t do the job in a pinch. Every maid, cook and gardener on the property is a trained killer. Except maybe the Farrier. But I wouldn’t put it past her to have bashed a few heads with a smithy hammer."