The very moment his eyes blinked open, Zeke was wide awake. His entire body brimmed with energy as he went through his morning routine to get ready. Today, he would finally get to do something he had been looking forward to.
Ever since Maximilian had mentioned the Grand Rituals, he had been excited to learn more about them. He was already quite familiar with the three publicly available ones:
The first among them, Spell Engraving, he had experienced firsthand. It was what had allowed him to become a True Mage. During the ritual, spells had been engraved onto his core, vastly improving his mastery over them.
Similarly, he would experience Seed Infusion when advancing to Grand Mage. He just hoped this would be a more pleasant experience than the engraving had been.
And lastly, Memory Sealing was the most common of them all. It was the very ritual that kept Mages from being able to betray their secrets. The fact that all key members of his house had undergone this procedure was the only reason he dared teach them about his research.
But today, Zeke would be able to observe the fourth of the Grand Rituals: Spirit Summoning. Out of the four, this was the only one that was confidential. Despite being the most commonly used form of Magic in the country of Invocatia, they had somehow been able to keep it from leaking. An astonishing accomplishment in and of itself.
Normally, there were several layers of protection in place. For one, the country of Invocatia demanded anybody go through the sealing Ritual beforehand. This alone would prevent any of their Mages to be able to divulge anything, and so far, there had not been any gaps in their security.
But for today, and today alone, they were willing to make an exception. Instead of holding the Ritual in their capital, they were holding it here in Tradespire. Undoubtedly, this was a move designed to show off their strength to garner support for the war. Zeke didn't care much about the reason behind this decision; what he did care about was the effect it had.
With the lofty standing of today's guests, it was impossible for the hosts to demand they undergo the usual scrutiny. This might be the only chance Zeke would ever get to observe the ritual without being restricted. This was not a chance he was willing to pass up. And luckily, he wouldn't have to!
With the help of Lara, his newfound fame, and his knowledge of the empire's troops, he had managed to impress Albert enough to take notice. Add in the lure of money, and the man had taken the bait — hook, line, and sinker. The official invitation letter arrived just days ago.
Even though the promise of gold had merely been meant as bait, Zeke wouldn't mind actually paying a substantial sum to the Thorsten family. For one, this opportunity was worth a bit of gold. But more importantly, he had every intention to support the anti-empire factions. He would be damned if he let those empire bastards spread their rotten influence any further.
As Zeke stood in front of the mirror and tried to wrangle his unruly hair, he also arranged his priorities for the day.
His most important goal was to get a good look at the Spirit Summoning ritual with his Trinity Project and Soul Sight. Zeke didn't want to steal their secrets, not really, he had enough of his own. But he couldn't miss this chance. Learning how it functioned might give him insight into the workings of Souls, after all.
Also, he planned to develop his own rituals at some point in time and this would be a valuable reference for that.
His second priority was to make a personal connection with the Thorsten matriarch. Aurelia Thorsten was one of the most influential figures on the continent. Few could match her in either influence or power. She was the type of person who was able to impact the course of history on her own. Zeke would try his best to make an impression on her.
His third and last mission was to form connections with the other powers in attendance. As the head of an upstart household, Zeke was aware that he needed to make allies. After all, he had made enough enemies already by taking a good chunk of the airship market for himself. But as of now, his family stood alone, with no formal alliances and no backing.
After one last glance at his reflection, Zeke left his bedroom. Ever since his visit to the Bloodsword family, he was forcing himself to dress more functionally. Instead of wearing ceremonial clothing, he had switched to wearing combat robes made from durable materials. It was not that he expected to get into a fight today, but it never hurt to be prepared.
Zeke recognized that the need to dress more formally, more elegantly, and more ostentatiously was something he had only developed after coming here. Back home, he had been most comfortable dressing casually.
Upon arriving in the foyer, he found a familiar figure already waiting for him. David was standing at the entrance, a letter in hand. The moment Zeke came close, he held it out. "This is the invitation letter for today's event, young Lord."
"Thanks, David. Who is coming with me today?"
"Myself, Margret, and Linus," the man responded.
"Are you sure? You are most likely not gonna be allowed in. This will probably be a rather boring affair for you all."
"What do a few hours of boredom matter to me?" David asked with a twinkle in his eyes. "It's much more important not to lose face. We can't have you show up with anything less than this…."
"Fair enough," Zeke agreed.
He was not a fan of wasting time but understood the need to keep up appearances. Public perception was a powerful thing. Power often resided where people believed it resided, after all.
"We should be going soon, young Lord. The others are already waiting."
Zeke nodded and followed his former butler outside. The Enigma, his private ship, was parked there, and to his surprise, somebody he had not expected was already standing behind the wheel. It was Kerim, the captain of the Alexandria.
"He's coming too?" Zeke asked.
"The event is being held in the center of the second layer," David explained. "There won't be enough space to land the ship. He will drop us off and pick us up afterward."
Zeke's brows rose. He was impressed by the meticulous planning. It was in moments such as these that he realized how experienced David was. Unlike Zeke, he had thought about even the smallest details — from parking to public perception. Having a person like him around was truly a blessing.
After a quick round of farewells, their small group was on its way. David, Margret, and Linus stood by his side at the prow, while Kerim piloted the craft. Despite this being his first time with the Enigma, Kerim quickly got the hang of it. By the time they were entering the second layer, the man maneuvered the craft as if he had done it for years.
Eventually, the city hall came into view. It was an enormous structure that towered over all the buildings nearby. Kerim steered them toward the plaza that was situated right in front of it. As they approached, Zeke could make out several carriages in front of the building.
A crowd had already formed, observing the guests of today's event. Of course, being on the second layer of the city, those weren't some nameless pedestrians. Zeke had no doubt that most of the people here had a formidable background themselves. This made it all the more important not to embarrass himself…
The moment the Enigma arrived in front of the building, every head turned toward them. Even though several Gondolas had been sold by now, it was still a rarity to encounter one of the sleek transporters.
"Shall we jump?" David asked.
Zeke thought about it for an instant before shaking his head. "No need. Just follow me."
With determined steps, he walked toward the perimeter of the ship. Even as he reached the very edge, his feet showed no sign of slowing down. However, instead of tumbling to the ground, his foot found purchase in midair.
David, Margret, and Linus didn't hesitate either. Step by step, their group descended. It was as if they were strolling down an invisible set of stairs. Judging by the looks of the crowd, their nonchalant descent made for quite the scene.
"That's Ezekiel von Hohenheim!" somebody exclaimed.
This exclamation only inflamed the interest of the crowd. Most everyone was now blatantly staring at Zeke. He couldn't even blame them. Ever since his meteoric rise to fame and fortune, he had hidden himself away from the public. His absence had probably only further stoked the rumor mill. He didn't even want to know what people were saying about him.
With one final step, Zeke and his group alighted on the ground. The moment he dispelled the frozen space, a small sigh of relief escaped his lips. Creating an invisible stairway had been a lot harder than he had anticipated. As useful as Space Magic was, it was almost impossible to control. Making a wall was easy enough, but anything more intricate than that quickly became challenging. Still, his demonstration had its intended effect as the crowd seemed suitably impressed by their entrance.
With his chest held high, Zeke made his way toward the entrance, followed by his entourage. After showing their invitation, they were promptly allowed in. Surprisingly, instead of the decadent interior he had expected, they found themselves in an unassuming hall. The decor wasn't gaudy and the colors were muted. The place gave off a sense of culture and timelessness.
The moment they entered, the other parties took notice. Zeke recognized a few of them as well. Tristan and two of his children stood off to the side talking to what looked to be a group of merchants. When their eyes met, Tristan smiled and nodded at Zeke, before returning to his discussion.
Further in, Zeke saw Lara standing next to a sinister-looking man with ebony-colored hair. She smiled and even waved as they passed. But instead of greeting her back, Zeke sent her a glare. He had not yet forgiven her for ratting him out to the Bloodsword family. Lara, in turn, didn't even look the slightest bit apologetic and even stuck out her tongue at him.
Zeke was speechless. Sometimes he really wondered who the teenager was between them. Not recognizing any other acquaintances, he made his way deeper. He was certain that there would be another kind of checkpoint before arriving at the main venue.
As it turned out, his guess hit the mark. In front of the heavy wooden door that presumably led to the main hall, Zeke found a familiar figure. Albert Thorsten stood in front of the entrance, a friendly smile plastered on his face.
"Zeke! I'm glad you made it," the man greeted.
"I am thankful for the invitation, Albert. I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Albert nodded, a hint of pride creeping into his gaze. "This will indeed be a special occasion. You'll most likely not see anything comparable for a long time after."
Zeke nodded. He truly hoped this would be as special as Albert made it out to be, but he somehow doubted it. "So, can I go in?"
Albert swept his gaze over their group before returning his gaze to Zeke. "You can, but the event won't start for a while yet. Furthermore, your escorts won't be allowed inside with you."
"That's fine," Zeke said. He hadn't seen the matriarch anywhere around, meaning she was probably behind this door somewhere.
"Very well," Albert said, "then you'll only have to pass this one final test." With a swish of his hand, Truthseeker appeared on his forearm. The owl was staring at him with its huge eyes.
Zeke's face didn't change, but inwardly he was panicking. If they asked about his intentions, it was very possible that he would not be allowed inside. Now, he was doubly glad to have already experimented with Truthseeker's capabilities and how to skirt them.
"First question," Albert began his interrogation, "are you really Ezekiel von Hohenheim?"
"...Yes."
The crystal on the owl's head didn't change, remaining green.
"Were you personally invited to come here by a member of the Thorsten family?"
"Yes."
"Were you sent or coerced by any other power to come here or do anything?"
"No."
"One final question," Albert said, his face turning even more serious. "Are you here to uncover the secrets of our Spirit Summoning Ritual?"
Zeke was stunned. He had not expected Albert to ask him directly. The question now was how to answer. He could try to claim that he was only trying to observe it, but what was the point? Truthseeker would immediately be able to tell that he was lying. In a sense, he truly was here to steal their secrets, after all.
For a brief moment, he held out hope that time was going to freeze again, as it head with Odir. Alas, he had no such luck this time. The only thing that greeted him was Albert's stern face, which was getting sterner by the minute as he hesitated.