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Chapter 36 – Inconvenient Discoveries

I woke up slowly, hearing a buzz of voices very close by. The discreet creak of wet wood and the sound of the river breaking against the banks helped ground my senses. I recognized my father's firm tone, Katriny's calmness, and the serious posture of the Vance Fortress guard captain, who was organizing the men by the rustic dock. I yawned, stretching myself mentally. — *Man, what a nice nap I just had...* —

Wait a second. I looked up and blinked in surprise. The first thing I saw wasn't the damaged ceiling of the boat cabin or the twin stars of the night sky, but rather Yara's face. She was right there, concentrated, gently running her hand through my hair while I used her legs as an improvised pillow, right there on the riverbank where she had rescued us two hours after the collapse.

— *I see you've finally decided to wake up...* — Lorde Arl's voice echoed, and he approached with his arms crossed, stepping on the damp grass of the bank. — *What a fine mess you made here, Kaelen. There was no way we wouldn't know your whereabouts after that steam explosion and the blaze that almost sank the vessel.* —

— *I've already informed the other soldiers and the men on the west wing patrol, My Lord* — intervened the guard captain, striking his hand against his rustic iron armor. — *Soon, the entire perimeter of the boat warehouse will be cordoned off.* —

— *Good. Immediately take the survivor to the fortress dungeons for questioning* — ordered Arl, pragmatic as always, pointing to the elite assassin whom the soldiers were binding with thick chains.

— *Father, be careful with him* — I warned, adjusting my posture with a slight groan from fatigue. — *He controls shadows and uses twilight magic. He's a professional assassin, one of those very sleek and hard to hold onto.* —

— *Alright, Kaelen, we'll take the appropriate measures* — replied my father, nodding seriously. — *It was good of you to warn us. These guys are slippery to escape, but you handed him to us on a silver platter. However, you know very well we're going to have a long talk at the fortress afterward, don't you?* —

— *Again?* — I sighed, throwing my head back onto the soft lap. — *Can I rest a little before that?* —

Katriny, who was in the corner of the grass holding back a laugh, decided to chime in.

— *So, young master...* — the panda-monk smiled out of the corner of her mouth, a mischievous gleam in her golden eyes. — *Just how long do you intend to stay hostage to Lady Yara's lap?* —

— *I was exhausted due to the collapse of my power, I ended up passing out in the process* — I replied with my best teasing tone. — *I'm in full rehabilitation phase. And can I just say? The treatment here at the shore is phenomenal. Five stars.* —

Katriny couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. My father just shook his head, lacking patience for my insolent temperament.

— *Even at a time like this, you still have no sense, kid...* —

— *On the contrary, my father. My head, by the way, is great. And the place, I must say, is extremely comfortable.* —

Yara turned completely red with shame, her cheeks burning in a stark contrast with her long ocean-blue hair.

— *Kaelen! That's not fair!* — she pushed me lightly, indignant, although her eyes showed immense relief. — *I gave you my lap because you collapsed lifeless on top of me right after saving us, and I've been static here for two hours! Try lifting your body right now!* —

— *Now that I've started to enjoy the treatment? Could I get a sequel later?* —

— *You shameless jerk!* — scolded Yara, getting up quickly and turning her back on me.

She marched with firm steps on the packed dirt until she stopped right near the panda.

— *Help me teach this boy a lesson later, Katriny...* —

— *No problem, Miss Yara* — replied the heteromorphic, who was still wiping tears from laughing so hard. — *I have some good ideas for domestic punishment that I learned by observing his own logic in the workshop.* —

— *Katriny, you traitor! Are you going to sell me out to the competition like this?* — I pointed a finger at her, feigning drama as I rose from the ground. — *I'm going to severely cut down your cake portion when I make the next recipe with the cook!* —

— *Let's go, Miss Yara* — Katriny completely ignored my threat, pulling the young noblewoman by the arm toward the escort carriage. — *Lady Sylvia is going to love hearing about tonight's new developments.* —

— *Katriny! Yara! Wait... Please, leave my mother out of this!* — I cried out, but the two of them walked toward the horses laughing. I placed my hand on my face, foreseeing disaster. — *Tomorrow the atmosphere at the fortress is going to be an absolute hell.* —

The next day, right after breakfast, I was called straight to my mother's parlor. I didn't even get a chance to chat with anyone during the meal; the atmosphere at the great hall table was colder than the frozen tundra of Borealis.

I opened the oak door slowly and gave an innocent smile.

— *Good morning, mother... What can I do for you today without my hide being flayed or stripped? Can I pay my filial debt in long installments?* —

Lady Sylvia took her eyes off some accounting scrolls and shot me a mortal glare.

— *Kaelen, you sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, engage in a life-or-death combat with a professional assassin on the river, and don't want your mother to be angry or worried? Child, you're barely over twelve years old! What am I supposed to expect when you get older? Will you fight heteromorphic dragons on the cliffs of Drakonheim?* —

— *The perspective isn't even that bad* — I pondered thoughtfully. — *But I heard those scaly race females are very possessive... So it's better to hunt some arcane leviathan in the ocean or go after some lost Magitec artifact. It would be much more fun and productive for our province's dynamism.* —

— *Kaelen... I'm serious!* — her tone softened a bit, but she remained firm. — *I already know from your father about your escapes from the fortress during weekends. You're going to have to promise me you'll stay glued to Yara until her father arrives here. And regarding Miss Yara... Behave, okay? I already heard from her and Katriny about your actions yesterday at the shore.* — At that moment, she raised her silk fan to hide a victorious smile.

— *I complain... I can't help it if I ended up fainting from exhaustion and her lap was extremely cozy.* —

— *So that's how it is? But restrain yourself* — Sylvia laughed softly, shaking her head. — *As much as I want grandchildren running around the fortress, you are still way too young for that.* —

— *What an insult! I may be young, but I don't have that intention right now. It only happened due to the moment's variables!* —

My mother started laughing openly.

— *Okay, Kaelen. Go talk to your father now. He wants to speak with you about the developments and investigations of the captured assassin.* —

It didn't take me long to reach my father's command room.

— *Good morning, father.* —

— *Good morning, Kaelen* — Arl took his eyes off a tactical map of the Province of Gaul. — *I need to talk to you seriously about what happened last night on that boat.* —

— *Did you manage to get any useful information from the assassin I knocked out?* —

Arl sighed, leaning back in his high-backed chair.

— *We used our mages to try to extract some information, but the man was truly a trained elite executor. He had a poison vial attached to his tooth. We didn't have a chance to contain him in time before he activated the device, but the apothecaries confirmed that the substance's signature was identical to the one on the necrotic arrow that hit you in the past.* —

My father drummed his heavy fingers on the oak table.

— *Son, unfortunately, like every kingdom, Eldoria has its rotten side. There is a group of trained assassins who do various kinds of shady jobs for coins in the shadows.* —

— *So there's a chance they'll send another contractor to finish the job?* —

— *Maybe yes* — said Arl. — *Since it was a commissioned job, another assassin might come in his place if the failure is reported.* —

— *But why did they focus right on Gaul? It makes no sense. The only thing that explains it is the shorter geographic distance...* —

— *Could be* — he agreed. — *But it means things have gotten riskier around here. Have you ever stopped to think if you passed out from lack of breath and more enemies appeared at the dock? You relied strictly on luck this time.* —

— *If there had been any chance of others appearing, my precognition would have caught the fluctuation in the three-second window...* — I thought to myself. — *But it's not the time to explain the physics of my psionic powers to my father.* —

Arl noticed I was deep in thought and leaned forward, changing his tone.

— *Son, I need you to think of something to detect intruders in the fortress. What happened yesterday was proof that we are very susceptible to hidden attacks. I need you to use your head and create a device for that. Besides... I really liked how that wrist amulet you gave to Miss Yara works. I'd like you to make one for me and another for your mother.* —

— *A reverse mechanical arrangement to capture the heat of foreign bodies?* — I muttered, translating the modern concept of infrared sensors to the rustic medieval logic of the 14th century. — *I don't know, I'd have to try it in the workshop with Master Balin. If you give me some time and some magnetite stones combined with Lume Flow Glass, I can make a test model. Now, regarding the bracelet... What's your intention, father? Do you guys want a device to see if me and Yara are okay? If so, I'll also need some time to adapt the metal alloys so you can use them without the flow jamming.* —

Arl nodded, resting his heavy hands on the table.

— *Exactly, my son. What happened at the river proved that I cannot depend solely on chance to know if you're breathing. I want your mother and me to have a clear warning on our wrists if there is danger.* —

— *Great, we are understood on that point. Meanwhile, behave yourself. Miss Yara's father is coming faster than we imagined. He paid a fortune in gold coins for a rift mage to create portals, so probably in around two or three days the ducal entourage will dock here at Vance Fortress. And I need to offer a very high dowry proposal to Duke Nerius to guarantee the alliance with the House of Ocean.* —

— *Want my help with the dowry?* —

Arl looked at me with raised eyebrows, curious.

— *Do you have something in mind, kid?* —

I rested my hands on the table, organizing the data from my old life in Theia, where I used to lecture on the technological evolution of civilizations.

— *I conceived the architecture of a large-scale watercraft called a Caravel, father* — I started explaining, gesturing with my hands. — *It's a boat much larger than current cogs. With a much faster hull design and a combination of masts with triangular and square cloths, it would be possible to navigate with precision even against winds and ether tides. It would be possible to make absurd improvements and quadruple naval efficiency.* —

As I detailed the ship's stability design to handle the crushing gravity of the exomoon, my father's face began to lose color. Suddenly, he extended an open hand, interrupting me.

— *Kaelen... Stop for a moment. Are you absolutely sure you want to give this "super-ship" as a dowry gift to the House of Ocean?* —

— *Think from the business side, my father. If they profit from it, we also earn coins. The project is a gift to them, but the ones who will have to spend materials and build it are them over at the shipyards of the Royal Port of Ocean. We just need to charge a tribute for each ship built with our technical blueprint. They will have much better ships for transport and we gain financial power without having to lift a single hammer.* —

Arl wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead, shocked by the audacity.

— *Kaelen... Is this another one of those bizarre ideas of yours that completely changes the course of things?* —

— *I don't know if it's bizarre, but it totally improves current transport* — I gave a side smile. — *Look: a current ship from Ocean carries a maximum of three hundred tons of cargo, correct?* —

— *Yes, correct. That's the limit of their carpentry.* —

— *Well, this new caravel model, if made correctly with dense wood and Orichalcum reinforcement, can carry up to twelve hundred tons. It's a fourfold gain in capacity[cite: 1]. Don't you think it's an excellent business to secure the dowry?[cite: 1]* —

My father stared at me with wide eyes, his strategist mind working a mile a minute.

— *A fourfold gain... You're crazy, this is insane! You're talking about a boat that quadruples the cargo all at once!* — He paused and an ambitious gleam crossed his warrior pupils. — *Tell me, son... Is it possible to apply this device for war purposes?* —

I let out a laugh. — *I knew it. It's in the DNA of every Vance to have a soft spot for battles and military tactics.* —

— *Yes, father, it is. We can make several modifications to the upper deck. We can place large torsion ballistas and catapults on rotating bronze mobile mounts. I'd need to recalculate the recoil weight so it doesn't tip the hull, but the viability is absolute.* —

Arl let out a loud and somewhat macabre laugh, super excited about the potential military power.

— *Magnificent, kid! Then it's decided! You will make both designs on scrolls. You have a two-to-three-day deadline, so push yourself. But I'm warning you: you are not excused from your morning physical training with the captain nor from escorting Miss Yara in her activities. Is that clear?* —

— *Yes, no problem. But is it okay if I can sleep a little later to finish the drafts?* —

My father glared at me, pointing to the door with a frowning brow.

— *Kaelen... We've already talked about resting. Do you want your mother to come in here to talk about discipline with you again?* —

— *OK, OK! You don't need to remind me of the details* — I raised my hands, making a quick retreat from the office. — *I just thought it would make the work easier. Can I at least ask the cook to make my special cake?* —

The Baron's expression instantly shifted to joyful satisfaction.

— *Ah! That cake with fruit pieces where you changed the recipe? Sure you can! But tell the master to make two units and let me know as soon as it's ready. And don't forget to save a very wide slice for your mother; she'll be deeply upset if she's deprived of her sweet.* —

I laughed out loud, holding the doorknob.

— *Yes, father, no problem. I believe Yara will also like the sweet after the river scare. I won't forget you and mother.* —

I closed the door and walked through the corridors with a playful smile. — *The way these medieval nobles lose control in front of brown sugar, it's statistically safer to ask the cook to just make three whole cakes right away.* —