It is the middle of a moonless night when the people of Birmingham are awakened by a scream coming from the streets. Someone has been murdered, they soon hear, but no body was found. Everyone gathers in the central square, looking for answers.
They all rightfully know that the Bishop would have been the only person awake and outside at the time of the events. Disfigured in his early childhood by a disease that has affected thousands, he (like most of the few survivors) has never shown his face to anyone since then, became a monk to thank God for sparing his life, and usually comes out only at night time.
When people come knocking at his door, he refuses to open as they would have expected. Instead, he speaks out the terrible truth that no one had been willing to see: "Someone from Worcester came during the night. Count the children."
They soon confirm that one of the teenage boys is missing. A group of investigators is formed, and starts heading towards Worcester, accompanied by knights and diplomats.
In Worcester, they find that most of the city is out in the streets as well, with every child under the supervision of an adult. The Earl of Worcester advances towards them and speaks:
"One of my children has gone missing, and two knights including the one who was guarding him were found dead. Several of my people claim that a bishop from Birmingham is responsible for this crime."
– "My Lord, we are terribly sorry to hear what happened here. Yet Birmingham has suffered the loss of a child as well, a teenage boy who was an expert in French, who cannot be found anywhere."
– "Serves you right!" someone shouts from the crowd. "You struck first!"
And as every face is turning to the corner where the voice came from, a child turns up and hands out a piece of paper to the Earl of Worcester. "Not everyone is who they claim they are", he says, and vanishes again into the crowd.
On the piece of paper, a chess board has been drawn:
What really happened during this dreadful night?
Hint #1:
Part of the answer requires completing the French sentence with one word, in French.
Hint #2:
Who struck first and how do you know that? Where are the boys now?
Answer
See this lichess study for how the position is attainable
Here's the solution in story form:
The white knight was killed by the black pawn, which became a knight. The black knight was killed by the white pawn, which became a bishop. Another black knight killed the first white bishop.
So...
Birmingham=black and Worcester=white (for clarity, I will simply use "W" and "B". The light-squared bishop - that is, the trapped bishop on the c-file, hence the statement that he doesn't show his face and refuses to open the door - sees a visitor and knows someone is missing. Everyone assumes that since a boy is missing, a boy died. However, the knight died, and the boy became a knight.
They arrive in Worcester....
to find that W is on edge - everyone is guarding the children - and the town has apparently suffered three losses - a boy (the boy of whom it is said "he became" in French the hint hidden in the text, who became W's dark-squared Bishop), the knight guarding/behind that pawn dead, and another knight dead. Both of those knights actually died; however, the Bishop of W died and the missing child that killed the knight "became" the bishop of W.
"Serves you right" from a Worcest-ian indicates that
The two B knights went raiding in W's territory, along with a young boy, killing one of their bishops and two knights. They was pursued into B by one of W's boys/pawns, who kills one. W's boy/pawn earns the title of knight for his deeds, which the public are obviously aware of, thus the "Serves you right". B's boy/pawn that participated in the raid decides to try to replace the knight that died in carrying out the raid.
Also [IMPORTANT]
The French part is completed like so' "il est fou" - "he became crazy[normal use]/a bishop[in chess]." Credit to @Jerry for this part. If you're reading this, go give him an upvote, seriously. Great story from him and good find regarding "fou".
That signifies that
The pawn became both crazy and a bishop - very clever, Mr. Mortier! Remember, the pawn replaces the bishop who is in mental shock from the disease and has strange habits like taking night walks. In order to imitate him, the boy became a crazy bishop - "fou." French punsters are pretty slick, it seems.
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