ACT I
THE FAILED PRODIGY
Concordia was a place which existed since the dawn of the imperial calendar, with no records of how this place came to exist. It just popped out in the skies shared by the borders of Parv, Grimgar, Utar and Clandor.
It started as ruins of ancient knowledge, which was like a treasure trove for the braves, and then it somehow became famous as a place of learning. A neutral body which welcomed everyone without the discrimination of race and gender and helped them achieve mastery in the way of knights and mages.
Rudolf was himself an alumnus of Concordia, as was Sam and almost every famous individual in this world. The place always held a special meaning in his heart, so he stopped arguing after hearing its name.
Samwell said again,
The Concordia noticed the breach first and deployed its Node to repair and stabilise the area, but many of the red demons had already broken through. The situation was turning pretty bad, so Father passed me the responsibility of the kingdom to focus on keeping those monsters at bay.
Samwell stopped to see if Rudolf was listening carefully or not and put out his next words cautiously because it was sensitive to discuss his late brother with these two. He took a deep breath and said while lowering his head,
After the Elven war, ties between humans and Elves became strong.
He paused a little and added,
Nobody was at fault at that time. Sam did something wrong, and he paid for it with his life. You know this too. You simply want to objectify your loss to blame someone.
Rudolf already knew that this young king was preaching the truth, and he was not angry at Elves, but humans who supported Elves, not because the pointy ears were in the right. They supported them because they were afraid of Samson’s growing strength.
This thing was the only thread binding his rationality to not attack the Clandor. Samwell did not lift his head. He had no guts to see right in the eyes of Rudolf after saying this much to him, so to lightning the dreary mood he finally looked at Sierra and said what he had to, eventually.
My father and the former king told me about your deal with him. I hope no one disturbed you during your stay here.
Sierra opened her mouth and spoke up.
You are here, aren't you?
Yes, I am, unfortunately. My second reason to come here was you, high priestess.
Sierra slowly raised her eyes to look at Samwell and the young king felt a chill in his spine. It was a last warning for him to tread carefully. He cleared his throat and continued,
You see, I have come here to offer you freedom, freedom from your duties as high priestess.
Sierra asked in annoyance.
Since when do foreign countries interfere with the temple of Indu?
Samwell smiled a little and continued,
There will be an exclusive trade route set with Grimgar and Indu if I support the current candidate for the high priest. It will be the first step of my reign.
Sierra chuckled.
You are not the king yet, right?
Samwell got flustered and his expression was the answer that made her realise that she was right on the mark. She added,
Your father must have put a condition for your crowning. Your succession depends on whether you succeed in making a new high priest. So your crowning depends on my decision. Tell me Samwell, why I should agree with the conclave?
Samwell released a long breath that he was holding in. It was very difficult to scheme against Sierra, to begin with, and he knew it was a fruitless endeavour but it doesn't hurt to try. He complimented her,
You are as sharp as ever, high priestess. But, I came prepared.
So propose your offer Samwell.
Well, I recalled my father’s deal with you, about the child….I have made some improvements in that deal for you. An employment contract as dean of mages for you and not to forget sir Rudolf as dean of Knights. This must be tempting, right?
It is enticing, but it's worthless to me since I am not leaving this place…
You will be part of Concordia, staying away from politics and backstabbing. And my father promised to keep his end of the deal with you, too. No one will be stupid enough to bother you.
No matter what this couple thought of Norwin, as long as the name of the ranked first knight stood with them, there will be almost no one who dares to mess with them. Because of his deal with Sierra, they were pleasantly spending time in the Ghost Isles. Samson had many enemies and after his death, his accumulated power and wealth disappeared, which people are still searching for.
Sierra understood that Norwin taking responsibility for their undisturbing time in Concordia meant that if they ignore this, then the encounter with other people in Ghost Isles was going to increase. It was an indirect call for them to return.
She didn't need the protection for herself but for the child that was with her, so it was better to stay in Concordia where Hans would be safe even without Norwin’s influence.
Samwell spoke once again.
My offer for you two is to take those positions of Deans in Concordia and let the child enter as a special admission. Concordia protects their people and as long as he is with them, they will protect him.
Sierra gave no reaction to his remark, but it was a completely new experience for Hans. He eavesdropped on their conversation and reached the verdict that these people came here to take them back.
He had seen no one except his grandfather and grandmother, which was making him curious, and when Samwell mentioned him, the boy snuck out from the door ignoring Sierra’s warning to check them out. In his eyes, Samwell and his companions didn't seem worse than the beast, but when Samwell saw Hans's face; he took a couple of steps back and fell on his bottom.
He asked her quickly.
I was prepared to be surprised after my father (Norwin Grimgar) told me about him and I know it's not, but I still have to ask, is it my brother’s child?
Rudolf asked him instead of answering
What do you think?
Samwell asked him,
Did you tell him the truth?
Rudolf’s sigh answered the question and Samwell realised that it was not his truth to share with the child. Hans was not getting the direction of where the conversation was going but was positive that they were talking about him. Samwell urged Rudolf,
You should tell the child the truth. The later you tell, the more hurt he will get.
This milestone would eventually have to come at some point in their life, but telling Hans that he was not a human doesn't sit well with Sierra. She finally looked at the last person who was pretty old. He was the priest Ekdamir, the father figure who raised Sierra and knew her more than anyone.
She greeted him with respect. The elderly priest who was in his eighties just stared blankly at her. The high priestess in his eyes was a mighty figure that didn't succumb to anything and seeing her this powerless was saddening for him, he finally said to her,
My poor child, do you have to sacrifice everything for this(Hans)?
Sierra didn't find any insult in his words for Hans, but only concern for her. It was true that she almost sacrificed herself to revive the stillborn child they have received after the Elven war. He was identical to their late son, but the child was lifeless.
in alchemical terms, he was a perfect flesh golem, an artificial human made from Sam, and she fuelled the life in him by sacrificing her divine mana with a spell called EquivalentExchange. So it was safe to say he was a product of taboo alchemy and divine magic.
Samwell didn't want Ekdamir to cross the line when his neck was on it, so he stopped Ekdamir and said to the elders in front of him,
Let them tell the boy, the Elder priest.
Samwell ignored Rudolf's scary glares and saw the curious boy looking at them. The boy was an identical copy of Sam and if he didn't know the truth through his father, he would have believed the child to be his nephew. There were subtle differences. The child has golden eyes and brown hair, unlike the distinct feature of Parv royalty, which carries the stigma of being born with black eyes and hair. Besides, his distinct features matched Sierra's.
For any ordinary person, it was hard to tell that this was not a human, but a high-level person who understood divine magic like Ekdamir could tell that calling him a living container of divine magic was a more suitable term.
Ekdamir chided Sierra,
No matter how desperate you were, you should have not done this, Sierra.
Sierra politely looked down and replied,
Ah, don't worry, Elder Priest, my divine mana is slowly returning.
Ekdamir scolded her even more furiously, and she took his every word without refuting
This boy is a vessel of divine mana. People will hunt him because of that.
He turned towards the child and said straightforwardly,
Because of you, she will lose her position as the high priestess.
There was a lot of resentment in the old priest’s voice. He had raised her since they brought her to the temple and worked hard with her to make her high priestess, but everything was crumbling because of this child's existence. Even if she didn't decide to resign, there was no way she could keep her previous position, since creating a life was taboo.
Hans looked at the resentful old man who was earlier scolding her precious grandma and now him. He didn't like the way he was speaking to her, so he replied in simple words while looking down,
That position wouldn't have meant much to her since she is not there, but with me.
He paused and glared him right in the eyes and added,
I am more important to her than that stupid position of high pr.. or something, so old man shut up.
Ekdamir was speechless, Hans was practically giving him a death stare and if the glare could kill, the old priest would have been dead by now, but he still replied to the boy,
You are not a human, but a taboo. You don't know…
Hans didn't get shaken once knowing that and interrupted the elder
What is so good about being a human? I just have to be better. That will shut you up, right?
***
proxybaba
Ekdamir was like a parent to Sierra.
It is taboo to create life mostly because it never succeeds, but the organism created was almost evil.
EquivalentExchange is the highest tier spell in the divinity section, which sacrifices all the divine power accumulated inside the body for the exchange of life force; it is used for reviving an almost dead person.
ACT I
THE FAILED PRODIGY
Concordia was a place which existed since the dawn of the imperial calendar, with no records of how this place came to exist. It just popped out in the skies shared by the borders of Parv, Grimgar, Utar and Clandor.
It started as ruins of ancient knowledge, which was like a treasure trove for the braves, and then it somehow became famous as a place of learning. A neutral body which welcomed everyone without the discrimination of race and gender and helped them achieve mastery in the way of knights and mages.
Rudolf was himself an alumnus of Concordia, as was Sam and almost every famous individual in this world. The place always held a special meaning in his heart, so he stopped arguing after hearing its name.
Samwell said again,
The Concordia noticed the breach first and deployed its Node to repair and stabilise the area, but many of the red demons had already broken through. The situation was turning pretty bad, so Father passed me the responsibility of the kingdom to focus on keeping those monsters at bay.
Samwell stopped to see if Rudolf was listening carefully or not and put out his next words cautiously because it was sensitive to discuss his late brother with these two. He took a deep breath and said while lowering his head,
After the Elven war, ties between humans and Elves became strong.
He paused a little and added,
Nobody was at fault at that time. Sam did something wrong, and he paid for it with his life. You know this too. You simply want to objectify your loss to blame someone.
Rudolf already knew that this young king was preaching the truth, and he was not angry at Elves, but humans who supported Elves, not because the pointy ears were in the right. They supported them because they were afraid of Samson’s growing strength.
This thing was the only thread binding his rationality to not attack the Clandor. Samwell did not lift his head. He had no guts to see right in the eyes of Rudolf after saying this much to him, so to lightning the dreary mood he finally looked at Sierra and said what he had to, eventually.
My father and the former king told me about your deal with him. I hope no one disturbed you during your stay here.
Sierra opened her mouth and spoke up.
You are here, aren't you?
Yes, I am, unfortunately. My second reason to come here was you, high priestess.
Sierra slowly raised her eyes to look at Samwell and the young king felt a chill in his spine. It was a last warning for him to tread carefully. He cleared his throat and continued,
You see, I have come here to offer you freedom, freedom from your duties as high priestess.
Sierra asked in annoyance.
Since when do foreign countries interfere with the temple of Indu?
Samwell smiled a little and continued,
There will be an exclusive trade route set with Grimgar and Indu if I support the current candidate for the high priest. It will be the first step of my reign.
Sierra chuckled.
You are not the king yet, right?
Samwell got flustered and his expression was the answer that made her realise that she was right on the mark. She added,
Your father must have put a condition for your crowning. Your succession depends on whether you succeed in making a new high priest. So your crowning depends on my decision. Tell me Samwell, why I should agree with the conclave?
Samwell released a long breath that he was holding in. It was very difficult to scheme against Sierra, to begin with, and he knew it was a fruitless endeavour but it doesn't hurt to try. He complimented her,
You are as sharp as ever, high priestess. But, I came prepared.
So propose your offer Samwell.
Well, I recalled my father’s deal with you, about the child….I have made some improvements in that deal for you. An employment contract as dean of mages for you and not to forget sir Rudolf as dean of Knights. This must be tempting, right?
It is enticing, but it's worthless to me since I am not leaving this place…
You will be part of Concordia, staying away from politics and backstabbing. And my father promised to keep his end of the deal with you, too. No one will be stupid enough to bother you.
No matter what this couple thought of Norwin, as long as the name of the ranked first knight stood with them, there will be almost no one who dares to mess with them. Because of his deal with Sierra, they were pleasantly spending time in the Ghost Isles. Samson had many enemies and after his death, his accumulated power and wealth disappeared, which people are still searching for.
Sierra understood that Norwin taking responsibility for their undisturbing time in Concordia meant that if they ignore this, then the encounter with other people in Ghost Isles was going to increase. It was an indirect call for them to return.
She didn't need the protection for herself but for the child that was with her, so it was better to stay in Concordia where Hans would be safe even without Norwin’s influence.
Samwell spoke once again.
My offer for you two is to take those positions of Deans in Concordia and let the child enter as a special admission. Concordia protects their people and as long as he is with them, they will protect him.
Sierra gave no reaction to his remark, but it was a completely new experience for Hans. He eavesdropped on their conversation and reached the verdict that these people came here to take them back.
He had seen no one except his grandfather and grandmother, which was making him curious, and when Samwell mentioned him, the boy snuck out from the door ignoring Sierra’s warning to check them out. In his eyes, Samwell and his companions didn't seem worse than the beast, but when Samwell saw Hans's face; he took a couple of steps back and fell on his bottom.
He asked her quickly.
I was prepared to be surprised after my father (Norwin Grimgar) told me about him and I know it's not, but I still have to ask, is it my brother’s child?
Rudolf asked him instead of answering
What do you think?
Samwell asked him,
Did you tell him the truth?
Rudolf’s sigh answered the question and Samwell realised that it was not his truth to share with the child. Hans was not getting the direction of where the conversation was going but was positive that they were talking about him. Samwell urged Rudolf,
You should tell the child the truth. The later you tell, the more hurt he will get.
This milestone would eventually have to come at some point in their life, but telling Hans that he was not a human doesn't sit well with Sierra. She finally looked at the last person who was pretty old. He was the priest Ekdamir, the father figure who raised Sierra and knew her more than anyone.
She greeted him with respect. The elderly priest who was in his eighties just stared blankly at her. The high priestess in his eyes was a mighty figure that didn't succumb to anything and seeing her this powerless was saddening for him, he finally said to her,
My poor child, do you have to sacrifice everything for this(Hans)?
Sierra didn't find any insult in his words for Hans, but only concern for her. It was true that she almost sacrificed herself to revive the stillborn child they have received after the Elven war. He was identical to their late son, but the child was lifeless.
in alchemical terms, he was a perfect flesh golem, an artificial human made from Sam, and she fuelled the life in him by sacrificing her divine mana with a spell called EquivalentExchange. So it was safe to say he was a product of taboo alchemy and divine magic.
Samwell didn't want Ekdamir to cross the line when his neck was on it, so he stopped Ekdamir and said to the elders in front of him,
Let them tell the boy, the Elder priest.
Samwell ignored Rudolf's scary glares and saw the curious boy looking at them. The boy was an identical copy of Sam and if he didn't know the truth through his father, he would have believed the child to be his nephew. There were subtle differences. The child has golden eyes and brown hair, unlike the distinct feature of Parv royalty, which carries the stigma of being born with black eyes and hair. Besides, his distinct features matched Sierra's.
For any ordinary person, it was hard to tell that this was not a human, but a high-level person who understood divine magic like Ekdamir could tell that calling him a living container of divine magic was a more suitable term.
Ekdamir chided Sierra,
No matter how desperate you were, you should have not done this, Sierra.
Sierra politely looked down and replied,
Ah, don't worry, Elder Priest, my divine mana is slowly returning.
Ekdamir scolded her even more furiously, and she took his every word without refuting
This boy is a vessel of divine mana. People will hunt him because of that.
He turned towards the child and said straightforwardly,
Because of you, she will lose her position as the high priestess.
There was a lot of resentment in the old priest’s voice. He had raised her since they brought her to the temple and worked hard with her to make her high priestess, but everything was crumbling because of this child's existence. Even if she didn't decide to resign, there was no way she could keep her previous position, since creating a life was taboo.
Hans looked at the resentful old man who was earlier scolding her precious grandma and now him. He didn't like the way he was speaking to her, so he replied in simple words while looking down,
That position wouldn't have meant much to her since she is not there, but with me.
He paused and glared him right in the eyes and added,
I am more important to her than that stupid position of high pr.. or something, so old man shut up.
Ekdamir was speechless, Hans was practically giving him a death stare and if the glare could kill, the old priest would have been dead by now, but he still replied to the boy,
You are not a human, but a taboo. You don't know…
Hans didn't get shaken once knowing that and interrupted the elder
What is so good about being a human? I just have to be better. That will shut you up, right?
***
proxybaba
Ekdamir was like a parent to Sierra.
It is taboo to create life mostly because it never succeeds, but the organism created was almost evil.
EquivalentExchange is the highest tier spell in the divinity section, which sacrifices all the divine power accumulated inside the body for the exchange of life force; it is used for reviving an almost dead person.
