Reima’s Shards

“Given the state of our country, it’s not surprising that events in the distant south are of little interest here. But despite this, various events, both significant and insignificant, are happening not only in neighboring lands but also far across the sea. In the case of Aldra, it can be said that this was the beginning of something bigger: for the first time in a very long time, the Kingdom of Ixian violated its policy of absolute neutrality and intervened in the affairs of another country. Carmin Vermilion, the king of this island nation, achieved what the rulers of the Rhemic Empire failed to do due to internal conflicts: he used ephemeral weapons and other fruits of modern science to annex foreign lands. Of course, the resources of the island of Akai were very limited, and it was not possible to carry out mass production of such weapons, but what was done was enough to crush the kingdom’s opponents. The warships of Ixian bombarded Aldra from the sea, and then their professional soldiers finished the job, killing everyone who resisted. At that time, the city was controlled by the “Symphony of Pain” cult, and its leader, Azalia, was one of the few whom the soldiers of Ixian spared. She was brought before the king and was supposed to answer his questions, but she refused. Then he cut off one of her legs, gave her a few minutes to feel the pain, and then wrapped his sword in hot flames and cauterized her wound, inflicting new suffering on her. Despite this, she did not tell him anything useful, in response to which he ordered Azalia to be subjected to various tortures. Nonak wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “Phew, as far as I know, he also ordered that she be prevented from committing suicide. Well, anyway, after a few months, she revealed all her secrets, after which she was burned at the stake along with all the other cultists. After that, Carmin and his subjects continued their military aggression against other countries in the south, and who knows if anyone will be able to stop him now.”