Brotherhood of the Shield and Alchemy (Seeking Investment!)

"What is this?" Bayonetta asked, pointing at the emblem.

"The Brotherhood of the Shield!" Salomon drew a deep breath. He knew this world contained all sorts of strange things, but he had never expected the Brotherhood of the Shield to truly exist. The organization had originated over two thousand years before Christ. When extraterrestrial beings invaded Earth, Imhotep, the designer of the pyramids, had stepped forward and led a great army to annihilate them, earning himself the title of the First Shield.

Kamar-Taj had been founded by Master Gu Yi, the second Sorcerer Supreme, yet this organization's history was even older than Kamar-Taj's. Many renowned figures throughout history had been members of this organization: Newton, Da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Tesla, Zhang Heng, and even... Howard Stark.

The secret behind why the Franciscan Order possessed so many alchemical texts had also been revealed. The famous alchemist Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan had been a member of the Brotherhood of the Shield, and Latin alchemy had been profoundly influenced by Middle Eastern alchemy. Paul's manuscript had to be preserved here.

And if Da Vinci's manuscripts were here, then finding Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan's manuscripts alongside them was no longer so surprising.

Furthermore, the Franciscan friar Roger Bacon's concerns about the "Antichrist" might not have been unfounded. Those worries had most likely originated from documents of the Brotherhood of the Shield. The Gospels contained many passages describing Jesus foretelling the coming great tribulation and persecution to his disciples, saying that after these events, he would return to the world as the glorious Son of Man.

What exactly was the Antichrist? What exactly was the coming disaster? The descent of the Holy Child?

Salomon looked at the Holy Marks on his hand and, thinking of his birth, did not dare dwell on it any further. He still had a bellyful of questions. He believed The Venerable One certainly knew something, but whatever it was, he needed to prepare himself.

He stood up, put the Sling Ring on his left hand, and drew a circle with his right. A circular portal with sparks flashing around its edges opened before him. On the other side was Kamar-Taj's training grounds. He needed a great deal of reference material; the mysteries of history were unfolding before him. Although the clues to the Darkhold that Salomon sought were surely here, they had become mere minor details. Salomon had to know just how much more chaotic nonsense this world had waiting for him.

"Hey, senior brothers." Salomon poked his head through and said, "Could you help move a few boxes? There are a bit too many documents here, and I can't handle them alone. Oh, bring some chloroform too. Our dear gray-robed friar may be waking up soon."

"So now we're robbers?" Bayonetta watched with interest as Kamar-Taj's apprentices went in and out through the portal. These apprentices were extremely grateful to Salomon for "secretly" improving their meals, so everyone was happy to lend a hand with something as minor as moving things.

"At most, it's theft. Besides, there aren't any cameras here." Salomon patted the Witch's arm. "Relax. I think what I need is in here. Good afternoon, Senior Brother Mordo. It's five hours earlier here than where you are, just in time for lunch."

"What are you doing?" Mordo's eyes widened as he looked at Bayonetta standing beside Salomon. "Where did you find all this? What did The Venerable One send you to do? Who is she?"

"Holy Cross Church." Salomon shook his head vigorously. "I was only hunting some Extra-dimensional Beings. No, I guarantee I absolutely didn't expose magic. This is my partner, an acquaintance of The Venerable One's. She's very good at killing angels. Senior Brother Mordo, I just want to find some documents I need. There are just rather a lot of them, and I want to bring them back and read them slowly. Could you arrange for them to move the documents to my room? Set up a Mirror Dimension there and just put them inside. Thanks."

Bayonetta impatiently pushed up her glasses with her handgun, her high heels clicking against the floor.

Salomon hurriedly waved his hand. The manuscripts that had yet to be moved from the library all floated up and slipped into the portal on their own. Even with the help of Kamar-Taj's apprentices, moving all the manuscripts took over twenty minutes. Salomon called through the portal, "Senior Brother Mordo, I'm still very busy here! Remember! Make sure they're moved to my room!"

"Nice work, brother." Salomon patted the thick arm of the last Arcanist apprentice to pass through the portal. "I'll treat you all to lobster tonight."

Thanks to magic, Holy Cross Church's library had been stripped clean in a very short time. Before Salomon and Bayonetta stood only empty bookshelves, along with the Franciscan friar still lying on the floor. Oh, and a towel soaked in chloroform. Who knew who had brought it? The poor friar would probably be unconscious for quite a while.

"Finished?" The Witch's tone rose slightly at the end.

"Finished," Salomon said. "After this, I need to spend some time reading."

"Then let's go." Bayonetta said, "There are still plenty of angels waiting for us to hunt."

Salomon's pursuit of the Darkhold had temporarily come to an end, but Bayonetta still had plenty of matters to resolve. It was not just the issue of Wigrid. She also had to feed demons regularly; it was part of her contract, an inviolable condition. Only by feeding demons could she successfully summon powerful demons to assist in battle.

That would keep her busy for a while, but fortunately, there were enough angels.

Bang! Bayonetta casually fired a shot at the ground beneath her feet. The bullet pierced through the head of the angel pinned beneath her high heel. After bright red blood sprayed out, its body rapidly dissolved into golden motes of light that drifted into the sky. When she turned around, she saw Salomon smash an angel over his knee. Golden light rose from the Holy Shroud on his body, making him look as holy as the Holy Child himself.

After a battle that had not been particularly difficult, Bayonetta offered Salomon a suggestion. One that could greatly enhance his combat ability, a fighting style perfectly suited to him.

"Legend says that King Solomon could summon the Seventy-Two Pillars of Demons to aid him," Bayonetta said. "Make a contract with Demon Lord Belial and command the Seventy-Two Pillars of Demons. That is your fighting style. Just like me, use magic to bind demons and restrain their actions. I can do it, and so can you. Make use of your powerful magic. Don't worry, you have plenty to replenish it with."

Bayonetta bound demons using her hair, which was where she stored her magic. She could do so because the Witch clan's magic possessed the trait of restraining demons. Salomon possessed that same magical trait. The Venerable One had once said that the Holy Marks on his hand were a form of Idol Magic and contained the same power as King Solomon.

Yet Salomon still had reservations about summoning demons. Compared with summoning demons, he trusted the magic in his own hands more. But when facing those angels, he always had to fight one against many, and Bayonetta could not always help him.

"I'm sure the Sorcerer Supreme has seen this," the Witch said with a curl of her lips. "And Kamar-Taj is so rigid in its ways. Good boy, why not give it a try?"

"I can't make a contract with demons, Bayonetta. My soul can only belong to myself." Salomon would never summon demons by making a contract. The result would be the same as Bayonetta's: his soul would belong to a Demon Lord. Solomon had been the same. With that cautionary example before him, Salomon naturally would not step into the same trap again.

"But there should be other ways to summon demons besides that," he said. "I'll try, but I'll need your help."

"No problem, Boya~" Bayonetta winked and said with satisfaction.

Good morning.