Knowledge and Trade

"The last kind, and the way you're least likely to awaken as a supernatural, is through [Apostle Selection]."

"An Apostle? As far as I know, that's a supernatural rank, isn't it?"

"It is a rank, but it's more than just a rank."

Emma nodded, then shook her head. Recalling the Moore family records, she explained, "In the conventional sense, we call those with the Fifth Seal [Apostles]. The first reason is that the power they wield is astonishing, like the heroes of myth. The miracles they perform are magnificent, almost as if they act on behalf of a Great Power. Compared to natural disasters, they're still human in form, more fragile, yet far more powerful."

"On that point, you've had close contact with an Apostle, so you should know better than I do."

Thinking of the [Storm Burnt Offering] that could have engulfed all of Birmingham had it not been stopped, and Saliba, who had freely wielded storms and thunder at the borderlands, as if descended from another world—as if a god had come down to earth—Horn nodded, still shaken.

Though he had technically joined forces with Veronica to take down a quasi-Immortal, Horn's greatest contribution had actually been burning through the many layers of despair stored in the Blood Pool, cutting off Saliba's endless cycle of life for a time, then desperately holding on to Saliba when he tried to avoid a fight. That had given Veronica the chance to reveal her divine true form and open the Gate of the Underworld.

Otherwise, if a ritual that had been planned for so long had been so carelessly disrupted, Saliba would never have survived the fierce internal competition within the [Blood Cup Cult] long enough to be struck down by the Prevention and Suppression Bureau—let alone ascend to the rank of Apostle.

Emma continued her explanation.

"Second, there's the matter of [Selection]. Immortals have already transcended the constraints of the Seals, but some also call them the Seventh Seal. Immortals are fundamentally different from mortals. In this era, their power and lifespans are enough to make them gods on earth, great spirits who have appeared in the world. And even such beings long to advance further."

"I don't know the specifics of how Selection works. But one thing is certain: mortals selected by an Immortal or an even greater being can leap straight to the power of the Fifth Seal, without the corresponding desires. That's the original meaning of [Apostle]: Apostolos, 'one who is sent'—someone chosen from among the disciples and given a mission."

Feeling the unmistakable response of the First Seal, [Blood Scorcher], within him, Horn felt a little more at ease about the [Flame of Destiny]. He asked, "Then what are Seals? And what's the difference between an Apprentice and a Scholar?"

"Good question! Those two questions can actually be answered with one explanation. But to explain it, I'll have to start with the most basic knowledge."

The candlelight in Emma's eyes danced merrily. The feedback from her Path filled her with delight, and at the sight of Horn's clear gaze, her urge to pass on what she knew took over. She couldn't help wanting to teach him something more advanced and profound.

Emma was itching to teach, eager to impart knowledge!

"Apprentices often say, 'Knowledge is power.' The Hooded Aristocrats call their library the [Tomb of Lies], which has led people to foolishly assume that the Aristocrats are all liars."

"But what it really means is, 'Truth flourishes where lies vanish.' And the Aristocrats never say, 'Knowledge is power.' They say, 'Power is knowledge.'"

"The difference between an Apprentice and a Scholar lies in how they use power. These are the two Paths: [Formless Secret Arts] and [Great Knowledge]. We don't call supernatural knowledge 'magic.' Magic belongs in stories—or refers to what people do with rabbits in public."

"Have you ever wondered whether the world should really be the way it is? If our world were truly as we see it, this knowledge would be useless. And yet it works."

"Your mentor, who guided you into the supernatural, should have taught you what comes next. But since you awakened on your own, let's not bother with those formalities. This knowledge has no weight, but it still has value."

"'Hidden knowledge must be exchanged for hidden things.' Now, offer up any valuable object and trade it to me, completing the most basic ritual."

Emma held out her hand and opened her palm, inviting Horn to place the item he would trade in it.

So this was what she'd been leading me toward.

Finding the meticulous arrangement faintly absurd, Horn took out the [Mist Spider] sac he had received from Veronica and solemnly placed it in Emma's palm.

Emma weighed the surprisingly light sac with satisfaction, then made a solemn declaration.

"Using this as proof, I beseech [Pale Dawn], God of Meticulousness."

As if answering her declaration, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, carrying the chilly freshness of early morning. Emma stood and closed the door. The spirituality of the [Candle] principle intertwined to seal the room; through the act, she conceptually closed off the space. Then she lit a scented candle she had brought with her. Amid the drifting fragrance and flickering light, her voice seemed to come from far away, humming in Horn's ears.

"First, clench your fist. Feel the muscles moving beneath your skin. In the same way, power surges beneath the world's surface. It's just as intangible, but far stronger: a light visible only in dreams; the first words spoken by a flame; even the shattering of a sword."

"Above the world's surface lies the world of reason and logic, the world we live in. Some call it the Manifest World, others the Material World, while scholars of secret history like to call it the [Waking World]."

"That's because beneath the world's surface—or, you might say, above the world—there's a place higher than the world itself: the Dream Realm. The Dream Realm doesn't exist inside dreams. Quite the opposite: we can reach it only through dreams, which is why it's called the Dream Realm."

"The Dream Realm is the Hidden Temple, the House of the Sun, the Pantheon. Its corridors are the angles between time, and its walls are the vast starlight. Every miracle originates there, every soul belongs to it, and every source of light has its roots there."

"Scholars who master [Illumination Art] define its highest point as Radiance. Scholars deeply versed in [Woodland Studies] regard everything beyond its walls as Woodland. And scholars who study history know that the Dream Realm has no walls."

"Surrounding the Dream Realm and establishing its boundaries are the eight great principles, which might be called its walls. The principles' ideas, influences, and characteristics form the basis of all [Formless Secret Arts] and the source of all [Great Knowledge]. Apprentices act in accordance with the principles; Scholars unravel their secrets."

"Principles are like gravity in the Waking World: objective laws with their own workings, containing truths that can be understood."

"Ultimately, [Formless Secret Arts] and [Great Knowledge] are both sciences and arts through which one alters things by one's own will."

Taking a handful of dull-colored powder from the pouch at her hip, Emma scattered it evenly over the dancing candle flame with her thumb and forefinger, while reciting an incantation in a strange rhythm:

"We beseech [Pitch-Black Flax], God of the Unknown."

"With this offering, I pray for the veil to descend and protect the secrecy of our pursuit of knowledge."

The flame leapt high for an instant, but when it touched the [Mist Moss], it curled around the powder and shrank to a pinpoint of light, burning quietly. The scent of moss after rain drifted through the room, giving Horn a strange sense of comfort. Everything around them took on a pale gray hue, as if they were behind a silent, peaceful veil.