Chapter 101: Caspian's Day off
The two vassals were off duty, it was the end of the month and it was a day to relax. Ezra made sure that they had sufficient leisure time.
"There should be ample time for recreation if you want to increase productivity," Caspian could hear Ezra's voice inside his head.
Over the years he and Hearth were taught by Ezra in various subjects. Often, Ezra would tell them that they would be his ministers and advisers for future policies in Bren. They didn't mind this statement however as time passed it seemed to bear more weight. Although Ezra didn't yet ask their opinion in important matters, he still tried to consult them for other things outside his expertise.
When Ezra arrived back from anticourt he was at first in a state of shock and didn't talk to anyone aside from his mother, however, gradually Ezra opened up to them and assigned them various tasks. It came to a point where they didn't receive any more instruction from the Maester Grimfire's training grounds. Instead, they were directly taught by Ezra.
They were astounded at the knowledge a child much younger than they were could have but they gradually got used to it. They even esteemed Ezra as if he was mich older than them. In a year they mastered algebra, long division, multiplication using the decimal system. But it was taxing on him. There were certain nights that he stayed up late just to practice long division. He didn't understand for which these things were useful but after three years, the things Ezra taught bore fruit when he taught them personally in his lab.
Physics really impacted them, the way he and Hearth both taught of motion became more comprehensive, they could even apply some of the concepts he taught them in battle. But the thing that impacted them the most was when he demonstrated lightning by rubbing a metal rod with leather. They were utterly shocked when the same phenomena as the sky's fury was just simple electricity. From then on, they followed every word that Ezra spoke as truth.
What was odd was that even in magic he seemed to be well versed even though he couldn't cast spells, he had theories that helped them understand magic and how it could be applied physically. Ezra was also a master of internal magic manipulation. Sometimes they could not understand the things he could do with his body, but he kept insisting this was because magic was 'hyperphysical' and operated out of bounds of what he called his paradaigm.
"What do you plan on doing today, Hearth?"
"Nothing much, maybe I'm going the taverns to have a good drink and maybe meet a lady," smiled Hearth mischievously, "Want me to introduce you to some pretty barmaid? Sir Evered and I go to the Fiery Embrace all the time the women there are top class."
"No thanks," Caspian replied with a sigh.
"Suit yourself, more for me then. You should live a little you know," Hearth shrugged
'I'd rather have Lord Ezra teach me some more of Linear Algebra. I wanted to know the idea behind the Gramm Schmidt orthonormalization.'
"So, are you staying in the quarters all day reading again? That sounds boring," Hearth continued.
"No, no. I might want to buy some things in the market today."
"Okay, that is good, you shouldn't be too much of a shut-in you know. Anyway, I'm heading out first I'm meeting with Sir Thelo and Sir Connor."
Caspian nodded, "Okay, have a good one."
Today was a special day for him, it was the anniversary of the death of his parents. He wanted to buy some flower wreaths. He had already asked Ezra for a piece of land where he placed an altar for his parents. Ezra was very much sympathetic and obliged, he knew how much pain the death of someone dear to you was. So, Ezra dedicated a piece of land near his farm as a memorial plot.
Caspian set out at midday. He had a lot of money saved up and especially that Ezra gave everyone on his payroll a raise two months after the bank had been established. They were paid in bank notes which they didn't mind because it could be exchanged for gold at the bank. If anything, the townsfolk even preferred the bank notes rather than metal coins which were heavy.
Lord Ezra even started a craftsman's trade station where they sold goods called "wallets". They were pouches made of leather with the right length just to put the bank notes in, it was a buzz among the nobility. They were priced insanely high around five gold pieces, they were decorated with jewels and one could even request their house emblem to be emblazoned in front for another fee. Caspian marvelled at the business savvy of Lord Ezra.
Caspian walked toward the flower shop that he frequented. He took out a bill from his wallet which was jewel encrusted. Everyone of Ezra's servants got one. They were very much grateful some of them even had the Blackfyre Crest on their wallets, however, Caspian's wallet didn't have any on it as it was one of the first ones given out.
He looked at the bills he took as he chuckled slightly because some of the denominations had Ezra's baby portraits in them, he thought that they were funny but Lady Blackfyre won her insistence that they were made into bills. On the highest denomination of the bank notes, the Blackfyre family portrait was featured however in it, Ezra was still a baby, sitting on Reitz's lap.
Caspian still didn't quite understand the composition of the paper. Although Ezra did trust all of his guards, there were parts of the procedures that only Anton, the chemist, knew. The printing plate was engraved by Ezra himself. Ezra told them that each of them had a Serial Number that he could trace and that he could spot immediately if there was a fake. He didn't know who in Arcanium could fake such a piece of art anyway.
As he put the bills in his hand a voice beckoned to him.
"Young master, care to play a game? It's just a copper coin for one game and you can win, a silver coin." a raspy voice emerged from a slightly plump man that had serf clothing.
"No thanks, I am not interested."
"Come now, young master. It is a fun game."
"Maybe next time, I am in a hurry actually," Caspian Replied with an honest tone, even though he didn't enjoy games of chance.
"It's not going to take much of your time young master,"
"I said no," Caspian was pretty annoyed now.
But just as he was about to go around and walk in another direction. Two men blocked his path.
"Weren't we asking politely enough?" Two more stepped behind him.
He was trapped.
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