Episode 134 At any time, no matter who challenges - The Saga of Lioncourt

In the autumn of my 32nd year, a minor accident occurred. My mother, Lucienne, took a fall. It wasn't anything significant. However, an elderly person's fall can lead to unexpected injuries. Lucienne, having hit her hip rather hard, found herself unable to stand properly, nearly bedridden. Humans weaken when they become immobile. Lucienne, who was healthy for her age, began to deteriorate, and the monotonous days of lying in bed dulled her mind, causing her to repeat the same stories over and over. Thankfully, she hasn’t needed help with the bathroom yet, but walking is tough for her. Instead of using the toilet, she relies on a chamber pot in the room with someone assisting her. She is 57, an elder by Amoros standards. ...Mother, you've aged... I was taking care of my bedridden mother. Lucienne seemed embarrassed to receive care from her son, but I wanted to care for her, and so I did. Thinking back, I've rarely done anything that could be called filial piety. I made an effort to spend as much time with her as possible, increasing the time we spent together. "Mother, it's a lovely and warm day today. Shall we take a look at the garden?" "Yes, but... being carried is a bit embarrassing." In Amoros, it's customary to sleep naked, but as she is unwell, Lucienne wore clothes to avoid getting cold... I could take her out as she is, but the autumn breeze might be a bit chilly. I picked up Lucienne's overcoat and gently placed it over her shoulders as she sat up in bed. It was like a cape draped over her. "Oh, it's fine. I love you dearly, Mother. Please take a stroll with me." "...Always such a mother's boy." Though she scolded me, Lucienne smiled bashfully, showing her happiness. Without waiting for her permission, I lifted her up. It was what you’d call a ‘princess carry’. "Varian, you're truly big. It's hard to believe I gave birth to you." Lucienne clung to me, looking genuinely happy. My aging mother had grown frail, and I was surprised by how light she felt. In the garden, Enzo was training Robert and his schoolmates with swords. Robert was eleven... however, compared to his older brother Simon, who first entered battle at twelve, Robert’s build was more delicate, and his sword skills were still raw. They couldn’t be compared in martial prowess. ...He's still not there... At this rate, he won't be fit for battle for a while... I felt that Robert's first battle was still some time off. At this pace, it might take five years. "Varian, Robert is doing his best. Don’t rush it; the moon will rise if you wait." Lucienne, who was watching Robert train with me, seemed to understand my thoughts and spoke with reassurance. She understood the difference between Robert and Simon as well. Lucienne's saying 'The moon will appear if you wait' is an Amoros idiom. It means that even if things are not going well now, everything will come to fruition in time, so wait without rushing. She was telling me to patiently wait for Robert’s growth. She was right. If it takes five years, then five years is what I shall wait. "True, no need to rush. 'Young fruit is sour,' as they say." "Indeed, Varian, you are truly wise." When I responded with another saying, Lucienne laughed heartily with delight. Mothers tend to treat their sons as children forever, but at this moment, I found that immensely comforting. ...It seems looking outside has brightened her spirit... I continued to stroll while holding Lucienne, engaging in idle banter. During our conversation, when I mentioned the "Seven Stars of the Eastern Heavens," Lucienne advised me, "Seven won't do, make it the Twenty Stars instead." "Never mention a star's name. Just say you have 'twenty reliable retainers.' It's more important to make each retainer feel like 'I am one of the Twenty Stars.' Ensuring everyone can give their best is what matters most, more so than relying on seven heroes alone." Lucienne's words were profound. She was truly a wise mother. With renewed respect, I also felt pain seeing her frail state. The mother who had always guided and nurtured me rightly was now aging and having trouble even walking. Such is the impermanence of life; the flow of time is indeed cruel. After some time walking, we returned to the room where Kiara was changing Lucienne's chamber pot. In the Paersolon tribe, ‘caring for the elderly is everyone’s duty,’ it seems, and Kiara often wanted to tend to Lucienne. Lucienne warmly accepted this... She never sought help from Suminah, the rightful wife, for some reason, but I assume there are various nuances there. "Mother, Cauchy said he'd come again tomorrow." "Oh my, thank you. Lady Kiara is such a good girl." Kiara's speech retained a boyish tone, likely because she learned from my son Raymon. This gave her a youthful impression beyond her real age (partly due to her appearance), and Lucienne seemed to indulge that, treating her much like she did her grandson Raymon. Kiara, too, occasionally rejoiced over received treats. As for my mother's lover, Roland Cauchy, he had turned sixty but remained remarkably spry. Yet, he would refrain from approaching when I was with Lucienne... well, there are complications there too. Our household's family dynamics are quite complex. ... Moreover, that autumn brought joyous news. Clothed in simplicity, potters who had relocated close to the clays of Bayesong presented their first kiln-fired pottery. As mere unremarkable earthen pots, they represented a new industry for Lioncourt, bringing me joy. Four households of potters moved, and Lioncourt also recruited a few residents to join in establishing a new village. Though it's currently just an eleven-household hamlet, we have promised support with food for the next year and a tax exemption for three years. "Well done. I'll bestow a reward. Is there anything you desire?" When I asked the head potter, who made the presentation, he requested a portion of the forest for procuring firewood. The head potter was still in his late twenties, an impressive craftsman with a confident demeanor. Before relocating, he was mobilized as a soldier under Baron Cocteau but was safely secured and moved with his wife (refer to Chapter 121). Confident in his pottery skills, he stood before me assuredly, a man of pleasant demeanor. Incidentally, my 'interaction' with his wife remains a secret. "I see, that is necessary... I will grant you surrounding lands. Ensure reforestation before stripping the land bare." Firewood is necessary for pottery, but simply using it isn't sustainable. The land of Lioncourt is lush with greenery now, but as the population grows, there's a risk of forest resource depletion. Lioncourt’s main industry is ironworking... widespread deforestation is foreseeable. I wish to educate and instill the necessity of reforestation before that day comes. Currently, the forests are abundant, and it's understandable that there is little sense of urgency about deforestation among them. Even in the mining city of Fael, reforestation is encouraged, but it is not well understood in practice. I digress, so let us return to the matter at hand. When I granted the land, the head potter expressed joy with a simple, "Thanks." While it wasn't the most courteous response, it was typical enough. "Also, I want to try making some pottery myself." When I suggested a pottery experience, the head potter's face showed overt displeasure, though he said, "It's no problem." Craftsmen often dislike having amateurs meddling in their workspace, and he likely assumed I would merely disrupt things out of curiosity. "Don't be hasty. I actually enjoy baking tiles as a hobby and have recently been experimenting with this... Have a look." As I handed him a prototype shard I had made, the head potter examined it with keen interest. The shard was unremarkable, but it was glazed with a "yuyaku" I had experimented with. Amoros ceramics traditionally had no glaze, relying on polishing for water vessels to prevent leaks, but otherwise unglazed. Having noticed this, I attempted to recreate a glaze from faint memories, experimenting several times in a tile firing kiln... However, my knowledge was not expert. I knew terms like “straw ash glaze” and “feldspar glaze” just enough to guess that materials like "straw ash" and "feldspar" were involved. The problem was I didn’t know what feldspar actually was... My understanding of feldspar glaze was non-existent. I improvised with white stone powder, ash, pine resin, and other random materials mixed with diluting clay. This was applied to bisque-fired tiles and fired once more. Most attempts ended in merely dirtying the tiles, but by some chance, I achieved a glassy section, which I cut out as a shard to present to the head potter. "...What's this? It's not quite a polish..." "This is called 'Yuyaku.'" There was no word equivalent to "glaze" in the Amoros language. I decided to convey it phonetically as "Yuyaku." "In the far east, they apparently coat pottery with this to make it beautiful and durable... Since I made this haphazardly, it turned out gray and gritty, rather filthy, right? But in reality, it's supposed to be much nicer." The head potter muttered "Uyakk?" while analyzing it from various angles and through the light. “What’s Uyakk made from?” “I don’t know. The recipe for glaze seems to be a secret… I only gathered hazy information from a book in the royal capital during my childhood. But if you’re willing to use my prototypes, I’ll share what I know.” I roughly explained the components, counting them on my fingers: "A hefty amount of white stone powder, a good heap of straw ash, a good heap of miscellaneous wood ash, a small bit of pine resin, less clay, and plenty of water." Without scales, the measurements were approximate. Naturally, the part about books from the capital was a complete fabrication. I pooled the remnants of “Tanaka’s knowledge” I barely remembered and used a “something like this?” approach. Of course, all of it was a failure. Making glaze isn't that simple. This was merely a miracle where "somehow, just this part became glassy," carefully extracted as a shard. Moreover, while the texture became glasslike, the finish was quite unappealing. It wasn't something that could truly be called a proper glaze. Yet the head potter, upon hearing my explanation, exclaimed, "Alchemy!" His eyes widened in genuine shock. "Ah, indeed... It might well be considered alchemy." I found myself strangely satisfied with the term “alchemy.” Transforming bisqueware with a secret recipe… it did seem like alchemy. "But you see, I don't know how to make it either, and this recipe is still experimental. Therefore, I’d like to make pottery myself too." The head potter nodded thoughtfully at my words. "It's true, the king isn’t a ceramic craftsman. But alchemy is beyond me as well." "Exactly. Beyond this, one person’s effort won’t suffice. I ask you to try various things too." Perhaps accepting my reasoning, the head potter crisply pocketed the shard with an “Alright then.” I didn’t mind, though he was certainly a scrappy fellow. Anyway, if Lioncourt could develop its own distinctive pottery as a specialty, that would be enough for me. Thus began the earnest endeavor of pottery production in Lioncourt. And so, my hobby transitioned from tile baking to pottery making, leading to frequent visits to the potters' village... It's a secret that I also engaged in special pottery experiences with the head potter’s wife on occasion. I am the kind of person who is willing to accept any challenge at any time. 'The Universal Genius' While neither Varian nor the head potter knew it at the time, glazed ceramics had already been brought into Amoros from abroad. However, Lioncourt ceramics originated from entirely different roots and developed into an independent art form. The hallmark of Lioncourt ceramics is undoubtedly its diverse glazes. Initially, the intent was 'to enhance durability,' but through much trial and error, various glazes emerged, and rather than showcasing the form or patterns of the vessel, 'the beauty of the glaze' was highlighted as a unique cultural expression. Naturally, the completion of Lioncourt ceramics required many years, gaining recognition widely only after much time had passed since Varian’s death. Yet Varian I is remembered as the ‘Founder of Lioncourt Ceramics.’ ‘A great inventor, well-versed in alchemy’ Varian I, through his discoveries of ‘sugar production’ and ‘glaze creation,’ became known in later ages as an ‘alchemist.’ In later assessments, Varian was lauded as a "universal genius" who excelled in various fields, and his numerous ‘eccentricities’ were generally seen in a favorable light, attributed to his genius.