Snusmumriken

I apologise for the late chapter. This was not caused by burnout, so dont worry about that. I had a rather potent carbon monoxide poisoning on Friday that left me pretty much bedridden for the entire weekend, thus cutting my available time rather drastically. The next chapter should be at the usual time.

I sighed and glanced at my bodyguard, getting a questioning raise of the eyebrow in return.

“Watch over Yeva, when Irje isn’t around, will you?”

Viter nodded, “Will do. Is something happening?”

I shook my head, “Nothing specific, just the usual unease. And I don’t want someone to target me through her either.”

I had no intention of telling him what just happened with Anaise. Unnecessary gossip aside, what she had offered to me was extremely rash if not even stupid in others’ eyes.

Yes, she was a female of high standing and could afford to take multiple partners into her sadaq. No one would bat an eye at that. The issue was that her standing was too high. She could probably get ten husbands, as long as they were at least wermages, and of a decent social standing too. Her taking in a mere wer would have caused a furore.

A murk would be outright scandalous.

I knew I was no average murk, there was no denying that. So did she and even her mother, so I didn’t expect a huge fallout from this. But the rest of the Emanai did not. If she were to actually do so it would both spell even greater notoriety for me and public disgrace to her position. A major loss for all involved.

She could have simply kept me around, a personal servant to assist with her diverse needs. Most likely the exact angle that Irje and Yeva were aiming for, a benevolent patron that doesn’t just enjoy the fruits of my labour but enjoys my presence in general. And, therefore, unlikely to harm me or mine.

Yet she did not. Anaise didn’t want my occasional presence in her life, she wanted exclusive access to me. Whether because she saw me as something worthwhile to bet her social standing on, or out of some deeper insecurity. Perhaps it was even due to her relative inexperience with relationships too.

She was young and impressionable, and I came at her with the skills honed over the untold amount of years. Knowledgeable enough to use yet still inexperienced to gauge my strength. No wonder things have gotten to the breaking point. Worst of all, I had no idea what she would do in the future. If Anaise was already trying to take me into her sadaq, she might resort to doing something equally as drastic. Irje and I were much sturdier, but Yeva was just one unfortunate accident until there was no turning back for any of us.

But I wasn’t going to divulge all that to Viter. He didn’t need to know the sordid details of my relationship with the Lady of the House in order to do his job. Nor did I actually expect Anaise to lash out to such extremes. She was frustrated, angry, hurt, but she wasn’t stupid. Anaise might be new to intimate relationships but she wasn’t new to social interactions.

I chuckled ruefully to myself and set my feet toward my house. Once again I had a ‘woman’ problem in my life. Aikerim was pleased with my results, Shahin was gone, and Albin was working on Sophia’s problem. But now I went ahead and made an Anaise issue just to keep my life busy it seemed. I had no doubt that some sheep lady had a hand in sending that werecat after me too. Although that was likely due to the fact that most of the decision-making was done by said ladies, to begin with.

XXX

Seeing girls in a happy mood felt like the balm on my heart. I was quickly pulled in and got up to date with what happened during my absence. Both the happy parts of Irje trying to lift Yeva and the bittersweet ones about Yeva’s late mother. My attempts at apology were quickly dismissed as unnecessary. In fact, she specifically asked me to teach her my way of playing, both as the gratitude to her mother and to spite the well-established songs of Emanai.

Which I immediately started on doing by placing her into my lap and guiding her fingers with mine. The warmth of her body and Irje leaning on my back slowly worked at unravelling the tension inside of me. Allowing me to slowly parse through the issues of the day and start working at them with relative peace inside my heart.

“The new walls would be in place by the end of the day,” I spoke as I worked on Yeva’s proper hand positions. I could see she was eager to play and was already quite quick to recognize and identify the correct notes, but the right hand was just as important, “Which means that tomorrow the buildings will be either built or the inner layout will be established. It might be a good time to figure out what we want to have.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to do that tomorrow when everything is in place?” Irje hummed from behind.

“I don’t want us actively planning in front of Samat workers. While Domina and her immediate family are aware of who will be living in it, I don’t want one of the wersheep to put it together and make certain assumptions. I already have plenty of their attention just because Sophia was interested in me, I don’t want to find out how obsessed they would be when they realize that Kiymetl is building an estate for a murk.”

“Or find out about us,” Yeva quipped as she kept strumming. Her tip of the tongue was sticking out from the immense concentration she had at her task.

“Or find out about both of you,” I nodded. “It is overall better to draw as little attention to us as possible right now.”

“The way that you say it sounds like you expect to attract a lot of attention later,” Irje giggled, “But I have already told my requirements to Domina. A living house with an inner courtyard would give us plenty of rooms and allow us to relax and enjoy life without being visible outside of the estate. And separate kitchens and storage area.”

“Something that both you and Domina would appreciate. You will have your quiet place to fiddle with your plans, while she feels content that you are secure in her Manor.” Yeva chimed in again.

“But what would you appreciate, then?” I ruffled her hair.

“Nice straight paths,” She huffed trying to move her head away without stopping her practice, “And an easy place for me to help you with your chemistry. Away from prying eyes.”

“Agreed. I would also make rooms a little bit bigger and taller and have washrooms inside the building. I am sick and tired of walking outside in the middle of the night.”

“That is disgusting!” Yeva scrunched her nose, “I have no intention of smelling foul air near my bedrooms. Or worse, inside. If you really can’t hold it that long just grip your stick harder while you run!”

I snorted at her suggestion while gagging noises from Irje made her stance known too.

“Don’t worry, love. I have no intention for them to smell at all. I will install the proper plumbing with water traps to keep the smell from coming back, and with the aqueduct, we will have all the water we would need to flush. But showers and a sauna would have to be outside. Just to speed up the construction.”

“If you haven’t noticed, the ones in the Manor already use running water, and I can still find my way there by smell alone,” Yeva wasn’t easily placated by my promises.

“Because they simply wash it away with a stream. While I would use water as a seal to stop the gasses from moving back at all.”

“What is a sauna, however?” Irje butted in.

I smiled back at her, “It is a magical place where all are equal and women turn prettier after each use. But there is no point describing it right now, it is better to experience it when it is done. Anything else?”

She scoffed, “Yes, usual Erf plans. How could I forget? I also asked Domina for the kitchens. That way we can have an almost separate compound to ourselves without too many people coming and going.”

“And then a few spacious warehouses for storage and work areas, leaving the rest of the space empty for now,” I concluded.

“Aren’t you going to use the aqueduct?”

I shrugged and put Yeva’s fingers into a new position, “I don’t know yet. I haven’t decided if I will use it for water only, or make it turn the axles too.”

No point in setting up the waterwheel or a water generator if whatever was powering the nanite container was still in a workable state. No matter how efficient I will make it be it won't hold a candle to more advanced energy generators.

“Can’t you use water afterwards anyway?” Yeva asked.

“I can but not under pressure. I can store at the height of the aqueduct and have pressurized water available both for our home and other uses,” I couldn’t stop from cringing, “Ordering or making waterproof pipes would be a pain.”

There was a reason for my frustration. Emanai had Iron, steel and copper. They did not have stainless steel that wouldn't easily rust. And copper was in use, but it wasn’t as freely available as I hoped. This was coin material, for jewellery, and copperware. Not to build pipes from.

For that they used lead.

Malleable, easily workable metal that was just a tinge on the deadly toxic side when in acidic environments. Just a tiny bit, that's all. Suffice to say I had no desire to use such a ‘barbaric’ system. I also needed solder and direct heat to waterproof any pipe connections I will have. Something that Emanai had zero supply of.

“I guess I will need a furnace and a forge next, as a start for a metal shop,” I groaned.

Asking a blacksmith for the loom beater comb was one thing. Trying to explain to them the nuances of threading pipes or making straight hollow and waterproof pieces would either get me kicked from the smithy or will saddle me with exorbitant prices. Hiring someone would be much cheaper. Especially since I didn’t need a master smith. I needed someone who was familiar with metal. Someone I could eventually turn into a machinist. Extensive smithing experience won’t be necessary at least at the start.

“You have no plans to slow down, are you?” Irje shook her head.

“I need tools. I needed glass so that I can store chemicals and glass sheets for nice windows and greenhouses. Now I need proper steel for tools as well as the ability to shape metals with precision.”

I sighed, “I need tools to make tools to make tools.”

“Why would you make a green house out of glass?”

“Have you ever wanted a fresh fruit in the middle of the winter? Or in early spring? Properly heated greenhouses would allow plants to grow all year long, as long as the sun shines at them through the glass roof. They are the houses for the greens.”

Yeva slowed down her practice, “Perhaps you should concentrate on that, rather than metals.”

I chuckled, “I will make sure we will have enough space for a few of them, then. It won’t be an issue now. The first run had been successful and the next ones will occur at a faster pace. We will work on getting better insulation in the future but for now, making it easily repairable and replaceable will do the trick.”

We kept talking like that well into the evening. Adding smaller and smaller corrections to the plans. Our quiet conversation was accompanied by soft melodies coming from Yeva’s little fingers. While Irje chose to simply sprawl on the bed, basking in the ability to do nothing at all but discuss how lavish her future house would be. Occasionally poking me with one of her feet for no reason.

But all good things must come to an end, and I couldn’t keep my head buried in the sand for too long. No matter how nice it was just to sit and relax and discuss pleasant topics, the issues of today still loomed over me. And through me - on all of us.

“Anaise came over today,” I finally decided to bite the bullet.

“I can smell another woman on you, Erf. Is that why you were so fidgety all this time?” Yeva asked as she kept plucking the notes.

I guess that sort of revelation wasn’t as dramatic if you have two women of your own who had encouraged you to pursue the third.

“She asked to take me into her own sadaq.”

Yeva missed the note, while Irje jerked upright.

“So, what does that mean?” The cougar demanded while Yeva sat deathly still and quiet, “What would happen then?”

“Nothing, except there is now an angry and hurt Lady of the House.” I sighed.

“Well, I am not giving you up either, no matter how sad she is.” Irje proclaimed.

In the meantime Yeva put the guitar aside and quietly cuddled in, telling me her own opinion with her actions alone.

“Nor am I asking either of you to,” I replied, while gently stroking the hair of my cuddlebug. “The issue is what should I do and how to avoid her potentially retaliating on both of you.”

“She is hurt not because she can’t enjoy your company, but because she couldn’t take you all by herself,” Irje huffed. “While I understand her feelings, I have given too much of my life to wermages already. I will not be giving my love too.”

“Is that is why you encouraged me to take Yeva in? What is it about at least two in the sadaq anyway?”

“Yes, and she knows,” I felt the nods of confirmation on my chest, “Sadaq is not a real sadaq until you have three together. While two can say that they are in sadaq - there are still enough ways to dissolve it outside of our control. With three or more, however, only we can break it, or Domina wouldn't recognize it when it forms. Which means that others can no longer will it away if it fits their needs.”

I sighed, “That is all rather mercantile. As if you didn’t care about her at all back then.”

“I care about her,” She spoke gently as she ruffled my hair, “Otherwise I would have never offered that to her. I saw her plight and I saw that you were not indifferent to her. And I could see her perk up every time you were near.”

I heard a small whine of embarrassment within my lap.

Irje continued, “I am not a wicked woman, Erf. Selfish one, yes. But not wicked.”

I pulled my hand out and dragged her into an embrace, pulling all three of us close.

“Thank you, Irje. And I am happy that you aren’t. Let's rest, and then we could consider what to do with Anaise to make sure there is less hurt among all of us. And no more seduction of high-profile targets!”

I got stronger hugs in response.

XXX

I woke up with a rather usual experience of having my dick wet. The only unusual part was Irje’s raucous laughter as she disappeared through the door in between Yeva’s shrieks of indignation and outrage. Apparently, she had managed to get both of us horny only to finish me off and leave me alone with a frustrated and extremely needy Yeva.

Most likely to blunt yesterday’s gloom. Or so I thought as I pushed my lithe lover deeper into the bed, using my entire weight to explore her fully. Her curled and shaky toes told me that I had found my target.

Bless her noble but horny heart.

I did ask Yeva to be careful in the next few days before I had to go and ‘oversee’ the construction. Just to be sure. But Yeva didn’t mind my paranoia, choosing to stay in bed and relax until the hunger would eventually get her up. I chuckled and gave her a farewell peck in return.

The smug-looking Irje received a well-deserved but inconspicuous pinch when she replaced Viter. She wanted to see the work being done and demanded that they would switch places for the day.

The construction was proceeding as usual.

The ‘usual’ being magically enhanced.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who wanted the mysterious murk alchemist to stay as far away from the Samat workers as possible. My hunch was right on Aikerim trying to keep the estate 'ownership' hidden. In the end, I didn’t even have to explain my desires to them but to Sulla. Who diligently took my drawn plans and additional details for buildings and foundations in order to relay them to the builders himself. Most likely on the pretence of the orders being directly from Domina.

Not that I had to explain a lot. Samat wasn’t building everything. Just the walls and structural parts of the buildings. With the internal elements to be filled later by Kiymetl workers and carpenters. Which meant that all I actually had to do was to lay down the position of every building and issue deliberately ambiguous requests like making the main living area designed for the Enoch-type individuals. With a few small rooms thrown about.

Hopefully, they would think that this estate would house Tarhunna or his relatives, while I get rooms spacious enough to lay plumbing in the floors, and thicken the walls too at a later time.

The display of magic was still wondrous to my eyes, but my mood soured rather quickly watching it unfold. My thoughts kept turning back again and again to the hurt look on Anaise’s face. And, no matter how hard I tried to look, I couldn’t see her anywhere.

I saw the waves of red tails in the sea of a crowd, but I didn’t see one as fluffy as hers.

I stood overlooking the wermages that were building an estate for a slave murk, yet my eyes were trying to see the familiar green of her eyes.

And say something.

But what?

What could I really tell her that wasn’t just another apology?

Take her in myself? That would be a slap to her pride and status even worse than my refusal had done already. Dissolve my sadaq and hurt Irje and Yeva? That would make me hate myself.

Sometimes the only way to heal the hurt was to let the time wash it away. Perhaps she was the smarter one among us both, by choosing to stay away while it hurt too much.

Worst of all, the construction didn’t last as long today, choosing to suddenly wrap up to Irje’s chagrin. I tried to ask around, but was met with the lack of concrete explanations beyond ‘family matters’. In the end, I gave up and let irate Irje pull me away. Honestly, I found myself unable to care much. I had more on my plate than to try and untangle the intermanoral politics.

Especially since I was already at the epicentre of the Kiymetl-Shebet storm.

And I will probably end up mediating Aikerim and Albin quite soon. If he does come up with anything worthwhile for me to bet on.

We trudged back to my house, where snickering Yeva told Irje that it was her punishment for the morning. I let them playfully bicker among themselves without butting in myself, content to sit in my own funk.

“Erf. Go do something,” Yeva suddenly commanded.

“What?”

“Anything. Go play with your chemicals, come up with another insane idea or something. Occupy yourself. Get busy and take this grump along with you.”

“Hey!”

“And what about you? Do you want to come along?” I asked, making her scrunch her nose.

“I will stroll around. Breathe fresh air and take Viter to guide me. Don’t worry about me every moment like a hen.” She gently chided.

“Thank you,” I stroked her hair, “For being the sensible one among us. Irje, come on.”

“Awww. We could have other fun instead.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Take your toy with you, then.”

“Erf!”

XXX

I sorted the vials around, mentally checking what I had in stock and how much I actually wanted to have. Irje didn’t even bother to come inside, accusing me of how much the lab stank. Well, it wasn’t like I kept ammonia for its smell.

I wondered if that is why Yeva never asked to visit the lab. Or bothered to come with us, to begin with.

The new place will definitely have dedicated ventilation.

Yeva was right. It was much easier to worry about simple problems. Even ones like where to find nickel or chromium, tungsten or niobium if I were to delve properly into steel alloys. Or bauxite and zirconium if I was planning on handling liquid steel and glass in earnest anytime soon. The answer was simple - I needed expeditions.

Some things I could buy in large bulk orders. Some I could only buy in tiny amounts as oddities rather than industrial materials and pay a hefty coin for it. Some were virtually nonexistent on the market.

There was no way I would be buying rubies only to grind them into dust and turn them into a furnace lining. Aikerim will have a heart attack. And then make me have one too.

Then there was another issue. Scale. Emanai had steel for weapons and armours. Even some tools for master artisans. They did not have enough for farmers, buildings and machines. Every chunk of steel came into existence from countless hours of hammering the bloom into metal. It was similar to other metals and resources. The markets had them, but they were selling kilograms while I needed tonnes.

Especially copper and steel. If I would decide to skip ahead and start their industrial revolution from electricity, rather than from steam. But it wasn’t likely. At least not on an industrial scale for sure.

A familiar shuffle had entered my ears and my heart trembled in joy.

“Anaise!” I turned around with a smile on my face, “Look I am sor-hnk!”

A solid punch into my chest pushed the air out of my lungs. I awkwardly looked at the unfamiliar face in front of me. Male, with a full beard, and short hair. A murk or a very human-like wer. And then my eyes went down to his arms, outstretched in front of him and still tightly gripping the dagger.

With an eerie calmness, I felt the fascination at what he had done so quickly and so effortlessly. The blade went right between my reinforced ribs, deep into my chest. Puncturing my lung and slicing my heart in half.

Oh.