After the conversation with Nzambi, Carlos sat at his heavy jacaranda wood desk, his fingers drumming on the polished surface. He took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts, before asking his secretary:

  "Márcia, please call Minister Tassi. I need to speak with her."

  It didn't take long before the solid wooden door opened and Tassi entered, her short hair now longer than before and her hands still slightly stained with earth – a sign she had come directly from the experimental fields.

  "Need me, Carlos?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Does it have something to do with the Ministry of Agriculture? I discovered a combination of plants with yam using the grass gem is giving impressive results."

  "I do, yes, but it's not related to agriculture," Carlos replied, gesturing for her to sit in the chair in front of him. "Actually, I discovered something about how to summon things from my world here."

  He then carefully explained everything Nzambi had revealed to him. The room fell silent, except for the distant sound of a cart passing on the street. Tassi listened attentively, her green eyes reflecting the soft light from the illumination gems embedded in the wall. She was surprised, but not shocked – after all, she was already used to the powerful sacrificing the weak for power.

  "Although Carlos is different," she thought, observing the serious and somewhat anguished expression on his face. "I know he won't sacrifice anyone… his discomfort with the mere possibility already proves that."

  "What I'd like to know is this," Carlos leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "When I came to this world, you were the first person I saw. But there was nothing there: no sacrifices, no altar, no gem of sacrifice. Did you see anything different? Because, according to Nzambi, to summon a person, something large and complex, it would take hundreds or even thousands of lives."

  Tassi shook her head slowly, closing her eyes for a moment, like someone trying to fish out a memory by the faint light of dawn.

  "It was very dark, Carlos. Only the stars in the sky illuminated the night? I only saw you when I was almost passing by your side."

  "And you didn't notice anything else strange?" Carlos asked, trying not to let too much expectation show.

  Tassi was silent for a few seconds, her face contorted in concentration. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, but it wasn't enough to break her train of thought.

  "Actually…" she began, pausing as if doubting her own memory.

  Just hearing those words lifted Carlos's spirits. He held his breath.

  "Before you appeared," Tassi continued, looking at a distant point on the wall, "I saw a lightning bolt in that direction. But it wasn't just any lightning bolt. It was purple and dark… I mean, it's normal for lightning bolts to have various colors, since they're made of mana. Some are even attracted to magic gems. But that one had a color I'd never seen. It was a deep purple, almost black, that seemed to tear the sky and then dissipate without making a sound."

  "Normal only if you're in this world…" Carlos thought, suppressing a sigh. In his world, lightning was yellow or white, and always came with thunder.

  "I didn't know that about lightning bolts," he admitted. "By any chance, is there any risk of one of those hitting a house or a machine that uses a gem?"

  Tassi shook her head negatively.

  "Only if there's a gem the size of a donkey exposed outdoors. And even then, it would be rare. Smaller stones, like the ones we use in lamps or tools, don't usually attract that kind of attention."

  "I understand," Carlos mentally noted the information. "Thank you, Tassi. That was all I wanted to ask."

  After the minister's departure, the sound of the door closing echoed in the office. Carlos got up and went to a large map cabinet. He selected one, heavy and aged at the edges, and unrolled it on the desk, securing the corners with a bronze turtle-shaped paperweight and his own ceramic pen holder. The map detailed the Captaincy of Pernambuco, with its rivers snaking like blue veins, villages marked with dots, and regions of dense forest hatched in green.

  "Jorge's engenho, where I appeared, was right here," he thought, touching the spot with the tip of his finger, between White Sand and Ouro Branco. "When we finally capture that region, I'll have a vision gem adept analyze the site thoroughly. There must be an explanation for how I ended up here… and maybe for how I can bring more things from my world without sacrificing anyone."

  The possibility stirred something inside him. He took a deep breath, smelling the aged paper and ink of the map. Then, with a conscious effort, he redirected his thoughts to a more immediate concern: the attack on Albuquerque and Ouro Branco.

  "Nia is working day and night improving the repeating weapons," he remembered, with a touch of admiration. "And helping with production so the army has more equipped soldiers. A few more days and we'll reach the goal of a hundred for the attack – a record-time achievement. Although that's only possible thanks to her. The factory, on its own, couldn't manage, even with the Republic's best blacksmiths… the same ones who worked under her guidance."

  Carlos spent the rest of the day immersed in these matters, alternating between reports, tactical maps, and logistics calculations. He only left the office when night had fallen, the cold mountain air filling the empty corridors. The walk back home was silent, punctuated only by the night song of crickets and the distant murmur of the river. He slept a heavy but restless sleep.

  The next morning, back at his desk in the office, with sunlight streaming through the window and illuminating dust particles dancing in the air, he remembered something important.

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  "Oh, right! Matilda gave me the newspaper prototype. She said if I wanted to change anything, I should talk to her before printing… Since I didn't, the newspaper must already be printed and being distributed."

  Opening the top right drawer of his desk, Carlos found the carefully folded stack of papers. He pulled it out and placed it under the clear morning light.

  "Let's see what she prepared…"

  The front page of the Jabuticaba Newspaper was well laid out, exactly as he had suggested in his long conversations with Matilda. She learned quickly, indeed.

  "VICTORY AGAINST ALBUQUERQUE!"

  The headline was in large, firm letters. Carlos began to read, savoring the herbal tea that Márcia had brought – bitter and comforting.

  "Pedro and his companions fought bravely against the forces of Albuquerque, which were invading our lands. The new recruits and the newer corporals had been left in charge of guarding the frontier garrisons when they were viciously attacked by hundreds of bandeirantes in a dirty move during the dead of night...

  Pedro, despite having arrived at the Quilombo with Carlos, was placed in command, as he was the most senior corporal present at the situation – even though Tainá, who fought bravely, technically had more time in the army, her promotion was recent. As they deliberated their next steps, they were taken by surprise. Nevertheless, they escaped without losing a single soldier, thanks to Pedro's quick and cunning plan. It wasn't long before they took refuge in a stream, where they regrouped and awaited rescue, fighting valiantly until the arrival of Lieutenant Henrique, who led the relief contingent equipped with the new weapons manufactured right here in the Republic..."

  Carlos sighed, feeling a heavy, warm relief spread through his chest.

  "She only mentioned names, but nothing about powers or weapon details…" he murmured to himself, taking a sip of tea. "That's good. Very good."

  The report continued, and the tone became more solemn.

  "IT WAS A VICTORY, BUT WITH A COST"

  "We lost many soldiers' lives, heroes, especially in the main ambush that preceded the confrontation. One of these heroines was Lívia, who left behind four children and two husbands. She was a hardworking mother, known for her easy smile and her cassava pies… Fortunately, the government will be paying a pension to her family. She was buried in the Mocambo cemetery, with honors. Many soldiers, comrades in arms, and even the commander-in-chief attended the burial under a fine rain that seemed to wash away the pain, but not the memory..."

  "But she was not the only victim. More than seventy-seven heroes died defending our soil. Their names are listed below, so they are never forgotten: Jo?o Gon?alves; Jasmim; Irene; Emerson…"

  The names that followed were a long, sad column. Carlos read each one, and his heart seemed to grow heavier with each line. "When the entire army is equipped with repeating weapons," he thought, his fingers tightening around the teacup, "I need to think of more defenses. Better armor. Something that protects more lives. The cost is too high."

  "However, the enemy paid double the price: one hundred and fifty-eight confirmed casualties, with many more wounded. The rest fled with their tails between their legs, taking with them only the bitter taste of defeat..."

  Turning the page, the paper made a dry sound. The next headline took him by surprise.

  "LIFE UNDER GANGA ZALA"

  "We spoke with merchants who traded with those who decided to flee the Republic – which, at the time, was still known as the Jabuticaba Quilombo. According to reports, the group settled near White Sand, on flat land surrounded by engenho lords. They had all their weapons, magic gems, and savings confiscated, and were forced to swear loyalty to the Portuguese Crown, converting to Christianity under coercion. They say life there is precarious, but tolerable. Next month, we will try to get a direct account from someone living there. What we discovered until the moment is..."

  "That… is very interesting," Carlos said quietly, his eyes scanning the text. "I had so much on my mind I didn't even have time to investigate their situation. Ganga Zala… What must have happened to those people?"

  The third main headline carried a more hopeful tone.

  "GRASS GEM, OR BETTER YET, GEM OF FOOD, OF ABUNDANCE!"

  "Thanks to research by the Minister of Agriculture, Tassi, in conjunction with President Carlos, we have discovered how, using concepts of agroforestry, it is possible to make plants grow and produce edible fruit with a gem previously considered useful only for pinpoint attacks. The research...

  Carlos relayed the information to the Popess, who declared it valid for the entire world. However, adoption of the method has been slow outside – with the notable exception of the Holy Popess herself, who has already ordered the preparation of experimental fields in the Holy City of Santa Maria...

  While many of our brothers and sisters, under the rule of the engenho lords, still go hungry due to sugarcane monoculture, we, here in the Republic, have discovered a path to eradicating scarcity. While the Holy Popess, also known for her genius, begins her research in this field that mixes science and magic gems, we are already applying the knowledge in our gardens!"

  "You can tell she talked a lot with Tassi," Carlos commented to himself, a slight smile on his lips. "And that Fernanda helped her gather the information. It has a certain touch of someone who knows the reality here, must have come from her team… Fernanda is truly amazing, assembled a competent team in record time."

  The inner pages carried news about the Republic's internal trade, small improvements to the roads, completion of the cistern construction, job openings, the arrival of a salt shipment, and brief notes on events in the Holy City and other captaincies. Carlos read while drinking his tea, now lukewarm. The reading was fluid, the text well-written. Until he turned a page and came across a headline that made him choke. The tea almost came back up.

  "ROMANCE AT CITY HALL!"

  "President Carlos provided a special dinner for the Minister of Agriculture and gave her a gift under the romantic light of the gems! The dinner...

  Witnesses claim that when the Minister of Education, Quixotina, discovered this, she turned 'red with envy' and delivered numerous friendly (but vigorous) kicks to the chief of state's backside. The episode, which occurred in the middle of the street, raises questions: could this be betrayal? Jealousy? Is a love triangle forming at the heart of the Republic? Aunt Vera said..."

  Carlos froze for a second. Then, a wave of heat rose from his neck to his forehead. With a jerky movement, he stood up, grabbed the newspaper forcefully – crumpling part of the page – and almost ran out of the office. His footsteps echoed atypically through the corridors, attracting curious looks from staff.

  He burst into the Ministry of Labor. Fernanda was standing near a notice board full of papyri, checking a list. She turned, surprised by the abrupt entrance.

  "Fernanda!" Carlos's voice came out louder than intended. "Where is Matilda?"

  Fernanda blinked, recovering her composure. Her eyes quickly scanned the crumpled newspaper in Carlos's hand, and an understanding – mixed with a slight, contained humor – shone in her gaze.

  "She's in the central square, Carlos," she replied, keeping her voice calm. "Where the first copies are being sold. She said she wanted to see the readers' reactions firsthand. I believe she's collecting… impressions."

  Carlos was already turning to leave again, but stopped at the door. He turned back to Fernanda, pointing his index finger at her with the seriousness of a combat order.

  "And let it be recorded: no putting gossip about my personal life in the Republic's official newspaper! That's an order!"

  Before Fernanda could respond – a slight smile already forming on her lips – Carlos disappeared down the corridor, his hurried footsteps heading towards the square, where a certain journalist was about to receive some very, very direct feedback from her boss's boss.