"Lord Karen! The hired workers are coming! I can see them from there!" While reviewing the plan for the new waterway, Karen was startled by one of the townsman's voices among a group of townspeople who had come to help from Roseway and he was climbed into a tree on a high hill.
Among the townspeople, there was also a man who knew these things. So, Karen did not have to hire an engineer. The hired workers arrived just in time. They could easily start work the next day.
Even though the sun had not set yet, they lit a big fire to find the workers' camp. While waiting for them to arrive, a few townspeople began to ask questions. Why would they start digging from the river and not from the town in the first place? If it was dug from the town, they would have given the water from the river at last and checked it and returned.
In fact, Karen thought so too. However, he had changed his plans. First, he planned to bring water to the town through pipes. Later, when he discovered a dried-up lake beyond the Roseway, he thought of carrying the water to that lake via a small channel. From that lake, the distribution could be made to other villages through small channels too.
Karen and the townsman who knew these things made explanations to others. Since the structure of the soil was not known well, if something went wrong, both the workers and the Lord would not be in the town when the water was released, the water would overflow from the canal and there would be no one to intervene. That was why the digging would start from there by leaving a gap between the river and the canal. Then someone would come back and release the water.
A little later, the caravan with the workers arrived at the campsite. They were welcomed by the townspeople. Karen got up from his seat and searched Amy, but he could not find her. While he was about to ask the head worker where the soldier who brought them was, he saw Amy's student.
The girl came to him and gave a military salute. She reported that the workers were brought here without any problem. Karen told her that she did not have to be so formal and asked her name. After learning, he said, "Mimi, did you bring the caravan alone?"
Mimi said that the caravan had been watched for a while by a band of bandits. While the bandits were preparing for the raid, her master had followed them and left the convoy. That was why, at the end of the road, Mimi had brought the caravan alone.
Karen thanked Mimi. He showed them where Lal was and told her to ask her for a place to rest. It was not pleasant for Amy to leave the caravan, even if it was for a short time, but he would ignore it because he knew what she could do with those bandits.
After Mimi left, Karen told one of the townspeople next to him that the dinner had to be served to everyone and after that, they all must gather to explain the plan and went to his tent. Half an hour had passed when there was a noise outside. Karen got up from his seat and rushed outside. He guessed more or less what had happened.
Darkness had descended, but the glow of the great bonfire made a group of heavily battered people tied with thick ropes visible. "What do you think you're doing, Amy?" Karen asked seriously, trying not to laugh.
Amy was looking at the head worker she had just been trying to say something to. Without turning to Karen, "I found you a bunch of free workers with mutation to get the job done fast." she replied.
Karen crouched down next to the tied men and stared into someone's black eye. "I am not saying that. You've battered them so much that they're going to lose their productivity at work," said Karen.
Amy put her hands on her hips and said as she was boasting herself, "Don't worry. I used as much violence as I needed."
Not understanding what these two were talking about, the workers thought they were going to work with the bandits as a joke at first. Karen said to untie the rope they were tied. The head worker who had just discussed the situation with Amy asked hesitantly. "My Lord! Will they really work with us?"
"Why not?" Karen asked as he was getting up from his crouch. The head worker was afraid that the bandits would hurt them. Amy assured the bandits that they would not escape or harm them. One of the bandits said, "This woman will kill us if we run." he said in a tearful voice.
As the ropes untied, Amy said, "These guys are going to work here as punishment for now. I will decide whether or not to arrest them based on their performance."
Mimi, who was right behind her, muttered, "My master is using the laws according to her mind again."
Turning to Amy, Karen asked, "So you're going to stay here until it's over?".
Amy said, "If you don't want me to, I'll go away with my qualified workers."
Karen laughed and said, "It's like I'm talking to the subcontractor manager but not the SOU soldier!" Then he said in a serious tone, "It would better stay. If something happens that I have to go, I will be glad to have someone I can trust here." he said.
"Master! I would like to remind you that I am afraid you will be punished again. What you're doing is against the rules." Mimi muttered behind Amy.
Amy turned to her cheerfully and said, "Don't worry. This is a more disincentive punishment than imprisonment! And if we spend some time here, it will also be good for your training Mimi."
Mimi understood what Amy meant. Mimi was a secondar that had undergone a metamorphosis. Transformation of metamorphotic secondars into their secondar form within the SOU was prohibited. So, this place was suitable for training. "Oh yeah!" she said cheerfully. Her excitement made her forget her objection.
When it was night and everyone went to their resting areas, Amy went to the tent reserved for her and her apprentice after she had checked the surrounding area of the campsite. Since they were intruders, they would sleep in Lal's tent.
A few minutes later, Amy grabbed a blanket and prepared to go outside. Mimi watched her for a while. Since her master had a sleeping problem, she usually kept the night shifts on missions. While she was thinking that this would happen again, her master yawned and asked, "Shall we share the watch, Mimi? You hold it tonight. I'll hold it tomorrow night."
Mimi accepted her master's 'pleading' order. A few minutes after her master had gone outside to sleep, she also went out to patrol.
Amy headed straight to the tent with the digging materials and food. Many materials were not unloaded from the oxcarts, as their campsite would change through the digging progress. However, as there was a possibility of rain, the materials that could be damaged by the rain were moved to the tent.
Amy walked around the tent quietly. It was like she was looking for something. As soon as she came to the back-right side of the tent when she turned the corner, she stopped as if she had found what she was looking for.
She slowly put her hand on the tent. She waited for a while. Then she sat down and leaned against the tent. She pulled her blanket over her. As she closed her eyes, muttered to herself. "He picked a pretty interesting place to spend the night."
...
When it was night and everyone went to their resting areas, Karen checked around and went to the tent where he would sleep. First, he planned to sleep where the workers sleep. However, when he thought that the workers were not comfortable with him, so he gave up on this idea. Then he thought of a quieter place to spend the night: the supply tent...
There was not actually a suitable place to sleep in the tent as it was full of supplies. Choosing a place where the boxes were sparsely placed, Karen started to put the boxes on top of each other and soon noticed Lal behind him.
Without speaking, Lal left her belongings beside her and started to help her master. She had apparently brought her master's belongings after him without telling him: a small mattress, a blanket, a lamp, and a bag full of books.
When Lal was gone, Karen sat on the mattress and began to read his book. Reading had no place or time for him. Most of all, he liked to read the originals of books from the old world. Of course, it was very difficult to find those books in this era.
The originals of the books that left their mark on history were generally under the patronage of SOU. So, Karen sometimes had to make do with copies. But he had an invaluable archive of originals in his house. They were also very difficult to care for. There were almost 5 centuries-old books among them. These books could not be taken out of special protection and carried on trips because they would be worn out.
While he was reading the book with great concentration, Karen was startled by a sound. The sound was coming from between the boxes. He got up, wondering what the source of that rubbing-like sound could be.
He walked silently to where the sound was coming from, and he saw the little tail at the corner of a box. It was a mouse. Karen thought "Oh man, another country heard from..." and he tried to chase it out of the tent.
He thought about killing it but that would not be a solution. The campsite was in a desolate place. There were probably hundreds more of this mouse. That was why Karen had thought ahead and had things put in wooden boxes. It was especially impossible for a mouse to reach the food. However, these creatures, who could not reach the food, were very likely angry with Karen. He should come up with a solution the next day.
Karen, who had been trying to get the mouse out for five or ten minutes, finally could not stand it and scared the mouse with his flame. He blew flames from behind the mouse, which had escaped between the boxes; or in other words, between his two fingers. The plan had worked; the mouse was gone! But there was a chance that it would come back. Karen went outside to chase it even further. He could not see anything at first. Then he saw it as it was rushing by the tent. It was quite large for a mouse. Thinking it might come back from behind the tent, he chased after it.
The animal went quite far away. He was about to go back to his tent, but he saw a strange thing back of the tent. He thought it was a forgotten supply in there. If it was, he had to take it to the tent. He could not see well in the dark but there was something wrapped in a cloth.
Lightly rubbing the thumb of his right hand against his index finger, he lit up a candle-like flame and saw hair appearing from under the cloth. He lifted the cloth slowly and he saw the soldier sleeping soundly. At first, he was surprised. Then he wanted to wake her up but gave up. He hugged and carried her into the tent, carefully not to wake her up. Amy's sleeping habits were not at all what he had heard.
...
Mimi was patrolling the campsite. When the horses tied to the back of the camp became uneasy, she went that way but there was nothing wrong. On her way back, she saw a man at the back of the tent used as a warehouse. At first, she was afraid. Then, looking more closely, she realized that it was Lord. She guessed he had not seen Mimi.
Lord looked carefully to that side first. Then he noticed something outside the tent. Even though Mimi could not see clearly, she realized that something was behind the tent. Mimi noticed as Lord Karen used his flame to figure out what it was. That blanket belonged to her master. It was her master who was sleeping there.
So what was it? Was her master sleeping there? As long as Mimi knew her master, she had been having trouble sleeping. Now, though she was embraced and carried by Lord Karen, and she did not even wake up. Mimi could not make sense of it.