The Song Of Sword And Magic

Chapter 17: The Origin of the Dark Tide 

[Translator — Asuka]

[Proofreader — Karane]

After sailing on White River for five days, Princess Merry finally reached the upper stream. The river had become narrower, and the water current was more turbulent. If it weren’t because of Niss’s wind magic, they would have been stuck on the same spot for a few days before getting the right wind direction. But now, Stesinki Port was well within their sight.

Stesinki Port was the only port in Doyle, so anyone who wished to get into the country on water had to go through this place. The environment of the area around here was typically Northern as the port was surrounded by poplars and pine trees. Apart from that, most of the land was barren, and the climate was unpleasant, which were in stark contrast to those countries in the South. However, the Doylans managed to survive in this kind of difficult environment. As a result, they became tenacious and unyielding. 

“I heard that everyone in Doyle is a warrior, including the women. Is that true?” Niss asked curiously. 

“Yes. It’s because Doyle is located on the Northern border of Wallis, so for the past few centuries, we’ve been trying to prevent the intrusion of the Dark Tide.” Stan replied proudly.

“Sara is on the Northern border as well. I always thought that Doyle was in the South of Sara,” Niss asked as she gazed at the view on the shores.

“Sara was part of Doyle in the past.” At the mention of this, Stan’s eyes turned dim. “After Edra XI passed away, both of his sons insisted that they were the legitimate heirs, so they started fighting for the throne. However, our ancestors had sworn that we should not kill each other in order to protect the border. Therefore, the princes led their respective followers and divided Doyle into two. The eldest prince, Edra XII, occupied the Western and Southeastern parts of Doyle. Meanwhile, the younger prince controlled the Northeastern area and founded a new country, Sara.”

“It seems that Sara is less powerful than Doyle.” Although Fern had been to Doyle a few times, he wasn’t familiar with the country’s history. 

“It’s true. However, to the Doylans, it’s a huge loss to have lost Sara,” Stan said grimly. 

After a few days of relatively more relaxing navigation on the river, Niss had cheered up significantly. Even though she was still concerned about the relationship between the evil magician and the Magician’s Tower, she could now talk about other issues with her companions. Upon hearing what Stan said, she voiced her opinion. “As far as I’m concerned, the current king of Doyle, Edra XVII, is not on good terms with the king of Sara. I suspected that he didn’t intend to help Sara even when he had the resources to do so.”

The other three people were shocked by what Niss said. Rae raised her eyebrow and looked at Niss calmly.

“How did you know this?” Fern questioned puzzledly as he turned to Niss. 

Stan chimed in, “That’s impossible. Although Doyle and Sara are separated, the Doylans will never turn a blind eye to Sara’s plight!”

Niss was stunned by their reactions, so she hung her head low and clenched the hem of her clothes before saying in a small voice, “I simply heard some people talking about it and made a guess myself.”

Fern and Stan never said anything as they fell into their own thoughts. 

***

Princess Merry finally reached the port, which was totally different from Wet Port. Every dock was guarded by two soldiers who were tall and sturdy as they examined every passing seaman or traveler. Meanwhile, the seamen focused on their own work as they didn’t want to invite any trouble. 

As soon as Fern and his companions got off the ship, a soldier, whose expression was impassive, came over and interrogated them. After finding out about their backgrounds, the soldier returned to his post and continued keeping watch on the port. 

“They’re just trying to prevent fiends from entering Doyle. Please don’t blame them.” Stan explained. 

Fern nodded and told the seamen to help them unload their belongings and horses from the ship. Then, he said to the captain, “Thanks for the help all of you have given us on the journey.” After that, he passed a bag to the captain. 

The captain shook the bag and looked perplexedly at the mercenary. “What is this?”

“The bag contains seventeen gold coins. Including those I gave you at Wet Port, it’s twenty gold coins in total.” Fern said with a smile. “See it as the repair fee for Princess Merry and the compensation for this terrifying journey.”

The captain hung his head low. It was hard to tell whether he was grateful or embarrassed. He no longer appeared to be ferocious, and even the scar on his face looked less intimidating. “Thanks for your generosity. May the God of Sailing bless you. If I’m still here when you’re going back, I will gladly give you a lift.”

“I’d love to board your ship again. So, farewell and good luck.” Fern said politely.

After Stan bid the captain farewell as well, he approached Fern and inquired in a hushed voice, “How many gold coins did you give him?”

“Twenty,” Fern replied as he turned to Niss, who was listening to their conversation. “Niss, you can just deduct the extra ten gold coins from my payment.”

“I don’t have the time to remember this.” Niss replied nonchalantly as she examined her belongings. 

Rae leaned close to her and whispered, “See? I told you money isn’t Fern’s priority.”

Niss nodded. “It’s still too early to come to any conclusion.”

Rae grinned at her response. In her opinion, Niss just didn’t want to admit this fact. 

After they stepped into an inn, they started having breakfast as they discussed their following journey.

“If I could drink this delicious beer every day, I’d be more than willing to have a fight with a fiend.” Fern took a sip of the ale. The refreshing taste kept him wanting more. “This kind of beer can only be made from the wheat in Doyle, which matures once a year.”

“I hope you’d still think so when you’re confronted by a fiend.” Rae sneered and said indifferently. 

Embarrassed, Fern raised his eyebrow and turned to Niss. “Niss, did you get any directive from your magic cane? Where’s our next destination in Doyle?”

“Not yet.” Niss subconsciously took a look at the magic cane. “I only know that our next destination will be somewhere in Doyle, other than that, I’m clueless.”

Stan stuffed a slice of marinated beef into his mouth and asked, “Are you looking for something?”

“Yes. In fact, it’s my trial, and I have to complete it.” After putting down the magic cane, Niss started having her bread and fruits. Her movements were so elegant that it was as if what were before her eyes were art pieces instead of food. 

Fern watched how Niss was having her food. Since he came across Niss in Deville, he had always thought that her mannerism was different from that of any ordinary person. “Now it seems that it’s more complicated than that. Based on our previous encounters, I’m sure we’re being led to look for something related to the Dark Tide.” Fern said as he gulped down the beer. 

“It’s easy then…” Stan cleaned his mouth and hands with a piece of serviette. “Nothing related to the Dark Tide is allowed in Doyle, but there’s an exception.” He swept a look over everyone to make sure that they were listening, and he continued, “Have you heard of the Source of Magic before?”

Rae and Niss grunted in acknowledgement, but Fern shook his head. Then, Stan went on to say, “Certainly, all magicians know this. So, Fern, it’s expected that you’re clueless about this. But there’s one thing all of you surely don’t know.”

“Just spill it. Stop keeping us on tenterhooks!” Fern said impatiently. 

“I’m not trying to keep you on tenterhooks, but not many people know this.” After a pause, Stan took a sip of the beer and said, “Apparently, the Source of Magic created magic, but at the same time, many unexpected things were created as well, which included the infamous God of Darkness. It’s more commonly known as the Dark Lord.”

“The Dark Lord?” Niss almost jumped to her feet out of surprise. “You mean the Source of Magic created the Dark Lord? Then, it means that the Dark Tide…”

“Yes, it’s a creation of the Source of Magic as well.” Rae helped finish her words.

“Oh, it seems that you already know this.” In admiration, Stan gazed at Rae and asked, “Have you been there before?”

“No, I haven’t.” Rae replied calmly as she raised her cup of tea to take a sip and cover her face.

Fern was keen to learn more. “You mean the Dark Tide was created from magic?”

“You may say so, but it’s not entirely true. Magic and Dark Tide are like twins, and they depend on each other. In the past, they were created by the Source of Magic for some unknown reason.” Rae said unenthusiastically. It seemed that she had known this earlier. 

“Then why do so few people know this? Most people know that zombies are created by the Dark Lord using magic, but few people know that even the Dark Lord is the creation of the Source of Magic.” Niss asked Rae.

Rae drank some water and stared at Niss. “It’s because those from the Magician’s Tower don’t want others to find out about this to protect the authority and reputation of magic.” The corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly, and she continued, “Imagine if everyone finds out that magic and the Dark Tide are basically the same thing, would magic still be so popular? When that happens, all the magicians would be captured and hanged to death. In a sense, those from the Magician’s Tower are protecting us as well.”

Surprisingly, Niss remained calm upon hearing that. Perhaps she was already used to the fact that her faith was constantly being challenged. “Whatever the case, we may figure out the truth if we go to the Source of Magic, right?”

“Maybe.” Rae didn’t give her a definitive answer.

On the side, Fern said anxiously, “Stan, you didn’t just mention the Source of Magic for them to have such a long discussion, right?”

“Of course not. Just like what I had said, nothing related to the Dark Tide is allowed in Doyle apart from the Source of Magic. Since you’ve said that your next destination is related to the Dark Tide, then there’s only one possibility.” Stan replied slowly. Having been trained to be a knight, he wouldn’t speak as flusteredly as Fern. 

Niss’s eyes brightened. “So, do you know the exact location of the Source of Magic?”

“Of course. In order to seal the Source of Magic to make sure that it wouldn’t create any harmful creatures again, a tower was built on top of it in the early period of our country, and it was guarded by an archmage. The capital city was also relocated to that place to ensure that the Source of Magic was properly sealed.” Stan could barely contain his pride for his country.

“Okay. It seems that we’ve found our next destination. It’s easier than I thought.” Fern let out a breath and filled Stan’s and his own cups with beer.

“That’s great. I have to see the truth for myself.” Niss clenched her fists, and determination was written all over her face. 

Rae gazed at her dispassionately. A sense of helplessness appeared in her eyes, but it soon disappeared.

Niss looked fixedly at Stan. “We’re going to the capital city of Doyle. What is it called?”

Stan straightened up, as though he was about to tell an epic poem. “Wolfsburg. The pride of Doyle as well as the eternal city—Wolfsburg!”

***

Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/sb2jqkv

***