The Four Stages of the Ritual

The smug gleam in Louis’s eyes evaporated the moment Professor Mina appeared. Her pointed accusation of him using his authority for personal vendettas left him utterly flustered and humiliated.

Mina glided to Du Chen’s side, slinging an arm over his shoulder. With a charming chuckle, she purred, “Just watch, handsome. Big sis will sort this brat out for you!” Then, she pivoted towards Louis, one hand planted saucily on her hip, the other jabbing a finger at the Department of Supervision leader. Her voice turned to a whip. “You little whelp! Francis is under my wing. Touch him, and you’re touching me! Don’t think for a second your Uncle Ricardo can shield you. I, your ‘big sis,’ am also the Vice-Director of the Dean’s Office!”

Louis was rendered utterly speechless by Mina’s tirade, seething inwardly. Yet, the truth of her words stung—he was, after all, merely a student, and offending a school administrator was an ill-advised path.

“Alright, consider this incident nullified! Take your men and leave, now!” Mina waved a dismissive hand, then, just as Louis started to turn, called out, “And Louis! If he ever tries to bully you again, tell Big Sis! Now, you may go.” She made sure to say this pointedly in front of Du Chen.

Louis gritted his teeth. “Professor Mina, while I may be a student, I am also a Divine Grant Earl…”

“Yes, yes, I know, my esteemed Divine Grant Earl, you expect proper deference, don’t you? But damn it all, this is the Battle God Academy, and *I* am a Professor! You little squirt, do you truly believe I can’t flunk you out of every single one of your botany classes with just a word? At that point, it won’t matter if you’re a Divine Grant Earl, even a Duke wouldn’t be able to change your grades!”

Du Chen watched the unfolding farce from the sidelines, musing inwardly, *This beautiful spy truly is a fiery one. But she’s never one to act without an ulterior motive. Something tells me she’s about to ask me for a favor.*

Louis and his retinue slunk away, tails between their legs. Steve and his band of merry cronies, however, erupted in cheers. “Woah, Steve, is this really your little brother? He’s actually with Professor Mina—”

“You rascals, quiet down! Get out of my sight, now!” Professor Mina bellowed.

Steve shot Du Chen a knowing wink before chuckling and taking his leave.

With only Mina and Du Chen left in the alley, Du Chen grinned. “So, Professor, what exactly do you need my help with?”

“Oh, listen to you! Can’t ‘Big Sis’ just drop by for a chat when there’s nothing pressing?” Mina feigned a pout, then chuckled. “But this time, it *is* something serious! I’ve been looking for you all day. I went to your dorm this morning, but that blasted Shieb told me you weren’t there!”

Du Chen nodded. “First, tell me why Louis was bothering me! I swear to the heavens, I don’t even know the guy!”

“You don’t know?” Mina sounded genuinely surprised. “Firstly, he’s a Yaqin, and the Yaqin people have a long-standing feud with those from the Aethelgard Continent, especially the Lannings! As for the second reason...” Seeing Du Chen’s questioning gaze, she chuckled. “This morning, Philip fired him from the Alchemy Laboratory. The official reason was limited assistant slots in Philip’s Alchemy Laboratory—you came in, so he had to go!”

“Why? Why would Vice-Dean Philip fire an experienced assistant just for me, a newcomer? Aren’t more assistants usually better?”

Mina tilted her head, a smile playing on her lips. “And that, my dear, is precisely why ‘Big Sis’ came looking for you! Follow me, this is no place to discuss such matters.” She led Du Chen through winding streets and narrow alleys until they arrived at a particular establishment. Its name: Miss ‘Rose’.

Upon entering, Mina, amidst a chorus of whistles from sailors and attendants, threw flirtatious glances in every direction as she and Du Chen made their way to a secluded private booth.

“Remember this pub,” Mina whispered, “if you can’t find me, find the owner here.” She continued, “Philip’s behavior has been extremely erratic lately; dismissing experienced assistants is just one sign. Furthermore, even though you were unwilling to help ‘Big Sis’ before, I’ve discovered that Arthur—yes, that good-for-nothing—is here to serve as Philip’s experimental subject!”

“Arthur... an experimental subject?” Du Chen’s shock was profound. *That poor lad is a live experimental subject?!*

“I can’t comprehend it either,” Mina’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “Arthur is the Lionheart King’s only grandson, and Alonso is a magnificent sovereign; it’s inconceivable he’d permit such a foolish act!” She paused. “Do you know the true cause of the floods and earthquakes that plagued the Aethelgard Continent a while back?”

“Why bring that up now?”

“‘Big Sis’ will tell you now: that earthquake was caused by Dean Zigurd and Roland pursuing an arch-fiend!”

Du Chen gasped again, not at the cause of the earthquake—Helen’s account had already enlightened him on that—but at Roland! *That madman is Aliza’s teacher!*

Mina continued, “In the end, that arch-fiend was captured by Roland, but that lunatic is a Crystal-tier entity; I have virtually no intelligence on him. The only snippets I’ve gathered were from Philip, back when he had some dealings with the fiend! Francis, that very arch-fiend, is Roland’s captive. And right now, Philip is negotiating with Roland to use that arch-fiend as an experimental subject!”

“So, you want me to investigate Philip’s experiments?” Du Chen asked.

“Precisely! You are now his assistant, giving you a higher chance of success than anyone else! I mentioned this to you a while ago, but this time, it’s an order—a death-warrant issued personally by the Pontiff himself! Our leader is already en route with the Twelve Guardian Battle Gods of the Enforcement Temple. With that, you should fully grasp the gravity of this mission!”

Du Chen pondered for a moment, then replied, “Very well, I’ll keep a close eye on Philip for you.”

“Then ‘Big Sis’ thanks you kindly! What reward would you like?”

“I only have one question for you!” Du Chen said, recalling Phil’s cryptic notes. “Are you familiar with ancient rituals? Specifically, some of the more... gruesome ones?”

Mina looked at him, surprised. “Why do you ask about that?” She then chuckled. “But you’ve certainly come to the right person. Our Elf Race is the most ancient and longest-lived species across the Three Continents, having witnessed the shifting tides of history firsthand. Naturally, we know a little more than most!”

“Hm, are there any rituals that involve flaying a person alive?”

“To my knowledge, there are a few such rituals, but the most common one was performed during the Godfall War, where the Human Alliance executed high-ranking Fiendkind captives. That ritual is called the Dark Sacred Punishment. Its origins are untraceable... or rather, I don’t know its origins! But one of its steps certainly involves flaying!”

“Then... after the killing, does such a ritual involve dissolving the corpse through certain means?” Du Chen pressed.

“Handsome, your questions are growing increasingly peculiar,” Mina said, her eyes fixed on Du Chen with a playful smile that barely concealed a flicker of genuine curiosity. “What, have you stumbled upon something truly ‘interesting’?” Her tone shifted. “You’re right, the final step does involve dissolving the corpse. However, to the executioners, the Dark Sacred Punishment is the most sacred of rituals, almost a fanatical religious devotion. They determine the specific steps based on the victim’s identity; some are deemed unworthy of having their corpses dissolved!”

Du Chen rose to his feet. “Thank you. I’ll keep an eye on Philip for you.” He headed towards the door.

“Hey, wait!” Mina called out, stopping Du Chen. She smiled. “If you wish to know more about the Dark Sacred Punishment, just come find ‘Big Sis’! And here’s another detail: a complete Dark Sacred Punishment ritual typically involves four executioners, each specializing in a stage: Flaying, Deboning, Tendon-Severing, and Corpse Dissolution…