447 Arcana Voice (1/2)

In the year 823 of the Saint Calendar, at the end of the Month of Dormancy (February), in the district of Sardni in Rentato.

The district of Sardni was originally a small fishing village where the fishermen and merchants selling Storm Strait fishes resided. Then the district thrived because of the development of the related industries of producing, sorting, and selling preserved fish products and the close relationship between the Kingdom of Holm and the Congress of Magic. During the second expansion of Rentato, the district was included in and named after the local bream called Sardni.

However, as magic stream trains between Patray harbor and Rentato started gaining their popularity, wealthy merchants had gradually took control of the local fishing industry using fresh goods and low prices. The monopoly put the local small shops and markets out of business. Some local fishermen gave up what they had done for decades; some were now working for the major merchants; some landed in the miserable situation of being unemployed.

Fortunately, the promotion of all kinds of alchemical items saved the unemployed. The newly-built alchemical workshops accepted them and, within just several years, Sardni turned into a half-fishing, half-alchemical district.

In the dark night, dim candlelight came out from the windows of the poor houses and shanties along the street where magic crystal lights were still unaffordable. However, the street lamps connected by the spiderweb-like electric wires were warm and bright. The light produced by the lamps intertwined with the darkness of the night.

”Shame on you!”

A teenager around fourteen or fifteen spat on the ground, staring at the young couple snuggling in the darkness behind a lamp. Although due to the conservative style of the Kingdom of Holm, the couple was simply hugging and whispering to each other, and never did anything else too intimate like kissing or caressing, there was still strong envy and longing in the teenager's eyes.

”Andy! Stop looking! It's starting soon!”

A low voice came from behind the nearby trees along the street.

Startled, Andy hurriedly turned around and saw his three friends' head sticking out behind a thick tree with great caution.

”What? It's starting…” The look on Andy's face suddenly changed. He looked both nervous and excited. It seemed that they were doing something dangerous but thrilling.

He carefully approached the tree and grumbled. ”William, Mickey, Martin… Why don't you come earlier?”

The brown-haired Martin giggled. ”How dare we interrupt you? You're definitely peeping someone dating.”

”Yup,” the blond William cleared his throat, ”… Spring has come, and creatures start getting restless, including Andy, who's already in heat…”

”You wanna try this?!” Andy was pissed off, his hand clenching into a fist. Embarrassment filled up in his blue eyes.

”Shh!” Micky, the shortest one among them all, hurriedly pressed down Andy's hand.

Andy took a deep breath and sealed his mouth. He pointed to the direction where they were about to go.

”Let's go, or we'll miss Miss Nightingale's song at the beginning,” said William yearningly.

Martin put on a look of disdain. ”William is in heat as well.”

Giggling, the young lads secretly sneaked into the darkness and moved forward stealthily.

As they turned around the corners and traversed the trees, their voice quieted down and their breath became heavy.

They came in front of the row of low houses in a quiet corner of Sardni, and headed towards the two-story to the end.

Pulling up the collar until it covered half of his face, Andy knocked six times at the pace of two short and three long.

The door opened silently. A middle-aged man looked around in great alert, and eyed the boys to come in.

Andy, Martin, Micky, and William knew this place well and they did not need any guidance. The living room was already filled with people, a lot of people. In a circle, some were standing, some were sitting. All the curtains were drawn close; only a candlestick lit up the room with its flickering light, which seemed quite vulnerable. The atmosphere was ideal for telling a horror folktale and for one to take place.

Among the people, there were adult males and females, kids, seniors, teenage ”in-heat” boys like Andy, and several blooming adolescent girls.

Exchanging a look, the boys thrust their way forward into the crowd and finally came beside the teenage girls after the great effort.

One of the boys grinned a bit shyly. ”Scarlet, Selma… Good to see you two here.”

The blonde girl gave him a stare and put her finger on her lips. ”Shh… Quiet. It's gonna start.”

Hearing that, the boys instantly quivered. They temporarily put aside the attempt to get close to the girls, but started waiting patiently and expectantly.

The owner of the house, the middle-aged, serious-looking man in an old white shirt, came to the center and started fiddling with the strange box the size of a head.

The grey box was engraved with mysterious patterns, on which there was a row of black buttons and two knobs. There were also two metal sticks on top of it that looked like ram's horns. They were of half-meter long and also had weird patterns and symbols.

No one talked when the man was working on the box. No matter men or women, young or old, no one spoke a single word. They held their breath, as devout as praying in the church. To them, the box was divine.

Hiss… The familiar electric current noise came.