A Year Later

Spring arrived early in the year 1514.

By the time Ernest's carriage entered Oriel, the fields surrounding the district had already turned green, and the last traces of winter mud had begun drying along the roadside. Farmers worked beneath clear skies while carts moved steadily between markets, warehouses, and the industrial roads leading toward Helmarte.

Much had changed during the past year.

The differences appeared before the carriage even reached Arcada.

Wooden poles stood along both sides of the main road, spaced at regular intervals and connected by heavy copper conductors carried on glazed ceramic insulators. Beneath them, narrower lines branched toward workshops, public buildings, and several residential streets. Iron street lamps had been installed at major intersections, each holding a sealed glass bulb instead of an oil reservoir.

They were unlit beneath the morning sun.