Chapter 293
Chapter 293
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: Founding the Hermetische Gesellschaft
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Oh no.
‘Did I hear that wrong?’
Right now, that club I was just about to join...
But wasn’t that the Berlin-based relic trading club? What the Archduke mentioned was an occult relic research society.
“What are you creating?”
“Hermetische Gesellschaft.”
“What’s with the Gesellschaft? This isn’t a union. It’s got nothing to do with profits.”
“The name has to sound mystical to hide its true nature.”
‘Huh. What’s he on about?’
The name should be straightforward. Is he messing around?
‘...Still, even if it’s a bit different from what I know, I can’t rule out changes over the past twelve years.’
I should keep all possibilities open. There can’t be two groups in the world with that bizarre name.
If this really is the Hermetische Gesellschaft, then I’ve stumbled onto an unexpected connection. I’d been searching for that occult relic auction club because of the holy relics, not the Sapphire Phluer. I’d planned to look for the Phluer in a jewelry or valuables trading club.
But the owner of the Sapphire Phluer is the founder of the Hermetische Gesellschaft? There’s definitely something here, 100 percent. The Sapphire Phluer wasn’t stolen for no reason. I wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t been overly sensitive; I’d been right. There’s something between Maria Österreicheste and Pleroma, and between the holy relics and the Sapphire Phluer. I was correct not to overlook even the smallest doubts.
He said he’d advanced the founding of what was just a plan by “a few years,” so there’s a good chance I created and seized this opportunity artificially. That means there must be some connection between the Archduke and Pleroma now, and I need to focus my questions there.
Emanuel smiled silently, perhaps finding the Archduke’s words ridiculous, before asking in a quiet voice.
“Me too?”
“Yes. Your Highness Emanuel must join as well. What do you think, Excellency Everett?”
“...Do it. But I know almost nothing. Is it really all right for me to butt in like this?”
“From today, we’ll study the origins of Hermeticism. Starting with Gnosticism!”
“Pardon?”
“You’re a Christian, right? Studying Gnosticism will make it easier to understand the occult and mysticism. Then we’ll move on to proto-Gnosticism. That’s when we’ll dive deep into the Kabbalistic mysticism you mentioned earlier, Excellency.”
“......”
I was speechless. Pushing Gnosticism on someone he knew was a Christian? If he said that to a truly devout Christian, they might collapse from apoplexy. Of course, such a Christian wouldn’t touch the occult in the first place.
Anyway, now that we’re here, I’ll set everything aside and treat all these disciplines as humanity’s legacy.
“Let’s do it.”
“Good. That makes day one.”
“Is that the right way to use that phrase?”
Undeterred by Emanuel’s question, the Archduke pressed on.
“We should hold the founding ceremony now that the three of us are gathered, but it’s a shame there’s no full moon tonight.”
“Does it have to be full?”
“Not necessarily, but the energy is strongest then, so it’s ideal. We usually decide the rituals based on the moon’s phase each day.”
“Why?”
“If you’re asking why, I’d have to start with the moon’s significance in the occult and the astral plane. The moon is something humanity has revered since ancient times...”
“I think I get it now. So we can’t hold the founding ceremony today?”
“Not necessarily. There’s something called the ‘amplification rite’ for times like this.”
“Humanity has always been systematic, it seems.”
Emanuel chuckled and patted my shoulder, perhaps catching the soulless tone in my voice. Still, with someone this passionate about the occult right in front of me, checking out mentally would be rude. I need to act like I’m sincere about the occult too. It doesn’t seem likely, but who knows—maybe I’ll get into it someday.
The Archduke drew his wand and began sketching a magic circle.
“This is a hexagram. You know it.”
“Yes.”
Two overlapping triangles forming a star. The Star of David on the Israeli flag. The Archduke extended his hand to Emanuel and said firmly.
“Candle.”
“On it?”
Emanuel asked incredulously but warped somewhere and returned with a black candle. There were also orange and purple ones. I furrowed my brow slightly at the sight.
“The candle’s black?”
“The color matters too...”
Emanuel answered with the expression of someone forcing out words they didn’t want to say. He didn’t seem all that interested in occult matters either. He’d probably just picked up bits and pieces from listening to the Archduke ramble. While the Archduke performed some incomprehensible purification rite and carefully lit the candle, I asked.
“So what do we do?”
“What else? We study!”
“......”
“Now, once I chant the incantation, you draw blood with this knife, dab it on the paper, and burn it. Got it?”
After lighting all the candles, the Archduke extinguished the mana lamp with his wand and waved around some worn parchment-like paper and a silver knife. I nearly asked why on earth we had to do that, but thankfully I kept my mouth shut. Silence fell, broken only by the window rattling in the breeze. The Archduke began speaking solemnly.
“In this place where gentle moonlight flows, we gather here.”
‘Trouble from the start.’
It was hard to hold back laughter... I absolutely couldn’t laugh. That would be too rude.
“We seek knowledge unknown to time, and with true hearts, we revere our secret society.”
‘Revere it why...’
No helping it. Doubts sprang up not just at the sentence level but with every word. This was dangerous.
“May our aims be pure, our hearts steadfast, from the unknown world we belong to. With ancient wisdom, we shall right all wrongs, in our secret society, forever.”
‘Does it normally cut off like that?’
My resolve to endure lasted less than thirty seconds. Fortunately, the incantation seemed to wrap up. Emanuel was already snickering, not even trying to hold it in.
The Archduke handed me the knife with a grave expression. I looked down at it and said.
“It’s scary.”
“You can’t say that! And it’s not scary. Come on!”
“I’m the one saying it’s scary, so why are you saying it’s not for Your Highness the Archduke... Let’s use Your Highness’s blood.”
“We all three have to do it. I...”
The Archduke trailed off and asked.
“By the way, how old are you? I’m twenty-six. And you, Excellency Everett?”
“Twenty-three.”
“You’re the youngest. The youngest goes first.”
“What? It’s only a three-year difference. At our age, who knows who’ll go into the coffin first.”
“In the East, respect for elders is a virtue.”
“As a sign of respect, Your Highness the Archduke should go first.”
Tension hung in the air. I broke the silence.
“And why make us do something Your Highness doesn’t want to do either?”
“It’s not scary; I just have no experience up to this point.”
“You didn’t say you were scared? Then His Excellency Emanuel should go first.”
The Archduke nodded at my words.
“Fine. He’s twenty-nine, perfect age.”
“Didn’t you just say respect for elders is a virtue? I don’t want to either. Then just skip the blood.”
I gave up on the bickering and sat on the sofa behind me. Is this how the Hermetische Gesellschaft begins... Who puts blood into a founding ceremony?
In the end, the Archduke pricked his own hand. I held back just in case and didn’t give blood, and since I refused, Emanuel went along with the mood.
“Well done. Keep doing it like this from now on.”
Emanuel whispered in my ear. He seemed pleased I hadn’t given blood. Once the rite ended, the Archduke cleared the table with a satisfied look—though to me it had been a disaster—and called us over.
“Come on. That was rough. Now, before occult relics, we’ll study occult theory first.”
“Um, sorry, but I have to head back early today.”
“...!”
The Archduke hadn’t cared much when the rite flopped, but at the mention of time, his face went blank.
“W-Well then... We have so much to discuss. How about meeting here at noon tomorrow?”
“Who’s lending you the place?”
“Fine. Doesn’t Your Highness the Archduke need to go to Austria?”
“I’ve been assigned tasks I can handle here, so I plan to stay a bit longer.”
Hmm, okay.
Österreicheste is the imperial family of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Archduke title goes to collateral members. Compared to direct heirs stuck in the homeland, young collaterals like him have more freedom.
And so, I set a meeting and returned for sparring with Leonard. He looked listless for some reason, but he perfectly executed what he’d learned over the past two weeks. Impressive that even at his age, he could keep his mood from affecting his duties.
The next morning, after classes, I warped to Emanuel’s mansion, and two more days passed studying the occult there.
Emanuel rubbed his eyes and asked the Archduke lounging in his living room like he owned it.
“Why haven’t you gone home?”
“I’ll pay rent.”
“What rent? Get out. Time to go back to Austria.”
Emanuel shoved the Archduke. He slid weakly off the sofa, protesting.
“No, that’s not the issue. Three people isn’t enough...”
‘So now that’s becoming important.’
Fast progress.
This club might actually grow like the one I saw in Berlin. The Archduke grabbed me.
“We need more people... Should we advertise? How do we advertise this? Excellency Everett, could you drum up some interest with your divine power?!”
“Why do you need so many people?”
“Research isn’t fun without people.”
“I see...”
He’d been fine alone until now, but one newbie and suddenly this. Later it becomes Berlin’s largest occult relic auction club, selective with members, yet here he is complaining about lack of people. Fresh.
“If only there were more people interested in the occult like Sir Everett. Then I could teach them anything...”
“...Well, it’s not just theory. Why not do activities tied to profit, like the name suggests? Make it a relic trading club. The concept is abstract, but relics are tangible. Lots of people are into relics, so lure them in with occult ones and gradually immerse them.”
“...!”
The Archduke shot up then slowly lay back down.
“I can’t put out my relics. I got them all with great difficulty...”
“...Of course. How about an appreciation club instead? Build a small museum for exhibitions. Your Highness can hole up there and lure in interested folks one by one.”
“Hmm, not bad.”
“If you make it a club where people show off their relics, you could expand to auctions like I said. No need for Your Highness’s items right away; later maybe.”
As I said that, I swallowed unconsciously. Am I accelerating this club’s growth like this?
The Archduke clapped, so I smiled lightly and changed the subject. Time to ask what I needed to.
“In that vein, I’d like to see the relics Your Highness has.”
“Oh, great. Let’s skip studying today and look at them? Luckily, I brought a bunch to show this friend, so plenty for you, Excellency Everett. Wait a sec!”
“Wait. Do you handle holy relics by any chance?”
“Holy relics... Christian ones?”
The Archduke shook his head.
“Not my field. And there are tons of fakes, so be careful.”
“Are there many people using holy relics for occult rituals?”
“Can’t say none. They’re great materials, really. I just don’t prefer using Christ-related items for personal stuff.”
Great materials. Then why were such holy relics and his jewel stolen the same way?
“Does Your Highness the Archduke have no occult contacts you know of now?”
“You all here are it.”
“Including me~?”
Emanuel called from afar. I observed his expression then turned away.
“I see. Understood.”
I’d planned to ask if any contacts were into holy relics. The thief might’ve taken the Archduke’s jewel too. Even if he has none now, among those he meets in this group over twelve years, the culprit’s there.
But... that aside, I still don’t know why the jewel was stolen ‘specifically’. Leo’s investigation report said the Archduke told investigators he had no inkling why it was stolen when asked about interested parties.
‘Can’t ask directly about the Sapphire Phluer.’
Why not?
First, it’d be sudden. I know it was stolen, but to the listener, it’s out of nowhere. People don’t casually discuss their jewelry.
Second, because I bear the ‘commoner’ surname Everett. This time he grabbed my hand willingly, no issue, but normally a commoner like me mingling with an Archduke would raise flags. I lack nothing in money or status, so such suspicion would just amuse me, but to others, I’d look like a social climber eyeing rank and wealth—my efforts here could go to waste.
That said, I won’t avoid asking entirely. I’ll tie it to the occult for indirect info, but not rush it. If the Phluer had to be stolen with the relics for some reason, there are clues to get from the Archduke.
As I thought that far, the Archduke warped back hugging all sorts of coppery items. Before he could lay them out, I asked.
“You know it’s been a hot topic lately. Do you know about Pleroma?”
“Heard of a group by that name, but not much. Something about bringing the dead back to life...”
“Interested?”
“......”
The Archduke rested his chin, thought, and nodded.
“Curious, yeah. Turning back a lion’s time... Means someone with resurrection powers is in the group, or they’re dedicated to research? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dying to know what magic circle makes that possible.”
“......”
“Or if it’s not a circle but an innate ability, I’d love to meet them.”
“With what guts?”
Emanuel’s words.
Yeah, with what guts? Resurrection makes you godlike.
Even if our era’s view of Pleroma hasn’t formed yet, casually saying you want to meet someone with such transcendent power.
The Archduke shook his head.
“Not courage. But if they’re at least good people, maybe I could negotiate.”
“Negotiate what?”
“Ask if they want to make the world happier.”
It sounded mundane, so I noted his good intentions and nodded. He began laying out his relics. Fixing my eyes on them, I said.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
“If we build that museum like I said, where would you put it?”
“Berlin? Most populous.”
“Not Austria?”
“Then Sir Everett couldn’t be with me. You have teaching duties; crossing borders is tough.”
“True.”
Berlin, of all places. For my sake? In the original past, how did the Hermetische Gesellschaft base itself in Berlin?
I pondered, smiled, and said.
“Shall we scout locations in Berlin starting tomorrow?”
* * *
Wrong.
I need to cancel; can’t go.
Leonard caught a cold, and somehow I— not even his secretary—got stuck with him.
His complexion had been off for days, and now this. I’d never seen him catch a cold; guess he grew up like any human kid.
‘But really...’
At this point, am I family, not just teacher?
Apart from pity, it felt like having a nephew—play the uncle. Bavarian royalty experience: delightful. Gazing at the bed, I thought. Beside me, Emanuel said sympathetically.
“We can’t go to Berlin~”
“Uncle...”
Leonard, cool cloth on his forehead, grimaced and mumbled hoarsely. Emanuel held up a hand for me to wait and whispered.
“Better not go. Let’s just admire Maria’s artifacts here. Don’t make a big deal.”
“You seem desperate. Why?”
Emanuel shrugged at my question without answering, then told the crown prince.
“Yes, Your Highness. Speak now.”
“Please leave.”
“......”
Leonard successfully shooed Emanuel out. Ignoring his intense glare demanding I follow, I sat by Leonard.