When the carriage reached the arms repair factory, Claude and Skri had finished discussing the matter of getting funding for the renovations of the five castles in Balingana and Cromwell . They would simply resort to withholding the sixty percent of mining produce should it come to it .
But to avoid angering the national treasury, Skri suggested that the term be limited to only three years . That meant that they would withhold the gold and silver produced to pay for the renovations during that time and continue sustaining the national treasury with that amount . At least, it was far palatable that way .
As for the mining association, they would split fifty percent of the yield to the war theatre instead of sixty to the national treasury per their previous arrangement . That way, they'd gain a yearly increase of ten percent and would also save on the costs of shipping the yield to Freia, which was a far better deal than the former sixty percent arrangement .
Claude poked his head out of the carriage and noticed they were stopped at the entrance of a valley . Before entering it, they had to go through a check at the outpost ahead . Skri also left the carriage and told Claude that the factory was defended by a keeper tribe that reported directly to the war theatre . Every entry and exit had to be checked and registered .
A first lieutenant wearing two black stars on his shoulder rushed over and saluted Claude and Skri . He also ordered his keepers to remove the blockade and let the generals, their carriage and attendants into the valley . Claude waved for the carriage to go ahead . He had rode in it for three long hours with Skri and needed the walk .
Skri said that the reason the factory was built there was the presence of a lake at the top of a nearby hill . It was a good water source . A man-made waterfall was made not far away and the height allowed it to power many of the machines necessary in the factory to produce parts other than gun barrels .
The valley seemed rather huge . It was estimated to be around three hectares wide . Most of the land was flattened somewhat . There were many buildings in the middle of the valley and near the edges of the cliffs . There was even a two-metre-tall stone wall that surrounded the buildings which was stationed by four keepers on duty near the gate .
"That is where the factory is," Skri said .
Claude could hear the rumbling of the machines from the factory, but not the waterfall . He looked up and saw there was a cast iron pipe some ten metres in length hanging off a ledge, stretching into the flat-roofed building at the bottom of the cliff .
"That is the main water power pipe," Skri said when he noticed Claude's gaze, "The water flows from the lake up top . The momentum of the falling water is used to power the machines in the building there . "
"It's an amazing sight," he exclaimed . He didn't think the people of this world knew how to use hydro power like that . He had thought they would use a water wheel underneath the waterfall, yet there was no waterfall to be seen . They had collected the water falling from the fall into the pipe and utilised it fully .
Skri cracked a laugh . "What's amazing about it? Compared to this, the truly amazing ones can be seen in the arms forging factories in the kingdom . I was once posted at the second forging plant, the Valencis United Firearms Factories . The waterfall there is as tall as a kilometre and the cast iron pipe is two metres in width . It's said that the flow of water can be used to power thousands of such machines to make the finest barrels for the most advanced firearms on Freia . "
Claude didn't want to hear Skri praise how advanced their firearms allegedly were . He pointed at the factory and said, "Are we going in?"
"No," Skri said, shaking his head as he pointed in another direction . "We'll be going over there . The chief machinist is quite a famous master gunsmith in Eastern Freia and has been created an honorary count by the kingdom . After taking up his post, he made his own research workshop and spends most of his time doing his own experiments there . "
Claude noticed a small forest near the other side of the valley where Skri pointed . Within it was a three-storey wooden villa and a row of four log houses . The environment seemed rather good . The small forest was lush and green . However, the smoked and charred look of the wooden buildings seemed rather out of place . It was as if they had been burned before .
"Initially, this new chief machinist lived in the factory itself, but his carelessness during his experiments caused his lab to burn down twice, which the auditor had a lot to say about . He thought the experiments were a risk to the factory, so I sent for some of my men to build his lab and residence over there to quell the conflict," Skri explained as they walked .
Claude wondered, "Why does it seem like you're taking real good care of the chief machinist?"
Skri laughed . "Because he's a famous gunsmith I've heard of for a long time . A certain former subordinate mine also had really close relations with his daughter, you see . So, I did what I could to help, lest that subordinate of mine complain to me that I haven't taken good care of them . . . "
Claude didn't think much of it as they continued towards the wooden buildings . They entered the forest and saw a young boy wearing a grey riding vest reading a book under a rubber tree .
"Hey, lil' Mark, where is your mother and grandfather?" Skri asked in a friendly manner .
The boy looked up curiously . When he saw the two, he jumped excitedly and cried, "Uncle Skri, why have you come?"
As they approached each other, Claude suddenly felt his heart rate increase . He looked at the face of the child . It seemed rather familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen such a face before .
"Grandpa is taking a nap and should be waking soon . Mom's inside the lab," the boy said .
"Then Uncle here will go look for your grandpa . Call your mom over too . We have an honoured guest tonight," he said, stroking the boy's head .
The boy looked at Claude curiously . "Is that our guest? His shoulder mark is the same like yours . Is he a general too?"
"Haha, he's not just a general . He's the field marshal of the war theatre, my superior . Even I have to listen to his orders . He has come to visit your grandpa today . Alright, go call your mom . "
The boy jumped and went looking for his mother .
Claude looked at him go puzzledly . "Skri, is this boy the chief machinist's grandson? We're here to visit his grandfather because of the barrel consumption, right? Why did you ask him to get his mother?"
"It's simple . The one breaking the barrels isn't really the chief machinist, but rather, his daughter, this child's mother . She's an honorary baroness and also a gunsmith like her father . They are a family of only three, so she brought her son to leave with her father as he went to take up his new post as chief machinist . "
"I see . It's rather rare for the family trade to pass from father to daughter . However . . . breaking more than 800 barrels each year is a little excessive . I'm really curious what experiments she has been up to . "
"I'm not too sure myself, but I've heard her father mention she's trying to create a brand new type of gun, one that is completely unlike the traditional matchlock--" Skri pointed at the log house . "--Let's not dally here and go in for now . If you're curious, you can ask the baroness herself . "
Soon, Claude saw the new chief machinist inside the building, the so-called master gunsmith in Skri's words .
"Good day, Generals, welcome . I am Liboyd Milowski, the new chief machinist of the firearms repair factory," said a man in his sixties with white hair and black-framed crystal spectacles resting on his nose . While he seemed rather old, he still looked rather sharp . His behaviour was elegant, yet he seemed easy to approach .
Claude instantly got a good impression of the old man . He noticed that the man didn't announce his honorary Title, whether intentionally or he simply didn't care . If he had done so, Claude would have to offer his greetings first . But since he only mentioned his post, he positioned himself as subordinate to Claude .
However, Claude still seemed a little troubled . He could recall hearing that name from somewhere before, but he just couldn't place it . The two introduced themselves and took a seat . The old man instructed his maidservant to serve his two guests tea . The red tea served was adorned with lemon slices, honey and some flower petals .
"Please have a taste . This is flower tea from our hometown . It's a little different from the kingdom's tea you're used to drinking that use no additives to highlight the taste of the tea leaves themselves," Liboyd introduced .
Claude took two sips . "It tastes rather good . It's sweet, fragrant and refreshing . However, we don't only drink tea straight . As a child, I loved to add honey and milk to my tea, my siblings love it too . However, my father thinks it a waste . Now that I have my own income, I can finally add whatever I want to my tea, but I'm no longer as eager about their taste as before . Now, I prefer the plain bitter taste of red tea . Perhaps, this is the cost of growing old . . . "
"Well said, General . For one of your age in your position to have this kind of realisation puts you far ahead of your peers," Liboyd praised .
Just as Claude wanted to humble himself, he heard a woman's voice from outside . "Little rascal . . . If you drag me out of my lab and there are no honoured guests to attend to, you better worry for your arse . Eh? Why are there so many guards all of a sudden?"
Skri, who was standing at the doorway, recognised the voice . Gum greeted the woman and moved aside to let her in, her hand holding her son's .
"General Claude, this is my daughter, Sonia . She's holding the hand of my grandson, Marcus," Liboyd introduced .
Clang! The cup in Claude's hand fell to the ground . His face was fraught with panic as his jaw dropped at the sight of the woman .
She seemed just as shocked to see Claude . "How could it be you?"
An awkward, silent atmosphere hung over the room . Claude and the old man's daughter, Sonia, glared at each other, their hearts palpitating . The old man looked left, then right, not sure of what was going on . The child seemed startled and hid behind his mother's back, before poking half his head out to look at Claude . Only Skri continued to sip his flower tea like nothing odd was happening at all .
"G-general . . . S-sonia . . . you two know each other?" Liboyd carefully asked .
"So you were the famous count gunsmith . . . " Claude now understood why the name Liboyed Milowski sounded so familiar to him . As for his daughter, Sonia, he would have an even harder time forgetting her . She was the first woman he bedded in this world, after all . Their little relationship healed the fatigue and mental wounds he had built up charging into the battlefield and turned him from a boy into a real man .
His eyes drifted to the boy behind her and instantly recognised the sense of familiarity . His mind automatically darted to one notion . It had been close to a decade since he parted with Sonia, and the boy's age fit more or less . Back then, Sonia was a single widow without a child .
"He is . . . " Claude pointed at the boy .
"He's my son . His surname is Milowski," Sonia reacted as she knelt down and hugged her boy .
Claude smiled resignedly . He didn't have any intention of taking the child from her . "Why didn't you write me a letter about such a big deal?"
"What's the point of telling you? You were just a minor first lieutenant back then," she said a little agitatedly, "It was wartime . I had returned to Swansburg and my father was really sick . I noticed later that I was pregnant . If not for your kingdom's army coming to encircle the city, we would've been forced to move to Nasri . A year later, I gave birth to lil' Mark and Duke Askilin announced his surrender . I wanted to ask about you, but I heard your kingdom suffered a huge loss on the Great Plains of Canas . They said 1st Rangers was sent to the plains, so I thought you had died . . . "
Skri stood up and said, "Master Boyd, I believe we ought to go out to take a walk . Let's leave them to themselves . "
The old man snapped out of it and yawned . "That's right . The weather's great today, perfect for a walk . Lil' Mark, come with Grandpa . Your mother has some personal matters to deal with . "
Claude looked at Skri and finally realised what he meant just now about a former subordinate being really close to the chief machinist's daughter . "Friend . . . You set me up! Why didn't you tell me about this since you've known long ago?"
Skri shrugged . "How could I have brought it up? I only had my suspicions, that's it . And when I found out Master Boyd was going to take over as chief machinist, I still wasn't aware of your relationship . I only figured it out after seeing how lil' Mark looked a little like you and finding out that Baroness Sonia here had a fling in Squirrel Village near a decade ago . That's how I grew certain . By then, you were fighting at the frontlines . Since I didn't have concrete proof, I couldn't just ask you to come here . Just as I was about to schedule a meeting, you came here yourself . "
Soon, only Claude and Sonia were left in the room . Marcus was taken away by Liboyd and Skri considerately shut the door .
"Sonia, I'm really sorry . It must've been tough . " He stepped forwards and attempted to hug his decade-old lover .
However, she furiously stopped the hug . "Let's make things clear first . Lil' Mark is mine . He bears our Milowski surname . I won't change it to yours . "
Claude didn't even know how to react . "Alright . I promise I won't take him away . "