Chapter 116 — In which we use newspapers as excuse for recap, because it’s been ages!

  [Where did the Bird of Chaos fly off to?

  About a month ago, a mysterious guest visited the magic exchange led by the young lord of Black Lake clan. The guest, who offered the name ‘Crow’ to call himself, presented the most miraculous spell — instantly stealing the hearts of all the mages gathered.

  They say that no person of Rubrun could ever resist the beauty of a clear fire. Perhaps there is merit to that saying, as the week afterwards was witness to the most intense magic exchange in years. Each guild and individual tried to get an ember of revolution. But alas.

  Once the bird sang, it didn’t sing with a beautiful melody of the new page in the history of the magical science, but an ugly quack of deception and humiliation. The revolution was fake. The fire but a dream of void. This writer can only point out in a sad sarcasm that ‘crows’, sacred as they are, aren’t known for singing prettily.

  The marvelous spell turned out to be just a clever trick. Those who tried to unleash the power locked up inside of it only ended up burning their hands. Some reports said: ‘burned to the bone’.

  That cruel and most vicious scheme took its toll on our great magic society very quickly. Merchants dealing with the magic guilds and clans saw their profits plummet. The guilds’ research plans and events were pushed back. And many anonymous reports say that the mages of guilds fear for not only their research, but also their future, as the budget cuts may soon see their positions as ‘unnecessary’.

  Irony would have it, when the noble worry, the lowly rejoice.

  The servants and other menial workers took ‘Crow’ as some sort of heroic figure, the beacon of rebirth. They would see him not as a scoundrel — who robbed the pure-minded seekers of knowledge out of their secrets and money — but as the fire from which a new ‘fair’ society is to be born from.

  The ‘Crow’ didn’t make an appearance since the Eternal Fire hoax, but should he appear again — or if someone were to be inspired by him — we should be most vigilant of what is said.

  For all great fires start out of someone’s inattention.

  — The Times of Songs]

  [Sun shines brightly, but clouds are dark

  I’m sure all of us still remember and shiver at the thought of that dreadful rumor. An assassination attempt on the life of our Saint! Even just putting those words down feel like a blasphemy. And yet such a rumor struck our hearts cold a month ago. Didn’t we all turn to our gods and pray to strike the wicked and to dry their blood? Didn’t we all make a slight detour on our ways home to visit the temples of revenge and punishment gods and make small offerings?

  What a relief it was when Saint himself came out to reassure us and put our fears to rest. Personally I felt like his clear voice was washing away my dark thoughts, replacing it with a fresh sea breeze. And I was never at sea before! That’s the power of our Saint.

  The younger of our followers may not remember, but not all previous Saints held the gentle touch and words of Saint Amara. Indeed, looking back at our history, Saint Amara might be the first after His Holiness Amaranth to hold that great blessing. Let us not forget the years of disputes and fractions among the cults and temples, the dichotomy of believes, the fall of old gods and disappearance of the divine beasts from our lands. Those 300 years after His Holiness left this world were a truly dark time for our faiths. Now the new young sun is raising, but will the darkness willingly recede? Of course not!

  That rumor might have been fake, but it should also serve us as a warning. The enemies won’t stay quiet. Just look at our sibling states, Rubrun and Flavun. They’re internally shaken now, but once they stand on their feet again, who do you think they will turn their blades towards?

  Let’s not repeat the tragedy from 300 years ago.

  — The Voices]

  [Wyrm or centipede?

  Isn’t it curious that Lady Candidate Mimosa took her younger half-sister, Young Lady Saffra, on a vacation trip just after the rumors of a mysterious incident in the Lord General’s mansion?

  Let us remind you, a few weeks ago, a maid was found murdered, laying in a pool of her own blood, knife in her heart — in the plain sight for everyone to see. Her murderer was never to be found. Instead! Another body! Was found a few hours after. And most curious of all, with the same exact appearance as the murdered girl.

  Though the details remain to be exposed, it’s known that Lady Candidate Mimosa and Young Lady Saffra were heavily involved in the investigation. Coincidence?

  May we also remind you of another two freak incidents that occurred at the mansion a week prior.

  One. Young Lady Saffra paraded in a bloody dress, strolling in this disgraceful attire through the main corridor, where guests and outside contractors got a clear look at her.

  Two. A strange case of ‘meat flowers’ suddenly appearing among the flower bouquets to celebrate Lord Candidate Orche’s conference and welcome the guests. Those ‘meat flowers’ summoned a swarm of flies and other pests, creating a very abhorrent farewell sight for the guests. Mind you, the job of supervising the flower decorations is one of the very few duties Young Lady Saffra has.

  When pointed out the obvious fact that Young Lady Saffra was involved in both cases, some people called it cruel and hypocritical, and rather blamed Lord Candidate Orche instead, even while he wasn’t involved in any part of this at all and it was actively harming his reputation!

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Even if we assume the folktale-like perception of Young Lady Saffra some people have — as an innocent girl thrown into a cruel world — we can’t say the same about Lady Candidate Mimosa.

  We all know of her scheming and sharp nature. We all know that she is a daughter of a traitor, who tainted her fingers with dark magic. And we all know, thanks to Lord Candidate Orche’s frequent comments, that she is close with Young Lady Saffra. Is it really all a coincidence?

  Lady Candidate Mimosa has yet to explain why all her residences are frequently supplied with fresh blood. She persistently denied it has anything to do with magic, and destroyed anyone who dared to mention it. But we dare to mention it. Why, if not for magic, Lady Candidate Mimosa needs that fresh blood?

  Is she a wyrm to lead our nation? Or a centipede to poison it? Or perhaps… something else entirely? A bloodsucking monster?

  — Hunt Messenger]

  [Plague at our doorsteps?

  We have new updates on the plague in the eastern river valley at the border with Gemma.

  As a reminder. About a month ago, the local doctors noticed a strange surge in the number of patients experiencing rashes and stomach aches. They reported it to the Flavun Health Institute, which looked into the matter and upon discovering that more than 30% of the residents showed those symptoms, announced a quarantine and closed off the valley.

  Two weeks ago, the symptoms started to worsen. Now more than 40% of residents reported severe diarrhea, heartburns and ‘cold skin’. In most serious cases, the patients are unable to take in solid food, as they return it one way or another.

  ‘We have screened all patients looking for a transmission medium. The patients do not share social strata, diet, descent or proximity. Our biggest suspect right now is water.’ — said the head doctor in charge of the quarantine.

  If the water was the source of the epidemic, the possible culprit could be the Ashen River, which crosses the valley and is the source of drinking water for many residents. Ashen River is only a small part of Flavun’s water network, so the rest of Flavun would remain unaffected. But, the Ashen River is a main source of drinking water for people of Gemma. The Flavun Health Institute was said to send an inquiry about Gemma’s situation, but have yet to hear a response.

  As for our correspondent in Gemma, they said they hadn’t heard anything similar to the epidemic experienced by river valley residents.

  Perhaps the culprit is not water after all.

  — Common Medical Journal]

  [A guide what to do with the ominous pamphlets found among slaves

  Many of our dear patrons noticed their slaves indulging in reading and keeping strange pamphlets of which content roughly boils down to ‘Rain of Light is coming’. Concerned, they asked for advice on what they should do.

  Here is our answer.

  The simplest method is just to ignore it. This matter was already investigated by the law enforcements and Head Priest of the Universe Temple, Rasin, and the conclusion was that it’s simply a marketing idea that spread among many small temples. Those temples were already advised to restrain themselves from evoking such an ominous, cult-like associations and we should see the results of it shortly.

  If our patrons don’t wish to wait, they can simply demand for those pamphlets to be returned or/and destroyed. The temples, which distributed them were forbidden from doing so and cannot claim it as part of their religious doctrine — as such, those pamphlets are not under Freedom To Practice Belief law, and the owner can simply take them away. If faced with resistance, the owner should remind the slaves that they (the owner) are in charge of management of everything the slaves own, until the slaves wash away the crimes they became slaves for. If resisted further, disciplinary actions are recommended.

  — Belief Manager Weekly]

  [On vampirism and other folktales

  Strange tales accompanied us since we were born. Children stories told by adults as a warning. Vampires are the prime example of it. The creatures, who resemble humans, yet feed on blood and turn to ash in sunlight. But do they really exist? Many of the horror stories that go around seem to rather be a result of twisted descriptions of physical deformities or conditions. Records of Sidius Kingdom history claim that one of their royal lineages fed on blood, but we must ask ourselves – are we really dealing here with a different ‘species’ or ‘special type of human’, instead of perhaps vile propaganda and defamation?

  One may point to Gemma Republic’s dragons and cat folks, who since ancient times were protecting the country and these days take on the honorary positions of Beast Princes and Princesses. But those who actually saw them might have faced enormous disappointment, as they’re nothing but human. They say that their lineages gives them special characteristics and abilities, and grant them long lives. Yet those abilities remain a secret, and we have many long-lived individuals that do not share their lineage. Perhaps it’s time we ask ourselves if we aren’t falling for a trap.

  What trap? Let me explain using an example.

  Have you ever heard about ‘demons’ and ‘angels’? Those creatures, supposedly originating from Sidius Kingdom, served as balancers between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. What is good and what evil, a sharp reader may ask. And the answer is… no source specifies. They were simply believed to be creatures that observe all mortals’ wrong and good doings, and either punish or reward them, based on the deeds. That’s right, ‘believed’. Everything we have talked about here is based on ‘belief’.

  We believed in the stories of blood-drinking vampires, shapeshifting dragons and cat folks, and morality guiding demons and angels. But should we?

  — Shedding Light]

  [Nation’s hidden hope

  I must admit, stepping into the lavish banquet halls, I felt scared. Dwarfed by the high, expertly carved columns — holding up the ceiling that one could take for a sky at dusk, waning red light decorating its crevices. The coming-of-age ceremony hall was as lavish as one may have expected from the most powerful man in the state, crowning the spring of adulthood of his beloved family member.

  The guests weren't inferior to their surroundings. The most distinguished members of our magic society gathered, adorned with the latest fashion inventions. Our sibling states too didn't miss out on this grand opportunity, with Flavun sending all three of its heirs. I didn't really get to see the youngest of them, Miss Saffra, it appeared that she suffered from post teleportation dizziness — poor delicate girl.

  Who I got to see were the two throne candidates, Miss Mimosa and Mister Orche, in their full sharp glory. Their atmosphere was positively warlike. On Purplus side, Saint Amara sadly didn't honor us with a visit. But the envoy was large, with priests of many temples and their slaves much bigger in number than both Flavun candidates envoys combined. In contrast to their bright and colorful clothes, they kept to themselves, not engaging in any interactions with their surroundings. I overheard them though, discussing with deep fascination the color scheme of the hall — they kept at it until the start of the ceremony.

  As for the food and service…

  (omitted)

  Finally, the clock struck the hour and the main event began. The main character of the ceremony strolled in with the gait of a red ibis embarking on clear waters. His clothes could be described as humble, yet they did not take away from his elegance. Lesser Lord Mage Vern’s appearance was such a stark contrast to Archmage Crimo, I’m tempted to draw on the expression of snow melting into transparency before the sun. And then poured down the sunlight, in the fiery flames, devouring the tree of youth like an eagle striking down its prey. From the gasps and whispers around me, I knew that such a feat could not be simple — and was indeed proven right on that later. It was one of the hardest among the fire spells, I was told.

  Lesser Lord Mage left rather quick to my great disappointment. So it can be imagined how overjoyed I was when, after Flavun and Purplus’ envoys hasty departure, Lesser Lord Mage appeared again. With kindness and generosity, he thanked each one of the guests for coming and exchanged a few words of courtesy. Bright and gentle was his smile.

  People of Rubrun know this, a new sun is rising in our skies.

  — Murder Of Crows ]

  [20th General of Flavun Sulfious is dead

  With great grief we inform that on the second night of the seventh month in Luminere year 421 the 20th General of Flavun passed away.

  Funeral will be held in a week.

  — Flavun News]

  *~*~*