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Condemned To Death
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17th September, 1507
Seren walked into Elise's home, the wooden floorboards creaking softly beneath his feet. He saw a shoe rack next to him and the air was filled with a faint scent of lavender, likely from the fresh flowers in the simple vase on the small hallway table in front of him. Despite its simplicity, the house exuded a warm, lived-in feeling.
As he followed Elise in the hallway, Seren's eyes were drawn to the walls, where family pictures hung in modest wooden frames. The images seemed to shimmer slightly, as if imbued with a touch of magic.
In one particular photo, a cute little girl with long, raven-black hair stood beaming in front of her mother, her smile so wide it seemed to reach up to her eyes. The mother, with a light smile on her face, cradled an infant in her arms, the baby's tiny hand reaching out towards the mother’s hair.
Such lifelike images were a rarity in this world, typically reserved for the Lexarchs or those fortunate enough to have spare soul stones. For most people, pictures are usually created by skilled human painters, often resulting in less accurate images.
"You looked quite cute in that picture," Seren complimented casually with a smile on his face.
Elise, walking ahead, felt a warmth creep up her neck at Seren complimenting her for the first time. Her heart fluttered, and she struggled to maintain her composure. She tried to ignore the compliment and asked, "Where's the materials? I didn't see you bring them with you." Her voice came off a bit nervousness.
"Don't worry, I have them," Seren replied cryptically, his tone reassuring despite the lack of explanation.
After spending some time with Seren, Elise had already gotten used to him not explaining himself but she still trusted that he wasn’t the type to bluff or go back on his words, at least not to his friends.
As they continued, the two-story house stood out as a symbol of relative prosperity in the upper village. Most residents at the upper village are servants of Lexarchs, either living in their masters' homes or renting small apartments from wealthy merchants.
Elise stopped next to a door on her left in the short hallway as she started explaining, reaching for the door. "I have a large shed in the backyard that we can use to make the gunpowder," she explained, her hand on the doorknob. "We will start with Potassium Nitrate first since it will consume the bulk of our time and then-"
As the door swung open, Elise's words died in her throat. She stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with surprise. Seren, curious about her sudden silence, peered over her shoulder.
Inside the room, a young boy in his early teens sat at a low table, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's as he stuffed his face with cookies. Across from him, a woman with an air of quiet elegance sipped tea from a delicate porcelain cup. She wore a beautifully patterned kimono, its rich colors a stark contrast to the simplicity of the rest of the house.
In that brief instance, Seren quickly realized their identities from the picture he had seen earlier.
Both the mother and brother looked over at Elise and then saw Seren looking at them from over her shoulder.
Elise's mom smiled lightly, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and said, "Welcome home, Elise." Her voice was warm, like honey drizzled over fresh bread.
"'Bout time!" The brother said, his words muffled by the cookies he was still munching.
"Bout time my ass! Why are you still here?! I told you guys I had something important to do with my friend," Elise's face contorted in a mix of frustration and disbelief as she exasperated, her voice rising with each word. She had hoped her mom and brother would listen to her and leave the house for a few hours.
"Honey, how could we not meet your friend?"
Her mom sat up straighter, her kimono rustling softly. "This is the first time you have brought someone home and it's a mother's responsibility to make sure her child is not spending time with the wrong people but…" Her eyes flickered to Seren, a mischievous glint appearing as she continued, "...I didn't think the friend you were talking about would be a boy and a handsome one on top of that."
The effect was immediate. Elise's face bloomed red like a summer rose, the color creeping up her neck and to the tips of her ears.
"WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!" she yelled, her voice cracking mid-sentence and coming off as squeaky as a mouse. The outburst echoed in the small room.
A grin spread across her mom's face, transforming her elegant features into something more playful. "I never said you weren't," she replied, clearly enjoying this rare display of emotion from her daughter.
Elise stood frozen, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, utterly speechless at how easily her mom had managed to fluster her with just a few words.
Seren observed the scene with quiet amusement, thinking to himself, 'Indeed, it doesn't matter if you're a transmigrator or not, a mother will always have the upper hand over her child.'
With practiced grace, Seren moved forward, squeezing past Elise and through the doorframe. The scent of lavender from the hallway mingled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies as he approached Elise's mother. He stood before her, his posture respectful, and bowed slightly.
"Hello, my name is Seren, Elise's classmate. I've had the pleasure of meeting your daughter and she's been taking good care of me since," he said, his voice smooth and polite.
Elise's thoughts raced frantically, 'Why the hell are you making it sound weird?!' She could only watch helplessly as Seren conversed with her mother, feeling as if she was losing control of the situation with each passing second.
Her mother's chuckle was light and musical. "It's good that she finally has someone her age to talk with. Did you know, at home, she's been much more cheerful in the last few days?"
"MOM!" Elise lunged forward, her feet nearly tripping over themselves in her haste to stop her mother from revealing any more embarrassing details about her private life.
Seren could only laugh awkwardly, caught in the crossfire of the family drama. The room filled with the sound of Elise arguing while her mother playfully teased her, their words overlapping in a familiar dance of parent and child.
Suddenly, a new voice cut through the chatter.
"Hey, what's your relationship with my sister?"
The room instantly fell silent. All eyes turned to see Elise's brother standing directly in front of Seren, his gaze intense as he sized up the newcomer.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Seren didn't immediately respond. Instead, he looked down at his feet, appearing deep in thought. The silence stretched on, becoming almost tangible as they waited for his response. Elise was especially anxious because on the one hand, she didn’t want Seren to say anything weird and on the other, she was also curious about what Seren would say.
After what felt like an eternity, Seren lifted his head. His eyes met the brother's unflinchingly as he said, "We're friends.... just friends, nothing else."
A smirk tugged at the corner of the brother's mouth. He scoffed, a sound of satisfaction, and said "Good" before brushing past Seren and leaving the room.
“...”
The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft ticking of a clock on the wall. Elise's mom, her kimono rustling gently, broke the quiet. "I'm sorry about Dylan's rude behavior. He's just a bit over-protective when it comes to his older sister," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of apology and parental indulgence.
"It's fine. I don't mind," Seren replied humbly, his posture relaxed despite the lingering tension in the air.
The mother smiled seeing Seren's polite response as she then said, “I’m sure you’re tired from going to the Academy. Why don’t you eat first before your work?”.
Seren paused, appearing to consider the offer. "Thank you for the offer, but we have a lot to do and we're falling behind on schedule," he replied politely.
Elise's mom chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "Alright then, I will bring you some food in the shed,".
Seren tried to refuse but Elise’s mother insisted, so in the end, he thanked her for the food. After a brief exchange of thanks and goodbyes, Elise's mother left, leaving Seren and Elise alone in the room. Seren's eyes were drawn to the sliding glass door on the far side, beyond which lay a sprawling backyard with a large shed in the distance.
"Ok, let's go," Seren said, moving towards the door. He glanced back to see Elise standing still, her gaze unfocused. "You okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
Elise startled, as if waking from a daydream. "Huh? Oh, y-yea I'm good..." she mumbled, her voice trailing off.
"You seem a bit disoriented," Seren observed, his eyes studying her face.
"Hmph, I said I'm good!" Elise snapped, her annoyance evident as she brushed past Seren and strode into the backyard.
As Elise walked ahead, her thoughts churned. 'I feel so annoyed that Dylan and Mom stayed home when I clearly told them to go out for a few hours and on top of the stupid question that idiot Dylan asked,' she fumed internally. Remembering Dylan's question to Seren, she couldn’t tell why but it made her feel even more annoyed.
Seren followed silently, watching Elise's retreating form. A cold smile played at the corners of his mouth, as he pretended to be confused as to why she was mad at him.
The shed loomed before them, its tall door stretching over them. Elise reached the door and yanked it open, revealing an interior that was far from ordinary. Beakers, flasks, and test tubes cluttered across various long tables positioned against the walls. A large area in a corner resembled a giant campfire pit, while a side section was dedicated to storage, filled with plants, herbs, and other wild life typically found around Chimera Mountain.
The spaciousness of the shed was surprising, as was the sophisticated ventilation system. Despite the numerous candles lining the walls and the sunlight streaming through the large windows, there was no lingering scent of candle smoke or the herb scents. The air felt clean and crisp, a stark contrast to the tension between Seren and Elise.
Seren stepped into the shed, his eyes roaming over the array of equipment with genuine intrigue.
"Did you use this place to do experiments?" He asked, his voice echoing slightly in the spacious shed. He ran his fingers lightly over a nearby workbench, feeling the smooth surface.
Elise took a deep breath, the familiar scents of her makeshift laboratory helping to calm her lingering irritation. She pushed the thoughts of her family aside.
"Yeah, even though I transmigrated, I'm still a scientist at heart and want to learn as much about the world as possible," She said with some emotion in her voice as she remembered her previous life that was filled with countless discoveries humans desperately sought to make and learn about everything around them.
Seren, not being a scientist himself, couldn't fully understand Elise's thirst for knowledge. "Quite the ambition, especially in a world that is outside of common sense," he commented, a hint of sarcasm coloring his words.
Undeterred by Seren's skepticism, Elise turned to face him. Her eyes blazed with determination, reflecting the flickering candlelight. "Science at its core is not the study of the natural or supernatural but understanding the process behind the things that happen in the world. Even if it seems futile, I will still dedicate this life to understanding this world in its entirety," she declared, her voice firm and resolute.
Seren fell silent, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. This ambitious side of Elise was new to him, and he found it oddly compelling. Without a word, he then reached into his hanfu and pulled out a small black square.
Elise's curiosity was immediately piqued by the mysterious object. But before she could inquire further, her eyes widened in astonishment as Seren created three wooden crates out of thin air.
Thud!
They crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, sending up small clouds of dust.
"What's that? What's that?" Elise exclaimed, her earlier mood completely forgotten. She rushed towards Seren, her voice brimming with excitement.
Before Seren could even begin to explain, Elise snatched the black square from his hand as she started inspecting every nook and crony of it with focus.
Seren watched helplessly the Elise who had become like a curious child, letting her do with it as she pleased. Her fingers traced every surface of the square as her eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, almost instinctively, she channeled her soul energy into the object.
In an instant, Elise's mind was flooded with information. The physical world around her seemed to fade away as a vision filled her consciousness. She saw a small room, no more than 10 by 10 square meters, filled to the brim with stacked crates. The image was so vivid she could almost smell the wood and feel the confined space.
"Is this a storage relic? Where did you get this?" Elise asked, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and excitement.
Seren's voice took on a more serious tone as he replied, "It's not a relic but an artifact. I bought it with the soul stones I gained from Lorien." He paused, his expression becoming guarded. "As for where I bought it from, I can't tell you that since it would put me in danger if the information gets out."
Elise tried to ask Seren again as she promised she wouldn’t tell a single soul about it but Seren still refused.
"I trust that you won't reveal it to anyone," he said, his voice softening, "but what if someone reads your memories? What if someone hypnotizes you? There are too many risks, and unknowns in this world so we have to be extra cautious. I will tell you when I'm ready."
Elise frowned, her brow furrowing as she processed Seren's words. After a moment of internal struggle, she accepted his decision with a resigned sigh. As she handed the storage artifact back to Seren, a wry smile played on her lips.
"I think there would be bigger problems if someone reads one of our memories," she quipped.
Seren chuckled softly as he then turned his attention to the three crates he had brought out, opening their lids. The largest crate revealed a treasure trove of mysterious white crystals, varying in size from fist-sized chunks to small marbles. The other two crates were filled to the brim with black charcoal and vibrant yellow sulphur, the raw ingredients of gunpowder.
Both Seren and Elise looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. Elise then began to explain the process with the practiced ease of a seasoned scientist.
"There are 4 steps to creating gunpowder," she stated, her voice taking on a lecturing tone. "Grinding, Mixing, Drying, and Testing. Grinding will take most of our time, while mixing will be extremely tedious. As for testing the gunpowder, it will depend on our skill and luck if we have to repeat some steps again." She paused, her eyes scanning the materials before them. "Before we start, how much of the materials do you want to convert to gunpowder by the end of today?"
Seren's response was immediate and resolute, "All of them."
A smile spread across Elise's face. "Good," she said, nodding approvingly. "Then we can skip the drying process, but your task will be ten times more stressful."
Seren didn’t care about that since he had come knowing full well what he was getting into.
Elise then led the way to a large wooden bowl attached to a complex contraption. Two giant pillars made from tree logs hung ominously above the bowl, their presence both impressive and slightly intimidating.
"We will use this for the grinding,"
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Condemned To Death
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