Northern Coastline of Jola,

  The salty breeze swept across the northern coastline of Jola as Richard and the other fishermen stood watching the knights laboring over a makeshift structure. A sloped bed of stones interspersed with branches was being carefully assembled, an essential step in producing ice—vital for preserving the fish during their long journey back.

  Richard crossed his arms, his skeptical gaze fixed on the process. “I still can’t believe Her Highness’s method actually worked,” he muttered, recalling the experiment they had conducted before departing on this expedition.

  Hughes nodded while issuing instructions to his men. “It’s nothing short of genius,” he admitted, his tone steady. “But it’s working, and that’s all that matters. Now, enough gawking—get moving. You need to start setting up traps for the magical beasts.”

  Richard gave a curt nod and rallied the fishermen. Together, they headed toward the coastline, where they began constructing a series of intricate traps designed to ensnare the Mira and Maverick fish.

  Meanwhile, the knights pressed on with their task. From pots they had carried with them, they retrieved foul-smelling seagull guano, carefully spreading it across the sloped stone bed. Despite the stench, they endured it, knowing the process was essential for their island’s survival.

  “Pour the water gently,” Hughes instructed, watching closely as the knights carefully trickled water onto the guano. The nitrates dissolved into a liquid that dripped into a container placed below the bed. They repeated the process several times until they had enough of the solution. The knights then poured the liquid into shallow containers and positioned them under the blazing afternoon sun.

  “Now we wait for the water to evaporate,” Hughes explained, his voice calm but firm, “leaving behind saltpeter crystals at the bottom. While that happens, we’ll begin digging a small cave to freeze the water.”

  The knights responded with a unified nod, quickly shifting their focus to the sandy dunes nearby. Using shovels and their bare hands, they worked to carve out a small, airtight cave with a single entrance. The structure needed to retain as much cold as possible for their ice-making process to succeed.

  At the same time, the fishermen were busy with their own task. They set up a large net along the coastline, its mesh interwoven with small blades to trap and injure any magical beasts that might get caught. To enhance the trap’s effectiveness, they carefully arranged torches in a deliberate pattern.

  “The light will attract the fish,” Richard explained to the younger fishermen, his voice tinged with experience. “And when the fish come, the magical beasts hunting them will follow. They’ll get caught in the net—and with any luck, the blades will take care of the rest.”

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  By the time the trap was complete, the sun had begun its descent toward the horizon, casting the coastline in hues of orange and gold. The knights, too, had made progress. They scraped saltpeter crystals from the shallow containers and stored them carefully, readying themselves for the next step in their experiment.

  Richard approached Hughes, wiping sweat from his brow. “Ser Hughes, should we start setting up camp now?”

  Hughes nodded, dividing the knights into two groups. “Half of you, start assembling the camp,” he ordered. “The rest of us will begin the ice-making process.”

  The knights gathered water in earthen pots, wrapping each one in wet cloth to enhance the cooling effect. Carefully measured quantities of saltpeter were then dissolved into the water, lowering its freezing point. The prepared pots were carried into the sand dune cave, where they were carefully placed to ensure maximum exposure to the cold.

  “By morning, the water should freeze into ice,” Hughes said with a rare smile, his confidence lifting the spirits of those around him.

  As the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon, the team worked together to complete their tasks. The knights pitched tents and lit campfires, while the fishermen double-checked the traps and prepared for the night’s vigil.

  With the coastline bathed in the soft glow of moonlight and torches, Hughes stood overlooking the camp. Despite the challenges of the day, a sense of accomplishment hung in the air.

  Jola City, Blacksmith’s Workshop

  The soft hum of the forge and the rhythmic clanging of hammers filled the air in the blacksmith's workshop. Sparks flew as molten metal was shaped and molded with precision, casting a warm glow across the stone walls. In a quiet corner of the workshop, Ravenna and Marie sat, their expressions a mix of curiosity and impatience as they observed the work unfold.

  The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, and the workshop was illuminated by the flickering light of lanterns and the roaring forge. Despite the steady progress being made, the hours felt excruciatingly long to Ravenna, who finally broke the silence with an irritated tone.

  “Nille, though you’ve finished most of it, why the delay now?” she asked, her sharp voice cutting through the sounds of the workshop. Her arms were crossed, and her piercing gaze was fixed on the head blacksmith, who was hunched over a workbench.

  Nille straightened up, wiping the sweat from his brow. His hands were stained with soot, and his expression carried the weariness of a man who had been working tirelessly. Despite his exhaustion, he maintained a respectful tone as he replied, “Just a moment more, Your Highness. We encountered a small mishap during the welding process, but it’s nothing we can’t fix. Give us a few more minutes, and we’ll have it ready.”

  Ravenna raised an eyebrow, her impatience barely concealed. “A mishap?” she repeated, her tone skeptical.

  Nille nodded nervously, gesturing toward a contraption on the workbench. It was a complex assembly of gears, springs, and levers—an intricate mechanism that was clearly nearing completion. “Yes, Your Highness. The welding didn’t hold as well as we anticipated. We’re reinforcing the joins now to ensure the integrity of the mechanism. Once this is done, you’ll have the first working prototype of this.. Thing called a mechanical clock.”