บท 64: Task one
Four men sat around the table, a dozen parchments stacked before them like a massive book. "Ha... haha... hahahahaha!" One of them began to laugh, quickly joined by the others.
Ana, Vincent's wife, was busy preparing dinner. They had been in the house all day.
"This... This is a blessing, a miracle," one of them exclaimed.
"I still can't believe what I heard and saw today," Fradgar said, his voice choked with emotion.
"Mr. Robert, we must make copies! This knowledge cannot be lost, no matter what!"
Rafael, exhausted from repeating himself and answering questions, nodded. "I agree, but don't worry. In a week, the printing press will be completed, and we'll be able to print large quantities of texts and books."
"Is that another one of your inventions?"
"Yes."
"Lord, thank you for these blessings!"
"Thank you, Lord!"
"Thank you!"
The three old men prayed fervently. "Just to be safe, I think we should make another copy," one of them suggested.
"Yes, I agree," the others chimed in, turning to Rafael for his opinion.
"Okay, better safe than sorry," he replied.
Afterward, they shared a meal together, and Rafael returned to his room to sleep. Task one, complete. Three more to go.
Julius Hera, the High Priest of Calistoga, arrived in Tredemburg with his group two days later. He sent one of the clerics to inform the city guards of his arrival and request an audience with Baron Ine. After some time, they were led to the center of the city, where a stone mansion stood without walls surrounding it.
While everyone else waited outside, Julius was escorted inside by a servant. The mansion was smaller and less ornate than others, but it felt more cozy. The servant opened a large wooden door, announcing that the Baron was waiting inside.
"Good evening, High Priest. It is a pleasure to have you here," the Baron greeted him. A man in his forties or fifties, Baron Ine looked his age, though his status allowed him to maintain a dignified appearance.
His clothes were colorful and of fine quality. The room was well-lit, with a long table in the center and large windows allowing ample light to stream in.
"Long time no see, Baron Ine. Thank you for accepting my request. How is your wife?" They exchanged pleasantries and blessings, engaging in small talk before the Baron inquired about the purpose of Julius's visit.
"I've heard rumors of a strange relic somewhere in the south. Have you heard anything about it?"
"No, I haven't. But a relic? What kind of relic could it be?" Despite his reputation as the kindest baron, known for his generosity to the people, greed flickered in his eyes at the mention of a relic.
"It's just a rumor, so there's no need to take it seriously. I've also heard that this relic is linked to the devil, which is why we're investigating to see if there's any truth to it. If it is true, it could pose a real threat to everyone. We cannot allow any evil to prosper."
Hearing this, the Baron's greed vanished, replaced by fear. A devout man, almost fanatical in his faith, he crossed himself. "God protect us! As I said, I've heard nothing of this, High Priest. May the Lord be my witness."
Julius, knowing the Baron's level of devotion to the Church, believed him. "Don't worry, Baron Ine. I will bring His justice and light to these rumors and this matter." They conversed a bit longer before the Baron asked if they could pray together with his family. Julius agreed and led a prayer with the Baron's family of eight, excluding his concubines.
As it was late, Julius and his group spent the night at the mansion at the Baron's request. The next morning, they had a quick breakfast and set out for Burmegh. The journey would take nearly two full days due to the size of their group.
During the five days it took Julius to travel from Calistoga to Burmegh, Rafael completed another task—one he had eagerly anticipated.
"Oh my Lord! This... You're..." The head chef stammered, unable to find the words as he took another bite of the simple hamburger.
"I know, I know," Rafael replied, not hiding his pride. They were in the mansion's kitchen, where the chef was savoring every bite.
"Oh God..." The hefty man kept taking bites, each one accompanied by another invocation.
"Where did you learn this?"
"It's a recipe I created. As you can see, it's quite simple, so there wasn't much thinking involved."
"You're a genius! A miracle!" The chef continued to shower Rafael with praise. They spent the entire day talking and eating, so much so that the servants found it odd how friendly the chef had become with this random cleric.
That same day, Rafael visited the woman and girl he had previously helped when they were sick. Both had returned to good health. "Please, take these. I bought them hoping you'd return to see us, and you did. We are deeply grateful for your help," the woman said, handing him a small basket of fruits.
"Thank you for the fruits. It was God guiding me and telling me what we should do to cure you. Pray to Him in thanks. Goodbye."
This was a good day, he thought, whistling as he walked back to his room.
Unbeknownst to him, someone was watching him.
Now I just need to wait for the printing press so I can make lots of copies of my book on numbers and math—that's the second task. The third is to use the cement to build better structures like houses, roads, sewage systems, bridges, and whatever else. And finally, the fourth task is distillation.
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