Duke Aldric's conservatory hissed with steam-heated orchids when he summoned his advisors. "The Truth undermines estate loyalties," he spat. "Peasants quote law at stewards, citing page numbers like scripture."
His steward proposed a counter-sheet: The Rural Clarion, promising "farmfare facts." Funded by noble coffers, it praised estate magnanimity, blamed crop failures on "heedless tinkerers ignoring tradition." Sharath's face appeared in caricature: a child pulling gears from a cow's belly.
Initial runs distributed free in villages. Some bought novelty; others lined hen coops. But Clarion's facts often wilted under scrutiny—numbers invented, photos staged. Truth calmly printed rebuttals with evidence and witness names. Credibility weighed heavy.
Clarion escalated, claiming SK Sheet paper made water taste woody. Riverbend labs invited independent testers; result: negligible flavour. Clarion refused correction. Confidence eroded.
Meanwhile, Herald adopted verified reporter network, bridging gap between official narrative and citizen gripes. In taverns, a "three-paper regimen" emerged for balanced view: Truth for grassroots, Herald for state, Clarion for laughs.
Frustrated, Aldric financed secret "letterstorms": forged accusations against Sharath of tax evasion and experiment cruelty. Fact-checkers debunked within hours, but damage lingered—some artisans feared losing patron saint status. Sharath responded by publishing full financial ledgers and opening workshops to public tours. Transparency quelled doubt.
The war of information taught Sharath hard lessons: accuracy alone was insufficient; timeliness, accessibility, and trust were equally vital. He funded Training Press Fellows—journalists schooled in verification, ethics, clear writing. He introduced datelines, source boxes, and correction notices.
Clarion's funding dwindled. Aldric, cornered politically, pivoted: "If you can't beat them, buy them." He offered Brother Marcus princely sums to defect; the monk laughed and printed the bribe note as front-page cartoon.
Aldric's campaign faded, but lesson remained: truth and trust must be cultivated as carefully as wheat and just as vigilant against blight.