章 44: 7.X Interlude: Baccus

Baccus was an old man. He'd seen how the Empire had transformed from its small, humble beginnings, to becoming the continent-spanning behemoth that it was today. It was a different time, back then, back when Nenners weren't treated like the scum of the earth.

"Gramps, have we seen all the exits yet?"

"Not yet, little Lise," the elder addressed the curious girl by his side. "We have one more to go."

"Okay..."

As the pair continued on their merry stroll throughout the scorching-hot Furnace, the elder couldn't help but hope that young Rouge's plan would actually succeed. It wouldn't do for children as young as Lise to live in such harsh conditions. It was a good thing that Rouge found the little girl, both of them giving each other a sense of purpose that he was hard-pressed to see from the rest of his fellow Nenners.

"It wasn't always like this, Little Lise," the elder started, feeling a bit nostalgic with the hopes of getting out. "There was a time when us Nenners were respected alongside Zahlers."

He'd experienced what it was like before Emperor Freud took to the throne. The last Emperor was someone everyone looked up to, a Zahler of considerable strength and stature right up until his death over thirty years ago. How times have changed ever since his son took to the throne...

"Really?" the young girl asked, bright-eyed.

"Of course," Baccus confirmed with mirth in his tone. "Without us, the Empire wouldn't be as strong and powerful as it is today."

Being a Nenner back then was as much of an event as being a Zahler was now. The privilege of making the weapons to beat back the Empire's enemies was an honor befitting of the late Emperor's attention, with him even personally knighting both exemplary Zahlers and Nenners should they exceed expectations. A Zahler was only as good as their weapon permits them to be, after all, barring a few exceptions. All in all, having a Nenner as a partner back then was as good as being wedded to each other for the rest of their military life.

"Before Emperor Freud, we used to be seen in the same light as Zahlers," he reminisced as they rounded a corner near the ration center. "After all, we were the builders of the Empire."

"Then what changed?"

What changed, indeed... "The late Emperor died," the old man lamented. "He died due to his sword breaking at the height of combat."

It was inconceivable at the time, that a weapon or armor made by a Nenner be broken through mundane means. Seigelcraft was proudly declared to be indestructible, and the Emperor's regalia was made by someone who was considered to be the best Nenner at the time. And for his sword to shatter during his final years of conquest... It was a huge blow to morale, and a devastating strike on the reputation of Nenners everywhere.

"Isn't that impossible?" Lise questioned, a finger on her lip as they passed an unsuspecting guard. "I mean- if he's the Emperor, then his sword would have the best Seigelwork in the Empire."

"It did," Baccus nodded. "And that was the problem."

Seigelcraft wasn't as extensive back then as it was today. What were now tried and tested techniques to avoid failure were once radical and limiting before.

As with the arrogance of Zahlers today, so were the hubris of the Nenners of yore.

"Did young Rouge teach you of the fundamental limits of Seigelcraft?"

"Yeah," the girl replied, a touch of pride lingering in her tone. "Never put Seigels on top of each other, never etch a Seigel on anything that wouldn't be able to handle its power, and always check over your work."

"Very good," Baccus praised the girl, ruffling her hair with one hand as they lingered on a spot hidden from the guards. "I see that Rouge has taught you well."

"Of course! Big Brother is the best!~"

The Fundamental limits of Seigelcraft... Alongside Seigel Formulae, they were conceptualized due to the one critical failure that put doubt in Zahlers' hearts everywhere. After all, if one's weapon broke in the middle of a life-or-death situation, who would be at fault other than the Nenner that made it in the first place?

After that one catastrophic failure, the Nenner that made the sword was instantly executed as soon as the now-Emperor Freud took the throne. After this came a time of extreme doubt on whether or not the same thing would happen again, this time to the rest of the Zahler population. After all, if the best Nenner in the realm made sub-par equipment, what more would the common Nenner?

And so, Nenners lost the respect of their Zahler partners, and the rest of the populace followed suit. What came next was history. A grueling one filled with enslavement and general ridicule.

"Young Rouge is a bright smith, after all," he chuckled before they started towards the center of the Furnace once more. "It wouldn't do if his little sister wouldn't be able to keep up, yes?"

"I'll be the best, Gramps!~" Lise affirmed confidently. "Big Brother wouldn't want for anything else."

And with that, little Lise went on ahead just a few steps in front of him as they went on their way back to their little safe haven. Baccus found himself staring intently at the small girl's back as he pondered on the pair of self-professed siblings.

Little Lise was a talented smith. At such a young age, she'd already found herself partnered with one of the most powerful Zahlers in the land. She may have lost said partnership, but her self-proclaimed big brother keeps her in check in many more ways than simply being her tutor in regard to smithing and Seigelcraft in general. Like a sponge, the young girl improved by leaps and bounds under her brother's tutelage, being able to stand on her own even though she was still unhealthily attached to her guardian by the hip. Which then brought to the question her guardian himself.

Young Rouge was most certainly a genius, what with him being able to pick up on his own Seigelcraft while simultaneously making his own to complement it. His ideas were also something the old man had never heard of before. That rifle of his was a novel weapon, one capable of making even the most inept in combat prowess be able to inflict damage from a distance. And not to mention that 'cannon' that he previously talked about during his inception of the rifle. If even a fraction of what little Lise said on that day was true, then the young man had more esoteric ideas in his mind beyond this one strange weapon.

How many more inventions could Young Rouge have during his lifetime? Would he be able to deliver on his promises? That, the elder didn't know. But what was clear was that change was on the horizon, a ray of hope shining down on this bleak, sunless Furnace.

Baccus may be old, but he could still make a difference in his own way. Young Rouge clearly had little idea of the concept of Seigel Formulae. If he did, then he probably had the potential to become one of the brightest Nenners of his time.

All he needed was a guiding hand to point him in the right direction.

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