Over the next few weeks, things became a non-stop race toward progress. North Cove's infrastructure, at least in the barony of Bicman, was thriving with people clothed properly, and the ground temperature rarely dropped below freezing in the new settlements. Almost everyone was working. Since most of the infrastructure was of a civic nature, the pay was coming from me. Those who worked were getting at least two high-calorie meals a day. Normally, people around here would hunker down in the wintertime and conserve their energy and food. We didn't have time for that. We were racing against the clock.

Along with the civic expansion, we also increased the training of our military. What started as a camp south of the Nore River soon became one of the largest towns in North Cove. I named it North Point. It was the location of the County of North Cove Military Academy. I really hope the United States military didn't come after me for copyright infringement of military academy names. Well, West Point was a multiverse away right now, so I was probably ok.

I had requested 600 men, but I ended up with closer to 1,000. Not all of them would be going to Hitub, of course. Some would stay here, and a lot we would cut. Free food and a small stipend for the recruits were enough to have the peasants flocking in droves.

I had also required all the knights and their men-at-arms in the county to attend the training. Not for their benefit, although I thought it would help, but more for the benefit of the recruits, who would see the formations used by the knights and their men.

Unfortunately, progress came at a cost. The Military Academy was consuming supplies and coins at a prodigious rate. We had to build all new infrastructure and maintain a supporting population for the soldiers. This meant increasing our income. I had been doing my part by painting pictures.

A caravan had just left for Vaspar with the latest batch of paper, a few more scribes for the publishing house, and about twenty pieces of art. At first, I thought I would be able to keep most of the money in Vaspar, and I was considering investing it in those supplying the war effort. Instead, I was investing the money in improving my military and buying up the last available surplus food in Vaspar County. The blacksmiths and leatherworkers throughout my county were having the best year ever.

I stood on a hill looking down on two hundred men facing off against a group of three hundred. The knights were all on horses, leading platoons of men. They would not be engaging in the mock battle since I didn't want my men trampled, but they made for an imposing sight. The foot soldiers were using spears that had bags of chalk on the ends. It wasn't a perfect solution to mark a hit, but it did provide a way to evaluate some of the issues soldiers were having.

I was surprised at how well this was working, but it would not have been possible without the man standing next to me. Baron Malcomp had come with his three sons and two grandsons. Two of his sons were actually leading the platoons. Shortly after he arrived, Malcomp took over North Point. Not in a bad way. He now took responsibility for organizing the battles and reviewing the strategies with the knights, lieutenants, and captains. I introduced him to the concept of debriefing. I think he liked it, but with his perpetual frown, it was hard to tell.

The man stared intently at the two opposing sides, assessing the positioning. He still wore his dissatisfied face. Not the look of a noble that looked down on everyone around them. This was more like he was displeased with the world itself. It was slightly uncomfortable being in his presence.

"Baron Malcomp, I appreciate the insight you have given over the last few weeks. My captains have said that it has been very helpful." I said while wrapping my cloak tighter around me to protect from the wind.

"I find this all a waste of resources. These men will be used as fodder on the battlefield."

I had learned that this man liked being blunt, so that I would return the favor. "So why are you here?"

"Because it is more enjoyable than running the barony. I always enjoyed the strategy behind the war. These wargames, as you call them, are an excellent opportunity for my sons to learn. If they perform well in Hitub, it adds to their prospects in the future. I will give them any advantage I can, even if it is wasteful."

"Have you decided how you will divide up your land for their inheritance?" I said casually. Trying to figure out this man.

"I would hope that their performance would grant them lands further south. My lands are better than Bicman but not nearly as good as those close to Kimton."

From what I understood, he had three underutilized iron veins and plenty of pastures. With the advent of sawmills and advanced farming, the quality of the land was no longer as important as the products that could be produced. Especially if I reveal the blast furnace, I would let him figure that out for himself, though.

"So, back to your statement that it is a waste of resources, I will have to disagree. This will be primarily funded by my artwork, with a small amount from North Cove Publishing House. And if I can have a larger number of men come home, then that is more that can be put to work here."

He said nothing. This was not unusual for the baron. If he felt he had nothing to say, then he wouldn't bother saying anything, even if it ended the conversation abruptly. He probably wouldn't get along well with many of the nobles.

So we sat in silence as the battle unfolded. It looked like complete chaos to me. But my captains had all said that things had improved significantly after we started the games.

I had not seen the cavalry train yet, but I was hoping to see it the next day. That was one of those large expenses that the baron was probably complaining about. Not only did they cost twelve silver crowns a piece after my discount, but they were also more expensive to equip and maintain than mules. Twenty-five horses might not be much compared to what other groups were fielding, but I wanted to give my men a better chance on the field. I didn't know how the king was using them, but I was giving them lances.

After the men returned from war, I seriously considered holding jousting tournaments. It sounded dangerous, though. But if it were really dangerous, they wouldn't have done it for hundreds of years, right? Never mind, people were idiots. I think we will stick with football.

And when I say football, I mean what everyone else considers football outside of the United States. Seriously, I was not going to name a sport 'football' that has almost nothing to do with kicking a ball. I loved my old country, but I was in charge now and I would not allow such confusion. We could find a different name for American football.

Thus began the Bicman Barony Football League. One of the reasons I started with football is that it was the sport my brother and I played until high school, so I remember the rules. Well, most of them, anyway. The other reason is that there was not much equipment you had to worry about. The kids here played a game similar to football but without any official rules. They didn't even have goals.

I had implemented a rest day every five days out of our ten-day week. Everything but the most important tasks would be done. This freed up the day for football games. The Bicman league held matches in Kerisi, and North Point had its own league. I hoped there would soon be a league in Malcomp and Plimgus. It took a couple of weeks, but over the last tenday, we gathered enough of a crowd that an impromptu market sprang up in Kerisi. This was exactly the type of thing I was hoping for.

I also wanted to visit the windmill that had just been completed in Cooper's Mill. Sanders, the miller in Bicman, and those who had built the sawmills had all come together and designed the first windmill. Then, after the planning, the people living at Cooper's Mill all joined together and built it in record time. The mill was constructed in a manner that not only provided an area for crushing guano but also served as a grain mill for the nearby farms. Don't worry, the grain had its own mill.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

So, with all the things that demanded my attention elsewhere, why was I in one of the places that did not require my presence? To avoid Jewel, of course. The girl was not just obsessed. She was borderline psychotic when it came to math.

Over the past month, we have explored the creation of a mathematical system using symbols rather than words. Now, the girl could solve any problem at least three times faster than I could. The problem was getting her to slow down and show her work.

When I realized they had no standard order of operations, I took the time to recreate the one from Earth. Fortunately, one of my teachers had drilled the phrase "Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally" into me to help me memorize it.

But now she wouldn't leave me alone, shoving different algebraic equations in my face or trying to discuss advanced trigonometry and geometry. She acted like I was some sort of math guru when, in fact, she was way beyond me. She would approach me and ask what I thought about something, and I would review it, nod my head, and say, ' Very good. ' This despite the fact that I only understood half of it.

Arnold was much easier to deal with. He loved math, and once I introduced him to standard units of measurement and showed him where they were used throughout the barony, he became excited in his own way. I got him a ruler, a meter stick, a standard set of weights, measuring cups, and a caliper, and he left me alone.

The greatest benefit I gained from all this was that the twins were now helping educate some of my people on higher math. To be honest, Jewel was a terrible teacher. She went too fast and barely explained anything; if someone didn't understand right away, she just thought they were stupid.

Arnold, on the other hand, had taken all the craftsmen and started working with them on how to better utilize math in their work.

I had no idea the long-term impact of what we discussed would have, but I got the feeling that this last month of reviewing modern math with the Clairmont twins may actually end up having a bigger impact on the world than most of the other things I had done. Perhaps it was closer to what it would have been like if an advanced alien civilization had come to Earth and given us a hyperdrive.

I just hoped this all wouldn't backfire. I can just imagine Jewel going back to Falmore and telling them I was a genius who could solve all their math problems. Then I would be flooded with scholars coming here to discuss math with me. I would definitely be talking with her about that before they left.

**********

When I finally mustered up the courage to return to Bicman and deal with Jewel again, I received some unexpected news. A few days ago, three people had been found dead in the forest. Their bodies were hung from a tree. It was two men and a woman. One of the men was in his forties, and the other two were just barely out of their teens. To say I was furious would be an understatement.

"Do we have any information on the murder?" I asked Rick. Barely controlling my anger.

"No, my lord. But this isn't just a simple case of murder."

"Explain," I said while trying to unclench my fists.

"After the bodies were brought back, they were identified and their homes searched. There was evidence suggesting that all of them may have been spies. The older man had way more money than he should have. It was mostly copper, but would most likely be used to bribe people. He had also been asking odd questions to his neighbors. No one thought much about it until the guards turned up to investigate. Then, the questions he asked, like whether people knew who was in charge of various operations, made sense. The man had claimed to have been here because he was robbed by his headman and his home was burnt down. He had fled to Bicman as his only hope of surviving the winter."

Overall, the investigation was pretty thorough, and by the end, I was convinced that the man was guilty. "How about the young couple?"

"That one was easier. They had a small stack of notes detailing the estimated number of troops and a letter written to someone concerning their thoughts on what we were up to. The letter was extremely well written. It was definitely going to a noble."

After thinking about it for a while, I said, "Although I am grateful for the help in uncovering spies, we cannot have people thinking we support vigilantism. Send out a notice to all towns saying that we have caught spies. Any spies that turn themselves in may have a chance to leave after an investigation. Those caught in any sort of espionage will be executed by hanging after a thorough investigation to determine guilt. Remind citizens that if they suspect someone is involved in a crime, they must report it to the headman or guard."

Benjamin nodded as he wrote down my orders. I wanted to sigh. I really appreciated people trying to help eliminate spies, but if I allowed it to be done this way, it would erode people's faith in the laws I was trying to establish. It did expose the weakness of my own counterintelligence. Maybe I could hire these people. I think I would hold off on writing my Jason Thorne action novels. The last thing I needed was for people to get the idea of creating Treadstone. Then again, I may be too late.

**********

The conversation about spies led me to another thing I needed to do. The next day, I had Barak, the headman of Cofi, in my office. He had been the former headman of Pulman before Plimgus got rid of him. After chatting for a bit, we got down to the real reason I had brought him to Bicman.

"Barak, I am curious. Do you have any friends left in Plimgus that would be willing to share information about what is going on there?"

Barrack's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "How much information are you looking for?"

"Everything. But I don't want people digging for things."

This caused him to grin even wider. "You want eyes and ears in Plimgus. Well, my lord, I can confidently say I have people who would be all too happy to help. I did not bring it up before because I was not sure if it was something you would agree to."

"I don't want people risking their lives for this, but yes, that is exactly what I want."

"How about Decmoore? I mean Malcomp."

This caused me to raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Can you do it?"

"I had people in Decmoore feeding me information before I entered your service."

"It appears I have been underutilizing you. I want you to set things up and let me know what they want in exchange."

"I can tell you what one will want right away. I had a contact in Decmoore who worked as a laundress for the Baron. She is still employed there. She used to gather information about what was happening there and then visit her parents. She would pass the information to them, and then they would get it to me. She has two children living with her parents. She would sell her soul to give her children a better life. If you brought them here and educated them, she would serve you faithfully for the rest of her life."

"That sounds like a great idea. Get that set up. Please let me know if you need anything for this to work. I need to know everything that is going on in those barons' homes. I should know everything they know and more."

Baron Julius Malcomp 3rd person POV

"You seem lost in thought, Father," Uriah said in a concerned tone.

The words drew Baron Julius Malcomp from his contemplation, and he realized he must have been staring into his goblet for quite some time. Rather than answer his son's unspoken question, he posed one of his own.

"What do you think of Count Bicman?"

"Naive, idealistic, wasteful," Uriah replied without hesitation.

"Explain."

"He was asked to bring six hundred men to the front line. He should do what is always done—invest most of his energy in training and providing for a tenth of the men, ensuring their survival. The rest will die anyway. Instead, he thinks he can bring these peasants home from the war by giving them more training and better equipment. Then each soldier is supposed to spend an hour a day in class learning how to read. Most of these men will be dead by the end of the year. And if some of them do manage to survive, why would a farmer need to read?"

Uriah wasn't wrong on that last point, Julius thought. Why waste time on something with no benefit? None of his sons—or Julius himself—knew how to read, and they had never been looked down upon for it. There were others for that sort of work. Fortunately, his family was exempt from those classes. Even so, he had the boys' stewards teaching them in private. It would not do for them to be looked down upon by the peasants of North Cove if it were discovered.

"What about this camp?" Julius asked.

"At first, I thought it was ridiculous," Uriah admitted, "but I have to concede that being able to practice larger-scale battle formations is a good idea. Still, it's too late for these people. He should just send the rabble down to Hitub. There isn't enough time to prepare them. We have to leave in a month. Instead of just sending bodies to fill the request, he's trying to train them. Most of the armor and weapons he's providing will end up in the hands of scavengers."

"I discussed that very thing with him," Julius said. "Do you know what he told me? He pointed to a forest and said men could obtain wood from it. He pointed to the mountains and said he could get metal there. He pointed down this very hill at the field and said men could grow crops and flax there. Then he said, 'But where do I get men from? Men take a generation to grow. If the weapons, armor, and training I provide help even a tenth of them return, then the investment is worth it. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

"Naive," Uriah said.

"Perhaps," Julius replied. "But we will soon find out if he is right."

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