051 Down-to-earth ritual magic

Using magic to settle bills?

Is it to directly curse the creditor, or to forge banknotes?

I cannot solve the problem, but can I solve you?

...

Various thoughts leaped in Klein's mind, and his gaze towards Neil became somewhat strange.

He seriously considered reporting, no, notifying the Night Watcher Squad.

Neil glanced at him, and said impatiently, "From your eyes, I see ignorance, I see foolishness, I see weak and shameful trust. Didn't Dengin tell you the maxim of the Peepers? Do as you will, but do not harm!"

"Although this maxim was originally passed down from a secretive, evil organization called the 'Morse Penitents', the extraordinary ones who choose the path of the Peepers have proven its correctness through their own experiences. As long as it is strictly adhered to and filled with reverence, the risk of losing control will be minimized. The reverse inference holds true as well."

"Your suspicion is an insult to me, to the Peepers!"

"I'm sorry," Klein apologized without hesitation.

He had indeed forgotten the maxim that Dengin Smith had mentioned.

Neil was not really angry, and quickly laughed, saying, "Unfortunately, there are too few extraordinary ones who choose to be 'Diviners', there is no corresponding maxim to help you."

But I have the diary of Emperor Rosel... Well, strictly adhering to the maxim itself has a sense of "playing"... Klein suddenly had an association, nodding as if in thought.

Neil didn't say much more, and removed the items such as the heavy vase from the round table and placed them in the corner.

Next, as he took out a crimson and a deep black candle from the silver box, he explained casually, "If ordinary people want to try ritual magic, they must choose a suitable date and time based on astrological results or by consulting the corresponding manual, such as Sundays symbolizing the Goddess, or the time ruled by Her Moon. However, for us extraordinary ones, especially those proficient in this area, these are not necessary. Our flourishing spirituality, our powerful astral bodies, are the most critical elements."

"Of course, if you are not confident about the ritual magic you want to try, choosing a suitable date and time can effectively increase the success rate."

"Oh, there is a premise, you must remember and strictly adhere to it!"

Neil placed the two candles, turned sideways, looked at Klein, and said very seriously, "Low-ranking individuals are not strong enough themselves, so almost all ritual magic they can perform is to externalize their power and request help. Therefore, only orthodox deities such as the Goddess and the Lord of Storms should be considered, absolutely, absolutely do not attempt to communicate with unknown and unpredictable entities, even if some people believe in them, even if the promises recorded are tempting!"

"Believe me, don't have a mentality of luck, once you try it once, you will inevitably slide into the abyss, all efforts, all struggles, can only delay the speed, unable to reverse the trend."

"I will remember!" Klein replied in a deep voice, but he felt a little weak in his heart.

His "Transference Ritual" seemed to be praying for power from some unknown and unpredictable entity...

And he really obtained a power that even the seasoned extraordinary ones found unbelievable, a power that pulled them above the mist, hmm, he should be a seasoned extraordinary one...

Fortunately, I haven't gone mad yet, there are no signs of losing control...

Worried about this matter, he took the initiative to change the subject:

"So, it's best for the Night Watchers to request help from the Goddess?"

"If you wish to invoke the Lord of Storms, no one will stop you, but He may not respond, or respond with malice, which would distort the outcome of our ritual magic into unpredictable directions," Neil successfully dispelled Klein's hopefulness in a joking manner.

There is no such thing as "best," only "necessary"!

After finishing his instructions, Neil picked up the crimson candle and said, "Candles made from moonflower and deep red sandalwood symbolize the identity of the Fiery Red Master, representing the Goddess, in ritual magic."

He then pointed to the deep black candle and continued, "Candles made from nightshade and deep sleep flowers symbolize the night."

As he spoke, he placed the black candle on the upper left side of the round table and the red candle on the upper right side.

"Why are there only two candles symbolizing the Goddess? She is the Hidden Mother, the Empress of Misery and Fear, the Lady of Slumber and Silence." Neil chuckled. "Well, that's the question I hoped you would ask."

"Before their fall, the Morse Penitents had a good relationship with the Church, and some of their ideas and achievements in ritual magic deeply influenced us."

"They believed that everything is numerical, and each number has spirituality. In ritual magic, 0 represents the unknown, representing chaos, symbolizing the state before the birth of the world; 1 represents the beginning, representing the original Creator; 2 symbolizes the world and the various deities born from Him; 3 represents the contact between deities and matter, the formation of all things. Here, using two candles to symbolize the Goddess and leaving the third one for ourselves."

"Which two candles and their symbolic meanings to use depends on the desired effect of the ritual magic."

"Everything is composed of three? All things are three? Klein couldn't help but think of some things he had encountered in his past life."

Seeing him listening attentively, Neil picked up the third candle and said, "This is the candle symbolizing 'self,' a very ordinary candle, just added with a little mint. Remember, roses, lemons, mint, moonflowers, nightshade, and deep sleep flowers are all favored and cherished by the Goddess."

"These three candles also symbolize the physical, spiritual, and divine aspects of each individual."

After describing this, Neil placed the third candle in the center of the round table.

He then successively took out the prepared "full moon oil," a large cauldron engraved with the emblem of darkness, an intricately patterned silver knife, a cup of clear water, and a plate of coarse salt.

"For extraordinary individuals who are not adept at ritual magic, additional items such as bells, crystal balls, silver cups, and incense are needed at this time. However, Peepers and Diviners do not need these, these items are sufficient."

Neil placed the imitation parchment paper with the bill drawn on it next to the large cauldron, and pressed one corner with a specially made quill.

He turned to Klein and said, "Ritual magic requires a clean, undisturbed spiritual environment, and this must be created by ourselves. The method is to enter meditation, gather spiritual energy, and then use auxiliary items to channel our power, constructing it around us, such as the 'Holy Night Powder' I used at Ryle Bibber's, or the ritual silver knife I am about to use."

"Throughout the process, we must determine the symbolic symbols and corresponding spells based on the desired outcome. It is best to use Hermes language for the spells, as Ancient Hermes language originated from nature, similar to Ancient Draconic and Ancient Elven languages, with very direct effects, lacking necessary concealment and protection, making it easy for the user to fall into danger. That's why it has been improved, but it is indeed more effective."

"All right, I'm going to focus on performing ritual magic now, I won't explain it to you anymore, pay attention and listen, and note down any questions you have, consult me after everything is over."

"Okay," Klein stepped back two steps, watching Neil attentively.

Neil's eyes quickly deepened, and an invisible wind began to swirl around him.

He remained silent for a while, and then, following the order from left to right, from top to bottom, he ignited the three candles one by one through the friction of spirit and matter.

Continuing, he took up the silver knife and plunged it into the coarse salt, reciting the Hermes language-written incantation:

"I sanctify thee, blade of pure silver!"

"I cleanse and purify thee, to serve me in the ritual!"

After each concise yet potent ancient word, Neil withdrew the silver knife and inserted it into the cup of clear water, then lifted it up, pointing it towards the space outside the round table.

He aimed the tip of the knife at the outer circle, then began to walk around the table. With each step, Klein could feel invisible forces gushing forth from the silver knife, imbued with spirituality, connecting with the air to form a sealed barrier.

After completing one circle, the altar was isolated from its surroundings.

Neil stood in front of the round table, set down the silver knife, and picked up the bottle of "full moon oil," dripping three drops onto each of the black, deep red, and ordinary candles.

Sizzle!

A faint mist spread, shrouding everything in mystery.

Neil placed the glass bottle down and gazed at the imitation parchment paper. After two minutes of silence, he picked up the quill and depicted control symbols on the "bill" – a square enclosing all the contents, signifying taking control of the debt. 

Then, he drew a "cross," indicating elimination.

At this point, he lifted the imitation parchment paper with one hand, lightly tapping his forehead with the other, and opened his spiritual sight.

Once again, an invisible and vigorous force surged forth. Neil chanted softly:

"I invoke the power of the Night;"

"I invoke the power of the Crimson;"

"I invoke the favor of the Goddess;"

"I invoke the funds to pay off this bill."

"Nightshade, herb of the Red Moon, convey your power to my incantation!"

"Moonflower, herb of the Red Moon, convey your power to my incantation!"

...

Klein stood by, utterly dumbfounded, his mind swirling with various thoughts:

Can such incantations work?

Although they are written and spoken in Hermes language...

Isn't this too direct, too simple, too grounded?

Will the Goddess be angered and double the bill?

At this moment, the candlelight suddenly brightened!

Neil finished his recitation, closed his eyes for two minutes, then picked up the "full moon oil" again, dripping a drop onto each of the three candles.

Immediately after, he grabbed the imitation parchment paper, brought it close to the candle symbolizing "self," and as soon as it ignited, he threw it into the cauldron.

Neil closed his eyes once more, seemingly sensing the burning of the bill.

After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at the cauldron with the black emblem. The imitation parchment paper had completely burned, leaving only ashes.

"Praise the Goddess!" Neil tapped his chest four times, forming the symbol of the Crimson Moon, then extinguished the candles in the reverse order they were lit.

After completing all these actions, he picked up the silver knife and pierced the invisible barrier around the table.

After a sudden gust of wind, Neil visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's it."

"That's it?" Klein asked incredulously, "The bill is settled? How?"

"I don't know either, but it will be settled, in a reasonable manner," Neil shrugged with a smile.

This... left Klein unsure of how to respond, both in expression and words.

Isn't this a bit unreliable?