"No, this is not a scam at all."
Mr. Madison said, shaking his head with a glass of wine in his hand,
"The Arcane Technique is definitely real, but whether the ritual needs to be this complicated, I can't say. I only know that the last person who learned this Arcane Technique did it the sa way. It is a story, and the story itself is about the ritual."
Shard was familiar with such matters; the Sea Return ritual was also hidden in a nursery rhy.
"In fact, I believe that most fairy tales, rhys, and poems passed down from ancient tis hide elents of mysticism,"
Mr. Madison added.
"You're lucky that Shard ca to investigate, but what will you do afterward? Now that the church has noticed you, even if there's nothing wrong with the spices themselves, you will eventually draw their close attention."
The doctor asked again, prompting Mr. Madison to sigh,
"Then I'll just have to leave Hymn Square for a while and go sell spices in the countryside. It took so much to find such a great spot, and to avoid paying protection fees to the gangs, well... never mind. Safety cos first. I'll just have to wake up early and beco a traveling rchant. Mr. Hamilton, please just write in your report that I disappeared all of a sudden; that way, neither your friends nor I will get into trouble."
"No problem."
Shard nodded, and the doctor asked again:
"What is the effect of this Arcane Technique?"
Only true friends could ask such a question. Mr. Madison didn't mind Shard's presence, and sighed as he said,
"'rchant Instinct,' corresponding to the Spirit Rune 'Trade.' It is a passive form of the Arcane Technique. Once I master it, whenever I discuss the price of goods with anyone, whether buying or selling, I'll subconsciously know their psychological price point."
Dr. Schneider and the Outlander both showed looks of envy and amazent.
Six Rings Warlock Mr. Madison, skilled in the Study of Alchemy, was not particularly outstanding in combat ability. He had known Dr. Schneider for many years, in fact, since back when Dr. Schneider was just a First Ring Sorcerer.
As for this topic, Shard was sowhat curious about how Dr. Schneider's team was originally ford. After all, when the other mbers joined, Dr. Schneider had always been the highest-ranking mber in the team.
However, it seed the doctor did not want to discuss it, so Shard did not press further. anwhile, as the doctor got up to deal with personal matters after having too much tea, Mr. Madison, his head covered with a turban, whispered to Shard:
"When I t Schneider, actually, your team had three people—a First Ring Schneider, a Three Ring Sorcerer, and an Eight Rings Sorcerer."
"Eight Rings?"
Shard looked at the gentleman in surprise, and said:
"I thought that Correspondence Circle Mages had at most seven rings."
"I'm not entirely sure about the specifics, but that one was the strongest Correspondence Circle Mage in Tobesk fifteen years ago. I even heard Schneider say that the gentleman had intentions of advancing to Nine Rings in Tobesk, and then would apply for a lifeti academic position directly after entering Saint Byrons."
The middle-aged man, his head wrapped in a turban, still seed very wistful as he talked about it:
"That was truly remarkable."
The regulations of the Three Major Academies were basically the sa; the rules for going to the academies were as well. This ant that the highest-ranking mbers in the team were very keen to find new Talent when their numbers were insufficient, thus, preparing to advance to High Rings as a Correspondence Circle Mage was a rare occurrence.
"What happened afterward? Mr. Madison, to be honest, I've never heard anyone talk about this. I always thought it was the doctor who started our team from scratch."
"No, no, he was also a Talent found by his predecessors. As for those two higher than Schneider…"
He quietly glanced toward the corridor, then lowered his voice and said:
"Schneider never brought it up on his own, and you shouldn't say it was
who told you. Over a decade ago, a famous incident occurred locally, and two senior Circle Sorcerers from your group died in that accident. It was said that the Eight Rings gentleman and the Three Ring lady were in a relationship, and the gentleman's lifelong dream was to beco a teacher at Saint Byrons,"
Mr. Madison paused, swirling his glass of beer with a lancholic gesture, watching the foam on top:
"When that happened, I just happened not to be in Tobesk. I also heard rumors later that those two had saved Schneider, who was only a First Ring Sorcerer at the ti. The incident struck him very hard, and he even fell behind in his sorcerer studies and beca reluctant to recruit new group mbers. Later, Schneider swore to fulfill that gentleman's wish and proceed to Saint Byrons to beco a professor..."
He sighed, and Shard looked at him sowhat surprised.
"Otherwise, Mr. Hamilton, why do you think Bill Schneider, who had a successful career in Tobesk, is so persistent about going to Saint Byrons?"
Mr. Madison shook his head:
"Sotis, inheriting soone else's wish is more terrifying than having one of your own."
Shard pondered the last sentence:
"Who said that?"
"I did,"
Mr. Madison said, then continued the story:
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"Let
tell you what exactly happened over a decade ago. The events of that year were only worse than this year. Soone had activated a Level 0 Relic in the city, Hamilton. Do you know what Level 0 ans? Then evil..."
"What are you two chatting about?"
The doctor ca over, smiling, probably not having heard what the two were discussing.
"Roder Card, we were discussing the Roder Card!"
Shard hastily said, then winked at Mr. Madison, the man wrapped in a scarf understood tacitly:
"Yes, we were just talking about the Roder Card. I was telling Mr. Hamilton that the inn's owner is also a master of the Roder Card, who likes to gamble with Special Cards as stakes."
"Oh, Shard, don't forget what Priest Augustus said, never get addicted to gambling."
The doctor said, not without concern, as he shrugged off the earlier topic.
Grown n all have their own things to do, so after chatting for a while at the Three Cats Inn, they each went their separate ways.
Before leaving, Shard and Mr. Madison exchanged business cards, and it was then that Shard learned Mr. Madison's real profession was indeed a spice rchant. But not the small ti trader in the square, but a real big-ti goods rchant from the Lower District.
Shard did have the intention to further inquire about the past from this gentleman, but seeing his busy schedule, it likely wouldn't be today. But Mr. Madison gave Shard a small bottle of sleep-aid spice as a gift, a token of their new acquaintance.
Living in Draleon, known as the Northern Pearl, having a few more friends certainly couldn't hurt.
"Doctor, if Saint Byrons is atop the great ice cap of the Far North, where is the Xerxes Higher dical Academy?"
The doctor was heading back to his clinic passing by Saint Delan Square, so Shard joined him in the carriage.
"It's said to be in the sea."
"In the sea?"
This was an unexpected answer.
"In the southern seas of the Old Continent, but I definitely don't know the exact location. It's said that the founder of the Xerxes Higher dical Academy used a certain grand ritual to create a massive water-free space under the sea. Shard, don't think too highly of them, Saint Byrons was also a space cleared from freezing conditions by Miss Feliana in the Far North. The living conditions north of the ice cap are no better than those in the deep sea."
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