Still trying to figure out how I want to characterize Gold
The King, Oresteus, was known to be fair and kind to all in his land. Even accepting foreigners from the distant nations who groveled to the gods. What little knew was of his thirst for knowledge and power.
Still he was fair and honorable till his last breath. He was in close relations with the cryo and anemo archons who came to visit occasionally. He even had the honor to make a contract with Rex Lapis regarding excavations into their underground layers.
Still he and his kingdom weren't blind to the obvious problems. His kingdom followed the ways of logical thinking, and their own hard work. It was simple, and it was safe.
These other nations believed in safety by relying in an all omnipotent god to service their whims, not only was it lazy minded thinking said gods were easily corruptible, unlike their machines. He was patient though, and they had only come this far with their system. A system that allowed anyone with enough brains to benefit greatly, instead of being swayed by bribes and other royalties the teachers were paid on how well their students did after they graduated and there was free schooling everywhere.
They also had more unethical practices, the memorization was all well and good, but it was poor of a parlor trick to show off to other nations. The real show down was with engineering, science labs, and competitions. It was seen as rather unethical to teach your students dangerous equipment and send them out into the hostile wasteland to learn, or perhaps have them learn more criminal activities such as street smarts.
Any knowledge was useful.
The outsiders simply didn't get it, preferring to keep their heads in the ground like ostriches, and flocking here to marvel at their creations before scoffing as if their god could do better. From what he had seen of his old pal, Gold, he was at his last rope.
Sometimes he'd be one minute away from bursting a bloodvein whenever a tourist came by to marvel at his newest creation saying he should be thanking the archons for his smooth run creation and how he was blessed by them.
Speak of the Devil and he appears, Gold stepped out carrying a tray of bottles and test tubes on his head, they were bright and colorful as they sizzled. In his left hand he carried a ton of blueprints, in the other he had a pile of lab equipment. His mouth held a pen. Gold was always quite the multitasker.
"Gold." the King's voice called out echoing through the halls.
"Yes, your highness?" said Gold immediately tensing up as if he had been caught doing something he shouldnt have been, his eyes didn't carry the same glint as if he had gotten away with something mischievous though.
Oresteus didn't like how formal and distant Gold had become in his recent years. Gold had always been like a younger brother to him, they had grown up in the royal court together, hunted together, when they had been younger they were rarely seen without each other, "You can talk about anything troubling you, you know, I keep secrets."
Gold snorted and very nearly knocking himself backwards opting instead to pick back up the pen in his mouth and faced away.
The silence stretched uncomfortably between them. Oresteus hummed lightly meanwhile Gold kept jotting down notes. His lab was filled with documents and swirling colors. In the corner were live experiments kept in cages. "Who made that one?" asked Oresteus curiously looking at one in a jewel adorned cage and had a bow around it.
"My daughter." said Gold his voice filled with pride, "Rhinedottir made that one a couple of weeks ago. Only 13 and already making life-like replicas."
"Looks like she is making it her own personal doll."
Gold shrugged, "She made it, therefore she decides what to do with it." Quickly putting an end to any conversation between them.
His friend was usually more chatty, whatever he was working on must have been pretty important. The king had a feeling he knew what it was, his friend had always been obsessed as was his father.
"I can practically feel your disapproving stare." scowled the alchemist, as annoyingly perceptive as always. "You worry too much."
"And you worry too little. Have you had any success?"
He nodded, "Yes. It's entirely experimental but with the right arrangement of the molecular scale we can repair anything, if we were to combine our DNA with the right materials and creations we could solve old age for good. It's just a hypothesis until my lovely daughter pitched in her idea."
"Hm?"
"What if I told you there was a way to make something entirely new. Using solely alchemy?"
"I'd say you were crazy. But then again it's you we are talking about."