Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Dame Alexandrina Draper.
The third child and only daughter of Count Draper, one of the noble houses that had survived Stein’s surrender and assisted with the empire’s conquering of the land. Unlike the empire, Stein placed little restrictions on who could be admitted to the knightage, but that didn’t mean the knights were awash with women.
They were few and far between with many women, especially noblewomen, choosing to follow the path of marrying well and bearing children to better their households. Many even married into the empire with the hopes of their children marrying up.
Stein’s people were progressive, but the patriarchal society of the empire was still prevalent here.
It was still better than in Sada, though. After all, Blair was only able to practice her swordsmanship because she was a member of House Rainforth. When it came down to it, Blair’s dream of becoming an Imperial Knight would never be recognised because the laws simply didn’t allow it.
Maybe that was why I was drawn to Dame Alexandrina.
In her, I saw my friend.
I saw the dream my friend wished to have for herself.
But there was also something about her—something magical. She was the only female in the First Order, and I’d watched daily as she’d held her own against the others, even beating some on occasion.
And unlike our first meeting, she was one of the few who paid me little attention during my visits to the training ground. Gone was the shy woman who’d blushed at some mere eye contact. It was almost as if she entered another level of consciousness when she had her sword drawn.
The more I watched her, the more I knew she had to be my personal knight.
Nobody else would do.
It was a shame I couldn’t finalise appointments until a certain someone returned from his monster slaying trip.
If I were a cynical woman, I’d think he was deliberately delaying his return.
Unfortunately, I knew little about fighting monsters, so I couldn’t say for sure.
“Sir Otto,” I said, beckoning one of the young knights over.
“How can I help you, my lady?” He bowed.
“Have a seat.” I motioned to the chair opposite me. “I won’t bite,” I added when he hesitated.
Reluctantly, he drew out the chair and sat down.
I propped my chin up on my hands and looked at him expectantly. “Can you tell me about monsters?”
Chapter Fifteen
Monster Lessons
He coughed. “M-monsters?”
“Yes. My education differed from my brothers, so I didn’t learn about them. I didn’t need to as there wasn’t much need in the capital city, but it seems they’re quite a problem in Stein. I think it might be a good idea to brush up on my knowledge now that I’m here.”
“I’m sure the Grand Duke would be happy to tell you about them, my lady.”
I doubted that very much.
“But the Grand Duke isn’t here, Sir Otto,” I pointed out with a pout. “I can look in the library, but firsthand experiences are so much better. Have you been on an expedition yet?”
“I went on one during my training,” he replied, finally giving in. “A group of low-level blighthounds settled down in one of the new iron mines to the west of the castle and stopped the start of the excavation. Sir Hayes decided to use it as one of our tests, and we were dispatched to dispose of them all.”
“Low-level? Are there different strengths in each type of monster?”
“Not all. Blighthounds are one of the most common monsters we come across, and they have a hierarchy like wolves with an alpha, beta, and so on.”
“There are wolves here, too?”
“Yes, my lady. Blighthounds are cursed descendants of wolves, however they lack the loyalty to protect their weak. The low-level groups are weak blighthounds who have splintered off from their pack and banded together, so they’re perfect training for new knights.”
“Fascinating. Do they often venture this close to the city?”
“It’s very rare. Usually, the outlying towns and the villages in the mountains are the ones most at risk, and those close to the river and Lake Stein are most at risk from aquatic beasts.” He cleared his throat. “The mountain monsters are generally a lot stronger. A lot of the mountains are uninhabited, especially the section across the border in the Polaril Kingdom.”
“Do they not hunt them as Stein does?”
“No, my lady. Polaril is a frigid land with one large walled city. They prefer to focus on their easy trade routes rather than a tempestuous one through the mountains, so the beasts are often left to breed uncontrollably within their borders.”
“Which then causes a problem for Stein,” I summarised. “Presumably the monsters retreat south towards here to find food because it’s warmer.”
He nodded. “Exactly that. It’s worse in winter, and early spring is one of our busiest times as the impassable mountain tracks clear and they begin hunting to feed their pups.”