Deviating Patterns

Nysa quietly listened to the tale, recalling why she was so familiar with the Threnody of Departure.

It was the favorite composition of her late father, who often paid local rhapsodes, traveling minstrels, and balladeers to play it in his halls. She never knew why he had been so fond of it until now, but learning of its tale revealed how deep of an abyss he was lost in.

Yaen repeatedly tapped the table with a finger, thinking aloud, "The tale speaks of three compositions, but unless my musical sense eludes me, the Automatons played four distinct tunes."

Nave, who had been scribbling on another piece of parchment, looked over his earlier transcription of the Automatons' melody.

"No, you're right. There's an extra part. Perhaps it alludes to another version of the myth? Some say that the composer had dedicated a fourth work to his homeland, though it ended up lost to the elements. More importantly, there are anomalies in the notes between the original version and the one played by the Automatons."

Nysa couldn't help but feel impressed by Nave's ability to transcribe music accurately after only hearing it once. That would have been an incredible feat for a normal human, but she knew that some Sorceries gifted their magi with greatly enhanced mental aptitudes.

Still, it was difficult not to remain in awe.

"Anomalies?" Geffen echoed. "False notes, you mean? Couldn't they be linked to the spell that was interfering with Jonam and Lady Quinctillia's mystical senses?"

Jonam shook his head. "Not necessarily. Such a spell could be easily woven into an existing melody without altering its flow. There's no merit in doing so."

"Hm..." Yaen eyed the two transcriptions before saying, "Get me a map of Priene."

"I'll ask Giron to bring one from the shop—"

"There's no need," Nysa cut off Jonam as she spread her arm forward.

Her shadow moved atop the table, morphing into an intricate map that showed every nook and cranny of Hierapetra's Divine Capital.

Yaen nodded. "Could you pinpoint the location of the Henosis Seekers' transitional base?"

A small, pitch-black needle rose from the desired location, showing its exact position within the map.

"Now, here's what I think," Yaen rose from his seat, overlooking the map. "Yesterday's incident wasn't willingly done by the Henosis Seekers. I believe it was part of a plan they were forced to follow."

"What do you mean by that?" Nave asked.

"Don't you find it strange? The fact that the Temple of Stars only happened to find the transitional base that very night? They were already aware that it was a Mystery's headquarters, which is why they mistook Jonam and Lady Quinctillia for members of the Henosis Seekers. Add to that the traces of illusion magecraft of considerable level and the Automatons, and we got ourselves a terribly convoluted situation."

"While those rabid dogs lack logic, it's true that their movements of late have been quite peculiar, as if they completely discarded their usual patterns. Due to this, we lost quite a few branches in the surrounding cities. Nonetheless, I don't follow how this ties to the current situation," said Geffen.

"As I said, we're already caught in the Goddess of Secrets' game. She pointed us toward Hierapetra, citing the presence of our mortal enemies, and we all gleefully followed her cue. On the other hand, she seems to be also aiding the Henosis Seekers themselves, to a far greater extent than us."

Illana frowned. "Hold on, that doesn't make sense. Didn't you say that the rules of her games were fair for everyone involved? Why would she provide more help to the Henosis Seekers?"

"The incident... that's her way of helping the Mekkubal Order," Nysa muttered amidst a brief silence.

"Quite sharp, Lady Quinctillia," Yaen answered her response with a smile. "Aside from Segment XV Jonam, you're all human magi here. Unlike the Order's homunculi, you've had far less time to develop your skills on the battlefield, so overlooking this detail is expected. That's understandable, truly."

"Aside from notable exceptions, such as our dear Jonam, homunculi are expendable resources. Talented magi who have the potential to become Thaumaturges, on the other hand, are extremely precious. Hence, we'll always be much more reluctant to send you to such dangers, explaining your relative lack of experience."

"Where are you going with this?" Nave was visibly puzzled, as were Illana and Geffen.

Yaen took the time to slump back against his chair, sighing. "We are currently in the Divine Capital of the Kingdom of Stars and Astrologers. The Temple of Stars, which resides here, holds the complete Insight Rituals of the Astral Sorceries—a brand of occultism reputed for its effectiveness with perception magecraft."

He paused, pointing at the pitch-black needle marking the Henosis Seekers' former base on the map.

"A Nightmare-class Eidolon is a bundle of sentient Mana that can rival several Thaumaturges by itself. A single sighting of such a creature within a nation's borders would warrant a small army of magi to exterminate it."

"Remember, unlike the nameless, Delusion-class Eidolons, the Nightmare-class ones have most of their personalities intact. They're inherently aggressive toward humans, and in the case of Empyrean Eidolons, very prideful. The Apocryphon of Ataxia allows the Henosis Seekers to invoke them but provides no shackles to bind them."

"In your opinion, would any Eidolon of such power accept to scurry like rats within a human city? Would they even bother stifling their Mana flow to avoid alerting the local magi?"

Nysa shook her head, mirrored by everyone else.

"Yet they're doing it. Except for yesterday night, the Henosis Seekers have been uncharacteristically careful in their movements. The Pale Malady started slowly, almost like a natural-born plague, and until today, we weren't even aware that there were two Archangels instead of one." Yaen tapped his temple. "Understand this. They've been meticulous enough to make us omit an entire Nightmare-class Eidolon."

"Even the movements of one Thaumaturge rarely go unnoticed," Jonam echoed, "but in Priene, they've been able to conceal two creatures that, singularly, are several times more powerful than a Thaumaturge. Even historically, that's an anomaly for the Henosis Seekers. Recklessness has always been one of their key patterns."

"This leads us to how the Queen of the Mallacht has been aiding them," Yaen said.

Something clicked in Nysa's mind, and she blurted out, "She's the one hiding the Archangels—or at least someone working for her. It also explains the presence of illusion magecraft."