The World Dragon's Heir

Chapter 590: Get It Done

The engineer took out a notepad and began to scribble down the rough outline of the arena.

“If we make it this size, it’s good for the joust, but also for a tackle ball field. A bit large for cricket, but nobody will complain too much if they can still see from the stands.” Marcos offered.

“That’s pretty good.

My first thought was to make it fancy, but the weather is part of the event, no matter where we put it. Having a joust indoors just wouldn’t be the same.

Fighting in the rain is part of the spectacle.” Dominic agreed.

“And it’s part of the rules for tackle ball. The fields are usually pointed east to west, so that the team that wins the coin toss to start the game can make their opponents play into the setting sun.”

Dominic saw many possibilities to having a full stadium in the city. Not just for sports, but for special events as well.

How much more entertaining would it be if they could invite thousands of the common people to see the sorts of things that only Nobles normally got to witness?

Knighting ceremonies, holiday rituals, or even the presentation of school awards.

So few would normally get to see those things, due to limited space. But if you held them in an arena, then everyone who had an interest in the event could come to watch.

“I’m sure that you know more about stadium design than I do, so I won’t interfere. But I do know that jousting takes a lot of space, so keep that in mind, in case the horses need more space to slow after the exchange.

Even if they run out and back in, I think that it would be fine. That’s how it normally happens when the stands are just set up on one side of the fence.”

“Don’t worry, we will take care of it all. Now, is there anything else that is going to pop up on us in the next few days?

Other than tens of thousands of refugees moving across the nation like locusts, clearing out every bit of wild produce they can get their hands on?”

Dominic gave the engineer a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“Probably not, but I don’t want to say for sure and risk getting your hopes up. The refugees are coming, and they’ll need housing. But I suggest that you talk to the new mage tower that went up just the other day.

They brought a lot of trolls with them, and they’ve got suitable skills to help your team.

I’ll make sure that everyone gets paid for their work, and you can have them execute your plans for some of these new developments and roads.

Just try not to let it sprawl too much.

You can also spread across the river if you truly have to, but I would prefer that it was mostly industrial areas over there, since that side is less protected from monsters, and the river troll will get upset about constant foot traffic over new bridges.”

“You know that thing is a menace, right? It’s not a friendly sort of troll.”

Dominic nodded. “Indeed. But it eats goblins, so I’m letting it stay.”

Marcos laughed as he realized why Dominic hadn’t done anything to the local nuisance monster. A river troll might be a danger to anyone who got too close to the water, but if it lured in and ate Goblins, it was good for the farmers.

The Goblins were much worse of a threat than a single Troll.

Especially when they had Dave and Larry around to keep it under control.

“Alright, we will get right to work, and I will have the tavern put on an extra cauldron of soup to bribe the trolls of the mage sect with.

They’re likely good workers, but if Dave is anything to go by, a little bribe is what you need to really get them moving. Just tell them that there is food when they’re done work, and suddenly, it doesn’t take hours anymore.”

They were simple creatures.

“Alright, good luck. I will see you soon. Now, I should go back and see if Rill has a timeline on getting those mechanical horses for me.

Damn, I need to hire technicians for them too.”

Marcos shrugged. “We’ve all got our work cut out for us these days. Even the airships and the merchant caravans are loaded thanks to the debutante event. A lot of them got a portal in, but they don’t have one to leave, so they’re headed back with the Merchants if they’re not staying here.”

At least some of them were leaving. Dominic wasn’t sure what he was going to do with all the people that he already had.

But he could hear commotion near the Merchant’s Guild, and that likely meant that they had managed to find a chain of portals to bring the mechanical horses here already.

That must have taken some serious coordination, as it had only taken him fifteen minutes or so to find the Engineer.

But now, he could see what they had managed to find him, and whether any of it was going to be good enough to use for the event, or if they were going to have to cram a full refurbishment of a couple of units into the next few days.

Perhaps letting the Kings call in some Knights with their own mounts wasn’t a bad idea.

Not many jousting events used real horses these days, at least not in Cygnia. The risks of the animals getting hurt was considered to be too high, as they were treasured by their owners.

Thus, the mechanical horses had taken over, and the living ones were either for impoverished farmers, or wealthy racing aficionados.

Mostly the former.

Mechanical horse racing was just as entertaining, but also a way to show off the current wealth of the Nobles, who could tweak and develop the fastest steed of the latest technology.

The purebreds were more of an old money hobby than a spectacle for the masses.