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[Blade Master Model 42]

"It'd be the sensible thing to do. Really, anyone with the means would probably better off emigrating elsewhere. Better than living in a dirthole where they won't let you use magic."

[SeriousConcentrate]

  "Given where we both come from we'd know all about living in a dirthole, wouldn't we Eric?"

[Blade Master Model 42]

"... Actually my family was pretty well off. We weren't ever terribly uncomfortable as I remember it."

[GiglameshDespair]

"What are other countries like, then? What magics do they have?"

[I_Like_Pi]

She looked at the others for a moment, before stepping past Eric.

"Alrighty then. I'm gonna see if I can't get us out of this without anyone else gettin' hurt. Could ya hold off until I'm back, at least?"

The twin's walk down the hall was silent, meaning neither side had decided to go back on their word. Yet. Victoria knocked on the door before pushing it open, announcing her and Wynne's arrival to their father.

"Father it is I. And this is my sister -your daughter- Wynne."

Victor stared straight ahead, looking Victoria in the eyes, his stern expression matching hers.

"So, you discovered the truth. But what of it? You're still my daughter, my heir. Her being here doesn't change that."

Victoria clenched her fists, none too pleased with her father's dismissive tone.

"How dare you! Is that all I am to you, a pawn for the future of your house!? If it hadn't been me, it'd have been her. You don't care about us, just your stupid bloodline!"

Victor did not respond to that; instead, he shifted his attention to Wynne.

"Well, have you anything to add or are you just here to justify her?"

Spoiler: wall (click to show/hide)

Dale shouldered his bow, took out his skinning knife from his boot, and started cleaning his fingernails.

  "Now, what I'm wondering is, if all you people want magic gone then why the hell do you keep trying to stop our boss from leaving? Seems to me like this country is just addicted to trouble. People gotta know that Sybil hired a bunch of mercs to help her leave the country."

He finished his left hand and started in on his right.

  "Just seems like people WANT problems, know what I mean? If they'd just leave us and our boss be, things would stay right peaceful in these parts. Now you got half of these guards crying and bleeding and making a mess everywhere, some of whom ain't ever gonna walk right again or use their arms or whatever. And what did y'all get out of it? Maybe kept us from getting closer to getting paid for another, oh... two, three hours?"

The archer gestured at no one in particular with the point of his knife.

  "When you think how little time we lose compared to how long some of y'all are going to be recovering - if you don't die of complications or 'cause we get bored of sparing you - it just don't seem worth it, does it?"

He finally put the knife away and took his bow back in hand, seemingly bored of talking at the guards.

"Leaving...? Hah! You could make a good jester if ever tire of bloodshed. That witch is doing the opposite of leaving, she's marching to the capital with ignorant mercenaries like you fighting her battles for her! She's all but started a civil war and you people are too short-sighted to see it! Leaving her be will just ensure she runs this country into the ground!"

[SOLDIER First]

”Hm. Okay."

"You do realize the council or whatever already tears their own shithole of a country apart every time they switch between being fine with magic and branding everyone who uses it 'mage scum', right? Because I'm pretty sure that's something that happens with frightening regularity around here."

"And in any case I honestly, truly wouldn't care if Sybil does want to prance into the capital and paint the walls red with the blood of your ruling class. But do you know why?"

"Because every five minutes that pass in this godsforsaken place I'm attacked by bandits or soldiers or your men, led by that stupid fucking captain Santorum or whatever the hell his name is, because I can HEAL PEOPLE. I can CURE WOUNDS! By waving around a FANCY FUCKING STICK!"

"And yet you goddamn pricks all want to kill me or - worse - make me listen to your inane bullshit for hours and then kill me, just because I can cure wounds by waving around a fancy fucking stick. The fact that you can legitimately expect me to give a half a fuck more about your politics than I'm paid to when the sole thing I can rely on them to do for me is to bend me over a metaphorical table makes me more furious than ANYTHING I've encountered yet far in all of Ludoh and probably my entire goddamn life."

Caius' rant slowly becomes more and more unhinged, culminating in a breathless rush of a final sentence that ends with him sucking in a big breath of air.


”...So fuck you and fuck Ludoh. Hope you both burn in hell."

[Twinwolf]

"..." Wynne was quiet for a moment. She looked at the man - her father, apparently. She could see where her hair and eye color came from - her mother certainly hadn't had blue. She just... looked for a few moments.

"...Ma talked about you a lot, ya know. Even after what ya did to her, she talked about the time ya spent. She really cared. I never understood it, ta be honest. Why she didn't hate ya for ruining her life and all." She was fighting to keep her voice level.

"She died. 'bout 8 months ago. She survived having the two of us. Did ya ever care about her enough ta care about that? Or was she just some waitress with big tits and child-bearin' hips ta ya? Did ya care about whether she'd even survive havin' twins or were you just trying ta get an heir no matter how much ya had ta sleep around and screw people up?" she was trying so very hard not to shout, but her voice was raising anyway. Her knuckles were going white with how hard she was gripping her lance and shield.

[Blade Master Model 42]

Eric waited for Caius's rant to come to a close before speaking to the man before him. "...What are you basing this claim on? That she's marching on the capital. Is that hearsay or did she say it herself?"

[SeriousConcentrate]

Dale's easy grin disappeared as his expression became thoughtful.

"Well now, ain't that an interesting tale you got there. Why doncha do what my countryman here says and expand on it just a little?"

[Chevaleresse]

"Even if it's true, I'm not exactly cut up about it. I don't owe this country anything."

[Swordstar]

Sea frowned, but didn't speak up. She began fiddling with her bracelet, the green gem glowing softly as she did.

[I_Like_Pi]

Victor shifted in his chair, whether it was from discomfort the topic was causing him or something wasn't yet clear.

"Ah, I did not know she had passed. Though I must admit I don't keep track of my past relations like someone wiser would. I will be absolutely honest with you."

"You are correct. When I was younger I only cared about producing an heir as quickly as possible. I cared not for the legitimacy of my child, nor for the social standing of the mother, as long as she could produce me an heir. I-"

Victoria yelled over her father, drowning out whatever he had been attempting to say.

"You worthless excuse of a father! Can you even comprehend the suffering you've caused? Not only to my sister and mother, who you abandoned like refuse, but myself as well? The servants whispered about me, my peers scorned me, and you were always too busy for me! Had you cared I- we would've had a real family!"

Victoria went silent after her outburst but her glare demanded a response. However, Victor continued on, seemingly ignoring his chosen heir.

"As I was trying to say, after I began raising Victoria I realized that I had made a terrible mistake. However, I could not bring myself to rectify it. I had no love for your mother, nor the strength to suffer a life bound to someone I couldn't love. If I was a less selfish man who was willing to suffer for his family perhaps I could have prevented the suffering I caused. However, what has been done cannot be changed. Hate me if you must, but know that I deeply regret my own foolish actions."


"I'm not sure what that witch has told you, but we're not barbarians. The mages that don't leave are imprisoned, yes; but they're treated far better than actual criminals. Truthfully I don't know their exact conditions, but I heard most are able to leave within a month if they perform some sort of state service. Then they're free to either continue that work or be escorted out of the country."

"We don't need to hear it from her when her actions are so obvious! To begin, she's marching her mercenaries north, towards the capital, instead of south towards Eslana! Secondly, she's gathered an army of mercenaries -as well as soldiers claiming to be mercenaries- when she could've just left like she's done in the past. Lastly, she's sent multiple assassins to council members' estates; all of whom were, thankfully, captured and revealed her as their employer. I'm sure this is the first any of you have heard of this?"

[Blade Master Model 42]

"News to me, yeah." This man did not have significant apparent cause to lie to Eric, or it least it didn't seem so."Apart from the words of a hired blade, do you have proof that the assassins are hers? I don't necessarily doubt your word, I just want to know."

[Swordstar]

"Like I said... They use us for their own goals..." Sea muttered quietly under her breath.

[Chevaleresse]

"Yeah, sure, imprisoning people for studying magic and making them work for you assholes is totally fair when it was legal already. And nobody bothered to tell us the ban was even in place yet. So even if she's marching on the capital, so what? She's been fairer than any government official I've ever seen."