"The Demon Realm?"
The ghost of the Pope neither agreed nor denied it. "Knowing one's own future may hinder the flow of destiny. I shall teach you Elder Magic, and with that, my legacy and my role shall be complete."
Sylvester pondered deeply at that point. "If you are doing all this because it is your destiny, then aren't you just a pawn like me? Is there someone controlling you like a puppet? How can you be sure that this is the right path?"
The Pope's ghost fell silent abruptly. Undoubtedly, Sylvester's words had provoked a profound self-reflection.
Eventually, the man sighed and shook his head. "There is no way for us to confirm who is pulling the strings of the world. The true God? Or some impostor? The truth is, we are all pawns of our own fate. Nevertheless, what is meant to happen will happen, so let us focus on the present and ensure that you learn Elder Magic as quickly as possible."
"I agree, but I must first learn how to contact my mother in the Holy Land. I do not wish for her to weep over my supposed death. Her tears are…too precious to me." Sylvester spoke resolutely, almost as if making it a condition for accepting the man's inheritance.
Kimino interjected at that point. "The future is clear. This is the way."
The Ghost of the Pope immediately agreed. "Understandable. Even if you wish to do this, you must start by learning the Elder Rune language first. Then comes the use of magic, and the Solarium Web is a part of that Elder Magic. It allows the user to use Solarium throughout the world itself to communicate with the other person. It is extremely difficult to accomplish, and the receiver must also possess Solarium in their body. At the same time, you must know their Solarium signature, which can only be done if you have ever imbued your Solarium into their body."
'I have healed Mum and Sir Dolorem many times in the past. So it shouldn't be a problem then.' Sylvester recalled the times he infused his magic into their bodies.
"She's a wizard, and I have healed her in the past, Your Holiness."
"Good, let us begin your training then. Xylena, you must also learn the magic if you wish to truly harness your great powers." The Pope addressed the confused girl, who sat silently behind Kimino.
"Me?" Xylena exclaimed. "I do not have special powers, Y-Your Holiness. I tried to master magic but failed."
"You failed not because you lacked magic but because your true talent was never explored." The Pope responded. "You have been seeing Sylvester in your dreams not only by mere chance, but also because of your ability—an advanced version of mutation called Future Sight."
Sylvester was instantly intrigued by the conversation. "She possesses Future Sight?"
"More than that. She not only sees her own future, but also saw you through her visions. Moreover, her ability allowed her to see you for years, transcending time and space. But, unfortunately, her power consumed most of her Solarium, making her redundant in other forms of magic. In a true sense, she possesses the Eyes of Omniscience, which is merely a fraction of her true capabilities, lying dormant," the Pope explained. This made sense to Sylvester but only served to confuse Xylena.
Sylvester stared at Xylena's face and saw an opportunity. He walked over to her using his spear as a staff and sat down. "Xylena, do you wish to return to your Kingdom one day and rule it as a Queen? A formidable queen who cannot be defeated by anyone?"
'I need to ensure she remains loyal to me. Her abilities can threaten my plans too.' Sylvester decided to handle her with care. Still, he wasn't going to treat her as an object meant to be used. She was an orphan with deep mental trauma. Hurting her was the last thing Sylvester could imagine.
Xylena nodded firmly in response. "Can I be the Queen?"
He stroked her dark ashen hair. "Certainly. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, the Sorrow Kingdom is now liberated and on a path to recovery. The people of the Kingdom await their rightful queen, but..."
She frowned and stood up to look Sylvester in the eyes. "But?"
"You are too weak, my dear. You must train alongside me and prepare yourself for the role of being the Queen. You are blessed with a unique ability, and once you master it, you will be unbeatable," he said, sweetening the deal and raising her hopes.
Of course, he did not disclose that her omniscience would not be of use in the face of absolute strength. It did not matter if she could see the future, as she still had the body of a mortal that could be crushed.
She excitedly leapt over and embraced Sylvester, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I will work hard and do my best! I will never cry or complain! Please help me, Mister Baldy."
Sylvester felt his heart melt, and he cursed himself internally. 'What kind of monster am I becoming, manipulating this child like this? She has nothing to start with. Without me, she would be killed before taking her first step—I am her last hope.'
Unconsciously, he raised his hands and caressed her back. "Sylvester is fine, dear. I'm not bald anymore."
However, Kimino interrupted abruptly from the side. "Baldness will return!"
"..."
…
With baldness looming over his head, it became a point of discussion. However, Sylvester paid no attention to it and immersed himself in the study of Ancient Elder Runes, a knowledge lost in time and secret history. The last man known to possess the Elder Magic was the first Pope himself, and he was learning it from that very man.
The laws of Elder Magic were not too different, but they were based on an entirely different magic, and in front of it, the modern runes used in magic seemed to be bastardized versions of their true forms.
More intricate, more potent, and more profound, the Elder Magic was the true means to harness Solarium as intended. Unlike normal magic, there was no elemental division in the Elder Magic, for it controlled the base nature of Solarium particles itself.
Its lack of division was also the reason why no one could ever learn it through the remaining recorded texts. As most wizards possess only one or two elements, it becomes impossible for them to understand magic without any element.
Meanwhile, Sylvester mastered all elements except Darkness, so it was easy for him to learn it. At the same time, Xylena was never able to harness an element, so her body was as if made to learn the Elder Magic.
At first, their training began with learning the written script of the language, and then how to speak it. That alone took them five months to learn, which was a great accomplishment in itself.
After that, they began to learn how to harness the Elder Magic. Using spells created in the Elder language, and Rune circles consisting of the Elder Runes, they trained day and night every single day.
The progress was slow as they had to change their entire mindset and preconceived notion about all things magic. It was not easy, but not impossible.
With the desire to speak with Xavia firmly in his mind, Sylvester pushed himself the most and showed the most results. Unfortunately, it was hard for Xylena, as she was a mere nine-year-old child.
But by the end of the sixth month, Sylvester was ready to try the magic he had been longing to use.
"I am prepared, Your Holiness," Sylvester proclaimed after a whole night of training. "I wish to try speaking with my mother."
The ghost of the Pope sat beside Sylvester at the center of the temple ground. However, instead of replying to his request, the ancient man watched Miraj, who was happily resting in the distance and licking himself clean, from the tail to the wings.
"Where did you find him?" The Pope asked.
Sylvester also watched as Miraj began to clean himself in the spot better left unspoken. Once again, he was reminded that, in the end, Miraj was still a cat.
"In the Holy Land, alone and sad as none could see him for centuries. Do you know what he is, Your Holiness? I've been trying to look for clues, but there are no records of such a feline species."
The Pope silently watched the cat finish cleaning himself and then pulled out a banana out of nowhere to munch on. "My friend Sylvester, I have no idea what he is. Perhaps...a fallen god? His abilities are too extreme for this mortal world."
Sylvester looked at his best friend and found himself nodding. "I think...You might be right, Your Holiness. A god of cats, perhaps?"
"He's an enigma," the Pope commented. "But leave him be. Let us return to the main topic. Do as I instruct and try to think about the Solarium signature of your mother. Let the natural Solarium flow in your body and speak the magical incantation I will iterate."
Sylvester promptly sat up with a straight back and closed his eyes.
"I'm ready, Your Holiness."
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