In any case, no matter what else happened at Schluch Lake, Shade had already returned with the Witches to the resting room on the third floor of the manor house. It was nearly eleven at night, yet the banquet only grew livelier. Most people would likely remain until after midnight; there was still a long night ahead.
Only after sitting down on the sofa did Shade let out a long breath. He slumped against the cushions, gazing up at the Crystal Lamp in the center of the room with a contented expression. Then his face was covered by a shadow—Mia's little head was blocking his view. The cat seemed to be studying his expression.
The gains from the battle at Schluch Lake lay not only in the Thunder Spirit Rune and the further transformation of Laguerre's Leap, but also in divinity. Divinity was the foundation that allowed the Outlander to live securely. Whether he used this drop of divinity to ascend from the Fourth Ring to the Fifth, or burned it to incarnate as God, it gave Shade the confidence to walk freely through this world.
Tifa and the maids busied themselves preparing fresh tea and pastries, while the two Great Witches took their seats. Shade and Tifa had already explained what they had experienced on the way back, and the Witches now understood the connection between the Wise Man's Gleaming Stone, an important material in the Fourth Chosen One's Chosen One Ritual, and the so-called Keeper of Secrets.
"Vinales' Trial: Find the Invisible 'Person' in the Tobesk region."
As he spoke, Shade reached out with both hands to scoop up the peeking cat, then straightened himself on the sofa again:
"The Fourth Chosen One's epic has finally begun. An Invisible Man—what does that mean?"
"Since it is some sort