Steel and Mana-Chapter 378 – Breaking News

Just as I guessed, the local newspapers were already on the case, publishing a special issue and hurrying to be the first to bring it to the masses. Besides Avalon Weekly, which was my official paper, now there were three others. They mostly had fallen in line with my design, publishing an issue every week and spacing it out so that every weekday, there was one to be bought by my people. It was a pretty well-put-together, naturally formed way that was entertaining to watch from the sideline. And I mean it. Because I never interfered with what they were writing... That was up to my people to decide. If they didn't profit, they would disappear. As they should.

"Already? Really...?" Sasha groaned, looking at the headline of the paper in my hand when entering the dining room where we were gathering. The rest of our children were silent as a cemetery, trying to look away, acting as if they were not even there, eating in silence.

"You should read it." I chuckled, handing it over to her.

"..." She simply shrugged, looking at the kids, before reaching for it, sitting down and beginning to read:

[The Avalonian Star – Special Edition

TAVERN BRAWL AT THE SPARKLING TANKARD: A ROYAL SCANDAL!

By: Liora Vance, chief editor.

Last night, the usually peaceful streets of Avalon’s merchant district were shattered by a raucous brawl at The Sparkling Tankard—a confrontation that, to the astonishment of the owner, his patrons, and the arriving Enforcers, involved Crown Prince Arthur and Prince Lancelot themselves. What began as a heated exchange between the sons of our Sovereign and a group of foreign merchants and their mercenary attaché escalated into a full-blown melee, leaving broken furniture, bruised egos, one broken nose (on the mercenaries' side), and a trail of spilled half-drunk ale in its wake.

Eyewitnesses describe, to many of our surprise, Prince Lancelot as the instigator, allegedly taunting the foreigners with remarks about their homeland’s inferior drinking culture. (A claim this reporter finds to be backed by nothing but the truth. We all witnessed how people from faraway lands tend to leave a mess on our streets and restaurants.) The involvement of Crown Prince Arthur was only realized when the brawl was already in effect. By the people, he is assumed to be there to bring home his younger brother. Eyewitnesses state that the moment the attack happened, he jumped in valiantly to protect Prince Lancelot and reportedly fought with perfectly calculated precision—a testament to his training.

It is also described that Prince Lancelot demonstrated great restraint in not injuring the mercenaries more than necessary; as we all know, the young Prince is on his way to being our future military star, possibly rising to the ranks like our famous Commodore Pion or Knight Polo.

However, what makes this incident extraordinary is not the fight itself but its aftermath. Upon arriving, the Enforcers arrested all those who were involved—including the Princes—dragging them to the city cells without ceremony or any resistance. By the accounts of those who were there, the Princes were allowed to be handcuffed and taken away without referring to their positions as the beloved sons of our Sovereign. We asked the overseeing captain what his thoughts were, realizing who was involved in this scuffle:

"Rank doesn’t shield anyone from the law," stated Captain Dain of the Enforcers, Group Scarlet, his voice stern. "They’ll serve two nights, same as any other brawler we catch in the act."

My dear fellow citizens. The message is clear: in Avalon, justice is blind… even to crowns.]

"Should have been a week!" Sasha grunted, putting the papers down. "They besmirched their own reputation... I did not raise them like this."

"Please," Yuri moaned, rolling her eyes. "A boy does not live an exciting life until he spends a day in a cell! Let them have some fun; it is not like they are adults. Their blood is boiling; they want to fu–"

"Doing it while... being cuffed?" Luna asked all of a sudden, her eyes suddenly lighting up, trying to hide it, realizing the kids were still there. They were just so quiet she forgot for a moment. "Nothing... Nothing!"

"I agree with Sasha on this." Mikan interfered gently, saving Luna from a rebuke, "But it is a lesson that is better to be learned early than late."

"It is my fault..." Galahad suddenly said, making us look at him.

"No!" Luna piped up at once, but I also raised a hand.

"Relax. It is all good!" I giggled, pulling up a second newspaper, "Listen to this one!"

[Voices of Avalon - Special Edition

By: Veritas Oakhill, head investigator.

Fellow Avalonians, fellow citizens! We all heard the news of our beloved Princes being arrested. We all heard of the details of their scuffle, but I ask you all! Is this a reason to be disappointed? Of what? Really? Of the fact that our laws work as intended? As our Sovereign designed? Of the fact that nobody is above it? Not even our Princes? Or the fact that we have people who are humans making human mistakes? We all remember where we came from... and it shows in your reactions. To demonstrate it, we asked you, our Fellow Avalonians, what they think of this news!

Below is a collection of reactions from those who answered our query for their opinions.

Emric Walhor, Blacksmith (Owner of Homemade Appliances)

"Now, that’s what I call a fair system!" The burly smith wiped soot from his hands as he spoke to our reporter. "I heard about it first thing this morning when my apprentice came running in, shouting like the palace was on fire. Two of our Princes are brawling like any other hotheaded lads I have at home?! Ha! Reminds me of my youth—throwing punches over a woman’s smile or the last mug of ale. But what truly warms my heart is seeing the Enforcers treat ’em like us, regular folk. That’s real justice, I say. I always believed that the Avalon we built was different from those stuffy kingdoms where nobles piss in gold chamber pots and force others to do their dirty work. This proves it. Long Live Avalon!"

Marta Marian, Innkeeper (Employee of the Sparkling Tankard)

"The boys got spirit; I’ll give ’em that!" Marta chuckled, polishing a tankard with her apron during our visit. "I’ve been in this place for ten years, and let me tell you, I’ve seen brawls over the last crust of bread, let alone a proper insult since these foreigners are coming in droves. They are not like us, but... It’s good for young men to get roughed up—it builds character! If the outside world is this angry, our boys can't get soft! If they leave Avalon, they will be devoured. Besides, if they’re old enough to drink, they’re old enough to throw a punch. Let ’em sit in a cell for a night or two. They’ll come out wiser… or at least with better aim. Not that I complain; the Princes were taught well; I didn't see them get hit even once!"

Lady Dia Herthhold, Painter (Curator of the Avalonian Art Gallery)

"What a delightful scandal!" Lady Dia fanned herself, her lips trembling with suppressed laughter. "I only wish I was there to capture their heroism in the act and make a painting of it. Princes in the heat of battle! Oh, this is the kind of inspiration I live for. But you know what is more inspiring? It’s refreshing. I toured the land since peace returned, thanks to our Sovereign. I visited the other kingdoms to see more of the world. In those lands, royalty wouldn’t dare set foot in an ordinary tavern, let alone get arrested in one. Even if they did, anybody raising a hand against them would lie dead on the streets. Here? Our laws are strong enough to bend even monarchs to their will. Just look at the wealthy and powerful coming to visit our beautiful city. They don't act how they do at home. If anything, this little incident makes me prouder than ever to be Avalonian."

Count Oren Wontsmith of the Kingdom of Clauria (Guest at the Silver Swan Inn)

"I find it disgraceful." The visiting noble’s lip curled as he adjusted his embroidered cuffs while looking at our reporter. "In my homeland, the royal family is untouchable. The idea that the sons of a sovereign bloodline could be thrown into a cell like common cutpurses is shocking. This is no way to treat nobility. What respect can they command if they’re seen as mere mortals? Mark my words—Avalon’s leniency will be its downfall." Editorial note: Count Oren's comment was not made as a representative of his Kingdom but only as his own. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Erik Wallsack, Mercenary from the Principality of Lacri (Present at the brawl)

"Wait—I can punch a prince and not get executed? Wild." The scarred, middle-aged fighter leaned back in his chair, grinning. "I was there, but I kept my fists to myself. What I saw was two lads who weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Where I’m from, if you breathe wrong near a noble, you’re feeding the crows by dawn. Here? The Princes fight, lose, win, and do time like the rest of us. That’s… weird. Good weird. I like it, to be honest."]

"And there are then more accounts." I stopped, looking up from the table. "Honestly... this is more fun than I expected."

"Are there more comments from outsiders?" Sasha asked, her brows furrowing.

"Yeah," Yuri asked, too. "I want to look at their names." She said it in a surprisingly suggestive yet sharp and dangerous voice.

"Sure." I handed the paper over, "But don't scare them too much."

...

....

......

Malrik’s fingers traced the edge of the satchel for the tenth time, searching for any sign of tampering. Since being hauled away, he couldn't help but run multiple scenarios through his mind. Was this a coincidence? No? Yes? He couldn't tell... But he was afraid it may have been. All their belongings were taken away, supposedly stored in a locker until their sentence was up. He almost panicked that they would be discovered, but when they were led out, everything was given back to them, and nothing was amiss. Nothing.

The documents were inside, pristine, untouched, sealed—every coded message, instruction from their superiors, and their own observations left as he remembered.

That was the problem.

"Nothing’s missing?" Jarek asked after they were back home in their safe house. He was his second-in-command, still hovering by the door like a nervous shadow, looking out the small peephole, wanting to see if anyone followed them.

"Nothing," Malrik murmured while his thumb brushed the wax seal of the Theocracy’s spymaster—still intact, still unbroken.

"They couldn't do much in just two days..." Jarek shifted from the door, now inspecting their 'home' for clues of a forced entry. "All of this could be a coincidence. Maybe the Princes were just drunk. The one starting it did sound that way. Or they were bored. Maybe they do hate foreigners."

"Maybe," Malrik’s laugh was a dry rasp. "The younger one—Lancelot—his eyes were tracking us like a hawk before the fight. That was no accident."

"I think he is just an outstanding fighter," Jarek answered, as he was also one. He immediately realized the boy's training and could discern a foreign style in his movements, one he never faced before.

"Could you react like he did while drunk?" Malrik asked, watching him realize something.

"Point taken." He muttered, sweeping his eyes around the place and running his fingers along the walls.

It took him and the rest of the group to sweep the safehouse for clues, but they came up empty-handed. There was nothing, not even a loose hair stick in the floorboards or something. Everything was... as they left it. Two hours later, they were gathering at a table, looking over their hidden documents while a lone candle was lit before them, barely lighting up the room. Before they lay all over, they learned about Avalon, the names of those who held any type of power, and most importantly, the structure of their churches. Or, in Avalon's case, the one church they had dedicated to all of the Gods at once. All the information was meticulously gathered over months, with the hand-drawn image of Mikan, the one in charge of it all.

And now, their work was potentially compromised.

"Double the dead drops," Malrik ordered. "Change the passcodes. Assume every shadow in this city has eyes when we make the next report back home."

"So... we aren't stopping?" Jarek hesitated.

"We can't," Malrik answered, biting his lips. "Their faith is low, and the influence of the church is even lower. It is... underdeveloped. It is the best way for us to introduce the Theocracy's views and the truth about the Gods. Through it, we can conquer the people, and through it, we can transform this Avalon into our closest ally."

"And if we can do that," Jarek smiled, "We are as good as leading the Union... from the shadows."