EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
You should challenge Joseph to a coffee drinking contest next time, Shade.
Noblesse Oblige [Znt/SI]
Generalissimo
Generalissimo of SufficientVelocity
- Location
- Tropico, Tropico
Infinite Coffee Works
Let's go and ramp him up with maximum coffee!
- Location
- Austria
They have a floating island, airship for them is lesser deal than IRL. Though they have actually big ones...
Peasant literacy? Um. I missed this one, sorry. Where was it mentioned?
Muskets are recent innovation, true.
My biggest problem with all this is that in 6000 years they haven't found anything on par with Brimir's old bullshit. Derflinger is OP(which means that Brimir was better at blacksmithing than 6000 years of progress ever managed), runes which make familiar more skiled and resilient are OP, Void magic shitstomps any other kind - and 6000 years of magical research haven't found anything nearly in the same league. That's kind of similar to how "magical medieval stasis" looks like, I think.
Overall, it feels like...mundane technological progress went slightly slower, but not ridiculously so, than IRL, magic haven't really managed to beat any feat of its founder (which is one problem) and haven't produced visible effect on non-magical technological progress, except airships (problem two). No progress of purely magical thought and almost no progress of mixed magical-and-mundane thought sounds like "medieval stasis".
Generalissimo
Generalissimo of SufficientVelocity
- Location
- Tropico, Tropico
Siesta's modest library?
All of the maids, random peasants, who share in Siesta's literature hobby?
Books are cheap enough commoners don't have any problems affording them?
Those usually indicate a certain level of literacy.
The idea of mundane technological progress proceeding in a linear and constantly-escalating pattern is the kind of thing they teach grade school kids, but a closer look at history shows it's completely bogus. It's a conceit that modern people put up as fact, along with ideas like 'progress is inevitable' and 'technology can solve every problem'. The histories of China, Egypt, and Rome pretty well indicate frequent and celebrated technological renaissances... which accomplished jack squat, because there's no economic incentives in place. And then the money ran out for baubles, and they were forgotten.
A closer look at history reveals that the European Renassaince was an almost-accident precipitated by a labor shortage in the wake of the black death that caused the creation of a middle class and promoted an economic demand for labor-saving devices as opposed to slaves or peasants. This was coupled with a great deal of luck for the european countries in colonization following the resulting rise in unemployment. Other empires in the past tried similar things and failed.
Looking at this, it's easy to see why Halkeginia should be MURDER on technological progress. Every innovation that we had which is a result of some kind of labor-saving device intended to gain an economic advantage has to compete against fucking magic. Good luck trying to sell expensive steel-bladed plows when a down-at-heels or kindly nobleman can wave his wand and do everything it can do better in a fraction of the time.
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EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
I am the bean of my drink
Bitter is my coffee and coffee is my blood
I have drunk over a thousand cups
Unknown to mom, nor known to dad
Have withstood pain to smuggle beans into the academy,
Yet, I can never drink freely.
So as I stir,
Unlimited Coffee-Works!
- Pronouns
- she/her
Derflinger is A) an elvish invention and B) jumps bodies. He is not an indicator of superior blacksmith techniques and enchantments from human mages 6000 years ago.
Of course they're not able to progress beyond what Brimir did with Void. He did something that made it so only 4 people could ever have it at a time, and recorded his spells so that no one could read them but Void mages with access to both a Void item and an Elemental Ring artifact. So any progress would have to come from individual Void mages, who are going to be starting from scratch if they don't happen to have access to Brimir's notes. Even presuming Brimir didn't cripple Void on purpose to stop new spells from being created, it would be a tall order to surpass his feats with such a deficit of knowledge to build off.
Edit: not to mention the elves regularly come in and lobotomize the Void mages, which makes it even more unlikely they'd be able to make significant progress over Brimir.
Normal elemental mages can't help further development of Void magic at all. However while they have gotten weaker as individual mages due to living standards no longer being "constant life or death struggle to survive", society, magictech, and regular tech have all clearly progressed past what was available 6000 years ago. Which was stone age nomadic tribal societies and tech.
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- Location
- United States
A tsunami of boiling coffee.
*childhood nightmares intensify*
- Location
- Yharnam
Void magic doesn't work at all like normal one and for all idiocy of magocracy in FoZ Brimir really was nearly godlike. He made familiars with mastery of all weapons, even those nonexistent in Halk, and all magical items, again, presumably even those from other dimensions. That isn't exactly omniscience of course, but even that limited access to Akasha is quite impressive. Is it explained in cannon where Brimir originated from, or was he just random genius kid born with baggage of bullshit?
Also, are there any decently long FoZ fics with Louise summoning Myoz? I can only remember Third Magic and that didn't go very far.
IIRC, Brimir was just born with a mutation that gave him access to Void magic instead of the elemental system that was standard in his tribe. The elves believe that the Void is a perversion of the natural order. They refer to it multiple times as a corruption. However, the elves were unfamiliar with the Void before Brimir took up genocide as a hobby, so its unclear whether that is elvish prejudice speaking or if Void magic really is an inherently destructive force. The latter would explain why Brimir tried to use his genocide spell on the elves even though Sasha, his Gandalfr and possibly his lover, was an elf. The former is also possible because prior to Brimir's birth, humanity was on the bottom of the food chain in Halkeginia. Brimir supposedly regretted having to wipe out entire races, but did what was necessary to prevent humanity from going extinct.
No it isn't weird, we are just reading too much into a social position. Nothing would change If there are only a few mages showing up in commoner families, as it could be very rare based on how things are set up(for instance if the gift 'nourishment' as a child), since that doesn't mean the person remains in that family since family is a social construct.
Let's say in a small village a child of six(we'll call him Jacob) starts healing his friends when they get hurt. Word of this gets to a nearby minor noble(we'll call him Isaac). Isaac adopts the child from the commoners and makes a member of his house. Perhaps Isaac is old and has no children which would be the best situation for Jacob, or Isaac just wants insurance in case he needs to send someone off to war for the crown that he doesn't actually care about (pretty much the only possibility if Isaac does have an heir already).
This would be kept more or less quite with the parents of the child given money for their silence, and everyone in the village understanding that he isn't the same as them due to their faith and the social situation. And Isaac very much wants this kept quite because it getting reduces the value of Jacob. And Jacob? we'll his standard of living just shot right up, though his home situation might have degraded a bit, and he above all the rest doesn't want this getting out since it would hurt him socially. And no-one is going to mention the members of their lineage who weren't always nobles since that would be a black mark.
I figure there are probably a few people like this every generation. They just aren't talked about. And since the story is told from the perspective of specific people who either wouldn't cared about this, or would have no reason to ever learn about it... well it just would never have come up.
Also we are talking about magic here.
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- Location
- Austria
About technology IRL: "constantly escalating" is not entirely false: pieces of knowledge from previous "high-tech" places were very much in action later on. For example, idea of spherical Earth and heliocentric system was not born in the vacuum, quite the opposite was, in fact, true. Mills had ancient origins. Expeditions around Horn of Africa were partially inspired by ancient Greeks. It would be more sensible to say that there were highs and lows and that technology without socioeconomic prerequisites didn't take off until those were in place - and thus sometimes ended up forgotten. Calling it "bogus" is too much.
"Plows vs mages": This is why I am confused by lack of magitech: expensive plow can be either made cheaper by magic, enhanced by magic or...basically, it doesn't have to be purely mundane plow vs purely magical wand-waving. That's what I meant by "lack of magical effect on technology": why mundane tech is so similar to IRL one in a world with relatively ubiquitous magic? And where is all the magitech? Why is magic reserved for only military when even wars are won by logistics?
Okay, I forgot about Derflinger being elvish sword, my bad. Were all powerful magical items of similar origins (Brimir himself or elves)?
Tribal nomads and stone age? When elves knew enough about metallurgy to create Derflinger (which is basically sword with spirit stuffed inside)? That's, like, iron workings, not stone age. Body-hopping changes it though...was his first body sharpened stick or what?
It was noted that elves are gud in magic, but the whole Brimir's big idea was to protect from enemies who were really higher tech than both humans end elves, so technologically those two races were relatively in the same league. Also, Brimir left rings and mirror which require mundane technology a bit better than stone age one. Or he did it purely with magic, and Void Magic is also the only one which can craft stuff. Only Myoz then somehow acquires ton of presumably non-Void magical tools while not a single other mage ever uses them, so that idea doesn't work either. So...it wasn't all stone age.
Thing about "no constant struggle to survive made them weak" is just weird. Wars are devastating and screw economy in all the wrong ways, in addition to taking lives of able-bodied men, thus screwing things more.
Magictech? Where? Besides the airships. And Myoz.
Okaay, I just dived into wiki and guess what? Some humans, albeit heavily modified (human modifications exist! Do Halkeginians even know concept of "gene"? Or concept of "sterilization", for that matter?) are capable of using elvish magic! Also, there is this list of Brimirian artifacts, but not a single one was produces since that time. Again, no magitech/10, no artifacts/10. To be fair, humans did progress from being only able to use triangle and higher-tier spells in groups to solo casting those, so it's not all bad, but still.
This makes a certain amount of sense. So, for the lack of better options, let's assume that every single potentially magical not noble either never realizes it or is picked up by a noble.
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The guys Brimir was fighting at the time had armies outfitted with plate or chainmail armor IIRC.
- Location
- Mountains and rivers
Except when his wife gets a mouthful.
- Location
- Austria
...which of course weren't copied because acquiring enemy's technology is totally not a reasonable thing to do and they never captured a single enemy competent enough to tell them how to forge this shit. Yeah, right, that makes sense...wait, where are those metal guys 6000 years later?
Except when his wife gets a mouthful.
Why this forum doesn't let me give out *sigh* or *facepalm*?
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- Pronouns
- she/her
The enemies were so superior in comparative technology and numbers that Brimir's people and the elves were literally World Gating their populations away from battles to survive. Even if they did steal the knowledge of the tech, there was no time or place to start producing it for their own side.
What happened to the metal guys? GENOCIDE RITUAL.
Genocide spell.
Being serious I don't know, haven't finished reading the novels. I assume they were subjugated by Brimir eventually and became the commoners if he didn't wipe them out completely with magic as they didn't have any magic from what was shown and IIRC they were said to look just like humans.
- Location
- Mountains and rivers
My hunch is telling me Brimir wouldn't seem like such a shit dude if the author actually lived long enough to elaborate on the setting at large (guy like Brimir would be interconnected).
So, would people who read ZnT recommend me the LNs? I only watched the anime years ago.
So, would people who read ZnT recommend me the LNs? I only watched the anime years ago.
Generalissimo
Generalissimo of SufficientVelocity
- Location
- Tropico, Tropico
Karin & Tabitha stories are great because they're completely lacking the harem nonsense.
- Pronouns
- she/her
Not necessarily. Derflinger is a spirit that eats magic, that is the only part that needs to originate from elf tech. What body he was in when first created is completely irrelevant. It could be something as primitive as a sharpened bone dagger.
That doesn't follow. All that is required for an Elf-Markey alliance is for the enemy faction to be superior to both of them. They don't need to be comparable technologically at all, heck since it was Void magic that helped them win humans could have been way more primitive and still seem like appealing allies.
The first arc of the series shows us that mages can casually conjure and work metal; however this does not necessarily mean they instantly figured out how to make weapons out of them or discovered all the useful alloys. Aztecs for example figured out how to make wheels but never used them for anything but toys. Also why bother making a better metal sword when everyone can shoot a wind blade out of a stick?
Brimir left behind: Book, Incense Box, Music Box, Mirror, gemstone rings. The mirror isn't that out of place if its polished metal instead of glass. The music box otoh is way too advanced, but can be justified as pure magic sound recording rather than a mechanical mechanism. I mean he was somehow recording spells in the smell of an incense box, so...
It wasn't warring that made them strong individually, it was the primitive society that enabled Darwinism. There was no support structure in place for a mage that couldn't become strong and protect themselves. If a mage didn't have the potential to reach full Square they likely weren't going to survive in a deathworld full of dragons, orcs, ect. let alone a war campaign.
If you refuse to accept flying sailboats powered by magic rocks as magictech this conversation will go nowhere.
Those humans were modified with Halkegenian style magic. They are the results of modern human magitech. Many of the plots in TSS also show examples of modern magictech such as earthstone golems that perfectly mimic humans and semi-successful brain transplant of a human into a minotaur.
And if that wasn't enough evidence magitech has progressed, here is an onscreen example of Eleonore being tasked to research some:
And here is an example of Eleonore demonstrating her strong moral fiber in the face of temptation
"Of course I'm yelling! Please give me an reasonable explanation for this research command." Eleonore thrust out the document.
"Aah......about that. Nn, actually, it's regarding a repeated request from a VIP from the palace......"
"Even though I don't think this is heretical, it doesn't follow the traditional research topics of the 'Academy'".
"What you're saying isn't wrong, but an old man like also has his stand on this subject......"
While wiping away the sweat on his brow, Gondrin took a glance at Eleonore.
"What are those palace guys thinking? Not long ago, Bailey was also commanded to do some strange research......"
"Meh, meh......This old man doesn't know anything......"
Straightening her shoulders, Eleonore squinted angrily at Gondrin.
"Are you hiding something?"
"This old man?! Hiding something from you?! Impossible! This old man has nothing to hide!" Gondrin nervously waved his hands.
"Really?"
"O-of course! Nn, about that, even though I'm not sure what assignment the palace government gave you, they should have their own concerns. Helping them out now is not a bad idea. Miss Valliere, this old man remembers that you once placed an order for a high speed magic cauldron, right?"
"Uh huh......"
That was the Achilles's heel of her research. No matter the topic of research, money is always needed. Even with the academic investment of Tristain, the budget allocation here is still quite limited.
"I'll just increase the priority for the research budget of the 'Earth' department, how about that? I'll try my best to convince the board."
Eleonore's brow furrowed again. Even though she was very conflicted, in the end, she still replied with a hesitating voice, "B-but, to start such a unconvincing topic......"
"What are you talking about? You're not a student anymore. Research requires creativity, right? We at the 'Academy' are no different."
"......"
Gondrin rested his hand on Eleonore's shoulders. "As long as I can help impressive researchers like you work in a more comfortable and complete environment, it's nothing for this old man to work a little harder."
".......Two more M-Mandragora fields will do fine." (T/L: Mandragora is the scientific name for "mandrake", which is a herb)
"That's that then."
Certain of her victory, Eleonore happily skipped out of Gondrin's room.
"Aah......about that. Nn, actually, it's regarding a repeated request from a VIP from the palace......"
"Even though I don't think this is heretical, it doesn't follow the traditional research topics of the 'Academy'".
"What you're saying isn't wrong, but an old man like also has his stand on this subject......"
While wiping away the sweat on his brow, Gondrin took a glance at Eleonore.
"What are those palace guys thinking? Not long ago, Bailey was also commanded to do some strange research......"
"Meh, meh......This old man doesn't know anything......"
Straightening her shoulders, Eleonore squinted angrily at Gondrin.
"Are you hiding something?"
"This old man?! Hiding something from you?! Impossible! This old man has nothing to hide!" Gondrin nervously waved his hands.
"Really?"
"O-of course! Nn, about that, even though I'm not sure what assignment the palace government gave you, they should have their own concerns. Helping them out now is not a bad idea. Miss Valliere, this old man remembers that you once placed an order for a high speed magic cauldron, right?"
"Uh huh......"
That was the Achilles's heel of her research. No matter the topic of research, money is always needed. Even with the academic investment of Tristain, the budget allocation here is still quite limited.
"I'll just increase the priority for the research budget of the 'Earth' department, how about that? I'll try my best to convince the board."
Eleonore's brow furrowed again. Even though she was very conflicted, in the end, she still replied with a hesitating voice, "B-but, to start such a unconvincing topic......"
"What are you talking about? You're not a student anymore. Research requires creativity, right? We at the 'Academy' are no different."
"......"
Gondrin rested his hand on Eleonore's shoulders. "As long as I can help impressive researchers like you work in a more comfortable and complete environment, it's nothing for this old man to work a little harder."
".......Two more M-Mandragora fields will do fine." (T/L: Mandragora is the scientific name for "mandrake", which is a herb)
"That's that then."
Certain of her victory, Eleonore happily skipped out of Gondrin's room.
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- Location
- Elsewhere
The path to Shade's heart is through his Coffee Intake Valve.
@MinorGryph what research the palace was looking for Elenore to be doing?
- Location
- U.S.A.
Tribute to coffee!
Chapter Forty-Nine
- Location
- https://discord.gg/z9tBvbh
Chapter Forty-Nine
I was enjoying the sun.
It was a beautiful sun. It made me want to praise it. There was nothing better that standing with your back on the soft grass, enjoying the sun as above you a smug looking griffin knight extended a hand to help you up.
"Your conjuration of iron swords is slow, Henry. By the time you get one in front of you, I just need to throw lightning through it in your direction," he acquiesced. "I fail to see the reason for such a conjuration. Perhaps try to put more distance between us?"
"Jean-Jacques...the Lightning nickname is truly warranted in your case," I grumbled. My breathing evened out as I was helped back on my feet, dusting off my clothes. "How's Louise doing at the palace? I heard prince Wales came from Albion...is she behaving well?"
"She is," Jean-Jacques said with a small chuckle. "You don't have to worry about her, but yourself. With the second year coming to an end soon enough, are you ready for your incoming break?" I nervously looked away.
"Help me run away, Jean-Jacques?" I pleaded, only to receive a snort and a shake of the head. "You truly are a traitor among traitors," I grumbled. "Somehow, mother found out I got myself drunk together with the crown prince. She's switched me to water, Jean-Jacques. Water." I shuddered, "What did I do to deserve this?"
"You know the answer, Henry," Jean-Jacques said with a small smile, bringing his swordwand up. "Do you want to go for another bout?"
"Yes," I answered with a nod as I brought up my own swordwand. "Iron swords conjured from the earth-" as I spoke, swords materialized from thin air around me. They did not float, but landed firmly on the ground with their edges blunt, and their forms pretty much similar to iron blocks. Wardes was already on me with his thrusts, so by the time I began to deflect and move on the defensive, he was a few seconds ahead of me with his chanting.
"Attracting opposites, polarizing my own sword-the Founder's will is to deliver me the blade-" I chanted, the Willpower draining as suddenly, my swordwand locked with that of Wardes, the older boy blinking in surprise as sparks flew off when they separated. "Lift thyself, and come to my aid!" Wardes dodged to the side as the iron blocks that were the swords I had conjured came rushing forth for my swordwand.
"Shit." The next second, the blocks of iron hit my swordwand squarely and knocked it off my hand.
"I suppose the winner is obvious once more, Henry," Jean-Jacques said. "Though this trick of yours...wasn't bad, but with the swords conjured as they were-I wouldn't be dead even if I were hit by those things."
I grabbed one of the iron slabs that was a sword in name only, and perhaps because it had a handle on one side and vaguely was sword-shaped. "Iron swords conjured from the earth, aid me in my time of need. The Founder's faith arms me with his blades, the will of the Gods shields my heart from fear. Be it heresy or the devil itself, I will not falter for as long as your blades stand by my side. Allow me to arm myself, and my followers. This I plead of you, oh glorious Founder." By the time the proper chant was done, a set of rapiers stood in place of the iron slabs. These ones were sharp, and had those actually hit me due to the magnetic attraction, they would have skewered me to the death.
"Those might have hurt more," Jean-Jacques admitted, "But again, you would have simply hurt yourself."
"Death by self-skewering," I chuckled. "Well, once more my Void Day is happily spent away from wine and people." I exhaled and looked at the sky. "Time to get back to the academy. I have essays to catch up to, and if I don't, then I'm going to get punished even harder."
"The trick to avoiding punishment is to not do things worthy of punishment, Henry," Jean-Jacques remarked with a smile. "I'll accompany you. Wouldn't want you to lose your way and end up in Tristain by mistake."
I laughed, and said nothing more. If he had known what I did during my free afternoons, he'd report to my mother who, in turn, would punish me with such strength that I might lose my breath from it.
Raven was waiting for me back in my rooms, a scroll tied around his neck and the usual delivery already placed on my desk. Raven himself could do that much with ease once showed how, and as he grinned and flapped his wings happily, I returned him a smile of my own.
"Raven, let us see what good news you bring me," as I opened the parchment, I read through it the required amount of ecus to have a full print of my new book, as well as the costs to have it sent to the most prestigious bookstores across the capital. I whistled at the cost, but then sighed and gave my Raven a nod. The most I had spent had been for something eerily similar to a Holding Bag, which was a pouch tied around Raven's neck. Wardes had been pacified by pointing out I could hide a swordwand inside the pouch and hold it always on my person to never be without a wand.
If only he knew what I actually sent Raven to do with that pouch around his neck, I was sure he'd never forgive me.
"Well, this is what I receive in a month," I remarked. "My pen name has already been decided-now..." I hummed, "Raven?"
"No porn!" Raven shook his head, "No porn!"
"So you heard nothing about that side, uh. If only that type of books printed their editors...guess for that sort of thing, we'd need an over the border type of deal. But sending you alone would make it considerably harder, and what would you ask anyway? Where's the closest editor of porn books?" I shook my head, and Raven cawed in displeasure, acknowledging the fact that his form lacked in subtlety.
"I'm sorry," Raven cawed, flapping his wings and looking downcast. In answer, I simply rubbed his head gently.
"It's fine. I'm sure you'd do your best, but there's no need to risk it. Let's get the book published as soon as possible," I smiled. "Then, I can treat you to some of your favorite food. Minced meat and apple juice, right?"
"Yes! Yes! I love you!" Raven cawed happily, flapping his wings to fly right up on my shoulder. He rubbed his head against my cheek, and I sighed in relief. At least there was someone in this world who had no problems being all lovey-dovey and honest about his feelings.
I was pretty sure that somewhere, a long distance away from me, a certain pink-haired woman was currently sneezing.
"Take that," I snorted to the imaginary-Karin. "Sneeze again!" I chuckled, and then sat down at my desk, grabbing the leather water-skin filled with wine. "Now...where were we? Oh, right, Under the sea it's so nice to be, why must you go up, Ariel? Why not stay here, down here, under the sea?"
As my quill wrote, I exhaled.
Uneventfully, my second year at the Tristain Academy came to an end.
By the time I returned home for the break, I had already prepared myself to months of torture, but those suddenly did not matter. No, because as soon as I stepped down from the carriage, I was greeted by a most surprising sight. I was greeted by the sight of my past sins coming back to haunt me. I was greeted with the memory and recollection of that which I had forgotten, but which would never be forgotten by She Who Must Punish.
"Mother," I said awkwardly. "Why are you wearing that strange hat?"
"Breaking composure upon departure," Karin said firmly, and my eyes widened as I realized what she was saying. She was wearing her old Manticore Knight armor, and her swordwand was firmly held in her right hand and gleamed with the definite desire to be used. "Drinking wine beyond your allowed limits." Mother, your wand is rising, no, please, kindly put it down, "Making a fool out of yourself in the presence of royalty. Also, heading to drink in an inn of ill repute," as soon as she said that, my eyes widened beyond belief.
"That's not possible!" I yelled, "Objection! I never did that! I demand proof! Proof that I went anywhere!"
Karin's eyes narrowed, "Henry, take your punishment like a real noble. I have unquestionable eyewitness accounts of your sortie. Also, I will add the unlawful use of your familiar to try to circumvent the restrictions imposed on you."
Winds began to gather around me as the carriage was hastily moved by the driver, even as Raven cawed and brought both wings to clutch on to the side of my face.
I grabbed Raven by his back, and smiled at him with all of the courage I could muster. "Live, Raven. Live!" and as I threw him away, the Cutter Tornado surrounded my frame and began to send me up in the air.
"Gaaaahhhh!" my yelling was reflexive, but it honestly didn't hurt. It felt like being constricted by a sort of snake, a snake made of air that also made you spin three-hundred sixty degrees with abrupt changes of trajectory. Shit, this was like being on one of those roller-coasters that go in all directions.
And then I was dropped, ass first, on the ground in front of Karin. I hissed. Funnily enough, it had hurt more being dropped than being flung around like a rag-doll inside a miniature hurricane.
"What...sort of...eyewitness accounts...do you have?" I hissed as I painfully stood back up, rubbing the lower part of my back as I looked straight into her eyes.
"The trustworthy one," Karin said firmly, "Now, the servants will prepare you a bath. Change your clothes, then join me and your father in his office. We have much to discuss." I nodded, slowly recovering the breath I had lost due to the punishment. "Also, your familiar is not allowed anywhere inside the house." She narrowed her eyes. "Have I been clear?"
Raven came swooping down with a caw, landing on my shoulder and glaring daggers at Karin.
In answer, Karin glared daggers at Raven.
"I don't like you!" Raven said loudly. "No porn for you!"
I felt blood drain from my skin.
I began to shake.
Karin's wand rose once more.
This time, though, I was saved by the sound of the bell.
"Brother!" and as Cattleya arrived on the scene, she stood up and walked the few steps that separated her from me. Was I using my twin sister as a shield against mother's punishment? Yes, yes I was.
Was I regretting it?
"Dear sister," I answered with a warm smile, "I've missed you so much!" and with that, I held her tightly and made her spin a bit, before bringing her back to her chair -keeping her between myself and mother at all times. "But let's get inside right now-"
"Henry," Karin said quite flatly, her eyes ablaze with righteous fury. "This isn't over."
"Valhalla awaits, but it will not claim me today, mother!" and as I yelled that, I pushed Cattleya's wheelchair forth into the mansion.
Karin, shocked by my outburst, did not realize Raven had swiftly followed me inside until it was too late.
I'm the trouble starter, punking instigator. I'm the fear addicted, danger illustrated.
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter.
I was enjoying the sun.
It was a beautiful sun. It made me want to praise it. There was nothing better that standing with your back on the soft grass, enjoying the sun as above you a smug looking griffin knight extended a hand to help you up.
"Your conjuration of iron swords is slow, Henry. By the time you get one in front of you, I just need to throw lightning through it in your direction," he acquiesced. "I fail to see the reason for such a conjuration. Perhaps try to put more distance between us?"
"Jean-Jacques...the Lightning nickname is truly warranted in your case," I grumbled. My breathing evened out as I was helped back on my feet, dusting off my clothes. "How's Louise doing at the palace? I heard prince Wales came from Albion...is she behaving well?"
"She is," Jean-Jacques said with a small chuckle. "You don't have to worry about her, but yourself. With the second year coming to an end soon enough, are you ready for your incoming break?" I nervously looked away.
"Help me run away, Jean-Jacques?" I pleaded, only to receive a snort and a shake of the head. "You truly are a traitor among traitors," I grumbled. "Somehow, mother found out I got myself drunk together with the crown prince. She's switched me to water, Jean-Jacques. Water." I shuddered, "What did I do to deserve this?"
"You know the answer, Henry," Jean-Jacques said with a small smile, bringing his swordwand up. "Do you want to go for another bout?"
"Yes," I answered with a nod as I brought up my own swordwand. "Iron swords conjured from the earth-" as I spoke, swords materialized from thin air around me. They did not float, but landed firmly on the ground with their edges blunt, and their forms pretty much similar to iron blocks. Wardes was already on me with his thrusts, so by the time I began to deflect and move on the defensive, he was a few seconds ahead of me with his chanting.
"Attracting opposites, polarizing my own sword-the Founder's will is to deliver me the blade-" I chanted, the Willpower draining as suddenly, my swordwand locked with that of Wardes, the older boy blinking in surprise as sparks flew off when they separated. "Lift thyself, and come to my aid!" Wardes dodged to the side as the iron blocks that were the swords I had conjured came rushing forth for my swordwand.
"Shit." The next second, the blocks of iron hit my swordwand squarely and knocked it off my hand.
"I suppose the winner is obvious once more, Henry," Jean-Jacques said. "Though this trick of yours...wasn't bad, but with the swords conjured as they were-I wouldn't be dead even if I were hit by those things."
I grabbed one of the iron slabs that was a sword in name only, and perhaps because it had a handle on one side and vaguely was sword-shaped. "Iron swords conjured from the earth, aid me in my time of need. The Founder's faith arms me with his blades, the will of the Gods shields my heart from fear. Be it heresy or the devil itself, I will not falter for as long as your blades stand by my side. Allow me to arm myself, and my followers. This I plead of you, oh glorious Founder." By the time the proper chant was done, a set of rapiers stood in place of the iron slabs. These ones were sharp, and had those actually hit me due to the magnetic attraction, they would have skewered me to the death.
"Those might have hurt more," Jean-Jacques admitted, "But again, you would have simply hurt yourself."
"Death by self-skewering," I chuckled. "Well, once more my Void Day is happily spent away from wine and people." I exhaled and looked at the sky. "Time to get back to the academy. I have essays to catch up to, and if I don't, then I'm going to get punished even harder."
"The trick to avoiding punishment is to not do things worthy of punishment, Henry," Jean-Jacques remarked with a smile. "I'll accompany you. Wouldn't want you to lose your way and end up in Tristain by mistake."
I laughed, and said nothing more. If he had known what I did during my free afternoons, he'd report to my mother who, in turn, would punish me with such strength that I might lose my breath from it.
Raven was waiting for me back in my rooms, a scroll tied around his neck and the usual delivery already placed on my desk. Raven himself could do that much with ease once showed how, and as he grinned and flapped his wings happily, I returned him a smile of my own.
"Raven, let us see what good news you bring me," as I opened the parchment, I read through it the required amount of ecus to have a full print of my new book, as well as the costs to have it sent to the most prestigious bookstores across the capital. I whistled at the cost, but then sighed and gave my Raven a nod. The most I had spent had been for something eerily similar to a Holding Bag, which was a pouch tied around Raven's neck. Wardes had been pacified by pointing out I could hide a swordwand inside the pouch and hold it always on my person to never be without a wand.
If only he knew what I actually sent Raven to do with that pouch around his neck, I was sure he'd never forgive me.
"Well, this is what I receive in a month," I remarked. "My pen name has already been decided-now..." I hummed, "Raven?"
"No porn!" Raven shook his head, "No porn!"
"So you heard nothing about that side, uh. If only that type of books printed their editors...guess for that sort of thing, we'd need an over the border type of deal. But sending you alone would make it considerably harder, and what would you ask anyway? Where's the closest editor of porn books?" I shook my head, and Raven cawed in displeasure, acknowledging the fact that his form lacked in subtlety.
"I'm sorry," Raven cawed, flapping his wings and looking downcast. In answer, I simply rubbed his head gently.
"It's fine. I'm sure you'd do your best, but there's no need to risk it. Let's get the book published as soon as possible," I smiled. "Then, I can treat you to some of your favorite food. Minced meat and apple juice, right?"
"Yes! Yes! I love you!" Raven cawed happily, flapping his wings to fly right up on my shoulder. He rubbed his head against my cheek, and I sighed in relief. At least there was someone in this world who had no problems being all lovey-dovey and honest about his feelings.
I was pretty sure that somewhere, a long distance away from me, a certain pink-haired woman was currently sneezing.
"Take that," I snorted to the imaginary-Karin. "Sneeze again!" I chuckled, and then sat down at my desk, grabbing the leather water-skin filled with wine. "Now...where were we? Oh, right, Under the sea it's so nice to be, why must you go up, Ariel? Why not stay here, down here, under the sea?"
As my quill wrote, I exhaled.
Uneventfully, my second year at the Tristain Academy came to an end.
By the time I returned home for the break, I had already prepared myself to months of torture, but those suddenly did not matter. No, because as soon as I stepped down from the carriage, I was greeted by a most surprising sight. I was greeted by the sight of my past sins coming back to haunt me. I was greeted with the memory and recollection of that which I had forgotten, but which would never be forgotten by She Who Must Punish.
"Mother," I said awkwardly. "Why are you wearing that strange hat?"
"Breaking composure upon departure," Karin said firmly, and my eyes widened as I realized what she was saying. She was wearing her old Manticore Knight armor, and her swordwand was firmly held in her right hand and gleamed with the definite desire to be used. "Drinking wine beyond your allowed limits." Mother, your wand is rising, no, please, kindly put it down, "Making a fool out of yourself in the presence of royalty. Also, heading to drink in an inn of ill repute," as soon as she said that, my eyes widened beyond belief.
"That's not possible!" I yelled, "Objection! I never did that! I demand proof! Proof that I went anywhere!"
Karin's eyes narrowed, "Henry, take your punishment like a real noble. I have unquestionable eyewitness accounts of your sortie. Also, I will add the unlawful use of your familiar to try to circumvent the restrictions imposed on you."
Winds began to gather around me as the carriage was hastily moved by the driver, even as Raven cawed and brought both wings to clutch on to the side of my face.
I grabbed Raven by his back, and smiled at him with all of the courage I could muster. "Live, Raven. Live!" and as I threw him away, the Cutter Tornado surrounded my frame and began to send me up in the air.
"Gaaaahhhh!" my yelling was reflexive, but it honestly didn't hurt. It felt like being constricted by a sort of snake, a snake made of air that also made you spin three-hundred sixty degrees with abrupt changes of trajectory. Shit, this was like being on one of those roller-coasters that go in all directions.
And then I was dropped, ass first, on the ground in front of Karin. I hissed. Funnily enough, it had hurt more being dropped than being flung around like a rag-doll inside a miniature hurricane.
"What...sort of...eyewitness accounts...do you have?" I hissed as I painfully stood back up, rubbing the lower part of my back as I looked straight into her eyes.
"The trustworthy one," Karin said firmly, "Now, the servants will prepare you a bath. Change your clothes, then join me and your father in his office. We have much to discuss." I nodded, slowly recovering the breath I had lost due to the punishment. "Also, your familiar is not allowed anywhere inside the house." She narrowed her eyes. "Have I been clear?"
Raven came swooping down with a caw, landing on my shoulder and glaring daggers at Karin.
In answer, Karin glared daggers at Raven.
"I don't like you!" Raven said loudly. "No porn for you!"
I felt blood drain from my skin.
I began to shake.
Karin's wand rose once more.
This time, though, I was saved by the sound of the bell.
"Brother!" and as Cattleya arrived on the scene, she stood up and walked the few steps that separated her from me. Was I using my twin sister as a shield against mother's punishment? Yes, yes I was.
Was I regretting it?
"Dear sister," I answered with a warm smile, "I've missed you so much!" and with that, I held her tightly and made her spin a bit, before bringing her back to her chair -keeping her between myself and mother at all times. "But let's get inside right now-"
"Henry," Karin said quite flatly, her eyes ablaze with righteous fury. "This isn't over."
"Valhalla awaits, but it will not claim me today, mother!" and as I yelled that, I pushed Cattleya's wheelchair forth into the mansion.
Karin, shocked by my outburst, did not realize Raven had swiftly followed me inside until it was too late.
I'm the trouble starter, punking instigator. I'm the fear addicted, danger illustrated.
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter.
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