Return of the General's Daughter-Chapter 300: The Invention

Back at the training ground of Norse Manor, a cacophony of shouting and laughter echoed as Gideon and Peredur clashed—not over swords or strategy—but over who would be the first to ride the peculiar new invention: the bicycle.

Gideon, who loved mechanics, begged Mattias to let him apprentice at his shop. And because he was Lara’s brother, he allowed him to.

That day, when Lara entered the palace again to teach the members of the Swan Dance Club, he and his twin brothers went to Matthias’ shop to pick up the bike. Barney, Matthias’ son, had been the first to attempt a ride, but the contraption resisted his efforts, sending him tumbling into a heap. Each brother followed suit, trying—and failing—to tame the two-wheeled beast. With a mix of frustration and awe, they decided to take it home and show it to the one person who had brought it into existence.

Even General Odin and Freya were amazed at how their daughter could develop such an idea.

"Gideon," Odin said, his voice low with suspicion, "this design—it isn’t yours?"

Gideon straightened. "No, Father. It is Lara’s. Every line, every measurement, came from her hand."

Odin stroked his beard. "It’s simple... and yet impossibly clever. This isn’t something one conjures from thin air."

Peridur hummed his agreement. He crouched beside the bicycle, spinning the pedal with a flick of his hand. "It moves like a wheel... but carries the rider like a chariot."

Just then, the iron gates of the manor creaked open. A carriage swept into the courtyard, and out stepped Lara and Mira. They returned early. The sun still hovered high in the sky, casting short shadows as the girls walked toward their waiting family.

"Father, Mother, Brothers," Mira sang sweetly, her smile bright but calculated.

"How are you, all?" Lara also greeted, her tone casual, her eyes already fixed on the bicycle. She moved toward it as if drawn by some unseen tether, her hands reaching instinctively for the handlebars.

"They really finished it," she murmured, brushing a finger along the polished frame. "I can’t believe it."

Gideon grinned. "Well, Hepasthos is crazy. He only slept two hours for three days. However, we could not make it to work, and he was disappointed."

Without hesitation, Lara swung her leg over the frame and settled into the seat. A chorus of disapproval rose up behind her—cries of concern and doubt. But she ignored them. Fortunately, Asael, Galahad, and Bener had been sent to Carles to oversee reconstruction, or their voices would’ve added to the protest.

Dressed in her flowing palazzo pants, it was easy for her to ride the bike. She looked more like a dancer than an inventor. As soon as her feet found the pedals, something shifted. She pushed forward, and the bicycle responded like a living thing. Her brothers’ jaws dropped as she glided down the path, her hair trailing behind her like a banner.

"Sis! Can I try?!" Percival shouted, chasing after her. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Lara looped back with a laugh, dismounted, and handed him the bicycle. He mounted it awkwardly and nearly fell, sending Peredur into a fit of laughter. A second try ended the same.

"You have to find your balance," Lara called helpfully.

After several attempts, Percival finally caught the rhythm, wobbling forward with triumphant determination. Peredur, unwilling to be outdone, shoved past him and wrestled the bicycle away.

"Father, can you help me apply for a patent?’ Lara asked. She did research, and during that era in the capital, there was already some system of patenting where a citizen could apply for a patent for an invention in the king’s court.

General Odin was surprised to know that Lara was aware of such things. Was his master, Jethru, really that formidable? How did he learn to teach Lara even such things?

Meanwhile, Mira stood stiffly beside the others, her envy barely concealed. She was envious that Lara had designed such a unique-looking vehicle. She also wanted to ride, and when Percival finally let her ride, she could not balance herself and could not drive the bicycle without someone holding it for her.

"Father, Mother," she muttered sourly, brushing dust off her skirt. "This bicycle is... unladylike."

Freya glanced at her adopted daughter sharply. "If you think it is unladylike, then do not ride it. You can always ride in a carriage." She glanced at the bike one more time and remembered how Lara looked so graceful despite driving at a high speed. "Though to me, it looked like riding a horse."

Just then, Lara turned to Gideon, her eyes bright with excitement. "Come," she said, her voice low and full of promise. "There’s something I want to show you."

Peridur and Percival were so engrossed with riding the bike that they did not notice when their two siblings left.

Gideon followed Lara as she led him away from the training ground, her pace swift and purposeful. She said nothing as they ascended the stairs to the second floor, her hand brushing occasionally against the stone walls until they reached her study. Her room was too big and she had asked her father to partition a portion of her room and convert it to her own study.

She took out a parchment and showed Gideon a new design.. It had one wheel and an open body. Gideon’s eyes widened. It was unlike the bicycle. It was far more ambitious. Its frame looked like something between a chariot and a mechanical beast.

"What... is this?" he breathed.

"It’s what comes after the bicycle," Lara said, eyes glowing. "A self-propelled carriage. No horse. No reins. Just motion. Powered by pedalling the bike. For now—though I’m trying to find something more efficient."

"You drew this?" he whispered, awe lacing every word.

"Let us show this to Father..."

"No. Not yet." Lara said firmly. "Not until it works. Not until we can drive it down the capital’s streets without a single horse in sight."

Gideon looked at her, a mix of admiration and concern in his eyes. "You’ll change everything, you know. This—this will change Northem."

"Yes, it will change Northem. But it is not just me, Brother. It is our family."

Unbeknownst to them, a petite figure was hidden in the shadows listening to their every word.