After meeting with Lilly, I decided to continue the interrupted survey of my tower and its surroundings. With my seneschal, Fentworth Aide, in tow, I left the tower to first inspect the moat. While the rooms inside the tower were circular, the outside was marked by four distinct corners. Around the tower was a walkway wide enough for one person to walk. My moat lay beyond this walkway with another one on the far end that was encircled by a wall.

It was along the inner walkway that I traveled first; my mind divided along several different lines of thought. Disappointment in Lilly’s desire to become a queen the foremost among them. Where had I gone wrong? She was such a promising apprentice that had excellent potential as a mage. Was it assigning her to survey my dungeon? I frowned at the thought. Certainly, having a tribe of rodent-sized mushroom men worship her might have a strong impact on her ego.

It was not a far walk to make it to the still-smoldering remains of my nature elemental. Dead, dry leaves crunched beneath our feet. A small breeze blew around the tower, one that carried a feeling of coolness from the top of the waters but did nothing for the smell of burnt leaves and vine. The entire side of my tower was covered in soot and ash, and the moat held blackened and burnt debris.

The waters, normally clear, now looked murky and thick. They wouldn’t be for long, as the water elementals inside were tasked with keeping it clear, but that fact didn’t give me any measure of joy to see my once pristine moat dirtied. Along some of the edges, I saw the mists created by my second-tier water elementals. Their shape was that of a predatory mouth, though their bodies were only mists that trailed behind it. Green sparkles of nature elemental wisps twinkled inside those mists, as both fought against the late-morning sun.

Fentworth hadn’t spoken yet during the walk, but after I cast a cleaning spell on the side of my tower, he began to give me a report.

“My lord, in preparation for today, I have tallied several items for your attention,” he carried himself with a calm dignity that I appreciated.

“Go on,” I said, as I stroked my beard and looked out into the waters of the moat. The moat itself had several pillars jutting out of it at equal distance from each other. Each supported a first-tier fire elemental atop, the tiny flames shaped into that of a mouse that scurried about. Between and around the pillars floated large lily pads, large enough to hold a person, though they were topped with a lesser kind of nature elemental called an Aldruane. I couldn’t see them now, though as they sheltered inside of their closed flowers.

“You have several men that have reported to the tower requesting to be assigned to your guard. One of which, a man named Michael, claims that you had granted him such a position if he confirmed himself with a Paladin Adam. With him are twenty more men and women he calls his ‘Trusted Twenty’, and claims they have all been confirmed by the Paladin.”

I nodded and stroked my beard. More guards? I didn’t see any problems with the addition. Certainly, it wouldn’t harm my accounts. “Yes, that is acceptable. Have them report to Eni.”

“My lord, and the others?” Fentworth asked.

“There are others?” I turned to look at him but stopped when something caught my eye. An eel swimming up to the surface to nibble at a piece of burnt leaf. In the waters of my moat, I had transplanted fish and eel, both known for their beauty. Yet, as I looked at one of the eels now, I couldn’t help but wonder what it tasted like.

“Yes, sir, nearly two hundred.”

His answer pulled me from my musings on grilled eel, but I wasn’t necessarily surprised. Of the soldiers who fought at Gold Castle, many were without station or rank. Former bandits, adventurers, mercenaries, and conscripted peasantry had all fought in the defense of the town. Those not already employed would no doubt look for hire.

“I will employ no more than fifty in total. Ensure that their armors, weapons, and uniforms are ordered soon. I prefer not to have any guards dressed as bandits. The others can inquire with Alderman Kine or Baroness Lark.” I answered, though the number I chose was mostly arbitrary.

“Yes, my lord. Concerning the guards, there are two other items of note. Guardsman Eni indicates that the guard tower is insufficient to house any more guards, and requests to build another tower on the other side of the gate such that together they would be a gatehouse.”

I looked towards the guard tower as I considered it. The wall that circled my moat already had a number of towers attached to the wall around it. One for the unusual magic-user classes. One filled with dwarven potters, granted to the widow of a dead friend. One was built for Alderman Kine, so that he had an administrative area to oversee the village around the tower. Having one tower beside the gate was not truly an appealing sight. Adding a matching tower to the other side of my gate would do much for the entryway.

“Granted.” Yet, I continued to think about the symmetry of the smaller towers around my own. If two guard towers would stand the front gate, that left three others. Following the circular wall, the next two towers on either side were the dwarven tower and Loralie’s tower. Following the wall behind the dwarven tower was Kine’s, the one closest to the village. It left a walled gap that didn’t appeal to my sensibilities at all. My tower also had less than ideal defenses against priestly magics, something I needed to rectify.

“When he finishes with the second guard tower, have him work on constructing a sixth tower for the Sisters of Elora. They can use it as an orphanage or a temple. Now, there was another matter with the guards?”

“Yes, my lord,” Fentworth answered, though his normally stern expression took on a look as if he were uncomfortable with the topic. I waited patiently while looking about to see if I could spot an eel that looked more appetizing than the others. “The residents of the village and towers have been airing a grievance regarding fleas, sir.”

“Fleas?” I tilted my head. I hadn’t seen any in my tower, but I had wards against them.

“Sir, the fertility spell created an abundance of fleas.”

Well, that concern was easy enough to resolve. I cast a second-tier curse on one of my fish that would attract all fleas for miles. If they didn’t drown in the waters, it would provide plenty of food for the young eels and fish. I cast another curse for ticks on a different fish, and a third for lice, to be certain. While my seneschal hadn’t mentioned them, I imagined that if the fleas were troublesome, then the other pests would be as well.

“The fleas should be gone within a day or two. Do you see that eel, there?” I pointed to a rather long specimen. It floated near the surface eyeing a piece of burnt ivy. With a predatory snap, sharp teeth opened and swallowed the leaf whole. In the span of a couple of heartbeats, it was gone beneath the waters.

“Sir?”

“I would like that eel served for dinner tonight. Grilled, preferably,” I could imagine the taste now. Eel with rice or noodles, some grilled vegetables, all in gravy or spicy sauce—it would be wonderful.

“I will see it done,” Fentworth answered perfunctorily.

We began walking back along the walkway towards the bridge. I felt no need to truly survey any of the towers, yet I was curious as to the new addition to my mages' tower. Magic from far-flung areas or strange classes often performed in unexpected and interesting ways, and any new additions might unknowingly hold the key to victory against the Pestilence.

We were halfway across the single bridge over my moat when he spoke again, “You also have many petitioners beyond those seeking employ as guards. When would you like to see to them?”

“Oh? How great a number?” I asked, offhandedly.

“Nearly four hundred in total, sir. Most camp at Woodhoot awaiting summons.”

I stopped and looked back at the man in surprise. I had thought that the quests and tasks assigned to the various parts of the army would have been sufficient to avoid such a debacle. I could only close my eyes and sigh.

“I don’t suppose they all have the same request?” I asked.

For the first time since I met my seneschal, the man offered a wry grin in response.

“Very well,” I waved my hand dismissively. “Inform Rhaela the Red I have assigned her to sort them by priority. Those without true reason should be dispersed.”

Rhaela had requested the station of spymaster for my village and tower, a position that I didn’t believe was necessary. Assigning her to this task would have her believe I suspected spies among these petitioners, and hopefully, her eagerness to find them would resolve the matter in a swifter fashion.

“I will see it done, sir. Those remaining?”

“I’ll hear her report first,” I answered. Then, after a brief moment’s reflection, I dismissed him, “I will be surveying the new magic-users that have joined Loralie’s tower.”

“The Conclave Tower?” The man asked.

“Hmm,” I stroked my beard. “Is that what they are calling it?” The missives requesting admission made more sense to me now, if that was the case. Yet, I couldn’t help but snort in derision. As with so many human things, it was a stupid name.

“Yes, my lord,” he answered with a small bow.