Non-stop, the kilns and the furnaces in the mountain foundry devour coal and firewood, fueling the social and economic development of the Solusian Dominion. Likewise, people never stopped coming as if they were in a pilgrimage, realizing the mountain dweller's dream of the Holy Mountain. The smell of progress was in the air as heavy black and white smoke ascended the skies to intermarry with the clouds above.
Scaling the steps uphill was especially difficult to do due to the weather, and the increasing altitude didn't help but complicate things. Dense fog descended the steps, weighing down on the shoulders of the unwary travelers who chose to take the hike. Like Linus and Nina, people were undeterred by the unfavorable conditions. The hopes of new riches fuel the fire within them, keeping their march at a steady pace.
With their primitive coverings, Linus and Nina couldn't help but feel the cold biting as numbness spread to their face. The cold wasn't even as terrifying as that of the freezing north, where the icy wind blows the network of rivers frozen and transforms precipitation into snow. Without proper covering, Linus could only imagine losing his nose and fingers to the cold of the dead north as Gordon told in his tales. He regretted not buying enough cover, but he's more worried of her doting mother scolding him after going back home.
"Gosh, the hike wasn't as difficult before I got sick. The weather sure has gotten colder these days." Linus remarked, his breath condensed into steam.
"You can keep yourself warm with this." Nina took her scarf off, handing it to Linus.
"Thank you, but you can keep that, Nina. I can't bear to see the sight of a beautiful young flower freezing to the cold. I'd rather endure this feeling. It isn't very bad, really. I'm still adjusting to it." Linus refused and instead tucked his hands in his armpits, warming them.
"Okay…" Nina put on the scarf. Her cheeks warmed a little to the remark and in silence she reflected as she walked the steps.
Soon, Linus and Nina felt warmth as they walked into the foundry to meet Raymond. As soon as the man spotted them from afar, he ran quickly to bow and meet the superiors.
"A pleasant day to you Young Master. What brings you here to our crude and dusty workshop in such cold weather? You could have summoned me in town if you wished." Raymond greeted and expressed his concern in a soft voice.
"Thank you, Raymond, but this one is urgent. We don't have furnaces hot enough to melt this thing down there, and you'd have to take the hike a few times to report the result. That would be a great waste of your time." Linus handed him a box, containing two ceramic containers, sealed. "Please, get two clean and uncontaminated crucibles for the powders. Fire these things in the furnace and cast them into bars. We'll wait for the results." Linus ordered.
"Affirmative Young Master. I'll get it done." Raymond scrambled, finding the right equipment for the job. For the meantime, Linus and Nina enjoyed their time together, sitting on a bench. Linus snatched the young maiden's hand, clasping it gently in his.
"Linus…" Nina opened her mouth. "Why are you so fond of my calloused working hands?"
"It's not your hands, but it's you my lady I'm fond of. Do you dislike it?" Linus asked while playing with the lass' hand.
"No, not really… but… but… do you really like me that much? Aren't you just making fun of me as always?" Nina asked, her cheeks reddened.
"In all honesty, I fell for you at the very first sight of your beautiful and shiny red hair. Although you were dressed in quite a boyish fashion, your green eyes and freckled face stole my heart. I knew you were cute with the ribbon, so I gifted you that. I never regretted that decision, looking how beautifully you bloomed." Linus expressed wholesomely. His pupils trembled looking at the lass in the eyes. "Pardon me, but I couldn't help but express myself, openly. Please lend this to me for a bit. It's a little cold and yours are warm." Linus turned his attention to the hand, pressing at it more firmly. His face and ears turned rosy by the confession.
Nina found his reddened face cute that it brought a gentle smile to her face, but she had her doubts. "Linus, I understand and I don't dislike you, but I'm four years older than you are. I fear your parents won't approve." Nina said in a dejected tone, her shoulders fell.
SLAP! Linus slapped his lap and turned to the lass, saying "I'm the one who determines my destiny. My parents won't object, knowing Enqui's blessing is within me." His eyes burned with determination.
Surprised, Nina's chest warmed from the response. Blushing she asked "Is it okay? But I'm of common birth, and an immigrant. Old Vincent and the others will protest even harder."
"That flipping old coot can go to hell for all I care. My family isn't noble either. And my position was earned by merit, not by their approval. I won't let others speak ill of us." Linus tightened his grip. "Be my woman, please!" he pleaded earnestly.
Nina hid her face with her hands, feeling all the warmth surging. Her heart raced to the sudden confession. Her thoughts spiraled and went crazy, petrifying her on the spot. She honestly didn't know what to do, experiencing these feelings for the first time in her life.
"Nina, are you okay?" Linus called out to her.
Her eyes peeked through her fingers, looking at the boy. She couldn't explain, but it somewhat pleased her to look at the cute creature who confessed to her. Finding the courage to make the decision, she felt like a pair of wings grew at her back. She still couldn't reveal her face, opening her mouth she uttered coyly, "I'm okay, Linus… if it's okay… I'm in your care."
"YES!" Linus couldn't help but jump in joy. "Thank you, Nina." He took the woman in his embrace.
"Young Master?" Raymond called. He stood there frozen, holding two bars of shiny metal, one in each hand.
The two noticed his presence and quickly separated from the embrace. They sat side to side like glowing red statues, hands on the lap. Like children caught playing with fire, the two were quiet and quite tense.
"Come on. No need to be embarrassed. It's a youth thing. It's all normal. Hehehe." Raymond lightened the mood, and then he spoke again, "Rather, these are very precious." He handed the bars of metal over to Linus.
Linus received a small silver ingot and another small gold ingot in his hands. The high luster of the metals made them glow, reflecting the ambient light in his face. Gold was such a metal that staring at the glowing ingot caused a surge of unexplained happiness within him. The silver felt less valuable in comparison, but it was precious, nevertheless.
"Thank you, Raymond. I know you're busy and you needed more men, but please send me some men who have experience with gold and silver. I needed gold smiths to work on refining gold back in the Solus settlement. To help you find replacements, you can send your recruitment notice to the Solus Times. You can find them in school."
After spending the night in the mountain settlement, the new pair of lovers went back to the town of Solus, bringing with them the new treasures. The two were welcomed by Lina over a cup of tea, which they delightedly sipped, warming their insides. The ambient heat brought to them by the newly installed stove freed their hands and faces from numbness.
Lina gazed at the two, who were closer to each other than usual, "Son, did something happen up in the mountain?"
"Ah… you mean these?" Linus took out the small ingots of gold and silver, reflecting a shiny golden glow to Lina's eyes.
"Son, these are very, very, precious… I only saw them once held by a noble in Nexus. How did you get your hands on them? Did you buy them with our copper?" Lina asked, shocked by the glowing ingots.
"These things were extracted from the rocks that came from the mountain. There's an abundance of them up there. These should be our family's secret. We have a golden mountain up there." Linus told them.
Lina stared at the odd person in the room, "But what about her, son. I noticed how much you played with her hands as soon as you sat down. Care to explain?" Lina crossed her hands.
Cold sweat ran down Linus' cheek. For a moment, he froze, unable to articulate his thoughts. He felt an enormous pressure build up, seeing Nina glare daggers at him. A wrong answer could spell disaster.
He breathed in and composed himself, saying "Mother, Nina is no stranger to us. We are lovers. She will be your future daughter in law."
CRASH! Something broke inside Lina's head, unable to accept what his son told her. She pointed her trembling finger at the lass, saying "You mean, this VIXEN stole my BABY!" Lina was fuming, unable to contain her shock.
Nina hid behind Linus, clutching his arms, frightened by the reaction shown by her future mother-in-law. "Linus, I told you it isn't a good idea." She whispered.
"Hold on Mom. You should have known better how I liked her the first time I laid my eyes on her. You called her a maiden, I saw her as a boy. OUCH!" Nina pinched her arm, causing pain. "No, I'm sorry Nina. You're the most beautiful flower I laid my eyes on." he turned to his woman. "Come on, Nina." He took her hand, kissing it, placating the lass.
"WHAT!" Lina's hands fell as she grew further confused by the situation and eventually fainted from shock.
"MOTHER!" The duo ran to her, they placed her in a comfortable resting position.
Footsteps resounded. Julius stepped inside his home, finding his wife lying on the floor with the children to her side. "LINA! You two, what just happened?"
"It's a long story, Pops. Let's get Mom in the bed, first. I'll tell you the story later." Linus replied.
"HAHAHAHA!" The dust settled. Julius had a loud and hearty laugh after hearing the story, but most of all he was very happy gaining new treasures and a new daughter.