"June 8, Sunday.
"It has been over a month since I last properly wrote in my diary rather than recorded my flights of fancy. During this time, I have been immersed in the joy of invention and creation, reading and studying extensively to expand my knowledge, so much so that I haven't sat down to take stock in quite a while.
"I finally understand why the great figures of history-Earth's history, of course-were so devoted to their work. And when I know for certain that my efforts will bear fruit, and can clearly grasp just how much I stand to gain, I become even more obsessed than they were.
"Still, several things seem to have hit bottlenecks lately, which is why I'm writing this entry.
"When I gave Charlotte the revolver I'd spent several nights drawing up plans for and then manufactured using the Church of the Artisan's tools, the delighted surprise on her face made it all worthwhile. Unfortunately, that boy Derrick ruined the lovely atmosphere. Otherwise, I might have had a chance to invite her to dance and make Green positively green with envy. Derrick did eventually apologize to me in private, and I accepted, but the whole affair still rankles. Perhaps I should practice my swordsmanship more, so the next time a duel comes up, I can fight it myself and slap my opponent hard across the face with a glove!
"Back to those bottlenecks. I finally understand why more countries can manufacture guns than ammunition. A cartridge for a modern weapon requires far too many branches of technology, as well as precision machining equipment that doesn't even exist yet, before it can be mass-produced. Percussion caps can be adapted into primers, but with current techniques and formulas, the failure rate actually exceeds 10%. Charlotte certainly wouldn't