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| Chapter 15 | Book 6 • Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 |
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Those guys were members of Charon. They're Styx's muscle. Their job is to nab overblotted mages and ship 'em off to the Island of Woe. |
| ?! |
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They ferry wayward souls to the island. It's why people started calling 'em Ferrymen. Generally, magic marshals or the Arcane Response Unit handle overblot cases... But some are too much for them to handle. That's where Styx comes in. They're blot specialists. ...Who show up no matter if a country asks them to or not. I imagine there was some kind of emergency when I saw 'em before. |
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And what is Styx? |
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It's an independent organization. They don't answer to any country or government. People know they study magic and blot, but how big they are? Who works there? What exactly their research entails? All confidential. It's generally assumed their HQ is on the Island of Woe. And that island's location is so secret, it's not on any maps. |
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So it's forbidden territory. |
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Thing is, I thought the Ferrymen only went after certain overblotters. In particular, the ones past the point of no return. |
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Now, hold on. We've all been freed from that horrific state. We went to medical mages, who gave us proper counseling and treatment. They've monitored us over a period of time and found no issues. So why would these Ferrymen show up out of nowhere and take us by force? |
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How should I know? |
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Hmm... This just gets more and more puzzling. There is, of course, the matter of our abduction... But what's the relationship between Idia and this clandestine organization? |
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From what Leona just described, it's apparent that people in high places... ...would be bound to run into Styx at some point. And I believe Idia's family is just as wealthy as Kalim's. |
| Wait, what?! |
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I know it's hard to believe given how he acts, but I'm fairly certain... ...that the Shrouds are part of the family that runs the Jupiter Conglomerate, which made its fortune in offshore oil and rare metals. |
| BWHAAA?! |
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The Jupiter Conglomerate?! That's the parent company of Olympos Inc.! They developed the biggest operating system and search engine on the market! |
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I knew the Shroud family was involved with the Jupiter Conglomerate, of course... But I had assumed it was pure coincidence that Idia had the same surname! |
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They say the Shrouds pull strings from behind the scenes, and never take any front-facing roles that involve media exposure. I never imagined Idia was one of them. |
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Why would someone from a distinguished family attached to a huge conglomerate act like... well, like he does? |
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I feel dizzy. Oh, if only I'd known sooner... I would have tried harder to get him in my debt! |
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Still, it's odd that someone in his position would attend school without any aides... Oh! Of course. That explains why the school granted special permission for Ortho to be present. |
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It would hardly be surprising if that kind of family was connected to a top-secret organization in some way. Who knows? Maybe Idia could put in a good word and get them to release us. |
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Well, this does provide SOME relief. |
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...I wouldn't bet on it. We're "subjects" to them. Lab rats. There's no telling what they might put us through. I read this history book a while back at the palace... And it said that apparently, no mages have ever come back once the Ferrymen take them to the Island of Woe. |
| ...... |
SFX |
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I'd say that shaking means we've landed. |
| Cargo hold pressure adjusted. Releasing the airlock. |
SFX |
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So bright... Where are we? |
| Uhh, hey, everyone. Welcome to the dark and gloomy Island of Woe—and Styx headquarters. |
| ...!! |
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Yep. Idia Shroud, acting director of Styx. Whee hee... |
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| Chapter 15 | Book 6 • Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 |
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