Chapter 7.1: Bonus Chapter: Rikuto and Daniel in the early days

Chapter 7.1: Bonus Chapter: Rikuto and Daniel in the early days

~Author's Note: Hey Dear Readers! I wrote this chapter a couple weeks ago to add more character to Rikuto, specifically, so it came much later than Chapter 7 on it's own. So, since it's a bonus chapter, I'm posting it with Chapter 7. I hope you enjoy!~

***

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.”Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

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.”

“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.

***