Entering the big building, Corvin quickly started to tinker around with the machines and the tools and make them safe to be around for Luna. After hiding some tools at the top of a bookshelf even he couldn't reach without using magic, he came out of the workshop.
"Are you done?", asked his mother.
"Oh, yeah. It should be much safer now. Even then, there are big machines so still be careful."
"Sure. Why don't you go see your dad? He had something he wanted to talk to you about."
"He did? Okay."
Corvin looked at Luna looking at a bug on the ground a few steps away and smiled. He headed towards his home where his father was. The house was still under construction. He found his father in front of the house, talking with a worker. While he got closer, his father noticed him and waved his hand.
"Corvin! You are finally here!"
He nodded and hugged his father.
"I am finally back, dad. How is the construction going?"
"Oh, about that, I have something to ask you."
"What?"
"Why is it so big? How much money is this going to cost?"
"Don't worry about the money. I am going to be a noble so this much is needed, isn't it? A knight needs a good house."
"Okay, but why do we need such a huge basement for? This building is going to take a while to build with that kind of basement."
Corvin's smile faded slightly and he looked towards the house.
"Dad, do you read the newspapers?"
"Yeah, whenever I go to the city, I buy one. What? Are you thinking about the protests?"
Corvin nodded. Charles looked at his son and asked.
"Are you going to get involved with the protests?"
"I am already involved. They are getting more violent each time. Even at school, there was a small protest recently."
"Oh... Be careful, okay?"
"You aren't gonna tell me not to be involved?"
"Would you listen to me if I did?"
"Heh No."
"Thought so. Well, If it's your decision, I trust it.", said Charles and patted his son's head.
"You've grown so much, you are almost as big as me now."
Corvin shook his father's hand off his head and said.
"Yes, so don't treat me like a child anymore."
"Oh, you are still one and always will be in my eyes so give up already."
While they spoke, a worker came walking towards them. Charles looked at the worker and said.
"Looks like I have something to do again. Why don't you find Matt? He was playing around with your workshop a lot while you were gone."
"He didn't hurt himself, did he?"
"No, he actually started to attend to the new commoner school in the city. He was trying things he learnt there."
"It's already open? The Margrave is really fast, isn't he?"
"You don't call him master anymore?"
"....I forgot because it's been some time since I trained with him."
"I see. See you later."
Charles patted his shoulder and walked away with the worker. Corvin headed towards Matt's house.
Knock Knock!
After he knocked on the door, he heard a clutter and then footsteps coming towards the door. The door creaked open and a pair of dark blue eyes slightly hidden under long orange bangs that needed to be cut showed themselves.
"Oh, Corvin! Hi!"
"Matt.... Why are you half naked?"
"Huh? OH, sorry! It was too hot so I just took my top off."
"You also smell like olives."
"That's because I am working on something."
"What are you working on? I know I told you to use whatever you wanted in the workshop but don't work with stuff you don't know about."
"Oh, I apologize to Mister-Smart-Guy-Turned-Noble for being a peasant. I will go and-"
"Okay shut up Matt, you know I didn't mean it like that."
Matt grinned and let Corvin inside the house. They walked towards Matt's room and entered. Inside the room, there was a big mass of metal shining brightly with the light from the afternoon sun. The room smelled like olive oil and steel.
"Why is your room like this?"
"Because of your sister. This stuff is pretty dangerous, you know that right? So, until your house gets built and little Luna gets back, this has to be here."
"I see. Thank you. So, what is this? Can you tell me?"
"This is an engine."
"I can see that. It kind of looks like one."
The engine looked like a jumble of metal pipes. It was roughly in a long cylindrical shape on it's round side except the big wheel at the end of it.
"But, why did you make it?"
"You could say this is a group project."
"Huh?"
"You know I go to the commoner school, right?"
"I just learned it."
"Yeah. You see, the Margrave promised to give a big reward to anyone who could make an engine that could push a ship out of steel. So, a few friends and I started working on this... thing. Honestly, I have barely gotten it to work but there are other problems to work on before putting this thing on a battleship."
Corvin walked towards the engine and started to inspect it. From looking at it for a bit, he could tell it followed a different approach than the engines they used.
"It... doesn't look like it uses coal and steam... What is it's fuel?"
"Coal gas."
"Why? Isn't it dangerous to store something like that on a battleship?"
"Yeah but it is lighter that way. Also, you don't need to constantly pump fresh water in it. All you need is a way to store the coal gas."
"So, it doesn't work with steam..."
Corvin suddenly ran towards Matt and held him by the shoulders.
"MATT! Are you even aware how amazing this is?! Don't give this to the Margrave. I will pay you anything you want! Actually, let me employ you and your friends! We were going to work on something like this but you actually already have it!"
"W-w-what? What are you talking about? Calm down."