Chapter 970 — An Unstable Tilt
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Under the night sky, a mixed squad of light infantry, low-ranking knights, and battle mages was moving swiftly through a crossing not far away. Their discipline was so strict that no idle talk passed among them; only the sound of military boots striking the ground rang out in the darkness. The glow of magic-crystal streetlamps fell upon the rims of the soldiers' helmets, leaving an occasional flicker of light, while the short staves and orbs worn by the battle mages poked out from their clothing, casting a mysterious shimmer in the dark.
This was no covert operation—they were simply part of the new night patrols that Aldnan had added in recent days.
On the second floor of a large house near the edge of the wealthy district, a curtain was drawn back a crack, and a pair of bright eyes watched the movement on the street from behind it.
Mary stood behind the window observing for a while before turning back to her mentor not far behind her. "Master, another patrol has just passed outside—this time four battle mages and two knights, plus twelve soldiers carrying enchanted equipment."
"They're from the royal household's direct knight order, a standard mixed combat squad..." Daniel sat on the sofa nearby, leaning against the armrest with one hand propping up his temple, a magic book floating before him, turning its own pages in silence. The old mage's voice was steady and authoritative, and it settled Mary's somewhat tense mood. "Which direction did they go?"
Mary thought back for a moment, checked the bearings in her mind, and only then answered, "I think it was toward Oak Street in the west of the city."
"The Church of Saint Yorel, God of War..." Daniel considered this, then nodded. "Quite normal."
"Master, there have been more and more patrols at night lately," Mary said uneasily. "Is something big going to happen in the city?"
"...Things may be unsettled for a while, but there's no need to worry. The master has his arrangements," Daniel glanced at his apprentice and said mildly. "You need only do your own work well."
Mary nodded at once. "Yes, I'll remember."
A faint strain of music suddenly drifted in from somewhere unknown. It sounded distant, yet it should still be within the bounds of the wealthy district.
Drawn by the music, Mary could not help glancing out the window again. She saw that among the splendid buildings to the northwest the lights were bright, and flickering, shifting colored lights and shadows rose between one or two of the houses; the indistinct sound came from that direction—it was light and flowing, not the somewhat dull, rigid classical court music, but rather the "new court dance music" that had grown more popular in recent years, beloved by young nobles.
There seemed to be a gathering there. From those flickering lights and the faint strains of music, Mary could easily imagine what a joyous scene it must be at this moment.
"The atmosphere grows tenser by the day, yet the banquets over there haven't stopped for a single day..." the young female mage could not help murmuring softly.
"Holding banquets is a noble's duty. As long as a breath remains in them, they will never cease their feasting and dancing—and especially in such tense times, their banquet halls must be lit through the night all the more," Daniel merely showed a faint smile, as though he found this country-born girl a little too easily alarmed. "If you had gone to the Oak Street market today, you would have seen that nothing has changed. The citizens' market is still open, the exchange is still packed, and although nearly every Church of the God of War in the city is under investigation, and although the Grand Cathedral has been shut tight for several days now, neither nobles nor townsfolk believe anything major is about to happen—in a sense, this too is one of the 'merits' of the nobles' all-night feasting."
The young female mage thought for a moment, then asked cautiously, "To steady people's hearts?"