In Samara, in the county of Paphos, the Kingdom of Holm …
At the end of the Moon of Gold, the night gradually advanced. The time when the setting sun dyed everything red had become dim and dim. However, Paphos was one of the three most prosperous places in the Kingdom of Holm. Street lamps and electric poles had been established on the streets of Samara. Connected by the electric wires, the magic lamps began to emit brilliant and pure light, blocking the darkness from their coverage.
The citizens of the town walked on the street in twos and threes toward the Baron Bechig Square, the only square in town. There was a magic broadcast installed by the city hall in the square. Every night, it would emit 'loud noises' and transmit the programs such as' Arcana Voice 'to everybody.
Because there were more and more radio channels, the citizens were troubled by the choice. While "Arcana Voice" was good and their first choice, there was no program that could satisfy everybody's tastes. So, everybody had a certain program that they disliked. It was a pity that the magic radio did not belong to them, and they could not "change the channel" when they encountered such programs.
"We must work hard and save money to buy a magic radio from 'Gift of Elements'!" Banus, a young man in a short shirt, clenched his fists and said.
His companion next to him said jealously and hopefully, "I'm told that in the major cities such as Renstadt, anyone who subscribes to newspapers for a year will be given a magic radio as a gift!"
"Really? That's much cheaper! Are those who sell newspapers not scared of bankruptcy? "Banus asked in disbelief. It was a good thing that he had never heard of before.
His companion was a big boy with freckles. He combed his hair and said, "I'm told that those newspapers are all established by the radio stations themselves, mainly to increase the coverage of the magic radios. Her Majesty also signed and promulgated the 'Regulations on Promoting the Development of Radio' that the Congress submitted. Every time a magic radio is given out, the radio stations will receive a certain amount of monetary subsidies and tax exemptions. Also …"
His voice gradually lowered as he pretended to be mysterious. "I'm told that the Congress of Magic is behind it too. They give the radio stations enormous subsidies in the form of advertisements. So, the radio stations barely lose money …"
"Sorcerers?" Banus grew excited. Then, he realized what was going on. "Right, the magic radios were developed by them. The more they sell, the more they earn!"
"Of course. Do you think sorcerers who study the nature of the world are fools? They're much smarter than you! "The big boy sneered.
As for the political implications, they were completely clueless.
Banus suddenly exclaimed, "Ali, how do you know those things? Arcana Voice didn't mention it! "
Only then did he feel that it was strange. How did his comrade, who had the same knowledge as him, suddenly become a polymath?
Ali curled his finger and said in a low but proud voice, "Somebody told me that. A noble lady from Renstadt!"
"A noble lady from Renstadt? How could you possibly know a noble lady from Renstadt?! " Banus was completely stunned. For the people of small cities like them, even though their horizons had been broadened by "Arcana Voice", they were still awed by the nobles of small cities from the bottom of their hearts. They believed that they were too high to reach, that their lives were luxurious and enjoyable, and that they were in a different world from themselves.
Compared to the nobles of Renstadt, the capital city, the nobles of small cities were nothing at all! If the nobles of Renstadt were swans and the nobles of the capital city of Paphos were geese, the nobles of small cities were ugly ducklings at best. The term came from "Arcana Voice". The greatest hobby of those nobles was to follow the trends of Renstadt and imitate the clothes, behaviors, and entertainment of the nobles in the capital city.
If the nobles of small cities had such a mindset, the civilians such as Banus were even more serious. They thought that they were bumpkins in their hearts.
Ali chuckled. "Pen pal. She's my pen pal!"
"Pen pal? What's that?" Confusion popped up on Banus's horse face.
"I told you to learn more words, but you didn't listen. After the postal department was established, some newspapers launched activities to make friends by writing letters, allowing people in two different cities to become friends by writing letters to each other. Because the communication is purely based on words, they are called pen pals."
Ali introduced it to Banus in great interest. "Think about it. Maybe we can't leave this small city for the rest of our lives, but we can have sincere friends in Renstadt, Paphos, and other major cities. Friends who are both strange and familiar, friends who we have never met but can communicate with through words. What a wonderful thing that will be …"
He seemed to be fascinated. It was obvious that he liked the form of pen pals very much.
"Sounds great!" Banus opened his mouth wide, as if he were infected.
It was not until then that he realized the importance of words. The greatest difference between him and Ali was that Ali's father used to be the attendant of a certain clerk. So, he learned how to read and taught it to Ali, but Banus could only recognize a few words with Ali's occasional explanation. He could not read the newspapers at all!
"This kind of communication, without any interest or lust, without looking at the other person's face or caring about the other person's identity, is the most sincere way of communication between people." Ali looked like the host of a psychological program on "Arcana Voice". "So, what I said just now was all from the pen pal. She is a noble in Renstadt and has her own magic radio. She can listen to other channels freely and get information from other nobles. She certainly wouldn't lie about such things."
"You're quite good. You've hooked up with a noble lady!" Banus bashed Ali's back hard.
Ali protested, "What do you mean by hooked up? We are pure pen pals! "
"Are you saying that you have never fantasized about her? What kind of noble lady is she? "Banus glanced at Ali. Do you think I don't know what kind of person you are?
Ali's expression softened. "Her tone when she wrote the letters has always been gentle. She is definitely a well-educated girl. Also, after knowing my identity, she did not discriminate against me. She answered all my questions and shared the interesting things in her life with me … Her handwriting is delicate, so it should be very similar to her …"
Looking at Ali's face and hearing his description, Banus gradually calmed down from his excitement. He couldn't help but say, "Ali, you must remember that she is a noble, and you are just a commoner."
"I know. We are pure pen pals!" Ali waved his hands, hinting that he understood it. Then, he changed the topic and talked about the scenery in Renstadt that his "pen pal" described to him, even more exaggerating the rapid changes.
"The big city is truly wonderful. There are such kind noble ladies and such shocking changes …" Banus was shocked. Although "Arcana Voice" had mentioned similar changes before, it was not as detailed as Ali because of the limited time. "Also, only the big cities offer a free magic radio if you subscribe to the newspaper for a year!"
"Yes, I have to go to Rentato and take a look!" Ali also looked eager.
Thinking quickly, Banus suddenly said in excitement, "Let's subscribe to the newspaper in the big cities! The fare of the magic steam train and the newspaper for a year is half of the cost of the magic radio at best. We will still save a lot! "
"No, something similar happened before, so now only people with the status of a big city citizen can enjoy this gift." Ali sighed bitterly.
That … That was discrimination! Banus had completely forgotten his praise and yearning for the big cities just now. He blurted out, "F * ck the big cities!"
While they talked, they moved forward and gradually reached the Baron Bechig Square.
"Today is the opening ceremony of the Renstadt Music Festival. I wonder, what special program will 'Arcana Voice' do?" asked Ali hopefully.
Banus nodded. He was about to say something, when his eyes suddenly widened. "A … A sorcerer!"
In the sky of the square, a young sorcerer in a black long suit was floating. Silver brilliance spread out of his hands and connected to the weird "curtain" at the center of the square. Around the "curtain", there were almost ten people who were taking out items and making arrangements. They were obviously sorcerers too!
"It's … It's really a sorcerer!" Ali stammered in surprise.
Then, the two of them grew excited. It was rare to see a sorcerer casting spells at such a close distance except for street magic. Therefore, they squeezed to the center of the square, trying to get close. Unfortunately, there were too many people in front of them, and it was impossible for them to move forward. Every citizen who came to the square had the same mentality as them!
"What's going on? Why is Mr. Sorcerer here? "Seeing that he couldn't squeeze in, Ali hurried to ask the citizen in front of him.
A citizen who was good at asking questions and showing off replied loudly, "It's said that the opening opera of the Renstadt Music Festival will be streamed!"
"A … A livestream?" Banus and Ali both widened their mouths in shock. They had heard the term "livestream" in "Arcana Voice" before, but they never thought that they would see it in their town!
Seeing that a screen and the magic circles around were gradually taking shape, the sorcerer floating in midair began to connect to the "artificial planet" on the orbit for the final debugging.
"Sir, is everything alright?" asked the sorcerer who was making arrangements down below.
The middle-rank sorcerer nodded. "You've done a great job. This is a great opportunity to show the new style of sorcerers."
"Hehe. The Aalto Music Festival can only be streamed in the Aalto Municipal Square. How petty!"
The goal of the Congress of Magic is that all the cities in the four countries of the strait and the northern coastline can watch the "livestream" through satellites!
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