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In Samara, a small city in Paphos of Holm…

At the end of the Month of Gold, nightfall had been advanced. The time when sunset dyed everything red was now dim and dark. However, since Paphos was one of the top three prosperous cities of Holm, road lamps and poles were raised everywhere on the streets of Samara. Connected by the electric wires, the magic lamps began to glow with warm and brilliant light, driving the darkness away from their range.

The citizens of the town walked on the street toward the Baron Bechig Square, the only square in town. The magic radio of the city hall had been installed there. Every day, when the night fell, it would deliver the programs such as ”Arcana Voice” to everyone aloud.

Since there were more and more channels, the citizens now had trouble choosing. While ”Arcana Voice” was excellent and was their primary choice, no program could fit everyone's appetite. There was always a program in ”Arcana Voice” that some citizens disliked. It was a pity that the magic radio was not their property, and they could not switch channels in such cases.

”I have to work harder and save money to buy a magic radio from 'Gift from Elements'!” Banus, a young man wearing a shirt, clenched his fists and declared.

His friend next to him said jealously and hopefully, ”I'm told that in the major cities such as Rentato, whoever subscribes newspaper for a whole year will be given a magic radio for free!”

”Really? That's much cheaper, isn't it? Do the newspaper sellers not fear that they'll be bankrupted?” asked Banus in disbelief. He had never heard such a good thing before.

His friend was a freckled big boy, who combed his hair and said, ”I'm told that those newspapers are all issued by the radio stations for the purpose of increasing the coverage of magic radios. Her Majesty even signed and released the 'Broadcast Encouragement Act' that the Congress submitted. For every magic radio that the radio stations give away, they will receive certain subsidies and tax reductions. Furthermore…”

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, ”I was told that the Congress of Magic is boosting it, too. They give enormous subsidies to the radio stations by way of advertisements. Therefore, the radio stations barely suffer any losses…”

”Sorcerers?” Banus grew excited. Then, he suddenly realized it. ”Right, magic radios were developed by them in the first place. The more it is sold, the more they will earn!”

”Of course, you think that the sorcerers who study the nature of the world are fools? They're much smarter than you!” the big boy mocked him.

As for the magic radio's political significance, they did not understand it at all.

Banus suddenly snorted. ”Ali, how did you learn it? That's not something that 'Arcana Voice' said!”

He only just began to feel strange. How did his friend, who grew up with him in the same place, became a savant overnight?

The big boy Ali curled his finger and said in a low but proud voice, ”Somebody else told me. It's a noble lady from Rentato!”

”A noble lady from Rentato? How did you make acquaintance with a noble lady from Rentato?” Banus was shocked. For the people who dwelt in small cities like them, even though ”Arcana Voice” had broadened their horizon, they still revered the nobles of their city from the bottom of their hearts. They thought that those nobles lived a luxury and enjoyable life that was entirely different from the way they lived.

However, the nobles in their city were not worth mentioning compared to the nobles in Rentato, the capital! If the nobles in Rentato were swans, the nobles in the capital of Paphos would be geese, and the nobles in their town would be ugly ducklings at most—ugly duckling being a term from ”Arcana Voice”. The greatest hobby of their nobles was to follow the fashion in Rentato and mimic the nobles of the capital in how they dressed and entertained themselves.

Their nobles were already humble enough, and the civilians like Banus were even more so. They subconsciously believed that they were truly ”bumpkins”.

Ali chuckled. ”A pen pal. She's my pen pal!”

”Pen pal? What's that?” Banus' long face was full of confusion.

”I asked you to learn words, but you never listened to me. After the postal department was established, activities were introduced by several newspapers to allow people in different cities to become friends by writing letters to each other. Because the communication is entirely based on words, it's called pen pal.”

Ali explained it to Banus in a great passion. ”Think about it. Maybe we cannot get out of this town our entire life, but we can still have sincere friends in Rentato, Paphos, and other major cities; friends who are both strange and familiar and who we can talk to without meeting them in person. What a beautiful thing it is…”

He was obviously fascinated by friend-making through letters.

”It sounds great!” Banus opened his mouth. He was also attracted to it.

It was not until then that he learned the importance of literacy. The greatest difference between him and Ali was that Ali's father used to be the servant of a certain secretary and learned how to read by the way before he taught it to his son. Banus, on the other hand, had only picked up a few words thanks to Ali's occasional lectures. He could not read a newspaper at all!

”Such communication does not involve conflicts, lust, faces, or identities. It's the sincerest way for people to talk to each other.” Ali acted as if he were the host of a psychological program in ”Arcana Voice”. ”I learned everything I said from my pen pal. She's a noble from Rentato and has her own magic radio, which allows her to listen to other channels. She can also learn from other nobles. She certainly wouldn't lie about that.”