Chapter 38: Birthday
After the customary greetings, Leonardo sat across from Chimente, who unfolded some papers and pushed them across the table.
Nonchalantly picking it up, in spite of all expectations, he remained unsurprised even as his eyes wandered across the receipt's number. Chimente expected him to jump in joy or be beside himself, yet the boy merely nodded as if it was natural, barely letting out a 'hoh'.
Seemingly unimpressed, he grasped the coffer and had it open, revealing a few stacks of silver dinars of Venetian mint. Each was worth 10 tari. After a brief scan, he confirmed the sum of 5820 tari, then correspondingly took out 1240 and pushed it over to Chimente.
"It sold better than I expected. Seems fortune favors us. This is your cut per the contract, plus the wagon of goods. I've already signed the manifesto."
"Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to actually find Dolomite so quickly. This will help me greatly, thank you."
Dolomite in on itself didn't carry great uses, but it was one of the easiest way for him to gain magnesium. When mixing the crushed rock with salt water, and undergoing a few chemical reactions over time, a small deposit of magnesium would form at the bottom. Chemistry aside, he would skip most of the processes through the use of Materia magic.
Alchemy would greatly shorten the process and also increase the purity of magnesium, which in turn he intended to use alongside quartz sand to obtain silica. The magnesium would enter a reaction, removing the oxygen atoms from the silica, this being the first step to leaving behind pure silicone.
This material would serve of great use to Leonardo. Given the lack of rubber trees in Europe, he had to jump through a few hoops to ensure he obtained something akin to plastic.
Silicone would push his current workshop to the next level, and had a plethora of applications even in his daily use. Thus, he was even more excited about the delivered minerals than he was about the 5200 tari he profited from the piccolo.
"I've prepared for the new sale. I procured some gemstones earlier and fashioned it into a set of jewelry. Set the starting price at 5,000 tari. I imagine it will sell better in Athens, but I'll leave it to you to make the decision. The auction house in Venice has an agreeable cut, so we can keep working with them."
Pushing the receipt back to Chimente, he also handed over the jewelry.
"I estimate this one to sell for well over 20,000. We'll need an appropriate story to go along with it, though.
"I'm thinking we could say the French princess wanted to build a cathedral, and so she donated a royal heirloom to help finance it. All for a great cause and all that, the proceeds from the sale will help spread the good gospel.
"A jewel to open the ingress of a mistress, and pearly gates of heaven as well — won't find a better deal."
His innuendo didn't go unnoticed, and the men shared a brief grin. Well, one man and a half would be more precise, given Leonardo was still just a kid. Chimente himself might have been tempted by the jewel's tagline, but he had his heart frozen when his wife passed.
Admiring both the prized asset and the made up nonsense, Chimente was once more awed by the child.
"You have a really devious mind, my boy. I'm excited to see what you cook up next."
"Well, I doubt I'll one-up myself with the next one. I used most of my amethyst already. This will probably be one of our greatest sales. Though, if you run into cheap gemstones of high enough quality, you can buy them. Just… don't get swindled. Not every colorful rock is worth a fortune, you know?"
"Ptui!" Chimente spat with mock scorn, "Who died and made you the expert, brat?"
In response, Leonardo shrugged his small shoulders as if it were only natural. After exchanging a fake confrontational smile, they both burst out in shared laughter.
Whilst chatting and inquiring about the latest news and Chimente's last voyage, the wagon was unloaded and the new contracts signed. Leonardo saw Chimente to the gates along with the rest of the orphans. The energetic runts waved in excitement, before rushing back to work with renewed vigor.
- — ☯ — -
(( "Happy birthday!" ))
A cacophony of cheery voices startled the holy spirit out of Anabella. Yuki timidly stepped out from behind her, just as confused. They had just returned from the market, being none the wiser about the children working overtime on a modern surprise.
The hall was festively decorated with colorful cloth ribbons. Although a modest display, for the orphans it was a veritable feast fit for a queen. Juicy fruits, fresh fish and meat delicacies were still steaming appetizingly on the table.
If one didn't know any better, they might think the children were truly happy to celebrate Yukiko's birthday. Alas, they didn't really grasp the concept and were in truth much more excited about the food.
Leonardo didn't think much of their ignorance, and just wanted to make Yuki feel happy. Now that he had a windfall, he outright spent 500 tari for this meal. While it might not rival the table of a noble, it would surely be an unforgettable experience for everyone at the monastery.
Tugging Yukiko away from Anabella's bosom where she hid like a frightened rabbit, Leonardo made some noise to silence the crowd.
"Everyone, you've worked hard this summer. This feast can serve as a twofold celebration. First, it's naturally to congratulate little Yuki on her eight birthday. Secondly, it is to mark down your accomplishments.
"I went over all of the notes, and I have to say I'm satisfied with your efforts.
"The last sale was very profitable for both us and mister Chimente, who will continue to work with us. While we won't be able to afford feasts like this often, I daresay none of you will ever have to go hungry again!
Either the promise didn't register or they didn't believe him, because the kids remained quiet, allowing him to continue his speech.
"Other than preparing this feast, I will give an additional bonus to the three highest achievers. Consider it an encouragement to do better than the others and always strive to improve."
"First and foremost is our sister. As the caretaker, cook and cleaner, while not a part of the Daedalus workshop—"
Facing Anabella after a small pause, he gave her an honest, formal bow, "Only you and the Lord know how much you've had to endure for us. We owe you much more than words can express, sister Bella. Thank you!"
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