Chapter 24 – Crafter’s Paranoia

Benton saw that the sun was slowly resting. The hubbub aside, he didn’t want to continue any longer after learning that the mold he was crafting has a big fault to it. He could not continue with that kind of fault and without that safety mechanism, he can’t continue out of anxiety.

“That’s enough,” said Benton, lowering his hammer and thongs down. He placed them on the table, as he stretches his weary arms. Ray of moonlight entered through his window. He glanced at it before standing up and packing his toolbox.

After that, he went out of his workshop. Outside he saw soldiers scurrying around with their rifle at hand. Most of them looked terrified. Mostly paranoid about flying ships and men falling down upon them like angels of death armed with rifles instead of scythes.

Benton could understand the fear. The thought of it scares him despite being calmed outside. He learned it from before and was planning to excuse himself out of the battle. He could fight but with how things are he had to make sure that the designs for the guns that Joshua drew up would be available. It was one thing to draw the designs and schematics. But giving the product was much better to do so. Not to mention that he the mold that he was planning to create for the rifle was now halted.

“It may blow your fingers up.” Those words rang in his head again. It made Benton’s face crumple as he walks down the corridor leading to his room. The servants of the stronghold greeted him. The soldiers would occasionally stop him to ask for guidance but he was able to reach his room.

“Hmm?” he looked around. He smelled something odd inside his room. Grease; falcon droppings; and what seemed to be rust? But he had many things inside his room so he how could he search for it? It must be the piled up steel rusting and the wind blowing. Benton thought.

“What’s that” He caught a glimpse of something. He inspected it closer. It was a tiny fuse laid on the ground. Knowing it was a fuse. Benton took it before it could cause an accident in his room. He cleaned the fuse up before finally settling down in his chair facing his table. He took the schematics drawn up by Joshua and glance at it. He tried finding any ‘mistake’ on it but he could not discern anything! He tried looking at the rows where the powder and bullet should be put on and started to think that there might be more to it.

“He said that there is a safety mechanism but what it is? I find nothing that could be a safety mechanism,” said Benton with a low tone. Indeed, he was an experienced smith. But as a craftsman, he was paranoid. He had to be thorough or the user of his creations will suffer for it. He can’t be making tin weapons that would easily break. Benton tried to ponder about it but found no clue on what to do. So he decided to sleep instead.

...

The next day, the training of the soldiers doubled. The sunlight’s ray entered through Benton’s window. He looked at the sun placed up in the sky. He rubbed his eyes as he stood up, prepared all his tools before leaving the room. In the corridor, there was someone grumbling as he carries this box filled with raw materials.

“Morning Alchemist,” said Benton.

“Benton, a fine noisy morning,” replied the Alchemist, still keeping that frown of his.

“What’s wrong? Is the noise getting to you?”

“No! Gods no! How long do you think I’ve lived in this stronghold?”

Benton raised a brow. “So what are you grumbling about then?”

“Someone stole my ingredients!” he stomped his foot. “The jar of powdered aluminum, the rusts and even the fertilizer strip that I was planning to experiment on!”

“Oh, so that's why you are furious,” said Benton. “So what’s inside the box?”

“More of the stuff,” he sighed. “I needed the stuff for an experiment. Luckily, someone bought me all of this from some old mine just by the outskirts of the city.”

Benton started walking with the alchemist. He was named Old Forsa and he has been staying in this stronghold for years now like Benton. The two were friends and their profession sometimes would mix well in some circumstances.

“I’d thought you’ll run away from this war old friend.”

“Bah!” he snorted. “I’ve been in enough sieges, concocted medicines and brew numbing potions that it doesn’t matter to me anymore!” he looked outside. “I might actually want to see these giant warships and the rain of armed men. Old friend, do you really expect me to stay away from this kind of event that might change history itself?”

Benton smiled. “No, old friend, you’ll roll on your grave if you miss this.”

“Ah,” Old Forsa smiled. “The time of sword and axes are soon going to over. Men will change their ways of killing men. What a time to be alive isn’t it?”

Benton nodded. He didn’t say anything as he walks with Forsa to the corridor where their respective workshops are. The corridor was quiet and the only one that was walking towards them was the limping Joshua, carrying a tightly sealed box with a u-shape handle. Joshua saw the two approaching so he nodded at them and made a slight bow.

He wanted to know the safety mechanism but the flat, expressionless gaze of Joshua made Benton swallow his words instead. “What’s with that lad’s face?” Forsa commented.

Benton said. “Anxious, it is not every day you’d hear that there will be an invasion coming from the sky.”

“Hmmm, makes sense to me,” said Forsa. “Though the lad smells like vinegar.”

Forsa looked at Joshua for a moment before leaving. “Goodbye,” he said to Benton, entering his lab. Benton entered his own workshop as well. But as he reaches for the door, he noticed that there was something off. He inspected the doorknob closer but shrugged it off. He then entered his workshop, smelling something strong. It was pungent.