[In that lax fashion, he began to speak]
["First, let's start with the Angels you spoke of, the messengers of God. That's also
correct. In fact, the Angels used in Magecraft draw their foundations from those ones."]
["The abilities of these Angels who deliver the blessings of God are important to Magi in the modern era. Particularly, the use of Angels is currently in a state of being
reinvented by modern Magi."]
[Even though it was a similar explanation yet again, this time you was able to understand it properly]
[You raised a question regarding the previous subject matter]
["What's being reinvented, the Angels?"]
["You know about the four classical elements, right?"]
[While savoring the flavor of his cigar, your master raised four fingers]
[Earth, Water, Fire, Wind. Listing these, he lowered a finger for each. These, called the
four classical elements, were a fundamental part of Magecraft, and were something
You knew about]
["In Ancient Greece, these were the four elements begotten by the Arche,"]
[From what you're remember from Gray memory, Arche was Greek for the beginning of all things...or something along those lines, if you recalled correctly]
["According to Alchemy, the four elements and the Origin are one and the same. Even
now, most people treat them that way."]
["Things like the 12 Constellations, or the Five Elements of Oriental thought, are no different. They just serve as convenient systems to classify all of reality."]
["Although those are the four elements used by places like the Clock Tower, we could actually add various elements, like Void, and the chemical elements."]
["This tends them towards a more practical tint, but now I'm getting off track."]
["I was told that my Element was Earth."]
["Right. In that kind of meaning, it's used to generalize where your talents and
weaknesses lie."]
["There are also those with Double Elements, even some Average Ones monsters with all Five Elements, but let's get back to the original topic."]
["In short, the system of Elements was used as a system of classification out of convenience, but starting with the rise of modern Magecraft at the end of the 19th century, that's begun to change."]
["With the addition of the Concept of Angels to the system, they have been given a new
meaning."]
["A new meaning?"]
["Correct."]
[He silenltly watching you to gauge how well you understanding what he was saying, a few seconds later he continued to speak]
["The 'Vessels of Power' that a great number of people now believe in."]
[As if supporting a sacred cup over the table, he gave a small nod, and silence fell
between us]
[Smoke from your master's cigar began to gather in his cupped hands. The image
reminded me of sanctified water.]
[Were Angels supposed to be that water? Or the shape he was making with his hands?]
["Magecraft is something that must be kept secret, but in contrast, Concepts become
stronger and more stabilized as more people have faith in them."]
["Similarly influenced by the thought process behind the Occult, poets like Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, and WB Yeats strongly influenced the process."]
[Your master's voice echoed heavily in the confined space of his apartment]
[Next, from the vessel created by your master, the illusion of some kind of wave began to spread out. No, that might have actually been what was happening]
[The repeating waves extending from his hands reflected off the various mirrors and charms in the apartment and surrounded us]
[It seemed almost as if the room itself had been transformed into a Shrine]
["Did you just think this seemed like a Shrine?"]
["There's no need to be surprised. I specifically made it to seem like that, so your
judgment is dead on. Because I actually am turning this room into a Shrine right now."]
["Huh?"]
[Blinking in surprise, you had no idea what he meant]
[Maybe your face looked a little strange, because your master began to chuckle. He seemed to be enjoying himself so much it felt like you're had fallen for some sort of trap]
["You felt a strange change in the atmosphere, right? That's a shrine. In Latin, it would be called 'templum,' but you can just think of it as a place where God is able to manifest temporarily."]
[Maybe it was because the talk of Angels already implied a connection to the Church, but for some reason you easily understood his explanation]
["So basically, it's not just a place where believers go to worship, but a place in which
God is actually present, so we call it a Shrine, right?"]
["Yes, exactly. Right now, it might seem like I'm using the symbolism of a holy cup and
various things around the room to make it look like that, but in reality this is the real
deal."]
["It's common for magecraft to require consecrated land, right? It's a technique that might look similar to the Bounded Fields of Buddhism, but in this case Angels are at the
core of the effect."]
[As your master stopped speaking for a moment, you also descended into thought]
[A Shrine is a place where God can manifest temporarily. And Angels are 'Vessels of
Power.' So in this case, the relationship between the two is...]
["So...does that mean the name Angel is just given to anything with an ambiguous
magical nature, and is being used by magecraft?"]
["Correct."]
[Still on the sofa, your master picked up the now long-cold tea and put it to his lips]
["Before, I mentioned that as more people believe in them, Concepts become more
stable."]
["That being the case, it wouldn't be strange for someone to think that they could
use this widespread Concept of Angels to stabilize the existence of Magecraft."]
["Actually, if you look at a number of different magical societies, you can find many who find this way of thinking exceedingly alluring."]
[Putting the cup down, your master raised two fingers]
[Using his fingers, he drew a pentagram in the air before him, whispering something
like 'Before me Raphael, Behind me Gabriel' under his breath]
["That was what is called the Ritual of the Lesser Pentagram. It calls on the names of the Four Archangels, each representing one of the four elements, to consecrate an area or prepare for further various applications of Magecraft."]
["Of course, something as simple
as this prayer could be found easily in a magazine nowadays. Of course, rituals like this that flow throughout the world are almost all dummies, just observational, or just plain nonsense, so the Clock Tower just leaves them as they are."]
[With a satisfied expression, he moved his gaze to the window. A thin stream of sunlight
made its way through a gap in the curtains]
[The phrase 'gap' really seemed to be fitting
for people like us. The distance between us and the world...places overflowing with light, in contrast to the space we occupied, and the tiny gap in which the two were able
to interact]
[The faint light, like an Angel]
[In the cup now left on the table, ripples were forming on the surface of the tea. It seemed like the ritual my master had performed was having an effect on it, even if a little late]
["Further, it may have simply all just been a part of someone's plan. Rituals that use the
name of the Lord to bind demons were in abundant supply in the past."]
["Of course, being Magi, it's not like everyone is a pious follower of Christianity. We simply made use of the universalized concept of the Name of the Lord, under which all things must submit."]
["In recent times, its similar to how an Internet Protocol works - well, I guess that
explanation would just confuse you even more. With that line of reasoning, the use of
Angels was an inevitable point on the road. Compared to using the Name of the Lord,
it's a much easier Concept to make use of after all."]
[That you understood. The Concept of God was one that had a distinct "color" to it. You could also call it faith]
[In comparison to that, Angels came in many variations, like Guardian Angels and
Fallen Angels. For this reason, the kinds of rituals that could be used exploiting Angels
was far greater]
[And that was why your master had called it a reinvention]
["Now, the development of new Magecraft in the West is almost entirely dominated by
the influence of these Angels. No, it's not actually limited to new Magecraft."]
["It may be subtle, but the Concept of Angels almost certainly has an effect on all Magecraft. For the modern Magus, whether the goal is to make use of Angels or eliminate them, in some form they are conscious of any changes that occur in regards to them."]
[Your master closed his eyes. Then slowly, as if sighing]
["In a way, it's safe to say that the modern Magus is in the business of collecting Angels."]
[Those words resounded with you. They were somewhat poetic, but more than that, they seemed to cut straight to the heart of the truth]
[As if he was pausing to let the profoundness of those words sink in,
the silence that followed was longer than previous ones]
["And so, the problem now is that castle,"]
"Mrrroww!"
"Ah—Ow!"
Carela flinched, startled. Kuro had reached up and given her a small scratch on the cheek—just enough to sting and break her focus.
She blinked, then glanced down at the cat now curling against her neck with smug satisfaction, as if it hadn't just interrupted her focus mode.
"Kuro! Seriously?"
She sighed.
"This was just getting to the good part…"
Gray gave her a quick glance, then let out a quiet breath—almost a chukle—before turning back to the TV screen.
The simulation didn't pause. The video kept playing, as if the world inside it had no time for cats, or distractions.
But even so... Carela was already losing interest.
She felt her eyes getting heavier. The warmth of the room, the soft hum of the screen, and Kuro's steady purring didn't help.
"...System, end simulation."
The screen began to dim slowly, the voices and images fading like a dream.
Carela stood up, causing Kuro to leap off her shoulder—and with a graceful hop, land right on Gray's head.
She didn't react right away. She just looked up at the cat sitting there, blinked once, then turned her attention back to the now-faded screen.
"…Don't stay up too late," Carela mumbled, already halfway to her room.
Gray gave a small nod but said nothing.
Behind her, the room was quiet again—except for the soft purring of a cat perched on her head and the faint static of a TV screen cooling down.
...
A few hours—or perhaps the whole night—had slipped by.
Morning sunlight poured gently through the window, casting a warm glow across the small kitchen. Gray stood by the sink, finishing the last of the dishes.
The faint clink of porcelain echoed softly before she set the plate down to dry. She straightened her back and stretched, feeling the stiffness in her shoulders loosen just a little.
Her gaze drifted toward the living room. There, on the couch, sat her new master—or perhaps, in a strange way, a reflection of herself—blinking drowsily at her surroundings.
Carela's half-lidded eyes and slightly messy hair spoke more than words: I just woke up… please, let me be for a moment.
When she noticed Gray looking, Carela offered a faint, sleepy smile—one that carried no energy but was warm enough to soften the air between them.
Gray thought for a moment about walking over to greet her, though her voice could not form the words.
After a short pause, she simply gave a small nod, a silent acknowledgment, before turning back toward the kitchen.
The sound of utensils and the quiet sizzle of cooking soon filled the room. Carela watched from the couch, tilting her head slightly with mild curiosity. She wondered what Gray was making, though she already had a good guess.
Minutes passed, and the aroma of breakfast began to drift into the living room.
Finally, Gray approached, carrying a tray with simple but neatly prepared dishes. She placed it on the small table in front of the couch where Carela sat.
Carela's eyes followed the tray as it was set down, lingering on the food for a moment before looking up at Gray. A faint smile tugged at her lips—a silent approval that needed no words.
Carela reached for the fork, still rubbing one of her eyes with her other hand. She poked at the food, taking in the steam rising from it.
Gray quietly placed a cup of warm tea beside the plate. She didn't say anything, just gave a small gesture with her hand that seemed to say, please, eat.
Carela let out a soft hum as she took the first bite. Her sleepy expression softened into something more awake, more content.
"It's good,"
she said simply, her voice still a little rough from just waking up.
Gray's stood by for a moment, watching to see if Carela wanted anything else, then moved to sit beside her.
The two of them ate in a quiet, almost lazy morning atmosphere. Outside, the sun kept climbing higher, filling the room with a warm light.
Neither of them said much—but somehow, it didn't feel like silence. It felt like the start of a calm day, didn't it?