Lord of the Mysteries: I Married the Queen Mystic

{T/N: In the previous chapter, Odis used Astrolabe Divination... I don't know what that is, but this is what I got from the LOTM Fandom wiki...

Astrolabe Divination: Astrolabe divination was one of the astromancy divination methods. However, ordinary people could also attempt to interpret things. For instance, the most basic birth horoscope was to determine the inquirer's fate by determining the positions of the sun, moon, blue and red stars at their birth, the corresponding spots in the sky, matching the representative symbols to the astrolabe, and the corresponding situations of the different constellations.

This required the fortune-teller to be able to calculate the states of the planets and constellations, which is rather complicated. Of course, some publications helped people look up the values. Some even simplified it by making a vague read with just the constellations.}

...

Regarding how to act as a 'Melee Scholar', Odis had previously had some ideas, but always felt he hadn't grasped the key issue...

Roselle's reminder made him suddenly realize that the core of the acting must not stray from the concept of Knowledge itself.

During his underground fighting matches, Odis had sensed that fighting others was, at best, just acting... there were no signs of his potion being digested.

Now he finally understood... combat was merely accumulating practical experience, while the core of the acting lay in contemplating the Knowledge gained from fighting.

As for what kind of Knowledge could be derived, Odis immediately thought of things like combat manuals.

After some reflection, he realized that in this Beyonder world, while there were many schools of combat, most only had a general outline without systematic books explaining fighting techniques.

Odis felt he could try writing such a book. At the same time, he needed to focus on actual combat. The experience, case studies, and reflections gained from real fights should be the true essence of acting as a 'Melee Scholar'.

With these thoughts in mind, he continued browsing and turned to the second page of the diary. This page contained an analysis of the Sauron family, the former royal house of Intis.

It was clear that when Roselle wrote this entry, he was already preparing to overthrow the monarchy.

The analysis was quite brilliant but outdated, as the Sauron family had long since declined. Based on some intelligence Odis had inadvertently obtained, it seemed this family no longer had any Angels.

At least not on the surface. Even if there were hidden Angels, their condition likely wasn't great...

The content on the third page was also uninteresting. It described Roselle's early days after transmigrating, when he 'invented' the flush toilet.

The fourth page, however, caught Odis's attention again:

<...June 11th

Today, I attended another secret gathering of that ancient organization. I overheard one member discussing mystical symbols, which I found quite intriguing.

That member believed mystical symbols should possess greater power and that magic arrays shouldn't just be decorative...>

<...He gave an example: in an elven relic he had accidentally obtained, he discovered an incomplete magic array.

The mystical symbols used by the elves were entirely different from the common ones today. The member replicated the array, and even in its incomplete state, electricity appeared within it.

He speculated that a complete array would likely release a bolt of lightning...>

<...I found that this was fascinating. If it were a complete array, could I use it to replace a generator?

But there was a fatal flaw... the array required a constant infusion of Spirituality.

Hah, a group of Beyonders channeling Spirituality into an array to generate electricity... might as well just ask a 'Ocean Songster' to discharge electricity directly. Though, upon hearing my request, that 'Ocean Songster' would probably strike me with lightning instead...>

<...At the gathering, just as that member lamented how difficult it was to restore the elven magic array, others immediately voiced differing opinions.

Two members, in particular, made brilliant points that hit the mark...

One said: This is a world where Beyonder characteristics are paramount.

Another said: Magic arrays are inconvenient to carry and can only be used in fixed locations...>

<...Indeed, one issue was that any Beyonder ability in this world relied on Beyonder characteristics and Spirituality.

Especially Beyonder characteristics. High-level magic arrays required Beyonder intervention to unleash their immense power. As for their portability issues, that was another fatal flaw. Rather than researching such an unpromising array, it would be better to just buy a few scrolls from a 'Scrolls Professor'...>

{T/N: 'Ocean Songster' is Sequence 5 of the 'Tyrant' Pathway...}

After reading this diary entry, Odis couldn't help but sigh, 'This world isn't lacking in smart people.'

Over a century ago, some had already recognized the broader applications of magic arrays, only to be limited by the era's language.

At this thought, Odis smiled knowingly. The reason he had achieved such profound research in this area was that he possessed an advantage no other scholar in this world had... he understood a logographic writing system.

After some research upon arriving in this world, he discovered that the mystical symbols here seemed like evolved derivatives of logographic characters.

Further study confirmed this. Mystical symbols were a special form of logographic script.

The civilizations of the Northern and Southern Continents had likely also used logographic writing, but around the Second Epoch, alphabetic scripts became mainstream, and logographic writing faded into history.

The evolution and study of mystical symbols stagnated at that time. So Odis attempted to further deduce these symbols... and indeed, they could achieve better effects.

The process was somewhat like using simplified Kanji to reconstruct oracle bone script or bronze inscriptions. Though extremely challenging, for Odis, there were still traces to follow.

He reread the diary's content:

<...It is said the elves originated from the Western Continent, where logographic writing likely persisted. Thus, the magic arrays used by the elves should differ from those in the Northern and Southern Continents, possibly with superior effects...>

It suddenly occurred to Odis that he could try searching the 'Knowledge Moor' to see if he could find any elven scripts or magic arrays.

Continuing onward, the fifth page was unremarkable. Roselle's commentary on the figures of two noblewomen and the process of their acquaintance progressing to... deeper exchanges.

Not entirely without merit, though. It could be read as a novel with romantic undertones...

Putting away the diary, Odis planned to submit these five pages to the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery later to reimburse the purchase cost.

Then, during the Tarot Club, he could submit them again... or perhaps split them into two submissions to 'Mr. Fool' as thanks for his previous assistance.

With his exceptional memory, Odis only needed to read them once to remember everything, so there was no need to make copies.

Over twenty minutes later, the carriage arrived at the Backlund Institute for Mechanical Research. Odis found Max and, in an undisturbed reception room, explained his suspicions about the dubious merchant, Blair.

Of course, his conjecture didn't mention names like Sharron... only that Max had previously informed him about a recent 'Rose School of Thought' internal conflict at an abandoned shipyard in West Balam, which had led to this speculation.

Though Odis repeatedly emphasized this was just a gut feeling, Max took it very seriously, as Odis's instincts had already helped thwart several operations by evil secret organizations.

Next, Odis reported that one of the members was investigating Capim.

Just as Max was about to relay this intelligence upward, he noticed Odis hadn't left yet, "Is there anything else to add?"

Odis said, "I also acquired a few 'relics' of Emperor Roselle."

Max understood immediately... "Reimbursement, huh..."