Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 35 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 35

“Halt! Come no closer!” The guard ordered from up ahead. “This area is currently restricted by the authority of the Duke!”

I nodded. “I just wish to observe, and I can do it just fine from here.”

Raising one hand, I drew a glowing circle in the air with a twirl of my hand, and expanded it outwards to create a lens. Within the circle, an image of the ruined watchtower in the distance ahead was displayed. I panned it around to examine the thing from several angles. 

After the rude awakening last night, I found out during an early breakfast that the two nearest lighthouses had exploded, leaving them burning ruins. Normally, I wouldn’t have paid much attention, but my inner light pushed me to investigate, and so here I was, in front of the rubble of what was formerly a tall structure.

Part of it was still smoking, but the fire had burnt itself out. Men in military uniforms were carrying away burnt corpses, while others sifted through the ashes in hopes of finding a clue. Murmuring an equation, the view shifted, now displaying the remnants of enchantments that had been on the buildings.

So far, from my brief research into the magic of this world, I learned that it was very much in tune with nature. Enough so that it was very easy to leave remnants should spells be given the barest form of structure. And that was why I could now perceive the fragments that had been laid over the stones that had been used to construct the building.

It took me a moment to analyze what I was seeing. Protection spells that countered magic done with the intent of destruction. So obviously, the cause of this was either magic strong enough to overpower the wards, or something nonmagical. Given the lack of clues pointing to the former, it’s the latter.

I adjusted the view again, forcing myself to examine the corpses despite their grisly state. They were burnt, but from the looks of them, they had died from impact rather than burning.

“You there! What are you doing!?” 

I looked to see a maroon-clad soldier approaching, wearing an annoyed expression. 

“Examining the thing for clues.” I explained.

“Are you one of those harrier-mages?” The man demanded.

I shrugged. “Nah, I’m just a busybody.”

“Then go be busybody somewhere else. Leave the work to the professionals.” He looked at another waiting guard. “Where’s Master Goldeye? We could use his expertise here!”

“We’ve already sent a runner to Winding Circle for him, sergeant!”

“And?” When his question was met with confusion, the sergeant growled. “How long more will he take?”

“A-an hour perhaps, sergeant!”

“We don’t have that time to waste here waiting around. Keep searching for another small bell’s time!” He ordered, before rounding back on me. “And you, mage!”

“Yes?”

“If you’ve got anything useful to contribute, then do so! Otherwise, just stay out of our way.”

From the looks his men were giving him, the sergeant was quite brave to address a mage like that. I decided to share my amateur conclusion because of that.

“I’m not a bomb expert, but it looks like this is the work of one.” 

“Bomb?” He echoed. “What sort of spell is a bomb?”

I blinked in surprise. “You… don’t know what a bomb is?”

“No. What is it?”

While Strixhaven might focus on magic, enough wars had been waged in the bloody history of Arcavios to advance weapons technology, especially with the alchemical tinkering of goblins to consider. Lorehold had several books dedicated to the research of such things. A mix of volatile chemicals, and something to ignite them, and BOOM! You had an explosion capable of killing most things. It was a balancer for those who didn’t have enough mages.

Apparently this world hadn’t reached the point where such a thing was widely known yet. 

And the ones who possess this knowledge are apparently using it for sabotaging strikes, I mused as I gave a quick explanation of what it was and how it worked.

“How do you know something like that? Are you the one responsible for this?” The sergeant demanded.

Around me, several guards prepared to draw their weapons.

I waved my hand, unbothered by their wariness. “Heck no. I only just arrived in Winding Circle a few days ago. As for how I know, I came across it in my studies.”

His brow furrowed in thought, before the man nodded to himself. “Right. The duke will want to hear of this. What’s your name?”

“Roy Staff.”

“Master Staff, then. Could I trouble you to accompany us?” He asked, more respectfully now.

“Sure.” I agreed.

They had two carts nearby, and I was told to get into the one without the dead bodies. We set off westwards towards Summersea, with a grim atmosphere hanging over the troops. 

The city itself was larger than Winding Circle, with much more to see. There was a slum district outside the city walls, and the area past the eastern gate was clearly on the poorer end of the spectrum. Things got progressively richer as we traveled further west, passing through a market square that was directly linked to the port, and then through a rich neighborhood with clean and painted buildings. From what I could observe of the people living in the city, they were largely law-abiding, making way for the guards with only the slightest bit of prompting needed, and not out of fear.

Seems like the law here is pretty well-enforced. And also, good thing that the bodies are covered. I doubt they would react well to seeing those remains. I watched a group of gossiping adults. But as expected, they’re worried about what caused those explosions.

We finally reached our destination, the Duke’s Citadel that was on a small peninsula. It was well-fortified, with strong-looking walls surrounding the castle, and I could feel the thickness of the protection spells layered over the place. 

“Make sure to behave yourself in front of the Duke and his nobles,” The sergeant warned me, “Your flippant tongue will not be appreciated.”

“Understood.” And here I was, wondering what it would take to shatter this whole place. A Counterspell alone wouldn’t cut it, but boosted? Maybe.

The troop of soldiers split up, with some bringing the carts and bodies elsewhere while a quartet and the sergeant escorted me through the halls of the place. Just like the exterior indicated, the inside was designed with the purpose of fighting off any invaders. Seeing it reminded me of some of Dyna’s chattering about how such forts fared in battle.

We finally arrived in front of an office, where a black-haired man sat behind a desk to the side. He looked up at our entry, his gaze examining me for a moment before settling on the leader of my escort.

“Lord Seneschal!” The sergeant saluted. “We have returned from our investigation of the lighthouse at Bit Island!”

“Report.” The noble ordered crisply.

As the soldier complied, I couldn’t help reaching out with my magical senses. This place was quite old, at least six to seven centuries, and it clearly had a lot of history to it. Given the history of Summersea that I had glanced through in my time here, it had weathered countless pirate attacks, and still stood as a testament to its defenders’ fortitude.

White, definitely White. As attractive as it seemed, I doubted I would be able to form a mana bond with such a place easily. Oh well.

“This mage here claims to know what caused the explosions, Baron fer Baigh, which is why we brought him.”

“You believe Duke Vedris will want to hear it then?” The seneschal asked intently.

“Yes, Baron. His explanation… it made sense.”

Baron fer Baigh eyed the soldier for a few more seconds, before standing up. “If you’re sure, then I have no objection. The duke has been waiting for a report as well.”

Seems like someone is skipping the chain of command… but apparently there’s leeway for such things. 

He went inside the next room first to inform the occupant of our presence, before allowing the rest of us to enter. There, I got my first look at the ruler of this land as he turned from where he had been looking out the window. 

Shaved bald and broad-figured, the duke had an imposing air about him, especially with his hawkish nose. Despite the fancy decor of the office, the man himself was dressed simply, with a cream-colored shirt over brown pants. 

“Your grace, these guards came with a report they believed you should hear.” The seneschal reported. “They’ve brought this mage, Roy Staff, who has an explanation for the destruction of the towers.”

“Speak.” The duke’s voice was soft and elegant, but there was willpower in it.

The sergeant repeated his story, and I participated this time as well, with my description of a bomb and how it worked. The most basic example was made from charcoal, sulphur, and saltpeter mixed in a certain ratio, and that was what I was guessing to have been used. Compressed in a sealed container, the ignition would cause a rapid buildup of heat and pressure, which could theoretically cause the destruction observed.

The duke and baron were silent after I finished, both men having sat down to listen as I talked. While the latter looked worried, the former’s face was impassive.

“So it is a weapon then.” He finally said.

“I’ve read about it being used in mining, but mostly it’s been used in wars.” I agreed.

“Since you know about it, do you know how to defend against it?”

I recalled the times I fought in Midgard, against mages who used Arcane-imbued projectiles or mines that packed a serious amount of force. The records of blastmixes used in wars that I briefly skimmed through. The Inferno Stone drop item from a fire-element monster in the Lower Floors of the Dungeon, and how the Zeus Familia used them sometimes to clear the hordes of monsters.

“Usually, if you aren’t behind something capable of enduring the force, then the next best thing is to not be where it explodes.” I answered honestly.

“That is not very helpful.” Baron fer Baigh commented.

“Master Staff,” Duke Vedris addressed me again, “You appear to be widely traveled. What do you make of this incident?”

“The towers exploding?” I asked, getting a nod of confirmation. “My first guess is, someone’s preparing to attack, and they’re taking out the scouts that would alert their targets to their presence.” Dyna’s talks on war tactics came in handy again.

“Go on.”

“If the target isn’t aware that such weapons will come into play, they’ll be left very vulnerable when the attackers actually strike,” I continued, “So that’s what I think the purpose was.”

The baron looked at the duke. “Your grace, you don’t think…”

The bald man nodded. “Winding Circle might be in more danger than I thought.”

After a few more questions, Duke Vedris decided to head for Winding Circle himself, in the company of more of his guards. He invited me to come along, with the intention of having me share what I had told him with Moonstream and the other important members of the temple. I was offered the use of a horse, but I rejected it in favor of my own preferred steed.

“Quite the show-off, aren’t you?” The duke asked amusedly as he rode next to me.

Ahead of us, the citizens of Summersea stopped and stared as my fractal steed approached, before realizing who else I was with, and quickly got out of the way. Magic was common in this plane, but generally in more mundane forms than most of my repertoire.

“I would blame my schooling.” I said airily.

“And what sort of schooling is that? If you would pardon my asking.”

The journey to Winding Circle passed in an enjoyable time, as I talked to Duke Vedris about some of my lessons in Strixhaven; Lorehold’s archaeomancy, Prismari’s artistic expression, Quandrix’s mathematical possibilities, Silverquill’s applied eloquence, even Witherbloom’s alchemical mixes. I could feel some doubtful gazes from his guards, but the man just listened attentively and asked questions like a curious student.

We arrived at Winding Temple shortly after midday, and were quickly led to Dedicate Superior Moonstream’s office. The woman seemed mildly surprised to see me in the duke’s company, but quickly focused as I explained my theory once again. Duke Vedris then provided the part of the story I was missing; piracy was on the rise following the earthquake, and a number of them had joined under the flag of a self-styled pirate queen, who also had the support of her mage brother. Moonstream was quick to draw the same conclusion the duke had, her beautiful features lined with worry. 

She also provided some information of her own. Another mage named Niko had done a past-raising spell on the nearby watchtower that I had visited earlier today, and saw how two men had planted the bomb with help of a corrupt guard, who they then murdered. After that, they died when the bomb went off before they could leave, which explained why their bodies were found present there.

“Dedicate Frostpine also reported a scout vessel offshore from the cove earlier, while he was inspecting the spellnets that protect Winding Circle in that direction,” Moonstream added, “I believe it’s very likely that they’re targeting Winding Circle.”

I blinked, and the duke took notice. “Master Staff, please feel free to share what’s on your mind,” He encouraged.

“The pirates are using magic to hide themselves before they attack, right? Seems like whoever’s behind this is planning for a sneak attack. What sort of detection spells do you have in place here?”

They exchanged glances, Moonstream silently asking the duke, and he responded affirmatively in the same way.

“We have a seeing-room up in the Hub, where our initiates scry for any signs of threats,” The woman revealed.

I considered that tidbit of info, until the duke prodded me to share what I was thinking again. “I’m not sure of the possibility, but I don’t think the person behind this would stop at just the watchtowers.”

“What do you mean?”

“If he can send saboteurs to target the towers, then why couldn’t he do the same to your scrying room?”

“The room is protected. Even when Winding Circle suffered the earthquake a week ago, none of the tools we used even cracked.”

“Like the watchtower was protected?” I asked, the words coming out before I had even thought about them.

“Yes-” Moonstream paused, her eyes widening.

The same expression was on Duke Vedris’s face, and the two of them quickly headed for the exit, with me following on their heels.

Moonstream sent instructions for someone to call Master Goldeye to meet them at the Hub, while she gathered two other mage dedicates to join her in the inspection. When a pair of men in green and yellow habits turned up, she led us up the stairs of the Hub, stopping at the third floor. Duke Vedris chose to wait downstairs with the rest of his guards, wearing an impassive expression again.

The room within had several tables placed around, bearing things like water-filled bowls, mirrors, crystals, and even the windows had glass on them, which I had only seen on the fanciest buildings. The mages that were there were startled at our entrance, but obediently waited outside when told to do so.

“Spread out and inspect for anything that doesn’t belong.” Moonstream ordered.

The mages nodded, and took a deep breath as they called upon their magic. I could feel it spreading out slowly, probing everything they passed over.

“Should I help too?” I asked.

“If you could.”

I took out my grimoire and turned it to a page I had made use of several times before, lighting it up as I channeled my mana.

[Prismatic Magic: Danger Color Map]

My wave of magic was faster than theirs were, marking everything in the room with colors. Many of the scrying tools turned blue, while the mages themselves became a multicolored mix. The walls themselves had the color of green, indicating the protective measures in place. However, my eyes were locked on the red glows coming from the bottom of several tables.

“Lyric, retrieve one of them. Carefully.” I ordered, letting my inkling seep out from the gaps in my grimoire.

The other mages watched with wide eyes as the magical creature flitted off to do as I said, quickly returning with a block of clay that was covered in several concealment spells.

I met Moonstream’s shocked and worried gaze. “It might be safe to say that you have an infiltrator among your guests.”

Afterword: Once again, another chapter that just came out very quickly. A good stopping point as a cliffhanger, wouldn’t you agree?