Meeting

Back in his room, with everything in its place as though nothing had happened, Rafael found a few sheets of paper, a quill, and ink on the table.

"How was it at the capital? Has everyone found a place inside the walls? Is everyone safe?" Rafael wondered, deciding to leave his task for later.

"You don't have to worry. Fortunately, we received help from Prince Threo. He kindly offered us some unused houses. The place was a bit... lacking, but at least we have a home now." Ella's tone carried both relief and hesitation, the memory of their ordeal still fresh in her mind.

Help from the prince? Who is he? I don't think a prince would so easily help a baron who lost everything.

"What did he ask in return? And these houses... are they inside the inner circle?"

Ella paused, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes—not because of the first question but the second. "What...? Y-yes... The place we're living now is inside the wall."

Rafael's expression hardened as he pieced it together. "So, he placed you all in some peasant houses near the outer wall, huh. That motherfu—"

"No... What outer wall? Have you forgotten there's only one? Rafael?" she asked, puzzled. How could he mistake something so obvious?

...

Shit.

"Right, right. I'm sorry. I'm still a bit dizzy from what happened." He held his head, wincing as though a headache had struck him, trying to mask his blunder.

Ella's concern deepened. "Oh, take it easy. I'll get you some tea. Just wait here." She spotted a girl right outside the door and called her over.

At least now Avice and the others are safe. She probably made a deal with the prince—housing in exchange for something like paper or maybe the printing press. It's not a bad trade.

The tea didn't take long to arrive, accompanied by a few biscuits.

As they sat, Ella explained their arrival at the capital, the first deal they made with Threo, and their new lives inside the kingdom's largest city. Her voice softened when she spoke about her mother's closer deal with the prince and how it had changed everything for them.

This is good because we're as close to the royals as we can be. If this prince becomes king, the benefits will be huge. But this is also dangerous. The other prince is bound to hate us for supporting his brother.

With how things work in these times, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an assassination attempt against Avice. But she's not stupid. She knows the risks... maybe she can even use them to her advantage.

They spent hours catching up, talking about everything from the capital's politics to the simple pleasure of each other's company.

With the cool temperature outside and the occasional breeze, people on the streets were preparing for the harsh winter to come. They were fixing cracks in their homes, adding insulation, buying extra clothes—at least those who could afford it.

Even within the city walls, beggars and the extremely poor were pushed to the outskirts or thrown out entirely, only to join the desperate masses outside.

As winter began, a massive workforce was sent to the fields to prepare for the next crop. If they failed, they would all starve.

Inside a church, a priest stood at the altar, looking down at an open Bible. Like every other clergyman, he had his back turned to the crowd behind him.

No one understood the Latin words the old priest recited, but they prayed as if they could. The commoners asked for forgiveness, for a milder winter, a better harvest, health, and protection from the dangers that lurked in the streets.

When the prayer ended, the priest and the others turned to face the people.

"May our Lord bestow His light upon the faithful and His fury upon the unfaithful. As His creation, made in His image, it is our duty to help one another. As you know, there is a demon among us."

The mention of a demon caused unrest in the crowd. "The Lord asks for your help! Keep your eyes open, and if you see the heretic, you must alert us. Do as God commands!"

"Ohh, Amen!" the crowd chanted in unison. Their devotion intensified now that, supposedly, their Creator had given them a mission.

"Now! Redeem yourselves! Pay for your sins!" Clerics walked among the people, collecting coppers for each sin confessed that week.

The next few days passed without incident. Rafael and Ella stayed in the mansion, and Maxis informed Rafael that he had received the blueprint for the compass and planned to produce and sell a large number of them.

Rafael learned that Maxis was the wealthiest merchant in the kingdom. Not only did he sell various goods, but he also owned vast lands outside the city, growing crops and, more surprisingly, operating a mine.

"Wow, but what metal do you get from it? It must be hard to extract it manually…"

"It's a copper mine. And don't worry about the work; the slaves do it." Maxis spoke as if it were the most normal thing in the world—because, at that time, it was.

"...Wait... you said slaves?"

Maxis chuckled at Rafael's disbelief. "Yes, my slaves. Anyway, that mine has made me almost half of my wealth. Can you imagine? One mine!"

Rafael felt a cold pit form in his stomach. His thoughts kept circling around that one word: slaves.

The grim reality began to sink in: slavery was everywhere, even if he hadn't noticed it before. Only the smallest villages seemed untouched.

As his faith in humanity eroded, a distant war kept raging. Scouts from Fritsburg had spotted the enemy just days away from the city.

Inside the walls, preparations were made. Outside, those without options fled toward the capital or ran aimlessly, trying to escape the inevitable.

Those who stayed behind faced certain death or slavery.

Cries of desperation echoed as families gathered in front of the outer wall's massive gates.

With no other choice, the soldiers retreated and sealed the gates. From within, they could hear the pounding of fists, the desperate pleas of those locked outside.

Their only chance for survival—denied.

Meanwhile, Rafael was enjoying his stay at the mansion. A comfortable bed, delicious food, and the company of his beloved wife made for an idyllic few days. After months of stress, confusion, and anger over being stranded in the past, he finally felt a moment of peace.

"The way you explain this makes sense," Ella said thoughtfully, "but it would take years to implement in a medium-sized city, and decades in a larger one."

"I agree. We should start with smaller cities and scale up from there," Rafael replied.

Ella had asked him about his inventions and how they could be implemented. They spent the entire morning discussing paper, the printing press, and the crossbow, with Rafael proposing most of the ideas.

By noon, they were offered a banquet with various dishes laid out.

"Wow, why so much food?" Rafael asked, noticing the excessive spread.

"It's because we have a guest today. He should be arriv—" Maxis was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

A guest? Who would he invite here? If someone sees me, word could get out about my presence. The more people know, the more dangerous it becomes.

Rafael's heart raced as he turned toward the door. His eyes widened in shock, almost to the point of panic. In one swift motion, he stood up, knocking his chair to the ground. Ella yelped, startled by the loud crash.

A tall, burly man with fine clothes strode into the room. Calm and composed, he walked toward the table as if nothing had happened. Maxis gestured toward him with a smile.

"I want you to meet my right hand, Knight Eleonor—or, as everyone knows him, The Eagle."