Chapter 44: 44.

Things are coming to some interesting culminations. Ed's lands are an exercise in nonsequiturs. The highlights are glass, gourmet cheese, red wine and baskets. Not much to do with the last one, honestly, other than introducing some advanced frames to hold the baskets while weaving. Cheese is similarly hard to improve on - it just requires patience. I was able to suggest some basic enchantments to monitor the temperature and moisture of the aging caves, which seems to be a revelation. It's glassworks where I was able to cut loose. They had the plate glass tables invented... just. No concept of polish just yet, the sand was used to smooth the glass down but it also turned glass matte. Suggesting to polish with coarse wool had gone over well, especially once the idea of packing the wool into a disk and attaching a cranking pedal to it caught on. I'm well-pleased with how the concept of modularity crops up much sooner, because the glass-polishing table is essentially the same as a fine rock-cutting table, just with a different disk in the clamp. And since dwarves already had the technology of tables downpat, Ed ended up getting a good and quick deal on it all, along with some assorted abrasives.

The concept of lenses had been more complicated, but as of yesterday, Bakarat is a proud exporter of looking glasses. Ed's been trying to be overly generous with profits until I pointed out that I already get my cut from the fact he buys the shells from dwarves, and thus puts gold in duke Gillespie's coffers. I also suggested to him a line of unadorned clear glasses, both regular for drinking and graduated for alchemists. The second proved to be a bit of a boom. Apparently, the prevalent method for alchemists to measure something was to have cups fitting in exactly one measure and filling up sequentially. The concept of glass you could just fill to the gradation? Yeah, well. Let's just say Ed's workers have had been inundated with requests for looking glasses, magnifying glasses and graded glasses so much he had to triple the workstaff. I had to sit him down and lay out the principles and details of work distribution. He's still working out the details. Oh, I ended up creating a six-piece copperring phone for him to manage his stuff, he wouldn't be able to get things moving anywhere near as fast otherwise without being there in person.

I have told him that once he deals with the initial boom, we're going to look into eyeglasses. Which is an interesting concept. While this world has less of a problem with vision defects due to healing magic, some things are just not that easy to deal with. While eye injuries typically can be restored pretty easily, genetic issues and on-going illnesses are a problem. As such, there is a good selection of elderly who would be very appreciative of assorted glasses. While we are at it, dwarves report the successful construction and activation of the first Vagran furnace. I have gotten the first drops of metal from the inauguration smelting, they attached them to a silver chain. Nifty, and... well. They probably didn't intend to, but this is now an artifact. That is to say, a magic item that is very complicated or outright impossible to recreate. This particular one is based on "the first glimmer of hope and fulfillment of restoration and fondest dreams", and as such is stupidly powerful. Anyone wearing it would be flatly overwhelmed with inventing spirit. I've tested it on all four wives (with their informed consent, of course), and the results were amusing. Moon Unit had sat still for two hours, then asked for wood and glass and assistance. What came out of this is essentially a magic photocopier. It takes one page at a time and burns the copy of the page into a clean sheet. Requires a flower per each hour of operation, though, but I think this is a passable cost for the way to easy copy books. Tulips seem to have the best cost-efficiency ratio, it seems to favor fire-aligned flowers.

Bridgit's reaction was weird. She asked for paper and ended up creating a fairly comprehensive "Maid's Manual", which I will be copying and sending out to various places. In no small part because it will be popular with all the "noble ladies" who can not afford a maid of her own just yet. Some of the concepts, especially the suggestions on cleaning imply maids have a much better practical grounding in alchemy than I considered. Might have to teach Bridgit some theoreticals of the science too, she might come up with pretty interesting household chemicals. Lily-Anne had the necklace on for five days, because her project turned out to be social networking. I think they're referring to it as "Whirlwind Princess Week" right now. I'm... reluctant to try more, she seemed to be fairly well loaded on social obligations as is right now. Roxolane produced a treatise on mathemagical theory that is nigh incomprehensible to anyone but her, Moon Unit, Lemand and a couple professors, who are all gaga over implications. She basically took the formula of teleportation that I threw down on paper for her to poke at, and expanded it into an overarching theory of translocation. She still has the necklace on, as she's currently working on making practical implementations. If what she calculated is correct, she's about to put logistics on their ears.

The downside of the artifact is that after the project is finished, a LOT of recuperation is necessary, because it pushes through a manic state in which the wearer is being... complicated. Complicated to the tune of feeding them exclusively with sandwiches because they can't be arsed to distract themselves from the project kind of complicated. Understandable, but at times more than a little annoying. As such, my harem has had a bit of a downturn lately. Between me tutoring them (Roxolane had passed the entrance exams and is a full-fledged student right now, Lily-Anne is slated for tomorrow, Rafiqa is still being tutored, though now I have had split the duties with Hiram. He took it in good graces, but I've made sure to have him well supplied with spirits and sweets as a bit of reward for patience.)

Right now, I am working on sketches and schematics for a steam engine. The furnaces and rocksaws could use an extra source of power in places where wind isn't enough and water isn't close. If I am right, it should be more economic than what I expected. Just making an engine running off magic is problematic, it might harm the users or use a profligate amount of flowers to power itself. I was looking into making metal-powered engines, but turns out copperphones are about the upper limit of what metal-powered enchantments can take. Lots of longevity, but not much in the way of juice. I'm also working on alchemical sieves, industrial stills and other assorted ends and odds to kickstart the chemical industry.

Selene's foster dad came through with an agreement. He had visited the duchy, shook hands with dad and made an agreement to transport our goods around the coast, both to the north to Albic islands and to the south, to the Thousand Isles. On our hand, we have had given him funds and schematics to lay down four new ships, which is going to put him right above the squabbling idiots in the area in terms of "fuck you". He's already registered as a caravaneer, but with six ships instead of two... He sent a letter yesterday, one of the four is ready to the schematic and he is ecstatic about it. Contemporary shipbuilding is mostly cogs and carracks, the latter of which are being considered "the ship" to develop. If my admittedly limited naval history memories are correct, carracks are supposed to transition into galleons, which would include them becoming lower, narrower and longer to accommodate better speeds. Current ships are... bulbous, let's put it like this.

In comparison, the plans I have provided are for a light sloop, a brigantine and a clipper. The first two were pretty common designs. Last, well... I had little hope that they'd build me Rainbow or Sea Witch from the first try. It was provided mostly as an example of advanced designs I could give to them, to whet their appetite. The promise of bigger ship designs would further inspire them to put actual effort into those. More importantly, all the designs I have had provided were late eighteen century hulls, as opposed to late fifteenth century as the shipbuilding here was. Mixed sail rigging should provide quite an advantage over current ships. The plans called for the construction of two sloops in addition to two cogs they currently have and two brigantines. And one of the sloops had been built first as a pilot example. According to the letter, they are... very satisfied with the new design. So much, that Edmon (Selene's foster dad. Edmon Dantes. Thankfully, without a horrible backstory of being imprisoned for years over a crime that was not a crime. Yeah, I have no idea either why every second name I encounter is a reference to something I read, watched, played or listened to. Or refused to do any of the aforementioned, as is the case with unfortunately named Ed.) is venturing forth a suggestion that if the brigantine pans out to be comparably impressive, they might sell both cogs to local fishermen and build one more brigantine. Or, maybe, attempt a clipper.

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I wrote back to him that so far, I'd like for them to establish the viability of brigantines and sloops as superior ships and leave off clipper design until he has his own trading house. Edmon might be dubious about this, but should he push forward and really make himself THE person to go to when you need to deliver something by sea? Coupled with his stepdaughter marrying a prince? And a profitable relationship with a wealthy ducal family on the rise? He's gonna go far, if I have anything to say about it. And I do need a good reliable "face" to hire the seamen I'd need. Because there is no way in hell to maintain control over the archipelago without a fleet.

Honestly, I'm unsure if I even want to bother with big sails. I suppose I can pass over some windjammer designs, I should have enough of industry and enchanting by then to figure out a magical version of dynarig, but that is years in the future. For now, I'd settle for a fleet a couple hundred years ahead of the competition, at least. But really, I'm already thinking about steamboats. And, while we are on the point... I keep jotting this thing down. It's impractical, and overly grandiose and just plain pretentious, but... But damnit, I want my own airship. And if my plans (which go into a SEPARATE scroll I don't show to anyone) are anything to go off, this promises to be a flying mansion. No crew other than my family, automated everything. Magic, enchantments up the wazoo, exploiting all the physical laws they don't even know yet and blatantly breaking some of them... Goodness.

Right, I have had been shaking some hands around the capital, while at it. While the textile industry is pretty decent so far, I notice a distinct lack of cotton. Asking some questions had revealed the truth - cotton is known, but expensive. I was able to obtain some cotton thread and sheets. (Bridgit was more than a little scandalized when I asked her what she thinks about cotton undergarments. Apparently, she thinks I'm a horribly extravagant person to want such expensive fabrics on a maid. But since she didn't say no, I got her to find a seamstress and embroideress to fashion some. I've been subsequently jibbed on by all four girls for being "way too cagey". Paranoia is not unfounded when they're really out to get me, girls.) Pondering the merits of introducing cotton gin. Actually, I think I save that one for a bit. If my hunches are right, Salaadin is going to crack sooner than later. Once the Sultanate bends enough for me to get what I want, they're going to be very sore losers about that, and passing them a device that will let them get prosperous off cotton will probably smooth things out enough to make them concentrate on rebuilding.

However, there is a certain issue that's been bothering me. I've been invited for a meal and business discussion with a certain merchant tomorrow in the afternoon. And this invitation makes me feel.... off. This guy is... skeezy, no other word about it. Oh, he is pleasant enough, I'll give that. But I've noticed certain glances in his direction and mine, subtle hints from people who clearly want to warn me off but don't dare to. Wonder what this is all about? I planted eyespiders on him, and I'm currently perusing his papers. Including the stuff he keeps hidden behind the painting. Classic, that.

The picture that comes out of it is pretty grim. This guy is a mob boss, there is no other way to sell it. He runs a protection racket, he has a great deal of influence in the merchant guild, hell, he has the fucking floor plans of MY fucking confectionery. And other assorted papers, including the summary on profits (likely obtained by observation, it's off by a bunch) with this bastard's "resolution" across the report "to be acquired". The big question is, what do I do? I can eat him here and now, he would be billed as "disappeared in the middle of night mysteriously". The thing is, people will STILL assume he is around. I need to make him go away publicly if I am to remain unmolested. But going away he MUST be, because he apparently already IS leaning on father's men for "protection money", and they fucking pay because everyone does.

Besides, I'm morbidly curious as to what tack he is going to use for this. Will he outright threaten? Or will he try to swindle me? Or maybe he thinks he knows something blackmail-worthy? Or maybe his whole plan is just browbeating? Well, well, well...

"Girls? I will be absent till evening tomorrow. I have a dinner with monsieur Konistan."

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