A Dragon's Curiosity

Alester did not miss the outburst of energy in front of him. He dreamt for a short while and wondered how glorious it would be if his desire could become reality.

And instead of abandoning such ludicrous thoughts, he too was filled with confidence when he looked at Nisha.

While she was young, certainly, her presence was completely different from that of the other prominent families’ youngsters.

Instead of squandering money and harrassing commoners to pass their boredom, the elf had a goal and went to him to realize it.

It just happened that the process could provide him with a lot of benefits and drove him to sacrifice sleep and rest in order to advance different approaches for the new districts.

Maybe they really stood a chance to raise a major faction in the crowded capital and reach the skies with a single step.

“Right now, all I need from you is time!”

Conversing about the shared project invigorated Alester and his wrinkled skin slightly straightened out as his aura revolved faster in his body and replenished his exhausted energy.

“You’re going to need to explain this more clearly to me, I do not understand how time is supposed to help or how my time can be given to you.”

Nisha did in fact understand that the request was not to be taken literally, yet she still answered in such a way to make her confusion known.

In idle thought, she pondered the possibility of transferring time from one being to the other and the possible consequences of such an action. The power needed to control time, however, vastly exceeded even the capability of two actual goddesses she knew, hence it was unlikely to factor into the old crook’s request.

“Let me rephrase that then.

Currently, I’m obtaining more permits, securing deals with different groups for materials and actively looking to employ earth mages and artisans to lay a solid foundation for the construction of the district.

Before the pieces come together, though, there is not much you can assist me with, as things like errands or direct discussions need to go through me and the guild has already sent some people to support me.

If the different construction works were to start right away without being properly coordinated and just grown as they are completed, in the final outcome they will likely clash with each other and be worthless.

Furthermore, if the project were to start prematurely and news leaked to conflicting parties like other nobles or merchant houses that have enough capital, the talks will become much harder with their interference and they might want to blackmail the owner into giving them pieces of the deal.

All in all, at the moment I cannot see a good opportunity to let you employ your talents. I need to come up with more agreements and piece everything together, or at least secure the essential resources so the construction can go on without a hitch.”

As the old crook explained his request, he shuffled several documents and sorted others.

As much as he explained the current situation to the elf, he simultaneously adjusted his thoughts and cleared the fog that lingered over the path forward.

Only after neither of them talked for a while and the silence hung over the room like dead water did Alester amend his speech.

“I do have an idea what you could do now that I think about it, but I’m not sure if you would agree.”

Tough decisions were part of a business relationship. The dragon felt useless and ashamed for being unable to contribute anything other than the shiny things she had hoarded in her inner space. Her rational side, on the other hand, recognized that she lacked the connections, influence and leverage in Thurgau to support building a new district.

Alester’s words were hurtful, but not wrong.

When he mentioned another task, however disagreeable it might be, she perked up and listened closely while motioning to the man to go on.

“You see, it is no secret among those involved that there is a cooperation between me, the Dharnas house and a large investor for a large scale construction project, since I am already applying for permits and materials.

With this much alone though, no one is tempted enough to interfere. They are happy enough to wait until a possible profit is within reach.

There’s also the issue of not having enough clout among the leaders in the field, so the progress is not as fast as I hoped.

To settle these things, it would help if the highest backer—the Dharnas house—commanded more influence.

Since I am now a noble on paper, I have done my fair share of getting acquainted with the social customs; and I have realized that it is hard for the lowest Duke household to suddenly soar in position.

You, Nisha, on the other hand, are not bound by quite the same restrictions and constraints since you are a member of the younger generation.

I don’t know if there are complications on your side or something else, but you should be able to show much more prominence than you currently do, especially since you are powerful enough to fight several thugs from the [Thieves Guild] and win.

The job would be to gain more prominence and stand in the limelight—preferably gain some fame as well.

You being a candidate for taking over your house someday would be taken into consideration when I am going around and discussing contracts with other nobles.

Instead of drawing things out and making things difficult for me, new nobility, these chiefs backed by nobles would instead proactively come to me and make things much easier.

What do you think?”

Afraid of erring or unknowingly offending the elf, Alester explained his thoughts in detail and left nothing out.

The elf said nothing at first and weighed the options. Finally, she spoke.

“You are quite well informed about the Dharnas house and my situation. Did you really just think of this or have you been thinking about it for a long time already?”

Generally, Nisha was not afraid to stand out or gain a reputation. The main deterrent had always been her secret of not being a real elf or human at all.

Even when she attended the sessions at the royal court, a small voice in her head always warned her that she might be discovered at any second and then hunted down like a wild beast.

Yet, she had almost lived for more than a turn in Thurgau now and no one had ever discovered any flaw in the elf’s disguise.

The twin goddesses, Gabriel and Bael, would have most likely also warned her if there was a chance of being detected by a high ranked magician or warrior; the feeling of security grew with each moon.

Furthermore, she is no longer just a child adopted by house Dharnas, but a potential successor of a noble house.

It’s not too unbelievable to have an heir show outstanding results with enough resources, right?

The dragon now had an established identity and a sudden growth would not come as a surprise.

Aside from her tendency to stay hidden and not take credit for her deeds, after weighing the pros and cons, this was not at all an outlandish request.

Whether she was roaming the streets in the common district or hunting monsters for food in the Dungeon, Nisha never acted in a high profile way.

Alester had come to a similar conclusion since the noble mixed with the commoners and entered the [Thieves Guild]. Therefore, he hesitated and explained to the elf that the task might not be possible for her or that she might dislike it.

As the dragon pondered whether or not to accept, the old crook sat next to her and did not say a thing.

This time, the silence was rather amiable.

“I can see where you are coming from. If my position and personal reputation rise a step higher, you can rightfully play it as leverage or use it as a shield against the interference of other interested parties.

As for my personal feelings about remaining discreet, it is not a feasible wish unless I never intend to step into the public eye or leave the mansion.

Of course, this does not mean that I can change things right away. Without a suitable stage and a solid plan to elevate my position, it is rather risky to move blindly.

I will consider acting more in my position as a noble.

Maybe there are also some opportunities in the [Royal Academy] since all the young generation members compete among themselves there anyway.

For now, I cannot guarantee a short term success. I hope you understand that.”

The conversation with the old crook had opened new perspectives for the dragon. She usually enjoyed communicating with others on an even playing field. If the other side knew beforehand that she belonged to a major noble house or how powerful her mana and aura were, they would hardly remain amiable or relaxed in her presence.

Hence, she often acted alone and did not  give away her status easily.

On the other hand, there was no viable way to continue acting in this way in the future unless Nisha decided to discard her identity as a noble and member of the Dharnas family for good.

Even if external pressures or inconveniences threatened the Dukedom, for the sake of the late Eldrin, the elf would never agree to abandon the family name.

Right now, Nisha had to consider the path she wanted her own future to take.

Compared to regular humans and elves, there was no way for her to lead a peaceful life if she wanted to be with her siblings and carve out a place of her own in the capital.

Furthermore, she dreamed of travelling the lands and going wherever her curiosity led her.

With all these conflicting thoughts running through her head, she became fairly unsettled and she began to mull over a possible solution.

Alester, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief as one of his immediate concerns had been taken care of and he had secured another pillar of support.

While it might not immediately show results, the old crook trusted his own intuition.

As long as he could rely on the elf, who had continuously made an inestimable impression, there would be no obstacle he could not overcome.

Naturally, he also took in her dilemma and the uncertainty in her eyes, but the old crook had no answer he could give to Nisha. She had to figure out her own solution in order to move on.

Even so, he had achieved his goal now and could at least give her a hint of the right direction.

“Since you have other things on your mind, you should figure out what you want to do next and maybe make a plan for your coming actions.

And I will similarly work on the district project, considering that I have greater support from you now.

I understand that you will need some time to tackle the social circles in the academy and gain some results. You can simply send me a messenger next time if you want a report on the progress here.

Of course, the support you give me is not one-sided, if you have any matters where you need my help or need some manpower, just reach out to me and I will do what I can.

Maybe the bums in my reception room can do something other than fool around and drink all day.”

With half a smile, Alester stood up and guided the dazed elf out of the room.

The reports on his desk would not shrink if he did not give them his all.

Nisha barely registered the end of their conversation and merely waved goodbye.

In her mind, the ensuing chaos was not lesser than her physical distress.

What did the dragon desire the most and where did she want her future to lead her?

In the beginning, heading towards the capital of Leandar was a way to deal with the grief of her grandfather Eldrin’s passing and to fulfill his last wish.

In the process of getting acquainted with her close friends and sisters, Annabelle and Lydia, it stopped being a chore.  It also piqued her interest in setting up a merchant house with them.

Furthermore, Henry and Luthais offered her a home, where Galan, his wife, and the other servants had shown her nothing but kindness and concern.

Finally, the academy gave her friends and a way to satisfy her everchanging curiosity and thirst for knowledge.