The Mechanical Era

Salvator Humat, a group believed to primarily focus on resisting the magical world. It is said that in their doctrine they desire to take back power to the common people, and exterminate the "demon-blooded" that have been oppressing the pure humans. They are the successor to other previous groups which have haunted the many cities of the continent.

The entire castle had been on high alert. Interrogations on many of the non-magical staff members were taken place. The king and queen had already been informed and had immediately sent back a letter to the castle for Kristina about some strict security measures.

Kant was only allowed to speak with the most trusted staff members; the highest ranking maids, assistant ministers, and elite knights, and had no visitors or leave the palace for at least 4 months. He will always be accompanied by someone with high magical prowess to protect him, who would be switched every week.

Kant sat in his office. He had been typing a letter for about two hours. It was to convince his parents to lift the insane restrictions. The current arrangement threw a wrench in his plan. If it means he has to reveal his product to his parents, so be it. Planning the letter had him thinking of production as a whole.

Though cement had been invented, producing it in the quantities he needed was a whole other matter. Not just to impress the merchants willing to sell it off, but also his buyers who would be interested in doing so.

He had ordered Arjun to get him a map of the city, with lots of important geographical and demographic information like the mines and clay quarries marked all over, along with the highest need for labor.

The map depicted the city divided into a grid, with an average of 8 square buildings within a rectangular shape block, with a tiny street meant for walking cutting it in the middle. The outskirts of the city were mostly houses for farmers and miners, with some shops of food and tools for said farmers and miners.

The roads belong to everyone, people, horses, carriages, carts, and more. The current mines were on the outskirts of the city, while the river where the clay was being produced was at a great distance.

"Well sire, is there anything else you need?" asked the maid.

"Coffee please," he said.

"Alright Sire."

Kant started to formulate a plan. His idea had evolved into getting the manufacturing process pinned down, then impress the merchants into selling cement to various other cities and the king of Albersterg.

There was a knock on the door. A maid, carrying a ceramic cup of coffee on a tray. He gladly accepted the coffee and drank the dark drink. It was bitter, nowhere near as tasty as modern drinks, but he went with it. Before the maid left, he ordered her something.

"Tell Arjun to come back to my office. I want to speak with him again."

A few minutes later, Arjun, wearing a white cloak and round glasses instead of his black ones arrived at his office. He got the maid to wait outside until the meeting ends.

"You wearing those for fashion?"

"What? Oh, you mean the glasses sire?" Kant nodded.

"Yes, it is for fashion." he came and sat down on the wooden chair.

"What do you want to speak of sire?" he asked.

"Well, I had figured out what the next step is." Kant leaned forwards from his chair.

"We built the factory. Then get the merchants."

"Well sire, if we are taking that part, the factory would have to produce the cement powder consistently. Have you put any thought into that?"

"Of course. We store the limestone and clay in the factory first, then start producing cement while bringing in more. That way they could keep making the cement all day long. You understand?"

"Yes sire, but there is already a problem with that idea. You would have to produce a lot of cement so that the storage won't run out. Does sire have a plan for that?"

Kant smiled.

"Yes, Arjun I do. This is where specialization and the division of labor apply."

He leaned forwards. "Please elaborate sire."

"Glady. What we would do is separate the process into many simple tasks for people to do repeatedly. First, we use carts to bring the materials to the factory daily. There will be a specialized group of workers, all working on single tasks.

The first group of workers will simply transport the materials for the second group of workers to turn into a powder, the third group to mix the materials for the fourth group of workers to heat it, then the fifth group of workers grinds the clinker to a powder.

After the cement powder is made, the final group of workers will package the cement in bags, which the carts would bring to the merchants to sell it off to whoever they want to."

"And you are sure that this would work sire?"

"I am confident."

"But how will you pitch the cement?"

"Economics."

"Care to elaborate sire?"

"Uh. Yea sure. . We build two buildings and factor in the costs of each. The amount of labor needed, the time it takes, and so on. Then we add up the budget and see which one is cheaper and faster to produce."

"Won't that be expensive sire?."

"No. It should be two simple houses. Nothing too crazy. When they find out that they can make a lot of money selling it to Albersterg government."

"Well, it appears that you have thought this through sire. Where should the factory be?" Kant pointed to the map. It was near the outskirts of the city, with many houses nearby.

"This is what we will do. I heard some people are out of a job there. I hope to use them t...to fill the factories. Get cheap labor."

"Wow, sire I... I am impressed. You have thought of a lot. But you do realize that they are... weaker compared to the ones I send you?"

"Yes, I do. The farmers aren't like Leon or Warren, but they will do. I can have some equipment lined up for them. Which reminds me..." Kant gives a note from white paper. It is a list of all the equipment he needed to operate the factory. It featured Bloomeries, forge bellows, hammers, large mortars with pestles, bags, and more. All with a specified quantity amount.

"Well sire, I will see what we can do. Is the letter ready yet?"

"Oh yes, it is. Here." Kant took it off his typewriter, placed it in an envelope with the royal seal, and handed him the letter.

"Alright sire, let's see what I can do."

Arjun left the office, and Kant was once again back with his thoughts. Since he had a bit more time on his hands until he can hopefully get his parent's permission, In the meanwhile, he thought of what he should do now.

He took out a blank piece of paper and wrote down a couple of instructions. If the merchants were coming to meet him, he had to present something delicious. Though knowing the chefs, they won't allow him to go there if he had no idea how to cook. So, he plans to earn a bit of trust first.

"Excuse me, Miss Caroline?"

"Yes, sire? Is there anything you need?"

"Yes, can you send off this note to the kitchen chefs?"

"The kitchen, why is that sire?"

"I got something in mind I want to create. It is very simple and cheap to create in all honestly."

"What is it, sire?"

"I call them potato chips."

...

The sun rose on the city of Nexert, home to over 300,000 people and guarded by some of the best knights the continent had seen. Many farms were protected by walls that took a long time to build, yet the investment was worth it, as it freed a lot of knights while accessing a lot more land for peasants to farm.

Malinda was in the guest room she had been assigned to, while Nexert's greatest mages inspect Danial to find and cure his strange disease. She was reading a novel to calm her mind down.

A knock on the door could be heard.

"Come in." A maid came inside, holding a letter. She handed it to over Malinda.

"Your majesty, a letter from Hoverdam has been sent over here."

"From Kristina I presume?"

"No your majesty. It is from Prince Kant Maybale."

Malinda instantly grabbed it from her hands and started reading it. The maid stayed there, trying to take a peak. The letters were in a very weird font, not in the cursive that any other royal wrote in.

Malinda sighed after reading the letter. She turned to the maid.

"Inform the mages that I want to speak to my husband in a few hours. I think he needs to be informed before I make any decision."