It had been six years since the Aap Stampede incident in the Sullar Forest. The townspeople now saw that day as nothing more than a day of mourning—a sudden tragedy that left a deep scar in the history of Isildus. However, the reality was far from that. Stampedes now occurred almost every month across the Kingdom of Corsica and several neighboring kingdoms. No one knew the cause. Stampedes, which used to happen once every two to five years, now struck relentlessly, leaving rivers of blood in their wake.
The city of Isildus had transformed into what felt like a battlefield. Funeral ceremonies were held every month to honor fallen soldiers and citizens, but the cemeteries were quickly filling up, leaving no more room for the dead to rest. The recruitment rate for soldiers had skyrocketed, and the standards for enlistment had dropped so drastically that even 15-year-olds could now join. Some nobles were even considering mandatory military service for every 14-year-old.
The term "soldier" now carried a negative connotation. Many viewed it as a job that wasted lives for inadequate pay. The quality of equipment had significantly declined. Once, every city soldier was equipped with a full set of armor; now, they were given only low-quality leather gear.
Sebastian’s home in the soldier village had become known as the "Black Village", a name that struck fear into the townspeople. Every day, new families arrived to occupy the empty houses—only for those same houses to be vacant again before the month was over. Some citizens of Isildus believed visiting the soldier village would bring a curse, marking them for death during the next Stampede. The residents of the village were increasingly mocked and discriminated against by the rest of the town.
In the heart of Isildus, inside Duke Kleon’s residence, nobles gathered for a crucial meeting to determine their next course of action. What was supposed to be a productive discussion had turned into a heated argument. Duke Kleon sat silently, holding his head, now streaked with gray hair. Beside him stood his advisors, including his financial advisor, trusted diplomats, and several of the Duke’s guards.
“WE MUST ENFORCE MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE NOW! NO ONE WANTS TO ENLIST AS A SOLDIER ANYMORE!”
“ARE YOU INSANE?! MANY OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE ALREADY FLED TO OTHER KINGDOMS! IF WE IMPOSE MANDATORY SERVICE, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN?!”
The argument grew even fiercer. Some nobles drew their swords, pointing them at their opponents in a fit of rage. Suddenly, the door to the meeting room swung open, and Cardinal Valentinus entered with his guards. The room fell silent. The once-fiery nobles returned to their seats without another word.
Cardinal Valentinus looked significantly more pale and thin than he had in the past. His once bloated belly and chubby cheeks had wasted away, leaving him frail and sickly. Valentinus claimed it was due to the stress of worrying about the citizens’ safety, but no one truly knew the reason for his rapid decline.
“Good evening, Duke Kleon. May God bless you.”
“Good evening, Cardinal.”
“I apologize for my tardiness. There was an important matter I had to attend to at the church.”
“It’s alright. Now that the room is quiet, perhaps we can proceed.”
Valentinus took his seat and began: “As I’ve mentioned before, it’s possible these Stampedes are of a spiritual nature. For too long, we have strayed from God’s teachings and committed grave sins without seeking forgiveness. God is sending us this calamity as a reminder of His presence.”
Duke Kleon briefly glanced at Cardinal Valentinus, but the other nobles seemed captivated by his words. Dozens of investigations into the Stampede phenomenon had been conducted by the Kingdom of Corsica, yet none had yielded any results. Rumors had also begun circulating that the Latinum Diocese had not suffered a single Stampede attack, despite the surrounding kingdoms being ravaged by them.
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“So, what do you suggest, Cardinal?”
“Pope Gregory has tasked me with a special mission to investigate the Stampedes in the Kingdom of Corsica. Perhaps Duke Kleon could assist me in carrying out this task.”
Lilian, Duke Kleon’s financial advisor, quickly whispered something to him. After a moment, she stepped back, and Duke Kleon remained silent, deep in thought, as he looked around at the nobles.
“How much coin do you need?”
“You are very generous, Duke Kleon, but I have no intention of taking gold from the people who are already suffering. All I wish is to offer a blessing to this city before the next Stampede. I want non-soldier citizens to gather at the church and pray for the city’s safety.”
Duke Kleon glanced at Marshal Ipsilas, who had been silent, his eyes half-closed as if asleep. Ipsilas opened his eyes and gazed at Cardinal Valentinus with suspicion. It was no secret that Ipsilas disliked church agents. He had once fought against the Latinum Diocese decades ago and often described the priests and agents as “venomous snakes with the slippery skin of eels.”
“Only non-soldiers? Nothing else?” Ipsilas asked.
“I don’t wish to burden you further. Besides, the townspeople can use the church as a temporary shelter.”
Their gazes locked, understanding the fragile relationship between them and the thin ice they were treading on. Ipsilas suspected that Valentinus had his own hidden agenda. He also knew several nobles had been receiving regular ‘donations’ from Valentinus over the past few years.
Ipsilas then looked at Duke Kleon, who had grown thinner over time. The stress and pressure from the king had aged him. His once-cheerful friend now looked weary, with dark circles under his eyes. Ipsilas shook his head, unable to believe he had to comply with Valentinus’s wishes.
“Very well. The townspeople may use the church as a shelter. However, I cannot spare a single soldier for security.”
“Don’t worry, Marshal. The security around the church will be my responsibility.”
The room fell silent again. If the intensity of their gazes could make a sound, it would resemble the clashing of swords on a battlefield. The nobles remained quiet, not daring to speak.
“Does anyone else have any suggestions worth hearing?” Duke Kleon asked.
No one spoke. Duke Kleon stood and left the room without another word. He and his advisors moved to another chamber to continue their meeting. Kleon looked exhausted, but he knew more important matters awaited for the sake of his city.
“I don’t know what that snake is planning, but this whole thing reeks of cow dung,” Ipsilas muttered.
“At least he’s not asking for financial aid. That’s all I care about right now. We’ve lost 70% of our tax revenue since this whole Stampede Incident started. I’ve had to cut so many budgets that our soldiers look more like mountain bandits than actual soldiers,” Lilian replied.
“The latest news is that the Nikolaos family is very close to Cardinal Valentinus’s inner circle, but several major families still support you,” said Petruci, Duke Kleon’s diplomat.
“Is there anything else I need to hear tonight?”
Suddenly, the room fell silent. The advisors exchanged glances, realizing Duke Kleon was utterly exhausted. They stood, bowed respectfully, and left the room. Only Ipsilas and Duke Kleon remained.
“That Cardinal, Valentinus... I don’t know what it is, but he definitely knows something—or maybe more,” Ipsilas said.
“What do you suspect? We’ve been monitoring him for two years and found nothing. Yes, he’s a snake, but nothing more than that.”
Ipsilas fell silent. He had a bad feeling about Valentinus’s proposal, but he couldn’t reject it based on a hunch, especially when many nobles would side with Valentinus if he showed any sign of disagreement. Moreover, with the Nikolaos family involved, they likely had their own agenda, given their desire for Ipsilas’s position.
“Times like these make me wish for a miracle—like the golden child in the Sullar Forest six years ago.”
“You’re still talking about that? Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”
“No, not at all. After I beheaded the Great Simian, I went to the spot where the golden child was, but all I found were corpses and entrails of dozens of Aap.”
“Maybe you were hallucinating. Your vision might’ve been blurry, given your age.”
“No. I clearly saw that small figure using Essence. Whether they knew it or not, their actions saved dozens of lives that day, and I’m grateful to them.”
Duke Kleon smiled and said, “I hope your golden child returns to perform another miracle. I truly need one now.”