CH 117

“So basically, it should work on a conceptual level, but it doesn’t.”

“I see.”

Taula crosses her arms and places her hand on her chin.

She then uncrosses them and places her hands on her hips.

“Well, first of all…”

She says while pointing at me.

“Y-yes?”

“I’m a layman when it comes to alchemy, so if you throw all those technical terms at me, I’m not going to understand anything. At least explain it in a way that’s easier to digest.”

“You’re right, sorry.”

I’m about to add to my explanation when she raises her arms and stops me.

“Having that said, I think that’s enough. I’m still a priest, even if not a very good one, so I can do a little divination. I will try it on the matter you just spoke to me about.”

She says while taking out a palm-sized book. It must be scripture from the goddess Araysla .

Divination… I have heard that high ranking priests can manipulate their own unconscious, and offer meaningful guidance to people’s questions.

It’s questionable if gods actually have anything to do with it, but that’s up to each individual person’s faith.

Taula positions herself to offer prayers, and a faint light of magic elements covers her entire body. Judging by the flow of the magic elements, I’d say the book itself isn’t a magic item.

Taula begins to leaf through the scripture with her finger without opening her eyes.. Until it suddenly stops.

There is silence for a moment.

“There is a logic of the night, and a logic of the day.”

Taula breaks the silence with what sounds like the result of divination.

And then, like a wave receding back into the sea, the magic elements around her body fade.

As she opens her eyes, I ask a question.

“…What does that mean? I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about religion. Is it just something that’s common knowledge, like how different monsters appear during the day and during the night?”

“Maybe you are using the logic of the day to try to create something which belongs to the night.”

“Hou…”

I start thinking. That’s a point of view I didn’t consider at all.

“In short, the transmutation I’m trying to do is being touched by logic set up by an external factor and made to fail?”

“That, I don’t know.”

“No, that makes sense. That’s a perspective I didn’t think about. Yes, that helps. Thank you Taula.”

“I’m glad it helped, but…”

“I’ll stop what I’m trying to do for now.”

Taula puts away her scripture before speaking again.

“So, what are you planning to do afterwards? I would say I am being made to wait. You and Ahri convinced me to stay, but I still feel like jumping out and running to the capital right now.”

Taula says while pointing to me again.

“However, if you are going to capital yourself, I intend to do everything in my power to guard you, in part to repay my debt. So you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Thanks?”

Taula hears my response, takes one step closer, and pokes me in the chest with her finger.

“Do you have any alternative plans? How long should I wait?”

She says quietly.

I’m afraid I may have worried her with what I said, even if she’s the one who suggested we talk.

“It’s all right, I do. I just wanted a more reliable method. But it doesn’t really look like it will work, so I’m putting it on hold for now. And if I’m going with the alternative, we should be ready to go tomorrow.”

I shrug, while giving an answer I think will make her feel more at ease.

“I see.”

Taula’s response is short, but the look in her eyes is very striking.