The boy nods, he was looking down but to a trained eye or people close to him, they would notice that he’s spilled soup on his napkin on his lap and probably a part of his shirt. This isn’t common for him but as a child who is still growing accustomed to the concept of stiff discipline, he is not immune to being a child rattled by something embarrassing.

He liked his mother and loved her, but it was still shameful for him to hear her words of affection, especially in front of others.

“Meet with Lord Verbasi today so you can have the time to study and play games after with his children,” Yphemu said as she signaled Hyles. “By that time, I’d have adjusted a better schedule for us to attend to in the coming season, but I want you to focus more on your spellcasting. You may have good grades during this Academy, but it’s different with being my rightful successor.”

The grey-haired man nodded as he instructed one of his assistants standing behind him to message Lord Verbasi through their central Kaderno. After much of their idle chat about simple updates on Mitt’s studies, Yphemu finished their meal to continue her day.

Sacr comes to her mansion with their mode of transportation, a Krylesa, a carriage inlaid with lamps containing shards that serve as illumination and protection for the rider and driver. Square-like with four wheels, two spare wheels in front, connected to a very flexible snake-like chamber with windows on the side. It covers the driver from the roof to the front of the machine.

The snake-like chamber houses a well-maintained Daka-baw, a small four-legged creature with firm legs and stamina. Their endurance to walk, run, or whatnot, is deserving of its presence, and are water creatures despite not sporting gill-like lungs. Additionally, their lungs are strong and versatile to the point they could run miles without losing breath. Thus are animals blessed with strong stamina and endurance towards the water.

Though not that comfortable to look at, inside the chamber, it is only filled to the ankle of the Daka-baw’s ankle. They can keep walking or running, and moving around, for the front of the Krylesa to maneuver. These types of vehicles are fitted to carry all kinds of heavy baggage and house at least twenty people.

But this can also be the case for special carriages like transportation for the nobles or people who can afford it, if not, then they can use Sari-manok pulled carts or carriages that are usually clunky and bumpy because of the careless running of Sari-manoks. The Krylesa is manufactured with the intent for smooth riding by adjusting mechanical aspects the same way airships are intended, but for land.

Though airships are first invented and considered as modes of transportation, it’s not good to congest the skies with too much aerial transport. Thus, trips on land may take a long but it’s leisure worth preserving the skies.

Inside the Krylesa is a padded and insulated seat and walls for different types of temperatures, and most of the time it’s cold or cool even if there’s warmth under Slitark because the heat the crystal sun emits is not something burning and finite.

During this ride, Sacr spoke with clarity as she listed all the topics at hand for the summary of this year. Her smooth voice rang inside a Krylesa, as she stated that the council has not asked for any meetings with her but had her company report the following records of activities from spring, Tagsibol, during the festival of the everlasting fairies that deliver human’s message to Slitark, Tunung.

“Which of the provinces did you want to hear about, first?” Sacr asked as she finished the pristine and uneventful festivity events. “There’s a few here in need of work but it’s not under our jurisdiction. We all know the Kabay’s are holding their tongues in asking for any supplicant actions to our faction, but as expected it’s going to be difficult. Several of these reports are absurd accusations, and we might need better investigation teams.”

Yphemu remembered the events a decade before this very year, as the investigation halted into a dead end when the rest of the rebels were not able to provide the word of who they were working for, their leader, or what faction of the Kabay has been feeding them propaganda despite the insistent denial of the members of the council that represent the Kabay.

They could only hunt down members even though the actions of the rebels have stopped and without rhyme or accord, disbanded without even consideration of every member’s actions. So, to those people she conscripted to live in the provinces to protect against monsters, she could tell that they lived their life with a renewed purpose. Something she thought would be difficult but found that they were only idle hands with purpose misled.

“Much of our militia, bordering from the north around west and east are as civil and undisturbed, at least by the monsters. There seem to be lesser acts of rebellion since the decade of the Dire-eater Mothers’ attack, but the growing poison from infected shards is alarming in the west. Do you think it’s time that we paid another visit to recompose the magical properties and barriers that our magicians have applied in their area?” Sacr continued as she noted Yphemu who was also looking at her Kaderno.

“My schedule will be filled for the coming months Sacr, we won’t be able to fit re-enforcing Light magic purification for those areas. I’d rather send a team with a shard heavily blessed by my magic. There won’t be enough of me to fill this world with enough time to scour the lands of poisoned shards.” Yphemu stared swiping at her Kaderno and promptly stated. “Our shard mining from stray Spire cutting has been magnificently produced for a few years now, so I’m confident I could only come with enough time to imbue a shard of Light magic.”

Quickly swiping on her Kaderno, Sacr tried her best to see thru Yphemu’s schedule and sighed while she looked at several pages before glaring at the slate. “I’ve never been a good assistant to your post as Prime Magician, wouldn’t Lord Verbasi be better at this since he’s more acquainted with the council?”

“What’s wrong?” Yphemu said as she blinked, looking up and quite surprised as if she was in a daze before. “You’re doing well, and as of now, Lord Verbasi holds a position in the Academy teaching several other students, more so for honing Light magic users. There is a lacking for me as a Prime Magician to have my team that could handle my speed and strength in battle and missions.”

Sacr nods and then continues to say, “I guess I’m too hopeful for a promotion to be less paperwork and more fieldwork.”

“This job is as fieldwork and desk job heavy from your last, which for most is just a difference of location. Granted we have larger influence and more social interaction than before, with the nobles and the Academy, it’s not so bad being able to breathe away from rotten grasslands.” Yphemu smiled softly. “Plus, Epiro’s doing better than he did once we were transferred here. He’s trained a good replacement for me as the Captain and now I’m fairly the Prime Magician more than I was as state of Security Militia.”

“True, there are lesser moments of danger than we experience every day, but it’s kind of jarring to be given such treatment even if we’ve only been here for four years under Romiss and Pulchell’s term of council leadership.” Sacr stated before looking back at the Kaderno. “Do you suppose their leadership will continue running smoothly? I hear there are still respite between the two factions even if it’s not heard by many.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s not heard by many; people are always going to remember historical faults and battles. It affects their lives through changes in prices or lifestyle. One would say the time the rebellions still happening from the rumored opposing Kabay members, there were a lot of bad trading anomalies. Remember?” Yphemu said as she remembered Emil’s words whenever he visits for teatime.

“Or the times I’m still given sympathetic looks whenever they say something about Mitt or my dead daughter.” This one she simply says, her voice normal and steady. Compared to before when she felt annoyance but kept it to herself, Yphemu has grown tired of people and how they keep reminding her of her dead daughter. “Things are going for the better, I guess we just have to take it with a grain of salt. Compared to when the council took ten days to decide on a matter, these days they only take three, and made sure every faction contributes to their actions.”

“Nothing prepared me when miss Cala was appointed, I always thought her and Lord Docas didn’t go well, as she often worked behind the scenes and she’s always been the rumored luxurious haughty lady. I remember one time there was word that she tricked two baronet families into buying properties that didn’t exist. Imagine my surprise when it was just a ruse to cover up illegal shard dust production. Those things are potent enough to destroy a land.” Sacr says while smirking at the thought. “She was smart enough to let those families fall to their grace by their own hands, I remember Epiro was disgusted by how they groveled when he went there to arrest them.”

“She is an overbearing woman, I’ve only spoken to her a few times during my Academy days when she went to her classes, at least.” Yphemu said as she was reminded of her abrupt youth, “there was a time she acted the same way as everyone, but I knew that twinkle in her eyes. Playing her time until it was right for her to lay her cards.”

“I didn’t even know she was from the renowned family of Romiss.” Sacr stated as she looked sheepish. “The Romiss may be tradespeople, but they’ve always been bad businessmen even if they have so much connection and money. Swindling poor people isn’t the best kind of work you know.”

“Well, Cala proved people wrong, at least Emil and Itheca believe in her potential. They’re the two most trustworthy people in our batch, nothing about their reputation is as pristine as anyone can tamper. Having them on Cala’s side brought points for her post as council co-leader.”

“Ha, I don’t want to remember the fear we felt at the time of their appointment.” Sacr reminisced, as she saw them passing by the city square.

The square bustled with life, barter, and trade happening left and right, with all kinds of people sharing every form of interaction possible in public places. Living within the walls and rules under All-Monarch was simple and nothing to bother the lives of those within, but beyond the walls nothing makes sense but the rules of nature.

Yphemu recalled the instinctive actions they had to put up with when the council declared the appointment of the new leaders and how declaring it at the year-end would mean a form of retaliation days before and after. Since they were sure that even the silence of the inner walls covered in magic could still leak information whether they like it or not.

She was there for the inauguration and the declaration of the councils’ new leaders, done on different days for each occasion. Seeing crowds gathering bigger than the stadium, called the Bulwagan, could hold was amusing and daunting that Yphemu forced herself to double the security, along with Lord Docas’ help.

With a diameter and space that could house five hundred people, many believed it would be impossible for Yphemu, but she prevailed. So much so that even if there were reports of sighted suspicious actions from outlier citizens, no one could feel the danger and only sense the overwhelming positivity of the occasion.

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