CHAPTER 257: ABRIDGED KNOWLEDGE

"That’s the abridged version, given current company." He added hastily.

Alexis looked impressed. "But wouldn’t that make Dominic the first one to return from a Feral state?"

Nate laughed. "Oh, far from it. When a Dragonkin eats a monster core they do go feral, but it’s not a permanent state. Within a month or two, we will process the wild mana and return to our natural state.

During the early days of Wavemates, the Kings used to use Berserkers in battle, who would be locked away until it was time to fight.

With enough magic, they can be calmed and confined.

Of course, if you have as much power as a Dragon King, you could probably just cleanse the effect entirely. I heard that the Second Prince managed it with a feral bear beastkin once."

Alexis hadn’t heard that rumour about her older brother.

Colonel Wilkes chuckled. "So, the reason that everyone in Dagos is so scared of Dominic is that they blamed every combat loss in the border regions on his rampage?"

Nate nodded. "As far as their stories go, they hardly lost a single man clearing the country. Only when the Butcher was unleased did they lose entire Regiments and Field Armies."

Dominic flexed dramatically. "Hear that, my love? I singlehandedly defeated an entire nation’s army."

Alexis laughed. "Don’t forget that the first time I met you, you were harassing Goblins with a bunch of schoolchildren."

Dominic shrugged, but the smirk on his face was impossible to hide.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

Nate smiled. "I believe that I will enjoy living here. But I should warn you that you are likely to attract trouble soon. The Dagos installed Nobles still hold a grudge about those events. Most of them lost family in this region during the invasion, and they all blame you for every single death."

Dominic sighed. "I really do need to improve the level of my magic. Times were hard, and I was only a young child when I left for Axbridge, so I never got to properly train as a Mage."

Nate just shrugged. "I wouldn’t worry about it too much. However, you might want to arrange for some mercenaries to stay in the village for the next year or two, until you’ve got a full force trained, and the Dagos Nobles have given up on revenge."

Alexis sighed. "There isn’t one to hire. Every Mercenary that can be trusted was drafted into the Cygnia Royal Army, and they’re all still deployed until the settlement with Dagos is finalized and enforced.

It will be half a year before most of them are ready to start taking new jobs again."

That made the lawman think. "Well, if we armed some of the farmers, it should be alright. Like a Sheriff’s Posse, or a local militia. There are plenty of old soldiers in that crowd, and as I recall, if you call them Militia, it gets around the decrees against commoners openly carrying weapons."

Cygnia’s rules on that were much less strict than the laws in Dagos. But, there were still some considerations about wearing weapons in town.

Dagos only allowed those with some measure of Noble Blood to become adventurers, while Cygnia allowed commoners to do the same, as long as they didn’t have a criminal record when they started training and got their trade skill core.

Alexis and Wilkes silently conferred, then nodded. "I think that we can offer combat training for the locals, and provide some weapons for defensive use.

We don’t need a standing militia just yet, I don’t think. The major cities are still being transferred to Cygnia control, and they’ll have their own issues before anyone comes looking for us.

But that will give us time to train the locals to defend the village and farms effectively."

Dominic agreed. The farms around Aramos Village all benefitted heavily from having Wiz and Bella living there, and that was just two capable combatants. If they had one per family, then sporadic monster attacks would become much less of a concern and more of a recurrent nuisance.

"I look forward to working with you, Your Grace. Princess. Now, is there an existing jailhouse in town, or equivalent? If not, I will work out a deal to find a space once we have finished discussing salary." Nate asked.

"There is a jail, of sorts. It’s mostly the old Sheriff’s house, but there are two cells in the basement. There wasn’t really a need to make it any larger."

Nate smiled as Wilkes handed him a piece of paper. On it were listed the standard salary rates for the positions they intended to hire, and the compensation was much better than he had hoped.

It was set by Cygnia City wage standards, which were significantly higher than what most people got paid in rural areas, especially commoners in Dagos or Axbridge.

"I can’t say that I have any issues with that arrangement. With housing included, it’s a mighty fine deal. Now, I need to go grab my gear, say goodbye to the carnival, and go greet the rest of the village." Nate announced with a smile.

"Well, most of them are right here, so you can likely get your friends to announce you at the end of their show." Dominic suggested.

"Not a bad idea. That way, everyone will find out at the same time, and it will be much less suspicious than going door to door just to introduce myself."

The thought of everyone’s reaction to someone going door to door introducing themselves as the new lawman, without any word from the Duke, was an amusing one. But there was no need to make the man’s life difficult.

Dominic would just go up between routines of the trapeze artists and introduce Nate to everyone at once.

Even Pops had come out when he smelled popcorn.

The locals didn’t have a lot of coin this morning, but after getting paid for their unexpected extra shipment of produce, they all had at least a little. That was enough for it to be worth setting up the carnival, and it had the added benefit of welcoming the new Baron to the estate in grand style.

Nobody would forget that the first time they set foot in the Wistover Duchy, there was a carnival passing through.

They had even sent out the dancers and jugglers, they only left the other carnival rides stored. All it needed to be a full circus was a tamed Dire Bear. Nothing said circus quite like a tamed bear.