"I'm more or less the same," Shiomi said, lifting his head. "The information I have access to all comes through the Clock Tower. From what I can tell, their Magecraft system is something called Thought Magecraft."
"And that's exactly the issue," Touko replied. "Based on the legends I've heard over the years while traveling, Taigong Wang was among the very top tier of ancient Chinese Magi. His master was Yuanshi Tianzun, one of the highest beings in Taoism. In other words, he was a disciple of a god."
Olga Marie was getting dressed as she listened to the discussion. "If we draw a comparison to our side, then who would he resemble? The Magus of Flowers Merlin? Or the great witch Morgan from Proper Human History?"
"Judging by the era he was active in, he'd at least be on the same level as the King of Magecraft," Touko said with a shrug.
Shiomi nodded. "If we go by the idea that older Mystery means greater power, then Taigong Wang, as an ancient Magus of the Age of Gods, would be extraordinarily old. He might even qualify for Grand."
"Then why would my beloved disciple dream of a Magus like that?" Scáthach asked. "Could it really be connected to the Chinese Lostbelt?"
"Hard to say." Shiomi leaned forward slightly. "Originally, before entering the Chinese Lostbelt, I planned to search for Beast Koyanskaya, who's most likely hiding somewhere within Russian territory."
"So it's a matter of choosing between two directions," Skadi mused. "You intended to push both at once, but this dream may be telling you to prioritize the side connected to it. If that's the case, why not try divination?"
Shiomi raised a hand. "I did learn Rune divination from my master. But divining for myself? There's no way the results would be reliable."
Not only that, the closer the diviner is to the subject, the more likely the result is to be distorted.
Silence settled over the room again.
Everyone present was an exceptional Magus. The problem was that each of them had a close bond with him. That connection alone would interfere with the accuracy of any divination.
"If I hadn't already… with my teacher…" Olga Marie muttered gloomily, hugging her knees. "Maybe I could've tried astrological Magecraft."
Celestial Magecraft had originally been used by the ancient Chaldeans to draw power from the cosmos. Only later, after its decline, did it gradually evolve into the astrology and stargazing Magecraft known today.
Even so, it still had its uses.
"Leaving aside whether it's feasible, on a bleached planet cut off from the universe, how would you even perform astrology?" Shiomi said gently when he saw her troubled expression.
Olga Marie shook her head. "Using the Paper Moon provided by Atlas, we can reconstruct a hypothetical starry sky based on the vast celestial records we already have. For a simple divination, that should still be possible. Miss Sion told me that before."
Even before taking charge of the Astromancy Department at the Clock Tower, before the Clock Tower itself was formally established, the Animusphere line had been observing and compiling records of celestial movements.
Those records were a core pillar in the creation of Chaldea. When they evacuated from the South Pole, this data was among the first things transferred to the Shadow Border for safekeeping.
Olga Marie had only spoken out of subconscious self-reproach, thinking that if she had been more decisive, she might have been able to help her teacher now.
But her words sparked an idea in the others.
"Wait," Morgan said, a sly smile forming. "If we're talking about Celestial Magecraft, isn't there someone on the Storm Border who specializes in it?"
It took everyone a few seconds to catch on.
Kirschtaria Wodime.
He had no particular ties to Shiomi, and he was highly skilled in Celestial Magecraft. He was indeed a suitable candidate for divination.
After tidying up the room and finishing breakfast, Shiomi brought Olga Marie along to find Kirschtaria, who was in the middle of a chess match with Peperoncino. They explained the idea.
"Astrology?" Kirschtaria looked surprised, but he didn't dismiss it. He considered the conditions Olga Marie had outlined. "If I can access the celestial records accumulated by Animusphere and construct a hypothetical star chart, then as long as the subject of the divination isn't too complex, I should be able to manage it."
"Good. I'll arrange it right away. Kirschtaria, you prepare as well," Olga Marie urged immediately.
Kirschtaria glanced at Peperoncino with slight hesitation.
"The game can wait," Peperoncino said with an intrigued smile. "I'm far more curious what matter would require a mortal to divine on behalf of the divine Teacher Shiomi. Kirschtaria, you'd better be careful. For a mortal to perform divination for a god is, by nature, deeply taboo."
"If I can't bear even that level of taboo," Kirschtaria replied with a confident smile, "then how could I hope to defeat Zeus and earn his acknowledgment?"
With that, they followed Olga Marie to the bridge of the Storm Border.
The instruments for observing the Bleached World were there.
And so was the Paper Moon.
Following Olga Marie's instructions, Da Vinci activated the instruments, accessed the vast archive of astronomical records, and reconstructed a star chart that closely approximated the real cosmos.
"It should work in principle," Kirschtaria said. "What would you like to divine, Teacher Shiomi?"
"The Flying Bear entering the dream," Shiomi replied. "Koyanskaya once declared that she would devour me and turn me into one of her tails. If she is a Beast akin to a nine-tailed fox, then it wouldn't be impossible for the Counter Force to dispatch Taigong Wang to eliminate her. On the other hand, the Chinese Lostbelt must also be connected to Taigong Wang in some way. So…"
"You want to divine which should take priority. Subjugating the Beast, or severing the Chinese Lostbelt?"
Kirschtaria raised his staff and stepped closer to the star chart, beginning the astrological rite.
Even for him, Celestial Magecraft was rarely put into practice. Though he had mastered it long ago, its inherent constraints meant he had seldom had the chance to apply it after becoming proficient.
And now, his very first serious application was to divine the path forward for a being who had already ascended to godhood.
An indescribable weight pressed down on him.
But it was still within his limits.
"The shape of the stars. The shape of the void. The shape of gods. My shape. The celestial bodies are hollow. The hollow is the void. The void abides through gods. O stars that shimmer beyond this planet, reveal to me the direction of the unknown path."
In an instant, immense Mana surged through the bridge, overwhelming the systems and plunging it into brief darkness.
The backup power engaged at once.
As the lights flickered back on, Kirschtaria dropped into a nearby chair, breathing heavily. After catching his breath, he lifted his head and looked at Shiomi.
"…The stars have given their answer. Whether you choose to trust it is up to you, Teacher."