Chapter 21: How to Annoy a Dwarf
Chapter 21: How to Annoy a Dwarf
The meeting with my father, Lord Arl, was long, tortuous, and exhausting. I definitely underestimated him. I judged that he would accept the projects without understanding the mechanics behind each line, but, from what I noticed, everything involving the art of war is assimilated by his military mind with impressive speed.
The problem was the headache of justifying how a child had conceived such rustic schemes. I was already starting to run out of plausible excuses. Fortunately, I had my assistant. As a good scientist from Earth knows all too well, without a field assistant, progress simply does not advance. I let out a silent chuckle, making the characteristic gesture of adjusting imaginary glasses on my nose.
Katriny looked at me out of the corner of her eye with a confused expression, not understanding the meaning of that weird movement of mine. Turning to her, I checked the position of the twin suns:
— Fifteen hours of the day have already passed — I announced. — Accompany me to the merchant district. We need to order the pipes urgently. My father mentioned that there is a very skilled master dwarf nearby who can forge our metallic mechanisms. Afterwards, we'll need to find a master potter.
Before leaving, I handed the parchment with the routes and authorizations to the castle's captain of the guard, who was also my current combat instructor. He was in the weapons courtyard training the ranks of soldiers. I approached, asked for permission, and held out the papyrus. The officer examined the orders seriously and immediately pointed to two elite guards, ordering them to accompany us.
— For what reason are the guards coming with us? — I questioned, arching an eyebrow.
— The young master should already know — replied the instructor, striking his fist against his chest. — These are direct orders from Lord Arl. From here on, the young master's retinue will have doubled security due to the imminent risks of new ambushes.
— Ah... I understand.
A few minutes later, I headed to the front of the castle's massive iron gates. I boarded the traveling carriage along with Katriny and the two armed guards. Our first destination was the dwarf's workshop.
Taunts at the Forge
It didn't take long to cross the necessary distance. The smithy was immense, impregnated with a strong odor of burned iron and charcoal. The air inside was dense and emanated a stifling heat, resembling the hottest days of Aegis's summer. In the back of the room, I spotted the stocky silhouette of a dwarf striking an anvil.
— Hello? — I called out loud. — Any artisan available to attend to clientele?
Coming from the dark back, I heard only a grumbled, almost incomprehensible answer. The rhythmic, heavy hammer blows ceased for a brief moment, only to restart right after.
— Hello! — I insisted, raising my voice and using my best persuasive child tone. — Is there no one endowed with ears in this workshop? You know... we bring some parchments of high relevance to show!
The hammer blows, which before were spaced, became faster. The sound of metal colliding against steel echoed with brutal force, demonstrating the clear irritation of the blacksmith.
I gave a conspiratorial smile. The dwarfs of this world were exactly like those in chronicles and tales. Just watch, I thought. He'll come out blustering.
— Hello! — I shouted once more, puffing out my child's chest. — We are clients of high lineage! We bring a project with very interesting engineering! Perhaps some real master dwarf has the capacity to appreciate...
Katriny leaned toward me, whispering with her ears tense with concern:
— Young master, for what reason are you testing the master dwarf's patience? Do you not fear the wrath and temperament of that race?
— Everything changes when he lays eyes on the paper, Katriny — I whispered back, giving a mischievous giggle. — If we are too polite, he'll leave us rotting here until next year. Besides, it's extremely fun to see dwarfs lose their temper.
— Only you find humor in that — the panda grumbled, annoyed. — I've already seen many of these craftsmen dent iron helmets and kick rear ends with far less provocation.
Suddenly, the dwarf's sturdy figure emerged from the smoke, huffing like a bull:
— What the hell kind of noise are you making in my forge?! — he thundered, raising a heavy hammer. — Can't you see I'm swamped with duties for the armies? And you come here bothering my work? Come back in a month, and maybe I'll think about shaping whatever you're asking for!
I immediately adopted my most innocent and defenseless expression, blinking slowly:
— I ask forgiveness, master dwarf... I had no knowledge of your heavy workload. Sorry for bothering you. It's just that Baron Arl requested that I deliver these papyri to you in person, so we could discuss the manufacturing properties...
— What?! — the dwarf grumbled, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hairy forearm. — The Baron wants me to spend my steel shaping a child's toy amidst preparations to contain Solano? Damn it!
He snatched the parchments from my hand with blatant reluctance, opening them rudely. However, the angry scowl emblazoned on his rustic face slowly transformed into an expression of surprise. His eyes widened in total disbelief and drops of cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
The dwarf, whose features now denoted pure shock, stammered:
— This... this... how is this possible? A network of baked clay piping with sealing... a mechanical trap activated by a sticking stone? This is infinitely beyond being an infant's toy! Which Grand Master artisan drew these lines?
— Well, very busy master dwarf... — I replied, crossing my arms with a sly smile. — I fear I won't be able to reveal the author's identity until you sign the oath of silence parchment. These are strict orders from my father, to ensure our tactical schemes don't fall into enemy hands.
The blacksmith puffed out his chest, almost furious with curiosity:
— Are you crazy, boy? This isn't a toy; it's an authentic sentinel contraption for war! With this, it's possible to anticipate any enemy movement in the woods! Who conceived such brilliance?
— Ah, master dwarf... intelligent and vigorous... I am merely an obedient child. I cannot utter a single word unless you sign the confidentiality agreement...
— What kind of insolent brat are you! — Balin raged, grabbing the quill and inkwell on a counter with trembling hands. — Give me that damn oath already!
I gave a conspiratorial giggle and looked at my scribe. Didn't I tell you? Katriny, however, maintained a completely disapproving expression, covering her face with her paw in a sign of exasperation.
— Was there any real need to annoy Master Balin like that? — she murmured.
— If you already knew him, why didn't you call him by name from the start? — I countered with a teasing smile.
— Little master... you are truly terrible — Katriny sighed, showing a pained look.
A Reality Check
Right after the dwarf stamped his wax seal on the silence parchment, I cleared my throat, adopting an erect posture:
— Very well. Since we are properly agreed under oath, we can begin the manufacturing explanations.
Balin looked at me from top to bottom, completely bewildered:
— Explanations? You? A brat who barely left the diapers and swaddling clothes of his nanny?
I nodded positively, with total naturalness:
— Yes, myself. Well, as you can observe in this first diagram, the mechanism triggered by the sticking stone you mentioned is, in fact, a magnetic trigger. It will be connected to a network of tensioned filaments. When an individual carrying a certain weight of iron on their body crosses the perimeter, the attraction will move the latch, releasing a counterweight. That counterweight will rupture a pouch of glowing fungal powder over the invader and, simultaneously, vibrate a gong at an acoustic frequency that only hunting dogs can sense, alerting the watchmen in the guard tower.
As the words came out of my mouth, the dwarf's face lost color, becoming so pale that it seemed his very soul had abandoned his body. Katriny, noticing the artisan's state of shock, ran to pull a sturdy wooden stool so he could sit down before falling to the ground.
— Young master! Do you want to kill Master Balin from shock? — she scolded.
— Katriny, the best approach with a master artisan is a reality check of practical application — I retorted. — Do you know how much sand would run in the hourglass if I beat around the bush to explain the mechanical theory?
The dwarf stared at the papyri, not knowing what to believe. Those detailed schematics in his hands were usually conceived only by experienced Grand Masters of the guild, never by a small child. He began to question internally whether Baron Arl's son was not, in fact, an elf in disguise or a dwarf who suffered some shrinking curse... but the boy had purely human features!
Still trembling, Balin managed to articulate the words with difficulty:
— You... was it you who designed all of this?
— Well, since we are under the protection of the silence contract, I must inform you that I am available to clear up any doubts — I replied, pointing to the drawings. — I will try to detail the mechanical logic. In case I use terms that are too complex, my elite assistant can also help you with the records.
Balin turned his neck rigidly toward the panda, his eyes wide:
— You participated in this mechanical sorcery too?!
Katriny looked at the dwarf with deep compassion and regret:
— Master Balin, I apologize for the small master's petulance... but unfortunately, all this crazy genius comes solely from his mind. I am merely the scribe who helps him transcribe and explain the concepts to other people. Many times, I am the one who spends hours listening to him detail the functions of these crazy gears.
The dwarf let out a heavy sigh, slapping his thigh:
— By Solano's thunder, boy... you really know how to get a veteran craftsman worked up! Very well, you have earned my full attention. Explain each line of this papyrus to me until my mind is fully satisfied.
We spent the next four hours immersed in debates about metallurgy and mechanical engineering. While I deciphered the logic for Balin, Katriny temporarily left the smithy to visit neighboring workshops, ordering hundreds of ceramic pipes from local potters using the parchment of rustic drawings I had handed her.
When she returned to pick me up, Balin's countenance had changed completely. He now stared at me as if I were a fantastical creature or a prodigy blessed by the gods of the forge. The dwarf insisted that I return to his workshop at any time to talk more, and even requested permission to visit me at Vance Fortress.
I said goodbye with a light laugh, nodding:
— Certainly, Master Balin. You will be welcome at the castle. But there's no need to travel; I will make a point to return more times to monitor the casting of the latches.
The exchange of ideas was not entirely bad. Although Earth's scientific logic was correct, my original drawings still contained practical application flaws in the rustic world. Balin's empirical knowledge brought excellent improvements: he suggested an ideal conical shape for the hidden high-frequency bells and proposed brilliant ways to camouflage the gears in tiny cavities without jamming the mechanical movements. Minute details that my modern theory had overlooked. It was an extremely valuable cooperation.
Already settled inside the carriage taking us back to the castle, Katriny kept her arms crossed, staring at me severely:
— Young master, I will think twice before allowing you to lead dialogues with the province's artisans...
— Don't waste your breath with worries, little bear — I replied, relaxing against the leather upholstery as the carriage swayed along the dirt road. — What matters is that our plans advanced perfectly.
