Pillar of Yita

”So—?”

”The attack on the queen in the past is well-known among the Istania people, so it’s not really a secret,” Bishop Faris spoke again, ”Last time I mentioned the King of Sand to you, so I won’t elaborate this time. However, since Mr. Ade is interested, shall I tell you about the queen?”

Fang Hong gradually calmed down.

He looked at the bustling crowd in the hall, momentarily forgetting the celebration, and quietly asked, ”Is there anything unusual about the queen?”

In a flash, he recalled the notebook Princess had entrusted to him.

A notebook he distinctly remembered seeing once in his uncle’s study when he was very young.

Considering a queen who collected such a peculiar notebook, one might imagine she also had some stories to her. He actually had this feeling back then. Only the clues were too few, and naturally, the Princess and the queen’s family weren’t about to let him investigate, so in the end, it was left unresolved. But now the archbishop’s words suddenly stirred memories in his heart.

”There are indeed some peculiarities about the queen.”

Faris answered slowly, ”This is not really a royal secret; such rumors are widespread in Quistack, some true, some false, but some are too far-fetched and rarely leave this ancient city. However, this one is true. The Grand Princess’s birth mother came from a prominent family, but she was somewhat of a maverick among the noblewomen of Istania. To the Istania people, she might well have seemed rebellious and unconventional—”

”In her early years, she visited Colin and met some adventurers, even becoming acquainted with holy choosers. There’s even a rumor she participated in an adventure group—of course, the latter claim is less credible, as no matter how unconventional, she’d still care about her family’s opinion.”

”But it was probably because of such a noblewoman that she could take a liking to the equally unconventional Penelope family in the eyes of the world. You see, during the time of Princess Rupert’s grandfather, those lofty old royal nobles didn’t necessarily look up to this newly established king.”

”Many stories exist about the queen and the King of Sand, some quite romantic. There’s a rumor that the queen’s family originally intended for her elder sister to marry Barbaltan, but the two met by chance and fell for each other, setting the stage for all that followed.”

”However, in life, the queen was indeed deeply in love with the King of Sand. Together they had two daughters, who are now the Grand Princess and her younger sister.”

Fang Hong couldn’t help but think of the two Afia’s.

Was it really just a coincidence?

But these stories he had already heard once from the Grand Princess, yet it was the earlier story from the bishop, the unconventional girl, the adventuring noble lady, that captured his interest. After all, how else would she have such a strange notebook?

But what was the meaning behind Bishop Faris suddenly discussing this with him?

He looked towards the bishop, seeing an aged face, deep-set and somewhat profound eyes:

”Ten years ago, the queen suddenly passed away, causing a huge uproar in Istania...”

”The King of Sand, Barbaltan, seized upon this opportunity to uproot several ancient families and established the authority of the new king...”

”But it was the blind followers directly involved who were never completely eradicated... Mr. Ade, do you remember when I mentioned that matter to you when you first came here?”

Fang Hong was slightly startled and immediately recalled the matter.

The elves’ art of creation.

The secret of immortal life.

”Bishop Faris, are you saying,” he paused slightly, ”the King of Sand plans to use the blind followers to achieve that near-mythical method of reviving the dead... But it’s something that simply cannot be achieved, not even considered a ’miracle,’ just a lie...”

”...Alchemy on the surface indeed shares some resemblance with the eternal secret the blind followers pursue, especially the creation method of the Numelin elves; the two are almost on the same path.”

”But...”

Fang Hong himself had studied ancient alchemy and understood the application of the art of creation, so he knew well. But he also knew that these two only appeared similar on the surface but were fundamentally opposed and contradictory.

The creation in alchemy is not bringing something from nothing, but merely altering the way matter exists in this world, and the ether involved is a necessary price to pay—the so-called equivalent exchange is exactly this.

And in Eteliria, when a person dies, starlight immediately dissipates, and the soul that once existed merges back into the world’s essence. To re-form that ’person’ from the boundless starlight, is the ’life’ recreated truly still the original soul?

When he first heard the news, he felt an eerie chill.

But no matter what the blind followers did, it was hardly surprising.

And after settling for a few days, he was left with a faint sense of absurdity in his heart, and perhaps this explained Barbaltan’s ’cooperation’ with those blind followers. It sounds reasonable to explain everything he previously witnessed, yet this ’reasonableness’ seemed almost laughable to Fang Hong.

Faris seemed not to notice his expression and slowly spoke:

”This matter is almost an open secret; the arcanists wish to use the King of Sand to regain the center of power, while Nulman is merely a fool for loyalty...”

”But I know the King of Sand himself should remain quite clear-headed, not too deeply embroiled in this matter. He merely harbors a sliver of hope by using those people...”

”However, when the time comes for revenge, he will definitely not hesitate.”

Fang Hong looked at him: ”Is this why the Holy Sanctuary hasn’t intervened?”

”Of course not,” Faris replied, ”The Holy Sanctuary has always been investigating the movements of the blind followers, but with the King of Sand’s protection, it’s just hard to catch them in the act.”

Fang Hong suddenly realized: ”Is this the purpose of the Lord Goddess?”

Unexpectedly, Faris shook his head: ”This is the duty of Marlan’s believers; how could it be blamed on others?”

Fang Hong was taken aback: ”Then why is the bishop telling me all this?”

Faris glanced at him and then asked a question beyond Fang Hong’s expectations: ”Mr. Ade, what was your motive for agreeing to the Grand Princess’s request to investigate the affair of the queen?”

...