Tris

"Beautiful lady, we meet again."

The round-faced man looked to be only about eighteen, young enough to be called a boy. Though he wore an ordinary linen shirt and rough cloth trousers, looking like a common dockworker, there was an air of elegance in his every movement. Combined with his shy, somewhat childish face, it made Angel feel quite favorably toward him.

"Hello. I remember seeing you on the Public Carriage this morning. I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

Seeing that he had taken the initiative to greet her, she responded kindly.

"Perhaps fate has brought us together once more. I'm Tris, and I've been helping out at the docks lately. I think this is my first time seeing you at this market?" The boy named Tris introduced himself. "Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I definitely wouldn't forget a lady like you if I'd seen you before."

"I live on Daffodil Street and rarely come to the Docklands. This is only my second time here to buy materials. Um, to buy some candles for a ritual."

Tris looked at the bundle of candles in her hand and nodded knowingly. "Sandalwood Candles. Those are selling like crazy and are out of stock everywhere. You're really lucky to have found so many."

"They were a little expensive, though." Angel felt a pang of regret when she thought of the premium she had paid. Still, hearing that the candles were difficult to obtain made her feel a little better. "It sounds like you know quite a bit about mysticism?"

She had seen Tris identify the type of candles so easily and asked curiously.

"Heh, mirror spirit channeling, magic rituals, Tarot Divination... I wouldn't say I know much. I just visit this market often and overhear a few things."

Tris answered in a light tone, but his expression said anything but "I wouldn't say I know much." There was a trace of self-satisfaction in it, like an outstanding student showing off his knowledge before friends. Yet paired with his sincere eyes, it did not seem unpleasant.

"Could you tell me more about magic rituals? I'm preparing to try one, but I'm still unsure of the exact steps." Angel played along.

"You've come to the right person." The round-faced boy drew the elaborately designed ritual knife from before, pulled it from its sheath, and tossed it upward by the handle. Just as Angel stepped back to avoid it, he steadily caught the falling knife with its sheath.

Only after putting on that little juggling performance did he continue. "First, you need a knife or dagger for use in a magic ritual, like mine. A table knife works too, though silver is best."

"Of course, it isn't for sacrificing livestock. There aren't such bloody rituals anymore. The knife is only used to carve charms and state the ritual's request. You can do it on a table or on the ground, as long as it's somewhere quiet and clean. Place four candles in a square, carve your request in Hermes at the center, and then pray to a god... Oh, right. Which deity do you believe in?"

Hearing Tris describe merely an ordinary ritual rather than the more formal Ritual Magic, Angel secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm a believer of the Evernight Goddess." She traced a Crimson Moon over her chest and answered.

"Then it's best if you pray to the Evernight Goddess. That will give you a greater chance of success. Remember, never pray to a god of unknown origin. At best, the ritual will fail; at worst, Misfortune may cling to you, and your life could even be in danger." Tris warned her solemnly.

Unknown origin...

Angel thought of the palace within the Gray Fog, the mysterious Fool, and the Tarot Club.

According to the Ritual Magic taught by the Fool during the Tarot Club gathering, that clearly directed three-part description indicated that He was likely an existence on par with the Seven Gods. Although the power He had displayed so far was far inferior to that of the legendary seven deities, perhaps this hidden existence had only recently awakened from a long Slumber, and His current strength was merely the tip of the iceberg.

But no matter what, the Fool fully deserved to be called a god of unknown origin.

"Thank you. I understand those taboos, and they match what I've read in books. I won't try anything recklessly."

But unfortunately, Misfortune has already found me...

She silently added in her heart.

Seeing Angel take his advice so readily, Tris gave a friendly smile. He continued introducing the different types and key points of magic rituals. His words were clear and concise, supplemented by hand gestures, making him seem like a university lecturer speaking confidently from a podium.

Angel listened patiently, comparing what he said with the true Ritual Magic she had learned. She discovered that aside from not using a Wall of Spirituality to define the ritual area and not using a clear description to direct the ritual toward a deity, the magic rituals Tris knew were surprisingly similar to the Ritual Magic she had learned from Old Neil.

It seemed that even though the churches strictly controlled such mystical knowledge, some superficial knowledge had inevitably spread among the people over the years. Although ordinary people had no Beyonder Abilities and their imperfect rituals were difficult to make effective, among such a large population, someone would always accidentally direct a ritual toward a powerful existence, thereby triggering all kinds of mystical incidents.

According to the Nighthawks' internal statistics, one-third of the incidents in Tingen City involving supernatural powers had been caused by ordinary citizens who only half understood mysticism yet dared to experiment boldly.

The churches' official Beyonders worked hard to control Underground Trading Markets like the one beneath Evil Dragon Bar and regulate mystical knowledge precisely to reduce such incidents.

Though the results were indeed limited...

From Angel's somewhat knowledgeable perspective, the magic rituals Tris knew were already very close to being effective. It could even be said that if he got hold of some materials containing a small amount of Beyonder power, or found a clearly directed incantation in some obscure mystical reader tucked away in a library, he might successfully complete a ritual on some accidentally suitable date.

Could he have already succeeded?

The moment that thought arose, Angel could not help asking.

"Mr. Tris, it sounds like you have considerable experience with magic rituals. Have you ever succeeded?"

"Sorry, I'm just curious. If you've successfully received a response from a god, I'd have more confidence in my own future attempts." Realizing that her question was somewhat intrusive and could be misunderstood, she added an explanation.

"Well..." The awkward expression on Tris's face had already provided the answer. "...You know, magic rituals aren't like Tarot Divination. Successfully establishing contact with those mysterious existences is extremely difficult..."

"Mm, that's good, then."

"What?"

"I mean, it's better for a ritual not to succeed than to encounter some unknown, unpredictable existence. At most, you waste some time and materials."

Seeing Tris's surprised expression, Angel had no choice but to explain.

Tris frowned and thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"You're right. Wasting time is better than wasting your life."

Then he changed the subject. "Still, I think I'm not far from success. Maybe I'm only lacking a bit of Luck, or perhaps I'm not devout enough, or the materials I've been using are too cheap."

"As it happens, you have quite a few Sandalwood Candles suitable for magic rituals. If I use them, perhaps this ritual will succeed. And my home is in the Docklands, less than five minutes from here..."

Tris did not continue, but his eager, uninhibited gaze stared directly at Angel. With the experience of over thirty years as a man in her previous life, how could she fail to understand the meaning hidden in his words?

It had to be said that Tris's apparent understanding of mystical knowledge, paired with his likable round face and elegant demeanor, might have made Angel agree rashly if she had merely been an ordinary woman interested in mysticism.

But when he made the invitation, Angel's Assassin spiritual intuition suddenly sensed a faint aura of danger. The intuition was very weak, nowhere near the intense warning of "a bayonet will fall the moment you step outside." It was merely a wariness beneath her surface consciousness toward the irrationality hidden in the situation, along with a vague sense of familiarity.

Yes, it was irrational.

In a place like the Underground Market, a person she had only met once had struck up a conversation with her, and after only a few minutes of talking, she had revealed where she lived and which god she worshipped. She was only one step away from following this stranger back to his home to, well, "study magic rituals."

Although Angel did not know how he had managed it, perhaps he had succeeded many times through his eloquence and looks and was highly experienced; perhaps he was proficient in psychology and could win people's trust through simple conversation.

But that did not stop her from decisively refusing once she saw through his intentions.

"Thank you for the invitation, but it's getting late, and it's time for me to go home. Perhaps we'll have another chance to discuss mystical knowledge together. Farewell." Angel gracefully bent her knees in a curtsey and brushed past Tris toward the exit of the Underground Trading Market before he could react.

Apparently not expecting the situation to take such a sudden turn, Tris raised a hand in surprise as though he wanted to stop her. In the end, however, he merely opened his mouth without saying anything.

In the night, a pair of vigilant eyes watched the entrance to Evil Dragon Bar.

The crowds entering and leaving the bar did not draw his attention until a round-faced boy dressed as a dockworker emerged from the bar carrying a cloth bag. Only then did he relax all over, as if he had completed his task.

The round-faced boy, Tris, looked around. Only after confirming that no one in the night was watching him and that the guards at the bar's entrance had begun dozing off did he slowly stroll to the side of the warehouse opposite the bar and slip into a narrow alley.

"You were in there so long, I thought you'd been caught."

The cloaked man keeping watch in the alley complained as he snatched the cloth bag from Tris's hand and slung it over his shoulder without inspecting it. The crimson moonlight shone upon the face beneath his hood. He was the mysterious Assassin who had fought Angel not long ago and was now wanted by the Tingen City Police Department. Somehow, he had healed his injuries in only a few days and moved without the slightest inconvenience.

"I'm not the one on a wanted poster. Who would come arrest me? You, on the other hand—I saw your face on a wanted poster at the Steam Train Station the moment I returned to Tingen. You'd better not bring trouble to me. Leave Tingen City as soon as possible!"

Tris answered darkly. Recalling how he had returned to Tingen from Enmat Harbor by steam train and immediately seen the walls covered with the faces of people he knew, he had been so frightened that he had nearly bought a ticket to flee Tingen City.

"I was planning to run the very day I found out I was wanted, but Mitis said I still had to finish a task. It's this week. Once it's done, I'll leave immediately."

"That Mitis... She has no feelings for her subordinates at all. You'd better be careful. If anything seems wrong, leave Tingen immediately. Don't let her get you killed."

Hearing the cloaked man mention his new superior, Tris could barely conceal his disgust. A trace of disdain appeared on his shy round face as well.

If Madam Sharon, who had guided him into the world of Beyonders, had not suddenly died and left him with no way to obtain the subsequent Potion formulas, he would never have wanted anything to do with that notorious Demoness.

At the thought of Potions, Tris felt his chest twitch painfully. When Mitis had told him the name of the subsequent Potion for an Instigator, he had scarcely believed his ears. Her malicious mockery had deepened his discomfort, to the point that when he encountered the beautiful lady he had met once during the day at the Underground Trading Market beneath Evil Dragon Bar, he could not resist approaching her. He had even used the Instigator's language Charm ability.

Unexpectedly, despite looking innocent and adorable, she had been quite vigilant. The instant Tris exposed his true intentions, she woke up and decisively rejected his invitation, hurriedly leaving Evil Dragon Bar.

He had not dared to continue pestering her in the mixed crowd of the Underground Market and had no choice but to let it go.

Thinking that this might be his last opportunity before advancing, he could not help feeling a pang of regret.

Since he still needed to come to the Underground Trading Market to buy materials over the next few days, perhaps he might run into her again?

With that thought, Tris looked back once more at Evil Dragon Bar in the night before saying to the cloaked man, "Let's go. First, deliver the things to Mitis. I'll come here by myself tomorrow during the day. Don't follow me. If someone recognizes you, we'll both be in trouble."

The agile Instigator and Assassin quickly left the alley one after the other under cover of night.