"Well, that was something?" Emma eventually managed, breaking the long silence that fell at the end of Edith's tale. "I'm surprised System users are still around, given what happened."
"I'm sure there were plenty of people who wanted a pogrom in the 1350s, once the shock had passed and they realised exactly how the System was created, but the numbers involved simply made that impossible," Elizabeth elaborated.
"Because the System was retroactively imposed upon the world, almost a fifth of magic users were already reliant upon it for power by then. One in five of an entire population won't go down quietly, especially when they'll have friends and family who'll fight their corner despite popular opinion. The prospect of a civil war, right after an already ruinous global disaster was unpalatable, so the various surviving Masters reined in the extremists and enforced a strict peace.
At the end of the day, power trumps all other considerations, and the System provides much faster growth for those who can access it than any of the taught traditions. The latter requires qualified teachers, rigorous and time-consuming trainers and rare resources at the top end. A System user just needs time, and a willingness to dance at the whims of a mad god. So of course, everyone with a voice fell over themselves to denounce Anathema's evil deeds, whilst continuing to make use of what she created in the background. As a matter of fact, with the old ways steadily declining over the prolonged drought, the proportion of system users as part of magical society steadily increased, eventually reaching the present ratio of three tenths."
"Realpolitik always prevails," Noah nodded sagely. "Magic is pretty incredible, but the wielders are still human, more or less."
"How many wielders have you met?" Emma retorted. "You can't have been that busy in the past month."
Noah laughed at that, a laugh which morphed into a massive yawn; blinking sheepishly afterwards.
"I think that marks a good stopping point," Elizabeth advised. "I'm sure there are many questions still, but that can wait until tomorrow when I take you all shopping."
[Timed Quest received - All Mart (Time Limit: 7 Days)
Objective: Acquire a homunculus (Emma Knight).
Objective: Acquire a set of formal attire (Eternal Britannian Empire).
Bonus Objective: Acquire a storage item that can hold living beings.
Bonus Objective: Find out how much money Edith Knight has left in her bank account.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
[Knob-head (LOCKED)]
Emma tested the rune twice more, verifying that she could actually unlock it before settling in for the night. The quilt went on the floor, Emma finding no use for excess warmth when her armor itself provided enough heat simply by existing.
[Leyline detected. Set location as Home?]
Emma paused at that notification, staring at it for far longer than she did most of its kind. The room didn't feel much like home, she thought; more like a hotel she was staying in for the night, but that was to be expected on the first night.
"Does setting a Home do anything, and can I change it at a later date?"
[There are benefits, and it can be changed at another leyline.]
"Alright then, go ahead."
[Noah's Arc set as Home!
Ability unlocked! Return (Cooldown: 24 Hours): Teleport Home.
Weave connection established.
Long-distance communications protocol enabled.
User: Ezzzz Knight?1!
Previous log on: 3651 BC-ERROR
You have 2951 unread messages!]
"You're joking," Emma sighed, as her interface was flooded with notifications.