CHAPTER 252: BILLY BOB

Dominic sensed the Princess and the others returning from the hunt, mostly by the smell of fresh blood from their catch, but didn’t say anything as he read the decree.

"Alright. Let your animals rest a moment. There are estates nearby, and the Princess will know best which are most suitable for your people to move in to. Many of them were never looted, so they’ve simply been abandoned for a decade.

But they might have technomagic for basic repairs and such.

If they do, we can patch it up in an afternoon, and you’ll have everything that the former Baron left behind." Dominic explained.

William Robert smiled. "That would be spectacular. I grabbed everything that I thought I would need, including this group of refugees looking for a new home. They’re from the Cleowey region, and their home village was burnt in the first stages of the war, so they were already in the Capital."

Dominic knew that the Princess had been spotted when the others with the new Baron bowed nearly parallel to the ground, and William Robert raised his fist to his chest in a military salute.

"Princess, it is an honour to meet you here today. I come bearing good news. I have been granted a Barony within your territory." He announced.

Alexis smiled. "Billy Bob, it’s good to see you again. Though I didn’t expect anyone from the Regiment to be here so early."

The soldier blushed a little at the familiar nickname, and the Royal Guards chuckled at his embarrassment.

"I came back early, and was released from service to take up the title. Duke Wistover mentioned that you might know which of the Barony Houses within the territory would be best to choose from." He explained.

Alexis nodded. "There is one that the Guards noticed a few days ago, still intact, with mostly intact farm houses. It will need cleaning and some maintenance, as it hasn’t been touched since the fall of Wavemates.

But you should be able to move in by tomorrow night, and the residents you brought will have somewhere suitable to stay as well.

There aren’t any villages around the Barony houses, but there are clusters of farmsteads. I think that it should be suitable."

Baron William smiled. "If it’s that close, wouldn’t it be possible to get there yet today? There is plenty of light."

Dominic leaned closer, so the others wouldn’t hear him.

"There are still skeletons in the houses and yards from the battle. Both soldiers and residents. There has been literally nobody here since the war. The area was cursed, and nobody dared to enter." He whispered.

"Right then. We will set up camp here outside the Manor." The Baron agreed, realizing the issue.

"Have the others set up in the yard. We will have the kitchen make enough for everyone. They’re likely already at it, Beth is good like that." Alexis corrected him.

"You heard the Princess. We’re setting camp, and the Duke’s men will lead us to our new home in the morning." Baron William informed his people.

Then he turned to Dominic. "Would it be possible to have you send someone to clear the destination of corpses before we arrive? The refugees might not take it well, and there would be many suspicions if I vanished for the evening."

Dominic nodded. "I will go myself to clear the house and the intact farm houses. It’s only right that I am the one to go. Just let me talk to the Princess and see what Manor she wanted you to pick.

Technically, it is your choice which Manor and territory you move in to, as a Titled Baron. But it’s usually wisest to listen to the Princess."

The Baron chuckled. "Given the circumstances, that might be more true than ever. Some of the houses will be in very rough shape after a decade abandoned, and who knows what sort of shape the territory will be in.

So, going by what she already knows about the region, is guaranteed to be the best choice.

But the real question is if she decided to explore so that she knew her territory better, or if she was actually out monster hunting out of boredom and exploring the manors was a secondary concern."

It was definitely the second one, Dominic knew. But he wouldn’t say it out loud because they both should have taken time to visit more of the territory than just the few farmsteads around the Ducal estate.

However, they had been much too busy.

The travelling group started to set tents inside the wall of the estate, the safest spot they could have hoped to be for the night, and the maids came out to set up tables for the feast.

"You know, you don’t have to do that, Duke Dominic. You just got here, too. And your supplies can’t be in a great position." Baron William whispered.

"We’re not so desperate that we’re short on food just yet. Don’t worry about it. The new arrivals that we’ve gained since we arrived all picked nearby farms that had intact gardens, so the estate is already providing enough to support its people.

For the most part, anyhow." Dominic replied, shrugging off his concern.

The meal was heavy on the soup, with fresh bread. The sliced meat and cheese weren’t as plentiful, but none of the farmers would be shocked by that.

Dinner on the farm was a lighter meal, with the majority of the food intake reserved for breakfast and lunch, when they needed the fuel to keep working. Even this much for dinner was far more than most of them had managed at their own homes before the war.

But the real treat came out a moment later, when Beth brought out a large and decadent cake, sliced for everyone to get a portion.

That sort of treatment for travelling peasantry was a rare thing among the Nobility.

Surely, they all would have offered the Baron such hospitality, but only a few would extend that courtesy to common farmers.

"There is a shower head at the side of the shed, with a curtain hung around it. If anyone wishes to wash up for the evening, so you can leave early, it’s free to use, but the shower dispenses only cold water." Dominic informed one of the carriage drivers.

"Thank you, Lord Dominic. I will welcome a chance to wash the worst of the dust off after a week on the road." The man replied quietly.

Unlike Dominic’s convoy of magitech trucks, they had been travelling with animal drawn carts. It was not a short trip from the Capital.