Chapter 13: Chapter 13

It was a long three days. But they were over. And with them came the end of the time I was supposed to spend in the capital. There was simply nothing left for me to do here, for after the guns were silenced, diplomacy came into play, and I was not very good at it. But I didn't have to worry about idleness; there would always be a use for my skills-anywhere else.

To stand up to the Volt, you need a proper army, and the Free Cities don't have one. There's only a handful of units run by members of the Order (not all of them, anyway), but they're small and their training and equipment varies. It's not enough for war.

And besides the Black Dogs, who are licking their wounds, there are still enemies within the country who, having been kicked to the curb, will come to their senses and try to make a mess of things. The phrase "cut off the head of the snake and the rest of the body will die" certainly sounds beautiful, but it doesn't quite ring true. Yes, we dug up most of the radishes, but there were still some left. Some didn't come to Eldan for some far-fetched reason, some managed to escape, or some weren't accounted for at all, it doesn't matter. Right now they do not pose a great threat, but if you give them time, the consequences will be dire.

Therefore, it is planned to use all available forces as a kind of police force, which will monitor the order. The only exceptions will be Alicia and Maya. The first has the city on the border, and that says it all, and the second has the most combat experience. Since she's been a mercenary for several years. Apart from them, of course, there are others who know how to fight, Grave, for example, but he is needed exactly in his place, as captain of Celestina's guards. It's the same with the others. So it turns out that it's necessary to fight, and it even seems like there's someone who can, but in reality it's quite sad.

That's where I come in.

I have to train an army from scratch. In the literal sense of the word, to turn yesterday's farmers into seasoned soldiers, which in the Middle Ages is a very nontrivial task. After all, it takes a lot of time to train a good infantryman who knows how to fight in formation, not to mention a rider. And there might not be enough time; the Volt could unleash its horde on us at any moment, and even the most favorable prognosis, using the processing power of the marta, wouldn't give us more than a three-month head start. That's simply not long enough to train new recruits to stand up to seasoned mercenaries and monsters. The history of the land is littered with examples of hastily assembled militia being overpowered by professional warriors several times outnumbered, and we have no such advantage in sight.

So my original plan to create a semblance of the Roman legions, the most successful infantry of its time, had first to be put on hold, and then cancelled for lack of use.

It was because I met Claus. The man was a really talented scientist. I am sure that with his intellect he could have achieved great heights on Earth. Here he was only slowed down by the locals' general mediocre knowledge of the world they live in and the prejudices associated with it. Certainly no one considered him a sorcerer or a godless man, as in medieval Europe, but they looked at him crossly and laughed behind his back, even his own father. But he was actually doing useful things!

Plumbing alone is worth, you would know what a pleasure it is - after a wooden tub to wash in a more or less familiar bathroom. Of course, hot water was still added there from a bucket, but these are trifles, which are insignificant against the background of everything else.

In general, he is a very, very promising guy, who is very enthusiastic and is engaged in the real advancement of local science forward. And I had something to give him as food for thought and a task for his mind.

When I first came to see him, Claus was very suspicious of my visit, constantly fidgeting and nervous, trying to understand what this strange man wanted from him and why he was distracting him from his important work. He even made a timid attempt to escort me out of the door, but because of his soft nature he did not dare to see it through. When I inquired with an innocent face as to the principle of the barometer on his desk, he was unspeakably surprised, for, as he told me afterwards, he had not yet found out for himself why the mercury was rising through the tube. So I had to explain and tell him what the atmospheric pressure was.

Claus was delighted. When he learned something new, he clung to me like a tick, trying to pull out every bit of knowledge. I even had to saddle him a little and tell him that I came, in general, on business, and if the respected scientist wants to discuss, it is better to do it on a particular topic of interest to me. Claus did not mind. He already felt that he had touched a mystery and seemed ready to give his hand in marriage just to hear something else.

Then I told him about the gunpowder. It was with this substance that I intended to increase the combat efficiency of the future army.

The idea of exploding powder captivated the scientist, and he promised to do research as soon as possible.

Since then our communication began. From time to time I visited Claus's laboratory for consultations, and on one of my visits I met Claudia there. She turned out to be a very pleasant companion and a loving wife. It was clear to the naked eye that she was devoted to her husband and how much she cared for him. I felt a little embarrassed that I had made her worry, for Claus was disappearing much more often into his bear corner, and she had to drag him out to sleep and snack, sacrificing her own duties.

Since I was kept in the shadows, she didn't yet know who I really was, but that didn't stop us from starting to communicate well. Eventually I was even invited to dinner. It was there that I first met Grave and immediately noticed the tension in their little family's relationship. And if Claus was more or less understandable: not living up to expectations, not following in his father's footsteps, and so on... after all, Grave was a warrior, and the soul of his son was not at all drawn to the art of war, I couldn't understand why he hated Claudia so much. The only one who was nicer than her was Prim, so why was there so much anger directed toward her?

And no one seemed to notice that. Or they all seemed to ignore it on purpose, pretending that everything was all right-I couldn't figure it out. But one thing was certain: being in the same place with all three of their family members made me uncomfortable. It was like sitting on an explosive that would explode with any wrong move on your part.

Naturally, I did not ask questions, because it was at least indecent and none of my business, and at most it could be dangerous.  I just remembered it and kept it in my mind, strengthening my suspicions more and more each time. And so far there was nothing to get a hold of, but who knows how it will be now, after the official announcement of a new alliance and preparations for war.

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