Chapter 20: If You Don't Have a Dog, Even a Cat Won't Do
Chapter 20: If You Don't Have a Dog, Even a Cat Won't Do
I spent the whole night awake, immersed in thoughts and scribbling on parchments. At least, in my current status of nobility, I don't need to worry about spending silver coins on these rolls of papyrus; otherwise, my finances would have gone bankrupt long ago.
Katriny, for a change, had retired to the world of dreams hours ago. I ended up completely alone with my plans. By the time I noticed, the ampoules of the hourglass were already marking five in the morning. I felt I had produced far more than usual. The perception of time on this giant exomoon under the influence of Aegis was truly impressive.
Suddenly, the chamber door opened. Thys entered with her firm morning steps and got a genuine fright seeing me awake at the desk:
— Young master! Didn't you rest your eyes?
I looked at her with heavy eyelids and deep dark circles, using my most affectionate and tired child's tone:
— I only stayed up a little bit longer, Thys... I'm already finishing the last line.
She didn't even give me time to argue. Stepping forward like a hawk, she confiscated the goose feather from my hand and dragged me toward the feather bed:
— You will stay right there until I bring your breakfast! And you will sleep! No continuing to waste ink. If you insist on this stubbornness, you'll be grounded without seeing a single papyrus for a month, and I will make sure to report everything to Lady Sylvia!
— Please, Thys, don't do that! — I begged, widening my eyes with manipulative innocence. — I need these blueprints to reach my father's hands. Do me a favor: ask Katriny to deliver these parchments to Lord Arl. Tell him it is a new method of rustic engineering to protect us against future ambushes. I assembled three perfect tactical schemes!
She huffed, still with her arms crossed and a severe expression:
— I will speak to Katriny as soon as that lazy panda wakes up. But know, young master, that you will not escape Lady Sylvia's wrath. She will hear of this.
Thinking about it, my parents have an implacable caretaker, I reflected as I settled into the sheets. In the chronicles and novels I used to read on Earth, no nanny would dare speak with such authority to a young master. I let out a silent chuckle. But the weight of exhaustion finally claimed its toll. My muscles relaxed and, before I could formulate the next scientific thought, sleep swallowed me completely.
A short while later, Thys returned carrying a silver tray with breakfast. Seeing me snoring deeply, her expression softened and she let out a light sigh, stepping closer to cover me with the wool blanket.
Katriny, who was lying on her straw mat in the farthest corner of my room in the Vance Fortress, stretched and sat up, observing the scene:
— He is truly stubborn... — whispered the monk-panda, scratching her furry ear. — He spent the entire night watch drawing and writing who knows what.
Thys turned to her, adopting a tone of whispered scolding:
— And what was your duty, Katriny? Shouldn't you have restrained him so he wouldn't exhaust all his vitality? It was your obligation to scold him and send him to bed!
— You know him, don't you? — Katriny shrugged, smiling out of the corner of her mouth. — After how tense we all were following the attack on the coastal road, that was the way the young master found to vent his feelings. Besides, he was drawing some very intriguing diagrams. I was curious to see what brilliant craziness he would come up with this time. Are you going to tell me you weren't curious too?
— I am curious too — admitted Thys, adjusting the teapots —, but what if he falls ill? A child's vigor is fragile.
— It's fine, Thys. There was a lot of pressure over these past few days. Everyone copes with fright in their own way... He will be fine. We just need to keep an eye on him so he fulfills his hours of rest next time.
— Very well. But if this repeats, you will be left without your breakfast portion, Katriny!
The panda widened her black eyes, joining her paws in a gesture of prayer:
— Thys, please, mercy! I didn't mean any harm... Don't take away my morning sustenance!
— It passes this time. But if I catch you two conspiring in the dark again, I will speak with Lady Sylvia to impose a forced fast on you. I heard the monks of the Sacred Kingdom spend days without eating to purify their vital breath. It will be an excellent doctrine for your temperament!
— Fine, you win! — Katriny yielded, defeated by the threat of an empty stomach. — I won't allow him to overexert himself anymore. But please keep my plate full!
— Right. Since I have your word of honor, I am off to my duties. And don't think I didn't notice you were awake the whole time pretending to sleep! — Thys shot before leaving and closing the door.
Katriny let out a muffled giggle:
— How clever... But I admit I can't wait to see what is on those parchments.
The Awakening and the Cushion
When I finally opened my eyes, the ochre light of Aegis shone brightly through the window. I stretched, feeling my muscles stiff. Katriny was sitting in the chair at my study desk, staring at me with her arms crossed.
— Good morning, young master. Did you sleep well?
— Yes... But what time is it? Is the sun already high?
— Ah, it's exactly six o'clock...
— Six o'clock?! — I jumped out of bed. — Did I sleep for only an hour? My brain is still mush!
— No, Kaelen. It's six o'clock in the morning... of the next day.
— What?! — I put my hands to my head, incredulous. — I passed out for more than a full cycle of Aegis? I had so much to do, so many calculations to review and explain... Wait, why are you looking at me with that sour face?
Katriny tapped her index finger on my parchments scattered on the table:
— So, young master, tell me: what kind of mechanical sorcery did you invent this time? Your father analyzed the blueprints you sent and his head was full of question marks. Some notes I managed to translate for him, but overall... you left me in a colossal pickle before Lord Arl! Have you no shame in exposing your loyal scribe like that?
I let out a mischievous laugh, sitting on the edge of the mattress:
— Well, Katriny... would you like me to arrange a very soft cushion for your seat?
The panda narrowed her eyes, her cheeks puffing with indignation:
— I knew it! You did it on purpose to get revenge! Young master, you are truly evil. I almost lost my breakfast because of you and you pull something like this? Next time, I will complain directly to Lady Sylvia!
— Alright, alright — I continued laughing, raising my hands in a truce. — I will ensure Thys doesn't confiscate your food. But no cushion jokes for now.
— Fair enough — she relaxed, showing a playful smile. — But you have a lot to explain to me. And you will have to be even more convincing with your father.
The Applied Science of Earth
I approached the table, pointing to the first parchment:
— Very well, ask away. Which project do you want to start with?
— What does this weird tower mean with a long pipe coming out of the base and disappearing underground? — Katriny asked, frowning.
— It's a camouflaged echo network — I explained, pointing to the charcoal lines. — We will use baked ceramic pipes interconnected underground, running from high points in the forest to the base of the fortress. The ceramic resists earth moisture if protected by a drainage stone bed. When distant lookouts strike gongs or emit specific acoustic signals, the sound will travel through the confined air inside the pipes, carrying information instantly without the enemy realizing.
Katriny's eyes widened slightly. I pointed to the second drawing:
— And this one is a passive tracker. Solano's warriors march with heavy iron armor and steel swords. There is a special magnetic stone called magnetite. If we can acquire these minerals from the merchants at the Port of Teguma, I will build a mechanism where the proximity of so much metal will attract the hidden magnet, releasing a latch and triggering a high-frequency sound alarm.
— But if the alarm sounds in the forest, the invaders will be alerted and discover the trap! — contested Katriny, demonstrating her combat sharpness.
— Only if they can hear the sound — I countered with an enigmatic smile. — I will adjust the mechanical tension so the device emits an extremely high-pitched whistle. Only hunting dogs and certain bird species are sensitive to that frequency. The animals at the guards' base will get restless, silently alerting the watchmen. Any future ambush will become ineffective before the enemy even nocks their arrows. It's not complex physics; it's pure logic.
Katriny stared at me with a completely bewildered, slack-jawed expression:
— Young master... if half of this works as you say, you will shift the entire perspective of military attack and defense in the province.
— Don't exaggerate, little bear. We first need to present the costs to my father and see what rustic materials we can get from the storehouses.
At that exact moment, Thys entered the room carrying a fresh steaming tray with bread and broths:
— Good morning, young master. I see you recovered your vitality. Your father, Lord Arl, asked me to inform him as soon as you woke from your long slumber.
— You may inform my father that I will meet him in the great hall right after breakfast — I replied.
I spent the next hour savoring breakfast in bed while detailing the physical concepts to Katriny, who listened intently from the chair while devouring her portion. When Thys returned, her patience had run out:
— Young master, Lord Arl is waiting for you in the war room. It's time to change out of those night robes!
I waved my hands, trying to ask for a second:
— Alright, Thys, just let me consi...
Hardly had I finished the sentence when I felt like an articulated ragdoll. In the blink of an eye and with incredibly fluid, fast movements, Thys planted me standing on the mattress. Her nimble hands untied my knots, removed the old fabrics, and dressed me in my noble linen tunic before my brain could even process a reaction. It was a true morning whirlwind.
— Done! You may go now — announced Thys, straightening my collars with a light pat before picking up the empty tray and marching toward the fortress kitchens.
I took a deep breath, piecing back my dignity shaken by the whirlwind that was my nanny:
— Let's go, Katriny. We have plenty of reverse engineering to explain. I need to find out the production capacity of our potters for the ceramic pipes, and if my father can fund the purchase of pure magnetite through the port's trade routes. Not to mention the hunting dogs... after all, if we don't have dogs, not even your wild panda senses will cover the entire extent of the Black Forest!
