Kivamus gave a nod to Duvas. "It will postpone making the scorpion, but I think it's a good idea. Darora needs some time to study it more, while I also need to modify the design a little so it can be fixed on a pivot ahead of the parapets of the watchtower. Right now, it's not like we are expecting attacks from knights wearing plate armor, so we can postpone the scorpion a couple of weeks to arm our guards with more crossbows."

Duvas frowned. "I have no real proof of what this scorpion might be capable of, but it would have been very helpful in the coming raid if it works like you claim."

Kivamus shrugged. "Even if we told Darora and Cedoron to build the scorpion first, it will still take around two weeks - at least - since this is the first time they will be working on it and they might have to make changes as the final design comes into life to make sure it works properly. Most likely, if we are going to be raided, it will happen long before that and their effort would go to waste, because even if we got to finish it in time, we would still only get a single scorpion and only one watchtower could be mounted with it, while the bandits could attack from any other direction, rendering the scorpion a moot point."

He continued, "On the other hand, the carpenter could make half a dozen more crossbows in that time using his already crafted parts, if I am estimating it right. That would help us a hell of a lot more to defend from a raid. Taniok is already working on the fifth watchtower in the middle of the northern wall, so more crossbows is what we need more than anything right now. That reminds me, what about the shields Feroy wanted?"

"Darora has ordered his apprentices to start making them as well," Duvas reported, "now that we have enough iron. Their structures are simple enough that the apprentices can make them easily, but until now we were waiting for more iron, without which the wooden shields wouldn't be able to be reinforced. So Cedoron's apprentices are also making the iron bands and the other parts for reinforcing them."

"Good. So far we haven't really been using shields to train the guards... By now, I had expected to arm everyone with enough crossbows and perhaps even..." he trailed off, knowing they wouldn't be able to make guns any time soon. "Anyway, knowing how slow the process is to produce new crossbows, it was a good idea from Feroy to train them in using shields as well. At least we have half a dozen guards who already have experience in it, and can help in training the others."

The majordomo glanced at the nearby guards again. "What do you want to do about them? We really need a regular supply of meat to feed the villagers and keeping the guards cooped up within the walls for so long isn't a good idea anyway."

Kivamus sighed. "I know... but we can't afford to lower our strength right when we are expecting the raid. Let's wait a few more days, and if there is still no sign of Torhan, we will start by sending out a single hunting group, and will increase them as needed."

Duvas nodded. "It should be fine I guess. Although we do have to think about how to start paying the guards soon. We may not be able to pay all the villagers yet, but at least we need to start with the guards and the manor servants, along with the maids."

Kivamus exhaled. Their expenses were not going to go down anytime soon, were they? "Let's wait for more merchants to come, and then we'll see about it. We do need to save enough gold to pay the tax again in the autumn, but hopefully we should be able to raise more revenue from uh... our original products."

"I pray that Pydaso is successful with that negotiation in Ulriga..." the majordomo muttered while looking at the sky. "Tax-free income would be a goddess-send for us right now." He glanced at the servants' hall. "Today is the weekly grain distribution day for the villagers, so I should talk with Madam Nerida about how to manage it from our limited food reserves, for when the workers return in the evening."

"Go on then."

Kivamus watched as Duvas walked away, before he turned towards the manor house. He needed to modify the scorpion blueprint first, and then he could finally start working on something he had wanted to design since arriving here.

***

In the evening, Kivamus had just finished with the blueprint, and given it to a servant to take it to the carpenter. He glanced at the empty shelf in the corner of the manor hall where he used to keep blueprints in the past. After the scare of the knight arriving in the manor just as he had remembered to put them away, he had decided to keep all of their blueprints and such designs in the makeshift laboratory room and only bring those blueprints here which he had to work on at the moment, just to be on the safer side. It would be far easier to explain a single drawing as his idle musings to someone, compared to explaining how he got a shelf full of such designs.

Stolen novel; please report.

However, something still had to be done to prevent such a thing happening again in the future. While calling that laboratory a storage room had worked this time to prevent it from scrutiny, they couldn't take such a risk in the future. They really needed more space for things like that.

He snorted. When he had arrived at this manor house before the winter, it had seemed way too big to him with nearly a dozen rooms and only Duvas and him to stay here, but now it felt far too small. Perhaps it was a good thing too. It showed that Tiranat was progressing. Still, there wasn't anything he could do about this problem before the more important tasks were completed - the list of which always kept growing - but he would have to think of a good solution for it in the future.

Duvas, who had been sitting nearby while scribbling on his ledger about the usual daily expenses, put his quill down right as the outer door opened and the guard captain walked inside.

"Milord, I have uh..." Hudan scratched the back of his head, "good news I guess."

Kivamus looked at him in curiosity. "What is it?"

"Well, the guards on duty at the south-western gate just reported that more than a dozen new refugees have arrived there from the west."

Kivamus shook his head. "More immigrants right when we don't have enough food to feed them.... Still, this is indeed good news. Now that we have shifted the village to only two meals a day, our remaining food supplies should stretch long enough for us to feed them until we can buy more wheat. Any good craftsmen in them?"

Hudan shrugged. "Not really. Most of 'em were slaves and did whatever their masters asked them to do, while the others used to work as laborers and such. No carpenters or blacksmiths there."

"Well, we can't have everything I guess. You did confirm that they were not bandits or any scouts for Torhan, right?"

"Of course. None of them were even armed. Most of them were gaunt and haggard, and didn't look strong enough even to break a twig in half." The guard captain snorted. "Trust me, they aren't bandits. But I'll still ask Feroy to talk to each of them separately to confirm their stories."

"That's a good idea," Kivamus agreed, before looking at the majordomo. "You have already asked the villagers for us using their shacks, right?"

Duvas gave a nod. "I have, although those are hardly in great condition. But we have more than enough space to house these new arrivals for now."

"Good, it will have to do for now, but we really need to start working on better housing soon, preferably before the summer is here. Now that the village's population is increasing, we will need at least one more longhouse block soon before we can start making new houses where the shacks are currently standing."

"There is certainly a lot to do..." Duvas sighed. "Taniok will need three or four more days to finish the fifth watchtower, then around another week to finish the last one in the south. Then you wanted to have him work on the triphammer, right? Shouldn't we make a new longhouse block first?"

Kivamus shook his head. "Now that the dam is complete and the waterwheel there is working properly, that trip hammer is going to be very important for Tiranat. It will help us a lot in making more paper, as well as cutting new planks at a very high rate, which will speed up most of the construction in the future. Once it's done, Taniok will be able to make new buildings far faster than he can do now." He looked back at Hudan. "How is Levalas doing?"

The guard captain snorted. "We did give him some real wounds to make it seem genuine, so he'll need a few more days before he's ready to run around."

"That's a good thing actually..." Kivamus said. "It will give Feroy and the other guards more time to talk with him and find out if he has any hidden intentions in mind."

"Of course," Hudan agreed. "We have enough guards here right now, so I have already told some of them to keep an eye on him all the time. Once he has healed fully, I'll start including Levalas in the daily workouts and training with the other guards to get him up to speed to our standards, which will also give me a chance to find out more about him."

Duvas looked at him in curiosity. "Did nobody wonder why we suddenly have a new guard here - one who wasn't even a resident of Tiranat? How are the other guards taking it?"

"That's the thing," Hudan shook his head in wonder. "The morale of the guards has only increased once they found out about Levalas, or rather, Levalo - as he prefers to be called in public, so nobody asks questions about his original name. Anyway, even though we are keeping his real employer Zoricus as well as his noble blood hidden from everyone else, all the guards and even the servants are happy to see that someone who used to work for the Count wants to serve you now. It makes them feel proud of their workplace!"

Kivamus chuckled. "That makes sense. I guess it was a good decision to keep Levalas here, for so many reasons..."