According to the knowledge in Lloyd's head, the stronger a Spiritual Object's Spiritual Energy—things like its Extraordinary Attributes and Mysteriousness—the greater its influence on Divination.
This influence wasn't necessarily on the accuracy, however. It could also manifest in other ways.
The knowledge in his head offered no definitive conclusion. It only suggested that for different Divination targets and questions, one should experiment with various Spiritual Objects and draw their own conclusions based on the results.
'Looks like even the knowledge from the panel isn't omnipotent,' Lloyd thought. 'I'll have to get some hands-on practice.'
Lloyd found a bench on the street and sat down. He then pulled out a box of matches he had just picked up, took one out, and laid it on top of the box.
"Which way is the nearest Spiritual Object?"
He repeated the question in a low voice, then activated Simple Divination and gave the match a spin.
After a couple of spins, the match head randomly came to a stop, pointing toward a fork in the road to the southwest.
Lloyd got up to take a look, but without any warning, the match suddenly lit itself. The flaring flame nearly scalded him.
But in less than a second, the flame went out on its own.
'Hmm... From a Divination standpoint, could this be some kind of Omen?'
Lloyd muttered to himself, a feeling stirring within him, and scratched his head.
As a novice trying Divination for the first time, he had no idea what this Omen meant. The knowledge in his head made no mention of it, so he could only rely on his own interpretation.
'Emmmm, the flame was gone in a flash. It was so brief... less hype than an episode of *Boruto*. Does this mean...'
'...that the Spiritual Object's Spiritual Energy is really weak? Or that it's just poor quality?'
According to the knowledge in his head, interpreting Omens was a highly subjective matter. The results could have multiple facets—perhaps foreshadowing the process to come or hinting at the target's Attributes. In short, there was no right or wrong.
So, holding on to his initial interpretation, Lloyd walked toward the fork in the road the match had indicated. He kept going straight until he reached another intersection and stopped.
He pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. Ten minutes had passed since the first Divination. He'd have to wait a little longer before performing a second one to ensure its accuracy.
He bought a tabloid from a newsstand on the corner and flipped through it to kill five minutes. Then, impatiently, he pulled out another match, tossed it into the air, and continued to ask in a low voice:
"Which way to go... Which way to go?"
The match spun in the air before landing and pointing to the right side of the intersection.
Then, just like before, it lit itself. This time, it burned a little longer than the last one—it was now on par with the hype from *Boruto*.
'Emmmm, judging by the change in how long it burned, could this Spiritual Object be related to things like fire or cigarettes?'
After making his new interpretation, Lloyd bent down, picked up the matchstick, and threw it into a nearby trash can.
As a well-educated youth of high caliber, he never littered.
He then continued in that direction, stopping again after fifteen minutes to perform another Divination.
Over the course of an hour, he performed a total of five Divinations. Each time, the match burned longer than the last, leading him to several different interpretations:
'Emmmm, maybe getting the Spiritual Object won't be so easy. Could there be some kind of conflict? But it shouldn't be too intense?'
'Emmmm, this Spiritual Object must have some heat to it. Maybe it's related to something trendy or popular right now?'
'Emmmm, I've been walking for an hour and I'm all hot and sweaty. I feel more "lit" than *Boruto* right now. Wait, was the Omen about my own body temperature?'
Finally, the match guided him away from the middle-class neighborhoods where he usually spent his time and into a commoner's district.
The buildings and streets here weren't nearly as clean and tidy. Small, mismatched buildings were crammed tightly together, and the ground was uneven—much like the people who lived here, with their own highs and lows, their own good and bad.
The air was filled with a cacophony of sounds—crying, shouting, and laughter all tangled together. It was the familiar chaos of common city life, yet it stirred a sense of nostalgia in Lloyd's heart.
He and his sister had once wandered streets just like these for a long time. They had endured many hardships and witnessed the full spectrum of human nature, but they had also encountered plenty of kindness and goodwill.
"It's quite nostalgic..."
Lloyd smiled and kept walking.
He walked until he reached the entrance of a narrow alley. Inside, several children were gathered around a stack of enormous crates taller than a person. They were shouting and laughing as they threw small stones and bits of trash at the crates.
Lloyd took a closer look and saw a palm-sized tabby kitten perched on the highest crate. It was a round little ball of fur, trembling in fear of the human cubs below, too scared to even move.
As a kind-hearted and gentle young man, Lloyd naturally wasn't about to stand idly by. He walked over to the crates and greeted the children.
"Whoa! It's a mister from the Holy Judgment Court!"
One of the children recognized his uniform and yelled excitedly.
The other children were immediately cowed. They quickly stepped aside and gave Lloyd a small bow out of respect.
The uniform wasn't particularly effective in the neighborhoods Lloyd usually frequented, but in a place like this, it was quite intimidating.
The Holy Judgment Court had always enjoyed an excellent reputation and was widely supported and loved by the common people. This stood in stark contrast to the Saint's Grace Judgment Court, another of the Three Great Judgment Courts.
It was just that "mister" title...
Lloyd shook his head slightly and asked:
"Why are you guys bullying a little kitten?"
The children all started talking at once:
"My mom said this kitten is weird. She said it's a bad omen and we can't play with it."
"My dad said so too! He hates cats. He told me to chase it away whenever I see it."
"That's not it, Mister! They haven't been to school, so they can't explain it right. Listen to me! This kitten's weird. It just stays up there without moving. It won't even come down for dried fish. And even if the grown-ups chase it away, it always sneaks back by itself."
"I understand. You all go home now. I'll take care of this."
Lloyd nodded. After shooing the children away, he began the difficult climb up the enormous crates, level by level, until he reached the little kitten.
If he wasn't mistaken, the Spiritual Object he was looking for was right here.