Chapter 39
Orlando New Era, 287, late autumn.
The trees across the continent of Icarus began to shed their leaves, and the sea breeze swept through every port. Sailors and fishermen, having finished most of the year's work, prepared to spend their long winter vacation.
If Milford is used as the boundary, the ports north of Milford are often frozen in winter, while the coastal ports of Mercury and Wilde to the south are open to navigation all year round.
However, in Amberley, which is opposite Mercury, half of the area will be frozen.
That year, King Lortheran worked diligently to govern the kingdom, and the eleven districts within the kingdom's direct territory were free of major disasters throughout the year. In the summer, the king ordered a tax reduction, and a team of inspectors set out in early spring and concluded their inspection of the eleven districts in late autumn, during which many local officials were arrested and imprisoned.
In the tenth year of the trial of the new policies, the territory of the Kingdom of Lortheran was like an impregnable fortress, and its people lived in peace and prosperity.
In autumn, in the distant county of Mercury, the Duke of Mercury rebelled, but the rebellion was quelled by a joint force of the kingdom's army and the church mission, and the county of Mercury was incorporated into the direct territory of the Kingdom of Lortheran.
A month later, the Lord of Milford City announced that he was relinquishing his position and surrendering Milford City to His Majesty the King.
Around the same time, the former king, now the archbishop, His Highness Prince Garcia, hosted a private banquet at his residence, which was attended by many nobles and royalty.
In His Highness's study, someone discovered that His Highness was reading an unfamiliar book.
The title of the book is also intriguing: "From the Rebellion of Mercury".
The discoverer was one of the king's princes, who froze on the spot. Duke Mercury's rebellion was no secret in the capital, and the elders were insisting that the king spare Duke Mercury.
Unfortunately, the old duke was said to have gone mad when he was captured.
Whether he went mad because of the defeat in battle or for something else, everyone knows the answer.
The old men in the council were furious, but what's done is done, and in the end, nothing serious happened.
Now, His Highness Prince Garcia casually took out a book with a very subtle title, almost as if to show it to all the nobles and royalty.
The prince seemed to have gained some weight, and his plump figure made his features look much more amiable. He chuckled and said that if anyone was interested, he would send a copy to each of their homes later.
The crowd was terrified, as if the prince had delivered not books, but a death sentence.
The prince who first discovered the book was quite bold. Seeing that the prince was going along with it, he actually picked it up and started reading. To be honest, he was incredibly curious just from the title.
Mercury was too distant for the royal family. Although the old duke was a relative, the prince had long forgotten what that relative looked like, only remembering that he was an arrogant fellow.
Such arrogance makes rebellion seem inevitable.
What is truly shocking is that Duke Mercury, after years of planning, saw his capital city fall less than three days after declaring independence, and he himself went mad. According to the advance officer of the capital, the old man can only tilt his head and drool now.
In the study, surrounded by nobles and ministers close to the royal family, everyone fell silent as they watched the little prince pick up a book and start reading. Garcia, displeased, said, "Hey, why isn't everyone chatting anymore?"
Everyone: ...
The Little Prince opened the title page, expecting the main text to be on the second page, but instead found a preface. The prince, who had read very few travelogues since childhood, quickly glanced at the preface and continued turning the pages.
The third page is still not the main text, but rather a page titled "Table of Contents".
He hesitated for a moment, looking at the paragraphs of text marked with numbers. This time he did read them all. He had heard of things like "Farewell to the capital", "The Duke's first day in Mercury" and "Refusal to meet the King". However, the text below, "Plotting a rebellion", "Meeting the evil sorcerer" and "Declaring independence", gave him a secret excitement.
He continued flipping through the pages; the fourth page was also the table of contents. He glanced at it quickly and turned to the fifth page.
We've finally reached the main content!
The Little Prince couldn't wait to read on.
By the time he realized what he was seeing, it was too late.
The only sound in the study was Garcia sipping his tea, while the other nobles sat upright, watching the little prince nervously as he sat in another chair reading a book.
The boy's hands trembled as he read the text three or four times in disbelief.
With a tremor of his hand, the book slipped from his grasp, and the little prince's face broke into a kaleidoscope of colors. He looked at the composed Prince Garcia, who was practically his uncle, and forced a smile that was more like a grimace: "Uncle, this... this is fake, isn't it?"
The prince raised his eyebrows, but said, "Good nephew, take a closer look. How could an ordinary person know these things?"
That night, having been granted the title of Duke of Mercury, and with his departure for that distant land the next day, he should have been resting at the ducal mansion, but instead appeared outside the tax minister's room.
[Today is also the day of the Tax Minister's wedding. The Duke stood quietly outside the newlyweds' room, listening to the embarrassing sounds coming from inside, his face contorted in pain.]
"My half-brother, I love you so deeply, yet you have turned to another's arms," Duke Mercury sighed sadly.
The little prince's face gradually turned green. He bent down to pick up the book and, unwilling to give up, turned to the second page of the text.
Seeing the little prince's strong reaction, the others realized something was wrong. Could this book really be a record of royal secrets?
What had they done to offend the prince that he would try to harm them like this?!
The book didn't feel very thick, but the Little Prince quickly finished the first chapter and was completely distraught.
Although there are indeed some people in the royal family who play tricks, the little prince had never seen such restrained and heavy love before. He gripped the pages tightly, took a deep breath, and suddenly remembered the tax minister in the book who was related to Duke Mercury by blood and had been executed for committing a crime a few years earlier.
Unexpectedly, a pair of lovers who were clearly in love with each other ended up separated, one living a long distance away and the other dying alone.
With a strange feeling, the Little Prince turned to the second chapter.
He quickly scanned the opening text, his expression changing drastically.
The nobleman who had been barely maintaining a conversation while secretly observing the little prince's expression immediately fell silent again, and the study was quiet for a moment. Chapter Two describes how Duke Mercury was attacked after arriving in Mercury County, and was rescued by a handsome young man who took the unconscious duke back to his poor home.
To treat the Duke's injuries, the boy went out to gather herbs, leaving only his cousin, who was staying with him because his family had gone bankrupt.
The Duke was dressed in fine clothes, which aroused the cousin's wicked thoughts. When the Duke woke up, she said that she had saved him. The Duke was very moved and said that he wanted to marry her.
The little prince was dumbfounded.
He hesitated to read further and quickly flipped to the end of the second chapter, only to find that the Duke was drunk and had a one-night stand with the young man. The young man was pregnant with the Duke's child, but the Duke was unaware of it. He took his cousin to the main city, saying that he wanted to announce to the whole county that she was the noble Duchess.
The young man endured humiliation and hardship, and died of postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to a son. The child was found by a passing soldier, who decided to adopt him. Years later, the soldier became a trusted confidant of the Duke.
Can men have children?! The little prince was shocked.
Do you want to continue reading?
The Little Prince was torn between his desires and his fears. He really wanted to keep watching, but...
He looked up again, full of hope, at his uncle: "Uncle, may I take this book with me?"
It's not appropriate to silently read this kind of book at someone's private banquet. The little prince is a polite child, so he wanted to leave early and go back to his palace to read it.
We had to watch secretly, otherwise we'd be doomed if our mother found out.
Garcia winked and said, "Good nephew, don't be afraid. After you finish reading, just give it to your classmate, and your mother won't find out."
As if struck by a sudden enlightenment, the Little Prince abruptly stood up, earnestly thanked the Prince, and then hurriedly left with his book in his arms.
At the gate, the accompanying guards asked him if he wanted to return directly to the kingdom. The little prince was silent for a moment, then raised his chin and said, "Back to the Royal Academy. I haven't finished the task my mentor assigned me yet."
He then turned to another close attendant who was accompanying him and said, "Go back and tell the Empress Dowager that I need to go to the academy first and will return to my palace later."
The attendant was unaware of what was happening in the study. The young prince was hiding his books, and since this was Prince Garcia's residence, he didn't think much of it and respectfully responded.
Once seated on the carriage, the Little Prince cautiously took out his book.
Then he began to read voraciously. He hadn't dared to look closely in the prince's study, but even just skimming through it had given him goosebumps.
For the past ten years or so in the palace, he had been obedient and well-behaved. Although his abilities and talents were not as good as his older brothers, he was still obedient. At the urging of his older brother, he even enrolled in the Royal Academy ahead of schedule.
Tonight, he felt as if his understanding of the past ten years or so had been forcibly stuffed with new things.
The young prince was only a teenager, still retaining some rebellious spirit. This feeling of tasting forbidden fruit excited him greatly. He left the city gate and traveled all the way to the Royal Academy. During the journey, he actually read most of the book.
Novel! I've never seen such novel writing before!
As for the content, it's so bizarre, yet it seems addictive; once you start watching, you can't stop.
The carriage traveled all the way into the Royal Capital Academy and only stopped when it reached the territory of the Pharmacy Academy.
If you go any further, you will be driven away by the magic circle.
The Little Prince lifted the carriage curtain, got out expressionlessly, bid farewell to the driver, clutched the book to his chest, and walked hurriedly toward a building in the School of Pharmacy.
"Excellent! I can find another excuse to appease my mother and stay in my dormitory at the Royal Academy to read this masterpiece a few more times." The little prince clenched his fist inwardly.
However, before he even reached his usual classroom, the communication device at his waist lit up.
The little prince froze, hesitated for a second, and then answered the call.
The Queen's gentle yet dignified voice came from the ritual implement, roughly saying that she would send her attendants to the Royal Academy in the capital to check if there was anything wrong with the little prince's accommodations.
A cold wind blew, and the little prince's face fell, but he still forced a happy response to his mother.
After the light from the magical artifact faded, he let out a heavy sigh.
Based on his experience, his mother probably knew what had happened at the Prince's mansion, and the book in her hand had become a hot potato. She hadn't mentioned a specific time earlier, so they would probably come later... But he hadn't finished reading it yet!
"Your Highness Ethan, why are you still here so late?" Suddenly a male voice rang out, and the little prince's eyes lit up. He turned his head to look at the young man walking from the stairs of the dark teaching building.
He greeted the man cheerfully, "Senior Hall, did you just finish your experiment?"
Hall nodded, noticing the little prince was holding a book, and asked curiously, "Do you need to use the lab? I saw that no one was in the building, so I turned off all the lights."
However, the little prince, with a warm smile on his face, slipped the book into Hall's hand when he wasn't looking, and whispered, "Could you keep this book for me for a while? My mother will be sending people over soon, and it will be troublesome if they find out I'm reading random books."
Miscellaneous book? Hall looked down at the book's cover, which was made of leather that looked quite expensive. But the title... He remembered some things the palace had announced recently and wondered, "The Mercury affair? This is a record of that, isn't it? Is this also a miscellaneous book?"
The little prince looked at him with shining eyes: "You'll see when you see it. I took this from Uncle Wang's study. I guarantee you've never seen the contents before."
Is this some kind of royal secret? I absolutely can't watch that!
"Uncle Wang also said he'd give a copy to each of the ministers!" Seemingly sensing Hall's refusal, the little prince added, "Aren't you really curious? This book is a million times better than those travelogues and church stories!"
Receiving such high praise from the little prince, Hall hesitated for a moment, holding the rather heavy book. To be honest, his curiosity was indeed piqued, especially since His Highness the Prince dared to distribute this book to his ministers…
Hall's mind worked quickly; he sensed something unusual.
If a certain trend is to be popularized within aristocratic circles, the best way is for the top aristocrats to strongly advocate for it.
The little prince was eager to return to his dormitory and couldn't continue trying to persuade Hall. He simply whispered, "You can show it to other people too. Such a good book deserves to be seen by everyone!" He meant it sincerely.
Hall: "...Okay."
The two of them had no idea what kind of uproar the book in their hands would cause in the future.
The author of this book was at that time staying in the border town between Lortheran and Milford.
However, he was not alone this time; he was accompanied by an old man with white hair and beard, and the two looked like a grandfather and grandson.
This border town is not the same town that took Carlo away back then. It looks a bit richer, at least the streets are tidy.
"well……"
After Granva sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Veris finally acknowledged him: "Don't be sad, this is the beginning of a great new era."
Granva said with a long face, "Can't you just remove my name?"
Veris chuckled, "Yes, there is. The book I kept in Garcia's study is unsigned."
"Moreover, you also contributed to the completion of this masterpiece, how could I erase your name!" He changed the subject, speaking with righteous indignation.
The two sat in a roadside tavern. The tavern had just opened, and it was still evening outside. The weather was slightly chilly, and the owner and waiter were already wrapped in thick clothes.
While they were talking, the waiter brought over hot wheat beer, the rich aroma of which quickly filled the still empty tavern.
Granva sighed, poured himself a bowl of wine, and seemed to feel a sense of desolation, as if he would die after drinking it.
Unexpectedly, Granva, who had studied literature for many years, had been in charge of the church choir since joining the church, composed countless poems, could play any musical instrument, and was a respected figure throughout the continent of Icarus, was now in disgrace...
His somewhat cloudy eyes stared at the steaming wheat beer, while the young man beside him said with a smile, "Granvar, you've been studying so-called literature for so many years, haven't you always felt that there's a barrier preventing you from exploring further?"
Granva paused, then said in a low voice, "That's right."
The word "literature" came to him by chance in a dream when he was young.
That year, he had just joined the church. At that time, the Pope was struggling to figure out who should write the hymns for the new season of the choir. On a whim, he stepped forward and said he wanted to give it a try.
He loved reading from a young age, reading all kinds of travelogues, encyclopedias, geography books, and missionary books from the church. But what he liked most was going to the tavern to listen to the bards perform stories that were either from the distant past or from the present.
Have no one recorded those bizarre and fantastical stories, those tales passed down by word of mouth?
Yes, aren't those the poems of bards?
No, not that form... but what exactly that form was, Griva was confused.
The young Granvar was very bold; he went directly to ask the Pope.
The Pope was watering flowers in the garden when he heard this. He thought about it seriously for a while, and then said to him, "I understand what you mean. Travelogues, epics, geography books, encyclopedias, choir poetry collections—these existing carriers of facts are not what you want. Perhaps you can find a way to create a new form."
Granvard seemed to understand something, but he went back and pondered for a long time without finding a clue.
He went to see the Pope again, this time when the Pope was learning carpentry and carving toys. Upon hearing his words, the Pope put down his work.
The ageless youth turned to look at him, and said with interest, "You think you're just a little short of reaching the unknown realm, right?"
Granva nodded with a somber face and said in distress, "Whenever I pick up a pen, as if I can immediately write something unprecedented, I get stuck and can't write anything."
The young man smiled, rubbing the wooden block in his hand with his fingertips: "The time hasn't come yet."
Granva was taken aback: "When?"
The Pope lowered his eyes, sunlight falling on his hands, and said gently, "Do you believe that civilization has consciousness? Whenever a moment of great historical significance occurs, you can glimpse its shadow within it. The 'literary' era you speak of will have to wait a while longer."
The young pastor was silent for a moment, then said with some reluctance, "How long will we have to wait?" In his lifetime, he hoped to see the arrival of the era in which words dominated life, as he had imagined.
"Hmm... it will probably be about time when everyone proposes increasing church taxes to twenty-one percent." The Pope's eyes crinkled. "After all, this era is already too far ahead of schedule. According to normal development, we should still be at war."
Church taxes have remained unchanged for over two hundred years. When Lortheran was founded, the church was exempt from taxes. Later, some taxes were introduced, but they were pitifully low.
When will taxes be increased?
The aroma of the wine grew stronger, and the liquid in the bowl was no longer steaming. The elderly Granvart snapped out of his reverie and subconsciously said, "Sorry, I was daydreaming."
That conversation from his youth had long since faded from his memory, but when Veris brought it up just now, it came back to life as if it had happened yesterday.
The old man blinked his cloudy eyes, then suddenly remembered something.
The day of Mercury's rebellion happened to be the day the Papacy was holding its quarterly meeting.
The cardinals gathered opinions from the regional churches and proposed increasing the church's tax to twenty-one percent.
He attended that meeting, but being older, he was preoccupied with the choir and didn't pay much attention.
All I remember is that in the end, more than half of the archbishops approved the proposal, including that Holy Son.
The issue of taxation is raised every few years, but it has never been passed; most bishops choose to remain silent or oppose it.
That was the first time the archbishops did not reject the proposal to increase taxes.
The young man next to him took a sip of the warm wine. In this early winter season, such a sip was simply wonderful.
He narrowed his eyes, as if guessing what Granva was thinking, and said, "I've approved that proposal."
Granva shuddered, and after a long while, his aged voice rang out: "That still doesn't mean you can add my name."
Veris slammed his fist on the table: "Granvar, you're too stubborn! This is a chance to go down in history, how can you not want it? Think about it, you've been pursuing this era for sixty years, and now it's finally here, how can you not be happy?"
The old man said expressionlessly, "I would never admit to writing a story like the charming Duke Mercury."
"You've already written it, how can you go back on your word!"
Granvard: ...
If given another chance, he would never agree to meet with the Pope who suddenly approached him.
That masterpiece that made him want to gouge his own eyes out was written by him, and then Veris added details and revised some plots. It was completed in just three days.
His Holiness the Pope was very pleased, saying that he had written it very well, and he was also very excited and wanted to see the final version.
The Pope wore a strange smile upon hearing his words.
That day, Granvard opened the book he had written himself, a story with a thrilling plot, intricate connections, intense emotions, and an unusual ending.
The nonagenarian fainted after reading the first page of the text.
He never expected to suffer such abuse at the age of eighty or ninety, and a wave of sorrow washed over him: "You only told me to write a poignant story, a tale deeply intertwined with love and pain, but you didn't tell me you would replace the protagonist with that old duke."
Veris coughed twice: "Wasn't it because I was afraid you wouldn't agree? Granva, you're really good at writing this kind of story. I affirm your literary talent in the name of the Pope."
"You even changed your gender!"
Veris: "That's how you attract everyone."
The old man began to sob. Veris listened for a moment and said, "Don't be sad. I'll tell you a story that I've never performed outside."
Granva's sobs stopped instantly: "Really?"
At this time, quite a few customers arrived at the tavern. They sat in a corner, inconspicuous.
Veris confidently declared, "Don't worry, I've been a bard for decades. Take a good look and see if I'm any better than the bards you've ever seen before."
He furtively pulled an accordion, almost bigger than the trunk itself, from his backpack, got up, and went to the counter.
When the owner heard that he was a bard and that the performance would be free, he readily agreed, but then said somewhat embarrassedly, "There used to be a place for performances, but not many poets have come here in the last two years, so we've added an extra table to the performance area, so it might not be as big."
Veris didn't care where he was going; he took his accordion and went to the high chair where the performance was taking place.
With slender fingertips pressing the piano keys, she skillfully played a melody that sounded like a lover's whisper.
Granva sat in the corner. He had studied musical instruments for many years and was well-versed in music theory, knowing far more than the tavern's patrons. The piece he played was plaintive and sorrowful.
A bad feeling crept into his heart.
Could it be some epic or heroic story?
He was still filled with anticipation before hearing the first sentence.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Granva: I've been crying.
Veris: Dead? That's just a rumor! (Excited)
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【The Mysterious History of Seven - Part 12】
In most cases, Veris is a good person.
Occasionally, influenced by the godhood of a friend, I might do some bad things.
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