Chương 62: Chapter 1.62: Reflections

"Lead." Favius paused and tried to catch up with the two words that shouldn't be put together in any context.

"Sugar," he finished. Oh by hell. Lead pipes and lead coinage I get. I even remember lead paint from Earth. But using it in food. In fucking food. He swallowed hard. Lead. Heavy metal poisoning is nasty to begin with, but it causes neurological damage. He looked around at the crowds as they entered a large dressing room with benches and a reception desk where slaves dressed in the robes of the Magisterium accepted piles of clothing and handed out numbered tokens.

Brutus glanced sideways at Favius, then his eyes widened.

"Oh, you're worried because you said lead is..." He trailed off. Marcus stopped and turned towards him.

"You look upset, Favius."

"It's..." He groaned.

"Just the idea of lead sugar." He shook himself, but Marcus chuckled.

"Yes, yes, I understand. It is much inferior to honey, but it is what it is. A blessing with how easy it is to make. Simply requires vinegar and lead shavings." Brutus snorted.

"Oh, it's much easier than that. I remember in Celita, many of the soldiers thought the northern wine too sour, so they stuffed shavings of lead into the amphora or their wineskins so it would sweeten while they carried it around." Favius groaned. Well, I hesitate to say this, but knowing that they are already using lead in their food, how could this entire thing possibly get any worse? He shuddered. It might only be the urban population, but still...

the Republic's demographic core keeps poisoning itself into stupidity. Finally, he sighed and shook his head.

"It's nothing, Father. Just a bad memory." Marcus studied him for a long moment, but finally shrugged. They undressed and put their clothes into baskets that attendants provided. The copper-clad guards required three baskets each to store all their equipment. Even Brutus walked over to the desk and handed in his axe. The men returned naked, except for the guards, who had retained a leather belt onto which their cudgels were fixed. Caliga narrowed her eyes.

"You're going in unarmed, Brutus?" The Magnicultor laughed and straightened his fingers so his hand formed a blade. He held it up before him and turned to the guards.

"Unarmed? How would you feel about taking a serious run at me with your cudgels right now, boys?" The two younger guards flinched and took a step back. The older one, the Decurii unless Favius was mistaken, chuckled humorlessly.

"Rather poorly, my Lord." Caliga hummed, and Marcus chuckled, patting her on the head. They walked further into the building, into what could only be described as a public washroom. Favius observed, then followed the examples of the others. He grabbed a handful of the fine sand from an earthen jar and looked at Brutus.

"Volcanic pumice," he explained, mixed it with water, and began rubbing it all over his body. Favius shrugged and followed the warrior's example. The moment he was done, a splash of water hit him in the face. He gasped, glaring at Caliga, and the splashing began in earnest. Even Marcus got in on the fun. Soon they were all washed and ready. By the screams and noises coming from the other washrooms, turning the pre-bathing shower into a water fight seemed to be the norm.

They followed the crowds into a larger open room. Attendants stood ready with, Favius narrowed his eyes, oddly curved bronze blades and olive oil. The pool on the left was steaming. The other held icy water by the reactions of the people entering it. He noticed that there was a constant inflow of fresh hot and cold water. Brutus snorted loudly.

"Alright children, let me tell you something. We will be doing this like proper citizens of the Republic. Cold water, then hot water, and then cold water. None of—" He gestured at the people who were rubbing themselves with olive oil, only to scrape it off with the curved bronze blades.

"—that oil scraping. That's for those emasculated southerners. Bad enough that those Minurian traditions made it to Cindrath." He shook his head. The three children studied the Warrior, who was gesturing broadly. The Decurii nodded along, but Marcus sniffed and raised his nose to an almost comical height.

"Do not listen to this Rhexioni brute. Follow the wisdom of a proper order. A citizen ought to bathe in first the cold bath to cool his bile, then a proper cleansing and rebalancing of his phlegm with the help of good olive oil, and finally the hot water to wash off the remaining oil and to prepare his blood for the public pool." Brutus sniffed.

"That has only become the common tradition because it requires no investment, no sacrifice. No." He pointed at Favius.

"A true man ought to temper and quench himself with a rapid exchange between hot and cold water." Favius chuckled, but Urania and Caliga observed their father and uncle with narrowed eyes.

"So..." Caliga ventured.

"A true warrior doesn't use oil?"

"Precisely," said Brutus, throwing Marcus a toothy grin. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The Senator cleared his throat.

"Daughter, oil is excellent for the smoothness of your skin. You ought not to neglect that." Caliga sniffed and walked over to Brutus, and Marcus gasped.

"Betrayal!" Urania looked between the two of them and then shook her head.

"I... I'm with Marcus." Both men stared at Favius, and he swallowed. Well, they're clearly just messing about, but still, going with either of them is a statement, maybe... Favius snapped his fingers.

"You are both wrong. I shall enjoy hot water, then cold water, and then hot water again." A smile played over Marcus's lips, but Brutus harrumphed.

"Well, as long as you're not oiling your body like an athlete looking for a lover, that seems acceptable." They split up, and Favius noted that the Decurii went with him. Soon all of them rallied at the other side of the room, and they walked through a short mosaic hall. The sounds of splashing and the low murmur of hundreds of people talking welcomed them as they stepped into the public pool. Favius's eyes widened. There were hundreds, maybe over a thousand people in the room.

It was huge, bigger than any swimming pool he had seen in the modern world, except at a water park. The entire building was enclosed, yet it wasn't one large hall. No, pillars stood at regular intervals in the water, and people sat at their bases. On both sides, raised balconies overlooked the pool.

"This is huge."

"Indeed," said Marcus.

"The Lucanus bathhouse is among the biggest in the entire Republic. The privilege of sponsoring it always results in rather vicious bidding wars." Favius swallowed as he stepped down into the pool. The water was steaming, and he noticed that the stonework had an entire pattern of colored rocks at the bottom of the pool, yet one in five was... He ran his foot over one of them. Upon closer examination, he noticed its slight greenish sheen. Copper. This is a plate of copper.

The family walked up to one of the pillars halfway down the pool, the guards forming a cordon around them. Favius noted the families, the conversations, the groups of children running in tight circles, creating a small whirlpool in the water. He couldn't help but grin, but again his foot hit one of the patinated copper tiles.

"Why is there copper in the pool?" he asked, and Brutus leaned in on him.

"It is said that it keeps the water cleaner. It is still changed daily, but it helps with hygiene." Favius pursed his lips. Does copper have antibacterial properties? Maybe. Something to think about. I don't think it is toxic, at least. Soon they stopped at one pillar that was occupied by a small group with clay amulets. It had a nice view over the entire pool. The two younger guards stepped forward, and while Marcus was happily talking to his two daughters, Favius observed them looming over the citizens.

They wisely decided that there would be good spots at other pillars as well. They all settled on the circular bench and leaned into the water.

"Feels nice," yawned Caliga. Urania grinned at Favius.

"So, shall we see who of us is faster at estimating how much water is in this pool?" Favius let out a long breath and let the worries wash off him.

"I really shouldn't have taught you about Fermi estimates and guessing games." Urania grinned.

"Well, but you did." For the next short while, he and Urania threw estimation problems at each other, trying to reach fast and accurate conclusions. Favius snorted after he had to admit that Urania had done a better job at calculating how many people there might be in the pool. She's really gotten good at estimating numbers by their upper and lower ranges and then rounding correctly to make quick guesstimates. Marcus looked up from his conversation with Caliga.

"It's always such games of guesses and estimations with mental cultivators. Tell me, Favius, do you think the people inclined to such games tend to seek out mental insights? Or is it the insight that provokes the desire for such games in the cultivators?" He exchanged a look with Urania, who simply shrugged. Favius studied the building's ceiling. The underside of the wood-framed shingled roof was visible.

He noted the hundreds of oil lamps illuminating the building and the shutters that in any other season would illuminate the pools. He let his head fall against the stone pillar, feeling its carved patterns.

"It's probably a bit of both. The two of them feed into each other, Marcus, thus reinforcing each other." Marcus hummed and gestured to one of the guards. Favius noted that each of the men had a few pouches on their belts. But he froze as the Decurii handed Marcus something from the pouch. A piece of soap. What? Marcus wetted it unhesitatingly and began washing his hair. Is he really? Favius couldn't help himself.

"Father, what are you doing?" he whispered. Marcus squeezed open an eye and stopped rubbing the soap into his scalp.

"I am washing my hair, Son. Is that not obvious?"

"You can't do that," whispered Favius back.

"Why not?" replied Marcus with puzzled slowness.

"This... This is a public pool. You cannot just use soap in here." Marcus laughed.

"You assured me it was safe. And after all, how would a substance that can cleanse pestilential essences be a bad thing in a public bath?" Marcus gave him a smile.

"If we are successful with your little venture, soon every noble bathing in the Republic will be using soap." Favius swallowed and shook his head. This. This is another one of those cultural things, isn't it? He sighed as all the others accepted the piece of soap in turn and also began washing their hair. Favius sat there, stoically enduring the situation. Caliga held out the soap to him.

"Come on, you gotta wash your hair as well."

"No, no. This is simply..." He swallowed the first term that had come to mind. Barbaric has too many bad connotations here.

"This is not how things should be done," he murmured. It's weird that I've gotten used to the slavery, but using soap in a public pool is what gets me. Marcus simply shrugged.

"Suit yourself, Favius. Anyways..." He tapped the golden amulet around his neck.

"We have full access, thus we should make use of the other baths."

"Other baths?"

"Oh yes. There are ones with sulfur, mud, sand, incense, music, or herbal infusions," continued Marcus and gestured to the higher balconies where people were massaging each other on benches or simply relaxing with closed eyes or sharing wine. Favius narrowed his eyes. Sounds like a spa, but with them using lead...

"Is there also a bath where one can swim in a pool of mercury?" Favius ventured. I almost don't want to hear the answer to this. Brutus and Marcus both looked at him strangely.

"Why would you want to swim in a pool of mercury? That stuff is toxic." Favius sighed and chuckled.

"Nothing. Just... just wanted to be sure." The rest of the day was spent in the blur of experiencing a variety of different baths. The sulfurous one stank like rotten eggs, but both the adults insisted that it was good for his health. The mud bath was surprisingly pleasant, and a room where they were showered with hot and cold water in turn while a musician played a harp proved enjoyable. Favius barely escaped the incense bath, coughing and hacking alongside his sisters.

"That... that's so much worse than smoking," he murmured while the adults were laughing in the background. Hours passed by, and after a while, they again found themselves in the public pool. Marcus squeezed Favius's, Urania's, and Caliga's shoulders in turn.

"Very well, children. This trip to the city has been most productive. You will travel back tomorrow with my brother." He looked at Brutus.

"I shall remain in Cindrath for a while to capitalize on the recent political changes." They said their goodbyes, got dressed, and walked back to the estate. Favius studied the torchlit snowy streets and caught a falling snowflake on his hand. It melted away, yet even the chill night air couldn't wash away his conviction. Marcus and Hesnia are both away from the estate. That means... He grinned as he looked at his siblings, his new family, in this new but old world. It's time to start a printing revolution.

He noticed a street well and the dull metal of the pipe protruding from the stones. And to figure out how to stop the entire Republic from poisoning itself with lead.