Schroeder's Speech

Principality of Bosque, Stravburg. Cassius gently pushed open the hidden door in the wall and stepped into the grand hall. The members of the Arcane Hermitage had not all arrived yet, but the hall was already abuzz with discussion. Shadows hung over most faces—an anxious dread of what the future held. Most members of the Anzeta chapter were Northland nobles, long accustomed to lives of luxury and dissipation. But now, the shadow of the red dragon loomed over the entire Northlands, and the principalities tottered on the brink of collapse. They feared the flames of war spreading to their own homelands, stripping away their noble status in the process. Seeing Cassius arrive, the tall noblewoman was the first to approach and greet him. "Good day, Mr. Embers." "Good day, Lady Tulip. You look as charming as ever." Cassius replied politely. It wasn't just her; several others came forward to strike up conversation, some even deliberately flattering him. At the previous Arcane Hermitage gathering, his lavish spending had drawn widespread attention. Speculation about his identity had run wild, but the most plausible and widely accepted theory was that "Embers" was an illegitimate son of a noble house from the southern Fadlan Empire, seeking to expand his family's influence into Anzeta. At this moment, however, a hint of worry lingered in the noblewoman's pretty eyes. Feigning ignorance, Cassius asked, "Lady Tulip, is something on your mind?" "Tulip" sighed and replied, "Not just mine—everyone here mourns the fall of the Principality of Lakeman. "That evil dragon is simply too terrifying, too brutal. They say he trampled mercilessly upon the sacred traditions of the Northlands and slaughtered many of noble blood. It's said that on that day, blood dyed the Council Square red." "Indeed. Truly horrifying," Cassius agreed with a slight nod, playing along. Another member chimed in, "The evil dragon's tyrannical rule is doomed to be overthrown! Champions of justice will rise up! "He actually made noble Northland aristocrats sit as equals with those commoners—those gray cattle! Utterly preposterous! "It is a complete destruction of the Northlands' order!" "Aye, that evil dragon will surely meet retribution!" "Our Telish family has already recruited adventurers to purge that wicked beast!" "Should war come, our Principality of Fano will fight to the death! We will never surrender our land to monsters!" Listening to these impassioned declarations, Cassius quietly committed their words to memory—along with the families and realms of those who spoke. *Just chopped off a few dozen heads, yet they make such a fuss. These Northland nobles certainly react strongly.* *No matter. One step at a time.* *You'll get used to it eventually.* Cassius resolved silently. Little did that noble know that his casual bluster would bring utter ruin upon his house in the not-so-distant future. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Olivia, the "Silver Stars," appeared in the hall once more. "Good day, Miss Stars," Cassius greeted her first. She didn't answer aloud, but sent a clear, melodic voice that only Cassius could hear through a Message spell. "I asked my grandfather. He said gold dragons have no fondness for a magic-sparse land like Anzeta. Aside from an adult female, the only other gold dragon residing here temporarily is a young male. If I recall correctly, your name is Anhel, son of the ancient gold dragon Castro, right?" Olivia raised a brow at him, looking rather pleased with herself, as if she had uncovered some grand secret. Cassius paused, momentarily taken aback, then felt somewhere between tears and laughter. He truly hadn't expected this clever-clogs silver dragon to flesh out his cover story for him, sparing him the trouble of researching a disguise. So, neither confirming nor denying her claim, he replied with a Message of his own. "Miss Stars, prying into a member's identity violates the charter of the Arcane Hermitage. As head of the Anzeta chapter, are you leading the way in breaking your own rules?" "You're the one who started it—" "I never deliberately dug for information; it was mere hearsay. There is a fundamental difference between the two." "Hmph. Pretentious gold dragon." ... Once again, the gathering took place in the lavishly decorated hall around a massive round table. The members of the Arcane Hermitage took their seats one after another. "Now that everyone has arrived..." Just as Olivia was about to proceed with the Hermitage's usual agenda, someone cut her off, speaking out of turn. Her brow furrowed slightly, yet she gave a polite nod, permitting him to continue. "Pardon my intrusion, Lady Stars. "I do not mean to disrupt the proceedings, but I believe there is a far more pressing matter that demands our discussion. This aligns with Lord Trafalanlo's decree: 'Strike evil together if necessary.'" The speaker was none other than "Grey Hawk," Schroeder. Furrows of exhaustion and sorrow lined his face, making him appear twenty years older than before. Schroeder looked grim, as if shrouded in gloom, his tone steeped in grief. "Now that matters have come to this, I will no longer conceal my identity. "I was once a court mage of the Principality of Lakeman and a noble of high birth. But now... I am nothing more than a homeless wanderer roaming the lands." Upon hearing his words, the gathered members wore deliberate expressions of pity and regret, whatever their true thoughts might have been. Schroeder's voice grew raspy. "I witnessed with my own eyes that red dragon slaughter our coalition army and reduce our cities to ruins, powerless to stop it. "Now, this red dragon has destroyed the realm I served, brutally oppressed my people, and mercilessly slaughtered the principality's nobility." Hearing this, the members present looked sorrowful; some were even moved to tears by his plight. Olivia frowned slightly at this. She said softly, "However, according to my investigation, Duke Brad, whom you served, was indeed a vampire, and the Kingdom of Cinders has yet to commit any slaughter against the common folk. Your words seem a bit—" Before she could finish, Schroeder cut in vehemently. "Lady Stars, all I can say is that you are far too kind, far too naive! By the gods, that is a red dragon! The very incarnation of evil and cruelty! How could you be so absurd as to believe lies spun by a red dragon?! "A vampire? A brazen slander! If you ask me, he is the true vampire—greedily leeching off the entire Northern Kingdom! "And who knows what horrors that wicked dragon will unleash in the future? If he dares butcher nobles today, tomorrow he will devour entire cities—devour every human in the Northlands!" "I..." Olivia wanted to push back and explain that her information came from magical scrying imagery, not pamphlets from the Kingdom of Cinders. Yet Schroeder, deliberately or otherwise, ignored her objections. His impassioned diatribe surged forward without pause, giving her no chance to defend herself. By now, Schroeder's speech had reached its crescendo. He rose to his feet, sweeping his gaze across the gathering with profound tragedy in his eyes. "My friends, the Principality of Lakeman—which stood for four hundred years—has fallen! Next will be the Principality of Norton, and after that, who? "If we do not resist now, the next ones slaughtered by the evil dragon could be yourselves!"