There's more

Rafael decided to stop giving new ideas for now. 'I don't know how they're going to react if I say I still have a lot of new ideas and inventions. I better wait a few days to tell something new and even then it should be simple like underwear, socks and all that.'

He together with the others left the castle to see the trebuchet. It was made of wood held together by metal and its central arm reached 4 meters high.

"Our carpenters built this weapon in this small scale so we can better study it and understand how to use it."

"How big is this going to be when crafted to its intended size?" One Duke asked. In all his life he had never seen something like that. If someone asked him to describe what he was seeing, a weapon would probably be the last thing he would say.

"It seems the full scale would be more than double of this one, maybe triple the size." The old man said. They tried to imagine the weapon in its full glory.

"So how does it work?" Threo gave the order for a pair of workers to prepare the trebuchet.

They all watched them lower the central beam until it almost touched the ground before being locked in place. After that, one man stretched the sling and the other put a fairly large piece of rock in the pouch.

"The weapon is ready to release, my lord."

"That's a good amount of work for it to be ready. I hope it lives to its expectations. Release!" As soon as he said that the man pulled a string that released the safety pin holding the central beam. As the counter-weight moved down, the central arm quickly reached full vertical point, releasing the rock in the pouch.

"Wow!" The rock flew in an arc until it hit some wooden targets dozens of meters away destroying it.

'Because I instructed them to use bearings on specific points the effectivenes of the trebuchet raises a lot. The friction is greatly reduced.' Rafael thought, apreciating the sight of the first ever built trebuchet. The first ever that he knew of.

"Marvelous!"

"Incredible! If it already does this kind of damage, just imagine one triple the size!" Rafael smiled with pride of "his" creation.

"Ahahaha! This weapon is a great addition to our ranks! We can attack the enemy from a safe distance and we can even hit them behind their walls." General Wallhart laughed, amazed by such display of power.

"It's going to be a lot easier to retake our lands with this. I must offer you my thanks, sir Rafael."

"Oh don't worry. I'm actually impressed that we hit right on target in our first try."

"About that, milord, we tested it a few times before to make the necessary adjustements so it works right when showing it to you." One of the man that helped build the trebuchet spoke.

"Oh... Yeah it makes sense." Rafael knew such ancient style weapon couldn't be that perfect as to work like it did just moments ago.

"Wait so when it comes to accuracy it has a problem?"

"We kinda of understand what to do to change the rocks trajectory but it is still a bit hard to aim where we want it to go."

One advisor turned to Rafael and asked if he had some improvement to the weapon.

"Sorry, I have no idea but I can try and think of something." He said but knew it was unlikelly of him to devise a way to improve the trebuchet.

"It would be great if you could think of something." Threo said before turning to the workers, "For now keep testing the weapon. Also, I want to see one bigger."

"It will be done, my lord."

-------------------------------

'I can't believe things are going this perfect. Now that I have a strong influence on this kingdom I can play my cards right and change how the people see the world.' Rafael left the carriage, he was in front of Eruin's small mansion.

'I'll wait a few more days before showing them proper hygiene, even after months I'm still not used to the stench of everybody. At least Ella and the others are following my advices and are taking care of their teeth, are using soap to clean themselves and the servants are also using it to keep all the dishes and the house clean.'

A soldier greeted him as he approached the door before opening it for Rafael to enter. At the entrance hall Eruin and Ella were waiting for him.

"You're back already? I thought you'd stay there longer." Eruin said.

"Why did you accept such challenge?" Ella asked in concern. She knew Rafael wouldn't lose but she still was afraid of him getting hurt.

"You don't have to worry, I promise I will end the fight as fast as I can, besides I was forced to accept."

"What? But why? Who forced you?" Both were now shocked. "Have you informed the King of this?"

"Icarus forced me. He offered me a whole village so I was forced to accept hahahaha." Rafael burst out laughing. "Man you should see your faces right now."

"Stop that, it's not funny! I feared what you said was true." Ella couldn't understand how Rafael was so calm after all that happened. That was actually one of the things she admired on him, he being always calm and collected.

"So how was your meeting with the King?" Eruin decided to change the subject so as to not let them know he too felt a chill down his spine thinking Rafael was coerced into accepting the challenge. 'He doesn't seem one bit worried about tomorrow's fight.'

"It was great. I think one of them was even drooling while looking at my drawings. Oh and I'm going to live there, at the castle now."

"Yeah, I thought that would happen. It was pretty clear Threo wasn't letting you go the moment he found you." Eruin understood the King's decision because he'd do the exact same if he was in his shoes.

"Dont worry, you're coming with me." Ella felt relieved after hearing that they weren't being separated again but that feeling was second only to doubt. She wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, leave her siblings alone to go live at the castle.

"I... What about Adelaide or Will?"

"You don't have to worry about them, sister. Both are big enough to understand how things work and start taking care of themselves, besides I'll be here if they need something." Eruin said. He felt a bit jealous of Rafael that was now a permanent resident at the castle, the most secure and well maintained place in the kingdom. Ella gave in and accepted.

"Don't worry you can visit them whenever you want, you're not a prisoner."

While both got inside the carriage, light rain started. 'If the temperature keeps getting lower we will have snow in no time. By then I think it will be extremely dificult for any real advances from both sides of the war.'

If with only the cold wind from outside was enought to lower the number of people to be seen walking the streets, then the rain completely emptied it. Rafael spoke how the meeting with the king went and what new things he gave them.

The girl smiled because her man was maybe the second most important in the entire kingdom but her eyes showed something else and Rafael noticed it. "Hey, are you alright? You can talk to me, you know that."

She lowered her head and the smile vanished completely. "I just want this war to end. I lost my parents, my house, our lands and I don't know if we'll ever get it back."

'Shit, I should have been more attentive to her. Damn I'm stupid, I downplayed her feelings and trauma because I forgot that's just the normal behaviour from people before BioC's greatest invention.'

"I don't remember when but you said to me you were going to end this war. Please, can you do that?"

Rafael felt guilty for being insensitive till that point. He had other plans for the upcoming weeks and even months but seeing the woman he married and developed deep feelings for asking, almost begging, for him to act made him throw all that away.

"I'm sorry for not acting soon and I'm sorry for everything that happened to you and your family. You have my word that I'll do everything I can to end this war."

'It's time to bring out the big guns.' He thought, thinking how he was going to put it into motion.

"Thanks." Rafael placed his arm around her while she rested her head on his chest, they stood like that and in silence until they arrived at the castle.

They were taken to their new room and Rafael found there some parchments, soon enough he was drawing and writing everything he remembered about the things he promissed the king but also two new inventions.

'Well, one of them I created already few weeks ago but from what I noticed of Threo he won't be afraid of it like those priests did.'

It was night when he handed the notes to one of his now colleagues.

"Oh my! Mr. Rafael what great mind you have! I've been looking at your drawings and..." The old man was so amazed that he couldn't stay still, he was at all times moving around or doing something and always spitting at each word he said.

"Okay okay, thank you but calm down."

'If he's like this already what will happen when I show the rest? Is he going to have a heart attack?'

"I finished writing these just moments ago." Rafael handed him the parchments. "One is a way to produce iron or steel in big quantities and cheaply while the other is what I call a balloon."

The old man had his mouth open. Since meeting Rafael hours ago he did not doubt any word coming from him anymore so if he said he could create gold from thin air he would believe. The advisor looked at the notes, then at Rafael and back to the notes on his hands.

'Hmm, look like he's not that impres-'

"Oh my God! My lord!" He ran past Rafael, screaming through the corridors of the castle.