The industrial towns in Wall Rose were a great place to gather metal and other components for what I was going to do.
I took another wire, looping it around the small charging unit I had cobbled together. It wasn't perfect, but it was functional, at least in theory. 
Beside me, there was also a small solar panel, which I'd rather not discuss the process of making, lest it remind me of being burned by an industrial smelter.
After a bit longer, I set my tools down.
Whether these contraptions actually worked was another question entirely. 
There was no way to test them properly indoors—not without attracting unwanted attention. 
Attracting attention was the last thing I wanted, especially from the Royal Government in Mitras.
I really should've chosen Wall Rose to live in...
From the information I had gathered through my noble acquaintances, the central government didn't exactly appreciate 'disruptive' advancements in technology. For a kingdom with a supposed stranglehold on progress, they were certainly paranoid about anyone outside their circle making something new.
And the only way to regain a sense of security on my end was to...
"Hm..." 
I glance at the window, the morning light filtering through the thin curtains. 
Sighing, I reached for a cloth bag and carefully placed the charger and solar panel inside. 
If I wanted to test them, I needed an open space, somewhere beyond the district walls where I wouldn't be disturbed. There were plenty of grassy fields outside Orvud, far from prying eyes. 
That would be my best option.
"There isn't anyone observing me today... So..."
I stand, rolling my shoulders to loosen the stiffness in my muscles before stepping toward the window. Peeling back the curtain slightly, I take another look at the city below. The people move about, blissfully unaware of the quiet resistance happening right under their noses. 
Perhaps it was better that way.
No need to rock the boat and drown everyone inside.
With one last glance, I let the curtain fall back into place, ensuring no one could see inside. Carelessness wasn't an option. If anyone found out what I was working on, I might have more to worry about than just the Interior Police.








───











Location: Farm, Wall Rose
Year: 845
Time: Morning


The dirt path beneath my boots was uneven but I barely registered it. My thoughts were elsewhere—on the girl residing within this house, the so-called bastard child of the Reiss family, and the role I played in her life. 
Or at least, the role I let them all believe I played.
Despite my infrequent visits, I had successfully established myself as an 'inspector' for the farm, a middleman reporting back to the Reiss family about their wayward bloodline. 
That was the perception, at least, and one I had no desire to correct. 
Her grandparents, who were wary and untrusting, interpreted my presence as a sort of unspoken command from the higher echelons of the nobility. A reminder that their protection of Historia, however reluctant, was still being monitored.