73 Chapter 73 The Pain Of Loss (1/2)

”Magic fire should stop the freezing fog,” Joseph mumbled to himself as they walked the next day.

Stella thought about the number of oil bags she had on her. As long as he made the fire magical it should work, but she wasn't sure. How do you fight a fog? She couldn't wait to see an actual creature to fight.

”I wish Selena were here. This monster would probably go re-seal itself to get away from her.”

Stella nodded in agreement.

”What do you think Tekaun meant about befriending dragons?” mused Joseph, kicking at a frozen blade of gra.s.s.

”I think you think too much.”

”What? You realize I pretty much can't not think and still do magic right?”

”But you think about everything too much.”

”Well fine. What do you want to talk about?”

Stella paused as Joseph reached down and found a tiny little flower. How it was still alive, in the cold, she had no idea. Maybe it was magical?

”Here. Stand still,” he said, reaching up to weave it into her hair. ”There. It's cute on you. So, what did you want to talk about if you think I think too much?”

”What do you think your kingdom will be like?” she asked after a moment of thought.

”I want to bring a lot of the things that made life better in my old lives, into my kingdom. I want mages involved in society. But I don't think I want them overprivileged either.”

”Why do you have to make a distinction with the mages?”

”I want to encourage magic. The study of magic. The use of magic. Make it part of the elementary school. If you teach everyone about it then you won't have people ostracized or held up on a pedestal. Not everyone has the ability to use magic so it makes it special. No matter how hard someone works, if they aren't born with magery, they probably will never be able to use magic.”

”So, does walking make having legs special? What of the people who are born with no legs?”

”Those are a minority who can't walk. I'm talking about a minority who can do something most can't.”

”But you just said you don't want them to feel overprivileged.”

”Yeah that's why I'm worried about it. In my head I only want mages to be able to make a little more than other people doing the same thing. That way they are encouraged to go through the hard work of studying to be a mage. But I don't want to discourage someone who decides to be a doctor or alchemist from doing what they love just because they have magery. I also don't want mages to be enslaved to the idea of, they have to be mages because they were born with magery so they need to take care of the non-mages.”

”Sounds complicated. I'm glad you're the king not me.” She shook her head. He had some awesome ideas, but they all took way too much thought. How did people do it in the beginning? It was so confusing trying to make sure that every angle was covered so no one got b.u.t.t hurt over something.

Joseph just sighed and she worried about him. His brain never seemed to stop. It was fine right now, while he had plenty to learn and room to grow, but what would happen when he had learned it all? Would he want to go exploring to find out more things? It would be kind of hard to be a king if you were running around trying to learn new things.