on prices are going up a lot more tely. We have some good ine going from smithwork over at Duke Northspire's domain. The on prices were always good here, but tely there have beeing a lot of nice tracts being given out. Armour is of coing up parably, the duke has also been spreading word to attract more bcksmiths, along with getting ores from dwarves. At first sight it would look like an offensive on the north, but the emperor would never approve of such a suicidal ve's probably the Duke winning it big somewhere, and deg to stock up on arms.-In a bcksmiths letter to his brother

  I HAVE DO, I HAVE DEFEATED MY ETERNAL FOE AT LAST. My training of magially paid off. It has reached a point where I ow use water magic to support my own body when moving, effectively swimming on nd. With this power I have successfully bypassed stairs, and soon I won't be needing my wheelchair anymore. Nylchai also saw me practice, and instantly ditched her wheelchair in favor of airswimming. I guess she has enough magical experieo do it instantly, but just didn't think of it for some reason.

  Oh, yeah I also did some more free-range hunting on svers. My first run on svers was really embarrassing. I 't believe I got so close to losing to a bunch of primitive savages, so I decided that I o stop fighting like humasnaz. Of course this doesn't mean giving up on the Spetsnaz part, I am simply going to be adapting to fighting like a mermaid. Magic should be the key to this.

  I have been doubling down on magic everywhere I , cyg magiow es as easy as breathing. Casting magic is showing major improvements as well, but from what I read up on the subject these things are going more easily for me than they should. Apparently the progress I made is close to what could be aplished by others in ten years. The books I read on it also included royal Mazurians in these calcutions, so the kids that were summoned are probably showing simir progress. Doesn't ge the fact that Dalka is employing child soldiers, but it does make the child soldiers more liable to be endangered.

  I have also been having versations with Xygar about death magic. Apparently it's teically illegal because of it's 'i evil nature', but security has been x on it ever sihey decided to invite a lich over. Jimmy was really helpful in expinih magie, and probably somewhat of a genius as well. Jimmy specialized in applyih magic to the living, which liches don't tend to do other than offensive purposes.

  "It is quite ironic that growths, one of the most feared mortal diseases. Has its weakness lie in the very magic they fear. Your teacher was a true master of his craft." Xygar also seems really happy finally having someoo talk shop to.

  "It was actually more a case of applying theory from my own world. Where I e from they are called cer, and have been researched non-magically extensively. cer could best be seen as separate life being born in your own body like a parasite, so if death magic kills life by nature I thought it should prove effective against it." The thih could do with magic would be fasating.

  "We should fi subjec-" Before Xygar tih his idea that would certainly raise eyebrows Ky approaches.

  "Hey Esstrey, why are you hanging out with the lich?" She says it with some disgust in her voice.

  Xygar however is either ign or incapable of seeing the insult, and simply keeps his excitement. "Esstrey and me were discussing a potential cure frowths disease. It would be revolutionary, and no doubt set me a step above my peers."

  Ky shifts her expression to fusion, thes slightly angry. "There is no cure frowths disease! It kill the stro of us!" She says the st words with some tears in her eyes.

  I decide to get it over with, rather soohan ter. "Who died? Was it your father? Mother? A friend maybe?" I pressure Ky, let it be known I have never been accused of being a therapist.

  "M-my mother, she died of growths disease only a few months back." Oh yeah, she did i the throne around that time. That all lines up.

  Xygar is actually the oo speak up after that. "It's true dy Ky'th, I have been discussing theory with dy Esstrey, and with our bined knowledge we have deemed there to be a solid ce for a real cure. Grahis is all in the early stages, and not every form of growths disease would be so easily cured, but it all lines up." Ky looks to me for firmation, I nod my head.

  "Brain tumors, a tumors would be hard to fix. However practically all forms of skin cer could be treated. Our theory mainly cks test subject right now, and I don't see that ging with the stigma people have toward *ahem* advanced life magic." It would be best to have some pusible deniability of course. Even if it feels like someone has been ing up after the svers I got my hands on.

  Ky cheers up instantly, aear-stained face quickly ges to one of hope. "You are serious! This… this ges everything! Oh! Thank you Esstrey! Thank you Xygar!" She goes for a bear hug on the poor skeleton. Who is clearly not used to physical tact of any kind, before I am able to get away she grabs my wheelchair, and kidnaps me.

  "Let's go tell the others!" Speeding off in the dire of our little clique.

  Oh, yeah the css also quickly formed into three cliques. With our css practically all being a bunch of fn dignitaries the cliques that formed mirrored that. There is the south-eastern clique sisting of the greenskin duo, Xygar, the female twin of the south, and Larkta. There is the north-western clique sisting of Ky, Alicia, Cathy, Nylchai ahe st clique would be the tral imperial clique, which sists of almost everyone else. Notable figures including the blonde haired dude being prince Eden leading it, prince Celdium of Dalka and Carmil of the li. Urist kind of goes around everywhere, no doubt only g about blueprints.

  Ky wheels me over to where our little clique is sitting for lunch, hugging me by the neck while keeping her head against mine like she's a mother showing off a child. Nylchai simply looks amused, Alicia looks disgusted, and Cathy looks... jealous?

  "Esstrey have you gotten bigger?" I swear, Ky has no attention span. One moment she's excitedly moving me over here t about me g cer, and now she's suddenly more ied in my size.

  "Yeah, rather aggressively so tely. I already o get a bigger uniform, my personal stuff is also at a tailor to get enrged. I have no idea what's causing it." Because growing in size is certainly not something I was very ed with tely.

  "Oh yeah that. The heroes have also grown quite a bit, we believe it has something to do with magihang already aged bodies. Causing a sort of te growth-spurt." I barely stop myself from yet agaiing her for using child soldiers. She has no power there, and I am not oo deter helpful behavior.

  "If Dalka knows so much about magic, why are you here?" Nylchai is unhappy with all humans, so Alicia brushes it off as usual.

  "Because you dumb fish, I am here to support my brother iing imperial aid for dealing with annoying shits like you. I heard some of you burned down Sanctuary, and butchered the people there." Or she doesn't brush it off, and goes to make filet.

  "Maybe if you weren't keeping the mermaids at sanctuary captive, it would have ended better for the people there!" Ky is not happy with one of her fishes getting insulted.

  "Oh? What would you have [doed/inflicted]? Aransmogrifiiscast/fuckup/disaster] like with dy Esstrey? Try and create more of your [knockoff/bootleg/imitation] kind?" Cathy is still gring angrily at Ky, who is still bear-hugging me.

  "Greetings d-" Eden makes the mistake of having bad timing. "WHAT?!" Sounds the small chorus of nation leaders, I'm rather grateful for his presence, because Ky finally let go of my neck. I return the favor by giving him the greeting a rade gives when saving them from rabid women.

  "Yo" Truly, I am a champion of iquette everywhere. The mas by his side have already been scared shitless, but Eden is either fearless or foolish, as he only raises an eyebrow at our collective dignified greeting of the prince of the Empire. Alicia quickly devolves into inprehensible apologizing, while Nylchai snickers at her.

  "*Ahem* I was here to ask if you five would attend the start of year ball? It is being hosted week." A ball? Is this medieval Euro- oh yeah it is.

  "Fuck it, sure why not? Wouldn't be the craziest thing I have done." Eden raises his eyebrow even further. On one hand I feel him regretting his decision to remind us, oher hand Eden seems like a pretty chill dude to drink with. Mostly because he's not the biggest fan of svery. I heard a lot of southern nobles pin about him for that exact reason.

  Before the north-western clique respond, as they are still cooling down from having a civil debate. I get blindsided by a seventy kilo barrel of beer with a beard.

  "Alrite! Ya hear tha Ederey will be joinin us fer a drinkin test! Ya should see how much drink a fish take!" Urist having heard enough is ughing loudly throughout the cafeteria, alcohol ever-present on his breath.

  Prickly