The process required for creating the initial orb is broadly divided into two parts.
The first is to connect the orb with the divine authority of the Mother Goddess of the Earth.
The second is to clarify the relationship between the orb and the vampire.
This second part, establishing the relationship with vampires, involves incorporating crystal stones into the orb.
While Shurein would be able to create an orb somehow if she possessed the titles for both the second and first parts, establishing that “somehow” is the problem. Shurein has absolutely no idea what to do or how to do it.
“Even I’m helpless,” Shurein said, looking at Kousuke with her hands raised.
“Well, yeah. It’s impossible to do something like that if you’re told to do it all of a sudden,” Kousuke replied.
Kousuke wasn’t exactly sure what kind of rituals vampires possessed. He could only imagine an extremely vague process that, based on the completed form of the orb, suggested that something was done to achieve that result.
“However, well… Ah, no. Never mind,” Kousuke said, suddenly cutting himself off and shaking his head. Shurein turned her gaze to him as if urging him to continue.
“What is it? Hearing you say that only makes me more curious,” Shurein said.
“Hmm. Perhaps it’s because for you, Shurein, it’s something that has existed since ancient times, but I thought it would be fine for you to create a new ritual yourself,” Kousuke said. To Shurein, who had said there was no need to dwell on the past, Kousuke’s words made her expression one of confusion.
At least for Shurein, the Vermilia Jewel was something that had always existed. It was natural to think that the method of creation had been passed down.
“Even so. I can’t think of any way to create an orb at all,” Shurein muttered.
“Hmm… Ah, I see.” Kousuke, after crossing his arms and thinking for a moment, looked at Shurein with an expression as if he had just thought of something.
“Shurein, if you were to use the existing orb and crystal stones, what would you make and how? Setting aside the Vermilia Jewel.”
“What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t have to be the orb that Shurein or I know, right? …What would you do?”
Shurein was taken aback and confused by Kousuke, who was looking at her intently after saying such a thing.
“Using this orb and crystal stone, what should I do…?”
Muttering this, Shurein began to think about what she should do, just as Kousuke had told her.
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After receiving Kousuke’s advice(?), Shurein spent several days poring over books in the castle. Of course, this included the ones Ines had brought before. She was not only looking for old rituals to create orbs but also for anything that might serve as a reference for rituals (contracts?) to be performed on orbs. Even for a species that claimed to be experts in contracts, it wasn’t easy to come up with new rituals. She was searching various sources for anything that might be helpful.
However, most of the contracts vampires made were, understandably, with living beings or those who had been alive but had since died. Rituals involving inorganic objects like orbs were virtually nonexistent.
“Well, this is troubling.” Even Shurein, who knew many rituals, couldn’t think of a ritual for making a contract with an inorganic object without any hints. Moreover, she didn’t believe that proceeding with rituals haphazardly would be successful.
Ines happened to come to Shurein, who was troubled.
“Is something troubling you?”
“Hm? Ah, Lady Ines. It’s not that I’m in trouble… Hmm. There’s something I’d like to ask you, Lady Ines?”
“Lord Shurein, are you asking me? Did something happen?” Ines was slightly on guard, remembering that when Shurein directly asked her questions in the past, it was usually when he was contemplating something important. Shurein offered a wry smile in response to Ines’s cautious demeanor.
“No, it’s not something that difficult…” With that preamble, Shurein sought Ines’s opinion on the new ritual he had been contemplating.
After hearing Shurein’s story, Ines nodded with a serious face and said, “I see,” before returning a wry smile.
“Still, Lord Kousuke says rather harsh things.”
“Fufu. You think so too, don’t you?” Shurein smiled at Ines’s words.
Although Kousuke had become an Avatar, he still had some low self-esteem. Particularly in the creation of divine tools (Divine Tools), he was unparalleled, yet at times he demanded the same level of skill from others. This was something ordinary people wouldn’t do, but Kousuke, with his low self-evaluation, would sometimes make unreasonable demands. Something similar had happened this time.
“But…” Shurein, still smiling, paused slightly before continuing, “Strangely enough, Kousuke has never asked me to do anything impossible or reckless, even if his words sound unreasonable. It might just be a coincidence.”
“Is that Lord Kousuke’s divine authority over… No. Is that him being lovey-dovey?” Shurein’s eyes widened at what she felt was an unexpected retort from Ines. Then, with a chuckle, he made a slightly troubled face and looked into the distance.
“Perhaps it is.” Ines looked at him as if she were gazing at something dazzling, but Shurein, who had averted her gaze, didn’t notice.
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After the conversation with Ines, Shurein eventually conceived of a ritual that he felt might work. He didn’t know if it would succeed, but he decided to try it and moved from the castle to prepare for the ritual. This ritual was a first for Shurein, and there was a possibility he might collapse from overexertion. Therefore, he had Silvia accompany him as an observer. The reason Silvia was chosen as an observer was that the ritual also included prayers to the Mother Goddess of the Earth.
Before starting the ritual, Shurein turned his gaze to Silvia and began reciting the norito. In his hand, as per Kousuke’s advice, was the crystal stone. This ritual centered on prayers to the Mother Goddess of the Earth and the crystal stone, so he held it from the beginning. As Shurein recited the norito, holding the crystal stone in his right hand and a staff in his left, a change occurred in both of them. The red crystal stone in his right hand began to melt as if exposed to extreme heat, transforming into red light and being absorbed into the sphere at the tip of the staff. The change didn’t stop there; the red light, which had been absorbed by the staff, re-emerged and this time was drawn directly into the orb. By the time the red light was completely incorporated into the orb, Shurein’s norito had also stopped.
After the red light disappeared, Shurein remained still for a moment, observing, but the orb showed no change. Confirming this, Shurein finally smiled and let out a big sigh. Seeing his expression, Silvia knew that the ritual had been successful.
“Congratulations.”
“Ah, thank you.” Shurein replied with a smile to Silvia, who approached him and offered her congratulations.
This was the chapter where Shurein awakened! By the way, Shurein didn’t realize it at the time, but this ritual was possible precisely because he was able to properly use the staff. He would only realize this after talking with Kousuke.
