‘’I will not tell a soul’’. As soon as I heard those words from Alina, I smiled and relaxed. The serious tone and the look in her eyes told me that she was serious. Having received conformation, I started telling her of my ideas of republicanism, overthrowing the monarchy and the creation of a nation for the people by the people. All I n hushed whispers of course, lest the knights guarding my door overhear me. I told her about how the republic would work, in regard to the devolution of responsibilities, elections and the separation of powers. I told her about how the police system and how the military would be separate from them. I showed her a self-made copy of the universal declaration of human rights, now called the universal declaration of the people’s rights as this world has multiple sentient races. I told her how I planned to end slavery and discrimination against all.

The result of listening to all these ‘radical’ ideas had caused Alina to clutch her head as she tried to process it all. ‘’Master, these ideas, what you talked about. If anyone was heard talking about these ideas, then they would be executed for treason. How can we even get any allies to join? How can a small barony go against a country’’ she whispered sceptically. I smiled, it seemed like she was willing to join but was doubtful that it would actually work. ‘’First call me Nereus when we are alone. Second, the country is about to go through a civil war between prince Theodore and Prince Henry’s faction. Many neutral nobles will try to break away to form their own kingdoms and other countries will likely invade to take a piece of the pie. It is likely the princes will be focused on fighting each other and protecting themselves from other countries. Why would they care about some upstart baron declaring independence, even if one of them sent armed forces here it wouldn’t be a large force. We will most likely be fighting a coalition of local nobles at the start and maybe a proper army once they recognise us as a threat, but by then we will have the resources, land and manpower to fight them on equal footing. The thirdly, why we will be able to go through with this revolution is that I am currently have the blueprints to develop advanced weapons that will be able to pierce plate armour and kill a man from afar’’ I assured.

Hearing my reasonings she looked hopeful as the doubt washed away. Reaching my hand out to her I asked ‘’are you willing to join me in my revolution Alina’’. Looking at my outstretched hand she contemplated for a few seconds before eagerly clasping my hand and replying ‘’yes, I will support you Nereus’’. Smiling wide I dismissed Alina but not before telling her ‘’for now you will still have to go through the same routine and keep up the act and keep serving me as you have before we are ready, I will need at least a year to get ready and build up a army, we may have to wait another year for the civil war to start’’.

After Alina left to the jeering of the guards I walked to my study and pulled out the pages hidden under the furniture. Placing the blueprints onto the desk I marvelled at the inventions I had drawn onto the paper. The diagrams depicting the future weapons of war; bullets, rifles, revolvers, grenades, hwachas, Mysorean missiles and most importantly cannons, both siege and field types. After inspecting the designs, I started planning a list of standard infantry equipment. So what if the other side has overwhelming numbers and prestigious mages that can throw fireballs. I will just have artillery shred their forces and direct snipers to take out the mages. Finishing the paper detailing the standard infantry equipment, I moved the drawing of barbed wire aside and started sketching a primitive mine. The mine was similar to a desk bell, a small circulate metal box filled with gunpowder and iron fragments. A small plate just above, hovering over a pan of flint and finely grounded powder by a spring. When a person steps onto the plate the rod on the bottom that is usually kept up by the spring is pushed down, striking the flint and igniting the powder, causing the mine to explode, blowing the person’s leg and send fragments in all directions. Was it practical, maybe, it could kill the person making it and setting it up but if used correctly it would cause attacking troops to slow their advance and herd the enemy into certain kill zones.  No doubt that if an enemy commander saw his men dying in one area he would likely have his men avoid that area. If not then the knights ordered to go to the ‘cursed exploding land’ will move at a slower pace and will be demoralised.

Stowing the blueprints back under the various furniture in the room I turned myself in for the night. Tomorrow I will need to organise several tight-lipped workers and slaves to begin creating these weapons and after testing. Once a sufficient design has been proven to be useable, I will have to build a manufactory to mass produce these weapons.