Chapter 44: Increased Power |
After parting ways with the old priest, Shad followed the map and found the carriage rental company's office in a three-story gray building three streets away. The company mainly handled advance bookings for important trips but also offered cargo carriages.
Aware that the books he carried were best kept out of sight, Shad made a point to ask the coachman if the goods would be inspected.
“We're a professional carriage rental company. Even if you’re hauling a corpse—no, even if it’s a whole cart of corpses—as long as no trace is left behind, it’s none of our business,” the middle-aged accountant said with drooping eyelids as he took the money from Shad. “We are very professional.”
Cargo carriages were much cheaper than passenger ones, even if Shad himself was also riding. By the time Shad had moved all the books, trip by trip, into his home at 6 St. Derain Square, he had spent less than eight shillings in total.
Although Room 1 on the second floor had always seemed spacious, the influx of books quickly made the study feel cramped. While fending off his curious orange tabby, Mimia, from meddling with the books, Shad resolved to make use of the unused parts of the house when he had the time.
That day, Shad stayed indoors, as the dense, exaggerated fog outside made venturing out inadvisable. Instead, he quietly delved into the books he had purchased for 50 pounds, consuming an unknown amount of gas and steam in the process.
For first-year Ring Warlocks, most of the curriculum revolved around knowledge rather than the extraordinary, making the exams largely memory-based. As someone who had undergone a comprehensive education system, Shad was confident in his ability to clear most of the year’s courses by the end of the exam season. For the practical courses, his curiosity about power and belief in his self-study capabilities gave him optimism about completing them quickly.
Among the subjects in his coursework, Shad was most interested in Arcane Arts and Miracles, as these were direct pathways to power. Despite keeping the doctor's warnings in mind, Shad felt that having basic self-defense abilities was a necessity.
The foundational courses on Arcane Arts and Miracles at St. Byrons Comprehensive College for first-year correspondence students did not delve deeply into either field. The limited examples given were relatively ordinary. As part of its offerings, the college provided three basic Arcane Arts and four basic Miracles for free.
“Ha!”
Staring intently at a newspaper in his hand, Shad watched as a wisp of green smoke finally rose, startling the orange cat on the other side of the paper, causing it to leap into his arms.
“Ha!”
Shaking an empty glass repeatedly, Shad watched as condensation appeared on the inner wall. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he placed the glass on the table, only for Mimia to curiously pounce on it.
“Ha!”
Staring intensely at the glass, Shad forced it to slide slightly across the tabletop. The startled Mimia adjusted mid-air, kicked off the table, and leapt back into his arms, looking frightened once again.
Mimia, despite her bravado around strangers, was ultimately a timid cat, using aggression as a defense mechanism.
As for the Miracles provided to first-year students, these depended on the Warlock's core runes. Shad’s talent was impressive, with his Space-Time and Silver Moon runes being rare but not overly esoteric. The college suggested focusing on Silver Moon-related Miracles, as Space-Time was both dangerous and complex for beginners.
Of the four free Miracles offered, only one, Perceive Time, was related to Space-Time, allowing Shad to know the exact time at all times. Though seemingly trivial, it was surprisingly difficult to learn, requiring materials like a century-old pocket watch and the elusive “Four-Leaf Clockflower.” While the School of Chemistry cultivated these flowers, the harvesting process was intricate, and Shad would have to wait until next month to obtain it from the doctor.
The three Silver Moon-related Miracles offered were:
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Cynthia’s Silver Moon Blessing: A healing Miracle usable only at night, allowing self or others' recovery. It was exclusive to Silver Moon rune holders, developed by college-affiliated Warlocks, as evident from the naming convention.
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Moonshadow Illusions: A night-time Miracle leveraging moonlight to create simple illusions. It varied slightly depending on the user and rune type but was accessible to any moon-related rune holder.
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Silver Moon Slash: An offensive Miracle that summoned a slash of silver moonlight to attack enemies, particularly effective against targets with Enlightenment or Blasphemy elements. While exclusive to Silver Moon holders, similar abilities existed for other celestial runes like Stars or Sun, with differing effects.
The world’s night sky featured three moons—silver, yellow, and red—each symbolizing different mystical attributes. The Silver Moon, representing purity, mystery, and guardianship, was distinct, and Shad's rune aligned with this celestial body, unlocking a unique array of Miracles.
Learning the materials for these Miracles, which included items like a mercury-like liquid, silver-threaded cloth, and a broken silver knife, was the easy part. The actual learning process required the appropriate environment and mastery of incantations.
By the night’s end, Shad had successfully learned Silver Moon Slash, which only required imbuing the broken silver knife with moonlight. Repeating this thirteen times under the moon, the blade finally dissolved into silver light. As Shad observed his faintly glowing hand, he realized he had grasped the Miracle’s power.