As that was something to think about, it was time to move on. She would come around eventually. I then looked at Bonnie. "The boys are going to be strong warriors. We are raising them really well. I have you to thank for the health and success on the home front. They will protect our people. They will defend the innocent from harm. All of them will stand for what's right and just. I believe in them just as much as the girls. I hope you also believe in them." She smiled at me. "I already knew all of that Collin. I see how much you care for our sons. One thing that you left out is that they will destroy our enemies." she said. I chuckled nervously. "War is horrible. I would never want them to go off on a campaign. Let's pray that they won't need to see battle or live through a siege." I said quickly. With that, we moved on. Us adults got to gossip and chat about things. Yon and his wife were hoping that a son would come first. I did not care either way. "Wouldn't you have wanted to have a son with your wife?" Yon had asked. "It really was not worth it. He did not survive. Grissell did. I chose right." I said.
Just ruminating on it would do nothing about it. I grabbed my wife's hand and gently squeezed it. She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder. Yon winced a little. He did not like the reminder. "You know I don't mean it like that. She's my sister! Of course I didn't want to see her die in that bed." he protested. Grissell sighed. "I know that you didn't. I've made my peace with the fact I'll never have more children. Collin has respected our vows and we have a strong marriage. I might have... reservations about sending our daughters off like they were sons, but he has shown me that he only has their best interests at heart." she said. Yon's wife smiled and said "I think it's a bit weird that women can be warriors on par with men in his old world. Maybe those men might have crumbled if they were born here." I just smirked. "Who knows? It's a whole different world back there." was all I said to that. I left for a better life. They would never go anywhere close to the portal in their lifetimes. After a bit more partying, I called it a night and we went to our own place. Early in the morning, it was time to go.
Kicking the can down the road was not something that they could afford. They needed to get to Mansfield Castle. When they finally got there, a large house was already ready for them. It was a manor big enough for everyone to live in. The Brownflanks were given some land to themselves in the bailey. There were no buildings on that spot. They would be able to have more jousts and training spaces there. I would try to get some builders to build it for them. They deserved shelter from the elements. As knights in the service of the Swifthunt, they deserved no less. It took them about a month, but it got done. In the meantime, they hung out in our yard. Once their stables and field were built, we went over to practice like we usually did. Everyone was officially moved in. Johna was the eldest. She needed to get ready to go to the mage academy. I had looked into it. I was not going to be able to send them to the royal academy. It was way too pricy and exclusive for us. There was one for low nobility and commoners. It was likely she could get in. You would stay for 4 years once you got in.
It was less prestigious and the requirements to get in were much lower. To make up for the discrepancy, it was affiliated with the royal minister of adventuring. The royal government ran the tedious accounting and registry of the land's adventurers. Just like any other guild, officials had their hands in the cookie jar. There was money to be made from looting dungeons and fighting savage magical monsters. Graduating from the academy would allow you to instantly register as an adventurer. You could enter as a wizard, sorcerer or warlock. Wizards and witches, the female counterpart, were those who could see mana in the air around them or feel its presence. Using a range of complex algorithms and formulas, they were able to manipulate the mana for magic spells. Sorcerers and sorceresses were those who were born with magical abilities from birth. Some had a magical creature or source of power in their lineage. Others simply had the fortune of having parents that were granted magical power from said entities. The casting was instinctual. Warlocks gained power from deals with entities.
