Cenric approached Rafael with a friendly smile. "I was passing by and coincidentally saw you talking to Richar. Don't mind his manners; he's a skillful man and kind to people he knows," he said, glancing at the door.
Yeah, only to whoever he knows, Rafael thought to himself.
"So, did you come here looking to buy something?" Cenric asked.
"I asked him to create something specific for me. Actually, have you ever heard of a metal that pulls other metals to it?" Rafael inquired.
"Hmm... I'm sorry, but I don't know of any metal like that. Maybe Sigeric, our village blacksmith, would know," Cenric replied.
"I already spoke to him, but even he doesn't know. Is there any village or city nearby that might have what I'm looking for?" Rafael asked, unwilling to give up easily.
"Well, I doubt any village in our kingdom has this metal. I think only the cities under the nobles' management might have it. To help you, I can send a message to Baron Floutt, asking if his blacksmiths know anything about it," Cenric offered.
"I'd be grateful for that," Rafael responded with a nod.
"You've made me curious, Mr. Rafael. What exactly did you ask Richar to make? And what is this metal you're talking about?" Cenric asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It's a little experiment I'm working on. It might be finished by the end of the day, and then you'll see what it is. I'm sure you'll like it," Rafael said, which only heightened Cenric's curiosity.
"I can hardly wait. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a message to write." With a nod, Cenric took his leave, leaving Rafael alone.
Ahh... I hope they have some magnets stored. Well, now that I'm free... Back to reading! Rafael thought as he returned to his house. He suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to ask the current year again. Next time, I won't forget!
Settling back at the table with the small open window above it, Rafael focused on the book again. He was particularly interested in Chapter 10, which he considered the best in the entire book, so he planned to read it thoroughly.
[10.1. "I'm Thirsty"]
This sub-chapter presented the concepts of charcoal and distillation. Charcoal is something these people have probably mastered, but distillation... I'll need that in the future, though its prerequisites are still a bit expensive, so it'll have to wait, he thought, flipping through the pages.
[10.2. "I'm Hungry"]
The first invention discussed was horseshoes, which caught Rafael's attention because he found it odd that it was placed in this sub-chapter. [Horses' hooves will wear and tear when horses carry people or loads of cargo on their backs, pull carts, wagons, or chariots. The solution is to protect them with metal shoes!]
"Okay, but I haven't seen a single horse since I got stranded here, so this will stay in the future," Rafael muttered to himself.
[10.2.2: Harnesses]
As he read about harnesses, Rafael finally understood why horseshoes were mentioned earlier. The book explained how to create the best harnesses for oxen and horses.
He continued reading Chapter 10 until midday, contemplating how he could apply the inventions and which ones he should create first.
There's so much I can do, I don't even know where to start! Okay, first I need to find this creek to answer nature's call and wash my hands. Then I need to find something to eat, he thought, craving real food after eating only oranges since the day before.
He asked a random villager for directions to the creek and walked there, finding it just two minutes away from the village. At the creek, he saw two little girls washing items and two women cleaning clothes and utensils. He followed the creek for a while until he found a secluded spot.
How do I do this? He took off his boots, pants, and underwear, crouched near a tree, and relieved himself. Afterward, he entered the water to clean up and got dressed again, noting that his clothes, except for his underwear, remained dry due to their hydrophobic properties.
Doing this every day will be tiring, he thought as he returned to the village, where the sun was now at its highest point. Is there a tavern or something like that here? he wondered, noticing smoke rising from every house as families prepared their meals.
I remember that guy said to come back at noon, so maybe he has something to eat, Rafael thought as his hunger grew. The smell of food coming from the houses quickened his pace. When he reached Richar's house, he knocked on the door, and the old man soon opened it.
"Yes? Ah, it's you. I made that frame you asked for, but I didn't manage to turn the wood into pulp as you requested," Richar said, handing Rafael the frame. A guard passed by them, but neither paid him any attention.
"Why not? I'm willing to pay, you know," Rafael said as he took the frame.
"I started grinding the wood, but it was too time-consuming, and I had other things to do, so I just stopped. You don't have to pay for that part, just this one," Richar replied, pointing to the frame.
"Can't you find someone to do that? Also, I already paid for this, and there's another reason I came here: Do you have any food? I mean, anything cooked and not just fruits," Rafael asked, his hunger evident.
"What in the mother's... This is not a tavern," the old man said, starting to look angry.
"Please, sir. I can pay!" Rafael pleaded.
"No, go away," Richar said, his voice hoarse with anger.
"10 coppers!"
"No," Richar replied, his voice less hoarse now.
"15!"
"Grrhh... 20, no less," Richar finally relented, his usual demeanor returning.
"Deal! Haha, finally some real food," Rafael said, stepping into the house. The smell of food hit him immediately, and he looked to his left, where a woman with brown hair streaked with gray was cooking over a fire.
"Dear, we have a guest. Could you prepare a bit more of that soup for him?" Richar called to his wife.