Chapter 418: The Cup and the Staff

By mid-April, the gathering on Richard's end convened as scheduled.

He closed his eyes and counted to seven. The sea of stars faded away, and the familiar contours of the temple materialized.

All seven stone chairs were occupied once again.

Richard swept his gaze over the others, taking note of any changes.

He saw Nemesis every week; he couldn't be more familiar with her.

But what about the rest? Had they undergone any major changes?

Richard sensed distinct changes in two of them: Dionysus and Prometheus.

Prometheus in particular.

The hue of his red-gold flame had shifted. What used to be a deep crimson now bore a white-hot core—quiet, yet searing.

Hecate spoke up while he was observing them. "Tonight, I would first like to congratulate two of you on your breakthroughs."

Although she mentioned two people, Richard could tell that her attention was entirely focused on him.

The golden mask turned toward him first.

"Hermes, congratulations on completing your face-shadow radiance.

Our table finally has a true emissary."

Behind his mask, Richard raised an eyebrow.

It seemed Hecate already knew exactly what a face-shadow radiance would produce.

He offered his thanks. "Much appreciated, Chief."

Only after acknowledging Richard did Hecate turn to congratulate Prometheus on his advancement.

"Congratulations to you as well, Prometheus, on successfully breaking through to Minor Adept."

Her tone was noticeably cooler than the warm reception she had just given Richard.

Richard silently filed away that subtle shift in attitude.

Breaking through to Minor Adept was a major watershed on the mystical side.

Anyone who stepped onto the mystical side could eventually reach the Practitioner rank.

But a sheer cliff separated a Practitioner from a Minor Adept.

Reaching Minor Adept meant becoming a recognized elite in one's respective field.

Prometheus had completed his first oath, transferring a portion of his soul into his signature artifact.

The weight of such a breakthrough far exceeded Richard's mere face-shadow radiance, yet Hecate had chosen to congratulate him first.

Her entire demeanor had been completely different.

Richard recalled how Hecate had built up the anticipation before Heracles's arrival.

He also remembered Prometheus's extreme reluctance to put on his mask when he first received it.

Hecate was a gardener who held grudges.

The more eagerly someone accepted the power she offered, the more respect she afforded them.

Prometheus didn't show much of a reaction. That flame simply flickered.

"Much appreciated, Chief."

That short phrase was his only reply.

Hecate looked away from him and turned her attention back to Richard.

"Hermes, why don't you show us your Caduceus?"

Richard saw no reason to hide it.

He raised a hand, and the three-foot-long Caduceus materialized in his palm. Golden wings rested folded at its peak, while two golden serpents spiraled tightly around the staff, intertwined from head to tail.

A brief silence fell over the temple.

Richard presented his Caduceus for all to see.

"This is the Caduceus, manifested from the Mask of Hermes following my face-shadow radiance.

Its ability is the Inviolability of Emissaries."

Richard deliberately chose to reveal only this specific ability.

Heracles was the most curious of the group.

"Hermes, could you explain exactly how that works?"

"As long as I hold this Caduceus and do not initiate an attack, nothing on either side of the veil that still recognizes the concept of an 'emissary' can harm me."

Richard stated it completely matter-of-factly.

"They can block my path, they can ignore me, and they can even drive me away.

But they cannot strike me. If they do, grave misfortune will fall upon their heads."

A collective gasp echoed through the temple.

Dionysus's eyes widened, and he stopped swirling the contents of his Two-Handled Cup.

"They can't strike you? Anything that acknowledges that rule can't lay a finger on you?"

"Correct."

Heracles clicked his tongue in awe.

"Doesn't that mean you can just waltz into any domain you please and walk right back out without a scratch?"

"Pretty much," Richard nodded.

"But it doesn't work on mindless entities that can't comprehend the rule.

It won't stop an evil creature that doesn't even know what it is, nor will it stop an existence whose Rank is far higher than mine and who is dead set on breaking the rule."

Even with those caveats, words still materialized on the pan of Nemesis's scales.

The glowing text carried an undisguised envy.

"That is the most perfect ability for a Scholar I have ever heard of."

Richard looked at the tilted scales. He knew exactly what Catherine was so envious of.

Nemesis's mask had given her a razor-sharp blade meant for cutting people down, its edge fully exposed.

But it also meant she had to walk on a knife's edge with every step she took.

His Caduceus, on the other hand, was essentially a universal pass that guaranteed he wouldn't be the one getting cut down.

Prometheus also spoke up, a rare initiative on his part.

"A Scholar has never been lacking in fists or Spell Formulas. What they truly need is the ability to safely navigate hazardous domains.

The privilege to observe anomalies up close, perhaps even retrieve them, and then retreat unscathed."

Nemesis and Prometheus were easily the most envious of him tonight.

They both fully understood the sheer value of such an ability.

Putting Nemesis aside, one only needed to look at Prometheus.

When artisans ventured out to gather materials, they had to delve into perilous locations, scavenging from evil creatures and altars, prying components straight from the hands of the dead.

Ares's empty left sleeve was a living testament to that bloody cost.

The reason Hecate was elevating Richard's status so highly tonight wasn't complicated.

His appraisals, his deciphering, his extensive connections, and the rare artifacts he provided that no one else could procure—all of it was of tangible, practical use to everyone at the table.

They genuinely wanted him to stay safe.

Hecate suddenly spoke up again.

"Dionysus, I believe you have something to showcase as well?"

Dionysus immediately caught on.

During the last gathering, he had been overshadowed by the sheer presence of Richard and Nemesis, both of whom had the backing of Major Adept Scholar professors.

He had swallowed the demonstration he had been about to make. Tonight, however, Hecate was offering him a perfect stepping stone.

Dionysus raised his Two-Handled Cup.

"Since the Chief insists, I'll put on a small display for you all."

In full view of the table, he produced a small clay jug.

It was filled with clear water, which he poured into his Two-Handled Cup.

A moment later, the water darkened into a deep purple liquid, and an intoxicating fragrance immediately wafted through the air.

He swirled the purple liquid, explaining as he did.

"Since I represent the god of wine, my face-shadow radiance naturally manifested this Two-Handled Cup.

Its ability is brewing fine wine—a wine capable of intoxicating both objects and people."

Richard recalled how Dionysus had mentioned at a previous gathering that he could generate a substance called 'twilight aura' to make an object's seal temporarily 'yawn.'

Dionysus seemed to guess what everyone was thinking, tilting the cup slightly toward the group.

"That's right. The bit of twilight aura I showcased last time has been heavily amplified within this cup.

It works on both objects and people, though its effect on living targets is actually far stronger.

And for objects, the time it forces them to 'yawn' has been significantly extended.

Simply put, this wine possesses the power to plunge anything and everything into a state of deep intoxication."

"Is it completely stable now?" Richard asked.

Dionysus answered easily.

"It is. My previous attempts were unstable—sometimes the seal would get drunk, and sometimes I'd get drunk first."

He swirled the liquid again.

"If you ever need to appraise something particularly tricky in the future, Hermes... come trade for a cup of my wine. It'll make your appraisals much safer and far easier."

Richard nodded, filing the offer away in his mind.

Dionysus swept his gaze across the table. "The same goes for the rest of you."

Naturally, he was directing this mostly at Nemesis and Prometheus.

However, even Heracles and Demeter were showing obvious interest.

One of them frequently ventured out to explore, facing all manner of dangerous evil creatures and treacherous altars.

The other guarded a field that had been constantly sprouting strange things due to recent fluctuations in the veil.

A liquid capable of temporarily intoxicating anything—living or otherwise—could prove to be an invaluable tool for both of them.

Prometheus chose this moment to speak up.

"Following my advancement, I've officially struck out on my own. I am no longer under my master and can now open my own workshop to accept orders.

"However, since I've only just gained my independence, my new workshop's furnace is still being tempered.

My materials, my reputation, my supply channels—I have to build all of it from the ground up."

He paused for a moment.

"So if any of you have a commission you need immediately, I'm afraid I won't be able to accept it just yet.

My new furnace hasn't been properly calibrated. Ruining a commissioned artifact would be bad enough, but causing a furnace explosion would be disastrous."

He then offered a concrete timeline.

"My workshop should be officially open for business before our next gathering.

Once it is, feel free to bring me any commissions you might have."

Demeter was the first to respond.

"Take your time. A new furnace needs to be properly tempered. It can't be rushed."

She then added, "Once your furnace is ready, I actually have a few materials yielded from my fields that I need a trustworthy artisan to process."

Prometheus's interest was piqued.

"What kind of materials?"

Demeter kept it intentionally vague.

"Things tied to the weak points in the veil. I have a few items that ordinary artisans can't refine; they require the craftsmanship of at least a Minor Adept."

Prometheus's flame flared a little brighter.

"Understood. We'll discuss the details next time we meet."

Truth be told, Prometheus's advancement to Minor Adept should have been the most eye-catching news of the night, much like how Dionysus had proudly shown off his own advancement to Minor Adept when it happened.

But with Richard stealing the spotlight and Hecate's blatant favoritism on full display, the joy of Prometheus's breakthrough had been visibly dampened.

Yet the Firebringer was a man who could hold his composure. He didn't let a single trace of resentment show.

Heracles sighed in admiration.

"You all have your own avenues and networks now. Everyone's path just keeps getting wider."

Demeter replied.

"We all have our own ways of surviving. You Hunters put your lives on the line for spoils.

I'm a farmer, so I rely on the heavens for my harvest. Scholars rely on their brains, and artisans rely on their hands."

She let out a soft sigh behind her mask.

"At the end of the day, we're all just trying to make a living."