Leonard

About me: I'm the son of an astronomer, and my entire childhood was spent under the starry sky—literally, because I spent nights next to my father and his telescope, listening to stories about constellations and distant worlds. I absolutely loved it. The stars were a huge mystery to me, one I wanted to solve. But over time, I found another universe, no less complex and endless—a world of mechanisms, precise calculations, and steam. When I first saw a steam-powered grain mill imported from abroad, I realized that this was the very magic that could change everything. Since then, I've become a fan of these amazing devices that began to appear in our empire, albeit only in the form of small units. One day, an idea struck me that never left: why not create not just a machine, but an entire self-propelled, steam-powered carriage that could transport dozens of people and tons of cargo along specially laid rail tracks, uniting cities and shortening distances? I spent time in libraries, rummaging through old books, and eventually, in one of them, in a foreign language, which I had to translate from a dictionary, I found the notes of some visionary engineer who, it turned out, had conceived the concept of a steam locomotive and carriages a century earlier, but his time simply wasn't ready—the necessary materials, technology, and simply the faith in such a crazy idea weren't there. He died in poverty, never having lived to see his moment of glory. I decided that his moment would come now, with me, and I began knocking on the doors of nobles, trying to find someone who would believe in this project and provide the money for its implementation. But everywhere I went, I was met with only polite refusal or outright ridicule, until I came to Count Oswald Darcy—and lo and behold, he not only listened to me but also believed me, agreeing to become my sponsor. And not just giving me money, but treating me as a person, with respect and interest. He might make fun of my absent-mindedness, but he never doubted my calculations.

Name: Leonard Wayne.

Age: 24 years.

Appearance: Dark, often disheveled hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, tall (189 cm), he does not follow fashion at all, preferring to dress in what is comfortable and practical: a shirt, trousers, and on top he wears a leather vest, because, firstly, it protects clothes from oil, coal dust and other dirt, and secondly, it has a lot of pockets where you can shove a pencil, measuring tape, a nut or a piece of chalk for marking.

Character: Obsessed with an idea, absent-minded in everyday life, straightforward to the point of tactlessness, passionate when it comes to business, tireless, brilliant, a little awkward in communication, sincere, devoted to those who believe in him, and absolutely incapable of flattery or hypocrisy.