[Melas] Chapter 144: Sliced Bread (Patreon)

Sliced bread. It was one of the greatest inventions in the world. My world, at least. So, naturally, the next greatest invention should be something that was built off sliced bread, right?

And that was why I had chosen this as my first invention: the toaster.

It improved the texture of sliced bread by turning a bland and stale but easy to eat meal into something crisper and more palatable. Especially if you had access to butter or some strawberry jam. It would be a big hit!

The idea of toasted bread probably already existed in this world. However, something as convenient as this toaster wasn’t readily available… probably. At least, from what Aniyar told me.

He wasn’t an unreliable source of information. He’d lived in Jahar’taw for his whole life. So, unlike someone such as Gennady who’d been away from the city for years, I actually trusted Aniyar.

Even if he was more of a jerk than Gennady, sometimes.

For example, he told me the toaster wouldn’t take off.

“Are you sure you want this to be the product you use as a vehicle to launch your scrolls forward, Melas?” He gave me a dubious look as he stood in my room, having entered without even knocking.

“Of course, Aniyar. I’ve thought about it— I don’t think any other concept I can think of will be as successful as the toaster.” It was a primitive design compared to a toaster from my world, but it worked and it toasted sliced bread.

“I’m just sayin’, you want your scrolls to catch on, right?”

“Mhm.”

“You want a strong start for it. And this can botch the launch of your crystal-less mana tools if it goes badly.” Aniyar crossed his arms.

“Well, do you have any other alternative?” I raised a brow.

“I think there can be quite a few applications for your scrolls,” he said, eyes twinkling. “Especially with Golem manufacturing.”

I cut him off before he could continue. “Let me get this straight— you want me to use my invention to help you create… weapons.”

“Yes.”

“Weapons that’ll be used in war.”

“Correct.”

“Which could potentially result in many innocent lives being lost?” I said, staring at the Engineer.

He rolled his eyes. “If your scrolls do catch on, they will be used as weapons regardless. But weaponry and war is what drives innovation and adoption. It gives you a better head start than with… this.” He gestured at the toaster.

“No,” I refused. “First of all, this will pick up. And second of all, I don’t want to be culpable for lives lost on a battlefield unrelated to me.”

“But—”

“No means no, Aniyar.” I sat back down on my desk. “I won’t be an arms dealer.”

“It’s not like that.” The Dwarf scowled.

“I already have a meeting with a businesswoman— Lashyn. She apparently owns a… uh…”

“A car manufacturing company,” he said, blinking. “And she’s been branching out to at-home appliances. You know her?”

“I don’t know her, personally.” I shook my head. “Gennady said he’d introduce me to her.”

“You know, Melas, I sometimes forget how well-connected you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“You met with the King of Taw himself and convinced him to give you his protection. Your best friend is Gennady Usenov, former Head Scientist of the MTC, and you are also close with Bertrand, who’s the current Head Scientist of the MTC.”

“I mean, it’s not really because of anything I’ve done.” I shifted slightly. “And you speak with Bertrand regularly enough, don’t you?”

“I do see him when my job demands I do,” Aniyar said, shaking his head. “But I’m not just a nobody either. Or did you forget that I’m in charge of Project Gold?”

“Well…” I really didn’t know what to say. “Look, I’m just me, alright? I just want to live and live in peace. I’m even only pitching this idea to Lashyn so I can make some money and pay back all those who have helped me get to this point. That’s it, Aniyar.”

Otherwise, I really didn’t have anything else to do.

The Dwarf Engineer sighed. “You’re missing out on a big opportunity. I’ll just ask you to think about my proposition— not all weapons are used to kill, you know? Some are used to protect.”

He started for the door, leaving me alone in my room.

I slumped back onto my desk. I had a lot of notes strewn about. I was already tired before Aniyar came in— after all, I had to prepare a proper business proposal for Lashyn.

But before that, I had to file a patent for my scrolls.

Bertrand had arranged a meeting for me with a patenting officer for the Taw Kingdom. It should’ve protected my concept of crystal-less mana tech, although I didn’t really think IP theft was going to be a problem. First of all, to even create a scroll, one would need to know how to cast magic.

That was a big barrier of entry.

Second of all, the runic-work was complex and, while derivative of the four elemental signs used in regular enchantment-tinkering work, still differed greatly enough that one would have to rigorously study my notes to grasp it.

The point was that I was only patenting it for the sake of creating a patent. It would also help with business dealings in the future.

I heard a knock on the doorway and glanced up from my notes.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door pushed open, and first a black figure dashed in. Small, cute. Luna. I stood up and blinked.

“Luna? What are you doing here?” I patted the cat as she gently nuzzled against my legs.

Then I looked up when I saw the shadow of a figure waiting at the doorway. It was the patenting officer, and he cleared his throat.

“I’m looking for a… Ms Melas?” The Dwarf looked around the room, confused. All he saw was me, a little Human girl and a cat. “Oh, I must’ve gotten the wrong—”

“No, come on in.” I ushered him forward, and he blinked.

“You’re… Ms Melas?”

“Yes,” I said as I pulled out a chair and gestured for him to take a seat. “Is there anything you’d like to drink, Sir?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I just…” He sat down as I put away the empty cups. “I’m just here to give you some papers to sign.”

“May I take a look at them?” I smiled, pulling out a quill already dipped in ink.

“Sure, this is—”

The patent officer explained each part of the application, and I scribbled and filled out the parts that were necessary. He peered over my shoulder as I only asked questions when needed and continued through the pile of forms. He kept glancing at me, and I cocked my head.

“Is something the matter?”

“N-no, it’s just…” He hesitated as Luna purred, climbing onto the table. “Are you really filling out a patent at this age?”

“I am. Why not?”

“You’re a Human, aren’t you?” He spoke with a bit of an accent— like a city Dwarf struggling to use a formal tone. “That means you’re… fourteen?”

“Close, but no.”

“Well, that still means you’re a wee lass,” the patent officer said, scratching the back of his head. “This is a patent for something that’s pretty complex, ain’t it? I’m not a Scientist or even a Tinkerer, but I can tell it’s too complicated for a child.”

“Well, I guess when you put it like that it does seem ridiculous. But it really isn’t that complex.” I gestured at one of my notebooks that was flipped open to a random page filled with symbols. “It follows the same basic, fundamental principle of tinkering in that it—”

He massaged his temple as I droned on. After about ten seconds, he waved a hand off. “That’s way too complex for me, lass. I didn’t understand any of it.”

“Uh, well…” I hesitated. Luna rolled around the tabletop as I stood there in silence for a moment. “I mean, don’t apprentices usually file patents, too?”

“For their masters, yeah. Or for something simple and not really practical.” He shook his head, glancing back down at all the details I’d written out then at me. “This seems like something that may actually take off.”

“You think?”

“I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’ll bet you a whole house that it does.”

“I see.” I was actually quite proud of my scroll, but incredibly nervous too. and hearing a complete stranger approve of the idea instilled confidence in me that I didn’t know I needed.

“Actually,” the patent officer said, “on second thoughts, I wouldn’t bet my whole house on it. I still have yet to pay off my loans. But I do think it’ll do great.”

My lips curled up as I signed the finally dotted line at the end of the application. “Thank you, Sir. I truly appreciate it.”

“Of course.” He got to his feet, gathering up his things. “I can’t wait to see how it does. And how you do, lass. If you’re this bright at your age, then you’re going to make it far. I’ll keep an eye out for you in the news in the future.”

“R-right. Goodbye, and, uh, good luck with paying back your loans!” I waved at the man as he left.

He was a complete stranger who I probably was never going to meet again. But, I had to say, speaking with him really brightened up my day. I felt like it was going to help me with my meeting with Lashyn in the next hour.

Although, that wouldn’t be in my room. That’d be somewhere more appropriate. I beamed and turned to Luna.

“Come on. Let’s get ready.”

She purred.

“There you are, lassie,” Gennady said as I entered the meeting room, dressed in my full Witch’s outfit. “What took you so long?”

I stared at the Dwarf as he wore his usual gear— a tank top-like white shirt with leather pants held together by a thick belt full of gadgets. He had a big sack lying at his feet, stuffed to the brim with mana tools, and his beard was unkempt as ever.

“Really?”

“What?” He blinked as he got to his feet.

“You didn’t even bother to get dressed for this meeting?”

“Lashyn’s my friend,” he snorted. “And she— Goddess grace us, what? Why did you bring a cat with you?!” He backed up as Luna appeared around my shoulder.

“This is Luna. Don’t you know her?”

“I do— but why in Hell would you bring her to a business meeting? She’ll cause a mess.”

Did he just Uno reverse card me? I shook my head and stroked the cat’s back. “She’s fine. She’s very well-behaved if she likes you. And she likes me, see?”

“Well, I don’t think she likes me. No cats like me. Ever since I wrote that stupid paper,” Gennady grumbled.

“Stupid paper?” I settled down into one of the cushioned chairs, gently placing Luna on the meeting table.

“It was a hypothetical— a pure hypothetical. Let’s say you put a cat in a box and…”

I covered Luna’s ears. “Yeah, I don’t think I want to hear the rest of that hypothetical.”

He scowled. “And ever since then, cats hate me.”

“I’m sure it’s not because of all the crumbs you have on your beard.” I grinned at him.

Gennady ran a hand through his scruffy beard. “Now we’re back to this. You were still late.”

I glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Nope. I arrived on time. And the only reason I didn’t arrive earlier is because I actually tried to look neat and proper.”

“Well, you’re lucky Lashyn seems to be running late, today,” he said, relaxing himself in his chair. “She’s usual such a stuck-up about being on—”

And the doorway to the meeting room swung open. Gennady instantly sat up, gulping as a Dwarf woman walked in. She was accompanied by a pair of bodyguards who held the door for her.

“Ah, Lashyn, we were definitely not just talking about you!” He spread his arms wide, and I stood up as well to greet her.

She didn’t say a word— she didn’t even look my way as she marched up to Gennady. He blinked.

“Lashyn? If you heard what I said, it was just a jo—”

“Gennady,” she cut him off. “I apologize for my late arrival, but I have looked over the meeting brief you’d sent over. And I am sorry to inform you and this Human girl that I come to a decision to  reject this proposition.”

My eyes widened. What…?

“Good day,” Lashyn said and exited the room.

Author's Note:

Sorry for late chap. Gib thoughts!