Lucian stopped dead in his tracks, and Lazar nearly bumped into his back, only catching himself just in time. "What's wrong?"
"The vase is cursed." Lucian didn't have time to explain properly, so he chose the simplest way for Lazar to understand.
"What? Cursed?!" Lazar's voice shot up an octave, completely unable to comprehend Lucian's unhurried, calm demeanor — and was that a hint of excitement?!
"Arcane above, Lucian! Someone is trying to murder you with a curse! And you're talking about it like you're discussing the weather?!" Lazar seized Lucian and pulled him away from the vase, thoroughly convinced that he had caught a flash of feverish excitement in Lucian's eyes.
Lucian reined in his excitement, stifling the drool that threatened to spill out, and made himself look like the victim he was supposed to be, his voice tight with suppressed anger: "Lazar, seal the Atomic Research Institute. Nobody leaves the premises. Gather all the gifts we've received during this period, and I'll report to the Administrative Committee."
"Got it!" Lazar normally wore a carefree grin and radiated optimistic enthusiasm, but in critical moments, he never wasted a single word.
Once Lazar departed and activated the lockdown Magic Circle, having Roque, Anneke, and the other mages and apprentices bring every gift they'd received to the small conference room, Lucian finally examined the elegant vase in meticulous detail. Since it had triggered an electronic response in his perception of the world at close range, that most likely meant beta rays — also a stream of electrons — making a radioactive element the prime suspect.
In truth, Lucian had long been searching among the dozens of elements already discovered for one with sufficiently strong radioactivity. After all, whether it was the nuclear bombs that the people of Earth were most familiar with or a host of other applications, none of it was possible without such elements. Yet despite many unstable isotopes possessing radioactive properties, not a single one met Lucian's requirements — until today, when someone had "cursed" him and delivered an unexpected windfall.
Without wasting a moment, Lucian adjusted the monocle over his left eye: "Tempo, I've found a cursed vase in my study. I suspect it's an assassination attempt by the Church. Send someone over to investigate as soon as possible."
"I'm currently out of the city, but I'll dispatch an investigator from the Punishment Division immediately and rush back as soon as I can." A Review Committee member and one of the most promising high-level Archanists being targeted by a curse — that was an extremely serious incident. And it was his classmate. Despite having just left after submitting a paper, Tempo didn't hesitate for a second. He abandoned what he was doing and headed straight back.
Both still at the Council headquarters, the Punishment Division investigator arrived at the Atomic Research Institute in under three minutes.
Five investigators came in total, led by a middle-aged man with curly brown hair and dark skin, wearing the Punishment Division's "Black Scepter Badge" on his chest, a four-silver-star Archanist badge, and a six-black-ring magic badge.
"Committee Member Evans, I am Balak, a steward of the Punishment Division. I'm on duty today and have been sent by Committee Member Tempo to investigate the curse incident." Balak, whose dark complexion suggested he hailed from the southern desert peoples of the Duchy of Calais or the Kingdom of Briana, wore an expression of extreme gravity and solemnity.
The Punishment Division had no director — only twelve vice-directors of modest Archanist rank but seventh- or eighth-ring magic standing, who reported directly to the Administrative Committee. Thus, even as a high-level mage, Balak could hold the title of steward at most.
Lucian had Roque and the other mages and apprentices gather in one office, where another investigator took their statements. Then he and Lazar led Balak into the small conference room and pointed at the vase — the one that had been in his quarters moments ago: "Balak, this is the cursed vase."
Balak cast an examination spell, but the vase showed no reaction whatsoever.
"No anomaly?" As he spoke, Balak activated a magical item on his person, and a faint green light washed over the vase. Still nothing.
Balak cycled through several examination spells of different levels and schools, each time drawing a blank. Puzzled, he turned to look at Lucian: "Committee Member Evans, my inspection reveals no curse. Do you perhaps have a specialized detection spell of your own? Could you trigger the curse?"
Though he was addressing a Review Committee member, Balak — himself a high-level mage — was not afraid to voice a dissenting opinion.
"I don't have a spell for it, but there is a Magic Circle in the laboratory that can detect a certain type of ray," Lucian explained.
Balak wasn't about to take that at face value: "Could you demonstrate? Committee Member Evans, as an investigator, I must verify every detail."
"Of course." Lucian had Balak carry the vase and the other items he had sensed contained the "curse" into the laboratory.
"Wait — isn't this a cathode ray? No, the energy is far higher!" Seeing the familiar reactions and properties, Lazar couldn't contain himself and blurted out.
Then the realization struck: "No wonder you could sense the curse, Lucian — a ray you work with every day is bound to feel familiar!"
This wasn't an exaggeration. For mages whose souls had undergone mutation, whose spiritual power was enhanced, and whose perception of the world mapped onto reality, prolonged exposure to something — combined with a thorough understanding of its properties — naturally bred familiarity. That sense of familiarity was especially pronounced in high-level mages whose perception had begun to take on substantive form, since the mapping of that object within their cognitive world amplified the response.
"But what does this have to do with a curse? Isn't this the new particle that you, Committee Member Evans, discovered?" Balak still refused to accept that this was a "curse." "Perhaps the vase is made of a special material that freely emits electron streams. I believe you may be overreacting — it's likely just a coincidence."
"I maintain that it is a curse. My star of destiny sensed the danger." Lucian pushed the matter onto his star of destiny and astrology — nobody knew anything about his abilities in that area, after all.
Balak took out his notepad: "I will request that the Administrative Committee dispatch a high-level mage or a Grand Magus specializing in curses to assist with the identification. Committee Member Evans, please be patient. Rest assured, even if we can't confirm it yet, we will investigate the origin of the vase — we won't lose time on the trail."
This was the treatment a Review Committee member was entitled to.