Chapter 106: The Aid Team
The third day after reaching a consensus with Nicholas Egg (this magical equipment that came from the ancient Gondor vault, stored an old soul, and forged a friendship with the Cecil ancestor), it finally began to officially appear to the people of the new Cecil territory.
From now on, ‘it’ could no longer be used to address this egg, instead, they had to use ‘he’.
His appearance naturally attracted a bout of attention. Even the most apathetic serfs and slave laborers could not help but grow curious about this metal ball. When they saw a bright, gleaming metal ball with a diameter of 1.3 meters floating mid-air moving towards them, everyone would involuntarily stop and watch and then discuss this thing with the people around them.
Initially, a considerable number of people felt fearful because Nicholas Egg’s appearance was really unimaginably queer. Moreover, it was a little too bright under the sun, virtually looking like a magic ball that was about to explode anytime. Those extremely superstitious civilians with shallow knowledge would give way to screams and run away. However, Gawain specially sent some soldiers to publicize and introduce the origin of this ‘magical equipment’ and especially emphasized: it was actually a respectable ancient scholar inside the egg; he had been trapped inside the metal ball because of a magic accident; other than his peculiar appearance, he was no different from the people at the camp.
After spreading that message many times, people were finally able to accept such a metal ball. Of course, some fear and nervousness were unavoidable; eventually, they would realize that this round fellow was harmless. Moreover, it could even make sounds and communicate with people. Together with Gawain’s promise, everyone forced themselves to calm down.
And Nicholas Egg himself… was extremely satisfied with his present situation.
From the first day he was stranded on this odd foreign world, his circumstances had been difficult and awkward. First, he faced the strangeness of the environment; then it was the ill-intentioned locals, being detained in the laboratory, and made a research sample. He was nearly sliced into metal shavings by those Gondor Master Mages a thousand years ago. Finally, he was suppressed by an arcane seal by those Master Mages for a thousand years. When he opened his eyes again, it was a new world with regressed civilization and collapsed technology. He’d thought he was doomed to such ceaseless bad luck, but he never expected to meet such an offbeat person like Gawain.
He was able to communicate, was able to understand what he said, and was so open-minded that he was able to accept his various statements. He was neither ignorant like the current locals, nor did he only know dissection and research like those ancient people.
Now that he thought about it, when he attempted a secret escape a few days ago but ended up being caught… it was really a very good thing. Otherwise, if he’d continued pretending to be a rock, no one knew how long it would take before he would be able to come out for a stroll like he was doing today.
However, while Nicholas Egg was enjoying his stroll around camp, someone complained to Gawain. Heidi stood before Gawain with a troubled look. “That ball keeps floating here and there around camp. Are you really not going to do anything?”
Gawain had his head bowed, carefully studying the information on personnel. This was the rough register of the hundred technical personnel from the capital who’d just arrived two days ago. Hearing Heidi, he lifted his head and smiled. “Did that ball make trouble for anyone?”
“Not making trouble,”—Heidi shook her head—”but he’s just too curious! As long as he sees people working, he would float over and watch them for a long time. That appearance of his is really too striking. The workers are bound to be affected.”
“Everyone will get used to it sooner or later. It’s merely a metal ball that floats around. It’s not like it’s a gigantic dragon.” Gawain chuckled. “Of course, I’ll remind him later not to distract the workers as much as possible. Oh yes, about that, what do you think about Nicholas Egg?”
Heidi’s expression became an odd one. “You’re sure you’re giving him this weird name?”
Gawain held up his open hands in resignation. “I have no choice. He’d only recognize this.”
Heidi sighed. “If you’re asking my thoughts… Actually I’d always wanted to study how he managed to float. The energy that he emits is very intriguing. It doesn’t seem like a magic energy that I’m familiar with. Besides, he is able to float in mid-air forever. If this is a kind of innate spell…”
“Hang on.” Gawain quickly interrupted Heidi’s thoughts that were beginning to unravel. “If you’re thinking of studying him, you’d better restrain yourself a little. That rascal had been captured and studied for a long time by the Master Mages of the Gondor Empire a thousand years ago. Right now, his psychological trauma is especially severe. By doing so, you will cause the hard-earned trust that he’d built with us to vanish in a flash.”
“Of course, I was merely thinking about it at heart.” Heidi smiled rather apologetically. “Compared to that, I’m more concerned about what you mentioned before — the issue about the samples that weren’t withdrawn a thousand years ago being still hidden in the ancient fortress in the mountains. I heard you got Sir Philip to organize a scouting team? Are you thinking of going into the remnants to search for those dangerous items now?”
“Of course not.” Gawain shook his head. “As you said, those are dangerous items, not something we can have a hand in right now. I got Sir Philip to organize a team mainly for the sake of investigating the shallow levels of the fortress, as well as checking on those forked roads that we weren’t able to explore when we explored them. You must know, that is a massive and sturdy stronghold… If we simply leave it in the mountains instead of making use of it, don’t you think that’s a waste?”
Heidi’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re thinking of…”
“Briefly making use of it. Or at least using those rooms between the entrance hall and the corridor on the main floor. This is the Dark Range after all; danger will always emerge. If we encounter an emergency, at the least, everyone can go to that stronghold to take refuge ——Isn’t that so?”
With that, he bowed his head and directed his attention back to the register of the 100 tradesmen.
“Official craftsmen — fifteen, including masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, cobblers and more. Another ten craftsmen who specialize in building houses. Official spellcasters — only two, one of them is a grade-two arcanist. Another is a grade-four runemaster.” Gawain could not help but laugh out loud as he read. “Jenni Perot, grade-four runemaster, the professional with the highest grade in the team. I guess this is considered the King’s magnanimity. There’s actually another intermediate spellcaster…”
Heidi listened to Gawain’s words but could not help but frown. She was actually displeased with that ‘intermediate spellcaster’. That grade-four runemaster was the person with the highest grade amongst the hundred-men team. According to the distinction method of ‘three grades in one rank’, she was already in the intermediate rank (grades four to six). An intermediate spellcaster is indeed considered a high-end talent. After all, at present, other than Gawain, the most formidable person in the territory was a grade-three professional. However, in reality, runemasters could not be regarded this way — although they were also known as ‘mages’, they were the ‘workers’ among the mages. The skills that they learned were to carve runes and magic circles on all sorts of magic articles. Compared to the conventional mages, their strongest point was having steadier hands…
How did runemasters get promoted then? That was to have everyone get together and draw runes and magic circles. All would be good as long as they drew a lot of them and drew them well. As for their spellcasting abilities…
Runemasters only possessed the most rudimentary magic abilities. It was enough as long as they were able to sense magical power and discern between different elements. Usually, their mage grade would be around grade two, the lowest; even a grade-one mage who’d just graduated from apprentice could become an official runemaster.
Amongst the laymen who could not grasp magical power, runemasters who were able to draw magic circles were equally mysterious and powerful as those ‘great mages’, but in the eyes of true mages, runemasters were their ‘poor cousins’ who were a class or several classes beneath them. Their positions were merely just a bit higher than ‘rune craftsmen’ who were completely unable to cast spells. Runemasters could often only act as assistants to official mages, serving as appendages or working with rune craftsmen to help the latter create magic articles or draw magic circles. As they did not possess high levels or magic skills, runemasters were unable to even use the magic circles and articles that they had made. Their weak magical power and inferior magic control were simply insufficient to control those complicated magic circles.
As such, this was a profession that worked for others with no credit for oneself.
Heidi did not have the lofty mentality of most mages; neither did she discriminate against those runemasters who were viewed as ‘magic servants’ by mainstream mages. However, she could tell with one look that the runemaster called ‘Jenni Perot’ was actually shoved in to make up the numbers by the capital — an intermediate spellcaster in name only. With such a person in the team, it could be said that Francis II had done his part in the letter of the agreement (if not the spirit). It would even be a wonderful story if it was spread.
This was what Heidi was most displeased with. Moreover, the total number of spellcasters in this team was only two. The rest were all mage apprentices or craftsmen apprentices. This made her feel that this team sent from the capital severely lacked sincerity.
Heidi was not a person who was good at concealing her emotions, especially before Gawain. Thus, the latter caught her dissatisfaction at one glance. “What’s wrong? You feel that a grade-four runemaster is insulting our intelligence?”
“The king has no sincerity.” Heidi was very straightforward. “A runemaster… If Rebecca practiced properly, she might be stronger than him. He was wholly added in to make up the numbers.”
“This probably isn’t Francis II’s intention.” Gawain waved his hand. “That king needs to take into consideration my attitude, so his support for the Cecil pioneering camp wouldn’t be too fake. However, he has to bear the pressures from the other aristocrat clans of the capital, and those aristocrat clans do not wish to see the Cecil Clan rise back up too quickly. In reality, a good half of them probably wish that this old family clan would noiselessly die in the Dark Range. Knowing this, do you think they would allow a capable and valuable technical team to come here?”
Heidi’s expression became grim. “Those narrow-minded and greedy aristocrats of the capital… The Cecil family has completely no inclination to vie against them over any interests, yet they would spare such great efforts to wreak havoc.”
Gawain shook his head. “This is precisely the code of conduct of the aristocrats. If you cannot accept it, it only means to say that you’re actually not a qualified aristocrat — according to their standards at least. Of course, I’m not qualified either.”
“Then with regards to this name list, you…”
“Of course, I’d kindly accept it. Why not?” Gawain smiled. “No matter what, these are a hundred technical talents even if they were randomly put together to make up the numbers. It’s better than having none. These blacksmiths and carpenters shouldn’t be so bad to the extent that they can’t even use hammers and saws? Moreover, I want to meet this runemaster called Jenni Perot. There was a sentence on her data that had me pretty interested.”
“Which?”
“Jenni Perot, mage grade — apprentice.”