It's back...?!

On that day, the unnatural dark purple and blue clouds covered the skies with no exception.

Here and there, to the deafening thunder, a violet lighting would split the sky, only to bend and return to the cloud that birthed it.

Folks are hidden within their homes, and the animals burrow deep into the ground or tremble in fear in caverns or man-made lairs.

The aristocrats who gathered in the royal castle, according to the First Prince's summons, were second-guessing their choices.

After all, if the world was ending, at least half of them wanted to spend their last moments with their families or at least in the embrace of their secret lovers.

Some of the ones gathered in the audience hall actually began their journey believing they were going for the wedding of Prince Noah Allsworth with young lady Zorivia Rotteloss, and they packed only clothes that were festive, which, given the morbid light coming from the high windows was making for a rather uncanny image.

As if they, the nobility, were welcoming the end with joy.

There were whispers, but not many.

It simply felt that there was no time nor place for some petty gossip…

"His Highness, Royal Prince Noah Allsworth!"

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was reaching its breaking point, a herald by the grand staircase called out, and the massive door opened, gracing the aristocrats with the presence of their future King!

"Brave Gentlemen! Noble Ladies! Rejoice! The events of the world outside are indeed the end… But the end of stagnation and decay!"

"...!?"

Instead of the traditional opening speech, the gold-haired prince spread his arms right where he stood without descending the staircase and called out, causing the gathered aristocrats to stir in utter confusion.

"I've called for all of you to share what I, myself, with a bit of help from the most talented alchemist of our time, found out in the ancient texts left to us by the Grand Ancestors!"

"!!!"

Even those who were about to raise some doubts shut up and turned all ears in the face of that sort of revelation.

Connecting the dots but fearing to speak their ideas as to not dishonor their family names with some childish hopes and dreams.

"Don't look away! You are correct!"

"!?!?"

But then the first prince called out to those selected few, causing them to let out shocked gasps!

"The phenomenon our world is facing is nothing else but the return of magic! Not the feeble copy that is grounded and extracted out of the artifacts from the old continent, but the genuine, real, original thing!"

"!!!"

He declared, and even the older distinguished gentleman who hadn't cracked a smile in decades began to cheer!

"From what we know, magic is just another skill that one can develop. We can base it on the types the same as magic pellets, but in time, it will surely become something far grander… alas… it comes with a certain risk, or rather cost."

"...?"

The prince continued, and the audience hall went silent, focused solely on him.

"Many of you already know that despite what the common folk might gossip about, the plague from a few years past wasn't something new! That's right! Those who will develop their magic will face the terror of the Foul Reaper. From what I found, it appears that magic and Foul Reaper are two faces of the same coin."

As Noah was speaking, some aristocrats even held their breaths to not disturb his speech with even the slightest noise.

"Ancients have lived in fear of it as it kept reappearing spontaneously as if seeking magic itself, with its only purpose being the magic's annihilation! Before you say anything, the cure to Foul Reaper, the greatest alchemist of our times, Miss Ava of Startinton, has rediscovered, is only powerful enough to counter the weakest version of Foul Reaper that only the ones with a minuscule amount of mana can contract! What those who wish to dabble in magic will have to face from now on, as the world is being saturated with mana, will be hundred… neigh, a thousand-fold worse!"

"!!!

The prince called out, his words sending chills down the spines of the gathered nobility.

"There is hope, though! The Ancients mentioned finding a cure. A perfect one! One that was not only strong enough to defeat the strongest variant of Foul Reaper but even death! A Perfect Panacea! Though with that discovery, the Ancients drowned in their own hubris! As they believed they got rid of the plague, they began fighting ruthless wars for resources necessary for the production of Perfect Panacea, believing it was the key to immortality! With time, the full recipe became the most zealously guarded secret, with many false versions spreading around and dooming the fools who didn't recognize the trap! In the end, their rulers decided to completely ban the Perfect Panacea to let it fade into obscurity! A mistake that cost them everything as the Foul Reaper returned like the force of nature it is and wiped all but the selected few who fled to the new continent, to the land we now are standing on!"

The first prince Noah began to finally descend the staircase, greatly enjoying the absolute attention focused solely on him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen… Hereby, I propose to you an alliance. To gather funds and resources to aid Miss Ava. No. To aid Young Lady Ava, in developing better and better versions of her cure until finally giving us the Perfect Panacea, so we, the Nobles of Wondalandor, shall regain what is rightfully ours! The power and splendor of magic without the fear of death! GRANT US YOUR PROTECTION IN THESE TRYING TIMES! FLAME OF BLESSING!"

*WHOOO*

"!!!"

Noah finished his speech, raising one hand into the air and calling out a rather peculiar phrase that turned out to be an incantation - from his palm reaching out to the hall's ceiling a brilliant golden flame erupted, causing the gathered nobles to gasp in awe.

It wasn't just the light show though, the next moment the massive golden blaze separated into dozens upon dozens of individual licks of golden fire, each slowly floating down and resting an inch over the head of a different noble.

"!!!"

The gasps turned into cheers as the fire filled the nobles with almost euphoric happiness and gusto.

"..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the grand door through which the first prince Noah entered the audience hall, the brown-haired young woman with a pixie-cut leaned against the wall with a concerned expression.

"...young lady Ava, huh…? I haven't received the official noble title yet, though… What the hell is he planning…? His affection level is way too high for comfort… I need to discuss it with Medea…"

Ava muttered under her breath, cautiously glancing into the audience hall, careful not to show herself.