Ritual Magic

After the three-way trade was completed, Miss Justice eagerly raised her next question:

"May I ask, what are the names of the subsequent potions for the 'Spectator' pathway? Where can I find clues to their formulas?"

That was beyond the scope of my knowledge...

Angel secretly shook her head and looked toward the Hanged Man, who had provided the "Spectator" potion, hoping he could give an answer.

The Hanged Man did not disappoint her. "I can answer that question, and there is no need for payment. After all, I was the one who set you on the 'Spectator' pathway."

"The Sequence 8 potion following Spectator is 'Telepathist,' and Sequence 7 is 'Psychiatrist.' As for the specific formulas, you may have to find a way to obtain them from the Psychology Alchemists. I only learned the names of the potions from one of their members."

"Could you introduce me to that member?" Justice asked anxiously.

"Unfortunately, he is now on the seabed near Sonia Island. I sank him there myself."

For a moment, the Gray Fog was deathly silent. Justice opened her mouth, but did not know what to say.

Psychology Alchemists, Telepathist, Psychiatrist... Angel committed those keywords to memory.

The potion names of the Spectator pathway were quite consistent. They were all related to psychology, and even the name of the Beyonder organization on the same pathway closely matched the imagery of the potions.

In contrast, on the Assassin Pathway, if Sequence 8's "Instigator" could still be considered somewhat related to "Assassin," since both were experts at triggering tragedies and creating bloody cases, then Sequence 7's "Witch" seemed far too abrupt. There was not even the slightest connection to the preceding potion.

Of course, judging from Madam Sharon's behavior, the acting methods for "Witch" and the subsequent Sequences probably did not involve being model citizens.

While Angel analyzed the Assassin Sequence potions, Justice and the Hanged Man continued their exchange. The latter believed that members of the Psychology Alchemists might gather in large cities, using the abilities of the "Spectator" pathway to influence the behavior of the kingdom's upper nobility. However, he did not know their more specific aims. From his gloomy tone, the Psychology Alchemists member he had sunk must have been someone with a particularly tight mouth.

Mr. Fool, who had silently observed their conversation, did not seem inclined to add anything. Though regretful, Miss Justice could only abandon her questions.

"This is my last question."

Her voice suddenly softened, as though she were somewhat embarrassed.

"If, and I mean if, an ordinary animal, such as a canine, drank a Sequence 9 potion, what would happen?"

Miss Justice, those are some dangerous thoughts...

Angel stared at Justice in surprise. There had to be a purpose behind that question, such as planning to feed the only "Spectator" potion she knew of to a dog.

She had not expected Justice to be wealthy enough to use a potion worth several hundred pounds for animal experimentation. Or was she planning to have an animal take the potion first, verify the formula's authenticity, and only then use it herself? That did make sense. After all, rich people cherished their lives, and Miss Justice's personality did not seem like the kind that would use humans as test subjects...

The Hanged Man sat up straight as well. After a long while, he answered, "After taking a potion, one must meditate to resist the influence of the residual psyche. Ordinary animals cannot do that. After taking a potion, they will most likely die on the spot or lose control and become monsters. If they are lucky enough to endure it, they may have a chance of becoming Beyonder Creatures. Many wild Beyonder Creatures were born when ordinary creatures accidentally swallowed Beyonder Items or characteristics."

Miss Justice seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She replied in a bright tone, "Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man. I have no other questions."

The Hanged Man shook his head as well. "Neither do I."

Angel had intended to chime in, but she suddenly recalled the Labor Mutual Aid Society's human trafficking in Tingen City's Docklands, which she had discussed with Dunn that morning. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Have you heard about human trafficking within the Loen Kingdom... or rather, the slave trade?"

"The slave trade? Human trafficking has been banned across the entire North Continent." Miss Justice asked curiously, "If someone is still daring enough to conduct such illegal transactions, shouldn't they simply be reported to the police or the Church?"

Sorry, we are the police and the Church. We're the ones worrying about it right now...

Angel wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead and looked toward the Hanged Man, hoping this "captain," who traveled through various seas, might know something.

"I have heard some news from the Southern Continent. In recent years, quite a few indigenous tribes there have been completely raided. No one cared about their property, but every person, regardless of age, illness, or disability, was bound and taken away," the Hanged Man answered. "Yet they have not appeared in plantations or mining areas across the region, places that were once the endpoints of slave trade routes. On the contrary, many plantations have reported slaves escaping. There have even been slave uprisings in some places. After killing the guards, they vanished as a group."

The Hanged Man's answer made the human trafficking involving the Labor Mutual Aid Society even more mysterious. Angel had originally believed that, with the slave trade banned in the North Continent, the buyers for slave traders would be plantations and mines in the Southern Continent that still legally employed slave labor. Unexpectedly, those places had not only stopped buying, but even their existing slaves were disappearing one after another.

Together with those indigenous tribes of the Southern Continent that had been stripped clean, it was as if some enormously hungry buyer was absorbing all these slaves, creating the bizarre phenomenon of human trafficking that only flowed out and never in across both continents.

Judging by that scale, the Chairman of the Labor Mutual Aid Society was merely one tentacle of that buyer. Even the organization behind him, which had sent an "Assassin" to recover the ledger, was likely only an intermediate node. Even if they captured them and severed that tentacle, they would not be able to harm the entire trading network.

Such complicated matters were better left for the Church of the Evernight Goddess to worry about. The Church's believers were spread throughout the kingdom, Nighthawks were stationed in every city, and they could cooperate with the police. Investigating cases would be much more convenient...

Angel thought to herself. She thanked the Hanged Man and indicated that she had no further questions either.

The three of them looked at one another, all assuming poses as though waiting for the Fool to announce the end of the gathering.

At that moment, several knocks sounded against the edge of the long table, followed by the Fool's deep voice. "Since everyone has finished exchanging information, there is something I need your simple cooperation with."

The last "simple attempt" He had made was pulling all three of them into the Grey Fog Space at once. What would it be this time?

Angel looked at Him with slight nervousness. Although, over the course of three Tarot Club gatherings, the Fool had not harmed any of them and had even provided considerable convenience, divine intentions were unfathomable. Who knew whether this "simple cooperation" would require them to do something that endangered themselves?

"Rest assured, it is merely a small matter. If it succeeds, then whenever you find yourselves in inconvenient circumstances on Monday afternoons, you will be able to request leave in advance."

"That is exactly what we hope for." Miss Justice had tensed up as well while looking at the Fool, only relaxing now.

"What do we need to do?" the Hanged Man asked cautiously.

"It is very simple. In your free time, you may attempt a Ritual Magic. It does not need to be especially formal."

The Fool introduced a simple Ritual Magic to the three of them. Using four new Sandalwood Scented Candles to surround an altar, they were to place seafood rice, white bread, Feneboote Noodles, and Dixie Pie clockwise starting from the lower left corner, then use a ritual dagger to create a Wall of Spirituality...

"May I ask..." Justice began, only to cut herself off.

"It is all right, Miss Justice. You may ask at any time if there is something you do not understand. As I said, this requires your cooperation." The Fool was not angry. Instead, He spoke kindly, like a university lecturer.

"...May I ask how to create a Wall of Spirituality?"

Perhaps not expecting Justice to ask that question, the Fool fell silent for the rare occasion.

As half a mentor who had guided Justice into becoming a Beyonder, the Hanged Man explained in detail how to use a dagger or ritual knife during meditation to guide one's own spiritual power and create a Wall of Spirituality, isolating the ritual environment and preventing interference from other forces.

Only after seeing Justice nod to indicate that she understood did the Fool continue explaining the Ritual Magic that required their cooperation.

After creating a sealed environment with the ritual dagger, they needed to mix and extract Moon Flower, Golden Mint, Deep Sleep Flower, Golden Bergamot, and Rock Rose into essential oil, drip it over the candlelight, and then silently recite the incantation:

"The Fool who does not belong to this era..."

"The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog..."

"The King of Yellow and Black who governs Good Luck..."

Listening to the Fool recite the ritual incantation one phrase at a time so that they could remember it more easily, Angel's eyes gradually widened, and stormy waves rose in her heart.

Though she was not a Seer or another Sequence proficient in mysticism, after inheriting Cole Granger's memories, she was not entirely ignorant of Ritual Magic. In particular, over the past week, she had made "Storm Convergence" bullets every day, praying to another existence—the Evernight Goddess—with such three-part descriptions, asking for Her favor.

If that description could truly point to the "Fool," then it meant that His existence was nearly equivalent to that of the seven Gods, including the Evernight Goddess!

"I pray for Your help."

"I pray for Your favor."

"I pray that You grant me a good dream."

"Deep Sleep Flower, herb belonging to the Crimson Moon, please convey power to my incantation."

"Golden Bergamot, herb belonging to the sun, please convey power to my incantation."

Regardless of what the people at the table thought, the Fool continued reciting every incantation in His deep voice. Only after finishing did He smile and ask, "Everyone, have you remembered them clearly?"

"Ah..." Miss Justice exclaimed. "Yes, I have remembered them."

Angel and the Hanged Man hurriedly indicated the same. The Hanged Man even displayed the parchment on which he had recorded the incantations. In their eyes, the "Fool" at the head of the long table had become completely different from several minutes ago. No one dared disobey His request.

"Very good. I hope you will complete this ritual no later than Wednesday this week."

The Fool seemed quite satisfied with their attitudes. He nodded and continued instructing them.

"We shall follow Your will," the three replied in unison.

"Then today's gathering shall end here."

Deep crimson light flashed again, and Angel returned to her study, sitting in her chair in the same position as before. Roselle's Diary, which she had copied out, still lay on the desk. If the hour hand of her pocket watch had not already pointed to four in the afternoon, she would hardly have believed what had just happened.

How had she gotten entangled with another God again?

Amid her fear, she hurriedly pulled over a sheet of white paper. Before the fresh memories could fade, she immediately wrote down the Ritual Magic and incantations the Fool had just taught them from memory.

The Fool who does not belong to this era, the Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog, the King of Yellow and Black who governs Good Luck...

Within a manor in Backlund's Empress Borough and aboard a Ghost Ship on the Sonia Sea, the same incantations appeared beneath the pens of the other two Tarot Club members.