Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 942: Sibling Reunion I

CH942 Sibling Reunion I

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Alex, his wives and Beast Companions exited the Wyvern Carriage at the station, where they were met by the Golden Palace branch manager in the domain.

The manager quietly handed over a carriage to them.

Dread protested, and the magical beasts saddled to pull the carriage were removed. The Nightmare Horse pulled the carriage himself instead.

Senu perched on the carriage while Fen enjoyed himself in Zora’s arms.

The carriage travelled through Cowle City.

The city had mostly been rebuilt after it had been destroyed by Alex himself during the Wildkin raids that swept through the region.

The city looked like a well-developed clay-brick-and-stone medieval city from Alex’s previous life. It had wide roads that could accommodate four carriages side by side on the main roads, and two lanes for the minor inner roads.

It was also clear that particular attention had been paid to drainage and waste management. Alex and his wives saw sanitation workers cleaning the streets of droppings and flushing them into an ever-flowing, closed drainage system that seemed to carry them to decentralised treatment stations.

According to Alex’s own notes, at the treatment stations, the flushed manure-rich waste would be treated using a combination of Runic Formations and spells cast by acolytes—trainee Mages—with Light affinity and/or Tier 0 Apprentice Healers.

The leftover, odourless compost mash was bagged and sold as manure, creating one of the domain’s hidden economic pipelines.

The family was also quick to notice a strong carpentry and masonry culture in the city, with a few metalwork foundries popping up here and there.

After an hour’s journey—mostly due to them intentionally touring the streets around the city’s central districts—the family finally arrived at the Lord’s estate.

Ordinarily, the carriage would have been stopped at the gate. However, Alex merely stuck his head out, and they were let in.

It wasn’t that the guards knew his identity. However, the iconic Fury silver-grey hair and red eyes told the guards they couldn’t dare offend this person.

As for who the person was, the inner guards and officials who had ties to the Fury family would deal with it.

By the time the carriage pulled up in front of the Lord’s manor, the relevant people inside the manor had already been informed.

After Alex helped his wives out of the carriage, and Senu shifted her perch to Udara’s shoulder, a familiar person walked up to him.

"General...?" Alex heard from behind him.

When he turned around, a smile formed on his face.

"Looks like you are doing well, Lieutenant Cross," Alex said.

"It’s all thanks to you, General." Lieutenant Kain Cross smiled back.

Alex examined the middle-aged man who served as Senior Field Officer and second-in-command of his Dankrot Platoon—the forty-man platoon he had taken into the Dankrot Forest on his first expedition as heir to Earl Drake Fury.

Lieutenant Cross looked older. In a few years, he wouldn’t be called a middle-aged man, but an elder.

However, on the bright side, the man had finally broken through the Peak Intermediate rank, reaching the Elite rank.

But given his talents, this was probably the furthest he could go.

The man was still technically a member of Exercitus Alexii, Alex’s 5,000-man Division, hence why he still referred to Alex as General.

A flicker of shock passed through the man’s mind when he saw Alex’s wives. Each of them carried an air about them that he rarely saw in women their age.

"My ladies," he greeted them politely.

"General, I am now a Captain. I lead the guard force protecting the manor and our two Vice-Lords," Cross informed Alex.

"Congratulations," Alex said with a smile.

Cross ushered Alex and his wives into the manor.

"The guard force around the estate numbers about 500 men. Lady Seraphina leads a 1,000-strong security force, as well as a 5,000-strong militia that is ready to form at a moment’s notice.

"At the new border with the Kellerman fiefdom, remnants of Exercitus Alexii and survivors of the Northern Dankrot Fort battle have formed into a border defence force of about 10,000 to protect your domain from bandits and other threats from the Kellerman fiefdom."

Captain Cross gave Alex a quick rundown of the domain’s security situation.

"Have bandits been a problem at the border?" Alex inquired.

"According to reports from the border force, yes." Captain Cross nodded gravely. "Reportedly, the Kellermans have been going through a tough situation with their finances over the last couple of years. They’ve been squeezing their vassal lords, who in turn are squeezing the ordinary folk. Many people have been unable to feed their families due to the situation and have turned to banditry.

"Our border is particularly chaotic because of the high traffic generated by merchants coming to purchase goods from our new trade city, which was set up by Lady Sophia close to the border."

Alex’s eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully.

"Has the situation in the Kellerman fiefdom gotten that bad?" he mused aloud.

"I have heard murmurs of rebellions sparking in a few of the new Baronies in the Earldom. However, for more concrete information, you would do best to ask my ladies, the Vice-Lords, General," Captain Cross said.

"Thanks, old friend." Alex patted the man’s shoulder.

Captain Kain Cross ushered Alex and his wives through the tight guard postings and patrols until they arrived at the doors of the Lord Manor’s Great Hall.

In front of the Great Hall, they found a middle-aged woman with a scholarly air waiting for them.

Alex found her familiar, then quickly remembered she was one of the scribes who had accompanied his uncle Edmond Fury to the Enclave for the reparation talks with the Kellermans.

"This is the domain’s Chamberlain," Captain Cross introduced.

"Welcome back, Young Master Alex. My ladies." The Chamberlain greeted them.

"Thanks for supporting my sisters in running the domain on my behalf," Alex greeted with a smile.

"It has been a pleasure to do my duty by their side, Young Master Alex." She bowed. Then she waved towards the door. "Please, this way. The young mistresses are waiting."

’Young Master and Young Mistresses, huh...’ A thought flashed through Alex’s mind.

The guards at the door pushed open the door. However, just as Alex was about to step inside, someone jumped into his embrace.

"Big Brother!"

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