AK - The Alchemy Kingdom

Year 5, Fall, Third Month, Third Week

“Do I really have to move?”

Lew made sure to say it with a pleading tone and a sullen expression. He clearly didn’t mind looking childish in front of his subordinates.

“Yes!”

The answer came in unison from three different voices, leaving no room for objection. Even so, the Fighter wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“Am I not the boss here? Why does it feel that I’m the one following orders?”

The secretary and the agents accompanying him instinctively recoiled once they remembered of their position. They knew Lew wouldn’t replace them because of this breach of decorum, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to punish them in training. Unfortunately for him, not everyone could be bullied into silence.

“That’s exactly the reason why you need to stay on the Tunnel’s base. What’s the purpose of a Military base if the Ministry of Defense insists on working from a basement under a pub?”

Even though Diana was subordinated to him as the military general, she also held the position of Chairwoman. Of course, she wouldn’t undermine Lew on military matters.

“I know, but in the underground base, I can come up in meet normal people every day…”

Lew’s careless words earned a couple of angry glares. Though nobody voiced it, they had clearly taken offense.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to say that you’re not normal… It’s just that everyone from AK is kind of a workaholic. Nobody knows how to have some… fun.”

The apology attempt only made them more offended. Though, only Diana had the courage and position to speak their mind.

“Try spending all your life starving and working to death to enrich an oppressive Kingdom… I’m sure your concept of fun would be working to maintain your freedom.”

Lew wanted to object, but he realized she was right. Although he had suffered too, it was nothing close to what they had experienced. The group continued to move towards the Tunnel’s entrance in silence. After the discussion, the mood had taken a noticeable dive. So, Diana decided to break the uncomfortable situation and build a bridge between them. After all, they would gain nothing by reinforcing their differences.

“It’s not like you’re moving to the capital… You could visit AP every week. Also, I understand that we need to start living for ourselves. I mean, we should learn how to enjoy our freedom… Maybe we could open a pub on the base.”

Lew almost choked when he heard the idea.

“Eh… Diana, I’m all in for helping everyone loosen up a little, but it’s not a good idea to bring some kinds of entertainment to the base. Things tend to go bad when you mix liquor and military… We could open a pub in the civilian part of the Tunnel, though. I hear that people are getting a little crazy from overwork in the capital. Maybe they could use a pub too…”

Diana could understand why mixing those two things might cause problems. However, something about it bothered her.

“I see… But if it’s not a good mix, why did you insist on keeping the command station under the pub?”

“Eh…”

***

Mrs. Mathilda pressed her husband’s arm and hesitantly followed the group into the cave. She had been informed that the cave led to a tunnel across the Green Mountains, but even so, she still feared the appearance of beasts. Daughter of a commoner seamstress apprentice, she spent her 45 years listening to the tales of a vicious forest harboring monsters by the thousands.

The seamstress could hardly believe how much her life changed in the last couple of years. Until 25, she had bounced through ateliers in Wind Castle working as an apprentice to many respected sewists, but as a commoner, they never gave her a chance to be more than that. Although her bosses were technically commoners, they all had a connection to nobility. Most were bastard children of some Lord or related to them. So, she never had the proper upbringing to practice the craft independently, regardless of how good she is.

However, everything changed when she met Keller. The cunning Merchant had contacts in all the nearby cities and promised to leverage them to sell her clothes. Though that was far from her dream of being recognized and lead fashion trends, she could at least work on her own and afford a comfortable life. The agreement ended up giving her more than financial support. The man responsible for collecting and protecting her goods became her husband. Almost 20 years later, she had a lovely home, a family, and a complete workshop that would shame half of the seamstress in the city. But still, she was forced to work in the shadows.

Mathilda thought that this would be the furthest her life and career would go, but then, two years ago, everything changed when her family was forced to leave Wind Castle in a hurry. Although Keller guaranteed their survival, she relived how frustrating it was to be kept from her life’s calling. So, when he came with a proposal to venture into the forest, to a place where her work would be needed and recognized, she accepted without thinking twice. Her son and husband hesitated, but she convinced them that Keller would never trick them. Of course, the Merchant was also forthcoming with the dangers of the place, but what could be more dangerous than living in the Kingdom?

Now, it had been a year since they came to AP. Mathilda’s initial impression was of a wonderful place but not big enough for her work to shine. The mending and fixing jobs that appeared daily were sufficient for support, but she yearned for more. Once the Mages and more stylish Adventurers started to appreciate her work, she finally experienced the feelings of a renowned seamstress. Unfortunately, AP could only bring a few customers a week, and again, she had reached the limit of her career.

After so many unexpected opportunities, Mathilda believed, or better saying, she hoped for a chance to do more. Then, as if the Origin had listened to her prayers, Keller and AP’s manager offered her a chance to supply a bigger and untouched market. How could she say no to this Origin-send opportunity?

Of course, AP still needed their job. So she left her son, who could use this chance to develop his own work, to take care of her store, and the mending work was handed to a talented woman who came to AP recently. Because of her connection to Keller and her husband’s position, Mathilda knew a few things about the mysterious business partner behind AP. However, aside from knowing they were the source of some powerful magic artifacts, she didn’t know much more.

So, when they passed the cave and entered the Tunnel, she was shocked, not as much as when a lake suddenly surrounded AP but still shocked. The Tunnel was already a marvel structure, but after a year of renovations, the place looked like an underground high-developed city. First, the light effect was improved by using more light crystals and a better design. The new drawings, which were now hidden from sight, spread the light efficiently, giving the impression of natural illumination.

The floor was covered entirely by alined stones, forming an unusually flat and even road. It looked like each stone had been polished evenly, something rarely seen even in noble’s homes. The marvel effect was achieved through a new construction tool, the stone screed. The magic tool used a MQ earth crystal to flatten stones by rearranging their internal structure. Besides leveling the rocks, the tool also bonded and closed small gaps between them, making the stone floor strangely comfortable to walk on.

Unfortunately, they still had to transport and place the stones, and even using LCs, the task occupied a construction team of 20 people for one month. So, to reduce the workload, they chose to build the walls and ceiling using wood instead of stone. Also, the drawings behind the wooden walls would probably need maintenance after some time, so it was better to build it with a material that’s easy to replace. Still, the perfectly made stone floor and the wooden walls gave an unusual architectural effect to the Tunnel.

The tunnel width had also been increased to allow a cart to pass in the middle while people walked at the sides. After walking 200 meters, the first cave rooms appeared. The room on the right had a big closed gate, while the one on the left only had an archway. Both rooms had a written sign above the entrance. Lew explained that the closed room was a security area, and the doorless one was a free access reception of the Tunnel.

Of course, he didn’t explain that the security area had an operation’s center and a squad on duty at all times to respond to any emergency. The room was close to the Tunnel’s entrance to allow them to move out without delay.

The reception room was basically an enormous cave with a restaurant, a water source, and some seats. Since the Tunnel didn’t receive visitors, the room’s purpose was to provide a resting point and space for one of the five food stores of the tunnel. In fact, the reception was the most visited recreational area in the Tunnel because most soldiers and agents worked near the entrance.

The Ministry of Defense’s personnel, the miners, and the rest of the citizens stationed in the Tunnel would add up to more than one-fourth of AK. So, even with the strained resources, the Council also decided to develop the Tunnel. Either way, the Green Mountains would be their frontier against the Kingdom.

Mrs. Mathilda and her husband were invited to stay in the reception until the next caravan left for the capital, while Lew and his officers continued to proceed for the Ministry of Defense.