Transitions and the Chummy Fist

Time quietly evaporated between sunrise and moonset.

A few years was not long for the Lands Between, but for Lakeside Town and the Kingdom of Caria, it was enough for many changes to take root.

Horace's research into the "Blood Moon" progressed slowly.

Creating a "moon" of his own was far more difficult than he had anticipated.

Though his research was slow, other affairs proceeded quite smoothly.

Under Rennala's rule, the Kingdom of Caria grew increasingly stable.

After a period of adjustment, relations between the Academy and the royal family gradually reached a new balance.

The "Kingdom of Caria Legal Code," whose compilation Horace had spearheaded, demonstrated astonishing results after several years of practical application and revision.

Disputes within his territory were resolved far more efficiently, public safety improved noticeably, and clear rules made commercial activity more vigorous as well.

Queen Rennala recognized the value of this system. Overriding all objections, she made minor adjustments to the code and implemented it throughout the kingdom.

Horace Loux thus formally took on the additional role of the kingdom's highest Judicial Officer, responsible for overseeing the enforcement of the law and ruling on major, difficult cases.

The role of the Order of the Great Rune Knights changed accordingly.

They remained an important defensive force on the kingdom's borders, but their daily duties increasingly resembled those of "police": patrolling between towns, settling disputes, and apprehending criminals.

To make these heavily armored knights more efficient and humane when handling ordinary public safety incidents, Horace put his mind to work.

He remembered a skill from the game-the "Life-Taking Fist."

It was a refined application of Qi force that could render humanoid enemies unconscious, inflict damage, and drain their vitality.

"If we modified it, removed the 'life-taking' part, and strengthened its ability to subdue targets..." Horace sought out the Academy's scholars who studied combat skills.

At first, the visiting officers and Academy sorcerers he gathered exchanged looks, thinking the marquis was indulging in fantasy.

"My lord Marquis," an elderly scholar said tactfully, stroking his beard.

"Advanced combat skills require prolonged practice and exceptional talent. If we made it into an Ash of War... the cost might..."

"I understand. There are technical difficulties." Horace nodded.

"That is why I need everyone to work together. Research funding is no issue."

"It isn't a matter of funding, my lord Marquis," a visiting officer said gruffly.

"Combat skills are for killing enemies, not... not catching petty thieves!"

"I'll pay extra," Horace said calmly.

Everyone: "..."

"Even with extra pay..." another scholar tried to insist.

"I'll pay even more." Horace's expression did not change.

"I'll establish a dedicated research fund, and once the project succeeds, participants will receive proportional shares. In addition, the names of every scholar and instructor involved will be engraved on a monument commemorating the new skill's introduction, to be placed in the Academy plaza."

Silence fell.

The scholar who had been stroking his beard gave a light cough and straightened his robes. "...My lord, your foresight in establishing the kingdom's rule of law inspires our deepest admiration. How could we scholars cling to outdated ways in the face of such a benefit to the kingdom and its people? We accept this task!"

"We guarantee we'll complete the mission!" The visiting warrior officer spoke even louder than before.

Horace laughed inwardly. Sure enough, even the Lands Between ran on budgets and KPIs.

And so, under the twin temptations of the "extra-pay offensive" and "a place in history," a modified version of the "Life-Taking Fist" was born several months later.

Horace named it the "Absolutely Not Life-Taking Fist," but in private, the knights preferred to call it the "Chummy Fist."

The skill was indeed considerably easier to learn than the original, and practically every Inquisitor Knight who underwent systematic training could master it.

It primarily acted on the target's nerves and joints, instantly stripping them of the ability to resist and inducing brief paralysis and unconsciousness. It also drained their stamina, leaving them weakened for as long as possible, but would never cause fatal wounds or permanent injury.

Soon, the "Absolutely Not Life-Taking Fist" became a required course for Inquisitor Knights.

Imagine this: when an offender tried to resist or flee, they faced not blades, but an Inquisitor Knight calmly assuming an opening stance. A gentle yet irresistible invisible force swept toward them-chummy~-and then their vision went black. When they woke again, they were already lying on a wooden prison bed, aching and weak all over, needing the wall for support just to walk.

Through the Inquisitor Knights' efforts, the rate of violent confrontations during public safety incidents dropped significantly, as did the rate of repeat offenses-after all, getting "chummied" and then feeling weak all over for several days was hardly a pleasant experience.

Meanwhile, Stormveil to the south maintained friendly, if cautious, relations with Caria.

The Storm King focused more on the fertile plains of southern Limgrave and the vast region of Caelid, taking little interest in mountainous, lake-filled Liurnia.

Official trade routes between the two kingdoms remained clear, with frequent caravan traffic bringing furs and True Magic materials from the north, along with grain, ore, and specialty goods from the south routed through Caelid.

As a commercial hub, Lakeside Town grew ever more prosperous.

Within the Academy, a new generation of sorcerers began to distinguish themselves.

Sellen, Miriam, Seluvis... these names gradually became widely known, heralding the flourishing potential of Caria's future True Magic community.

Horace also developed a good friendship with Rellana's former True Magic tutor, the learned and mild-mannered sage Ymir.

Unlike the stereotypical image of him from the game as the "Fingers' male mommy," the present-day Ymir was merely a professor of True Magic pursuing truth.

This future high priest was somewhat overly conscientious and responsible. Horace discovered that any work entrusted to him was completed with exceptional efficiency and perfect accuracy, so he confidently handed over more paperwork duties, inwardly praising him as such a useful workhorse (crossed out)-talent.

Within the Academy, ideological disputes persisted between the Glintstone School, the School of the Moon, the Originist School, and even some smaller fields of research. Discrimination based on talent and pedigree also occasionally reared its head.

But after Horace took on the additional role of Judicial Officer and the Order of the Great Rune Knights assumed some responsibility for maintaining order within the Academy, any conflict that went beyond academic debate was swiftly and physically quelled by the "Chummy Fist."

Over time, the Academy's atmosphere actually became much more "academic." Sure enough, when knowledge failed to persuade someone, physical persuasion was much simpler.

The Crucible Knight's happy fist-would you like a little chummy too?

Only after Vyke won Lansseax's affection was he able to wreathe himself in an Ancient Dragon's Dragonbolt.

The Dragon Priestess's incantation was similar to Lansseax's blessing, and the description of the Dragon Priestess's incantation stated that she had never used it before she knew love.

In other words, only those loved by dragons could wreathe themselves in Dragonbolt.