Divine tools are cheap. Anyone can go to a temple of Sancus, god of trade and purchase a Contract Scroll for two silver coins. Making an enchanted item that makes the same thing as that piece of paper you bought for only two silver would drain an empire's coffers. So why are they so cheap? They help spread belief and give power to the deity. Every time a Contract Scroll is used Sancus grows in power or at least solidifies his standing.
Excerpt from A primer of the twelve gods, vol 1.
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Having lunch at the Academy cafeteria was not a good idea. Princess Lumina with her hair trimmed plus a dragon caused a huge commotion.
"Hey, Lumina! Fancy seeing you here with us. Care to sit with us, sister-in-law. Ditch this trash of a black mage and come sit with your peers."
They were called out by a guy anyone would be happy to forget ever existed. Prince Brian of Heath, the man that in Pearl's opinion was named as such to compensate for the lack of an organ that was an anagram of the name.
"Sorry, Fourth Prince of Heath. I'm busy," Dawn brushed him off and shot him down for good measure as she lent her hand so Aidan could take her to an empty table in the noble's side of the cafeteria. She wasn't even sure if he was the fourth or not.
"Hey, stop right there!" Brian's mood changed at once after he took a good look. He stood up and moved to block Dawn.
Skippy screeched and hissed at the Prince. He was almost going to touch her, what prompted Aidan to take a step forward and let the Prince bump into him instead. Brain grabbed Aidan's right arm to stop him from getting away. The Prince was inflamed
"Is something the matter? Please do not bother me, I'm busy," She scoffed and sat.
"You are not Lumina! What are you —" Brian accusations stopped suddenly when Aidan uncovered Dawn's hand he was holding and flashed him the Regalia Ring.
"Your Highness, I'd loathe to keep you from eating your meal before it cools or leaving my Princess waiting for hers. If you would let me have my arm back."
Brian let Aidan go with a sour expression and returned to his seat while some other students from nobility snickered behind his back.
"Lord Aidan, are you going to commit treason by starvation?" Dawn asked out loud without even moving her head away from an interesting flower pot she saw on the table.
"I'm on my way. By your leave, your Highness." He bowed and went to get their food. The academy had no servers even in the nobles section.
At least the Regalia Ring already proved its worth by saving them. No further incidents happened before they returned to the laboratory.
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Aidan drew his diagrams and made his calculations. The pile of warm paper was like a hearth in the room. Ink takes time to dry, time the boy doesn't want to waste. Solution? Use Fire magic to dry it faster.
"I hope you realize paper is expensive before you bankrupt me, cadent Aidan." Joked the Headmaster peeking over the pile.
"Bullshit," He replied without lifting his eyes. "I bet you are wealthier than the King."
It made Astromelicus chuckle, "Said the rich kid that has his own personal world. How is it going with the Regalia Ring's diagrams?"
Now he stopped to sigh. Aidan looked up at the face of the man he considered an uncle. Good old Uncle Astro. He used to visit the fief very often, probably to get more coffee now that Aidan thought of it.
"Not good. The enchantments are overlaid and too complex. I wonder what enchanter could've done that..."
Aidan trailed off after he peeked again at the Archmage's face. The grin stamped there was just like the cat that ate the canary. He knew Astromelicus was on a roll today and the old man would not give any information for free. Not that he used to do so in the first place, but today seemed like a very special day.
"You were saying something about who crafted this ring, weren't you?" The teacher broke the silence.
"Just one question. You know who made the ring, don't you?" He got only a nod and a widened grin.
Aidan sifted through the pile of diagrams he drew. Each one of them a complex and barely understandable magic circle. He knew these to be right but he could not believe they worked, except he could see they working just by glancing at Dawn's hand. Worse yet, it triggered some kind of deja vu in him. He'd seen something like this earlier but he couldn't pinpoint it.
"This is impossible. None of these diagrams should work but they do. I can see the magic flowing in the ring. I can hardly understand their meaning. Like this one should be what is masking the Regalia but it is flawed. This diagram would only dissipate mana. It is also preposterous to even fathom how the enchanter could inscribe so many enchantments in such a small piece of metal."
"I agree with everything you said so far. But you are missing the big picture. The enchantments work in tandem with each other. The mana leak you pointed out is real, but wouldn't another enchantment stop it?"
The Archmage is right, Aidan realized. All the diagrams were flawed but they were meant to work together. The masking one he was looking at was good at masking but not meant to work alone. It made the boy realize his strong point might've been not that strong. He was proud to be excellent in spellcrafting. He'd designed several spells in the half-year since he fled the hospital. And that was at a time he was basically crippled.
Even now, his soul was damaged. He had to keep it that way otherwise he'd kill Lumina. Some part of his concentration was always spent on halting the merge and stopping Lumina from fighting for control of the body. Even under these conditions, he could craft his spells. Some of them unprecedented.
He read most of the books in spellcraft available at the library. Books penned by old Archmages that spent centuries in their craft and he could understand the books perfectly. The enchanted items he inspected were ones he could even copy if he focused on it.
So why? Why couldn't he decypher that ring?
"Astro," Aidan mumbled. For him to call the Archmage his more intimate nickname, things were bad. "Is my spellcraft this crappy?"
Aidan's mentor just shook his head. "Your attitude is," His reply was shockingly candid. "I think you've burned out on that ring. I'm glad it gave you an idea for another original spell. How many are them now? Seven in less than a year?"
Aidan could only make a sardonic smile. The Headmaster stood up and picked up the fur-covered square thing he brought back. The one that looked like a framed painting.
"I have this for you, cadet Aidan. It is a gift of my appreciation for furthering our studies on Elements and spellcraft."
He uncovered the object, showing a blank polished wooden board encased within a frame with thousands of glyphs etched. Aidan tilted his head and instinctively triggered magic sight to inspect the glyphs. What he saw was something dozens of times more complex than the Regalia Ring. The young man's head spun and he canceled magic sight. Skippy was very interested in the device but Astromelicus shooed him.
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Rubbing his eyes, Aidan asked, "What is this? Are you kidding me? This thing is even more complex than the ring! What is this supposed to do?"
"This is a spellcraft board. It is a device blessed by Hecate that can greatly speed up the development of any spell. You can complete a spell from scratch in mere hours."
That sounded like a cartload of bovine fertilizer. Aidan just deadpanned and glared at the instructor, "Really? What is the catch?"
"Just a few. These devices are gifted by Hecate herself to those she deems worthy. And whatever spell it is designed with one of these will be automatically made known in all temples of Hecate once it is finished and approved by the Goddess. You can name the spell and claim ownership if you want. Some archmages get really famous sharing spells this way as the entire world will have your name next to the copy. Or you can just share the spell anonymously. Not a very popular tool as you can obviously figure out why."
"I can. Is this thing single-use?" Astromelicus nodded. "How does one get the Goddess of magic, secrets, and the night to gift one of these?"
"You have to gift Her church a worthy spell. Actually, once you have one of these and successfully make use of it, you might get another."
Aidan ran his head over the smooth wooden surface. There were few if any veins or grain in the wood, it almost felt artificial. He found faint circular markings in the middle, probably to guide the drawing of the diagram. Sharing the spell was a real demerit. Share a powerful combat spell and it might be used against you. Even if it is not designed for combat, people can and will find a way to abuse your magic. Worse yet if you do it for fame. They will have someone to blame. After a period of musing where charging the cores through Dawn's sight was more interesting, he spoke.
"What makes a spell worthy in the eyes of Hecate?"
"Excellent question. She is delighted by high-circle magic and spells that push the boundaries of known magic."
It gave Aidan an idea. It should be okay to share a spell that nobody could use properly. And he had an idea for one that would hit all the pegs. He put the pile of papers on an empty desk next to him and grabbed the board, setting it next to his inkwell.
"Great. Can I use it now?"
"Yes, but don't you want to give more thought on the spell you are going to make?"
"No. I already know what I want. Can I start?"
"Of course. If you want it to be anonymous, just write the word 'anonymous' on the top-right corner. The name of the spell goes on the top-left corner but you can leave it blank to let the Goddess name it. Then you draw the diagram and the glyphs. The magic of the board will grant you a great insight into the spell you want if the image is strong in your mind."
"Excellent. It couldn't be stronger, actually. Uncle Astro, thank you. This will make one of my dreams come true."
Aidan dipped his pen and drained the excess ink. Exchanging a smile with Dawn, he looked at the board and dove into his spell's design like a madman. The lessons of the morning still fresh in his mind, the desire imprinted into the spell one he had for years. One he could feel even now. He was making a spell that nobody else but he could or would use. One that would be the purest expression of his being, his unique identity.
On the top-right corner, he wrote, "Anonymous." That one was the most obvious choice. Aidan desired no fame for himself.
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Astromelicus was dumbfounded. He knew Aidan was soon overcoming his own prowess in many fields, wizardry being the last one of them. The boy's aptitude for spellcraft was astonishing but what he was seeing right now defied any logic. The tool helped and he had used four of them in his long centuries but he never saw an intent so strong as to overwhelm even his comprehension. Aidan drew the glyphs and in a matter of minutes, he was already filling the third circle.
The archmage glanced behind his back and saw Dawn sitting still, eyes closed. She gave the core she charged to Skippy and the dragon was back on his perch gnawing on the crystal. He smiled. That was one of the reasons he was going that fast. Two heads think better than one, after all.
He kept watching Aidan write in a frenzy. The fifth circle received the Elemental glyphs. Earth, Fire, Light, Water, Darkness. Five Elements filling the entirety of that layer. Sublime Element. A Law spell.
He was also amazed that the board hadn't even once triggered its most powerful trait, moving the glyphs the designer placed in the wrong order to their proper place. The sixth circle received the same glyphs as one of Aidan's trademark spells. Astromelicus could only watch as the spell reached the seventh circle with the control glyphs.
He held his breath as three hours later from when he started, Aidan was cramming the glyphs on the seventh circle to avoid spilling over into the eight. The board hummed and the glyphs moved. Some control glyphs went further away from the seventh and into the eight. Aidan sighed and after waiting for the drawings to move, he raised both eyebrows. He dipped the pen once again and filled the now empty spaces with more glyphs, chuckling in a light self-derision. He filled the seventh and eight circles and rested the pen in its holder by the inkwell.
"It is done, Headmaster" Aidan announced. Astromelicus only then released the breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
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Minutes after Aidan rested and admired his work, the board hummed and glowed. The glyphs turned from the black of ink to pure gold as the wood gave in for the metal to lodge itself on the grooves. On the top-left corner, a tongue of fire came into being and singed words into the board. Aidan nodded in approval and after putting the stopper on the inkwell and cleaning the pen, he presented the board to Astromelicus beaming like a Knight that won the jousting tourney as he walked to kiss the Princess.
"It is done, Headmaster."
He watched as Astromelicus looked at the board and ran his fingers through the gold etching.
"You have no idea how many archmages will have a heart attack once this becomes public."
"I don't care. it is a useless spell," Astromelicus raised an eyebrow at Aidan's comment. "Seriously, do you know of any mages with the right Aptitudes, power, and skill that would even consider using this spell?"
The Archmage guffawed so hard he had to hold his belly. "Besides the two in this room? No."
Aidan took the board back and looked at the spell he crafted.
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> [Deathless Ward] - 8th circle spell.
>
> Element: Law.
>
> Type: Soul.
>
> Classification: Support. Curse. Sustained effect. Instantaneous Casting.
>
> Target: Another living creature in line of sight.
>
> Despite being 8th circle, this spell can be cast in seconds. This spell cannot be cast on a creature the caster wounded in the last 24 hours. Its effects are similar to Undying Resilience. This spell temporarily suppresses Death for the target creature. No matter how grievously injuried the body is, the creature will not die. Mana is drained to sustain this Law according to the injury level of the target. The spell will remain in place until either the creature is healed enough to keep on living on its own or the caster runs out of their inner stores of mana. The spell automatically ends before Soul damage is inflicted on the caster to draw mana.
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"No Underworld or Blood mages would use this spell on another, and their lack of two affinities would make the mana cost skyrocket. These pricks are too selfish to do so," Declared Aidan without minding the proverbial three fingers pointing back at him. "Maybe a Genesis or a Balance mage, if such people even exist."
"There was one Genesis mage several centuries ago. But they are as rare as a golem egg," The Archmage replied. Golems don't lay eggs.
"Interesting," Aidan inspected the board with magic sight, "The enchantments and engravings on the border are gone."
"Yes. The divine tool fulfilled its purpose. Hecate might gift you with another one in the following months if she is pleased. But by all that you hold dear, wait a few years before you use it again."
Something Astromelicus said clicked deep in Aidan's mind. The itch he felt the first time he laid eyes on the Regalia Ring came back and he had to scratch it.
"Headmaster, do you have one of Sancus Contract Scrolls around here? I need to take a look at it."
"I do. Wait a moment."
He took one of the blessed contract scrolls and showed it to Aidan. The boy devoured the scroll with his Magic sight, noticing the same complex pattern of enchantments impossible to craft for a mortal. he dropped the scroll next to the now mundane board. His cheerful mood was going away fast.
"This scroll and this board were both divine tools, right?"
"Indeed," Astromelicus followed Aidan's gaze and found it resting on the gold ring in Dawn's hand.
"The Regalia Ring is also a divine tool, right? You made me spend a sheaf of paper and the whole morning chasing after the impossible. There is no way a mortal can reproduce a divine tool."
"Yes. But I bet you earned enough insight and knowledge to make it worth your time. The diagrams you drew are nothing to scoff at."
Aidan chuckled. "Fair enough. But that is not the point. I just wanted to confirm that all three of these devices were divine tools and that they shared that same pattern of having too-complex enchantments."
"They all do. They are cheap because it is enchanted with Divine Power to further their God's cause."
Aidan sighed and dove into a gloomy mood.
"Great. We are royally screwed then," He sourly declared. "Tell me, Archmage Astromelicus, is there a God of Slavery?"
"By the Twelve, no! None of the Twelve deals in slavery. Why do you think that?"
"Because the Slave Collars we found in Gohar, they have this same kind of complex magic pattern. Slave Collars are Divine Tools."
Cythrel's collar was safely stowed in a locked chest in the castle. The enchantments were partially broken and the tool ineffective, but it was evidence enough. Aidan let the gravity of his statement sink as he watched Astromelicus make a terrified expression.
"You don't mean..." The Archmage gasped and couldn't even finish his phrase.
"... A God of Slavery was born. I am absolutely certain of it now."