[Disclaimer: This book is a work of fiction. Any depiction of chemical processes or materials is purely fictional and should not be attempted in real life. The author does not endorse or promote the creation or use of dangerous substances or illegal activities. Readers are advised to consult appropriate experts and follow legal guidelines regarding the handling of potentially hazardous materials.
The author has also purposely limited the fictional processes to dissociate fiction from reality further. Moreover, they have repeatedly pointed out how dangerous it is.]
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Three months later.
On Earth, the wheat harvest happens between June and August in the northern hemisphere. However, the date alone does not determine the harvest. Instead, it is determined by the maturity and moisture content of the grains. If the grains have not dried out sufficiently, they are susceptible to spoilage during harvesting. Conversely, if they are too dry, it can result in grain shedding and lower grain quality.
The harvest in Solstice takes place in the equivalent of July, the driest time of the year, causing people to sweat and feel thirsty. The town's residents used Peggy's Soap to bathe in one of the filtered rivers on the town's south side. The headquarters of Peggy's Soap is now in Sundell.
People spent the cool nights chatting under the stars and torch lights, drinking booze from the micro-brewing equipment I ordered from Carter over a year ago in Silverbrook.
Sundell was a beautiful, peaceful place to live.
Until spring.
Goldenspire continued to build ramparts separating us from the other side of the river and had started setting up large encampments, building up a force of a thousand troops who were loud and boisterous during the nights.
Moreover, Ironfall was amassing forces in the Tomald Mountain range surrounding it, the same mountains that separated Valeria from the Aurelian Empire. It was clear they were planning to fight. As for why, it's simple: I killed Stella Ironfall. No one could prove it, so countries wrote it off as an accusation, but King Ironfall never forgot, only holding off to prevent war with Valeria. Now that I had a separate kingdom, he seemed to look forward to an attack.
It seemed it would be a two-part war, as King Thrain, Seraphin, and my spy network confirmed that King Redfield indicated his neutrality.
As for the mysterious Sunset Shore in the south, they hadn't gotten involved in politics or wars for a century, and no one had attacked them. From what I gathered about the degenerate running the kingdom, he simply liked to rule his tourist and vacation-oriented economy and be left alone. Therefore, I trusted he wouldn't be attacking.
Frosthold was far away and a self-protective kingdom and the Green Sea rarely left the Green Sea. With King Emeric in full neutrality, that limited me to a two-front war without allies.
It was perfect.
"How can you be so calm?" Mayor Alderic asked, fidgeting while looking out the window. For a brief golden period, the man enjoyed regular sleep. However, ever since spring, when a thousand troops were stationed 200 yards away from our kingdom, he hadn't slept from non-stop stress and panic.
“Because we’ll be fine,” I replied, waving my hand to shoo him away. “People win wars through change, and the way these people gathered and announced their presence is suicidal. Now calm down, I have a meeting.”
Mayor Alderic smiled wryly and saw me out. I had business to conduct in a newly constructed underground bunker. It was only one of many I built, the first for my parents and siblings. All my bunkers are anti-blast structures that use rebar-reinforced concrete, redundant architecture, and steel support beams and columns to absorb energy.
Despite learning the materials for anti-blast structures, I didn’t have schematics for a bunker. However, I read enough architecture books to build something reliable.
Deep in the forest, downwind from a natural hot spring, there was a heavily ventilated underground bunker where ten people worked around the clock.
Xander Price, a tall, humorless man with a clean-shaven face and facial features that didn't change, met with me. "Welcome back, King Everwood."
"Greetings," I responded, walking with the man to a room with large glass apparatuses and pieces that capture gases. "What is the efficiency for sulfuric acid distillation?"
"It's 20% better than it was two weeks ago," Xander replied, watching a yellow rock-like substance burning with blue flames. As elemental sulfur burns, it creates Sulfur Dioxide, a gas that we collect into a glass piece with a worm connecting to a second glass piece. Imagine a test tube with a bridge to another test tube. It's similar to that.
The bridge connecting the two transfers the gas into the other glass piece with water from the bottom. When it does, it percolates, making it bubble and pop to the top. As it releases the gas, you have to release the gas into an open area or heavy ventilation pieces because it's extremely toxic.
After you follow through with this process, you've successfully created 2% sulfuric acid. Congratulations: it's practically useless.
Luckily, creating concentrated sulfuric acid is almost offensively easy.
Sulfuric acid has a boiling point of 337 degrees Celsius, far higher than water, with a boiling point of 100. Therefore, you can just boil it, and it'll keep getting more concentrated as water evaporates as steam. You can even put it in a microwave to do it—that's how easy it is.
That's lucky because we needed 98% concentrated sulfuric acid to accomplish our goal.
"Good work," I said, walking to another station. "How's the nitric acid coming along?"
"It's suboptimal but working," Xander replied. "We've successfully isolated the niter and created the base. However, we haven't mastered the tools and measuring necessary for the Birkeland-Eyde process. Ten people have already been injured this week."
I cringed. Making nitric acid is a different story. “Show me your process.”
He nodded and took me into a back room with large glass tubs of saltpeter, otherwise known as potassium nitrate, that you can get from compost. However, we got it from nitrate mines.
Xander explained that they start with a grinder made from a steam engine that pulverizes niter into a fine powder.
The scientists then gradually added the powdered niter to the sulfuric acid with consistent stirring and precise heating. This process is highly exothermic, meaning that it creates high heat, which is why many scientists have been hurt by it exploding in low-quality reaction chambers made of steel.
Modern chemistry requires modern equipment. However, we had to make do.
As the mixture heats up, the potassium nitrate reacts with sulfuric acid, producing nitric acid and potassium bisulfate.
To separate them, you distill them again. Unfortunately, the boiling point of nitric acid is far less than sulfuric acid, so it requires far more precise heating. This is usually done with the help of electricity, something we still don’t have.
While it seems like I should just get it over with, it's important to remember that the technology supporting electricity—heating technology, engines, motors, light bulbs, and the like—still needed to be created. So electricity is worthless at our level of manufacturing.
It’s getting obnoxious.
When you heat the mixture of nitric acid and potassium bisulfate, the gas separates through the twisting bridge called a condenser, which cools the gas and ensures that only the nitrogen gas can pass through. Once the gas reaches another chamber, it cools again, reverting to liquid. It’s the same process as distilling alcohol—but exponentially more lethal.
That’s it.
Well, that's an offensive way to put it, considering that we didn't have good reaction chambers, modern ventilation systems, consistent measuring tools, technology for testing the pH and concentration, and our “scientists” have only had a crash course in chemistry.
In short, creating nitric acid right now is pretty stupid.
However, it worked because I have a master’s degree in chemistry and worked for a top chemistry firm, making me a leading expert in pharmaceutical research. This much was child's play to me, and we had a talented, albeit crazy, glassmaker and a manufacturing specialist that produced quality work ahead of our time.
"Great work," I said, throwing the man a large bag of gold. "Distribute this. I'll need all the nitric acid you have."
Xander nodded and helped me load up 50 liters of quality nitric acid. Then I moved to another bunker a mile away.
I walked through dozens of guards from Elderthorn there, calling them out by name. I wanted all of them to know that I knew who they were and relied upon them, a reward and threat wrapped in one gesture.
"Hello, sir," Jasmine, a woman with olive skin, dark green eyes, and a military-like attitude, greeted me, wearing protective gear made from A-class beast skin from Elderthorn. "We've successfully created another batch of guncotton," she announced after I asked.
Inside, machinery was working around the clock to produce guncotton, a basic precursor to the modern gunpowder we would make.
"Let's see how your process has improved," I ordered.
She nodded and took me to a room where people worked to meticulously separate pure cotton and purify it to ensure that only cellulose remained.
Then she walked me through how they performed cotton nitration, the process of mixing concentrated nitric acid with cotton. During the process, it's under strict heating control and reaction time, as the mixture becomes extremely unstable, leading to explosions. It had already happened numerous times; anyone could see that. There were burn marks on workers that simple healing magic couldn't heal and charred areas from where equipment previously was.
It was a wild scene that showcased why people didn't start making nitrocellulose until the nineteenth century. It wasn't that chemists didn't understand the potential—it's that they couldn't do it in a controlled manner.
Luckily, given enough time, soul mana made people stronger and healed their wounds faster.
After the reaction to nitrocellulose was completed, it was washed carefully and dried to remove most moisture until it had the right amount of water content. We would add stabilizers in the future, but we barely had the chemicals to do this much.
Thankfully, nitrocellulose was exponentially more stable than nitroglycerin, which was famous for exploding just by shaking it. Therefore, our trained soldiers used a grinder made from a steam engine to grind it down to get the right size.
In the end, we had guncotton.
It's important to understand that this guncotton isn't suitable for bullets because the burn rate isn't consistent. Therefore, in the future, we'd use stabilizers and a cutting machine called a die to create the same size gunpowder grains that we could put into bullets.
However, for now, this will supercharge our cannons by a huge margin and allow us to make muskets. It's also a good precursor to what's to come.
"This is good," I smiled. "Take me through your process for making nitroglycerin."
Nitroglycerin is roughly the same process as making guncotton if a person uses glycerin instead of cotton and has a firm death wish.
Glycerin comes from separating tallow from beef fat, leaving the tallow on top and a clear layer in the center. We've used it as a moisturizer for soap, lotions, and cosmetics. However, if you mix it with nitric acid, it becomes unstable to the point that sloshing it around will make it explode with serious force.
Therefore, the control processes, heat, and reaction time had to be far more stringent than making nitrocellulose.
"How many explosions have you had?" I asked.
"25," Jasmine replied.
"How many people have died?" I asked.
"One," she reported.
"Their family?" I asked.
"On our care list, and their children are set up for schooling as soon as they open," Jasmine answered.
"Good," I replied, working with her to see how we could improve the controls. While I didn't care if people died fighting, learning magic, or adventuring, science was different. People were pioneers, doing something that was extremely dangerous for the benefit of all people, so I'd reward that with more than simple money.
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I pulled out a large bag of thin wooden tubes made from a lathe machine from Timothy's Woodworks and put it on the floor before obtaining extremely fine sawdust. "Be careful when you make them, and thoroughly mix the beeswax and guncotton for the fuses.
Since nitroglycerin was extremely unstable, people put it into sawdust or diatomaceous earth to stabilize it. Then they used a fuse made of braided hemp or cotton that was covered in a mixture of wax and gunpowder to control the burn speed.
Once the fire touches the nitroglycerin mixture, it instantly violently explodes. That’s what we wanted.
"Thank you," I said. "Make sure to keep improving constantly. I have my manufacturers working around the clock to improve on my end."
"Sir!" Jasmine saluted, seeing me out with a large crate of TNT, mortars, and guncotton.
I couldn't help but feel a mixture of satisfying sadism, guilt, and anxiety pulse through me as I left. I didn't want to see anyone die or suffer, so perhaps sadism wasn't the right word. It was just that... these people didn't even understand what they were up against. I felt like I was playing a video game with cheat codes, but it was real, and I had earned it. Who wouldn't feel amazing about that?
The guilt came from knowing that these Goldenspire soldiers had no chance. They were cannon fodder, a term describing the charging soldiers who only served to eat through the cannon ammunition before the cavalry and real soldiers came through. It was a disturbing concept I was now facing.
As for the anxiety, there was so much fear of the unknown. In theory, I would dominate everyone. But would I? What would it be like to see people die? I was pretty apathetic, but I couldn't imagine anyone could see so much death and suffering and come out on top.
This wasn't a video game. People depended on me to keep them alive, and if we lost, Thea, my family, my confidants, and acquaintances would all suffer because of my actions.
It was all suddenly so real, and it put things into perspective. For a moment, I questioned how I even got here. I wasn't here to become a powerful warlord and take over the world; I was here to save this world, if only for my own sake. This wasn't what I signed up for.
Anxiety. Excitement. Guilt.
"Are these real emotions?" I swallowed. "They're all... negative."
A wave of anxiety washed over me when I realized emotions weren't just positive. I feared becoming a soft-hearted fool, but what if these negative emotions multiplied? Would I become a warlord fueled by rage? Or a softer individual and a martyr? It was driving me crazy!
I abruptly felt something and looked down, seeing that Thea's fingers were laced with mine. I looked into her teal eyes and saw they were resolute.
'This gesture...' I thought, looking down. 'I do this to comfort Thea. Am I that anxious looking?'
Thea didn't ask because she knew I didn't like talking about these things. However, she knew how I was feeling, perhaps more than I did, and she told me she'd be there no matter what happened.
Something I loved about her was that there were no limits to what she would do for me. I had a feeling that cuddling and murdering were the secret skills that she would excel at—and she wouldn't blink an eye at either.
That was horrifying.
But it was also comforting.
It told me she would love me the same if I became a soft fool or a murderous war god.
I squeezed Thea's hand and smiled. There was a long road ahead.
***
My birthday coincided with this year's wheat harvest. Well, not our wheat harvest. We conducted our harvest weeks ago within our walls, something Goldenspire couldn't see.
In anticipation of war, we created ten miles of walls in all directions and 50% was farmland. Between buildings, structures, irrigation, rivers, and other considerations, we had 25,000 acres of farmland inside—and we reaped all of our crops.
Goldenspire didn’t know this. Unlike last year when people flew their flying mounts over the city at harvest time, no one dared to fly overhead because we had a no-fly zone.
Our defenses were ready.
Every five feet of the outer works had a combination of a cannon, a mortar, and a ballista, which would work in tandem to fire at people from afar. There were also ditches outside our walls between us and the Solsa River dividing our forces, which looked like normal anti-cavalry ditches, if not simple moats.
We were ready.
Therefore, I only cared about Goldenspire's wheat harvest—the same was true for them. Once they reaped their crops and secured food, they would attack for certain.
That was if they backed out on attacking tonight, on my birthday. The siege equipment in the distance told me that loud and clear. The only question was, would they back out?
Despite the threat, I stood relaxed with a thin smile as I overlooked a crowd of forty thousand people. Our usual friends and allies weren’t there due to the threat of war; however, representatives from every country came to present gifts in their stead.
"Citizens of the Everwood Empire!" I yelled to capture a crowd's attention in Sundell Plaza. We were a legitimate empire now that we had Luminara and Everthorn as territories. "Almost all of you are new to our proud home, but it feels like a lifetime due to our bond!"
Roaring cheers from drunken people, surrounded by fresh boar and bread waiting for consumption.
"A year ago, this was a small town, and our territory was looked down upon as a renegade kingdom," I said, looking around at all the new architecture and trade workers. "But from where I stand, the people here are so incredible that this place became the greatest kingdom in Novena in just one year!"
An explosion of pride and excitement spread through the crowd, leaving everyone jubilant.
"We've been good people, generous people," I declared. "We thrive not off war but off technology and improvement. We seek to change the world and have done so by educating people around Novena and Luminara. It's projected that our learning materials have helped over a million people learn basic numbers, a feat unthinkable by other kingdoms’ standards!"
Loud whistles and passionate shouting followed my words.
"We've provided technology to the Dwarves in Dragon's Peak, established trade relations with the Aurelian Empire, and have obtained territories in Valencia and Elderthorn. The sun rarely sets on the benevolent Everwood Empire!"
The voices of my people carried for a mile, sending signals to the Goldenspire troops that we were drunk and disoriented from my birthday celebration, making us appear vulnerable.
Thea opened her eyes and blinked three times before shutting them again, controlling her Crowls from the sky. She observed the Goldenspire troops rolling trebuchets to the water's edge, where they could send boulders hurtling towards us.
Goldenspire was planning a siege.
Thea tapped her foot four times. ‘Four wyverns,’ I inwardly chuckled. ‘Ironfall’s determined to kill me here and now, aren’t they?’
Ironfall, a country surrounded by mountains and self-sufficient, had control over wyverns, rivaling King Veil. Zenith's fiancé belonged to that wyvern clan, and tensions had escalated since Zenith slapped her ex-fiancé. The situation grew even more intense when it became known that she was in the Everwood Empire, solidifying the allied Dwarves to our side alongside the Veil Kingdom's wyverns.
"Yes! We've revolutionized the world! Saved people from the Black Plague! Educated people, built alliances, and improved everyone's lives!" I roared, prompting thunderous applause. "And now we're in the most formidable fortress in Novena! So worry not, Sundell citizens! If the evil Priest Aelius attacks us, we can annihilate, decimate, and incinerate their army. So eat, drink, and laugh for my birthday celebration, for I will protect you!"
A raucous celebration broke out, with cooks serving roasted boar, steak, and vegetables. Fresh beer and wine flowed into every cup as people drank, laughed, danced, and sang to the tunes of lutes.
Mages performed tricks, and we illuminated the fountain with colorful water, creating spectacles during propaganda plays depicting King Everwood's triumph over evil and satirizing Goldenspire's Priest Aelius.
Solara church denominations sprang up, acting out their roles and allowing for a counter-religion that we were slowly spreading. We took inspiration from the minority zealots in Goldenspire, ensuring a smooth integration. It was a nice touch.
As the celebration unfolded, everyone of note presented me with gifts—chairs, pottery, artisan bread—and I graciously accepted.
Military commanders offered me decorated mortars. When presented with a red one, I smiled, understanding its significance. "Trebuchets, battering rams, siege equipment. Declaration of war." Another commander handed me twenty boxes. "Twenty thousand foot soldiers." Finally, a man offered me a horse with a yellow saddle. "1,000 cavalry."
Goldenspire planned to breach our walls by launching massive boulders. Battering rams would break through, allowing their soldiers to pour inside.
Ironfall lay to the southwest, while Goldenspire was to the east. It would be a "surprise" attack, likely triggered by an internal spy. Alternatively, they might have waited until we were drunk and merry, catching us off guard.
Lastly, representatives from Dragon's Peak, Dragon's Roost, Valeria, the Aurelian Empire, Frosthold, and Sunset Shore walked up, each offering a minor gift and a light bow. Their presence signified that they had witnessed Goldenspire's plans for a surprise attack on my birthday, which violated the rules of civilized warfare.
It was a measure to solidify our war’s justification.
"This has turned into a lively celebration," I chuckled, feeling a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and fear pulsing through my veins. The representatives returned to the Ellington, an elite hotel, accompanied by food, drink, and their choice of escorts. They would remain there until the first strike when they would be moved to bunkers.
“Please excuse me,” I said, standing and meeting with my generals. We ascended the walls to survey everything in secret.
Steel sheets concealed our weaponry in the wall gaps, which allowed for archers, cannons, and ballistae. Goldenspire had no idea that 5,000 cannons and ballistae awaited them.
Everything was becoming too real, too fast.
"I need to see my family," I announced, fearing the consequences of my actions. "I'm certain that you can handle everything for the next couple of hours?"
General Nisan nodded, and I descended the wall, meeting with Leon, Scarlett, my brother Samson, and my baby sister Eris.
They sat under a stone gazebo at the Elington, surrounded by a courtyard of flowers and nervous representatives. I approached with a grave expression as they ate.
"Will it really happen tonight?" Leon asked, his eyes sharp.
"It will," I replied. "They have positioned siege equipment outside."
Scarlett's eyes widened, and visible panic overtook her, causing her to hold Eris tight in fear.
"Don't worry, Mother," I said, crouching to meet her gaze. "The shelter you're going to can withstand a hundred trebuchet hits. You, Eris, and Samson will be safe."
"B-But what about you?" Scarlet asked. "You're my baby...."
"I'll be fine, Mother," I reassured her. "Just believe in me."
"And me?" Leon smiled.
"I'd rather you protect our family," I confessed. "But I don't have the time to convince my warrior father to go against his sworn duty."
"That's right," he smiled, ruffling my. After all, he was still my father. "That's the sworn duty of a margrave, and this is at the edge of twoterritories."
Margraves are lesser dukes with territories bordering nations. They serve as the first line of defense if a country attacks. My father, being a warrior and a noble, held that responsibility. That’s why arguing with him would be an exercise in futility for the sake of nothing.
I then turned to my little brother, Samson.
"Go with Mom and Graken," I instructed, looking at the Goliath beside me. "It will be over soon, and then I'll give you gifts and sweets."
Samson furrowed his brows. "Why can't I fight? I'm a margrave's son, you know! I've been practicing the sword just like you!"
"I'm sure you've grown strong," I chuckled. "I can't wait to see it when all of this is over."
“But how come!” Samson huffed.
Thea swooped down and picked up the six-year-old, squeezing him. “It’s because you’re sooooooooo cute!” she declared. He blushed, kicked, and pouted. It was a reminder that he was a kid, not an adult, and it effectively derailed his argument. It was humiliating.
I didn’t know how I felt about Thea using psychological warfare on my kid brother to keep it safe. But I think it’s… love? I’m not sure, but it’s wildly positive.
“Big bruhver!” Eris exclaimed, reaching out her hands for me to hold her. I gladly complied, hugging her tightly and putting an end to our conversation.
Thea grabbed my wrist to ground me, and together we loaded everyone into a thunder stag carriage. We rode through town like a parade float, garnering loud cheers, whistles, shouts, and praise.
It was a perfect cover to prevent the spies from realizing we knew about the siege.
We met with Thea's mother, Sarah Lockheart, who now served as my mother's personal maid. Sarah was an interesting individual because she and her daughter loved each other deeply, but their obsession with their work was so extreme that they rarely met or talked unless I was present. Like mother, like daughter. It was eerie.
Once everyone reached the bunker, I led them down a metal ladder to the steel blast door and twisted it open. Inside, they found a lavish room with bedrooms and a bath. It was filled with countless pounds of smoked meat, water, candles, games, toys, and numerous other surprises.
Naturally, Samson forgave me begrudgingly. He still hadn't forgotten our unwillingness to let him fight, but he appreciated the thoughtful gestures.
"Be safe, honey," Scarlet sobbed, embracing me tightly. I held her close and reassured her. "It'll be alright, Mom. I'll be back soon."
Thea hugged her mother and exchanged heartfelt words before we left to meet with General Nisan. The general provided my father with a breakdown of everything that would happen that night.
"I need to talk to you," Thea said, grabbing my hand and leading me to a locked supply room. The guards unlocked it upon her command, and we stepped inside, speaking under the temporary light magic we cast.
"What's wrong?" I asked, seeing her facade crack and her anxiety flooding through.
"I don't want to see you get hurt," she whispered. "And the thought of losing you..."
"Have faith in me," I said, gently cupping her face. "I didn't come this far for nothing."
"I know..." Thea bit her lip, understanding that I was right but also acknowledging her fears. She knew I was strong, but people often died in war, sometimes from unexpected accidents. The mere thought of losing me sent her mind into overdrive. Thea was always worried about me, constantly checking in to ensure I was okay. Now, with real danger looming, her stress was beyond measure.
"Thea..." I said softly, lifting her chin to meet my gaze. "Have some faith in me."
My earnest gaze made her melt. "Okay...."
Thea abruptly grabbed the back of her neck, raised on her tiptoes, and moved her lips toward mine—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The confusing yet intimate moment was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. “King Everwood!” Ajax yelled. “General Thimes has issued an official warning of battle!”
My confusion swapped with bloodlust at the sudden intrusion. "I'm coming out," I growled. Even though it felt selfish, the attack felt personal.
***
The war bells sounded, shocking my drunken citizens out of their stupor. It was a terrifying situation that sent adrenaline pulsing through everyone's veins.
"KING EVERWOOD!" a booming voice resounded through amplification magic. "MY NAME IS GENERAL THIMES OF GOLDENSPIRE. WE REQUEST A PRE-WAR CONFERENCE!"
The streets became heavy with anticipation as they awaited my response. A pre-war conference was when military commanders met to discuss a battle before it began, aiming to negotiate terms or prevent bloodshed.
"I agree to your conference and have representatives from other countries act as witnesses!" I replied through amplification magic. "Do you agree to speak in their presence?"
The general stuttered upon hearing about the presence of representatives. "I AGREE!" General Thimes shouted back, causing some to cover their ears.
The nervous representatives gathered on the outer works to oversee the vast enemy army that resembled a sea in the night. Trebuchets, battering rams, and massive torches for arrow fires filled the landscape. Countless magical beasts, flying mounts, horses, and towering golems that stood twenty feet high.
It was laid bare that Goldenspire planned to ambush and massacre us on my birthday. A strange feeling churned in my stomach, and a slight grin formed on my face. Convincing the other kingdoms abruptly became much easier.
However, my invisible grin faded as I felt a powerful and overwhelming presence similar to King Redfield’s. Despite the distance between the force, it felt as though a powerful sage stood right beside me. When I looked in that direction, I saw four wyverns in the air, protecting that force.
"So, you brought an archwizard and are using wyverns to buy casting time for a calamity spell?" I grinned. "And you're willing to sacrifice your soldiers to wipe us out? Any reservations I had about being reasonable are now gone."