Aurélio then smiled, a cunning glint in his eyes. “The reason for this meeting is really about Miguel,” he said, watching his siblings’ reactions.

Amélia and Augusto exchanged glances, clearly confused. Why would their insignificant bastard brother be the reason for such an important meeting?

“Why should we care about Miguel?” Amélia asked, impatience evident in her voice. “He’s finally gone, far away from here.”

Aurélio chuckled softly, savoring the moment. “Miguel unfortunately arrived safely at the barony of Drakmoor.”

Amélia narrowed her eyes. “And what do we have to do with that?”

Augusto, suspicious, leaned forward. “What did you do, brother?”

Aurélio picked up a bottle of wine and filled his glass with deliberate, almost theatrical movements. He stood up from the table and walked to the window, where the light breeze made his long red hair flutter. He took a sip of the wine, savoring the taste before responding. “Let’s just say I tried to reduce the competition for the duchy.”

Amélia started laughing, a cold and cutting sound that echoed through the room. Augusto gave her a reproachful look. “This isn’t funny, Amélia,” he said, turning to Aurélio. “What exactly did you do, Aurélio?”

Aurélio remained silent, gazing out the window. The sun was setting on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. The atmosphere in the room was tense, laden with unanswered questions and growing expectations.

Augusto repeated the question, his voice firm. “Aurélio, what exactly did you do?”

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Amélia and Augusto waited, their eyes fixed on Aurélio, who finally turned around, an enigmatic smile still playing on his lips.

Before Aurélio could respond, Amélia interrupted, addressing Augusto. “He tried to kill him,” she said, her voice sharp and full of certainty. She then turned her cold gaze to Aurélio. “Isn’t that right, brother?”

Aurélio laughed, a soft sound that echoed through the room. “You really are the best of us three, aren’t you, sister?” he said, with malicious admiration.

Augusto let out a laugh of relief. “So you really tried to kill that bastard, brother,” he said, his expression relaxing a bit.

Amélia, however, was not distracted. “But something didn’t go as planned, did it?” she asked, fixing her gaze on Aurélio, who was no longer laughing. His expression became serious, his eyes fixed on the wine glass in his hand.

Silence returned to the room, heavy and full of tension. The three Vonmain siblings, each with their own ambitions and secrets, were now united by a moment of unspoken truth. Amélia, always perceptive, had uncovered Aurélio’s plot, but the implications of his failure were yet to be revealed.

Aurélio looked out the window again, the sunset painting the sky with vibrant colors. The breeze that once seemed light now carried a sense of unease. He knew he would need to reveal more than he was willing to, and the mood in the room reflected the gravity of the situation.

Amélia and Augusto waited, each with their own conflicting emotions. The meeting that started with indifference and irritation was now full of new urgency. Aurélio’s actions, though initially dismissed, now carried a weight none of them could ignore.

Aurélio took a deep breath and answered frankly. “Yes, I tried to kill Miguel. But that bastard somehow endured the entire journey and reached the barony. And that’s not even the main thing that bastard did.”

Amélia frowned, clearly irritated. “You should have consulted me before taking such a deliberate action,” she said, her voice full of disapproval. “But what does it matter if he is alive or dead? He is just a bastard who is now far away. From what I recall, that barony is bankrupt and will soon collapse.”

Aurélio shook his head, denying. “That is not entirely true, not anymore. From the information I have, Miguel received help from beast-men.”

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Amélia and Augusto were speechless, surprise evident on their faces. “How can you be sure of that?” Amélia asked.

Aurélio began to explain, his tone loaded with frustration. “I hired some mercenaries to kill Miguel, and yet he managed to survive and reach the barony. I gave Peterson, from the mercenary guild, full freedom to do whatever it took to have Miguel killed. Within a few days, Peterson gathered a small army. From what he told me, they were almost subduing Miguel, but a cavalry of beast-men appeared. You know how beast-men use more robust and large horses. They didn’t stand a chance. The last information I received is that Miguel is holed up in that barony, and alive.”

Amélia pondered all this information, her mind working quickly. “You are irresponsible, Aurélio. You tried to act alone and only worsened the situation,” she said, with a cold look. “And why did you want so much to kill Miguel, just a bastard?”

Aurélio, his voice loaded with hatred, replied: “It’s precisely because he is a bastard who doesn’t deserve to live with our family’s name.”

Augusto interrupted, his expression worried. “You know that, in practice, the beast-men invaded our duchy. And even worse, the kingdom. His Majesty, the king, will want to react when he finds out about this, and especially the church...”

Aurélio nodded in agreement. “The king has already been informed. I will leave for the capital of the kingdom in two days for a meeting with the king and the church priests.”

Amélia stood up abruptly, her face a mask of determination. Without saying anything more, she began to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” Aurélio asked, somewhat surprised.

“I’m going to fix all this mess you caused,” Amélia replied, without looking back, leaving the room with determined steps.

***

Miguel and his entourage rode steadily towards the volcano. A day had already passed on their journey, and Miguel was impressed by the landscapes they encountered along the way. The barony's territory revealed itself to be diverse, with majestic mountains in the background and vast flatlands stretching as far as the eye could see. He saw several rivers winding through the land and many dense forests, which, though beautiful, brought to mind the concern of being potential hideouts for criminals.

Riding beside him was Ricardo, ever vigilant. Right behind them, fifteen armed soldiers followed with discipline, ready for any eventuality. Two wagons accompanied them, carrying various empty sacks. Miguel planned to reach the volcano’s slopes and collect volcanic ash, one of the essential ingredients for Roman concrete. Considering the technological limitations of the medieval world he found himself in, he concluded that reproducing Roman concrete would be less complicated and more efficient.

To his left was Elnar, the deer. His robust and calm presence offered an interesting contrast to the surrounding landscape. Miguel looked at him, curious about the glossary of engineering and architecture that Elnar possessed.

“What was the man like who gave you that glossary on engineering and architecture?” Miguel asked, trying to imagine the person who had introduced such knowledge to Elnar.

Elnar seemed thoughtful for a moment. “I do not recognize those last two words,” he said, intrigued.

Miguel smiled slightly, understanding the confusion. “Engineering and architecture are ways people like you and me design things,” he explained. “Engineering is the study and application of techniques to build machines and structures. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures.”

“I see, I didn’t know there were names for those specific things. You humans are peculiar,” Elnar said.

Miguel knew that in this world, humans also didn’t have a name for this concept, but that wasn’t so important now.

As they conversed, the surrounding landscape continued to change. The mountains in the distance seemed closer now, their bases covered by dense forests. Sunlight filtered through the trees, creating a play of light and shadow on the forest floor. The sound of horse hooves and the creaking of wagon wheels were the only sounds breaking the tranquility of the place.

Miguel looked at the rivers winding through the land, reflecting the sunlight in a sparkling shimmer. He thought about the importance of these water sources for the survival of his barony and the possibilities of using these resources more efficiently in the future. The forests, despite their beauty, were a constant concern. He knew these areas could easily harbor bandits and other undesirable elements.

“These forests could be problematic,” Miguel commented, more to himself than to the others.

Ricardo nodded. “Yes, my lord. We must stay vigilant. Criminals could be lurking.”

The journey continued, and the entourage advanced at a steady pace. Miguel felt hopeful and determined. He knew the journey to the volcano was essential for the future of the barony. The concrete he planned to produce would be a crucial innovation to strengthen their defenses and build a more resilient infrastructure.

As they continued their ride, Miguel observed the details of the surrounding landscape, mentally storing each element. He knew every piece of information could be useful for his future plans. The journey was just beginning, and Miguel was ready to face any challenge that came their way.

The wind blew gently, bringing with it the fresh smell of earth and vegetation. Miguel felt connected to the world around him, even as a stranger in a foreign land. The determination in his eyes was clear, and he knew that with the help of his allies, he could transform the barony into a prosperous and safe place.