16 Merits and Library Graduation

Arthur woke up at 05:20 in the morning, today he has many chores to do. He always starts his days early by running a little, just 30 or 50 kilometres. His neighbours, now used to this fact, always gossip about how alone Arthur is, how he has no friends or how he just train and train.

To Arthur running was the easiest exercise he does, his breath method always helped him to relieve the fatigue and the small corrections in the Luke's Method really helped him to increase his agility. Since he maxed the Method he is trying now to run while practice his breath.

Two hours later he came back home, had a bath and gone to make the breakfast. At 7:50 he and his father went to the library, where Arthur finishing his thesis about "Wind and Water mills, how to use pulleys and other tools to maximize the uses for other professions". His focus was to use the strength of these mills to make them work as an engine (obviously Arthur don't know about engines, the example is for the reader).

Luke was completely proud, Arthur is noble born, but he learnt from commoners and is using his knowledge for people. If the fancy ideas of his son was used the strain of the bulls, horses and principally commoners would be reduced. Everyone would benefit, even the city. The best part was that the projects of his son didn't need the application of magic runes or a Technician, any commoner could fix if something gone wrong.

They both took their masterpiece to the Chamber of Knowledge of Glory City. The bureaucracy of submitting knowledges in their Burneau Empire gave them the advantage of give them the copyrights, but only after a series of tests and criticism. Both projects had the potential to change the way that the society works. Luke's Methods can make everyone stronger with low cost. Arthur's thesis it changes the principal source of power from animal/human power to the power of water and wind, letting animals doing less work and needing less food and humans will get more free time to train their bodies.

The quality of both works could give them lots of money in the future if they wait for a noble house to take interest to buy exclusivity. They don't have this time, so they decided to sell their work to the Empire. They will receive less money but there is an initial deposit for the initial evaluation of the projects. Other payment that the empire gave was in nobility merits and military merits.

The Nobility Classes in Bourneau Empire was divided in: Servant, Citizen, Knight, Baron, Viscount, etc...

Each class inherited the rights of their parents, but only if they want to stay under the Family rules. The Smiths are a Knight Family, all their sons have the knights duties and privileges. If a noble house is demoted it will keep the rights of the immediately lower class. So, a demoted Viscount is a Baron.

If someone is expelled from the family, he will become a citizen like Arthur's father. Servant are refugees or war captives.

The Military Ranks are divided in: Recruit, Mercenaries, Infantry, Soldier, Leader of Ten, Captain of Twenty, Chief of Hundred, Colonel of Thousand...

The Recruit is a novice, as Arthur is, they don't fight. Mercenaries are untrained troops borrowed in emergency wars. Infantry were graduated Recruits, and Soldier are his merit promotion. Leader of Ten commands 3 soldiers and 7 Infantry. Captain of Twenty command two Leaders. Chief of Hundred command five Captains...

They calculate that the two projects could give them at least enough nobility merits to make one of the family go from a Knight descendants to a proper Knight family. Their interest is to give Elizabeth the title. The other hope is the enough military points to take back Elizabeth position as Captain and make a lead to Chief.

Of course that it is all after full payment. They haggled the initial deposit, asking for prioritize military points, so they received was barely enough to take back the Captain position. The money that they got was all used to pay debts, buy food and training resources.

When they got the receipt of the intellectual property of the books they got to the bank to store them, after the gone to the Military Office to exchange the points for Elisabeth. All that is supposed to be a surprise, since his mom don't ask much about the librarian work.

From the Office they went to the military field to gave her the good news. When they got there was a drill exercise. Arthur asked one of his ex colleagues recruits to call his mom after the exercise.

"Mom, we are here to give you an early birthday present. Thank you to never give up of me, Captain" Arthur said finishing with a salute.

"Congrats, babe" Said Luke kissing Beth.

(Every other soldier was impressed by his courage to kiss that gorilla, but no one dares to talk anything).

Suddenly, Arthur snapped and said hurriedly to his mother and father: "Mom, Dad, excuse-me but I have to meet my teacher, I have to prepare something first to get to the pub before he is".

And ran towards the centre of the city.

Left behind Luke looks to his wife "Beth, when will be the next incursion to eliminate the beasts? The preparation for the Tournament is beginning and I heard in town that the leaders wanted you all to eliminate the risk of a horde attack of the beasts. That's why I hurried to give you more troops."

"Don't worry, they already are cleaning the surrounding area and sent eagles to fly over the forest to look for suspicious movements of beasts. Nothing until now. The incursion may be to lay traps, kill some beasts and extract some resources. Nothing dangerous. Thanks for caring, Luke"

The Elisabeth sighs "I can't stop worrying about Arthur, he has so much big dreams for someone with so much clear obstacles."

"What is left for us is preparing him, support him and pray for him." Said look with a little worry but proud in his eyes.