Chapter 672: Back to Work

A few days later...

Ezra and Lucy returned to the Ashenlocke Estate.

They did not waste time settling into the Guest House assigned to them for the holiday.

The moment they arrived, their luggage was brought inside, and they returned to the rooms they had occupied since coming back from the Royal Academy for the break.

For Lucy, it meant unpacking their belongings and getting everything in order again.

For Ezra, however, the holiday was practically over before it had even begun.

Now that he was back, work began almost immediately.

Inside his room...

Ezra arranged the clothes and other items he had bought during his journey to Thornwick.

He folded what needed folding, placed his belongings where they belonged, and checked the things he would need for the day.

He had no intention of spending much time in the Guest House.

His next destination was the Ashcraft Research and Development Facility.

The firearms and gadgets he had entrusted to the Ashcraft team were nearing an important stage.

From the messages Elder Ivanhoe had sent him while he was travelling back to Metallica, the projects had entered their testing period, and the financial evaluation of the firearms was also underway.

Ezra wanted to see the results for himself.

He had to review if the Craftsmen working on the firearms had done a perfect job creating the weapons, plus its performance had to be tested before it could be considered ready for production.

The same applied to the gadgets.

Their functions needed to be checked, and their costs had to be evaluated before the Ashenlocke family could decide how to proceed.

There was plenty to do.

His responsibilities were not limited to the products being developed at Ashcraft, either.

Ezra also had a discussion meeting arranged to discuss the use of the Law of Inversion on bullets with Elder Ivanhoe and several of the top Gun Alchemists of the Ashenlocke family.

The discussion was intended for experienced Gun Alchemists, people who had spent years studying their path and developing their own creations.

However, the Ashenlockes wanted to take the idea further.

They planned to hold an educational conference that would be broadcast to a wider audience.

The presentation would offer a brief introduction to how Alchemists following a Combat Alchemy Path could use the Law of Inversion to improve their own Alchemy creations.

It would not be limited to firearms.

The goal was to explain how the principle could serve as a boost for different kinds of combat-related creations, giving other Alchemists of the Combat Path a starting point for understanding its uses.

Ezra would also speak to the upperclassmen of Ash Academy.

His explanation would give the students a chance to learn about the principle before the Ashenlocke family began publishing the manual.

The family wanted the information presented in an organized manner, and Ezra’s involvement was important because of his understanding of the subject.

News of the plan had already attracted attention beyond Ash Academy.

Other Academies in different regions had expressed interest in inviting Ezra to speak to their students as well.

They wanted him to introduce the concept at their institutions before the manual also became available.

For the Ashenlockes, this was another opportunity to spread their influence and establish their place in the field of Gun Alchemy.

Between the firearms, the gadgets, the planned conference, and the upcoming manual, Ezra had plenty to occupy his time.

He also had several firearms he wanted to present to the Ashcraft team.

With so many projects moving forward at once, the entire Ashenlocke family was experiencing one of its busiest periods in business.

Ezra finished arranging his belongings and checked that he had everything he needed before leaving his room.

He stepped into the corridor of the Guest House and walked towards the room opposite his own.

After stopping in front of the door, he raised his hand.

Knock.

Knock.

He knocked twice, gently enough not to disturb anyone else in the building.

"Master?"

Lucy’s voice came from inside.

"I’m leaving now."

Ezra said calmly.

There was a brief pause.

"Already?!"

Lucy sounded surprised.

Her master had only just returned from Thornwick, yet he was already heading out to deal with the work that had piled up in his absence.

She had expected him to take at least a little time to settle in before returning to his usual routine.

Apparently, that expectation had been too optimistic.

Ezra did not change his plans because of her surprise.

"Make sure you begin your training today, Lucy. The Head Maid of your unit will help you, along with the other Servants of Ash who are Alchemists like you. I’ll find time to check your progress personally."

His instructions were direct.

Lucy was not being left without guidance.

She had the Head Maid of her unit to assist her, and there were other Alchemist servants she could learn from.

Ezra expected her to begin training rather than wait for him to return.

He also made it clear that he would check her progress himself when he had the time.

"Okay, Master."

Lucy replied calmly.

Her answer showed that she understood what he expected from her.

Ezra waited for a moment before turning away from the door.

He had other responsibilities to attend to, and he could not afford to spend the morning standing in the corridor.

He left the Guest House and made his way to the Royal Steam Carriage assigned to transport him.

The vehicle was already waiting outside.

Once Ezra entered, the driver prepared to take him to his destination.

The carriage moved through the estate grounds before joining the road leading towards the Ashcraft Research and Development Facility.

Ezra had no reason to stop elsewhere.

As soon as he arrived, he went straight to the facility, where the firearm and gadget tests were carried out in his presence.

The testing period had reached the stage where the team needed to examine the products’ performance and determine whether they were ready for the next steps.

Ezra watched the process and reviewed the results, paying attention to the information presented by the team.

Since Vera was not around due to her seclusion, Ezra also had to review the efficiency of her firearms, the Acu-Vector Series.

Her absence meant that he could not leave that part of the evaluation to her.

The weapons still needed to be checked, and their performance had to be reviewed as part of the ongoing work.

Once the testing and checks were completed, the focus shifted to the financial evaluation.

The Finance Corps of Ash was involved in this stage, examining the costs and potential returns of the products.

Elder Gram and several of the Finance Corps’ top members had also come to see the results for themselves.

They were not simply reviewing ordinary goods.

The firearms and gadgets had the potential to affect the kingdom’s market, and the people involved wanted to understand how much value the products could bring to the Ashenlocke family.

During this period, Elder Ivanhoe also showed Ezra the final production of the Steam Bicycle created by Blake Wellston.

The Ashenlocke family had awarded the contract to Ashfords, a small start-up vehicle company.

Although the company did not possess the same influence as the larger names in the industry, the contract gave it an opportunity to establish itself.

The Steam Bicycle would serve as its entry into the wider vehicle market, allowing the company to prove what it could produce.

Elder Ivanhoe explained the decision while he and Ezra sat in a meeting room inside the Ashcraft Research and Development Facility.

The room was separated from the workshop by soundproof walls.

Heavy machinery and smaller tools were still being used outside, but their noise barely reached the people inside. Documents had been arranged on the table, including the production details for the Steam Bicycle.

"The Ashfords are also a member of us Ashenlockes, but they have very little influence among the Highlines of Ash."

Elder Ivanhoe continued explaining.

He sat back in his chair, looking at Ezra as the young alchemist examined the documents.

The Ashfords belonged to the Ashenlocke family, but their standing among the Highlines was low.

Giving them the contract offered the smaller company a chance to gain experience and build its position in the vehicle industry.

Ezra turned a page.

The documents showed the completed Steam Bicycle, along with labels identifying its parts and details about the improvements made during development.

The design had been refined, and the production model was ready to be introduced to the kingdom.

Ezra studied the information in silence.

The final product was no longer just an idea discussed between its creator and the people helping him.

It had reached the stage where it could be presented to the public.

"It’s a good idea to give them the contract. Since they’re a start-up, they’ll want to do their very best with the production."

Ezra replied calmly.

His reasoning was simple.

A company trying to establish itself would have a strong reason to prove its ability.

The Ashfords had been given an opportunity that could help them enter a larger industry, and they would want to make good use of it.

For the Ashenlockes, the arrangement also offered a way to introduce the Steam Bicycle through a company that had something to gain from its success.

Elder Ivanhoe nodded.

"We’re going for back-to-back introductions."

He said excitedly.

His expression brightened as he leaned forward slightly, resting one hand on the table.

"Gram explained that the growth in revenue and reputation we’ll gain will be incredible by the end of this year."

He added, looking towards Ezra.

The Finance Corps had clearly considered the potential returns.

If the products were introduced successfully, the Ashenlocke family could gain both money and a stronger reputation across the kingdom.

Elder Ivanhoe was pleased with the prospects.

Ezra, however, continued reading the Steam Bicycle documents.

He turned another page, checking the information on the completed model. His attention remained on the work in front of him rather than the excitement in the elder’s voice.

Elder Ivanhoe watched him for a moment before speaking again.

"And after our discussion, you’ll be getting a ten percent share of the first earnings from the Steam Bicycle."

He pointed at Ezra with a smirk.

Ezra stopped reading and raised his eyes towards the elder.

"Does the creator get a reward like that?"

He asked plainly.

The question caught Elder Ivanhoe off guard.

"Well..."

The elder dragged out the word, looking slightly awkward.

He shifted in his chair, and his hand moved across the tabletop as he considered how to answer.

It was clear that he had not expected Ezra to bring up the creator’s reward so directly.

The Steam Bicycle had been created by Blake Wellston, and Ezra’s question made the matter difficult to avoid.

"To be honest, we didn’t think of rewarding him with something like that. However, we plan to continue letting the kingdom know his name, and we’ll also reward him with a scholarship for his time at Ash Academy."

Elder Ivanhoe explained.

He leaned back in his chair, keeping one hand on the table while moving the other as he spoke.

The plan was to continue promoting Blake’s name.

His work on the Steam Bicycle would be known to more people, and the scholarship would help support his studies at Ash Academy.

It was not the same as receiving a share of the earnings, but the Ashenlockes intended to provide him with continued support.

"As long as he keeps his academic results at the top, the scholarship won’t end. We might also give him another chance to make his family align with us."

Elder Ivanhoe added calmly.

He then turned his attention back to Ezra.

"But you’re receiving the reward because it’s obvious you helped him a lot. The kid showed me his first design and explained how you helped him get it right. Even the compression of the steam engine was all your doing."

He pointed at Ezra again, this time with a pleased smile.

The elder’s expression showed that he was not simply handing out a reward without reason. Blake’s first design had been improved with Ezra’s assistance, and the compressed steam engine was one of the areas where Ezra’s contribution had been especially important.

"You really are something, Ezra."

He said with genuine praise.

Elder Ivanhoe folded his arms and nodded, seeming satisfied with his own assessment.

"I kept this information to myself because it seemed you didn’t want attention for it. Mainly because you wanted that Wellston kid to receive more credit. But this reward is what you deserve."

He explained.

He had noticed that Ezra had not tried to make his own contribution the center of attention.

Since Blake had been the one to create the Steam Bicycle, and Ezra had allowed the young craftsman to receive all recognition for his work.

Even so, Elder Ivanhoe believed Ezra’s help deserved to be acknowledged.

The elder’s words were firm.

He had already made up his mind about the reward, and he seemed to think Ezra should accept it without further argument.

Ezra looked at him for a moment.

"You should share my reward with Blake."

He answered in his usual plain tone.