Chương 42: Part 3—Forging Destiny

Lord Inquisitor Solarix, Our other emergency food shipments failed to arrive entirely, with our only leads coming from the Surly Serpent and the interesting testimonies we extracted from the captain, crew, and passengers. It is clear dissidents are behind this, aiming to starve the innocent people of Arcadia. We are fortunate the Surly Serpent fended off attempts at sabotage and destruction—its surviving food stores, though damp, are the only thing staving off complete starvation in the lower levels.

We have reviewed the testimonies again and must conclude that the assailants described are indeed cultists of the Titans. The captain and Devi's daughter both described the scene in similar enough detail that we must rule out hyperbole, and some of the magic described matches some of the forbidden runes. Given that shipments were summoned from across the Empire, the reach of the dissidents was greatly underestimated. I will leave investigating this failure to our specialists.

My own team continues to pursue the dissidents we suspect have infiltrated Imperial City. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Your loyal servant, Inquisitor Valanar +++++ Oraeus, I'm tired of your whining. Did your older brothers and sister get to choose their Lance? No. They played with the hands dealt them. They made the most of it and made a name for themselves. They took command of their comrades and guided them to greatness.

I have heard that you allow a savage to drag you and your Lance's reputation through the mud. That you allow her to run rampant and make powerful enemies. Bring her in line. Drag your Lance kicking and screaming to power if you must, but you will make a name for yourself. You will bring our family glory and fame. You will stop disappointing me. I should never have allowed you to pursue your arts, what folly it was for me to listen to your mother.

Had I only known what would befall your brothers, I would have made sure you were ready for this at an earlier age. Davean Vehl