Steam rolled off a machine in the center of Erec’s makeshift research center. Beneath it was a concrete floor, clean as could be. For an old deserted warehouse, Lionel had already done a lot to fix the place up—including the tables set up and filled with boxes.
On the side of the space were seven racks for Armor. One of them was currently hoisting a familiar Markos II from Erec’s trial—completely totaled and bought relatively cheaply.
Erec figured that they could put some of their research into Armor design. If nothing else, then to upgrade his own.
This space lit with a row of LED would house a revolution in the technology sector. Erec was sure of it.
He hadn’t cut costs when fulfilling VAL’s demands, despite Lionel’s hesitance at an unproven revenue generator. Still, the funds would be worthwhile, even if it stretched their budget when combined with the industry-boosting policies he had in mind for the Seventh Cavern.
That stretched budget made it, so his personal wealth accumulation was nonexistent. But what did that matter anyway? When he thought about what he’d do with any extra money—it’d probably go into this place. He did not need to hoard denarii or live a luxurious life.
Everything for the future of this Cavern, and likely for the Kingdom, rested on this empty facility.
[It meets specifications.] VAL admitted as Erec took a brief walk around the warehouse. [Aside from proper ventilation.]
Erec turned to Lionel. “How long until construction is complete on the venting system?”
“It was an elaborate ask,” the man sighed. “Really? A network reaching toward the surface and out of the walls? Absurd. If you didn’t have the King’s favor, just the permits alone would’ve put the project dead in the water.”
“I understand. I’m sorry for the mess I’ve caused with it. It is a massive project, but it’s better to pump anything dangerous out where it can’t affect people…”
“Right, well. Considering the absurd precautions, you have about a month until that project is done—otherwise, as you can see, all the equipment is here, waiting to be installed and powered.”
[A month until we can begin chemical synthesis and experimentation? That is fine, I am curious to see how your magic interacts with basic chemistry, from what I understand, the bulk of your Kingdom’s research lies more in macro-level machinery and agriculture. It should be quite interesting to expand outward from that specialization.]
It was beautiful in a way, the frozen atmosphere of a room waiting to be filled. In his mind, Erec could picture what this place would be—an image not too far from the vault he’d met VAL. Only this place would benefit humankind. They wouldn’t hide the inventions away from the people they could help. This place could have a profound effect on humanity. The key was to keep it hidden until then. Goddess above knew what the Church would do if they learned of his intentions.
The last thing they needed was theocratic regulation.
“I have a couple of prospective researchers ready for interview. If you approve of them, I’ll hire them and get on with this… project.” Lionel looked around the warehouse with a bit of a frown.
Erec couldn’t blame him for the reluctance with the resources he’d devoted to it and planned to. The Cavern wasn’t specialized in research or science, and the Church tried to make things harder. Erec wished he could’ve told Lionel about VAL—that he didn’t have to worry since there wasn’t a chance this research facility would fail. But it was impossible.
“Could you please go gather them?” Erec asked. Lionel gave a quick nod and left. He'd accomplished most of the things on his checklist for this visit. As a result of his schedule change, he’d headed down here every weekend as part of his duties.
The travel would get annoying, and he had to be careful to put in the extra time to maintain his training to prepare for their extended expedition.
But he didn’t miss Theology or Courtly Mannerisms.
Still, the itch of the constant back and forth, and the strain for time to prepare for the expedition. Already, Erec could tell it’d be stressful. When he’d pictured the job of nobility before, he’d scarcely imagined it to be such time-consuming administrative work. With how arrogant some of them acted, he’d have wagered they’d never worked a day. Maybe with the more prominent families, they hired people like Lionel, so they didn’t have to.
Erec didn’t want to be like them.
Even as sure as he was about this decision, he couldn’t be sure if it was right in the long run. The consequence of the decision would be delayed, and what spawned from it could spread in a million different directions he couldn’t predict.
That was what it was to rule.
Erec yearned to live a simple life as a Knight, and purely a Knight. But now, that wasn’t an option.
He busied himself as Lionel went to get their potential employees. Erec sorted through the various glassware packed away and set it out according to VAL’s directions. Sure, it was a way to be helpful, but ultimately, he was only wasting time and trying to keep his mind clear.
Already the stress of being a Count—dealing with people like Oswald…
All of it was a tense knot of annoyance and confusion.
Since when did he submit himself to this life? To be okay with sorting out the problems of the people around him? How long ago was it that he’d been more than willing to toss himself into the wasteland and chase after his mother? It seemed like he’d dismissed the idea. The answers he’d wanted as a kid… didn’t feel as important anymore. Not with this weight around his neck. The King had tied him to this Kingdom with a chain and was being dragged into the depths of a cistern.
Erec paused, a glass vial shaking in his hand.
When had he changed? Why did this authority and the people underneath him take such a priority in his headspace—he wasn’t fit for this. He’d never been fit for it.
Was he trapped?
[That goes in the rack with the rest. We’ll have to establish some cleaning procedures and other safety protocols before we begin testing in earnest. Humankind is soft and weak but clever, so with firm foundations, they can… Wait, is something wrong?]
Erec tried to stop the shaking, but couldn’t. He set the vial in the wooden rack with the other test tubes—a perfect row of neat and orderly glass.
“I—“ Erec began, but then stopped. How could he frame it?
It seemed childish to him, that urge to resist this. To think that this title and the life it brought was a curse when too many would be a blessing. Yet, the feeling remained. The sensation that he was slowly, but surely, being dragged into a life he’d have never chosen. That he was being dragged from what he should’ve been.
But it was in his head. It had to be.
That sensation was nothing but a fear of commitment, an outcry to buck responsibility because it wasn’t a pleasant thing to have.
“I don’t know what I’m doing with myself anymore,” Erec admitted.
[Ah, you’re running into one of those moments many humans do. Lack of goals, lack of direction. When you don’t see a vision strongly anymore, your focus becomes hazy. People tend to complicate things along with a profound sense of listlessness.] VAL began, a pleasant hum in his head.
If it weren’t for VAL’s constant companionship, Erec would be alone as he’d been for the longest time.
He used to think the sensation was the best thing in the world—to be free from others, have the space to think, and not have his energy constantly sapped away. But VAL had changed that. It had become a welcome voice in his head that made him feel complete.
[This is why we set goals! And looking at my profiling and interviews with you—you still haven’t fulfilled yours. Why the long face, buckeroo? Just remember, aim your behaviors and actions to reach that goal. Once you have, we can set another!]
“I’m not even sure she’s alive out there. I know I said at the least, I wanted to find her corpse and confirm it for myself… But doesn’t that seem pathetic now? Like the dream of some poor kid?” Erec’s hands rested on the countertop, and he bit his lip. His chest felt hollow; the overwhelming sense of need to find her was gone. Gone was the hope that she might come back with him and become a happy family again.
[The thing about goals is that they might seem hopeless at times. They might seem as far away as the stars themselves. So, break it down, take it one step at a time, and keep reaching for those stars. With determination and a can-do attitude, you’d be amazed at how far you can get. You, humans, reached the moon and then Mars. Ever before, you could rely on the help of AI like myself.]
“It all feels pointless, VAL.”
[Then keep pressing ahead for my sake. I’m curious to see what happens next and how far you will go to chase this goal. Besides, don’t forget this is on your yearly annual review.]
“Of course.” Erec let out a bit of a chuckle—the darkness remained, that hole in his chest that could only fill with fire when he got angry.
But, with VAL. Things were easier.
Let Garin have Olivia—or Colin have Alexandra. He didn’t truly need another person, not one bit. They’d see this goal through, even if it meant that, in the end, he’d be burying his mother.