Chapter 8: My House

Over dinner, my two new friends filled me in on my new home.

It was strange, as I did believe this was my new home. I didn’t believe I was going anywhere soon, maybe I was in denial, but I honestly felt that I had been brought here for a reason.

What and why, I didn’t know, but there was some reason. One day I might even work out what it was. I also felt that by opening and claiming the Lord Wizard’s Box I had also inherited other responsibilities here.

In the meantime, I was learning due to my new-found wealth, I was probably one of if not the richest man in town. Walter pointed up to the house on the top most level straddling the curve between the two mountain tops as we walked back to the inn.

It was bloody huge and set back into its own valley behind the levels below. I noticed a form of a rotunda was in front of the property and the people who lived to my right and left had to go around it to get to theirs.

It had a drive up the centre and a second rotunda in front of the three-story home. The central part sat in the middle, and a two-story wing extended off each side at an angle.

Walter told me all the land behind my house and the others on that level was also mine. The rich couldn’t build behind me or higher. It was why they had extended the levels, and he pointed out four new homes on each that have been constructed since Davin had left.

He said that in this region, they mined a lot of iron and tree feeling was another good income earner. But they couldn’t do either on my mountain tops as Davin had left explicit instructions with Jim that it wasn’t to be touched.

He’d heard rumours that Ben Grayson and a new man, Lord Veldor Tyson, who had moved here about five years before, wanted to set up a new mine. Veldor had been buying up land and wanted to buy my mountain. Apparently, he was an Earth druid and had located a new Iron ore seam, but it was on my property.

The main Iron ore seams they worked were over on the ridge on the other side of the valley. While there was still a lot of iron there, it was deeper and getting more expensive to dig out. Davin also didn’t want a smelter built on this side of the valley near the town.

I now understood a lot more than I had before. I also presumed that I might have acquired a new enemy or two. I was going to fuck up a lot of the plans that these two men had cooked up. I asked if I owned any shares in those mines.

Walter said he didn’t think so, but Jim would tell me tomorrow. Davin had been into plants. He’d opened the valley up a lot more and concentrated on helping the farmers grow better crops. He’d also encouraged them to plant vines and fruit trees on the hills.

“We even have several excellent wineries in this region, and the best stone fruits and apples came from here. The best plum wine and apple cider on the continent came from our area. We even support two breweries,” Walter said proudly.

I nodded, as they were respectable and sustainable industries. When the iron played out, the majority of the people here would still have livelihoods and good ones as well.

I knew I’d miss the mod-cons but not the industries required to make them. Other than the sanitation, these people weren’t doing it that tough. Some more modern machinery for the farms wouldn’t hurt, though. I guessed the farmers still did many things the hard way.

I’d have to think of how I could best help these people, as I had told my box I would. They were now my people, and I surmised I also needed to follow Davin’s lead and help these people find industries that were sustainable in the long run.

Jim dropped by and informed us a miserable Ben Grayson was in his jail. Officer Varis took great delight in arresting him, and Officer Ramsay is busily collecting all his documents pertaining to my case.

I inquired him about lawyers, and he asked me to qualify. I explained they were legal people that made sure the complainant, being I, and the accused, being Ben, were fairly represented.

They all shook their heads, Jim said, “No, the two Officers would present all the evidence and two of the other Lords and myself would make the judgement.”

I asked who the Lords were.

He grinned, “Well there is me, I actually live next door to you on the right. My wife is called Darling, and we have two very lovely unmarried daughters. Analee is twenty-four and her sister Francie is nineteen. My sons are James who is twenty-eight and Shorn is twenty-six.”

I was amused that he was telling me he had marriageable daughters.

“Lord Veldor Tyson is the newest Lord. He had come for Trenton. He had inherited old Lord Batten’s properties due to his marriage, but the old house had been sold to pay off debts, so he had to build a new one. I believe he is an Earth mage. He has one daughter Lindell who is about twenty-six.”

“Lord Mathew Erin, on your direct left, was also relatively new. He was about thirty-two and had inherited about two years ago when his father died. He is a Physics druid that also had Psychic abilities and is the primary doctor in town.”

“He is single like yourself but had been married. His son Mace is nine, and his wife died a year after the boy’s birth. He also has two younger sisters that live with him, and they were Carola who is twenty-one, and Ornetta was about twenty-five.”

“Lord Samar Coltar was a druid with Nature and Physics abilities. He lives beside Mathew. He is the oldest at close to ninety-five. He has three kids waiting in the wings.”

“Sir Rothe is his oldest at fifty-eight, and he is married to Mathew’s Aunt Heidi. They have twin daughters who are about twenty-five, Mahra and Sahra. Their oldest is Vanity at twenty-eight. They all live with him.”

“Rothe’s brother Rohan purchased old Lord Tyson’s home next door to me. He also had two girls, Wella is twenty-three, Tycha is twenty-eight and he has a son Locke who is twenty-six. His wife Alsia is a sister of Lord Novel’s.”

“Lord Brace Novel married Coltar’s daughter Edith, and they have a son Michel who is thirty-two and a daughter Kally who is twenty-nine.”

“The last Lord is actually a woman. Lady Bernice Rodner inherited at twenty-six. She was married to a David Dover from Rothman. It is a town located further north of us. When her father and brother died in a cave-in, they came to claim his title, and David died on the trip.”

“She turned up here about four years ago with her daughter, Yantel. Oldest daughters do inherit here. She also has David’s brother Kim Dover who is twenty-eight with her. There are heaps of cousins all over the place, and I’ll let you work out who they are in your own time,” Jim said and then took a swig of his beer.

So plenty of ladies to choose from for a wife I thought. The only one I had met was Lindell, and she had definitely tickled my fancy. It was a shame who her father was, but I’d not met the man yet, so it was too soon to jump to conclusions about him.

I grinned at Jim, “So is a bloke allowed to try before he buys?” I asked.

He and Walter gave me perplexed looks and then Wally started chuckling. “I’ll have to remember that one. Yes and no, in answer to your question,” Wally said. “If the lady offers and you both agree no formal declaration has been made then yes. You can try and not buy.”

“If, however, you have gotten or get as far as an offer of marriage then you can keep trying, but you can’t pull out unless she is convicted of a criminal offence or retracts the offer herself before you tie the ribbon. The offer seals the deal.”

Jim shook his head, chuckled and then grinned at me, “Try before you buy, my wife is going to love that one.”

“What if I get her pregnant, but don’t wish to marry her?” I asked.

“No shame in that around here, son. Druids are a horny lot, and they will fuck just about anything. One, it means you’re fertile, and so is she. Tycha is Alysia’s daughter but because she isn’t Rohan’s she can’t inherit any titles from him but she could from her mother,” Walter replied this time.

“So if I have a child out of wedlock they can inherit from me?” I asked.

“If you officially claim the child as yours yes, but otherwise only from the mother,” Jim added.

This was good to know. With my track record of late, I’m sure to knock up someone. “This question may seem indelicate, but how often do you women cycle,” I asked.

“Cycle? I assume you mean to come into heat and are fertile?” Jim asked me for clarification.

I nodded. So he continued, “Well some women that have magical abilities can control their cycles otherwise about every ten to twelve weeks for about four days on average from what wife tells me.”

“Most don’t have their first cycle until about eighteen. They also get a distinct odour if you’ve a good nose, so you generally know when to abstain if you don’t wish them to get pregnant. Not that that is easy, a woman in heat can get the boys riled up.”

I assumed he meant men in general, but I know it’s bloody hard to stop my boys from getting riled up. I found it bloody hard saying no to Eca when she did become fertile.

I ended up fucking her even though I didn’t want to leave another child behind. I have found their need to have a child is very hard for me to walk away from and she had been as desperate as the girls in Australia had been.

He added, “The smell in my experience gets stronger the longer they go without having a child. Until they have had about three children, then it seems to lessen, and some women go even longer between cycles as they age.”

“Most of us appear to average about two or more years between kids. Some women who are novices or druids go through a second cycle in their forties to fifties if they have children early. Darling is pregnant at the moment so I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with another two or three.”

He didn’t seem the least unhappy about this development, and I got the impression he loved his wife very much and his kids. I felt he was a good man and worthy of being a Lore Druid. I also felt he was a good friend to have here. I may have to have a good look at the daughters.

Jim offered me a ride in his carriage. I looked at Walter and Wally, “Any chance you guys want to come live and work for me? I’ve gotta have space for you in that mansion.”

“What doing?” Walter asked.

“Well, I’m not sure about the renovations, but I was thinking of putting together a Trade School. I’ll need some good teachers.”

“Teachers? Us? You sure? You don’t even know what our workmanship is like,” Wally asked.

I grinned, “Do you take pride in your work?”

Walter looked affronted, “Well, of course, my workmanship is how people know I’m good.”

“See, I knew you were the right bloke to ask,” I said. The boys all laughed. “Come home with me, and we can work out the arrangements.”

Walter looked at Wally, and his son grinned and nodded. They lived in rental accommodation and had no problems with moving if it meant jobs that are more permanent for them both.

Jim took us home.