章 7: Cruel fate
It was already dark outside. People were passing by, talking and carrying food and other supplies to their homes. Minutes earlier, Cenric had returned to his house, heading straight to his bedroom to retrieve a piece of animal-skin-based parchment, ink, and a feather quill. He returned to the main room, sat at the table, and began writing.
He will know what this is, and even if not, he'll find a way to take advantage of it, Cenric thought as he penned a letter describing the strange merchant and the mysterious time machine that had appeared out of nowhere. Once finished, he rolled up the parchment and tied it with a string. Stepping outside, he handed it to a scout.
"This is of extreme importance. Baron Frederic will certainly be pleased with this. Take one of the horses and go; you know the way," he instructed. The village had only four horses, reserved for vital tasks.
The scout nodded and began his journey as a messenger. Both knew he would reach Baron Floutt's city in five hours and would continue his journey to a certain Baron the next day.
Rafael sat at the table, struggling to read as the light outside faded. He stood up, heading to the wardrobe to fetch the candle. How am I going to light this? Hmm... Let's see if someone outside has fire.
Exiting his house, Rafael looked left and right. Only a few people were still walking on the street, all dressed in simple, basic brown or gray clothes. There were no streetlights or torches, so it was quite dark.
A light breeze seemed to blow away the foul smell of the streets. Rafael looked up at the sky and, for a few moments, felt a sense of peace.
It's so good to see a clear sky filled with so many stars, he thought, allowing himself to relax under the moon and stars.
Unbeknownst to Rafael, a man had been watching him since he first entered the house. Hidden in the shadows of another building, this man had been ordered to follow, observe, and report any strange behavior from Rafael.
Oblivious to the surveillance, Rafael was pulled from his reverie by his stomach growling. Ahh, it would be so good if I could just press a button and have food delivered in a few minutes. Where is that guard Cenric said would help me?
Suddenly, he heard footsteps from his right and turned to see the spearman approaching. "Sir, can I help you? We recommend you don't stay out too late," the guard advised, stopping beside him. Rafael found the man's appearance odd.
Was he behind that house? He must have been standing there, because I only heard him right before I saw him, Rafael thought, observing the man for a moment before replying.
"Yes, I need help lighting this candle and finding some food."
"No problem. You can ask for fire at any house since most are cooking dinner right now, but not all will be able to help with food. I can take you to a friend of mine who sells fruits and other things, so you can buy what you need," the guard offered.
Rafael, feeling increasingly paranoid about being separated from his book, hesitated. "Thanks. I'll ask someone nearby for fire. As for the fruits, could you do me a favor? I'll give you 5—no, 10 coppers if you go to your friend and buy some for me. What do you think?" He pointed to the house directly in front of him when mentioning the fire.
The guard seemed to struggle internally before replying, "Okay. Thank you, sir, for your generous offer. I will buy some food and even use my friendship to lower the prices for you." He raised his hand to receive the money.
"Ahh, there's a problem. Mr. Cenric forgot to leave me any money, so... Could you pick it up from him for me?" Rafael asked after searching his pockets. He noticed the guard giving him a strange look, as if trying to understand what he was doing.
"N-no problem. I will go right away, sir," the guard said, turning and heading in the direction of Cenric's house. Rafael then approached the house in front of him and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, a woman answered.
"Good evening, sir. Can I help you?" she asked.
"Good evening. Could you light this candle for me?" Rafael requested. The woman took a moment to process the unusual request.
"Yes, I can," she finally replied. She took the candle and walked to the side, allowing Rafael a glimpse into the interior of the house. It was similar to Cenric's, with a second room where the beds were located. Two children were playing with sticks on the floor, and he could hear a baby crying from the bedroom. The room was lit by the fireplace.
"Here you go," the woman said, returning with the lit candle.
"Thank you," Rafael said, taking the candle and heading back to his house, leaving the woman puzzled.
Back in his house, Rafael placed the candle on a small plate from the wardrobe, securing it in place. Finally, back to business. Now, the gunpowder! With the candle casting a soft glow over the pages, he resumed reading.
The appendix detailed various chemicals, their formulas, appearances, when they were first synthesized, their uses, and their potential dangers.
"Ammonia, no. Calcium carbonate, no. Calcium oxide, no... no... no!"
Potassium nitrate, NO! Ethanol, NO! Well, not yet. Chlorine gas, what the fuck, no! Sulfuric acid, what?! No! Rafael skimmed through the pages faster and faster, reading only the names of the chemicals until he suddenly reached...
[Appendix D. Logical Argument Forms]
"No, no, no. It must be somewhere else!" he exclaimed, frantically flipping back to the table of contents, but he found nothing that could be linked to gunpowder. Just as a wave of despair began to wash over him, someone knocked at the door.
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