As Lando strolled along the streets of the industrial district, he looked left and right and saw things he had never encountered before in his small village with practically no industry.
Blacksmiths, brewers, bookbinders, furriers, masons, woodcarvers, and various other workshops lined the streets. While Lando had a general understanding of what most of them produced, he was eager to witness the state-of-the-art creations.
Many of the workshops also had accompanying stores, tempting Lando to engage in window shopping and perhaps find something interesting to purchase for himself.
His plan was to leave his hometown and work as a mercenary as soon as he graduated and became a mage. However, considering the troubled times, Lando was unsure if the graduation ceremony would even take place. Regardless, he had no intention of attending, as the risk would be too great for a mere certificate. Although holding a graduation certificate could potentially aid him in applying for different jobs, Lando wasn't particularly concerned. He firmly believed that his magical abilities would grant him a significant advantage in job interviews.
Lando visited a few shops, including furriers, masons, and woodcarvers, but found nothing out of the ordinary that caught his interest. As he ventured on, he stumbled upon a blacksmith workshop combined with an engineering shop, piquing his curiosity about the crafts they could create.
The shop, named "Archibald's Engineering Forge," was one of the largest stores Lando had encountered thus far. Its walls were beautifully adorned with forged ivy forming the shape of a hammer and gears.
As Lando entered the shop, he felt slightly bewildered by what he saw. The machines were primarily constructed of steel, adorned with visible gears and other mechanical components that he didn't quite comprehend. Uncertain about the purpose of most of the machines, Lando decided to explore the shop further in an attempt to understand their functions.
While he was browsing, a sales assistant noticed him and approached. The assistant was a young man, likely in his late twenties, wearing a grey suit and neatly combed black hair. However, there was an annoyed expression on his face.
As he approached Lando, he said with a displeased “You lost kid? What are you doing here?”
In spite of the unfriendly demeanor of the assistant, Lando didn't pay much mind as his own appearance was disheveled, save for the magical pendant he wore visibly. His two rings were concealed by worn-out gloves.
Lando casually responded to the assistant's question, unaffected by his attitude. "I'm new to the city and was intrigued by the technical marvels it holds. Your shop seemed quite interesting to me, so I thought I'd take a look. I must say, I'm quite impressed by your machines. Could you perhaps explain a few of them to me, please?"
The assistant was somewhat taken aback by Lando's polite manner, considering his scruffy appearance. Nonetheless, for the sake of clarification, the assistant inquired more politely, "I apologize for prying, but can you afford to purchase one of these machines?"
Lando glanced at one of the price tags, which displayed 56 silvers, then swiftly retrieved a gold coin from his new spatial ring. With a dexterous sleight of hand, Lando performed deft movements, as if handling a coin like a professional gambler.
The assistant was momentarily stunned, not only by the appearance of the gold coin but also by the possibility that it materialized out of thin air. If this were true, it suggested that the seemingly poor young man was a magician, as only magicians possessed the ability to use spatial rings. Amid his uncertain assumptions, the assistant cautiously probed, "I don't mean to pry, but are you a magician?"
Lando responded with a warm smile, "Yes, I am currently an apprentice."
The assistant felt a cold sweat forming as he thought to himself, 'Damn, I almost kicked out a magician! Luckily, the Boss instructed us to treat all customers with politeness, as appearances can be deceiving. Probably saved my life today, although he does not look be the petty kind.'
As common individuals couldn't perceive the presence of magic, they were unable to determine whether someone was a magician or simply an ordinary person like themselves. This often resulted in consequences where commoners unwittingly offended powerful magicians, who then used them as practice targets for their spells. In an empire where magicians and commoners were treated as distinctly separate societal classes, arrogant commoners rarely fared well. People quickly learned that, for the sake of their own survival, it was wise to refrain from needlessly offending strangers.
Lando saw no reason to reprimand the man and responded with a playful tone, "Don't worry about it. I guess it's partly my fault for running around looking like a beggar, isn't it?"
The man let out a short, awkward chuckle, not intending to answer the rhetorical question, and refocused on his work. "So, what would you like to know, sir?"
Without hesitation, Lando pointed to a large machine housed in a sturdy steel frame. "What is the function of this machine?"
"This, sir, is a printing press," the man replied as he proceeded to demonstrate its operation. The printing press functioned like a stamp, with letters positioned on the top side of the machine and a roller that applied ink in an upward motion. The man placed a blank sheet of paper in the press and pulled the lever twice – once to apply the ink, and the second time for the actual printing.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Presenting the freshly printed sheet, adorned with the shop's logo and a brief advertisement, the man expressed his pride. "With this press, you can not only print books a thousand times faster, but you can even print different symbols if you create the corresponding form."
Lando was captivated by the machine, envisioning the possibilities it offered. Curious, he asked the salesman, "And did you invent this?"
The man shook his head regretfully. "No, unfortunately not. It was invented a few years ago by another company. However, this model is an upgraded version of the original, as it applies the ink automatically."
"Truly impressive," the apprentice remarked, genuinely impressed by the ingenuity, before moving on to explore the next machine.
Lando received explanations for various other machines, such as a muscle-powered sewing machine and a wall-mounted pendulum clock.
As his fascination grew, he inquired further about the watches, and the man showed him a selection of pocket watches.
While examining the variety of watches, Lando asked, "Do you make all of these different things at your shop? Wouldn't it be more profitable to concentrate on one branch of machinery, like these watches? I'm sure you would make a decent amount of money just selling them."
Lando understood the benefits of focusing on a single product rather than diversifying too much. The man in the grey suit replied with a proud, yet somewhat complex expression, "Technically, you're right, but Mr. Archibald is not interested in producing just one kind of machinery. He is a man of scientific advancement and likes to work on different projects to expand his horizons. Each machine you see here is one-of-a-kind, and a significant part of Mr. Archibald's business is improving machines to make them better in various ways, and then selling the blueprints. In fact, you can buy the blueprints for any machine you see here, if you're interested."
Intrigued by the subject, Lando asked, "How much would I have to pay for the blueprint of printing press, for example?"
"That would be just around 1 gold coin extra, as it is easy to copy the improvements. But for one of those pocket watches, you would have to pay 8 gold coins, as it contains a complex combination of gears and springs," the man explained.
In the empire, there were no regulations against copying the work of others, so the prices were reasonable, likely slightly less than it would cost to reconstruct and replicate the entire item.
Slowly understanding the concept, Lando then inquired about the price of the silver pocket watch. He was drawn to its design, with a transparent dial that displayed the intricate gears working together in harmony. The casing was made of polished steel, and the gears were allegedly made of brass, giving them a golden appearance.
As they approached the counter, an old man in his sixties emerged from the back and glanced at his customer. He had mostly grey hair which were dark when he was younger, and wore a brown leather apron with stains here and there.
Curious about his customer's choice, the old man made his way to the counter and asked, "Good day, young man. May I ask why you chose this model out of all the options?"
Assuming this was Archibald, the owner of the shop, Lando wasted no time explaining himself. "I like the design. The steel casing and display of gears represent Goldton to me – the industrial side of the city and the constant advancement in technical ingenuity."
The old man's expression turned into one of happiness, and he chuckled heartily. "I like you, kid! I admire the way you interpreted things. Pretty fancy choice of words for someone who looks like a beggar though."
Unaffected by the shopkeeper's words, as they rang true, Lando replied, "By the way, have you ever thought of working with magicians? Some of these machines could be greatly improved with the use of magic, I think."
The shopkeeper's happy expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Yes, but most of those arrogant bunch don't like to be questioned by a mere commoner like me. So, I decided to leave it at that and work alone. No offense, by the way."
Lando understood that some magicians believed they were superior to commoners and were not inclined to work with them.
Since his time and space enchantments were not the best option for the shopkeeper's machines, and he needed to attain a high mastery of his elements before he could begin enchanting anyway, there was no need to change the man's way of working. However, he would remember this shop and perhaps collaborate in the future, as he admired the man's philosophy of improving things.
"None taken. It was just a question out of curiosity, anyway," Lando said as the man turned around and left, his good mood ruined by unpleasant memories.
"Shall we get back to business, sir?" the assistant asked. Lando complied, purchasing the watch for 76 silver coins.
As Lando left the shop, he noticed a crowd forming on the street a few steps away. Curiosity piqued, he made his way over and saw a woman lying on the cobblestones, badly beaten. Two men stood nearby, weapons drawn, and were engaged in a heated argument.
"What do you care about how I treat my servants!" the middle-aged man with expensive clothing shouted at the younger man. "She is my property, and if I wanted, I could even execute her here and now and you couldn't do shit about it. So, fuck off and mind your own business before I teach you a lesson, brat!"
The young-looking man stood his ground. "I will not stand by and watch if you beat a woman right in front of me. The world is changing, old man."
Listening to the whispers of the crowd, Lando gathered more information about the situation. Apparently, the man in expensive clothes had beaten his servant because she had stumbled and broken something she was carrying in the shopping bags meant for her master's carriage.
It was not forbidden to beat servants, so everyone merely watched as the nobleman continued his assault. However, a young man intervened to stop the beating. The nobleman was technically correct in stating that he could even kill the woman without facing consequences.
The argument escalated, with weapons now drawn, leading to the current standoff.
As courageous as the young man appeared, his own magical powers, equivalent to those of the nobleman at the stage of an apprentice, would not be of much help if it came to physical violence.
Even in Goldton, where things were heating up due to the revolutionaries, imperial laws still held sway. The young man would, at best, be imprisoned, but in these tense times, he could easily be executed to deter others from attempting the same and to reinforce the authority of the law.
Meanwhile, as tensions rose in Goldton, the man responsible for the turmoil in the empire was making plans of his own to continue his campaign.