Tonight, everyone stay in the hotel which government of New Terra have prepared for them, compare to the last inn they stayed this is a much better improvement. Amy can’t believe how different human room can be when you have money.
Despite not familiarized with human food much Amy can tell just by looking that the meat here is of a much better quality although the fruit is not as fresh as last inn but it’s still very good for a dinner. The room is also bigger with better furniture and bed and we all get our private room no need to share with anyone. Still Biscuit did come to Amy room since she’s lonely being there alone and no doubt other guy must also be together right now in one of their rooms except Calamity since that wolf prefer his own company.
“Even the place to sleep between loyal ant and worker is not this different. Biscuit does your room is also much better than normal citizen?”
‘She is daughter of Pan after all.’
“I’m not sure” Biscuit looks around this beautifully decorated room with flower and ornamental pattern even the wall is covered with crimson cotton which soft to touch “I live with my mother our room is not big when compare to my other sister but I’m sure they are still better than most other Amalthor house.”
She seems uncomfortable talking about her family “What about you Amy does ante room is not this good”
Amy snicker “We live underground Biscuit. Ante may get a private room yes but it’s still just a hole in a cave with few more furniture.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Biscuit looks guilty but Amy just brushes her off “I’m used to it. The one perk we got is that we can sleep without worry other ant will walk by and wake us up so our sleep schedule is much closer to you unlike those workers.”
“Although I do hope they don’t spoil us too much” Amy jump on her bed “If they keep putting me on such a good bed, I’m not sure I can go back to sleep on dirt.”
‘Now I understand why some old ante and queen love those cushions and many import furniture from New Terra so much. I’ll need to save money if I want one of my own in the future, these things are luxury good not provided by colony after all.’
“This bed is even better than the one I got back home and in our dorm, these hotels must really be expensive” Biscuit lie down and hug a puffy pillow “Can I sleep with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course, this bed is too big for me anyway but let me get an extra pillow.”
After the light went off Amy move around in her bed for a while because she can’t sleep perhaps the bed is so good she just not used to it.
“Biscuit are you sleep yet?”
“Yaww...not yet.”
“I really sorry for abandoning you before you know.”
“It’s ok I’m not mad at you. It’s was me who was useless holding everyone back, making you guy made the hard choices.”
“Don’t say that” Amy start to feel angry again she never understand why Biscuit keep putting herself down “You are not useless. In our colony every ant has a role and everyone serve the colony in their own way. You are awesome Biscuit. I mean it. I never see an ice magic as powerful as you and a lot of our teammate like you. Heh, I bet Calamity like you the most among our group while I’m just good at making everyone hate me.”
“I don’t hate you Amy” Biscuit hold one of Amy legs.
“I think I need to find a way to make everyone like me somehow I am supposed to become a diplomat making friend with everyone in our team is the least I can do.”
“You are already friend with everyone though.”
“I see their eyes when they look at me when we vote. They don’t trust me.”
“You...come off too strong sometime I guess” Biscuit carefully chooses her word to not hurt Amy.
“Alright, I’ll try to be calmer and gentler in this trip then.”
“I’ll help you too Amy. Me and my sister didn’t get alone well back home and I also don’t have many friends but I’ll do what I can to help you get closer with everyone.”
“Thank you, Biscuit. Tomorrow you’ll see a gentle Amy!”
Next morning
“WHAT DID YOU SAID!” Amy shouted at the human on the street.
“Amy let’s go please other people are looking” Biscuit try to pull her away to hide behind their friends but Amy is not moving.
“Hey leave our friend alone” Sarah steps up. Seeing her the man immediately change his attitude because he knows she must be daughter of one of ministers or some powerful family in New Terra.
“But these goats attack Alvern in the north! They said they kill every man woman and child there.”
“What?” Sarah shocked hearing this news and so does every student nearby who could hear them.
Brant and Deacon walks up next to Sarah “When did this happen?”
“Last night. News just came on the radio.” Said the man.
“They wouldn’t broadcast lie on official radio but I doubt Amalthor would do something like this so properly some crazy goat goes on rampage?” Deacon suggested.
“I always knew those goats were crazy” said Sharik from the back.
“Silent” the white wolf hushes his teammate. Marco don’t want the situation to get worse than it already is. They’re just visitor here and Prof. Rio is busy leading the group through street not noticed the argument. They all need to leave and catch up with other now.
“Radio said there were over dozen goat and sheep using magic to attack people in their home. This is an attack on our people.” The man goes on.
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“That doesn’t give you right to threw pot at Biscuit face!” shouted Amy.
“Dam animal protected each other huh!” the man grabs his right arm where Amy kicked him.
“That village I knew of it” Amy remarks “north of Alvern is Aldegar, a village full of crazy fanatic who follow the strictest outdate commandment of Amalthaea and denied all other believed. They always causing problem and don’t listen to anyone even their own government so I doubt most goat has anything to do with them and sure as mountain Biscuit here don’t have anything to do with them so back off!”
The man still look angry but with the other human slowly walking away from them when Sarah and Brant show up he knew there is no one else to side with him yet his rage overcloud his judgement for a moment and he turn to human among student “You kids there! aren’t you human like me why are you taking these animal side.” he point to Sarah, Brant, Deacon and Bill who just join confuse as to what happened.
“Watch your mouth” said Brant “I am Brant Marquis. You should know who my father is, don’t you?”
The man immediately turn pale “I—I’m sorry sir I’m just mad at those animal for attacking us you know.”
Finally the police patrol show up, it unclear if someone called them “What going on here?” they asked looking suspicious of Biscuit.
“Officer arrested this man” Brant point at the man in front of him “He attack daughter of Pan. We can’t let other nation say we let anyone who assault our guest go do we.”
The police hesitant to take order from Brant at first but they quickly notice everyone uniform and turn to arrest the man.
“Hey what the hell arrest that goat not me. I’m on our side.” the man point at Biscuit whose temple is bruise red from the pot he threw.
“Be quiet, assaulting royalty from other nation is a serious crime. You’re going to work in the mine for a long time.” officer turn to the Biscuit “And since we already see the prove of an attack we won’t troubled you to follow us to the station. Please excuse us.”
The man scream and curse at Biscuit as he was drag away.
“Biscuit are you ok?” Bill and Amy check the wound on Biscuit head.
“I’m ok.” said Biscuit.
“So, what this about a sheep attacking our village. Are you sure you don’t know about this beforehand” Brant now turn to ask Biscuit.
Sarah cut him “Brant how could you ask that.”
Deacon don’t say anything and just watch Biscuit.
“No, I really don’t know anything really.”
“You’re not accuse Biscuit of involvement do you.” Amy asked but it was not in a question tone.
“Of course not” Brant end the conversation and turn back to follow the rest of the group.
Soon after checking Biscuit bruise everyone join Prof. Rio in exploring the city without telling him what happen. Bill does tell the rest of their team which everyone come check on Biscuit and express anger toward the man who was arrested. The tour continue as normal but Amy can’t focus on what Professor is saying at all despite looking forward to visit this human city so much. She just keep thinking of that man which make her more annoy and angry as time goes on.
“Here on our left down this street is a Ore Processing Plants where ore import from Fia and Eardwulf got process and refine into a high quality mineral. They got an even bigger processing site next to Oren mine. I flew over there once, it was quite impressive how much they dig to get all those mineral out from the earth.”
“Will we get to see how they make mercury professor?” Jason asked.
“I’m afraid most mercury is process at Dekar and New Terra but don’t worry Republic of New Terra have arrange for us to visit inside one of processing plant today so just keep following me.”
It is a factory where the steel is being made. The area is separate into many part with giant machinery that turn simple rock into steel bar through many step.
Seeing a big rock that worker back home dig out from earth and mountain then transport to Alp now already been crush to a dust give Amy strange feeling. Human have create all these giant machine just to grind rock and collect a part of mineral to built their home when a simple holes in the ground will serve as home just fine and if anything last longer than theirs rock and brick building which now scatter around Fia, the only prove left they once lived on those land.
The student and professor follow the factory manager who act as a tour guide. They follow the conveyor belt that transport the iron dust from when they put it in separation machine then a big furnace. Then everyone watch as yellow molten steel pour out into a pot radiant its heat and shake like water filling a cup.
“Wow so bright.”
When the giant pot stop moving some human below click some switch then a glyph under the pot glow up floating a slug on top of lava out of the pot, surprise everyone.
“Usually we have to scoop the slug out ourself several time to get the highest grade of steel” said the manager “But with magic all the impurity is remove with a click of a switch, took us forever to get the glyph right though there are so many kind of mineral in these rock.”
The rest of molten steel then pour into an empty box with grey power to make a steel bar. One by one a bar was move with glyph and cut into many pieces, mark and ready to be ship out.
“The steel bar will then be made into billets, wire rod, bolt or anything that we need; home, railroad, bridge you name it.”
“What about gun and bullet?” asked Blake.
The manager smiles “Sorry everyone but that part is a state secret. Here let’s me show you guy something even cooler.”
The manager then lead everyone into a big room with seat on one side and on the other is one long table with several glyph place on the table. When everyone take a seat more staff bring out a big rock of iron ore and place it on the far left bowl.
“Extract and refining a mineral no matter what mineral is a long and difficult task. Rock from all over the continent was dig and move here at our plant to bring out the best part of very earth that hidden under our feet. You all see today how much work and time is put into making a simple steel bar. How big the machinery have to be to move all that metal and melt it. Now let me show you something even cooler.”
The manager wear a MAM glove on both his hand and trigger the first glyph. The rock start to float from the bowl and slowly move to the right, each time it past to the next glyph the glyph glow and the simple rock start to spit and crack into many pieces until they are nothing but dust. The dust then cover in fire as limestone mix in and before you know it, a molten steel. The lava swirl in the air for a bit to show off glyph magic then as it reach the last glyph it form a shape as it quickly lose it bright heat and a bit of steam come out of it.
“Awesome” Bill look very excited.
‘I guess his factory doesn’t have MAM that does this’ Amy think of her home ‘There are an attempt to create mineral like this but only high rank ante can use fire magic which most of them don’t want to just be glorify heater so the project doesn’t go anywhere. Well, our people don’t have much use for metal or copper anyway but everyone seem to like gold, the only reason this project still going. There are smiths who make armor for ante but I don’t know how about quality compare to human made one.’
A bowl of big rock has now turn into a sculpture of Alana emblem on table and manager pick it up to show to everyone.
Everyone clap for him in awe.
“Now you must be wondering why don’t we use this method since it was so easy and much quicker” the manager shrugs “It’s just simply too expensive like you wouldn’t believed!” he laugh and show that both core in his MAM is now run out of power “but we love to pull this performant out for all of you, our important guest from Alana. Thank you for visiting us today everyone and I hope you enjoy your visit here in Orenda. Feel free to contact us in the future if you have any construction project you want us to make for you. I guarantee our material and worker is the best in the world.”
‘Brave thing to say in front of ant. We can make tower of metal too if we want.’
After that they took us to a gift shop nearby next to the factory. Bill took one glance and quickly whispers to everyone in our team not to buy anything since the price is scam. It’s mostly just trinket with New Terra emblem anyway then some small mineral or gem as ornament. There are some big sculpture but who is going to buy that?
Rusul a goat with one horn approach Biscuit while other goat and sheep seem to just whisper among each other and keep their distant “are you alright I heard what happen.”
She touch her bruise which now start to fade “I think I’m ok.”
Amy’s mind go back to the man who threw a pot at Biscuit and get angry over again.
“Next time just freeze anyone who attack you solid Biscuit. It’s call self defend so you won’t have to worry if he suffer.”
“Err I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can, right Rusul?”
“Of course, if you want a pay back I can even try cursing him with bad luck for you buy I don’t know his name or face so that might be a bit difficult.”
“Please don’t do that” Biscuit panic.
After their little tour everyone got a chance to freely walk around in the city market for a while before Professor Rio take everyone back to the hotel and rest for tomorrow trip into Fia.