While Roland was still bewildered, in Nevis, the Sky City...
A group of mages who were staying, studying, or working there had gathered for an Arcana salon.
Broad, long tables, heavy high-backed chairs, gleaming silverware and glass wine goblets, magical crystal chandeliers hanging high overhead...
Everything was so luxurious and elegant.
Several well-dressed, refined mages were conversing, casually chatting about all manner of topics.
Naturally, they could hardly avoid the hottest topic of the moment: Oracle and the results of its magical adaptation.
"As everyone knows, our Atrelin Language is decent enough, but its writing system is truly atrocious."
"Yes, its grammar is cumbersome and its vocabulary chaotic. Even expert scholars frequently struggle to express themselves accurately. It has become a serious obstacle to the development of Arcana.
If we could find a suitable new magical script to adopt as the official standard and promote it widely, that would be quite a good thing."
Everyone agreed with these views.
Gallo, Oksaya, and the others from the Orthodox School arrived just in time to overhear snatches of the discussion. Their faces darkened.
They had manipulated public opinion before, but now it was as though fate were mercilessly mocking them.
The facts had proven that their earlier tricks were worth nothing in the face of actual Arcana achievements.
Were the mages of Atrelin unfamiliar with Square Characters like Oracle?
Of course they were.
Accustomed to letters and words, did they find it awkward?
Of course they did.
Were they willing to take on extra study and spend their time and energy?
Of course not.
But...
What could they do when it worked so well?
Gallo, Oksaya, and the others exchanged looks, only to realize with some sadness that they, too, had come here to learn Oracle.
The salon's theme had been learning