The goals people pursued in furniture changed from era to era. In the past, furniture was made with simple, functional designs, but as time passed, people moved beyond purely practical forms and began placing greater importance on appearance.
Beginning with the nobility, demand for lavishly decorated furniture steadily increased.
Decorations inspired by mythology were especially popular.
The problem was that there weren’t enough craftsmen to meet the demand.
There had always been plenty of unique and innovative ideas, but it was rare for ideas that emerged in one region to spread to another.
That was one of the defining characteristics of an age when information traveled slowly.
“You’re seriously expecting me to believe this? This is the work of a master craftsman who spent years honing his skills and poured his heart into every detail. It’s not the kind of furniture a mere child could make.”
He stared at Gent with undisguised suspicion.
“My son made it. I don’t know the first thing about making furniture.”
The man turned to Maxime.
“How old are you?”
“Thirteen.”
“…I thought you were at least sixteen. That makes it even harder to believe.”
Maxime was well developed for his age, thanks to eating well and going to bed early.
“I may be younger than I look, but I’m also a better craftsman than I look. If you truly can’t believe me, then you’re welcome to buy one of the finished pieces.”
“No. What I want is a custom-made piece for my wife. Finished furniture is of no use to me.”
A gift for his wife. A man devoted to his spouse was a rare sight among the French upper class.
Even more so when affairs were so commonplace among both men and women.
Even though the man doubted his abilities, Maxime found himself liking him.
“Then I’ll prove my skill. As it happens, I’m already working on something, so it won’t be difficult.”
“Huh…”
The man, who had naturally assumed he was bluffing, could only stare in astonishment.
“Coat, could you bring me the carving knife?”
“Okay.”
While his younger brother was gone, Maxime went into the storeroom and brought back a piece of lumber.
It was walnut. Hardwood from the walnut tree. It was strong, easy enough to work with, and, best of all, readily available.
He was making a formal chair. It was time to carve the backrest.
As wood dries, it shrinks and warps in unpredictable ways. Fresh timber contains a great deal of moisture, so once it dries, it can crack and split.
To control that, he had sealed the raw lumber in advance and left it to air-dry naturally in a shaded place, away from direct sunlight, so it wouldn’t dry too quickly. The drying process had taken more than a year.
There were many ways to work with wood. Some craftsmen carved it while it was still wet instead of waiting for it to dry, but Maxime wanted as little distortion as possible, so he had gone through the extra effort to prepare it this way.
“Here’s the knife.”
“Thanks.”
He propped the piece of wood at an angle. Using the carving knife his father treasured, he began carefully refining the pattern, one cut at a time.
The ornamentation for the chair was fairly simple. He was confident he could finish enough of it to prove his skill before anyone grew bored of watching.
He understood the grain of the wood he was working with perfectly. You could never work against the wood’s natural character.
A truly exceptional woodworker understood the biology of wood and the countless variables in how a tree grew.
Even carving decorative motifs meant working with the grain, not against it.
Coat stood beside him in silence, assisting whenever needed. Maxime was grateful to have such a dependable younger brother.
As the pattern gradually took shape, the man’s murmurs of admiration grew louder.
Though Maxime had never formally studied art, he had every confidence that what he created possessed genuine artistic value.
***
“I’m pleased to have found such a remarkable craftsman.”
The warmth in the man’s voice was unmistakable. It was hard to believe he was the same man who had doubted him only moments ago.
“Now that I think about it, if someone’s going to work on a gift for my wife, perhaps a young lad is better suited than some hairy old fellow. What’s your name? I’m Rodericus de Baudricourt.”
“Baudricourt… The same family name as the Lord of Commercy. I’m Maxime Blanche.”
“That’s a name I’ve heard before. Weren’t you the talented boy from Domrรฉmy everyone was talking about?”
“There may be a few exaggerated rumors mixed in.”
“I’m sure there are. From what I’d heard, you were a gifted idler who spent every day playing around. Looking at you now, I’d say you’ve spent most of your life honing your craft.”
“.โฆ..”
“Come to the Meuse River tomorrow morning. We’ll go to Neufchรขteau, where you can inspect the rooms and decide on the furniture.”
***
The next morning.
“So it’s true? You’re really going to Neufchรขteau?”
The d’Arc siblings had come as soon as they heard the news.
“How did you find out so early in the morning?”
“Since when have there ever been secrets in Domrรฉmy?”
I still couldn’t get used to how quickly news spread. It almost felt faster than in the modern world with smartphones.
“It’s true. I’m leaving for Neufchรขteau now.”
“So the rumor that you won over a nobleman was true after all. If you’re leaving now, when will you be back?”
“I’ll probably be staying there for at least a few days.”
Neufchรขteau itself wasn’t far away. About two and a half hours on foot? A simple round trip could be done in a day, but since I had work to do there, I couldn’t say exactly when I’d be back.
I called over Jeanne, who had been standing nearby with her head lowered ever since I’d arrived.
“See you later too, Jeannette. Or did you come to see Agathe instead of me? Want me to call her over?”
“Eek.”
What was that for? Why was she startled?
“She’s been looking for you since yesterday.”
“For me? Why?”
“I don’t know. She kept stumbling over her words, so I couldn’t really tell, but I think she wanted to apologize for crying.”
“Why would you apologize for that?”
Jeanne fidgeted with her fingers. She hesitated for a moment, then seemed to make up her mind.
Raising her head, she met my gaze with those distinctive eyes of hers.
“You were flustered because of me. You were trying to help, but I only ended up making you worry. I’m sorry.”
“.โฆ..”
“And I wanted to thank you too…”
This wasn’t the maturity of a child.
With a sensitivity most people would never even notice, she openly expressed things that others would have dismissed as childish or been too embarrassed to say.
Considering the atmosphere of the d’Arc household, it made even less sense. She wasn’t imitating anyone around her. It was simply her nature.
Even though I wanted to respond, no words came to mind. I simply patted her on the shoulder and gave her a warm smile.
“I’ll be back. Take care, Pierre.”
“If you’re gone, I won’t have anyone to play with, so come back soon.”
“I still have work to do. Anyway, I’m off.”
Leaving Pierre grumbling in disappointment behind me, I set out on the road.
***
I left Domrรฉmy with Rodericus and his party.
I arrived in Neufchรขteau three hours later. There was a permanent marketplace, and the town itself was several times larger than Domrรฉmy.
Rodericus rode ahead on horseback and disappeared into town before the rest of us.
I arrived later and followed the officer to our destination.
“Lord Rodericus de Baudricourt will be resting from the journey. Until then, wait at the workshop in town.”
We arrived at a workshop that specialized in making furniture.
The officer informed the master craftsman.
“He’s a craftsman from out of town. He’ll be working here, so keep him with you until I come for him.”
He never said exactly when he’d be back.
The craftsmen took an interest in the unexpected visitor.
“Where’s he from?”
“Domrรฉmy.”
“So what’s he here for?”
“They say he was commissioned to make furniture.”
“How old is he?”
“Thirteen.”
“Just a greenhorn.”
After a few questions, they quickly lost interest.
I waited aimlessly for a while, but as the hours passed without any word, I grew restless and stepped outside for a walk.
Most of the country roads were unpaved. It had rained recently, so the ground was soft with thick mud.
Today was market day. Neufchรขteau had a fairly thriving market, large enough to be considered a proper commercial district.
It was enjoyable just browsing the goods.
Maybe I should grab something to eat with the money I brought.
Thinking about the questionable hygiene of the street vendors, I looked for the safest option.
I settled on a bowl of boiled vegetable porridge. After buying it, I sat down on the edge of the marketplace and quietly ate.
Around the time I’d finished about half of it, I heard the sound of sniffing. A stray dog had wandered over.
I instinctively tensed.
“Whine… Whine…”
Surprisingly, the stray was calm.
It was a scruffy little mutt, a mixed breed with no traceable pedigree.
It had been sniffing around just moments ago, but the instant our eyes met, it started letting out pitiful little whines. The performance seemed completely deliberate.
“I’m hungry too. Go away.”
“Whine…”
I ignored it and kept eating. The dog never looked away until I’d finished every last bite.
By the time I was done, I suddenly felt a little guilty for not giving it anything.
“…Haah. Just wait a second.”
When I told it to wait, it actually sat down as though it understood me.
I headed back to the butcher’s shop I’d passed earlier.
“Sir, do you have any bones you’re throwing away?”
“What do you need them for?”
“I want to give one to that stray dog over there. I’ll pay, even if it’s only a little.”
“Where’s this stray dog?”
The butcher leaned out and looked in the direction I pointed.
“Well, would you look at that. The little rascal finally managed to win someone over. Begging never worked for him, so he’s mostly been stealing scraps.”
“You know that dog?”
“He doesn’t have an owner, but he’s not mean. I toss him the odd scrap we’re throwing out every now and then.”
The butcher pulled out a leg bone, then added a small piece of meat.
“Give the bone to the dog, and you eat this.”
I froze at the sight of the meat. Not only did he refuse to take my money, he was giving me meat for free.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone worry more about that filthy mutt than themselves. Think of it as a gift to celebrate meeting a kindred spirit, so don’t turn it down.”
“…Thank you. I’ll be earning some money before long. When I do, I’ll come back and buy some meat for my family.”
He seemed like a genuinely decent man.
The butcher simply waved off my promise to come back and buy meat another day.
It was understandable. A kid my age claiming he’d come back to buy expensive meat wasn’t exactly convincing.
With the meat and bone in hand, I waved toward the stray.
The dog wagged its tail.
For some reason, two unfamiliar men were approaching it from either side.
Before I could warn it, everything happened at once.
“Get it!”
The two men lunged at the dog simultaneously.
Just before the clubs could connect, the little mutt exploded into motion and bolted out of the marketplace.
“Damn it, we lost him again! I told you not to make any noise!”
“We lost him because you reek! He caught your scent!”
I let out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, I couldn’t help admiring how fast the dog had been.
It got away faster than they could even swing their clubs. If it’d been born in the future, it would’ve won every dog agility competition.
That aside, I had no idea what to do with the now ownerless bone.
I can’t exactly go looking all over town for a runaway dog. I should just head back and…
Whine. Whine.
“.โฆ..”
The dog that had disappeared into the distance was now at my feet, wagging its tail.
“When did you get back? You’re so fast, and you don’t make a sound. It’s almost creepy.”
I slipped the butcher’s leg bone into its mouth. Since the animal had been butchered not long ago, there was probably still plenty of fresh marrow inside.
“You only begged because you were hungry, but thanks to you, I ended up getting free meat too. So… thanks.”
The dog rubbed its face against my leg once before disappearing again.
***
The craftsmen, who had been wary of me at first, became much friendlier after I used the meat I’d bought at the market to make a pot of stew and shared it with them.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to spend the night sleeping on the cold ground.
“Come with me. We’ve been given permission to see him now.”
The officer returned a full day later.
He showed no sign of feeling sorry for leaving me there. In a feudal society, it was common for the plans of those beneath the nobility to change at a lord’s whim.
We arrived at Rodericus’s residence.
He didn’t even spare me a glance. Instead, he leaned over and whispered to his wife.
“Serena, this is the craftsman I told you about. He’s going to make furniture worthy of you.”
He’d said he wanted a gift for his wife. He really was the picture of a man in love.
“Thank you. I’m truly happy.”
“Good. I’d do anything for you.”
For some reason, his wife looked terrified.
It was strange. Rodericus wasn’t threatening her in any obvious way.
I couldn’t make sense of it, but I wasn’t about to pry.
No reason to get involved in someone else’s family affairs. As long as I do my work honestly and get paid, that’s enough for me.
Rodericus rose from his chair.
“Come with me.”
We went upstairs to a room on the second floor.
It was Serena’s room. Among the nobility, husband and wife having separate bedrooms was almost a symbol of status.
Looking around the room, he frowned.
“Don’t you think this room feels rather dreary?”
“Is there any particular furniture you have in mind? If you simply want to decorate it, I can make ornamental pieces as well.”
Rodericus stroked his chin before pointing at the wall.
“My wife is fond of mirrors. She even had that expensive one mounted on the wall. Can you make a mirror?”
“I can, but the materials are far too expensive to make a new one.”
I answered with glass mirrors in mind.
Rodericus, meanwhile, assumed I was talking about polished metal mirrors.
He never questioned how a country craftsman could possibly know how to make mirrors. He simply assumed that a skilled craftsman could make anything.
“Can you make the mirror that’s already here look more impressive?”
“That won’t be difficult.”
“Then I leave it to you.”
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