Chapter 8: The Angel Throne and Business on Wheels
The Count's study. A morning filled with prospects.
Count Lucian, with a radiant look, unfolded before his son a contract sealed with the seal of a powerful trade guild.
- "They're offering ten percent on every 'mechanical horse' sold. If we deliver twenty units a month..."
Romulus, sitting on a cushion to reach the huge table, quickly figured it out in his mind like a seasoned financier:
"At five silver a piece... about a hundred coins a month. Not bad for a start. It'll allow us to fund new inventions."
- "Agreed, father. But on one condition, the bicycle workshops must be located in our town. It will give employment to local blacksmiths and craftsmen, and it will raise the welfare of the residents."
The Count raised an eyebrow in surprise, amazed at the maturity of his son's judgment.
- "You think like a ruler, not a merchant, Romulus. There is wisdom in that. Good."
He signed the contract, and from that moment on, the streets of Argelion City were to change forever.
Exercise and strange ideas. Harmony of body and mind.
Fencing.
Every morning now began with sword in hand. The Count personally practiced stances and blows with his son, instilling in him the skill of swordsmanship, and the knights whispered as they watched the six-year-old boy parry the blows of grown and experienced warriors.
"Elbow closer to the body, Romulus... No, not like that! Feel the sword as an extension of your arm," his father was patiently correcting his stance, but there was a pride in his eyes that needed no words.
Magic.
In the evenings, Romulus experimented with the Flame Thread, trying to heat metal to bend tubes and shape them into the right shape, dreaming of building the perfect bicycle.
The system kept a close eye on his progress:
[🔥 Thermocontrol skill developed to 45% ]
■ Next level: Iron Smelting (available from age 7)
But the strangest and most unexpected thing started a month later.....
"The Great Sewer Plan. The hygiene revolution.
One day at breakfast, Romulus, like a magician, placed a new scroll of blueprints on the table, causing everyone's bewilderment.
- "Father, we need to redo the restrooms. In the castle and in the town."
The Count choked on his wine, not believing his ears.
- "What?! Romulus, are you out of your mind?"
- "Quite so, father. Look at this: stone pipes under the floor, a water tank on the roof, a seat with a door... It's hygienic, practical and will get rid of bad odors! We can create the world's first sewage system!"
On a sheet of parchment, like an alchemical formula, was a drawing of an outlandish machine, a prototype of a latrine with an insidious lever.
Count Lucian stared at the diagram as if it were a grimoire full of forbidden knowledge.
- **"You want to *turn* all the floors in the castle?!"** his voice boomed.
- **"Just the west wing, for starters. And the knights will gladly **wave their shovels!" - the young inventor nonchalantly parried.
That same day a detachment of brave soldiers, depressed by so unusual an order, were already digging a trench near the kitchen walls, wailing:
- **"We were forced to *dig holes*... At the whim of a **male upstart."
Echoes of innovation
Servants:
"The little gentleman has lost his mind!"
"No, he's a visionary... If this works, goodbye, damned buckets!"
Alicia:
Insisted on a "pink abode with cupids" in the new retreat room.
Count:
Visited the "digs" daily, oohing and aahing and questioning:
- **"Romulus, what's that shining abyss?! Why are you ruining the parquet?!"
But when the first veins of pipes braided the castle, and the reservoir, like a heart, took its place, even the Count's skepticism was shaken:
- **"There's **something* about it."
Triumph and snark
By the end of the year:
✅ The bicycles, like outlandish birds, scattered to the three neighborhood fairs.
✅ The west wing sewer came to life (the porcelain "throne" remained to be erected).
✅ Romulus had already been repelling the attacks of three knights at once (although he was tired from fatigue).
But the real fun was the nickname by which his invention was dubbed by the courtiers:
- "Angel's throne," they whispered reverently, crossing themselves. - As they sat down, everything disappeared, as if their sins had been absolved.
Thoughts of a young creator
"Another year...and this castle will be an oasis of cleanliness and comfort."
"Father still has his doubts... But soon his skepticism will fade away."
"I wonder how Carsten will react to my 'throne' when he returns?"
The system reported back:
[🚽 UNIQUE PROJECT: "Angel Throne" ]
■ Progress: 75%
■ Remains:
- Installing an earthenware bowl (alchemist urgently needed!)
- Final check of the flush system