At Liev's Tower, things had become more intense. The young magicians had adapted to their new rhythm of life: magic classes oriented towards their elements, training with the knights, fights against monsters, etc. Some were injured, but not seriously. Being young and full of energy made them almost indestructible. If you were hurt, you used your time to study magic, but the training continued in one way or another. As the teachers had said, it was an academy, and they were preparing them for war.
A year and a half had passed, and now they belonged to the second year. They had climbed up to the second floor of Liev's Tower, which was really no different from the first, but things were better. Behind were those adverse environmental conditions of the first months and the meals of rations. On the second floor of the tower, there were amenities. The food was more pleasant to the palate; they no longer served that rancid oatmeal and that hard bread.
'What are you guys going to do now?' asked Astrid.
The question came in consequence of the opportunities presented by the teachers a few weeks earlier. According to Delfin's explanations, some magicians chose another path rather than being leaders of their respective families. Some chose a military career in the army of royal magicians. Others joined other institutions, like the magician's court. Some, with extraordinary talents, could apply to continue studying in the towers and academies in order to become teachers in smaller academies. Others chose to follow the path of the law, the detested members of the Magic Regulatory Units, commonly known as "The Regulators". Master Delfin was a member of the regulators before joining the Tower staff, and that was why he hated Arcane magic so much.
For those more averse to risk, the best option was to go home and run the businesses of their respective families. Using their magic for civilian purposes was also very profitable. Water magicians were very useful in agriculture, and in times of drought, the elite magicians ability to affect large areas was a convenience. Fire magicians could use their skills to purify metals. Earth magicians were usually commissioned by kingdoms or individuals to produce building materials or to help in the creation of roads and other structures. Finally, wind magicians could collaborate on boat trips or, like water magicians, mitigate droughts by changing the direction of the clouds. A powerful magician was the most valuable asset for any family.
'I'm going to join the regulators,' Maurius announced, surprising Clinton, Astrid, and everyone who heard him in the dining room.
Clinton burst into laughter.
'What a coincidence! Me too.' Clinton was supposed to go home and be the champion of his family in order to be elected the next leader. Clinton could already see his father burst out of anger when he found out about his decision; pissing his father off was just a bonus. Clinton actually had other motives, all related to arcane magic and Van Vatnik's legacy. What better way to learn about arcane magic than to investigate cases of arcane magic?
'Well, that is a coincidence,' said Maurius. He was really interested in getting into the regulators after what happened to Aleum. It didn't seem like a bad profession, and besides, it was a way to keep his grandfather on the line. Maurius could not give Merlo a fight in terms of magical affinity level or combat experience, and wind against fire at his afinitty level was a bad matchup. His grandfather was an expert duelist, a veteran soldier, and a cruel and machiavellic man. He could resort to anything, even putting his brother or his parents at risk. By contrast, threatening or endangering the family of a member of the regulators was suicide; not even his grandfather was that crazy.
"What a hassle," thought Astrid. Since the first year, she had developed an obsession with Maurius. According to her, "It was a pity that the fool could never grasp her insinuations."
'God, I will have to join the regulators too,' said Astrid, while the other two looked at her perplexed.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, please don't!" thought the two boys at once.
'Someone has to take care of you guys; you are lost without me,' said Astrid, crossing her arms and acting as if she were the teacher of two little children.
'Ahhhh!' cried the two boys as their shoulders sank.
Astrid still smiled proudly, as if she had won a beauty contest. Her idea of flirting was to yell at Maurius and point out how successful, intelligent, and brilliant she was in everything she did. The fact that she was a good strategist had gone up to her head badly: she had the charm of a brick.
Clinton was aware of Astrid's intentions; however, he kept silent as he saw Maurius suffer from the girl's most delusional and unhinged courtship techniques. Astrid would then get frustrated by another failure; frustration that would soon turn into anger. She would cease to speak to them for two or three weeks, during which the poor Maurius would have some peace, until Astrid had a new and brilliant strategy. For Clinton, it was the only form of entertainment in the otherwise boring tower. After finishing their meal, they returned to Delfin's magic energy control classes.
'Don't forget that in a week is the deadline for deciding whether you will take any seat in the ranks of the institutions of the kingdom. We need to know in time in order to communicate this to your different families so that they can reorganize their affairs. After choosing, you will go to training units for your respective organizations. Think very carefully about what you want to do. The class is over,' concluded Delfine.
At that moment, three students approached the master. Delfin looked up to see the three young mages approaching. "Oh, no, these three." However, his face changed when he was handed the requests to join the regulators.
"The three of them?" thought the teacher with a smile.
'Well, a very courageous and risky decision, the regulators are not loved... by anyone. Your families will be very upset,' said Delfin, smiling.
'My family will understand,' assured Maurius.
'I count on that,' said Clinton with his usual stone face, as he smiled on the inside, thinking of his father's angry face. "Goodbye, Davne, goodbye marriage; just thinking about it makes me want to puke."
'I'm a genius; I don't care what inferior people think,' said Astrid, fixing her hair.
'I see...' Delfin picked up the requests as he looked at those three strange creatures in front of him.
A few days later, at the Van Ferra mansion, Sven was in his office when one of the servants handed him the letter. It was strange to receive a letter from Liev's Tower. When he read the content, his face turned white at first, then turned red, with his jaw locked tight and veins pulsating on his forehead. His face was a depiction of anger.
'That idiot!' cried Sven as he destroyed everything around him.
The servant who had brought the letter left the office to avoid his wretched master's rampage. A few hours later, when Sven had calmed down and Biela had received the report from the servants of what was happening, she approached her husband.
'What has happened, my dear?' asked Biela, pretending great interest and consternation. In fact, she didn't care a bit about the reasons behind her husband's frequent tantrums.
'That idiot of your son has ruined his future and that of the family. The fool has joined the regulators. Now he will not be able to get out for ten years, and after that, he will surely would have created lots of enemies,' said Sven, shouting. 'But what kind of fool would risk a bright future as a family leader like that? In the end, the compromise with Van Derrama will be broken. This is a tragedy.'
'Oh, by the heavens, how terrible!' Biela pretended to be dismayed as she smiled in her mind.
"At last, that monster will stay away from us; we will be safe. If I play my cards right, I can turn Emer into the head of the family again, as it should be," she thought.
Behind the door of the office, the servants were listening. When they learned what had happened, they ran to inform their masters. Martel let a sigh escape. Her brother, Clinton, was dangerous. Although she had never had problems directly with him, he conveyed the feeling of a hungry predator with whom you had to stay alert. She didn't want him to be the head of the family.
On receiving the news that his aberrant had joined the regulators, Emer jumped out of joy and threw himself into bed, staring at the ceiling with a smile. He dreamed of returning to his days of glory and superiority. He would no longer have to worry about his future; he would again be the heir of the house.
When the Van Felding's received a similar letter, Ultria and Cliford looked at each other. After thinking about it for a few minutes, they accepted their son's decision. Although the work of the regulators was dangerous, it also had its positive points.
'At least he will be safe from Merlo. By the time he fulfills his contract with the regulators, he will be a very experienced magician. Inside Liev's Tower, and as a member of the regulators, he is untouchable,' said Ultria.
'I just hope nothing happens to him. It's a dangerous job.' Cliford couldn't help saying.
The regulators investigated all events related to magic, murders of nobles in which a magician had been involved, crimes in which magic was used, and, above all, cases of independent magicians in criminal groups, rebels, radical groups, etc. Special attention was given to the cases of arcane magic practice. These situations were extremely dangerous; the warlocks had no moral limitations, they were a scourge in all kingdoms, they were powerful and hard to deal with, most of them controlled the criminal underworld, and some had contacts and partners among powerful nobles. Therefore, regulators were given some leeway to deal with those who threatened their families.
The Van Feldings would not be so affected by their son's choice. Ultria and Cliford were magicians of considerable power, and Nadial was a business genius who would take over the family despite not being a magician. Some members of society might want to stop doing business with the family for fear of being investigated by regulators, but the Van Felding family did not have any illegal business; their medicinal plant business was legitimate. The Magic Regulation Units investigated all the families and connections of their members to avoid cases of corruption, although in reality, such investigations were quite "flexible." Everyone has secrets that they don't want to be revealed, but for some families with dirty business, having members in the regulators was a tragedy.
A few hours after the Van Felding's received the news, one of Merlo's spies passed the information to him. Merlo had patiently waited almost two years for Maurius's departure from Liev's tower to put his plan in motion and to make sure that he would become part of the assets of the Van Dekar family. Now all his effort had gone to the garbage. He expressed his anger by mercilessly beating one of his servants.
On the same day, Velen van Castin also received the letter. At first, he sat down without being able to understand what had happened. Only by reading the letter five times was he able to assimilate the reality presented to him.
'She has gone mad,' said Velen.
Astrid was his baby girl. He spoiled her like a princess. But until now, Velen had never thought that he had spoiled her too much and had not imposed discipline on her. Now the girl had taken another of her impulsive decisions and now had to fulfill ten years of service to the crown in a socially repudiated and, moreover, dangerous job. Astrid was supposed to be the maze with which the Van Castin would knock at the doors of the high nobility once again; even getting closer to the royalty was possible. And now, the impulsive girl had put everything at risk. Velen took a glass of rum to calm his nerves while thinking about his mistakes.
A few months later, the training of the magicians was completed. It was an academy; they had trained magicians, warriors, soldiers, etc. There were no fanfares, no celebrations, and, in fact, the young magicians did not want to be in the tower for a minute longer than necessary. On the last day of their training, they would simply leave and return home. There was no reason to make much friendship with the masters of the tower. The teachers of the great academies did not interfere in worldly things; it would be a tragedy if a titled magician declared war on a kingdom for personal reasons. Tomulos carriages would bring the young magicians back to their homes. Meanwhile, Clinton, Maurius, Astrid, and some others were taken directly to the headquarters of the regulators or to the institutions they had joined.
As soon as they came down from the carriage, a young man, two or three years older than them, was waiting for them. He wore the uniform of the Regulators, had soft and gentle features, a bright smile, a long and thin nose, blue eyes, and black hair.
'I'm Gerald. Welcome to the regulators,' he greeted them as he invited them into the building.
They entered a reception room, where there were other young magicians from other academies sitting in comfortable chairs with a small table next to them. A man about fifty years old entered the door and sat behind the desk in front of them. He was of medium height, with a body in good shape for his age and a beard that was starting to turn white.
'Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Dynasty Magic Regulation Unit. My name is Celent de Fuler. I'm the head of this unit. For every purpose and necessity, I will be your officer in command.' Celent gave them a moment of silence as he looked at the new faces.
'You have completed your training as magicians; the teachers of your academies have instructed you; the knights have trained you, so you know that this is serious. You signed a petition to join this unit, a ten years contract. Except for death, disability, or very extreme violations of the rules, many of which are punishable by death, you will fulfill that contract. Upon completion of your engagement, you will receive a juicy reward and many social freedoms, including the opportunity to connect your families with noble descendants of the royalty, depending on your contribution to the dynasty. We have a very strict code: you will wear a uniform; wearing common clothes will only be possible during infiltration missions or on your holidays. You can visit your relatives during the seventh month of each year. Any questions?
The new recruits kept silent.
'Well, let's go to the practical stuff. These are your uniforms. Even if they don't look like it, they're real treasures. They have been enchanted with magic that can partially resist arcane magic; they are the only equipment capable of doing this, which is possible thanks to the fact that the materials used are special and very expensive. They also serve as protection against elementary magic. It will increase your resistance to the four basic elements. Not even the knights heavy armor have such resistance,' said Celent, as everyone opened their eyes astonished.
'You are all here under a contract. You are and will be obliged to keep all kinds of secrets. In your missions, you will have contact with a lot of information, materials, and other resources that warlocks use. Get this in your head: Arcane magic is forbidden! If any of you are discovered using, experimenting with, or with objects related to arcane magic, I myself will take care of ripping off your head and burning it to ashes; the same will happen with your house and your whole family. Is it clear?' Celent shouted to the whole room.
'Clear,' cried the new recruits.
Gerald passed between the seats, handing over folded uniforms to each of the new members.
"Special materials, my balls," Clinton thought. "This is arcana magic." After touching the uniform and infusing his magic energy, he noticed the reality of the dress. His porcelain face prevented the other members of the regulators from noticing his surprise.
'We all know that the shadow magicians are pretty much worthless, but when it comes to arcane magic, be very careful.'
'Why are shadow magicians so dangerous?' asked Astrid.
'Because of all the magicians and sorcerers, the shadows are the most compatible with other elements. Any magician can learn arcana magic and become a warlock, but only shadow magicians can try to master it. The shadows partly reduce the risks and negative effects of arcane magic, replied Celent.
'lack of interference,' Clinton added. 'Most dual wizards have an affinity for shadows with something else. Shadow magic is compatible with all other elements. It should also be more compatible with arcane magic.
'Right, Mr. Clinton,' said Celent, pulling some objects out of the pocket of the uniform in front of him. A necklace with a small amulet and a monocle. He opened the amulet.
'This is a leech stone. You've all been through the academies; you know what it is and how it works. It can be useful in certain situations where you have to hide your presence at all costs, but you do not have the ability to concentrate.
Then he took the monocle. 'You should already know this toy too, the Oculis. Fire magicians, raise your hands. Clinton and two other men raised their hands. Celent pointed to Clinton. He scratched a sheet of paper and threw it to the ground.
'Burn that sheet of paper,' ordered Celent.
Clinton only had to will for it, with his fixed gaze on the paper and the heat concentrated on the sheet. Two seconds later, the paper burned until only the ashes remained.
'Now, use the oculis'
Everyone saw the same thing; the ashes were covered with a red halo, and, looking at Clinton, the red halo was visible around him too. However, it disappeared when they looked at another magician, regardless of whether it was another fire magician.
'This way, we can know which magician is involved in a crime, as long as magic is used.'
'Does it work for arcane magic?' asked Clinton.
'No,' said Celent. The oculis detects the magic energy mark. Arcane magic does not use elemental energy; it uses life itself as energy. That's why it is able to bypass almost all the defenses of elemental magicians.
'So, how do these uniforms work? How do they protect against elementary magic and arcane magic at the same time?' asked Astrid.
'These uniforms have been created with ancient runes and rare materials, including parts of rare monsters such as blood, scales, and basilisk bones, but they use elemental energy. How is that possible? I have no idea; it's a state secret, and only the geniuses of the royal court know how this works. Don't go too deep into it, warned Celent.
"Yes, of course, don't go deep into the arcane magic you carry on," Clinton thought.
'You are all magicians; at your level, the best teacher is experience. Pick up the weapons that are most favorable to you from the armory, and you will start immediately. You will be shown the facilities and your rooms. That's all, dismised.' Celent left the lounge as the new regulators were guided to their respective destinations.
Delfín had made arrangements for "these three" to form a team during their first year as regulators. The coordination, the teamwork they were capable of, and although it was a dangerous maneuver, the "magic catalysis," the ace under the sleeve of the trio, could save their lives if they ever faced a warlock enclave.
'You guys got lucky,' said Geralt, as the others looked at him with curiosity. 'Your first mission will be a devastated area recognition.'
'What is a devastated area?' asked Astrid.
'From time to time, a bunch of warlocks occupy some village or some populated area. They use a large-scale arcane magic spell and sacrifice all the lives inside the area. It takes them months to complete a whole set of hidden diagrams around the villa. After that, if there are survivors, they usually eliminate them. Warlocks are almost the same as miasma in the damage they cause. Two days ago, we received a report of a devastation zone in one of the villages bordering the Southern Kingdom. An exploration squad confirmed that it was true; now we're going to investigate and remove or recover anything the warlocks left behind.
'Well, now I understand why Delfin reacted that way to anything related to arcane magic. Are there so many warlocks? How long does this happen?' asked Maurius.
'Fortunately, warlocks are few, but they usually move in groups. Most are shadow magicians or magicians with minimal affinities that cannot be used meaningfully. I've been a regulator for three and a half years, and I have never seen a zone of devastation. I've only seen a few isolated cases of sacrifices and the use of arcane magic. Almost all of our cases involve murders in which magic was used or the arrest of magicians on charges of corruption, trafficking in illicit goods, or the like,' Geralt replied as he continued to guide them.
'These are your rooms. The meal will be served in half an hour. Dinner is at twenty o'clock. Tomorrow we shall go with the sunrise to investigate the devastated area,' said Geralt, taking them to their lodging places after showing them the headquarters.
The rooms were spacious, and the beds were comfortable. There was a study table, a regulator's rules book, and a small collection of Arcana magic diagrams with a slight description of what they were supposed to do. Only dangerous diagrams were in the book, without any kind of explanation or enchantment; they were just a guide to recognizing how dangerous they were in order to avoid falling into a trap. Oil lamps and a wardrobe. The wardrobe had a pair of regulator uniforms and a gala uniform for events.
After changing, the new recruits went to the dining room. The food was pretty good. After their experiences at the Liev Tower, many of the stuck-up nobles had learned to appreciate the small details. Then Geralt offered them another tour of some areas they had not seen at first. They went to the armory to select equipment. Maurius and Clinton selected a short sword and a small dagger each, while Astrid chose a pair of long daggers. Their practices with the Tower knights gave them some skill with the weapons, and they already knew which ones were most efficient for them.
In the morning of the next day, they climbed into a Tumulos carriage along with Geralt. It took them a day to reach a remote village on the border with the South Kingdom, several kilometers away from the lifeless swamp, which formed a natural border between kingdoms. Its toxic waters, monsters, reptiles, and poisonous animals made it an unpleasant road to take. The tumulos stopped abruptly, several meters from the entrance of the village.
'What is it?' asked Astrid.
'No idea,' replied Geralt as they came down from the carriage.
'Jave, what is going on?' asked Geralt to a woman who, by her appearance, must have been about thirty years old.
'What do you mean?' asked Jave.
'The tomulos have stopped. I've never seen them do that.'
'Oh, that's because of the disturbance of elemental energy. Arcane magic spells not only suck the life of sacrifices; they also distort the elemental energy around them. The tombs feel it, and they get scared. I was also surprised to learn that those ghosts could feel fear,' Jave explained.
'I see. Thank you.'
The group approached the village walking.
'Who is she?' asked Maurius, to which Astrid reacted with a discreet hiss.
'Jave is a veteran. This is her last year with the regulators. In a few months, she ends her contract; she has seen everything and survived even more. Now things are calm, but they told me that ten years ago, many warlocks appeared all around the kingdom, and the regulators suffered many losses. Jave was one of the few survivors of a battle against a large group of warlocks,' explained Geralt.
When they reached the entrance to the village, a feeling of unpleasantness invaded them. The imbalance of elemental energy was so apparent that even non-magicians could feel it. They continued walking as the hairs on their forearms rose and the gossebumps invaded them. The situation only worsened when we saw the interior of the village. The residents were thrown in the middle of the street or in their homes, dead. Their faces were like mummies after several years of their deaths. Their skin had dried up and turned gray, like the bark of a tree; the eyes had shrunk, turning into small wrinkles of light gray color. The hair had fallen, the lips had dried up and lost their thickness; now they were only small lines of dry meat, and the half-opened mouths showed the teeth... The whole village was the same: dogs, cats, birds, everything was dead.
'This seems to be taken out of a horror story,' said Astrid. Her and Marius faces were twisted in a mix of fear and disgust expressions.
Clinton showed no reaction; his face was like a mask that did not express emotions. "This is power; it is incredible what arcane magic can do," he thought while enjoying the spectacle.
'Zombies!' cried one of the regulators. Then an explosion was heard. On arriving at the scene, one of the fire magicians had used a fireball to destroy a corpse that was still burning.
'What happened?' asked Jave.
'They are reanimating,' said the magician, who had just used his fire magic. He was sweating and short of breath. Just throwing a fireball in this environment, with the elements so distorted, was exhausting.
'A miasma nucleus is forming somewhere. Look for it; don't pay much attention to the zombies; they're still in the reanimation stage. Except for twisting on the floor, they can't do anything. Until dense miasma is formed, we are safe,' Jave assured.
Following her order, all regulators devoted themselves to searching for the miasma nucleus. They found it in the kitchen of one of the houses, over the body of an obese woman. A small amount of miasma covered the kitchen floor like fog, and when the regulators came, the woman's body slowly rose, trying to approach them. Jave ordered the fire magicians to use fire balls. In a few seconds, the house was burning, and the miasma nucleus had been consumed by the flames.
'Gather the bodies in the middle of the town, take them by the feet, and drag them. If you see miasma, do not come near and call a magician of fire. We'll burn them all. After the bodies are removed, burn the houses. Wind magicians, support the fire magicians,' Jave ordered.
It took them all day to clean the area. Having to wait to recover the magic energy spent after a simple attack did the job slow and heavy. It was midnight when the fire began to go out. The villa was reduced to a lot of ashes and coal. Only then did the regulators return to the headquarters. Destroying an entire village left a bad taste in the mouth. Astrid and Maurius had faces of sadness; they remembered the bodies they had just seen. They usually didn't think much about the peasants, but seeing them dead on the ground in such a cruel way was shocking. The worst were those who had initiated the reanimation process. They couldn't be sure, but they seemed to contract their faces in agony.
Clinton's face was a stone mask, while his mind was delighted with the memories of what he had just seen and learned. The relationship between arcane magic and miasma was very stimulating to his mind.
"Van Vatnik knew that magic energy does not degenerate; miasma is another variety of magic energy; he believed that there was more chaotic energy than pure elementary energy. He who succeeds in accessing that power will become a god."
That night, the new recruits had trouble sleeping. This included Clinton, but for different reasons. What he had experienced filled him with ideas and theories; he could not sleep from emotion.