Sharath Virayan Darsha was eleven. An anniversary is not just celebrated with cake or presents but with a straightforward command from his father: knight training.
"Sharath," Lord Darsha decreed at the breakfast table, "you are to start knight training right away—discipline, sword fighting, and battlefield leadership are now mandatory. Being the heir of a duke demands it."
Sharath blinked, attempting to stifle an internal groan. Oh, yes, sword-swinging in armor: just what every eleven-year-old boy requires when he's balancing inventions, industrial design, and changing the face of transportation.
Princess Madhu, sitting graciously beside him, lifted a perfectly arched brow. "I shall accompany you in the training. A knight should be a strategist, too, don't you agree?"
Sharath smiled. At last, somebody who values my organizational brilliance. "True. The Empire will not only have mighty warriors, but brilliant inventors with quick minds. A deadly mix."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Translation: prepare for maximum inefficiency while sparring with swords, armour, and witty inventions. Likely result: light chaos with extreme entertainment for everyone involved.
Morning ResearchBefore morning drills, Sharath slipped into his lab. Today's objective: building functional fountain pens, something he thought much better than quills that needed to be dipped repeatedly and smelled vaguely of goat.
He spoke mentally to NeuroBoop, his constant inner AI critic: "Give me the steps to make a proper fountain pen. Keep it real this time."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: At last! Utility instead of pandemonium. Steps: select a nib type—steel for hardness. Build a reservoir for ongoing ink flow. Construct a feed to keep it from leaking. Use an ink with suitable viscosity. Test repeatedly on goat skin or parchment. Fail magnificently and repeat. No stains on royal gowns or princess fingers.
Sharath smiled. "Excellent. Butler! Bring all the supplies: nibs, reservoirs, feed tubes, ink, test quills, and additional materials for unavoidable errors."
In less than an hour, the butler had arrived, placing the supplies tidily on Sharath's laboratory table.
Princess Madhu cocked her head questioningly. "And precisely what are we creating?
Sharath theatrically waved his arm. "A functional fountain pen! No more dipping back and forth into ink wells, no more torture of goat skin, and minimal stink. Maximum efficiency!"
Thermo, sitting on a shelf like the disapproving cat overlord that he was, lashed his tail. "Oh yes, the humans finally learned goat skins are not necessary. My whole life has been made 0.003% better. Let us rejoice."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Translation: sarcasm level 7/10. Morale boost: zero. Humor quotient: tolerable.
Intentional Display of BedlamSharath started building nibs, reservoirs, and feeds—but, intentionally, made small "mistakes" before Madhu: unevenly aligned nibs, minute ink drips, and melodramatic sighs of frustration.
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Well done, human. Drama of ineptitude: spectacular. Real progress: moderately high. Princess Faith in your brilliance: fully intact. Probability of laughter: rising exponentially.
By the end of the day, the first working fountain pen was done. Ink flowed well without constant dipping, the nibs retained their shape, and the reservoirs gave a consistent supply. Sharath tested each on goat skin, taking care to document every flaw.
Princess Madhu leaned in. "It… it actually works! How did you—?"
Sharath smiled, attempting to conceal the soft blush that was spreading across his cheeks. "Hours of meticulous engineering, a dash of magic, and an in-your-head AI critic that never stops talking."
Thermo gave a soft meow of what appeared to be reluctant respect. "I suppose sometimes humans manage to do the right thing. But the catnip reward is still in the air."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Observation: Princess worship noted. Impact on morale: substantial. Side effect: slight ego bloating anticipated. Suggestion: Beware before your head actually inflates.
Dinner Demonstration During dinner, Sharath showed his parents a couple of completed pens.
Lord Darsha's eyes widened as he cradled one in his hands. "Excellent! When… how soon can—?"
Sharath idly slid a pair across the table. "Try them now. And yes, this can be scaled for passive income when we make production more streamlined. But patience, dear father, is important."
Lady Ishvari gasped. "Sharath, this is amazing! You've done something that most grown-ups couldn't even try!"
Thermo flipped his tail dismissively from where he sat. "All of you are in awe. I am not impressed. Where is the catnip for seeing genius?
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Human flattery alert. Ego levels rising. Probability of further inventions: maximum. Comedy levels: moderate.
Sharath smirked inwardly. One day, Thermo, you'll see these pens in every home. For now, let's enjoy being eleven and having the world slightly awed by our genius.
Knight Training Interruptions The following day, Sharath wore armor for the first time. Sword swings, horseback riding, and tightly drilled marching cut his lab time almost in half. He almost dropped a pen nib in his boot, and NeuroBoop let out a silent scream.
Lunch was a short break. Sharath took out the tiny pen parts from hidden drawers and checked the ink flow and nib alignment on goat hides. Every pen came out with flying colors.
Princess Madhu observed, obviously impressed. "This might revolutionize villages, schools, and scribes across the board."
Sharath nodded. "Precisely. One invention at a time. And one step further towards eliminating the stench of goat leather from the kingdom."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Observation: Princess admiration noted. Side effect: heightened risk of ego inflation mildly. Recommended action: keep showing brilliance, quietly. Comedy quotient: high.
Thermo, crumpled on the edge of the desk, swiped at an ink bottle. "If you humans continue like this, the kingdom will be pens in place of goat hide. Chaos! Complete chaos!"
Sharath smiled. "Don't worry, Thermo. We'll manage the chaos… most of the time."
ReflectionsThat night, Sharath reviewed his schedule. Morning knight training, afternoon and evening research. Paper production would not start until next week. Today was about fountain pen mastery and understanding the intricacies of nibs, reservoirs, and feeds.
Thermo, lounging among goat skins and ink stains, muttered: "Congratulations. You've mastered pens. The world is safe… for now."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Outcome to be expected: sustained inventing, unavoidable blunders, and huge strides. Chances of chaos spiced with genius: 97%. Comedy effect: continuous.
Sharath recorded in his diary:
"Tomorrow, proceed with refining the pen design. Note mistakes, rectify them, and keep experimenting. All while feigning overburdened in front of Princess Madhu. Efficiency and melodrama have to go hand in hand."
Comedy of ErrorsAfternoon brought slight hilarity. In testing ink flow, Sharath sprayed a small puddle onto the lab table by mistake. Princess Madhu yelped as a drop landed on her sleeve.
"Careful!" she cried.
Sharath, with impeccable aplomb, dipped nearby scrap paper and scrawled: "Ink-resistant sleeve: next project?"
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Sarcastic comment: humans shriek at zero risk. Creativity: 100%. Princess approval: reduced slightly, then recovers. Comedy quotient: maximum.
Thermo, sitting on the bookshelf, rolled his eyes. "Why is my human amused by spills of ink? Ah yes, they say it is 'science.' I say it is 'chaotic art.'"
At the end of the day, a few pens were working, and Sharath had intentionally "failed" twice in front of Madhu to keep up his air of human struggle.
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Mission status: partly successful. Human bluff sustained. Actual progress: great. Comedy: yes. Thermo entertainment: negligible but begrudging.
ConclusionNight fell on the Darsha estate. Eleven-year-old Sharath had braved knight training, designed his first fountain pen, impressed Princess Madhu, and escaped catastrophic ink tragedies.
Preparations for paper-making tomorrow would commence. The pen revolution of pens, paper, and upcoming mass-manufacturing processes would shortly be underway.
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Next week: ink floods, paper dust, apprentice chaos, and ultimate victory. Humor levels: maximum potential. Expect pandemonium with accuracy.
Thermo sat curled up on the windowsill, gazing at the stars. "Humans. Incarnate chaos. But… tolerable enough today."
Sharath smiled to himself. "Patience, Thermo. One day soon the world will have smooth pens, superior paper, and fewer goat odors. And yes… fun will be had."
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Result as predicted: genius prevails. Human morale high. Cat sarcasm continues. Improvement of kingdom imminent.
And thus concluded the first complete day of pencil invention, a mix of knight training, research, silent theatrical disaster, and slapstick hilarity—excellent lead-in to paper-making revolution that loomed for next week.