Chapter 11 - Episode 10: The Magic Otaku's Ritual
"I have received a report from Laz. As expected, they seem to know nothing about their employer."
It was the middle of the night. In the study of the Arcalai manor, illuminated by magical light, two figures sat on sofas facing each other. One was the current head of the family, Levi; the other was the former head, Ester.
"They're the very tip of a lizard's tail. They wouldn't have a clue what they were attached to. I was rather hoping that by catching them, we'd spook a part of the organization closer to the main body into making a move. But according to the reports from the nets we cast, there was no such activity. I suppose they aren't that foolish."
With that, Ester took out a long pipe and lit the bowl. Not with a flame kindled on her fingertip, of course, but with an ordinary flint. Spells have a fixed effect, making it impossible to, for example, weaken a spell like [Fireball] to use it for starting a fire.
As Ester took a puff or two of smoke and narrowed her eyes, a wine goblet sat on the low table between the sofas. It was made of wood, not glass. In the Hanoku Kingdom, as in the rest of the current human world, glassmaking had not yet been put to practical use, so vessels were primarily wooden or ceramic. Levi silently poured wine into the cup, which had been carved from walnut to beautifully display the wood grain. He then filled his own goblet and asked a question.
"If you were only going to observe them this time anyway, wouldn't it have been better to leave them be, as we have until now?"
"As I said a moment ago, one reason was the hope of luring out their superiors. The other was, well, harassment."
"Harassment?" Levi repeated, his tone laced with exasperation.
Ester chuckled softly and reached for her goblet. She took a sip of wine before continuing.
"Whether they hire new people or temporarily halt their surveillance, it's no great loss to them. But it will certainly be irritating. And that is what is important."
Ester declared this with a truly wicked smile, pipe in hand. Watching her, Levi sighed internally, thinking that for all that she was his own mother, she was a truly difficult woman. In essence, she was provoking them. She was trying to frustrate the enemy, hoping that the repeated irritation would cause them to lash out or make a foolish move. Shaking his head in resignation, Levi asked another question.
"By the way, did you have a chance to meet the two of them?"
"I cannot let them sense that I am making a move, so I did not meet them face-to-face. But since I went to the trouble of coming all this way, I did at least get a glimpse of them from a distance."
Ester removed the pipe from her lips, closed her eyes, and began to speak.
"Ruria's magical power has become something monstrous. Just recalling it now sends shivers down my spine. Even when I met her in the past, she was in uncharted territory, but I suspect her power has doubled since then. It is truly a terrifying prospect."
At those words, Levi paused the hand that was raising his goblet to his lips and stared blankly for a moment. Even at the age of three, her magical power surpassed that of Ester, who was said to be the strongest in the kingdom's history. And now, at six, it had doubled? This was beyond the realm of belief.
"What surprised me even more was that Saki's magical power has also grown. It was small to begin with, so even now it is only about that of an average person. Still, with such a minuscule amount of power, it should have been difficult for him to even use spells. But somehow, he seems to have found a way to make casting possible. Just what happened to those two…?"
Ester let out a long breath, as if releasing something that had been weighing on her chest.
"I am concerned about outside affairs, but I am even more intrigued by what is happening within our own walls. What is it that makes those two so special? Depending on how things unfold, I feel this could lead to an unbelievable uproar. The kind that could change the very fundamentals of magic."
Levi nodded with a serious expression in response to Ester's words.
"I have begun inquiries into how the two of them are behaving during their lectures and how they spend their time in the manor. At the same time, I have placed an even stricter gag order on everyone associated with the private academy, but… it seems rumors are already spreading in some circles. 'There is a young girl of terrifying talent at the Arcalai private academy,' they say."
"You cannot stop wagging tongues, I suppose. It cannot be helped. It was bound to get out eventually. We have no choice but to proceed as we have been, taking care not to show any weakness. I am counting on you."
"Yes, Mother."
After that, the two drank in silence, exchanging no more words. As the wine bottle neared its end, the magical light suddenly went out, and Ester's form vanished with it. Left alone in the darkness, Levi stared intently at the two goblets remaining on the table.
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Ten days had passed since I ordered the short sword at Hanna's family home. When I returned to the manor from my lessons at the academy, I was told there was a delivery from the Dalet Trading Company. It's finally here, I thought, accepting the package with giddy excitement and returning to my room.
After dinner, I carefully unwrapped the package and took out the short sword, along with its leather holster and the custom-ordered red paint. Just in case, I threw open the windows in my room. I unsheathed the sword and began applying paint to the blade with a brush that had been included as a bonus. I applied a thin coat, let it dry slightly, then added another layer to avoid unevenness. After a while, when I thought it was painted cleanly enough, I set the brush down. I would let it dry overnight. The real work would be tomorrow.
"What are you going to use that for?"
Just as I finished, Ruria, who had been sitting on her bed doing her daily training, asked. What should I tell her? After a moment's thought, I replied.
"It's a tool for using magic. It helps things go more smoothly."
That's not a lie, is it? Well, maybe it's not entirely accurate. But I can't go into detail about ritual magic just yet.
"…I want one too."
"You do, Ruria? Hmm, let me see. All right, I'll make something different for you."
As I watched Ruria nod, an idea formed in my mind. If my practice of ritual magic went well, maybe I could teach it to her. Having two people research it would be more efficient than one, and some ritual magic is meant to be performed by multiple people. Eventually, I wouldn't be able to hide the fact that I was trying to master it. I didn't know what effect introducing ritual magic to a world of magic would have, but I had a feeling Ruria would be on my side.
While cleaning up after my painting session, I began to think about what kind of ritual weapon would be best for Ruria.
The following night. I was in the children's room, preparing for the ritual with a slight sense of nervousness. I was about to perform the [Consecration] on the "Fire Short Sword" I had made yesterday. This meant that, for the first time, I would be practicing ritual magic in this world.
The room was filled with various items I had prepared and gathered. They were all for the ritual I was about to perform, but most were things that were fairly easy to obtain. It was a relief that they weren't incredible, legendary items you could only get at the end of an adventure, like in a game or fantasy novel. Of course, my knowledge of ritual magic came from my previous life, and such outlandish things rarely existed in that world.
Now, let me introduce my collection of items. First, the altar. It's just a few wooden boxes stacked together with a black cloth draped over them. Don't say it's pathetic. Of course, in the future, I plan to prepare a proper ritual chamber for daily practice and install a magnificent altar there. But for now, this will do.
I also really wanted to draw a magic circle on the floor—I think "magic circle" is the correct translation, but "magic formation" became the standard term in Japan—but I reluctantly gave up the idea, certain that Maria or Hanna would find it later and scold me.
An incense burner and incense. This was a tough one. The ceramic incense burner, shaped like a sugar pot, and the incense for it were common among the nobility, but they were quite expensive. The allowance I'd been saving up with no particular use for it was almost completely wiped out by this and the short sword I bought the other day. I'd heard musk was a good choice for incense, but I didn't know if it existed in this world, and I had a feeling that animal-based fragrances would be outrageously pricey, so I got some common aromatic wood instead. In my past life, it would have been something like cypress, I suppose. It has a clean, forest-like scent that helps calm the mind.
A ceramic bowl filled with water. And a lamp. I'm using ones I found in the manor. With the "Fire Short Sword" I had prepared, that was everything.
Ruria watched me intently as I arranged the incense burner, bowl, and lamp on the altar. I had told her it was fine for her to watch, but she was not to speak. If my concentration was broken even once during the ritual, I'd have to start over on another day.
Right, time to face the altar and begin the ritual… or so I thought, when I realized something. Crap, what do I do about the divine names, the names of angels, and all that? I don't know the names of this world's gods… Hmm. I'll have to add that to my list of things to investigate later. For now, I have no choice but to proceed with the content from my past life. Everything but the proper nouns should be fine in this world's language.
I started over, once again standing before the altar. I held the prepared "Fire Short Sword" in my right hand, took a deep breath, and relaxed. I raised the sword above my head, then lowered it from the top of my head to my forehead, and then to my chest. Following the sword's movement, I visualized a massive pillar of light descending from the heavens and piercing through my entire body, while I slowly recited the prayer.
"Thine, the Kingdom."
I touched the "Fire Short Sword" to my right shoulder, then moved it to my left. Just as before, I visualized a pillar of light extending from beyond the horizon on my right, piercing through to my left, and chanted.
"The Power and the Glory."
The two pillars of light formed a massive cross with me at its center, filling my entire body with light. I held the "Fire Short Sword" upright, clasped my hands before my chest, and recited the final phrase.
"For ever and ever. So be it."
This was the "Qabalistic Cross," the absolute foundation of Western ceremonial magic. It's a ritual classified as a [Purification], meant to remove negative thoughts from within me and put me in a suitable state to perform ritual magic, but… I don't feel any different. If I had to say something, it looks like the magic power inside my body is spreading thinly throughout it.
Well, the ritual I'm performing today isn't one that produces any particularly noticeable effects, so maybe I just can't tell. Oops, stray thoughts are bad during a ritual. I need to switch gears and focus on the next part.
I used the "Fire Short Sword" to draw a pentagram in the air before me. A five-pointed star, with its vertices connected by lines. Starting from the bottom left point, I drew it in a single stroke, imagining a line of light tracing the sword's path to form the star. Visualizing the glowing pentagram floating in the air, I intoned in the most sonorous voice I could manage.
"Before me, Air; behind me, Water; on my right hand, Fire; on my left hand, Earth."
"Around me, the five-pointed stars flare. Within the pillar, the six-pointed star shines."
When I finished chanting, I approached the altar and held up the "Fire Short Sword" as an offering. I reverently placed the sword on the altar, then dipped my fingertips into the water in the bowl and flicked it in all directions.
"This is the great primeval sea, purified by these holy droplets."
Next, I picked up the lamp, held it aloft, and continued the incantation.
"This is the colorless primeval flame, that burns away empty phantoms and illuminates the abyss."
I set down the incense burner, reached for the bowl of water again, and sprinkled it on the "Fire Short Sword." I used my fingertips to rub the water into the blade two, three times, and chanted once more.
"In the highest holy name, I banish all evil powers and seeds."
The moment I said that, I felt something go ping! inside my head. It was like randomly spinning a radio dial and catching a signal for just a split second. At the same time, I was struck by the illusion of my mind expanding, connecting with the entire universe. And then, just as quickly, it vanished, leaving only the same room and altar before my eyes. …What was that?
When I performed this [Consecration] ritual in my past life, nothing like that ever happened. Or was it just something in my own consciousness, with nothing actually occurring? This is bad. I can't get caught up in stray thoughts during the ritual. I forced the sensation from my mind and performed the "Qabalistic Cross" one last time to conclude the ceremony.
"Phew…"
I somehow managed to finish the ritual and took the now consecrated "Fire Short Sword" in my hand. [Consecration] is a process that fills tools used in ritual magic, starting with weapons, with sacred power. You could say it's like a priest bestowing a blessing upon a weapon.
Ritual magic and divine power might seem incompatible, but that's an image based on 21st-century Japanese culture. Fundamentally, ritual magic is performed by borrowing the power of a greater being—a god, an angel, a spirit, and so on—which is where it differs completely from magic.
This "Fire Short Sword" hasn't become a "magic weapon" like you'd see in a game. It just means a spiritual connection has been formed, marking it as my ritual weapon. Well, even if this sword had some unsavory history (which is highly unlikely since I bought it new), the [Purification] and [Consecration] rituals I just performed should have taken care of any problems. From now on, using this "Fire Short Sword" in my rituals should amplify their effects.
"It's over, Ruria. How was it? Were you bored?"
I posed the question to my one and only audience member. Ruria shook her head and offered a brief comment.
"I felt like a big power was gathering around you, Saki. But it disappeared when you were done."
Well now. That was a long comment for my quiet childhood friend. But I see, that's how she perceived it. To my eyes, the "Fire Short Sword" has no magical power, so even if the ritual was a success and actually gathered some kind of power, it seems to be meaningless in terms of magic. That's another thing I'll have to verify in the future.
"Will I do what you just did, too?"
"That's right. You have to perform the [Consecration] on your own ritual weapon yourself. Don't worry, I'll teach you everything."
As I spoke, I was recalling the final moments of the [Consecration] ritual. That feeling, like connecting with the entire world… was that an effect of using ritual magic in this world? If what Azrael told me in Yetzirah—that this is a world where "ritual magic can actually be used"—is true, then it should be possible to perform it here. And perhaps it's not just a spiritual or conceptual thing like it was in my past life.
In any case, I actually performed a ritual and even experienced what felt like an effect. From now on, I'll have to get more ritual tools, prepare a proper magic circle… oh, right, and I need to arrange for a ritual weapon for Ruria. What kind of weapon would be good for her? I should probably ask for her opinion.
Also, I'm lacking knowledge about this world's faith and mythology. In Western ceremonial magic, I was mainly indebted to a certain gentleman who was crucified a long time ago. But no matter how great he was, I doubt his protection extends to another world. I'll need to properly learn about the objects of worship in this world and show them due respect, or my rituals probably won't have any effect.
I have to continue my magic training at the same time, so I have a ton of things to do. Not that I mind. It saves me from being bored. With those thoughts, I decided to go to bed for the night.
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Somewhere far away, in a dark place untouched by light.
A young woman's voice echoed, shattering the utter silence.
"We have confirmed the use of ritual magic in the eastern region of the continent."
"…It has been a long time. Four hundred years, if I recall. The eastern continent… does that mean the Constan Marquisate?" a calm, aged male voice asked.
"No, it is a new country, established only recently. The Hanoku Kingdom, I believe," the young woman's voice replied, its tone devoid of inflection.
The man's voice, in contrast, held a note of suspicion.
"The Hanoku Kingdom? If my memory serves, that is a frontier region with very few legacies remaining…"
No voice answered his question, and for a short while, silence reigned in the darkness.
"The location matters not. In any case, humanity has rediscovered ritual magic, just as we had hoped. This time, we cannot afford to repeat the failures of old. We must be cautious and nurture this faint spark."
A third voice, old and raspy, echoed as if to mediate between the two. And after that, nothing more disturbed the silence in the darkness.
This is the tenth episode. I am truly, truly sorry for the long delay this time. I am reflecting on it. I will do my best to write the following chapters, so I look forward to your continued support.