In essence, a person became a living computer. A supercomputer. This is the kind of marvel the locals used to read others' thoughts and communicate instantly over long distances. The exception was Archmage Pikiron, who used his abilities for their intended purpose and had been an advisor to the rulers of Uzmer for almost two centuries. Now, a supercomputer managing a significant portion of global finances and the most powerful human empire was permanently out of order.
— Unfortunately, it's true. He died at the beginning of the summer. The Empire kept it hidden, but the truth has come to light.
— And what will happen now? — The girl looked puzzled.
— A crisis is certainly unavoidable, but the old man had been on the brink for a long time, and preparations for his death had been underway for about ten years… I think everything will be alright.
The vampire had his own viewpoint and could have said that it's one thing when you know that an "explosion" will happen in an hour and another when you just know it will happen sometime and prepare for it over years.
These are two very different situations, and it's likely that there is panic in the Empire right now, especially among those who have been preparing for the Supreme Mage's death for years, given how long they tried to keep his demise from the public. But the knight kept his thoughts to himself, wisely remaining silent.
It was a pity that he couldn't pass on the information to his own people; Gennady would have found a way to fish in the murky waters of the resulting confusion. The world would shake quite violently. Fortunately, the Empire was not in danger. The Church of Light would simply not allow the stronghold of its power to collapse.
— The price of mithril will rise, — the mage muttered under her breath, but the archmage heard her.
— Yes, it will, probably doubling. Pikiron did everything to keep mithril cheap.
The vampire merely nodded solemnly, confirming the senior mage's words. But he clearly understood that Martha was thinking about her warehouse in Savoyardi, which held five tons of mithril ore stolen by her last autumn.
Her father had not been able to transport the cargo and did not want to, as the goods were safely stored in a quiet, well-guarded place. The plan was to retrieve it this autumn. Leonid did not stop bothering Sergey, nagging him about immediately claiming the loot, but the chief scout stubbornly ignored the commander.
Five tons was a lot, and moving it would require several dozen vampires. Such a horde of people carrying large sacks would certainly be noticed. And did vampires need that? Hence, since the ore became known, the warehouse had been under close surveillance, but the extraction was planned to occur on the road, outside the city walls. Upon returning from Zalona, the girl would face a very unpleasant surprise.
Alexander's detailed account of the battle with the orcish army, supplemented by a vivid description of the Duke, who had become very talkative, left a depressing impression on the archmage. It was one thing to read terse reports and quite another to be on the scene and listen to the direct participants.
And then there were the thousands of nameless graves… During the entire summer of war on the western border, the Elurian and Orodian armies together had not lost a thousand soldiers, with half of them dying from poor food and diseases rather than in battle.
Yet here, on a small field lost among the Great Northern Tract, a huge number of people had died in just a couple of hours of fighting. And not at the hands of dark creatures! Humans killing humans! With magic.
By nightfall, Duke Cas had drunk himself into a piggish state, and all in just an hour. The vampire carrying his insensible body to the tent had consumed a considerable amount of human blood, not limited to the usual few drops, as one needed to feed on the way. To his surprise, he learned nothing new.
Even conversations with the king were completely empty in content. The young men discussed important matters concerning the fates of people and nations and seemed very smart and cunning to themselves, but it was just an illusion. It seemed that there were forces behind the king that managed the country behind his back, otherwise, it was inexplicable how, with such a juvenile approach to ruling the kingdom, Elur was still thriving.
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