"Be careful, don’t get spotted!"
Night swept over the Rayleigh city, painting the city in a coat of darkness, making the perfect cover for a few sneaking silhouettes. A few mages crept about the city with a large sack. They stuck to the walls to avoid detection.
Their bag was not sealed tightly, upon closer inspection, one could see that there were the edges of rolled up newspapers peeking out. The words "The Free Mage" could be seen clearly.
"Rest assured, my mental energy is as sharp as a knife." One of the mages said, "Sir Benjamin wanted to make sure that this operation would go on without a hitch, which is why he assigned a mentally sharp mage to every squad. Don’t worry, if there is any danger, I will sense it."
They were from the rebel organization and were now carrying out Benjamin’s orders.
Their mission was to distribute the remaining copies of the newspaper to all the officers’ and nobles’ houses.
The Free Mages was only available for a short time before it was labeled as contraband and seized by the state. The fact that it was banned purely for defying the church angered them greatly.
The Church could ban their newspaper, but they would fight back. If the newspaper wasn’t allowed to be sold, they would just sneak it into people’s houses. It would be impossible for the church to destroy all of the smuggled copies!
"Hmm... it’s here, the main officer’s residence in Rayleigh - our first destination."
Slowly, the mages reached the city center. The squatted behind the railing and looked inside.
"There seem to be guards on patrol; it’s too dangerous to go inside, we should use magic to send it in."
"Alright, let’s do it."
One of the mages took out two copies of the paper and started chanting silently. With a magical pulse, the wind suddenly blew the two papers over the railing and through the courtyard.
The Breeze Spell - a beginner spell that was easy to use. It did not have much power, but it also did not leave much magical trace, making it ideal for their current job.
"Alright, I blew it through the gap in the door; the guards did not notice anything." the caster nodded and said quietly. "Next."
The mages heard this and quickly snuck away toward their next destination.
Benjamin stated that they did not need to be precise with their deliveries, they could drop it on the tables, jam it in their doorways, all they had to do was make sure the houses’ residents would eventually find it.
As for the residents... some will read it, while others will throw it into the trash. What they did with it did not matter. If the issue became bigger, more people will become curious about the matter. Like a movie, if it is said to be controversial and banned by the government, people would not be able to resist searching for it online. These newspapers were no different.
This was Benjamin’s real goal.
As the night went on, the mages slowly completed their task.
The second morning.
In the residence of the main officer, the butler yawned as he slowly made his way to the front door to welcome the start of a new day.
But, as he reached the doorway he stopped.
"What’s this?"
The butler knelt and picked up two pieces of rolled up newspaper from the ground. He was confused.
Strange... The lord did not order any news, but even if he did, the paperboy would hand it to the guards. The paper should not appear inside the house.
He flipped open the paper to have a look.
"Wait... is this... The Free Mage?"
The butler’s face immediately changed.
He was perfectly aware of what had happened the day before. Soldiers had knocked on every house in the city to search for a newspaper that they called "the Corruptor’s Language". Many nobles got into trouble because of it.
They were lucky to have been spared yesterday due to the fact that his lord seldom read the news. But today... damn it, how did this blasted newspaper get into their house?
The butler panicked.
He was fearful and wanted to tear the news up and throw it into the fire, burning all traces of it. But after some thought, he decided against it.
How could he be the one to make such a big decision?
He had better let the lord decide...
Thus, the butler took a deep breath, folded the news in half with his shaky hands, and went to the lord’s bedroom. The lord of the city was already awake and was talking to the wife about something when the butler knocked on his door. After getting permission, he hurriedly entered the room.
"What’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?" The lord of the city walked over and asked jokingly.
"Sir... this." The butler handed the paper over and explained, "I do not know why, but this thing appeared on our doormat this morning."
The lord of the city took the newspaper and started reading it with his wife.
But, after a while, their eyes started to widen in horror, as if they just seen the Devil open the gates of hell and he was now smiling at them.
"Did anyone else see you take this?" After some silence, the lord of the city lifted his head and asked.
"I doubt it, sir. I was the first one to wake up."
"Alright... you may go." The lord of the city was silent for a long time, then sighed I said," Don’t tell anyone about this and pretend that you never saw these newspapers. If anyone asks, play dumb."
"Understood." The butler bowed and left.
After closing the door...
"What’s going on? Are people trying to get us in trouble?" His wife clutched onto his shoulder and asked fearfully.
"Probably not. "The lord of the city shook his head and said, "If someone wanted to blackmail us, the soldiers would be bringing in the newspaper, not the butler."
The wife heard this and was relieved. She looked curiously at the forbidden newspaper.
"Well...what are you going to do with it?"
The lord of the city held on to the papers tightly, his eyes burning brightly as if he was thinking.
"No matter what, we have to destroy these things before the soldiers come in." He finally opened his mouth and spoke, "You must have heard the rumors, right?"
The wife nodded, "Indeed."
"Something huge is about to happen in Ferelden." The lord of the city clutched onto the newspaper as if he was holding onto an oracle, "We have to start making preparations regardless of whether or not the Church is truly in control of the Queen. We cannot just stay here like sitting ducks"
"Well… if it is true, which side will we take?"
The lord of the city sighed.
"I don’t know..."
After a long silence, they both looked at each other before slowly reopening the newspapers.
"Be careful, don’t get spotted!"
Night swept over the Rayleigh city, painting the city in a coat of darkness, making the perfect cover for a few sneaking silhouettes. A few mages crept about the city with a large sack. They stuck to the walls to avoid detection.
Their bag was not sealed tightly, upon closer inspection, one could see that there were the edges of rolled up newspapers peeking out. The words "The Free Mage" could be seen clearly.
"Rest assured, my mental energy is as sharp as a knife." One of the mages said, "Sir Benjamin wanted to make sure that this operation would go on without a hitch, which is why he assigned a mentally sharp mage to every squad. Don’t worry, if there is any danger, I will sense it."
They were from the rebel organization and were now carrying out Benjamin’s orders.
Their mission was to distribute the remaining copies of the newspaper to all the officers’ and nobles’ houses.
The Free Mages was only available for a short time before it was labeled as contraband and seized by the state. The fact that it was banned purely for defying the church angered them greatly.
The Church could ban their newspaper, but they would fight back. If the newspaper wasn’t allowed to be sold, they would just sneak it into people’s houses. It would be impossible for the church to destroy all of the smuggled copies!
"Hmm... it’s here, the main officer’s residence in Rayleigh - our first destination."
Slowly, the mages reached the city center. The squatted behind the railing and looked inside.
"There seem to be guards on patrol; it’s too dangerous to go inside, we should use magic to send it in."
"Alright, let’s do it."
One of the mages took out two copies of the paper and started chanting silently. With a magical pulse, the wind suddenly blew the two papers over the railing and through the courtyard.
The Breeze Spell - a beginner spell that was easy to use. It did not have much power, but it also did not leave much magical trace, making it ideal for their current job.
"Alright, I blew it through the gap in the door; the guards did not notice anything." the caster nodded and said quietly. "Next."
The mages heard this and quickly snuck away toward their next destination.
Benjamin stated that they did not need to be precise with their deliveries, they could drop it on the tables, jam it in their doorways, all they had to do was make sure the houses’ residents would eventually find it.
As for the residents... some will read it, while others will throw it into the trash. What they did with it did not matter. If the issue became bigger, more people will become curious about the matter. Like a movie, if it is said to be controversial and banned by the government, people would not be able to resist searching for it online. These newspapers were no different.
This was Benjamin’s real goal.
As the night went on, the mages slowly completed their task.
The second morning.
In the residence of the main officer, the butler yawned as he slowly made his way to the front door to welcome the start of a new day.
But, as he reached the doorway he stopped.
"What’s this?"
The butler knelt and picked up two pieces of rolled up newspaper from the ground. He was confused.
Strange... The lord did not order any news, but even if he did, the paperboy would hand it to the guards. The paper should not appear inside the house.
He flipped open the paper to have a look.
"Wait... is this... The Free Mage?"
The butler’s face immediately changed.
He was perfectly aware of what had happened the day before. Soldiers had knocked on every house in the city to search for a newspaper that they called "the Corruptor’s Language". Many nobles got into trouble because of it.
They were lucky to have been spared yesterday due to the fact that his lord seldom read the news. But today... damn it, how did this blasted newspaper get into their house?
The butler panicked.
He was fearful and wanted to tear the news up and throw it into the fire, burning all traces of it. But after some thought, he decided against it.
How could he be the one to make such a big decision?
He had better let the lord decide...
Thus, the butler took a deep breath, folded the news in half with his shaky hands, and went to the lord’s bedroom. The lord of the city was already awake and was talking to the wife about something when the butler knocked on his door. After getting permission, he hurriedly entered the room.
"What’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?" The lord of the city walked over and asked jokingly.
"Sir... this." The butler handed the paper over and explained, "I do not know why, but this thing appeared on our doormat this morning."
The lord of the city took the newspaper and started reading it with his wife.
But, after a while, their eyes started to widen in horror, as if they just seen the Devil open the gates of hell and he was now smiling at them.
"Did anyone else see you take this?" After some silence, the lord of the city lifted his head and asked.
"I doubt it, sir. I was the first one to wake up."
"Alright... you may go." The lord of the city was silent for a long time, then sighed I said," Don’t tell anyone about this and pretend that you never saw these newspapers. If anyone asks, play dumb."
"Understood." The butler bowed and left.
After closing the door...
"What’s going on? Are people trying to get us in trouble?" His wife clutched onto his shoulder and asked fearfully.
"Probably not. "The lord of the city shook his head and said, "If someone wanted to blackmail us, the soldiers would be bringing in the newspaper, not the butler."
The wife heard this and was relieved. She looked curiously at the forbidden newspaper.
"Well...what are you going to do with it?"
The lord of the city held on to the papers tightly, his eyes burning brightly as if he was thinking.
"No matter what, we have to destroy these things before the soldiers come in." He finally opened his mouth and spoke, "You must have heard the rumors, right?"
The wife nodded, "Indeed."
"Something huge is about to happen in Ferelden." The lord of the city clutched onto the newspaper as if he was holding onto an oracle, "We have to start making preparations regardless of whether or not the Church is truly in control of the Queen. We cannot just stay here like sitting ducks"
"Well… if it is true, which side will we take?"
The lord of the city sighed.
"I don’t know..."
After a long silence, they both looked at each other before slowly reopening the newspapers.
