CHAPTER 240: THE RIGHT PEOPLE

"You could always try the Khalil’s place, or the Alator Family. They’re on a farm outside town, and the retired General’s family didn’t have much of anything when they arrived. I’m sure they’d appreciate a bit of coin, or whatever you could trade them to make life easier." Dominic suggested.

"Wonderful idea. I’m sure they’ve got plenty to do on their own, but soon enough we will need shop clerks and cleaners all over Wistover. Just you wait. Once the Merchant’s Guild gets to work, they’ll have more people here than you know what to do with." He replied.

"That will be a wonderful thing. Then, we will just need to rebuild the road back into Cygnia. And perhaps see if the old road to Causter even still exists."

The Techno Wizard shook his head. "It doesn’t. We tried to follow the road, but it’s all overgrown, washed out, and in a couple of spots there were recent battles, so it’s blown to bits by cannon fire. You would do better trying to rebuild a road to Castle City, or up toward Staptontave, where the Main Highway crosses the border.

Either one would open you up to trade, but going to the main highway would be much shorter if you’re hiring someone to do it."

Dominic nodded. "It would have to be a project for much later. My Duchy ends at the old border and runs into Stansia Province. But it doesn’t extend to any major road, so I would have to work out a deal to improve roads across many territories, or pay for it all out of pocket.

Realistically, it would be better to focus on the river for transport."

"Causter and Lympsbury are both huge cities. Even now, after the war and with the tens of thousands who fled for safer homes. You could build toward one of them as well if you’re starting from nothing.

It’s not like there are any Nobles between here and there to stop you.

Well, there were, once you get two hundred kilometres from the border. But for the first part, it’s not an issue."

It was a fine reminder of just how rural they were. No matter what major city they wanted to build a developed road to, it was going to be close to four hundred kilometres.

However, they were right on the Wistoverke River, and that ran within a hundred kilometres of Causter, then all the way past Castle, Darden and Skipington, before emptying into the Kilksey Lake.

From there, goods could move by road, or continue by river to Cygnia City.

That would be the best option, though getting the river barges back up river would be a slow process, and the towns along the way were all overrun with refugees at the moment, unable to buy much.

But two years from now, that should no longer be the case.

Developing the town was a long-term goal, not just a reason to fill vacant homes. He had to make sure that they had everything that they were going to need, and that they would have it in abundance.

"I don’t suppose that you have the clay to copper spell, do you? I prefer a cauldron style pressure cooker to make jams and jellies, but mine was damaged in the move." The other Techno Wizard asked.

"How do you even damage a copper pressure cooker?" Dominic asked.

The man took out the small pot, and Dominic chuckled. There was a very clear crack in it, along the line of a deep gouge that had to have been made by a sword, or other bladed weapon.

"Ah, I see now. Sure, give me just a moment and I will have that as good as new, then you can paint new enamel on the inside." Dominic agreed.

It didn’t take much to press some wet clay into the gap, and smooth over the damaged section, then fix the pot as good as new.

It wasn’t enamel lined, which startled Dominic, but if the man had been using it all his life, it was probably safe.

"There you go, all ready for jams and jellies. I take it that is a particular hobby of yours?" Dominic asked.

"Once upon a time, I thought that I might be able to woo a baker’s daughter. It didn’t work out, but in the process I learned a lot about making preserves and baking bread." The Techno Wizard replied with a shrug.

Then he handed Dominic a small blue gem.

"My welcoming gift to you, Your Grace. It’s a spell gem of transmutation. It will turn an equivalent volume of something into solid stone.

Admittedly, not the most practical item in the world, but given that you are a Duke with a territory to improve, you can use it to improve roads and turn earthworks into stone walls." He explained.

Dominic smiled. "This will likely become everyone’s favourite spell when the wet season’s rains start. The main streets in the village are stone under all that dirt, but the side streets aren’t, and there never was a proper road in and out of town."

Once they started getting Barons moving into the nearby territories, it would save everyone hours of travel time if he could improve the road between manors.

He would have to ask Alexis how many people the area could comfortably support so that they didn’t accidentally bring in too many people, just because there was space. But other than that, they were getting well-equipped for the first influx of residents.

"Alright, I should go load the tractors with coal, and then I need to check on the rest of the villagers. Have a pleasant day, gentlemen."

All three newly arrived tractors were out in the fields already, and the smaller magitech tractor was baling hay by the Manor. It almost looked like they had been here for years, with so much productivity.

You just had to ignore the fact that all the fields that hadn’t been plowed were overgrown.

Dominic stopped as he heard activity in the Smithy, and saw Pops making tools over the aging stone forge.

"Need anything?" He called.

"Coal. Come give me some before you leave. I heard the old man tell you he had a spell gem for it." Pops called back.

For someone who spent his life in the forge, surrounded by ringing hammers on steel, his hearing was uncanny.