XX Winter's Arrival

It was the morning of the day after the training. Hierd was back in the manor and everything was tranquil and cold. Very cold. And when he looked outside his window he saw. 

"It's winter."

The clouds above were grey and the sky's light was rather dim. It made it quite hard to see if there were any figures walking on the road or beside the houses. As the white snow had already ran rampant across the streets and the houses' roofs were covered in it. The coldness had shivered Hierd to the bone as he wore only a dress-shirt and a pair of uncomfortable slacks he got from some closet inside the manor. Frankly, he was too exhausted to wear anything yesterday night but figured that anything would go.

A knock. 

"Wait a second!" He yelled. 

He put on his boots and then his suit. Then his cap. The suit made him warmer then he imagined. But he decided to put on gloves as well. He fixed his hair and quickly brushed his teeth. 

He opened the door.

"Good Morning, Lord Hierd." It was Adelheid, and he was wearing a Venit-Ille black uniform. 

"Where did you get it?" 

"You don't remember?"

"No...?"

"You keep a box of them stored in the... 'Just-in-case' section in the storage room downstairs. And I was dying for one of your uniforms."

They both chuckled. "Well uh... What is it?" 

"There's some people who wish to meet you." He chuckled nervously.

"Who?"

( * )

"Good Morning, lord." A captain, presumably of a ship of course. He didn't scream pirate or England's finest. His face evoked that 'captain-Barbossa' look as he had rather long hair with some locks of hair being braided. His hat too, that hat was the only thing that would distinguish him truly in a crowd of pirates. As it was decorated with decorated with a golden seal of sort and he had also this distinct sailor-accent.

"Good Morning to you too." Hierd grunted as he sat down on his chair. 

"I'm Captain Jack Huntsman! At your service." He saluted. it was the first instance of a salute Hierd had ever seen before. 

"What do you wish of me, sir Jack?" 

"I unde'stan' that ur' coun'tree possesses a... Unique ship? Ein' Iron ship say yee." 

Hierd pulled a face as he tried to understand what he said. But as he understood fully, his gaze was then cast onto Adelheid. "I've never told anyone except the ones who were at the meeting that day about an iron ship." 

"How do you know this?" 

"Ere' sir Adeelheed told's me that. Which tells I that yee' needs a cap for yee' ship, me lord." 

He sighed. "Such a ship my country has in their possession is as big as this whole city-"

"WHAT!? For the lord's dane o' I be damned! Your country has a ship like that!? I needs to see it, me lord!" His excitement had jumped out, getting out of his chair just to stand up and celebrate. 

"Let me continue, sir Jack." He sat back down, his excitement in the fact still evident. "Though, we have multiple other ships smaller than that. Our biggest of ships are called; Battleships. and our smallest of ships are called; Corvettes. The bigger the ship, the more men are needed to house and power such a behomoth, as well as it's many guns."

"Many guns!? Battleships!?" He was awestruck, astonished by the nature of the words Hierd was clashing them with. "If it'd be bigger than ye city than that'd mean that it'd be slow, right me lord? I can't begin to imagine just how many wooden sails and masts ye has to just move that!"

"Well, it uses another invention. Have you seen our guns and trucks, sir Jack?"

"Much indeed! Ur' soldiers ride them things everyday! For goodness sake the transportation of supplies from port to house hasn't been more easier! I thank ye soldiers for that oun. But, dem' iron moving things ye called trucks? They're some magical power, me lord. Magic I tell. And yet I see no magic any where round' that thing!"

"It'd be a pain to explain the mechanism. But in the topic of ships. It has a similar property. But because of this invention we use for our battleships. Even the wooden ships widely used today, the frigates to the galleons wouldn't outmatch the speed of a battleship." He smirked. "I can say confidently that one battleship could destroy a fleet of five-hundred galleons."

The atmostphere darkened to an extent. 

"That's... That's certainly a hell of a ship, me lord. I'd like two!"

"Ha..." He sighed. "That's not going to happen, sir. Unless of course an admiral of my country wishes to accompany. However, we... We are quite held-aback by something in the fatherland."

"I see, I see." His eyes pierced Hierd's. It was as if he was looking into his mind. 

Uncomfortable; he said. "However... Though I won't be able to... Supply the demand, I still wish to have a navy. I am not aware of how the sea works and having someone who I believe... Lives, in the waters, you in my command would be very much appreciated!"

"Thank yee' lord."

"But." He interjected. "You will need to complete the basic soldier course. That is currently being conducted by my Major, Naturvege. I believe you can start tommorow."

He remained silent. 

"Your presence will be requested for tommorow's training, you will recieve a suit, a luger, and a sword."

"Thank yee' kindly."

"However." He interjected. "Your suit will differ from the others. I wish to employ you as Germany's first naval captain. And, if your training does well, captain, you will then be training how to use a destroyer."

"A destroyer!?" He exclaimed. "Der' name evokes me' a certain kind of way! Destroyer... What'er it's differences to ur' battleship, me lord?" 

"It is noticeably... Smaller, then a battleship. But it's nimbleness and its armaments compare in a way to the battleship."

"I see..." he was rubbing his chin. 

"I think we are done here, I am to do something else today. You may see yourself out." After saying this, his eyes gazed towards Adelheid. 

Jack bowed down low, and quite animatedly, he marched out. As if he was balancing himself on an imaginary rocking wooden ship. And as the wooden door of the office slammed shut. Adelheid nervously sat on one of the chairs. 

"I have yet to tell the public about the 'iron ship' I had mentioned in the first meeting we had ever." He started intently at Adelheid. "So what happened? Why'd you told him?"

He sighed. "I had... Told captain Jack of your iron ship once in a conversation. And well... After hearing that, he wished to meet you."

"When?"

"It was some days ago. But you were occupied with the kicking out the syndicate, so I had told him that he couldn't meet you then, but now that... You're in-a-way, free of some hurdles. I told him to come today. But... I did not expect him to come this early."

"I haven't alot of experience about naval warships. And the sea is definitely not my expertise. And as the fatherland is busying themselves, I'd have to teach the sailors. I didn't want to create a navy this early in. However..." He rested his back onto the seat. "It definitely isn't bad." 

Adelheid sighed in relief.

"But as punishment. You will be reading the manual on how to operate a destroyer. As I have yet to learn-up on how to operate one, per-say."

Adlheid sighed in defeat. "I shall, lord."

"Now, I must meet with Pomlik. I believe I've given him enough time to develop even a prototype."

( * )

The cold of the outside was even more than the inside of the manor. The smoke coming out of the brick chimneys had made the place look busy even though there wasn't even a single hint of a person outside. Only the occasional adventurer or that ignorant man in summer clothing. 

His squad was behind him, their hands were in their pouches as they were not given gloves unlike Hierd. "Does Naturvege intend to hold a training today?" 

"Yes, lord."

"In this climate?" 

"Yes, lord."

"Have they already marched towards Venit Ille?" 

"Yes, lord. It was approximately dawn when their march was conducted." 

"I feel sorry for those recruits, their uniforms weren't made for the cold!" Hierd cried out a comical whimper.

A quick turn, and their eyes were sighted on the craft guild's walls and door. There were a dozen chimneys on it's roof. The smoked that released from it had, in-a-way, darkened the sky. And that distinct smell of gunpowder flooded the road beside it. 

Coming nearer, Hierd noticed the lack of customers. The people were detered by the now pungent smell. The windows were blocked off with a curtain of sorts, if one were to go by such a guild one would think it'd be a factory of sorts and not a guild. 

One of his soldiers opened the front door.

A cloud of smoke. 

Hierd coughed, shoo-ing the smoke away from his face. "Goodness! Pomlik! Pomlik! I can barely see anything inside here!" 

"Gahh!" Exclaimed a suprised voice. "Is that the lord!? Quick, quick! Everyone open the windows!" A scatter of footsteps neared Hierd. 

He felt as if he was getting pushed, shoved a little to that side and that side. But after some loud three-or-so minutes the black smoke that blocked any visibility had simply went away. The outside of the guild looked as if an explosion had just went off and the smoke was being let-away. Scared a couple people too.

The inside had a factory's decorum. The dwarves were dressed with weird suits that covered their whole skin and the wood that was near that gunpowder was covered with a tarp, supposedly to prevent the wood from burning.

"Good Afternoon, lord." Said an exhausted Pomlik. "We were just testing out one of our bullet experiments. And as you may see." He looked behind him, to the weird factory-like ornaments that were attached from ceiling to floor and floor to ceiling. And at the middle of it all, a contraption. Hierd walked over to it.

"Ah! Be careful, lord, you may trip and fall."He reached out his hands towards him as if he was helping a baby take it's first steps. 

He nodded it off and continued to walk forward. "Can you explain to me what's happening here?"

"Yes, of course my lord." He skedaddled over to him. His workers had came to his assistance. Hierd had bent down to get to the level of said contraption. 

"Based on my understanding of how the luger works, I devised this... Contraption. A metal striker with the same cylinderical hole, which is modeled the same as the luger's you had shown me." He pointed at it. "This thing strikes the metal hole at the back of the cartriage--and speaking of cartiages--" He pulled out from his vest's pocket a bullet, it looked like the 9mm Parabellum the luger uses. Hierd had opened his palm and Pomlik carefully placed the bullet on it. 

Hierd looked at the bullet with astonishment. "They managed to make one of these in what... Two? Three, days? Impressive."

"How much and how long did it take?" Hierd placed the bullet down carefully on the metal plate that was the contraption. 

Pomlik chuckled. "Well actually! It took us just a day, my lord."

"A day!?" Hierd was aweshocked! "That's terrifiying, and amazing! Nice work, Pomlik!" 

"Thank you kindly, my lord." 

"How did you--" Taking a quick glance at the workers behind him, he added; "And your companions, create it?"

"A dwarf's enginuity is better experienced than said, lord." He looked smug and confident, the dwarves behind him had the same expression as his. 

"Well, atleast we have the bullet. How much did you make?" He said again. 

"Ah," He looked to the heavens, gouging his memories and grasping at one. "Ten. We had used all but one in our experimenting today. Three had worked to our favor."

"A three-in-ten chance of firing?" Hierd inquired. 

"No, not of that sort, lord. More of that the rest of rounds exploded immidiately or was weak in power."

"And the three?" He pressed on. 

"They had fired as intended! Or was that we had saw when we fired that luger's 9mm... Parabellum? You had given to us."

Hierd stood up as his knees were about to give away. Looking at the whole thing in disbelief. "This'd turn out easier than I thought it would be, now, to commision them to make and keep making these bullets..."

"I wish for the guild to continue making a successful version of the 9mm bullet." He took a breath. "Because of this, the guild will need both resources and money to continue operating, correct?" 

They nodded. 

"And as well as you upkeeping the guild's primary purpose, I wish to install a factory. However, this factory will not be connected to the craft guild."

"Not be connected? My lord, do you imply that we are to abandon the guild and work under you?" Said a dwarf behind Pomlik. The other dwarves were intrigued in what answer will utter from Hierd regarding it. 

"What if?" 

"Well..." Said Pomlik. "This neither is bad nor good, is it? Whilst the guild will not be directly affiliated with any military campaign, it will concern the guild seeing that their workers have indeed gone under your rule, my lord. And too comes that question, 'What will become of the guild after?' This I take notice, will effect merchants and the people."

Hierd had taken a step back and questioned himself. "This is hard. Without the guild, comes that uncertainty. What will happen with the city? Without the guild, What'll happen to the merchants and the adventurers? What if..."

"I shall shut down the craft's guild instead!"

"Wha-- What!?" 

( * )

At the manor, Hierd had gathered the engineers and architects who attended the last meeting. Pomlik and other members of the craft guild was there. Adelheid had sat at the side to spectate the meeting. "I will be, at the creation of the factory I wish made, banning the guild, the craft guild, to be operating in the city."

Silence and intrigue filled the air. 

"This... New factory," started Pomlik. "Shall it be the same uses as what the guild does already?"

"It shall work exactly the same as the guild, but! It shall be run under a new name. Under a new guise. That of my nation, that of my army, that of my rule." He pressed his hands together, interlocking. "In the building of this factory, I stress the fact that the way of making buildings in this country's common sense is satirical to my country's advanced kind. We use... More advanced methods of building, whilst the kingdom's are inferior to ours. I shall introduce a new compound, a new way of building, and a new way of architecture and of engineering."

A silent applause. The engineers looked at him with a smile. The architects were intrigued and were suprised. "These methods, my lord." Said one of the architects. "How come are they inferior to the kingom's?"

"Supported by steel, carried by concrete." 

"Concrete?" They all looked at Hierd with confusion and awe. 

"Yes, concrete." He said again. "Concrete is something that at it's base is merely powder. But after a complex chemical change, shall turn into a mush. This mush shall then be used to shape a building. Then when time grows older, shall this mush harden as much as rock. And, the steel? Concrete in it of itself is weak without support, much alike using stone without wood for houses two-up. So, we use rebar, something that is made of steel and poured with said concrete. Building this integrity never before seen. Outrivaling any other method out there."

The engineers were shocked and confused. And everyone else in the room was merely braindead to the amount of words spat on about by Hierd. His ramble was rather incoherent to the ones who couldn't understand. 

"When do you wish the build be started, my lord?" Said one of the engineers. 

"I wish for the engineering team and the architectural team to cohere with themselves. And under a week's time, learn the effects, the how's and whys. And begin trying out methods of making buildings. By the usual brick, or by another architectural design."

"Oh? Then if we have the time today, may we talk of those architectural and engineering designs and techniques? As the engineer team's leader, I wish--no--my comrades and I wish for these knowledge to reach our ears now and not a moment later." His eyes had sparkled under the heavy stars that said, I'm intrested, get me hooked.

"That certainly is something I wish to do as well." He said with a grin. He placed his hand on his lap.

"Voice, give me a book about German architecture."

[REQUEST GRANTED: DER VATERLAND'S ARCHITEKTUR]

The book laid on his lap, he didn't bring it out yet though. 

"What is your name, sir?" Inquired Hierd.

"I am Dior, my lord." He got up and bowed. "I am the engineering team's leader, and have undergone many engineering challenges in my career, all, of course, suceeding." He said with a confident smile. 

Hierd looked closely at him. He was rather pale, but so would anyone in winter. And his figure looked rather small. His face made him looked younger than his greying hair entailed. 

"My lord." Said Adelheid with a worried expression. "Auferstehen always strikes at winter's dawn. Though the exact timing may be off by week or day, Auferstehen breaks at winter, in the worst of times." 

Looking ignorant of the news, he said; "We don't need to worry just yet, Adelheid. The making of such factories will be an afterthought, but as I know we wil win the battle, why not stress to plan the future's delight?" He smiled from ear to ear. "Besides, I am not letting the city fall in the hands of a demon's."

"I see, lord." The men in the meeting room applauded Hierd's confidence and audacity silently. He then rested back on the wall and crossed his arms. 

"In the meanwhile, as I had said, the engineers and architects shall experiment with the making of concrete. The craft guild will continue their working in Unchean until, of course, the factory be done." He looked up and thought for a bit. "Presumably... At the end of Auferstehen I take it."

"Thank you, lord." Said Pomlik. "However, I pain to ask; this... Creating of a new factory. Will it benefit the people better than the guild already does? Shall it get more supplies? Shall it become a better environment, for both member and customer?"

"That is a possibility, and that too is something I wish! But, we can't say really what'll happen. But I, with my knowledge and the architects and engineers. Hope to ensure a better environment and a larger one in fact."

"A larger one?" Questioned one of the engineers. "The city does not currently possess many plots to build upon."

"Then we shall destroy the walls!" 

"Destroy the walls!?" He stood up and exclaimed. "Excuse my speech, my lord, however the walls have long protected the city and it's citizens for years more than I could count! I stress that after we tear down these walls, the next Auferstehen shall be detrimental, deadly, and hell-ish."

"My country shall overcome anything. Everything. Not one man, nor monster shall overcome the weaponry my country has in their hands. And as much as you stress, I too shall stress that I will protect and I will destroy anything that comes to our living with malicious intent."

The man sat back down. "If so do you wish, my lord." He said nervously.

"Now." He rested upon his chair. " Lets talk architecture!"

( * )

In the cold, white fields that was the Venit Ille's training grounds. Was the company of soldiers huddled together and confided warmth with the rubbing of their hands and the covering of their ears. However, the majority of the men had adjusted to the cold and were completely fine. But it can be said that the cold had dissipated as the snow's raining from the morning was gone and the sun was seeable.

With noses red and faces pale, Naturvege, after putting the sabre on his belt, yelled; "Soldiers! Do you remember what we are to do today!?" 

"Yes, sir!" They yelled in chorus. 

Naturvege walked to one of them. "You! What is it that we're to do today?"

"We-we, are to train-to-to, use the sabre, sir!" He stuttered not from the cold but from the pressuring of Naturvege. 

"Can't you speak, soldier!? Speak up! If you will just stutter your speech, have you any right to call yourself a soldier-in-training!?"

"We are to train to use the sabre, si-sir!" He had said in a blitz. 

Naturvege stepped far back. "Yes! Yes! We will be training with sabres the lord has given us!" 

*Shing!

The sound of the blade exiting the scabbard was a pleasure to the ears of knights. And Naturvege looked to have been reminiscing his days as one as he looked and admired it. 

"This beauty, is a cavalry sword! It shall be swung by one hand whilst your other shall hold your luger!" He slashed the air. "It's razor sharpness shall make it easier to drive your blade deep into your enemy's flesh. And with the combined effort of your luger, which shall shoot while slashing, will make killing your enemy something comparable to child's play!" 

They looked at Naturvege with observant eyes, the sabre, it was a quality they have never before seen in a sword. And the handle looked to have been furnished with a gold-like plating. They figeted, not because of the cold but of the sword, that sabre they carried in their scabbards. Terrified that they'd damage the gold plating and be too cowardly to swing. 

"I! Will split you all in groups of thirty!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "Of the six groups that will be made, the squad leaders and I will begin training you to swing your sabres! Now, split!" 

( * )

By the second day, meant too the second class. It started a bit later than the first as Adelheid postponed it a little because of the craft guild's meeting.

The soldiers focused, looking at the blackboard and their notes. They were far away from the cold of the outside, very far away. As the inside of the classrooms were so hot that the soldiers, whoms't were wearing black trench suits, had gotten rid of them in order to just stop sweating. 

In the breakroom, Adelheid and Jamie were tending to their due rest. They had showed themselves out early as the classes they were teaching were more than understanding of their lessons. And left them to review on it, though they'll come back after some moment's notice. 

Jamie had made tea, it was a warm-yellow in color, and Adelheid had never seen anything like it before. And that aroma it exuded made it to Adelheid's scenes. It played with him.

"What is this?" He picked the cup up and examined it. He took a sniff, the aroma was quite enchanting. Sweet and floral, he thought. He took a sip.

"That is a gift from lord Hierd, sir Adelheid." She smiled as she saw him drink it. "I believe it is called... Jasmine tea?" She sipped it too.

They both looked and were indeed relaxed. 

The heat of the tea made drinking it quite hard in an already hot environment, but just because of it's taste and aroma, one wouldn't resist drinking it. 

The outside, Adelheid looked. Was quite lively in spite of the season. Whether the people were confident in their lord regarding Auferstehen's striking, or that they were merely oblivious to it all. But no, such thing wouldn't be. The first would have to be right, he thought. The clouds began to clear up and he could see children playing with the snow. Making snowballs, throwing them at their friends. 

It was a scene never before seen during his father's rule. As his father prioritized a strict policy, that everyone stayed home and that no person will eat more than they are given, that they should ration their food. Ever were theirs abundant, would be given to Unchean's army.

He gave a light sigh. His eyes looked thankful. 

"Is there something wrong, sir Adelheid?" She went closer to Adelheid, to assess his expression. 

"No, nothing." He pulled himself back, to farther himself from her face. "It's just that, It feels like summer inside here." Commented Adelheid, sipping his cup of tea. 

"Ah that?" She pulled herself back to her seat. "I am not quite sure of the logistics of it all, since I heard it from the soldiers but..." She recollected a little bit about the thing she heard. 

"The dwarves were experimenting a... Heat gem, of sorts?" Said Jamie. "I have no idea what and how it works. But, it works splendidly." She smiled and continued to sip her own tea. 

"Do you think it came from the academy?" 

"How could the academy come to this controlled city?" 

"By ship." He said with enthusiasm. "I suppose the locked And Shut law imposed by Hierd doesn't apply that much to overseas people? The craft guild would not have enough trouble with their contacts with the academy, well... The academy is contracted to help guilds about new stuff and all."

"Fair enough, sir Adelheid."

"Well, atleast we're away from the cold." He turned to look at her. "How was your class, miss Jamie?"

"Please, sir Adelheid, call me Jamie." She became quickly flustered. 

"Ah, yes." He chuckled. "I forgot! Well, then, Jamie, what of your class?"

Her face turned quickly serious. "It was fine, sir. The soldiers had understood mostly what I had disscussed about. I'm sure Auferstehen will be nothing but a brush of the wind for the soldiers. A... Live-action training session, is what one could say it would be."

"You're rather confident for the capabilities of the army." He sipped his tea. "How so?"

"Frankly, sir;" She recollected some thoughts before saying; "Hierd's army is hundreds of times more better than what the previous lord of Unchean had. I had no qualms with that previous lord, but I would rather he perish and give way for Hierd. For if he were to rule longer than he did, this city'd fall to ruin." Her face had a dark mood to it, and Adelheid rolled a sweat down his face lookign at her. 

"With our addition, and as well as sir Naturvege's training. Our army will be stronger than ever. And may all applause go to our lord, Hierd." She continued.

"Our diplomatical challenges will come in a matter of weeks." He stared outside. "At the end of this damned Auferstehen, the kingdom will come with blades and rocks and they'll throw them at us. And with that, too will the rest of the world come at us. With sharp eyes and metal swords. Whether or not our lord can indeed be the best, may we live to see that future."

"I agree to that, sir Adelheid. But I am sure that lord Hierd has cards that shall be dealt when times have become dire."

The breakroom's door had opened with a large bang. 

"Ahhhh!" Yelled in exhaustion by the young nuns. "That's another completed!" 

Adelheid stood up from his wooden seat. "Good Afternoon, sisters."

"Good Afternoon, sir Adelheid." They bowed down. 

He sat back down. 

The nuns had sat on their chairs. And soon enough the break room was lively in chatter. Flerida, grasped by the aromatic tea, came to Jamie and Adelheid's table. "Good afternoon." 

"Good afternoon." She said expressionless. 

"May I ask a question?"

"Which is?" She sipped her tea. 

"That tea, what is it?" 

"It is Jasmine tea, given to me by lord Hierd."

"Ah?" She said, twiddled her thumbs. "If it is a gift, I shan't intervene-"

"Do you wish to taste the tea, sister?" Interjected Adelheid. 

"Well, the lord gave it to you, sir. I must be acting in disrespect if I were to taste it." 

"No, no, don't be. I will prepare a basket-ful of such tea by tommorow, sister."

"Umm..." She became nervous. However, just near her, a ball of negative influence became more and more opaque by the second. "I think--" Sweat rolled down her face as Jamie's face began to slowly look her way-- "I should go, sir." She hurried away. 

Adelheid, perplexed, then looked at Jamie. 

"I'm sure the lord will give the nuns some commodities, such as tea, sir. You musn't worry." She said with a smile. It looked rather deceitful. 

( * )

"Such a unique form of architecture." Said one of the architects. "It looks like a castle's designs! The arches, the unique intricacy. It's very fasinating! But the construction of one, will be something that'll take months to make, my lord." 

Looking at him, intrigue was all that was left in the architect's eyes. "Which is why we'll be starting that practicing of using cement tommorow."

"Thank you, lord." 

"No, I should thank you." He smiled. "Your cooperation with us is greatly appreciated."

They stood up. "Goodbye, lord Hierd." They said in unison. Bowing as they said it. 

Hierd sat in the silence for a bit. Then as time grew old, stood up and opened the door. The ghast of cold had brushed him, the window was open. He felt blood rushing towards his head. "May someone close that damned window!?" He exclaimed. 

A maid ran fast to him. "I am very sorry my lord!" She put her hand and slammed the window down. 

"Thank you." He neared her. "I've yet to see you before, who are you?" 

"You don't need to know my name, my lord!" She put her head down. "I am sorry for not closing the window earlier."

"I..." He looked at his past self with a sigh. "I should be sorry, I yelled at you. Please, continue on your day."

"Th-thank you, my lord." She lowered herself as she bowed then swiftly made her exit. 

Looking at her as he went away. Hierd thought to himself; "What happened there...? I got irritated all of the sudden. I think I've been overdoing myself recently. Gotta get a break. But... How in the fuck can I get a rest when battle's near. Fuck."

He massaged his head. A headache was coming in. "I guess winter's not really the thing for me." 

( * )

After a night of blissful sleep, Hierd woke up with the feeling that one gets when getting a full ten hours of sleep. At peace and rejuvinated. 

A knock. 

"Wait just one moment!" He yelled. He got up from his bed. Wore his suit and slacks, his boots and cap. Brushed his teeth and applied this time a fragrant perfume. 

He went to the door and opened it. "Yes?"

It was Adelheid once more. Looking at him, his mood dropped remembering the last time he was woken up by him. "Good Morning, lord Hierd. I'm here to report the progress over the three days."

"Oh? Well isn't that good." He smiled, bringing back up his mood. "But you didn't need to, Adelheid."

"Well, even if, I'd still need to."

"Why so?" 

( * )

Back again at the office. This time, there was an abundance of members who were there. The room was so full that there weren't enough chairs to fit them all. The chiefs of all the guilds were there, too did their accomplices came with. Friedrick was there, the architects and the engineers, and Adelheid as well. Looking at it all, Hierd's face was nervous and was dripping with sweat. 

The room was full of chatter but as Hierd stood up, it all stopped. "Good morning, everyone!" 

"Goodmorning, lord!" They stood up and bowed. 

After they had sat down onto their wooden seats, a brief moment of awkward silence incited Hierd to say; "Well... Everyone. Thank you for waiting for my presence. I do not know how this meeting will ensue, so I propose that it shall go from left to right." He smiled after ending the statement. 

The man farthest left had stood up. It was the engineer from the day before. "My lord." He stood and bowed. "I came here to inquire of the... Cement practicing?" 

"Ah, I will teach you how just after the meeting, you may wait till then." Dior, the engineer had sat down. His companions then gossiped with each other. 

Beside him, the merchant guild's chief had gotten up, it took awhile for Hierd to remember his name but after some time, he got it. Felliz! 

"My lord." He bowed, gracefully so. "I wish to know the current situation about the craft guild. A new factory? The deconsecrating of the craft guild of Unchean concerns the guilds and too the people. We would like a follow-up regarding it." He bowed again before sitting down. 

Hierd took a second to gather his thoughts. "Unchean, indeed, will be deconsecrating the craft guild from operating inside the city walls. Take this to no hostility, I wish only to have the craft guild under my name. And a way of doing this, is to deconsecrate and replace the craft guild. Thus the factory."

"And I take it, this factory is better than the current workplace of the craft guild?" Inquired Felliz with intrigued eyes, 

"Yes, for it includes a wider plot and the construction will have many engineering marvels of Germany inside of it. And as time grows on, wish for all Unchean to have the same engineering marvels."

"And this is related to the... Breaking down of the walls?" He inquired, his face looked the same as how a journalist expresses intrest upon some thing.

"Yes." He sighed. "The walls are something that invoke the feeling of being trapped. One could say; like a prison. Though in the policy I have proposed and laid down under the Unchean people, wherein they cannot leave. The walls make me seem like a totalitarian leader with a regime befitting a monster." Seeing his face, Hierd thought that he wished to question about after the fact.

"The walls will not, of course, be torn down during Auferstehen, and instead, after it. And even by the next Auferstehen, I profess that Germany's armaments will be enough to deal with the behemoths. And there is no need to worry about what will happen." Hierd smirked. "My country's greatness will outrival their strength. Besides! How come that there are kingdoms still alive today?"

Felliz nodded with a smile. "Thank you for answering my questions, lord Hierd."

Then, Hierd's gaze fell onto the next one in line, Gerald. The adventurer guild's chief. Seeing his gaze, he stood up swiftly. "Lord." He bowed quickly, then sat back down again. "The adventurer guild's been having some problems."

"How so?"

"We believe that the adventurer's been leaking information about Unchean's current situation. And we have done everything to stop it."

Hierd sighed. "Well, it was inevitable. I thank you for trying to stop them. Let them be, if we will be in war with them anyhow, atleast let it be known that we stand, that Germany has invaded the kingdom. And no-one. Not even that king. Shall destroy the nation." He smiled. "Is that all, Gerald?"

"Yes, lord; and thank you." His grin looked nervous.

Then his glanced met with the right side. Adelheid, whoms't was looking at him, when their eyes met, Adelheid had startled himself up. "Lord." He bowed in quick succession. 

"The progress report?"

"Yes." He fixed his posture and stood straight. "The education project has gone way above expectations."

"How so?" Hierd questioned him, adjusting his seat closer to the table. 

"The soldiers have demonstrated great learning capabilities. They had fully grasped basic mathemathics and had understood decently the ways of killing a monster. And are now with Naturvege and the captain to join the training."

"They're done with the schooling?" 

"No, we thought it'd last weeks, but as they had learnt the basic principles, we thought they needed a break for their good work."

"Okay... Continue." He gestured his hands.

"I wish for sir Pomlik to deliver it; it is in regards of the 9mm prototype."

Pomlik stood up on his wooden seat and announced himself to the meeting room. "Good morning everyone! I am, as you know, Pomlik. The chief of the craft guild."

They nodded.

"We proudly bring, under the work of the many men of the guild and the cooperation with the soldiers. The 9mm Pommil." He grabbed from his pocket the bullet he mentioned. It looked to have glittered under the light. He but it down next to Hierd. 

"That is a very faithful remaking!" Remarked Hierd. Pomlik had grabbed another bullet from his pocket, it was the 9mm Parabellum; he put the two bullets side-by-side for Hierd to observe. 

"A different name? I assume these rounds are special, in a way?"

"Yes, lord." Pomlik said with a pleased smile. "Inside we have put a bit of our own dwarven technology. Whilst the outside remained the same, the inside has a special kind of gunpowder, so it takes a bit longer to make. However, we can make normal, regular ones for faster production. We are also in the process of making a contraption to make the process faster."

"That's good." He observed the 9mm Pommil closer. "So what is the difference between the two when firing?" 

The observers looked at the bullets with awe, the gold-look to the cylinder made them think it was some jewelry, however, some knew and understood what it really was used for. 

"The Pommil, when fired, deals more penetration to the target, making things pierce through things like it were butter." He sighed. "However, because of this, the recoil felt is more treumendous. And, as I've observed, the amount of heat will probably melt the barrel faster, lord."

"I see." 

"So it's like a pack-a-punched version of a luger? Nice." Hierd smiled. 

"How much of the normal 9mm can you make?"

"Right now, ten per day. However; if the contraptions we've devised are completed, I think we'd be able to make twenty a day, if the flow of materials are smooth."

"That's good." 

Pomlik sat down on his seat, and as he had, Adelheid had stood up. "The training, is going smoothly, and it will end at two days. After captain Gerald has recieved basic training, we will be setting up a test for him to complete regarding the warship."

"Warship!?" The engineer exclaimed. The rest of the room had the same expression. 

Taking the chance to entertain their silent questions filling the air. Hierd said. "Yes, warships. Not galleons or of frigates. But warships that clad in iron, warships capable of leveling ground. That, is what the Germany navy has."

They sat on their seats silent. "We will be able to see them?" Questioned him. 

"Yes, for this city does not have naval superiority, we will be doing so after Auferstehen."

Felliz had risen his hand. "Does this warship, where it is clad in iron, have great speed? And great defense?"

"Yes, and even ones which are bigger than the port can move faster than your galleons, frigates and all. And, they are not restricted to the wind's the sails flow with."

The merchant gasped. "May we know if they can be used for our merchant's guild? Such an invention will change the ways of sea travel and naval battle!"

"I'm sorry, sir Felliz." He lowered his face. "These warships are to be used only for military purposes. However, it is not to be said that they cannot be used for the public. Infact there are some ships made for the public. For transportation or for cargo. But, the training of using these ships far outweigh the pros when sold without help. So we wish for the navy to be the rulers of the sea, and after, the soldiers will be able to then teach the public to use ships."

"I see, well it was worth a try." He chuckled. 

Hierd smiled. He then switched his gaze to Adelheid. "Have you anymore to report?"

"No, lord." 

"Well then!" He stood up. "I think that's the end of the meeting everyone." He smiled.

( * )

After the meeting, Hierd had called the engineers and architects, outside the city to a place where it was dry and flat. As the snowfall was gone for now, it wouldn't interfere with anything. They had went via truck, and in it, was some sacks of cement. Hierd had picked up one of the sacks and set them onto the ground.

"Alright!" Hierd yelled after a grunt. "This is cement!" He then ripped the sack open and poured the contents onto the dirt ground. 

"We first have to make a crater." There were a set of shovels on the truck. Hierd picked one up, seeing this, the engineers and architects picked their's too. They began making their crater. Hierd had opened a couple more sacks so that the mound with a crater could be supported. After it was moulded with the shovels Hierd then said; "Then! We put some gravel, it can be sand or crushed rocks too!" 

He went to the back of the truck to gather a sack that was labeled; gravel. He walked over and poured gravel into the crater. "Then pour water." He looked to one of the engineers who were built. "Can you get the water from inside the truck? It's in the big barrel."

"Yes, lord." He went to the back. And after a bit of minutes, he came rushing out towards Hierd. 

"Thank you." Hierd then picked it up and poured it's contents onto the cement-gravel pile. "Then, we mix it up. Please help me here."

"Yes, lord." 

They used their shovels and began to ravel the mix of aggregate, water, and cement all together. After some long minutes of mixing, Hierd pointed out that when the when all the cement powder has disappeared the mixing should be stopped. 

"There it is, everyone!" He yelled joyingly. "Concrete."

"It is to turn solid after some hours?"

"Yes." He smiled. "In this time, the concrete should be molded to a desired shape. If it were to be molded into a brick, which it can certainly could, a mold cast should be used instead. One could make it out of wood or of other materials. It can also be free handed. And after, once the bricks are made, you can use the same cement material to glue the bricks together."

"Hmm, that is rather genious!" 

"Indeed, you may take your time studying the properties of cement. I shall be off, some soldiers will come here to protect you and drive you to safety if ever the snow to reappear."

"Thank you ,lord!" They had all said in excitement. Their eyes were already sparkling at the amount of experiments they wished to do. Hierd had given them notebooks and pencils to write about their discoveries.

Looking from afar, Hierd commented; "Appreciate it! I needed to read some fucking manual to even teach about making concrete, God! That was nerve-wracking. I hope they don't ask for anything else." 

( * )

In the training, as the snow cleared and the sky showed itself, Naturvege whoms't was teaching Gerald, that captain, the basics had noted that the training field was a bit too crowded. "Lets move the older soldiers to the mound above the village, and here can be the recruits. It'd be too crowded for any training to happen. You can take over for them, sir Friedrick."

"Thank you, sir." He then walked away, towards the troops.

They had just ended their sabre and luger training. A joint-training with the experienced and the newbies. The soldiers taught the recruits to fire. But they were none-the-wiser with the sabres, for they had yet to use a sabre before. 

"Soldiers!" His shouted reached the training field's end-to-end. "We are to move to the mound atop the village! The recruits are to stay here!"

"Yes, sir!" 

The mass of ninety soldiers all moved under the lead of Friedrick, marching towards that mound. It was quite the steady upwards angle, and the cliff at the end was terrifying to say the least. And at that cliff, the entire training field was observable. And the sight was quite spectacular, as they had all been training to use the sabre, the little glints of iron reflecting and hitting their eyes made it looked like a wave of sorts. 

Looking on, Friedrick admired it all. "A navy, an army." He chuckled. "Lord Hierd. May you succeed, for your glory; I know, will far-surpass any human who will have ever existed."