Riddles of Lenia

Chapter 14

AN: It's a little late for an infodump chapter? I just wanted to get the story moving before I drowned you all in boring facts...

After the evening party was interrupted, all of the guests were escorted from the venue. Duke Canmore was apprehended, and he'll be waking up in the noble's prison. 

I'm not really sure what's going to happen to the dukedom, now. 

Viola wouldn't stop panicking, so Humpfrey ended up putting her to sleep. The Stenhouse's assured us that they would take care of Viola as long as she needed them to, and led Humpfrey who carried the sleeping Viola to a guest room.

Duke Stenhouse... Definitely understood the meaning of his actions. He'll already be under public accusations for allowing a death to occur on his property. 

And since it was a duchess in the middle of a party which he was hosting? His honor would have already taken a very heavy hit. Then, to go as far as to shelter the public eye's prime suspect... 

I think the duke is a very selfless person.

My father invited Vincent to stay the night at our estate, but I was a bit hesitant to leave before I found Alyx. Jackson told me he'd do what he could to help and asked me to go home and rest. He saw us to our carriage with a grim smile. 

We left after promising to visit again the next morning.

We ended up coming in the middle of Humpfrey and Viola's tutoring session. Apparently, studying helps calm her down. I then suggested that the we all study together, which led to the current situation. 

We were all in Viola's temporary room with a maid on standby to serve us tea and sweets, and there were several sheets of paper sprawled out on the table in a haphazard mess. Vincent and I sat on a couch together, with Viola on the opposite couch. Jackson was in the armchair between us. Our tutor, Humpfrey, leaned on the arm of the last chair, his arms crossed in front of him as he thought of today's lesson.

"In light of recent events, I think I'll teach you all world history. In the end, alchemy is a foreign magic, and we don't really know how big of a lead it is."

The four of us agreed in anticipation of the information.

"For starters, Lenia was founded 300 years ago by King Grant Lenia, but the surrounding countries are all at least 800 years old. The continent we live in has four major countries, along with smaller settlements in the dense forests and mountains. 

There are two human countries. Our home, the kingdom of Lenia, lies to the south, and, as you know, hosts the magicians. Magicians borrow fairy magic corresponding to their compatible element. 

Fairies themselves are a bit complicated. To say that we're a species is incorrect. Fairies are born from the waves of very dense magic. It rarely occurs, but it's possible for a fairy to be born from an extraordinarily strong magic circle. 

That being said, it's more accurate to classify a fairy as an elemental apparition, which is why magicians can borrow our power.

Our neighbor to the north, the Sobrus Empire, is home to the alchemists. They use magic by combining specific materials together with mana. 

They themselves cannot use magic directly, but the products they create are long lasting and more stable than magic circles. Well, an alchemist is like a magic tool inventor, except instead of the tool being run by magic, it's made out of it instead.