Herald of Steel

After finishing touring all the current workshops, Alexander looked up to see the sky had transitioned from blue to orange, indicating that the day was almost over.

'Darm! And here I had promised Ophenia I would visit her place,' Alexander ruefully muttered while gazing at the setting sun.

Inspecting so many workshops and chatting with the individuals in charge had really drained all the time on his hand.

'Hmmm, should I tell her that I will visit her tomorrow?' Alexander ruminated, but then decided, 'No, tomorrow I will have to tour the new military barracks in the eastern part of the city and will not have any time then. So, it will have to be today.'

With this thought, he turned to Takfiz and asked, "Get me some ink and paper. And someone to deliver it."

Alexander was worried that Ophenia might wait for him in her new establishment even after sunset, believing that he would come to her as promised.

Which Alexander did intend to do but after supper.

And he was afraid that this might cause Ophenia to miss her supper,

"Yes, lord," Hearing Alexnder's request, Takfiz quickly trotted to get this equipment and soon presented the stationeries which was being carried by a thin, spindly boy with droopy eyes.

The boy was also carrying a stool to help Alexander write the letter on, which the latter greatly appreciated Takfiz's foresight for considering.

And so after a light thank you, Alexander took the paper, bent down on the hard wooden surfaces, and wrote the following short message,

Dear Tayin,

I'm sorry I missed our appointment today.

I seemed to have gotten caught up with some of my previously scheduled arrangements.

Please return to the manor now, and I will go inspect the 'new priestess quarters' with you after supper.

Signed,

Your master - Alexander.

Of course, the 'new priestess quarters' was euphemism for the brothel, used as such to hide the building's true purpose from any prying eyes.

Alexander folded this letter and handed it to the boy, with the instructions, "Take this to the Gaia temple and hand it to the archpriest, Theocles there. Say that it is from the pasha himself and he is to deliver the letter to the Sacred Priestess as soon as possible."

Alexander did not know the exact house address of the new establishment and he also did not want the boy to know where Ophenia was, and that's why he sent the letter to Theocles.

"Understood, my lord," The boy readily accepted the order, and then after a bow, strode out to get a horse and rode off.

And while Alexander waited for the letter to be delivered, instead of returning to his manor, he had one last thing to do, which was to solve Harun's coal storage problem.

And to do this, he gave Takfiz the following orders, "Takfiz, in three days I want you to gather six thousand thousand men."

As soon as he said so, Takfiz jumped up in fright at the impossible task, and then attempted to loudly voice out his difficulties, "My lord..th..,"

But before he could go too far, Alexander cut him off, and reassured, "I know what you are about to say. And I'm aware of the labor shortage. So let me finish," Alexander held up his palm as he said so.

And then finished by saying, "You can take these men from the woodcutters. The new job will substitute that job."

Alexander intended to use these men to mainly make coal briquettes which could be used as firewood substitutes for cooking.

"....." Takfiz went a bit silent at this huge claim, but after remembering what Alexander had accomplished, he did not ask any further questions and simply bowed and complied, "As you wish my lord."

"Mnnn," Alexander hummed, and then using the leftover papers, he got down to giving Takfiz some more detailed instructions with the words, "Now look at this."

Alexander then spent the next hour with the caretaker detailing the location, design, and equipment requirements of the coal briquette plant and another workshop that would use most of the coal briquettes, after which he informed the old man that he would visit the site in one week's time.

"I will try to strive to get everything ready by then," Takfiz promised with a thump on his chest, and finally done with all these, Alexander decided to head back for supper.

Along the way, he thought about his remaining work of the day.

And with these thoughts flashed the faces of Ophenia and those three silver-haired beauties.

And as the face of the most problematic girl surfaced in his mind, Alexander was reminded of another task.

'Oh yeah, I planned to have her design some custom wedding cards for me,' Alexander groaned at the thought of asking that willful girl Mikaya.

But since Alexander was determined to get the best designs on the limited number of cards he wished to print, it had to be her, for her skill with the brush was something Alexander would freely admit and admire.

Mikaya was a genius with the brush no two ways about it.

And with this uncomfortable discussion looming imminently in front of him, Alexander sluggishly rode to his manor, just in time to see the outside lamps being lit.

'I wonder if Tayin got my message,' Alexander's question was answered almost as soon as he asked it to himself, as he met the person in question right on the front steps of the main door.

"Ahh, master, how terrible of you to leave me all alone the entire day!" Ophenia cutely pouted as she whined at Alexander for not making time for her.

'*Sigh*, this girl is becoming more spoilt by the day,' Alexander let out a wry internal chuckle, as he patted the dyed black hair of the girl and soothed her, "Sorry, sorry. I will visit it after dinner."

This made Ophenia shake her head excitedly and then after exchanging a few general pleasantries like asking about each other's day, the duo went to their respective baths to shower and prepare themselves for dinner.

Ophenia had become particularly attached to the two times-a-day shower routine, both because Alexander liked it when she took baths, and because of the various hair and body soaps her master had created.

Having a smell fetish meant that the latter point was especially attractive to her, as after each bath, her body would smell like a different kind of flower like roses or dandelions, which she loved.

It was not only Ophenia's habits that had changed.

In the close to three short months she had been with Alexander, she had changed mentally too, changes which Alexander did not dislike.

Whereas previously she was much more taciturn and wooden-faced, hiding all her emotions, she was now much more expressive and vivacious, at least around Alexander.

Much of her previous facade seemed to have melted away and she appeared much more frank and lively, as she molted out of her fake, polite, charade of a shell to reveal her true self.

This was facilitated by both Alexander's generous treatment of her's and by the strengthening of her belief in Alexander, which gave her a newfound purpose in life, which was helping promote and propagate Alexander's faith.

And with the power and influence that was given to her in the form of the title 'Sacred Priestess,' it helped her further move away from her previous identity of the weak, defenseless girl trapped in the Shiva temple, and see herself as strong and powerful.

This strong and powerful girl was currently sitting by the dinner table along with the other guests, and trying a new dish her master had created- steamed pork dumplings.

In addition, and in keeping up with his sometimes bizarre eccentricities, her master had also made two wooden sticks which he called 'chopsticks' that he was currently using to expertly pick up the hot buns, dip them in a chilly sauce, and gobble them down.

As for her, because she was not yet accustomed to the use of the twin sticks, she was performing the same action with a spoon and fork.

"Lady Mikaya, I have got some of that paper you wanted. Will you have the time after supper so that I might deliver them to you?" Alexander asked Mikaya for an appointment.

To which the reply came with a giggle, "Hehe, oh Alex, you are too good to me. First this new 'dumpling' dish and then this new papyrus paper. If you continue to court me like this, I might not be able to reject, hehehe."

Her heavy laughter caused her abundant peaks to jiggle seductively, though her humorous answer did not seem to impress her audience, and her use of the word 'Alex' irked Cambyses, as Alexander only placidly spoke, "Then let us meet in your room after supper. I also would like to commission some artwork to Your Grace."

This statement raised some curious gazes, which Alexander did not bother addressing, and the truly inquisitive like the Queen mother did not bother asking, for she could ask Mikaya directly, while the person in question. Mikaya replied with a grin, "Haha, I would be very happy to create anything you want me to My lord. But please remember that my commission is not cheap."

Her lips were curled up in a devilish arch and her eyes glowed with a crafty light, which Alexander very much understood the message of.

And that was that she was tired of waiting and could not wait till Alexander fulfilled his promise.

'Well, it's good that I will take her on a visit tonight,' Alexander said to himself, as he replied to Mikaya with the promise to pay her 'just' dues.