Novel Full Chapter 910 910 A Little Change Here And There
As they got out of the carriage, the doorman smiled happily and the butler was positively glowing with joy. If Wolfe didn’t know better, he would think that she brought back a suitor, but in their situation, it was understandable that they were this excited about getting the defensive wards on the property replaced.
“Welcome to the Dewinter Estate, Saint Noxus. Welcome home, Countess. Welcome to our home, Ladies Noxus.” The two servants greeted them in unison.
It seemed a bit odd that they had greeted him first, Wolfe thought. But they had also greeted him as Saint Noxus, and that title tended to hold a lot of weight. Even more, it seemed, than the owner of the house you were visiting.
Wolfe noticed that at the front gates, there were a pair of Lion statues, and someone had vandalized the placards below them that held the defensive inscriptions that should activate them when the house was attacked. They would function as automatons, following simple orders from the owner of the house, but they were made of enchanted bronze, and would be nearly impossible to destroy.
The inscription was still salvageable, Wolfe thought, and he could see what it was intended to do, so he took a moment to repair the damaged portions, where a blade had melted the bronze placards that the inscription was placed on, and then smooth out the placards again, leaving them blank and waiting for a secondary layer with a dedication to be riveted on.
That seemed like a good start, and Wolfe noticed that there was a secondary stone foundation under the front porch, so he implanted the [Kind Intentions] spell into the middle of the stone, hidden from sight or casual inspection.
Now he didn’t have to hold the spell, and it would stay in effect.
It wasn’t anywhere near his maximum strength, but even a Rank Four Kind Intentions spell would eliminate any suspects who wouldn’t dare to attack you in public.
If you made enemies that powerful, they would find a way to get to you, and this wasn’t a fortified position, it was a manor in the middle of a major city.
Cassie smiled, and followed Wolfe’s lead, using the bottom of the stone foundation under the porch to cast a Rank Two garden charm on the property. It would keep the plants growing smoothly all year round, and the flowers blooming, which was a crucial social function of the gardens here.
Then she began on a repair charm for the property itself, to revitalize the antique furniture and the worn interior. The manor house had clearly seen much better days, but if the Countess was truly focusing everything she had on the people working her properties, there wouldn’t be much left to go into a manor house where only one person still resided.
It was five stories tall, covered thousands of square metres, and from what [Detect Hidden] told her, about ninety percent abandoned, with the furniture under cloth sheets to keep dust off.
That would no longer be an issue with the enchantments she had placed, but it might be some time before there was enough of the Dewinter Family to make this place feel like a home.
The Countess was about to welcome them inside when the repair charm took effect, and the building began to visibly repair itself.
Flaking paint and faded varnish refreshed over the course of the next minute, threadbare carpet regained its lost volume, dry rotted furniture returned to a solid state without losing the patina of a century old piece, and somewhere in the distance the sound of shocked kitchen workers said that the rest of the house was affected as well.
Cassie smiled at the tiny Countess. “There was no need to wait. It’s better that everything gets started today, so we can start tomorrow off on a fresh note. I think Wolfe will cast the first barriers over the property before we retire for the evening, but he might need to walk the grounds to get a good sense of where the property lines are.”
Wolfe shook his head. “I checked on the way in. The property is square with a granite block wall all around it. There are three gates, two on the main streets, as this is a corner lot, and one in the back alley that is no larger than an interior door. I will be able to cast the protective barriers without going to them, I just need to know where you want to place the core.
As it’s a defensive barrier, you will need people there to defend it when you are attacked, both from internal threats and to keep feeding it mana. Do you have a place in mind? It will only take a minute to place.”
She gestured to the butler, who turned and led them down a hallway as he marvelled at the changes that were still occurring in the house, bringing it back to pristine condition.
“This magic of yours is incredible. I would have never thought that this old manor could look so good. There was once a more grand property in the Family, next to the Palace, but that was sold before the Family fell into tragedy. This is a wonderful change, and if it lasts, I would be proud to host the upper nobility again soon.” The butler informed them with happy tears in his eyes.
“You will have to quite soon. After the spectacle that we made at the party this evening, I suspect that you will have callers starting in the morning tomorrow, come to greet your lady, and certainly not to try to plead for favours from her guests.” Cassie chuckled.
“That would be horribly rude manners. Of course, they would be here to see our esteemed Lady. I will ensure that there are enough supplies in the house that we can provide a brunch for our anticipated guests.”
The Countess smiled in amusement at their joking and led the way into the panic room in the basement.
“This is where we keep the defensive arrays. These have remained untouched for generations, but they were never the strongest. There is a basic shield over the panic room, but not the rest of the property.” She explained.
Wolfe stepped inside and saw the handful of magical items. It was more of a Family Treasury, and almost all the alcove positions which once held treasures had been vacant for so long that they had accumulated a heavy layer of dust.
The Family might have all died in a tragedy, but their finances had been gone for some time before that. It was only their title that had been keeping them going, as a Peerage couldn’t be sold, it was granted by the Crown.
“I will get to work right away. Just give me a few minutes, and the property should be as secure as any in town.” Wolfe informed them as he planned the work ahead.
A few defensive spells on the gargoyles that lined the roof, to fight off attackers, the barrier over the property itself, an actual spell over the panic room, and not just that shield sceptre that was serving the purpose now, and then a nice chunk of Mana Crystal to power it all. That should be plenty, he thought.
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