🎀 Wisteria 🎀

Given the reception, it should have been guessed that the assignment wasn't left by the shop owner—after all, the job description only mentioned where to find Miconia Esdes, not her occupation. Had an impatient person been in his place, they might have abandoned the job idea entirely, deciding not to deal with the old woman behind the counter. As a result, they would never have met the real Miconia. But all this, of course, assumes they would have made the same mistake. A redundant reminder that one should not rush to conclusions.

Miconia escorted the guests to her room, allowed them to introduce themselves, and offered non-alcoholic drinks. To everyone except Claudis.
— Now, tell me, — she picked up a thick notebook with butterflies and flowers on the cover and a fashionable fountain pen, — where are you from and what can you tell me about your homeland.

After thanking the girl for the drink, the Sorceress gave the brothers the opportunity to be the first to share their experiences. Settling in comfortably, she listened to Scipio's story with no less interest than Miconia herself. Only when they had told everything they wished to tell and answered every one of the girl's questions did Lindernia begin her own story. Of course, after ensuring that her interlocutor was ready to listen.
— I think my story will not be as interesting as that of the Bernhard brothers. But, I hope, it will also be to your liking, — the Moenian honestly admitted. — I'll start by saying that I am originally from Moenia, but I spent ten years of my life in Isselia, due to my talent for magic. So, I can tell you about the peculiarities of both countries at once. And the first of them, perhaps, will be Moenia—the homeland, after all. As you probably know, Moenia is among the few countries that did not feel the oppression of the Selvarian conquerors during the invasion that occurred two centuries ago. As a result, in my native lands, prejudices regarding those with white hair are not only less common, but many traditions of the past are still practiced everywhere and a democratic system is still preserved. Setting aside the recent laws authored by Titan Minerva, every resident of the republic is equal to another—it does not matter if they were born into a family of simple workers or are the child of a consul. And every resident can hold a position of power, up to governing the country, provided that others support them in the elections. The same applies to many legislative matters—as a rule, residents exert a direct influence on which laws will be adopted and which will not. However, there are certain nuances in this regard—participation in these votes is taken not by an individual, but by the family as a whole. The individual serves purely as its representative. Consequently, many Moenians are extremely selective in searching for a partner. As for single people who have not found their one and only, they simply have no right to vote. The family as a whole, as well as the equality of citizens among themselves, occupies an important position in our culture. Only the cult of the martial craft can compare in importance—a consequence of Moenia's location, where residents have had to defend themselves since ancient times from enemies of all stripes. Our folklore is full of stories about brave souls fighting terrible monsters. Books dedicated to history extol the military feats of our soldiers. And even now, it is difficult to find a single adult who has not encountered Lisliarian raiders at least once on the battlefield. You see, every resident of my homeland is obliged, upon turning sixteen, to serve at least five years in the army. But many stay even after this term expires—a sense of duty and the prestige associated with military affairs take their toll. But that is all the general picture, now let's move on to the details, — after this, Lindernia spent a considerable amount of time telling Miconia about the holidays and traditions related to the described elements of Moenian culture, as well as others that did not fall into these categories but were still practiced in her homeland. Finishing the stories about her native lands, the Sorceress switched to Isselia. — As for Isselia, the situation here is, in many ways, the opposite of Moenia—it has no proprietary traditions or cultural peculiarities as such. This feature is linked both to the size of the country and its history—Isselia was created as a place for the study of the magical arts, and many students of the local academy, upon completing their studies, return to their native lands. Instead of having its own cultural identity, Isselia houses representatives of the most diverse cultures that fill Visteria. Each of them brings a small piece of their homeland, whether it be characteristic cuisine, clothing, or any other elements of culture. It was in Isselia that I became acquainted with many dishes that were exotic to me, which many in Moenia have not even heard of, — after these words, the Sorceress went into some depth regarding personal encounters with foreign cultures which, in her opinion, might seem curious to her interlocutor, told of the few holidays that had official status in Isselia, and concluded with a story about other peculiarities of staying in the country of mages, such as studying at the local academy.