"Then it's even more important that we teach him how to use his power properly. I'll see if the matron can start giving lessons here at the castle." Chronos said.
"See if the swamp hag is willing to come along as well. Kyle is a good kid, but he might be more willing to listen to someone connected to the world like he is." Chris added.
"Will do."
As Chronos jogged back to the grove he noticed that it was closer than before. Had the matron been expanding it?
The new trees weren't as large as the originals but each of them emanated spirit showing that they had some type of magical ability. As he approached the center of the grove, he found that saplings had been planted close to the orphanage along with various herbs.
While passing through them he saw several of the younger kids carrying buckets of enchanted water.
"Hey kids. What are you doing?"
"Welcome back. The matron said we could buy sweets if we do well raising the trees. She said the castle would buy them for lots of money." Said a child that couldn't have been older than six.
"Oh, she's right but don't forget to water the herbs as well. They make food taste better and can be used in medicine. Can you tell me where the matron is? I need to talk with her."
"She's in the main building. Tell her we're doing a good job please." The kids clapped their hands together begging him.
The matron had probably promised them a reward if they did well.
"Thanks, I'll make sure to put in a good word for you." Chronos chuckled as he walked away.
At the main building he saw Birk and the other kids on the training ground.
"Inhale 4 seconds, hold your breath 2 seconds, inhale again and exhale 8 seconds. Keep your breathing steady and focus on completing the circuit, once the circuit is complete you can learn how to increase your speed." Gorvak called out as they held their stances.
They were performing the second training stance of the Guardian's Steel Breathing method, the closed-circuit breathing stance. It would allow them to swiftly recover their aura by absorbing world energy through their weapon once the loop was properly formed.
It would take them 2 or 3 weeks to properly form that loop but they were already doing a good job by reaching this point so soon.
Waving at Gorvak Chronos continued to walk towards the main building. Along the way he passed flowers and a few small animals leading their young. They passed right by Chronos and made him think they were way too relaxed around a predator.
"Matron are you in?" He knocked on the door before going inside the main building.
Bonk. "Ow."
"Wait for a response before entering." The matron said after bonking him on the head.
She took a seat by the window before opening a half-written book on herbal care she was working on for the kids.
"What do you need?"
Rubbing his head he responded, "A fairy has been born at the castle and Magnus needs someone to teach it how to use its powers. He was asking for you and the swamp hag to teach it at the castle."
She set down her quill at that. "And what will I receive in return?"
"I didn't ask but you could probably negotiate to have some of the enchanters or knights teach the kids or have them reinforce the grove with their magic. I know that Magnus is soft on kids and wouldn't mind teaching them."
Her lips pressed together in annoyance, "And you didn't think to ask about anything else? Just relay a message and you're done?" He scratched his head in embarrassment. "You need to review basic courtesy before you go to the capital."
"I'm going to the capital?" Chronos looked at her in confusion.
"Have you not heard? A letter arrived for you saying that an archivist's ship is following the Black Fang unit to pick you up. They'll be arriving in a couple of days." She informed him.
That wasn't good. He had heard about the AA's searching for him before, but he didn't think they would come all the way out here to pick him up.
Whatever they wanted must be important for them to make the trip out here.
"Thank you for informing me. By the way what is up with the grove? It's expanded and the creatures in it don't seem scared even when a predator walks right next to them."
"The grove's influence has increased. I don't know how much it will grow in the future but at the very least the blue dragon intends to make this grove one of the main features of the city in the future. As for the small creatures running around, this is a grove dedicated to the dragon god of growth. Can you think of anywhere safer for pregnant animals or their young to be?" She said in a mocking tone.
"I see." He said with a look of realization on his face. "How are the kids doing? I passed them earlier and it looked like they were learning their stances pretty quickly."
"Far too quickly!" She snapped unhappy with them growing up too fast. "But I can't complain. The blue dragon likes that method you're teaching them and wants a copy of it for the church."
"I understand but you'll need to talk about that with my uncle. He's the one who invented it."
If Uncle Braurs method was recognized by the dragon church as being superb for growth, then people all over the nation would want a copy of it. It was better to let his uncle handle that headache.
"Well, I need to make some preparations before the archivists arrive. I'll leave you to your reading." With a noble bow he backed out of the room
"Good luck."
Since he was going to the capital, he needed to start practicing noble etiquette again. He had never been very good at it to begin with, just good enough to not get in trouble with the king and it had been a while since he last needed to use it.
"You've got a sour look on your face. Everything alright?" Lyla's voice snapped him out of his contemplation.
She was crossing a bridge to join him. He smirked as she approached him as he realized he wouldn't be the only one suffering today.
"I just found out that I'm going to the capital soon. It's putting me on edge."
"Is it really that bad? For me it's just going home."
"It's not bad amongst the commoners but amongst the nobles it's like walking through a pit full of snakes. The capital nobles don't understand how much effort the landed nobles put in to keep the nation safe and try to mock us whenever we're in the capital."
"Hm, I don't really understand that, I've never interacted with the nobility."
"Then you should come practice with me. They'll definitely contact you for parties or hiring discussions. You'll need to know about noble manners so you can refuse them properly without earning their ire. Come study with me." An evil grin crossed his face as he opened the door to the study room for her motioning for her to enter.
"Can't I just leave that to you?" She asked hopefully.
He rejected her, "We're a part of the same party but we aren't related. You can't use me as a shield and will have to reject them yourself."
"Maybe I can have the temple reject them on my behalf?"
"That won't work for all of them. The more persistent ones will come directly to the temple to talk with you, and you can't bash them for it."
"Ugh." Accepting that she couldn't get out of this she entered the study and began going over noble etiquette with him.
Over the next few days the central keep was finished, and the core pillar of the towers were hidden. The walls around the edge of the plateau started being built and the base of a docking tower for flying ships was constructed.
The matron had come to an agreement with Magnus to turn one of the rooms on the first floor of the castle into a lecture hall and was giving lessons for magic in there. In return the knights would give them swordsmanship lessons and enchanting lessons for those with the talent.
She was so skilled at teaching that even the crucible knights were sitting in on her lessons.
And those lessons were already giving returns as the fairy had learned to erect a barrier that kept the rain off of the plateau while the knights worked and even managed to slightly adjust the temperature to be warmer.
Unfortunately, the swamp hag wasn't willing to travel that far from her swamp and didn't participate.
The grove had extended its reach turning the area near the plateau into a small forest, but it wasn't able to support the trees and larger plants too far out.