So-Called Marks (Happy New Year)

Whether an Apprentice or a Scholar, whether studying or practicing, every extraordinary being began with a Mark bestowed by the Hours.

Power flowed from the principles that upheld the world and explained all things. When it seeped into the substance of the soul and answered one's desires and longings, it brought forth a Mark: the imprint of a principle, the touch of the Hours, a milestone along one's path.

Desires rose and fell like the tide, never settling into a single state. Marks changed as desires grew, either being renewed or deepened. A path was the ladder one climbed. Though there was no rule forbidding someone from following multiple paths at once, most extraordinary beings devoted themselves to just one. At most, they might switch to another path under the same principle. They would never rashly abandon their path to seek a Mark from another principle.

Remember the original website domain, .

For human nature had its limits, while desire had no end. The farther one went, the greater the miracles—and the heavier the calamities.

Most people, even if they climbed steadily along a single path, would gradually slide into the abyss of losing control, driven by impulse and longing. Once their power exceeded what the substance of their soul could bear, the growing Restlessness of their loss of control would attract Obsession Illusions, the fear of wolves, or even worse things.

—Madness of the mind, corruption of the soul, even physical mutations. Death was the kindest outcome, while becoming an Abomination was the fate of more extraordinary beings.

Those who were lucky could suppress the symptoms of losing control with treatment, then live as ordinary people after their Marks regressed. Those who were unlucky might become tainted by something foul and draw the attention of beings even more alien than themselves. For them, life became worse than death.

To prevent this, Ascension Rituals were created to restrain Marks.

After generations of trial and exploration, extraordinary beings developed the concept of Ascension Rituals. Through ritual, the one ascending could become more resilient, guiding their Mark to develop in the intended direction and steering clear of the risk of losing control.

Like maps and compasses, they kept travelers from losing their way.

Higher-level Ascension Rituals also included the Rite of the Named, which brought one closer to a higher being. Through a Mark, one inherited traces of miracles left behind by myths and legends, wielding the authority to don armor and become a saint.

Take Saliba's Fifth Seal, Beelzebub. Named after the Lord of the Flies, this Mark gave him the power to unleash plagues and vermin. It brought the gluttonous nature of the Path of Devouring to its fullest, and combined with the Grail principle's consistently high health and recovery, made him an absolute nightmare. As long as even part of his body escaped, he could soon grow back in full and return for another round.

You couldn't be sure you'd kill him, but you'd definitely get your hands covered in blood.

"Hmm... So a path is like a talent tree. You meet certain requirements to unlock the next tier, and it doesn't let you assign points however you want and ruin your build, right?"

Horn muttered to himself in terms he could understand, nodding slightly as he felt he'd grasped the core mechanics.

"...However you want to understand it is fine. As long as you're happy."

Watching Horn's clear-eyed, thoughtful expression, Emma suddenly felt as though the value of knowledge had taken a brutal nosedive. The corner of her mouth twitched, but she kept going, trying to make the explanation worth at least one batch of expensive alchemical ingredients.

Life was hard. Emma sighed.

"Though you Alchemists prefer to divide things into four ranks—Prototype, Creation, Formation, and Matter—and the Real Ones of Jade Immortal Garden use another, more complicated system, Marks and paths go by different names in different systems. Still, the mainstream approach is to rank extraordinary beings by how many times their Marks have transformed. There are seven ranks in all."

"The First Seal is Temptation, the Second Seal is Devotion, and the Third Mark is Omniscience. The Fourth Seal is Rebirth, the Fifth Seal is Apostle, and the Sixth Mark is Achievement."

"The Seventh Seal is Ascension."

"Once you cross the threshold of Ascension, you're no longer a mortal doomed to die, but an Immortal who enjoys eternal life. But even an Omniscient, the title corresponding to the Third Mark, is a rank most Apprentices can only dream of reaching. Forget about becoming an Immortal."

"In this day and age, to ordinary people, Immortals who can answer prayers and grant their followers power are no different from gods."

"Ah, I've wandered off topic. As a newcomer who awakened on your own, you should be worrying about which path to choose. Otherwise, once your First Seal reaches its limit, it'll be too late to switch paths~"

"How do I choose? I remember you saying that switching paths leads to madness."

Emma nodded, pointing to herself as she explained. "Take me, for example. My First Seal on the Path of Enlightenment is the Candle Bearer. But I can also follow other paths under the Candle principle, because they're interchangeable at the First Seal. It's just easier to advance along the same path, and the abilities work better together."

"Actually, during the Temptation stage, you can even change your desire. A moth seeking transformation might glimpse the Lamp of Glory and develop a yearning to chase the light. Or a wealthy man tired of pleasure and debauchery might give away his fortune and embrace silence. In later stages, changing your desire becomes much harder, and requires a special ritual to help."

"The deeper you go along a path, the more you lose. The more extreme the path, the greater its restrictions, and the more influence higher beings exert over you. To pursue that power, sacrifice is only a small price to pay. Whether it's your own or someone else's."

As she spoke, Emma's eyes grew colder, and her tone harsher.

"So, to deal with Apprentices who have already lost their humanity, and with dangerous knowledge that can cause corruption, both the former Night Watch Agency and the current Prevention and Suppression Bureau handle crimes that aren't publicly acknowledged. They punish unusual criminals—those whose crimes might exist only in the dreams of others—and hold closed trials for suspects."

"For this reason, Prevention and Suppression Bureau agents aren't committed to following ordinary social laws, and the Bureau often recruits capable people whose records aren't spotless. Officially, it falls under the authority of the Night Watch Minister of Avalon, Lady Edith Abney Hastings. In practice, it's made up of agencies with similar functions from various Federation nations, supported by three libraries that preserve the Art of Night, and holds a seat on the Historical Council."

"Well, well." Having let herself get carried away by the atmosphere, Emma tugged at her collar, a little embarrassed, and let her flushed face cool before concluding, "The Prevention and Suppression Bureau's job is to fight crime and eliminate monsters, though the work is a bit dangerous. But rookies like us, who haven't even reached the Second Seal, usually don't have to charge into battle."

"Anyway, as a contract worker vouched for by Miss Veronica, you can count yourself as one of our own."

She held out her hand and shook Horn's, offering him a heartfelt smile as she congratulated him:

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Hohenheim Lancaster."