Capítulo 84: Backstage (1/2)
That entire night, Rafael tossed and turned in bed. Fucking hell! How the hell am I supposed to create anything that isn't made of wood or metal?! After a half hour of cursing everything and everyone, he finally grew too exhausted to continue. I'll pick up my swearing session tomorrow...
The following days passed without much excitement. Rafael regularly visited the kitchen, took short walks outside to get some sunlight, and did his best to ignore the angry glares from the priests and clerics. One day, he attempted to enter the newly built facility where the paper production had begun under Baron Frederic's orders.
At first, he was denied entry, but after explaining who he was and with the help of someone inside, he was finally allowed in. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, especially since you, of all people, should have free access here! You're the one who taught me and the others the papermaking process days ago."
"How's the production going?"
"We started slowly, but now that we've gotten the hang of it, it's going smoothly. Here, take a look at one of our batches." The man led Rafael to a side room where shelves were filled with paper. He grabbed a few sheets and placed them on a nearby table.
The paper was of much better quality than the one Rafael had made for Julius to inspect—it was less yellow and more white.
This is really good paper, considering the equipment and the year. An idea popped into his mind as he remembered reading about human flight. The simplest method was a hot air balloon.
"I have a favor to ask. Could you try to produce a large sheet for me? Really large and square-shaped. Try to make it as thin and lightweight as possible, but most importantly, it mustn't have any tears, openings, or holes."
"Hmm, I'll see what I can do," the man replied hesitantly.
Besides that visit, Rafael also met with Ella a few more times to pass the time. During their first conversation, she started with a surprised expression, asking if he was the one who wrote the math book.
They then discussed where he had learned everything, and Rafael was forced to maintain his lie about receiving divine knowledge from the heavens.
She asked about the high priest and what Rafael thought of him, along with his opinions on other matters. In the end, they spent most of their time talking about random topics.
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Ella walked down a corridor, followed by her trusted servant and friend, Bella. They saw a cleric standing in front of a door. He opened it, and they walked in. Inside, they found two priests sitting behind a large table with a chair placed in front of it—clearly intended to make them feel superior to whoever sat there.
"Please, Lady Ella, have a seat. Thank you for coming. Now, about the man named Robert, what can you tell us?" Ella looked at them defiantly and spoke calmly, "What is there to say? He is kind and humble. He enjoys observing nature and is very intelligent."
"H-hu... You..."
"Miss Ella, I believe you've misunderstood something. You made a deal and a vow to the church. He is none of the things you've said, and if you truly believe that, then he has corrupted you."
"Hahahaha..." Ella laughed loudly, hearing the lies spilling from their mouths. Her father had always told her to stand firm in her beliefs until proven otherwise.
"Not once have I felt anything bad or strange when near him. You're just angry that you've lost a miracle, the only man currently blessed by the Heavens."
"Nonsense! You have no right to speak about the light! You discarded your faith, along with your family! You all should burn in the fire to cleanse your sins!" Both priests stood up, shouting insane things against her, her family, and even the people working for them, like the servants and guards.
"Let's go, Bella." Ella ignored their shouts as she walked away.
Two more days passed. It had now been a week since the group had been sent to search for the high priest. Even the baron was beginning to feel apprehensive, sensing that something was amiss. Despite the growing panic within the churches, no priest had approached him to discuss how to proceed with the search.
To make matters worse, a rumor had spread days ago that the murderer hiding in Calistoga had been taken under the protection of Baron Frederic. The rumor spread like wildfire among the people, reigniting their fear.
They had thought that after all this time, the man would have either fled or been captured, tortured, and killed in some dark place. Never in their minds did they imagine that someone of high status would protect a criminal and a sinner.
Now, the guards patrolling the streets, once seen as a symbol of security, were viewed as a threat to anyone who dared criticize the baron.
These...!! Ahhg, what is wrong with them?! Do they think I'm stupid? Frederic thought angrily.
"Cut all our expenses with the church! They won't receive a single copper! Who do they think they are? They are nothing!" Frederic's wife and three advisors were in the room, summoned by him to discuss the recent problems.
"But my lord, if we sever all ties with the church, our reputation and image throughout the kingdom will be destroyed! And they are powerful, my lord—they could scheme to rob us of our lands and wealth," the treasury and trade advisor cautioned.
"They could incite a mob revolution within our lands, starting with the surrounding villages and then closing in on Calistoga," Mereck, the resources advisor, added.
"They might even bribe people to destroy our crops and poison our lands!" the food and land advisor concluded.
"Ahhh! This can't be happening..." Frederic dropped heavily into his chair.
"It may not be the end, my love." They all turned to look at Avice.
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