18

287 AC

I scrapped the idea out of the paper as my back slumped back on my chair after a day of training, starting with running to increase my endurance and then simple stretches and a few strength and muscle exercises, not much as I was still young to lift weights, following with sword training...

It was good that I actually found my talent. No, talent is a strong word, an affinity, you could say, the more I sparred with master-of-arms, the more he and I found out that my best skills and advantage rest in the defense, in short, paring, evading, blocking, these were my best movements, especially with my oval shield, in my days of training, I changed, and improved similar shield designs I remembered until I found one that was best for me...

One that I still remember from where I took inspiration for him...

The shield of Achilles, more specially the one Achilles used in Troja war, and with shield, I had made a sword, in length, he wasn't so dissimilar to roman gladius, but this one was more swift, more, how to say it, a flexible...

Still, just because I was going with this shield doesn't mean I will change the plans I have for my infantry, they will still use tower shields similar to roman ones, as they could lock to each other, creating impenetrable shield wall and with spears, even horse charge will be unwise counter against Bolton's soldiers...

But, back to me, as master-of-arms Rickard, as he pointed out, I was instinctually good at evading and blocking sword strikes, always making them slide on the side so as not to bear the entire brute force of the sword swing, it was like second nature to me, to wait, wait, and wait until I see opportunity, sometimes even getting too close in striking Rickard back, something I could see gained both Rickard's and observing guardsmen respect, as even if I didn't put a strike on him, I was still a child and Rickard a man who fought with a sword for more than twenty years, for me to go so close as to strike him just with my year of training was more than enough to gain the respect of the spectators...

After that followed my normal learning with Wolkan, something that changed from learning to the conversation, I noticed how many new notes Wolkan had, each new after one of our more spirited talking sessions, I noticed how much he documented anything I slipped out, specialy when he asked me, and I without much thinking answered him, mostly on how the world could work, psychics, chemistry, I saw how unsurprised Wolkan was by my knowledge, just like I knew he wouldn't share these findings, say that it is a gut feeling, but I think, that Wolkan is becoming more, and more loyal to me more than to my father, I can see how his shoulders relax when speaking with me, and how tense he is near my father...

It is clear that Wolkan has suspicions about my nature, as I showed more knowledge than any genius, too much in truth, but he never asked from where I have it, just like I would never tell him my past life's true origin as that secret will stay my secret, and somehow I had a suspicion that even Wolkan know that if he asks, I would just refuse to answer, sparing us both of the uncomfortable topics...

My reason why I was so open to answering Wolkan was quite simple, the more time passed, the more my memories from my previous life were lost, at least like this, some documentation will stay for me, I make journals too, in my native language, but sometimes is hard to remember what I want to and need to write next, but with Wolkan asking me, I manage to remember even if little...

And when the night was closing in, I returned to my room, where already two maid's waited for me, it wasn't Astrid, Frida, Fiera, or Estrid, the younger one named Inga with long black hair, brown eyes, and youthful figure around twelve years old, god people in these times started working from a really early age, but I could understand the necessity, the land was harsh, double so Northen land, and there was a few things to do other than work for the children, and thus the reason why they start working so early...

And the other with a more mature body around the middle of her twenties, with short black hair and brown eyes, is Liv...

Wait a minute...

"You two are related?" My eyes traveled from one to another as I took their similarities.

"Yes, milord, Inga is my daughter," Liv answered with a bow, making me nod my head, huh, so they were a mother and daughter duo, both maids...

How normal, I thought...

"Her father is?" My question seemed to surprise Liv and even Inga as Inga looked away from me, and Liv seemed to gather her strength...

"I-I wish not to reveal her father, milord." Huh? Wait, what? I looked more closely at Liv, who seemed to be adamant not to speak, I could make her, I know that I could, but...

Was there really the reason for me to be so stronghanded in this?

No, there wasn't, and it wasn't worthy of losing the good and the kind image I nurtured in my servants for so long, let the father's name by, not like it would change anything...

"Well, no matter, you can have your secrets, still, by your presence, I guess that today you two sleep with me?" Inga nodded her head, was she shy or not daring to speak? Still, I could see happiness in her eyes, strange...

"Y-yes, milord, if you permitted us," Liv answered and asked at the same time, so I just nodded.

"Call for maids to help you make me a bath, and yes, you can join me or go after me, I do not mind," I told them, again the happy face Inga made, made me feel strange, just like the flash of jealousy and thankfulness that clashed on Liv's face when she looked at Inga and me...

Now, now I was more than curious, there was something, but, I could wait, I could ask others if Liv didn't wish to tell me, but somehow the father seems to be tied to these strange feelings they are showing to me...

Or I'm just too paranoid...

Maybe, but then, why risk it...

And as Liv and Inga went to prepare my bath with the help of other maids, as this activity was too complicated, something I needed to find a way to make easier, I went to my sketches, as previous ideas made me think, and then rethink, and again think...

Until I needed to strike out the idea of sewers, at least for now, it just wasn't ideal, I could make sewer's in the future city I plan to build, but in an already existing city? That is a loss of money, resources, and time...

And worse, manpower that could do better things...

Right now, Bolton town wasn't so big as it would need to urgently built sewer, still, the shit needed to go somewhere, and simplicity was a friend to money, resources and time, thus, I chose a simpler method.

I will order to make multiple jars of different forms and sizes, public baths and public toilets will have to build normal albeit primitive urinals that would lead to jars, like this urine could be gathered and used for tanners, leather, is, was, and always would by a sought for material, and like this, the tanning could be made much easier and quicker with human urine serving as a perfect softening substance for tanning...

Then somehow, bigger jars would be under the public toilet seats, from where every night or morning, workers would be paid to transport these jars to special warehouses I would have to build somewhere far outside of any settlements, where the human extremists would be processed, I knew that human poop was high in nutrient's, making it into a good and natural fertilizer, the problem was with human pathogens and viruses that could invade the soil if used without being processed, as such processing was needed to kill the harmful pathogens, that took around few month's I think, still, it was a good way for a longer view, as I really didn't want to transform one of few Bolton lands into toxic or smelly garbage area, nor I wanted to poison river when throwing shit into it...

As such, even if somehow more complicated, in the longer term, this arrangement for human waste was much more proficient...

That said, I would need to make or build these jars for each household, at least two for each house, this will probably be a loss for me, but it was needed as I do not think the people will buy these jars even if I told them of the pluses of having clean streets from poops and such...

The smallfolk were hard to learn new things they did not understand, and to understand, they would need proof, a proof that would take time, as such, I needed to make it clear that each house needed to use this new system, and those who didn't, or did shit or threw shit on the streets will be either fined or punished in taking care of the shit for the free for few months, just to show how serious I'm about this...

"M-Milord, y-your b-bath is ready!" I looked at Inga, who talked to me, my frown not visible to her as she again looked all around, I could think this was a crush, even if it was wrong to crush on a boy who was seven years old, but somehow I knew this was something more than some feeling of like...

Still...

"Good, will join me then?" I asked, as Inga slowly nodded her head, Liv, who was already naked, her mature yet youthful body on full display for me, maybe in a few years I could enjoy it, but not now...

"We will bathe you, milord, if you permit us." I already told them that I do, but oh well...

"Yes, now come before the water became cold again..." I really needed to do something about the heating, it was a loss of precious wood and coal, but bathing was just a must, so there wasn't a choice really...

I looked on the side where Inga slowly took off her maid clothes, showing me her young figure, as Liv was unclothing me, all the while, my curiosity grew...

Not because of her young body, no, but because of the thing she had on her shoulder, a mark, one very similar to my own that I had on the very same place...

Don't fucking even tell me...