Though the ceiling was closer and the room less spacious than Sunshen had anticipated, the study was nonetheless magnificent. Darkwood decorated every surface, bearing intricate carvings, the ancient books lined the shelves were meticulously maintained and their displayed spines were in a myriad of languages, covering topics from the medical to the spiritual.

Sunshen believed that a man's study was a window into his mind. A cluttered room often meant a cluttered soul. But here, in this meticulously organized space, Sunshen saw the reflection of its owner—Mister Jack Herner, a man as precise and intricate as the study itself.

Mister Herner was not pompous, though many in his station were wont to be.

Even now in a leather armchair, he comfortably sat and smoked his pipe, yet still seemed carefully positioned and in control. Sunshen admired that.

He himself was much different, being so close to one of the people he admired most, he could not help but light his pipe. He only hoped that mister Herner would not notice his shaking fingers.

"Mister Henrer, may I ask-"

"If you would not mind, while here you can just call me Jack, as my friends do. I had invited you to my study, I consider you a friend." Mister Henrer replied with a smile.

"What did you think of my knight?" Henrer interrupted, but Sunshen did not mind. There was much he wanted to talk about. After quite a while of engineering talk, where Sunshen again understood only parts, but still gleamed further into the mind of a master inventor such as Herner, their talk slowly turned to the more mundane. Of poor and wealthy, of lucky and those that are not.

"There is a certain...flair, to working in the service. Do you not agree? I mean, who else would actually go through the houses of the poor, without mask or prayer? It is a sort of trust that they display. Trust that the filth and grime won't stick to their boots and multiply, taking them down to their level. Additionally, who else can brandish their shiny Niatra's in their clients face, without seeming obnoxious?" Jack let out a laugh, which Sunshen heartily returned. After Jack cleaned his pipe, he filled it with a fresh batch of dried tobacco. Sunshen could not help but notice the name on the box.

"Personally, I do not see the poor as vermin. Besides you yourself are brandishing something priceless yourself before those less fortunate, aren't you? Keen on selling?"

"Good eye my friend! I knew you of all people would appreciate this. It is rare to see man with taste. I would have even shared, but you surely understand, my delivery has...fallen in the fog."

"Such is the fortune of the wealthy. Having to wait for their bought comfort." Sunshen pointed out, while trying to put his fist against his chin. The way that philosophers did it.

"You amuse me, Sunshen." the man said as he let out a few smoke circles.

Sunshen had trouble finding the words to reply to the man, so he instead opted to mirror Henrer and prepared his pipe, filling it with a rather old and stale tobacco, though it at least helped him act relaxed.

"Have you ever thought about how things work?"

"Many a time. The value and existence of a soul is a question I ponder daily."

"Yes, but I meant the question a bit differently. What do you think of our...regime, Sunshen?" Jack asked. His eyes watched Sunshen from under his hat. The light of the candles reflecting in their intensity."

"In what way exactly?" Sunshen asked. He learned that replying with questions gave him more time to think of an answer, though he really could use the direction. This line of questioning was getting awfully close to treason.

"In it's entirety."

After a bit of thinking, the silence forced Sunshen to choose his words quickly.

"I'd say that it is lacking. The ones with any worth to them are bickering and usurping the little we already control, instead of reaching for new and unexplored heights, while the poor stricken get barely afford the services to keep their family's lungs without fog. The streets are filled with people with no jobs, while there is always so much work to do."

"Well said. Given the chance, would you do something about it?"

"About the regime?" Sunshen's eyes grew larger and his surprise shown all over his face. "I'd have to be the Highest Faithful to do anything." Sunshen laughed.

When he looked upon mister Jack, he saw a man waiting for a real answer. A man he would do anything to impress.

"No, you don't mean...That almost sounds like you are talking about a revolution."

"And what if I am?"

The silence took hold of the room. Sunshen's heart tightened as his ears focused on the quiet, as they impatiently waited for the next words of mister Jack.

"I came to like you, Sunshen. If you'd be interested, the day after tomorrow I will host a...different kind of banquet. You are invited. But I must warn you, affiliation with those that will come, is beneficial, but eternal. Do you understand?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Yes sir, yes, I-I do, I think." Sunshen blurted out, his tongue skipping his words.

"Then I will see you then, my friend." Jack replied as he stood up. "Now, I will have to get back to the party. To mingle a bit. There is reputation I need to protect you see. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the evening. I will see you later then." Jack said, and with the tip of his hat he made his way into the hall.

The reality of what they were discussing, along with what he was invited to washed over Sunshen. It was so sudden. Just this morning, his father had prohibited from entering the banquet and now? Now Sunshen was in a stronger position than his father had been for months.

He would not tell him, obviously. For what use do cards have, if you show them to your opponent?

Sunshen could do nothing but smile. The party had lost it's splendor and fun now. There were more beautiful things in his mind. Things he had to contemplate. His mind had been preoccupied enough to forget his prior arrangements.

He barged into his room, the papers scattered around the floor flying up with the wind. He quickly ran to his desk, hurriedly shifting through the endless stacks of diagrams and drawings, before he found an empty one.

Moving like a true artist, Sunshen drawn the steam knight from memory, trying to fit his half-right explanations next to the armor's parts. After he had made what was arguably a very questionable view of the knight. He let arms fall to his sides and he rest on his armchair.

He was overcome with emotion still. Not only did he actually make it into the ball this time, not only did he see such a marvel of steam engineering, but Jack Herner himself took the time to talk to him, to invite him to his study.

Safe to say, Sunshen had never felt so giddy before. His excitement blinded him from the possibility of his father's wrath, the same as it blinded him from the presence in his room.

"What is that?" asked a woman's voice from behind Sunshen.

He instinctively shrieked and jumped up in the surprise.

"Manly as ever." Maggie replied, while examining the drawing Sunshen left on the table. "What is that?"

"Do you deserve an explanation after almost killing me?"

"Don't be a wuss."

"Is that a way to talk to your lord?" Sunshen puffed out his chest.

"Dear lord, if you want me to clean this mess you made again, then you will answer me." Her tone left no room for debate.

"Yes, yes." Sunshen replied in defeat. Maggie was no simple servant anyway. Strong as an ox with the temper to boot. She was lucky she was his childhood friend. "It's a form of a steam suit, though this is more of an-"

"Armor"

"Yes, armor." Sunshen flashed her an irritated look, before going back to his explanation. "In theory, it should allow the person inside to travel through the fog completely unaffected." He said proudly.

"Isn't that what the niatra's are for?" she replied, unimpressed.

"Niatra's repel the fog, this armor lets you go through it."

"Why would you want that?"

"I don't know!" Sunshen's voice rose with his frustration. "It's an incredible breakthrough, so stop demeaning it!"

"Did not mean to, sorry. I just cannot think of a reason why you wouldn't just have a niatra with you. Would save a lot of gold that is going to the suit. Plus, the fog is kind of unnerving right? Wouldn't want to stay inside it if I had other choices. When you take hounds into account too..."

"Many downsides sure. But there are bound to be many uses for this. for example menial labor, you would not have to carry a niatra that can easily break. You could just walk through the darkness"

"Are you telling me that some wealthy lord would charitably donate his invention to lumberjack groups?"

"Probably not."

"Thought so." Her gaze lingered on the page. "It is very cool though."

"Right? It has a falcon propeller and everything too! Plus it also has..." He marveled at the drawing, pointing out small pieces he remembered with clarity, so it took him some time to realize that Maggie has been awfully quiet throughout his whole explanation.

"What?"

"Hm?" she replied, jolted from her stupor.

"What is it? Your silence is deafening and you never let me rant for this long."

"No, I was just interested in the...the armor and everything."

"Sure." Sunshen turned around to face her. "Now fess up already."

"Your father seemed angry."

"He always does, it's in the eyebrows."

"No this was different. He was really angry, angry. You know how he is prone to shout and complain. How loud he is when he is angry?"

"That is my dear papa. Capable of complaining about the dinner before it is even served."

"Well, now he was just-" Maggie stopped, having trouble articulating what she wanted to say. "He was calm and quiet. He greeted me at the front door, wished me a good day and told me to make myself some tea if I do so wish and then left to his study. He was almost pleasant. It was scary."

*That is scary*. Sunshen thought as a chill ran down his spine. When did he see his father this calm last? Probably when Sunshen's aunt died, the same day the last bits and pieces of kindness within his father died as well.

"Nothing to be worried about, I'm sure." Sunshen replied, though even he heard his voice waver.

"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Maybe he was just jealous." Sunshen tried to change the topic. "Guess who invited me to their private meeting!"

"We are friends Sun, but I really don't want to hear about your meetings with Tatiana." Maggie replied as she stood up.

"No! That is not-not what I-" Sunshen felt his cheeks burn red. Then he realized the opportunity he let pass today and it took all his resolve not to crack his head open against the darkwood table. After he had made peace with the fact that Tatiana would be angry at him, Sunshen realized that Maggie had already left.