"There is one thing you must understand about the 'Big 4': they aren't set in stone."
Hearing these words come out from Sister Xuan's mouth, Daneel sat straight on his chair.
After getting to the courtyard, he had knocked before entering.
On hearing that he was here to learn more about the Big 4, Molan and Sister Xuan had shared a look between them.
Daneel hadn't understood the meaning behind it, but he had had a feeling that he would find out soon enough.
After sitting down, she had started the explanation in a neutral tone with these words.
"There is only one requirement for a force to become one of the Big 4: to possess a Hero-"
"Sister Xuan! You mustn't!"
As Molan said these words in panic, Sister Xuan sighed and stopped speaking.
While Daneel tried to ingest this shocking information, Sister Xuan said, "You do not have the authority to find out about this information. I can only tell you about our Sect, and about a particular place in the continent where you can go to be tested by each of the Big 4. If they find you worthy, they will take you in, and that is when you would be eligible to enter our circle and find out about the true purpose behind the Big 4. Anyway, both of us are from the "Goddess's Sanctum" Sect."
Listening to this, Daneel first resisted the urge to glare at Molan. Clearly, Sister Xuan had been about to tell him something he wasn't supposed to know.
Although he was curious about why she had wanted to do so, his thirst for knowledge had been stoked and it now demanded answers.
Sadly, it seemed that he wouldn't have the chance to obtain as many as he had hoped.
Raising a hand to interrupt her, he first asked a question that had been bugging him since the old man had died.
"One second. First, tell me about something. According to the old man whom your Matron killed, some people from the Big 4 were the ones who had given the deal to grow the Echer Seeds. On successfully growing them, two people were going to be allowed to learn their spell technique at their sect. The deceased Black Raven King even said that they had communicated with him and said that they would come soon with trinkets that the candidates could use to go to their sect. Was this fake? Or could the offer have been real?"
For a few seconds after Daneel told them about the deal, there was silence.
As he watched on with confusion and even a little annoyance, Molan turned to Sister Xuan and the both of them shared a look before laughing.
Molan was the one who laughed the hardest, as if she had heard the ramblings of some child.
As for Sister Xuan, she only chuckled before seeing the look on Daneel's face and immediately saying, "Please forgive us. It is just that…just the notion that one of the Big 4 would be willing to share a spell technique with you for the growing of some low-grade Energy materials is so... ridiculous. Let me explain."
Seeing that Daneel's annoyance was only growing due to the grating laugh of Molan's that was still resounding in his ears, Sister Xuan quickly cast a spell which made water appear around Molan's mouth, sealing it.
Sputtering, Molan angrily said "Sister!", before being shut up again in the same way for a second.
"Quiet. You are being rude. Do you want to leave?"
As Sister Xuan said these words with a righteousness that would make one forget that she had also laughed just now, Molan folded her hands with chagrin and said, "No. You know I shouldn't. I'll stay silent."
"Good. King Daneel, spell models are the core treasure of any force on Angaria. They protect them with their lives, as even the simplest of spell models can make a large difference in one's strength. Either the old man was fooled, or he made the entire thing up. The former is unlikely, as he was from the Big 4 himself and would know about things like these. There is no way at all in which such a deal would be proposed. Only the core members of a force are even allowed to peruse them, and even then, only those who have the highest of talent are even able to learn them and use them in battle."
This answer perplexed Daneel. He clearly remembered seeing with his own eyes how the Vice Sect Master of the Withering Leaf Sect had used a spell model to amplify his attacks.
A spell model/spell technique, was, after all, something that he had sought for a long time. Typically, a mage cast spells by connecting to the elementary particles in the air with his mageroot and changing them to his will to achieve the effect needed.
A spell model allowed one to effect even the elementary particles near the ones directly controlled by the mageroot by changing the way in which the connection happened in the first place. In essence, it allowed a mage to amplify the power of each spell by a degree.
His previous master had been able to directly pull and influence the particles near the ones he controlled, resulting in almost double the resulting power behind each spell. As for the Vice Sect Master, he had somehow absorbed the attacks shot towards him and fired them back after making them stronger.
"Then how is the Withering Leaf Sect in possession of a spell model?"
As he voiced this question, Sister Xuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? So you knew of this fact? Molan, this part is useless, so the Matron won't be able to say that I broke the rules."
Seeing Molan think for a bit and nod with a sullen expression on her face while still looking to the side, Sister Xuan dropped another bomb.
"The Withering Leaf Sect was once one of the Big 4. They fell from grace long ago, and almost all of their top treasures were taken away. The only thing they have remaining is a partial spell model, which was stealthily smuggled away by the last Sect Master before their fall."
Without giving pause, she continued to speak.
"King Daneel, the only other thing I can tell you is that those who are part of the Big 4 are forbidden from meddling in the matters of the Central Continent. The only exception are the ones who support the Kingdom of Axelor, but even there, certain limits have been placed. As the Matron said, if you wish to learn the true nature of Magic, you must enter the Big 4. Here is the token that I was asked to give to you."
Holding out a trinket shaped like a 6 pointed star, Sister Xuan waited until Daneel took it into his hand.
Just as he removed his finger due to the feeling of small pain which meant that he had been pricked by it, Sister Xuan smiled and said, "Here is some free advice. Do not accept trinkets from anyone so easily. That could easily have been one which killed you. Anyway, it is now bound to you, and it will grant you entry to the place on the continent where you can get yourself tested. As the Matron said, you can tell her name to increase the chances of you being selected. Of course, I doubt you will need it because of your potential. The location is the spot where directly East of Lanthanor, where the Roc pierces the Basilisk's eye. I cannot tell you more, but you will know you are there when you see it. Is something wrong?"
Sister Xuan had asked the last question on seeing Daneel drop the trinket he had just taken on the ground.
It was as if something she had said had caused him so much shock that he had unconsciously done so. Yet, she couldn't understand just which part it was.
In Daneel's mind, tumultuous waves were rocking his consciousness as a face and a name sprung up into his vision.
A drunk man who had looked over him like a guardian angel.
A dutiful warrior who had infiltrated the other side at risk of his own life.
And the teacher who claimed to have not taught him much, despite setting an example with his actions that Daneel still followed.
Master Jonah.