When Junseo wasn't busy tutoring or leading the hand-to-hand practices, he was locked in the workshop with Journeyman Yang, assembling the proof he was eligible for admission to the Royal Engineers. He also secretly worked on pieces that might elevate him to journeyman status but was careful not to mention his ambitions. His closely-guarded, design book filled up with sketches for self-propelling carts, hybrid bows, and small-scale crystal maps. It took him a few days to work up the courage to access some of his palace account for the funds to buy the materials he needed.

The bursar sized him up then warned, "Normally, we would expect your guardian to manage withdrawals on your behalf."

"I'm afraid he is still in the countryside," Junseo said before offering, "I will try to make the amount last until he is back."

"That would be wise, especially if you don't want the petty thieves to start trailing you," the man said and continued to mutter to himself as he counted out the sum. Junseo glanced around to see if anyone noticed the transaction and nodded to a familiar looking palace guard.

He aimed to go directly to Makers-way to place his orders but had to detour when he ran into one of the professors from medical academy. Junseo admitted to having nearly filled his log-book so got dragged over to office for spare. The secretary was extremely unhappy that Junseo did not have a supervisor to sign-off the emergency procedures and the outcomes remained largely unknown.

Junseo made it clear he considered the northern raiders to be nothing more than trumped up bandits and explained, "I don't expect they lasted much beyond the trial, not with they way they pillaged the countryside before coming up against us."

The secretary exchanged a worried look with the professor. The man shook out his robes and cleared his throat, "I'm surprised any student of ours would support capital punishment."

"I didn't express my opinion on that matter but I can say seeing a fine man cutdown for no reason other than doing his duty by his charges, makes one a little less squeamish about how the King's justice is served," Junseo unconsciously slipped into his most formal demeanor.

"Perhaps it would be best if your Knight-Master provided us with an outline of your activities," the secretary scanned around the room as if he expected to have conjured the man by this mention.

"Lord Lei has pressing matters at his estates. I will convey your request in our next communication." Junseo gathered his things and bowed as he inched out of the doorway.

"Now you are back you should continue with regular clinic hours," the professor directed before Junseo fully escaped. Junseo swallowed hard then nodded his agreement. He consoled himself that his tutoring duties would soon lighten but finishing all his projects would still be challenging. He wished there was some way to chat with Rainbow-maker Mein but the gossip Scout Jia heard at the palace did not make it likely. He was going to have to trust his own instincts on the final placement of the stones but first he needed more supplies for his three-dimensional map.

The first jeweler he visited did not have suitable samples. Many of the larger stones were of low quality, with obvious fractures that would make them difficult to cut to size. Only one or two of the smaller pieces had the purity he expected, and these were over-priced. Junseo studied the clerk closely but refrained from making an offer. The next two jewelry stores produced similar results. He did manage to find another nice pair of moonstones he thought would be nice exam completion presents for Song-hee but still had a list as long as it was when he first set out.

The next shop was up a narrow alley. It catered more to other makers than merchants and nobles looking for heirloom presents. Junseo was startled by the strong dissonance in the shop. He begged for some jade pillars but had to make do with a half set of go tiles. He moved a table and chair set to mark the correct compass points on the floor before starting his earth mantra. A container near the back of the room started to dance around on its shelf, not quieting until he asked for it to be brought forward.

Junseo reached into the stone jar and pulled up a mixed string of discordant stones that seemed vaguely familiar so asked, "Where are these from?"

"We don't question sources but I can say they came to us honestly," the clerk claimed.

Junseo looked skeptical and the man stuttered, "Caste-offs from the palace."

"Well, they can't travel together," Junseo said and pointed to a stack of silk bags. He took a silver rod and grouped similar tones together. He left behind the stones that set his teeth on edge, explaining "These should be cleansed and re-cut but I will take the others for a fair price."

"I'll make it fairer still if you take the lot," the clerk offered, adding a handful of smaller stones to the pile. They dickered back and forth for a while before Junseo was willing to take out just over half the money he set aside for this project. He figured he could make up some of the shortfall by pulling the silver wire himself. After all, the whole team had a lot of practice while they were getting the flyers ready for testing. On his way back to the forge he happened upon a storefront devoted to different tools and notions for needle crafts. The display of different sized thimbles caught his eye so he went an inquired about one suitable for a youngster just starting to learn her stitches. Picturing his friend's younger sister as he talked made him so much more convincing and he came away with a small example to use in his working model.

He took his supplies straight to the workshop and searched around for a suitable storage box. Journeyman Yang wanted more of an explanation than Junseo was comfortable providing but he knew better than to lie outright.

"I have an idea. A way to say thanks to Rainbow-maker Mein and the Sun Temple for the help they have given us but its complicated. I will clear it all with Knight-Master Lei before going much further but want to be ready as soon as I get the okay." Junseo looked down and twisted his hands together.

"Would it have anything to do with you having proven pieces for each apprenticeship level ready for grading?" Journeyman Yang asked.

Junseo blushed, "I don't mean to get ahead of myself."

"Of course, you do. Or a least I should say you can't help it. You forget how long I watched you on the tables outside the Tinker's Hall. If you had stayed in Ilidan you would be ready for your journeyman's application by now."

"That was Bon Wie's aim, not mine. I was mostly along for the ride," Junseo said.

"Yet, here we are," Journeyman Yang persisted. "I will vouch for you to challenge the oral exam series. You can join the cohort going through next week then Knight-Master Lei will have to get two other makers to sign off your pieces."

"Do you really think I'm ready?" Junseo shuffled from one foot to the other.

"It wouldn't hurt for you to review the standard texts," he pointed to a heavily laden shelf at the back of the workroom. "Remind yourself of the common terms and descriptions. Make it easier for your examiners to see you know the underlying principles."

When Junseo explained the task ahead to his team, telling them Journeyman Yang told him to keep it simple, they all laughed. "What?" he asked.

"When is anything ever simple with you?" San Jin shot back.

Junseo's protest drowned in even more laughter.