Evelyne headed to the village square to begin her tour. As she weaved her way through the crowds, she admired the stone and timber-framed houses built along the winding pathways. Each house had a different design, some with ornately carved doorframes and wooden railings, others with slate roofing and patterned shutters. The diversity in construction showcased a blend of regional styles, something rarely seen outside of metropolis cities.

She slowed as she neared the forge, a large, brick building with a tall chimney stack and double doors wide enough to admit ox carts. Evelyne peered through a window, and saw various smiths pounding away at anvils with heavy hammers. Heat emanated from inside, and the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal reverberated in the air.

Evelyne moved on to the mill, which consisted of a water wheel connected to an array of gears. The contraption churned a set of large stones, grinding grain into flour. A cloud of white dust billowed out of an opening in the back of the building.

After touring the mill and the adjacent granary, she directed her steps toward the barns where livestock were kept. Pens of goats and sheep milled about, their bleating and bahing forming a pleasant chorus. A few cows grazed on hay strewn across the ground. Nearby, a dog herded a flock of chickens.

As she turned to exit the barn, she nearly bumped into a stocky, dark-haired man with a bushy beard. "Pardon me, miss!" he exclaimed, stepping back. "I did not see you coming. How are you finding the village?"

Evelyne smiled and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across her face. "It's lovely, thank you. I'm Evelyne. And you are?"

The man extended a hand to greet her. "Harold. Harold Svartheimsfjoll, or so it says on my family's old ancestral chart, though I prefer to be called Harry."

Evelyne cocked her head to the side as she clasped his proffered hand. "Harry. What a peculiar surname, Mr. Svartheim-whatever. Is there a story behind it?"

The man laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly embarrassed. "That, there is. But it's a tale for another time, perhaps over a bottle of ale and a warm meal, if you care to accompany me later?"

Evelyne blinked in surprise at the invitation. "Well, that's sudden. Let's be real, sir. This is the first time I've met you. But more importantly, I've only just arrived here, and a lot of work awaits me. Surely you can understand my priorities."

"Oh, of course! I didn't mean to impose. I hope you didn't take offense." Harry blushed, lowering his gaze.

She grinned and shook her head. "Not at all. I find your candor refreshing."

The tension in the man's face eased. "I'm glad you're not upset. Well, I've got to get back to work. It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Evelyne. I hope we can talk again soon."

"Likewise," Evelyne replied. She patted his shoulder in parting as she went her way, leaving the flustered man to stare after her.

The sun was high in the sky when Evelyne reached the village square. Roderick and Engin conferred with a group of men by the well. She paused, watching the men conversing. An idea popped into her head, and she grinned, strolling casually up to them.

But the boyish face of Orin, with his short, slightly messy brown hair, and the dirty overalls that hung from his thin frame, caused her to stop on her tracks and frown.

Orin Webb. Prodigy of the Ethervein Enclave. One of the youngest Artificers of his generation, who made the news when he replaced most of his organic arm with an advanced magitech prototype, after being grievously injured during a terrible accident. His innovation and genius caught the attention of Evelyne, who offered the prodigious lad a high position in her own workshop which he rejected, stating that it was due to creative differences.

In some way or another, he and the Ethervein Enclave had become her rivals in terms of magitech. Not because of any professional or personal conflict, but rather, it was inevitable due to the nature of competition between organizations.

Despite this fact, Evelyne never harbored ill feelings toward the young man. Quite the opposite, in fact. She believed he held the potential to revolutionize the world.

A young genius and a bright future. Young—

Somehow, she inadvertently ended up in a state of annoyance with herself for being taken aback by his youth.

"You're only seven years younger than me!" Evelyne blurted out, before covering her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, and judging by Orin's bewildered expression, neither did he.

"Er... what?"

The group stopped talking and stared at her.

"Nothing." She shook her head, recovering her composure. "Nevermind."

The exchange drew a few confused looks from the men, but no one spoke.

"Please, continue," she urged. "I apologize for interrupting."

Roderick nodded and resumed discussing the plan for the day, which involved sending crews to clear the land and log the forest in preparation for new buildings.

As they talked, she found herself glancing at Orin. He kept his gaze lowered as he listened, a thoughtful expression on his face. Occasionally, he would ask a question or interject a comment, but otherwise remained silent.

Evelyne raised her hand, cutting in mid-conversation. "Les Artisanats d'Éclair can help with the lumbering. We have Aetherframes that can be equipped with chained saws for woodcutting. I can lend a couple of them to you if you want. They can also transport the logs to the village faster than mere carts."

"An Aetherframe, you say?" Engin inquired, stroking his beard. "I didn't know you had access to those things, Miss Blaise. From what I understand, only the established guilds within the major kingdoms possess those constructs."

"Of course, Monsieur Meric." Evelyne flashed a smile. "You're correct. Only Les Artisanats d'Éclair, along with five other companies, have Aetherframes at their disposal. Though we have the fewest in numbers, our Artificers are more skilled than most, and as such, our Aetherframes are superior in quality."

Evelyne expected the men to scoff at her, but they didn't. Instead, they seemed genuinely impressed.

Engin stroked his beard again, his brows furrowing as he pondered her words. "We'll take you up on that offer, Miss Blaise. Thank you for your assistance."

"My pleasure, Monsieur Meric," she replied, inclining her head graciously.

Orin coughed lightly. "While the Ethervein Enclave can't offer any Aetherframes, we have other helpful inventions that can improve the efficiency of labor and expedite development. If you don't mind, I can write a list of the items I think are necessary and hand it over to you later, to see if they fit in with the village's plans?"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Evelyne fought to suppress a smirk at Orin's remark, though she was relieved by his display of restraint. Despite his lack of seniority in the Enclave, the Artificer displayed a maturity and seriousness of purpose that belied his age—though their interaction yesterday revealed a cheeky and unrefined personality underneath.

"Of course," Engin agreed, nodding. "Everyone is free to cooperate and contribute whatever ideas or resources they can. The more the merrier."

"Excellent," Evelyne replied, smiling warmly. "Shall I deliver the Aetherframes to you before midday? My operators can work alongside your lumberjacks. However, I'm afraid that six hours is the limit for the energy crystals, and they'll have to be returned to recharge after that."

"That should be enough, and yes, if you could send them here by noon, that would be fantastic," Engin answered.

"Consider it done, Monsieur Meric," Evelyne assured him.

She gave the men a final bow before striding off, a spring in her step and an eagerness to get to work.

When she arrived at the campsite, she discovered that her companions had already unpacked and began setting up the tents. The arcane-enhanced canvases were designed to expand and erect themselves. Each tent unfolded into a domelike structure with an enchanted shell that protected its occupants from the elements, while the inner compartment automatically adjusted to provide a comfortable environment.

One by one, the domes expanded, becoming uniform in size and shape. Soon, the entire camp was enclosed within a ring of sturdy structures.

Evelyne spotted Viviane standing beside the campfire. The Artificer wore a thick leather apron and a pair of goggles. The front of the apron was stained with soot and oil, and her blonde hair was pulled back in a disheveled bun.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Blaise, have a break for a while," Viviane called out as she approached, beckoning for Evelyne to sit next to her. "How was the walkthrough? Did you enjoy the village?"

Evelyne sat, easing herself onto a cushion, and exhaled softly. "Very much. It's quaint, and the people are friendly."

Viviane nodded as she sipped a mug of hot chocolate, its contents steaming as she drank. She licked her lips and set the cup down. "That's good to hear. Though I can't wait to work at our shop once it is built, and I can create to my heart's content."

Evelyne's smile widened into a grin as slowly turned her face to look at the other Artificer. "Well, I'm glad that you're so eager to start working right away. Coincidentally, I've offered to lend two of my experienced operators and their Aetherframes to aid in the woodcutting for the next six hours. So, you have some time to kill. Your shift starts right before noon. Better use that time wisely and prepare the tools, the enchantments, and the magitech cart."

Viviane choked on her drink, almost spitting the scalding liquid onto Evelyne's face. "P-Pardon?! Today?"

"Is there a problem?" Evelyne asked, her tone innocent, as though she hadn't planned this all along.

The blonde Artificer groaned. "Ugh, no. It's not that, Evelyne. I just need more time to prepare and inspect the suits, but if you insist..."

"I do," Evelyne cut in.

Viviane sighed and shrugged. "Fine, I'll do my best."

Evelyne tilted her head, smirking. "Don't worry, ma chérie, I know you will."

As Viviane stood up to leave, Evelyne added, "Ah, and don't use Léandre. My ancestor would scold me if I let a prized construct that was named after him be put to manual labor."

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Ebonheim stared in wonder as she watched the large suits of armor that the Artificers called Aetherframes work in the forest. The contraptions stood over ten feet tall and looked like massive knights made entirely of gleaming steel and iron. They chopped the trees with powerful sawblades attached to their arms that sliced through the trunks with ease and easily carried the felled trunks on their backs.

Several magitech carts, vehicles powered by crystal-powered engines and enchanted wheels, hauled the logs back to the village. It only took two beasts of burden to pull the augmented cart, instead of the four to eight beasts normally needed to drag a similar load.

She observed the work as she waited in the clearing.

The sound of footfalls approaching roused her from her thoughts, and she turned to see Roderick and Thorsten heading in her direction. Roderick gave her a curt bow in greeting, while Thorsten grunted.

"What do you think of them? Quite impressive, aren't they? With their help, we'll finish the work ahead of schedule. This is the power of magitech, a collaboration between artifice and arcane arts. Truly marvelous, I'd say," Roderick remarked, waving his arms excitedly.

Ebonheim chuckled at the man's exuberance. "They're fascinating. I thought that your spider wagon was incredible, but these... Aetherframes are even more impressive."

Roderick coughed and straightened his clothing. "Well, my vehicle is an early prototype, and a modified one at that, but I'm pleased that you enjoyed its performance. The true marvels, however, are these giant suits of armor. They're the pinnacle of magitech, created by the combined efforts of countless master artificers and enchanters over decades of research."

He gestured proudly toward the Aetherframe currently loading a log into a cart, as though he'd personally constructed the contraption. "Those are Les Artisanats d'Éclair's products, developed by brilliant Artificers in their guild. But since Aetherframe crafting is highly complex, each suit is normally custom-made for its operator. Building a new Aetherframe requires half a year's worth of labor and materials, not to mention the required fees for enchantment and augmentation. Even the parts for repairs and maintenance must be handmade by qualified Artificers. Hence, this is why they're quite expensive. Only wealthy kingdoms can afford to purchase and maintain a contingent of them."

"I see..." Ebonheim commented, her eyes fixed on the Aetherframe that was hauling a log from the forest. She traced the interlocking plates of metal with her gaze, noting the intricate lines of runes etched into the framework. "These Aetherframes seem like they could be dangerous weapons. Does that ever happen, like wars using Aetherframes?"

Roderick sighed as he glanced at her. "Sadly, that's how the world works. Aetherframes were created for war. They primarily serve as the elite troops for armies. When kingdoms go to war, their gods send Aetherframes to fight on their behalf to try and weaken the other before facing each other on the battlefield. Gods need to conserve their divine energy to not be drained during combat, while Aetherframes are expendable tools that can be used over and over again, so long as their cores aren't destroyed. Although the odds always favor the god, they still send their Aetherframe minions to soften up the opposition."

So these were just a means to chip away at a rival god's Essence without depleting their own? It seemed so callous, and wasteful.

Ebonheim furrowed her brow as Roderick continued.

"It's not uncommon for battles between kingdoms to escalate into full-scale conflicts, especially when two gods of equal power oppose each other. On the battlefield, Aetherframes are highly destructive, capable of decimating infantry, siege weapons, and fortifications alike. They're even resilient to most low-tiered Arcane arts. Gods have no choice but to deal with them first. Otherwise, they risk losing too much of their power through attrition and casualties."

Thorsten scowled as he gazed at the Aetherframes. "These overgrown suits of armor always irk me. How can the people inside them call themselves warriors when they need a fancy contraption to amplify their power? It's an insult to anyone who trains hard to hone their skills through martial prowess."

"Quite the contrary, my friend. Aetherframes aren't only used by people who have weak foundations of martial strength, but also by seasoned veterans like yourself," Roderick argued, flashing the large warrior a reassuring smile. "Many Artificers and Enchanters who operate them are veteran warriors in their own right. They choose to augment their physical capabilities using advanced magitech so they can better serve their patron god. And in recent times, we've started to see more and more practitioners using Aetherframes, which has drastically increased the number of battlefield deployments."

Thorsten clicked his tongue in irritation. "Hmph. Bah, if these armor suits make people lazy, I don't like them. They're nothing but a crutch!"

"Come now, my friend. Do not be so quick to judge. Laziness has little to do with this," Roderick countered, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

Ebonheim tuned out their debate as she contemplated his explanation.

Aetherframes, huh? The more she looked at them, the more curious she became about how they functioned. She had harbored a similar feeling when she inspected the magitech devices within Kelzryn's lair a year ago, only this time the feeling was weaker and she had no sudden epiphanies.

Perhaps she wasn't ready for the knowledge, not yet.

Eventually, she dismissed the distracting thoughts as she shifted her focus back to the workers as they labored. She made a mental note to ask about the Aetherframes later, once everyone was settled in. There was still plenty of time left to learn new things, but for now, she wanted to concentrate on the villagers' needs.

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Aetherframe

image [https://i.imgur.com/yZI63VC.png]