Chapter 87
Madam Mina’s Fortune-Telling Shop
This afternoon’s class was a professional course that few first-year students at the seminary had access to. Therefore, Eivass and Lily did not wear their usual blue and white school uniforms, but instead changed into the seminary’s exclusive attire: a set of white robes that, apart from not indicating holy orders, were identical in appearance and function to clerical vestments. This was because the course was titled “The Study of Prayer.”
It primarily taught the rituals and procedures for offering different prayers to the Nine Pillar Gods, based on various purposes and needs, in different settings, and using different materials. The curriculum covered scriptures, prayers, offerings, etiquette, and taboos. There was no inherent difficulty in this course; the only challenge was the sheer volume of memorization. Due to the extensive amount of material, this course spanned from the first semester of the first year to the third semester of the second year.
At the time, Bishop Mathers had not taught Eivass the Sacred Skill of “Prayer” because it was a skill that could not simply be taught. The primary purpose of the seminary was to dedicate two years to teaching these prospective pastors how to pray to the Nine Pillar Gods. Apart from restoring mana, some ritualistic divine arts also required prayer to be used.
Although pastors were primarily affiliated with the Candlemaster, they ultimately served all Nine Pillar Gods. This meant they also needed to understand and manage the beliefs, traditions, and rituals of the other eight Pillar Gods. On holidays associated with other Pillar Gods, pastors would change into their respective attire and perform corresponding ceremonies. As such, pastors were among the first professions to delve deeply into the knowledge of other Paths early on in the Nine Great Paths.
The lecturer for this course, Madam Maya, appeared quite young. She had dark brown curly hair tied into a ponytail that draped over one shoulder. She wore a red bishop’s robe, identical to Bishop Mathers’. Her pupils were a gentle, water-like light blue. Although she asked students to call her “Madam,” she looked no older than her early twenties. Her lively and cheerful demeanor was not only endearing to the students but also made her appear younger. Compared even to Lily, who possessed a serene temperament and always smiled gently like an older sister, Madam Maya seemed even younger. The students also greatly liked this young lecturer, who was nominally an instructor but felt more like a senior student.
Only Eivass knew, however, that this was likely due to the youth-inducing effects of “Fire Worship Magic.” She should indeed be a “madam,” married and even a mother. Fire Worship simply allowed her body to recover to an ideal state, healing her injuries and reversing aging, returning her to the youthful form of her maiden years. And with her physical recovery, her mental state and personality had also been restored.
“…Hm?”
When Madam Maya first saw Lily pushing Eivass into the classroom, she paused and stared at him in surprise. The blue-haired girl, passing by Eivass, smiled and explained, “This is Eivass, Madam Maya. Did you see The Glass Steps Herald the day before yesterday? He was the great detective from that day~ Eivass’s legs aren’t very good, so he has to use a wheelchair. Why don’t you… examine him?”
“That probably won’t be necessary, Angela…” Madam Maya shook her head. “You can go to your seat now.”
*He doesn’t need my examination. If it could truly be cured, wouldn’t he just use Fire Worship himself?*
Madam Maya cast another peculiar glance at Eivass and offered him a polite, strange gesture: she raised her hand and lightly touched her forehead and shoulders, tracing a triangle. Eivass, in turn, simply smiled gently, clasped his hands together with his thumbs crossed, and bowed his head with his eyes closed, as if in prayer. Seeing this, Madam Maya’s attitude towards Eivass visibly softened.
This was a gesture Bishop Mathers had specifically taught Eivass after discovering how quickly he had learned Fire Worship Magic and come into contact with the Path of Devotion. Other individuals with extraordinary power on the same Path could sense the aura and approximate strength of those of a lower level when sufficiently close. This meant that all extraordinary individuals of the Path of Devotion within the school could sense that Eivass had attained extraordinary power and completed an Advancement Ritual, reaching the second Energy Level. This was essentially the graduation standard. The gesture Mathers taught Eivass was a form of coded language used by the clergy of the Church of the Nine Pillar Gods to identify each other. It was intended to prevent Eivass from being treated differently upon his return to school.
Madam Maya’s gesture signified that she served the Church and held a Bishop-level Episcopal Crown. She was essentially asking Eivass, “Who guided you to obtain your Path of Devotion?” After all, not all pastors came from the seminary. How many people graduated from the seminary each year? Many rural churches operated on a master-apprentice system, teaching from a young age and automatically integrating graduates into the Church. Any “Bishop” had the authority to preach and teach Sacred Skills to those with the aptitude for the Path of Devotion. There was also the possibility of self-taught individuals who, through Occult Classics or other means, comprehended the Mystical Arts of the Path of Devotion and embarked on this path. In such cases, their profession might not even be “pastor.” Madam Maya would likely not be as friendly towards Eivass in that scenario.
This was because it meant obtaining extraordinary power and enjoying social status related to a particular Path without fulfilling obligations or adhering to rules. It was analogous to someone acquiring the Mystical Arts of the Path of Authority through a Grimoire or other Occult Classics. High-ranking Supervisors might mistakenly identify them as one of their own because they sensed the aura of the Path of Authority from them, leading to situations of “fake Supervisors” or “fake pastors.”
Furthermore, there was a more serious issue: one could only tread the same Path once. Once an extraordinary profession was obtained from a certain Path, one could only “advance” and not turn back. If Eivass had obtained a different profession from the Path of Devotion, he would absolutely not be able to become a pastor. According to Church regulations, the “Sacred Skills” carefully selected by the Church could not be easily leaked. If Eivass had an established mentor, he would surely understand Madam Maya’s coded language.
Eivass’s responding gesture indicated that he was currently only a “praying person”—he had not received an Episcopal Crown, held no teaching position, and was not currently working for the Church, but had simply been taught by someone. Madam Maya did not particularly care whether he worked for the Church or not. As long as he did not belong to another profession on the same Path, it was fine. Madam Maya, feeling ashamed of her subconscious suspicion, kindly said, “You can sit next to me, Mr. Eivass. It must be inconvenient for a wheelchair to go up stairs.”
“Then I will trouble you,” Eivass replied softly. “Madam Maya.”
While waiting for the other students, Madam Maya sat in her chair and chatted quietly with Eivass. “I heard about the case you solved. I thought you had already stepped onto the Path of Wisdom… I didn’t expect you to actually be a pastor. And reaching the second Energy Level at such a young age… I wonder which bishop guided you?”
“It was Bishop Mathers,” Eivass answered.
Upon hearing this, Madam Maya’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Eh? Mathers?”
“What is it?” Eivass sensed something unusual in her reaction. “Samuel Mathers?” she inquired.
“Yes,” Eivass realized that Bishop Maya might know Mathers and asked, “Do you know him?”
Madam Maya let out a hiss, her expression becoming somewhat complex. She discreetly glanced at the students, noticing they were all quietly looking towards the podium, keenly observing the unfolding events. They seemed accustomed to Eivass being a source of gossip. Madam Maya then lowered her voice, covering her mouth with her hand. “My name is Maya Mathers. He is my brother.” “…That’s not good.” Eivass’s expression also turned a little strange. Although Maya did not know, Eivass himself was aware that Mathers had only taught him the Sacred Skill last Friday. The very next day was the 15th, meaning Eivass had advanced immediately after his previous advancement. This was astonishing! It wasn’t necessarily a problem, just too high-profile. Although many might not believe it, Eivass preferred to keep a low profile. Fortunately, Maya provided an answer that eased Eivass’s tension:
“—However, he and I had a major falling out a long time ago, due to his romantic issues. I haven’t spoken to him in nearly ten years.” Though she claimed they had fallen out, her relationship with Eivass clearly became warmer upon learning he was Samuel’s apprentice. This wasn’t a falling out at all; it was more like they were sulking with each other…
“…So, why?” Eivass was curious. A bit of gossip arose in his heart. “What relationship issues did the bishop have?”
“That day, Samuel brought home a girl eleven years younger than him, saying she was his wife and that they were already married.” Madam Maya frowned deeply. “Samuel was 29 at the time, and the girl was only 18.”
“I recall Bishop Samuel being from Avalon, right?” Eivass countered. “An 18-year-old girl should be old enough to marry, shouldn’t she?”
“Yes, both men and women can marry at eighteen. The problem is… when ordinary people get married, they usually date for many years, right? When that girl got married, she was only eighteen, so when exactly did Samuel meet her?” Madam Maya said, gritting her teeth and tapping the table in frustration. “He also claimed he had only recently met her and it was love at first sight! Do you think I would believe that? Do you think my parents believed it?”
“…It’s not entirely impossible, is it?” Eivass’s expression was somewhat ambiguous. It seemed the concept of “flash marriage” did not exist yet in this era. However, in that case, Samuel was indeed somewhat suspicious… But soon, Madam Maya’s words made Eivass grow serious. “Of course, love at first sight is possible. But the problem is, we later hired a detective to investigate—she was not from Avalon.”
“She was an Iris person, and ultimately on the Path of Beauty. At that time, the Sixth Department of the Royal Law University had not yet opened. An Iris person would not attend Cité University in her home country and travel thousands of miles to Avalon to study theology, only to embark on the Path of Beauty. And she married her mentor in her first year. —Does that seem reasonable? Even without thinking too hard, doesn’t it seem highly suspicious!”
“…It is indeed not very reasonable,” Eivass frowned, also sensing something was amiss. “But Bishop Samuel doesn’t seem like the impulsive type…”
“Exactly! We all said the same thing.” Madam Maya whispered, “So we kept telling Samuel to calm down and separate from that girl for a while! But he wouldn’t listen at all and eventually moved out of the house, renting his own place. However, I recently heard he was elected as a Spiritual Council member, so at least he doesn’t have to worry about his livelihood…”
“What was his wife’s name?” Eivass asked.
“Mina. I’ve forgotten her maiden name. She should be Mina Mathers now… If I calculate it, she should be thirty-five this year. She runs a fortune-telling shop, selling divination tools and also performing fortune-telling for others. But she’s not a Prophet adapted to the Path, so what kind of divination ability could she have? She’s just a swindler… I truly don’t know why Samuel likes her so much.”
“When you have time, you might want to visit his home. After all, you have the relationship of mentor and apprentice, so visiting your mentor is quite normal. You mentioning it so suddenly makes me a little curious about how that woman is doing now…” Madam Maya clasped her hands together and quietly pleaded with Eivass, “Mr. Eivass, please help me! I have a Grimoire of the Path of Devotion that I really like. I can give it to you then… Of course, it’s fine if you really don’t have the opportunity. Just try to ask my brother, and I’ll give you the book—”
As Madam Maya spoke, Eivass’s pupils suddenly trembled. It wasn’t for the reward. It was because, upon hearing the name, he suddenly remembered something. —The in-game shop was called “Madam Mina’s Fortune-Telling Shop.” Eivass would never forget that name. He believed that any player would remember it. …Well, if I have the chance, I should go and take a look.
This month, a total of 220,000 words have been updated!! I haven’t taken a single day off; I’m so strong!! And to report on my achievements, my current readership is almost ten thousand, and my average subscription is currently twelve thousand. Thank you all for your support— And I’m asking for votes at the end of the month~ They’ll expire if you don’t cast them!
