Novel Full Chapter 721: Repurposed
Chapter 721: Repurposed
Dominic quickly realized that waiting for someone else to prepare the airships was not a time efficient choice.
They were already warships, they had just been modified with the removal of their masts, to replace them with the rigging for the lifting envelope. So, when he wanted to convert them back, he just had to pull the nails that held the old cannon ports locked shut and make new cannon blocks.
Then, he could make a new set of cannons, four per side, and equip the ship with a munitions orb.
Then, they were ready for a crew, and to begin the patrols.
Only, Wistover currently didn’t have any trained airship crews, and they didn’t have enough full-time soldiers to start sending whole teams out in airships to patrol the Duchy. He was going to have to hire some more people.
Giving the militia all spears was a great idea, but without a standing army, they didn’t have anyone who could devote their weeks to being on patrol.
A full loop of the Duchy in these airships would take about four days if nothing went wrong, so he could have an airship pass overhead every day, or he could assign each of them a region.
He would have to put that to the advisors.
But before he could put it to the advisors, he had a guest outside his office door, lingering.
“You know that I can hear you out there, right? You might as well come in,” he called.
The guest opened the door, and Dominic was surprised to see that it was one of the Trolls from the Sands Sect.
“How can I help you? Take a seat, have you eaten yet?”
The troll bobbed a nervous curtsy, then nodded. “Yes, Your Grace. I just came with an update. And uh, uhm. I’m not sure how you’re going to take it.”
Dominic laughed. “Don’t worry, I don’t hold a grudge against the messenger. What’s happened?”
“I came to do the checkup on the Princess, and well, there is a minor little tiny issue.”
“Which would be?”
“You see, Dragonkin, like trolls, only have a three-month gestation…”
“Oh, she’s going to murder me.”
“Probably, yes?”
“So, how far along is she? It’s been close to two months, don’t tell me that she’s only got a month left. She’s not that big yet.”
The troll giggled. “No, I don’t think it’s that bad. You’ve got about six weeks left.”
Dominic sighed. “And that means in a couple of weeks she’s going to start growing rapidly, and will be going on bed rest. Which means more work for me. Well, for Julio, since I fully intend to foist it on him.”
“We’re actually recommending light activity restrictions now.
She didn’t take the news well.”
“No, I don’t imagine that she would have. Did you try telling her that it meant she could get back to training faster?”
“I ran away when she started throwing pillows.”
Dominic laughed and the Trollish midwife shrugged. She knew that Alexis would calm down soon, but until she had it out of her system, there was no point in staying to be the target of her anger.
There was nothing valuable to break in the spare bedroom that was being used as an examination room.
“So, ten minutes before we get snacks and go see her? I’ll come back you up. But aren’t you unusually timid for a midwife?”
The troll smiled. “I’m used to Trollish fathers. They tend to get excitable, and don’t take bad news well. The Princess might throw pillows at me, and try to crush my hand with her grip, but an angry forest troll father might throw the desk at me.
Just because I can heal from it doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt.”
Dominic nodded. “I suppose that’s a good reason to be skittish. After all, Dave could toss you halfway across the yard if you gave him bad news. Fortunately, I am somewhat more docile.”
The midwife gave him a disbelieving look, and Dominic shrugged.
“Believe what you will, I’m sticking to my story. Is there anything that you need me to do?”
The troll nodded. “You need to come with me to make sure that she understands that bed rest is important, even though it’s going to be six weeks.
She might have some magical blood, like all Cygnian Royals do, but not enough of it that her body is going to have an easy time growing a child so fast. She’ll be exhausted all the time, and her muscles will struggle to adjust.
Then there are the cravings.
I don’t know what having a dragonkin baby is going to make her crave, but it won’t necessarily be edible. That happens to Trollish mothers.
If your mother was here, we could ask her for the specifics, but as she isn’t, we’re going to have to guess.
Do you have any strange food preferences that might be passed down?”
Dominic thought back to when he was a kid, and frowned.
“Dragonberries. When I was young, I craved them all the time, in pies, pastries, even straight off the bush.”
The midwife nodded, “They’re pretty wonderful… Wait. That’s a problem if she starts craving them.”
“At least it would be a quiet day?”
That made the troll laugh. “As true as that might be, it’s not good for the body.”
Gordie, the acolyte that Asmodain, the former Archmage of Kinewen Academy, had sent to Wistover, knocked then entered the room.
“I’m afraid that we have more unfortunate news for you,” he began.
“Alright, get to it. Then I can prioritize what comes first.”
The mage took a deep breath to steady himself, then blurted out the response, as if saying it faster made it easier.
“Lord Asmodain sent the Royal Guard class graduates back to Wistover, and the Guard Commander wants to know how your wife liked his wedding gift, but none of us have any idea what he’s talking about, and he’s probably going to strangle me to death.”
Dominic laughed. “Tell him that he forgot to sign the letter. He’s likely the one that sent the Princess her new storage ring. Is he perhaps an accomplished mage?”
Gordie collapsed to his knees in relief. “Oh, gods, I hope that was him. Yes, he is almost as powerful as that old necromancer. I don’t know how to deal with him, he’s intense. Please come save me!”