Chapter 13 - Proposal

Generally speaking, Tetsuo didn’t think of himself as a confrontational person. He could be impulsive at times, which might feel similar, but it’s a completely different ordeal from building a foundation and preparing an argument. With Bianca, he’d rather avoid the fight altogether and just let her have her way. The city didn’t seem so bad with her in it anyways. Even if he missed the clean air or the kindness of locals from his hometown, relationships demanded sacrifice, and for her, there was no price he wasn’t willing to pay. 

Even so, as he rehearsed what he was going to say, he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had decided to say something back then. It would have been easier than what he’s trying to do now. Then again, losing her would be far worse than anything Eleanor could try to do to him.

The knight guarding the entrance to her office stomped his spear on the ground. Tetsuo stood up abruptly from his seat, crinkling the sheets he had been holding onto. The knight pulled open a large oak door and gestured for him to step inside. Tetsuo quickly complied and stepped into her office. Countless sheets littered the dens floor, as he tried to tip toe over to where Eleanor was seated. She was hunched down on a stool deeply concentrated on the work she was scribbling through on her table. Tetsuo carefully pulled up a chair behind her and sat down neatly.

“So what’s up?” She continued to write with her back turned to him as he spoke.

“Well, um…” Her inattentiveness threw off Tetsuo’s resolve. The sound of pencil scratching paper interrupted his internal monologue. Carefully, he took a deep breath and recollected his thoughts. “As you may be aware, I’ve begun patrolling Tervana ever since I’ve become part of the knights.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Congratulations by the way, I don’t think I got the chance to tell you that.”

“Yes well, um, thank you. As you may know, Tervana has a large Earthen population. It’s part of the reason I was assigned to patrol it.”

“Tetsuo, stop being formal and just get to the point.”

He took a deep breath, and continued. “I’ve been living in Tervana for a couple weeks now, and the situation there is bad. Compared to the rest of the kingdom, the quality of life there is tragic. With the majority of the population unable to use Ars, they either have to rely on someone who can, or more primitive methods.”

“We’re aware of this issue, which is why we try to have capable knights who understand their struggles to help-”

“But it’s not enough. Anyone can see that. We’re just stretched too thin, and the area is too far into disrepair.”

“So what do you propose we do then? We don’t have more soldiers we can send there, and we can’t simply force Alvanians who can use Ars to move there. I get your sympathy but the issues in Tervana come from decades upon decades of Alvania struggling with handling the summoning phenomenon. It’s not something that can be fixed in a single quick meeting.”

“I know that, that’s why I want to propose something to you specifically.”

“Oh?”

“I want to begin supplying Tervana and other Earthens outside of it with Ficium tools.”

Eleanor's pencil stopped moving, the scraping lead coming to a deafening halt. She slowly set down her pencil and swiveled on her stool to face him. She took off her glasses and set them down on the table revealing a deep violet hue that was usually hidden by the soot that caked her lenses. She closely analyzed Tetsuo’s expression, seemingly gauging the intent behind his proposal.

Tetsuo became a bit nervous with her new disposition. “I’m not saying we give them the type of Ficium that we give to Earthen soldiers or registered mercenaries. Just smaller, more harmless ones, that can be used to help make their lives more convenient.”

Eleanor sighed. “You should know by now the risks of giving less well-intentioned Earthens Ficium tools. Spreading tools, regardless of how small, poses a new risk to the kingdom. If anyone were to obtain even the smallest amount of sigil chalk, the modifications they could make would make them far more dangerous than they are currently.”

“Earthens get here and can’t even use Ars, a commodity this entire kingdom relies on. The things an Earthen can do with Ficium still pales in comparison to what the average person can do with Ars. Yet, it’s still treated as some grand threat solely due to our nature as Earthens. Tetsuo could feel his voice start to tremble. “You…You asked me where my loyalties stood, and as a knight it’s with the people of Alvania. But Earthens are citizens of Alvania too, just as much as the rest. If Alvania truly believes in welcoming Earthens in as citizens, then giving them the ability to thrive on equal terms as others would be the just thing to do.

“Even so, there will be Earthens who will take advantage of this and attempt to rebel. Being from another world, they have no real attachments to Alvania, and no reason not to take what we offer before turning against us. The criminals we apprehended went as far as to rob our shipments to further their own goal.”

“You’re assuming malice from people who are mostly just scared, lost, and confused. And again, even if Earthens did have more reasons to commit treason, if regular citizens of Alvania can be handled, then Earthens with small amounts of Ficium should be manageable as well. As for the gang we apprehended, that brings me to the second part of my proposal.”

Eleanor seemed exhausted by the conversation and dreading the rest of it. “Yeah, and that is?”

Tetsuo paused and cleared his throat. He needed this part to come out confidently. “Teach me how to make the tools. And with the permission of the kingdom, help me research a way back home.”

Eleanors dumbfounded expression told Tetsuo he had an opportunity to continue. He took the sheets he had been holding and laid them out across the table. A map of Tervana had been marked with several notes at different locations, and sketches of the relics that could be found there.

“A lot of the Earthens in Tervana struggled with adjusting to Alvania without their commodities from home, so Wilbur and I have been documenting the kinds of things people have been attempting to build here. Most of these inventions fail because Alvania doesn’t seem to have the same research or elements we understand on Earth, and most Earthens lack an in-depth understanding with how these machines work.”

Eleanor quietly watched intently as Tetsuo continued. “What if we could fill that gap, that lack of knowledge with Ficium. A combination of Earthen machinery and Alvanian Ficium. Giving Earthens the resources to create the things they need to thrive and returning them a part of their culture would deter discontent with the kingdom. For those who would still prefer to leave, knowing an Earthen is working with the kingdom would quell rumors of the kingdom ignoring the summoning phenomenon. The rebels believed in this lie, so if we could prove it wrong with results and improvements, the risk of Earthens using these new Ficium tools against the kingdom would be minimized.”

Eleanor leaned back against the table and looked up at the ceiling pensively. Tetsuo’s heart began to race, as he realized how forward his argument had become towards the end. Eleanor remaining in the same odd position asked him a question.

“Are you doing this for them or for yourself?”

Tetsuo had prepared for a question like this. “Why can’t it be both? I want to go home, sure, but until then I’m a citizen too just like them. If I’m stuck here, for now, the least I could do is try to help people while we figure something out.

Eleanor closed her eyes, and furrowed her brow. She began tapping her foot impatiently on the ground, before letting out a huff and shifting to an upright position.

“Let the guard outside know he’s relieved of his duties, we’ll be here for a while.” Eleanor walked over to a dresser and fished out a small sheet of Ficium, and a wooden pencil with its lead replaced with thin chalk.

“You know… I’ve always liked the idea of having an apprentice. Even if he could only ever dream of being half as great as me.”

Eleanor walked over to Tetsuo and extended the items out to him. He smiled and received them, the cold surfaces feeling sensitive against his palm. Tetsuo moved his chair to the table and laid out the chalk and metal, ready to begin learning.