543 Same Dream
Wearing a lion headgear, 007 intercepted Franca’s path, gritting his teeth.
“Hidden Blade, thanks to your intel, I might be deployed on a mission right now.”
“Huh?” Franca didn’t quite get it.
Deployed on a mission? If you’re out, who do I report problems to in Trier?
007 glanced at Muggle, standing silently beside them, and took a deep breath.
“I might head to Feynapotter as an assistant to retrieve that Sealed Artifact.
“It’s Intis’ loss, and it wouldn’t be good for it to end up in the hands of the Feynapotter Kingdom.”
“Will the Feynapotterians allow you to enforce the law in their country? Isn’t transnational cooperation troublesome?” Franca roughly understood 007’s concerns.
007 pondered for a moment and said, “We’re still working through the process, but the Feynapotterians aren’t too opposed this time. They want to eliminate the hidden dangers of the Sealed Artifact ASAP. They have precautions to take and can’t spare many to surround and intercept it, so they might as well borrow our strength.”
The Church of Earth Mother and the Feynapotter Kingdom need to be vigilant. Are they short on manpower? This is a problem with a single Church country. They don’t have the resources like a combination of two or three Churches. Wait, that doesn’t make sense. The Feynapotter Kingdom has a royal family, and Beyonders of the Church don’t only follow the pathway of their deity. Lumian sensed something amiss from 007’s words.
This made him feel that the hidden dangers in the Feynapotter Kingdom were no less than those in countries with multiple deities and Churches.
“Is that so…” Franca suddenly had an idea. “I have a way to ensure you don’t have to be deployed!”
“What way?” 007 asked skeptically.
Franca smiled and said, “If you’re on an important mission in Trier, there’s no need for you to be deployed.”
“Important mission…” 007 repeated in a low voice, suddenly having an ominous feeling.
Franca seized the opportunity and said, “We’ve located another Mirror World Fragment in an ancient tomb on the fourth level of the catacombs.”
“Now, we have a lead to pursue the Mirror People in Trier. If you report it and convey that you’re conducting an investigation, you likely won’t end up in Feynapotter.”
007 stared at Franca, dressed in an assassin suit, for a moment. He raised his hand to rub his forehead and spoke gravely, “Thanks a lot, Hidden Blade!”
Franca pretended not to catch 007’s underlying message and continued, “The tomb is situated near the Crazy Mushroom Cave. Its door is wide open, and there are no conspicuous signs. Please gather information from the catacombs about its construction date, its occupants, and the ancient family it belongs to. Only then can we determine why the peculiar Mirror People entered and met their demise there.”
007 took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
“You’re a perfect boss for me.”
All you know is to assign me missions!
Franca let out a hollow laugh and shifted the topic.
“Do you have any idea what’s happening in the Crazy Mushroom Cave? Mushrooms are somehow thriving in that silent, dark, and tightly sealed place. Moreover, it seems to be the only location in the fourth-level catacombs where mushrooms grow.”
007 nodded gently and replied, “I have some knowledge about that. Once upon a time, I was quite intrigued by the mushroom cave. I conducted an investigation and discovered that it was initially quite ordinary—a naturally formed cave among the ancient tombs. When the catacombs were completed, some of the ancient corpses were relocated there. Within a few weeks, it became overrun with mushrooms and sealed off.”
The Beyonder powers brought about by the seal’s formal formation combined with the problem of certain ancient corpses created such a Crazy Mushroom Cave? Lumian analyzed the reason thoughtfully.
Observing Muggle’s attentive silence, 007 nodded courteously and turned to head towards the Sanctuary team.
Franca couldn’t help but chuckle.
“He’s so polite to you. If only he knew that most of his troubles and fatigue stemmed from you, his expression would be quite the sight.”
Lumian chuckled in response.
“But the Mirror People situation has nothing to do with me.”
As they conversed, they strolled toward the corner where the Academy team congregated.
Midway, Lumian suddenly turned to Franca.
“Do you think any member of the Research Society, especially those in Trier, might have been replaced by the Mirror People?”
“That’s impossible… Don’t scare me!” Franca sounded alarmed.
Lumian fought the urge to pout, not wanting to destroy his sister’s beautiful image.
“What’s impossible? Any Trier citizen could be replaced by the Mirror People, even if they’re part of a secret organization.
“Moreover, most in the Research Society are Beyonders with a strong spirit of exploration. Their encounters with Beyonder incidents are more frequent than regular folks.”
Franca nodded seriously, acknowledging the potential risk couldn’t be disregarded.
“As a Review Committee member, you should liaise with Madame Hela and the others, observe discreetly,” Lumian reminded her.
There lingered uncertainty about whether the Mirror People of transmigrators retained their pre-transmigration memories. If they did, they could bypass the Committee’s safeguards easily. Their interactions within the Research Society could go undetected unless they caused harm, staying concealed.
“Understood,” Franca responded with solemnity.
At that moment, many familiar members of Lumian’s team gathered in the corner, including Professor, Associate Professor, Headmaster, Periodic Table, Bear, Griffin, and Isotope.
Some wore different disguises than before, though Lumian had grown accustomed to their diverse outfits. They were individuals who wouldn’t attend a masquerade ball in the same attire twice. Regardless, their general body shape, language, and chest labels helped others accurately identify them.
After exchanging greetings, Lumian and Franca each took a seat.
After a few minutes, Franca raised her hand and said, “Is anyone selling Language Comprehension-type items? I know someone who’s going overseas and wants to acquire some.”
Upon hearing her request, some chuckled, while others pursed their lips. The former wanted to inquire if her friend was herself, while the latter recalled the key member of April Fool’s who had caused numerous catastrophes in the Research Society.
Bear, encased in a brown bear hide, spoke in ancient Feysac in a muffled voice, “I have a Language Comprehension charm that achieves a similar effect.”
“Language Comprehension charm?” Franca asked with interest.
Having been fluent in ancient Feysac for many years, she had become relatively proficient in Loen, Highlander, and other languages of the Northern Continent. However, she lacked knowledge of the Southern Continent’s languages.
The Academy team member with the code name “Bear” glanced at Hidden Blade with his coffee-colored eyes.
“Yes, its essence is to temporarily strengthen and alter the Body of Heart and Mind, improving understanding, reasoning, and communication. It also imparts a portion of the corresponding language’s knowledge. Using one lasts seven days.
“Currently, Language Comprehension charms are divided into three types. The lowest level is for all ancient Feysacian languages. Creating them is the least difficult. You only need…”
Bear paused, making a conversion based on the current exchange rate.
“A thousand verl d’or.
“The middle level covers all ordinary languages. It costs 2,000 verl d’or. At the highest level, you can temporarily master a designated supernatural language. 5,000 verl d’or. Hidden Blade, which one do you want?”
Franca listened attentively, sensing a subtle expression of pity and regret in Bear’s gaze.
Is he pitying me for daring to drink the Witch potion back then? Franca wondered silently. Without looking at Muggle, she made the decision.
“Three lowest-level Language Comprehension charms, one mid-level. Uh, can I get a discount?”
She believed Lumian would eventually track down Hisoka in the Southern Continent. It was better to prepare a Mid-level Language Comprehension charm now.
“No.” Bear shook his head.
“Alright,” Franca said, lacking talent for bargaining. She habitually asked for a discount to avoid potential future regret.
After Franca paid and settled on the delivery method, Professor, adorned with a black butterfly mask, surveyed the area. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke up.
“Associate Professor, I and a few Warlocks I know have been having strange dreams lately. In these dreams, there’s a wilderness with many indistinct figures wandering around.”
“Have any of you had one too?”
She directed her inquiry towards the other Warlocks in the Academy team.
Wilderness… Wandering figures… Could this be related to some Madame’s Paramita? Lumian, concealed behind a silver-white half-mask, furrowed his brow slightly. It seemed unlikely that a Warlock would dream of Paramita. Why would they?
Observing other Warlocks expressing that they had similar dreams, but the frequency and clarity decreased over time, Lumian, acting as Aurore, nodded and posed a question instead of providing an answer.
“When did you guys start having this dream?”
Could it be an abnormality caused by the Hidden Sage?
Professor had clearly made confirmation on this matter.
“The two of us and some friends started after the night of the terrifying storm in Trier—last month.”
She knew that Muggle was also in Trier and knew the exact night she referred to.
The sudden, terrifying downpour occurred the night the Hostel ritual was activated… Could it be influenced by the leaked power of the seal? Is there a high-level power of the Mystery Pryer pathway sealed inside? Or were the fallen monks of the Deep Valley Cloister connected to the Hidden Sage? Did this evil god secretly do something that left some power in the real world? Lumian pondered and then said, “I heard something happened to Trier’s Deep Valley Cloister that night, and the Savant pathway and the Mystery Pryer pathway are neighboring pathways.”
Professor, Associate Professor, and the others turned their gaze to Muggle. They hadn’t expected their companion, who had recently moved to Trier, to possess such secretive knowledge about the local area.
Lumian continued slowly, “Shouldn’t we inquire with people from the Savant pathway and see if they had similar dreams?”
Good idea! Franca silently praised.