Apystillius is the [Mayor] of Leggiadra, a man responsible for the bureaucracy that the Steel and Glass District mostly avoids like you would with a plague.
These are all the trade agreents that were stipulated, says in a straightforward manner.
Any problem? I ask.
Hes the one who actually signs docunts for the city, including the agreents that half-giants drafted with Goblins for the supply of iron ore.
Apystillius shakes his head and adjusts his glasses.
No. Everything went smoothly. All the contracts are in order. I had them examined. All is good.
Apystillius is the dullest person I have ever t, Minurulex says while fetching so food. We have been sharing als to discuss his latest findings, both military and regarding the great mystery we have uncovered.
He doesnt seem very sharp, I admit.
Oh, why do you think we put him there? I an, hes had his position for sothing like twenty years. Hes extrely good with paperwork, but hes not fit to be in any creative position. If he actually led the city, we would have not seen anything change. He would also have blocked our dealings with you. He hates change. But if you need him to take care of maintenance, hes the guy.
Does lior like him? I ask out of pure curiosity. Minurulex is one of the few people I actually feel comfortable and relaxed around.
lior? I have no idea. He never deals with Apystillius directly. You know how lior is. He grew up in a forgehes better at speaking to iron than others. Oh, and he does speak to iron. If I have to guess, he spoke longer to iron than actual people.
You are really not interested in going along with him, I laugh.
Why should I? I work on interesting things, and now Im getting better and better. I think he might actually have less levels than , for now. I an, he has age on his side. I guess I have wisdom?
Minurulexs blabber fills the room and keeps company.
How did lior beco the head of the Steel?
How? We host contests of skills. You show that you are better than everyone else and you get to lead. Over the years, so have argued that this is not ideal because it ans that very weird characters have led the District. But it gives us a very technical lead. Theres very little politicking because no one wants to waste ti outside their laboratory or forge. It was the sa for . But I have to admit, the [Alchemists] of my generation and the previous one werent anything great. liors people were definitely having the upper-hand, influence-wise. But before we took Keveiz, Leggiadra basically survived on the inco generated by [Alchemists]. Thats why theres a good balance now. Its also the reason I actually get stuff done with lior. We dont really like each other, but we deeply respect each others work.
It is a technical governnt. Italy had many of those when a political governnt failed. The problem was that even the economists were mostly not competent enough to do what needed to be done; or even worse, they started blindly following principles of economic growth instead of focusing on what would have benefitted their population.
Did you find out anything about the [Light]-infused glass? I ask, changing topic.
Minurulex moves a big wooden spoon back and forth in his soup, thinking.
I have spoken to lior. He never heard about thiswhich is not surprising, by the way. lior is in his twenties. Hes too young to know anything about this. I tried inquiring among older [Alchemists], but no one said
Hello, my fair hosts! a blaring voice barges in, louder than a blowing horn.
Zifinius, Riziliuss Ears, I have no money for you! Minurulex exclaims.
Oh, Minurulex, I didnt see you there! I was starstruck by the beautiful lady here! My lady, your skin is purer than alabaster and your hair looks sculpted away from Nightstones!
Cassandre, dont mind, Minurulex says while trying to push away the intruding half-giant, this is Zifinius, broken [Bard] and [Beggar]. Hes dead drunk, again. Zifinius, co on! How didnt they throw you out yet?!
? HA! I entertain people, Minurulex! I dont need to make little trinkets to be of so value! Art! Poetry! Even the Canti would be enticed to stop their great deeds to listen to my beautiful music! Touching the strings of his harp, he emphasizes the final syllable.
He begins to hum a soothing tune.
Music from the instrunt touches a nerve deep within , and I can't help but smile. I have always felt a deep connection with music and all the artistic forms it took over the years; from simple pop music to classical concerts, its sothing I have always enjoyed.
I fish out a golden coin a hand it to a wide-eyed Zifinius.
Give your best, I tell the [Bard].
Oh, Cassandre, what have you done?! We will never get rid of him now! Minurulex cries.
Zifinius seems unfazed by Minurulex's presence. Instead, now that he got his token of appreciation, he seems to have morphed into a different entity altogether. Gone the drunken haze, he softly caresses the strings, eliciting a lancholic lody from the harp. Sothing cos to my mind: when you get soone to read your tarots, you have to pay money if you want the magic to work. If you dont pay for the magic, it simply doesnt work and the predictions will be misleading. From a witchcraft point of view, you always need a pledge for magic to work.
This is a tale of Giants and Light,
Made great by the Dragons delight,
Wherever you go, promise your might
But not to the treacherous Canti.
Zifinius's first words freeze both Minurulex and , and the bard's face is plastered with a devious grin. The music ensnares both of us, awakening the legends of his people, deeply buried in our common consciousness, tearing apart the locks that kept it hidden.
When the monsters ca to knock,
Light put them on the chopping block,
But Giants and Dragons bickered too long,
And the Dragons killed them for naught.
Zifinius etches out more notes from his harp with his eyes closed, drunk of his own music, possessed by his muse, probably not even conscious of what he was doing.
When Aethereums great wisdom couldnt be passed,
Delusums tried to tell his fellows Dragons,
What you cant see is still there, friends,
And for that they killed him like fiends.
The notes start breaking down, Zifiniuss voice straining against his own vocal chords, having to push out the words with all the strength he could muster. Hes digging deep, drinking at the most powerful source of his art.
What is lost is lost, like the greatest love,
Dragons ander aimlessly for treasure troves,
Scarred Ko when the great Black Queen was lost,
They lost themselves in the darkness of a cave.
Zifinius appears to be exhausted. His pupils constrict to the size of pins as his nose pours blood on the table. But, with the veins of his neck straining and pulsating, he pushes out a last verse. His eyes start shining with blue light and a powerful aura sweeps over the entire inn.
Wait for the great sovereign of Death to ddle,
As Light finds his lun in new vessels,
Look for the Magic among the Demons,
But keep an eye on Ko for the Heroes.
At the last syllable, Zifinius falls on the table, convulsing, with foam at his mouth.
Oh, I have leveled! the [Bard] says as soon as he wakes up, smiling.
Riziliuss ears! Minurulex grabs the bard from the bed where we laid him down. What was that?! Where did you take those lyrics from?!
What? Oh, Minurulex. Im a bit hungover. Would you mind letting go of ?
Who is the Black Queen? I ask, that na sounds inspiring more than terrifying for so reason.
Who?
You ntioned the Black Queen and a bunch of things, you drunken idiot! Speak! Where did you get those lyrics?!
Hey, listen, folks, maybe I need so wine before we
Minurulex takes out a dagger from his bag of holding with trembling hands.
I swear, Zifinius, if you dont speak!
Calm down, Minurulex, I tell the half-giant brandishing a dagger bigger than a machete. I move my eyes to Zifinius, clearly not aware of what he said not even an hour before.
I make up most of the lyrics I speak, Minurulex, the half-giant on the bed says, wiping so sweat from his forehead, you should know! Dont you rember the song I made about you?
Magic among the Demons. Light. Epretos and the Nine Towers Academy, I say, looking around for the references. Minurulex transcribed the lyrics, and we are trying to make sothing out of it.
Thats where this points at if that wasnt just a drunken hysteria, Minurulex looks over the paper.
lior looks at the paper and frowns.
Nine Towers Academy?
Thats what the [Bard] said before fainting, I tell him.
The big half-giant keeps frowning, but he doesnt speak. He just stares at the paper.
You know sothing, dont you? Minurulex asks.
lior bites his lower lip, the first sign of hesitation Ive seen from the guy since the day I t him. He ordered slaughters and a potential war without frowning. But hes now conflicted about sothing.
Follow .
He gets up and starts tapping around a wall in his forge. We are already alone, no one around capable of disturbing us. As soon as lior finishes tapping, a door appears out of nowhere.
Nice enchantnt, Minurulex observes.
This is a secret of Steel, Minurulex. You must have sothing similar, but never ntion it to anyone.
lior doesnt say anything to . He knows that I have no interest in betraying his trust, and that Ive already killed too many Humans to be a spy.
We descend through a few flight of stairs and find ourselves in a private office, similar to the one Minurulex has.
So of our ancestors were [Light Mages], so of them among the best. There are ntions of a lost Relic of half-giants, specifically made for [Light Mages].
He pulls out so parchnt and starts unrolling it in front of us.
Here it says that tal cannot carry any Light, lior says with a solemn face. He doesnt look pleased by this revelation. Glass is in charge of that. But there is so special alloy that apparently, after undergoing a ritual, can dispel darkness. I have no idea why they wrote it and why its not in verses like the rest of the knowledge.
Riziliuss Ears, is this in prose as well? The sa goes for the Glasslight!
Did you co up with that na? lior asks with a straight face.
Beautiful na, isnt it? Minurulex replies.
No.
Whatever, what do you know?
While they bicker, so knowledge found in Liciniums books cos to my mind.
The Nine Towers Academy had several half-giant [Archmages] in the past, as docunted by your historiae. And there are ntions of a great treasure of half-giants that they brought to the Nine Towers Academy to build the fad bridges of Light. The sa bridges that, century after century, no one has yet managed to dispel or harm. And they said that these bridges hold the secret for it.
It is an old joke that only stupid people would get the [Light Mage] class believing they could unveil so secret around the academy. No one believe its real, though.
They are. And we need to know what secret that is.
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