Night fell.
Madison and Zoe walked out of their respective rooms, chatting and laughing.
Zoe was still wearing the clothes she had arrived in, while Madison had changed into a sexy bodycon dress that accentuated her already stunning figure.
Spotting Sephirot's back as he still sat in the living room sofa with his eyes closed in rest, Madison's eyes lit up.
She walked over, leaned on the back of the sofa, her upper body practically pressed against Sephirot.
"Hey there, handsome."
Madison's voice dropped to a low murmur, "We're heading to the best bar around here to find some fun. Want to join?"
Sephirot opened his eyes, glanced at her, and said, "You two go ahead and have fun. I'm still waiting for someone."
"That's really too bad."
Madison pouted, a flicker of disappointment passing through her eyes.
She straightened up and pulled Zoe along.
"Well then, we won't wait for you. Let's go, Zoe."
Just as Madison turned around, a thought stirred in Sephirot's mind.
A wisp of magic flew out from his body and attached itself to Madison.
This ability to condense a strand of magic and attach it to another person was something he had figured out through daily practice.
As long as they didn't go too far, he would be able to locate them at any time before the magic dissipated.
Not long after, the villa door was pushed open again.
Fiona returned from outside.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sephirot."
"It's no problem."
Sephirot replied.
The headmistress's state was utterly different from when they had spoken on the plane.
The fine lines on her face had faded considerably, her skin had become tighter, and she looked much younger overall.
"Cordelia, that is, my daughter, has already told me everything that happened this afternoon."
After sitting down, Fiona smiled and said, "These young girls have only recently awakened their talents and find it very hard to control their emotions and power. If there was any offense, I hope you can be forgiving."
Sephirot waved his hand, signaling that it was fine.
Fiona studied the young man before her, her eyes flickering. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Would you have any interest in staying at the academy? How about becoming my special advisor?"
"In return, I could personally mentor you."
Sephirot did not take up her offer, but instead said, "I need you to perform a Divination for me."
"A few days ago, a friend of mine was attacked in Los Santos. I want to know who was behind it."
Fiona was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Sephirot to have absolutely no interest in matters of magic.
She nodded, "Of course, that's no problem. It's what I promised you before."
"Give me a photo of the person who was attacked, and a personal item she carries with her."
Sephirot took a photo of Patty from his pocket. Clipped to the photo was a hairpin.
Fiona took the photo, walked to a small round table in the corner of the living room, and pulled out a deck of tarot cards from a drawer.
A circle of candles was arranged on the round table.
Fiona first carefully examined Patty's features, then selected a card from the deck and laid it flat on the table.
Sephirot, who had some prior knowledge of Divination, knew that this should be the Significator. The Significator functions as the unnamed character in this Divination.
Next, once an object carrying Patty's personal scent is placed upon it, the Significator will absorb that scent, and the nameless protagonist will receive a name.
As expected, Fiona pressed the hair clip onto the Significator, closed her eyes, and began murmuring an incantation under her breath.
After completing this step, Fiona drew four cards in sequence from the remaining deck, laying them face-down around the Significator, above, below, left, and right.
She reached out, her hand hovering over the four unrevealed cards, and closed her eyes to sense their energy.
The moment she extended her hand, the candle flames encircling the table abruptly shifted from orange-yellow to a ghostly green, and the flames surged violently in an instant.
A cold sweat rapidly beaded on Fiona's forehead, and her hand trembled faintly in midair, as though she was enduring some kind of pressure.
After a brief moment, she snapped her eyes open and withdrew her hand in one smooth motion.
The candles returned to their normal color.
Fiona took out a handkerchief, wiped away the sweat, and proceeded to flip over the top and bottom cards.
The top card depicted The Emperor; the bottom card depicted the Demon.
Sephirot observed the card layout, his brow arching slightly.
"These revealed cards represent the Fate Position and the Shadow Position of this Divination."
Fiona explained, pointing to The Emperor card above.
"The Fate Position signifies the identity and characteristics of the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes. The Emperor indicates that this person occupies a high position, commanding power and resources."
She then pointed to the card below, depicting a horned Demon: "The Shadow Position signifies the motive for the killing. The Demon represents that the murderer has already fallen into a certain degree of madness. They disregard all boundaries."
"So the candle changing color earlier, that signifies danger?"
Sephirot asked.
Fiona nodded: "The candle changing color was a warning directed at me."
"This indicates that the murderer's environment, or perhaps the murderer himself, possesses an extremely high level of danger."
Sephirot's brow furrowed deeply: "Can you determine a specific location?"
Fiona did not answer immediately. Instead, she flipped over the card on the right side of the Significator and closed her eyes to perceive for a moment.
Just a few seconds later, her eyes flew open. Her body recoiled instinctively, and she gasped for breath.
"A very powerful force severed my probing."
Fiona clutched her chest, her voice laced with lingering fear. "The other party is at least a Warlock, or they have a top-tier Warlock aiding them from behind."
"Not only that, there are numerous barriers set up around them."
"All I could smell was the metallic, earthy scent of red soil."
She gave a bitter smile. In all her years as the Supreme Witch, this was her first setback.
Sephirot's expression remained composed. He wasn't the least bit surprised that the other side had Warlock support.
But the fact that they could sever a Supreme Witch's Divination meant the power of this group of Warlocks was anything but ordinary.
They could very well be another band of old monsters who have lived for centuries.
"Red soil..."
This type of soil is not commonly found. Only a few states across all of America have it. With a thorough investigation afterward, he might just be able to confirm where this group is hiding.
"Thank you."
Sephirot put away the photograph and the hair clip. He paused briefly, then spoke again: "Beyond this, I'd also like to make another deal with you."
Fiona was somewhat surprised but remained silent.
"I want a collection of books on magic."
Sephirot stated.
At this request, the smile on Fiona's face tightened considerably.
She sighed: "You should understand, the inherited codices of witches cannot be shared with outsiders."
"Even the basic theories are not permitted to fall into the hands of outsiders..."
"What if I told you I know a method that would allow you to retain eternal youth and achieve immortality?"
Sephirot cut off her lecturing. For someone like Fiona, personal interest would always override that of the collective.
Fiona froze, her voice stiff as she spoke: "I don't know why you're telling me this."
Still putting on an act, Sephirot sneered inwardly.
He spoke up: "Then aren't you afraid that when the new generation of witches rises to power, they'll drain you, the former Supreme Witch, dry?"
The fate of a Supreme Witch has always been a tragic one.
As a new generation of witches begins to ascend, Fiona, as the former Supreme Witch, would find the mana within her body flowing uncontrollably toward the most promising successor.
Stripped of mana's sustenance, her body would begin to age like a normal person's, until her mana is completely drained and she faces absolute death.
"Bang!"
The light bulb overhead exploded. The candles on the table toppled over, plunging the room into instant darkness.
Fiona quickly realized her lapse in composure, and the candles ignited once more.
She struggled to suppress the shock in her heart, her gaze locked fiercely onto Sephirot: "Where did you learn about this?"
(Translated by yourtl.app)