Chapter 91: Welcome Back Next Time

"If someone could obtain the complete ledgers of the national sealing system, they could draw a 'countdown map.'"

"It would be perfectly clear which places would fall first."

Hecate remained silent.

She sat in her chair, her two-faced mask half in moonlight, half in shadow.

Only after a long stretch of silence did she finally speak.

"Hermes, your question was excellent."

"You are welcome to return for the next gathering."

That single sentence told the rest of the round table that the newcomer had earned her approval; he wasn't just here to make up the numbers.

Hecate was satisfied. She had scattered a dozen or so tokens in this batch, yet most recipients hadn't even met the minimum activation standard.

The few who did possessed formidable family backgrounds, and their tokens had been discarded or destroyed.

She had reeled in two today. While one was still hard to read, this one had at least displayed sufficient potential.

Richard gave a slight nod. "I appreciate the recognition."

He didn't say another word, knowing to quit while he was ahead.

Nemesis remained completely silent.

Her silence formed a stark contrast to Richard's remarks.

Richard had no idea if she was doing it on purpose or if she had simply planned to stay quiet the whole time.

But her silence actually worked in his favor. Contrast made him stand out.

Hecate raised a hand and lightly swept it over the table.

"That will be all for tonight."

"To our two newcomers: before you leave, the rules must be stated."

"The Theogony Salon meets once every two months, in the middle of even-numbered months."

"February, April, June, August, October, and December. For a few days during the middle of each of those months, you will be drawn here from your sleep."

"The exact day and time may vary. The transportation Spell Formula has its own rhythm; a fluctuation of a day or two is normal."

Her gaze swept over the two newcomers.

"Tonight was an extra introductory session, scheduled specifically for you two."

"By custom, whenever newcomers join, an extra session is inserted between the formal gatherings."

"However, this extra session does not replace a regular one. The next formal gathering will still take place in mid-December."

Richard did the math in his head.

Today was early November.

If the next formal gathering was scheduled for mid-December, there would be a gap of at least five to six weeks.

That buffer was generous; it gave him enough time to get a lot done.

Hecate continued.

"Away from the round table, each of you holds a token."

"Namely, the Clay Token that allowed you to enter this place."

She raised a hand and pointed gently toward the two newcomers.

"This door recognizes you now. Your first visit required an invitation, but from here on out, you are regular guests. You need only push the door open to enter."

"Before the next gathering, I will have a Spirit Realm Messenger notify you and deliver a new token fitting your status."

"I suggest you store the token securely, though there is no need to carry it on your person."

She spoke with absolute candor, likely guessing what they were worried about.

"Understood." Richard then asked, "Does the token have any other uses?"

Hecate nodded. "Outside of the formal gatherings, if you wish to contact someone at the table privately—whether to make a trade, request information, send a document, or simply ask a question—you need only hold the token, silently recite the code name of the person you are looking for, and speak your request to the token."

"You will receive a reply by the same time the next day at the latest."

"Within a two-month cycle, you may send a maximum of five private messages. Exceed that limit, and you must wait for the next gathering to reset."

"Additionally, if your traded items require me to provide appraisal services, I will charge a fee at my discretion."

Upon mentioning this last rule, the young maiden's face on the upper half of the mask smiled.

Richard repeated these rules in his head, making sure he hadn't missed a single word.

Formal gatherings once every two months, extra newcomer sessions not counting toward the regular total, a five-message limit every two months, and additional fees for appraisals.

The rules were minimalist, but behind each one stood a thoroughly considered framework.

Simplicity was the hallmark of mature design.

However, as Hecate introduced these rules, a few details in her phrasing subtly adjusted his assessment.

First point: "the next formal gathering."

She had said "next time" without casually mentioning "the last time something similar happened."

For any organization that had been running for years, the host introducing rules to newcomers would inevitably drop a phrase like "the last time so-and-so joined" or "we ran into this situation a few years ago."

Yet in Hecate's speech, there was essentially no past-tense frame of reference.

Second point: there were seven chairs at the table in total, and before they arrived, three had been empty.

If this were a circle that had been active for many years, all seven chairs should have been filled long ago, or at least maintained full capacity a few times despite natural attrition.

This meant the roster wasn't full.

Ares's hesitation when pulling out the 3rd Circle Enchanted Bullets hadn't just been reluctance to part with them; it likely also indicated that his trust in this place was still in the testing phase.

Richard strung these clues together into a single conclusion.

The Theogony Salon hadn't been genuinely operational for very long.

At most, maybe a year or two.

At the very least, perhaps less than a year.

A recently formed gathering meant it was still growing, not yet fully solidified.

For someone joining now, if they maintained stable contributions, their influence would accumulate much faster than if they had joined a century-old faction.

For him, this was an excellent time to enter.

Hecate raised her hand. "The gathering should end now."

Her figure began to turn transparent.

"Remember, the way to leave is to close your eyes and count to seven."

Richard closed his eyes.

...

After everyone had dispersed, Hecate remained seated at the head of the table.

She raised a hand and made a grasping motion in the empty air.

Phantom images of over a dozen Clay Tokens materialized on the table.

These tokens were all the invitations she had sent out over the past few days.

Each one was connected to its invitee by an incredibly fine spiritual thread.

Every action the invitees took after receiving their token fed back to her along these threads.

Aside from the two newcomers who arrived tonight, she still had to confirm the status of the other candidates.

With that in mind, she inspected them one by one.

The image transmitted from the first thread showed a brightly lit classical library.

The Montagu Family. The moment she sent it out, she had guessed they would react.

The Montagu Family was a truly old-established family in the Solar Tradition, and the old count, Salisbury, was the representative of this generation.

A Major Adept Hunter of the Solar Tradition, he was famously tough within the Imperial Capital's circles.

A child of the Montagu Family taking first place in the Cicero Cup made them one of the easiest targets to place under observation this year.

This was a seed she had deliberately scattered into the Montagu Family; she wanted to see just how prominent a figure they would send to respond.

The response had arrived.

In the first frame sent back by the thread, the old count stood by the library window.

In the second frame, another person appeared beside him.

Hecate's fingertip abruptly stopped over the first thread.

The density of ether on that person nearly made her recoil her finger.

Hecate had originally expected the Montagu Family to send a Minor Adept to burn the Clay Token and be done with it.

She hadn't anticipated that the old count would invite a Major Adept, let alone one who had progressed so far as to border on the Virtuoso rank.

After cleanly and decisively disposing of the Clay Token, that Major Adept raised his head in the vision.

Hecate felt as if that single glance had pierced straight through seven layers of seals.

Behind that glance was some old monster hidden deep within the Imperial Capital, one who ordinarily never showed his face.

A Virtuoso of the Solar Tradition.

The number of known Virtuosos within the Empire's borders could be counted on two hands.

Hecate didn't know who this one was.

But he had borrowed a glance through that Major Adept.

Within that glance lay a single, crystal-clear message: "Do not reach your hand here again."

Hecate sat there for a long time.

She raised her left hand and used her index finger to draw a small "X" over that thread.

Having finished with Montagu, Hecate shifted her gaze to the second thread.

The second thread relayed a private study room in Harrow School.

Phillips was Bartholomew's son.

Bartholomew himself was a Major Adept Hunter, but the Secret practitioners he could mobilize were also of high rank.

The Clay Token had been discovered quickly, which was well within Hecate's expectations.

The entire disposal process was standardized, professional, and measured.

But it was merely standardized.

The highest rank Bartholomew could rally to his disposal was a Minor Adept.

Hecate could keep this thread in mind, but there was no need to invest additional resources in it for now.

She drew a triangle over the second thread.

Note it, but do not pursue it deeply.

She still had to process the remaining dozen or so threads one by one.

Hephaestus, the grandson of a certain Major Adept alchemist: the Clay Token had been destroyed by his family. She drew an "X".

Athena, a classical studies graduate student at Imperial Capital University. She had personally touched and activated it, already half on the hook.

However, her mentor had just emitted a warning Spell Formula echo. Hecate hesitated for a moment before ultimately drawing an "X".

Poseidon, the son of a certain naval officer. The Secret practitioner dispatched by his family was too young and handled it poorly.

She could have roped him in, but Hecate didn't want to bring in too many newcomers at the same time, so she marked him for suspension.

Demeter, a certain manor heiress. She hadn't noticed the Clay Token at all and had thrown it into the wastebasket for the servants to clean up. Hecate drew an "X".

Pan, a Covent Garden actor, had mistaken the Clay Token for a costume prop and placed it into a makeup box. Hecate marked this one with a "?".

There were a few more failures—due to botched deliveries, failed activations, or the candidates failing to meet the minimum Inspiration threshold.

The Spirit Realm Messenger had merely taken one look from afar and turned back.

She processed the threads one by one until every single one was settled.

In the end, only the two current threads could be safely pulled into the temple.

Catherine had no background, which put her mind at ease.

Richard had an average background, which also put her mind at ease.