The four aides shuddered at the dark and gloomy aura emitting from their lady. She looked like she was ready to commit murder, and her face promised violence.
"Lady Celine? Are you alright?" Graham asked.
"Never been better," Celine said, chewing. The fruit tasted so bad. The more she ate, the more she was convinced that her stomach was trying to kill her, "Graham, have the cook make a soup," she said.
"What kind of soup?"
"Something to wash down this taste."
"The taste of the fruit, Lady Celine?"
"The taste of regret. I want it out of my mouth, Graham. Out."
Graham bowed and retreated to the kitchen.
Celine covered her head, leaning against the table. Her eyes were too dry to shed tears, but her heart was weeping. She hated being sad and miserable, and she was angry at herself for giving someone that power.
"Get ready to depart, Seb," Celine said, waiting for her soup to arrive, "we are leaving in two hours. Tell everyone to pack and be ready. The sapphire mine isn't going to mine itself. I'm sure the workers are starving for their paychecks, and the nobles are starving for some jewels."
Seb bowed and turned, "Right away, Lady Celine."
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Exactly two hours later, everyone was lined up and ready. The carriages were packed and the horses were waiting.
Maya curled in the corner of the carriage and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.
With nothing to do, Patch also looked for the most comfortable spot inside the carriage and went to sleep to conserve energy.
Celine was still staring outside the window when they departed. The raven on her shoulder was grooming its feathers, its shiny black beak occasionally peeking over her shoulder to steal some food from her outstretched hand.
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Lucian played with the lighter in his right hand. It looked like a round pocket watch and also opened like one. He couldn't stop his fingers from flipping it open, closing it, and opening it again. The sound it created matched the rhythm of his thoughts, helping him relax and organize them.
Click, click, click.
He was thinking about some faster means of travel. The carriage was too slow, the horses needed constant rest, both wasting an incredible amount of his time on the road.
He needed a fast way to transport goods, a faster way of communication, and a faster means of transporting troops and supplies.
The lighter continued its clicks.
The only thing he could think of in the past was a flying ship, which could avoid most obstacles, and fly over mountains, rivers, and forests. A fantastical dream, perhaps, but he could not help but imagine it.
Lucian started by studying different ship and cart designs to understand the basics. He hired the best craftsmen and alchemists, determined to at least build a faster carriage.
They focused on the tires specifically. After trying out several ideas, they invented a soft and bouncy material that could absorb shocks and help with speed, which was the beginning of a rubber tire.
Lucian quickly capitalized on the new technology, and rubber plantations began to spring up across his land. It became one of his most profitable exports and an industry in its own right. Not only was rubber used for the tires, but it could also be made into protective armor and clothing, as well as household items.
The carriage suddenly jerked, the horses neighed loudly before stopping.
"My Lord," the coachman called, "There's a rockslide up ahead. It will take a while for us to clear the road, but there's another large group behind us, we can ask them to lend a hand."