385 Before and After Comparison
Lumian swiftly assessed the surroundings, taking in the scattered gas street lamps and their flickering crimson flames. In the distance, figures moved about cautiously, but none dared to draw near. The individuals up ahead couldn’t even open their eyes due to the blinding glare of the “sun.”
“Son of a sow, did they just vanish into thin air?” Lumian couldn’t help but curse under his breath, his anxiety and anger mounting.
Had they fled without even engaging in a proper battle?
Did they disengage once a single strike failed?
“Dammit, were you born in the year of the rat? Slippery as eels, and they vanish at the drop of a hat!” Franca cursed as she approached Lumian, using a peculiar phrase that seemed like a translation. “The Seer and Marauder pathways are truly interchangeable. Their styles are too damn similar, aren’t they?”
This was primarily evident in their inability to strike or capture the primary target.
The key difference was that the Seer pathway started behaving this way from Sequence 7, while the Marauder pathway might have to wait until they reached Sequence 4 to exhibit such traits.
Lumian’s mind raced as he pondered how to track down Loki and his marionette.
Perhaps they had already made their escape, or maybe they were lurking somewhere in the evening streets of Rue Anarchie!
A marionette…
Yes, that aria-singing marionette had taken my Spell of Harrumph head-on without flinching. That suggests there’s a high chance it’s already dead. No active, conscious Spirit Body…
My near-transformation into a marionette confirms this indirectly…
If the marionette is dead, it probably doesn’t possess the fate of a living being. No so-called luck. Even if there is, it’s locked in darkness. That spells death…
If we can’t locate Loki, who possesses Faceless powers, maybe we can start with his marionette!
With this plan in mind, Lumian concentrated, carefully observing the destiny of the people standing more than ten to twenty meters away.
He scanned everything that had a destiny and wasn’t shrouded in darkness.
After a rapid survey, Lumian couldn’t identify any potential marionette targets.
He let out a slow, disappointed sigh.
“Let’s get out of here. The firefighters are on their way. Official Beyonders should be arriving soon,” Franca warned Lumian.
Lumian withdrew his gaze and left Rue Anarchie before the crimson flames could be extinguished.
After taking a dozen steps, Lumian suddenly remembered Monsieur Ruhr, who had succumbed to illness, and Madame Michel, who had hanged herself while singing the Capital of Joy.
He feared that he might unwittingly bring a catastrophe involving Beyonder powers to Auberge du Coq Doré and his entrustee, Fitz.
As the leader of April Fool’s, Loki took pleasure in manipulating others’ minds. He had no qualms about harming his comrades, let alone murdering innocent people he had never met. Therefore, the likelihood was high that he would commence with Lumian’s acquaintances and employ their deaths to shatter Lumian’s psyche. He would secretly revel in watching Lumian descend into madness before seizing the opportunity to end his life.
Though it was only a possibility, Lumian refused to take the risk. He halted and turned towards Avenue du Marché.
“What’s the matter?” Franca inquired, her expression one of confusion.
Having regained his composure, Lumian flashed a reassuring smile and replied, “Let’s grab a drink at Salle de Bal Brise.”
The fate of the mobsters he frequently associated with was of lesser concern. Mobsters knew they had to be prepared for such eventualities!
Franca was momentarily taken aback but quickly grasped Lumian’s underlying worry.
Loki had hooked a big fish but failed to capture it. It was clear he had seen through their true appearances. He could hide in the shadows and wait for the perfect moment. As for Lumian and herself, unless they abandoned their current identities and used their anti-divination and anti-tracking abilities to survive elsewhere, they would be left in a state of constant suspicion, fearing that any rat they saw might attack them.
Compared to Auberge du Coq Doré, the second floor of Salle de Bal Brise offered a quieter and more defensible location.
Furthermore, in the event of a Beyonder-level confrontation, it was better to involve mobsters rather than innocent bystanders.
“I’ll change my attire as well,” Franca hinted, indicating her desire to alter her appearance and remain hidden in the shadows, making it difficult for Loki to locate her and launch any potential attacks.
Similarly, she intended to have Jenna return home and stay with her brother for a while to avoid becoming collateral damage.
In the face of such a bizarre and terrifying adversary, the survivability of an Instigator remained too fragile.
Lumian gently patted the concealed Franca’s Mirror Substitution hidden beneath his clothing with his right hand, signaling the need for them to watch each other’s backs.
Franca nodded solemnly, affirming her understanding of the situation.
…
Salle de Bal Brise, the café on the second floor.
Lumian settled at the far end near the window and turned to his bodyguard, Sarkota.
“Go to Auberge du Coq Doré and fetch a bankrupt merchant named Fitz.”
With such an intermediary, Fitz would appear to have achieved his objectives through his association with the Savoie Mob, and there was no direct connection to Ciel Dubois. If Loki intended to select a victim, he would likely focus on the Savoie Mob members affiliated with Lumian.
With the weighty satchel resting on his lap, Lumian patiently awaited Fitz’s arrival while contemplating the Loki-related issues at hand.
Having lost track of the April Fool’s leader, Lumian was left with only certain phenomena to guide him in this matter.
One of the details was an option Lumian had predetermined before taking action.
Upon leaving Salle de Bal Unique, Lumian had intentionally followed the same anti-tracking procedures as before. He reverted to his original appearance, changed his clothing, and modified his satchel. However, as he traversed Rue Ancienne again and reunited with Franca, he refrained from employing any anti-tracking measures. This was done to establish a comparative sample and identify any discrepancies.
After all, if he failed to capture the bizarre and seemingly unkillable Loki, his efforts would be in vain.
He needed to gain something valuable from this encounter.
This was a smaller trap concealed within a larger one.
Logically, if my anti-tracking procedures had shaken off Loki previously, there should be no reason for an exception this time. I had meticulously paid attention to the people and creatures around me, even avoiding the watchful eyes of birds in the sky. Even if a mere insect became one of Loki’s marionettes, it would struggle to keep up with my swiftness…
Therefore, either Franca had been targeted early in the morning, or Loki recognized me when I passed through Rue Ancienne again after my anti-tracking.
Franca carried out anti-divination procedures and was a distance away from the Alone Bar and Salle de Bal Unique. She didn’t even enter Rue Ancienne and had used non-mystical methods to observe. It’s unlikely that she’ll be exposed so quickly unless Loki was aware from the outset that such an observer would be present…
The likeliest scenario was that Loki had recognized me when I passed through Rue Ancienne again after my anti-tracking procedures. But how had this recognition occurred? I had reverted to my original appearance, altered my clothing, and even chosen to pass through in a rented carriage to avoid suspicion. According to Anthony, this should have concealed my unchanged leather shoes from prying eyes and hidden my typical gait and body language…
I had even applied cologne to mask my original scent…
What unique characteristics do I possess that allows Loki to discern my identity within such a brief period?
Lumian compared the differences and gradually arrived at a hypothesis.
Either a Marionettist or one of his marionettes possesses the ability to directly identify a person at the level of their soul, consciousness, or some other aspect, or Loki can perceive distinctive traits that set me apart from others—such as Inevitability’s angel, Mr. Fool’s seal, or the Blood Emperor’s aura?
Although Lie belongs to the Seer pathway, it does not have a readily detectable convergence force that corresponds to Loki’s Sequence…
The more Lumian pondered, the more convinced he became that Loki had a means of piercing his disguise, but his tracking abilities were limited. A vigilant target who remained wary of strangers, animals, birds, and insects while being impossible to carry out any direct divination would successfully evade him.
Regardless of how Loki told him apart, this was the best explanation when carrying out the before-and-after comparison.
With this in mind, Lumian had a new idea.
Lumian’s lips curled slightly as he cast his gaze toward the dark night sky.
Fifteen minutes later, Fitz, the bankrupt merchant, was brought into the café by Sarkota
Lumian signaled for Sarkota to step aside momentarily and addressed Fitz, “I’ve already recovered the money. How much do you think you should receive?”
As he spoke, Lumian emptied the banknotes, gold coins, and valuable accessories onto the table, his eyes briefly scanning over them.
“About 130,000 verl d’or in total.”
Fitz blurted out, “60,000, no, 50,000. No, just give me 30,000 verl d’or.”
With a smile, Lumian separated a few bundles of neatly bound banknotes and tossed them to Fitz.
“As we agreed, the interest belongs to me, and I’ll take 50% of the principal. Here’s 50,000 verl d’or.”
Fitz accepted the money with gratitude, expressing his heartfelt thanks.
While he didn’t receive the full amount, 50,000 verl d’or was a substantial sum that would enable him to start anew with hope in his heart.
50% of the principal along with interest was a fair arrangement!
Lumian was equally pleased. Through the operation facilitated by the Angel of Time by Mr. Fool’s side, he had effortlessly gained 50,000 verl d’or in banknotes and 30,000 gold coins.
After all, he had worked so hard to gather gold, but in the end, he only accumulated 75,000 gold.
Deep in thought, he contemplated the idea of purchasing sacrificial offerings from the corresponding domain as a token of gratitude to Mr. Fool and the Angel of Time.
After waiting for over half an hour, Lumian ascended to the bedroom on the second floor. He discarded his satchel and employed Lie to alter his appearance once more, assuming the likeness of a male Aurore with black hair and brown eyes.
He changed into a shirt, vest, trousers, and leather boots, stowed away Lie, and transferred the Flog boxing gloves into his briefcase. He carefully surveyed the scene beyond the window.
Once he confirmed that no humans, rats, or birds were in the vicinity, Lumian pushed open the window and gracefully leaped out, seemingly unaware that Loki might possess the ability to see through his disguise.