The Mechanical Era

Arjun stood by his window, using his spyglass, looking down at the grass fields below. He sees the prince in his black suit, aiming and firing his 'caplock' musket. Though he did not know how it worked, as he was assigned to do some work for him, he was curious.

He turns around and walks up to his desk. There, on the desktop, was an envelope containing a letter from Alchemist Heinz Duesenberg. He picks it up and reads what he had to say. Apparently, they 'reinvented a new chemical' called 'mercury fulminate'. An explosive compound highly sensitive to shock, friction, and heat.

Though the letter was filled with praise for his genius, and a decent reason for how he managed to invent it. Arjun started to question the whole ordeal. Ever since he started to suspect Cora, Arjun had a sneaking suspicion about Kant himself. How DID he know about all this stuff? How DID he know how to invent these things? It could be genius, sure, but there was the feeling that something else was going on.

Arjun however, did not have enough information. He did not receive his position until about 2 years ago when Kant was a sort of a shut-in. The two almost never interacted until a few months ago. So, he decided to bring in a trustworthy knight, who might have all the information that he needs about Kant.

ραпdα nᴏνa| сom Just then, there was a knock on the door. Arjun coughed twice, sat on his chair, and maintained a straight and confident posture before letting the man enter. The doorknob opened, revealing a man with short messy hair, with a few wrinkles on his forehead. He was wearing a long-sleeved silver uniform.

"You called for me, sir?" he asked, holding his unamused and serious face.

"Yes, Knight Silvester Silverstone. Sit down." Silvester closes the door, walks up to the wooden chair, and sits down with his back rested.

"You have worked with his highness for about... how long now?"

"...About 16 years in total, when I turned 20. I had some experience as a private adventurer for some time. Why you do ask?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to ask you a question... have you interacted with Prince Kant in his younger days."

"I have...yes..." Silvester replies while nodding.

"Is there something that you want to know about him?"

"I do indeed. Yes. You see, Prince Kant has been... bringing all these inventions all this time and... don't you think that it is odd?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, how this... child. This random child manages to bring in all these new inventions that no normal human being could possibly even think of. Have you never suspected something was wrong?" Arjun asked Silvester.

Silvester leans his head back and thinks of an acceptable answer. Kant is their key to taking over the kingdom, and he could not have Arjun suspect a thing. He works with Salvator Humat after all.

"Hmm... I did in the beginning yes..."

"Go on..."

"Well, as far as I can remember... the boy mostly was reading books at around 3 or 4 years old..."

"Can you elaborate on that? What kind of books?" Arjun asked.

"I can't remember, but they were sure not for kids. They were something those old scholars read. He sometimes read them to learn, while other times, he read them to help him sleep."

"I see... Carry on then."

"Anyways, whatever it was, it clearly was, he said it helped him make his first big invention. By that point, he was making some small things. Impressive for a child, but that was about it.

It happened around... 5,008, when he was five years old. It was this... two-wheeled open carriage he called a bicycle. It is not that complex. Just use some kind of chains and pedals to make it go forward.

It was when we started to question where he got the knowledge because from what we could tell, there wasn't much there, to begin with. Eventually, he started to make more and more of that... we saw it as a part of life. Her highness told everyone it was his gift."

"Can you draw this.. bicycle for me?" Arjun asked while handing a piece of beige paper, and a quill.

"I can draw a sketch."

"Alright then. Please do." Silvester took the quill and a piece of paper. There, he drew two large circles, connected by a few lines, before presenting them to the minister. He took at it, rather unamused himself, and questioned further.

"Do you know what happened to it?"

"Yes. I think it is locked in a shed in the field, letting it gain rust along with a few other bicycles. We still haven't found the key. To be fair, it is pretty small for him to use it in any meaningful way anymore."

"Are there any other inventions?"

"Yes. Plenty. He made some novel toys, a few strange compounds, like that black powder. But instead, he used it to make some nice fireworks to light up on his birthday. I can't list them here because that would take too long."

"But then why did he stop? Why did he just... suddenly give up then?"

"His only friend died in 5,014 due to the plague. It was a big reason why he kept on making those things. He just... stayed in his room from that point onward." Arjun leaned in forward.

"Friend?"

"Yes. I can't remember the name though. He always went to that prince's city in the summer. He was very different back then..."

"Like how different..."ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom

"The near opposite of what we have now..."

"Very interesting. Now, if I told you, that he had made a... completely new chemical... would you think that is possible?"

"How do know that he found one?"

"A letter from the alchemist. I personally requested him to write one once their meeting was over," Arjun said while holding his hands together.

"So... what do you think?" Silvester looks up again and thinks.

"It is possible," he says, before looking back down and re-establishing eye contact.

"Why is that?"

"The prince has got some skills and a curiosity for learning. It is possible that he read up a bit on alchemy books inside the library and even read up some experiments to a conclusion. Believe me, sir. I have seen it in action a few times."

"Hm... alright then. Now... I got a few new requests to make. Can you follow through?"

"What is that?"

"Considering how long you have been working for his majesty, I trust you can... look after the prince?"

"Espionage?"

"...well yes. I would like to be his... bodyguard again, but even closer this time. Be a sort of mediator, get things done, and report everything you see back to me. See what is going on and such. Can you do that for me?"

"I am going to need some guys with me then. I won't be able to do it alone."

"Alright then. Take anyone you need. Is there anything else?"

"How much more will you be willing to pay?" Silvester asks.

"50 silver a month more."

"1 gold more," Silvester replied. Arjun sighed, yet felt relieved. The higher price was like a reassurance, that Ajurn could trust Silvester to do the right thing.

"Well... alright then. Shall I send someone to inform him about the changes?"

"No need. I will tell him myself once he gets back to his room."

"Perfect! Oh! But what about the explanation..."

"I will handle that. Make up an excuse without giving him too much to suspect."

"Good. Oh, and by the way, can you ask the librarian to check what kind of books he read? I want to see them for myself."

"Alright, sir. You got it."

...

Kant finally ran out of mercury fulminate caps. With the next batch coming in tomorrow, all he would have to do is to wait. With that, he placed his gun inside a wooden case, held it by the handle, and went back inside the palace.

He had gotten the hang of the weapon he fired. His accuracy was increasing by the day. Now, it was time to move on to the next weapon, one which is more portable that he can conceal inside his suit, and can reliably fire multiple bullets quickly.

When he came to his room, he found Silvester sitting in his chair. He had met him before. He was there when he and Salvator Humat made contact. Kant, after looking around the halls, closed the door shut.

"What is the situation?" Kant asks. Silvester, assuming no one is listening, spilled the beans.

"The minister is suspecting you, sire. He found out about the fulminate thanks to a letter and now wants some answers. He assigned me to check with the librarian. What books do you think the list would have?" Silvester asks.

Kant went on to name a few alchemy books. Books upon the best theories of how it worked, and some logged observations of many alchemists throughout the ages. Silvester, who received the list that would invoke the least suspicion, got up and tried to leave.

Before he could open the door, Kant stopped him in his tracks. He took a long stick, opened his drawer, and unlocked a secret compartment under the desk. From there, he took two pieces of paper and handed them to Silvester.

"Get Paul the smith to build what is inside the first paper, hand it over to the Petersons to assemble it, and package it in a small wooden box, before bringing the weapon back to me. Do you understand?"

"Alright, sire. I do. What about the second one?"

"Hand that over to a... tailor or a leather worker. It is more of a holster. Got it?"

"Alright. Got it, sire."

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