Ch-2

"Okay so now what magic did they teach son, and what can you do with that crystal control thing." We had separated from our hug and she was in lady of Barrow Town mode.

"I have a couple of rough ideas right now that I'll run by you; first is the medical knowledge that can save a lot of lives from taking care of mothers to disease control. I want to build a school of healing for our lands. To fund this I can sell my crystal creations to the southern nobles for a huge sum of money as they love that kind of thing while we can also use it to make glass houses."

She nodded along as I explained by propositions and took some notes, "That's a good idea son, but how will we deal with Mryish assassin coming after us if they think it's glass, but the medical idea is a good idea that could also earn us quite a bit of money if we charge outside nobles or other folk to join." I could tell she already had an idea to prevent the assassin.

"Well if I train with my abilities I could head to one of the older abandoned mines and grow a large amount of crystals of varying sizes that could be mined. As for the school of healing I have an idea of how to produce enough books for them to study and some equipment that could be used." This is how she had been training me over the years helping guide me to solutions rather than just tell me.

"Now, we will discuss the mundane parts of operating a school and the mine . I would like more details of the magic you now know." As a descendant of the First men magic flowed through our veins, in her family it was said that they could once communicate with their Horses mentally but the talent was lost.

"It's kind of like a Warg but less restrictive, any person either guided or by themselves can enter a contract with an animal, construct or spirit through a variety of ways. Animals you must have their trust, constructs need a sacrifice of material, and lastly spirts are more often than not tricked or borrowed.

By forming a contract the animal is enhanced as is the human as they will receive mild boosts based on their chosen partner.

Moose and I for example; he is now better in every way than a non contracted animal, we can see and hear through each other's senses and I have a better sense of smell and hearing." I had let Moose in the room, the very large dog could rest his head on the desk while standing and looked at the two of us.

"Son...could you help me bind Glaðr, I raised that horse from the age of six and she is getting on in years so do you think you can help me with that?" Like all members of the Ryswell house they are trained to raise, maintain and train horses, Glaðr was her chosen mount that she raised and considered closer to family than just a horse.

"Of course mom we will get her ready for the contract, and we should head down for the celebration and announcement." I stood up, and headed for the bathing rooms.

Mom looked out of the window to judge what time it was, which made me remember that I need to work in some clocks with my new wood working knowledge. "Shit! Right, I had one of the girls lay out one of the outfits you helped me design. I just finished it today."

—————

There are three washrooms in the castle, one for the maids that lived in the castle, one for the guards and men at arms and lastly for the noble family.

Over the past couple of years I, with the help of some local craftsmen, have been adding primitive plumbing devices like hand pumps at certain rooms that have helped the serving ladies.

The biggest project has been building a series of shower rooms for the castle, the largest is for the men at arms that's basically just a handpump in the ceiling with a long piece of rope that the men can pull to bathe with.

The servants have a holding tank where various soaps and flowers can be added to make the water smell better and actual shower heads.

While the noble shower is the best and highest quality, a large water tank filled with various flowers, oils, and herbs which is heated with some fires and the shower head is a massive rain shower.

With myself bathed I went to the Side chamber where some servants have prepared an outfit, a mix of modern business suits and medieval showmanship.

The hall was already filled with most of the men at arms who were not on guard and the servants were also enjoying the party.

My mother saw me enter and had Trapp the Master at Arms yelled out, "ATTENTION, presenting the the New LORD OF THE BARROW LANDS." This was met with shouts of excitement and the slamming of cups.

My mother waved me to come

To the top of the raised platform that held the lord's table, I walked through the crowd getting pats on the shoulder as I passed and the occasional pinch from the ladies.

When I reached the stage I grabbed a tank tankard of ale and raised it to the sky, "TO THE BARROW LANDS." And chugged it down with a yell of the same back.

"I would like to say a few words before the feast begins." This was met with groans from the crowd as I had become known for my long widening speeches over the years even my mother rolled her eyes. "Yes yes I know, I'll try to keep it short for one of mine.

First thank you each of you, for your support and dedication to my family, and most of all to my absolutely crazy ideas that I have had over the years.

So thank all of you truly without your help the improvement to the barrow lands, our food production has made us completely independent from the South."

This was met with great cheers from the entire castle as for the first time in over 200 years we had no need of southern foodstuffs.

"Our cattlemen to the west have begun expanding our meat and cheese production to unheard of levels, this is the meat you all will be eating tonight while the leather is being used to make quality boots.

Lastly our metallurgy has advanced to produce castle forged steel to arm 100s of men. NOW ENOUGH TALKING DRINK AND FEAST."

With that platters of food are brought into the hall, entire cows are brought out with sauces from earth like BBQ, mustards, all kinds of things that made the feast a night to remember.

The night was filled with dancing and drinking as the entire castle was alive with party and music.

I of course joined in and drank heavily as this is that last night of no responsibility and consequences.

So when I was brought to the area with the bards and musicians and had a drum thrust in my hands I had no problem getting up there.

Thinking back to my old life and my Irish heritage, I knew a marching song they would like.

[March of Cambreadth by heather Alxender]

… Axes flash, broadsword swing,

Shining armor's piercing ring

Horses run with polished shield,

Fight those bastards 'til they yield

Midnight mare and blood red roan,

Fight to keep this land your own

Sound the horn and call the cry,

How many of them can we make die!

The crowd soon joined in as I was taken up to my room before I made more of a fool of myself and then promptly passed out.

————

I was woken up by one of the servants who also was nursing a hangover and we both shared a look of commiseration and I took a freezing cold shower to try and wake up.

Half dead on my feet I walked into the main dining chamber and asked the servant nearest to me for hash browns, sausage, and biscuits with jam.

Each of these I had introduced over my life and have a reason for it, the hash brown potatoes were a new crop and recipes were needed. The jam was an experiment in canning which was an ongoing process as every month over the past year we have been testing their safety with animals.

My mother looked like her proper noble lady self while the entire castle was hungover, I gave a half hearted glare but we ate in silence for a while.

With breakfast done my mother and I moved to her solar rather my solar now, sitting in the high backed chair at a very nice dark wood desk.

Sitting in the chair I let out a sigh, and mumbled "I'm never going to get drunk ever again." 

My mother let out a snort, "Yes please never drink like that again, while the song you sang was rather nice sweetie."

I'm "I sang a song? I have no memory of doing that by the gods. How much did I drink?" I groaned into my hands and realized I had another gacha roll ready.

Leaning back into my chair, my mother headed over to the window. I heard drums from the nearby inns in town who are still celebrating from the night before and I hear drums in a very familiar beat.

I thought to myself *Really Durin*, "It's from one of my visions, it's a war song obviously. It's from an area similar to the Barrow lands called Ireland that we have some similarities in culture too.

But I won't go into detail right now, I told you how my visions changed and how I can semi control them now and wanted to ask if you wanted to watch one occur."

She had always worried about my "visions" and when I was very young she would sit by my bedside for days watching me worried to death that I was going mad.

"Of course son, thank you. It will help my peace of mind." She moves a chair besides me and sets a hand on my shoulder.

I leaned back and rolled the Gacha.

[Health in Mali-Mali, one of the world's poorest nations, is greatly affected by poverty, malnutrition, epidemics, and inadequate hygiene and sanitation. With this roll Durin gets a Civ builder overview of his people's health, any epidemics and any area that has a high chance of an epidemic occurring in his lands, can sacrifice more rolls to expand the abilities of the roll.Think Ck3 map mode]

I played a lot of civ builder games in my old life and that is what appeared in my vision, I could see the entirety of the Barrowlands and see the various villages, towns and even cities that dotted the lands.

It even highlighted the various herd of animals owned and wild in the area allowing me to see the various diseases that could affect the realm, it also showed me the areas where my Bathhouses and soaps are being sold and built.

No epidemics but some areas will have some men to investigate where soaps and money for bathhouses were supposed to be sent.

I mentally clicked off the screen and opened my eyes to my mothers worried expression, I just patted her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"This one was different than any other I have had before. I was witnessing one of the poorest of those nations but focusing on their health.

It gave me an ability like the new visions have but it's kind of hard to explain, please hand me my pen and some paper."

The "pen" was really a reed I had cut to use instead of a quill and the paper was one of the wood pulp ones we were developing with middling success.

I did a quick sketch of the barrowland labeling the various major settlements and herds of animals.

"There best way I can explain is I have a map in my head of our lands, and over each major settlement or wild area it gives me a list of the average health, chance of disease and the prevention of said diseases.

It makes me happy to hear that Barrowton has the lowest chance of an epidemic, it also

May have revealed some corruption as some areas should have higher health than they actually have."

I wrote a list out of the most common diseases affecting the realm and using my advanced medical knowledge I wrote out some basic remedies to help.

Mom began reading the list making the occasional comment and after a little while we shifted to my plans for the future.

"My year long goal is to have a road the runs down the river allowing faster travel to the sea ports and testing our most trusted vassals and men for magic capabilities, medium is the production of Crystal for various crafts the starting of a medical school, and lastly very short is to practice my new abilities."

Mother nodded, "Good, that means we have a lot of work to do and you also forgot one major thing."

I scratched my head and thought but I could think of anything, "Marriage boy, you need to start to plan on marrying in the next two years as with you being the only male Dustin the people are worried."

"Shit, I forgot about marriage."