Chapter 403: Drawing From Experience |
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.
Yet, in almost the same instant, she recalled how she'd acted around Hugues Artois. With that memory in mind, she controlled her neck, shifting her gaze away with a slow, natural motion.
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. n-(01n
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.
"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…"
She recounted how she had come across a lost boy and treated him to a cup of vanilla ice-cream. She had also found constables to watch over him. Finally, she inquired with uncertainty,
"There shouldn't be anything unusual about that, right?"
Franca mumbled to herself, "Did the boy mention anything about you receiving good luck?"
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.
Curious, Jenna asked Franca, "How is he planning to confirm it?"
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.
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