The morning carried the chill of autumn. People rushed toward Toronia Square, each trying to claim a good place to watch. A hanging was a delicious bit of seasoning in everyday life. They listened to the Count's attendant proclaim the criminals' charges in a chant-like voice, and the more hateful the crimes sounded, the more excited they became at the thought of seeing the criminals hanged.
Today's criminals were pirates from the Mist Sea, and worse, pirates who had secretly colluded with the West Empire. Once the charges had been announced, the pirates' tattoos were displayed to the crowd. Major General Stuart raised one powerful arm, signaling for the sentences to be carried out. The ropes around the criminals' necks were pulled upward, leaving them suspended high in the air.
In truth, the scene was not as cruel to watch as one might imagine. All three criminals wore black hoods. Their pain and twisted expressions remained hidden beneath the cloth, while the residents of Blackport City experienced only the pleasure of revenge.
The night Blackport City burned was everyone's pain.
Hanging had also been the fate of Sufferer, the saint of the Church of Radiant Prayer. Every hanging was a memorial to Sufferer. With faith behind it, the crowd's frenzy reached its peak. It would still take some time for the criminals to die, and every twitch of their bodies drew another wave of cheers.
Leo and Brad stood among the crowd. They had completed their mission and now felt completely at ease. Major General Stuart Cavendish was very satisfied with what they had uncovered about Kidd.
Blackport City needed an enemy of sufficient weight. Kidd, a wandering Wave Mage and pirate, was the perfect imagined enemy for Blackport City, someone who could unite the people against a common threat. Unfortunately, Blackport City's fleet had been destroyed, leaving them with few ways to deal with pirates for the moment.
The shipyards of Blackport City were already working overtime. Once the next batch of ships was launched, Kidd could be placed among the first enemies that had to be eliminated.
Leo could not feel the same excitement about the hanging as everyone else. Bored, he swept his gaze across the crowd and found a pair of deep black eyes that seemed equally uninterested in the execution.
Lydia Murray.
Lydia was looking at Leo. He had the feeling she wanted to say something to him.
After the hanging ended, Brad asked, "Leo, the City Defense Battalion said our mission is over. They'll only notify us if they need us again. What should we do now?"
"If we don't have a mission, we should train our combat skills," Leo said. "A mage's abilities are limited by grade. In many situations, skill is more important. Basic physical conditioning is also the best foundation for combat ability."
Brad did not want to train right now. It was too exhausting. He said, "Compared with practicing combat skills, I prefer riding horses. Riding through the streets, riding out in the countryside. I need to catch up on sleep first. We stayed up far too late last night. If you figure out any combat techniques, tell me, just like I'll tell you if I master any riding techniques."
What else could Leo say...? The two parted there. Leo headed north through the city while Brad went west.
Leo leaned against a wall at a street corner and waited. Having the solid wall at his back made him feel slightly more relaxed. Lydia, dressed in a woman's military uniform, emerged from around the corner. Without needing to say anything, the two fell into step beside each other.
They had not gone far before reaching a small fountain square in the northern part of the city. Blackport City stood beside the broad Loire River and had abundant water within its walls. Sitting on a bench in the little square, the two watched white columns of fountain water surge into the sky before scattering into sprays of white droplets.
"Thank you for not reporting us to the City Defense Battalion, Mr. Leo," Lydia said.
Leo replied indifferently, "Miss Lydia, I don't want to involve myself in your affairs. In fact, if something has nothing to do with me, I don't even want to think about it."
Lydia asked curiously, "Then what do you usually think about, Mr. Leo?"
Leo hesitated before answering. "Bad things, for example... Miss Lydia, as you know, I have a friend who was unfortunate enough to become a Fallen Mage. It wasn't something he chose. Under certain circumstances, he became a Fallen Mage passively and beyond his control. I wanted to ask on behalf of my friend whether a Fallen Mage still has any chance to return to the right path..."
Lydia could not help smiling. "This 'friend' of yours is in quite a bit of trouble. Fallen Mages are mages whose souls have undergone abnormal changes because they practiced the Three Principles of the Fallen. The Three Principles of the Fallen cause three different abnormalities of the soul. Which principle's abnormality is troubling your 'friend'?"
Facing another Fallen Mage, Leo felt there was no need to hide it. "My friend is being troubled by the Third Principle of Fallen Superstring Mages, the Principle of Intimidating People."
Lydia nodded. She did not seem surprised. "Lords, the Church, and the Academy, those in power on the Audrian Continent who hold other people's lives in their hands, will hang a Fallen Mage without hesitation once they discover one. This has continued for fifty years. Because ordinary mages rarely come into contact with Fallen Mages, they know very little about the Three Principles of the Fallen.
"If you... if your friend has been affected by the Three Principles of the Fallen, then the first people you should be careful around are the Archmages of the Academy and the Priests of the Church. Both can distinguish the state of your soul."
Leo nodded. That was roughly what he had guessed. Barring some accident, he would never set foot inside a church or an Academy library for the rest of his life.
Lydia's dark pupils remained fixed on Leo. "Every Fallen Principle corresponds to a particular abnormality of the soul. As for the Third Principle of Fallen Superstring Mages specifically...
"The special thing about the Intimidation ritual is that once it begins, black cloud appears inside the Soul Sea. That black cloud leaves a person trapped in a prolonged state of mania and depression.
"Bipolar disorder is a mental illness. It makes a person swing constantly between mania and depression, bringing tension, anxiety, unease, self-harm, violent tendencies...
"This isn't an illness you can ease by going out to clear your head or telling yourself to calm down. There is only one way to deal with the black cloud, and that is to complete the Intimidation ritual as soon as possible. The longer the Intimidation ritual drags on, the greater its effect on a person's mind.
"Some Fallen Mages use the Intimidation ritual out of greed, but some Intimidation rituals are destined to be impossible to complete. Some Fallen Mages will personally kill their own families to prove to other Fallen Mages that their Intimidation ritual cannot be completed.
"A greedy Fallen Mage may rashly use the Principle of Intimidating People, only to find themselves unable to complete the Intimidation ritual. In the end, suffering drives them into complete degeneration until they become devils. Such people are called Bloodbound Mages.
"A Bloodbound Mage's Soul Sea is permanently covered by black cloud, leaving them permanently trapped in mania and depression. The final destination of mania and depression is killing and self-harm."
Cold sweat ran down Leo's temples. Brad had said that Leo's way of fighting was cruel, while Leo himself always felt a knot of depression lodged in his heart. That sense of violence and depression constantly clung to him.
Lydia continued, "Many people don't agree, but bipolar disorder is still an illness, and it should be treated as soon as possible. Your... friend is somewhat unusual. My Soul Magic Power can't enter his Soul Sea, so there is nothing I can do."
Leo frowned and continued asking, "Miss Lydia, what if the Intimidation ritual has already been completed?"
Hearing that, Lydia let out a breath of relief. She had already guessed that Leo's Intimidation ritual was complete, because Leo was far more normal than most Fallen Mages. Still watching him, she said, "If the Intimidation ritual is completed quickly, its effect on a person will be very small. The black cloud in the Soul Sea will decrease greatly, but it won't disappear completely right away.
"The black cloud only disappears after a long period of physical and mental recovery. It's a slow process. Once the black cloud disappears completely, even a Bishop won't be able to discover anything unusual about you."
Leo let out a breath of relief. "I see. Then I thank you on behalf of my friend."
Lydia shook her head, her light blond hair rippling in the sunlight. "You're welcome."
Leo relaxed. "My friend is stronger than you imagine. Even without the help of your Soul Magic Power, he'll recover quickly. I have one more question. If an Order Mage leaves the Final Entrustment ritual incomplete for a long time, are there any side effects?"
"That's the advantage of being an Order Mage," Lydia said. "Leaving the Final Entrustment ritual incomplete for a long time doesn't cause any major negative effects. That's also what Holy Archmage Hilquins advocated. Mages should carefully observe the Three Laws of Order so that their souls do not fall into disorder."
Leo disagreed somewhat. "From my limited understanding, can being Order or Fallen really serve as an absolute standard of good and evil? Are all Order Mages good mages? Are all Fallen Mages murderous maniacs?
"All nobles are mages, but not all nobles are good people. If all nobles were good people, why would so many people still be unable to afford even bread?"
Lydia raised her head and studied Leo's serious face. "Mr. Leo, you truly are courageous. Discussing whether Fallen Mages are good or evil on this continent is extremely dangerous. I never imagined that one day I would discuss such things with another mage.
"We never discuss whether Order Mages are good or evil, but under the current system of judgment, Fallen Mages are always considered evil."
Leo said, "I believe I have never committed an evil act up to this point. And the beautiful Miss Lydia doesn't seem as evil-hearted as Fallen Mages are portrayed to be."
Lydia lowered her head. "Everyone has secrets... Just as I never asked under what circumstances your friend used the Principle of Intimidating People, I can't tell anyone about the circumstances of my own Fall."
Leo and Lydia fell silent together.
If they had any other choice, who would willingly become a Fallen Mage hated and hunted by everyone?
Leo could understand Lydia's pressure. In the end, he was the one who broke the silence. "I was lost once too, but power is just power. Power itself is neither good nor evil. Good and evil belong to the person who uses it.
"Although I was unfortunate enough to become a Fallen Mage, I still firmly believe that I should not fall into a spiral of evil. I will do everything I can to stay away from evil."
Lydia was silent for a moment after hearing him. Then she said, "You're right, Mr. Leo. Power itself is neither good nor evil. Good and evil belong to the person who uses it. Mr. Leo, I haven't committed evil either. Let us both remember that and do our best to stay away from evil.
"I need to report to the Quartermaster Office. The Count is preparing for war, so I have quite a lot of work. There is one more thing I need to remind you of. Do not leave the Unicorn Legion.
"If war breaks out, the Legion's goal will be victory. The deeper the Legion is drawn into war, the more results-oriented it becomes. On certain matters, the Legion is far more tolerant than the Church and the Academy.
"Before we part, I want to give you one solemn piece of advice:
"Hide yourself. Fallen Mages cannot expose themselves beneath the sunlight of the Audrian Continent!"
Comments