When I arrived at ＜Aurelinople＞, stars were sprouting one by one in the purple-tinged western sky.
Perhaps because they came down the river by riverboat, they began to see the spiers of the city dyed reddish in the dusk as the sun went down.
Many went down and few went up, most of which were river galleys, and the decks were teeming with armed men.
It was like an army to protect riverside villages under the city from crows, but bizarrely, they wore iron rings around their necks that were more like shackles than armor.
“Is it fashionable to have dog collars like that in the Republic?”
To my question, Miria, who pushed the pole to lead the boat midstream, answered.
“They are permanent soldiers. It represents that.”
“Permanents?”
“I mean people without citizenship. If you don’t have citizenship, you have to do the job assigned by the city government unconditionally. A soldier or a handyman… … It’s something mostly free citizens avoid.”
“until when?”
“When, when, when.”
“Until citizenship is issued. But the number of people who became citizens from permanent residents is very few.”
“I am not a slave… … There’s no way the Imperial Court would admit that.”
“Slaves, slaves, slaves.”
“I only don’t use the word slave, and the North Republic is better because it’s close to the Imperial Office. Wouldn’t you be surprised if you go to the continent of Adreon, where they don’t care?”
Miria, who explained that, had a bitter cynicism.
“Of course I thought that the world would go backwards because the dragon disappeared, but I never thought there would be such a darkness.”
It felt like so many things were twisted.
The Republic was originally famous for its military system called Haltene (local self-governing counties). It was a system in which free citizens directly fought with spears and knives in wartime. But now you have slaves do all that?
The guy who called himself Xernix… … Ominous cold sweat ran down his back.
“Don’t speak out for a while.”
Miria cautiously pushed the pole toward the north current sluice gate of ＜Aurelinople＞.
Both wore conical hats borrowed (?) from the witches of ＜Altaris＞ and wore witch robes, so their movements were sloppy. Aki continued to sleep, probably from a rather big shock at dawn.
I’m not proud of it, but my hair, which hasn’t been trimmed for months, falls to my shoulders. If you untie the tail tied behind you, it will look like a witch without fail.
“Witch.”
“Witch.”
Seeing the people on the front and back riverboats, and the people going to the city via the land route on the river bank, bowing their heads and showing their respect, it seems that other people see it as well.
No surprises. Witches have a very high status in the Republic.
Outside the walls of the city, on both sides of the river, there were countless stalls and shops. It hurt my eyes to see the primary colors of the lanterns that were so densely lit.
As soon as we passed through the village, the elegant and beautiful walls of ＜Aurelinople＞, the purple city, soared in purple.
‘Beautiful ＜Aurelinople＞, the youngest of the seven large cities, a city that embraces the beauty of the river.’
The words of an old poem came to mind.
The rocks in the river and the walls built using only cobblestones without any masonry skills, he said, all the stones were different in size and shape. The aesthetics of such difference worked as a simple yet antique beauty.
It is said to be the smallest of the seven large cities, but it was still as large as ＜Golden Rose＞, one of the five largest cities in the empire.
“welcome.”
The lord’s spearmen were guarding the iron gates of the canal, but the officer who seemed to be the gatekeeper was not wearing an iron ring around his neck, probably a free citizen.
There was no look of vigilance, and as soon as we each showed the witch pendant, they bowed deeply and opened the way.
Shortly after crossing the gate, a wide downtown area paved with purple marble unfolded. Amidst the drunken citizens chattering in front of the bar, the permanent residents were busy doing chores, such as lighting up streetlights in the twilight.
Miria continued to move the riverboat along the Great Belisor River, which ran through the city from north to south.
“Where is the witch branch?”
“How big is this city? It’s half a day to walk. Waterway is a little faster. It should arrive late at night.”
Around the time I got out of the downtown area and found silence, a small but not large square was spread out, and strangely, a dome-shaped temple was built in the center.
The dignity and attire of the guests were completely different from that of the downtown area at the back. Quite a number of people were neatly dressed and praying with their hands together as they passed through the colonnade and entered the interior.
But strangely, isn’t Pipi flying up on its own and flying towards it? I just called out and made him come back.
“Why is that, Pippi? What are you so excited about here?”
It was Miria who answered that question.
“I don’t know? It’s the birthplace of the Fire Dragon Shaman. Although it has now been converted into a memorial hall for great men. Many come on pilgrimage.”
“… … what?”
“Don’t you know that you put the name of the Fire Dragon Shaman’s sun parrot on your sun parrot?”
I inhaled momentarily. My body froze in the boat, so I couldn’t think of falling. In a daze, only his lips moved.
‘Then this city… … Are you saying it’s Friede’s hometown?’
* * *
Scattering dark blue feathers, a crow crossed the forest, landed on the forearm of the Iron Mask Man, and barked.
The crow’s feathers made strings in the air… … After reading the text carefully, the man summarized the messenger and reported it.
“This is a message from ＜Aurelinople＞. A target has entered the city.”
Then the old shaman, who was sitting cross-legged on top of an abandoned hermitage, woke up.
Hundreds of sorcery crows were sitting next to it, and that alone would give you an idea of how enormous the magical power of the caster was.
As if the smoking pipe she was holding in her right hand had become heavy for no reason, the old priestess let out a sigh of smoke as she drooped down.
“… … All of a sudden, I crawled into a place I most didn’t want to go to.”
“If you order, I will go alone.”
“No, that’s okay.”
At the words of her subordinate, the shrine maiden shook her head with her eyes shining in disbelief. And when I woke up from the hermitage, crows flew up scattering magic feathers like crazy.
“Try to make the most of your time. Let us set off right now.”
* * *
“Welcome to the Friedergulus (Birth of Friede) Memorial Hall. I would appreciate it if you would keep quiet with a reverent heart.”
Even when Friede was alive, the birthplace that had been regarded as a kind of sacred place had been transformed into a sacred memorial after the death of the great shaman.
An old desk that Friede used when he was a child, a dragon scripture that had been read so much that the cover was on the verge of falling off, and the feathers of a baby Pipi… … .
The traces of that brilliant life were sequentially arranged from childhood to old age according to the flow of the times.
It’s really not a big deal, but why is it that my heart hurts like being stabbed with a needle while looking at each of those things?
“Friede, Friede, Friede.”
Since I was at that level, there is no need to explain Fifi’s condition.
I had to work hard to calm Pippi, who was hiding in the sleeves of the witch’s robe, from crying plaintively.
The reason it didn’t attract much attention was because of the witch’s voice explaining Friede’s life to the worshipers.
“Fride, who was born with a strong faith and a benevolent heart, became a witch at a young age, and three years later, the fire dragon, Bel’Dakidun, chose her as a priestess without even voting in the Senate. At this time, she was the only one in the history of the Republic to be given the nickname of the Fire Dragon Shaman.”
It was a witch wearing a yellow robe.
The witches imitated the dragon corps and wore yellow, blue, and red colored robes according to their duties.
The yellow one was for imperialism, the blue one for Yukien was for people’s livelihood, and the red one for witches in ＜Altaris＞ was for destruction (滅惡).
“When the long summer arrived in the world, Friede was recruited into Payquarean Lista’s party and left for the south. And prevented the lizard lord’s seal from being broken.”
Where the yellow witch pointed with the base of her broomstick, there were ‘us’ drawn. I thought I had overcome quite a bit, but the tears in my eyes naturally became white.
Hero, Lista.
Mister, Friede.
Palace, Keith.
Archmage, Rin.
The witch then pointed to Rin’s portrait.
“Many people who survived the ‘Antarctic War’ testified that Friede had a special relationship with Archmage Lynn, like a brother and sister.”
“… … .”
“Rin is the first and last dead of the Lista Party. Friede used to say at that time that if Rin hadn’t been there, everyone would have died.”
I didn’t know it well at the time, but back then I denied it when people said that… … It was only after I had a younger brother that I realized something.
How much Friede had cared for me back then. More like a sister than a real sister… … .
The portrait that followed made my heart feel even more heartbreaking, and it was a picture of Friede putting a conical hat on Turaina’s head.
“After Rin’s death, Friede takes Tureina, who was Rin’s disciple, and raises her as a witch with all her heart. At this time, the title of youngest witch is also given over to the disciple.”
Friede was laughing nonchalantly, and Turaina was biting her lip with a calm expression, probably because she was nicknamed the witch of cigarette ash at that time. The Pippi drawn above Turaina’s head was flapping its wings and wriggling.
It was such a vivid picture that my gaze sat down on the floor by itself and wandered around hazy… … .
As if, the time called that day, the time I really wanted to be with, was elaborately cut out and transferred to a picture.
“Friede and Tureina, two of the greatest shamans in the history of the Republic, decreed the direction of the Republic in the post-war era when the Legion left, organized the system, and created the Ten Commandments of Witches.”
And the pictures that followed were pictures of Friede and Tureina discussing something together, sorting out documents, and discussing with the human archons in the Republic Senate. Pippi was with her everywhere.
“The Republic was slowly disintegrating at the end of Tureina’s time, but their great spirit still remains with us… … .”
I couldn’t hear the witch’s explanation that followed. My head hurt so much that I couldn’t even stand properly.
yeah, that can’t be
You piloted Turaina?
The tomboy returned to the arms of the gods after living a great life comparable to Friede… … What he said then was nothing but sophistry to confuse me.
“Hey, can I stay here?”
At that time, Miria stabbed my side and whispered softly.
“He said he had something to check… … What are you checking here? We have to go to the witches’ branch quickly.”
I let out a long breath that could have been a sigh.
“We don’t have to go on our own feet.”
“what?”
“Because I came to you on my own.”
From noble mtl dot com
As soon as the words were finished, about a dozen witches dressed in red gracefully fluttered their long robes (unlike us) and approached us.
There was no need to make a fuss, and even if I had to, I didn’t want to make a fuss here. In this place where the traces of old friends’ lives are clearly dwelling.
Unlike ＜Altaris＞, I was not being manipulated by the Spirit of Possession… … This is serious in another sense. The middle-aged witch, who appeared to be the leader, whispered politely.
“Dra Dum Gurhat (Blessings of the Dragon).”
I wondered what it meant to lower my voice now that a lot of people were already paying attention, but I decided to respond with a greeting between witches I learned from Friede 300 years ago.
“Rami la haventas (man must be like that).”
The witches were surprised that the imperials knew and pronounced this greeting correctly, but they reverently drew the sign of the seven-pointed star (symbolizing the seven gods of ＜those that came＞). said the middle-aged witch.
“I came from the headquarters of the ＜Aurelinople＞ Witches Association. Would you like to go with me?”