Chapter 54: The Crimson Scholar
Wade turned the wanted poster around as the gnome waited quietly for him to read it.
At the top of the poster read “By Order of the King and Holy Name” – this was a bounty decree jointly issued by the Twilight Church and the King of Tania.
The decree listed Sven’s crimes: raiding monasteries, desecrating holy relics, killing twelve church knights, six nuns, eight priests, and countless civilians…
This was likely only a fraction of Sven’s crimes. The remote villages and towns he had pillaged weren’t even counted, since without catching him in the act, it was difficult to determine who was responsible.
Wade continued reading downward. After detailing the crimes, there was a description of Sven’s appearance – said to resemble a savage bear, with deep scars across his back and abdomen.
A rough sketch depicted Sven’s likeness, surprisingly well-drawn with about seventy percent accuracy, capturing his essence well.
Further down listed the bounty reward: dead or alive. For delivering Sven’s head and Radiance, the reward was one hundred church gold coins. Additionally, the claimant would receive five leagues of coastal land in northern Tania, tax exemption for three generations of their family, and knighthood.
At the very bottom was an additional note: [Returning Radiance alone will be considered fulfilling the bounty, though without the king’s rewards. The claimant will earn the church’s friendship and receive an honorary priest medal].
Submitting both the head and sword would bring not just wealth but noble status and lands – though not particularly fertile ones, the rewards were still exceptionally generous.
Moreover, being recognized as an honorary priest by the church was significant. Typically only merchants and nobles who donated large sums could obtain such a title.
The benefits were substantial. With the Twilight Church’s faith spread across the continent, honorary priests could enjoy free lodging at local monasteries or churches when needed, request assistance from church knights and priests, and even purchase exclusive items not available to the public, like undiluted high-grade holy water.
The bounty rewards far exceeded the actual value of a Radiant-class weapon.
Clearly there was an element of restoring honor involved – recovering Radiance would help salvage their dignity.
Those who offended the “gods” must pay the price.
Unfortunately, the Viking pirates’ longships were too agile. Sven had evaded capture for three years, roaming freely between locations by ship and sled.
After three years without leads, those who issued the bounty had probably given up hope.
Who could have predicted it?
A notorious pirate lord would ultimately meet his end in a tiny border village of Tania.
Though Wade delivering this “demon-slaying sword” to the church himself would be rather laughable. While ordinary people couldn’t see through his disguise, if an undead creature walked into a church, the priests would likely drop their jaws in shock and immediately try to purify him with “Holy Light”.
Wade thought it better to keep using Radiance himself for now.
Before returning the poster, Wade’s eyes caught the lower right corner and he suddenly froze.
There was the issuance date: Twilight Calendar 1189.
The Twilight Calendar was the church’s dating system, essentially the continent’s common calendar. While individual nations maintained separate calendars for traditional festivals and new years, internationally the Twilight Calendar was universally acknowledged.
Old York said this bounty was issued three years ago… meaning it was now Twilight Calendar 1192…
Wade suddenly felt disoriented. A whole decade… He’d been dead for ten years…
A blank decade. He remembered drafting his will, supposed to be buried in Helburg, Nidran… but had it really been ten years?
On the bright side, it wasn’t a century or two, and being able to sit here reflecting after death was fortunate enough.
But ten years could change so much.
He couldn’t help but think of his old home in Nidran, of past events.
Those people and things remained vivid in his mind as his gloved finger brushed over the date in the corner.
Wade spaced out for quite a while before writing on the paper: “Thank you for your explanation.”
“Anything else you’d like York to look at?” Old York asked.
Wade wrote: “Please allow me to draw that object.”
“Draw it?” Old York looked puzzled.
Wade wrote: “I only know its appearance.”
“Oh…” Old York said, “Do you need tools? York has rulers and compasses.”
“Thank you, I’ll use them carefully,” Wade wrote.
Old York bent down to pull out another drawer, retrieving a set of drafting tools – straightedge, compass, and triangle. He also gave Wade a suitable drawing tool – a stone-ground lead stick.
Essentially a primitive pencil, without wood casing it easily dirtied hands, but Old York had modified his with an iron clamp to hold the lead, making it feel similar to a wooden pencil, just heavier.
“York has several sets, feel free to use them.”
Wade nodded, taking five sheets of rough paper to begin sketching.
First he drew three views of the twenty-sided die using shading techniques. With his exceptional body control, his drawings were quite good.
Old York watched, then stood up, seemingly impressed. “May York watch you draw?”
“Of course,” Wade wrote on another sheet.
Old York carried his stool over, standing on it to peer closely at Wade’s work.
Wade meticulously reproduced the twenty-sided die, then added the golden bird and wreath pattern from the mage robe.
Five sheets – one for each image. The die’s intricate organ carvings proved too detailed to perfectly replicate, but the simple-lined bird and wreath were rendered flawlessly.
Handing the sketches to Old York, the gnome examined them closely. “Excellent drawings! These are the best sketches York’s ever seen. You should become an artist.”
Wade didn’t respond, writing instead: “Can you tell anything about this die’s origins?”
Old York tapped his head. “Let York think… it seems familiar yet different.”
He scurried to the bookshelf, returning with several thick leather-bound tomes, flipping pages while comparing them to Wade’s drawings.
Wade sat quietly across from him, not disturbing his research.
Left to his thoughts, the ten-year gap weighed on him.
The sound of turning pages filled the small study.
Old York produced a pocket watch. “You could wait outside. York will call when finished.”
Wade wrote: “May I read your books in the meantime?”
“Of course,” Old York said. “Just don’t take them out of the study.”
“Thank you.” Wade stood and selected a book at random.
After some time marked by the watch’s ticking, Old York exhaled deeply.
“York found something similar, but can’t guarantee it’s what you seek.”
Wade closed his book and sat up straight.
“Please continue.”
“This peculiar die might relate to a secret magical sect,” Old York said. “Called the Crimson Academy – an ancient, mysterious order practicing true magic, not spells, but real magic.”
“True magic?” Wade seemed confused.
“Spells like Light Spell are constructed from spell circuits, like mathematical formulas,” Old York explained. “How to put it… Light Spell is like one plus one equals two, understand?”
“One plus one equals two.” Old York touched two fingers together.
Wade nodded.
Old York continued: “True magic isn’t like one plus one equals two. Magic is miraculous, defying conventional logic.”
“The Crimson Scholars of the Crimson Academy wield such true magic. York’s never met one, but legend says they trade their own organs as payment for magical power.”
“York only thinks there’s resemblance, no guarantees. But this die resembles descriptions of the Crimson Academy’s secret emblem.”
“Those mysterious, wise scholars – their emblem was said to be a die carved with organs,” Old York said. “But their emblems weren’t whole like your die. Books say each scholar only possesses ‘one face of the die’ – every scholar’s emblem differs.”
“Apparently tied to their inherited magic, but specifics are unknown. It sounds like legend – York can’t vouch for its truth. Might just be the author’s fabrication.”