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  “You’re considered frontier?” I asked.

  Lady Laurn patted his arm to talk. “Trimi is the frontier, but it's growing. Riverten is considered an outpost. It lacks a noble to lead it because it is literally a chamber pot. If it keeps growing though, they might get a baron. Meaning we have a large selection of servants to pick from and we need to expand our power. It’s almost as if the gods brought us together.”

  I saw where this was going. “I’ll bind trade deals but not myself. If you want to pawn a daughter off, find another man. I’m a Master Mage, not a husband to get tied down.”

  Lady Laurn grunted with a frown while Viscount Toony chuckled. “Dashing her hopes already. We don’t need to bind you to us except in trade.”

  “Rin needs a wife, but a Master would probably help him grow a bloody spine,” Laurn muttered.

  The husband ignored his wife. “You’ve given me much to think about. To start, I’ll send you with Targon to the servant and recruiting markets. I advise buying binding parchments by the hundreds. Then getting either lessons on binding or a binder as a servant. I find your proposals interesting and feel we can work together.”

  He stood extending a forearm. I joined my arm to his in a clasp.

  Targon walked us out of the extravagant hall, giving me much to think about.

  CHAPTER 17

  Lornia - Trimi

  216th day of the 1st year of King Partel’s Reign

  The carriage rolled with only slight jostles. I sat inside this time on a comfy bench staring out the windows as the city went by. A ruffled nose from Pima revealed that we arrived in a stinker part of town.

  Pima was silent until she summoned the courage to say, “You killed him.”

  “And?” I snorted aggressively in reply.

  “I’m… not sure I want to be a killer,” she muttered, fiddling her fingers against her braid.

  I wanted to smack her.

  Then, without any warning I reached back, and actually did unleash a hard smack to her cheek. The sound echoed in the carriage, her hand instantly went to her reddening cheek.

  “You naive little Princess. There is death everywhere here. The only thing that kept you from likely being raped was your father. The only thing keeping me alive, and your innocence intact, is my power. You're not the craftsman’s daughter anymore,” I scolded her.

  While I may not be some super badass yet, I was a realist. Lornia was not Earth. The meek bowed to the powerful. That left me with a choice. Did I become more like a Lornian or did I become meek? No… I was a master mage and I’d sure as hell act like one.

  “I understand, Master,” Pima said in a frightened tone.

  She needed to get laid, live life, and have some adventures of her own. Else she’d always be in her shell. With that one dumb comment, I knew I’d be sending her on a challenging mission she could learn from.

  The front of the wagon had a view port for the driver. It slid open, my lovely guard’s face covered the view. “We’re here. Targon is setting up a private room for key interviewees to arrive in.”

  “Excellent. Are we in the regular hiring or crown servants?”

  “Hiring, Master,” Susanna said with her winning smile. “Do you want to be in the failed servant area?”

  “They are desperate right?” I asked.

  “They tend to be troublemakers though, present company included,” she retorted, thinking herself hilarious. “The crown market for servants is not far, Master.”

  I bit my fingernail while Pima tugged on her braid. My fingers found a pouch of gold coins.

  I eyed Pima. “Go to the servants. Pick three males, half fey or human. No full fey. Three you’d desire,” I said, putting the coins in front of her. “Bind them to you. When I say desire I mean it. If it's a ladies touch, then so be it. But… Pima, desire. You need to understand you have power, or else I’ll relegate you to cooking and popping out babies.”

  She gulped, her wide green eyes were terrified. “Desire?”

  Susanna laughed from the viewpoint. “Buy three males you want to share a bed with, sheesh. Can I buy some women for your estate, Master?”

  I mulled it over. “For pleasure or for a purpose? Like cooking or cleaning.”

  “Purpose, unless Master is too busy for pleasuring and I’m forgotten for long periods,” Susanna admitted. “You did say you want multiple lovers.”

  I loved her honesty. A woman who was straight with her emotions and able to tell me how it was, gave me so much clarity to my own feelings.

  Yukio had added to his list wanting females for egg collection to be brought back. Especially magical half fey.

  While I hated the notion, I knew I could really help their lives by rewarding them with a nice place and a bright future. Sure, it was a bit more than giving blood, but I promised myself it would equal out.

  “I have most of the gold on me. You still have the fifteen in your robes?” I asked and Savannah nodded. “Get me a wagon full of young fodder. Eighteen or older. Majority female but add some men. We can get trinkets next time. Seems every time I have a plan, things distract me,” I muttered the last line.

  Susanna raced down, opening the door before extending a hand for Pima.

  “No. She is going on her own. You're both not to talk to each other until you bring me my new servants,” I said, seeing Targon approach behind Susanna.

  I pushed aside Susanna to join Targon. The man turned to lead me into a building that reminded me of a courthouse. The stone exterior shot into the sky with moss growing into the walls. I tried to get a good view of the street, but we were inside before I could.

  “There are cells above and below our meeting room. Since you’re on Viscount’s friend list we received full access and a couch room,” Targon said.

  I smiled internally. I was going to be casting interviews from a couch. The naughty side of me was delighted by this.

  While the other two were shopping for lust, I was mainly here for protection. Okay, a bit of lust too. I was certainly interested to see the process from my perspective.

  My thoughts were interrupted when I was handed a list of names that was legible, neat, and actually useful. I followed behind Targon while flipping the hiring page.

  “To clarify, these are workers seeking employment with no blemishes on their records?” I asked, thumbing the sheets.

  “Correct,” Targon said, turning us left to another long utilitarian hallway with flickering candles. “Mostly. If you have a bad record, and redeem yourself you can end up on this list again. So, they aren’t perfect but they do value being on that list than in the crown’s servant pits.

  The list had species, occupation specialty, age, sex, binding status, and children. This bracketing would be so illegal on Earth, and yet perfectly fine in Lornia. I flipped to the single fey for a few fancy reasons.

  Hmm… Their occupations were all labor or hunting. None were guards. I guess this made sense. Nobles clearly only hired humans as guards and not part fey.

  Targon opened a large door, revealing an exterior room with a high cutout that illuminated the space. There was a chair, a table, and behind that a couch. A wrinkly old man sat to the left of the couch in the corner. Targon gestured for me to relax in the chair to the right of the couch.

  Before I sat I huffed, not sure where to start. Then it hit me. Susanna was young, inexperienced, and while devoted, not a leader veterans would follow.

  I flicked through the pages until I found humans. My finger traced down the page until I found two ideal candidates.

  Norlan - human - veteran guard - 36 - male - married - ten children.

  Thran - human - veteran archer - 33 - male - married - seven children.

  Both these men were successful, established, and families they wanted to come home to. The exact thing I needed. I pointed to the names for Targon who rang a bell, sending a runner to fetch these men.

  “What about a binder? I don’t see one,” I said double checking the list.

&
nbsp; “Both of the veterans know how to bind and will teach you. It's rather easy,” Targon said when there was a knock at the door.

  Norlan was missing an eye and his left hand. The man oozed a grumpy dad who protected his daughters with a shotgun.

  I gestured for him to sit across from me. The single eye headed for the chair, giving a manly nod of greeting to Targon. My peripheral caught the return nod.

  “Why should I hire you?” I asked once he was firmly seated.

  “Not interested in being hired until I hear what the job is,” Norlan said with a calm, even tone.

  “You’ll be training new recruits in a lavish estate not in Lornia. There will be no external threats predicted, and if they do arrive at my secluded estate on Pangea we wouldn’t win against their magic.”

  There was a darting eye to Targon who inclined his head.

  “That… sounds lovely. I have a few flaws, but I can train troops better than most. I simply strap a shield to my handless arm,” he said holding up his nub. “I assure you, it works as a great shield holder in battle. I lost the limb in the campaign against the dwarves of Lin Hold.”

  “Okay, I have one more interviewee to look at after you. Assuming you want the job,” I said.

  “Aye, I need the work. Not many opportunities come around during winter season, and Targon vouched for you,” Norlan said and I smirked.

  A simple nod exchange could say so much between men.

  “Thran is next so—”

  He chuckled before saying, “I’ll be outside the door.”

  I wanted to pester him but Thran heard his name, gallivanting to the seat the moment it was open.

  Thran was handsome, super confident, and carried an air of superiority. While I respected confidence, I wasn’t wanting my head guard to be chasing any ass while on the job. I wanted a professional soldier, but he clearly would have issues taking orders from me. I dismissed him and then went into negotiations with Norlan.

  Norlan agreed to train my troops, guard my life, and do as he was told within reason for ten silver coins every month for the winter, and a full gold per month during the summer when rates went up. We agreed on three years, him getting a five gold advance, twenty gold for supplies, and was told to say goodbye to his family whom he would get to see often. Hopefully.

  I intended to leave tonight. He mentioned before he left that he desired to say a long goodbye, and would be ready near dusk. He departed and I felt like I’d made the right choice.

  “I take it you approve?” I said to an amused Targon.

  “Yes, Norlan was the wise choice. Thran is someone you want to hire to lead a dragon quest, not guard your person,” he said, ringing the bell. The young boy runner stood by the door. “What next Master Mage Trevor?”

  I buried my face behind the pages in thought. “My next choices are going to be … more personal. Will that bother you?” I asked and Targon shook his head no.

  I didn’t care if the Viscount knew I was going to seduce half and quarter fey to my side.

  The binding contractor cleared his throat. “The N by the sex will mean they have been neutered and NB debarbed. Everything works, or so I’m told. Be careful, an NB will still have the ability to produce heirs. The neutered procedure is voluntary and only a few go through with it because you stop wanting sex with no balls, and if you have ladies that need pleasing, we don’t want that, do we?”

  I chuckled when the old man smirked. I studied the list trying to figure out how to proceed.

  This was only a section of the first page of ten pages. A lot of these were childless fey and most of the cat species had barbs removed. Clearly, women liked the male fey because a few of the unmarried ones had kids. I sighed, giving the list a second read.

  Thankfully most of the females were without children.

  How did one screw a full eagle fey?

  “Can these eagle fey carry me?” I asked.

  “Full eagle fey can over a small distance. If you need a flight it is same sex only though, they are serial rapists with potent sperm or eggs. Actually, they all are like that for the most part if they catch a human alone.” He sighed. “Yeah, Lornia fey are ostracized for a reason,” Targon said and I smirked at his word choice.

  “There are so many available. Why does no one hire them?”

  “The magical ones get scooped up by Farlake Academy quickly. Besides that the Viscount wasn’t kidding. The cities have limits to how many they can hold, and we have space. Meaning our cheap rent or cheap land is getting snatched up by these good ones.”

  “Why not stick them in the fields?” I asked.

  “They do work the farms,” the old man said.

  “You lost me,” I admitted.

  “Winter is coming. They get a roof, food, and a few tin coins a day to work the fields. While it’s enough survive on it adds to nothing, entrenching the serfs in a cycle that at least they persist through. They come here every day off they can. A good job with a noble or tradesman is fantastic. There are so many here for many reasons and they all are happening at once,” Targon said.

  “There are more fey than humans, can’t they do the same work like driving a carriage. I get the guarding thing,” I said.

  “Just … well, you’re different. Most offers involve sex. A lot of those fey don’t want to only be sex toys. Respect goes a long way for these people, and people they are. When they can’t find work as a hunter they’ll swap to occupations with higher demands,” Targon said bluntly. “And let me tell you, a few may be less than stellar hunters.”

  I sighed, not sure how to proceed. “Is there a way for me to walk the line to select what I want to hire?”

  “Absolutely, it’d save a ton of time too. Just offer them a stiff contract that covers everything you need and don’t negotiate. Offer anything better than pulling crops out of the fields, and probably the majority will take a crummy deal,” Targon said with a devious tone that didn’t match his genuine smile.

  “I take it you’ve been in this room before,” I said and he nodded.

  “There are plenty of nobles not versed in acquiring help. Like that Kellum, you elevated him,” Targon said with the old man nodding in agreement.

  “Am I that important?” I asked.

  “Maybe. Don’t be surprised if he is a baron the next time you visit. You having his daughter at your side is something even the Viscount doesn’t have. When Kellum suddenly needs guards and servants that don’t work in his warehouse, he’ll come to this very room with me and Jeb.”

  I didn’t realize Jeb was the old man helping with the binding contracts. I gave a meek smile and small wave.

  “Thanks for your help, Jeb. I want a guard contract. Emphasize the guard is primary to include training, equipment that will follow with them after contract, and give an offer of five silvers a month with a gold signing bonus,” I said sternly. “No children in primary care, none older than thirty, and no married fey.”

  “Mighty fair of you, Lord Trevor. And the sex toy terms?” Jeb said directly.

  I bit my lip while folding my arms. “None. Anything they do with their private time will be consensual. Pangea healer exams are mandatory. In exchange wellness checkups will be given. That should cover me, right?” I asked Jeb.

  “No one keeps denials open and consensual. They specify things like denial for urine or blood, but… if you're not looking for a specific toy, and playing the field for what you want, it will help build a better bonding. May I include no rape by any party under any circumstances?”

  “Hell yes,” I blurted.

  “I’ll read the terms and see who stays. Fey only to start?” Targon said with a smile, taking the list.

  “Yeah, can always pick more next time. I got Susanna and Pima heading to the crown’s troublemakers to get cleaning servants,” I said nonchalantly.

  He patted my shoulder and said, “For not being from Lornia, you’re making some wise choices. I think Lady Laurn and the Viscount will want to visit this… intere
sting place you have in Pangea.”

  I snickered, understanding his hint. Nobles like kinky times too. “I certainly will welcome a team of archers on my side. Even if Viscount Toony secures my desired tomes of magic, I’d still like to see more of Lornia”

  “Ensure they are trained to fight by Norlan then … Well, then you can start completing kingdom quests. I know the thing holding Viscount Toony from becoming a Count is that he’s not rooting out possible expansion spots controlled by fey packs,” Targon said, leaving me with something to mull over.

  At least that was expected. I figured in a land encroached by foes on all sides there would be more mercenary type trades. Eh, time would tell.

  Jeb left to help Targon, leaving me waiting there for them to sort who was even willing to entertain my offer.

  While I waited, Lady Laurn arrived with an angry young man that had to be Rin. He was all sorts of pissed off at the situation. He might be pretty enough for Lidia and in a few years ladies would swoon. I just didn’t see the purpose of adding a second brat to my team.

  We quibbled about me taking on her son as an apprentice, which turned to arguing. When she finally dismissed Rin, I was handed a binding offer from Viscount Loony. Rid the eastern Monvia Woods of a wolf-kin pack so he could build another outpost. In exchange he would send two work crews, at half cost, to my arrival spot outside of Riverten.

  The terms were good for a full year. I needed to make at least one attempt to slay the pack, so I accepted. Failure to attempt was ten Lornian gold coins in recompense to the Viscount. If I went, and lost, then both sides gained nothing.

  Yukio wanted more wolf fey bodies, and I wanted to have an objective to prepare for. A solid motivating mission to rid the woods of this wolf-kin pack would be a great way to organize my budding army.

  A second trade agreement was presented. Basic middleman for ten percent to go send serfs, and guards through the snow to fetch me items. I agreed with both parties having the right to cancel at any time. I would need to return with gold to initiate any orders.

  After I signed both we apologized for our raised voices and she left, leaving me to think over how many guards I should pick.