CHAPTER 246: CHAPTER 246

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[That does not sound like a good plan in the slightest.] I replied to Professor Sageira, [Not only would I be fighting your great-great-grand nephew, if I am discovered, I will be fighting the Valorhelm Dominion’s border army... on my own!]

[You will be alright, the soldiers on that side of the border are all weak. The Valorhelm Dominion uses the barbarian tribes to blood their new soldiers before they are sent off to a border with a real threat like the one they share with our kingdom.] she replied to reassure me, [I highly doubt there is anyone strong enough for you to worry about there, and if there is, it will take some time to get to you, by then you can run away.]

Fair enough. Besides, that is just a worst-case scenario. The far north is a big place, the chances of me running into the Dominion’s army are slim to none.

After giving it some thought, I replied, [Fine, I will help you with beating up your relative. But we still have not discussed how you are going to teach me Dragon Tongue. Do you not have classes to teach?]

[Of course I do, that is why you are coming back to the Royan Academy and staying until you are fluent to an acceptable level, or failing that, can recognize Dragon Tongue to an acceptable level.] she said.

***

The next morning, I told my parents that I was going back to the Royal Academy on "dragon business", and seeing that I returned from my past two "dragon businesses" unscathed and bringing back great profits, it seemed like I had earned their trust that I knew what I was doing. All they asked was when I was leaving, how long I would be gone, and to help bring along some care packages for my younger siblings.

I had let Professor Sageira and my parents know that I would be leaving in a week, so I could finish my backlog of orders in my workshop. As for how long I would be gone, I estimated a month or so, maybe longer.

I spent the rest of the week either cooped up in my workshop, out in the garden playing with Spot the hippogriff, whom I had pretty much adopted as my personal pet, or if I was not doing either of those, I was meeting my parents for meals and sleeping.

During that week of preparation, Spot seemed to sense something and became especially clingy to me. Toward the end of my prep, I decided I wanted to bring Spot along if possible, so I asked Baron Wyldebane if bringing Spot along was a viable option at his current stage of training, and he said it was fine. Most of the training mainly involves socializing them and getting them used to human interaction. The real training for them to be useful as mounts wouldn’t happen for a while until they get bigger.

So on the day of my departure for the capital, my carriage was stuffed full of things for my siblings, and Spot excitedly jumped into the carriage after me, sniffing eagerly at his new surroundings while I tried to stop him from accidentally tearing at the upholstery with his talons.

After saying our goodbyes, I set off in my carriage with Sopt as I was escorted by two of Dad’s knights, because it just would not do to show up to the capital unescorted. If I showed up unescorted, even for a new baron family, it might represent that my family deemed me of little importance to the family.

***

The journey was mostly uneventful. The only mildly exciting thing that happened was almost getting ambushed by a pack of kobolds, but that ambush was foiled when Spot’s head suddenly popped up from my lap as he sniffed the air and then stuck his head out the window to chirp aggressively toward where the kobolds were hiding.

Neither I nor the knights knew what the hippogriff chick was saying, but we got the general vibes he was giving off and the direction he was chirping in. So the carriage driver was instructed to stop while the two knights went forward to check out the situation.

Around fifteen minutes later, the knights came back reporting that they had pretty much curb-stomped the kobolds and that the way was clear. After that, it was a smooth journey from there.

Along the way, I helped my family by building relations with the noble houses I stopped at along the way. While it was common courtesy for nobles to come and greet the lord of the land if they were stopping by, like I do, when we rested for the night in their capital, most nobles don’t bother and stay at an inn before leaving the next day.

I took this opportunity to gift them one of my Weave Smithed swords as a gift to thank them for offering me and my knights lodging for the night. Along with the sword, the nobles were handed a business card with my Wyrm Works name and logo, along with my family’s mailing address in case they had a job they wanted to commission.

This world did not have the concept of business cards and relied on fancy signage or flyers for local advertising and word of mouth for anything beyond that. So when I introduced the business cards, it was a novel concept that very few of my local merchants adopted. The majority of the merchants who saw me giving out my business cards thought it a waste of money to give away thick, high-quality paper and did not bother.

***

When we arrived at the Royal Academy’s gates, the Royal Guard on duty saw my family crest on my carriage and had a look like I was expected. After being stopped and having my identity confirmed, I was let through and directed to the staff housing.

When we arrived and found that Professor Sageira had already arranged accommodations for me, my knights, and even the carriage driver. I realized how much I had taken instant long-distance communication for granted, for it was a rare and expensive thing in this world.