In the silence broken only by the faint rustling of leaves, I brushed off my hands and sat down on an ancient stone block, half overgrown with moss. I sighed heavily and said:
"If such ruins of an ancient temple were found on Earth, archaeologists would spend many years, even decades, examining every stone, every grain of sand here. During this time, they would find something new every month, every week, and perhaps every day." My hand pointed to the opened cache. "The fact that you missed something doesn't surprise me at all, nor should it. After all, did you spend years on thorough research? No, you didn't. I repeat, missing something in such conditions is the norm. But what surprises me is that you thought you had 'explored everything' and 'examined everything'."
Arien rocked back on her heels, looked at her assistants, and, snapping her fingers, said:
"Raven is right. We were overly confident." Then she unexpectedly smiled, and it was a genuine smile, not a forced one. "Of course, we haven't found everything these ruins might hide. But I am sure we have accurately recreated the essence and main stages of the ritual we are interested in." The girl looked at me attentively. "When I realized this, I destroyed the artifact you left behind."
"Nevertheless, even such extensive and painstaking work did not provide a complete answer," I said, bowing my head. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here, and my summoning wouldn't have been necessary."
"To be honest," Arien approached me in three steps, "I didn't want to summon you at all." Indeed, her face showed that she did it only out of utter desperation. "But in your note, you wrote: 'If the question arises where to get the missing ingredient, contact me.'" She quoted. "And wouldn't you know it," shaking her head, the future goddess continued, "the very question of one of the ingredients, or rather the tools, is the gap we cannot fill."
"You look very much like Miranda right now," I said, and from the expression on Arien's face, it was clear I didn't need to explain who I was talking about, "when she decided I wasn't a human but a puppet or an agent of the questers."
"Isn't that the case?" Jacob spoke up unexpectedly, but he immediately fell silent under Arien's cold gaze.
"You know suspiciously much." My former beloved neither agreed nor disagreed.
"I'll put it simply. I am human. But I also understand that I can't prove this statement with absolute certainty. However, I can explain my line of thought, and you can decide for yourselves how plausible it is."
"That's acceptable." Arien stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Proceed."
In response, Discharge crackled loudly between my fingers, and my voice turned cold:
"I am not your subordinate."
In the eyes of the future goddess, there was a flame, a fire capable of burning a soul, but I was no longer the person fate brought her together with in the past life. The elemental fire of her soul clashed with the cold but equally bright light of the Sun reflected in my eyes. Our duel of gazes had lasted for more than a minute, and I was resolved not to back down, even if our souls were to be consumed by flames. Apparently, Arien didn't have as much determination, so she looked away first.
"I admit it. I was wrong in my persistence."
After this admission, I realized that we would never be together as a man and a woman again. But she had acknowledged me as an equal, which promised considerable prospects if I played my cards right. The fact that I outplayed her in our previous encounter was due to cunning and a loophole in the rules. Only now did she truly place us on the same board. But for some reason, I felt very bitter now.
Taking a sip of water from my flask, I took my time to gather myself, then said:
"You gave me a detailed tour and clearly explained all your conclusions." My fingers brushed the thread passing nearby. "There was just one detail I didn't hear about. I suggest you state that detail yourselves."
Obeying Arien's gaze, Jacob stepped forward and began to speak:
"During the ritual, the Leader must apply the Elemental Signs and Connection Symbols, both on the bodies of the participants and on their clothing." I nodded, as this obviously followed from what they had uncovered so far. "But nowhere is it mentioned... there's not even a hint of what tool should be used for this."
"What do you mean, 'what tool'?" I didn't understand their doubts. "It's obvious, a calligraphy brush."
"Obvious?!!" Arien suddenly exploded. "Why on earth? Why specifically a brush and not a magic wand? Why a brush and not a piece of chalk-like stone? Hundreds of whys! And even if it is a brush, why specifically for calligraphy and not for painting?!! How can it be obvious if nothing is said or noted about it anywhere!"
Wait! How come? Last time, she had definitely known about the brush, and the question was only about the material of the bristle bundle. And now they knew nothing at all. How did this happen? The only thing that came to mind was that last time, it hadn't been Arien herself who figured out the brush and the missing ingredient, but one of her assistants, whom fate had not brought together with her in this Cycle. Could that have happened? Easily, and I had no other guess. After listening to the angry speech of the future goddess, I buried my face in my hands, sat in silence for almost a minute, then slowly got to my feet and spoke. Each of my words fell like a boulder onto solid stone.
"Did I understand you correctly? You... While exploring the ancient Temple, that is, a cult structure, didn't bother to familiarize yourself with the religious texts and biographies of the gods of Ain?!"
"Why?" Farabi spoke up for the first time. "Everyone knows that the biography of Magevra has not been preserved. If it had been, we would have certainly read it."
I was always amazed when truly smart people: professors, associate professors, scientists of world renown – sometimes miss things that are so obvious to ordinary people. But that really happens.
"So, you haven't read the biographies of the gods of Ain." I concluded.
"We were occupied with other things, you see!" Arien snapped, gesturing around the space, entangled with hundreds of threads.
It was hard to argue with that; they had done an enormous amount of work. But I had meant something else. And I sincerely hoped that the restriction on spreading knowledge did not apply to the books and scrolls I had read in the Last Cycle. Especially if those books and scrolls were, as they say, "publicly accessible" and didn't need to be found in forgotten dungeons or on the lower floors of Towers.
"Yet if you had found the time, you wouldn't have such a question," I replied, hiding my internal tension.
"Re-e-ally?" Arien drawled doubtfully, keeping a close eye on me.
"Really. Because, despite the fact that the biography of Magevra has not been preserved, many sacred texts mention the meetings of the Goddess of Magical Art with other deities." From Arien's eyes, it was clear she was beginning to understand me. "So, in at least three texts, it is mentioned that Magevra constantly carried a calligraphy stick made from ordinary, plain beech wood."
"A stick?" Farabi clarified, jotting something down in his peculiar notebook.
"Yes, exactly a stick. But as for the brush itself, she used whatever came to hand. She could catch a cat and pluck fur from its tail or take down from a nearby flying owl and use it as the actual brush."
I fell silent, giving them time to ponder my words.
"Alright," Arien nodded. "Convincing. Moreover, your correctness is indicated by the fact that there is not a hint about the tool in the data we found. This, in turn, may imply that the tool that should be used was so obvious to everyone that no one even thought to specify it precisely." She glanced around at her assistants.
"I agree," Jacob supported her.
"There's logic in that," Farabi nodded.
"So, a calligraphy stick," the future goddess turned back to me, spinning on her heels. "But that's only half the answer. How do we know the material of the brush specifically for this ritual?"
"That's where things get much more complicated. I know the answer only in one case."
"And what case is that?" Arien couldn't resist, urging me on.
"In the case where everything depicted on the walls of this temple and on its statues represents, to some extent, Magevra's personal garden. In all other cases, the answer could be anything, and we will never know it."
"Could you clarify..." the girl sighed heavily.
"I can't quote it verbatim, especially since it was in cumbersome rhymes of an ancient poem, but in Elai's biography, it is said that she once came to Magevra for help. And Magevra agreed to write a magical scroll that could solve the problem of the goddess of Life. The important part for us is the part of the poem that says... 'Magevra took out her ever-present calligraphy stick and, with a habitual gesture, tore a tuft of fur from her favorite creature, then used this fur as a brush and created the scroll Elai needed.'"
"A habitual gesture..." Arien caught the main point.
"Favorite creature?" Jacob clarified.
"In Kamo's biography," I continued my story, "it is mentioned that once his leg was scraped by an old gray nend living in Magevra's garden, but the goddess of Magic did not let Kamo punish the creature, stating that she would not allow anyone to touch her beloved pet."
"So, the missing ingredient for the ritual is nend fur?!" Jacob exclaimed joyfully and immediately corrected himself. "There should be no problem with a beech stick."
"Not just nend fur, but gray fur," Farabi corrected, jotting something down again.
"Accepted," Arien began pacing back and forth in excitement. "Since the gods in the world of Ain are not myth but really existed, we can rely on their biographies. I agree. The fact that we missed this is a big mistake. But one question remains: how do we know if Magevra's personal garden or some other place is depicted in these ruins?"
A beam of light shot from my hand, illuminating a part of the mosaic that had previously been under the ceiling. In the area I lit up, if you looked closely, you could make out part of a nend's paw clutching a branch. This drawing had faded significantly, and it was hard to discern much from it, but if you knew what to look for, there was no doubt. Of course, that is, if you'd seen a nend at least once. I noticed this image when I found the cache with avalonium, which was in this Cycle; here, I also hoped this clue wouldn't disrupt the mysterious Balance.
Arien, apparently, hadn't seen a nend before and frowned. But Jacob, who had evidently been in dungeons inhabited by these semi-monkeys, loudly whispered:
"A nend's paw! Definitely a paw! One almost scalped me in a dungeon. And the fur in the image is gray."
"The color has faded," Farabi corrected him.
"No," insisted the former research associate. "This isn't color fading. It's definitely gray fur."
"How intriguing," Arien said with a broad smile, taking a step toward me and quoting my own note. "'If the question arises where to get the missing ingredient, contact me.'" The future goddess held out her hand demandingly. "I'm waiting."
"Not so fast," I replied with a smirk. "I admit, I wanted to find this gray fur, I even cleared out several dungeons with nends… But, as it turned out, gray nends aren't just rare, they're more like a myth. Even experienced tunnelers have never seen one in their entire lives."
"So you don't have this fur," Arien said, stepping back.
"I didn't promise to provide it. My note said something different." It was my turn to fold my arms across my chest.
"If the question arises where to get…" Jacob repeated what he'd heard not long ago.
"And my answer is: in dungeons inhabited by nends," I said, smiling, amazed at how easily and naturally this deception came to me.
"I se-e-e…" Arien drawled, then unexpectedly smiled. "Funny. When I summoned you, I wasn't hoping for anything, it was more of a gesture… Just a gesture. I didn't even think you'd come, let alone so soon…" She sighed dramatically. "As they say, 'appetite comes with eating.'" Turning to me, she added, "You gave me an answer, I don't know if it's the right one, but we have no other. Yet now, even that isn't enough for me."
After these words, an awkward pause arose. I didn't want to say anything, fearing I might make the situation worse. Arien, it seemed, had already said everything she wanted. Jacob started measuring something, quietly moving away from us. Only Farabi appeared unfazed, engrossed in scribbling on his papers.
It was the former mathematician who broke the silence that had lasted no less than three minutes. After flipping through his papers, he straightened up, stretched, and then looked around the ruins as if seeing them for the first time. Scratching his nose, he caught Arien's gaze and said with a note of weariness in his voice:
"If we accept the arguments Raven presented as truth, we can say that we have fully restored the Redistribution Ritual."
"In that case, we need to clear everything away," said the future goddess, rubbing her scratched fingers. "For everyone else, we're here searching for the missing altar. And we wouldn't want anyone to see our work," her hand touched the threads, "and figure out what we have."
"Commendable foresight," I supported Arien without getting up from the stone block. "If the 'forgotten' ritual becomes known to, say, Artifactors' Guild, their research team will be here by tomorrow, and the entire area of the ruined temple will be cordoned off. On the other hand, the search for Magevra's lost altar among the locals has long been considered commonplace. As far as I understand, not even ten years go by without a new group of seekers turning up."
"You do know a lot," my former beloved noted with new doubt in her voice.
"I just keep my ears open and read a lot during rests." After thinking a bit, I added, "For example, the boatman who first brought me to Katiyer told me about the missing altar." Winking, I shrugged. "People are naturally talkative if they find a listener."
"That's hard to disagree with," Arien nodded and began examining her scratched palms, as if seeing them for the first time.
At that point, our conversation naturally died down. The future goddess took out a first aid kit and began treating her hands. I was distracted by Jacob, who was curious about how I had opened the ancient cache. I didn't need to be asked twice, and I eagerly gave another lecture on Runes and their usefulness, this time focusing not on the combat application of Rune magic but on Runes as a source of knowledge. My story caught Farabi's attention, as he was also interested in the topic. However, Arien, although she listened, didn't seem particularly interested in Rune magic. Although she might have been preoccupied with her own thoughts and only half-listened to me.
After explaining the basics, I closed the cache and suggested the guys try to open it using conventional methods. They struggled with the task for half an hour but couldn't manage it. This was a predictable result, but such a demonstration further convinced them of the value of Runes, which could prove useful in the future. After all, it wasn't for nothing that Arien had selected these people to assist her in studying the Ritual.
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While we were busy with the cache, Arien patched herself up and made several sketches and notes after once again walking along the main threads. She then waited for me to finish the next part of my story and asked:
"You came here by boat, right?"
"Yes, on one of yours, the smallest two-seater. I left it about three hundred meters upstream."
"Will you take me to the estate?" As she asked, she was already packing her notes into a small backpack.
"How could I refuse?" My smile was genuinely sincere, but Arien just rolled her eyes wearily in response.
"Jacob, Farabi." She addressed the guys, who were still inspecting the cache and quietly arguing about something. "Will you clean up here yourselves?" After receiving a confirming nod, she continued, "Just clean everything up carefully. No fires or destruction."
"We'll do it." The former researcher nodded as he stood up.
"Finish this and return to the estate."
"Alright," Jacob agreed and, looking around, added, "If we do it carefully, we won't be back before morning."
"Tomorrow, you both have a day off from guild duties, so you don't need to rush." Waving to the guys, Arien nodded to me, inviting me to go ahead.
Nodding to Jacob and Farabi, I grabbed my spear and headed for the exit of the ruined temple. Arien followed me, stepping in my footsteps. Her request to be escorted to the estate was so unexpected that I walked in silence, not knowing how to start a conversation. I was completely certain she would try to avoid being alone with me, but she did the exact opposite, throwing me off balance and muddling all my thoughts. In complete silence, we reached the boat, and the quiet weighed on me so heavily that, as I untied the rope holding the vessel, I couldn't hold back:
"I have one question. The Ainuminati now accept not only mages but also warriors, right?"
"That's correct," the future goddess answered succinctly.
"Is Armani in your guild now?"
"What?" Arien didn't understand me.
"I'm asking, the one who calls himself Gianni Armani, is he your man?"
"What's the point of this question?" Arien unexpectedly responded with irritation.
"I don't want there to be any misunderstandings or misinterpreted actions between us." Stepping into the boat, I extended my hand to the future goddess of Spontaneous Magic, but she ignored my gesture and jumped in herself. "This Armani did me a disservice. He played a dirty trick on me. I'm going to return the favor and want to warn you that it's only between him and me and doesn't concern you or the guild. It's personal."
"A dirty trick?" Arien's voice was full of doubt. "That doesn't sound like him at all."
Placing the oar in the water, I took the first stroke and, with a heavy sigh, looked into the girl's eyes.
"I left him my gambeson to dye. And he approached the job, let's say, very creatively. He painted my gambeson with naked butts with wings. As you can guess, I experienced certain inconveniences several times because of it." Explaining these details, I hoped to elicit a smile on her face, but instead, I seemed to make Arien even more irritated. I hastily added, "Of course, I'm not going to cripple or kill him. But I believe it's my right to teach him a lesson. I'm not asking for your permission, just warning you that my actions won't be directed against you or the guild."
After listening to me, Arien lowered her palm into the river, sat like that for almost a minute, and then said in a colorless, emotionless voice:
"You are late."
"What do you mean, late?" I asked.
"Gianni Armani has died. Four days ago. Killed by a lesser hydra, the boss of the Swamp Whirlwind dungeon. Three of our people were with him on that expedition, and they brought his body back. I personally attended the funeral."
My first impulse was to ask her not to make things up and not to try to cover for her subordinate this way, but looking at the girl's face, I realized she wasn't lying.
'How could this happen?! How dare he die before I... Damn! What am I thinking?!' A man had died. One of us. And I was more concerned that I didn't get to take my revenge on him. This was so petty it made me feel disgusted with myself. Misinterpreting the rapid change of emotions on my face, Arien added:
"This world is cruel. Beautiful, mysterious, alluring, unusual... But ruthless."
It was hard to argue with that, so I just nodded silently.
When she asked me to take her to the estate, Arien apparently wanted to talk to me about something, but the brief conversation about Armani's fate threw her off. I, also thrown off by the unexpected news, was in no hurry to break the silence, fearing I might say something wrong. For me, the designer was not quite an adequate person, allowing himself to change the terms of the contract on the fly and meddle in others' personal lives without permission. For Arien, however, he was primarily a comrade who had been by her side since the first day in Ain.
The steady flow of the river carried our little boat into the lake almost without my help. Of course, I could have rowed harder and reached the familiar estate pier in a few minutes. But instead, I rowed slowly, as if trying not to disturb the tranquility of the night waves. Arien, after rinsing her face with the cool lake water, leaned her elbow on the edge of the boat and said without looking at me:
"I'll say it straight, I'm angry with you."
I remained silent, listening, knowing that any word from me in this situation would be unnecessary.
"No, not because of the night we spent together." She smiled at some private thought. "There's nothing to be upset about there, and everything was... good. And the fact that you left without saying goodbye didn't bother me either." Her smile turned playful for a moment, but I sensed it was somewhat an act. "To be honest, I've left someone else's bedroom without saying goodbye myself a few times." She slapped the water softly with her hand. "But the fact that you went through my papers... I'm angry. And the fact that you ended up helping me only dulls that anger slightly." Shaking off her hands, she leaned towards me. "How did you figure out so quickly that night what I was trying to decipher?"
I had to lie again, but it was a necessary lie, as I couldn't tell the truth for reasons beyond my control:
"As I said, I found the ruined temple even before our meeting. It was clear at first glance that someone had tried to clear and study it. Moreover, thanks to the talkative boatman, I learned to whom the temple was dedicated. And when I saw your notes with sketches copying the reliefs I had already seen, it wasn't hard to put two and two together."
"In your note, you even named the ritual. You named it when I was still far from understanding its essence." Her attentive eyes followed my face. "That fact amazes me to this day and impresses me far more than your guess about Magevra's brush."
"In my guesswork, there is nothing beyond banal coincidences." I hoped I had been playing my role well right now. "During the first weeks on Ain, I read several of Aerad's records. In one of these records, it is mentioned that Magevra was unhappy with the fact that most people's Talents are determined at birth, and she wanted to change this. To create a special ritual that would allow people, if not to increase the number of their Stars, at least to redistribute them according to their desire and conscious choice. Furthermore, the Aerad's record stated that Eyrat imposed several restrictions on the ritual created by Magevra, significantly limiting its capabilities." I sighed and added, "As I understood from the cumbersome wording of the records, it was impossible to transfer full stars, only halves, and the ritual could only work with Elemental Magic Talents. The rest is nothing more than my personal guess, which I laid out in the note."
I hadn't said anything new; Arien already knew the essence of the ritual.
"What are Aerad's records? Another scripture?" the future goddess clarified.
"No. Unlike other deities, Aerad, as the patron of history and divine chronicler, left behind not just individual notes. In every True Temple of Aerad, one of the originals of some chronicle is necessarily kept." This, by the way, was true. "In some Temples, they are read at festive services, while in others, they are kept under lock and key."
"Honestly, I'm amazed." Arien leaned back on the side of the boat and dipped her hand into the water again. "I thought I had achieved a lot in such a short time..." Turning her head to me, she asked, "I'm even curious how true the stories that girl told about you are."
"Miranda?" I clarified.
"Didn't remember the name," the future goddess dismissed it, but the way her eyebrows twitched and her lips tightened made it clear she remembered everything perfectly.
"I haven't followed the rumors about myself," I laughed quite sincerely, but nevertheless added, "But I received my first Adamantium Achievement even before we were transported to Ain."
"Interesting. Would you mind showing it?"
I had nothing to hide, so I put the paddle aside, stretched out my palm, and visualized the "Monster Slayer" Achievement.
"Ha!!!" Arien smiled genuinely, her palm appearing next to mine, showing the exact same "Monster Slayer" sign. "I thought I was the only one." Her eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity. "Let me tell you how I dealt with the creature, and then you tell me how you did it?"
"I'll try to guess about you." I scratched my chin and continued, "I have an advantage, I know what you did on Earth."
"Well, give it a try."
"In that skyscraper, there was a pharmacy, as well as abandoned stores for fertilizers, agricultural tools, and motor equipment. I think you blew up the monster."
"Not the full answer. After the explosion, I had to pour a barrel of acid on it."
"You lured the creature into the elevator shaft?" I clarified, as only that way a fragile girl could pour a barrel of acid on the creature.
"You got that part right." She agreed. "As for how you managed it, what comes to mind is something simple. You created some weapon from available materials and killed the monster?"
"You're flattering me." I chuckled in response to this assumption. "I'm not Katashi, and not as skilled a weapons master as he is."
"Katashi?" Arien didn't understand me, as she was hearing the name for the first time.
"He also killed the monster in the skyscraper, just like us. From a family of hereditary blacksmiths. A Japanese who honors traditions. A unique master."
My words seemed to shock Arien even more than the demonstration of the Adamantium Achievement. Apparently, the future goddess, influenced by my example, had already gotten used to the idea that there was someone developing as quickly as she was. But the fact that there was someone among the earthlings besides me who was her equal caused her mixed feelings.
Since I have already given her the information I wanted her to consider, I return to the original question:
"As for me, my 'feat' was a consequence of a desperate situation." With a heavy sigh, I explained in more detail. "The creature cornered me on the roof. I had no choice but to risk everything. Tying myself with a fire hose, I provoked an attack and jumped down when the monster lunged at me. As a result, I survived, and the monster flew into the 'erasing mist' and died."
"Precise timing and steel, or rather, according to local standards, 'adamantium' nerves." Arien smiled and abruptly changed the subject. "How much do you need this ritual?"
"I am a warrior. My main weapon is a spear. But in this world, a warrior without magic is crippled. And I, as luck would have it, have two and a half stars in all elements. Studying all the magic available to me is impossible anyway, as I need to train with weapons as well." Tired of evasion, lies, and half-truths, I confessed honestly. "So yes, this ritual, if it really is what I think, would greatly help me."
"Wouldn't it be better to raise all the halves to full Stars over time? That would be more beneficial in the long run."
"In a very distant future. As far as I understand, to grow a full Talent Star from a half, it likely takes years. Magic is secondary for me, and spending years at the expense of primary training doesn't seem like a good idea."
"Hmm..." Arien pondered and then added, "I hadn't looked at the problem from that angle. It's like me spending years on raising my daggers from two and a half to three instead of mastering spells." She shook her head. "You're right; I wouldn't spend time on that either."
And these seemed like just words, but they allowed me to learn something about the girl that I didn't know even in the Last Cycle. Nodding at her rapier, I stated:
"So you have four Stars of Talent in long swords."
"Why do you think so?"
"It's simple. Since you have a skill of two and a half in daggers, the skill that was boosted by the 'Monster Slayer' Achievement was higher than these two and a half Stars." I pointed at her weapon. "You carry a rapier. You're not stupid and wouldn't carry a useless weapon. So, it means that you have the most Stars in long swords. Adding to this guess the boost from the Achievement, which raises the best weapon skill by one Star, we get..." I trailed off, spreading my hands.
"That's true indeed." Arien laughed with a relief I didn't understand. "Everything really is simple. You just need to look at the situation from a different perspective and have the knowledge, and this conclusion suggests itself. Of course, we could debate whether it's four or five Stars... But that can be attributed to intuition and the knowledge that I'm not a warrior but a mage." For the first time, she looked me straight in the eyes. "Thank you for this demonstration."
"Demonstration of what?" I truly didn't understand.
"Your way of thinking. You just convinced me that you're a person, not a quester's puppet."
"But... How?..." I still didn't understand.
"You allowed me to follow your train of thought 'live.' Thanks to this, I now agree that you could indeed figure it all out even with the ritual."
"But I didn't mean to..."
"All the more evident." Her smile made me pause.
We fell silent again, each thinking our own thoughts this time. I tried to understand her way of thinking, but it eluded me. A couple of minutes passed, and Arien pulled something out of her purse and handed me a small box. Opening the lid, I saw a signal artifact ball lying on thick velvet, exactly like the one Arien had used to summon me.
"Consider this an invitation to the Ritual."
"You weren't going to invite me." My surprise was genuine.
"I changed my mind." The future goddess waved it off and dipped her hands back into the water.