The next evening, after receiving the Fool's guidance, Cyril wasted no time performing the ritual to pray for a boon.
"O Fool who does not belong to this era, mysterious ruler Above the Gray Fog, King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune."
"Your faithful servant begs for your attention;
Begs you to open the gates to your kingdom;
Begs you to grant him strength."
As he recited the incantation, the candle at the center of the ritual, representing the Fool, suddenly swelled. A mysterious, patterned Illusory Door tore open amid the flames.
The door creaked with an illusory sound, then swung open with a clang.
A gem the size of a baby's fist shot out from behind the door. It curved through the air and landed neatly in Cyril's hand.
Cyril lowered his head and examined the irregular, translucent blue gem. Within it, tiny stars seemed to glitter.
The spirituality contained within the gem made it easy to tell that the material was genuine.
After a series of twists and turns in his search, he had finally gathered the last ingredient for the Astrologer Potion: Meteorite Crystal.
"Thank you for your help."
He murmured a word of praise toward the Illusory Door, which had yet to disappear from the ritual, then hurriedly ended the ceremony.
After tidying away the ritual's remnants, he took the ingredients he had gathered and a glass of water to the chair at his desk.
Snap~
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The clear crystal, the block of blue blood crystals, the withered grapevine, and the fresh octopus eye on the desk all came to life, bouncing one by one into the glass.
Then he added the clematis powder and strong liquor he had measured out in advance, and gently swirled