"Does he really has two talents?"
The Dukes wife and his two daughters quickly ran to my side, looking at the crystal ball dumbfounded. The twin brown-haired girls looked at me with new eyes, although back then they had completely ignored my presence and seemed to be in their own world, out of nowhere they had their eyes fixated in my appearance.
"Wow… You're so amazing despite wearing rags!"
"Two talents… And I have just one, that's not fair, I am nobility!"
One of them was strangely gentle, although she pointed out my clothes, and the other was jealous.
"C-Calm down, girls, let's go back for now…" The Duke's wife said, bringing her daughters away. I was relieved, they were quite annoying.
The conversation quickly shifted into my two talents, but after some time, things between the higher ups calmed down, after the Duke finished talking with everybody, he nodded.
"Very well, to make a shop in the capital you need a special license, being a merchant also helps, but I'll grant it to you without any hassle. Probably next year you'll be able to open the shop, it will be rent free for a year, but after that you'll have to begin paying rent for the small building. It is roughly five small gold coins.
Do you understand the incredible responsibility of what you want to do? Even as a child, I can see incredible potential in you." Said the Duke. "I am willing to make exceptions. Also, Ellergest told me you we are moving to the Academy in a few years, it would be good if you relocated your entire family to the capital by then, alongside your friends and their families too."
"What?! Moving to the capital?!" My father couldn't help but feel completely shocked by that. As a farmer, moving to the capital was something he probably didn't wanted, being away from the countryside, the freedom, and the wilderness was painful for him.
"Yes, you got the potential to work as a soldier and later be ascended into a knight, Joan, your amazing potential could serve the fiefdom well- Of course, this is all up to your considerations." Said the Duke. "After all, you're the father of Blake, you'll decide wherever you want him to go to the capital or not, and if you want to follow his footsteps."
"Well…" My father looked back at me, as I directed my gaze towards his with conviction.
"We'll have to talk about it, I suppose…" He sighed with a smile. "But really, I am not… made to be in the big city, I love the countryside, going hunting, and all of that… the big city is just not made for me, I don't think my wife or her mother would also want to go there."
"I see…" The Duke said, rubbing his chin. "Well, there's still a year from then, so for now think about this more deeply. There is also special housing for the children that go to the academy. Our duchy is one of the biggest in the country already, thanks to my hard work, the Academy was made by the Union in here so young talents can flourish and also grow stronger by going into the Dungeons.
Although we don't compare to other Academy Cities, we are still flourishing. If you want to, this license could be delayed until you enter the academy with your friends so you can open the shop when you move to the houses provided by the academy."
Things seemed incredibly convenient, but I guess the Duke was indeed an honest man that had decided to repay those that saved the life of his family with great things.
"Sure, I suppose that's good enough." I said.
I had already guessed my parents were not going to come with me, sadly. It seemed that I couldn't simply make them follow me wherever I went. I had considered things more carefully, and I guess it would be better if the security of this village could be increased further instead of simply moving to a safer area.
"Then, what do you all want?" Asked the Duke. It seems that alongside me, my friends and my father were allowed to ask anything they wanted. The Duke had taken a liking on my friends, apparently.
"I would like to request a Shop License for my uncles!" Said Eric. "Please!" He quickly kneeled.
"Your uncles… Oh! Are they the two apothecaries?" Asked the Duke after Ellergest whispered to his ears. "Of course, I had already thought about it, your wish will be granted."
"Thank you very much! Finally… Their shop will finally be recognized!" Eric began to cry tears of happiness.
"I-I…" Chris quickly was the next to talk. "C-Can I get a lot of money? My family needs… we are a lot after all…"
"Money? Hm… Sure thing." Said the Duke. "The rewards will be fifteen small gold coins, is that alright?"
"Oooh! Y-Yes! Thank you! Thank you!!!" Chris began to cry, the money reward was a lot and would be enough for several years to maintain his big family, which was facing difficulties recently.
"Fifteen gold coins sound amazing but…" My father said. "I would like to request to use the money of the wyvern we defeated to build a wall."
"A wall…?" The duke asked.
"I've seen that other villages in the Frontier have ten- to fifteen-meter-tall walls made out of logs, is it possible to construct one as well for our place? If there's a wall, we'll be protected from most monsters and we can also live more peacefully, it would also be possible to expand our farms without fearing to get too close to the forest with a wall." Said my father.
"This is my only and humblest request."
"Hmm…. I see. Wild Boar Hunter- No, Wyvern Slayer Joan, your wish is truly humble and admirable, I shall do everything I can to create a wall, I agree, this village is brimming with both talented children and strong and great people, a wall is nothing hard to do, but it will take its time." Said the Duke.
"Thank you very much!" My father bowed, forcing me to bow as well.
I suppose I am truly different than my father. While he always thought about the security of the village, I was only thinking about running away into a safer place. He's someone dedicated to his people… One of my greatest mistakes was not being someone that cared enough, I let my subordinates all die because of my recklessness. Maybe I still have a thing or two to learn from my father.