Chapter 16: Ritualistic Magic
At three in the afternoon, inside Detective Isengard's house in Hillston, Enber sat upright, fully focused as he listened to his teacher's lecture on mysticism.
"Readers in the lower Sequences have virtually no means to confront enemies head-on," Isengard explained. "However, our extensive reading and vast knowledge make nearly every Reader an expert in ritual magic. I'll be teaching you some basic techniques and important principles."
"Low-Sequence practitioners don't have the inherent power to perform most rituals independently. Nearly everything we do requires invoking external forces. And that means one rule above all: only invoke orthodox deities. Never attempt to contact unknown or unpredictable entities, no matter how tempting their promises or how many followers they may seem to have."
"For us, the best choice is the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. If you were to pray to the Lord of Storms or the Eternal Blazing Sun, the consequences would be far from pleasant."
He picked up a quill and jotted a few notes as he spoke.
"In mysticism, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom corresponds to the Blue Star. The required materials are mercury, brass, lavender, pepper, and mint… The Blue Star corresponds to Saturday, with hours from midnight to 1 a.m. on Friday, and from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday."
"Although today is Saturday, the best window has already passed. But for us Beyonders—especially Readers, who are skilled in ritual magic—the timing isn't so critical. Our abundant spirituality and powerful astral bodies are the key."
As Isengard demonstrated a ritual spell, Enber carefully recorded every detail in his notebook, inwardly grateful. Having a reliable teacher in mysticism was a blessing. Left to his own devices, even with the Pure White Eye, it would have taken him ages to understand such knowledge properly.
After completing a basic ritual for healing, Isengard checked his watch. Seeing it was already half past four, he ended the lesson.
"That will be all for today. I noticed you haven't brought your luggage yet. Return to East Borough, pack your things, and be back by dinnertime. Afterward, we'll continue your Feysacian studies."
"Yes, sir," Enber replied respectfully.
But instead of heading straight home, he took a detour to purchase ritual materials and a pair of brass-rimmed, silver-inlaid glasses.
His plan was simple: conduct a ritual to grant the glasses the ability to conceal the peculiar manifestation of his Pure White Eye. Not only would that ease his concerns about using his "golden finger" in public, it would also serve as an offering to the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Since the deity had likely already noticed him—and had even shown "goodwill" by investing in him—why not make an offering and try to gain further favor?
Back at his apartment in East Borough, Enber set up the ritual with care. He arranged the purchased items, prepared the altar, and drew the God of Knowledge and Wisdom's symbol: an All-Seeing Eye over an open book.
Within the spirit barrier, he lit three candles and added lavender and mint extracts to the flame. A refreshing scent filled the room as he burned additional herbs in sequence.
Then he picked up a pen and drew a special symbol on parchment placed before the glasses. With a steady breath, he recited in Hermes:
"I seek the power of knowledge.
I seek the strength of reason.
I seek the favor of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
I implore You to grant these glasses the power to conceal my abnormal vision.
Lavender, herb of the Blue Star, grant power to my spell!
Mint, herb of the Blue Star, grant power to my spell!"
....
Woooom—
As his words echoed, the air around the altar grew heavy and mysterious. Everything except the candles began to tremble—the brass dagger, the salt bowl, the vial of oils, the parchment and pen—all quivered faintly.
Though tense, Enber endured. He had seen this effect earlier that day, yet anxiety still gnawed at him. After about ten seconds, the candles flickered, their flames turning pale green edged with white.
Complex symbols briefly danced across the lenses of the glasses before vanishing.
A sharp pain pulsed between his brows—a reminder of the strain. His spirituality was still too limited; even a temporary imbued item drained nearly half his reserves.
When the ritual ended, Enber placed the glasses on his nose, turned to the mirror, and briefly activated the Pure White Eye. Pleased with the result, he muttered,
"There's hardly any visible change in my pupils. It works! And it should last three days—better than I expected."
More importantly, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom had responded. That alone was a reassuring sign.
After tidying up, Enber decided not to cancel his lease. He would need a private space for rituals he preferred his teacher didn't know about.
Back at Hillston, Detective Isengard noticed the glasses immediately. With an approving smile, he teased,
"You look far more scholarly now. But they clash with your worker's clothes. I'd suggest buying a proper suit."
"A full suit in Backlund costs ten gold pounds…" Enber muttered. Still, he had to admit the detective was right. The glasses alone had cost one pound and eight soli—nearly as much as his entire outfit.
The evening passed with Feysacian study. Since the ritual had drained much of his spirituality, he refrained from using the Pure White Eye to accelerate progress. Even so, he learned steadily, reinforcing what he already knew.
"Reviewing what you know to gain new insights," Enber sighed contentedly before bed.
---
Meanwhile, late at night at the abandoned Dilworth Manor on the northern outskirts, a pale-faced man in a black vest strolled the stone garden path. The guard on duty slept soundly, oblivious to the intruder.
The man, who looked in his late twenties, halted suddenly, frowning as if sensing something. A moment later, a figure materialized beside him—the ghostly woman in a black court dress with pale blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The same phantom who had watched Enber and Xio earlier.
Unfazed, the man asked calmly,
"Sharon, have people been here again? Do we need to move?"
"No need. Just a couple of trespassers using the range. They're irrelevant," Sharon replied curtly.
The man nodded, then shifted topics.
"I've got an update on that last matter. Gore and Rhea were dealt with by the Mandated Punishers, but Jason slipped away. He's probably recovering somewhere in South Bridge or Chorwood."
"Maric, we need to find him quickly. Otherwise, he'll call reinforcements," Sharon warned.
"Exactly. Drawing in the Punishers like that is a one-time trick. They're violent, but not fools," Maric agreed.
"You're quoting Roselle?" Sharon raised a brow in surprise.
Maric's eye twitched when he heard that. "…I read too." he replied after a short pause.
---
The morning of June 3rd, Enber wiped sweat from his brow after an hour of knight exercises following Xio's instructions. He then headed to the small East Borough restaurant where they had agreed to meet.
Based on his aptitude, Xio had concluded daily training at the manor wasn't necessary. Twice a week would suffice. Enber suspected the real reason was cost—bullets weren't cheap, and unlike Klein, Xio had no sponsor footing the bill.
So they settled on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the manor, and this restaurant as their meeting point on other days.
When Enber arrived, he saw Mr. Rian, the mechanic he'd seen before, handing Xio a paper package with excessive respect and flattery.
Used to such displays, Xio relaxed her stern demeanor slightly. Mr. Rian stopped his praise, bowed, and left with a mix of awe and gratitude.
Only then did Xio exhale in relief. She tucked the package away before sitting across from Enber.
"Looks like Mr. Rian's troubles are resolved?" Enber asked with a smile, sipping his coffee.
"Yes. I paid a visit to 'Two-Face' Rorren last night. He was very cooperative. Most of those absurd interest charges were canceled by this morning," Xio replied as she ordered breakfast.
'So she didn't end up in jail.' Enber thought. Just then, Xio added, "Oh, by the way, a friend of mine wants to meet you. Do you have time around noon?"
"Why noon?" Enber asked instinctively. "Can't we meet now?"
"Because she's not likely to wake up until noon… or at all, if she can help it."
(End of Chapter)