CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 115: REMAINING BOOKS

Ellory shook her head right away. "Don’t apologize, brother. I understand it. I really do. I wish you the best of luck. I know you can do it."

Just then, one of the maids approached her gently and said, "Young Miss Ellory, your friends have arrived to visit."

Ellory’s face lit up. "Really? They came?"

She turned to Axelius Without a second thought, she jumped a little, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good luck, Brother!"

Axelius blinked, a bit surprised by her sudden move, but his lips curved into a soft smile. "Thank you."

With one last wave, Ellory turned around and walked off with the maid. Her voice echoed faintly down the hall as she talked excitedly about her friends.

Soon after, the butlers and maids who had been helping clean the large library stepped forward, all bowing politely. One of them said, "Young Master Axelius, we’ve completed the cleaning as you asked."

Axelius gave them a small nod. "Good. You may leave now. Thank you for your help."

With a soft rustle of clothes and quiet steps, the servants respectfully exited the library, leaving Axelius alone with Owen.

The door closed, and silence filled the room once more.

Axelius walked toward the large shelf at the back. He reached out and pulled out several thick books, carefully placing them on the long wooden desk. At the same time, Owen, now in his dummy form, floated over and picked up more books with his slim arms.

The table was soon full of heavy books, their titles old and fancy,

Axelius opened the first book, its title written in golden letters: "The Trade Foundation of the Kingdom of Archantia."

He leaned closer, his eyes scanning the page slowly. Owen, sitting beside him in his dummy form, leaned over to read too.

"Let’s start with this," Axelius said.

The first few pages talked about the basics. Archantia was a wealthy kingdom with different regions—some areas were rich in crops and food, others had mines for metal and crystals, and some coastal regions focused on fishing and trade with ships pulled by Water-type beasts. Every region had something to give, and they all worked together through a controlled system.

There were Trade Houses in every major city. These were large buildings managed by appointed nobles or government officials. Farmers, miners, and merchants would bring their goods there and the Trade House would buy them in bulk. Then, those goods were transported to other parts of the kingdom where they were needed.

They read further. The kingdom also had something called "Import Licenses" and "Export Quotas."

If a person or group wanted to bring goods in from another kingdom, they had to apply for permission. This was to make sure foreign items wouldn’t flood the markets or bring strange things like diseases or unstable items.

Export quotas were limits placed on what the kingdom could send out, especially rare things like beast cores, enchanted stones, or healing potions.

"There’s even a warning here," Axelius said as he pointed to a paragraph. "’Unauthorized trade beyond the quota may lead to confiscation and imprisonment.’ That’s strict."

Owen scribbled a few notes. "If we ever plan to sell our invention, we’ll need permission. Especially if we want to get parts or materials from outside."

Next, they studied how taxes worked. Every good that passed through Trade Houses was taxed depending on weight, material, and rarity. Even things like fabrics and spices had different rates.

"Wouldn’t that make things expensive?" Owen asked.

"Yeah," Axelius replied. "But I guess it’s how they make sure only serious merchants stay in business."

The book then explained how transport was done. Most long-distance trade used beast-drawn carriages or airships for lighter goods. The roads between cities were protected by patrols, and there were regular checkpoints to inspect the cargo.

Axelius leaned back for a moment and stared at the ceiling. "If we want to move our invention from city to city one day... or build more in different places... we’ll need to go through all these steps."

He looked at the next Chapter, which talked about regional markets. In smaller towns and villages, local trade didn’t always go through Trade Houses. Instead, markets were managed by the local lord or mayor. But for any large-scale trade—especially anything new or magical—the kingdom always got involved.

Later on, Axelius closed the thick book on Archantia’s trade system and carefully placed it aside. He let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his temple with one hand while Owen—still in his dummy form—picked up the next book and dropped it on the table with a soft thud.

"Guild Registries and Public Inventor Records," Axelius read the title aloud, then opened the book.

The first pages explained how every public invention, project, or business that required magic, materials, or skilled labor had to be registered under a guild system.

There were many types of guilds: for blacksmiths, mages, engineers, healers, builders, and even merchants. Anyone who wished to work officially in the kingdom under one of these trades had to be approved by their related guild.

Axelius nodded, continuing to read. The book detailed how new members were tested and reviewed by a panel before their work could be accepted and given support. Each guild had levels—Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, and Master—and moving up required projects, sponsors, or special tests.

They read about how guilds recorded inventions. There were public registries where devices, tools, and spells were written down along with the names of the inventors. The registry also noted if the invention was considered safe, useful, dangerous, or restricted.

Then came the rules about patents—called "Royal Patents" in Archantia. Only the royal court or its special branch could grant these. If someone created something entirely new, they could ask for a patent, which would give them full control over its use, design, and sale for a number of years.

The book even warned that some patents, while approved, were later revoked or taken by the kingdom if they were "needed for national protection." It meant that even if someone built something powerful, the kingdom had the right to claim it for military or political use.

After a short break, the two moved on to another book: "Proper Conduct Among Nobility and Court."

The cover was elegant, and the first page already had long lists of formal greetings, dress codes, and titles.

"This will be useful if we ever need to present our invention in front of nobles or officials," Owen said.

Some parts of the book talked about court presentations. If someone wanted the king or council to hear about a new idea, they had to be introduced by a known noble or high-ranking guild member.

Presenting an invention to the court was rare and considered a high honor—but it could also be dangerous. If the court disapproved, the inventor’s name could be ruined. But if they accepted it, it could lead to fame, funding, and influence.

"Which means," Owen said seriously, "we need to be careful about who we show the real version of our car to. Not everyone will like it. Not everyone will understand it."

Axelius looked down at the books spread around them. So much knowledge in just a few hours But every piece mattered.