C138: Roteng Fire (2)
Fire giant Quasimodo proved that Rudger didnt mistake him for a highest level fla spirit for nothing as he killed the soldiers with overwhelming firepower.
The soldiers lted along with their armor and did not even leave their bodies behind.
In front of Quasimodo the elite troops of the noble were only firewood.
The flas burned using life and death as firewood and kept getting bigger and bigger. Fla rain poured down on the fleeing soldiers while Esralda wept endlessly at the sight.
-Why?
Just yesterday she was spending her day as usual.
The daily life of waking up listening to the birds chirping, playing with the spirits, and greeting the villagers whom she was close with. A dream where she danced, sang, and laughed endlessly.
The tears that flowed down her cheeks evaporated because of the heat around her. There were only dry traces of tears left like her now gone daily life.
Esralda rose and began to walk. Quasimodo, who was watching her, soon turned into a small fla and was absorbed by Esraldas body.
She left the burning village behind and disappeared beyond the black darkness without knowing where she was heading.
I couldnt do anything then.
Pierre starred in the direction where Esralda disappeared with a sad face.
He was painting outside that day but when he realized what happened in the village and ca to help there was nothing he could do as a beginner wizard.
These two eyes were also lost during the fire that day.
The landscape has changed. Pierre, who had gone blind, was fortunate enough to survive. However, he couldnt even walk properly because he couldnt see, and it was only a matter of ti before he was swallowed up by the fire.
Then soone grabbed Pierres hand and dragged him.
Hey, get up!
It was a childlike but slender voice so the owner of the voice was presud to be a young girl but Rudger couldnt see her. There is only a scene in which the silhouette of a blurry black person grabs Pierres hand and drags him.
The painting magic only shows what ones own eyes had seen so Pierre couldnt possibly draw what happened after he beca blind.
With the help of the girl, Pierre was able to escape the fire safely.
Thank you. You saved my life.
I just did what I had to do.
What about the others? Is there anyone alive?
No, theyre all dead.
Thats
Pierre stared blankly at the burning town of Roteng. He couldnt see with his eyes, but the hot heat from there was telling him that there was a town there.
How absent-mindedly he must have been watching the scene.
He could feel the girl who saved him coming next to him.
Hey, youre the painter who just got here?
-You know ?
I rember you being emotional.
-Im sorry.
Theres nothing to be sorry about. No, its not sothing you should be sorry about in the first place.
The girls voice was filled with anger so Pierre asked cautiously.
What are you going to do now?
I have to get revenge.
-Revenge?
Isnt that obvious? All the villagers were killed. Soldiers set fire and slaughtered people just because the noble was upset.
-I.
Pierre did not dare to fight but the girl sighed and approached Pierre.
Are your eyes okay?
I dont see anything.
-You have a lot of burns. If you cant see when youre an artist, isnt that a problem?
I should be thankful that Im still alive.
-Thank you.Unlike you, I cant do that.
Pierre couldnt say anything at the girls words.
He was only a short ti in town, but this girl would have been around much longer. There were people who were close to her and maybe she had a family.
Are you going to go?
Pierre was worried about the girls future because he was blind and couldnt even look after her.
Of course, I dont want to force you to take revenge but I cant do that.
-.
-You can leave on your own. Just in case people co here.
The girl who said so left Pierre behind.
Pierre stretched out his hand towards the back of the girl who was blankly moving away. He wanted to ask what her na was but couldnt help it.
Pierre, who remained alone like that, continued to sit there until the fire extinguished itself because there was nothing more to burn.
The magic ended there.
Finally, the world of painting disappeared after the burning village, and it was an empty reality that took its place. The hot flas disappeared, and the dying people were erased without a trace.
Now, only the remains of a village remained.
I couldnt bear to leave.
At the center of the ruins, Pierre muttered.
All my close friends died, and I couldnt even draw what I wanted to draw, and now there are only nightmares left.
Why?
I may have lingering feelings. It was the first town that accepted or maybe its a sense of duty. Soone needs to protect this place.
Thus Pierre remained in the ruins. He stayed and kept drawing, recalling the scenery from then. He went through countless trials and errors because he couldnt see, and sotis desperately endured his heart breaking and collapsing.
He continued to paint in this place.
After living like that, sothing changed. I didnt know much about magic, but I was able to put magic in my brushwork. Maybe this was my talent.
A painter that could only paint a proper picture after losing his sight. It was really ironic but Pierre was neither grateful nor sorry for not being able to see.
The only thing that bothered Rudger is that he doesnt know what happened to the survivor of that day, Lady Esralda, and the girl who saved Pierre.
I see.
Rudger stood at the center of the desolate ruins and closed his eyes as the night breeze tickled his face.
He reflected on the sight he had just seen.
The fire wiped out the place and then the kingdom of Durman used the word Great Fire to cover up what happened in this town.
It would have prevented the rumors from spreading abroad, but it could not prevent the internal anger.
There must have been people who felt suspicious about the sudden fire. And if they investigated a little bit, they would realize that soone intentionally set the fire.
After the Roteng Great Fire, it was inevitable that the Kingdom of Durman would take a path of decline.
The anger of the common people toward the vested interests of the aristocracy, which had been accumulated before, ignited the incident as a fuse and exploded, raising the flag of revolution.
Nevertheless, the vested interests of the Kingdom of Durman would not have collapsed because they were in power.
If everyone used guns and gunpowder the sa way as the Earth in his previous life, the one with more numbers will inevitably have an advantage but this world has an asymtric history of magic and knights.
No matter how commoners stand up, the revolution wouldnt have been as easy as it sounds.
However, the started fire did not die down easily.
The culmination of that was the Blood Night incident that took place five years ago in Gvaudan, a city of the Kingdom of Durman. In that incident the kingdom lost the trust of the people.
The people who justified the evil of the established power based on the doctrine of the new kingship couldnt do anything about the cryptids.
The divine right of kings. In other words, the kings authority was given by heaven, that is, God, so everyone should obey the power.
Durman, who used Lunism as a state religion, followed this most fervently. However, as the cryptids ran rampant in Gvaudan their prestige plumted in an instant.
The Kingdom of Durman couldnt properly deal with the Beast of Gvaudan rather the fact that it was not a wizard or knight belonging to the state but a wandering hunter who killed the cryptid further fueled peoples distrust.
-What did the nation do?
What did those great knights and wizards do?
In addition, the response of the Bretus Kingdom, their ally, was also a problem.
For an unknown reason the Holy Father of Bretus shut down the country 20 years ago and didnt send any Holy Knights outside.
At the sa ti, citizens distrust of Lunism, which had collected huge religious taxes every ti, hit the sky.
It was the mont when their faith in God collapsed and the fire of revolution flared up again bigger and hotter than before.
Now, five years later the Kingdom of Durman lost its past prestige, and most nobles fled or defected abroad.
There was still a royal family left, but it was like a candle in front of the wind that could fall at any ti.
The Kingdom of Durman was still in the throes of change and the end of that change will surely be in a better direction than before but there have been too many incidents in the process of getting here.
Thats exactly what the Roteng Great Fire did.
What are the lives of those who have fallen like flas in the shadow of history?
Who should be held responsible for the monster born in it?
First Order Esralda and Fire Giant Quasimodo were monsters created by a terrible ti. The monsters born by the world joined hands with the Black Hand Society and infiltrated Theon.
Are all your questions answered now?
To so extent.
Then thats good.
Arent you suspicious of ?
Rudger didnt understand why Pierre had told him everything. In addition, the magic he used was eye-opening for other wizards. Pierres actions showed that he had hidden his abilities. Nevertheless, he showed Rudger the magic of painting.
I doubted it at first.
At first?
But there was sothing I felt from Mr. Rudger looking at the past I showed him. Feelings of anger, compassion, sympathy.
Ive never revealed it.
You may not believe it, but thats how I felt. Because I cant see, Im more sensitive, thats why I believe that Mr. Rudger is not a bad person.
Is he saying that after losing his sight he opened his sixth sense?
What would you do if it was all your own illusion?
Then its because I wasnt good enough. But I dont regret it.
And.
And?
A really bad person doesnt say anything to confirm that.
Pierre smiled softly and said in a relieved voice.
Rudger, who saw it, took his hand out of his pocket and bowed to him.
It must have been a painful past for you, but thank you for letting know that.
When Rudger bowed his head with respect but Pierre shook his head, saying it was okay.
Rather, Im grateful. Ive never been this honest with anyone before. Maybe its because Ive been facing the wounds Ive been ignoring so far, but Im more relieved now.
Pierre, who said so, was not a foolish young man, he was a wizard who overca his wounds and trials.
So, please. Mr. Rudger, please help the lady and the girl overco this sadness. They may still be fighting a tough fight sowhere in the world.
The reason Pierre told Rudger everything was probably because of the hope that he might help. However, Rudger felt just bitterly sorry for Pierres attitude. The girl nad Esralda is burning people to death and beca a revenge-mad arsonist.
Will Pierre ever know the truth? Should he tell this fact to him who knows nothing?
Ill try.
In the end, Rudger had no choice but to give a vague answer. That was the best consideration he could give Pierre.
Thats enough.
It was ti to say goodbye now that he had achieved his goal.
Pierre knew it and tried to return to his cabin. Then Rudger asked Pierre.
Are you going to stay here?
Yes. Im going to stay here and continue to paint.
Why?
Because I dont know if there will be new people here soday. As people gather one by one, there will be a new village here. They need soone to do that, soone who can tell them that there was once a beautiful village here.
I see.
That was the end of their conversation as Pierre said goodbye to Rudger.
Hell stay here and paint until soone else cos here because it was the only way to repay those who once reached out to him.
The subli belief caused a small stir in Rudgers quiet mind as he left.
When Hans saw him coming out he rushed towards Rudger.
Brother, did you find anything?
I found out sothing, but it didnt help much.
All I found was the reason why Esralda acted like that.
Then wasnt this a waste of ti?
Not really.
He got a clue, so it wasnt a aningless trip.
Hans, I have sothing to look into.
Say it.
I would like you to find out who is a famous magician among the noble families who were once in the Kingdom of Durman and went into exile elsewhere.
Thats a bit too much. Do you have any characteristics that can narrow the range?
The family has been born blonde for generations and the current leader is a man in his early 30s.
Hmm. It seems vague, but its not to the point where I cant do it. All right.
Now that Im done with my business, its ti to go back to Theon.
* * *
As ti passed, the second test ca close. The students, who were usually waiting in the lecture hall, stood in the open space around them with slightly nervous faces.
And in front of them stood Rudger Chelici, their teacher and general manager of the test.
Since I announced it in advance, I believe everyone has been preparing hard.
There were no students who answered the question. Everyone just waited for the upcoming second test with a determined face.
Lets start the test.
The second test [Magic manifestation based on the magic square] has begun.
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