When I wasn't dealing with shit, I was trying to distract my mind and purify my nose.

The lord's garden was less colourful now that we were in the heart of winter. Temperature was still fine in the palace gardens thanks to the magical enchantments surrounding it but the trees had lost almost all their leaves and there were barely any animals or birds left to be seen. The pond was quiet and its surface was still as a mirror.

I was taking it upon me to give my friends a crash course on first aid and a bit of human physiology.

I didn't know as much as a physician, but I knew human anatomy well enough. My main goal was to teach them basic field medicine, how to take care of acute bleeding, apply a tourniquet, CPR, immobilizing fractured limbs, putting someone in lateral safety position etc...

I wanted them to at least know how to not get themselves killed stupidly in a battle. I had to accept the idea that they will end up becoming fighters and will have to face monsters and even sapients humanoids willing to harm them.

The anatomy course intrigued the princess. She had been taught by her mentors before, but my understanding of organs functions and the vascular system was a bit different than theirs. Better, I might say.

After pointing at some weak spots to protect at all cost or to target on enemies (neck vessels, armpits, femoral artery, kidneys, liver, spine etc...) came the dreaded question about reproductive organs.

Some of the kids were already aware of how it worked and the use for them: the princess and Gelcaria already knew what they had to; while Balout and Melodi were candidly asking me to explain them the birds and the bees...

Both of the naughty girls were repressing their laughter and trying to push me into explaining more to the other pair.

I've evaded their tricks and went back to CPR and first aid. I lectured Gel, reminding her how she almost bled herself out when trying to remove that knife from her arm. Chi couldn't renew one's blood in a short time. It could make you stronger, faster, give you more endurance, but it wouldn't save you from fainting if you lose two litres of blood after your humeral artery got severed.

At the end of the lecture, the princess came to me. I was expecting some more teasing or maybe a few questions about some of the strange concepts I introduced. She was surprised when I explained the liver's function for example. Her request took me by surprise, “I was wondering if you could have this taught to doctor Nune and plan a lecture for a few officers. This could save a lot of our men on the field,” she said with all seriousness.

I was surprised she cared about our soldiers' well-being. She knew as well as I do the death rate of soldiers during winter. Fighting against monsters was a gruesome task and healers weren't on most expeditions, they were too valuable to be risked out there. If we could reduce the losses even by a small percent with basic trauma care, just enough to bring home the wounded, it would still mean a lot.

It would also be a good opportunity for me to see how much they knew about trauma management, fractures reductions, how to manage a pneumothorax etc... Maybe there was room for a few improvements.

* * * * *

We lacked shit.

Never thought I would say that one day, but I wanted to be in deep shit right now and I was in lack of it.

There weren't enough beasts in the city to provide me with manure in the huge quantity I needed. If I wanted to supply a whole army's worth of niter, I was going to need a plant with multiple large pools of shit stirring 24/7. These pools will need to be constantly drowned in piss.

Even if I equip the biggest stables in the city to collect urine and manure, it won't be enough of a supply. There aren't that many pack beasts parked in a single place. I could ask for the lord to enforce a law to park beasts in state's studs to make it easier to centralize the collection but something tells me that it won't sit well with either blades or free citizens. They were the ones possessing most of the beasts in town and forcing them to park them outside of their domains would either ruffle them or require a huge payback.

Herds of beasts for meat and dairy were far from the city in the southern plains. Building a plant there seemed unreliable for now, there were too many monster attacks to make it viable. Even with the new nighthavens to be built, there would still be more risks and the plant would require a lot of troops to be watched early on. Less once soldiers will have cannons, rifles, and grenades.

I've negotiated with the army for a place to build my first plant. It will be a small farm, big enough for a dozen large pools of stirring shit, access to water and just outside of the city's walls.

The army provided lands at the feet of the western walls. Though it was outside of the city, it was on the safer side. Monsters were attacking mostly from the north and east sides. It was close enough for workers to come back to the city before nightfall and with the correct infrastructure, I could get running water from the Hoyirin. Coal or firewood would be easily supplied by land through the city.

I'd like to wait for steel before building a watermill to extract water and get it to a high enough point to naturally flow towards the plant; but steel was not for tomorrow so wood will have to make do for now.

What I wanted to strive for was public sanitations to collect human faeces. Installing plumbing in the whole city, for each house, was unrealistic. What I envisioned was more like what emperor Vespasien did in the Roman Empire: public toilets.

I wanted to have them collect and store the material and then either by plumbing or through cisterns, transport it to the niter plant. If there weren't enough beast in the city, I'll just have to rely on humans to provide me with enough raw matter.

The Shieldlord came back to town this month. He was drafted for the winter in the Imperial Captial's army to push back monsters but got a leave to return to the Shieldom for the new year celebrations.

Judging by his sour look, the case against the Mujrim Shieldom wasn't going as well as it should despite the evidences. There were political shenanigans surrounding all this.

* * * * *

His return gave me the occasion to discuss the sewage issue. On the morrow of his homecoming, i was summoned in the old lord's apartments in the evening.

The old man's place wasn't fancy. It was almost empty. I understand why he prefers the gardens, his place was bleak in comparison. Naked walls, only a few unornamented furniture and a rough straw mat for bed. I didn't take him for a spartan.

The current lord was sitting beside his father-in-law in plain clothes, a simple red robe and a shoulder mantle made of some fox-looking fur. Without all the medals or golden ornaments he looked strangely common. He was still strong looking and his eyes were burning with the confidence that only comes with real power, but the martial aura usually surrounding him was a bit dimmed.

I came in and bowed to both current and former lord, and who were now my protectors.

“Ah, nice, I wanted to see you for a long while,” started the lord. “First of all, I need to thank you. My daughter owes you her freedom, maybe her life. The shieldom will remember this and so will I,” he stated with solemnity before going for a more casual tone, “We were all pleasantly surprised at how you took out two trained assassins. I guess we shouldn't judge a book on its cover. The Marshall praised your firepowder a lot, I can't wait to see it.”

He would have to wait. I had spent all the remaining niter I could get from the mines in making enough grenades for the winter expeditions. I was now left with no remaining gunpowder at all. The next batch would have to wait for either the mining expeditions to fin more saltpeter or for the plant to be constructed.

Lord Kirinavati looked at me with almost solid intent. “I can't let the rescuer of my daughter go unrewarded, it would shame me. Making you a free citizen was the least we could do, but I also want to reward you myself. You can ask me for anything,” he offered with open arms.

This was a tremendous offer. What could I wish for from my lord?

The first thing that came to mind was magic. Sadly it was out of his reach. If it was within their possibility, either the Temple or the old lord would have already offered it.

What else could I want? Riches? I was going to get it sooner or later. Between cement, paper, steel, or gunpowder; I was now confident that money was going to make its way to me one way or another.

I now had freedom, as much as I could. Only blades could have more but without Chi there was no way for me to ever become one.

I only had one thing coming to mind. If the richest people I knew were offering to gift me something, I had to make the most of it and what I needed right now was to secure my family's condition.

“I don't think I need anything for myself.” That is unless they could gift me Chi, that I would ask for. “What I want is for my family to get a better future.” Family piety. This was a Husnd's virtue. I could see the approval in the old man's deep green eyes. The Shieldlord made a prayer gesture to Husnd, hitting his chest with his right fist. I went further in my demands. “I'd like you to help my parents find better jobs. Nothing too fancy,” I reassured them. “ I was hoping my mother could work as a seamstress in the shop providing dress for the Shield's family and that my father could be accepted as a smelter in the Shieldom's foundry.”

This was a decent demand. Asking to make them free citizens was too much and they could never pay for the protection fee. Soon enough they'll become commoners again. Getting them better paying jobs was a great way to enhance our living conditions and maybe let them become free citizens later on. The Shield's foundry was the one dealing with both precious metals and strategic ones. Workers there were better paid to reduce the risks of stealing and were usually stemming from trusted backgrounds.

The access to better jobs was gated by your relations. For example only crafters who had support from a kin who was a free citizen could expect to handle gold and silver. Only seamstresses having connection with free citizens would get to work in the best shop and learn how to work with the finest silks and monster's leathers. Extraordinary talent could help bypass this but relations were the golden road otherwise.

As the old man was about to nod in agreement in his son-in-law's stead, I added more. “I would also like for my brother to find an apprenticeship as a jeweller and for my sister to follow my mother as an apprentice.”

Not only would that give them better opportunities in life, but having my own brother in the jewellers' guild would help me just as much as my father did with the smelters and smiths. Soon, I'll need crafters able to work on delicate parts and able to craft complex tools, with minuteness and patience. Jewellers were those people I would need. I was slowly placing my pawns for later while helping them too, a win-win situation for everyone.

I wasn't forgetting about the other main saviour either, “I also think Gel deserves more. I think you already know enough about her family's situation. I'd like you to help her afford a house for her, her mother and her other siblings if they wish so.” It wasn't my place to drive Danik away from her, but I could have her drive the rest of her family away from him. With the old lord's support and the princess' backing, she should be able to afford it.

The old lord emptied his cup with a satisfied sigh. “Thinking about others is a good quality for a leader. Don't you think you should think about yourself first, though? Why wouldn't you ask me for elixirs to help with your Chi?” He asked without sounding much surprised. Even the current lord ws looking at me with surprise now that the old man was pointing at the oddness of my demands,

I shrugged, “Would it help? I don't think it would be that easy, I have time to work on it. My family and friends come first and now is the right moment to help them. If something was to happen to me, I don't want them to end up in dire situations once again. I have also a little sister to think about,” I firmly explained.

The Shieldlord's eyes moistened with genuine emotion. “Such piety. May Husnd watch over them all.” He patted my shoulder with enough strength for it to be painful. The man was drunk thanks to his father-in-law and his control of his Chi was getting clumsier.

Lord Iroto emptied another cup while staring at me with calculating eyes. I could feel a bit of the jungle's pressure weighing on me as he was pondering on my demands. He finally decided, “Granted. You are always surprising me. I thought you would ask for money or crystals, but I appreciate your consideration for your kins.” Lord Kirivanati nodded at his side.

With that taken care of, came the time of less pleasant discussion. Sewage.

“You what!?” both spat their drinks due to the shock. “Your firepowder is made with human wastes?” interrogated the old lord.

“Not necessarily human. I've experimented on the stables first, but there isn't enough manure to provide me with enough niter for the army. I need more faeces.” I tried to sound as serious as I could given the circumstances but couldn't help laughing at myself on the inside. I was with the two most powerful and richest men in the Shieldom, discussing new laws to get as much shit as I could.

“And how are we supposed to achieve this? Do we just forbid personal toilets in homes?” The Shieldlord made a good point, enforcing this will be tough.

I shrugged helplessly “Why not? I don't see that many other ways around.” No shit, no booms, they'll end up accepting it.

“Impossible,” decreed lord Iroto, “We can't pass this kind of law.”

This annoyed me, I don't dig having to negotiate to get access to wastes. “Then no gunpowder for you. Without niter I can't make it and 7 out of 10 parts of the powder is niter, we're going to need a lot of it,” I reminded both of them.

Lord Katou emptied his cup before suggesting “Can't you find other suppliers for your niter thing? There was some in the mine, no?”

He's right, but the mine had very little and it wasn't renewable, it would soon be depleted. I could still look for other suppliers like foreign traders, but the cost would be high. Niter weights a lot and required a dry container, so sea or river transportation was complicated. It had almost no value other than for us, so it would need to convince not only a trader but also find a source, be it mine or cave, and someone ready to exploit it for what little price we could afford.

“This would cost too much,” I concluded.

The old lord must have had the same train of thoughts as me since he nodded in approval. “Yes, too complicated to find a supplier and we would become dependent on him. If our supply line got cut, no more equipment for our troops, this is too unreliable. We need to be as self-sufficient as possible,” he decided.

After discussing a bit more we decided to only enforce this new rule on the servs. They couldn't object and it would only require to equip the district they live in.

It wouldn't be as much as I would like but it would give us enough for a few pools. This will allow to equip enough soldiers to secure the south and expand the plant there once the herds' grazing grounds are safer.

Let the shit empire begin.