Chapter 178: Morale Booster

Al raised an eyebrow at them. "I think you're forgetting something very important, Miss Librarian. There is a book on the history of instruments in your library and it mentions how to build a piano. All we would have to do is buy the individual components and get someone to manually put them together here."

They both blinked at him in awe. The answer was too simple. Why hadn't either of them thought of that?

"Of course, it will be expensive so one of you is going to have to come up with our next great export idea first so we could afford it. If you think quickly we might be able to get a piano up here before we celebrate the end of the harvest so we can have music at the event," he said casually.

"I could get a few traditional Kanta instruments as well and we could get Ayana and some of the other original refugees who remember how to play to help you. It would be a great morale booster at the end of the harvest season since everyone is already pretty overworked because of the training regimen."

Another good point. It had only been a few weeks but everyone was twice as exhausted as usual if not more so because of all the extra work.

The harvest was one of the most crucial tasks of the entire year because it determined whether or not the Kanta would survive another winter without outside assistance. If morale was low, it would take longer than usual for people to complete and that could cause a variety of problems with the crops.

The sisters exchanged a look before Katie sighed. "I guess we better get on that then. What haven't we hit yet that people in Annalaias would actually like and is possible to pull off with limited tech?"

Abby didn't have a clue. She would have to think about it.

She was listening absentmindedly to her music box after a long and grueling day in the printing office and at play practice when it hit her. The music box.

Katie said they didn't have anything like that in Annalaias and that Stanarussi only traded with its closest neighbors because they hated dealing with diplomats. They had no ties to Annalaias and though they were on the ocean they didn't ever venture beyond their own shores.

If they got someone good with mechanics to look at the individual components and replicate it…they could make the revolving cylinders have music popular in Annalaias and market them to nobles by encrusting the boxes with jewels from the mines.

But that would take far too long. They needed something quick and easy that could be accomplished within the next few months.

Katie wasn't having any luck either. Her only idea was trying to make and sell maple syrup for common people in the country to put on their bread. She had read about sap collection before and they did have maple trees here but the ideal season to tap the trees for sap had already passed.

After Adam and Aza had been put to bed, the two of them lay on the floor completely defeated. They couldn't even muster the willpower to get off the ground, let alone keep brainstorming.

"…what are you doing down there?" Al asked with a snicker.

"Giving up," Katie moaned. "We can't think of anything that would work right now! All of our ideas would take too long or it's the wrong time of year to make them work. Most of what we've accomplished has been by accident, you know."

That much was true. Their advancements to society had been a sort of byproduct of trying to make the place like home.

Al sat down cross-legged on the floor next to his wife and fiddled with her hair in a silent show of support for about five minutes until he got bored. "Since the two of you have given up, would either of you like to play Monopoly with me? It will help pass the time at least."

Abby sat up immediately. "Monopoly! Katie, your board games! I know you made them by hand but we can use the engraving plates at the printing office! Then all we would have to do is color them and glue them onto the wooden boards. The game pieces are easy to whittle, aren't they?"

She clapped her hands together once, remaining on the ground, before pointing to her husband. "Al made them for me even though he had almost no whittling experience whatsoever so I'd say it's pretty easy."

"Hey!" he protested. "I worked hard on those!"

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Katie patted his leg to appease him. "Yeah, yeah I know you did. I only meant that anyone with basic whittling skills would be able to replicate them. Everyone I've given a board game too has loved it so there's a decent chance they would sell.

"Let's try a test run first. I can make a few by hand before we bother making engraving plates for them. The merchants will tell us how well they sell when they come see us again; they always do to request more orders or not."

===

Abby was in the middle of helping her sister put together checkerboards during her shift in the library when a familiar face stopped by.

"Blaise!" she cried. "When did they let you leave the camp?"

"This morning. I looked for you in the printing office and they said you were here. What are you two doing?" he asked curiously.

"Trying to get a piano," Katie said wryly. "Which involves an awful lot of chance. We're going to try and sell these. As an objective outsider, tell me, would you buy something like this to entertain yourself with?"

Blaise looked at the checkerboard more closely. "I have seen this before. You have one in your home. Alamar made me play a few rounds against him because the game involves strategy and he wanted to see how a Warrior thinks."

"And?"

"It was unexpectedly diverting. I would buy one if it was set at a reasonable price."

Katie seemed relieved. "Oh good. These really don't cost much to make; they're just time consuming. But that wouldn't be a problem if we were able to use the printing press."

"I do believe my commander and several of the Warriors would enjoy this as well. I shall recommend it to them if you wish," he continued.

"That's very kind of you. Thanks, Blaise."

"You are welcome, Madam Clan Leader."

"…you really don't have to call me that. Everyone calls me Katie except my annoying brother Percy. He insists on calling me Catherine even though that isn't actually my name."

"I could never do you the dishonor," Blaise insisted. "Your title must be treated with respect."

Katie smiled at him. "Blaise, my own people don't call me by my title. I'm a pretty casual person. It would be my honor if you would call me by my name. Al feels the same way; he's cool with whatever though most people here call him Alamar. His cousins call him Al like I do."

Blaise nodded seriously in response. "I see. I will take your words under consideration…Madam Katie."

She sighed. "It's a start. Do you want to help us with this? We could use an extra hand if you have the time."

"It would be my honor."

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