As night fell, the sounds of crickets and frogs came in through the window, along with the incessant singing of cicadas.
Every two or three moths flew into the house and crashed into the flickering flames of the bonfires.
Gale carved wood with a knife, crafting a simple balance scale. He shaved the piece down into a small arm, glued thin strips of wood to both sides using grains of rice as adhesive, and then carefully drilled a hole in the center. He inserted a thin iron rod and fixed it between two stones with grooves.
Thus, a rudimentary scale was completed. He tested it with two pieces of maltose and found that it was quite sensitive. Then he began adjusting the proportions of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal.
Following the recipe carved into the bedboard, the materials were divided into small portions, and a small batch of gunpowder was successfully prepared.
Afterward, the mixture was ground until it became powder, crushed between stones.
The three ingredients were fully integrated.
Gale could smell the gunpowder. There was only enough for one small packet. He placed it on a leaf, left it on the ground, took a flint, and struck it.
Zap!
The black powder ignited instantly and exploded into a shower of blinding sparks.
In an instant, it burned into ashes, leaving only a few embers with black smoke rising upward.
Gale breathed rapidly, unable to hide his excitement. He glanced around furtively like a thief, wrapped the burned residue in the mud he had prepared in advance, and slipped out under the cover of darkness to throw everything into the river.
On the way back, his heart was pounding.
The recipe was real—it wasn't his dream!
He had truly learned from Konstantin himself, even how to gather the materials, and he had really learned how to make gunpowder on his very first attempt!
Gale hurried back to his room, hid the scale and the materials, and lay down on the bed.
He couldn't make any mistakes. This was only a perfected invention of something that already existed. Compared to soldiers who could use maneuvering equipment, he was still nothing more than an insect.
Moreover, even with gunpowder, it would be difficult for him to create a weapon. He didn't have the skills to forge them, but he could make some homemade bombs that might be useful in the future.
"I really want to see Konstantin again and have him teach me more…"
Konstantin's mind was far more closely tied to gunpowder, and he had good ideas.
Gale lacked the necessary sensitivity to adapt weapons to the Titans. The technology of his world and that of this one were not on the same level, which meant he needed to be extremely ingenious.
It was important to understand that the world Gale came from possessed renewed things that could completely outclass this world, which was why adapting what he knew to this place was so complicated.
Gale now deeply understood the true meaning of the saying, "knowledge is power." If he knew more, if he had read more books, perhaps he could have found a way out of his predicament.
He looked at the moon outside the window, then turned over and fell asleep.
He slept peacefully again that day, but when he woke up the next morning, he felt somewhat disappointed, as he did not encounter old Konstantin.
Perhaps it was just a coincidence, and after all, he could only rely on himself.
…
One month later.
Gale returned from the city in a carriage and, under Bob's instructions, moved the crates one by one into the warehouse.
After returning from his first trip to the city, he convinced Bob to trust him and joined the weekly purchasing team.
Although he was only ten years old, he was already quite strong, not inferior at all to those adult men.
Bob did not suspect him; after all, he believed that Gale had basically lived in the countryside since he was a child.
After Gale demonstrated his calculation skills while doing the accounting, Bob seemed to intend to groom him as a confidant. He no longer gave him the job of feeding the cows and sheep, but instead taught him numbers and asked him to help with the accounts.
In just one month, Gale rose to a junior management position thanks to his abilities. He was responsible for directing and recording every purchase, and during the week, he went to the warehouse to check all the supplies.
After all, he was someone influenced by modern society. His knowledge and skills far surpassed those of the farmers in the countryside, especially in the field of calculation.
Here, people often struggled to calculate bills when shopping; even simple addition and subtraction were difficult for them.
As someone who had learned the multiplication table, those "complex" calculations were child's play in his eyes, and he didn't even need to make drafts.
Of course, he was careful not to show too much of his "genius" side—just a little bit special—so as not to draw too much attention.
"Gale, have you finished the accounting?" Bob instructed a servant to take the horse to the stable.
"I have everything ready, sir." Gale handed him a small booklet. "You can take a look yourself."
Bob took it, looked it over, and nodded. "Good, you remember it well. From today on, you'll be in charge of all purchases. Tomorrow you'll come with me to the young lady's room to attend a reading lesson."
"Yes…" Gale agreed, showing respect to Bob at all times.
This was the helpful manner in which he had earned the trust of all the adults on the farm. Everyone wanted to be respected and admired, and they liked a child who was always respectful toward them.
From the very first moment, Gale realized that Bob intended to train him to replace him when he died or chose to retire. To reach this point with a slave, he was certain that was Bob's intention.
But it was also normal. Bob was aging, and it was impossible for a single steward to manage the entire farm in every aspect.
This place was, in essence, a state-level secret location. Historia was not only a daughter of the Reiss family, but also the hidden heir of the progenitor.
To be a steward in a place like this, one had to be a member of the royal family and know many secrets. It would be very difficult for a steward to find external help that could handle the small matters, allowing him to focus solely on the two most important people in the mansion.
That was why he took advantage of Gale's talents to relieve himself of some duties, which meant more power and more freedom to deal with the impending crisis.
But… as for Gale, he was a little worried…
Would having him attend classes with Miss Historia cause any potential problems…?
But he couldn't refuse. It was a risk and an opportunity at the same time. He couldn't be afraid of everything and act timidly over matters that interested anyone, or he would accomplish nothing.
The next day, he got up early and followed the steward to Historia's room.
"Listen carefully. You are only qualified to attend the lessons. You may not sit down, ask questions, or make any noise while I teach the young lady. However, after class, you may ask me whatever you want."
"I understand, sir," Gale said respectfully.
Bob knocked on the door and asked, "Miss, may I come in?"
"Please, come in," a childish voice came from inside the room.
With a creak, Bob opened the door.
Historia was already sitting in her chair with her textbook, her short legs swinging back and forth without touching the ground.
It seemed she truly enjoyed the class, sitting there and waiting for quite some time.
The steward smiled faintly and sat down in front of her, while Gale remained to the side, serving tea and bringing the desserts and cookies prepared by the chef to the table.
Then, obediently, he stayed to the side, learning the language of this world.