"Do they work?" Agnes asked as I flexed my fingers. I felt the strength surge through my body like an electrical current. I slipped the brass knuckles off my fingers, placing them back in the palm of her hand.
"They do," I nodded. "It's probably best not to try here, but thank you."
"That is, interesting," Louise looked at them as Agnes closed her fingers around them, slipping the knuckles back into the pouch she had carried them in with. "So it works with blunt implements as well. Could it work with just a simple stick picked off the ground, or does it require a bit more, craftsmanship?"
That was something I haven't considered. Could a branch be considered a club? Did I need to mold it or shape it in any way for it to be considered a weapon? And what would happen if it broke?
"No idea. I know it doesn't work with things like training weapons, so intent probably does matter. And I probably couldn't just break off the legs of a chair to use as an improvised weapon, and other such things," I scratched my chin. "Something to experiment with, I suppose, free time permitting."
"Yes, yes, an interesting idea to try later," Agnis looked around the room. "May I inquire about what the topic of conversation was about before I arrived?"
"It's quite fine, Agnes. Louise was just telling us about how one of her professors is hunting for a metal dragon," Henrietta beamed, a smile on her face. I decided to at least give this conversation some veneer of legitimacy, pouring her a cup of tea.
"A metal dragon?" Agnes frowned. "I've heard rumors of such a thing, though I know little."
"Professor Colbert is looking for it. He's heard rumors that it is from another world," I poured a cup of tea for Louise as well, and I could see a slight smugness in her expression. "Given the current situation, it does seem useful."
"Indeed. Though I'm guessing he does not have much in the way of leads when it comes to uncovering its resting place," Louise's smug expression vanished almost as quickly as it appeared at Agnes's words, as I quietly kept an eye on Henrietta. That was a barb, and it was not a subtle one. But I didn't see her try to chastise either of them. Did she not pick up on it?
"Professor Colbert is smart. He likely has leads I can ask him about, or offer my assistance in such matters if necessary," Louise shrugged. "There can't a be a whole lot of places one can hide such a thing, after all."
That was overconfidence talking. The world was a large place, after all. There were a whole lot of places one could squirrel an aircraft away. Especially if nobody knew what exactly it was they were looking for. Because it wasn't exactly going to look like the dragon they were no doubt imagining it would look like.
"And since it might be an artifact from your world, you would be able to give me a description of what it might look like, yes?" Louise said. That was, actually smart, but I didn't exactly miss the lack of please.
"I could draw a few pictures if it helps," I said, partially excited. The idea of actually being able to go back home was, exciting. If it could work. If being the keyword.
"That would be helpful, yes," Louise took a sip of tea. I scowled at the lack of a please but decided to find a pen and paper. When I meant pen, I meant quill, because ballpoint pens didn't exist yet.
"There are a few different designs from a few different eras of aviation history. The metal dragon bit implies it's of a later era, not one of the earlier ones, though I should probably cover bi-wing craft anyway," I roughly sketched one out, as the three looked over me as I did so.
"Oh my," I heard Henrietta faintly whisper.
"How exactly does something like that even fly?" Agnes asked.
"Physics. It's a bit above my pay grade, but the wings are designed to catch air beneath them, while the propeller provides the forward momentum so it can build up enough speed to get off the ground. A lot of early airplanes were built out of wood, cloth, and various other light materials," I said as I moved on to the next sketch.
Metal ones come in two different varieties in general. One retains the propeller. These could have as few as one to as many as four, and there might be a particular model with six, though I don't know if it was produced, or just only a design," I outlined a rough sketch of what might pass was a World War Two fighter and bomber respectively.
"So I assume the larger ones have more of these propellers, then? Interesting," Louise commented.
"The most modern aircraft, are jet aircraft. They've abandoned propellers for, how do I describe it?" Yeah, how exactly do put this for people who are living in a medieval-ish fantasy world?
"You know how cannons work, right? How you shot them and they recoil back?" I looked up at three perplexed faces.
"Yes? Agnes said, a puzzled expression still on her face.
"Imagine using that recoil as a means of propulsion, as using those explosions to constantly push yourself forward. That is roughly how a jet engine aircraft works," I looked up at still confused faces, though Louise and Agnes had a bit of a concerned look to theirs.
"That does not sound safe," Agnes commented, crossing her arms.
"I have to agree. That does not sound like a particularly safe, or sane, way to do anything," Louise huffed.
"I'm probably making it sound more dangerous than it is. It's just that beyond the generalities, I don't know a whole lot about combustion engines and jets. It's considerably more controlled than firing a cannon, even if we're still harnessing explosions in some capacity as a mode of transportation," I shrugged. Wait? Did I just make driving around in a car seem cool? I think I might have.
"It seems very interesting," Henrietta smiled. "I would like to know more at some point in the future."
"Of course, Princess. I can share what I know, but I fully admit that it won't be much," I said. Engines and vehicles weren't my thing. Rocks and fossils, on the other hand, were most certainly my thing. Fortunately, I had no idea how to use magic, and even if I did, necromancy was most undoubtedly illegal, likely for good reason.
But would animating fossilized bones be considered a form of necromancy?
Dumb thoughts to keep to myself, I do suppose.
"However, at the moment, it would likely be for the best if I am permitted to return to my other duties, Princess," I bowed slightly.
"Of course! I didn't mean to keep you for so long. I just wanted to introduce you to my best friend is all," Henrietta beamed, a warm grin on her face as Louise looked rather sheepish.
"Thank you for doing so. It was nice to meet you, Louise de la Valliere," that wasn't entirely the truth, but I was at least going to fake politeness. Nothing would come from me string the pot, as the saying went.
"It was an honor," Louise returned, which I took as a sign that it was already to slip through the door.
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"So she's the one who managed to deal with the assassin. I didn't think she would be so, mundane," Louise wasn't exactly sure what to think about the young woman. She didn't look imposing. Frankly, she looked soft, as if she hadn't needed to worry about anything. Her being from a different world would explain that, but still. She was Henrietta's familiar?
"Louise!" Henrietta gasped. "You knew about that?"
"I overheard talk from the guards while my wand-sword was being confiscated due to security concerns," Louise said. "Wardes pointed me towards Aimee, but I chose to visit you first, to get an understanding of what happened. I didn't quite expect our paths to cross so easily."
"Viscount Wardes mentioned her? By name?" Agnes frowned.
"Only after one of the guards mentioned this infiltrator lost to a commoner, yes," Louise said, turning toward her rival. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Not, per se," Henrietta spoke, a glint in her eye that very much reminded Louise, that despite what much of the nobility said about her, Henrietta was still very much her father's daughter. "But Viscount Wardes does seem to have an interest, in Aimee. Almost a fixation, really."
Louise frowned. Viscount Wardes seemed like a perfect gentleman, even by comparison to the rest of the nobility. He did not seem like the type to seek out a mistress. Of course, he also wasn't married himself, which would make taking on a commoner mistress, redundant, to say the least.
"Is this about her directly, or her status as your familiar?" Louise asked, frowning slightly. One was arguably bad, and she'd rather not see either party involved in a scandal. But given that she had never heard of a human familiar before? That was rare, and rarity had value. Lots of value. Not only that, it had to be a sign of, something. Louise didn't know what, but there had to be more moving behind the scenes.
"We have no idea. Her being brought one was certainly sudden, but she has fit in well enough to avoid most suspicions," Agnes frowned. "Still, the interest is, unusual, to say the least. He was the one who ultimately apprehended the assassin after Aimee hit him in the face."
"I, think I'm missing more of the story than I originally expected," Louise looked towards her friend. "I was under the impression that Aimee was the one largely responsible for the man's apprehension."
"That is how Wardes does like to tell it, yes," Henrietta nodded. "Aimee insists that she survived off of nothing but luck and surprise, and while I wouldn't put it past her selling herself short, I highly doubt it was Wardes just luckily managing to interfere at the end of the fight."
"Of course, this is just mostly internally, as in how much of a reward Aimee deserves. Yes, she certainly does deserve one, that is without much contention," Agnes nodded.
"But she needs to stay outside of the center stage. Drawing attention to her is something that you don't particularly want to do, due to the oddities and questions that would ultimately be asked," Louise could follow the logic. "Having her be in the background keeps her out of focus, present, but overlooked. Nobody would recognize one maid as Henrietta's familiar, but once her recognition grows, it'll be harder for her to slip into the background."
"That is correct. Viscount Wardes, for reasons unknown to us, wants her thrust onto the center stage, possibly in front of the entire nation. Whether it is simply due to him feeling making her more renowned would make arrangements, easier to sell, to his peers, simple respect, or other motives, we don't know," Henrietta frowned. "I've asked my mother, the Queen, for permission to run a trial, of sorts. Regardless of the actual events, the perception of what happened is rather positive. I've floated the idea of having a group of combat-capable maids, as a last line of defense for the Royal Family, should all other options fail."
Louise blinked. There was a point to that. One could not have enough layers of protection, after all. It would be best to keep such an arrangement to as few people as possible, granted, such a measure would need the Queen or the Reagent's seal of approval. At least, to avoid any political fallout that might ensue. Louise knew Henrietta well enough to know her friend didn't have any aspirations for the throne, but most would assume such a group, if formed in utter secrecy, would be means of making a power play for the throne.
A stupid concern, but a valid one all the same. If it was someone other than Henrietta.
"And how did it go?" Louise asked.
"I think the idea has support. The idea of the reward being 'promoted to secret bodyguard' has some merit behind it," Henrietta sighed. "Though by that point I fear the secrecy would be used to keep everything swept under the rug. The Palace was infiltrated, and the other reason things didn't go wrong was through nothing more than good fortune. Even if the events need to be kept secret and internal, this is a problem that is going to have to be addressed, and soon. Good luck is not a bottomless commodity. There will be a point in time when it will be exhausted, and it will likely always be the exact moment you need it the most."
"Of course, that does have further upsides," Agnes said, a slight smug grin on her face. "There are many nobles who wouldn't give a commoner the time of day. Overlook their presence and disregard them as nothing to be concerned about."
"You're talking about spying," Louise raised an eyebrow. She wasn't, against the idea, at least in theory. Any noble who thought commoners had no will of their own or agency deserved what they got. But how necessary was such an operation? Surely, most nobles, despite their faults, would still be loyal to the crown, right?
They better be.
"If required. I hope it won't come to such a thing, but alas," Henrietta's words sent a chill down Louise's spine. Did she consider things to be getting that bad for that to be even on the table? Spying on the country's nobles to make sure they were not treasonous?
"Though that is a future concern at the moment," Henrietta beamed, returning to a much less dour state of mind. "I expect everything on that front to be wrapped up around just before the Diplomatic meeting."
"I've heard rumors about that. The one with Gallia, if I do recall?" Louise pressed. She had her own concerns.
"That is correct. King Joseph and his daughter, Crown Princess Isabella, will be in attendance," Henrietta smiled. "I'm unsure if his brother, Charles de Orleans, as well as his wife and children, will be in attendance."
"And what of King Joseph's wife, the queen?" Louise felt her question hang in the air.
"As I understand it, she is still too sick to travel," Henrietta said, shaking her head. "It has been a very long time since anyone has seen her in public. I'm surprised she's still alive."
"It's possible that she might not be," Agnes said, earning a glare from the two others in the room. "I know, it sounds cruel, but it is possible he simply, does not wish to remarry and uses the possibility of his wife's recovery to push off political pressures to do just that. It's a suspicion of mine, but I know how to keep it to myself when the time comes."
"Very well. There is a time and place for such speculation. Whatever the reasons may be, the Queen of Gallia will not be present," Henrietta said, a tone of voice making it clear that such a line of discussion stopped there. For both of them. "Which means whatever security issues exist will need to be resolved by that time. An assassin gets in while we are hosting the head of the Gallia Royal family and we'll be in more trouble than we are at present. Not to mention the risk this poses to the rest of my family as is."
Louise nodded. Of course, that was going to be a major concern of hers. The castle needed to be secured, first and foremost. Still, something like this had not happened in a long time. Maybe it was luck. Then again, Louise knew exactly where that type of thinking could lead.
"And there is the matter of Fouquet, the thief. Even if they haven't been seen with the same frequency as they've been known for over the past several months, they're still something to consider to be a problem. It's possible they could make a move against the palace itself, while the guards are busy," Agnes brought up, as Louise frowned. That was a fair point to bring up.
Fouquet was still at large. Quite possibly the strongest mage thief of this age. Certainly, they could easily claim such a title for themselves. They struck at seemingly random, managing to infiltrate manors to steal priceless artifacts from the Nobility. Their use of the earth element was subtle when it needed to be, and overwhelming if they had to fight.
Why a noble would choose to take up such a path was something Louise sometimes pondered. If they were so skilled, surely they could find a much better use for their magical talents, instead of being a simple thief.
"That is a concern as well," Henrietta let out a sigh. "There is so much going on, and I feel like everything will come to a head, all at once."
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"So she headed back to where she lives?" I asked as Agnes blocked a punch.
"Yes. She wasn't going to be able to stay for much longer, one way or another, and it is best to beat the sun," Agnes weaved her way around my punches without issue. In a world that didn't seem to be going through an industrial revolution, and hadn't invented electricity, I can see why flying at night could prove to be a risky proposition.
I still couldn't get over just how bright the stars were. I didn't know a single damn constellation, but they shone so brightly in the heavens. There was magic in mundanity, I suppose.
"Fair enough," I shrugged, keeping careful not to throw a full-powered punch. Though.
Agnes weaved out of the way.
"You're improving. The feint and the uppercut were excellent. But," Agnes twisted, grabbing hold of my arm, sweeping her leg into my feet, and throwing me over her shoulder. Instead, I rolled with it, blocking her overhand swing, before throwing yet another uppercut.
"I'm a bit surprised. Out of everything, it's those you're doing the best with," Agnes said, as I grinned.
"I think it's because I understand a lot of this stuff. How to punch, how to kick. So it's compensating less there, and that gives it more room for other things," I shrugged. It was my best guess, anyway.
Still, I didn't think brass knuckles would make for something so effective, and decent, as a weapon choice. I was going to cherish these things forever, that was for certain.
"Now, let's see how you're able to handle an opponent with a greater reach than yours," Agnes drew one of the wooden swords from the training rack.