Discovery

"You have a good point; I'll think about that. So, anything else?" Edwin asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, there's one more thing. It's about the man named Rafael, the one with the white clothes and black pants who came with the people from Calistoga, sir," the commander added, noticing the brief look of confusion on Edwin's face.

"Oh right, go on."

"His first task was to upgrade the crossbow within a month's time—two weeks remain until the deadline. There's also the matter of his 'lab,' as he calls it. He keeps requesting different types of rocks, especially those that are white or yellow. I don't mind, but my soldiers aren't happy with what he might be doing."

"They think he's dabbling in witchcraft and similar profanities, right?" Edwin interjected, already anticipating the response.

"Exactly, sir. Some have already come to me, complaining about it."

"That's a problem... Hmm... Okay, send someone trustworthy to help him with his... experiments. This man will spy on him and report back to us in detail about what he's doing." The commander nodded, acknowledging his orders before leaving the room.

Rafael sat on a wooden chair by a medium-sized table, which was cluttered with small bowls filled with various powders. Some were black, others white, yellow, gray, and even brownish.

"Okay, I think... Haha... I think I've found one of them!" he exclaimed, staring at a bowl of yellow powder. After mixing it with other ingredients and bringing a flame close, Rafael watched as the coal ignited quickly, burning much more intensely.

It's sulfur! Or what they call brimstone here. Whatever, sulfur sounds better.

He grabbed a new parchment and began writing in Latin, briefly documenting his findings and listing the two known components.

-PROJECT V

-Everything on earth is ours to take and use as we see fit. Just as mixing certain herbs can create powerful medicines, mixing other substances can yield unknown results.

-Charcoal

-Sulfur

-

I'm so close... So close! This deserves a reward. Where's the kitchen? Rafael slipped the parchment into one of his pockets and left his small laboratory, which he had recently moved into, opting to sleep there alone. The nightmares had ceased.

The day was overcast, with a light breeze reminding everyone that winter was just around the corner, perhaps a month away at most.

With a smile on his face, Rafael stretched while taking in his surroundings. This place is enormous—Calistoga can't even compare. His "room" was actually a bedroom meant for important servants, like the leader of the household staff, but it had been unoccupied. It connected to large communal dormitories.

You know what? I'll just ask someone to bring me food here. He glanced around, right then left, when something caught his attention. About a dozen meters away, two men in brown robes were walking toward him.

You must be kidding, right?

Two clerics were heading straight for him, but just as they were ten meters away, someone called out, "Hey, you're Rafael, right?"

Rafael turned to see two men approaching. One was dressed like a commoner, and the other was a city guard. "Yes, that's me," Rafael replied, glancing back at the clerics, who had stopped walking.

"Good. This is Edmund, your new helper," the soldier introduced the young man, who nodded to Rafael.

"Wait, I didn't ask for help. I don't need anyone."

"Count Edwin sent him to assist you with anything you need. Are you refusing his orders?" the soldier responded sternly. Rafael glanced back at the clerics, who were now turning away.

*sigh* "Fine. Edmund, right? Go fetch me something to eat." The boy, who had brown wavy hair and green eyes, tilted his head slightly, confused. The soldier walked away, leaving the two alone.

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? You heard the man. Your job is to help me, so go get me some meat, bread, and cheese," Rafael ordered. He went back inside his "laboratory" and returned with a chair, setting it up by the door. "Why are you just standing there? Go, go!"

Edmund, with an annoyed expression, turned and walked away.

If this guy isn't here to spy on me, then I'm a dog. And why is the Church after me here? Have those priests told the ones in this city about me? When will I be free from these vultures?

Fortunately, I made some drawings and quick notes about the crossbow upgrades. I'll just hand those to the boy and send him away. After some time, Edmund returned with a plate in hand.

"Nice, you got what I asked for." Rafael began eating right there, while Edmund watched him, unimpressed. "The guard said I was going to help you, but I wasn't expecting to be a servant for an outsider. What do you even do here?"

Rafael finished swallowing a piece of meat before replying, "You forgot the water."

"...You didn't ask for water!"

"Well, I'm asking now."

--------------

Two men entered a small room containing only a round table with eight chairs, two of which were occupied by priests. "You're back already? Did something happen?"

"Forgive us, Father, but we had to stop and return. As we were approaching him, a soldier and a young man got to him first. We managed to overhear them mention the Count," one of the men explained.

The priests exchanged glances. "It seems Edwin is wary of the rumors and sent someone to keep a close eye on that man."

"Yes, let's wait and see what the future holds. You did well to warn us immediately. You may go now." The clerics nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh, one more thing. Tell Celena to continue her... good work. She has been of great help to us thus far in matters regarding the Count."