Night had fallen over Sedona Castle. In the study, Lucas was hunched over his desk, translating more technical documentation on steam engines.
The surprise the Research Department had given him during the day—the steam hammer—had signaled that the time for industrialization was ripe. The lure of mass production was too strong to ignore; he had to provide Cody and his team with a deeper theoretical foundation.
"Master, Rhea and Mira are due back tomorrow," Annie said, setting down her pen and rubbing her sore wrist. "Do you think they'll have any trouble?"
Over the past few days, the sisters had led a fleet of ten hot air balloons back and forth to Stone Mountain, ferrying fuel and supplies while bringing back the first small groups of birdkin refugees.
"They'll be fine," Lucas replied, stretching his own aching hand. He glanced at Amelia, who was sitting nearby. Her feathered ears were standing straight up, clearly eavesdropping while she pretended to do her homework. "Don't forget, I gave them parachutes just in case."
Hearing that, Amelia's hand resumed its frantic scribbling on her parchment.
"Master, have some tea." Nicole rolled her eyes at Annie's lack of conversation skills and poured a fresh cup for Lucas.
"Helen, how is the school curriculum progressing?" Lucas asked the rabbit girl. "Are there any students ready to enter the workforce yet?"
"Oh!" Helen paused her work on a new stage play script, her long ears twitching. "There are seven or eight fifteen-year-olds who are progressing incredibly fast—they've already surpassed the standard literacy requirements."
"Draft an exam for them. If they pass, put them straight into internships," Lucas said softly. "We are desperately short on administrative staff, especially after taking in nearly ten thousand people from Blade City."
"Father, I want to take the exam," Amelia interjected, her green eyes fixed on him. She was only fourteen, but her reading level was among the highest in the city.
"And where would you like to work?" Lucas asked, amused.
"The Air Force. I want to be in the sky," Amelia said, her eyes sparkling.
"Very well. Once you pass, you can join the Air Force and serve alongside your sister," Lucas agreed. Amelia looked puzzled—she hadn't realized her sister Rhea had already been recruited by Lucas's plans.
Stomp, stomp, stomp...
"Hey! Stop it, that tickles!"
The door burst open as Dahlia, Florence, Ayesha, Mina, and Freya piled into the room. Their hair was damp and steaming; they had clearly just come from the castle's hot springs.
"Wow... this is so beautiful," Florence gasped, her eyes wide as she scanned the study. She looked particularly mesmerized by the glass bottles in the liquor cabinet.
"How is your wound feeling, Florence?" Lucas asked. This was her first night out of bed since her rescue.
"Much better," She whispered, though her eyes were still glued to the sparkling glass.
"Alright, enough staring! Let's play!" Ayesha said, patting the mermaid on the shoulder.
Florence sat down, still overwhelmed by the luxury. She found herself wondering if she could trade some of her tribe's pearls for these shiny human things. "Wait... what are those crystals?" She asked, pointing at the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
"Those are lights," Lucas explained. "Once we have power, they'll be even more brilliant."
The wiring was already in place; he just needed to finish transporting the solar panels and the hydroelectric components from Earth to get the grid online.
"Mina, how many lords from the surrounding territories are currently in the city?" Lucas asked, turning to the cat-girl who was sitting on the edge of the desk combing her hair.
"Six," Mina answered instantly. She kept them under constant surveillance.
"Not enough," Lucas frowned. "Send an order to the Messenger Service. Issue formal invitations to every City Lord in the Western Territories. Tell them I have a 'big business' proposal—one worth at least 500 gold coins a year to each of them."
"Understood," Mina replied.
"Master, is the plan finally starting?" Annie asked, her fox ears twitching with excitement.
"Yes. We finally have a new generation of trained staff to handle the expansion," Lucas smiled.
"But will they come?" Annie worried, biting the end of her pen. "Many of them are already leaning toward the Fourth Prince."
"Heh... then we help them make up their minds. Spread a few rumors," Lucas said, a devious glint in his eyes. "Say that the Fourth Prince is a fugitive and a failure, that the First Prince is hunting him down, and that his collapse is inevitable."
"I see..." Annie giggled, covering her mouth.
"Exactly," Lucas said. "Let them choose: do they want the 'opportunity' of following a desperate rebel, or the guaranteed luxury of working with Sedona City? Unless they're idiots, they'll know which way the wind is blowing."
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