Before the Storm: Act 5, Chapter 17

Before the Storm: Act 5, Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I hope the recruits are cleaning themselves up properly after training.

The thought dominated Ludmilas mind as she struggled to maintain a straight face in front of the malodorous madman. Was he one of the librarians that the Sorcerer King had mentioned? Why did His Majesty disappear? At least he had taken Lady Aura and Lord Mare with him. She wouldnt want any child near the questionable entity standing before her. Her wariness went up three more notches as the old man peered at her suspiciously.

You, he said as if he had just noticed her. Was the Master just here?

If you are referring to His Majesty the Sorcerer King, yes.

Turning his head this way and that, the old man scanned the surroundings again. Did he expect the Sorcerer King to be hiding behind a piece of furniture?

What does this mean? The old man muttered to himself, Is this a test?

His Majesty was looking for a librarian to guide me, Ludmila said.

So he wishes to see how familiar Ive become with this vast repository of arcane lore, the old man nodded. Very well. This way.

With a wave of his hand, he turned and shuffled away. Ludmila followed in silence, unsure if she should do anything to further destabilise the obviously deranged fellow.

He could at least keep himself clean.

For some reason, men never seemed to be aware of their odour until it was overpowering. Many a time in the past, she had to chase her family members into the river with a spear. There was no river here, however, and their exquisite setting only served to exaggerate the old mans stench.

They entered a wing of the library where the colossal skeleton of a Dragon-like creature was suspended from the frescoed ceiling. The robed man brought them to a long table of polished black wood, which had piles of books, scrolls, and parchments scattered across its surface. A glance at a few of the spines facing her showed that many of the books were written in the same script that Lady Shalltear used to take notes.

Tell me, child, he said. Do you understand what is written upon these tomes?

I have seen some of this script on many occasions, Ludmila replied, but I am not learned in it.

Is that so? Hmmthen let us see if you are worthy of being our Masters disciple.

Why am I a disciple now?

An adherent of Surshana could be considered a disciple of Surshana, but she was pretty sure he wasnt referring to that. A withered and bejewelled hand pushed a parchment across the table towards her. Its content was penned in local script, and the wording and structure indicated that it was written in imperial. She frowned slightly as she read the parchments whimsically worded content.

Isnt this a metaphorical portrayal of Unified Mana Theory?

So, you understand

Ludmila looked up from the parchment. She was reasonably certain that he couldnt see through her Nobles mask.

Across the table, the old mans eyes gleamed with a crazed light. Maybe he simply imagined that she knew. She considered denying his assertion, but the way that he leaned slightly over the table suggested that he would crawl over to accost her if he didnt get the answer he wanted.

This is common sense, is it not? Ludmila shrugged.

Com! The old man made a choking sound, C-Common sense?! You dare mock me, child?

I never intended anything of the sort, Ludmila replied. This is truly common sense, woven into the very fabric of society. An echo that reflects the reality of the world. Countless iterations exist, integrated into lore, perception, and everyday life. Truth hidden in plain sight, so to speak.

The old man stared at her, his face twitching in time with each of her sentences. Ludmila resumed her reading as a long silence stretched between them.

Why? A whisper came from across the table, Why? Why did Ihave I been focusing on the wrong thing this entire time? Generations of research, for nothing?

A tear trickled down the old mans wrinkled face.

But you are so young. How did youno, could it be that you are not as you appear? But to cheat death at that ageare you perhaps some prodigy from the great bastions of learning elsewhere on the continent?

It was a bit disconcerting how the old man occasionally struck upon the truth amidst his ramblings. Was he truly mad, or was it all a carefully calculated act?

Common sense, hidden in plain sightyes, yes, it is all so clear now! Why did I not see it before? Cruelso cruel in its simplicity! So much time and effort, lost! You must tell me more of what you know!

I only really came to see if I could locate some research materials. If you could just point me in the right direction

Of course! I am more than happy to help. Let us speak while we conduct our search.

With an energy that stood in stark contrast to his wizened appearance, he filled a satchel with blank paper and other writing materials. Ludmila eyed the stuffed container curiously.

Is there a need for all that? She asked.

Indeed, the old man nodded sagely. The script employed here is complex beyond conventional reason. At first, I thought it based on ideographs of unknown origin, but then I discerned at least three other writing systems being used at the same time! It is most difficult to decipher; even translation magic only works sporadically while offering gibberish and imagery with no known associations the rest of the time. This script was undoubtedly developed as a safeguard against the uninitiated.

Isnt he overcomplicating things?

Those who put on such airs seemed to do that a lot, so it felt highly likely.

So, the old man said, tell me what you know about the subject on that parchment, child.

arent you going to ask me about what Im looking for, first?

Hm? Oh, yes, what is it that youre looking for?

Im searching for material on Rangers.

Her guides voice immediately turned distasteful.

Rangers? True practitioners of the arts do not concern themselves with such mundane occupationsor are you perhaps seeking information on alchemical ingredients? Mystical materials, perhaps?

I cant say that Im not interested in what you mentioned, Ludmila said, but Id like to start from the beginning to mitigate the risk of missing something important.

Taking the cautious approach, I see, the old man said. I hope you do understand that this may add decades or centuries to your search.

Fortunately for her, the old man didnt seem to have any Job Classes with specialised communication abilities. A civilian Noble would have probably taken offence at her reply and become far more difficult to deal with.

I would still rather take my time than make any mistakes, Ludmila said. What aspects of the subject that you shared with me are you studying?

Aspects The old mans gnarled fingers came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. I wasnt aware that there were aspects. Not specifically. If I were to name one, it would be in the fields of necromancy and one of the greatest taboos known to magic.

Well, I cannot say what is and isnt known to magic, so what about the necromantic aspects?

That sounds like just the thing you need to set things in motion, Ludmila said. Why are you making her efforts sound like an obstacle?

Fluder sighed and rested an arm over the nearby railing.

Oh, I had high hopes for her, I admit, he said. But she ended up being the same as Countess Corelyn. Social welfare sits at the top of her list of priorities. She has all of those precious mages that shes stolen away working to create magical lighting, temperature regulation items, and other knickknacks to improve the quality of life of her subjects. It is a complete waste of so much magical talent!

But wouldnt it cultivate an appreciation for the arcane? Change takes time; this seems like a good way to ease people into it.

Her methods are far too passive, Fluder told her. She has all the resources and power she needs to force things through, yet she refuses to use it. It is infuriating to witness. Strong leaders like Jircniv are necessary for true progress; instead, I have a gaggle of widows and orphan girls to work with.

To be fair, Ludmila offered, they are former Nobles of Re-Estize. The Humans of Re-Estize and the Empire arent too far removed from those savage Demihuman tribes that you mentioned previously.

The Wizard settled down slightly. He let out a rasping chuckle as he stroked his beard.

Not far removed, hm? To you and I perhaps. But you must understand that, for generations, I have dedicated my life to guiding the Empire along the right path. I have heard it all before. The excuses; the reservations; the politicking, superstition, and fear. To my great regret, I was too soft with the Empire. Like an overindulgent parent, I let them do things their way. By the time my boy Jircniv appeared to cleanse the Empire and set it back on the right course, it was too late. Too late.

Fluder shook his head sadly and resumed walking. Ludmila stared at his back for a moment before following him, wondering what he meant.

You appeared in the Empire for a specific purpose, she said. An individual of your capabilities could have the ear of any country. One with far greater wealth and industry. An advanced country that would be more receptive to your guidance. Why did you decide to embark on your venture in a region of the world that was so recently razed to the ground?

That is precisely the reason why I came, Fluder replied. Youve listed several benefits of establishing myself elsewhere, but they are, in reality, liabilities. Obstacles. Institutions establish order and the powers that be become entrenched in their thinking. Better to start anew. A blank slate, so to speak. Unfortunately, it wasnt exactly an original idea. The Vaiself Horde came sweeping in from the ruins of Karnassus and the Theocracy was quick to capitalise on the situation, as well.

The Great Seeding, you mean.

Fluder smirked.

A rather hopeful way to frame the cannibalisation of a smoking carcass, dont you think? Well, we all know how that turned out.

The Wizards steps turned considerably lighter, as if the result amused him. He turned down a row of bookshelves, finally stopping at a section seemingly indistinguishable from any other.

If my memory serves me correctlyah, here we are.

Sheets of paper rustled as Fluder rummaged through his satchel. He produced a small booklet and licked a finger before leafing through its contents. Ludmila examined the spines of the books on the shelves as the Wizard muttered to himself. She had a poor sense of value, but she thought that every one of them looked priceless.

A lot of these books are identical to one another, she said. Does that mean theyre volumes in the same set?

That would be the logical conclusion, Fluder replied absently. Butthis library is quite devious. Ive found that the majority of the tomes stored here are replicas of one another.

Replicas? Ludmila furrowed her brow, Everything here looks incalculably valuable.

A testament to the unfathomable reality of this place. Books that would beggar entire Empires are used as decoys to distract thieves from the true treasures hidden among them.

What do these treasures look like?

Who knows? When I first gained entry to these esteemed halls, I hungrily seized upon anything that hinted at knowledge of the arcane. Now, you come by and ask for books concerning Rangers. Perhaps everything in this Great Library of Ashurbanipal is a treasure to someone.

Over the next few hours, Fluder indicated a dozen books that were potentially related to her search. She brought them over to the nearest table, wondering how she should proceed.

Thank you for your help, Ludmila said. Would you like to share a late meal with me?

I suppose it wouldnt hurt, the Wizard replied. I havent had a meal in over a week.

Youre using magic to skip meals?

Meals take up precious time. As does sleep. In this case, if we could continue our discussion from before, I wouldnt consider it a waste.

Ludmila silently pondered whether the invitation had been a mistake. She was hoping to get him to help translate some of the text. For Fluders part, he looked like he didnt have a care in the world as she laid out the dishes.

I take it youre used to having an Apprentice see to your personal needs back in the Empire? Or did you keep household servants?

Apprentices, the Wizard didnt look up from his reading. Household servants werent authorised to enter the Ministry of Magic. Gushmond was the last before I left. Before that, it was Noia.

did you always choose female Apprentices to serve as personal attendants?

Of course.

Of course.

That should have probably been expected. Even mundane vocations were the same way. For some stupid reason, she thought that a place of higher learning might stray from social mores.

A frown crossed her lips as Fluder reached for a roll of bread.

I assume you have the Clean spell or something similar.

Not at all, the Wizard replied. I have no time to spend learning unnecessary spells. Now, you were saying something about the Katze Plains being an ideal laboratory?

Negative energy is one of the primal energies of the world, Ludmila finished laying out their meal and sat down across from her guide. And it just so happens that phenomena related to negative energy are quite distinct to those who exist on the opposite axis. Namely, the living.

I see, Fluder nodded. That much is true. But what observations did you expect us to make? What do they have to do with what we discussed?

Ludmila considered her response. She had chosen the topic of negative energy since she had more experience studying it than any other form of primal mana, but she also didnt want to give too much away.

Dont you think that the manifestation of Undead entities is similar to the manifestation of Elementals and other natural spirits?

You are not the first to bring this comparison to my attention, the Wizard said. There is a notable difference in these manifestations, however. Namely, the vast majority of Undead entities are mindless. Lacking in sentience and sapience. Thus, it stands to reason that they do not possess a soul.

What of those that arent mindless? Elder Liches and Vampires, for instance?

The conventions would state that they possess souls.

Then take my use of ecology, Ludmila said. Positive energy also has an ecology; one that living beings consider natural. Living ecologies similarly have entities that are considered mindless and thus without souls.

Even so, they are born through natural processes.

They are born through processes considered natural by the living. Once again, we are speaking of primal energies. Negative energy is as much a part of our world as positive or elemental energy is. The manifestation of wild Undead is a natural process.

So the manifestation of powerful, intelligent Undead beings is effectively the formation of a soul through a process that employs negative energy. Hmmif one pursues this avenue of thought, we may conjecture that this process may be usurped with the assistance of the arts to enact a most intriguing transformation. I must explore this

Without another word, the Wizard rose from his seat and left. Ludmila stared at the half-eaten roll on the table. Hopefully, she had the right books.