A red ribbon was tied around its neck, from which hung a tiny silver bell.
The bell made no sound.
"The milk in Brighton is sweeter than in the Imperial Capital."
The black cat lowered its head, dipping its tongue into the milk for another small lap.
"My sister might have added sugar," he explained subconsciously.
"It’s fine. I don’t mind," the black cat said, continuing to lap at the milk.
"My true self is at Number 17, Imperial City Huayue Street. It is inconvenient for me to leave there right now."
"And the last time you stood at the bottom of the steps of Number 17 Huayue Street, I noticed you."
"That observation needs a proper conclusion."
Richard steadied his breathing.
"Why did you only notice me then?"
’Was it because my gaze was too brazen?’
"You had the air of being ’newly ignited’."
"The flame is small, but pure," the black cat explained.
"I’ve seen many ’ignited’ young people. A few will burn out like common torches, while a very select few will become something else."
"I’m interested in the ’very select few’."
"That day on the steps, I only glanced at you from afar."
"That boy Vincent stopped you from lingering. He was right to do so."
"But what I saw in your eyes in that one glance... I remembered it."
The black cat took another lap of milk, seemingly quite satisfied with the sweetness.
Richard studied his "guest."
He had heard bits and pieces of Huayue Street’s history from Vincent.
That triangular region south of the Imperial Capital had been a gathering place for all sorts of ritualists since the Pre-Roman period.
After the Roman Legion swept through, the area was never truly brought under official control.
The Church attempted to extend its reach into the area several times, but was "persuaded" to withdraw each time by the "long-term residents" within.
In recent centuries, Huayue Street has stood at the heart of that triangular region for over a hundred years.
"First, let’s talk business."
The black cat’s voice rang out.
"MacNeil has already told you about the registration."
"She did,"
Richard replied softly.
"But I can’t do it yet."
"That’s right. A Newcomer can’t."
The black cat jumped from the windowsill onto the desk.
Richard watched as its tail swept over his notebook, not causing the slightest stir in the air.
’The cat is in a semi-corporeal state.’
’Or rather, Lady Mary, a being of Grand Mastery, had used some method he could not yet comprehend to place a wisp of her Spirit into this black cat.’
"I’m not here about the registration this time."
"After you sign on, MacNeil will accompany you on your first assignment."
"That will be the official start of our collaboration."
"But before that..."
The black cat crouched atop the notebook, its front paws neatly together.
"You need a little protection."
"I read in MacNeil’s report that during the Whitcomb incident, ’Mother Who Eats Shadows’ remembered you."
Hearing this, Richard instinctively began to search his memories.
That night in the circular stone chamber during the Whitcomb affair, "Mother" was surrounded by seven Spirits, then unmade piece by piece by Mr. Hutton’s Judgment.
At the end, as the Returning to Sleep Spell was completed and the door swung shut, a faint Shadow had flickered at the edge of Richard’s vision.
At the time, he had assumed it was an optical illusion caused by an overload of his Spiritual Vision.
"For an ordinary Newcomer, being ’remembered’ like that is a death sentence."
The black cat’s voice was completely flat.
"She’s under a Seal now, so she can’t come for you directly."
"But sooner or later, she will get out, or she’ll reach out through a channel to the Spirit Realm."
"When that happens, she’ll use your ’signal’ as a beacon to find you."
"The stronger you become, the brighter the beacon."
"The faster you advance, the sooner she will find you."
A chill ran down Richard’s spine.
"So, I’m going to leave something with you."
The black cat’s tail gave a soft flick.
Richard frowned.
The black cat seemed to sense his unease.
"At my age, I know what is and isn’t appropriate."
"You can find a Marvel to act as a medium. Anything will do."
Richard’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Leaving a mark on a Marvel is even more stable than leaving it on you."
"Besides..."
The black cat’s golden eyes narrowed with a hint of amusement.
"You can remove it at any time."
"As long as you hold it, the choice is yours."
Richard let out a sigh of relief.
He rummaged for a moment in the small drawer beneath his desk.
The Sphinx Lamp was already set to be his signatory Marvel, so that was out.
The Gargoyle was a gift from his Ashford grandfather, representing his ties to the Ashford Clan; it wouldn’t be appropriate for another family’s "mark" to be placed on it.
The Copper Pendant, Sophie Incense Burner, and Sun Seal had already been reclaimed by his aunt.
The Ritual Dagger and Bronze Plate were also unsuitable.
The Eagle Badge and the 17th-century silver ring had been selected from Clement’s "private stash" and were relatively clean.
He took the silver ring and the Eagle Badge from a velvet-lined box and placed them in the middle of the desk.
"How about these two?"
The black cat glanced down.
"This silver ring is a good choice."
"A Celtic Sun Symbol on a pure silver base. It’s old enough, and the craftsmanship is sound."
"Most importantly, it is my opposite."
"When two opposites combine, it perfectly conceals what’s hidden within."
Richard nodded.
"You mean that using a Marvel with an opposing attribute to bear your ’mark’ will create a better disguise?"
"You are a quick study."
The black cat licked its paw.
"The Sun and The Moon being opposites is the common person’s understanding of the concept."
"In truth, the opposition is between ’that which is seen’ and ’that which sees’."
"The Celtic Sun Symbol is carved in silver. The symbol is meant to be seen, yet the material itself belongs to the night."
"The very principle this ring was built on was for the purpose of Disguise."

Comments

Loading...