Chương 73: Chapter 2.10: Pearls and Pigs

"But our circumstances are special. Beyond the norms and conventions of honor." Favius held his breath as Brutus let out a rumbling sigh.

"And it's not that I can't see the reason behind your request. Very well," Brutus said and loosened two daggers from his chest rig.

"Really?" Favius exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. He saw the blades.

"They're enchanted," he murmured. Grinning broadly, he embraced Brutus.

"That... That's amazing. With that, it's nearly guaranteed to work." Brutus laughed out loud.

"Remember, Little Cousin, this is a loan." Favius nodded, swallowed, and met Brutus's eyes.

"I understand perfectly, Ovinius Kestrelo. And I'll make certain to repay you appropriately for this." Brutus chuckled.

"Careful, Boy. Any other warrior might be insulted by the insinuation that you intend to pay them for a loan of good steel." He flashed a grin, and Favius snorted, rolling his eyes. They turned back into the workshop and walked toward Arryn. Brutus gestured at Veren to follow them as well. Arryn looked up from his work as he noticed the two presences behind him.

"My... My Lords," he said hesitantly, on guard in an instant. Favius schooled his expression into a smile and gently elbowed Brutus.

"Drop the stony mask," he murmured, but Brutus shook his head. He gestured at Favius's hands.

"Show him," Brutus said, his voice carrying across the entire workshop. In an instant, everyone's attention was on them. The smile dropped off Favius's face. Considering all he said... Yes. This is serious. I'm handing a magic item to a slave. He looked down. Two magic items. The long, triangular blades of the throwing daggers lay heavy in his hands. He held them out toward Arryn.

"I found better tools for you." A smile spread over the boy's face, but it shattered like a pane of glass the moment he looked at Favius's hands. He scrambled up off the bench and backed up against the table.

"Dominus, those are..." He swallowed, and gasps erupted from all over the workshop. Veren took a few steps forward and put a hand over his mouth to hide a gasp.

"Young Master, you cannot possibly..." he murmured. Favius made a sharp gesture.

"I very much can." Brutus nodded.

"Indeed." Yet his intense look settled on Veren, and the woodworker froze like a rabbit before a wolf.

"I shall consider you"—Brutus raised his voice to a threatening growl—"and everyone here responsible for the safety of those blades. They are a loan, and no excuse shall suffice should they be lost." Bows and murmurs of intimidated assent filled the room. Brutus waved his hand.

"Now get back to your work, Boy." Arryn remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the blades as if on a venomous snake. Brutus gave him a toothy smile.

"It is good for a man to know his place between Heaven and Earth. Yet if you are ever offered a good blade by those who trust you..." He looked at Favius.

"It would be a grave insult to Destiny not to accept it." Arryn swallowed and reached out his hands. Favius felt the shivering of the other boy's fingers against the flesh of his own hands as he picked up the two daggers reverently.

"They are beautiful," Arryn murmured, and Brutus chuckled.

"They are well made, but you haven't seen their true beauty yet." Brutus stepped forward and held out the axe. Favius noted the rainbow shimmer of the bearded blade, which was absent from the daggers. Brutus pointed to the Ethercrystal shard embedded in the head of the weapon.

"Touch them to the adamantite until they make a clinking sound." More magic. It shouldn't be that exciting after the party, but still, I've never really looked into Brutus's weapon.

"Is it safe?" inquired Arryn. Favius gave him a mischievous grin.

"That's not a bad question, but I think the better question is: what is it going to do?" Brutus nodded and grinned.

"There's wisdom in asking either question. As for their safety, the greatest danger of those blades is clumsiness. If you let your hands slip, you might very well lose a finger." Arryn's shoulders stiffened as he stared with fear and excitement. Brutus turned to Favius.

"As for what they do, it is a simple sharpening enchantment." Brutus gestured between the woodcarver and his axe.

"I don't have all day." Arryn took a deep breath, then extended his hands and touched the tip of the first triangular blade to the Ethercrystal. Favius squinted. I might have imagined it, but was there a blue glow? After a few heartbeats, the clean ping of a bell could be heard, and Favius compared the freshly charged throwing knife with the unempowered one. One is just normal reflective steel, like a kitchen knife. The other... there's this rainbow shimmer.

Arryn charged the second one, and Brutus began explaining. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"As soon as you find one blade cutting less well, switch over to the other. Should they lose the sheen..." Brutus stepped forward and grasped Arryn's shoulder tightly.

"Seek me out in an instant. Do not under any circumstances continue working without having me recharge the blades. Should they be destroyed..." Brutus did not finish the sentence, and Arryn shivered like a leaf in the wind.

"I... I understand, Dominus. T... thank you." He reverently picked up the blades and began carving a piece of applewood. Across the grain, Favius noted with a smile. As the atmosphere in the workshop slowly calmed down and the woodworkers who had only been pretending to do their jobs returned to their work in earnest, a grin widened on Favius's face. The arcane steel is cutting the wood without resistance. With wide eyes, he noticed how fine the letters Arryn worked into the piece of wood suddenly were. This...

this will allow us to print properly, and at the speed he's working at... Arryn only occasionally made an amazed noise.

"It feels like working clay," he murmured under his breath, having finished another sentence just as Favius began dreaming of his printing empire. A regal presence hit the room, and everyone froze. Favius spun around, smelling the sharpness of a cultivator's aura. The first sound that broke the silence was Caliga's voice.

"Dad, don't scare everyone!" cried his older sister in mock outrage as she rushed over toward her father. The aura retreated without disappearing entirely, and Marcus laughed. Favius swallowed. He's here. Of course he's here. He wanted to check out the workshop, but I thought he would schedule an appointment instead of just spontaneously showing up here. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Marcus gestured broadly.

"Well, Serran told me so many stories, and when I heard you were again spending your time here, I decided that it was high time that the master of this house learned what was happening under his roof." Favius narrowed his eyes. Well, maybe this is actually an opportunity. I would have preferred to have a proper presentation, but... He looked over his shoulder at the wax tablet with wood blocks that formed an entire page and at the page of text that Arryn had nearly finished with the new steel tools.

Favius put a hand on his stomach, taking a deep breath and letting go of the heaviness. I can't keep everything secret. Printing books... I know how explosive that was on Earth. Never mind that I need money from Marcus. He looked at Urania and subtly gestured with his eyes toward Marcus as he began walking toward where he was discussing something with Caliga. Well, I wanted to get better at this, at taking my chances, at doing what needs to be done. So I might as well prepare the best possible business pitch.

He looked between the winding press, the ink, and several samples of sized paper. Marcus was smiling and nodding along with Caliga as both Favius and Urania joined them. Brutus remained at the back of the workshop. The woodworkers were still just standing there, heads lowered in deference. Favius cleared his throat.

"Father, this is rather unexpected." Marcus chuckled in response, running a hand over his simply cut, bright orange tunic.

"Life itself has the rather unpleasant habit of throwing unexpected things at you, My Son. What matters is how you deal with the threats the Fates seek to entangle you with," replied the Senator. Favius looked between his siblings while smiling. All right, they can soften him up, and then, in the end, I convince him.

"Indeed. But I assume you did not just want to surprise your children, but also intended to see what we're doing here?" He grinned at Marcus as he repeated the words the man had said to him right after he had become a cultivator.

"No man should ever do something for a single purpose, right?" A proud smile spread over Marcus's face.

"That is indeed so, Boy. So tell me, what have you planned?" Favius grinned broadly.

"If we told you, that would take away the fun, wouldn't it? But Father, we need a little bit of time." He looked at Caliga.

"So how about you show him how the beehives are made?" Caliga grinned broadly and instantly grabbed her father's forearm.

"All right, Dad, come with me. You need to see what I did over the winter. Has Serran already told you we've made over a hundred of those hives?" They walked off, and Urania stepped close to him.

"You have a plan?" she whispered, and Favius grinned.

"Yes. Are you ready to explain soapmaking to him? I think we are ready to show him the printing press. Just stall him for half an hour or so." Urania gave him a mischievous grin.

"That I can certainly do." She smiled and rushed off while Caliga proudly and loudly explained the principles and methods of making beehives to her father. Favius rushed to the back of the room.

"Arryn." He leaned over and gestured at the two woodblocks.

"Level them. I want to present the printing press." He looked over and ground his teeth as he saw Veren standing near Caliga. That's right. He's been working with her a lot, so it makes sense for him to be involved in that. Favius sniffed and gestured at Beren.

"Beren, can you get me the best examples of writing and printing paper? I assume you produced a small supply." The mid-thirties beekeeper lowered his head.

"How many do you need, Young Master?"

"Let's say ten of each. Is that available?" The man frowned but then nodded.

"I believe some paper is almost done sizing. If we dry it near a fire and have someone polish it smooth... Yes, yes. We can do twenty sheets." Favius massaged his chin, then nodded. Favius worked with Arryn. He used a piece of string to level the woodblocks for printing. God damn it. Favius looked at the weight-based press, then at the screw press. Haven't really played around with it, but... Well, a light layer of felt has helped before with smoothing out imperfections in the wood.

But I need adults to operate the press. He gestured.

"Brutus, sorry about this, but can you get the press ready?" The Magnicultor gave Favius a sweet smile.

"Do you believe this warrior is incapable of defeating a wooden device?" A nervous chuckle escaped Favius's chest. He glanced at the weapon the warrior held in one hand.

"Well, I guess you're well equipped for such a foe," he quipped back, and Brutus chuckled. While Brutus worked, Favius cleaned up a desk and prepared a quill, ink, and papers. He observed how Urania was explaining the soapmaking process to Marcus.

"You see, Father, in the beginning we made all our soaps from rendered fat, but now we have improved the caustic essences of water. We've been able to make much better soap from olive oil." She held up a piece of the smoother soap. Marcus couldn't help but whistle in appreciation as he tried it.

"I've been trying to keep my promises about the sales of soap vague, yet if we deliver even better quality than we showed at the party..." His voice trailed off, and Urania grinned broadly. After a busy half hour, the preparations were ready, and following a single gesture, his two sisters led his father, the Senator, the man who would decide his plans for changing this world, over to him. Favius swallowed as they joined him.

Urania squeezed his arm and grinned at him, while Caliga merely nodded as she explained the papermaking to Marcus. He gave the boiling pots of pulp a brief look and sniffed at the air.

"The smell is rather strange. And to boil old cloth until it turns into soup... It is a most curious idea." Soon, they reached the workbench where Favius had prepared the samples. He held out the quill to Marcus and gestured at a piece of paper.

"There's more to it than just using a sieve to form the rag pulp into sheets. Sizing and polishing are required to turn the paper from a mere rag into something writable. Try it." Marcus hummed and dipped the quill into the inkpot. Favius felt a tightness in his chest. Moment of truth. He stared at the freshly sized and polished piece of paper. I sure hope everything went well during this rush. It should have, but still. Marcus ran the quill over the unsized paper and made a disgusted noise.

The ink spread out in a wild, feathery pattern.

"This... This stains like wine on cloth." He squinted at the almost identical but processed piece of paper.

"You truly claim that writing will work on this?"

"Of course it will." Caliga poked her father in the side, and the man laughed. He studied Favius, then nodded.

"Very well. I shall try it." He drew a single line, and this time there was minimal feathering. The line was straight. Marcus's eyes widened, and he whistled.

"Truly?!" He picked up some more ink and wrote his own name, then a sentence. A stone's weight dropped off Favius's heart, and he exchanged broad grins with his sisters. It worked. It worked, it worked, it worked. He pumped a fist without raising his arm. Marcus smiled broadly.

"This truly is amazing. It's similar to papyrus, but..." He narrowed his eyes.

"If the process to make it is this simple, then even disregarding the cost of importing it... I believe this might allow us to beat the merchants of the southern continent." Favius nodded.

"Yes. That'll certainly happen. But this is bigger than just replacing southern imports." Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"How so, My Son?" Favius grinned.

"Think of how much hassle all the records stored on clay tablets are. They're heavy. They shatter." Marcus took in a sharp breath.

"You think this could be cheap enough that all relevant information might be written on paper instead of heavy stone?"

"Yes. But there's even more." Favius gestured at the prepared printing press.

"This is just the beginning. Let me show you my greatest achievement, Father."