The reason Shiller could recognize this goblet isn't just because of the patterns Constantine drew, but also because of the shape of the goblet and the way Constantine gestured its height with his hand just now.
Typically, even for a short-stemmed wine glass, it should be at least as tall as an adult's hand. The lower part has a shorter stem while the upper part retains its length, allowing it to hold the same amount of wine.
However, the Soviet Union has a very special type of wine glass, rumored to have been invented by Stalin specifically for controlling alcohol consumption, known as the "civilization cup." These glasses reduce about half of the wine glass's body height, making the upper part look more like a bowl. Even if filled to the brim, it can only hold less than two hundred milliliters of liquid.
Two hundred milliliters might not sound like much, but considering the Slavs drink vodka straight from the bottle when bingeing, it's clear you can't expect them to gather in a tea room at Buckingham Palace for a genuine cup of Darjeeling tea during afternoon tea. The tea room of the Kremlin is more aptly called a liquor room. "I'm going to the restroom" sometimes actually means "I've got to sneak a drink."
Clearly, the leaders of the Politburo understand the adage that it's better to divert than to block. If you forbid them from drinking, they'll just hide vodka in their briefcases and drink liberally in their offices. It's better to produce a batch of special cups, allowing them just one drink at a time—enough not to get drunk and preventing mishaps from drinking.
The goblet shape Constantine drew and the height he gestured are clearly of this type. That's why Shiller is sure this goblet must have been snuck out of the Kremlin's liquor room.
As for why Anatoli would have taken this goblet, it's untraceable now. Either he was unsatisfied with its capacity or he didn't often visit the Kremlin and wanted a souvenir. Anyway, he gave it to Lucifer, and Lucifer shattered it.
Moreover, after shattering it, he didn't pick up all the fragments, leaving a small piece which Constantine picked up. This means it couldn't be restored even if he wanted to.
Perhaps God created Lucifer Morningstar too perfectly, resulting in many incomplete moments in his life, such as feathers that couldn't be reattached, such as broken goblets with missing pieces.
Shiller started to believe more and more that Anatoli wouldn't conceal his return just to create one more tragedy in Lucifer's life. He must have other motives.
Pendants can usually repel low-level angels because they fear Satan's wrath. But if it's an Archangel that comes, the pendant might not be effective and could even arouse their interest. Constantine shook his head and said, "If he sends his subordinates, like half-angels and low-level angels, then the pendant is entirely sufficient. But the worry is if he comes personally…"
"Do you have any other solutions?" Shiller asked.
"I usually don't deal with Angels and Devils personally," Constantine said. "I find ways to make them fight amongst themselves. If we need to deal with an Archangel, the best way is to leverage Satan's power."
"Can you contact him?"
Constantine shook his head and said, "Directly contacting him isn't the best idea. Because what interests an Archangel, Satan will also be interested in. Although they might fight each other because of this, if the Angels retreat and Satan remains, that would also be no good outcome."
Shiller nodded. Never mind that Constantine seems unaware that Lucifer has already returned to Heaven, but there's nothing wrong with his reasoning. Even if Lucifer has returned and has become a true Archangel, at heart, he's still that nonchalant Lucifer Morningstar. Expecting him to follow the rules like the other Archangels is wishful thinking. If Michael tries to do something and he doesn't try to mess it up, that wouldn't be Lucifer.
Essentially, he's in opposition to all the Archangels. He has old grievances with Michael, looks down on Gabriel's pettiness, hates Uriel's seriousness, and even finds Raphael, with his good reputation, hypocritical. If he could get along with any of these, he wouldn't have fallen in the first place.
Among the current Archangels, he only has an affinity with Bruce, who replaced Gabriel, but unfortunately, it only extends to being partners in mischief. And Lucifer's sense of time is unlike a normal person's. Bruce could be hanging on the wall for a hundred years, and Lucifer might only feel like he went on vacation for two weeks, never considering to look for him.
For Shiller, his goal is to provoke Anatoli to seek out Lucifer, not the other way around. There's a fundamental difference between these.
By finding ways to trouble Anatoli, forcing him to seek Lucifer, it becomes evident how reluctant he is, and possibly reveal why he hasn't gone to Lucifer originally.
But if Lucifer discovers Anatoli has returned, he would absolutely rush over immediately. At that time, whatever plans Anatoli has would no longer be exposed.
Shiller is well aware that although Anatoli's every move seems grandiose and reckless, in reality, he's smarter and more patient than anyone else. If he misses an opportunity, he would rather halt all actions and wait silently than risk acting at an inopportune time.
Once his intentions aren't revealed this time, he would keep dormant or change his plans, pushing things in unpredictable directions. This isn't what Shiller wants to see.
Therefore, although calling Lucifer now to tell him about Anatoli and ask for his help in dealing with the string of rock candies on the Origin Wall would be the quickest solution, Shiller cannot do that.
Actually, compared to that bunch of candied hawthorn, Anatoli's anomaly is much more important. After all, being pinned to the Origin Wall, although immobile, poses no real danger. In fact, setting Bruce free is more dangerous for the Multiverse.
Shiller agreed with Constantine, one shouldn't invite a tiger in to chase away a wolf, especially when unarmed. "I'm not well-versed in this area. If direct contact isn't possible, what other ways are there to harness his power?"
"In fact, there are many ways. Satan isn't a careless person, but he's been active in the Human World for many years. Many of his left-behind artifacts are extremely powerful, such as a pendant made from fragments of a wine glass capable of banishing lower angels. Some artifacts are closely linked to Satan, he might perceive the situation here through them, and the archangels might choose to abandon them to avoid being grasped by him."
From Constantine's perspective, this indeed is a good method; from Shiller's perspective, it's beneficial too. Obviously, more of Lucifer's artifacts could reveal more about his past with Anatoli. And Anatoli clearly isn't indifferent; perhaps, it might shake him.
"How should we go about finding them?" Shiller asked, "Do you have any leads?"
"We need to find the universe Satan frequents most," Constantine proposed a possibility.
"Unfortunately, the universe he frequents most is now hanging on the wall, inaccessible to any of us." Shiller negated this possibility.
"I meant the universe we can enter, the one he frequents the most," Constantine clarified.
"That would be this universe," Shiller said. He was entirely certain, aside from the Arrogant Universe, Lucifer definitely frequents the Prime Universe most. Not to mention the Prime Universe's significance, Lucifer holds roles here, appearing often in the Constantine series and the Justice League Dark series.
Of course, Lucifer also has a TV universe, which revolves around him as the protagonist. But the issue is, that universe isn't registered in Battleworld, making it currently untraceable. Finding it now would be like finding a needle in a haystack, better to search directly in the Prime Universe.
"Alright, then we need to proceed to the next step," Constantine said, "Tracing Satan's footsteps isn't simple, we need to investigate his identity in the Human World first."
"He might own a bar," Shiller said, though his tone was uncertain. While Lucifer enjoys opening bars everywhere, within the Prime Universe, whether he's opened one or where it's located, no one knows.
Wait, perhaps it's not true that no one knows. Shiller spoke up, "We need to find this universe's Constantine."
Constantine nodded and said, "I think so, too. He might even possess items from Satan—not procured through legitimate channels, but perhaps useful."
Shiller called the Main Universe Wonder Woman, but she didn't pick up. The Justice League might still be busy probing for Batman's whereabouts; soon, they'll likely gather near the Origin Wall.
"Robin," Shiller said, "Previously, this universe's Constantine caused a major incident, Batman won't let him off. The Robins might know where Batman has taken him."
Upon mentioning this, Shiller had a headache again. If he wasn't mistaken, prior to coming here, Aquaman seemed to mention some conflict among the Robins. Great, this world is a large-scale soap opera of family disputes, episodes running endlessly.
"How's your relationship with your family?" Shiller looked at Constantine.
Constantine's hand holding the cigarette paused slightly. He lightly furrowed his brow, seeming somewhat provoked. Shiller continued, "The Robins aren't always sons, but they're definitely siblings. If you come from a big family, maybe you'll have more experience with this."
"Obviously, I'm not," Constantine said, "But I wouldn't intervene in their family disputes to get a lead. That's none of my business."
"If we don't calm them down, they might not tell us anything."
"There are many ways to calm people down," Constantine said, "If you're unwilling, then I'll do it. After all, I'm unlike most Constantines. An exorcist works for pay, charges by the job, I never waste time."
"Seems your exorcism experiences are quite dramatic." Shiller looked at Constantine, picking up the suitcase, and said, "Devils are the least important link, right?"
Constantine smiled at him. Even his smile carried a hint of melancholic coolness. He indeed differed from almost all Constantines, akin to a forgotten Gothic Church, with towering domes, flickering candlelight, with absurd death aesthetics flowing through his veins.