Chapter 381: Elimination |
Lumian carefully examined the pocket watch, ensuring that there were no mechanical issues.
He hadn't bumped or jostled it in the past hour, so there should be no reason for it to malfunction.
Ever since I calibrated my pocket watch, the only odd occurrence had been the fugue state and the faint ringing of a bell when I left the Alone Bar. Additionally, there is one less monocle-wearing guard at the entrance of Salle de Bal Unique. Could there be a connection between these events and the sudden one-minute slowdown of my pocket watch? Lumian pondered this seriously, trying to come up with possible explanations.
He planned to write and inquire with Madam Magician once he returned to the market district.
Normally, he wouldn't bother his Major Arcana card holder with such minor issues, but the pocket watch's abnormality had likely started on Rue Ancienne. Moreover, there had been changes in Salle de Bal Unique's Amons. These were reasons to be cautious.
Lumian stowed his pocket watch away. When the public carriage came to a stop, he swiftly disembarked and turned into a nearby street, keeping a vigilant eye on the people and animals passing by.
He changed public carriages three times, each leading to different destinations, attempting to identify and elude any potential pursuers.
This was the self-cultivation of a Hunter.
He also swapped his brown jacket for a dark vest that he had kept in his satchel, transforming himself back into Ciel Dubois as he returned to Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman.
Lumian breathed a sigh of relief after sending the letter to Madam Magician, detailing his experiences with the fugue state, the faint bell chimes, and the alterations in Salle de Bal Unique's guards.
Whenever he visited Rue Ancienne, even though he never encountered a genuine disaster, he always felt an unsettling and inexplicable fear gripping his heart.
The puppet messenger swiftly returned with a reply from Madam Magician.
"Your instincts are keen and accurate.
"The fugue you experienced and the bell chimes you heard were the result of Mr. Fool's Angel of Time. He located his target and obliterated Salle de Bal Unique along with all the Amons in Trier. The reason your pocket watch slowed down by a minute was also a consequence of this clash.
"In the near future, you needn't concern yourself with what Amon might do to you. Nevertheless, you should be aware that dealing with such a Mythical Creature is far from simple, and they cannot be completely annihilated. There are still numerous Amons lurking in the various countries of the Northern and Southern Continents, and a few might even be concealed beneath Trier, beyond the reach of angelic powers."
As Lumian read Madam Magician's response, he was momentarily stunned.
That brief fugue he had experienced indicated a battle on an angelic scale?
Had he not recently calibrated his pocket watch, he might not have gathered any substantial evidence!
And if it weren't for the angelic Termiboros sealed within him, he might have suffered the same fate as Leah—unable to hear the bell or even be in a fugue state!
Is this the might of an angel? The confrontation between the Angel of Time and Amon had not affected the ordinary people in the vicinity. Otherwise, the residents of Rue Ancienne would have died without even realizing it…
The pocket watch had fallen a minute behind… During my momentary fugue, an angel-level battle had unfolded… The Angel of Time, Mr. Fool's Angel of Time, possesses true mastery over time…
Once one crosses the threshold into divinity, their array of abilities take on a mystical quality. The Circle Inhabitant's repetitive loop, the Concealment power of the Evernight pathway, Madam Magician's Door of Starlight, and now the Angel of Time's bell chimes—all of these surpass my wildest imagination… For the first time, Lumian didn't long for the power of a High-Sequence Beyonder solely to resurrect his sister.
It was an innate yearning.
Lumian's spirits lifted at the prospect of no longer living in fear of Amons suddenly emerging from the shadows and thrusting him into peril. He offered genuine praise to Mr. Fool and the Angel of Time, as well as his Major Arcana card holder, Madam Magician.
With a sense of relief, he incinerated the reply and made his way to Apartment 601, 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches.
Franca was waiting for his return with information about the Alone Bar and Loki.
"Good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?" he inquired, still grinning, as he closed the door.
Franca sized him up.
"You seem rather cheerful…
"The good news is that you've found leads on Loki?
"The bad news is that we lack the strength to continue investigating?"
"Neither." Lumian seized Franca's reclining chair.
Franca was taken aback. She hadn't expected Lumian to be so shameless.
Before Franca could voice her surprise, Lumian continued, "The good news is that Mr. Fool's Angel of Time has taken action. Salle de Bal Unique and all of Trier's Amons have been wiped out. If Loki shows up at the next gathering, it means he hasn't been Parasitized by an Amon."
"The bad news is that the copy of the information you bought was indeed created using a mechanical typewriter in the cellar of the Alone Bar. However, we can't continue our investigation while in Bureau 8's territory. I'm quite certain that it's Bureau 8's stronghold."
Leah was already working there as a bartender.
Franca's expression shifted between excitement and concern.
"Did you see Mr. Fool's Angel of Time? But why didn't I sense any obvious developments in Trier…
"Indeed, whether Loki is a member of Bureau 8 or not, asking directly about anyone who has recently used that mechanical typewriter will result in us being targeted by Bureau 8. And finding an excuse to use that typewriter to attempt divination with the last user might point to some members of Bureau 8 or even saints.
"There must be a High-Sequence Beyonder overseeing Bureau 8's stronghold diagonally opposite Salle de Bal Unique!"
Franca, her attention diverted to serious matters, forgot to ask Lumian to leave her exclusive seat.
Lumian recounted the minute delay in his pocket watch and Madam Magician's reply, leaving Franca amazed and fascinated.
After mentioning the Angel of Time, Lumian pondered for a moment and said, "Loki didn't conceal his appearance well at the gathering. I suspect he possesses abilities similar to Niese Face or Lie."
Franca nodded.
"If he's truly an official member of Bureau 8, I believe he's a Beyonder of the Seer pathway. He's at least a Sequence 6 Faceless. Your Lie corresponds to this Sequence. Yes, many Beyonders in Bureau 8 are from the Seer pathway."
Above Magician is Faceless? After Lumian obtained Lie, he suspected that it belonged to the Seer pathway, but he didn't know the corresponding Sequence name.
"That's right. This pathway becomes bizarre and difficult to kill after Sequence 7 Magician. It excels at transformations. At Sequence 5, its abilities are even more terrifying. It can silently turn a person into a puppet without a sense of self. Its name is Marionettist." Franca, who had entered the world of mysticism and joined the Tarot Club earlier than Lumian, clearly possessed more information about the pathways of the divine.
After Lumian conversed with Franca about the Seer pathway, the two of them fell into a dilemma about how to find Loki in reality.
Just then, brisk footsteps echoed upstairs before Jenna opened the door to Apartment 601.
She glanced at Lumian, who was sitting in the recliner, and Franca, who was standing beside him, and asked in confusion, "What are you guys talking about?"
"We're pondering over a conundrum," Lumian clarified, informing Jenna that he and Franca were in trouble tracking an enemy with the code name Loki. Finally, he asked, "Any ideas?"
Jenna shook her head in amusement. "You've rejected all the solutions I can think of."
Without waiting for her companions to speak, she said thoughtfully, "Ciel, put yourself in Loki's shoes. Think of yourself as someone who likes to tease others. Think of everything that happened from their perspective and see if you can find any clues. Don't you also like pranks? You should have something in common with them."
My pranks are quite different from theirs… Lumian didn't say it out loud. He tried to recall his motives, thoughts, and changes in mentality during the pranks to analyze the actions and motives of the April Fool's team.
After a moment, he furrowed his brow.
"All pranks are meant to bring joy when the target is embarrassed or suffers a blow. Those people used my sister as a target for pranks, but they can't confirm the final outcome, so it's difficult for them to obtain true joy…
"Similarly, how are they going to track Franca's movements and witness her tragic end by instigating her to explore the underground? You have to know that even if Franca never goes to the mysticism gathering again, she might have encountered an accident due to something else."
The three people in the room pondered this question.
If a prankster failed to witness the end of a prank, they would lack a sense of accomplishment and the expected joy. How could Loki and the others determine Aurore or Franca's encounter?
After a while, Lumian said in a deep voice, "Either the prank is a cover-up, and they have an ulterior motive, or they have a way to monitor the corresponding target."
Franca suddenly felt a chill down her spine and subconsciously surveyed the room.
"What way?" Jenna asked on her behalf.
Lumian shook his head slowly. "I don't know. This might be a lead."
Amidst the alternations between silence and discussion, the three of them couldn't come up with an answer, so they could only put this matter aside for the time being.
On his way back to Salle de Bal Brise, Lumian gazed at the afternoon sun and probed, "Temiboros, can I find Loki through the Prophecy Spell?"
Termiboros's magnificent voice resounded, "After you left Rue Ancienne, if you hadn't done any anti-tracking, you would have encountered Loki."
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