Daniel is seated under one of the trees in the castle courtyard after working on improving the plumbing for the water pump. The current setup is leaky and wastes a lot of the machine’s effort trying to lift water to the roof of the structure. Rikuto had put in a request after complaints were coming in from the algae growing on the stone walls and puddles sometimes appearing inside the hallways and rooms, which start to mold or damage the furnishings and decor.
It’s a fairly beautiful day with a moderately warm temperature, and the work is progressing smoothly. He takes a drink from his water skin, noticing a handful of people approaching.
From what he has seen so far, Daniel knows that Rikuto isn’t pompous, even though he is the King Regent of Mornistae, filling the leadership role in order to shortcut many of the official processes so that he can improve the economy of the kingdom by having the authority of the ruler. Greydald and the Queen still have authority, but they often remain hands off and observe, while Rikuto and Heralesse do most of the decision making and paperwork.
And, approaching the Earthling mechanic now is none other than Rikuto, escorted by several guards. It’s not an aggressive march, so it’s likely that Rikuto was just taking a walk for a break, and he noticed Daniel.
Daniel climbs to a kneel, greeting Rikuto properly lest he find himself in hot water. “Your Majesty.”
“I really wish I could tell you to stop that,” remarks Rikuto. “It still feels weird.”
Daniel chuckles. “Well, if you were alone, your Majesty…”
“Enough… Just call me Rikuto for now. You four, ignore anything Daniel does or says for now.”
The guards bow their heads, likely know that Rikuto is just like this, and there’s no need for concern, since they’re in relative privacy, so long as others are at a distance. “As you wish, King Regent.”
Daniel, as dirty as he is from working on the piping and trenches to bury it, works as an adequate repellant for most of the aristocracy. “Thank you. I’ll be taking my break here as well.”
The guards nod, spreading out to keep watch but give Daniel and Rikuto a little privacy to shoot the breeze.
“I don’t hope to cause pressure, but I’m curious; how’s the work going?”
“Great,” replies the mechanic. “Wenlianna and I made a make-shift soldering torch using a flame crystal and a wind crystal, so sealing the piping has been no issue.” Daniel demonstrates the relatively small torch, and how it projects a high flame, which Daniel can adjust the heat and length of using two separate knobs. “I left my gas chromatograph at home, so this works as a great substitute.”
“Gas… what?”
Daniel smiles in amusement. “A machine that can determine what a substance, usually gases, are by how they bend light… I think. We had one at my last workplace, but I actually don’t know how it works exactly.”
“Ah… A joke, then.”
“Of course. Humor is the best way to survive anything.”
“I think armor and magic barriers give a good effort,” retorts Rikuto, and they both snicker warmly.
Daniel adds in answer to the question about the work on the pump and plumbing, “I’ve been digging the trenches by hand, which is tedious work, but good exercise.”
“Is that why I haven’t seen Duchess Wenlianna? The digging beneath even her?”
“Hahaha not at all. I described a jackhammer and how we might be able to do something with concentrated air, so she’s in the lab with Ahok, experimenting on making an air hammer. If they can get it to work, it should work like a cross between a leaf blower and a jackhammer.”
“Sounds messy,” replies the king regent.
Daniel adds in a warm tone, “I’ll try to keep the mess down if they can get it working.”
“Could you add water to keep the dust down?” asks Rikuto. “If I’ve heard correctly, enhanced magic crystals can store water.”
“You’d have to ask Wenlianna about that, your Majesty. But,... Hmmm…”
“What is it?”
“Well… The Venturi effect isn’t too difficult to produce, so with a tank of water nearby…”
Rikuto laughs. “Sounds like you’re making a pressure washer to dig ditches.”
“Why not?”
“Hey, I’m not disagreeing. Mud will look worse in the immediate, but dust will get all through the castle and be a nightmare for the cleaning staff. And, there’s tons of water right there.”
“True,” replies Daniel, acknowledging the portion of the river that flows through the castle grounds and under the fortress itself.
“Is there anything you can’t make, Daniel?”
“Oof, hitting me where it hurts, Rikuto. I’ve been working for weeks on getting an internet connection, and I just can’t find a signal.”
Rikuto bursts into laughter. It wasn’t that funny, but given the absurdity of the notion, it certainly was humorous, since they both came from the age of the internet, where information on virtually all subjects was available at anyone’s fingertips. Entertainment is sparse in the world of Zenkon, and most of what likely entertained both Daniel and Rikuto was hosted on the internet. It’s even possible, though highly unlikely, that they were watching the same vtubers at the same time, or even in that small chance, played alongside each other in video games thanks to the global connectivity provided by the world-spanning network.
“I’d like to dedicate all of the funds of Mornistae to help you, Daniel, but…”
“Yeah, yeah. I might as well spend that money looking for a genie to grant wishes.”
They both chuckle as Rikuto nods.
The Japanese otherworlder then groans softly as he stares out at the huge kingdom. “I’d settle for simple things. Like rice.”
Daniel teases him, “Rice? What, are you a generic Japanese isekai protagonist?”
Rikuto retorts, “Worse! I'm a generic Japanese isekai protagonist written how an American would write him.”
They both laugh, and Daniel jokes, “Well, if you’re the protagonist, what does that make me?”
“Hmmm… Good question… Maybe… the antagonist?”
“Pffft! Okay! You haven’t seen real antagonism yet, Mr. Hero.”
They once more share in the humor. Rikuto then asks, “Surely you know how I must feel, though. Isn’t there anything from USA that you miss? Bacon or cheeseburgers or something?”
“Tons of things, and certainly those things. But, dwelling on things that make us feel powerless is a sure way to fall into depression.” Daniel leans back, adding quietly, “I survived my own struggles with depression. It wasn't easy, especially because I didn't want to burden anyone.”
“What happened?” asks Rikuto gently.
“Nothing as crazy as you might think. Sometimes I wonder if I would survive battle. It’s just… There would be times when an eighty hour work week felt like a break, as sad as that is to say. They say the Navy has changed a lot over the years, but whether the Navy did or not, it’s the people who don’t change. The scum still get away with whatever they want, and many of them get promoted by leadership through attrition. Couple that with people who regularly told some of us to… uh… end ourselves because we didn’t do things their exact BARELY correct way… The stress piled up. There were times that walking off of the fantail looked sorely tempting.” Daniel looks up at the sky from under the tree they’re taking a break under. “I’d sometimes wonder what it would look like. Would I have been sent a hundred feet beneath the sea by the eddy currents? Would I have been able to see the sun, or the moon, shining down through the ripped up water as my last sight? Would I find serenity in the glow of the bioluminescent creatures stirred up in the ship’s wake?” The mechanic then looks at his otherworlder counterpart. “I was convincing myself that a brief moment of serenity, even surrounded by crushing pain, would still be less painful than going on. I had to force myself to try to keep focused on the light at the end of the tunnel; my last day in.” The American scoffs. “It all seems so trivial now. But, that’s also what helped me at times; I knew in my heart that there were soldiers on the front lines, being shot at and risking actual life and limb every day.” He manages a smile at his Japanese companion. “Anyways, I made concerted efforts not to dwell too much on things beyond my control. Even though I knew that, I still struggled to really put it out of my mind.”
“I see… That puts some things in perspective. University was rough at times, but I guess I had it pretty good overall, all things considered.”
“Everyone has their own struggles. But, some of the best advice I ever got was at my second major job, the one after the Navy. I wasn’t there to save lives or anything. No one’s going to die if the machines shut down. So, take your time and do it right.” Daniel chuckles lightly. “I know that’s not the best advice to give a king, but… I have seen for myself when trying to save the day on something that doesn’t matter will only get someone hurt. Or worse. Training is one thing, but emergencies need to be emergencies. If we treat everything like it’s the end of the world… There won’t be anyone standing at the end.”
Daniel makes a finger gun at his own temple, and Rikuto gets the point. The mechanic is saying that, if pressure gets too high, then even many of the strongest will give up. If not specifically on life itself, then the cause for certain is what would be abandoned.
Rikuto sighs. He tries to lighten the mood a bit. “Still, though… That doesn’t get me any closer to rice.”
Daniel snorts, “Pfft! Are Japanese people really that obsessed with rice?”
“I don’t know, but I do miss it, man.”
Daniel laughs as he lays down on the grass. He asks sarcastically, “Let me guess, you’d trade a rib for miso and soy sauce, too?”
“Oh God, I’d trade my left arm for those. You don’t even know.”
Again, the mechanic snickers lightly, and the former college student lays down as well. Daniel adds softly, “I suppose I miss my rum. And soda pop. Oof, and pizza. I’d give my right eye for pizza right now.”
“Maybe you should make one.”
“Man, not just any pizza… My dad used to make the best pizza dough… And, I don’t even know what all goes into a proper sauce.”
It’s Rikuto’s turn to hum humorously, and he jokes, “See? We need to find the right ingredients and fast. How do these people expect us to function?”
“Wars have been started for less.”
They laugh again.
Then, Rikuto asks, “Hey Daniel… When you said an ‘eighty hour work week’, didn’t you mean…?”
“I meant what I said. Eighty hours in one week. And, some weeks, it’d be as high as a hundred. The officers up top get plenty of sleep, so when they decide to call away drills, or someone sees a trash bag or a soda bottle in the water, they don’t care about calling away ‘emergency’ and waking us filthy enlisted up when they just came off of a twelve hour shift, just to have to do another twelve hour shift.” The American titters. “And God help you if you try to miss ‘mandatory cleaning hour’.” He grumbles dryly, “What a joke…” He looks at Rikuto, adding seriously, “There’s a reason I didn’t reenlist, and there’s a reason why I didn’t personally consider the Reserves. I had my fill of the poisoned punch. It wasn’t my cup of tea, so to speak.”
Rikuto chuckles sympathetically. “I understand, I suppose. I pulled plenty of all-nighters to keep my grades up in university, but… I think I get what you meant earlier. All that effort to keep my grades high, and then I end up a king without even graduating.”
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Daniel laughs, apologizing afterwards. “Sorry, sorry. I’m laughing because I can’t imagine that was on your bingo card.”
“Not at all! I was planning on becoming a civil engineer or city planner.”
“Well, in my experience, limited as it may still have been, a perfect GPA only counted so much out in the job-hunting field. Experience always carries more weight, especially when you need your voice to be heard. And really, it only helped on your first job. After that, your experience would carry you further.”
“I’m starting to figure that out. It’d be nice if they told us all that in high school, am I right?”
“Ahhh, I know why they tell us to strive for the best. ‘Shoot for the moon so that, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars’. Something like that. I’d certainly have been too lazy to move forward if I didn’t try for at least decent grades at what I was doing.”
“Well, neither of us have been fired yet,” replies Rikuto. “I suppose we’re doing something right.”
Daniel snickers humorously, offering his fist. “Amen to that.”
Rikuto smiles and nods, bumping his fist gently to Daniel’s.
After a moment, Daniel asks, “Mind if I ask you something serious, now, Rikuto?”
“Shoot.”
“You’re pretty young. Your… family?”
Rikuto goes quiet for a bit. “My parents passed away last year. An accident on a ferry. I was honestly relieved when I was summoned. It got me out of there, away from the painful memories.” He pulls out his wallet, showing Daniel a picture of three Japanese people; one of them very obviously Rikuto himself around his current age -or, at least a year prior-, and two more mature adults, who would be safe to assume were his parents. He adds, “I had two pictures of them, thankfully… One I keep in a tamaya
Daniel studies the picture for a moment, handing it back to Rikuto respectfully. “My condolences. They have the faces of good people. I hope they forever rest in peace.”
“Haha, thanks. They were good people.” He is quiet for a moment, and Daniel doesn’t say or ask anything to disturb the moment of silence.
“You?” asks Rikuto. “Wife and kids waiting back home?”
“Thankfully, no. Not much different from you, I’m afraid. Though, I’ve had more time to adjust. I didn’t have much other than luxuries to lose, which also helps me keep my cool here.”
“I understand completely.” Again, Rikuto goes quiet. He adds softly, “Probably why we were chosen, huh?”
“Yeah… People with nothing to lose and decently bright outlooks on life. Some desire to help, not too overzealous…”
“Not too ambitious or power hungry, maybe a bit low on self-esteem…”
They glance at each other and laugh.
“Have there been any major movements on the battlefront?” asks Daniel.
“I’ve been focused internally, for the most part. We’re climbing out of debt, and the relief supplies the Grand Duchy has been producing have been going a long way. I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“Hey, a builder is just a poor man without someone to sell it. You and Aramellianna do all of the real work when it comes to making my trinkets profitable. I’m just glad I’m not a prisoner or anything.”
“Same. As for the demons, I only see bits and pieces that cross my desk, unfortunately. I’ll start making some more formal requests for information. I don’t want to bring weapons from Earth here, so if we can determine how the war is going, maybe there are other things we can try.”
“I bet the demons are hoarding all of the rice and rum,” jokes Daniel.
“Let’s kill them all,” retorts Rikuto with a scarily dark voice.
They both laugh and continue to relax under the tree.
It’s just the thing a couple of Earthlings trapped in another world needed.
***
A couple days later, Daniel is working with rigging teams on the roof of the castle to lift sections of copper pipe so he can solder them in place. He’s also teaching the blacksmiths how to do it, as well as any other tradesmen that want to learn the craft while he’s present. He’s far from a master plumber, but he replaced sections of piping in his own house due to leaks, so he had to learn the hard way how to get it right. He’d love to make a plumbing crimper and the associated fittings, but he’s not sure how to make the hydraulics necessary to apply the needed forces, since machining equipment is beyond his reach for now.
That said, he is making excellent progress, and the blacksmiths and prospective plumbers earn him moments for breaks while the work continues. He even asked them to make a pipe-bender, which the blacksmiths were happy to oblige. The mechanic from Earth doesn’t know how proper elbows were made, but as long as the plumbing can make turns at all, he’ll be satisfied for now.
Meanwhile, the stonemasons for the castle are working to make a route for the piping to go into the fortress and then reach the roof via an indoor path, but it’s a project unto itself in an effort to avoid rooms with priceless decor or treasures, and then boring through the stone. Daniel was able to prepare the piping and solder for the external plumbing to avoid the leaking issues for a quick and dirty immediate fix. Once the interior work is finished, they’ll be able to protect the piping more adequately from the wear and tear of the weather. Thankfully, Mornistae is located in a rather stable temperate climate, so even in the winter, the piping should be relatively safe from freezing, save the coldest of days.
Daniel is standing on scaffolding about seven feet high, which allows ten foot sections to be added at a time, and he can solder them together. He swirls his hand around in a circle, signalling for the hoisting teams on the roof to slowly lift the main section of pipe that’s finished, and he keeps them going until the main section is at about the right height. The ground teams then help hoist the next section, which is lifted from a higher floor on the scaffolding. Once the pieces are close, Daniel uses the slightly fluted female end of the pipe to help keep the two pieces together while soldering.
Just as he’s getting the next pieces lined up, he notices Rikuto and Heralesse approaching with Wenlianna and Aramellianna this time. Rikuto waves, and Daniel returns the gesture to signal that he sees them. He looks at the boruan man working with him, a somewhat bull-like man with a muscular build and slightly larger stature, though boruan women get even larger and more… ‘cushiony’.
“Think you can handle it for a bit, Eivoumgo?” Daniel struggles a little with remembering the fantasy world names of Zenkon, especially because there aren’t just different countries and ethnicities, but even different humanoid and less-than-humanoid races, such as the crawdistes.
Eivoumgo nods, “Sure thing, Daniel. I’m surprised such a methodology will really work.”
“That’s the nice thing. Even if there are small leaks, you can just seal them the same way. Just be careful not to melt a joint fully and drop the lower sections. Oh, and of course, you have to do it when the pipe is dry, so make sure to drain it before working.”
Eivoumgo bobs his head vigorously, absorbing the knowledge. He glances at his own apprentice, who is scribbling notes down on a slate board.
Daniel pats the boruan’s shoulder as he hands over the soldering torch and solder, making his way down from the scaffolding. He jokes as he climbs, “Oh, and if it does leak, you’re climbing up or down to fix it, Eivoumgo.”
The horned human-kin snickers. “I got it, Daniel,” as the others around them laugh as well. One of the prospective plumbers stops Daniel briefly on the ground, expressing gratitude. “Daniel, I just want to thank you again for this opportunity.”
“Please, it’s knowledge that should be shared, because it’ll make all of our lives easier. You think I want to crawl all over these walls and run plumbing to the whole castle?” The group laughs, and Daniel adds, “Just be sure to share the knowledge with people you train. That’s how you can thank me.”
“Will do. Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome. Now, please excuse me.”
The group of tradesmen make way, and Daniel walks over to the four important people that came to check on the work. They stopped outside of the work zone so the workers wouldn’t have to stop to bow or kneel. Daniel does, since they’re in mixed company; “Your Majesty, King Regent Rikuto, and your beautiful Highness, Princess Heralesse. You grace me with your presence. And, your Grace, Grand Duchess Aramellianna, and esteemed Duchess Wenlianna, I am pleased to see you as always.”
Wenlianna groans softly, and Rikuto chuckles a little. The King Regent asks warmly, “Got a minute to take a break, Daniel?”
“Anything for his Majesty,” replies Daniel brightly.
“I’m serious. If now’s not a good time,...”
“So am I, your Majesty. They’re practically teaching each other now. If there are any leaks, I’ll deal with it later, but I have faith. Most of them are far better smiths and plumbers than I could ever hope to be.”
Rikuto nods.
Aramellianna asks, “Is there a reason you did not simply build scaffolding all the way up, Daniel? I imagine there is a great deal more work needed.”
“You’re not wrong, your Grace. But, as you can see, we chose to run the piping along the windows, so we’ll just reach out and apply the anchors from the windows. It’ll be more cost effective.” He looks to the side, and adds quietly, “Plus, I didn’t like scaffolding from our world much. I don’t know how much I trust scaffolding here.”
Rikuto laughs. “Afraid of heights are we?”
“No. Afraid of death traps, your Majesty. I believe the carpenters of this world are very skilled. But, that skill comes at the cost of time and money, since they’d have to make a lot of lumber to get that high. It’s far easier to simply do what we’re doing, and it’ll save time in the long run.”
“Fair enough.”
“Daniel,” starts Heralesse. “If we were to get additional pumps for the castle, would they all share this one pipe?”
Daniel cocks his head, glancing at Rikuto. The Japanese man clears his throat. “I… may or may not have described the Japanese concept of a bath, Daniel. There was a great deal of interest in making a bath house.”
“Oh… Uh, well, if that’s the case, if I may humbly recommend, I would suggest that you build a separate structure close to the river, and then build a heating furnace that the water can be pumped through straight into the, uh, tub, rather than sending it all the way to the roof to come back down, since the tub can serve as a ‘tank’. And, while you’re at it, make a smaller pump to circulate the water back through the furnace to keep a certain temperature…”
“You get it, don’t you!” exclaims Rikuto excitedly. “Ooohh, the true glory of a bath! A real soak in warm water, melting the stress away.”
Daniel is taken aback in surprise. But, he replies, “Well, I have made do with worse. Still, little compares to a nice hot bath.”
This time, Wenlianna chimes in, “I can appreciate the feeling of warm water, but wouldn’t it be better to simply have the water overflow and drain back into the river? Then, we would only need one pump.”
Rikuto nods, “Ahh, yes, yes. Since the incoming water is heated anyways, that’s an excellent idea. We’ll just have it drained and cleaned every night.”
Daniel then adds for Heralesse, “Your Highness, if you are hoping for a private bath in your own chamber, and to serve multiple private chambers, then we will definitely need a greater flow rate to the roof tank, so a second pump would be advised, but we would need to add more piping for the increased flow, otherwise it would be diminishing returns. We could also replace this pump with a much larger pump, though again, we’d need a larger pipe.”
Aramellianna smirks, understanding exactly what he’s worried about, since he does his best to make everything efficient in order to bring the greatest profit while still being affordable.
“But, if you’re worried about making baths accessible to the whole castle, then Rikuto’s bathhouse is a better idea, and far more cost effective in the long run, I think. I’ll also run some ideas by Wenlianna and Aramellianna for producing filters to clean the incoming water even more.”
Heralesse replies, “I think… for Mother, myself, and Eri, I’d prefer to have the option for a private bath in our own quarters.”
Daniel nods. “It’ll obviously add equipment.”
“It’s fairly easy to heat water in smaller amounts,” replies Wenlianna brightly. “If we fill a heating vessel near the desired areas, the water can be heated just before a bath, and then drained into the bathtub.”
Daniel nods in agreement. “Makes sense to me. If we do it right, though, we could probably modify the heating unit for inline, on-demand heating.”
Once again, the former Court Magic Artisan writes furiously in her notebook, keeping it handy for more ideas or to jot down passing mentions of Earthly technology.
Rikuto smirks at Aramellianna, joking with her as much as with Daniel, “It seems, Grand Duchess, that I should take Daniel into the Royal Court. Many of these plans seem to result in siphoning royal funds to the Grand Duchy.”
“I pay my taxes,” retorts the matron of the Stalvaltan household warmly. “And, I’ve been giving the Royal Family a great discount already. If you were to poach one of my employees, you would be inviting a great deal of trouble for both of us.”
The otherworlder king adds humorously, “Haha, I’m sure I would. Your Grace, Daniel, I’ll start drafting plans for the bathhouse and take any feedback you can provide. I’ll figure out sizes and let you know how much water we need to move.”
Daniel nods. “It’ll be significantly easier the lower it is, obviously, as well as the closer it is to the source water.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you. Is there anything you need from me?”
“At this time, no your Majesty. Thank you for your generosity.”
“Daniel,” starts Heralesse once more. “I’d like to revisit our discussion on mining equipment when you get a chance. I understand Duchess Wenlianna and Lady Ahok were working on some sort of digging device?” She looks at Wenlianna.
“Yes, your Highness. Regrettably, this project is beyond the need for such a device, but it will prove beneficial for plumbers, as well as even farmers.”
“I don’t know if it’ll break through rock, though,” adds Daniel. “We had water jets on Earth that could cut through and break rock, but it produces a muddy mess that can hide the things you’re digging for without a method to filter it out.”
They all look at Wenlianna, who is scribbling notes down. Heralesse jokes with a giggle, “I see. Then, I trust it will be worked on with the utmost haste.”
“Leave it to us, your Highness!” cheers Wenlianna. “I’ll drag everything I can out of my assistant, and we’ll make it work.”
Aramellianna smiles proudly, and Rikuto nods with an approving bob of his head. “Good. Then, we’ll check in later. Your Grace, Duchess, please let us know if you need anything to make the projects possible.”
Aramellianna curtsies, which is a rare sight, and she replies, “As you wish, your Majesty. Please take care, my King, your Highness.”
Wenlianna mimics her mother, and Daniel bows, allowing Rikuto and Heralesse to excuse themselves.
The young brunette magic artisan beams at Daniel, asking excitedly, “So, Daniel; where shall we begin?”
Daniel chuckles in good humor. “I’d like to begin where I left off, if that’s alright.” He gestures over his shoulder at the ongoing work on the plumbing.
“Oh… Right.”
The Grand Duchess puts her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I understand you have an incomplete project, Wenlianna. Is there something you are lacking?”
“Not specifically, no. I just wasn’t sure if we could use enhanced magic crystals for water crystals yet. It would make many of the projects easier.”
“Allow me to solidify our distribution channels, then, my dear Wenlianna. In the meantime, Daniel, please do not neglect my daughter when the work seems to be progressing without you.”
Daniel bows respectfully, “Of course, your Grace. If you don’t mind working here, my Lady, I will sketch out some of the things we just talked about. It’d be a big help if you and Ahok can tackle them for now.”
She nods. “Excellent! Let us begin, then.”
Daniel notices as Wenlianna walks briskly ahead that Aramellianna is smiling at both of them. She has the face of a powerful matron, but it’s a gentle expression that she bears now.
Daniel smiles and bows his head. He’s glad that Wenlianna is so happy, since it also makes her mother happy.
***