In an apartment at middle street of West Borough.
Leonard, who had brought a wreathe, approached a table in his room, faint with crimson moonlight.
He had prepared the requirements: a rich, fertile soil, a cross made up of twigs, in this case he chose the redwood, and finally three cedarwood candles.
Selina had proposed any kind of materials to be used for these prerequisites. But since he's praying to a Goddess that might ignore his will, unlike Klein and Selina. He chose a slightly more expensive variants.
The wreathe he personally weaved had roses, saffron, citrus etc. All of which accentuates their colors for assortment design.
When all of his preparations is done. Leonard took a few moments mysteriously muttering to himself before finally coming to a settle.
He sanctified the surroundings, applied the procedure of making a wall of spirituality, and lighted the candles in a sequential manner.
Then before chanting, he looked over at the altar, gazed at it with conflicting thoughts and finally sighed.
"The White Maiden from a distant time...
"The Reborn Daughter of a mysterious dreamworld...
"The Beginning and the End of the extending vines..."
...
Soon after reciting the lines with poetic flair. Leonard stood up from genuflecting and what reflected in his eyes was strange sparks.
Actually, this was his first time performing a bestowment ritual. It's not necessarily the prayer ritual but through the seed Klein and Selina had. He was informed to be able to reach Mrs. White without any preparation.
That's an incredible method of reaching out. However, he was warned that the ritual is steep.
Leonard should expect a change in perception, his carnal desires welling and an intense desire to find anything attractive, resulting into copulation.
Of course, because he's a Sequence 8, and also know Cogitation, this is manageable compared to a Sequence 9. Difference is not only to their level but knowing Cogitation as well.
The altar glowed with dim emerald light. Then the wreathe that now acted as a gate shows the scene within it undulating in illusory waves.
At that moment. Leonard was swept by an instinct so sudden, he almost buckled down.
The hell is this? he immediately converged his spirituality and thought of an object. He swiftly entered half-Cogitation.
Heh, to think I had momentarily let my guard down, I already suffered this much? I guess I have to stay in this state prior.
Leonard mildly felt irritated as he reigned thoughts. Sure enough, the sofa looks submissive, the table looked exotic and its handles were more curvy. They all look fertile.
So this is what Selina meant huh? He easily suppressed the desire to approach and simply stared at the altar.
Two, thick vines intertwined with many small thin segments poked out of the portal.
Leonard stood on guard, now much more alert than he was earlier.
He felt incredible heat around his pelvis. The thick vines in his eyes seems to exudes mucus, it's looks captivating and beautiful.
Thankfully, in just a matter of seconds. It placed a tiny, frail turquois seed on the table. The altar crumbled and wilted, and everything returned to normal afterwards.
Processing the proper procedure of ending the ritual. Leonard tidied up the room and wiped down his sweat.
He walked over to the seed and examined it. "Yeah, this is it. What Klein and Selina currently possessed..."
Then a moment later. He snapped and quickly did a little gesture, a chaotic one.
"Thank the White Maiden...! Uhh, Praise Mrs. White! And... May the vines be with me!"
Leonard felt penitent that he did not include that in the ending procedure. So he tried many things to hopefully relay his gratitude.
Then when that charade was done. He suddenly laughed at himself, "Heh, am I finally going insane Am I really associating myself with another Goddess?"
As he observes the seed. A few things struck him. "Why would this White Maiden even bother with mortals? Don't tell me it's to root Herself out of the seven deity's surveillance.
"...I see. So it's due to Selina... What? Heh, didn't know that's possible. So Mrs. White is a mysterious ancient being, trying to recover huh?"
Leonard slowly unbuttoned his flare. Consciously scout for Roselle's Rosy Anthology, curated with poems.
After taking it, instead of reading, he used its ends to scoop the seed from the table.
He's not someone who can easily be deceived. Although Klein and Selina seemed to normalize touching it. Secretly, the latter still had it by a small vial.
Leonard grinned at his impeccable observation. Thankfully, he also prepared his own containment item.
That is... a half-palm size, brass coin case!
This case only had a single slot that was normally meant for handling a penny of King George III.
Seeing as it only gathered dust in his closet. Leonard was a bit glad he made use of it instead of exchanging it for a wallet.
The brass coin case had about 2 cm deep slot, meant to hold a number of pennies. This is ideal for storing the seed, due to its spaciouness that can accomodate a thumb.
Leonard opened the brass once, and he saw the seed, he closed it and flipped it again. He did this multiple times until finally satisfied in playing it.
"Let's see how they'll react." his mouth curled up.
...
In the palace governed by giants.
Squirming and contorting endless gray fog encapsulates the whole edifice and the mottled bronze table.
Seated at the seat of honor. Klein held the seed on one hand and a goatskin parchment over to his right, written in Ancient Hermes: "The possible procedure of turning this item to a dream charm."
He had just recently finished forging two Slumber Charms and two Requiem Charms. The former were made with rectangular pieces of silver while the latter were made with triangular pieces. This was to help him differentiate between them solely by touch during an intense battle.
Now, he aims to determine a correct method of carving and charm-making for the turquois seed. Before delving the Ademinsaul and Marvik matter.
Lifting his hand that holds the seed. Klein did not inject it with his spirituality. He learned the first time he did, and it seared a grueling pain in his head even before leaving the gray fog.
He promptly Cogitation and thought of the matter he wanted to know. After that, he recited the lines in the parchment seven times until he drifted to sleep.
During those moments, the seed glowed.
...
Klein saw himself before a land. It was painted in an orange dusk, twilight that themed the entire edifice.
He saw a throne, a giant wearing a crown made of tainted dark, topaz and sparks held a brilliant long sword as he sat.
Klein was overwhelmed. He quickly realized he was at the presence of an unknown giant king!
At the same time. A lullaby was being chanted. It came with an inevitable feeling of warmth and maternal embrace. Standing right by the king with the twilight crown, was a woman who's face was blurred.
She was a few feet lower than the king. She held an infant with no facial features. In her long white gown that had an intricate linings of gold, she wore an extraordinary wreathe by the head.
Waaaa! Waaaa!
The infant seemed to notice Klein.
Waaaa!
The mature, giant woman held her hand up. Appearing out of thin air was a sprout of turquois vines and a myriad of flowers.
It wilted, leaving a seed. Then soon after, the queen giant's hand turned into a soil that sculpted to a delicate fingers.
The materials formed are in order; emerald residues that coated the seed, vines that strapped itself around to bind it, and a flower.
Then as it happens, the seed was given an immense power. The king had no facial features but he seemed to casted an imposing gaze over at the lady's palm.
Klein watched the seed turned brownish-dark, and there were speckles of sapphires around it as if the dusk and night coiled to embrace the fleeting dark, turning into a blissful dream.
The next second, the magnificent palace echoed with the voice of the woman.
"Hmm~"
The item forged with the power of the king and queen glowed with it arrived on the infant's face. Suddenly, the child's attention was averted from Klein.
Spectating this picturesque scene. Klein quickly took the opportunity to inspect the charm, even from far away.
He could not afford to get close. His blood is already running cold and his heart racing when the child noticed him.
What will happen if the parents do as well?
Fortunately, he remained safe, all the way from the gates of the sacred throne hall. And after committing the strange symbols within the item and crossing it with the White Maiden's sacred emblem, he left.
...
Klein abruptly woke up. He looked over and instantly saw that his whole body is shaking.
Resting on his left hand was the seed glowing with green-red color. Quietly fading.
His gritting teeth subsided and he blurted out.
"...The White Maiden... was once a queen!?"
Klein quickly made the seed's projection disappear from the gray fog, along with the parchment. After that, he started to massage his temples.
"White Maiden... queen... That doesn't make sense. Why is Mrs. White wed before and is called the White Maiden?"
"Mrs... is that it?"
With this epiphany, he guess. "Is that why the White Maiden can also be called Mrs. White? Strange, being referred to such human title would mean a degrade in status. And she tolerates it even to Miss Lovers?
"Wait, no, more importantly. Giants are real!"
Klein's impression of this world changed drastically. "Does this mean mermaids are real? Dragons, witches, and dinosaurs?
"Wait, we're getting off-track. Roselle stated in one of his entry, referring to a voyage that lasted until they reached a milestone in the Fog Sea, had extraordinary creatures dwelling in mysterious island.
"Perhaps there could be a continent somewhere within the Fog Sea? The Sea of Ruins?"
The Sea of Ruins is where ancient beings presumably clashed, resulting in polluted environment abundant in relics left behind in ancient epochs.
Klein started rubbing his forehead.
"The existence of Giants, a palace made of twilight, and Mrs. White's true identity. Selina and I are associating ourselves with a Queen Goddess whose face is sealed in the fog of history?
"And She had a child... I wonder who could it be..."
Moments turn to minutes as Klein sat with a drifting mind. Upon reigning his thoughts, he finally regained the facility to divine the next matter: Marvik.
Written in another goatskin parchment was; "Marvik's identity."
It is simple, as he had only one encounter with him. Having learned the true extent of divination when he first cross-paths with Selina. He deliberately exacted what he desire to know, which will effectively increase the chances of a result.
Entering Cogitation through picturing what he desires as he leaned to his chair. Klein's pupils turned deep-dark.
He quickly fell asleep.
...
In a world devoid of light. Where colors were exceptionally dim.
Klein saw a piece of shattered glass, bearing a world within. He approached it, and seconds later he saw the city of Tingen from high above. Bathe in moonlight.
Around this moment. A plague of darkness surged in the urban area of the city.
Bam!
Then a firework shattered into the sky. Illuminating the city scape and Klein's pupils.
He quickly realized the scene currently playing; it was Selina's attempt at escaping the Rose School of Thought!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
A brilliant shower painted the night with a joyful celebration. Only to be met with a juxtaposition of a maiden in torn gown, revealing a dark trouser underneath as she ran from the maelstrom.
Klein was filled with curiosity, he wanted to know what happened and understand Selina. However, he couldn't move in the air, he was suddenly forced to see a shadow in a corner, watching the lady's silver-white hair whipped as she ran desperately to scout for hidden fireworks.
That shadow had a frazzled hair and pale-bronze features. His eyes were somewhat pinkish dark, as if greed was welling in him.
Everyone wanted that woman. So imagine if he got to her first? Then everyone will want her even more!
At that moment. Klein finally realized Marvik's identity, why he's present along with the eight Rose School of Thought members, and why he's unfazed by the vampires!
He's an associate of Huddsman, one of the vampires and is also capable of inducing greed in the form of a gold coin.
But to induce, one also needs to be the source!
It's clear, he's Marik!