Somewhere in Yo'ud
A few days after Millibelle's fight with the Ancient Lindorm
As witnessed by the Divine
Prime Minister Kalim's brows furrow ever deeper as he reads the latest report from Harmek. Despite the public image of positive relations with them all, Kalim isn't so foolish as to not have ample amounts of spies within all bordering countries.
Finishing the report, which details the recent movements of troops to near the tri-point border between Harmek, Parshura and Yo'ud, the human pours himself another glass of Ayo-juice. Its popularity is two-fold. The taste is delightful, and the juice changes color if other things are mixed into it, making Ayo-juice of the right color safe to drink without having someone test it beforehand. (~It's the same juice that Dervix and Millibelle drank in chapter 27~)
Confirming the correct color before mixing ice cubes, created via his own modified version of Hail Cannon, into it; changing the color from a light honey-gold to a transparent light yellow, he takes a sip before continuing the daily report reading.
Next, the usual cacophony of conflicting reports from Eyslef, where the political terrain shifts so quickly that even Kalim has issues keeping up. Currently, the Tideflows are in power, but that is expected to shift once winter comes, and the Accan troops are less effective.
Oh, here is interesting news, Helcha Eaglecrown's taken ill. Soon as that old hag's out of the picture, surely reconciliation between the Eaglecrowns and Argenfeathers is a possibility. If those factions were to unite, the others would have no choice but to fall in line.
Finishing his drink, Kalim rises to his feet and walks a few rounds around the room. A rut can be seen on the edge of the wall to wall carpet where his 'once-an-hour' walks have worn down the fibers. Despite his age of fifty-five, you wouldn't be able to tell by the way he looks and carries himself.
Reaching such an age is no easy feat in a land so hostile as Yo'ud. Shaped like a doughnut on account of the presence of Scal's, the Elder Dragon of Heat, Domain being in its center. The desert stretches past its borders, into Yo'ud, offsetting a lot of inhabitable land in the process.
Although not as vehemently hostile to life as the Ashe Wastes, the area surrounding Ignaliz's, the Elder Dragon of Fire, Domain, most all life in Yo'ud is forced to endure harsh sandstorms and sweltering heat.
The saving grace is the array of rivers making their way through the rest of the land, melted glaciers originating from Rhrimur's, the Elder Dragon of Cold, Domain far to the north. Several countries to the north of Yo'ud, in fact, rely on the rivers created by this melting water.
Even when it is winter in the other countries, with snow and cold hampering operations of all sorts, Yo'ud retains its inhospitable heat, in fact, the freezing of the rivers upstream makes the heat even worse in the parts of the country normally cooled by them.
Winter is still several months away, but Kalim would love it if Harmek made a move before then. Most likely they will, considering the movements of their army. However, the recent birth of a Monarch means any hostility to Parshura would be met with its ire.
However Dervix managed to make it obey him, the events reported by Carmella Raposa make it clear that the Monarch is under his control. Oh, what Kalim wouldn't do for the same privileges! No longer would he have to thread on eggshells around either of the three countries!
He gathers himself, and sits down, continuing to read the reports. He skims through the ones from the northern countries. Rarely is there anything going on there, as none of them have enough military power to be worth worrying over. All four countries have signed treaties with Yo'ud, before the time of Kalim's birth, that essentially amount to "We'll not bother you as long as you don't bother us, but we'll happily trade with you".
Kalim sees no reason to dishonor those treaties. The political fallout would be immense, as the trade between the countries has only benefited everyone involved.
He pauses, and double-checks the report he's currently reading. Seems a large migration of rare and high ranked monsters has been reported from all over the northern countries. They're headed in the general direction of south-east. Well, migrations have happened before, but not on this scale...
Something's up. He jots down a note to put a team on the case. Resuming his reading, he once again pauses as he notes the look of the paper.
This is paper manufactured in Parshura, but the top and bottom's been lined with red, a sure sign that this is an official document. Indeed, the royal sigil is imprinted upon a dollop of wax at the bottom. This... is a letter from King Dervix Amberroux himself!
Kalim breaks out into a sweat that has nothing to do with the temperature. No- Impossible! Moves will have to be made. Harmek cannot be allowed to proceed. His intuition tells him that if the Hero is Summoned and sent against the Monarch, either result would be disastrous for the fragile peace that he has worked so hard to cultivate between his rowdy neighbors.
Forgetting all about the monster migration, Prime Minister Kalim sets about organizing a meeting of the Senate.
In the village of Vailpol
As observed by the Divine
The Trusted are the unseen hands of the Church. Devoted to the Divine to the point of fanaticism, they're tasked with gathering information and exacting punishment upon Acolytes that violate the rules. Nameless, they're addressed as Brother or Sister, without adding either first or family name.
Although the Brother sent to Vailpol deeply despises the current High-Priest for his less than Divine-serving ways, he is honor- and oath-bound to serve without question as long as his orders don't go against the tenets of the Trusted.
What doesn't help matters either, is that all the townsfolk here are less than welcoming of him, or any official representative of the Church. No wonder, he thinks, considering the Church is in a way directly responsible for the Chain of Events that nearly wiped out the whole village.
If not for the actions of a wandering Healer, the Nightcrawler would still roam the area along with the Undead forms of the villagers. He represses a shudder at the thought. Finally, after some insisting, the Trusted Brother is brought before Wilhelma, the stand-in Acolyte of Vailpol.
An unremarkable human woman, though the Acolyte Vestments she wears exude magic. A magical item? How, this village is dirt poor, just barely able to sustain itself by hunting and farming. How has this woman gotten her hands on something like this?'
"Please, let's talk inside the Church." He suggests, aiming to take advantage of the Blessing of Truth. She hesitates. Glancing around, making sure there isn't anyone within earshot, he repeats himself. "Let's Talk Inside The Church." He chants the Prayer for Forgiveness in his head. Reparations will be made later. For now, he must gather any and all information available.
"S-sure..." A dull look overcomes Wilhelmas eyes as she turns to enter the Church alongside him. Once they're inside, he securely locks the door behind them. The woman's come to her senses once she finished the order he gave her, and she's looking at him with suspicion and fright.
"Tell me about the Healer that came here a few weeks ago." He sits down on one of the pews, patting it to invite her to sit as well. She remains standing, a defiant look in her eyes. "She arrived here just before sunset. Once she told the guards that she is a travelling Healer, they brought her into the Church in order to have her aid the stricken townsfolk, which at that time would have been over three fourths of the population."
So far, so good. Nothing amiss here. "She then proceeded to cure everyone fully. It was an amazing sight. Even old injuries were cured from her work!" Wait, hold up. That's impossible. "H-how old did this Healer look?" Unless it was an ancient crone, at best she might be able to cast the Great tier Cure, and you need at least Lesser tier Recover to actually be able to cure diseases instantly.
Also this about healing old injuries, only possible via Miracure, a Spell unobtainable by humanoids due to the time it takes to learn it, and the MP cost of casting it. "She looked about my age, maybe younger?" Wilhelma replies. No- no, this makes no sense. "And she spoke normally? She didn't sound like she was repeating words in the same tone?" She shakes her head. "She seemed to know multiple languages. She first tried a language I sometimes hear the travelling merchants use, then switched to Harmekian."
So it can't be a Doppelganger. The first language was most likely Common, used predominantly in Parshura and by most if not all merchants that travel. Out here, there is little to no reason to learn Common since the standard Harmekian would be all you needed unless you aimed to become a merchant. So whoever or whatever this is, they might be from Parshura...
"Then, the next day, I found her in the Church, the remnants of the Dragon Idol scattered all around her." The Trusted nearly falls off the pew. Dragon Idol?! What foolish- No- calm down- reign in the anger, this is the Church's fault, not hers. She couldn't have known, not after all this time.
"She then told me about how the Church needs an Idol to power the Blessing, so we explored the Crypts beneath the village to find it, and once we did, she put on a Sermon." Wilhelma continues. So this Healer knows the Sermons as well...
"And then- the Nightcrawler revealed itself! We all fled except the Healer, and she defeated it." Okay, this Healer is definitively not human, nor any other kind of humanoid. "The Healer, she looked the same once the Sermon was finished?" If the Nightcrawler revealed itself, it was because it was forced from the shadows by the Blessing of Truth. Likewise, the Healer, if they're a monster of some sort, should have changed their look as well.
"No, she still looked like she did before..." She makes a thoughtful face, for just a moment though, he barely caught it. So even she thought it odd? "A final question; did the Healer give her name?" He gets up from the pew. "Millibelle Voidreiser, that's the name she gave anyway." A name, even if it's false, might be a lead.
"Thank you. Now, I'll be staying here for a while, so if you desire, I can teach you anything you need to know about tending the Church." Might as well stay put this close to the border, if his hunch is correct, he might need to travel to Parshura soon. "Oh, I see, in that case, please teach me all you can." She curtsies to the Trusted Brother.
Even if she's not an official Acolyte, teaching her is better for the village than letting the High-Priest demand his ridiculous tithes. With his knowledge of the creation of a Nightcrawler because of the lack of an Acolyte in this town, he relishes the thought that the current High-Priest is soon to be replaced.
Even so, for now he must be patient. After all, justice will only be served if he does this the right way.
Capital of Parshura, somewhere within the castle
As witnessed by the Divine
Dervix examines the finished product. A large crown, made predominantly of precious platinum, with gold details and several smaller gems of various types, the main feature is a large Magic Crystal of perfect purity and balance.
He is handed a lens by its creator, the royal jeweler, who also made the regalia Dervix had the Monarch wear during the diplomat meeting. Thankfully she kept the wherewithal to return them, letting the jeweler reuse the materials.
Of course, in order to create this crown, all the materials had to have been bathed in the Monarchs potent Magic. All for this, the ultimate safeguard. He puts the lens to his eye and inspects the crown.
*Monarchs Crown - Legendary - +400 M.Atc. +500 M.Arm. Grants Skills: True Command: Great Monarch 'Millibelle' (True - Unique)*
The offensive and defensive power it grants is absurd. However, the main use for the crown is to completely control the Monarch. The design is based on recovered texts describing the Control Diadems used to directly control certain Chimera during the All-War.
Dervix feels his hands tremble as he carefully caresses the crown. Even just looking at it with common eyes, it radiates an aura of power. Now, he can finally sleep soundly.
He was considering using the Magic Crystal to forge a weapon, but he had a change of heart after her outburst after the diplomat meeting. He- he's perfectly aware that it would be more disconcerting if she didn't react negatively to what he made her do, but the event planted a deep-seated worry that she might not put up with him- or the other countries for that matter- after this.
So, he prays that he will never have to use this Crown, but he will not hesitate if he must. Even if the repercussions will be his own life.