"An interesting trick?" Cain asked with genuine curiosity. Old Neil chuckled warmly. "I'll take a walk through the armory, materials store, and library. In the meantime, brew two cups of coffee at the table—add something undesirable to one of them. What exactly to add, you can decide on your own, using your imagination. Just don't waste too much coffee powder; that's freshly ground from high-altitude beans, which I personally grind!" "Alright," Cain replied, though he wasn't entirely clear about what Neil intended. Still, he was happy to comply. Watching Neil produce a copper key and open the iron door of the armory, and hearing the resonant footsteps echoing inside, Cain slowly arranged the cups, checking that the pot was filled with hot water. He removed the lid from the silver-lined tin can, then used his small, gleaming spoon to sprinkle a generous serving of fragrant coffee powder into each cup, followed by pouring in the hot water, and stirred with practiced ease. — As a traveler from an age of abundant resources, he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with coffee, though he had only ever known instant varieties. After completing all this, Kline paused, sat down, lifted his right leg, and with his fingers gathered a bit of soil from the sole of his boots, placing it into the cup on his left. Then, he stirred carefully once more, until the two cups of coffee were nearly indistinguishable in color and aroma. A few minutes later, Old Neil shook his keychain and stepped out of the armory, closing the iron door with a solid clang. "All set," he said, his dark red eyes slightly hazy, turning toward Kline across the table. "Ready," Kline nodded. Neil chuckled, unfastening the silver chain wrapped around his wrist, and sat down. His expression soon settled into calmness, his left hand holding the chain extended so that the silver chain hung vertically above the coffee cup on his right—just barely poised to touch the liquid, the pure white crystal only a moment away from being stained. In a serene, calming atmosphere, the white crystal unexpectedly began to gently sway, making slight counterclockwise rotations with the silver chain. " This cup has held onto something unfavorable," said Old Neil with conviction. Without waiting for Cline to confirm, he folded the silver chain and took a sip from the coffee cup beside it. " Do you prefer your coffee strong? I usually go for one spoon of sugar and one spoon of milk." Cline didn't respond, but showed keen interest. " Your divination is quite accurate—does it rely on that white crystal? On the white crystal, surely?" "This is known as the 'pendulum method' or 'spirit pendulum,' which depends on the inherent connection of the spirit body to the spiritual realm and the stars. Using natural materials imbued with spiritual qualities—such as crystals, gemstones, and special metals—it communicates with the spirit world to determine whether a matter is favorable or not. Let us return to the two coffee cups we just examined: a counterclockwise swing indicates unfavorable, a clockwise swing indicates favorable, and no movement signifies neither good nor bad." You can also write down events—note that it's events, not problems—on a piece of paper,” Old Neil set down his coffee cup and explained in detail. Cain seemed to be thinking, saying, “So, avoid using question sentences?” “Exactly. Don’t say, ‘Will someone be willing to be my fiancée?’ Instead, write, ‘Someone is willing to be my fiancée.’ Place it flat on the table, then hold the pendulum in your non-dominant hand—note, the non-dominant hand.” Old Neil chuckled, “At this point, straighten your arm, adjust the length of the pendulum so that the crystal hangs just above the paper, nearly touching the event you’ve written. Then close your eyes and silently repeat that phrase seven times in your mind. When finished, open your eyes and observe whether the pendulum moves. If it doesn’t, close your eyes again and repeat the process until you see movement.” Cain nodded slightly, “Counterclockwise means ‘no,’ clockwise means ‘yes’?” “It can also be interpreted as difficult or smooth.” "Neil adjusted himself and taught Caine the other uses and details of pendulum divination. Caine went over it several times and realized it was a highly practical divination technique—such as being able to quickly determine whether food in a new environment is toxic, without needing to apply additional skills like 'Wild Biology.' Of course, this form of divination is rather simple, offering only a few possible outcomes, making it difficult to delve into deeper interpretations or nuanced insights. For instance, it cannot discern that something harmful to itself might become highly beneficial after certain processing—such as certain ingredients that, while mildly detrimental to human health, are actually quite acceptable to consume when one is near starvation. Such subtleties cannot be captured by the pendulum method. 'I'll have to save up money soon to buy crystals or pure silver to make my own pendulum,' Caine sighed. Old Neil looked at him with a look of surprise: "You can apply directly—this is standard equipment for extraordinary beings, especially for auxiliary-type ones like us. There's a yellow crystal and a pure silver pendulum already stored in the weapon room." "But I haven't officially joined the team yet..." Klein was struck by the thought, hesitating slightly. Old Neil chuckled lightly: "For extraordinary beings, whether or not they're formal members, if their salary doesn't increase, there must be certain conveniences provided elsewhere." "Actually, 'benefits' might be more accurate—I'll have the captain request that right away!" Klein clenched his fists internally, making up his mind. How could he know whether the captain would agree without trying? "Very well," Old Neil smiled, "we begin our formal 'Arcane Course.' One of its foundations is called 'Symbolism.' Do you know what that means?" "Klein recalled the fragments he had heard before, along with what he had witnessed in the spiritual realm and above the gray mist, and carefully remarked: 'Whether it be the spiritual world, the imagined starry sky, or those unknown realms—all lie beyond the reach of our sensory world. Information gathered through our ears, nose, and eyes cannot accurately describe them. We receive only intuitive insights and experiences that are difficult to express, which then manifest as abstract symbols and pictorial representations. These symbols, in turn, stand for different things and carry distinct meanings.'" "Very accurate—indeed, a true seer." Elder Neil nodded seriously. "Only by mastering the ability to interpret symbols can one truly enter the realm of esoteric knowledge. Indeed, each image on a Tarot card, and every element within that image, is a symbol—artificially established to help us understand and interpret the original 'insights.'" He took a sheet of paper and picked up the pen beside it, drawing a short arc. Next, he quickly drew several vertical lines beneath the arc, then looked up at Caine and asked, "Know what this symbol represents?" Caine studied it carefully, then hesitated before saying, "Eyelashes?" "...," said the elder Neil, exhaling, "This is the symbol of the Harvest Constellation, this one of the Thunder Constellation, this one of the White Frost Constellation..." He added a few more symbols at random. Caine listened intently, and couldn't help but remark, "These constellation names—what a simple, truly simple elegance! Yes, so simple!" So earthy, so primal... The elder Neil smiled and said, "King Rosel held the same view at first. He had always intended to rename the constellations—Virgo, Cancer, Scorpio, and so on—but ultimately, he couldn't overcome the power of tradition. At least, these ancient names and the specific dates they represent still guide planting and harvesting." "Indeed, Emperor Roscel is someone with genuine vision," Klein had no words to express his frustration. Well, Emperor Roscel had certainly been a dignified man during his lifetime... Old Neil couldn't grasp Klein's sense of humor and continued to explain various fundamental symbols—such as constellations, the sun, the red moon, the brown star, the red star, and the blue star. As he spoke, he also interwove instructions on how to draw and interpret astrological charts, as well as the crafting and materials for crystal spheres, and the selection of incantations, leaving Klein nearly overwhelmed. Had it not been for the subtle memory-boosting effect of the "seer" potion, Klein would have had to interrupt old Neil long ago to process everything himself. "Today's 'Mysticism Lecture' concludes here. Take a moment to reflect, and feel free to come to me with any questions you may have." "Old Neil produced a golden pocket watch, snapped it open, and glanced at it, 'Don't forget to read the historical materials I've prepared—truth be told, I feel intimidated just looking at them.' 'Certainly,' said Caine, taking over the handwritten drafts from Old Neil, quickly reviewing the new mystical knowledge to ensure he didn't overlook anything obvious. Old Neil sipped his freshly brewed coffee and added, 'Memory alone isn't enough—you must use it regularly, so that knowledge becomes your instinct. Also, meditation must be practiced daily. Only through consistent practice and frequent use can you truly master the power of the potions, uncover their hidden mysteries, and eliminate any negative effects.' Upon hearing this, Caine recalled his role, the divination club, and hesitantly remarked, 'My ability with potions is closely tied to divination. It can't be developed through solitary practice alone—I need to interact with many people, offering them individual readings, in order to gain proficiency quickly.' I intend to join the "Divination Club" on Hauls Street in the North District once I have some extra funds, becoming a true "diviner." This will surely come to the attention of the Night Watchers eventually—better to lay the groundwork in advance. "Your idea is quite similar to Dail's," he remarked. "She's always spoken of wanting to become a true 'spiritual medium.' Old Neil shook his head and smiled. "But why wait until you have extra money? You could simply submit an application to Dunn and have him approve the expenses!" "The 'Divination Club' and similar organizations might have members who are secretly part of cults or malevolent groups. As a clerical staff member of the Night Watchers team and a standard extraordinary person, your joining them would allow for seamless monitoring—a necessity of our work. We've been conducting regular patrols of these locations, but due to staffing limitations, we've been unable to maintain long-term surveillance. Now, it's perfectly suited to you." What a move! Watching Old Neil's serious expression, Caine was utterly stunned. This is a perfectly legitimate reason for claiming expenses for personal matters! I simply have no idea about such things... I'm truly just a keyboard warrior. "Would you like to use your own money to do this?" Old Neil smiled and added. Klein immediately shook his head, responding firmly: "I'll file a report with the captain right away!" Old Neil nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at the coffee cup that still remained—contaminated with something unpleasant. "What exactly did you put in there?" Klein blushed slightly and replied: "Only a bit of mud from the sole of my boots. It's the color of your coffee powder—almost exactly like it." Old Neil paused, then suddenly pressed a hand to his mouth and whispered loudly: "Have you not yet taken it and poured it out?"