24-Final preparations before ramping up production

7/1/5/4353 M.A.C - Niwut - Early Afternoon

Doro had been occupied with other thoughts the last time he'd come to the imperial complex, and hadn't been able to appreciate the sheer size of the plaza.

Damn, must be over three hundred feet across, maybe even four hundred. The central fountain's statue must be at least fifty feet tall. Even Dhruvah and Captain Aonghus would look tiny next to it.

The hour of their meeting fast approaching, the two made their way across the plaza and headed into the imperial complex through the public entrance. The hallway was wide and clean, frescoes covering the walls on either side. Doro spotted a scholar sitting behind a desk, close to the entrance, and headed in his direction.

"Excuse me, mister scholar? My father and I would like to meet with Imperial Enumerator Atwut. He should already be expecting me."

The man peeked up from the book he was reading to inspect his visitors. He appeared fairly young, but Doro couldn't quite guess his age due to the variable life expectancies in this world.

"Let me see..."

The scholar retrieved a gilded tome from his desk drawer and spent a few seconds skimming a section a few pages in.

"I don't see any sign of a meeting having been arranged. Since he doesn't seem to have anything else scheduled, I can send a message to see if he is willing to meet you nonetheless."

Doro was about to let the scholar proceed when he remembered something.

"Sorry, maybe I should have shown you this first."

Doro slid the token that scholar Atwut had given him during his last visit onto the table and waited for the scholar to inspect it. The scholar picked it up and examined it for a few seconds before letting out a tired sigh.

"Kid, if you are his direct apprentice, you don't have to come through the public entrance. Although, if your father wasn't expected, someone would have needed to check with scholar Atwut to see if he was permitted entry anyway. What was your name again? Give me a moment."

Doro introduced himself to the scholar, who quickly jotted down a few words into the gilded tome before staring at it for a minute.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't we send someone?"

The scholar chuckled before explaining that each page in the gilded tome was linked to one in the possession of another scholar, and that any changes to one would be reflected onto the other.

"Just wait a minute or two, we should have a reply soon. I could just let you through alone to ask him directly, but odds are this will be faster. Since you won't be needing to use the public entrance in the future, we might not see each other much, but the name is Fadir. If you need to find someone here, feel free to drop by my desk and I'll try to help you out. I'm here most days between seventh and twelth bell. Ah! Scholar Atwut replied and gave the go-ahead for your father. I assume you know where his office is?"

"I think I remember, thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it, I'm still a junior scholar myself. Wasn't too long ago that I was in your position. Good luck."

Fadir gave Doro a friendly smile as he closed the tome and picked up the book he was previously reading. Doro glanced at the book's spine and stifled a chuckle as he read the title.

Heh! "The erotic adventures of Gallius". This guy's got balls to be reading smut in the open like this. Actually...from the little I've gathered about Gallius, this might actually just be an accurate biographical account, in which case I guess maybe it would qualify as history and not erotica?

Doro collected himself and led his father down the main corridor and into the inner area where scholars' labs and offices were located. After a couple of turns, they arrived in front of scholar Atwut's door and Doro knocked on it gently.

"Enter. The door isn't locked."

Scholar Atwut was seated at his desk and seemed to have been hard at work on a blueprint. He started putting away his ink and dip pen, as well as what appeared to be some sort of triangular protractor, before motioning at a pair of stools across his desk.

"Ah, well done for being on time apprentice, keep it up. How about you introduce your father since you brought him along."

"Good afternoon scholar Atwut, this-"

Scholar Atwut coughed into his cupped hand, interrupting Doro, and gave him a pointed look.

What? I literally only said five words, how did I mess up already?

After seeing the look of confusion on Doro's face, scholar Atwut spoke up.

"You are my apprentice now, so you shouldn't be calling me scholar Atwut. Pick between professor, teacher, or master. Choose one and stick with it. You should still refer to other scholars the way you have previously been addressing me though. On my end, assume that I am speaking to you when I use the word "apprentice" without any name added, since you are my only direct apprentice at the moment. Other scholars will refer to you as "apprentice scholar" or "apprentice scholar Doro" depending on whether they know your given name. The academia is rather stiff in that regard. Scholars only really use their last names in published research, otherwise, it is considered uncouth. This is in order to avoid scholars from noble or rich families from trying to use their societal clout all willy-nilly. Saddly, some still dress gaudily or wear jewelry to show their standing. Remember to keep you token displayed while you go around the complex without me, it serves to identify your rank in the Shcolarium and shows that you are under my instruction."

"Doesn't cost me anything, so why not? I'll go with "professor" then. This is my father, Khetep Amahnsa, Refiner by trade and by Choice. He is a third-tier scholar specializing in specialty metals, mineral pigments, and ceramic glazes. Dad, this is my professor, Imperial Enumerator Atwut. He is in charge of leading the children of Atwut through their first Choice and examinations, among other similar duties. He is also an active member of the Scholarium and pursues research into architecture in his own time."

Scholar Atwut nodded as if to show that he approved of the introduction, and put his hand forward in Khetep's direction. Khetep grabbed his forearm and the scholar reciprocated.

"Well met fellow scholar. You may not be attached to the Scholarium, but your son's education is proof enough of your value as a scholar. Send some samples of your metals with your son the next time he comes. I'll test them and see how they perform compared to my current supplier. Depending on their quality and price, you might be able to count me as one of your clients. I often act as a consultant for large construction projects in the city, so impressing me might be more beneficial to you than you expect."

This dude really likes to make himself seem important, doesn't he?

"It is an honor that such an illustrious personage as yourself would be willing to spare some of his precious time on the likes of my son and I. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the knowledge you are willing to bequeath him. We will endeavor to meet your expectations. I feel that it is a great blessing to have the chance of making your acquaintance."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Oh crap, I know I told him to be respectful, but he is laying it on so thick. Scholar Atwut is bound to get angry at such obv-

"Don't fret. I find it to be my civic responsibility to spend some of my time imparting my vast knowledge to others, so that they may better the empire and themselves. I immediately noticed your son's potential and thought it would be a waste not to test it. I gave him the second-tier exam, and he exceeded my expectations by getting full marks. When imagining the heights he could reach under my tutelage, I couldn't justify not offering my help."

Doro tried to hold on to his smile, but each word the scholar added made it tougher for him not to falter.

That is so not how it happened! Also, didn't you already admit to me that you took me on because you thought you could get me to pass the third-tier exam when I turn twelve, and that it would give you something to shut up the haters with? How vain can vain get? At least Dad's ass-kissing seems to be working. Yup, I really need a proper contract before I reveal my status to him, or he will try to find a way to use me to elevate himself. I'm not against helping him, but it will be on my terms.

"I happen to have some strange metals that my son and I were able to extract thanks to his new Abilities. They are still experimental, but maybe you will find them interesting."

Shit! I should've been paying attention. I only wanted to show them after we'd discussed a contract... I need to do some damage control.

As Khetep fiddled with the knot he had tied his sack with, Doro quickly interjected.

"Proffessor? Wouldn't this be a good opportunity to teach me how to use contracts to protect my research? We could sign the contract we spoke about last time. Considering these are just experimental products, and probably not worth much, it would mostly serve to make sure that I can't steal your personal research anyway. I am sure that the sooner you can trust me, the faster I will become of use to you."

Will he take the bait? If he suspects that I'm doing this to protect my own stuff, he might try to dig deeper into it before accepting. With how self-important he must be feeling after Dad's little number, I hope he falls for it.

"It would be better if I didn't have to hide sensitive materials when you were around, and it is true you could try to pass off some of my discoveries as your father's. I'm not saying the two of you would do such things, but please understand that someone in my position must take extra precautions. In fact, I already had one made after our conversation last we met. Since you'd requested one that went both ways because you also work for your father, it will work for this situation. I was originally going to start our meeting with it, but your father's unexpected presence changed my lesson plan a tad."

Hurray for paranoid scholars! Gotta keep a straight face.

"I understand. I am sure it will make having me around your office easier on you, and I won't have to worry about seeing anything restricted by accident and bringing suspicions on myself."

Khetep stopped retrieving the metal billets to look at what was happening. Scholar Atwut spent the next few minutes covering the terms of the contract. Doro paid close attention to the wording, but it seemed rather straightforward. As the scholar had promised, the contract had the same terms for both parties. In effect, the contract served as proof that both parties had access to each other's research and that any attempt to steal the other party's research would result in punishment, as determined by a Scholarium tribunal. Depending on the severity of the breach, the punishment could include financial restitutions, public apologies, expulsion from the Scholarium, and even removal of scholar certifications.

These scholars don't mess around with plagiarism, and the next bit definitely covers my ass.

The contract went on to expand on what was covered by the non-disclosure agreement. Doro was happy to note that it extended to special Choices and Abilities used for a party's research.

Considering that I use two Choices for my work, and that some of my knowledge comes from being a Blessed, If he ever reveals my secret, we should be able to fight back. I just need to make sure to let him in on the secret after he asks how I made the metal so that he can't argue that the information wasn't part of our deal. If he only finds out about it because of research covered in our agreement, I should be safe. The more details I manage to put in during our talk about the metals I extracted, the harder it will be for him to argue. I think just the possibility of losing his station and certifications should be enough to keep him in check though. He seems to care a whole lot about them.

"The contract is linked to a copy in the Imperial Scholarium's main campus, in the capital. Once you are ready, you just need to bring out your sigil and press your palm above your name, at the bottom of the contract. Like a fingerprint, every sigil is close to unique due to the variations between people's energies. This contract is coated in a substance that reacts and makes an imprint. Even after the energy dissipates from the material, all you need to do is take a new imprint and compare it to the original to prove that they match. Some factors can cause a person's energy signature to shift distinctly, in which case you must register a new imprint with the Scholarium, so that it is added to your file."

After demonstrating the process above his own name, scholar Atwut handed over the contract to Doro. Doro pressed his palm on the aforementioned area and felt his energy leave an imprint.

"Now that this is done, let us show you the samples we brought."

Doro nodded at Khetep, who proceeded to take out the three billets they had brought along.

"What I am going to tell you now should be covered under the contract's clauses, so I won't hide anything. I named the first metal "Albium". It has a very high strength-to-weight ratio and can compete with common steel, at about half of its weight, while being a lot more resistant to corrosion. It can be refined into a white pigment, used as is, or worked into alloys. It is very hard to work with, and extract, without using abilities, but I know of a procedure that should work if we come up with the right equipment. Here, you can inspect it while I explain the properties of the next one."

Doro had dropped all pretenses and was talking with all the confidence he had acquired from the many presentations he had given during his university days. Scholar Atwut seemed not to have noticed, at first, as his attention was taken by the new metal, but at some point during the explanation, his face had shifted to a puzzled expression. He accepted the titanium billet but kept looking at Doro with narrowed eyes.

"I named the second Umayum, as I found it in high concentrations as a byproduct of Umayer iron ore. It has high corrosion resistance, resists tarnishing, and is highly reflective. While not being quite as reflective as polished silver, it is a lot harder to scratch or deform. It has some uses by itself, but the main reason I believe it to be important at the moment is that, if used in certain quantities when making steel, it can impart some of its corrosion resistance to it, making it suitable for use in piping as a replacement to copper and bronze. Unlike Albium it isn't too difficult to work with and should be easier to extract without Abilities."

Doro handed the chromium billet to scholar Atwut and was about to start explaining the properties of the next billet, but it appeared that the scholar had had enough.

"Mister Khetep, you do realize that the contract does not guarantee my silence if you are trying to swindle me. I don't know how many times you made your son practice this little speech here, and why you'd think I'd fall for it, but enough is enough. I gave you the benefit of the doubt for the first one, but there is no way that Doro could have managed to not only discover these new metals, but also test out their properties this thoroughly in the few days since he made his first Choice."

Khetep's face started paling slightly, but Doro was unperturbed.

Now that he said this, he can't argue that me being a blessed isn't related to the metals. Whatever excuses he might try to come up with, this exchange seals it.

"Calm down Professor, there is a simple explanation. Here, look at this and you will understand."

Doro activated his sigil and thrust his hand forward.

"You are just a kid, Doro. I won't blame you for your part in this but stop trying to protect your father. I will inspect the billets but if they turn out to be some cleverly disguised common metals, then I will have to...to...to...to...to...to..."

Scholar Atwut repeated his last word like a scratched CD as his eyes focused on Doro's palm. The words [Materia Synthesist 1/4] and [Persistent memories of the Blessed] were displayed in glowing letters, clear as could be.

"As you can see, my father isn't trying to trick you. I am. Sorry about that, but now that I have revealed my secret in these circumstances, you are legally bound to keep it. Since you are an intelligent man, I wasn't sure how long I would manage to keep up the pretense if I were to be your student, and although I respect you, I wasn't too keen on wholeheartedly trusting you after that little prank you pulled on me with the certification exam. Still, you are only the third person to find out, and I would like it to stay that way for a while. Please don't feel too insulted by the precautions, we haven't even told my mother yet."

Scholar Atwut sat down in his chair, his body going limp, akin to a puppet cut loose from its strings. His shoulders started trembling and a quiet sob left the man's lips. More sobs followed and were joined by slightly manic giggles as he stared at the contract he had signed earlier.

"A Blessed...I took in a Blessed as my apprentice, and I can't tell anyone about it. All the good it would do to my reputation and standing in the Scholarium would be moot if I was immediately kicked out for revealing it. You can be sure they would throw the maximum possible penalties at me in order to get in your good graces. I give up, you win... Go ahead and use the library when you want. I assume this whole thing was so that you could get access to the Scholarium, and you were just using me..."

Scholar Atwut retrieved a bottle filled with an amber liquid from inside a drawer, uncorked it with his teeth, and took a large swig before smacking it back down on the table as he exhaled alcohol fumes.

"Professor? Well, I was interested in the library, sure, but that's not why I accepted to become your apprentice. I may have a lot of knowledge that may seem advanced here, but when it comes to this world, I only know what an average kid knows. If you remember, I requested that you act as my advisor as part of our bet. That was because I really needed one. I don't know how the empire deals with intellectual property or how to get new discoveries certified. No one is going to believe a nine-year-old kid claiming to have fancy undiscovered metals unless I reveal my secret to them. The contract is the stick, but the truth is I plan on using you and my father as a way to shield my identity. I want both of you to share credit for the things I come up with to shield me from suspicions. Pretty good carrot no? You said you were tired of being seen as a minder of children. Wouldn't making multiple discoveries help change that image? Sure, you'd get some clout if people knew you were teaching a Blessed, but wouldn't that just reinforce the image you are trying to break? Also, since we will be counting on you for all the official paperwork, and to help with methodology, you will really be involved in the discoveries and won't just be stealing credit. We'll just keep my name out of it until I'm old enough for it to not be suspicious, and then we can share the credit three-way."

As Doro finished speaking, he noticed that scholar Atwut hadn't blinked in a while, and as he got closer, he started hearing a faint sound coming from the man.

"ZzzzZzzzZzzz"

A bit of drool started dribbling down the corner of scholar Atwut's mouth as Doro realized he had somehow fallen asleep in a drunken stupor, his eyes wide open.

"Hey Dad, looks like I broke him too."

Khetep wore a complicated smile, as he was no doubt recalling his own prior experience. He then sniffed the bottle from which the the scholar had taken a drink and understood what happened.

"Man, even Suyum doesn't mess with this stuff. Alcohols that are 100 Proof or higher are not meant to be accessible to the public, you need a permit to legally store them, so you might not have come across it before. Honestly, I don't see the appeal."

"I'll leave the billets and write their properties on a note, in case the alcohol messes with his memory."

Doro spent the next few minutes jotting down some notes on a spare piece of paper he'd found on the desk and placed it in front of the sleeping scholar.

"It is a bit earlier than we planned, but should we head home? I'm itching to get productive."

Man, I'm treating older men like Collectible Monsters™. Not only am I collecting them, seems like I keep getting them KO'd. Still, now that I've got this covered, time to ramp up production and prepare to make a splash.