Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

Lumian perused his freshly acquired Highlander textbook, patiently waiting for over half an hour before finally receiving a reply from Madam Magician via the “doll” messenger.

The letter was concise and spanned only two pages.

“Let’s start with the basics.

“Combining the patterns, symbols, and structure of the ring—although I can’t precisely decipher the meaning of that sentence—I can identify its composition and the practical application of various short sentences.

“It breaks down into three segments:

“The first part serves to precisely locate the ring, facilitating the subsequent activation of special characteristics and the infusion of energy contained in the language.

“The second part involves injecting the energy carried by the words into the ring through resonance and other forms, activating a magic circle formed by patterns and symbols. Consider the sacrificial ring as a charm. The second paragraph is akin to its designated special activation incantation. It doesn’t necessitate invoking supernatural powers but requires prior guidance.

“In the third part, I suspect it’s a ciphertext attached to the ring. In simpler terms, once the ceremonial ring is fully activated through the first two parts, it records and carries the final ciphertext into the sea to transmit it to something.

“Are you following so far? The ceremonial ring is like a special key, functional only after activation. Furthermore, it necessitates the corresponding password to open the ‘doors’ of the target.

“Heh heh, the actual meaning of ‘We espouse thee, O sea, as a sign of true and perpetual dominion’ is roughly akin to ‘a key to unlock the passageway. The password is XXXXXXXXX.’ Naturally, if translated directly, it’ll differ significantly, but that should capture the essence.”

Lumian couldn’t resist a smirk.

Recalling the solemn recitation by the previous Governors of the Sea, envisioning the act of marrying the sea, anyone familiar with the corresponding language would likely burst into laughter.

What sea, what espousal, what dominion! After all the complexity, it boiled down to unlocking and opening a passageway—a simple password entry!

Contemplating sharing this interpretation with Juan Oro, Lato Guiaro, and the others, Lumian pondered their likely reactions.

No, they wouldn’t believe it. A millennium or two of misunderstanding had morphed into faith, perseverance, and legacy. Admitting a mistake wasn’t something they’d easily embrace.

Regardless, the result would be the same. Interpretation or translation, it didn’t matter how they perceived it!

Collecting himself, Lumian turned to the second page of the letter, eager to continue reading.

“Next is the more complicated part.

“The two patterns you witnessed in the Governor of the Sea’s basement have a profound history, stretching back to the early Fourth Epoch.

“They serve as symbols of mysticism and the coat of arms of ancient nobles. One of them is linked to an acquaintance—no, a familiar Angel, Amon!

“The pattern resembling a clock signifies the Worm of Time. It stands as the Amon family’s coat of arms.”

Worm of Time? The Amons’ coat of arms? Why is it Him again! Lumian’s eyes narrowed, feeling as though he was still entrenched in the Amons.

What connection did Milo Village’s ancestors, Port Santa’s sea prayer ritual, and the distinctiveness of those waters share with the Amons?

On the surface, no apparent link existed!

As Lumian’s thoughts raced, he suddenly sensed a connection between the sea prayer ritual and the former King of Angels of the Marauder pathway.

Reflecting on the key members involved in the April Fool’s ritual prank, Bard, a Beyonder of the Marauder pathway, and Mad Lady, belonging to the neighboring Apprentice pathway, even prayed to The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth—a being with profound influence over the Marauder pathway.

While this didn’t directly point to the Amons, the gathering of Marauder-

related individuals suggested a reasonable association between the sea prayer ritual and the Marauder pathway.

Lumian exhaled, lowering his head to read further insights from Madam Magician.

“The layers of doors come from the Abraham family. Yes, the Abraham family, one of the five nobles of the Tudor Empire. I previously mentioned that in the Tudor Empire, only five families hold the hereditary duke title: Abraham, Amon, Antigonus, Jacob, and Tamara. Among them, the Abrahams control the Apprentice pathway. Remember, Apprentices often represent seals.

“Therefore, it’s plausible to believe that the sea prayer ritual predates previous estimates, tracing back to before the demise of the Fourth Epoch’s Tudor Empire. Encountering matters related to the Tudor Empire sure isn’t a coincidence for you, is it?

“Do you now grasp the essence of the sea prayer ritual? Further explanations may not be necessary, correct?

“I’m starting to suspect that Milo Village’s ancestors misunderstood the initial sentence’s meaning, leading to the expansion of the sea sacrifice and vigil from the revelation. This resulted in an absurd sea marriage ritual spanning a millennium or two. It could very well be a manifestation of that individual’s mischievous nature, reveling in playing a joke on everyone, indifferent to the fate of others.

“See, this is what a prank should be. Those April Fool’s folks could learn a thing or two.

“If you have more questions or haven’t clarified certain aspects, feel free to write and ask.

“By the way, Lie now possesses a temporary ability lasting half a month. It can absorb a specific amount of power from a target, though this power won’t endure long. For ordinary people, it might persist for half a year or a year. However, for you, it won’t last more than a week due to the conflict with your powers.”

Lumian averted his gaze from the letter, his thoughts in disarray.

Madam Magician suggests that the uniqueness of those waters originated from the ancestor of the Abraham family and a certain Amon? The core of the sea prayer ritual was personally devised by these two Angel-level figures. They guided the ancestors of Milo Village in Port Santa and left behind a revelation, compelling them to perform the ritual annually?

Due to Amon’s mischievous nature, the ancestors of Milo Village misunderstood the true meaning of that sentence, thinking they were meant to marry the sea. Consequently, the core of the sea prayer ritual became increasingly complex, expanding into more segments over the years. It transformed into an extensive prank that persisted for over a millennium?

Having comprehended Madam Magician’s hypothesis, Lumian reconsidered the essence of the sea prayer ritual.

Appeasing the special entity concealed at the bottom of the sea—perhaps that palace?

Apprentice represents a seal… Marauder is stealing…

Stealing…

Lumian suddenly glanced down at his left chest.

He grasped the essence of the sea prayer ritual!

Finding a husband for the sea, pacifying its violence, genuinely pleasing it, and obtaining corresponding boons were all absurd reasons concocted by Milo Village’s ancestors after being misled!

The essence of the sea prayer ritual was to steal boons!

The “palace” at the bottom of the sea had been sealed by the Apprentice pathway, but the ancestor of the Abraham family worried that, over time, the seal’s power would wane, allowing the “palace” to gradually regain strength. To counter this, he enlisted Amon to devise a ritual for regularly siphoning off the restored power of the palace each year, preventing it from breaking through the seal.

Consequently, after each sea prayer ritual, the sea area would become tranquil, free from excessive storms. The previous year’s failed ritual had allowed the palace to accumulate a certain degree of strength. Consequently, the sea experienced abnormality, leading to an increased number of shipwrecks, and Death Navigators departed the special sea area more frequently.

The reason for only entering the sea when the stars aligned and following a specific route to reach the destination was that only then would a complex passageway appear in the outer seal!

Lumian stood up and took a few steps forward.

Having unraveled the essence of the sea prayer ritual, he comprehended the Earth Mother Church’s motive for perpetuating it.

Initially, the clergyman of the Earth Mother Church, lacking thorough investigations, destroyed Milo Village, putting an end to the sea prayer ritual. However, at the bottom of the building, they discovered the coat of arms representing the two nobles of the Tudor Empire, halting the final step in time. Later, they realized they needed to dispatch demigod-level Saints to deal with the unique waters each year. High-end forces were required to guard it for an extended period, making it quite troublesome. Consequently, when the sea prayer ritual resurfaced, they tacitly agreed to the reconstruction of Milo Village.

In most cases, the sea prayer ritual didn’t adversely affect the innocent or disrupt local order. Every Governor of the Sea possessed a certain amount of the sea’s bloodline, and while the Maidens of the Sea would eventually transform into humanoid lizards in their old age, they could alter their fates and enjoy power and wealth for 30 to 40 years or even longer.

For Maidens of the Sea seeking free love, the Church of Earth Mother likely tacitly consented or even aided their escape, as the chances of success were otherwise quite low.

So, why did the Fertility Order encourage me to investigate the sea prayer ritual? Why did Noelia provide some information while withholding crucial details? Lumian’s confusion swiftly dissipated.

The real entity fishing behind the scenes was not the Fisheries Guild but the Church of Earth Mother!

The failure of last year’s sea prayer ritual had alarmed the Church of Earth Mother, fearing a similar problem this year. Observing Louis Berry’s inclination to investigate the sea prayer ritual, they encouraged him to do so, allowing potential saboteurs hidden in the shadows to contact him, surface, and capture them all at once!

Phew. Lumian exhaled, redirecting his focus to April Fool’s.

Now, he was certain that April Fool’s intended to break the seal around those special waters.

Last year marked the first step towards breaking the seal, but it hadn’t progressed to the point where the underwater “palace” could breach it. This year, they would undoubtedly create a similar situation once again. Otherwise, if the sea prayer ritual succeeded, their pranks from last year would be in vain!

The question now was, what would the key members of April Fool’s do? How could they seize the benefits represented by the palace and evade the corresponding dangers? Lumian stared at the gas wall lamp emitting a yellowish glow, sinking into deep thought.

…

More than a week quickly elapsed, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the sea prayer ritual arrived.

After completing his breakfast, Lumian heard the melodic tunes of various musical instruments wafting in from the street outside.

With a smile, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and strolled toward the window, welcoming the bright sunlight pouring in.