The black sun hangs high

Chapter 38 Putlin's Speech
Humans are truly a very strange species.

A heavy rain and the intense sunshine that followed instantly washed away the tension that lingered in the city of Seren the previous day. With the disappearance of the fully armed law enforcement officers from the streets, people resumed their lives.

Compared to the taciturn spellcasters of the Legal Committee, who carried spellbooks and were accompanied by numerous armed soldiers, the nonchalant police officers with familiar faces and simple magic pendulums were not so scary.

For most residents, what happened yesterday and this morning was just more fodder for conversation.

In people's eyes, the old Ernst mansion can only be considered a topic of conversation. Whether it remains intact or has been burned to ashes, it is always a symbol of misfortune and disaster. As for the strange magical case that occurred near the headquarters of the Legal Committee this morning, it has become the most popular horror story.

Hugh and Vera had been listening to similar discussions all the way.

The two have heard more than four versions of the death of the sword-wielding hermit from the Legal Affairs Commission.

People have an extraordinary instinct and talent for embellishing stories, and coupled with the fact that those who spread these stories themselves have no goodwill towards the Legal Affairs Commission, these versions of the stories have become increasingly outrageous and exaggerated.

When Hughes began to hear a twisted version of the sword-wielding hermit's eccentricities stemming from his overly repressed daily life, where he could only fall asleep by embracing numerous swamp witches each night, he could no longer remain calm.

As for Vera, her expression went through a process from calm to distorted, and then from distorted to numb.

"Their mouths are more terrifying than sorcery and magic."

Based on what she had seen and heard along the way, the female mage made a conclusion that, although lacking in evidence, was difficult to refute.

Hughes chose to remain silent.

Because he had also heard many strange rumors about Ernst's old house and his own "death".

But this no longer matters to Hugh. As someone who has relied on writing stories to make a living for a long time, he has long been prepared to become a story and entertainment for others.

Throughout the journey, he carefully considered what he had heard and seen in his dream.

Although Theseus's words in the "Dream Sanctuary" may seem puzzling, careful analysis reveals many subtle and important messages.

After this series of events, Hugh could no longer fully compare the world he lived in with "Vanne," which he had written himself. The two were highly similar in framework, but the content they contained was fundamentally different.

When everything moves from written text to reality, deviations are inevitable. Hugh had known this principle before, but he never imagined that the deviations would be so exaggerated.

Through Virin's discourse on evil magic and everything that appeared in the "Dream Sanctuary," Hugh was certain that the ancient world of Vaan once possessed some lost faiths and civilizations. However, at some point, everything from the past was wiped away and buried, with only some ancient magic ultimately surviving along with magical power. Perhaps, as Theseus said, those gods who once held absolute dominance in this world were eventually replaced by the many gods that people worship today.

"Judging from the series of titles Theseus possesses, he should also be one of the 'Lost Gods,' or some kind of being closely related to them... and the so-called Dream Sanctuary is very likely the traces of power left behind by the ancient gods."

Hugh turned his attention to the metal disc in his mental world. Because he had absorbed enough magic, his entire mental world was now filled with a dense magical mist. Nourished by it, everything seemed to be in perfect order. The black tentacles were constantly stretching their bodies, while the running rat was lazily dozing off...

However, what Hughes is particularly concerned about now is that dark green magic crystal.

To this day, he still cannot know the true name of the crystal he obtained by exchanging it for women's jewelry from the Kingdom of Walter. It remains embedded in the center of the metal disc, continuously influencing everything around it.

For some reason, Hughes sensed a property in this dark green crystal that was extremely similar to that of Theseus.

"The only thing that's certain of is that although that guy's behavior is extremely wicked and unpredictable, judging from his attitude, he doesn't seem to want me to die in Seren City like this..."

Hughes glanced sideways at the female mage beside him. He was now unsure whether Verin Ernst could carry out the "mission" she had been given under the current high-pressure environment, and whether their cooperative relationship was entirely equal.

If this delicate state were to completely shatter at some point, the impact it would suffer would be devastating.

"Man is the butcher, but I cannot be the fish."

Hughes silently made a conclusion in his heart.

At this moment, the moving magic carriage slowly came to a stop, and Hugh and Verine got off the carriage along with the other passengers.

This is the westernmost part of Seren, the busiest commercial district in the city. The number of shops and vendors here is far greater than in other streets of the city, naturally attracting more customers. At the same time, it has also been chosen as a temporary base for many caravans and merchant groups.

Due to a multitude of factors, "Love Square," located in the western part of Seren, has become an important place that no one can avoid.

However, this also became one of the main sources of conflict between the Votels and the Delans in the city of Seren.

The western city was predominantly inhabited by the Votels. Thanks to the long-standing commercial partnerships between the highland kingdoms and the giant-eared goblins, the Votels quickly gained absolute commercial dominance in Seren. Although Votel architecture appeared solemn and austere compared to that of the Delan people, beneath this facade lay an enviable wealth and prosperity. And with recent changes in the situation, some previously unseen scenes have begun to emerge in Lovi Square.

Amidst the dense crowd of onlookers, the impassioned speech continued to resonate, drawing lively discussions among the surrounding crowd, yet none could drown out the booming voice.

"Seren City is absolutely not a unified entity! Although we have a so-called independent government here, all its actions, decrees, and even its stances have never been independent or impartial!"

"Seren City, it's in a terrible state! We all know that Seren was born from the ceasefire between Wotel and Delan, and exists because of their agreement and peace. But now, the foundation that supports all of this has been destroyed. Fellow residents! Whether you are of Wotel or Delan descent, whether you are of the human race or not, you should all seriously consider where this city is headed now?"

Even without seeing the speaker's face, just hearing these words made Hughes frown.

He hated such inflammatory words, especially at this delicate moment. Such public statements could very well cause a series of troubles. What made him even more uneasy was that the guards responsible for maintaining order in the square were actually standing not far away, but they seemed to have no intention of stopping what was happening. They were even chatting and laughing with several young people.

Hughes noticed that although these young men were not wearing hoods, they all wore uniform armbands made of three crossed daggers, which was the symbol of the Brotherhood of Three Colors.

It seems that this organization, which was once mainly composed of stalkers and thieves, has now begun to recruit ordinary young people from the city on a large scale.

“I know, I know everyone is preparing for the annual truce celebration, but do you really know what’s happening outside Seren?”

The speaker paused, as if making a gesture, before continuing, "Come on, Putrin... you tell everyone what's happening around the city of Seren right now!"

Hugh was stunned. He stopped in his tracks, looked around, and then climbed onto a huge wooden crate piled up nearby. Like the other onlookers, he stood on it and looked towards the direction of the speech.

He saw his friend's figure.

Yes, Putrin... This simple, sincere, and passionate young man from Seren is standing on the makeshift "stage." Perhaps for today's speech, he has specially changed into a clean and neat outfit, and his beard and hair have been tidied. His face is flushed with excitement, and his hands are even trembling slightly.

Under Hugh's complicated gaze, his friend took a common magical megaphone from a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, and then Putrin's familiar voice echoed throughout Lovi Square.

"Everyone, everyone! I... I've received some new information, information that an independent government in Seren will absolutely not let you know!"

Putrin was initially nervous, but after saying a couple of sentences, he quickly found his rhythm in giving the speech. He then shouted into the magical megaphone, "In the last two days, the armies of the highland kingdoms have arrived at the rugged hills, which are only two days' journey from the city of Seren!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd, which had been discussing amongst themselves, erupted into chaos. For these people who were used to a peaceful atmosphere, the military was a foreign concept, but everyone could feel the danger and bloodshed associated with that word.

"Yes, everyone heard right. The armies of the Kingdom of Walter, Hein, Saint Steel, and many more affiliated kingdoms on the Lovi Plateau have gathered together. After the prince of the Kingdom of Walter finishes attending the ceasefire celebration, he will go directly to the rugged hills to preside over their so-called 'grand military exercise'!"

The lingering trust and affection for his friend within this body caused Hugh to involuntarily grip the wooden box beside him. He could tell that Putrin's words were utterly sincere, and at this moment, he was angrier than anyone else.

"This is a provocation! This is a betrayal of the ceasefire agreement we signed together, and a contempt for the city of Seren and the lives of everyone in it!"

Hugh couldn't listen anymore. Although Putrin was still rambling on about those bombshell news that seemed to come from nowhere, Hugh's head couldn't take in anything more. He jumped off the wooden crate and stood back beside Veraine.

The female mage's voice rang in my ears: "Mr. Hugh, it seems your friend has made his choice..."

"you do not say."

Hugh recalled what Putrin had said during their conversation and couldn't help but sigh: "It seems that Putrin's true thoughts are more intense than he puts on. Perhaps I should have advised him to leave the Brotherhood of the Three Colors a long time ago, but... how could that be possible?"

At this point, the speech in Love Square had reached its climax.

The middle-aged scholar took the magical megaphone from Putrin again, and his highly inflammatory voice once more echoed over Lovi Square: "The Kingdom of Walter and its followers are preparing to use their army to completely subjugate Seren City. They deliberately provoked the conflict during the truce celebration. They disregard the sincerity of the Kingdom of Delan and the survival of Seren City. They should get out!"

"Get out!!!"

Perhaps some people were genuinely persuaded, or perhaps the Brotherhood of Three had planted some supporters in the crowd beforehand; soon, shouts echoing the speech filled the entire square, almost lifting the spires of the Walter-style houses off the ground.

Several dissenting members of the Seren Mutual Aid Group stepped out from the crowd. They were terrified of what they were seeing, but their reason compelled them to voice their opinions.

As a result, a fierce conflict immediately broke out.

Arguments, shoving, and then punches and kicks ensued. Hugh saw his friend excitedly rush to the front. Years of struggling in the lower rungs of society had given him rich fighting experience, and the poor mutual aid group members were quickly knocked to the ground. Just then, the square guards who had been "watching the show" finally came over. They slowly dispersed the onlookers and then tied up the unharmed fraternity members and the bruised residents.

Amidst the shouts and applause of the onlookers, Putrin and his companions were led to the end of the street.

(End of this chapter)