After Gluttony had consumed all the precious stones, the next on the agenda was the so-called Rite of Investigation. Becoming a mage of the 4th Circle was certainly a laudable achievement, but what was the point of another spinning Circle at the heart if one didn't know any 4th Circle spells? Right! Any other used spell would be stronger...
Still, it wouldn't be so easy to move on to the new Circle, as the 4th is the beginning of a completely new and incredibly important milestone in magic. Whereas from the 1st to the 3rd Circle a mage merely accumulates magical power, studies basic spells and takes pleasure in throwing 'fireballs', from the 4th Circle onwards everything changes. Mages from the 4th to the 6th Circle are considered to be true masters of their craft, and this is not only because they have lots of magical power or a large arsenal of spells, no, the main difference lies in this very mastery... however banal it may sound.
And so, in order to gain this mastery, the Rite of Investigation comes into play. Mages from the 4th to the 6th Circle explore the world around them, magic and their interaction, thus creating their own theory, prism through which they view this world. In the end, it all culminates in the 7th Circle... though I know little about this level. So let us return to more pressing ideas.
To better understand the Rite of Investigation, here's a very interesting analogy.
There are dozens of explanations for the origin of the universe, and because of the natural curiosity of reason, we all end up asking such questions as "Who am I?", "Where did I come from?" and "Where am I going?" This is why people are enthusiastic about the origin of life, the truth about the world, and the meaning of existence.
To understand the nature of the universe and answer all of the above questions, it is necessary to explore the physical world. We now know that particles are the building blocks of the world, but there are also different theories of particle formation. Different theories in the universe explain particles in different ways, affecting their shape and structure. If you absolutely approach an elementary particle, will it be a single point? Would different particles have different shapes and would those shapes affect anything? Or are the shapes just random?
Suppose one day someone answers all these questions. What then? The most common opinion is that if we really understand the characteristics of the particles, then all wrong theories will be rejected and only one true theory will remain.
However, there is a small minority that considers this approach to be flawed, expressing the thought that even if we prove a certain theory and turn our view of this world upside down, we still cannot be fully certain that one day theories will not appear that contradict each other!
"By the way, this is very similar to what is called the weak point of mathematics, which consists in the fact that this science must prove everything that is true and everything that is false. But in reality it turns out that mathematics cannot do this, and under certain conditions it even contradicts itself... Yes, in modern times the mage runs along the edge of the blade - on the one hand science, and on the other magic".
Let's get back to our sheep after all, that is, to what is the essence of my analogy.
And it is simple: between us and the truth there is a wall. All theories are like holes in the wall, and we look through these holes to see the other side. But through these holes we can only see a small part of the other side, without being able to see the whole picture. Theories allow us to look at the world only from a certain perspective. And different perspectives lead to different conclusions.
This is the essence of the Rite of Investigation! Every time, starting from the 4th Circle, when the mage moves on to the next Circle, he learns more and more about this world, making a hole through which he looks at the Truth more broadly. Both the mage's own research and the gained experience contribute to this in many ways, strengthening his power.
So, from my explanation follows a logical question: what theory am I going to study? As they say, all is genius - simple, and therefore I decided to take up the Fundamental Interactions. This theory, based on the ancient system of magic four elements, embodied the greatest discoveries of the twentieth century: the General Theory of Relativity, the Theory of Electroweak Interaction, Quantum Electrodynamics and Quantum Chromodynamics.
It is interesting that such a modern and scientific magical theory does not conflict with the ancient one. On the contrary, the huge legacy left by the magicians of past millennia has not been lost, but has become the foundation of the future Human Magic. It may sound simple, but in fact it is simply incredible! For who knew that millennia ago magicians already anticipated the existence of fundamental interactions and created a system of Four Elements magic, in which earth is gravitational interaction, wind is electromagnetic interaction, water is strong interaction and fire is weak interaction.
Of course, due to the fact that the magicians of antiquity did not possess the necessary equipment and the accumulated scientific and magical studies over the millennia, they did not understand the essence of the laws on which the physical world is built, and only superficially grasping the theory, they built a more practical system of Four Elements.
Yes, in my opinion, true Human Magic is based on the theory of Fundamental Interactions. Of course, it will be much more complex, larger and more intricate. And the number of Magic Schools, as well as spells, will be simply enormous. But that's why there are magicians like me, whose duty will be to organize it.
After two hours of studying various books, research and reflections on magic and science...
"Ugh…" suddenly, energy started to boil inside me.
In the next moment a stream of mana burst out of my left hand and wrapped around, outlining a faint outline beyond the Three Circles.
"Fourth Circle…!
But that was not the end. More and more magical power began to flow from my palm, which was instantly absorbed into the Circle, giving it an ever clearer and complex structure. This process lasted for ten minutes, until finally the newfound Circle entered my chest and I felt the Four Circles slowly rotate near my heart.
I sat with my eyes closed, calmly distributing the remaining magical power throughout my body. Without a doubt, I now felt much stronger than before. Becoming a 4th Circle Magician not only increased the amount of my magical power, but also changed my body. It became harder and more enduring. The total increase in strength put any 4th Circle Magician in the generally recognized middle class, that is, at the level of demons, angels, or fallen with three pairs of wings. This still does not reach four pairs, but ahead is the 5th Circle...
"Of course, there are always nuances of experience, mastery of using this same power, secret techniques, tactics and auxiliary means, but the fact remains: the gross physical and magical power of a magician now allows him to fight the supernatural world."
In addition, starting with the 4th Circle, the magician's body becomes much more sensitive to magic, which makes it possible to carve charms on it. This was an incredibly important skill for any magician, so important that absolutely everyone used such charms. In addition to charms that could enhance certain aspects of the target, not necessarily its physical parameters, but also the possibility of carving full-fledged defensive or supportive spells.
"The Fourth Circle is indeed like a gateway to a completely new world."
This comparison was not mine, these are the words of Merlin Ambrosius, which perfectly described, describe and will describe the path to becoming a magician.
Thanks to the invention of magical reagents, many people were able to cross the threshold of the 4th Circle and open up a wonderful new world before them. Nevertheless, as evil would have it, most magicians, about seventy percent, will remain at the beginning of this journey, immediately after the opening of the sacred doors. Some hit the limits of their talents and remained on the 4rth Circle until death, while others felt despair and disappointment because of the existence of the "wall" blocking the taking of the 5th Circle, and ended their lives by their own hands.
In fact, even those considered the best magicians of today could not cross the wall of the Seventh Circle. The only exception were the Masters of the Tower... Except for the Master of the White and Yellow Tower. One was an old vampire who did not follow the theory of the Circles, and the other was an absolute mystery to the world.
And the Ninth Circle, which was considered the pinnacle of human mastery, had long become a legend and myth.
Therefore, the 4th Circle was like a desert to me, in which countless pilgrims perished.
I would have been lost in a cloud of fantasies and musings if it hadn't been for the phone call that pulled me out of it.
Hm? I couldn't help but frown as I looked at the screen. What does he need from me?
But however suspiciously my becoming a 4th Circle mage coincided with this call, I decided to answer it.
"Did I disturb you, Rayan Romano?" a now familiar male voice came from the other side.
"Director Mephisto... You called at a very convenient time," yes, it was the old demon Mephisto Feles.
"Don't call me director, you're no longer a student of the academy. In theory, you should call me Chairman Mephisto, but I consider such an official address to be redundant, so just Mephisto - the voice of the former director was calm and collected." however, I called you on another matter.
"... What do you need?" I became wary.
"Something special. You're in Berlin now?" Mephisto obviously had something important to say.
"Yes."
"In that case, I want to ask you to do a secret mission" taking a short break, Mephisto continued. "Absolutely all information related to this mission must remain between us."
"What exactly do you need from me?" Now I was much more interested in this turn of the conversation.
Do you want to kill me or send me somewhere where I'll certainly die...?
"I waited for your answer," Mefisto insisted.
"How can I promise you something without knowing what I'm supposed to do?"
"I'm Chairman of Grauzauberer, if I make you do something terrible, I'll be the first to be forgiven," Mefisto continued, laughing. "Besides, it will be a mission that we will conclude through the association."
I should really refuse all this crap. But didn't I decide to challenge myself? If I compromise once, the second time will be much easier. And the 3rd will not cause any hesitation... Having made a promise to myself, what kind of man will I be if I break it so easily?
"I have a condition," I said calmly.
"I'm listening," Mefisto was not hiding his interest in his voice.
"You hire me through the White Tower."
"What else?" Mefisto replied, laughing.
"In that case, I agree."
"Great," Mefisto was pleased. "Your mission consists of two parts: the first - to eliminate the Fugitive Mage in Milan, and the second - to keep an eye on the 4rth Circle Mage Georg Faust. All available information about strength, personality, location and plans will be available to you after official acceptance of the mission."
"Do you mean George Faust's descendant, the owner of the high-level Longin - Lost Dimension?" For a few seconds I was stunned and stared at the ceiling. "With all due respect... But I cannot keep track of the spatial mage with the Holy Mechanism, giving the possibility of absolute control of space."
"… You are strange, Ryan Roman. Sometimes you overestimate your strength, sometimes you underestimate it," said Mephisto, clearly smiling on the other side of the "wire". "According to my assumptions, you became a mage of the 4th Circle, and who else but you can do this task?"
"What about the other high-class mages of the association?" I wasn't even surprised that this demon knew about my promotion.
"I need someone who absolutely exactly does not belong to any faction in Grauzauberer."
In my case, you will be in a win-win situation, yes Mephisto? After all, if something goes wrong on my part, I can write it off to my nefarious methods of getting stronger and eventually attribute it to whatever suits me.
"And what has Georg done...?" I muttered, sighing.
"You will find out after signing the mission contract."
"I'm not in the charity business."
"I know that very well. Considering the danger, importance and secrecy of the mission, I offer twenty gold coins for the completion of the first task and one hundred for the second."
An incredibly tempting offer…
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A bit of post-chapter coddling:
Up to eleven chapters are available here: patreon.com/watson_