CH 217

“Chapter 217: Ritual”

– Uuuuu…

– Don’t worry. It’ll heal. (Takaya)

Mike’s fur is pretty resistant to heat and cold. That doesn’t apply to the temperatures a sage can reach.

– What’s that on the puppy’s head? (Shamsheel)

– It’s a sort of medicine for the hair.

It’s the closest thing to a hair conditioner that I could make in this world. The other girls love it.

– Just like Ever said, you really can come up with any sort of funny stuff… Your face doesn’t really resemble, though.

– Resemble what?

– Sorry, just reminiscing. Hey, pathetic excuse of a disciple! We’re going in! And don’t forget the tools!

Regda was waiting for us at the door holding a box with the “tools” that Shamsheel mentioned.

They looked like medical instruments. A small needle and what seemed like a surgical knife.

What kind of ritual is this?

– Master, what should I do? Where should I go? I can’t track you by your smell in Wols.

– The smell of sulfur, huh? Shamsheel-sama, where are we going?

– To a chapel inside the off-limits area of the volcano. We’ll be going through an underground passage. It’s located… Well, everyone knows where the chapel is.

I’m sure Meirir will be able to guide her, then.

After parting ways with Mike, I followed Shamsheel and Regda through the narrow cave.

There were several branching paths leading to the most important parts of the city. It seems that these passages were built exclusively for Shamsheel.

– We’re here.

10 minutes of walking later, we arrived at the chapel where the ritual would take place.

A group of married couples with their babies in arms had been waiting for us. They bowed their heads as soon as they saw Shamsheel.

– Yo, Mayor. Is this everyone?

– I believe so, Sage. May I ask who the boy is?

– He’s the disciple of an old friend. This and that, I’ll be looking after him for a bit.

– …I see.

– Grandmaster. (Regda)

– I know. Okay, let’s go one at a time.

Regda handed Shamsheel the tools as the married couples formed a single line.

– Takaya, come here. You have a special seat.

I nodded and sat near the workbench… Or should I say altar? where the baby from the first couple in line was sleeping soundly.

– What’s going on here? (Takaya)

– They’ll receive the blessing of the sage. (Shamsheel)

The tip of the needle that Shamsheel was holding lit up in flames of flickering strength.

When the needle touched the baby’s skin, the flame was transferred from the needle into the baby’s shoulder. The smoke eventually dissipated, revealing a pattern.

It has a different form, but there’s no mistaking it. It’s the same mark that Meirir showed me.

– Regda, the paper.

– Yes.

Shamsheel took a piece of the baby’s skin and put it on the tree paper. In response, a tree I’m used to seeing formed on the paper.

– No response. This kid is normal.

I took a glance at the paper before Shamsheel handed back the baby to the couple. I don’t really know what she’s looking for, but it didn’t look like anything special.

The ritual continued until there were no more babies. Out of the 6 babies, only 2 showed “a response”.

After all the couples and the mayor were gone, Shamsheel lit up a cigarette and took a deep breath.

– Grandmaster, good work.

– Yeah. Today was okay-ish, I guess. We got some good samples.

Shamsheel grabbed the two papers that were “responsive”.

– Takaya, what do you see different in these two?

– Well, it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? This one has a flower drawn at the side of the tree. This one has bugs flying around. Plus other things.

All the tree papers I can think of are similar to mine. Just a tree.

But maybe Dyke’s and Meirir’s, who went through this ritual…

– Are you…?

– Even if you didn’t guess it I would’ve explained it myself.

Shamsheel made a fireball on the palm of her hand.

– My research focuses on the alteration of these trees at birth. Are we able to artificially imprint another ability on a person’s tree?