Chapter 118: Theurgies and Magic

Pittman invited Gawain into his wooden hut. This little old man that looked really old had a pair of eyes that were even more astute and lively than a young cunning merchant. He solicitously poured and served water while stealing looks at Gawain. “Duke personally came to this shabby and dilapidated wooden hut of mine to pay a visit. Have you encountered a difficult problem, or require my druid spells? Or are you finally interested in my changing-of-luck rites and divination?”

Gawain casually surveyed the furnishings in the house. He found that the place was very clean and tidy; the workbench for alchemical experiments and all kinds of containers for concocting potions were neatly placed in the working space in the northwestern corner. His living space was also very simple and uncluttered. The feeling was completely different from the dirty and messy vibe on Pittman when he first arrived here.

Hearing the little old man speak up, he ignored the latter part of the other party’s words which was more promotion for his services and went straight to the point. “I’m very interested in your process of concocting alchemical potions and blessing them.”

Pittman was surprised. “Making potions and blessing spells? You personally made a trip here over such trifles?”

“I just happened to pass by, so I came to satisfy my curiosity.” Gawain waved his hand. “Besides I recall speaking to you about increasing the volume of production of agricultural catalytic potions. How are the results?”

Pittman’s expression turned woeful. “How could it be that easy? Your time is too…”

Gawain waved his hand. “It’s okay even if there are no results for now. Just let me have a look at your progress.”

Pittman then heaved a sigh of relief, the wrinkles all over his face heaping up. “That’s no problem. I was just about to start work.”

While speaking, he walked towards the workspace that was used for mixing potions and began his preparations to concoct potions. In any case, making these potions was his daily job; he’d take it as satisfying the interest of this Duke with a peculiar temper.

Gawain followed behind the little old man, watching as he got busy with those potions and alchemy tools, yet even more complicated thoughts were spinning in his mind.

The Magic Powered Engine succeeded.

This was really something to be happy about; even the mature and steady Heidi was immersed in the joy of success; Gawain was naturally no exception.

However, there wasn’t only joy in Gawain’s heart. Surfacing together, there was doubt that had emerged previously but kept away temporarily — what exactly was magical power? What exactly were the rules of this world?

The operation of the Magic Powered Engine undoubtedly demonstrated that logic and rules did exist. It also showed that all kinds of phenomena in this world were not independent of each other but were related and able to combine to form a system. The Repulsion magic circles would propel the piston; the piston would drive the crankshaft and connecting rods; the sprocket wheel produced inertia[a]; inertia linked up all the work processes of the engine. Extending outwards, the engine’s energy came from the Magic Web; the Magic Web’s energy came from the environment…

Everything seemed to be in order, complete and closed.

But where did the very first magical power come from? The Magic Web drew it from the natural environment? Then how about the magical power in the natural environment? Was it really inexhaustible, ubiquitous? Could it really be steadily supplied into the Magic Web and last forever?

This world didn’t even follow the law of conservation of energy[1]?

Or perhaps, magical power actually had its own source, and its reserves were limited. Only, it was contained amongst everything in the universe in a manner that humankind could not observe nor calculate. Humankind stupidly made use of it, believing that it was unlimited, but perhaps, it might be drained one day?

And before this question that was the most worrying, Gawain was too occupied to consider what exactly the ‘repulsion’ produced by the magic circles was?

To be honest, the moment he saw the Magic Powered Engine begin to spin, what appeared in Gawain’s mind together with joy was instead, worry.

Machine operation was a release of energy that was even more intuitive. Compared to the static magic circles on the rune furnaces, it was better able to make Gawain conscious of the existence of the process of ‘energy consumption’. However, he wasn’t adapted to the reality of completely not being able to see the stored substance — he couldn’t see the ‘magical power fuel’; he couldn’t see the ‘batteries’; he couldn’t see a fuse and a meter board measuring the energy expended if that actually existed. This gave him an empty feeling as if fearing that the Magic Powered Engine would spin and spin, then suddenly stop…

Even if the wireless electricity transmission on Earth had succeeded, at the least, Gawain knew that fuels were burning in some power plant, but here… there was only a Magic Web that was continuously filled out of thin air. The people of this world could perhaps be accustomed to this phenomenon, but he felt discontent.

Gawain wanted to figure out the secret of the essence of magical power; he wanted to figure out why this world worked this way; he wanted to figure out why water could not get work done when it became steam yet could still change into its three states[2]; he wanted to figure out why electromagnetic induction was ineffective in this world, yet independent magnetic fields and electric fields still existed. In theory, ‘light’ which was a unique electromagnetic wave that also existed here (assuming that really was ‘light’)…

These contradictions gave him an immense sense of disjointedness. Many phenomena (and the theories behind them that originally ought to be closely connected to one another) appeared to be incoherent and fragmented here as if matter was no longer an existence of order but forcefully configured here by the so-called gods. They each presented all kinds of strange physicochemical properties, not because the microscopic world was supporting them, but because ‘that was just how they should be’…

These contradictions and the sense of disjointedness had originally been repressed by important affairs at one time or another and were forgotten in the back of Gawain’s mind. However, at the moment the Magic Powered Engine really began operating according to his conception, these thoughts uncontrollably emerged once again.

But he knew, nothing could be accomplished in a single effort. It was impossible if he wanted to get a direct understanding of this world’s microscopic domain and fundamental principles. He needed to proceed step by step. If he wanted to understand the most basic truth, he had to start understanding the most basic phenomenon from experience and practice.

For example, first observing the various types of magic in this world, as well as their mechanisms of effect.

Both Heidi and Rebecca were formal mages (though their gifts were both only partial), but Gawain did not approach them. Instead, he came to Pittman because he knew one thing — druid magic was the most peculiar in this world. Its origin and transition seemed to be able to bring to light some secrets regarding magic.

Because druid magic evolved from theurgies.

Pittman finished preparing the materials required for the concoction of potions today, as well as tools for the druid rites. He worked while explaining, “Mixing alchemical potions is actually not particularly difficult. The materials required for the most-basic catalytic potion are all very cheap. Herbs are also available everywhere. It is mainly time-consuming in the later stages of processing. For example, smoking, drying, powdering, and more. In this aspect, getting more manpower would be able to settle the problem.”

As he spoke, he added the powdered butterfly bush seeds and perilla petals into the heating container and then poured in pure water and a certain grass juice that he had prepared in advance.

“Amber explained those labor systems that you invented to me. For example, splitting up production processes, liability systems, streamlined production… To be honest, they are all incredible ideas. This way, we can break down the complicated working procedure of preparing alchemical potions and let them be done by laymen. However, there would be no way around the most important part…”

It began to bubble inside the heating container. A pungent scent wafted out. Pittman quickly added another new kind of potion into it to balance out the potency of the mixture.

“The potion produced from the beginning processes is ordinary. It does not possess supernatural abilities. Even if it does, the effect would be very weak. If we want it to have miraculous power like magic, we have to inject magical power. And this process has to be done through the druid rites…”

Pittman had put on the lid of the heating container. Through a bent copper tube, the rising gas from the container was guided into a condensing tube beside and condensed into beads of light green droplets. The little old man carefully collected this pale green juice, ultimately filling up a small glass. He put it on a small altar at the side.

Gawain watched the little old man work with unblinking eyes. He saw Pittman place four runes that represented the wind, water, fire, and earth elements in the four directions. These runes had been carved on oakwood pieces. Then, two crystals were set in the inner circle — they were very common white crystals, the kind that was cheapest amongst natural crystals.

Following that, he began chanting druid incantations that were extremely difficult to understand. Gawain immediately activated this magic-sensing ability.

He saw the radiance of magical power gradually swell up around Pittman. This energy was guided into special geometric figures under the guidance of the runes. They trembled and worked around the half-finished potion, and the color of the potion slowly turned from the pale green into a dark green.

When the change was about to be completed, Pittman stopped his chanting and removed the two crystals. Now, he started reading aloud prayers related to the God of Nature. “Oh mighty gods of nature, protectors of lives, mighty God of Nature… ah Heart of the Forest, guider of life, your pious believer hereby prays earnestly hoping for a response from you. May you from your oak… palm… let’s still go with oak. May you confer glad tidings from your oak throne. Let this potion be filled with the energy of life. Let it… Oh, it’s done?”

Pittman lowered his head for a look. Confirming that the potion had completely transformed, he briskly ended the prayer that he almost couldn’t make up anymore. He grinned as he removed the potion from the altar and handed it to Gawain for a look. “Look at it, plant-growth catalytic potion fresh from the oven. It’s still hot.”

Gawain held the potion, feeling the skin of his face trembling, the kind of trembling that even a square face and full beard could not save.

This little old man was fooling around with his last prayer passage?!

However, it was precisely that nonsensical prayer that would’ve gotten a normal believer exterminated by his god 70-80 times that completely verified the thought in Gawain’s heart.

The druid theurgy of the past… had indeed disappeared altogether.

What remained in the world right now, was only druid magic.

He set that little glass of potion that was still steaming aside and looked at Pittman’s eyes. “If I haven’t remembered wrongly, your prayer from earlier is actually a section from Sacred Words of the Forest, the sacred book of the Heart of Forest faction. Am I right?”

Pittman was a little surprised. “You even know this?!”

“I’ve read that book before.” Gawain waved his hand, indicating that this question wasn’t important. “What I want to say is — is druid magic really born out of theurgies?”

[a]momentum?

[1] The law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but only transformed or transferred from one form to another.

[2] Solid, liquid, gas

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