By the next day, the rumors swirling around Londinium's underground disturbance had mutated at dizzying speed. What had started as a simple ghost story had evolved into over fifty ridiculous variations, including a tale that the ancient monarchs were rising from their tombs to reclaim Londinium and forge a glorious new empire.
"It's hard to believe how many versions of this story sprang up in a single night," Jeanne remarked, sitting at a roadside stall while listening to gossip that had drifted from Victorian gothic horror straight into Yanese ghost stories. At this rate, she half-expected a Columbia-style zombie flick to break out in five minutes. Nothing could surprise her anymore.
"How should I know?" Talulah grumbled, sipping her hot tea. "Practically all of Londinium woke up talking about this. Are you positive there was nothing wrong with that black flame you summoned?"
Talulah recalled those unsettling black flames. Could that flame be the sole reason everyone was acting so hyper-sensitive about last night?
"Leader! Big Sister Jeanne!"
While the two were chatting, a Reunion member quietly slipped over to their table, leaning in to whisper. He had been sent to brief Talulah and Jeanne on behalf of their comrades.
"Do you two know what happened last night? All of us had the exact same dream! We were standing inside a massive hall filled with stone giants, surrounded by burning black flames. And the terrifying part was that even though the fire was blazing everywhere, it didn't give off a single trace of heat!"
The dream had thoroughly spooked them. A single nightmare was one thing, but dozens of people having the exact same nightmare simultaneously was enough to give anyone goosebumps.
"We only just heard about it ourselves, but neither of us felt anything unusual last night," Talulah cleared her throat, forcing a composed expression as she reassured her follower. "Something might have happened in Londinium, but a dream is just a dream. You don't need to panic; dreams can't hurt you."
"Can you explain what that was about?" Talulah turned to face Jeanne the second the Reunion member walked off, her tone dropping into a low demand. "Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any lingering effects..."
Jeanne immediately averted her eyes. When Talulah grabbed her chin and forcefully turned her head back, the guilt in Jeanne's eyes was plain to see.
Truth be told, Jeanne didn't fully understand it either. She had never seen her Noble Phantasm trigger an anomaly like this before. For someone like her, trying to figure out the cause was pure mental torture.
"Maybe it has to do with the fuel I used for the flames... I mean, the resentful spirits I burned belonged to the Sarkaz," Jeanne offered after a long pause, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Those ancestral souls have lingered for centuries. Once they were set ablaze, maybe their soul-bound nature triggered some kind of resonance?"
That was the best explanation she could come up with. Beyond that, even she was out of her depth; when it came to mysterious Sarkaz magic, she was hardly an expert.
"Forget it. As long as it's harmless," Talulah sighed, choosing not to obsess over urban legends. Stories like this would fade with time anyway.
Shifting her focus, Talulah turned her attention back to the Victorian factories and the infected workers, brain-storming ways to provide them with practical relief.
What she didn't expect was for Count Cumberland—Allerdale—to track them down here in person. Was this noble truly so free that she would risk wandering into a slum just to find them?
"Finding you was certainly no easy task," Allerdale let out a long sigh of relief, brushing dust off her immaculate coat. "I assumed you would be taking a stroll through the grand avenues. I never imagined I'd find you in a place like this."
Seeing Talulah's dirt-smudged hands and grease-stained coat, the countess marvels at the Draco's endurance. Locating her had taken an exhausting amount of effort.
"I have no interest in wasting time on empty luxuries," Talulah replied, wiping her hands on a rag before stepping out of the workshop. "I would much rather stand alongside my fellow infected and help them where I can."
Allerdale willingly followed her out of the heavily polluted factory floor—a place she clearly had no desire to linger in. Still, for a high noble to step foot inside a workshop she would normally never cross paths with in her lifetime took considerable resolve.
"This might sound absurd coming from me," Allerdale admitted softly, "but this is the very first time I've witnessed the underbelly of Victoria with my own eyes. It is... deeply jarring."
Seeing Talulah's genuine concern for these Originium-polluted plants, Allerdale held back her original pitch for a moment, opting instead to discuss Victoria's hidden decay. She hoped addressing the topic would build a bit of rapport before she laid out her true request.
"It is easy enough to understand. Given the choice, no noble would ever look at a place like this," Talulah said coolly, offering polite courtesy and nothing more. "So, what brings you here?"
Around them, the infected workers avoided looking in their direction. Recognizing the Feline as a high-ranking noble, none dared step too close. Even a fallen noble represented an insurmountable mountain to commoners—a giant capable of crushing them without a second thought.
"The noble faction wants you to formally abandon your claim to the crown as soon as possible," Allerdale stated, serving once again as the mouthpiece for the aristocracy. "They fear that letting these ignorant masses dwell on rumors will destabilize the city."
It seemed the absurd rumors had spiraled out of control over the past few days, growing chaotic enough to make even the highest lords sweat.
"I haven't paid attention lately," Talulah rubbed her temples. "How far has this ridiculous rumor actually spread?"
Allerdale blinked in surprise, realizing Talulah genuinely hadn't kept up with the news.
"The prevailing consensus right now is that the underground event was a sign of the Draco bloodline's revival," Allerdale explained, her voice dropping. "People are linking it to an ancient prophecy from the reign of King Gaul. Combined with that collective nightmare, the existing rumors have escalated beyond control."
Allerdale shuddered slightly as she mentioned the dream. She knew precisely what that place was, and waking up from such a terrifying vision had shaken her to the core.
In those black flames, she had caught a glimpse of a mythical beast—a creature from ancient legend—and the memory still weighed heavily on her mind.
"I see," Talulah said after a short silence. "I'll find a time in the coming days to settle this matter with your peers. But... shouldn't your side offer a little goodwill in return?"
The first half of Talulah's response made Allerdale breathe a sigh of relief, while the second half seemed entirely anticipated. Pulling a heavy leather pouch from her coat, the countess handed it over.
"Inside are landship transit permits, official documentation, and clearance papers. Additional resources will be delivered to your quarters tonight," Allerdale said. "You may use these to hire landships or merchant caravans to transport your people out of Victoria. We will fully cooperate with your relocation—provided you settle the claim issue promptly."
Their desperation was obvious; handing over official military transit permits proved how eager the nobles were to sweep this under the rug.
"How amusing," Talulah chuckled softly, holding the heavy pouch with a strange look on her face. "What are they so afraid of? Are you telling me they're terrified of Victorian citizens believing a rumor? They control the narrative—since when do masters fear their own weapons?"
"They are afraid you will go back on your word, and that Draco loyalists will use this momentum to spark a rebellion," Allerdale explained plainly. "You must realize, you are not the only Draco currently in Victoria."
Pausing for effect, Allerdale added, "Furthermore, they have included a condition they know you won't refuse. Duke Golden's territory recently held a preliminary vote, and several lords are proposing a reform for the Infected Worker Protection Act. If you agree to settle your claim, they will officially initiate the legislative process to modify those laws."