The street lamps outside the window had already lit up. Franca gazed at Browns Sauron and spoke, "I've already mentioned my name. I reside in the market district and hold a significant position within the Savoie Mob. That's all I can reveal. You're free to investigate me as you wish. In any case, I have two objectives. Firstly, I intend to probe into the Bliss Society and eliminate any hidden threats. Secondly, I plan to take the opportunity to gain insight into the female gathering."
Her strategy for the day involved connecting with people genuinely—a tactic she had devised with Lumian. If the Demoness at the Red House Café approached her, she would "confess" her intentions and assess if the other party had any ties to the Bliss Society.
Franca had even discussed specific details with Anthony Reid, a Psychiatrist, to prevent herself from reacting excessively. If that happened, it could do more harm than good.
According to Anthony Reid's suggestion, she was "candid," but not completely forthcoming. Revealing that she was once a man, had transformed into a Demoness of Pleasure, and was infiltrating the Savoie Mob to join the Iron and Blood Cross Order and eventually return to her original gender would not only fail to gain trust but also raise suspicions of ulterior motives due to her excessive honesty.
Thus, she only disclosed her identity and primary motives on the surface, leaving the rest hidden in the details, allowing the other party to uncover and investigate on their own.
Information gathered through effort was much more credible than mere words!
Browns Sauron fixed his gaze on Franca's eyes and remarked, "With the strength you've demonstrated, why limit yourself to being a mob leader?"
"For something of great importance, I believe you would have done the same," Franca replied cryptically, hinting that she had also discerned the other party's path, approximate Sequence, and original circumstances.
With that, she raised her hand to touch the silver-white earring fastened to her right earlobe and added with a grin, "I forgot to mention that this isn't my true appearance. My disguise is quite effective. Otherwise, why did you lose track of me the last time?"
Browns glanced at the silver earring, nodding in comprehension.
Instead of delving deeper into Franca's identity, the conversation shifted toward the topic of the Bliss Society.
Franca could discern that the Demoness placed significant importance on the Red House Café's female orgies and was cautious about any organizations or individuals with hidden agendas.
Are you telling me that you genuinely form romantic connections with some of the participants in these orgies and have developed feelings for them? If this continues, you're bound to encounter trouble sooner or later. It's perfectly natural to have emotions, but seeking them in such gatherings is a sign of a narrow perspective… Can't you completely separate the spiritual from the physical? When there's too much spiritual connection, the desire for physical intimacy grows. Conversely, with too much physical intimacy, it's inevitable for souls to draw closer… As an observer, Franca offered her critique of Browns Sauron's situation, drawing from the knowledge and experiences of two lifetimes that had led to her philosophical reflections.
This insight allowed her to grasp her first principle as a Demoness of Pleasure to some extent.
She didn't withhold any information. On the one hand, she suspected that the Demoness Sect had fostered such an "innocent" and emotionally driven Demoness because they had their sights set on the Sauron family. On the other hand, she recounted the general activities and abilities of the Bliss Society.
Upon hearing the name "Sex Addict" and its corresponding behavior, Browns Sauron's expression grew serious and cautious.
Franca knew when to conclude the conversation. She finished her after-dinner liqueur, rose gracefully, put on her blue bonnet, and departed from the Red House Café.
As she entered the rental carriage and returned to the market district, her mind raced, analyzing potential vulnerabilities.
I need to persuade Jenna to move out. But having her stay in my apartment might reveal my true gender. I must remind her not to display her Assassin and Instigator abilities for the time being…
The issue with Ciel is that if Browns Sauron and Poufer Sauron frequently interact, they might discover that the affluent merchant's generous scion is, in reality, the leader of the market district's mob, exposing the Iron and Blood Cross Order's hidden agenda. Yes, Browns is affiliated with the Demoness Sect and doesn't share the same interests as the Sauron family. There is a significant likelihood that she would conceal this fact and exploit it…
"…"
Rue du Rossignol, market district.
Lumian "teleported" back to his safe house.
While waiting for Franca to return Lie to him and allow him to revert to his original appearance, he contemplated the rumors circulating about the human blood bread.
It would have been manageable if I had discovered it from the outset, but now it's already widely believed. Hundreds or perhaps thousands of people have bought into it. Tracing it back to the source will be extremely challenging. Moreover, even if I locate the origin, the person responsible may be filled with false information and unable to identify their source… Finding a skilled Psychiatrist who can hypnotize people is quite a task…
The Mandrake rumor La Nou Bruch had heard appears suspicious…
After careful consideration, Lumian decided not to dwell on it. He would report it to Madam Magician and explore the possibility of hiring someone like Madam Susie or even a high-ranking Psychiatrist such as Madam Justice to investigate the source of the rumors.
They were experts in similar operations and possessed all the abilities of "I Know Someone," and even more!
The matter concerning the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings was a shared mission of the Tarot Club.
Likewise, Lumian intended to burden the Major Arcana card holders with the other clue. Given his abilities, it was practically impossible for him to investigate it further.
He believed that since Loki was operating within Bureau 8, there was a chance he had either subtly influenced some of his colleagues or been discovered by them. All these were potential leads.
However, based on his experiences dealing with a Marionettist, Lumian recalled the events at the Alone Bar and the puppet show in the basement. It wasn't as murky as he had initially thought. It exuded an aura of malevolence, obscurity, and terror, and he could distinctly perceive the tangible danger concealed within the various details.
He suspected that most of the spectators at the marionette theater were, in fact, marionettes themselves, fitting the bar's name: Alone!
It seemed that there was only one living person amidst the marionettes!
Of course, this was somewhat exaggerated. It was evident that a few Bureau 8 members were working as bartenders and waitstaff at the Alone Bar, including Loki and Leah.
Nevertheless, Beyonders capable of manipulating an entire theater filled with marionettes were far more powerful than Loki. They likely exceeded Sequence 5 and might even be demigods of the Seer pathway.
Regardless of Lumian's confidence, he didn't believe he could uncover any clues in a bar protected by a demigod. He didn't dare to attempt it.
Only the Major Arcana card holders of the Tarot Club could conduct a thorough investigation in that direction!
Without hesitation, Lumian unfolded a letter and began reporting his findings to Madam Magician.
As the "doll" messenger was summoned, it cast a glance at Lumian and remarked, "Do you enjoy dressing up?"
Is that because I'm wearing a new face? Lumian smiled and replied, "It's a necessity in certain situations. Disguises help ensure that one remains unrecognized when carrying out certain tasks."
The messenger nodded slowly.
"No wonder you can't tell I'm different every day."
Lumian gazed at the light-golden attire of the "doll" messenger, unsure whether to offer a truthful response or a white lie.
Observing Lumian's silence, the messenger snatched the letter and stated sharply, "My hair is smoother, my skin is more elastic, and my dress is new…"
With those words, the messenger's voice gradually faded away as it dissolved into the candlelight.
Lumian let out a sigh and muttered to himself, Perhaps the more familiar I become with someone, the less I notice their subtle changes…
It was akin to Franca, who appeared so relaxed around him that she didn't feel the need to rack her brains on many things.
If one had to rack their brains and be on edge when interacting with others, their mental state would inevitably deteriorate over time.
Seeing that it was time, Lumian left Rue du Rossignol and arrived at Apartment 601, 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches. He knocked on the door, and Jenna opened it, looking surprised.
"Who might you be?"
Lumian scoffed. "Can't you still not tell from my gait?"
"Dammit, your aura, which makes others want to beat you up, will make your disguise useless!" Jenna knew that Lumian possessed a mystical item capable of altering his appearance.
Once Lumian entered the living room, he glanced around.
"Where's Franca?"
"She hasn't returned from her visit to the Red House Café," Jenna replied, already aware that Franca had intentions of engaging with a member of the Demoness Sect. She had also heard her companion mention the secret organization's animosity towards female Assassins.
Lumian stroked Franca's Mirror Substitution in his arms and settled into an armchair when he saw that nothing was amiss.
This was Jenna's usual spot.
Jenna rolled her eyes at him and perched on the armrest of a nearby chair. She asked thoughtfully,
"Why do you have so many enemies? How many of them are there?"
Lumian had briefly recounted the Cordu disaster but had omitted much of his past. He replied simply, "The Soul Summoning Spell that caused my sister's problem was acquired from an organization called April Fool's. They intentionally sold it to my sister. My current objective is to locate their key members and execute them one by one."
Jenna pursed her lips, refraining from delving into the specifics to avoid upsetting Lumian.
"How can I assist?" she inquired earnestly.
Lumian pondered for a moment and replied, "Your dedication to becoming a Witch is the greatest assistance you can provide me."
Not only were the core members of April Fool's formidable, but they also had no boundaries. Jenna could only participate in the pursuit of these individuals after becoming a Witch and gaining the ability to create a Mirror Substitution of herself.
Internally seething with anger, Jenna refrained from voicing her frustration. She quietly observed Lumian for a few seconds and remarked, "I sense that you're more exhausted than before…"
Lumian subconsciously smiled.
"But I'm also more motivated."
"But isn't this too intense? Franca mentioned that a constantly tense string is prone to snapping. The best approach is to alternate between tension and relaxation," Jenna expressed her concern.
Lumian gave a self-deprecating smile.
"But they won't allow me to relax. They're determined to kill me themselves."
Noticing Jenna's confusion, he added with a cold expression, "They haven't reported me to the authorities despite knowing that I'm a wanted criminal. It's clear they want me to remain in the market district until they finalize their plan and make all the necessary preparations."
-x-X-x-
From Loki losing control and collapsing without being completely dead, Lumian had been vigilant about being reported by the core members of the April Fool's team and staying prepared for potential surprise attacks from official Beyonders. After all, Loki knew that he was Lumian Lee, a leader of the Savoie Mob, overseeing Salle de Bal Brise. He even knew that Lumian carried the aura of the Blood Emperor Alista Tudor.
This convinced Lumian that the April Fool's team still had their sights set on him. They were reluctant to hand their target over to the authorities or force him out of the market district where they could no longer keep an eye on him.
It had to be known that a marionette sealed with an angel was undoubtedly an item that could cause Loki's strength to undergo a significant transformation. Missing out on Lumian meant he could almost never meet another one.
Furthermore, the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings might have a use for Termiboros.
The core members of the April Fool's team were quite direct about this matter. They didn't bother concealing their mockery and malice. They believed Lumian could see through it and expected him to be provoked, eventually choosing to wait in the market district.
When to make their move was entirely up to them. They wouldn't recklessly attack while Lumian had assistance.
Jenna sensed the anger and hostility lurking beneath Lumian's composed demeanor and calm words. She didn't attempt to persuade him further and simply mumbled, "I hope these villains get what's coming to them."
Lumian's emotions had been on an upheaval, causing the lingering effects of his near-loss of control to resurface.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his right hand and massaged his temples to ease the pounding in his head.
"What's wrong?" Jenna asked, her concern evident.
Lumian replied succinctly, "The mental trauma from the battle with Loki will take a week or two to fully heal."
Jenna's eyes darted as she offered, "Do you want me to give you a head massage? Franca taught me. I'm quite skilled at it.
"Don't be shy. We're friends, after all!"
Her last statement trailed off playfully, an attempt to divert Lumian's attention and alleviate his emotional state with a teasing tone.
Lumian scoffed.
"Why do you keep saying that from time to time? 'Franca mentioned this, Franca taught me that.'"
"Don't you often…" Jenna started but abruptly stopped herself.
Initially, she had intended to say, "Don't you often say, 'My sister said that, my sister taught me that.'"
Lumian fell silent, and Jenna did the same. After a few seconds, seeing that Lumian didn't object, Jenna left the chair armrest and moved behind him. She reached out and began massaging his temples and both sides of his head.
Lumian's body tensed up.
Lumian scoffed. "As a Hunter, I would instinctively throw anyone who dared to touch my head or bestow them with a massive fireball. It took a lot of effort not to roast you."
"Did the Provoker potion completely alter your language and speech patterns?"
Lumian responded bluntly, "Yo, why the fancy words?"
As the two of them bantered, Lumian's body gradually relaxed. After a few minutes, he leaned back on the sofa and half-closed his eyes.
While enjoying Jenna's massage and relieving his headache, he naturally brought up the "pranks" of Loki, I Know Someone, and the other core members of the April Fool's team. Jenna's anger flared, and she subconsciously tightened her grip.
"Take it easy," Lumian said with a hint of physical discomfort.
An Assassin possessed considerable strength.
Jenna eased her grip, still fuming.
"I've never encountered such scoundrels or vile individuals in all my performances. They deserve every bit of suffering!
"Dammit, why am I not a Witch yet?"
Lumian's eyes remained closed as he asked, "How's the digestion with the Instigator potion? Have you grasped the principles of acting?"
Jenna's attention shifted. As she continued to knead, she reflected, "There are currently two key points. First, Instigation is a means, not an end. Second, the essence of Instigation lies in understanding the core of the matter and the conditions of the people involved, not in the use of abilities. Additionally, I've come to a realization. Instigation will inevitably bring about consequences; it just depends on whom you want to face those consequences."
"Not bad," Lumian commended, a rare occurrence.
Standing behind him, Jenna lifted her chin modestly and said, "I find opportunities to practice every day, especially among theater actors and apprentices at places like Théatre de l'Ancienne Cage à Pigeons, where conflicts are abundant. Instigating someone forces me to consider who I want to benefit and who will be taught a lesson or suffer losses. It made me realize that instigation is merely a tool."
Lumian's demeanor noticeably softened as he let his thoughts wander. He casually inquired, "Where do you think I might find an opportunity to act as a Pyromaniac?"
Jenna's hands continued their soothing motion as she thought and replied, "Trier is a place of relatively basic order. You can only act on smaller matters; you can't create a major spectacle there…
"But there might be an opportunity during the pursuit of those villains. When you mentioned it earlier, I wanted to set them ablaze!"
Lumian suddenly had an idea, though it wasn't entirely clear.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the stairs, growing progressively louder.
Jenna released her grip on Lumian's head and approached the door with a smile.
"Franca is back."
…
In the bustling streets of Trier, the night might lack tranquility, but the citizens living in those areas still found their way into slumber.
Suddenly, a golden retriever carrying a small backpack made an appearance in the dream.
The golden retriever sat at the dream's edge, guiding the hazy scenes to reveal hidden memories deep in the dreamer's subconscious.
It was the excitement of pushing through the crowd and rushing towards the death row inmate's corpse with bread in hand. It was the hesitation that came after believing that human blood bread could cure illnesses. It was the mixture of joy and skepticism that had accompanied their first hearing of this rumor…
The golden retriever caught sight of the figure who had initially informed the dreamer about the blood bread rumors. It turned out to be a neighbor who lived next door.
And so, the golden retriever traversed dream after dream, activating the corresponding subconscious memories to search for the source of the blood bread rumors.
After hundreds of dreams, the golden retriever noticed two dreams with clear contradictions.
One belonged to a father who believed that he had obtained the secret of human blood bread from a Warlock he happened to meet, using it to cure his daughter's illness. The other dream belonged to his child, who had suddenly fallen ill and then just as suddenly recovered, as if the human blood bread was a miraculous elixir.
The golden retriever guided the father to manifest the Warlock in his dream.
It was very ordinary and unremarkable.
Scenes in the dream flickered rapidly, and the image of the Warlock began to change, memories flowing back.
When their initial encounter was revealed, the golden retriever saw a Warlock with a completely different face from before!
Then, the face rapidly shifted, eventually settling into the image the dreamer normally associated with the Warlock.
The golden retriever had her own interpretation of this.
The Warlock's Hypnosis could only be fully effective in a face-to-face encounter, allowing the dreamer to retain their first impression of him. Only then would they be affected by the hypnosis and have the image in their memory altered.
There was no need to repeat the process of awakening the subconscious within the dream. The original image of the Warlock naturally surfaced in the golden retriever's mind.
He had short brown hair, parted in a 3-7 split, flaxen-colored eyes, and a thin, freckled face. He wore gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose…
Exiting the dream, the golden retriever turned her attention to Madam Magician, who had suddenly appeared beside her. In a human voice, she declared, "I've obtained a result."
Dressed in a blouse and a long brown dress, Madam Magician sighed and eagerly said, "Give me the information, and I'll confirm it."
The golden retriever remained silent, her eyes darkening.
After a few seconds, Madam Magician took a few steps forward, causing starlight to manifest around her.
It resembled a reflection of the vast cosmos on the ground.
The resplendent and condensed stars spun rapidly, providing a revelation.
Once Madam Magician finished interpreting, she pulled open an illusory door hidden in the darkness and disappeared.
In just over ten seconds, she reappeared and said to the golden retriever, "There's no target on the street the astromancy results point to."
"Were we misled?" the golden retriever inquired in a female voice once more.
Madam Magician nodded and smirked. "But this also proves that what you've seen is the actual target."
As she finished speaking, Madam Justice, clad in a white dress with green trimmings, swiftly materialized.
"Where did you go?" Magician asked in puzzlement.
Madam Justice replied in a gentle voice, "To plant a cue in the dreams of those seeking human blood bread. I've informed them that The Fool Pharmaceutical Company will conduct a volunteer consultation in Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative this weekend, offering free treatment and medicine."
"When do you plan to hold the volunteer consultation?" Magician asked out of curiosity.
Madam Justice smiled.
"Tomorrow. I'll sponsor it."
…
At 6 a.m., Auberge du Coq Doré, Room 207.
Lumian naturally woke up from his dream and got ready for the day.
Before he could decide on breakfast, he noticed the "doll" messenger appearing and delivering a letter.
Puzzled, Lumian unfolded the letter and saw a portrait.
Beside the portrait was Madam Magician's handwriting: "This should be what I Know Someone looks like. We'll mobilize all the card holders in Trier to search for him, including you."
-x-X-x-
Lumian examined the portrait in his hand and let out a chuckle.
He hadn't anticipated that the Major Arcana card holders would swiftly uncover the source of the rumors and unveil I Know Someone's true identity.
It made sense. Rumors had started circulating two to three months ago, and Lumian hadn't yet arrived in Trier or infiltrated the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society. Loki and I Know Someone hadn't met with any genuine threats. They were naturally audacious when it came to pulling pranks. No matter how cautious they were, leaving traces behind was inevitable.
While it might be challenging for other Beyonders to detect these traces, Madam Justice was a high-ranking Beyonder of the Spectator pathway, also known as the Psychiatrist pathway. She possessed a profound understanding of I Know Someone's various abilities and was his match in every aspect.
Even if this Major Arcana card holder herself didn't execute the operation, her partner, Susie, was more than capable of completing the mission. Lumian knew that this lady was at least a Sequence 5 of the Psychiatrist pathway, just one step away from becoming a demigod.
Gazing at the portrait of I Know Someone, with gold-rimmed glasses, a freckled face, and a thin visage, Lumian caressed the paper and muttered to himself, "Wherever you go, you leave your mark… One day, those unable to control their sinister desires will be exposed."
Taking the portrait, he knocked on Room 305 before Anthony Reid, who frequently came and went from Auberge du Coq Doré.
"Keep an eye on this individual for me. He's most likely a doctor or a medical researcher." Lumian presented the portrait to Anthony Reid, who was disguised as a clerk.
Then, he briefly recounted I Know Someone's performance at the gathering and a few of his typical pranks. He asked earnestly, "Where could someone like him be hiding?"
Anthony Reid sighed and replied, "I'm a Psychiatrist, not a Seer.
"You mentioned that he often exhibited extensive medical knowledge at gatherings?"
Receiving Lumian's affirmation, Anthony Reid pondered for a moment and continued,
"In a gathering filled with pranks, the various details displayed by a Beyonder of the Spectator pathway are what he wants you to remember. They don't necessarily reflect his true identity and could even be misleading.
"I suspect that I Know Someone isn't actually a doctor, but he possesses a deep understanding of medicine and has accumulated extensive knowledge."
Not a doctor… Madam Magician's letter had also mentioned not restricting the search to doctors… But this way, millions of people in Trier could be suspects… Lumian felt both relieved and frustrated.
Anthony Reid added, "A person with antisocial tendencies and enough intelligence might have a fondness for flirting with danger. He enjoys playing with others like a clown. Perhaps it won't be long before he pulls another prank, mocking all those who pursue him."
The only condition being that he remains unaware of the many demigods observing this matter… Lumian watched as Anthony Reid hastily departed and then turned toward Rue des Blouses Blanches.
He had initially intended to locate Lugano Toscano, a quasi-doctor, and inquire if he recognized the person in the portrait. However, it was still too early for that. Salle de Gristmill had not yet opened, and he had no information about where Lugano resided.
Apartment 601, 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches.
Franca had already risen early, having also received a letter from her Major Arcana card holder, and was discussing the potential course of their investigation with Jenna.
Franca cautioned Lumian, saying, "We can't involve too many information brokers in the search. I Know Someone might notice it beforehand and change his appearance or leave Trier."
Lumian nodded slowly and responded, "It's nearly impossible to locate someone like this in Trier on our own…
"Don't forget we still have Anthony." Franca winked at Lumian, implying that they had all the card holders in Trier on their side.
"Yes, and I'm here to help too," Jenna chimed in.
Lumian tersely acknowledged her words and decided to proceed with his original plan to begin with doctors.
…
In the afternoon, Jenna arrived at Avenue du Marché and patiently waited by the public carriage stop sign.
Today, she had donned a beige dress and a light brown straw hat, which shielded her from the sun and was adorned with a few cloth flowers. Her brownish-yellow hair was neatly tied into a bun at the back, with the rest cascading naturally.
Without any makeup, her face remained fresh, and her blue eyes held a sweeter charm despite the absence of black eyeliner.
Jenna boarded a public carriage and headed towards Quartier 7, Quartier des Thermes.
Situated on the west side of Quartier de l'Observatoire, this district boasted a pleasant environment and was home to many affluent individuals. The now-bankrupt owner of the Goodville Chemical Factory had once lived here, as had the H?tel du Cygne Blanc, where Charlie had worked as an apprentice attendant.
Quartier des Thermes, also known as the Museum District, featured numerous renowned museums. Adjacent to one of the hot springs lay Delta Asylum, Trier's largest and most formal asylum.
Jenna was visiting Showy Diva, the underground singer who had once taken care of her. Showy Diva had been the victim of rape by Margot of the Poison Spur Mob and had subsequently left the market district to reside in an asylum.
After Lumian eliminated Margot, Jenna had intentionally approached Showy Diva to share the good news. Since then, she had been regularly visiting her.
Initially, Jenna had limited funds and was preoccupied with repaying her debts, so she couldn't do much for her friend. However, when Lumian hunted the padre, Jenna earned a substantial sum of 5,000 verl d'or. Coupled with two compensations and various other sources of income, she still had over 7,500 verl d'or left after repaying all her debts, except the one to Franca.
With less pressure from Franca to repay the debt, Jenna could now afford to allocate a portion of her money to send the former Showy Diva to Delta Asylum, where the facilities, environment, doctors, and nurses were clearly superior.
She visited her friend regularly, partly to pay the fees and partly to demonstrate to the doctors and nurses that this patient had family and friends looking out for her. Anyone who dared to mistreat her would have someone to answer to.
Jenna disembarked from the public carriage, adjusted her brown straw hat, and proceeded along a bustling street.
After a few steps, she noticed a seven- or eight-year-old boy standing alone by the roadside.
The boy had a chubby face and was dressed in the attire of a young gentleman. His neatly combed light-yellow hair complemented his appearance.
Seeing the confusion in the boy's eyes, Jenna approached, crouched down, and asked gently,
"Are you lost? Do you need me to take you to the police station or bring a police officer here?"
The boy sported a mercury bow tie on his white shirt. He sighed and replied, "I'm not lost. It's just that a lady who likes to drink asked me for a favor. I didn't know how to help, and it seemed a bit dangerous where she went, so I decided to wait here."
Over there… Jenna followed the boy's outstretched finger and realized he was referring to either Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, the market district, or Quartier du Jardin Botanique.
"Why did you choose to wait here to help?" Jenna couldn't quite fathom the child's reasoning.
The chubby boy let out another sigh and said, "I don't know why. My instincts just told me to do it."
At this point, the boy looked up at Jenna with a pitiful expression.
"Could you buy me some ice-cream? The weather in Trier is unbearably hot!"
"Where's the lady who likes to drink and asked for your help?" Jenna inquired, her curiosity mixed with caution.
The boy scanned the area and replied, "After I said I wanted to wait here, she went off by herself to find a place to drink."
Isn't this too irresponsible? What if the child goes missing? Jenna couldn't help but frown.
The boy eagerly asked again, "You can buy ice-cream from this café. That way, I can have ice-cream and wait inside without worrying about getting lost."
Jenna, now financially stable, hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "What flavor would you like?"
"Vanilla!" the boy quickly exclaimed with enthusiasm.
Jenna then spent 1 verl d'or to purchase a cup of vanilla ice-cream for the boy from a nearby café.
Seated by the window, the boy received the ice-cream with pure delight on his face.
"Thank you. You'll be lucky!"
Jenna paid little attention to his gratitude. Instead, she observed as the boy joyfully savored the ice-cream and then quickly left. She found patrolling constables and informed them of a missing child in the café ahead.
Once she saw that the two constables had entered the café, Jenna breathed a sigh of relief and continued on her way with determined steps.
Before long, she arrived at the Delta Asylum.
The asylum was situated near a hot spring, and behind a wall, there stood a three-story building with a grayish-blue exterior and an annex. The surroundings were adorned with lush lawns bathed in the golden sunlight, along with various mobility aids. It was an excellent environment.
Jenna successfully met with her friend.
The former Showy Diva, like other female patients, had short hair that reached her ears. Her face appeared ordinary, and her eyes held a serene expression. She seemed no different from an ordinary person.
When Jenna conversed with her, it was easy to forget that she was afflicted by mental illness. However, Jenna knew all too well that provoking her could lead to an immediate and frenzied outburst, endangering both herself and others.
After chatting for nearly half an hour, Jenna left the designated meeting room, ready to depart.
As she walked along the outer corridor, she gazed out of the window absentmindedly.
On a green lawn, around 20 to 30 mental patients strolled leisurely, each lost in their own thoughts. They leaned against trees, soaked in the sun, or gathered in small groups, engaging in quiet conversations.
They appeared just like ordinary people.
Jenna scanned the surroundings casually, preparing to shift her attention elsewhere.
At that moment, she spotted a figure dressed in a blue-and-white striped hospital gown.
The figure stood tall at over 1.75 meters. His short brown hair was parted in a 3-7 fashion. Gold-rimmed glasses mostly concealed his flaxen-colored eyes, and his face appeared notably thin, adorned with freckles. In that moment, he paced back and forth on the green lawn, seemingly lost in deep contemplation, as if pondering some philosophical question.
Jenna's pupils dilated.
Th-this is I Know Someone!
-x-X-x-
Jenna's instincts screamed at her to turn around, her fear that the psychiatric patient, suspected to be I Know Someone, might catch her staring.
She kept her composure, exiting the grayish-blue building one step at a time, stepping into the sunlight that poured through the window. Jenna donned a light brown straw hat adorned with cloth flowers.
As she finally left Delta Asylum, returning to the same street where she had first encountered the mysterious boy, Jenna let out a sigh of relief.
Her expression remained unchanged as she boarded the public carriage bound for the bustling market district.
…
In the evening, at 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches, Apartment 601.
Lumian, who had been summoned by Jenna, listened to her findings intently.
Lumian couldn't conceal his surprise and suspicion.
"Is this for real? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"
Wasn't this just too much of a coincidence?
Jenna had only laid eyes on the portrait of "I Know Someone" that morning, and in the afternoon, she had tracked down the target at Delta Asylum—a place she had visited just twice. Lumian, Franca, and the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana card holders in Trier had turned up nothing!
The sheer coincidence here made Lumian's instincts tingle with hints of conspiracy and arrangements, robbing him of any tangible joy.
"That's right. Isn't this too darn coincidental…" Franca's demeanor had been skeptical even before Lumian's arrival.
She muttered, "Though it's a classic move for an antisocial, intelligent fellow to hide in an asylum and rub shoulders with the doctors, should he really be unlucky enough to cross paths with a visitor who's seen his wanted poster? There can't be more than 50 people in Trier who've laid eyes on that wanted poster!"
This tally included Anthony Reid and the inquiries made by the other card holders today.
"Why didn't I know of such a classic scenario…" Jenna mumbled. "But I did stumble upon him. I'm not mistaken. Maybe I've just been lucky lately?"
At this point, she noticed the disbelief etched on Lumian and Franca's faces.
Lumian, a man well-versed in the power of coincidence, pondered and asked, "Recall this morning and see if any other coincidences stand out, or if anything unusual occurred."
Seated in an armchair, Jenna delved deep into her thoughts.
After nearly fifteen minutes, she cussed, "It's business as usual! Uh, there is one thing I've never encountered before…"
"There shouldn't be anything unusual about that, right?"
Lumian honed in on another detail.
"Did he say he was brought here by a lady who loves drinking?"
"Yes," Jenna replied to the two questions with a single word.
Lumian immediately grew suspicious.
Apart from a few dancers, he only knew of two ladies who were quite fond of alcohol. The rest were just casual social drinkers.
One was Madame Hela, and the other was Madam Magician.
The former always carried multiple flasks of liquor with her, while the latter reveled in tasting various alcoholic beverages, and she could even summon a glass of wine from thin air and savor it.
Since the hunt for I Know Someone was a shared mission of the Tarot Club, and Madame Hela hadn't been informed about it, Lumian cautiously deduced that the boy had been brought to Trier by Madam Magician.
Combined with Franca's question about Jenna's "receiving good luck," Lumian believed that the boy possessed extraordinary abilities that could bestow good fortune upon others. Jenna, having experienced this stroke of luck, was naturally fortunate enough to cross paths with "I Know Someone."
As Lumian and Franca fell silent for what felt like minutes, Jenna's unease deepened.
"Is there really a problem with this situation?"
Lumian gazed thoughtfully at his companion and responded, "It's possible that your luck has taken a favorable turn today, starting with your act of buying ice-cream for that young boy."
Such exchanges of giving and receiving were not uncommon in the realm of Inevitability. For example, the enhancement of luck often required the recipient to willingly accept the medium and derive some benefit from it. Moreover, there had to be a subjective desire on their part to complete the luck-enhancing ritual.
Therefore, Lumian had a reasonable suspicion that the boy might be a Beyonder of the Monster Pathway, also known as the Fate Pathway. Through a subtle transaction involving ice-cream and the bestowal of good luck, he had orchestrated Jenna's encounter with I Know Someone.
The phrases like "I didn't know how to help, so I decided to wait here" or "Buy me ice-cream, and you'll have good luck" had all the mysterious signs of the Fate domain!
"That's right…" Franca had clearly considered this possibility.
Jenna immediately understood.
"Are you suggesting that this boy might be an exceptionally powerful Beyonder? That he granted me an abundance of good luck?
"But apart from encountering I Know Someone, I haven't felt anything extraordinary. I haven't stumbled upon any money or come across free items."
Franca sighed, explaining, "Meeting I Know Someone probably consumed all the good luck you were given."
Lumian abruptly stood up.
"I need to verify this."
He made his way into Franca's bedroom and closed the door behind him.
Franca speculated and replied, "He's going to write a letter."
"To Madame Hela?" Jenna knew that the woman had a messenger.
Franca couldn't give a clear answer. "Another lady."
In her bedroom, Lumian, who had tidied up the altar, promptly received a response from Madam Magician.
"So, that's how we found I Know Someone. Even as an Astrologer, I find this matter charlatanic.
"There's no need to doubt that it was indeed a helper we hired. We expended a considerable number of favors and a substantial amount of ice-cream.
"Since there's a result, take action. I'll keep an eye on you and help guard against any unforeseen incidents."
As expected… Lumian grinned.
From Madam Magician's words, he deduced that the boy wasn't a member of the Tarot Club. Hence, he wouldn't participate in shared missions without receiving some form of compensation, which in this case involved favors and ice-cream.
What the hell is up with ice-cream? Can such a powerful Beyonder be moved by ice-cream? Lumian found it absurd and amusing. However, he recalled Baron Brignais's godson, a rather peculiar individual who could be swayed by delectable treats.
This led him to wonder if Beyonders in a boy's form had similar "weaknesses."
Lumian pushed open the door and returned to the living room.
Nervously, Jenna stood up and inquired, "Did you confirm it?"
"He's a helper with the specific task of bestowing good luck, and your encounter with him was orchestrated by fate. By treating him to ice-cream, you'd chosen the correct path of destiny," Lumian responded, using the manner of a charlatan.
As a Beyonder with dominion over the Inevitability domain, he held a certain sway over fate.
"Phew…" Jenna let out a sigh of relief, her worries about falling into a trap dissipating.
Seeing Franca rise from her seat, Lumian produced the silver Lie earring with a smirk.
"Let's head to the asylum now. I can't wait."
"Very well," Franca replied, her inner thoughts sighing.
Ever since Ciel's arrival, she had been embroiled in constant battles.
It had been just a few days since Loki's attack!
…
In a four-wheeled, four-seater rental carriage en route to Quartier des Thermes, Lumian gazed out of the window at the black street lamp poles and furrowed his brow.
He muttered to himself in confusion, "Did Jenna truly spot I Know Someone?"
Franca and Jenna turned their attention to him, simultaneously recalling a similar situation:
From their hunt for the padre, Guillaume Bénet, they had encountered two substitutes in succession, and the actual Guillaume Bénet had turned out to be a large dog lounging by the side!
Franca lowered her voice and inquired, "Do you suspect it might be a substitute?"
Drawing lessons from past experiences and expanding their awareness was crucial. After witnessing the padre's clever deception, failing to consider such possibilities would signify their inadequacy in the Hunter and Demoness pathways.
Lumian pondered for a moment and whispered, "With his issue coming to light and the potential pursuit he might face, wouldn't I Know Someone be concerned that the 'pranks' of the past few months could become a lingering threat?
"If I were in his shoes and couldn't erase the corresponding traces, I'd leave Trier swiftly and return after some time. Yet, he hasn't done that.
"This suggests that he either possesses ample confidence that we won't locate him, or he has something of significance to accomplish in Trier. In that case, remaining in the shadows while presenting a substitute in plain sight would be a clever choice."
Jenna, puzzled, asked, "Could it be that he also wields Lie or the Substitution Spell you mentioned?"
Lumian chuckled.
"He may not have Lie, but the evil god he believes in governs the Seer domain and ranks as one of the most potent Faceless. With mastery of the corresponding ritualistic magic, he can beseech this deity to alter the appearance of a specific target."
It was akin to how members of the Tarot Club could summon creatures from the spirit realm in the name of Mr. Fool.
Using Faceless-related ritualistic magic to create a substitute while secretly monitoring in person… But why didn't he just change his appearance? Why resort to creating a substitute? It would make him virtually untraceable! Franca thought of a dangerous possibility.
Lumian nodded.
"If the individual in Delta Asylum is indeed a substitute, it implies that he serves as a trap and is intentionally using it to lure us in. I Know Someone will undoubtedly pay close attention to the eventual outcome.
"Consequently, either the extreme peril concealed within the substitute will not only ensnare the pursuer but also cause a significant disturbance, or the two individuals are intimately connected in some mystical manner.
"Don't be concerned about the first scenario. With a formidable lady guarding against mishaps, the ensuing possibilities will depend on you, Franca…"
If the person in the asylum turned out to be I Know Someone, the situation would be relatively straightforward.
…
Late at night, in a room on the third floor of Delta Asylum's eastern wing.
A pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the bedside table, reflecting the moonlight filtering into the room. The patient in the bed was fast asleep.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure opened the substantial door adorned with iron bars and quietly entered.
With a polite grip, the intruder gently shut the door, rendering the room impervious to external sounds.
The entire interior space seemed to be sealed.
-x-X-x-
Lumian harnessed the power of the Decency brooch, distorting the door and sealing the entire room.
The patient's eyes remained tightly shut, lost in a deep slumber. His facial features, hairstyle, and hair color undeniably matched those of I Know Someone.
As Lumian observed this slumbering figure, who had no realization of his intrusion, he began to suspect that this might be a substitute.
As suggested by Madam Magician's letter, I Know Someone was at least a Sequence 6 Hypnotist of the Psychiatrist pathway, with a slight chance of being a Sequence 5 Dreamwalker. On either pathway, these individuals were skilled observers, unlikely to sleep soundly in the presence of an intruder.
The conundrum now lay in discerning the trap with such a substitution.
Beneath the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains, the patient on the bed suddenly snapped open his eyes.
In those flaxen-colored eyes, Lumian's image was instantly mirrored.
Simultaneously, Lumian once more glimpsed the dark void, the countless twinkling stars, and the mysterious symbol that had come to life, forming an invisible door.
A voice resonated within his heart and ears, seemingly emanating from the depths of the void and the source of his consciousness.
"Pass through it. Pass through this formless door, and you will gain a transformative experience in your life and boundless knowledge…"
"Everyone possesses godhood and can hear the voice of this world's origin. To hear it clearly, you must open this invisible door and step inside…"
Lumian's head throbbed as he "witnessed" the gradual opening of the formless door. Each word from the voice transformed into a living, peculiar entity within his heart.
Once more, the voice echoed, its tone tinged with perplexity and confusion. It muttered to itself, "Where is the end of the world? What did the universe resemble at its inception…
"Which deity brought all of this into existence, and who created Him…
"What lies beyond the confines of the universe? How do other worlds differ…
"What sets human nature apart from godhood? Does true self-awareness equate to human nature or godhood…
"Where lies the demarcation between madness and reason? Is madness the ultimate destination for every living being…"
Lumian's head throbbed with agony as he absorbed these questions, a fusion of mystical contemplation and the pursuit of answers to profound philosophical queries. It was the first time in a long while that he felt the sensation of a steel drill boring into his skull, stirring his delicate brain.
Moreover, these questions triggered bizarre alterations in his spirituality and his surroundings.
Madness surged forth, as if probing the boundaries of sanity. The enveloping darkness seemed to take on human nature, visibly writhing. The bed before him and the floor beneath his feet gradually etched out bizarre patterns. Even though Lumian couldn't see them, his body was suddenly consumed by an intense itch, as if yearning to shed his outermost layer of skin…
"Is there something that surpasses all limitations and conceptual thinking…" the voice persisted in questioning the void.
Lumian found himself powerless to resist or halt this transformation. All he could do was witness it helplessly as an overwhelming terror descended, his head throbbing.
The colossal dendrite appeared as if it had sprung forth from a divine realm, and each silver-white "branch" emitted a crackling sound.
Rumble!
As the silver lightning struck the patient on the bed, Lumian was assaulted by a deafening thunderclap that reverberated through his eardrums and resonated within his soul.
The strange creature that had animated those thought-provoking questions convulsed his body, significantly easing the throbbing pain in his head, leaving behind only a disorienting sensation caused by the deafening roar.
A terrifying cascade of lightning surged across the patient on the bed, sending waves of agony and paralysis coursing through Lumian's skin, even though he stood a few steps away.
In the midst of this electric frenzy, a holy chant echoed faintly, as if proclaiming, "I came, I saw, I recorded." The ward darkened, as if it had been thrust into a mysterious realm, isolated from the outside world by some insurmountable force.
Lumian exhaled and shifted his gaze back to the bed. There, he beheld the patient's entire form transformed into a pitch-black, charcoal-like substance, emitting an eerie burnt odor.
The body, still clad in tattered hospital gown, bedsheets, and blanket, began to dissipate, morphing into a dark silhouette.
On the surface of this shadowy figure, cracks materialized, each adorned with mystical symbols and patterns. These formations resembled eyes or myriad mouths that incessantly opened and closed.
Before Lumian could fully fathom this transformation, his vision was flooded with pure, radiant, golden sunlight.
Once more, the ethereal, holy voice resonated in his ears.
When his vision settled back into normalcy, only a faint black mark remained on the scorched surface of the bed, twisting in an uncanny, serpent-like manner.
It's indeed a trap… Lumian mused, his lack of surprise evident.
He also deduced that both the patient and one of Loki's marionettes were recipients of the same evil god's boon based on the starry void and the formless door formed by wandering symbols. The substitute for I Know Someone clearly occupied a higher Sequence.
Had Loki and I Know Someone once targeted a secret organization that worshiped an evil deity?
This is the will of the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth? What did He seek to achieve?
Did this all somehow tie into I Know Someone's decision to remain in Trier?
Is this substitute merely a taunting jest aimed at those who pursue them?
I know you're on the hunt for me, and I'm aware of the clues you may uncover. Yet, I'm intentionally granting you a glimmer of hope?
Thoughts raced through Lumian's mind like lightning as he attempted to analyze the current situation from I Know Someone's perspective and extract clues about the fugitive's whereabouts.
Given the level of danger posed by the patient, Lumian deduced that both I Know Someone and Loki would have struggled to capture him alive and recruit him into their team.
With Loki possessing a marionette with a similar pathway, it seemed clear that the patient hadn't actively and consciously cooperated with them.
Leveraging his professional skills as a Psychiatrist, I Know Someone had likely skillfully guided the patient, fostering a sense of trust and camaraderie. Eventually, he reached a point where he could "convince" the patient, enabling him to perform a ritual and request a change in appearance.
Glancing at the iron-barred window, Lumian noticed that the deep darkness had receded. Crimson moonlight filtered through the relatively thin glass and bathed the ward in its glow.
Conversely, the darkness that had once been typical at Delta Asylum's periphery had intensified. The void seemed distorted, as if encased in a spherical barrier.
Madam Magician hadn't employed any additional abilities after dealing with the dangerous patient. She had merely concealed the entire asylum and its surrounding lawn.
It appeared as though she was implying that Lumian needed to handle this situation independently. She only assisted by preventing any disturbances from alerting Trier's official Beyonders.
Lumian breathed a sigh of relief. Starting from his search for Loki, he quickly filtered through the matters related to April Fool's.
Slowly, a conjecture formed, weaving together the pieces of the puzzle into a cohesive "narrative."
I Know Someone had once been connected to Delta Asylum, whether as a doctor, nurse, or patient. One day, he had stumbled upon a peculiar patient who incessantly posed profound philosophical questions.
Guided by the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, I Know Someone had initiated interactions with the patient. During this process, he had likely sensed the presence of an evil god's bestowed lurking around the patient. Consequently, with the assistance of Loki, they had driven away these problematic figures and gained control over the strange patient. Loki had even managed to gain a marionette.
Upon Loki's resurrection, I Know Someone, who had been alerted, had leveraged the patient's trust in him to perform ritualistic magic and beseech the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, resulting in his transformation into a substitute and a walking trap.
As for I Know Someone himself, he must have successfully altered his appearance; his whereabouts now unknown.
Amidst Lumian's frustration, he suddenly thought of something.
Jenna had indeed encountered the substitute for I Know Someone, thanks to good luck.
However, encountering a substitute, one designed as a trap, hardly constituted good luck.
This was unlucky!
That was unless they could somehow use the substitute to trace back to I Know Someone or if Jenna had encountered both the substitute and the real I Know Someone but failed to recognize or directly see him!
Both scenarios pointed toward a high probability that the elusive I Know Someone was still lurking within the asylum!
Even if the trap ultimately failed, pursuers would likely conclude that I Know Someone had long since relocated to a new hiding place.
Beneath an oil lamp lay the darkest and most easily overlooked spot!
With this revelation, Lumian acted swiftly. He spun around, heaved open the heavy door, and sprinted into the asylum's corridor.
With a resounding crash, he burst through a window at the stairwell's corner, landing on the lawn encircled by the main building and its adjoining structures.
Simultaneously, he employed the Niese Face to transform into the patient he had encountered earlier.
In a commanding voice, Lumian bellowed his questions to the cosmos from the lawn:
"Where is the end of the world? What did the universe resemble at its inception…
"Which deity brought all of this into existence, and who created Him…"
His voice resonated throughout the asylum, reaching into every room.
A few seconds later, Franca's voice echoed in Lumian's ears.
"There's an abnormality in the doctor's duty room and the nurse's workstation on the first floor, as well as in the first ward on the third floor near the west wing."
Upon hearing his companion's report, Lumian couldn't help but chuckle.
He pressed his hands against the void before him, instantly igniting crimson flames.
The flames spread swiftly, illuminating the invisible spiderwebs that enshrouded the entire building.
These intricate layers of spiderwebs extended into every room, diligently monitoring the movements of all its inhabitants.
This complex setup had consumed nearly half of Franca's spirituality and required a significant amount of time to prepare and maintain.
The crimson flames transformed into three blazing serpents, each colossal in size, which slithered through the spiderwebs toward the doctor's duty room and nurse's workstation on the first floor, as well as the ward on the third floor.
-x-X-x-
The blazing serpents reflected in the eyes of the doctor on duty, the three night nurses, and the patient who had woken up. Fear appeared on their faces, and they turned around in various panicked movements. As they fled in the opposite direction of the flames, they shouted, "Fire! Fire!"
As their voices echoed, the flaming serpents burned the invisible threads of spider silk, accompanied by a scorching wind formed by the clash of cold and heat. It pursued them relentlessly, blocking the exit from the room and forcing them into a corner.
The five of them acted normally. They darted around, searching for a safe escape, wrapping themselves in blankets, and attempting to force their way through the wall of flames. They also rushed to another window, with the intention of jumping down.
It seemed Lumian had misjudged the situation. Any abnormal movements didn't necessarily mean I Know Someone. If this continued, he risked incinerating five innocent people.
However, the three crimson flaming serpents showed no hesitation. They continued to pursue the doctor on duty, the night nurses, and the mental patient, emanating an icy, ruthless madness that showed no regard for human life.
As the blazing serpents closed in on their targets, a few of them began to show signs of despair. The patient on the third-floor ward suddenly halted and turned around.
Grayish-white, stone-like scales sprouted on his once ordinary face, covering his skin that was not concealed by the blue-and-white-striped hospital gown.
In an instant, he transformed into a horrifying, lizard-like figure. The grayish-white scales resisted the scorching flames and aided him in breaking through the barrier of the crimson serpent.
Sensing this transformation through the flames, Lumian's lips curled into an eerie grin.
According to the information provided in Madam Magician's letter, Beyonders of the Spectator pathway at Sequence 6 Hypnotist would gain an ability known as Dragon Scales. This ability allowed them to manifest grayish-white scales on their skin, greatly reducing and resisting damage.
This ability was closely tied to the Spectator pathway's Mythical Creature form, as every high-ranking Spectator ultimately transformed into a dragon—a mind dragon!
The appearance of Dragon Scales confirmed that the patient in the west wing on the third floor was at least a Sequence 6 Beyonder of the Spectator pathway. Combined with the trap and his unusual movements, the patient's identity became evident—I Know Someone!
Lumian activated the black mark on his right shoulder and used his ability to traverse the spirit world, instantly appearing in the ward.
During this hunt, he refrained from wearing the Lie earring or carrying the Flog boxing gloves. This was because his adversary was a formidable Psychiatrist, and any openings in his emotions or desires could be easily exploited.
As Lumian's figure vanished from the lawn, the crimson fire serpents, which had expanded from consuming flammable materials in the doctor's duty room and nurse's workstation, abruptly dissipated. They transformed into glimmering specks of light that disappeared before the faces of the despairing and terrified onlookers.
Apart from the charred remnants of various items, there was little evidence of the inferno they had narrowly escaped.
On the third floor of Delta Asylum, Lumian emerged from a room adjacent to the west wing. His gaze locked onto the patient, whose body was covered in grayish-white scales, and whose eyes emitted a faint golden hue.
He didn't exchange pleasantries or make inquiries. Instead, he opened his mouth and let out a sharp exclamation: "Ha!"
An imperceptible yellow beam shot forth from Lumian's mouth, aimed at the suspected I Know Someone.
However, at a distance of two to three meters, the pale-yellow aura beam by the Spell of Harrumph brushed past the Beyonder and struck the iron-barred glass window behind him.
This was one of a Hypnotist's Beyonder abilities. It could forcefully hypnotize an enemy in battle, causing them to act irrationally or make incorrect judgments. However, such actions couldn't directly harm the hypnotized person, and the effect would wear off quickly as they regained their senses.
Seizing the opportunity, I Know Someone's light-gold eyes widened, reflecting Lumian's male Aurore form.
Lumian's head jerked backward, as if caught in a whirlwind.
His emotions swirled with a mixture of joy and hatred. Crimson flames surged beneath his skin, and his eyes glinted with a sinister madness.
Frenzy!
This was a Psychiatrist's Beyonder ability designed to trigger intense emotions and destabilize the target's mental state, causing them to enter a Frenzied state and suffer severe mental damage. If the target had existing psychological issues or strong emotions, they might even lose control when subjected to Frenzy.
Before undergoing psychiatric treatment from Madam Susie and Madam Justice, encountering I Know Someone in this state could send Lumian spiraling into madness, turning him into a monstrous figure.
At that moment, magma-like blood dripped from his nose. His mind was in disarray, and he instinctively took deep breaths, temporarily losing the ability to execute his planned moves.
I Know Someone refrained from launching another attack on Lumian at that moment. Firstly, causing the other party to lose control or perish would lead to the immediate release of the high-level creature sealed within his body, a sight that could drive even a Beyonder below the demigod level to mental and physical collapse. Secondly, since Muggle's brother was present, it was likely that Hidden Blade wasn't far away. The invisible spider silk that had been ignited was likely her handiwork.
In this dire situation, I Know Someone's first instinct was to swiftly exit the battlefield, escape Delta Asylum, and find a place to conceal himself once more.
In an instant, he retrieved a broken arrow from the pocket of his blue-and-white-striped hospital gown.
The broken arrow looked ancient, with an obsidian-like arrowhead at its tip, adorned with mysterious patterns.
With a squelching sound, I Know Someone thrust the obsidian arrow into his own chest.
The item sprang to life, greedily absorbing the crimson blood that flowed forth.
I Know Someone immediately sprinted toward the tightly sealed door, leaving behind an afterimage.
Despite the grayish-white Dragon Scales covering his face, he exuded an uncanny charm, as if he had transformed into a dashing young dragon.
This was the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty. By piercing it into his chest and feeding it his blood, it temporarily transformed I Know Someone into a Vampire. This granted him extraordinary speed, accelerated regeneration, and a few spell-like abilities.
Bang!
As I Know Someone pushed open the heavy, solid door of the asylum ward, he failed to dart into the corridor. He collided with an ice barrier that had formed at some point.
Amidst the sounds of cracking and shattering, the ice wall crumbled, but it also caused I Know Someone to lose his balance and tumble to the ground.
Most of the shattered ice failed to penetrate his Dragon Scales. Only a handful managed to breach his defenses, leaving traces of blood in their wake.
Thanks to the Vampire's rapid regenerative abilities, the minor injuries swiftly began to heal.
I Know Someone saw no need to rise to his feet. As his light-gold eyes flickered, invisible waves radiated from him, enveloping the surroundings.
Awe!
This was a Psychiatrist's Awe, also referred to as Dragon Might or Mass Chaos. It had the power to instantly induce panic in a single target or all living beings within its range, plunging them into chaos.
Relying on Dragon Might to maintain control of the situation, I Know Someone agilely leaped up, intending to put some distance between himself and Franca as he sprinted down the corridor.
He refrained from attacking her at this moment because he understood that Demonesses possessed abilities like Mirror Substitution and Staff Substitution. Trying to kill her or cripple her combat abilities with a single strike would only delay his escape.
As he vaulted out of the shattered ice, I Know Someone caught a glimpse of the ward, now empty.
Lumian Lee appeared to have recovered from the effects of Frenzy and used teleportation to evade Awe's influence in the nick of time!
Just as this realization crossed I Know Someone's mind, he saw the male version of Aurore—Lumian—materialize in front of him.
Without hesitation, I Know Someone's golden eyes focused on Lumian, preparing to cast Awe once more.
In the next moment, Lumian's figure vanished again.
He had employed Spirit World Traversal twice in quick succession!
Almost simultaneously, I Know Someone's pupils dilated, and a shiver ran down his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
This time, Lumian's destination was behind him.
It was akin to Blink!
Lumian's figure instantly materialized behind I Know Someone, witnessing a dense black fog emanating from the latter's body, an attempt to evade to the side of the corridor.
Too slow! Lumian harrumphed, sending two white beams of light shooting from his nostrils to encompass the area ahead.
I Know Someone couldn't evade and was struck by the white beams as he was thrown to the ground, tumbling twice.
Lumian breathed heavily, feeling drained as his head throbbed with pain.
Three consecutive "teleportations" and two rounds of using the Spell of Harrumph and other abilities had completely sapped his energy.
If it hadn't been for the substantial amount of Pyromaniac potion he had digested compared to when he hunted the padre, sustaining this level of expenditure would have been extremely challenging.
Franca, who had recovered from Awe, approached and shook her head in disapproval.
"No need for all that. It's not like you don't have assistance."
Why go all out when help was available?
Even if the Major Arcana card holders hadn't been lurking in the shadows, and even if I Know Someone had managed to escape the asylum, wouldn't he have left behind some blood that could be used for a curse?
Lumian didn't respond, making his way over to the unconscious form of I Know Someone.
-x-X-x-
Staring at the unconscious enemy in the corridor, Lumian refrained from an immediate attack. He squatted down in silence.
He retrieved a bottle of sedative obtained from the Bliss Society's Rentas, unscrewed the cap, and brought it to the patient's nose.
Franca glanced over and advised, "Remove the broken arrow from his chest first. Otherwise, I think his body can handle most of the sedative's effects."
The grayish-white stone-like scales on the Beyonder suspected to be I Know Someone slowly dissipated due to the unconsciousness in spirituality brought about by the Spell of Harrumph.
Lumian nodded and used the hand holding the bottle cap to carefully remove the obsidian arrow.
Franca breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "The question now is how do we confirm if this guy is the real I Know Someone.
"A powerful Hypnotist can manipulate a Beyonder of the same pathway and Sequence, altering their self-awareness and making them believe they are 'I Know Someone.' They can substitute the real deal to appear in all sorts of occasions, completing different pranks and fight any adversaries.
"F*ck, why does it seem more troublesome than dealing with a Marionettist!?"
What Franca meant was that the enemy in front of her might also be a victim, someone whose perceptions had been altered to make them believe they were "I Know Someone."
This possibility couldn't be ruled out, so she wasn't capable of steeling herself to kill him before channeling his spirit.
Furthermore, Lumian's remaining truth serum wouldn't work in this case. The hypnotized person would only tell what they believed to be true.
Lumian screwed the cap back onto the sedative bottle and thought for a moment before suggesting, "Let's set up a ritual and seek confirmation from Mr. Fool. Since Loki can use Celestial Worthy's help to locate members of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society within a certain range, we can employ a similar method to activate the special aura on I Know Someone. If it's there, he's real. If not, he's fake."
"What if he's a member of the Research Society who was captured by Loki and I Know Someone? In the past, several people went missing without their deaths being confirmed, including some Psychiatrists." Franca began to suspect the source of I Know Someone's Beyonder characteristics that allowed him to advance to Sequence 7.
Research Society members they had hunted?
Lumian pondered for a moment and replied, "In that case, let Jenna in. She might still have some lingering good luck in this aspect. If she doesn't encounter anyone else, it proves that the unconscious one is I Know Someone.
"You're responsible for protecting Jenna…"
Before Lumian could finish, Madam Magician's voice echoed in his ears, "There's no need to go through so much trouble."
Crouching in front of the unconscious person, Lumian sensed the space around him come alive, contracting inward and swallowing the Beyonder suspected to be I Know Someone.
"Wow," Franca exclaimed, and Lumian slowly stood up.
The two of them waited patiently. In just 20 to 30 seconds, the Beyonder in the blue-and-white-striped hospital gown was ejected from the void.
Immediately after, they heard Madam Magician's response: "It's 'I Know Someone.'"
…
Beneath the crimson moon in the sky, the Delta Asylum loomed, its darkness even denser and curved into an eerie arc compared to the surrounding night.
On the rooftop of the three-story grayish-blue building, the shadowy Magician turned to her companion and said, "Apart from the lunatic, there are no hidden dangers or traps.
"Did I overreact and overestimate the situation?"
Justice, resembling a dream, replied calmly, "There's nothing wrong with your choice. It's never wrong no matter how much importance you attach to matters related to that Celestial Worthy.
"Only by paying enough attention each time can we avoid being suddenly deceived and falling into a true trap."
Magician nodded slightly, closed the notebook in her hand, and cast her gaze towards the third-floor corridor which wasn't in her line of sight.
…
Upon hearing Madam Magician's conclusion, Lumian let out a chuckle.
He put away the remaining half of the sedative and turned to Franca, saying, "We can let Jenna in now."
Franca nodded and disappeared into the shadows along the corridor.
Lumian looked down at the seemingly ordinary I Know Someone, his eyes deep and a sly smile on his lips.
The effects of the Spell of Harrumph should have worn off long ago, but the Bliss Society's sedative was still doing its job.
Considering I Know Someone's physique, this sedative wouldn't last much longer. However, Lumian was prepared for this moment.
At that very instant, the Delta Asylum was in chaos due to the fire and shouting. Particularly on the first floor, the commotion was intense. The duty doctor and a few burly guards patrolled the area to ensure that no tinder remnants remained.
Meanwhile, Jenna and Franca skillfully navigated through the shadows and ascended to the third floor.
Lumian took a sheepskin from Guillaume Bénet, the padre, and spread it on the ground.
He carefully wrapped I Know Someone in it.
After a brief contemplation, Lumian raised the obsidian arrow in his hand and plunged it into I Know Someone's left eye.
The excruciating pain jolted I Know Someone awake, and his left eye turned bloodshot.
Almost simultaneously, he heard a sinister chuckle.
"Sheep!"
Amidst the echoing Hermes words, I Know Someone, cocooned in the ritual sheepskin, was instantly engulfed by dark light, rendering him powerless.
When the dark light finally subsided, he had transformed into a grayish-white sheep.
Lumian withdrew the obsidian arrow from the crushed eyeball and swiftly plunged it into I Know Someone's right eye.
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the room as Lumian pulled out the arrow. He pressed down on the struggling "sheep" with one hand and stroked its head with the other, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
"Now, we can finally have a good chat."
While Lumian engaged in this whispering conversation, he tossed the obsidian arrow to Jenna.
Next, Lumian produced an ordinary bottle of wound medicine and meticulously applied it to I Know Someone's blood-colored eye socket. He wrapped the other party's eyes in layers of white bandages he had prepared.
Only then did I Know Someone, who had awakened from his coma and was enduring intense pain, regained some composure. He attempted to use his abilities, but to no avail.
Franca and Jenna watched Lumian intently as he continued to tend to the transformed sheep, I Know Someone, feeling a mix of curiosity and unease. Initially, Jenna had wanted to assist Lumian in extracting information or exacting revenge, but now, she felt that this scenario was enough.
She shifted her attention to the obsidian broken arrow in her hand but noticed no negative effects. She wondered if it was one of the mystical items Franca had mentioned before.
As Lumian retrieved a brownish-yellow twine he had prepared in advance and began to wrap it around the sheep's neck, the duty doctor, alerted by the sheep's bleating, arrived on the third floor with several burly guards.
Franca and Jenna swiftly concealed themselves in the shadows, while Lumian, disguised as Aurore, calmly turned and led the sheep to the end of the corridor.
Crimson flames erupted from Lumian's body, which had regained some of its spirituality, and blazed fiercely in the corridor.
The duty doctor and the guards dared not approach, witnessing a figure walking through the flames, heading to the end of the annex corridor.
The figure was also guiding a sheep. It resisted, unwilling to leave, but the rope around its neck forced it to move forward.
After being dragged on the ground for a while, the sheep, its neck tightening and its breathing becoming labored, finally stood up and followed.
By the time the flames in the corridor abruptly extinguished, sparing any damage to the adjacent rooms, the doctor on duty and the guards had lost all trace of the man and the sheep.
Am I hallucinating… The situation was so odd and unbelievable that these individuals shared the same thoughts.
Meanwhile, the charred corridor stood as evidence that a fire had indeed occurred, miraculously without harming anyone.
Leaving a guard to report the incident to the nearest police headquarters, the duty doctor returned to his office on the first floor in a bewildered state.
As he sank into his chair, he couldn't help but wonder, Could it be that the infernal being associated with fire has emerged from the abyss? Is its signature to lead a sheep? Is this the embodiment of flames?
His thoughts grew more fantastical with each passing moment, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he should have gone straight to the cathedral to consult the bishops and padres rather than involve the police.
Knock, knock, knock!
He heard a knock on the door.
The doctor on duty jolted in his chair. He straightened up and responded with a deep voice, "Come in, please."
As the door creaked open, the doctor's eyes froze.
It was the blond devil, accompanied by the sheep with its eyes wrapped in white bandages, and its grayish-white face stained with blood.
"I need to trouble you with something," Lumian said calmly as he led I Know Someone into the doctor's office. "My sheep exhibits severe anti-human tendencies and extreme violence. I want to treat its mental illness."
How… Before he could formulate a response, the handsome blond devil inquired, "Do you know how to perform a lobotomy?"
"Yes, a little," the doctor on duty replied subconsciously. "But it's a sheep…"
Could the brain structure be the same?
As he contemplated this, he watched the sheep struggle frantically in its bindings, unable to escape.
Lumian chuckled.
"It doesn't matter. We can give it a try. It's just a sheep. If it dies, so be it. We can still roast it."
With that, he dragged the unruly sheep toward a nearby treatment table, using his hands and feet to pin it down.
If the patient had been human, the doctor, lacking experience and prohibited from performing a lobotomy, would never have dared to attempt it. However, because it was a sheep, he had no reservations.
In an effort to avoid antagonizing the arsonist devil and cooperate while awaiting the arrival of the police, the doctor on duty cautiously approached the treatment table.
He said hesitantly, "I need an ice pick."
His intention was to create an excuse to go to the ice warehouse and distance himself from the arsonist devil. However, just as he finished speaking, a hand emerged from the shadows, offering him a sharp icicle.
W-what's going on… In his shock, the doctor vaguely heard the words, "No need to thank me."
Numbly, he accepted the thin icicle and unwrapped the white bandage covering the sheep's head.
The sheep's struggle intensified.
Assessing the damage to its eye sockets, the doctor on duty inserted the thin, sharp icicle through the crack and carefully manipulated it, stirring its brain's frontal lobe.
After a few moments of struggle, the grayish-white sheep abruptly fell silent.
-x-X-x-
After the surgery, the blind sheep stepped off the treatment table, calm and docile, no longer resisting. The duty doctor felt like he was in a dream.
The doctor watched in a daze as the arsonist devil guided the blind sheep—now cured of its mental illness—out of the room and disappeared into the crimson moonlit night.
Wherever they went, crimson flames ignited the white bandages and barely visible fur.
In the blazing flames, black fire flowed like a river, "cleansing" away the remaining icicles, footprints, and any other traces.
The doctor felt no immediate danger and watched in a daze, as if enjoying a spectacular fireworks show.
After an unknown amount of time, all the flames subsided. The guard who had been dispatched returned to the Delta Asylum with a group of black-uniformed police officers.
"Why did it take you so long?" the doctor blurted out instinctively.
The leading officer cursed angrily, "Son of a bitch, we were ambushed in the shadows on the way here. Someone was shooting at us from the darkness!"
…
In Apartment 601, 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches, in the market district.
After securing I Know Someone to one of the dining table's sturdy legs, Lumian paid the sheep no mind. He lay on the sofa in the living room and pretended to be asleep.
His appearance had been altered back by Lie, and the Decency brooch had long been taken off.
Franca glanced at the sheep, which stood silently and didn't attempt to escape with the dining table, and asked, "Aren't we going to interrogate him now?"
She avoided looking at Lumian because he had become so irritating that she felt like punching him. Even the sheep, now a pacifist, was eager to do the same.
Lumian's voice remained calm as he replied, "I'll question him once I've regained my spirituality."
That makes sense. It's safer this way. After all, I Know Someone is now a sheep with his frontal lobe removed. He can't use his abilities or put up resistance… Franca, dressed in an Assassin suit, averted her gaze and headed to her bedroom to avoid losing control of her hands, black flames, frost, or spider silk.
She wasn't worried that any accidents might occur prior to the interrogation, leading to I Know Someone's bizarre death or him turning into a monster due to losing control. Madam Magician and the Major Arcana card holder had already confirmed I Know Someone's identity. They must have seized the opportunity to obtain the most important information.
Jenna, holding the broken obsidian arrow, approached the divan with a warped expression.
"Your trophy."
She offered the obsidian arrow to Lumian, who hadn't yet closed his eyes.
Lumian didn't take it and calmly said, "This is your reward for your good luck.
Why does he sound like a circus fortune-teller… Jenna didn't refuse. After mumbling to herself, she quickly turned around and entered Franca's bedroom.
It had to be said that after her companion advanced to Demoness of Pleasure, even as a woman, she would blush and feel her ears heat up when she saw her change her clothes.
After changing into comfortable home clothes, Franca used Magic Mirror Divination to get a rough understanding of the name, abilities, and negative effects of the obsidian arrow.
"Name: Arrow of the Bloodthirsty.
"Ability: Plunge it into the chest where the heart and let it absorb blood. The user will gain potent self-healing and regeneration abilities, along with exceptional physical attributes. Whether it's speed, agility, the ability to communicate with animals, vision, smell, or hearing, they will all be greatly enhanced. Their charisma will also receive a significant boost.
"In addition, the user will gain Dark domain spell-like abilities such as Abyss Shackles, Claw of Corrosion, and Wings of Darkness.
"Negative effects:
"While in use, you will despise sunlight and crave blood.
"Your blood will be continuously drained by the item until you succumb to excessive blood loss. You must constantly monitor your condition and remove the broken arrow in time.
"The more you use it, the more likely it is to cause subtle changes in your body. If these accumulate beyond a limit, it might even lead to bodily collapse. Note: Try not to use it for more than three minutes at a time. It's best to use it with intervals of more than three days. This way, your body will have a chance to recover and prevent any mutations.
"Avoid using it during a full moon. While it can enhance your condition, it can also easily lead to illusions and danger."
"Not a bad mystical item," Franca praised sincerely as she handed the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty back to Jenna. "Carrying it doesn't have any negative effects. Such a mystical item could fetch over 40,000 verl d'or at various mysticism gatherings."
Holding the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty, Jenna pondered and said, "If I give it to you, will that settle the debt I owe you?"
She believed she owed Franca 30,000 verl d'or.
Franca chuckled.
"Don't worry. This Arrow of the Bloodthirsty can significantly boost your strength, providing you with true self-preservation abilities. You can sell it later once your Sequence has advanced to the point where it's no longer useful.
"Take your time paying back the money you owe me. There's no rush."
Jenna fell silent for a few moments before nodding in agreement.
…
Lumian slept until 6 a.m., feeling refreshed but still with a slight throbbing in his head.
As he sat up and looked around, he noticed that the sheep I Know Someone had transformed into was standing quietly by the dining table, its empty eye sockets filled with dried blood.
Lumian chuckled.
He led the sheep into the living room and poured the remaining truth serum into its mouth.
With that task completed, Lumian recited an incantation in Hermes.
"His Grace."
A dark light flashed, and the grayish-white sheepskin split open, revealing I Know Someone's body in a blue-and-white-striped hospital gown.
Lumian guided him to a chair and had him sit down. Staring into his empty blood-red eye sockets, he smiled and sighed.
"As I mentioned yesterday, we can finally have a good chat."
The calm I Know Someone remained silent.
Lumian retreated to the sofa and sat down. He patiently waited for the truth serum to take effect before asking, "What's your name, what was your original occupation, and why were you in the Delta Asylum?"
He began with the simplest questions, using the truth serum to guide the other's instinctive responses.
I Know Someone's voice was unremarkable, yet strangely compelling.
"My name is Pierre Theuriau. I was originally one of the deputy editors of Basic Medicine.
"I once mentioned that I know someone who ended up in an asylum due to negligence and overconfidence. Well, that someone was me. I was obsessed with manipulating the minds of others and didn't pay enough attention to my own issues. One day, I just lost my mind.
"When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself in the Delta Asylum. Fortunately, I was only mentally unstable and didn't completely lose control. I still had some sense of self-preservation and didn't unleash my Beyonder powers recklessly. If I had, they would have sent me to the Inquisition."
The person you mentioned is indeed yourself… After discovering that "I Know Someone" was hiding in the asylum, Lumian gained a new understanding of what he had said back then.
He pressed further, "Now that you've regained your consciousness and the ability to think, why do you choose to remain in the Delta Asylum?"
I Know Someone didn't show any mockery or amusement. He answered calmly, "I find the asylum fascinating. The thought patterns, mental states, and mental constructs of the patients here are significantly different from those of ordinary people. They deserve observation, research, and analysis.
"Moreover, some of them have gone mad due to illness, while others have become mentally unstable due to other factors. The latter group includes individuals who have come into contact with the mysterious and abnormal."
"Including the one that posed as you?" Lumian asked, seeking confirmation.
I Know Someone nodded slowly.
"Yes, he's quite special. I've been observing him for a long time. He's like a philosopher, constantly posing unusual questions. Patients close to him, nurses who care for him, and even doctors who treat him have gradually shifted toward his mental state. There were also guardians with hidden supernatural abilities lurking around him.
"We dealt with the guardians and worked to gain his trust. Everything went smoothly. We learned that they are part of an organization called the Entry Persons and practice a secretive ritual known as Midoro's Worship. It allows one's Astral Projection to ascend to various heavenly domains and witness extraordinary phenomena. They can touch the fringes of immortality and gain knowledge and corresponding abilities, enabling them to undergo a fundamental transformation behind the formless door."
Entry Persons… Formless door… Lumian memorized the information and continued asking,
"After Loki's resurrection and his given warning, why didn't you immediately flee Trier?"
I Know Someone's response lacked any emotion as he said, "How lame would that be? We'd have to eliminate a few pursuers before making our escape."
So that's the reason… Lumian thought there must be something significant that had kept I Know Someone in Trier.
"Then why didn't you go into hiding somewhere else?"
I Know Someone replied calmly,"I want to witness the despair and suffering of those chasing me."
Using my life for amusement… Lumian couldn't help but chuckle.
"Do you not realize the strength of the Tarot Club?"
I Know Someone pondered for a moment and then said, "The secret organization that uses tarot cards as their code names? What do they have to do with you?"
Upon hearing this, Lumian burst into laughter as he bent over, his amusement clearly exaggerated.