Posts from 🎀 Wisteria 🎀 Auto-translated

/ A survey needs to be conducted. /

— Your Highness. — Having performed her now routine duty, the white-haired maid bowed elegantly and departed with equal grace, leaving Lucretia Air el Sufir alone with herself. The Countess watched Balsamina Azurit with an approving gaze, noting that she knew her place, yet displayed none of the uncertainty and fear typical of new servants, which made the talent snatched from “Snow White” a very valuable acquisition. More than once or twice she had dealt with familiar maids or those who, out of fear of the imperial family, could not cope with their duties; therefore, she was very pleased with Balsamina's work and behavior.
Lucretia's breakfast today consisted of a varied assortment of vegetables, greens, neatly sliced boar meat, and a cup of black coffee with sugar. Unlike her sister the Empress, she felt cool toward sweets and preferred food that increases energy levels and stimulates brain activity. Finishing her morning meal, Lucretia picked up a fresh report on the affairs of the capital and, when her eyes reached certain lines, she laughed. If the text was to be believed, a certain resident of Lower Clematis had taken her own life because the poor soul was not allowed onto Azure Avenue despite repeated attempts to enter. When this rule, specific to this district of the capital, was adopted, if she had expected anything, it certainly wasn't this. Be that as it may, the Countess had initially been against such an eccentric innovation adopted by the Empress, believing that the city's residents would neither accept nor understand such a law, but as time showed, everything turned out not to be so bad: the population of Clematis was becoming more conscious of their appearance, which aligned well with the trends set by the authorities and made the capital a more aesthetically pleasing city; furthermore, it allowed her to better gauge the degree of permissibility for future bills: if the people swallowed this, they would swallow others.
Setting the report aside, Lucretia looked at the clock: 7:15. She tried to sleep exactly seven hours and thirty minutes, like a machine, and woke up quite early—at least compared to Astrea, who loved to lounge in bed until lunch. However, as inefficient as such a regimen seemed to her, she sometimes thought that her other sisters would also benefit from following the Empress's example; perhaps then it would be easier to find common ground with them. Remembering her sisters, a wave of irritation surged through Lucretia's mind: if the behavior of Brachea, who had always been characterized by excessive piety and undue nobility, was expected, then Vivian was too naive and unpredictable. Lucretia and Astrea wanted their sister to lead a new branch of Arterianism, but Vivi not only refused this, but in her foolishness visited the suffering residents of the city, trying to "ease their spiritual suffering." And where did that lead? She left the palace grounds without asking permission and took a knife to the ribs from one of those she was trying to help. Organized dissidents? A government conspiracy? The reality was much simpler, for to ignite human hatred, a great flame was not needed; it was enough to be a member of the ruling dynasty and find oneself without security, alone with a failure who blamed anyone for his mishaps but himself. What was wild to Lucretia was that Vivi still had not forgiven her for the secret execution of the offender.
— Everything is the will of the Goddess, — she brushed away the negative thoughts and smirked, knowing perfectly well that if anyone wasn't a righteous follower of Arteria, it was certainly her. In any case, Vivi's naive stupidity had opened new opportunities and accelerated the processes initiated by the government, and the priestly work could be entrusted to Primula. The future of Airisufir promised to be bright: achieving independence from the church, cultivating a new specialization under the guidance of Rogdan Kraffmeyer, Matthew Ariston, and the court Wizard, the appropriation of the resource-rich and populous territories of Sselay and Euclasia...

As could be noticed over the last few weeks and especially days, due to a combination of factors, I am unable to handle the normal management, and therefore I am putting the game on pause for an indefinite period (maybe for a week, or maybe much longer) to run it properly rather than by force. When I resume, I will expand the current locations, but I will do only one at a time (of course, if the players still have an interest in them). Most likely it will be either Sselay -> East -> Euclasia or Euclasia -> East -> Sselay. Regarding Clematis, we'll see how it goes + by the time I resume, I will likely rework certain things in the mech, as after the timeskip I realized that in its current form it is too heavy for constant editing.

Unlike her sister, the empress, she was not fond of sweets and preferred food that would increase her energy levels and stimulate brain activity.

But isn't that exactly what sweets do...?
Okay, looking forward to the continuation, good luck!

I don't know, but when I eat sweets (which is never), I just want to lie down and do nothing.

/And I start to resemble the squirrel from "The True Story of Red Riding Hood" after eating half a chocolate bar.
And, just like that squirrel, I also answer all those who ask: "I don't drink coffee!!!"/

/But when I don't eat sweets, then yes, I just want to lie down and do nothing./

Are you a cop?

/Ugh, it's because of faces like that that I didn't bother reading the book back then./

But that's exactly what sweets do...

This passage also surprised me a bit. I wouldn't say that Lucretia's meal composition is particularly conducive to brain activity.

Added after 24 minutes

Lucretia took a fresh report on the affairs in the capital and, when her eyes reached certain lines, she laughed.

Just like Rinze in that article...

/ Ugh, because of faces like that, I didn't watch the movie back then./

PTSD from the Mafia.

Strength and gold are the essence of independence in free cities. Possessing at least one of them is the main condition for preserving one's life and avoiding the fate of a slave. Jabalah never distinguished himself by strength or courage, but he was lucky enough to be born the first son in a wealthy family, and therefore he never knew poverty. And over time, thanks to his sharp mind, deep understanding of trade, and patience, he was able to multiply his wealth many times over and become one of the most powerful people in the free cities. The city of Pir, where he was once born, is now Jabalah's personal possession. Gold made him a king, but will it be able to save his life?
Features: double voice.
ND. Order: can control the actions of the scorpion, harpist, and assassin.

It's Raphael. Even the servants are Rish, Kaya, and Alm.

/I used to think I was a master of references, but you showed me what's what. Even Chrysanthemum doesn't bring things down like that./
/Although, I couldn't find the names of Jabbah's servants. If it's from some descriptive part, then it's okay./

considered himself a master of references

Well, you went a bit too far... We have enough titans of references here, and their level is still hard to surpass.

If this is from some descriptive part

You read it as the last line.

Well, your servants aren't Sko, Arf, and Ubi, are they?

If Locken were to recruit three more additional heroes, their names would likely be something along those lines.

A long, graceful snake slithered across the cracked, parched earth under the bright midday sun and stopped near the bodies of fallen Lisliar warriors, as if examining them with interest. One of them, likely not just an officer but an aristocrat, judging by the quality of his armor and luxurious cloak, lay face down, and now there was nothing on his once noble face but a grimace of pain and traces of dry dirt. One of his comrades, probably his subordinate, was cut in two, the lower part of his body lying in one place, and the other a few meters away with his arms outstretched, as if in his last moments he was trying to reach something in an attempt to find salvation. The third had a bullet wound in his chest, near his heart; the lead bullet clearly pierced even his armor. It was impossible to determine where the head of the fourth warrior was among the pile of corpses. The fifth sat leaning against a large stone and gasped heavily, periodically coughing up large clots of blood. The sound of approaching footsteps made the snake alert, and it slithered away. Arcisia Lao looked at the enemy warrior with empty eyes and realized that there was nothing she could do for him. The events of recent times reminded her of the days when she was just a mortal, and today's victory of the anti-Lisliar coalition forces was a stark reminder of that fateful moment when she became a valkyrie, an avatar of the Vistarian goddess. Arcisia recited a short Arterian prayer and relieved the Lisliar soldier of his suffering. Looking around once more and confirming that the battle was over, she noticed one of her sisters in the distance. A couple of hours earlier, Cornelia Verben moved among the Lisliars like the wind, cutting their throats before they could understand what was happening. Without wasting time, Arcisia swung her sword and, cutting through the space in front of her, moved to where her battle companion was.
"Has Sharan Aganso still not shown up?"
Cornelia was not the only one concerned about this question. The King of Lisliar possessed enough power to pose a threat to the valkyries of Arteria, and in terms of firepower, he was not inferior to a large army, so his presence on the front lines could play a huge role, which would greatly affect the strategy of the anti-Lisliar forces. Instead of answering, Arcisia mimed a noose tightening around her neck and then sharply lowered her head.
"Okay, if that's the case," Cornelia smirked. "But we both understand that this is unlikely. Given the situation in this country, I would not be surprised if I found out that he had long since moved to another part of the continent, or even beyond it."
She was right; Lisliar's defeat in this war was inevitable from the very beginning. No matter how fiercely the defenders of the western borders of the empire defended their homeland from the forces of Moenia, Shafran, and Reginleif, all their efforts were in vain when the rest of the country was plunged into civil war, with no one ever fully understanding who was on whose side and who was fighting for what.
"Indeed, a bloody tax..." Arcisia captured the results of today's battle in her mind and, with a sigh, lowered her eyes, feeling no joy from the achieved victory. She had lived a very long life, but she had never witnessed a tragedy of this scale before.
"Arcisia, snap out of it!" Cornelia sharply pulled her sister by the shoulder. "Now is not the time to get lost in thought!"
Looking around again, Arcisia realized that something strange was happening. Was the battle not over yet? No, that wasn't it... She refused to believe her eyes: the soldiers of Moenia and Shafran were attacking reinforcements from Reginleif! The valkyries exchanged glances, and Arcisia Lao, using the power of her stigma, moved from place to place in search of the Moenian commander.
Cornelia, meanwhile, was trying to help her comrades but was quickly surrounded by the enemy.
"Blame your own arrogance for this outcome!" Cornelia drew her sword and in an instant struck down all her opponents, but they rose to their feet again, as if the fatal wounds inflicted on them had no effect on them. "Ha... Try to get up after this!" This time, the Valkyrie of the Scarlet Rose hacked her opponents to pieces, and now they did not rise.

"Minerva..." Having covered a significant distance from her battle companion, Arcisia Lao finally stood before the Moenian commander. "You've gone completely mad?" Noticing the malicious grin on Titanius's face and looking around, the valkyrie realized something with horror. "How long ago...?"
"Since the day I lost my right eye." The Consul did not pretend to be foolish or evade the answer, directly confirming Arcisia's fears. "Do you think that those who could not defeat me in battle could take it away? It was proof of my devotion to the righteous cause!"
"So that's how it is..." The valkyrie grabbed the hilt of her sword. "Before I send you to the embrace of the Goddess, let me know your reasons."
"Ha-ha-ha!" Titanius covered his only eye with his palm and threw his head back. "In another situation, I would gladly agree to your offer, but, alas, it is still too early for me to leave this world. Know this, valkyrie of the false cult, that Titanius Minerva's love for Arteria surpasses all his other aspirations, and even gods and demons will not force him to stray from the righteous path!"
"In that case, farewell..."
"I'm afraid that your opponent will not be me."
Arcisia Lao did not have time to react and only saw the tip of someone's spear emerge from her chest. She tried to change the situation with her divine powers, but soon realized that the blessing of Arteria had left her. Turning around, she met the gaze of a white-haired rider, and the look of her cold, indifferent golden eyes was the last thing she saw.