"What do you think?" Countess Dewinter asked as Wolfe got back in the carriage and settled back into his seat.
"I think that we can do wonderful things here for you. First we will take a tour through the farms, to make sure there are no major issues that I missed, but after that, we can make a stop in the village and I will give them the upgrades I promised." Wolfe agreed.
The Countess smiled, while the Duke and his daughter both looked envious.
"What sort of price did the Countess pay that warrants such extensive magical assistance?" Duke Roth pondered out loud, stroking his beard as he considered whether he too might be able to make such an arrangement.
"She tradeda rare magical device of particular interest to myself. But if you have something that catches my eye, I might be willing to help you in various ways.
You're not too old yet, there might still be a chance for a son, or perhaps your properties might also be in need of magical assistance." Wolfe suggested.
The Duke's daughter grabbed Wolfe by the jacket and turned him to face her. "There is a chance that my father's inheritance issues could be sorted? The man has four concubines, and hasn't managed a single child in the sixteen years since I was born."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtCassie and Ella both burst into laughter at her enthusiasm for more children in the family, but Wolfe smirked back at her.
"Or I could have you altered into a real boy, and you could make the heirs yourself." He suggested.
The girl rolled her eyes, then looked down at herself with a smile. "No, I rather think that I like this form. If you could help him with his fertility issue, I would be willing to pay any price you demand."
Cassie tossed a coin at Wolfe. "See, I knew it. Every single twe go somewhere, you end up with a new concubine."
Duke Roth laughed. "Is it really possible? The doctors here say my chances are rather slim, that's why I've been trying so hard."
Cassie nodded. "With the right application of magic, you could have an entire sports team worth of children on the way within the month."
"Then perhaps we can sign a contract? I will offer you my daughter in exchange for your magical assistance in generating an heir, with the clause that if I should not produce one, then she shall be returned with a husband more powerful than any of my male family members before my passing." Duke Roth suggested.
Countess Dewinter looked scandalized at the offer, but also intrigued. For the Duke that was a win, win situation. The family would stay with his direct bloodline, either through his daughter or his sons, and his greedy extended family would be cut out after spending years posturing that they would be the next Ducal family.
Cassie nodded. "On the way back, we will have to stop at your home, or you will have to invite your concubines to the Countess Dewinter's estates. It might seem a bit crass, but I need to see everyone to ensure the magic works properly, and I believe the Countess will have to provide you ssoundproofed rooms to test the efficacy.
I can provide the soundproofing if necessary."
The two younger women were blushing all the way to their ears, but the Duke only laughed. "It seems that your brides have a more worldly understanding than most, Saint Noxus. I will send them a message now so that they can prepare and meet us at the Countess' manor. They will need stto get ready, they were not planning to leave the property today, as I was only just coming into the city from my own properties."
He cast a spell that opened a small portal, and Wolfe focused hard to memorize the magic. It was made of Unholy Magic, and didn't actually split space. Instead, it used magic to link two points, and create something more like an instant transmission effect, where the sounds or objects passed through faster than one could notice the movement.
The spell imprinted into Wolfe's Inheritance spell once he had finished analyzing it, and he knew that once he got back home, he would be able to revolutionize communications.
He didn't know if you could pass a living thing through that safely, but paperwork or a spoken command wouldn't be an issue.
"Please have everyone prepared to go to the Countess Dewinter's estate for a luncheon meeting. All the concubines are requested, and her guest believes that he can help us with our issue." The Duke instructed, then closed the spell.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"That really takes it out of me. The energy drain is intense, but there is no better way to get a message across." He informed the others with a smile.
That must mean that it was fairly rare magic, and Wolfe was glad that he got a good enough look at it to understand how the spell worked before it was over.
As they rolled through the farmland, Stephanie prepared the Garden Charm that would extend over the entire area, while Wolfe prepared to cast a Kind Intentions spell over the village.
They didn't have magic to keep an actual barrier up, but a mild version of Kind Intentions, that didn't forcefully stop anything, but discouraged crand violent actions with a subconscious level of resistance would still make the town a safer place than it already was.
The biggest improvements would be from the Garden Charm that Stephanie was going to sneakily cast, and the renovations to the workshops that Cassie and Ella were openly planning to work on.
The stop should only take about fifteen minutes, but it would be long enough.
"I will call for everyone who can to pause their work and csay hello. That way, we can let you do the renovations while none of the equipment is moving." Countess Dewinter explained.
"That would be perfect. It will also give us a chance to meet more people, and sometimes, they have valuable insights to share that we wouldn't have thought of on our own." Cassie agreed.