The next few days passed uneventfully. Practice in the morning. Autographs at lunch.

Oh yeah I kind of hinted to some kids that was what you did to football players that you respected. Ask them to sign their name to a piece of parchment or wood (for them anyway). If they were really good, eventually someone would pay for it.

Shameless I know but I had never been asked to sign an autograph and it was something I had always dreamed about being a QB. Not so glamorous once it actually happens especially since they never have a pen (didn’t think that one through). Honestly it was a huge mistake. I couldn’t escape the little rodents and now the adult Nobles had started the crap.

The second still was up and running; it would produce an extra few gallons a day. Lily had now started making copper pipe. I had her make up copper sheets then roll them up and solder the seam. It was too time consuming for large projects like water piping but for a still it would work fine.

I could make enough off of one hour of production to pay for the materials (and Lilly’s bonus) for the still. Gotta love these prideful idiots. These Nobles were going to have their livers looking like they had been shot with birdshot at this rate.

I did however have an unforeseen crisis. I had run out of rabbits. Or at least those I wasn’t trying to save for breeding stock. I decided to get A&B to drop everything and build me as many rabbit traps as they could.

I also had Lilly make me some iron wire for snares. I had Goodwin round up some Football players to place them all and then told them to go back at dark and see if they had caught any. We were putting a serious dent in the furry population of the area but rabbits will bounce back quickly.

I also had another visit from Father Clarence.

“I haven’t seen you in Mass my son.”

“You know I am not a Catholic father. I do confess I should come see my friend and spiritual compass more often however.”

“Compass?”

Dammit the compass hadn’t been invented yet.

“Spiritual adviser is perhaps a better choice of words”

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“Well I’m glad to hear that my son. Still I wish you would come to know the lord as your savior.”

“But I have Father. I was baptized in his name many years ago. It was just a different subset of Christianity. You must remember my descendants came from Britana. They still knew of Christ but it was long before the established Church as you know.”

It was even true well the first part anyway, born again Baptist. I lost the faith years ago but still, I was baptized in my youth.

That didn’t seem to deter him but it did seem to please him that Christ’s message transcended oceans.

“I can not allow you to continue to force your men to bathe.” He said after some pause.

“Father please, I am neither forcing them to do anything nor are they bathing. They are returning God’s earth to the field that sprung it with the rain from heaven. We use the water on the football field. It is sacred in my country. I’m sorry father but I cannot stop.”

He sighs “If that is the case my son then I shall not stop you. I doubt I could if I tried.”

I said I would attend mass more often. At least I promised I would come to confess more often as all have sinned as he said. Which is true if everything that is remotely fun is a sin.

Lilly had the three sets of armor/pads done. One I kept in spare the others Hugo and I would wear. Sir Adrian I had ruled out. He of course wanted to play but I denied him as he was still obviously in pain when he threw and it wasn’t nearly as powerful as normal.

I had one more thing I had to do before the day was out. I found the empress in her quarters after a servant told me where to find her.

“Who is it?” She said as I knocked.

“It is I, Sir Arthur.” It’s like I’m in some weird play.

“Oh Arthur, I'm glad to see you.” I noticed the Sir was absent. I’m too out of touch to know what the hell that meant if anything.

“I am glad to see you as well milady.”

“So what is it that you have come to see me about this time?”

“I am in need of your resources again. I need it to be made known that at the game one lucky peasant will receive a football helmet free of charge.”

“A peasant? Why not a Noble?”

“Because milady I have already sold out of the Luxury Boxes to the Nobile’s I need to sell out the cheap seats so to speak. They need to know it will go to one of them.”

“Oh I see. I will see what I can do but I do not know many peasants. I will have to make it scandalous and it will spread through the Noble ladies.”

“That was what I wanted, Empress. Every peasant in the Kingdom will know at that point. Servants always have the best ears.” True of any period.

She smirked evilly and started undressing "It's a good thing you're cute because you sure are a lot of work."

I sighed “I know I know it will cost me”

The sacrifices one must make for Football.