The Mechanical Era

Victor and Samuel had both departed first thing in the morning to place an order. They entered the brick-stone building people called a smithy. They entered the dirty building, first laying eyes on the walls hung with lots and lots of tools they use. The anvils he had collected a bit of rust over the years, and the furnace blazing hot as orange glowed out of it.

The ones who worked in this place wore a hemp tunic with leggings as usual. But they also had large calfskin boots, with leather gloves and aprons and a black hat on while working. All dirty with soot and a bit tired, as that is what you get when you work in a smithy.

A voice from behind called the twins. "Well look who it is!" They both turn around, to see the man who owned the place. He had rather short curly hair and a long curly beard with no mustache. With his hair and eye color the same as the mud on his boots.

"It's nice to see you two!" he said.

"It's nice to see you too Paul," Victor said.

"Now, what have you gentlemen want me to make? A specialized part?" Pauls asks the twins, rubbing both his hands.

"Yes, we do, we need you to make a moving type," Victor replied. There was a minute of silence between the three before Paul broke it.

"A what now Samuel?" he questioned. Victor explained to Paul what they were talking about.

"A moving type. It's a metal square 2.33 cm tall. It also has a letter assigned to it."

"That... is a weird invention..." Paul commented. Regardless, he wasn't going to give up on a customer.

"So... What do you all need it for?"

"Sire Kant had given us a blueprint for a new mechanical device that would allow us to print a lot of paper. It's called a printing press, and he expects us to make him one by the 25th." Samuel responded.

"Prince Kant?" he asked, realizing the job they had landed. He was happy for his friends and was glad that they chose him of all people.

"Yes. Him. So can we trust you on that?" Victor asked. Paul smiled.

"For sure! What kind of fit do you want?" he questioned. He did not want them to receive a product that they would dislike. That would give him a bad name.

"Clearance Fit is the best," Victor responded. Paul decided to write that down on a piece of paper using a quill and a bottle of ink.

"Alright then. That might cost you two a bit more," he reminded them.

"It is fine. We are getting paid a lot of money for it."

"Good. Good. Is there anything else you need to be made?"

"Yes. We also want a bowl with a handle stuck up top." The description made him turn once again. He wondered what kind of invention they were planning to make.

"For what?"

"The ink. We intend to put calfskin on the bottom and use it to put ink on the moving types, and we need a lot of them."

"Alright then. When do you want it?"

"Before the 26th. Got a schedule to catch."

After they placed their order. They left and went to other shops to buy what they needed. A stack of papers, ink, and such. Every expensive item. They came back to their workshop with their hands full of the goods. They carefully placed all of them down on the table, then came to the printing press.

"The supplies cost us 10 silver coins! Can you believe it?"

"Well, our compensation is 5 gold coins. We are still making a huge profit."

"I guess you are right. What do we need to make again?"

"We need to perfect the pressing part itself. There is some improvement that needs to be done there. Along with the frame. We need to make that"

"Guess it's back to work huh? How long do you think it would take"

"Probably two or three hours."

They worked on the printing press, to try and finally perfect the prototype to present to Prince Kant. Once they thought they have finished it, they tested it with the wooden moving types. Though the wood broke from the pressure, it was a seeming success. Now all they had to do, was wait until they got their metallic moving types.

...

Kant was sitting on his office chair, settling disputes that were written on the papers, waiting. Waiting for a letter from Nexert to arrive by yesterday. It would only take about 4 days usually to get a response back from there. He had distracted himself with drawing furniture he would want to use in the school, but he had now already finished that!

He called for Arjun to come over, to ask him whether the letter had arrived. He replied with the same answer. Though he did have a hypothesis this time.

"It might have got lost. Or that his majesty Danial might have started the process of treatment for his sickness. Therefore, he might not able to respond adequately to her majesty. "

"Does the queen need her husband to help her respond? Why...?" a thought came to his mind.

"What are the chances that this might be a strategy they employ to... put the issue on hold? That they might have come to an acceptable conclusion?"

"Why do you think that sire?"

"Because they have done it before. It was just a thought. Possibly that might be the case. So far I don't have enough information about why. But there is a chance, a very real chance. A way of buying time."

"I see. Oh, and sire. There is another batch of disputes that you have to settle. I will have a maid bring them for you."

"Can you also get one to make me a coffee?"

"Is sire feeling tired?"

"No, I just don't think I will be able to effectively make a correct judgment when my mind is not concentrating hard on it."