you spelled protagonist wrong

On another note, I’ve been waiting to bring this up, and this chapter seems the most suitable.

Flos’ return was so incredibly delayed it’s actually horrific world building wise.

So here’s Flos, this world conquering King, who crossed the Sea with armies in tow, who the world hadn’t defeated or stopped, he had simply given up for an unknown reason.

Now you’re telling me, it took a MONTH (this is roughly how much time has passed as Erin said when talking about her leveling pace) for this news to sprea? No that’s being generous.

This news didn’t spread through networks, it came from Ryoka, completely separate from the formal methods of communication. So it would have taken even longer than two months, which is so bad given the world building.

I would have given slight grace, but the avenues of dissemination are beyond efficient.

First of all, Volume 1, Magnolia asked for a specific runner using a specially enchanted book which mirrored writing from distances. Second of all, Couriers, this one is simple enough. And lastly, WISTRAM ACADEMY!!!!!

They evaluate all the dangers in the wirld annually, and you’re telling me – as the biggest academy in the world – they don’t have sources telling them what’s going on? They don’t have an equivalent spell that connected all the IPhones in this world to communicate? THAT THEY WOULDNT REVEAL THIS LIKE THEY DO WITH SLL THEIR CONTINGENCIES??????

sigh

It feels so contrived. The information spread was unnecessarily slow given that most people see him as the end of the world.

Even now Flos was saying everyone will likely jump in and beat him while he’s down. One of the best Wistram contingencies would be to warn everyone so they aren’t flanked, speeding up the info spread

In this world he ‘peaked’ he was out of.levels to earn because he had no real challenges left, dude had a 3 continent war with him crossing the sea for all of them at once, that screams ‘I want a chllange’ to me, the fact that he was able to do that might have actually been the final straw, he was out of ways to level up

We know he wasn’t physically asleep for the entire time (a la Snow White). Orthenon says in a previous chapter that Flos had asked about the state of his kingdom while he was ‘sleeping’, even though he didn’t seem to care about the answer. I would say ‘sleeping’ is more of a euphemism for ‘massive depression and crippling malaise of spirit’ – I.e. him sitting on his little chair, doing nothing and wanting to do nothing, not really wanting to live but too proud/stubborn to die.

It’s easily possible Orthenon mentioned chess as a way to try and excite the king into waking up. Or it could have been just one of the random things Trey and Teres told him about in passing, especially if Orthenon mentioned it. Him knowing about it doesn’t necessarily mean he has to know how to play.

It’s really a 3 out of 3 this was done on purpose. An emperor isn’t just going to send a message like a severed head as an accident.

But, there are other layers of reason beyond the one you state. Yes, having Flos fly into a rage and take to battle long before he is ready is a very good way to stop him. But by killing Drevish, the emperor also denied him his best [Architect]. If Flos can’t rebuild his cities and defenses to anywhere near the strength he used to have, it’s a huge blow to his overall power. Denying assets to your enemy is a pretty good strategy overall.

In addition, we know that a least a couple of his Seven were previously killed. Having some of your best commanders killed could be a big reason why he gave up in the past. Killing another one now could be a method to possibly have him give up before he even gets started. We know there is one other that hasn’t returned, and if they are dead as well, that means he’s starting his new conquest at a large disadvantage.

I think it’s due to him giving speeches that would normally be reserved for the public to his closest aids. Im guessing most kings and their vassals/generals would speak to each other a lot more honestly and less philosophically especially regarding things like the upcoming battle. Like they haven’t even sat down and figured strategy out and are gonna march?

The fandom really seems to dislike Flos chapters, I kinda get it but honestly it’s pretty interesting! The only thing I can say about Flos is that even a half dozen books in he’s kind of 2-dimensional? But I don’t really know what you could do to fix that. He’s more a force of nature or a motive energy than a character. Just how that works