The World Dragon's Heir

Dominic sighed as he listened to the Prince's description of the situation in Dagos.

"Now I understand why the international meeting is needed, and why they didn't want to do it in any of the capital cities.

If an attack were launched on the conference, holding it in a city of a million people would cause massive casualties." He realized.

Prince George nodded. "It is somewhat unfortunate for you, as the local Duke, that it will be brought to your home, but this is the closest thing to the middle of nowhere possible, while still having basic amenities that the envoys might need during their visit."

Dominic smiled. "True, we do have the basic amenities. Should we set up established campgrounds for multiple armies? Or just ensure that nobody works certain portions of land so that they can camp freely?"

"Let the armies do their own work. Once the meetings start, it will be mostly the Cygnia Army in charge of security, so they may request permanent accommodations in the vicinity. However, that isn't my decision.

I also can't guarantee that the forces brought here won't be larger than the one that I brought today. A few thousand men for each delegation are fairly common when they are expecting trouble or want to show force." George explained.

So, they should expect to see thirty thousand troops, from three different nations. They would surely bring their own supplies, for the most part. But they would want fresh produce when they arrived, and the officers would want somewhere to drink and socialize.

The common soldiers would want it as well, but they wouldn't be given permission.

Which meant that they needed someone to keep drunk foreign soldiers from causing trouble when they were caught impersonating civilians in town.

Dominic had done plenty of travelling in his youth, and some things were inevitable.

You couldn't stop near a town and not have at least a few enlisted men sneak in for liquor, good food, or pleasures of the flesh. If they were in a village, the last one was much less likely to be found. But the larger the city, the more likely it was that there would be a brothel, or a willing widow.

"You seem to have made a discovery." Prince George asked as Dominic was lost in thought.

"I was just thinking about the implications of having ten to thirty thousand common soldiers camped around the village. Soldiers left to wait will always get up to something, and Wistover isn't a big enough town for all the entertainment that they will want.

But it also needs new facilities for the Officers, who will give themselves permission to go to town and unwind." He explained.

Alexis smirked, while George frowned. "Not all soldiers are as rowdy as my lovely niece here. However, I do see your point. With ten thousand men, there will definitely be trouble.

In fact, I can almost guarantee that at least five of my men are already headed to farms looking to buy fresh produce to supplement the military rations.

If we're here for weeks or months, then the officers will want a tavern, perhaps a gaming room. If there isn't one, they will make one.

Either within the camp, or with other forces nearby."

Alexis nodded. "And that is where the problems start. The easiest place to go for food is the nearby farms. But what happens when the third or fourth group comes to the farm, and they have nothing left to give?

The gaming rooms are simple trouble. Bad debts and fights are quick to sort. But the sort of violence that erupts at starving farmsteads when soldiers come clearing fields for their fellows is much more likely to cause trouble.

We will have to work on something for it.

My suggestion is that we make the market in town an everyday affair.

If the units have permission to send men into the market every day, it should reduce the number of soldiers harassing locals for better food."

Dominic cleared his throat. "There is one other thing. I suggest that the delegations travel with camp followers. Not just cooks and supply clerks, if you get what I mean."

Prince George began to laugh quietly. "Oh, I understand what you mean. The Mitfield Army went to war against Amer in a number of border skirmishes when I was younger.

However, our army is an integrated force. There are nearly as many female soldiers as male. They're not always in the same units, but with the advent of magitech weapons, the physical advantages of the men aren't such an overwhelming factor."

Dominic gave him a curious look. "Well, I suppose the major factor isn't even magitech, but the introduction of the compound bow. That greatly dropped the draw weight of combat bows, to the point that any physically fit soldier could be an archer.

Now, we have introduced some explosive arrowheads, but for the most part, it's still a nonmagical art.

I also have riflemen in my ranks, and there are women in the force there as well."

Alexis smiled. "Oh, Uncle George, look at what Dominic made for me. Since we're on the topic."

Alexis took out her new rifle and placed it on the low table between her and the Prince.

"That is absolutely stunning. Is that a self-loading rifle?"

Alexis nodded. "Ten rounds in the lower tube, lever action loading and ammunition press. But the real joy is that not only does it have a socket for the [Create Munitions] orb, it is also a mana rifle. I can choose between magical and nonmagical shot, which gets a velocity boost from the magic of the rifle."

Prince George smiled. "And your fondness has nothing to do with the fact that it's sized for a lady, or that it's covered in gold with the Ducal emblem on it, right?"

Alexis turned the rifle over, showing her personal heraldry on the other side.

"It's specifically my rifle. But the beauty is only half the reason I love it.

The other half is pure effectiveness. Using it as a mana rifle, I can fire nearly as fast as a revolver."

A feat nearly impossible for most rifle designs.